Said　with　the　others；　〃Holy；　holy；　holy！〃
  And　as　at　some　keen　light　one　wakes　from　sleep
  By　reason　of　the　visual　spirit　that　runs
  Unto　the　splendour　passed　from　coat　to　coat；
  And　he　who　wakes　abhorreth　what　he　sees；
  So　all　unconscious　is　his　sudden　waking；
  Until　the　judgment　cometh　to　his　aid；
  So　from　before　mine　eyes　did　Beatrice
  Chase　every　mote　with　radiance　of　her　own；
  That　cast　its　light　a　thousand　miles　and　more。
  Whence　better　after　than　before　I　saw；
  And　in　a　kind　of　wonderment　I　asked
  About　a　fourth　light　that　I　saw　with　us。
  And　said　my　Lady：　〃There　within　those　rays
  Gazes　upon　its　Maker　the　first　soul
  That　ever　the　first　virtue　did　create。〃
  Even　as　the　bough　that　downward　bends　its　top
  At　transit　of　the　wind；　and　then　is　lifted
  By　its　own　virtue；　which　inclines　it　upward；
  Likewise　did　I；　the　while　that　she　was　speaking；
  Being　amazed；　and　then　I　was　made　bold
  By　a　desire　to　speak　wherewith　I　burned。
  And　I　began：　〃O　apple；　that　mature
  Alone　hast　been　produced；　O　ancient　father；
  To　whom　each　wife　is　daughter　and　daughter…in…law；
  Devoutly　as　I　can　I　supplicate　thee
  That　thou　wouldst　speak　to　me；　thou　seest　my　wish；
  And　I；　to　hear　thee　quickly；　speak　it　not。〃
  Sometimes　an　animal；　when　covered；　struggles
  So　that　his　impulse　needs　must　be　apparent；
  By　reason　of　the　wrappage　following　it；
  And　in　like　manner　the　primeval　soul
  Made　clear　to　me　athwart　its　covering
  How　jubilant　it　was　to　give　me　pleasure。
  Then　breathed：　〃Without　thy　uttering　it　to　me；
  Thine　inclination　better　I　discern
  Than　thou　whatever　thing　is　surest　to　thee；
  For　I　behold　it　in　the　truthful　mirror；
  That　of　Himself　all　things　parhelion　makes；
  And　none　makes　Him　parhelion　of　itself。
  Thou　fain　wouldst　hear　how　long　ago　God　placed　me
  Within　the　lofty　garden；　where　this　Lady
  Unto　so　long　a　stairway　thee　disposed。
  And　how　long　to　mine　eyes　it　was　a　pleasure；
  And　of　the　great　disdain　the　proper　cause；
  And　the　language　that　I　used　and　that　I　made。
  Now；　son　of　mine；　the　tasting　of　the　tree
  Not　in　itself　was　cause　of　so　great　exile；
  But　solely　the　o'erstepping　of　the　bounds。
  There；　whence　thy　Lady　moved　Virgilius；
  Four　thousand　and　three　hundred　and　two　circuits
  Made　by　the　sun；　this　Council　I　desired；
  And　him　I　saw　return　to　all　the　lights
  Of　his　highway　nine　hundred　times　and　thirty；
  Whilst　I　upon　the　earth　was　tarrying。
  The　language　that　I　spake　was　quite　extinct
  Before　that　in　the　work　interminable
  The　people　under　Nimrod　were　employed；
  For　nevermore　result　of　reasoning
  （Because　of　human　pleasure　that　doth　change；
  Obedient　to　the　heavens）　was　durable。
  A　natural　action　is　it　that　man　speaks；
  But　whether　thus　or　thus；　doth　nature　leave
  To　your　own　art；　as　seemeth　best　to　you。
  Ere　I　descended　to　the　infernal　anguish；
  'El'　was　on　earth　the　name　of　the　Chief　Good；
  From　whom　comes　all　the　joy　that　wraps　me　round
  'Eli'　he　then　was　called；　and　that　is　proper；
  Because　the　use　of　men　is　like　a　leaf
  On　bough；　which　goeth　and　another　cometh。
  Upon　the　mount　that　highest　o'er　the　wave
  Rises　was　I；　in　life　or　pure　or　sinful；
  From　the　first　hour　to　that　which　is　the　second；
  As　the　sun　changes　quadrant；　to　the　sixth。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXVII
  〃Glory　be　to　the　Father；　to　the　Son；
  And　Holy　Ghost！〃　all　Paradise　began；
  So　that　the　melody　inebriate　made　me。
  What　I　beheld　seemed　unto　me　a　smile
  Of　the　universe；　for　my　inebriation
  Found　entrance　through　the　hearing　and　the　sight。
  O　joy！　　O　gladness　inexpressible！
  O　perfect　life　of　love　and　peacefulness！
  O　riches　without　hankering　secure！
  Before　mine　eyes　were　standing　the　four　torches
  Enkindled；　and　the　one　that　first　had　come
  Began　to　make　itself　more　luminous；
  And　even　such　in　semblance　it　became
  As　Jupiter　would　become；　if　he　and　Mars
  Were　birds；　and　they　should　interchange　their　feathers。
  That　Providence；　which　here　distributeth
  Season　and　service；　in　the　blessed　choir
  Had　silence　upon　every　side　imposed。
  When　I　heard　say：　〃If　I　my　colour　change；
  Marvel　not　at　it；　for　while　I　am　speaking
  Thou　shalt　behold　all　these　their　colour　change。
  He　who　usurps　upon　the　earth　my　place；
  My　place；　my　place；　which　vacant　has　become
  Before　the　presence　of　the　Son　of　God；
  Has　of　my　cemetery　made　a　sewer
  Of　blood　and　stench；　whereby　the　Perverse　One；
  Who　fell　from　here；　below　there　is　appeased！〃
  With　the　same　colour　which；　through　sun　adverse；
  Painteth　the　clouds　at　evening　or　at　morn；
  Beheld　I　then　the　whole　of　heaven　suffused。
  And　as　a　modest　woman；　who　abides
  Sure　of　herself；　and　at　another's　failing；
  From　listening　only；　timorous　becomes；
  Even　thus　did　Beatrice　change　countenance；
  And　I　believe　in　heaven　was　such　eclipse；
  When　suffered　the　supreme　Omnipotence；
  Thereafterward　proceeded　forth　his　words
  With　voice　so　much　transmuted　from　itself；
  The　very　countenance　was　not　more　changed。
  〃The　spouse　of　Christ　has　never　nurtured　been
  On　blood　of　mine；　of　Linus　and　of　Cletus；
  To　be　made　use　of　in　acquest　of　gold；
  But　in　acquest　of　this　delightful　life
  Sixtus　and　Pius；　Urban　and　Calixtus；
  After　much　lamentation；　shed　their　blood。
  Our　purpose　was　not；　that　on　the　right　hand
  Of　our　successors　should　in　part　be　seated
  The　Christian　folk；　in　part　upon　the　other；
  Nor　that　the　keys　which　were　to　me　confided
  Should　e'er　become　the　escutcheon　on　a　banner；
  That　should　wage　war　on　those　who　are　baptized；
  Nor　I　be　made　the　figure　of　a　seal
  To　privileges　venal　and　mendacious；
  Whereat　I　often　redden　and　flash　with　fire。
  In　garb　of　shepherds　the　rapacious　wolves
  Are　seen　from　here　above　o'er　all　the　pastures！
  O　wrath　of　God；　why　dost　thou　slumber　still？
  To　drink　our　blood　the　Caorsines　and　Gascons
  Are　making　ready。　　O　thou　good　beginning；
  Unto　how　vile　an　end　must　thou　needs　fall！
  But　the　high　Providence；　that　with　Scipio
  At　Rome　the　glory　of　the　world　defended；
  Will　speedily　bring　aid；　as　I　conceive；
  And　thou；　my　son；　who　by　thy　mortal　weight
  Shalt　down　return　again；　open　thy　mouth；
  What　I　conceal　not；　do　not　thou　conceal。〃
  As　with　its　frozen　vapours　downward　falls
  In　flakes　our　atmosphere；　what　time　the　horn
  Of　the　celestial　Goat　doth　touch　the　sun；
  Upward　in　such　array　saw　I　the　ether
  Become；　and　flaked　with　the　triumphant　vapours；
  Which　there　together　with　us　had　remained。
  My　sight　was　following　up　their　semblances；
  And　followed　till　the　medium；　by　excess；
  The　passing　farther　onward　took　from　it；
  Whereat　the　Lady；　who　beheld　me　freed
  From　gazing　upward；　said　to　me：　〃Cast　down
  Thy　sight；　and　see　how　far　thou　art　turned　round。〃
  Since　the　first　time　that　I　had　downward　looked；
  I　saw　that　I　had　moved　through　the　whole　arc
  Which　the　first　climate　makes　from　midst　to　end；
  So　that　I　saw　the　mad　track　of　Ulysses
  Past　Gades；　and　this　side；　well　nigh　the　shore
  Whereon　became　Europa　a　sweet　burden。
  And　of　this　threshing…floor　the　site　to　me
  Were　more　unveiled；　but　the　sun　was　proceeding
  Under　my　feet；　a　sign　and　more　removed。
  My　mind　enamoured；　which　is　dallying
  At　all　times　with　my　Lady；　to　bring　back
  To　her　mine　eyes　was　more　than　ever　ardent。
  And　if　or　Art　or　Nature　has　made　bait
  To　catch　the　eyes　and　so　possess　the　mind；
  In　human　flesh　or　in　its　portraiture；
  All　joined　together　would　appear　as　nought
  To　the　divine　delight　which　shone　upon　me
  When　to　her　smiling　face　I　turned　me　round。
  The　virtue　that　her　look　endowed　me　with
  From　the　fair　nest　of　Leda　tore　me　forth；
  And　up　into　the　swiftest　heaven　impelled　me。
  Its　parts　exceeding　full　of　life　and　lofty
  Are　all　so　uniform；　I　cannot　say
  Which　Beatrice　selected　for　my　place。
  But　she；　who　was　aware　of　my　desire；
  Began；　the　while　she　smiled　so　joyously
  That　God　seemed　in　her　countenance　to　rejoice：
  〃The　nature　of　that　motion；　which　keeps　quiet
  The　centre　and　all　the　rest　about　it　moves；
  From　hence　begins　as　from　its　starting　point。
  And　in　this　heaven　there　is　no　other　Where
  Than　in　the　Mind　Divine；　wherein　is　kindled
  The　love　that　turns　it；　and　the　power　it　rains。
  Within　a　circle　light　and　love　embrace　it；
  Even　as　this　doth　the　others；　and　that　precinct
  He　who　encircles　it　alone　controls。
  Its　motion　is　not　by　another　meted；
  But　all　the　others　measured　are　by　this；
  As　ten　is　by　the　half　and　by　the　fifth。
  And　in　what　manner　time　in　such　a　pot
  May　have　its　roots；　and　in　the　rest　its　leaves；
  Now　unto　thee　can　manifest　be　made。
  O　Covetousness；　that　mortals　dost　ingulf
  Beneath　thee　so；　that　no　one　hath　the　power
  Of　drawing　back　his　eyes　from　out　thy　waves！
  Full　fairly　blossoms　in　mankind　the　will；
  But　the　uninterrupted　rain　converts
  Into　abortive　wildings　the　true　plums。
  Fidelity　and　innocence　are　found
  Only　in　children；　afterwards　they　both
  Take　flight　or　e'er　the　cheeks　with　down　are　covered。
  One；　while　he　prattles　still；　observes　the　fasts；
  Who；　when　his　tongue　is　loosed；　forthwith　devours
  Whatever　food　under　whatever　moon；
  An