Would recognize how grateful was to me
Obedience unto my celestial escort,

By counterpoising one side with the other.
Within the crystal which, around the world

Revolving, bears the name of its dear leader,
Under whom every wickedness lay dead,
Coloured like gold, on which the sunshine gleams,
A stairway I beheld to such a height
Uplifted, that mine eye pursued it not.
Likewise beheld I down the steps descending
So many splendours, that I thought each light
That in the heaven appears was there diffused.
And as accordant with their natural custom

The rooks together at the break of day
Bestir themselves to warm their feathers cold;
Then some of them fly off without return,

Others come back to where they started from,
And others, wheeling round, still keep at home;
Such fashion it appeared to me was there

Within the sparkling that together came, As soon as on a certain step it struck, And that which nearest unto us remained

Became so clear, that in my thought I said, "Well I perceive the love thou showest me; But she, from whom I wait the how and when

Of speech and silence, standeth still; whence I
Against desire do well if I ask not."

She thereupon, who saw my silentress

In the sight of Him who seeth everything, Said unto me, "Let loose thy warm desire." And I began: "No merit of my own

Renders me worthy of response from thee; But for her sake who granteth me the asking, Thou blessed life that dost remain concealed

In thy beatitude, make known to me

'The cause which draweth thee so near my side; And tell me why is silent in this wheel

The dulcet symphony of Paradise,

That through the rest below sounds so devoutly."

"Thou hast thy hearing mortal as thy sight,"

It answer made to me; "they sing not here,
For the same cause that Beatrice has not smiled.

Thus far adown the holy stairway's steps

Have I descended but to give thee welcome
With words, and with the light that mantles me;

Nor did more love cause me to be more ready,
For love as much and more up there is burning,
As doth the flaming manifest to thee.

But the high charity, that makes us servants

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Prompt to the counsel which controls the world,
Allotteth here, even as thou dost observe.”
I see full well," said I, "O sacred lamp!

How love unfettered in this court sufficeth
To follow the eternal Providence ;
But this is what seems hard for me to see,
Wherefore predestinate wast thou alone
Unto this office from among thy consorts."
No sooner had I come to the last word,

Than of its middle made the light a centre,
Whirling itself about like a swift millstone.
Then answer made the love that was therein :
"On me directed is a light divine,

Piercing through this in which I am embosomed,
Of which the virtue with my sight conjoined

Lifts me above myself so far, I see

The supreme essence from which this is drawn.
Hence comes the joyfulness with which I flame,
For to my sight, as far as it is clear,
The clearness of the flame I equal make.
But that soul in the heaven which is most pure,

That seraph which his eye on God most fixes,
Could this demand of thine not satisfy;

Because so deeply sinks in the abyss

Of the eternal statute what thou askest,
From all created sight it is cut off.

And to the mortal world, when thou returnest,
This carry back, that it may not presume
Longer tow'rd such a goal to move its feet.

The mind, that shineth here, on earth doth smoke;
From this observe how can it do below

That which it cannot though the heaven assume it ?"

Such limit did its words prescribe to me,

The question I relinquished, and restricted

Myself to ask it humbly who it was.

"Between two shores of Italy rise cliffs,

And not far distant from thy native place,

So high, the thunders far below them sound,

And form a ridge that Catria is called,

'Neath which is consecrate a hermitage

Wont to be dedicate to worship only."

Thus unto me the third speech recommenced,
And then, continuing, it said: "Therein
Unto God's service I became so steadfast,
That feeding only on the juice of olives

Lightly I passed away the heats and frosts,
Contented in my thoughts contemplative.
That cloister used to render to these heavens
Abundantly, and now is empty grown,
So that perforce it soon must be revealed.
I in that place was Peter Damiano;

And Peter the Sinner was I in the house
Of Our Lady on the Adriatic shore.

Little of mortal life remained to me,

When I was called and dragged forth to the hat
Which shifteth evermore from bad to worse.

Came Cephas, and the mighty Vessel came

Of the Holy Spirit, meagre and barefooted,
Taking the food of any hostelry.

Now some one to support them on each side

The modern shepherds need, and some to lead them,
So heavy are they, and to hold their trains.

They cover up their palfreys with their cloaks,
So that two beasts go underneath one skin;
O Patience, that dost tolerate so much!"

At this voice saw I many little flames

From step to step descending and revolving,
And every revolution made them fairer.

Round about this one came they and stood still,
And a cry uttered of so loud a sound,
It here could find no parallel, nor I
Distinguished it, the thunder so o'ercame me.

CANTO XXII.

OPPRESSED with stupor, I unto my guide

Turned like a little child who always runs For refuge there where he confideth most; And she, even as a mother who straightway

Gives comfort to her pale and breathless boy With voice whose wont it is to reassure him, Said to me: "Knowest thou not thou art in heaven, And knowest thou not that heaven is holy all, And what is done here cometh from good zeal ?

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After what wise the singing would have changed thee
And I by smiling, thou canst now imagine,
Since that the cry has startled thee so much,
In which if thou hadst understood its prayers

Already would be known to thee the vengeance
Which thou shalt look upon before thou diest.

The sword above here smiteth not in haste

Nor tardily, howe'er it seem to him
Who fearing or desiring waits for it.
But turn thee round towards the others now,

For very illustrious spirits shalt thou see,
If thou thy sight directest as I say."
As it seemed good to her mine eyes I turned,
And saw a hundred spherules that together
With mutual rays each other more embellished.

I stood as one who in himself represses

The point of his desire, and ventures not
To question, he so feareth the too much.

And now the largest and most luculent

Among those pearls came forward, that it might
Make my desire concerning it content.

Within it then I heard: "If thou couldst see
Even as myself the charity that burns
Among us, thy conceits would be expressed;
But, that by waiting thou mayst not come late

To the high end, I will make answer even
Unto the thought of which thou art so chary.
That mountain on whose slope Cassino stands
Was frequented of old upon its summit
By a deluded folk and ill-disposed;

And I am he who first up thither bore

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The name of Him who brought upon the earth
The truth that so much sublimateth us.

And such abundant grace upon me shone

That all the neighbouring towns I drew away

From the impious worship that seduced the world.

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These other fires, each one of them, weie men
Contemplative, enkindled by that beat

Which maketh holy flowers and fruits spring up.
Here is Macarius, here is Romualdus,

Here are my brethren, who within the cloisters
Their footsteps stayed and kept a steadfast heart."
And I to him: "The affection which thou showest

Speaking with me, and the good countenance
Which I behold and note in all your ardours,

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In me have so my confidence dilated

As the sun doth the rose, when it becomes
As far unfolded as it hath the power.
Therefore I pray, and thou assure me, father,

If I may so much grace receive, that I
May thee behold with countenance unveiled."
He thereupon: "Brother, thy high desire

In the remotest sphere shall be fulfilled,
Where are fulfilled all others and my own.
There perfect is, and ripened, and complete,
Every desire; within that one alone

Is every part where it has always been;
For it is not in space, nor turns on poles,

And unto it ir stairway reaches up,
Whence thus from out thy sight it steals away.
Up to that height the Patriarch Jacob saw it

Extending its supernal part, what time

So thronged with angels it appeared to him.

But to ascend it now no one uplifts

His feet from off the earth, and now my Rule
Below remaineth for mere waste of paper.

The walls that used of old to be an Abbey

Are changed to dens of robbers, and the cowls
Are sacks filled full of miserable flour.

But heavy usury is not taken up

So much against God's pleasure as that fruit
Which maketh so insane the heart of monks;
For whatsoever hath the Church in keeping
Is for the folk that ask it in God's name,
Not for one's kindred or for something worse.
The flesh of mortals is so very soft,

That good beginnings down below suffice not
From springing of the oak to bearing acorns.

Peter began with neither gold nor silver,

And I with orison and abstinence,
And Francis with humility his convent.

And if thou lookest at each one's beginning,
And then regardest whither he has run,

Thou shalt behold the white changed into brown.

In verity the Jordan backward turned,

And the sea's fleeing, when God willed, were more
A wonder to behold, than succour here."

Thus unto me he said; and then withdrew

To his own band, and the band closed together;
Then like a whirlwind all was upward rapt.