Bear　sculptured　on　them　what　they　were　before；
  Whence　often　there　we　weep　for　them　afresh；
  From　pricking　of　remembrance；　which　alone
  To　the　compassionate　doth　set　its　spur；
  So　saw　I　there；　but　of　a　better　semblance
  In　point　of　artifice；　with　figures　covered
  Whate'er　as　pathway　from　the　mount　projects。
  I　saw　that　one　who　was　created　noble
  More　than　all　other　creatures；　down　from　heaven
  Flaming　with　lightnings　fall　upon　one　side。
  I　saw　Briareus　smitten　by　the　dart
  Celestial；　lying　on　the　other　side；
  Heavy　upon　the　earth　by　mortal　frost。
  I　saw　Thymbraeus；　Pallas　saw；　and　Mars；
  Still　clad　in　armour　round　about　their　father；
  Gaze　at　the　scattered　members　of　the　giants。
  I　saw；　at　foot　of　his　great　labour；　Nimrod；
  As　if　bewildered；　looking　at　the　people
  Who　had　been　proud　with　him　in　Sennaar。
  O　Niobe！　with　what　afflicted　eyes
  Thee　I　beheld　upon　the　pathway　traced；
  Between　thy　seven　and　seven　children　slain！
  O　Saul！　how　fallen　upon　thy　proper　sword
  Didst　thou　appear　there　lifeless　in　Gilboa；
  That　felt　thereafter　neither　rain　nor　dew！
  O　mad　Arachne！　so　I　thee　beheld
  E'en　then　half　spider；　sad　upon　the　shreds
  Of　fabric　wrought　in　evil　hour　for　thee！
  O　Rehoboam！　no　more　seems　to　threaten
  Thine　image　there；　but　full　of　consternation
  A　chariot　bears　it　off；　when　none　pursues！
  Displayed　moreo'er　the　adamantine　pavement
  How　unto　his　own　mother　made　Alcmaeon
  Costly　appear　the　luckless　ornament；
  Displayed　how　his　own　sons　did　throw　themselves
  Upon　Sennacherib　within　the　temple；
  And　how；　he　being　dead；　they　left　him　there；
  Displayed　the　ruin　and　the　cruel　carnage
  That　Tomyris　wrought；　when　she　to　Cyrus　said；
  〃Blood　didst　thou　thirst　for；　and　with　blood　I　glut　thee！〃
  Displayed　how　routed　fled　the　Assyrians
  After　that　Holofernes　had　been　slain；
  And　likewise　the　remainder　of　that　slaughter。
  I　saw　there　Troy　in　ashes　and　in　caverns；
  O　Ilion！　thee；　how　abject　and　debased；
  Displayed　the　image　that　is　there　discerned！
  Whoe'er　of　pencil　master　was　or　stile；
  That　could　portray　the　shades　and　traits　which　there
  Would　cause　each　subtile　genius　to　admire？
  Dead　seemed　the　dead；　the　living　seemed　alive；
  Better　than　I　saw　not　who　saw　the　truth；
  All　that　I　trod　upon　while　bowed　I　went。
  Now　wax　ye　proud；　and　on　with　looks　uplifted；
  Ye　sons　of　Eve；　and　bow　not　down　your　faces
  So　that　ye　may　behold　your　evil　ways！
  More　of　the　mount　by　us　was　now　encompassed；
  And　far　more　spent　the　circuit　of　the　sun；
  Than　had　the　mind　preoccupied　imagined；
  When　he；　who　ever　watchful　in　advance
  Was　going　on；　began：　〃Lift　up　thy　head；
  'Tis　no　more　time　to　go　thus　meditating。
  Lo　there　an　Angel　who　is　making　haste
  To　come　towards　us；　lo；　returning　is
  From　service　of　the　day　the　sixth　handmaiden。
  With　reverence　thine　acts　and　looks　adorn；
  So　that　he　may　delight　to　speed　us　upward；
  Think　that　this　day　will　never　dawn　again。〃
  I　was　familiar　with　his　admonition
  Ever　to　lose　no　time；　so　on　this　theme
  He　could　not　unto　me　speak　covertly。
  Towards　us　came　the　being　beautiful
  Vested　in　white；　and　in　his　countenance
  Such　as　appears　the　tremulous　morning　star。
  His　arms　he　opened；　and　opened　then　his　wings；
  〃Come；〃　said　he；　〃near　at　hand　here　are　the　steps；
  And　easy　from　henceforth　is　the　ascent。〃
  At　this　announcement　few　are　they　who　come！
  O　human　creatures；　born　to　soar　aloft；
  Why　fall　ye　thus　before　a　little　wind？
  He　led　us　on　to　where　the　rock　was　cleft；
  There　smote　upon　my　forehead　with　his　wings；
  Then　a　safe　passage　promised　unto　me。
  As　on　the　right　hand；　to　ascend　the　mount
  Where　seated　is　the　church　that　lordeth　it
  O'er　the　well…guided；　above　Rubaconte；
  The　bold　abruptness　of　the　ascent　is　broken
  By　stairways　that　were　made　there　in　the　age
  When　still　were　safe　the　ledger　and　the　stave；
  E'en　thus　attempered　is　the　bank　which　falls
  Sheer　downward　from　the　second　circle　there；
  But　on　this；　side　and　that　the　high　rock　graze。
  As　we　were　turning　thitherward　our　persons；
  〃Beati　pauperes　spiritu；〃　voices
  Sang　in　such　wise　that　speech　could　tell　it　not。
  Ah　me！　how　different　are　these　entrances
  From　the　Infernal！　for　with　anthems　here
  One　enters；　and　below　with　wild　laments。
  We　now　were　hunting　up　the　sacred　stairs；
  And　it　appeared　to　me　by　far　more　easy
  Than　on　the　plain　it　had　appeared　before。
  Whence　I：　〃My　Master；　say；　what　heavy　thing
  Has　been　uplifted　from　me；　so　that　hardly
  Aught　of　fatigue　is　felt　by　me　in　walking？〃
  He　answered：　〃When　the　P's　which　have　remained
  Still　on　thy　face　almost　obliterate
  Shall　wholly；　as　the　first　is；　be　erased；
  Thy　feet　will　be　so　vanquished　by　good　will；
  That　not　alone　they　shall　not　feel　fatigue；
  But　urging　up　will　be　to　them　delight。〃
  Then　did　I　even　as　they　do　who　are　going
  With　something　on　the　head　to　them　unknown；
  Unless　the　signs　of　others　make　them　doubt；
  Wherefore　the　hand　to　ascertain　is　helpful；
  And　seeks　and　finds；　and　doth　fulfill　the　office
  Which　cannot　be　accomplished　by　the　sight；
  And　with　the　fingers　of　the　right　hand　spread
  I　found　but　six　the　letters；　that　had　carved
  Upon　my　temples　he　who　bore　the　keys；
  Upon　beholding　which　my　Leader　smiled。
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XIII
  We　were　upon　the　summit　of　the　stairs；
  Where　for　the　second　time　is　cut　away
  The　mountain；　which　ascending　shriveth　all。
  There　in　like　manner　doth　a　cornice　bind
  The　hill　all　round　about；　as　does　the　first；
  Save　that　its　arc　more　suddenly　is　curved。
  Shade　is　there　none；　nor　sculpture　that　appears；
  So　seems　the　bank；　and　so　the　road　seems　smooth；
  With　but　the　livid　colour　of　the　stone。
  〃If　to　inquire　we　wait　for　people　here；〃
  The　Poet　said；　〃I　fear　that　peradventure
  Too　much　delay　will　our　election　have。〃
  Then　steadfast　on　the　sun　his　eyes　he　fixed；
  Made　his　right　side　the　centre　of　his　motion；
  And　turned　the　left　part　of　himself　about。
  〃O　thou　sweet　light！　with　trust　in　whom　I　enter
  Upon　this　novel　journey；　do　thou　lead　us；〃
  Said　he；　〃as　one　within　here　should　be　led。
  Thou　warmest　the　world；　thou　shinest　over　it；
  If　other　reason　prompt　not　otherwise；
  Thy　rays　should　evermore　our　leaders　be！〃
  As　much　as　here　is　counted　for　a　mile；
  So　much　already　there　had　we　advanced
  In　little　time；　by　dint　of　ready　will；
  And　tow'rds　us　there　were　heard　to　fly；　albeit
  They　were　not　visible；　spirits　uttering
  Unto　Love's　table　courteous　invitations；
  The　first　voice　that　passed　onward　in　its　flight；
  〃Vinum　non　habent；〃　said　in　accents　loud；
  And　went　reiterating　it　behind　us。
  And　ere　it　wholly　grew　inaudible
  Because　of　distance；　passed　another；　crying；
  〃I　am　Orestes！〃　and　it　also　stayed　not。
  〃O；〃　said　I；　〃Father；　these；　what　voices　are　they？〃
  And　even　as　I　asked；　behold　the　third；
  Saying：　〃Love　those　from　whom　ye　have　had　evil！〃
  And　the　good　Master　said：　〃This　circle　scourges
  The　sin　of　envy；　and　on　that　account
  Are　drawn　from　love　the　lashes　of　the　scourge。
  The　bridle　of　another　sound　shall　be；
  I　think　that　thou　wilt　hear　it；　as　I　judge；
  Before　thou　comest　to　the　Pass　of　Pardon。
  But　fix　thine　eyes　athwart　the　air　right　steadfast；
  And　people　thou　wilt　see　before　us　sitting；
  And　each　one　close　against　the　cliff　is　seated。〃
  Then　wider　than　at　first　mine　eyes　I　opened；
  I　looked　before　me；　and　saw　shades　with　mantles
  Not　from　the　colour　of　the　stone　diverse。
  And　when　we　were　a　little　farther　onward；
  I　heard　a　cry　of；　〃Mary；　pray　for　us！〃
  A　cry　of；　〃Michael；　Peter；　and　all　Saints！〃
  I　do　not　think　there　walketh　still　on　earth
  A　man　so　hard；　that　he　would　not　be　pierced
  With　pity　at　what　afterward　I　saw。
  For　when　I　had　approached　so　near　to　them
  That　manifest　to　me　their　acts　became；
  Drained　was　I　at　the　eyes　by　heavy　grief。
  Covered　with　sackcloth　vile　they　seemed　to　me；
  And　one　sustained　the　other　with　his　shoulder；
  And　all　of　them　were　by　the　bank　sustained。
  Thus　do　the　blind；　in　want　of　livelihood；
  Stand　at　the　doors　of　churches　asking　alms；
  And　one　upon　another　leans　his　head；
  So　that　in　others　pity　soon　may　rise；
  Not　only　at　the　accent　of　their　words；
  But　at　their　aspect；　which　no　less　implores。
  And　as　unto　the　blind　the　sun　comes　not；
  So　to　the　shades；　of　whom　just　now　I　spake；
  Heaven's　light　will　not　be　bounteous　of　itself；
  For　all　their　lids　an　iron　wire　transpierces；
  And　sews　them　up；　as　to　a　sparhawk　wild
  Is　done；　because　it　will　not　quiet　stay。
  To　me　it　seemed；　in　passing；　to　do　outrage；
  Seeing　the　others　without　being　seen；
  Wherefore　I　turned　me　to　my　counsel　sage。
  Well　knew　he　what　the　mute　one　wished　to　say；
  And　therefore　waited　not　for　my　demand；
  But　said：　〃Speak；　and　be　brief；　and　to　the　point。〃
  I　had　Virgilius　upon　that　side
  Of　the　embankment　from　which　one　may　fall；
  Since　by　no　border　'tis　engarlanded；
  Upon　the　other　side　of　me　I　had
  The　shades　devout；　who　through　the　horrible　seam
  Pressed　out　the　tears　so　that　they　bathed　their　cheeks。
  To　them　I　turned　me；　and；　〃O　people；　certain；〃
  Began　I；