Therefore　it　was　enjoined　upon　the　Hebrews
  To　offer　still；　though　sometimes　what　was　offered
  Might　be　commuted；　as　thou　ought'st　to　know。
  The　other；　which　is　known　to　thee　as　matter；
  May　well　indeed　be　such　that　one　errs　not
  If　it　for　other　matter　be　exchanged。
  But　let　none　shift　the　burden　on　his　shoulder
  At　his　arbitrament；　without　the　turning
  Both　of　the　white　and　of　the　yellow　key；
  And　every　permutation　deem　as　foolish；
  If　in　the　substitute　the　thing　relinquished；
  As　the　four　is　in　six；　be　not　contained。
  Therefore　whatever　thing　has　so　great　weight
  In　value　that　it　drags　down　every　balance；
  Cannot　be　satisfied　with　other　spending。
  Let　mortals　never　take　a　vow　in　jest；
  Be　faithful　and　not　blind　in　doing　that；
  As　Jephthah　was　in　his　first　offering；
  Whom　more　beseemed　to　say；　'I　have　done　wrong；
  Than　to　do　worse　by　keeping；　and　as　foolish
  Thou　the　great　leader　of　the　Greeks　wilt　find；
  Whence　wept　Iphigenia　her　fair　face；
  And　made　for　her　both　wise　and　simple　weep；
  Who　heard　such　kind　of　worship　spoken　of。'
  Christians；　be　ye　more　serious　in　your　movements；
  Be　ye　not　like　a　feather　at　each　wind；
  And　think　not　every　water　washes　you。
  Ye　have　the　Old　and　the　New　Testament；
  And　the　Pastor　of　the　Church　who　guideth　you
  Let　this　suffice　you　unto　your　salvation。
  If　evil　appetite　cry　aught　else　to　you；
  Be　ye　as　men；　and　not　as　silly　sheep；
  So　that　the　Jew　among　you　may　not　mock　you。
  Be　ye　not　as　the　lamb　that　doth　abandon
  Its　mother's　milk；　and　frolicsome　and　simple
  Combats　at　its　own　pleasure　with　itself。〃
  Thus　Beatrice　to　me　even　as　I　write　it；
  Then　all　desireful　turned　herself　again
  To　that　part　where　the　world　is　most　alive。
  Her　silence　and　her　change　of　countenance
  Silence　imposed　upon　my　eager　mind；
  That　had　already　in　advance　new　questions；
  And　as　an　arrow　that　upon　the　mark
  Strikes　ere　the　bowstring　quiet　hath　become；
  So　did　we　speed　into　the　second　realm。
  My　Lady　there　so　joyful　I　beheld；
  As　into　the　brightness　of　that　heaven　she　entered；
  More　luminous　thereat　the　planet　grew；
  And　if　the　star　itself　was　changed　and　smiled；
  What　became　I；　who　by　my　nature　am
  Exceeding　mutable　in　every　guise！
  As；　in　a　fish…pond　which　is　pure　and　tranquil；
  The　fishes　draw　to　that　which　from　without
  Comes　in　such　fashion　that　their　food　they　deem　it；
  So　I　beheld　more　than　a　thousand　splendours
  Drawing　towards　us；　and　in　each　was　heard：
  〃Lo；　this　is　she　who　shall　increase　our　love。〃
  And　as　each　one　was　coming　unto　us；
  Full　of　beatitude　the　shade　was　seen；
  By　the　effulgence　clear　that　issued　from　it。
  Think；　Reader；　if　what　here　is　just　beginning
  No　farther　should　proceed；　how　thou　wouldst　have
  An　agonizing　need　of　knowing　more；
  And　of　thyself　thou'lt　see　how　I　from　these
  Was　in　desire　of　hearing　their　conditions；
  As　they　unto　mine　eyes　were　manifest。
  〃O　thou　well…born；　unto　whom　Grace　concedes
  To　see　the　thrones　of　the　eternal　triumph；
  Or　ever　yet　the　warfare　be　abandoned
  With　light　that　through　the　whole　of　heaven　is　spread
  Kindled　are　we；　and　hence　if　thou　desirest
  To　know　of　us；　at　thine　own　pleasure　sate　thee。〃
  Thus　by　some　one　among　those　holy　spirits
  Was　spoken；　and　by　Beatrice：　〃Speak；　speak
  Securely；　and　believe　them　even　as　Gods。〃
  〃Well　I　perceive　how　thou　dost　nest　thyself
  In　thine　own　light；　and　drawest　it　from　thine　eyes；
  Because　they　coruscate　when　thou　dost　smile；
  But　know　not　who　thou　art；　nor　why　thou　hast；
  Spirit　august；　thy　station　in　the　sphere
  That　veils　itself　to　men　in　alien　rays。〃
  This　said　I　in　direction　of　the　light
  Which　first　had　spoken　to　me；　whence　it　became
  By　far　more　lucent　than　it　was　before。
  Even　as　the　sun；　that　doth　conceal　himself
  By　too　much　light；　when　heat　has　worn　away
  The　tempering　influence　of　the　vapours　dense；
  By　greater　rapture　thus　concealed　itself
  In　its　own　radiance　the　figure　saintly；
  And　thus　close；　close　enfolded　answered　me
  In　fashion　as　the　following　Canto　sings。
  Paradiso：　Canto　VI
  〃After　that　Constantine　the　eagle　turned
  Against　the　course　of　heaven；　which　it　had　followed
  Behind　the　ancient　who　Lavinia　took；
  Two　hundred　years　and　more　the　bird　of　God
  In　the　extreme　of　Europe　held　itself；
  Near　to　the　mountains　whence　it　issued　first；
  And　under　shadow　of　the　sacred　plumes
  It　governed　there　the　world　from　hand　to　hand；
  And；　changing　thus；　upon　mine　own　alighted。
  Caesar　I　was；　and　am　Justinian；
  Who；　by　the　will　of　primal　Love　I　feel；
  Took　from　the　laws　the　useless　and　redundant；
  And　ere　unto　the　work　I　was　attent；
  One　nature　to　exist　in　Christ；　not　more；
  Believed；　and　with　such　faith　was　I　contented。
  But　blessed　Agapetus；　he　who　was
  The　supreme　pastor；　to　the　faith　sincere
  Pointed　me　out　the　way　by　words　of　his。
  Him　I　believed；　and　what　was　his　assertion
  I　now　see　clearly；　even　as　thou　seest
  Each　contradiction　to　be　false　and　true。
  As　soon　as　with　the　Church　I　moved　my　feet；
  God　in　his　grace　it　pleased　with　this　high　task
  To　inspire　me；　and　I　gave　me　wholly　to　it；
  And　to　my　Belisarius　I　commended
  The　arms；　to　which　was　heaven's　right　hand　so　joined
  It　was　a　signal　that　I　should　repose。
  Now　here　to　the　first　question　terminates
  My　answer；　but　the　character　thereof
  Constrains　me　to　continue　with　a　sequel；
  In　order　that　thou　see　with　how　great　reason
  Men　move　against　the　standard　sacrosanct；
  Both　who　appropriate　and　who　oppose　it。
  Behold　how　great　a　power　has　made　it　worthy
  Of　reverence；　beginning　from　the　hour
  When　Pallas　died　to　give　it　sovereignty。
  Thou　knowest　it　made　in　Alba　its　abode
  Three　hundred　years　and　upward；　till　at　last
  The　three　to　three　fought　for　it　yet　again。
  Thou　knowest　what　it　achieved　from　Sabine　wrong
  Down　to　Lucretia's　sorrow；　in　seven　kings
  O'ercoming　round　about　the　neighboring　nations；
  Thou　knowest　what　it　achieved；　borne　by　the　Romans
  Illustrious　against　Brennus；　against　Pyrrhus；
  Against　the　other　princes　and　confederates。
  Torquatus　thence　and　Quinctius；　who　from　locks
  Unkempt　was　named；　Decii　and　Fabii；
  Received　the　fame　I　willingly　embalm；
  It　struck　to　earth　the　pride　of　the　Arabians；
  Who；　following　Hannibal；　had　passed　across
  The　Alpine　ridges；　Po；　from　which　thou　glidest；
  Beneath　it　triumphed　while　they　yet　were　young
  Pompey　and　Scipio；　and　to　the　hill
  Beneath　which　thou　wast　born　it　bitter　seemed；
  Then；　near　unto　the　time　when　heaven　had　willed
  To　bring　the　whole　world　to　its　mood　serene；
  Did　Caesar　by　the　will　of　Rome　assume　it。
  What　it　achieved　from　Var　unto　the　Rhine；
  Isere　beheld　and　Saone；　beheld　the　Seine；
  And　every　valley　whence　the　Rhone　is　filled；
  What　it　achieved　when　it　had　left　Ravenna；
  And　leaped　the　Rubicon；　was　such　a　flight
  That　neither　tongue　nor　pen　could　follow　it。
  Round　towards　Spain　it　wheeled　its　legions；　then
  Towards　Durazzo；　and　Pharsalia　smote
  That　to　the　calid　Nile　was　felt　the　pain。
  Antandros　and　the　Simois；　whence　it　started；
  It　saw　again；　and　there　where　Hector　lies；
  And　ill　for　Ptolemy　then　roused　itself。
  From　thence　it　came　like　lightning　upon　Juba；
  Then　wheeled　itself　again　into　your　West；
  Where　the　Pompeian　clarion　it　heard。
  From　what　it　wrought　with　the　next　standard…bearer
  Brutus　and　Cassius　howl　in　Hell　together；
  And　Modena　and　Perugia　dolent　were；
  Still　doth　the　mournful　Cleopatra　weep
  Because　thereof；　who；　fleeing　from　before　it；
  Took　from　the　adder　sudden　and　black　death。
  With　him　it　ran　even　to　the　Red　Sea　shore；
  With　him　it　placed　the　world　in　so　great　peace；
  That　unto　Janus　was　his　temple　closed。
  But　what　the　standard　that　has　made　me　speak
  Achieved　before；　and　after　should　achieve
  Throughout　the　mortal　realm　that　lies　beneath　it；
  Becometh　in　appearance　mean　and　dim；
  If　in　the　hand　of　the　third　Caesar　seen
  With　eye　unclouded　and　affection　pure；
  Because　the　living　Justice　that　inspires　me
  Granted　it；　in　the　hand　of　him　I　speak　of；
  The　glory　of　doing　vengeance　for　its　wrath。
  Now　here　attend　to　what　I　answer　thee；
  Later　it　ran　with　Titus　to　do　vengeance
  Upon　the　vengeance　of　the　ancient　sin。
  And　when　the　tooth　of　Lombardy　had　bitten
  The　Holy　Church；　then　underneath　its　wings
  Did　Charlemagne　victorious　succor　her。
  Now　hast　thou　power　to　judge　of　such　as　those
  Whom　I　accused　above；　and　of　their　crimes；
  Which　are　the　cause　of　all　your　miseries。
  To　the　public　standard　one　the　yellow　lilies
  Opposes；　the　other　claims　it　for　a　party；
  So　that　'tis　hard　to　see　which　sins　the　most。
  Let；　let　the　Ghibellines　ply　their　handicraft
  Beneath　some　other　standard；　for　this　ever
  Ill　follows　he　who　it　and　justice　parts。
  And　let　not　this　new　Charles　e'er　strike　it　down；
  He　and　his　Guelfs；　but　let　him　fear　the　talons
  That　from　a　nobler　lion　stripped　the　fell。
  Already　oftentimes　the　sons　have　wept
  The　father's　crime；　and　let　him　not　believe
  That　God　will　change　His　scutcheon　for　the　lilies。
  This　little　planet　doth　adorn　itself
  With　the　good　spirits　that　ha