power；　Dante　went　over　to　the　Ghibellines；　and　became　an　adherent
  of　imperial　authority　until　he　died。
  It　was　in　his　wanderings　from　court　to　court　and　castle　to　castle
  and　convent　to　convent　and　university　to　university；　that　he
  acquired　that　profound　experience　with　men　and　the　world　which
  fitted　him　for　his　great　task。　　〃Not　as　victorious　knight　on　the
  field　of　Campaldino；　not　as　leader　of　the　Guelph　aristocracy　at
  Florence；　not　as　prior；　not　as　ambassador；〃　but　as　a　wanderer　did
  he　acquire　his　moral　wisdom。　　He　was　a　striking　example　of　the
  severe　experiences　to　which　nearly　all　great　benefactors　have　been
  subjected；Abraham　the　exile；　in　the　wilderness；　in　Egypt；　among
  Philistines；　among　robbers　and　barbaric　chieftains；　the　Prince
  Siddartha；　who　founded　Buddhism；　in　his　wanderings　among　the
  various　Indian　nations　who　bowed　down　to　Brahma；　and；　still
  greater；　the　Apostle　Paul；　in　his　protracted　martyrdom　among　Pagan
  idolaters　and　boastful　philosophers；　in　Asia　and　in　Europe。　　These
  and　others　may　be　cited；　who　led　a　life　of　self…denial　and　reproach
  in　order　to　spread　the　truths　which　save　mankind。　　We　naturally
  call　their　lot　hard；　even　though　they　chose　it；　but　it　is　the
  school　of　greatness。　　It　was　sad　to　see　the　wisest　and　best　man　of
  his　day；a　man　of　family；　of　culture；　of　wealth；　of　learning；
  loving　leisure；　attached　to　his　home　and　country；　accustomed　to
  honor　and　independence；doomed　to　exile；　poverty；　neglect；　and
  hatred；　without　those　compensations　which　men　of　genius　in　our　time
  secure。　　But　I　would　not　attempt　to　excite　pity　for　an　outward
  condition　which　developed　the　higher　virtues；for　a　thorny　path
  which　led　to　the　regions　of　eternal　light。　　Dante　may　have　walked
  in　bitter　tears　to　Paradise；　but　after　the　fashion　of　saints　and
  martyrs　in　all　ages　of　our　world。　　He　need　but　cast　his　eyes　on
  that　emblem　which　was　erected　on　every　pinnacle　of　Mediaeval
  churches　to　symbolize　passing　suffering　with　salvation　infinite；
  the　great　and　august　creed　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived；　though　now
  buried　amid　the　triumphs　of　an　imposing　material　civilization　whose
  end　is　the　adoration　of　the　majesty　of　man　rather　than　the　majesty
  of　God；　the　wonders　of　creation　rather　than　the　greatness　of　the
  Creator。
  But　something　more　was　required　in　order　to　write　an　immortal　poem
  than　even　native　genius；　great　learning；　and　profound　experience。
  The　soul　must　be　stimulated　to　the　work　by　an　absorbing　and
  ennobling　passion。　　This　passion　Dante　had；　and　it　is　as　memorable
  as　the　mortal　loves　of　Abelard　and　Heloise；　and　infinitely　more
  exalting；　since　it　was　spiritual　and　immortal；even　the　adoration
  of　his　lamented　and　departed　Beatrice。
  I　wish　to　dwell　for　a　moment；　perhaps　longer　than　to　some　may　seem
  dignified；　on　this　ideal　or　sentimental　love。　　It　may　seem　trivial
  and　unimportant　to　the　eye　of　youth；　or　a　man　of　the　world；　or　a
  woman　of　sensual　nature；　or　to　unthinking　fools　and　butterflies；
  but　it　is　invested　with　dignity　to　one　who　meditates　on　the
  mysteries　of　the　soul；　the　wonders　of　our　higher　nature；one　of
  the　things　which　arrest　the　attention　of　philosophers。
  It　is　recorded　and　attested；　even　by　Dante　himself；　that　at　the
  early　age　of　nine　he　fell　in　love　with　Beatrice；a　little　girl　of
  one　of　his　neighbors；and　that　he　wrote　to　her　sonnets　as　the
  mistress　of　his　devotion。　　How　could　he　have　written　sonnets
  without　an　inspiration；　unless　he　felt　sentiments　higher　than　we
  associate　with　either　boys　or　girls？　　The　boy　was　father　of　the
  man。　　〃She　appeared　to　me；〃　says　the　poet；　〃at　a　festival；　dressed
  in　that　most　noble　and　honorable　color；　scarlet；girded　and
  ornamented　in　a　manner　suitable　to　her　age；　and　from　that　moment
  love　ruled　my　soul。　　And　after　many　days　had　passed；　it　happened
  that；　passing　through　the　street；　she　turned　her　eyes　to　the　spot
  where　I　stood；　and　with　ineffable　courtesy　she　greeted　me；　and　this
  had　such　an　effect　on　me　that　it　seemed　I　had　reached　the　furthest
  limit　of　blessedness。　　I　took　refuge　in　the　solitude　of　my　chamber；
  and；　thinking　over　what　had　happened　to　me；　I　proposed　to　write　a
  sonnet；　since　I　had　already　acquired　the　art　of　putting　words　into
  rhyme。〃　　This；　from　his　〃Vita　Nuova；〃　his　first　work；　relating　to
  the　〃new　life〃　which　this　love　awoke　in　his　young　soul。
  Thus；　according　to　Dante's　own　statement；　was　the　seed　of　a　never…
  ending　passion　planted　in　his　soul；the　small　beginning；　so
  insignificant　to　cynical　eyes；　that　it　would　almost　seem
  preposterous　to　allude　to　it；　as　if　this　fancy　for　a　little　girl　in
  scarlet；　and　in　a　boy　but　nine　years　of　age；　could　ripen　into
  anything　worthy　to　be　soberly　mentioned　by　a　grave　and　earnest
  poet；　in　the　full　maturity　of　his　genius；worthy　to　give　direction
  to　his　lofty　intellect；　worthy　to　be　the　occasion　of　the　greatest
  poem　the　world　has　seen　from　Homer　to　modern　times。　　Absurd！
  ridiculous！　　Great　rivers　cannot　rise　from　such　a　spring；　tall
  trees　cannot　grow　from　such　a　little　acorn。　　Thus　reasons　the　man
  who　does　not　take　cognizance　of　the　mighty　mysteries　of　human　life。
  If　anything　tempted　the　boy　to　write　sonnets　to　a　little　girl；　it
  must　have　been　the　chivalric　element　in　society　at　that　period；
  when　even　boys　were　required　to　choose　objects　of　devotion；　and　to
  whom　they　were　to　be　loyal；　and　whose　honor　they　were　bound　to
  defend。　　But　the　grave　poet；　in　the　decline　of　his　life；　makes　this
  simple　confession；　as　the　beginning　of　that　sentiment　which　never
  afterwards　departed　from　him；　and　which　inspired　him　to　his
  grandest　efforts。
  But　this　youthful　attachment　was　unfortunate。　　Beatrice　did　not
  return　his　passion；　and　had　no　conception　of　its　force；　and　perhaps
  was　not　even　worthy　to　call　it　forth。　　She　may　have　been　beautiful；
  she　may　have　been　gifted；　she　may　have　been　commonplace。　　It
  matters　little　whether　she　was　intellectual　or　not；　beautiful　or
  not。　　It　was　not　the　flesh　and　blood　he　saw；　but　the　image　of
  beauty　and　loveliness　which　his　own　mind　created。　　He　idealized　the
  girl；　she　was　to　him　all　that　he　fancied。　　But　she　never　encouraged
  him；　she　denied　his　greetings；　and　even　avoided　his　society。　　At
  last　she　died；　when　he　was　twenty…seven；　and　left　himto　use　his
  own　expression〃to　ruminate　on　death；　and　envy　whomsoever　dies。〃
  To　console　himself；　he　read　Boethius；　and　religious　philosophy　was
  ever　afterwards　his　favorite　study。　　Nor　did　serenity　come；　so　deep
  were　his　sentiments；　so　powerful　was　his　imagination；　until　he　had
  formed　an　exalted　purpose　to　write　a　poem　in　her　honor；　and　worthy
  of　his　love。　　〃If　it　please　Him　through　whom　all　things　come；〃　said
  Dante；　〃that　my　life　be　spared；　I　hope　to　tell　such　things　of　her
  as　never　before　have　been　seen　by　any　one。〃
  Now　what　inspired　so　strange　a　purpose？　　Was　it　a　Platonic
  sentiment；　like　the　love　of　Petrarch　for　Laura；　or　something　that
  we　cannot　explain；　and　yet　real；a　mystery　of　the　soul　in　its
  deepest　cravings　and　aspirations？　　And　is　love；　among　mortals
  generally；　based　on　such　a　foundation？　　Is　it　flesh　and　blood　we
  love；　is　it　the　intellect；　is　it　the　character；　is　it　the　soul；　is
  it　what　is　inherently　interesting　in　woman；　and　which　everybody　can
  see；the　real　virtues　of　the　heart　and　charms　of　physical　beauty？
  Or　is　it　what　we　fancy　in　the　object　of　our　adoration；　what　exists
  already　in　our　own　minds；the　archetypes　of　eternal　ideas　of
  beauty　and　grace？　　And　do　all　men　worship　these　forms　of　beauty
  which　the　imagination　creates？　　Can　any　woman；　or　any　man；　seen
  exactly　as　they　are；　incite　a　love　which　is　kindred　to　worship？
  And　is　any　love　worthy　to　be　called　love；　if　it　does　not　inspire
  emotions　which　prompt　to　self…sacrifice；　labor；　and　lofty　ends？
  Can　a　woman's　smiles　incite　to　Herculean　energies；　and　drive　the
  willing　worshipper　to　Aonian　heights；　unless　under　these　smiles　are
  seen　the　light　of　life　and　the　blessedness　of　supernatural　fervor？
  Is　there；　and　can　there　be；　a　perpetuity　in　mortal　charms　without
  the　recognition　or　the　supposition　of　a　moral　beauty　connected　with
  them；　which　alone　is　pure　and　imperishable；　and　which　alone　creates
  the　sacred　ecstasy　that　revels　in　the　enjoyment　of　what　is　divine；
  or　what　is　supposed　to　be　divine；　not　in　man；　but　in　the
  conceptions　of　man；the　ever…blazing　glories　of　goodness　or　of
  truth　which　the　excited　soul　doth　see　in　the　eyes　and　expression　of
  the　adored　image？　　It　is　these　archetypes　of　divinity；　real　or
  fancied；　which　give　to　love　all　that　is　enduring。　　Destroy　these；
  take　away　the　real　or　fancied　glories　of　the　soul　and　mind；　and　the
  holy　flame　soon　burns　out。　　No　mortal　love　can　last；　no　mortal　love
  is　beautiful；　unless　the　visions　which　the　mind　creates　are　not
  more　or　less　realized　in　the　object　of　it；　or　when　a　person；　either
  man　or　woman；　is　not　capable　of　seeing　ideal　perfections。　　The
  loves　of　savages　are　the　loves　of　brutes。　　The　more　exalted　the
  character　and　the　soul；　the　greater　is　the　capacity　of　l