(33) The depths of earth and the heights of heaven render him each their particular homage.

(2) But when their gratulations were complete, Silently 'coram me' each one stood still, So incandescent it o'ercame my sight. Smiling thereafterwards, said Beatrice: "Illustrious life, by whom the benefactions Of our Basilica have been described, Make Hope resound within this altitude; Thou knowest as oft thou dost personify it As Jesus to the three gave greater clearness."— "Lift up thy head, and make thyself assured; For what comes hither from the mortal world Must needs be ripened in our radiance." This comfort came to me from the second fire; Wherefore mine eyes I lifted to the hills, Which bent them down before with too great weight. "Since, through his grace, our Emperor wills that thou Shouldst find thee face to face, before thy death, In the most secret chamber, with his Counts, So that, the truth beholden of this court, Hope, which below there rightfully enamours, Thereby thou strengthen in thyself and others, Say what it is, and how is flowering with it Thy mind, and say from whence it came to thee." Thus did the second light again continue.

(2) Thou'lt see me come unto thy darling tree, And crown myself thereafter with those leaves Of which the theme and thou shall make me worthy. So seldom, Father, do we gather them For triumph or of Caesar or of Poet, (The fault and shame of human inclinations,) That the Peneian foliage should bring forth Joy to the joyous Delphic deity, When any one it makes to thirst for it. A little spark is followed by great flame; Perchance with better voices after me Shall prayer be made that Cyrrha may respond! To mortal men by passages diverse Uprises the world's lamp; but by that one Which circles four uniteth with three crosses, With better course and with a better star Conjoined it issues, and the mundane wax Tempers and stamps more after its own fashion. Almost that passage had made morning there And evening here, and there was wholly white That hemisphere, and black the other part, When Beatrice towards the left-hand side I saw turned round, and gazing at the sun; Never did eagle fasten so upon it!

(7) With the profound condition and divine Which now I touch upon, doth stamp my mind Ofttimes the doctrine evangelical. This the beginning is, this is the spark Which afterwards dilates to vivid flame, And, like a star in heaven, is sparkling in me." Even as a lord who hears what pleaseth him His servant straight embraces, gratulating For the good news as soon as he is silent; So, giving me its benediction, singing, Three times encircled me, when I was silent, The apostolic light, at whose command I spoken had, in speaking I so pleased him.

(6) But in the good that here by day is talked of, Erewhile alone I was not; yet near by No other person lifted up his voice." From him already we departed were, And made endeavour to o'ercome the road As much as was permitted to our power, When I perceived, like something that is falling, The mountain tremble, whence a chill seized on me, As seizes him who to his death is going. Certes so violently shook not Delos, Before Latona made her nest therein To give birth to the two eyes of the heaven. Then upon all sides there began a cry, Such that the Master drew himself towards me, Saying, "Fear not, while I am guiding thee." "Gloria in excelsis Deo," all Were saying, from what near I comprehended, Where it was possible to hear the cry.

(1) If e'er it happen that the Poem Sacred, To which both heaven and earth have set their hand, So that it many a year hath made me lean, O'ercome the cruelty that bars me out From the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered, An enemy to the wolves that war upon it, With other voice forthwith, with other fleece Poet will I return, and at my font Baptismal will I take the laurel crown; Because into the Faith that maketh known All souls to God there entered I, and then Peter for her sake thus my brow encircled. Thereafterward towards us moved a light Out of that band whence issued the first-fruits Which of his vicars Christ behind him left, And then my Lady, full of ecstasy, Said unto me: "Look, look! behold the Baron For whom below Galicia is frequented." In the same way as, when a dove alights Near his companion, both of them pour forth, Circling about and murmuring, their affection, So one beheld I by the other grand Prince glorified to be with welcome greeted, Lauding the food that there above is eaten.

(14) Those also who composed the Persics relate that in the uplands, in the country of the Magi, three mountains are situated on an extended plain, and that those who travel through the locality, on coming to the first mountain, hear a confused sound as of several myriads shouting, as if in battle array; and on reaching the middle one, they hear a clamour louder and more distinct; and at the end hear people singing a paean, as if victorious. And the cause, in my opinion, of the whole sound, is the smoothness and cavernous character of the localities; and the air, entering in, being sent back and going to the same point, sounds with considerable force. Let these things be so. But it is possible for God Almighty, even without a medium, to produce a voice and vision through the ear, showing that His greatness has a natural order beyond what is customary, in order to the conversion of the hitherto unbelieving soul, and the reception of the commandment given. But there being a cloud and a lofty mountain, how is it not possible to hear a different sound, the wind moving by the active cause? Wherefore also the prophet says, "Ye heard the voice of words, and saw no similitude." You see how the Lord's voice, the Word, without shape, the power of the Word, the luminous word of the Lord, the truth from heaven, from above, coming to the assembly of the Church, wrought by the luminous immediate ministry.

(4) Welcome, O Partridge! You who walk so graciously, and are content when you fly over the mountains of divine knowledge. Lift yourself up in joy and consider the benefits of the Way. Knock with the hammer on the door of the house of God; and humbly melt down the mountains of your pererse desires so that the camel can come out.

(5) It came to pass then, when Jesus had heard his. mother Mary say these words, that he said unto her: "Well said, finely. Amēn, amēn, I say unto thee: They shall proclaim thee blessed from one end of the earth to the other; for the pledge of the First Mystery hath taken up its abode with thee, and through that pledge shall all from the earth and all from the height be saved, and that pledge is the beginning and the end."

(2) And far as eye of mine could wing its flight, Now on the left, and on the right flank now, The same this cornice did appear to me. Thereon our feet had not been moved as yet, When I perceived the embankment round about, Which all right of ascent had interdicted, To be of marble white, and so adorned With sculptures, that not only Polycletus, But Nature's self, had there been put to shame. The Angel, who came down to earth with tidings Of peace, that had been wept for many a year, And opened Heaven from its long interdict, In front of us appeared so truthfully There sculptured in a gracious attitude, He did not seem an image that is silent. One would have sworn that he was saying, "Ave;" For she was there in effigy portrayed Who turned the key to ope the exalted love, And in her mien this language had impressed, "Ecce ancilla Dei," as distinctly As any figure stamps itself in wax. "Keep not thy mind upon one place alone," The gentle Master said, who had me standing Upon that side where people have their hearts;

(1) The glory of Him who moveth everything Doth penetrate the universe, and shine In one part more and in another less. Within that heaven which most his light receives Was I, and things beheld which to repeat Nor knows, nor can, who from above descends; Because in drawing near to its desire Our intellect ingulphs itself so far, That after it the memory cannot go. Truly whatever of the holy realm I had the power to treasure in my mind Shall now become the subject of my song. O good Apollo, for this last emprise Make of me such a vessel of thy power As giving the beloved laurel asks! One summit of Parnassus hitherto Has been enough for me, but now with both I needs must enter the arena left. Enter into my bosom, thou, and breathe As at the time when Marsyas thou didst draw Out of the scabbard of those limbs of his. O power divine, lend'st thou thyself to me So that the shadow of the blessed realm Stamped in my brain I can make manifest,

(1) When the Septentrion of the highest heaven (Which never either setting knew or rising, Nor veil of other cloud than that of sin, And which made every one therein aware Of his own duty, as the lower makes Whoever turns the helm to come to port) Motionless halted, the veracious people, That came at first between it and the Griffin, Turned themselves to the car, as to their peace. And one of them, as if by Heaven commissioned, Singing, "Veni, sponsa, de Libano" Shouted three times, and all the others after. Even as the Blessed at the final summons Shall rise up quickened each one from his cavern, Uplifting light the reinvested flesh, So upon that celestial chariot A hundred rose 'ad vocem tanti senis,' Ministers and messengers of life eternal. They all were saying, "Benedictus qui venis," And, scattering flowers above and round about, "Manibus o date lilia plenis." Ere now have I beheld, as day began, The eastern hemisphere all tinged with rose, And the other heaven with fair serene adorned;

(8) "Pay attention: Blessings on those who have proclaimed the son before he came down, so that, when I did come, I might ascend.

(3) And the Compassionate, who piloted The plumage of my wings in such high flight, Did in reply anticipate me thus: "No child whatever the Church Militant Of greater hope possesses, as is written In that Sun which irradiates all our band; Therefore it is conceded him from Egypt To come into Jerusalem to see, Or ever yet his warfare be completed. The two remaining points, that not for knowledge Have been demanded, but that he report How much this virtue unto thee is pleasing, To him I leave; for hard he will not find them, Nor of self-praise; and let him answer them; And may the grace of God in this assist him!" As a disciple, who his teacher follows, Ready and willing, where he is expert, That his proficiency may be displayed, "Hope," said I, "is the certain expectation Of future glory, which is the effect Of grace divine and merit precedent. From many stars this light comes unto me; But he instilled it first into my heart Who was chief singer unto the chief captain.

(71) And he said unto me: 'He proclaims unto thee peace in the name of the world to come; For from hence has proceeded peace since the creation of the world, And so shall it be unto thee for ever and for ever and ever.

(2) This realm secure and full of gladsomeness, Crowded with ancient people and with modern, Unto one mark had all its look and love. O Trinal Light, that in a single star Sparkling upon their sight so satisfies them, Look down upon our tempest here below! If the barbarians, coming from some region That every day by Helice is covered, Revolving with her son whom she delights in, Beholding Rome and all her noble works, Were wonder-struck, what time the Lateran Above all mortal things was eminent,— I who to the divine had from the human, From time unto eternity, had come, From Florence to a people just and sane, With what amazement must I have been filled! Truly between this and the joy, it was My pleasure not to hear, and to be mute. And as a pilgrim who delighteth him In gazing round the temple of his vow, And hopes some day to retell how it was, So through the living light my way pursuing Directed I mine eyes o'er all the ranks, Now up, now down, and now all round about.