The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

p. 115

p. 185

312 PARADISE. c^to XIV. And let this to your feet a dead weight be, Like one fatigued to make you journey slow Towards the Yes, or No, you do not see. For he amongst the fools is verj low, Who without thought affirms, or denies. Whether to one or other step he go .; Because it happens that too often flies Public opinion into error's part, And then its influence the inteUect ties. ^^ Far worse than idly from the shore does start, Since he returns not such as erst he went. Who fishes for the truth, and wants the art. Of this i' the world are proofs most evident, Parmenides, Melissus, Brissus, more Who wandered on, and knew not whither bent. Thus did Sabellus, Arius, and that store Of fools, who like to scimitars reflected In guise distorted the pure Scripture lore. Let not the people think themselves elected To judge like one who counts on the com Within his field ere it be ripe. Dejected I have beheld through winter time a thorn Its rude repelling aspect show, and bear After a rose, upon its top forlorn. And I have seen a vessel swiffcly steer Through all its voyage across the ocean stream, Perish at last, the harbour's entrance near. Let not Dame Bertha nor Sir Martin deem. Because they see one rob, another pray. That they can pry within the will supreme ; For one can rise, and one can fall away." Line 125. Ancient philosophers refated by Aristotle. Line 127' Well-known fonnders of heresies. Line 139. Names applied in general to busybodies whose cnriosity exceeds their judgment.

p. 130

i»

p. 140

CANTO XIV. In answer to Beatrice, the spirit of Solomon explains to Dante that after the final resurrection the blest will resume their glorified bodies now lying on earth. Beatrice and Dante are then translated to iiie fifth Heaven, the sphere of Mars. There he sees the beatified spirits moving athwart- a cross of glory which is stamped npon that pmnet, and is ravished by the melody of their hymn.

p. 10

p. 16

p. 20

Cahto XIV. PARADISE. 313 FsoM centre to the rim, or backwards bound, As struck from inwards, or without the rim, Moves the water in a vessel round. Within my mind all suddenly did swim This image which I tell, as silent grew * Of Thomas' glorious soul the saintly hymn. By the similitude which then I knew Between his speech and Beatrix' reply. Who after him was pleased to speak anew. " This one has need, though neither voice on high, Nor even thought the wish does yet assume, Unto the root of one more truth to hie. Then tell him if the light, with which does bloom Your shadowy substance, will with you remain As it is now, throughout eternal doom : If it remains, afterwards explain. When with your bodies remade visible. How will you bear such brilliance free from pain." As ofttimes in the joy of festival. With rapture stirred, the dancers in a ring Hurry their motions, and their voices swell ; So to that prompt and pious questioning The holy circles showed their bliss amain. In wondrous melody and tourneying. To live above, whoever would complain That one must die, he never felt revive The coolness there of that eternal rain. " The One, and Two, and Three, who ever live. And ever reign in Three, and Two, and One, Uncircumscribed, yet all things circumscrive," Three times was chanted there by every one Of those blessed spirits, with such melody. To all desert were fair such guerdon won : And from the light, most like the Deity, O' the inner ring, I heard a voice released, With such perchance the angel made reply To Mary t " Howsoever long the feast Of Paradise may be, so long our love With ray around us such a beaming vest. Its fervour by this brightness it does prove. Its fervour by its sight is bound, that solely According to its grace, its worth above. Line 1. The physical fact appears doubtfal and diffioalt of experiment. Dante, however, compares the speech made to them from the circle, and Beatrice's address from the centre to the saints around, to the abovedescribed motion of water in a round vessel.