With　all　the　beauties　of　its　pageantry；
  Thus　did　I　likewise；　after　that　my　Lady
  Had　me　provided　with　her　clear　response；
  And　like　a　star　in　heaven　the　truth　was　seen。
  And　soon　as　to　a　stop　her　words　had　come；
  Not　otherwise　does　iron　scintillate
  When　molten；　than　those　circles　scintillated。
  Their　coruscation　all　the　sparks　repeated；
  And　they　so　many　were；　their　number　makes
  More　millions　than　the　doubling　of　the　chess。
  I　heard　them　sing　hosanna　choir　by　choir
  To　the　fixed　point　which　holds　them　at　the　'Ubi；'
  And　ever　will；　where　they　have　ever　been。
  And　she；　who　saw　the　dubious　meditations
  Within　my　mind；　〃The　primal　circles；〃　said；
  〃Have　shown　thee　Seraphim　and　Cherubim。
  Thus　rapidly　they　follow　their　own　bonds；
  To　be　as　like　the　point　as　most　they　can；
  And　can　as　far　as　they　are　high　in　vision。
  Those　other　Loves；　that　round　about　them　go；
  Thrones　of　the　countenance　divine　are　called；
  Because　they　terminate　the　primal　Triad。
  And　thou　shouldst　know　that　they　all　have　delight
  As　much　as　their　own　vision　penetrates
  The　Truth；　in　which　all　intellect　finds　rest。
  From　this　it　may　be　seen　how　blessedness
  Is　founded　in　the　faculty　which　sees；
  And　not　in　that　which　loves；　and　follows　next；
  And　of　this　seeing　merit　is　the　measure；
  Which　is　brought　forth　by　grace；　and　by　good　will；
  Thus　on　from　grade　to　grade　doth　it　proceed。
  The　second　Triad；　which　is　germinating
  In　such　wise　in　this　sempiternal　spring；
  That　no　nocturnal　Aries　despoils；
  Perpetually　hosanna　warbles　forth
  With　threefold　melody；　that　sounds　in　three
  Orders　of　joy；　with　which　it　is　intrined。
  The　three　Divine　are　in　this　hierarchy；
  First　the　Dominions；　and　the　Virtues　next；
  And　the　third　order　is　that　of　the　Powers。
  Then　in　the　dances　twain　penultimate
  The　Principalities　and　Archangels　wheel；
  The　last　is　wholly　of　angelic　sports。
  These　orders　upward　all　of　them　are　gazing；
  And　downward　so　prevail；　that　unto　God
  They　all　attracted　are　and　all　attract。
  And　Dionysius　with　so　great　desire
  To　contemplate　these　Orders　set　himself；
  He　named　them　and　distinguished　them　as　I　do。
  But　Gregory　afterwards　dissented　from　him；
  Wherefore；　as　soon　as　he　unclosed　his　eyes
  Within　this　heaven；　he　at　himself　did　smile。
  And　if　so　much　of　secret　truth　a　mortal
  Proffered　on　earth；　I　would　not　have　thee　marvel；
  For　he　who　saw　it　here　revealed　it　to　him；
  With　much　more　of　the　truth　about　these　circles。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXIX
  At　what　time　both　the　children　of　Latona；
  Surmounted　by　the　Ram　and　by　the　Scales；
  Together　make　a　zone　of　the　horizon；
  As　long　as　from　the　time　the　zenith　holds　them
  In　equipoise；　till　from　that　girdle　both
  Changing　their　hemisphere　disturb　the　balance；
  So　long；　her　face　depicted　with　a　smile；
  Did　Beatrice　keep　silence　while　she　gazed
  Fixedly　at　the　point　which　had　o'ercome　me。
  Then　she　began：　〃I　say；　and　I　ask　not
  What　thou　dost　wish　to　hear；　for　I　have　seen　it
  Where　centres　every　When　and　every　'Ubi。'
  Not　to　acquire　some　good　unto　himself；
  Which　is　impossible；　but　that　his　splendour
  In　its　resplendency　may　say；　'Subsisto；'
  In　his　eternity　outside　of　time；
  Outside　all　other　limits；　as　it　pleased　him；
  Into　new　Loves　the　Eternal　Love　unfolded。
  Nor　as　if　torpid　did　he　lie　before；
  For　neither　after　nor　before　proceeded
  The　going　forth　of　God　upon　these　waters。
  Matter　and　Form　unmingled　and　conjoined
  Came　into　being　that　had　no　defect；
  E'en　as　three　arrows　from　a　three…stringed　bow。
  And　as　in　glass；　in　amber；　or　in　crystal
  A　sunbeam　flashes　so；　that　from　its　coming
  To　its　full　being　is　no　interval；
  So　from　its　Lord　did　the　triform　effect
  Ray　forth　into　its　being　all　together；
  Without　discrimination　of　beginning。
  Order　was　con…created　and　constructed
  In　substances；　and　summit　of　the　world
  Were　those　wherein　the　pure　act　was　produced。
  Pure　potentiality　held　the　lowest　part；
  Midway　bound　potentiality　with　act
  Such　bond　that　it　shall　never　be　unbound。
  Jerome　has　written　unto　you　of　angels
  Created　a　long　lapse　of　centuries
  Or　ever　yet　the　other　world　was　made；
  But　written　is　this　truth　in　many　places
  By　writers　of　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　thou
  Shalt　see　it；　if　thou　lookest　well　thereat。
  And　even　reason　seeth　it　somewhat；
  For　it　would　not　concede　that　for　so　long
  Could　be　the　motors　without　their　perfection。
  Now　dost　thou　know　both　where　and　when　these　Loves
  Created　were；　and　how；　so　that　extinct
  In　thy　desire　already　are　three　fires。
  Nor　could　one　reach；　in　counting；　unto　twenty
  So　swiftly；　as　a　portion　of　these　angels
  Disturbed　the　subject　of　your　elements。
  The　rest　remained；　and　they　began　this　art
  Which　thou　discernest；　with　so　great　delight
  That　never　from　their　circling　do　they　cease。
  The　occasion　of　the　fall　was　the　accursed
  Presumption　of　that　One；　whom　thou　hast　seen
  By　all　the　burden　of　the　world　constrained。
  Those　whom　thou　here　beholdest　modest　were
  To　recognise　themselves　as　of　that　goodness
  Which　made　them　apt　for　so　much　understanding；
  On　which　account　their　vision　was　exalted
  By　the　enlightening　grace　and　their　own　merit；
  So　that　they　have　a　full　and　steadfast　will。
  I　would　not　have　thee　doubt；　but　certain　be；
  'Tis　meritorious　to　receive　this　grace；
  According　as　the　affection　opens　to　it。
  Now　round　about　in　this　consistory
  Much　mayst　thou　contemplate；　if　these　my　words
  Be　gathered　up；　without　all　further　aid。
  But　since　upon　the　earth；　throughout　your　schools；
  They　teach　that　such　is　the　angelic　nature
  That　it　doth　hear；　and　recollect；　and　will；
  More　will　I　say；　that　thou　mayst　see　unmixed
  The　truth　that　is　confounded　there　below；
  Equivocating　in　such　like　prelections。
  These　substances；　since　in　God's　countenance
  They　jocund　were；　turned　not　away　their　sight
  From　that　wherefrom　not　anything　is　hidden；
  Hence　they　have　not　their　vision　intercepted
  By　object　new；　and　hence　they　do　not　need
  To　recollect；　through　interrupted　thought。
  So　that　below；　not　sleeping；　people　dream；
  Believing　they　speak　truth；　and　not　believing；
  And　in　the　last　is　greater　sin　and　shame。
  Below　you　do　not　journey　by　one　path
  Philosophising；　so　transporteth　you
  Love　of　appearance　and　the　thought　thereof。
  And　even　this　above　here　is　endured
  With　less　disdain；　than　when　is　set　aside
  The　Holy　Writ；　or　when　it　is　distorted。
  They　think　not　there　how　much　of　blood　it　costs
  To　sow　it　in　the　world；　and　how　he　pleases
  Who　in　humility　keeps　close　to　it。
  Each　striveth　for　appearance；　and　doth　make
  His　own　inventions；　and　these　treated　are
  By　preachers；　and　the　Evangel　holds　its　peace。
  One　sayeth　that　the　moon　did　backward　turn；
  In　the　Passion　of　Christ；　and　interpose　herself
  So　that　the　sunlight　reached　not　down　below；
  And　lies；　for　of　its　own　accord　the　light
  Hid　itself；　whence　to　Spaniards　and　to　Indians；
  As　to　the　Jews；　did　such　eclipse　respond。
  Florence　has　not　so　many　Lapi　and　Bindi
  As　fables　such　as　these；　that　every　year
  Are　shouted　from　the　pulpit　back　and　forth；
  In　such　wise　that　the　lambs；　who　do　not　know；
  Come　back　from　pasture　fed　upon　the　wind；
  And　not　to　see　the　harm　doth　not　excuse　them。
  Christ　did　not　to　his　first　disciples　say；
  'Go　forth；　and　to　the　world　preach　idle　tales；'
  But　unto　them　a　true　foundation　gave；
  And　this　so　loudly　sounded　from　their　lips；
  That；　in　the　warfare　to　enkindle　Faith；
  They　made　of　the　Evangel　shields　and　lances。
  Now　men　go　forth　with　jests　and　drolleries
  To　preach；　and　if　but　well　the　people　laugh；
  The　hood　puffs　out；　and　nothing　more　is　asked。
  But　in　the　cowl　there　nestles　such　a　bird；
  That；　if　the　common　people　were　to　see　it；
  They　would　perceive　what　pardons　they　confide　in；
  For　which　so　great　on　earth　has　grown　the　folly；
  That；　without　proof　of　any　testimony；
  To　each　indulgence　they　would　flock　together。
  By　this　Saint　Anthony　his　pig　doth　fatten；
  And　many　others；　who　are　worse　than　pigs；
  Paying　in　money　without　mark　of　coinage。
  But　since　we　have　digressed　abundantly；
  Turn　back　thine　eyes　forthwith　to　the　right　path；
  So　that　the　way　be　shortened　with　the　time。
  This　nature　doth　so　multiply　itself
  In　numbers；　that　there　never　yet　was　speech
  Nor　mortal　fancy　that　can　go　so　far。
  And　if　thou　notest　that　which　is　revealed
  By　Daniel；　thou　wilt　see　that　in　his　thousands
  Number　determinate　is　kept　concealed。
  The　primal　light；　that　all　irradiates　it；
  By　modes　as　many　is　received　therein；
  As　are　the　splendours　wherewith　it　is　mated。
  Hence；　inasmuch　as　on　the　act　conceptive
  The　affection　followeth；　of　love　the　sweetness
  Therein　diversely　fervid　is　or　tepid。
  The　height　behold　now　and　the　amplitude
  Of　the　eternal　power；　since　it　hath　made
  Itself　so　many　mirrors；　where　'tis　broken；
  One　in　itself　remaining　as　before。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXX
  Perchance　six　thousand　miles　remote　from　us
  Is　glowing　the　sixth　hour；　and　now　this　world
  Inclines　its　shadow　almost　to　a　level；
  When　the　mid…heaven