The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
p. 286Cakto TO. This law, brother, standeth unre sealed Unto the eyes of every one, whose mind Within the flames of love is not annealed. '^ Since of a verity this truth to find. So many gaze, and yet so few discern, m say why this as worthiest was designed. Goodness Divine, which from itself doth spurn All labour, kindling in itself doth blaze, ^ Displaying thus its beauties all eteme.
Whatever from it without a medium rays Can know no end, since ever must remain On it the seal which once the Deity lays. Whate'er without a medium hence doih rain ^* Is wholly free, because it cannot lie 'Neath the new influence of the starry train. The most conformed to God, most charms on high. Since the holy ardour which on all things rays, O'er its own semblance most doth vivify.
" In all these things the human creature lays His 'vantage-ground, and if he &il in one The prize of his nobility decays. To disenfranchise him can sin alone. Spoiling his likeness to the chiefest good, ®® Since of the light so little he hath won. And never is his dignity renewed, Unless where sin has failed he satisfy. For evil joy just penalties endued.
Your nature when it sinned thus totally " In its first seed, even as from Paradise Was banished also from such dignity : Nor can it be regained, in subtle guise If thou regardest this by any road. Unless by one of the two I now devise. '® Either through courtesy alone must God Have this restored, or by himself must man Have satisfied his own mad hardihood. Let now thy eye be fixed, far as it can, I' the abyss of the eternal counsels deep, •* .
Intent on what I tell of Heaven's plan. While man his own allotted bounds doth keep He could not pay by his humility. However low might his obedience creep. Line 67. Whatever proceeds directly from God, without mediate intervention, is immortal, and is free from the influence of the stars.
These qualities, together with his resemblance to God, in whose image he was created, constituted the peculiar privileges of man until lost by sin, which also turned him out of Paradise. Such is the argument of the next twenty lines.
Canto VII. PARADISE. 287 His former disobedient surquedry : ^^ This is the reason why mankind alone By their own afct could never satisfy.
It needed then that Q-od, by ways His own, Unto his life entire should man restore, Either by both His ways, I say, or one. ^^'^ But since the deed delights so much the more The doer, as it most doth represent The goodness of the heart such fruit that boref Goodness Divine, that to the world hath lent His image, to proceed by every way "° To raise ye upwards was alone content.
Nor 'twixt the last night and the primal day So high and so magnificent a deed Has ever been, nor e'er can be for aye. Since Q-od was far more bounteous of His meed "'^ Giving Himself, to grant man strength to rise, Thaji had He by His mercy only freed.
And not another method could suffice The claims of justice, if the Son of God Had not been humbled in a mortal's guise. ^^ Now to content each wish, even unavowed, I turn another place to clear to thee, That thou, like I, may see it clear and broad. Thou say'st I see the air, the fire I see.
Water and earth, and all things hence arrayed, ^^ Come to corruption, and but briefly be : Yet all these things by Gk)d Himself were made : Therefore if what I said indeed be true These in corruption should be never laid. The angels, brother, and this country new ^^^ In which thou art, may well be called created. So in their essence we entirety view : But the elements of which thou now hast prated.
And all things which from them their being crave. Are influenced by a power itself created. ^^ Line 105. Both the ways mentioned in lines 91, 2, 3 — i.e., either by Meroy or Jnstioe, or by both, the latter being alone consonant to the idea of God's perfection. Line 121.
Beatrice having stated that whatever proceeds directly from ■Qodf without mediate intervention, is immortal, proceeds to show that this is not applicable to the elements, which are influenced by the stars, themselves a created power, whose ii^uence does not extend to the spiritual life of man and angels. Dante's belief in astrological influences has been already noticed, and is again dwelt upon in the following Canto.
288 . PARADISE. Cahto Vin. Created was the matter which they have : Created too was the informing power In yonder stars, which round about thetn wave. The spirit of each brute and of each flower Doth influence with potential energy ^^ The ray and motion of yon starry bower. But this our life, the high Benignity Breathes without medium, and so Alls with love That for Himself it yeameth endlessly.
And hence thou also hast the power to prove "* Your resurrection, if thou think' st elated How man was made by Q-od in Eden's grove, When both our primal parents were created."
286 PARADISE. Cakto TO. This law, brother, stands unre sealed Unto the eyes of every one, whose mind Within the flames of love is not annealed. '^ Since of a verity this truth to find. So many gaze, and yet so few discern, m say why this as worthiest was designed. Goodness Divine, which from itself does spurn All labour, kindling in itself does blaze, ^ Displaying thus its beauties all eteme. Whatever from it without a medium rays Can know no end, since ever must remain On it the seal which once the Deity lays. Whate'er without a medium hence doih rain ^* Is wholly free, because it cannot lie 'Neath the new influence of the starry train. The most conformed to God, most charms on high. Since the holy ardour which on all things rays, O'er its own semblance most does vivify. " In all these things the human creature lays His 'vantage-ground, and if he &il in one The prize of his nobility decays. To disenfranchise him can sin alone. Spoiling his likeness to the chiefest good, ®® Since of the light so little he has won. And never is his dignity renewed, Unless where sin has failed he satisfy. For evil joy just penalties endued. Your nature when it sinned thus totally " In its first seed, even as from Paradise Was banished also from such dignity : Nor can it be regained, in subtle guise If you regardest this by any road. Unless by one of the two I now devise. '® Either through courtesy alone must God Have this restored, or by himself must man Have satisfied his own mad hardihood. Let now your eye be fixed, far as it can, I' the abyss of the eternal counsels deep, •* . Intent on what I tell of Heaven's plan. While man his own allotted bounds does keep He could not pay by his humility. However low might his obedience creep. Line 67. Whatever proceeds directly from God, without mediate intervention, is immortal, and is free from the influence of the stars. These qualities, together with his resemblance to God, in whose image he was created, constituted the peculiar privileges of man until lost by sin, which also turned him out of Paradise. Such is the argument of the next twenty lines.
Canto VII. PARADISE. 287 His former disobedient surquedry : ^^ This is the reason why mankind alone By their own afct could never satisfy. It needed then that Q-od, by ways His own, Unto his life entire should man restore, Either by both His ways, I say, or one. ^^'^ But since the deed delights so much the more The doer, as it most does represent The goodness of the heart such fruit that boref Goodness Divine, that to the world has lent His image, to proceed by every way "° To raise you upwards was alone content. Nor 'twixt the last night and the primal day So high and so magnificent a deed Has ever been, nor e'er can be for aye. Since Q-od was far more bounteous of His meed "'^ Giving Himself, to grant man strength to rise, Thaji had He by His mercy only freed. And not another method could suffice The claims of justice, if the Son of God Had not been humbled in a mortal's guise. ^^ Now to content each wish, even unavowed, I turn another place to clear to you, That you, like I, may see it clear and broad. You say'st I see the air, the fire I see. Water and earth, and all things hence arrayed, ^^ Come to corruption, and but briefly be : Yet all these things by Gk)d Himself were made : Therefore if what I said indeed be true These in corruption should be never laid. The angels, brother, and this country new ^^^ In which you are, may well be called created. So in their essence we entirety view : But the elements of which you now have prated. And all things which from them their being crave. Are influenced by a power itself created. ^^ Line 105. Both the ways mentioned in lines 91, 2, 3 — i.e., either by Meroy or Jnstioe, or by both, the latter being alone consonant to the idea of God's perfection. Line 121. Beatrice having stated that whatever proceeds directly from ■Qodf without mediate intervention, is immortal, proceeds to show that this is not applicable to the elements, which are influenced by the stars, themselves a created power, whose ii^uence does not extend to the spiritual life of man and angels. Dante's belief in astrological influences has been already noticed, and is again dwelt upon in the following Canto.
288 . PARADISE. Cahto Vin. Created was the matter which they have : Created too was the informing power In yonder stars, which round about thetn wave. The spirit of each brute and of each flower Does influence with potential energy ^^ The ray and motion of yon starry bower. But this our life, the high Benignity Breathes without medium, and so Alls with love That for Himself it yeams endlessly. And hence you also have the power to prove "* Your resurrection, if you think' st elated How man was made by Q-od in Eden's grove, When both our primal parents were created."
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