Disturbed the subject of your elements. Presumption of that One, whom thou hast seen By all the burden of the world constrained. Those whom thou here beholdest modest were 55 To recognize themselves as of that goodness Which made them apt for so much understanding; On which account their vision was exalted By the enlightening grace and their own merit, I would not have thee doubt, but certain be, 61 65 Much mayst thou contemplate, if these my words Be gathered up, without all further aid. But since upon the earth, throughout your schools, 70 They teach that such is the angelic nature That it doth hear, and recollect, and will, More will I say, that thou mayst see unmixed The truth that is confounded there below, Equivocating in such like prelections. These substances, since in God's countenance They jocund were, turned not away their sight From that wherefrom not anything is hidden; Hence they have not their vision intercepted By object new, and hence they do not need To recollect, through interrupted thought. So that below, not sleeping, people dream, Believing they speak truth, and not believing; 75 86 And in the last is greater sin and shame. Below you do not journey by one path Philosophizing; so transporteth you Love of appearance and the thought thereof. And even this above here is endured With less disdain, than when is set aside The Holy Writ, or when it is distorted. They think not there how much of blood it costs To sow it in the world, and how he pleases Who in humility keeps close to it. Each striveth for appearance, and doth make His own inventions; and these treated are By preachers, and the Evangel holds its peace. One sayeth that the moon did backward turn, In the Passion of Christ, and interpose herself So that the sunlight reached not down below; And lies; for of its own accord the light 85 90 95 100 Hid itself; whence to Spaniards and to Indians, As to the Jews, did such eclipse respond. Florence hath not so many Lapi and Bindi As fables such as these, that every year Are shouted from the pulpit back and forth, 105 In such wise that the lambs, who do not know, Come back from pasture fed upon the wind, And not to see the harm doth not excuse them. Christ did not to his first disciples say, 'Go forth, and to the world preach idle tales,' But unto them a true foundation gave; And this so loudly sounded from their lips, Line 103. Florence has not so many Lapi and Bindi 111 115 To preach, and if but well the people laugh, The hood puffs out, and nothing more is asked. But in the cowl there nestles such a bird, That, if the common people were to see it, They would perceive what pardons they confide in, For which so great on earth has grown the folly, 121 That, without proof of any testimony, To each indulgence they would flock together. By this Saint Anthony his pig doth fatten, And many others, who are worse than pigs, Paying in money without mark of coinage. But since we have digressed abundantly, 125 Turn back thine eyes forthwith to the right path, In numbers, that there never yet was speech And if thou notest that which is revealed 130 By Daniel, thou wilt see that in his thousands Number determinate is kept concealed. 135 The primal light, that all irradiates it, By modes as many is received therein, The affection followeth, of love the sweetness Of the eternal power, since it hath made 140 145 CANTO XXX. Perchance six thousand miles remote from us So deep to us, that here and there a star The handmaid of the sun, the heaven is closed Light after light to the most beautiful; Not otherwise the Triumph, which forever 5 10 Plays round about the point that vanquished me, Little by little from my vision faded; My seeing nothing and my love constrained me. If what has hitherto been said of her Were all concluded in a single praise, Scant would it be to serve the present turn. Transcend ourselves, but truly I believe For as the sun the sight that trembles most, In this life, to the moment of this look, 16 20 25 The sequence of my song has ne'er been severed; But now perforce this sequence must desist Such as I leave her to a greater fame Than any of my trumpet, which is bringing With voice and gesture of a perfect leader 31 35 She recommenced: "We from the greatest body Have issued to the heaven that is pure light; Light intellectual replete with love, Love of true good replete with ecstasy, And left me swathed around with such a veil To make the candle ready for its flame." And I with vision new rekindled me, Such that no light whatever is so pure But that mine eyes were fortified against it. 40 45 50 6 55 |