If it be violence when he who suffers Co-operates not with him who uses force, These souls were not on that account excused; 7 For will is never quenched unless it will, But operates as nature doth in fire, If violence a thousand times distort it. Hence, if it yieldeth more or less, it seconds The force; and these have done so, having power Of turning back unto the holy place. 81 If their will had been perfect, like to that free; But such a solid will is all too rare. 85 And by these words, if thou hast gathered them As thou shouldst do, the argument is refuted That would have still annoyed thee many times. But now another passage runs across 91 Before thine eyes, and such that by thyself weary. I have for certain put into thy mind 95 That soul beatified could never lie, For it is ever near the primal Truth, And then thou from Piccarda might'st have heard Costanza kept affection for the veil, So that she seemeth here to contradict me. Many times, brother, has it come to pass, That, to escape from peril, with reluctance That has been done it was not right to do, E'en as Alcmæon (who, being by his father 100 Thereto entreated, his own mother slew) At this point I desire thee to remember 105 That force with will commingles, and they cause That the offences cannot be excused. Will absolute consenteth not to evil; But in so far consenteth as it fears, If it refrain, to fall into more harm. Hence when Piccarda uses this expression, She meaneth the will absolute, and I The other, so that both of us speak truth." Such was the flowing of the holy river 110 115 That issued from the fount whence springs all truth ; This put to rest my wishes one and all. "O love of the first lover, O divine, Said I forthwith, "whose speech inundates me And warms me so, it more and more revives me, My own affection is not so profound As to suffice in rendering grace for grace; Let Him, who sees and can, thereto respond. Well I perceive that never sated is Our intellect unless the Truth illume it, When it attains it; and it can attain it; 121 125 130 Doubt at the foot of truth; and this is nature, Which to the top from height to height impels us. This doth invite me, this assurance give me With reverence, Lady, to inquire of you Another truth, which is obscure to me. I wish to know if man can satisfy you For broken vows with other good deeds, so That in your balance they will not be light.” Beatrice gazed upon me with her eyes Full of the sparks of love, and so divine, That, overcome my power, I turned my back And almost lost myself with eyes downcast. 135 140 CANTO V. "If in the heat of love I flame upon thee Into thine intellect the eternal light, Thou fain wouldst know if with another service As to secure the soul from further claim.” This Canto thus did Beatrice begin; And, as a man who breaks not off his speech, 5 10 15 "The greatest gift that in his largess God Creating made, and unto his own goodness 20 Nearest conformed, and that which he doth prize Most highly, is the freedom of the will, Wherewith the creatures of intelligence Both all and only were and are endowed. Now wilt thou see, if thence thou reasonest, The high worth of a vow, if it be made So that when thou consentest God consents; For, closing between God and man the compact, A sacrifice is of this treasure made, 30 Such as I say, and made by its own act. What can be rendered then as compensation? Think'st thou to make good use of what thou 'st offered, With gains ill gotten thou wouldst do good deed. Now art thou certain of the greater point; 35 But because Holy Church in this dispenses, Which seems against the truth which I have shown thee, Behoves thee still to sit awhile at table, Because the solid food which thou hast taken Open thy mind to that which I reveal, 40 And fix it there within; for 't is not knowledge, The having heard without retaining it. In the essence of this sacrifice two things Convene together; and the one is that Of which 't is made, the other is the agreement. This last forevermore is cancelled not 46 Unless complied with, and concerning this With such precision has above been spoken. Therefore it was enjoined upon the Hebrews To offer still, though sometimes what was of fered Might be commuted, as thou ought'st to know. The other, which is known to thee as matter, 50 May well indeed be such that one errs not If in the substitute the thing relinquished, 55 60 65 Be faithful and not blind in doing that, As Jephthah was in his first offering, Whom more beseemed to say, 'I have done wrong,' Than to do worse by keeping; and as foolish Thou the great leader of the Greeks wilt find, Whence wept Iphigenia her fair face, 70 And made for her both wise and simple weep, Who heard such kind of worship spoken of. Christians, be ye more serious in your movements; Be ye not like a feather at each wind, And think not every water washes you. Ye have the Old and the New Testament, 75 And the Pastor of the Church who guideth you; Let this suffice you unto your salvation. If evil appetite cry aught else to you, you. Be ye as men, and not as silly sheep, 80 |