But your own life immediately inspires
Supreme Beneficence, and enamours it
So with herself, it evermore desires her.
And thou from this mayst argue furthermore
Your resurrection, if thou think again

How human flesh was fashioned at that time
When the first parents both of them were made."

CANTO VIII.

THE world used in its peril to believe
That the fair Cypria delirious love
Rayed out, in the third epicycle turning;
Wherefore not only unto her paid honour

Of sacrifices and of votive cry

The ancient nations in the ancient error, But both Dione honoured they and Cupid, That as her mother, this one as her son, And said that he had sat in Dido's lap; And they from her, whence I beginning take, Took the denomination of the star

That wooes the sun, now following, now in front.

I was not ware of our ascending to it;

But of our being in it gave full faith

My Lady whom I saw more beauteous grow.

And as within a flame a spark is seen,

And as within a voice a voice discerned,

When one is steadfast, and one comes and goes,

Within that light beheld I other lamps

Move in a circle, speeding more and less,
Methinks in measure of their inward vision.
From a cold cloud descended never winds,
Or visible or not, so rapidly

They would not laggard and impeded seem
To any one who had those lights divine

Seen come towards us, leaving the gyration
Begun at first in the high Seraphim.
And behind those that most in front appeared
Sounded" Osanna!" so that never since
To hear again was I without desire.
Then unto us more nearly one approached,
And it alone began: "We all are ready
Unto thy pleasure, that thou joy in us.

We turn around with the celestial Princes,

One gyre and one gyration and one thirst,
To whom thou in the world of old didst say,
'Ye who, intelligent, the third heaven are moving;'
And are so full of love, to pleasure thee
A little quiet will not be less sweet."
After these eyes of mine themselves had offered
Unto my Lady reverently, and she

Content and certain of herself had made them,
Back to the light they turned, which so great promise
Made of itself, and "Say, who art thou?" was
My voice, imprinted with a great affection.

O how and how much I beheld it grow

With the new joy that superadded was
Unto its joys, as soon as I had spoken!

Thus changed, it said to me: "The world possessed me
Short time below; and, if it had been more,
Much evil will be which would not have been.

My gladness keepeth me concealed from thee,

Which rayeth round about me, and doth hide me
Like as a creature swathed in its own silk.

Much didst thou love me, and thou hadst good reason;
For had I been below, I should have shown thee
Somewhat beyond the foliage of my love.

That left-hand margin, which doth bathe itself

In Rhone, when it is mingled with the Sorgue,
Me for its lord awaited in due time,

And that horn of Ausonia, which is towned

With Bari, with Gaeta and Catona,
Whence Tronto and Verde in the sea disgorge.

Already flashed upon my brow the crown

Of that dominion which the Danube waters
After the German borders it abandons;

And beautiful Trinacria, that is murky

"Twixt Pachino and Peloro, (on the gulf

Which greatest scath from Eurus doth receive,)

Not through Typhoeus, but through nascent sulphur,
Would have awaited her own monarchs still,

Through me from Charles descended and from Rudolph,

If evil lordship, that exasperates ever

The subject populations, had not moved

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Palermo to the outcry of Death! death!'

And if my brother could but this foresee,
The greedy poverty of Catalonia

Straight would he flee, that it might not molest him;

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For verily 'tis needful to provide,

Through him or other, so that on his bark Already freighted no more freight be placed. His nature, which from liberal covetous

Descended, such a soldiery would need As should not care for hoarding in a chest." "Because I do believe the lofty joy

Thy speech infuses into me, my Lord,
Where every good thing doth begin and end
Thou seest as I see it, the more grateful

Is it to me; and this too hold I dear,
That gazing upon God thou dost discern it.
Glad hast thou made me; so make clear to me,

Since speaking thou hast stirred me up to doubt,
How from sweet seed can bitter issue forth."

This I to him; and he to me: "If I

Can show to thee a truth, to what thou askest
Thy face thou'lt hold as thou dost hold thy back.
The Good which all the realm thou art ascending
Turns and contents, maketh its providence
To be a power within these bodies vast;
And not alone the natures are foreseen

Within the mind that in itself is perfect,
But they together with their preservation.
For whatsoever thing this bow shoots forth

Falls foreordained unto an end foreseen,
Even as a shaft directed to its mark.

If that were not, the heaven which thou dost walk
Would in such manner its effects produce,
That they no longer would be arts, but ruins.

This cannot be, if the Intelligences

That keep these stars in motion are not maimed,

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And maimed the First that has not made them perfect.

Wilt thou this truth have clearer made to thee?"

And I: "Not so; for 'tis impossible That nature tire, I see, in what is needful." Whence he again: "Now say, would it be worse For men on earth were they not citizens?" "Yes," I replied; "and here I ask no reason." "And can they be so, if below they live not Diversely unto offices diverse?

No, if your master writeth well for you."
So came he with deductions to this point;

Then he concluded: "Therefore it behoves
The roots of your effects to be diverse.

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Hence one is Solon born, another Xerxes,
Another Melchisedec, and another he

Who, flying through the air, his son did lose.
Revolving Nature, which a signet is

To mortal wax, doth practise well her art, But not one inn distinguish from another; Thence happens it that Esau differeth

In seed from Jacob; and Quirinus comes
From sire so vile that he is given to Mars.
A generated nature its own way

Would always make like its progenitors,
If Providence divine were not triumphant.
Now that which was behind thee is before thee;

But that thou know that I with thee am pleased,
With a corollary will I mantle thee.

Evermore nature, if it fortune find

Discordant to it, like each other seed
Out of its region, maketh evil thrift ;
And if the world below would fix its mind

On the foundation which is laid by nature,
Pursuing that, 'twould have the people good.

But you unto religion wrench aside

Him who was born to gird him with the sword, And make a king of him who is for sermons; Therefore your footsteps wander from the road."

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CANTO IX.

BEAUTIFUL Clemence, after that thy Charles
Had me enlightened, he narrated to me
The treacheries his seed should undergo;

But said: "Be still and let the years roll round;"
So I can only say, that lamentation
Legitimate shall follow on your wrongs.

And of that holy light the life already

Had to the Sun which fills it turned again,
As to that good which for each thing sufficeth.

Ah, souls deceived, and creatures impious,

Who from such good do turn away your hearts,
Directing upon vanity your foreheads!
And now, behold, another of those splendours
Approached me, and its will to pleasure me
It signified by brightening outwardly.

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The

eyes of Beatrice, that fastened were Upon me, as before, of dear assent To my desire assurance gave to me. "Ah, bring swift compensation to my wish,

Thou blessed spirit," I said, " and give me proof That what I think in thee I can reflect!" Whereat the light, that still was new to me,

Out of its depths, whence it before was singing, As one delighted to do good, continued: "Within that region of the land depraved

Of Italy, that lies between Rialto

And fountain-heads of Brenta and of Piava, Rises a hill, and mounts not very high,

Wherefrom descended formerly a torch
That made upon that region great assault.
Out of one root were born both I and it;

Cunizza was I called, and here I shine
Because the splendour of this star o'ercame me.

But gladly to myself the cause I pardon

Which would perhaps seem strong unto your vulgar.

Of my allotment, and it does not grieve me ;

Of this so luculent and precious jewel,

Which of our heaven is nearest unto me, Great fame remained; and ere it die away This hundredth year shall yet quintupled be. See if man ought to make him excellent, So that another life the first may leave ! And thus thinks not the present multitude

Shut in by Adige and Tagliamento,

Nor yet for being scourged is penitent.
But soon 'twill be that Padua in the marsh

Will change the water that Vicenza bathes,
Because the folk are stubborn against duty;

And where the Sile and Cagnano join

One lordeth it, and goes with lofty head,

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For catching whom e'en now the net is making.

Feltro moreover of her impious pastor

Shall weep the crime, which shall so monstrous be
That for the like none ever entered Malta.

Ample exceedingly would be the vat

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That of the Ferrarese could hold the blood,
And weary who should weigh it ounce by ounce,

Of which this courteous priest shall make a gift
To show himself a partisan; and such gifts
Will to the living of the land conform.

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