And　if　as　King　had　after　him　remained
  The　stripling　who　in　rear　of　him　is　sitting；
  Well　had　the　valour　passed　from　vase　to　vase；
  Which　cannot　of　the　other　heirs　be　said。
  Frederick　and　Jacomo　possess　the　realms；
  But　none　the　better　heritage　possesses。
  Not　oftentimes　upriseth　through　the　branches
  The　probity　of　man；　and　this　He　wills
  Who　gives　it；　so　that　we　may　ask　of　Him。
  Eke　to　the　large…nosed　reach　my　words；　no　less
  Than　to　the　other；　Pier；　who　with　him　sings；
  Whence　Provence　and　Apulia　grieve　already
  The　plant　is　as　inferior　to　its　seed；
  As　more　than　Beatrice　and　Margaret
  Costanza　boasteth　of　her　husband　still。
  Behold　the　monarch　of　the　simple　life；
  Harry　of　England；　sitting　there　alone；
  He　in　his　branches　has　a　better　issue。
  He　who　the　lowest　on　the　ground　among　them
  Sits　looking　upward；　is　the　Marquis　William；
  For　whose　sake　Alessandria　and　her　war
  Make　Monferrat　and　Canavese　weep。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　VIII
  'Twas　now　the　hour　that　turneth　back　desire
  In　those　who　sail　the　sea；　and　melts　the　heart；
  The　day　they've　said　to　their　sweet　friends　farewell；
  And　the　new　pilgrim　penetrates　with　love；
  If　he　doth　hear　from　far　away　a　bell
  That　seemeth　to　deplore　the　dying　day；
  When　I　began　to　make　of　no　avail
  My　hearing；　and　to　watch　one　of　the　souls
  Uprisen；　that　begged　attention　with　its　hand。
  It　joined　and　lifted　upward　both　its　palms；
  Fixing　its　eyes　upon　the　orient；
  As　if　it　said　to　God；　〃Naught　else　I　care　for。〃
  〃Te　lucis　ante〃　so　devoutly　issued
  Forth　from　its　mouth；　and　with　such　dulcet　notes；
  It　made　me　issue　forth　from　my　own　mind。
  And　then　the　others；　sweetly　and　devoutly；
  Accompanied　it　through　all　the　hymn　entire；
  Having　their　eyes　on　the　supernal　wheels。
  Here；　Reader；　fix　thine　eyes　well　on　the　truth；
  For　now　indeed　so　subtile　is　the　veil；
  Surely　to　penetrate　within　is　easy。
  I　saw　that　army　of　the　gentle…born
  Thereafterward　in　silence　upward　gaze；
  As　if　in　expectation；　pale　and　humble；
  And　from　on　high　come　forth　and　down　descend；
  I　saw　two　Angels　with　two　flaming　swords；
  Truncated　and　deprived　of　their　points。
  Green　as　the　little　leaflets　just　now　born
  Their　garments　were；　which；　by　their　verdant　pinions
  Beaten　and　blown　abroad；　they　trailed　behind。
  One　just　above　us　came　to　take　his　station；
  And　one　descended　to　the　opposite　bank；
  So　that　the　people　were　contained　between　them。
  Clearly　in　them　discerned　I　the　blond　head；
  But　in　their　faces　was　the　eye　bewildered；
  As　faculty　confounded　by　excess。
  〃From　Mary's　bosom　both　of　them　have　come；〃
  Sordello　said；　〃as　guardians　of　the　valley
  Against　the　serpent；　that　will　come　anon。〃
  Whereupon　I；　who　knew　not　by　what　road；
  Turned　round　about；　and　closely　drew　myself；
  Utterly　frozen；　to　the　faithful　shoulders。
  And　once　again　Sordello：　〃Now　descend　we
  'Mid　the　grand　shades；　and　we　will　speak　to　them；
  Right　pleasant　will　it　be　for　them　to　see　you。〃
  Only　three　steps　I　think　that　I　descended；
  And　was　below；　and　saw　one　who　was　looking
  Only　at　me；　as　if　he　fain　would　know　me。
  Already　now　the　air　was　growing　dark；
  But　not　so　that　between　his　eyes　and　mine
  It　did　not　show　what　it　before　locked　up。
  Tow'rds　me　he　moved；　and　I　tow'rds　him　did　move；
  Noble　Judge　Nino！　how　it　me　delighted；
  When　I　beheld　thee　not　among　the　damned！
  No　greeting　fair　was　left　unsaid　between　us；
  Then　asked　he：　〃How　long　is　it　since　thou　camest
  O'er　the　far　waters　to　the　mountain's　foot？〃
  〃Oh！〃　said　I　to　him；　〃through　the　dismal　places
  I　came　this　morn；　and　am　in　the　first　life；
  Albeit　the　other；　going　thus；　I　gain。〃
  And　on　the　instant　my　reply　was　heard；
  He　and　Sordello　both　shrank　back　from　me；
  Like　people　who　are　suddenly　bewildered。
  One　to　Virgilius；　and　the　other　turned
  To　one　who　sat　there；　crying；　〃Up；　Currado！
  Come　and　behold　what　God　in　grace　has　willed！〃
  Then；　turned　to　me：　〃By　that　especial　grace
  Thou　owest　unto　Him；　who　so　conceals
  His　own　first　wherefore；　that　it　has　no　ford；
  When　thou　shalt　be　beyond　the　waters　wide；
  Tell　my　Giovanna　that　she　pray　for　me；
  Where　answer　to　the　innocent　is　made。
  I　do　not　think　her　mother　loves　me　more；
  Since　she　has　laid　aside　her　wimple　white；
  Which　she；　unhappy；　needs　must　wish　again。
  Through　her　full　easily　is　comprehended
  How　long　in　woman　lasts　the　fire　of　love；
  If　eye　or　touch　do　not　relight　it　often。
  So　fair　a　hatchment　will　not　make　for　her
  The　Viper　marshalling　the　Milanese
  A…field；　as　would　have　made　Gallura's　Cock。〃
  In　this　wise　spake　he；　with　the　stamp　impressed
  Upon　his　aspect　of　that　righteous　zeal
  Which　measurably　burneth　in　the　heart。
  My　greedy　eyes　still　wandered　up　to　heaven；
  Still　to　that　point　where　slowest　are　the　stars；
  Even　as　a　wheel　the　nearest　to　its　axle。
  And　my　Conductor：　〃Son；　what　dost　thou　gaze　at
  Up　there？〃　　And　I　to　him：　〃At　those　three　torches
  With　which　this　hither　pole　is　all　on　fire。〃
  And　he　to　me：　〃The　four　resplendent　stars
  Thou　sawest　this　morning　are　down　yonder　low；
  And　these　have　mounted　up　to　where　those　were。〃
  As　he　was　speaking；　to　himself　Sordello
  Drew　him；　and　said；　〃Lo　there　our　Adversary！〃
  And　pointed　with　his　finger　to　look　thither。
  Upon　the　side　on　which　the　little　valley
  No　barrier　hath；　a　serpent　was；　perchance
  The　same　which　gave　to　Eve　the　bitter　food。
  'Twixt　grass　and　flowers　came　on　the　evil　streak；
  Turning　at　times　its　head　about；　and　licking
  Its　back　like　to　a　beast　that　smoothes　itself。
  I　did　not　see；　and　therefore　cannot　say
  How　the　celestial　falcons　'gan　to　move；
  But　well　I　saw　that　they　were　both　in　motion。
  Hearing　the　air　cleft　by　their　verdant　wings；
  The　serpent　fled；　and　round　the　Angels　wheeled；
  Up　to　their　stations　flying　back　alike。
  The　shade　that　to　the　Judge　had　near　approached
  When　he　had　called；　throughout　that　whole　assault
  Had　not　a　moment　loosed　its　gaze　on　me。
  〃So　may　the　light　that　leadeth　thee　on　high
  Find　in　thine　own　free…will　as　much　of　wax
  As　needful　is　up　to　the　highest　azure；〃
  Began　it；　〃if　some　true　intelligence
  Of　Valdimagra　or　its　neighbourhood
  Thou　knowest；　tell　it　me；　who　once　was　great　there。
  Currado　Malaspina　was　I　called；
  I'm　not　the　elder；　but　from　him　descended；
  To　mine　I　bore　the　love　which　here　refineth。〃
  〃O；〃　said　I　unto　him；　〃through　your　domains
  I　never　passed；　but　where　is　there　a　dwelling
  Throughout　all　Europe；　where　they　are　not　known？
  That　fame；　which　doeth　honour　to　your　house；
  Proclaims　its　Signors　and　proclaims　its　land；
  So　that　he　knows　of　them　who　ne'er　was　there。
  And；　as　I　hope　for　heaven；　I　swear　to　you
  Your　honoured　family　in　naught　abates
  The　glory　of　the　purse　and　of　the　sword。
  It　is　so　privileged　by　use　and　nature；
  That　though　a　guilty　head　misguide　the　world；
  Sole　it　goes　right；　and　scorns　the　evil　way。〃
  And　he：　〃Now　go；　for　the　sun　shall　not　lie
  Seven　times　upon　the　pillow　which　the　Ram
  With　all　his　four　feet　covers　and　bestrides；
  Before　that　such　a　courteous　opinion
  Shall　in　the　middle　of　thy　head　be　nailed
  With　greater　nails　than　of　another's　speech；
  Unless　the　course　of　justice　standeth　still。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　IX
  The　concubine　of　old　Tithonus　now
  Gleamed　white　upon　the　eastern　balcony；
  Forth　from　the　arms　of　her　sweet　paramour；
  With　gems　her　forehead　all　relucent　was；
  Set　in　the　shape　of　that　cold　animal
  Which　with　its　tail　doth　smite　amain　the　nations；
  And　of　the　steps；　with　which　she　mounts；　the　Night
  Had　taken　two　in　that　place　where　we　were；
  And　now　the　third　was　bending　down　its　wings；
  When　I；　who　something　had　of　Adam　in　me；
  Vanquished　by　sleep；　upon　the　grass　reclined；
  There　were　all　five　of　us　already　sat。
  Just　at　the　hour　when　her　sad　lay　begins
  The　little　swallow；　near　unto　the　morning；
  Perchance　in　memory　of　her　former　woes；
  And　when　the　mind　of　man；　a　wanderer
  More　from　the　flesh；　and　less　by　thought　imprisoned；
  Almost　prophetic　in　its　visions　is；
  In　dreams　it　seemed　to　me　I　saw　suspended
  An　eagle　in　the　sky；　with　plumes　of　gold；
  With　wings　wide　open；　and　intent　to　stoop；
  And　this；　it　seemed　to　me；　was　where　had　been
  By　Ganymede　his　kith　and　kin　abandoned；
  When　to　the　high　consistory　he　was　rapt。
  I　thought　within　myself；　perchance　he　strikes
  From　habit　only　here；　and　from　elsewhere
  Disdains　to　bear　up　any　in　his　feet。
  Then　wheeling　somewhat　more；　it　seemed　to　me；
  Terrible　as　the　lightning　he　descended；
  And　snatched　me　upward　even　to　the　fire。
  Therein　it　seemed　that　he　and　I　were　burning；
  And　the　imagined　fire　did　scorch　me　so；
  That　of　necessity　my　sleep　was　broken。
  Not　otherwise　Achilles　started　up；
  Around　him　turning　his　awakened　eyes；
  And　knowing　not　the　place　in　which　he　was；
  What　time　from　Chiron　stealthily　his　mother
  Carried　him　sleeping　in　her　arms　to　Scyros；
  Wherefrom　the　Greeks　withdrew　him　afterwards；
  Than　I　upstarted；　when　from　off　my　face
  Sleep　fled　away；　and　pallid　I　became；
  As　doth　the　man　who　freezes　with　affright。
  Only