The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
p. 270Cahto in. I^ut there appeared a vision which waylaid My purpose, drawing my attention near, That my confession was forgot ere said. Such as through glass diaphanous and clear, ^® Or through the shining waters' tranquil deeps. Not of such depth as darkly to appear, The sketch of our own features upwards creeps So dimly, that of pearl or whitest front The eye no clearer the faint outline keeps. ^* Thus saw I many eager faces mount.
And fell into the opposite error there From that which kindled love 'twixt man and fount. Tor suddenly when I of them was 'ware.
Believing they were mirrored images, ** I turned my eyes to see of whom they were, And nothing saw, and drew them with surprise Straight on the light, which in my own sweet guide Smiling was kindled in her holy eyes. ^* Marvel thou not because I smiled," replied ** My lady, " at thy childish judgment blind, Si^ce thy foot trusteth not the truth descried.
But turns thee, as its wont, to empty wind ; True substances are these which thou dost greet, Who, through their broken vow, are here confined. ^ But speak with them, and hear, and credence mete. For the true light which in them shineth plain. From sliding any more will g^uard their feet.
And I unto the shadow which most fain Appeared to parley with me, drew my gaze, And as by eagerness confused, began, spirit ! made for good, who in the rays Of life eteme drink'st sweetness of the skies, Which tasted not, in vain the soul essays, Wouldst thou but tell me I the boon would prize. Thy name, and all the mystery of your lot.
Whence eager she replied, with smiling eyes : Our charity the portal barreth not To just desire, no more than God's own worth Which wiQs that all His Court be like Him brought. ** 1 was a holy sister on the earth ; And if thy mind will well regard me here. Will veil me not my grace of heavenly birth. Line 17- Narcissas condeived his shadow to be a reality. Dante miatakes ^he refined substanceB of the blest for shadows.
But as Piccarda thou wilt know me clear, Who stationed here amongst these other blest Are happy in the slowest whirling sphere. All our affections are alone imprest With what doth please the Holy Spirit, so Here, in His order, they rejoice at rest. And in this sphere, which seems so yery low, High Heaven our residence allotted places. Because we did not Wholly keep our vow.
Whence I to her : " Within your wondrous faces There shineth something that is so divine. That quite it changeth all your former traces ; Therefore thy likeness did my memory twine But slowly, aided by what thou dost tell More like my native tongue, I now divine. But tell me, ye who happy here do dwell, Do ye desire another higher place To see more fully, and your love to swell P" With the other shades she smiled a little space.
Then answered me with such a joy galore, That love's first fires seemed burning in her face. " Brother, our will is quieted with lore '* Of charity, which makes us only seek That which we have, nor ever thirst for more.
If higher lots for us we would bespeak Then our desires would all discordant be With His high will, who here our lots doth make. ^* Which in these circles cannot be, thou'lt see : If here to dwell in charity is need, And if thou seest the law of charity. Nay, 'tis essential to our blessed meed To be restrained within the will Divine, ^ That unto one our wills be all agreed.
So that as we throughout this kingdom shine From sphere to sphere, it pleaseth every grade. As to the King, to whose will all incline. In his high pleasure all our peace is laid ; This is that ocean unto which are brought All things which it creates, or Nature made. Line 49. The sister of Forese, introdaoed in Canto XXIV. of the ** Purgatory," and of Gorso Donati.
The latter, with some dissolute oomradefl, scaled Piccarda's monastery and forcibly took her away to marry her against her will. The legend states that before the spouse of Christ came tocher with her carnal husband she committed her virginity to the care of her Heavenly Lord, and was smitten with leprosy, and died in a few days, being thus saved from contamination.
p. 272Cahto m. Then was it clear to me how every lot In Heaven is Paradise, though the highest good His grace in one sole fashion mineth not. ^ But as it haps, when glutted with one food After another still desire doth crave For which are thanks paid, and which still is wooed. So I with words and gesture to her clave To learn from her the story of the woof, '^ The which her shuttle did not wholly weave.
" A perfect life and high desert of proof Enshrines the lady in a Heaven more high, After whose rule on earth we live- ftloof , That we may see, and slumber when we die ^^ With that dear spouse, who every vow receives Which to his pleasure mouldeth charity.
In youth I fled me from the world that grieves To follow her, and her chaste habit wore, And promised me the path her sect achieves. ^^ Men used to evil more than virtuous lore From the sweet cloister carried me away : God knows the life which afterwards I bore.
This other, who her splendour doth display At my right hand, and bums with all the light "** Allotted to our sphere, whatever I say About myself, applies to her aright ; She was a nun, and from her head was torn Even thus the shadow of her nun's veil white. But even in the world where she was borne "* Against her will, and every usage good. Within her heart the veil was ever worn.
This is great Constance' light, who from the rude Wind that the second blew from Suabia's plain, Produced the third, and latest of the brood." ^^® Thus she spake to me, and began the strain Ave Maria, vanishing with song. As heavy body through the dusky main. My vision, which still followed her as long As it was possible, when she was gone ^^ Turned to the target of my love most strong, Line 98. St. Clare, the foandress of Piocarda's order.
Line 118. Daughter of Bnggieri, King of Sicily, and taken from her monastery, at the mature age of fifty, to marry the Emperor Henry YI., the second of the House of Suabia, by whom she became mother to Frederic II., the third and last of the brood.
270 PARADISE. Cahto in. I^ut there appeared a vision which waylaid My purpose, drawing my attention near, That my confession was forgot ere said. Such as through glass diaphanous and clear, ^® Or through the shining waters' tranquil deeps. Not of such depth as darkly to appear, The sketch of our own features upwards creeps So dimly, that of pearl or whitest front The eye no clearer the faint outline keeps. ^* Thus saw I many eager faces mount. And fell into the opposite error there From that which kindled love 'twixt man and fount. Tor suddenly when I of them was 'ware. Believing they were mirrored images, ** I turned my eyes to see of whom they were, And nothing saw, and drew them with surprise Straight on the light, which in my own sweet guide Smiling was kindled in her holy eyes. ^* Marvel you not because I smiled," replied ** My lady, " at your childish judgment blind, Si^ce your foot trusts not the truth descried. But turns you, as its wont, to empty wind ; True substances are these which you do greet, Who, through their broken vow, are here confined. ^ But speak with them, and hear, and credence mete. For the true light which in them shines plain. From sliding any more will g^uard their feet." And I unto the shadow which most fain Appeared to parley with me, drew my gaze, And as by eagerness confused, began, spirit ! made for good, who in the rays Of life eteme drink'st sweetness of the skies, Which tasted not, in vain the soul essays, Wouldst you but tell me I the boon would prize. Your name, and all the mystery of your lot. Whence eager she replied, with smiling eyes : Our charity the portal bars not To just desire, no more than God's own worth Which wiQs that all His Court be like Him brought. ** 1 was a holy sister on the earth ; And if your mind will well regard me here. Will veil me not my grace of heavenly birth. Line 17- Narcissas condeived his shadow to be a reality. Dante miatakes ^he refined substanceB of the blest for shadows.
But as Piccarda you will know me clear, Who stationed here amongst these other blest Are happy in the slowest whirling sphere. All our affections are alone imprest With what does please the Holy Spirit, so Here, in His order, they rejoice at rest. And in this sphere, which seems so yery low, High Heaven our residence allotted places. Because we did not Wholly keep our vow." Whence I to her : " Within your wondrous faces There shines something that is so divine. That quite it changes all your former traces ; Therefore your likeness did my memory twine But slowly, aided by what you do tell More like my native tongue, I now divine. But tell me, you who happy here do dwell, Do you desire another higher place To see more fully, and your love to swell P" With the other shades she smiled a little space. Then answered me with such a joy galore, That love's first fires seemed burning in her face. " Brother, our will is quieted with lore '* Of charity, which makes us only seek That which we have, nor ever thirst for more. If higher lots for us we would bespeak Then our desires would all discordant be With His high will, who here our lots does make. ^* Which in these circles cannot be, you'lt see : If here to dwell in charity is need, And if you seest the law of charity. Nay, 'tis essential to our blessed meed To be restrained within the will Divine, ^ That unto one our wills be all agreed. So that as we throughout this kingdom shine From sphere to sphere, it pleases every grade. As to the King, to whose will all incline. In his high pleasure all our peace is laid ; This is that ocean unto which are brought All things which it creates, or Nature made." Line 49. The sister of Forese, introdaoed in Canto XXIV. of the ** Purgatory," and of Gorso Donati. The latter, with some dissolute oomradefl, scaled Piccarda's monastery and forcibly took her away to marry her against her will. The legend states that before the spouse of Christ came tocher with her carnal husband she committed her virginity to the care of her Heavenly Lord, and was smitten with leprosy, and died in a few days, being thus saved from contamination.
272 PARADISE. Cahto m. Then was it clear to me how every lot In Heaven is Paradise, though the highest good His grace in one sole fashion mines not. ^ But as it haps, when glutted with one food After another still desire does crave For which are thanks paid, and which still is wooed. So I with words and gesture to her clave To learn from her the story of the woof, '^ The which her shuttle did not wholly weave. " A perfect life and high desert of proof Enshrines the lady in a Heaven more high, After whose rule on earth we live- ftloof , That we may see, and slumber when we die ^^ With that dear spouse, who every vow receives Which to his pleasure moulds charity. In youth I fled me from the world that grieves To follow her, and her chaste habit wore, And promised me the path her sect achieves. ^^ Men used to evil more than virtuous lore From the sweet cloister carried me away : God knows the life which afterwards I bore. This other, who her splendour does display At my right hand, and bums with all the light "** Allotted to our sphere, whatever I say About myself, applies to her aright ; She was a nun, and from her head was torn Even thus the shadow of her nun's veil white. But even in the world where she was borne "* Against her will, and every usage good. Within her heart the veil was ever worn. This is great Constance' light, who from the rude Wind that the second blew from Suabia's plain, Produced the third, and latest of the brood." ^^® Thus she spake to me, and began the strain Ave Maria, vanishing with song. As heavy body through the dusky main. My vision, which still followed her as long As it was possible, when she was gone ^^ Turned to the target of my love most strong, Line 98. St. Clare, the foandress of Piocarda's order. Line 118. Daughter of Bnggieri, King of Sicily, and taken from her monastery, at the mature age of fifty, to marry the Emperor Henry YI., the second of the House of Suabia, by whom she became mother to Frederic II., the third and last of the brood.
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