And if thy mind doth contemplate me well, The being more fair will not conceal me from thee, But thou shalt recognize I am Piccarda, Who, stationed here among these other blessed, s Myself am blessed in the slowest sphere. All our affections, that alone inflamed Are in the pleasure of the Holy Ghost, Rejoice at being of his order formed; And this allotment, which appears so low, Therefore is given us, because our vows Have been neglected and in some part void." Whence I to her: "In your miraculous aspects There shines I know not what of the divine, Which doth transform you from our first concep tions. 55 60 Therefore I was not swift in my remembrance; friends?" First with those other shades she smiled a little ; Of charity, that makes us wish alone For what we have, nor gives us thirst for more. If to be more exalted we aspired, Discordant would our aspirations be 65 70 Unto the will of Him who here secludes us; 73 Which thou shalt see finds no place in these circles, If being in charity is needful here, And if thou lookest well into its nature; Nay, 't is essential to this blest existence To keep itself within the will divine, Whereby our very wishes are made one; So that, as we are station above station Throughout this realm, to all the realm tis pleasing, As to the King, who makes his will our will. To which is moving onward whatsoever 85 In heaven is Paradise, although the grace Of good supreme there rain not in one measure. But as it comes to pass, if one food sates, And for another still remains the longing, We ask for this, and that decline with thanks, E'en thus did I, with gesture and with word, 91 To learn from her what was the web wherein 95 She did not ply the shuttle to the end. "A perfect life and merit high in-heaven A lady o'er us," said she, "by whose rule Down in your world they vest and veil themselves, That until death they may both watch and sleep Beside that Spouse who every vow accepts Which charity conformeth to his pleasure. To follow her, in girlhood from the world I fled, and in her habit shut myself, And pledged me to the pathway of her sect. Then men accustomed unto evil more 101 105 Than unto good, from the sweet cloister tore me; God knows what afterward my life became. This other splendor, which to thee reveals A nun was she, and likewise from her head 110 115 121 Who from the second wind of Suabia Brought forth the third and latest puissance.' Thus unto me she spake, and then began "Ave Maria" singing, and in singing Vanished, as through deep water something heavy. My sight, that followed her as long a time As it was possible, when it had lost her And wholly unto Beatrice reverted; But she such lightnings flashed into mine eyes, That at the first my sight endured it not; And this in questioning more backward made me. 125 129 CANTO IV. Between two viands, equally removed And tempting, a free man would die of hunger Ere either he could bring unto his teeth. So would a lamb between the ravenings Of two fierce wolves stand fearing both alike; i And so would stand a dog between two does. Hence, if I held my peace, myself I blame not, Impelled in equal measure by my doubts, Upon my face, and questioning with that Relieving Nebuchadnezzar from the wrath 16 15 20 25 Souls seeming to return unto the stars, According to the sentiment of Plato. These are the questions which upon thy wish Are thrusting equally; and therefore first Will I treat that which hath the most of gall. He of the Seraphim most absorbed in God, Moses, and Samuel, and whichever John Thou mayst select, I say, and even Mary, Have not in any other heaven their seats, Than have those spirits that just appeared to thee, Nor of existence more or fewer years; 30 35 But all make beautiful the primal circle, To speak thus is adapted to your mind, 40 Since only through the sense it apprehendeth What then it worthy makes of intellect. On this account the Scripture condescends Unto your faculties, and feet and hands To God attributes, and means something else; 45 And Holy Church under an aspect human Gabriel and Michael represents to you, He Doth not resemble that which here is seen, Because it seems that as he speaks he thinks. Than the words sound, and possibly may be The whole world nearly, till it went astray Less venom has, for its malevolence But still, that your perception may be able Line 48. And him who made Tobias whole again. 50 55 65 |