Painteth　the　clouds　at　evening　or　at　morn；
  Beheld　I　then　the　whole　of　heaven　suffused。
  And　as　a　modest　woman；　who　abides
  Sure　of　herself；　and　at　another's　failing；
  From　listening　only；　timorous　becomes；
  Even　thus　did　Beatrice　change　countenance；
  And　I　believe　in　heaven　was　such　eclipse；
  When　suffered　the　supreme　Omnipotence；
  Thereafterward　proceeded　forth　his　words
  With　voice　so　much　transmuted　from　itself；
  The　very　countenance　was　not　more　changed。
  〃The　spouse　of　Christ　has　never　nurtured　been
  On　blood　of　mine；　of　Linus　and　of　Cletus；
  To　be　made　use　of　in　acquest　of　gold；
  But　in　acquest　of　this　delightful　life
  Sixtus　and　Pius；　Urban　and　Calixtus；
  After　much　lamentation；　shed　their　blood。
  Our　purpose　was　not；　that　on　the　right　hand
  Of　our　successors　should　in　part　be　seated
  The　Christian　folk；　in　part　upon　the　other；
  Nor　that　the　keys　which　were　to　me　confided
  Should　e'er　become　the　escutcheon　on　a　banner；
  That　should　wage　war　on　those　who　are　baptized；
  Nor　I　be　made　the　figure　of　a　seal
  To　privileges　venal　and　mendacious；
  Whereat　I　often　redden　and　flash　with　fire。
  In　garb　of　shepherds　the　rapacious　wolves
  Are　seen　from　here　above　o'er　all　the　pastures！
  O　wrath　of　God；　why　dost　thou　slumber　still？
  To　drink　our　blood　the　Caorsines　and　Gascons
  Are　making　ready。　　O　thou　good　beginning；
  Unto　how　vile　an　end　must　thou　needs　fall！
  But　the　high　Providence；　that　with　Scipio
  At　Rome　the　glory　of　the　world　defended；
  Will　speedily　bring　aid；　as　I　conceive；
  And　thou；　my　son；　who　by　thy　mortal　weight
  Shalt　down　return　again；　open　thy　mouth；
  What　I　conceal　not；　do　not　thou　conceal。〃
  As　with　its　frozen　vapours　downward　falls
  In　flakes　our　atmosphere；　what　time　the　horn
  Of　the　celestial　Goat　doth　touch　the　sun；
  Upward　in　such　array　saw　I　the　ether
  Become；　and　flaked　with　the　triumphant　vapours；
  Which　there　together　with　us　had　remained。
  My　sight　was　following　up　their　semblances；
  And　followed　till　the　medium；　by　excess；
  The　passing　farther　onward　took　from　it；
  Whereat　the　Lady；　who　beheld　me　freed
  From　gazing　upward；　said　to　me：　〃Cast　down
  Thy　sight；　and　see　how　far　thou　art　turned　round。〃
  Since　the　first　time　that　I　had　downward　looked；
  I　saw　that　I　had　moved　through　the　whole　arc
  Which　the　first　climate　makes　from　midst　to　end；
  So　that　I　saw　the　mad　track　of　Ulysses
  Past　Gades；　and　this　side；　well　nigh　the　shore
  Whereon　became　Europa　a　sweet　burden。
  And　of　this　threshing…floor　the　site　to　me
  Were　more　unveiled；　but　the　sun　was　proceeding
  Under　my　feet；　a　sign　and　more　removed。
  My　mind　enamoured；　which　is　dallying
  At　all　times　with　my　Lady；　to　bring　back
  To　her　mine　eyes　was　more　than　ever　ardent。
  And　if　or　Art　or　Nature　has　made　bait
  To　catch　the　eyes　and　so　possess　the　mind；
  In　human　flesh　or　in　its　portraiture；
  All　joined　together　would　appear　as　nought
  To　the　divine　delight　which　shone　upon　me
  When　to　her　smiling　face　I　turned　me　round。
  The　virtue　that　her　look　endowed　me　with
  From　the　fair　nest　of　Leda　tore　me　forth；
  And　up　into　the　swiftest　heaven　impelled　me。
  Its　parts　exceeding　full　of　life　and　lofty
  Are　all　so　uniform；　I　cannot　say
  Which　Beatrice　selected　for　my　place。
  But　she；　who　was　aware　of　my　desire；
  Began；　the　while　she　smiled　so　joyously
  That　God　seemed　in　her　countenance　to　rejoice：
  〃The　nature　of　that　motion；　which　keeps　quiet
  The　centre　and　all　the　rest　about　it　moves；
  From　hence　begins　as　from　its　starting　point。
  And　in　this　heaven　there　is　no　other　Where
  Than　in　the　Mind　Divine；　wherein　is　kindled
  The　love　that　turns　it；　and　the　power　it　rains。
  Within　a　circle　light　and　love　embrace　it；
  Even　as　this　doth　the　others；　and　that　precinct
  He　who　encircles　it　alone　controls。
  Its　motion　is　not　by　another　meted；
  But　all　the　others　measured　are　by　this；
  As　ten　is　by　the　half　and　by　the　fifth。
  And　in　what　manner　time　in　such　a　pot
  May　have　its　roots；　and　in　the　rest　its　leaves；
  Now　unto　thee　can　manifest　be　made。
  O　Covetousness；　that　mortals　dost　ingulf
  Beneath　thee　so；　that　no　one　hath　the　power
  Of　drawing　back　his　eyes　from　out　thy　waves！
  Full　fairly　blossoms　in　mankind　the　will；
  But　the　uninterrupted　rain　converts
  Into　abortive　wildings　the　true　plums。
  Fidelity　and　innocence　are　found
  Only　in　children；　afterwards　they　both
  Take　flight　or　e'er　the　cheeks　with　down　are　covered。
  One；　while　he　prattles　still；　observes　the　fasts；
  Who；　when　his　tongue　is　loosed；　forthwith　devours
  Whatever　food　under　whatever　moon；
  Another；　while　he　prattles；　loves　and　listens
  Unto　his　mother；　who　when　speech　is　perfect
  Forthwith　desires　to　see　her　in　her　grave。
  Even　thus　is　swarthy　made　the　skin　so　white
  In　its　first　aspect　of　the　daughter　fair
  Of　him　who　brings　the　morn；　and　leaves　the　night。
  Thou；　that　it　may　not　be　a　marvel　to　thee；
  Think　that　on　earth　there　is　no　one　who　governs；
  Whence　goes　astray　the　human　family。
  Ere　January　be　unwintered　wholly
  By　the　centesimal　on　earth　neglected；
  Shall　these　supernal　circles　roar　so　loud
  The　tempest　that　has　been　so　long　awaited
  Shall　whirl　the　poops　about　where　are　the　prows；
  So　that　the　fleet　shall　run　its　course　direct；
  And　the　true　fruit　shall　follow　on　the　flower。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXVIII
  After　the　truth　against　the　present　life
  Of　miserable　mortals　was　unfolded
  By　her　who　doth　imparadise　my　mind；
  As　in　a　looking…glass　a　taper's　flame
  He　sees　who　from　behind　is　lighted　by　it；
  Before　he　has　it　in　his　sight　or　thought；
  And　turns　him　round　to　see　if　so　the　glass
  Tell　him　the　truth；　and　sees　that　it　accords
  Therewith　as　doth　a　music　with　its　metre；
  In　similar　wise　my　memory　recollecteth
  That　I　did；　looking　into　those　fair　eyes；
  Of　which　Love　made　the　springes　to　ensnare　me。
  And　as　I　turned　me　round；　and　mine　were　touched
  By　that　which　is　apparent　in　that　volume；
  Whenever　on　its　gyre　we　gaze　intent；
  A　point　beheld　I；　that　was　raying　out
  Light　so　acute；　the　sight　which　it　enkindles
  Must　close　perforce　before　such　great　acuteness。
  And　whatsoever　star　seems　smallest　here
  Would　seem　to　be　a　moon；　if　placed　beside　it。
  As　one　star　with　another　star　is　placed。
  Perhaps　at　such　a　distance　as　appears
  A　halo　cincturing　the　light　that　paints　it；
  When　densest　is　the　vapour　that　sustains　it；
  Thus　distant　round　the　point　a　circle　of　fire
  So　swiftly　whirled；　that　it　would　have　surpassed
  Whatever　motion　soonest　girds　the　world；
  And　this　was　by　another　circumcinct；
  That　by　a　third；　the　third　then　by　a　fourth；
  By　a　fifth　the　fourth；　and　then　by　a　sixth　the　fifth；
  The　seventh　followed　thereupon　in　width
  So　ample　now；　that　Juno's　messenger
  Entire　would　be　too　narrow　to　contain　it。
  Even　so　the　eighth　and　ninth；　and　every　one
  More　slowly　moved；　according　as　it　was
  In　number　distant　farther　from　the　first。
  And　that　one　had　its　flame　most　crystalline
  From　which　less　distant　was　the　stainless　spark；
  I　think　because　more　with　its　truth　imbued。
  My　Lady；　who　in　my　anxiety
  Beheld　me　much　perplexed；　said：　〃From　that　point
  Dependent　is　the　heaven　and　nature　all。
  Behold　that　circle　most　conjoined　to　it；
  And　know　thou；　that　its　motion　is　so　swift
  Through　burning　love　whereby　it　is　spurred　on。〃
  And　I　to　her：　〃If　the　world　were　arranged
  In　the　order　which　I　see　in　yonder　wheels；
  What's　set　before　me　would　have　satisfied　me；
  But　in　the　world　of　sense　we　can　perceive
  That　evermore　the　circles　are　diviner
  As　they　are　from　the　centre　more　remote
  Wherefore　if　my　desire　is　to　be　ended
  In　this　miraculous　and　angelic　temple；
  That　has　for　confines　only　love　and　light；
  To　hear　behoves　me　still　how　the　example
  And　the　exemplar　go　not　in　one　fashion；
  Since　for　myself　in　vain　I　contemplate　it。〃
  〃If　thine　own　fingers　unto　such　a　knot
  Be　insufficient；　it　is　no　great　wonder；
  So　hard　hath　it　become　for　want　of　trying。〃
  My　Lady　thus；　then　said　she：　〃Do　thou　take
  What　I　shall　tell　thee；　if　thou　wouldst　be　sated；
  And　exercise　on　that　thy　subtlety。
  The　circles　corporal　are　wide　and　narrow
  According　to　the　more　or　less　of　virtue
  Which　is　distributed　through　all　their　parts。
  The　greater　goodness　works　the　greater　weal；
  The　greater　weal　the　greater　body　holds；
  If　perfect　equally　are　all　its　parts。
  Therefore　this　one　which　sweeps　along　with　it
  The　universe　sublime；　doth　correspond
  Unto　the　circle　which　most　loves　and　knows。
  On　which　account；　if　thou　unto　the　virtue
  Apply　thy　measure；　not　to　the　appearance
  Of　substances　that　unto　thee　seem　round；
  Thou　wilt　behold　a　marvellous　agreement；
  Of　more　to　greater；　and　of　less　to　smaller；
  In　every　heaven；　with　its　Intelligence。〃
  Even　as　remaineth　splendid　and　serene
  The　hemisphere　of　air；　when　Boreas
  Is　blowing　from　that　cheek　where　he　is　mildest；
  Because　is　purified　and　resolved　the　rack
  That　erst　disturbed　it；　till　the　welkin　laughs
  With　all　the　beauties　of　its　pageantry；
  Thus　did　I　likewise；　after　that　my　Lady
  Had　me　prov