The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

CANTO XXX. In the midst of a shower of roses strewn by an Angel choir, a lady descends from Heaven upon l^e car. Dante instinctively recognises Beatrice, and turning to Vir^, finds tibat his faithful guide has left him. Beatrice tells hun not to weep on that account, but to reserve his tears for the rebuke with which sne greets him for his sins. When there the Empyrean Polar light.

Which never setting yet nor rising knew, Nor other cloud, except sin's veiling night. Line 1. The seven candlesticks, called the Polestar of the Empyrean, as the seven gifts of the spirit guide each soul to its harbour, in the same way that the Polestar of the lower sky is the guide to mariners.

246 PURGATORY. Canto XXX. And which each being to his duty drew, Directing as our Pole star o'er the seas * Home to his port the helmsman guides true, Had halted, all the truthful companies, Which 'twixt it and the Gryphon erst did hie. Turned round towards the car, as towards their peace. And one of them, as herald of the sky, ^® Veni, sjposa de I/ihano, with song Cried out three times, and all the others nigh : As at the final ban with hurrying throng Troops of the blessed, each one from his cave, His new-clad flesh all lightly borne along, ^* So o'er that car divine in the concave A hundred rose, ad vocem tanti sends, Heralds of life eteme beyond the grave. All of them cried, Benedidus qui venis, And o'er it casting round the flowery spray, ^ Manibtis date liUa plenis, I have beheld ere now in dawning day The orient flushed all o'er with roseate hue, While o'er the heaven's serene no cloudlets stray : And have beheld the sun's face rising through ^ That vaporous mist, so tempered in its tone. That for some length the eye could bear the view ; Thus so within a cloud of flowerets strown, That from angelic hands were poured beneath. And in and over all the folds fell down ^ Upon her white veil, girt with olive wreath, Appeared to me a lady, in a green Mantle, above a scarlet robe beneath. And my own spirit which so long had been Before that presence troubled so of old, ^ Through marvel trembled not^ nor fluttered then. Although my eyes no recognition told. Through hidden virtue which from her there ran Of olden love I felt the mighty hold. Soon, as upon my sight there smote again *® Another's virtue, which had smote me quite Ere I had issued out of childhood's reign : Unto my left I turned me for respite. Just as the infant runs to his dame Whene'er afflicted or whene'er in fright, ^ Line 7. The foar-and -twenty elders — ^amongst whom the one mentioned in V. 10 is supposed to be Solomon, who qaotes his own Song, ch. iv., v. 8. I^ne 19. VirgU, "^neid," Ub. vi., v. 884.

Canto XXX. PURGATORY. 247 To say to Virgil, " Eests within my frame No dram of blood that does not tremble now ; I know the symptoms of the olden flame/' But Virgil had bereaved us of him, woe ! Virgil, the sweetest father one could grieve, ^ Virgil, to whom entrusted, life I owe : Nor all she lost, our olden mother Eve, Availed, upon my cheeks erst washed with dew, But that the tears their soiling trace should leave. " Dante, though Virgil goes from your view, " Weep not for that, no therefore weep not now. Since you for other sword must weep anew." Just as an admiral on poop or prow Ooms to see the crew their service ply On the high masts, and cheers them zeal to show, ^ Upon the left side of the car, when I Had turned me at the sound of my own name. Which here is written of necessity, I saw the lady who before did beam Upon me, veiled in flowers angelical, ^ Towards me direct her eyes across the stream : Although the veil that from her brow did fall, Bound with a garland of Minerva's leaves, Displayed not to the sight her aspect all ; With royal bearing, like to one that grieves, '° Her parlance she continued, and severe The keenest point unto the close she leaves. " See truly, truly, Beatrix appear ; How have you deigned at last to approach the mount P Didst you not know that man was happy here ?" ^* My eyes fell downwards in the crystal fount, But seeing there myself, unto the sward I turned them, such a shame was on my front. As seems a mother proud to child adored. So did she seem to me, because I knew ^* The bitter taste of Piety's sharpened sword. Line 53. " Alle gnanoe nette di ragiada.." The commentators explain this, cheeks free from weeping, and the words may bear that signification. The translators hitherto have followed this rendering, but I mnoh prefer the simple translation in the text, believing that Dante refers to the mystical washing with dew described in Canto I. of the " Purgatory." Not even the beanties of the Terrestrial Paradise availed to save from the soil of tears his cheeks washed with dew from every earthly stain. Line 63. It may be remarked that on no other occasion has Dante written his name thronghout the poem.