Of　speaking；　but　speak　out；　and　say　to　him
  What　he　demands　with　such　solicitude。〃
  Whence　I：　〃Thou　peradventure　marvellest；
  O　antique　spirit；　at　the　smile　I　gave；
  But　I　will　have　more　wonder　seize　upon　thee。
  This　one；　who　guides　on　high　these　eyes　of　mine；
  Is　that　Virgilius；　from　whom　thou　didst　learn
  To　sing　aloud　of　men　and　of　the　Gods。
  If　other　cause　thou　to　my　smile　imputedst；
  Abandon　it　as　false；　and　trust　it　was
  Those　words　which　thou　hast　spoken　concerning　him。〃
  Already　he　was　stooping　to　embrace
  My　Teacher's　feet；　but　he　said　to　him：　〃Brother；
  Do　not；　for　shade　thou　art；　and　shade　beholdest。〃
  And　he　uprising：　〃Now　canst　thou　the　sum
  Of　love　which　warms　me　to　thee　comprehend；
  When　this　our　vanity　I　disremember；
  Treating　a　shadow　as　substantial　thing。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XXII
  Already　was　the　Angel　left　behind　us；
  The　Angel　who　to　the　sixth　round　had　turned　us；
  Having　erased　one　mark　from　off　my　face；
  And　those　who　have　in　justice　their　desire
  Had　said　to　us；　〃Beati；〃　in　their　voices；
  With　〃sitio；〃　and　without　more　ended　it。
  And　I；　more　light　than　through　the　other　passes；
  Went　onward　so；　that　without　any　labour
  I　followed　upward　the　swift…footed　spirits；
  When　thus　Virgilius　began：　〃The　love
  Kindled　by　virtue　aye　another　kindles；
  Provided　outwardly　its　flame　appear。
  Hence　from　the　hour　that　Juvenal　descended
  Among　us　into　the　infernal　Limbo；
  Who　made　apparent　to　me　thy　affection；
  My　kindliness　towards　thee　was　as　great
  As　ever　bound　one　to　an　unseen　person；
  So　that　these　stairs　will　now　seem　short　to　me。
  But　tell　me；　and　forgive　me　as　a　friend；
  If　too　great　confidence　let　loose　the　rein；
  And　as　a　friend　now　hold　discourse　with　me；
  How　was　it　possible　within　thy　breast
  For　avarice　to　find　place；　'mid　so　much　wisdom
  As　thou　wast　filled　with　by　thy　diligence？〃
  These　words　excited　Statius　at　first
  Somewhat　to　laughter；　afterward　he　answered：
  〃Each　word　of　thine　is　love's　dear　sign　to　me。
  Verily　oftentimes　do　things　appear
  Which　give　fallacious　matter　to　our　doubts；
  Instead　of　the　true　causes　which　are　hidden！
  Thy　question　shows　me　thy　belief　to　be
  That　I　was　niggard　in　the　other　life；
  It　may　be　from　the　circle　where　I　was；
  Therefore　know　thou；　that　avarice　was　removed
  Too　far　from　me；　and　this　extravagance
  Thousands　of　lunar　periods　have　punished。
  And　were　it　not　that　I　my　thoughts　uplifted；
  When　I　the　passage　heard　where　thou　exclaimest；
  As　if　indignant；　unto　human　nature；
  'To　what　impellest　thou　not；　O　cursed　hunger
  Of　gold；　the　appetite　of　mortal　men？'
  Revolving　I　should　feel　the　dismal　joustings。
  Then　I　perceived　the　hands　could　spread　too　wide
  Their　wings　in　spending；　and　repented　me
  As　well　of　that　as　of　my　other　sins；
  How　many　with　shorn　hair　shall　rise　again
  Because　of　ignorance；　which　from　this　sin
  Cuts　off　repentance　living　and　in　death！
  And　know　that　the　transgression　which　rebuts
  By　direct　opposition　any　sin
  Together　with　it　here　its　verdure　dries。
  Therefore　if　I　have　been　among　that　folk
  Which　mourns　its　avarice；　to　purify　me；
  For　its　opposite　has　this　befallen　me。〃
  〃Now　when　thou　sangest　the　relentless　weapons
  Of　the　twofold　affliction　of　Jocasta；〃
  The　singer　of　the　Songs　Bucolic　said；
  〃From　that　which　Clio　there　with　thee　preludes；
  It　does　not　seem　that　yet　had　made　thee　faithful
  That　faith　without　which　no　good　works　suffice。
  If　this　be　so；　what　candles　or　what　sun
  Scattered　thy　darkness　so　that　thou　didst　trim
  Thy　sails　behind　the　Fisherman　thereafter？〃
  And　he　to　him：　〃Thou　first　directedst　me
  Towards　Parnassus；　in　its　grots　to　drink；
  And　first　concerning　God　didst　me　enlighten。
  Thou　didst　as　he　who　walketh　in　the　night；
  Who　bears　his　light　behind；　which　helps　him　not；
  But　wary　makes　the　persons　after　him；
  When　thou　didst　say：　'The　age　renews　itself；
  Justice　returns；　and　man's　primeval　time；
  And　a　new　progeny　descends　from　heaven。'
  Through　thee　I　Poet　was；　through　thee　a　Christian；
  But　that　thou　better　see　what　I　design；
  To　colour　it　will　I　extend　my　hand。
  Already　was　the　world　in　every　part
  Pregnant　with　the　true　creed；　disseminated
  By　messengers　of　the　eternal　kingdom；
  And　thy　assertion；　spoken　of　above；
  With　the　new　preachers　was　in　unison；
  Whence　I　to　visit　them　the　custom　took。
  Then　they　became　so　holy　in　my　sight；
  That；　when　Domitian　persecuted　them；
  Not　without　tears　of　mine　were　their　laments；
  And　all　the　while　that　I　on　earth　remained；
  Them　I　befriended；　and　their　upright　customs
  Made　me　disparage　all　the　other　sects。
  And　ere　I　led　the　Greeks　unto　the　rivers
  Of　Thebes；　in　poetry；　I　was　baptized；
  But　out　of　fear　was　covertly　a　Christian；
  For　a　long　time　professing　paganism；
  And　this　lukewarmness　caused　me　the　fourth　circle
  To　circuit　round　more　than　four　centuries。
  Thou；　therefore；　who　hast　raised　the　covering
  That　hid　from　me　whatever　good　I　speak　of；
  While　in　ascending　we　have　time　to　spare；
  Tell　me；　in　what　place　is　our　friend　Terentius；
  Caecilius；　Plautus；　Varro；　if　thou　knowest；
  Tell　me　if　they　are　damned；　and　in　what　alley。〃
  〃These；　Persius　and　myself；　and　others　many；〃
  Replied　my　Leader；　〃with　that　Grecian　are
  Whom　more　than　all　the　rest　the　Muses　suckled；
  In　the　first　circle　of　the　prison　blind；
  Ofttimes　we　of　the　mountain　hold　discourse
  Which　has　our　nurses　ever　with　itself。
  Euripides　is　with　us；　Antiphon；
  Simonides；　Agatho；　and　many　other
  Greeks　who　of　old　their　brows　with　laurel　decked。
  There　some　of　thine　own　people　may　be　seen；
  Antigone；　Deiphile　and　Argia；
  And　there　Ismene　mournful　as　of　old。
  There　she　is　seen　who　pointed　out　Langia；
  There　is　Tiresias'　daughter；　and　there　Thetis；
  And　there　Deidamia　with　her　sisters。〃
  Silent　already　were　the　poets　both；
  Attent　once　more　in　looking　round　about；
  From　the　ascent　and　from　the　walls　released；
  And　four　handmaidens　of　the　day　already
  Were　left　behind；　and　at　the　pole　the　fifth
  Was　pointing　upward　still　its　burning　horn；
  What　time　my　Guide：　〃I　think　that　tow'rds　the　edge
  Our　dexter　shoulders　it　behoves　us　turn；
  Circling　the　mount　as　we　are　wont　to　do。〃
  Thus　in　that　region　custom　was　our　ensign；
  And　we　resumed　our　way　with　less　suspicion
  For　the　assenting　of　that　worthy　soul
  They　in　advance　went　on；　and　I　alone
  Behind　them；　and　I　listened　to　their　speech；
  Which　gave　me　lessons　in　the　art　of　song。
  But　soon　their　sweet　discourses　interrupted
  A　tree　which　midway　in　the　road　we　found；
  With　apples　sweet　and　grateful　to　the　smell。
  And　even　as　a　fir…tree　tapers　upward
  From　bough　to　bough；　so　downwardly　did　that；
  I　think　in　order　that　no　one　might　climb　it。
  On　that　side　where　our　pathway　was　enclosed
  Fell　from　the　lofty　rock　a　limpid　water；
  And　spread　itself　abroad　upon　the　leaves。
  The　Poets　twain　unto　the　tree　drew　near；
  And　from　among　the　foliage　a　voice
  Cried：　〃Of　this　food　ye　shall　have　scarcity。〃
  Then　said：　〃More　thoughtful　Mary　was　of　making
  The　marriage　feast　complete　and　honourable；
  Than　of　her　mouth　which　now　for　you　responds；
  And　for　their　drink　the　ancient　Roman　women
  With　water　were　content；　and　Daniel
  Disparaged　food；　and　understanding　won。
  The　primal　age　was　beautiful　as　gold；
  Acorns　it　made　with　hunger　savorous；
  And　nectar　every　rivulet　with　thirst。
  Honey　and　locusts　were　the　aliments
  That　fed　the　Baptist　in　the　wilderness；
  Whence　he　is　glorious；　and　so　magnified
  As　by　the　Evangel　is　revealed　to　you。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XXIII
  The　while　among　the　verdant　leaves　mine　eyes
  I　riveted；　as　he　is　wont　to　do
  Who　wastes　his　life　pursuing　little　birds；
  My　more　than　Father　said　unto　me：　〃Son；
  Come　now；　because　the　time　that　is　ordained　us
  More　usefully　should　be　apportioned　out。〃
  I　turned　my　face　and　no　less　soon　my　steps
  Unto　the　Sages；　who　were　speaking　so
  They　made　the　going　of　no　cost　to　me；
  And　lo！　were　heard　a　song　and　a　lament；
  〃Labia　mea；　Domine；〃　in　fashion
  Such　that　delight　and　dolence　it　brought　forth。
  〃O　my　sweet　Father；　what　is　this　I　hear？〃
  Began　I；　and　he　answered：　〃Shades　that　go
  Perhaps　the　knot　unloosing　of　their　debt。〃
  In　the　same　way　that　thoughtful　pilgrims　do；
  Who；　unknown　people　on　the　road　o'ertaking；
  Turn　themselves　round　to　them；　and　do　not　stop；
  Even　thus；　behind　us　with　a　swifter　motion
  Coming　and　passing　onward；　gazed　upon　us
  A　crowd　of　spirits　silent　and　devout。
  Each　in　his　eyes　was　dark　and　cavernous；
  Pallid　in　face；　and　so　emaciate
  That　from　the　bones　the　skin　did　shape　itself。
  I　do　not　think　that　so　to　merest　rind
  Could　Erisichthon　have　been　withered　up
  By　famine；　when　most　fear　he　had　of　it。
  Thinking　within　myself　I　said：　〃Behold；
  This　is　the　folk　who　lost　Jerusalem；
  When　Mary　made　a　prey　of　her　own　son。〃
  Their　sockets　were　like　rings　without　the　gems；
  Whoever　in　the　face　of　men　reads　'omo'
  Might　well　in　these　have　recognised　the　'm。'
  Who　would　believe　the　odour　of　an　apple；
  Begetting　longing；　could　consu