The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

Osesar I was, and am Justinian, Who through the will o* the primal love I feel Expunged from laws the superfluous and the vain, And ere unto that task aroused my zeal In Christ one nature only I conf est, And with such faith contented, sought my weal. For at that season Agapete the blest Was highest shepherd, to the faith sincere Me with his holy counsel he addrest. Him I believed, and what he told me here Clearly I see, as both the false and true In every contradiction does appear. As soon as with the Church I moved anew It pleased God's grace my spirits to incline To my high task, and wholly cleave thereto. To Belisarius I my arms resign, On whom Heaven's favours so propitious shone, That I should rest from war it was a sign. To your first question were my answer done But that its tendency demands as gloss Touching the eagle something to be shown. That you mayst see how little reason knows Each faction, moving 'gainst that standard holy, Both those who claim as well as who oppose. Behold what virtue made it worthy wholly Of reverence deep, beginning with the hour When Pallas died that it might govern solely. You know'st it made its nest in Alba's bower Three hundred years and more, until that close When three 'gainst three gave battle for its power. From Sabine rape until Lucretia's woes You know its actions underneath seven kings, Conquering all round it, all its neighbouring foes. You know'st its actions when there bore its wings 'Gainst Brennus and 'gainst Pyrrhus, Romans high. And 'gainst all other chiefs and gatherings. Torquatus thence, Decius, and Quintius by His unkempt locks nicknamed, and Fabius vied In fame, which I embalm thus willingly. Line 14. Justiriiaii, in fact, throughout his life favoured the heresy of Eutichus, who appears to have denied Christ's hu/riMin nature. Against this heresy Aiapete, Bishop of Borne, wrote. The Empress Theodora's influence inclined her uxorious spouse towards the sect she favoured long after the death of the saint. Dante could not, however, place a heretic in raradise. Line 36. Killed by Tnrnus on coming to the assistance of ^neas. Mn.y lib. X. Line 46. Quintius Cincinnatus.

282 PARADISE. Cakto VI. This overcame the fell Arabians' pride, Who, led by Hannibal, found out their way ^ O'er the Alpine rocks, from which you, Po, do glide. Beneath this standard triumphed in youth's day Scipio and Pompey, and unto that hill Where you were bom most bitter seemed its sway. Then, near the time when all the world to still ** To its own habitude was Heaven's design, Ceesar the standard seized through Eome's high will. And what it did from Yar unto the Ehine The Iser saw, and Loire, and saw the Seine, And all the vales that towards the Ehone incline. ^ Its actions from Bavenna issuing, when It crossed the Eubicon, were such in flight That cannot follow them or tongue or pen. Again towards Spain it veered its serried might. Then towards Dyrachium and Pharsalia smote, ^ That to the Nile was felt its blow's despite. Native Antander, Simois remote, It saw again, where Hector's ashes lie, Hence soaring ill for Ptolemy it wrought. On Juba hence like lightning did it fly ; ^^ Then to your natal West again it veered, Where the Pompeian trumpet sounded, high. Its deeds with him who next its standard reared, Brutus with Cassius bark of them in Hell, Modena and Peruge in sadness feared. ^^ Sad Cleopatra wails for it still. Who from the asp, flying that sign before, Obtained the death she sought for, swiffc and fell. With him it ran even to the Eed Sea's shore ; With him it gave such peace unto the world ^ That Janus' temple-gate was barred once more. But all the deeds the which that sign unfurled Had ever done or ever was to do 'Mongst mortals, while it triumphed o'er the world, Become in seeming all obscure and few, ^ If with clear eye and pure affection's Are His the third OaBsar's mission we but view. Line 54. The city of Fiesole, sacked after the defeat of Catiline. Line 87. Tiberins, under whose reign the Jews sacrificed Christ. The deeds of Jnlios and Angnstos are said to pale before the great oonsnmmation of God's anger, of which Tiberias is represented as the unoonscions instniment.

Canto VI. PARADISE. 283 The living justice which does me inspire Yielded unto his hand of whom I speak Glory to wreak the vengeance of his ire. •" On what I tell you now your wonder slake ; With Titus to revenge the standard ran The vengeance taken for man's sin antique. And when the Lombard tooth did gnawing stain The holy Church, beneath its outstretcht wings Came to her succour conquering Charlemain. "Now you can judge the rival bickerings Which I above did blame, their faults expose, Which are the cause of all your sufferings. The Lilies to the public sign oppose One side, the other claim it for a part, 'Tis hard to see which most of error shows. Work now, you G-hibelines, work now your art, 'Neath other sign ; this standard now eschew, Who it and justice evermore would part ; Nor strive to strike it down. This Charles the new, With all his G-uelphs, its talons let him fear. Who lordlier lion has ere now made rue. Many a time the sons have wrung a tear For the father's sins, and be it not believed That, for his Lilies, God his arms will veer. Adorn this little star, as dowry sheaved. The spirits good, who erst have active been, That fame and honour hence might be achieved. And when for such an end the wishes lean, "* Declining thus, 'tis certain that the rays Of true love upwards journey less serene. But with our merit measuring the phase Of our reward is part of our delight, Which fitly to its due does Heaven appraise. ^^ Hence our affection. Justice' living light, So draws towards itself with yearning sweet That it can never more be turned from right. Different voices make the music sweet, So different stations in this life of ours ^^ Make sweeter harmony in the spheral seat. Line 107* Alluding probably, as suggested by Mr. Gary, to Charles of Yalois, son of Philip III. of France, who was sent for by Pope Boniface into Italy under promise of being made emperor. See Canto XX. of the " Purgatory*' and note. Line 112. The subject is suddenly changed, and Dante's second question answered.