And every permutation deem as foolish,
If in the substitute the thing relinquished,
As the four is in six, be not contained.
Therefore whatever thing has so great weight
In value that it drags down every balance,
Cannot be satisfied with other spending.
Let mortals never take a vow in jest ;

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,

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,

And the Pastor of the Church who guideth you;

Let this suffice you unto your salvation.

60

70

75

If evil appetite cry aught else to you,

Be ye as men, and not as silly sheep,

So that the Jew among you may not mock you.

Be ye not as the lamb that doth abandon

Its mother's milk, and frolicsome and simple
Combats at its own pleasure with itself."
Thus Beatrice to me even as I write it;
Then all desireful turned herself again
To that part where the world is most alive.
Her silence and her change of countenance
Silence imposed upon my eager mind,

80

85

That had already in advance new questions;
And as an arrow that upon the mark

Strikes ere the bowstring quiet hath become,
So did we speed into the second realm.

My Lady there so joyful I beheld,

90

As into the brightness of that heaven she entered, 95 More luminous thereat the planet grew; And if the star itself was changed and smiled, What became I, who by my nature am Exceeding mutable in every guise!

As, in a fish-pond which is pure and tranquil,.

100

The fishes draw to that which from without Comes in such fashion that their food they deem it; So I beheld more than a thousand splendors

Drawing towards us, and in each was heard: "Lo, this is she who shall increase our love." And as each one was coming unto us,

Full of beatitude the shade was seen,

By the effulgence clear that issued from it. Think, Reader, if what here is just beginning

105

No farther should proceed, how thou wouldst have An agonizing need of knowing more;

And of thyself thou 'lt see how I from these

Was in desire of hearing their conditions,

As they unto mine eyes were manifest.

"O thou well-born, unto whom Grace concedes
To see the thrones of the eternal triumph,
Or ever yet the warfare be abandoned,

III

115

With light that through the whole of heaven is spread Kindled are we, and hence if thou desirest

To know of us, at thine own pleasure sate thee." Thus by some one among those holy spirits

121

Was spoken, and by Beatrice: "Speak, speak Securely, and believe them even as Gods.” "Well I perceive how thou dost nest thyself

126

In thine own light, and drawest it from thine eyes, Because they coruscate when thou dost smile, But know not who thou art, nor why thou hast, Spirit august, thy station in the sphere That veils itself to men in alien rays." This said I in direction of the light

130

Which first had spoken to me; whence it became By far more lucent than it was before.

Even as the sun, that doth conceal himself

By too much light, when heat has worn away
The tempering influence of the vapors dense,
By greater rapture thus concealed itself

In its own radiance the figure saintly,
And thus close, close enfolded answered me
In fashion as the following Canto sings.

135

CANTO VI

"AFTER that Constantine the eagle turned
Against the course of heaven, which it had followed
Behind the ancient who Lavinia took,
Two hundred years and more the bird of God
In the extreme of Europe held itself,

Near to the mountains whence it issued first ;
And under shadow of the sacred plumes

It governed there the world from hand to hand, And, changing thus, upon mine own alighted. Cæsar I was, and am Justinian,

5

10

Who, by the will of primal Love I feel,

Took from the laws the useless and redundant;

And ere unto the work I was attent,

One nature to exist in Christ, not more,

Believed, and with such faith was I contented.

15

But blessed Agapetus, he who was

The supreme pastor, to the faith sincere
Pointed me out the way by words of his.
Him I believed, and what was his assertion
I now see clearly, even as thou seest
Each contradiction to be false and true.
As soon as with the Church I moved my feet,
God in his grace it pleased with this high task
To inspire me, and I gave me wholly to it,

And to my Belisarius I commended

20

25

The arms, to which was Heaven's right hand so

joined

It was a signal that I should repose.
Now here to the first question terminates
My answer; but the character thereof
Constrains me to continue with a sequel,
In order that thou see with how great reason
Men move against the standard sacrosanct,
Both who appropriate and who oppose it.
Behold how great a power has made it worthy
Of reverence, beginning from the hour
When Pallas died to give it sovereignty.
Thou knowest it made in Alba its abode

30

35

Three hundred years and upward, till at last The three to three fought for it yet again. Thou knowest what it achieved from Sabine wrong Down to Lucretia's sorrow, in seven kings . O'ercoming round about the neighboring nations; Thou knowest what it achieved, borne by the Ro

mans

Illustrious against Brennus, against Pyrrhus, Against the other princes and confederates. Torquatus thence and Quinctius, who from locks Unkempt was named, Decii and Fabii, Received the fame I willingly embalm; It struck to earth the pride of the Arabians, Who, following Hannibal, had passed across The Alpine ridges, Po, from which thou glidest; Beneath it triumphed while they yet were young Pompey and Scipio, and to the hill

Beneath which thou wast born it bitter seemed; Then, near unto the time when heaven had willed To bring the whole world to its mood serene, Did Cæsar by the will of Rome assume it.

4I

45

50

55