But tell us, if thou knowest, why such a shudder Erewhile the mountain gave, and why together Of my desire, that merely with the hope "Naught is there," he began, "that without order What from itself heaven in itself receiveth Nor dew, nor hoar-frost any higher falls Nor coruscation, nor the daughter of Thaumas, No arid vapour any farther rises Than to the top of the three steps I spake of, Feels itself pure, so that it soars, or moves Of purity the will alone gives proof, Which, being wholly free to change its convent, First it wills well; but the desire permits not, And I, who have been lying in this pain Five hundred years and more, but just now felt Therefore thou heardst the earthquake, and the pious Spirits along the mountain rendering praise So said he to him; and since we enjoy As much in drinking as the thirst is great, And the wise Leader: "Now I see the net That snares you here, and how ye are set free, Now who thou wast be pleased that I may know; Of the supremest King, avenged the wounds. Me, a Thoulousian, drew unto herself, I sang of Thebes, and then of great Achilles; Of that celestial flame which heated me, Whereby more than a thousand have been fired; Of the Æneid speak I, which to me A mother was, and was my nurse in song; Virgilius lived, I would accept one sun With looks that in their silence said, "Be silent!" For tears and laughter are such pursuivants Unto the passion from which each springs forth, I only smiled, as one who gives the wink; Whereat the shade was silent, and it gazed 66 One keeps me silent, one to speak conjures me, Of speaking, but speak out, and say to him. But I will have more wonder seize upon thee. This one, who guides on high these eyes of mine, If other cause thou to my smile imputedst, Abandon it as false, and trust it was Those words which thou hast spoken concerning him." Already he was stooping to embrace My Teacher's feet; but he said to him: "Brother, And he uprising: "Now canst thou the sum Of love which warms me to thee comprehend, CANTO XXII. ALREADY was the Angel left behind us, The Angel who to the sixth round had turned us, And those who have in justice their desire Had said to us, "Beati," in their voices, Kindled by virtue aye another kindles, My kindliness towards thee was as great As ever bound one to an unseen person, So that these stairs will now seem short to me. But tell me, and forgive me as a friend, If too great confidence let loose the rein, For avarice to find place, 'mid so much wisdom Somewhat to laughter; afterward he answered: 125 130 135 5 10 15 20 25 Verily oftentimes do things appear Which give fallacious matter to our doubts, Thy question shows me thy belief to be That I was niggard in the other life, It may be from the circle where I was; Therefore know thou, that avarice was removed Too far from me; and this extravagance Thousands of lunar periods have punished. And were it not that I my thoughts uplifted, When I the passage heard where thou exclaimest, "To what impellest thou not, O cursed hunger Then I perceived the hands could spread too wide Because of ignorance, which from this sin Together with it here its verdure dries. Therefore if I have been among that folk Which mourns its avarice, to purify me, For its opposite has this befallen me.” "Now when thou sangest the relentless weapons Of the twofold affliction of Jocasta," The singer of the Songs Bucolic said, "From that which Clio there with thee preludes, It does not seem that yet had made thee faithful That faith without which no good works suffice. If this be so, what candles or what sun Scattered thy darkness so that thou didst trim Towards Parnassus, in its grots to drink, Thou didst as he who walketh in the night, Who bears his light behind, which helps him not, When thou didst say: 'The age renews itself, Through thee I Poet was, through thee a Christian; To colour it will I extend my hand. Pregnant with the true creed, disseminated With the new preachers was in unison; That, when Domitian persecuted them, Then they became so holy in my sight, Not without tears of mine were their laments; 85 And all the while that I on earth remained, Them I befriended, and their upright customs And ere I led the Greeks unto the rivers For a long time professing paganism; And this lukewarmness caused me the fourth circle That hid from me whatever good I speak of, Replied my Leader, "with that Grecian are In the first circle of the prison blind; Ofttimes we of the mountain hold discourse Euripides is with us, Antiphon, Simonides, Agatho, and many other Greeks who of old their brows with laurel decked. There some of thine own people may be seen, Antigone, Deiphile and Argia, And there Ismene mournful as of old. There she is seen who pointed out Langia; There is Tiresias' daughter, and there Thetis, And there Deidamia with her sisters." Silent already were the poets both, Attent once more in looking round about, From the ascent and from the walls released; |