As　was　my　understanding　to　his　words；
  Appeared　to　me　with　laden　and　living　boughs
  Another　apple…tree；　and　not　far　distant；
  From　having　but　just　then　turned　thitherward。
  People　I　saw　beneath　it　lift　their　hands；
  And　cry　I　know　not　what　towards　the　leaves；
  Like　little　children　eager　and　deluded；
  Who　pray；　and　he　they　pray　to　doth　not　answer；
  But；　to　make　very　keen　their　appetite；
  Holds　their　desire　aloft；　and　hides　it　not。
  Then　they　departed　as　if　undeceived；
  And　now　we　came　unto　the　mighty　tree
  Which　prayers　and　tears　so　manifold　refuses。
  〃Pass　farther　onward　without　drawing　near；
  The　tree　of　which　Eve　ate　is　higher　up；
  And　out　of　that　one　has　this　tree　been　raised。〃
  Thus　said　I　know　not　who　among　the　branches；
  Whereat　Virgilius；　Statius；　and　myself
  Went　crowding　forward　on　the　side　that　rises。
  〃Be　mindful；〃　said　he；　〃of　the　accursed　ones
  Formed　of　the　cloud…rack；　who　inebriate
  Combated　Theseus　with　their　double　breasts；
  And　of　the　Jews　who　showed　them　soft　in　drinking；
  Whence　Gideon　would　not　have　them　for　companions
  When　he　tow'rds　Midian　the　hills　descended。〃
  Thus；　closely　pressed　to　one　of　the　two　borders；
  On　passed　we；　hearing　sins　of　gluttony；
  Followed　forsooth　by　miserable　gains；
  Then　set　at　large　upon　the　lonely　road；
  A　thousand　steps　and　more　we　onward　went；
  In　contemplation；　each　without　a　word。
  〃What　go　ye　thinking　thus；　ye　three　alone？〃
  Said　suddenly　a　voice；　whereat　I　started
  As　terrified　and　timid　beasts　are　wont。
  I　raised　my　head　to　see　who　this　might　be；
  And　never　in　a　furnace　was　there　seen
  Metals　or　glass　so　lucent　and　so　red
  As　one　I　saw　who　said：　〃If　it　may　please　you
  To　mount　aloft；　here　it　behoves　you　turn；
  This　way　goes　he　who　goeth　after　peace。〃
  His　aspect　had　bereft　me　of　my　sight；
  So　that　I　turned　me　back　unto　my　Teachers；
  Like　one　who　goeth　as　his　hearing　guides　him。
  And　as；　the　harbinger　of　early　dawn；
  The　air　of　May　doth　move　and　breathe　out　fragrance；
  Impregnate　all　with　herbage　and　with　flowers；
  So　did　I　feel　a　breeze　strike　in　the　midst
  My　front；　and　felt　the　moving　of　the　plumes
  That　breathed　around　an　odour　of　ambrosia；
  And　heard　it　said：　〃Blessed　are　they　whom　grace
  So　much　illumines；　that　the　love　of　taste
  Excites　not　in　their　breasts　too　great　desire；
  Hungering　at　all　times　so　far　as　is　just。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XXV
  Now　was　it　the　ascent　no　hindrance　brooked；
  Because　the　sun　had　his　meridian　circle
  To　Taurus　left；　and　night　to　Scorpio；
  Wherefore　as　doth　a　man　who　tarries　not；
  But　goes　his　way；　whate'er　to　him　appear；
  If　of　necessity　the　sting　transfix　him；
  In　this　wise　did　we　enter　through　the　gap；
  Taking　the　stairway；　one　before　the　other；
  Which　by　its　narrowness　divides　the　climbers。
  And　as　the　little　stork　that　lifts　its　wing
  With　a　desire　to　fly；　and　does　not　venture
  To　leave　the　nest；　and　lets　it　downward　droop；
  Even　such　was　I；　with　the　desire　of　asking
  Kindled　and　quenched；　unto　the　motion　coming
  He　makes　who　doth　address　himself　to　speak。
  Not　for　our　pace；　though　rapid　it　might　be；
  My　father　sweet　forbore；　but　said：　〃Let　fly
  The　bow　of　speech　thou　to　the　barb　hast　drawn。〃
  With　confidence　I　opened　then　my　mouth；
  And　I　began：　〃How　can　one　meagre　grow
  There　where　the　need　of　nutriment　applies　not？〃
  〃If　thou　wouldst　call　to　mind　how　Meleager
  Was　wasted　by　the　wasting　of　a　brand；
  This　would　not；〃　said　he；　〃be　to　thee　so　sour；
  And　wouldst　thou　think　how　at　each　tremulous　motion
  Trembles　within　a　mirror　your　own　image；
  That　which　seems　hard　would　mellow　seem　to　thee。
  But　that　thou　mayst　content　thee　in　thy　wish
  Lo　Statius　here；　and　him　I　call　and　pray
  He　now　will　be　the　healer　of　thy　wounds。〃
  〃If　I　unfold　to　him　the　eternal　vengeance；〃
  Responded　Statius；　〃where　thou　present　art；
  Be　my　excuse　that　I　can　naught　deny　thee。〃
  Then　he　began：　〃Son；　if　these　words　of　mine
  Thy　mind　doth　contemplate　and　doth　receive；
  They'll　be　thy　light　unto　the　How　thou　sayest。
  The　perfect　blood；　which　never　is　drunk　up
  Into　the　thirsty　veins；　and　which　remaineth
  Like　food　that　from　the　table　thou　removest；
  Takes　in　the　heart　for　all　the　human　members
  Virtue　informative；　as　being　that
  Which　to　be　changed　to　them　goes　through　the　veins
  Again　digest；　descends　it　where　'tis　better
  Silent　to　be　than　say；　and　then　drops　thence
  Upon　another's　blood　in　natural　vase。
  There　one　together　with　the　other　mingles；
  One　to　be　passive　meant；　the　other　active
  By　reason　of　the　perfect　place　it　springs　from；
  And　being　conjoined；　begins　to　operate；
  Coagulating　first；　then　vivifying
  What　for　its　matter　it　had　made　consistent。
  The　active　virtue；　being　made　a　soul
  As　of　a　plant；　（in　so　far　different；
  This　on　the　way　is；　that　arrived　already；）
  Then　works　so　much；　that　now　it　moves　and　feels
  Like　a　sea…fungus；　and　then　undertakes
  To　organize　the　powers　whose　seed　it　is。
  Now；　Son；　dilates　and　now　distends　itself
  The　virtue　from　the　generator's　heart；
  Where　nature　is　intent　on　all　the　members。
  But　how　from　animal　it　man　becomes
  Thou　dost　not　see　as　yet；　this　is　a　point
  Which　made　a　wiser　man　than　thou　once　err
  So　far；　that　in　his　doctrine　separate
  He　made　the　soul　from　possible　intellect；
  For　he　no　organ　saw　by　this　assumed。
  Open　thy　breast　unto　the　truth　that's　coming；
  And　know　that；　just　as　soon　as　in　the　foetus
  The　articulation　of　the　brain　is　perfect；
  The　primal　Motor　turns　to　it　well　pleased
  At　so　great　art　of　nature；　and　inspires
  A　spirit　new　with　virtue　all　replete；
  Which　what　it　finds　there　active　doth　attract
  Into　its　substance；　and　becomes　one　soul；
  Which　lives；　and　feels；　and　on　itself　revolves。
  And　that　thou　less　may　wonder　at　my　word；
  Behold　the　sun's　heat；　which　becometh　wine；
  Joined　to　the　juice　that　from　the　vine　distils。
  Whenever　Lachesis　has　no　more　thread；
  It　separates　from　the　flesh；　and　virtually
  Bears　with　itself　the　human　and　divine；
  The　other　faculties　are　voiceless　all；
  The　memory；　the　intelligence；　and　the　will
  In　action　far　more　vigorous　than　before。
  Without　a　pause　it　falleth　of　itself
  In　marvellous　way　on　one　shore　or　the　other；
  There　of　its　roads　it　first　is　cognizant。
  Soon　as　the　place　there　circumscribeth　it；
  The　virtue　informative　rays　round　about；
  As；　and　as　much　as；　in　the　living　members。
  And　even　as　the　air；　when　full　of　rain；
  By　alien　rays　that　are　therein　reflected；
  With　divers　colours　shows　itself　adorned；
  So　there　the　neighbouring　air　doth　shape　itself
  Into　that　form　which　doth　impress　upon　it
  Virtually　the　soul　that　has　stood　still。
  And　then　in　manner　of　the　little　flame；
  Which　followeth　the　fire　where'er　it　shifts；
  After　the　spirit　followeth　its　new　form。
  Since　afterwards　it　takes　from　this　its　semblance；
  It　is　called　shade；　and　thence　it　organizes
  Thereafter　every　sense；　even　to　the　sight。
  Thence　is　it　that　we　speak；　and　thence　we　laugh；
  Thence　is　it　that　we　form　the　tears　and　sighs；
  That　on　the　mountain　thou　mayhap　hast　heard。
  According　as　impress　us　our　desires
  And　other　affections；　so　the　shade　is　shaped；
  And　this　is　cause　of　what　thou　wonderest　at。〃
  And　now　unto　the　last　of　all　the　circles
  Had　we　arrived；　and　to　the　right　hand　turned；
  And　were　attentive　to　another　care。
  There　the　embankment　shoots　forth　flames　of　fire；
  And　upward　doth　the　cornice　breathe　a　blast
  That　drives　them　back；　and　from　itself　sequesters。
  Hence　we　must　needs　go　on　the　open　side；
  And　one　by　one；　and　I　did　fear　the　fire
  On　this　side；　and　on　that　the　falling　down。
  My　Leader　said：　〃Along　this　place　one　ought
  To　keep　upon　the　eyes　a　tightened　rein；
  Seeing　that　one　so　easily　might　err。〃
  〃Summae　Deus　clementiae；〃　in　the　bosom
  Of　the　great　burning　chanted　then　I　heard；
  Which　made　me　no　less　eager　to　turn　round；
  And　spirits　saw　I　walking　through　the　flame；
  Wherefore　I　looked；　to　my　own　steps　and　theirs
  Apportioning　my　sight　from　time　to　time。
  After　the　close　which　to　that　hymn　is　made；
  Aloud　they　shouted；　〃Virum　non　cognosco；〃
  Then　recommenced　the　hymn　with　voices　low。
  This　also　ended；　cried　they：　〃To　the　wood
  Diana　ran；　and　drove　forth　Helice
  Therefrom；　who　had　of　Venus　felt　the　poison。〃
  Then　to　their　song　returned　they；　then　the　wives
  They　shouted；　and　the　husbands　who　were　chaste。
  As　virtue　and　the　marriage　vow　imposes。
  And　I　believe　that　them　this　mode　suffices；
  For　all　the　time　the　fire　is　burning　them；
  With　such　care　is　it　needful；　and　such　food；
  That　the　last　wound　of　all　should　be　closed　up。
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XXVI
  While　on　the　brink　thus　one　before　the　other
  We　went　upon　our　way；　oft　the　good　Master
  Said：　〃Take　thou　heed！　suffice　it　that　I　warn　thee。〃
  On　the　right　shoulder　smote　me　now　the　sun；
  That；　raying　out；　already　the　whole　west
  Changed　from　its　azure　aspect　into　white。
  And　with　my　shadow　did　I　make　the　flame
  Appear　more　red；　and　even　to　such　a　sign
  Shades　saw　I　many；　as　they　went；　give　heed。
  This　was　the　cause　that　ga