In　thy　desire　already　are　three　fires。
  Nor　could　one　reach；　in　counting；　unto　twenty
  So　swiftly；　as　a　portion　of　these　angels
  Disturbed　the　subject　of　your　elements。
  The　rest　remained；　and　they　began　this　art
  Which　thou　discernest；　with　so　great　delight
  That　never　from　their　circling　do　they　cease。
  The　occasion　of　the　fall　was　the　accursed
  Presumption　of　that　One；　whom　thou　hast　seen
  By　all　the　burden　of　the　world　constrained。
  Those　whom　thou　here　beholdest　modest　were
  To　recognise　themselves　as　of　that　goodness
  Which　made　them　apt　for　so　much　understanding；
  On　which　account　their　vision　was　exalted
  By　the　enlightening　grace　and　their　own　merit；
  So　that　they　have　a　full　and　steadfast　will。
  I　would　not　have　thee　doubt；　but　certain　be；
  'Tis　meritorious　to　receive　this　grace；
  According　as　the　affection　opens　to　it。
  Now　round　about　in　this　consistory
  Much　mayst　thou　contemplate；　if　these　my　words
  Be　gathered　up；　without　all　further　aid。
  But　since　upon　the　earth；　throughout　your　schools；
  They　teach　that　such　is　the　angelic　nature
  That　it　doth　hear；　and　recollect；　and　will；
  More　will　I　say；　that　thou　mayst　see　unmixed
  The　truth　that　is　confounded　there　below；
  Equivocating　in　such　like　prelections。
  These　substances；　since　in　God's　countenance
  They　jocund　were；　turned　not　away　their　sight
  From　that　wherefrom　not　anything　is　hidden；
  Hence　they　have　not　their　vision　intercepted
  By　object　new；　and　hence　they　do　not　need
  To　recollect；　through　interrupted　thought。
  So　that　below；　not　sleeping；　people　dream；
  Believing　they　speak　truth；　and　not　believing；
  And　in　the　last　is　greater　sin　and　shame。
  Below　you　do　not　journey　by　one　path
  Philosophising；　so　transporteth　you
  Love　of　appearance　and　the　thought　thereof。
  And　even　this　above　here　is　endured
  With　less　disdain；　than　when　is　set　aside
  The　Holy　Writ；　or　when　it　is　distorted。
  They　think　not　there　how　much　of　blood　it　costs
  To　sow　it　in　the　world；　and　how　he　pleases
  Who　in　humility　keeps　close　to　it。
  Each　striveth　for　appearance；　and　doth　make
  His　own　inventions；　and　these　treated　are
  By　preachers；　and　the　Evangel　holds　its　peace。
  One　sayeth　that　the　moon　did　backward　turn；
  In　the　Passion　of　Christ；　and　interpose　herself
  So　that　the　sunlight　reached　not　down　below；
  And　lies；　for　of　its　own　accord　the　light
  Hid　itself；　whence　to　Spaniards　and　to　Indians；
  As　to　the　Jews；　did　such　eclipse　respond。
  Florence　has　not　so　many　Lapi　and　Bindi
  As　fables　such　as　these；　that　every　year
  Are　shouted　from　the　pulpit　back　and　forth；
  In　such　wise　that　the　lambs；　who　do　not　know；
  Come　back　from　pasture　fed　upon　the　wind；
  And　not　to　see　the　harm　doth　not　excuse　them。
  Christ　did　not　to　his　first　disciples　say；
  'Go　forth；　and　to　the　world　preach　idle　tales；'
  But　unto　them　a　true　foundation　gave；
  And　this　so　loudly　sounded　from　their　lips；
  That；　in　the　warfare　to　enkindle　Faith；
  They　made　of　the　Evangel　shields　and　lances。
  Now　men　go　forth　with　jests　and　drolleries
  To　preach；　and　if　but　well　the　people　laugh；
  The　hood　puffs　out；　and　nothing　more　is　asked。
  But　in　the　cowl　there　nestles　such　a　bird；
  That；　if　the　common　people　were　to　see　it；
  They　would　perceive　what　pardons　they　confide　in；
  For　which　so　great　on　earth　has　grown　the　folly；
  That；　without　proof　of　any　testimony；
  To　each　indulgence　they　would　flock　together。
  By　this　Saint　Anthony　his　pig　doth　fatten；
  And　many　others；　who　are　worse　than　pigs；
  Paying　in　money　without　mark　of　coinage。
  But　since　we　have　digressed　abundantly；
  Turn　back　thine　eyes　forthwith　to　the　right　path；
  So　that　the　way　be　shortened　with　the　time。
  This　nature　doth　so　multiply　itself
  In　numbers；　that　there　never　yet　was　speech
  Nor　mortal　fancy　that　can　go　so　far。
  And　if　thou　notest　that　which　is　revealed
  By　Daniel；　thou　wilt　see　that　in　his　thousands
  Number　determinate　is　kept　concealed。
  The　primal　light；　that　all　irradiates　it；
  By　modes　as　many　is　received　therein；
  As　are　the　splendours　wherewith　it　is　mated。
  Hence；　inasmuch　as　on　the　act　conceptive
  The　affection　followeth；　of　love　the　sweetness
  Therein　diversely　fervid　is　or　tepid。
  The　height　behold　now　and　the　amplitude
  Of　the　eternal　power；　since　it　hath　made
  Itself　so　many　mirrors；　where　'tis　broken；
  One　in　itself　remaining　as　before。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXX
  Perchance　six　thousand　miles　remote　from　us
  Is　glowing　the　sixth　hour；　and　now　this　world
  Inclines　its　shadow　almost　to　a　level；
  When　the　mid…heaven　begins　to　make　itself
  So　deep　to　us；　that　here　and　there　a　star
  Ceases　to　shine　so　far　down　as　this　depth；
  And　as　advances　bright　exceedingly
  The　handmaid　of　the　sun；　the　heaven　is　closed
  Light　after　light　to　the　most　beautiful；
  Not　otherwise　the　Triumph；　which　for　ever
  Plays　round　about　the　point　that　vanquished　me；
  Seeming　enclosed　by　what　itself　encloses；
  Little　by　little　from　my　vision　faded；
  Whereat　to　turn　mine　eyes　on　Beatrice
  My　seeing　nothing　and　my　love　constrained　me。
  If　what　has　hitherto　been　said　of　her
  Were　all　concluded　in　a　single　praise；
  Scant　would　it　be　to　serve　the　present　turn。
  Not　only　does　the　beauty　I　beheld
  Transcend　ourselves；　but　truly　I　believe
  Its　Maker　only　may　enjoy　it　all。
  Vanquished　do　I　confess　me　by　this　passage
  More　than　by　problem　of　his　theme　was　ever
  O'ercome　the　comic　or　the　tragic　poet；
  For　as　the　sun　the　sight　that　trembles　most；
  Even　so　the　memory　of　that　sweet　smile
  My　mind　depriveth　of　its　very　self。
  From　the　first　day　that　I　beheld　her　face
  In　this　life；　to　the　moment　of　this　look；
  The　sequence　of　my　song　has　ne'er　been　severed；
  But　now　perforce　this　sequence　must　desist
  From　following　her　beauty　with　my　verse；
  As　every　artist　at　his　uttermost。
  Such　as　I　leave　her　to　a　greater　fame
  Than　any　of　my　trumpet；　which　is　bringing
  Its　arduous　matter　to　a　final　close；
  With　voice　and　gesture　of　a　perfect　leader
  She　recommenced：　〃We　from　the　greatest　body
  Have　issued　to　the　heaven　that　is　pure　light；
  Light　intellectual　replete　with　love；
  Love　of　true　good　replete　with　ecstasy；
  Ecstasy　that　transcendeth　every　sweetness。
  Here　shalt　thou　see　the　one　host　and　the　other
  Of　Paradise；　and　one　in　the　same　aspects
  Which　at　the　final　judgment　thou　shalt　see。〃
  Even　as　a　sudden　lightning　that　disperses
  The　visual　spirits；　so　that　it　deprives
  The　eye　of　impress　from　the　strongest　objects；
  Thus　round　about　me　flashed　a　living　light；
  And　left　me　swathed　around　with　such　a　veil
  Of　its　effulgence；　that　I　nothing　saw。
  〃Ever　the　Love　which　quieteth　this　heaven
  Welcomes　into　itself　with　such　salute；
  To　make　the　candle　ready　for　its　flame。〃
  No　sooner　had　within　me　these　brief　words
  An　entrance　found；　than　I　perceived　myself
  To　be　uplifted　over　my　own　power；
  And　I　with　vision　new　rekindled　me；
  Such　that　no　light　whatever　is　so　pure
  But　that　mine　eyes　were　fortified　against　it。
  And　light　I　saw　in　fashion　of　a　river
  Fulvid　with　its　effulgence；　'twixt　two　banks
  Depicted　with　an　admirable　Spring。
  Out　of　this　river　issued　living　sparks；
  And　on　all　sides　sank　down　into　the　flowers；
  Like　unto　rubies　that　are　set　in　gold；
  And　then；　as　if　inebriate　with　the　odours；
  They　plunged　again　into　the　wondrous　torrent；
  And　as　one　entered　issued　forth　another。
  〃The　high　desire；　that　now　inflames　and　moves　thee
  To　have　intelligence　of　what　thou　seest；
  Pleaseth　me　all　the　more；　the　more　it　swells。
  But　of　this　water　it　behoves　thee　drink
  Before　so　great　a　thirst　in　thee　be　slaked。〃
  Thus　said　to　me　the　sunshine　of　mine　eyes；
  And　added：　〃The　river　and　the　topazes
  Going　in　and　out；　and　the　laughing　of　the　herbage；
  Are　of　their　truth　foreshadowing　prefaces；
  Not　that　these　things　are　difficult　in　themselves；
  But　the　deficiency　is　on　thy　side；
  For　yet　thou　hast　not　vision　so　exalted。〃
  There　is　no　babe　that　leaps　so　suddenly
  With　face　towards　the　milk；　if　he　awake
  Much　later　than　his　usual　custom　is；
  As　I　did；　that　I　might　make　better　mirrors
  Still　of　mine　eyes；　down　stooping　to　the　wave
  Which　flows　that　we　therein　be　better　made。
  And　even　as　the　penthouse　of　mine　eyelids
  Drank　of　it；　it　forthwith　appeared　to　me
  Out　of　its　length　to　be　transformed　to　round。
  Then　as　a　folk　who　have　been　under　masks
  Seem　other　than　before；　if　they　divest
  The　semblance　not　their　own　they　disappeared　in；
  Thus　into　greater　pomp　were　changed　for　me
  The　flowerets　and　the　sparks；　so　that　I　saw
  Both　of　the　Courts　of　Heaven　made　manifest。
  O　splendour　of　God！　by　means　of　which　I　saw
  The　lofty　triumph　of　the　realm　veracious；
  Give　me　the　power　to　say　how　it　I　saw！
  There　is　a　light　above；　which　visible
  Makes　the　Creator　unto　every　creature；
  Who　only　in　beholding　Him　has　peace；
  And　it　expands　itself　in　circular　form
  To　such　extent；　that　its　circumference
  Would　be　too　large　a　girdle　for　the　sun。
  The　semblance　of　it　is　all　made　of　rays
  Reflected　from　the　top　of　Primal　Motion；
  Which　t