The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

314 PARADISE. Ciirao XIV. What time our flesli made glorified and holy Shall be reclad, our person must be dight More gracious far through all its being whoUy: ^ Therefore must be increased that gift of light, Which grants gratuitous the highest peace, Light which to see His glory makes us fit. Whence it must be that vision will increase, Increase the fervour which from it does flame, ^ Increase the ray which does arise from this. But like a burning coal which gives out flame. Surpasses that with its own living glow. That it still keeps the outline of its frame^ So this same brilliancy which swathes us now ** Will by that flesh in glory be overcome, Which for all days the earth does cover now : Nor can such light be ever wearisome, Since strong will be the organs of the frame All things to bear, from which delight may come." " So rapid and prepared they all did seem Both one and other choir Amen to say. For their dead frames it showed their wish supreme : Not for themselves alone perchance they pray, But for their parents' sake, and friends so dear, ^ Ere they were flames in this eternal day. And lo ! around, of equal brightness, sheer Above the splendour there new lustre heave. Like a far-off horizon growing clear. And as at rising of the early eve '" The stars to pierce the sky commence again, So that confusedly we scarce perceive, Meseemed of new existences a train Thus to behold, who made a circle new Wheeling without the other circles twain. " O' the Holy Spirit, O that sparkle true, How suddenly it grew all glowing white Unto my eyes, that could not bear the view ! But Beatrix so fair and smiling bright, Won all my gaze mid other visions here, ^ Words cannot tell, nor mind pursue such flight. My eyes thence won the power once more to rear Themselves aloft, I saw myself alone Borne with my lady to a higher sphere. Line 67' Around the circles of saints now gather another cirde of angels, dominations as Dante calls the powers of the foarth heaven, and these are described as of equal brightness, not shining more or less like the spirits of the blest according to their extent of vision, as above explained hy Solomon.

Cahto XIV. PARADISE. 315 Well was I 'ware that I had higher gone, •* By the fire beaming smiling of the star Which seemed more ruddy than its usual tone. With all my heart, and with that inward prayer In all the same, I gave myself to God The holocaust, that claimed such favour rare. *® Nor from my breast had yet the fervour flowed Of that my sacrifice, or ere I knew My offering was accepted and avowed : For with such glory and such roseate hue Appeared a splendour 'twixt two listed lines, ^ I cried, " EHas ! how do deck the view !" As from the stars, lesser and greater, shines Distinct in whiteness the long Milky Way, Whose cause in vain each learned sect divines. So, with stars studded made each listed ray ^^ On Mars's sphere, that venerable sign. Which quadrants joined within a round. display. Here Memory conquers every power of mine : For in that cross of glory lightened Ohbist, That no fit simile can I divine. ^®* But whoso takes his cross and follows Chbist, Will yet excuse this weakness, when through grace In that white gleaming, he shall witness Chsist. From arm to arm, from top imto the base Wander the lights, throwing out sparks more strong ^^® Whene'er they meet, or pass them by in space : Thus see we here, now straight now crooked throng, Now swift, now slow, with aye-renewing dart, The atom-motes with bodies short and long. Move in the sunbeam, which does shoot athwart ^^* At times the shadow, which the people sought, Made in defence against the glare by art. And as a lute and harp accordant wrought With many strings, create a dulcet chime, Even to one who ne'er the notes was taught, ^*® So from the lights which there before me swim. Collected in the cross a melody Which rapt me though I did not hear the hymn. Its burden well I knew was praises high. For rise and conquer on my hearing stole, ^^ Like one who hears, nor can the sense descry. Line 85. He has now entered the planet Mars, red in colour. Line 101 . The cross which is placed on the planet Mars in honour of the Crusaders, who fought and conquered under that sign.

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316 PARADISE. Cahto XV. Thence so enamoured grew my listening soul, Compared with it, there was no other thing That jet had bound me with such sweet control. Haply my word too daringly does spring, ^** Lowering the pleasure from those beauteous eyes, Gazing on which my yearning folds its wing. But whoso sees that the more they rise Those living seals more beauty have attained. And that as yet I had not turned to these, May well excuse me that, thus self-arraigned, Whilst truth I speak, myself from this to clear ; That holy pleasure is not here explained Because in mounting it grows more sincere. Line 138. Dante had not exoladed the delight he ever found supreme in gazing on the eyes of Beatrice, for these increased in beaaty as tney rose higher towards God, and he had not yet looked at her in this new sphere. The word " dischioso" means both explained and excluded. "Che'lpiacer santo non h qui dischiuso," has, therefore, been variously interpreted as that holy pleasure too is contained in the delight I experienced, or that holy pleasure was not then alluded to by me. I have, however, preferred an mgenious interpretation offered by Padre d' Aquino, that holy pleasure is not here explained by me, because in mounting it grows too exquisite for words to describe.