The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
liv INTRODUCTION. These tears, changed into tears of penitence at Beatrice's keen rebukes for his sins, are the last that Dante sheds, when, having drunk of the waters of Lethe and Eunoe, the river of life whose source is in Eden, he rises " Prom those most holy waves. Created fresh, as plants made new once more, Eenewed through the birth of new green leaves. Pure and prepared unto the stars to soar." " Purgatory," Canto XXIII., lines 142—145. The last task left to the poet, one far more arduous than to describe the punishments of the danmed and the purification of human sins, forms the subject matter of the '* Paradise," a description of the bliss God has prepared for them that love Him. No other poet has ever attempted such a theme, and if Dante has at all failed, it is only from his attempt to perform what is impossible. The material out of which he built his celestial spheres is the Ptolemaic system, which, taking the earth for its centre, spreads around it the revolving spheres in order : 1, the Moon ; 2, Mercury ; 3, Venus ; 4, the Sun ; 5, Mars ; 6, Jupiter ; 7, Saturn ; 8, the Fixed Stars ; 9, the Primum Mobile ; and 10th and last, the Empyrean. These spheres, as they revolve in equal period round the earth, all take their motion from the Primum Mobile, the first source of motion, itself inspired with motion through its desire to join the Empyrean, the circle of the Deity and final habitation of every soul in bliss. Dante follows also the system of Dionysius the Areopagite, who laid down nine orders of Celestial Powers, and allotted each separately to each sphere in order. These were — 1. Angels allotted to the sphere of the Moon.
2. Archangels „
9* >»
9>
Mercury.
3. Principalities
>» »
p. 99
Venus.
4. Powers „
99 99
p. 99
Sun.
6. Virtues „
99 99
p. 19
Mars.
6. Dominations
» »
p. 99
Jupiter
7. Thrones „
99 99
>9
Saturn.
8. The Cherubim
99 99p. 19 the Fixed Stars.
9. Seraphim „
99 99 the Primum Mobile.
INTRODUCTION. It Haying once grasped tliis simple arrangement the reader "will have no difficulty in following Dante in his flight with Beatrice through the ten spheres of Paradise. There is not a trace of anthropomorphism in Dante's conception of the Deity, in whose presence and in whose will the spirits o£ the Blest enjoy their full fruition. Though these spirits are allotted to different spheres, of different grades of glory, they equally feel the perfect bliss of carrying out God's purposes, and though placed in the different spheres, all will finally resume their own bodies and occupy their own thrones in the Empyrean, when G-od has completed the number of His elect. Haying past through all the lower spheres, Dante is at last carried to the highest Heayen, and youchsafed to share the glory of this beatific vision, and admitted finally to the presence of the Deity, which alone Dante acknowledges to be beyond his mortal powers : — " But such a flight was not for my poor plume : Did not across my mind a glory steal From out the splendour, whence its wish did come. To the high fJEincy here my power did fail. But turned my will already, as willed there (Moved on with equal motion like a wheel), The love which moves the sun and every star." " Paradise," XXXHI., lines 189-45.
THE OBLIGATIONS OF DANTE TO VIRGIL.
Dantb was not acquainted with the literature of Greece, except so far as it had filtered through Latin authors, and it was by the study of the latter only that he perfected his art, and became that master of style which eyen those who depreciate his genius allow as his unrivalled possession. In his poem he distinctly declares that in style he had taken Yii^ as his master, and from the study of his works acquired his own excellence.
Throughout Dante's poem imitations from Virgil are frequent, and many of the most marked of these will be found pointed out in the Notes, derived chiefly from the industry of the early commentators. But Dante owes more than qualities of style and beauties of verbal expression to the Boman poet, who in these excellences is probably without a rival.
The whole structure of the " Inferno" is, in fact, taken from Virgil's description, and in taking Virgil as his own guide through Hell Dante openly acknowledges his obligation : throughout the " Inferno" Dante follows Virgil as one who has thoroughly explored and knows the whole region, and whose familiarity with and pow^ over the spirits of the place is enough to insure his protection from all its perils.
Virgil is acquainted with the darkest secrets of Hell, and powerful over its malignant inhabitants : when he issues from the regions of gloom into the light of day, and climbs with Dante the antipodal mountain of Purgatory, he accompanies him as an affectionate companion, but is no more his guide. There, like Dante, he has to inquire the way from others, and to both poets the scene is alike strange. The idea of Purgatory is a Christian belief, unknown to the Boman, as a preparation
liv INTRODUCTION. These tears, changed into tears of penitence at Beatrice's keen rebukes for his sins, are the last that Dante sheds, when, having drunk of the waters of Lethe and Eunoe, the river of life whose source is in Eden, he rises " Prom those most holy waves. Created fresh, as plants made new once more, Eenewed through the birth of new green leaves. Pure and prepared unto the stars to soar." " Purgatory," Canto XXIII., lines 142—145. The last task left to the poet, one far more arduous than to describe the punishments of the danmed and the purification of human sins, forms the subject matter of the '* Paradise," a description of the bliss God has prepared for them that love Him. No other poet has ever attempted such a theme, and if Dante has at all failed, it is only from his attempt to perform what is impossible. The material out of which he built his celestial spheres is the Ptolemaic system, which, taking the earth for its centre, spreads around it the revolving spheres in order : 1, the Moon ; 2, Mercury ; 3, Venus ; 4, the Sun ; 5, Mars ; 6, Jupiter ; 7, Saturn ; 8, the Fixed Stars ; 9, the Primum Mobile ; and 10th and last, the Empyrean. These spheres, as they revolve in equal period round the earth, all take their motion from the Primum Mobile, the first source of motion, itself inspired with motion through its desire to join the Empyrean, the circle of the Deity and final habitation of every soul in bliss. Dante follows also the system of Dionysius the Areopagite, who laid down nine orders of Celestial Powers, and allotted each separately to each sphere in order. These were — 1. Angels allotted to the sphere of the Moon.
2. Archangels „
9* >»
9>
Mercury.
3. Principalities
>» »
p. 99
Venus.
4. Powers „
99 99
p. 99
Sun.
6. Virtues „
99 99
p. 19
Mars.
6. Dominations
» »
p. 99
Jupiter
7. Thrones „
99 99
>9
Saturn.
8. The Cherubim
99 99p. 19 the Fixed Stars.
9. Seraphim „
99 99 the Primum Mobile.
INTRODUCTION. It Haying once grasped tliis simple arrangement the reader "will have no difficulty in following Dante in his flight with Beatrice through the ten spheres of Paradise. There is not a trace of anthropomorphism in Dante's conception of the Deity, in whose presence and in whose will the spirits o£ the Blest enjoy their full fruition. Though these spirits are allotted to different spheres, of different grades of glory, they equally feel the perfect bliss of carrying out God's purposes, and though placed in the different spheres, all will finally resume their own bodies and occupy their own thrones in the Empyrean, when G-od has completed the number of His elect. Haying past through all the lower spheres, Dante is at last carried to the highest Heayen, and youchsafed to share the glory of this beatific vision, and admitted finally to the presence of the Deity, which alone Dante acknowledges to be beyond his mortal powers : — " But such a flight was not for my poor plume : Did not across my mind a glory steal From out the splendour, whence its wish did come. To the high fJEincy here my power did fail. But turned my will already, as willed there (Moved on with equal motion like a wheel), The love which moves the sun and every star." " Paradise," XXXHI., lines 189-45.
THE OBLIGATIONS OF DANTE TO VIRGIL.
Dantb was not acquainted with the literature of Greece, except so far as it had filtered through Latin authors, and it was by the study of the latter only that he perfected his art, and became that master of style which eyen those who depreciate his genius allow as his unrivalled possession. In his poem he distinctly declares that in style he had taken Yii^ as his master, and from the study of his works acquired his own excellence.
Throughout Dante's poem imitations from Virgil are frequent, and many of the most marked of these will be found pointed out in the Notes, derived chiefly from the industry of the early commentators. But Dante owes more than qualities of style and beauties of verbal expression to the Boman poet, who in these excellences is probably without a rival.
The whole structure of the " Inferno" is, in fact, taken from Virgil's description, and in taking Virgil as his own guide through Hell Dante openly acknowledges his obligation : throughout the " Inferno" Dante follows Virgil as one who has thoroughly explored and knows the whole region, and whose familiarity with and pow^ over the spirits of the place is enough to insure his protection from all its perils.
Virgil is acquainted with the darkest secrets of Hell, and powerful over its malignant inhabitants : when he issues from the regions of gloom into the light of day, and climbs with Dante the antipodal mountain of Purgatory, he accompanies him as an affectionate companion, but is no more his guide. There, like Dante, he has to inquire the way from others, and to both poets the scene is alike strange. The idea of Purgatory is a Christian belief, unknown to the Boman, as a preparation
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.