And　what　the　foremost　does　the　others　do；
  Huddling　themselves　against　her；　if　she　stop；
  Simple　and　quiet　and　the　wherefore　know　not；
  So　moving　to　approach　us　thereupon
  I　saw　the　leader　of　that　fortunate　flock；
  Modest　in　face　and　dignified　in　gait。
  As　soon　as　those　in　the　advance　saw　broken
  The　light　upon　the　ground　at　my　right　side；
  So　that　from　me　the　shadow　reached　the　rock；
  They　stopped；　and　backward　drew　themselves　somewhat；
  And　all　the　others；　who　came　after　them；
  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
  Doth　he　endeavour　to　surmount　this　wall。〃
  The　Master　thus；　and　said　those　worthy　people：
  〃Return　ye　then；　and　enter　in　before　us；〃
  Making　a　signal　with　the　back　o'　the　hand
  And　one　of　them　began：　〃Whoe'er　thou　art；
  Thus　going　turn　thine　eyes；　consider　well
  If　e'er　thou　saw　me　in　the　other　world。〃
  I　turned　me　tow'rds　him；　and　looked　at　him　closely；
  Blond　was　he；　beautiful；　and　of　noble　aspect；
  But　one　of　his　eyebrows　had　a　blow　divided。
  When　with　humility　I　had　disclaimed
  E'er　having　seen　him；　〃Now　behold！〃　he　said；
  And　showed　me　high　upon　his　breast　a　wound。
  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
  Weeping　to　Him；　who　willingly　doth　pardon。
  Horrible　my　iniquities　had　been；
  But　Infinite　Goodness　hath　such　ample　arms；
  That　it　receives　whatever　turns　to　it。
  Had　but　Cosenza's　pastor；　who　in　chase
  Of　me　was　sent　by　Clement　at　that　time；
  In　God　read　understandingly　this　page；
  The　bones　of　my　dead　body　still　would　be
  At　the　bridge…head；　near　unto　Benevento；
  Under　the　safeguard　of　the　heavy　cairn。
  Now　the　rain　bathes　and　moveth　them　the　wind；
  Beyond　the　realm；　almost　beside　the　Verde；
  Where　he　transported　them　with　tapers　quenched。
  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；
  Must　wait　upon　the　outside　this　bank
  Thirty　times　told　the　time　that　he　has　been
  In　his　presumption；　unless　such　decree
  Shorter　by　means　of　righteous　prayers　become。
  See　now　if　thou　hast　power　to　make　me　happy；
  By　making　known　unto　my　good　Costanza
  How　thou　hast　seen　me；　and　this　ban　beside；
  For　those　on　earth　can　much　advance　us　here。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　IV
  Whenever　by　delight　or　else　by　pain；
  That　seizes　any　faculty　of　ours；
  Wholly　to　that　the　soul　collects　itself；
  It　seemeth　that　no　other　power　it　heeds；
  And　this　against　that　error　is　which　thinks
  One　soul　above　another　kindles　in　us。
  And　hence；　whenever　aught　is　heard　or　seen
  Which　keeps　the　soul　intently　bent　upon　it；
  Time　passes　on；　and　we　perceive　it　not；
  Because　one　faculty　is　that　which　listens；
  And　other　that　which　the　soul　keeps　entire；
  This　is　as　if　in　bonds；　and　that　is　free。
  Of　this　I　had　experience　positive
  In　hearing　and　in　gazing　at　that　spirit；
  For　fifty　full　degrees　uprisen　was
  The　sun；　and　I　had　not　perceived　it；　when
  We　came　to　where　those　souls　with　one　accord
  Cried　out　unto　us：　〃Here　is　what　you　ask。〃
  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
  Only　my　Leader　and　myself　behind　him；
  After　that　company　departed　from　us。
  One　climbs　Sanleo　and　descends　in　Noli；
  And　mounts　the　summit　of　Bismantova；
  With　feet　alone；　but　here　one　needs　must　fly；
  With　the　swift　pinions　and　the　plumes　I　say
  Of　great　desire；　conducted　after　him
  Who　gave　me　hope；　and　made　a　light　for　me。
  We　mounted　upward　through　the　rifted　rock；
  And　on　each　side　the　border　pressed　upon　us；
  And　feet　and　hands　the　ground　beneath　required。
  When　we　were　come　upon　the　upper　rim
  Of　the　high　bank；　out　on　the　open　slope；
  〃My　Master；〃　said　I；　〃what　way　shall　we　take？〃
  And　he　to　me：　〃No　step　of　thine　descend；
  Still　up　the　mount　behind　me　win　thy　way；
  Till　some　sage　escort　shall　appear　to　us。〃
  The　summit　was　so　high　it　vanquished　sight；
  And　the　hillside　precipitous　far　more
  Than　line　from　middle　quadrant　to　the　centre。
  Spent　with　fatigue　was　I；　when　I　began：
  〃O　my　sweet　Father！　turn　thee　and　behold
  How　I　remain　alone；　unless　thou　stay！〃
  〃O　son；〃　he　said；　〃up　yonder　drag　thyself；〃
  Pointing　me　to　a　terrace　somewhat　higher；
  Which　on　that　side　encircles　all　the　hill。
  These　words　of　his　so　spurred　me　on；　that　I
  Strained　every　nerve；　behind　him　scrambling　up；
  Until　the　circle　was　beneath　my　feet。
  Thereon　ourselves　we　seated　both　of　us
  Turned　to　the　East；　from　which　we　had　ascended；
  For　all　men　are　delighted　to　look　back。
  To　the　low　shores　mine　eyes　I　first　directed；
  Then　to　the　sun　uplifted　them；　and　wondered
  That　on　the　left　hand　we　were　smitten　by　it。
  The　Poet　well　perceived　that　I　was　wholly
  Bewildered　at　the　chariot　of　the　light；
  Where　'twixt　us　and　the　Aquilon　it　entered。
  Whereon　he　said　to　me：　〃If　Castor　and　Pollux
  Were　in　the　company　of　yonder　mirror；
  That　up　and　down　conducteth　with　its　light；
  Thou　wouldst　behold　the　zodiac's　jagged　wheel
  Revolving　still　more　near　unto　the　Bears；
  Unless　it　swerved　aside　from　its　old　track。
  How　that　may　be　wouldst　thou　have　power　to　think；
  Collected　in　thyself；　imagine　Zion
  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；
  And　aye　remains　between　the　Sun　and　Winter；
  For　reason　which　thou　sayest；　departeth　hence
  Tow'rds　the　Septentrion；　what　time　the　Hebrews
  Beheld　it　tow'rds　the　region　of　the　heat。
  But；　if　it　pleaseth　thee；　I　fain　would　learn
  How　far　we　have　to　go；　for　the　hill　rises
  Higher　than　eyes　of　mine　have　power　to　rise。〃
  And　he　to　me：　〃This　mount　is　such；　that　ever
  At　the　beginning　down　below　'tis　tiresome；
  And　aye　the　more　one　climbs；　the　less　it　hurts。
  Therefore；　when　it　shall　seem　so　pleasant　to　thee；
  That　going　up　shall　be　to　thee　as　easy
  As　going　down　the　current　in　a　boat；
  Then　at　this　pathway's　ending　thou　wilt　be；
  There　to　repose　thy　panting　breath　expect；
  No　more　I　answer；　and　this　I　know　for　true。〃
  And　as　he　finished　uttering　these　words；
  A　voice　close　by　us　sounded：　〃Peradventure
  Thou　wilt　have　need　of　sitting　down　ere　that。〃
  At　sound　thereof　each　one　of　us　turned　round；
  And　saw　upon　the　left　hand　a　great　rock；
  Which　neither　I　nor　he　before　had　noticed。
  Thither　we　drew；　and　there　were　persons　there
  Who　in　the　shadow　stood　behind　the　rock；
  As　one　through　indolence　is　wont　to　stand。
  And　one　of　them；　who　seemed　to　me　fatigued；
  Was　sitting　down；　and　both　his　knees　embraced；
  Holding　his　face　low　down　between　them　bowed。
  〃O　my　sweet　Lord；〃　I　said；　〃do　turn　thine　eye
  On　him　who　shows　himself　more　negligent
  Then　even　Sloth　herself　his　sister　were。〃
  Then　he　turned　round　to　us；　and　he　gave　heed；
  Just　lifting　up　his　eyes　above　his　thigh；
  And　said：　〃Now　go　thou　up；　for　thou　art　valiant。〃
  Then　knew　I　who　he　was；　and　the　distress；
  That　still　a　little　did　my　breathing　quicken；
  My　going　to　him　hindered　not；　and　after
  I　came　to　him　he　hardly　raised　his　head；
  Saying：　〃Hast　thou　seen　clearly　how　the　sun
  O'er　thy　left　shoulder　drives　his　chariot？〃
  His　sluggish　attitude　and　his　curt　words
  A　little　unto　laughter　moved　my　lips；
  Then　I　began：　〃Belacqua；　I　grieve　not
  For　thee　henceforth；　but　tell　me；　wherefore　seated
  In　this　place　art　thou？　　Waitest　thou　an　escort？
  Or　has　thy　usual　habit　seized　upon　thee？〃
  And　he：　〃O　brother；　what's　the　use　of　climbing？
  Since　to　my　torment　would　not　let　me　go
  The　Angel　of　God；　who　sitteth　at　the　gate。
  First　heaven　must　needs　so　long　revolve　me　round
  Outside　thereof；　as　in　my　life　it　did；
  Since　the　good　sighs　I　to　the　end　postponed；
  Unless；　e'er　that；　some　prayer　may　bring　me　aid
  Which　rises　from　a　heart　that　lives　in　grace；
  What　profit　others　that　in　heaven　are　heard　not？〃
  Meanwhile　the　Poet　was　before　me　mounting；
  And　saying：　〃Come　now；　see　the　sun　has　touched
  Meridian；　and　from　the　shore　the　night
  Covers　already　with　her　foot　Morocco。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　V
  I　had　already　from　those　shades　departed