Why dost thou still mistrust ?" my Comforter Began to say to me turned wholly round; "Dost thou not think me with thee, and that I guide thee? 'Tis evening there already where is buried The body within which I cast a shadow; 'Tis from Brundusium ta'en, and Naples has it. Now if in front of me no shadow fall, Marvel not at it more than at the heavens, To suffer torments, both of cold and heat, Bodies like this that Power provides, which wills Insane is he who hopeth that our reason Which the one Substance in three Persons follows! Mortals, remain contented at the Quia; And For if ye had been able to see all, No need there were for Mary to give birth; ye I speak of Aristotle and of Plato, And many others";—and here bowed his head, And more he said not, and remained disturbed. We came meanwhile unto the mountain's foot; There so precipitate we found the rock, That nimble legs would there have been in vain. 'Twixt Lerici and Turbia, the most desert, The most secluded pathway is a stair "Who knoweth now upon which hand the hill 25 35 45 50 Slopes down," my Master said, his footsteps staying, 55 And while he held his eyes upon the ground Of souls, that moved their feet in our direction, "Lift up thine eyes," I to the Master said; "Behold, on this side, who will give us counsel, Replied: "Let us go there, for they come slowly, 60 65 Still was that people as far off from us, After a thousand steps of ours I say, As a good thrower with his hand would reach, Of the high bank, and motionless stood and close, For to lose time irks him most who most knows." By ones and twos and threes, and the others stand And what the foremost does the others do, Huddling themselves against her, if she stop, So moving to approach us thereupon I saw the leader of that fortunate flock, The light upon the ground at my right side, They stopped, and backward drew themselves somewhat; As soon as those in the advance saw broken So that from me the shadow reached the rock, Not knowing why nor wherefore, did the same. "Without your asking, I confess to you This is a human body which you see, Whereby the sunshine on the ground is cleft. Marvel ye not thereat, but be persuaded That not without a power which comes from Heaven The Master thus; and said those worthy people : Thus going turn thine eyes, consider well I turned me tow'rds him, and looked at him closely; E'er having seen him, "Now behold!" he said, 100 105 110 Then said he with a smile: "I am Manfredi, The grandson of the Empress Costanza; Therefore, when thou returnest, I beseech thee Go to my daughter beautiful, the mother Of Sicily's honour and of Aragon's, And the truth tell her, if aught else be told. After I had my body lacerated By these two mortal stabs, I gave myself But Infinite Goodness hath such ample arms, Of me was sent by Clement at that time, At the bridge-head, near unto Benevento, Now the rain bathes and moveth them the wind, By malison of theirs is not so lost Eternal Love, that it cannot return, So long as hope has anything of green. True is it, who in contumacy dies Of Holy Church, though penitent at last, In his presumption, unless such decree 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 CANTO IV. WHENEVER by delight or else by pain, And hence, whenever aught is heard or seen And other that which the soul keeps entire ; Of this I had experience positive In hearing and in gazing at that spirit ; The sun, and I had not perceived it, when We came to where those souls with one accord A greater opening ofttimes hedges up With but a little forkful of his thorns The villager, what time the grape imbrowns, Than was the passage-way through which ascended One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli, And mounts the summit of Bismantova, Of great desire, conducted after him And on each side the border pressed upon us, Of the high bank, out on the open slope, And he to me : "No step of thine descend; Still up the mount behind me win thy way, Spent with fatigue was I, when I began : "O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold Pointing me to a terrace somewhat higher, Thereon ourselves we seated both of us Turned to the East, from which we had ascended, Then to the sun uplifted them, and wondered Bewildered at the chariot of the light, Together with this mount on earth to stand, So that they both one sole horizon have, And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road Which Phaeton, alas! knew not to drive, Thou'lt see how of necessity must pass This on one side, when that upon the other, If thine intelligence right clearly heed." "Truly, my Master," said I, "never yet Saw I so clearly as I now discern, There where my wit appeared incompetent, That the mid-circle of supernal motion, Which in some art is the Equator called, Tow'rds the Septentrion, what time the Hebrews How far we have to go; for the hill rises There to repose thy panting breath expect ; |