Suited in strict and wondrous harmony." As when the north blows from his milder cheek Musing awhile I stood: and she, who saw "In the first circles, they, whom thou beholdest, 75 80 85 90 Are seraphim and cherubim. Thus swift Follow their hoops, in likeness to the point, Near as they can, approaching; and they can 95 The more, the loftier their vision. Those That round them fleet, gazing at the Godhead next, Are thrones; in whom the first trine ends. And all Grace and good-will their measure have assigned. 105 In this eternal springtide blossom fair, Fearless of bruising from the nightly ram, 72. By means of this beautiful figure, Dante 18,446,744,073,709,551,615. The meaning here says Beatrice has cleared his mind from all doubts. is that the number of angels is infinite. 95. They can their power to approach God is in proportion to their power to understand him. 108. In the spring the sun is in Aries (Ram), and hence the latter is not seen at night. In autumn, however, the sun is in Libra, and Aries, 180° distant, rises on the horizon after sunset. The meaning here is that spring is eternal. Transmitted, hierarchy of gods, for aye Virtues; and powers the third; the next to whom Rejoicing; dominations first; next them, Are princedoms and archangels, with glad round To tread their festal ring; and last, the band All, as they circle in their orders, look Aloft; and, downward, with such sway prevail, In Dionysius, so intensely wrought, Desire, From him, That he, as I have done, ranged them; and named Should scan such secret truth; for he had learnt 115 120 125 130 CANTO XXIX. ARGUMENT. Beatrice beholds, in the mirror of divine truth, some doubts which had entered the mind of Dante. These she resolves; and then digresses into a vehement reprehension of certain theologians and preachers in those days, whose ignorance or avarice induced them to substitute their own inventions for the pure word of the Gospel. No longer, than what time Latona's twins 117. The angels look up to the point of divine light, and also down to the orders below them. In the former case they aspire toward God, in the latter they draw those below toward him, so that all tend toward the point. 121. Dionysius and Gregory the Great both wrote concerning the celestial hierarchy. Dante says the latter is wrong and the former right, because he learned it from St. Paul eye-witness). Cf. 2 Cor. xii. 2. 1. Beatrice stopped speaking, and was silent 5 for a brief moment, described by Dante as lasting only so long as the sun and moon (Latona's twins), being in opposite signs of the zodiac (Libra and Aries), and so having the same horizon, hang poised, as it were, in the hand of the zenith. 2. Fleecy star = Montone = Ram = Aries. 5. Verge orizzonte = horizon. 6. Part the nice level = si dilibra = break their equilibrium. 9. Point Sat painted on her cheek; and her fixed gaze Of good, which may not be increased, but forth Beyond time's limit or what bound soe'er Upon these waters moved the Spirit of God. Simple and mixed, both form and substance, forth Shot from a bow three-corded. And as ray In crystal, glass, and amber, shines entire, God. II. Dante's desire to know how the universe was created is known to Beatrice without his telling her, for she has seen it in the mind of God. 13. The meaning here is, that God did not, to give himself pleasure, create the universe; but this latter is an emanation of his eternal love and goodness. IO 15 20 25 330 35 17. Time and space begin only with the crea- from, so no distinction of time can be made in tion. 19. New natures = nuovi amori = new loves, i.e. the different kinds of created things. 20. Nor can we say that before the creation God was inactive, for since time only began then, there can be no such things as before or after. the creation of angels, nature, and man. 31. At the instant of their creation they had their various stations and functions assigned them. 32. Those highest == the angels, in the Empyrean. 33. Mere power = pura potenzia = passive 23. "And the spirit of God moved upon the matter, subject to the influence of the heavens. face of the waters." Gen. i. 2. 34. Lowest on earth, below the moon. the earth. 35. The heavens, both passive and active, moved by the angels (intelligences) and themselves exerting influence. Cf. Par. ii. 120 ff. Long tract of ages by the angels past, 40 45 Thus when and where these spirits of love were made, Thou know'st, and how: and, knowing, hast allayed Thy thirst, which from the triple question rose. Ere one had reckoned twenty, e'en so soon, 50 The others kept their station: and this task, Whereon thou look'st, began, with such delight, That they surcease not ever, day nor night, Their circling. Of that fatal lapse the cause 55 Was the curst pride of him, whom thou hast seen Pent with the world's incumbrance. Those, whom here Thou seest, were lowly to confess themselves Of his free bounty, who had made them apt For ministries so high: therefore their views 60 Were, by enlightening grace and their own merit, They stand, nor fear to fall. For do not doubt, But to receive the grace, which Heaven vouchsafes, 65 With prompt affection welcometh the guest. 36. St. Jerome had said that the angels were created long before the universe. Beatrice says this is not true, as is proved by many passages of the Bible, i.e. Ecclesiasticus xviii. 1, and Gen. i. 1. 40. "But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter i. 21. 43. As elsewhere, Dante says here that reason and revelation both show us the truth. The function of the angels is to revolve the heavens; hence it is not reasonable to suppose the former to be created without their perfection, i.e. the function of revolving the heavens. immediately after the creation, in the time necessary to count twenty. Cf. Convito, ii. 6. 51. 'Turbò il suggetto dei vostri elementi," "Disturbed the (earth which is) subject to the elements." 52. Task to revolve about the divine point. 55. Lapse revolt. And gaze thy fill. But, since thou hast on earth “Know thou, that, from the first, these substances, Rejoicing in the countenance of God, 70 75 Have held unceasingly their view, intent Naught absent is nor hid: where then no change "So that men, thus at variance with the truth, 80 85 What blood the sowing of it in the world Who meekly clings to it. The aim of all 70. Men taught that the angels had understanding, will, and memory. Beatrice says this is false, for as the angels gaze and have always gazed into the mirror of God's mind, they see all things past, present, and future, and hence have no need of memory. 87. This false teaching is done by two classes of men: those who believe their errors to be the truth, and those who do not believe what they teach. The latter are most guilty and reprehensible. 89. Beatrice takes occasion to rebuke the vanity of preachers and theologians, who, led by love of applause, and eager to appear brilliant and ingenious, "wrest the Scriptures" to their own uses. Many sensational preachers of 100 our own day might ponder on these words with profit. 96. They forget the sacredness of the Bible spread abroad through the world by the blood of the martyrs. 103. To illustrate this vain ingenuity of exegesis, Beatrice brings up the passage, Matt. xxvii. 45: "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." One interpreter says the moon moved back on her path in order to interpose herself between the sun and earth; another says the light darkened of itself. Beatrice takes sides with neither of these, but says that all such efforts are vain and useless it is sufficient to know the fact stated by Scripture. |