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READINGS 

ON  THE 

PARADISO    OF    DANTE 

CHIEFLY   BASED  ON 

THE  COMMENTARY  OF  BENVENUTO 
DA  IMOLA 

BY  THE 

HONBLE-  WILLIAM  WARREN  VERNON   M.A. 

(Accademico  Corrispondente  delta  Crusca,  Cavaliere  diS.  Maurizio  e  Lazzaro 
in  Italy,  and  Knight  of  the  Royal  Order  of  St.  Olafin  Norway) 

TBOlftb  an  jntrotmction 

BY   THE 

BISHOP     OF     RIPON 

IN  TWO  VOLUMES 
VOL.  I 


Xonbon 

MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  LIMITED 

NEW   YORK  :     THE  MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

1900 
The  Right  of  Translation  and  Reproduction  is  Reserved. 


.1 


s- 


DRYDF.N  PRESS  : 
J.  DAVY  &  SONS,  137,  LONG  ACRE,  LONDON,  W.C. 


4 


TTo 

The  Rev.  EDWARD  MOORE,  D.D,  Hon.D.  Litt.  Dubl. 

PRINCIPAL  OF  ST.  EDMUND  HALL, 
AND  HON.  FELLOW  OF  PEMBROKE  COLLEGE,  OXFORD, 

WHOSE  ORIGINAL  RESEARCHES  IN  THE 

TEXT  AND  LITERATURE  OF  DANTE 

HAVE   CAUSED  HIM  TO   BE  ACKNOWLEDGED  AS 

THE  LEADING  AUTHORITY  IN   ENGLAND, 

THESE  READINGS  ON  THE  PAKAD/SO, 
WHICH  OWE  MUCH  TO  HIS  UNWEARIED  ADVICE  AND  ASSISTANCE, 

ARE  DEDICATED 

AS  A  SMALL  TOKEN  OF 

GRATEFUL  AND  AFFECTIONATE  RECOGNITION 

BY 

WILLIAM  WARREN  VERNON. 

October,  1900. 


CONTENTS   OF  VOL.    I. 


PAGE 

DEDICATION v 

PREFACE vii 

INTRODUCTION  BY  THE  BISHOP  OF  RIPON      .        .  xi 

PRELIMINARY  CHAPTER:  (i)THE  COSMOGRAPHY  OF 
DANTE,  (ii)  CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  SPIRITS 
IN  DANTE'S  PARADISE.  (Hi)  THE  IMMEASUR- 
ABLE EXTENT  OF  PARADISE,  (iv)  DATE  WHEN 

THE    PARADISO     WAS    WRITTEN.       (v)  THE 

BEAUTIES  OF  THE  PARADISO.  (vi)  TIME- 
REFERENCES,  (vii)  DANTE'S  OWN  LIFE  AND 
EXPERIENCES,  AND  TUSCAN  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxiii 

DANTE'S  ITINERARY  THROUGH  PARADISE      .       .  xl 

LIST  OF  AUTHORS  AND  OF  EDITIONS  QUOTED       .  Ixxi-lxxxvi 
TEXT,  TRANSLATION  AND  COMMENTARY,  CANTO 

I  TO  XVI 1-550 

ILLUSTRATION. 

GENERAL   VIEW   OF    PARADISE   ACCORDING  TO 

DANTE,  coloured  plate        ....        opposite  p.  i 


PREFACE. 


N  the  preface  to  my  two  volumes  on  the  Inferno, 
published  in  1894,  I  expressed  the  hope  that  life 
and  ability  might  be  vouchsafed  to  me  to  cope 
with  the  mystic  beauties  of  the  Paradiso,  and  to 
complete  the  attempt  made  in  these  Readings  to  make  plain 
to  a  beginner  the  difficulties  of  the  three  immortal  cantiche. 
Life  has  been  spared  to  me,  and  with  great  diffidence  I  now 
present  the  completion  of  my  work. 

It  has  been  thoughtlessly  said  that  there  is  a  falling  away 
of  human  interest  in  the  Paradiso,  as  if  humanity  were 
only  interested  in  the  weaknesses  and  vices  of  our  race,  but 
nowhere  else,  throughout  the  Divina  Commedia,  can  be 
found  such  pictures  of  great  and  good  men  made  perfect, 
nowhere  can  the  gentlest,  as  well  as  the  noblest,  of  human 
aspirations  be  seen  in  so  many  and  so  varied  forms.  Perfect 
love,  in  its  highest  and  purest  manifestation,  is  here  pictured 
by  a  pencil  wielded  with  exquisite  grace  and  power.  But 
the  great  and  good  actions  of  man  are  not  forgotten.  The 
majestic  summary  of  Roman  history,  placed  in  the  mouth 
of  Justinian,  seems  to  be  spoken  to  the  sound  of  the 
marching  feet  of  triumphant  legions.  Civic  life  in  its 

b 


viii  Preface. 

simple  primitive  condition  is  represented  in  Cacciaguida's 
story  of  old  Florentine  days — a  gem  of  description  of  the 
unworldly  life  of  olden  time.  The  metaphysics  and  theology 
may  seem  tedious  to  modern  unbelievers,  but  they  were 
stern  realities  to  Dante,  and  it  is  from  his  point  of  view 
that  I  have  regarded  those  lofty  subjects,  which  take  up  so 
large  a  space  in  the  following  pages. 

These  volumes,  like  their  predecessors,  are  based  upon 
the  famous  Latin  Commentary  of  Benvenuto  da  Imola,  first 
delivered  as  lectures,  at  Bologna,  in  1375,  and  follow  the 
same  order  and  plan,  which  has  been  to  take  the  text  verse 
by  verse,  to  give  a  faithful  translation,  to  connect  the  nar- 
rative with  a  running  commentary,  to  explain  all  difficulties 
as  they  arise,  and  to  supply  in  numerous  footnotes  a  key  to 
philological,  literary,  and  historical  doubts.  This,  apart 
from  the  notes,  is  very  much  the  system  of  Benvenuto, 
although  he  goes  somewhat  further  and  construes  the 
text  almost  word  by  word.  It  is  the  usual  method  of  oral 
teaching,  and  is  sufficiently  expressed  by  the  title  of 
"  Readings." 

I  have  again  adopted  Dr.  Moore's  Oxford  text,  to  which 
I  have  added  the  accentuation  of  Fraticelli,  welcome,  I 
believe,  to  Italian  eyes.  I  take  this  opportunity  of  ex- 
pressing my  great  obligations  to  Dr.  Moore  for  the  generous 
and  unwearied  assistance  he  has  given  me  during  the  last 
four  years.  It  is  with  deep  gratitude  that  I  have  been  per- 
mitted to  dedicate  these  volumes  to  our  most  distinguished 
English  Dantist 

Again  must  I  record  my  heart-felt  thanks  to  my  friend 
Mr.  H.  R.  Tedder,  the  Secretary  and  Librarian  of  the 
Athenaeum,  who  has  revised  my  work  from  first  to  last.  It 


Preface.  ix 

is  impossible  for  me  to  find  words  to  thank  him  adequately 
for  his  undeviating  kindness  and  patience. 

While  the  plan,  much  of  the  connecting  narrative,  and 
some  of  the  notes,  are  due  to  Benvenuto,  I  have  taken  toll 
of  the  labours  of  many  ancient  and  modern  commentators^ 
whose  writings  are  mentioned  in  the  list  of  authors  con- 
sulted. I  am  unable  to  thank  each  one,  but  I  cannot  avoid 
expressing  my  special  obligations  to  some  recent  publications. 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  congratulate  Dr.  G.  A.  Scartazzini 
upon  the  completion  of  his  learned  Enciclopedia  Dantesca, 
as  well  as  upon  the  last  edition  (1899)  of  his  Edizione  Minore 
of  the  text.  The  invaluable  Dante  Dictionary  of  Mr.  Paget 
Toynbee,  Mr.  E.  G.  Gardner's  charmingly  written  Dante's 
Ten  Heavens,  the  admirable  translations  of  the  Paradiso  by 
Mr.  Charles  Eliot  Norton  and  Mr.  Wicksteed  have  been  of 
great  help. 

To  my  Wife  is  due  the  ample  index,  and  to  her  is  also 
due  my  warm  acknowledgment  of  much  help  and  encourage- 
ment. 

The  Dowager  Duchess  of  Sermoneta  has  kindly  allowed 
me  to  adapt  from  her  late  husband's  Tavole  Dantesche, 
a  coloured  plate  of  the  disposition  of  the  universe. 

I  put  forth  no  claim  to  originality,  except,  perhaps,  as 
regards  the  form  in  which  this  work  is  presented  to  English 
readers.  The  labours  of  others  make  all  that  is  valuable 
herein,  and  foremost  among  those  must  be  ranked  the 
Bishop  of  Ripon,  the  third  distinguished  churchman  who 
has  honoured  me  by  writing  an  Introduction  to  one  of  the 
divisions  of  the  "  Readings."  In  this  beautiful  contribution 
lovers  of  Dante  will  read  a  masterly  sketch,  eloquent  yet 
condensed,  of  the  spirit  in  which  the  Divina  Commedia  was 

b  2 


x  Preface. 

written.  My  own  share  is  based  upon  a  life-long  devotion 
to  the  study  of  Dante's  writings,  many  years  of  which  were 
passed  in  his  own  country,  and  associated  with  those  who 
speak  his  beloved  Tuscan.  In  the  words  of  the  translator 
of  the  De  Proprietatibus  Rerum  of  Bartholomseus  Anglicus, 
"  I  make  protestation  in  the  end  of  this  worke,  as  I  did 
"  in  the  beginning,  that  in  all  that  is  in  divers  matters  con- 
"  teined  in  this  worke,  right  little  or  naught  have  I  set  of 
"  mine  owne,  but  I  have  followed  veritie  and  truth,  and 
"  also  followed  the  wordes,  meaning,  and  sences,  and  com- 
"  ments  of  Holy  Saints  and  Philosophers." 

WILLIAM  WARREN  VERNON. 

The  Athenceum,  Pall  Mall,  S.  W. 
October,  1900. 


INTRODUCTION. 

BY  THE  BISHOP  OF  RIPON  (W.  BOYD-CARPENTER). 


HE  fortunes  of  a  great  work,  like  those  of  a 
great  man,  are  often  romantic.  The  copy- 
right of  Paradise  Lost  was  sold  for  £5,  and 
copies  of  Fitzgerald's  Rubdiydt  of  Omar 
Khayyam  were  offered  in  the  rubbish  box  outside  a 
bookseller's  shop  for  a  penny  each ;  and  there  were 
generations  in  which  there  was  little  or  no  demand 
for  the  Divina  Commedia.  During  the  whole  of  the 
seventeenth  century  there  appear  to  have  been  only 
four  editions  published.  The  ninety  years  which 
followed  were  more  appreciative,  as  twenty-one 
editions  appeared  ;  but  even  this  number  makes 
only  twenty-five  editions  in  a  period  of  nearly  two 
hundred  years.  With  the  age  of  the  Revolution  there 
was  a  sudden  increase  of  public  interest;  for,  in  the 
last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century,  no  fewer  than 
thirteen  editions  of  the  Divine  Comedy  were  brought 
out.  This  revival  of  interest  was  not  confined  to 
Italy;  for  editions  of  the  Divine  Comedy  began 


xii  Introduction. 

to  issue  from  the  press  in  France,  Germany,  and 
England.  As  early  as  1768  an  edition  had  been 
printed  in  Paris,  ten  years  later  one  appeared  in 
London,  and,  of  the  thirteen  editions  which  appeared 
between  1790  and  1800,  two  were  printed  in  Berlin. 
With  the  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century  this  revived 
interest  was  sustained,  as  twelve  editions,  about  half 
of  which  were  published  outside  of  Italy,  made  their 
appearance  before  1810.  From  this  year,  the  popu- 
larity of  the  Poet  steadily  rose ;  the  number  of 
editions  issued  between  1810  and  1820  was  twenty-six; 
between  1820  and  1830  the  number  of  editions  rose  to 
forty-one;  and  between  1830  and  1840  to  forty-three. 
The  total  number  of  editions  which  appeared  between 
1790  and  1845  was  164,  or  six  times  as  many  as  there 
were  issued  in  the  190  years  preceding  the  French 
Revolution.  Such  figures  strikingly  illustrate  tjie  de- 
claration of  Lamartine  :  "  Dante  semble  etre  le  poete 
de  notre  epoque."  The  verdict  is  not  sustained  merely 
by  a  comparison  of  the  number  of  editions.  It  is 
even  more  remarkably  established  by  the  changed 
tone  of  literary  criticism.  Four  or  five  generations 
ago,  not  only  were  editions  of  his  works  little  in 
demand,  but  his  genius  was  disparaged,  and  his  great 
poem  was  spoken  of  in  terms  of  doubt  and  even 
of  derision.  Voltaire  could  only  write  of  him  in 
slighting  and  scornful  terms.  The  poet  whom  Italians 
called  Divine  was,  in  his  view,  a  hidden  divinity. 
The  Divine  Comedy  might  indeed  find  a  place  in 
the  libraries  of  the  great,  but  it  would  remain  neg- 


Introduction.  xiii 

lected  on  the  shelves.  According  to  his  experience 
people  were  ready  enough  to  steal  a  volume  of 
Ariosto,  but  none  ever  purloined  a  volume  of  Dante. 
The  poet,  in  Voltaire's  judgment,  would  owe  his 
reputation  to  the  mystery  which  enveloped  a  work 
of  which  people  spoke  with  respect  because  they 
were  ignorant  of  it.  "  Sa  reputation  s'affermira  tou- 
jours,  parcequ'on  ne  le  lit  guere."  To  La  Harpe,  the 
Divine  Comedy  was  "  un  poe'me  monstrueux  et  rempli 
d'extravagances."  In  his  own  country  Dante  did  not 
fare  well.  There  were  indeed  Italian  scholars  who 
assigned  to  Dante  the  first  place  among  Italian  poets; 
but,  in  the  opening  of  the  present  century,  Alfieri 
complained  that,  even  among  his  countrymen,  the 
readers  of  Dante  were  few  in  number. 

^Three  generations  have  wrought  a  change.  Every- 
where Dante  is  studied,  written  about,  translated  and 
commented  upon.  The  poet's  life,  times  and  works, 
have  been  submitted  to  searching  investigation,  with 
the  result  that  Dante  takes  his  place  unchallenged 
among  the  demi-gods.  Careful  research,  minute  in- 
quiry and  keen  criticism,  have  served  to  bring  his 
genius  into  clearer  light.  He  now  ranks  among  the 
mightiest  of  poets.  It  is,  perhaps,  a  weakness  to 
speak  in  superlatives,  and  he  hazards  too  much  who 
calls  Dante  the  greatest  among  poets,  for  Dante 
lacks  some  qualities  which  the  very  greatest  should 
possess ;  but  it  is  less  hazardous  to  speak  of  the 
Divine  Comedy  as  a  poem  which  holds  a  lonely  and 
unchallenged  place.  He  who  was  not  the  greatest 


xiv  Introduction. 

of  poets  is  yet  the  author,  perhaps,  of  the  greatest 
poem  of  the  world. 

Dante,  in  his  great  work,  displays  many  of  the  far 
reaching  and  varied  gifts  which  belong  to  the  highest 
order  of  poet  —  lofty  imagination,  quick  and  clear 
insight,  close  and  careful  observation  of  men  and 
things,  sound  judgment,  a  happy  sense  of  proportion, 
deep  and  tender  feeling.  He  may  be  said  with  justice 
to  be  lacking  in  humour ;  but,  amid  the  stern  and 
sublime  regions  through  which  he  takes  us,  the  lack 
of  a  quality  whose  exercise  would  be  incongruous  is 
little  missed.  He  is  the  close  observer  of  men  and 
things.  He  is  the  Dante  who  "  saw  everything."  He 
is  one  to  whom  the  flower  unfolding  at  the  kiss  of  sun- 
shine when  the  frosty  night  has  passed  (Inf.  c.  ii),  the 
sight  of  the  cattle  going  peacefully  to  their  rest  at 
sundown  (Inf.  c.  ii),  the  hoarse  voice  of  the  sea  when 
agonized  by  tempest  (Inf.  v,  29,  30),  the  close-clinging 
flight  of  doves  (Inf.  v,  82-84),  were  full  °f  ineffable 
charm.  He  is  one  to  whom  all  the  changing  passions 
of  man's  nature,  his  doubts  and  misgivings,  the  subtle 
changefulness  of  his  moods,  his  strange  despondency, 
his  remorse,  the  liberation  of  his  spirit  into  joy,  were 
worthy  of  the  deepest  reflection.  Stories  of  human 
life,  the  quiet  comedy,  the  startling  tragedy,  and  the 
incident  of  unspeakable  pathos,  are  embedded  in  his 
great  poem  ;  strange  and  heart  moving  tales  are  told 
or  hinted  at  in  a  few  unforgetable  words.  When  we 
study  it  more  deeply,  the  poem,  we  find,  is  full  of 
erudition.  Whatever  was  to  be  known  in  the  learning 


Introduction.  xv 

of  his  times  Dante  knew ;   but,  though  the  poem  is 
full  of  erudition,  it  is  free  from  pedantry.     Weaker 
minds  than  his  would  have  been  encumbered  by  their 
learning ;   vainer  minds  than  his  would  have  debased 
their  art  by  a  vulgar  ripple  of  ostentatious  scholar- 
ship ;   but  Dante  is  master  of  his  learning ;   he  does 
not  clumsily  drag  it  along  with  him ;  he  uses  it  easily 
and  skilfully  as  one  who  has  proved  it ;  he  carries  it 
as  a  warrior  carries  his  weapon.     He  is  saved  from 
the  calamitous  failure  of  the  pedantic  poet,  because 
he  possesses  a  sweet  reasonableness.      He  delights 
us  because,  though  he  dwells  upon  exalted  themes, 
though  he  has  an  eye  that  pierces  heaven,  and  an 
ear  which  can  hear  celestial  melodies  and  words  un- 
speakable, he  maintains  a  right  and  level  judgment. 
His  robust  good  sense  seldom,  if  ever,  deserts  him. 
He  is  a   standing   refutation    of  the   theorists   who 
would  have  us  believe  that  genius  is  allied  to  insanity. 
Like  all  those  who  belong  to  the  first  rank  of  genius 
—  like    Shakespeare,    Milton,    Goethe,   he    possesses 
what    Professor   Dowden    aptly  calls   a  "  large   and 
wholesome  sanity."     He  holds  his  mind  in  calm  self 
possession.      He  seldom  lets  his  judgment  go.     He 
has,  for  example,  a  zeal  for  right  thinking  in  matters 
of  belief,  but  he  stands  firm  upon  the  ethical  basis  of 
faith.    He  has  a  reverence  for  the  Church  of  God,  but 
he  opens   his  eyes  wide  to  real  evils.     None  spoke 
so  clearly  or  solemnly  against  the  corruptions  of  his 
times  ;  none  repudiated  so  completely  the  validity  of 
mere  official  pardons.      He  can  recognize  the  value 


xv  i  Introduction. 

and  need  of  discipline,  but  he  sees  clearly  that  man  is 
incapable  of  finally  judging  of  man  {Par.  xiii,  130- 
142  ;  cf.  iv,  58-62).  He  dislikes  the  extravagant  and 
obstinate  pride  of  consistency.  Jephtha  had  better 
have  said  "  Mai  feci "  than  have  kept  his  rash  vow 
{Par.  v,  67).  He  hates  the  narrowness  and  nascent 
injustice  of  partizanship  (Par.  vi,  101).  Thus  Dante's 
sound  level  sense  holds  its  place  in  his  great  work. 
His  greatness  is  the  greatness,  not  of  great  imagina- 
tive gifts  alone,  nor  of  great  erudition  alone,  nor  of 
sound  judgment  alone,  nor  of  musical  expression 
alone ;  but  of  all  these  mingled  together,  and  made 
to  contribute  their  share  in  his  matchless  work.  This 
means  a  genius  which  can  handle  with  a  master  hand 
the  materials  at  his  command.  His  art  is  not  baffled 
by  reluctant  matter.  To  Dante  "  la  materia  "  non  "  e 
sorda." 

But  the  gift  of  genius,  which  gives  coherence  to 
matter  and  beauty  to  form,  cannot  bestow  the  subtle 
and  immortal  quality  which  reaches  the  hearts  of  men. 
For  this  there  must  be  the  personal  human  element. 
This  personal  element  makes  itself  felt  in  the  poem. 
For  many  readers  the  sweet  human  element  constitutes 
the  charm  of  the  Divine  Comedy.  Ste.  Beuve  acknow- 
ledged that  the  passages  which  awakened  the  quickest 
response  in  his  heart  were  those  which  expressed  the 
dear,  tender,  instinctive  affection  of  Beatrice  guiding 
and  watching  over  the  poet-traveller.  These  touches 
of  simple  human  feeling  appeal  to  the  individual 
heart.  But  these  alone,  sweet  and  delicate  as  they  are, 


Introduction.  *^  xvii 

would  never  have  given  to  the  Divine  Comedy  its 
lasting  and  far  reaching  interest  There  is  a  personal 
element  in  the  poem  deeper  than  a  dear  human  friend- 
ship— deeper  and  more  eternal.  The  poem  is  the 
journey  of  a  soul :  it  is  the  journey  of  one  not  seeking 
adventure  but  meeting  it  in  the  search  for  truth.  It 
is  the  story  of  the  discipline  of  a  much  tried  and 
much  troubled  man.  The  great  '  I '  of  personal 
experience  gives  piquancy,  depth  and  fascination,  to 
the  Divine  Comedy.  In  this  it  is  like  Bunyan's  great 
allegory  that,  beneath  the  form  of  the  narrative,  we 
may  read  the  story  of  a  travailing  soul.  The  great 
and  sombre  pilgrimage  must  be  undertaken  because 
for  Dante  himself  there  was  no  other  way  (Inf.  i,  91). 
Over  the  man  Dante  the  heavenly  powers  watched  in 
sweet  and  loving  solicitude  (Inf.  ii,  124,  125)  into  his 
life  had  come  evils  which  it  was  needful  he  should 
recognize,  and  from  his  former  self  he  must  turn 
completely  away  (Inf.  xxxiv,  76-84)  :  in  the  steep 
ascent  of  the  Purgatory  hill  he  must  learn  to  gain 
the  mastery  over  the  root  faults  which  had  wrought 
him  ill  (Purg.  i,  121-136  ;'  and  xxvii,  31-59) :  he  must 
himself  win  that  self  control  which  meant  the  crown- 
ing of  his  manhood  with  the  crown  and  mitre  of 
lordship  over  self  (Purg.  xxvii,  142).  He  must  be 
quickened  with  the  mysterious  and  heavenly  impulse 
(Par.  i,  1 2 1-6),  which  made  possible  the  movement 
through  the  realms  of  Paradise.  We  meet  in  the  poem 
a  wide  range  of  subjects  —  historical,  philosophical, 
theological  —  but  the  main  thread  of  its  purpose  is 


xviii  Introduction. 

never  lost  sight  of.  The  personal  element  in  the  story 
continues  to  the  close.  As  we  move  from  the  Inferno 
to  the  Purgatorio,  and  pass  on  to  the  Paradiso,  we 
read  the  record  of  the  wandering,  the  awakening,  the 
disciplining,  and  the  emancipation,  of  a  soul.  The 
poem  is  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  of  the  middle-ages. 
Dante  had  experiences  of  life  and  people,  and  he 
expresses  these  with  wondrous  force  and  magnificent 
elaboration,  but  there  are  lessons  which  he  wishes  to 
teach.  Beyond  all  else  there  are  some  deep  truths 
which  he  yearns  to  tell.  Compared  with  these  soul 
truths,  all  the  rest  of  his  poem — to  use  the  comparison 
which,  as  Mr.  W.  Warren  Vernon  reminds  us,  Benve- 
nuto  da  Imola  employed — consists  of  but  bushels  of 
sand.  The  divine  gleam  of  truth  is  the  discovery  of 
the  way  man  may  attain  to  the  true  knowledge  of 
himself  and  of  God  ;  and  it  is  not  till  the  Paradiso  is 
reached  that  this  discovery  is  fully  made. 

The  Inferno  is  the  best  known  portion  of  Dante's 
great  poem  :  the  Paradiso  is  the  least  known.  There 
are  attractions  around  the  Inferno  which  cannot  be 
claimed  for  the  Paradiso.  There  is  a  sense  in  which 
evil  and  its  consequences  are  more  interesting  to  us 
than  good  and  its  fruit.  The  story  of  the  wicked 
leaves  more  opening  for  dramatic  fascination  than  the 
story  of  the  final  rest  and  peace  of  the  good.  The 
steeps  of  the  Purgatorio  are  thronged  with  those  who, 
in  their  struggles  and  aspirations,  are  more  akin 
to  ourselves  than  the  quiet  saints  and  stately  doctors 
of  the  Paradiso.  But  no  reader  can  claim  to  under- 


Introduction.  xix 

stand   Dante   who  does  not  go  with   him    into   the 
Paradiso. 

In  entering  upon  the  study  of  the  Paradiso,  we 
enter  the  Holy  of  Holies  of  the  Divine  Comedy. 
Here,  if  anywhere,  we  need  the  moral  preparedness 
which  is  indispensable  to  the  deeper  apprehension  of 
the  Poet's  meaning.  Dante  himself  warns  off  flippant 
and  worldly-minded  readers.  Only  those  sustained 
by  heavenly  strength  can  wisely  follow. 

Voi  altri  pochi,  che  drizzaste  il  collo 

Per  tempo  al  pan  degli  Angeli,  del  quale 
Vivesi  qui,  ma  non  sen  vien  satollo, 

Metter  potete  ben  per  1'  alto  sale 
Vostro  navigio. 

Paradiso,  ii,  10-14. 

The  visions  here  disclosed  cannot  be  told  in  the  lan- 
guage of  earth  (Par.  i,  4-6),  and  the  earthly  soul 
cannot  enjoy  them  :  that  gladness  is  reserved  for  the 
childlike  in  heart  (Par.  xxx,  73-1 18) ;  those  who  can 
enter  into  this  joy  forget  the  heated  passions  and 
vulgar  interests  of  the  world  (Par.  x,  124-7  >  x'l>  1-12). 
We  are  not  surprised  therefore  to  find  ourselves  in 
the  midst  of  altered  conditions.  The  toil  of  the 
Purgatorio  is  left  behind  :  there  progress  was  effort ; 
in  the  Paradiso  it  is  no  longer  due  to  human  ex- 
ertion, but  to  a  divine  impulse :  the  traveller  has 
but  to  surrender  himself  to  the  happy  conditions 
around  him,  and  a  celestial  power  carries  him  on.  To 
move  upwards  is  now  as  natural  to  the  transfigured 
pilgrim  as  the  fall  of  water  downward  was  natural  on 
earth  : 


xx  Introduction. 

Non  del  piu  ammirar,  se  bene  estimo, 
Lo  tuo  salir,  se  non  come  d'  un  rivo 
Se  d'  alto  monte  scende  giuso  ad  imo. 

Par.  i,  136-8. 

The  power  thus  to  enter  the  new  conditions  depends 
upon  the  change  in  the  pilgrim.  The  man  with  the 
risen  soul  can  rise.  The  spiritualized  being  mounts 
instinctively  Godward,  drawn  by  that  love  to  which  it 
bears  such  sweet  and  strong  affinity  : 

S'  io  era  sol  di  me  quel  che  creasti 

Novellamente,  Amor  che  il  ciel  govern!, 
Tu  il  sai,  che  col  tuo  lume  mi  levasti. 

Par.  i,  73-5. 

The  pilgrim  so  transfigured  can  traverse  the  won- 
derful realm  that  is  full  of  light,  music  and  smiles. 
Light  dwells  there  :  and  the  light  of  that  day  is  seven- 
fold :  but  it  is  light  which  displays  itself  in  such  sweet 
changefulness  that  there  is  no  weariness,  no  monotony, 
no  "  dark  from  excessive  bright."  There  is  movement 
there,  but  it  is  movement  so  rapid  that  it  does  not 
seem  movement.  There  is  rest  there,  but  it  is  not 
stagnation  :  it  is  the  active  rest  of  happily  harmonized 
powers.  There  is  music  there  :  the  air  thrills  with  it, 
but  it  never  bewilders :  it  steals  upon  the  ear  in 
modulated  and  well  discriminated  harmony.  Every- 
where the  heaven  seems  to  smile  : 

Cio  ch'  io  vedeva  mi  sembrava  un  riso 

Dell'  universo —  Par.  xxvii,  4,  5. 

This  is  not  surprising,  for  it  is  the  realm  where  love 
apparels  itself  in  smiles  : 

O  dolce  amor,  che  di  riso  t'ammanti 

Par.  xx,  13  (cf.  ii,  142-144). 


Introduction.  xxi 

And  all  things  there  take  on  an  outward  beauty, 
because  filled  with  the  pure  love  and  unalloyed 
goodness  which  is  at  the  heart  of  things. 

This  is  the  region  into  which  Mr.  W.  Warren  Vernon 
seeks  to  lead  his  readers :  as  a  help  to  which  he  has 
made  this  new  contribution  to  the  literature  of  Dante. 

Dante  literature,  in  the  view  of  an  eminent  publisher, 
is  now  so  voluminous  in  England  that  no  new  book 
has  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success,  unless  it  has 
either  a  great  name  or  exceptional  intrinsic  merit  to 
recommend  it.  The  problem  to-day  is  not  to  find  a 
good  book  on  Dante,  but  to  choose  one  :  selection,  not 
discovery,  is  the  difficulty  which  confronts  the  student. 
In  this  task  Mr.  W.  Warren  Vernon  comes  to  help  us. 
He  brings  the  two  conditions  of  success  which  the 
English  publisher  declares  to  be  necessary.  He  bears 
a  name  long  known  and  reverenced  by  Dante  students, 
both  for  his  father's  sake  and  his  own.<  Few  men  have 

devoted  more  time  to  his  self-chosen  task  :  few  have 

i 

laboured  more  patiently  and  modestly  to  guide  the 
footsteps  of  students.  The  value  of  his  works  is  not 
merely  in  the  careful  and  loyal  devotion  which  they 
display :  it  lies  also  in  the  happy  art  with  which  he 
labours.  He  is  a  teacher,  earnest  to  make  his  pupils 
understand  what  they  are  reading.  /The  student  is  not 
allowed  to  be  slipshod  ;  difficulties  are  not  ignored  : 
they  are  faced  and  discussed,  but  discussion  never 
degenerates  into  prolix  disquisition  ;  the  course  and 
movement  of  the  poem  is  not  forgotten  in  a  desultory 
excursion  into  side  issues;  the  reader  is  being  con- 


xxii  Introduction. 

stantly  brought  back  to  the  mid-stream  of  the  poet's 
thought.  And  when  some  of  us,  who  have  long  been 
students  of  Dante,  remember  the  character  and  quality 
of  the  books  which  awaited  the  beginner  a  quarter  of 
a  century  ago,  we  are  tempted  to  be  envious  of  the 
young  student  of  to-day,  who  can  make  his  first 
excursion  into  the  realms  which  Dante  opens,  under 
the  well-skilled  and  enthusiastic  guidance  of  Mr. 
William  Warren  Vernon,  who  in  these  pages  gives  us 
the  fruits  of  the  long  diligence  with  which  he  has 
studied  the  Poet's  works. 

O  degli  altri  poeti  onore  e  lume, 
Vagliami  il  lungo  studio  e  il  grande  amore 
Che  fn'  ha  fatto  cercar  lo  tuo  volume. 

Inf.  i,  82-84. 

W.  B.  RlPON. 


PRELIMINARY   CHAPTER. 


I.  THE  COSMOGRAPHY  OF  DANTE. — II.  CLASSIFICATION  OF 
THE  SPIRITS  IN  DANTE'S  PARADISE. — III.  THE  IMMEA- 
SURABLE EXTENT  OF  PARADISE.— IV.  DATE  WHEN  THE 
PARADISO  WAS  WRITTEN. — V.  THE  BEAUTIES  OF  THE 
PARADISO.—Vl.  TIME-REFERENCES  IN  THE  PARA- 
DISO.—VII.  DANTE'S  OWN  LIFE  AND  EXPERIENCES, 
AND  TUSCAN  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

I.    THE  COSMOGRAPHY  OF  DANTE. 

THE  whole  system  of  cosmography,  upon  which  Dante  based 
his  visionary  journey  through  the  three  regions  of  departed 
spirits,  is  so  knit  together,  that  it  is  not  easy  to  avoid  repetition 
in  treating  of  it  as  applied  to  one  region  only.  I  find  myself, 
therefore,  compelled  to  repeat  pp.  xxxiii-xxxvi  from  the  Prolego- 
mena in  Readings  on  the  Inferno. 

Before  readers  of  the  Divina  Commedia  can  form  a  just  com- 
prehension of  the  many  allusions  Dante  makes  to  the  structure 
of  the  universe,  it  is  necessary  for  them  to  have  some  notion  of 
the  system  of  cosmography  that  prevailed  in  his  days.  This 
was  known  as  the  Ptolemaic  System,  so  called  from  Ptolemy  of 
Pelusium,  the  celebrated  astronomer,  who  died  A.D.  161. 

To  this  system  Dante  added  certain  creations  of  his  own, 
and  we  shall  find  that  he  has  linked  the  astronomical,  or,  as 
they  were  then  called,  the  astrological,  doctrines  of  the  School- 
men with  an  allegorical  system  that  is  mainly  the  fruit  of  his 
own  imagination. 

The  Earth  is  supposed  to  be  stationary  in  the  centre  of  the 
universe,  and  the  planets  to  revolve  round  it,  within  concentric 

c 


xx  iv  Preliminary  Chapter. 

spheres,  and  in  the  following  order :  (i)  the  Moon :  (ii)  Mercury ; 
(iii)  Venus  ;  (iv)  the  Sun ;  (v)  Mars ;  (vi)  Jupiter ;  and  (vii)  Saturn. 
In  addition  to  these  seven  spheres,  there  are  three  others  still 
more  vast,  namely,  (viii)  the  Starry  Heaven :  (ix)  the  Primum 
Mobile  or  Cielo  Cristallino;  and  last  of  all  (x)  the  Empyrean, 
or  Cielo  Quieto.  Besides  these,  there  are  two  spheres  supposed 
to  belong  to  the  Earth  itself,  namely,  the  Sphere  of  Air,  and  the 
Sphere  of  Fire. 

The  Empyrean,  or  Cielo  Quieto,  is  motionless,  but  the  other 
nine  spheres  revolve  in  their  respective  orbits,  their  movements 
being  directed  by  as  many  choirs  of  Angels,  whom  Dante  styles 
Intelligenze  Celesti,  and  who  are  of  a  greater  or  less  hierarchical 
order,  corresponding  to  the  precedence  of  that  particular  sphere 
of  heaven  which  they  set  in  motion.  The  First  Sphere,  that  of 
the  Moon,  is  moved  by  the  Angels ;  the  Second  by  the  Arch- 
angels; the  Third  by  the  Principalities;  the  Fourth  by  the 
Powers ;  the  Fifth  by  the  Virtues ;  the  Sixth  by  the  Domina- 
tions ;  the  Seventh  by  the  Thrones  ;  the  Eighth  by  the  Che- 
rubim; the  Ninth  by  the  Seraphim  (Par.  xxviii,  98-126). 

"  I  cerchi  primi 
T'  hanno  mostrati  i  Serafi  e  i  Cherubi. 

Quegli  altrt  amor,  che  intorno  a  lor  vonno, 
Si  chiaman  Troni       .... 

L'  altro  ternaro,  che  cosi  germoglia 

Prima  Dominazioni,  e  poi  Virtudi ; 

L'ordine  terzo  cli  Podestadi  ee. 
Poscia  nei  due  penultimi  tripudi. 

Principati  ed  Arcangeli  si  girano  ; 

L' ultimo  e  tutto  d' Angelici  ludi." 

To  the  above  order  of  the  heavens  and  the  hierarchies  of 
Angels,  Dante  adapted  an  allegorical  system  of  his  own,  which 
is  shown  in  the  following  table.  We  shall  see  in  it  that  the 
sciences  of  the  Triviuin  and  the  Quadrivium,  the  philosophical 
and  the  theological  sciences,  are  severally  represented  in  the  ten 
separate  heavens  which  in  their  concentric  orbits  surrounded 
the  earth. 


Preliminary  Chapter. 


xxv 


The  Cosmical  System  accord- 
ing to  the  teaching  of  the 
Schoolmen. 


The  Earth     

The  Waters 

The  Sphere  of  Air 

The  Sphere  of  Fire 

1.  The  Heaven  of  the  Moon 

2.  „  Mercury 
„  Venus 

„  the  Sun 

Mars 


The  Allegorical  System  accord- 
ing to  the  conception  of  Dante 
in  Conv.  ii,  14,  1.  6  et  seg.,  in 
which  he  says  that  we  must 
reflect  upon  a  comparison  be- 
tween the  order  of  the  Heavens 
and  that  of  the  Sciences. 

The  Four  Elements. 


i      P 
J     * 


„  Jupiter 

7-  „  Saturn 

8.  The  Stellar  Heaven       ...    Natural  Science. 

9.  The  Crystalline  Heaven, 

or  Primurtt  Mobile 


Grammar  )  _. 
~.  ,               Sciencesofthe 
Dialectic     \    , 

„,        .          Trwtum. 

Rhetoric     J 

Arithmetic 

Music 

Sciencesofthe 

Geometry 

Quadrivium. 

Astrology 

Moral  Science. 


10.  The  Empyrean,  the  Firm-^  _ 

-Theology, 
ament,  or  Quiet  HeavenJ 

11.  CLASSIFICATION  OF  THE  SPIRITS  IN  DANTE'S  PARADISE. 

The  general  characteristics  of  each  planetary  heaven,  and  its 
occupants,  are  as  follow  : 

The  First  Heaven,  moved  by  Angels  (Angeli],  emblematical 
of  Grammar  (Grammatical),  is  that  of  the  waxing  and  waning 
Moon,  and  is  tenanted  by  Spirits,  whose  wills  were  imperfect 
through  Instability,  and  failed  to  keep  their  holy  vows  (Spiriti 
Votivi  Mancanti), 

The  Second  Heaven,  moved  by  Archangels  (Arcangeli\  em- 
blematical of  Logic  (Dialettica),  is  that  of  Mercury,  "more 
veiled  from  the  Sun's  rays  than  is  any  other  star"  (Conv.  ii,  14, 
11.  99-100),  and  is  tenanted  by  Spirits,  imperfect  through  love  of 
fame,  who  wrought  great  deeds  upon  earth,  but  not  without 
regard  to  the  praise  of  their  fellow-men  (S/iiriii 

C  2 


xxvi  Preliminary  Chapter. 

The  Third  Heaven,  moved  by  Principalities  (Principati), 
emblematical  of  Rhetoric  (Rettorica),  is  that  of  Venus,  "  now 
before  and  now  behind  the  Sun"  (Conv.  ii,  14,  11.  114-115),  and 
is  tenanted  by  Spirits  imperfect  through  excess  of  mere  human 
love  (Spiriti  Amanti\ 

The  Fourth  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Powers  (Potestati},  emble- 
matical of  Arithmetic  (Aritmetica),  is  that  of  the  Sun,  the  chief 
material  light,  and  the  middle  Planetary  Heaven.  It  is  tenanted 
by  the  Spirits  of  those  who  loved  Wisdom,  the  great  spiritual 
and  intellectual  lights  of  Divinity  and  Philosophy  (Spiriti  Sa- 
pienti). 

The  Fifth  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Virtues  (Virtuti\  emble- 
matical of  Music  (Musica),  is  that  of  blood-red  Mars,  and  is 
tenanted  by  Spirits  of  those  who  warred  on  behalf  of  the  Faith 
(Spiriti  Militanti). 

The  Sixth  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Dominations  (Dominazioni), 
emblematical  of  Geometry  (Geometria),  is  that' of  Jupiter,  bril- 
liantly white,  and  is  tenanted  by  Spirits  of  great  Rulers  who 
loved  Justice,  or  were  Lawgivers  (Spiriti  Giudicanti). 

The  Seventh  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Thrones  ( Troni),  emble- 
matical of  Astrology  (Astrologia),  is  the  cold  orbit  of  Saturn, 
and  is  tenanted  by  the  Spirits  of  Monks  and  Hermits  who  lived 
in  the  contemplation  of  holy  things  (Spiriti  Contemplanti). 

The  Eighth  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Cherubim  (Cherubini), 
emblematical  of  Natural  Science  (Scienza  Naturale},  is  that  of 
the  Fixed  Stars,  or  Starry  Heaven.  To  it  descends  the  Triumph 
of  Christ,  and  here  we  find  the  Apostles  and  the  Saints  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament. 

The  Ninth  Heaven,  moved  by  the  Seraphim  (Serafini),  em- 
blematical of  Moral  Science  (Scienza  Morale),  is  that  of  the 
Primum  Mobile,  or  Crystalline  Heaven,  and  in  it  are  seen  the 
nine  Hierarchies  of  Heaven  circling  in  rings  of  fire  round  the 
Atomic  Point  of  surpassing  brilliancy,  which,  we  learn,  is  sym- 
bolical of  the  Unity  of  God. 

The  Tenth  Heaven,  emblematical  of  Divine  Science  (Scienza 
Divina),  is  that  of  the  Empyrean,  the  abode  of  the  Triune  God 
Himself,  and  of  the  Spirits  of  the  Blessed.  Here  all  the  Elect 
have  a  place.  None  of  the  nine  heavens  is  the  true  abode  of 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxvii 

any  spirit.  The  spirits  may  appear  in  these  heavens  to  meet 
Dante,  but  their  real  abiding  place  is  the  Mystical  White  Rose, 
and  here  they  are  seen  in  their  true  forms  sitting  on  thrones 
which  constitute  the  petals  of  the  glorious  flower  of  Heaven. 
The  Rose  includes  both  a  horizontal  and  a  vertical  division. 
The  horizontal  division  is  seen  half  way  up  ;  all  the  blessed 
below  that  line  are  those  who  died  in  infancy,  all  above  it  they 
who  died  in  matured  life.  The  vertical  division  is  seen  at  the 
two  opposite  points  of  the  half  circumference,  the  Spirits  on 
the  left  being  those  who  in  life  had  looked  forward  to  Christ 
Coming,  while  the  Spirits  on  the  right  are  they  who  in  life  had 
looked  backward  to  Christ  Come.  Not  all  the  thrones  in  this 
right-hand  division  are  occupied,  but  the  number  of  places  still 
unoccupied  are  not  many  in  number.  One  great  throne  stands 
empty  awaiting  the  Spirit  of  Henry  VII. 

Up  in  the  farthest  heights  are  manifested  the  glory  of  God 
Himself,  the  mystery  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  and  the  union  of 
the  Divine  with  the  Human  Nature  of  the  Son  of  God. 

III.    THE  IMMEASURABLE  EXTENT  OF  PARADISE. 

Much  has  been  written  about  the  conjectural  dimensions  of 
Dante's  Hell  and  Purgatory,  but  no  attempts  have  ever  been 
made  to  compute  the  limits  of  his  Paradise.  Immensity  is  the 
key-note  of  all  Dante's  conceptions,  and  his  Paradise  extends 
into  the  undefined  and  boundless  expanse  of  the  most  distant 
regions  of  the  universe. 

IV.    DATE  WHEN  THE  PARADISO  WAS  WRITTEN. 

The  probable  dates  between  which  Dante  began  and  ended  his 
composition  of  the  Inferno  and  the  Purgatorio  are  the  subjects 
of  many  treatises,  but  of  the  Paradiso  we  have  had  but  scant 
information.  In  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  240,  241,  I 
have  quoted  the  opinion  of  Scartazzini,  that  Dante  had  most 
likely  been  for  years  accumulating  a  mass  of  materials  for  the 
construction  of  his  great  poem,  in  the  wonderful  symmetry  which 
it  eventually  attained.  He  had  doubtless  arranged  a  skeleton 
form,  the  dry  bones  of  which  he  may  from  time  to  time  have 


xxviii  Preliminary  Chapter. 

clothed  with  flesh.  Perchance  all  the  episodes  and  all  the 
similes  of  the  Commedia  had  been  collected  together  like  so 
many  rare  gems  to  form  a  diadem,  which  he  only  put  together 
in  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life. 

Witte  (Forschungen,  vol.  i,  p.  139)  expresses  a  strong  belief 
that  Dante's  dedication  of  the  Paradiso  to  Cangrande  (Ep.  x) 
was  a  posthumous  work,  which  did  not  see  the  light  in  Dante's 
life-time.  He  sees  no  reason  to  disbelieve  the  statement  of 
Boccaccio,  that  the  last  thirteen  Cantos  of  the  Paradiso  were 
only  discovered  in  a  secret  hiding  place  after  the  death  of  their 
author.  Some  portions  of  the  Paradiso,  beyond  a  doubt,  became 
known  during  Dante's  life,  for  Cecho  d'  Ascoli,  a  poet  who  was 
burnt  alive  at  Florence  in  1327,  in  his  poem  Z'  Acerba,  makes 
more  than  one  allusion  to  passages  which  he  must  have  seen  in 
Dante's  Third  Cantica,  e.  g. 

"  Del  qual  (cielo)  gia  ne  tratto  quel  Florentine 
Che  li  lui  si  condusse  Beatrice." 

{Acerba,  cap.  ii). 

Whatever  be  the  truth  as  to  when  the  Paradiso  was  begun, 
and  when  ended,  I  cannot  believe  that  it  was  only  composed  and 
written  in  the  closing  days  of  Dante's  life.  There  is  in  it  no  trace 
of  haste,  nor  is  it  the  work  of  an  author  whose  best  style  had 
passed  away,  and  who  wrote  in  the  evening  of  his  life.  It  dis- 
plays a  vigour  which  renders  such  a  supposition  impossible, 
and  the  soaring  flights  of  Dante's  lofty  conceptions  reach  in  his 
Paradiso  a  sublimity  that  seem  to  carry  his  readers  through  the 
radiant  portals  of  Heaven  itself.  All  in  it  is  Light — glowing, 
flashing,  dazzling  Light — Light  in  the  bright  regions  through 
which  he  passes — increasing  as  he  is  conveyed  higher  and 
higher  to  one  sphere  more  radiant  than  another.  He  says 
himself  that  the  composition  of  his  great  poem  had  been 
the  labour  of  many  years.  We  read  at  the  end  of  the  Vita 
Nuova  that  this  poem  was  to  be  the  great  object  of  his  life, 
that  in  it  he  might  speak  of  his  Beatrice  as  never  woman  was 
extolled  before,  and  we  can  hardly  believe  that  that  part  of 
the  poem  in  which  her  Apotheosis  is  specially  mentioned  would 
have  been  left  to  the  last. 

Of  course,  from  the  time  of  the  death  of  Henry  VII  in  1313 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxix 

to  Dante's  own  death  in  1321,  much  would  have  to  be  filled  in  or 
altered,  but  it  seems  plain  to  me  that  the  outline  and  principal 
episodes  had  been  written  long  before,  and  indeed  that  they  were 
not  altogether  unknown  to  Dante's  contemporaries. 

The  most  valuable  and  thoughtful  discussion  of  this  interesting 
subject,  I  find  in  a  treatise  by  Professor  Francesco  D'  Ovidio  of 
Naples  entitled  Tre  Discussioni  Dantcsche  (Naples,  1897),  one 
of  which  is  La  data  della  composizione  e  divulgazione  della 
Comntedia,  and  I  am  glad  that  Prof.  D'  Ovidio  has  emphasized 
the  separation  between  the  composition  and  the  publication. 
He  thinks  with  Witte  that  Boccaccio's  story  is  quite  credible, 
and  that  Dante  had  been  struck  down  by  death  before  he  had 
made  a  complete  publication  of  the  whole  Commedia.  But 
(says  Prof.  D'  Ovidio)  that  does  not  mean  that  parts  of  the  poem 
may  not  have  leaked  out,  to  friends,  to  admirers,  or  to  patrons 
of  the  poet.  It  cannot  be  too  strongly  pointed  out  that  in  those 
days  the  issue  of  works  did  not  leave  between  the  published  and 
the  unpublished  that  gulf  which  printing  has  introduced  in  our 
time.  There  was  not  such  a  considerable  difference  between 
the  sending  to  a  friend  the  transcript,  or  part-transcript,  of  a 
book,  and  the  sending  out  many  transcripts  together  of  the  com- 
plete work  at  the  same  time.  Let  us  remember  that  Boccaccio, 
in  order  to  bring  Petrarch  to  condescend  to  read  the  Commedia 
at  all,  felt  himself  obliged  to  send  him  a  copy  written  by  his  own 
hand.  Let  us  remember  that  in  those  days  there  was  no  such 
thing  as  copy-right,  or  at  all  events  not  copy-right  as  at  present 
understood  ;  and  also  that  the  poor  exile  would  no  doubt  feel 
himself  obliged  every  now  and  then  to  send  to  his  protectors 
an  occasional  specimen  of  his  genius,  lest  they  might  think  that 
his  mind  was  a  barren  soil. 

We  have  learned  in  the  precious  correspondence  between 
Dante  and  Giovanni  del  Virgilio  that  the  latter  was  acquainted 
with  the  passage  in  the  Inferno  where  Dante  describes  himself 
as  one  of  the  six  poets  in  Limbo;  also  of  the  part  assigned  to 
Statius,  and  about  the  river  Lethe,  in  the  Purgatorio.  Allusion, 
too,  is  made  to  the  comic  recitations  that  were  being  made  by 
street  singers  of  the  satirical  hits  that  had  become  known,  and 
Dante,  we  read,  promises  Giovanni  del  Virgilio  to  send  him  ten 


xxx  Preliminary  Chapter. 

Cantos  of  the  Pdradiso;  alluding  at  the  same  time  to  the  Inferno 
and  Purgatorio  as  works  completed  and  published.  Most  sig- 
nificant is  the  following : 

"  quum  mundi  circumflua  corpora  cantu 
Astricolaeque  meo,  velut  infera  regna,  patebunt, 
Devincire  caput  hedera  lauroque  juvabit." 

This  Prof.  D'Ovidio  paraphrases  thus :  "  It  will  be  my  delight 
to  crown  myself  with  laurel  when  in  my  verses  shall  have  been 
unveiled  the  revolving  bodies  of  the  universe  and  the  companies 
of  the  Saints,  as  have  already  been  unveiled  the  realms  below, 
that  is,  when  I  shall  also  have  completed  the  Paradiso."  The 
\\orApatebunt  beyond  a  doubt  indicates  that,  about  1318-19,  the 
two  first  Cantiche  were  finished,  and  it  implies  that  they  were 
more  or  less  known ;  but  Dante  was  not  satisfied  without  having 
added  to  them  the  third,  and  only  could  expect  renown  when 
his  whole  work  should  have  been  completed. 

Giovanni  del  Virgilio  takes  Dante  to  task  for  casting  such 
pearls  before  swine,  as  to  allow  the  solemn  contents  of  his  poem 
to  go  forth  to  the  lower  orders  in  the  common  dialect  of  the 
country,  instead  of  retaining  it  sacred  for  students  in  Latin,  the 
language  of  the  cultured  literary  world.  All  this  indicates  that 
parts  of  the  Commedia  were  so  well  known  at  the  time,  that  the 
very  street  singers  had  got  hold  of  them.  Petrarch  seems  to 
have  written  very  contemptuously  to  Boccaccio  about  it,  sar- 
castically compassionating  Dante  for  being  read  among  idiotic 
people  in  the  taverns  and  open  squares,  tossed  about  by  the 
breezes  of  popular  applause,  the  delight  of  washerwomen,  of 
tavern-keepers,  and  corporals  (sic). 

There  are  two  sonnets  of  the  Venetian  poet  Giovanni  Quirini, 
in  one  of  which  he  sends,  as  a  loan  to  a  friend,  //'  libra  di  Dante, 
begging  him  to  take  great  care  of  it ;  but  it  is  not  clear  from  it 
whether  Dante  was  still  alive.  In  the  other  he  supplicates  some 
great  personage,  most  probably  Cangrande,  to  come  to  a  decision, 
and  publish  to  the  world  Dante's  third  Caniica.  The  following 
are  the  lines : 

"  lo  sono  un  vostro  fedel  servidore 

bramoso  di  veder  la  gloria  santa 
del  Paradise  ch'el  poeta  canta  ; 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxxi 

onde  vi  prego  che  di  cotal  pianta 

mostrar  vi  piaza  i  be'  fioretti  fore, 
che  e'  dan  fructo  degno  al  suo  fatore. 
Lo  qual  intese,  et  so  cK  intende  ancore, 

che  di  voi  prima  per  lo  mondo  spanta 
agli  ahn  fosse  questa  ovra  cotanta." 

This  need  not  necessarily  mean  that  Dante  was  still  alive, 
otherwise  why  did  not  Quirino  write  direct  to  him?  The 
words  so  cK  intende  ancore  rather  point  to  Quirini's  friendly 
presumption  of  being  himself  the  safe  interpreter  of  Dante  now 
that  Dante  is  dead.  The  words  imply :  "  He  intended  when  he 
was  alive,  and  my  heart  tells  me  that  he  still  has  the  same 
intention  up  there  in  heaven,  that  you  should  be  the  publisher 
of  his  third  Cantica."  Otherwise  the  use  of  the  two  tenses 
intende  and  intese  would  be  entirely  superfluous.  In  short, 
one  may  gather  from  this  episode  that,  when  Quirini  wrote  his 
sonnet,  perhaps  in  sorrow  for  the  quite  recent  death  of  Dante, 
and  in  intense  anxiety  lest  Italy  should  lose  the  completion  of 
his  great  work,  the  Inferno  and  Purgatorio  were  widely  known, 
if  not  actually  published  ;  so  that  the  anxiety  of  Quirini,  as 
an  admirer  of  Dante,  must  have  been  for  the  literary  fate  of 
the  Paradiso  alone. 

Prof.  D'Ovidio  scouts  the  idea  promulgated  by  certain  learned 
authorities,  that  Dante  only  sat  down  to  write  his  poem  after  the 
death  of  Henry  VII.  In  that  case  the  many  years  (piu  anni) 
of  study,  devoted  to  the  Sacred  Poem,  which,  in  his  words 
(Par.  xxv)  had  made  him  lean  (macro),  would  be  reduced  to 
six  or  seven  ;  but  it  is  incredible  that  he  should  have  deferred, 
till  his  forty-eighth  year,  the  commencement  of  a  poem  con- 
ceived in  his  early  youth,  and  which  was  both  the  aspiration 
of  his  heart  and  the  hope  of  his  life. 

The  work  in  its  entirety  certainly  did  not  issue  till  after 
Dante's  death,  but  it  is  evident  that  he  allowed  passages  here 
and  there,  even  of  the  Paradiso,  to  become  known  ;  and  it  is 
certain  that  it  could  only  be  after  the  year  1313  that  the  finish- 
ing touches  could  have  been  put  to  either  of  the  three  Cantiche. 


xxxii  Preliminary  Chapter. 

V.    THE  BEAUTIES  OF  THE  PARADISO. 

The  Paradise  has  the  name  of  being,  and  is,  by  far  the  most 
difficult  and  obscure  of  the  three  parts  of  the  Divine  Comedy. 
Ordinary  readers  are  arrested  in  their  progress  by  the  number 
of  metaphors  and  allegories ;  by  the  arrangement  of  the 
Heavenly  Spheres  according  to  the  now  obsolete  Ptolemaic 
system,  and  more  than  all,  by  philosophical  and  theological 
expositions.  Even  Dante's  own  son  Pietro  seems  to  have 
shrunk  from  solving  some  of  the  intricate  problems  discussed 
by  his  father,  for  in  his  own  commentary  on  the  Commedia,  at 
the  end  of  Canto  ii  of  the  Paradise,  he  remarks :  "  Alia  per  te 
vide,  immo  omnia,  quia  nil  vidi,  nee  intellexi." 

With  the  exception  of  the  three  Cantos  relating  to  Caccia- 
guida,  and  a  few  other  episodes  which  bring  us  down  again  to 
Earth,  the  Paradiso  will  be  less  acceptable  to  the  ordinary 
reader,  than  to  those  who  delight  in  lofty  rhythm  and  super- 
natural contemplations.  For  these  latter,  as  Dante  himself  tells 
us  (Par.  ii,  1-15)  was  this,  his  third  Cantica,  written,  and  they 
specially  will  find  in  it  a  treasure  of  the  most  exalted  and  sooth- 
ing consolations,  harbingers  of  those  of  the  future  Paradise. 

But  these  are  not  the  only  excellences  of  the  Paradiso,  and 
the  non-philosophical  reader  will  find  in  it  passages  of  rare  and 
matchless  beauty.  Among  others  we  may  mention,  what  Mr. 
Gardner  (Dante  Primer,  p.  124)  terms  the  superb  prologue  of 
stately  music,  in  which  the  poet  sings  of  the  glory  of  the  First 
Mover,  and  prays  for  light  and  inspiration  to  complete  this 
third  and  most  arduous  portion  of  his  divine  poem  (Canto  i); 
Dante's  interview  with  Piccarda  de'  Donati,  a  passage  as  replete 
with  pathos  and  tenderness  as  anything  he  ever  wrote  (Canto  iii); 
the  beautiful  simile  of  the  spirits  in  the  Sphere  of  Mercury 
thronging  round  Dante  like  fish  round  food  thrown  into  their 
pond  (Canto  v);  the  interview  with  Justinian  and  the  magnifi- 
cent description  of  the  progress  of  the  Roman  Eagle  (Cantos  v 
and  vi) ;  the  history  of  Rome'o,  the  upright  and  great  statesman 
ill-requited  by  the  Count  of  Provenge  (Canto  vi);  the  noble 
words  of  Dante's  friend  Charles  Martel,  once  the  titular  King 
of  Hungary,  in  which  he  alludes  to  the  Sicilian  Vespers  (Canto 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxxiii 

viii) ;  Dante's  interview  with  Cunizza  da  Romano  when  she 
foretells  the  sorrows  that  will  befall  her  native  land  (Canto  ix) ; 
the  regulated  movement  and  chanting  of  the  great  Theologians 
compared  to  the  movement  and  chimes  of  a  clock  (Canto  x) ;  the 
seraphic  fervour  of  St.  Francis  compared  to  the  cherubic  light  of 
St.  Dominic,  and  the  beautiful  description  of  the  life  of  the  former 
(Canto  xi);  Dante's  ascent  into  the  Heaven  of  Mars,  and  the 
Warrior  Spirits  in  the  form  of  a  Heavenly  Cross  (Canto  xiv); 
the  noble  Canto  of  Cacciaguida  and  the  description  of  ancient 
Florence  (Canto  xv);  the  old  families  (Canto  xvi);  Cacciaguida's 
prediction  of  the  sorrows  of  Dante's  future  life  (Canto  xvii) ; 
the  evil  rulers  of  Europe  reprehended  by  the  mouth  of  the  Eagle 
(Canto  xix) ;  Pier  Damiano's  description  of  his  Monastery  on 
Monte  Catria  (Canto  xxi) ;  Beatrice  compared  to  a  bird  watching 
for  the  dawn,  the  glorious  Vision  of  the  Triumph  of  Christ,  and 
the  Apotheosis  of  the  Virgin  (Canto  xxiii) ;  the  lines  of  infinite 
pathos  and  beauty  in  which  Dante  expresses  his  supreme  hope 
that  the  recognition  of  his  great  poem  may  some  day  earn  for 
him  a  recall  from  banishment  (Canto  xxv) ;  the  exquisite  hymn 
sung  by  the  Heavenly  Host  in  the  Stellar  Heaven,  and  St.  Peter's 
denunciation  of  his  unworthy  successors  (Canto  xxvii);  the  re- 
prehension by  Beatrice  of  the  preachers  of  Dante's  time  and  of 
the  sale  of  Indulgences  (Canto  xxix) ;  the  Empyrean,  the  River 
of  Light,  the  Heavenly  Rose,  and  the  empty  throne  awaiting 
Henry  VII  (Canto  xxx);  Beatrice's  return  to  her  seat  in  the 
Rose,  and  the  glory  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  (Canto  xxxi);  and 
finally  St.  Bernard's  beautiful  prayer  to  the  Virgin,  and  Dante's 
sublime  vision  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 

VI.  TIME  REFERENCES  IN  THE  PARADISO. 
There  is  little  reference  to  time  in  Dante's  third  Cantica  which 
can  be  spoken  of  with  any  certainty.  We  believe  that  he  returned 
from  Eunoe  at  noon  on  Wednesday  in  Easter  week,  and  that  he 
and  Beatrice  began  to  ascend  from  the  Earthly  Paradise  into 
Heaven  at  that  same  hour.  There  are  two  references  to  time, 
but  rather  of  a  doubtful  nature,  in  Par.  xxii,  151-153  ;  and  xxvii, 
77-87 ;  which  are  discussed  with  great  erudition  by  Dr.  Moore 
in  the  Italian  version  of  his  Time  References  (Gli  Accenni  al 


xxxiv  Preliminary  Chapter. 

Tempo  nella  Divina  Comtnedia,  Florence,  1900),  pp.  144-156. 
Dante  is  thought  by  some  to  have  taken  twenty-four  hours  to 
ascend  through  the  Spheres  into  the  Empyrean,  and  to  have 
awoke  from  his  vision  on  the  morning  of  Easter  week  in  our 
world,  thereby  taking  seven  days  for  the  time  supposed  to  have 
been  occupied  by  him  in  making  his  mystical  journey  through 
the  three  Realms  of  the  unseen  world. 

VII.    DANTE'S  OWN  LIFE  AND  EXPERIENCES,  AND  TUSCAN 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 

In  reading  the  Divina  Commedia,  one  is  constantly  met  with 
references  to  the  life  and  feelings  of  the  Poet  himself,  which 
merit  respectful  attention.  These  references  have  many  illus- 
trations in  the  traditional  stories  relating  to  Dante,  which  enlist 
our  sympathy  and  approval.  There  are  two  classes  of  writers 
on  Dante,  different  in  their  mode  of  dealing  with  the  recorded 
events  of  his  life.  My  own  preference  is  with  those  who  display 
a  tender  regret  in  abandoning  any  long-cherished  tradition  or 
episode,  where  close  and  impartial  investigation  has  failed  to 
convince  them  of  its  authenticity.  Their  gentle  handling  of  the 
subject  contrasts  pleasantly  with  what  one  may  be  tempted  to 
call  the  note  of  brutal  exultation  with  which  the  other  class  of 
writers,  both  English  and  foreign,  are  apt  to  trumpet  their 
success,  if  able  to  throw  doubts  upon  some  hitherto  well-estab- 
lished belief,  when  following  Dante  through  the  hidden  paths  of 
his  exiled  life. 

How  much  posterity  owes  to  Dante's  sorrows  !  Had  Beatrice 
not  died  during  his  early  life,  had  he  not  been  visited  with  that 
cruel  injustice  which  made  him  a  wanderer  over  the  face  of  the 
earth — which  made  him  to  eat  of  other  men's  bread,  and  to 
ascend  and  descend  other  men's  stairs* — the  world  of  letters 
would  have  been  the  poorer  by  some  of  its  choicest  treasures. 

" £  si  consolante /"  was  once  remarked  to  me  about  Dante 
by  Sir  James  Lacaita.  The  man,  who  had  so  sorrowed  himself, 

*  "  Tu  proverai  si  come  sa  di  sale 

Lo  pane  altrui,  e  com'  e  duro  calle 

Lo  scendere  e  il  salir  per  1'  altrui  scale." 

(Par.  xvii,  58-60). 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxxv 

has  left  in  his  writings  comfort  and  consolation  to  many  a 
sorrowing  heart,  among  those  who  read  him  in  modern  times. 
Though  his  sorrow  may  have  embittered  his  life — though  his 
unmerited  wrongs  may  have  armed  his  pen  with  shafts  of  satire 
that  will  for  all  time  wound  the  fame  of  the  unworthy  perpetrators 
of  those  wrongs,  yet  who  can  doubt  that  that  very  sorrow, 
crushing  as  it  did  all  the  brightness  and  happiness  of  his  life, 
brought  out  all  that  was  sweetest  and  best  in  his  noble  character? 

And  while  our  feelings  of  wrathful  indignation  are  on  the  one 
hand  aroused  against  that  unnatural  Florence,  which  dealt  so 
hardly  with  the  greatest  of  her  sons  ;  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  we 
find  that  Dante's  own  eager  yearnings  after  the  city  of  his  birth, 
to  which,  up  to  the  moment  of  his  latest  breath,  he  still  hoped 
to  return,  have  made  us  love  that  Florence  for  his  sake. 

As  I  often  remarked  in  these  volumes,  one  leading  fact  too 
often  lost  sight  of,  should  always  be  kept  in  view,  namely,  that 
Dante  was  a  Florentine,  and  wrote  for  Tuscans.  Their  beautiful 
language,  with  its  boundless  wealth  of  idioms  and  matchless 
grace  of  pronunciation,  was  that  of  his  divine  Comedy.  Every 
ivord  of  his  great  poem  had  a  set  purpose,  and  must  be  investi- 
gated from  the  Tuscan  point  of  view,  rather  than  from  that  of 
the  poorer  language  of  Piedmont  and  Lombardy.  The  most 
homely  utensils  of  domestic  furniture  in  Tuscany  were  brought 
in  to  serve  the  purpose  of  his  simile.  Take  one  instance — the 
familiar  conca,  the  earthenware  pan  for  containing  lye,  so  well 
known  in  every  Tuscan  household,  the  almost  conical  shape  of 
which  serves  him  to  describe  the  shape  of  Hell  (Inf.  ix,  16). 
Take  the  rosta,  the  wattle-screen  on  the  Pistojan  hills,  which 
guards  the  chestnut  crop  in  the  woods  from  being  swept  away 
by  a  sudden  mountain  flood,  but  which  in  the  Forest  of  Woe 
(Inf.  xiii,  117)  is  represented  as  unable  to  stand  up  against  the 
frenzied  flight  of  the  unhappy  shades  of  the  Brigata  Spender- 
eccia,  the  wanton  squanderers  of  their  own  substance.  These 
are  but  two  instances  taken  at  hazard,  the  one  from  the  domestic 
life  of  the  townspeople,  the  other  from  that  of  the  peasantry  of 
Dante's  ever  remembered,  ever  regretted  country. 

In  Inf.  xxix,  74,  he  compares  the  fever-stricken  shades  of  the 
Falsifiers  of  Metals,  propping  themselves  one  against  the  other, 


xxxvi  Preliminary  Chapter. 

to  a  group  of  stewpans  standing  close  together  over  the  fire. 
This  simile  is  not  borrowed  from  the  kitchens  of  great  people. 
Dante  did  not  write  for  such  as  Lucullus  and  Apicius  only,  and 
his  comparisons  had  to  be  taken  from  the  most  common  objects. 

Again,  when  describing  the  grievous  torment  these  shades 
were  undergoing  from  the  irritation  of  skin  disease,  he  likens 
their  frantic  efforts  to  get  relief,  to  the  curry-combing  of  a  horse 
by  a  groom,  or  to  the  scaling  of  a  fish  by  a  cook.  The  familiar 
aspect,  existing  to  this  day  in  Italy,  of  blind  beggars  sitting  on 
the  ground  outside  the  doors  of  the  Churches,  leaning  against 
each  other,  comes  back  to  his  mind  when  in  Purg.  xiii,  61-63, 
he  depicts  the  blinded  spirits  of  the  Envious  sitting  in  that  very 
attitude.  The  malaria  of  the  Tuscan  Maremma,  and  the  futile 
attempts  (of  those  days)  to  cure  it  by  drainage,  are  cited  ;  as  is 
in  another  place  the  insalubrious  valley  of  the  Chiana,  whose 
sluggish  course  formed  marshes  so  pestiferous  that,  in  Dante's 
time,  not  only  had  branch  hospitals  to  be  established  all  over  the 
district,  but  we  are  told  that  these  became  so  overcrowded, 
between  July  and  September,  that  the  sick  used  to  be  laid  along 
the  sides  of  the  roads. 

In  Purg.  xxii,  49,  the  word  rimbeccare,^.  term  in  Italian  Tennis 
(Pallone}  for  "to  return  the  ball"  (Fr.  riposter),  may  suggest  to 
Dante's  readers  that  he  was  familiar  with  the  ancient  Tuscan 
game  of  Pallone,  from  which  Tennis  was  derived. 

In  Inf.  xxvi  (opening  lines)  the  fire-flies  in  a  summer  night 
are  described  with  such  accuracy  as  well-nigh  to  make  one 
believe  oneself  on  a  Tuscan  hill-side. 

It  has  been  remarked,  of  the  Personality  of  Dante,  by  a 
French  writer,*  that  in  most  works  of  travel,  apart  from  an 
occasional  romantic  incident  or  some  reminiscence  of  sufferings 
heroically  borne,  our  imagination  is  stirred  most  by  the  dis- 
coveries that  have  been  made,  the  populations  that  have  been 
encountered,  etc.,  and,  thanks  to  the  habitual  modesty  of  our 
great  explorers,  their  own  personalities  are  either  minified  or 
effaced  before  the  vast  pictures  which  they  unroll  before  our  eyes. 


*  La  Personne  de  Dante  dans  la  Divine  Com&lie,  par  Max.   Durand 
Fardel,  Paris,  1896. 


Preliminary  Chapter.  xxxvii 

But  the  Divine  Comedy  is  Dante  himself.  If  there  exists  a  work 
from  which  it  is  impossible  to  separate  for  one  instant  the 
presence  of  its  author,  it  is  indeed  this  one.  Dante  is  unceas- 
ingly present — he  is  indeed  scarcely  absent  in  a  single  line — he 
is  at  the  same  time  the  hero  and  the  chief  actor  in  its  scenes. 
He  compels  us  to  feel  the  full  force  of  his  wonderments  and  of 
his  terrors,  of  his  emotions  of  pity,  as  well  as  his  moments  of 
indignation  and  wrath.  It  is  with  him  that  we  undergo  the  glare 
of  the  flames  of  Hell,  with  him  that  we  shiver  in  the  icy  blasts 
of  Cocytus.  Were  once  his  presence  removed,  in  an  instant  the 
illusive  image,  which  had  kept  our  hearts  and  minds  in  subjection, 
would  vanish  likewise.  It  is  among  the  torments  of  Hell  and 
the  penances  of  Purgatory  that  we  see  Dante  in  all  his  humanity. 
His  flight  from  the  wild  beasts  ;  his  horror  on  first  witnessing 
the  sufferings  of  the  damned,  which  caused  him  twice,  during 
his  single  night  in  Hell,  to  swoon  away  ;  his  outbursts  of  rage 
against  some  of  the  most  vile  and  contemptible  characters  ;  the 
rousing  of  his  family  pride  on  hearing  his  ancestors  disparaged ; 
his  tender,  gentle  compassion  for  the  renowned  Imperial  Chan- 
cellor, Pier  delle  Vigne  (like  himself  victim  of  Envy  and 
Calumny) ;  his  sympathetic  treatment  of  his  old  master  in 
science,  Brunetto  Latini,*  as  well  as  of  his  companions  in  guilt, 
the  three  great  Florentines. 

In  Purgatory,  too,  we  see  Dante's  humanity  even  more  strongly 
exhibited.  His  sense  of  shame  at  being  compelled  to  exchange 
his  slow  dignified  walk  for  a  quick  run  ;  his  breathlessness  when 
climbing  up  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Mountain  ;  his  drowsiness 
on  the  approach  of  each  successive  night  of  the  three  days  he 
spent  on  the  mountain  of  Purgatory  ;  his  self-consciousness  of 
his  sin  of  Pride  ;  his  swoon  on  being  rebuked  by  Beatrice  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Lethe — all  reveal  him  to  us  as  the  Man, 
with  all  his  emotions,  all  his  impulses  and  all  his  failings. 

There  is  one  quality  that  he  exhibits  in  himself,  which  is  a 

*  Brunetto  Latini  "is  commonly  supposed  (from  a  misunderstanding 
of  Inf.  xv,  82-85)  to  have  been  Dante's  master,  which  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  word  he  cannot  have  been,  since  he  was  about  55  when 
Dante  was  bom  "  {Dictionary  of  Works  of  Dante,  by  Paget  Toynbee, 
Oxford,  1898,  s.  v.  Brunetto). 


xxxviii  Preliminary  Chapter. 

singular  contrast  to  the  character  tradition  gives  him  of  having 
fought  as  a  brave  soldier  at  the  battle  of  Campaldino,  and  that 
is,  his  pusillanimity  (if  the  expression  is  not  too  strong)  whilst 
journeying  through  Hell  and  Purgatory.  He  is  always  afraid  ; 
he  is  continually  relating  his  fears.  He  clutches  hold  of  Virgil 
in  frantic  terror,  he  hides  himself  behind  his  shoulders. 

Two  curious  pictures  he  gives  us  of  the  barbarous  punish- 
ments of  his  times.  The  one,  where  he  minutely  describes  the 
custom  then  prevalent  of  binding  a  robber  to  a  stake,  and  after- 
wards planting  him  head  downwards  in  a  hole  dug  for  the 
purpose ;  and  how  the  friar  bent  down  to  hear  the  confession 
of  the  inverted  malefactor,  before  the  moment  when  the  hole 
would  be  filled  up  and  the  victim  choked. 

The  other  picture  is  when  Virgil,  in  obedience  to  the  call  of 
the  Angel,  urges  Dante  to  walk  through  the  zone  of  fire  which 
alone  separates  him  from  the  stairway  to  the  Earthly  Paradise 
where  he  is  to  meet  Beatrice.  All  Dante's  horror-struck  feel- 
ings are  aroused  to  the  highest  degree,  and  his  highly-wrought 
imagination  recalls  the  ghastly  and  sickening  details  he  has 
witnessed  of  criminals  being  burned  at  the  stake ;  nor  must  we 
forget  that  his  mind  would  have  good  cause  to  dwell  upon  this, 
seeing  that  he  had  himself  been  condemned  (in  contumaciaiii) 
to  die  that  same  horrible  death,  should  he  ever  again  fall  into 
the  hands  of  those  relentless  foes,  who  were  making  his  beloved 
Florence  a  Hell  upon  earth.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  touching 
incident  of  his  life,  that  when  he  had  already  attained  to  the 
first  rank  as  a  man  of  letters ;  when  his  learning  and  science 
had  earned  for  him  a  world-wide  reputation,  he  could  yet,  in 
those  lines  of  infinite  pathos  and  beauty  (Par.  xxv,  1-9)  exclaim 
that  the  dearest  thing  he  could  hope  for  on  earth  would  be,  that 
the  recognition  of  his  great  poem  might  earn  for  him  a  recall 
from  banishment,  in  order  that,  returning  home,  and  kneeling 
humbly  in  the  beautiful  place  of  his  baptism,  which  he  else- 
where calls  il  mio  bel  San  Giovanni  (Inf.  xix),  he  might  there, 
and  there  only,  receive  the  laurel  crown  of  a  poet.  In  compari- 
son with  the  joy  of  being  re-admitted  into  his  native  city — but 
re-admitted  without  dishonour — all  earthly  distinctions  in  his 
eyes  were  valueless. 


Preliminary  CJiapter.  xxxix 

He  had  apparently  travelled  in  foreign  countries,  without  how- 
ever contracting  any  love  for  foreign  nations,  i.e.  where  he  speaks 
of  them  collectively  as  nations.  Germans,  Prisons,  Spaniards, 
are  mentioned  with  more  or  less  indifference,  but  the  French  he 
evidently  regarded  as  the  real  enemies  of  his  country,  on  account 
of  whom  the  matrons  of  Florence  lay  deserted  in  their  beds,* 
France  having  drawn  away  their  husbands,  either  for  commerce 
or  for  war ;  and  to  the  French  he  makes  allusion,  sometimes  in 
derision  of  their  vanity,  but  far  oftener  as  to  their  being  the  true 
disturbers  of  the  peace  of  his  beloved  Italy. 

His  world  is  Italy — his  State  is  Tuscany — his  city  is  Florence. 

*  Par.  xv,  118-120. 


DANTE'S   ITINERARY  THROUGH   PARADISK. 

Canto  1. 

Easter  Wednes-    I.  Immediately  after  Dante's  return  from  the  holy  water  of 
day,  at  noon.  Eunoe  (Purg.  xxxiii,  142),  he  observes  that  it  is  bright 

day  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere,  and  black  night  in  the 
Northern  Hemisphere. 

"  Tutto  era  la  bianco 
Quello  emisperio,  e  1'  altra  parte  nera." 

2.  Dante,  like  Beatrice,  is  able  to  gaze  upon  the  Sun's  rays. 

"  Cost  dell'  atto  suo,  per  gli  occhi  infuso 
Nell'  imagine  mia,  il  mio  si  fece, 
E  fissi  gli  occhi  al  sole  oltre  a  nostr'  uso." 

3.  Dante,  awe-struck  at  the  extraordinary  increase  of  sun- 

light around  him,  is  informed  by  Beatrice  that  he  is 
being  carried  up  from  earth  into  heaven. 
" '  Tu  non  se'  in  terra,  si  come  tu  credi ; 

Ma  folgore,  fuggendo  il  proprio  sito, 
Non  corse  come  tu  ch'ad  esso  riedi.'" 

Canto  II. 

1.  Dante  finds  himself  in  a  pale  shimmering  light. 

"  Giunto  mi  vidi  ove  mirabil  cosa 
Mi  torse  il  viso  a  se." 

2.  He  has  reached  the  first  planet,  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon. 

'"Drizza  la  mente  in  Dio  grata,'  mi  disse, 
'Che  n'ha  congiunti  con  la  prima  Stella.'" 

Canto  III. 

I.  Dante  discerns  the  faces  of  certain  beings  before  him,  but 
so  dimly,  that  he  thinks  they  are  but  reflections  of  real 
images  behind  him. 

"Tali  vid'io  piu  facce  a  parlar  pronte, 

Perch'  io  dentro  all'  error  contrario  corsi 

A  quel  ch'  accese  amor  tra  1'  uomo  e  il  fonte." 


Itinerary.  xli 

2.  Beatrice  tells  him  that  they  are  real  spirits  of  those  who 

have  failed  to  keep  holy  vows. 

" '  Vere  sustanzie  son  cio  che  tu  vedi, 
Qui  rilegate  per  manco  di  voto.' " 

3.  Dante  addresses  the  spirit  of  his  kinswoman,  Piccarda 

de'  Donati. 

"  Ed  io  all'  ombra,  che  parea  piu  vaga 

Di  ragionar,  drizza'  mi,  e  cominciai, 
Quasi  com'  uom  cui  troppa  voglia  ismaga." 

4.  Piccarda  tells  Dante  who  she  was. 

" '  Ma  riconoscerai  ch'  io  son  Piccarda ! ' " 

5.  And  why  she  and  her  fellow  spirits  have  been  relegated 

so  low  down  in  heaven. 

"'E  questa  sorte,  che  par  giu  cotanto, 

Pero  n'  e  data,  perch&  fur  negletti 
Li  nostri  voti,  e  voti  in  alcun  canto.'" 

6.  But  that  they  are  perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  God. 

"'Frate,  la  nostra  volonta  quieta 

Virtu  di  carita,  che  fa  volerne 

Sol  quel  ch'  avemo,  e  d'  altro  non  ci  asseta.'  " 

7.  One  of  her  companions  is  the  spirit  of  the  Empress  Con- 

stance. 
"'  Quest'  &  la  luce  della  gran  Costanza.'" 

Canto  IV. 

1.  Two  doubts  are  perplexing  Dante :    Beatrice  tells  him 

what  they  are. 

" '  Io  veggio  ben  come  ti  tira 
Uno  ed  altro  disio.'" 

2.  Her  words  have  emanated  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  the 

Fountain  of  all  Truth. 

"  Cotal  fu  P  ondeggiar  del  santo  rio, 

Ch'  usci  del  fonte  ond'  ogni  ver  deriva  ; 
Tal  pose  in  pace  uno  ed  altro  disio." 

3.  Dante  tells  Beatrice  of  a  further  doubt. 

'"Questo  m' in  vita,  questo  m'assicura, 

Con  riverenza,  donna,  a  domandarvi 
D'  un'altra  veritk  che  m'  6  oscura.' " 


Canto  V. 

\.  Having  removed  Dante's  further  doubt  concerning  the 
binding  force  of  vows,  Beatrice  subsides  into  silence, 
and  Dante  also  remains  speechless. 

d  2 


xlii  Itinerary. 

"  Lo  suo  tacere  e  il  trasmutar  sembiante 

Poser  silenzio  al  mio  cupido  ingegno, 
Che  gia  nuove  question!  avea  davante." 

2.  They  quit  the  sphere  of  the  Moon,  and  ascend  into  that 

of  Mercury. 

"  E  si  come  saetta,  che  nel  segno 

Percote  pria  che  sia  la  corda  queta, 
Cosi  corremmo  nel  secondo  regno." 

3.  They  are  accosted  by  the  spirits  of  those  who,  in  their 

lifetime,  were  energetic  in  the  pursuit  of  honour  and 
glory.  These  spirits  throng  round  Dante,  as  fish  do 
round  any  food  thrown  into  their  pond. 

"  Come  in  peschiera,  ch'  e  tranquilla  e  pura, 
Traggonsi  i  pesci  a  cio  che  vien  di  fuori 

Si  vid'  io  ben  piii  di  mille  splendori 
Trarsi  ver  noi." 

4.  The  spirit  of  the  Emperor  Justinian  addresses  Dante. 

'"O  bene  nato,  a  cui  veder  li  troni 

Del  trionfo  eternal  concede  grazia, 

se  disii 
Da  noi  chiarirti,  a  tuo  piacer  ti  sazia.' " 

Canto  VI. 

1.  The  spirit  names  himself  to  Dante,  speaking  of  his  Im- 

perial dignity  as  a  thing  of  the  past. 
"'Cesare  fui,  e  son  Giustiniano.'" 

2.  He  informs  Dante  of  his  work  as  a  legislator. 

"'D'entro  le  leggi  trassi  il  troppo  e  il  vano.'" 

3.  And  how  he  became  a  convert  to  the  Faith. 

'"Ma  il  benedetto  Agapito,  che  fue 

Sommo  pastore,  alia  fede  sincera 
Mi  dirizzo  con  le  parole  sue.' " 

4.  And  that  Bellisarius  was  his  chief  general. 

"  'Ed  al  mio  Bellisar  commendai  1'  armi.' " 

5.  He  censures  the  Ghibellines  who  claim  a  right  to  the 

Roman  Eagle,  the  symbol  of  Empire,  and  the  Guelphs 

who  set  themselves  against  it. 

" con  quanta  ragione 

Si  move  contra  il  sacrosanto  segno, 

E  chi  '1  s'  appropria,  e  chi  a  lui  s'  oppone.' " 

6.  The  record  of  the  Eagle  entitles  it  to  universal  respect. 

"'Vedi  quanta  virtu  1'  ha  fatto  degno 
Di  riverenza.'" 


Itinerary.  xliii 

7.  The  qualifications  of  the  spirits  in  the  sphere  of  Mercury. 

"'Questa  picciola  Stella  si  correda 

Dei  buoni  spirti,  che  son  stati  attivi 
Perche  onore  e  fama  li  succeda.'  " 

8.  Romeo,  the  great  minister  of  Raymond  Berenger,  Count 

of  Provence,  whose  four  daughters  Romeo  married  to 

Kings. 

" '  Quattro  figlie  ebbe,  e  ciascuna  regina, 
Ramondo  Beringhieri,  e  cio  gli  fece 
Romeo  persona  umile  e  peregrina.' " 

Canto  VII. 

1.  Justinian  breaks  forth  into  a  hymn  celebrating  the  Church 

both  before  and  after  Christ. 

"  '  Osanna  sanctus  Deus  Sabaoth, 

Superillustrans  claritate  tua 
Felices  ignes  horum  malachoth  ! ' " 

2.  The  spirits  of  Justinian  and  his  companions  fade  away. 

"  Ed  essa  e  1'  altre        .... 

.     .     .     .     quasi  velocissime  faville, 
Mi  si  velar  di  subita  distanza." 

3.  Beatrice  will  clear  away  certain  doubts  which  are  per- 

plexing Dante's  mind. 

" '  Ma  io  ti  solvero  tosto  la  mente : 

E  tu  ascolta,  che  le  mie  parole 

Di  gran  sentenza  ti  faran  presente.' " 

Canto  VIII. 

1.  Dante  becomes  aware  of  his  transition  into  the  Planet 

Venus  by  perceiving  the  increasing  loveliness  of  Beatrice. 
"  Io  non  m'accorsi  del  salire  in  ella; 

Ma  d'  esservi  entro  mi  fece  assai  fede 
La  Donna  mia,  ch'  io  vidi  far  piu  bella." 

2.  He  discerns  bright  spirits  that  shine  as  sparks  in  a  flame. 

These  are  the  souls  of  lovers  who  loved  with  a  pure 
love. 

"  E  come  in  fiamma  favilla  si  vede, 

E  come  in  voce  voce  si  discerne, 
Quando  una  e  ferma  e  1'  altra  va  e  riede ; 
Vid'  io  in  essa  luce  altre  lucerne." 

3.  The  spirit  of  Charles  Martel,  of  Hungary,  approaches. 

"  Indi  si  fece  1'  un  piu  presso  a  noi." 

4.  He  does  not  name  himself,  but  he  tells  Dante  that,  had 

he  lived,  he  would  have  let  him  taste  of  the  fruit  of  his 


xliv  Itinerary. 

love,  and  not  alone  to  gaze  upon  the  blossoms  and  foliage 
which  precede  that  fruit. 

" '  Assai  m'  amasti,  ed  avesti  bene  onde ; 

Che,  s'  io  fossi  giu  stato,  io  ti  mostrava 
Di  mio  amor  piu  oltre  che  le  fronde.' " 

5.  His  younger  brother  Robert  was  the  niggardly  son  of  a 

munificent  father. 

" '  La  sua  natura,  che  di  larga  parca  discese,' "  etc. 

6.  He  blames  men  in  the  world  who,  ignoring  the  disposition 

inspired  by  heavenly  influences,  continually   turn  the 
greatest  intellects  to  mistaken  ends. 
" '  Ma  voi  torcete  alia  relig'ione 

Tal  che  fia  nato  a  cingersi  la  spada, 
E  fate  re  di  tal  ch'  e  da  sermone  ; 
Onde  la  traccia  vostra  e  fuor  di  strada.' " 

Canto  IX. 

1.  Dante  names  Charles  and  "his  Clemence,"  whom  I  take 

to  be  his  wife,  daughter  of  Rudolph  of  Hapsburg.  He 
says  that  the  spirit  of  Charles  quitted  him  and  turned 
back  to  the  All-Sufficing  God. 

"E  gia  la  vita  di  quel  lume  santo 

Rivolta  s'  era  al  sol  che  la  riempie, 
Come  quel  ben  ch'  ad  ogni  cosa  e  tanto." 

2.  The  spirit  of  Cunizza  da  Romano  accosts  Dante. 

"  Ed  ecco  un  altro  di  quegli  splendori 
Ver  me  si  fece." 

3.  Because  during  her  life-time  she  yielded  to  the  influence 

of  love,  she  is  now  relegated  to  the  Sphere  of  Venus. 
"'Cunizza  fui  chiamata,  e  qui  refulgo, 
Perche  mi  vinse  il  lume  d'  esta  Stella.' " 

4.  She  speaks  of  the  spirit  nearest  to  her,  Folco  of  Mar- 

seilles. 

"'Di  questa  luculenta  e  cara  gioia 

Del  nostro  cielo,  che  piu  m'  e  propinqua, 
Grande  fama  rimase.' " 

5.  After  predicting  the  misfortunes  that  would  befall  her 

native  land,  the  massacres  in  Padua,  the  violent  death 
of  Riccardo  da  Cammino,  and  the  cruel  treachery  of  the 
Bishop  of  Feltre,  she  ceased  to  speak. 
"  Qui  si  tacette,  e  fecemi  sembiante 
Che  fosse  ad  altro  volta." 


Itinerary.  xlv 

6.  Dante  having  asked  Folco  who  he  is,  that  spirit  gives  a 

description  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  tells  Dante 
that  he  was  born  on  that  coast. 
"'Di  quella  valle  fu'  io  littorano.'" 

7.  The  spirit  names  himself  and  avows  that  in  life  he  followed 

the  influence  of  the  planet  Venus. 
•"Folco  mi  disse  quella  gente  a  cui 

Fu  noto  il  nome  mio,  e  questo  cielo 
Di  me  s'  imprenta,  com'  io  fei  di  lui.' " 

8.  Folco  names  Rahab,  and  her  merits. 

"'Or  sappi  che  la  entro  si  tranquilla 

Raab,  ed  a  nostr'  ordine  congiunta, 

Perch'  ella  favoro  la  prima  gloria 
Di  Josu£  in  sulla  Terra  Santa.'" 

9.  Folco  says  that  the  Pope's  neglect  of  the  Holy  Land  is 

due  to  the  avaricious  love  of  the  whole  priesthood  for 
the  accursed  flower,  meaning  the  Lily  stamped  on  the 
florin,  and  that  for  this  greed  religious  study  has  been 
thrust  aside. 

'"Per  questo  1' Evangelic  e  i  Dottor  magni 
Son  derelitti,  e  soloai  Decretali 
Si  studia  si  che  pare  ai  lor  vivagni.' " 

Canto  X. 

1.  Dante  ascends  to  the  Fourth  Sphere  of  Heaven,  the  Sun, 

so  instantaneously  that  he  is  not  aware  of  it. 

" ma  del  salire 

Non  m'  accors'  io,  se  non  com'  uom  s'  accorge, 
Anzi  il  primo  pensier,  del  suo  venire." 

2.  Dante  says  that  in  vain  would  he  attempt  to  describe  the 

splendour  of  the  souls  in  this  Fourth  Sphere. 

"  Quel  ch'  era  dentro  al  sol  dov'  io  entra'  mi 

Non  per  color  ma  per  lume  parvente, 
Perch'  io  Io  ingegno,  1'  arte  e  1'  uso  chiami, 
Si  nol  direi  che  mai  s'  immaginasse     .     . 

Tal  era  quivi  la  quarta  famiglia 
DelP  alto  padre." 

3.  Dante  is  encircled  by  the  spirits  of  the  twelve  great  Theo- 

logians. 

"  Io  vidi  piu  fulgor  vivi  e  vincenti 

Far  di  noi  centro  e  di  s£  far  corona, 
Piii  dolci  in  voce  che  in  vista  lucenti." 


xlvi  Itinerary. 

4.  He  is  addressed  by  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  who  names  his 

master  Albertus  Magnus,  and  himself,  as  Dominicans. 
'"Io  fui  degli  agni  della  santa  greggia 

Che  Domenico  mena  per  cammino, 

Ouesti  che  m'  e  a  destra  piii  vicino, 

Frate  e  maestro  fummi,  ed  esso  Alberto 
E  di  Cologna,  ed  io  Thomas  d'  Aquino.' " 

5.  After  naming  the  Benedictine  monk  and  legist,  Gratian, 

St.  Thomas  points  out  Peter  Lombard. 

"'L'altro  ch'appresso  adorna  il  nostro  coro 
Quel  Pietro  fu,  che  con  la  poverella 
Offerse  a  Santa  Chiesa  suo  tesoro.' " 

6.  Solomon,  so  wise,  that  no  one  else  even  equalled  him. 

"'A  veder  tanto  non  surse  il  secondo."' 

7.  Uionysius,  the  Areopagite,  who  wrote  about  the  Celestial 

Hierarchy. 

"'Che  giuso  in  carne  piu  addentro  vide 
L'  angelica  natura  e  il  ministero.' " 

8.  After   alluding  to   Orosius,   and   Boethius,    St.    Thomas 

groups  together  St.  Isidore,  the  Venerable  Bede,  and 
Richard  de  St.  Victor,  as  the  Ninth,  Tenth,  and  Eleventh 
Spirits. 

'"Vedi  oltre  fiammeggiar.Pardente  spiro 
D'  Isidoro,  di  Beda,  e  di  Riccardo 
Che  a  considerar  fu  piu  che  viro.' " 

9.  The  twelfth  of  the  Sacred  Ring  is  Sigier,  who  taught  Logic 

in  the  Street  of  Straw  at  Paris. 
"  Essa  e  la  luce  eterna  di  Sigieri, 

Che,  leggendo  nel  vico  degli  strami, 
Sillogizzo  invidiosi  veri.' " 

Canto  XL 

i.  St.  Thomas,  a  Dominican,  sings  the  praises  of  St.  Francis 
of  Assisi.  Providence  ordained  two  Princes,  St.  Francis 
and  St.  Dominic,  to  be  the  especial  guides  of  the  Church 
the  Bride  of  Christ,  the  former  of  Seraphic  fervency,  the 
latter  Cherubic  in  his  light  of  learning. 

'"La  provvidenza 

Due  Principi  ordino .... 

L'  un  fu  tutto  serafico  in  ardore, 

L'altro  per  sapienza  in  terra  fue 
Di  cherubica  luce  uno  splendore.'" 


Itinerary.  xlvii 

2.  The  piety  of  St.  Francis  in  early  life. 

"'Non  era  ancor  molto  lontan  dall'orto, 
Ch'  ei  comincio  a  far  sentir  la  terra 
Delia  sua  gran  virtute  alcun  conforto.'  " 

3.  Poverty  was  the  Bride  of  St.  Francis,  whom  St.  Thomas 

now  names  for  the  first  time. 

"'Ma  perch' io  non  proceda  troppo  chiuso, 

Francesco  e  Poverta  per  questi  amanti 
Prendi  oramai  nel  mio  parlar  diffuso.' " 

4.  He  mentions  Bernardo  of  Quintavalle,  Egidio,  and  Silves- 

tro,  who  followed  Francis  in  becoming  bare-footed  friars. 

" il  venerabile  Bernardo 

Si  scalzo  prima,  e  dietro  a  tanta  pace 

Corse 

Scalzasi  Egidio,  scalzasi  Silvestro."' 

5.  The  foundation  of  the  Order  of  St.  Francis  and  its  pro- 

visional approval  by  Pope  Innocent  III. 
" .     .     .     regalmente  sua  dura  intenzione 
Ad  Innocenzio  aperse,  e  da  lui  ebbe 
Primo  sigillo  a  sua  religione.' " 

6.  St.  Thomas  tells  Dante  that  when  St.  Francis  retired  to 

Alvernia,  he  received  in  his  hands  and  feet  the  stigmata 
of  Christ,  and  then  died  in  the  bosom  of  Poverty. 
'"Da  Cristo  prese  1'  ultimo  sigillo, 

Che  le  sue  membra  due  anni  portarno.     .     .     . 
E  del  suo  grembo  1'  anima  preclara 

Mover  si  voile,  tornando  al  suo  regno."' 

7.  St.  Dominic,  a  worthy  colleague  of  St.  Francis,  and  the 

head  of  the  Order  to  which  he,  St.  Thomas  belongs. 
'"E  questi  fu  il  nostro  patriarca.' " 

8.  St.  Dominic's  flock  in  Dante's  time  seek  for  honours  and 

dignities  instead  of  keeping  to  their  original  vow. 
"'Ma  il  suo  peculio  di  nuovavivanda 
E  fatto  ghiotto.' " 

Canto  XII. 

1.  The  garland  of  Dominican  spirits  revolving  round  Dante, 

but  is  suddenly  enclosed  by  a  similar  garland  of  Fran- 
ciscan spirits. 

"  E  nel  suo  giro  tutta  non  si  volse 

Prima  ch'un'altra  di  cerchio  la  chiuse, 
E  moto  a  moto,  e  canto  a  canto  colse." 

2.  One  of  the  Franciscan  spirits,  St.  Bonaventura,  from  the 

outer  garland  commences  to  praise  St.  Dominic. 


xlviii  Itinerary. 

" '  L'  amor  che  mi  fa  bella 

Mi  tragge  a  ragionar  dell'  altro  duca, 
Per  cui  del  mio  si  ben  ci  si  favella.'" 

3.  Calaroga  in  Spain,  the  birthplace  of  St.    Dominic,  the 

ardent  lover  of  the  Christian  Faith. 
'" la  fortunata  Calaroga, 

Dentro  vi  nacque  1'  amoroso  drudo 

Delia  fede  cristiana  .... 

Domenico  fu  detto.' " 

4.  St.  Dominic  sold  all  he  had  and  gave  to  the  poor,  following 

the  counsel  of  Our  Lord. 

'"Ben  parve  mezzo  e  famigliar  di  CRISTO  ; 

Che  il  primo  amor  che  in  lui  fu  manifesto 
Fu  al  primo  consiglio  che  die  CRISTO.' " 

5.  St.  Dominic  made  a  fierce  onslaught  against  heresy. 

" si  mosse, 

Quasi  torrente  ch'  alta  vena  preme, 
E  negli  stirpi  eretici  percosse 
L'  impeto  suo.' " 

6.  Bonaventura  names  the  twelve  spirits  of  the  outer  garland, 

beginning  with  himself  and  two  obscure  but  holy  friars. 
'"Io  son  la  vita  di  Bonaventura 

Da  Bagnoreggio        .... 
Illuminato  ed  Augustin  son  quici, 

Che  fur  dei  primi  scalzi  poverelli.' " 

7.  Then   follow    Hugh   de  St.  Victor,  the  mystic  ;    Petrus 

Comestor,  the  historian  ;  Peter  of  Spain,  the  logician  ; 
Nathan,  the  prophet ;  Chrysostom,  the  preacher ;  Anselm, 
the  statesman  ;    Donatus,  the  grammarian  ;    Rabanus, 
the  theologian  ;  and  Joachim,  the  seer. 
"  'Ugo  da  san  Vittore  e  qui  con  elli, 

E  Pietro  Mangiadore,  e  Pietro  Ispano, 

Natan  profeta,  e  il  metropolitano 

Crisostomo,  ed  Anselmo,  e  quel  Donato 
Ch'  alia  prim'  arte  degno  por  la  mano  ; 

Rabano  e  qui,  e  lucemi  da  lato 

II  Calabrese  abate  Gioacchino, 
Di  spirito  profetico  dotato.' " 

Canto  XIIL 

I.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  speaking  again,  explains  to  Dante 
that  he  is  right  in  thinking  the  wisdom  of  Solomon 
inferior  to  that  of  Adam  and  of  Christ.  Solomon's 


Itinerary.  xlix 

supremacy  is  only  compared  with  that  of  other  mortal 
kings. 

"'.     .     .     se  al  Sursc  drizzi  gli  occhi  chiari, 
Vedrai  aver  solamente  rispetto 
Ai  regi,  che  son  mold,  e  i  buon  son  rari. 
Con  questa  distinzion  prendi  il  mio  detto, 
E  cosi  puote  star  con  quel  che  credi 
Del  primo  padre  e  del  nostro  diletto.' " 

Canto  XIV. 

1.  Solomon  speaks  of  the  glorious  appearance  of  the  Blessed 

after  the  resurrection  of  the  Body. 
"  'Come  la  came  gloriosa  e  santa 

Fia  rivestita,  la  nostra  persona 

Piu  grata  fia  per  esser  tutta  e  quanta.'  " 

2.  Dante  finds  that  he  has  been  transported  with  Beatrice 

into  the  Fifth  Sphere. 

" vidimi  translate 

Sol  con  mia  Donna  in  piu  alta  salute." 

3.  They  have  reached  the  fiery  tinted  Sphere  of  Mars. 

"  Ben  m'  accors'  io  ch'  io  era  piu  levato, 
Per  1'  affocato  riso  della  Stella, 
Che  mi  parea  piu  roggio  che  1'  usato." 

4.  Dante  sees  the  spirits  of  the  saintly  warriors  who  fought 

for  Christ.     These,  shining  in  different  degrees,  formed 

the  sign  of  the  Cross. 

"  Si  costellati  facean  nel  profondo 

Marte  quei  rai  il  venerabil  segno, 

Che  fan  giunture  di  quadranti  in  tondo." 

5.  They  flit  rapidly  along  the  two  lines  of  the  Cross,  both 

perpendicularly  and  horizontally. 

"  Di  corno  in  corno,  e  tra  la  cima  e  il  basso, 
Si  movean  lumi." 

6.  The  hymn  of  praise  "  Risurgi  e  vinci  "  sung  by  the  spirits 

bind  him  with  fetters  of  love. 

"  Io  m'  innamorava  tanto  quinci, 

Che  infino  a  li  non  fu  alcuna  cosa 
Che  mi  legasse  con  si  dolci  vinci." 

Canto  XV. 

I.  The  warrior  spirits  pause  in  their  melody,  in  order  that 
Dante  might  speak. 

"  Benigna  volontade          .... 


1  Itinerary, 

Silenzio  pose  a  quella  dolce  lira, 
E  fece  quietar  le  sante  corde 

Quelle  sustanzie  .   .  .  per  darmi  voglia 
Ch'  io  le  pregassi,  a  tacer  fur  concorde." 

2.  Cacciaguida,  an  ancestor  of  Dante,  detaches  himself  from 

the  Cross  of  the  Holy  Warriors,  and  darts  across  the 
Sapphire  Heaven. 

"  Quale  per  li  seren  tranquilli  e  puri 

Discorre  ad  ora  ad  or  subito  foco, 

Tale,  dal  corno  che  in  destro  si  stende, 
Al  pife  di  quella  croce  corse  un  astro 
Delia  costellazion  che  li  risplende." 

3.  The  spirit  addresses  Dante  in  Latin  as  his  kinsman. 

" '  O  sanguis  meus! ' " 

4.  He  tells  Dante  that,  although  he  can  read  the  wish  in 

Dante's  heart,  Dante  must  unfold  his  desire. 
"'La  voce  tua  sicura,  balda  e  lieta 

Suoni  la  volonta,  suoni  il  disio, 

A  che  la  mia  risposta  e  gia  decreta.'  " 

5.  Dante  entreats  the  spirit  to  accept  his  mute  expression  of 

thanks,  and  to  reveal  his  name,  addressing  him  as  a 

living  topaz. 

'"Ben  supplico  io  a  te,  vivo  topazio, 

Che  questa  gioia  preziosa  ingemmi, 
Perch£  mi  facci  del  tuo  nome  sazio.' " 

6.  The  spirit  replies  :  "  Thou  art  my  descendant,  I  was  thy 

ancestor.  Thy  great-grandfather  was  my  son.  He  is 
still  enduring  penance  for  Pride  in  Purgatory.  Pray  for 
him." 

'"O  fronda  mia 

io  fui  la  tua  radice      .     .     . 

.     .     .     .     Quel  da  cui  si  dice 

Tua  cognazion,  e  che  cent'  anni  e  piue 
Girato  ha  il  monte  in  la  prima  cornice, 
Mio  figlio  fu,  e  tuo  bisavo  fue.'" 

7.  Cacciaguida  sketches  in  outline  the  simple  and  peaceful 

life  of  Florence  in  his  own  days. 

"  Fiorenza  dentro  dalla  cerchia  antica  . 

Si  stava  in  pace,  sobria  e  pudica.'" 

8.  His  birth,  his  baptism  in  San  Giovanni,  his  kinsmen,  and 

his  marriage. 


Itinerary.  li 

.     .     .     "'nell'antico  vostro  Batisteo 

Insieme  fui  cristiano  e  Cacciaguida. 
Moronto  fu  mio  frate  ed  Eliseo  ; 

Mia  donna  venne  a  me  di  val  di  Pado.' " 
9.  He  became  a  Crusader  and  a  knight,  was  killed  by  the 
Saracens,  and  came  to  Heaven. 

"'Poi  seguitai  lo  imperador  Corrado, 
Ed  ei  mi  cinse  della  sua  milizia 

Ouivi  fu'  io  da  quella  gente  turpa 

Disviluppato  dal  mondo  fallace     .     .     . 

E  venni  dal  martiro  a  questa  pace.' " 

Canto  XVI. 

1.  Cacciaguida's  words  arouse  a  feeling  in  Dante  of  pride  of 

lineage,  quickly  suppressed. 

"  O  poca  nostra  nobilta  di  sangue ! " 

2.  Dante  asks  Cacciaguida  who  were  his  ancestors,  in  what 

year  was  he  born,  what  was  the  population  of  Florence 
in  his  time,  and  who  were  its  chief  citizens. 

"'Quai  fur  li  vostri  antichi,  e  quai  fur  gli  anni 

Che  si  segnaro  in  vostra  puerizia. 
Ditemi  dell'  ovil  di  San  Giovanni 

Quanto  era  allora,  e  chi  eran  le  genti 
Tra  esso  degne  di  piu  alti  scanni.'" 

3.  Cacciaguida  was  born  in  1091,  his  ancestors  lived  in  the 

district  of  Porta  San  Piero  ;  the  population  of  Florence 

was  small,  but  were  all  of  pure  descent. 
"  'Ma  la  cittadinanza,  ch  e-  or  mista 

Di  Campi  di  Certaldo  e  di  Fighine, 
Pura  vedeasi  nell'  ultimo  artista.' " 

4.  Some  great    Florentine  families  are  extinct,  and  their 

names  forgotten. 

"'Perch&  non  dee  parer  mirabil  cosa 

Cio  ch'  io  dir6  degli  alti  Fiorentini, 
Onde  la  fama  nel  tempo  b  nascosa.'" 

5.  He  recalls  the  peaceable  condition  of  Florence. 

"'Con  queste  genti,  e  con  altre  con  esse, 
Vid'  io  Fiorenza  in  si  fatto  riposo.' " 

6.  In  his  time  a  victorious  State  had  never  dishonoured  the 

standard  of  its  adversary,  nor  had  the  Lily  of  Florence 
been  changed  from  white  to  red. 

"lil  giglio 

Non  era  ad  asta  mai  posto  a  ritroso, 
Ne  per  division  fatto  vermiglio.' " 


Hi  Itinerary. 

Canto  XVII. 

1.  Dante  enquires  if  Cacciaguida  can  interpret  certain  pre- 

dictions made  to  him  in  Hell  and  Purgatory  as  to  his 
destiny. 

" 'Per  che  la  voglia  mia  saria  contenta 

D'  intender  qual  fortuna  mi  s'  appressa.'  " 

2.  Cacciaguida  tells  him  that  he  will  be  driven  by  calumny 

from  Florence,  even  as  Hippolytus   was   driven   from 

Athens. 

"  'Qual  si  parti  Ippolito  d' Atene 

Per  la  spietata  e  perfida  noverca 
Tal  di  Fiorenza  partir  ti  conviene.' " 

3.  Dante's  future  sufferings  and  humiliations. 

"  'Tu  lascerai  ogni  cosa  diletta 

Piu  caramente 

Tu  proverai  si  come  sa  di  sale 

Lo  pane  altrui,  e  com'  e  duro  calle 

Lo  scendere  e  il  salir  per  1'  altrui  scale.' " 

4.  Dante  will  separate  himself  from  his  unworthy  fellow- 

exiles. 

"  E  quel  che  piu  ti  graverk  le  spalle 

Sara  la  compagnia  malvagia  e  scempia 
Con  la  qual  tu  cadrai  in  questa  valle, 

si  che  a  te  fia  bello 

Averti  fatta  parte  per  te  stesso.' " 

5.  At  the  Court  of  Bartolommeo  della  Scala  Dante  will  meet 

his  brother  Can  Grande,  too  young  at  present  to  be 
known. 

"'Non  se  ne  son  le  genti  ancora  accorte 

Per  la  novella  eta 

Le  sue  magnificenze  conosciute 

Saranno  ancora  si,  che  i  suoi  nemici 
Non  ne  potran  tener  le  lingue  mute.' " 

6.  Dante  shall  still  be  alive  when  his  sinful  fellow-citizens, 

and  their  punishment,  shall  be  things  of  the  past. 
" '  Non  vo'  per6  ch'  a  tuoi  vicini  invidie, 
Poscia  che  s'  infutura  la  tua  vita 
Vie  piii  Ik  che  il  punir  di  lor  perfidie.'" 

7.  Cacciaguida  charges  Dante  to  speak  out  the  whole  truth 

about  his  contemporaries. 

'" rimossa  ogni  menzogna, 

Tutta  tua  vision  fa  manifesta, 

E  lascia  pur  grattar  dov'  e  la  rogna.' " 


Itinerary.  liii 

8.  Dante  has  only  been   shown   the   spirits   of  the   great, 
whether  good  or  bad,  and  that  his  poem  will,  like  the 
wind,  only  attack  the  highest  summits. 
"  '  Questo  tuo  grido  fark  come  vento, 

Che  le  piu  alte  cime  piu  percote  ; 

Pero  ti  son  mostrate  in  queste  rote, 
Nel  monte,  e  nella  valle  dolorosa, 
Pur  1'anime  che  son  di  fama  note.'" 


Canto  XVIII. 

1.  Cacciaguida  points  out  Joshua ;  Judas  Maccabeus  ;  Charle- 

magne ;  Orlando;  William  of  Orange;  Renouard;  God- 
frey de  Bouillon  ;  and  Robert  Guiscard. 
"  Indi  tra  1'altre  luci  mota  e  mista, 

Mostrommi  1'  alma  che  m'  avea  parlato, 
Qual  era  trai  cantor  del  cielo  artista." 

2.  Dante,  passing  from  the  red  planet  Mars  into  the  Sixth 

Sphere,  the  Heaven  of  Jupiter,  saw  that  the  light  had 

become  white  instead  of  red. 

"Tal  fu  negli  occhi  miei,  quando  fui  volto, 
Per  lo  candor  della  temprata  Stella 
Sesta,  che  dentro  a  s&  m'  avea  ricolto." 

3.  The  spirits  of  those  who  rightly  administered  justice  on 

earth  form  in  luminous  letters  the  words  Dtligite  jus- 
titiam  qui  judicatis  terram. 

"  Mostrarsi  dunque  in  cinque  volte  sette 

Vocali  e  consonant! 

Diligite  iustitiam,  primai 

Fur  verbo  e  nome  di  tutto  il  dipinto ; 
Qui  iudicatis  terram,  fur  sezzai." 

4.  The  letter  "  M "  of  this  celestial  inscription  undergoes 

various  changes,  and  finally  its  summit  shapes  itself  into 
the  head  and  neck  of  an  Eagle. 

"Risurger  parver  quindi  piu  di  mille 

Luci, 

E  quietata  ciascuna  in  suo  loco, 

La  testa  e  il  collo  d'  un'  aquila  vidi 
Rapprcsentare  a  quel  distinto  foco." 

5.  Dante   implores   the   spirits   who   form   the   Eagle,  the 

Emblem  of  Empire,  to  entreat  God  that  the  Princes  of 
the  Earth  may  not  err  after  the  evil  example  of  the 
Popes. 


liv  Itinerary. 

"  'O  milizia  del  ciel 

Adora  per  color  che  sono  in  terra 
Tutti  sviati  dietro  al  malo  esemplo. 
Gia  si  solea  con  le  spade  far  guerra  ; 

Ma  or  si  fa  togliendo  or  qui  or  quivi 

Lo  pan  che  il  pio  padre  a  nessun  serra.' " 

Canto  XIX. 

1.  The  spirits  transform  themselves  into  the  figure  of  a  com- 

plete Eagle  with  outspread  wings. 

"  Parea  dinanzi  a  me  con  1'  ali  aperte 
La  bella  image." 

2.  Dante  entreats  them  to  solve  a  doubt. 

"'Solvetemi  spirando  51  gran  digiuno 

Che  lungamente  m'  ha  tenuto  in  fame.' " 

3.  The  doubt  is  as  to  whether  a  virtuous  heathen,  dying 

unbaptized  and  without  the  Faith,  can  be  with  justice 
condemned. 

"  'Ov'  e  questa  giustizia  che  il  condanna  ? 
Ov'  e  la  colpa  sua,  se  ei  non  crede  ? ' " 

4.  The  Eagle  censures  the  presumption  of  those  who  venture 

to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  Justice  of  God. 
"'Or  tu  chi  sei,  che  vuoi  sedere  a  scranna, 
Per  giudicar  da  lungi  mille  miglia, 
Con  la  veduta  corta  d'una  spanna?"' 

5.  If  Dante  could  not  understand  certain  strains  of  the  Eagle, 

how  could  he  expect  to  comprehend  the  Justice  of  God? 

"' Quali 

Son  le  mie  note  a  te,  che  non  le  intendi, 
Tal  e  il  giudizio  eterno  a  voi  mortali.' " 

6.  Many   professing    Christians   will   be  found   among    the 

reprobate,  and  many  who  knew  not  Christ  among  the 

elect. 

"'Ma  vedi,  molti  gridan  CRISTO,  CRISTO, 

Che  saranno  in  giudizio  assai  men  prope 
A  lui,  che  tal  che  non  conosce  CRISTO.'" 

7.  The  Eagle  unfolds  a  terrible  page  of  the  book  of  Eternity. 

"'Che  potran  dir  li  Persi  ai  vostri  regi, 

Come  vedranno  quel  volume  aperto, 

Nel  qual  si  scrivon  tutti  i  suoi  dispregi?'" 

Canto  XX. 

I.  The  Eagle  tells  Dante  that  six  spirits  of  surpassing 
excellence,  among  the  Princes  who  governed  their  realms 
most  justly,  form  the  arc  of  its  eye. 


Itinerary.  Iv 

"  'La  parte  in  me  che  vede,  e  pate  il  sole 
Nell'  aquile  mortal! 
Or  fisamente  riguardar  si  vuole.' " 

2.  David  forms  the  pupil  of  the  eye. 

"'Colui  che  luce  in  mezzo  per  pupilla, 
Fu  il  cantor  dello  Spirito  Santo, 
Che  1'  area  traslato  di  villa  in  villa.' " 

3.  Of  the  five  who  form  the  eye-lid,  Trajan  comes  first. 

'"Colui  che  piu  al  becco  mi  s'accosta, 
La  vedovella  console  del  figlio.' " 

4.  Then  Hezekiah. 

" 'E  quel  che  segue 

Morte  indugio  per  vera  penitenza.' " 

5.  Next  Constantine  who  wrought  evil  to  the  Church  by  the 

Donatio  Constantini,  though  with  good  intentions. 
" '  L'  altro  che  segue,  con  le  leggi  e  meco, 

Sotto  buona  intenzion  che  fe'  mal  frutto, 
Per  cedere  al  pastor,  si  fece  Greco.' " 

6.  William  II,  King  of  Sicily,  whose  good  reign  is  regretted 

by  his  subjects  now  under  the  rule  of  his  unworthy  sons. 
'"Guglielmo  fu,  cui  quella  terra  plora 
Che  piange  Carlo  e  Federico  vivo.'" 

7.  Ripheus,  the  Trojan,  a  character  in  Virgil's  sEneid,  is  the 

fifth  of  the  spirits  forming  the  arc  of  the  Eagle's  eye. 
"  'Chi  crederebbe  giu  nel  mondo  errante, 
Che  Rifeo  Troiano  in  questo  tondo 
Fosse  la  quinta  delle  luci  sante?'" 

8.  Dante,   astonished    at   finding   in    heaven    two    pagans, 

Ripheus,  born  before  Christ,  and  Trajan,  born  after,  who 
had  died  without  believing  in  Him,  learns  from  the  Eagle 
that  they  both  died  Christians  in  spirit. 
'"La  prima  vita  del  ciglio  e  la  quinta 

Ti  fa  maravigliar,  perch  e  ne  vedi 
La  region  degli  Angeli  dipinta. 
Dei  corpi  suoi  non  uscir,  come  credi, 
Gentili,  ma  Cristiani,  in  ferma  fede, 
Quel  dei  passuri,  e  quel  dei  passi  piedi.'" 

Canto  XXL 

I.  Beatrice  informs  Dante  that  they  have  reached  the  Sphere 
of  Saturn,  the  abode  of  the  contemplative  spirits. 
"'Noi  sem  levati  al  settimo  splendore.'" 


Ivi  Itinerary. 

2.  Dante  sees  a  ladder  of  pure  gold  extending  further  up 

than  the  eye  can  reach,  and  numberless  shining  ones 
ascending  and  descending. 

"  Di  color  d'  oro  in  che  raggio  traluce, 
Vid'  io  uno  scaleo  eretto  in  suso 
Tanto  che  nol  seguiva  la  mia  luce. 
Vidi  anco  per  li  gradi  scender  giuso 
Tanti  splendor." 

3.  The  spirit  of  San  Pier  Damiano  draws  near,  and  Dante 

asks  him  why  he  has  approached,  and  why,  in  this 
heaven  only,  there  is  a  cessation  of  the  sweet  melodies 
heard  in  the  other  Spheres. 

"' fammi  nota 

La  cagion  che  si  presso  mi  t'  ha  posta ; 
E  di'  perch&  si  tace  in  questa  rota 
La  dolce  sinfonia  di  Paradiso 
Che  giu  per  1'  altre  suona  si  devota.' " 

4.  Pier  Damiano  tells  him  that  mortal  hearing  could  not 

endure  the  excess  of  sweetness  of  their  singing,  any 
more  than  mortal  sight  could  endure  Beatrice's  smile. 
"'Tu  hai  1'udir  mortal  si  come  il  viso, 
.     .     .     .     onde  qui  non  si  canta 
Per  quel  che  Beatrice  non  ha  riso.' " 

5.  He  has  descended  the  stairway  to  greet  Dante,  not  be- 

cause he  has  greater  love  than  his  fellow-spirits,  but  to 
fulfil  his  duty. 

"'Giu  per  li  gradi  della  scala  santa 

Discesi  tanto,  sol  per  farti  festa, 

Ne  piu  amor  mi  fece  esser  piu  presta, 

Ch£  piu  e  tanto  amor  quinci  su  ferve.' " 

6.  Pier  Damiano  describes  his  retreat  on  Monte  Catria,  and 

tells  his  name. 

"'In  quel  loco  fu' io  Pier  Damiano.'" 

7.  He  denounces  the  luxury  of  the  Cardinals,  whose  furred 

cloaks  are  so  long  that  their  steeds  were  nearly  invisible. 
'"Or  voglion  quinci  e  quindi  chi  rincalzi 
Li  moderni  pastori,  e  chi  li  meni, 
Tanto  son  gravi,  e  chi  diretro  gli  alzi. 
Copron  dei  manti  loro  i  palafreni, 

SI  che  due  bestie  van  sott'  una  pelle  ! ' " 

8    The  other  spirits  flock  down  the  holy  stair  at  Damiano's 
words,  and  utter  a  shout  of  indignation. 

" .     .     .     fero  un  grido  di  si  alto  suono, 
Che  non  potrebbe  qui  assimigliarsi." 


Itinerary.  Ivii 

Canto  XXII. 

1.  Dante  sees  a  hundred  of  the  contemplative  spirits  upon 

the  heavenly  stair.    The  most  radiant  one  among  them, 
St.  Benedict,  addresses  him. 

"  E  la  maggiore  e  la  piu  luculenta 

Di  quelle  margarite  innanzi  fessi, 
Per  far  di  s£  la  mia  voglia  contenta." 

2.  St.  Benedict  speaks  of  himself  as  the  founder  of  the  Bene- 

dictine Order  of  Monte  Cassino. 

"  'Quel  monte  a  cui  Cassino  &  nella  costa     .     . 

E  quel  son  io  che  su  vi  portai  prima 
Lo  nome  di  Colui.'" 

3.  Other  bright  spirits  of  his  Order. 

'"Qui  £  Maccario,  qui  &  Romualdo, 

Qui  son  li  frati  miei  che  dentro  ai  chiostri 
Fermar  li  piedi  e  tennero  il  cor  saldo.' " 

4.  St.  Benedict  tells  Dante  that  his  request  to  see  his  face  is 

inopportune,  but  shall  be  granted  when  he  reaches  the 
Empyrean. 

" '  Frate,  il  tuo  alto  disio 

S'adempiera  in  sull'  ultima  spera.'" 

5.  He  upbraids  the  monks  of  Dante's  time  ;  the  Rule  of  his 

Order  has  become  mere  waste  paper. 

" la  regola  mia 

Rimasa  £  per  danno  delle  carte.' " 

6.  St.  Benedict  and  his  fellow  spirits  are  swept  away  up  the 

heavenly  stair. 

" indi  si  ricolse 

Al  suo  collegio,  e  il  collegio  si  strinse ; 
Poi  come  turbo  tutto  in  su  s'accolse." 

7.  Beatrice,  by  a  mere  sign,  impels  Dante  to  ascend  the 

Holy  Stair.    He  finds  himself  in  the  Eighth  Sphere,  the 
Heaven  of  the  Fixed  Stars. 

"  La  dolce  Donna  dietro  a  lor  mi  pinse 

Con  un  sol  cenno  su  per  quella  scala 

io  vidi  il  segno 

Che  segue  il  Tauro,  e  fui  dentro  da  esso." 

8.  Dante  in  Gemini,  to  whose  influence  he  ascribes  his  poetic 

genius. 

"  O  gloriose  stelle,  o  lume  pregno 

Di  gran  virtu,  dal  quale  io  riconosco 
Tutto,  qual  che  sia,  Io  mio  ingegno 

Quand'  io  senti'  da  prima  1'  aer  Tosco." 
e  2 


Iviii  Itinerary. 

9.  Dante  can  see  below  him  the  whole  of  the  inhabited  earth, 
so  insignificant,  that  he  compares  it  to  a  mere  threshing 
floor. 

"  L'  aiuola  che  ci  fa  tanto  feroci, 

Tutta  m'  apparve  dai  colli  alle  foci." 

Canto  XXI II. 

1.  Dante  sees  Beatrice  gazing  towards  the  South,  like  a  bird 

on  its  nest  watching  for  the  dawn. 
"Cosi  la  Donna  mia  si  stava  eretta 

Ed  attenta,  rivolta  inver  la  plaga 
Sotto  la  quale  il  sol  mostra  men  fretta." 

2.  The  heavens  become  more  resplendent,  and  Beatrice  pro- 

claims the  approach  of  the  Triumph  of  Christ. 
"  E  Beatrice  disse :  '  Ecco  le  schiere 

Del  trionfo  di  CRISTO,  e  tutto  il  frutto 
Ricolto  nel  girar  di  queste  spere.' " 

3.  Dante  sees  thousands  of  lights,  and  one  Divine  Sun  giving 

lustre  to  them. 

"  Vid'  io,  sopra  migliaia  di  lucerne, 

Un  Sol  che  tutte  quante  1'  accendea." 

4.  In  the  fiery  light  of  that  Sun  he  discerns  the  Essence  or 

Personality  (lucente  sustanzid]  of  Christ,  and  finds  he  is 

in  the  Presence  of  God  Himself. 
"  E  per  la  viva  luce  trasparea 

La  lucente  sustanzia  tanto  chiara 
Nel  viso  mio,  che  non  la  sostenea." 

5.  Dante  passes  over  many  of  the  things  he  saw  in  Heaven 

as  too  ineffable  for  man  to  utter. 

" figurando  il  Paradise, 

Convien  saltar  lo  sacrato  poema,     .     . 

Non  £  pileggio  da  picciola  barca 

Ouel  che  fendendo  va  1'ardita  prora, 
N&  da  nocchier  ch'a  se  medesmo  parca." 

6.  Beatrice  reproves  Dante  for  contemplating  her,  and  bids 

him  rather  gaze  upon  the  garden  in  which  are  the  Rose 
(the  Virgin  Mary),  and  the  Lilies  (the  Apostles). 
"'Quivi  £  la  rosa  in  che  il  Verbo  Divino 
Carne  si  fece ;  quivi  son  li  gigli, 
Al  cui  odor  si  prese  il  buon  cammino.' " 

7.  The  Apotheosis  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

"  Cos}  la  circulata  melodia 

Si  sigillava,  e  tutti  gli  altri  lumi 
Facean  sonar  lo  nome  di  Maria." 


Itinerary.  lix 

8.  The  Virgin  follows  her  Blessed  Son  into  the  Empyrean. 

"  la  coronata  fiamma, 
.     .     .     si  levo  appresso  la  sua  semenza." 

9.  The  Saints  sing  the  Easter  Hymn  to  the  Virgin. 

"  Indi  rimaser  li  nel  mio  cospetto, 

Regina  casli  cantando  si  dolce." 

Canto  XXIV. 

1.  Beatrice  entreats  the  assembled  Saints  to  shed  some  dew 

upon  Dante  from  their  Fountain  of  Knowledge. 
'".     .     .     roratelo  alquanto :  voi  bevete 

Sempre  del  fonte  onde  vien  quel  ch'  ei  pensa.' " 

2.  St.  Peter  addresses  Beatrice  as  "Sister!" 

"  Vid'  io  uscire  un  foco  si  felice, 

Che  nulla  vi  lascio  di  piu  chiarezza  ; 
E  tre  fiate  intorno  di  Beatrice 

Si  volse 

'  O  santa  suora  mia,  che  si  ne  preghe 
Devota.' " 

3.  Beatrice  entreats  St.  Peter  to  examine  Dante  concerning 

his  Faith. 

"  .     .     .     '  O  luce  eterna  del  gran  viro, 

A  cui  nostro  Signer  lascio  le  chiavi,     .     . 
Tenta  costui  dei  punti  lievi  e  gravi, 
Come  ti  piace,  intorno  della  fede.' " 

4.  St.  Peter's  first  question  is:    "What  is  Faith?"  Dante 

replies  : 

"  'Fede  £  sustanzia  di  cose  sperate, 

Ed  argomento  delle  non  parventi ; 
E  questa  pare  a  me  sua  quiditate.' " 

5.  St.  Peter  is  satisfied  with  Dante's  answer  as  to  his  Faith, 

but  does  Dante  possess  this  Faith  ? 

"  'Assai  bene  £  trascorsa 
D'esta  moneta  gik  la  lega  e  il  peso; 
Ma  dimmi  se  tu  1'  hai  nella  tua  borsa.' 
Ond'  io :  '  Si,  ho  si  lucida  e  si  tonda, 
Che  nel  suo  conio  nulla  mi  s'inforsa.'" 

6.  Dante  obtained  his  Faith  from  the  rain  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

poured  forth  in  the  Scriptures. 
" 'Onde  ti  venne ?'    Ed  io  :  'La  larga  ploia 
Dello  Spirito  Santo,  ch'  £  diffusa 
In  sulle  vecchie  e  in  sulle  nuove  cuoia, 
E  sillogismo  che  la  m'  ha  conchiusa.'  " 

7.  Dante's  belief  in  inspiration  of  Scripture,  the  credibility 

of  miracles,  and  the  crowning  miracle  of  all,  the  spread 


Ix  Itinerary. 

of  Christianity.      The  assembled   Saints   intone  a   Te 
Deum  for  joy  at  the  Triumph  of  Christ's  religion. 
"  Finito  questo,  1'  alta  Corte  santa 

Risono  per  le  spere  un  :  '  Dio  laudamo,' 
Nella  melode  che  lassu  si  canta." 

8.  Dante  answers  the  final  question :  '  What  dost  thou  be- 

lieve?'   The  Holy  Trinity  can  be  named  both  in  the 
plural  and  in  the  singular. 

" '  Credo  una  essenza  si  una  e  si  trina, 
Che  soffera  congiunto  sono  ed  este?  " 

9.  St.  Peter,  rejoicing  at  Dante's  recitation  of  his  Faith,  en- 

circles him  three  times  as  though  embracing  him,  and 
in  his  holy  chant  pronounces  a  blessing. 
"  Cosi,  benedicendomi  cantando, 

Tre  volte  cinse  me,  si  com'  io  tacqui 

L'  apostolico  lume." 


Canto  XXV. 

1.  St.  James  approaches  Dante.     Beatrice  indicates  him  as 

the  Baron  for  whom  pilgrimages  are  made  into  Galicia. 
"  Indi  si  mosse  un  lume  verso  noi     .     .     . 

E  la  mia  Donna  piena  di  letizia 

Mi  disse :  '  Mira,  mira,  ecco  il  Barone, 
Per  cui  laggiu  si  visita  Galizia.'" 

2.  Beatrice  entreats  him  to  examine  Dante  on  Hope. 

"'Inclita  vita,  per  cui  la  larghezza 

Delia  nostra  basilica  si  scrisse, 

Fa  risonar  la  speme  in  questa  altezza.' " 

3.  St.  James  asks  Dante  what  Hope  is,  and  whether  he 

(Dante)  possesses  it. 

" '  Di'  quel  che  ell'  e,  e  come  se  ne  infiora 

La  mente  tua,  e  di'onde  a  te  venne.'" 

4.  Beatrice  tells  St.  James  that  no  son  of  the  Church  pos- 

sesses this  Hope  more  soundly  than  does  Dante. 
"'La  Chiesa  militante  alcun  figliuolo 
Non  ha  con  piu  speranza.'  " 

5.  Dante  replies  to  the  questions  "What  is  Hope?"   and 

"Whence  came  it  to  thee?" 

"'Speme,'  diss'io,  'e  uno  attender  certo 
Delia  gloria  futura,  il  qual  produce 
Grazia  divina  e  precedente  merto. 


Itinerary.  Ixi 

Da  molte  stelle  \inany  sacred  ivriters\  mi  vien  questa 
Ma  quei  la  distillo  nel  mio  cor  pria,  [luce ; 
Che  fu  sommo  cantor  del  sommo  duce.  .  . 

Tu  mi  stillasti  con  lo  stillar  suo 
Nell'epistola  poi.'" 

6.  "  What  promise  (asks  St.  James)  does  thy  Hope  hold  out 

to  thee  ?"    Dante  replies :  "  the  promise  of  perfect  bliss." 

"  'Dell'  anime  che  Dio  s'  ha  fatte  amiche 
Dice  Isaia,  che  ciascuna  vestita 

Nella  sua  terra  fia  di  doppia  vesta, 
E  la  sua  terra  e  questa  dolce  vita.' " 

7.  St.  John,  invested  with  dazzling  radiance,  comes  forward. 

"  Poscia  tra  esse  un  lume  si  schiari, 

Si  che,  se  il  Cancro  avesse  un  tal  cristallo, 
L'  inverno  avrebbe  un  mese  d'  un  sol  di." 

8.  It  is  he  who  lay  in  our  Lord's  bosom,  and  stood  at  the 

foot  of  His  Cross. 

"'Questi  e  colui  che  giacque  sopra  il  petto 
Del  nostro  Pellicano,  e  questi  fue 
D'  in  sulla  croce  al  grande  offizio  eletto.' " 

9.  Dante  is  dazzled  by  looking  at  St.  John.     St.  John  tells 

him  that  his  body  is  buried  on  Earth. 

" '  Perchfe  t'  abbagli 
Per  veder  cosa  che  qui  non  ha  loco  ? 
In  terra  £  terra  il  mio  corpo.'" 

Canto  XXVI. 

1.  Beatrice's  glance  can  revive  Dante's  sight,  as  Ananias  did 

that  of  St.  Paul. 

" ' fa  ragion  che  sia 

La  vista  in  te  smarrita  e  non  defunta ; 
Perche  la  Donna  tua        .... 
.     .     .     .     ha  nello  sguardo 
La  virtu  ch'  ebbe  la  man  d'  Anania.' " 

2.  Dante  assures  St.  John  that  God  is  the  beginning  and  end 

of  his  affection. 

" '  Lo  ben  che  fa  contenta  questa  corte, 
Alfa  ed  O  e  di  quanta  scrittura 
Mi  legge  amore,  o  lievemente  o  forte.'" 

3.  St.  John  asking  what  first  led  Dante  to  aim  at  attaining 

Divine  Love,  Dante  answers, "  Philosophy  and  Revealed 

Authority." 

"Ed  io:  'Per  filosofici  argomenti 

E  per  autorita  che  quinci  scende, 

Cotale  amore  convien  che  mi  s'  imprenti.' " 


Ixii  Itinerary. 

4.  After  commending  Dante's  reply,  which  included  a  con- 

fession of  his   Faith,  St.  John  puts  another  question 

respecting  Love. 

"'Ma  di'ancor,  se  tu  senti  altre  corde 
Tirarti  verso  lui,  si  che  tu  suone 
Con  quanti  denti  questo  amor  ti  morde.' " 

5.  Dante  replies  that  all  the  motives,  that  could  combine  to 

make  a  man  love  God,  combined  in  him,  and  withdrew 
him  from  perverted  love  to  the  Love  of  the  Chiefest 
Good. 

" '  Tutti  quei  morsi 

Alia  mia  caritate  son  concorsi     .     .     . 

Tratto  m'  hanno  del  mar  dell'  amor  torto, 
E  del  diritto  m'han  posto  alia  riva.'" 

6.  The  Spirits  of  the  Blessed  break  forth  into  a  hymn  of 

praise  on  hearing  the  successful  issue  of  Dante's  exami- 
nation in  the  three  Theological  Virtues. 
"  Si  com'  io  tacqui,  un  dolcissimo  canto 
Risono  per  lo  cielo,  e  la  mia  Donna 
Dicea  con  gli  altri :  '  Santo,  Santo,  Santo.' " 

7.  Beatrice  turns  her  eyes  on  Dante,  who  is  at  once  re-en- 

dowed with  sight. 

"  Cosi  degli  occhi  miei  ogni  quisquilia 

Fugo  Beatrice  col  raggio  de'  suoi." 

S.  A  fourth  radiant  spirit  joins  those  of  the  three  Apostles. 
It  is  Adam. 

"  E  la  mia  Donna :  '  Dentro  da  que'  rai 

Vagheggia  il  suo  fattor  1'  anima  prima, 
Che  la  prima  virtu  creasse  mai.'" 

9.  Adam  anticipates  and  answers  several  questions  unuttered 
by  Dante,  and  adds  that  he  was  only  in  the  Garden  of 
Paradise  for  seven  hours  after  his  creation. 
"  'Nel  monte  che  si  leva  piu  dall'onda, 
Fu'  io  con  vita  pura  e  disonesta 
Dalla  prim'  ora  a  quella  che  seconda, 
Come  il  sol  muta  quadra,  1'  ora  sesta.' " 

Canto  XX  VI I. 

I.  Before   quitting   the   Eighth    Sphere,    Dante    hears   the 
Heavenly  Host  intone  the  Gloria  Patri. 
'"Al  Padre,  al  Figlio,  allo  Spirito  Santo' 
Comincio  '  Gloria'  tutto  il  Paradiso, 
Si  che  m'  inebbriava  il  dolce  canto." 


Itinerary.  Ixiii 

2.  The  radiance  of  St.  Peter  takes  a  red  tint,  and  he  explains 

that  Dante  will  see  the  whole  Heaven  blush  with  indig- 
nation against  the  occupiers  of  his  former  throne. 

" '  Se  io  mi  trascoloro, 

Non  ti  maravigliar  ;  che,  dicend'  io 
Vedrai  trascolorar  tutti  costoro. 
Quegli  ch'usurpa  in  terra  il  loco  mio, 
II  loco  mio,  il  loco  mio,  che  vaca 
Nella  presenza  del  Figliuol  di  Dio, 
Fatto  ha  del  cimitero  mio  cloaca.'  " 

3.  He  sees,  throughout  the  Church,  avarice  and  greed  of 

gain,  in  all  its  chief  Pastors. 
"'In  vesta  di  pastor  lupi  rapaci 

Si  veggion  di  quassu  per  tutti  i  paschi.' " 

4.  St.  Peter  and  his  fellow-spirits  having  been  swept  away 

into  the  Empyrean,  Beatrice  invites  Dante  to  turn  his 
eyes  again  down  to  earth,  and  to  note  that  in  six  hours 
his  position  has  changed  a  quarter  of  a  sphere. 
"  Dall'  ora  ch'  io  avea  guardato  prima, 
Io  vidi  mosso  me  per  tutto  1'  arco 
Che  fa  dal  mezzo  al  fine  il  primo  clima." 

5.  Dante  is  elevated  into  the  Ninth  Sphere,  or  Crystalline 

Heaven. 

"  E  la  virtu  che  Io  sguardo  in'  indulse, 
Del  bel  nido  di  Leda  mi  divelse, 
E  nel  ciel  velocissimo  m' impulse.'" 

6.  Beatrice  reiterates  St.  Peter's  indignant  condemnation  of 

avarice  in  the  world. 

"1O  cupidigia, 

Ben  fiorisce  negli  uomini  il  volere  ; 
Ma  la  pioggia  continua  convene 

In  bozzacchioni  le  susine  vere.'" 

7.  She  attributes  this  avarice  to  evil  government  of  Church 

and  Empire. 

"'Pensa  che  in  terra  non  £  chi  governi  ; 
Onde  si  svia  1'  umana  famiglia.' " 

Canto  XXVIII. 

I.  Dante  discerns  an  infinitesimal  point  of  light  of  exceeding 
brilliancy,  round  which  are  revolving  nine  concentric 
circles  of  fire.  The  point  is  God,  the  nine  circles  the 
nine  Angelic  Hierarchies. 

"  Un  punto  vidi  che  raggiava  lume 

Acuto  si,  che  il  viso  ch'  egli  affoca 


Ixiv  Itinerary. 

Chiuder  conviensi  per  lo  forte  acume 

.     .     .     intorno  al  punto  un  cerchio  d'  igne 
Si  girava." 

2.  Beatrice  explains  that  the  revolving  heavens  (cerchi  cor- 

porai)  are   larger  or  smaller  according  as   they  have 
more  or  less  power  to  influence  the  Spheres  below  them. 
"'Li  cerchi  corporal  sono  ampi  ed  arti, 

Secondo  il  piii  e  il  men  della  virtute, 
Che  si  distende  per  tutte  lor  parti.'" 

3.  And  each  heaven  is  united  with  that  Order  of  Angels 

which  is   most   fitted  to  it.      The   smallest   circles   of 
Angels,  being  the  chiefest,  sway  the  largest  and  chiefest 
circles  of  the  heavens  ;  and  similarly  the  largest  circles 
of  the  Angels  sway  the  smallest  circles  of  the  heavens. 
"'Tu  vederai  mirabil  conseguenza, 

Di  maggio  a  piu,  e  di  minore  a  meno, 
In  ciascun  cielo  a  sua  intelligenza.'" 

4.  Each  of  the  nine  Hierarchies  of  Angels  influences  a  Sphere 

of  Heaven. 

"'Questi  ordini  di  su  tutti  rimirano, 

E  di  giii  vincon  si  che  verso  Dio 
Tutti  tirati  sono  e  tutti  tirano.'" 

5.  Beatrice  prefers  the  classification  of  the  Celestial  Hierar- 

chies   ascribed    to    Dionysius   the   Areopagite,    which 
corresponds  with  her  own,  to  that  of  Gregory  the  Great. 
'"E  Dionisio  con  tanto  disio 

A  contemplar  questi  ordini  si  mise, 
Che  li  nomo  e  distinse  com'  io. 
Ma  Gregorio  da  lui  poi  si  divise.' " 

6.  Dionysius  was  taught  by  St.  Paul,  who  had  seen  these 

things  when  he  was  caught  up  to  the  Third  Heaven. 
"'E  se  tanto  segreto  ver  proferse 

Mortale  in  terra,  non  voglio  che  ammiri ; 
Che  chi  il  vide  quassu  gliel  discoperse 
Con  altro  assai  del  ver  di  questi  giri.' " 

Canto  XXIX. 

l.  Beatrice  replies  to  certain  questions  which  she  supposes 
Dante  to  be  tacitly  asking.     The  first  is  :    "  Why  did 
God  create  the  Angels  ? "     She  answers  :    "  That   He 
might  manifest  His  Glory  to  others." 
'"Non  per  avere  a  se  di  bene  acquisto, 

Ch'  esser  non  puo,  ma  perche  suo  splendore 
Potesse  risplendendo  dir  :  Sutistsfo.' " 


Itinerary.  Ixv 

2.  "When  did  God  create  the  Angels?"    When  time  first 

was,  that  is,  on  the  first  day  of  the  Creation. 
"'In  sua  eternita  di  tempo  fuore, 

Fuor  d'  ogni  altro  comprender,  come  i  piacque, 
S'  aperse  in  nuovi  amor  1'  eterno  amore.' " 

3.  Though  we  are  not  told  where  they  were  created,  we  are 

to  infer  that  it  was  in  the  Empyrean,  nor  are  we  told 
how,  but  we  are  also  to  infer  that  it  was  as  beings  of 
perfect  goodness.  Beatrice  recapitulates  the  where,  the 
when,  and  the  how. 

'"Or  sai  tu  dove  e  quando  questi  amori 

Furon  creati,  e  come  ;  si  che  spenti 
Nel  tuo  disio  gia  son  tre  ardori.'  " 

4.  The  rebellious  Angels  sinned  the  instant  they  were  created. 

"'Ne  giugneriesi  numerando  al  venti 

Si  tosto,  come  degli  Angeli  parte 
Turbo  il  suggetto  dei  vostri  element!.' " 

5.  The  circulating  movements  of  the  heavens  are  controlled 

by  the  Angels  who  remained  faithful  to  God. 
"'L'altra  rimase,  e  comincio  quest'  arte 
Che  tu  discerni,  con  tanto  diletto 
Che  mai  da  circuir  non  si  diparte.'" 

6.  Beatrice  censures  the  preachers  of  the  time. 

" 'Per  apparer  ciascun  s' ingegna,  e  face 

Sue  invenzioni,  e  quelle  son  trascorse 
Dai  predicanti,  e  il  Vangelio  si  tace.' " 

7.  She  upbraids  their  levity  and  irreverence. 

'"Ora  si  va  con  motti  e  con  iscede 

A  predicare,  e  pur  che  ben  si  rida, 

Gonfia  il  cappuccio,  e  piu  non  si  richiede.' " 

Canto  XXX. 

1.  The  choirs  of  Angels  circling  round  the  Point  fade  from 

Dante's  view. 

".     .     .     .     il  trionfo,  che  lude 

Sempre  dintorno  al  punto  che  mi  vinse, 
Parendo  inchitiso  da  quel  ch'egl'inchiude, 
A  poco  a  poco  al  mio  veder  si  estinse." 

2.  Beatrice's  superadded  loveliness. 

"  La  bellezza  ch'  io  vidi  si  trasmoda 

Non  pur  di  la  da  noi,  ma  certo  io  credo 
Che  solo  il  suo  fattor  tutta  la  goda." 

3.  She  draws  Dante's  attention  to  the  Empyrean  into  which 

they  are  ascending. 


Ixvi  Itinerary. 

"....'  Noi  semo  usciti  fuore 

Del  maggior  corpo  al  ciel  ch'  e  pura  luce  ; 
Luce  intellettual  plena  d'  amore."' 

4.  The  glorious  radiance  of  the  Empyrean. 

".     .     .     mi  circonfulse  luce  viva, 

E  lasciommi  fasciato  di  tal  velo 

Del  suo  fulgor,  che  nulla  m'  appariva.' " 

5.  Dante  finds  himself  endowed  with  a  new  power  enabling 

him  to  see  the  Divine  light  in  the  form  of  a  river  flowing 
between  two  flowery  banks. 

" io  compresi 

Me  sormontar  di  sopra  a  mia  virtute; 
E  di  novella  vista  mi  raccesi     .     .     . 

E  vidi  lume  in  forma  di  riviera 

Fulvido  di  fulgore,  intra  due  rive 
Dipinte  di  mirabil  primavera." 

6.  The  River  of  Light  is  transformed  into  a  circular  sea  of 

radiance  of  immense  size. 

" mi  parve 

Di  sua  lunghezza  divenuta  tonda     .     .     . 
E  si  distende  in  circular  figura 

In  tanto,  che  la  sua  circonferenza 
Sarebbe  al  sol  troppo  larga  cintura." 

7.  Dante  sees  the  circular  sea  of  Light  take  the  semblance 

of  a  vast  white  Rose,  whose  petals  are  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  degrees  of  thrones. 

"Vidi  specchiarsi  in  piu  di  mille  soglie, 

Quanto  di  noi  lassu  fatto  ha  ritorno, 
E  se  P  infimo  grado  in  se  raccoglie 

Si  grande  lume,  quant'  e  la  larghezza 
Di  questa  rosa  nell'  estreme  foglie  ?  " 

8.  Beatrice  conducts  Dante  into  the  centre  of  the  Heavenly 

Rose,  showing  him  the  Saints  in  white  robes  seated  on 
the  thrones,  like  the  petals  of  the  flower. 
"  Nel  giallo  della  rosa  sempiterna     .     .     . 

Mi  trasse  Beatrice,  e  disse  '  Mira 

Quanto  e  il  convento  delle  bianche  stole  !'" 

9.  The  throne  reserved  for  the  Emperor  Henry  VI I  of  Luxem- 

bourg. 

'"In  quel  gran  seggio,  a  che  tu  gli  occhi  tieni 
Per  la  corona  che  gia  v'  £  su  posta, 
Prima  che  tu  a  queste  nozze  ceni, 
Sedera  1'alma,  che  fia  giu  agosta, 

Dell' alto  Enrico,  ch'a  drizzare  Italia 
Verra  in  prima  che  ella  sia  disposta.'" 


Itinerary.  Ixvii 

Canto  XXXI. 

1.  Dante,  while  gazing  at  the  Saints  (jnilizia  santa)  collected 

into  the  form  of  the  snow-white  Rose  of  Heaven,  sees  a 
second  host,  which  are  the  Angels,  fly  down  to  them,  as 
bees  to  flowers,  and  back  to  God,  as  bees  to  their  hive. 
"  In  forma  dunque  di  Candida  rosa 

Mi  si  mostrava  la  milizia  santa  . 

Ma  P  altra 

Si  come  schiera  d'  api      .... 

Nel  gran  fior  discendeva  che  s'  adorna 
Di  tante  foglie,  e  quindi  risaliva 
La  dove  il  suo  amor  sempre  soggiorna." 

2.  The  faces  of  the  Angels  are  in  flames,  their  wings  of  gold, 

their  raiment  white  as  snow. 

"  Le  facce  tutte  avean  di  fiamma  viva, 

E  P  ali  d'  oro,  e  P  altro  tanto  bianco, 
Che  nulla  neve  a  quel  termine  arriva." 

3.  Dante  conjures  the  Holy  Trinity  to  shine  upon  those  who 

are  tossed  about  on  the  tempestuous  sea  of  life. 
"  O  trina  luce,  che  in  unica  Stella 

Scintillando  a  lor  vista  si  gli  appaga, 
Guarda  quaggiu  alia  nostra  procella." 

4.  Dante's  eyes  wander  over  the  countless  tiers  of  thrones. 

All  the  countenances  he  sees  seem  to  breathe  Peace, 
Love,  and  Good- Will  derived  from  the  Light  of  God. 
"  Menava  io  gli  occhi  per  li  gradi, 

Mo  su,  mo  giu,  e  mo  ricirculando. 
Vedea  di  carita  visi  suadi; 

D'  altrui  lume  fregiati  e  del  suo  riso, 
Ed  atti  ornati  di  tutte  onestadi." 

5.  He  turns  round,  and  in  place  of  Beatrice,  finds  that  an  old 

man  clothed  in  white  is  standing  by  him. 

"  Credea  veder  Beatrice,  e  vidi  un  Sene 
Vestito  con  le  genti  gloriose." 

6.  The  new-comer,  who  is  St.  Bernard,  points  out  Beatrice 

seated   in   glory  upon  her  throne  in  the  third   rank, 

counting  from  the  uppermost. 

'"E  se  tu  riguardi  su  nel  terzo  giro 

Del  sommo  grado,  tu  la  rivedrai 

Nel  trono  che  i  suoi  merti  le  sortiro.' " 

7.  Dante  having  addressed  a  farewell  prayer  and  thanks- 

giving to  Beatrice,  she  beams  a  smile  of  last  farewell 


Ixviii  Itinerary. 

from  her  far  distant  throne,  and  then  turns  her  face  to 
God. 

"  Cosi  oral  ;  ed  ella  si  lontana, 

Come  parea,  sorrise  e  riguardommi ; 

Poi  si  torno  all'  eterna  fontana." 

S1  St.  Bernard  names  himself,  and  directs  Dante  to  look  at 
the  radiance  of  the  Saints  in  the  Rose,  that  he  may  be 
prepared  to  gaze  upon  the  glory  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
"  'Vola  con  gli  occhi  per  questo  giardino  ; 
Che  veder  lui  t'  acconcera  lo  sguardo 
Piu  al  montar  per  lo  raggio  divino. 
E  la  Regina  del  cielo,  ond'  i'  ardo 

Tutto  d'  amor,  ne  fara  ogni  grazia, 
Perocch'  io  sono  il  suo  fedel  Bernardo.' " 

9.  Dante  sees  the  Virgin  Mary  among  the  adoring  Angels. 
"  Vidi  quivi  ai  lor  giochi  ed  ai  lor  canti 
Ridere  una  bellezza,  che  letizia 
Era  negli  occhi  a  tutti  gli  altri  Santi." 

Canto  XXXII. 

\.  After  pointing  out  Eve  sitting  at  Mary's  feet,  and  Rachel 
at  the  side  of  Beatrice,  St.  Bernard  names  Saul,  Rebecca, 
Judith,  and  Ruth,  the  great-grandmother  of  the  Psalmist. 
"  'Sara,  Rebecca,  Judit,  e  colei 

Che  fu  bisava  al  cantor  che  per  doglia 
Del  fallo  disse  :  Miserere  met.'  " 

2.  The  holy  women  divide  the  Saints  of  the  Old  Testament 

from  those  of  the  new.     The  seats  of  the  former  are  full, 
but  there  are  still  some  vacant  places  among  the  latter. 

"  ' queste  sono  il  muro 

A  che  si  parton  le  sacre  scalee. 
Da  questa  parte  onde  il  fior  e  maturo 
Di  tutte  le  sue  foglie,  sono  assisi 
Quei  che  credettero  in  CRISTO  venturo. 
Dall'altra  parte,  onde  sono  intercisi 
Di  voti  i  semicircoli,  si  stanno 
Quei  ch;  a  CRISTO  venuto  ebbero  li  visi.' " 

3.  St.  Bernard  shows  Dante  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  beneath 

him  the  founders  of  religious  Orders,  and  others  below, 
corresponding  in  their  tiers  to  the  tiers  on  which  are 
seated  the  Mothers  of  Israel. 
"'E  sotto  lui  cosi  cerner  sortiro 

Francesco,  Benedetto  ed  Augustino, 
Ed  altri  sin  quaggiu  di  giro  in  giro.' " 


Itinerary.  Ixix 

4.  The  Rose  is  not  only  intersected  by  a  perpendicular,  but 

also  by  a  horizontal  line.  Below  the  latter  are  seated 
the  spirits  of  infants  who  died  before  they  had  attained 
the  practice  of  Free  Will. 

'".     .     .     tutti  questi  son  spiriti  assolti 

Prima  ch'  avesser  vere  elezioni. 
Ben  te  ne  puoi  accorger  per  li  void, 
Ed  anco  per  le  voci  puerili.'" 

5.  If  these  babes  enjoy  bliss  in  different  degrees,  they  do  so 

because  God  so  willed  it. 

"'Dentro  all'ampiezza  di  questo  reame 

Casual  punto  non  puote  aver  sito  . 

E  pero  questa  festinata  gente 
A  vera  vita  non  e  sine  causa 
Intra  se  qui  piu  e  meno  eccellente.'" 

6.  Dante  must  gaze  upon  the  radiant  countenance  of  the 

Blessed  Virgin,  which  alone  can  fit  his  eyesight  to  behold 

the  glory  of  her  Divine  Son. 

"'Riguarda  omai  nella  faccia  ch'a  CRISTO 
Piu  si  somiglia,  che  la  sua  chiarezza 
Sola  ti  puo  disporre  a  veder  CRISTO. 

7.  Dante  sees  the  Archangel  Gabriel  poised  on  his  wings  in 

front  of  Mary. 

"  E  quell'  amor  che  primo  li  discese, 

Cantando :  A  ve  Maria,  gratia  plena, 
Dinanzi  a  lei  le  sue  ali  distese." 

8.  St.  Bernard  points  out  Adam,  St.  Peter,  St.  John,  Moses, 

Anna,  and  Lucia,  and  then  signifies  to  Dante  that  he 
must  employ  the  time  remaining  to  him  of  his  vision  in 
the  contemplation  of  the  Triune  God. 
"'Ma  perche  il  tempo  fugge  che  t'assonna, 
Qui  farem  punto       .... 

E  drizzeremo  gli  occhi  al  primo  amore, 
Si  che,  guardando  verso  lui,  penetri, 
Quant'  e  possibil,  per  lo  suo  fulgore.' " 

Canto  XXXIII. 

I.  St.  Bernard  makes  his  prayer  to  the  Virgin  on  Dante's 
behalf,  imploring  grace  of  her  for  Dante  to  rise  to  the 
vision  of  the  Divine  Essence. 
"'Or  questi         .         .         .         . 


Ixx  Itinerary. 

Supplica  a  te  per  grazia  di  virtute 

Tanto  che  possa  con  gli  occhi  levarsi 
Piu  alto  verso  1'  ultima  salute.' " 

2.  The  Virgin  Mary's  eyes  signify  her  appreciation  of  St. 

Bernard's  prayer. 

"  Gli  occhi  da  Dio  diletti  e  venerati, 
Fissi  nelP  orator,  ne  dimostraro 
Quanto  i  devoti  preghi  le  son  grati." 

3.  Dante,  encouraged  by  St.  Bernard,  with  purified  eye-sight 

gazes  on  high  into  the  Supreme  Light,  and  sees  things 
such  as  human  power  of  speech  is  unable  to  recount. 
" .     .     .     la  mia  vista,  venendo  sincera, 
E  piu  e  piu  entrava  per  lo  raggio 
Dell'  alta  luce,  che  da  se  e  vera. 
Da  quinci  innanzi  il  mio  veder  fu  maggio 
Che  il  parlar  nostro,  ch'  a  tal  vista  cede, 
E  cede  la  memoria  a  tanto  oltraggio." 

4.  Dante  invokes  the  Supreme  Light  to  enable  him  to  record 

even  a  fragment  of  what  he  has  seen. 
"  O  somma  luce,         .... 

.     .     fa  la  lingua  mia  tanto  possente, 
Ch'  una  favilla  sol  della  tua  gloria 
Possa  lasciare  alia  futura  gente." 

5.  He  attempts  to  describe  in  what  threefold  shape  he  saw 

the  Blessed  Trinity. 

"  Nella  profonda  e  chiara  sussistenza 
DelF  alto  lume  parvemi  tre  giri 
Di  tre  colori  e  d'  una  continenza ; 
E  1'un  dall'altro,  corne  Iri  da  Iri, 

Parea  riflesso,  e  il  terzo  parea  foco 

Che  quinci  e  quindi  egualmente  si  spiri." 

6.  He  concludes  the  Poem  by  showing  that  God  had  taken 

possession  of  his  every  desire  and  his  whole  will,  and 
was  moving  them  with  that  same  Love  with  which  He 
directs  and  governs  the  Heavenly  bodies. 
"  'All'  alta  fantasia  qui  manco  possa ; 

Ma  gia  volgeva  il  mio  disiro  e  il  vette, 
Si  come  rota  ch'  egualmente  e  mossa, 
L'  amor  che  move  il  sole  e  1'  altre  stelle." 


END  OF  THE  ITINERARY. 


Ixxi 


LIST    OF    AUTHORS    AND    OF    EDITIONS 
QUOTED. 

ADAM  de  Saint-Victor.     Liturgical  Poetry,  from  the  text  of  Gautier,  ed. 

by  D.  S.  Wrangharn.     London,  1881.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
AGNELLI    (Giovanni).      Topo-Cronografia    del    Viaggio    Dantesco. 

Milano.  1891.    4to. 
ALBERTUS    MAGNUS,    Ratisbonensis    episcopus,    ordin.    Praedicator. 

Opera  omnia,  edita  studio  et  labore  P.  Petri  Jammy.     Lugduni, 

1651.     21  vols.,  folio. 
ALFRAGANUS  (Muhamedes  films  Xetiri  qui  vulgo  dicitur).     Eiementa 

Astronomica,  Arab,  et  Lat.     Amsterodami,  1669.     410. 
ANNALES  Forolivienses,  in  Muratori  (L.  A.)     Ital.  Rerum  Scriptores, 

torn.  22.     Folio. 

Pistorienses  seu  commentarii  rerum  gestarum  in  Tuscia,  italice 

scripti   ab  auctore  anonymo   synchrono,    1300-1348.     Florentite, 
1578.     410. 

ANSELMUS    (Archiep.    Cant.)      Opera    Omnia.      Parisiis   (Migne), 

1863-65.     2  vols.,  imp.  8vo. 
ANTON ELLI   (Giovanni).     Sulle   dottrine   astronomiche  della   Divina 

Commedia.     Firenze,  1865.     8vo. 

Studi  particolari  sulla  Divina  Commedia.    Firenze,  1871.    8vo. 

•     Annotazioni  Astronomiche  nella  Divina  Commedia.     In  Dante 

Alighieri,  La  Commedia  di  Dante,  con  ragionamenti  e  note  di 
N.  TOMMASBO.     Milano,  1869.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
AQUINAS   (St.   Thomas).      Summa  Theologica   diligenter  emendata 
Nicolai,  Sylvii,  Billuart,  et  C.— J.  Drioux,  notis  ornata.     Parisiis, 
1880.     8  vols.,  8vo. 

Summa  Contra  Gentiles.     Romce,  1888. 

ARIOSTO  (Ludovico).  Orlando  Furioso,  preceduto  da  alcuni  pensieri 
di  Vincenzo  Gioberti,  e  corredato  di  note.  Firenze,  1854.  2  vols., 
sm.  8vo. 

•     Orlando  Furioso.     Firenze,  Barbera,  1890.     3  vols.  (Diamond 
Edition). 

Satire  in"  Raccolta  di  Poesie  Satiriche."     Milan,  1808.    8vo. 


ARISTOTLE.     Opera,  edidit  Academia  Regia  Borasica.     Berolini,  1831. 

4  vols.  in  2.     4to. 
AUGUSTINUS  (S.  Aur.),     Opera  Omnia,  studio  Monachorum  Ord.  S. 

Benedicti.     Bassani,  1797-1807.     18  vols.  in  9.     410. 
AZEGLIO  (Marchese  Massimo  D').     Niccol6  de'  Lapi.     Milano,  1872. 

i  vol.,  8vo. 
BACON  (Roger).     Opus  Majus  a  S.  Jebb  editum.     Lomliin,  1773.     Sm. 

folio. 
BAEDA  (Venerabilis).     Opera  Historica.     Edited  by  the  Rev.  Charles 

Plummer.     Oxford,  1896.     2  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 


Ixxii  Authors  and  Editions  quoted. 

BALBO   (Count   Cesare).     Vita  di    Dante   scritta  da   Cesare   Balbo. 

Firenze,  Le  Monnier,  1853.     Sm.  8vo. 
BARELLI  (Vincenzo).     L'Allegoria  della  Divina  Commedia  esposta. 

Firenze,  1864.     Sm.  8vo. 

BARLOW  (Dr.  H.  C.)    Critical,  historical,  and  philosophical  contribu- 
tions to  the  study  of  the  Divina  Commedia.     London,  1864.     8vo. 
BARRAU  (J.J.)  et  DARRAGON  (B.).    Histoire  des  Croisades  contre  les 

Albigeois.     Paris,  1840. 
BARTOLI  (Adolfo).     Storia  della  Letteratura  Italiana.     Firenze,  1878- 

1884.    Vols.  I  to  VII.     Sm.  8vo.     Unfinished. 
BECCARIA  (Cesare).     Opere,  con  Vita  dell'  Autore.     Milano,   1821. 

2  vols.,  8vo. 

Dei  Delitti  e  delle  Pene.  Monaco,  1764.  Sm.  8vo.  (First  edition). 

BERLAN  (F.).     Le  piii  belle  pagine  della  Divina  Commedia.    Padova, 

1870.     Sm.  8vo. 
BERNARDUS    (Sanctus).      Opera    omnia,    curis   Johannis    Mabillon. 

Paris  Us,  1690.     2  vols.,  folio. 
BIBLIORUM  Sacrorum  Vulgatae  Versionis  Editio  Clero  Gallicano  dicata. 

Parish's,  1785.     4to. 
BERNI  (Francesco).     L'Orlando  Innamorato  di  Matteo  M.  Bojardo, 

rifatto  da  Francesco  Berni.    Firenze,  1827.     2  vols.,  I2tno. 
BLANC  (L.  G.)  Vocabolario  Dantesco,  recato  in  Italiano  da  G.  Carbone. 

Firenze,  1859.     Sm.  8vo. 
BOETHIUS  (Anicius  Manlius  Torquatus  Severinus).     Consolationis  libri 

quinque,  recensuit  Rudolfus  Peiper.     Lipsiae,  1871.     Sm.  8vo. 
BOCCACCIO  (Giovanni).     Decamerone,  corretto  ed  illustrate  con  note. 

Firenze,  1827.     5  vols.,  8vo. 
Joannis  Bocatii  Trept  jfvta\oyias  Deorum,  libri  quindecim.  cum 

annotationibus  Jacobi  Micylli.    Basilece,  1532.     I  vol.,  folio. 
BOJARDO  (Matteo  Maria).  Orlando  Innamorato  [and]  Orlando  Furioso 

di  Ariosto :  with  an  Essay  on  the  Romantic  Narrative  Poetry  of 

the  Italians ;  Memoirs  and  notes,  by  Antonio  Panizzi.     London, 

1830-1834.    9  vols.,  8vo. 
BONO  GIAMBONI.     II   Volgarizzamento  del   Tesoro  di  Ser   Brunetto 

Latini,  in  Nannucci's  "  Manuale."     Firenze,  1883.     Vol.  II. 
BORGHINI    (Vincenzo).     Studi    sulla   Divina    Commedia   di    Galileo 

Galilei,   Vincenzo  Borghini,  ed  altri,  per  cura  di  Ottavio  Gigli. 

Firenze,  1855.     Sm.  8vo. 
BORTOLAN    (Abbate).     II   Bacchiglione.     Monograph   introduced   by 

Professor  Poletto  into  the  Appendix  (vol.  VIII)  of  his  "  Dizionario 

Dantesco."     Siena,  1892. 
BOSSUET  (J.  B.  Eveque  de  Meaux).   Discours  sur  1'Histoire  Universelle. 

Paris,  1784.     Folio. 
BOTTICELLI  (Sandro).    Zeichnungen  von  Sandro  Botticelli  zu  Dante's 

Goettlicher  Komoedie  nach  dem  originalen   im    K.   Kupferstich- 

Kabinet  zu  Berlin  herausgegebenim  AuftragederGeneralverwaltung 

der  K.  Museen  von  F.  Lippmann.     Berlin,  1887.     Oblong  folio. 
BREVIARIUM  ROMANUM,  cum  Officiis  Sanctorum.     Mechliniae,  1866. 

4  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
BROWNE  (Sir  Tho.)    Vulgar  Errors,  in  Works   [vols.  Ill  and  IV], 

edited  by  S.  Wilkin.    London,    4  vols.,  8vo. 


Authors  and  Editions  quoted.  Ixxiii 

BRYCE  (The  Right  Honble.  James).    The  Holy  Roman  Empire.    Fifth 

Edition.     London,  1875.     p.  8vo. 
BUONAROTTI  (Michelangelo).     La  Fiera,  commedia  di  Michelangelo 

Buonarotti  il  Giovane,  e  la  Tancia,  commedia  rusticale  del  medesimo, 

con   annotazioni   di    Pietro    Fanfani.      Firenze,    1860.      2    vols., 

sm.  8vo. 
BURCHIELLO  (Domenico).     Sonetti  del   Burchiello.    Londra,    1757. 

Sm.  410. 
BURNS  (Robert).     Works  of,  edited  by  W.  S.  Douglas.     Edinburgh, 

I%77-79-    6  vols.,  p.  8vo. 
CAETANI  DI  SERMONETA  (Duke  Michelangelo).     La  Materia  della 

Divina   Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  dichiarata    in  VI  tavole. 

Seconda  Edizione.     Roma,  1872.     Folio. 
Tre    chiose    nella    Divina    Commedia   di    Dante    Alighieri. 

Seconda  Edizione.     Roma,  1876.     8vo. 
CAPETTI  (Vittorio).    Osservazioni  sul  Paradise  dantesco.      Venezia, 

1888.     8vo. 
CAPPONI  (Gino).     Storia  della  Repubblica  di  Firenze.    Firenze,  1875. 

Large  8vo. 
CARENA  (Giacinto).     Prontuario  di  vocaboli  attenenti  a  parecchie  arti, 

ed  alcuni  mestieri,   a   cose   domestiche,  e   altro   di  uso  comune. 

Torino,  1846-1853.     2  vols.,  8vo. 

CARPENTER  (Dr.  G.  R.).    Article  on  the  "  Donna  Pietosa,"  in  "  Trans- 
actions of  the  American  Dante  Society." 
CATECHISMUS  ROMANUS,  in  "  Libri  Symbolici  Eccles.  Cath.  studio 

F.  G.  Streitwolf  et  R.  E.  Klener."      Gottingae,  1846.      2  vols., 

8vo. 
CAVALCANTI   (Guido).     Rime.     In  "  Poeti  del   Primo  secolo   della 

Lingua  Italiana."     Firenze,  1816.     2  vols.,  8vo. 
CAVERNI  (Raffaello).     Voci  e  modi  della  Divina  Commedia  dell' uso 

popolare  toscano  :  Dizionaretto.     Firenze,  1877.     Sm.  8vo. 
CENNINI  (Cennino).     Trattato  della  Pittura.     Roma,  1821. 
CESARI  (Antonio).     Bellezze   della  Commedia  di   Dante   Alighieri ; 

Dialoghi.     Verona,  1824-26,  4  vols.,  8vo. 

CHIABRERA  (Gab.).    Poesie  Liriche.     Livorno,  1781.     3  vols.,  I2mo. 
CHAUCER  (Geoffrey).     Poetical  Works,  with  notes  and  a  glossary,  by 

Thomas  Tyrwhitt.     London,  1847.     Large  8vo. 
CHURCH  (Dean  Richard  W.).      Dante  and  other  Essays.     London, 

1888. 
CIAMPI  (Ignazio).     Un  Municipio  italiano  all' eta  di  Dante  Alighieri, 

in  the  "  Giornale,  Arti  e  Lettere,"  p.  52,  quoting  from  NICCOLO 

DELLA  TUCCIA,  Cronaca  inedita  cli  Viterbo.     1235. 
CICERO  (Marcus  Tullius).  Opera  Omnia,  edidit  Car.  Fricl.  Aug.  Nobbe. 

Lipsiie,  1849-50.     1 1  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
CIRIFFO  CALVANEO,  e  '1  Povero  Avveduto.     MS.  in  the  Laurentian 

Library  at  Florence. 
COLET  (Dean).     Two  Treatises  of  the  Hierarchies  of  Dionysius  [the 

Areopagite]  with  Introduction,  first  flublis/ied,  with  translation,  by 

J.  H.  LUPTON.     London,  1869.     8vo. 
COLONNE  (Guido  Giudice,  dalle).     Volgarizzamento  della  Storia  della 

Guerra  Troiana.     Venezia,  1481.     Folio. 


Ixxiv  Authors  and  Editions  quoted. 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI. 

I.    The  Divina  Commedia :  Texts,  with  Italian  or  Latin  Commen- 
taries. 

II.    Danish,  English,  French  and  German  Translations  of  the  Divina 
Commedia. 

III.  The  Inferno  :  Texts,  with  Italian  and  English  Commentaries  and 

Translations. 

IV.  The  Purgatorio :  Texts,  with  English  and  French  Commentaries 

and  Translations. 

V.    The  Paradiso :  Text,  with  English  Translation. 
VI.    Minor  Works  :  Texts,  with  English  Translation. 

I.  THE  DIVINA  COMMEDIA  :  TEXTS  ;  WITH  ITALIAN  OR  LATIN 
COMMENTARIES. 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col 
comento  di  Raffaele  ANDREOLI.  Seconda  Edizione  interamente 
rifatta.  Napoli,  1863.  8vo. 

Commento  alia  Divina  Commedia  d'  ANONIMO  FIORENTINO 

ora  per  la  prima  volta  stampato  a  cura  di  Pietro  Fanfani.  Bologna, 
1866-74.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

BENVENUTI  DE  RAMBALDIS  DE  IMOLA,  Comentum  super 

Dantis  Aldigherii  Comediam,  nunc  primum  integre  in  lucem 
editum.  Sumptibus  Guilielmi  Warren  Vernon  curante  Jacobo 
Philippo  Lacaita.  Florentice,  1887.  5  vols.,  large  8vo. 

Benvenuto  Rambaldi  da  Imola  illustrato  nella  vita  e  nelle  opere, 

e  il  di  lui  commento  latino  sulla  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alli- 
ghieri  voltato  in  Italiano  dall'  avvocato  G.  TAMBURINI.     Imola, 
1855.  56.  3  vols.,  8vo.  (One  of  the  worst  translations  ever  printed). 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  comento  di  G. 

BIAGIOLI.     Napoli,  1854.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

La  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  novamente  riveduta  nel  testo 

e  dichiarata  da  Brunone  BIANCHI.    Nona  Edizione.   Firenze,  1886. 
Sm.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  con  note  tratte  dai 

migliori  comment!  per  cura  di  Eugenio  CAMERJNI.    Milano,  1880. 
4to. 

La  Divina  Commedia  ridotta  a  miglior  lezione  con  1'  aiuto  di 

ottimi  manoscritti  e  soccorsa  di  note  edite  ed  inedite  antiche  e 
moderne  per  cura  di  Giuseppe  CAMPI.    Torino,  1888-89.     3  vols.. 
8vo. 

Commento  di  Francesco  da  BUTI  sopra  la  Divina  Commedia 

di  Dante  Allighieri  pubblicato  per  cura  di  Crescentino  Giannini. 
Pisa,  1858-62.     3  vols.,  large  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  con  il  commento  di 

Tommaso  CASINI.     Firenze,  1895.     Sm.  8vo. 

•     II  Codice  CASSINESE  della  Divina  Commedia,  per  cura  dei 

Monaci  Benedettini  della  Badia  di  Monte  Cassino,  colle  Chiose 
Sincrone.  Tipografia  di  Monte  Cassino,  1865.  Folio. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  commento  di 


Giovanni  Maria  CORNOLDI.    Roma,  1887.    8vo. 


Authors  and  Editions  quoted.  Ixxv 

DANTE    ALIGHIERI.       Dante    con  1'  esposizione  di   M.   Bernardino 
DANIELLO  da  Lucca.     Venetia,  1568.    410. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri,  illustrata  nei  luoghi 

e  nelle  persone  a  cura  di  Corrado  Ricci.    Milano  (Ulrico  Hoepli), 
1898.     410.     (Splendid  "  Edition  de  Luxe.") 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  comento  di  G.  F. 

de' DIONISI.     Parma,  1795.     3  vols.,  folio. 

-  Chiose  sopra  Dante.  Testo  Inedito  ora  per  la  prima  volta 
pubblicato,  ed.  G.  J.  Warren  Lord  Vernon.  Firenze,  1846. 
Large  8vo.  (This  work  is  better  known  as  "  IL  FALSO  BOC- 
CACCIO.") 

La   Divina   Commedia  voltata  in   prosa  da  Mario   FORESI. 

Firenze,  1890.     I  vol.,  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  comento  di  Pietro 

FRATICELLI.     Firenze,  1864.     Sm.  8vo. 

Letture  edite  e  inedite  di  Giovan  Batista  GELLI  sopra  la  Com- 
media di  Dante  per  cura  di  Carlo  Negroni.    Firenze,  1887.    2  vols., 
roy.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  ridotta  a  miglior  lezione  dagli  Acca- 

demici  della  Crusca  con  le  chiose  di  Vincenzo  GIOBERTI.    Napoli, 
1865.     8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  interpretata  da  Francesco  GREGORETTI. 


Venezia,  1868.     Sm.  8vo. 

Comedia  di  Dante  degli  Allagherii  col  Commento  di  Jacopo 

della  LANA,  ed.  Luciano  Scarabelli.     1866.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

Comento  di  Cristophoro  LANDING  florentino  sopra  la  Comedia 

di  Danthe  Poeta  excellentissimo.    Impresso  in  Firenze  per  Nicholo 
di  Lorenzo  Della  Magna  a  di  xx x  Dagosto,  1481.     Folio. 

•     La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  commento  del  P. 

Baldassare  LOMBARDI,  Minor  Conventuale.  Firenze,  1830.  3  vols., 
roy.  8vo. 

Commedia  di  Dante  Allighieri  preceduta  dalla  vita  e  da  studi 

preparatori  illustrativi  esposta  e  commentata  da  Antonio  LUBIN. 
Padova,  1881.     Large  8vo. 

La  Divina   Commedia   dichiarata  secondo  i    principii  della 

filosofia  per  Lorenzo  MARTINI.     Torino,  1840.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

Tutte  le  opere  di  Dante  Alighieri ;  Nuovamente  rivedute  nel 

testo  da  Dr.  E.  MOORE.     Oxford,  1894.     Sm.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  nuovamente  riveduta 

nel  testo  dal  Dr.  E.  MOORE,  con  indice  dei  nomi  propri  compilato 
da  Paget  TOYNBEE,  M.A.     Oxford,  1900.     Sm.  8vo. 

L'OTTIMO  COMMENTO  della  Divina  Commedia,  ed.  da  Ales- 

sandro  Torri.     Pisa,  1827-29.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

PRTRI  ALLEGHERII  super  Dantis  ipsius  Genitoris  Comcediam 

Commentarium  nunc  primum  in  lucem  editum  consilio  et  sumtibus 
G.  J.  Bar.  Vernon,  curante  Vincentio  Nannucci.    Florentitz,  1846. 
Large  8vo. 

Postille  inedite  alia  Divina  Cammedia  di  Giulio  PERTICARI. 

Faenza,  1853. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Allighieri  con  commento  del 


Prof.  Giacomo  POLETTO.    Roma,  1894.    3  vols.,  8vo. 


Ixxvi  Authors  and  Editions  quoted. 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  Le  PRIME  QUATTRO  EDIZIONI  della  Divina 
Commedia  letteralmente  ristampate  per  cura  di  G.  G.  Warren,  Lord 
Vernon.  Londra,  1858.  Folio. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  riveduta  nel  testo  e 

commentata  da  G.  A.  SCARTAZZINI.    Leipzig,  1874-1890.    4vols., 
sm.  8vo. 

Vol.    I.  Inferno,  1874.  Vol.  III.  Paradise,  1882. 

Vol.  II.  Purgatorio,  1875.  Vol.  IV.  Prolegomeni,  1890. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  riveduta  nel  testo  e 

commentata  da  G.  A.  SCARTAZZINI.     Edizione  Minore.     Milano, 
1893.     Sm.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  riveduta  nel  testo  e 

commentata  da  G.  A.  SCARTAZZINI.    Terza  Edizione  nuovamente 
riveduta,  corretta  e  arricchita  col  rimario  perfezionato,  e  indice  dei 
nomi  propri  e  delle  cose  notabili.     Milano,  1899.     Sm.  8vo. 

Translatio  et  Comentum  totius  libri  Dantis  Aldigherii  Fratris 

Johannis  de  SERRAVALLE  cum  textu  Italico  Fratris  Bartholomsei  a 
Colle,  mine  primum  edita.     Prato,  1891.     i  vol.,  folio. 

•  La  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  commento  inedito  di 

Stefano  TALICE  da  Ricaldone  fatta  pubblicare  da  S..M.  Umberto  I., 
Re  d'  Italia  per  cura  di  Vincenzo  Promis  e  Carlo  Negroni.  Torino, 
1886.  Folio. 

Commedia  di  Dante  Allighieri   con  ragionamenti  e  note  di 

Niccolo  TOMMASEO.     Milano,  1869.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  esposta  in  prosa  dal  conte  Francesco 

TRISSINO.     2da  ediz.     Milano,  1864.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

La  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri,  il  testo  Wittiano,  riveduto  da 

Paget  TOYNBEE.     Londra,  1900.     8vo. 

La  Comedia  di  Dante  Aligieri  con   la   nova  esposizione  di 

Alessandro  VELLUTELLO.     Vinegia,  1544.     4to. 

La  Divina  Commedia  con  una  breve  sufficiente  dichiarazione 

del  senso  letterale  diversa  in  piii  luoghi  da  quella  degli  antichi  com- 
mentatori,  di  Pompeo  VENTURI.     Verona,  1749.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Allighieri, ricorretta  sopra  quattro 

dei  piu  autorevoli  testa  a  penna  da  Carlo  WITTE.  Berlino,  1862.  410. 

II.  DANISH,  ENGLISH,  FRENCH  AND  GERMAN  TTANSLATIONS  OF 

THE  DIVINA  COMMEDIA. 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  Dante  Alighieris  Guddomelige  Komedie  oversat 
af  Christian  K.  F.  MOLBECH.  Copenhagen,  1878.  2  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
(Third  Edition). 

The  Hell,  the  Purgatory  and  the  Paradise  of  Dante  Alighieri, 

edited  with  translation  and  notes  by  Arthur  John  BUTLER.  London, 
1885-92.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

The  Vision  ;    or,  Hell,  Purgatory,   and  Paradise   of  Dante 

Alighieri,  translated  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Francis  GARY.    London, 
1886.     Sm.  8vo. 

Dante's  Divine  Comedy,  translated  by  C.  B.  CAYLEY.  London, 

1854.     4  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

The  Divina  Commedia  of  Dante,  translated  into  English  verse 


by  James  FORD.     London,  1870.     Sm.  8vo. 


Authors  and  Editions  quoted.  Ixxvii 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  The  Divina  Commedia  of  Dante  Alighieri,  trans- 
lated line  for  line  in  the  terza  rima  of  the  original,  with  Notes  by 
Frederick  K.  H.  HASELFOOT.  Second  Edition,  revised,  corrected, 
and  further  annotated.  London,  1899.  8vo. 

The  Divine  Comedy  of  Dante  Alighieri,  translated  by  Henry 

Wadsworth  LONGFELLOW.     London,  1890.     3  vols.,  I2mo. 

The  Divine  Comedy  of  Dante  Alighieri,  translated  by  Charles 

Eliot  NORTON. 

Hell.    London,  1891.     Sm.  8vo. 
Purgatory.     London,  1891.     Sm.  8vo. 
Paradise.    London,  1892.     Sm.  8vo. 

The  Commedia  and  Canzoniere  of  Dante  Alighieri.     A  new 

translation,  with  notes,  essays,  and  a  biographical  ntroduction,  by 
Dean  E.  H.  PLUMPTRE.    London,  1886-1887.     2  vols.,  8vo. 

The  Divine  Comedy  ;  or,  the  Inferno,  Purgatory  and  Paradise, 

rendered  into  English  by  (Sir)   Frederick  POLLOCK.      London, 
1854.    8vo. 

Dante,  translated  into  English  verse  by  I.  C.  WRIGHT.  Third 

Edition.     London,  1854.     Sm.  8vo. 

La   Divine   Comedie  de    Dante   Alighieri,   traduite   par   F. 

LAMENNAIS.    Paris,  1855.     3  vols.,  8vo. 

Dante  Alighieri's  Gottliche  Comodie,  metrisch  iibertragen  und 

mit  kritischen  und  historischen  Erlauterungen  versehen  von  PHILA- 
LETHES  {i.e.  King  of  Saxony].     Leipzig,  1865-1866.     Large  8vo. 

Dante   Alighieri's  Gottliche    Komodie   iibersetzt  von   Karl 


WlTTE.     Berlin,  1876.     Sm.  8vo. 

III.  THE  INFERNO  :  TEXTS  WITH  ITALIAN  AND  ENGLISH  COMMEN- 
TARIES AND  TRANSLATIONS. 
DANTE  ALIGHIERI.     Dante's    Divine    Comedy.     The    Inferno.     A 

literal  prose  translation,  by  John  A.  CARLYLE.    Third  Edition. 

London,  1882.     Sm.  8vo. 

La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  riveduta  nel  testo  e 

commentata  da  G.  A.  SCARTAZZINI.     Volume  Primo.     L'Inferno. 
Seconda  Edizione  interamente  rifatta  ed  accresciuta  di  una  concor- 
danza  della  Divina  Commedia.     Leipzig,  1900.     Sm.  8vo. 

L'Inferno  .  .  disposto  in  ordine  grammatical  e  corredato  di 

brevi  dichiarazioni  da  G.  G.  Warren,  LORD  VERNON  [assisted  by 
Sir  Giacomo  F.  Lacaita].     Londra,  Firenze  [printed],  1858-65. 
3  vols.,  folio.    (Known  as  the  VERNON  DANTE.) 

Readings  on  the  Inferno  of  Dante,  chiefly  based  on  the  Com- 


mentary of  Benvenuto  da  Imola,  by  the  Honble.  William  Warren 
VERNON,  M.A.,  with  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Moore, 
D.D.  London,  1894.  2  vols.,  8vo. 

IV.  THE  PURGATORIO  :  TEXTS,  WITH  ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH  COM- 
MENTARIES AND  TRANSLATIONS. 
DANTE  ALIGHIERI.     The  Purgatorio,  translated  by  W.  S.  DUGDALE. 

London,  1885.     Sm.  8vo. 
II  Purgatorio,  Canto  VIII.     In  The  Death-Song  of  Thamyris 

and  other  Poems  done  into  English  verse  by  E.  H.  PEMBER,  Q.C. 

London,  1899.     8vo. 


Ixxviii  Authors  and  Editions  quoted. 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  The  Purgatory  of  Dante  Alighieri  (Purgatorio. 
i-xxvii).  An  experiment  in  Literal  Verse  Translation  by  Charles 
Lancelot  SHADWELL,  with  an  Introduction  by  Walter  Pater. 
London,  1892.  8vo. 

• The  Purgatory  of  Dante  Alighieri.     Part  II.     The  Earthly 

Paradise  (Cantos  xxviii-xxxiii).  An  experiment  in  literal  verse 
translation  by  Charles  Lancelot  SHADWELL,  with  an  Introduction 
by  John  Earle,  Professor  of  Anglo-Saxon  in  the  University  of 
Oxford.  London,  1899.  8vo. 

Readings  on  the  Purgatorio  of  Dante,  chiefly  based  on  the 

Commentary  of  Benvenuto  da  Imola,  by  the  Honble.  William 
Warren  VERNON,  M.A.,  Accademico  Corrispondente  della  Crusca, 
with  an  Introduction  by  the  late  Dean  Richard  W.  Church. 
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Le  Purgatoire  de  Dante.     Traduction  et  Commentaire,  par 


A.  F.  OZANAM.     Paris,  1873.     8vo. 

V.  THE  PARADISO  :  TEXT,  WITH  ENGLISH  TRANSLATIONS. 
DANTE  ALIGHIERI.  II  Paradise.  Canto  XV.  In  "  Adrastus  of  Phrygia 

and  other  Poems,  done  into  English  verse  by  E.  H.  Pember,  Q.C." 

London,  1897.     8vo. 
— —     The  Paradise  of  Dante    Alighieri,  text   and  translation  by 

Philip  WICKSTEED.     London,  1899.     I2mo. 

VI.  MINOR  WORKS  :  TEXTS,  WITH  ENGLISH  TRANSLATIONS. 
DANTE  ALIGHIERI.    Opere  Minori  di  Dante  Alighieri  col  commento  di 
Pietro  FRATICELLI.  Nuova  edizione.  Fir enze, &%>"].  3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
Vol.  I.  II  Canzoniere  di  Dante  Alighieri,  annotato  e  illustrato 
da  Pietro  Fraticelli,  aggiuntovi  le  rime  sacre  e  le  poesie 
latine  dello  stesso  autore. 

Vol.  II.  La  Vita  Nuova,  i  trattati  De  Vulgari  Eloquio,  De 
Monarchia  e  la  Questione  de  Aqua  et  Terra,  con  traduzione 
italiana  delle  opere  scritte  latinamente  e  note  e  illustrazioni 
di  P.  Fraticelli. 

Vol.  III.  II  Convito  e  le  Epistole,  con  illustrazioni  e  note  di 
P.  Fraticelli  e  d'  altri. 

DANTE  De  la  Volgare  Eloquenzia.    Editio  Princeps.     Vicenza, 

per  Tolomeo  Janiculo  da  Bressa,  1529.     8vo. 

The  New  Life  of  Dante  Alighieri,  translated  by  Charles  Eliot 

Norton.     Boston,  1867.     410. 

The  Banquet  (II  Convito)  of  Dante  Alighieri,  translated  by 

Katharine  HILLARD.    London,  1889.     Sm.  8vo. 

A  translation  of  Dante's  Eleven   Letters,  with   explanatory 


notes   and  historical   comments   by    Charles    Sterrett    LATHAM. 
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DANTE  SOCIETY  (Cambridge,  Mass.).    Annual  Reports.     Cambridge : 

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Firenze.  1816.     2  vols..  8vo. 
DANTIER  (A.).     Les  Monasteres  Benedictins  dTtalie,  Souvenirs  d'un 

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Authors  and  Editions  quoted.  Ixxix 

DE  AMICIS  (Edmondo).     Pagine  Sparse.     Milano,  s.  a.     Sm.  8vo. 
DEL  LUNGO  (Prof.  Isidoro).    Dante  nei  tempi  di  Dante,  ritratti  estudi. 

Bologna,  1888. 
DELLA  VAI.LE    (Giovanni).      II   senso    Geografico-Astronomico  del 

luoghi  della  Divina  Commedia.     Faenza,  1869.     8vo. 

Orario  del  Viaggio  Dantesco.     Faenza,  1870. 

DIEZ  (Fried.).  Etymological  Dictionary  of  the  Romance  Languages, 
chiefly  from  the  German  of  F.  Diez,  by  T.  C.  Donkin.  London, 
1864.  8vo. 

DINO  COMPAGNI.  Dino  Compagni  e  la  sua  Cronica  per  Isidoro  DEL 
LUNGO.  Firenze,  1879-1887.  3  vols.  in  four  parts,  large  8vo. 

DRYDEN  (John).  Poetical  Works.  In  the  Aldine  Edition  of  the  Eng- 
lish Poets.  London,  Pickering.  5  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

DUCANGE  (Charles  Dufresne).  Glossarium  mediae  et  infimae  Latini- 
tatis  conditum  a  Carolo  Dufresne  Domino  DUCANGE,  auctum  a 
Monachis  S.  Benedicti,  cum  supplementis  integris  D.  P.  Car- 
penterii,  et  additamentis  Adelungii  et  aliorum,  digessit  G.  A.  L. 
Henschel.  Parisiis,  1840-1857.  8  vols.,  410. 

DUNS  SCOTUS  (Johannes).    Von  Dr.  Karl  Werner.     Wien,  1881.    8vo. 

EURIPIDES.  Opera  Omnia,  Gr.  et  Lat.  Scholiis.  et  Indicibus  instructa. 
Glasguae,  1821.  9  vols.,  8vo. 

EUSEBIUS  Pamphilus.  Ecclesiastica  Historia  :  de  Vita  Imp.  Constan- 
tini ;  Oratio  Constantini  ad  Sanctos  et  Panegyricus  Eusebii,  ed 
H.  Valesius,  cum  interpret.  Latina.  Moguntiae,  1672.  Folio. 

FANFANI  (Pietro).  Vocabolario  della  Lingua  Italiana.  Seconda 
Edizione.  Firenze,  1865.  Large  8vo. 

Studj  ed  Osservazioni  sopra  il  testo  delle  opere  di  Dante. 

Firenze,  1873.     Sm.  8vo. 

FARDEL  (Max.  Durand).  La  Personne  de  Dante  dans  la  Divine 
Comedie.  Etude  Psychologique.  Paris,  1896.  Sm.  8vo. 

Une  Vue  du  Paradis.     Paris,  1894.     Sm.  8vo. 

FAY  (Edward  Allen).  Concordance  of  the  Divina  Commedia.  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  1888.  8vo. 

FAZIO  DEGLI  UFERTI.  II  Dittamondo,  ridotto  a  buona  lezione  colle 
correzioni  pubblicate  dal  Cav.Vincenzo  Monti.  Milano,  1826.  I2mo. 

FERRAZZI  (abate  Giuseppe  Jacopo).  Manuale  Dantesco,  vol.  I, 
Fraseologia ;  vol.  II  and  III,  Enciclopedia  Dantesca  ;  vol.  IV, 
Bibliografia  ;  vol.  V,  Bibliografia  ;  Parte  II,  aggiuntavi  la  Biblio- 
grafia  Petrarchesca.  Bassano,  1865-77.  5  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 

FOLGORE  DA  SAN  GEMIGNANO.  Sonetti  in  Nannucci's  "Manuale." 
Firenze,  1883.  Vol.  i,  p.  341. 

FORNACIARI  (Raffaello).  Grammatica  Storica  della  Lingua  Italiana 
estratta  e  compendiata  dalla  Grammatica  Romana  di  Federico  Diez, 
per  opera  di  Raffaello  Fornaciari.  Jtotna,  7'orino,  Firenze,  1872. 
Sm.  8vo. 

FORTEGUERRI  (Niccol6,  known  as  Carteromaco).  II  Ricciardetto. 
Firenze,  1828.  I2mo, 

FRESCOBALDI  (Lionardo).  Viaggi  in  Terra  Santa  di  Lionardo  Fresco- 
baldi  e  d'  altri  del  Secolo  XIV.  Firenze,  1862.  Diamond  edition. 

FREZZI  (Federigo).  II  Quadriregio  o  Poema  de'  quattro  regni.  Foligno, 
1725.  2  vols.,  4to. 


Ixxx  Authors  and  Editions  quoted. 

GARDNER  (Edmund  G.).     Dante's  Ten  Heavens,  a  study  of  the  Para- 
diso,  by  Edmund  G.  Gardner,  MA.     Westminster,  1898.     8vo. 

Dante,  by  Edmund  G.  Gardner,  M.A.,  in  the  Temple  Primers. 

London,  1900.     i2mo. 

GARGIOLLI  (Girolamo).     II  parlare  degli  Artigiani  di  Firenze,  di  Giro- 

lamo  Gargiolli.     Firenze,  1876.     Sm.  8vo. 
GIACOMO  PUGLIESI.     Canzoni,  in  Nannucci's  "  Manuale."     Firenze, 

1883.  Vol.  I,  p.  104. 

GIANNI  ALFANI.     Rime,  in  Nannucci's  "  Manuale."    Firenze,  1883. 

Vol.  I,  p.  303. 
GIBBON  (Edward).    The  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 

Empire,  with  Notes  by  Dean  Milman  and  M.  Guizot.     London, 

1854.    8  vols.,  8vo. 
GINGUBNE  (P.  L.).     Histoire  Litteraire  d'  Italic,  continuee  par  Salfi. 

Paris,  1811-35.     14  vols.,  8vo. 
GIORDANO  (Antonino).     Breve  Esposizione  della  Divina  Commedia 

per  Antonino  Giordano.  Seconda  Edizione.   Napoli.  1892.  Sm.Svo. 
GIULIANI   (Giambattista).     Metodo  di  commentare  la  Commedia  di 

Dante  Allighieri.     Firenze,  1861.     Sm.  8vo. 

Delizie  del  parlare  Toscano,  lettere  e   ricreazioni.     Firenze, 

1884.  Sm.  8vo. 

GIUSTI  (Giuseppe).     Proverbi  Toscani.    Firenze,  1853.     Sm.  8vo. 

Scritti  vari  in  prosa  e  in  verso.     Firenze,  1866.     Sm.  8vo. 

GLANVILLA  (Bartholomseus  Anglicus).   Batman  uppon  Bartholome  his 

Booke  De  Proprietatibus  Rerum,  newly  corrected,  enlarged  and 

amended :  with  such  Additions  as  are  requisite,  unto  every  severall 

Booke.     London,  1582.     Folio. 
GRAN  DIZIONARIO,  see  Tommaseo  and  Bellini. 
GRAZIOLO  DA  FIORENZA.     Rime.    In  "  Poeti  del  Primo  Secolo  della 

Lingua  Italiana."     Firenze,  1816. 
GREGORIUS  MAGNUS  (S.).     Opera  Omnia,  ad  MSS.   emendata,  et 

notis    illustrata,    per    Monachos    S.    Benedicti.     Parisiis,    1705. 

4  vols.,  folio. 
ST.  GREGORY  THE  GREAT.    The  Dialogues,  an  old  English  version, 

edited  by  H.  J.  Coleridge.    London,  1874.     Sm.  8vo. 
GREGORIUS  NYSSENUS  (S.).     Opera  omnia  accurante  J.  P.  Migne. 

1858-63.     3  vols.,  roy.  8vo. 
GUBERNATIS  (Angelo  De).     II  Paradise  di  Dante  dichiarato  ai  giovani 

da  Angelo  De  Gubernatis.     Firenze,  1887.     Edizione  Diamante. 
GuiDO  GUINICELLI.     Rime.     In  "  Poeti  del  Primo  Secolo  della  Lingua 

Italiana."     Firenze,  1816.     2  vols.,  8vo. 
GUITTONE  (Fra).     Lettere,  in  Nannucci's  "  Manuale."    Firenze,  1883. 

Vol.  II,  p.  135. 
HARE  (Augustus  J.  C.).     The  Cities  of  Northern  and  Central  Italy,  by 

Augustus}.  C.  Hare.     London,  1876.     3  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
HELYOT   (Pierre).     Histoire   des   Ordres  Monastiques,   Religieux   et 

Militaires,  et  des  Congregations  Seculieres,  avec  des  figures,  etc. 

1714-19.     8  vols.,  410. 
HETTINGER  (Franz).     Dante's  Divina  Commedia,  its  scope  and  value  ; 

from  the  German,  edited  by  Henry  Sebastian   BOWDEN,  of  the 

Oratory.     London,  1887.     Sm.  8vo. 


Authors  and  Editions  quoted.  Ixxxi 

HIERONYMUS  (S.)-     Opera,  emendata  studio  et  opera  Monachorum 

ordinis  S.  Benedict!.     Parisiis,  1693-1706.     5  vols.,  folio. 
HOGAN  (J.  F.).     The  Life  and  Works  of  Dante  Allighieri,  being  an 

introduction  to  the  study  of  The  Divina  Commedia,  by  the  Rev. 

J.  F.  Hogan,  D.D.  Professor,  St.  Patrick's  College,   Maynooth. 

London,  1899.     8vo. 
HOMER.     The  Iliad  [Greek]  with  prefatory  note  and  introduction  by 

James  M.  Paton.  The  "  Chiswick  "  Edition.  London,  1888.  2  vols., 

I2mo. 
The  Odyssey  [Greek]  with  an  introduction  by  James  M.  Paton. 

The  "  Chiswick  "  Edition.     London,  1888.     2  vols.,  I2mo. 
HOOKER.     Ecclesiastical  Polity,  ed.  by  R.  W.  Church,  2nd  edit.,  Lon- 
don, 1876.     1 2  mo. 

HUGO  DE  SANCTO  VICTORE.    Opera.    Parisiis,  1526.    Folio. 
HORATIUS    FLACCUS    (Q-).      Opera,    in    "Poetas    Latini    Veteres." 

Flor entice,  1829.     Large  8vo. 
ISIDORUS    Hispalensis,   Episcopus    (S.).     Opera    omnia,    recensente 

Faustino  Arevalo.     Roma,  1797-1803.     7  vols.,  410. 
JACOPO  DA  LENTINO.  Rimedi  Jacopo  da  Lentino  [detto  "  il  Notajo  "], 

in  Nannucci's  Manuale.     Firenze,  1883.     Vol.  I,  p.  106. 
JACOPONE  (Fra).     Rime  di  Fra  [II  Beato]  Jacopone,  in  Nannucci's 

"Manuale."     Firenze,  1883.     Vol.  I,  p.  376. 
JAMESON  (Mrs.   Anna).     Sacred  and  legendary  art.     London,   1848. 

2  vols.,  8vo. 
JUSTINIANUS.     Corpus  Juris  Civilis,  cum  Lect.  var.  et  Notis  D.  Gotho- 

fredi ;  studio  S.  van  Leeuwen.    Amsterodami,  1663.    2  vols.,  folio. 
JUVENALIS   (Dec.  Junius).      Satirae,    in    "  Poetae    Latini    Veteres." 

Florentice,  1829.     Large  8vo. 
KANT  (Immanuel).     Werke,  herausg.  von  K.  Rosenkranz  und  F.  W. 

Schubert.     Leipzig,  1838-40.     12  vols.  in  10.     8vo. 
KING  (Revd.  C.  W.).     Antique  Gems,  their  Origin,  Uses,  and  Value, 

as  Interpreters   of  Ancient    History,   etc.,    with   Hints   to   Gem 

Collectors.     London,  1860.     8vo. 
LANCI  (Fortunato).     Orclinamentiond'ebbe  Dante  Allighieri  informato 

le  tre  Cantiche.     Roma,  1856. 
LACTANTIUS  (L.  C.  F.).     Opera  omnia,  et  MSS.  codices  collata  et 

emendata,  atque  notis  illustrata.     Patisiis,  1748.     2  vols.,  410. 
LAPIDE  (Cornelius  a).     Commentarii  in  Sacram  Scripturam  Vet.  Test. 

Venet.  1717.     5  vols.,  folio. 
LAPO  GIANNI.     Sonetti  e  rime,  in  Nannucci's  "  Manuale."    Firenze, 

1883.    Vol.  I,  p.  240. 
LAPO  DEGLI   UBERTI.     In  "  Poeti   del  Primo  Secolo   clella   Lingua 

Italiana."    Firenze,  1816.     2  vols.,  8vo. 
LATINI  (Brunette).     Li  Livres  clou  Tresor,  public  pour  la  premiere  fois 

d'apres  le  MS.  de  la  Bibliotheque  Imperiale,  par  P.  Chabaille. 

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LEVI  (G.).     Bonifazio  VIII.  e  le  sue  relazioni  col  Comune  di  Firenze. 

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LITTA  (Pompeo).  Famiglie celebri  italiane.  Mi7ano,i8ig.  12  vols., folio. 
LITTRE   (E.).     Dictionnaire  de  la   Langue   Francaise.     Paris,  1863. 

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LIVIUS  PATAVINUS  (Titus).     Historiarum  Libri  qui  supersunt  ex  recen- 

sione  A.  Drakenborchii  cum  notis  J.  B.  L.  Creverii  et  Glossario 

A.  G.  Ernesti.     Londinii,  1825.    4  vols.,  8vo. 
LOWELL  (James  Russell).    Literary  Essays  [Essay  on  Dante  in  vol.  IV]. 

London,  1890.     4  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
LUCANUS  (M.   Annaeus).     Pharsalia  sive  Belli  Civilis  Libri  Decem, 

curante  Oudendorpio.     Lugduni,  1728.     4to. 
LUCRETIUS  CARUS  (T.).  De  RerumNatura,  in  "  Poetae  Latini  Veteres." 

Florenti(£,  1829.     Large  8vo. 
MABINOGION  (The).     With  an  English  translation  by  Lady  Charlotte 

Guest.     London,  1849.     3  vols.,  4to. 

MACCHIAVELLI  (Niccolo).     Opere.    Milano,  1804-5.     10  vols.,  8vo. 
MALESPINI  (Ricordano).  Istoria  Fiorentina,  coll'  aggiunta  di  Giacchetto 

Malespini  e  la  Cronica  di  Giovanni  Morelli.     Firenze,  1718.     410. 
MANZONI  (Alessandro).     I  Promessi  Sposi.    With  Storia  della  Colonna 

Infame.     Milano,  1900.     410.     (Edition  de  Luxe). 
MARIOTTI  (Alessandro).     Commento  sopra   Canto  viii   del  Paradiso 

di  Dante  Alighieri.     Rimini,  1878. 
MARIOTTI  (Filippo).     Dante  e  la  Statistica  delle  Lingue  di  Filippo 

Mariotti  con  la  raccolta  dei  versi  della  Divina  Commedia  messi  in 

musica  da  G.  Rossini,  G.  Donizetti,  F.  Marchetti,  e  R.  Schumann. 

Firenze,  Barbera,  1880.     Sm.  8vo. 
MARTIALIS   (M.   Valerius).      Opera.     In  "Poetse   Latini    Veteres." 

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MAURO  (Domenico).     Allegoria  e  Bellezze  della  Divina  Commedia. 

Napoli,  1840. 

Concetto  e  forma  della  Divina  Commedia.     Napoli,  1862. 

MAZZONI  TOSELLI  (Ottavio).     Voci  e  passi  di  Dante  chiariti  ed  illustrati 

con  documenti  a  lui  contemporanei.     Bologna.  1871.     8vo. 
MELLINII    (Josephus    Zama).     Lexicon   quo    veterum    Theologorum 

locutiones  explicantur  theologies  tironibus  accomodatum.  Colonies, 

1855.     Sm.  8vo. 
MERCATI  (Giovanni) .    Pietro  Peccatore,  ossia  della  vera  interpretazione 

di  Paradiso  xxi,  121-123.     Roma,  1895. 
MILMAN  (Dean  H.  H.).     History  of  Latin  Christianity,  including  that 

of  the  Popes  to  the  Pontificate  of  Nicholas  V.     London,  1854-55. 

6  vols.,  8vo. 
MILTON  (John)      Poetical  WTorks,  with  notes  by  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Todd. 

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MONTAIGNE  (Michel  de).     Essais,  edition  revue  par  M.  Jos.  Viet.  Le 

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MOORE  (Dr.  Edward).    The  Time  References  in   the  Divina  Com- 
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Gli  Accenni  al  Tempo  nella  Divina  Commedia.  e  la  loro  rela- 

zione   con  la  presunta   data  e   durata   della    Visione.      Versione 
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MOORE  (Dr.  Edward).  Studies  in  Dante.  First  Series.  Scripture  and 
Classical  Authors  in  Dante.  Oxford,  1896.  8vo. 

Studies  in  Dante.  Second  Series.  Miscellaneous  Essays 

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MOSSOTTI  (O.  F.).  Illustrazioni  astronomiche  a  tre  luoghi  della  Div. 
Com.  raccolte  da  G.  L.  Passerini.  Citta  di  Castello,  1894.  Sm.  8vo. 

MURATORI  (Ludovicus  Antonius).  Italicarum  Rerum  Scriptores. 
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MURRAY  (J.  A.  H.).  A  New  English  Dictionary  on  Historical  Prin- 
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NANNUCCI  (Vincenzio).  Sopra  la  parola  usata  da  Dante.  Firenze,  1839. 

Analisi  Critica  dei  Verbi  Italiani  investigati  nella  loro  primi- 

tiva  origine.     Firenze,  1843.     8vo. 

Teorica  dei  Nomi  della  Lingua  Italiana.    Firenze,  1858.    8vo. 

Manuale  della   Letteratura   del  primo  secolo   della   Lingua 


Italiana.     Quarta  Edizione.     Firenze,  1883.     2  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
NAPIER  (Capt.  H.  E.)-     Florentine  History  from  the  earliest  authentic 

records  to  the  Accession  of  Ferdinand  III,  Grand  Duke  of  Tus- 
cany.    London,  1846-47.     6  vols.,  sm.  8vo. 
NICOLINI  (Giambattista).     Dell'universalita  e  nazionalita  della  Divina 

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NOVELLINO  (II)  ossia  Libro  di  bel  parlar  gentile  ridotto  a  uso  delle 

scuole  e  riveduto  sui  manoscritti  per  cura  di  Domenico  Carbone. 

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NOVELLE.     Le  Cento  Antiche,  secondo  1'  Edizione  del  1525.  con  note. 

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OROSIUS  (Paulus).     Adversus  paganos  libri  vii.,  ut  et  apologeticus 

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Napoli  dall  Socio  Francesco  D'  Ovidio.     Napoli,  1899.     8vo. 
Tre  Discussioni  Dantesche.     Celestino  V,  la  data  della  com- 

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I— i    T 


THE    PARADISO. 


VOL.  I. 


CANTO    I. 


PROGEMIUM  TO  THE  PARADISO. — DANTE'S  ENTRANCE 
AND  INVOCATION. — ASCENT  INTO  THE  SPHERE  OF 
FIRE. — BEATRICE  EXPLAINS  THE  MODE  OF  THEIR 
TRANSIT.— THE  ORDER  OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 

SAYING  of  Averrhoes,  remarks  Benvenuto,* 
reminds  us  that  it  is  good  to  sift  out  a  bushel 
measure  of  sand,  as  one  may  haply  find  a 
pearl  in  it.  That  very  curious  investigator, 
the  Poet  Dante,  is  known  to  have  done  this  in  his 
divine  poem,  in  a  most  elegant  manner  (quod  elegan- 
tissime  fecisse  dignoscitur  curiosissimus  indagator poeta 
Dantcs  in  divino poemate  sud).  He  sifted  first  a  bushel 
of  sand,  but  in  it  he  only  discovered  the  disposition 
of  mind  to  escape  from  the  Valley  of  utter  darkness, 
the  centre  of  all  woes,  as  we  have  read  in  his  first 
book  (the  Inferno},  in  which  he  hunted  out  all  kinds 
of  vices,  and  their  appropriate  punishments.  He 

*  Benvenuto  de  Rambaldis  de  Imola,  Comentum  supra  Dantis 
Aldighcrii  Comediani,  nunc  primum  integre  in  lucein  edituin. 
Sumptibus  Guilielmi  Warren  Vernon  curante  Jacobo  Philippo 
Lacaita,  Florenticz,  1857,  5  vols.,  large  8vo. 

I.  B 


2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

then  sifted  a  second  bushel  of  sand  ;  in  this  however 
he  only  discovered  the  way  to  discover  the  desired 
pearl,  as  we  read  in  his  second  book  (the  Pttrgatorio), 
in  which  with  lesser  toil  he  went  all  over  an  exceed- 
ingly high  mountain  in  search  after  all  kinds  of  virtues, 
which  form  the  path  that  leads  up  to  Beatitude.  Now 
in  a  third  bushel  of  sand  Dante  discovers  the  real 
pearl,  the  most  precious  reward  of  all  his  labours, 
namely  Eternal  Glory.  Therefore,  setting  out  upon 
his  ascent  into  Heaven,  in  which  this  Eternal  Glory  is 
especially  brilliant  and  vivid,  he  describes  it  to  us  in 
noble  and  magnificent  language. 

Dante  dedicated  the  Paradiso,  the  work  of  the 
closing  years  of  his  troubled  life,  to  Can  Grande  della 
Scala,  the  Lord  of  Verona.  He  does  so  in  one  of  the 
most  important  of  his  epistles  (Ep.  xi),  addressed  to 
Can  Grande  himself.  "  I  have  carefully  looked  over 
(Dante  writes)  the  little  things  that  I  could  give  you, 
and  separated  and  examined  them  each  by  each, 
seeking  the  most  worthy  and  pleasing  for  you.  Nor 
did  I  find  anything  more  suitable  even  for  your  pre- 
eminence than  the  sublime  Canticle  of  the  Comedy 
which  is  graced  with  the  title  of  Paradiso :  and  with 
that  the  present  letter,  as  dedicated  with  a  proper 
inscription,  I  inscribe,  offer,  and,  in  fine  commend  to 
you."  (A  translation  of  Dante's  Eleven  Letters,  with 
explanatory  notes  and  historical  comments,  by  Charles 
Sterrett  Latham,  Boston,  1892,  Ep.  xi,  p.  190).* 


*  Dr.  Moore  in  his  edition  (Tutte  le  Opere  di Dante  Alighieri 
nuovamente  rivedute  net  testo  da  Dr.  E.  Moore,  Oxford,  1894) 
omits  the  letter  to  Guido  da  Polenta,  and  therefore  Epist.  xi  in 
Mr.  Latham's  Translation  is  Epist.  x  in  Dr.  Moore's  text. 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  3 

Dante  then  goes  on  to  give  Can  Grande  some  concep- 
tion of  the  Divina  Commedia  as  a  whole,  of  which  the 
Paradiso  is  only  a  part.  There  are  special  meanings  ; 
"there  is  one  meaning  that  is  derived  from  the  letter, &\\& 
another  that  is  derived  from  the  things  indicated  by  the 
letter  (alms  sensus  est  qui  habetur  per  literam,  alius  est 
qui  habetur  per  significata  per  literam}.  The  first  is 
called  literal,  but  the  second  allegorical  or  mystical." 
(ibid.  p.  193).  Working  on  this  basis  Dante  (pp.  197, 
198)  gives  a  precise  definition  of  the  proposition  he  is 
laying  down.  "  For  if  the  subject  of  the  whole  work, 
taken  according  to  the  letter,  is  the  state  of  souls  after 
death  considered  not  in  a  special  but  in  a  general 
sense,  it  is  manifest  that  in  this  part  the  subject  is  the 
same  state  treated  in  a  special  sense,  namely  ;  the  state 
of  the  souls  of  the  Blessed  after  death.  And  if  the 
subject  of  the  whole  work,  allegorically  considered,  is 
Man,  liable  to  the  reward  or  punishment  of  Justice, 
according  as  through  the  freedom  of  the  will  he  is 
deserving  or  undeserving,  it  is  manifest  that  the 
subject  in  this  part  is  restricted,  and  is  Man,  liable  to 
the  reward  of  Justice,  according  as  he  is  deserving." 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  Paradiso  may  be  divided 
into  two  principal  parts :  in  the  first  of  which  Dante 
describes  seven  species,  or  classes  of  spirits  in  glory 
that  appear  to  him  in  seven  spheres  that  are  under 
the  influence  of  seven  planets.  This  part  extends  to 
the  Twenty-third  Canto.  In  the  second  of  the  two 
principal  parts,  Dante  describes  three  Orbs  of  the 
Heavens,  namely,  the  Eighth  Sphere,  which  is  called 
the  Firmament  or  Heaven  of  the  Fixed  Stars;  the 
Ninth  which  is  called  the  Primum  Mobile ;  and  the 

B  2 


4  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  Canto  I. 

Empyrean  Heaven,  which  is  Paradise  proper.  In 
these  three  greatest  spheres  Dante  gives  a  description 
of  the  most  glorious  City  of  God  (i.e.  the  Church 
Triumphant)  both  in  its  figurative,  and  in  its  moral 
sense.  This  occupies  the  remainder  of  the  poem. 

Canto  I,  which  contains  the  Proamium  to  the 
Cantica  may  be  divided  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  12,  Dante 
simply  makes  a  statement  of  the  matter  to  be  treated. 

In  the  Second  Division^  from  v.  13  to  v.  36,  he 
makes  his  Invocation. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  37  to  v.  81,  he  shows 
how,  by  the  operation  of  Beatrice,  he  was  endued  with 
the  power  to  ascend  to  Heaven. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  82  to  v.  142, 
Beatrice  explains  to  Dante  that  they  are  already  rising 
with  great  velocity,  although  he  is  not  aware  of  it. 
She  clears  up  his  difficulties  respecting  the  Transit, 
by  an  exposition  of  the  natural  law  and  order  of  the 
Universe. 

Division  I.  The  Cantica  of  the  Paradiso  opens,  as 
did  those  of  the  Inferno  and  the  Pnrgatorio,  with  a 
statement  of  the  argument ;  and  in  the  solemnity  of 
this  exordium  is  shown  at  once  the  greatness  of 
Dante's  concepts,  as  well  as  the  literary  skill  which 
he  has  brought  to  bear  in  developing  this  his  last 
great  work.  Benvenuto  says  that  Dante,  wishing  to 
describe  the  super-excellence  of  the  celestial  realms, 
which  he  is  now  preparing  to  set  forth  in  poetry,  lays 
down  first  as  his  exordium  a  preliminary  maxim,  a 
concept  that  all  minds  have  in  common,  and  in  which 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  5 

every  man  of  sound  intellect  acquiesces,  namely,  that 
the  Heavens  and  the  Earth  are  full  of  the  majesty  of  the 
Eternal  King,  Who  rules  all  things  with  Power,  with 
Wisdom,  and  with  Good  Will  towards  his  creatures. 
La  gloria*  di  colui  che  tutto  movet 

Per  1'  universe  penetra,!  e  risplende 

In  una  parte  piu,  e  meno  §  altrove. 

*  La  gloria  :  Compare  Ezek.  xliii,  5  :  "So  the  spirit  took  me 
up,  and  brought  me  into  the  inner  court  ;  and,  behold,  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  rilled  the-house."     And  Wisdom  i,  7  :  "The  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  filleth  the  world."     And  Lucan,  Pharsal.  ix,  580  : 
"  Juppiter  est  quodcumque  vides,  quocumque  moveris." 

t  colui  che  tutto  move :  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol. 
pars  i,  qu.  cv,  art.  2)  says  :  "  Deus  est  movens  non  motum  .  .  . 
movet  igitur  Deus  sicut  desideratum  et  apprehensum."  In 
Convito,  iii,  15,  11.  157-160,  Dante  writes:  "Con  Lei  \Sapienza\ 
Iddio  comincio  il  mondo  e  spezialmente  il  movimento  del  cielo, 
il  quale  tutte  le  cose  genera,  e  dal  quale  ogni  movimento  e 
principiato  e  mosso."  Compare  also  Boethius,  Philos.  Consol. 
iii,  Metr.  ix  : 

"  O  qui  perpetua  mundum  ratione  gubernas 
Terrarum  ccelique  sator,  qui  tempus  ab  cevo 
Ire  jubes,  stabilisque  manens  das  cuncta  moveri." 
Casini  (La  Divina  Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri  con  il  Com- 
mento  di  Tommaso  Casini,  4th  edit.,  Florence,  1895)  says  that 
the  idea  of  God,  the  Prime  Mover  of  all  things,  penetrating  with 
the  light  of  his  Grace  and  Wisdom  throughout  the  Universe, 
and  shining  with  varying  brilliancy  upon  things  according  to 
their  greater  or  less  susceptibility  to  comprehend  Him,  is  an 
idea  very  frequently  expressed  in  the  Bible,  in  the  writings  of 
the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  and  also  in  many  passages  of  Dante's 
works. 

1  penetra:  Dante  in  his  letter  to  Can  Grande  della  Scala 
(Ep.  x,  cap.  23,  11.  427-431)  comments  himself  on  this  passage  : 
"  Bene  ergo  dictum  est,  cum  dicit  quod  divinus  radius,  seu 
divina  gloria,  per  universum  penetrat  et  resplendet.  Penetrat, 
quantum  ad  essentiam  ;  resplendet,  quantum  ad  esse."  From 
cap.  20  to  the  end  of  the  epistle  is  a  closely  reasoned  commen- 
tary by  Dante  of  these  opening  lines  of  the  Cantica. 

§  piu,  e  meno:  Benvenuto  invites  particular  attention  to  a 
passage  in  Boethius  (De  Unitate  et  De  Una)  as  illustrating 
Dante's  meaning.  "  If  (he  says)  three  or  more  window  panes 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

The  glory  of  Him  Who  moveth  all  things  penetrates 
throughout  the  universe,  and  shines  in  one  part  more, 
and  in  another  less. 


are  set  up  in  regular  order,  one  after  the  other,  opposite 
to  a  ray  of  the  Sun,  it  follows  that  the  second  receives  less 
light  than  the  first,  the  third  less  than  the  second,  and  so 
on  until  the  last,  there  is  a  diminishing  intensity  of  light,  not 
from  any  defect  in  the  light  itself,  but  on  account  of  the 
increasing  distances  of  the  window  panes  from  the  light  ;  in 
like  manner  the  glory  of  the  Eternal  Sun  is  more  radiant  in  the 
nine  Orders  of  Angels,  less  in  the  nine  Spheres  of  the  heavens, 
still  less  in  the  spheres  of  the  elements,  and  so  on  with  the  rest. 
Although  the  primal  cause  exists  in  all  things  in  accordance 
with  one  well-regulated  order,  yet  each  several  thing  receives  it 
according  to  the  measure  of  its  power  ;  for  some  things  receive 
it  with  a  single,  and  others  with  a  multiplied  receptivity  ;  some 
receive  it  with  a  spiritual,  others  with  a  corporal  receptivity  ; 
and  yet  the  diversity  of  each  recipient  does  not  arise  from  the 
primal  cause,  but  because  the  recipient  is  so  different  from  his 
fellow.  All  things  therefore  are  not  in  the  primal  cause  found  to 
lie  of  the  same  fashion  ;  and  therefore  Dante  has  well  said,  that 
the  glory  of  God  is  of  greater  radiance  in  one  part  and  of  less  in 
another."  Dante  states  this  principle  very  clearly  in  De  Vulg. 
Eloq.  i,  cap.  16,  11.  48-52  :  "  Simplicissima  substantiarum,  quae 
Deus  est,  qui  in  homine  magis  redolet,  quam  in  bruto ;  in  animali 
quam  in  planta  :  in  hac  quam  in  minera  :  in  hac,  quam  in  igne  : 
in  igne,  quam  in  terra."  Giuliani  (Metodo  di  commentare  la 
Commedia  di  Dante  Alighieri,proposto  da  Giambattista  Giuliani, 
Firenze,  1861,  sm.  8vo,  p.  420),  after  comparing  the  above  quota- 
tion with  the  passage  in  the  text,  asks  who  could  possibly  fail  to 
see  the  hand  of  one  single  author  in  such  a  similarity,  such  an 
identity  of  sentiments.  Who  could  possibly  deny  to  Dante  the 
authorship  of  works  in  which  he  comments  on  himself?  But 
as  no  one  has  hitherto  been  daring  enough  to  throw  a  doubt  on 
Dante's  authorship  of  the  Convito,  let  them  read  the  whole  of 
Tr.  iii,  cap.  7,  and  see  for  themselves  how  the  above  quoted 
passage  is  confirmed,  and  that  in  the  text  made  clear.  Giuliani 
then  quotes  from  cap.  7,  1.  1 1,  et  seq. :  "  E  da  sapere  che  la  divina 
bonta  in  tutte  le  cose  discende  ;  e  altrimenti  essere  non  potreb- 
bono  ;  ma  avvegnach£  questa  bonta  si  muova  da  semplicissimo 
principio,  diversamente  si  riceve,  secondo  piu  o  meno,  dalle  cose 
riceventi.  Onde  &  scritto  nel  libro  delle  Cagioni :  '  La  prima 
Bonta  manda  le  sue  bontadi  sopra  le  cose  con  un  discorrimento? 
Veramente  ciascuna  cosa  riceve  da  questo  discorrimento,  secondo 
il  modo  della  sua  virtu  e  del  suo  essere.  E  di  cio  sensible 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  7 

There  are  three  leading  ideas  of  which  Dante  has 
availed  himself  in  the  Paradiso.  These  are  (i)  Light ; 
(2)  Sound ;  and  (3)  Motion.  Of  these  Light  unques- 
tionably holds  the  first  and  foremost  place,  and  Dante's 
opening  lines  show  the  prominent  position  he  wishes 
to  give  to  it.  In  his  Procemium  to  the  Paradiso 
Cesari*  (Bellezze,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  2,  3)  remarks  that 
Dante's  subject,  which  wholly  turns  on  the  contem- 
plation and  the  Love  of  God,  had  debarred  him  from 
using  all  those  fantastic  images,  for  which  the  first  two 
portions  of  his  work  had  afforded  him  such  oppor- 
tunities. But  his  genius  was  able  to  form  and  idealize 
his  subject  in  such  a  way,  as  actually  to  create  anew 
the  imagination  of  his  reader.  Nay,  the  better  to 
demonstrate  in  this  very  poverty  of  the  subject  the 
wealth  of  his  genius,  he  chose  to  gather  up  the  general 
subject  matter  of  his  work  into  one  single  form  ;  and 
that  form  is  Light.  From  this  alone  he  has  drawn  an 
endless  and  ever- varying  series  of  the  most  beautiful 
pictures,  each  giving  a  different  idea  of  the  various 
movements  and  degrees  of  glory  of  the  Saints  of 
God.  He  represents  this  Light,  now  by  its  changes 
of  colour,  now  by  its  variety  of  movements,  now 
by  its  gyrations,  he  makes  it  to  intertwine  itself,  to 
take  various  tints,  which  he  at  one  moment  divides  off, 
at  another  masses  up  together  ;  he  makes  them  take 

esemplo  avere  potemo  dal  sole.  Noi  vedemo  la  luce  del  sole, 
la  quale  e  una,  da  uno  fonte  derivata,  diversamente  dalle  corpora 
essere  ricevuta  ....  Cos!  la  bontk  di  Dio  6  ricevuta  altrimenti 
dalle  Sustanze  separate,  cio£  dagli  Angeli  .  .  .  ed  altrimenti  dall' 
anima  umana."  et  seq. 

*  Cesari   (Antonio).      Bellezzc    dclla    Commedia   di  Dante 
Alighieri ;  Dialoght,  Verona,  1824-1826,  4  vols.  in  3,  8vo. 


8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

varying  forms  of  figures  that  are  wholly  unexpected, 
of  constellations  one  more  beautiful  than  the  other, 
and  which  hold  the  reader  up  to  the  end  of  the  poem 
in  an  enraptured  state  of  suspense. 

Having  thus  laid  down  a  general  preliminary  maxim, 
Dante  commences  his  subject  matter,  openly  declaring 
that,  while  yet  in  the  flesh,  he  entered  into  Heaven, 
and  beheld  things  not  possible  for  him  to  recount  to 

men. 

Nel  del  che  piii  della  sua  luce  prende* 

Fu'  io,  e  vidi  cose  che  ridire  5 

Ne  sa,  ne  puo  f  chi  di  lassu  discende  ; 


*  Nel  del  che  piii  della  sua  luce  prende :  This  refers  to  the 
Empyrean  Heaven,  the  Heaven  which  is  more  especially  the 
abode  of  God.  Dean  Plumptre  observes  that,  as  indicated  in 
the  last  line  of  the  Purgatorio,  the  pilgrimage  through  Paradise 
is  a  journey  through  the  starry  heavens,  conceived  after  the 
Ptolemaic  system.  Beyond  all  these,  in  what  may  be  termed 
the  Christian  addition  to  Ptolemy's  astronomy,  is  the  Empyrean 
Heaven,  the  dwelling-place  of  God,  and  the  real  abode  of  the 
blessed  ones,  who  yet  manifest  themselves,  according  to  their 
degree  of  bliss,  in  the  lower  spheres.  The  poem  opens  with 
what  is,  in  fact,  a  reminiscence  of  its  close.  Dante  had  been  in 
that  Empyrean,  and,  like  St.  Paul  in  Paradise  (2  Cor.  xii,  2-4  ; 
and  2  Cor.  ii,  9),  had  seen  what  surpassed  human  speech.  All 
that  he  can  do  is  to  retrace  his  journey  thither,  as  far  as  his 
powers  allow  him.  Compare  also  Convtto,  ii,  4  ;  also  the  Epistle 
to  Can  Grande,  cap.  24,  11.  443-452  :  "  Illud  ccelum  est  ccelum 
supremum,  continens  corpora  universa,  et  a  nullo  contentum, 
intra  quod  omnia  corpora  moventur  (ipso  in  sempiterna  quiete 
permanente),  a  nulla  corporali  substantia  virtutem  recipiens. 
Et  dicitur  empyreum,  quod  est  idem  quod  ccelum  igne  sive 
ardore  flagrans  :  non  quod  in  eo  sit  ignis  vel  ardor  materialis, 
sed  spiritualis,  qui  est  amor  sanctus,  sive  caritas." 

+  N£  sa,  n£  pub :  We  have  Dante's  own  explanation  in  the 
Epistle  to  Can  Grande,  cap.  29, 11.  571-57?  :  "  Diligenter  quippe 
notandum  est  quod  dicit,  nescit  et  nequit.  Nescit  quia  oblitus, 
nequit  quia,  si  recordatur  et  contentum  tenet  sermo  tamen 
deficit.  Multa  namque  per  intellectum  videmus  quibus  signa 
vocalia  desunt." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  9 

Perche,  appressando  se  al  suo  disire,* 
Nostro  intelletto  si  profonda  tanto,t 
Che  retro  la  memoria  non  puo  ire. 

Within  that  heaven  (the  Empyrean)  which  receives 
the  most  of  His  light  have  I  been,  and  saw  things, 
which  one  who  descends  from  there,  neither  knows 
nor  can  relate  again ;  because,  as  it  draws  near  to  its 
desire  (i.e.  God),  our  understanding  attains  to  such  a 
depth,  that  memory  is  unable  to  follow  in  its  wake. 

Gioberti  observes  that,  in  these  three  lines,  there  is 
contained  an  interpretation  that  is  profoundly  philo- 
sophical. Sense  is  unable  to  keep  pace  with  intellect, 
and  the  soul,  seeing  that  it  is  in  such  a  condition  as  to 
be  compelled  to  avail  itself  of  the  bodily  senses,  is 
unable  to  arrive  at  a  clear  perception  of  truth. 

Having  shown  the  extreme  difficulty  of  the  great 
task  he  has  undertaken,  Dante  ends  his  exordium  by 
saying  that  he  will  endeavour  to  perform  it  to  the  best 
of  his  powers,  though  what  he  will  be  able  to 
remember  will  be  but  a  fragment  of  all  that  he  saw. 
Veramente  J  quant'  io  del  regno  santo  10 


*  Appressando  se  al  suo  disire :  Compare  Par.  xxxiii,  46-48  : 
"  Ed  io  ch'al  fine  di  tutti  i  disii 

M'  appropinquava,  si  com'  io  dovea, 
L' ardor  del  desiderio  in  me  finii." 
and  Purg.  xxxi,  22-24  : 

"  Per  entro  i  miei  disiri, 
Che  ti  menavano  ad  amar  Io  bene 
Di  \\  dal  qual  non  £  a  die  si  aspiri." 

t  siprofonda  tanto,  et  seq.  :  "  Sciendum  est,  quod  intellectus 
humanus  in  hac  vita,  propter  connaturalitatem  et  affinitatem 
quara  habet  ad  substantiam  intellectualem  separatam,  quando 
elevatur,  in  tantum  elevatur  ut  memoria  post  reditum  deficiat, 
propter  transcendisse  humanum  modum."  (Ep.  Kani,  cap.  28, 
531-538). 

+  Veramente :  The  Gran  Dizionario  (Dizionario  della  Lingua 
Italiana,  nuovamente  compilata  dai  Signori  Nicolo  Tommase'o  e 


io  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Nella  mia  mente  potei  far  tesoro,* 
Sara  ora  materia  del  mio  canto. 

Howbeit,  so  much  of  the  sacred  realm  as  I  was  able 
to  treasure  up  in  my  mind,  shall  now  be  the  subject 
of  my  song. 

Division   II.     Dante   now,  with   great   solemnity, 
makes  his  Invocation.     On  previous  occasions,  both 
in  the  Inferno,  and  the  Purgatorio,  he  has  invoked  the 
aid  of  one  or  more  of  the  Muses,  but,  now  that  he  is 
entering   upon    a   subject  so    far   more  arduous,  he 
addresses  himself  to  Apollo,  their  king  and  leader. 
It  is  thought  in  the  lines  that  follow,  of  which  more 
anon,  that  he  not  only  invokes  Apollo,  but  with  him 
associates  either  the  Muses  or  Bacchus. 
O  buono  Apollo,t  all'  ultimo  lavoro 
Fammi  del  tuo  valor  si  fatto  vaso, 
Come  domandi  a  dar  1'  amato  alloro.  1 5 

Cav.  Prof.  Bernardo  Bellini,  Torino,  s.  d.  4  vols.  in  8  parts,  4to) 
expressly  quotes  the  present  passage  as  one  in  which  Dante  had 
used  veramente  in  the  sense  of  nondimeno;  Latin  tamen. 
Compare  Purg.  vi,  43,  44  : 

"  Veramente  a  cosi  alto  sospetto 

Non  ti  fermar." 
and  Par.  vii,  58-63 

"  Questo  decreto,  frate,  sta  sepulto 

Agli  occhi  di  ciascuno,  il  cui  ingegno 
Nella  fiamma  d'  amor  non  e  adulto. 
Veramente,  \tiondimeno\  pero  ch'  a  questo  segno 
Molto  si  mira,  e  poco  si  discerne, 
Diro  perche  tal  modo  fu  piu  degno." 

*  far  tesoro :  "  Dicit  se  fuisse  in  primo  ccelo  ;  et  quod  dicere 
vult  de  regno  ccelesti  quidquid  in  mente  sua,  quasi  thesaurum, 
potuit  retinere."  (Ep.  Kani,  cap.  19,  11.  343-346). 

t  Apollo:  On  this,  Scartazzini  points  out  that  it  must  be 
remembered  that  not  only  was  Apollo  always  considered 
synonymous  with  "  the  Sun,"  but  from  a  number  of  passages  in 
Dante's  writings  we  have  abundant  evidence  that  he  considered 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 1 

Infino  a  qui  1'  un  giogo  di  Parnaso* 

the  Sun  to  be  a  kind  of  synonym  for  the  name  of  God.  See 
Convito,  iii,  12, 11.  48,  et  seq. :  "  Siccome  nella  litterale  sposizione 
si  parla  cominciando  dal  sole  cor'porale  e  sensibile ;  cosi  ora  e 
da  ragionare  per  lo  Sole  spirituale  e  intelligibile,  ch'  e  Iddio. 
Nullo  sensible  in  tutto  '1  mondo  £  piu  degno  di  farsi  esemplo  di 
Dio  che  'I  sole,"  etc.  Compare  also  Purg.  vii,  25,  26  : 

"  Non  per  far,  ma  per  non  far,  ho  i'  perduto 

Di  veder  1'  alto  Sol  che  tu  disiri." 
and  Par.  x,  53  :  "  Ringrazia  il  Sol  degli  Angeli." 
and  Par.  xiv,  96  :  "  O  Elios  che  si  gli  addobbi." 

*  fun  giogo  di  Parnaso :  Ovid  (Metam,  i,  316,  317)  mentions 
the  two  peaks  of  Parnassus  : 

"  Mons  ibi  verticibus  petit  arduus  astra  duobus, 
Nomine  Parnassus;  "  and  Lucan  (Phars.  v.  72,  73)  says: 

"...  Parnassus  gemino  petit  aethera  colle, 

Mons  Phcebo  Bromioque  sacer." 

From  this  we  must  conclude  that  one  peak  was  dedicated  to 
Phoebus,  and  the  other  to  Bacchus.  Probus,  in  his  commentary 
on  Virgil  (Georg.  iii,  43)  couples  Bacchus  with  the  Muses  : 
"  Vocat  ingenti  clamor  e  Cithceron — Citharon,  mons  est  Bceotiae  : 
ibi  arcana  Liberi  patris  sacra  celebrantur  tertio  quoque  anno, 
quae  Trieterica  dicuntur.  Existimatur  autem  Liber  esse  cum 
Musis  :  et  ideo  ex  hedera,  fronde  ejus,  corona  Poetis  datur." 
Whence  we  may  infer  that  Dante  very  probably  under  one  peak 
of  Parnassus  referred  to  Apollo,  and  under  the  other  to  the 
Muses,  whom  he  had  invoked  in  both  the  other  Cantiche. 
Metaphorically  we  may  understand  by  the  one  peak,  the  higher 
and  more  divine  poetic  art,  and  the  science  of  Theology,  and  by 
the  other  peak  the  lower  poetic  art  and  Earthly  Philosophy. 
Philalethes  thinks  that  Dante  appears  to  use  the  word  giogo 
here  as  a  double  metaphor  and  in  a  double  sense,  like  the  Latin 
jugum,  either  as  a  mountain-chain,  when  referring  to  Parnassus, 
or  as  the  "  yoke  "  of  horses  in  the  race-course,  when  he  refers  to 
the  arena  (aringo)  to  which  he  compares  his  work.  Very 
probably  too,  as  Mr.  Butler  suggests,  he  confused  (as  did 
Landino  after  him)  the  "biceps  Parnassus"  with  Helicon  and 
Cithoeron.  C.  B.  Cayley  (Dante's  Divine  Comedy,  London, 
1854,  4  vols.  sm.  8vo,  vol.  4,  p.  270)  invites  comparison  of  this 
passage  with  Dante's  Eclogue  /to  Johannes  de  Virgilio,  in  which 
Dante  poetically  claims  the  ivy-crown,  the  gift  of  Bacchus  (11. 
48-50)  : 

"...  Quum  mundi  circumflua  corpora  cantu 
Astricolasque  meo,  velut  infera  regna,  patebunt, 
Devincire  caput  hedera,  lauroque  juvabit." 


12  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Assai  mi  fu,  ma  or  con  ambo  e  due 
M'  e  uopo  entrar  nell'  aringo  rimaso. 

O  good  Apollo,  for  this  (my)  last  undertaking  make 
me  such  a  vessel  of  thy. power  as  thou  requirest  for 
the  gift  of  the  laurel  beloved  (by  thee).  Thus  far 
has  one  summit  of  Parnassus  (Nyssa)  sufficed  for  me, 
but  now  with  both  (i.e.  with  Cyrrha  as  well  as  with 
Nyssa)  it  is  needful  that  I  enter  into  the  arena  that 
remains. 

It  is  very  evident  that  Dante,  in  the  words  /'  un 
giogo  di  Parnaso,  intends  to  refer  to  his  former  invo- 
cations to  the  Muses.  That  he  probably  fell  into  an 
error  in  doing  so,  is  shown  before. 

Dante  entreats  Apollo  to  inspire  him  to  sing  with 
the  same  excellent  art  that  Apollo  did  himself  in  his 
contest  with  Marsyas. 

Entra  nel  petto  mio,  e  spira  tue* 

Si  come  quando  Marsiaf  traesti  20 

Delia  vagina  delle  membra  sue. 


*  tue:  This  is  an  early  form  of  ///,  frequently  found  among 
the  prose  writers  of  Dante's  time.  See  the  Novellino,  ossia 
Libra  di  bel  parlare  gentile,  Firenze,  1889,  Nov.  71  :  "Or, 
figliuolo  mio,  perch&  ti  rammarichi  tue  ?  perch'  io  mi  parta  da 
te?"  And  ibid.  Nov.  100  :  "  Io  voglio  die  tue  vi  vadi,  e  meni 
teco  mogliata,  e  tuo  piccolo  figlio,  e  il  cane."  One  may  still  hear 
tue  in  Tuscany  in  the  language  of  the  people.  Tue,  for  tu;  and 
Noe  for  No  are  quite  common  expressions  at  Florence. 

t  Marsia :  The  story  of  Marsyas  is  told  by  Ovid,  Metam.  vi, 
382-400.  According  to  heathen  mythology,  he  was  a  Satyr  in 
Phrygia,  who,  having  gained  possession  of  a  flute  upon  which 
Minerva  had  played,  had  the  audacity  to  challenge  Apollo  to  a 
trial  of  skill,  with  the  condition  that  the  person  of  the  vanquished 
should  be  at  the  disposal  of  the  victor.  The  Muses,  who  were 
the  judges  of  the  contest,  adjudged  the  prize  of  victory  to 
Apollo,  who  while  playing  with  the  lyre  had  further  accompanied 
it  by  song.  To  punish  Marsyas  for  his  overweening  presump- 
tion, Apollo  tied  him  to  a  tree,  and  flayed  him  alive,  which  is 
what  Dante  means  by  saying  that  Apollo  drew  Marsyas  forth 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  13 

Enter  into  my  breast,  and  do  thou  breathe  into  me 
(such  power)  as  when  thou  drewest  forth  Marsyas 
from  the  sheath  of  his  limbs. 

Lubin  thinks  that  this  allusion  to  Marsyas  is  an 
admonition  on  Dante's  part  to  envious  and  foolish 
critics,  who  had  pretended  to  pass  adverse  judgment 
upon  the  Inferno  and  the  Purgatorio  without  the 
learning  necessary  for  doing  so.  His  mind  was  in  all 
probability  on  them,  when  in  his  Epistle  to  Can 
Grande  (cap.  28,  11.  553-557),  he  wrote:  "Et  ubi  ista 
invidis  non  sufficiant,  legant  Ricardum  de  sancto 
Victore  in  libro  de  Contemplatione  ;  legant  Bernardum 
in  libro  de  Consideratione  ;  legant  Augustinum  in  libro 
de  Quantitate  Animcs,  et  non  invidebunt." 

Dante  seeks  to  propitiate  Apollo  in  his  favour,  by 
promising,  if  his  petition  is  granted,  to  restore  to  the 
laurel,  the  tree  sacred  to  Apollo,  that  fame  which  it 
used  to  possess. 

O  divina  virtu,  se  mi  ti  presti* 

Tanto  che  1'  ombra  del  beato  regno 
Segnatat  nel  mio  capo  io  manifesti, 

Venir  vedra'  mi  al  tuo  diletto  legno,  25 

from  the  sheath  of  his  limbs.     The  commentators  all  compare 
the  fate  of  Marsyas  referred  to  here,  with  that  of  the  Pica;, 
whom  Dante  mentions  at  the  end  of  his  invocation  to  the  Muses 
in  Purg.  i,  ii. 
*  mi  ti  presti :  Compare  Ovid,  Fasti,  i,  17: 

"  Da  mihi  te  placidum;  dederis  in  carmina  vires." 
+  Segnata  :  Compare  Purg.  xxxiii,  79-81 : 
"...  Si  come  cera  da  suggello, 

Che  la  figura  impressa  non  trasmuta, 
Segnato  e  or  da  voi  lo  mio  cervello." 

and  Efi.  Kant  :  19,  11.  338-341:  "promittit  se  tarn  ardua  tarn 
sublimia  dicere,  scilicet  conditiones  regni  ccelestis  :  possibili- 
tatem  ostendit,  quum  dicit  se  dicturum  ea  quae  mente  retinere 
potuit." 


14  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  Canto  I. 

E  coronarmi  allor  di  quelle  foglie 
Che  la  materia  e  tu  mi  farai  degno.* 

O  power  Divine,  if  thou  vouchsafe  thyself  to  me  so 
much  that  I  may  but  make  manifest  that  (mere) 
shadow  of  the  realm  of  bliss  that  remains  impressed 
upon  my  brain,  thou  shalt  see  me  come  to  thy 
cherished  tree  (the  laurel),  and  crown  me  then  with 
those  leaves,  of  which  the  (lofty)  theme  and  thou 
will  render  me  worthy. 

Dante  takes  the  opportunity  to  utter  a  protest 
against  the  neglect  into  which  all  the  princes, 
emperors,  and  poets  of  his  day  allowed  the  laurel  to 
fall ;  there  being  at  the  time  no  leader  sufficiently 
distinguished  in  war,  or  poet  sublime  enough  in  poesy 
to  merit  a  laurel  crown ;  nor  indeed  were  there  any 
who  even  aspired  to  put  forth  their  hand  to  take  it. 
Benvenuto  remarks  that  usually  a  triumph  is  an  honour 
conferred  on  a  victorious  general  for  deeds  done  in 
war ;  but  that  in  his  time  the  hierarchy  of  the  priest- 
hood hold  triumphs  in  public  without  any  war  to 
justify  them ;  and  he  himself  saw,  but  a  short  time 
before,  a  number  of  Cardinals  make  a  triumphal  entry 
into  Bologna. 

SI  rade  volte,  padre,  se  ne  coglie, 

Per  trionfare  o  Cesare  o  Poeta,+ 

(Colpa  e  vergogna  delle  umane  voglie)  30 

*  mi  farai  degno  :  Scartazzini  paraphrases  this  :  "  Che  :  delle 
quali  saro  fatto  degno  e  per  1'  intrinseca  eccellenza  della  materia, 
e  per  1'  aiuto  die  tu  mi  presterai  a  trattarla  degnamente  secondo 
le  esigenze  dell'  arte." 

t  o  Cesare  o  Poeta :  Compare  Petrarch,  part  i,  son.  205  (in 
some  editions  225)  : 

"  Arbor  vittoriosa  trionfale, 

Onor  d'  imperadori  e  di  poeti." 
and  Frezzi,  Quadriregio,  lib.  iii,  cap.  14  : 

" alloro 

Che  Imperatori  e  Poeti  corona." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 5 

Che  partorir  letizia  in  sulla  lieta 

Delfica  delta  dovria  la  fronda 

Peneia,*  quando  alcun  di  se  asseta. 

So  rarely  (now),  O  Sire  (of  Poesy),  are  any  of  them 

gathered  for  the  triumphing  of  Caesar  or  poet, — (the 

more  the)  fault  and  disgrace  of  the  wills  of  men — 

that  the  leaf  of  (the  laurel,  the  daughter  of)  Peneus, 

ought  to  bring  forth  gladness  upon  the  gladsome 

shrine  of  Delphi,  whenever  it  makes  any  to  thirst  for  it 

(i.e.  when  it  kindles  in  any  one  the  desire  of  poetizing). 

After  uttering  the  above  lamentation,  Dante,  to 
some  extent,  consoles  himself  by  the  reflection  that 
perchance  after  his  time  there  may  arise  some  poet 
more  eloquent  than  himself,  one  who  will  appeal  more 
effectually  to  Apollo,  who  had  his  temple  on  Cyrrha. 
Poca  favilla  gran  fiamma  seconda  :  t 

Forse  retro  da  met  con  miglior  voci  35 

Si  preghera  perchc  Cirra  risponda. 

A  great  flame  follows  a  trifling  spark  ;  after  me  per- 
chance some  one  will  pray  with  better  words  for 
Cyrrha  to  respond. 

Benvenuto  observes  that  Dante's  remarks  are  not 
wholly  devoid  of  truth  ;  for,  at  the  time  that  Dante 
principally  flourished,  Petrarch  was  rising  into  fame 
as  a  quite  new  poet,  and  he  doubtless  delivered 
himself  of  a  far  more  copious  flow  of  words  than  did 
Dante ;  though  Dante,  by  his  divine  power,  shows 
himself  as  much  superior  to  Petrarch  as  a  poet,  as 
Petrarch  exceeded  Dante  in  fecundity. 

*  Peneia :  An  epithet  applied  to  Daphne,  the  story  of  whose 
change  into  a  laurel  is  told  by  Ovid  (Metam.  i,  452  et  seq.) 

t  seconda  :  Compare  Purg.  xvi,  33  : 

"  Maraviglia  udirai  se  mi  secondi." 

J  retro  da  me:  Other  readings  are  " dietro  a  me";  and  di 
dietro  a  me" 


1 6  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  Canto  I. 

Division  III.  In  the  next  forty  lines  Dante  shows 
how,  by  the  operation  of  Beatrice,  he  was  endued  with 
the  power  to  ascend  up  to  Heaven.  We  left  Dante, 
at  the  close  of  the  Purgatorio,  still  standing  with 
Beatrice  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  in  the 
Earthly  Paradise.  The  question,  when  did  they  leave 
Purgatory  and  enter  into  Paradise,  is  one  that  has 
aroused  much  controversy.  Dr.  Moore  is  strongly  of 
opinion  that  it  was  at  noon,  and  tells  me  he  is  "entirely 
converted  to  this  view,"  notwithstanding  his  having 
expressed  a  contrary  opinion  in  Time  References 
(pp.  10-54).  Scartazzini  also,  who  in  his  Leipzig  Com- 
mentary (1882)  had  opposed  the  theory  that  Dante 
had  entered  into  Paradise  at  noon,  in  the  two  sub- 
sequent editions  of  his  Edizione  Minore  (Milan,  1893, 
and  Milan,  1896)  shows  that  his  views  on  this  matter 
have  changed  :  "  As  regards  the  time  of  the  ascent, 
the  majority  are  of  opinion  that  it  was  in  the  morning 
of  the  day  that  followed  after  that  one,  at  the  noon  of 
which  Dante  drank  of  the  water  of  Eunoe,  but  they 
are  quite  unable  to  account  for  how  the  intervening 
eighteen  hours  were  spent.  It  is  far  better  to  under- 
stand that  Dante  and  Beatrice  commenced  ascending 
as  soon  as  ever  he  returned  from  the  most  holy  water, 
and  therefore  at  noon  on  that  same  day." 

Dr.  Moore,  in  advocating  the  view  that  it  was  noon, 
remarked  to  me  on  the  completeness  of  the  symbolism 
that  would  thus  be  attained.  Dante  enters  into  (i) 
Hell,  at  night ;  (2)  into  Purgatory  and  again  into 
the  Earthly  Paradise  at  daybreak;  and  (3)  into 
Paradise  at  noon,  symbolizing  (i)  Despair  ;  (2)  Hope  ; 
and  (3)  Fruition  or  Perfection. 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  17 

We  have  it  in  Dante's  own  words  that  at  this 
point  commences  the  second  of  the  two  principal 
parts  into  which  Paradise  was  divided  by  him  :  "  Divi- 
ditur  ergo  ista  pars,  seu  tertia  Cantica  quae  Paradisus 
dicitur,  principaliter  in  duas  partes,  scilicet  in  pro- 
logum  et  partem  executivam.  Pars  secunda  incipit  ibi  : 
Surgit  mortalibus  per  diversas  fauces?  (Ep.  Kani, 
cap.  17,  11.  287-292).  We  are  now  therefore  com- 
mencing what  Dante  himself  considered  the  second 
or  principal  part  of  the  Cantica. 

Surge  ai  mortali  per  diverse  foci* 
La  lucerna  del  mondo  ;t  ma  da 


*  per  diverse  foci  :  The  sun  rising  in  the  world  takes  place  at 
different  points  on  the  horizon,  i.e.  in  the  different  signs  of  the 
Zodiac  according  to  the  season  of  the  year. 

t  lucerna  del  mondo  :  This  expression  for  the  sun  Dante  has 
borrowed  from  Lucretius,  v,  402-403  : 

"  Solque,  cadenti 

Obvius,  asternam  suscepit  lampada  mondi." 
•"  E  indicate  il  punto  cardinale  di  levante  ;  ma  siccome  per  tal 
foce  sorge  il  Sole  due  volte  1'anno  ai  mortali,  il  Poeta  toglie 
1'  ambiguo  notando  la  circostanza  del  miglior  corso  del  Sole 
stesso  e  della  sua  congiunzione  con  Stella  migliore,  circostanza 
che  addita  la  primavera,  nella  quale  il  grande  luminare  £  con  le 
stelle  d'Ariete,  favorisce  le  nostre  regioni  di  maggior  luce  e 
calore,  e  in  via  di  recarci  1'  estate,  e  con  questa  la  maturazione 
delle  biade  e  dei  frutti.  Insomma  il  Poeta  ha  voluto  significare 
come  al  gran  volo  che  imprende  a  narrarci  concorrevano  le 
migliori  condizioni  che  la  natura  potesse  offrirgli  ;  e  per  tal 
modo  riconfermasi  la  speranza  da  lui  concepita  allorcht  gli  fu 
dato  uscire  dalla  selva  oscura."  (Antonelli). 

£  ma  da  quella  :  Gary  quotes  the  following  from  an  unnamed 
authority  :  "  Through  that  :  i.e.  where  the  four  circles,  the 
horizon,  the  Zodiac,  the  Equator,  and  the  Equinoctial  Colure 
join  ;  the  last  three  intersecting  each  other,  so  as  to  form  three 
crosses,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  armillary  sphere."  Scartazzini 
explains  it  :  "da  quella  (foce)  che  £  il  punto  dell'  orizzonte,  ove 
lo  zodiaco,  1'  equatore  e  il  coluro  equinoziale  intersecandosi 
coll'  orizzonte  medesimo  formano  tre  croci.  Intende  dell'equi- 
nozio  di  primavera." 


1 8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Che  quattro  cerchi  giunge  con  tre  croci, 
Con  miglior  corso  e  con  migliore  Stella  40 

Esce  congiunta,  e  la  mondana  cera 
Piu  a  suo  modo  tempera  e  suggella. 

Through  divers  passages  arises  to  mortals  the  lamp 
of  the  world  (i.e.  the  Sun) ;  but  from  that  one  (the 
spring  Equinox)  which  unites  four  circles  with  three 
crosses  it  issues  forth  with  a  better  course  (i.e.  rises 
under  more  favourable  conditions),  and  conjoined 
with  a  more  propitious  constellation  (i.e.  Aries),  and 
more  after  its  own  fashion  it  moulds  and  stamps  the 
wax  (i.e.  the  matter,  the  substance)  of  the  world. 

By  this  we  are  to  understand  that  the  season  was  the 
Vernal  Equinox,  or  thereabouts,  (quasi}.  It  was  in 
reality  about  three  weeks  after  it. 

Some  of  the  old  Commentators,  among  whom  are 
Lana,  the  Ottimo,  the  Postillatore  Cassinese,  and  Ben- 
venuto,  think  that  these  circles  allegorically  indicate 
the  four  Cardinal  Virtues,  and  the  three  crosses  the 
three  Theological  Virtues.  Scartazzini  says  that  in 
that  case  the  allegorical  sense  of  the  passage  would 
be  that  God,  the  Spiritual  Sun,  shines  more  pro- 
pitiously where  the  seven  Virtues  are  found  in  har- 
monious conjunction. 

In  the  preceding  verses  Dante  has  defined  the 
particular  period  of  the  year ;  he  now  defines  the 
hour,  and  be  it  remarked  beforehand  that  the  whole 
sentence  that  follows  turns  upon  the  word  quasi, 
which  must  be  taken  in  conjunction  with  tal  foce, 
which  words  are  qualified  by  it  :  the  meaning  being 
that  that  passage — i.e.  the  point  indicated  in  the 
heavens,  was  only  Aries,  speaking  approximately,  as 
the  sun  did  not  precisely  on  that  day  rise  in  Aries, 
having  already  made  a  Boreal  declination  of  several 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  tJie  Paradiso.  19 

degrees.  Aries  being  the  Cardinal  Point  of  the  East, 
Dante  also  observes  that  Beatrice  is  gazing  very  fixedly 
at  the  Sun. 

Fatto  avea  di  Ik  mane  e  di  qua  sera* 

Tal  foce  quasi ;  t  e  tutto  era  Ik  bianco  t 
Quello  emisperio,  e  1'  altra  parte  nera,  45 

Quando  Beatrice  in  sul  sinistro  fianco  § 
Vidi  rivolta,  e  riguardar  nel  sole  : 
Aquila  si  non  gli  s'  affisse  unquanco. 

*  di  la  mane  e  di  qua  sera :  In  a  letter  to  me  Dr.  Moore  says  : 
"  Mane  and  sera  are  rather  puzzling,  but  I  suppose  morning  and 
evening  must  be  used  vaguely  for  6-12  a.m.,  and  6-12  p.m.,  as 
Agnelli  suggests  ;  and  Scartazzini  in  note  on  i,  43  ...  It  occurs 
to  me  that  sera  in  Dante's  use  corresponds  to  the  notion  of 
Agnelli  that  it  is  after  6 p.m.  See  Inf.  xv,  18  (during  moonlight)  ; 
Purg.  xxvii,  61  (after  sunset) ;  Par.  xiv,  70  (in  the  gloaming). 
Also  it  is  clearly  after  "  Vespro,"  and  this  is  shown  by  Conv.  iv, 
23,  11.  127-133  to  be  3-6  p.m." 

t  Tal  foce  quasi :  "  Questa  dizione  quasi  &  posta  per  mancare, 
e  vuole  dare  ad  intendere  che  non  era  a  punto  quando  il  Sole 
entra  in  Ariete,  ma  un  poco  piu  oltra."  (Buti).  The  more 
general  reading  is  to  put  a  comma  after  foce,  and  to  put  the  e 
before  quasi,  so  that  the  line  reads  : 

"  Tal  foce,  e  quasi  tutto  era  Ik  bianco,"  etc. 
This  gives  quite  a  different  sense  to  the  words,  and  Dr.  Moore's 
reading,  which  I  have  adopted,  seems  far  preferable. 

J  tutto  era  la  bianco,  etc.  :  On  this  Agnelli  (Topo-cronografia, 
p.  128),  speaks  very  clearly:  "Un  emisfero  per  essere  tutto  bianco, 
cioe,  secondo  1'  intenzione  del  Poeta,  tutto  illuminato,  &  neces- 
sario  assolutamente  che  il  sole  batta  i  suoi  raggi  direttamente 
sul  meridiano  che  divide  in  due  parti  eguali  quell'  emisfero  stesso ; 
vale  a  dire  :  6  assolutamente  necessario  che  sia  mezzogiorno,  o 
quanto  meno  imminentissimo."  Dr.  Moore  remarked  to  me 
that  the  two  half  spheres  could  not  be  "  tutto  bianco"  and  "  tutto 
nero"  unless  it  were  on  the  meridian  of  the  central  points  in 
longitude,  namely  the  Mountain  of  Purgatory  and  Jerusalem. 

§  sul  sinistro  fianco :  "  Ben  dice  in  sul  sinistro  fianco  ;  impero 
che  a  chi  sta  nelF  altro  emisperio  verso  1'  oriente  volto,  la  spera 
del  Sole  li  viene  da  sinistra,  come  a  noi  nel  nostro  emisperio  da 
destra."  (Buti).  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me  on  this  :  '  In  the 
Earthly  Paradise  they  advance  Eastwards;  see  Purg.  xxix,  12. 
Beatrice  and  the  Mystic  Procession  meet  them  coming  from  the 

C  2 


2O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

(I  am  obliged  to  paraphrase  this  first  line  a  little). 

Somewhere  about  (quasi)  in  that  radiant  passage  of 
the  Sun  through  Aries  had  the  day  broken  on  that 
side  (the  Southern  Hemisphere),  while  on  this  side 
(the  Northern  Hemisphere)  it  was  evening;  and 
there  (where  we  stood)  the  whole  of  that  hemisphere 
was  white,  and  the  other  part  (our  hemisphere) 
black,  when  I  saw  Beatrice  turned  round  towards 
the  left  side,  and  gazing  upon  the  Sun :  never  did 
eagle  so  fix  himself  upon  it  (i.e.  look  at  it  so  stead- 
fastly). 

The  Ottimo  says  that  the  Sun  had  made  it  morning 
in  the  Southern  Hemisphere,  or  rather  day ;  and  in 
the  other  Hemisphere  it  was  evening,  that  is,  night 
occupied  the  hemisphere  opposite  to  the  one  that 
Dante  was  in,  as  Dante  so  frequently  describes  in  the 
Purgatorio.  But  Dante  has  an  inner  meaning  in 
these  words,  namely,  that  the  Grace  of  God  had 
made  him  bright  and  clear.  The  heart  is  entirely 
illuminated  by  the  wish  to  see  and  investigate  divine 
things  ;  and  the  contrary  is  the  case  in  the  part  of 
the  world  which  we  inhabit,  and  to  which  Dante  had 
already  returned  when  he  wrote  his  Poem. 

Dante  now  describes  how,  by  the  innate  virtue  in 
the  eyes  of  Beatrice,  his  eye  received  the  power  to 
gaze  upon  the  Sun's  rays,  and  Benvenuto  says  that 
he  became  as  one  of  the  eaglets  of  that  Great  Eagle 
on  high.  St.  Augustine  (Tract,  in  Joan,  xxxvi) 
remarks  that  it  is  the  habit  of  the  parent  eagle  to 
take  her  young  up  into  the  air  in  her  talons  and  turn 


East.  In  Purg.  xxxii,  16,  Beatrice  and  the  others  all  turn  round 
and  face  the  East.  Consequently,  now  in  Par.  i,  46,  when  Beatrice 
turns  to  her  left  and  so/aces  the  Sun,  it  must  be  North,  i.  e.  its 
midday  position  in  the  southern  hemisphere." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  21 

their  eyes  towards  the  Sun.  The  eaglet  that  can 
sustain  its  rays  is  recognized  as  the  true  brood,  but 
that  one  whose  eye  quivers  is  allowed  to  drop  from 
on  high  and  perish.  Dante's  eye  derives  strength 
from  Beatrice's  eyes,  as  a  ray  is  reflected  back  from  a 
looking-glass,  and  the  further  meaning  is  that  the 
human  being  who  seeks  to  rise  to  Heaven  must  do 
so  by  the  contemplations  and  speculations  of  Theo- 
logy. 

E  si  come  '1  secondo  raggio  *  suole 

Uscir  del  primo,  e  risalire  in  suso,  50 

Pur  come  peregrin  che  tornar  vuole  ; 
Cos!  dell'  atto  suo,  per  gli  occhi  infuso 
NelF  imagine  mia,  il  mio  si  fece, 
E  fissi  gli  occhi  al  sole  oltre  a  nostr'  uso. 
Molto  e  licito  lk,t  che  qui  non  lece  55 

Alle  nostre  virtu,  merce  del  loco 
Fatto  per  proprio  J  dell'  umana  spece. 


*  secondo  raggio,  et  seq.  :  Brunone  Bianchi  explains  this  very 
clearly  :  "  And  as  the  ray  of  reflection  is  generated  by  the  ray 
of  incidence,  which  ray  of  reflection  comes  back,  like  the  tra- 
veller, who,  when  he  arrives  at  his  destination  wishes  to  return 
to  the  place  he  started  from  ;  so  Dante's  action  of  turning  him- 
self to  the  Sun  was  generated  by  the  action  of  Beatrice,  which 
entering  into  Dante's  eyes  passed  on  into  his  imaginative  fa- 
culties." 

t  Molto  2  licito  Id,  che  qui  non  lece  alle  nostre  virtu  :  The  al- 
legorical signification,  remarks  Scartazzini,  is  that  Dante,  having 
not  only  been  made  acquainted  with  his  sins,  but  having  also 
been  purged  from  them,  had  now  reached  that  state  of  inno- 
cence in  which  he  could  contemplate  eternal  blessedness  ;  which 
is  not  possible  for  those  who  have  not  yet  attained  to  such  a 
degree  of  purification  that  they  can  by  the  study  of  Holy  Writ, 
and  following  in  the  steps  of  the  Saints  of  old,  fix  their  eyes 
upon  the  Sun,  that  is,  venture  upon  the  contemplation  of  God. 

t  proprio :  See  Gran  Dizionario  on  proprio,  subst.  §  4 : 
"Proprio,  talora  vale  Soggiorno  proprio,  Abitazione  propria" 
and  the  passage  in  the  text  is  specially  quoted. 


22  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

And  as  a  second  ray  is  wont  to  issue  from  the  first 
(by  reflection)  and  re-ascend  even  as  a  traveller  who 
wishes  to  return ;  so  out  of  her  action  (of  gazing  at 
the  Sun),  through  the  eyes  infused  into  my  imagi- 
nation, mine  was  formed,  and  I  (too)  fixed  my  eyes 
upon  the  Sun  beyond  our  (mortal)  wont.  There  (in 
the  Terrestrial  Paradise)  many  things  are  possible, 
which  here  (in  the  world)  are  not  possible  to  our 
faculties,  by  virtue  of  the  place  (merce  del  loco) 
created  for  the  special  abode  of  the  human  race. 

Benvenuto  warns  his  readers  against  translating  merce 
del  loco  as  applying  to  Paradise,  for  Dante  was  not 
yet  there,  but  is  straightway  about  to  ascend  thereto, 
as  they  will  now  read.  The  effect  of  the  increase  of 
power  in  his  vision  becomes  evident  to  him  almost 
immediately,  for  he  is  now  able  to  discern  an  in- 
tensity of  radiance  in  the  Sun,  that  aforetime  he 
would  not  be  able  to  gaze  upon  for  a  single  instant. 

lo  nol  soffersi  molto,  ne  si  poco, 

Ch'  io  nol  vedessi  sfavillar  dintorno, 

Qual  ferro  che  bogliente  esce  del  foco.*  60 


*  foco  :  Antonelli  (in  TommaseVs  commentary)  observes  that 
it  is  a  very  singular  thing  that  Dante,  in  describing  to  us  the 
radiant  phenomena  that  might  be  discerned  in  the  Sun,  if  we 
were  able  to  look  at  it  just  as  we  pleased  with  the  naked  eye, 
should  come  to  suppose  that  upon  the  surface  of  the  great  lumi- 
nary there  should  be  a  continual  combustion  ;  like  one  in  accord- 
ance with  our  experience  here  on  earth  ;  and  this  conception 
of  his  is  in  complete  harmony  with  the  opinions  of  all  the  most 
distinguished  modern  astronomers,  who  in  their  turn  founded 
their  beliefs  upon  the  authority  of  discoveries  made  in  olden 
time  which  confirmed  the  probability  of  such  an  hypothesis.  This, 
which  in  the  case  of  Dante  cannot  be  a  matter  of  chance,  seems 
to  confirm  the  extraordinary  power  and  wealth  of  his  learning, 
as  well  as  the  minuteness  of  the  observations  of  our  forefathers, 
all  the  more  marvellous  because  so  little  aided  by  the  admirable 
resources  which  are  now  at  the  disposal  of  our  scientists.  Tom- 
masdo,  however,  thinks  that  Dante  has  just  entered  into  the 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  23 

E  di  subito  parve  giorno  a  giorno 

Essere  aggiunto,*  come  quei  che  puote 
Avesse  il  ciel  d'  un  altro  sole  adorno. 

Not  long  I  bore  it  (the  radiance  of  the  Sun),  nor  yet 
so  short  a  while,  but  that  I  saw  it  emitting  showers 
of  sparks  around,  like  iron  that  comes  glowing  out 
of  the  fire.  And  on  a  sudden  daylight  seemed 
added  to  daylight,  as  though  He  Who  has  the 
power  had  with  another  Sun  bedecked  the  Heaven. 

Although  the  space  of  time  that  Dante  had  been 
gazing  upon  the  Sun  was  very  brief,  yet  the  distance 
of  the  Sun  from  the  Earth  is  so  vast,  that,  notwith- 
standing the  velocity  with  which  they  had  begun  to 
ascend,  still  it  was  necessary  that  a  perceptible  in- 
terval of  time  should  elapse  before  Dante  could  dis- 
cern the  changed  appearance  of  the  Sun,  as  he  drew 
nearer  to  it.  The  allegorical  meaning  of  this  passage 
(according  to  Buti)  is  that  though  the  human  intellect 
is  wholly  unable  of  itself  to  concentrate  itself  in  the 
meditation  of  divine  matters,  yet  if  it  be  so  strength- 
ened as  to  continue  such  meditation,  it  sees  the  great 
light  of  truth  suddenly  shine  forth,  and  showering 
upon  it  (the  human  intellect)  abundant  sparks  of 


Sphere  of  Fire,  in  his  passage  to  the  Sphere  of  the  Moon.  Ben- 
venuto  strongly  dissents  from  such  a  view,  which  had  also  been 
promulgated  in  his  time. 

*  giorno  a  giorno  Essere  aggiunto:  Compare  Chaucer,  The 
House  of  Fame,  Book  i  : 

"  But  if  the  Heaven  had  ywonne 

All  new  of  God  another  sonne,"  etc. 
and  Ariosto,  Orl.  Fur.  x,  st.  109  : 

"  E  par  ch'  aggiunga  un  altro  sole  al  cielo." 
and  Milton,  Par.  Lost,  Book  v,  310,  311  : 

"  seems  another  morn 
Risen  on  mid-noon." 


24  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

revelations  and  colourings  which  sparkle  in  the  soul 
as  the  spark  does  in  the  human  eye. 

Dante  now  describes  how,  by  Beatrice  intently 
gazing  upon  the  Sun,  and  he  on  her,  his  whole  being 
seemed  to  become  transformed  within  him,  as  did 
that  of  Glaucus  after  he  had  eaten  of  the  herb  which 
changed  him  into  a  demi-god. 

Beatrice  tutta  nell'  eterne  rote* 

Fissa  con  gli  occhi  stava,  ed  io  in  lei  65 

Le  luci  fissi,  di  lassu  remote ; 
Nel  suo  aspetto  tal  dentro  mi  fei,t 

Qual  si  fe'  Glauco  £  nel  gustar  dell'  erba, 
Che  il  fe'  consorte  in  mar  degli  altri  Dei. 
Beatrice  was  standing  with  her  eyes  steadfastly  fixed 
upon  the  Eternal  Spheres,  and  I  fixed  upon  her  my 
eyes  now  withdrawn  from  (gazing)  on  high ;  (then) 
in  the  contemplation  of  her  I  became  within  me 
such  as  Glaucus  became  from  tasting  of  the  herb, 
which  made   him  the  compeer  of  the  other  gods 
in  the  sea. 

Dante  goes  on  to  say  that  human  language  is  wholly 
insufficient  to  describe  this  act. 

*  eterm  rote  :  Compare  Purg.  viii,  18  : 

"  Avendo  gli  occhi  alle  superne  rote." 
and  Purg.  xxx,  92,  93  : 

"  Anzi  il  cantar  di  quei  che  notan  sempre 

Dietro  alle  note  degli  eterni  giri." 
+  Nel  suo  aspetto  tal  dentro  mi  feit  etc.  :  Compare  Par.  xxxi, 

37,  38  : 

u  Io,  che  al  divino  dall'  umano, 

All'  eterno  dal  tempo  era  venuto,"  etc. 

J  Glauco :  Glaucus  was,  according  to  ancient  Mythology,  a 
fisherman  of  Eubcea,  who,  having  seen  certain  fish  that  he  had 
caught  become  suddenly  revived  on  being  cast  upon  the  grass 
by  the  sea-shore,  tasted  this  grass  himself,  and  was  forthwith 
impelled  to  throw  himself  into  the  sea,  and  thereupon  become 
a  maritime  divinity.  The  story  is  told  by  Ovid,  Metam.  xiii, 
898-968. 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  25 

Trasumanar  significar  per  verba  70 

Non  si  poria  ;  pero  1'  esemplo  basti 
A  cui  esperienza  grazia  serba. 

To  express  the  act  of  transhumanization  in  words 
were  impossible ;  let  the  example  then  (of  Glaucus) 
suffice  him  for  whom  Grace  reserves  the  experience. 

A  miracle  such  as  befell  Glaucus  can  only  be  accom- 
plished in  that  man,  who,  giving  himself  up  wholly 
to  the  contemplation  of  things  divine,  almost  issues 
from  his  human  nature. 

In  the  lines  that  follow,  and  as  to  the  right  mean- 
ing of  which  even  the  old  Commentators  disagreed, 
it  would  seem  that  Dante  wishes  to  convey  to  the 
reader  that  he  ascended  into  Heaven  with  his  natural 
body,  but  from  motives  of  humility  he  uses  the  words 
of  St.  Paul  (2  Cor.  xii,  3),  "  whether  in  the  body,  or 
out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell  :  God  knoweth."  Fear- 
ing lest  he  should  seem  over  presumptuous  in  defining 
the  question  precisely,  Dante  has  recourse  to  a  con- 
ditional or  dubitative  assertion. 

S'  io  era  sol  di  me  quel  che  creasti  * 


*  quel  che  creasti  Novellamente :  This  quel  the  Postillatore 
Cassinese  explains:  "scilicet  anima  ;"  and  it  is  remarked  by 
several  commentators  that,  according  to  the  doctrines  professed 
by  Dante  in  Purg.  xxv,  61-71,  God  breathes  the  soul  into  the 
human  body  last  of  all  (novellamente),  when  the  body  has  been 
already  formed,  and  the  soul  is  endued  with  vegetative  life. 
See  the  following  comment  by  Cornoldi  on  this  passage  (La 
Div.  Com.  di  D.  Al.  col  commento  di  Giovanni  Maria  Cornoldi, 
Roma,  1887,  i  vol.  8vo) :  "Dante  qui  mostra  di  dubitare 
se  questa  ascensione  al  cielo  sia  stata  fatta  o  colla  sola 
anima  che  fu  (novellamente']  da  Dio  creata  nell'  ultimo  tempo 
della  generazione  di  ciascun  uomo,  il  qual  tempo  dicesi  anima- 
zione  ;  od  anche  col  corpo,  il  quale  sebbene  sia  stato  nel  seno 
materno  organato,  tuttavia  la  materia,  ond'  £  composto,  fu  al 
principio  delle  cose  terrene  creata." 


26  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Novellamente,  Amor  *  che  il  ciel  governi, 
Tu  il  sai,  che  col  tuo  lume  mi  levasti.  75 

If  I  were  merely  that  part  of  me  which  Thou  didst 
most  recently  create  (i.e.  the  soul),  O  Love  that 
rulest  the  heaven  (i.e.  God)  Thou  knowest,  Who 
didst  raise  me  by  Thy  Light  (reflected  in  the  eyes 
Beatrice). 

Up  to  this  point  Dante  had  been  gazing  upon  Bea- 
trice, but  when  he  looks  around  him,  he  finds  himself 
in  the  Sphere  of  Fire,  which  seems  like  a  great  lake 
of  flame.     He  now  explains  how  the  desire  for  God  is 
the  moving  principle  of  the  Celestial  Spheres. 
Quando  la  rota,  che  tu  sempiterni 
Desiderato,t  a  se  mi  fece  atteso, 

*  Amor  :  Scartazzini  says  that  by  this  Dante  means  God,  of 
Whom  in  the  last  line  of  the  Paradiso  (xxxiii,  145)  he  speaks  as 

"  L'  amor  che  move  il  sole  e  1'  altre  stelle." 

Scartazzini  disputes  the  view  of  Philalethes,  who  sees  in  Amor 
only  the  Third  Person  of  the  Trinity.  Nearly  all  Commentators 
agree  that  the  Triune  God  is  signified,  and  it  is  considered  that 
Dante  borrowed  the  term  from  Boethius,  who  (Philos.  Cons,  ii, 
Metr.  viii)  refers  to  God  as  "  caelo  imperitans  amor." 

t  Desiderata :  Daniello  says  that  Plato  held  that  "  i  cieli  si 
muovono  sempre  cercando  1'  anima  del  mondo,  che  essi  tanto 
di  ritruovare  desiano,  perche  non  £  in  luogo  determinate,  ma 
sparsa  per  tutto."  In  Convito,  ii,  cap.  4,  11.  14-27,  Dante  explains 
the  passage  in  the  text :  "  Lo  cielo  Empireo  .  .  .  ch£  per  lo 
ferventissimo  appetito  che  ha  ciascuna  parte  di  quello  nono 
cielo,  ch'  £  immediate  a  quello,  d'  esser  congiunta  con  ciascuna 
parte  di  quello  decimo  cielo  divinissimo  e  quieto,  in  quello  si 
rivolve  con  tanto  desiderio,  che  la  sua  velocita  &  quasi  incom- 
prensibile."  See  also  Ep.  Kant,  §  26,  11.  472-482  (Latham's 
Translation)  :  "  Everything  that  moveth  doth  move  on  account 
of  something  it  hath  not,  and  which  is  the  god  of  its  motion. 
Even  as  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon  is  moved  on  account  of  some 
part  of  it  which  hath  not  that  whereto  it  is  moved,  and  because 
any  part  of  it  whatsoever,  when  its  place  hath  not  been  gained 
(which  is  impossible)  is  moved  by  another,  hence  it  is  that  this 
heaven  doth  always  move  and  is  never  at  rest,  as  it  desires  to 
be.  And  what  I  say  of  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon  is  to  be  under- 
stood of  all  the  heavens,  save  the  first." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  27 

Con  1'  armonia  *  che  temperi  e  discerni,t 

*  F  armonia :  The  doctrine  of  the  harmonious  sounds  which 
the  Celestial  Spheres  make  in  their  revolutions  was  first  taught 
by  Pythagoras,  disputed  by  Aristotle,  and  finally  revived  by 
Plato  and  Cicero,  from  whose  Vision  of  Scipio  Dante  seems  to 
have  taken  it.  Biagioli  quotes  the  following  lines  from  M.  Te- 
rentius  Varro  : 

"  Vidit  et  aetherio  mundum  torquerior  axe, 
Et  septem  aeternis  sonitum  dare  vocibus  orbes 
Nitentes  aliis  alios,  quae  maxima  divis 
Lastitia  stat  ;  tune  longe  gratissima  Phcebi 
Dextera  consimiles  meditatur  reddere  voces." 
Our  own  three  great  poets  have  also  celebrated  this  theory. 
Compare  Chaucer,  The  Parlement  of  Foules,  11.  60-63  : 
"  And  after  that  the  melodye  herde  he 
That  cometh  of  thilke  speres  thryes  three, 
That  welle  is  of  musyke  and  melodye 
In  this  world  heer,  and  cause  of  armonye." 
and  Shakespeare,  The  Merchant  of  Venice,  act  v,  sc.  I  : 
"  Sit  Jessica.     Look  how  the  floor  of  heaven 
Is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold  : 
There's  not  the  smallest  orb  which  thou  beholdest 
But  in  his  motion  like  an  angel  sings, 
Still  quiring  to  the  young-eyed  cherubims : 
Such  harmony  is  in  immortal  souls  : 
But  whilst  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay 
Doth  grossly  close  it  in,  we  cannot  hear  it." 
and  Milton,  Par.  Lost,  v,  625-627  : 

"And  in  their  motions  harmony  divine 
So  smooths  her  charming  tones,  that  God's  own  ear 
Listens  delighted." 

See  also  Milton,  Hymn  to  Christ's  Nativity,  st.  xiii  : 
"  Ring  out,  ye  crystal  spheres 
Once  bless  our  human  ears." 

t  temperi  e  discerni :  Casini  remarks  that  the  Commentators 
on  the  Paradiso  have,  for  the  most  part,  been  very  inexact  in 
their  explanation  of  these  two  verbs,  which  were  manifestly 
suggested  to  Dante  in  the  above-mentioned  Somnittm  Scipionis, 
in  the  Sixth  Book  of  Cicero's  De  Republica  (cap.  xviii,  §  18)  in 
which  Masinissa  is  supposed  to  explain  to  Scipio  the  origin  of 
sound  :  "  Hie  \cinlcis  sonus\  est,  qui  intervallis  conjunctus  im- 
paribus,  sed  tamen  pro  rata  parte  ratione  distinctis,  impulsu  et 
motu  ipsorum  orbium  conficitur,  et,  acuta  cum  gravibus  tem- 
perans,  varios  asquabiliter  concentus  efficit."  Hence  we  may 
infer  that  tcmperare  signifies  "to  regulate,  to  accord  :"  and  dis- 


28  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  Canto  I. 

Parvemi  tanto  allor  del  cielo  acceso 

Dalla  fiamma  del  sol,  che  pioggia  o  fiume  80 

Lago  non  fece  mai  tanto  disteso. 
When  the  Sphere  (i.e.  the  Empyrean)  which  Thou, 
(eternally)  desired,  makest  eternal,  had  drawn  my 
attention  to  it  by  the  harmony  (of  the  Spheres) 
which  Thou  dost  modulate  and  distribute,  then 
there  seemed  to  me  so  wide  an  expanse  of  heaven 
enkindled  by  the  flame  of  the  Sun,  that  neither  rain 
nor  river  ever  formed  a  lake  of  such  wide  extent. 

Only  as  recently  as  1.  61  Dante  had  almost  fancied 
he  saw  the  light  of  the  Sun  doubled  in  power,  now 
even  that  much  increased  radiance  seems  to  him  to 
be  immeasurably  augmented  in  volume. 

Division  IV.  Not  being  aware  of  the  extreme 
rapidity  with  which  he  has  ascended,  Dante  is 
wholly  unable  to  account  for  the  sweet  sounds  he 
hears,  as  well  as  for  the  extraordinary  increase  of 
sunlight.  Beatrice  reads  his  thoughts,  and  there- 
upon tells  him  somewhat  reprovingly  that  he  is  no 
longer  upon  Earth,  but  that  he  has  been  carried 
upwards  with  the  velocity  of  a  flash  of  lightning,  and 
is  now  in  Heaven. 

La  novitk  del  suono  e  il  grande  lame 

Di  lor  cagion  *  m'  accesero  un  disio 

Mai  non  sentito  di  cotanto  acume. 


cernere,  "to  distinguish,  to  distribute;"  since  God  distributes 
the  sounds  through  the  different  spheres,  and  attunes  them  to 
form  the  eternal  harmony. 

*  Di  lor  cagion  :  Compare  De  Mon.  ii,  i,  11.  7,  8 :  "Ad  faciem 
causse  non  pertingentes,  novum  effectum  communiter  admira- 
mur."  And  Conv.  iv,  25,  11.  49-54  :  "  Grandi  e  maravigliose 
cose  ....  in  quanto  paiono  grandi,  fanno  reverente  a  se  quello 
che  le  sente  ;  in  quanto  paiono  mirabili,  fanno  voglioso  di  sapere 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  29 

Ond'  ella,  che  vedea  me  si  com'  io,  85 

A  quietarmi  1'  animo  commosso, 
Pria  ch'  io  a  domandar,  la  bocca  aprfo, 

E  comincio  : — "  Tu  stesso  ti  fai  grosso  * 
Col  falso  immaginar,  si  che  non  vedi 
Cio  che  vedresti,  se  1'  avesti  scosso.  90 

Tu  non  se'  in  terra,  si  come  tu  credi ; 

Ma  folgore,  fuggendo  il  proprio  sito,t 
Non  corse  come  tu  ch'  ad  esso  riedi." — 

The  novelty  of  the  sound  and  the  great  light  kindled 
in  me  a  desire,  never  before  felt  with  such  keenness, 
of  (knowing)  the  cause  of  them.  Whereupon  she, 
who  saw  me  just  as  I  (see)  myself,  to  quiet  my 
troubled  mind,  opened  her  mouth  before  I  (opened 
mine)  to  ask,  and  began  :  "  Thou  makest  thyself  so 
densely  ignorant  with  false  imaginations,  that  thou 
dost  not  perceive  that  which  thou  wouldst  have  per- 
ceived, hadst  thou  shaken  them  off.  Thou  art  not 
on  the  Earth,  as  thou  dost  suppose ;  but  lightning, 

di  quelle  quello  che  le  sente."  Scartazzini  says  that  there  were 
two  causes  for  the  perturbation  of  Dante's  soul.  The  first  was 
the  vivid  radiance  and  the  mysterious  sweet  harmony  ;  the 
second  the  not  knowing  their  cause.  In  his  agitation  he  was 
not  realizing  that  he  had  left  the  Earth,  and  had  entered  into 
Paradise. 

*  grosso :  See  this  word  in  the  Gran  Dizionario  delta  Lingua 
Italiana  di  Tommase'o  e  Bellini  [which  will  in  future  be  simply 
referred  to  as  the  Gran  Dizionario]  Torino,  s.  d.,  §  56:  "Grosso. 
Per  rozzo,  setnplice,  soro,  ignorante :  contrario  a  acuto,  sagace, 
ingegnoso,  o  accorto."  The  present  passage  is  quoted  under  this 
heading,  and  Inf.  xxxiv,  91-93,  as  illustrating  it : 
"  E  s'  io  divenni  allora  travagliato, 

La  gente  grossa  il  pensi,  che  non  vede 
Qual  £  quel  punto  ch'  io  avea  passato." 

The  word  is  used  in  the  same  sense  by  Boccaccio,  Decani. 
Giorn.  iii,  nov.  8  :  "  Essendosi  molto  con  Io  abate  dimesticato 
\become  acquainted]  un  ricchissimo  villano,  il  quale  avea  nome 
Ferondo,  uomo  materiale  e  grosso,  senza  modo,  n6  per  altro  la 
sua  dimestichezza  piaceva  allo  abate." 

t  il  proprio  sito :  For  the  lightning  (according  to  the  Ptolemaic 
Cosmography)  is  the  Sphere  of  Fire. 


3O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

flying  from  its  own  proper  place,  never  ran  as  thou 
who  art  returning  to  it." 

Beatrice  means  "to  Heaven,"  whence  Dante's  soul 
issued  from  out  of  the  hand  of  God  at  his  birth. 
Benvenuto  observes  that  Heaven  is  the  natural  abode 
of  spirits,  as  is  the  Earth  of  bodies.  We  saw  Dante 
dragged  downwards  by  ignorance  and  sin  when  he 
sought  to  ascend  the  mountain  of  Purgatory ;  now 
by  the  power  of  virtue  and  knowledge  he  is  enabled 
to  wing  his  flight  up  to  Heaven. 

On  hearing  from  Beatrice  that  he  is  no  longer  on 
the  Earth,  Dante  is  nearly  struck  dumb  with  astonish- 
ment, being  wholly  unable  to  understand  how  the 
body  of  him,  a  mortal  man,  should  have  been  able  to 
ascend  through  such  light  substances  as  the  Region 
of  Air,  and  the  Sphere  of  Fire.  To  clear  up  these 
doubts,  Beatrice  unfolds  to  him  the  entire  wonderful 
order  of  the  Universe ;  and  although  (as  Casini  says 
in  his  commentary)  the  subject  of  her  discourse  is 
purely  scholastic  and  theological,  besides  being  in 
great  measure  deduced  from  the  Summa  of  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas,  still  we  may  well  notice  the  mode 
in  which  Dante  has  known  how  to  render  the  words 
of  Beatrice  intelligible,  and  to  clothe  the  description 
of  them  in  an  elegant  form. 

Dante  mentions  his  further  doubt. 
S'  io  fui  del  primo  dubbio  disvestito 

Per  le  sorrise  parolette  brevi,  95 

Dentro  ad  un  nuovo  piu  fui  irretito  ;* 

*  irretito:  The  verb  irretire  primarily  means  "to  ensnare  in 
a  net,"  and  hence  "  to  entangle,  to  embroil."  On  the  passage  in 
the  text  Buti  writes  :  "Piu  fui  irretito,  cioe  preso  ed  impacciato, 
io  Dante,  come  e  impacciata  la  fiera  o  1'  uccello  dentro  alia  rete." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  3 1 

E  dissi  : — "Gia  contento  requievi* 

Di  grande  ammirazion  ;  ma  ora  ammiro 
Com'  io  trascenda  quest!  corpi  lievi."t 
If  I  was  released  from  my  first  doubt  by  these  few 
smiling  words,  I  was  inwardly  more  enmeshed  in  a 
new  one,  and  said  :  "Already  was  I  resting  content 
from  my  great  amazement ;  but  now  I  am  wondering 
how  I  can  ascend  through  these  light  bodies  (i.e.  the 
Spheres  of  Air  and  of  Fire)." 

Benvenuto  remarks  that,  in  answering  Dante's  first 
doubt  (11.  85-93),  Beatrice  has  shown  a  certain  amount 
of  displeasure  at  his  want  of  perception  ;  but  that 
now,  in  giving  a  reply  to  his  second  doubt,  she  in 
pity  for  his  ignorance  does  so  with  the  tenderness 
of  a  mother  watching  a  sick  son  whose  reason  is 
wandering. 

*  requievi:  Scartazzini  says  that  requiescere  is  much  more 
emphatic  and  expressive  than  cessare.  The  Gran  Dizionario 
gives  more  than  one  instance  of  the  use  of  the  verb  requiescere 
in  prose,  the  most  notable  of  which  is  from  the  Italian  translation 
of  the  Civitas  Dei  of  St.  Augustine  (ir,  8) :  "  Ma  la  requie  di 
Dio  significa  la  requie  di  coloro  che  requiescono  in  Dio."  Of  the 
Latin  form  of  the  perfect  tense  we  find  examples  in  Inf.  xxvi, 
78  :  "lui  parlare  audivi";  and  Pitrg.  xii,  69:  "fin  che  chinato 
givi." 

t  corpilicTji:  Andreoli  observes  that  Dante  had  half  persuaded 
himself  at  first  that  he  was  ascending  in  the  body,  but  that  he 
then  doubted  about  it.  And  well  might  he  doubt,  seeing  that  he 
had  no  bodily  perception  of  any  contact  with  the  Fire,  through 
the  Sphere  of  which  he  was  passing.  Scartazzini  suggests  some 
such  self-questioning  of  himself  as  this  :  "Am  I  still  body  and 
soul,  or  spirit  only?  If  I  am  body  and  soul,  how  comes  it  that  I 
can  rise  up  on  high  ?  If  spirit  only,  how  and  when  did  my  trans- 
formation take  place?"  Both  Scartazzini  and  Giuliani  quote  the 
following  from  the  translation  by  Bono  Giamboni  of  the  Tresor 
of  Brunetto  Latini,  lib.  ii,  cap.  25  :  "I' aria  e  il  fuoco  .  .  .  (dai 
quali)  resta  intorniata  la  terra,  che  essendo  il  piu  grave  elemento 
e  la  piu  salda  sostanza,  conviene  che  la  si  tragga  nel  mezzo  o  nel 
fondo  dell'  altre  che  intorno  di  lei  sono."  See  also  Convito,  iii,  3, 
11.  5-14  ;  and  11.  36-44. 


32  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Ond'  ella,  appresso  d'"un  pio  sospiro,  100 

Gli  occhi  drizzo  ver  me  con  quel  sembiante  * 
Che  madre  fa  sopra  figliuol  deliro  ;t 

E  comincio  : — "  Le  cose  I  tutte  e  quante 

Hann'  ordine  tra  loro  ;  e  questo  £  forma 

Che  1'  universe  a  Dio  fa  simigliante.  105 

*  quel  sembiante:  Compare  Petrarch,  part  ii,  Son.  17  (in  some 
editions  Son.  244) : 

"  N£  mai  pietosa  madre  al  caro  figlio, 

Ne  donna  accesa  al  suo  sposo  diletto 
Di£  con  tanti  sospir,  con  tal  sospetto 
In  dubbio  stato  si  fedel  consiglio." 

t  deliro:  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.,  p.  126,  Sim.  204)  says  of 
deliro,  that  it  comes  from  the  Latin  lira  a  furrow  made  by 
ploughing  ;  and  that  a  persona  delira  is  one  who,  as  it  were, 
issues  forth  from  the  furrow  (de  lira)  of  truth.  Compare  Par. 
xxii,  4-6  : 

"  E  quella,  come  madre  che  soccorre 
Subito  al  figlio  pallido  ed  anelo 
Con  la  sua  voce  che  il  suol  ben  disporre." 
Compare  also  Conv.  i,  4,  11.  17-25. 

%  Le  cose,  et  seq.  :  All  things  created  have  a  regular  order 
among  themselves,  the  one  in  relation  to  the  other,  and  this  order 
(says  Casini)  is  the  principal  which  gives  unity  of  form  to  them 
all,  and  makes  them  similar  to  God  Who  is  One.  Compare  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xv,  art.  I : "  Quia  mundus 
non  est  casu  factus,  sed  est  factus  a  Deo  per  intellectum  agente, 
ut  infra  patebit,  necesse  est  quod  in  mente  divina  sit  forma,  ad 
simUitudinem  cujus  mundus  est  factus."  And  Ibid.,  art.  2  :  "  In 
quolibet  effectu  illud  quod  est  ultimus  finis,  proprie  est  intentum 
a  principali  agente  ;  sicut  ordo  exercitus  a  duce.  Illud  autem, 
quod  est  optimum  in  rebus  existens,  est  bonum  ordinis  universi 
.  .  .  Ordo  igitur  universi  est  proprie  a  Deo  intentus,  et  non  per 
accidensprovenienssecundumsuccessionem  agendum."  Compare 
also  Ibid.,  qu.  xxi,  art.  i  :  "  Est  autem  duplex  ordo  considerandus 
in  rebus.  Unus,  quo  aliquid  creatum  ordinatur  ad  aliud  creatum  ; 
sicut  partes  ordinantur  ad  totum,  et  accidentia  ad  substantias, 
et  unaquaeque  res  ad  suum  finem.  Alius  ordo,  quo  omnia  creata 
ordinantur  in  Deum."  In  De  Monarchia,  i,  6  (in  some  editions  8) 
Dante  has  evidently  taken  his  cue  from  the  above  quotation. 
It  will  be  well  to  read  Mr.  Butler's  supplemental  note  on  11.  103 
et  seq.  at  the  end  of  this  Canto  in  his  translation  of  the  Paradiso. 
He  says  that  this  passage,  though  it  is  introduced  merely  as  an 
explanation  of  the  process  by  which  Dante  is  enabled  to  rise 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  33 

Qui  veggion  1'  alte  creature  1'  orma 
DelP  eterno  valore,  il  quale  e  fine 
Al  quale  e  fatta  la  toccata  norma. 

Whereupon  she,  after  a  compassionate  sigh,  bent  her 
eyes  towards  me  with  that  expression  which  a  mother  , 
wears  towards  her  child  in  delirium  ;  and  began:  "All 
things  whatsoever  have  an  order  among  themselves;1 
and  this  is  that  form  which  makes  the  Universe  like 
unto  God.  In  this  (order  of  the  Universe)  the 
higher  created  Beings  (i.e.  the  Angels,  the  spirits  of 
the  Blessed,  and  the  race  of  men)  behold  the  traces 
of  that  Eternal  Worth,  which  is  the  end  for  which 
the  aforesaid  ordinance  has  been  decreed. 

Beatrice  goes  on  to  show  that  things  natural,  too, 
observe  their  certain  laws.  On  this  Benvenuto  re- 
marks, that  so  precise  are  the  laws  of  Nature,  that 
what  is  poisonous  and  unsuitable  for  one  being,  is 
wholesome  and  convenient  for  another.  Thus  the 
herb  "  Jusquiamus  "*  (hyoscyamus  ?)  which  is  the 


through  a  medium  lighter  than  his  body,  contains  in  a  few  lines  a 
perfect  specimen  of  the  method  by  which  the  Aristotelian  philoso- 
phy was  fitted  to  Christian  doctrine.  The  Final  Cause  (rb  o5  eVe/ca) 
of  created  things  is  eternal  happiness,  which  consists  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Now  God  being  one — likeness  to  Him  can  only  be 
obtained  in  unity  which  "  pertains  to  the  essence  of  goodness." 
But  this  unity,  and  therefore  likeness  with  God,  is  found  in  the 
order  of  creation.  That  order,  then,  is  the  Formal  Cause,  and 
it  is  by  virtue  of  it  that  all  things  animate  and  inanimate  have 
their  natural  propension,  acting  more  or  less  strongly  according 
as  they  are  nearer  to  or  further  from  their  Efficient  Cause.  But 
God  is  the  beginning  of  all  movement  (apx^i  TTJS  Ktvntrtws)  ;  and 
therefore  the  same  power  which  makes  the  heavens  move  faster 
as  they  are  nearer  to  the  Empyrean,  makes  the  soul  in  whom 
will  is  rightly  directed  fly  to  God  with  more  speed  as  it  draws 
nearer  to  Him. 

*  Professor  Norton  wrote  a  paper  in  which  the  extraordinary 
inaccuracy  of  the  translation  of  Benvenuto  by  Tamburini 
(published  at  Imola  in  1856)  was  exposed.  It  would  hardly  be 
possible  to  find  a  more  flagrant  instance  of  mistranslation  than 

I.  I) 


34  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

food  of  the  sparrow,  is  poisonous  to  men  ;  and  the 
herb  "  Napellus  "  (aconite  ?)  which  would  kill  a  man 
merely  to  carry  about  him,  can,  says  Galen,  be  eaten 
without  harm  by  a  pregnant  woman  ;  and  a  mouse 
that  is  fed  upon  Napellus  becomes  an  antidote 
against  that  poison.  In  like  manner,  such  is  the 
order  established  by  Divine  Providence,  that  there  is 
no  evil  so  great,  but  what  some  good  may  be  elicited 
from  it.  Hence  St.  Augustine  in  his  book  Enchiri- 
dion says :  "  God  Almighty  would  not  allow  evils  to 
happen,  either  naturally,  or  from  sins,  or  as  punish- 
ments, were  it  not  that  His  power  is  so  great,  that, 
from  whatsoever  evil,  He  can  elicit  the  greatest  good." 
Nell'  ordine  ch'  io  dico  sono  accline 

Tutte  nature,  per  diverse  sorti,*  no 

Piu  al  principio  loro  e  men  vicine  ; 

the  one  I  have  just  rendered.    I  quote  a  few  lines  of  the  original, 
with  Tamburini's  version  set  opposite  to  it. 

Benvenuto.  Tamburini. 

"  Et  hie  nota  quod  tantus  est  "  E  quest'  ordine  e  cosi  uni- 
ordo  naturae,  ut  quod  est  vene-  versale  che  quanto  e  velenoso 
nosum  et  inconveniens  uni  est  ad  uno  e  salubre  ad  un  altro, 
utile  et  conveniens  alteri ;  sicut  come  il  jusquiamo  cibo  de' 
jusquiamusquiest«$#.$^m^7.y  pastori  (!),  sebbene  ad  altri 
licet  homini  sit  venenosus  ;  et  velenoso,  e  come  il  napello  che 
sicut  napellus  interficit  homi-  uccide  il  feto  e  la  donna  preg- 
nem  solum  portatus,  et  mulie-  nante,manone  ad  altri  nocivo? 
rem  prcegnantem  non  Icesit  The  simile  of  the  mouse  Tam- 
manducatus,  teste  Galieno  ;  et  burini  omits  altogether, 
mus  qui  pascitur  napello  est 
tiriaca  contra  napellum." 

*  accline .  .  .  per  diverse  sorti:  Compare  with  these  lines  a 
passage  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  lix, 
art.  i) :  "  Quum  omnia  procedant  ex  voluntate  divina,  omnia  suo 
modo  per  appetitum  inclinantur  in  bonum,  sed  diversimode. 
Quaedam  enim  inclinantur  in  bonum  per  solam  naturalem  habitu- 
dinem,  absque  cognitione,  sicut  plantae  et  corpora  inanimata :  et 
talis  inclinatio  ad  bonum  vocatur  appetitus  naturalis.  Qusedam 
vero  ad  bonum  inclinantur  cum  aliqua  cognitione  ;  non  quidem 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  35 

Onde  si  movono  a  divers!  porti 

Per  lo  gran  mar  dell'  essere,*  e  ciascuna 
Con  istinto  a  lei  dato  che  la  porti. 

Within  that  order  that  I  mention  have  all  natures 
their  inclinations,  according  to  their  different  des- 
tinies, some  more,  some  less,  near  unto  their  Primal 
Source ;  from  it  they  proceed  to  different  havens 
over  the  vast  ocean  of  existence,  and  each  one  (does 
so)  with  the  instinct  given  to  it  to  bear  it  on. 

Beatrice  next  gives  some  instances  of  this  wonderful 
order  as  seen  in  various  phenomena  of  nature. 

Questit  ne  porta  il  foco  inver  la  luna,  115 


sic  quod  cognoscant  ipsam  rationem  boni,  sed  cognoscunt  aliquod 
bonum  particulare,  sicut  sensus,  qui  cognoscit  dulce  et  album,  et 
aliquid  hujusmodi.  Inclinatio  autem  hanc  cognitionem  sequens 
dicitur  appetitus  sensitivus.  Quasdam  vero  inclinantur  ad  bonum 
cum  cognitione  qua  cognuscunt  ipsam  boni  rationem,  quod  est 
proprium  intellectus.  Et  haec  perfectissime  inclinantur  in 
bonum  ;  non  quidem  quasi  ab  alio  solummodo  directa  in  bonum  ; 
sicut  ea  quas  cognitione  carent ;  neque  in  bonum  particulare 
tantum,  sicut  ea  in  quibus  est  sola  sensitiva  cognitio ;  sed  quasi 
inclinata  in  ipsum  universale  bonum  ;  et  haec  inclinatio  dicitur 
voluntas."  And  Ibid.,  art.  2  :  "  Sed  inclinatio  ad  aliquid  extrin- 
secum  est  per  aliquid  essentiae  superadditum  ;  sicut  inclinatio 
ad  locum  est  per  gravitatem  vel  levitatem." 

*  gran  mar  delF  essere  :  The  following  extract  from  Benedetto 
Varchi  (Lezioni  sul  Dante,  e  prose  vane;  ed.  G.  Aiazzi  e  L.  Arbib, 
Firenze,  1841,  2  vols.  8vo,  vol.  i,  p.  357)  is  quoted  by  Scartazzini 
and  other  Commentators  :  "  Non  poteva  Dante  come  poeta  usare 
locuzione  topica  piu  appropiata  di  questa,  perciocchS  1'  essere  £ 
comune  a  tutte  le  cose  che  sono,  e  per6  lo  chiama  gran  mare ; 
ma  perche  poi  tutte  le  cose  .  .  .  hanno  diverse  virtu,  e  le 
virtu  diverse  arguiscono  diverse  forme,  e  diverse  forme  hanno 
diversi  fini,  perodisse  si  muovonoa  diversi  porti,  stando  in  sulla 
traslazione  del  mare." 

t  Questi  refers  to  the  instinct :  Brunetto  Latini,  from  whom 
Dante  learned  so  much,  writes  thus  on  this  subject.  See  Li 
Livres  don  Tresor,  livre  i,  pt.  iii,  ch.  108  :  (Paris,  1863,  p.  123) 
"  Aprcs  1'avironement  de  1'air  est  assis  li  quars  elemenz,  ce  est  un 
orbes  de  feu  sans  nul  moistour,  qui  s'estent  jusqu'a  la  lune,  et 
avirone  cestui  air  ou  nous  sommes  ;  et  sachie's  que  deseure  le  feu 

D  2 


36  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  Canto  I. 

Quest!  nei  cor  mortal!  e  permotore,* 
Questi  la  terra  in  se  stringe  ed  aduna.t 

est  la  lune  premierement,  et  les  autres  estoiles,  qui  toutes  sont 
de  nature  de  feu."     Compare  also  Purg.  xviii,  28-30  : 
"  Poi  come  il  foco  movesi  in  altura, 

Per  la  sua  forma  ch'  e  nata  a  salire 
La  dove  piu  in  sua  materia  dura,"  etc. 

On  the  subject  of  instinct,  compare  Purg.  xvii,  91-1.39.  And 
Conv.  iii,  3, 11.  6-13  :  "  Ciascuna  cosa  . .  .  ha  il  suo  speziale  amore, 
come  le  corpora  semplici  hanno  amore  naturato  in  se  al  loro  loco 
proprio,  e  pero  la  terra  sempre  discende  al  centre  ;  il  fuoco  alia 
circonferenza  di  sopra  lungo  '1  cielo  della  luna,  e  pero  sempre 
sale  a  quello." 

.*  permotore :  Others  read  promotore  which  reading  is  adopted 
by  the  old  Commentators,  on  which  see  Scartazzini's  remarks  in 
his  Leipzig  Commentary  (1882),  wherein  he  explains  that  the 
difference  of  reading  probably  arose  from  the  difference  in  which 
the  abbreviated  form  of  the  word  was  interpreted.  Scartazzini, 
as  also  Casini,  thinks  that  by  cor  mortali  we  are  not  to  understand 
men,  but  irrational  animals,  brute  beasts.  This  terzina  evidently 
refers  to  them,  and  the  one  following  (11.  118-120)  to  men,  for 
it  begins  by  saying :  "  Not  only  creatures  void  of  intelligence 
. . . ",  showing  thereby  that  the  terzina  115-117  has  been  speaking 
of  creatures  void  of  intelligence.  Varchi  (op.  cit.  vol.  i,  pp.  358, 
359)  lays  this  down  very  clearly  :  "  A  me  pare  che  si  debba 
intendere  non  degli  uomini,  ma  degli  animali  irrazionali,  onde 
gli  chiamo  cuori  cioe  anime  mortali,  a  differenza  di  quelle  degli 
uomini  che  sono  immortali.  E  che  questo  sia  il  vero  e  certo 
sentimento  lo  dimostra  assai  chiaro  il  terzetto  che  seguita,  il 
quale  sarebbe  vano  e  superfluo  se  intendesse  qui  degli  uomini  ; 
non  significa  dunque  questo  verso  se  non  che  1'  istinto  ed  inclina- 
zione  naturale  e  quella  che  muove,  indirizza  e  guida  gli  animali 
irrazionali."  Giuliani  (Metodo  di  commentare  la  Commedia  di 
Dante  Alighieri,  Firenze,  1861,  p.  476)  gives  the  following  reasons 
for  preferring  the  reading  permotore :  "  In  vece  di  promotore, 
mi  risolvo  ad  accettare  per  la  miglior  lezione  permotore,  che 
sembrami  piu  confacevole  a  significare  lo  stimolo,  F  impulse 
interiore  dell' istinto,  ed  e  poi  men  dissimile  dalF  instinctor  dei 
Latini.  I  quali  usavano  appunto  indicare  la  movizione  o  cagione 
moti'va  di  una  cosa  col  permotio;  e  il  Buti  adopera  permovente 
quasi  all'  uopo  istesso  che  al  presente  s'  attiene  :  Dio  dispone 
le  cose,  secondo  le  ragioni  permoventi  nel  fine." 

+  aduna:  The  Earth  is  held  compact  together  within  itself 
by  this  instinct,  by  means  of  the  forces  of  attraction  and  cohesion, 
and  all  its  several  parts  gravitate  towards  the  centre  (Al  qual  si 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  37 

N6  pur  le  creature  che  son  fuore 

D'  intelligenza  quest'  arco  saetta,* 

Ma  quelle  ch'  hanno  intelletto  e  amore.  120 

This  (instinct)  carries  away  the  fire  towards  the 
Moon,  this  is  the  motive  power  in  the  hearts  of 
mortal  beings,  this  binds  up  the  earth  and  holds  it 
together.  And  not  only  is  it  the  creatures  void  of 
intelligence  that  are  struck  by  the  arrows  of  this 
bow  (i.e.  natural  instinct),  but  those  also  who  are 
endowed  with  intelligence  and  love  (i.e.  angels, 
saints  and  men). 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  now,  from  the  foregoing 
arguments,  brings  out  the  following  conclusion,  up  to 
which  he  has  been  leading  all  along.  Divine  Pro- 
vidence, when  instituting  a  wonderful  order  for  every- 
thing in  nature,  at  the  same  time  appointed  for  Man 
a  reward  of  merit,  namely,  eternal  happiness  in  Para- 
dise, as  a  fitting  recompense  for  God's  elect.  And 
Divine  Providence  in  an  instant  of  time  communi- 
cates its  radiance  to  the  Empyrean.  In  that  quiet 
heaven  revolves  the  Primum  Mobile,  swifter  in  its 
revolutions  than  all  the  other  heavens. 
La  provvidenza  che  cotanto  assetta, 

Del  suo  lume  fa  il  ciel  sempre  quieto,t 

Nel  qual  si  volge  quel  ch'  ha  maggior  fretta  : 

traggon  d1  ogni  parte  i  pest.  Inf.  xxxiv,  1 1 1).  The  Postillatore 
Cassznese,  almost  anticipating  (says  Andreoli)  the  Newtonian 
theories,  writes  :  "  Conglutinat  in  globum  et  pendulo  sustinet." 

*  quesf  arco  saetta:  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ. 
Theol.,  pars  i,  qu.  ii,  art.  3)  :  "  Ea  autem  quae  non  habent  cogni- 
tionem,  non  tendunt  in  finem,  nisi  directa  ab  aliquo  cognoscente 
et  intelligente,  sicut  sagitta  a  sagittante.  Ergo  est  aliquid 
intelligens,  a  quo  omnes  res  naturales  ordinantur  ad  finem  ;  et 
hoc  dicimus  Deum." 

+  fa  il  del  sempre  qmeto :  Compare  Convito  ii,  4,  11.  14-30  : 
"  Li  Cattolici  pongono  lo  cielo  Empireo  .  .  .  essere  immobile, 
per  avere  in  se,  secondo  ciascuna  parte,  ci6  che  la  sua  materia 


38  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.           Canto  I. 

Ed  ora  li,  com'  a  sito  decreto, 

Cen  porta  la  virtu  di  quella  corda,  125 

Che  cio  che  scocca  drizza  in  segno  lieto.* 
The  Providence  which  regulates  all  this,  with  its 
own  light,  keeps  ever  tranquil  that  heaven  (the 
Empyrean)  within  which  is  revolving  that  (other 
heaven,  the  Primum  Mobile)  which  has  the  greatest 
rapidity.  And  thither  now  (to  the  Empyrean),  as 
to  a  predestined  site,  is  bearing  us  along  the  power 
of  that  bow-string,  which  aims  all  that  it  shoots  at 
a  joyous  mark. 

Beatrice  at  this  point,  says  Benvenuto,  answers  a  tacit 
question,  which  Dante  might  be  supposed  to  put  to 
her.  "  If  the  human  race  are  irresistibly  drawn  by 
natural  inclination  to  this  blessed  end,  as  you  say, 
how  then  is  it  that  so  few  men  attain  to  blessedness 
in  Heaven  ?"  Beatrice  replies  that  it  is  due  to  acci- 
dental exception,  not  in  accordance  with  Nature's 
intent.  This  she  demonstrates  by  the  simile  of  a 
blacksmith,  who,  although  having  the  intention  of 

vuole  .  .  .  E  quieto  e  pacifico  e  (/'  Empireo]  lo  luogo  di  quella 
somma  Deitk  che  S£  sola  compiutamente  vede  .  .  .  (Nel  qual 
cielo  si  volge  quel  cielo,  /.  e.  il  Primo  Mobile)  il  quale  per  lo  suo 
ferventissimo  appetito  .  .  .  d'esser  congiunto  col  divinissimo 
cielo  e  quieto,  in  quello  si  rivolve  con  tanto  desiderio,  che  la  sua 
velocitk  e  quasi  incomprensibile."  (I  have  transposed  the  order 
of  the  sentences  in  the  above  quotation,  following  somewhat  the 
example  of  Biagioli).  Compare  Boethius,  Philos.  Consol.  iii, 
Metr.  ix,  6-9  : 

"  tu  cuncta  superno 

Ducis  ab  exemplo  :  pulchrum  pulcherrimus  ipse 
Mundum  mente  gerens  similique  in  imagine  formans 
Perfectasque  jubens  perfectum  absolvere  partes." 
and  11.  27,  28  : 

"  Tu  requies  tranquilla  piis  te  cernere  finis 

Principium  vector  dux  semita  terminus  idem." 
*  drizza  in  segno  lieto  :  The  bow-string  is  that  instinct  which 
directs  the  creature  to  an  ever  blessed  end,  because  its  des- 
tination is  God,  and  never  misses  its  mark. 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  39 

reproducing  the  form  of  a  knife  in  iron,  is  unable  to 
do  so  unless  the  substance  of  the  metal  is  sufficiently 
malleable.  Plumptre  observes  that  "  the  thought  is 
almost  a  commonplace  of  the  Schools.  Art  requires 
(i)  the  mind  of  the  artist;  (2)  an  idea  conceived  by 
him  as  an  end  ;  (3)  material  to  work  upon.  Defects 
in  either  lead  to  incompleteness.  So  in  the  moral 
and  material  universe  there  are  exceptions  to  the  law. 
The  creature's  freedom  may  deviate  from  the  path 
which  leads  to  its  final  good  ;  the  fire  may  fall  from 
the  cloud,  contrary  to  its  nature.  The  error  of  the 
free  agent  is  explained,  as  in  Purg.  xxx,  131,  by  his 
being  misled  by  false  shows  of  good.  But  of  the  soul 
in  its  true  state  it  may  be  said,  as  Milton's  rebel 
angels  say, '  Descent  and  fall  to  us  is  adverse.'  '  You 
don't  wonder/  says  Beatrice,  '  when  a  river  flows 
down  ;  why  should  it  seem  strange  that  man  should 
rise  ?'  The  wonder  and  the  pity  of  it  is  that  men  are 
so  often  willing  that  it  should  be  otherwise  and  live 
like  Milton's  Mammon,  with  '  looks  downward  bent.' " 

Ver'e  che,  come  forma  *non  s'accorda 
Molte  f  late  alia  intenzion  dell'  arte, 
Perch'  a  risponder  la  materia  e  sorda; 

Cosi  da  questo  corso  si  diparte  130 

*  come  Jorma,  etc.  :  Uante  touches  upon  this  subject  in  very 
similar  language  in  Conv.  ii,  cap.  i,  11.  83-86  :  "  Impossible  £  la 
forma . . .  venire,  se  la  materia,  cio£  il  suo  suggetto,  non  &  prima 
digesta  ed  apparecchiata."  Dante  in  the  above  passage  in  the 
Convito  seems  to  have  imitated  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Sum in. 
Theol.  pars  i,  2dae,  qu.  iv,  art.  4)  :  "  Finis  autem  comparatur  ad 
id  quod  ordinatur  ad  finem,  sicut  forma  ad  materiam.  Sicut 
materia  non  potest  consequi  formam,  nisi  sit  debito  modo  dis- 
posita  ad  ipsam,  ita  nihil  consequitur,  finem,  nisi  sit  debito 
modo  ordinatum  ad  ipsum."  Compare  also  De  Monarch,  ii,  2, 
11.  20-32  ;  and  Ventun,  Simil.  Dant.  p.  197,  Sim.  339. 


40  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Talor  la  creatura,*  ch'  ha  potere 
Di  piegar,  cosi  pinta,  in  altra  parte, 
(E  si  come  veder  si  puo  cadere 

Foco  di  nube)  se  1'  impeto  primo 
L'  atterra,  tortot  da  falso  piacere.t  135 

True  it  is,  that  as  ofttimes  the  form  will  not  accord 


*  creatura,  etc.  :  "Puomo  dotato  di  libero  arbitrio,  del  quale 
abusando  si  lascia  trarre  al  piacere  falso,  e  piega  a  terra  contro 
P  istinto  della  propria  natura."  (Scartazzini.)  See  also  the  re- 
marks of  Tommase'o  :  "  II  libero  arbitrio  non  toglie  la  Grazia, 
ne  questa  quello.  Siccome  per  la  insufficienza  della  materia, 
1'  opera  dell'  artista  non  corrisponde  all'  idea  ;  cosi  all'  ideale 
del  bene,  che  e,  nella  coscienza  dell'  uomo,  1'  opera  di  lui  non 
s'  agguaglia  ;  anzi  se  ne  torce,  per  1'abuso  del  libero  arbitrio, 
che,  lasciandosi  trarre  al  piacere  falso,  piega  a  terra,  contro 
1'  istinto  della  propria  natura :  cosi  come  il  fuoco,  che  pur 
sempre  sale,  nel  fulmine  piomba  giu.  In  quest' imagine  la  pas- 
sione  e  dipinta  come  impeto  che  la  forza  a  natura,  e  insieme 
come  impeto  distruggitore." 

t  L?  atterra,  torto  da,  etc.  :  This  reading  is  adopted  by 
Dr.  Moore,  Witte,  the  Mantua  edition,  and  has  an  over- 
whelming MS.  support.  Nearly  all  the  printed  editions  have 
the  reading  supported  by  Scartazzini  A  terra  e  torto.  Buti 
reads  dal  falso  piacere,  but  da  again  has  an  overwhelming 
MS.  support.  Dr.  Moore's  able  and  learned  discussion  of  these 
readings  (Textual  Criticism,  pp.  436-439)  should  be  studied  at 
length  ;  and  on  p.  439  he  surmises  as  to  how  the  other  came  to 
be  adopted  ..."  probable,  I  venture  to  think,  would  it  be  that 
L?  atterra,  or  as  it  would  generally  be  written,  Latterra  was 
mistaken  for  La  terra,  and  that  the  obvious  deficiency  of  a  verb 
(as  in  other  cases,  e.g.  Inf.  ix,  125)  caused  "^"  to  be  supplied, 
thus  giving  La  terra  Z  torta,  torto  being  changed  to  torta,  if  the 
latter  did  not  happen  (as  in  Purg.  xix,  132,  and  many  similar 
cases)  to  be  there  before  .  .  .  Dante  uses  the  word  atterrare 
four  or  five  times,  and  on  one  occasion  (Par.  xxiii,  40-42)  in  a 
passage  so  remarkably  like  this,  that  it  seems  to  strengthen  the 
probability  of  the  word  occurring  here." 

J  da  falso  piacere  :  Compare  Purg.  xxxi,  34,  35  : 
"  Piangendo  dissi :  '  Le  presenti  cose 

Col  falso  lor  piacer  volser  miei  passi,' "  etc. 
Compare  Boethius,  Philos.  Consol.  iii,  pros.  2,  11.  13-15  :  "Est 
enim  mentibus  hominum  veri  boni  naturaliter  inserta  cupiditas, 
sed  ad  falsa  devius  error  abducit." 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  41 

with  the  artistic  design,  because  the  material  is  deaf 
to  answer  (i.e.  is  irreceptive,  non  arrendevole),  so 
from  this  course  (designed  by  natural  instinct)  will 
the  creature  at  times  diverge,  who  although  thus 
impelled  (towards  the  highest  Heaven),  has  power 
to  deviate  in  another  direction, — even  as  from  a 
cloud  fire  may  be  seen  to  fall  (which  is  contrary  to 
the  nature  of  fire) — if  the  first  impulse  (i.e.  natural 
instinct)  turned  aside  by  false  pleasure  drives  it  to 
Earth. 

Beatrice  then  sums  up  her  arguments  by  saying  that 
it  is  as  natural  for  the  man  purged  from  every  sin  to 
ascend  to  Heaven,  as  it  is  for  a  stream  to  fall  down- 
wards from  a  mountain  height  into  the  valley  below. 

Non  dei  piu  ammirar,*  se  bene  estimo, 
Lo  tuo  salir,  se  non  come  d'  un  rivo 
Se  d'  alto  monte  scende  giuso  ad  imo. 

Maraviglia  sarebbe  in  te,  se  privo 

D'  impedimento  giu  ti  fossi  assiso,t  140 

Come  a  terra  quiete  in  foco  vivo." — J 

Quinci  rivolse  inver  lo  cielo  il  viso. 


*  Non  dei  piu  ammirar,  etc.  :  Dante  had  just  emerged  from 
his  purification  by  being  immersed  in  the  waters  of  Eunoe,  "  Puro 
e  disposto  a  salire  alle  stelle"  (Purg.  xxxiii,  145).  His  ascent  to 
Heaven  thereafter  was  to  be  taken  as  a  matter  of  course. 

t  giu  ti  fossi  assiso :  Casini  says  that  the  verb  assidersi 
expresses  the  idea  of  preparing  oneself  to  remain  perfectly  at 
one's  ease  in  any  given  spot ;  and  that  Beatrice  in  the  words 
se  .  .  .  giu  ti  fossi  assiso  almost  might  be  saying  to  Dante  "  if 
thou  hadst  failed  to  quit  the  place  in  which  thy  renewal  and 
perfection  was  completed." 

$  Come  a  terra  quiete  in  foco  vivo :  The  number  of  variants 
here  is  legion.  The  most  important  is  that  adopted  by  Scartaz- 
zini,  Come  a  terra  quieto  fuoco  vivo,  and  that  is  the  one  adopted 
by  the  vast  majority  of  the  Commentators,  though  the  one  I 
have  followed  is  that  of  Moore,  of  Witte,  Soc.  Crusca,  Caetani, 
and  an  immense  superiority  of  MS.  authority.  Dr.  Moore 
( Textual  Criticism,  pp.  440-442)  says  :  "  Amidst  the  very  great 


42  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  I. 

Thou  oughtest  no  more  to  marvel,  if  I  rightly  judge, 
at  thine  ascent,  than  as  at  a  rill,  if  from  a  lofty 
mountain  it  falls  into  the  valley  below  (///.  to  the 
bottom).  It  would  be  a  marvel  in  thee,  if  freed 
from  (earthly)  impediment  thou  hadst  remained  with 
thine  abode  below,  as  much  as  (would  be  strange) 
all  absence  of  motion  in  a  living  flame  on  earth." 
Thereafter  she  turned  back  her  face  towards  Heaven. 

Benvenuto  says  that  in  truth  it  was  not  a  cause  of 
wonder,  since  Beatrice  practically  said,  that  Dante 
was  now  with  a  rapid  and  easy  motion  being  rapidly 
borne  up  to  Heaven,  the  throne  of  God.  He  had 

variety  of  readings  here — most  of  them  obviously  mere  blunders, 
and  more  or  less  unintelligible — the  following  would  seem  to 
emerge  as  most  probably  the  original  reading  : — 
'  Come  a  terra  quiete  in  foco  vivo.' 

Come  a  terra  is  preferable  to  Come  in  terra,  because  it  accounts 
for  the  origin  of  Come  matera,  Con  matera,  Come  terra,  etc.,  some 
of  which  (with  minor  variations)  appear  in  a  great  number  of 
MSS.  These  may  be  set  aside  as  blundering  reproductions  of 
Comaterra  or  Comatera.  I  think  too  that  it  means  not  'on  the 
ground,'  but '  on  earth,'  in  contrast  with  '  in  heaven,'  where  Dante 
now  was  (see  1.  91),  and  where  a  different  set  of  laws  operate,  or 
rather  perhaps  the  same  laws  freed  from  all  earthly  impediments 
(11.  139,  140) :  so  that,  if  he  did  not  rise  towards  God,  it  would  be 
as  strange  as  absence  of  motion  (quiete)  would  be  in  a  living 
flame  on  earth."  After  quoting  the  different  readings  of  the 
Commentators  in  the  choice  between  quiete  in  foco  and  quieto 
foco,  Dr.  Moore  sums  up  by  saying  :  "The  reading  'quiete  in 
foco  vivo'  seems  to  me  to  have  the  advantage  of  giving  a  natural 
antithesis  with  in  te  in  1.  139,  and  it  is  also  the  reading  of  the 
vast  majority  of  MSS.  Further  it  avoids  the  inelegance  of  the 
double  epithets  quieto  and  vivo  in  the  reading  Come  a  terra  quieto 
fuoco  vivo  ....  The  illustration  itself,  which  is  obviously 
suggested  by  Aristotle,  Nicomachean  Ethics,  ii,  I,  §  2  ;  Phys.  ii,  I, 
and  similar  passages,  is  rather  a  favourite  one  with  Dante.  See 
another  passage  very  like  this  in  Ptirg.  xviii,  28.  Par.  iv,  77,  78, 
is  a  more  direct  imitation  of  the  Ethics  I.e.  See  also  Conv.  iii,  3 
(which  however  is  best  illustrated  by  Par.  i,  115),  and  De  Mon. 
i,  15,  11.  27  and  31.  Once  more,  see  Par.  xxiii,  40-42  : 

'  Come  foco 

.  .  fuor  di  sua  natura  in  giu  s'atterra.'" 


Canto  I.  Readings  on  the  Paradise.  43 

trodden  down  his  sins,  and,  having  been  purged  from 
them  all,  had  made  his  way  up  the  mountain,  the  top 
of  which  touched  the  sky ;  here  he  had  been  bathed 
in  twofold  waters,  whereof  the  one  had  washed  away 
the  memory  of  former  sins,  the  other  had  fixed  the 
memory  of  all  good  into  his  soul.  He  had  been 
freed  from  Pride  and  Concupiscence,  which  two  sins 
are  the  root  of  all  others,  he  had  been  invested  with 
the  Seven  Virtues  ;  and  these  in  their  turn  were 
making  him  to  take  his  flight  up  to  his  heavenly 
home,  where,  as  the  conqueror  of  the  most  formidable 
enemies,  he  had  a  right  to  hope  for  the  glorious 
triumph  predestined  for  his  good  deeds.  What 
wonder  then  that  the  Divine  Poet  was  in  all  haste 
speeding  his  way  upwards  to  receive  his  promised 
reward  ? 


END  OF  CANTO  I. 


44  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 


CANTO   II. 


THE  FIRST  SPHERE  :  THE  HEAVEN  OF  THE  MOON. 

— SPIRITS  WHO  HAD  FAILED  IN  THEIR  VOWS 

OF  CHASTITY. 
INTRODUCTION. —  ARRIVAL  IN  THE   HEAVEN  OF 

THE  MOON. — THE  SPOTS  OF  TWO  KINDS  UPON 

THE  FACE  OF  THE  MOON. —  INFLUENCES  OF 

THE  HEAVENS. 

IN  the  last  Canto  Dante  related  in  a  general  way 
his  ascent  to  Heaven  proper.  In  the  present  Canto 
he  tells  of  his  mounting  to  the  first  of  its  Spheres, 
namely  to  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon. 

I  follow  Benvenuto's  divisions  of  the  Canto,  except 
that  I  begin  the  Third  Division  three  lines  before  he 
does. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  18,  Dante 
gives  his  readers  his  advice  to  follow  certain  rules  in 
studying  his  doctrine. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  19  to  v.  45,  he  re- 
lates his  entrance  into  the  Sphere  of  the  Moon,  and 
describes  the  substance  of  the  Moon. 

/;/  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  46  to  v.  105,  he 
touches  on  certain  doubts  that  entered  his  mind 
respecting  the  shadow  that  appears  on  the  face  of 
the  Moon,  and  he  disputes  the  commonly  received 
opinion  (formerly  indeed  held  by  himself)  on  this 
subject. 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  45 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  106  to  v.  148,  he 
gives  what  he  believes  to  be  the  true  explanation  of 
the  phenomenon. 

Division  I.  Scartazzini  points  out  the  difference 
between  Dante's  opening  of  the  Purgatorio,  and  this 
his  opening  of  the  Paradiso.  In  the  first  his  com- 
parison is  to  a  little  bark  (navicella),  and  is  modest. 
Now  however  he  compares  his  poetic  journey  to  a 
great  ship  (navigio\  and  the  whole  Introduction  is 
far  more  pretentious  (pomposo}.  His  opening  of  the 
Convito  contains  the  same  ideas,  but  they  are  far 
more  diffidently  expressed.  This  Introduction  recalls 
that  of  Lucretius,  which  Tasso  has  translated  word 
for  word,  but  which  Dante  only  follows  in  idea. 

Dante's  first  words  in  the  Paradiso  are  meant  to 
warn  off  readers  of  limited  intelligence  from  ven- 
turing to  penetrate  into  its  subtile  and  perplexing 
mysteries.  Let  such  as  they,  if  they  have  read  his 
Inferno  and  Purgatorio,  return  to  their  study  of  those 
Cantiche.  The  Paradiso  is  only  for  those  of  a  higher 
order  of  intellect. 

O  voi  che  siete  in  piccioletta  barca,* 

*  in  piccioletta  barca :  Compare  Pulci,  Morgante  Maggiore, 
Canto  xxviii,  st.  2  : 

"  Ch'  io  me  n'  andr6  con  1'  una  e  1'  altra  volta 
Con  la  barchetta  mia,  cantando  in  rima, 
In  porto." 
and  Ibid.  st.  140  : 

"  Io  me  n'andr6  colla  barchetta  mia, 

Quanto  1'  acqua  comporta  un  picciol  legno." 
See  also  Pope's  Essay  on  Man,  epistle  iv  (near  the  end)  : 
"  Say,  shall  my  little  bark  attendant  sail, 

Pursue  the  triumph,  and  partake  the  gale?" 
Haselfoot  happily  remarks  on  this  metaphor,  that  what  was  in 


46  Readings  on  tJie  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

Desiderosi  d'  ascoltar,  seguiti 
Retro  al  mio  legno  che  cantando  varca,* 
Tornate  a  riveder  li  vostri  liti, 

Non  vi  mettete  in  pelago  ;  che  forse  5 

Perdendo  me  rimarreste  smarriti. 
O  ye  that  are  in  a  little  bark  eager  to  listen,  having 
followed  behind  my  ship  that  singing  cuts  her  way, 
turn  back  again  to  revisit  your  own  shores,  do  not 
put  out  into  the  open  sea ;  for  perchance  losing  me 
(i.e.  for  want  of  power  to  follow  in  my  wake)  ye 
might  be  left  astray. 

Scartazzini,  referring  to  the  above  admonition,  says 
that  there  are  but  too  many  who  obey  it,  and  do 
return  to  revisit  their  own  shores.  Goethe  was  not 
the  only  man  who  found  the  Paradiso  very  weari- 
some. I  translate  the  following  very  appropriate 
remarks  by  Count  Cesare  Balbo,  in  his  Vita  di  Dante, 
Florence,  1853,  p.  398  et  sea.  :  "This  last  Cantica, 
which  Dante  completed  about  1320,  is  of  the  three 
parts  of  the  Commedia,  all  difficult  and  often  obscure, 
the  one  that  is  by  common  agreement  the  most  diffi- 
cult and  the  most  obscure.  Nor  is  this  consensus 
of  opinion  at  fault ;  for  no  one  could  possibly  succeed 
in  awakening  in  the  ordinary  class  of  readers  that 
attention  to  the  Paradiso  which  Dante  himself  failed 
to  obtain.  The  ordinary  reader  is,  and  always  must 
be,  held  back  by  the  obstacles  and  the  allegories  that 
abound  more  and  more  ;  by  the  series  of  the  heavens 
in  accordance  with  the  now  forgotten  Ptolemaic  sys- 
tem ;  and,  more  than  all,  by  the  disquisitions  on  phi- 
Purgatory  "the  little  vessel"  of  Dante's  genius,  is  in  Paradise 
developed  into  a  strong  sea-going  ship,  leaving  behind  it  a  deep 
furrow  (1. 14) ;  and  it  is  Dante's  hearers  who  are  now  in  the  little  bark. 
*  varca :  According  to  Giuliani  varca  =  s'  apre  un  varco, 
trapassa,  ad  altre  acque. 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  47 

losophy  and  theology,  which  seem  often  like  scholastic 
theses.  With  the  exception  of  the  three  Cantos  con- 
taining the  interview  with  Cacciaguida,  and  a  few 
other  episodes,  in  which  we  are  brought  back  to  Earth, 
and  the  frequent  though  brief  passages  in  which  Love 
and  Beatrice  beam  forth,  the  Paradiso  must  always 
be  less  a  pleasant  reading  to  the  generality  of  men, 
than  an  especial  recreation  to  those  who  like  to  dis- 
cover, expressed  in  sublime  poetry,  those  supernatural 
contemplations  which  have  been  the  object  of  their 
studies  in  philosophy  and  theology.  But  those  stu- 
dents of  philosophy  and  theology  who  never  can  be 
numerous,  besides  especially  the  still  less  numerous 
body  of  those  who  in  these  two  sciences  only  see  one 
single  one  viewed  from  two  different  standpoints  ; 
these,  unless  I  am  much  deceived,  will  find  in  Dante's 
Paradiso  a  treasure,  which  I  was  wrong  in  classing 
under  the  head  of  recreations,  but  which  rather  should 
be  spoken  of  under  the  head  of  the  most  noble  and 
sweet  consolations,  harbingers  of  those  of  the  real 
Paradise  itself.  And  they,  more  than  all,  will  take 
delight  in  it  most,  who,  as  they  read,  will  find  them- 
selves in  a  frame  of  mind  similar  to  that  of  Dante 
when  he  was  writing  it,  (a  most  desirable  state,  if 
truth  be  spoken,  for  well  understanding  any  author) ; 
those,  I  mean,  who  after  having  in  their  youth  had 
experience  of  the  world  in  which  they  had  in  vain 
attempted  to  live  happily,  and  having  at  last  arrived 
at  maturity,  old  age,  satiety,  or  disappointment,  seek 
by  means  of  those  studies  to  know  how  it  is  possible 
to  succeed  in  that  other  world  on  which  they  thence- 
forth place  their  new  hopes." 


48  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  II. 

Dante  goes  on  to  say  that  never  before  had  the 
subject  matter  of  which  he  is  about  to  sing  been 
treated  in  poesy. 

On  this  Benvenuto  observes  that  no  one  before 
Dante  had  ever  attempted  to  give  a  description  of 
Paradise,  or  even  of  Purgatory,  and  thus  in  two  parts 
at  least  of  his  poem  he  had  no  predecessor  whom  he 
could  imitate.  Homer  indeed  in  Greek,  and  Virgil 
in  Latin,  had  given  some  sort  of  descriptions  of 
Hell,  very  short,  bald  and  confused  ;  but  Dante's 
marvellous  ingenuity  devised  an  entirely  new  Hell, 
wherein  nine  separate  kinds  of  sin  had  their  various 
and  regular  classifications.  Dante  adds  that  he 
undertakes  his  mighty  task  with  the  aid  of  Minerva 
inspiring  him  with  divine  knowledge,  as  the  wind 
that  wafts  him  forward  ;  of  Apollo  the  god  of  poetry 
as  the  helmsman  of  the  good  ship ;  and  the  nine  (or 
according  to  some  "  new  ")  Muses,  i.e.  the  Arts,  as  the 
magnetic  needle*  \Jiabeo  magnetem  et  acum\  to  guide 
him  to  the  Bears,  i.e.  to  the  Pole. 

L'acqua  ch'io  prendo  giammai  non  si  corse: 
Minerva  spira,  e  conducemi  Apollo, 
E  nove  Muse  mi  dimostran  1'  Orse.t 


*  Pietro  di  Dante  uses  similar  words  :  "Item  dicit  quod  con- 
ductor et  nauta  ejus  est  Apollo,  idest  intellectiva  scientia  et 
speculativa  circa  metaphysica  et  theologica ;  ac  novem  Musae, 
de  quibus  dixi  supra  in  Purgatorio,  cap.  i,  sunt  sibi  [to  Dante] 
calamita  et  acus,  ad  demonstrandum  sibi  tramontanam,  quae 
ducit  et  dirigit  navigantes  ad  portum." 

t  nove  Muse:  Cesari  (Bellezze  delta  Commedia  di  Dante 
Alighterz,  Verona,  1826,  vol.  iii  and  iv,  p.  26)  explains  nove 
Muse  as  "new  Muses,"  and  interprets  :  "questo  Apollo  con  le 
nuove  Muse,  vuol  dire  :  che  non  questi  usati  e  favolosi  personaggi 
lo  scorgono,  ma  d'altra  fatta  ;  cio£  1'ajuto  celeste.  Minerva 
sara  la  Sapienza  divina."  Biagioli  writes  :  "  Nuove  muse,  non 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  49 

The  sea  that  I  take  to  was  never  traversed  before : 
Minerva  breathes  (into  my  sails),  and  Apollo  pilots 
me,  and  nine  Muses  point  me  out  the  Bears  (i.e.  the 
Pole  by  which  to  steer). 

Having  in  the  above  lines  warned  off,  as  it  were,  the 
more  superficial  readers,  who  are  unable  to  study  the 
final  cantica  without  the  moving  episodes  constantly 
occurring  in  the  Inferno  and  Purgatorio,  Dante  now 
addresses  himself  to  those  few  of  a  more  meditative 
turn  of  mind,  for  whom  he  says  that  this  part  of  his 
poem  is  distinctly  intended. 

Voi  altri  pochi,*  che  drizzaste  il  collo  10 

quelle  che  di  caduchi  allori  circondano  la  fronte  in  Elicona,  ma 
altre  divine,  eterne."  It  is  not  easy  to  decide  as  to  the  best 
interpretation,  but  all  Commentators  previous  to  Daniello  read 
nove  and  interpreted  it  "  nine."  Brunone  Bianchi  so  understands 
it,  and  suggests  that  the  nine  Muses  may  be  intended  to 
correspond  to  the  nine  Heavens,  and  to  the  nine  sciences. 
mi  dimostran  F  Orse :  "  Seguita  meravigliosamente  la  presa 
metafora,  perciocche  come  ciascuna  nave  ha  bisogno  di  tre  cose 
a  salvamente  giungere  in  porto,  dei  venti  favorevoli  che  la 
spingano,  d'  un  piloto  pratico  che  la  regga  e  governi,  e  di  chi  ne 
dimostril'Orse,  cioe  il  Polo,  median teil  qualesi  navigaoggi:  cosi 
ciascun  poeta  ha  bisogna  di  tre  cose  principalmente,  della 
invenzione  ovvero  subbietto,  della  disposizione  ovvero  ordine, 
dell'  elocuzione  ovvero  ornato  parlare."  (Varchi,  op.  cit.  vol.  i, 
p.  424). 

*  Voi  altri  pochi,  et  seq. :  In  Convito,  i,  i,  11.  51-54,  Dante 
speaks  of  the  blessedness  of  those  few  that  feed  upon  the  bread 
of  angels,  that  is,  who  acquire  knowledge  :  "  O  beati  que'  pochi 
che  seggono  a  quella  mensa  ove  il  pane  degli  Angeli  si  mangia, 
e  miseri  quelli  che  colle  pecore  hanno  comune  cibo  ! "  Scartaz- 
zini  gives  a  reference  here  to  St.  Thomas  Aquinas's  Sitmina 
contra  Gentiles,  another  of  the  Angelic  Doctor's  great  works, 
which  deals  chiefly  with  the  principles  of  natural  religion  (i,  4). 
Compare  Psalm  Ixxviii,  25  :  "  Man  did  eat  angels'  food  :  he  sent 
them  meat  to  the  full."  And  Wisdom,  xvi,  20  :  "  Thou  feddest 
thy  own  people  with  angels'  food,  and  didst  send  them  from 
heaven  bread  prepared  without  their  labour."  This  bread  of 
angels  (says  Dean  Plumptre)  is  with  Dante  a  favourite  symbol 
of  the  higher  wisdom.  On  earth  men  live  by  it,  but  are  never 

I.  E 


5O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

Per  tempo  al  pan  degli  Angeli,  del  quale 
Vivesi  qui,  ma  non  sen  vien  satollo,* 
Metter  potete  ben  per  1'alto  salet 

Vostro  navigio,  servando  mio  solco 
Dinanzi  all'  acqua  che  ritorna  equale.J  1 5 

Ye  few  others,  who  betimes  have  outstretched  the 
neck  to  the  bread  of  Angels  (i.e.  knowledge),  upon 
which  one  may  live  here,  but  with  which  one  never 
becomes  surfeited,  ye  can  well  put  out  your  ship 
through  the  briny  deep,  keeping  in  my  furrow  (i.e. 


fully  satisfied,  for  we  "  know  in  part."  Those  who  have  eaten 
of  the  bread  betimes,  and  they  only,  can  follow  him,  and  they 
must  take  care  to  keep  in  his  wake. 

*  non  sen  vien  satollo  :  Compare  Purg.  xxxi,  128,  129  : 

"  quel  cibo, 
Che  saziando  di  s&,  di  s&  asseta." 

t  alto  sale  =  the  deep  sea  :  Casini  remarks  that  sale  in  this 
sense  is  a  Latinism  which  is  by  no  means  common.  Compare 
Horace,  Epod.  xvii,  54,  55  : 

"  Non  saxa  nudis  surdiora  navitis 
Neptunus  alto  tundit  hibernus  salo." 

$  servando  mio  solco  Dinanzi  alV  acqua  che  ritorna  equale : 
Cesari  (Bellezze)  explains  this  well :  "  Bello  questo  servare  il 
solco !  egli  £  il  ma,ntenere  o  continuare  il  solco,  che  la  nave  di 
Dante  si  lascia  dietro  nell'  acqua :  il  qual  solco  sarebbe  richiuso, 
e  '1  piano  del  mar  ragguagliato,  se  il  legno  che  le  vien  dietro 
entrandovi  nol  conservasse.  E  cio  fa,  che  tenendosi  bene  stretto 
dietro  alia  guida  sua,  non  la  perda  di  vista.  Questa  metafora  e 
molto  bene  continuata  dal  principio  fino  alia  fine,  e  sostenuta 
con  vaghe  \gracefut\  e  proprie  locuzioni  da  Dante,  secondo  suo 
usato."  The  precise  meaning,  which  Gary  alone  of  all  the  trans- 
lators seems  to  make  clear,  is  that  they  who  purpose  to  follow 
Dante's  ship  out  into  the  deep  ocean  must  do  so  so  closely  that 
their  vessel  shall  sail  in  the  very  foam  behind  it  that  it  has 
ploughed  up  in  front  of  the  water  that  is  again  becoming  smooth. 
I  do  not  like  the  interpretation  of  Tommase'o  and  Scartazzini  who 
render  dinanzi  "before  that,"  and  interpret  the  sentence  as 
though  it  were  "avanti  che  1'  acqua  ritorni  eguale."  The  passage 
of  course  is  meant  to  imply  that  the  intricacies  of  the  Cantica 
of  the  Paradiso  are  so  perplexing,  that  they  who  would  keep 
their  hold  on  Dante's  meaning  must  follow  him  with  an  un- 
deviating  and  resolute  attention. 


Canto  II.         Readings  OH  the  Paradise.  5 ' 

wake)  before  you,  on  that  water  which  returns 
smooth  again. 

Dante  tells  his  readers  that  they  will  not  marvel  more 
to  see  such  things  than  did  the  Argonauts  when  they 
saw  Jason  tame  the  fiery  bulls  of  JEetes,  and  with 
them  plough  the  soil  of  Colchis,  which,  when  sown  by 
Jason  with  dragon's  teeth,  brought  forth  a  crop  of 
armed  men. 

Quei  gloriosi*  che  passaro  a  Colco, 

Non  s'  ammiraron,t  come  voi  farete, 

Quando  Jason  vider  fatto  bifolco. 

Those  glorious  heroes  (the  Argonauts)  who  passed 
over  to  Colchis,  were  not  so  amazed,  as  ye  shall  be, 
when  they  saw  Jason  made  a  ploughman. 

Division  II.  Dante  now  describes  his  ascent  into 
the  heaven  of  the  Moon.  This  was  effected  by  Bea- 
trice simply  looking  up  to  Heaven,  and  by  Dante 
fixing  his  eyes  upon  her.  They  at  once,  automatic- 
ally as  it  were,  find  themselves  at  their  destination  in 
the  first  sphere  of  heaven,  without  Dante  being  con- 
scious of  any  movement,  and  yet,  according  to  the 
calculations  of  Antonelli,  quoted  by  Tommaseo,  and 
compared  with  the  astronomical  knowledge  available 
in  Dante's  time,  their  impulse  to  ascend  must  have 
carried  them  up  more  than  84,000  miles  in  a  single 


*  Qu£l 'gloriosi ' :  The  story  of  the  expedition  of  the  Argonauts 
to  Colchis  in  quest  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  and  the  special  exploits 
of  Jason  there,  are  related  by  Ovid  in  Metam.  vii,  1-158. 

t  non  s1  ammiraron:  Lines  120,  121,  of  the  above  cited  quo- 
tation describe  the  wonder  excited  on  Jason  being  seen  ploughing 
the  lands  with  the  hitherto  untamed  bulls  : 

"  Mirantur  Colchi :  Minyae  clamoribus  implent, 
Adjiciuntque  animos." 

E  2 


52  Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

second  ;  nearly  the  same  speed,  says  Dante,  at  which 
moves  the  heaven  that  can  be  seen  by  man,  i.e.  the 
Starry  Heaven  (del  stellato),  which,  early  astronomers 
believed,  made  the  complete  circuit  of  the  Earth  in 
the  twenty-four  hours. 

La  concreata  e  perpetua  sete* 

Del  deiforme  regnof  cen  portava  20 

Veloci,  quasi  come  il  ciel  +  vedete. 
Beatrice  in  suso,  ed  io  in  lei  guardava  : 

E  forse  in  tanto,  in  quanto  un  quadrel  §  posa, 

E  vola,  e  dalla  noce  si  dischiava, 

*  sete:  i.  e.  ardent  longing  :  Compare  Purg.  xxi,  I,  4  : 

"  La  sete  natural  che  mai  non  sazia." 

Both  passages  are  thought  to  refer  to  the  natural  aspiration 
of  the  soul  to  higher  things.  Dante  in  Convito  iv,  12,  11.  1 18,  1 19, 
says  :  "  La  scienza,  nell'  acquisto  della  quale  cresce  sempre  il 
desiderio  di  quella."  In  Ecclesiasticus,  xxiv,  21,  Wisdom  is  sup- 
posed to  say  :  "  They  that  eat  me  shall  yet  be  hungry,  and  they 
that  drink  me  shall  yet  be  thirsty." 

t  deiforme  regno :  Compare  Par.  i,  104,  105  : 

"  e  questo  e  forma 

Che  1'  universo  a  Dio  fa  simigliante." 

In  Convito,  ii,  4,  11.  27-39,  Dante  says  of  the  Empireo  :  "Quieto 
e  pacifico  £  lo  luogo  di  quella  somma  Deitk  che  S£  sola  compiu- 
tamente  vede.  Questo  e  lo  luogo  degli  spiriti  beati  .  .  .  Questo 
e  il  sovrano  edificio  del  mondo,  nel  quale  tutto  il  mondo  s'  in- 
chiude,  e  di  fuori  del  quale  nulla  e  :  ed  esso  non  £  in  luogo,  ma 
formato  fu  solo  nella  prima  Mente." 

t  quasi  come  il  ciel :  Vellutello,  followed  by  Varchi,  attempts 
to  prove  that  Dante  means  that  he  and  Beatrice  had  entered 
into,  and  were  being  borne  along  in,  the  rapid  circulation  of  the 
heavens,  which  opinion  is  strongly  combated  by  Scartazzini. 
Compare  Ovid,  Metam.  ii,  70,  71  : 

"Adde,  quod  assidua  rapitur  vertigine  ccelum  ; 

Sideraque  alta  trahit,  celerique  volumine  torquet." 
§  quadrel :  L.  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  298,  Sim.  487),  says 
that  we  have  just  been  discussing  the  rapidity  of  the  ascent 
of  Beatrice  and  Dante,  compared  with  the  incalculable  speed 
of  the  Primum  Mobile.  Dante  now  uses  another  simile  no  less 
ingenious  than  the  last.  In  indicating  the  two  actions  of  letting 
the  shaft  fly,  and  of  its  lighting  in  the  mark,  he  inverts  the 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  53 

Giunto  mi  vidi  ove  mirabil  cosa*  25 

Mi  torse  il  viso  a  s&  ;  e  pero  quella, 
Cui  non  potea  mia  oprat  essere  ascosa, 
Volta  ver  met  si  lieta  come  bella  : 
— "  Drizza  la  mente  in  Dio  grata," — mi  disse, 
— "  Che  n'  ha  congiunti  con  la  prima  Stella." —          30 

order ;  and  he  first  describes  the  quarrel  coming  to  a  standstill 
(posa)  in  the  mark,  then  he  mentions  its  flight,  and  last  of  all 
its  discharge  from  the  crossbow.  These  may  seem  mere  in- 
advertencies, but  they  are,  on  the  contrary,  proofs  of  great  skill 
and  of  a  most  exalted  genius.  Venturi  gives  the  following  illus- 
trations of  speed  compared  to  an  arrow's  flight :  Virgil  (Mn.  xii, 
855-859)  so  describes  one  of  the  Furies  : 

"  Ilia  volat,  celerique  ad  terram  turbine  fertur  : 

Non  secus,  ac  nervo  per  nubem  impulsa  sagitta, 

Armatam  sasvi  Parthus  quam  felle  veneni, 

Parthus  sive  Cydon  telum  immedicabile  torsit ; 

Stridens  et  celeres  incognita  transilit  umbras." 
and  Pulci,  Morgante  Maggiore,  xxvi,  st.  75  : 
"  Ma  cosi  tosto  non  fugge  uno  strale 

Che  si  diparta  da  corda  di  noce, 

Come  quel  presto  il  porto  via  veloce." 
and  Ariosto,  Orl.  Fur.  ix,  st.  79  : 

"  Ma  gli  fu  dietro  Orlando  con  piu  fretta, 

Che  non  esce  dall'  arco  una  saetta." 

*  mirabil  cosa  :  The  special  marvel  that  now  greets  Dante's 
astonished  gaze  is  the  pale  shimmering  light  of  the  Moon.  We 
saw  in  Canto  i,  1.  79,  et  seq.,  that  he  had  found  himself  in  the 
burning  radiance  of  the  Sphere  of  Fire,  so  intense,  that  the 
whole  firmament  seemed  to  him  like  a  lake  of  flame.  Another 
unperceived  ascent  has  now  brought  him  into  the  sphere,  or 
heaven,  of  the  Moon,  where  the  soft  pearl-like  atmosphere,  in 
its  complete  contrast  to  the  one  he  has  just  left,  completes 
Dante's  bewilderment. 

t  mia  opra:  Some  read  ovra,  others  cura.  Varchi  (op.  cit. 
p.  435)  says  that  the  word  here  signifies  the  desire  or  thought 
which  is  the  effect  of  the  workings  of  the  mind  (pperazione  della 
cogitativd). 

I  Volta  ver  me:  Up  to  this  moment  Beatrice  had  been  looking 
up  to  Heaven  ;  see  1.  22  : 

"  Beatrice  in  suso,  ed  io  in  lei  guardava." 

she  now  turns  her  eyes  down  to  Dante,  full  of  joy  that  he  is 
thought  worthy  to  behold  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  "  De  sua 
natura  pulcernma  erat,  et  gratulabatur  super  felicitate  autoris, 
qui  incipiebat  intrare  regnum  desideratum."  (Benvenuto.) 


54  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

That  thirst  for  the  realm  formed  in  (the  image  of) 
God,  which  is  concreated  (with  Man)  and  is  ever- 
lasting, was  bearing  us  away  as  swift  almost  as  ye 
see  the  heavens.  Beatrice  was  gazing  on  high,  and 
I  on  her ;  and  in  such  a  space  of  time,  may  be,  as  a 
quarrel  lights  (in  the  mark),  and  flies,  and  is  un- 
loosed from  the  notch,  I  saw  myself  arrived  where  a 
wondrous  thing  turned  my  sight  to  itself ;  and  there- 
upon she  from  whom  the  working  of  my  mind 
could  not  be  concealed,  turning  towards  me  as  blithe 
as  (she  was)  fair :  "  Direct  thy  mind  with  gratitude 
to  God,"  said  she,  "Who  has  made  us  to  reach  the 
first  star." 

This  is  the  Moon,  the  nearest  of  the  planets.  In  the 
system  of  Astronomy  followed  by  Dante,  the  Moon 
was  considered  to  be  a  star. 

Beatrice  and  Dante  now  enter  into  the  substance 
of  the  Moon,  which  Dante  first  likens  to  a  diamond 
and  then  to  a  pearl. 

Pareva  a  me  che  nube  ne  coprisse 
Lucida,*  spessa,  solida  e  polita, 
Quasi  adamante  che  lo  sol  ferisse. 
Per  entro  s£  I1  eternaf  margarita 


*  Lucida,  spessa,  etc.  :  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  92,  Simil.  147) 
says  that  this  is  a  very  rare  instance  of  Dante  using  four  epithets, 
but  that  they  are  most  skilfully  employed,  partly  to  explain  the 
nature  of  the  Moon,  and  partly  to  show  what  was  his  first  sudden 
impression  of  what  he  saw  there.  For  lucida  see  Ezek.  i,  22  : 
"  And  the  likeness  of  the  firmament  upon  the  heads  of  the  living 
creature  was  as  the  colour  of  the  terrible  crystal,  stretched  forth 
over  their  heads  above."  For  solida  see  (in  the  Vulgate)  Job 
xxxvii,  18  :  "Tu  forsitan  cum  eo  fabricatus  es  coelos,  qui  soli- 
dissimi  quasi  aeere  fusi  sunt."  On  polita  Venturi  draws  attention 
to  Ariosto,  Orl.  Fur.  xxxiv,  st.  70  : 

"  Tutta  la  sfera  varcano  del  fuoco, 

Et  indi  vanno  al  regno  della  luna, 
Veggon  per  la  piu  parte  esser  quel  loco 
Come  un  acciar  che  non  ha  macchia  alcuna." 
t  eterna :  "  Corpora  .  .  .  ccelestia  secundum  sui  naturam  in- 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  55 

Ne  ricevette,  com'acqua  recepe*  35 

Raggio  di  luce,  permanendo  unita. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  a  cloud  was  covering  us,  bril- 
liant, dense,  solid,  and  smooth,  as  though  it  had 
been  a  diamond  that  the  Sun  had  smitten.  The 
everlasting  pearl  received  us  within  itself,  just  as 
water  receives  a  ray  of  light,  remaining  united. 

Antonelli  (in  Tommaseo's  commentary)  says  that 
Dante,  who  had  no  telescopes  to  examine  the  surface  of 
the  planets,  necessarily  followed  the  common  beliefs 
of  his  time.  The  first  three  attributes  that  he  uses 
(brilliant,  dense,  and  solid}  are  appropriate ;  not  so 
the  fourth  (smooth],  seeing  that  that  face  of  the  Moon 
which  is  turned  to  the  Earth  is  exceedingly  rugged 
and  uneven. 

As  we  have  already  seen  in  Canto  i  (11.  73-75), 
Dante  is  in  total  ignorance  as  to  whether  he  is  up  in 
Heaven  in  spirit  only,  or  with  both  his  body  and 
soul.  He  goes  on  to  say  that  if  he  was  there  with 
both — and  to  us  mortals  it  is  incomprehensible  that 
one  body  should  be  able  to  penetrate  into  another, 
and  to  unite  with  it  in  such  wise  that  the  component 
parts  of  the  recipient  body  shall  not  be  dislodged,  a 

corruptibilia  sunt  et  secundum  totum  et  secundum  partes." 
(St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  xci,  art.  5). 
*  conf  acqua  recepe :  recepe,  a  Latinism  for  riceve.  "  L'  imagine, 
poi,  del  raggio  di  luce  che  penetra  una  massa  d' acqua  senza 
disunirla,  e  felicissima,  e  1'  unica  che  la  Fisica  ci  sommimistri 
per  vedere  come  sensibilmente  possa  venire  un'  eccezione  ad  una 
delle  leggi  della  natura,  la  impenetrability  de'  corpi.  Con  quella 
imagine  viene  a  ritrarci,  megho  che  con  lunga  dissertazione  filo- 
sofica,  la  felice  trasformazione  avvenuta  nel  corpo  suo.  E  da 
questa  specie  di  miracolo,del  penetrare  la  sostanzadi  quel  pianeta 
senza  disunirla,  si  fa  strada  a  contemplazione  di  piu  alti  misteri, 
e  al  desiderio  di  conoscere  quel  che  concerne  1"  ineflfabile  incar- 
nazione  del  Verbo  divino."  (Antonelli  ap.  Tdmmase'o). 


56  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II 

phenomenon  that  in  good  sooth  is  quite  beyond  our 
human  comprehension  —  then  we  mortals  ought  to 
become  far  more  desirous  of  beholding  that  Essence 
in  which  it  is  seen  how  the  human  and  the  Divine 
natures  are  united  ;  and  therefore  we  ought  to  make 
all  our  care  and  study  to  be  in  conformity  with  such 

desire. 

S'  io  era  corpo,  e  qui  non  si  concepe  * 
Com'  una  dimension  altra  patio, 
Ch'  esser  convien  se  corpo  in  corpo  repe,t 

Accender  ne  dovria  piu  il  disio  40 

Di  veder  quella  essenza,J  in  che  si  vede 
Come  nostra  natura  e  Dio§  s'  unio. 

Li  si  vedra  cio  che  tenem  per  fede, 


*  qui  non  si  concepe  :  Scartazzini  warns  us  not  to  understand 
qui  as  meaning  "our  world"  in  this  passage,  but  "in  such  a 
case,"  "  in  that  case."  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  treats  this  question 
(which  was  considered  of  high  importance  in  the  Scholastic  philo- 
sophy) at  great  length  in  Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  Ixxxiii, 
under  articles  2,  3  and  4,  especially  the  following  passage  in 
art.  3  :  "  Virtute  divina  fieri  potest,  ut  ei  sola,  quod  corpori 
remaneat  esse  distinctum  ab  alio  corpore,  quamvis  ejus  materia 
non  sit  distincta  in  situ  ab  alterius  corporis  materia ;  et  sic 
miraculos&  fieri  potest  quod  duo  corpora  sint  simul  in  eodem 
loco." 

t  repe :  This  verb  is  Italianized  from  the  Latin  repere  "to 
creep  along,"  and  Dante  uses  it  in  the  sense  as  Buti  explains  of 
"  to  glide  slowly  into  anything  : "  "  Se  corpo  in  corpo  repe,  cio5 
se  corpo  alcuno  entra  lentamente  in  altro  corpo." 

%  quella  essenza,  i.e.  Christ,  in  Whom  is  seen  how  both  the 
human  and  the  divine  natures  were  united. 

§  e  Dio :  Moore  (Textual  Criticism,  pp.  442,  443),  says  of  this 
reading,  and  the  two  most  supported  variants  in  Dio,  and  a  Dio, 
that  e  Dio,  besides  having  an  immense  preponderance  of  MS. 
authority,  is  the  difficilior  lectio,  and  will  account  for  the  origin 
of  the  other  readings,  which  were  probably  intended  to  remove 
the  grammatical  anomaly  of  a  singular  verb  with  two  nomina- 
tives. Compare  the  changes  due  to  a  similar  anomaly  in  Inf. 
xx,  69,  and  Moore  upon  it,  op.  cit.  pp.  327-329. 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  57 

jNon  dimostrato,  ma  fia  per  se  noto, 

A  guisa  del  ver  primo*  che  1'  uom  crede.  45 

If  I  was  body, — and  in  that  case  one  cannot  con- 
ceive how  one  dimension  could  endure  another, 
which  needs  must  be  if  (one)  body  insinuate  itself 
into  (another)  body — then  a  greater  longing  should 
inflame  us  to  behold  that  Essence,  in  which  is  seen 
how  our  nature  and  God  become  one.  There  (in 
the  Life  Eternal)  will  be  seen  that  which  we  hold  by 
faith,  not  demonstrated  (by  proof),  but  it  will  be 
made  manifest  in  itself  after  the  fashion  of  the 
primary  truth  which  Man  believes  (that  is  to  say, 
without  any  further  proof). 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Dante  is  careful  to  remove  a 

*  ver  primo :  Scartazzini  says  that  Primo  ver  often  expresses 
God,  but  is  here  intended  to  denote  these  notions  which  Man 
receives  from  Nature  herself,  without  ever  having  learned  them 
either  from  others,  or  intuitively,  and  which  Aristotle,  and  after 
him  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  call  principles  of  demonstration. 
Others  call  them  axioms,  apodyctics,  etc.  The  passage  is  as 
though  Dante  would  say  :  "  As  in  our  world  the  first  principles 
of  the  Sciences  are  taken  for  granted  and  believed  as  generally 
known  in  themselves  without  disputation  or  doubt ;  so  all  things 
concerning  the  Faith  which  we  know,  simply  by  belief  in  them, 
will  in  that  realm  of  bliss  be  made  perfectly  certain  and  manifest 
to  us."  Gary's  note  here  seems  so  valuable,  that  I  copy  it  : 
" '  Like  a  truth  that  does  not  need  demonstration,  but  is  self- 
evident.'  Thus  Plato,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  Sixth  Book  of  the 
Republic,  lays  down  four  principles  of  information  for  the  human 
mind  :  (r)  Intuition  of  self-evident  truth,  vo^o-is ;  (2)  Demon- 
stration by  reasoning,  Stdvoia  ;  (3)  Belief  on  testimony,  ni<ms ; 
{4)  Probability,  or  conjecture,  tiKcurla.  Compare  Hooker's  Eccle- 
siastical Polity,  book  ii,  §  7  :  "The  truth  is,  that  the  mind  of 
man  desireth  evermore  to  know  the  truth,  according  to  the  most 
infallible  certainty  which  the  nature  of  things  can  yield.  The 
greatest  assurance  generally  with  all  men,  is  that  which  we  have 
by  plain  aspect  and  intuitive  beholding.  Where  we  cannot  attain 
unto  this,  there  what  appeareth  to  be  true,  by  strong  and  invin- 
cible demonstration,  such  as  wherein  it  is  not  by  any  way 
possible  to  be  deceived,  thereunto  the  mind  doth  necessarily 
assent,  neither  is  it  in  the  choice  thereof  to  do  otherwise.  And 
in  case  these  both  do  fail,  then  which  way  greatest  probability 
leadeth,  thither  the  mind  doth  evermore  incline." 


58  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  II. 

possible  tacit  doubt  that  might  occur,  and  make  some 
persons  ask  :  "  How  could  you  enter  into  the  body  or 
substance  of  the  Moon,  when  one  solid  body  cannot 
enter  into  another  solid  body  without  corruption  ?" 
To  which  Dante  in  effect  answers  thus  "  Admitted 
that  I  was  corporeally  there,  one  must  then  take  for 
granted  that  my  body  was  not  only  temporarily  en- 
dowed with  the  immaterialism  of  such  bodies  as  those 
of  the  Saints  in  Heaven,  but  that  I  was  also  governed 
by  some  special  dispensation  of  Divine  Grace,  with- 
out which  a  body,  however  immaterial,  could  not  pos- 
sibly be  in  combination  with  that  of  another  body, 
such  as  that  of  the  Moon." 


Division  III.  We  read  in  11.  29,  30,  that  Beatrice 
had  said  to  Dante  :  Drizza  la  mente  in  Dio  grata. 
He  now  hastens  to  obey  her  injunctions,  and  having 
done  so,  asks  her  for  an  explanation  of  the  dark  spots 
that  are  seen  upon  the  face  of  the  Moon,  which  popu- 
lar ignorance  supposed  to  be  Cain  carrying  a  bundle 
of  thorns. 

lo  risposi : — "  Madonna,  si  devoto 

Com'  esser  posso  piu,  ringrazio  lui 
Lo  qual  del  mortal  mondo*  m'  ha  remoto. 
Ma  ditemi,  che  son  li  segni  bui 


*  mortal  mondo :  Compare  Par.  xxv,  35,  36  : 

"...  cio  che  vien  quassu  dal  mortal  mondo, 

Convien  ch'  ai  nostri  raggi  si  maturi." 

and  Conv.  iii,  5,  11.  21-28 :  "  Prima  dico,  che  per  lo  mondo  io  non 
intendo  qui  tutto  il  corpo  dell'  Universo,  ma  solamente  questa 
parte  del  mare  e  della  terra,  seguendo  la  volgare  voce,  che  cosi 
s'  usa  chiamare.  Onde  dice  alcuno  :  '  quegli  ha  tutto  il  mondo 
veduto  ; '  dicendo  parte  del  mare  e  della  terra." 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  59 

Di  questo  corpo,  che  laggiuso  in  terra  50 

Fan  di  Cain*  favoleggiare  altrui  ?" — 

I  answered :  "  Lady,  as  devoutly  as  most  I  can,  I 
render  thanks  to  Him  Who  has  removed  me  from 
the  mortal  world.  But  tell  me,  what  are  the  dark 
spots  upon  this  body  (the  Moon),  which  down  there 
on  Earth  make  people  fable  about  Cain  ?  " 

Beatrice's  answer  (says  Gioberti)  is  to  the  effect  that 
if  men's  judgment  is  at  fault  where  they  have  the 
senses  to  guide  them,  Dante  must  not  be  astonished 
if  they  are  still  more  at  fault  in  the  investigation  of 
those  matters  which  transcend  the  senses.  Not  only 
do  the  common  people  err  in  believing  such  foolish 
tales  as  that  of  the  Man  in  the  Moon,  but  even  great 
thinkers  do  so  in  their  philosophical  discussions  on 
the  same  subject. 

Ella  sorriset  alquanto,  e  poi  : — "  S'  egli  erra 

*  Cain:  In  Inferno  xx,  124-6,  Dante  speaks  of  Cain  and  the 
thorns  as  meaning  the  Moon  ; 

"...  gik  tiene  il  confine 

D'amendue  gli  emisperi,  e  tocca  1'onda 

Sotto  Sibilia,  Caino  e  le  spine." 

A  passage  in  Shakespeare's  Midsummer  Night's  Dream, 
in  act  v.  sc.  i,  refers  to  the  popular  superstition  that  Cain 
was  by  God  relegated  both  in  body  and  soul  into  the  Moon 
for  ever  condemned  to  bear  a  bundle  of  thorns  on  his  back. 
Casini,  in  his  commentary,  refers  to  St.  Prato,  Caino  e  le 
spine  secondo  Dante  e  la  tradizione  popolare,  Ancona,  1881, 
in  which  work  there  is  a  quotation  from  an  ancient  Tuscan 
novella,  which  relates  that,  after  having  murdered  Abel,  "  Caino 
cerco  di  scusarsi,  ma  allora  Iddio  li  rispose  :  'Abele  sara  con 
me  in  Paradiso,  e  tu  in  pena  della  tu'  colpa  sarai  confinato  nella 
luna,  e  condannato  a  portare  eternamente  addosso  un  fascio  di 
spine.'  Appena  dette  queste  parole  da  Uio,  si  Iev6  un  fortissimo 
vento  e  trasport6  Caino  in  corpo  e  anima  nella  luna,  e  d'  allora 
in  poi  si  vede  sempre  la  su'  faccia  maledetta,  e  il  fardello  di 
spine  che  e  obbligato  a  reggere  insino  alia  fin  del  mondo,  indizio 
della  vita  disperata  che  li  tocca  trascinare." 
t  Ella  sorrise:  Benvenuto  thinks  Beatrice's  smile  had  a  good 


60  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  II. 

L'  opinion," — mi  disse, — "  dei  mortali, 
Dove  chiave  di  senso  non  disserra, 
Certo  non  ti  dovrien  punger  gli  strali  55 

D'  ammirazione  omai ;  poi  retro  ai  sensi 
Vedi  che  la  ragione  ha  corte  1'  ali. 

She  smiled  slightly,  and  then  said  to  me :  "  If  the 
opinion  of  mortals  errs  where  the  keys  of  sense  do 
not  unlock,  surely  the  shafts  of  wonder  ought  not  to 
pierce  thee  now;  inasmuch  as  thou  canst  perceive 
that  in  following  the  senses  Reason  has  its  wings 
shortened. 

In  effect  Beatrice  says  to  Dante  :  "  In  matters  open 
to  such  doubt  as  this  one,  of  which  you  cannot  obtain 
evidence  by  the  sense  of  sight  or  by  that  of  touch ;  to 
get  clear  knowledge  of  the  meaning  of  these  marks 
in  the  Moon,  you  should  not  wonder  very  much,  if, 
without  the  help  of  the  senses,  your  reason  is  unable 
to  investigate  the  difficulty  by  itself  alone." 

Observe,  that  Beatrice  has  evaded  giving  Dante  an 
immediate  reply  to  his  question,  and  she  now  asks 
him  his  own  opinion  on  the  subject.  And  note  here 
particularly,  that  Dante,  in  his  answer  to  her,  expresses 
an  opinion  which  had  once  been  his  own,  but  had 
ceased  to  be  so  at  the  time  he  wrote  the  Paradiso, 
and  is  only  supposed  to  be  uttered  by  him  now,  in 
order  to  be  refuted  by  Beatrice,  into  whose  mouth  he 
puts  his  latest  views  on  the  subject. 

Ma  dimmi  quel  che  tu  da  te  ne  pensi  ?  " — 

Ed  io  : — "  Cio  che  n'  appar  quassu  diverse, 
Credo  che  il  fanno  i  corpi  rari  e  densi."  60 

But  tell  me  what  thou  thyself  thinkest  about  it?" 

deal  of  double  meaning  in  it  (quasi  volens  dicere  tacite,  non  solum 
•vulgares  errant  fabulando  de  eo  quod  nuncpetzs,  sed  etiam  magni 
sapientes  philosophando  de  hoc  errant). 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  61 

And  I :  "  That  which  seems  to  us  different  up  here, 
is  caused,  I  believe,  by  bodies  rare  and  dense." 

Dante  now  supposes  Beatrice,  in  her  reply,  to  refute 
this  theory  which  he  had  himself  expressed  in  Con- 
vito  ii,*  in  which  he  contended  that  the  spots  in  the 
Moon  were  caused  by  the  rarity  or  density  of  its 
substance :  that  the  shadows  were  due  to  the  pas- 
sage, without  reflection,  of  the  Sun's  rays  through 
the  rare  or  thin  portions  of  its  substance ;  and  that 
the  light  upon  it  was  occasioned  by  the  reflection 
of  those  rays  from  its  dense  parts.  This  opinion, 
which  he  had  formerly  held,  but  no  longer  holds, 
he  makes  Beatrice  confute,  and  the  long  disserta- 
tion, which  she  continues  to  the  end  of  the  Canto, 
may  be  taken  to  record  Dante's  recantation,  a  recan- 
tation which  he  repeats  in  Par.  xxii,  139  et  seq. 
Philalethes  says  that  these  two  refutations  in  the 
Paradiso,  of  the  theories  held  by  Dante  in  the  Con- 
vito,  prove  that  the  Convito,  or  a  part  at  least  of  it, 
must  have  been  written  before  the  Paradiso. 

Beatrice  first  shows  that  Dante's  theory  is  not 
capable  of  being  sustained,  because,  in  the  first  place, 
the  various  degrees  of  brightness  in  the  fixed  stars  are 

*  I  give  this  passage  (Com',  ii,  14,  //.  66-79)  fr°m  Miss 
Hillard's  Translation  :  "  I  say  that  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon 
resembles  Grammar,  because  it  may  be  compared  with  it.  For, 
if  we  look  closely  at  the  Moon,  we  see  two  things  peculiar  to  it 
which  we  cannot  see  in  the  other  stars  ;  one  is  the  shadow  in  it, 
which  is  no  other  than  the  rarity  of  its  body,  in  which  the  rays 
of  the  Sun  cannot  terminate  and  be  reflected  as  in  the  other 
parts  ;  the  other  is  the  variation  in  its  brightness,  which  now 
shines  from  one  side  and  now  from  the  other,  according  as  the 
sun  looks  upon  it."  These  opinions,  which  were  those  of 
Averrhoes,  were  in  Dante's  time  commonly  believed  to  be  also 
those  of  Aristotle. 


62  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

known  to  be  due  to  the  variety  of  formal  principles 
by  which  they  are  governed,  and  not  to  the  varying 
density  or  rarity  of  their  composition  (11.  61-72)  ;  and 
secondly,  if  the  body  of  the  Moon  consisted  of  strata 
partly  rare  and  partly  dense,  then,  either  the  rare  por- 
tions ought  to  extend  all  through  the  thickness  of  the 
Sphere  of  the  Moon — and,  were  that  so,  then  the  light 
of  the  Sun  would  pass  right  through  the  body  of  the 
Moon  during  an  eclipse  of  the  Sun — or,  they  (the 
rare  portions)  ought  to  be  arranged  in  alternate  layers 
with  the  denser  portions,  in  which  case  the  light  in 
the  darkest  parts  would  be  reflected  diversely  accord-' 
ing  to  the  greater  or  lesser  depression  of  the  Moon's 
surface  (11.  73-93)  ;  but  an  experiment  made  with 
mirrors  shows  us  that  the  intrinsic  radiance  of  light 
is  not  affected  by  distance,  though  the  amount  of  it 
may  seem  less  in  proportion  to  its  distance  from  the 
reflecting  surface  (11.  94-105).  Having  thus  disposed 
of  Dante's  earlier  theory,  Beatrice  proceeds  to  show 
that  the  real  cause  of  the  phenomenon  they  are  discussing 
is  to  be  sought  in  the  "  virtue  "  which  has  its  origin  in 
the  Ninth  Heaven,  the  Primum  Mobile,  and  from 
thence  is  distributed  throughout  the  whole  universe 
by  means  of  the  varying  influences  of  the  Fixed  Stars 
in  the  Eighth  Heaven,  which  bears  that  name  (11. 112- 
138).  For  the  above  remarks  I  am  indebted  to  Phila- 
lethes,  who  notes  that  most  of  the  arguments  put  by 
Dante  into  the  mouth  of  Beatrice  are  in  great  measure 
based  upon  the  De  ccelo  et  mundo  of  Albertus  Magnus. 
Dante  made  large  use  of  Albertus  Magnus,  though  it 
was  but  rarely  that  he  acknowledged  all  he  owed  to 
his  teaching. 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  63 

Ed  ella  : — "  Certo  assai  vedrai  sommerso 
Nel  falso*  il  creder  tuo,  se  bene  ascolti 
L'  argomentar  ch'  io  gli  faro  avverso. 

La  spera  ottava  vi  dimostra  molti 

Lumi,  li  quali  nel  quale  e  nel  quanto  65 

Notar  si  posson  di  diversi  volti. 

Se  raro  e  denso  t  cio  facesser  tanto, 
Una  sola  virtu  sarebbe  in  tutti, 
Piu  e  men  distributa,  ed  altrettanto. 

Virtu  diverse  esser  convengon  t  frutti  70 

Di  principii  formali  §  e  quei,  fuor  ch'uno, 

*  sommerso  Nel  falso :  In  Convito,  iv,  2,  11.  135-140,  Dante 
lays  down,  as  a  definite  principle  of  argument,  that  erroneous 
opinions  must  be  combated  and  the  fallacy  of  them  proved, 
before  one  proceeds  to  state  the  true  argument :  "  Prima  si 
riprova  lo  falso,  acciocche,  fugate  le  male  opinioni,  la  veritk  poi 
piu  liberamente  sia  ricevuta.  E  questo  modo  tenne  il  Maestro 
della  umana  ragione,  Aristotile,  che  sempre  prima  combatte'o  cogli 
avversari  della  veritk,  e  poi,  quelli  convinti,  la  veritk  mostro." 

t  Se  raro  e  denso,  et  seq.  :  Gioberti  explains  that  there  are 
touches  in  these  lines  in  which  we  might  always  think  to  discover 
the  doctrine  of  Kant,  "un  po'di  Kantismo,  poiche  Beatrice 
deduce  la  diversitk  de'  corpi  lunari  da  quello  che  noi  ci  vediamo, 
ragionando,  che  il  mezzo  uniforme  (la  forma)  per  cui  li  vediamo 
non  puo  dar  ragione  della  diversitk  delle  apparenze." 

t  esser  convengon  for  convien  che  siano  is  a  somewhat  peculiar 
use  of  coniienire.  The  Voc.  della  Crusca  under  that  word,  §  15 
writes  :  "  S'  accorda  talora  col  numero  della  cosa,  o  persona, 
contro  quello  che  sembra  portar  sua  natura."  Compare  Boc- 
caccio, Decam.  Giorn.  v,  Nov.  4 :  "  I  tempi  si  convengono  pur 
sofferire  fatti  come  le  stagioni  gli  danno."  And  Giorn.  vii,  Nov.  7 : 
"Per  certo  io  il  convengo  vedere."  A  footnote  on  the  latter 
passage  discusses  that  and  the  former  as  well :  "  ed  altri  tali 
assai ;  ove  considera  il  modo  di  ordinar  questo  verbo,  che  si  con- 
corda  col  primo  caso,  ed  anco  col  terzo;  che  il  medesimo  si  diria 
qui :  A  me  convien  vcderlo,  e  cosl  degli  altri  tutti,  o  impersonal- 
mente  convien  sofferire  i  tempt."  I  am  surprised  to  find  no 
reference  to  this  use  of  con-venire,  corresponding  to  §  18  of  the 
Voc.  della  Crusca,  in  the  Gran  Dizionario  di  Torino,  although 
Tommase'o,  one  of  the  authors,  explains  it  in  his  commentary. 

§  principii  formali :  Scartazzini  explains  that  Scholastic 
Philosophy  used  to  distinguish  two  principles  in  all  bodies  :  the 


64  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  II. 

Seguiterieno*  a  tua  ragion  distrutti. 

And  she:  "Thou  wilt  assuredly  perceive  that  thy 
belief  is  steeped  in  fallacy,  if  thou  give  good  heed 
to  the  arguments  I  shall  bring  against  it.  The 
Eighth  Sphere  (i.e.  the  Heaven  of  the  Fixed  Stars) 
displays  to  you  many  lights  (i.e.  Stars)  which  in  their 
amount  of  brilliancy  and  in  their  magnitude  may  be 
remarked  (to  be)  of  different  aspects.  If  (therefore) 
rarity  and  density  were  the  exclusive  cause  of  this 
(diversity  of  the  stars),  then  there  would  be  but  one 
single  power  more  or  less  equally  distributed  among 
them,  and  in  just  proportions.  Diverse  influences 
must  perforce  be  the  effects  of  (several)  formal 
principles  (not  of  one  alone),  and  according  to  thy 
(process  of)  reasoning  it  would  follow  as  a  sequitur 
that  all  these  would  be  destroyed  except  one. 

In  point  of  fact  there  are  different  natures  in  the  stars, 
as  in  the  world  there  are  different  effects,  which  effects 
must  needs  be  derived  from  different  causes,  which 
causes  are  the  formal  principles  of  the  things  they 
produce,  and  if  Dante's  argument  held  good,  the  spots 
on  the  Moon  would  be  derived  only  from  the  one 
single  formal principle  of  density  and  rarity. 

Beatrice  now  disproves  Dante's  theory  with  another 
argument,  namely,  by  showing  that  this  rarity  does 
not  exist  in  the  substance  of  the  Moon  at  all. 


material  principle,  i.e.  primary  matter,  in  all  bodies  the  same  ; 
and  the  formal  principle  that  is,  the  substantial  form  which 
constitutes  the  various  species  and  the  potentialities  (virtu)  of 
bodies.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol,  pars  i, 
2dz,  qu.  ix,  art.  i)  :  "Objectum  movet  determinando  actum  ad 
modum  principii  formalis,  a  quo  in  rebus  naturalibus  actio 
specificatur,  sicut  calefactio  a  calore.  Primum  autem  principium 
formale  est  ens,  et  verum  universale,  quod  est  objectum 
intellectus." 

*  Seguiterieno,  according  to  Tommase'o,  is,  as  used  here, 
merely  the  rendering  of  the  scholastic  "  sequeretur." 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  65 

Ancor,*  se  raro  fosse  di  quel  bruno 

Cagion  che  tu  domandi,  od  oltre  in  parte 

Fora  di  sua  materia  si  digiuno  75 

Esto  pianeta,  o  si  come  comparte 

Lo  grasso  e  il  magro  un  corpo,  cosi  questo 
Nel  suo  volume  cangerebbe  carte.t 

Besides,  if  rarity  were  the  cause  of  that  opaqueness 
(about)  which  thou  enquirest,  either  this  planet  would 
be  to  that  extent  lacking  of  its  substance  through 
and  through,  or  else  just  as  a  body  apportions  its  fat 
and  its  lean,  so  this  (planet,  the  Moon)  would  have 
to  alternate  the  leaves  of  its  volume. 

This  is  a  metaphor  taken  from  a  book,  in  which  the 
sheets  being  placed  together  in  form  of  strata,  consti- 
tute the  entire  volume. 

Beatrice  now  argues  that  if  the  Moon  were  so  per- 
forated through  and  through  in  some  of  its  parts,  or 
so  wanting  in  its  matter  that  there  should  be  rarity 
in  those  parts,  then  in  solar  eclipses  the  light  would 
either  pass  through  the  holes,  or  through  the  rarefied 
parts,  and  would  be  seen  by  us. 


*  Ancor,  et  seq.  :  "  Moreover  if  rarity  were  the  cause  of  the 
spots,  then,  either  must  the  Moon  be  perforated  right  through, 
or  it  must  have  some  strata  dense,  and  some  strata  rare,  laid  on 
just  like  fat  and  lean  in  meat."  (Tommase'o). 

t  cangerebbe  carte  :  Tommase'o  does  not  think  this  metaphor 
is  peculiarly  happy  as  used  here,  but  Dante  has  frequently 
employed  it  elsewhere.     Compare  Par.  xii,  121-123  : 
"  Ben  dico,  chi  cercasse  a  foglio  a  foglio 
Nostro  volume,  ancor  troveria  carta 
U'leggerebbe  :  '  lo  mi  son  quel  ch'io  soglio.'" 
In  the  above  passage  St.  Buonaventura  is  comparing  his  Order, 
the  Franciscans,  to  a  volume,  and  the  Friars  to  the  leaves  in  it, 
and  while  deploring  the  way  the  Order  has  deteriorated,  he  says 
that  yet  there  is  still  some  page  (i.e.  Friar)  that  can  say  of  itself 
"  I  am  still  as  faithful  and  true  as  when  I  was  first  set  in  the 
book,  i.e.  admitted  into  the  Order." 

I.  F 


66"  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

Se  il  primo  fosse,  fora  manifesto 

NelPeclissi  del  sol,  per  trasparere*  80 

Lo  lume,  come  in  altro  raro  ingesto. 
Questo  non  e  ;  pero  e  da  vedere 

Dell'  altro,  e  s'  egli  avvien  ch'  io  1'  altro  cassi,t 

Falsificato  fia  lo  tuo  parere. 

If  the  first  condition  were  the  case,  it  would  become 
apparent  in  the  eclipse  of  the  Sun,  by  its  light  shin- 
ing through  (the  Moon),  as  when  it  is  made  to  pass 
through  other  rarefied  matter.  This  is  not  so;  there- 
fore we  have  to  consider  the  other  (hypothesis),  and 
if  it  comes  about  that  I  am  able  to  confute  that 
other,  then  thy  theory  will  be  proved  fallacious. 

This  second  hypothesis  was  to  suppose  that  the  rare 
and  the  dense  are  laid  in  strata  in  the  body  of  the 
Moon  ;  and  this  proposition  Beatrice,  in  accordance 
with  what  she  has  just  said,  proceeds  to  demolish. 

S'  egli  e  che  questo  raro  non  trapassi,  85 

Esser  conviene  un  termine,  da  onde 

Lo  suo  contrario  piu  passar  non  lassi ; 
Ed  indi  1'altrui  raggio  si  rifondej 

Cosl,  come  color  torna  per  vetro  § 

Lo  qual  diretro  a  se  piombo  nasconde.  90 

*  trasparere  for  trasparire.     Compare  Inf.  xxxiv,  12  : 

"  E  trasparean  come  festuca  in  vetro." 
And  Par.  xxiii,  31,  32  : 

"  E  per  la  viva  luce  trasparea 

La  lucente  sustanzia." 

t  cassi :  cassare  is  primarily  to  erase,  or  scratch  out  words  or 
letters  of  any  writing  ;  hence  to  annul  any  part  of  a  decree,  deed 
or  act ;  hence  again  were  one  Minister  to  reverse  all  the 
operations  of  his  predecessor,  he  would  be  said  to  cassare  them. 
Here  it  is  used  in  the  sense  of  to  annul,  confute,  demolish.  The 
word  is  commonly  used  at  the  present  day  in  the  Italian  telegraph 
offices.  "  One  word  erased  "  is  "  Una  parola  cassata." 

T  si  rifonde :  "  idest,  reflectitur  ibi,  et  per  consequens  luceret 
in  ipso  raro  in  superficie."    (Benvenuto). 
§  vetro,  etc.  :  Compare  Inf.  xxiii,  25-27  : 

"  .  .  .  S'  io  fossi  d'  impiombato  vetro, 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  67 

If  it  be  the  case  that  this  rarity  does  not  pass  right 
through  (the  substance  of  the  Moon),  then  there 
must  needs  be  a  limit  (i.e.  some  dense  part),  beyond 
which  it  (the  dense)  does  not  allow  its  contrary 
(the  rare)  to  pass  further ;  and  thence  (that  is, 
from  this  point  of  separation  between  the  rare  and 
the  dense)  the  ray  of  another  (body,  the  Sun)  is 
poured  back  (i.e.  is  reflected)  in  such  wise  as  colour 
returns  from  glass  which  conceals  lead  behind  it  (i.e. 
a  mirror). 

In  translating  as  above,  I  am  following  Benvenuto, 
Buti,  Philalethes,  Danielle,  Scartazzini,  and  Casini,  in 
taking  lo  contrario  as  the  accusative  case  after  lassi. 
Benvenuto  comments  :  "  S'  egli  e  che  questo  raro  non 
trapassi,  tune,  conviene  essere  un  termine,  idest,  una 
pars  densa,  da  onde,  idest,  a  quo  termino  densitatis, 
non  lassi  piu  passar  lo  suo  contrario,  scilicet,  rarum."* 
Danielle's  comment  is  equally  positive  in  this  sense : 
""  Se  questo  raro  non  trapassa  da  una  parta  all'  altra, 
ci  conviene  essere  un  termine,  dal  quale  il  denso  non 


L'  imagine  di  fuor  tua  non  trarrei 

Piu  tosto  a  me." 

Also  Conv.  iii,  9,  11.  76-82  :  "  Specchio  .  .  .  &  vetro  terminato 
con  piombo  ;  sicch£  passar  piu  oltre  non  puo  [la  forma  degli 
oggetti  nelF  occhio  paragonato  allo  specchioj  ma  quivi,  a  modo 
d'  una  palla  percossa,  si  ferma  ;  .  .  .  e  questo  £  quello  per  che 
nel  vetro  piombato  la  imagine  appare,  e  non  in  altro." 

*  Here  is  a  case  in  point  of  the  extraordinary  inaccuracy  of  the 
translation  of  Benvenuto  by  Tamburini.  He  renders  the  original 
of  Benvenuto  with  the  precise  converse  of  its  sense  :  "  s'  cgli  2  che 
questo  raro  non  trapassi,  non  trapassi  1'  intera  sostanza  o  corpo 
lunare  da  banda  a  banda  convicn  essere  un  termine  vi  sarh.  un 
limite  da  onde  dal  quale  non  lassi  piu  passar  lo  suo  contrario 
un  punto,  oltre  il  quale  il  suo  contrario,  cio6  il  denso,  non  lasci 
passare  il  raggio  luminoso,  etc."  I  am  indeed  thankful  to  have 
been  the  humble  means  of  enabling  the  late  Sir  James  Lacaita's 
careful  edition  of  trie  original  text  of  Benvenuto's  great  work  to 
be  given  to  the  world. 

F  2 


68  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

lo  lassi  passar  piu  oltre,  ma  che  rifletti  i  raggi  nella 
guisa  che  fa  il  piombo  dopo  il  vetro  dello  specchio." 
By  far  the  larger  number  of  commentators  and  trans- 
lators, however,  take  lo  contrario  as  the  nominative  of 
the  verb  lassi,  which  is  strongly  condemned  both  by 
Scartazzini  and  Casini.  Scartazzini  mentions  first 
the  interpretation  of  the  many,  and  secondly  the  one 
he  considers  the  true  one,  and,  after  citing  Philalethess 
translation  as  agreeing  with  him,  he  adds  :  "  Ci  pare 
che  gia  al  primo  sguardo  ognuno  restera  convinto, 
quest'  ultima  interpretazione  essere  la  giusta,  assolu- 
tamente  falsa  invece  quella  dei  piu."  Casini  is  no  less 
decided  :  "  lo  sno  contrario,  etc.  La  densita  maggiore 
non  lasci  passar  oltre  la  densita  minore.  Questa  e 
la  giusta  interpretazione,  data  gia  dal  Danielle,  ed 
accolta  da  parecchi  moderni  ;  i  piu  dei  commentatori 
intendono  invece  :  la  densita  maggiore  non  lasci  passar 
oltre  il  raggio  luminoso  ;  che  sarebbe  erronea  antici- 
pazione  d'un  idea  estranea  per  ora  al  ragionamento 
di  Dante." 

Beatrice*  now  forestalls  and  condemns  an  objec- 
tion that  might  be  made  to  her  argument  ;  for  Dante 
might  contend  with  some  truth  (says  Benvenuto)  that 
the  ray  of  the  Sun  penetrates  so  far  in  some  places 
into  the  substance  of  the  Moon,  that  from  its  exces- 
sive prolongation,  and  consequently  its  greater  dis- 
tance, it  appears  fainter  or  more  cloudy  on  the  Moon's 
surface.  She  meets  this  objection  by  saying : 


*  Mr.  Haselfoot  says  that  Beatrice  supposes  Dante  to  shift 
his  ground,  and  now  to  attribute  the  dark  marks  to  the  fact  that 
the  Sun's  rays  are  reflected,  not  from  the  Moon's  surface,  but 
from  dense  strata  at  some  distance  beneath  it. 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  69 

Or  dirai  tu  ch'  ei  si  dimostra  tetro 

Quivi  lo  raggio  piu  che  in  altre  parti, 
Per  esser  li  rifratto*  piu  a  retro. 

Da  questa  instanziat  puo  diliberarti 

Esperienza,  se  giammai  la  provi,  95 

Ch'  esser  suol  fonte  ai  rivi  di  vostr'  arti.J 

Now  (perchance)  thou  wilt  say  that  it,  the  (reflected) 
ray  shows  itself  more  obscured  there  (where  the  spot 
is)  than  in  other  parts,  from  being  reflected  there 
from  a  point  further  back.  From  this  objection  ex- 
periment— which  is  wont  to  be  the  fountain  to  the 
rivers  of  your  arts  (i.e.  the  sources  of  your  science) — 
can  set  thee  free  if  ever  thou  give  it  a  trial. 

Dante  is  here  distinctly  asserting  that  learning  must 
begin  with  facts  and  experiments,  by  which  one  traces 
causes  from  their  effects. 

Beatrice  now,  in  order  to  prove  what  she  had  been 
saying,  proposes  that  Dante  shall  put  it  to  the  test  of 


*  rifratto :  Compare  Purg.  xv,  22-24,  where  the  intense  ra- 
diance of  the  Angel,  reflected  upwards  from  the  ground,   so 
dazzles  Dante  that  he  has  to  screen  his  eyes  with  his  hand  : 
"  Cosi  mi  parve  da  luce  rifratta 

Ivi  dinanzi  a  me  esser  percosso, 
Perche  a  fuggir  la  inia  vista  fu  ratta." 

Scartazzini  remarks  that,  although  modern  Physical  Science 
distinguishes  between  reflection  and  refraction  of  light,  such  a 
distinction  was  unknown  in  Dante's  time. 

t  instanzia  (says  Mr.  Butler)  is  the  scholastic  rendering  of  the 
Greek  ft'oreum  "an  objection,"  as  in  Aristotle,  Rhet.  ii,  25.  See 
Grote,  Aristotle,  chap.  vi. 

I  Esperienza  .  .  .fonte  .  .  .  di  •vostr'arti:  Gioberti  in  one 
of  his  very  few  notes  exclaims  on  these  two  lines  :  "  Ecco  il 
metodo  sperimentale  conosciuto  e  mitriato  [crowned]  da  Dante 
come  1'  unico  valevole  in  filosofia,  e  il  fonte  delle  arti  umane. 
Scienze,  lettere,  arti  fondate  sulla  storia."  Mr.  Butler  thinks 
vostr3  arti  means  rather  our  "  science,"  as  in  Purg.  iv,  80, 
etc.,  where  it  represents  the  Greek  Tfxw-  Compare  Arist. 

Metaph.  \  :  "  dtrofialvti  5'£ir»<rr^uTj  «ol  ri\vr\  Sick  TTJJ  ffj.irtiptas  TOIJ 
avdpuirou." 


/O  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  II. 

an  experiment.  Her  object  is  to  prove  that  distance 
will  not  affect  the  intrinsic  quality  of  light,  though  it 
may  give  the  appearance  of  greater  or  less  quantity, 
and  therefore  it  is  not  possible  that,  on  account  of 
distance,  light  could  take  the  appearance  of  shadow. 
And  her  meaning  is  to  show  that  the  Sun's  ray,  re- 
flected on  the  outer  surface  of  the  body  of  the  Moon, 
would  not  differ  in  brilliancy  from  another  ray  that 
shall  have  been  reflected  from  within  the  body  of  the 
Moon  near  the  centre.  This  is  demonstrated  in  the 

A 


B 

annexed  figure,  which  I  find  in  the  Anonimo  Floren- 
tine* We  will  suppose  the  circle  A  B  to  be  the  body 
of  the  Moon,  and  the  letters  A  B  to  be  situated  on  its 
surface  ;  and  let  us  suppose  A  C  in  the  centre  of  the 
said  body,  and  the  two  lines  A  C  and  A  B  to  touch 
that  rarity  (contingere  quella  raritade)  that  there  may 
be  in  the  Moon.  And  she  now  argues  that  the  rays 
of  the  Sun,  that  are  reflected  at  the  points  A  and  B, 
will  be  of  equal  brilliancy  with  those  that  are  reflected 

*  The  description  is  the  same  in  Lana. 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  71 

at  the  point  C  ;  so  that  the  distance  that  exists  from 
the  surface  to  the  centre  will  make  no  difference  in  the 
quality  of  the  light,  as  she  has  already  stated,  and  she 
goes  on  to  prove  this  by  the  following  experiment.* 
Tre  specchi  prenderai,  e  due  rimovi 

Da  te  d'un  modo,  e  1'altro,  piu  rimosso, 
Tr*  ambo  li  primi  gli  occhi  tuoi  ritrovi. 
Rivolto  ad  essi  fa  che  dopo  il  dosso  loo 

Ti  steaf  un  lume  che  i  tre  specchi  accenda,J 

*  I  have  copied  the  subjoined  figure  from  the  Anon.  Florentine: 
B  is  the  person  making  the  experiment,  e.g.  Dante  ; 
A  the  lamp  or  torch  placed  behind  his  back — figuring  the  Sun  ; 
C  and  E  the  two  equi-distant  mirrors  at  a  shorter  distance  from 

his  eye,  and  figuring  the  outer  surface  of  the  Moon  ; 
D  the  more  distant  mirror — figuring  the  centre  of  the  Moon's 

substance. 


t  stea  for  stia :  For  the  ancient  forms  of  the  verb  stare  see 
Nannucci,  Analisa  Critica,  pp.  686-704,  and  for  stea  p.  697,  where 
the  present  passage  is  cited.  Also  from  iheNovettino,  Nov.  xx, 
in  Manuale  delta  Lettcratura  Italiana,  vol.  ii  ;  but  Nov.  xvi,  in 
Barbera's  edition  of  the  Novellino,  Florence,  1889:  "Nonpiacciaa 
Dio  che  1'anima  di  cosi  valenteuomostea  in  pregione  per  moneta." 

J  accenda :  For  this  word  in  the  sense  of,  as  here,  "to  illu- 
minate, light  up,"  we  have  the  equivalent  in  Latin  in  Virgil, 
Georg.  i,  251  :  "  Illic  sera  rubens  accendit  lumina  Vesper." 


72  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

E  torni  a  te  da  tutti  ripercosso. 
Bench&  nel  quanto  tanto  non  si  stenda 
La  vista  piu  lontana,  li  vedrai 
Come  convien  ch' egualmente  risplenda.  105 

Thou  shalt  take  three  mirrors,  and  two  (of  them) 
thou  shalt  remove  from  thee  to  an  equal  distance 
(lit.  in  one  manner),  and  let  the  other,  further  re- 
moved, meet  thine  eyes  between  the  first  two. 
Turning  towards  them,  contrive  that  behind  thy  back 
be  placed  a  lamp  which  shall  light  up  the  three  mir- 
rors, and  return  to  thee  reflected  back  by  them  all. 
(Then)  although  that  seen  furthest  off  (i.e.  the  middle- 
placed  mirror)  does  not  extend  over  so  ample  a  space 
(i.e.  does  not  seem  so  great  in  its  quantity  of  light), 
thou  wilt  note  of  it,  that  it  must  needs  be  equally 
resplendent  (with  the  other  two). 

Scartazzini  (Com.  Lips.}  after  quoting  Mossotti*  and 
Delle  Valle,f  says  "  I  do  not  wish  to  overload  my 
note  with  quotations,  for  the  verses  do  not  seem  to 
me  to  be  so  very  hard  to  understand.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  Dante  had  already  himself  made  the 
experiment,  which  he  is  here  inviting  his  readers  to 
try  for  themselves.  And  whoever  does  so,  will  very 
readily  understand  these  verses,  even  without  the 
learned  notes  of  their  expositors." 


*  "A  me  pare  che  Dante  coll'esempio  dei  tre  specchi  ha  vo- 
luto  segnalare  il  principio  che  le  superficie  plane  luminose, 
od  illuminate  in  egual  grado  appaiono  della  stessa  chiarezza 
a  qualunque  distanza  siano  poste,  perch£  la  grandezza  dell'  im- 
magine  e  la  quantitk  di  luce  che  riceve  la  pupilla  da  ciascun 
punto  diminuendo  1'  una  e  1'  altra  nella  ragione  inversa  del  qua- 
drato  della  distanza,  vi  £  un  compenso,  ed  ogni  elemento  d'  egual 
estensione  dell'  immagine  apparente  &  sempre  rappresentato  da 
una  stessa  quantitk  di  luce  nell'occhio  a  qualunque  distanza  si 
osservi  la  superficie."  (Mossotti,  Lettera  a  B.  Boncompagni 
intorno  ad  un  passo  della  D.  /?.,  Roma,  1865,  p.  3.) 

t  Delia  Valle,  Nuove  Illustrazioni  sulla  D.  C,  p.  120  et  seq. 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  73 

Division  IV.  Beatrice,  having  confuted  Dante's 
theory  about  the  spots  on  the  Moon,  proceeds  to 
demonstrate  the  truth  about  them  ;  and  her  state- 
ment must  be  taken  as  representing v  Dante's  own 
altered  opinion.  I  extract  the  following  from  the 
work  of  my  valued  friend,  the  late  Sir  Frederick 
Pollock,  as  a  most  useful  statement  of  Beatrice's  dis- 
proofs of  what  we  have  studied  up  to  this  point,  and 
of  her  proofs  of  what  is  advanced  in  the  remainder  of 
the  Canto. 

"  Beatrice  proves,  I.  That  rare  and  dense  are  not 
the  reason  of  the  different  size  and  light  of  the  stars. 

"  II.  That  the  lunar  spots  are  not  caused  by  an 
alternation  of  rare  and  dense  strata  ;  whether  sup- 
posed to  traverse  the  Moon  in  its  depth  or  breadth  : 
for  in  the  first  case  the  Sun  would  shine  through  it 
in  an  eclipse  :  and  in  the  second  its  light  would  be 
uniformly  reflected  from  the  first  stratum  as  from  a 
looking-glass,  and  there  would  be  no  variety  of  light 
and  dark. 

"III.  That  the  spots  are  not  occasioned  by  the 
different  brightness  of  the  reflection  of  the  Sun  from 
the  surface  of  the  Moon,  and  from  the  deep  cavities 
in  the  Moon. 

"  Then  she  shows,  I.  That  the  Empyrean  sheds  its 
Virtue  on  the  Pritntim  Mobile,  the  Primum  Mobile 
its  Virtue  on  the  sphere  of  the  Fixed  Stars,  and 
so  on. 

"  II.  That  this  Virtue  and  the  motion  of  each  sphere 
are  directed  by  a  special  presiding  Intelligence  in 
each. 

"  III.  That  this  Virtue,  although  it  descends  from 


74  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  II. 

one  source,  is  not  the  same  Virtue  more  or  less 
communicated,  but  different  ;  that  is,  differently 
adapted  to  the  nature  and  end  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  and  hence  productive  of  different  effects  also 
in  their  external  appearance.  Hence  the  dark  and 
light  in  the  Moon  do  not  depend  upon  any  differ- 
ence of  density  in  its  substance,  but  on  the  special 
virtue  communicated  to  that  planet  which  operates 
as  a  Formal  Principle,  or  intrinsic  cause,  to  deter- 
mine its  special  mode  of  existence." 

Beatrice  begins  her  elucidation  by  comparing  the 
error  which  encumbered  Dante's  mind  to  the  snow 
which  encumbers  the  ground,  and  her  own  argument 
she  compares  to  the  Sun,  which  melts  and  disperses 
the  snow  and  leaves  the  ground  free  to  receive  the 
new  seed. 

Or  come  ai  colpi  delli  caldi  rai  * 

Delia  neve  riman  nudo  il  suggettof 

E  dal  colore  e  dal  freddo  primai ; 
Cosi  £  rimaso  te  nello  intelletto 

*  at  colpi  delli  caldi  rai  :  L.  Venturi  (Similitudini  Dantesche^ 
p.  71,  Sim.  115)  gives  numerous  illustrations  of  this  much  used 
simile. 

t  suggettc  :  I  follow  Buti,  Landino,  Vellutello,  Daniello,  Blanc,. 
Witte,  Scartazzini  and  Casini,  in  taking  suggetto  as  "  il  terreno 
sottostante  sul  quale  giace  la  neve."  Lombardi,  L.  Venturi, 
Tommaseo,  Brunone,  Bianchi,  Fraticelli  and  most  of  the  modern 
commentators,  take  it  to  be  "  la  sostanza  della  neve,"  but,  as 
Casini  remarks,  this  scholastic  terminology,  applied  to  a  simile 
deduced  from  a  natural  phenomenon  with  such  a  keen  sentiment 
of  reality,  would  be  wholly  inappropriate. 

£  Cosi :  "  libero  dall'  errore  che  prima  aveva,  come  il  suolo 
liberato  dalla  sua  bianca  e  fredda  coperta."  (Scartazzini). 
Compare  Boethius,  Philos.  Ccnsol.  i,  Pros,  vi  :  "Sed  quoniam 
firmioribus  remediis  nondum  tempus  est  et  earn  mentium  constat 
esse  naturam,  ut  quotiens  abjecerint  veras,  falsis  opinionibus 
induantur,  ex  quibus  orta  perturbationum  caligo  verum  ilium 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  75 

Voglio  informar  di  luce  si  vivace,*  no 

Che  ti  tremolerkt  nel  suo  aspetto. 

Now  as  beneath  the  strokes  of  the  warm  rays,  that 
which  underlies  the  snow  (namely,  the  soil)  is  left 
bare  both  of  the  hue  and  of  the  cold  which  it  had  at 
first ;  in  like  manner  thee,  left  (bare)  in  thine  intellect 
(i.e.  freed  from  the  error  that  covered  it),  I  want  to 
animate  with  light  so  brilliant  that  it  will  twinkle 
upon  thee  (like  a  star)  as  it  is  presented  before  thee. 

By  comparing  the  light  with  which  she  wishes  to 
flood  his  intellect  to  a  star,  she  means  that,  as  a  star 
is  a  light  from  Heaven,  so  is  the  elucidation  she  is 
about  to  give  Dante  inspired  with  the  light  of 
Heavenly  truth. 

Benvenuto  says  that,  to  explain  briefly  the  long 
speech  which  follows,  Beatrice  seems  to  assert  that 
the  highest  heaven  is  in  celestial  things  what  the 
heart  is  to  the  members,  and  the  influence  of  the 
primal  cause  is  in  celestial  matters  like  the  influence 
of  the  heart  in  corporeal  matters. 

Dentro  dal  ciel  della  divina  pace£ 

confundit  intuitum,  hanc  paulisper  lenibus  mediocribusque 
fomentis  attenuare  temptabo,  ut  dimotis  fallacium  affectionum 
tenebris  splendorem  verae  lucis  possis  agnoscere." 

*  luce  si  vivace,  i.e.  with  truth  so  striking  "  cioe,  di  chiarezza 
si  viva,  cioe  di  verita  si  viva:  niuna  cosa  e  piii  viva  che  la  verita  : 
impero  ch'  ella  mai  non  muore,  la  verita  £  eterna,  sempre  fu  e 
sempre  sara  vero  quello  che  ora  e  vero,  e  pero  promette  Beatrice 
a  Dante  che  la  sua  dottrina  sara  dottrina  viva,  che  mai  non  verra 
meno  sopra  la  delta  dubitazione,  anco  sempre  refulgera."  (Buti). 

t  ti  treinolerh :  "  Ti  scintillerk  nel  presentartisi  davanti.  Ma 
il  verbo  dantesco  esprime  quel  brillare  tremulo  e  guizzante  che 
e  proprio  delle  stelle ;  e  cosi  allo  splendore  della  promessa 
verita  congiunge  1'idea  di  cosa  celeste."  (L.  Venturi,  Simil. 
Dant.  p.  71,  Sim.  115). 

J  ciel  della  divina  pace  :  The  Empyrean.  "  Illud  coelum  est 
ccelum  supremum,  continens  corpora  universa,  et  a  nullo  conten- 


j6  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  II. 

Si  gira  un  corpo,*  nella  cui  virtute 
L'esser  di  tutto  suo  contento  t  giace. 
Lo  ciel  seguente,*  ch'  ha  tante  vedute,  115 

Quell'  esser  parte  per  diverse  essenze 
Da  lui  distinte§  e  da  lui  contenute. 

turn,  intra  quod  omnia  corpora  moventur  (ipso  in  sempiterna 
quiete  permanente),  a  nulla  corporali  substantia  virtutem  re- 
cipiens.  Et  dicitur  empyreum  quod  est  idem  quod  ccelum  igne 
sive  ardore  flagrans  ;  non  quod  in  eo  sit  ignis  vel  ardor  ma- 
terialis,  sed  spiritualis,  qui  est  amor  sanctus,  sive  caritas." 
(Ep.  Kani,  §  24). 

*  Si  gira  un  corpo :  i.e.  the  Primum  Mobile,  or  as  Dante  calls 
it  (Convito  ii,  15,  //.  122-157),  the  Crystalline  heaven:  "Lo  cielo 
cristallino,  che  per  Primo  Mobile  dinanzi  e  contato,  ordina  col 
suo  movimento  la  cotidiana  revoluzione  di  tutti  gli  altri ;  per  la 
quale  ogni  di  tutti  quelli  ricevono  quaggiu  la  virtu  di  tutte  le  loro 
parti.  Che  se  la  revoluzione  di  questo  non  ordinasse  cio,  poco 
di  loro  virtu  quaggiu  verrebbe  o  di  loro  vista.  Onde  ponemo 
che  possibile  fosse  questo  nono  cielo  non  muovere,  la  terza 
parte  del  cielo  sarebbe  ancora  non  veduta  in  ciascuno  luogo 

della  terra Di  vero  non  sarebbe  quaggiu  generazione,  ne 

vita  d'  animale  e  di  piante  :  notte  non  sarebbe,  ne  di,  ne  settimana, 
ne  mese,  ne  anno  ;  ma  tutto  1'universo  sarebbe  disordinato,  e'l 
movimento  degli  altri  sarebbe  indarno."  See  also  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  cxv,  art.  3  ;  and  Ibid,  pars  ii, 
2dse,  qu.  xcvi,  art.  2. 

t  contento :  for  contenuto.     Compare  Inf.  ii,  77,  78  : 
"  L'  umana  spezie  eccede  ogni  contento 
Da  quel  ciel  che  ha  minor  Ii  cerchi  sui." 

t  ciel  seguente  :  The  Eighth  heaven,  that  of  the  Fixed  Stars, 
which  Stars  Dante  here  terms  vedute.  There  is  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  why  this  term  is  used  for  them.  I  follow  Benvenuto, 
Buti,  Biagioli,  Andreoli  and  others,  in  interpeting  the  word  as 
"things  that  are  seen,"  "visible  stars,"  "visible  lights."  Daniello, 
followed  by  others,  takes  vedute  to  be  "  things  that  see,  i.e.  the 
eyes  of  heaven ;  but  I  much  prefer  the  interpretation  I  have 
followed.  Compare  Par.  xxx,  8,  9  : 

"  cosi  il  ciel  si  chiude 
Di  vista  in  vista  infino  alia  piu  bella." 

§  distinte :  The  stars  (explains  Poletto)  are,  it  is  true,  in  the 
Eighth  Sphere  or  heaven,  but  are  essentially  distinct  from  it : 
therefore  we  must  say  of  these  stars,  in  respect  to  the  heaven 
they  are  in,  what  Dante  has  written  about  the  Epicycle  of  Venus, 
in  Convito  ii,  4,  11.  91-98  :  "  Questo  .  .  .  cioe  1'  epiciclo,  nel  quale 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  77 

Within  the  heaven  of  the  Divine  Peace  (i.e.  the 
Empyrean)  there  circles  a  body  (i.e.  the  Crystalline 
heaven,  or  Primum  Mobile),  within  whose  influence 
lies  the  existence  of  all  that  is  contained  within  it 
(both  in  Heaven  and  Earth).  The  heaven  that 
comes  next  (i.e.  of  the  Fixed  Stars),  which  has  so 
many  visible  lights,  distributes  that  being  (namely, 
the  influence  it  receives  from  the  Empyrean)  among 
divers  essences  (i.e.  among  the  spheres  of  the  planets 
and  the  stars)  distinct  from  it,  and  (yet)  contained 
within  it. 

Beatrice  next  describes  the  seven  spheres  that  are 
contained  within  the  Eighth. 

Gli  altri  giron*  per  varie  differenze 

Le  distinzion  che  dentro  da  se  hanno 
Dispongono  a  lor  fini  e  lor  semenze.  120 

The  other  (seven)  spheres  in  different  degrees  dispose 
to  their  own  ends  the  distinctive  features  they  contain 
within  themselves,  as  well  as  their  causative  Virtues. 

This  is  very  clearly  explained  by  Landino :  "  The 
other  seven  heavens  of  the  seven  planets  impel  round 
the  distinctive  features  that  they  have  within  them- 
selves ;  which  means,  that  these  seven -planets  are 
distinct,  from  having  many  diversities  both  in  their 

e  fissa  la  Stella,  e  uno  cielo  per  se,  ovvero  spera  ;  en  non  ha  una 
essenza  con  quello  che  '1  porta,  avvegnache  piu  sia  connaturale 
ad  esso  che  agli  altri,  e  con  esso  e  chiamata  uno  cielo,  e  dino- 
minansi  1'uno  e  1'altro  una  stella."  In  Par.  viii,  2,  3,  Dante  says 
that  the  world,  at  the  time  of  its  perilous  pagan  creed,  used  to 
believe : 

"  Che  la  bella  Ciprigna  il  folle  amore 
Raggiasse,  volta  nel  terzo  epiciclo." 

*  giron  :  This  is  the  only  place  in  which  this  word  is  used  to 
express  the  Spheres  of  Paradise.  It  is  used  several  times  for 
the  Cornices  of  Purgatory,  and  in  Hell  to  describe  the  three 
subdivisions  or  rounds  of  the  Seventh  Circle  in  which  certain 
varieties  of  Violence  are  punished.  In  Convito  ii,  7,  11.  90-92, 
Dante  says  that  the  rays  of  every  heaven  are  the  way  by  which 
its  influence  descends  upon  the  world  below  them. 


78  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

position  and  in  their  courses,  and  because  they  are  also 
very  different  in  their  natures,  as  to  which  we  shall 
hear  more  in  the  special  description  of  each  plane- 
tary sphere.  And  their  semenze,  i.e.  their  causative 
Virtues,  which  are  the  causes  of  inferior  effects,  these 
they  dispose  to  their  due  ends.  For  instance,  the 
seed  of  corn  produces  its  due  effect,  which  is  grain, 
and  that  in  its  turn  is  the  seed  of  some  subsequent 
grain  ;  in  like  manner  the  celestial  bodies,  which  are 
the  causes  of  inferior  effects,  are  also  themselves  the 
effects  of  causes  superior  to  themselves.  Thus  we  see 
that  the  Primum  Mobile  has  a  Virtue  infused  into  it 
by  God  and  by  His  motive  forces  ;  which  Virtue  has 
got  to  preserve  its  being,  as  well  as  that  of  all  the 
heavens  and  the  elements  that  it  encloses  within 
itself.  This  is  motive  and  effective  Virtue,  which  sets 
in  motion  all  the  other  heavens  and  elements,  and  is 
the  cause  of  various  effects  in  them,  according  to  their 
different  potencies.  And  in  such  manner  the  superior 
Virtue  is  ever  infusing  itself  into  all  the  inferior 
Virtues,  and  is  causing  diverse  effects,  in  proportion 
to  the  diversity  of  the  inferior  bodies,  but  most  effi- 
caciously in  that  inferior  one  which  is  the  nearest  to 
it,  and  it  changes  in  proportion  to  the  difference 
existing  between  one  inferior  body  and  another.  So 
that  the  Ninth  heaven  infuses  its  essential  motive 
and  preservative  Virtue  more  efficaciously  into  the 
Eighth  heaven  than  into  the  others,  and  the  Eighth 
in  its  turn  transmits  the  Virtue  that  has  undergone 
change  in  it  more  efficaciously  into  the  Seventh 
heaven  than  into  the  others."  This  also  explains 
what  follows  next. 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  79 

Quest!  organ!  *  del  mondo  cosi  vanno, 

Come  tu  vedi  omai,  di  grado  in  grado, 
Che  di  su  prendono,  e  di  sotto  fanno. 

In  such  wise  do  these  organs  of  the  Universe  pro- 
ceed, as  thou  canst  now  see  (for  thyself)  from  grade 
to  grade,  in  that  they  draw  from  above,  and  act 
below. 

Each  receives  the  influence  of  the  heaven  immedi- 
ately above  it,  and  exercises  that  influence  upon  the 
heavens  immediately  below  it,  so  that  the  influence 
of  the  Empyrean  is  transmitted  from  Sphere  to 
Sphere  in  consecutive  order. 

She  now  tells  Dante  that,  as  from  her  process  of 
reasoning,  he  must  have  understood  the  fundamental 
principle  to  which  to  have  recourse  in  order  to  get  an 
explanation  of  the  phenomenon  of  the  spots  upon  the 
Moon,  therefore  must  he  in  future  give  his  best  con- 
sideration to  the  method  by  which  she  now  proceeds 
to  work  out  the  true  explanation  of  the  phenomenon 
(the  true  explanation,  be  it  understood,  according 
to  the  theories  of  the  Schoolmen,  which  had  become 
Dante's  belief  when  he  wrote  the  Paradiso}. 
Riguarda  bene  a  met  si  com"  io  vado 

*  Questi  organi:  The  following  passage  from  the  De  Man.  ii,  2, 
11.  14-20  illustrates  that  in  the  text  :  "Naturam  in  triplici  gradu 
possumus  intueri.  Est  enim  natura  in  mente  primi  motoris,  qui 
Deus  est,  deinde  in  ccelo  tanquam  in  organo,  quo  mediante 
similitude  bonitatis  zeternze  in  fluitantem  materiam  explicatur." 
Mr.  Butler  (Paradise,  p.  25)  quotes  Aristotle,  Metaph.  8,  2  : 
"  8tro  5};  Kwhaavros  &\\ov  /U«TO|I<  ylyi/trat  tov  T(\OVS  .  .  .  $ia.(ptpti 

iAA^Awy  us  OVTO.  TO.  nti>  upyava  ret  8'  Jffrya."  Compare  also  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  cvi,  art.  4  :  "  Dionysius  dicit 
quod  unaquaeq^ue  ccelestis  essentia  intelligentiam  sibi  a  superiori 
datam  inferior!  communicat." 

t  Riguarda  bene  a  me,  etc.  :  This  is,  undoubtedly,  the  correct 
reading,  but  the  variant  Riguarda  bene  omai  has  many  advocates, 


8o  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  II. 

Per  questo  loco  al  ver  che  tu  disiri,  125 

SI  che  poi  sappi  sol  tener  lo  guado.* 
Regard  me  well,  how  I  pass  on  by  this  process  of 
reasoning  to  the  truth  which  thou  desirest,  so  that 
thenceforth   thou  mayest  know   how  by  thyself  to 
keep  the  ford. 

What  Beatrice  next  says,  is  to  the  effect  that,  as  the 
workman's  hammer  does  not  operate  of  itself,  but 
receives  from  the  workman  the  motive  power  to  do 
so,  in  like  manner  the  Spheres  of  heaven  which  are 
but  instruments  (Organi)  do  not  move  or  exert  in- 
fluence by  any  innate  power  of  their  own,  but  receive 
it  from  blessed  Movers,  i.e.  the  Angels,  or  the  Intelli- 
gences, and  hence  it  is  that  the  Heaven  of  the  Fixed 
Stars  receives  in  itself,  as  a  seal,  the  impress  of  its 
Moving  Angel  or  Intelligence,  and  this  impress  it 
subsequently  imparts  to  the  multitudes  of  stars  within 
its  special  limits. 

including  Buti  and  Witte.  Benvenuto  reads  a  me,  but  his  mise- 
rable translator,  Tamburini,  as  usual  misrepresents  him,  and 
quotes  him  as  using  omai,  which  must  have  misled  Scartazzini 
in  his  earlier  commentary  into  including  Benvenuto  among  the 
advocates  of  omai.  Moore  (Textual  Criticism,  pp.  444,  445), 
after  stating  that  a  me  has  the  support  of  by  far  the  larger 
number  of  MSS.,  writes  :  "  In  favour  of  a  me  I  would  suggest 
(with  Scartazzini)  that  omai  might  very  well  have  arisen  from 
the  occurrence  of  the  word  in  precisely  the  same  position  two 
lines  above,  so  that  it  may  have  caught  the  copyist's  eye,  while 
its  repetition  here  would  be  pro  tanto  a  blemish  in  style."  The 
Codice  Cassinese  combines  the  two  readings  into  one :  " Riguarda 
omai  a  me."  The  Foligno  and  Naples  editions  and  a  few  Codices 
of  small  importance  read  per  questo  lago  instead  of  loco  in  the 
next  line. 

*  guado :   This  word,  meaning  a  ford,  is  used  in  only  one 
other  passage  in  the  D.  C.,  viz.,  Purg.  viii,  68,  69  : 

"  colui,  che  si  nasconde 
Lo  suo  primo  perche,  che  non  gli  e  guado," 
meaning  that  the  purposes  of  God  are  so  profound  in  their 
mystery,  that  no  ford  can  enable  man  to  wade  through  them. 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  8 1 

Lo  moto  e  la  virtu  dei  santi  giri,* 

Come  dal  fabbro  +  1'  arte  del  martello, 
Dai  beati  motor  J  convien  che  spiri  ; 

E  il  ciel,§  cui  tanti  lumi  fanno  bello  130 

Dalla  mente  profonda  che  lui  volve 
Prende  1'  image,  ||  e  fassene  suggello. 

The  motion  and  the  influence  of  the  holy  orbs,  as  by 


*  santi  giri :  The  holy  spheres  of  heaven  are  called  eternal 
spheres  by  Beatrice  in  Purg.  xxx.  93  : 

"  Dietro  alle  note  degli  eterni  giri." 

Compare,  too,  Par.  iii,  76,  where  Piccarda  de'  Donati  says  to 
Dante  : 

"  Che  vedrai  non  capere  in  questi  giri." 
In  Inf.  x,  4,  5,  Dante  uses  the  word  for  the  circles  of  hell : 
"  O  virtu  somma,  che  per  gli  empi  giri 

Mi  volvi." 

t  fabbro  :  Dante  uses  the  same  simile  in  Conv.  i,  13,  11.  27-30  : 
"  II  fuoco  e  '1  martello  sono  cagioni  efficienti  del  coltello  av- 
vegnache  massimamente  e  il  fabbro."  And  in  Comnto  iv,  4, 
11.  122-125:  "Sono  i  colpi  del  martello  cagione  del  coltello  e 
1'  anima  del  fabbro  e  cagione  efficiente  e  movente."  See  also 
in  De  Mon,  iii,  6,  11.  33-37  :  "  Nuncius  autem  non  potest,  in 
quantam  nuncius  ;  sed  quemadmodum  malleus  in  sola  virtute 
fabri  operatur,  sic  et  nuncius  in  solo  arbitrio  ejus,  qui  mittit 
ilium." 

\  beati  motor:  "Li  movitori  di  quello  (field)  sono  sustanze 
separate  da  materia,  cio£  Intelligenze,  le  quali  la  volgare  gente 
chiama  Angeli."  (Conv.  ii,  5,  11.  5-8.) 

§  /'/  del  (stellato) :  Most  of  the  Commentators  cite  the  fol- 
lowing lines  from  Boethius  (Philos.  Consol.  iii,  Metr.  9,  13-17), 
and  think  Dante  must  have  had  them  in  his  mind,  containing 
as  they  do  the  most  sublime  Platonic  philosophy : 

"  Tu  triplicis  mediam  natura:  cuncta  moventem 
Connectens  animam  per  consona  membra  resolvis. 
Quae  cunc  secta  duos  motum  glomeravit  in  orbes, 
In  semet  reditura  meat  mentemque  profundam 
Circuit  et  simili  convertit  imagine  coelum." 
||  Prende  Vintage,  et  seq. :   On  the  influence  that  is  commu- 
nicated from  one  Angel  to  another,  the  superior  one  illumin- 
ating, and  the  inferior  one  receiving  the  impress  of  the  one 
above,  see  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  cvi, 
art.  1-3. 


82  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

the  craftsman  the  art  of  the  hammer,  needs  must  be 
inspired  by  blessed  Movers  (i.e.  the  Angels  or  Intelli- 
gences). And  that  heaven,  which  so  many  lights 
make  beauteous  from  the  deep  mind  (of  the  Moving 
Angel  or  Intelligence)  that  makes  it  revolve,  receives 
the  image  and  becomes  a  seal. 

She  next  shows  that  just  in  the  same  way  as  the 
rational  soul,  so  long  as  it  is  conjoined  to  the  mortal 
body,  puts  its  innate  power  into  operation  by  means 
of  different  organs  and  members,  such  as  the  senses 
of  touch,  of  sight,  of  hearing,  etc.,  so  does  the  Intelli- 
gence put  its  innate  power  into  operation  by  different 
organs  existing  in  the  spheres  and  in  the  stars. 

E  come  1'  alma*  dentro  a  vos*ra  polve 
Per  different!  membia,  e  conformate 
A  diverse  poteme,!  si  risolve  ;  135 

Cosi  1'  intelligenza*  sua  bontate 

*  come  I' alma,  et  seq.  :  Plumptre  thinks  this  comparison 
comes  from  the  Timceus  of  Plato  (p.  29),  probably  through 
&n.  vi,  726,  727  : 

"  Spiritus  intus  alit,  totamque  infusa  per  artus 
Mens  agitat  molem,  et  magno  se  corpore  miscet." 

t  diverse  potenze :  "  La  varieta  nell'unitae  nell'anima  umana, 
come  in  Dio."  (Gioberti.) 

£  Cosl  /'  intelligenza,  et  seq. :  Gioberti  remarks  upon  these 
two  lines  :  "  Notisi  questo  sentimento  :  '  che  1'  intelligenza  spiega 
la  sua  bontk  multiplicata  per  le  stelle : '  chi  conosce  come  in 
Dante,  emulo  della  Bibbia,  piu  sono  i  pensieri  che  le  parole, 
potrebbe  conjetturare  che  egli  alludesse  con  questa  frase  al 
sistema,  che  fa  degli  astri  opachi  (ptancti)  tanti  mondi  abitati 
da  menti,  come  la  terra."  See  also  "  Quaestio  De  Aqua  et  Terra 
(one  of  the  works  attributed  to  Dante),  §  xxi,  11.  7-17:  "Cum 
igitur  non  sunt  plura  corpora  mobilia,  praeter  ccelum  stellatum, 
quod  est  octava  sphaera,  necesse  est  hunc  effectum  ad  ipsum 
reduci.  Ad  cujus  evidentiam  sciendum,  quod  licet  ccelum  stel- 
latum habeat  unitatem  in  substantia,  habet  tamen  multiplicitatem 
in  virtute  ;  propter  quod  oportuit  habere  diversitatem  illam  in 
partibus  quam  videmus,  ut  per  organa  diversa  virtutes  diversas 
influeret." 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  83 

Multiplicata  per  le  stelle  spiega, 
Girando  se  sopra  sua  imitate.* 

And  as  the  soul  within  your  dust  spreads  itself 
through  the  members  different,  and  accommodated 
to  diverse  functions ;  so  does  the  (angelic)  Intelli- 
gence (that  governs  the  heaven  of  the  Fixed  Stars) 
diffuse  its  excellence  multiplied  among  the  (many) 
stars,  itself  revolving  upon  its  own  Unity  (i.e.  without 
losing  its  single  nature). 

Up  to  this  point  Beatrice  has  been  confining  herself 
to  a  description  of  the  specially  "distinctive  features 
of  the  Heaven  of  the  Fixed  Stars,  the  Eighth  Sphere 
of  Paradise.  She  now  passes  on  to  describe  the 
heavens  below  it,  and  consequently  that  of  the  Moon, 
as  to  the  spots  on  which  (Andreoli  thinks)  Dante  has 
only  raised  the  question  for  the  purpose  of  giving 

*  sopra  sua  unitate :  Compare  Purg.  xv,  40-75,  where  Dante 
asks  Virgil  the  meaning  of  the  words  consorto  divieto,  that  had 
been  used  by  Guido  del  Duca  in  Canto  xiv,  and,  not  quite  under- 
standing Virgil's  first  explanation,  he  asks  how  it  can  be  that 
one  good  distributed  among  many  recipients  should  not  be  doled 
out  in  smaller  shares  than  if  the  recipients  were  few  in  number. 
Virgil  tells  Dante  to  understand  that  God  pours  the  light  of  His 
grace  into  the  human  mind,  just  as  the  Sun  pours  its  rays  into 
a  mirror,  but  more  so,  or  less,  in  proportion  to  the  receptiveness 
of  the  individual,  and  God  beatifies  the  souls  of  them  that  love 
Him  in  proportion  to  the  ardour  of  their  love  ;  and  the  love 
from  one  blessed  soul  is  reflected  on  to  another  just  as  light 
from  one  mirror  to  another ;  or  as  one  lamp  can  kindle  either  a 
thousand  or  a  hundred  thousand  lamps  without  losing  its  own 
flame.  Benvenuto  illustrates  this  (vol.  lii,  p.  41 1)  in  an  interesting 
allusion  to  his  public  lectures  as  a  professor  at  Bologna.  "  But 
that  one  and  the  same  good  thing  is  not  diminished,  by  partici- 
pation in  it  of  many  persons,  is  clear,  for  my  single  voice  pene- 
trates into  the  voice  of  many  scholars,  and  any  doctrine  of  mine 
is  diffused  through  the  minds  of  many  listeners,  and  only  is  it  so 
in  different  ways,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  minds  who 
receive  it ;  and  yet  in  me  my  voice  is  not  diminished,  but  rather 
gains  in  power,  as  I  can  remember  I  was  always  accustomed  to- 
say,  when  I  was  delivering  these  lectures  at  Bologna." 

G  2 


84  Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.          Canto  II. 

his  readers  a  general  view  of  the  scene  of  this 
third  part  of  his  Comedy.  Beatrice  briefly  touches 
upon  the  Virtues  of  the  Intelligence,  Spheres,  Planets, 
etc.,  and  apparently  speaks  in  accordance  with  the 
teaching  of  Plato,  who  held  that  the  stars  were  ani- 
mate. 

Virtu  diversa  fa  diversa  lega 

Col  prezioso  corpo  ch'  ell'  avviva,  140 

Nel  qual,  si  come  vita  in  voi,  si  lega.* 


*  in  voi:  Buti  and  Vellutello  alone  among  the  early  Commen- 
tators read  in  lui.  Lana,  Ottimo,  Anon.  Fior.,  Benvenuto,  Landino 
and  Daniello,  have  voi.  On  this  read  the  whole  of  Dr.  Moore's 
able  discussion  in  Textual  Criticism,  pp.  445-447,  who  says  that 
the  reading  in  voi,  though  having  but  slender  MS.  support, 
reigns  supreme  in  nearly  all  the  printed  Editions,  with  the  re- 
markable exception  of  the  "  First  Four  Editions,"  which  read  in 
lui.  Dr.  Moore  adds  :  "The  reading  voi  seems  to  me  to  be  re- 
quired from  a  consideration  of  the  whole  context  from  11.  124  to 
144.  First  of  all,  Beatrice  bids  Dante  mark  well  the  method  of 
her  procedure,  11.  124-6  .  .  .  There  seems  to  be  a  special  reason 
why  she  should  call  emphatic  attention  to  the  course  she  herself 
adopts  (a  me,  si  com' to  vado)  in  enlightening  Dante's  under- 
standing, that  he  may  be  able  to  walk  without  assistance  in  the 
same  path  afterwards  ;  that  method  being  to  appeal  to  the  ex- 
perience and  analogies  of  human  life  ....  She  enlightens  him 

on  four  points (i)  The  movement  and  'virtue'  of  the 

celestial  spheres  is  due  to  the  angelic  powers  that  move  them. 
So  the  artistic  work  of  the  hammer  comes  from  the  artist's  mind 
(11.  127-132).  (2)  The  One  Supreme  Mind  is  reflected  in  all  the 
different  stars.  So  the  undivided  soul  of  man  works  in  his 
various  members  (11.  133-8).  (3)  Different  angelic  influences 
form,  in  union  with  the  various  celestial  bodies  to  which  they 
give  life,  different  resulting  compounds  (//'/.  '  alloy,'  lega).  Even 
so  does  life  in  man  (form  and  constitute  different  beings)  (si  come 
vita  in  voi\  11.  139-141.  (4)  The  brightness  of  the  stars  comes 
from  the  inward  joy  that  radiates  through  them.  So  does  glad- 
ness beam  in  the  pupil  of  the  eye  (11.  142-144).  Thus  in  each 
case  the  instruction  is  conveyed  by  an  illustration  or  analogy 
from  human  experience.  If  we  were  to  read  lui  for  voi,  this 
uniformity  of  illustration  would  be  lost.  Again,  si  come  vita  in 
lui  would  be  a  feeble  and  tautological  repetition  of  what  is  al- 
ready expressed  in  the  words  cK  eW  avviva.  Once  more,  the 


Canto  II.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  85 

Diverse  Virtue  produces  diverse  alloy  with  the  pre- 
cious body  which  it  quickens,  in  which  it  is  bound 
up,  even  as  is  life  in  you  (mortals). 

As  in  each  sphere  of  heaven  the  Intelligence  or 
Angel  is  endowed  with  different  distinctive  features 
of  motive  power,  therefore,  in  the  same  way  that  an 
alloy  is  bound  up  in  a  precious  metal,  so  is  this  In- 
telligence bound  up  in  that  sphere  or  celestial  body, 
even  as  the  life  is  bound  up  in  a  human  body. 

Beatrice  in  the  next  three  lines  explains  that  this 
distinctive  motive  power,  which  is  a  mixture  of  the 
Divine  and  the  Angelic,  glitters  in  the  celestial  body 
into  which  it  is  transfused  with  all  the  brightness  of 
the  realm  of  joy  from  which  it  emanates. 

Per  la  natura  lieta*  onde  deriva, 

La  virtu  mistat  per  lo  corpo  luce, 
Come  letizia  per  pupilla  viva. 

words  '  si  come  vita  in  voi '  have  a  suitable  emphasis — ''even  as,  or 
just  as  life  in  you ' ;  but  '  si  come  vita  in  lui '  would  surely  be  more 
naturally  expressed  by  '  come  vita  in  lui,1  i.e. '  as  life  in  it '  (i.e.  the 
prezioso  corpo  cK  eW  cnrviva).  We  do  not  require  'even  as'  in 
that  case,  the  effect  of  which  would  only  be  to  emphasize  an 
otiose  repetition."  si  lega:  Compare  a  very  similar  expression 
occurring  in  Purg.  xviii,  27  : 

"  Che  per  piacer  di  nuovo  in  voi  si  lega." 
*  natura  lieta:  Compare  Inf.  vii,  94-96  : 
"Ma  ella  s' &  beata,  e  cio  non  ode  : 
Con  1'  altre  prime  creature  lieta 
Volve  sua  spera,  e  beata  si  gode." 
and  Purg.  xvi,  88-90  : 

"  L'anima  semplicetta,  che  sa  nulla, 

Salvo  che,  mosso  da  lieto  fattore, 
Volentier  torna  a  cio  che  la  trastulla." 
In  the  De  Vulg.  Eloq.  i,  4,  11.  38-41,  Dante  writes  : 

"  Quod  nullum  gaudium  sit  extra  Deum  sed  totum  in  Deo, 
et  ipse  Deus  totus  sit  gaudium." 

\virtu  mista:  Benvenuto  supplies  a  good  interpretation  : 
"virtus  motoris  juncta  cum  planeta  suo." 


86  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  II. 

Through  that  gladsome  nature  (of  God)  from  whence 
it  has  its  source,  the  mingled  Virtue  (i.e.  the  Angelic 
Virtue  infused  into  the  body  of  the  star)  shines 
through  the  (celestial)  body,  as  (does)  joy  through 
the  sparkling  eye. 

In  conclusion,  Beatrice  now  sums  up  the  original  pro- 
position. 

Da  essa  vien  cio  che  da  luce  a  luce  145 

Par  differente,  non  da  denso  e  raro  : 
Essa  e  formal  principio  che  produce, 
Conforme  a  sua  bontk,  lo  turbo  e  il  chiaro." 

From  this  (Virtue  or  Intelligence)  comes  that  which 
appears  different  (in  the  planets)  between  light  and 
light,  not  from  dense  and  rare :  this  (Virtue  or 
Intelligence)  is  the  formal  principle  (i.e.  the  intrinsic 
and  substantial  cause)  which  produces,  in  conformity 
with  its  excellence,  the  dark  and  the  light." 

From  the  varying  degrees  of  power  in  the  moving 
Intelligences  arises  the  difference  of  light  between 
one  planet  and  another,  or  even  between  the  different 
parts  of  the  same  planet,  as  we  are  considering  in 
the  case  of  the  Moon,  where  the  Intelligence  is  the 
Formal  Principle  or  intrinsic  cause  of  the  difference 
of  its  bright  surface  and  its  dark  spots.  Besides 
which,  as  we  have  already  read,  a  lessening  degree 
of  perfection  runs  through  all  the  Spheres,  and  the 
heaven  of  the  Moon,  being  the  Sphere  farthest  re- 
moved from  the  Empyrean,  is  the  one  that  receives 
the  least  of  its  excellence,  and  the  very  parts  of  it 
differ  the  one  from  the  other  in  perfection,  receiving 
the  light  of  the  Sun  in  an  unequal  manner,  which 
causes  some  of  them  to  appear  darker  than  others. 

It  is  interesting,  and  indeed  amusing,  to  notice  the 
sigh  of  relief  that  Pietro  di  Dante,  the  Poet's  son, 


Canto  II.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  87 

gives  as  he  concludes  his  commentary  of  this  difficult 
and  most  arid  Canto,  telling  his  readers  that,  if  they 
require  further  explanation,  they  must  work  it  out  for 
themselves,  for  that  he,  for  his  part,  has  understood 
little  or  nothing  it.  (Sic  igitur  talia  ab  ipsa  mente 
extra  nostram  scientiam  ad  processum  universi  proce- 
dunt.  Alia  per  te  vide,  imo  omnia,  quia  nil  vidi,  nee 
intellixi\ 


END  OF  CANTO  II. 


88  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 


CANTO    III. 


THE  FIRST  SPHERE.— THE  HEAVEN  OF  THE  MOON. 
— THE  SOULS  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  FAILED  TO 
KEEP  HOLY  Vows.— PICCARDA  DE'  DONATI. — 
ALL  THE  BLESSED  CONTENTED  WITH  THEIR 
PLACE  IN  HEAVEN. — THE  EMPRESSCONSTANCE. 

THIS  beautiful  Canto,  throughout  which  runs  a  strain 
of  sweet  harmony,  only  exceeded  by  its  elevated  saint- 
liness,  has  been  justly  estimated  as  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  whole  Poem.  Scartazzini  observes  that,  in  this 
Canto,  an  abundant  vein  of  poetry  succeeds  to  the  long 
and  arid  scholastic  discussion  of  the  last  one.  In  the 
First  Canto  we  learnt  how  Love  is  the  chosen  Instru- 
ment in  the  doctrine  of  Order.  In  the  Second  Canto 
this  Order  is  applied  to  the  movements  of  the  heavens, 
and  to  the  Intelligences  which,  by  Love,  set  them  in 
motion.  In  this  Third  Canto  is  shown  Love  as  the 
binding  link  in  the  Communion  of  Saints,  and  as  the 
form  which  their  bliss  takes. 

Benvenuto  divides  it  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  33,  Dante 
describes  the  faint  indistinct  appearance,  in  the  Moon's 
pale  atmosphere,  of  the  spirits  of  those  who  had  failed 
to  keep  their  vows. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  63,  Dante 
records  his  conversation  with  the  spirit  of  Piccarda 
de'  Donati,  his  wife's  kinswoman. 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  89 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  64  to  v.  90,  Piccarda,. 
in  answer  to  a  question  from  Dante,  assures  him  that 
she  and  her  fellow  spirits  are  wholly  content  with 
their  humble  position  in  the  lowest  place  in  Heaven,, 
and  aspire  no  higher. 

In  the  Fourtli  Division,  from  v.  91  to  v.  130,  Pic- 
carda explains  to  Dante  what  vow  it  was  that  she 
was  forcibly  prevented  from  fulfilling ;  and,  before 
vanishing  from  his  sight,  points  out  to  him  the  spirit 
of  the  Empress  Constance. 

Division  I.     Dante  begins  by  stating  that  he  had 
received  the  explanation  of  Beatrice  respecting  the 
.spots  upon  the  Moon  with  reverential  conviction,  and 
was  just  about  to  make  an  outspoken  avowal,  when 
his  attention  was  suddenly  attracted  to  another  sight. 
Quel  sol,*che  priat  d'amor  mi  scaldo  il  petto, 
Di  bella  verita  m'  avea  scoperto, 
Provando  e  riprovando,!  il  dolce  aspetto  ; 

*  Quel  sol:  In  Par.  xxx,  75,  Dante  calls  Beatrice  the  sunlight 
of  his  eyes  : 

"  Cosi  mi  disse  il  sol  degli  occhi  miei." 

Casini  says  that  Dante  terms  his  Lady  sole,  here  and  in  other 
places,  to  signify  how  she  united  in  herself  the  gifts  of  wisdom 
and  virtue,  and  diffused  upon  him  the  most  radiant  light  of  truth 
and  excellence.  Scartazzini  observes  that  Dante  attributes  to 
Beatrice  the  two  special  qualities  of  the  Sun,  to  warm  and  to 
illuminate.  (Compare  Conv.  iv.  i,  11.  92-97.) 

t  pria:  "  In  early  days,"  "  in  former  times."  Dante  says  in 
Purg.  xxx,  42,  that  Beatrice's  excellence  had  smitten  his  heart 
while  he  was  yet  but  a  boy  : 

"  Prima  ch'  io  fuor  di  puerizia  fosse." 

%  Proiuindo  e  riprovando :  By  proving  the  alleged  true  cause 
of  the  spots  on  the  Moon, and  by  disproving  Dante's  former  belief, 
which  he  had  held  when  he  wrote  the  Convito,  and  which  he  re- 
presents himself  as  having  put  forward,  in  the  last  Canto,  for  the 
express  purpose  of  putting  into  Beatrice's  mouth  the  confutation 
of  it. 


go  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

Ed  io,  per  confessar  corretto  e  certo 

Me  stesso,  tanto  quanto  si  convenne,*  5 

Levai  lo  capo  a  proferer  piu  erto. 
Ma  vision  m;  apparve,  che  ritenne 

A  se  me  tanto  stretto  per  vedersi, 

Che  di  mia  confession  non  mi  sovvenne.t 

That  Sun  (Beatrice),  which  in  former  days  had 
warmed  my  heart  (with  Love),  had  by  proof  and 
by  disproof  revealed  to  me  the  sweet  aspect  of  beau- 
tiful truth  ;  and  I,  to  own  myself  corrected  and  con- 
vinced, lifted  my  head  up  more  erect  (though  only) 
just  so  far  as  was  needful  for  utterance.  But  there 
appeared  to  me  a  vision,  which  held  me  so  fast  to 
gaze  upon  it,  that  my  confession  I  remembered  not. 

Through  the  pallid  haze  around  him,  he  becomes 
conscious  of  the  presence  of  a  number  of  beings, 
whose  features  he  can  hardly  trace ;  only  that  their 
readiness  to  converse  becomes  manifest  to  him.  So 


*  quanta  si  convenne :  There  are  two  ways  of  interpreting 
this  terzina,  of  which  the  words  in  question  form  the  key  note. 
According  to  Giuliani,  they  refer  to  confessare,  and  would  mean 
that  Dante  wished  to  own  himself  corrected  and  convinced  as 
far  as  was  needful.  "  But,"  says  Casini,  "  in  that  case  Dante 
would  not  have  said  quanto  si  convenne,  but  quanto  si  conveniva, 
for  the  preterite  indicative  convenne  must  of  necessity  be  in 
logical  agreement  with  the  analogous  term  levai  lo  copo.  What 
Dante  does  mean  is  that,  in  lifting  up  his  head  for  the  purpose 
of  inclining  it  afterwards  as  a  sign  of  affirmation,  he  did  not 
perform  an  action  that  could  wear  the  least  semblance  of  pride, 
but  an  action  that  was  modest  and  prudent ;  and  which,  as  Buti 
says,  did  not  exceed  the  bounds  of  moderation." 

t  non  mi  sovvenne :  Observe,  Dante  had  raised  his  head  to 
confess  himself  in  error,  and  to  give  a  respectful  acquiescence 
in  Beatrice's  arguments.     But  the  startling  phenomenon  that 
met  his  eyes  completely  drove  out  of  his  head  all  recollection 
of  the  act  he  was  about  to  perform.     Compare  Purg.  xv,  82-84, 
where  a  similar  act  of  his  forgetfulness  is  recorded  by  him  : 
"  Com'  io  voleva  dicer  :  '  Tu  m'  appaghe  : ' 
Vidimi  giunto  in  sulP  altro  girone, 
Si  che  tacer  mi  fer  le  luci  vaghe." 


Canto  III.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  91 

indistinct  are  they,  that  he  compares  them  to  the 
reflection  of  one's  own  face  as  seen  imperfectly  upon  a 
plate  of  glass,  which  is  not  a  mirror,  or,  as  one  sees 
it  on  looking  down  on  a  dark  still  pool,  or,  to  change 
the  simile,  as  one  dimly  discerns  an  object  upon  a 
background  of  the  same  colour,  such  as  a  pearl 
against  an  alabaster  complexion.  Not  satisfied  with 
these  similes,  he  goes  on  to  give  an  anti-simile,  con- 
trasting the  impression  made  upon  himself  with  the 
exact  reverse  of  what  happened  to  Narcissus. 

Quali  per  vetri  trasparenti  e  tersi,  10 

O  ver  per  acque  nitide  e  tranquille, 
Non  si  profonde  che  i  fondi  sien  persi,* 

Tornan  dei  nostri  visi  le  postillet 


*  persi :  Nearly  all  the  Commentators,  including  Pietro  di 
Dante,  Benvenuto  and  Buti,  give  the  interpretation  that  I  adopt, 
namely,  "  lost  to  sight."  A  few,  however,  and  among  them  Lana 
and  Landino,  understand  "  dark,  obscure,"  in  the  sense  that  it  is 
used  in  Inf.  v,  89,  "per  /'  aer perso."  The  use  of  the  form  perso 
for  perduto  is  exceedingly  common  in  Tuscany.  "  Secondo  me, 
1'  £  perso,"  (In  my  opinion  it  is  lost],  is  so  ordinary  an  expression 
at  Florence,  that  I  only  give  it  here,  because  some  English 
translators  seem  to  see  a  difficulty  in  this  signification.  The 
Gran  Dizionario,  after  quoting  a  number  of  instances  of  the  use 
of  perso  for  perduto,  quotes  the  following  from  the  letters  of  Redi 
(the  poet) :  "  Non  ho  dubbio  alcuno  che  non  sia  miglior  partito 
valersi  del  perduto  che  del  perso:  nondimeno,  perso,  essendo 
voce  usata  dagli  antichi  scrittori,  edoggi  awalorata  dal  comune 
uso,  si  puo  misericordiosamente  concedere,  per  cagion  della  rima, 
ad  un  uomo  povero  come  son  io." 

t  pastille :  "  Postilla  (says  the  Ottimo)  &  quella  imagine  nostra 
che  si  rappresenta  in  acqua  o  in  ispecchio  o  altro  corpo  trapas- 
sante,  o  vuoli  1' imagine  della  cosa  specchiata  della  materia." 
Blanc  (Voc.  Dant.}  says  the  word  is  from  the  mediaeval  Latin  ; 
and  primarily  means  a  marginal  note  that  serves  to  expound 
the  text  of  a  book  and  especially  of  the  Bible.  Referring  to  the 
present  passage,  Blanc  adds  :  "  Dante  usa  questa  voce  con 
ardita  metafora  per  quella  debole  e  imperfetta  imagine  d'un 
oggetto  che  si  riflette  in  un  vetro  o  in  acqua  limpida  ma  poco 


92  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

Debili  si,  che  perla  in  bianca  fronte* 

Non  vien  men  tostot  alle  nostre  pupille  ;  15. 


profonda  ;  e  probabilmente  vuol  dire  che  quelle  deboli  imagini. 
sono  all'  imagine  perfetta  riflessa  in  uno  specchio  cio  che  le 
note  succinte  sono  al  testo  d'  un  libro."  Dante  is  careful  to  say 
that  the  water  must  not  be  too  deep,  because  the  reflection 
of  one's  face  upon  deep  water  is  seen  with  great  distinctness, 
but  in  shallow  water  the  image  is  far  less  distinguishable, 
because  it  is  surrounded  by  luminous  rays  that  traverse  the 
body  of  the  water. 

*  perla  in  bianca  fronte :  L.  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  104,. 
Sim.  164)  says  that  this  is  a  graceful  simile  to  express  white 
upon  white,  and  that  it  reminds  one  of  a  no  less  beautiful  simile 
in  Ariosto  (xxiv,  st.  66),  where  it  is  said  by  the  Poet  that  the 
whiteness  of  his  lady's  hand  would  be  indistinguishable  from 
the  silver  tissue  of  her  sleeve,  were  it  not  for  the  purple  ribboa 
tied  round  her  wrist : 

"  Cosi  talora  un  bel  purpureo  nastro 

Ho  veduto  partir  tela  d'argento, 
Ua  quella  bianca  man  piu  ch'  alabastro, 
Da  cui  partire  il  cor  spesso  mi  sento." 

In   the    Tancia  of   Michelangelo    Buonarrotti    (the   younger), 
act  ii,  sc.  4,  Cecco  exclaims  that  a  piece  of  coral  laid  upon. 
Tancia's  ruby  lips  would  be  indistinguishable  : 
"  Ell'  ha  quella  boccuzza  rubinosa, 

Ch'a  porvi  su  un  coral  non  si  vedrebbe." 
t  men  tosto :  This  reading  Dr.  Moore,  who  adopts  it,  finds  in- 
53  MSS.,  whereas  the  variant  men  forte  he  has  verified  in  157,. 
besides  being  the  reading  adopted  by  most  of  the  old  Com- 
mentators. In  his  Textual  Criticism,  pp.  447,  448,  Dr.  Moore 
observes  :  "  This  passage  illustrates  very  well  the  application 
of  the  principle  difficilior  lectio  in  combination  with  the  scarcely 
less  fruitful  and  important  principle  that  that  reading  is  to  be 
preferred  whose  prior  existence  would  not  account  for  it.  If  we 
suppose  Dante  to  have  written  forte,  it  is  impossible  to  under- 
stand how  tosto  can  have  arisen  either  by  accident  or  design. 
If  he  wrote  tosto,  the  seemingly  incomplete  antithesis  to  debili 
would  make  the  substitution  of  forte  almost  inevitable.  Biagioli 
very  well  explains  the  relation  between  tosto  and  forte  as  cause 
and  effect :  '  Le  postille  dei  nostri  visi  vengono  all'occhio  per 
quei  mezzi  che  ha  detto  POCO  tosto,  e  siccome  la  celeritd.  e  pro- 
porzionata  allaforza,  egli  paragona  la  poca  forza  delle  une  colla 
non  maggiore  della  perla  in  bianca  fronte,  accennando  per  la 
poca  celeritk  la  poca  forza  dalla  quale  essa  precede.  Adunque 


Canto  III.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  93 

Tali  vid'  io  piu  facce  a  parlar  pronte, 

Perch'  io  dentro  all'  error*  contrario  corsi 
A  quel  ch'  accese  amor  tra  1'  uomo  e  51  fonte. 
As  through  transparent  and  polished  plates  of  glass, 
or  through  waters  limpid  and  undisturbed,  (yet)  not 
so  deep  as  that  the  bottom  be  lost  to  sight,  the  out- 
lines of  our  faces  come  reflected  back  so  faintly,  that 
a  pearl  on  a  white  forehead  comes  not  (back)  less 
speedily  to  our  eyes.  Such  (i.e.  so  indistinct)  saw  I 
many  faces  desirous  of  speaking,  whereat  I  fell  into 
the  opposite  error  to  that  which  enkindled  love  be- 
tween the  man  (Narcissus)  and  the  fountain. 

Narcissus,  looking  down  at  the  reflection  of  his  own 
face  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  thought  he  saw  a 
real  face  ;  Dante  looking  at  real  faces  of  spirits  seen 
dimly  in  the  pallid  light  of  the  Moon,  thinks  they  are 
the  reflections  of  real  persons  behind  him.  He  turns 
quickly  round  to  look  for  these  supposed  real  people, 
and  sees  nothing.  He  turns  to  Beatrice  for  an  ex- 
planation. 

Subito,  si  com'  io  di  lor  m'  accorsi, 

Quelle  stimando  specchiati  sembianti,  20 

Per  veder  di  cui  fosser,  gli  occhi  torsi ; 
E  nulla  vidi,  e  ritorsili  avanti 

Dritti  nel  lume  della  dolce  guida, 
Che  sorridendo  ardea  negli  occhi  santi. + 
The  instant  that  I  became  aware  of  them,  deeming 
them  to  be  mirrored  images,  I  turned  my  eyes  (behind 

Dante  confronta  il  venir  debole  delle  postille  col  tornar  poco 
tosto  della  perla,  perocche  il  tornar  debole  procede  dalla  poca 
forza,  siccome  il  tornar  poco  tosto  dalla  poca  forza.' "  Both 
Scartazzini  and  Casini  read  tosto. 

*  error:  The  story  of  Narcissus,  who  fell  in  love  with  the 
reflection  of  his  own  face  seen  in  a  fountain,  and  was  drowned  in 
trying  to  embrace  it,  is  told  by  Ovid,  Metam.  iii,  407,  et  seq. 

t  occhi  santi :  So  also  in  Purg.  xxxi,  133  : 

"Volgi,  Beatrice,  volgi  gli  occhi  santi." 


94  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III, 

me)  to  see  of  whom  they  might  be  (the  reflections) ; 
and  saw  nothing ;  whereupon  I  turned  them  again 
forward  direct  into  the  light  (of  the  eyes)  of  my  sweet 
guide,  who  (though)  smiling  was  (yet)  glowing  (with 
Love)  in  her  holy  eyes. 

Beatrice's  eyes  were  to  Dante  the  Light  of  Truth, 
and  in  them  he  sought  for  a  solution  of  the  unintel- 
ligible phenomenon  he  has  just  seen.  She  darts  a 
radiant  glow  of  Love  from  her  eyes,  but  smiles  at  his 
apprehension.  She  then  reproves  him  for  trusting  to 
the  evidence  of  his  senses,  and  for  his  relying  (Buti 
thinks)  on  Physics,  to  seek  out  natural  causes.  He  is 
no  longer  on  Earth,  but  in  Heaven.  He  must  look  at 
things  from  a  different  point  of  view,  and  rely  solely 
on  Theology.  She  assures  him  that  what  he  sees  are 
true  spirits,  not  reflections,  and  that  if  he  will  only 
speak  to  them,  he  will  find  it  quite  incompatible  with 
their  condition  of  blessedness  to  utter  a  word  that  is 
not  perfect  truth. 

"  Non  ti  maravigliar  perch'  io  sorrida," —  25 

Mi  disse — "appresso  il  tuo  pueril  coto,* 
Poi  sopra  il  vero  ancor  lo  pi6  non  fida, 

*  coto  :  According  to  the  Gran  Dizionario,  and  Blanc,  Voc. 
Dantesco,  this  is  an  antiquated  word  derived  from  the  Latin 
cogitare  and  signifying  "thought,  idea,  judgment,"  and  has  its 
equivalent  in  the  Provenqal  cut,  cutz.  In  Donkin's  Etymological 
Dictionary  of  the  Romance  Languages  chiefly  derivedfrom  Diez,  I 
find  coto  under  the  head  of  o.  v.  "coitare,  Sp.  Pg.  Pr.  cuidar,  O.  Fr. 
cuidier,  Fr.  cuider,  to  care ;  from  cogitare,  O,  It.  coto,  O.  Sp.  cuida, 
Sp.  Pg.  cuidado,  care.  Hence  It.  tracotanza,  Fr.  outrecuidance 
presumption,  —  ultracogitantia."  Compare  Inf.  xxxi,  77-78  : 
"  Questi  £  Nembrotto,  per  lo  cui  mal  coto 

Pure  un  linguaggio  nel  mondo  non  s'  usa." 

So  also  we  have  oltracotanza  (Inf.  ix,  93)  ;  and  /' oltracotata 
schiatta  (Par.  xvi,  115).  Nannucci  has  written  a  monograph 
upon  the  word  Sopra  la  parola  coto  usata  da  Dante,  Florence, 
1839- 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  95 

Ma  ti  rivolve,  come  suole,  a  voto. 

Vere  sustanzie  son  cio  che  tu  vedi, 
Qui  rilegate  per  manco  di  voto.  y> 

Per6  parla  con  esse,  ed  odi,  e  credi ; 
Ch£  la  verace  luce  che  le  appaga 
Da  se  non  lascia  lor  torcer  li  piedi." — 
"Do  not  marvel  that  I  smile,"  she  said  to  me,  "after 
thy  childish  thought,  for  it  does  not  as  yet  rest  its 
foot  confidently  upon  the  truth,  but,  as  it  is  wont  to 
do,  turns  thee  round  upon  vacancy.     These  are  real     • 
substances  that  thou  seest,  relegated  here  for  failure 
of  some  vow.     But  speak  thou  with  them,  and  listen, 
and  believe  that  the  Light  of  Truth  which  gives  them 
content,  does  not  suffer  them  to  turn  their  feet  from 
it." 

These  spirits  only  make  an  appearance,  as  it  were, 
in  this  sphere.  They,  and  every  one  of  the  spirits 
throughout  the  spheres,  have  their  real  abode  in  the 
Empyrean,  and — as  Beatrice  tells  Dante  in  the  next 
Canto  (iv,  28  et  seg.) — Piccarda,  with  whom  he  is  now 
about  to  converse,  is  as  much  a  real  inhabitant  of 
Heaven  as  the  Blessed  Virgin  herself. 

Division  II.  Dante  now,  in  obedience  to  his  fair 
Guide,  turns  his  eyes  again  upon  the  band  of  spirits  ; 
and  seeing  one,  the  expression  in  whose  countenance 
seems  to  give  him  encouragement,  he  addresses  him- 
self to  her.  This  spirit  is  that  of  Piccarda,  or  possibly 
Riccarda,  sister  of  Corso  and  Forese  de'  Donati,  to  a 
branch  of  which  powerful  family  Dante's  own  wife 
Gemma  belonged.  Count  Cesare  Balbo,  in  his  Vita 
di  Dante  (p.  105),  says  that  the  story  of  Piccarda  is 
one  of  the  fullest  in  pathos  of  those  recorded  by 
Dante  ;  and  it  is  indeed  a  marvel  that  it  should  never 
have  found  a  place  among  the  many  touching  epi- 


96  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

sodes  that  foreign  poets  have  borrowed  from  him. 
Piccarda  seems  to  have  taken  the  veil  in  the  Convent 
of  Santa  Chiara  at  Florence.*  According  to  Benve- 
nuto  da  Imola,  Piccarda  entered  the  convent  when  of 
full  age,  and  of  her  own  free  will.  From  this  peaceful 
life  she  was  forcibly  withdrawn  by  her  fierce  brother 
Corso,  and  compelled  to  wed  one  Rosellino  della 
Tosa.  Tradition  records  different  fables  respecting 
the  amount  of  resistance  that  Piccarda  opposed  to 
this  violence.  One  account  relates  that,  having  before 
the  Crucifix  entreated  God  for  the  preservation  of  her 
virginity,  she  was  miraculously  smitten  with  instan- 
taneous leprosy,  of  which  she  died  in  a  few  days. 
Another  account,  while  corroborating  her  interces- 
sion, differs  as  to  the  miraculous  visitation,  which,  it 
maintains,  was  a  lingering  sickness,  under  which  she 
wasted  away.  Some,  on  the  other  hand,  think  that 
from  her  only  attaining  the  lowest  place  in  Paradise, 
and  from  the  long  philosophical  and  theological  trea- 
tise upon  the  efficacy  of  the  will  that  Dante  has  put 
into  her  mouth,  we  are  to  infer  that  Piccarda  sub- 
mitted, though  in  sorrow  and  reluctance,  to  the  reali- 
zation of  a  married  life,  before  being  attacked  by  the 
mortal  illness  that  her  prayers  had  implored.  The 
one  fact  remains,  that  somehow  she  died  soon  after 
her  marriage,  and  then  popular  superstition  assigned 
her  unexpected  death  to  a  miraculous  cause.  Balbo 
declines  to  enter  into  this  discussion,  considering  that 
Dante's  own  lines  most  fully  narrate  the  facts,  while 

*  Santa  Chiara,  the  countrywoman  and  contemporary  of 
St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  adapted  the  rule  of  his  Friars  to  her  own 
sex,  and  founded  the  Order  which  bore  her  name. 


Canto  III.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  97 

they  are  as  replete  with  tenderness  and  affection  as 
any  that  he  ever  wrote.    Piccarda  is  one  of  those  gentle 
and  saintly  female  creations,  which  Dante,  and  after 
him  Shakespeare,  could  alone  adequately  represent. 
Ed  io  all'  ombra,  che  parea  piu  vaga 

Di  ragionar,*  drizza'  mi,  e  cominciai,  35 

Quasi  com'  uom  cui  troppa  voglia  ismaga :  t 
— "  O  ben  create  spirito,  che  a'  rai 

Di  vita  eterna  la  dolcezza  senti, 

Che  non  gustata  non  s'  intende  mai ;  % 


*  piu  vaga  Di  ragionar :  Scartazzini  thinks  that  Piccarda 
was  the  one  among  the  spirits  who  appeared  most  desirous 
of  conversing  with  Dante,  because  she  had  known  him  with 
all  the  intimacy  of  a  kinswoman.  And  yet,  though  desirous 
of  speaking  with  him,  she  is  not  the  first  to  address  him,  but 
waits  until  he  makes  his  enquiries  of  her.  Her's  is  that  charity 
which  (i  Cor.  xiii,  5)  "  seeketh  not  her  own."  It  is  that  un- 
selfishness inculcated  by  St.  Paul  in  Phil,  ii,  4  :  "  Look  not 
every  man  on  his  own  things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things 
of  others." 

t  troppa  voglia  ismaga:   Dante's  desire  to  converse  with 
Piccarda  was  so  great,  that  his  reason  was  almost  wandering. 
L.  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  160,  Sim.  274)  says  that  this  simile 
manifests  an  eagerness  as  keen  as  that  which  disturbs  the  mind 
by  reason  of  the  multiplicity  of  the  things  it  seeks  to  know. 
Petrarch  (Ball,  i,  st.  i),  in  his  eagerness  to  behold  Laura,  says  : 
"  Lassare  il  velo  o  per  Sole  o  per  ombra, 
Donna,  non  vi  vid'  io, 
Poi  che  'n  me  conosceste  il  gran  deslo 
Ch'  ogni  altra  voglia  d'  entr'  al  cor  mi  sgombra." 
for  ismaga  see  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  ii,  p.  342,  footnote 
on  smagato,  Inf.  xxv,  1.  146.     Andreoli  says  of  ismaga  in  the 
passage  in  the  text :  "  priva  del  prestigio  della  posatezza,  della 
gravita."     And  on  Purg.  iii,  io,  ii  :   "la  fretta,  che  1'onestade 
ad  ogni  atto  dismaga,"  Andreoli  writes  :  "  la  quale  toglie  il 
prestigio  del  decoro  ad  ogni  atto  dell'  uomo."     L.  Venturi  (/.  c.) 
says  that  Dante  uses  the  word  smagare  several  times  in  the 
different  senses  of,  "to  be  discouraged  ; "  or  "to  be  bewildered  ;" 
or  "  to  be  distant  from." 

£  non  s'1  intende  mai :  In  the  Vita  Nuova,  §  xxvi,  Sonnet  15, 
Dante  says  of  Beatrice  : 

I.  H 


98  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  III. 

Grazioso  mi  fia,  se  mi  content!  *  40 

Del  nome  tuo  e  della  vostra  sorte." — t 

And  I  to  the  shade  that  seemed  the  most  desirous  of 
talking,  turned  myself,  and  began  almost  like  a  man 
whom  a  too  ardent  eagerness  bewilders :  "  O  spirit 
predestined  to  bliss,  who  in  the  rays  of  life  eternal 
(i.e.  of  Divine  Grace)  art  tasting  that  sweetness  which, 
when  untasted,  can  never  be  comprehended  (by  mor- 
tals) ;  grateful  will  it  be  to  me,  if  thou  wilt  satisfy 
my  desire  to  know  thy  name  and  your  destiny." 

Dante  had  been  told  by  Beatrice  (11.  29,  30)  that,  for 
failure  of  their  vows,  these  spirits  had  been  relegated 
to  an  inferior  mansion  in  Heaven. 

Piccarda  at  once  replies.  She  tells  Dante  who 
she  was,  what  she  had  been  in  her  life-time,  and  ex- 
plains the  condition  of  the  spirits  in  the  heaven  of 

the  Moon. 

Ond'  ella  pronta  e  con  occhi  ridenti :  t 


"  Mostrasi  si  piacente  a  chi  la  mira, 

Che  da  per  gli  occhi  una  dolcezza  al  core, 
Che  intender  non  la  pu6  chi  non  la  prova." 

*  mi  contenti :  This  verb  has,  among  its  other  significations, 
the  distinct  sense  of  to  satisfy  the  desire  of  any  one  to  know 
anything,  or  to  have  anything :  "  Contentare  alcuno  di  una  cosa 
vale  Appagare  il  desiderio  che  alcuno  ha  di  sapere  di  avere  una 
cosa."  (Gran  Dizionario^  s.  v.  contentare,  §  2).  In  Giov.  Villani, 
Lib.  xii,  cap.  57,  we  find  the  word  with  the  sense  of  "  satisfying 
the  desire  to  have."  "  Filippo  di  Valos,  re  di  Francia,  a  petizione 
del  duca  d'  Atene,  gli  die  rappresaglia  sopra  i  Fiorentini  in  avere 
e  in  persona  in  tutto  suo  reame,  se  per  infino  a'  calen  di  Maggio 
prossimo  non  avessono  contento  il  detto  duca  d' Atene  di  ci6 
che  domandava  di  menda  a'  Fiorentini,  ch'  era  infinita  quantita 
di  moneta." 

+  nome  tuo -vostre  sorte :  Observe  the  difference 

between  the  tuo  referring  to  Piccarda  only,  and  vostra,  which 
includes  herself  and  her  fellow  spirits. 

J  occhi  ridenti :  Piccarda's  eyes  were  beaming  with  the  holy 
gladness  that  proceeds  from  Heavenly  Love. 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  99 

— "  La  nostra  carita  non  serra  porte* 

A  giusta  voglia,  se  non  come  quella 

Che  vuol  simile  a  s£  tutta  sua  corte.  45 

lo  fui  nel  mondo  vergine  sorella  ;t 

E  se  la  mente  tua  ben  si  riguarda,J 
Non  mi  ti  celera  1'  esser  piii  bella, 

Ma  riconoscerai  ch'  io  son  Piccarda, 

Che  posta  qui  con  questi  altri  beati,  50 

Beata  sono  in  la  spera  piu  tarda. 

Whereupon  she  readily,  and  with  beaming  eyes : 
"Our  charity  (i.e.  the  spirit  of  love  with  which  we 
are  animated)  doth  not  close  the  doors  to  a  just  wish, 
any  more  than  that  (of  God)  which  wills  that  all  its 
court  be  like  itself.  In  the  world  I  was  a  virgin 
sister  (i.e.  a  nun) ;  and,  if  thy  memory  reviews  itself 
well,  my  having  become  more  beautiful  will  not 
conceal  me  from  thee,  but  thou  wilt  recognize  that 
I  am  Piccarda,  who  placed  here  with  these  other 
blessed  ones,  am  (myself)  blest  in  the  sphere  that 
moves  the  slowest. 

The  Heaven  of  the  Moon  is  supposed  to  be  the 
smallest  of  all  the  spheres,  and  to  have  a  slower 
revolution  than  the  rest.  Capetti  (Osservasioni  sul 
Paradiso  dantesco,  Venice,  1888,  p.  9  et  seq^)  observes 
that  Piccarda  answers  with  the  gentleness  of  a  high- 
born dame,  the  sweetness  of  a  virgin  sister,  and  the 
saintliness  of  a  blessed  spirit :  she  speaks  of  her 

*  non  serra  porte :  Tommase'o  explains  this  to  mean  that  the 
spirits  will  not  deny  to  Dante  satisfaction  to  his  natural  wish  for 
information,  because  their  Love  is  in  conformity  with  the  Divine 
Love  which  has  not  denied  such  satisfaction. 

t  sorella :  This  is  not  commonly  employed  to  express  a  nun, 
or  a  sister  in  a  religious  Order.  Suora  is  the  usual  word.  Sorella 
more  generally  signifies  the  family  tie  of  sister. 

X  si  riguarda:  "II  riguardare  della  mente  a  se  stessa  dimostra 
per  convenevol  modo  1'  atto  del  ricordarsi,  o  richiamare  alia  me- 
moria  alcuna  imagine  di  cosa  altre  volte  caduta  sotto  i  sens!  od 
in  pensiero."  (Giuliani,  Metodo  di  commentare  la  D.  C.,  p.  523). 

H  2 


TOO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  III. 

courtesy  as  that  Charity  which  is  in  conformity  with 
Divine  Love :  she  too,  even  as  Francesca  da  Rimini, 
is  moved  to  speak  from  love,  but  from  a  love  that  is 
pure  and  all-embracing. 

In  the  belief  that  the  magnified  beauty  of  her  new 
life  of  blessedness  will  not  prevent  Dante,  who  knew 
her  in  her  earthly  life,  from  recognizing  her  here,  she 
does  not,  just  at  first,  reveal  her  own  name.  But  as 
he  is  not  quick  to  recollect  her  (a  rimembrar  festino], 
with  that  kindly  tenderness  that  will  not  delay  even 
for  a  moment  to  fulfil  his  desire,  she  declares  her 
name,  reiterating  the  word  (-beati,  1.  50,  beata-  1.  51) 
which  describes  her  state  of  blissfulness.  She  tells 
him  that  the  company,  of  whom  she  is  one,  rejoice 
only  in  that  amount  of  blissfulness  which  it  pleases 
God  that  they  should  have.  His  Will  stamps  and 
gives  form  to  their  joy.  Capetti  thinks  that  their 
being  placed  in  the  lowest  grade  of  Heaven  is  very 
opportune ;  even  as  their  countenances  are  so  trans- 
formed as  to  have  retained  the  merest  shade  of  their 
earthly  semblance,  so  does  the  merest  shadow  of  the 
world,  of  its  griefs  and  trespasses,  remain  in  their  souls. 
Virgin  sisters,  they  were  driven  by  violence  back  into 
the  world,  and  though  they  remained  virgins  in  heart, 
and  not  loving  the  world,  yet  they  had  just  this  much 
of  faulty  weakness,  in  lacking  the  moral  force  to  com- 
bat and  resist  the  violence  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected ;  and  God,  as  just  in  His  rewards  as  in  His 
punishments,  has  actually  placed  them  in  a  degree  of 
Heaven  below  those  who  lived  in  the  world,  and  were 
ambitious  for  its  glories,  but  were  strong.  It  is  therefore 
from  no  theological  subtlety  but  from  a  lofty  concep- 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  IOI 

tion  of  life,  that  Dante  has  represented  in  the  lowest 
sphere  these  gentle  and  innocent  spirits,  who  had 
been  the  victims  of  violent  men. 

Li  nostri  affetti,  che  solo  infiammati 
Son  nel  placer  dello  Spirito  Santo,  • 
Letizian  del  suo  ordine  formati. 

E  questa  sorte,  che  par  giu  cotanto,  55 

Pero  n'  e  data,  perch£  fur  negletti 
Li  nostri  voti,  e  voti  *  in  alcun  canto." — 

Our  affections,  which  are  inflamed  only  in  the  bliss 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  take  the  form  of  delight  that  has 
been  ordained  by  Him.  And  this  allotted  place, 
which  appears  so  lowly,  is  given  us  for  this  reason, 
because  our  vows  were  neglected,  and  made  void  in 
some  particular." 

Benvenuto  here  gives  an  explanation,  which  is,  to  say 
the  least,  peculiar.  He  apparently  does  not  consider 
that  the  lowly  grade  which  has  been  assigned  to 
Piccarda  applies  to  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon  as  a 
whole,  but  only  to  the  lowest  part  of  that  sphere  in 
which  she  is.  He  thinks  that  all  holy  virgins  are  in 
that  Heaven,  St.  Clare  among  the  rest ;  "  nam  omnes 
sanctce  virgines  sunt  in  luna,  sicut  potes  videre  in  beata 
Clara,  qua  est  in  eadem  spera,  et  tamen  non  neglexit 
votum,  imo  perseverantissime  servavit.  Sicut  enim 


*  voti,  e  voti,  etc. :  Blanc  (Saggio  di  una  interpretazione  filo- 
logica  di  parecchi  passi  oscuri  e  controversi  del  la  Divina  Corn- 
media.  Versions  Italiana  di  O.  Occioni :  L}  Inferno.  Trieste, 
1865,  sm.  8vo),  in  a  comment  on  the  passage  in  Inf.  xiii,  25, 
"lo  credo  ch'ei  credette  ch'io  credesse,"  says  that  he  would 
like  to  be  able  to  contend  that  Dante  neither  sought  out  nor 
avoided  such-like  play  of  words,  but  that  a  number  of  passages 
forbid  one  from  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  he  did  not  some- 
what relish  them.  Blanc  quotes  ten  of  such  passages,  of  which 
the  present  text  is  one.  They  are  reproduced  at  length  in 
Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  420,  421. 


IO2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

sol  qui  est  pater  caloris  facit  viros  sapientes,  ita  luna 
mater  humoris  facit  mulieres  honestas.  Sed  vult  dicere 
ista  virgo  quod  est  posita  in  infimd  parte  lunce>  quia 
non  solverat  integre  debitum  voti"  Therefore  when 
Dante  in  11.  97  et  seq.  alludes  to  St.  Clare,  whose  per- 
fect life  he  says  (!')  inciela  pin  su,  he  would  mean, 
according  to  Benvenuto,  not  that  she  is  in  a  higher 
sphere  than  Piccarda,  but  in  a  higher  grade  of  the 
same  sphere.  This  is  not  Buti's  view,  as  we  shall  see 
later  on  when  we  come  to  speak  of  St.  Clare. 

Dante,  for  his  own  exculpation,  points  out  to  Pic- 
carda that  there  is  some  excuse  for  his  not  having 
recognized  her  features,  for  the  glory  of  Heaven  has 
wrought  such  a  change  in  them,  as  well  as  in  those 
of  her  companions,  that  his  present  recognition  of  her 
is  only  "  from  what  she  has  just  said." 

Ond'  io  a  lei : — "  Ne' mirabili  aspetti 
Vostri  risplende  non  so  che  divino, 
Che  vi  trasmuta*  dai  primi  concetti.  60 

Pero  non  fui  a  rimembrar  festino, 
Ma  or  m'  aiuta  cio  che  tu  mi  dici, 
Si  che  raffigurar  m'  e  piu  latino.t 

*  Che  vi  trasmuta:  Mr.  Haselfoot  (The  Divina  Commedia 
of  Dante  Alighieri,  translated  .  .  .  with  notes  by  Frederick 
K.  H.  Haselfoot,  London,  1887)  happily  points  out  that  "in  a 
far  different  sense  Piccarda's  brother  Forese's  face  also  was 
so  changed  as  to  be  beyond  recognition  by  Dante."  We  may 
remark  that  Dante  has  omitted  to  place  the  ferocious  Corso 
de'  Donati  in  Hell,  perhaps  because  he  was  a  kinsman  of  his 
wife  Gemma.  Had  he  done  so,  he  probably  would  have  repre- 
sented him  too  as  unrecognizable.  Corso  Donati  died  in  1308. 
The  Inferno  was  not  completed  till  after  1314. 

+  latino :  There  are  numberless  instances  to  prove  that,  in 
the  time  of  Dante,  this  word  was  in  general  use  to  signify  "easy, 
clear,  intelligible."  In  the  Poeti  del  Primo  Secolo  della  Lingua 
Italiana,  Florence,  1816,  2  vols.  8vo.,  vol.  i,  p.  530,  Gonnella 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  103 

Whereupon  I  to  her :    "  In  your  glorified  counte- 
nances there  beams  forth  I  know  not  what  of  the 

degP  Interminelli  writes,  in  a  Sonnet  to  Bonagiunta  Urbiciani : 
"  Parlara  (i.e.  parleria)  piu  latin,  se  non  ch'  eo  spero 

Che  tutto  sa  chi  £  dottor  di  rima." 

And  Ibid,  p.  534,  Bonodico  Notaio  da  Lucca,  in  a  Sonnet  to 
Gonnella  degF  Interminelli,  writes  :  "  Latino,  come  sento,  res- 
pondero."  This  line  is  interpreted  by  Nannucci  (Anal.  Crit. 
p.  239,  footnote  (i)):  "Cio&  latinamente.  chiaramente.  Latino 
per  piano,  chiaro,  intelligibile,  facile,  etc.  Dice  Daniello  ch' 
e  voce  dei  Lombardi,  che  quando  vogliono,  dimostrare  una 
cosa  esser  agevole  e  facile  da  maneggiare,  dicono,  e  ladina.  Ma 
k.  dal  latinus  de'  bassi  tempi.  Antonio  di  Tempo  nei  suoi  Ritmi 
volgari,  MS. .  .  Estense  citato  dal  Galvani :  quia  magis est  latinus 
et  facilior."  Giov.  Villani  (xi,  cap.  20)  speaking  of  Pope 
John  XXII's  accessibility,  writes :  "Le  piu mattine dicea la messa, 
e  assai  era  latino  (i.  e.  facile)  a  dare  udienza,  e  tosto  spediva." 
Caverni  (  Voci  e  Modi  della  Div.  Com.  delF  uso  popolare  toscano, 
Firenze,  1877,  p.  73)  explains  that,  as  in  Dante's  time  Latin  was 
the  language  spoken  and  written  by  learned  people,  the  word 
latino  came  to  be  used  to  signify  an  ornate  speech,  or  oration, 
as  in  Par.  xii,  144  :  "il  discrete  latino ;"  and  in  Par.  xvii,  34,  35  : 
"  per  chiare  parole,  e  con  precise  Latin,  rispose."  Caverni  adds : 
"  E  perchfe  tutto  cio  ch'  &  ornato  £  facile,  e  anzi  £  la  facilita  una 
condizione  essenziale  alia  grazia  ;  latino  venne  a  significare  anche 
facile,  agevole.  Di  questa  voce  in  tale  significato  &  vivo  latinare, 
ch'  &  detto  da'  conciatori  (curriers)  per  togliere  con  facilita  la 
lana  alle  pelli  di  pecora,  quando  per  la  calcina  son  ben  ricotti 
i  bulbi  de'  peli."  I  also  find  a  full  description  of  latinare  in  // 
Parlare  degli  Artigiani  di  Firenze,  di  Girolamo  Gargiolli, 
Firenze,  1876,  where  in  pp.  86,  87,  a  detailed  description  is  given 
of  how  lambskins  "  si  latinano  con  altro  bastone  piu  corto  (termed 
un  bastone  da  latinare)  che  si  adopera  come  il  ferro  da  pelare. 
Codesto  semplice  arnese  (tool)  basta  per  levare  di  dosso  alia 
pecora  la  lana,  della  quale  il  latte  di  calcina  ha  bruciate  le  barbe. 
L'  operazione  si  dice  latinare  per  la  gran  facilita  di  eseguirla." 
Casini,  after  asserting  that  latino  for  "  easy"  exists  still  in  several 
Lombard  dialects,  adds,  that  the  expression  latine  loqui  was  in 
frequent  use  by  the  ancient  Romans,  and  that  Cicero  (Philipp. 
vii,  6)  so  uses  it  to  designate  speakers  whose  language  is  plain 
and  easy  to  understand  :  "Quern  gladiatorem  non  ita  appellavi, 
ut  interdum  etiam  M.  Antonius  gladiator  appellari  solet,  sed  ut 
appellant  ii,  qui  plane  et  Latine  loquuntur."  Compare  also  Con- 
•vita  ii,  3, 11.  i,  2  :  "A  piu  latinamente  vedere  la  sentenza  litterale, 
alia  quale  ora  s'  intende,"  etc.  See  Littre",  "  liJtre  au  bout  de  son 
Latin,"  =  ne  savoir  plus  que  faire. 


IO4  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  III. 

divine,  which  transforms  you  from  one's  earlier  re- 
collections (of  your  faces).  For  that  reason  I  was 
not  quick  to  remember,  but  now  that  which  thou 
tellest  me  assists  me,  so  that  to  recognize  thee  is 
easier  for  me. 

Scartazzini  observes  that  in  this  Sphere  only  have  the 
spirits  faces ;  while  throughout  the  rest  of  Paradise 
they  are  Lights,  or  Radiances.  But  even  here,  from 
excess  of  beauty,  their  faces  are  not  recognized  by 
Dante.  Beatrice  alone  retains  her  face. 

It  has  been  remarked  that  the  Sphere  of  the  Moon 
is  a  species  of  Ante-Paradise.  As  we  found  the  souls 
of  the  Negligent  in  the  vestibule  of  Hell,  and  in  the 
Ante-Purgatory,  so,  on  the  very  threshold  of  Paradise, 
do  we  find,  standing  as  it  were  in  the  place  of  the 
Negligent,  the  souls  of  those  who  failed  in  their  vows, 
not  indeed  from  their  own  neglect,  but  from  the  vio- 
lence of  others. 

Division  III.  In  his  account  of  the  shades  in  Limbo 
(Inf.  iv),  Dante  had  represented  them  as  being  with- 
out hope  of  changing  their  condition,  though  in  con- 
tinuous desire  to  do  so.  He  asks  Piccarda  if  any  such 
feeling  exists  in  the  lowest  Sphere  of  Heaven. 
Ma  dimmi :  voi  che  siete  qui  felici, 

Desiderate  voi  piu  alto  loco  65 

Per  piu  vedere,  o  per  piu  farvi  amici  ? "  * 


*  per  piu  farvi  amici :  "  Videtur  quod  amici  sint  necessarii 
ad  beatitudinem  .  .  .  Sed  ad  bene  esse  beatitudinis  facit  so- 
cietas  amicorum  ;  unde  Augustinus  dicit  (Super.  Gen.  ad  litt. 
lib.  viii,  cap.  25,  post  med.),  qu6d  'creatura  spiritualis  ad  hoc 
quod  sit  beata,  nonnisi  intrinsecus  adjuvatur  aeternitate,  veritate, 
charitate  Creatoris ;  extrinsecus  vero  si  adjuvari  dicenda  est, 
fortasse  hoc  solo  adjuvatur  qu6d  se  invicem  vident,  et  de  sua 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradise.  105 

But  tell  me  :  you  that  are  here  in  bliss,  do  you  long 
for  any  more  exalted  place,  to  see  more,  or  to  make 
for  yourselves  more  friends." 

I  follow  Tommaseo,  Scartazzini  and  Casini,  in  their 
interpretation,  which  conveys  the  following  meaning  : 
"  Do  all  of  you  desire  to  be  in  a  more  exalted  region 
of  Heaven,  in  order  that  you  may  see  a  greater 
number  of  your  former  friends  who  are  already  there, 
or,  for  the  purpose  of  making  for  yourselves  a  glo- 
rious array  of  friends  in  increasing  numbers  among 
the  Blessed  on  High?"  And  this  intepretation  is 
confirmed  by  the  fact  that  Dante  does  not  yet 
know  that  everyone  of  the  spirits  in  the  Spheres  are 
also  inmates  of  the  Empyrean.  The  more  generally 
adopted  interpretation,  with  which  I  do  not  agree,  is: — 
"For  the  purpose  of  beholding  nearer  that  Divinity, 
from  which  all  Blessedness  takes  its  source,  or  to  be 
able  to  make  yourselves  more  beloved  by  God  ?" 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  most  touching  and 
beautiful  passages  in  the  Divina  Commedia.  Let 
those,  who  only  know  Dante  by  his  Inferno,  and 
who  think  of  him  as  the  Poet  of  wrath,  horror,  and 
vindictiveness,  turn  their  attention  instead  to  the  lines 
that  follow,  and  they  will  then  recognize  him  as  the 
Poet  of  sweetness,  simplicity,  and  Piety,  as  the  Poet 
of  peaceful  scenes  in  which  the  most  perfect  submis- 
sion to  the  will  of  God  is  garbed  in  a  radiant  gladness 
which  seems  to  say :  "  Be  glad,  O  ye  righteous,  and 
rejoice  in  the  Lord  :  and  be  joyful,  all  ye  that  are  true 
of  heart." 

societate  gaudent.'  .  .  .  Unde  quasi  concomitanter  se  habet 
amicitia  ad  perfectam  beatitudinem."  (St.  Thomas  Aquinas, 
Summ.  Thcol.  pt.  i,  2dz,  qu.  iv,  art.  8). 


106  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  III. 

"  I  am  content  to  do  (Thy  will,  O  my  God) :  I  am 
content  to  do  it  :  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart." 

Con  quelle  altr'  ombre  pria  sorrise  un  poco  ; 
Da  indi*mi  risposet  tanto  lieta, 
Ch'  arder  parea  d'  amor  nel  primo  fcrco :  $ 
— "  Frate,  la  nostra  volontk  qu'ieta  70 

Virtu  di  carita,  che  fa  volerne 
Sol  quel  ch'avemo,  e  d'altro  non  ci  asseta.§ 


*  Da  indi  is  the  equivalent  in  Italian  of  the  Latin  deinde. 

t  mi  rispose  :  Scartazzini  observes  that  in  the  next  twenty 
lines  of  the  text  Dante  expresses  dogmas  that  are  in  full  accord 
with  the  writings  of  the  Early  Fathers,  namely,  that  the  spirits 
of  the  just  in  Heaven  have  no  other  will  than  the  will  of  God. 
He  quotes  many  passages  in  corroboration,  of  which  I  will  only 
cite  one  by  St.  Augustine  (De  Civ.  Dei,  xxii,  30,  2)  :  "  Qui  futuri 
sint  pro  meritis  praemiorum  etiam  gradus  honorum  atque  glo- 
riarum,  quis  est  idoneus  cogitare  quanto  magis  dicere?  Quod 
tamen  futuri  sint,  non  est  ambigendum.  Atque  id  etiam  beata 
civitas  ilia  magnum  in  se  bonum  videbit,  quod  nullus  inferior 
superiori  invidebit,  sicut  nunc  non  invident  Archangelis  Angeli 
ceteri  :  tamque  nolet  esse  unusquisque  quod  non  accepit, 
quamvis  sit  paratissimo  vinculo  concordiae  ei,  qui  accepit  ob- 
strictus,  quam  nee  in  corpore  vult  oculus  esse  qui  est  digitus,. 
cum  membrum  utrumque  contineat  totius  carnis  pacata.com- 
pago.  Sic  itaque  habebit  donum  alius  alio  minus,  ut  hoc  donum 
quoque  habeat,  ne  velit  amplius." 

£  d*  amor  nel  primo  foco  :  With  Tommase'o,  L.  Venturi,  Scar- 
tazzini and  Casini,  I  follow  the  interpretation  here  of  Vellutello  : 
"  Nel  primo,  cioe  nel  piu  veemente  fuoco  d'  amore  ;  e  non  nel 
primo  fuoco  perche  fosse  nel  primo  basso  cielo  come  altri  hanno 
inteso."  Some  interpret  the  words  as  meaning  "  in  the  fire  of 
divine  Love,"  i.  e.  in  God  who  is  il  primo  amore.  Others  under- 
stand primo  foco  to  mean  the  Moon,  as  the  first  or  nearest  of  the 
planetary  spheres  to  the  Earth.  But  Scartazzini  points  out  that 
Piccarda  not  only  "pareva  ardere,  ma  ardeva  veramente  ;"  and 
it  is  just  that  glowing  in  Divine  Love  that  Dante  wishes  to 
make  known  to  us,  by  comparing  it  to  the  burning  of  a  first  love 
that  is  known  to  us  even  on  earth. 

§  d1  altro  non  ci  asseta :  Benvenuto  on  these  three  lines 
observes  that  each  heaven  contains  an  amount  of  bliss  in  pro- 
portion to  its  capacity,  as  in  our  world  a  small  vessel  will  not 
be  able  to  hold  as  much  water  as  a  bigger  one.  Ozanam  (Dante 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  107 

• 

Se  disiassimo  esser  piu  superne, 
Foran  discordi  li  nostri  disiri 
Dal  voler  di  colui  che  qui  ne  cerne,*  75 

Che  vedrai  non  caperet  in  questi  giri, 
S'  essere  in  carita  e  qui  necesse, 
E  se  la  sua  natura  ben  rimiri. 

et  la  Philosophic  Catholique  au  Treizieme  Stecle,  Paris,  1839, 
p.  177),  after  describing  the  Empyrean  as  understood  by  Dante, 
adds  :  "  Ce  lieu  est  le  sej'our  commun  des  ames  e"pure"es  par  les 
epreuves  de  la  vie  ou  par  les  expiations  qui  la  suivent.  Si 
quelquefois  on  se  les  repre'sente  a  des  hauteurs  ine'gales  dans 
les  orbes  innombrables  qui  peuplent  le  firmament,  cette  image 
mesure'e  a  la  faiblesse  de  Pespnt  humain,  n'a  d'autre  objet  que 
de  faire  comprendre  1'indgalit^  de  leurs  me"rites.  Elles-me'mes 
sentent  la  justice  de  cette  proportion,  et  la  conscience  qu'elles 
en  ont  devient  un  e"le"ment  constitutif  de  leur  felicite".  Car  1'amour 
qui  les  rend  heureuses,  fait  entrer  leurs  volonte"s  dans  le  cercle 
de  la  volont^  divine,  ou  elles  se  perdent  comme  les  eaux  dans 
POcean.  Ainsi,  en  des  conditions  differentes,  chacune  rencontre 
le  terme  de  ses  de"sirs,  c'est-a-dire  la  somme  de  bonheur  dont 
elle  est  capable  :  et  de  la  varie'te'  meme  des  bienfaits  re"sulte  un 
concert  admirable  a  la  louange  du  Remune'rateur." 

*  cerne:  The  verb  cernere  has  been  variously  interpreted. 
I  follow  Buti,  who  says  :  "  che,  cioe  lo  quale,  gut,  cioe,  in  questo 
luogo,  ne  cerne,  cioe  judica  noi  che  debiamo  stare."  Of  Buti's 
interpretation  Casini  speaks  approvingly,  but  thinks  Buti  meant 
to  give  to  cernere  the  somewhat  wider  signification  of  "to 
assign,  to  allot."  Scartazzini  prefers  to  take  it  as  equivalent 
to  "vedere  ;"  others  with  the  sense  of  "to  separate,  segregate, 
distinguish."  But  these  spirits  are  not  separated  off  from  all 
others  in  Paradise,  as  all  are  inmates  of  the  Empyrean. 

\  cape"re  is  equivalent  to  "aver  luogo."  The  sense  of  the 
passage  is  :  "  Variance  from  the  will  of  God  can  have  no  place 
in  Paradise,  if  so  be  that  it  is  a  necessity  that  in  Paradise  the 
spirits  are  under  the  influence  of  Love,  and  if  it  be  remembered 
that  the  essential  quality  of  Love  (or  Charity)  is  a  perfect 
submission  or  conformity  to  the  Divine  Will."  Compare  the 
following  :  "  Charitas  diligit  Deum  super  omnia  eminentius 
quam  natura.  Natura  enim  diligit  Deum  super  omnia,  prout 
est  principium  et  finis  naturalis  boni  ;  charitas  autem,  secundum 
quod  est  objectum  beatitudinis,  et  secundum  qu6d  homo  habet 
quandam  societatem  spiritualem  cum  Deo.  Addit  etiam  charitas 
super  naturalem  dilectionem  Dei  promptitudinem  quandam  et 
delectationem,  sicut  habitus  quilibet  virtutis  addit  super  actum 


IO8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

Anzi  e  formale*  ad  esto  beato  esse 

Tenersi  dentro  alia  divina  voglia,  80 

Per  ch'  una  fansi  nostre  voglie  stesse. 

With  those  other  shades  first  she  smiled  a  little,  and 
after  that  she  answered  me  with  such  gladness,  that 
she  seemed  as  it  were  to  glow  with  the  fire  of  a  first 
love :  "  Brother,  the  influence  of  Love  contents  our 
will,  which  (influence)  makes  us  long  for  that  alone 
which  we  have,  and  sets  us  not  athirst  for  aught  else. 
Were  we  to  wish  to  be  more  exalted,  our  desires 
would  be  at  variance  with  the  Will  of  Him  who  as- 
signs us  our  abode  here,  which  (variance)  thou  wilt 
see  can  have  no  place  in  these  spheres,  if  to  exist  in 
Love  be  here  a  necessity,  and  if  thou  well  considerest 
the  nature  of  it  (i.e.  Love).  Nay  rather,  it  is  essential 
to  this  blessed  existence  to  restrain  oneself  within 
the  Divine  Will,  and  that  is  why  our  very  wills  them- 
selves are  made  one  (with  that  of  God). 

Piccarda  adds  that  this  perfect  concord  and  unan- 
imity of  will  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  spirits 
in  the  lowest  region  of  Heaven,  but  from  sphere  to 


bonum  qui  fit  ex  sola  naturali  ratione  hominis  virtutis  habituin 
non  habentis."  (St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Tfieol.  pars  i, 
2dje,  qu.  cix,  art.  3). 

*  %  formale,  et  seq.  Mr.  Butler  quotes  the  following  from 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  2dsc,  qu.  xix,  art.  10 : 
"  Conformatur  quantum  ad  hoc  voluntas  hominis  voluntati  di- 
vinae,  quia  vult  hoc  quod  Deus  vult  eum  velle.  Est  et  alius 
modus  conformitatis  secundum  rationem  causae  formalis  ut 
scilicet  homo  velit  aliquid  ex  charitate,  sicut  Deus  vult ;  et  ista 
etiam  conformitas  reducitur  ad  conformitatem  formalem,  quae 
attenditur  ex  ordine  ad  ultimum  finem,  quod  est  proprium  ob- 
jectum  charitatis  .  .  .  Sed  in  particulari  nescimus  quid  Deus 
velit  .  .  In  statu  tamen  gloriae  omnes  videbunt  in  singulis  quae 
volent,  ordinem  eorum  ad  id  quod  Deus  circa  hoc  vult  ;  et  ideo 
non  solum  formalitur,  sed  materialiter  in  omnibus  suam  volun- 
tatem  Deo  conformabunt."  Compare  also  Ibid,  pars  ii,  2dz, 
qu.  civ,  art.  I  :  "  Divina  voluntas  est  prima  regula  qua  regulantur 
omnes  rationales  voluntates,  cui  una  magis  appropinquat  quam 
alia,  secundum,  ordinem  divinitus  institutum." 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  109 

sphere  the  one  same  conformity  of  will  exists  in  the 
hearts  of  all  the  blessed  with  that  of  their  Almighty 
Father  in  the  Highest  Heaven. 

SI  che,  come  noi  sem  di  soglia  in  soglia* 

Per  questo  regno,  a  tutto  il  regnot  place, 
Com'  allo  re  ch'  a  suo  voler  ne  invoglia :  $ 
E  la  sua  volontate  e  nostra  pace  ;  §  85 

Ella  e  quel  mare  al  qual  tutto  si  move 
Ci6  ch'  ella  crea,  o  che  natura  face."  || 

So  that  as  we  are  distributed  from  degree  to  degree 
throughout  this  realm,  to  the  whole  realm  this  (unity 
of  will)  gives  contentment,  as  (also)  to  the  King  who 
makes  our  wills  conform  to  His  Will.  And  His 


*  di  soglia  in  soglia:  Compare  Par.  xxxii,  13-15  : 
"  Puoi  tu  veder  cosi  di  soglia  in  soglia 

Giu  digradar,  com'  io  ch'  a  proprio  nome 
Vo  per  la  rosa  giu  di  foglia  in  foglia." 

t  a  tutto  il  regno :  Understand,  "  to  all  that  inhabit  the 
Heavenly  Kingdom,  i.  e.  to  all  its  denizens." 

t  invoglia :  From  invogliare  "to  make  the  will,  or  desires,  to 
conform  to."  Dante  only  uses  it  in  one  other  passage,  with  the 
sense  of  "  mettere  in  voglia,  mettere  in  cuore  "  (see  Gran  Dizio- 
nario)  namely,  Purg.  xiv,  109,  no  : 

"  Le  donne  e  i  cavalier,  gli  affanni  e  gli  agi, 
Che  ne  invogliava  amore  e  cortesia." 

Petrarch  uses  the  word  in  Canz.  iii  (in  some  editions  viii),  st.  5  : 
"  E  perchfe  a  cio  m'  invoglia 

Ragionar  de'  begli  occhi,"  etc. 

§  pace :  This  Scartazzini  interprets :  "  il  principio  della  nostra 
beatitudine :"  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i, 
2d«,  qu.  iv,  art.  I  :  "  Cum  beatitudo  nihil  aliud  sit  quam  adeptio 
summi  boni,  non  potest  esse  beatitudo  sine  delectatione  con- 
comitante  ...  ex  hoc  ipso  quod  merces  alicui  redditur,  voluntas 
merentis  quiescit ;  quod  est  delectari." 

||  face:  "Tutte  le  creature  che  sono  immediatamente  da  Dio 
create,  o  quelle  che  sono  mediatamente  da  Dio  ed  immediata- 
mente prodotte  dalla  natura,  in  modi  diversi,  secondo  la 
diversitk  di  loro  natura,  tutte  sono  dirette  ad  ultimo  fine,  e 
tutte,  in  modi  pure  diversi,  sono  ordinate  a  fare  la  volonta  di 
Dio."  (Cornoldi). 


1 10  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  III. 

Will  is  our  peace ;  it  is  that  ocean  towards  which 
everything  moves,  which  it  (the  Divine  Will)  creates, 
or  which  Nature  forms." 

Dante  now  understands  that  in  God's  House  there 
are  many  mansions,  and  that  these  spirits,  of  whom 
Piccarda  is  one,  do  enjoy  the  bliss  of  the  highest 
Heaven,  the  Empyrean,  as  much  as  the  greatest 
Saints,  and  that  this  applies  to  the  Blessed  in  every 
Sphere  ;  excepting  that  there  is  a  difference  in  the 
intensity  of  their  bliss  according  as  their  Sphere  is  a 
higher  or  a  lower  one. 

Chiaro  mi  fu  allor  com'  ogni  dove* 
In  cielo  e  Paradiso,  e  sit  la  grazia 
Del  sommo  ben  d'  un  modo  non  vi  piove.  90 

Then  was  it  clear  to  me  how  that  every  part  of 
Heaven  is  Paradise,  although  the  Grace  of  the 
Highest  Good  is  not  showered  down  on  (each  of) 
them  in  the  same  degree. 

Division  IV.  Having  received  from  Piccarda  a 
complete  satisfaction  of  his  doubts  as  to  whether  the 
spirits  in  Heaven  aspire  to  a  higher  Sphere  than  that 

*  ogni  dove,  et  seq. :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ. 
Theol.  pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  xciii,  art.  2 :  "  Diversi  modi  conse- 
quendi  finem  ultimum  diversae  mansiones  dicuntur;  ut  sicunitas 
domus  respondeat  unitati  beatitudinis,  quae  est  ex  parte  objecti ; 
et  plural itas  mansionum  respondeat  differentiae,  quae  in  beatitu- 
dine  invenitur  ex  parte  beatorum."  And  Ibid,  art.  3  :  "  Prin- 
cipium  distinctivum  mansionum  sive  graduum  beatitudinis  est 
duplex,  scilicet  propinquum  et  remotum.  Propinqua  est  diversa 
dispositio  quae  erit  in  beads,  ex  qua  continget  diversitas  per- 
fectionis  apud  eos  in  operatione  beatitudinis  ;  sed  principium 
remotum  est  meritum,  quo  talem  beatitudinem  consecuti  sunt." 

t  e  si:  This  is  the  reading  adopted  by  Moore,  Witte,  Scartaz- 
zini  and  Casini.  The  latter  interprets  :  "  e  pur  essendo  cosi, 
e  cio  non  ostante.  Questo  £  il  precise  senso  della  locuzione 
dantesca,  nella  quale  erroneamente  si  e  voluto  vedere  dai  piu 
un  riflesso  del  Latino  etsi,  col  quale  nulla  ha  di  comune." 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 1 1 

allotted  to  them,  Dante  now  seeks  to  learn  from  her 
what  the  vow  was,  which  she  had  failed  to  fulfil ; 
for  Piccarda  (1.  56)  had  told  him  that  she  and  her 
companions  had  been  neglectful  of  their  vows.  He 
thanks  her  for  having  solved  one  of  his  doubts,  and 
begs  her  to  solve  the  other  also,  which  he  paraphrases 
by  terming  it  the  web  which  she  did  not  complete  by 
drawing  the  shuttle  up  to  the  head. 

Ma  si  com'  egli  avvien,  se  un  cibo  sazia, 
E  d'  un  altro  rimane  ancor  la  gola,* 
Che  quel  si  chiede,  e  di  quel  si  ringrazia  ; 
Cosi  fee'  io,t  con  atto  e  con  parola, 

Per  apprender  da  lei  qual  fu  la  tela  95 

Onde  non  trasse  infino  a  cot  la  spola. 


*  la  gola :  See  Gran  Dizionario,  §  8,  for  the  use  of  gola  in 
the  sense  of  "  Desiderio,  appetito,  agonia."  Compare  Par.  x, 
109-111: 

"  La  quinta  luce,  ch'  e  tra  noi  piu  bella, 

Spira  di  tale  amor,  che  tutto  il  mondo 

Laggiu  ne  gola  di  saper  novella." 

Dr.  Moore  reads  ne  gola,  taking  golare  as  a  verb,  though  the 
more  usual  reading  is  "  Laggiu  n'  ha  gola."  Compare  also 
Dante,  Canzoniere,  canzone  xii,  11.  79-81  (p.  164  in  Dr.  Moore's 
edition): 

"  Canzon,  vattene  dritto  a  quella  donna, 

Che  m'  ha  ferito  il  core,  e  che  m"  invola 

Quello,  ond'  io  ho  piu  gola." 

+  Coslfec3  io,  et  seq.:  Casini  amplifies  this:  "con  atti  e  con 
parole  ringraziai  Piccarda  d'avermi  illuminate  sopra  uno  dei 
punti  dubbiosi  e  la  pregai  di  chiarirmi  sopra  un'  altro."  Landino 
is  very  clear :  "  questo  secondo  dubbio,  del  quale  voleva  essere 
chiarito,  era  d'  intendere  qual  fu  la  vita  sua  che  essa  comincio 
nella  religione  ma  non  la  fini ;  e  parla  per  traslazione,  chiamando 
la  vita  tela,  della  quale  essa  non  trasse  la  spola  insino  al  co\ 
cioe  insino  al  capo,  cio6  insino  al  fine,  perciocch6  la  spola  6 
quella  che  conduce  il  filo  della  trama  di  qua  in  Ik  tanto,  che 
la  tela  s'  empie." 

t  infino  a  co :  Manfred  (Purg.  iii,  128)  speaks  of  being  buried 
under  the  cairn  in  co  del  ponte,  i.e.  at  the  bridge-head  at  Bene- 


112  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

But  as  it  will  happen  that  one  food  satisfies,  while 
for  another  the  appetite  remains,  so  that  one  asks 
(for  more)  of  the  latter,  and  the  former  is  refused 
with  thanks ;  even  so  did  I  in  act  and  word,  to  learn 
from  her  what  web  it  was  whereof  she  had  not  drawn 
the  shuttle  up  to  the  head. 

Piccarda  in  reply  relates  how  she  had  taken  the  veil 
and  the  vows  of  the  Order  of  St.  Clare,  and  how  she 
had  been  forcibly  prevented  from  fulfilling  them. 
— "  Perfetta  vita*  ed  alto  merto  incielat 

Donna  £  piu  su" — mi  disse, — "alia  cui  norma 
Nel  vostro  mondo  giu  si  veste  e  vela, 
Perche  in  fino  al  morir  si  vegghi  e  dorma  100 

Con  quello  sposo  ch'  ogni  voto  accetta, 
Che  caritate  a  suo  piacer  conforma. 


vento.  Virgil  (Inf.  xx,  76,  77)  in  describing  the  Mincio  first  be- 
coming a  river,  when  it  sets  head  to  flow  out  of  the  Lago  di 
Garda,  says : 

"  Tosto  che  1'  acqua  a  correr  mette  co, 

Non  piu  Benaco,  ma  Mencio  si  chiama." 

*  Perfetta  vita :  The  perfection  indicated  here  is  that  of  the 
contemplative  life.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ. 
Theol.  pars  i,  2dse,  qu.  xcix,  art.  6 :  "  Perfectio  autem  hominis 
est  ut  contemptis  temporalibus,  spiritualibus  inhaereat  .... 
Imperfectorum  autem  est  quod  temporalia  bona  desiderent,  in 
ordine  tamen  ad  Deum :  perversorum  autem  est  qu6d  in  tem- 
poralibus bonis  finem  constituant."  St.  Thomas  here  quotes 
Phil,  iii,  13-15:  "Forgetting  those  things  which  are  behind, 
and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press 
toward  the  mark  .  .  .  Let  us  therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect, 
be  thus  minded." 

t  intiela  from  inctelare,  i.e.  porre  in  cielo.  Compare  Par. 
xxviii,  3,  where  Dante  similarly  creates  the  word  imparadisare 
in  the  same  sense : 

"  Quella  che  imparadisa  la  mia  mente." 

t  Donna  :  We  have  already  spoken  of  St.  Clara,  the  founder 
of  Monastic  Orders  for  women.  She  was  born  at  Assisi  in  1194, 
and  her  secular  name  was  Chiara  Sciffi,  and  she  was  endowed, 
before  quitting  the  world,  with  wealth  as  well  as  great  beauty. 
She  died  in  1253. 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 1 3 

Dal  mondo,  per  seguirla,  giovinetta 

Fuggi  'mi,  e  nel  suo  abito  mi  chiusi,* 

E  promisi  la  via  della  sua  setta.  105 

Uomini  poi,  a  mal  piu  ch'  al  bene  usi,t 
Fuor  mi  rapiron  della  dolce  chiostra ; 
E  Dio  si  sa  qual  poi  mia  vita  fusi. 

"  A  perfect  life  and  exalted  merit  inshrine  higher  up 
in  heaven,"  she  said  to  me,  "a  Lady  (St.  Clara)  in 
whose  rule  down  in  your  world  women  wear  the  robe 
and  veil,  in  order  that  until  death  they  may  keep 
watch  and  sleep  beside  that  Bridegroom  (Jesus 
Christ)  Who  accepts  every  vow  which  Love  con- 
forms to  His  pleasure.  To  follow  her,  from  the 
world  I  fled,  a  young  maiden,  and  donned  her 
habit,  and  pledged  me  to  the  pathway  of  her  Order. 
Thereafter  men,  used  more  to  evil  than  to  good,  tore 
me  forth  from  the  peaceful  cloister,  and  what  my  life 
was  afterwards  God  knoweth  ! 

Benvenuto  remarks  that,  whatever  Piccarda's  life  was 
afterwards,  it  was  but  a  brief  life  in  a  very  suffering 
body  in  accordance  with  God's  holy  purpose.  Casini 
observes  that  Dante  draws,  as  it  were,  a  veil  over 
poor  Piccarda's  life  subsequent  to  her  being  torn 
from  the  cloister  ;  and  by  the  very  indefiniteness 
of  this  last  line  (108)  he  allows  the  reader  to  pic- 
ture to  himself  the  moral  torments  of  the  unhappy 
lady,  constrained  to  live  with  a  man  she  did  not 
love,  and  with  anguish  at  having  failed  in  keeping 
her  holy  vows. 

Piccarda's  own    story  is  now  ended  ;    but   Dante 

*  nel  suo  abito  mi  chiusi :  See  Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  chiu- 
deret  §  55:  "  C hinder  si  in  un  abito,  \a\eprenderlo,  vestirsene." 
The  present  passage  is  cited. 

t  Uomini  poi,  a  mal  pin  cK  al  bene  usi :  "Scilicet,  dominus 
Cursius  de  Donatis  et  Foresius  frater  ejus,  quorum  alter  assue- 
tus  erat  dominio,  alter  vero  gulae."  (Benvenuto). 

I.  I 


1 14  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

(1.  41)  had  not  only  asked  her  for  her  own  name 
(nome  tuo),  but  also  for  the  particulars  of  her  lot  as 
shared  with  her  companions  (vostra  sorte).  This 
latter  part  of  his  question  seems  to  recur  to  her,  and 
she  accordingly  names  one  of  the  spirits  near  her  ; 
though  we  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  noticing  that 
Dante,  following  his  usual  custom,  makes  her  point 
out  the  spirit  that  was  the  most  exalted  in  worldly 
dignity ;  namely,  the  Empress  Constance.*  It  is 
moreover  fully  consistent  with  Dante's  family  pride, 

*  Constance,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Roger  II,  King  of 
Sicily,  was  born  in  1154,  and  married  (1185)  Henry  VI,  son  of 
the  Emperor  Frederick  Barbarossa.  Her  story  is  thus  told  by 
Giov.  Villani,  lib.  v,  cap.  16  : — "  In  prima  che  '1  detto  Arrigo 
(i.e.  Arrigo  di  Soavia,  figliuolo  che  fu  del  grande  Federigo)  si 
partisse  dalla  Magna,  avendo  la  Chiesa  discordia  con  Tancredi, 
re  di  Cicilia  e  di  Puglia,  figliuolo  che  fu  dell'altro  Tancredi, 
nipote  per  femmina  di  Roberto  Guiscardo  .  .  .  per  cagione 
ch'  egli,  siccome  dovea,  fedelmente  non  rispondea  del  censo 
della  Chiesa,  e  promutava  vescovi  e  arcivescovi  a  sua  volonta, 
in  vergogna  del  papa  e  della  Chiesa,  il  detto  papa  Clemente 
tratto  coll'arcivescovo  di  Palermo  di  torre  il  detto  regno  di 
Cicilia  e  di  Puglia  al  detto  Tancredi,  e  fece  ordinare  al  detto 
arcivescovo,  che  Costanza  serocchia  [sore/la]  che  fu  del  re 
Guglielmo,  e  diritta  ereda  del  reame  di  Cicilia,  la  quale  era 
monaca  in  Palermo,  e  tra.  gid  cTetd  di  piu  di  cinquant  'annt,  si 
la  fece  uscire  del  munistero,  e  dispense  in  lei  ch'  ella  potesse 
essere  al  secolo  [i.e.  return  to  a  secular  life]  e  usare  matrimonio ; 
e  di  nascoso,  il  detto  arcivescovo  fattala  partire  di  Cicilia  e 
venire  a  Roma,  la  Chiesa  la  fece  dare  per  moglie  al  detto 
Arrigo  imperadore,  onde  poco  appresso  nacque  Federigo  se- 
condo  imperadore,  che  fece  tante  persecuzioni  alia  Chiesa." 
Ricordano  Malespini  (Is toria  Fiorentina,  cap.  Ixxxvi)  gives  prac- 
tically the  same  account.  Lubin  remarks  that  the  circumstance 
of  Constance  being  upwards  of  fifty  years  of  age  when  torn 
from  the  Convent,  has  caused  many  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the 
story.  But  it  is  perhaps  this  one  question  of  her  age  that  is  alone 
at  fault.  Other  historians  say  that  Constance  was  born  in  1154 
and  as  she  was  wedded  to  Henry  in  1186,  she  must  have  been 
32  years  old,  instead  of  52,  as  Villani  tries  to  show.  The  mis- 
take of  substituting  52  for  32  is  one  that  might  very  easily  occur. 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  115 

to  represent  his  wife's  kinswoman  Piccarda  in  inti- 
mate conversation  with  that  great  personage.  Con- 
stance would  seem  to  have  participated  in  the  smile 
of  compassion,  exchanged  between  Piccarda  and  her 
fellow-spirits,  at  Dante's  ignorance  of  their  entire 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  and  contentment  with 
their  lot. 

E  quest'  altro  splendor,*  che  ti  si  mostra 

Dalla  mia  destra  parte,  e  che  s'accende  no 

Di  tutto  il  lumet  della  spera  nostra, 

Malespini  however  particularly  states  that  so  great  fears  were 
entertained  lest,  owing  to  the  advanced  age  of  Constance,  the 
reality  of  her  pregnancy  might  be  called  in  question,  that 
orders  were  given  that  her  confinement  should  take  place 
under  a  tent  in  the  middle  of  the  public  square  of  Palermo,  and 
that  any  woman  who  wished  it,  might  go  in  and  see.  And 
many,  adds  Malespini,  went  and  saw  her,  and  so  the  suspicion 
ceased. 

*  splendor:  See  Convito  iii,  14,  11.  37-50.  Dante  uses  this 
epithet  for  the  spirits  of  the  Blessed  in  several  passages,  e.g. 
Par.v,  103:  "Piu  di  mille  splendor! ";  also  ibid,  ix,  13:  "un  altro 
di  quegli  splendori";  and  xxiii,  82:  "piu  turbe  di  splendor! "; 
and  xxv,  106:  "lo  schiarato  splendore." 

t  s' accende  Di  tutto  il  lume,  etc.:  Compare  Summ.  Theol. 
pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  Ixxxv,  art.  i :  "  Claritas  ilia  causabitur  ex 
redundantia  gloriae  animae  in  corpus.  Quod  enim  recipitur  in 
aliquo,  non  recipitur  per  modum  influentis,  sed  per  modun. 
recipientis.  Et  ideo  claritas  quae  est  in  anima  spiritualis  reci- 
pitur in  corpore  ut  corporalis.  Et  ide6  secundum  quod  anima 
erit  majoris  claritatis  secundum  majus  meritum,  ita  etiam  erit 
differentia  claritatis  in  corpore,  ut  patet  per  Apostolum(i  Cor.xv). 
Et  ita  in  corpore  glorioso  cognoscetur  gloria  animae,  sicut  in 
vitro  cognoscitur  color  corporis  quod  continetur  in  vase  vitreo." 
Giuliani  observes  with  reference  to  tutto,  that  when  Piccarda 
says  that  the  glorious  spirit  on  her  right  hand  is  lit  up  with 
the  whole  of  the  radiance  belonging  to  the  Sphere  of  the  Moon, 
she  seems  to  speak  it  out  as  though  the  spirit  of  Constance 
were  the  greatest  among  her  companions  in  the  degree  of  bliss 
indicated  in  that  sphere.  And  that  would  quite  agree  with  the 
secundum  majus  meritum  alluded  to  above ;  for  Constance,  the 
great  Empress,  who  is  so  resplendent  in  this  region  of  heaven, 

I   2 


n6  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  III. 

C16  ch'io  dico  di  me  di  se  intende: 
Sorella  fu,  e  cosi  le  fu  tolta 
Di  capo  1'  ombra  delle  sacre  bende. 

Ma  poi  che  pur  al  mondo  fu  rivolta  115 

Contra  suo  grato  e  contra  buona  usanza, 
Non  fu*  dal  vel  del  cor  giammai  disciolta. 

Quest'  e  la  luce  della  gran  Costanza, 
Che  del  secondot  ventoj  di  Soave§ 
Genero  il  terzo,  e  1' ultima  possanza."  120 

gave,  in  retiring  from  the  world,  proofs  of  a  virtue  so  much 
the  greater,  inasmuch  as  within  the  royal  palace  where  she  was 
born,  she  could  enjoy  the  greatest  amount  of  worldly  luxuries 
and  pleasures. 

*  Non  /«,  et  seq. :  "  Piccarda  dice  che  avvegnache  la  detta 
Gostanza  fosse  in  privazione  dell'  abito  estrinseco,  che  sempre 

10  suo  quore  [core]  fue  chiuso  e  velato  dalle  sopradette  sacre 
bende,  quasi  a  dire  che  sempre  ebbe  1'animo  e  la  voglia  alia 
vita  promessa  per  suo  voto." — (Lana).     This  praise  of  Con- 
stance's unworldliness  is  in  direct  opposition  to  Giov.  Villani's 
account  of  her  in  lib.  iv,  cap.  20,  where  it  is  written:  "e  cosi  fu 
fatto,  che  la  detta  Costanzia  fosse  riservata  da  morte  ;  la  quale 
non  voluntariamente,  ma  per  temenza  di   morte,  quasi  come 
monaca  si  nutricava  in  alcuno  munistero  di  monache."    And  a 
few  lines  further  on  :  "  Costanzia  serocchia  del  re  Guglielmo 
era,  gia  forse  d'eta  di  cinquant' anni,  del  corpo  non  della  mente 
monaca  nella  citta  di  Palermo." 

t  secondo  :  The  second  "  whirlwind  "  or  "  blast "  of  Suabia  is 
the  Emperor  Henry  VI,  to  whom  Constance  was  forcibly  wedded. 

11  terzo  refers  to  their  son  the  Emperor  Frederick  II,  the  third 
and  last  of  the  three  Suabian  Emperors.    We  may  perhaps  here 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  King  Manfred  (Purg.  iii)  was  the 
natural  son  of  Frederick  II,  and  consequently  grandson  of  the 
Empress   Constance,  as  he   himself  tells  Dante  in  Purg.  iii, 
112,  113: 

"  lo  son  Manfredi, 
Nepote  di  Costanza  Imperadrice." 

J  vento  :  Of  many  interpretations  I  prefer  that  of  Blanc  (  Voc. 
Dant.):  "la  potenza  impetuosa  e  passeggiera  dei  principi  della 
casa  di  Svevia  paragonata  acconciamente  ad  un  vento  im- 
petuoso." 

§  Soave,  i.e.  Suabia,  an  ancient  duchy  in  the  South- West  of 
Germany,  extending  over  most  of  the  Rhine  Provinces  as  far 


Canto  III.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  117 

And  this  other  resplendence  who  displays  herself  to 
thee  on  my  right  side,  and  who  is  lighted  up  with  all 
the  radiance  of  our  Sphere,  what  I  say  of  myself 
understand  thou  of  her  (i.e.  her  story  is  similar  to 
mine) :  she  was  a  nun,  and  in  like  manner  from  her 
head  the  shade  of  the  sacred  wimple  was  snatched 
away.  But  after  that  she  too  had  been  turned  back 
to  the  world  against  her  will  and  contrary  to  decent 
custom,  she  never  was  unloosed  from  the  veil  of  the 
heart  (i.e.  in  her  heart  she  continued  faithful  to  her 
vows).  This  is  the  effulgence  (i.e.  the  glorified  form) 
of  the  great  Constance,  who  from  the  second  whirl- 
wind of  Suabia  (the  Emperor  Henry  VI)  brought 
forth  the  third  and  last  power  (of  that  house,  namely 
the  Emperor  Frederick  II)." 

Piccarda  has  now  ended  her  conversation  with  Dante, 
and,  as  she  chants  the  angelic  salutation,  she  fades 
away  from  his  view.     He  turns  to  Beatrice,  but  his 
human  powers  of  vision  being  wholly  unequal  to  sus- 
tain the  dazzling  radiance  of  her  features,  he  is  obliged 
to  postpone  the  questions  he  desires  to  ask  her. 
Cos!  parlommi,  e  poi  comincio :  Ave^ 
Maria,  cantando  ;  e  cantando  vanio, 
Come  per  acqua*  cupa  cosa  grave. 


South  as  Switzerland,  and  from  Burgundy  and  Lorraine  on  the 
West,  to  Bavaria  on  the  East.  From  this  province  were  sprung 
the  three  great  Hohenstaufen  Emperors,  namely  Frederick 
Barbarossa,  Henry  VI,  and  Frederick  II.  During  their  reigns, 
they  almost  invariably  conferred  the  title  of  Duke  of  Suabia 
upon  some  relative  of  their  own  house. 

*  per  acqua :  There  is  a  singular  charm  (says  L.  Venturi, 
Simil.  Dant.  p.  62,  sim.  102)  about  all  the  graceful  personality 
of  Piccarda  ;  and  Dante's  making  her  vanish  with  Ave  Maria 
on  her  lips  is  a  picture  full  of  heavenly  sweetness.  Giuliani 
observes  that  these  spirits,  who  are  perpetual  inmates  of  the 
Empyrean,  appear  to  Dante  during  the  different  stages  of  his 
privileged  journey  through  Heaven,  each  in  their  own  Spheres, 
to  give  him  a  gladsome  welcome  both  with  speech  and  with 
intellectual  light.  But  so  soon  as  they  conclude  their  several 


n8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  III. 

La  vista  mia,  che  tanto  la  segufo 

Quanto  possibil  fu,  poi  che  la  perse,  125 

Volsesi  al  segno  di  maggior  disio, 
Ed  a  Beatrice  tutta  si  converse  ; 

Ma  quella  folgoro*  nello  mio  sguardo 

Si  che  da  prima  il  viso  non  sofferse  ; 
E  cio  mi  fece  a  domandar  piu  tardo.  130 

Thus  she  spake  unto  me,  and  then  began  chanting 
Ave  Maria,  and  as  she  sang,  she  vanished,  as  through 
deep  water  some  weighty  substance.  My  eyes,  which 
followed  her  as  long  as  was  possible,  when  they  lost 
sight  of  her,  turned  to  the  object  of  greater  desire 
(than  were  Piccarda  and  Constance),  and  were  wholly 
directed  to  Beatrice;  but  she  flashed  forth  such 
radiant  beams  upon  my  gaze,  that  at  first  my  eyes 
were  unable  to  endure  it,  and  that  made  me  more 
tardy  in  questioning. 

Benvenuto  observes  that  the  beams  of  radiance  flashed 
upon  Dante  by  Beatrice  were  to  enkindle  his  intellect 
for  the  discussion  of  the  doubts  that  he  will  put  for- 
ward in  the  next  Canto. 


replies  to  his  questions,  whether  expressed  or  tacitly  implied, 
they  at  once  melt  away  from  his  sight,  and  return  to  their 
allotted  posts  in  the  Highest  Heaven. 

*  folgoro :  Dante  here  beholds  Beatrice  for  a  single  instant 
in  her  mfi  Empyrean  glory,  completely  throwing  into  the  shade 
that  of  the  spirits  in  the  pallid  light  of  the  Heaven  of  the  Moon. 
We  shall  see  her  flash  forth  again  with  a  similar  splendour  in 
the  next  Canto  at  11.  1 30  et  seq. 


END  OF  CANTO  III. 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  119 


CANTO    IV. 


SPHERE  OF  THE  MOON  (continued}. — DANTE'S  FUR- 
THER DOUBTS  SOLVED  UPON  TWO  POINTS. — 
(a)  HOW  CAN  MERIT  BE  DIMINISHED  BY  ACTS 
DONE  UNDER  COMPULSION  ?  —  (b)  Do  SOULS 
AFTER  DEATH  RETURN  TO  THE  STARS  FROM 
WHICH,  ACCORDING  TO  PLATO,  THEY  WENT 
FORTH  INTO  THE  WORLD? 

WE  have  again  in  this  Canto  to  experience  some  of 
the  aridity  of  scholastic  discussion,  but  Tommaseo  re- 
marks that,  although  the  Canto  is  arid,  yet  the  pas- 
sage about  Dante's  doubt  is  in  itself  worth  two  whole 
Cantos.  In  the  Inferno  Dante  treated  of  human  vices 
regarded  from  a  political  point  of  view  when  circum- 
stances admit  of  it,  or  when  the  crime  is  one  that  has 
a  social  character ;  in  the  Purgatorio  human  failings 
were  considered  from  their  moral  point  of  view  ;  now 
in  the  Paradiso  human  virtues  are  reviewed  from  their 
metaphysical  and  theological  standpoint.  The  loftiest 
questions  of  human  destiny  are  discussed  ;  Free-Will ; 
the  motives  from  which  any  good  deed  is  done ;  Stellar 
Influence;  and  the  origin  of  souls. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 
In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  27,  Dante 
describes  how  he  fell  into  doubt  about  two  matters, 
and  how  Beatrice  divined  his  thoughts. 


I2O  Readings  on  the  Pamdiso.         Canto  IV. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  28  to  v.  63,  Beatrice 
solves  one  of  these  doubts. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  64  to  v.  90,  she 
solves  the  other  doubt. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  91  to  v.  142,  Bea- 
trice removes  a  further  doubt  that  had  arisen  in  Dante's 
mind. 

Division  I.  The  words  of  Piccarda  have  aroused 
two  doubts  in  Dante's  mind,  and  feeling  an  equal 
amount  of  perplexity  and  disturbance  both  as  to  the 
one  and  the  other,  and  not  knowing  which  to  mention 
first,  he  remains  silent.  His  silence,  he  explains, 
being  the  result  of  absolute  necessity,  is  neither  de- 
serving of  praise  nor  blame. 

Intra  due  cibi,*  distant!  e  moventi 

*  Intra  due  cibi:  Dante  probably  took  this  example  from 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  2dae,  qu.  xiii,  art.  6): 
"  Si  aliqua  duo  sunt  penitus  sequalia,  non  magis  movetur  homo 
ad  unum  quam  ad  aliud  ;  sicut  famelicus  si  habet  cibum  aequa- 
liter  appetibilem  in  diversis  partibus,  et  secundum  aequalem 
distantiam,  non  magis  movetur  ad  unum  quam  ad  alterum,  ut 
Plato  dicit,  etc."  The  celebrated  French  schoolman,  Jean 
Buridan,  who  was  Rector  of  the  University  of  Paris  soon  after 
Dante's  death,  has  been  credited  with  the  sophism  known  as 
"  Buridan's  Ass,"  which  attempts  to  show  that,  if  a  hungry  ass 
be  placed  exactly  between  two  bundles  of  hay  of  equal  size  and 
attractiveness,  it  must  starve,  as  there  is  nothing  to  determine 
the  will  of  the  animal  towards  either  bundle.  This  dilemma 
does  not  occur  in  any  of  Buridan's  writings.  Mr.  Butler  says  it 
seems  to  have  been  a  favourite  subject  of  logic  in  the  Middle 
Ages  ;  and  is  certainly  as  old  as  Aristotle  (De  Caelo,  ii,  13,  14), 
where  this  hypothetical  case  is  stated.  Biagioli  says  that  the 
will,  moved  at  the  same  instant  by  two  equally  pressing  desires, 
remains,  as  it  were,  bound,  and  is  unable  to  escape  from  such 
irresolution,  unless  one  of  the  two  desires  gives  it  a  greater 
impulse  than  the  other.  See  also  Montaigne,  Essais,  livre  ii, 
ch.  xiv :  "C'est  une  plaisante  imagination,  de  concevoir  un  esprit 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  121 

D'  un  modo,  prima  si  morria  di  fame, 
Che  liber'  uomo*  1'  un  recasse  ai  denti. 

Si  si  starebbe  un  agnot  intra  due  brame 

Di  fieri  lupi,  egualmente  temendo  ;  5 

Si  si  starebbe  un  cane  intra  due  dame.;}! 

Per  che,  s'  io  mi  tacea,  me  non  riprendo, 
Dalli  miei  dubbi  d'  un  modo  sospinto, 
Poich'  era  necessario,  ne  commendo. 


balanc^  justement  entre  deux  pareilles  envies  :  car  il  est  indu- 
bitable qu'il  ne  prendra  jamais  parti,  d'autant  que  1'application 
et  le  chois  porte  inegualite  de  prix  ;  et  qui  nous  logeroit  entre 
la  bouteille  et  le  jambon,  avecques  egual  appetit  de  boire  et 
de  manger,  il  n'y  auroit  sans  double  remede  que  de  mourir 
de  soif  et  de  faim  ...  II  se  pourroit  dire,  ce  me  semble,  plus- 
tost,  que  aulcune  chose  ne  se  presente  a  nous  ou  il  n'y  ait 
quelque  difference,  pour  legiere  qu'elle  soit ;  et  que,  ou  a  la 
veue  ou  a  1'attouchement,  il  y  a  tousjours  quelque  plus  qui 
nous  attire,  quoyque  ce  soit  imperceptiblement."  moventi : 
Tommaseo  explains  this.  The  two  viands  are  so  perfectly 
equal  in  their  attractiveness,  "  che  non  ci  fosse  motive  piu  per 
1'  uno  che  per  1'  altro." 

*  liber1  uomo  :  i.e.  a  man  endowed  with  Free  Will. 

t  agno :  We  find  this  Latinism  (foragnello)  in  Par.  ix,  130-131 1 

"  il  maledetto  fiore 
Ch'  ha  disviate  le  pecore  e  gli  agni." 
and  Par.  x,  94 : 

"  Io  fui  degli  agni  della  santa  greggia." 

|  intra  due  dame :  Compare  Ovid,  Metam.  v,  164-166: 
"  Tigris  ut,  auditis  diversa  valle  duorum 
Exstimulata  fame  mugitibus  armentorum, 
Nescit,  utro  potius  ruat ;  et  ruere  ardet  utroque." 
Dame  is  an  unusual  form  of  damma,  the  feminine  of  daino,  "a 
fallow  deer."     The  form  dama  is  derived  from  the  Latin  dama* 
Compare  Horace,  I  Carm.  ii,  io,  11 : 

"  Et  superjecto  pavidae  natarunt 

yEquore  damae." 
Compare  too  Virg.  Georg.  iii,  539,  540: 

"  Timidi  damae  cervique  fugaces 
Nunc  interque  canes  et  circum  tecta  vagantur." 
Compare  Petrarch,  part  ii,  canz.  ii,  st.  2 : 

"  E'  non  si  vide  mai  cervo  n&  damma 
Con  tal  desio  cercar  fonte  ne  fiume." 


122  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Between  two  viands,  in  like  degree  distant  and  tempt- 
ing, a  free  man  would  sooner  die  of  hunger,  ere  he 
would  bring  one  to  his  teeth  (i.e.  select  it  for  eating). 
Even  so  would  a  lamb  stand  still  between  the  raven- 
ings  of  two  savage  wolves,  in  equal  dread  of  both  ; 
so  would  a  dog  stand  still  between  two  does  (un- 
certain which  to  attack).  Wherefore  (i.e.  in  virtue 
of  such  a  law  of  nature)  if  I  remained  silent,  I  do 
not  blame  myself,  impelled  as  I  was  in  equal  measure 
by  my  doubts — since  of  necessity  (I  had  to  be  silent) 
— nor  yet  do  I  commend  (myself). 

Beatrice  reads  what  is  passing  in  Dante's  thoughts 
just  as  readily  as  Daniel  read  and  interpreted  the 
dream  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  forgotten,  and  she 
tells  him  so. 

lo  mi  tacea,  ma  il  mio  disir  dipinto  10 

M'  era  nel  viso,  e  il  domandar  con  ello* 
Piu  caldo  assai,  che  per  parlar  distinto. 
Fe'  si  Beatrice,  qual  fe'  Daniello,t 
Nabuccodonosor  levando  d'  ira, 
Che  1'  avea  fatto  ingiustamente  fello,  1 5 

E  disse : — "  lo  veggio  ben  come  ti  tira 
Uno  ed  altro  disio,  si  che  tua  cura 
Se  stessa  lega  si  che  fuor  non  spira. 

Silent  (indeed)  I  was,  but  my  desire  was  painted  in 
my  eyes,  and  by  them  my  demand  was  far  more 


*  con  ello :  I  have  taken  ello  as  referring  to  viso  rather  than 
to  disir.  Casini  takes  it  so:  "La  domanda  ch'io  faceva  con 
P  atteggiamento  del  volto  era  piu  fervida  che  se  fosse  stata  fatta 
con  aperte  parole."  The  Gran  Dizionario  says  of  ello  that  it  is 
a  masculine  pronoun,  the  same  as  ellt,  egli,  and  is  declinable  in 
the  same  way.  The  word  exists  still  among  the  Tuscan  pea- 
santry. Dante  uses  it  frequently. 

t  qual  fe^  Daniello  :  See  Dan.  ii,  12-49.  As  Daniel,  by  divine 
revelation,  could  read  the  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  inter- 
preted it  to  him,  so  did  Beatrice  read  the  doubts  in  Dante's 
mind  without  his  having  spoken  them  to  her. 


Canto  IV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  123 

ardently  expressed  than  (it  could  have  been)  by 
words.  Beatrice  (then)  did,  as  did  Daniel  in  ap- 
peasing Nebuchadnezzar  from  that  wrath  which  had 
rendered  him  unjustly  cruel  (towards  his  sooth- 
sayers), and  she  said  :  "  I  plainly  see  how  each  of 
two  desires  draws  thee,  so  much  so,  that  thy  anxiety 
binds  itself  up  to  such  a  degree  that  it  does  not 
breathe  forth. 

Beatrice  then  tells  Dante  what  his  doubts  are.  Why, 
if  Good  Will,  that  is,  the  determination  to  adhere  to 
their  vows,  endured  in  Piccarda  and  Constance,  why 
should  they  have  a  lesser  degree  of  merit,  when  for- 
cibly torn  from  them  ?  And  secondly  ;  from  Piccarda 
having  said  that  her  allotted  place  was  in  the  Moon, 
and  as  the  Moon  was  then  considered  to  be  a  planet, 
Dante  is  in  doubt,  Beatrice  implies,  as  to  how  far 
the  Platonic  doctrine  is  true,  which  held  that  human 
souls  were  formed  before  their  bodies,  and  distributed 
among  the  stars.  From  these  they  were  supposed  to 
pass  into  the  human  bodies  during  life,  and  to  return 
to  their  respective  stars  after  death.*  She  tells  him 
that  she  will  first  deal  with  this  second  question  of 
the  souls  returning  to  the  stars,  because  it  contains 
a  most  pernicious  theological  error  respecting  the 
essence  of  divine  and  human  nature. 

*  Pietro  di  Dante  states  this  clearly:  "Auctor  .  .  dicit,  quod 
ex  eo  quod  audivit  a  dicta  Piccarda,  quod  dicta  sphasra  lunaris 
cceli  ut  sua  sors  data  erat  eis,  etc. :  et  sic  videbatur  sequi  quod 
dicit  Plato  in  suo  Timaeo,  in  quo  libro  asserit  animas  ad  astra 
redire,  quod  est  erroneum  et  reprobatum."  These  words  of 
Plato  are  in  his  Timaus,  41  D  and  E  ;  and  42  B.  See  "Dante 
and  Plato"  in  Moore's  Studies  in  Dante,  pp.  157-160.  Casini 
says  that  this  passage  was  known  to  Dante  through  the  render- 
ing of  it  by  St.  Augustine,  De  Civit.  Dei,  lib.  xiii,  cap.  19  ;  as 
also  through  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summa  contra  gent,  ii,  47,48  ; 
and  iii,  73,  84. 


1 24  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Tu  argomenti  :  '  Se  il  buon  voler  dura, 

La  vi'olenza  altrui  per  qual  ragione  20- 

Di  meritar  mi  scema  la  misura  ?' 
Ancor  di  dubitar*  ti  da  cagione, 

Parer  tornarsi  1'  anime  alle  stelle, 

Secondo  la  sentenza  di  Platone. 
Queste  son  le  question  che  nel  tuo  veiled  25 

Pontano  egualemente  ;  e  pero  pria 

Trattero  quella  che  piu  ha  di  felle.^ 

Thou  arguest :  '  If  the  good  will  endures,  by  what 
reason  doth  the  violence  of  others  decrease  in  me 
the  amount  of  merit  ?'  Moreover,  there  occasions 

*  Ancor  di  dubitar,  etc.  :  Landino's  comment  seems  the 
clearest  here  :  "  II  secondo  dubbio  e,  che  veduto  Dante  questi 
spiri  nel  globo  lunare,  quasi  s'  inclina  in  opinione  che  le  anime 
degli  uomini  uscendo  dai  corpi  tornassero  alle  stelle,"  and  there- 
fore, observes  Scartazzini,  the  doubt  in  Dante's  mind  would  be  : 
"  Is  this  teaching  of  Plato  true  or  the  reverse  ?" 

t  velle :  This,  Tommaseo  observes,  is  a  regular  scholastic 
expression  for  volere,  volonta.  Dante  uses  it  in  the  De  Monarchic 
i,  it,  11.  38-48:  "Justitia  contrarietatem  habet  quandoque  in 
velle  .  .  .  Quantum  vero  ad  operationem,  Justitia  contrarietatem 
habet  in  posse"  and  Ibid,  iii,  10,  11.  36-39  :  "  Quum  officium  ejus 
(scilicet,  Imperatoris)  sit  humanum  genus  uni  velle,  et  uni  nolle 
tenere  subjectum,  ut  in  primo  hujus  de  facili  videre  potest." 
Dante  uses  the  word  again  in  the  last  terzina  of  the  Divina 
Commedia,  Par.  xxxiii,  143  : 

"  Ma  gia  volgeva  il  mio  disiro  e  il  velle? 

%  phi  ha  di  felle  :  "  Nota  che,  avvegnachfe  gli  predetti  dubbj,. 
secondo  1'Autore,  fossono  eguali,  secondo  lo  vero  erano  disu- 
guali,  imperquello  che  lo  dubbio  che  puo  generare  eresia  &  troppo- 
piu  crudo  e  amaro,  che  gli  altri ;  e  per6  che  tenere  altro  dell' 
anima  umana  che  non  fa  la  fede  cattolica,  si  e  eresia,  si  e 
piu  velenoso  dubbio  quello  ch'  £  circa  essa  anima,  secondo  la 
posizione  sopradetta,  che  non  &  a  dubbiare  della  forza,  overo 
del  merito  predetto."  (Lana).  Felle  (another  form  of  fiele) 
is  primarily  "bile,"  and  hence  comes  to  signify  figuratively, 
"  venom,  bitterness."  An  old  Tuscan  proverb  says  : 

"  Poco  fiele  fa  amaro  molto  miele," 

which  means  (says  the  Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  fiele)  that  a  very 
small  trouble  is  sufficient  to  mar  one's  happiness,  or  to  make 
one  feel  discontented. 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  125 

thee  a  (still  further)  doubt  that  the  souls  seem  to 
return  to  the  stars  according  to  the  teaching  of  Plato. 
These  are  the  questions  which  in  thy  will  are  giving 
an  equal  stimulus  (in  seeking  for  explanation) ;  and 
therefore  I  will  first  treat  of  that  which  has  the  most 
venom  (i.e.  the  more  dangerous). 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  Dante  has  wished  in  these 
lines  to  convey  the  implication  that  the  Platonic  doc- 
trine was,  or  had  been,  especially  dangerous  to  him- 
self, and  that  we  have  a  confession  of  his  having,  at 
one  time,  had  doubts  on  the  subject  of  the  human 
soul.  All  the  more  does  this  show  how,  in  the  Divina 
Commedia,  one  must  study  carefully  the  history  of 
Dante's  inner  life,  as  also  the  development  of  his 
thoughts  and  his  beliefs. 

Casini  expresses  full  concurrence  with  Scartazzini.* 

Division  II.  Benvenuto  remarks  that  in  this  next 
part  of  the  Canto  Beatrice  begins  by  solving,  very 
briefly  but  distinctly,  the  second  of  Dante's  two 
doubts,  because  it  is  the  one  most  full  of  danger. 
She  tells  him  that  all  the  spirits  of  the  Blessed, 
whether  Angels  or  men,  without  exception,  have  their 
own  places  in  the  Empyrean  Heaven,  and  that  their 
being  seen  by  Dante  in  different  spheres,  is  not 

*  Tommase'o  thinks  that  Dante  represents  this  error  as  the 
more  dangerous  one,  because  he  might  be  supposed  to  consider 
it  confirmed  by  the  words  of  Virgil  in  Georg.  iv,  221-227  : 
"  Deum  namque  ire  per  omnes 
Terrasque,  tractusque  maris,  coelumque  profundum. 
Hinc  pecudes,  armenta,  viros,  genus  omne  ferarum 
Quemque  sibi  tenues  nascentem  arcessere  vitas  ; 
Scilicet  hue  reddi  deinde  ac  resoluta  referri 
,       Omnia  ;  nee  morti  esse  locum,  sed  viva  volare 
Sideris  in  numerum,  atque  alto  succedere  coelo." 


126  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

because  these  spheres  are  their  allotted  places,  but 
rather  to  mark  more  definitely  the  differences  in  their 
degrees  of  Blessedness.  And  this,  as  Mr.  Butler 
points  out,  has  been  from  early  times  the  interpre- 
tation of  such  expressions  in  the  New  Testament  as 
"many  mansions";  "one  star  differeth  from  another 
star  in  glory  ";  the  end  of  the  parable  of  the  Talents, 
etc. 

Dei  Serafin*  colui  che  piu  s'indfa,t 

Moise,  Samuel,  e  quel  Giovanni, 

Qual  prender  vuoli,  io  dico,  non  Maria,  30 

Non  hanno  in  altro  cielo  i  loro  scanni, 

Che  quegli  spirti  che  mo  t'  appariro, 

Ne  hanno  all'  esser  lor  piu  o  meno  anni.J 
Ma  tutti  fanno  bello  il  primo  giro,  § 

*  Dei  Serafin,  et  seq.  :  Compare  Par.  xxi,  92,  93  : 

"  Quel  Serafin  che  in  Dio  piu  1'  occhio  ha  fisso, 

Alia  domanda  tua  non  satisfara." 

The  whole  passage  is  well  explained  by  Scartazzini  : — "  Dante 
first  names  the  Seraphim,  che  -veggiono  piu  della  Prima  Cagione, 
che  alcun'altra  angelica  natura  (Conv.  ii,  6,  11.  79-81),  then 
Moses,  the  greatest  of  all  the  prophets  (Deut.  xxxiv,  io)  ;  with 
whom  Dante  couples  Samuel,  following  Jeremiah  xv,  i  ;  then 
the  two  Johns,  namely,  the  Apostle,  that  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved,  and  the  Baptist,  the  greatest  among  them  born  of  woman 
(Matt,  xi,  ii);  lastly,  the  Virgin  Mary,  alia  piu  che  creatura 
(Par.  xxxiii,  2).  Dante's  meaning  is  therefore: — "the  sublimest 
Angels  and  the  most  exalted  Saints  of  Paradise  have  not  their 
abode  elsewhere  than  those  spirits,  of  whom  Piccarda  is  one, 
that  thou  hast  just  seen." 

t  s>  india  :  "  Fare  partecipe  della  beatitudine,  e  delle  grazie 
divine."  (Gran  Dizionario,  s.v.  indiare). 

I  piu  o  meno  anni :  Casini  explains  that  the  bliss  of  all  the 
spirits  is  in  equal  degree  eternal  for  them  all,  and  that  Dante  is 
here  indirectly  censuring  another  Platonic  theory,  which  held 
that  souls,  returning  from  their  bodies  to  their  stars,  remained 
there  a  longer  or  a  shorter  time  according  to  their  merits. 

§  il  primo  giro:  The  Empyrean,  wherein  are  all  the  Blessed. 
Landino  compares  the  souls  therein  to  vessels  of  different  sizes, 
holding  some  more,  some  less,  but  all  filled  up.  A  jug  holds 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 27 

E  differentemente  ban  dolce  vita,  35 

Per  sentir  piu  e  men  1'  eterno  spiro. 
Qui  si  mostraron,  non  perche  sortita 

Sia  questa  spera  lor;  ma  per  far  segno 
Delia  celestial*  ch'ha  men  salita. 

Of  the  Seraphim  neither  that  one  that  is  in  the  closest 
communion  with  God,  nor  Moses,  nor  Samuel,  nor 
whichever  John  (of  the  two)  thou  preferest  to  take — 
not  even  Mary,  I  say,  have  their  seats  in  a  different 
heaven  from  these  spirits  who  appeared  to  thee  anon, 
nor  have  they  in  their  being  more  years  or  less  (i.e. 
the  duration  of  their  abode  on  high  is  not  circum- 
scribed by  time).  But  all  of  them  render  beautiful 
the  first  Sphere  (i.e.  the  Empyrean)  and  have  pos- 
session of  blessed  life  in  different  degrees,  according 
as  they  feel  more  or  less  the  Eternal  Afflatus  (of  the 
Holy  Spirit).  They  showed  themselves  here  not  be- 
cause this  Sphere  is  allotted  to  them,  but  merely  to 
be  to  thee  an  indication  of  the  heavenly  (sphere)  that 
has  the  least  ascendency. 

Beatrice  goes  on  to  explain  that,  in  speaking  to  human 
beings  of  spiritual  matters,  it  is  necessary  to  do  so  in 
language  fitted  for  their  capacity  for  understanding, 
and  that  is  why  the  most  exalted  Messengers  of 
Heaven  have  been  seen  sometimes  by  living  men, 
with  bodily  forms,  and  even  the  Almighty  Himself 
is  represented  with  such  human  attributes  as  hands, 
feet,  face,  back,  sitting  on  a  throne,  and  with  other 
actions  such  as  are  intelligible  to  men. 

more  than  a  cup,  but  when  both  are  full,  the  cup,  though  holding 
less,  still  lacks  nothing.  In  the  same  way  every  soul  being  full  of 
glory,  that  soul  which  contains  less  glory  is  not  less  full  than 
that  which  contains  more.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
(Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  xciii,  articles  2  and  3). 

*  Delia  celestial :  Understand  spera,  which  Scartazzini  says 
means  the  degree,  the  condition  the  souls  in  the  Moon  occupy 
as  the  lowest  condition,  or  degree  of  blessedness. 


128  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Cos!  parlar  conviensi  al  vostro  ingegno,  40 

Perocch&  solo  da  sensato*  apprende 
Cio  che  fa  poscia  d'  intelletto  degno. 

Per  questo  la  Scrittura  condiscende  t 
A  vostra  facultate,  e  piedi  e  mano 
Attribuisce  a  Dio,  ed  altro  intende  ;  $  45 

E  santa  Chiesa  con  aspetto  umano 


*  sensato:  Tommase'o  paraphrases  this  :  "Da  oggetto  sensibile 
apprende  quel  che  poi  divien  intelligibile."  Tommase'o  further 
quotes  the  so-called  Aristotelian  doctrine,  which  however  (Dr. 
Moore  tells  me  he  thinks)  is  due  rather  to  Descartes :  "Nihil  essein 
intellectu  quod  non  prius  merit  in  sensu."  To  which  Leibnitz  is  said 
to  have  added :  "Except  the  intellect  itself."  Tommase'o  quotes 
Galileo  as  saying :  "  Averne  sensata  esperienza  per  mezzo  del 
telescopio."  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i, 
qu.  i,  art.  9) :  "Conveniens  est  sacrae  scripturae  divina  et  spirit- 
ualia  sub  similitudine  corporalium  tradere.  Deus  enim  omnibus 
providet,  secundum  quod  competit  eorum  naturae.  Est  autem 
naturale  homini  ut  per  sensibilia  ad  intelligibilia  veniat ;  quia 
omnis  nostra  cognitio  a  sensu  initium  habet.  Unde  convenien- 
ter  in  sacra  Scriptura  traduntur  nobis  spiritualia  sub  metaphoris 
corporalium."  Dr.  Hettinger  (Dante's  Divina  Commedia,  its 
scope  and  value  from  the  German  of  Franz  Hettinger,  D.D., 
edited  by  Henry  Sebastian  Bowden,  London,  1887,  p.  250), 
remarks:  "In  the  realistic  treatment  of  his  allegory,  to  which 
we  have  often  adverted,  Dante  is  guided  by  St.  Thomas,  who 
says  that,  by  a  law  of  our  nature,  we  are  led  from  sensuous  to 
super-sensuous  things,  from  things  material  to  things  spiritual." 
In  Convito  ii,  5,  11.  120-121,  Dante  says:  "...  alcuno  senso, 
dal  quale  comincia  la  nostra  conoscenza." 

t  condiscende:  "Omnes,  qui  spiritaliter  intelligent  Scripturas 
non  membra  corporea  per  ista  nomina,  sed  spiritales  potentias 
accipere  didicerunt,  sicut  galeas  et  scutum  et  gladium  et  alia 
multa."  (St.  August,  in  Genes,  xvii).  Compare  also  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  i,  art.  10):  "Per  voces  signi- 
ficatur  aliquid  proprie,  et  aliquid  figurative.  Nee  est  litteralis 
sensus  ipsa  figura ;  sed  id  quod  est  figuratum.  Non  enim  cum 
Scriptura  nominat  Dei  brachium,  est  litteralis  sensus  quod  in 
Deo  sit  membrum  hujusmodi  corporale ;  sed  id  quod  per  hoc 
membrum  significatur,  scilicet  virtus  operativa." 

J  altro  intende:  "means  something  more  than  the  words 
imply."  "Intende  di  manifestarci  attributi  immateriali  divini 
simboleggiati  nelle  mani  e  nei  piedi."  (Cornoldi). 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  129 

Gabriel  e  Michel  vi  rappresenta, 
E  1'  altro  che  Tobia  rifece  sano.* 

In  such  wise  is  it  needful  to  speak  to  your  (human) 
intelligence,  because  only  by  an  appeal  to  the  senses 
does  it  learn  that  which  it  afterwards  renders  meet 
for  understanding.  For  this  reason  Holy  Scripture 
condescends  to  your  (human)  faculties,  and  attributes 
feet  and  hands  to  God,  and  (yet)  means  something 
else ;  and  Holy  Church  represents  to  you  Gabriel 
and  Michael  under  a  human  aspect,  as  also  that  other 
one  (Raphael)  who  made  Tobias  (meaning  Tobit) 
whole  again. 

She  then  points  out  that  the  teaching  of  Plato  in  the 
Tim&us,  and  the  teaching  of  the  Church  are  by  no 
means  the  same,  for  the  latter  speaks  only  in  meta- 
phorical language  ;  while  Plato  really  seems  to  have 
been  giving  what  he  believed  to  be  a  real  account  of 
the  transmigrations  of  the  souls,  first  from  the  stars 
in  which  they  took  their  origin,  then  into  human 
bodies  which  they  animated  with  life,  and  then  back 
again  into  their  respective  stars  after  death,  and  he 
meant  his  words  to  be  taken  in  their  literal  sense. 

Quel  che  Timeo  dell'  anime  argomenta 

Non  e  simile  a  ci6  che  qui  si  vede,  50 

Per6  che,  come  dice,  par  che  senta. 

Dice  che  1'  alma  alia  sua  Stella  riede,t 

*  F  altro  che  Tobia  rifece  sano :  Dante  has  confused  Tobit 
with  Tobias  (see  Tobit,  iii,  17):  "And  Raphael  was  sent  to 
heal  them  both,  that  is,  to  scale  away  the  whiteness  of  Tobit's 
eyes,  and  to  give  Sara  the  daughter  of  Raguel  for  a  wife 
to  Tobias  the  son  of  Tobit."  Compare  Milton,  Par.  Lost, 
v,  221-223: 

"  Raphael,  the  sociable  spirit,  that  deigned 
To  travel  with  Tobias,  and  secured 
His  marriage  with  the  seven-times-wedded  maid." 
t  Dice  che  /'  alma  alia  sua  stella  riede :  Compare  Convito  iv, 
21,  11.  17-19:   "Plato  ed  altri  vollero  che  esse  (nostre  anime) 

I.  K 


1 30  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Credendo  quella  quindi  esser  decisa,* 
Quando  natura  per  forma  la  diede.t 
That  which  (Plato  in)  Timaeus  argues  about  souls 
does  not  resemble  that  which  one  sees  here,  because 
he  really  does  seem  to  believe  as  he  says.     He  says 
that  the  soul  returns  to  its  own  star,  (evidently)  be- 
lieving that  it  was  parted  from  it,  when  Nature  gave 
it  (the  soul)  as  a  (vital)  form  (to  the  body). 

Beatrice  remarks,  however,  that  this  opinion  of  Plato 
is  perhaps  not  so  much  erroneous  as  misunderstood. 

procedessero  dalle  stelle,  e  fossero  nobili  e  piu  e  meno,  secondo 
la  nobilta  della  Stella."  Petrarch  (Part  ii,  Son.  2 1 )  alludes  to  this 
opinion  when  he  suggests  that  the  soul  of  Laura  has  returned 
to  its  star : 

"  Anzi  tempo  per  me  nel  suo  paese 
£  ritornata  ed  alia  par  sua  Stella." 

*  decisa :  The  primary  meaning  of  decidere  is  "  to  cut  off," 
"to  sever,"  and  the  meaning  "to  decide"  is  the  last  given  of  all 
its  significations.  See  Gran  Dizionario. 

t  natura  per  forma  la  diede  :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas, 
Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2dse,  qu.  clxiv,  art.  i :  "  Naturae  per  se 
principia  sunt  forma  et  materia.  Forma  hominis  est  anima 
rationalis,  qua:  est  de  se  immortalis  .  .  .  materia  autem  hominis 
est  corpus  tale  quod  est  ex  contrariis  compositum."  Scartazzini 
in  both  his  editions,  followed  by  Casini  and  Poletto,  quotes  the 
following  words  from  ibid.,  pars  i,  qu.  Ixxvi,  art.  I :  "  Anima 
rationalis  est  forma  sui  corporis."  I  have  looked  most  care- 
fully through  the  whole  article,  and  am  satisfied  that  the 
words  "Anima  rationalis"  do  not  occur  in  it,  and  yet  in  the 
Index  iii  Rerum  in  my  edition  (Paris,  1880)  of  the  Summa  the 
passage  is  cited,  as  Scartazzini  gives  it.  The  nearest  approach 
to  the  words  quoted  is  the  following:  "Hoc  ergo  principium 
quo  primo  intelligimus,  sive  dicatur  intellectus,  sive  anima  in- 
tellectiva,  est  forma  corporis."  And  in  a  footnote  at  the  beginning 
of  art.  i,  I  find :  "  In  concilio  Viennensi  Clemens  V,  sic  damnavit 
eos  qui  animam  corporis  esse  formam  non  agnoscebant :  Quis- 
quis  asserere,  defendere,  seu  tenere  pertinaciter  prcesumpserit, 
qubd  anima  rationalis  seu  intellectiva  non  sit  forma  corporis 
humani  per  se  essentialiter,  tanquam  haereticus  sit  censendus." 
Compare  also  art.  4  of  the  same  Qucestio  in  the  Summa :  "  Anima 
est  forma  substantialis  hominis."  And  qu.  xc,  art.  2:  "Anima 
rationalis  est  forma  subsistens."  And  qu.  xci,  art  4:  "Forma 
humani  corporis  est  ipsa  anima,  quse  est  spiraculum  vitae." 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  131 

If  his  meaning  is,  not  so  much  that  the  souls  issue 
from  the  stars  and  return  to  them  again,  as  that  the 
stars  exercise  an  influence  over  them,  moving  them 
to  good  or  to  evil,  then  perhaps  (Beatrice  says)  he 
might  not  be  far  from  the  truth  as  understood 
in  Dante's  time,  when  the  influence  of  the  stars 
was  an  admitted  fact,  She  goes  on  to  show  that  it 
was  owing  to  this  very  doctrine  of  Plato  being  taken 
in  a  wrong  sense  that  caused  nations  to  give  to  the 
planets  the  names  of  the  different  heathen  deities, 
believing  that  each  of  these  planets  exercised  the 
special  influence  of  the  god  it  was  called  after,  e.g. 
Venus  the  influence  of  love,  Mars  the  influence  of 
war,  and  so  on.  If,  therefore,  Plato's  opinion  is  under- 
stood in  this  other  sense,  it  would  be  in  accordance 
with  that  of  Dante,  who  has  had  no  other  motive  for 
representing  these  discloistered  dames  in  the  Sphere 
of  the  Moon,  than  as  a  mark  of  the  influence  upon 
them  of  the  instability  attributed  to  that  (so-called) 

planet 

E  forse*  sua  sentenza  e  d'  altra  guisa  55 

Che  la  voce  non  suona,  ed  esser  puote 
Con  intenzion  da  non  esser  derisa. 

S'egl'  intendet  tornare  a  queste  rote 

*  E  forse,  et  seq. :  On  this  Mr.  Butler  remarks  that  the  sug- 
gestion in  this  passage  is  rather  curious,  considering  that,  in  an 
immediately  preceding  passage  of  the  Timaeus  (40  D),  Plato 
very  distinctly  is  speaking  otherwise  than  as  he  thinks.  The 
Postillatore  Cassinese  has :  " Et  forse:  quia  potest  forte  scribere 
unum  et  aliud  intelligere,  sicut  intelligit  auctor  in  hac  sua 
fictione,  nam  si  dictus  Plato  intellexisset  in  tali  ejus  opinione 
quod  laus  et  reprehensio  influentiarum  dictorum  planetarum 
rediret  ad  eos  forte  non  errasset." 

t  S1  eg?  tntende,  et  seq. :  Compare  Purg.  xvi,  73 ;  and  Par.  ii, 
67,  and  Scartazzini's  observations  thereon,  wherein  we  see  clearly 
that  Dante  admitted  the  influence  of  the  stars. 

K  2 


132  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

L'  onor  dell'  influenza  e  il  biasmo,  forse 
In  alcun  vero  suo  arco  percote.  60 

Questo  principio  male  inteso  torse 

Gia  tutto  il  mondo  quasi,  si  che  Giove, 
Mercuric  e  Marte  a  nominar*  trascorse. 
And  (yet)  perchance  this  belief  of  his  is  of  other 
guise  than  his  words  sound  (i.e.  is  not  to  be  merely 
taken  in  the  literal  sense),  and  may  be  with  a  mean- 
ing that  is  not  to  be  derided.  If  he  means  that  to 
these  spheres  return  the  honour  of  their  influence 
and  the  blame,  perchance  the  (shaft  from  his)  bow 
may  hit  on  some  (part  of  the)  truth.  This  principle 
(i.e.  of  the  influence  of  the  stars)  ill  understood  once 
so  nearly  perverted  all  the  world,  that  it  went  astray 
to  give  (to  the  planets)  the  names  of  Jupiter,  Mars, 
and  Mercury. 

The  interpretation  of  this  last  line  has  been  much 
disputed,  as  many  Commentators  have  preferred  to 
take  nominare  in  the  sense  of  "  to  call  upon  the  name 
of,"  i.e.  to  invoke,  to  adore,  to  worship,  and  although 
that  would  not  alter  the  sense  of  the  passage,  yet  the 
interpretation  I  have  followed,  which  is  also  that  of 
Scartazzini  andCasini,is  by  far  the  simplest,  and  is  fully 
borne  out  by  what  Dante  says  of  Venus  in  Par.  viii, 
1-13,  where  it  is  said  of  the  ancients  that  they  piglia- 
vano  il  vocabol  della  stella  che  il  sol  vagheggia,  etc. 

*  nominar:  Scartazzini  most  aptly  remarks  that  the  mere 
naming  some  of  the  planets  after  the  Pagan  gods  would  not 
constitute  a  sin,  and  he  thinks  the  line  means  that  the  world 
took  to  naming  the  stars  after  illustrious  men  whose  souls  were 
believed  to  have  returned  to  the  respective  stars  from  which 
they  originally  issued.  Cicero  takes  that  view  in  De  Nat. 
Dear,  i,  13:  "Deos  enim  octo  esse  dicit  [Xenocrates] :  quinque 
eos,  qui  in  stellis  vagis  nominantur."  And  the  Postillatore 
Cassinese:  "Hie  dictum  Platonis  fuit  causa  quare  antiqui  gen- 
tiles nominaverunt  planetas  a  nomine  Jovis,  Mercurii,  et  Martis, 
et  aliorum  ceterorum  virorum  ab  ipsis  pressis,  quasi  crederent 
animas  talium  ad  dictas  Stellas  redisse." 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  133 

Division  III.  Beatrice  now  disposes  of  the  second 
doubt  in  Dante's  mind,  which  was,  "  If  a  vow  be 
broken,  not  by  the  will  of  the  person  pledged  to  fulfil 
it,  but  by  the  violence  of  some  one  else,  can  that 
violence  detract  from  the  merit  of  the  good-will?" 
Beatrice's  answer  is  to  the  effect  that  these  nuns  had 
no  blame  in  being  violently  torn  from  their  vows,  but 
that  their  fault  lay  in  not  repairing  the  evil  by  re- 
turning to  the  cloister  as  soon  as  they  were  able. 
Will  may  be  kept  in  abeyance  by  force,  but  as  soon 
as  the  force  is  removed,  the  will  regains  its  power  of 
action.  Force  causes  a  flame  to  bend  or  turn  aside, 
but  as  soon  as  ever  that  force  is  removed,  the  flame 
at  once  resumes  its  upward  tendency.  These  nuns 
lacked  that  strength  of  will  which  made  St.  Lawrence 
lie  undaunted  upon  the  gridiron,  and  made  Mutius 
unflinching  when  he  burnt  his  own  hand  before  Lars 
Porsenna.  Therefore  their  merit  is  incomplete. 

Dante's  doubt  concerning  vows  is  of  less  harmful 
consequences  than  the  other,  as  it  is  not  one  likely  to 
lead  him  away  from  the  Church,  its  discipline  or  its 
teaching ;  and  Beatrice  now  speaks  as  the  symbol 
of  ecclesiastical  authority,  to  whom  is  entrusted  the 
ministry  of  revelation.  Scartazzini  thinks  that  he  is 
not  far  wrong  in  surmising  that  this  second  doubt  is 
a  doubt  "for  wonder  and  discussion,"  whereas  the 
first  doubt  was  one  "  of  infidelity  and  unbelief." 
L'altra  dubitazion*  che  ti  commove 

*  dubitazion:  A  Scholastic  expression.  Scartazzini  (Ediz. 
Mm.)  observes  that  whereas  in  the  Council  held  at  Constanti- 
nople in  540  A.D.,  the  Platonic  doctrine,  which  had  been  openly 
professed  by  Origen,  Prudentius,  and  other  Christian  theo- 
logians, had  received  the  emphatic  condemnation  of  ecclesiasti- 


1 34  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Ha  men  velen,  perocche  sua  malizia  65 

Non  ti  poria  menar  da  me  altrove. 
Parere  ingiusta*  la  nostra  giustizia 

Negli  occhi  dei  mortali,  £  argomento 
Di  fede,  e  non  d'  eretica  nequizia. 

cal  authority,  the  same  authority  had  not  as  yet  made  any  precise 
and  emphatic  pronouncement  about  extenuation  or  exculpation 
for  the  breaking  of  vows.  Therefore  Beatrice  says  that  this 
second  doubt  could  not  lead  Dante  astray  from  her  (da  me 
altrove). 

*  Parere  ingiusta,  et  seq. :  This  is  a  passage  which  Scar- 
tazzini  says  must  be  counted  as  one  of  the  most  difficult  in  the 
Divina  Commedia,  and  he  adds  that  while  he  has  consulted  over 
sixty  commentators,  not  one  of  them  wholly  satisfies  him ;  nor 
can  he  himself  offer  an  interpretation  that  shall  be  beyond  all 
question.  Andreoli  says  that  the  interpretations  are  as  nume- 
rous as  the  interpreters,  and  not  one  of  them  is  adequate.  To 
enter  into  the  whole  of  Scartazzini's  learned  examination  of  all 
the  opinions  offered,  would  be  beyond  the  scope  and  limits  of 
the  present  work,  but  as  Casini  gives  a  careful  digest  of  Scar- 
tazzini's long  note,  and  its  alternative  views,  and  as  both  these 
learned  Commentators  seemingly  prefer  the  same  interpretation, 
I  will  translate  Casini's  note:  "That  divine  justice  should  to 
men  seem  unjust  is  a  reason  for  faith  and  not  for  heresy.  The 
interpretation  of  this  terzina  has  sufficiently  occupied  ancient 
and  modern  Commentators,  who  have  expressed  the  most  widely 
divergent  views  about  it ;  but  all  their  explanations  can,  for  the 
matter  of  that,  be  reduced  to  one  of  the  three  following:  (i) 
That  in  some  particular  case  divine  justice  may  seem  unjust  is 
a  proof  of  our  belief  in  that  justice  in  general.  This  is  the 
interpretation  of  the  Ottimo^  Buti,  Landino,  Danielle,  Venturi, 
Andreoli,  and  others.  (2).  That  divine  justice  should  seem 
unjust  is  a  question  of  faith,  which  faith  alone  must  solve,  not 
human  Reason.  This  view  is  supported  by  Cesari  and  some 
few  more.  (3)  That  divine  justice  should  seem  unjust  is  a 
motive  for  us  to  believe  in  it.  (Lombardi,  Biagioli,  Costa, 
Tommaseo,  Brunone  Bianchi,  Fraticelli,  etc.).  This  last  is  the 
best,  and  has  been  admirably  illustrated  by  Scartazzini,  who  has 
interpreted  the  passage  as  follows :  '  If  the  justice  of  God  appears 
unjust  in  the  eyes  of  mortals,  such  appearance  ought  to  guide 
them  to  belief,  not  to  unbelief,  knowing  as  they  do  that  the 
judgments  of  the  Lord  are  incomprehensible.  If  you  consider 
that  incomprehensibility,  you  ought  at  once  to  be  satisfied 
without  attempting  to  comprehend  the  incomprehensible.  But 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  135 

Ma  perche  puote  vostro  accorgimento  70 

Ben  penetrare  a  questa  veritate, 
Come  disiri,  ti  faro  contento. 

The  other  doubt  which  troubles  thee  has  less  venom 
(i.e.  is  less  pernicious),  in  that  its  mischief  could  never 
lead  thee  astray  from  me.  That  our  (i.e.  divine) 
justice  should  appear  unjust  in  the  eyes  of  mortals  is 
an  argument  for  faith  (i.e.  a  motive  for  them  to  be- 
lieve in  it),  and  not  for  heretical  iniquity  (i.e.  of  dis- 
believing it,  knowing  as  they  do  how  inscrutable  are 
the  judgments  of  God).  But  as  your  (i.e.  human) 
understanding  is  well  able  to  penetrate  this  truth,  I 
will  -content  thee  in  the  way  thou  desirest. 

She  means  that  she  will  make  it  quite  clear  to  him 
that  the  justice  of  God  is  in  no  wise  unjust  to  these 
ex-nuns.  She  goes  on  to  define  what  is  violence,  and 
why  these  nuns  cannot  really  be  said  to  have  been 
entirely  the  victims  of  violence.  Violence  can  be 
wrought  upon  the  human  body,  but  not  upon  the 
human  will.  If  the  will,  owing  to  force,  participates 
in  a  course  of  action  of  which  it  does  not  approve,  it 
is  impossible  to  deny  that,  however  unwillingly,  it 
has  given  some  sort  of  consent,*  and  consent  is  in- 
compatible with  violence. 

as  we  are  now  dealing  with  a  matter  into  which  human  Reason 
can  readily  penetrate,  I  will  do  for  you  what  you  wish  and 
explain  it  to  you.'  Talice  da  Ricaldone  comments:  "Nam 
quamvis  non  cognosceres  que  esset  causa  quia  minueretur 
meritus  alicujus,  hoc  est  signum  fidei  et  bone  credulitatis,  et 
non  erronee  credulitatis." 

*  "II  Poeta,  con  la  finezza  ch' e  propria  dell'ingegno  e  degli 
animi  dirittamente  severi,  conosce  una  colpa  attenuata  si,  ma 
tuttavia  colpa,  in  coloro  che,  costretti,  cedono  al  male  senza 
acconsentire  si  piegano  con  ribrezzo;  ma  a  tutti  gli  spiragli  di 
liberta,  che  non  possono  non  si  aprire  anco  ai  piii  schiavi,  non 
pongono  mente  per  profittarne,  temono  insieme  e  il  male  a  cui 
sono  forzati,  e  lo  sforzo  necessario  a  prosciogliersene ;  e  col 


136  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Se  vi'olenza*  &  quando  quel  che  pate, 
Niente  conferisce  a  quel  che  isforza, 
Non  fur  quest' alme  per  essa  scusate;  75 

Che  volonta,  se  non  vuol,t  non  si  ammorza, 
Ma  fa  come  natura  face  in  foco,J 
Se  mille  volte  v'iolenza  il  torza ;  § 

gemere  e  col  fremere  si  credono  conservati  o  rifatti  innocenti." 
(Tommase'o). 

*  Se  vi'olenza,  et  seq.  :  Mr.  Butler  points  out  that  this  passage 
is  word  for  word  from  Aristotle,  Eth.  iii,  i:  "Blcuov  5e  o5  ij  apx^i 
f£u9ev,  roiavTT]  olaa.  Iv  77  /iTjSev  trv/ujSaAAeTat  6  Trpdrrwv  tf  6  -Tratrxw-" 

Casini  says  that  Dante  is  here  putting  into  verse  the  scholastic 
views  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2dae, 
qu.  clxxv,  art.  i)  wherein  the  above  passage  from  the  Ethics  is 
alluded  to:  "Violentum  autem  dicitur  cujus  principium  est 
extra,  nil  conferente  eo  quod  vim  patitur,  ut  dicitur  (Ethic. 
lib.  iii,  cap.  i,  k  principio).  Confert  autem  unumquodque  ad  id 
in  quod  tendit  secundum  propriam  inclinationem  vel  voluntariam 
vel  naturalem." 

t  se  non  vuol :  In  the  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  Ixxxii,  art.  I, 
St.  Thomas  says :  "  Cum  aliquis  cogitur  ab  aliquo  agente  ita 
quod  non  possit  contrarium  agere  .  .  .  haec  vocatur  necessitas 
coactionis.  Haec  igitur  coactionis  necessitas  omnino  repugnat 
voluntati."  And  again,  ibid,  pars  i,  2d«,  qu.  vi,  art.  4 :  "  Duplex 
est  actus  voluntatis ;  unus  quidem  qui  est  ejus  immediate,  velut 
ab  ipsa  elicitus,  scilicet  velle ;  alius  autem  est  actus  voluntatis  a 

voluntate  imperatus,  et  mediante  alia  potentia  exercitus 

Quantum  igitur  ad  actus  a  voluntate  imperatos,  voluntas 
violentiam  pati  potest,  inquantum  per  violentiam  exteriora 
[?  exteriorem]  membra  impediri  possunt  ne  imperium  voluntatis 
exequantur.  Sed  quantum  ad  ipsum  proprium  actum  voluntatis, 
non  potest  ei  violentia  inferri." 

J  come  natura  face  infoco:  Compare  Purg.  xviii,  28,  29: 

"Poi  come  il  foco  movesi  in  altura, 

Per  la  sua  forma  ch'  e  nata  a  salire." 
And  Par.  i,  141 : 

"Come  a  terra  quiete  in  foco  vivo." 

So  also  in  Conv.  iii,  3,  11.  11-13:  "II  fuoco  [ha  amore  naturato] 
alia  circonferenza  di  sopra  lungo  '1  cielo  della  luna,  e  per6  sempre 
sale  a  quello."  And  De Man.  i,  15,  11.  38-42:  "Nam  sicut  plures 
flammas  diceremus  Concordes  .  .  .  propter  coascendere  omnes 
ad  circumferentiam,  si  voluntarie  hoc  facerent,"  etc. 

§  torza:  The  verb  torzare  expresses  greater  violence  than 
torcere,  of  which  it  is  a  frequentative.  Tommase'o  observes  that 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  137 

Perch£,  s'  ella  si  piega  assai  o  poco, 

Segue  la  forza ;  e  cos!  queste  fero  80 

Possendo  ritornare  al  santo  loco. 

If  violence  is  when  he  who  suffers  it  contributes 
nothing  to  him  who  uses  force,  (then)  these  souls 
had  no  excuse  on  that  score.  For  Will,  if  it  wills 
not,  cannot  be  quenched,  but  does  as  Nature  does  in 
fire,  though  violence  twist  it  aside  a  thousand  times 
over  ;  because  if  it  (the  Will)  bends  much  or  little,  it 
seconds  the  force ;  and  thus  did  these  souls,  as  they 
were  able  to  return  to  the  consecrated  place  (their 
cloister). 

Benvenuto  observes  that  by  two  human  examples,  the 
one  Christian  and  the  other  pagan,  Beatrice  proves 
to  Dante  that  the  will  is  inviolable.  The  Spanish 
saint,  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  time  of  the  cruel  Emperor 
Decius,  underwent  horrible  tortures,  one  of  which  was 
the  being  bound  upon  a  red  hot  iron  grating,  with 
unflinching  fortitude,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  suffer- 
ings, rendered  thanks  unto  the  Most  High.  But  lest 
Dante  might  attribute  this  fortitude  to  divine  aid 
afforded  to  a  holy  man,  Beatrice  cites  the  example  of 
a  valiant  pagan,  Mutius  Scaevola,  whose  endurance  was 
exhibited  solely  for  earthly,  and  not  for  eternal  glory. 
Se  fosse  stato  lor  volere  intero, 

Come  tenne  Lorenzo*  in  sulla  grada, 

the  z  and  the  c  were  interchangeable  even  in  the  Tuscan  idiom. 
Casini  says  that  torzare  is  used  to  express  a  continuous  and 
violent  action.  See  Donkin's  Etymological  Dictionary  of  the 
Romance  Languages  after  Diez,  s.v.  torciare.  The  Gran 
Dizionario  under  this  word,  quotes  Giov.  Villani,  viii,  cap.  78 : 
"Tutto  torciaro  e  caricaro  con  loro  arnesi  e  vittuaglia  in  sulle 
loro  carra."  This  reading  however  torciaro  (say  the  authors  of 
the  Dictionary)  is  not  the  only  one,  for  the  older  texts  of  Villani 
read  tornarono. 

*  Lorenzo:  St.  Lawrence  was  a  deacon  who  suffered  martyr- 
dom at   Rome  A.D.  258.      Being  treasurer  of  the   Christian 


138  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

E  fece  Muzio*  alia  sua  man  severe, 
Cosi  le  avria  ripinte  per  la  strada  85 

Ond'  eran  tratte,  come  furo  sciolte ; 

Ma  cosi  salda  voglia  £  troppo  rada. 
E  per  queste  parole,  se  ricolte 

L'  hai  come  devi,  e  1'  argomento  casso, 

Che  t'  avria  fatto  noia  ancor  piu  volte.t  90 

If  their  will  had  been  perfect,  as  (that  which)  kept 
Lawrence  (undaunted)  upon  the  gridiron,  and  made 
Mutius  relentless  to  his  own  hand,  then  it  would,  as 
soon  as  they  were  free,  have  driven  them  back  into 
the  path  from  whence  they  were  dragged,  but  so 
staunch  a  will  (as  that)  is  but  too  rare.  And  by  these 
words  (of  mine),  if  thou  hast  gathered  them  up  (in 
thy  mind)  as  thou  oughtest,  is  the  argument  confuted, 
which  would  still  have  annoyed  thee  many  times. 

Division  IV.  Beatrice  now  disposes  of  a  third  diffi- 
culty. She  has  said  that  the  spirits  of  the  nuns  were 
to  blame  for  not  returning  to  their  convent  life,  after 

Church,  he  was  summoned  by  the  Emperor  Decius  to  hand 
over  the  treasures  in  his  keeping,  whereupon  he  brought  forward 
a  crowd  of  poor  persons,  saying  that  they  were  the  treasures  of 
the  Church.  Valerian  the  Prefect  of  Rome  had  Lawrence  most 
cruelly  scourged  on  the  Viminal,  and  then  had  him  stretched 
upon  an  iron  grating  over  a  red  hot  fire,  but  such  was  his 
constancy  that  he  invited  his  tormentors,  when  one  side 
was  sufficiently  roasted,  to  turn  him  upon  the  other.  See 
Breviarium  Romanum,  Festa  Augusti  Die  10:  "Strinxerunt 
corporis  membra  posita  super  craticulam :  ministrantibus  prunas 
insultat  Levita  Christi,"  etc. 

*  Muzio:  "E  Muzio  la  sua  mano  propria  incendere,  perche 
fallato  avea  il  colpo  che  per  liberare  Roma  pensato  avea." 
(Conmto  iv,  5,  11.  115-118).  "Quid  non  audendum  pro  patria, 
nobis  Mutius  persuasit  quum  incautum  Porsenam  invasit,  quum 
deinde  manum  errantem,  non  alio  vultu  quam  si  hostem  cruciari 
videret,  suam  adhuc,  cremari  adspiciebat?"  De  Man.  ii,  5, 
11.  121-126). 

t  t' avria  fatto  noia  ancor  piu  volte:  See  Par.  xix,  97  et  seq., 
where  the  question  of  God's  justice  is  again  discussed. 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 39 

they  were  free  again.  Piccarda  on  the  other  hand 
has  told  him  that  Constance  always  retained  her 
fidelity  to  the  veil,  though  it  had  been  torn  from  her 
by  force.  Beatrice  shows  that  this  is  a  contradiction. 
Sometimes  to  avoid  danger,  the  will  may  yield  to  the 
violence  of  others,  though  with  repugnance.  For  this 
repugnance  Piccarda  commends  Constance,  who  never 
had  the  will  to  quit  the  cloister,  but,  while  acquiescing 
through  fear,  retained  her  love  for  her  religious  life. 
Beatrice,  however,  draws  a  distinction  between  a  per- 
fect will  and  a  qualified  will,  and  does  not  wholly 
acquit  Constance  for  her  qualified  acquiescence. 
Ma  or  ti  s'  attraversa  un  altro  passo 

Dinanzi  agli  occhi  tal,  che  per  te  stesso 
Non  usciresti,  pria  saresti  lasso. 
lo  t'  ho  per  certo  nella  mente  messo, 

Ch'  alma  beata  non  poria  mentire,  95 

Perocch'  e  sempre  al  primo  vero  appresso  : 
E  poi  potesti  da  Piccarda  udire, 

Che  1'  affezion  del  vel  Costanza  tenne, 
Si  ch'  ella  par  qui  meco  contradire. 
But  now  another  strait  comes  athwart  thee  before 
thine  eyes,  of  such  a  nature,  that  of  thyself  alone 
thou  couldst  not  issue  from  it,  ere  thou  wast  wearied. 
I  have  instilled  into  thy  mind  for  certain  that  a  soul 
in  bliss  could  not  lie,  because  it  is  always  near  unto 
the  First  Truth ;  and  then  thou  mightest  hear  from 
Piccarda  that  Constance  retained  her  affection  for 
the  veil,  so  that  she  seems  here  to  be  in  contradic- 
tion with  me. 

This  apparent  contradiction  Beatrice  explains  away 
by  defining  the  distinction  between  simple  Will,  and 
Will  secundum  quid*  This  may  be  illustrated  by  the 

*  With  regard  to  the  Will  being  either  simplex  or  secundum 
quid,  see  Joseph!  Zamae  Mellinii  Lexicon  quo  veterum  Theolo- 


14°  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

example  of  the  schoolboy  who  goes  to  school  solely 
from  the  fear  of  stripes,  and  learns  well,  and  gets 
praised  ;  though  he  would  be  far  more  deserving  of 
praise  did  he  go  willingly  to  school  without  the  in- 
centive of  the  fear  of  being  punished.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  boy,  who  through  obstinacy  entirely  refuses 
to  learn,  meets  with  deserved  censure.  Beatrice,  in 
confirmation  of  this  argument,  cites  the  episode  of 
Alcmaeon,  who  revenged  the  murder  of  his  father 
by  murdering  his  mother,  and,  to  show  filial  piety 
towards  the  former,  perpetrated  filial  impiety  towards 
the  latter. 

Molte  fi'ate  gia,  frate,  addivenne  too 

Che  per  fuggir  periglio,  contro  a  grato* 

Si  fe'  di  quel  che  far  non  si  convenne ; 
Come  Almeone,t  che  di  cio  pregato 

Dal  padre  suo,  la  propria  madre  spense  ; 

Per  non  perder  pieta  si  fe'  spietato.  105 

Many  a  time  ere  now,  brother,  has  it  happened  that 


gorum  locutiones  explicantur  theologicae  tironibus  accomodatum, 
Colonise,  1855,  p.  11,  s.  v.  Absolute,  §2:  "Absolute  aliquando 
idem  est  ac  simpliciter,  et  dicitur  quando  res  sine  addito,  vel 
limitatione  potest  denominari  talis.  Hoc  sensu  v.g.  anima  nostra 
est  intelligens  absolute,  vel  simpliciter.  Huic  correlativum  est 
secundum  quid,  quod  dicitur  de  re,  quae  secundum  parvam  sui 
partem,  vel  tantum  cum  addita  particula  restringente  talis  de- 
nominetur.  Sic  asthiops  dicitur  albus  secundum  quid,  nempe,  in 
dentibus." 

*  contro  a  grata:  On  this  see  the  Ottimo :  "Qui  tocca  della 
voglia  rispettiva,  ch'  e  mezzo  tra  lo  appetite  volontario  assoluto, 
e  lo  involontario  semplicemente." 

t  Almeone:  Compare  Purg.  xii,  49-51: 

"  Mostrava  ancor  lo  duro  pavimento 
Come  Almeon  a  sua  madre  fe'  caro 
Parer  lo  sventurato  adornamento." 
See  also  Aristotle, Eth.  iii,  1,8:  "'Etna  5'  1<rws  OVK  IVTIV  &vayKaff6fivai, 

oXAo  //«AAov  faroBavfTfov  ira.96vri  ra  S(iv6rara'  Kal  yap  -rbv  'E-vpiiriSov 
yt\oia  (f>a(vfrai  " 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  141 

to  avoid  some  peril,  a  thing  has  been  reluctantly 
done,  which  ought  not  to  have  been  done ;  even  as 
Alcmseon,  who  being  by  his  father  entreated  thereto, 
slew  his  own  mother ;  not  to  lack  (filial)  piety  he 
made  himself  pitiless. 

Actions  that  are  performed  through  fear  are  not 
really  done  against  the  will  of  the  person  who  yields. 
They  are,  so  to  speak,  mixed  actions,  for  the  will  of 
the  person  yielding,  in  some  sort  of  way,  gets  united 
to  that  of  the  person  using  compulsion. 
A  questo  punto*  voglio  che  tu  pense 

Che  la  forza  al  voler  si  mischia,  e  fanno 
Si  che  scusar  non  si  posson  1'  offense. 
Voglia  assoluta  non  consente  al  danno, 

Ma  consentevi  in  tanto  in  quanto  teme,  1 10 

Se  si  ritrae,  cadere  in  piu  affanno. 
Pero,  quando  Piccarda  quello  espreme,t 

*  A  questo  punto:  Buti  explains  this:  "cioe  che  toccato  e 
disopra  di  Gostanza."  Trissino  understands  Beatrice  to  mean  : 
"  At  this  point  of  my  discourse."  Buti  thus  prefaces  the  next 
nine  verses  :  "  Debbiamo  sapere  che  sono  due  volontk :  1'  una 
assoluta,  la  quale  non  puo  volere  lo  male :  e  1'  altra  rispettiva,  la 
quale  vuole  minor  male  per  cessare  [/.  e.  to  put  a  stop  to]  lo  mag- 
giore.  E  cosi  puo  1'  uomo  volere  con  volontk  respettiva  quel 
che  non  vorrebbe  secondo  la  volontk  assoluta.  Ma  puo  essere 
che  1'  uomo  s'  inganni  nel  discernere  qual  sia  maggior  male  e  qual 
minore,  e  allora  si  fa  quello  che  non  si  de,  come  fece  Gostanza, 
che  elesse  lo  minor  bene  parendole  fuggire  maggior  male  che  non 
fuggitte,  e  che  non  arebbe  fuggito,  se  avesse  seguitato  lo  maggior 
bene.  E  pero  e  vero  che  Gostanza  colla  volontk  assoluta  sempre 
tenne  la  religione  ;  ma  colla  respettiva  no  ;  e  per6  vero  dico  io 
Beatrice  che  intendo  della  volontk  respettiva,  e  vero  disse  Pic- 
carda che  intese  della  volontk  assoluta.  E  cosi  e  soluto  lo  dubbio." 
Casini  says  that,  in  the  above  expression  of  opinion,  Buti  was 
adhering  closely  to  the  teaching  of  S.  Thorn.  Aquinas  (Summ. 
Theol.  pars  i,  2da),  qu.  vi,  art.  6),  in  which  St.  Thomas  quotes 
words  from  Gregorius  Nyssenus,  De  Homine,  which  are  very 
analogous  to  Dante's  here:  "  Hujusmodi  qua;  per  metum  aguntur 
mixta  sunt  ex  voluntario  et  involuntario." 

t  espreme :  On  this  form  for  esprime  see  Nannucci,  Analisi 
Critica,  p.  207,  note  (4).  Scartazzini,  Cornoldi,  Casini  and  Tom- 


142  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Delia  voglia  assoluta  intende,  ed  io 
DelF  altra,  si  che  ver  diciamo  insieme."— 

In  respect  to  this  point  I  would  have  thee  reflect,  that 
force  can  mix  itself  up  with  the  will,  and  they  so  act 
that  the  offence  cannot  be  excused.  Absolute  will 
does  not  consent  to  evil,  but  consents  to  it  (only)  so 
far  as,  if  it  resists,  it  is  in  fear  of  falling  into  greater 
trouble.  Therefore,  when  Piccarda  uses  that  expres- 
sion, she  means  it  of  the  absolute  will,  and  /  of  the 
other  (the  qualified  will),  so  that  together  we  are 
both  speaking  the  truth." 

Dante  is  careful  to  remind  his  readers,  on  the  con- 
clusion of  Beatrice's  dissertation,  that  her  words  had 
emanated  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  Fountain  of  all 

Truth. 

Cotal  fu  1'  ondeggiar  *  del  santo  rio,  115 

Ch'  usci  del  fonte  ond'  ogni  ver  deriva  ; 
Tal  pose  in  pace  uno  ed  altro  disio. 

Such  was  the  flowing  of  the  holy  rill  which  gushed 
forth  from  the  source  whence  all  truth  springs  ;  and 
this  set  at  rest  my  one  and  other  desire. 

From  Beatrice,  fountain  of  all  truth,  the  explanation 
had  flowed  like  a  pure  stream,  and  had  removed 
Dante's  doubt  as  to  whether  Piccarda,  with  her  com- 
panions, were  entirely  free  from  blame,  as  well  as  the 
doubt  as  to  whether  souls  did  or  did  not  return  to 
their  stars. 

Dante  now  thanks  Beatrice,  but  at  the  same  time 


mase'o,  understand  Beatrice  to  speak  thus  :  "When  Piccarda 
says  of  Constance,  that  she  never  consented  to  the  violence 
she  endured,  she  means  the  consent  of  will  absolute,  whereas  I 
(Beatrice)  mean  will  conditional,  or  mixed,  so  that  we  are  both 
saying  what  is  true." 

*  /'  ondeggiar  del  santo  rio  :  "  La  sapienza  di  Beatrice  e  ru- 
scello  che  viene  dal  fonte  della  divina  sapienza,  onde  deriva  ogni 
vero."  (Cornoldi). 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  143 

asks  her  to  solve  a  new  difficulty,  namely,  can  man 
by  good  works  render  satisfaction  for  unfulfilled  vows  ? 
To  this  Beatrice  gives  her  answer  in  the  next  Canto. 
— "  O  amanza  *  del  primo  amante,  o  diva," — 

Diss'  io  appresso, — "  il  cui  parlar  m'  inonda, 
E  scalda  si,  che  piu  e  piu  m'  avviva,  120 

Non  e  t  1'  affezion  mia  tanto  profonda, 

Che  basti  a  render  voi  grazia  per  grazia ; 
Ma  quei  che  vede  e  puote,  a  cio  risponda. 

"  O  Lady  beloved  by  the  First  Lover  (i.e.  by  God), 
O  thou  Divinity,"  said  I  thereafter,  "whose  speech 
so  overflows  me  and  warms  me,  that  it  revives  me 
more  and  more ;  my  own  (deep)  affection  is  not  so 
deep  that  it  can  suffice  to  render  unto  you  grace  for 
grace  (i.e.  adequately  to  express  my  gratitude  for 
your  favour) ;  but  let  Him  Who  discerns  and  has 
power,  respond  thereto  (i.e.  render  thanks  for  me). 

Dante  pleads  as  an  excuse  for  his  new  doubt  that  it 

*  amanza :  This  word  (says  the  Gran  Dizionarid)  was  used 
by  the  early  writers  to  signify  "  the  woman  beloved,"  and  is  so 
used  by  Dante  here.  In  modern  language  it  is  never  used 
except  to  express  sarcasm.  Parini,  in  his  La  Notte,  Poemetto, 
11.  205-207,  uses  it  as  a  term  of  irony  : 

"  Quale  Ibero  amador  quando,  raccolta 
Dall'  un  lato  la  cappa,  contegnoso 
Scorge  F  amanza  a  diportarsi  al  vallo,"  etc. 
It  is  also  found  among  the  early  writers  to  signify  "  Love." 
Compare   Dante  da   Majano,  in   the  Rime  Antiche,  Venice, 
I532,p.  83: 

"  Mi  presi  oltre  poder  di  nostra  amanza." 
t  Non  2,  et  seq.  :    Dante  tells  Beatrice  that  it  is  not  in  the 
power  of  his  human  nat'ure  to  render  her  adequate  thanks,  but 
he  entreats  the  All-Seeing  and  Omnipotent  God  to  demonstrate 
his  gratitude.     Compare  Virgil,  &n.  i,  600-605  : 

"grates  persolvere  dignas 

Non  opis  est  nostrae,  Dido,  nee  quidquid  ubique  est 
Gentis  Dardaniae,  magnum  quae  sparsa  per  orbem. 
Di  tibi,  si  qua  pios  respectant  numina,  si  quid 
Usquam  justitia  est  et  mens  sibi  conscia  recti, 
Praemia  digna  ferant." 


144  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

is  only  natural  that  out  of  one  doubt  should  spring 
another.  God,  the  First  Truth,  is  the  foundation  of 
all  truth,  as  philosophy  shows.  Man's  intellect  has  a 
natural  desire  to  learn  the  truth  ;  and,  as  a  desire  that 
proceeds  from  Nature  cannot  be  fallacious,  the  possi- 
bility of  knowing  the  truth  is  brought  about.  And 
just  for  the  same  reason  (says  Cornoldi)*  when  the 
truth  has  been  obtained,  the  intellect  finds  as  much 
delight  in  it,  as  the  wild  beast  after  a  long  chase  finds 
refuge  and  rest  in  its  lair. 

lo  veggio  ben  che  giammai  non  si  sazia  t 

Nostro  intelletto,  se  il  ver  non  lo  illustra,  125 

Di  fuor  dal  qual  nessun  vero  si  spazia.^ 

Posasi  in  esso,  come  fiera  in  lustra,§ 

*  La  Dzv.  Comm.  di  Dante  Alighieri  colComento  di  Giovanni 
Maria  Cornoldi  D.C.D.G.,  Roma,  1888,  i  vol.  8vo. 

t  se  non  si  sazia :  Scartazzini  says  that  human  intellect  never 
gets  satiated,  unless  it  be  illumined  by  Divine  Truth,  outside  of 
which  there  is  not  truth.  Ferrazzi  (Manuale  Dantesco,  vol.  iv, 
p.  413),  quotes  Giambattista  Niccolini  as  observing  in  his  work 
Dell'  universalitci  e  nazionalita  della  Divina  Commedia  in  his 
Opere,  iii,  p.  253,  that  in  these  terzine  of  Dante  there  is  com- 
prised the  philosophy  of  many  books.  Compare  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  2dae,  qu.  v,  art.  3  :  "  Boni  deside- 
rium  in  hac  vita  satiari  non  potest." 

t  si  spazia :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ.  Theol. 
pars  i,  qu.  xvi,  art.  5  :  "  Veritas  invenitur  in  intellectu,  secundum 
quod  apprehendit  rem  ut  est ;  et  in  re,  secundum  quod  habet  esse 
conformabile  intellectui.  Hocautem  maxime  invenitur  in  Deo. 
Nam  esse  suum  non  solum  est  conforme  suo  intellectui,  sed  etiam 
est  ipsum  suum  intelligere  ;  et  suum  intelligere  est  mensura  et 
causa  omnis  alterius  esse,  et  omnis  alterius  intellectus  ;  et  ipse 
est  suum  esse  et  intelligere.  Unde  sequitur  quod  non  solum  in 
ipso  sit  veritas,  sed  quod  ipse  sit  ipsa  summa  et  prima  veritas." 

§  come  fiera  in  lustra  :  Lustra,  from  the  Latin  lustrum,  is  the 
lair  of  a  wild  beast.  "  Stupenda  comparazione  (exclaims  Luigi 
Venturi,  Simil.  Dant.  p.  239,  Sim.  393)  ove  sono  da  notare  due 
sensi,  analoghi,  ma  distinti.  La  verita  e  riposo  all'  intelletto  che 
1'  ha  conosciuta,  come  riposo  e  all'  errante  belva  la  tana,  in  cui 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  145 

Tosto  che  giunto  1'  ha :  e  giugner  puollo  ; 
Se  non,  ciascun  disio  sarebbe  frustra.* 

I  well  perceive  that  our  (human)  intellect  is  never 
sated  unless  the  Truth  enlightens  it,  outside  of  Whom 
no  true  thing  is  expanded.     As  a  wild  beast  in  its 
lair,  it  lays  itself  to  rest  in  it  (the  Divine  Truth)  as 
soon  as  it  has  reached  it :  and,  reach  it,  it  can ;  for 
otherwise  every  desire  would  be  in  vain. 
Dante  goes  on  to  show  how,  with  the  attainment  of 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  doubts  are  liable  to  arise 
respecting  other  points  not  precisely  known  or  under- 
stood ;  we  are  in  consequence  impelled  by  Nature  to 
determine  the  truth  as  to  these  points,  so  that,  con- 
tinually proceeding  from  the  known  to  the  unknown, 
we  may  pass  upwards  until   we  reach   the   highest 
Truth  of  all,  which  is  God. 

Nasce  per  quello,t  a  guisa  di  rampollo,  130 

giunse  a  ricoverarsi  :  e  1'  intelletto  in  quel  suo  rifugio  difende 
se  stesso  dagli  inganni  dell'  errore,  come  la  belva  nel  suo  covile 
difende  se  e  i  figli  dal  cacciatore  che  la  insegue." 

*  frustra,  i.e.  "  in  vain."  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ. 
Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xii,  art.  i):  "Si  intellectus  rationalis  creaturae 
pertingere  non  possit  ad  primam  causam  rerum  remanebit  inane 
desiderium  naturae." 

t  Nasce  per  quello  :  Gioberti,  whose  remarks  on  the  Paradiso 
are  few,  comments  at  length  on  this  terzina :  "  Questi  versi 
chiuggono  un  profondo  pensiero  :  che  il  dubitare  che  fa  1'  uomo, 
1'  esser  pieno  d'  insaziabile  curiosita,  d'  ignoranza  e  d'  incertezza, 
il  trovarsi  a  ogni  poco  1'  intelletto  oscurato,  e  persino  il  finire 
talvolta  col  disperare  del  vero  e  gittarsi  nello  scetticismo,  e  prova 
grandissima  dell'  Amor  che  ha  1"  uomo  della  Verita,  e  dell'  idea 
che  ne  possiede  ;  poiche  egli  e  appunto  per  voler  certa  e  plena 
verith,  sgombra  da  ogni  oscurezza  e  da  ogni  dubbio,  che  giunge 
talvolta  al  pirronismo  ;  e  tutti  quelli  che  si  danno  a  tal  deso- 
lante  sistema  il  fanno  dopo  aver  cercato  la  verita,  e  non  trovata 
quella  che  risponda  alia  perfetta  idea  che  fatta  se  n'  hanno. 
Talcht;  lo  Scetticismo  non  e  mai  ne  nell'  ordine  della  filosofia 
ne  nell1  individuo  il  primo  sistema,  il  sistema  ispirato  dalla 
natura  ;  ma  e  frutto  d'  arte,  e  deriva  dallo  stesso  amore  del  vero, 
che  disperando  di  ottenere  il  suo  fine,  ama  meglio  di  uccidersi 

I.  L 


146  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IV. 

Appie  del  vero  il  dubbio  :  ed  e  natura,  * 
Ch'  al  sommo  pinge  noi  di  collo  in  collo.  t 

From  that  cause  (namely,  that  our  human  intellect 
is  so  formed)  there  springs  up  in  the  manner  of  an 

per  cosi  dire  rinunziando  a  ogni  verita,  e  facendo  consistere  la 
verita  nel  provare  che  non  si  puo  ottenere,  che  contentarsi  di 
una  verita  imperfetta  e  dimezzata.  Cosl  lo  stesso  Scetticismo 
conforta  se  stesso.  E  si  giunge  piu  di  una  volta  allo  Scetticisimo 
(che  e  morte  della  mente)  per  troppo  amore  del  vero,  come  si 
viene  indotto  al  suicidio  per  troppo  amor  della  vita.  Questa 
induzione  e  pero  un  grandissimo  traviamento.  Poiche,  come 
ivi  dice  1'  Alighieri  tutto  quello  e  bene  disposto  dall'  Autore 
della  Natura.  Mentre  per  una  parte  1'  amor  che  abbiamo  del 
Vero  mostraci  che  questo  e  il  nostro  fine,  e  che  di  esso  siamo 
capaci  ;  e  1'impotenza  di  conseguirlo  pieno  ed  intero  nella  vita 
terrena  e  coll'umana  scienza  ci  rende  avvisati  che  dobbiamo 
anelare  per  essere  beati  a  una  vita  futura,  in  cui  solo  Dio,  Primo 
Vero,  potra  contentare  la  nostra  sete  di  verita.  Ed  e  in  questa 
bellissima  sentenza  che  il  b.  Agostino  principia  le  sue  Con- 
fessioni."  TommaseVs  observations  on  this  passage  are  cited 
by  most  subsequent  Commentators :  "II  dubbio  buono  e 
fecondo,  quello  che  viene  da  istinto  di  natura,  e  che  serve 
all'ascensione  dell'anima  umana,  e  il  dubbio  che  nasce  a  piedi 
del  vero,  ed  e  germe  di  quello.  Se  Puomo  dubita,  il  genere 
umano  crede ;  se  1'  uomo  esita,  1'  umanita  precede  ;  se  alcuni 
uomini  si  dividono  tra  se,  la  famiglia  umana  si  aduna  in  se 
stessa  piii  e  piu  intimamente." 

*  natura :  "  Naturaliter  accedit,  quod  cognito  uno  vero  per 
intellectum  oriatur  dubium  aliquot  penes  ilium  verum,  et  sic 
verum  intelligendo  et  dubia  habendo  discitur  scientia  gradatim 
de  gradu  ad  gradum."  (Posttllatore  Cassinese), 

t  di  collo  in  collo :  Casini  explains  that  "  la  voce  collo,  usata 
qui  figuratamente,  e  nel  suo  proprio  senso  di  culmine,  cima  in 
Inferno  xxiii,  43,  44  : 

"giu  dal  collo  della  ripa  dura 
Supin  si  diede." 

Compare  Convito'w,  12,  11. 170-180  :  "  Vedere  si  puote  che  1'uno 
desiderabile  sta  dinanzi  all'  altro  agli  occhi  della  nostra  anima 
per  modo  quasi  piramidale,  che  '1  minimo  li  copre  prima  tutti, 
ed  e  quasi  punta  dell'  ultimo  desiderabile,  ch'  e  Dio,  quasi  base 
di  tutti.  Sicche  quanto  dalla  punta  ver  la  base  piu  si  precede, 
maggiori  appariscono  li  desiderabili  ;  e  quest'  e  la  ragione  per 
che,  acquistando,  li  desideri  umani  si  fanno  piu  ampi  1'  uno 
appresso  1'  altro." 


Canto  IV.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  147 

off-shoot  the  doubt  at  the  foot  of  the  truth  :  and  it  is 
Nature  which  from  peak  to  peak  urges  us  on  to  the 
summit. 

Dante  brings  the  Canto  to  a  conclusion  by  stating  the 
question  which  he  wishes  Beatrice  to  solve.  Beatrice 
beams  upon  him  with  so  bright  a  smile  of  encourage- 
ment that  all  his  "  sense  to  ravishment  is  lost."  We 
shall  read  her  reply  in  the  next  Canto. 
Questo  m'  invita,  questo  m'  assicura, 

Con  riverenza,  donna,  a  domandarvi 
D'  un'  altra  verita  che  m'  e  oscura.  135 

lo  vo'saper*  se  1'uom  puo  satisfarvi 
Ai  voti  manchi  si  con  altri  beni, 
Ch'  alia  vostra  statera  non  sien  parvi."— 
Beatrice  mi  guardo  con  gli  occhi  pieni 

Di  faville  d'amor,  cosi  divini,  140 

Che  vinta  mia  virtu  diede  le  reni, 
E  quasi  mi  perdei  con  gli  occhi  chini. 

This  it  is  which  invites  me,  this,  Lady,  gives  me  the 
assurance  to  ask  you  with  all  reverence  about  another 
truth  which  is  obscure  to  me.  I  wish  to  know  if  to 
you  (the  inhabitants  of  Heaven)  Man  can  render 
satisfaction  for  broken  vows  with  other  good  works 
in  such  a  degree  that  they  will  not  be  underweight 
in  your  balance."  Beatrice  looked  upon  me  with 
eyes  full  of  the  sparks  of  love,  and  so  divine,  that 
my  power,  vanquished,  was  put  to  flight,  and  with 
eyes  downcast  I  almost  lost  consciousness. 

*  lo  vtf  saper,  et  seq.  The  problem  proposed  to  Beatrice  by 
Dante  is  discussed  at  considerable  length  by  St.  Thorn.  Aquin. 
(Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2d8B,  qu.  Ixxxviii,  art.  10,  et  seq.)  Utrum 
possit  in  voto  dispensari. 


END  OF  CANTO  IV. 


L  2 


148  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 


CANTO   V. 


THE  FIRST  SPHERE  :  NAMELY,  OF  THE  MOON. — THE 
BINDING  FORCE  OF  VOWS  DISCUSSED. — THEIR 
PERMUTATION  INADMISSIBLE. — THEIR  BREACH 
UNCONDONABLE. 

ASCENT  TO  THE  SPHERE  OF  MERCURY. — JUSTINIAN. 

IN  the  last  Canto  Dante,  after  receiving  from  Beatrice, 
satisfactory  explanations  respecting  two  doubts  that 
had  entered  his  mind,  stated  to  her  a  third  upon 
which  he  begged  her  to  enlighten  him,  concerning  the 
binding  force  of  vows.  In  this  Canto  he  relates  how 
she  removed  this  third  doubt,  and  how  they  then 
ascended  into  the  Sphere  of  Mercury,  the  Second  of 
the  Spheres  of  Paradise. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  33,  Beatrice 
convinces  Dante  that  no  compensation  can  be  offered 
in  exchange  for  a  vow. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  63,  she 
plainly  lays  down  the  principle  that  no  exchange  of 
vow  can  be  sanctioned  by  the  Church,  unless  the 
offering  that  is  laid  aside  be  of  lesser  value  than  that 
assumed. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  64  to  v.  84,  she  points 
out  to  him  the  inexpediency  of  rash  and  ill-considered 
vows. 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  149 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  85  to  v.  139,  Dante 
describes  his  ascent  into  the  Sphere  of  Mercury. 

Division  I.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  last  Canto  we 
saw  that  Dante's  eyes  were  unable  to  endure  the  in- 
creased radiance  of  Beatrice,  and  she  now  begins  this 
Canto  by  bidding  him  attribute  that  brightness  to  the 
internal  illumination  of  her  perfect  vision.  This  will 
go  on  increasing  as  she  ascends  from  Sphere  to  Sphere. 
Beatrice  speaks  : 

— "S'io  ti  fiammeggio*  nel  caldo  d'amore 
Di  Ik  dal  modo  che  in  terra  si  vede, 
Si  che  degli  occhi  tuoi  t  vinco  il  valore, 
Non  ti  maravigliar  ;  ch&  cio  precede 

Da  perfetto  veder,  che  come  apprende,£  5 

Cosi  nel  bene  appreso  move  il  piede. 

*  fiammeggio :  Compare  Vita  Nuova,  §xxi,  son.  n,  11.  20-21  : 
"  Quel  ch'  ella  par  quand'  tin  poco  sorride, 
Non  si  puo  dicer,  ne  tener  a  mente, 
Si  e  nuovo  miracolo  gentile." 
and  §xxvi,  son.  15,  st.  i  : 

"  E  gli  occhi  non  1'  ardiscon  di  guardare." 
t  degli  occhi  tuoi  :  Compare  Conv.  iii,  Canzone  Amor  che  nella 
mcnte  mi  ragiona,  11.  55-65  : 

"  Cose  appariscon  nello  suo  aspetto, 

Che  mostran  de'  piacer  del  Paradiso ; 
Uico  negli  occhi  e  nel  suo  dolce  riso, 
Che  le  vi  reca  Amor  com'  a  suo  loco. 
Elle  soverchian  lo  nostro  intelletto, 
Come  raggio  di  sole  un  fragil  viso : 
E  perch'  io  non  le  posso  mirar  fiso, 
Mi  convien  contentar  di  dime  poco. 
Sua  belta  piove  fiammelle  di  fuoco 
Animate  d'  un  spirito  gentile, 
Ch'  6  creatore  d'  ogni  pensier  buono." 

£  perfetto  veder \  che  comeapprende:  Most  of  the  early  Commen- 
tators and  all  the  best  modern  Uantists  understand  the  perfection 
of  the  eyes  of  Beatrice  to  be  signified  here.  But  Buti,  Landino, 
Danielle,  Tommase'o  and  Witte,  think  the  perfetto  veder  refers 


150  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  v. 

"  If  in  the  heat  of  Love  I  beam  upon  thee  beyond  the 
measure  that  on  earth  is  seen,  so  that  I  bear  down 
the  power  of  thine  eyes,  marvel  not ;  for  this  is  due 
to  the  perfection  of  (my)  vision,  which,  as  it  appre- 
hends, so  moves  its  foot  towards  the  good  appre- 
hended. 

Lubin  tells  us  that  the  more  man  meditates  upon 
the  truths  of  Divine  Science,  the  more  lucidly  does 
it  beam  into  his  mind,  and  fills  it  with  an  infinitely 
greater  joy. 

De  Gubernatis  (//  Paradiso  di  Dante  dichiarato  at 
giovani,  Firenze,  1887)  remarks  that  the  mutual  love 
for  each  other  of  Dante  and  Beatrice  is  unlike  any 
other  love,  because  its  foundation  is  in  Heaven.  The 
most  divine  matters  find  their  expression  and  their 
image  in  two  persons,  who  are  reflected  in  each  other 


to  Dante.  The  former  interpretation  however,  is  fully  con- 
firmed by  the  passages  in  the  Bible  in  which  it  is  related 
that  Moses,  having  met  the  Almighty  face  to  face,  his  coun- 
tenance shone  so  that  the  Children  of  Israel  were  unable 
to  gaze  upon  it,  and  he  was  forced  to  cover  it  with  a  veil. 
apprende :  Mr.  Butler  remarks  that  as  has  been  seen  already 
in  Purg.  xvii,  91  et  seq. ;  and  in  xviii,  19  et  sey.,  apprehension 
or  conception  gives  rise  to  love,  or  desire,  and  this  is  followed 
by  action  in  the  direction  of  the  desired  good.  Compare 
St  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  2dae,  qu.  xxvii,  art.  2)  : 
"  Bonum  est  causa  amoris  per  modum  objecti,  Bonum  autem 
non  est  objectum  appetitus,  nisi  prout  est  apprehensum  ;  et  ideo 
amor  requirit  aliquam  apprehensionem  boni  quod  amatur.  Et 
propter  hoc  Philosophus  dicit  9  Ethic,  cap.  5  et  12,  in  princip. 
qu6d  visio  corporalis  est  principium  amoris  sensitivi  j  et  simili- 
ter  contemplatio  spiritualis  pulchritudinis  vel  bonitatis  est  prin- 
cipium amoris  spiritualis.  Sic  igitur  cognitio  est  causa  amoris 
ea  ratione  qua  et  bonuw,  quod  non  potest  amari  nisi  cognitum." 
Mr.  Butler  thinks  the  reference  must  be  to  Ethic,  ix,  12  : 
" rots  ipiaffi  rb  6pav  ayairi]r6raT6v  Iffn"  and  adds  that  " thus  Bea- 
trice meets  Dante's  desire  for  more  knowledge  with  an  assurance 
of  her  own  perfect  knowledge,  which  again  gives  rise  to  perfect 
love." 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  151 

as  in  two  mirrors,  and  of  whom  both  fix  their  affec- 
tions in  the  same  ideal  world  animated  by  God.  In 
their  looks,  in  their  smiles,  and  in  their  words,  God 
Himself  speaks.  Beatrice  has  perceived  that  Dante's 
mind,  in  approaching  the  Eternal  Light,  is  already 
enkindled  with  a  holy  love  of  the  First  Truth,  but 
with  feminine  delicacy  she  tells  him  that,  if  by  chance 
any  other  affection  is  still  moving  him,  he  is  not  to  be 
amazed  at  it,  since  all  human  affection,  even  though 
it  be  not  made  manifest,  is  still  a  ray  of  the  love  of 
God.  She  tells  him  that  his  doubt  merits  the  ex- 
planation which  she  will  afterwards  give  him. 

lo  veggio  ben  si  come  gia  risplende* 
Nello  intelletto  tuo  Peterna  luce,t 
Che,  vista  sola,!  sempre  amore  accende ; 

E  s'altra  cosa  vostro  amor  seduce,§  10 

*  risplende :  Compare  Convito  ii,  5, 11.  120-124,  where  Dante, 
speaking  of  le  Sostanze  angeliche,  adds  :  "  Pure  risplende  nel 
nostro  intelletto  alcuno  lume  della  vivacissima  loro  essenza,  in 
quanto  vedemo  le  sopradette  ragioni  e  molte  altre." 

t  /' etcrna  luce:  Compare  Convito  iii,  14, 11.  52-55  :  "  Siccome 
il  divino  amore  e  tutto  eterno,  cosi  conviene  che  sia  eterno  lo 
suo  oggetto  di  necessita,  sicche  eterne  cose  siano  quelle  ch'  Egli 
ama."  Compare  with  these  two  lines  Inf.  x,  102  : 

"Cotanto  ancor  ne  splende  il  sommo  Uuce." 
%  Che,  vista  sola :   Talice  da  Ricaldone  and  others  read  C/ie 
77  sta  sola.     Compare  Par.  xxxiii,  100-105  : 
"A  quella  luce  cotal  si  diventa, 

Che  volgersi  da  lei  per  altro  aspetto 
il!  impossibil  che  mai  si  consenta ; 
Perocch^  il  ben  ch'  6  del  volere  obbietto, 
Tutto  s'accoglie  in  lei,  e  fuor  di  quella 
is  difettivo  cio  che  11  e  perfetto." 

§  seduce :  "  Tutto  cio  che  qui  amiamo  e  appreso  quale  bene> 
e  quindi  quale  partecipazione  (yestigio)  del  sommo  bene ;  il  quale 
£  tale,  cio£  sommo  bene  alia  volonta,  ed  e  eterna  luce  all'  intel- 
letto. Ma  in  terra  per  errore  si  crede  tal  fiata  essere  benequello 
che  tale  non  e;  e  pero  e  mal conosciuto"  (Cornoldi.) 


152  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  V. 

Non  e,  se  non  di  quella  alcun  vestigio 
Mai  conosciuto,  che  quivi*  traluce. 
Tu  vuoi  saper,  se  con  altro  servigio, 

Per  mancof  voto,  si  puo  render  tanto, 
Che  1'anima  sicuri  di  litigio."! —  15 

Well  can  I  discern  how  already  within  thine  intellect 
the  Eternal  Light  is  shining,  the  mere  sight  of  which, 
ever  enkindles  Love.  And  if  aught  else  (i.e.  earthly 
things)  seduces  your  love,  it  is  no  other  than  some 
vestige  of  this  (the  Eternal  Light)  ill  understood, 
which  shines  through  there  (i.e.  through  earthly 
things).  Thou  desirest  to  know  if  by  (means  of)  an- 
other service  so  much  can  be  rendered  in  requital  of 
an  unfulfilled  vow,  as  may  secure  the  soul  from  con- 
troversy." 

Dante's  own  words  sufficiently  explain  what  follows. 

*  quivi :  "  nell'  altra  cosa,  cio£  nelle  cose  terrestri.  L'  anima 
dell'  uomo  desidera  naturalmente  il  Buono  e  il  Vero ;  se  1'  uomo 
va  di^tro  al  male  ed  all'  errore,  cio  avviene  perch£  si  lascia 
sedurre  dalP  apparenza  del  Buono  e  del  Vero."  (Scartazzini.) 
On  these  two  lines  Casini  observes  that  Dante  is  saying  here  in 
poetical  language  the  same  thing  as  he  expressed  scholastically 
in  Conv.  iv,  12,  11.  151-161  :  "L' anima  nostra,  incontanente  che 
nel  nuovo  e  mai  non  fatto  cammino  di  questa  vita  entra,  dirizza 
gli  occhi  al  termine  del  suo  Sommo  Bene,  e  pero  qualunque  cosa 
vede,  che  paia  avere  in  se  alcun  bene,  crede  che  sia  esso.  E 
perch£  la  sua  conoscenza  prima  £  imperfetta,  per  non  essere 
sperta  n£  dottrinata,  piccioli  beni  le  paiono  grandi ;  e  pero  da 
quelli  comincia  prima  a  desiderare." 

+  manco=iha.t  which  is  unfulfilled,  or  defectively  performed. 

X  litigio :  "II  debito  innanzi  alia  giustizia  divina  e  quasi 
litigio  tra  il  male  e  il  bene,  tra  i  buoni  spiriti  e  i  tristi.  Nella 
Bibbia  1'  idea  di  giudizio  6  frequente."  (Tommaseo.)  Benvenuto 
says  of  litigio,  "  quod  non  objiciatur  sibi  ad  culpam  in  judicio 
aeterni  judicis."  And  Cornoldi  :  "che  franchi  1'anima  dal  con- 
trasto  con  la  divina  giustizia."  Scartazzini  points  out  that  not 
only  the  idea  of  judgment,  but  moreover  that  of  controversy 
(litigio)  is  one  taken  from  Holy  Writ.  Compare  Micah  vi,  2  : 
"  Hear  ye,  O  mountains,  the  Lord's  controversy,  and  ye  strong 
foundations  of  the  earth  :  for  the  Lord  hath  a  controversy  with 
his  people,  and  he  will  plead  with  Israel."  In  the  Vulgate  "  con- 
troversy" isjudictutn. 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  153 

Beatrice  prefaces  her  argument  by  laying  down  the 
principle  that  every  vow  is  founded  upon  Free-Will, 
and  on  this  Benvenuto  remarks  that  according  to 
Civil  Law  no  slave  can  bind  himself  by  a  vow,  be- 
cause, having  no  will  of  his  own,  the  law  regards  him 
as  dead  or  non-existent. 

Si  comincio*  Beatrice  questo  canto; 

E  si  com'  uom  che  suo  parlar  non  spezza,t 

Continue  cosi  il  processoj  santo: 
— "  Lo  maggior  don§  che  Dio  per  sua  larghezza 

Fesse  |j  creando,  ed  alia  sua  bontate  20 


*  SI  comincib,  et  seq.:  Tommase'o  remarks  that  one  might 
well  be  inclined  to  consider  this  tcrzina  superfluous, — but  he 
thinks  it  is  a  worthy  preparation  for  the  importance  that  Dante 
wishes  to  give  to  the  matter  that  follows. 

t  non  spezza :  spezzare  has  here,  says  Scartazzini,  the  mean- 
ing of"  to  cut  short,"  to  "  interrupt."  In  the  converse  sense  the 
words  remind  one  of  those  in  Virgil,  JEn,  iv,  388 : 

"His  medium  dictis  sermonem  abrumpit." 

£  processo :  "  continue  senza  interruzione  il  suo  santo  ragiona- 
mento."  (Scartazzini.) 

§  Lo  maggior  don,  et  seq.  :  Mr.  Butler  observes  :  "  The  argu- 
ment in  the  following  passage,  that  free-will  being  the  greatest 
of  human  possessions,  and  the  monastic  vows  being  the  sacrifice 
of  this,  no  other  sacrifice  can  compensate  for  the  breach  of  those 
vows,  appears  to  be  Dante's  own.  No  trace  of  it  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Summ.  Theol.  ii,  2daB,  qu.  Ixxxviii,  where  the  subject  of 
vows  is  fully  discussed,  and  the  orthodox  doctrine  stated ;  though 
it  may  have  been  suggested  by  some  of  the  expressions  in  art.  6, 
e.  g.  'suam  voluntatem  obligavit.'"  Compare  De  Mon.  i,  12  (or 
14),  11.  4-7:  "Sciendum  est,  quod  primum  principium  nostrai 
libertatis  est  libertas  arbitrii,  quam  multi  habent  in  ore,  in  in- 
tellect vero  pauci,"  and  11.  39-44 :  "  Hasc  libertas,  sive  principium 
hoc  totius  libertatis  nostrae,  est  maximum  donum  humanae  naturae 
a  Deo  collatum,  sicut  dixi ;  quia  per  ipsum  hie  felicitamur  ut 
homines,  per  ipsum  alibi  felicitamur  ut  Dii." 

||  Fesse  =facesse :  Compare  Inf.  xx,  67-69 : 

"  Loco  e  nel  mezzo  la,  dove  il  Trentino 
Pastore,  e  quel  di  Brescia  e  il  Veronese 
Segnar  potria,  se  fesse  quel  cammino." 


154  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Piii  conformato,*  e  quel  ch'  ei  piu  apprezza, 
Fu  della  volonta  la  libertate,t 

Di  che  le  creature  intelligent!, £ 

E  tutte  e  sole  furo  e  son  dotate. 

Thus  did  Beatrice  open  this  Canto ;  and  like  unto  a 
man  who  does  not  interrupt  his  speech,  she  thus  con- 
tinued her  sacred  argument :  "The  greatest  gift  which 
God  in  His  bounty  made  in  creating,  and  the  most 
in  conformity  with  His  excellence,  and  that  which  he 
prizes  the  most,  was  Freedom  of  the  Will,  wherewith 
creatures  of  intelligence,  they  all,  and  they  alone, 
were  endowed." 

Benvenuto  remarks  that,  in  the  lines  that  follow,  Bea- 
trice demonstrates  what  a  perfect  vow  should  be,  and 
he  begs  his  readers  to  note  first  of  all  that  a  vow  is  a 
sort  of  covenant  that  Man  enters  into  with  God.  But 
to  execute  a  covenant  properly  many  things  are  re- 
quired, to  wit,  the  contracting  parties,  the  matters 
respecting  which  their  covenant  is  made,  and  their 
mutual  consent.  Now  in  a  vow  the  contracting 
parties  are  God  and  Man  ;  the  matter  covenanted  on 
may  be  a  pilgrimage,  a  fast,  or  such  like  ;  and  the 
consent  both  of  God  and  Man  is  necessarily  required. 
From  these  premises  Beatrice  deduces  the  conclusion 

*  conformato :  "Dice  che  questo  £  il  dono  piu  conforme  alia 
divina  bonta,  perch£  veramente  il  poter  peccare  e  insieme  la 
facoltk  di  ben  meritare,  la  possibilita  del  dolore  e  la  possibilitk 
della  gioia."  (Tommase'o,  in  Supplemental  note  on  II  Libero 
Arbitrio  e  i  suoi  Sacrifizii,  in  his  Commentary). 

t  della  volonta  la  libertate  :  Dante's  theories  as  to  Free  Will 
are  fully  treated  by  him  in  Purg.  xvi,  64-81  ;  and  as  to  Love  in 
relation  to  Free  Will  in  Purg.  xviii,  40-75. 

I  creature  intelligenti :  Casini  explains  that  all  intelligent  be- 
ings, /.  e.  both  men  and  Angels,  and  they  alone,  were  endowed 
with  Free  Will,  before  original  sin,  and  have  remained  so  en- 
dowed even  after  the  fall  of  our  first  parent  Adam.  See  St.  Thorn. 
Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2das,  qu.  Ixxxviii,  art.  I  and  2.) 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  155 

that  Man  must  fulfil  his  own  part  of  the  bargain  just 
as  if  he  were  engaged  in  temporal  affairs  before  a 
temporal  judge. 

Or  ti  parra,  se  tu  quinci*  argomenti,  25 

L'  alto  valor  del  voto,t  s'  e  si  fatto 
Che  Dio  consenta  quando  tu  consent!  : 
Che  nel  fermar  tra  Dio  e  1'  uomo  il  patto, 


*  quinci:  "Da  questo  principio"  (Camerini).  " quinci :  da 
quello  che  ti  ho  detto  circa  la  libertk  del  volere,  che  essa  e  il 
maggior  dono  da  Dio  fatto  all'  uomo."  (Scartazzini).  It  must 
be  noticed  that  the  Gran  Disionario  not  only  gives  the  primary 
signification  of  quinci  as  "movimento  da  luogo;  di  gut,  di  qua/' 
but  also  "  moto  per  luogo,  per  questo  luogo,  as  in  Purg.  xvi,  30, 
domanda  se  quinci  si  va  sue,  i.  e.  "  ask  if  it  is  in  that  direction 
that  one  ascends."  The  Gran  Dizionario  interprets  the  present 
passage  in  the  same  way  as  Camerini. 

t  valor  del  voto :  In  St. Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii, 
2dsB,  qu.  Ixxxviii,  art.  i  and  2),  we  find  "  Ad  votum  tria  ex  neces- 
sitate requirunter  :  primo  quidem  deltberatio  ;  secundb  pro- 
positum  voluntatis  ;  tertio  promissio,  in  qua  perficitur  ratio  voti. 
Superadduntur  vero  quandoque  et  alia  duo  ad  quamdam  voti 
confirmationem,  scilicet  pronuntiatio  oris,  .  .  .  .  et  iterum  testi- 
monium  aliorum  ....  Votum  est  promissio  Deo  facta.  Pro- 
missio autem  est  alicujus  quod  quis  pro  aliquo  voluntarie  facit. 
Non  enim  esset  promissio  sed  comminatio,  si  quis  diceret  se 
contra  aliquem  facturum.  Similiter  vana  esset  promissio,  si 
quis  alicui  promitteret  id  quod  ei  non  esset  acceptum.  Et  ideo 
cum  omne  peccatum  sit  contra  Deum,  nee  aliquod  opus  sit  Deo 
acceptum,  nisi  sit  virtuosum,  consequens  est  quod  de  nullo 
illicito,  nee  de  aliquo  indifferenti  debeat  fieri  votum,  sed  solum 
de  aliquo  actu  virtutis.  Sed  quia  votum  promissionem  volun- 
tariam  importat,  necessitas  autem  voluntatem  excludit,  id  quod 
est  absolute  necessarium  esse,  vel  non  esse,  nullo  modo  sub  voto 
cadit.  Stultum  enim  esset,  si  quis  voveret  se  esse  moriturum, 
vel  se  non  esse  volaturum.  Illud  vero  quod  non  habet  absolutam 
necessitatem,  sed  necessitatem  finis,  puta  quia  sine  eo  non  potest 
esse  salus,  cadit  quidem  sub  voto,  in  quantum  voluntarie  fit, 
non  autem  in  quantum  est  necessitas.  Illud  autem  quod  neque 
cadit  sub  necessitate  absoluta,  neque  sub  necessitate  finis,  omnmo 
est  voluntarium,  et  itleo  proprissime  cadit  sub  voto.  Hoc  autem 
dicituresse  majus  bonum  in  comparatione  ad  bonum  quod  com- 
munitur  est  de  necessitate  salutis.  Ideo  proprie  loquendo,  votum 
dicitur  esse  de  meliori  bono." 


156  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Vittima  fassi  di  questo  tesoro,* 
Tal  qual  io  dico,  e  fassi  col  suo  atto.  30 

Dunque  che  render  puossi  per  ristoro  ? 
Se  credi  bene  usar  quel  ch'  hai  offerto, 
Di  mal  tollettot  vuoi  far  buon  lavoro. 

Now  if  thou  argue  from  this,  the  exceeding  value  of 
a  vow  will  be  evident  to  thee,  if  it  be  so  made  that 
God  consents  (to  accept  it),  when  thou  art  consenting 
(to  offer  it  to  Him);  because  in  the  confirming  of 
the  compact  between  God  and  Man,  a  sacrifice  (///. 
victim)  is  made  of  that  treasure  such  as  I  say  (namely, 
of  Free  Will  which  I  have  described  as  so  precious), 
and  it  is  made  by  its  own  act.  What  then  can  be 
rendered  in  compensation  ?  If  thou  thinkest  to  turn 
to  a  good  use  (for  a  different  purpose)  that  which 
thou  hast  offered  to  God  (for  a  definite  object),  then 
thou  art  desiring  to  do  a  good  deed  with  ill-gotten 
gains. 

Division  II,     Beatrice  has  now  made  it  clear  that 
for  the  vow  itself  no  compensation  can  be  offered  in 
exchange.     She  proceeds  to  deal  with  the  questions 
of  dispensation  or  permutation  of  vows. 
Tu  se'  omai  del  maggior  punto  certo  ; 


*  Vittima  fassi  di  questo  tesoro  :  Buti  says  that  one  can  argue 
this  point  thus :  Free  Will  is  the  greatest  and  best  gift  man  has 
ever  received  from  God,  and  in  making  a  vow  Man  pledges  the 
freedom  of  his  will  to  God  ;  whence  it  follows  that  the  promise 
pledges  the  will,  and  finally  that  the  vow  made  directly  to  God 
is  the  greatest  and  best  gift  that  Man  can  make  to  Him.  What 
then  can  Man  substitute  for  his  vow  that  represents  an  equal 
value  ? 

t  mal  tolletto  :  Compare  Inf.  xi,  35,  36  : 

"  e  nel  suo  avere 

Ruine,  incendi  e  toilette  dannose." 
and  Fr.  Jacop.  da  Todi  (in  Gran  Dizionario]  4,  21,  i: 
"  Figli,  nepoti  e  frati, 
Rendete  il  mal  tolletto." 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  157 

Ma  perch£  santa  Chiesa  in  cio  dispensa,*  35 

Che  par  contra  lo  vert  ch'  io  t'  ho  scoperto, 
Convienti  ancor  sedere  un  poco  a  mensa,^ 
Perocche  il  cibo  rigido  ch'  hai  preso 


*  dispensa:  Commentators  do  not  seem  to  be  agreed  as  to 
whether  to  consider  this  an  active  or  a  neuter  verb.  I  am  taking 
it  as  the  latter,  with  the  signification  "grants  a  dispensation,"  or 
as  Poletto  puts  it :  "  esonera  dalF  osservanza  d'  un  dato  voto." 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2dse,  qu.  Ixxxviii, 
art.  io)  speaks  thus  of  dispensation  and  commutation  of  vows : 
"Dispensatio  voti  intelligenda  est  ad  modum  dispensationis  qua 
fit  in  observantia  alicujus  legis ;  quia,  ut  supra  dictum  est,  lex 
ponitur  respiciendo  ad  id  quod  est  ut  in  pluribus  bonum.  Sed 
quia  contingit  hujusmodi  in  aliquo  casu  non  esse  bonum,  oportuit 
per  aliquem  determinari,  in  illo  particular!  casu  legem  non  esse 
servandam.  Et  hoc  propri£  est  dispensare  in  lege  .  .  .  Similiter 
autem  ille  qui  vovet,  quodammodo  sibi  statuit  legem,  obligans 
se  ad  aliquid  quod  est  secundum  se  et  ut  in  pluribus  bonum. 
Potest  tamen  contingere  quod  in  aliquo  casu  sit  vel  simpliciter 
malum,  vel  inutile,  vel  majoris  boni  impeditivum  :  quod  est 
contra  rationem  ejus  quod  cadit  sub  voto  .  .  .  Et  ideo  necesse 
est  quod  determinetur  in  tali  casu  votum  non  esse  servandum. 
Et  si  quidem  absolute  determinetur  aliquod  votum  non  esse 
servandum,  dicituresse  dispensatio  voti ;  si  autem  pro  hoc  quod 
servandum  erat,  aliquid  aliud  imponatur,  dicitur  commutatio 
voti.  Unde  minus  est  votum  commutare  quam  in  voto  dis- 
pensare ;  utrumque  tamen  in  potestate  Ecclesiae  consistit." 

t  par  contra  lo  ver :  Up  to  this  point  Beatrice's  arguments 
have  not  admitted  that  there  is  any  possibility  whatsoever  of 
escaping  from  the  complete  fulfilment  of  a  vow.  This  is  a  new 
doubt  to  be  solved  ;  and  her  words  take  a  new  turn,  showing 
under  what  contingencies,  and  those  so  exceptional  as  to  be 
almost  prohibitory,  such  evasion  is  possible. 

t  sedere  .  .  .  a  mensa :  This  is  identically  the  same  expression 
that  Dante  uses  in  Convito  I,  1,11.  52-55  :  "Oh  beati  que'  pochi 
che  seggono  a  quella  mensa  ove  il  pane  degli  Angeli  si  inangia, 
e  miseri  quelli  che  colle  pecore  hanno  comune  cibo."  On  this 
Landino  remarks  :  "  La  fnente  si  pasce  della  dottrina,  come  il 
corpo  de'cibi  corporali."  Compare  Par.  x,  22-25  : 
"  Or  ti  riman,  lettor,  sopra  il  tuo  banco, 

Dietro  pensando  a  cio  che  si  preliba, 
S'  esser  vuoi  lieto  assai  prima  che  stance. 
Messo  t'  ho  innanzi  ;  omai  per  te  ti  ciba." 


158  Readings  on  the  Par adiso.          Canto  V. 

Richiede  ancora  aiuto  a  tua  dispensa.* 
Apri  la  mente  a  quel  ch'  io  ti  paleso,  40 

E  fermalvi  entro  ;  ch£  non  fa  sc!enza,t 
Senza  lo  ritenere,  avere  inteso. 

Thou  art  now  fully  informed  on  the  chief  point ;  but 
since  Holy  Church  gives  dispensation  in  this,  which 
seems  contrary  to  the  truth  which  I  have  unfolded  to 
thee,  thou  must  needs  sit  at  table  (i.e.  listen  to  me)  a 
little  longer,  because  the  solid  food  which  thou  hast 
taken  requires  yet  some  help  for  thee  to  digest  it. 
Open  thy  mind  to  what  I  reveal  to  thee,  and  close 
it  up  there  within  ;  for  to  have  (merely)  heard  with- 
out retaining  does  not  make  knowledge. 
Beatrice  analyses  the   composition   or  essence  of  a 
vow,  which  in  itself  is  a  sacrifice  of  one's  free  will. 
It  consists  of  two  essential  conditions,  the  first   of 
which  is  the  matter  or  subject  of  the  vow,  as,  for 
instance,  pledging   oneself  to   virginity,   abstinence, 
and  such  like  ;  and  the  second  condition  is  the  bar- 
gain or  covenant  that  one  makes  with   God  of  the 
abdication  of  one's  own  will. 

Due  cose  si  convengono  all'  essenza 

Di  questo  sacrificio  ;  1'  una  e  quella 
Di  che  si  fa,  1'  altra  £  la  convenenza.  45 

Quest'  ultima  giammai  non  si  cancella, 
Se  non  se'rvata,  ed  intorno  di  lei 
Si  precise  di  sopra  si  favella ; 

*  a  tua  dispensa :  This  is  the  reading  generally  adopted.  A 
very  few  MS$.,  Scartazzini  observes,  and  a  very  few  Commen- 
tators, among  whom  are  Buti,  Daniello,  and  Torelli,  prefer  to 
read  a  sua  dispensa.  Benvenuto,  who  reads  a  tua  dispensa, 
comments  :  "quasi  dicat :  indiget  (the  Este  MS.  of  Benvenuto 
reads  indiges)  adhuc  declaratione  circa  dispensationem  voti." 

t  non  fa  sci'enza,  et  seq.  :  On  this  Casini  exclaims  :  "Stupenda 
e  vera  sentenza,  che  nella  sua  brevita  ha  solennita  ed  efficacia 
maggiore  d'ogni  piu  minuzioso  avvertimento,  ed  e  di  quelle  in 
cui  Dante  solo  sa  scolpire  le  piu  usual!  verita  in  maniera  inimit- 
abile." 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 59 

Pero  necessitk  fu  agli  Ebrei 

Pur  P  offerere,  ancor  che  alcuna  offerta  50 

Si  permutasse,  come  saper  dei. 

Two  things  combine  to  the  essence  of  this  sacrifice: 
the  one  is  that  whereof  it  is  made,  the  other  is  the 
covenant  (i.e.  the  renunciation  of  one's  will).  This 
last  can  never  be  annulled,  except  by  being  fulfilled, 
and  it  is  concerning  it  that  I  spoke  above  so  precisely. 
For  this  reason  the  offering  only  was  made  a  necessity 
for  the  Hebrews,  notwithstanding  that  some  offering 
might  be  changed  (in  its  form)  as  thou  must  know. 

Cornoldi  explains  the  two  conditions'  somewhat  dif- 
ferently, the  first,  according  to  him,  being  the  covenant 
that  a  sacrifice  shall  be  made,  whereas  the  second 
would  be  the  nature  of  that  sacrifice,  or  the  subject 
of  the  vow.  The  first  is  permanent,  the  second  is 
capable  of  being  changed,  if  authorized  by  legitimate 
authority,  as  when  we  read  in  Lev.  xxvii,  9-13,  that 
one  animal  might  be  offered  for  another,  provided  it 
was  not  unclean. 

L'  altra,  che  per  materia  t'  £  aperta, 

Puote  bene  esser  tal  che  non  si  falla* 

Se  con  altra  materia  si  converta. 

*  tal  che  non  si  falla  :  Scartazzini  thinks  falla  is  the  con- 
junctive mood  from  fallare,  instead  of  falli.  Compare  Nan- 
nucci,  Anal.  Crit.  p.  291,  v,  who  observes  that  in  verbs  of  the 
first  conjugation  the  persons  singular  of  the  present  conjunctive 
are  by  Bojardo  made  to  terminate  in  a,  io  ama,  tu  ama,  egli  ama. 
Compare  with  this  Orl.  Innam.  lib.  i,  canto  iii,  st.  80 : 

"  Se  vuoi  che  la  battaglia  tra  noi  resta,  [instead  of  resti\ 

Convienti  quella  Dama  abbandonare." 
And  lib.  i,  canto  v,  st.  64  : 

"  Ma  poi  bisogna  che  anch'  egli  indovina 

Quel,  ch'  ella  dice,"  etc. 

Nannucci  adds  that  this  termination,  which  is  now  obsolete, 
was  only  adopted  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  whole  of  the 
terminations  of  the  conjunctive  uniform  in  all  the  conjugations, 
e.g.  io  ama,  tu  ama,  egli  ama;  io  tema,  tu  tema,  egli  tema;  io 
oda,  tu  oda,  egli  oda. 


160  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Ma  non  trasmuti  carco*  alia  sua  spalla  55 

Per  suo  arbitrio  alcun,  senza  la  voltat 
E  della  chiave  bianca  e  della  gialla  ; 


*  non  trasmuti  carco,  et  seq.  :  On  this  the  Ottimo  says  : 
"  Mostrato  che  il  voto  non  si  puo  dimettere,  ma  che  la  cosa  di 
che  si  fa  il  voto  si  puo  permutare  ;  ora  mostra  che  k.  necessario 
fare  la  permutazione.  E  dice,  che  sono  due  cose  :  1'  una  & 
P  autoritade  del  pastore  che  abbia  a  cio  potestade,  e  pero  dice, 
ch'  elli  dee  essere  tale,  che  possa  prosciogliere  e  legare  ;  si  che 
ogni  pastore  non  ha  questa  balia  ;  e  dice,  che  nessuno  ordini 
per  suo  arbitrio  permutarsi  il  voto  ;  1'  altra  &  che  la  cosa,  nella 
quale  tu  permuti  la  cosa  votata,  sia  maggiore  di  quella,  si  che 
contenga  in  s£  quella,  e  la  meta  di  quella  ;  siccome  il  numero 
del  sei  contiene  il  numero  del  quattro,  e  la  meta  piu  ;  o  almeno 
sia  maggiore  di  quella." 

t  senza  la  volta,  et  seq.  :  The  turning  of  the  two  keys  implies, 
the  first,  the  authority  of  the  Church,  the  second,  that  that 
authority  must  only  be  used  with  knowledge  and  discrimination. 
Of  these  two  keys  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  Suppl. 
qu.  xvii,  art.  3)  in  reply  to  the  question  Utrum  sint  duce  claves , 
vel  tantum  una,  writes  :  "  Respondeo  dicendum  quod  in  omni 
actu  qui  requirit  idoneitatem  ex  parte  recipientis,  duo  sunt 
necessaria  ei  qui  debet  actum  ilium  exercere,  scilicet  judicium 
de  idoneitate  recipientis,  et  expletio  actus.  Et  ideo  etiam  in 
actu  justitiae,  per  quern  redditur  alicui  hoc  quo  dignus  est, 
oportet  esse  judicium  quo  discernatur  an  iste  sit  dignus  ad  ipsam 
redditionem  ;  et  ad  utrumque  horum  auctoritas  quaedam  sive 
potestas  exigitur ;  non  enim  dare  possumus  nisi  quod  in  potestate 
nostra  habemus  ;  nee  judicium  dici  potest,  nisi  vim  coactivam 
habeat,  eo  quod  judicium  ad  unum  jam  determinatur ;  quae 
quidem  determinatio  in  speculativis  fit  per  virtutem  primorum 
principiorum,  quibus  resisti  non  potest  et  in  rebus  practicis 
per  vim  imperativam  in  judicante  existentem.  Et  quia  actus 
clavis  requirit  idoneitatem  in  quern  exercetur,  quia  recipit  per 
clavem  judex  ecclesiasticus  dignos,  et  excludit  indignos  (see 
art.  i),  ideo  indiget  judicio  discretionis  quo  idoneitatem  judicet 
ex  ipso  receptionis  actu ;  ed  ad  utrumque  horum  potestas 
quaedam  sive  auctoritas  requiritur.  Et  secundum  hoc  distin- 
guuntur  duae  claves  ;  quarum  una  pertinet  ad  judicium  de 
idoneitate  ejus  qui  absolvendus  est ;  et  alia  ad  ipsam  absolu- 
tionem.  Et  hae  duae  claves  non  distinguuntur  in  essentia 
auctoritatis,  quia  utrumque  ex  officio  eis  competit ;  sed  ex  com- 
paratione  ad  actus,  quorum  unus  alium  praesupponit."  Compare 
Purg.  ix,  117-129,  and  especially  11.  117-120  : 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  161 

Ed  ogni  permutanza  creda  stolta, 

Se  la  cosa  dimessa  in  la  sorpresa, 

Come  il  quattro  nel  sei,  non  &  raccolta.  60 

The  other  thing  which  has  been  disclosed  to  thee  as 
the  substance,  may  well  be  of  such  a  nature,  that  one 
errs  not  if  it  be  exchanged  for  some  other  substance. 
But  let  not  any  one  exchange  the  load  upon  his 
shoulders  at  his  own  discretion,  without  the  turn  of 
both  the  white  and  the  yellow  key  ;  and  let  every 
permutation  be  regarded  as  naught  (///.  foolish),  if 
the  thing  laid  aside  be  not  contained  within  that 
subsequently  taken  up,  as  four  within  six. 

This  means  that  no  exchange  of  vow  could  be 
sanctioned  by  the  Church  unless  the  offering  that  is 
abandoned  be  of  lesser  value  than  the  offering  as- 
sumed. The  exchange  must  be  in  the  same  pro- 
portion as  would  be  that  of  four  for  six.  Four,  the 
lesser  quantity,  is  contained  within  six,  the  greater 
quantity. 

Pero  qualunque  cosa  tanto  pesa  * 

Per  suo  valor,  che  tragga  ogni  bilancia, 
Satisfar  non  si  pu6  con  altra  spesa. 

"  E  di  sotto  da  quel  trasse  due  chiavi. 
L'una  era  d'oro  e  1' altra  era  d'argento  : 

Pria  con  la  bianca,  e  poscia  con  la  gialla 
Fece  alia  porta  si  ch'  io  fui  contento." 

*  tanto  pesa:  Compare  Ecclns.  xxvi,  20  (Vulgate):  "Omnis 
autem  ponderatio  non  est  digna  continentis  animae."  A  vow  of 
chastity  has  no  equivalent,  and  cannot  therefore  admit  of  any 
compensation.  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Sitmm.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2da;, 
qu.  Ixxxviii,  art.  u)  distinguishes  between  temporal  and  spiritual 
vows  of  chastity,  for  the  latter  of  which  no  dispensation  is 
possible:  "Dicendum  qu6d  in  voto  temporalis  continent!. r 
dispensari  potest,  sicut  et  in  voto  temporalis  orationis,  vel 
temporalis  abstinentiae.  Sed  qu&d  in  voto  continentiae  per 
professionem  solemnizato  non  possit  dispensari,  hoc  non  est  in 
quantum  est  actus  castitatis,  sed  in  quantum  incipit  ad  latriam 
pertinere  per  professionem  religionis."  In  the  same  Article 
St.  Thomas  quotes  the  following  from  the  Decretals  :  "  Decre- 

I.  M 


1 62  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Therefore  whatever  thing  by  its  own  value  weighs  so 
much,  that  it  drags  down  every  balance,  cannot  be 
redeemed  by  other  charge. 

It  is  clear,  that  if  any  offering  have  been  promised 
of  such  value  as  to  preponderate  over  that  of  any- 
thing else,  there  being  no  equivalent  for  it,  such  vow 
cannot  be  exchanged  or  compensated  for. 

Division  III.  Beatrice  goes  on  to  show  the 
necessity  for  calm  and  thoughtful  deliberation  on  the 
part  of  those  who  are  intending  to  make  vows.  A 
vow  is  so  serious  an  undertaking,  and  its  bonds,  so 
indissoluble,  that  Christians  should  bethink  them- 
selves very  earnestly  before  they  pledge  themselves. 
They  should  reflect  that  there  are  other  means  of 
salvation  available  for  them  in  which  they  do  not 
incur  such  risk  of  perdition,  as  when  they  rashly  take 
up  a  vow  which  they  are  not  strong  enough  to  carry 
through.  Let  them  take  example  from  the  rash  vows 
of  two  great  men  in  sacred  and  profane  history,  each 
of  whom,  from  a  vow  made  without  forethought, 
found  himself  obliged  to  sacrifice  the  life  of  a  dearly 
beloved  daughter.  Scartazzini  points  out  that  Dante 
is  here  slightly  at  variance  with  St.  Thomas  Aquinas, 
who  (Sumin.  Thcol.  ii,  2dse,  qu.  Ixxxviii,  art.  6),  holds 
that  "  facere  idem  opus  cum  voto  est  melius  et  magis 
meritorium  quam  facere  sine  voto." 

talis  inducta  expresse  dicit,  qubd  nee  summus  pontifex  potest 
contra  custodiam  cast  it  at  is  monacho  licentiam  dare ;"  and  in 
another  part  of  the  same  Article,  St.  Thomas  says  :  "Praeterea 
extra  de  Statu  monach.  in  fine  illius  Decretalis  :  Ctim  admonas- 
terium,  dicitur  :  Abdicatio  proprietatis,  sicut  etiam  custodia 
castitatis,  adeo  annexa  est  regulce  monachali,  ut  contra  earn  nee 
summus  pontifex  possit  licentiam  indulgere" 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  163 

Non  prendan  li  mortal!  il  voto  a  ciancia  :  * 

Siate  fedeli,f  ed  a  cio  far  non  bieci,J  65 

Come  Jepte  alia  sua  prima  mancia  ;  § 

Cui  piu  si  convenia  dicer  :  '  Mai  feci,' 

Che  servando  far  peggio  || ;  e  cosi  stolto 
Ritrovar  puoi  lo  gran  duca  dei  Greci, 

*  non  prendan  .  .  .  a  ciancia  :   This  line  has  been  imitated  by 
Fazio  degli  Uberti,  (a  poet,  who  was  grandson  of  the  famous 
Farinata  degli  Uberti  Inf.  x),  in  the  Dittamondo  ii,  30  : 
"  Non  prendan  li  signer  le  imprese  a  ciancia." 

Compare  also  Inf.  xxxii,  7  : 

"  Che  non  e  impresa  dapigliare  a  gabbo." 

Scartazzini  says  the  expression  prcndere  a  ciancia  is  still  a 
living  expression  in  Italy. 

t  Siate  fedeli,  ed  a  cio  far  non  bieci,  etc.  :  Cornoldi  remarks 
that  in  bringing  forward  these  instances  of  parents  sacrificing 
their  own  children,  Dante  does  not  allude  to  Abraham's  willing- 
ness to  offer  up  Isaac  ;  and  for  this  reason.  God  is  the  Lord 
over  the  life  of  every  human  being  ;  He  gives  that  life  to  every 
one,  and  according  to  His  good  pleasure  takes  it  away  by 
natural  means  ;  He  can,  if  He  chooses,  make  use  even  of  a 
father  to  be  the  executor  of  His  will.  But  in  the  case  in  point, 
(iod  was  satisfied  with  the  sincere  willingness  of  Abraham,  and 
with  the  obedience  of  Isaac,  nor  did  He  require  more. 

t  bieci :  The  word  bieco  does  not  mean  absence,  but  obliquity, 
of  vision,  and  thence  comes  to  mean  whatever  is  not  straight, 
and  hence  (see  Gran  Diz.  s.  v.  bieco,  §  4) ;  "  Cattivo,  Brutto, 
Laido,  Pravo,  Sregolato,  Perverso."  Lubin  explains  the  pas- 
sage :  "  Biechi  di  mente,  cioe  stolti." 

§  prima  mancia :  The  word  prima  used  in  allusion  to 
Jephthah's  vow,  as  expressed  in  the  Vulgate  (Judges  xi,  31): 
"  Quicumque  primus  fuerit  egressus  de  foribus  domus  mi-a-, 
mihique  occurrerit  revertenti  cum  pace  a  filiis  Ammon,  eum 
holocaustum  offeram  Domino."  The  word  primus  does  not 
occur  in  our  English  version. 

\\far  peggio :  Tertullian,  Ambrose,  Proconius,  and  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  consider  that  Jephthah's  rash  vow  was  a  sin  on  his  part. 
See  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2da:,  qu.  Ixxxviii, 
art.  2  :)  "  Quaedam  vero  sunt  quidem  in  se  considerata  bona,  et 
secundum  hoc  possunt  cadere  sub  voto,  possunt  tamen  habere 
inalum  eventum,  in  quo  non  sunt  observanda.  Et  sic  accidit  in 
voto  Jephte  .  .  .  Hoc  autem  poterat  malum  eventum  habere,  si 
occurreret  e  aliquod  animal  non  immolandum,  sicut  asinus  vel 

M  2 


164  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  v. 

Onde*  pianse  Ifigenia  il  suo  bel  volto,  70 

E  fe'  pianger  di  se  li  folli  e  i  savi,  + 
Ch'  udir  parlar  di  cosi  fatto  colto.  £ 

Let  not  mortals  take  up  the  vow  as  a  thing  to  be 
played  with  :  be  faithful,  and  in  so  doing,  not  per- 
verse, as  was  Jephthah  in  his  first  offering  ;  whom  it 
would  have  better  fitted  to  say :  '  I  have  done  ill,' 
rather  than  by  keeping  (his  vow)  to  do  worse ;  and 
equally  insensate  thou  wilt  find  the  great  leader  of 

homo  ;  quod  etiam  accidit.  Unde  et  Hieronymus  dicit  (aequiv. 
lib.  i  contra  Jovinianum,  et  in  cap.  6  et  7  Michaeae,  et  in  cap.  7 
Jerem.)  In  vovendo  fuit  stultus,  quia  discretionem  non  habuit, 
et  in  reddendo  impius."  St.  Thomas  adds  that  "  Probabile  est 
eum  (Jephthah)  pcenituisse  de  facto  iniquo,"  but,  as  Scartazzini 
tritely  observes,  that  supposition  is  wholly  gratuitous. 

*  Onde,  etc. :  The  mythical  story  is  that  Agamemnon  was  re- 
quired by  Diana  to  sacrifice  his  daughter  Iphigenia  to  her  as 
an  expiation  for  his  having  slain  in  the  chase  a  doe  sacred  to 
her,  but  Euripides  (Iphigenia  in  Tauris,  11.  17-24)  relates  that 
the  king  had  promised  to  sacrifice  to  Diana  the  most  beautiful 
thing  that  should  be  born  to  him  within  the  year,  and  that 
Diana  forbade  the  departure  of  the  Grecian  fleet  to  Troy,  until 
Agamemnon  had  sacrificed  his  beautiful  daughter,  who  had 
been  born  during  the  year  of  the  vow. 
' '  2>  T^erS"  avdffffwv  "E\\d$os 

'Aydfj.e/j.vov,  ov  /j.^  va 

trplv  &v  ic6pr)v  ff^v  'l<p 

Aa/3r?  ffQayeiffav     8  n  yap  tviavrb?  re'/coi 

Ka\\iffTov,  ijtf£co  <f>tt)(r<l>6p<p  Qvfftiv  dta. 

TraiS"  ovv  tv  otKois  ff^i  K.\vraifj.vf]ffTpa.  Sdfiap 

riKTfi,  rb  Ka\\iffTf'tov  fls  tfi   ava(f>ep<af, 

fy  XP"h  fff  Ovvai." 
Boethius  too  (Consol.  Philos.  iv,  Metr.  7): 

"  Ille  dum  Graias  dare  vela  classi 

Optat,  et  ventos  redimit  cruore, 

Exuit  patrem,  miserumque  tristis 

Foederat  nataa  jugulum  sacerdos." 

+  li  folli  e  i  savi :  There  is  a  proverb  in  the  Milanese  dialect 
quoted  by  Scartazzini,  Ghe  voruu  i  savi  e  i  matt  afdghela  cap}, 
which  shows  that  the  expression  is  still  in  use  to  signify  "  All  men." 
J  colto  for  culto  :  See  Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  colto,  s.  m.  §  3  : 
"Per  venerazione."  It  here  means  "an  act  of  sacrifice,  or 
worship." 


Canto  v.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  165 

the  Greeks  (Agamemnon),  whence  (i.e.  on  account  of 
whose  inconsiderate  vow)  Iphigenia  mourned  for  her 
fair  face,  and  made  to  mourn  for  her  both  fools  and 
wise  (i.e.  all  men),  as  many  as  heard  tell  of  such  an 
act  of  sacrifice  as  that. 

Benvenuto  also  instances  the  case  of  Idomeneus, 
one  of  the  Grecian  heroes,  who  after  the  fall  of  Troy, 
when  in  peril  on  the  sea,  vowed  to  Poseidon  to 
sacrifice  to  him  whatever  he  should  first  meet  on  his 
landing.  The  first  person  he  met  was  his  own  son. 
He  kept  his  rash  vow,  sacrificed  his  son,  but  was 
then  expelled  from  his  territories  by  the  Cretans. 
Agamemnon  too,  after  going  through  so  much  to 
wreak  vengeance  on  Paris,  the  paramour  of  Helen, 
was  himself  on  his  return  home  slaughtered  like  an 
ox  by  the  priest  ^gistheus,  the  paramour  of  his  wife. 
Vows  are  too  important,  says  Beatrice,  to  be 
entered  upon  lightly  and  rashly.  We  are  not  to  be 
wafted  about  hither  and  thither  to  seek  them,  as 
sailors  tacking  about  under  the  influence  of  every 
light  puff  of  wind.  If  we  once  contract  them,  a 
little  sprinkling  of  holy  water  will  not  avail  to  annul 
the  sacred  obligation,  nor  will  every  sort  of  offering 
be  acceptable  to  God. 

Siate,  Cristiani,  a  movervi  piu  gravi, 

Non  siate  come  penna  ad  ogni  vento,* 

E  non  crediate  ch'  ogni  acqua  vi  lavi.+  75 

*  comme  penna  ad  ogni  vento:  Compare  Ecclus.  v,  9  : 

"  Winnow  not  with  every  wind,  and  go  not  into  every  way." 
And  Ephes.  iv,  14:  "That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children, 
tossed  to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine, 
by  the  sleight  of  men  and  cunning  craftiness." 

t  cK  ogni  acqua  vi  lavi :  Compare  Ovid,  Fasti  ii,  45,  46  : 
"Ah  nimium  faciles,  qui  tristia  crimina  caedis 
Fluminea  tolli  posse  putetis  acqua  ! " 


1 66  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  v. 

Avete  il  vecchio  e  il  nuova  Testamento,  * 
E  il  pastor  della  Chiesat  che  vi  guida : 
Questo  vi  basti  a  vostro  salvamento. 

Christians,  be  more  staid  in  your  motions  (i.e.  do  not 
make  vows  lightly),  be  not  like  a  feather  to  every 
wind,  and  do  not  believe  that  every  water  will  wash 
you.  Ye  have  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament,  and 
the  Pastor  of  the  Church  (the  Pope)  to  guide  you  : 
let  this  suffice  you  for  your  salvation. 

Let  Christians  beware  lest  the  Jew,  who  has  only 
the  Old  Testament,  see  their  failing  to  act  up  to  their 

Faith. 

Se  mala  cupidigiaj  altro  vi  grida, 


*  il  vecchio  e  il  nuovo  Testamento  :  Compare  De  Mon.  iii,  14, 
11.  27-29  :  "  Omnis  divina  lex  duorum  Testamentorum  gremio 
continetur." 

t  il  pastor  della  Chiesa  :  Compare  De  Mon.  iii,  16,  11.  75-79  : 
"  Opus  fuit  homini  duplici  directivo,  secundum  duplicem  finem  ; 
scilicet  summo  Pontifice,  qui  secundum  revelata  humanum 
genus  perduceret  ad  vitam  asternam." 

%  Se  mala  cupjdigia,  etc. :  According  to  the  Postillatore  Cas- 
sinese  there  would  seem  to  be  here  an  allusion  to  the  Friars  of 
St.  Anthony,  popularly  called  fratres  de  campanella,  who  pro- 
fessed to  absolve  any  one  from  a  vow  for  a  moderate  price  : 
"idest  propter  avaritiam  velletis  vos  facere  absolvi  ab  istis 
fratribus  a  campanellis  qui  pro  modica  pecunia  absolvuntquem 
ab  omni  delicto  et  excessu  et  ab  omni  voto  quocumque  modo 
facto."  On  this  Philalethes  writes  :  "According  to  a  MS.  com- 
mentary at  Monte  Cassino  from  which  the  Padre  Costanzo  took 
references,  this  passage  specially  refers  to  certain  monks  whom 
he  calls  fratres  de  campanella,  who  for  trifling  sums  of  money 
absolved  from  all  vows.  This  is  the  more  probable,  as  it  can 
hardly  refer  to  an  abuse  by  ecclesiastical  superiors  themselves, 
to  whose  judgment  Beatrice  has  just  referred.  1  am  doubtful 
(adds  Philalethes')  what  Order  of  monks  these  were.  Padre 
Costanzo  understands  thereby  Brethren  of  the  Holy  Anthony, 
the  Hermit  Order,  who  wore  a  rope  and  bell  as  their  badge. 
This  rope  is  only  mentioned  as  their  badge  in  Helyot's  Histoirc 
des  Ordres  monastiques  ;  but  Anthony  the  Hermit  is  always 
represented  wearing  a  rope  and  a  small  bell.  Compare  Par. 
xxix,  124-126 : 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  167 

Uomini  siate,  e  non  pecore  matte,*  80 

Si  che  il  Giudeof  di  voi  tra  voi  non  rida. 
Non  fate  come  agnel  che  lascia  il  latte 

Delia  sua  madre,  e  semplice  e  lascivo  + 
Seco  medesmo  a  suo  piacer  combatte." — 

If  evil  concupiscence  cry  to  you  aught  else,  be  men, 
and  not  silly  sheep,  so  that  the  Jew  (dwelling)  among 
you  may  not  make  a  mock  of  you.  Do  not  act  as  the 
lamb  that  leaves  its  mother's  milk,  and,  simple  and 
wanton,  fights  with  its  own  self  for  its  own  pleasure." 

Buti  observes  that  the  Christian  does  this  when  he 
abandons  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Church. 

Division  IV.  Beatrice  subsides  into  silence.  Her 
radiant  glory  is  seen  to  have  augmented  to  such  an 
extent  that  Dante  is  rendered  speechless  with  awe, 
and  is  unable  to  frame  the  words  that  he  was  prepar- 
ing to  utter.  They  now  quit  the  sphere  of  the  Moon, 
and  ascend  instantaneously  into  that  of  Mercury. 

"  Di  questo  ingrassa  il  porco  sant'  Antonio, 
Ed  altri  ancor  che  son  assai  piu  porci, 
Pagando  di  moneta  senza  conio." 

*  pecore  matte:  Compare  Conv.  i,  u,  11.  58,  59:  "  Questi 
sono  da  chiamere  pecore,  e  non  uomini."  And  II  Peter,  ii,  12 
(Vulgate):  "Hi  vero  velut  irrationabilia  pecora  ...  in  cor- 
ruptione  sua  peribunt."  Compare  also  Purg.  iii,  79-84. 

t  il  Giudeo :  Compare  Dante's  own  words  in  his  Epistle  to 
the  Cardinals  (Epist.  viii),  11.  33-38  :  "  Impietatis  fautores, 
Judaei,  Saraceni,  et  gentes  sabbata  nostra  rident,  et,  ut  fertur, 
conclamant  :  '  Ubi  est  Deus  eorum  ? '  Et  forsan  suis  insidiis  ac 
potestati  contra  defensantes  Angelos  hoc  adscribunt." 

£  lascivo :  The  Gran  Dizionario  (s.  v.  §  6),  quoting  this  pas- 
sage, explains  the  word :  "  Esultante,  allegro,  gajo,"  and  not  in  the 
vicious  sense  of  "  dissolute,  lustful."  The  word  seems  however 
rather  to  imply  that  Man,  when  he  abandons  the  guidance  of 
Holy  Scripture  and  the  Church,  becomes  like  the  heedless  lamb, 
that  leaving  his  mother's  side,  skips  about,  too  foolish  to  protect 
itself  from  danger. 


1 68  Readings  on  ilie  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Cosi  Beatrice  a  me,  com'  io  scrivo  ;  85 

Poi  si  rivolse  *  tutta  disiante 
A  quella  parte  ove  il  mondo  &  piu  vivo.t 

Lo  suo  tacere  e  il  trasmutar  sembiante 
Poser  silenzio  al  mio  cupido  ingegno, 
Che  gia  nuove  questioni  avea  davante.  90 

E  si  come  saetta,£  che  nel  segno 

*  si  rivolse  .  .  .  A  quella  parte,  etc.:  These  lines  are  inter- 
preted in  four  different  ways.  One  group  of  Commentators 
think  Beatrice  turned  towards  the  East ;  a  second  group,  that 
she  turned  her  eyes  up  towards  the  Empyrean  ;  a  third  group, 
headed  by  Daniello,  k<  a  quella  parte  ove  il  moto  (not  mondo} 
c  piu  vivo"  and  these  understand :  la  parte  equinoziale.  A  fourth 
group  think  Dante  is  referring  to  the  Equator,  on  which  the  Sun 
was  then  resting.  Scartazzini  and  Casini,  both  agree  that  the 
ascent  to  Mercury  would  be  performed  in  the  same  way  as  that 
to  the  Sphere  of  the  Moon,  when  Beatrice's  eyes,  directed  to- 
wards the  Sun,  gave  the  Poets  their  upward  propulsion.  There- 
fore these  Commentators  think  that  the  second  and  fourth  of 
these  opinions  may  be  taken  as  one.  The  Sun  was  upon  the 
Equator,  and  to  gaze  upon  it  Beatrice  would  perforce  have  to 
look  up  towards  the  Empyrean.  Cesari  remarks  :  "  Quanto  a 
me ;  avendo  Beatrice  tutte  le  altre  volte  guardate  su  al  cielo,  non 
saprei  perche  io  dovessi  intender  questa  altramenti  ;  e  certo  il 
mondo,  che  vive  di  Dio  (in  quo  vivimus,  movemur  et  sumus)  non 
£  piu  vivo  altrove,  che  in  Dio  ;  cioe,  nel  del  che  piu  della  sua 
luce  prende."  It  would  seem  to  be  sufficient  to  sum  up  these 
interpretations  in  the  simple  fact  that  Beatrice,  who  had  dis- 
continued her  upward  gaze  to  speak  to  Dante,  resumed  it  again, 
t  quella  parte  ove  il  mondo  ^  piu  vivo  :  Compare  Par.  xxiii, 
112-114: 

"  Lo  real  manto  di  tutti  i  volumi 

Del  mondo,  che  piu  ferve  e  piu  s'  avviva 
Nell'alito  di  Dio  e  nei  costumi." 

t  come  saetta,  et  seq.  :  Compare  Par.  ii,  22-26,  where  Bea- 
trice's upward  gaze,  and  the  arrow  speed  with  which,  in  con- 
sequence, she  and  Dante  shot  up  to  the  first  Sphere,  is  similarly 
described  : 

"  Beatrice  in  suso,  ed  io  in  lei  guardava  ; 

E  forse  in  tanto,  in  quanto  un  quadrel  posa, 
E  vola,  e  dalla  noce  si  dischiava, 
Giunto  mi  vidi  ove  mirabil  cosa 

Mi  torse  il  viso  a  se." 
on  this  see  L.  Venturi,  Simil.  Dant.  p.  299,  sim.  488  :    "Dame 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  169 

Percote  pria  che  sia  la  corda  queta, 
Cosi  corremmo  nel  secondo  regno. 

Thus  Beatrice  to  me,  even  as  I  write ;  then  full  of 
ardent  desire  (to  show  me  greater  wonders)  she 
turned  round  to  that  quarter  where  the  Universe  has 
most  life  (i.e.  she  turned  her  eyes  up  towards  the 
Empyrean).  Her  cessation  from  speaking  and  the 
transformation  of  her  countenance  imposed  silence  on 
my  eager  mind  which  already  had  some  new  questions 
(to  put)  forward.  And  as  an  arrow,  which  strikes 
the  mark  before  the  bowstring  has  ceased  quivering, 
so  sped  we  on  into  the  Second  Kingdom  (i.e.  into 
the  planet  Mercury,  the  Second  of  the  Spheres  of 
Heaven). 

So  great  was  the  radiance  of  Beatrice  from  her  in- 
trinsic light,  that  she  actually  increased  the  splendour 
which  the  planet  received   from  without,  so  that  it 
seemed  as  though  it  laughed  from  very  gladness. 
Quivi  la  Donna  mia  vid'  io  si  lieta, 

Come  nel  lume  di  quel  ciel  si  mise,  95 

sale  con  Beatrice  al  cielo  di  Mercurio.  Anche  qui  la  celerita 
delP  ascensione  e  espressa  con  la  medesima  similitudine  della 
freccia,  ma  con  varieta  d'  immagine.  La  saetta  ha  gia  colto  nel 
segno,  e  la  corda  dell'  arco  tremola  ancora.  Virgilio,  delle  api : 
(IVGeorg.  313,  314): 

'  ut  nervo  pulsante  sagittae, 
Prima  leves  ineunt  si  quando  proelia  Parthi  ; ' 
e  molte  altre  simili  nel  latino  poeta." 
Compare  Purg.  ii,  16  : 

"...  m'apparve, 

Un  lume  per  lo  mar  venir  si  ratto, 
Che  il  mover  suo  nessun  volar  pareggia." 
Compare  also  Petrarch,  part  ii,  canz.  viii,  st.  7  : 
"  I  di  miel,  piu  correnti  che  saetta, 
Fra  miserie  e  peccati 
Sonsen  andati,  e  sol  Morte  n'  aspetta." 

Cesari  remarks  on  this  passage  :  "Ama  il  nostro  Poeta  questa 
similitudine,  che  e  assai  espressiva ;  ma  in  questo  6  mirabile, 
che  le  da  sempre  nuovo  atto  e  forma;  qui  £  bellissimo  1'  im- 
maginare  la  rapidith.  del  quadrello,  che  imbercib  gia  nel  sex  no, 
e  la  corda  dell'  arco  tremola  ancora." 


1 70  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Che  piu  lucente  se  ne  fe'  il  pianeta. 
E  se  la  stella  si  cambio  e  rise,* 

Qual  mi  fee'  io,  che  pur  di  mia  natura 
Trasmutabile  son  per  tutte  guise ! 

Here  beheld  I  my  Lady  so  full  of  gladness  as  she 
passed  into  the  radiance  of  that  heaven,  that  the 
planet  itself  became  more  luminous  therefrom.  And 
if  the  star  was  changed  and  smiled,  what  did  I  be- 
come, who  am  by  my  mere  nature  susceptible  to 
change  of  every  kind  ! 

Longfellow  observes  that  Dante  here  represents  him- 
self as  being  of  a  peculiarly  mercurial  temperament. 

Dante  and  Beatrice,  being  now  in  the  Heaven  of 
Mercury,  look  about  them  to  observe  its  inmates. 
These  are  the  spirits  of  those,  who  in  their  lifetime 
were  energetic  in  the  pursuit  of  honour  and  glory. 
Beaming  with  radiance,  and  with  exclamations  of  joy- 
ful welcome,  they  throng  round  Dante,  much  as  fish 
do  round  any  food  thrown  into  their  pond.  As  the 
glorious  beings  surround  Dante  and  Beatrice,  the  spirit 
of  each  is  distinctly  discernible  within  the  effulgence 
which  each  of  them  diffuses  around  it  in  token  of  their 
heavenly  joy  and  gladness. 

Come  in  peschiera,  ch'  e  tranquilla  e  pura,t  loo 


*  la  stella  .  .  .  rise:  In  Convito  iii,  8,  11.  97-112,  Dante 
defines  his  idea  of  riso,  and  applies  it  to  Beatrice  :  "  E  che 
£  ridere,  se  non  una  corruscazione  della  dilettazione  dell'  anima, 

cio&  un  lume  apparente  di  fuori  secondo  che  sta  dentro  ? 

Ahi  mirabile  riso  della  mia  Donna,  di  cui  io  parlo,  che  mai  non 
si  sentia  se  non  dell'  occhio  !  " 

t  tranquilla  e  pura :  "  I  due  epiteti  tranquilla  e pura  rispon- 
dono  alia  quiete  somma  e  alia  serenita  della  sfera  celeste  ;  e 
1'  immagine  dei  pesci,  che  si  volgono  a  cio  che  stimano  cosa  di 
lor  pastura,  concorda  col  desiderio  che  hanno  quelle  anime  di 
pascersi  di  carita.  Di  piu:  come  i  pesci,  i  quali  visti  in  fondo 
alia  peschiera  si  distinguono  appena,  saliti  al  sommo  si  veggono 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  171 

Traggonsi  *  i  pesci  a  cio  che  vien  di  fuori  t 

Per  modo  che  lo  stimin  lor  pastura  ; 
Si  vid'  io  ben  piu  di  mille  splendor! 

Trarsi  ver  noi,  ed  in  ciascun  s'  udia  : 
"  Ecco  chi  crescera  +  li  nostri  amori."  105 

E  si  come  ciascuno  a  noi  venfa, 

Vedeasi  1'  ombra  piena  di  letizia 

Nel  fulgor  chiaro  che  da  lei  uscfa. 

As  in  a  fish-pond  which  is  still  and  clear,  the  fish  dart 
forward  to  that  which  comes  from  without  in  such  a 
way  that  they  deem  it  their  food ;  so  beheld  I  innu- 
merable (//'/.  more  than  a  thousand)  resplendences 
hasten  towards  us,  and  in  each  one  was  heard :  "  Lo 
here  is  one  (i.e.  Dante)  who  will  multiply  our  Loves." 
And  as  each  one  of  them  came  towards  us,  one  could 
see  the  spirit  full  of  gladness  in  the  radient  effulgence 
that  issued  from  it. 

Scartazzini,  after  prolonged  investigation  of  Ecco  chi, 
agrees  with  Vellutello  and  Tommaseo  that  Dante,  and 
not  Beatrice,  is  referred  to  here. 

chiaramente  ;  cosi  quei  beati  via  via  si  fanno  piu  risplendenti 
per  la  caritk  che  gl'  infiamma,  e  che  nell'  avvicinarsi  a  Dante  va 
crescendo."  (Venturi,  Simil.  Dant.  p.  253,  Sim.  419).  Fazio 
degli  Uberti,  Dittamondo,  lib.  i,  cap.  i,  terz.  19,  similarly  com- 
pares certain  symbolical  ladies  gathering  round  a  personified 
Virtue  : 

"  Molte  donne,  aleggiando  in  varie  piume, 

Si  vedean  tranquillar  ne'  suoi  splendori 
Come  pesci  d'  estate  in  chiaro  fiume.;) 
*  Traggonsi :  Compare  Purg.  ii,  70-72  : 

"  E  come  a  messaggier,  che  porta  olivo, 
Tragge  la  gente  per  udir  novelle, 
E  di  calcar  nessun  si  mostra  schivo." 

t  fuori :  At  the  request  of  Dr.  Moore  I  have  deleted  the 
comma  after  fuori,  the  absence  of  which  he  thinks  makes  the 
sense  much  clearer. 

J  crescerd  li  nostri  amori :  "  L'  amore  dei  beati  cresce  ogget- 
tivamente  preso,  perche  cresce  il  numero  degli  amati.  L'anima 
mostrava  sua  letizia  mandando  fuori  da  se  maggior  luce." 
(Cornoldi). 


172  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  v. 

Benvenuto  says  that,  before  bringing  upon  the  scene 
one  of  the  most  illustrious  personages  in  the  Sphere 
of  Mercury,  Dante  dexterously  contrives  to  make  his 
readers  feel  his  suspense  and  eagerness  to  know  who 
are  the  spirits  in  this  Heaven. 

Pensa,  letter,  se  quel  che  qui  s'  inizia 

Non  procedesse,  come  tu  avresti  no 

Di  piu  sapere  angosciosa  carizia  ;* 
E  per  te  vederai,  come  da  questi 

M'  era  in  disio  d'  udir  lor  condizioni, 
Si  come  agli  occhi  mi  fur  manifesti. 

Bethink  thee,  Reader,  if  what  here  begins  were  not  to 
be  continued,  howthou  wouldst  have  a  painful  craving 
to  know  more  ;  and  by  thyself  thou  wilt  see  how  from 
these  (spirits)  I  longed  to  know  their  conditions,  so 
soon  as  they  became  manifest  to  my  eyes. 

The  spirit  of  the  Emperor  Justinian  now  addresses 
Dante,  though  his  identity  is  not  revealed  until  the 
next  Canto.  He  volunteers  to  give  Dante  information 
as  to  himself  and  his  blessed  companions,  and  Beatrice 
encourages  Dante  to  ask  him  for  it. 

—  "  O  bene  nato,t  a  cui  veder  li  troni  115 


*  carizia :  The  Gran  Dizionario  says  this  is  an  equivalent 
of  carestia,  and  quotes  the  following  from  Fra  Guittone  in  the 
Rime  Antiche :  \ 

"  Eh,  donna  mia,  non  fate  carizia 

Di  cosi  gran  dovizia." 
compare  also  Purg.  xxii,  141  : 

"...  Di  questo  cibo  avrete  caro." 

t  bene  nato  :    Compare  the  words  with  which  Dante  com- 
mences his  address  to  Piccarda  Donati  in  Par.  iii,  37,  38  : 
"  O  ben  creato  spirito,  che  a'  rai 

Di  vita  eterna  la  dolcezza  senti,"  etc. 
and  Purg.  v,  58-60  : 

"...  Perche  ne'  vostri  visi  guati, 

Non  riconosco  alcun  ;  ma  se  a  voi  piace 
Cosa  ch'  io  possa,  spirit!  ben  nati,"  etc. 


Canto  V.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  173 

Del  trionfo  eternal  concede  grazia, 
Prima  che  la  milizia*  s'  abbandoni, 

Del  lume  che  per  tutto  il  ciel  si  spaziat 
Noi  semo  accesi  :  e  perb,  se  disii 
Da  noi  chiarirti,J  a  tuo  piacer  ti  sazia."-  120 

Cosi  da  un  di  quegli  spirti  pii 

Detto  mi  fu  ;  e  da  Beatrice  : — "  Di'  di' 
Sicuramente,  e  credi  come  a  Dii."§  — 

"  O  thou  born  to  good,  to  whom  Grace  vouchsafes  to 
see  the  thrones  of  the  Eternal  Triumph,  before  thy 
warfare  (i.e.  thy  earthly  life)  has  been  laid  aside,  we 
are  illumined  with  the  light  that  is  spread  throughout 
the  whole  heaven  :  and  therefore,  if  thou  desirest  to 
be  enlightened  about  us,  sate  thee  (i.e.  speak  thy  fill) 
at  thine  own  pleasure."  Thus  to  me  was  spoken  by 
one  of  these  saintly  spirits,  and  (then)  by  Beatrice  : 
"  Speak,  speak  with  confidence,  and  trust  them  even 
as  Gods." 

*  milizia:  Compare  Job,  vii,  I,  where  militia  in  the  Vulgate 
is  in  the  Authorised  Version  "  appointed  time."  On  the  pas- 
sage in  the  text  see  the  Ottimo  :  "  Nota  che  il  vivere  qui  e 
uno  militare  ;  e  pero  dicesi  militante  Ecclesia  questa  qua  giu, 
e  triunfante  quella  del  Cielo." 

t  si  spazia :  Compare  Purg.  xxvi,  62,  63  : 

"  si  che  il  ciel  v'  alberghi, 
Ch'  e  pien  d'  amore  e  piu  ampio  si  spazia." 

£  da  noi  chiarirti :  Scartazzini  points  out  that  in  the  next 
Canto  Dante  is  enlightened  both  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
spirits,  and  as  to  many  other  points. 

§  credi  come  a  Dii :  Compare  St.  John,  x,  34,  35  (Vulgate)  : 
"  Nonne  scriptum  est  in  lege  vestra  quia  ego  dixi  :  Dii  estis  ?  Si 
illos  dixit  deos,  ad  quos  sermo  Dei  factus  est,  et  non  potest 
solvi  scriptura,"  etc.  Compare  also  Boethius,  Consol.  Philos.  iii, 
pros,  x  :  "  Quoniam  beatitudinis  adeptione  fiunt  homines  beati, 
beatitude  vero  est  ipsa  divinitas,  divinitatis  adeptione  beatos  fieri, 
manifestum  est.  Sed  uti  justitiae  adeptione  justi,  sapienti;i 
sapientes  fiunt,  ita  divinitatem  adeptos  deos  fieri  simili  ratione 
necesse  est."  Cornoldi  says  that  Dii  is  employed  here  in  the 
Christian,  not  the  pagan  sense.  "  I  beati  non  possono  ne  errare 
ne  mentire  ;  per6  sono  fatti  partecipi  di  due  rilevantissime 
proprieta  della  divinita." 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  V. 

Buti  explains  this  as  meaning  that  Dante  was  to  put 
as  full  trust  in  these  blessed  spirits  as  did  the  Gentile 
Heathen  in  their  gods. 

Dante,  now  replying  to  the  spirit  of  Justinian,  ex- 
cuses himself  for  not  knowing  him.  He  then  asks 
him  two  questions  (a)  Who  is  he  ?  and  (b)  Why  he  is 
in  the  sphere  of  Mercury  ? 

—  "  lo  veggio  ben*  si  come  tu  t'annidi 

Nel  proprio  lume,  e  che  dagli  occhi  il  traggi,     125 
Perch'  ei  corruscan,  si  come  tu  ridi ; 
Ma  non  so  chi  tu  sei,  ne  perche  aggi, 
Anima  degna,  il  grado  della  spera, 
Che  si  vela  ai  mortal  con  altrui  raggi." — t 

"  I  well  perceive  (by  thy  glistening  eyes)  how  that 
thou  art  nested  in  thine  own  light,  and  that  them 
drawest  it  from  thine  eyes,  because  they  beam  with 
radiance  as  thou  smilest ;  but  I  know  not  who  thou 
art,  nor  wherefore  thou  hast,  O  august  soul,  the  rank 
of  that  sphere  (Mercury)  which  is  veiled  from  mortals 
by  the  rays  of  another  (i.e.  of  the  Sun)." 

*  lo  veggio  ben,  etc. :  Of  these  three  lines  Cesari  remarks  : 
"  A  me  par  vedere  troppo  piu  profonda  ed  alta  sentenza  in  questa 
terzina,  che  non  videro  i  comentatori,  i  quali  nulla  ci  notarono 
di  singolare.  lo  diro  quello  che  me  ne  sento.  lo  veggo  bene, 
che  tu  ti  riposi  (/"  annidi ),  come  nella  tua  nicchia,  nel  lume  di 
carita  che  hai  detto  teste,  e  che  e  ora  tuo  proprio  .  .  .  Ora, 
segue  Dante,  di  cio  m'  accorgo  io  bene,  al  segno  che  me  ne 
danno  i  tuoi  occhi,  per  li  quali  tu  trai  del  cuore  il  fuoco  dell'amor 
tuo  d'  entro  ;  ond'  essi  corruscano,  e  brillano  secondo  la  tua 
letizia,  ovvero  il  ridere  della  tua  bocca  .  .  .  Io  leggo  corruscan, 
e  non  corrusca  .  .  .  conciossiache  per  gli  occhi  soprattutto  si 
sfogano  i  movimenti  del  cuore,  e  meglio  1'allegrezza  che  altro 
.  .  .  Anzi  dico,  che  senzaquestounabellezzasingolardi  concetto 
sarebbe  perduta." 

t  si  vela  ai  mortal  con  altrui  raggi :  "  Ecco  determinato  il 
cielo  al  quale  e  asceso  il  Poeta.  E  il  secondo,  cioe  la  spera  di 
Mercuric,  che  gli  antichi  pure  riconobbero  la  piu  prossima  a 
quella  del  sole  tanto  che  rimane  velata  dai  raggi  di  questa,  e 
difficilmente  pu6  scorgersi  la  Stella."  (Antonelli  ap.  Tommase'o). 


Canto  V.           Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  175 

We  now  read  how  the  spirit  of  Justinian,  enkindled 
by  the  desire  of  satisfying  Dante's  thirst  for  inform- 
ation, beams  forth  such  an  intense  access  of  radiance, 
that  his  shade  becomes  invisible  to  Dante's  mortal 
vision.  The  spirit  prepares  himself  to  speak,  but 
does  so  like  the  concealed  god  in  an  ancient  oracle. 
De  Gubernatis  (//  Paradiso  di  Dante,  Firenze,  1887) 
observes  that  Dante  very  happily  concludes  the  Canto 
at  this  point.  Justinian  is  about  to  reveal  his  ideas  of 
Justice,  according  to  the  principles  of  Imperial  policy, 
in  which  on  earth  should  be  seen  the  outline  sketch  of 
Divine  Justice.  The  theme  is  a  lofty  one  ;  and  Dante 
is  unwilling  to  treat  it  too  briefly  or  too  lightly,  but 
devotes  to  it  another  Canto. 

Questo  diss'  io  diritto  alia  lumiera*  130 

Che  pria  m'avea  parlato,  ond'ella  fessi 
Lucente  piii  assai  di  quel  ch'  ell'  era. 
SI  come  il  sol,  chesi  celat  egli  stessi  t 
Per  troppa  luce,  come  il  caldo  ha  rose 
Le  temperanze  dei  vapori  §  spessi ;  135 

*  diritto  alia  lumiera :  The  Gran  Dizionario  quotes  this  very 
passage  in  §  i  of  diritto,  adjective,  though  one  might  have 
thought  it  to  be  an  irregular  participle:  " diritto.  Agg.  Per 
linea  retta,  Che  non  piega  da  niuna  banda  e  non  force,  Che  c 
voltato  dirittamente.  Directus,  aureo  lat." 

t  si  cela :  Compare  Petrarch,  part  ii,  son.  67  (in  some  edi- 
tions 295): 

"  E  per  aver  uom  gli  occhi  nel  Sol  fissi, 

Tanto  si  vede  men,  quanto  piu  splende." 
I  stessi :  See  Gran  Dizionario,  under  stesso,  §  5  :  "  Stessi,  nel 
caso  retto  del  minor  numero  come  Quegli  e  Questi,  si  trova 
talora  presso  gli  antichi.     Da  istc,  ipse,  quasi  trasposta  la  /  dal 
principio  alia  fine."     Compare  ////  ix,  58-60: 
"  Cosl  disse  il  Maestro;  ed  egli  stessi 

Mi  volse,  e  non  si  tenne  alle  mie  mani, 
Che  con  le  sue  ancor  non  mi  chiudessi." 
§  temperanze  dei  vapori :  Compare  Purg.  xxx,  25-27: 


176  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  V. 

Per  piu  letizia  si  mi  si  nascose 

Dentro  al  suo  raggio  la  figura  santa, 
E  cosi  chiusa  chiusa  *  mi  rispose 

Nel  modo  che  il  seguente  canto  canta. 

This  said  I,  being  turned  straight  towards  the  bright 
lustre  that  had  first  addressed  me,  whereupon  it  waxed 
far  more  radiant  than  it  had  been  before.  Even  as 
the  Sun,  which  through  excess  of  light  concealeth 
its  own  self,  when  heat  has  eaten  away  the  tempering 
influence  of  the  thick  vapours  (that  surround  it) : — 
so  by  increase  of  gladness  did  that  holy  form  conceal 
itself  from  me  within  its  own  radiance,  and  thus  com- 
pletely enfolded  it  made  answer  to  me  in  the  fashion 
which  the  ensuing  Canto  sings. 

"...  la  faccia  del  sol  nascere  ombrata, 
Si  che  per  temperanza  di  vapori 
L'  occhio  la  sostenea  lunga  fiata." 

*  chiusa  chiusa:  "interamente  nascosta,  tutta  velata  dal  suo 
splendore."    (Casini). 


END  OF  CANTO  V. 


Canto  VI.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  177 


CANTO   VI. 


THE  SPHERE  OF  MERCURY  (continued}. — THE  EM- 
PEROR JUSTINIAN. — HISTORY  OF  THE  ROMAN 
EAGLE  AND  EMPIRE. — GUELPHS  AND  GHIBEL- 
LINES. — OTHER  SPIRITS  IN  THE  SPHERE  OF 
MERCURY. — ROMEO  DI  VILLANOVA. 

As  was  stated  in  the  commentary  on  the  preceding 
Canto,  the  present  one  is  wholly  devoted  to  the  words 
spoken  by  the  spirit  of  the  Emperor  Justinian.* 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  27,  Justinian 
briefly  touches  upon  the  principal  events  of  his  reign, 
his  conversion  to  Christianity,  and  his  great  deeds. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  28  to  v.  in,  he 
glances  over  the  more  notable  exploits  of  the  Romans 
achieved  during  several  centuries  under  their  glorious 
standard,  the  Roman  Eagle. 

In   the   Tliird  Division,    from    v.    112    to  v.    142, 

*  Scartazzini  (Ediz.  Min.}  notices  the  coincidence  of  Dante's 
successive  treatment  of  the  Vlth  Canto  of  each  of  the  Cantiche. 
In  Canto  VI  of  the  Inferno  all  the  feuds  then  troubling  Florence 
are  described,  and  others  are  foretold.  In  Canto  VI  of  the  Pur- 
gatorio  the  general  condition  of  Italy  is  Dante's  theme.  In 
Canto  VI  of  the  Paradiso  the  history  of  the  Empire  from  ^neas 
down  to  Caesar,  to  Charlemagne,  and  even  down  to  Dante's 
own  time  is  dilated  upon.  This  parallel  arrangement  of  Cantos 
is  not  unfrequent  with  Dante.  In  /nf.  xix  he  relates  his  inter- 
view with  a  wicked  Pope  ;  in  Purg.  xix  with  a  good  Pope  ;  and 
other  instances  might  be  cited. 

I.  N 


178  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

Justinian  replies  to  the  question  put  to  him  by  Dante 
(Canto  v,  127-129)  as  to  why  he  happens  to  be  an 
inmate  of  the  Sphere  of  Mercury. 

Division  I.  Dante,  in  the  last  Canto,  had  said 
to  the  spirit :  "  I  do  not  know  who  thou  art,  nor  why 
this  particular  degree  of  beatitude  has  been  assigned 
to  thee." 

These  words  contain  two  questions  : 

(1)  "Who  art  thou?" 

(2)  "  Why  art  thou  here  ? " 

To  the  first  question  Justinian  at  once  proceeds  to 
reply.  The  second  he  will  answer  in  11.  112-126. 

Justinian  begins  by  relating  the  epoch  of  his  tenure 
of  the  Empire.  He  tells  first  how  the  Roman  Empire 
had  remained  in  Greece  over  200  years  from  the  time 
of  its  translation  there  by  Constantine,  before  it  passed 
into  his  hands. 

—  "  Posciach£  Constantin  1'  aquila  volse 

Contra  il  corso  del  ciel,*  ch'  ella  segufo 
Dietro  all'  antico  che  Lavina  tolse, 


*  Contra  il  corso  del  ciel :  When  Constantine  transferred  the 
seat  of  the  Empire  from  Rome  in  the  West,  to  Byzantium, 
situated  to  the  East  of  Rome,  he  turned  the  Eagle,  emblem  of 
the  Roman  Empire,  into  the  contrary  course  from  that  of  the 
Heavens,  which  are  supposed  to  move  from  East  to  West. 
(Compare  Par.  ix,  85  :  contra  il  sole).  The  Eagle  had  followed 
the  course  of  the  Sun  behind  that  taken  by  ^Eneas,  who,  when 
he  left  Troas  in  the  East,  came  to  Italy  in  the  West,  and  there 
he  laid  the  original  foundations  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Another 
reading,  which  has  considerable  MS.  authority  and  is  very  com- 
monly adopted,  is  che  la  seguio  (instead  of,  as  here,  cK  ella 
seguto).  Scartazzini  says  the  sense  must  decide  which  of  the 
two  is  right.  Is  it  the  Eagle  that  followed  the  course  of  the 
Heavens  (cK ella  seguio),  or  the  course  of  the  Heavens  that  fol- 
lowed the  Eagle  (che  la  segu(o)?  Cesari  (vol.  iii,  p.  99),  derides 
the  idea  of  the  latter :  "  E'  mi  par  troppo  ardito  questo  immagi- 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  179 

Cento  e  cent'  anni  *  e  piu  1'  uccel  di  Dio 

Nell'  estremo  d'  Europa  si  ritenne,  5 

Vicino  ai  monti  de'  quai  prima  uscio ; 

E  sotto  1'  ombra  delle  sacre  penne  t 

Governo  il  mondo  li  di  mano  in  mano, 
E  si  cangiando  in  sulla  mia  pervenne. 

"  After  that  Constantine  had  turned  the  Eagle  back 
against  the  course  of  Heaven,  which  it  followed  be- 
hind that  ancient  one  (y£neas)  who  took  (to  wife) 
Lavinia,  for  a  hundred  and  a  hundred  years  and 
more  did  the  bird  of  God  (i,e.  the  Eagle)  hold  itself 
on  the  extreme  confines  of  Europe  near  unto  the 
mountains  (of  Troas)  from  which  it  had  first  gone 
forth ;  and  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  sacred  wings 
it  governed  the  world  there  (at  Constantinople)  from 
hand  to  hand,  and  so  changing  (i.e.  from  one  Em- 
peror to  another  in  succession)  it  alighted  at  last 
upon  mine  (i.e.  my  hand). 

Scartazzini  observes  that  it  is  somewhat  an  ana- 
chronism on  the  part  of  Dante  to  suppose  that  the 
Eagle  had  been  the  standard  of  the  Roman  Empire 
from  the  time  of  ./Eneas.  It  was  Marius  who  first 
made  it  the  standard  of  all  the  Roman  Legions. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Justinian  describes  himself, 
first,  by  his  Imperial  dignity,  secondly,  by  his  proper 

nar  che  Enea  con  1'aquila  in  mano  insegnasse  quasi  al  sole  la 
strada  :  che  certo  ei  dovea  sapersela  bene.  E  pero  io  bacio  e 
benedico  un  codice,  il  quale  ha  ch'  ella  seguio;  facendo  che  essa 
aquila  seguisse  il  corso  del  sole,  dietro  a'passi  d'Enea;  il  che 
e  piu  grave,  e  ragionevole,  e  vero." 

*  Cento  e  cent''  anni :  From  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  Empire 
to  Byzantium  in  A.D.  324  to  the  Accession  of  Justinian  as  Em- 
peror in  A.D.  527  was  almost  exactly  two  hundred  years. 

t  V  ombra  delle  sacre  penne :  Compare  Psalm  xvii,  8  :  "  Hide 
me  under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings."  And  Psalm  xxxvi,  7 : 
"The  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under  the  shadow  of  thy 
wings."  And  Psalm  Ixiii,  7:  "in  the  shadow  of  thy  wings  will 
I  rejoice." 

N    2 


1 80  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

name,  and  thirdly,  by  his  most  excellent  work.  Being 
sister's  son  of  Justinus,  and  adorned  with  every  virtue 
and  accomplishment,  Justinian  succeeded  to  the 
Imperial  throne,  A.D.  538  [it  was  really  527],  and  for 
thirty-eight  years  his  administration  of  public  affairs 
was  worthy  of  all  praise.  Immediately  on  his  acces- 
sion he  set  to  work  to  codify  and  ameliorate  the 
principal  Imperial  constitutions  or  statutes,  of  which 
there  was  such  a  multitude,  that  the  life  of  one  man 
would  not  even  have  sufficed  to  read  them.  Jus- 
tinian, leaving  to  his  distinguished  generals  the  pro- 
secution of  his  wars,  abstracted  the  laws  into  a  very 
few  books,  and  gained  for  himself  a  lasting  reputation. 
Cesare  fui,*  e  son  Giustini'ano,t  10 

Che,  per  voler  del  primo  amor  ch'  io  sento, 
D'  entro  le  leggi  trassi  il  troppo  e  il  vano ; 
E  prima  ch'  io  all'  opra  fossi  attento, 

Una  natura  in  Cristo  esser,  non  piue, 

Credeva,  e  di  tal  fede  era  contento  ;  1 5 

I  was  Caesar,  and  I  am  Justinian,  who  by  the  will  of 
the  Primal  Love  (i.e.  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit)  which  I  feel,  withdrew  from  (the  body  of)  the 
laws  the  superfluous  and  the  useless  ;  and  before  the 
time  that  I  became  engaged  upon  that  work,  I  be- 
lieved that  in  Christ  there  was  (but)  one  nature  (the 
divine),  not  more,  and  with  such  faith  I  was  con- 
tented. 

*  Cesare  fui :  Justinian  alludes  to  his  having  been  Caesar  or 
Emperor  in  the  past  tense,  and  gives  Dante  thereby  to  under- 
stand that  all  earthly  dignities  are  at  an  end  after  a  man's  death. 
He  says  :  "  I  was  Emperor,  but  I  remain  plain  Justinian." 
Compare  Purg.  v,  88:  "  Io  fui  di  Montefeltro,  io  son  Buon- 
conte." 

t  Giustintano :  Gibbon,  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire (1862,  vol.  v,  p.  248  and  p.  282),  gives  an  excellent  account 
of  Justinian. 


Ca,nto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  1 8 1 

Justinian  is  here  referring  to  the  Eutychian  heresy, 
so  called  from  Eutyches,  an  Abbot  at  Constantinople, 
who  maintained  that  only  the  Divine  nature  existed 
in  Christ,  not  the  human  ;  but  that  at  His  Crucifixion 
a  phantom  was  crucified  in  His  place.  Hence  the 
heresy  was  also  termed  the  Monophysite.  Tommaseo 
says  that  the  word  contento  would  be  superfluous,  but 
that  it  expresses  the  good  faith  of  Justinian  in  his 
error.  Mr.  Butler  thinks  that  it  was  not  really 
Justinian  himself,  but  his  wife  Theodora,  who  was 
attached  to  the  above-mentioned  heresy.  The 
Emperor's  own  orthodoxy  would  seem  to  have  been 
unimpeachable  till  quite  the  end  of  his  life,  when  he 
lapsed  into  erroneous  views  concerning,  not  the  nature, 
but  the  person  of  Christ.  The  alleged  visit  of  Aga- 
petus  is  not  mentioned  by  Gibbon  ;  the  story  may  have 
been  derived  frbm  the  Tresor  of  Brunetto  Latin i 
(Livre  i,  part  ii,  chap.  Ixxxvii)  :  "  Et  ja  soit  ce  que  il 
fust  au  commencement  en  Terror  des  hereges,  en  la 
fin  reconut  il  son  error  par  le  conseil  Agapite,  qui 
lors  estoit  apostoiles  "  (ii,  25).  The  more  generally 
accepted  tale,  as  given  by  Benvenuto,*  Talice  da 
Ricaldone,  and  others,  states  that  Agapetus  was  sent 
by  Theodatus,  the  Gothic  king,  to  make  terms  with 
Justinian,  and  that  he  incidentally  discovered  and 
reformed  the  Emperor's  heterodox  views. 

*  According  to  Paulus  Diaconus  (Contin.  Hist,  Eutropii, 
lib.  xvii),  on  Agapetus  reproving  Justinian  for  his  heretical 
opinions,  their  argument  became  heated  and  the  emperor 
having  uttered  some  threatening  words,  Agapetus  replied  :  "  I 
thought  I  had  been  coming  to  Justinian,  the  most  just  of  Em- 
perors, whereas  I  have  found  a  new  Diocletian."  Agapetus 
was  only  Pope  for  one  year,  from  535  to  536. 


1 82  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

Ma  il  benedetto  Agapito,  die  fue 

Sommo  pastore,  alia  fede  sincera  * 

Mi  dirizzo  con  le  parole  sue. 
lo  gli  credetti,  e  cio  che  in  sua  fede  era 

Veggio  ora  chiaro,  si  come  tu  vedi  20 

Ogni  contraddizion  e  falsa  e  vera. 

But  the  blessed  Agapetus,  who  was  the  supreme 
Pastor,  by  his  words  directed  me  to  the  pure  Faith. 
Him  I  believed,  and  what  there  was  in  his  belief 
(namely,  the  two  natures  in  Christ,  the  human  and 
the  divine)  I  now  see  clearly,  even  as  thou  seest  all 
contradictories  (i.e.  every  pair  of  contradictory  pro- 
positions) to  be  both  false  and  true  (i.e.  one  false  and 
the  other  true). 

It  is  a  familiar  and  fundamental  principle  of  Logic 
that,  of  two  Contradictory  Propositions,  one  must  be 
true  and  the  other  false.  Both  could  not  be  true, 
nor  yet  both  false,  as  for  example  : 

(1)  All  men  can  run. 

(2)  Some  men  cannot  run. 
One  of  these  must  be  true  and  the  other  false. 

Justinian  now  goes  on  to  show  that  as  soon  as  he 
had  become  reconciled  to  the  Church,  and  had  become 
a  faithful  son  thereof,  by  acknowledging  the  doctrine 
of  the  two-fold  nature  of  Christ,  he  was  inspired  by 
God  to  hand  over  to  his  great  general,  Belisarius,  all 
warlike  undertakings,  and  to  devote  himself  wholly  to 
the  work  of  recompiling  the  laws. 

Tosto  che  con  la  chiesa  mossi  i  piedi, 
A  Dio  per  grazia  piacque  di  spirarmi 
L'  alto  lavoro,  e  tutto  a  lui  mi  diedi. 

*  sincera :  Sincere  is  commonly  used  in  Tuscany  in  the  sense 
of  ''pure."  "Questo  &  un  vino  sincere,"  "this  is  a  pure  wine." 
Compare  also  i  Pet.  ii,  2  :  "  As  new-born  babes  desire  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  word." 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  183 

Ed  al  mio  Bellisar*  commendai  1'armi,  25 

Cui  la  destra  del  ciel  fu  si  congiunta, 
Che  segno  fu  ch'  io  dovessi  posarmi.t 

So  soon  as  I  moved  my  feet  with  the  Church  (i.e. 
embraced  its  doctrines),  it  pleased  God  of  His  Grace 
to  inspire  me  with  this  high  task,  and  I  gave  myself 
wholly  to  it.  And  (matters  of)  arms  I  committed  to 
my  Belisarius,  to  whom  the  right  hand  of  Heaven 
was  so  conjoined,  as  to  be  a  signal  to  me  that  my 
duty  was  to  stay  quiet. 

Benvenuto  says  that  he  had  heard  that  Belisarius  was 
victorious  in  twenty-seven  pitched  battles ;  and  that 
when  he  came  to  Rome  he  offered  at  the  shrine  of 
St.  Peter,  by  the  hand  of  Pope  Vigilius,  a  cross  of  gold 
of  one  hundred  pounds'  weight,  enriched  with  precious 
stones,  on  which  the  number  of  his  victories  was 
recorded. 


Division  II.  Before  giving  an  answer  to  the  second 
of  Dante's  two  questions,  as  to  why  Justinian  has 
been  placed  in  this  particular  Sphere  of  Heaven,  the 
spirit  of  the  Emperor  compresses  into  a  brief  narra- 
tive the  most  memorable  achievements  done  at  various 
times  under  the  standard  of  the  Eagle,  the  symbol  of 
the  Roman  Empire.  Scartazzini  observes  that  Dante 


*  Bellisar :  Of  Belisarius,  the  famous  general  of  Justinian, 
an  account  will  be  found  in  Gibbon,  Decline  and  Fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,  1862,  vol.  v,  p.  99.  See  also  G.  Villani,  lib.  11, 
cap.  6:  "II  quale  Belisario  .  .  .  fu  uomo  di  grande  senno  e 
prodezza,  e  bene  avventuroso  in  guerra  .  .  E  bene  avventurosa- 
mente  e  con  vittoria  in  tutte  parti  vinse  e  soggiog6  i  ribelli  del- 
lo  'mperio,  e  tenne  in  buono  stato  mentre  vivette." 

t  posarmi :  Compare  Pur%.  ii,  85  : 

"  Soavemente  disse  ch'  io  posasse." 


1 84  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  VI. 

introduces  this  digression,  to  give  himself  an  oppor- 
tunity of  administering  a  sharp  reproof  to  the  two 
factions  of  the  Guelphs  and  Ghibellines,  the  former 
being  to  blame  in  fighting  against  the  Eagle,  and  the 
latter  in  appropriating  it  to  themselves. 

Or  qui  alia  question  prima  s'  appunta* 
La  mia  risposta  ;  ma  sua  condizione 
Mi  stringe  a  seguitare  alcuna  giunta  ;  30 

Perche  tu  veggi  con  quanta  ragione 

Si  move  contra  il  sacrosanto  segno,  t 

E  chi  '1  s'  appropria,  e  chi  a  lui  s'  oppone. 

Now  here  my  answer  to  the  first  question  terminates 
(lit.  reaches  the  full  stop) ;  but  the  nature  of  it 
constrains  me  to  follow  it  up  with  some  addition; 
in  order  that  thou  mayest  see  with  what  amount 
of  reason  there  moves  against  the  hallowed  sign 
both  he  who  appropriates  it  to  himself  (the  Ghi- 
belline),  and  he  (the  Guelph)  who  is  in  opposition 
to  it 


*  s*  appunta  :  See  the  Gran  Dizionario  s.  v.  appuntare,  \.  a. 
§16  :  "  Per  fermarsi."  In  Par.  xxix,  u,  12,  the  word  is  used  to 
signify  "has  its  end,"  Beatrice  telling  Dante  that  the  creation  of 
Angels  emanates  from  God,  for  she  has  herself  seen  in  Him 
within  Whom  all  space  and  time  comes  to  an  end  : 

"  perch'  io  1'  ho  visto 

Dove  s'  appunta  ogni  ubi  ed  ogni  quando." 
Beatrice  in  the  present  passage  says  to  Dante  :  "  I  have  at  this 
point  really  concluded  my  answer  to  your  first  question,  but  the 
quality  of  my  answer  obliges  me  to  continue  my  speech  and  add 
to  it  some  further  matters."  Most  of  the  old  Commentators 
(e.g.  Landino,  Vellutello,  and  Daniello)  understand  appuntarsi 
correctly,  but  Buti  interprets  it  curiously  as  "  I  will  now  begin 
my  answer."  Benvenuto  says :  "  la  mia  risposta  s'  appunta, 
idest,  facit  finem  et  punctum." 

t  sacrosanto  segno:  Dante  firmly  believed  that  the  Empire 
was  a  divine  institution,  and  he  therefore  terms  the  Eagle  "  the 
hallowed  sign."  Compare  Dante's  Epistle  to  Henry  VII. 
(Epistola  vii)  11.  186-188:  "Ac  quemadmodum  sacrosanctae 
Jerusalem  memores,  exules  in  Babylone,  gemiscimus." 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  185 

According  to  Dante  (11.  100-102)  the  Ghibellines 
were  no  less  the  enemies  of  the  Empire  than  the 
Guelphs. 

Justinian  now  traces  the  miraculous  progress  of 
the  Eagle  (processus  aquilce)  from  ^Eneas  to  Charle- 
magne. 

Vedi  quanta  virtu  1'  ha  fatto  degno 

Di  riverenza." — E  comincio  dall'  ora  35 

Che  Pallante*  mori  per  dargli  regno.f 

Behold  what  prowess  has  made  it  worthy  of  rever- 
ence." And  he  (Justinian)  commenced  his  relation 
from  the  hour  that  Pallas  died  to  give  sovereignty  to 
it  (the  Eagle). 

Most  of  the  Commentators  take  the  whole  of  the  last 
terzina  to  be  part  of  Justinian's  words,  meaning  that 
"  the  prowess  of  the  Eagle  commenced  from  the  re- 
mote days  of  Pallas,"  but  I  follow  Benvenuto,  Tom- 
maseo,  Scartazzini  and  Casini,  in  understanding  a 
break  in  Justinian's  speech  after  the  words  "  degno 
di  riverenza,"  and  that  it  is  Dante,  who,  by  way 
of  parenthesis,  says :  "  and  then  he,  Justinian,  began 


*  Pallante  :  As  to  the  death  of  Pallas,  the  son  of  Evander, 
King  of  Latium,  in  battle  with  Turnus,  whom  ^Eneas  after- 
wards slew  to  avenge  his  friend,  see  Virgil,  ^Enetd,  Books  viii, 
ix  and  x. 

t  per  dargli  regno :  "  Quando  Pallante  figlio  di  Evandro 
mon  combattendo  in  difesa  di  Enea,  e  gli  assicuro  la  vittoria 
sul  Lazio,  P  aquila,  per  la  prima  volta,  spieg6  nel  mondo  la  sua 
ala  dominatrice."  (De  Gubernatis,  Angelo  di,  //  Paradiso  di 
Dante  dichiarato  at  giovani,  Firenze,  1887,  p.  68).  Perche  tu 
vegga  quale  ragione  si  abbiano  i  Ghibellini  e  i  Guelfi  nell' 
opporsi  al  segno  sacro  dell'  Aquila,  vedi  come  per  aha  virtu  fu 
sempre  degno  di  riverenza,  fin  dal  punto  in  cui  Pallante,  figlio 
di  Evandro,  mandato  e  soccorrere  Enea,  venne  ucciso.  Pallante 
mori  per  costituire  un  reame  di  cui  1' Aquila  dovea  essere  il 
segno."  (Cornoldi). 


1 86  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

his  narrative,  tracing  the  progress  of  the  Eagle,  from 
the  time  of  ./Eneas,"  or,  as  he  puts  it,  from  the  time 
that  Pallas,  the  ally  of  ^Eneas,  was  slain  by  Turnus. 
(din.  xii,  948-949). 

The  narrative  proceeds  ;  tracing  with  marvellous 
precision  and  terseness  the  victorious  career  of  the 
Roman  Eagle.  For  three  hundred  years  it  rested  in 
Alba,  until,  by  the  combat  between  the  Horatii  and 
the  Curatii,  in  which  the  Alban  champions  were  slain 
by  the  Roman,  the  kingdom  of  Alba  passed  under 
the  sway  of  Rome.  Under  the  Eagle  the  seven 
kings  held  the  sceptre,  and  added  vastly  to  Roman 
dominions.  By  the  Eagle  both  the  Gauls  and  Pyrrhus 
were  repulsed,  and  under  its  influence  a  long  line  of 
heroes  achieved  deeds  of  valour. 

— "  Tu  sai  che  fece  in  Alba*  sua  dimora 

Per  trecent'  anni  ed  oltre,  infino  al  fine 
Che  i  tre  ai  tre  pugnar  per  lui  ancora. 
E  sai  ch'  ei  fe'  dal  mal  delle  Sabine  40 

Al  dolor  di  Lucrezia  in  sette  regi, 


*  Alba:  Compare  Convito  iv,  5,  11.  155-160:  "E  non  pose 
Iddio  le  mani  proprie  alia  battaglia,  dove  gli  Albani  colli 
Romani  dal  principio  per  lo  capo  del  regno  combattero,  quando 
uno  solo  Romano  nelle  mani  ebbe  la  franchigia  di  Roma  ? " 
Compare  also  De  Mon.  ii,  II,  11.  22-36  :  "  Quumque  duo  populi 
ex  ipsa  Troiana  radice  in  Italia  germinassent,  Romanus  vide- 
licet populus  et  Albanus,  atque  de  signo  aquilae  deque  penatibus 
diis  Troianorum  atque  dignitateprincipandi  longo  tempore  inter 
se  disceptatum  esset ;  ad  ultimum,  de  communi  adsensu  partium, 
propter  instantiam  cognoscendam,  per  tres  Horatios  fratres  hinc, 
et  per  totidem  Curiatios  fratres  inde,  in  conspectu  regum  et 
populorum  altrinsecus  expectantium  decertatum  est  ;  ubi  tribus 
pugilibus  Albanorum  peremtis,  Romanorumque  duobus,  palma 
victoriae  sub  Hostilio  rege  cessit  Romanis."  These  two  chapters 
from  the  Convito  and  the  De  Monarchia  may  be  read  in  rela- 
tion to  this  part  of  Justinian's  speech. 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  187 

Vincendo  intorno  le  genti  vicine. 

Sai  quel  ch'  ei  fe',  portato  dagli  egregi 

Roman!  incontro  a  Brenno,  incontro  a  Pirro, 

E  contra  gli  altri  principi  e  collegi  :*  45 

Onde  Torquato,  e  Quinzio  che  dal  cirrot 
Negletto  fu  nomato,  i  Deci,  e'  Fabi 
Ebber  la  fama  che  volentier  mirro-t 

"  Thou  knowest  that  it  made  its  abode  in  Alba  for 
three  hundred  years  and  upwards,  until  the  conclu- 
sion (of  its  sojourn  there)  when  yet  again  for  its  sake 
the  three  fought  against  the  three.  Thou  knowest 
what  it  achieved  from  (the  time  of)  the  Sabine  women's 
wrong  down  to  the  woe  of  Lucretia  in  (the  reigns  of) 
seven  kings,  subjugating  the  neighbouring  nations 


*  collegi :  The  Gran  Dizionario  gives  as  the  primary  mean- 
ing of  Collegia  :  "  Societa  d'  uomini  in  un  corpo  raccolti  a  un 
fine  comune,"  and  under  §2  (written  by  Tommase'o)  :  "  Collegio 
dei  re,  Assemblea  de'  maggiori  principi  della  Confederazione  del 
Reno  ...  In  Dante,  Par.  vi,  Principi  e  collegi,  vinti  da  Roma, 
altri  [some]  intende  Colleghi,  Collegati;  altri  (others}  collegi  o 
Alleanze  in  comune  deliberanti  e  operand."  I  prefer  the  latter 
interpretation  and  translate  "  confederated  States." 

t  cirro:  "Cirro  e  cincinno,  capello  e  a  dire."  (Buti.)  In  the 
Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  cirro,  Tommase'o  says  that  in  the  Val  di 
Chiana  the  word  ciruglio  is  in  use,  to  signify  long  and  unkempt 
hair. 

J  mirro :  The  interpretation  of  this  word  is  much  disputed, 
even  by  the  early  Commentators.  Cesari  remarks  of  it :  "  Oh  ! 
oh !  mirro !  chi  ne  dice  una,  e  chi  altra  di  questo  mirro"  He 
agrees  with  Lana,  and  the  Anonimo  Fiorentino  in  understanding 
the  word  "  I  anoint  with  balsam,"  /.  e.  I  embalm,  I  preserve  the 
memory  of  the  great  deeds  of  the  heroes  1  have  mentioned. 
This  interpretation  was  certainly  the  most  generally  accepted 
in  the  early  times,  and  it  is  also  supported  by  Pietro  di  Dante, 
and  the  Postillatore  Cassinese,  and  is  the  one  that  I  follow. 
Buti  thinks  mirro  is  for  miro  written  with  two  r's  for  the  sake 
of  the  rhyme  !  Danielle,  Lombardi,  Biagioli  and  Costa,  adopted 
this  view,  which  I  reject  entirely.  The  more  common  inter- 
pretation is  that  of  the  Ottimo :  "  Quella  fama  dice,  la  quale 
volentieri  corono,  e  onoro  con  mirra  la  quale  da  ottimo 
odore." 


1 88  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

around.  Thou  knowest  what  it  achieved,  when  borne 
by  the  illustrious  Romans  against  Brennus,  against 
Pyrrhus,  and  against  the  other  princes  and  con- 
federated states :  After  them  (Manlius)  Torquatus, 
and  Quinctius  who  was  surnamed  (Cincinnatus)  from 
his  neglected  locks,  and  the  Decii,  and  the  Fabii 
obtained  the  fame  which  right  gladly  do  I  embalm 
(i.e.  preserve  in  song). 

The  next  to  be  extolled,  are  Scipio,  for  his  victories 
over  the  Carthaginians  under  Hannibal ;  Pompey, 
who,  fighting  on  the  side  of  Sulla,  defeated  the  forces 
of  Marius  ;  the  sacking  and  destruction  of  Faesulae 
by  the  Romans  are  also  cited  as  an  instance  of  the 
well-merited  severity  dealt  out  by  the  Roman  Eagle 
to  its  rebellious  subjects.  This  (according  to  Villani, 
lib.  i,  cap.  37)  took  place,  when,  after  the  defeat  of 
Catiline  and  his  brother  conspirators,  they  found  an 
asylum  in  the  city  of  Faesulae. 

Esso  atterro  1'  orgoglio  degli  Arabi,* 


*  Arabi :  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me  on  this  passage  :  "  I  believe 
the  explanation  to  be  that  as  the  neighbourhood  of  Carthage  at 
Tunis  was  occupied  by  Arabs  in  Dante's  time,  and  had  not  yet 
come  under  the  dominion  of  the  Turks,  the  word  is  used  ana- 
chronistically  for  Carthaginians."  See  Textual  Criticism,  p.  342 : 
"  Dante's  practice  in  the  "  anachronistic  "  use  of  national  titles 
is  curious,  and  throws  light  on  the  interpretation  of  other  pas- 
sages ....  The  following  are  cases  that  occur  to  me  :  Virgil's 
parents  are  called  "Lombard**  in  Inf.  i,  68.  In  Conv.  iv,  5, 
1.  161,  the  attack  on  the  Capitol  by  the  Gauls  is  curiously  de- 
scribed as  'quando  li  Franceschi  ....  prendeano  di  furto 
Campidoglio?  I  believe  this  is  the  simple  explanation  of  the 
word  Arabi,  about  which  so  much  difficulty  has  been  raised,  in 
Par.  vi,  49.  As  in  the  instance  above,  Franceschi  =  Gauls,  here 

Arabi—  Carthaginians We  might  also  perhaps  adduce 

the  description  of  Theseus  as  "Duca  d1  Atene"  (Inf.  xii,i7),  since, 
as  Philalethes  notes,  this  was  an  actual  title  in  Dante's  time, 
in  fact  since  1204."  Dr.  Moore  adds  in  a  letter  to  me  :  "Con- 
versely, the  Romans  are  spoken  of  as  '  Trojani,'  in  Inf.  xxviii,  10; 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  189 

Che  diretro  ad  Annibale  passaro  50 

L'  alpestre  rocce*  di  che,  Po,  tu  labi. 
Sott'  esso  giovinetti  trionfaro 

Scipionet  e  Pompeo,  ed  a  quel  colle 
Sotto  il  qual  tu  nascesti,  parve  amaro.J 

It  humbled  to  the  dust  the  pride  of  the  Carthaginians 
(lit.  Arabs),  who,  in  the  train  of  Hannibal  passed 
over  the  Alpine  peaks  from  which  thou,  Po,  flowest. 
Under  it  in  their  youth  Scipio  andPompey  triumphed, 
and  cruel  did  it  (the  Eagle)  show  itself  to  that  hill 
at  the  foot  of  which  thou  wast  born. 

The  hill  of  Fiesole  towers  above  the  plain  of  Florence, 
Dante's  birthplace.  Justinian  has  up  till  now  been 
relating  the  achievements  of  the  Eagle  when  it  was 
raised  aloft  by  the  authority  of  the  Consuls  of  Rome. 
He  goes  on  to  speak  of  it  when  it  represented  the 
sway  of  the  Emperors,  and  he  begins  with  the  mighty 


and  Italians  as  '  Latini '  passim.  Inter  alia  see  Conv.  iv,  28, 61, 
where  Guido  da  Montefeltro  is  described  as  '  il  nobilissimo  nostro 
Latino.' " 

*  L'  alpestre  rocce,  i.e.  the  Alps.  Scartazzini  observes  that, 
amid  the  doubts  that  have  always  existed  as  to  the  route  fol- 
lowed by  Hannibal,  the  most  probable  one  is  the  Little  St.  Ber- 
nard, and  this  is  the  one  mostly  believed  in  at  the  present  time. 
Others  prefer  the  Mont  Cenis,  but  in  Dante's  time  the  common 
belief  was  that  Hannibal  passed  by  the  Mont- Gene  vre,  or 
Matronae  Mons,  a  pass  between  Susa  and  Briangon,  in  the 
Cottian  Alps. 

t  Sripione :  Publius  Cornelius  Scipio  Africanus,  the  elder,  in 
his  youth  fought  in  the  battles  of  the  Ticinus  and  Canna? ;  when 
only  twenty  years  of  age  he  conquered  Spain,  and  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three  overcame  Hannibal  at  the  decisive  battle  of  Zama. 
Pompey  was  only  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  obtained  his 
triumph. 

X  paive  amaro :  "Item  dictum  signum  visum  fuit  amarum 
illi  colli,  sub  quo  auctor  noster  natus  est,  scilicet  Fa'sulano." 
(Pietro  di  Dante.)  " Parve  amaro,  scilicet:  dictum  signum, 
quando  Florinus  consul  romanus  devicit  Faesulanos  cum  dicto 
signo."  (Postillatore  Cassinese.) 


190  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  VI. 

deeds  of  Julius  Caesar,  the  (so-called)  first  of  the 
Emperors.  He  describes  how,  about  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  all  the  world  was  at  peace, 
Julius  Caesar  again  raised  the  standard  of  the  Eagle, 
and  marched  into  Gaul.  He  carried  it  from  Cisalpine 
Gaul,  over  the  Var,  into  Transalpine,  he  carried  it  to 
the  Rhine,  which  divided  Gaul  from  Germany,  and  to 
the  Isere,  to  the  Saone,  and  to  the  other  tributaries 
of  the  Rhone.  He  crossed  the  Rubicon  ;  he  invaded 
Spain,  Dalmatia,  and  defeated  Pompey  in  far-off  Egypt. 
Poi,  presso  al  tempo  che  tutto*  il  ciel  voile  55 

*  tutto :  Some  read  tutto  with  commas  before  and  after  it, 
and  understand  it  to  refer  to  lo  mondo.  I  follow  Dr.  Moore's 
text,  and  read  "  tutto  il  ciel  voile,"  translating  tutto  adverbially. 
See  the  very  remarkable  passage  illustrating  this  terzina,  on  the 
divine  ordinance  that  peace  on  earth  under  a  united  empire 
should  herald  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  Con-vita  iv,  5,  11.  20-32: 
"Eletto  fu  in  quell' altissimo  e  congiuntissimo  Consistoro  divino 
della  Trinita,  che  '1  Figliuolo  di  Dio  in  terra  discendesse  a  fare 
questa  concordia.  E  perocch£  nella  sua  venuta  nel  mondo,  non 
solamente  il  Cielo,  ma  la  Terra  conveniva  essere  in  ottima  dis- 
posizione  ;  e  la  ottima  disposizione  della  terra  sia  quand'  ella  e 
Monarchia,  ciofe  tutta  ha  uno  Principe,  come  detto  e  di  sopra; 
ordinato  fu  per  lo  divino  Provvedimento  quello  popolo  e  quella 
cittk  che  cio  dovea  compiere,  cio&  la  gloriosa  Roma."  And  ibid. 
11.  60-69  :  "  Ne  '1  mondo  non  fu  mai  n&  sara  si  perfettamente 
disposto,  come  allora  che  alia  voce  d'  un  solo  principe  del  Roman 
Popolo  e  comandatore  fu  ordinato  .  .  .  .  E  pero  pace  universale 
era  per  tutto,  che  mai  piu  non  fu  n£  fia  :  che  la  nave  della  umana 
compagnia  dirittamente  per  dolce  cammino  a  debito  porto 
correa."  See  also  St.  Thorn.  Aq.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  qo. 
xxxv,  art.  8) :  "  Congruebat  etiam  ut  in  illo  tempore,  quo  unus 
princeps  dominabatur  in  mundo,  Christus  nasceretur,  qui  venerat 
congregare  suos  in  unum,  ut  esset  unum  ovile."  Compare  Milton, 
Hymn  on  the  morning  of  Chris fs  Nativity,  st.  3,  4  : 
"  But  he,  her  fears  to  cease, 
Sent  down  the  meek-eyed  Peace  : 

'  The  trumpet  spake  not  to  the  armed  throng  ; 
And  kings  sat  still  with  awful  eye, 
As  if  they  surely  knew  their  sovran  Lord  was  by." 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  191 

Ridur  lo  mondo  a  suo  modo  sereno, 
Cesare  per  voler  di  Roma  il  tolle  :* 

E  quel  che  fe'  da  Varo  infino  al  Reno, 
Isara  vide  ed  Era,  e  vide  Senna,t 
Ed  ogni  valle  onde  Rodano  e  pieno.  60 

Quel  che  fe'  poi  ch'  egli  usci  di  Ravenna, 
E  salto  Rubicon,  fu  di  tal  volo  $ 
Che  nol  seguiteria  lingua  ne  penna. 

In  ver  la  Spagna  rivolse  lo  stuolo  ; 

Poi  ver  Durazzo,  e  Farsalia  percosse  65 

Si  ch'  al  Nil  caldo  si  sent!  del  duolo. 

Then,  near  the  time  when  Heaven  wholly  willed  to 
bring  back  the  world  to  its  own  serene  state,  Caesar 
by  the  will  of  Rome  assumed  it  (i.e.  began  to  exer- 
cise the  supreme  authority) ;  and  what  it  (the  Eagle) 
then  achieved  from  the  Var  as  far  as  the  Rhine,  Isere 
saw,  and  Saone,  and  Seine  (also)  saw,  and  every 
valley  from  which  the  Rhone  is  filled.  What  it 
achieved  when  (with  Julius  Cresar)  it  went  forth  from 
Ravenna,  and  leaped  the  Rubicon,  was  of  such  (i.e. 
so  rapid)  a  flight,  that  neither  tongue  nor  pen  could 


*  tolle:  It  is  doubtful  whether  Dante  intended  this  word  for 
toglie,  3rd  person  present  indicative,  or  for  tolse  3rd  person  per- 
fect indicative.  The  form  tollero  for  tolsero  occurs,  and  some 
Commentators  think  that  Dante  uses  tolle  here  in  the  sense  of 
tolse. 

\  Isara  vide  ed  Era,  e  vide  Senna.  The  Isere,  the  Saone,  and 
the  Seine.  We  find  these  three  rivers  combined  in  a  passage  of 
Lucan  (Phars.  i,  399-434)  : 

"  Hi  vada  liquerunt  Isarae,  qui  gurgite  ductus 
Per  tarn  multa  suo,  fainae  majoris  in  amnem 
Lapsus,  ad  aequoreas  nomen  non  pertulit  undas  .  .  . 
Finis  et  Hesperiae  promote  limite  Varus  :  .  .  . 
Optima  gens  flexis  in  gyrum  Sequana  froenis  .  .  . 
.  .  .  qua  Rhodanus  raptum  velocibus  undis 
In  mare  fert  Ararim." 

tfu  di  (al  volo :  "si  compi  con  tanta  celeritk."     (Casini). 
Compare  a  very  similar  passage  in  Purg.  xviii,  101-102  : 
"  Cesare,  per  soggiogare  Ilerda, 
Punse  Marsilia,  e  poi  corse  in  Ispagna." 


1 92  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

follow  it.  Towards  Spain  it  turned  back  its  legions ; 
then  towards  Dyrrhachium,  and  smote  Pharsalia  (with 
such  a  mighty  blow)  that  to  the  torrid  Nile  the  disaster 
was  felt. 

According  to  the  ancient  legend,  ^Eneas,  after  leaving 
Troy,  touched  at  Antandros,  a  city  of  Great  Mysia, 
on  his  way  to  Italy  to  found  the  Roman  Empire. 
Justinian  therefore,  by  a  fiction  that  the  Eagle  origin- 
ally started  from  Troy,  describes  it  as  revisiting  these 
places,  when  Caesar  (according  to  Lucan)  touched 
there  in  his  pursuit  of  Pompey,  after  defeating  him 
at  Pharsalia.  Caesar  passed  on  into  Egypt,  and  de- 
throning Ptolemy  bestowed  the  kingdom  upon 
Cleopatra.  From  Egypt  he  carried  the  victorious 
Eagle  into  Mauritania,  where,  at  the  court  of  King 
Juba,  Cato,  Scipio,  and  his  other  enemies  had  taken 
refuge  after  the  battle  of  Pharsalia.  Finally  Julius 
Caesar,  at  the  battle  of  Munda  in  Spain,  overthrew  the 
last  remnants  of  Pompey's  power  by  his  defeat  of 
Labienus  and  of  Pompey's  two  sons,  three  years  after 
their  father's  death. 

Antandro  e  Simoenta,  *  onde  si  mosse, 
Rivide,  e  Ik  dov'  Ettore  si  Cuba, 
E  mal  per  Tolommeo  poi  si  riscosse  : 
Da  indi  scese  folgorando  a  Juba ;  70 

*  Simoenta:  Compare  Lucan,  Phars.  ix,  961-965  : 
"  Sigaeasque  petit  famae  mirator  arenas, 
Et  Simoentis  aquas,  et  Graio  nobile  busto 
Rhaetion,  et  multum  debentes  vatibus  umbras. 
Circuit  exustae  nomen  memorabile  Trojas, 
Magnaque  Phoebaei  quaerit  vestigia  muri." 
and  ibid.  974-977  : 

"  Inscius  in  sicco  serpentem  pulvere  rivum 
Transierat,  qui  Xanthus  erat :  securus  in  alto 
Gramine  ponebat  gressus  ;  Phryx  incola  manes 
Hectoreos  calcare  vetat." 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  193 

Poscia  si  volse  nel  vostro  occidente,  * 
Dove  sentia  la  Pompeiana  tuba,  t 

It  revisited  Antandros  and  Simois  (i.e.  Troas),  whence 
it  had  (of  yore)  taken  its  departure,  and  that  spot 
where  Hector  lies,  and  in  an  evil  hour  for  Ptolemy  it 
marched  on  again ;  from  there  it  fell  like  a  thunder- 
bolt upon  Juba ;  after  which  it  turned  back  to  your 
West,  where  it  had  heard  the  trumpet  blast  of  the 
Pompeys. 

From  Julius  Caesar,  the  so-called  first  Roman  Emperor, 
Justinian  passes  on  to  speak  of  Caesar  Augustus,  who 
is  termed  here  the  second  bearer  of  the  Roman 
standard.  His  victory  over  Brutus  and  Cassius  at 
Philippi,  over  Mark  Antony  at  Modena,  and  over 
Lucius  the  brother  of  Mark,  at  Perugia,  are  all 
alluded  to;  then  the  defeat  of  Cleopatra  at  Actium, 
and  her  subsequent  self-destruction.  By  his  conquest 
of  Egypt,  the  Eagle  was  borne  to  the  shores  of  the 
Red  Sea,  and  then  during  a  period  of  universal  peace 
the  temple  of  Janus  was  shut. 

Di  quel  ch'  ei  fe'  col  baiulo  £  seguente, 

*  vostro  occidente :  Tommase'o  explains  that  Justinian,  speak- 
ing as  from  the  Eastern  Empire  to  Dante,  an  Italian,  describes 
Spain  as  being  to  the  West  of  Italy,  i.e.  "to  the  West  of  you,  O 
Italians." 

t  tuba  is  used  by  Dante  in  the  sense  of  "  trumpet "  in  Purg. 
xvii,  14,  15  : 

"  uom  non  s'  accorge, 
Perche  d'  intorno  suonin  mille  tube." 
Compare  Tasso,  Ger.  Liber,  i,  st.  59  : 

"  Sin  ch'  invaghi  la  giovinetta  mente 

La  tromba  che  s'  udia  dall'  Oriente." 

I  baiulo :  I  extract  from  Casini's  note  that  the  word  derived 
from  the  Latin  baiulus,  properly  signifies  "a  bearer,"  and  by 
extended  signification,  "  a  ruler,  a  guardian,  a  governor,"  and  it 
bears  this  sense  as  well  in  its  abbreviated  forms,  bdilo  and  balio. 
In  Convito  iv,  5,  11.  88-92,  Dante  says  of  Rome:  "Se  con- 

I.  O 


194  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

Bruto  con  Cassio  nello  inferno  latra,* 
E  Modena  e  Perugia  fe'  dolente.  75 

Piangene  ancor  la  trista  Cleopatra, 

Che,  fuggendogli  innanzi,  dal  colubrot 
La  morte  prese  subitana  ed  atra. 


sideriamo  li  sette  regi  che  prima  la  governarono,  Romolo, 
Numa,  Tullo,  Anco,  e  li  tre  Tarquinii  che  furono  quasi  halt  e 
tutori  della  sua  puerizia,"  etc.  ;  and  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Floren- 
tines (Eptst.  vi)  1.  1 80,  Dante  terms  the  Emperor  Henry  VII  : 
"  Romanae  rei  baiulus."  The  expression  then  here  baiulo  seguente 
clearly  means  Caesar  Augustus  considered  as  second  Emperor 
after  Julius. 

*  latra :  I  have  followed  Pietro  di  Dante,  and  others,  in  trans- 
lating latra  in  the  sense  of  "to  attest,"  "proclaim."  Pietro 
comments  :  "  In  Inferno  latrant,  idest  attestantur."  Casini  : 
"  latra  :  e  vero  che  al  momento  in  cui  Dante  visita  il  cerchio  del 
traditori  Bruto  non  fa  motto  {Inf.  xxxiv,  66),  ma  ci6  non  costi- 
tuisce  una  contradizione  ;  perch&  il  verbo  latrare  e  da  intendere 
qui,  come  ben  fece  Pietro  di  Dante,  per  attestare  ;  attestare  cioe 
col  fatto  e  con  la  disperata  loro  condizione."  M.  Foresi  (La 
Divina  Commedia  -voltata  in  prosa,  Firenze,  1890):  "  Delle 
imprese  che  fece  colui  che  in  seguito  la  portbfan  testimonianza 
Bruto  con  Cassio  nell'  Inferno."  Trissino  :  "  Delle  imprese  che 
la  medesima  imperiale  insegna  fece  col  portatore  di  essa, 
succeduto  a  Giulio  Cesare  (cioe  con  Ottavino  Augusto)  Bruto  e 
Cassio  ne  attestano  e  fanno  fede  giu  nell' Inferno."  Tommase'o : 
"latra.  Non  colla  voce,  perche  Bruto  in  Inferno  non  fa  motto 
cosa  che  a  stoico  s'  addice,  ma  col  fatto,"  etc.  Brunone  Bianchi: 
"  latra,  lo  manifestano  Bruto  e  Cassio,"  etc.  Compare  Purg.  viii, 
124,  125  : 

"  La  fama  che  la  vostra  casa  onora 

Grida  i  signori,  e  grida  la  contrada,"  etc. 
This  does  not  mean  that  Fame  spoke  with  a  voice,  but  "  pro- 
claimed ; "  and  latra  has  a  similar  sense. 
Also  Inf.  vii,  43  : 

"  Assai  la  voce  lor  chiaro  1'  abbaia." 

t  colubro :  Of  Cleopatra,  Horace  (I  Carm.  xxxvii,  25-32),  writes: 
"  Ausa  et  jacentem  visere  regiam 
Vultu  sereno,  fortis  et  asperas 
Tractare  serpentes,  ut  atrum 

Corpore  combiberet  venenum  ; 
Deliberata  morte  ferocior ; 
Servis  Liburnis  scilicet  invidens, 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  195 

Con  costui  corse  infino  al  lito  rubro  ;* 

Con  costui  pose  il  mondo  in  tanta  pace,  80 

Che  fu  serrato  a  Jano  il  suo  delubro. 

Of  what  it  achieved  with  its  next  standard-bearer, 
Brutus  and  Cassius  are  still  bearing  testimony  in 
Hell,  and  Modena  and  Perugia  were  made  to  mourn. 
Because  of  it  the  ill-fated  Cleopatra  is  still  weeping 
(among  the  Sensual),  who,  fleeing  before  it,  took 
from  the  asp  a  sudden  and  terrible  death.  With  him 
(Augustus)  it  sped  even  to  the  Red  (Sea)  shore ;  with 
him  it  composed  the  world  in  such  complete  peace, 
that  Janus  had  his  shrine  closed. 

The  chief  importance  however  in  Justinian's  lauda- 
tion of  the  Eagle  is  assigned  to  the  reign  of  Tiberius, 
the  (so-called)  third  Emperor.  Under  previous  chiefs 
it  had  operated  on  behalf  of  worldly  dominion,  but  it 
was  now  to  be  called  to  work  for  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  being  crucified  during 
the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  the  standard  of  the 
Roman  Empire  had  the  great  glory  of  becoming  the 
instrument  for  carrying  out  the  sentence  decreed  by 
God,  that  His  Son  should  die  in  expiation  of  the  sin 
of  Adam,  and  thus  be  the  means  of  appeasing  the 
vengeance  that  would  otherwise  have  been  executed 
by  Divine  Justice  on  Man.  But  though  the  Jews 
were  fulfilling  the  decrees  of  the  Almighty,  yet,  in 
putting  the  Messiah  to  death,  they  committed  an 
enormous  sin  which  cried  to  Heaven  for  that  ven- 

Privata  deduci  superbo 

Non  humilis  mulier  triumpho." 
Compare  also  Virgil,  AZn.  viii,  696,  697  : 

"  Regina  in  mediis  patrio  vocat  agmina  sistro  ; 

Necdum  etiam  geminos  a  tergo  respicit  angues." 
*  lito  rubro  :  Compare  ;En.  viii,  686  : 

"  Victor  ab  Aurorae  populis  et  littore  rubro." 

O   2 


196  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

geance  which  the  Roman  Eagle  under  Titus  became 
the  instrument  to  work  out  upon  them. 

Ma  cio  che  il  segno  che  parlar  mi  face 
Fatto  avea  prima,  e  poi  era  fatturo  * 
Per  lo  regno  mortal,  ch'  a  lui  soggiace, 

Diventa  in  apparenza  poco  e  scuro,  85 

Se  in  mano  al  terzo  Cesare  t  si  mira 
Con  occhio  chiaro  e  con  affetto  puro ; 

Che  la  viva  giustizia  che  mi  spira 

Gli  concedette,  in  mano  a  quel  ch'  io  dico, 
Gloria  di  far  vendetta  J  alia  sua  ira.  90 

*  fatturo  :  An  old  Italian  use  derived  from  the  Latin  factu- 
rus,  but  obsolete  now.  We  find  still  such  forms  as  future, 
venturo,  etc.  Compare  passuri  in  Par.  xx,  105. 

t  terzo  Cesare,  etc.:  On  this  passage,  and  its  condemnation 
by  certain  Commentators  as  being  little  short  of  blasphemy  that 
glory  should  be  given  to  such  a  monster  as  Tiberius  Caesar 
because  the  Son  of  God  was  crucified  during  his  reign,  Scar- 
tazzini  observes  :  "  A  noi  non  pare  che  Dante  facesse  strazio 
della  storia  per  amore  di  un  sistema  dommatico  [dogmatic];  ci 
avvisiamo  invece  che  e'  fu  uno  di  que'  rari  e  profondi  pensatori 
che  ebbero  il  coraggio  di  dedurre  le  conseguenze  necessarie  ed 
inevitabili  da  un  principio  generalmente  ammesso."  Of  the 
immediate  importance  of  the  above  argument  Dante  enlarges 
in  De  Mon.  ii,  13,  11.  1-3;  and  11.  38-49:  "Si  Romanum  im- 
perium  de  jure  non  fuit,  peccatum  Adae  in  Christo  non  fuit 
punitum  ...  Si  ergo  sub  ordinario  judice  Christus  passus  non 
fuisset,  ilia  poena  punitio  non  fuisset :  et  judex  ordinarius  esse 
non  poterat,  nisi  supra  totum  humanum  genus  jurisdictionem 
habens,  quum  totum  humanum  genus  in  carne  ilia  Christi  por- 
tantis  dolores  nostros  (ut  ait  Propheta),  vel  sustinentis,  puniretur. 
Et  supra  totum  humanum  genus  Tiberius  Caesar  cujus  vicarius 
erat  Pilatus,  jurisdictionem  non  habuisset,  nisi  Romanum  Im- 
perium  de  jure  fuisset." 

I  -vendetta  :  The  Gran  Dizionario,  quoting  a  number  of  similar 
passages  in  the  D.  C.,  observes  that,  when  one  speaks  of  the 
vendetta  di  Dt'o,  it  means  "  His  just  retribution."  See 
Purg.  xxxiii,  36  :  "  vendetta  di  Dio  non  teme  suppe."  And 
Par.  vii,  49-51 : 

"  Non  ti  dee  oramai  parer  piu  forte, 

Quando  si  dice  che  giusta  vendetta 

Poscia  vengiata  fu  da  giusta  corte." 

The  thrice-repeated  "  vendetta  "  may  remind  us  of  the  passage 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  197 

Or  qui  t'ammira  in  cio  ch'  io  ti  replico : 
Poscia  con  Tito  *  a  far  vendetta  corse 
Delia  vendetta  del  peccato  antico. 

But  what  the  standard  which  causes  me  to  speak,  had 
achieved  before,  and  afterwards  was  yet  to  do,  through- 
out the  realm  of  the  earth  that  lies  under  its  sway 
(i.e.  the  Roman  Empire),  becomes  dwindled  and 
obscured  in  appearance,  if  one  looks  at  it  in  the  hand 
of  the  third  Caesar  with  an  unclouded  eye  and  with 
pure  affection ;  because  the  living  justice  which  in- 
spires me  vouchsafed  unto  it,  in  the  hand  of  that  one 
I  speak  of  (Tiberius),  the  glory  of  executing  the 
vengeance  of  its  wrath  (i.e.  the  wrath  of  Divine 
Justice).  Now  here  marvel  at  what  I  repeat!  to 
thee :  with  Titus  afterwards  it  sped  to  work  ven- 
geance for  the  vengeance  of  the  primal  sin. 

in  Purg.  xx,  65-69,  where  the   word   ammenda  occurs   three 
times : 

"  e  poscia,  per  ammenda, 
Ponti  e  Normandia  prese  e  Guascogna. 
Carlo  venne  in  Italia,  e  per  ammenda, 
Vittima  fe'di  Corradino;  e  poi 
Ripinse  in  ciel  Tommaso  per  ammenda." 
*  con  Tito,  et  seq.:  Compare  Purg.  xxi,  82-84: 
"  Nel  tempo  che  il  buon  Tito  con  1'aiuto 
Del  sommo  Rege  vendico  le  fora, 
Ond'  usci  il  sangue  per  Giuda  venduto,"  etc. 
t  Justinian,  in  Benvenuto's  opinion,  is  telling  Dante  that  he 
wishes  to  accentuate  the  word  vendetta,  by  thrice  again  repeating 
it  :    "  Dicit  ergo  :  or  qui  fammira  in  do  ch?  io  ti  replico,  quia, 
scilicet,  vocabulum  semel   positum   repetit  bis."      Longfellow 
translates  io  ti  replico,  "  I  answer  thee  " ;   which  is  a  correct 
rendering  of  the  word.     Norton,  "  I  unfold"  ;  but  I  cannot  find 
any  justification  of  that  signification  for  replico.     Butler  has  a 
very  interesting  note  in  which  he  says  he  is  inclined  to  think 
that  there  is  a   special  allusion,   appropriate  to  the  speaker, 
marked  by  the  use  of  the  word  replico,  "  here  and  here  only  in 
the  whole  poem.    In  the  terms  of  the  Roman  law  the  statement 
of  the  plaintiffs  case  as  sent  by  the  magistrate  to  the  judge  was 
intentio.     If  the  defendant  pleaded  special  circumstances  which 
made  the  general  rule  of  law  under  which   the  case  would 
naturally  fall  inapplicable,  his  plea  was  called  exceptio.      If  the 


198  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  VI. 

Justinian  closes  his  long  relation  of  the  great  deeds  of 
the  Roman  Eagle,  by  taking  a  great  leap  of  700  years, 
and  showing  what  it  accomplished  in  the  hands  of 
Charlemagne,  when  that  Emperor  defeated  the  Lom- 
bards under  Desiderius.  Witte,  in  a  note  on  this 
passage,  says:  "In  the  same  way  that  Stephen  II 
had  invoked  the  aid  of  Pepin  against  Astolph,  so  in 
773  did  Adrian  I  seek  the  aid  of  Charlemagne  against 
Desiderius.  To  be  exact,  it  was  not  until  27  years 
later  (800)  that  Leo  III  conferred  upon  the  King  of 
the  Franks  the  Imperial  crown  ;  but,  notwithstanding 
this,  Dante  could  well  affirm  from  that  day  forward 
that  the  Eagle  had  taken  under  the  protection  of  its 
wings  an  enterprise  which  was  to  reawaken  to  life 
the  (inanimate)  Empire  of  the  West." 
E  quando  il  dente  *  Longobardo  morse 

La  santa  Chiesa,  sotto  alle  sue  ali  95 

Carlo  Magno,  vincendo,  la  soccorse, 

plaintiff  answered,  this  was  replicatio,  '  quia  per  earn  replicatur 
et  resolvitur  jus  exceptionis.'  (See  Justinian,  Institutes,  ed. 
Sandars,  1874,  pp.  Ixvii,  477).  Here  (adds  Mr.  Butler)  we  have 
a  pretty  close  parallel,  which  is  set  out  more  fully  in  the  next 
Canto,  11.  40-51.  God  has  a  controversy  with  the  Jews  for  the 
death  of  Christ.  The  plea  in  answer  is  that  this  was  the  ap- 
pointed atonement  for  man's  fall.  The  replicatio,  enforced  by 
the  punishment  of  the  Jews  at  the  hands  of  Titus,  would  be 
that  this  in  no  way  affected  their  guilt  in  crucifying  an  innocent 
person." 

*  dente  Longobardo,  etc.:  Compare  De  Mon.  iii,  n,  11.  1-13: 
"  Adhuc  dicunt,  quod  Hadrianus  Papa  Carolum  Magnum  sibi  et 
Ecclesiae  advocavit  ob  injuriam  Longobardorum  tempore  De- 
siderii  regis  eorum,  et  quod  Carolus  ab  eo  recepit  Imperil 
dignitatem ;  non  obstante  quod  Michael  imperabat  apud  Con- 
stantinopolim.  Propter  quod  dicunt,  quod  omnes  qui  fuerunt 
Romanorum  Imperatores  post  ipsum,  et  ipsi  advocati  Ecclesiae 
sunt,  et  debent  ab  Ecclesia  advocari.  Ex  quo  etiam  sequeretur 
ilia  dependentia  quam  concludere  volunt."  Scartazzini  observes 
that  according  to  Dante's  idea  the  Roman  Empire  never  ceased 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  199 

And  when  the  Lombard  tooth  attacked  the  Holy 
Church,  under  its  wings  Charlemagne  came  victori- 
ously to  her  aid. 

There  is  here  an  apparent  anachronism.  Justinian 
reigned  long  before  Charlemagne,  but  the  spirit  of 
Justinian  is  represented  in  1300  telling  Dante  in 
Heaven  what  since  his  death  had  occurred  on  Earth. 
Dante  now  returns  to  the  allusion  he  had  made 
in  11.  31-33,  and  severely  denounces  the  Guelph  and 
Ghibelline  factions,  blaming  both  alike  for  the  ills 
they  have  wrought  on  Italy,  each  of  them  making 
use  of  the  sacred  sign  purely  from  motives  of  self- 
interest  ;  the  Guelphs  striving  to  Frenchify  Italy,  the 
Ghibellines  to  Germanize  it. 

Omai  puoi  giudicar  di  quei  cotali 

Ch'  io  accusai  di  sopra,  e  di  lor  falli, 
Che  son  cagion'di  tutti  vostri  mail. 
L'uno*  al  pubblico  segno  i  gigli  gialli  100 

Oppone,  e  1'  altro  appropria  quello  a  parte, 
Si  che  forte  t  a  veder  e  chi  piu  falli. 
Faccian  li  Ghibellin,  faccian  lor  arte 

Sott'  altro  segno ;  J  che  mal  segue  quello 

its  de  jure  existence,  although  de  facto  such  existence  had  tem- 
porarily ceased.  Compare  Psalm  iii,  7  :  "  Thou  hast  broken 
the  teeth  of  the  ungodly."  And  Psalm  cxxiv,  6 :  "  Blessed  be 
the  Lord,  who  hath  not  given  us  as  a  prey  to  their  teeth." 

*  L'  uno  :  Charles  1 1  of  Valois,  King  of  Apulia,  who  was  at 
this  time  the  acknowledged  head  of  the  Guelph  party. 

t  forte  is  here  used  to  express  difficile.  Compare  Purg.  ii,  65  : 

"  Per  altra  via  che  fu  si  aspra  e  forte." 
also  Purg.  xxix,  41,  42  : 

"Ed  Urania  m'aiuti  col  suo  coro, 

Fprti  cose  a  pensar  mettere  in  versi." 
and  Purg.  xxxiii,  49,  50: 

"  Ma  tosto  fien  li  fatti  le  Naiade, 

Che  solveranno  questo  enigma  forte." 

t  sotf  altro  segno :   "  Non  iscusino  e  non  ricuoprano  la  loro 
mala  intenzione  dell'odio  che  hanno  al  vicino  e  al  cittadino  e 


2OO  Readings  on  tJie  Paradise.         Canto  VI. 

Sempre  chi  la  giustizia  e  lui  diparte:  105 

E  non  1'  abbatta  esto  Carlo  novello 

Coi  Guelfi  suoi,  ma  tema  degli  artigli 
Ch'  a  piu  alto  Icon  *  trasser  lo  vello. 

Now  mayest  them  judge  of  such  as  those  whom  I 
accused  above,  and  of  their  misdeeds,  which  are  the 
cause  of  all  your  misfortunes.  The  one  (the  Guelph 
faction)  sets  up  the  golden  lilies  (of  France  in 
opposition  to  the  Eagle),  and  the  other  (the  Ghi- 
belline  faction)  appropriates  it  for  his  own  party, 
so  that  it  is  hard  to  see  which  of  them  is  most  in 
the  wrong.  Let  the  Ghibellines  work,  let  them  work 
their  intrigues  under  some  other  standard  ;  for  ill 
does  that  man  follow  this  one  (the  Eagle)  who  sepa- 
rates justice  and  it.  And  let  not  this  new  Charles 
smite  it  down  with  his  Guelphs,  but  let  him  dread 
those  talons  which  rent  off  the  hide  from  a  mightier 
lion  than  he  (i.e.  let  him  dread  the  power  of  the 
Empire). 

Who  this  mightier  lion  was,  is  not  explained  :  Scar- 
tazzini  quotes  Benvenuto  as  taking  it  simply  to  refer 
to  the  great  deeds  of  the  Eagle  mentioned  above, 
e.g.  Jugurtha  overthrown  by  Marius,  Macedon  con- 
quered by  Paulus  ^Emilius,  etc.  Butler  thinks  Dante 
may  have  meant  to  refer  to  the  defeats  that  Charles 
of  Anjou  suffered  in  his  later  days,  as  for  example 
in  1282.  The  Carlo  novello  (1.  106)  means  Charles  II, 


prossimo  suo,  sotto  questo  scudo  dicendo :  Egli  e  rubella  al 
santo  imperio?  (Buti.)  No  one  can  follow  the  Imperial  Eagle 
properly,  who  does  not  follow  justice  at  the  same  time. 

*  a  piu  alto  lean:  "  Ipsius  aquilae  fortis,  cK a  maggior  lion, 
quam  sit  ipse  Carolus,  qui  suo  tempore  fuit  potens  et  formidatus, 
trasser  lo  vello,  idest,  lanam,  sive  pilum,  quasi  dicat,  denudavit, 
et  privavit  majores  reges,  sicut  Jugurtham  quem  Marius  prae- 
cipitavit  de  arcu  triumphali,  et  sicut  Persem  regem  Macedoniae, 
quem  Paulus  ^milius  duxit  ante  currum  triumphalem,  et  mor- 
tuus  est  in  carcere."  (Benvenuto.) 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  201 

son  of  Charles  of  Anjou,  and  King  of  Apulia,  who 
was  reigning  in  1300. 

On  the  next  three  lines,  Casini  remarks  that  nearly 
all  the  Commentators  understand  them  as  having 
merely  a  general  sense,  but  Buti  finds  in  them  a 
prophesy,  and  observes  that,  though  the  said  Charles 
II  of  Apulia  did  not  himself  incur  retribution,  yet 
did  it  fall  upon  his  son  Philip  of  Taranto,  who  died 
in  1332,  after  having  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  King 
of  Aragon.  Casini  however  does  not  agree  with  Buti, 
but  thinks  the  personage  alluded  to  is  Carlo  Martello, 
eldest  son  of  Charles  II,  and  by  far  the  best  of  his 
children.* 

Molte  fiate  gia  pianser  li  figli 

Per  la  colpa  del  padre,  e  non  si  creda  1 10 

Che  Dio  trasmuti  I'armi  t  per  suoi  gigli. 

Many  a  time  ere  now  have  the  sons  had  to  bewail 
the  transgressions  of  the  fathers,  and  let  not  him 
(Charles  II)  believe  that  God  will  exchange  this 
escutcheon  for  his  lilies. 

God  will  never  suffer  the  French  fleur-de-lys  to  become 


*  This  Carlo  Martello  will  be  described  at  greater  length  in 
Canto  viii,  31,  et  seq. 

t  I'armi:  Tommase'o,  Witte,  and  Scartazzini  read  arme;  but 
all  the  old  Commentators  and  most  of  the  Codices  read  armi. 
The  meaning  is  the  same.  The  singular  arme  has  armi  in 
the  plural ;  the  singular  arma  has  arme  in  the  plural.  Both 
are  found  under  the  same  heading  in  the  Gran  Dizionario.  I 
understand  the  word  in  this  passage  to  mean  "armorial  bear- 
ings." See  Gran  Dizionario,  s.v.  arme  or  anna,  §  157  :  "  Scudo 
o  altro  in  cui  sono  dipinte  le  insegne  d'  una  famiglia,  d'  un  prin- 
cipe,  d'  una  nazione."  "  Questo  novello  Carlo  non  si  creda  che 
Dio  transmuti  I'Arme,  cio£  1'Aquila  per  la  fiordeligi,  arme  di 
esso  Carlo;  cio&  non  si  pensi  che  Iddio  voglia  che  questo  segno 
dell'aquila  si  disperda  e  perda,  e  rimanga  solamente  invece  di 
quello  1'  insegna  di  Francia."  (Danielle.) 


2O2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VL 

the  standard  of  universal  Empire,  in  place  of  His 
chosen  ensign,  the  Eagle. 

Division  III.  Justinian,  after  the  long  digression 
in  which  he  has  related  the  exploits  of  the  Imperial 
Eagle,  now  gives  his  reply  to  Dante's  Second  Question 
as  to  why  he  (Justinian)  is  in  the  Sphere  of  Mercury. 
The  spirits  in  this  Sphere  acted  righteously  in  their 
lives,  but  were  not  uninfluenced  by  the  desire  for 
worldly  fame  ;  and  hence,  as  Jesus  Christ  had  said  : 
"  He  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased,"  they  have 
to  abide  in  a  lower  sphere. 

Questa  picciola  stella*  si  corredat 

Dei  buoni  spirti,  che  son  stati  attivi 
Perche  onore  e  fama  li  succeda ; 
E  quando  li  disiri  poggian  £  quivi  1 1 5, 

*  picciola  stella:  "  II  cielo  di  Mercurio  si  puo  comparare  alia 
Dialettica  .  .  .  che  Mercurio  e  la  piu  piccola  stella  del  cielo ; 
chela quantitk  del  suo  diametro  non  £  piu  che  di  dugento  trenta- 
due miglia,secondoch£ poneAlfragano."  (Convttoll,  14, 11.90-95). 

+  si  correda :  "  Cioe,  si  adorna."     (Buti.) 

%  poggian:  The  primary  meaning  of  poggiare,  as  given  in  the 
Gran  Dizionario,  is  "to  mount  up  on  high,  to  raise  oneself  up." 
See  §  i  :  "  Salire  ad  alto.  Perche  nel  salire  una  parte  del  corpo 
s'appoggia,  s'appunta  per  prendere  il  movimento."  It  is  not 
however  used  in  this  sense  in  ordinary  conversation,  where  it 
has  oftener  the  signification  of  "  to  rest,"  but  in  early  writers  it 
is  constantly  used,  as  here,  in  the  sense  of  ascending.  See 
Sanazzaro,  Arcadia,  Pros,  v  :  "  Comminciammo  pian  piano  a 
poggiare  il  non  aspro  monte."  Compare  also  Petrarch,  part  iv, 
son.  4 : 

"  Onde  al  vero  valor  conven  ch'  uom  poggi." 
and  Ariosto,  Orl.  Fur.  xliii,  st.  2  : 

"  Alcun  la  terra  e  '1  mare  e  '1  ciel  misura  .  .  . 


E  poggiasi,  ch'a  Dio  riguarda  in  seno." 

Casini  observes  that  Dante  has  here  again  followed  the  teaching 
of  St.   Thomas  Aquinas,   who   (Summ.    Theol.    pars   ii,   2dK, 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  203 

SI  disviando,  pur  convien  che  i  raggi 
Del  vero  amore  in  su  poggin  men  vivi. 

This  little  planet  is  made  beautiful  by  the  good 
spirits,  who  have  been  active  in  order  that  honour 
and  fame  may  come  after  them.  And  when  the 
desires  thus  going  astray  (from  the  love  of  God) 
mount  up  thither  (i.e.  aim  at  the  acquisition  of 
honour  and  fame),  it  follows  of  necessity  that  the 
rays  of  the  True  Love  mount  upward  less  vividly  (i.e. 
love  for  higher  and  holier  things  is  less  intense). 

Benvenuto  says  that  Justinian  next  replies  to  a  tacit 
question  that  was  in  Dante's  mind,  namely,  to  ask 
whether  these  spirits  were  not  made  sad,  or  at  all 
events  less  joyful,  by  being  in  a  lower  sphere.  "  By 
no  means,"  says  Justinian.  Like  Piccarda  and  her 
companions,  they  contemplate  with  increased  joy  the 
beauty  of  Divine  Justice  which  so  rightly  apportions 
the  rewards  of  Heaven. 

Ma  nel  commensurar  dei  nostri  gaggi  * 
Col  merto,  e  parte  di  nostra  letizia, 


qu.  cxxxii,  in  several  passages,  art.  1-4)  evidently  shows  that  the 
love  of  human  glory  is  to  be  deemed  a  venial  sin,  provided  that 
it  be  not  in  opposition  to  Charity,  and  be  cultivated  for  the 
benefit  of  our  neighbour. 

*  £aggl '  •'  "  Dal  latino  vas,  dis,  o  dal  gotico  wadi,  voce  anti- 
quata  usata  da  Dante  nel  Par.  vi,  118,  al  plurale,  e  proprio  nel 
senso  del  francese  gages,  ricompensa,  salario."  (Blanc,  Voc. 
Dant.)  In  Donkin's  Etymological  Dictionary  of  the  Romance 
Languages,  London,  1864,  I  find:  "  Gaggio,  It.,  Sp.,  Pg.,  Pr., 
Fr.  gage,  pledge,  wages,  Pr.  gadi,  gazi,  will,  testament ;  vb.  Pr. 
gatjar,  O.  Fr.  gager  to  pledge  ;  Fr.  engager  to  pawn  (Engl.  en- 
gage) ;  Fr.  Degager.  (Low  Latin  has  -vadium  wadium,  bail, 
pledge,  vb.  ivadiare,  invadiare,  disvadiare,  revadiare.  Not  from 
the  Latin,  for  the  v  would  remain  soft,  but  from  the  Gothic  vadi 
(partly  from  vidan  to  bind,  partly  from  vas  vadis),  Old  High 
German  wetti,  Modern  ditto  wette,  Old  Frisian  ved  pledge  ;  vb. 
Goth,  gavadjon  to  promise,  Modern  High  German  ivetten, 
German  wetten  to  bet." 


2O4  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  VI. 

Perch£  non  li  vedem  minor  n&  maggi.*  120 

But  in  the  proportioning  of  our  guerdon  to  our  merit, 
is  a  part  of  our  joy,  because  we  see  them  (to  be) 
neither  less  nor  more  (than  what  is  our  just  due). 

In  the  lines  that  follow  we  may  notice  the  same  ideas 
that  were  expressed  by  Piccarda,  in  Canto  iii,  70-87. 
Quindi  addolcisce  la  viva  giustizia 

In  noi  1'affetto  si,  che  non  si  puote 
Torcer  giammai  ad  alcuna  nequizia. 
Diverse  voci  fan  giu  t  dolci  note  ; 

Cosi  diversi  scanni$  in  nostra  vita,  125 

Rendon  dolce  armonia  tra  queste  rote. 

Hence  the  Living  Justice  (God)  doth  so  sweeten 
our  affection,  that  it  can  never  be  perverted  to  any 
iniquity  (such  as  Envy,  or  Presumption).  Down  (in 
the  world)  diverse  voices  make  sweet  melody ;  so  in 
this  life  of  our's  the  diverse  grades  (of  blessedness) 
render  harmony  among  these  Spheres. 

In  the  episode  that  follows,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  romeo  §  means  "  a  pilgrim  to  Rome,"  and  the 
word  is  used  by  Giov.  Villani  (vi,  90)  in  that  sense  in 

*  maggi  for  maggiori.     Compare  Inf.  vi,  47,  48 : 

"  a  si  fatta  pena 
Che  s'  altra  6  maggio,  nulla  £  si  spiacente." 

t  fan  gift :  Others  read  J "anno. 

J  scanni :  "  Domus  est  una,  quia  unum  et  summum  Bonum, 
id  est  Deus  ipse;  sed  diversitas  mansionum  ibi  erit."  (Peter 
Lombard,  Sent.,  lib.  iv,  dist.  49.)  Compare  St.  John,  xiv,  2  :  "In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions  :  if  it  were  not  so,  I 
would  have  told  you." 

§  In  the  Vita  Nuova,  §  xli,  11.  42-51,  Dante  defines  the  dif- 
ferent species  of  pilgrims  :  "  In  tre  modi  si  chiamano  propria- 
mente  le  genti,  che  vanno  al  servigio  dell'  Altissimo.  Chiamansi 
Palmieri  in  quanto  vanno  oltramare  Ik  onde  molte  volte  recano 
la  palma  ;  chiamansi  Peregrini  in  quanto  vanno  alia  casa  di 
Galizia,  pero  che  la  sepoltura  di  santo  Jacopo  fu  piu  lontana 
dalla  sua  patria,  che  d'alcuno  altro  Apostolo  ;  chiamansi  Romei 
in  quanto  vanno  a  Roma." 


Canto  VI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  205 

relating  this  story,  which  is  involved  in  some  un- 
certainty. Scartazzini  notices  that  the  Commentators 
all  follow  Villani,  and  speak  of  "  un  romeo."  Ben- 
venuto  first  mentions  the  personage  as  quidem  pere- 
grinus,  but  goes  on  to  say  of  him :  "  Et  interrogatus 
saepe  de  nomine  suo  et  sorte,  vocabat  se  Romeum, 
idest  romipetam  et  peregrinum."  Dante  mostly  fol- 
lowed the  legends  in  vogue  in  his  time. 

The  real  history  is  this.  Romieu  de  Villeneuve, 
who  was  born  about  1170,  was  the  Grand  Seneschal, 
Constable,  and  first  minister  of  Raymond  Berenger  IV, 
the  last  of  the  Counts  of  Provence.  After  that 
prince's  death  in  1245,  Romieu  remained  as  the  sole 
administrator  of  the  County,  as  well  as  the  guardian 
of  Raymond's  fourth  and  youngest  daughter  Beatrice, 
whom  Romeo  gave  in  marriage  to  Charles  of  Anjou. 
She  is  mentioned  in  Purg.  vii,  127,  et  seq.  Romieu 
died  in  1250.  The  legend  as  given  by  Villani,  and 
further  amplified  by  Buti  and  the  early  Commenta- 
tors, relates  that  a  certain  pilgrim  from  the  shrine  of 
St.  James  of  Compostella,  visited  the  Court  of  Count 
Raymond,  and  found  such  favour  with  him,  that  he 
made  him  lord  of  all  his  substance.  He  is  said  to 
have  brought  about  the  marriage  to  King  Louis 
(Saint  Louis}  of  France  of  the  Count's  eldest  daughter, 
and  afterwards  fulfilled  his  promise  of  procuring  royal 
husbands  for  the  other  three  daughters.  Having 
afterwards  incurred  the  envy  of  the  barons  of  Pro- 
vence, and  being  accused  of  defalcations  and  mis- 
management of  the  affairs  of  State,  the  Count  called 
on  him  for  a  reckoning.  This  he  immediately  gave, 
but  then,  notwithstanding  the  Count's  penitence,  and 


206  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

entreaties  that  he  would  remain,  he  insisted  on  de- 
parting, poor  as  he  came,  with  only  his  scrip,  his 
staff,  and  his  mule,  nor  was  he  ever  heard  of  again. 
(See  Raynouard,  Journal  des  Savants,  1825,  p.  294, 
et  seq.  on  the  episode  of  Romee).  Hence  we  gather 
that  the  Romeo  of  history,  in  contrast  to  the  one  of 
the  legends,  was  neither  poor  nor  a  pilgrim,  nor  did 
he  abandon  the  court  to  become  a  pilgrim. 

E  dentro  alia  presente  margarita* 
Luce  la  luce  di  Romeo,  di  cui 
Fu  1'  opra  bella  e  grande  mal  gradita. 

Ma  i  Provenzali  che  fer  contra  lui  130 

Non  hanno  riso,  e  pero  mal  cammina 
Qual  si  fa  danno  del  ben  fare  altrui. 

Quattro  figlie  t  ebbe,  e  ciascuna  regina, 
Ramondo  Beringhieri,  e  cio  gli  fece 
Romeo  persona  umfle  e  peregrina;  135 

E  poi  il  mosser  le  parole  biece  £ 


*  margarita  :  Compare  Par.  ii,  34,  35 : 
"  Per  entro  se  1'  eterna  margarita 

Ne  ricevette." 
\&  presente  margarita  here  means  the  Sphere  of  Mercury. 

t  Quattro  figlie :  The  four  daughters  of  Raymond  Berenger 
were : 

(1)  Margaret  (born  1221,  died  1295),  married  in  1234  to 

Louis  IX  of  France  (St.  Louis}. 

(2)  Eleanor  (died  1291),  married  in  1236  to  Henry  III  of 

England. 

(3)  Sancha  (died  1261),  married  Richard,  Duke  of  Corn- 

wall, brother  to   Henry    III,   elected    King  of  the 
Romans  in  1257. 

(4)  Beatrice  who  inherited   her  father's   sovereignty,  and 

married  Charles  I  of  Anjou,  brother  of  Louis  IX,  and 
King  of  Naples  and  Sicily. 

t  biece  :  Casini  remarks  that  biece,  a  form  found  also  in  Inf.  xxv, 
31,  opere  biece,  and  bieci  in  Par.  v,  65,  are  all  common  expres- 
sions in  early  Italian.  See  Nannucci,  Analisi  Critica  dei  Verbi 
Italiani,  p.  289,  note  (l). 


Canto  VI.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  207 

A  domandar  ragione  a  questo  giusto, 
Che  gli  assegno  sette  e  cinque  per  diece.* 

And  within  this  present  pearl  (the  planet  Mercury) 
shines  the  sheen  of  Romeo,  whose  good  and  great 
work  was  ill-requited.  But  the  people  of  Provence 
who  wrought  against  him  have  not  had  the  laugh,  and 
therefore  that  man  treads  an  evil  path  who  turns  to 
his  own  injury  the  good  deeds  of  another  (i.e.  by 
making  himself  guilty  of  Envy  and  Calumny).  Four 
daughters  had  Raymond  Berenger,  and  every  one  of 
them  a  queen,  and  this  (/.  e.  the  wedding  of  them  to 
four  kings)  for  him  did  Romeo,  a  man  of  low  estate 
and  a  foreigner  ;  and  yet  afterwards  malignant  words 
incited  him  (Count  Raymond)  to  demand  a  reckoning 
(of  his  administration)  from  this  upright  man,  who 
had  rendered  to  him  seven  and. five  for  ten. 

This  means  that  Count  Raymond  received  his  own 
with  usury.  Where  he  had  given  10,  Romeo  repaid 
him  with  7  +  5  =  12.  When  Romeo  rendered  up  his 
account,  he  showed  the  finances  of  the  State  to  have 
enormously  increased  in  prosperity. 
Indi  partissi  povero  e  vetusto  ; 

E  se  il  mondo  sapesse  il  cor  ch'egli  ebbe  140 

Mendicando  sua  vita  a  frusto  a  frusto,  t 

*  sette  e  cinque  per  diece :  "  Ma  costui  gli  assegn6  sette  e 
cinque,  cio&  dodici,  per  dieci ;  in  sentenza :  gli  assegno  gran 
guadagno."  (Landino.) 

t  mendicando  .  .  .  a  frusto  a  frusto :  While  thus  describing 
the  imaginary  poverty  of  Romieu,  Dante  was  probably  speaking 
of  his  own  privations  and  sufferings  during  the  long  years  of 
his  exile.  In  Convito  1,3,  11.  15-33,  he  says  of  himself:  "  Ahi  ! 
piaciuto  fosse  al  Dispensatore  dell'  Universo,  che  cagione  della 
mia  scusa  mai  non  fosse  stata  ;  che  n&  altri  contro  a  me  avria 
fallato,  n&  io  sofferto  avrei  pena  ingiustamente  ;  pena,  dico, 

d'  esilio  e  di  povertk Per  le  parti  quasi  tutte,  alle  quali 

questa  lingua  si  stende,  peregrine,  quasi  mendicando,  sono 
andato,  mostrando  contro  a  mia  voglia  la  piaga  della  fortuna, 
che  suole  ingiustamente  al  piagato  molte  volte  volte  essere  im- 
putata." 


208  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  VI. 

Assai  lo  loda,*  e  piu  lo  loderebbe." — 

Thereupon  he  departed  poor  and  stricken  in  years ; 
and  if  the  world  could  know  the  heart  which  he  had 
as  he  begged  his  livelihood  morsel  by  morsel,  (though) 
much  it  does  praise  him,  (yet  then)  would  it  praise 
him  still  more." 

Justinian  brings  his  long  speech  to  an  end,  and  this 
closes  the  Canto. 

*  Assai  lo  loda  :  Scartazzini  remarks  that  the  whole  account 
of  this  Romeo,  whether  taken  from  the  legends,  or  from  history, 
seems  to  show  him  as  anything  but  an  ambitious  or  self-glorify- 
ing man.  Why  then  is  he  placed  in  the  Sphere  of  Mercury 
among  those  who  wrought  great  deeds,  but  at  the  same  time 
sought  for  honour  and  self-renown  ?  Scartazzini  thinks  the 
answer  is  to  be  found  in  the  words  assai  lo  loda.  While  Jus- 
tinian is  the  type  of  those  who  seek  for  honour  and  fame  in 
great  deeds,  Romeo  is  instead  the  type  of  those  who,  in  the 
exercise  of  humility,  seek  their  own  glory  rather  than  that  of 
God — in  fact,  men  ambitious  in  their  humility.  Dante  does  not 
indeed  say  as  much,  but  implies  it  by  placing  among  the  am- 
bitious, this  man  who  is  seemingly  so  humble,  and  so  far  from 
the  love  of  praise  and  worldly  fame. 


END  OF  CANTO  VI. 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradise.  209 


CANTO    VII. 


THE  SECOND  SPHERE. — THE  HEAVEN  OF  MERCURY 
(continued). — EXPLANATION  OF  BEATRICE  RES- 
PECTING THE  JUSTICE  OF  GOD  ;  THE  REDEMP- 
TION OF  MANKIND  ;  THE  DISSOLUTION  OF  THE 
ELEMENTS. 

IN  the  last  Canto  the  spirit  of  Justinian  had  said  that, 
by  the  Crucifixion  of  Jesus  Christ,  God  had  wrought 
vengeance  for  the  original  sin  of  Adam.  These  words 
leave  Dante's  mind  in  a  state  of  great  perplexity,  and 
in  the  present  Canto  we  read  how  Beatrice,  having  by 
her  intuitive  knowledge  divined  his  doubts,  proceeds 
to  dispel  them. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  51,  the  spirit 
of  Justinian  vanishes  into  a  cloud  of  glory,  and  Bea- 
trice touches  on  the  first  of  Dante's  doubts. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  52  to  v.  120,  a 
second  doubt  arising  out  of  the  first  is  discussed. 

/;/  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  121  to  v.  148,  a 
third  doubt  arising  out  of  the  second  is  similarly 
treated. 

Division  I.  Justinian,  in  the  very  act  of  departing 
from  Dante,  breaks  forth  into  a  song  of  praise  to  the 
Lord  of  Hosts,  and  the  Saints  around  him  vanish  as 
they  join  in  the  sacred  Chorus.  The  hymn  is  in  Latin. 

I.  P 


2IO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

the  official  tongue  of  the  Christian  Church,  which 
tongue  is  specially  used  by  the  Blessed.  Some 
Hebrew  words  are  mixed  with  the  Latin,  perhaps 
because  Hebrew  was  the  language  of  the  ancient 
Church,  so  that  the  hymn  represents  the  Church, 
both  before,  and  after  Christ. 

— "  Osanna  *  sanctus  Deus  Sabaoth, 
Superillustrans  claritate  tua 
Felices  ignes  horum  malachoth  !\  "  — 
Cosi,  volgendosi  alia  nota  sua, 

Fu  viso  a  me  cantare  essa  sustanza,  5 

Sopra  la  qual  doppio  lume  +  s'  addua  : 
Ed  essa  e  1'  altre  mossero  §  a  sua  danza, 
E  quasi  velocissime  faville,|| 
Mi  si  velar  di  subita  distanza. 

"  Hosannah  sanctus  Deus  Sabaoth,  superillustrans 
claritate  tua  felices  ignes  horum  malachoth  ! "  In 
such  wise,  turning  round  and  round  in  time  to  his 
song,  that  substance  (Justinian),  upon  whom  a  two- 
fold light  is  doubled,  was  seen  by  me  to  chant :  and 
it  and  the  others  moved  to  their  dance,  and,  like 
sparks  exceeding  swift,  veiled  themselves  from  me  in 
sudden  distance. 

*  "  Hosannah  holy  God  of  Sabaoth,  abundantly  illuming  with 
thy  brightness  the  blessed  fires  of  these  realms  ! " 

t  malachoth :  The  right  Hebrew  word  is  mamlachoth,  but 
Dante,  who  was  ignorant  of  Hebrew,  is  said  to  have  copied  the 
word  from  the  Prologus  Galeatus  of  St.  Jerome,  where  he  read 
"  malachoth,  idest  regnorum." 

%  doppio  lume  :  The  expression  "  a  twofold  light  is  doubled," 
refers  to  Justinian  as  Emperor  and  as  Legislator.  In  the  Pro- 
aanium  to  his  Institutions  he  says  :  "  Imperatoriam  majestatem 
non  solum  armis  decoratam,  sed  etiam  legibus  oportet  esse 
armatam." 

§  mossero :  "  Dimostra  che  le  anime  di  quelle  spere  si  voltano 
come  il  cielo  con  moto  circolare,  e  che  per  tale  moto  si  allonta- 
nano  da  Dante."  (Landino.) 

\\faville:  Compare  Wisd.  iii,  7  (Vulgate):  " Fulgebunt  justi, 
et  tanquam  scintillae  in  arundineto  discurrent." 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  211 

The  spirits  in  Paradise  were  usually  gyrating  in  the 
same  course  as  the  sphere  they  were  in  ;  and,  having 
for  a  time  interrupted  their  swift  movement  out  of 
love  for  Dante,  they  have  now  resumed  it,  and  like 
meteors,  are  at  once  borne  away  from  Dante's  sight. 
Dante's  mind  is  harassed  by  the  following  doubt. 
How  could  the  vengeance  executed  by  means  of 
Titus  for  the  death  of  Christ  be  a  just  vengeance,  if 
the  death  of  Christ,  under  Tiberius,  was  a  just  death, 
such  as  is  implied  in  Canto  vi,  93,  as  being  the  penalty 
due  to  the  sins  of  the  race  which  He  assumed,  being 
"  made  sin  for  us  "?  If  the  judge  is  just  in  condemning 
the  guilty  one,  how  can  the  vengeance  for  the  death 
of  the  guilty  one  be  just  ?  Reverence  for  Beatrice  pre- 
vents Dante  from  putting  to  her  this  question  in  words, 
lo  dubitava,  e  dicea  : — "  Dille,*  dille,"—  10 

Fra  me, — "dille," — diceva, — "alia  mia  donna 
Che  mi  disseta  con  le  dolci  stille  ;"f — 
Ma  quella  riverenza  che  s' indonna  £ 
Di  tutto  me,  pur  per  BE  e  per  ICE, 
Mi  richinava  come  1'  uom'ch'  assonna.§  15 

*  Dille,  et  seq.  :  The  repetition  of  this  word  three  times  ex- 
presses the  intensity  of  Dante's  wish  to  confide  in  his  Lady, 
mixed,  however,  with  timidity  and  hesitation. 

t  le  dolci  stille :  "  cio£  colle  dolci  gocciole  che  significano  la 
veritk,  la  quale  £  dolce  a  gustare  a  chi  la  desidera."  (Buti.) 

t  s'  indonna :  The  Gran  Dizionario  on  this  :  "  Farsi  donna 
nel  sensi  di  Signora,  lat.  Domina ;  insignorirsi"  Compare 
Petrarch,  part  1,  canz.  xii,  st.  2: 

"  Poi  che  sormonta  riscaldando  il  sole, 
Parmi  qual  esser  s61e 

Fiamma  d'  amor  che  n  cor  alto  s'  indonna." 
and  Tasso,  Ger.  Lib.  canto  v,  st.  15  : 

"  Men  puo  nel  cor  superbo  amor  di  donna, 

Ch'avidita  d'onor  che  se  n'  indonna." 

§  Mi  richinava  come  f  uom  cJf  assonna:  Venturi  (Similifuttiiii 
Dantesche,  p.  134,  sim.  225)  says  :  "La  similitudine  nota  1'atto 

P  2 


212  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

I  was  in  doubt,  and  began  to  say :  "  Tell  her,  tell 
her,"  within  myself :  "  Tell  it  to  her,"  I  added,  "  to 
my  Lady,  she  who  quenches  my  thirst  with  the  sweet 
drops  (of  truth)."  But  that  reverence  which  has  be- 
come mistress  of  my  whole  being,  even  for  BE  and 
for  ICE,  bowed  me  down  again  as  a  man  who  is  fall- 
ing asleep. 

Tommase'o  says  of  BE  and  ICE  that  it  is  the  outside 
of  the  name  (scorcio  del  nome)  of  Beatrice,  the  mere 
elementary  sound  of  the  word,  even  as  a  few  chords 
just  struck  upon  a  lute  recall  the  music  ;  in  the  same 
way  does  the  outside  skeleton  of  her  name  recall  her 
presence  to  Dante.  The  sense  of  the  words  is  :  "  That 
reverence  which  takes  possession  of  my  whole  being 
merely  to  hear  the  beginning  or  the  end  of  my  Lady's 
name."  Some  have  tried  to  make  out  that  Dante 
was  making  a  play  upon  the  popular  shortening  of 
Beatrice's  name  into  " Bice"  but,  as  Andreoli  points 
out,  Dante  is  speaking  of  some  sound,  much  shorter 
than  his  Lady's  whole  name,  which  would  instantly 
arrest  his  attention  ;  and  the  shortened  and  endearing 
form  "  Bice "  was  in  such  general  use,  that  to  hear 
it  would  be  equivalent  to  hearing  the  whole  name. 
All  Dante's  thoughts  have  been  read  by  Beatrice,  who 
at  once  proceeds  to  dispel  his  doubts. 
Poco  sofferse  me*  cotalt  Beatrice, 

E  cominci6,  raggiandomi  d'  un  riso 

puramente  esterno  degli  effetti  del  sonno  ;  ma  tuttavia  non  pare 
molto  conveniente  il  paragone  dell'  abbassamento  del  capo  per 
timor  rispettoso,  con  quello  che  viene  dal  bisogno  di  dormire." 

*  Poco  sofferse  me :  Compare  Purg.  xxxi,  10  :  "  Poco  sofferse, 
poi  disse  :  '  Che  pense?'" 

\  cotal :  "  Beatrice  per  poco  tempo  mi  lascio  cotale,  cosl 
incerto  tra  il  chiedere  o  no  la  spiegazione  del  mio  dubbio." 
(Casini). 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  213 

Tal,  che  nel  foco*  faria  1'  uom  felice  : 
—  "  Secondo  mio  infallibilet  avviso, 

Come  giusta  vendetta  giustamente  20 

VengiataJ  fosse,  t'  ha  in  pensier  miso  ; 
Ma  io  ti  solvero§  tosto  la  mente  : 

*  nel  foco,  et  seq.  :  Compare  Purg.xxvu,  52-57,  where  Dante's 
painful  transit  through  the  flames  is  alleviated  by  allusions  on 
the  part  of  Virgil  to  the  eyes  of  Beatrice. 

t  infallibile:  Beatrice  is  the  symbol  of  Ecclesiastical  Authority, 
which  cannot  err.  Compare  Convito  ii,  4,  11.  31,  32:  "Secondo 
che  la  santa  Chiesa  vuole,  che  non  puo  dire  menzogna." 

%   Vengiata :  On  the  alternative  readings  vengiata  andfomtia, 
Dr.  Moore  (J^exlual  Criticism,  pp.  449,  450)  observes:  "The 
very  large  majority  of  MSS.,  Commentators,  and  Editors  read 
Punita  here  ;  yet  1  cannot  but  suspect  that  Vengiata  is  the  true 
reading  ...  In  favour  of  Vengiata  should  be  noted  the  obvious 
and  distinct  reference,  almost  amounting  to  a  quotation,  of  the 
language  of  Justinian  in  the  previous  Canto,  1.  92  : 
"  Poscia  con  Tito  a  far  vendetta  corse 
Delia  vendetta  del  peccato  antico." 

and  further  that,  when  this  passage  is  again  referred  to  in  1.  51, 
we  find  the  words  : 

"  che  giusta  vendetta 
Poscia  vengiata  fu  da  giusta  corte." 
This,  I  am  quite  aware  (adds  Dr.  Moore)  would  be  a  most 

dangerous  and  two-edged  argument  if  unsupported But 

here  there  seem  to  be  two  other  considerations  to  be  taken  into 
account :  (i)  there  is  independent  evidence  of  a  systematic 
tendency  to  modify  and  soften  down  strong  expressions  of  this 
kind  in  other  passages.  This  has  been  noticed  and  illustrated 
by  examples  under  Inf.  xi,  90.  (2)  Another  possible  motive  for 
the  substitution  of  Punita  here  might  have  been  the  notion  of 
some  pedantic  or  purist  transcriber  that  the  repetition  vendetta 
.  .  .  vengiata  was  inelegant."  Witte,  Scartazzini,  and  Casini  all 
read  vengiata. 

§  Ma  io  ti  solverb,  et  seq. :  On  this  see  Scartazzini's  note, 
quoted  also  by  Casini  :  "  Dimostra  Beatrice  che  fu  giusta  la 
morte  di  Cristo,  e  che  giustamente  furono  puniti  gli  autori  di 
essa.  Giusta  la  morte,  perche  avendo  Cristo  assunta  1'  umana 
natura  dannata  nel  padre  comune,  essa  natura  fu  giustamente 
punita  sulla  croce.  Ma  avendo  Cristo  conservata  la  sua  natura 
divina  accanto  alia  umana,  essa  natura  divina  fu  sacrilegamente 
perseguitata  ed  offesa.  Con  altre  parole  :  La  morte  di  Cristo 
era  giusta  inquanto  egli  era  uomo,  sacrilega  inquanto  Dio. 


214  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VI  I. 

E  tu  ascolta,  che  le  mie  parole 
Di  gran  sentenza  ti  faran  presente. 
Not  long  did  Beatrice  suffer  me  (to  remain)  thus, 
and  began,  beaming  upon  me  with  such  a  smile  that 
it  would  render  a  man  happy  in  the  (very)  flames  : 
"  According  to  my  infallible  judgment,  (the  question 
as  to)  how  a  vengeance  that  was  just  could  be  with 
justice  avenged,  has  set  thee  thinking  ;  but  I  will 
speedily  set  thy  mind  free ;  and  do  thou  hearken, 
because  my  words  will  bestow  on  thee  the  gift  of  a 
great  doctrine. 

The  substance  of  the  explanation  given  by  Beatrice 
is  based  upon  one  of  the  refinements  of  the  School- 
men, who  erroneously  contended,  that  although  it  was 
just  that  Christ,  having  assumed  Man's  nature,  which 
had  been  doomed  by  the  Father  of  All,  should  be 
punished  as  Man  upon  the  Cross,  yet,  as  He  had 
still  retained  His  Divine  nature,  it  was  sacrilege  to 
offer  violence  to  the  Son  of  God.  But  this  is  a  scho- 
lastic over-refinement,  in  which  the  Unity  of  the 
two  Persons  God  and  Man  in  Christ  is  forgotten. 
Beatrice  touches  briefly  on  the  original  sin  of 

Adam. 

Per  non  soffrire  alia  virtu  che  vuole  25 

Freno*  a  suo  prode,  quell'  uom  che  non  nacque,t 

E  un'  arguzia  scolastica,  che  dimentica  1'  unita  della  persona. 
Non  furono  due,  un  uomo  ed  un  Dio,  che  morirono  sulla  croce, 
ma  una  sola  persona,  cioe  1'  Uomo-Dto."  "  Poena  crucis, 
considerata  deitate,  fuit  ineffabiliter  iniquissima  et  injusta,  sed 
considerata  humanitate  ejus  et  carne  propter  ejus  antiquum 
excessum,  respectu  habito  ad  ejus  totalitatem,  justa  fuit  et 
salutifera."  (Pietro  di  Dante). 

*  Freno:  Fraenum  concupiscentiae  was  the  scholastic  term 
to  denote  the  original  justice  which  kept  Sensuality  in  sub- 
servience to  Reason. 

t  queW  uom  che  non  nacque:  This  means  Adam,  whom  Dante 
(De  Vulg.  Eloq.  i,  6,  11.  5-7)  calls:  "Vir  sine  matre,  vir  sine 
lacte,  qui  neque  pupillarem  aetatem  nee  vidit  adultam."  Cor- 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  215 

Dannando  se,  danno  tutta  sua  prole  ; 

Onde  1'  umana  specie  inferma  giacque 

Giu  per  secoli  molti*  in  grande  errore, 

Fin  ch'  al  Verbo  di  Diot  di  scender  piacque,     30 

U'  la  natura,+  che  dal  suo  fattore 

S'  era  allungata,  unio  a  se  in  persona 
Con  1'  atto§  sol  del  suo  eterno  amore. 

noldi  says  :  "  L'  uomo  che  non  nacque  fu  Adamo  il  quale  colla 
sua  disubbidienza  nocque  a  se  e  alia  posterita  :  perche  da  lui 
in  tutti  derivo  il  peccato  originate,  e  die  occasione  a  tutte  le 
altre  rolpe." 

*  secoli  molte :  Compare  Par.  xxvi,  118-120  : 
"  Quindi  onde  mosse  tua  Donna  Virgilio, 
Quattromila  trecento  e  due  volumi 
Di  sol  desiderai  questo  concilio." 

t  Verbo  di  Dio  :  "  II  Verbo  di  Dio  ch'&  la  seconda  persona 
clella  SS.  Trinita,  discese  in  terre,  cio&  per  opera  dello  Spirito 
Santo  ch'  £  eterno  amore,  si  uni  alia  natura  umana  in  Cristo. 
In  Cristo  c'  era  la  vera  natura  umana  che  si  era  da  Dio  peccando 
dilungata,  ma  non  individualmente  peccatrice  ;  perch£  ne  ci  era 
ne  ci  poteva  essere  in  essa  il  peccato  originale ;  ma  e  per  1'  unione 
sua  col  Verbo  e  per  la  grazia  ricevuta,  era  tutta  pura  e  santis- 
sima."  (Cornoldi).  Compare  the  opening  words  of  the  Gospel 
of  St.  John  in  the  Vulgate:  "In  principio  erat  Verbum,  et 
Verbum  erat  apud  Deum,  et  Deus  erat  Verbum."  Compare  also 
St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Sumin.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xxxiv,  art.  2  :) 
"  Verbum  proprie  dictum  in  divinis  personaliter  accipitur,  et 
est  proprium  nomen  personae  Filii  ;  significat  enim  quamdam 
emanationem  intellectus.  Persona  autem  quae  procedit  in 
divinis  secundum  emanationem  intellectfis,  dicitur  Filius;  et 
hujustnodi  processio  dicitur  generatio  .  .  .  Unde  relinquitur  quod 
solus  Filius  proprie  dicatur  Verbum  in  divinis." 

I  U1  la  natura,  etc.  :  "In  terra,  dove  per  virtu  dello  Spirito 
Santo  congiunse  alia  propria  natura  divina  in  unita  di  persona 
la  natura  umana,  che  si  era  allontanata  da  Dio  per  il  peccato 
originale."  (Casini).  Compare  also  Convito  iv,  5,  11.  16-23  : 
"Volendo  la  smisurabile  Bonta  divina  1' umana  creature  a  se 
riconformare,  che  per  lo  peccato  della  prevaricazione  del  primo 
uomo  da  Dio  era  partita  e  disformata,  eletto  fu  in  quell'  altissimo 
e  congiuntissimo  Concistoro  divino  della  Trinita,  che'l  Figliuolo 
di  Dio  in  terra  discendesse  a  fare  questa  concordia."  £/'  stands 
for  ovc  (Latin  ubt). 

§  Con  f  atto,  et  seq. :  "  Per  solo  atto  d'  amore,  per  opera  dello 


216  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

By  not  enduring  a  curb  to  his  Free-Will  for  his  own 
advantage,  that  man  (Adam)  who  was  never  born, 
by  damning  himself,  damned  all  his  posterity.  Where- 
by the  human  race  down  in  the  world  lay  sick  for 
many  centuries  in  great  error,  until  it  pleased  the 
Word  of  God  to  come  down  to  where  He  united  to 
Himself  in  (His  own)  person,  by  the  sole  act  of  His 
Eternal  'Love,  that  Nature  which  had  been  far 
estranged  from  its  Maker. 

Beatrice  goes  on  to  show  that  this  human  nature, 
when  God  created  it  in  Adam,  was  pure  and  good  ; 
but  it  then  got  vitiated  by  sin,  and  forsook  the  way 
of  the  Lord  God  in  which  alone  can  there  be  eternal 

life. 

Or*  drizza  il  viso  a  quel  ch'  or  si  ragiona  : 

Questa  naturaf  al  suo  Fattore  unita,  35 

Qual  fu  creata,  fu  sincera  £  e  buona  ; 
Ma  per  s&  stessa§   pur  fu  ella  sbandita 

Spirito  Santo."  (Poletto).  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Snuun. 
Theol.  pars  iii,  qu.  xxxii,  art.  I :)  "  Conceptionem  corporis  Christi 
totaTrinitas  est  operata.  Attribuitur  tamenhoc  Spirituosancto." 
St.  Thomas  gives  three  reasons  (triplici  ratione)  for  this. 

*  Or  .  .  .  or :  Scartazzini  feels  certain  that  the  alternative 
reading  a  quel  che  si  ragiona  must  be  rejected,  and  that  which 
I  have  adopted,  a  quel  cff  or  si  ragiona,  preferred.  The  second 
"or"  is  a  complement  affirmative  of  the  time. 

t  natura  :  Lana  says  that  the  human  nature  that  was  assumed 
by  the  Word  of  God  was  pure  and  undefiled  by  the  sin  of  Adam. 
Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  qu.  xv,  art.i :) 
"Non  eodem  omni  modo  Christus  fuit  in  Adam,  et  in  aliis  pat- 
ribus,  quo  nos  ibi  fuimus.  Nos  enim  fuimus  in  Adam  secundum 
seminalem  rationem,  et  secundum  corpulentam  substantiam  .  .  . 
Christus  non  accepit  activ£  ab  Adam  humanam  naturam,  sed 
solum  materialiter,  activ£  vero  a  Spiritu  sancto  ;  sicut  et  ipse 
Adam  materialiter  sumpsit  corpus  ex  limo  terrae,  activ&  autem 
a  Deo.  Et  propter  hoc  Christus  non  peccavit  in  Adam,  in  quo 
fuit  solum  secundum  materiam." 

T  sincera  :  On  sincero  as  meaning  "  pure,  unadulterated,"  see 
Par.  vi,  17  (footnote),  and  again  1.  130,  of  the  present  Canto. 

§  per  se  stessa,  i.e.  per  sua  colpa.      Compare   Purg.  xxviii, 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  217 

Di  Paradiso,*  perocchfe  si  torse 
Da  via  di  verita  e  da  sua  vita.t 

But  now  direct  thy  gaze  to  what  I  shall  now  reason 
out :  This  nature  joined  to  its  Maker  was  pure  and 
good  ;  as  it  was  created  (in  Adam) ;  but  through  its 
own  fault  alone  was  it  banned  out  of  Paradise,  be- 
cause it  turned  itself  out  of  the  path  of  truth,  and 
from  its  own  life. 

Beatrice  continues  her  argument. 

La  pena  dunque  che  la  croce  porse,  40 

S'  alia  natura  assunta  si  misura, 
Nulla  giammai  si  giustamente  morse  ; 
E  cosi  nulla  fu  di  tanta  ingiura,J 

Guardando  alia  persona  che  sofferse, 

In  che  era  contratta  §  tal  natura.  45 

Therefore  the  penalty  which  the  cross  inflicted,  if  it 
be  measured  by  the  nature  thus  assumed,  never  did 
any  ever  strike  (lit.  bite)  so  justly  (i.e.  upon  Jesus 
Christ  made  man)  ;  and  similarly  never  was  there 
any  (penalty)  of  such  iniquity,  when  one  considers 
who  the  Person  was  that  suffered,  to  Whom  such  a 

where  speaking  of  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  Matelda  tells  Dante 
(92-94)  that  the  Supreme  Good  created  Man  good. 

"  e  questo  loco 

Diede  per  arra  a  lui  d'  eterna  pace 
Per  sua  diffalta  qui  dimoro  poco." 

*  Paradiso :  Understand  Terrestre,  i.e.  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

t  vita  :  Compare  Deut.  xxxii,  47:  "  It  is  not  a  vain  thing  for 
you  ;  because  it  is  your  life  ;  and  through  this  thing  ye  shall 
prolong  your  days  in  the  land." 

£  ingiura  is  another  form  for  ingiuria,  which  word  has  also 
the  other  forms  znjuria,  ingiulia,  and  ingiurio.  See  Gran 
Dizionario.  Scartazzini  notices  that  Dante  in  several  passages 
suppresses  the  "*',"  using  sorco  for  sorcio  {Inf.  xxii,  58);  pane 
(plural)  for  panie  i.  e.  floods  of  pitch.  {Inf.  xxi,  124)  ;  varo  for 
vario  {Inf.  ix,  115);  matera  for  matcria  (Purg.  xviii,  37;  and 
Purg.  xxii,  29). 

§  contratta :  I  follow  Buti,  who  interprets  contratta  as  "  con- 
joined ;"  and  the  Gran  Dizionario,  quoting  this  passage,  con- 
firms that  interpretation. 


218  Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

nature  was  conjoined  (i.e.  there  could  be  no  greater 
crime  than  the  crucifixion  of  the  God-Man). 

Beatrice  now  explains  to  Dante  that  one  and  the 
same  act  can  be,  from  different  points  of  view,  both 
good  and  bad.  The  Passion  of  Jesus  Christ,  although 
of  itself  a  good  and  holy  thing,  and  of  vital  advantage 
to  Man,  was  not  wrought  by  the  Jews  for  that  good 
end,  but  that  they  might  inflict  injury  on  Christ ; 
and  therefore  the  said  Passion,  although  it  fulfilled 
the  words  of  the  Prophets,  who  for  a  good  object 
wished  it  to  happen,  was  by  the  Jews  brought  about 
for  a  bad  end,  because  they  only  desired  evil  to 
Christ.  So,  if  anyone  steals  to  help  his  mother,  the 
end  is  bad,  for  although  it  is  right  to  assist  one's 
mother,  yet  it  is  bad  to  assist  her  in  a  sinful  way.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  any  one  aims  an  arrow  at  a  wild 
beast,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  food  to  a  sick  and 
poor  man,  and  the  arrow  kills  a  man  who  is  unseen 
in  the  wood,  the  action  was  either  a  meritorious  one, 
or  at  all  events  without  importance. 
Pero  d'  un  atto  uscir*  cose  diverse  ; 

Ch'  a  Dio  ed  ai  Giudei  piacque  una  morte  : 
Per  lei  tremo  la  terrat  e  il  ciel  s'  aperse. 


*  uscir :  "  Delia  morte  di  Cristo  nasce  due  considerazioni, 
1'una  lo  piacere  di  Dio  a  redimere  1'umana  generazione  per  tal 
modo,  1'altra  la  iniquitade  delli  Giudei  a  fare  patire  pena  a  per- 
sona innocente,  per  invidia."  (Lana). 

t  tremb  la  terra :   See  Cornoldi  on  this  :    "  Tremo  la  terra 
quasi  detestando  il  deicidio,  si  aperse  il  cielo  per  accogliere  la 
umanitk  redenta  con  la  stessa  morte."     Compare  Purg.  x,  34-36: 
"  L'  angel  che  venne  in  terra  col  decreto 
Delia  molt'  anni  lagrimata  pace, 
Che  aperse  il  ciel  dal  suo  lungo  divieto." 

and  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars,  iii,  qu.  xlix,  art.  5)  : 
"  Per  passionem  Christi  liberati  sumus  .  .  .  et  aperta  est  nobis 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  219 

Non  ti  dee  oramai  parer  piu  forte, 

Quando  si  dice  che  giusta  vendetta  5° 

Poscia  vengiata  fu  da  giusta  corte.* 
Therefore  from  one  action  issued  things  diverse ;  for 
the  one  same  death  was  pleasing  both  to  God  and  to 
the  Jews  :  at  it  the  earth  quaked,  and  the  heaven  was 
opened.  Henceforth  it  should  no  longer  seem  to 
thee  difficult,  when  it  is  said  that  a  just  vengeance 
was  afterwards  avenged  by  a  just  Tribunal  (namely 
by  Titus  the  executor  of  Divine  Justice). 

The  Earth  quaked  in  horror  at  the  Jews'  crime,  and 
the  Gate  of  Heaven  was  opened  to  admit  the  Elect. 
The  death  of  Christ  was  pleasing  to  God  (says  Cary), 
inasmuch  as  it  satisfied  the  divine  justice ;  and  to  the 
Jews,  because  it  gratified  their  malignity. 

Division  II.  Beatrice  now  tells  Dante  that  she 
sees  that  he  is  troubled  with  the  following  doubt : 
Why  was  Man's  redemption  to  be  worked  out  in  that 
especial  way  ?  Could  not  God  have  redeemed  the 
human  race  in  some  other  way  than  by  the  death  of 
His  Son  ? 

Dante,  who  took  his  theological  ideas  principally 
from  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  puts  the  following  doctrine 
into  Beatrice's  mouth  : 

janua  coelestis  .  .  .  ante  passionem  Christi  nullus  intrare  poterat 
regnum  coeleste." 

*  giusta  corte :  In  Par.  vi,  92,  we  read  that  the  Eagle  "poscia 
con  Tito  a  far  vendetta  corse,"  for  the  death  of  Christ.  All  the 
old  Commentators  understand  giusta  corte  in  the  present  pas- 
sage to  refer  to  Titus,  as  the  executor  of  the  Justice  of  God,  and 
I  follow  that  mode  of  interpretation.  The  more  modern  Com- 
mentators think  the  words  refer  to  the  Tribunal  of  God  itself. 
Compare  also  Purg.  xxi,  82-84 : 

"  Nel  tempo  che  il  buon  Tito  con  1'  aiuto 
Del  sommo  Rege  vendic6  le  fora 
Ond'  uscl  il  sangue  per  Giuda  venduto,"  etc. 


22O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  VII. 

The  human  soul,  created  by  God  directly,  i.e.  with- 
out the  assistance  of  secondary  causes,  is  therefore 
incorruptible  and  eternal.  By  right  of  its  origin  it 
possesses  these  attributes  in  particular  above  all 
others  created  by  God,  namely,  (a)  that  it  resembles 
Him,  and  (b]  that  His  Divine  Love  beams  with  more 
life  upon  it  (the  soul).  But  by  sin  Man  forfeited  his 
celestial  privileges,  remained  void  of  every  kind  of 
good,  deprived  of  the  friendship  of  God,  and  con- 
demned to  certain  perdition.  To  regain  his  primal 
condition  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  filling  this 
void  by  proportionate  satisfaction. 

Now  to  purchase  back  Divine  Grace  and  his  lost 
dignity,  it  was  necessary,  (i)  either  that  Man  should 
by  himself  make  reparation  for  his  guilt,  or  (2)  that 
God  Himself  should  undertake  for  him. 

But  for  Man  to  purchase  back  his  own  worth  was 
impossible. 

It  remained  then  for  God  to  redeem  him.  God 
could  do  so  in  two  ways,  namely  (i)  by  Mercy  ;  (2) 
by  Justice. 

God  willed  to  make  use  of  both  these  instruments, 
namely,  (i)  Mercy  impelled  the  Divine  Word  (Logos) 
to  become  incarnate.  (2)  Justice  nailed  Him  to  the 
Cross.  No  other  means  would  have  been  sufficient 
to  satisfy  Divine  Justice,  except  the  humiliation  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

The  above  is  the  substance  of  the  long  exposition 
which  Beatrice  now  makes,  and  Scartazzini  observes 
that  Dante's  ideas  on  the  subject  correspond  to  those 
expressed  by  St.  Anselm  of  Canterbury  in  his  cele- 
brated treatise  entitled  Cur  Deus  homo?  The  subject 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  221 

was  also  discussed  by  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ. 

Theol.  iii,  46-49) ;  St.  Augustine ;  St.  Gregory  the  Great ; 

Peter  Lombard  (Sent,  iii,  20,  7) ;  Albertus  Magnus  ; 

and  Alexander  of  Hales. . 

Ma  io  veggi'  or  la  tua  mente  ristretta  * 

Di  pensier  in  pensier  dentro  ad  un  nodo,t 
Del  qual  con  gran  dlsio  solver  s'  aspetta. 
Tu  did  :  '  Ben  discerno  ci6  ch'i'  odo  ;  55 

Ma  perche  Dio  volesse,  m'  e  occulto, 
A  nostra  redenzion  pur  questo  modo.'t 

But  I  now  perceive  that  thy  mind  involved  (as  it 
passes)  from  thought  to  thought  within  a  knot  from 
which  with  eager  longing  it  waits  to  be  released. 
Thou  sayest:  'I  well  understand  what  I  hear  (namely, 
that  the  just  vengeance  was  avenged  by  a  just  tri- 
bunal), but  why  God  willed  this  sole  means  for  our 
redemption  (the  death  of  His  Son)  that  is  obscure  to 
me.' 

Benvenuto  agrees  with  St.  Augustine  that,  although 

*  ristretta :  Brunone  Bianchi,  and  Scartazzini  explains  this 
"  invillupata  o  angustiata,  passando  da  uno  ad  altro  pensiero." 
Buti  renders  it  "rinchiusa." 

t  nodo :  Compare  Inf.  x,  94-96,  where  Dante  asks  Farinata 
degli  Uberti  to  solve  a  doubt  (nodo)  for  him  which  has  confused 
(inviluppata)  his  judgment : 

'"Deh,  se  riposi  mai  vostra  semenza,' 
Prega'  io  lui,  '  solvetemi  quel  nodo, 
Che  qui  ha  inviluppata  mia  sentenza.'" 

t  questo  modo :  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii, 
qu.  xlvi),  after  having  given  his  answer  to  the  question  in  art.  I, 
utrum  fuerit  necessarium  Christum  pati  pro  liberatione  humani 
generis,  next  in  art.  2  propounds  the  further  question,  utrum 
fuerit  possibilis  alius  modus  liberationis  humance  quam  per  pas- 
sionem  Christi;  and  then,  in  art.  3,  enquires  still  further,  utrum 
fuerit  aliquis  modus  convenientior  ad  liberationem  humani 
generis  quam  per  passionem  Christi,  and  to  this  last  (art.  3)  he 
replies :  "  Respondeo  dicendum  quod  tanto  aliquis  modus  con- 
venientior  est  ad  assequendum  finem,  quanto  per  ipsum  plura 
concurrunt  qu;e  sunt  expedientia  fini." 


222  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

other  ways  of  saving  our  souls  could  have  been  pos- 
sible with  God,  none  could  have  been  more  fitting ; 
and  that  we  have  no  business  to  say  that  God  ought, 
or  ought  not,  to  have  redeemed  the  world  in  some 
other  way ;  because  God  did  it,  not  to  discharge  an 
obligation,  but  simply  out  of  loving-kindness. 

Poletto,  in  his  Commentary,  observes  that  it  will 
be  profitable  for  readers  of  this  Canto,  to  compare 
the  argument  of  Beatrice  as  to  the  mode  of  redeem- 
ing Man  selected  by  God,  with  all  that  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  has  said  on  the  same  subject,  were  it  only  to 
note  how  Dante's  marvellous  genius  has  enabled  him 
to  turn  into  most  beautiful  poetry  the  argumentative 
researches  of  the  theologian  ;  and  the  earnest  Faith, 
which  was  the  consolation  of  Dante's  heart,  lent  aid 
to  his  imagination  in  finding  out  a  field  as  well  as 
methods  to  illumine  certain  truths. 

Beatrice  next  begs  Dante  to  note  the  reasons  why 
this  ordinance  of  the  Incarnation  has  been  the  cause 
of  so  much  misunderstanding  and  ignorance  ;  and 
Benvenuto  says  one  ought  first  to  realize  that  no 
man  can  be  a  fitting  hearer  of  sacred  science,  unless 
he  be  humble,  purified,  faithful,  and  earnest.  It  is 
only  those  whose  minds  have  not  been  literally  edu- 
cated into  the  Love  of  God,  and  have  failed  to  attain 
to  a  profound  knowledge  of  holy  things,  to  whom 
the  reason  of  this  high  purpose  of  God  is  a  veiled 
mystery.  "  Nullus  malus  (says  Benvenuto)  potest 
esse  perfectus  metaphysicus." 

Questo  decreto,  frate,*  sta  sepulto 

Agli  occhi  di  ciascuno,  il  cui  ingegno 

*  frate:  Beatrice  addresses   Dante   thus  as  "my  Brother" 


Canto  VII,       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  223 

Nella  fiamma  d'amor  non  e  adulto.*  60 

Veramente,+  pero  ch'  a  questo  segno 
Molto  si  mira,  e  poco  si  discerne, 
Diro  perche  tal  modo  fu  piu  degno. 

This  decree  (of  the  Incarnation),  my  brother,  lies 
buried  from  the  eyes  of  every-one,  whose  intelligence 
has  not  become  matured  in  the  flame  of  love.  Never- 
theless (veramente),  inasmuch  as  at  this  mark  one 
gazes  much,  and  understands  little,  I  will  declare 
why  this  mode  was  the  most  worthy. 

Poletto  remarks  that  in  these  last  lines  there  peeps 
out  a  vein  of  sarcasm  on  Dante's  part  against  the 
vain  speculations  of  the  Schoolmen,  at  which  he  also 
has  a  fling  in  Par.  xxix,  74  et  seq.  Beatrice's  argu- 
ment is  that  it  is  no  use  studying  the  question  and 
not  understanding  it ;  for  it  can,  and  should,  be  under- 
stood. 


twice  in  this  Canto,  the  second  time  being  in  1.  130.      She  has 
done  so  twice  before,  namely  in  Par.  iii,  70 : 

"  Frate,  la  nostra  volonta  qui'eta 

Virtu  di  carita." 
and  in  Par.  iv,  100. 

*  adulto:  "Arrivato  al  debito  compimento  di  crescere." 
{Gran  Dizionario}.  Cornoldi  is  veiy  clear  on  this  terzina  : 
"Afferma  Beatrice  che  il  modo  o  il  decreto  della  redenzione, 
tale  quale  fu,  non  e  capito  da  veruno,  per  sapiente  che  sia,  se 
non  ha  in  se  vera  carita.  Quindi  i  sapienti  increduli  (se  pur 
puo  un  incredulo,  il  quale  contraddice  anche  a'  principii  di 
ragione,  appellarsi  sapiente)  ascoltano  la  dottrina  che  spiega  il 
modo,  ma  diconla  fantasia  o  stoltezza." 

+  Veramente :  See  the  word  in  the  Gran  Dizionario,  §  3: 
"  Talora  £  come  un'  eccezione  alle  cose  dette,  un  temperamento 
del  troppo  risoluto  affermare  ;  e  in  Dante  piu  volte  corrisponde 
a  Tamen."  We  find  the  word  so  used  in  various  passages  in 
the  Divina  Commedia,  notably  in  Purg.  vi,  43,  44 : 

"  Veramente  a  cosi  alto  sospetto 

Non  ti  fermar." 

See  my  note  on  this  in  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio,  second 
edition,  London,  1897,  vol.  i,  p.  206. 


224  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  VII. 

Casini  sums  up  very  tersely  what  follows  from  1.  64 
to  1.  1 20;  making  comparatively  plain  what  is  very 
involved  and  somewhat  arid.  He  says  that  Beatrice 
argues  that  the  human  soul,  as  the  immediate  crea- 
tion of  God,  is  eternal,  endowed  with  freedom,  and 
conformed  to  the  likeness  of  God  (11.  64-78),  but  sin 
deprives  it  both  of  its  freedom  and  its  conformity 
with  God,  so  that  it  cannot  re-acquire  that  dignity 
until  after  just  penitence  (11.  79-84)  ;  the  whole  human 
race  sinned  through  Adam,  and  could  only  be  re- 
deemed by  the  Grace  of  God  and  individual  virtue 
(11.  85-93).  But  of  itself  it  could  not  be  redeemed 
(11.  97-102),  wherefore  God  had  to  accomplish  this 
end  by  bringing  His  Mercy  and  Justice  to  bear  upon 
it  (11.  103-114);  so  that  God  gave  Himself  for  the 
redemption  of  Man,  fulfilling  the  sole  act  that  was 
adequate  to  the  need  (11.  115-120). 

La  divina  bontk,  che  da  se  sperne 

Ogni  livore,*  ardendo  in  se  sfavilla  t  65 

SI,  che  dispiega  le  bellezze  eterne. 

*  livore :  See  the  Gran  Dizionario,  §  4,  on  the  most  common 
signification  of  this  word,  which  in  its  primary  sense  means 
"  pallor"  ;  "  Passione  d'  invidia;  dai  segni  ch'essa  lascia  appa- 
rire  nel  volto  di  chi  n'  e  malato."  Dante  uses  it  in  the  same 
sense  in  Purg.  xiv,  83,  84,  where  Guido  del  Duca  says: 
"  Che  se  veduto  avessi  uom  farsi  lieto, 

Visto  m'avresti  di  livore  sparso." 

Compare  also  Michelangelo  Buonarotti  il  Giovane,  La  Fiera, 
Giorn.  v,  att.  iv,  sc.  3  : 

"  Qual  per  livore,  e  qual  per  vil  lentezza 

Nel  ben  oprare." 

and  Boethius,  Philos.  Consol.  iii,  Metr.  9  ; 
"verum  insita  summi 
Forma  boni  livore  carens." 
see  also  Plato,  Timaeus,  29,  E.  to  which  Benvenuto  alludes. 

t  sfavilla :  Witte  reads  scintilla,  but  I  follow  Dr.  Moore  in 
reading  sfavilla.  Tommase'o,  in  his  Dizionario  dei  Sinonimi, 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  225 

The  Divine  Goodness,  which  spurns  from  Itself  all 
envy,  burning  within  Itself  so  sparkles  (sfavilla)  that 
it  unfolds  its  eternal  beauties. 

This  means  that  the  entire  creation  was  the  work  of 
Divine  Love,  and,  as  Dean  Plumptre  remarks,  the 
solution  starts  from  the  conception  of  the  absolute 
goodness  of  the  Divine  Will.  Scartazzini  gives  the 
following  amplification  of  the  above  terzina :  "  The 
Divine  Goodness,  which  drives  far  away  from  itself 
all  affections  not  in  accordance  with  Charity,  burning 
within  itself,  beams  forth  in  a  way  that  unfolds  its 
eternal  beauties  even  on  the  outside." 

Beatrice  having  thus  touched  on  the  creation  of 
things  in  general,  now  speaks  of  those  creations  which 
are  eternal,  and  emanate  directly  from  God  without 
the  co-operation  of  "  secondary  causes."  She  "  dis- 
criminates," says  Longfellow,  "between  the  direct  or 
immediate  inspiration  of  God,  and  those  influences 
that  come  directly  through  the  stars." 
Cio  che  da  lei  senza  mezzo  distilla 

Non  ha  poi  fine,  perch£  non  si  move 
La  sua  imprenta,*  quand'ella  sigilla. 


7th  edition,  Milan,  s.  d.  p.  581,  sin.  2125,  distinguishes  between 
the  two  :  "  Favilla,  di  fuoco  ;  scintilla,  di  luce.  La  prima  dice 
segnatamente  1'ardore;  1'altra  la  luce  .  .  .  Faville  d'amore 
escono, dice  1'amante,  dagli  occhi  dell'amata  donna:  e  1'amata 
donna  avra  il  cuore  freddo  piii  della  selce  (flint).  Occhi  sfavil- 
lanti  dice  piu  che  scintillanti.  .  .  .  Sfavilla  propriamente  la 
luce  del  sole;  le  stelle  scintillano.  Le  stelle  di  maggiore  gran- 
dezza  non  sara  forse  improprio,  quasi  per  estensione,  chiamarle 
sfavillanfi."  Benvenuto  renders  sfavilla,  "idest,  splendet,  velut 
fons  lucis." 

*  imprenta  :  What  God  creates  by  a  direct  act,  i.e.  the  angels 
and  the  souls  of  men,  bears  on  it  this  stamp  of  eternity,  and  its 
annihilation  is  inconceivable  (Plumptre).  Compare  St.  Thorn. 

I.  Q 


226  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

Cio  che  da  essa  senza  mezzo  *  piove  70 

Libero  e  tutto,  perche  non  soggiace 
Alia  virtute  delle  cose  nuove.  t 

Piu  1'  e  conforme,J  e  pero  piu  le  piace  ; 

Che  1' ardor  santo,  ch'ogni  cosa  raggia, 

Nella  piu  simigliante  e  piu  vivace.  75 

Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  Ixv,  art.  i) :  "  Omnes  creaturae 
Dei  secundum  aliquid  in  aeternum  perseverant,  ad  minus  secun- 
dum  materiam  ;  quia  creaturae  nunquam  in  nihilum  redigentur, 
etiamsi  sint  corruptibiles.  Sed  quanto  creaturae  magis  appro- 
pinquant  ad  Deum,  qui  est  immobilis,  tanto  magis  sunt  im- 
mobiles."  As  regards  the  impress  of  the  seal  of  God,  compare 
Purg.  xxxiii,  79-81  : 

"...  Si  come  cera  da  suggello, 

Che  la  figura  impressa  non  trasmuta, 
Segnato  e  or  da  voi  lo  mio  cervello." 

*  senza  mezzo:  Compare  Convito  iii,  14,  11.  35-37:  "  Nelle 
Intelligenze  raggia  la  divina  luce  senza  mezzo,  nell'altre  si 
ripercuote  da  queste  Intelligenze  prima  illuminate."  Compare 
also  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars,  i,  qu.  Ivi,  art.  3)  : 
"  Imago  Dei  est  in  ipsa  natura  angeli  impressa,  per  suam  es- 
sentiam  angelus  Deum  cognoscit,  inquantum  est  similitude  Dei. 
Non  tamen  ipsam  essentiam  Dei  videt  :  quia  nulla  similitudo 
creata  est  sufficiens  ad  repraesentandam  divinam  essentiam. 
Unde  ista  cognito  magis  tenet  se  cum  specular! ;  quia  et  ipsa 
natura  angelica  est  quoddam  speculum  divinam  similitudinem 
repraesentans." 

t  cose  nuove  :  "  By  'things  new'  are  here  meant  Secondary 
Causes,  as  distinct  from  the  direct  operation  of  God,  the  First 
Cause.  They  are  'new'  because  created  later  than  those  'First 
Effects'  produced  by  God  without  other  intervention."  (Hasel- 
foot).  The  words  are  so  understood  by  Tommaseo,  Andreoli, 
Biagioli,  Lombard!,  Cesari,  Scartazzini,  Br.  Bianchi,  and  Frati- 
celli  ;  but, the  old  Commentators,  almost  without  exception, 
understand  "le  influenze  dei  cieli  che  sono  nuovi  inquanto  sono 
creati."  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  2da: 
qu.  xix,  art.  4):  "  In  omnibus  causis  ordinatis  effectus  plus  de- 
pendet  a  causa  prima  quam  a  causa  secunda  quia  causa  secunda 
non  agit  nisi  in  virtute  primae  causae." 

$  conforme :  "Gli  angeli  predetti  e  le  anime  umane  sono  piu 
somiglianti  a  Dio  :  quindi  a  Diopiupiacciono  :  giacche  la  divina 
bontk(ch'e  1'oggetto  primario  dell'amore  divino)  la  quale  ri- 
splende  in  ogni  cosa,  in  quelle  cose,  che  sono  a  Dio  piu  somi- 
glianti, piu  risplende."  (Cornoldi.) 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  227 

That  which  from  It  (Divine  Goodness)  proceeds  (///. 
distils)  without  intervention  (of  Secondary  Causes) 
thenceforth  has  no  end  (i.e.  is  immortal),  because 
the  impress  can  never  be  removed  when  It  sets  Its 
seal.  That  which  from  It  without  (other)  interven- 
tion showers  down  is  wholly  free,  because  it  is  not 
subject  to  the  influence  of  Secondary  Causes  (///. 
new  things).  The  more  it  (the  creature)  is  in  con- 
formity with  It  (Divine  Goodness),  the  more  it 
pleases  on  that  account;  for  the  holy  ardour  (of  Love), 
whose  rays  penetrate  everything,  is  most  radiant  in 
that  which  most  resembles  Itself. 

When  Dante  speaks  of  conformity,  he  is  indicating 
the  three  special  privileges  of  Man  created  by  God,  viz. 
(a)  his  immortality  (1.  68.) 
(b}  his  freedom  (1.  71.) 
(c)  his  similitude  to  God  (11.  73-75.) 
And  thereby  Man  is  the  special  object  of  Divine 
Contentment. 

From  his  creation  by  God,  from  his  immortality, 
from  his  freedom,  from  his  similitude  to  God,  and 
from  the  Love  of  God  in  him,  Man  is  an  especially 
privileged  being. 

Di  tutte  queste  cose*  s' avvantaggia 
L'  umana  creatura,  e  s'  una  manca, 
Di  sua  nobilitk  convien  che  caggia. 

Solo  il  peccato  e  quel  che  la  disfranca,t 


*  tutte  queste  cose:  "Cioe  che  1'anima  umana  hae  libero 
arbitrio,  ed  e  eterna  ed  e  disposta  a  ricevere  tale  splendore  .  .  . 
se  e  suddita  al  peccato  e  non  £  in  libero  arbitrio  o  se  non  riceve 
per  lo  peccato  lo  splendore  divino  si  cade  di  sua  nobilitade." 
fLana). 

t  disfranca:  Sin  deprives  the  human  soul  of  its  Freedom  (la 
disfranca\  as  well  as  of  its  similitude  to  God.  We  have  our  Lord's 
own  words  in  corroboration  of  this.  See  St.  John  viii,  31-34  : 
"  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  my  disciples  indeed  ; 

Q2 


228  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  VII. 

E  falla  dissimile  al  Sommo  Bene,  80 

Perche  del  lume  suo  poco  s'  imbianca  ;* 
Ed  in  sua  dignitk  mai  non  riviene, 
Se  non  riempie  dove  colpa  vota, 
Contra  mal  dilettarf  con  giuste  pene. 
By  all  these  things  the  human  creature  has  been 
especially  privileged,  and  if  (even)  one  be  lost,  he 
must  perforce  fall  away  from  his  nobility.     It  is  sin 
alone  which  doth  disfranchise  him,  and  renders  him 
unlike  the  Chief  Good,  so  that  he  is  but  little  illu- 
mined by  Its  radiance  ;  and  he  can  never  return  to 
his    (former)   dignity,    unless,    where    transgression 
makes  empty  he  makes  full  again,   with  righteous 
penalties  for  evil  joys. 

Man  having  sinned  only  too  heinously  against  God, 
what  course  was  there  left  to  him  to  attain  salvation 
and  to  raise  himself  from  the  depths  into  which  he 
had  fallen  ?  One  of  two  things.  Either  that  God 
should  pardon  him,  or  that  man  should  of  himself 
regenerate  himself. 

and  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free. 
They  answered  him,  We  be  Abraham's  seed,  and  were  never  in 
bondage  to  any  man  :  how  sayest  thou,  Ye  shall  be  made  free  ? 
Jesus  answered  them,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever 
committeth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin." 

*  poco  s' imbianca,  et  seq. :  On  this  Cornoldi  observes,  that 
sin  does  not  altogether  annihilate  Man,  who  retains  his  essence 
and  nature.  There  remains  in  him  some  radiance  of  the  Divine 
Goodness,  but  Grace  is  taken  from  him,  and  so  he  is  but  little 
illumined  (poco  s1  imbianca).  The  subject  of  sanctifying  grace 
is  the  essence  of  the  soul,  and  from  sin  results  emptiness  of  that 
grace.  To  refill  that  void  righteous  penalties  {giuste  pene)  are 
requisite,  namely,  contrition,  good  purpose,  and  a  vow  of  firm 
resolution  to  make  satisfaction  for  the  evil  that  was  wrought 
when  wishing  for  what  was  opposed  to  the  Will  of  God.  Only 
when  the  aforesaid  void  has  been  replenished,  does  the  soul  re- 
turn to  its  former  dignity. 

t  mal  dilettar :  This  does  not  only  refer  to  carnal  joys,  but 
to  every  gratification  of  the  desires  for  that  which  God  wills 
not.  (Cornoldi). 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  229 

Vostra  natura,  quando  pecco  tota*  85 

Nel  seme  suo,  da  queste  dignitadi, 

Come  da  Paradiso,  fu  remota  ; 
Ne  ricovrar  poteasi,t  se  tu  badi 

Ben  sottilmente,  per  alcuna  via, 

Senza  passar  per  I'un  di  questi  guadi  :£  90 

*  tota:  Compare  Par.  xx,  130-132  : 

"  O  predestinazion,  quanto  remota 

E  la  radice  tua  da  quegli  aspetti 
Che  la  prima  cagion  non  veggion  tota  !  " 

In  his  Analisi  Critica,  p.  155,  note  (2),  Nannucci  peremptorily 
waves  aside  the  statement  of  Lombardi  and  other  Commentators, 
that  Dante  has  in  these  two  passages  inserted  tota  for  tutta  for 
the  sake  of  the  rhyme,  and  adds  that  in  early  times  in  all  the 
Romance  languages  that  was  the  mode  of  writing  the  word, 
namely,  Tot,  tota  in  Provencal ;  tot,  tote,  in  old  French  ;  todo, 
toda,  in  Spanish  ;  tota,  in  Portuguese.  And  if  in  Italy  one  says 
quite  correctly  totale,  totalmente,  totalita,  why  could  not  the 
early  Italian  writers  say  tota  except  for  the  sake  of  the  rhyme? 
Tota  is  found  in  the  Dittamondo  of  Fazio  degli  Uberti,  lib, 
cap.  22  : 

"  N'  ebbe  di  qua  fra  noi  la  gente  tota." 
and  Frezzi  (Quadriregio,  lib.  ii,  cap.  3)  has  toto: 

"  Piu  fredda  cosa  non  ha  '1  Hondo  toto.n 
t  poteasi :  This  with  ricovrar  may  either  mean  that  human 
nature  could  not  of  itself  recover  the  dignities  it  had  lost ;  or, 
that  it  could  not  recover  itself.  Others  read  poteansi,  i.e. 
"  queste  dignitadi  non  poteansi  ricovrare,"  meaning  "  these 
dignities  once  lost  could  not  be  recovered."  I  follow  Dr.  Moore 
in  reading  poteasi.  Scartazzini  reads  poteasi  in  his  Leipzig 
edition  (1882)  ;  and  poteansi  in  his  Milan  edition  (1893). 

J  guadi :  Here  again  we  have  a  discrepancy  of  readings. 
Guadi  is  adopted  by  Benvenuto,  Witte,  the  Codice  Cassinese,  the 
Aldine,  Velutello,  Daniello,  Lombardi  and  others  ;  while  the 
reading  gradi,  is  preferred  by  Buti,  Landino,  and  the  Quattro 
Prime  Edizioni.  On  these  two  readings  Cesari  (Bellesze,  vol.  iii, 
p.  121)  says:  "Dante  dice  ;  senza  passar  per  un  di questi  guadi ', 
che  e  bellissimo  parlar  poetico.  Questo  scappar  fuora  di  tratto 
con  la  metafora  in  luogo  del  proprio,  fa  bellissima  prova  ;  dilet- 
tando  molto  al  lettore  ;  il  quale  si  credeaprocedere  al  suopasso 
naturale ;  esser  condotto  per  altro  modo  da  lui  non  aspettato, 
al  suo  intendimento  ;  e  ci6  con  una  figura,  che  di  repente  gli 
pone  innanzi  un'altra  idea  piu  bella  di  quella  che  portava  il 
discorso.  Cosl  questa  voce  guadi,  gli  rappresenta  un  braccio 


230  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

O  che  Dio  solo  per  sua  cortesia* 

Dimesso  avesse,  o  che  1'  uom  per  se  issot 
Avesse  satisfatto  a  sua  follia.  J 

When  your  whole  nature  sinned  in  its  seed  (i.e. 
through  Adam),  it  was  driven  out  of  these  digni- 
ties, as  out  of  Paradise ;  nor  could  it  (of  itself)  re- 
cover them,  if  thou  consider  it  very  subtly,  by  any 
way,  except  by  passing  through  one  of  these  fords 
(i.e.  passages  from  sin  to  grace) :  either  that  God 
simply  out  of  His  clemency  should  have  remitted 
(the  debt),  or  that  Man  by  himself  had  made  atone- 
ment for  his  foolishness  (i.e.  sin). 

But  God  could  not  remit  the  debt  to  Man  without 
injustice  ;  and  Man  could  never  have  found  in  himself 
sufficient  virtue  to  re-elevate  himself  to  the  condition 
of  his  first  purity,  from  the  state  of  humiliation  to 
which  he  had  reduced  himself;  so  that  God  alone 

di  mare  che  convenga  passare  per  esser  di  la.  Alcuni  codici 
hanno  gradi;  e  1'  ho  per  buona  lezione.  Tuttavia  al  modo 
dell'  immaginar  di  Dante,  parmi  chepiu  3'a.c.zostipassarunguado, 
che  un  grado  ...  I  due  mezzi  adunque  o  guadi,  che  a  passar 
erano  per  ricoverar  1'uomo,  erano  ;  o  che  Dio  rimettesse  la 
colpa,  ovvero  che  1'uomo  soddisfacesse  egli  del  suo." 

*  Dio  solo  per  sua  cortesia :  Solo  stands  here  for  solamente, 
and  Fraticelli  interprets  the  sentence  :  "  Dio  Solamente  per  sua 
clemenza."  Casini  :  "  libertalita."  Philalethes  :  "  Giitigkeit." 
In  the  Vita  Nuova,  §  xliii,  11.  12,  13,  Dante  speaks  of  God  as 
"  Colui  ch'  e  Sire  della  cortesia." 

t  isso :  Nannucci  (Anal.  Crit.  p.  227,  note  (i)  derives  isso 
from  the  Latin  ipso,  and  quotes  ipsa  occurring  as  an  Italian 
word  in  Dittamondo,  lib.  vi,  cap.  vi,  terz.  I  :  "  Si  svaria  piu,  quanto 
piupensa  in  ipsa."  And  to  disprove  theassertion  that  mi?  was  used 
here  for  the  sake  of  the  rhyme,  Nannucci  quotes  two  passages 
where  the  word  is  used  in  prose,  Framment.  Stor.  Rom.  lib.  i, 
cap.  vi :  "  Allora  li  Romani  se  comenzaro  a  fare  gabe  (gabbe, 
jests)  de  isso."  And  Matteo  Spinello  (a  writer  between  1230 
and  1268)  :  "  Et  isso  a  pena  si  salvao  per  la  bonta  dello  suo 
cavallo." 

t  follia:  See  Plato  (De  Republica,  passim)  as  to  folly  and 
wickedness  being  synonymous  terms. 


Canto  VII.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  231 

could  resuscitate  Man,  either  by  Mercy  alone,  or  by 
the  combination  of  Mercy  with  Justice. 
Ficca  mo*  1'  occhio  per  entro  1'  abisso 

Dell'  eterno  consiglio,  quanto  puoi  95 

Al  mio  parlar  distrettamentet  fisso. 
Non  poteaj  1'uomo  nei  termini  suoi 
Mai  satisfar,  per  non  poter  ir  giuso 
Con  umiltate,  ubbidiendo  poi, 
Quanto  disubbidiendo  intese  ir  suso  ;  §  100 

*  mo:  The  combination  of  mo  in  this  line  with  isso  in  1.  92 
is  similar  to  Inf.  xxvii,  19-21,  where  the  shade  of  Guido  da 
Montefeltro  addresses  Dante  : 

"  Udimmo  dire  :  '  O  tu,  a  cui  io  drizzo 

La  voce,  e  che  parlavi  mo  Lombardo, 
Dicendo  :  issa  ten  va,  piii  non  /'  adizzo?  " 
See  my  notes  on  that  passage,  and  also  on  another,  Inf.  xxiii,  7  : 

"...  piu  non  si  pareggia  mo  ed  issa," 
in  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  ii,  p.  225. 

t  distrettamente :  Casini  explains  this  terzina:  "nella  pro- 
fondita  degli  eterni  dedreti  divini  (Purg.  vi,  121),  tenendoti 
stretto,  per  quanto  puoi,  al  mio  ragionamento."  Some  read 
discretamente,  which,  as  Mr.  Butler  observes,  must  be  translated 
"  with  discernment." 

|  Non  potea,  etc. :  Man,  in  his  condition  of  a  finite  entity, 
would  never  have  been  able  to  perform  an  adequate  penitence. 
Landino's  comment  on  this  is  quoted  by  all  the  modern  com- 
mentators :  "  La  ragione  perchfe  egli  non  potea  satisfare  in 
quanto  uomo  e,  che  lui  avendo  peccato  per  superbia,  per  voler 
appareggiarsi  a  Dio  (perciocche  volendo  sapere  il  bene  ed  il 
male,  era  agguagliarsi  a  Dio),  lui  non  potea  ubbidiendo  discen- 
dere  in  tanta  bassezza,  che  fosse  pari  all'altezza  di  Dio,  alia 
quale  disubbidiendo  era  voluto  salire.  Imperocche  1'altezza  di 
Dio  e  infinita ;  ma  nessuna  bassezza  si  trova,  che  non  sia  finita." 
I  have  no  space  to  quote  the  following  two  apt  illustrations  : 
Hugh  de  Saint  Victor,  Erud.  theol.  de  Sacram.  i,  8,  4 ;  and 
St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  qu.  i,  art.  2.) 

§  ir  suso:  "La  soddisfazione  dell' uomo  e  finita.  La  colpa 
considerata  quale  ingiuria  fatta  a  Dio,  ch'e  Poffeso,  ha  una 
gravita  infinita."  (Cornoldi).  By  Man  "aspiring  to  soar  up," 
we  are  to  understand  the  allusion  to  Satan's  words  in  Gen.  iii,  5, 
( Vulg.} :  "  Scit  enim  Deus  quod  in  quocumque  die  comederitis 
ex  eo,  aperientur  oculi  vestri ;  et  eritis  sicut  dii,  scientes  bonum 
et  malum." 


232  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

E  questa  e  la  cagion  per  che  1'  uom  fiie 

Da  poter  satisfar  per  se  dischiuso.* 
Dunque  a  Dio  convenia  con  le  vie  suet 

Riparar  1'  uomo  a  sua  intera  vita, 

Dico  con  1'  una,  o  ver  con  ambo  e  due.  105 

Now  fix  thine  eyes  within  the  abyss  of  the  Eternal 
Counsel,  as  closely  rivetted  to  my  words  as  thou  art 
able.  Never  could  Man  within  his  finite  limits  have 
made  satisfaction,  from  not  having  the  power  to 
stoop  in  humility  as  low  in  subsequent  obedience, 
as  in  his  disobedience  he  had  aspired  to  soar  up ; 
and  this  is  the  reason  why  Man  was  excluded  from 
the  power  of  making  satisfaction  by  himself  alone. 
There  it  was  needful  for  God  by  His  own  ways  to  re- 
establish Man  in  his  perfect  life,  I  mean,  by  the  one 
(way,  i.e.  by  Mercy  alone),  or  else  by  both  (i.e.  by 
Mercy  and  Justice  combined). 

God  in  His  Wisdom  determined  to  make  use  of  the 
second  of  these  ways,  i.e.  the  combination  of  Mercy 
and  Justice. 

*  dischiuso=escluso.  See  Cesari  on  this  :  "  Egli  (i.e.  Man) 
s'  era  superbamente  argomentato  di  montare  ad  una  eccellenza 
infinita  :  potea  forse  abbassarsi  altrettanto  ?  no  certo ! "  And 
Pietro  di  Dante  :  "  Igitur  cum  anima  in  sua  totalitate  peccavit, 
non  poterat  reparari  nisi  culpa  deleretur  satisfactione.  Sed 
homo  in  suis  terminis,  idest  in  sua  pura  humanitate,  qui  voluit 
adjungi  sapientiae  Dei,  non  poterat  se  tantum  infimare,  ut  ascen- 
dere  praesumpsit ;  ergo  insatisfacibilis  erat." 

t  Dio . . .  con  le  -vie  sue :  See  Cesari  again :  "Che  sono  queste 
•vie  di  Dio?  il  suo  operare,  ed  ordinamenti.  Dante  avea  le 
Scritture  alia  mano ;  e  questo  vie  e  il  linguaggio  della  Scrittura. 
Nel  Salmo  xxiv,  10 :  Universae  viae  Domini  misericordia  et 
veritas"  (In  the  Auth.  Vers.  Psalm  xxv).  Compare  St.  Thorn. 
Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  qu.  xlvi,  art  i) :  "Dicendum 
quod  hominem  liberari  per  passionem  Christi  conveniens  fuit  et 
misericordiae,  et  justitiae  ejus.  Justitiae  quidem,  quia  per 
passionem  suam  Christus  satisfecit  pro  peccato  humani  generis ; 
et  ita  homo  per  justitiam  Christi  liberatus  est :  misericordiae 
vero,  quia  cum  homo  per  se  satisfacere  non  posset  pro  peccato 
totius  humanae  naturae  .  .  .  Deus  ei  satisfactorem  dedit  Filium 
suum  . . .  et  hoc  fuit  abundantioris  misericordiae  quam  si  peccata 
absque  satisfactione  dimisisset." 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  233 

Ma  perch£  1'  opra  e  tanto  piu  gradita 

Dell' operante,  quanto  piu  appresenta* 
Delia  bonta  del  core  ond'  e  uscita  ; 

La  divina  bonta,  che  il  mondo  imprenta,t 

Di  proceder  per  tutte  le  sue  vie  1 10 

A  rilevarvi  suso  fu  contenta  ; 

Ne  tra  1'  ultima  notte  e  il  primo  die 
SI  alto  e  si  magnifico  processo,! 
O  per  1'una  o  per  l'altra§  fu  o  fie. 

But  since  the  deed  of  the  doer  is  ever  the  more 
prized,  in  proportion  as  it  the  more  manifests  the 
goodness  of  the  heart  from  which  it  has  emanated ; 
so  Divine  Goodness  which  sets  its  impress  upon  the 
world  was  content  to  proceed  by  all  Its  methods  to 
lift  you  up  again ;  nor  between  the  final  night  (of  the 


*  appresenta:  Casini  says  that  appresentare  in  the  sense  of 
"to  make  present,"  "to  demonstrate,"  is  a  far  preferable  inter- 
pretation to  that  of  "to  give,"  "to  bestow."  See  Purg.  xxxi, 
49-51  ;  and  Par.  x,  32,  33. 

t  imprenta  is  from  imprentare,  or  improntare,  "to  give  an 
impress,  stamp,  or  seal,"  to  anything.    Compare  Par.  xxvi,  25-27  : 
"  Ed  io  :  '  Per  filosofici  argomenti, 

E  per  autorita  che  quinci  scende, 
Cotale  amor  convien  che  in  me  s'  imprenti." 
and   Giov.  Villani,  lib.  vi,  cap.  36  (or  in  some  editions  37) : 
"  Lo  re  Luis  fece  fare  (in  some  editions  this  is  imprentare)  nella 
moneta  del   tornese  grpsso  dal   lato  della   pila  le  bove  \i.e. 
catene,  derive  from  Latin  bojae]  da  pregioni."     Compare  also 
Convito  iii,  12,  11.  62-64. 

t  processo :  Cornoldi  says  :  "II  processo  include  colpa,  sen- 
tenza  e  pena  della  colpa  dell'uomo.  E  fu  cosl  magnifico  che 
tale  altro  non  fu  o  sara  dal  principio  alia  fine  del  mondo." 

§  O  per  V una  o  per  /' 'altra :  "Dr.  Barlow  {Contributions, 
p.  388)  says  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  six  earliest  editions, 
the  reading  uno  .  .  .  altro  was  '  for  200  years  the  established 
reading.'.  .  My  own  examination  of  twenty-nine  editions  gives 
the  following  result :  una . . .  altra,  \  i :  uno . . .  altro,  \  \ :  una . . . 
altro,  7  '•  uno  .  .  .  altra,  none.  Assuming  una  .  .  .  altra  to  have 
been  the  original  reading,  the  conjectural  alterations  seem  due 
to  the  absence  of  any  obvious  grammatical  antecedents  for  una 
and  altra"  (Dr.  Moore,  Textual  Criticism,  pp.  451-453). 


234  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  vn. 

Day  of  Judgment)  and  the  primal  day  (the  creation 
of  light)  has  there  been  or  shall  there  be  ever  so 
exalted  and  glorious  a  procedure,  either  by  the  one 
(method,  Mercy)  or  by  the  other  (Justice). 

In  other  words,  from  the  first  instant  of  the  creation 
of  the  world  to  its  extinction,  there  will  never  have 
been  so  vast  an  exhibition  of  the  excellence  of  the 
works  of  God,  so  that  He  in  His  Omniscience  con- 
trived a  process  for  Man's  redemption,  in  which  the 
two  factors  of  Mercy  and  Justice  were  combined. 

Ch£  piu  largo*  fu  Dio  a  dar  se  stesso,t  115 

A  far  P  uom  sufficiente  a  rilevarsi, 

Che  s'  egli  avesse  sol  da  se  dimesso. 
E  tutti  gli  altri  modi  erano  scarsi 

Alia  giustizia,  se  il  Figliuol  di  Dio 

Non  fosse  umiliatoj  ad  incarnarsi.  120 

*  largo :  The  Gran  Diz.  §  6,  interprets  largo  "  Liberate,  gene- 
roso,"  and  at  §  7 :  "  magnifico,  cortese,  amorevole."  Compare 
Petrarch,  Trionfo  della  Fama,  cap.  ii,  last  lines  : 

"  Dall'  altra  parte  il  mio  gran  Colonnese 
Magnanimo,  gentil,  costante  e  largo," 
compare  also  Par.  viii,  82-84  : 

"  La  sua  natura,  che  di  larga  parca 

Discese,  avria  mestier  di  tal  milizia 
Che  non  curasse  di  mettere  in  area." 

and  Convito,  iv,  27,  11.  104-1 14  :  "  Conviensi  anche  a  questa  eta 
essere  Largo;  perocche  allora  si  conviene  la  cosa,  quando  piu 
satisface  al  debito  della  sua  natura  :  ne  mai  al  debito  della 
Larghezza  non  si  pu6  satisfare  come  in  questa  eta.  Che  se 
volemo  ben  mirare  al  processo  d'Aristotile  nel  quarto  dell'  Etica, 
e  a  quello  di  Tullio  in  quello  degli  Offitii,  la  Larghezza  vuole 
essere  a  luogo  e  tempo,  tale  che  il  Largo  non  noccia  a  se,  ne  ad 
altrui." 

+  st  stesso :  Compare  Gal.  ii,  20  :  "  The  life  which  I  now  live 
in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved 
me,  and  gave  himself  for  me." 

t  umiliato  :  Compare  Phil,  ii,  8 :  "  Being  found  in  fashion  as 
a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became  obedient  unto  death, 
even  the  death  of  the  cross."  Compare  also  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  iii,  qu.  xlix,  art.  6) :  "  Christus  in 


Canto  VII.        Readings  on  the  Par  ad  is  o.  235 

For  God  was  more  bounteous  in  giving  Himself  in 
order  to  render  Man  capable  of  uplifting  himself, 
than  if  He  had  of  Himself  alone  granted  (uncon- 
ditional) forgiveness.  And  all  the  other  methods 
were  insufficient  for  Justice,  if  the  Son  of  God  had 
not  humbled  Himself  to  become  incarnate. 

Division  III.  Beatrice  now  clears  away  a  third 
doubt  which  she  supposes  Dante  may  have,  arising 
from  what  was  said  in  the  second  solution,  namely, 
that  everything  which  emanates  directly  from  God  is 
eternal,  because  the  impress  which  God  sets  on  any- 
thing cannot  be  removed.  Yet  the  elements,  which 
issued  from  the  hand  of  God  are  corruptible.  Yes, 
but  they  were  not  directly  created  by  God.  God  did 
create  the  Heavens  and  the  Angels  directly,  and  there- 
fore they  cannot  see  corruption.  He  created  matter 
directly  as  well  as  Informing  Virtue  (  Virtit  informante), 
placing  it  in  the  stars:  they  therefore  are  incorruptible. 
But  the  life  of  brutes  and  of  plants  is  created  and 
brought  into  existence  by  the  influence  of  the 
heavenly  bodies  upon  matter  predisposed  to  generate 
them.  It  remains  then  matter,  not  form.  But  human 
life  does  come  directly  from  God,  and  not  from  Second- 
ary causes,  and  is  therefore  immortal.  The  form  also 
of  the  human  body  comes  directly  from  God,  Who 
formed  our  progenitors  with  His  own  Hand.  There- 
fore of  necessity  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh  must  be 
admitted.  (Scartazzini). 

sua  passione  seipsum  humiliavit  infra  suam  dignitatem  quan- 
tum ad  quatuor:  primo  quidem  quantum  ad  passionem  et 
mortem,  cujus  debitor  non  erat  ;  secundo,  quantum  ad  locum, 
quia  corpus  ejus  positum  est  in  sepulcro  et  anima  in  inferno  ; 
tertio,  quantum  ad  confusionem  et  opprobria,  qua;  sustinuit ; 
quarto,  quantum  ad  hoc  quod  est  traditus  humanae  potestati." 


236  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

Or,  per  empierti  *  bene  ogni  disio, 

Ritorno  a  dichiarare  in  alcun  loco, 

Perch£  tu  veggi  li  cosi  com'  io. 
Tu  dici  :  'Io  veggio  1'acqua,  io  veggio  il  foco, 

L'  aer,  e  la  terra,  e  tutte  lor  misture  t  125 

Venire  a  corruzione,  e  durar  poco, 
E  queste  cose  pur  fur  creature ; ' 

Perche,  se  cio  ch'ho  detto  &  stato  vero, 

Esser  dovrien  da  corruzion  sicure. 
Now  well  to  satisfy  (lit.  fill)  for  thee  every  desire,  I 
turn  back  to  elucidate  a  certain  point,  in  order  that 
thou  mayest  have  the  same  clear  insight  into  it  that  I 
have  (lit.  that  thou  mayest  see  there  as  I  do).  Thou 
sayest  [or  according  to  Benvenuto,  thou  mightest 
object  to  me] :  *  /  see  the  water,  I  see  the  fire,  the 
air,  the  earth,  and  all  their  combinations  turn  to  cor- 
ruption, and  endure  a  short  while,  and  these  things 
were  notwithstanding  created  things  ;  '  and  therefore, 
if  that  which  I  have  said  has  been  true,  they  ought 
to  be  secure  from  corruption. 

Beatrice  now  distinguishes  between  what  is  the  result 
of  an  immediate  act  of  creation,  and  consequently  in- 
corruptible, and  what  is  the  work  of  intermediate  and 
created  agents,  the  effect  of  Second  Causes,  and  there- 
fore subject  to  decay. 

Gli  Angeli,  frate,  e  il  paese  sincere  {  130 


*  per  empierti :  Biagioli  happily  remarks  that  desire  is,  as 
it  were,  an  emptiness,  but  when  one  fills  it  up,  one  remains 
satisfied. 

+  lor  misture  :  Buti  explains  this  as  every  variety  of  combina- 
tion that  can  take  place  between  the  four  elements  of  fire,  air, 
earth,  and  water.  Scartazzini  observes  that  in  the  time  of  Dante 
it  was  a  common  belief  that  fire,  air,  earth,  and  water  were 
elements,  but  that  is  nowadays  shown  to  be  a  fallacy.  These 
four  elements  as  they  were  called,  kept  their  place  down  to 
quite  recent  times,  when  modern  chemistry  dislodged  them. 

t  paese  sincero  :  See  my  note  onfede  sincera  in  the  preceding 
Canto,  1.  17,  and  also  on  1.  36  of  this  Canto.  I  notice  that 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  237 

Nel  qual  tu  sei,  dir  si  posson  creati, 
Si  come  sono,  in  loro  essere  intero;* 

Ma  gli  elementi  che  tu  hai  nomati, 
E  quelle  cose  che  di  lor  si  fanno, 
Da  creata  virtu  t  sono  informati.  135 

Creata  fu  la  materia  ch'  egli  hanno, 
Creata  fu  la  virtu  informante  J 
In  queste  stelle,  che  intorno  a  lor  vanno. 

The  Angels,  my  Brother,  and  the  pure  region 
(Heaven)  in  which  thou  art,  may  be  said  to  have 
been  created,  just  as  they  are,  in  their  entire  being. 
But  the  elements  which  thou  hast  named,  and  those 

Dante  only  uses  the  word  in  the  Paradiso,  and  it  does  not  occur 
in  either  of  the  other  Cantiche.  It  was  a  scholastic  dogma  that 
the  heavens  were  incorruptible.  See  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
(Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xcvii,  art.  i)  :  "  Aliquid  potest  dici 
incorruptibile  tripliciter.  Uno  modo  ex  parte  materiae,  eo  scili- 
cet quod  vel  non  habet  materiam,  sicut  angelus,  vel  habet  mate- 
riam  quae  non  est  in  potentia  nisi  ad  unam  formam,  sicut  corpus 
coeleste."  And  ibid.,  pars  i,  qu.  Ixvi,  art.  2 :  "  Cum  enim  corpus 
coeleste  habeat  naturalem  motum  diversum  a  naturali  motu 
elementorum  sequitur  quod  ejus  natura  sit  alia  a  natura  quatuor 
elementorum.  Et  sicut  motus  circularis,  qui  est  proprius  cor- 
poris  coelestis,  caret  contrarietate  ;  motus  autem  elementorum 
sunt  invicem  contrarii,  ut  qui  est  sursum,  ei  qui  est  deorsum  ; 
ita  corpus  coeleste  est  absque  contrarietate  ;  corpora  vero  ele- 
mentaria  sunt  cum  contrarietate.  Et  quiae  corruptio  et  generatio 
sunt  ex  contrariis,  sequitur  quod  secundum  suam  naturam  cor- 
pus coeleste  sit  incorruptibile,  elementa  vero  sint  incorrupti- 
bilia." 

*  in  loro  essere  intero :  See  Buti  :  "  cioe,  in  quello  essere 
intero  che  ora  sono  :  imperb  che  Iddio  insieme  creo  la  materia 
loro  e  la  forma,  s\  come  sono,  cio&  per  quel  modo  che  ora  sono ; 
e  pero  si  puo  conchiudere  che  debbono  essere  perpetui  e  liberi, 
impero  che  senza  mezzo  dependeno  da  Dio." 

t  da  creata  -virtil :  See  Pietro  di  Dante :  "  Elementa  creata 
a  Deo  non  immediate,  ergo  non  mirum  si  corrumpuntur  ;  nam 
ab  eo  creata  sunt  natura  naturante  mediante." 

J  -virtu  informante :  "  Creata  immediatamente  da  Dio,  e 
percio  eterna,  fu  la  materia  degli  elementi  :  e  tale  fu  creata  la 
virtu  che  //  informa,  da  loro  1'  essenza,  distribuita  in  questi 
pianeti  che  ruotano  intorno  agli  elementi."  (Casini.) 


238  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VII. 

substances  which  are  composed  from  them,  are  in- 
formed by  an  influence  (which  was  itself)  created. 
Created  was  the  matter  which  they  have;  created 
was  the  informing  influence  in  those  stars  which  cir- 
culate around  them. 

The  passage  that  follows,  which  Casini  considers  one 
of  the  most  obscure  in  the  poem,  is  very  difficult,  and 
is  interpreted  differently  by  many.  Most  of  the  trans- 
lators (except  Haselfoot)  make  anima  the  nominative 
case  to  tira,  but  I  follow  Benvenuto,  Lana,  the  Ottimo, 
Pietro  di  Dante,  the  Anonimo  Florentine,  Fa/so  Boc- 
caccio, Tommaseo,  Scartazzini,  Casini,  Cesari,  and 
many  others,  who  make  lo  raggio  e  il  moto  the  nomin- 
ative case  to  tira  ;*  and  the  following  may  be  a  useful 
paraphrase'  of  the  sentence  extracted  from  their  inter- 

*  Scartazzini  remarks  that  this  mode  of  taking  the  sentence 
with  lo  mggio  e  il  moto  as  the  nominative  case  of  tira  is  quite 
in  conformity  with  the  Scholastic  doctrines.  Compare  St.  Thorn. 
Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,qu.  cxviii,  art.i):  "Quidam  posuerunt, 
animas  sensitivas  animalium  a  Deo  creari.  Quae  quidem  positio 
conveniens  esset,  si  anima  sensitiva  esset  res  subsistens,  habens 
per  se  esse  et  operationem.  Sic  enim  sicut  per  se  haberet  esse 
et  operationem,  ita  perse  deberetur  ei  fieri  ;  et  cum  res  simplex 
et  subsistens  non  possit  fieri  nisi  per  creationem,  sequeretur 
quod  anima  sensitiva  procederet  in  esse  per  creationem.  Sed 
ista  radix  est  falsa,  scilicet  quod  anima  sensitiva  per  se  habeat 
esse  et  operationem,  ut  ex  superioribus  patet  (qu.  Ixxv,  art.  3) ; 
non  enim  corrumperetur,  corrupto  corpore.  Et  ideo  cum  non 
sit  forma  subsistens,  habet  se  in  essendo  ad  modum  aliarum 
fbrmarum  corporalium,  quibus  per  se  non  debetur  esse  ;  sed 
esse  dicuntur,  inquantum  composita  subsistentia  per  eas  sunt. 
Unde  et  ipsis  compositis  debetur  fieri.  Et  quia  generans  est 
simile  generato,  necesse  est  quod  naturaliter  tarn  anima  sensitiva, 
quam  aliae  hujusmodi  formae  producantur  in  esse  ab  aliquibus 
corporalibus  agentibus,  transmutantibus  materiam  de  potentia 
in  actum  per  aliquam  virtutem  corpoream  quae  est  in  eis. 
Quanto  autem  aliquod  agens  est  potentius,  tanto  potest  suam 
actionem  diffundere  ad  magis  distans  ;  sicut  quanto  aliquod 
corpus  est  magis  calidum,  tanto  ad  remotius  calefactionem  pro- 
ducit." 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  239 

pretations.  "  From  elementary  matter,  which  in  its 
quality  has  received  the  potency  thereto,  the  stars, 
beaming  and  revolving,  draw  into  action  the  sensitive 
soul  of  brute  beasts,  and  the  vegetative  soul  of  plants." 
Cesari  explains  it  well :  "  Le  stelle  diventano  cause 
seconde  da  Dio  degli  effetti  a'  quali  s'  adoperano  ;  ed 
ecco  come  :  L' anima  d'ogni  bruto  e  delle  piante  Da 
complession  potenziata  tira  Lo  raggio,  e  '1  moto  delle 
luci  sante.  E  da  ordinare  cosi :  Lo  raggio  e  'I  moto 
delle  luci  sante  tira  /'  anima  d*  ogni  bruto  e  delle  piante 
di  virtii  potenziata  :  La  luce  e  '1  muoversi  di  quei  corpi 
fu  da  Dio  impressa  di  virtu  informatrice  dell'  anima 
de'  bruti,  e  delle  piante,  che  hanno  natura  in  potenza 
(parlare  scolastico),  da  essere  da  quel  raggio  tirate  a 
prendere  quella  forrna." 

L'  anima  d'  ogni  bruto  e  delle  piante 

Da  complession  potenziata  tira  140 

Lo  raggio  e  il  moto  delle  luci  sante. 

The  rays  and  motion  of  the  holy  lights  (i.e.  the  stars) 
attract  (into  existence)  the  (sensitive)  soul  of  every 
animal  and  (the  vegetative  soul)  of  every  plant  by 
means  of  its  potential  temperament  (i.e.  elementary 
matter  predisposed  to  become  them). 

"  This  means  (says  Brunone  Bianchi)  that  the  stars  by 
their  glorious  brilliancy  and  their  motions  attract  from 
elementary  matter  (complession  potenziata)  apt  and 
predisposed  by  its  essence  to  such  generation,  they 
attract,  I  say,  the  sensitive  soul  (the  vital  principle)  of 
animals,  and  the  vegetative  soul  of  plants.  Such  souls 
or  vital  principles  therefore,  not  being  the  immediate 
creation  of  God,  are  mortal." 

But  it  is  not  so  with  the  rational  soul,  which  came 
direct  from  God,  and  is  a  divine  creation. 


240  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  VII. 

Ma  vostra  vita  senza  mezzo  spira* 

La  somma  beninanza,t  e  la  innamoraj 


*  spira :  Compare  this  passage  with  Purg.  xxv,  68-72  : 
"  si  tosto  come  al  feto 

L'  articular  del  cerebro  e  perfetto, 
Lo  Motor  primo  a  lui  si  volge  lieto 

Sopra  tant'  arte  di  natura,  e  spira 

Spirito  nuovo  di  virtu  repleto." 

Compare  also  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.xc,  art.  2 
and  3)  :  "Anima  rationalis  non  potest  fieri  nisi  per  creationem  ; 
quod  non  est  verum  de  aliis  formis  .  .  .  Anima  autem  rationalis 
est  forma  subsistens.  Unde  ipsi  proprie  competit  esse  et  fieri. 
Et  quia  non  potest  fieri  ex  materia  praejacente  nee  corporali, 
quia  sic  esset  naturae  corporae  ;  neque  spirituali,  quia  sic  sub- 
stantiae  spirituales  invicem  transmutarentur;  necesse  est  dicere 
quod  non  fiat  nisi  per  creationem  .  .  .  Quidam  posuerunt  quod 
angeli,  secundum  quod  operantur  in  virtute  Dei,  causant  animas 
rationales.  Sed  hoc  est  omnino  impossibile,  et  a  fide  alienum. 
Ostensum  est  enim  quod  anima  rationalis  non  potest  produci 
per  creationem.  Solus  autem  Ueus  potest  creare  ;  quia  solius 
primi  agentis  estagere,  nullo  praesupposito  ;  cum  semper  agens 
secundum  praesupponit  aliquid  a  primo  agente.  Quod  autem 
agit  aliquid  ex  aliquo  praesupposito,  agit  transmutando  ;  et  ideo 
nullum  aliud  agens  agit  nisi  transmutando,  sed  solus  Deus  agit 
creando.  Et  quia  anima  rationalis  non  potest  produci  per  trans- 
mutationem  alicujus  materiae,  ideo  non  potest  produci  nisi  a 
Deo  immediate." 

t  beninanza  :  Nannucci  (Anal.  Crit.  p.  37,  note  4)  says  that 
this  word  and  its  other  form,  benignansa,  are  not  of  the  same 
derivation,  though  often  confused  together,  chiefly,  he  thinks 
through  the  errors  of  copyists,  rather  than  of  writers.  Beninanza 
he  derives  from  the  Provengal  ben  and  anar,  i.e.  bene  andare, 
and  he  understands  it  to  signify  "  prosperity,  happiness."  Allud- 
ing to  the  present  passage,  he  observes  that  the  best  Codices 
read  benignansa^  and  not  beninanza.  I  hesitate  to  alter  my 
translation  from  "  the  Supreme  Beneficence  "  to  "  the  Supreme 
Bliss,"  but  I  quote  Nannucci's  weighty  authority,  and  leave  the 
translation  as  it  is.  Beninanza  occurs  in  Par.  xx,  99  : 

"E  vinta  vince  con  sua  beninanza." 

%  la  innamora:  Compare  with  this  the  beautiful  lines  in 
Purg.  xvi,  85-89 1 : 

"  Esce  di  mano  a  Lui,  che  la  vagheggia 

Prima  che  sia 

L'  anima  semplicetta,  che  sa  nulla, 


Canto  VII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  241 

Di  se,  si  che  poi  sempre  la  disira.* 

But  without  any  intermediary  (i.e.  without  any  opera- 
tion of  the  heavens)  the  Supreme  Beneficence  directly 
inspires  your  (human)  life,  and  so  fills  it  with  love  for 
Itself,  that  it  for  ever  afterwards  desires  it. 

Beatrice  concludes  her  long  speech  and  this  Canto  by 
showing  that  the  same  argument  is  also  true  of  Man's 
body.  That  also  was  represented  in  Gen.  i,  as  created 
by  the  hand  of  God.  And  on  this  ground,  as  in  itself 
sufficient,  Dante  is  content  to  rest  not  only  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul,  but  the  resurrection  of  the  body. 
I  state  (says  Dean  Plumptre)  his  argument  without 
discussing  it.  It  will  be  clear,  at  least,  how  remote  his 
belief  was  from  what  we  have  learnt  to  call  the  doc- 
trine of  Conditional  Immortality. 

E  quinci  *  puoi  argomentare  ancora  145 

Salvo  chej  mossa  da  lieto  fattore, 
Volentier  torna  a  cio  che  la  trastulla." 

*  disira :  Compare  Convito,  iii,  2,  11.  47-59  :  "  L'  anima  umana, 
ch'  e  forma  nobilissima  di  queste  che  sotto  il  cielo  sono  generate, 
piu  riceve  della  natura  divina  che  alcun'  altra.  E  perocche 
naturalissimo  e  in  Dio  volere  essere,  ...  1'  anima  umana  esser 
vuole  naturalmente  e  con  tutto  desiderio.  E  perocche  il  suo 
essere  dipende  da  Dio,  e  per  quello  si  conserva,  naturalmente 
disia  e  vuole  a  Dio  essere  unita  per  lo  suo  essere  fortificare." 

t  E  quinci,  etc. :  From  this  principle,  that  whatever  God 
creates,  is  eternal,  Beatrice  tells  Dante  that  he  may  necessarily 
infer  the  resurrection  of  the  human  body,  if  he  will  merely  re- 
collect that  human  flesh  was  created  by  God  when  He  created 
Adam  and  Eve.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Siitnm.  Theol. 
pars  i,  qu.  xci,  art.  2 :  "  Prima  formatio  human!  corporis  non 
potuit  esse  per  aliquam  virtutem  creatam,  sed  immediate  a 
Deo."  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  further  shows  (in  passage  already 
quoted,  pars  i,  qu.  xcvii,  art.  i,  at  1.  130)  that  the  flesh  of  our 
first  parents  was  incorruptible  and  immortal,  and  (in  pars  iii, 
qu.  xlix,  art.  3)  that  by  original  sin  Man  lost  that  dignity,  but 
afterwards  recovered  it  by  the  passion  of  Christ :  "  Satisfactio 
Christi  habet  eflfectum  in  nobis,  inquantum  incorporamur  ei,  ut 
membra  suo  capiti.  Membra  autem  oportat  capiti  conformai  i. 

I.  R 


242  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  VII. 

Vostra  resurrezion,  se  tu  ripensi 
Come  1'  umana  carne  fessi  allora, 
Che  li  primi  parenti  *  intrambo  fensi."— 

And  hence  (i.e.  from  the  principle  previously  laid 
down  that  all  that  proceeds  from  God  is  eternal) 
thou  mayest  also  deduce  argument  for  your  resur- 
rection, if  thou  consider  further  how  human  flesh 
was  formed  at  that  time  when  the  first  parents  were 
both  created." 

Et  ideo  sicut  Christus  primo  quidem  habuit  gratiam  in  anima 
cum  passibilitate  corporis,  et  per  passionem  ad  gloriam  immor- 
talitatis  pervenit ;  ita  et  nos,  qui  sumus  membra  ejus,  per  pas- 
sionem ipsius  liberamur  quidem  a  reatu  cujuslibet  poenae,  ita 
tamen  quod  primo  recipiamus  in  anima  spiritum  adoptionis 
filiorum,  quo  adscribimur  ad  haereditatem  glorias  immortalis, 
adhuc  corpus  passibile  et  mortale  habentes ;  postmodum  vero 
configurati  passionibus,  et  morti  Christi,  in  gloriam  immortalem 
perducimur." 

*  primi parenti  :  Compare  Inf.  iv,  55  : 

"  Trasseci  1'  ombra  del  primo  parente." 


END  OF  CANTO  VII. 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  243 


CANTO   VIII. 


ASCENT  TO  THE  THIRD  SPHERE  OF  HEAVEN. — THE 
SPHERE  OF  VENUS.  —  THE  SOULS  OF  THOSE 
WHO  HAVE  BEEN  UNDER  THE  INFLUENCE  OF 
VENUS  ON  EARTH.  —  CHARLES  MARTEL  OF 
HUNGARY.*— ROBERT  KING  OF  NAPLES. — THE 
REASON  OF  THE  CONSTANT  DISSIMILARITY  OF 
SONS  FROM  THEIR  FATHERS. 

IT  would  seem  that,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  long  dis- 
course of  Beatrice  related  in  the  preceding  Canto,  she 
and  Dante  commenced  ascending  into  the  Sphere  of 
Venus.  Benvenuto  divides  the  present  Canto  into 
three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  30,  Dante 
describes  the  Ascent  into  the  Sphere  of  Venus,  and 
the  spirits  he  saw  on  arrival  there. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  3 1  to  v.  84,  Dante's 

*  Charles  M artel  of  Hungary :  This  personage  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  Charles  Mattel  of  history,  the  powerful 
Mayor  of  the  Palace  and  Duke  of  Austrasia,  who  in  A.D.  732, 
between  Tours  and  Poictiers,  gained  that  great  and  decisive 
victory  over  the  Saracens,  which,  in  the  words  of  Gibbon, 
"  rescued  our  ancestors  of  Britain,  and  our  neighbours  of  Gaul, 
from  the  civil  and  religious  yoke  of  the  Koran."  The  name  of 
the  famous  Charles  Martel  is  so  universally  known,  and  that  of 
the  character  who  comes  before  us  in  this  Canto  so  much  the 
contrary,  that  it  might  have  been  expected  that  writers  on  Dante 
should  at  once  make  this  clear  to  their  readers.  Yet,  with  the 
exception  of  Mr.  Butler,  I  have  not  met  with  a  single  translator 
or  Commentator  who  has  taken  the  trouble  to  warn  his  readers 
of  the  possible  trap  they  might  fall  into. 

R    2 


244  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

interview  with  the  spirit  of  Charles  Martel  of  Hun- 
gary is  related. 

In  the  Third  Division^  from  v.  85  to  v.  148,  Dante 
seeks  and  obtains  from  Charles  Martel  an  explanation 
as  to  why,  from  a  munificent  and  worthy  father,  there 
can  descend  a  niggardly  and  degenerate  son. 

Division  I.  As  a  preliminary  (says  Casini)  to  enter- 
ing into  the  Sphere  of  Venus,  Dante,  by  way  of  ex- 
plaining how  that  name  came  to  be  given  to  the  planet, 
recalls  and  applies  to  this  particular  case  all  that 
Beatrice  told  him  in  a  general  way  in  Par.  iv,  61-63.* 
He  begins  by  showing  the  fallacy  of  the  pagan  opinions 
as  to  the  supposed  influence  of  that  planet.  They 
believed  that  the  beautiful  Venus,  revolving  upon  the 
Epicycle  of  the  Third  Sphere,  influenced  by  her  rays 
that  foolish  love  that  emanates  from  carnal  appetite. 
The  heathen  not  only  adored  Venus,  but  also  Dione 
and  Cupid,  her  supposed  mother  and  son,  who  were 
thought  to  exercise  the  same  influence,  and  one  of 
their  traditions  maintained  that  Cupid,  in  the  form  of 
Ascanius,  crept  into  the  bosom  of  Dido,  who  was  in- 
disposed to  love,  and  not  only  eradicated  her  old  love 
for  Sichaeus,  but  made  her  burn  with  love  for  .^Eneas. 
According  to  the  Ptolemaic  system,  an  Epicycle  was 
a  small  sphere  upon  which  each  planet  revolved  in 
the  direction  from  West  to  East,  at  the  same  time 
that  it  was  itself  being  carried  from  East  to  West  by 

*  See  Par.  iv,  61-63,  where,  speaking  of  the  influences  of  the 
Heavens,  Beatrice  observes : 

"  Questo  principio  male  inteso  torse 

Gia  tutto  il  mondo  quasi,  si  che  Giove, 
Mercuric  e  Marte  a  nominar  trascorse." 


Canto  VIIL      Readings  on  t/ie  Paradiso.  245 

the  Primum  Mobile.  (It  was  also  subject  to  a  third 
and  almost  insensible  revolution  of  one  degree  in  a 
hundred  years  from  West  to  East,  owing  to  the 
"  Precession  of  the  Equinoxes."  See  Com',  ii,  6, 
11.  136-144.  This  motion  is  derived  from  the  slow 
revolution  of  the  8th  Heaven,  that  of  the  Fixed  Stars, 
as  appears  from  Conv.  ii,  15,  1.  102  et  seq. ;  and  Vita 
Nuova,  §  ii,  11.  10-12.  See  Dr.  Moore's  Studies  in 
Dante,  p.  126,  note  showing  that  3,600  is  an  absurd 
blunder  for  36,000.)  Therefore  the  Epicycle  of  the 
Third  Planet,  Venus,  is  also  the  Third  Epicycle. 
Solea  creder  lo  mondo  in  suo  periclo 

Che  la  bella  Ciprigna*  il  folle  amore 
Raggiasse,  volta  nel  terzo  epiciclo  ;  t 


*  Ciprigna :  According  to  Pietro  di  Dante  the  ancients  made 
a  distinction  between  the  pure  Venus,  the  wife  of  Anchises,  the 
goddess  of  honourable  conjugal  love,  and  the  impure  Venus, 
the  wife  of  Vulcan,  and  the  mother  of  Cupid.  The  latter  Venus 
they  believe  to  have  been  born  in  Cyprus,  where  in  fact  she  had 
her  principal  temples,  at  Idalium  and  at  Paphos. 

Compare  Ovid,  Metam.  x,  270,  271 : 

"  Festa  dies  Veneri,  tota  celeberrima  Cypro, 

Venerat." 
and  Horace  i,  Carm.  iii,  I : 

"  Sic  te  diva  potens  Cypri,"  etc. 
and  Ibid,  iii,  Carm.  xxvi,  9: 

"  O  quae  beatam,  diva,  tenes  Cyprum." 

t  epiciclo :  "  Secondo  Tolomeo,  i  pianeti  facevano  i  loro  movi- 
menti  in  direzione  opposta  al  motodiurnodellarispettiva  spera, 
in  un  circolo  particolare,  che  appellavano  epiciclo^  o  perche  so- 
\  rapposto  al  circolo  chiamato  eccentrico,  sulla  circonferenza  del 
quale  sempre  dovea  trovarsi  il  centro  dell' epiciclo  ;  o  perche 
circolo  principale,  come  quello  che  doveva  rappresentare  le 
apparenze  piu  singolari,  dipendenti  dal  moto  propno  dei  pianeti. 
Ciascuno  di  questi  aveva  1'  epiciclo  suo,  tranne  il  Sole  :  quindi, 
cominciando  la  numerazione  dalla  luna,  il  terzo  epiciclo,  appar- 
teneva  alia  Stella  di  Venere."  (Antonelli,  ap.  Tommase'o.)  Com- 
pare Dante's  own  words  about  it  in  Convito  ii,  4, 11.  78-98  :  "  In 


246  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  VIII. 

Perche  non  pure  a  lei  facean  onore 

Di  sacrificio  e  di  votivo  grido  5 

Le  genti  antiche  nell'  antico  errore ; 

Ma  Dione  onoravano  e  Cupido, 

Questa  per  madre  sua,  questo  per  figlio, 
E  dicean  ch'ei  sedette  in  grembo  a  Dido;* 

sul  dosso  di  questo  cerchio  (dell'  Equatore)  nel  cielo  di  Venere 
.  .  .  e  una  speretta  che  per  se  medesima  in  esso  cielo  si  volge ; 
lo  cerchio  della  quale  gli  Astrologi  chiamano  epicido.  E  siccome 
la  grande  spera  due  poli  volge,  cosi  questa  piccola  .  .  .  e  cosi 
e  piu  nobile,  quanto  e  piu  presso  di  quello  :  e  in  su  1'  arco  ovver 
dosso  di  questo  cerchio  £  fissa  la  lucentissima  Stella  di  Venere 
.  .  .  L'  epiciclo,  nel  quale  e  fissa  la  Stella,  e  uno  cielo  per  se, 
ovvero  spera  ;  e  non  ha  una  essenza  con  quello  che  '1  porta, 
avvegnache  piu  sia  connaturale  ad  esso  che  agli  altri,  e  con 
esso  e  chiamato  uno  cielo,  e  denominansi  1'  uno  e  1'  altro  dalla 
Stella."  Dante  had  doubtless  seen  the  following  passage  in 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i.  qu.  xxxii,  art.  i)  : 
"  Sicut  in  astrologia  ponitur  ratio  excentricorum  et  epicyclorum 
ex  hoc  quod,  hac  positione  facta,  possunt  salvari  apparentia 
sensibilia  circa  motus  coelestes  ;  non  tamen  ratio  haec  est  suf- 
ficienter  probans,  quia  etiam  forte  alia  positione  facta  salvari 
possent."  On  this  quotation  Cornoldi  exclaims :  "  Notabile 
osservazione  ! "  Compare  the  beautiful  lines  in  Milton,  Par. 
Lost,  viii,  72-84 : 

"  From  Man  or  Angel  the  great  Architect 
Did  wisely  to  conceal,  and  not  divulge 
His  secrets  to  be  scanned  by  them  who  ought 
Rather  admire ;  or  if  they  list  to  try 
Conjecture,  he  his  fabric  of  the  heavens 
Hath  left  to  their  disputes,  perhaps  to  move 
His  laughter  at  their  quaint  opinions  wide 
Hereafter;  when  they  come  to  model  Heaven 
And  calculate  the  stars,  how  they  will  wield 
The  mighty  frame;  how  build,  unbuild,  contrive 
To  save  appearances  ;  how  gird  the  sphere 
With  centric  and  eccentric  scribbled  o'er, 
Cycle  and  epicycle,  orb  in  orb." 

*  sedette  in  grembo  a  Dido :  Virgil  (s£n.  i,  657-722)  relates  how 
Venus  sent  Cupid  under  the  semblance  of  Ascanius  to  excite 
feelings  of  love  in  the  breast  of  Dido;  Dante  is  more  especially 
referring  to  11.  715-722: 

"  Ille,  ubi  complexu  ^Cneae  colloque  pependit, 
Et  magnum  falsi  implevit  genitoris  amorem, 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  247 

E  da  costei,  ond'io  principio  piglio,*  10 

Pigliavano  il  vocabol  della  Stella 
Che  il  sol  vagheggia  or  da  coppa  or  da  ciglio.t 
The  world,  in  (the  time  of)  its  peril  (before  Chris- 
tianity) used  to  believe  that  the  lovely  Cyprian 
(Venus),  as  she  revolved  in  the  Third  Epicycle, 
inspired  with  her  rays  wild  love ;  and  hence  not 
to  her  alone  did  the  nations  of  old  time  (who  were) 
old  in  their  error  render  honour  of  sacrifices  and 
votive  cries :  but  honoured  also  Dione  and  Cupid, 
the  former  as  her  mother,  the  latter  as  her  son,  and 
told  how  he  sat  in  Dido's  bosom ;  and  from  her 
(Venus)  from  whom  I  am  taking  my  prelude,  they 
took  the  name  of  the  star  on  which  the  Sun  looks 
fondly,  now  behind  him,  now  in  front. 

Benvenuto  takes  /'/  sol  as  the  nominative  of  vagheggia, 

Reginam  petit.     Haec  oculis,  haec  pectore  toto 
Haeret ;  et  interdum  gremio  fovet,  inscia  Dido 
Insidat  quantus  miserae  Deus  !     At  memor  ille 
Matris  Acidaliae,  paulatim  abolere  Sychaeum 
Incipit,  et  vivo  tentat  praevertere  amore 
Jampridem  resides  animos  desuetaque  corda." 

*  principio  piglio:  Compare  this  with  two  passages  in  Vir- 
gil, iv  Georg.  316 : 

"  Unde  nova  ingressus  hominem  experientia  coepit  ?  " 
and  j£n.  iv,  284  : 

"Quae  prima  exordia  sumat?" 

t  da  coppa  .  .  .  da  ciglio :  Coppa,  from  the  Latin  Caput, 
occiput,  Old  It.  Co.  (Dante,  Inf.  xx,  76),  is  not  to  be  confused 
with  Coppa  from  the  Latin  Cuppa,  a  drinking-cup.  Coppa  in 
the  former  sense  signifies  "  La  parte  di  dietro  del  capo."  The 
word  survives  in  the  German  Kopf.  In  that  sense  we  find  it  in 
Inf.  xxv,  22 : 

"  Sopra  le  spalle,  dietro  dalla  coppa." 

From  this  it  comes  to  be  used  in  the  adverbial  expression  da 
coppa  "  behind."  And  as  coppa  expresses  the  hinder  part  of  the 
body,  so  is  ciglio  (lit.  an  eyebrow)  used  adverbially  with  da  to 
signify  "  in  front."  Frezzi  (//  Quadriregio,  lib.  i,  cap.  i),  has 
imitated  Dante : 

"  E  gia  il  cor  de'  giovinetti  Amanti 

Destava  Amore,  e  '1  raggio  della  Stella 

Che  '1  Sol  vagheggia  or  drieto  (dietro)  ed  or  davanti." 


248  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

in  which  I  follow  him,  but  some  translators  take  il  sol 
as  the  accusative.  He  says  "  che  7  sol  vagheggia,  idest, 
quam  Venerem  tanquam  vagam  suam  pulcerrimam  sol 
pulcerrimus  respicit,  or  da  coppa,  idest,  a  tergo,  et  tune 
est  occidentalis,  or  da  ciglio,  idest  a  fronte,  et  tune  est 
orientalis."  Dante  alludes  to  this  same  phenomenon 
in  Convito  ii,  2,  11.  1-5  :  "  La  stella  di  Venere  due  fiate 
era  rivolta  in  quello  suo  cerchio  che  la  fa  parere 
serotina  e  mattutina,  secondo  i  due  diversi  tempi." 
Casini  explains  this :  "  la  quale  Stella  contempla  il 
sole  ora  precedendolo  nel  mattino  (Lucifero),  ora 
seguendolo  nella  sera  (Espero)."  The  following  is 
the  substance  of  Antonelli's  remarks  on  the  subject : 

Venus  being  at  a  much  greater  distance  from  the 
Sun  than  Mercury,  it  follows  that  during  one  of  her 
revolutions  in  her  own  orbit  she  travels  much  farther 
away  from  the  Sun  ;  because  twice  during  that  period 
she  travels  out  of  reach  of  the  Sun's  rays,  and  is  seen 
sparkling  with  a  soft  but  brilliant  light,  which  renders 
her,  after  the  Sun,  the  most  radiant  of  all  the  planets. 
And  possibly  it  was  in  consequence  of  this  greater 
beauty  that  she  came  to  be  named  after  the  goddess. 
During  these  greater  digressions  from  the  Sun,  con- 
sidered from  the  position  of  our  Earth,  at  one  time 
she  follows  behind  the  Sun  in  her  daily  gyration,  and 
at  another  she  precedes  him.  In  the  first  of  these 
cases  Venus  cannot  be  seen  by  us  in  the  morning, 
because  she  does  not  rise  until  after  the  Sun  is  already 
above  our  horizon,  but  she  is  seen  at  evening  after  the 
Sun  is  set,  when  she  takes  the  name  of  Hesperus : 
but  in  the  second  case  she  is  no  longer  to  be  seen  in 
the  evening,  as  she  sets  before  the  Sun,  but  she  is 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  249 

then   fully  visible  at  dawn  before  sunrise,  at  which 
time  she  is  called  Diana*  (sic]  or  Lucifer. 

The  ascent  from  one  Sphere  into  another  Sphere 
has  been  so  rapid,  that  Dante  and  Beatrice  have 
already  entered  into  that  of  Venus,  and  Dante  only 
becomes  aware  of  his  transition  by  the  greater  loveli- 
ness of  Beatrice,  which  increases  more  and  more,  as 
they  ascend  higher  and  higher,  from  Sphere  to  Sphere, 
and  draw  nigher  to  the  glory  of  the  Almighty. -f- 
lo  non  m'  accorsi  del  salire  in  ella  ; 

Ma  d'  esservi  entro  mi  fece  assai  fede 

La  Donna  mia,  ch'  io  vidi  far  piu  bella.  15 

I  was  not  aware  of  our  ascending  into  it  (the  Sphere 
of  Venus),  but  of  our  being  there  my  Lady  gave  me 
ample  proof,  whom  I  saw  become  more  beauteous. 

Dante  now  beholds  the  bright  souls  of  those  lovers 
who  burn,  not  with  an  insensate,  but  with  a  pure  and 
angelic  love.  They  approach  Dante  and  Beatrice 
singing  a  hymn  so  sweet,  that  there  remains  in  Dante 
an  inextinguishable  thirst  te  hear  it  again. 
E  come  £  in  fiamma  favilla  si  vede, 


*  "  Diana  :"  It  is  so  in  Antonelli,  and  is  so  quoted  by  Poletto 
and  Scartazzini. 

t  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me  :  "  There  is  a  passage  in  Alfraganus 
which  shows  that  (in  a  sort  of  confused  sense)  the  heavens  were 
continuous.  I  suppose  the  Equator  of  the  speretta  forming  the 
Epicycle  of  one  "  Heaven,"  must  have  just  reached  to  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  Equator  of  the  Epicycle  of  the  next  "  Heaven" 
above  it.  Alfraganus,  quoting  Ptolemy  in  c.  21,  says:  "  inter  orbes 
nihil  est  vacui ;"  and  he  goes  on  to  explain  that  the  maximum 
distance  of  any  planet  is  the  same  as  the  minimum  distance  of 
the  planet  next  beyond  it,  and  he  then  gives  the  amount  (as  then 
believed)  of  these  distances  in  each  case." 

t  E  come,  et  seq. :  Scartazzini  most  aptly  remarks  that  the 
two  similes  that  are  given  here  by  Dante,  seem  so  terse,  so  self- 
evident,  and  so  real,  that  any  comment  upon  them  would  tend 


250  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

E  come  in  voce  voce  si  discerne, 
Quando  una  £  ferma  e  1'  altra  va  e  riede  ; 
Vid'io  in  essa  luce  altre  lucerne* 

Moversi  in  giro  piu  e  ment  correnti,  20 

Al  modo,  credo,  di  lor  viste  eterne.1 

rather  to  obscure  than  to  elucidate  them.  L.  Venturi  (Simil. 
Dant.  p.  49,  Sim.  74)  writes  :  "  Sale  il  Poeta  alia  fulgida  Stella 
di  Venere,  e  vede  altre  lucerne,  altre  anime  risplendenti.  A 
spiegare  com'ei  le  scorgesse  per  entro  il  corpo  del  lucente 
pianeta,  usa  due  similitudini  con  verita  e  brevitk,  di  cui  egli, 
sopra  tutti,  possiede  1'  arte.  Come  Jamlla  manda  guizzi  {flashes} 
di  luce  che  ben  si  distinguono  nel  campo  rosso  della  fiamma. 
E  come  voce,  etc.  Due  voci  che  cantino  all'  unisono,  paiono  una 
sola.  Ma  se  una  tenga  ferma  la  nota,  e  1'  altra  gorgheggi  [per- 
forms a  shake\,  si  discerne  questa  da  quella." 

*  altre  lucerne :  Casini  says  that  these  are  the  blessed  spirits 
of  those,  who  had  strong  feelings  of  love  in  their  lifetime,  and 
are  still  in  Heaven  dominated  by  them.  See  v.  38  below  :  "E 
sem  si  pien  d'amor,"  etc.,  and  Par.  ix,  33  : 

"  Perch£  mi  vinse  il  lume  d'  esta  Stella." 
and  ibid,  95,  96,  where  Folco  da  Marsiglia  says  : 

"  questo  cielo 
Di  me  s'  imprenta,  com'  io  fei  di  lui." 

t  piu  e  men,  etc. :  On  this  see  Lana  (copied  by  the  Anon. 
Fior.}  :  "  Qui  descrive  la  velocitk  del  moto  ch'  avea  nelli  suoi 
movimenti,  e  cio  per  allegoria  hae  a  significare  la  perfezione 
dello  amore,  in  che  fiammeggiano  le  anime  beate,  essere  diffe- 
renziata  .  .  .  Nota  che  1'autore  poetando  le  sopradette  alme 
pone  essere  nel  corpo  della  stella  e  quella  Stella  volgersi  sovra 
suo  centro  e  questo  fa  perche  lo  movimento  attribuito  a  perfette 
substanzie  dee  essere  perfetto  ;  e  circolare  si  £  desso,  come 
appare  per  lo  Filosofo  .  .  .  adunque  quelle  alme  ch'  erano  piu 
presso  lo  centro  della  Stella  si  muoveano  piu  tarde,  e  quelle  che 
erano  piu  presso  alia  circonferenzia,  piu  veloci,  e  tutte  si  moveano 
ad  uno  moto." 

£  eterne :  This  is  the  reading  of  an  overwhelming  majority  of 
the  best  MSS.  and  editions,  but  a  somewhat  important  minority, 
including  the  S.  Croce,  the  Codice  Cassinese,  Benvenuto,  and 
Witte  read  interne,  which  would  mean  "according  to  the  sepa- 
rate inward  contemplation  of  God  possessed  by  each  individual 
spirit,  which  interpretation  is,  after  all,  not  very  different  from 
the  other."  Brunone  Bianchi,  who  reads  eterne,  says :  "  In  ragione 
del  loro  eterno  vedere :  piu  o  meno  profonda  visione  in  Dio,  piu 
o  meno  rapido  il  moto."  Read  Dr.  Moore's  remarks  (Textual 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  25 1 

And  as  within  a  flame  a  spark  can  be  seen,  and  as 
within  the  voice  (of  persons  singing  in  harmony)  a 
single  voice  can  be  distinguished,  when  the  one  is 
sustained  and  the  other  comes  and  goes ;  so  saw  I 
within  that  light  other  luminaries  coursing  with  a  cir- 
cular movement  with  greater  or  less  speed,  accord- 
ing, as  I  imagine,  to  the  measure  of  their  eternal 
vision. 

The  lights  approach  nearer  with  great  rapidity,  and 
a  sweet  song  is  heard. 

Di  fredda  nube  non  disceser  venti, 
O  visibili  o  no,*  tanto  festini,t 
Che  non  paressero  impediti  e  lenti 

A  chi  avesse  quei  lumi  divini  25 

Criticism,  p.  477)  on  Par.  xxiii,  115,  where,  while  showing  that 
in  that  passage  interna  is  to  be  preferred,  he  says  :  "The  differ- 
ence between  eterna  and  interna  (which  in  the  old  type  is  written 
(I  terna  or  iternd)  is  very  slight,  and  several  cases  occur  of  the 
interchange  of  these  two  words  (e.g.  Par.  xvii,  9,  etc.,  and  even 
in  Inf.  iii,  2  (!)  auct.  Witte,  Prolegomena,  p.  Ix." 

*  O  visibili  o  no  :  "  This  passage,  if  not  directly  quoted  from 
Aristotle's  Meteor,  iii,  i,  is  evidently  founded  upon  it,  and  is 
certainly  to  be  explained  by  it.  We  may  note  especially  the 
following  passage  in  Meteor,  iii,  i  (370  b.  32)  :  '.  .  .  rb  trvtv^a.  IK 
ToD  vtfyovs  ffTpt<t>€Tai  fitv  KVK\<?  rb  irpurov  5jek  r^v  flpr)fitvr)i'  alriaf,  tytprrcu 
8e  KO.TU  5(i  rb  Ati  ret  vf<pr)  irvKVOvffOat,  77  tuirtirTei  rb  Oepfjiov  KoXftrai  8', 
&v  aXp<a(i.driffTov  »j,  TOVTO  rb  irdOos  rvipuiv','  K.  T.  \.  Hence  we  recog- 
nize (i)  the  descent  of  the  storm  from  the  cloud ;  (2)  the  presence 
of  cold  as  the  cause ;  and  (3)  the  curious  expression  &xpaWT«<"'0'', 
explaining  the  insertion  of  the  words  '  o  visibili  o  no.'  For  Aris- 
totle held  lightning  to  be  simply  wind  rendered  visible  by  ignition. 
See  Meteor,  ii,  ix  (369  b.  6),  '  xal  TOUT'  $<TTIV  ty  KO.\OV/J.(I>  iffTpair^v,  fj 
&i>  &ffirtp  tKiriiTTov  T'birvfv^.a.-^pufjia.Ti.ffQtv  o(f>0fj';  and  again,  DeMundo, 
C.  iv  (395  a.  15),  '  irvpuBtv  Tb  irueDjua  Kal  \d^av  iurrpa-ir^i  \tytTai.' 
Hence  Dante's  simile,  when  interpreted  by  Aristotle,  includes 
the  comparison  of  swift  motion  to  either  lightning  or  hurricane, 
i.e.  venti  visibili  o  no.  It  will  be  observed  that  several  quota- 
tions show  the  familiarity  of  Dante  with  this  particular  portion 
of  Aristotle."  (Dr.  Moore's  Studies  in  Dante,  pp.  132,  133). 

+  festini :  Compare  Par.  iii,  61: 

"  Per6  non  fui  a  rimembrar  festino." 


252  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

Veduti  a  noi  venir,  lasciando  il  giro* 
Pria  cominciato  in  gli  alti  Serafini. 
E  dentro  a  quei  che  piii  innanzi  appariro,t 
Sonava  Osanna  si  che  unque  poi 
Di  riudir  non  fui  senza  disiro.  30 

Never  from  icy  cloud  did  winds,  whether  visible  or 
no,  descend  with  such  swiftness,  that  they  would  not 
have  seemed  restrained  and  slow  to  one  who  had 
seen  those  lights  divine  coming  towards  us,  (and) 
desisting  from  the  circling  that  had  been  first  begun 
by  the  Seraphim  on  high.  And  from  the  midst  of 
those  (spirits)  that  were  the  foremost  to  appear  there 
was  sounding  Hosannah  in  (a  strain  of)  such  sweet- 
ness that  never  afterwards  was  I  without  desire  of 
hearing  it  again. 

*  lasciando  il  giro,  et  seq. :  This  means  that  the  new  spirits 
interrupted  their  dance,  or  circular  movement,  which  they  had 
commenced  in  the  Empyrean.  Scartazzini  quotes  the  following 
from  the  Commentary  (apparently  on  this  Canto  only)  of  Aless- 
andro  Mariotti,  Rimini,  1878:  "Interrompendo  la  danza,  che  ha 
il  suo  principio  insieme  coll'  altissimo  cielo  detto  il  Primo  Mobile 
preseduto  dal  coro  dei  Serafini,  il  quale  cielo  aggira  seco  tutti  gli 
altri  cieli  sottoposti.  Que'  santi  adunque  che  nel  cielo  Empireo 
danzavano  insieme  coi  Serafini  (i  piu  sublimi  degli  spiriti  beati) 
discesi  in  Venere,  per  scontrare  Dante  e  fargli  oneste  e  liete 
accoglienze,  continuavano  ancora  la  loro  danza,  e  non  la  lascia- 
rono  se  non  quando  egli  vi  fu  giunto."  Scartazzini  does  not 
mention  this  commentary  of  Mariotti's  among  the  authors  in  the 
list  at  the  head  of  his  Milan  Commentary  (1893),  but  in  his 
Leipzig  Commentary  (1882)  in  the  footnote  at  the  beginning  of 
this  Canto,  he  says :  "  Oltre  i  soliti  commenti  ed  i  lavori  speciali 
che  andremo  menzionando,si  confronti  sopra  questocanto  il  com- 
mento  altrettanto  magro  che  -vasto  (?)  pubblicato  da  Alessandro 
Mariotti,  .  .  .  Rimini,  1878;  volume  di  92  pagine."  See  also 
Pietro  di  Dante.  •  It  may  be  remarked  that,  although  the  Sera- 
phim were  supposed  by  Dante  to  preside  over  the  Ninth  Heaven, 
the  Primum  Mobile,  or  del  Stellate,  yet  all  the  spirits  in  Heaven, 
whatever  their  rank,  were  simultaneously  inmates  of  the  Em- 
pyrean as  well  as  of  their  own  allotted  Spheres. 

t  quei  che  piu  innanzi  appariro :  Benvenuto  says  that  this 
refers  to  Charles  Martel,  Cunizza,  Folco  of  Marseilles,  and 
Rahab. 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Par adiso.  253 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  if  the  spirits  in  the  Sphere 
of  Mercury  sang  with  such  sweetness  as  they  departed, 
how  far  more  sweetly  would  those  in  Venus  do  so  as 
they  approached. 

Division  II.     The  spirit  of  Charles  Martel  of  Hun- 
gary approaches  Dante,  and  addresses  him. 
Indi  si  fece  1'un*  piu  presso  a  noi, 

E  solo  incominci6 : — "  Tutti  sem  presti 
Al  tuo  piacer,  perch£  di  noi  ti  gioi. 

*  /'  un :     Among   the   numerous   accounts   that  have    been 
written  of  Carlo  Martello,  or  Charles  Martel,  I  select  that  of 
Brunone  Bianchi.     This  prince  was  the  eldest  son  of  Charles  II, 
King  of  Naples  and  Apulia  (surnamed  le  Boiteux^  or  il  Ciotto) 
and  of  Mary  of  Hungary,  the  daughter  of  Stephen  V,  and  sister 
of  Ladislaus  IV,  King  of  Hungary.     Ladislaus  dying  in  1290, 
Charles  Martel,  by  right  of  his  mother,  became  the  legitimate 
heir  of  the  throne  of  Hungary  ;  although  the  prince  that  really 
did  reign  was  his  rival  Andrew  III,  who  died  in  1301.     Charles 
Martel  himself  died  in  1295,  at  the  age  of  23,  while  his  father 
was  still  living  ;  but  in  1291  he  had  married  Clemence,  daughter 
of  Rudolph  of  Hapsburg,  Emperor  of  Germany,  by  which  mar- 
riage he  had  a  son  called  Carl  Robert,  by  contraction  Carobert, 
who  was  recognized  and  elected  King  of   Hungary  in    1308. 
Charles  II  of  Naples,  who  died  in  1309,  thinking  that  Carobert, 
the  first-born  of  his  eldest  son  was  sufficiently  provided  for, 
and  that  his  (Charles  II's)  second  son  Louis,  was  Bishop  of 
Toulouse,  made  his  third  son  Robert,  Duke  of  Calabria,  the 
heir  of  his  dominions.     Carobert  by  no  means  acquiescing  in 
this  arbitrary  act  of  his  grandfather,  laid  claim  to  the  succession 
both  to  the  Kingdom  of  Naples  and  the  County  of  Provence  by 
right  of  sonship  to  the  eldest  son  of  Charles  II.     The  matter 
being  referred  to  the  judgment  of  Pope  Clement  V,  he  decided 
in  favour  of  Robert.     Charles  Martel  thus  was  only  titular  King 
of  Hungary,  and  never  sat  on  the  throne.      Benvenuto  relates 
the  private   friendship   that   existed  between   Dante  and  this 
young  prince,  and  the  attractive  qualities  of  the  latter  :  "  Carolus 
primogenitus,  cognomento  Martellus,  juvenis  magnae  indolis, 
fuit  vere  filius  Veneris  quia  amorosus,  gratiosus,  vagus,  habens 
.  .  .  sanitatem,  pulchritudinem,opulentiam,  otium,  et  juventutem. 
Cum  isto  Dantes  habuit  certain  familiaritatem  [intimate  friend- 
ship]^ cum  venisset  semel  Klorentiam  cum  ducentis  juvenibus 
militibus  accinctis  in  pari  habitu  vestium,  et  equis  magnifice 


254  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VI II. 

Noi  ci  volgiam  coi  principi  celesti* 

D'  un  giro,  e  d'  un  girare,  e  d'  una  sete,  35 

Ai  quali  tu  del  mondo  gik  dicesti : 

ornatis  more  neapolitano ;  .  .  .  cum  plausu  receptus  est  a 
florentinis  :  venerat  enim  obviam  patri,  qui  redibat  de  Gallia, 
facta  pace  cum  domino  Jacobo  rege  Aragonum,  apud  quern 
habebat  tres  filios  obsides,  scilicet  Robertum,  Raymundum  et 
Johannem  :  quo  tempore  Dantes  florebat  in  patria,  juvenis 
viginti  quinque  annorum  ;  qui  tune  ardens  amore,  vacans  sonis 
et  cantibus,uncis  amoris  promeruit  gratiam  istius  juvenis  Caroli." 
Prof.  Isidoro  del  Lungo  (Dino  Comp.  vol.  ii,  pp.  498-504)  deals  at 
length  with  the  question  concerning  the  date  at  which  Charles 
Martel  and  Dante  met  at  Florence,  which  he  feels  sure  was  in 
March  1294.  Del  Lungo  speaks  with  great  admiration  of  the 
"modo  ampio  e  magnifico  come  Giovanni  Villani  (viii,  13)  de- 
scrive  la  venuta  di  esso  Carlo  Martello  e  il  non  breve  e  festeg- 
giato  soggiorno  di  lui  in  Firenze  nell'anno  1295."  This  date 
Del  Lungo  thinks  is  incorrect.  He  quotes  an  important  docu- 
ment dated  31  March  1294  from  the  State  Archives  of  Florence 
(Provvisioni,  Protocolli,  ii,  c.  117),  in  which  a  certain  expenditure 
is  sanctioned  to  purchase  cloth  of  gold  "  pro  honorando  Karolum 
Jerusalem  et  Sicilie  regem  illustrem,  et  dominam  reginam 
uxorem  suam,  et  etiam  dominum  Karolum  regem  Ungarie,  in 
adventum  quem  nuper  fecerunt  ad  civitatem  Florentie."  And 
Del  Lungo  sums  up  :  "  Eccoci  veramente  all'incontro  in  Firenze 
fra  i  due  angioini :  il  re  di  Sicilia  che  veniva  d'oltremonti  [reduce 
dalle  carceri  di  Catalogna\  e  il  re  d'  Ungheria  che  veniva  da 
Napoli  ;  lo  Zoppo  e  il  Martello  ;  incontro  mal  registrato  dal 
Villani  sotto  il  1295."  Del  Lungo  further  quotes  from  another 
State  Document  (dated  5  May  1294)  in  which  it  is  mentioned 
that  the  Comune  of  Florence  sent  a  body  of  ambassadors,  pre- 
sided over  by  Vieri  de'  Cerchi,  to  go  and  meet  Charles  Martel 
at  Siena.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  word  Martello  as  a  proper 
name  does  not  once  occur  in  Dante's  works.  The  surname  of 
Martel  does  not  imply  a  hammer,  but  is  merely  a  common 
mediaeval  form  for  Martin. 

*  principi  celesti :  In  the  Commedia,  Dante  followed  the 
classification  of  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  who  supposed  each 
of  the  Spheres  of  Heaven  to  be  under  the  motive  power  of  one 
of  the  nine  Orders  of  Angels.  The  Heaven  of  Venus  was  moved 
by  the  Order  called  "the  Principalities,"  of  whom  Pietro  di 
Dante  says  :  "  Isti  motores  tertii  coeli  dicuntur  principatus  ideo 
quod  sibi  sub  dictis  [?  subditis]  quae  sunt  agenda  disponunt,  et 
eis  ad  explenda  divina  mysteria  principantur,  secundum  Magis- 
trum  Sententiarum." 


Canto  VIII.       Readings  on  tlte  Paradise.  255 

Voi  che  intendendo*  il  terzo  del  movete  ; 
E  sem  si  pien  d'  amor  che,  per  piacerti, 
Non  fia  men  dolce  un  poco  di  qui'ete." — 

Then  one  of  them  drew  nearer  to  us,  and  thus  began 
by  himself:  "We  are  all  of  us  ready  to  do  thy  plea- 
sure in  order  that  thou  mayest  have  joy  in  us.  In 
one  orbit,  in  one  circling,  in  one  same  thirst,  are  we 
rolling  on  with  the  Princes  of  Heaven  (i.e.  the  An- 
gelic Order  called  the  Principalities),  to  whom  thou 

*  intendendo :  This  is  the  first  line  of  the  first  Canzone  at  the 
opening  of  Convito  ii.  And  in  Conv.  ii,  6,  11.  154-161,  Dante 
writes  :  "  La  forma  nobilissima  del  cielo,  che  ha  in  se  principio 
di  questa  natura  passiva,  gira  toccata  da  virtu  motrice  che 
questo  intende  ^willing  it  so  to  move."  Miss  Hillard's  Transla- 
tion] :  e  dico  toccata,  non  corporalmente,  per  tatto  di  virtu,  la 
quale  si  dirizza  in  quello.  E  questi  Movitori  sono  quelli,  alii 
quali  s' intende  di  parlare."  It  must  be  observed  here  that  while 
Dante,  in  the  Divina  Commedia,  followed  Dionysius  the  Areo- 
pagite  in  his  classification  of  the  motors  of  the  Heavens,  as  he 
himself  tells  in  Par.  xxviii,  127-135  ;  on  the  other  hand,  in  the 
Convito,  his  classification  seems  to  be  that  of  Gregory  the 
Great,  so  that  in  the  Paradiso  the  motors  of  the  third  Heaven 
are  called  Principati,  while  in  the  Convito  they  are  termed 
Troni.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  composition  of  this 
Canzone,  the  date  of  which  is  precisely  fixed  for  us  by  Dante  in 
the  Convito,  coincides  exactly  with  the  time  of  the  visit  of 
Charles  Martel  to  Florence,  which  was  in  March  1294,  as 
established  by  Del  Lungo  and  others.  In  Convito  ii,  2,  Dante 
says  that  the  interval  between  the  death  of  Beatrice  and 
his  first  sight  of  the  Donna  Gentile  correspond  with  two 
revolutions  of  Venus  in  her  Epicycle,  i.e.,  according  to  the 
received  Ptolemaic  Astronomy,  2  x  225  days,  i.e.  450  days,  or 
15  months,  after  June  1290.  In  other  words,  it  was  in  Sep- 
tember 1291.  In  Convito  ii,  13,  11.  49-70,  we  are  told  that  this 
Canzone  was  composed  about  30  months  afterwards,  i.e.,  in 
March  1294.  Can  we  doubt  that  Dante  then  communicated  it 
to  his  royal  friend,  who  probably  expressed  his  admiration  of 
it?  The  death  of  Charles  occurred  within  the  year,  and  the 
friends  do  not  appear  to  have  met  again.  It  is  a  touching  inci- 
dent that  their  first  greeting  in  Paradise  should  recall  the  words 
of  the  song  which  was  associated  with  their  last  intercourse  on 
earth !  See  further  the  admirable  article  on  the  Donna  Pietosa 
by  Dr.  Carpenter  in  a  recent  number  of  the  Transactions  of 
the  American  Dante  Society. 


256  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  VIII. 

once  when  in  the  world  didst  say :  Ye  whose  Intelli- 
gence the  Third  Heaven  moves:  and  we  are  so  filled 
with  love,  that  to  please  thee  a  little  repose  will  not 
be  less  blissful." 

Lana  paraphrases  this :  "  We  blessed  spirits  are 
moving  in  harmony  with  that  same  motion  with 
which  the  Principalities  or  Angels  of  the  Third 
Sphere  are  moved  by  Eternal  Love,  which  keeps  us 
within  the  limits  of  the  same  measure,  of  the  same 
desire,  of  the  same  affection,  as  is  in  the  ardent 
longing  (intendimento}  of  the  aforesaid  Angels  which 
this  region  owns  ;  and  therefore  we  are  like  unto 
them." 

Dante,  before  venturing  to  reply  to  these  gracious 
words  of  the  spirit  of  Charles  Martel,  looks  at 
Beatrice,  and  from  her  beaming  eyes  receives  the 
tacit  permission  which  he  sought. 

Poscia*  che  gli  occhi  miei  si  furo  offerti  40 

Alia  mia  donna  riverenti,  ed  essa 
Fatti  gli  avea  di  se  content!  e  certi, 

Rivolsersi  alia  luce,  che  promessa 


*  Poscia  che  gli  occhi,  et  seq. :  Scartazzini  cannot  resist  ex- 
pressing his  admiration  for  the  beauty  of  these  six  lines  : 
"  Prima  di  parlare  a  quello  spirito  beato,  Dante  si  volge  a 
Beatrice  per  averne  1'  assenso.  Non  occorrono  parole.  Uno 
sguardo  dell'  interrogante,  un  sorriso  dell'  interrogata,  e  basta. 
Quindi  il  Poeta  si  rivolge  nuovamente  alia  risplendente  anima, 
che  con  tanta  cortesia  si  era  offerta  pronta  al  suo  piacere,  e  la 
prega,  con  voce  improntata  di  grande  affetto,  di  manifestargli 
chi  ella  sia.  £  la  solita  domanda  che  Dante  suol  fare  a  quelle 
anime  che  non  conosce  a  prima  vista.  Ma  quale  e  quanta 
maestriadi  espressione  !  Recitandogli  il  primo  verso  di  una  sua 
Canzone,  quest'  anima  gli  aveva  dato  chiaro  segno  d'  averlo 
conosciuto  in  terra  ;  onde  il  desiderio  ch'  egli  send  di  conos- 
cerla,  fu  piu  grande,  che  non  quello  di  conoscere  Piccarda  nella 
Luna  e  Giustiniano  in  Mercuric  :  quindi  la  voce  scolpita  digran 
forza  d'  affetto.  S\  forte  fu  /'  affettuoso  grido;  Inf.  v,  87." 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  257 

Tanto  s'  avea,  e  : — "  Di'  chi  siete," — fue 

La  voce  mia  di  grande  affetto  impressa.  45 

After  that  my  eyes  had  been  reverently  turned  to- 
wards my  Lady,  and  she  had  made  them  content  and 
certain  of  herself  (i.e.  of  her  assent),  they  turned  back 
to  the  Light  (i.e.  spirit)  which  had  made  so  large 
a  promise  of  itself,  and  :  "  Say  who  are  you  ?  "  was 
my  speech,  imprinted  by  great  affection. 

Notice  that  Dante  addresses  the  spirit  with  the 
reverential  voi  instead  of  tu,  though  some  read  Di'  chi 
set  tu.*  Benvenuto  reads  siete,  and  comments  :  " la 
voce  mia  impressa  di  grande  affetto,  idest,  informata 
magna  affectione  similis  voci  Caroli,  fue,  idest,  fuit 
talis  deh  !  chi  siete,  quasi  dicat :  suppliciter  petivi  cum 
reverentia  magna,  rogo  vos  dignemini  dicere  mihi  quis 
estis  .  .  .  et  loquitur  in  plurali  ad  majorem  reveren- 
tiam."  Dante  must  have  had  some  intuitive  per- 
ception that  he  was  addressing  a  great  personage. 
In  Par.  iii,  40,  et  seq.  he  asks  his  kinswoman  Pic- 
carda  first  for  her  own  individual  name  in  the  second 
person  singular,  and  then  for  information  as  to  the 
lot  of  herself  and  her  companions  collectively  in 
the  plural :  se  mi  contenti  del  nome  tuo,  e  della  vostra 
sorte. 


*  Scartazzini  shows  that  the  reading  Df  chi  siete  was  almost 
universal  in  the  Old  Editions  and  MSS.  Danielle  was  the  first 
to  object  to  the  combination  of  the  singular  Di'  with  the  plural 
siete.  But  Parenti  replied  that  Dante  had  used  the  same  com- 
bination when  addressing  his  ancestor  Cacciaguida  :  Voi  siete 
il  padre  mio.  I  may  remark,  moreover,  that  modern  usage 
sanctions  such  expressions  as  Vostra  Maesta,  Vostra  Eccellenza, 
Vostra  Signoria,  followed  by  the  third  person  singular.  As  an 
instance,  take  the  first  line  of  Giusti's  beautiful  ode  entitled 
Sanf  Ambrogio,  which  begins  ironically  addressing  the  Austrian 
Minister  of  Police: 

"  Vgstra  Eccellenza  che  mi  sta  in  cagnesco  "  etc. 

I.  S 


258  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VI II. 

The  spirit  of  Charles  Martel,  on  hearing  the  voice 
of  his  formerly  much  loved  friend,  testifies  his  joy  by 
assuming  a  radiance  so  brilliant  as  to  call  forth  from 
Dante  an  exclamation  of  wonder. 

E  quanta  e  quale*  vid'  io  lei  far  piue 

Per  allegrezza  nuova  che  s'  accrebbe, 
Quand'  io  parlai,  all'  allegrezze  sue  ! 

And  how  greatly  I  saw  it  increase  in  size  and  bril- 
liancy from  the  new  delight  that  was  superadded  to 
its  delights  when  I  spoke  ! 

Charles   then    addresses    Dante   in   terms    of    great 

affection. 

Cosi  fatta,t  mi  disse : — "  II  mondo  m'  ebbe 

Giu  poco  tempo  ;  e  se  piu  fosse  stato,  50 

Molto  sark  di  mal,£  che  non  sarebbe. 

*  qtianta  e  quale :  Cornoldi  observes  that  the  spirit  for  glad- 
ness exhibited  itself  greater  as  regards  quantity,  and  more 
luminous  as  regards  quality.  The  spirits  here  in  Paradise  no 
longer  make  an  appearance  as  shades,  in  the  way  that  Dante 
was  supposed  to  have  seen  them  in  Hell  and  in  Purgatory,  but 
rather  as  lights  which  demonstrate  their  affection  by  rendering 
themselves  more  or  less  great,  or  more  or  less  luminous.  Com- 
pare Virgil,  ALn.  ii,  274,  275  : 

"  Hei  mihi  !  qualis  erat !  quantum  mutatus  ab  illo 

Hectore,  qui  redit  exuvias  indutus  Achillei !" 
and  Ibid,  591,  592  : 

"  Alma  parens,  confessa  Beam,  qualisque  videri 
Coelicolis  et  quanta  solet." 

t  Cos),  fatta :  There  are  a  few  Commentators,  among  whom 
is  Buti,  who  read  Cos\  fatta  as  the  opening  words  spoken  by  the 
spirit  of  Charles  ;  but  the  overwhelming  majority  understand 
the  words  as  those  of  Dante  describing  Charles.  Scartazzini 
remarks  that  the  context  renders  it  evident  that  Dante  meant  to 
say  :  "  That  glorious  light  made  itself  greater  and  more  lumi- 
nous in  that  act  of  glowing  joy,  and,  thus  transformed  (cosl 
fattd),  said  to  me,"  etc. 

|  Molto  sara  di  ma/,  et  seq.  :  The  Ottimo  thinks  this  to 
mean  that,  had  Charles  remained  longer  in  the  world  than  he 
did,  he  would  have  so  negotiated  matters  between  Sicily  and 
Aragon  as  to  put  an  end  to  the  devastating  wars  which  had  so 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  259 

La  mia  letizia  mi  ti  tien  celato, 

Che  mi  raggia  dintorno,  e  mi  nasconde 
Quasi  animal  di  sua  seta  fasciato.* 

Assai  m'  amasti,  ed  avesti  bene  onde  ;  55 

Che,  s'  io  fossi  giu  stato,  io  ti  mostrava 
Di  mio  amor  piii  oltre  che  le  fronde. 

Thus  fashioned  (i.e.  altered  in  appearance)  it  said 
to  me :  "  The  world  below  possessed  me  (but)  a 
short  time ;  and  had  it  been  for  longer,  much  evil 
that  will  befall,  had  never  chanced.  My  gladness 
which  radiates  around  me  keeps  me  concealed  from 
thee,  and  hides  me  like  an  animal  (i.e.  a  silk  worm) 
enswathed  in  its  own  silk.  Much  didst  thou  love 
me,  and  hadst  good  cause  thereto ;  for  had  I  re- 
mained on  earth  (giu),  I  would  have  shown  thee 
somewhat  more  of  my  love  than  the  leaves. 

Charles  would  have  let  Dante  taste  of  the  fruit  of 
his  love,  and  not  alone  to  gaze  upon  the  blossoms 
and  foliage  that  precede  the  fruit.  There  is  an 
allusion  here  to  the  existence  of  a  real  friendship 
between  Dante  and  the  royal  spirit,  and,  as  Scartaz- 

long  continued.  The  Postillatore  Cassinese  has :  "  Quia  melius 
stetisset  regnum  de  curialitate  mea  (t.  e.  of  Charles)  quam  de 
avaritia  Roberti." 

*  di  sua  seta  fasciato :  See  Venturi,  Simil.  Dant.  p.  273,  Sim. 
450:  "  La  mia  letiziante  beatitudine  mi  circonda  di  raggi  si  che 
cela  a  te  il  mio  aspetto,  come  filugello  [a  caterpillar]  si  nas- 
conde nel  suo  bozzolo  [cocoon].  Nuovo  e  ingegnoso  il  paragone 
dei  ricchi  e  lucenti  stami  [threads],  di  cui  si  cinge  il  baco  da 
seta,  con  la  fiamnjeggiante  letizia,  onde  son  circondati  i  celesti 
per  ricchezza  di  sublimata  natura."  Venturi  adds  that  Dante 
uses  the  word  fasciato  metaphorically  to  express  the  same  idea 
in  Par.  xxvi,  135,  where  Adam,  speaking  of  the  Supreme  Good, 
says: 

"  Onde  vien  la  letizia  che  mi  fascia." 

The  Dantesque  idea  has  been  poorly  imitated  by  Fazio  degli 
Uberti,  Dittamondo,  lib.  i,  cap.  v : 

"  D'  alpi,  di  mari,  e  di  fiume  s'  inreta 

La  terra,  perche  1'  uomo  alcuna  volta 
Ci  e  preso,  come  verme,  che  s'  inseta." 

S  2 


260  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

zini  points  out,  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that,  had  it 
not  been  a  fact,  Dante  would  have  made  in  his  poem 
the  erroneous  assertion  of  intimacy  with  a  royal  per- 
sonage, when  such  an  assertion  would  at  once  have 
covered  him  with  the  ridicule  of  his  contemporaries. 

Although  it  is  probable  that   the   friendship  was 

formed  on  the  occasion,  alluded  to  above,  of  Charles's 

visit  to  Florence  in  1294,  when  with  his  splendidly 

equipped    retinue   of    200    French    and    Neapolitan 

knights,  he  remained  there  (says  Villani)  21  days, 

and  showed  great  love  to  the  Florentines  ;  yet  we 

know   nothing   for    certain,    and    the    sole   proof  of 

Dante's   intimacy   with    Charles    Martel    rests   upon 

N-  55-57  °f  this  Canto,  and  the  allusions  thereto  by 

the  old  Commentators  ;  although  we  hear  from  them 

nothing  more  detailed  than  is  to  be  found  in  Benve- 

nuto's    account    given    above.      De    Gubernatis    (// 

Paradiso  di  Dante,  Firenze,  1887)  surmises  that  Dante 

must  have  met  Charles,  before  the  time  of  his  own 

exile,  at  Florence,  and  entertained  a  warm  affection 

for  him,  and  possibly  have  anticipated  his  being  some 

day  called  to  the  Imperial  throne  and  doing  for  Italy 

what  other  Emperors  had  neglected  to  do  ;  and  De 

Gubernatis  thinks  that  Charles's  allusion  to  "  showing 

Dante  something  more  than  the  leaves  of  his  love," 

might  imply  that  had  he  ever  come  to  the  Imperial 

throne,  he  might  have  confided  to  Dante,  as  the  only 

mind  capable  of  grasping  the  full  importance  of  the 

Imperial   idea,   the   supreme   control   of  the   State. 

Bartoli    (Storia   delta   Letteratura   Italiana,    vol.    vi, 

parte  ii,  p.  143,  et  seq.}  asks  how  it  is  that  Dante  has 

gone  out  of  his  way  to  put  into  Paradise  as  one  of 


Canto  viii.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  261 

the  blessed,  this  young  Anjou  prince,  who  had  done 
nothing  great  in  the  world  ?  Why  should  Dante, 
who  is  so  inveterately  fierce  in  his  denunciations  of 
the  father,  the  hated  Charles  the  Lame,  be  so  tender 
with  the  son,  who,  though  titular  King  of  Hungary, 
yet  died  at  the  age  of  23,  without  having  achieved  a 
single  deed  in  his  short  life  to  render  him  famous  ? 
Why  should  Dante  place  him  in  Paradise  as  one  of 
the  very  few  of  his  contemporaries  whom  he  does 
mention  as  being  there  ?  It  may  have  been  because 
Dante  wished  to  requite  the  personal  kindness  he 
had  received  from  Charles  ;  it  may  have  been  that 
Charles  was  a  great  admirer  of  Dante's  poetry,  a  verse 
from  which  Dante  represents  him  as  quoting.  Bartoli, 
however,  is  far  more  disposed  to  think  that  the  real 
reason  why  Dante  has  introduced  Charles  Martel  into 
his  Paradise  is  for  the  express  purpose  of  putting  into 
his  mouth  a  stern  reprobation  of  his  brother  Robert, 
"  the  king  only  fit  for  preaching,"  (Par.  viii,  147), 
"  the  avaricious  niggard  "  ibid.  83,  84),  who,  as  a 
usurper,  was  then  sitting  upon  the  throne  that  should 
rightly  have  belonged  to  Carobert,  son  of  the  elder 
brother  Charles  Martel ;  and,  last  but  not  least,  be- 
cause that  same  Robert,  whose  Vicar  Ranieri  di 
Zaccaria  of  Orvieto,  in  1315,  had  pronounced  against 
Dante  a  new  sentence  of  banishment  and  death,  a 
sentence  which  included  also  even  Dante's  sons. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Charles  Martel,  who  up  to  this 
point  has  been  speaking  of  the  good  dispositions  of 
his  mind  towards  Dante,  now  goes  on  to  describe  the 
vast  dominions  over  which  by  right  he  should  have 
reigned.  These  are,  (a)  the  Countship  of  Provence ; 


262  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

(b)   the    Kingdom   of  Naples   and   Apulia;    (c)   the 
Kingdom  of  Hungary ;  (d]  the  Kingdom  of  Sicily. 

Raymond  Berenger,  Count  of  Provence,  had  four 
daughters.  The  three  elder  having  espoused  crowned 
heads,  namely,  the  King  of  France,  the  King  of 
England,  and  the  elected  King  of  the  Romans  (see 
footnote  to  Canto  vi,  133),  Raymond's  sovereignty 
was  inherited  by  his  fourth  daughter  Beatrice.  She 
married  Charles  of  Anjou,  who  afterwards  became 
Charles  I,  King  of  Naples  and  Sicily,  and  their  son 
Charles  II  (le  Boiteux]  was  the  father  of  Charles 
Martel.  He,  therefore,  as  eldest  son,  should  have 
succeeded  to  the  County  of  Provence,  as  well  as  to 
the  Kingdom  of  Naples. 

Quella  sinistra  riva  che  si  lava 

Di  Rodano,  poi  ch'  e  misto  con  Sorga,* 

Per  suo  signore  a  tempo  m'  aspettava  :  60 

E  quel  cornot  d'Ausonia,  che  s'imborgat 

*  Sorga :  La  Sorgue  is  a  small  river  which  falls  into  the 
Rhone  about  five  miles  north  of  Avignon.  It  takes  its  rise  in 
the  celebrated  fountain  of  Vaucluse,  memorable  for  its  connexion 
with  Petrarch.  Benvenuto  says  :  "  Sorgia  fluvius  purissimus 
admiscetur  ipsi  Rhodano  apud  Avinionem,  cujus  fons  est  notis- 
simus  diebus  nostris  potissime,  quia  novissimus  poeta  Petrarcha 
ibi  diu  suum  studium  fecit,  et  magnam  partem  librorum  suorum." 
The  Sorgue  and  the  Rhone  formed  the  western  boundary  of 
the  County  of  Provence. 

t  quel  corno :  The  southern  part  of  Italy,  which  then  formed 
the  kingdom  of  Naples  and  Apulia,  takes  a  curve  to  the  south 
something  like  a  horn.  Its  extremities  were  to  the  east,  Bari 
in  Apulia ;  to  the  west,  Gaeta  in  Campania ;  and  to  the  south, 
Catena  in  Calabria.  Its  northern  boundaries  were  the  river 
Tronto  on  the  Adriatic  side  of  the  Apennines  ;  and  the  Verde, 
or  Garigliano,  on  the  Mediterranean  side.  This  territory  was  in 
Dante's  time  generally  termed  the  Kingdom  of  Apulia,  the  con- 
tinental portion  of  the  Kingdom  of  Naples.  Sicily  had  already 
been  lost  to  the  kingdom. 

t  ?  imborga:  The  Gran  Dizionario  merely  gives  the  meaning 
"  is  filled  with  towns."  Longfellow  translates  "  is  towned."  But 


Canto  VIII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  263 

Di  Bari,  di  Gaeta  e  di  Catena,* 
Da  ove  Tronto  e  Verdet  in  mare  sgorga. 
That  left  bank  which  is  laved  by  Rhone,  after  he  has 
been  mingled  with  the  Sorgue,  awaited  me  for  its 
lord   in   due   course   of  time.      And  that  horn   of 
Ausonia  (Italy)  which  has  for   its    suburbs    (i.e.    is 
bounded  by)  Bari,  Gaeta,  and  Catena,  (beginning) 
from  where  Tronto  (to  the  east)  and  Verde  (i.e.  the 
Garigliano  to  the  west)  fall  into  the  sea. 
Charles  Mattel  then  describes  the  Kingdom  of  Hun- 
gary, of  which  he  became  de  jure   King,   and  was 

I  very  much  prefer  the  interpretation  given  by  Casini,  and  which 
is  also  adopted  by  Haselfoot,  who,  in  his  note,  says  that  the 
literal  meaning  of  1.  61  is  that  the  territory  "makes  suburbs" 
of  these  three  towns,  i.e.  they  are  at  its  extremities.  Casini 
says  :  "  Per  borghi  s'  intendevano  nel  medioevo  i  gruppi  di  case 
posti  alle  estremitk  delle  cittk,  fuori  delle  mura  e  in  corrispon- 
denzadelle  porte;  il  vefooimborgarsi dovrebbe  dunque  significare 
avere  a  modo  di  borghi,  cioe,  nel  nostro  caso,  avere  per  estremi 
confini  .  .  .  La  maggior  parte  dei  commentatori  spiega  questo 
verbo  nel  senso  di  avere  per  cittk :  inesattamente,  perchfe  n4  Bari 
e  Gaeta  erano  le  sole  cittk  del  Regno,  ne  cittk  fu  mai  il  piccolo 
paese  [village]  di  Catona,  sull'  estrema  punta  della  Calabria  di 
faccia  alia  Sicilia." 

*  Catona :  Some  of  the  old  editions  read  Crotona  but  nearly 
all  the  best  MSS.,  the  first  four  editions,  Lana,  Anon,  fior., 
the  Post.  Cass.,  Buti,  etc.,  read  Catona.  Crotona  which  lies  to 
the  N.E.  of  Calabria  Ulteriore,  is  by  no  means  one  of  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  Apulian  Kingdom,  whereas  Catona  is  in  the 
point  of  Southern  Italy,  exactly  facing  Messina. 

t  Verde :  This  I  understand  to  be  the  Garigliano,  the  ancient 
Liris,  which,  says  Benvenuto,  labitur  in  marc  tuscum.  Many 
have  tried  to  prove,  however,  that  the  Verde  referred  to  is  a  little 
stream  of  that  name  which  flows  into  the  river  Tronto  near 
Ascoli,  in  the  Marca  d'Ancona.  But  as  Blanc  (Voc.  Dant.} 
points  out,  if  this  Verde  were  only  the  little  tributary  of  the 
Tronto,  it  would  be  as  though  some  writer,  wishing  to  describe 
the  frontier  between  England  and  Scotland,  were  to  name  first 
the  Tweed,  the  real  boundary  river,  and  then  the  Till,  a  small 
stream  that  flows  into  it,  instead  of  saying  that  the  frontier  is 
formed  on  the  eastern  side  or  portion  by  the  Tweed,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Esk.  See  note  on  Purg.  iii,  131,  in  Readings  on  the 
PurgatoriO)  2nd  edition,  London,  1897. 


264  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VI II. 

crowned,  but  never  reigned  there ;  and  he  further 
mentions  that  had  Sicily  not  been  lost  to  his  grand- 
father, Charles  I  (of  Anjou),  at  the  "  Sicilian  Vespers  " 
in  1282,  he  would  also  have  reigned  over  that  fair 

land. 

Fulgeami  gik  in  fronte  la  corona 

Di  quella  terra  che  il  Danubio  riga  65 

Poi  che  le  ripe  tedesche  abbandona  ; 

E  la  bella  Trinacria,  che  caliga* 

Tra  Pachino  e  Peloro,t  sopra  il  golfo 
Che  riceve  da  Euro  maggior  briga, 

Non  per  Tifeo,J  ma  per  nascente  solfo,§  70 

*  caliga:  i.e.  si  copre  di  caligine,  is  covered  with  darkness, 
"  la  quale  nella  costa  orientale,  sopra  il  golfo  di  Catania  dominate 
dal  vento  di  scirocco  o  Euro,  per  la  vicinanza  dell'  Etna  spesso 
e  offuscata  di  caligine  e  di  fumo."  (Casini). 

t  Pachino  e  Peloro:  The  ancient  Cape  Pachynus  is  now  Capo 
Passaro  on  the  South.  It  is  on  a  small  island  ;  but  on  the 
mainland,  not  far  off,  a  small  town  still  retains  the  old  name, 
Pachino.  Peloro^  the  ancient  Pelorus,  is  now  Capo  del  Faro 
by  Messina. 

$  Tifeo :  Typhceus  or  Typhon,  was  a  giant  with  a  hundred 
heads,  son  of  Tartarus  and  Terra.  Having  made  war  against 
the  gods,  and  frightened  them,  he  was  eventually  put  to  flight 
by  the  thunderbolts  of  Jupiter,  and  crushed  down  under  Mount 
yEtna,  where  his  efforts  to  escape  were  supposed  to  account  for 
the  convulsions  of  nature  taking  place  there.  Dr.  Moore  (Studies 
in  Dante,  p.  216,  §  u)  writes:  "We  note  next  the  curiously  ra- 
tionalistic treatment  of  the  myth  of  Typhceus  in  Par.  viii,  70, 
where  Dante  says  that  the  volcanic  phenomena  of  Sicily  are  due 
to  the  presence  of  sulphur  and  not  to  the  struggles  of  the  buried 
Typhoeus.  It  only  concerns  us  to  observe  that  Dante  here  fol- 
lows Ovid,  and  not  Virgil,  both  of  whom  give  different  traditions 
as  to  these  phenomena.  Ovid,  in  Met.  v,  346  seqq.,  attributes 
them  to  Typhceus,  but  Virgil,  in  jEn.  iii,  578  seqq.,  to  Enceladus. 
Mr.  Butler,  referring  to  the  latter  passage  only,  wrongly  ascribes 
an  error  to  Dante  here." 

§  nascente  solfo :  "  Ossia  per  quello  che  chiamano,  nel  lin- 
guaggio  moderno,  acido  solforoso  il  quale  eruttato  insieme  a 
altre  sostanze  e  decomposte,  fa  che  poi  nasca  lo  solfo."  (Fer- 
razzi,  Manuale  Dantesco,  Bassano,  1877;  vol.  v,  p.  433).  The 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  265 

Attesi  *  avrebbe  li  suoi  regi  ancora, 
Nati  per  me  di  Carlo  e  di  Ridolfo, 
Se  mala  signoria,  che  sempre  accora 
Li  popoli  suggetti,  non  avesse 
Mosso  Palermo  a  gridar  :  '  Mora,  mora.'t  75 

Already  glittered  on  my  brows  the  crown  of  that 

greater  part  of  the  sulphur  used  in  Europe  is  imported  from 
Sicily.  No  one  who  has  crossed  the  interior  of  Sicily  can  have 
failed  to  be  struck  by  the  long  lines  of  mules  that  one  meets  on 
the  high  roads,  each  with  a  couple  of  large  blocks  of  sulphur  on 
a  pack  saddle,  as  also  the  equally  long  trains  of  little  yellow 
carts  adorned  with  every  kind  of  inscription  intended  to  be 
devotional,  though  often  of  very  questionable  piety. 

*  Attesi:  If  the  tyranny  of  Charles  of  Anjou's  rule  had  not 
provoked  the  Sicilians  to  rise  in  insurrection,  and  overthrow  the 
French  dynasty,  then  would  Sicily,  by  the  due  process  of  suc- 
cession, have  come  under  the  dominion  of  a  dynasty  formed  by 
the  union  of  the  Anjous  and  the  Hapsburgs,  seeing  that  Charles 
Martel  married  Clemence  the  daughter  of  Rudolph ;  and  more- 
over the  island  would  not  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  Pedro  1 1 1 
King  of  Aragon. 

f  Mora,  mora  :  Of  Charles  of  Anjou,  his  misdeeds,  and  the 
Sicilian  Vespers,  Ariosto  says  (Orl.  Fur.  xxxiii,  st.  20) : 
"  Vedete  un  altro  Carlo,  che  a'  conforti 

Del  buon  Pastor  fuoco  in  Italia  ha  messo; 

E  in  due  fiere  battaglie  ha  duo  re  morti, 

Manfredi  prima  e  Corradino  appresso. 

Poi  la  sua  gente,  che  con  mille  torti 

Sembra  tenere  il  nuovo  regno  oppresso, 

Di  qua  e  di  la  per  le  citta  divisa, 

Vedete  a  un  suon  di  vespro  tutta  uccisa." 

Ariosto  {Ibid,  xxiii,  st.  52)  has  introduced  the  words  mora,  mora, 
in  relating  the  tumultuous  attack  of  the  innocent  Zerbino  by 
the  infuriated  populace : 

"  Tutto  '1  popol  gridando :  '  Mora,  mora,' 

Vien  per  punir  Zerbin  del  non  suo  fallo." 

We  also  find  the  whole  episode  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers  related 
by  Fazio  degli  Uberti,  in  the  Dittainondo,  lib.  ii,  cap.  xxix: 
"Miracol  parve  ad  ogni  persona, 

Che  ad  una  voce  tutta  la  Sicilia 

Si  rubello  dalP  una  all"  altra  zona, 

Gridando :  Mora,  mora  la  familia 

Di  Carlo ;  moran,  moran  gli  Franceschi : 

E  cosl  ne  tagliar  ben  otto  milia." 


266  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

land  (Hungary)  which  the  Danube  waters  after  it 
leaves  its  German  banks ;  and  beautiful  Trina- 
cria  (i.e.  Sicily)  —  which  between  Pachynus  (on 
the  south)  and  Pelorus  (on  the  north),  on  the  gulf 
(Catania)  which  from  Eurus  (the  east  wind)  receives 
greater  disturbance  (than  from  any  other  wind)  is 
made  dark  (by  the  smoke  of  Etna),  not  through 
Tiphoeus,  but  from  nascent  sulphur — would  still 
have  awaited  its  sovereigns  (that  would  have)  sprung 
through  me  from  Charles  (of  Anjou)  and  Rudolph 
(of  Hapsburg),  if  evil  rule,  which  ever  exasperates 
the  populations  subject  to  it,  had  not  moved  Palermo 
to  raise  the  cry  :  '  Let  him  die,  let  him  die  ! ' 

Most  of  the  translations  render  this  "  Death,  death," 
which  is  not  incorrect,  and  some  of  the  Italian  Com- 
mentators, including  Trissino  and  Biagioli,  render  it 
"amazza,  amazza"  (kill,  kill);  and  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  verb  morire  often  has  an  active  sense  ;  but 
rarely,  except  as  a  participle  accompanied  by  an 
auxiliary  verb,  as  when  Count  Ugolino  (Inf.  xxxiii, 
17,  1 8)  says  :  "io  fossi  preso,  e  poscia  morto,"  i.e.  was 
slain.  After  hunting  in  vain  for  the  exact  meaning 
of  mora  in  the  imperative  third  person  singular,  I  have 
at  last  found  the  following  in  Serravalle's  Latin  Trans- 
lation and  Commentary  :  "  Si  malum  dominium  .  .  . 
non  commovisset  Palermum  ad  clamandum,  scilicet, 
contra  Karolum  primum  avum  istius  (i.e.  of  Charles 
Martel) :  Moriatur,  moriatur  !  "  One  might  also  have 
understood  the  words  "  ogni  Francese  mora''  The 
Anonimo  Fiorentino  says  that  the  evil  rule  "  mosse 
Palermo  ...  a  gridare  mora  i  Franceschi,  per  la  qual 
cosa  di  subito  la  Casa  di  Francia  perde  ogni  cosa,  e 
tutta  1'  isola."  In  this  latter  instance  the  verb  must 
have  the  active  sense  of  "  kill,  kill."  Giov.  Villani 
(vii,  61)  has  :  "  Incontanente  tutta  la  gente  si  ritrassono 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  267 

fuggendo  alia  citta,  e  gli  uomini  ad  armarsi,  gridando  : 
muoiano  i  Franceschi." 

Charles  Martel  now  begins  to  speak  of  his  younger 
brother  Robert,  the  third  son  of  Charles  II  (le  Boiteux]. 
At  the  time  Dante  wrote  the  Commedia,  say,  between 
1314  and  1320,  Robert  was  really  reigning  over  Sicily, 
of  which  he  was  crowned  king  in  1309.  But,  as  Dante 
supposes  his  vision  to  take  place  in  1300,  his  words 
are  supposed  to  be  prophetic.  Charles  censures  both 
the  avarice  of  Robert,*  and  the  still  greater  avarice 
of  the  needy  Catalonian  officials,  who  were  eating  up 
the  land  to  such  an  extent,  that  it  was  wholly  unable 
to  stand  up  against  their  extortions.  Robert  was 
detained  in  Aragon  with  his  brothers  Louis  and  John 
as  hostages  (see  Purg.  xx,  79)  in  exchange  for  their 
father,  after  his  capture  by  Ruggieri  d'  Oria,  the  naval 
commander  of  Pedro,  King  of  Aragon,  in  the  naval 
battle  into  which  he  was  lured  outside  Naples  in  1284. 

*  The  avarice  of  Robert :  Benvenuto  strongly  disagrees  with 
his  friend  Petrarch  about  the  excessive,  and,  as  Benvenuto 
thinks,  wholly  undeserved  laudation  of  King  Robert  by  Pet- 
rarch, who,  he  remarks,  allowed  his  personal  gratitude  to  blind 
him  to  Robert's  flagrant  vice  of  avarice.  Benvenuto  thinks 
however  that  Dante's  strong  hatred  of  Avarice  makes  him  go  a 
little  too  far  in  his  censure  of  Robert.  "  Et  hie  nota,  lector, 
quod  non  solum  judicatura  vulgi,  sed  etiam  sententiae  sapien- 
tum  multum  discordant  in  facto  istius  famosi  regis  ;  unde  duo 
poetae  florentini  sunt  sibi  contrarii  in  scribendo.  Nam  judicio 
mep  Petrarcha  nimis  commendat  eum  semper  et  ubique,  dando 
sibi  omnes  artes  et  omnes  virtutes,  quia  fuit  multum  honoratus 
ab  eo,  et  promotus  ad  lauream  quam  recepit  in  capitolio  Romae : 
Dantes  vero  nimis  culpat  eum  ab  avaritia,  quam  ipse  habuit 
nimis  odio.  Et  vere  istud  vitium  posuit  non  parvam  maculam 
in  gloriam  tanti  regis  ;  unde  possem  narrare  aliqua  digna  cen- 
soria  nota,  quae  ex  cupiditate  fecit ;  ideo  bene  cancellarius  suus 
cum  Robertus  diceret:  'spiritus,  ubi  vult,  spiral' ;  jocose  dixit: 
'  et  Robertus,  ubi  vult,  pilat.' " 


268  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VI II. 

When  Robert,  in  1309,  became  King  of  Sicily,  he 
brought  over  with  him  a  whole  troop  of  necessitous 
adventurers,  whom  he  had  known  in  Spain  during  his 
captivity,  and  on  these  he  conferred  all  the  principal 
offices  of  State,  and  lucrative  posts  about  the  Court. 
He  adds  an  expression  of  regret  that,  whereas  their 
father  Charles,  le  Boiteux,  had  been  generous  and 
liberal,  these  qualities  had  by  no  means  descended  to 
Robert,  whose  sordid  and  avaricious  disposition  had 
become  proverbial. 

E  se  mio  frate  questo  antivedesse, 
L'  avara  poverta  di  Catalogna 
Gia  fuggiria,  perch£  non  gli  offendesse  ; 
Che  veramente  provveder  bisogna 

Per  lui,  o  per  altrui,  si  ch'  a  sua  barca  80 

Carcata*  piu  di  carco  non  si  pogna. 
La  sua  natura,  che  di  larga  parcat 

Discese,  avria  mestier  di  tal  miliziaj 
Che  non  curasse  di  mettere  in  area." — 


*  Carcata :  On  this  Buti  remarks  :  "  Parla  per  quel  colore 
[rhetorical  ornament]  che  si  chiama  permutazione,  dicendo  che 
lo  suo  reggimento  e  gravato  quanto  puo  portare,  sicche  non  vi 
faccia  junta  :  impero  che,  jungendovi  andrebbe  a  basso,  come 
la  barca  quando  £  caricata  e  jungavisi  piu  che  non  puo  portare 
va  a  fondo,  e  pero  dice  :  Carcata;  cioe  quanto  puo  portare  : 
avea  tanto  gravato  li  sudditi  elli  quanto  poteva  e  pero  guardas- 
sesi  di  gravargli  piu,  cioe  di  lasciargli  gravare  ai  suoi  official! 
catalani  avari."  Tommase'o's  comment  is  terse  and  to  the 
point :  "L'  avarizia  sua  non  s'  aggravi  con  1'  altrui,  e  le  sue  colpe 
con  altre  nuove  colpe." 

t  natura  .  .  .  parca :  "  Questo  re  Ruberto  fu  il  piu  savio  re 
che  fosse  tra'  cristiani  gia  sono  cinquecento  anni,  e  di  senno 
naturale  e  di  scienzia,  grandissimo  maestro  in  teologia,  e  sommo 
filosofo,  e  fu  dolce  signore  e  amorevole,  e  amichissimo  del 
nostro  comune  di  Firenze,  e  fu  di  tutte  le  virtu  dotato,  se  non 
che  poi  che  comincio  a  invecchiare  1' avarizia  il  guastava." 
(Villani,  xii,  10). 

t  milizia :   This   word,  Casini  says  :  "  e   1'  insieme  (i.e.  the 


Canto  Vlll.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  269 

And  if  my  brother  could  foresee  this  (namely,  that 
an  evil  rule  ever  exasperates  a  nation),  he  would 
even  now  be  shunning  the  greedy  poverty  of  Cata- 
lonia, that  it  be  not  to  him  a  cause  of  stumbling  ; 
for  in  truth  it  is  needful  to  provide,  whether  (it  be 
done)  by  him,  or  by  others,  that  upon  his  bark  (al- 
ready heavily)  laden  no  further  load  be  placed  (i.e. 
let  not  the  avarice  of  others  be  added  to  his  own). 
His  nature,  which  from  the  munificent  one  (of  his 
father)  has  descended  niggardly  (to  him)  should  of 
necessity  require  such  a  body  of  retainers  as  would 
not  give  heed  to  amassing  in  (their  own)  coffers. 

Division  III.  A  doubt  has  arisen  in  the  mind  of 
Dante  on  considering  the  statement  of  Charles  Martel, 
that  his  brother  Robert,  whose  nature  was  niggardly, 
has  descended  from  a  munificent  father,  and  also, 
knowing  as  Dante  did,  that  the  nature  of  Charles 
Martel  himself  was  noble  and  generous,  he  asks  him 
how  all  this  is  possible.  The  remainder  of  the  Canto 
is  taken  up  by  a  long  discourse,  in  which  Charles  ex- 
plains that  the  discrepancy  is  due  to  God's  Providence, 
and  that  the  heavenly  bodies  influence  natures  to  their 
predestined  end. 

Most  Commentators  have  felt  a  difficulty  in  the 
words  that  now  fall  from  Dante,  and  have  found  fault 
with  them,  containing,  as  they  allege,  a  tautology. 
But  Beccaria  (Trattato  dei  Delitti  e  delle  Pene,  Milan, 
1 824),  says  that  it  is  quite  clear  that  Dante  makes  two 
different  statements,  and  not  one  single  one  repeated 
twice  over.  Cesari  (Bellezze,  vol.  iii,  p.  146)  gives 
perhaps  the  most  lucid  explanation  of  this  difficult 

whole  staff}  degli  official!  del  Regno,  tutti  per  lo  piu  dell'  ordine 
dei  cavalieri  (milites)." 


2/O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VIII. 

passage  :  "  Dice  dunque  (Dante) :  '  Signore,  1'  alle- 
grezza  che  il  tuo  dire  m'  ha  infuso,  m'  e  cara  per  questo, 
che  io  credo  che,  come  io  la  sento,  cosi  tu  la  vegga 
qui  nel  fonte  di  ogni  bene,  Iddio  :  e  questo  m'  e  caro 
altresi,  che  anche  questo  mio  aggradire  tu  Io  vegga 
in  Dio,  perche  in  lui  tu  il  dei  vedere  nettamente  tutto 
quanto  egli  e."'  There  are  three  interpretations  given 
as  to  why  Dante's  joy  is  discerned  by  Charles,  the  first, 
that  it  is  in  God  ;  the  second  in  Heaven ;  and  the 
third,  in  the  Soul.  Scartazzini  affirms  that  none  of 
the  three  altogether  satisfy  him  ;  none  are  quite  free 
from  difficulty,  nor  can  he  see  any  new  interpretation 
that  would  remove  it. 

— "  Perocch'  io  credo  che  1'  alta  letizia  85 

Che  il  tuo  parlar  m'infonde,  Signer  mio, 
La'  ve  ogni  ben  si  termina  e  s'  inizia, 
Per  te  si  veggia,  come  la  vegg'  io, 

Grata  m'  e  piu,  e  anco  questo  ho  caro, 

Perche  il  discerni*  rimirando  in  Dio.  90 

"  Because  I  believe,  my  Lord,  that  the  lofty  joy, 
which  thy  speech  infuses  into  me,  is  seen  by  thee, 
even  as  I  see  it  myself,  in  a  place  where  all  good  has 
its  end  and  beginning,  it  is  the  more  acceptable  to 
me,  and  this  too  I  hold  dear  (i.e.  I  prize  it  all  the 
more),  because  thou  discernest  it  (i.e.  the  fact  that  I 
do  hold  it  dear)  in  gazing  upon  God. 


*  Perche  il  discerni :  It  is  very  difficult  to  give  a  clear  inter- 
pretation of  this  passage,  the  construction  of  the  words  of  which 
are  too  much  slurred  over  by  most  Commentators.  //  must  be 
taken  as  referring  to  questo  ho  caro.  Trissino  explains  it  well : 
"  Perche  io  mi  persuade,  o  mio  Signore,  che  la  grande  alle- 
grezza  che  mi  apportano  le  tue  parole,  da  te  si  vegga  in  Dio,  in 
questo  luogo,  ove  ogni  bene  ha  origine  e  fine  quale  io  la  sento 
dentro  di  me,  percio  ella  m'  £  piu  grata  ;  ed  inoltre  m'  e  caro 
ancor  questo,  che  tu  conosca  do  (i.e.  essermi  piu  grata)  pure 
rimirando  in  Dio." 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  271 

Dante  then  states  his  doubt. 

Fatto  m'  hai  lieto,  e  cosi  mi  fa  chiaro, 

Poiche  parlando  a  dubitar  m'  hai  mosso, 
Come  uscir*  puo  di  dulce  seme  amaro." — 
Questo  io  a  lui. 

Thou  hast  made  me  glad,  and  in  like  manner  (now) 
make  it  clear  to  me,  since  in  thy  speech  thou  hast 
stirred  me  up  to  doubt,  how  from  sweet  seed  can 
issue  bitter  (fruit)."  Thus  I  to  him. 

Charles  Martel  now,  replying  to  Dante's  question, 
begins  by  impressing  upon  him  that  close  attention 
to  what  he  is  about  to  explain,  will  make  the  thing  as 
clear  to  him  as  it  is  now  obscure. 

Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  S'  io  posso 
Mostrarti  un  vero,  a  quel  che  tu  domandi  95 

Terrai  il  viso  come  tieni  il  dosso. 
And  he  to  me :  "  If  I  can  show  thee  a  truth,  thou 
wilt  (then)  hold  thy  face  towards  that  which  thou 
askest,  as  thou  dost  (now)  hold  thy  back  (i.e.  the 
thing  which  is  at  present  completely  hid  from  thee 
will  come  forward  manifest  before  thine  eyes). 

He  tells  Dantef  that  it  is  due  to  the  law  of  individu- 
ality, which  is  everywhere  manifested  in  creation,  and 
that,  although  like  ought  to  generate  like,  yet  Pro- 
vidence has  disposed  otherwise.  Man  is  intended  to 
associate,  and  in  Society  there  must  of  necessity  exist 
different  characters,  temperaments,  and  powers  of 

*  Come  uscir  pub,  et  seq.  :  Dante  might  well  have  doubts  in 
his  mind  as  to  the  question  of  dissimilarity  of  dispositions  in 
fathers  and  sons,  as  he  would  have  been  well  acquainted  with 
the  words  of  Our  Lord  in  St.  Matt,  vii,  17  (Vulgate):  "Omnis 
arbor  bona  fructus  bonos  facit ;  mala  autcm  arbor  malos 
fructus  facit."  And  St.  Luke,  vi,  43  :  "  Non  est  enim  arbor  bona, 
quae  facit  fructus  malos  ;  neque  arbor  mala  faciens  fructum 
bonum." 

t  From  Bowden's  Hettinger,  p.  203. 


272  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

mind.      So  God  has   given  to  the  heavenly  bodies 
the  faculty  of  influencing  the  natures  of  individuals 
generated,  without  any  regard  to  what  was  the  nature 
of  their  generators.     The  All  Wise  purpose  of  God 
provides  not  only  for  the  existence  (essere)  of  the 
natures,  but  also  for  their  being  together  (essere  insieme, 
i.e.  their  social  life),  and  provides  also  for  their  eternal 
salvation.     All  the  influences  of  the  heavens  are  dis- 
posed to  an  infallible  end  already  foreseen  by  God. 
Lo  ben  che  tutto  il  regno  che  tu  scandi 
Volge  e  contenta,*  fa  esser  virtute 
Sua  provvidenza  in  questi  corpi  grandi ; 
E  non  pur  le  naturet  provvedute  100 

Son  nella  mente  ch'  e  da  se  perfetta, 
Ma  esse  insieme  con  la  lor  salute.J 
Perche  quantunque§  questo  arco  saetta, 

*  contenta:  God  moves  the  whole  system  of  the  Spheres  of 
Heaven,  causing  their  revolutions,  and  filling  them  with  glad- 
ness. Dante  is  being  reminded  of  this,  and  also  that  through 
all  these  Spheres  he  is  ascending  to  the  Empyrean. 

t  nature :  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i, 
qu.  xxii,  art.  I.):  "  In  rebus  creatis  invenitur  bonum,  non  solum 
quantum  ad  substantiam  rerum,  sed  etiam  quantum  ad  ordinem 
earum  in  finem ;  et  precipue  in  finem  ultimum,  qui  est  bonitas 
divina."  And  Daniello:  "Non  solamente  le  nature  provedute 
da  Dio  sono  nella  divina  mente  di  lui,  la  qual  divina  mente  e 
perfetta  da  Se,  perche  ella  e  somma  perfettione ;  ma  sono  ancora 
esse  nature  da  lui  provedute  insieme  con  la  salute  Loro,  cioe  con 
gli  effetti  salutiferi,  che  da  loro  sono  per  procedere." 

£  lor  salute:  "E  1'ordine  delle  varie  nature  disposte  ad  un 
determinate  fine,  dal  quale  ordine  dipende  la  stabilita,  la  dure- 
volezza  delle  cose."  (Casini). 

§  quantunque:  This  is  a  kind  of  Latin  neuter  form  signifying : 
tutto  quello  che,  tutto  cib  che.     Compare  Par.  xiii,  43,  44 : 
"  Quantunque  alia  natura  umana  lece 

Aver  di  lume." 

Compare  also  Petrarch,  part  i,  son.  190  (in  some  editions  210): 
"  Chi  vuol  veder  quantunque  puo  Natura 

E'  1  ciel  tra  noi,  venga  a  mirar  costei." 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  273 

.  Disposto  cade  a  provveduto  fine, 
Si  come  cosa*  in  suo  segno  diretta.  105 

The  (Supreme)  Good,  Who  causes  to  revolve  and 
makes  glad  the  whole  realm  which  thou  art  ascend- 
ing, doth  make  His  Providence  to  be  a  power  in 
those  vast  bodies  (to  work  on  terrestrial  natures) ; 
and  not  only  are  the  (diverse)  natures  foreseen 
within  the  mind  (of  God)  that  is  perfect  in  itself, 
but  they  (are  so  foreseen)  together  with  (all  that 
tends  to)  their  ultimate  well  being.  Wherefore, 
whatsoever  this  bow  (the  influence  of  Divine  opera- 
tion) shoots  off,  alights  disposed  for  a  fore-ordained 
end,  just  like  a  thing  directed  at  its  mark. 

Next  he  argues  that,  were  there  not  this  regulated 
ordering  of  all  things,  the  heavens  would  produce 
effects  that  might  readily  be  ascribed  to  chance,  and 
not  effects  due  to  the  hand  of  their  Divine  Artificer, 
and  would  not  be  construction  but  destruction. 

Se  cio  non  fosse,  il  ciel  che  tu  cammine 

Producerebbe  si  li  suoi  effetti, 

Che  non  sarebbero  arti,  ma  ruine ; 
E  ci6  esser  non  pu6,  se  gl'  intellettit 

Che  movon  queste  stelle  non  son  manchi,          1 10 

E  manco  il  primo  £  che  non  gli  ha  perfetti. 

If  this  (order  and  regulation)  were  not  so,  the  hea- 
ven that  thou  treadest  would  produce  its  effects  in 

*  cosa:  Others  read  cocca,  but  cosa  has  an  overwhelming  MS. 
authority. 

t  intelletti :  Compare  Par.  ii,  127-129  : 
"  Lo  moto  e  la  virtu  dei  santi  giri, 

Come  dal  fabbro  1'  arte  del  martello, 
Dai  beati  motor  convien  che  spiri." 

t  il  primo :  Compare  Dante's  Ep.  Kant,  §  20,  11.  356-362: 
"  Constat,  quod  habere  esse  a  se  non  convenit  nisi  uni,  scilicet 
primo,  seu  principio,  qui  Deus  est.  Et  quum  habere  esse  non 
arguat  per  se  necesse  esse,  et  per  se  necesse  esse  non  competat 
nisi  uni,  scilicet  primo,  seu  principio,  quod  est  causa  omnium,"  etc. 

I.  T 


274  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  vill. 

such  wise,  that  they  would  not  be  (combinations  of) 
arts,  but  ruins  (i.e.  a  mass  of  confusion) ;  and  this 
cannot  be,  if  the  Intelligences  who  move  these  stars 
be  not  defective,  and  defective  the  Primal  (Intelli- 
gence) in  that  He  has  not  perfected  them. 

Dante,  questioned  by  Charles  Martel,  professes  him- 
self fully  convinced  that  Nature  can  never  be  wanting 
in  supplying  that  which  is  necessary. 

Vuoi  tu  che  questo  ver  piu  ti  s'  imbianchi  ?" — * 
Ed  io : — "  Non  gik,  perche  impossibil  veggio  t 
Che  la  natura,  in  quel  ch'  e  uopo,  stanchi." — 

Wilt  thou  have  this  truth  made  more  clear  (///.  white) 
to  thee  ?  "  And  I :  "  Not  so,  for  I  (now)  perceive  it 
to  be  impossible  that  Nature  should  weary  in  that 
which  is  needful." 

Charles,  in  continuation,  argues  that  Man  cannot  fully 
attain  the  end  predestined  for  him  unless  he  lives  in 
society,  but  that  society  cannot  possibly  exist  unless 

*  s1  imbianchi:  See  GranDizionario,  s.  v.  imbiancare,  §  io,  n : 
" Farsi  chiaro,  Schiarirsi,  Esplicarsi,  Dichiararst."  The  present 
passage  is  quoted,  with  Buti's  comment  .  .  .  "piu  ti  si  faccia 
chiaro."  Compare  Par.  vii,  80,  81: 

"  E  falla  dissimile  al  Sommo  Bene, 
Perche  del  lume  suo  poco  s'  imbianca." 

t  impossibil  veggie,  et  seq.  :  On  the  whole  of  this  important 
passage,  from  1. 1 13  to  1.  120,  Dr.  Moore,  in  his  great  work  Studies 
in  Dante,  Oxford,  1896,  p.  99,  §  2,  remarks:  "The  passage  is 
interesting  as  containing  a  series  of  familiar  Aristotelian  quota- 
tions from  the  Ethics  and  Politics,  which  are  appealed  to  as 
indisputable — 

'  Se  il  maestro  vostro  ben  vi  scrive.' 

These  are  (i)  the  well-known  dictum  often  quoted  or  referred  to 
by  Dante,  '  ov&v  ^ri\v  f>  QVVIS  woitt,'  which  also  occurs  frequently 
in  Aristotle  ;  (2)  '  <j>6fffi  vo\irii(bs  &vQpwiros  ;'  and  (3)  '  ov  yiyvtrai  ir6\is 
ej  fyunwj','  Pol.  i,  ii  (1261  a.  24).  Dante  quotes  the  first  passage 
with  the  limitation  'in  essentials'  both  here — 'in  quel  ch'  &  uopo' 
(1.  114) — and  again  in  De  Mon.  i,  x,  1.  3,  'in  necessariis.'  It  is 
probable  therefore  that  he  had  specially  on  his  mind  De  An. 

iii,  ix  (432  b.  2l),  '  «J  ri  tfivffis  fj.'firt  iroteT  /u.aTijp  /iTjflei/,  /T/JTS  &iro\fiir(i  TI 

' 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  275 

it  be  portioned  out  into  diverse  offices,  functions, 
professions,  etc. 

Ond'  egli  ancora: — "  Or  di',  sarebbe  il  peggio          115 

Per  1'uomo  in  terra  se  non  fosse  Qve?" — * 
— "  Si," — rispos'  io, — "  e  qui  ragion  non  cheggio." — 
— "  E  puo  egli  esser,  se  giu  non  si  vive 

Diversamentet  per  diversi  offici? 

No,  se  il  maestro  vostro  ben  vi  scrive." — %         120 

Whereupon  he  again  :  "  Say  now,  would  it  be  worse 
for  Man  were  he  not  a  citizen  on  Earth  ?  " — "  Yes," 
I  answered,  "  and  here  I  ask  for  no  reasons  (for  the 
fact  is  evident)."  (Charles  continues)  "  And  can  this 
be,  if  he  (Man)  does  not  live  below  in  different 
estates  for  different  duties  ?  No,  if  your  Master 
(Aristotle)  writes  well  on  this  point." 

Charles  then  draws  this  inference.  If  in  Society  one 
man  is  destined  to  have  the  office  of  a  law-giver 
(Solon),  and  another  of  a  warlike  despot  (Xerxes), 
another  of  a  Royal  Priest  (Melchisedec),  another  of 
an  artificer  such  as  Daedalus,  it  follows  of  necessity 

*  five:  Dr.  Moore  refers  here  to  Aristotle,  Pol.  i,  ii,  9 ;  Mr. 
Butler  to  ibid.  Eth.  i,  7  ;  "  <?><5<r«  iroXm/cbs  avdpwiros  "  •  and  Eth.  ix,  9: 
"  TToA.m/cbj'  6  avdpwiros  Kal  ffvfav  ire^w/cJs." 

t  Diversamente  :  Compare  Aristotle,  Pol.  ii,  2 :  "  Ou  pAvov  5'  IK 
ir\ti6v<t>v  avOpiafdiv  tffrlv  f]  ir6\ts,  a\\a  Kal  3£  tISfi  Sia<pfp6vr<i>v  ov  yap 
yivtrat  tr6\is  ^£  dfiotuv  .  .  .  Ol  /j.fv  yap  apxovffiv,  ol  S'  apxovrai  irapa 
/J.tpos,  &e-jT€p  &v  &\\oi  y(v6/Ji(voi.  Tbv  avrbv  8$)  TpSirov  apx^fTuv  frtpoi 

tTfpas  Hpxovffiv  apx<ts."  See  also  in  Comjito,  iv,  the  fourth  chapter 
upon  /'  umana  civiltcl. 

%  il  maestro  vostro  ben  vi  scrive :  "  Aristotle,  '  &r« \  t£  avo^oiuv 
ri  WA«,'  K.  r.  \.  De  Rep.  lib.  iii,  cap.  4 :  '  Since  a  state  is  made  up 
of  members  differing  from  one  another ;  (for  even  as  an  animal, 
in  the  first  instance,  consists  of  soul  and  body ;  and  the  soul  of 
reason  and  desire ;  and  a  family,  of  man  and  woman ;  and  pro- 
perty, of  master  and  slave ;  in  like  manner  a  state  consists  both 
of  all  these,  and  besides  these  of  other  dissimilar  kinds ;)  it  neces- 
sarily follows,  that  the  excellence  of  all  the  members  of  the  state 
cannot  be  one  and  the  same.' "  (Gary). 

T   2 


276  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

that  men  must  have  diversities  of  aptitudes,  which  are 
le  radici  (1.  123)  of  the  diverse  functions. 
Si  venne  deducendo  infino  a  quici ; 

Poscia  conchiuse : — "  Dunque  esser  diverse 
Convien  dei  vostri  effetti  *  le  radici : 
Per  che  un  nasce  Solone,  ed  altro  Xerse, 

Altro  Melchisedech,  ed  altro  quello  125 

Che  volando  per  1'  acre  il  figlio  perse. 

So  did  he  (Charles  Martel)  arrive  bringing  his 
deductions  thus  far ;  then  he  concluded  :  "  There- 
fore it  is  necessary  that  diverse  must  be  the  roots 
from  whence  come  the  operations  of  you  (man). 
Therefore  one  is  born  a  Solon,  and  another  a  Xerxes, 
another  a  Melchisedec,  and  another  he  (Daedalus) 
who  flying  through  the  air  lost  his  son  (Icarus). 

Mr.  Butler  remarks  that  in  the  last  there  may  be  a 
suggestion  of  the  difference  between  son  and  father  : 
Daedalus  flew,  Icarus  fell. 

As  Charles  Martel's  discourse  draws  towards  the 
end,  he  observes  that  the  active  influence  of  the 
heavens  works  out  its  effects  on  men  with  a  master 
hand,  without  giving  heed  as  to  whether  a  particular 
virtue  or  influence  enters  more  readily  into  one  par- 
ticular house,  or  one  particular  family,  than  into 
another.  It  determines  a  man's  disposition  without 
a  thought  to  his  origin,  and  therefore  it  by  no  means 

*  effetli:  The  GranDizionario,  s.  v.  effetto,  §  16,  quotes  this  line, 
and  comments  upon  it  thus :  "  Convien  concludere  che  le  diverse 
operazioni  degli  uomini  nei  diversi  uffizi  sociali  procedano  in 
radice  da  naturali  disposizioni  diversi."  Under  §  15,  the  Gran 
Dizionario  says  :  "  Possono  d'  una  causa  essere  piii  gli  effetti,  e 
1'  uno  effetto  dall'  altro  seguire.  Quindi  e  che  Effetto  ha  senso 
affinitivo  a  Sequela  di  piu  avvenimenti  o  azioni."  See  De  Guber- 
natis,  op.  tit.,  on  this :  "  A  ben  vivere  in  societa,  occorrono  ufficii 
diversi,  per  i  quali  si  richieggono  diverse  attitudini. . .  Alle  diverse 
attitudini  occorrono,  come  all'  albero  le  radici,  indoli  diverse  che 
le  producano." 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  277 

follows  that  the  son  of  a  warrior  will  have  impressed 
upon  his  nature  a  martial  disposition  ;  and  if  a  man 
have  two  sons,  as  did  Jacob,  their  dispositions  may  be 
wholly  unlike.  Or  we  may  see  from  a  low  parentage 
spring  forth  a  heaven-born  king  of  men.  These  diver- 
sities are  all  due  to  the  heavenly  influences,  without 
which  all  sons  would  be  cut  out  exactly  according  to 
the  pattern  of  their  fathers.  Divine  Providence  alone 
has  obviated  that. 

La  circular  natura,*  ch'  e  suggello 
Alia  cera  mortal,  fa  ben  sua  arte, 
Ma  non  distingue  1'  un  dall'  altro  ostello.f 

*  circular  natura  :  Tommase'o  says  that  the  virtue  of  the  re- 
volving heavens,  which  like  a  seal  imprints  varying  influences 
upon  mortal  bodies,  performs  its  mission  exceeding  well,  but 
does  not  distinguish  the  palace  of  the  king  from  the  cabins  of 
the  poor,  the  body  of  a  duke  from  the  body  of  a  beggar  ;  it  may 
infuse  royal  sentiments  into  a  poor  man,  and  slavish  ideas  into 
a  king.  Compare  Horace  i,  Carm.  iv,  13,  14: 

"  Pallida  Mors  aequo  pulsat  pede  pauperum  tabernas, 

Regumque  turres." 

Scartazzini  observes  that  some  Commentators  have  most  oppor- 
tunely quoted  here  the  following  from  Roger  Bacon,  Opus 
Majus,  Venice,  1759,  fol.  187:  "Singula  puncta  terrae  sunt 
centra  diversorum  horizontum,  ad  quae  coni  diversarum  pyra- 
midum  virtutum  coelestium  veniunt,  ut  possint  producere  herbas 
diversarum  specierum  in  eadem  particula  terrae  minima,  et 
gemellos  in  eadem  matrice  diversificare  in  complexione  et  mori- 
bus,  et  in  usu  scientiarum,  et  linguarum,  et  negotiorum  et 
coeteris  omnibus." 

t  ostello :  It  seems  to  be  recognized  among  the  Commenta- 
tors that  this  word  here  has  the  special  more  extended  signifi- 
cation of  "condition  of  life."  Originally  meaning  an  inn, 
dwelling,  house  of  refuge,  it  thence  came  to  have  the  force  of 
"receptacle."  Compare  Purg.  vi,  76:  "Ahi  serva  Italia,  di 
dolore  ostello,"  on  which  the  Ottimo  comments :  "  Qui  esclama 
contra  gli  abitatori  in  Italia,  e  toglie  lo  luogo  per  lo  locato  e  dice 
come  ello  £  ostello,  cioe  casa  di  dolore."  Compare  Vita  Nuova, 
§  vii,  Son.  ii : 

"  E  poi  immaginate 
S'  io  son  d'  ogni  dolore  ostello  e  chiave." 


278  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

Quinci  addivien  ch'Esau  si  diparte*  130 

Per  seme  da  Jacob,  e  vien  Quirino  t 
Da  si  vil  padre  che  si  rende  a  Marte. 

Natura  generata  \  il  suo  cammino 

Simil  farebbe  sempre  ai  generanti, 

Se  non  vincesse  il  provveder  divino.  135 

*  Esau  si  diparte,  et  seq.:  Compare  Rom.  ix,  10-13:  "And 
not  only  this  ;  but  when  Rebecca  also  had  conceived  by  one, 
even  by  our  father  Isaac  ;  (for  the  children  being  not  yet  born, 
neither  having  done  any  good  or  evil,  that  the  purpose  of  God, 
according  to  election,  might  stand,  not  of  works,  but  of  him  that 
calleth) ;  It  was  said  unto  her,  the  elder  shall  serve  the  younger. 
As  it  is  written,  Jacob  have  I  loved,  but  Esau  have  I  hated." 

t  Quirino  :  Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in  Dante,  p.  277) says  :  "This 
is  perhaps  suggested  to  Dante  by  the  tentative  or  alternative 
theory  propounded  by  Livy,  I,  iv  :  '  Vi  compressa  Vestalisquum 
geminum  partum  edidisset,  seu  ita  rata,  seu  quia  deus  auctor 
culpae  honestior  erat,  Martem  incertae  stirpis patrem  nuncupat.' 
Dante  not  only  boldly  adopts  the  latter  alternative,  but  goes 
beyond  it  in  asserting  that  the  father  was  not  only  incerto  but 
•vile.  Perhaps  he  may  have  been  led  to  this  by  the  language  of 
Orosius  VI,  i,  §  5  :  '  Deus  quae  infirma  sunt  mundi  elegit,  ut  con- 
fundat  fortia,  Romanumque  imperium  adsumpto  pauperrimi 
status  pas  tore  fundavit?  " 

Z  Natura  generata  :  This  is  one  of  the  very  few  passages  in 
the  Paradiso  noticed  by  Gioberti,  who,  after  he  had  commented 
on  the  first  few  Cantos,  became  too  much  absorbed  in  the  stir- 
ring politics  of  the  time  (between  1847-1850)  to  pay  much  more 
attention  to  his  commentary  on  Dante.  On  this  line  he  says  : 
"  Dante  qui  e  in  molti  luoghi  del  suo  poema  mette  la  Prowi- 
denza  divina  sopra  la  Natura,  e  considera  a  gran  tratti  la  storia 
di  quella  nelle  sue  relazioni  alia  storia  di  questa."  Compare  St. 
Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  ii,  2dae).  (This  reference 
is  given  wrong  by  Scartazzini  in  both  his  editions,  and  followed 
by  Casini)  :  "  In  agentibus  naturalibus  forma  generati  est  con- 
formis  formae  generantis."  In  a  note  on  his  Translation  of 
Hettinger's  Dante,  p.  203,  the  Rev.  Sebastian  Bowden  remarks : 
"  Dante,  following  Aristotle,  teaches  that  the  diversity  of  gifts 
and  dispositions  in  mankind  are  ordained  by  Providence  for  the 
benefit  of  human  society,  which  requires  a  variety  of  qualifica- 
tions in  its  members  for  the  diverse  service  of  the  state.  This 
difference  of  dispositions  is  partly  due,  according  to  the  divine 
plan,  to  the  influence  of  the  heavenly  bodies  at  the  time  of  each 
infant's  birth  ;  for  by  nature  the  child  would  inherit  the  dis- 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  279 

In  her  course  of  revolving  spheres  Nature,  which  is 
the  seal  to  mortal  wax  (i.e.  which  stamps  her  influence 
on  men)  performs  her  function  perfectly,  but  makes 
no  distinction  between  one  habitation  (i.e.  condition 
of  life)  and  another.  Hence  it  comes  about  that 
Esau  differs  in  seed  from  Jacob  (i.e.  though  be- 
gotten by  the  same  father  their  dispositions  were  so 
different),  and  Quirinus  (Romulus)  comes  from  so 
mean  a  sire,  that  he  is  given  (i.e.  his  parentage  is 
attributed)  to  Mars.  If  Divine  Providence  did  not 
prevail  (and  dispose  otherwise)  a  nature  generated 
would  always  pursue  its  way  like  unto  the  generators. 

Finally  Charles  Martel,  having  stated  his  general  con- 
clusion, adds  yet  one  special  conclusion,  to  the  effect 
that  dispositions  naturally  good  in  themselves  will 
not  suffice  to  produce  good  fruit  ;  it  is  necessary  that 
they  should  be  seconded  by  Nature,  in  the  same  way 
that  good  seed  requires  to  be  sown  in  a  good  soil  if  it 
is  to  come  to  maturity.  A  man  may  be  born  with  the 
richest  possible  moral  and  intellectual  qualities,  and 
feel  in  himself  a  fitness  to  achieve  the  greatest  deeds ; 
but  if  he  is  crossed  by  fate,  if  enmity,  envy,  or  the 
ignorance  of  his  fellow  men  oppose  him,  all  the  great 
gifts  Nature  has  bestowed  upon  him  will  remain  use- 
less and  unproductive.  Providence  does  all  things 
well ;  but  men,  ignoring  the  disposition  inspired  by 
heavenly  influences,  are  continually  turning  the 
greatest  intellects  to  mistaken  ends,  not  recognizing 
their  special  aptitudes,  so  that  they  will  make  a  priest 
of  one  who  has  martial  instincts,  and  crown  another 
who  was  born  to  be  a  preacher  ;  and  it  would  be  rank 

positions  of  the  parent.  But  Dante  is  careful  to  show  that, 
whatever  effect  the  stars  might  produce  on  the  human  tempera- 
ment, the  character  ultimately  depends  on  the  good  or  bad  use 
of  the  individual  free-will." 


280  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  VIII. 

blasphemy  to  cast  the  blame  of  this  upon  Providence, 
when  it  is  Man  who  has  traced  out  a  path  for  himself 
at  variance  with  that  assigned  to  him  by  Nature.* 
So  Robert,  instead  of  becoming  king,  should  have 
been  made  a  monk,  and  would  have  been  far  better 
fitted  for  the  cowl  than  for  the  crown. 
Or  quel  che  t'  era  retro  t'  e  davanti ; 

Ma  perch£  sappi  che  di  te  mi  giova, 
Un  corollario  t  voglio  che  t'  ammanti. 
Sempre  natura,  se  fortunaj  trova 

Discorde  a  se,  come  ogni  altra  semente  §  140 

Fuor  di  sua  region,  fa  mala  prova.)! 

*  The  above  is  the  substance  of  the  comments  of  De  Guber- 
natis  upon  the  concluding  lines  of  the  Canto. 

t  corollario :  See  Boeth.  (Philos.  Consol.  iii,  Pros,  x,  ll.,76-87) : 
"  Super  haec,  inquit,  igitur  veluti  geometrae  solent  demonstratis 
propositis  aliquid  inferre  quae  porismata  ipsi  vocant,  ita  ego 
quoque  tibi  veluti  corollarium  dabo  .  .  .  Et  pulchrum,  inquam, 
hoc  atque  pretiosum,  sive  porisma  sive  corollarium  vocari  mavis." 
And  Pietro  di  Dante :  "  Et  concluditur  per  corollarium  quoddam, 
quod  est,  et  dicitur  ambitus  orationis  per  circumlocutivam  os- 
tensionem." 

"\.fortuna :  On  this  terzina  see  Venturi,  Simil.  Dant.  pp.  85-86, 
sim.  138  :  "  Provvida  ne'suoi  ordinamenti  e  la  Natura  ;  ma  le 
facolta  naturali,  se  combattute  da  condizioni  di  stato  o  di  for- 
tuna,  intristiscono  come  semenza  in  clima  non  convenevole." 

§  semente :  See  Boethius,  Philo.  Cons,  iii,  Pros,  xi,  11.  50-59 : 
"  Non  est,  quod  de  hoc  non  possis  ambigere  cum  herbas  atque 
arbores  intuearis  primum  sibi  convenientibus  innasci  locis,  ubi 
quantum  earum  natura  queat  cito  exarescere  atque  interire  non 
possint.  Nam  aliae  quidem  campis  aliae  montibus  oriuntur, 
alias  ferunt  paludes,  aliae  saxis  haerent,  aliarum  fecundae  sunt 
steriles  harenae,  quas  si  in  alia  quispiam  loca  transferre  conetur, 
arescant.  Sed  dat  cuique  natura  quod  convenit  et  ne,  dum 
manere  possunt,  intereant,  elaborat."  Compare  similar  words  of 
Dante  in  Conv.  iii,  3,  11.  21-30.  Also  Petrarch,  part  I,  son.  41 : 
"  Che  gentil  pianta  in  arido  terreno 

Par  che  si  disconvenga,  e  pero  lieta 
Naturalmente  quindi  si  diparte." 

||  prova:  Compare  with  this  Beatrice's  words  in  Purg.  xxx, 
115-117: 

"  Questi  fu  tal  nella  sua  vita  nuova 


Canto  VIII.      Readings  on  the  Par adiso.  281 

E  se  il  mondo  laggiu  ponesse  mente 

Al  fondamento  che  natura  pone, 

Seguendo  lui,*  avria  buona  la  gente. 
Ma  voi  torcete  alia  relig'ione  145 

Tal  che  fia  nato  a  cingersi  la  spada, 

E  fate  re  di  tal  ch'  £  da  sermone ; 
Onde  la  traccia  vostra  £  fuor  di  strada." — 
Now  that  which  was  behind  thee  (i.e.  hidden)  is 
before  thee  (manifested) ;  but  that  thou  mayest 
know  that  I  take  pleasure  in  (conversing  with)  thee, 
I  will  that  thou  enmantle  thyself  with  a  corollary. 
Ever  will  Nature,  if  she  finds  a  destiny  discordant 
to  her,  even  as  every  other  seed  out  of  its  proper 
climate,  come  to  evil  proof  (i.e.  earns  a  sad  ex- 
perience). And  if  the  world  there  below  would 
bear  in  mind  the  foundation  that  Nature  lays 
(namely,  the  disposition  inspired  by  heavenly  in- 
fluences), following  her,  it  would  have  its  inhabi- 
tants virtuous.  But  ye  wrest  aside  to  monastic  life 
(alia  religione)  such  a  one  as  shall  have  been  born 
to  gird  on  the  sword,  and  ye  make  a  king  of  one 
who  is  (only)  fit  for  preaching;  therefore  are  your 
footsteps  outside  of  the  right  road  (namely,  that  of 
Nature)."! 
Charles  Martel's  next  eldest  brother  Louis  abdicated 


Virtualmente,  ch'  ogni  abito  destro 
Fatto  averebbe  in  lui  mirabil  prova." 

*  Seguendo  lui :  "  Ecco  1'  Educazione  richiamata  alia  via  della 
natura.  Rousseau  lo  fece  in  apparenza,  e  in  parola;  poich&  real- 
mente  la  natura  da  lui  incoronata  6  monca,  imperfetta,  e  ideale. 
II  consiglio  che  da  qui  Dante  &  eccellente  e  practice,  e  nessuno 
pu6  contestare  la  necessita  di  adoperarlo."  (Gioberti.) 

t  "  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  divided  the  genius  of  men  ac- 
cording to  the  different  affairs  of  the  world  ;  and  varied  their 
inclinations  according  to  the  variety  of  actions  to  be  performed 
therein.  Which  they  who  consider  not,  rudely  rushing  upon 
professions  and  ways  of  life  unequal  to  their  natures,  dis- 
honour not  only  themselves  and  their  functions,  but  prevent 
the  harmony  of  the  whole  world."  (Brown,  on  Vulgar  Errors, 
b.  I,  ch.  5.) 


282  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  VIII. 

his  princely  rights,  professed  the  vows  of  the  Frati 
Minori,  and  entered  the  priesthood.  Robert,  though 
king,  wrote  sermons.  Villani  (xii,  10)  terms  him  a 
great  master  of  theology ;  so  the  allusion  here  is  both 
to  Robert,  and  also  to  Louis. 


END  OF  CANTO  VIII. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  283 


CANTO    IX. 


THE  THIRD  SPHERE  :  HEAVEN  OF  VENUS  (continued). 
— SPIRITS  OF  LOVERS.— CUNIZZA  DA  ROMANO. 
— FOLCO  OF  MARSEILLES. — RAHAB. — DENUN- 
CIATION OF  PAPAL  COURT  FOR  NEGLECT  OF 
THE  HOLY  LAND. 

DANTE  and  Beatrice  have  not  yet  broken  off  their 
conversation  with  Charles  Martel,  but  are  on  the  point 
of  doing  so. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  66,  Dante 
relates  the  departure  of  Charles  Martel  and  his  inter- 
view with  Cunizza  da  Romano. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  67  to  v.  108,  Folco 
of  Marseilles  takes  the  place  of  Cunizza,  and  Dis- 
courses with  Dante. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  109  to  v.  142,  Folco 
tells  Dante  that  the  spirit  at  his  side  is  Rahab,  the 
harlot  of  Jericho,  and  contrasts  her  zeal  in  the  cause 
of  God  in  helping  Joshua  to  get  his  first  footing 
in  the  Holy  Land,  with  the  indifference  of  Pope  Boni- 
face VIII,  who  is  content  to  see  that  Blessed  Country 
in  the  hands  of  the  infidels. 

Division  I.  There  is  much  debate  among  the  Com- 
mentators as  to  the  identity  of  the  royal  lady  whom 
Dante  apostrophizes  as" beauteous Clemence!"  Among 


284  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

those  commentaries  which  I  have  examined,  thirteen 
are  of  opinion  that  the  lady  addressed  is  Charles 
Martel's  wife,  the  daughter  of  Rudolph  of  Hapsburg,* 
while  thirteen  others  think  she  is  Charles  Martel's 
daughter,  the  wife  of  Louis  X,  of  France.  Although 
these  opinions  are  so  equally  balanced,  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  deciding  for  Charles  Martel's  wife.  The 
words  in  the  first  line,  Carlo  tuo,  seem  to  me  perfectly 
inadmissible  to  any  relation  except  to  a  wife,  a  sister, 
or  a  lover,  nor  can  I  understand  how  any  Italian 
can  get  over  that  objection.  The  chief  argument 
in  favour  of  the  daughter  is,  that  the  wife  is  said  to 
have  died  in  1301  (according  to  others  1295),  before 


*  Those  in  favour  of  Charles  Martel's  wife  are :  Benvenuto, 
Pietrodi  Dante,  Taliceda  Ricaldone,  the  Falsa  Boccaccio,  Serra- 
valle,  Tommase'o,  Fraticelli,  Camerini,  De  Gubernatis  ;  and  of 
translators  into  English,  Longfellow,  Butler,  Plumptre,  and 
Haselfoot.  Poletto,  who  is  doubtful,  seems  rather  to  side  with 
the  above  Commentators  than  with  those  who  are  decided  as  to 
its  being  Charles  Martel's  daughter  who  is  addressed.  These 
latter  are  Lana,  Anon.  Florentine,  Buti,  Landino,  Danielle, 
Lubin,  Cesari,  Andreoli,  Scartazzini,  Cornoldi,  Brunone  Bianchi, 
Casini,  and  Gary.  Some  Commentators  identify  Clemence 
with  the  mother  of  Charles  Martel,  but  that  is  palpably  wrong, 
as  she  was  Mary  of  Hungary.  Benvenuto  writes:  "unde 
(auctor)  dirigens  sermonem  ad  Clementiam  uxorem  Caroli, 
dicit :  O  bella  Clemenza,  quae  fuit  pulcra  et  pudica,  et  digna  tali 
viro."  And  Pietro  di  Dante :  "  Continuando  se  auctor  ad 
precedentia,  apostrophando  ad  reginam  Clementiam  uxorem 
dicti  Karoli,  et  filiam  regis  Alberti  (Rodulphi)  de  Austria,  quae 
audita  morte  dicti  sui  viri,  mortua  est  pro  dolore  .  .  .  ut  in 
textu  patet."  Talice  says:  "apostrophando  ad  uxorem  istius 
Karoli  Martelli,  filiam  Rodulphi."  And  the  Falso  Boccaccio: 
"  laltore  si  muove  parlando  inverse  ladonna  cheffu  moglie  di- 
charlo  martello  la  quale  ebbe  nome  clemenza."  Fraticelli  writes 
positively:  "Questa  Clemenza,  a  cui  il  Poeta  volge  il  discorso, 
non  e  la  figlia  di  Carlo  Martello,  come  hanno  creduto  i  com- 
mentatori,  poiche  nel  1300  non  contava  ella  che  sei  o  sette 
anni  d'  eta, ma  bensi  la  sua  sposa,  chiamata  pur  essa Clemenza" 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  285 

the  poem  actually  was  written,  but  against  that  view 
I  quote  Haselfoot :  "  The  style  of  the  address  seems 
to  indicate  that  it  is  the  wife  ;  who,  though  dead  when 
the  poem  was  written,  was  alive  at  the  time  of  its 
supposed  action  (1300).  She  died  in  1301."  Dean 
Plumptre  says  that  Charles  Martel's  wife  was  known 
to  Dante  in  the  beauty  of  her  youth,  and  her  daughter 
....  was  probably  not  so  known.  Besides,  as  Long- 
fellow remarks,  at  the  date  of  the  poem,  the  daughter 
was  only  six  or  seven  years  old.  To  me  the  impossi- 
bility of  using  the  term  "  thy  Charles,"  when  speaking 
to  a  daughter  of  her  father,  is  absolutely  conclusive. 
I  admit  that,  supposing  Dante  really  to  have  written  the 
Paradiso  about  1318  or  1319,  Clemence  the  daughter 
would  have  been  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  but 
no  matter  what  her  age,  I  cannot  believe  that  a  writer, 
so  correct  as  Dante,  would  have  caused  a  daughter  to 
speak  about  her  father  as  "  her  Charles." 

Dante  begins  by  alluding  to  the  wrongs  sustained 
by  Clemence  (the  wife),  in  that  her  father-in-law, 
Charles  II,  the  Lame,  at  his  death  in  1309,  bequeathed 
the  kingdom  of  Naples  to  his  third  son  Robert  Duke 
of  Calabria,  thus  dispossessing  Carobert,son  of  Charles 
Martel  and  Clemence.  He  tells  her,  however,  that  to 
her  only  does  he  utter  these  words  of  sympathy,  be- 
cause the  spirit  of  her  husband,  before  melting  away 
into  the  heavenly  radiance  around  him,  had  charged 
Dante  to  keep  silence,  and  allow  events  to  run  their 
natural  course,  and  that  in  coming  years  her  wrongs 
would  surely  be  avenged.  Dante  then  gives  way  to 
an  explosion  of  wrath  against  those  who  apply  their 
thoughts  to  the  vanities  of  the  world,  instead  of  allow- 


286  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

ing  them  to  rest  in  God.  De  Gubernatis  remarks 
that  Dante  was  not  at  all  times  in  the  same  frame  of 
mind  when  he  was  writing  his  Paradiso,  and  this 
outburst  gives  us  warning  that,  when  writing  this 
Canto,  he  was  greatly  agitated.  It  is  a  foreshadowing 
of  the  bitter  shafts  of  reprobation  that  will  be  hurled 
forth  by  him  at  the  end  of  the  Canto. 
Dapoiche  Carlo  tuo,  bella  Clemenza, 

M'  ebbe  chiarito,  mi  narro  gl'  inganni* 
Che  ricever  dovea  la  sua  semenza ; 
Ma  disse: — "Taci,  e  lascia  volger  gli  anni ;" — 

SI  ch'  io  non  posso  dir,  se  non  che  pianto  5 

Giusto  verraf  diretro  ai  vostri  danni. 
E  gia  la  vital  di  quel  lume  santo 

*  inganni  .  .  .  ricevere  signifies  (see  Gr.  Diz.  s.  v.  inganno, 
§  5)  "  Esser  leso  con  fraude  ne'  proprii  diritti,"  and  this  passage 
is  quoted  as  having  that  signification.  The  only  translator  I 
have  found  to  give  the  full  force  of  the  sentence  is  Dean 
Plumptre,  who  renders  it  thus  : 

"  He  cited,  one  by  one, 

The  ills  his  seed  by  cunning  frauds  should  bear." 
The  word  inganno  here  means  more  than  "  treachery,  treason, 
betrayal,  deceit,"  and  the  only  words  I  could  find  to  give  real 
effect  to  the  sense  were  the  nearly  obsolete  "  defraudation  or 
defraudment ;"  Deprivation  by  treachery  or  intrigue  of  what  is 
one's  just  right,  is  the  signification  required.  The  expression 
rice'ver  inganno  occurs  in  Inf.  xx,  95,  96,  and  there  also  signifies 
being  defrauded  of  one's  just  rights  : 

"  Prima  che  la  mattla  di  Casalodi 

Da  Pinamonte  inganno  ricevesse." 

t  pianto  Giusto  -verra :  Benvenuto  says  that  this  in  all  proba- 
bility alludes  to  the  fact  that  Robert  died  without  male  issue, 
and  was  succeeded  by  a  grand-daughter  (cut  successit  ejus 
neptis,filia  Veneris,  quae  tamen  magnifice  gubernavit  regnum). 
I  vita  :  Blanc  (  Voc.  Dant.)  says  :  "  le  anime  dei  Beati  sono 
dette  vite"  Compare  Par.  xii,  127  : 

"  Io  son  la  vita  di  Bonaventura." 
and  Par.  xiv,  6 : 

"  La  gloriosa  vita  di  Tommaso  ;" 
i.e.  the  spirit  in  glory  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas ; 
and  Par.  xxi,  55-5?  : 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  287 

Rivolta  s'  era  al  sol  che  la  riempie, 
Come  quel  ben  ch'  ad  ogni  cosa  e  tanto. 
Ahi,  anime  ingannate*  e  fatture  empie,t  10 

Che  da  si  fatto  ben  torcetej  i  cori, 
Drizzando  in  vanita  le  vostre  tempie !  || 

After  that  thy  Charles,  O  beautiful  Clemence,  had 
enlightened  me,  he  related  to  me  the  intrigues  by 
which  his  seed  would  be  defrauded  of  their  just 
rights ;  but  said :  "  Keep  silence,  and  let  the  years 

"  Vita  beata,  che  ti  stai  nascosta 

Dentro  alia  tua  letizia,  fammi  nota 
La  cagion  che  si  presso  mi  t'  ha  posta." 
see  Gr.  Diz.  s.  v.  vita,  §  27. 

The  expression  seems  to  be  one  used  by  Dante  only,  and  for 
no  other  personages  than  for  spirits  in  Paradise. 

*  anime  ingannate  :  Compare  Par.  xxii,  37-39 : 
"  Quel  monte  a  cui  Cassino  e  nella  costa, 
Fu  frequentato  gia  in  sulla  cima 
Dalla  gente  ingannata  e  mal  disposta." 

\  fatture  empie :  Although  all  the  most  authoritative  MSS. 
and  editions  read  as  above,  there  are  a  few  who  follow  the 
Nidobeatina  and  readfatue  ed  empie.  Most  of  the  more  modern 
Commentators  have  adopted  this  reading,  but  Tommase'o,  Scar- 
tazzini,  Poletto,  Cornoldi,  and  Casini  read  fatture.  Buti  says : 
"  Empia  fattura  e  quella  che  non  seguita  lo  suo  fattore,  ed 
empia  creatura  £  quella  che  non  seguita  lo  suo  creatore."  Tom- 
mase'o very  aptly  observes  that,  if  one  were  to  adopt  the  read- 
ing fatue  ed  empie,  then  the  whole  construction  of  the  sentence- 
would  be  governed  by  anime,  and  impalpable  spirits  would  be 
represented  as  having  heads  with  temples  to  them. 

t  torcete :  Compare  Boethius,  Philos.  Consol.  iv,  Pros.  2,  11. 
92,  93 :  "  scientes  volentesque  bonum  deserunt,  ad  vitia  deflec- 
tunt." 

||  tempie :  On  the  whole  terzina  generally,  and  on  the  use  by 
Dante  of  "  the  temples  "  to  signify  "  the  head  "  in  particular,  see 
the  Ottimo :  "  Questo  dolersi  e  sgridare  che  fa  1'  Autore,  e  noto 
per  quello  ch'  £  detto  di  sopra ;  ed  usa  qui  una  figura  che  si 
chiama  gramatica,  che  s'  osserva  quando  ponemo  parte  per  parte 
altra :  pone  qui  tempie  per  la  testa,  e  la  testa  per  lo  cuore,  o  vuoli 
disideno."  Compare  Psalm  cxxxii,  4  {Prayer  Book  Version} : 
"  I  will  not  suffer  mine  eyes  to  sleep,  nor  mine  eyelids  to  slum- 
ber ;  neither  the  temples  of  my  head  to  take  any  rest." 


288  Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  IX. 

roll  on ; "  so  that  this  only  can  I  say  (namely),  that 
well-deserved  lamentation  will  follow  on  your  wrongs 
(i.e.  of  thee  and  thy  son  Carobert).  And  already 
the  spirit  of  that  glorious  being  had  turned  back  to 
the  Sun  Which  fills  it  (i.e.  to  God,  the  Sun  of  Justice), 
He  being  that  Good  which  sufficeth  for  everything. 
Oh  souls  misguided,  and  creatures  impious,  who 
turn  aside  your  hearts  from  such  a  Good,  directing 
your  heads  unto  vanity  ! 

Another  spirit  now  approaches  Dante.  This  is  Cunizza, 
sister  of  the  ferocious  tyrant  Ezzelino  da  Romano  the 
Third,  of  the  great  family  of  Onara,  who  were  Counts 
of  Bassano.  Her  father,  Ezzelino  II,  married  Adelaide 
degli  Alberti,  the  Counts  of  Mangona.  Cunizza  was 
born  about  1 198,  and  did  not  die  till  after  1279,  in  which 
year  she  made  a  will  leaving  all  her  possessions  to  the 
sons  of  Count  Alessandro  Alberti  of  Mangona.  She 
would  seem  to  have  been  given  in  marriage,  for  politi- 
cal reasons,  to  the  chief  of  theGuelph  faction  at  Verona, 
Rizzardo  Bonifacio.  She  is  described  by  Benvenuto 
as  having  been  notorious  for  her  lasciviousness  in  early 
life,*  but  Benvenuto  is  supported  by  nearly  all  the 
other  Commentators  in  bearing  witness  to  her  kind- 
ness of  heart,  charitableness,  and  other  good  qualities. 
Scartazzini  urges  that,  while  Dante  was  evidently  ac- 


*  "Ista  Cunitia  soror  olim  Eccelini  de  Romano  tyranni  crudel- 
issimi ;  recte  filia  Veneris,  semper  amorosa,  vaga,  de  qua  dictum 
est  capitolo  VI  Purgatorii,  qualiter  habebat  rem  cum  Sordello 
Mantuano  ;  et  cum  hoc  simul  erat  pia,  benigna,  misericors,  com- 
patiens  miseris,  quos  frater  crudeliter  affligebat."  (Benvenuto). 
(See  note  on  Sordello  in  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio,  2nd  edition, 
vol.  i,  pp.  208,  209).  All  the  Commentators  agree  as  to  the 
looseness  of  her  morals,  except  the  Ottimo,  who  says  of  her : 
"  Questa  donna  visse  amorosamente  in  vestire,  canto,  e  giuoco, 
ma  non  in  alcuna  disonestade  o  inlicito  atto  consent! :  ed  uso  sua 
vita  in  godere,  secondo  quello  che  dice  Salomone  nell'  Eccles." 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Pa.ra.diso.  289 

quainted  with  Cunizza's  sins,  he  must  have  been 
equally  acquainted  with  her  sincere  penitence,  and 
that  at  Florence  he  would  beyond  a  doubt  have  heard 
more  of  her  subsequent  good  deeds  than  of  her  former 
failings.  In  Dante's  times  lascivious  lives  were  very 
common,  and  mercy  and  lovingkindness  very  rare ; 
therefore  it  might  well  be  presumed  that  the  tradition 
of  those  days  would  more  readily  preserve  the  record 
of  Cunizza's  good  deed  of  liberating  the  slaves,  than 
the  memory  of  her  many  amours.*  The  most  severe 
view  of  Cunizza's  transgressions  could  not  have  made 
Dante  forget  the  words  of  St.  Peter  (i  Pet.  iv,  8)  : 
"  Above  all  things  have  fervent  charity  among  your- 
selves :  for  charity  shall  cover  the  multitude  of  sins." 
Bartoli  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  how  so  great  a 
sinner,  as  Cunizza  was  known  to  be  in  her  promiscu- 
ous amours,  should  have  been  by  Dante  represented 
as  being  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  bliss  in  Paradise, 
without  having  undergone  a  previous  long  expiation 
in  Purgatory,  for  Cunizza  was  alive  in  1279,  and  from 
1279  to  1300,  the  supposed  date  of  Dante's  vision, 
2 1  years  only  had  elapsed.  He  is  quite  inclined  to 
agree  with  the  supposition  of  Troya  (  Veltro  Allegorico\ 
that  Dante  may  have  seen  and  known  Cunizza  in  the 


*  Casini  observes  that  after  1260,  when  the  fortunes  of  her 
family  had  fallen,  on  the  deaths  of  Ezzelino  III,  and  Alberico, 
Cunizza  went  to  live  at  Florence,  and  while  dwelling  in  the  house 
of  the  Cavalcanti  made  her  will,  in  which  she  set  at  liberty  many 
captives  enslaved  by  her  brothers,  but  specially  excepted  some 
of  these,  who  had  betrayed  her  brother  Alberico  to  his  death. 
The  fullest  account  of  Cunizza's  life  is  told  by  Rolandino,  Liber 
Chronicorum  (ap.  Muratori,  Rerum  Hal.  Script,  viii,  173).  See 
also  Giamb.  Verci,  Storia  degli  Ecelini,  Bassano,  1779,  "'» 
Doc.  cclxxvii. 

I.  U 


290  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

house  of  the  Cavalcanti  in  her  extreme  old  age,  sin- 
cerely penitent  for  her  former  sins,  which  she  was 
expiating  by  continual  prayers  and  vigils.  Bartoli 
contends  that  by  far  the  most  cogent  reason  of  all  for 
Dante  to  have  represented  Cunizza  in  Paradise  was, 
that  he  "  cared  but  little  for  objective  justice,  and  often 
substituted  for  it  his  sovereign  will."  Bartoli  thinks 
that  Cunizza  is  selected  by  Dante,  because  he  could 
find  no  other  spirit  into  whose  mouth  could  so  pecu- 
liarly well  be  put  the  words  he  wanted  to  say  about 
the  Marca  of  Treviso  ;  of  the  horrible  massacres  that 
were  inflicted  upon  the  people  of  Padua  ;  of  the  mur- 
der of  Rizzardo  da  Camino  ;  and  the  cruelties  of  Ales- 
sandro  Novello,  the  wicked  Bishop  of  Feltre  (/'  empio 
pastore  di  Feltre,  11.  52,  53).  Scartazzini  observes  that 
in  the  same  way  that  Charles  Martel  censures  his 
brother  Robert,  and  predicts  the  woes  and  misfortunes 
of  his  kindred,  so  does  Cunizza  in  like  manner  foretell 
the  coming  sorrows  that  were  to  befall  her  native  land. 
Ed  ecco  un  altro  di  quegli  splendor!* 

Ver  me  si  fece,t  e  il  suo  voler  piacermi 

*  splendori:  In  Par.  iii,  109,  Piccarda  de' Donati  speaks  of 
the  spirit  of  the  Empress  Constance  as 

"...  quest'  altro  splendor,  che  ti  si  mostra 

Dalla  mia  destra  parte." 
and  Par.  xiv,  95  : 

"  M'  apparvero  splendor  dentro  a  due  raggi." 
and  Par.  xxi,  31,  32  : 

"  Vidi  anco  per  li  gradi  scender  giuso 

Tanti  splendor,"  etc. 

t   Ver  me  sifece:  Compare  Purg.  viii,  52  : 
"  Ver  me  si  fece,  ed  io  ver  lui  mi  fei." 
and  Inf.  viii,  32  : 

"  Dinanzi  mi  si  fece  un  pien  di  fango.;) 
and  Par.  viii,  31: 

"  Indi  si  fece  1'  un  piii  presso  a  noi." 


Canto  IX.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  291 

Significava  nel  chiarir  di  fuori.*  15 

And  behold,  another  of  those  radiant  forms  ap- 
proached me,  and  by  its  outward  brightening  signi- 
fied the  will  it  had  to  please  me. 

Dante  does  not  venture  to  address  the  spirit  without 
the  leave  of  Beatrice,  but  she  with  a  glance  from  her 
eyes  gives  him  permission.  He  asks  Cunizza  to  read 
in  his  thoughts  what  is  his  desire,  and  to  satisfy  it. 
She  delightedly  assents. 

Gli  occhi  di  Beatrice,  ch'  eran  fermi 

Sopra  me  come  pria,t  di  caro  assenso 
Al  mio  disio  certificate  fermi. 
— "  Deh  metti  al  mio  voler  tosto  compenso, 

Beato  spirto," — dissi, — "  e  fammi  provaj  20 

Ch'  io  possa  in  te  rifletter  quel  ch'  io  penso." — 
Onde  la  luce  che  m'  era  ancor  nuova, 

Del  suo  profondo,  ond'ella  pria  cantava,§ 

*  nel  chiarir  di  fuori :  Cesari  (Bellezze,  vol.  iii,  p.  152)  says 
that,  as  Dante  had  got  to  describe  the  same  affection  of  heavenly 
love  towards  himself  exhibited  by  all  the  Saints  he  meets,  he 
could  only,  for  the  sake  of  his  reputation  as  a  poet,  go  on  de- 
scribing the  same  act  with  different  forms  of  expression.  The 
same  may  be  observed  with  reference  to  his  relation  of  how  he 
always  waited  for  Beatrice's  permission  before  addressing  any 
spirit,  of  her  gracious  assent,  and  of  her  action  in  expressing 
her  approval. 

t  come  pria  :  "idest,  sicut  prius  fecerant  quando  primo  loqu- 
utus  fui  Carolo  supra."  (Benvenuto). 

t  fammi  prova,  et  seq.  :  Poletto  interprets  this  :  "  mostrami 
per  eflfetto,  che  il  mio  desiderio  (quel  cK  io  penso\  dipinto  in 
Dio  si  riflette  in  te,  senza  bisogno  ch'io  tel  dichiari."  (See 
lower  down,  1.  61 :  sit  sono  speccht)  etc.  Compare  De  Vulg. 
Eloq.  i,  2,  11.  13-21  :  "Cum  igiturangeli  ad  pandendas  gloripsas 
eorum  conceptiones  habeant  promptissimam  atque  ineffabilem 
sufficientiam  intellectus,  qua  vel  alter  alteri  totaliter  innotescit 
per  se,  vel  saltern  per  illud  fulgentissimum  speculum,  in  quo 
cuncti  repraesentantur  pulcerrimi  atque  avidissimi  speculantur  : 
nullo  signo  locutionis  indiguisse  videntur." 

§  ond1  clla  pria  cantava :  The  spirits,  among  whom  was 
U  2 


292  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Seguette,  come  a  cui*  di  ben  far  giova  : 

The  eyes  of  Beatrice,  that  were  fixed  upon  me  as 
before,  gave  to  my  desire  the  assurance  of  her  sweet 
assent.  "O  blessed  spirit,"  said  I,  "give  a  speedy 
compliance  with  my  wish,  and  afford  me  proof  that 
what  I  think  I  can  have  reflected  in  thee."  Where- 
upon the  light,  which  was  as  yet  new  (i.e.  unknown) 
to  me,  from  out  of  its  depth,  whence  it  had  been 
singing  before,  made  reply  as  to  one  upon  whom  it 
is  delightful  to  confer  a  benefit. 

Cunizza  first  describes  the  Marca  Trwigiana,  the 
land  of  her  birth,  and  then  adds  that  she  is  sister  to 
Ezzelino  III. 

— "  In  quella  partet  della  terra  prava  25 

Italica,  che  siede  tra  Rialto 


Cunizza,  were  singing  Osanna,  when  Dante  encountered  them 
immediately  after  his  ascent  into  Venus  (Par.  viii,  28-30) : 
"  E  dentro  a  quei  che  piu  innanzi  appariro, 

Sonava  Osanna,  si  che  unque  poi 

Di  riudir  non  fui  senza  disiro." 

*  come  a  cui,  et  seq. :  Casini  remarks  that  this  simile  says 
with  efficacious  brevity  that  which  is  expressed  more  at  length 
in  Purg.  xxxiii,  130-132: 

"  Com'  anima  gentil  che  non  fa  scusa, 

Ma  fa  sua  voglia  della  voglia  altrui, 
Tosto  ch'  ell'  &  per  segno  fuor  dischiusa." 

The  idea  has  been  imitated  by  Fazio  degli  Uberti,  Dittamondo, 
lib.  iii,  cap.  xviii : 

"  Poi  siccom'  uom,  che  pensa  e  s'  argomenta 

D'  altrui  piacer,  mi  disse,"  etc. 
and  by  Frezzi,  Quadriregio,  lib.  i,  cap.  xi : 

"  Come  persona  a  compiacer  disposta 

A  chi  la  prega,  cosi  Palla  fece,"  etc. 

\  quella  parte:  Cunizza  is  here  describing  the  Marca  Trivi- 
giana,  which  was  bordered  on  the  south  by  the  Duchy  of 
Venice  (here  indicated  by  its  principal  island,  Rialto),  and  on 
the  North  by  the  Alps  of  the  Trentino  in  which  the  Brenta 
takes  its  rise,  and  the  Alps  of  the  Cadore  from  which  the  Piave 
flows,  and  which,  Pietro  di  Dante  records,  is  bounded  (on  the 
west)  by  the  Adige,  and  (on  the  east)  by  the  Tagliamento. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  293 

E  le  fontane*  di  Brenta  e  di  Piava, 
Si  leva  un  colle,t  e  non  surge  molt'  alto, 

La  onde  scese  gia  una  facella,t 

Che  fece  alia  contrada  un  grande  assalto.  30 

D'  una  radice  nacqui  ed  io  ed  ella ; 

Cunizza  fui  chiamata,  e  qui  refulgo, 

Perche  mi  vinse  il  lume  d'esta  Stella. § 

*  fontane :  the  sources  of  the  rivers.  Compare  Purg.  xxviii, 
121-124 : 

"  L'  acqua  che  vedi  non  surge  di  vena 

Come  fiume  ch'  acquista  e  perde  lena  ; 
Ma  esce  di  fontana  salda  e  certa." 

\  un  colle :  The  Castello  da  Romano  stands  on  a  hill  about 
3  kilometres  to  the  North  East  of  Bassano.  It  was  the  birth- 
place of  the  tyrant  Ezzelino  III,  whom  Dante  mentions  in  the 
river  of  boiling  blood  (Inf.  xii,  no),  where  he  is  called  Azzolino. 
The  castle  in  his  time  was  a  place  of  some  importance.  It  is  in 
the  territory  of  Vicenza,  on  the  Brenta,  situated  near  the  high 
road  that  leads  from  Padua  to  Bassano,  Feltre,  and  Udine. 

J  facella :  Some  Commentators  profess  to  see  a  marked  dis- 
tinction between  face,  a  torch,  and  facella,  a  small  firebrand, 
and  think  that  Dante  wished  to  imply,  by  this  designation  of  the 
ferocious  tyrant  Ezzelino,  that  he  was  of  small  political  power 
and  importance,  though  in  his  own  neighbourhood  he  spread 
fire  and  sword.  Pietro  di  Dante  alone  among  the  Commentators 
relates  a  tradition  prevalent  in  the  Marca  Trivigiana  that  Ezze- 
lino's  mother  before  his  birth  dreamed  that  she  should  bring 
forth  a  firebrand  :  (Mater  cujus  Azzolini,  duin  partui  ejus  esset 
vtcina,  somniabat  quod  parturiebat  unam  facem  igneam,  quae 
comburebat  totam  Marchiam  Trevisanam :  et  ita  fecit  sua  horri- 
bili  tyrannide.  Et  tangit  hoc  auctor,  dum  dicit  de  facella). 
Scartazzini  observes  that,  as  none  of  the  other  Commentators 
mention  this  dream,  it  has  been  doubted  as  to  whether  the 
dream  owes  its  origin  to  Dante's  verse,  or  Dante's  verse  to  the 
tradition  of  the  dream,  but  Scartazzini  thinks  Pjetro  di  Dante 
must  certainly  have  heard  the  tradition  ;  the  more  so  that  the 
Trevisian  chroniclers  of  that  time  record  that  Pietro  the  son  of 
Dante  died  at  Treviso,  and  was  buried  in  the  first  cloister  of 
Santa  Margherita  there  (cf.  G.B.  Rambaldi,  Dante  e  Trevigi. 
Memorie  storiche.  Treviso,  1868). 

§  mi  vinse  il  lume  d1  esta  stella:  On  this  see  Buti :  "cioe  mi 
signoreggi6  la  influenza  di  questo  pianeta,  che  non  mi  Iass6 


294  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  IX. 

"  In  that  part  of  the  sinful  land  of  Italy  that  lies 
between  Rialto  (i.e.  Venice)  and  the  sources  of  the 
Brenta  and  the  Piava,  there  rises  a  hill,  and  it  does 
not  rear  itself  very  high,  in  that  place  whence  there 
once  descended  a  firebrand  (Ezzelino),  which  made 
a  great  devastation  of  the  country  round.  From 
the  same  root  (i.e.  from  the  same  parents)  both  it 
and  I  were  born  ;  Cunizza  was  I  named,  and  here  (in 
the  sphere  of  Venus)  I  shine  again,  because  the 
splendour  (i.e.  the  influence)  of  this  star  overcame 
me. 

Benvenuto  observes  that  Cunizza  next  anticipates  a 
tacit  question  that  might  be  put  to  her,  namely,  as  to 
how  she  comes  to  have  saved  her  soul  and  to  be 
living  an  everlasting  life  among  the  Blessed,  if,  as  she 
admits,  in  her  life-time  the  influence  of  Venus  had 
such  dominion  over  her. 

Ma  lietamente  a  me  medesma  indulge 

La  cagion  di  mia  sorte,  e  non  mi  noia,  35 

Che  parria  forse  forte  al  vostro  vulgo. 

But  with  joy  do  I  pardon  to  myself  the  cause  of 
(this)  my  lot,  and — which  to  your  common  herd  may 
perchance  seem  a  hard  thing — it  does  not  distress  me. 

Cunizza  and  her  companions  no  longer  repent  for 
their  former  sins  ;  that  time  passed  away  when  they 
were  washed  in  Lethe  ;  but  they  rejoice  in  the  Divine 
Power,  which,  while  it  placed  them  under  the  influence 
of  the  planet  Venus,  at  the  same  time  enabled  them 
to  be  saved.  The  common  herd  would  not  be  able  to 
comprehend  that  the  Blessed  can  recollect  their  former 
sins,  and  yet  feel  no  remorse,  only  thankfulness  to  God 

montare  a  maggior  grado  :  e  ben  dice  mi  -vinse — Quia  sapiens 
dominabitur  astris;  et  ella  non  fu  savia  e  lasciossi  signoreg- 
giare  a  la  influenza  della  costellazione,  benche  poi  se  ne  penti  e 
fecene  penitenzia." 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  295 

for  the  joy  of  their  Salvation.  Casini  thinks  that 
Dante's  conception  in  the  above  passage  was  to  in- 
dicate the  state  in  which  the  souls  of  the  Blessed  find 
themselves  with  reference  to  their  past  lives,  a  con- 
ception in  perfect  agreement  with  that  of  St.  Augus- 
tine (De  Civit.  Dei,  xxii,  30 :  "  Voluntas  libera,  ab 
omni  malo  liberata  et  impleta  omni  bono,  fruens  in- 
desinenter  aeternorum  jucunditate  gaudiorum,  oblita 
poetarum,  tamen  nee  ideo  suae  liberationis  oblita,  ut 
liberatori  sit  ingrata."  Casini  observes,  with  reference 
to  this  doctrine,  that  Cunizza's  words  signify  : 
"  Although,  when  in  the  world  below,  I  was  under 
the  mastery  of  worldly  love,  yet  here  in  Paradise  I 
am  justified  in  taking  delight  in  my  strong  dispo- 
sition to  love,  which,  by  turning  itself  into  love  for 
God,  has  procured  for  me  my  present  Blessedness ; 
and  far  from  being  to  me  an  occasion  of  grief  (non 
mi  noia ) :  and  it  is  just  this  fact,  as  to  how  amorous 
passion  has  become  for  me  a  beginning  of  Blessed- 
ness, that  is  difficult  for  ordinary  minds  to  under- 
stand." 

Cunizza  has  now  finished  talking  about  herself,  and, 
wishing  to  say  more  about  the  Marca  Trivigiana, 
turns  the  conversation  to  one  of  her  companions  in 
bliss,  Folco  or  Folchetto  of  Marseilles.  She  alludes 
to  the  bright  record  of  his  good  deeds  which  he  has 
left  behind  him,  but  chiefly  in  order  that  she  may  pass 
on  thence  to  denounce  his  fellow-citizens  in  that  dis- 
trict, as  well  as  those  of  the  adjoining  territories, 

Di  questa  luculenta  e  cara  gioia 

Del  nostro  cielo,  che  piu  m'  e  propinqua, 
Grande  fama  rimase,  e  pria  che  moia, 


296  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Questo  centesim'  anno  anco  s'  incinqua,*  40 

Vedi  se  far  si  dee  1'  uomo  eccellente, 
Si  ch'  altra  vita  la  prima  relinqua !  t 
E  cio  non  pensa  la  turba  presente, 

Che  Tagliamento  ed  Adice  richiude,J 
N£  per  esser  battuta§  ancor  si  pente.  45 

Of  this  gleaming  and  precious  jewel  of  our  heaven 
(Folco  of  Marseilles),  who  is  nearest  to  me,  great 
fame  has  remained,  and  before  it  die,  this  hundredth 
year  must  yet  have  recurred  five  times  (i.e.  Folco's 
fame,  dating  from  1300,  will  last  many  centuries). 
See  (then)  if  Man  should  not  strive  after  excellence, 
so  that  his  first  life  may  leave  a  second  !  And 
thus  thinks  not  the  present  multitude  (namely,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Marca  Trivigiana),  whom  the 
Tagliamento  and  the  Adige  shut  in,  nor,  for  all  that 
they  have  been  scourged,  do  they  yet  repent. 

Bartoli  (pp.  cit.,  vol.  vi,  part  ii,  pp.  148-151)  thinks 
that  Dante  has  recorded  the  existence  of  Folco  for 
reasons  analogous  to  those  that  made  him  represent 

*  s3  incinqua :  There  are  three  ways  of  explaining  this  word. 
I  follow  the  old  Commentators,  namely,  that  the  century  will  be 
quintuplicated,  i.e.  that  500  years,  by  which  is  to  be  understood 
an  indefinite  time,  shall  pass,  before  Folco's  fame  shall  have  died 
out.  Vellutello  thought  this  too  long  a  period,  and  understood 
it  to  mean  that  this  year  one  thousand  three  hundred  shall  have 
become  one  thousand  five  hundred  before,  etc.  Others,  following 
the  Ottimo,  understood  the  words  to  mean  that,  before  the 
century  then  begun  should  have  terminated,  the  fame  of  Folco 
would  have  been  quintuplicated.  The  first  of  these  interpreta- 
tions, which  is  the  most  simple,  is  much  to  be  preferred. 

t  relinqua :  This  means  that  the  first  mortal  life  of  the  body 
may  leave  behind  it  the  second  almost  immortal  life  of  renown. 

J  richiude :  Ferrazzi  (Manuale  Dantesco,  vol.  iv,  p.  415)  says 
that  the  Tagliamento  and  the  Adige  enclose  the  populations  of 
the  Marca  Trivigiana,  of  the  territories  of  Vicenza,  Padua, 
Treviso,  Feltre,  and  Belluno. 

§  battuta :  "  idest,  flagellata  per  Eccelinum,  qui  Marchiam, 
viridarium  voluptatum  fecit  quasi  heremum  solitudinis  desertse." 
(Benvenuto). 


Canto  IX.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  297 

Cunizza  in  heaven,  namely,  for  the  sake  of  making 
him  the  mouthpiece  of  certain  opinions.  One  might 
wonder  that,  dying  as  Folco  did  in  1231,  after  a  dis- 
solute youth,  he  should  so  soon  have  got  into  Paradise. 
But  it  must  be  remembered  that  Folco,  after  his 
amours  with  Adelasia  di  Barral  and  other  ladies, 
turned  to  religion  and  became  Bishop  of  Toulouse. 
Bartoli  thinks  Dante  would  feel  that  his  denunciation 
of  the  Pope  and  Cardinals,  who,  from  their  avarice, 
from  their  love  of  the  golden  florin,  no  longer  follow 
the  Gospel  and  the  Fathers,  but  only  the  Decretals, 
would  come  with  tenfold  force  if  put  into  the  mouth 
of  a  Bishop.  Anyhow  Bartoli  thinks  it  strange  that 
Dante  should  have  failed  to  notice  the  part  that  Folco 
took  in  the  Crusade  against  the  Albigenses,  and  should 
have  made  of  this  sanguinary  bishop  one  of  the  Saints 
of  his  Paradise. 

Bartoli  is  however  excessively  severe  against  Dante, 
for  having,  as  he  considers,  made  history  subsidiary  to 
his  own  passions  of  love,  hate,  gratitude,  political 
reminiscences,  which  are  all  tumultuously  though 
magnificently  reflected  in  his  verses.  One  key-note 
he  thinks  dominates  over  all  others — abhorrence  of 
all  his  contemporaries  of  every  degree,  of  every  party, 
of  every  country,  but  especially  of  those  in  Tuscany. 
Guelphs  and  Ghibellines  are  placed  by  him  promis- 
cuously in  Hell  and  in  Purgatory.  Not  a  single  one 
does  he  represent  in  Paradise ;  an  exclusion  evidently 
intentional  on  his  part.  Only  three  women  (Piccarda, 
Cunizza,  and  Rahab)  ;  a  prince  (Charles  Martel)  who 
died  very  young ;  a  troubadour  (Folco  of  Marseilles)  ; 
a  councillor  of  the  Count  of  Provence  (Rome'o);  an 


298  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

ancestor  of  his  own  (Cacciaguida) ;  an  aged  King  of 
Sicily  (William  II) ;  many  Saints  and  theologians, 
and  no  one  else.  [Bartoli  seems  to  have  forgotten 
Justinian.]  Dante  still  looks  forward  with  some  linger- 
ing hopes  for  his  country,  and  these  hopes  of  his  are 
founded  upon  the  advent  of  some  reformer  of  the 
world,  of  some  Veltro  who  shall  slay  the  she-wolf,  of 
a  leader,  of  a  Messenger  of  God  ;  and  his  hopes  are 
also  for  himself,  for  his  Poem,  that  he  may  be  able  to 
overcome  the  cruelty  of  the  wolves  that  shut  him  out 
of  the  fair  sheep-fold,  Florence.  But  these  hopes 
render  his  hatred  all  the  more  bitter,  and  especially 
against  his  countrymen.  Of  the  seventy-nine  persons 
represented  by  him  in  Hell,  thirty-two  are  Florentines 
and  forty-three  Tuscans ;  numbers  which  become 
eloquent  if  compared  with  those  of  personages  from 
other  parts  of  Italy,  namely,  three  from  Padua,  four 
from  Bologna,  one  from  Rimini,  one  from  Ravenna, 
one  from  Ferrara,  one  from  Marca  Trivigiana,  one 
from  Parma,  one  from  Novara,  one  from  Brescia,  one 
from  Cremona,  one  from  Pavia,  two  from  Faenza,  three 
from  Sardinia,  and  one  from  Capua.  In  Purgatory 
there  are  barely  four  Florentines,  and  fifteen  Tuscans. 
In  Paradise  two  only  (Piccarda  de'  Donati  and 
Cacciaguida). 

In  the  six  terzine  that  now  follow,  Cunizza  predicts 
the  misfortunes  that  will  befall  her  native  land  and 
the  adjoining  territory;  the  massacres  impending 
upon  Padua  (see  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  footnote 
on  Inf.  xii,  1 10 ;  vol.  i,  p.  400) ;  the  violent  death  of 
Riccardo  da  Camino  ;  and  the  treachery  and  cruelty 
of  the  Bishop  of  Feltre.  All  these  predictions,  Scar- 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  299 

tazzini  remarks,  are  a  vaticinitim  post  eventum^  or  his- 
tory in  the  garb  of  prophecy. 

Ma  tosto  fia  che  Padova  al  palude 

Cangerk  1'  acqua  che  Vicenza  bagna, 
Per  esser*  al  dover  le  genti  crude. 
But  ere  long  it  will  come  to  pass  that  Padua  will 
change  the  water  in  the  marsh  that  leaves  Vicenza, 
because  the  (two)  populations  are  rebellious  against 
duty. 

On  the  above  terzina  it  has  been  remarked  by  Ferrazzi 
(Manuale  Dantesco,  vol.  iv,  p.  415),  and  by  Scartazzini 
in  his  Leipzig  Commentary  (1882),  that  rarely  has  it 
happened  that  a  passage  in  Dante  has  been  disputed 
with  such  conspicuous  learning,  and  at  the  same  time 
with  such  exceptional  courtesy  towards  each  other, 
by  the  champions  of  the  different  theses  ;  and,  to  dis- 
cuss it  properly  in  all  its  bearings,  a  whole  book  rather 
than  a  commentary  would  be  requisite.  The  more 
common  interpretation  is  :  "  Soon  will  it  happen  that 
the  Paduans,  by  reason  of  their  stubbornness  against 
duty,  will  change  to  the  colour  of  blood  the  waters  of 
the  marsh  which  the  river  Bacchiglione  forms  near 
Vicenza  :"  The  interpretation  of  Prof.  Filippo  Mercuri 
is  :  "  The  Paduans  will  deflect  the  waters  of  the  Bac- 
chiglione by  breaking  down  the  dikes,  as  they  did  to 
inundate  Vicenza,  for  the  reason  that  le  genti,  by 
which  is  meant  the  Guelphs  of  Padua,  are  stubborn 
and  restive  against  their  duty,  i.e.  against  their  sub- 

*  Per  esser :  Casini  observes  that  the  censure  is  evidently  as 
much  intended  for  the  Vicentines  for  having  deflected  the  course 
of  the  Bacchiglione,  as  for  the  Paduans,  who  had  provided  for 
their  needs  by  the  waters  of  the  Brenta  ;  because  these  hydraulic 
operations  demonstrated  the  tenacity  of  the  fraternal  hatred  of 
the  two  cities,  and  their  persistence  in  the  error  of  their  muni- 
cipal hatreds. 


300  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

mission  to  Henry  VII,  and  his  Vicar  General  Can- 
grande  della  Scala."  Professor  Gloria  :  "  Soon  shall 
it  happen  that  the  Paduans  will  change  the  water  of 
the  Bacchiglione  into  the  Marsh  of  Brusegna,  by  sub- 
stituting for  it  the  water  of  the  Brenta,  to  be  able  to 
go  on  with  the  war,  that  is,  that  they  may  not  be 
constrained  by  the  failure  of  water  to  make  terms 
with  the  people  of  Vicenza." 

But  preferable  by  far  to  the  above  views,  appear  to 
me  those  advocated  by  Prof.  Mgr.  Poletto  in  his  own 
commentary,  as  well  as  in  the  Appendix  volume 
(vol.  viii)  to  his  Dizionario  Dantesco,  in  which  (pp. 
275-289)  he  has  introduced  a  monograph  by  his  friend 
the  Abbate  Bortolan  entitled  //  Bacchiglione,  being  a 
comment  upon  this  terzina.  Extremely  difficult  is  it 
to  give,  within  the  limits  of  a  work  like  the  present, 
anything  like  an  adequate  digest  of  so  learned,  and, 
to  me,  so  convincing  an  argument.  Bortolan  begs  his 
readers  to  begin  by  turning  back  to  where  Cunizza, 
citing  the  example  of  Folco  of  Marseilles,  who  had 
been  converted  from  a  licentious  life  to  a  holy  one, 
adds  :  See  then  if  Man  should  not  strive  after  excel- 
lence, so  that  his  first  life  may  leave  behind  it  a  second 
one.  But  those  people  who  live  between  the  Adige 
and  the  Tagliamento  are  by  no  means  striving  after 
excellence,  and  Cunizza  enumerates  their  delinquen- 
cies, beginning  by  this  disputed  passage.  This,  ob- 
serves Bortolan,  should  be  studied  with  the  assistance 
of  the  chronicler  Ferreto  of  Vicenza,  who  is  said  to 
have  been  the  first  person  that  ever  commented  on 
Dante,  even  before  Boccaccio  began  his  public  lectures 
on  the  Commedia,  and  while  Dante's  own  sons,  Pietro 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  301 

and  Jacopo,  were  almost  compelled  to  disavow  their 
father's  work,  as  being  a  book  likely  to  draw  down  on 
their  heads  the  vengeance  of  princes  still  living,  who 
were  either  censured  or  ridiculed  by  Dante's  powerful 
pen. 

Bortolan,  on  the  authority  of  Ferreto,  shows  that,  in 
the  frequently  occurring  struggles  between  Padua  and 
Vicenza,  the  first  thought  of  the  Vicentines  was  to 
deprive  Padua  of  water  by  deflecting  the  river  Bac- 
chiglione  (/'  acqua  che  Vicenza  bagnd)  from  its  ordinary 
channel,  by  causing  it  to  flow  through  the  Bisato 
canal  towards  Longare ;  and  with  this  intent  they 
prepared  dams  and  dikes.  This  so  exasperated  the 
Paduans,  that  when  A'fmon,  Bishop  of  Geneva,  was 
treating  with  them  at  Barbano  for  the  surrender  of 
Padua  to  the  Emperor  Henry  VII,  the  Paduans  ex- 
pressly stipulated  that  the  following  clause  should  be 
inserted  in  the  treaty,  namely,  that  the  Emperor's 
emissary  Bachilionis  fluvium,  quern  Vicentini  in  Pa- 
dnanoriim  offensam  jacturamque  gravem  ex  consuetu 
prisci  meatus  alveo  defleclentes  in  alterum  labi  non 
sinunt,  in  pristinum  restaurari  faciat.  When  however 
the  Bishop,  in  total  ignorance  of  the  circumstances, 
and  deeming  the  condition  to  be  one  of  no  import- 
ance, attempted  to  impose  it  upon  the  Vicentines  as 
the  will  of  the  Emperor,  such  a  tumult  arose  that, 
had  he  not  taken  refuge  in  the  fortified  Palace  of  the 
Bishop  of  the  City,  he  would  scarcely  have  escaped 
with  his  life.  In  vain  did  an  Imperial  edict  command 
decursus  aquarum  per  solitos  alveos  versus  Paduam 
nequaquam  per  Vicentinos  impedini.  Though  the  Pa- 
duans read  it  with  joy,  the  Vicentines  treated  it  with 


302  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

contempt.  And  here  it  is,  that  they  showed  them- 
selves crudi  al  dovere.  The  Paduans,  in  their  turn, 
showed  themselves  crudi,  devastating  the  whole  coun- 
try round  right  up  to  the  very  walls  of  Vicenza,  pro- 
voking reprisals  even  more  fearful.  But  the  efforts  of 
the  Paduans  were  wholly  directed  to  turning  their 
water  back  into  its  old  channel  from  the  fen  of  Lozzo, 
into  which  it  was  then  being  discharged,  by  gaining 
possession  of  the  great  dam  at  Longare,  and  breaking 
it  down.  In  this,  after  suffering  a  sanguinary  defeat 
at  the  hands  of  the  Vicentines,  who  had  called  in 
Cangrande  della  Scala  to  their  assistance,  they  (the 
Paduans)  were  finally  successful  in  1312.  Reprisals 
followed  reprisals,  and  the  territories  of  the  two  States 
were  respectively  ravaged  by  fire  and  sword.  Hence, 
as  Bortolan  concludes,  Paduans  and  Vicentines  alike 
were  very  far  indeed  from  far  si  eccellenti,  e  relinquere 
la  prima  vita.  Bortolan,  it  should  be  mentioned, 
takes  prima  vita  as  the  accusative  after  relinquere ; 
but  I  follow  Benvenuto,  who  says :  "  idest,  ut  prima 
vita,  scilicet  temporalis,  relinquat  aliam  perpetuam  per 
vitam  famam":  and  he  quotes  from  Quinctilian :  Quo- 
niam  denegatur  nobis  diu  vivere,  relinquamus  aliquid, 
quo  nos  vixisse  testemur. 

The  fate  of  Riccardo  da  Camino  is  next  foretold. 
E  dove*  Sile  e  Cagnan  s'  accompagna, 

*  dove :  At  Treviso  is  the  confluence  of  the  two  rivers  men- 
tioned in  the  text.  Of  them  the  chronicler  Ferreto  (quoted  by 
Ferrazzi,  vol.  v,  p.  437)  wrote  in  the  following  verses,  about  1329, 
or  soon  after  : 

"  Flumina  magna  duo  decorant  nitidissima  limphis, 
Fontibus  innumeris  Cagnanus  crescit  ab  Arcto, 
Non  procul  a  muris,  quos  lubens  molliter  intrat. 
Maxima  pars  fluvii,  multos  suscepta  per  arcus 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  303 

Tal*  signoreggia  e  va  con  la  testa  alta,  50 

Che  gia  per  lui  carpirt  si  fa  la  ragna. 

Scinditur  in  rivos,  et  cunctas  urbis  in  oras, 
Unde  molitorum  rota  plurima  volvitur  amni : 
Pars  tamen  hinc  illinc  fossas  interfluit  urbis. 
Inferiora  Silus,  Cassacorba  missus  ab  axe 
Occiduo  veniens,  urbis  secat  amne  profundo  ; 
Et  subito  cursu  flumen  se  jungit  utrumque, 
Adriacoque  mari  socio  velut  amne  carinas, 
Fertque  suum  nomen  Silus,  baud  Cagnanus  in  aequor." 
These  two  rivers  are  again  mentioned  together  in  Convito  iv,  14, 
i,  116. 

*  Tal :  Riccardo  da  Camino,  Lord  of  Treviso,  Feltre  and 
Belluno,  is  said  to  have  been  the  son  of  the  buon  Gherardo 
(Purg.  xvi,  124;  and  Conv.  iv,  14,  11.  118-120);  he  married  Nino 
Visconti's  daughter  (Giovanna  mza,  see  Purg.  viii,  71);  and 
some  assert  that  he  married  secondly,  Verde  daughter  of  Alboino 
della  Scala.  He  succeeded  his  father  in  the  lordship  of  Treviso 
in  1306,  and  was  slain,  according  to  some  by  a  half  witted  ser- 
vant, according  to  others  by  a  ruffian  (ribaldo),  who  had  been 
suborned  for  that  purpose  by  Altiniero  degli  Azzoni,  who  was 
playing  chess  with  Riccardo  in  a  loggia  in  the  palace  at  the 
time  the  assassin  struck  him.  According  to  Muratori  (Rer.  ital. 
xii,  783)  Altiniero  is  said  to  have  completed  with  his  own  hand 
this  assassination,  which  he  had  deliberately  planned  as  an  act  of 
vengeance  for  an  insult  offered  to  his  wife's  honour  by  Riccardo. 
According  to  Benvenuto  the  crime  was  planned  by  Riccardo's 
brother  and  kinsmen,  and  they  would  seem  both  to  have  bribed 
the  murderer,  whose  name,  according  to  Benvenuto,  was  Ribaldo, 
and  then  to  have  hurriedly  slain  him  afterwards  (Dominus  Ri- 
zardus  de  Camino  .  .  .  quum  una  die  luderet  ad  scacchos,  subito 
transfixus  est  gladio  ab  uno  Ribaldo  sicario  desperate,  praesenti- 
bus  fratre  et  consanguineis  ejus.  Et  continue  sicarius  trucidatus 
ab  illis  fertur  dixisse  istud  verbum :  hoc  nonfuit  in  pacto.  Ipse 
vero  Rizardus  moriens  dicebat  manu  et  nutu  ne  occiderent  eum, 
ut  sciretur  quare  hoc  fecerat,  cum  tamen  fratre  et  suis  procur- 
antibus  hoc  factum  esset.  The  Falso  Boccaccio  says  that  the 
murder  was  instigated  by  the  Signoria  of  Treviso,  and  that  the 
murderer  was  un  loro  consorto  pazzo  who  stabbed  Messer  Ric- 
ciardo  when  playing  at  chess  (giuchando  a  tavole)  and  that  the 
Signoria  was  present,  pretending  great  grief  and  indignation, 
slew  the  assassin,  so  that  in  that  way  the  wise  man  and  the  mad- 
man died  together,  and  to  their  colleagues  remained  increased 
greatness  but  much  shame. 

t  carpir :  Tommase'o  (Dizionario  dei  Stnontmt,  p.  824,  no. 


304  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  IX. 

And  (at  Treviso)  where  Sile  and  Cagnano  join 
their  streams,  one  lords  it  and  bears  his  head  on 
high,  for  entrapping  whom  the  net  is  even  now  being 
made. 

On  this  Benvenuto  says :  jam  texitur  fraus  ad  cir- 
cumveniendum  ipsum,  sicut  avis  capitur  rete :  est  enim 
ragna  quoddam  genus  relis,  quo  capiuntur  aves. 

The  next  allusion  by  Cunizza  is  to  Alessandro 
Novello,  Bishop  of  Feltre.  He  was  the  brother  of 
Prosavio  Novello,  Bishop  of  Treviso.  Alessandro, 
whose  episcopate  lasted  from  1298  to  1320,  in  the 
year  1314  yielded  up  at  the  request  of  Messer  Pino 
della  Tosa,  the  Pontifical  Vicar  at  Ferrara,  three  Fer- 
rarese  gentlemen  who  had  sought  shelter  at  Feltre, 
whose  names  were  Lancilotto,  Caruccio,  and  Antoniolo 

2762)  defines  the  precise  meaning  of  carpire,  among  other  words 
signifying,  to  catch,  to  take,  to  ensnare :  "  Carpire,  oggidi,  vale : 
prendere  di  furto,  e  nel  traslato  prendere  in  modo  non  legittimo 
e  non  onesto."  Prof.  Isidor  Del  Lungo  (in  Dante  ne1  tempi  di 
Dante,  ritratti  e  studi,  Bologna,  1888,  p.  325)  says  of  the  net 
....  being  made :  "  Ragna,  veramente  ;  che  vuol  dire,  rete  da 
uccellare :  perche,  quell'  agguato  domestico,  teso  su  quella  loggia, 
dove  giuocavano  a  sacchi  la  vittima  e  1'  offesa  che  ha  ordita  la 
propria  e  1'  altrui  vendetta,  e  un  povero  idiota  n'  e  strumento 
come  zimbello  alia  tesa  [like  the  decoy  bird  at  the  spot  "where  the 
fowler's  net  is  spread~\,  rende  tutta  la  imagine  della  cosa  signifi- 
cata  da  Dante."  The  primary  meaning  of  ragna  is  "  a  fowler's 
net,"  and  figuratively  "  a  stratagem,  or  deception."  The  word 
occurs  in  the  Rime,  in  the  Canzone  (XV)  beginning  lo  son  venuto 
al  punto  della  rota  (st.  2)  : 

"  Ed  Amor,  che  sue  ragne 

Ritira  al  ciel  per  lo  vento  che  poggia." 
and  Pulci,  M organic  Maggiore,  canto  x,  st.  126: 

"  Perche  gia  tese  mi  parvon  le  ragne 
E'  tradimenti  ma  pur  non  pensai 
Che  tanto  ingrata  fussi  quella  gente." 

Dar  nella  ragna  is  to  fall  into  a  trap.  Ragna  sometimes  is 
used  instead  of  ragno  a  spider ;  in  fact  Dante  so  uses  it  in 
Purg.  xii,  44,  though  the  more  general  reading  is  aragna. 
Ragna  for  ragnatelo,  a  spider's  web  is  of  more  rare  occurrence. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  305 

da  Fontana,  and  these  were  promptly  beheaded,  says 
Benvenuto,  in  the  market-place  of  Ferrara,  a  number 
of  their  adherents  being  likewise  hanged  as  rebels. 
Benvenuto  relates  the  terrible  retribution  that  Ric- 
cardo  inflicted  upon  the  Bishop  for  his  treachery.  He 
speaks  of  the  defectum  sceleratum  Episcopi,  qui  fuit 
natione  placentinus  (i.e.  of  Piacenza),  qui  bene  luit 
poenas  dignas :  nam  de  mandate  domini  Rizardi  prce- 
dicti  fuit  tantum  percussus  cum  sceculis  sabuli  [bags 
of  sand],  quod  emisit  omnia  viscera  et  sanguinem  per 
egestionem  ;  et  poptdus  etiam  luit,  qui  venit  de  libertate 
in  servitutem  sub  tyrannide  ipsius  Rizardi. 
Piangera  Feltro  ancora  la  diffalta* 

DelF  empio  suo  pastor,  che  sara  sconciaf 
SI  che  per  simil  non  s'entro  in  Malta.  J 

*  diffalta:  The  primary  meaning  of  the  word  is  (i)  "default ;" 
and  hence  it  comes  to  mean  (2)  "breach  of  faith,  of  a  promise," 
and  (3)  "  trespass,  fault,  crime."  Of  (2)  There  is  an  example  in 
Giov.  Villani,  ix,  267 :  "  II  re  si  torno  in  Francia  .  .  .  veggendo 
la  diffalta  che  gli  aveano  fatta  i  baroni  della  Magna;"  and  a 
footnote  says  that  diffalta  =  mancamento  di  parola,  and  the  word 
is  derived  homfallire.  Compare  for  (3)  Purg.  xxviii,  94-96: 
"  Per  sua  diffalta  qui  dimor6  poco ; 

Per  sua  diffalta  in  pianto  ed  in  affanno 
Cambi6  onesto  riso  e  dolce  gioco." 

The  poet  Giusti  in  his  Scritti  vari  in  Prosa  e  in  Verso,  p.  300, 
has:  "diffalta:  mancanza  di  fede,  non  stare  ai  patti."  Diffalta 
in  the  present  passage  may  mean  either  a  crime  or  a  breach  of 
faith,  but  as  the  Bishop's  crime  was  a  gross  breach  of  faith  the 
distinction  is  unimportant. 

t  sconcia:  Compare  Inf.  xviii,  57,  where  Venedico  Caccia- 
nemico  speaks  of  the  "disgraceful  tale"  of  his  crime  as  sconcia 
novella.  Want  of  space  prevents  my  discussing  this  word 
farther. 

I  Malta :  There  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  as  to  where 
this  prison  La  Malta  was.  Some  have  tried  to  maintain  that 
it  was  at  Rome ;  others  that  it  was  on  the  Lago  di  Bolsena,  but 
there  is  no  trace  of  such  a  prison  there,  nor  even  a  place  of  that 
name,  only  a  small  village  and  a  river  called  Marta,  and  an  island 
in  the  lake  called  Isola  Martana.  A  more  plausible  opinion  is 

I.  X 


306  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Troppo  sarebbe  larga  la  bigoncia*  55 

Che  ricevesse  il  sangue  Ferrarese, 
E  stance  chi  il  pesasse  ad  oncia  ad  oncia, 

Che  donera  questo  prete  cortese  t 

that  it  was  La  Malta  at  Cittadella  in  the  province  of  Padua, 
which  prison  had  been  constructed  (says  Poletto)  by  Ezzelino  III, 
not  for  the  confinement  of  real  criminals,  but  for  unfortunate  and 
innocent  victims  of  his  cruelties.  This  is  further  supported 
by  Muratori,  who,  in  his  Antiq.  it.  iv,  1139  (Chronicon  Pata- 
vinum)  writes :  "  tune  factus  fuit  mortalis  career  in  Cittadella 
nominatus  la  Malta."  But  both  Poletto  and  Scartazzini  agree 
that  this  prison  was  opened  at  the  capture  of  Padua  in  1256,  and 
the  miserable  prisoners  liberated.  These  were  300  in  number, 
and  so  blinded,  after  their  long  seclusion  from  light,  on  being 
brought  out  into  the  sunshine,  that  they  were  unable  to  see  their 
way.  This  prison  no  longer  existed  in  the  time  of  Dante,  and 
moreover  its  inmates  had  been  innocent  victims  of  Ezzelino, 
whereas  by  the  word  sconcia  Cunizza  shows  that  the  inmates  of 
La  Malta  were  really  guilty  of  hideous  crimes.  Scartazzini  and 
Poletto  endorse  the  view  of  Ignazio  Ciampi  ( Un  Municipio  italia- 
no  aWeta  di  Dante  Al.  in  the  Giornale,  Arti  e  Lettere,  p.  52)  who 
quotes  from  Nicolo  della  Tuccia,  Cronaca  inedita  di  Viterbo, 
1235  :  "  I  Viterbesi  fecero  una  prigione  oscurissima  in  fondo  di 
torre,  allato  alia  porta  di  ponte  Tremoli,  la  quale  era  chiamata 
la  Malta,  ove  il  Papa  metteva  i  suoi  prigioni,"  and  they  feel  con- 
vinced that  this  is  the  La  Malta  intended.  The  sense  seems  to 
lend  itself  to  this  idea,  Cunizza  practically  saying :  Here  is  a 
Pastor  of  the  Church  guilty  of  crimes  so  enormous  that  none  of 
his  cloth  more  guilty  was  ever  thrust  into  the  prison  for  priests 
at  La  Malta. 

*  bigoncia  :  A  wine  vat  in  which  grapes  are  left  to  ferment. 
In  that  useful  book,  Prontuario  di  Giacinto  Carena,  Turin,  1853, 
part  ii,  Vocabolario  Metodico  d?  Arti  e  Mestieri,  p.  382,  I  find  : 
"  Bigoncia,  vaso  a  doghe  (i.e.  staves),  largo  pochi  palmi,  alto 
circa  due  volte  tanto  ;  per  lo  piu  tondo,  talora  ovale,  cerchiato 
di  legno,  fondo  uguale  alia  bocca,  o  di  poco  minore.  Serve  a 
riporvi  uve,  vino,  grano,  civaie  [all  vegetables  that  are  contained 
in  pods,  such  as  peas,  beans,  lentils,  etc.],  e  altro.  La  Bigoncia 
talora  non  ha  ne  manichi  ne  maniglie,  frequentemente  ne  tien 
luogo  il  prolungamento  di  due  opposte  doghe  oltre  1"  orlo  della 
bocca,  ciascuna  con  foro  circolare  da  passarvi  tre  o  quattro  dita 
delle  mani." 

t  cortese:  "  Intendi  1'amara  ironia;  cortese  e  liberate  di 
sangue  cristiano,  per  mostrarsi  di  parte,  buon  partigiano 
guelfo."  (Fraticelli.) 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  307 

Per  mostrarsi  di  parte  ;  e  cotai  doni 
Conformi  fieno  al  viver  del  paese.  60 

Feltre  too  shall  weep  at  the  breach  of  faith  of  her 
infamous  Pastor,  which  shall  be  of  such  enormity, 
that  for  like  crime  none  ever  entered  into  La  Malta. 
Exceeding  broad  would  be  the  vat  that  should  con- 
tain the  blood  of  the  Ferrarese,  and  weary  would 
lie  grow  who  would  weigh  it  ounce  by  ounce, 
which  this  courteous  (ironical  for  cruel)  priest  shall 
bestow  as  a  gift  to  prove  his  partisanship  (with  the 
Guelphs) ;  and  gifts  such  (as  his)  will  be  quite  in 
character  with  the  usage  of  the  country. 

The  people  of  Feltre  had  the  reputation  of  being  both 
disloyal  and  bloodthirsty. 

Cunizza  now  anticipates  a  question  which  Dante 
might  have  put  to  her  as  to  how  she  was  able  to 
foresee  and  predict  future  events.  This  she  explains, 
and  then  disappears. 

Su  sono  specchi,*  voi  dicete  Troni, 
Onde  rifulge  a  noi  Dio  giudicante, 
Si  che  questi  parlar  ne  paion  buoni." — 

*  Su  sono  specchi,  et  seq.:  In  these  concluding  words  of  her 
prediction,  Cunizza  wishes  to  give  Dante  a  guarantee  of  its 
truth.  Hence  she  tells  him  that  these  great  facts  have  been 
known  to  her  in  God  by  means  of  the  Order  of  Angels  called 
"Thrones,"  which,  according  to  a  doctrine  laid  down  by  Dante,  in 
Convito  ii,  6, 1.  109  et  seq.,  and  repudiated  by  him  in  Par.  xxviii, 
97  et  seq.,  are  the  Motor  Intelligences  of  the  Heaven  of  Venus; 
and  they  are  called  mirrors,  she  says,  because  they  receive  light 
from  God,  and  transmit  it  to  the  spirits  in  Heaven.  "  Dicendo 
se  talia  praevidere  in  thronis  angelicis,  sic  dictis  secundum 
Gregorium,  quia  tanta  divinitate  replentur  ut  in  eis  sedeat  Deus, 
et  per  eos  sua  judicia  decernat  atque  informet."  (Pietro  di 
Dante.)  St.  Gregory  (Homil.  34,  quoted  from  Poletto)  writes  : 
"  Throni  quoque  ilia  agmina  sunt  vocata,  quibus  ad  exercenda 
judicia  semper  Deus  omnipotens  praesidet."  The  question  is 
treated  at  length  by  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (Sutntn.  Theol.  pars  i, 
qu.  cviii,  art.  5),  beginning  :  "Ordo  Thronorom  habet  excellen- 
tiam  prae  inferioribus  ordinibus,"  etc.  By  su  we  are  to  under- 
stand, up  in  the  Primum  Mobile  or  Crystalline  Heaven. 

X  2 


308  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX, 

Qui  si  tacette,  e  fecemi  sembiante 

Che  fosse  ad  altro  volta,  per  la  rota  65 

In  che  si  mise,  com'  era  davante. 

Up  above  there  are  mirrors,  you  call  them  Thrones, 
from  which  God  Judicant  (i.e.  in  Judgment)  shines 
out  on  us,  so  that  these  utterances  seem  right  to  us." 
Here  she  was  silent,  and  to  me  wore  the  semblance 
of  having  turned  away  to  other  things,  by  the  wheel 
(i.e.  the  circle  of  revolving  spirits)  into  which  she 
re-entered  as  she  had  been  before. 

Poletto  thinks  Cunizza's  last  words  were  spoken  in 
some  sort  of  way  as  a  corrective  of  anything  she  may 
have  said  before,  which  from  its  too  great  freedom 
might  have  given  a  shadow  of  offence  to  Dante. 


Division  II.  The  spirit  of  Folco  of  Marseilles 
now  comes  forward,  and  shows  his  good-will  by  his 
increased  brilliancy.  Dante  does  not  wait  for  the 
acquiescence  of  Beatrice,  of  which  he  is  assured  be- 
forehand, but  at  once  addresses  himself  to  Folco, 
observing  that  as  God  is  All-Seeing,  and  the  Blessed 
in  Heaven  discern  everything  in  Him,  therefore  the 
spirits  here  present  must  know  everyone's  desires. 
Why  then,  he  asks  Folco,  does  he  not  satisfy  Dante's 
desire,  before  Dante  makes  it  known  ?  From  Folco's 
answer  we  shall  see  that  what  Dante  wanted  was  to 
know  Folco's  name. 

L'  altra  letizia,  che  m'  era  gik  nota 
Preclara  cosa,*  mi  si  fece  in  vista 

*  m'  era  gia  nota  Preclara  cosa :  see  1.  37,  whereby  we  see 
that  Cunizza  had  already  told  Dante  that  of  the  bright  spirit 
nearest  to  her  great  fame  remained  ;  therefore,  Dante  says  that 
Folco  was  already  known  to  him  as  something  illustrious.  Most 
Commentators  put  a  comma  after  nota,  which  completely  alters 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  309 

Qual  fin  balascio  *  in  che  lo  sol  percota. 
Per  letiziar  lassu  fulgor  s'  acquista,  70 

Si  come  riso  qui ;  ma  giu  s'  abbuia 
L'  ombra  di  fuor,  come  la  mente  &  trista. 

The  other  glad  spirit,  whom  I  already  knew  to  be 
something  illustrious  (in  fame),  came  into  my  view 
like  a  choice  ruby  smitten  by  the  Sun.  From  re- 
joicing there  above  (in  Heaven) effulgence  is  acquired,, 
as  is  laughter  here  (on  Earth) ;  but  below  (i.e.  Hell) 
the  shade  grows  darker  outwardly  in  proportion  as 
the  soul  is  sad. 
Dante  speaks. 

— "  Dio  vede  tutto,  e  tuo  veder  s'  inluia," — t 

the  sense.  The  Oxford  Dante,  Witte,  Scartazzini,  Poletto,  and 
Casini,  read,  as  I  have  followed  them  in  doing,  mi  si  fece  in 
vista:  This  is  a  perfectly  common,  every-day  idiom  in  Tuscany= 
"  presented  itself  to  my  view  ; "  not  "  made  itself." 

*  balascio:  I  borrow  the  following  from  Longfellow.  The 
Balascio  (in  French  rubi  balais)  is  supposed  to  take  its  name 
from  the  place  in  the  East  where  it  is  found.  Chaucer,  Court  of 
Love,  i,  78-81  : 

"  No  sapphire  of  Inde,  no  rube  riche  of  price, 
There  lacked  then,  nor  emeraude  so  grene, 
Balais  Turkis,  ne  thing  to  my  devise 
That  may  the  castel  maken  for  to  shene." 

The  mystic  virtues  of  this  stone  are  thus  enumerated  by  King, 
Antique  Gems,  p.  419  :  "The  Balais  Ruby  represses  vain  and 
lascivious  thoughts,  appeases  quarrels  between  friends,  and 
gives  health  of  body.  Its  powder  taken  in  water  cures  diseases 
of  the  eyes  and  pains  in  the  liver.  If  you  touch  with  this  gem 
the  four  corners  of  a  house,  orchard  or  vineyard,  they  will  be 
safe  from  lightning,  storms,  and  blight."  In  Par.  xv,  85,  Dante 
addresses  his  ancestor  Cacciaguida  as  vivo  topazioj  and  in 
Purg.  xxxi,  116,  the  eyes  of  Beatrice  are  called  gli  smeraldi ; 
in  Par.  ii,  34,  the  Moon  is  spoken  of  as  eterna  margarita 
(pearl). 

t  ?  inluia:  In  a  review  in  the  "Standard"  of  July  I3th, 
1897,  on  my  second  edition  of  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio,  it 
is  remarked:  "He  (Dante)  had  the  immense  advantage  of  writ- 
ing in  a  language  still  in  process  of  formation,  and  was  thus  at 
liberty  to  use  the  inflections  and  variations  of  the  different 
dialects  that  still  composed  it."  Here  we  have  the  verb  inluiarsi 


3IO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Diss'  io, — "  beato  spirto,  si  che  nulla 
Voglia  di  se  a  te  puote  esser  fuia.*  75 

Dunque  la  voce  tua,  che  il  ciel  trastulla 
Sempre  col  canto  di  quei  fochi  pii  t 

formed  by  Dante,  to  suit  his  own  purpose,  from  in  lui  (Blanc 
says)  which  expresses  "  trasfondersi,  profondarsi  con  la  medi- 
tazione  in  una  cosa."  I  have  ventured  to  translate  s1  inluia  s\, 
"is  so  steeped  in  Him."  The  Gran  Dizionario,  which  reads 
illuia,  for  inluia,  after  quoting  this  line,  and  the  words  m'  intu- 
assz,  and  f  tmmit'in  1.  81,  observes:  "  Certe  lingue  fanno  verbi 
da'  pronomi ;  e  anche  noi  Qualificare  da  Quale.  Besides,  in- 
luiarsi,  intuarsi,  and  immiarsi  in  these  three  terzine,  we  must 
notice  inleiarsi  in  Par.  xxii,  127 : 

"  E  pero  prima  che  tu  piu  t'  inlei,"  etc. 

*  fuia :   The  Gran  Dizionario  is  somewhat  vague  and  not 
altogether  satisfactory  in  its  interpretation   of  this   word,    to 
which    it  gives  a  different  sense  in  each  of  three  passages 
where  it  occurs  in  the  Divina  Commedia ;  namely,  anima  nera  in 
Inf.  xii,  90;  meretrice  in  Purg.  xxxiii,  44;  and  oscura  in  the 
present  passage.    I  very  much  prefer  the  explanation  of  Cesari, 
which  is  too  long  to  quote  in  full,  but  which  meets  with  the  en- 
tire approval  of  Scartazzini,  Poletto  and  Casini.  Cesari  corrects 
a  former  version  of  his  own,  wherein  he  derived  fuia  from  the 
Latin furvus,  dark,  gloomy;  and  is  certain  that  in  all  the  above 
cited  three  passages  it  means  ladra,  rapace,  and  that  Dante  has 
used  fuja  for  fura  in  the  same  way  that  one  can  write  danajo 
for  danaro  (money),  and  pajo  for  paro  (a  pair).      "  Dante  dice 
allo  spirito ;  Tu  vedi  tutto  in  Dio,  si  che  nulla (mia)  voglia puote 
essere  a  te  fuja  di  se;  che  torna  a  dire ;  non  pub  a  te  rubar  se 
medesima  (da  che  esser  ladra  di  s2,  importa  rubar  se)  .    .    .   via 
piu  simile  alfuja  di  se,  abbiamo  furarsi  aduno,  nel  senso  mede- 
simo."    This  last  sentence  reminds  me  of  a  popular  song  at 
Florence  in  which  a  young  girl  is  supposed,  in  terror  at  the  first 
feelings  of  love,  to  entreat  Love  to  fly  from  her : 
"  Vanne,  Amore,  a  me  ti  fura, 
Son  piccina  ed  ho  paura,"  etc. 
(Away,  Love,  steal  thyself  away  from  me, 
I  am  but  a  little  thing,  and  am  afraid  of  thee.) 
t  fochi  pii  :  The  Seraphim.  Compare  Isaiah  vi,  2,  3  :  "Above 
it  stood  the  Seraphims  :  each  one  had  six  wings ;  with  twain  he 
covered  his  face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with 
twain  he  did  fly.      And  one  cried  unto  another,  and  said,  Holy, 
holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts;  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  His 
glory."      Casini  observes  that  both  Angels  and  Saints  are  oftea 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  3 1 1 

Che  di  sei  ali  facean  la  cuculla,* 
Perche  non  satisface  ai  miei  disii? 

Gia  non  attenderei  io  tua  domanda,  80 

S'io  m'  intuassi,  come  tu  t'immii." — 

"  God  seeth  all  things,  and  thy  sight,"  said  I,  "  Blest 
Spirit,  is  so  steeped  in  Him,  that  never  can  will  of  His 
be  stolen  away  (i.e.  be  hidden)  from  thee.  Where- 
fore does  thy  voice — which  to  the  Heavens  gives 
delight  in  never-ending  unison  with  those  Blessed 
Flames  (the  Seraphim)  who  of  their  six  wings  make 
themselves  a  cowl  (i.e.  veil  their  faces) — not  satisfy 
my  desires  (by  revealing  thy  name)  ?  Indeed,  I 
would  not  await  thy  demand,  were  I  in  thee  as  thou 
art  in  me." 

This  last  line  means,  if  I  could  see  into  thy  thoughts 
as  thou  canst  see  into  mine ;  or,  as  Longfellow  explains 
it,  if  I  in-theed  myself  as  thou  in-meest  thyself;  in  the 
same  way  that  s'  inluia  (1.  73)  is  equivalent  to  in- 
Hims-itself. 

Folcof  now  replies,  first  informing  Dante  that  his 
native  place  is  situated  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 


Compare  Par.  xviii,  108 :  quel  distinto  foco  ;  xx,  34 : 
del fochi,  ond'  io  Jigura  fommi  ;  xxii,  46: 

"  Quest!  altri  fochi  tutti  contemplanti 
Uomini  furo." 

*  cuculla  :  =  a  monastic  cowl.     Compare  Par.  xxii,  76-78 : 
"  Le  mura  che  soleano  esser  badia, 

Fatte  son  spelonche,  e  le  cocolle 
Sacca  son  piene  di  farina  ria." 

t  Folco,  better  known  as  Folchetto,  of  Marseilles,  was  one  of 
the  Troubadours  of  Provence.  The  fullest  account  of  him  is 
given  by  the  Ottimo,  which  states  that  he  was  the  son  of  a 
Genoese  merchant  named  Anfuso,  who  had  settled  at  Marseilles. 
Petrarch  alludes  to  him  in  the  Trionjo  c?  Amore,  iv,  terz.  17  : 
"  Folchetto,  ch'a  Marsiglia  il  nome  ha  dato, 

Ed  a  Geneva  ha  tolto." 

He  is  said  to  have  been  born  in  1 160,  and  to  have  died  in  1231. 
He  is  first  heard  of  as  a  Troubadour  at  the  court  of  Alphonse  I 


312  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

ranean ;  but,  in  telling  this,  he  makes  use  of  an  ex- 
pression (says  Casini)  which  has  raised  a  great  deal 
of  controversy  among  the  interpreters  of  this  passage, 
which,  of  itself,  is  clear  enough  :  The  Mediterranean, 
the  greatest  of  the  inland  seas  into  which  the  waters 
of  the  ocean,  supposed  to  surround  the  earth,  spread 
themselves,  (the  Mediterranean  we  say)  extends  so  far 
eastwards,  that  where  it  ends  (i.e.  roughly  speaking, 
at  Jerusalem),  it  has  for  its  meridian  that  same  circle, 
which,  where  it  started  (at  Gades),  formed  its  horizon. 
In  other  words,  it  extends  for  90  degrees  of  longitude, 
so  that  the  sun  is,  at  the  same  moment,  on  its  meridian 
at  Jerusalem  (noon),  and  on  its  horizon  at  Gades 
(sunrise).  So  in  the  case  supposed  by  Dante,  in  Purg. 
xxvii,  1-3,  it  was  sunrise  at  Jerusalem  and  midnight 
at  Gades  (Ibero).  But  the  real  point  of  discussion  is, 
observes  Casini,  how  ever  Dante  came  to  imagine 
that  the  Mediterranean  extends  from  west  to  east  for 
90  degrees,  whereas  in  reality  it  only  extends  for 
42  degrees.  Some  think  he  was  led  into  this  error  by 
the  astronomers  and  geographers  of  his  time  ;  others 
again  strive  to  justify  his  words,  as  though  he  had 
wished  to  say  that  it  is  noon  at  the  eastern  extremity 


Count  of  Provence  ;  and  afterwards  at  that  of  Barral  da  Beaux 
Count  of  Marseilles.  Here  he  loved,  and  possibly  was  loved  by, 
Adelais,  the  beautiful  wife  of  that  Prince,  and  he  wrote  many 
verses  in  her  honour.  He  had,  however,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  to  quit  the  Court  of  Marseilles.  After  the  death  of  Adelais, 
he  became  a  Cistercian  Monk,  and  then  Abbot,  and  in  1205 
Bishop  of  Toulouse.  His  ferocious  extermination  of  the  Albi- 
genses  has  gained  him  an  unenviable  notoriety.  Bartoli  (loco 
tit.)  thinks  that  Dante  has  introduced  Folco  into  his  Heaven  of 
Venus,  for  reasons  analogous  to  those  which  made  him  select 
Cunizza. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  313 

of  the  Mediterranean  when  the  sun  is  just  rising  at 
the  western  extremity. 

Antonelli  thinks  the  description  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean in  this  passage  is  magnificent. 

— "  La  maggior  valle*  in  che  1!  acqua  si  spanda," — 

Incominciaro  allor  le  sue  parole, 
— "  Fuor  di  quel  mar  che  la  terra  inghirlanda, 
Tra  i  discordanti  liti,t  contra  il  sole  85 

Tanto  sen  va  che  fa  meridiano 
Lk  dove  1'  orizzonte  pria  far  suole. 
Di  quella  valle  fu'  io  littorano,J 

Tra  Ebro  e  Macra,§  che  per  cammin  corto 

Lo  Genovese  parte  dal  Toscano.  90 

*  valle:  "Ogni  mare  e  a  guisa  di  valle  ripiena  d' acqua. 
Questa  valle  £  il  Mediterraneo  che  sta  fuora  del  mare  Oceano, 
il  quale  credevasi  che  inghirlandasse,  cioe  stesse  tutto  intorno 
alia  terra."  (Cornoldi.)  In  the  long  discussion  of  Antonelli  of 
this  passage  which  I  have  not  quoted,  he  remarks  on  the  word 
valle,  that  Strabo  was  the  first  to  originate  the  idea  that  the 
Ocean  flows  round  all  the  continents,  and  formed  four  principal 
gulfs  ;  but  that  Dante  opens  this  passage  with  a  conception 
which  appears  to  be  wholly  his  own,  and  which  seems  almost 
like  a  discovery  in  our  times,  namely,  that  the  so-called  basins 
of  the  seas  are  nothing  more  than  valleys  a  great  deal  more 
depressed  than  on  the  mainland. 

t  discordanti  lili :  The  discordant  shores  are  Christian 
Europe  to  the  north,  and  Mussulman  Africa  to  the  south. 
Compare  Virg.  jEn.  iv,  628 : 

"  Litora  litoribus  contraria." 

J  littorano :  Buti  says  of  the  word  :  "  cioe,  abitatore  della 
piagge,  ma  non  a  ancora  dichiarato  di  quale." 

§  Tra  Ebro  e  Macra  :  The  Ebro  flows  into  the  Mediterranean 
at  about  i  degree  E.  long.,  at  Tortosa,  between  Barcelona  and 
Valencia.  The  Magra  flows  into  the  Gulf  of  Spezzia  at  about 
9  degrees  E.  long.  Its  course  is  a  short  one  of  64  kilometres. 
Marseilles  lies  about  5$  degrees  E.  long.,  and  is  therefore  about 
mid-way  between  the  Ebro  and  the  Magra.  The  Ebro  is 
mentioned  by  Dante  as  the  Ibero,  in  Purg.  xxvii,  2,  3  : 
"  La  dove  il  suo  Fattore  il  sangue  sparse, 

Cadendo  Ibero  sotto  1'alta  Libra." 
The  other  river  is   sometimes  called  by  Dante,   Magra  (the 


314  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Ad  un  occaso  quasi  e  ad  un  orto* 

Buggea  siede  e  la  terraf  ond'  io  fui, 
Che  fe'  del  sangue  suo  gia  caldo  il  porto. 
"  The  greatest  of  the  valleys  in  which  the  water  ex- 
pands," his  words  then  began,  "  excepting  that  sea 
(the  ocean)  which  engarlands  the  earth,  between 
discordant  shores  extends  against  the  sun  (/'.  e.  from 
west  to  east)  so  far,  that  it  makes  its  meridian  there 
where  before  it  used  to  make  its  horizon.  1  was  a 
dweller  on  the  coast  of  that  valley  (at  a  place  mid- 
way) between  the  Ebro  and  the  Magra,  which  (latter) 
with  its  short  course  divides  the  Genoese  from  the 
Tuscan  territory.  With  nearly  the  same  setting  and 
the  same  rising  of  the  sun  (i.e.  at  the  same  longi- 
tude) is  situated  Buggea  (in  Africa)  and  the  city 
(Marseilles)  whence  I  was,  which  on  one  occasion 
made  the  harbour  warm  with  its  blood. 

The  Spirit  then  names  himself  as  Folco,  and  while 
avowing  that  in  life  he  followed  the  influence  of  the 
planet  Venus,  and  humbly  comparing  himself  with 
personages  in  history  who  had  been  guilty  of  sinful 
love,  he  tells  Dante  at  the  same  time  that  in  Paradise 

modern  name  of  it)  and  sometimes  Macra,  as  here.  Compare 
Inf.  xxiv,  145  : 

"Tragge  Marte  vapor  di  val  di  Magra,"  etc. 
and  Purg.  viii,  115-117,  where  Conrad  Malaspina  says  : 
" .     .     .     Se  novella  vera 

Di  Valdimacra,  o  di  parte  vicina 
Sai,  dilla  a  me,  che  gik  grande  Ik  era." 
*  occaso  .  .  .  e  .  .  .  orto:  Compare  Purg.  xxx,  I,  2  : 
"  Quando  il  settentrion  del  primo  cielo, 

Che  n£  occaso  mai  seppe  n&  orto,"  etc. 

Folco  is  explaining  that  the  city  (terra)  where  he  was  born,, 
namely,  Marseilles,  has  nearly  the  same  longitude  as  Buggea 
(called  now  Bougie  by  the  French)  a  city  in  Algeria,  so  that  at 
each  place  the  sun  rises  and  sets  at  the  same  time. 

t  terra:  On  the  frequent  use  of  terra,  in  Dante's  time,  to 
signify  "  city,"  and  its  occasional  use  in  the  provinces  even  now 
in  the  same  sense,  see  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  ii,  pp.  400, 
401,  where  I  have  discussed  the  question  in  full. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  315 

their  former  sins,  which  were  washed  away  in  Lethe, 
no  more  cause  them  contrition,  for  they  are  forgotten ; 
and  he  and  his  companions  are  merely  filled  with 
gladness,  at  the  thought  that  God  placed  them  on 
Earth  under  the  respective  planetary  influences  of 
the  Spheres  of  Heaven. 

Folco  mi  disse  quella  gente  a  cui 

Fu  noto  il  nome  mio,*  e  questo  cielo  95 

Di  me  s'  imprenta,  t  com'  io  fei  di  lui ; 
Che  piu  non  arse  la  figlia  di  Belo,£ 
Noiando  ed  a  Sicheo  ed  a  Creusa, 
Di  me,  infin  che  si  convenne  al  pelo  ;§ 
Ne  quella  Rodopeia,  che  delusa  100 

Fu  da  Demofoonte,  ne  Alcide 
Quando  lole  nel  corebbe  richiusa. 

*  Fu  noto  il  nome  mio  :  Cunizza  had  already  told  Dante  at 
1.  37,  et  seq.,  that  Folco  had  left  a  name  behind  him  that  would 
last  for  centuries. 

+  s' imprenta:  Buti  observes  that  in  life  Folco  followed  the 
influence  of  the  planet  Venus,  under  the  dominion  of  love  ;  now 
the  praise  of  his  life  returns  to  the  Informative  Virtue  of  that 
planet. 

I  fiS^a  <&  B£l°  •'  Dido  was.  the  widow  of  Sichaeus,  to  whom, 
by  her  passion  for  ./Eneas,  she  was  unfaithful ;  and  Creusa,  the 
living  wife  of  -/Eneas,  was  the  really  injured  party.  Phyllis, 
called  Rodopea  from  Mount  Rhodope  in  Thrace,  of  which  her 
father  was  king,  was  deserted  by  Demophoon  son  of  Theseus 
king  of  Athens.  Hercules,  through  his  infatuation  for  lole, 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Thessaly,  aroused  the  jealousy  of 
Dejaneira  his  wife,  who  compassed  his  end  by  sending  him  the 
shirt  of  Nessus.  The  Ottimo  on  this  says :  "  E  pare  che  egli 
voglia  intendere,  che  Folco  indifferentemente  am6  maritate,  e 
vergini,  e  vedove,  e  gentili,  e  populesche  [ peasant-girls] j 
vedove  per  Dido,  vergini  per  Phillis,  gentili  \wpmtn  of  noble 
blood]  per  le  predette,  populesche  per  lole."  The  Ottimo  was 
apparently  unaware  of  lole's  royal  birth. 

§  in/in  che  si  convenne  al  pelo :  "idest,  usque  ad  tempus  quo 
coepi  canescere."  (Benvenuto) .  "  Cioe  d'  essere  innamorato : 
lo  pelo  canuto  dimostra  la  vecchiezza,  e  per6  dimostra  che  si 
debba  lassare  tale  amore."  (Buti). 


316  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Non  pero  qui  si  pente,  ma  si  ride, 

Non  della  colpa,  ch'  a  mente  non  torna, 
Ma  del  valore*  ch'  ordino  e  provide.  105 

Qui  si  rimirat  nell'arte  che  adorna 

Cotanto  effetto,  e  discernesi  il  bene 
Per  che  al  mondo  di  su  quel  di  giu  torna. 
That  people  to  whom  my  name  was  known  called  me 
Folco,  and  this  heaven  (of  Venus)  bears  the  impress 

*  valore:  Compare  Par.  i,  106-108: 

"  Qui  veggion  1'  alte  creature  1'  orma 

Dell'  eterno  valore,  il  quale  e  fine 
Al  quale  e  fatta  la  toccata  norma." 

t  Qui  si  rimira,  et  seq. :  These  three  lines  are  of  very  difficult 
interpretation.  Some  read  con  tanto  for  cotanto :  affetto  for 
effetto;  z'/for  al :  modo  for  mondo,  and,  as  Scartazzini  observes, 
the  changes  between  one  of  these  variants  and  another  are  so 
easily  effectuated,  that  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  decide  upon 
the  right  readings  ;  and  furthermore  be  it  remarked,  the  differ- 
ences of  opinion  among  the  Commentators  as  to  the  meanings 
of  the  several  words,  and  the  interpretation  of  the  two  sentences 
in  these  three  lines,  are  so  marked,  that  whatever  readings  one 
may  have  selected,  and  whatever  version  one  may  give  of  the 
passage,  will  assuredly  not  be  such  as  to  escape  criticism.  The 
great  crux  to  me  is  that  several  Commentators  read  al  {mondo} 
and  explain  it  as  il  (mondo).  If  one  reads  il  mondo,  then  torna 
is  a  verb  active,  and  means,  "sways,  guides,  causes  to  turn, 
governs."  But  I  follow  the  Oxford  text,  which  reads  al  mondo, 
and  I  therefore  understand  torna  as  does  Costa,  "  nel  senso  del 
latino  congruere"  My  translation  of  the  line  follows  the  ex- 
planation of  Daniello,  where  two  alternative  interpretations  are 
given,  of  which  I  prefer  the  second,  because  the  first  of  the  two 
gives  to  torna  the  sense  of  "  returns,"  and  we  have  already  had 
torna  with  that  same  sense  in  the  previous  terzina,  and  were 
it  to  have  that  sense  now,  a  distinct  rule  of  poetry  would  be 
violated  which  prescribes  that  "  the  same  word  must  not  rhyme 
to  itself  in  the  same  sense."  The  following  are  Danielle's  com- 
ments :  "  Discernesi  il  Bene,  il  sommo  bene,  cioe  Dio,  mediante 
il  quale  (ist  interpretation)  il  mondo  di  Giu  (cioe  1'  anime  de'  mor- 
tali)  tornano  [returns]  a  quel  di  Su,  cioe  al  cielo  nostra  vera 
patria  ; — ovvero  (2nd  interpretation,  which  I  adopt)  al  mondo  di 
Su,  cioe  al  lume,  e  alia  virtu  delle  stelle,  che  e  la  forma ;  il  mondo 
di  Giii,  P  elementare,  che  e  materia,  Torna,  s'  adatta  {i.e.  is 
made  to  harmonize],  come  il  sigillo  che  imprime  la  forma  nella 
cera." 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  317 

of  me,  as  I  (on  Earth)  did  of  it ;  for  the  daughter  of 
Belus  (Dido),  she  who  wronged  Sichaeus  and  Creusa, 
was  not  more  consumed  (with  love)  than  was  I,  as 
long  as  it  befitted  my  (unwhitened)  hair ;  nor  she  of 
Rhodope  (Phyllis),  who  was  beguiled  by  Demophoon, 
nor  Alcides  when  he  had  shrined  lole  in  his  heart. 
Yet  here  we  repent  not,  but  we  smile,  not  for  the 
fault,  which  returns  not  to  our  memory,  but  for  the 
Divine  Power  Which  ordained  (the  influence  of  the 
planets  upon  us)  and  provided  (at  the  same  time  for 
our  salvation).  Here  we  contemplate  the  skill  (of 
the  Creator)  which  makes  beautiful  (i.e.  which  brings 
about)  so  great  a  result,  and  we  discern  the  good- 
ness (of  God)  by  means  of  which  the  (material) 
world  below  is  brought  into  harmony  with  the  world 
above. 

"  St.  Augustine  expands  this  thought  (Civ.  Dei,  xxii, 
30,  4)  by  distinguishing  between  experimental  and 
theoretical  knowledge.  '  The  soul  then  shall  have  an 
intellectual  remembrance  of  its  past  ills,  but  so  far 
as  regards  sensible  experience  they  shall  be  wholly 
forgotten.  For  a  skilled  physician  knows  indeed  pro- 
fessionally all  diseases,  but  experimentally  only  those 
from  which  he  has  himself  suffered.  As,  then,  the 
knowledge  of  evil  is  twofold,  the  one  by  mental  in- 
sight, the  other  by  sensible  experience,  in  two  ways  it 
can  be  forgotten.  The  skilled  and  learned  (physician), 
through  his  neglect  of  his  profession,  may  forget  suf- 
ferings ;  the  patient,  through  his  escape  from  them. 
And  in  this  latter  way  will  the  saints  forget  their  past 
ills,  for  their  deliverance  from  them  will  be  so  com- 
plete, that  they  will  be  entirely  blotted  out  of  their 
experience.  But  their  intellectual  knowledge,  which 
will  be  great,  will  keep  them  acquainted  not  only  with 
their  own  past  woes,  but  with  the  eternal  sufferings  of 


318  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

the  lost.  Were  they  indeed  to  become  unconscious 
of  their  past  miseries,  how  could  they,  as  the  Psalmist 
says  {Psalm  Ixxxviii,  2),  sing  for  ever  the  mercies  of 
God  ...  In  that  city  of  God  there  will  be  free  will, 
one  in  all  and  indivisible  in  each,  freed  from  all  evil 
and  filled  with  all  good,  enjoying  indefectibly  the 
sweetness  of  eternal  bliss,  oblivious  of  sins,  oblivious 
of  sufferings,  and  yet  not  so  oblivious  of  its  deliver- 
ance as  to  be  ungrateful  to  its  Deliverer.'  "  (Hettinger, 
Dante's  Divina  Commedia,  edited  by  Henry  Sebastian 
Bowden,  of  the  Oratory.  London,  1887,  p.  204,  foot- 
note on  the  present  passage.) 

Division  III.  Folco  now  names  Rahab,  and  draws 
a  contrast  between  the  zeal  of  her,  who  favoured  the 
cause  of  God  entrusted  to  Joshua  in  the  Holy  Land, 
and  the  perfect  indifference  of  Pope  Boniface  VIII, 
who  takes  no  pains  to  recover  it  from  the  Infidels.  He 
inculpates  the  accursed  Lily  stamped  upon  the  florin 
of  Florence  as  the  cause  of  the  Pope's  thoughts  being 
turned  to  Avarice  and  Simony  instead  of  to  the  Holy 
Sepulchre,  and  assigns  to  the  same  cause  the  neglect 
and  disuse  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  the  Gospels, 
whose  place  is  usurped  by  the  Decretals,  the  collection 
of  the  constitutions  and  traditions  of  the  Papal  See. 
Ma  perche  le  tue  voglie  tutte  piene 

Ten  porti,  che  son  nate  in  questa  spera,  1 10 

Procedere  ancor  oltre  mi  conviene. 
Tu  vuoi  saper  chi  e  in  questa  lumiera, 

Che  qui  appresso  me  cosi  scintilla, 

Come  raggio*  di  sole  in  acqua  mera. 

*  Come  raggio,  et  seq.  :  Compare  Ovid,  Artis  Amatorice,  ii, 
721,  722  : 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  319 

Or  sappi  che  la  entro  si  tranquilla*  115 

Raab,t  ed  a  nostr'  ordinej  congiunta, 
Di  lei  nel  sommo  grado  si  sigilla.§ 

"  Adspicies  oculos  tremulo  fulgore  micantes, 
Ut  sol  in  liquida  saepe  refulget  aqua." 

Compare  Dante's  Canzone  beginning  Amor,  che  muovitua  virtu 
dal  cielo,  st.  2  : 

"  Ed  hammi  in  fuoco  acceso, 
Com'  acqua  per  chiarezza  foco  accende." 

*  si  tranquilla :  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol. 
pars  ii,  2d(e,  qu.  xxix,  art.  2; :  "  Necesse  est  quod  omne  appetens 
appetat  pacem,  inquantum  scilicet  omne  appetens  appetit  tran- 
quille  et  sine  impedimento  pervenire  ad  id  quod  appetit,  in  quo 
consistit  ratio  pacis,  quam  Augustinus  (De  Civit.  lib.  xix, 
cap.  13)  definit  tranquillitatem  ordinis  .  .  .  Una  quidem  [pax] 
perfecta,  quae  consistit  in  perfecta  fruitione  summi  boni,  per 
quam  omnes  appetitus  uniuntur  quietati  in  uno  ;  et  hie  est 
ultimus  finis  creaturae  rationalis." 

+  Raab :  On  this  see  Pietro  di  Dante  :  "In  quo  etiam  coelo 
esse  nominal  ilium  Raab,  de  qua  dicitur  Josue  secundo,  quae 
dum  esset  meretrix  in  terra  Jerico,  et  Josue  successor  Moysis 
obsideret  dictam  terram,  et  misisset  duos  exploratores  in  dictam 
terram,  dicta  Raab,  quia  inquirebantur,  dimisit  eos  per  funem 
de  domo  sua,  quae  erat  juxta  muros."  (For  the  story  of  Rahab 
see/0s&ua  ii  ;  and  vi,  22-25). 

t  ordine :  "  Per  donum  gratiae  homines  mereri  possunt 
tantam  gloriam,  ut  angelis  aequentur  secundum  singulos  ange- 
lorum  gradus ;  quod  est  homines  ad  ordines  angelorum  assumi." 
St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  cviii,  art.  8). 

§  Di  lei  .  .  .  si  sigilla.  See  11.  95,  96,  where  Folco  says  : 
"  and  this  heaven  bears  the  impress  of  me,  as  I  of  it."  The 
meaning  here  is  intended  to  be  similar.  Compare  Par,  vii, 
67-69 : 

"  Ci6  che  da  lei  senza  mezzo  distilla 

Non  ha  poi  fine,  perche  non  si  move 
La  sua  imprenta,  quand'  ella  sigilla." 

See  also  my  note  on  that  passage.  Some  read  di  lui;  some 
interpret  the  line  that  Rahab  "impresses  her  light  upon  the 
Empyrean;"  others,  that  "the  company  of  souls  (nostr3 ordine) 
is  adorned  and  bears  the  impress  of  her  (Rahab);"  others 
again  :  "this  our  company  bears  the  impress  of  her  radiance, 
who  is  in  the  highest  grade  or  degree  of  blessedness."  Although 
the  construction  with  lei  is  somewhat  harsh,  it  is  supported  by 
1.  96  (sup.),  as  also  by  xx,  102. 


320  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

But  that  thou  mayest  bear  away  thy  wishes  all  ful- 
filled, which  have  had  birth  in  this  sphere,  I  must 
needs  proceed  yet  a  little  farther.  Thou  wouldst 
know  who  is  in  this  luminary,  which  here  beside  me 
sparkles  so  brilliantly,  as  a  ray  of  sun  in  limpid 
water.  Learn  then  that  therein  Rahab  is  at  rest, 
and  she  being  joined  to  our  Order,  (in  the  Sphere 
of  Venus),  it  bears  the  impress  of  her  in  its  highest 
grade. 

As  we  have  before  noticed,  it  is  the  spirit  of  Folco 
that  is  still  talking  to  Dante,  but  Benvenuto,  prob- 
ably through  inadvertence,  designates  Cunizza  as  the 
speaker,  although  he  omits  to  describe  the  cessation 
of  Folco's  speech,  or  the  resumption  of  Cunizza's. 
Folco  tells  Dante  how  it  happened  that  Rahab,  after 
a  life  of  sin,  was  raised  to  a  life  of  blessedness,  and 
declares  that  she  was  the  first  of  the  souls  saved  by 
Christ  that  was  placed  in  the  Heaven  of  Venus,  when 
He  descended  into  Hell,  and  despoiled  Limbo  of 
many  of  its  possessions. 

Da  questo  cielo  in  cui  1'  ombra  s'  appunta* 


*  r  ombra  s3  appunta,  etc. :  According  to  the  cosmography  of 
the  Ptolemaic  system,  the  point  of  the  cone,  which  is  formed  by 
the  shadow  of  the  Earth,  fell  upon  the  Sphere  of  Venus.  Com- 
pare Milton,  Par.  Lost,  iv,  776-777 : 

"  Now  had  night  measur'd  with  her  shadowy  cone 

Half  way  up  hill  this  vast  sublunar  vault." 

"  Dicunt  aliqui  astrologi  quod  umbra  terrae  de  nocte  surgit  in 
altum  versus  coelum,  et  fit  acuta  et  venit  usque  ad  speram 
Veneris :  utrum  ista  opinio  sit  vera  aut  non,  non  est  presentis 
speculationis."  (Serravalle.)  "  Col  dirci  che  nel  cielo  di  Venere 
si  appunta  1'  ombra  che  fa  il  nostro  mondo,  viene  a  farci  cono- 
scere  che  il  Poeta  teneva  esser  quel  cielo  tanto  remoto  dalla  terra 
quanto  si  estendeva  1'  ombra  terrestre,  che  ha  la  forma  di  cono 
e  termina  quindi  in  punta,  in  virtu  del  maggior  diametro  del 
corpo  solare  illuminante  rispetto  alle  dimension!  del  corpo  illu- 
minate. Ora  k  da  sapere  che  Tolomeo  determina  in  268  semi- 
diametri  terrestri  la  lunghezza  dell'  asse  del  cono  ombroso,  fatto 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  321 

Che  il  vostro  mondo  face,  pria  ch'  altr'  alma 
Del  trionfo  *  di  Cristo  fu  assunta.  120 

By  this  heaven,  in  which  the  shadow  that  your  world 
casts,  has  its  (extreme)  point,  was  she  first  received 
before  any  other  soul  of  Christ's  Triumph.! 

dalla  terra  coll'  intercettare  i  raggi  del  sole  ;  ma  non  trovo  che 
stabilisca  la  distanza  di  Venere  da  noi,  come  hanno  supposto  i 
comentatori  sull'  asserzione  del  Vellutello.  Trovo  anzi  al  capo 
primo  del  libro  dell'  Almagesto,  che  il  grande  maestro  nella 
scienza  degli  astri  diffida  implicitamente  di  giungere  a  tale  de- 
terminazione,  perche  ripetutamente  afferma  non  esser  sensibile 
o  apprezzabile  nei  pianeti  minori,  Mercuric,  Venere,  ecc  .  .  la 
diversitel  d'  aspetto,  o  la  parallasse,  come  diciamo  adesso,  dal 
quale  elemento  la  questione  delle  distanze  planetarie  dipende. 
L'  astronomo  arabo  Geber,  che  di  poco  precedette  il  nostro 
poeta,  ne  riprende  Tolomeo  come  di  contradizione,  perche, 
Tolomeo  stesso  ammettendo  per  il  sole  una  parallasse  di  quasi 
tre  minuti,  molto  piu  grande  doveva  essere  quella  di  Mercuric 
e  di  Venere  se,  a  norma  del  tolemaico  supposto,  si  trovano 
questi  due  astri  piu  vicini  del  sole  alia  terra.  Ma  cio  che  non 
fece  Tolomeo,  si  esegui  dagli  Astronomi  celebratissimi,  arabi  pur 
essi,  Albategno  e  Alfragano,  1'  uno  nel  nono  e  1'  altro  nel  decimo 
secolo  dell'  era  nostra ;  dai  quali,  o  direttamente  o  indiretta- 
mente,  pub  aver  quindi  attinto  il  Poeta  questa  notizia  che  sta  a 
dovere  per  il  grado  a  cui  era  in  quel  tempo  1'  astronomia.  Per- 
ciocche,  assegnando  essi  alia  minima  distanza  di  Venere  dalla 
terra  166  semidiametri  terrestri,  e  circa  noo  alia  massima,  ben 
si  vede  che  tra  questi  limiti  penetra  il  nostro  cono  d'  ombra, 
esteso  per  semidiametri  268  ;  del  quale  percio  puo  dirsi  che  nel 
cielo  di  quell'  astro  s3  appunta.  Ma,  o  abbia  il  Poeta  nostro  de- 
sunta  questa  cognizione  dagli  Arabi,  delle  cui  dottrine  si  mostra 
bene  informato,  o  I'  abbia  dedotta  da  Tolomeo,  siccome  poteva 
fare  ;  £  certo  che  anco  per  tale  proposizione  si  dimostra  valen- 
tissimo  astronomo."  (The  above  encomium  upon  Dante's  astro- 
nomical learning,  and  explanation  of  the  passage  in  the  text,  is 
by  the  astronomer  Antonelli,  at  the  end  of  this  Canto  in  Tom- 
maseVs  Commentary). 

*  alma  Del  trionfo :  Poletto  observes  that  before  Man's  Re- 
demption, "  Spiriti  umani  non  eran  salvati"  {Inf.  iv,  63);  there- 
fore, all  the  Blessed  who  obtained  their  salvation  through  Christ, 
may  be  called  trionfo  di  Cristo  of  Him  who  triumphed  over 
Death  and  Hell;  hence  are  the  Blessed  (Par.  xxiii,  19,  20) 
rightly  called :  "  Le  schiere  del  trionfo  di  Cristo." 

t  In  a  letter  to  "The  Academy"  of  22  Sept.  1894,  Mr.  Paget 
Toynbee  discusses  Rahaffs  Place  in  Dante's  Paradise,  as  men- 

I.  Y 


322  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  IX. 

Folco  next  draws  a  contrast  between  her  and  the 
Pope,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  latter. 

Ben  si  convenne*  lei  lasciar  per  palma 
In  alcun  cielo  dell'  alta  vittoria 
Che  s'  acquisto  con  1'  una  e  1'  altra  palma ; 

tioned  in  the  present  passage :  "  Some  surprise  has  been  ex- 
pressed at  the  position  in  Paradise  assigned  by  Dante  to  the 
harlot  Rahab,  whom  he  places  in  the  Heaven  of  Venus,  and 
describes  as  having  been  the  first  soul  (of  those  destined  for 
that  sphere)  released  by  Christ  from  Limbo.  Apart,  however, 
from  the  fact  that  through  her  marriage  with  Salmon  (Joshua  vi, 
25  ;  Matt,  i,  5)  she  became  the  ancestress  of  Christ — a  fact  in- 
sisted on  by  Petrus  Comestor  in  his  Historia  Scholastica  (Liber 
Josue,  cap.  v),  and  that  she  is  especially  mentioned  both  by  St. 
Paul  (Heb.  xi,  31),  and  St.  James  (James  ii,  25),  it  may  be  noted 
that,  by  the  Fathers,  Rahab  was  regarded  as  a  type  of  the  Church, 
the  '  line  of  scarlet  thread '  which  she  bound  in  her  window 
(Joshua  ii,  21)  being  typical  of  the  blood  of  Christ  shed  for  re- 
mission of  sins.  This  view  is  expounded  as  follows  by  Isidore 
of  Seville,  with  whose  writings  Dante  was  certainly  familiar :  'Ex 
impiorum  perditione  unica  domus  Raab,  tanquam  unica  Ecclesia, 
liberatur,  munda  a  turpitudine  fornicationis  per  fenestram  con- 
fessionis  in  sanguine  remissionis  .  .  .  Quae  ut  salvari  possit, 
per  fenestram  domus  suae,  tanquam  per  os  corporis  sui,  coc- 
cum  mittit,  quod  est  sanguinis  Christi  signum  pro  remissione 
peccatorum  confiteri  ad  salutem.'  (Questiones  in  Vetus  Testa- 
mentum — in  Josue,  cap.  vii,  §§3,  4).  Petrus  Comestor,  with 
whose  works  Dante  was  also  familiar,  alludes  to  this  same 
interpretation  in  the  passage  of  his  Historia  Scholastica  re- 
ferred to  above." 

*  Ben  si  convenne,  et  seq.  :  I  follow  the  explanation  given  by 
Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in  Dante,  pp.  62,  63) :  "  Dante  here  says  that 
Rahab  was  the  first-fruits  in  glory  of  the  triumph  of  Christ, 
and  he  adds  that  it  was  well  that  such  a  palm  or  trophy  should 
be  found  in  heaven  of  the  lofty  victory  that  was  to  be  gained  by 
the  uplifting  of  the  one  and  the  other  hand,  because  she  for- 
warded the  first  glory  gained  by  Joshua  in  the  Holy  Land,  i.e. 
of  course  the  capture  of  Jericho.  The  interpretation  is  of 
course  very  much  disputed.  Does  this  victory  gained  by  the 
uplifted  hands  refer  to  what  goes  before  or  to  what  follows  ? 
In  the  former  case  the  uplifted  hands  will  be  those  of  Christ  on 
the  cross,  in  the  latter  those  of  Joshua,  Dante  remembering  the 
panegyric  pronounced  upon  him  in  Ecclus.  xlvi,  I,  seq.,  and 
especially  verse  3,  '  Quam  gloriam  adeptus  est  in  tollendo  manus 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  323 

Perch'  ella  favorb*  la  prima  gloria 

Di  Josue  in  sulla  Terra  Santa,  125 

Che  poco  tocca  al  papa  la  memorial 


suas,'  i.e.  by  the  power  of  prayer.  This  was  most  remarkably 
the  case  in  respect  of  the  capture  of  Jericho,  the  prima  gloria 
here  mentioned  by  Dante.  We  should  naturally  compare  with 
this  metaphor  the  incident  in  Exod.  xvii,  10-13,  where  the 
hands  of  Moses  were  stayed  up  by  Aaron  and  Hur  till  Joshua's 
victory  over  the  Amalekites  was  complete.  Scartazzini  con- 
tends very  strongly  for  the  reference  to  Joshua  as  against  the 
view  generally  held  ;  and  certainly  he  remarks  that  Rahab  was 
in  no  special  or  exceptional  sense  a  trophy  of  Christ's  victory, 
as  she  was  that  of  Joshua.  But  in  11.  119-20,  Dante  has 
actually  declared  her  to  have  been  '  a  kind  of  first  fruits '  of 
Christ's  victory,  and  by  that  statement  we  must  be  guided  here. 
It  must  indeed  be  admitted  that  'duplices  tendens  ad  sidera 
palmas '  (^En.  i,  93)  is  a  most  familiar  description  of  the  act  of 
prayer.  Still  I  cannot  doubt  myself  that  the  reference  to 
Christ  and  not  to  Joshua  is  the  correct  one."  Poletto  in  his  com- 
mentary on  this  passage  is  also  strongly  of  the  same  opinion. 

*  favord:  Favorare  for  favorire  is  found  among  the  old 
writers.  G.  Villani  uses  it  in  the  following  two  passages: 
lib.  viii,  cap.  58,  "  Amava  i  Fiamminghi,  e  per  favorarli  disse 
alia  moglie  .  .  . :  io  temo  che  il  Re  di  Francia  non  riceva  ver- 
gogna  e  pericolo  a  questo."  And  lib.  viii,  cap.  63  :  "  E  con 
questo  favorava  i  Fiamminghi  i  suoi  ribelli." 

t  poco  tocca  .  .  .  la  memoria :  Benvenuto  says :  "  scilicet, 
Bonifacii,  qui  tune  sedebat  et  faciebat  guerram  cum  christianis 
non  cum  saracenis,  ut  plene  dictum  est  Inferni  capitulo  XIX  ; 
et  tamen  debuisset  facere  bellum  cum  saracenis,  quia  habebat 
tune  materiam."  The  passage  referred  to  is  in  Inf.  xxvii. 
Petrarch  ( Trionfo  della  Fama,  ii,  terzine  47,  48),  writes  in  the 
same  sense : 

"  Questo  (di  ch'  io  mi  sdegno  e  'ndarno  grido) 
Fece  in  Gerusalem  con  le  sue  mani 
II  mal  guardato  e  gia  negletto  nido. 
Ite  superbi,  o  miseri  Cristiani, 

Consumando  1'un  1'altro,  e  non  vi  caglia 
Che  '1  sepolcro  di  Cristo  e  in  man  di  cani." 
Casini  remarks  that  the  fact  of  having  mentioned  the  Holy 
Land  suggested  to  Dante  an  invective,  which  he  puts  into  the 
mouth  of  Folchetto,  himself  a  bishop  and  persecutor  of  heretics, 
against  the  popes  and  cardinals  who  were  ever  seeking  how  to 
heap  up  riches,  instead  of  attending  to  matters  of  religion. 

Y   2 


324  Readings  on  the  Paradise.         Canto  IX. 

Full  meet  it  was  to  leave  her  in  some  heaven  as  a 
palm  of  the  lofty  victory  which  was  gained  with  the 
one  palm  and  with  the  other ;  because  she  lent  her 
aid  to  the  first  glorious  exploit  of  Joshua  in  the  Holy 
Land  (a  matter)  which  but  little  stirs  the  memory  of 
the  Pope. 

Having  thus  spoken  of  the  Pope's  neglect  of  the  Holy 
Land,  he  passes  on  to  say  that  it  is  due  to  the  avarice 
of  the  whole  priesthood,  who  have  been  so  corrupted 
by  the  circulation  of  the  golden  florin  of  that  devil- 
founded  city,  Florence,  that  they,  the  Pastors  of  the 
Church,  have  been  transformed  into  rapacious  wolves. 
For  this  accursed  greed  of  gain  all  religious  study 
has  been  thrust  aside,  and  the  books  of  ecclesiastical 
law,  as  offering  opportunities  for  amassing  wealth, 
are  alone  diligently  conned  by  the  fathers  of  the 
Church. 

La  tua  cittk,  che  di  colui  &  pianta* 

Che  pria  volse  le  spalle  al  suo  fattore, 

E  di  cui  e  la  invidia  tanto  pianta,t 

*  pianta  :  The  Gran  Dizionario,  under  §  7  of  this  word,  gives 
the  following  signification,  Opera,  Fondazione,  and  quotes  this 
identical  passage.     Compare  also  (with   a  somewhat  similar 
meaning)  where  it  occurs  in  Purg.  xx,  43-45 : 
"  lo  fui  radice  della  mala  pianta, 

Che  la  terra  cristiana  tutta  aduggia 
SI  che  buon  frutto  rado  se  ne  schianta." 

Scartazzini  observes  that  Mars,  the  patron  of  Florence  {Inf.  xiii, 
144),  was  by  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  considered  to  be  a 
demon,  as  all  other  pagan  divinities. 

\  tanto  pianta:  On  this  and  the  alternate  readings  see  Dr. 
Moore's  Textual  Criticism,  pp.  453,  454  :  There  is  little  doubt 
that  tanto  pianta  is  correct  here,  and  not  tutta  quanta,  as 
advocated  by  Dr.  Barlow.  The  reason  he  gives  in  its  favour  tells 
against  it,  viz. :  that  it  avoids  the  repetition  of  the  same  word 
pianta,  though  in  a  different  sense,  in  two  successive  rhymes. 
But  if  the  sense  be  different,  this  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in 
Dante,  and  there  is  another  and  a  still  stronger  case  only  four 


Canto  IX.        Readings  on  the  Paradise.  325 

Produce  e  spande  il  maledetto  fiore*  130 

Ch'  ha  disviate  le  pecore  e  gli  agni, 
Perocch£  fatto  ha  lupo  del  pastore. 

Per  questo  1'  Evangelic  e  i  Dottor  magni 
Son  derelitti,  e  solo  ai  Decretalit 

or  five  lines  above,  where  palma  occurs  twice,  and  it  is  not  even  a 
different  part  of  speech,  but  the  same  substantive  in  both  cases, 
though  in  a  different  sense.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  desire 
to  avoid  such  repetition  may  have  prompted  the  change  to 
quanta  here.  Possibly,  too,  there  was  a  blundering  sense  of  an 
impropriety  in  the  combination  '  tanto  pianta,'  as  indicated  by 
the  slightly  supported  variants  tanta  pianta  and  tutta  pianta. 
Tanto  plorata  is  a  specimen  of  the  more  audacious  style  of 
emendation.  Doubtless  Dante  had  in  his  mind  the  well-known 
passage  in  Wisdom  ii,  24 :  '  Invidia  autem  diaboli  mors  introivit 
in  orbem  terrarum.'  Also  the  idea  of  the  ruin  wrought  in  the 
world  by  the  envy  of  the  devil  may  be  illustrated  by  the  allusive 
reference  to  Eve  in  Par.  xiii,  39,  'II  cui  palato  a  tutto  il  mondo 
costa.'  The  weight  of  authority  among  the  early  Commenta- 
tors is,  as  appears  (in  list)  above,  in  favour  of  tanto pianta" 

*  fiore:  The  golden  florin  of  Florence  was  stamped  with  the 
lily,  which  was  the  device  of  the  banner  of  the  State,  and  fiore 
is  used  figuratively  here  to  signify  that  coin.  Giov.  Villani 
(ix,  171)  relates  how  this  florin  was  counterfeited  by  Pope 
John  XXII :  "  Papa  Giovanni  (nel  1322)  fece  fare  in  Avignone 
una  nuova  moneta  d'  oro  fatta  del  peso  e  lega  e  conio  del  fiorino 
d'  oro  di  Firenze  sanza  altra  intrasegna,  se  non  che  dal  lato  del 
giglio  diceano  le  lettere  il  nome  del  papa  Giovanni ;  la  qual  cosa 
gli  fu  messa  a  grande  riprensione,  a  fare  dissimulare  si  fatta 
moneta  come  il  fiorino  di  Firenze." 

t  solo  ai  Decretali  si  studia:  Dante  utters  a  similar  cry  of 
lamentation  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Cardinals  (Epist.  viii,  1 14-121) : 
"  Jacet  Gregorius  tuus  in  telis  aranearum ;  jacet  Ambrosius  in 
neglectis  clericorum  latibulis ;  jacet  Augustinus ;  abjectus  Diony- 
sius,Damascenuset  Beda;  etnescioquod5/^«/«w,Innocentium, 
et  Ostiensem  declamant.  Cur  enim  ?  Illi  Deum  quaerebant,  ut 
finem  et  optimum;  isti  census  et  beneficia  consequuntur."  The 
Speculum  Juris  was  written  by  Bishop  Guglielmo  Durante  in 
1296;  the  Innocentius  alluded  to  is  Pope  Innocent  IV  (1243- 
1254) ;  author  of  the  Apparatus,  a  comment  on  the  first  five 
books  of  the  Decretals  ;  Cardinal  Enrico  Ostiense  is  referred 
to  in  Par.  xii,  83.  Scartazzini  says  that  the  first  five  books  of 
the  Decretals  were  compiled  by  order  of  Gregory  IX  in  1234. 
Boniface  VIII  added  a  sixth  book.  The  Decretals  introduced 


326  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Ganto  IX. 

Si  studia  si  che  pare  ai  lor  vivagni.*  135 

A  questo  intende  il  papa  e  i  cardinal!  : 

Non  vanno  i  lor  pensieri  a  Nazzarette, 
La  dove  Gabbriello  aperse  1'  ali. 

Thy  city,  which  hath  been  planted  by  him  (Satan) 
who  first  turned  his  back  upon  his  Maker,  and  whose 
envy  has  caused  so  much  weeping,  brings  forth  and 
spreads  abroad  the  accursed  flower  (/.  e.  the  lily 
stamped  on  the  florin)  which  has  led  astray  both 
the  sheep  and  the  lambs  (i.e.  old  and  young)  be- 
cause it  has  made  a  wolf  of  the  shepherd.  For  this 
the  Gospel  and  the  great  Doctors  (the  Fathers  of  the 
Church)  are  laid  aside,  and  only  to  the  Decretals  is 
such  great  study  given,  which  it  shows  upon  their 
(well  -  thumbed  and  annotated)  margins.  To  this 
(greed  of  gain)  both  Pope  and  Cardinals  give  all 
their  application  :  their  thoughts  travel  not  to  Naza- 
reth, there  whither  Gabriel  directed  his  flight  (///. 
opened  his  wings). 

Folco  finishes  by  foretelling  better  days,  when  Rome 
and  its  many  sacred  spots,  consecrated  by  the  blood 

a  new  system  of  discipline,  in  character  with  the  ignorance  and 
poverty  of  thought  of  the  times.  Lana  contemptuously  calls 
them  :  "  scienzia  lucrativa  e  contumeliosa  ....  imperquello  che 
ogni  parte  con  fallace  si  puoe  substentare,  e  di  vero  non  se  ne 
ha  espressa  veritade." 

*  vivagni :  Casini  says  that,  beyond  a  doubt,  this  alludes  to 
the  habit  prevalent  in  the  I3th  century  of  making  marginal  an- 
notations and  comments  on  the  text  of  the  Decretals,  which, 
having  only  been  recently  arranged,  afforded  food  for  various 
and  often  very  conflicting  interpretations :  the  result  of  which 
was  that,  in  that  century,  doctors  of  canonical  law  swarmed, 
especially  in  the  schools  of  Bolonga.  Vivagno  means  the  border 
or  edge  of  anything ;  hence  Lana,  Benvenuto  and  some  other 
old  Commentators,  have  tried  to  prove  that  the  allusion  is  to  the 
embroidered  edges  of  the  rich  apparel  of  cardinals  and  prelates. 
Benvenuto  says  of  vivagni :  "  idest,  vestibus  eorum  sumptuosis, 
variatis  :  vivagnum  enim  vocatur  extremitas  panni,  per  quod 
pannus  cognoscitur."  In  Inf.  xiv,  123,  Dante  speaks  of  the 
hardened  margin  of  the  Phlegethon  as  questo  vivagno. 


Canto  IX.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  327 

of  the  martyrs,  shall  be  delivered  from  the  immoral 
government  of  the  Pontiffs.  Some  see  in  this  predic- 
tion an  allusion  to  the  death  of  Boniface  VIII.  (Inf. 
xix,  53 ;  Purg.  xx,  86) ;  some  think  it  alludes  to  the 
transfer  of  the  papal  seat  to  Avignon ;  but  both 
Scartazzini  and  Casini  prefer  to  see  here  the  hope 
expressed  of  the  future  mysterious  liberator,  who 
would  cleanse  Italy  from  the  foul  impurities  that 
defiled  its  fair  soil. 

Ma  Vaticano  e  1'  altre  parti  elette 

Di  Roma,  che  son  state  cimiterio  140 

Alia  milizia*  che  Pietro  seguette, 
Tosto  libere  fien  dell'  adulterio."  t 
But  Vatican  and  other  chosen  spots  of  Rome,  which 
have  been  the  burying-place  of  the  soldiery  that  fol- 
lowed Peter,  shall  soon  be  delivered  from  this  adul- 
tery." 

*  milizia :  The  glorious  body  of  martyrs  and  saints,  who  died 
for  the  Christian  Faith,  following  the  example  of  St.  Peter,  who 
is  believed  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  have  died  a  martyr 
at  Rome.     Compare  Bishop  Heber,  St.  Stepheris  Day: 
"  A  noble  army,  men  and  boys, 

The  matron  and  the  maid, 
Around  the  Saviour's  throne  rejoice 

In  robes  of  white  arrayed. 
They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  Heaven 

Through  peril,  toil,  and  pain. 
O  God  to  us  may  Grace  be  given 

To  follow  in  their  train!" 

f  adulterio:  The  rapacity  of  the  Pontiffs  was  the  principal 
cause  of  the  evil  government  of  the  Church,  and  in  Inf.  xix, 
i  et  seg.,  Dante  rebukes  them  for  their  prostitution  of  holy 
things  : 

"  O  Simon  mago,  o  miseri  seguaci, 

Che  le  cose  di  Dio,  che  di  bontate 
Deono  essere  spose,  e  voi  rapaci 
Per  oro  e  per  argento  adulterate." 

END  OF  CANTO  IX. 


328  Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  X. 


CANTO    X. 


ASCENT  TO  THE  FOURTH  SPHERE. — THE  HEAVEN 
OF  THE  SUN,  OR  THE  HEAVEN  OF  WISDOM 
AND  KNOWLEDGE. — THE  THEOLOGIANS  AND 
FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH.  —  ST.  THOMAS 
AQUINAS. — BOETHIUS;  AND  THE  SCHOOLMEN. 

THE  last  Canto  ended  with  one  of  those  outbursts  of 
indignation,  which  Dante  was  but  seldom  able  to 
suppress,  against  Boniface  VIII,  whom  he  regarded 
as  the  principal  cause  of  the  great  misfortune  of  his 
life — his  exile  from  Florence.  The  present  Canto 
begins  with  an  exordium  addressed  to  the  reader, 
introductory  of  the  ascent  from  Venus  to  the  Sun. 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  27,  Dante 
describes  the  wonderful  order  of  the  Heavens. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  28  to  v.  51,  he 
relates  his  ascent  into  the  Heaven  of  the  Sun. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  52  to  v.  81,  he 
describes  the  bright  spirits  of  personages  of  enlight- 
ened wisdom  and  knowledge  that  had  their  abode  in 
the  Heaven  of  the  Sun. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  82  to  v.  148,  the 
spirit  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  declares  himself  to 
Dante,  and  mentions  some  of  the  more  eminent  of 
his  companions  in  this  Sphere. 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  329 

Division  I.     Dante,  in  Conmto  ii,  14,  11.  123-153, 
makes  the  Heaven  of  the  Sun  the  symbol  of  Arith- 
metic, i.e.  the  first  Science  of  the  Quadrivium. 
Guardando*  nel  suo  figlio  con  1'  amore 
Che  1'  uno  e  1'  altro  eternalmente  spira, 
Lo  primo  ed  ineffabile  valore, 
Quanto  per  mente  o  per  locot  si  gira 

Con  tanto  ordine  fe',  ch'  esser  non  puote  5 

*  Guardando,  et  seq. :  These  opening  lines  of  the  Canto  are 
in  full  agreement  with  those  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  who  (Summ. 
Theol.,  pars  i,  qu.  xlv,  art.  6)  writes  :  "  Creare  non  est  proprium 
alicui  personae,  sed  commune  toti  Trinitati  ....  Deus  Pater 
operatus  est  creaturam  per  suum  Verbum,  quod  est  Filius  ;  et 
per  suum  amorem,  qui  est  Spiritus  sanctus  ....  sicut  natura 
divina,  licet  sit  communis  tribus  personis,  ordine  tamen  quodam 
eis  convenit,  inquantum  Filius  accipit  naturam  divinam  a  Patre, 
et  Spiritus  sanctus  ab  utroque  ;  ita  etiam  et  virtus  creandi, 
licet  sit  communis  tribus  personis,  ordine  tamen  quodam  eis 
convenit.  Nam  Filius  habet  earn  a  Patre,  et  Spiritus  sanctus 
ab  utroque.  Unde  creatorem  esse  attribuitur  Patri,  ut  ei  qui 
non  habet  virtutem  creandi  ab  alio.  De  Filio  autem  dicitur 
(Joan,  i,  3):  Per  quern  omnia  facia  sunt,  inquantum  habet  eamden 
virtutem,  sed  ab  alio.  Nam  haec  praepositio,  lper?  solet  deno- 
tare  causam  mediam  sive  principum  de  principio.  Sed  Spiritui 
sancto,  qui  habet  eamdem  virtutem  ab  utroque,  attribuitur  quod 
dominando  gubernet  et  vivificet  quae  sunt  creata  a  Patre  per 
Filium."  And  again,  ibid.  qu.  xxxii,  art.  i :  "  Virtus  creativa 
Dei  est  communis  toti  Trinitati.  Unde  pertinet  ad  unitatem 
essentiae,  non  ad  distinctionem  personarum." 

t  per  mente  o  per  loco :  Some  read  o  per  occhio.  On  this  see 
Moore,  Textual  Criticism,  pp.  454-455  :  "The  substitution  of 
occhio  for  loco,  which  is  found  in  a  small  number  of  MSS.,  was 
probably  intended  to  supply  a  better  antithesis  to  mente .... 
the  appropriateness  of  the  .  .  .  .facilior  lectio  (Vocchio)'^  merely 
superficial,  and  disappears  on  a  closer  examination  of  the  pas- 
sage, for  si  gira  suits  loco  much  better  than  occhio.  The  'eye' 
is  not  the  sphere  in  which  the  objects  of  the  external  world  in 
any  sense  move  or  'revolve'  (si giro).  They  revolve  in  space 
just  as  the  objects  of  thought  may  be  said  to  revolve  in  the 
mind.  It  is  not  therefore  a  question  of  the  organ  or  instrument 
of  perception,  bodily  or  mental,  but  of  the  sphere  of  existence 
of  the  objects  of  sense  or  of  thought.  The  antithesis  is  the 
familiar  one  between  rck  ytnrrb  (loco)  and  ri  VO^T^.  (mente\  and 


330  Readings  on  the  Paradiso,          Canto  X. 

Senza  gustar*  di  lui  chi  cio  rimira. 

Contemplating  His  Son  with  the  Love  which  both 
the  One  and  the  Other  eternally  breathe  forth, 
the  First  and  Ineffable  Power  (God  the  Father), 
created  with  so  much  order  all  that  revolves  through 
the  mind  or  through  space,  that  there  can  be  no  one 
who  contemplates  (all)  this  without  tasting  of  Him. 

Antonelli  (ap.  Tommaseo)  calls  these  lines  a  sublime 
introduction,  in  which  the  Poet  prepares  the  readers 
for  his  instantaneous  passage  from  Venus  to  the  Sun, 
and  for  the  contemplation  of  the  lofty  matters  that 
he  will  describe  within  that  great  luminary.  Dante 
begins  by  saying  that  God  the  Father,  the  Primal 
Might,  created  the  universe  through  the  Son,  and  in 
the  Holy  Spirit.  (Let  us  make  Man  in  Otir  image). 
God  the  Father,  who  has  of  Himself  the  creative 
power  (says  Scartazzini),  looking  into  His  Divine 
Son,  Who  is  the  Wisdom,  the  thought,  the  Word, 

the  distinction  thus  briefly  indicated  is  the  same  as  is  described 
with  more  pomp  by  Wordsworth  in  the  lines : 

'  Whose  dwelling  is  the  light  of  setting  suns, 
And  the  round  ocean,  and  the  living  air, 
And  the  blue  sky,  and  in  the  mind  of  man.' 
.    .    .    It  is  curious  to  note  that  loco,  after  appearing  in  the  first 
four  Editions,  in   the    Edizione  Nidobeatina  (1477),  and    the 
early  Spanish  translation  of  Febrer  (1428),  seems  to  have  been 
almost  entirely  displaced  by  occhio  in  later  editions,  if  I  may 
judge  from  my  having  found  it  in  two  only  (Witte  and  Scar- 
tazzini) out  of  twenty-five  such  that  I  have  consulted  here."     I 
notice  that  in  Casini's  commentary,  published  after  Dr.  Moore 
wrote  the  above,  the  reading  is  loco. 

*  Senza  gustar,  et  seq.  :  On  this  Pietro  di  Dante:  "Sed,  ut 
dixi,  videndo  opera  ejus  gustamus,  idest  asserere  debemus  ipsum 
esse;  unde  Psalmista:  gustate  et  videte  quoniam  suavis  est 
Dominus  .  .  .  Et  Boetius  in  III  Consolationis,  Pros,  viii  : 
'  Respicite  coeli  spatium,  firmitudinem,  celeritatem  et  aliquando 
desinite  vilia  mirari.  Quod  quidem  coelum  non  his  potius  est, 
quam  sua,  qua  regitur  ratione,  mirandum.' " 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  331 

the  Logos,  of  the  Father,*  and  from  Him  taking  the 
manner  of  creating  in  combination  with  Love,  namely: 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  Who  with  eternal  spiration  pro- 
ceeds from  the  Father  and  the  Son  (filioque\  these 
three,  Who  are  the  Holy  Trinity,  formed  all  things, 
both  visible  and  invisible,  with  so  much  order,  that 
no  one  who  considers  that  order,  can  fail  to  taste 
something  of  the  mighty  works  of  God. 

Dante  now  invites  his  Readers  to  look  up  with  him 
and  behold  the  higher  spheres,  and  especially  at  that 
point  where  the  two  opposite  motions  intersect  each 
other,  namely,  the  diurnal  or  equatorial  from  east  to 
west,  and  the  planetary  or  zodiacal  from  west  to  east. 
In  that  way  Dante  fixes  our  attention  to  the  two 
equinoctial  points,  where  the  contact  of  the  two  forces, 
moving  in  opposite  directions,  takes  place. 
Leva  dunque,  letter,  all'  alte  rotet 

*  "  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with 
God,  and  the  Word  was  .God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning 
with  God.  All  things  were  made  by  Him  ;  and  without  Him 
was  not  anything  made  that  was  made  .  .  .  He  was  in  the 
world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  Him,  and  the  world  knew 
Him  not."  (John  i,  i-io).  Dean  Plumptre  remarks  that 
Dante's  theology  is  an  echo  of  this  text  as  also  of  Col.  i,  16  ; 
and  Heb.  i,  2  ;  and  of  the  Nicene  and  Athanasian  creeds. 

t  F alte  rote:  In  Purg.  viii,  16-18,  the  spirits  in  the  Flowery 
Valley,  singing  the  Compline  Hymn  are  described  as  gazing 
upon  the  spheres  above  : 

"Avendo  gli  occhi  alle  superne  rote"  : 

See  also  in  Purg.  xxiv,  88-90,  Forese  de'  Donati's  prophecy  of 
the  fate  of  his  brother  Corso  (a  vaticinium  post  eventum}  which 
he  concludes  by  saying  : 

"  Non  hanno  molto  a  volger  quelle  rote 

(E  drizzo  gli  occhi  al  ciel),  che  ti  fia  chiaro 
Ci6  che  il  mio  clir  piu  dichiarar  non  puote." 
And  in  Beatrice's  speech  to  the  Angels  in  the  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise (Purg.  xxx,  109-111) : 


332  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Meco  la  vista  dritto  a  quella  parte 
Dove  1'  un  moto  e  1'  altro  si  percote  ;* 
E  li  comincia  a  vagheggiar  nell'  arte  10 

Di  quel  maestro,  che  dentro  a  se  1'  ama 
Tanto  che  mai  da  lei  1'  occhio  non  parte. 

Raise  then  with  me  thy  gaze,  O  Reader,  directed  to 
the  lofty  wheels  (i.e.  Spheres  of  Heaven),  at  that 
point  where  the  one  motion  (the  Equator)  encoun- 
ters the  other  (the  Zodiac) ;  and  there  begin  to  con- 
template with  love  the  art  of  that  Architect,  Who  in 
Himself  so  loves  it  (His  work)  that  never  does  He 
move  His  eye  from  it. 

He  then  refers  to  the  inclination  of  the  Zodiac. 

Vedi  come  da  indi  si  diramaf 

L'  obbliquo  cerchio  che  i  pianeti  porta, 

Per  satisfare  al  mondo  che  li  chiama  ;  15 

"  Non  pur  per  opra  delle  rote  magne, 

Che  drizzan  ciascun  seme  ad  alcun  fine, 
Secondo  che  le  stelle  son  compagne,"  etc. 

*  si  percote :  Cesari  (Bellezze]  admiringly  exclaims  :  "Notate 
aggiustato  parlar  di  Dante  \the  precision  of  Dante's  language}. 
Erano  nel  sole,  e  '1  sole  in  Ariete.  Or  questo  &  un  de'  due  punti, 
o  perni  [axes],  1'  altro  la  Libra,  dove  1'  equatore  s'  incrocicchia 
col  zodiaco.  Nel  zodiaco  vanno  obliquamente  i  pianeti ;  e  para- 
lelle  all'  equatore  le  stelle,  come  sanno  gli  astronomi  :  pertanto 
questi  due  moti  si  incidevano  per  obliquo  nel  sole." 

t  si  dirama:  Compare  with  this  Dante's  own  words  in 
Convito,  iii,  5,  11.  124-142  :  "  Segnati  questi  tre  luoghi  di  sopra 
questa  palla  [the  terrestrial  globe\  leggiermente  si  puo  vedere 
come  il  sole  la  gira.  Dico  adunque  che  '1  cielo  del  sole  si  rivolge 
da  Occidente  in  Oriente,  non  dirittamente  contra  lo  movimento 
diurno,  cio£  del  di  e  della  notte,  ma  tortamente  contra  quello. 
Sicche  il  suo  mezzo  Cerchio,  che  ugualmente  £  intra  li  suoi  Poli, 
nel  qual  e  il  corpo  del  sole,  sega  in  due  parti  opposite  il  Cerchio 
delli  due  primi  Poli,  cio£  nel  principio  dell' Ariete  e  nel  principio 
della  Libra  ;  e  partesi  per  due  archi  da  esso,  uno  verso  Setten- 
trione  e  un  altro  verso  Mezzogiorno.  Li  punti  delli  quali  archi 
si  dilungano  ugualmente  dal  primo  Cerchio  da  ogni  parte  per 
ventitre  gradi  e  un  punto  piu  ;  e  1'  uno  punto  &  '1  principio  del 
Cancro,  e  1'  altro  e  '1  principio  del  Capricorno." 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  333 

E  se  la  strada  lor*  non  fosse  torta, 

Molta  virtu  nel  ciel  sarebbe  in  vano, 
E  quasi  ogni  potenza  quaggiu  morta. 

Behold  how  from  that  point  (of  the  Equator)  there 
branches  off  the  oblique  Circle  (the  Zodiac)  which 
bears  the  planets,  to  satisfy  the  world  that  calls  upon 
them  ;  and  if  their  pathway  were  not  inflected,  many 
an  influence  in  Heaven  would  be  to  no  purpose,  and 
down  here  (on  Earth)  almost  every  power  would  be 
extinct. 

Dante  argues  (remarks  Antonelli)  that  if  the  Ecliptic 
coincided  with  the  Equator,  and  ran  parallel  to  the 
Zodiac,  then,  by  the  fact  alone  of  the  Sun  remaining 
constantly  perpendicular  above  the  line  of  the  Ter- 
restrial Equinox,  and  not  even  taking  into  account 
the  influences  that  were  believed  to  emanate  from  the 
other  planets,  every  potentiality  would  in  truth  be 
nearly  dead  (ogni  potenza  quaggiit,  morta}  ;  for  in  the 
regions  nearest  to  the  Equator  we  should  have  a  per- 
petual summer  and  an  excessive  accumulation  of  heat, 
which  would  render  them  uninhabitable  and  incapable 
of  vegetation  ;  the  zones  we  now  call  temperate  would 
have  a  perpetual  incipient  spring,  and  would  never 
bring  grain  crops  and  fruits  to  maturity,  while  the 
polar  regions  would  be  for  ever  plunged  into  per- 
petual winter  ;  and  thus  the  whole  Earth,  by  the  equal- 
ization of  its  days  and  nights,  would  be  a  miserable 
place  to  dwell  in,  and  unfit  for  the  evolution  of  those 
precious  germs  which  a  Beneficent  Creator  has  im- 

*  se  la  strada  lor:  "E'dottrina  d'Aristotile  che  sccundum 
accession  et  recessum  soils  in  circulo  obliquo  fiunt  gencrationes 
in  rebus  inferioribus."  (Brunone  Bianchi).  Aristotle  says  that 
generation  and  decay  take  place  under  the  oblique  circle  of  the 
Zodiac.  See  also  Conv.  ii,  15,  11.  122-157. 


334  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

planted  in  men  and  things  here  on  Earth.  And  if 
the  obliquity^of  the  Zodiac  was  sensibly  much  greater 
or  less  than  what  is  now  seen,  in  both  cases  everything 
would  be  changed  relating  to  climates ;  and  thence 
would  result  grave  alteration  in  the  distribution  of  light 
and  heat,  of  the  hours  of  night  and  day,  of  vapours 
and  dews,  of  rain  and  wind,  of  ice  and  snow,  not  to 
mention  the  real  and  solemn  facts  which  Dante  might 
be  indicating. 

E  se  dal  dritto  piu  o  men  lontano 

Fosse  il  partire,  assai  sarebbe  manco  20 

E  giu  e  su*  dell'  ordine  mondano. 

And  if  the  departure  from  the  straight  line  had  been 
of  greater  or  lesser  distance,  much  of  the  mundane 
order  both  below  and  above  (i.e.  in  the  two  terres- 
trial hemispheres)  would  be  defective. 

Dante  then  points  out  to  the  Reader,  whom  he  figures 
as  sitting  at  the  Banquet  (Convitd),  that  the  dainties 
set  before  him  are  but  a  foretaste  of  the  succulent  and 


*  giu  e  su:  Compare  Purg.  iv,  61-66  : 

"  Ond'  egli  a  me  :  '  Se  Castore  e  Polluce 

Fossero  in  compagnia  di  quello  specchio, 
Che  su  e  giu  del  suo  lume  conduce, 
Tu  vederesti  il  Zodiaco  rubecchio 

Ancora  all'  Orse  piu  stretto  rotare, 
Se  non  uscisse  fuordel  cammin  vecchio.'" 

On  this  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me  :  "  I  cannot  but  think  that 
Purg.  iv,  63,  strongly  favours  the  interpretation  of  "the  two 
hemispheres.  The  two  passages  are  very  much  alike,  and  it  is 
the  inclination  of  the  Ecliptic  that  just  causes  the  different 
climatic  conditions  of  the  two  Hemispheres."  Casini  and  Poletto 
take  the  same  view,  interpreting  gift  e  su :  "  nei  due  emisferi 
terrestri,  tra  i  quali  il  sole  continuamente  sale  e  discende."  A 
large  number  of  distinguished  Commentators  however  under- 
stand giu  e  su  to  mean  "  On  Earth  and  in  the  Heavens ; "  while 
Lana,  followed  by  a  few  moderns,  thinks  it  means  "the  two 
poles." 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  335 

nutritious  food  which  is  to  follow.     Let  the  Reader 
fall  to,  and  nourish  himself. 

Or  ti  riman,  letter,  sopra  il  tuo  banco, 

Dietro  pensando  a  cio  che  si  preliba,* 
S'  esser  vuoi  lieto  assaif  prima  che  stance. 
Messo  t'ho  innanzi ;  omai  per  te  ti  ciba;  25 

Che  a  se  torce  tutta  la  mia  curaj 
Quella  materia  ond'  io  son  fatto  scriba. 

Remain  now,  Reader,  upon  thy  bench  (i.e.  seated  at 
table),  pursuing  in  thought  that  which  is  set  before 
thee,  if  thou  wouldst  be  much  delighted  before  (thou 
art)  wearied.  I  have  set  before  thee  (the  repast) : 
henceforth  feed  thyself;  since  the  matter  of  which 
I  have  been  made  the  scribe  recalls  to  itself  the 
whole  of  my  attention. 


Division  II.  After  inviting  the  Reader  to  contem- 
plate with  admiration  the  Wisdom  of  the  Creator  in 
having  so  wondrously  arranged  the  oblique  motion 


*  si  preliba:  The  common  rendering  of  this,  is  "to  have  a 
foretaste"  (pregustare) ;  but  Buti  takes  it  as  a  synonym  of 
Messo  f  ho  innanzi  in  1.  25  :  "cioe  a  la  materia  che  io  one 
messo  inanti,  che  e  materia  da  essere  pensata  con  diletto." 
Casini  says  that  this  interpretation  is  by  no  means  devoid  of 
etymological  foundation,  as  the  verb  libare,  signifies  "to  sprinkle 
the  altar  with  a  drink  offering,"  and  hence  comes  to  mean  "to 
offer,  to  present,"  prelibare  "  to  set  before  any  one." 

f  assai :  This  must  be  taken  with  lieto,  not  with  prima. 
Henvenuto  :  "  Se  vuoi  esser  assai  lieto  pria  che  stanco;  quasi 
dicat :  talis  est  materia  inchoata,  quod  si  exerceas  tuum  in- 
genium  circa  cognitionem  ejus  recipies  magnam  delectationem 
antequam  intellectus  tuus  sit  fatigatus,"  etc.  Buti  explains  the 
sentence  in  the  same  way. 

£  a  si  torce  tutta  la  mia  cura  :  "idest,  trahit  totam  intentionem 
et  operationem  meam  ad  se,  principale  thema,  quasi  dicat :  non 
intendo  docere  astrologiam,  quia  habeo  prosequi  materiam 
poeticam  de  Deo;  nam,  teste  philosophic,  poetae  fuerunt  primi 
theologizantes  de  Deo."  (Benvenuto). 


336  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  x. 

of  the  Sun  and  the  planets  throughout  the  Zodiac, 
with  the  direct  motion  of  the  Fixed  Stars  parallel 
to  the  Equator,  in  such  wise,  that  every  part  of  the 
surface  of  the  Earth  could  enjoy  the  benefits  of 
celestial  influences,  Dante  goes  on  to  describe  his 
entrance  into  the  Sun,  which  was  just  then  in  Aries. 
He  confesses  however  that,  even  though  he  should 
have  recourse  to  intellect  and  experience  (uso,  1.  43), 
he  still  would  not  be  able  to  relate  it  in  such  lan- 
guage that  his  readers  shall  realize  what  the  inte- 
rior of  the  Sun  was,  where  things  could  not  be  dis- 
tinguished by  any  difference  of  colour — for  everything 
shone  with  the  Sun's  radiance — but  could  only  be 
distinguished  by  the  greater  or  lesser  intensity  of 
their  light. 

Antorielli  says  that,  according  to  the  system  of 
astronomy  followed  by  Dante,  the  Sun,  being  borne 
along  every  day  in  the  general  revolving  motion  of 
the  spheres  from  east  to  west,  and  every  day  revolving 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  Zodiac  from  west  to  east, 
with  a  motion  continuously  ascending  or  descending 
in  relation  to  the  Equator,  it  follows  of  necessity  that, 
from  these  two  continuous  motions,  the  Sun  is  de- 
scribing within  the  surface  of  its  sphere  a  continuous 
line  of  a  spiral  form  like  a  vine  training  round  a  stick, 
or  like  a  snail  who  advances  but  one  pace  in  a  day 
....  But  if  Dante  had  stopped  here,  he  would  have 
left  the  position  of  that  Planet  (the  Sun)  very  unde- 
termined ;  since  from  it  spirals  are  formed  in  all  its 
motions  in  relation  to  the  Equator,  so  Dante  sug- 
gests as  a  determinant  element,  In  che  piu  tosto  ognora 
s  appresenta  (1.  33). 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  337 

Lo  ministro  maggior  della  natura, 

Che  del  valor  del  cielo  il  mondo  imprenta, 

E  col  suo  lume  il  tempo  ne  misura,  30 

Con  quella  parte  che  su  si  rammenta 
Congiunto,  si  girava  per  le  spire  * 
In  che  piu  tosto  ognora  s'  appresenta : 

Ed  io  era  con  lui ;  ma  del  salire  t 

Non  m'  accors'  io,  se  non  com'  uom  s'  accorge,    35 
Anzi  il  primo  pensier,  del  suo  venire. 

The  mightiest  Minister  of  Nature  (i.e.  the  Sun),  who 
imprints  the  World  with  the  power  of  Heaven,  and 
with  his  light  measures  out  the  time  for  us,  conjoined 
with  that  part  which  has  been  mentioned  above 
(namely,  the  Sign  of  Aries  into  which  the  Sun  had 
entered),  was  circling  along  the  spirals  in  which  con- 

*  le  spire:  See  Cesari,  Bellezze,  p.  172.  "Le  spire  sono 
1'  andar  del  sole  a  chiocciola  [i.e.  fatto  a  maniera  di  vite,  a 
screw],  sempre  acquistando  dell'  equatore  verso  il  tropico  del 
Cancro ;  nel  qual  suo  procedere  leva  ogni  di  piu  presto.  Spiego 
quest'  ognora  per  sempre,  come  avverbio  ;  e  cosi  cesso  [J put  a 
stop  to] gli  strologamenti  che  ci  fanno  taluni."  Compare  Con- 
irito,  iii,  5,  11.  142-151  :  "Conviene  che  Maria  veggia  nel  prin- 
cipio  dell'Ariete,  quando  il  sole  va  sotto  il  mezzo  Cerchio  de'primi 
Poli,  esso  sole  girare  il  mondo  intorno  giu  alia  terra,  ovvero  al 
mare,  come  una  mola,  della  quale  non  paia  piu  che  mezzo  il 
corpo  suo :  e  questo  veggia  venire  montando  a  guisa  d'  una  vite 
d'  un  torchio  [the  screw  of  a  wine,  linen,  or  printing  press],  tan  to 
che  compia  novantuna  rota  e  poco  piu."  Dr.  Moore  says  to  me 
that  the  spire  "  in  which  he  (the  Sun)  constantly  presents  himself 
earlier"  denote  of  course  the  Spring  months,  since  after  the 
Summer  Solstice  he  constantly  presents  himself,  or  rises,  later. 
Compare  too,  in  the  above  quotation  from  the  Convito  and  its 
continuation,  the  words  montando  and  discendcrc.  (11. 1 49  and  1 58.) 

t  ma  del  salire :  Dante  describes  the  instantaneous  velocity 
of  his  ascent  from  Venus  into  the  Sun,  by  comparing  it  to  the 
quickness  of  thought.  This  is  well  explained  by  the  Ottimo, 
who  says  that  Dante  found  himself  in  the  Sun,  but  only  knew 
that  he  had  come  there  without  being  aware  of  the  act  of 
coming;  just  like  a  thought  that  comes  into  a  man's  mind, 
but  the  thinker  does  not  know  of  its  coming,  until  it  is  actually 
present  in  him.  Our  first  motions  are  not  subject  to  our  own 
control. 

I.  Z 


338  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

tinually  (i.e.  on  each  successive  day)  he  presents 
himself  earlier :  and  I  was  with  him  (i.e.  had  reached 
the  Sun);  but  of  the  ascent  I  was  not  conscious, 
otherwise  than  a  man  is  conscious,  before  the  begin- 
ning of  a  thought,  of  its  coming. 

This  means  that,  before  the  thought  itself  has  become 
conscious,  he  is  aware  that  it  has  already  come,  or  is 
already  formed  within  him.  Like  the  wind,  "  he  can- 
not tell  whence  it  cometh,"  till  he  feels  that  it  is  already 
present. 

After  an  outburst  of  rapture  at  the  glorious  bright- 
ness that  Beatrice  had  assumed,  Dante  says  that  in 
vain  would  he  attempt  to  describe  the  splendour  of 
the  souls  that  were  brighter  than  the  Sun  itself. 
O  Beatrice,*  quella  che  si  scorge  t 

*  O  Beatrice :  There  is  here  a  very  important  difference  of 
reading,  which  considerably  alters  the  sense  of  11.  37-40.  The 
reading  I  follow  is  that  of  Dr.  Moore's  Oxford  Text,  the  Foligno, 
Jesi,  Mantua,  and  Naples  editions,  the  Ottimo,  the  Anonimo 
P"iorentino,  Cornoldi,  Fraticelli,  and  others.  The  reading  most 
generally  adopted  is  E  Beatrice,  quella  =  "It  is  Beatrice  who," 
etc.,  and  this  is  followed  by  a  full  stop  after  sparge,  1.  40,  running 
into  the  sense  of  the  lines  succeeding  it.  Others  again  read  E 
Beatrice  =  "  And  Beatrice,"  etc.  Scartazzini  observes  that  the 
diversity  of  the  interpretations  is  more  important  than  that  of 
the  readings,  for  E  may  either  mean  E=  "  it  is"  ;  or  E,  copu- 
lative particle  ;  or  Eh,  an  interjection. 

t  si  scorge :  I  have  here  departed  from  the  Oxford  text,  which 
reads  si  scorge.  On  this  Scartazzini  remarks :  "  Ma  qui  non 
finiscono  le  difficolta.  Cosa  significa  la  frase  si  scorge  ?  (N.B. 
He  reads  si  scorge).  Gli  antichi  e  molti  moderni  prendono  qui 
scorgere  nel  senso  di  vedere,  bsservare,  etc.,  e  spiegano :  '  Che  si 
vede  sempre  piu  luminosa,  quanto  piu  sale.'  Cos!,  Ottimo,  Ben- 
venuto,  Buti,  Landino,  Vellutello,  Venturi,  Poggiali,  Cesari, 
Gregoretti,  Benassuti,  Mariotti,  etc.  Altri,  prendono  scorgere 
nel  senso  di  condurre,  guidare,  etc.,  e  spiegano :  '  Che  cosi 
guida  di  alto  in  piu  alto  cielo.'  Cosi  Danielle  (il  quale  legge 
CI  scorge),  Lombardi,  Costa,  Borghini,  Br.  Bianchi,  Fraticelli, 
Andreoli,  Trissino,  e  Camerini."  This  last  is  the  interpretation 
I  follow. 


Canto  X.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  339 

Di  bene  in  meglio  si  subitamente 
Che  1'  atto  suo  per  tempo  non  si  sporge,    . 
Quant'  esser  convenia  da  se  lucente  !  40 

Quel  ch'  era  dentro  al  sol  dov'  io  entra'  mi,* 
Non  per  color  t  ma  per  lume  parvente, 
Perch'  io  lo  ingegno,  1'arte  e  1'uso  chiami, 
Si  nol  direi  che  mai  s'  immaginasse, 
Ma  creder  puossi,$  e  di  veder  si  brami.  45 

E  se  le  fantasie  nostre  son  basse 

A  tanta  altezza,  non  e  maraviglia, 
Che  sopra  il  sol  non  fu  occhio  ch'  andasse.§ 
O  how  radiant  must  Beatrice  have  been  in  herself, 
she  who  thus  guides  one  from  good  to  better  so  in- 
stantaneously, that  her  action  does  not  extend  over 
(a  space  of)  time  !     As  to  what  was  in  the  Sun 
wherein  I  entered,  distinguishable  not  by  colour  but 
by  (variety  of)  light,  even  should  I  summon  (to  my 
aid)  genius,  art,  and  experience,  I  should  not  be  able 

*  entra!  mi:  Trissino  explains  the  words  al  sol  dov1  io  en- 
tra! mi  as  "dentro  alia  spera  del  Sole,  nella  quale  io  sono 
entrato,"  the  mi  being  merely  redundant. 

t  Non  per  color:  Dante,  in  attributing  this  excessive  splendour 
to  the  spirits  of  the  great  Doctors  of  Theology,  is  alluding  to 
the  words  of  the  prophet  Daniel  xii,  3  ( Vulgate]  :  "  Qui  autem 
docti  fuerint,  fulgebunt  quasi  splendor  firmament!  ;  et  qui  ad 
justitiam  erudiunt  multos,  quasi  stellae  in  perpetuas  aeterni- 
tates."  See  also  Convito  iii,  15,  11.  189-195. 

£  Ma  creder  puossi,  etc.   Compare  Par.  i,  70-72,  where  Dante, 
with  somewhat  similar  thoughts,  says  that  human  language  will 
not  suffice  to  describe  the  act  of  "  transhumanization  "  : 
"  Trasumanar  significar  per  verba 

Non  si  poria  ;  pero  1'  esemplo  basti 
A  cui  esperienza  grazia  serba." 

Compare  Convito  iii,  4,  11.  17-22:  "Non  pure  a  quello  ch'io 
intendo,  sufficiente  non  sono,  perocche  la  lingua  mia  non  C:  di 
tanta  facondia,  che  dir  potesse  ci6  che  nel  pensiero  mio  se  ne 
ragiona." 

§  sopra  il  sol  non  fu  occhio  cJf  andasse :  A  more  powerful 
light  than  that  of  the  Sun  has  never  been  looked  upon  by 
mortal  eye :  and  therefore  imagination  cannot  picture  any 
greater  light. 

Z   2 


340  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

so  to  describe  it,  that  it  could  be  ever  (even)  con- 
ceived, but  believe  it  one  may,  and  let  us  (mortals) 
long  to  behold  it  (hereafter  in  Paradise).  And  if  our 
imaginative  faculties  are  (too)  lowly  for  such  sub- 
limity, it  is  no  marvel,  for  never  was  there  an  eye 
that  could  go  beyond  the  Sun. 

Dante  ends  by  declaring  that  the  Spirits  in  this  Fourth 
Sphere  were  as  radiant  as  Beatrice.  Talice  da  Rical- 
done  remarks  on  the  appropriateness  of  that  descrip- 
tion, seeing  that  these  were  the  great  Doctors,  who 
by  their  writings  made  Theology  (Beatrice)  to  shine 
in  the  World. 

Tal  era  quivi  la  quarta  famiglia 

DelP  alto  padre  che  sempre  la  sazia,  50 

Mostrando  come  spira  e  come  figlia.* 

Such  then  in  this  place  was  the  fourth  family  of  the 
Supreme  Father,  Who  for  ever  satisfies  them,  show- 
ing them  how  He  breathes  forth  (the  Holy  Ghost) 
and  how  He  begets  (the  Son). 

Scartazzini  observes  that  the  Schoolmen  were  not  able 
to  conceive  any  greater  delight  than  in  tracing  out  fine- 
drawn and  subtle  distinctions,  teaching  that  celestial 
bliss  principally  consisted  in  possessing  an  intelligence 
that  far  surpassed  the  intelligence  of  Earth,  able  to 
contemplate  and  understand  things  that  on  Earth  men 
sought  to  comprehend  in  vain.  And  first  among  the 
theological  mysteries  was  that  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 
In  Heaven,  God  gratifies  them  by  allowing  them  to 
penetrate  the  mystery  of  how,  from  Eternity,  He  begat 

*  come  spira  e  come  figlia :  This  of  course  alludes  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity.  "  Mostrando  come  figlia,  come  genera  la 
seconda  persona  della  Trinita,  e  come  la  prima  e  la  seconda 
spirano  la  terza."  (Fraticelli.)  And  Casini  :  "  facendo  veder 
loro  come  da  lui  sia  generate  il  Figlio,  e  da  entrambi  lo  Spirito 
Santo  ;  che  e  il  grado  piu  alto  della  cognizione  teologica." 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  341 

the  Divine  Son,  and  how  from  them  both  proceeds 
(also  from  Eternity)  the  Holy  Ghost.  Hence  the  in- 
tuition (though  only  for  a  moment)  vouchsafed  to 
Dante,  of  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity,  is  the  supreme 
and  culminating  point  of  his  whole  Vision  in  Par. 
xxxiii,  ad  finem. 

Division  III.  Beatrice  suggests  that  Dante  should 
render  thanks  to  God  for  having  elevated  him  to  the 
Sun.  He  at  once  offers  up  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving 
with  such  fervour,  that  for  a  while  he  forgets  the  pre- 
sence of  Beatrice.  So  far  from  her  being  displeased 
at  this,  she  smiles  her  delight  with  such  rapture,  that 
the  radiance  of  her  beaming  eyes  shook  him  out  of 
his  entranced  concentration  on  God,  and  broke  up  his 
attention  to  gaze  upon  the  various  objects  around 

him. 

E  Beatrice  incomincib : — "  Ringrazia, 

Ringrazia  il  Sol  degli  Angeli,  ch'  a  questo 
Sensibil  t'  ha  levato  *  per  sua  grazia." — 

And  Beatrice  began  :  "  Render  thanks,  render  thanks 
to  the  Sun  of  the  Angels,  Who  by  His  Grace  has 
raised  thee  to  this  (Sun,  which  is)  perceptible." 

Dante  immediately  obeys. 

*  a  yuesto  Sensibil  f  ha  levato:  The  Sun  in  which  Dante 
finds  himself  is  called  sensibile  to  distinguish  it  from  the  spiritual 
Sun  of  the  Angels.  Compare  Convito  iii,  12, 11.  52-59:  "Nullo 
sensibile  in  tutto  '1  mpndo  e  piu  degno  di  farsi  esemplo  di  Dio? 
che  '1  sole,  lo  quale  di  sensibile  luce  s£  prima  e  poi  tutti  i  corpi 
celestiali  ed  elemental!  allumina;  cosl  Iddio  Se  prima  con  luce 
intellettuale  allumina,  e  poi  le  celestiali  e  Paltre  intelligibili." 
Compare  also  Inf.  ii,  13-15  : 

"  Tu  dici  che  di  Silvio  lo  parente, 

Corruttibile  ancora,  ad  immortale 

Secolo  andb,  e  fu  sensibilmente." 


342  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Cor  di  mortal  non  fu  mai  si  digesto*  55 

A  devozione,  ed  a  renders!  a  Dio  t 
Con  tutto  il  suo  gradir  cotanto  presto, 

Com'  a  quelle  parole  mi  fee'  io ; 

E  si  tutto  il  mio  amore  in  lui  si  mise, 

Che  Beatrice  eclisso  nelF  obblio-t  60 

Non  le  dispiacque  §  ;  ma  si  se  ne  rise, 

*  digesto:  See  this  word  in  the  Gran  Dizionario,  §  3,  where 
it  is  said  to  have  the  metaphorical  sense:  "Disposto  e  bene 
ordinato,"  and  the  present  passage  is  quoted  in  illustration. 
Buti:  "si  digesto  j  cioe  si  disposto:  impero  che  lo  cibo  digesto 
si  dice  disposto  al  notrimento  del  corpo,  e  cosi,  digesto  si  dice 
lo  cuore  umano  quando  e  disposto,  a  divoziane"  etc.  Venturi 
(Simil.  Dan?.,  p.  153,  sim.  260)  says  of  digesto:  "II  significato 
materiale  di  questa  voce  non  discorda  dal  morale,  essendo  la 
digestione  1' ultima  perfezione  del  cibo  preparato  al  nutrimento." 
t  render  si  a  Dio:  Compare  Convito  iv,  28,  11.  41-43:  "(La 
nobile  Anima)  gia  essendo  a  Dio  renduta  e  astrattasi  dalle 
mondane  cose  e  cogitazioni,  vedere  le  pare  coloro  che  appresso 
di  Dio  crede  che  sieno."  And  ibid.,  11.  48,  49 :  "  Rendesi  dunque 
a  Dio  la  nobile  Anima."  Compare  also  Inf.  xxvii,  83 : 

"  E  pentuto  e  confesso  mi  rendei." 
I  eclissd  neW  obblio :  Compare  Par.  iii,  7-9 : 

"  Ma  visione  m'  apparve,  che  ritenne 
A  se  me  tanto  stretto  per  vedersi, 
Che  di  mia  confession  non  mi  sovvenne." 

Benvenuto  suggests  that  this  means  that  the  studious  man  ought 
sometimes  to  pause  and  desist  from  his  speculations  on  Holy 
Scripture,  giving  himself  up  instead  to  prayer  to  God. 

§  Non  le  dispiacque :  Cesari  remarks  that  any  earthly  lover 
other  than  Beatrice  would  have  felt  mortified  at  being  forgotten, 
even  for  a  little  while ;  not  so  with  her,  whose  whole  being  was 
perfect  and  entire  in  its  love  for  God ;  and  she  felt  greater  de- 
light at  Dante  loving  Him  than  herself.  The  laughing  of  her 
eyes  took  such  expressiveness,  that  it  seemed  to  say  to  Dante, 
"  Gaze  up  there " ;  and  yet,  having  aroused  him  from  his  too 
great  concentration  upon  God,  she  turned  his  attention  to  other 
objects,  namely  to  the  spirits  in  the  Sphere  of  the  Sun,  and 
whom  Dante  would  never  have  noticed  had  he  continued  so 
wholly  absorbed  in  God.  So  did  the  Three  Divine  Maidens  in 
Purg.  xxxii,  1-9,  divert  his  too  concentrated  gaze  from  Beatrice 
herself  to  the  other  objects  around  her : 

"  Perch'  io  udia  da  loro  un  :  '  Troppo  fiso.' " 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  343 

Che  lo  splendor  degli  occhi  suoi  ridenti 
Mia  mente  unita  in  piu  cose  divise. 

Never  was  heart  of  mortal  so  disposed  to  devotion, 
nor  so  prompt  to  render  itself  up  to  God  with  all  its 
good-will  as  at  these  words  I  became ;  and  my  Love 
absorbed  itself  so  wholly  in  Him  that  it  eclipsed 
Beatrice  in  oblivion  (i.e.  it  caused  me  to  forget  her). 
It  did  not  displease  her ;  but  she  smiled  so  joyfully 
thereat,  that  the  radiance  of  her  laughing  eyes  (broke 
up  and)  divided  upon  several  objects  my  mind  which 
was  concentrated  upon  one. 

Although  Scartazzini  thinks  in  pin  cose  to  mean  that 
Dante's  attention,  from  being  absorbed  in  God,  was 
turned  back  to  Beatrice  after  his  momentary  forget- 
fulness  of  her,  I  confess  that  I  much  prefer  the  more 
usual  interpretation  which  understands/?^  cose  as  the 
several  blessed  spirits  surrounding  them.  If  it  was 
Beatrice  alone,  why  should  Dante's  mind  be  divided 
(divise)  ? 

The  spirits  of  the  twelve  great  Theologians  dwelling 
in  Blessedness  now  come  into  view.  They  are  clothed 
in  radiance  of  exceeding  brilliancy,  and  are  singing 
hymns,  the  sweetness  whereof  surpasses  the  glory  of 
their  Light. 

lo  vidi  piu  fulgor  vivi  e  vincenti  * 

*  vincenti :  Some  Commentators  attempt  to  show  that  vincenti 
means  "  surpassing  the  radiance  of  their  companions,"  but 
Cesari  says  that  Dante  is  here  clinching  (ribadisce)  what  he  had 
before  indicated  in  11.  41-44: 

"  Quel  ch'  era  dentro  al  sol  dov'  io  entra'  mi, 
Non  per  color  ma  per  lume  parvente. 


SI  nol  direi  che  mai  s'  immaginasse." 

and  adds :  "  Quei  fulgori  convenivano  essere  di  luce  cosl  sma- 
gliante,  che  vincesse  quella  del  sole  nel  qual  erano  :  altrimenti 
Dante  non  gli  avrebbe  potuti  raffigurare,  rimanendo  affogata  in 
quel  pelago  di  lume  la  ).oro  parvenza,  se  non  era  sfolgorantissima, 


344  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Far  di  noi  centre  e  di  se  far  corona,*  65 

Piu  dolci  in  voce  che  in  vista  lucenti. 

I  beheld  many  Effulgences  vivid  and  surpassing 
(the  light  of  the  Sun)  make  of  us  a  centre  and  of 
themselves  a  chaplet,  more  sweet  (were  they)  in 
voice  even  than  resplendent  in  visage. 

Dante  here,  by  way  of  a  simile,  compares  the  brilliant 
circle  of  the  Blessed  spirits  around  him  to  the  Halo 
round  the  Moon.  This  is  one  of  the  many  instances 
quoted  of  his  versatile  far-reaching  erudition.  See 
Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  364,  365,  where  in 
a  note  on  Inf.  xi,  101,  the  vast  extent  of  Dante's 
knowledge  of  Physical  Science,  as  demonstrated  in  his 
works,  is  enlarged  upon. 

CosH  cinger  la  figlia  di  Latona 

e  nondimeno  il  loro  cantar  era  si  dolce,  che  vinceva  tanta  forza 
di  luce  smagliante  ;  magnifica  amplificazione  di  quel  canto." 

*  di  si  far  corona :  The  circle  or  ring  formed  by  the  spirits  of 
the  Theologians  is  here  compared  to  a  chaplet.  In  Inf.  xvi,  20, 
21,  the  shades  of  the  three  great  Florentines  are  said  to  form  a 
wheel : 

"  quando  a  noi  fur  giunti, 
Fenno  una  rota  di  se  tutti  e  trei." 

Corona  (a  chaplet)  in  this  line  ;  ghirlanda  (a  garland)  in  1.  92  ; 
and  serto  (a  wreath)  in  1.  102,  all  mean  the  same  thing,  namely, 
something  circular,  such  as  the  ring  which  these  twelve  Saints 
formed  round  Dante  and  Beatrice.  Corona  is  the  regular  word 
in  modern  Italian  for  the  chaplet  or  rosary,  on  which  the 
Roman  Catholics  "tell  their  beads"  (in  Italian  dire  la  corona). 
Corona,  as  a  king's  crown,  is  by  no  means  the  primary  significa- 
tion of  the  word. 

t  Cosiy  et  seq.:  Benvenuto's  explanation  to  the  students  in  his 
class  at  Bologna  is  very  clear:  "  Hie  autor  .  .  .  dicit  quod  ipse 
et  Beatrix  stabant  in  ilia  corona  sicut  luna  quando  est  rotunda, 
et  est  aliqualiter  praegnans  vaporibus,  et  facit  circa  se  unum 
circulum  longe  per  dimidium  diametrum,  circa  unum  brachium. 
Unde  dicit:  Noi  vedem  talvolta  la  figlia  di  Latona,  idest, 
lunam  quando  est  vaporibus  tennuissimis  circulata,  cinger  cost, 
idest,  facere  circulum  circa  se,  sicut  faciebant  illae  animae  circa 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  345 

Vedem  tal  volta,  quando  1'  acre  &  pregno 
Si  che  ritenga  il  fil  che  fa  la  zona. 

Thus  at  times  do  we  see  the  daughter  of  Latona 
(i.e.  Diana  or  Luna,  the  Moon)  girded  about  (with  a 
halo),  when  the  air  is  so  teeming  (with  vapour)  that 
it  retains  the  thread  that  makes  her  zone  (i.e.  holds 
back  the  light  from  following  its  natural  direction). 

Modern  Science  has  established  the  fact  that  the 
formation  of  some  halos,  and  certainly  all  coronae,  is 
due  to  refraction  of  light  from  globules  of  water  sus- 
pended in  the  atmosphere ;  while  that  of  encircling 
halos  is  generally  attributed  to  the  presence  of  minute 
snow  crystals  in  the  upper  strata  of  the  air. 

Dante  having  described  the  rotatory  movement  of 
the  spirits  around  him,  now  relates  the  ineffable  beauty 
of  their  singing,  and,  to  account  for  its  incomprehensi- 
bility, he  says  that  in  Heaven  there  are  many  things 
so  precious,  that  they  can  neither  be  manifested  nor 
described. 

nos.  Et  dicit  quod  hoc  non  fit  semper,  sed  quando  est  ita 
praegnans  aer  vaporibus,  quod  filum  quod  facit  ilium  circulum 
se  conservat  et  retinet ;  et  non  sit  ita  spissus  ille  vapor,  quod 
celet  corpus  lunae,  quia  tune  non  apparet  talis  circulus  ;  unde 
dicit  :  quando  /'  acre  e  pregno,  scilicet  nubibus,  s\  che  ritenga  il 
fil  che  fa  la  zona,  idest  circulum  exteriorem  qui  cingit  earn. 
Zona  enim  est  cinttira  ;  et  ille  circulus  stat  circa  lunam  ad 
modum  cinturae,  cum  corpus  lunare  est  totum  rotundum  ex 
omni  parte  ;  ideo  bene  talis  circulus  metaphorice  appellatur 
cintura  ab  autore.  Quomodo  autem  luna  dicetur  filia  Latonae 
positum  est  et  expositum  subtiliter  in  Purgatorii  capitulo." 
Benvenuto  alludes  to  Purg.  xxix,  76-78 : 

"  SI  che  H  sopra  rimanea  distinto 

Di  sette  liste,  tutte  in  quei  color!, 
Onde  fa  1'  arco  il  sole,  e  Delia  il  cinto  (i.e.  the  Halo)." 
Compare  also  Par.  xxviii,  22-24 : 

"  Forse  cotanto  quanto  pare  appresso 
Alo  cinger  la  luce  che  il  dipigne, 
Quando  il  vapor  che  il  porta  piu  e  spesso." 
See  also  Venturi,  Sttml.  Dant.,  p.  24,  Sim.  38. 


346  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Nella  corte  del  ciel*  ond'  io  rivegno,  70 

Si  trovan  molte  gioie  care  e  belle 
Tanto  che  non  si  posson  trar  del  regno,t 
E  il  canto  di  quei  lumi  era  di  quelle ; 

Chi  non  s'  impennaj  si  che  lassu  voli, 
Dal  muto  aspetti  quindi  le  novelle.  75 

In  the  Celestial  Court  whence  I  have  returned,  are 
found  many  jewels  so  precious  and  beautiful  that 
they  cannot  be  taken  forth  out  of  the  Realm,  and 
the  song  of  those  Lights  was  of  such  ;  let  him  who 
does  not  take  wings  so  as  to  fly  up  thither,  await 
from  thence  the  tidings  from  a  dumb  man. 

All  speech  is  powerless  to  give  even  a  conception  of 
the  sweetness  of  that  singing  to  him  who  has  not 
heard  it,  which  sweetness  Benvenuto  understands  to 
mean  the  delights  of  the  speculative  science  which 
was  practised  by  those  learned  men  in  their  lives,  but 
which  is  far  beyond  the  ignorant,  who  cannot  be 
expected  to  comprehend  that  source  of  pleasure. 
Poi  si  cantando  quegli  ardenti  soli 

Si  fur  girati  intorno  a  noi  tre  volte, 

Come  stelle  vicine  ai  fermi  poli  ;§ 

*    Nella  corte  del  del,  etc. :  Compare  Par.  i,  4-6 : 
"  Nel  ciel  che  piu  della  sua  luce  prende 
Fu'  io,  e  vidi  cose  che  ridire 
Ne  sa,  ne  pu6  chi  di  lassu  discende." 

t  trar  del  regno :  Poletto  says  that  Dante  has  taken  this  meta- 
phor from  the  laws  of  certain  countries,  which  forbid  objects  of 
rarity  and  value  being  exported  from  the  kingdom. 

t  Chi  non  s1  impenna :  "  idest,  qui  non  ponit  sibi  pennas  et 
alas,  sicut  feci  ego,  et  videre  volet  coelum  sicut  ego,  certe  nun- 
quam  posset  intelligere  (quasi  dicat :  possem  frustra  loqui  tibi, 
quia  si  quis  vult  cognoscere,  oportet  quod  volet  supra,  et  videre 
et  audire);  nunquam  poterit  scire  dicere  cantum  ilium.  Et  hoc 
totum  est  magnificare  scientiam  sacram ;  nam  quis  posset  scire 
cantum  unicus  Doctoris,  ne  dum  omnium? — dicamus  Augustini, 
qui  fecit  circa  mille  volumina  librorum." — (Talice  da  Ricaldone). 

§  poli  :  I  have  preferred  here  to  adopt  the  more  general  read- 
ing which  places  a  semi-colon  after  poli,  instead  of  following 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  347 

Donne  mi  parver  non  da  ballo  sciolte,* 

Ma  che  s'  arrestin  tacite,  ascoltando  80 

Fin  che  le  nuove  note  hanno  ricolte. 

When,  singing  thus,  those  blazing  Suns  had  wheeled 
around  us  three  times  like  stars  that  are  near  to  fixed 
poles ;  they  seemed  to  me  as  ladies  not  released  from 
the  dance,  but  who  pause  for  a  moment  in  silence, 
listening  until  they  have  caught  the  notes  of  a  new 
strain. 

Benvenuto  says  the  spirits  moved  three  times  round 
in  praise  of  the  Trinity.  Buti  thinks  it  is  an  alle- 
gory, implying  that  the  spirits  of  the  Blessed  circle 
round  the  human  mind  in  three  ways  : 

(a)  According  to  its  memory. 

(b)  According  to  its  intellect. 
(c}   According  to  its  will. 

Dante  and  Beatrice  were  standing  still  like  the  poles, 
and  the  spirits  were  dancing  round  them.  Casini 
observes,  that  rightly  to  understand  this  simile,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  effective  in  the 


Dr.  Moore  who  reads  it  with  a  full  stop.  I  cannot  reconcile 
myself  to  this  latter,  for  to  me  Pot  .  .  .  si  fur  seems  imperatively 
to  require  a  clause  after  it.  Mr.  Butler  translates  "  those  blazing 
Suns  whirled  about  us,"  but  si  fur  requires  "had  whirled,"  etc. 
Mr.  Norton  translates  "After  those  burning  suns  .  .  .  had  cir- 
cled," etc.,  which  seems  to  make  out  the  sense  better.  Dr.  Moore 
kindly  writes  to  me  approving  the  altered  punctuation. 

*  Donne  mi  parver  non  da  ballo  sciolte  :  In  Purg.  xxxi,  103- 
104,  Dante  describes  how  Matelda,  after  his  immersion  in  Lethe, 
conducted  him  into  the  dance  of  the  four  damsels  who  repre- 
sented the  cardinal  virtues : 

"  Indi  mi  tolse,  e  bagnato  mi  offerse 

Dentro  alia  danza  delle  quattro  belle." 

and  ibid.  131,  132,  the  dance  of  the  three  who  personated  the 
theological  virtues  is  described  : 

"  P  altre  tre  si  fero  avanti, 

Danzando  al  loro  angelico  caribo." 


348  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  X. 

Dantesque  poem,  it  becomes  necessary  to  know  what 
were  the  rules  that  governed  the  dances  of  women  in 
the  time  of  Dante.  People  danced,  especially  in 
Tuscany,  to  the  singing  of  ballads  (Ballate)  :  the 
dance,  as  soon  as  ever  the  circle  was  formed,  began 
by  either  the  (female)  leader,  or  the  dancers,  singing 
la  ripresa  or  the  initial  strofa  of  the  Ballata,  to  which 
ripresa  one  entire  circling  round  corresponded ;  the 
dance  then  proceeded,  the  leader  singing  a  stanza, 
consisting  of  two  mutastioni  (changes)  and  one  volta 
(round),  the  dancers  performing  a  half  round  in  one 
direction  (first  mutazione},  then  a  half  round  in  the 
contrary  direction  (second  mutazione],  and  then  one 
entire  round  (volta} ;  then  all  the  dancers  recom- 
menced singing  the  ripresa,  and  while  doing  so  exe- 
cuted another  complete  round :  the  second  stanza 
was  gone  through  in  the  same  way,  both  with  dancing 
and  singing,  and  so  on  with  every  other  stanza  up  to 
the  conclusion  both  of  poem  and  dance.  After  this 
explanation,  it  can  be  well  understood  that  Dante  is 
comparing  the  posture  of  the  twelve  theologians  to 
that  of  a  circle  of  female  dancers,  who,  after  they  have 
done  singing  one  stanza,  pause  in  their  singing  with- 
out interrupting  their  dance,  but  in  readiness  to 
recommence  the  song  so  soon  as  they  shall  hear  their 
leader's  voice  take  up  again  the  strains  of  the  ensuing 
stanza.  Seen  under  this  aspect,  the  comparison  ac- 
quires a  new  beauty,  because  in  a  few  masterly  touches 
Dante  represents  to  us  the  situation,  fleeting  as  it  is ; 
he  even  makes  us  perceive  the  suspension  of  the  move- 
ment of  the  dancers,  as  well  as  at  the  same  time  their 
readiness  to  recommence  their  dance ;  thereby  making 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  349 

us  understand  that  the  garland,  formed  by  the  twelve 
Blessed  ones,  had  for  one  instant  made  a  pause  in  its 
dance  at  the  sight  of  Dante,  and  would,  after  a  very 
brief  interval  (see  11.  145-148),  recommence  it. 

Division  IV.  Dante  is  now  accosted  by  the  twelve 
great  Theologians  ;  and  the  first  to  address  him  is 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  who  tells  him  that,  as  he  and 
his  companions  can  read  the  desire  that  is  in  Dante's 
heart  to  know  who  they  all  are,  Dante  need  not  detail 
his  wishes  ;  they  know  them  already,  and  seeing  how 
privileged  he  is  by  God,  they  cannot  help  gratifying 
them.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  names  in  turn  the  theo- 
logians and  philosophers  who  compose  the  heavenly 
garland,  formed  by  themselves,  who  are  the  flowers  of 
Paradise. 

E  dentro  all'un  senti'cominciar:* — "Quando 

*  sentf  cominciar  :  The  speaker  is  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  of  the 
family  of  the  Counts  of  Aquino,  born  about  1226  in  the  castle  of 
Rocca  Secca  near  Aquino,  a  town  about  half  way  between  Rome 
and  Naples.  After  being  educated  by  the  Benedictine  monks 
of  Monte  Cassino,  he  entered  the  Order  of  the  Dominican 
Preaching  Friars.  Having  eluded  the  forcible  opposition  of 
his  own  family,  he  eventually  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Do- 
minican convent  at  Cologne,  and  there  became  a  pupil  of 
Albertus  Magnus.  His  habits  in  study  were  so  silent,  that  in 
the  convent  he  was  known  as  the  "Dumb  Ox;"  but  to  this, 
his  Master  Albert  retorted  that  "  this  Ox  would  one  day  fill  the 
world  with  his  bellowing."  In  1252  he  was  sent  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Paris,  where  he  and  his  friend  St.  Bonaventura,  the 
Franciscan,  obtained  their  degree  of  doctor  in  1257.  After 
lecturing  for  four  years  at  Paris,  Aquinas  was  summoned  by 
Pope  Urban  IV,  in  1261,  to  Italy  to  lecture  at  Rome,  Bologna, 
and  Pisa.  It  was  at  this  period  that  he  wrote  the  greater  part 
of  his  works.  His  scholars  styled  him  "the  Angelic  Doctor." 
Although  the  Archbishopric  of  Naples  was  offered  to  him,  he 
chose  rather  to  continue  in  a  life  of  poverty  with  freedom  to 
study.  His  writings  display  intellectual  power  of  the  highest 


3 SO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  X. 

Lo  raggio  della  grazia,  onde  s'  accende 
Verace  amore,  e  che  poi  cresce  amando 

Multiplicato,  in  te  tanto  risplende,  85 

Che  ti  conduce  su  per  quella  scala, 
U'  senza  risalir  nessun  discende,* 

Qual  ti  negasse  il  vin  della  sua  fiala 
Per  la  tua  sete,  in  liberta  non  fora, 
Se  non  com'  acqua  ch'  al  mar  non  si  cala.  90 

Tu  vuoi  saper  di  quai  piante  s'  infiora 

Questa  ghirlanda,  che  intorno  vagheggia 
La  bella  donna  ch'  al  ciel  t'  avvalora.t 

And  from  within  one  (of  these  Suns)  I  heard  begin : 
"  Since  the  radiance  of  grace,  from  which  is  en- 
kindled true  Love,  and  which  afterward  grows  mul- 
tiplied by  loving,  shines  in  thee  so  wondrously,  that 
it  is  conducting  thee  upwards  (i.e.  up  the  ascent  of 
Paradise),  by  that  stair  where  none  descends  with- 

order  ;  his  Summa  Theologiae,  almost  the  first  complete  work 
on  Theology  that  was  ever  written,  remains  substantially  the 
standard  authority  in  the  Roman  Church ;  and  at  the  Council  of 
Trent  was  the  only  work  that  was  placed  upon  the  table  by  the 
side  of  the  Bible.  Towards  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1273, 
Gregory  X  summoned  Aquinas  to  the  Council  that  was  to  meet 
at  Lyons,  to  effect  the  Union  between  the  Latin  and  Greek 
Churches,  desiring  him  to  defend  the  Papal  cause.  Though 
suffering  from  fever,  Aquinas  set  out,  but  was  unable  to  proceed 
farther  than  the  Cistercian  abbey  of  Fossa  Nuova,  where  he 
sunk  under  his  malady  on  the  7th  March  1274,  at  the  age 
of  49.  After  his  death  he  was  canonized  by  John  XXII  in  1323, 
and  proclaimed  a  Doctor  of  the  Church  by  Pius  V  in  1567. 

*  senza  risalir  nessun  discende:  "  Nessuno  torna  a  contem- 
plazione  della  vita  beata,  a  la  quale  e  montamento  co  la  scala 
di  virtu  mentre  che  e  stato  in  questa  vita,  che  non  vi  torni  dopo 
questa  vita;  imper6  che  senza  grande  grazia  da  Dio  conceduta 
non  si  fa  si  fatto  montamento,  e  per6  non  pu6  essere  a  chi  ha 
gustato  si  fatti  diletti,  che  non  ritenga  sempre  lo  desiderio  d'  essi, 
lo  quale  tenendo  si  conviene  che  la  sua  vita  sia  santa  e  buona." 
(Buti).  Compare  too  Purg.  ii,  91,  92 : 

"  Casella  mio,  per  tornare  altra  volta 

La  dove  son,  fo  io  questo  viaggio." 

t  f  avualora:  "Ti  da  forza  per  salire  al  ciel"  (Cornoldi). 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  351 

out  again  re-ascending,  whosoever  would  deny  to 
thee  the  wine  out  of  his  vial  for  (quenching)  thy 
thirst,  would  not  be  more  at  liberty  (to  do  so)  than 
water  that  returns  not  (i.e.  that  should  try  not  to 
return)  to  the  sea.  Thou  wouldst  know  with  what 
blossoms  is  enflowered  this  garland,  which  all  around 
her  gazes  with  delight  at  the  beautiful  Lady  who  gives 
thee  the  strength  for  (ascending  to)  Heaven. 

St.  Thomas  Aquinas  first  speaks  of  himself,  and  then 
names  the  master  he  followed — Albertus  Magnus, 
lo  fui  degli  agni  della  santa  greggia 

Che  Domenico*  mena  per  cammino,  95 

U'  ben  s'  impingua  se  non  si  vaneggia. 
Questi  che  m'  e  a  destra  piu  vicino,t 

Frate  e  maestro  fummi,  ed  esso  Alberto^ 
£  di  Cologna,  ed  io  Thomas  d'  Aquino. 

*  Domenico:  On  St.  Dominic  and  the  Dominican  Friars  see 
Par.  xii,  46  et  seq.  The  words  in  the  present  terzina,  V  ben 
j  impingua.  se  non  si  -vaneggia,  are  abundantly  explained  in 
Par.  xi,  19—139. 

t  a  destra  piu  vicino:  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  invites  Dante  to 
let  his  eye  follow  close  after  his  (St.  Thomas's)  description  of 
the  Saints  in  the  circle.  He  begins  by  Albertus  Magnus,  who 
is  on  his  immediate  right,  and  finishes  with  Maitre  Sigier 
(1.  133  et  sey.},  who  is  on  his  immediate  left;  so  that  after  this 
latter  has  been  noticed  by  Dante,  St.  Thomas  remarks  that  his 
eye  will  naturally  return  to  look  upon  St.  Thomas  himself, 
thereby  completing  the  circle. 

t  Alberto  .  .  .  di  Cologna:  Albertus  Magnus,  of  the  noble 
family  of  the  Counts  of  Bollstadt  in  Swabia,  was  born  in  1193. 
After  studying  at  Padua,  he  taught  at  Ratisbon  and  at  Cologne  ; 
and  here  Thomas  Aquinas  was  his  pupil.  In  1154  he  became 
Provincial  of  the  Dominican  Order  in  Germany.  Although 
made  Bishop  of  Ratisbon  in  1260,  he  retired  in  1262  to  his 
convent  at  Cologne  to  devote  himself  to  literature,  and  there 
composed  many  of  his  works.  His  knowledge  of  chemistry  and 
mechanics  was  so  great  that  he  became  suspected  of  being  a 
magician.  He  was  not  so  much  famed  for  originality  as  for 
being  a  faithful  follower  of  Aristotle.  He  did  more  than  those 
before  him  to  bring  about  that  union  of  Theology  and  Aristo- 
telianism  which  was  the  basis  of  scholasticism.  He  wrote  a 


352  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  Canto  X. 

I  was  one  of  the  lambs  of  the  holy  flock  which 
Dominic  leads  upon  that  way,  where  they  will  thrive 
well  if  they  go  not  astray.  This  one  who  is  nearest 
to  me  on  my  right  hand,  was  my  brother  and  my 
master,  and  he  was  Albert  of  Cologne,  and  I  Thomas 
of  Aquino. 

After  telling  Dante  to  note  the  spirits  of  his  Blessed 
companions  in  succession,  as  he  names  them  each  in 
their  turn,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  points  out  two  more 
of  them,  namely,  the  Benedictine  monk  Gratian,  and 
the  celebrated  Peter  Lombard. 

Se  si  di  tutti  gli  altri  esser  vuoi  certo,  100 

Diretro  al  mio  parlar  ten  vien  col  viso* 
Girando  su  per  lo  beato  serto : 
Quell'  altro  fiammeggiare  esce  del  riso 
Di  Grazi'an,t  che  1'uno  e  1' altro  foro 
Aiuto  si  che  place  in  Paradiso.  105 

L'  altro  ch'  appresso  adorna  il  nostro  coro, 

Summa  Theologiae,  (not  of  course  that  by  his  celebrated  pupil), 
the  Summa  de  Creaturts,  and  many  other  works.  He  died,  after 
a  period  of  dotage,  in  1280. 

*  -visa  for  -vista  is  too  common  an  expression  of  Dante  to  re- 
quire explanation. 

\  Grazian  :  Gratian,  according  to  some,  was  born  at  Chiusi, 
but  according  to  others,  at  a  place  in  the  territory  of  Orvieto 
called  Carrara — not  the  Tuscan  town  and  mountains  celebrated 
for  their  white  marble — at  the  latter  end  of  the  eleventh  century. 
He  became  a  Camaldolese  Benedictine  monk  in  the  monastery 
(Casini  thinks)  of  Classe  near  Ravenna,  and  from  there  passed 
into  that  of  S.  Felice  near  Bologna.  At  this  latter  place,  about 
1140,  he  composed  the  celebrated  Decretum  Gratiani,  which 
Pietro  di  Dante  describes  as  "  Decretum  ad  utrumque  forum 
canonicum  et  civilem  respiciens"  ;  and  called  otherwise  Concor- 
dantia  discordantium  canonum.  This  work  put  into  intelligible 
order  the  texts  of  Holy  Scripture,  the  apostolical  canons  and 
those  of  the  Councils  of  the  Church,  the  rules  of  the  Fathers 
which  had  fallen  into  desuetude,  as  well  as  the  Decretals  of  the 
Popes ;  in  short  it  professed  to  demonstrate  the  perfect  harmony 
between  civil  and  ecclesiastical  law,  as  a  secure  base  for  the 
right  interpretation  of  canon  law. 


Canto  X.          Readings  on  the  Paradise.  353 

Quel  Pietro  *  fu,  che  con  la  poverella 

Offerse  a  Santa  Chiesa  suo  tesoro. 
If  thou  wouldst  be  informed  of  all  the  others  in  the 
same  manner  (as  I  have  told  thee  of  myself  and  my 
master),  follow  thou  behind  my  speaking  with  thy 
look,  turning  it  upward  over  the  blessed  Wreath : 
That  other  flaming  splendour  issues  from  the  smile 
of  Gratian,  who  lent  such  aid  both  to  the  one  and 
the  other  forum  (i.e.  showed  the  Civil  and  the  Ec- 
clesiastical Law  to  be  in  such  agreement)  that  his 
work  gives  pleasure  in  Paradise.  The  next  after  him 
who  adorns  our  choir  was  that  Peter  (Lombard), 
who,  like  the  poor  widow,  offered  his  treasure  to 
Holy  Church. 

Solomon  is  the  next.  It  was  a  matter  of  doubt  in 
the  Middle  Ages  among  Theologians  as  to  whether 
his  soul  was  saved  or  not.f 

*  Qu£l  Pietro :  Peter  Lombard  was  born  of  very  poor  parents 
at  Lomellogno  in  the  territory  of  Novara  about  the  beginning 
of  the  twelfth  century.  After  pursuing  his  studies  at  Novara 
and  at  Bologna,  we  find  him  about  1147  at  Rheims,  and  after- 
wards at  Paris,  of  which  city  he  became  Bishop  in  1 1 58,  and 
died  there  in  1164.  Of  profound  learning  in  philosophical  and 
theological  science,  he  was  generally  styled  Magister  Sententi- 
arum  from  his  Sententiarum  Libri  iv,  ar.  arranged  collection  of 
sentences  from  St.  Augustine  and  other  fathers,  on  points  of 
Christian  doctrine,  with  objections  and  replies  collected  from 
authors  of  repute.  The  work  was  the  subject  of  many  com- 
mentaries, amongst  others  one  by  Aquinas,  and  Poletto  says 
"  Quest'  opera  .  .  .  fu  come  la  norma  di  tutte  le  somme  teo- 
logiche  posteriori."  At  the  beginning  of  the  work  Peter  Lom- 
bard very  humbly  offers  it  as  a  poor  tribute  to  Holy  Church, 
such  as  was  offered  by  the  poor  widow  (Luke  xxi,  1-4,  Vulg.}: 
"  cupientes  aliquid  de  tenuitate  nostra  cum  paupercula  in 
gazophylacium  Domini  inittere."  (This  explains  11.  107,  108). 

t  Michele  Scherillo  (Alcuni  Capitoli  delta  Bioqrafia  di  Dtin/c, 
Torino,  1896,  pp.  301,  302)  writes  on  this  conflict  of  opinions: 
"  Resto  agF  interpret!  delle  Scritture  il  decidere.  E  pur  troppo 
i  piii  autorevoli  sono  per  la  dannazione :  come  Tertulliano,  san 
Cipriano,  ed  il  nostro  sant' Agostino  .  .  .  Per  la  dannazione 
pare  propenda  anche  Brunetto  Latini,  che  scrive  (Tresors,  55): 
'  Salemons  fu  fils  au  roi  David,  hom  glorieus,  plains  de  toutes 

I.  A  A 


354  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

La  quinta  luce,  ch'  e  tra  noi  piu  bella, 

Spira  di  tale  amor,*  che  tutto  il  mondo  1 10 

Laggiu  ne  gola  t  di  saper  novella. 
Entro  v'  e  V  alta  mente  u'  si  profondo 

Saper  fu  messo,  che  se  il  vero  £  vero, 
A  veder  tanto  non  surse  il  secondo. 
The  fifth  light,  which  is  the  most  beautiful  amongst 
us,  breathes  forth  so  much  love,  that  all  the  world 
down  there  hungrily  craves  to  learn  tidings  (as  to 
whether  he  was  saved).      Within  it  is  the  lofty  mind 
in  which  such  profound  wisdom  was  placed,  that,  if 
truth  be  truth,  there  never  rose  a  second  to  know 
so  much. 

The  sixth  spirit  is  that  of  Dionysius  the  Areopagite, 
who  was  supposed  to  be  the  author  of  a  work  on 
the  Celestial  Hierarchy. 

Appresso  vedi  il  lume  di  quel  cero  £  115 

sapiences,  riches  de  tresor,  et  de  tres  haute  chevalerie.  Diex 
P  ama  au  commencement :  mais  puis  il  le  hai,  porce  que  il  aora 
les  idles ;  et  ce  fist  il  par  amor  ! '  .  .  .  Propendono  piu  o  meno 
risolutamente  per  la  salvazione  in  vece  san  Gregorio  Tauma- 
turgo,  san  Girolamo  e  Ruperto."  Scherillo  goes  on  to  say  that 
the  more  modern  theologians  inclined  rather  to  the  opinions  of 
these  last,  on  account  of  certain  leaden  tablets  discovered  at 
Granada  whereon  in  Arabic  characters,  attributed  by  the  Spanish 
doctors  to  St.  James,  a  verse  was  inscribed  stating  that  Solomon 
repented  and  was  saved.  Subsequent  examination  however 
proved  these  tablets  to  be  spurious. 

*  spira  di  tale  amor :  Solomon's  book  of  the  Canticles — in 
the  Vulgate  Canticum  canticorum — Song  of  Solomon  in  the 
A.V.,  is  remarkable  for  celebrating  passionate  love,  but  whether 
earthly  or  spiritual,  is  a  question  that  has  ever  been  a  mystery 
to  biblical  exegesis. 

t  ne  gola:  Some  read  r?  ha  gola.  Golare  =  desiderare.  In 
Par.  iii,  91-93,  we  find  gola  (the  substantive)  used  to  express 
"wish,  longing": 

"  Ma  si  com'  egli  avvien,  se  un  cibo  sazia, 
E  d'  un  altro  rimane  ancor  la  gola, 
Che  quel  si  chiede,  e  di  quel  si  ringrazia,"  etc. 

J  il  lume  di  quel  cero,  et  seq. :  The  personage,  whose  radiant 
form  is  compared  to  a  wax  torch,  is  the  spirit  of  Dionysius  the 


Canto  x.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  355 

Che  giuso  in  came  piu  addentro  vide 
L'  angelica  natura  e  il  ministero. 

Next  behold  the  lustre  of  that  wax-torch,  who  when 
down  in  the  flesh,  acquired  a  deeper  insight  of  the 
Angelic  nature  and  its  Ministry. 

Orosius  is  the  seventh  spirit  alluded  to,  though  not 
named.  Such  is  the  opinion  of  the  Ottimo,  Buti,  and 
all  modern  Commentators.  Lana,  Pietro  di  Dante, 
the  Codice  Cassinese,  and  the  Anonimo  Fiorentino, 
think  that  the  allusion  is  to  St.  Ambrose  (Archbishop 
of  Milan,  340-397),  but,  as  Poletto  points  out,  Dante 
would  hardly  have  described  one  of  the  four  greatest 
Doctors  of  the  Church  as  displaying  less  radiance 
(piccioletta  luce)  than  Gratian.  Benvenuto  is  not 
certain  whether  St.  Ambrose  or  Orosius  is  meant. 
One  modern  Commentator  attempted  to  prove  that 
this  personage  is  Lactantius  Firmianus  of  Nicomedia, 
who  was  tutor  to  Crispus,  the  son  of  Constantine  the 
Great,  and  died  in  A.D.  330. 

Nell'  altra  piccioletta  luce  ride 

Quell'  avvocato*  dei  tempi  cristiani, 

Areopagite,  an  Athenian  who  was  converted  by  St.  Paul  {Acts 
xvii,  34) ;  he  was  the  first  Bishop  of  Athens,  and  suffered  martyr- 
dom, as  is  generally  admitted  by  historians.  He  was  erroneously 
believed  to  have  been  the  author  of  many  works,  and  notably 
the  famous  bookirtpf  TTJS  ovpavias  itpapxlas,  which  after  being  trans- 
lated into  Latin  by  Johannes  Erigena,  became  the  text-book  in 
the  Middle  Ages  of  angelic  lore. 

*  Queir  avvocato  :  Paulus  Orosius,  who  lived  about  the  end  of 
the  fourth  and  beginning  of  the  fifth  centuries,  was  a  Spanish 
Priest  of  Tarragona.  It  is  said  to  have  been  at  the  instigation 
of  St.  Augustine  that  he  wrote  his  Historiaritm  libri  VII,  ad- 
I'crsus  paganos,  a  universal  history  from  primitive  times  down 
to  A.D.  417.  So  highly  was  this  work  prized  in  the  time  of  Dante, 
that  in  the  De  Vulg.  Eloq.  ii,  6, 11.  78-85,  Dante  mentions  Orosius 
among  the  most  distinguished  of  the  heathen  prose  writers  : 
"  Et  fortassis  utilissimum  foret  ad  illam  [memoriam]  habituandam 

AA  2 


Readings  on  the  Paradise.          Canto  X. 

Del  cui  latino  Augustin*  si  provvide.  120 

Within  the  next  little  light  smiles  that  defender  of 
Christian  times,  of  whose  Latin  Augustine  availed 
himself. 

One  might  naturally  expect  that  Dante,  who  held 
Boethius  in  such  deep  reverence,  should  give  him  a 
prominent  place  in  this  illustrious  group  ;  and  he  does 
so  by  mentioning  him  as  the  Eighth  Spirit  of  the 
twelve,  in  words  that  seem  to  emphasize  the  import- 
ance of  the  personage  to  be  introduced  on  the  sacred 

scene. 

Or  se  tu  1'  occhio  della  mente  trani  t 

regulates  vidisse  poetas,  Virgilium  videlicet,  Ovidium  in  Meta- 
morphoseos,  Statium  atque  Lucanum  ;  nee  n(^n  alios  qui  usi  sunt 
altissimas  prosas,  ut  Tullium,  Livium,  Phnium,  Frontinum, 
Paulum  Orosium,  et  multos  alios,  quos  arnica  solitude  nos  visitare 
invitat."  It  is  remarkable  that  while  Dante  places  among  the 
Theologians  men  like  Gratian,  Dionysius,  and  Bede,  he  only 
refers  casually  to  St.  Augustine  (of  Hippo),  and  does  not  even 
mention  Gregory  VII.  Poletto  quotes  the  following  from  Fran- 
ciosi  (Serif it  Danteschi,  p.  14):  "  Se  dal  tacere  potessimo  togliere 
argomento  di  non  curanza  o  di  spregio,  dovremmo  dire  che  il  No- 
stro  curasse  ben  poco  il  grande  Agostino,  non  avendone  tocco  se 
non  di  volo  e  senza  lode  :  eppure  vediamo  che  cerco  il  suo  maggior 
volume  con  grande  studio,  e  che  ne  trasse,  non  ch'  altro,  il  prin- 
cipio  sommo  della  sua  Commedia,  la  partizione  delle  due  citta 
terrestre  e  divina,  secondo  che  1'  amore  s'  appunti  nell'  uomo  o 
in  Dio." 

*  Augustin:  Of  Orosius  St.  Augustine  in  Epist.  clxvi  (De 
Origine  Animae  Hominis)  speaks  in  the  following  laudatory 
terms  :  "  Ecce  venit  ad  me  religiosus  juvenis,  catholica  pace 
frater,  aetate  films,  honore  compresbyter  noster  Orosius,  vigil 
ingenio,  promtus  eloquio,  flagrans  studio  utile  vas  in  domo 
Domini  esse  desiderans,  ad  refellandas  falsas  perniciosasque 
doctrinas,  quae  animus  Hispanorum  multo  infelicius,  quam 
corpora  barbaricas  gladius,  trucidarunt."  St.  Augustine's  greatest 
work,  De  Ci-vitate  Dei,  is  in  wonderful  harmony  with  Orosius. 

t  trani :  Tranare  is  identical  with  trainare  (French  trainer; 
Provencal  trahinar).  See  Donkin's  Etymological  Dictionary  of 
the  Romance  Languages,  London,  1864,  s.  it.  Traino.  Compare 
also  Giov.  Villani,  lib.  vii,  cap.  39:  "e  fecelo  tranare,  e  poi  im- 


Canto  x.          Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  357 

Di  luce  in  luce,  dietro  alle  mie  lode, 

Gia  dell'  ottava  con  sete  rimani. 
Per  vedere  ogni  ben  dentro  vi  gode 

L'  anima  santa,  che  il  mondo  fallace  125 

Fa  manifesto*  a  chi  di  lei  ben  ode. 
Lo  corpo  ond'  ella  fu  cacciata  giace 

Giuso  in  Cieldauro,t  ed  essa  da  martiro 

piccare."  The  word  is  quite  obsolete,  nor  was  it  of  very  frequent 
use  among  the  early  writers. 

*  L'  anima  santa,  che  il  mondo  fallace  Fa  manifesto  :  This  is 
the  spirit  of  Anicius  Manlius  Severinus  Boetius  (generally  known 
as  Boethius),  the  great  Roman  statesman  and  philosopher,  who 
belonged  to  a  powerful  and  illustrious  family,  and  was  born  about 
A.D.  470.  His  father,  Flavius  Manlius  Boetius,  was  consul  in 
487,  and  the  son,  after  being  brought  up  under  the  care  of  men 
of  rank,  and  arriving  at  erudition  of  the  highest  order,  in  phil- 
osophy, mathematics  and  poetry,  became  in  his  turn  consul  in 
510.  Theodoric,  king  of  the  Goths,  thought  so  highly  of  his 
talents,  that  he  appointed  him  Magister  Officiarum  at  his  Court 
in  Rome  in  the  year  500.  His  prosperity  deservedly  continued 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  his  two  sons  attained  to  consular 
dignity  in  522.  In  the  later  years  of  Theodoric's  reign  however, 
when  that  monarch  had  become  mistrustful  in  his  old  age,  he 
allowed  himself  to  be  influenced  by  the  accusations  of  jealous 
courtiers,  and  cast  Boethius  into  prison  on  suspicion  of  treason. 
In  the  castle  of  Pavia  Boethius  languished  for  many  months,  and 
was  finally  put  to  death  under  cruel  tortures  in  the  year  524. 
While  in  prison  he  wrote  his  celebrated  De  Consolatione  Philo- 
suphiae,  in  which  the  author  holds  a  conversation  with  Philosophy, 
who  shows  him  the  mutability  of  all  earthly  fortune,  and  the  in- 
security of  everything  save  virtue.  It  is  written  in  Latin  that 
is  said  to  be  worthy  of  the  best  models  of  the  Augustan  age. 
Boethius  was  one  of  Dante's  favourite  authors.  In  Conv.  ii,  13, 
Dante  mentions  that,  from  the  Philos.  Consol.  and  the  De  Ami- 
litiu  of  Cicero,  he  derived  his  greatest  consolation  after  the  death 
of  Beatrice. 

t  in  Cieldauro:  The  body  of  Boethius  was  interred  in  the 
I'.asilica  of  San  Pietro  in  Ciel  d'oro  (contracted  into  Cieldauro- 
S.  Pietri  in  Coelo  Aureo)  at  Pavia.  From  fear  of  desecration 
the  spot  was  carefully  concealed,  and  only  in  722,  two  hundred 
years  afterwards,  was  it  discovered  by  Luitprand,  King  of  the  Lon- 
gobardi,  who  caused  a  sepulchre  to  be  erected  both  for  Boethius 
as  well  as  for  St.  Augustine.  The  circumstance  is  mentioned  by 
Petrarch  in  a  letter  to  his  friend  Boccaccio  (Epist.  de  Rebus 


358  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

E  da  esilio  venne  a  questa  pace.* 

Now  if  thou  drawest  the  vision  of  thy  mind  from 
light  to  light,  following  upon  my  praises,  then  thou 
art  already  waiting  with  thirst  for  the  eighth  (i.e.  to 
hear  who  the  Eighth  Spirit  is).  Within  there  is  re- 
joicing in  the  vision  of  all  good  the  holy  soul  (of 
Boethius),  which  makes  manifest  the  world's  deceit- 
fulness  to  whoso  gives  good  heed  to  it.  The  body 
from  which  it  was  hunted  lies  below  (i.e.  on  Earth) 
in  Cieldauro,  and  it  (the  spirit)  came  from  martyr- 
dom and  exile  to  this  peace. 

St.  Isidore,  the  Venerable  Bede,  and  Richard  de  St. 
Victor  are  grouped  together  as  the  Ninth,  Tenth,  and 
Eleventh  Spirits. 

Vedi  oltre  fiammeggiar  1'  ardente  spiro  1 30 

D'  Isidore,  di  Beda,  e  di  Riccardot 

Che  a  considerar  fu  piu  che  viro. 

Seniltbus,  lib.  v,  p.  874  in  the  folio  edition,  Basle,  1554)  :  "  Vi- 
disses  ubi  sepulchrum  Augustinus,  ubi  exilii  senilis  idoneam 
sedem,  vitaeque  exitum  Severinus  [Boethius]  invenit,  urnisque 
nunc  geminis,  sub  eodem  tecto  jacent,  cum  Luitprando  rege,  qui 
ipsum  Augustini  corpus  e  Sardinia  in  hanc  urbem  transtulit,  de- 
votum  piumque  consortium  clarorum  hominum.  Putes  Augustini 
vestigia  Severinum  sequi,  ut  viventem  ingenio  et  libris  his  prae- 
sertim,  quos  post  ilium  de  Trinitate  composuit,  sic  defunctum 
membris  ac  tumulo." 

*  venne  a  questa  pace :  Compare  the  words  of  Dante's  an- 
cestor Cacciaguida,  who  (Par.  xv,  145-148)  tells  Dante  that  he 
was  slain  by  the  Saracens,  and  then  came  into  Eternal  Peace : 
"  Quivi  fu'  io  da  quella  gente  turpa 

Disviluppato  dal  mondo  fallace, 
II  cui  amor  molte  anime  deturpa, 
E  venni  dal  martiro  a  questa  pace." 

In  this  quotation  we  have  the  double  parallel  of  il  mondo  fallace 
and  venni  a  questa  pace. 

t  Isidore :  Isidore  of  Seville,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
ecclesiastics  in  the  early  part  of  the  7th  century,  was  born  either 
at  Seville  or  Carthagena,  probably  about  A.D.  560.  He  suc- 
ceeded Leander  as  Archbishop  of  Seville  in  the  year  600,  and 
completed  the  great  work  begun  by  his  predecessor,  which  is 


Canto  X.          Readings  OH  the  Paradiso.  359 

Further  on  see  the  burning  aspiration  of  Isidore,  of 

now  known  as  Liturgia  Mozarabica  secimdum  Regulam  Beati 
Isidori.  His  episcopate  was  chiefly  remarkable  for  two  half- 
ecclesiastical  half-civil  councils  held  at  Seville  in  618,  and  at 
Toledo  in  633,  under  his  presidency,  the  canons  of  which  are 
said  to  have  formed  the  basis  of  the  constitutional  law  of  the 
Spanish  kingdoms,  both  for  Church  and  for  State.  He  died  in 
636,  and  was  afterwards  canonized. 

Beda  or  Baeda,  usually  known  as  "  The  Venerable  Bede," 
was  an  Anglo-Saxon  monk,  born  at  Monkwearmouth  about  673, 
and  brought  up  in  the  Benedictine  abbey  there.  He  afterwards 
entered  the  monastery  at  Jarrow,  and  remained  there  until  his 
death  in  May  735.  His  is  the  greatest  name  in  the  ancient 
literature  of  England.  His  industry  was  enormous,  besides 
Latin,  Greek,  classical  as  well  as  patristic  literature,  he  studied 
Hebrew,  Astronomy,  and  Medicine;  he  wrote  homilies,  lives  of 
saints,  hymns,  works  on  chronology  and  grammar,  and  com- 
mentaries on  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  Besides  his  pro- 
found reading,  and  industry  in  writing,  he  also  found  time  for  a 
considerable  amount  of  teaching.  His  most  valuable  work  is 
the  Historia  Ecclesiastica  Gentis  Anglorum,  an  ecclesiastical 
history  of  England,  from  which  we  derive  most  of  our  informa- 
tion on  the  ancient  history  of  England,  down  to  nearly  the  end 
of  Bede's  life.  Bede  is  said  to  have  been  the  father  of  our 
national  education,  for  he  taught  600  scholars  at  Jarrow.  He 
doubtless  possessed  a  special  charm  for  Dante,  for,  says  Mr. 
Plummer,  in  the  able  and  interesting  preface  to  his  masterly 
edition  of  the  Historia  Ecclesiastica  :  "  Throughout  the  works  of 
Bede,  the  characteristic  which  strikes  us  most  is  the  simple  and 
unfeigned  piety  of  the  writer."  (Oxonii,  1896,  i,  Ixv.) 

Riccardo :  This  refers  to  Richard  of  St.  Victor,  generally 
known  as  the  "  Magnus  Contemplator."  He  was  of  Scottish 
origin.  He  was  called  "of  St.  Victor"  from  having  been  a 
monk  in  the  monastery  of  that  name  near  Paris,  of  which  he 
became  Prior.  In  the  early  days  of  his  residence  there,  he 
studied  under  the  celebrated  Hugh  of  St.  Victor.  He  died  in 
1 1 73.  He  is  said  to  have  been  vir  pietate  et  eruditione  con- 
spicuus.  Theologiae  mysticae  peritissinius.  In  Epist.  x,  §  28, 
N-  55.2-554>  Dante  says  of  him:  "Et  ubi  ista  invidis  non 
sufficiant,  legant  Ricardum  de  sancto  Victore  in  libro  de  Con- 
temptations."  Milman  (Lat.  Christ,  vol.  vi,  p.  440)  says  that  the 
system  of  the  St.  Victors  is  the  contemplative  philosophy  of 
deep-thinking  minds  in  their  profound  seclusion  .  .  .  and  is  that 
of  men  following  out  the  train  of  their  own  thoughts,  not 
perpetually  crossed  by  the  objections  of  subtle  rival  disputants. 
Its  end  is  not  victory,  but  the  inward  satisfaction  of  the  soul. 


360  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Bede,  and  of  Richard  (de  St.  Victor)  who  in  his  con- 
templation was  more  than  man. 

The  Twelfth  and  last  of  the  sacred  Ring  is  Maitre 
Sigier,  who  wrote  and  lectured  on  Logic  in  the  Rue 
de  Fouarre  or  Street  of  Straw  in  Paris.  Longfellow 
remarks  that  Dante,  moved  perhaps  by  some  pleasant 
memory  of  the  past,  pays  the  old  scholastic  street, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  the  cradle  of  the  Univer- 
sity, the  tribute  of  a  verse. 

Questi  onde  a  me  ritorna  il  tuo  riguardo, 

£  il  lume  d'  uno  spirto,  che  in  pensieri 

Gravi  a  morir  gli  parve  venir  tardo.  135 

Essa  e  la  luce  eterna  di  Sigieri,* 

Che,  leggendo  nel  vico  degli  strami,t 

Sillogizzo  invid'iosi  veri." — 

*  Sigieri:  Casini  says  that  there  is  a  great  disparity  of  opinion 
as  to  the  identity  of  this  personage,  whom  some  consider  to  have 
been  Sigier  of  Courtray,  but  both  he  and  Scartazzini  think  it  is 
Sigier  of  Brabant,  another  person  altogether,  who  is  referred  to. 
This  latter  was  born  in  the  first  half  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
was  a  pupil  of  Robert  de  Sorbon,  the  founder  of  La  Sorbonne, 
was  a  great  teacher  in  the  University  of  Paris,  and  was  after- 
wards put  to  a  cruel  death  on  a  charge  of  heresy  at  Orvieto  in 
1283.  Some  describe  him  as  a  great  supporter  of  the  teaching 
of  Aquinas,  others  as  its  chief  opponent. 

t  vico  degli  strami  is  la  Rue  de  Feurre,  or  Fouarre,  O.  Fr. 
for  foin,  called  by  Petrarch  (Sen.  ix,  i)  fragosiis  Straminum 
Vicus.  This  is  a  street  at  the  back  of  the  Sorbonne,  near  Place 
Maubert,  and  in  it  were  the  Schools  of  Philosophy,  in  which 
Dante  in  all  probability  studied  and  himself  taught.  Scartazzini 
says  that  leggendo  nel  vico  degli  strami  is  equivalent  to  saying 
that  Sigier  lectured  in  the  University  of  Paris.  In  a  letter  to 
"The  Academy"  of  March  I3th,  1886,  Mr.  Paget  Toynbee 
writes:  "From  a  passage  in  the  Paradiso  (x,  133-138)  it  has 
been  commonly  concluded  that  Dante  attended  the  lectures  of 
Siger  de  Brabant,  a  professor  of  the  University  of  Paris,  in  the 
Rue  du  Fouarre,  in  which  case  Dante  must  have  been  in  Paris 
previous  to  his  exile  from  Florence,  for  Siger  died  between  1277 
and  1300.  We  learn,  however,  from  an  Italian  poem  of  the 
thirteenth  century  by  Durante,  called  //  Fiore,  lately  discovered 


Canto  X.  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  36 1 

This  one  from  whom  (as  the  last  in  the  Circle)  thy 
look  returneth  to  me  (who  am  next  to  him)  is  the 
effulgence  of  a  spirit  to  whom  in  his  profound  medi- 
tations death  appeared  to  come  tardily.  It  is  the 
Eternal  Light  of  Sigier,  who,  lecturing  in  the  Street 
of  Straw  did  syllogize  unpalatable  truths." 

The  twelve  great  Theologians  having  been  named  by 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  their  spirits  now  resume  their 
interrupted  movement  and  song. 

Indi  come  orologio,  che  ne  chiami 

Nell'  ora  che  la  sposa  di  Dio  surge  140 

A  mattinar*  lo  sposo  perch£  1'  ami, 
Che  1'  una  parte  1'  altra  tira  ed  urge,t 

at  Montpellier,  that  Siger  came  to  Italy  ;  for  it  is  there  stated 
that  he  died  '  by  the  sword,'  i.e.  probably  was  executed,  at 
Orvieto,  (where  the  court  of  Rome  was  about  that  time).  Conse- 
quently as  M.  Paris  remarks  in  a  notice  of  the  above-mentioned 
poem,  in  order  to  account  for  Dante's  acquaintance  with  Siger, 
it  is  no  longer  necessary  to  assume  that  he  visited  Paris."  On 
the  two  above  notes  see  A.  F.  Ozanam  (Dante  et  la  Philosophic 
Catholiquc,  Paris,  184,  p.  319-323);  and  Lubin  (Commedia  di 
Dante,  Padova,  1881,  pp.  52,  53). 

*  mattinar:  This  has  been  usually  interpreted  as  "to  chant 
mattins,"  but  Borghini  (sopra  un  Falso  Vellutello,  in  Studi  su 
Dante,  p.  254)  whose  definitions  of  the  precise  signification  of 
Tuscan  expressions  and  idiom  are  unrivalled,  says  that  although 
to  render  mattinar  as  dire  mattutino  can  just  be  tolerated,  yet 
it  must  be  remembered  that  mattins  was  not  the  only  Office  that 
was  recited  in  the  night  time  :  whereas  inattinate  and  sercnate 
properly  signify  songs  of  love  chanted  by  night  to  ladies ;  and 
beyond  a  doubt  this  is  what  Dante  had  in  his  mind ;  the  more 
so  as  he  was  always  ready  to  take  his  similes  most  aptly  from 
scenes  of  daily  life.  Borghini  adds  :  "il  che  non  solo  6  facile 
ad  intendere,  ma  ha  ancor  seco  una  propria  e  singolar  efficacia, 
che  diletta  col  ridurli  a  memoria  quell'  usanza,  che  non  pu6 
1:  uditore,  e  comprende  piii  col  senso  che  non  suonano  le  parole ; 
e  tutto  questo  in  simili  esposizioni  si  perde,  e  1'  arguzia  del  poeta 
non  si  vede." 

f  una  parte  V altra  tira  ed  urge :  The  clock  alluded  to  here 
is  an  orologio  a  sveglia  con  carigltonc,  and  of  it  Antonelli  (ap. 
Tommase'o)  says  :  "II  tirare  e  1'urgere,  cioti  spingere  d'una  e 
d'  altra  parte,  deve  riferirsi  nell'  orologio  alia  codetta  del  bat- 


362  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.          Canto  X. 

Tin  tin  sonando  con  si  dolce  nota, 

Che  il  ben  disposto  spirto  d'  amor  turge ; 

Cos!  vid'  io  la  gloriosa  rota  1 45 

Moversi  e  render  voce  a  voce  in  tempra* 
Ed  in  dolcezza  ch'  esser  non  puo  nota, 

Se  non  cola  dove  gioir  s'  insempra. 

Then  like  the  clock,  which  calls  us  at  the  hour  when 
the  Bride  of  God  (the  Church)  is  wont  to  rise  to 
chant  night-songs  to  her  Spouse  that  He  may  love 
her,  which  (clock)  draws  and  urges  forward  the 
various  parts,  chiming  forth  Tin  Tin,  with  so  sweet 
a  note,  that  the  well-disposed  heart  swells  with 
love ;  so  beheld  I  the  glorious  wheel  moving,  and 
returning  voice  to  voice  with  a  modulation  and 
a  sweetness  that  cannot  be  comprehended  save  in 
that  place  (Heaven)  where  joy  reigns  for  ever. 

Benvenuto,  in  genuine  admiration  of  this  appro- 
priate comparison,  remarks  that,  as  those  learned 
doctors  were  in  the  habit  of  rising  in  the  night  hours 
to  pursue  their  studies,  so  did  holy  men  rise  to  recite 
the  night  Offices  of  the  Church  ;  the  more  so,  that  it 
is  in  the  night  that  the  mind  can  turn  more  readily  to 
meditation  and  contemplation. 

taglio,  fatto  bicipite  nell'  interne  della  campana,  or  tirata  ed  ora 
spinta  dal  semplice  ordigno  messo  in  moto  di  va  e  vieni  dal 
movimento  della  ruota  a  cio  destinata." 

t  in  tempra :  "  Proportionaliter  conformare  voces  eorum  in 
cantu."     (Benvenuto). 


END  OF  CANTO  X. 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  363 


CANTO    XI. 


THE  FOURTH  HEAVEN,  THE  SPHERE  OF  THE  SUN 
(continued}. — THE  VANITY  OF  WORLDLY  CARES. 
—ST.  THOMAS  AQUINAS  RELATES  THE  LIFE  OF 
ST.  FRANCIS  OF  ASSISI.— DEGENERACY  OF  THE 
MONASTIC  ORDERS. 

IN  this  Canto  Thomas  Aquinas,  a  Dominican,  sings 
the  praises  of  St.  Francis.  In  the  next  Canto,  Bona- 
ventura,  a  Franciscan,  will  sing  those  of  St.  Dominic. 
In  these  two  founders  of  religious  Orders  Dante  prob- 
ably was  contemplating  two  real  reformers  of  the 
Church  ;  the  one,  St.  Dominic,  being  conspicuous  for 
doctrine,  and  the  other,  St.  Francis,  for  charity.  Dante 
by  no  means  intended  (observes  Tommaseo)  to  praise 
the  war  which  the  Dominicans  waged  with  fire  and 
sword  against  heretics,  but  rather  was  commending 
the  war  of  argument  opposed  to  error.  His  praise, 
however,  of  St.  Francis  is  more  earnest  and  more 
poetical.  The  love  of  poverty  is  sketched  in  a  picture 
of  womanly  tenderness  ;  and  Tommase'o  thinks  that, 
if  Avarice  be  the  she-wolf,  then  Poverty  must  be  the 
legitimate  bride. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 
/;/  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  1 2,  Dante  de- 
plores and  censures  the  shiftiness  with  which  men 
give  their  minds  to  the  attainment  of  many  ends, 


364  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

mostly  different  from  each  other,  and  neglect  the  one 
true  one  of  Eternal  Happiness. 

In  tJte  Second  Division,  from  v.  13  to  v.  27,  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas,  who  is  again  introduced  on  the 
scene,  tells  Dante  he  can  see  that  two  doubts  are 
disturbing  his  mind. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  28  to  v.  117,  St. 
Thomas,  to  elucidate  the  first  of  these  doubts,*  speaks 
in  enthusiastic  praise  of  the  beauty  of  the  life  of  St. 
Francis. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  1 1 8  to  v.  1 39,  he 
denounces  the  life  of  the  Friars  of  his  own  Order,  so 
fallen  from  their  pristine  sanctity. 

Division  I.  Lombardi  says  that  the  first  twelve 
lines  are  but  a  digression,  in  which  Dante  utters  an 
exclamation  of  contemptuous  pity  for  men  bound 
down  to  earth  by  the  cares  of  this  world,  and  from 
that  cause  prevented  from  elevating  their  thoughts 
and  aspirations  to  that  Heaven  where  Dante  is  now 
in  the  enjoyment  of  celestial  bliss. 
O  insensata  curat  dei  mortal!, 

Quanto  son  difettivi  sillogismi  £ 

Quei  che  ti  fanno  in  basso  batter  1'  ali ! 

*  Not  until  we  reach  canto  xiii,  do  we  read  the  solution  of 
Dante's  second  doubt,  in  11.  31-111. 

\  0  insensata  cura,  et  seq. :  Compare  Lucretius  ii,  14: 
"O  miseras  hominum  menteis!  o  pectora  coeca!" 
and  Persius  i,  i : 

"  O  curas  hominum  !  O  quantum  est  in  rebus  inane  !" 

t  difettivi  sillogismi:  "  Sono  difettivi  li  nostri  sillogismi, 
pero  ch'  elli  non  conchiudono  vero,  in  cio  che  le  proposizioni 
sono  false,  e  pero  falso  conchiudono."  (Ottirnd).  Compare 
Con-vita  iv,  9,  11.  57-60  :  "  Perche  noi  volessimo  che'l  sillogismo 
con  falsi  principii  conchiudesse  verita  dimostrando,  non  con- 
chiuderebbe."  Compare  too,  Par.  xxiv,  91-96,  where  Dante 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  365 

O  insensate  care  of  mortal  men  !  How  inconclusive 
are  those  syllogisms  (i.e.  how  erroneous  is  the  rea- 
soning) which  make  thee  beat  thy  wings  in  down- 
ward flight ! 

Dante,  having  passed  the  above  general  censure,  con- 
firms it  by  showing  in  detail  what  are  the  most  con- 
spicuous among  the  affairs  of  men.  Prominent  among 
these  are  the  study  of  the  Law,  of  Physics,  of  The- 
ology, Ambition,  Statecraft,  Greed  of  Adventurers 
for  Booty,  Acquisition  of  Wealth,  Pleasures  of  the 
Flesh,  and  total  idleness. 

Chi  dietro  a  iura,  e  chi  ad  aforismi  * 

Sen  giva,  e  chi  seguendo  sacerdozio,t  5 

E  chi  regnar  per  forza  o  per  sofismi,J 

avows  that  the  mere  statements  in  Holy  Scripture  are  to  him  a 
syllogism  more  convincing  than  any  other  process  of  reasoning  : 

" Ed  io  ;  'La  larga  ploia 
Dello  Spirito  Santo,  ch'£  diffusa 
In  sulle  vecchie  e  in  sulle  nuove  cuoia, 
£  sillogismo  che  Ik  m'  ha  conchiusa 
Acutamente  si  che  in  verso  d'  ella 
Ogni  dimostrazion  mi  pare  ottusa.'" 

*  aforismi:  The  Aphorisms  of  Hippocrates  is  the  work  by 
which  "  the  Father  of  Medicine  "  is  best  known.  The  use  of 
the  expression  in  this  passage  is  intended  to  signify  :  "  the  study 
of  Medicine." 

t  seguendo  sacerdozio :  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me :  "  I  have 
found  seguendo  sacerdozio  erased  in  some  MSS.  It  was 
evidently  thought  improper  to  mention  this  with  depreciation!" 
J  regnar  .  .  .  per  sofismi :  "  Cio6  per  dolo  e  per  inganno  ; 
questo  e  quando  la  cittade  e  commessa  al  governo  di  alquanti 
pochi,  li  quali  per  persuasion!  e  per  pulite  dicerie  ingannano 
tutta  1'  altra  cittadinanza,  trasportando  il  bene  comune  in  sua 
propria  utilitade."  (Ottimo).  Casini  remarks  that  Dante, 
when  he  wrote  these  lines,  certainly  had  in  his  mind  the  great 
army  of  intriguers  and  traffickers  in  public  offices,  such  as  were 
Corso  Donati,  Baldo  d'Aguglione,  and  Fazio  da  Signa,  with 
many  others  like  them,  whose  sinister  deeds  we  find  recorded 
in  the  pages  of  Dino  Compagni,  the  chronicler  of  the  faction  of 
the  Bianchi. 


366  Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  XI. 

E  chi  rubare,  e  chi  civil  negozio,* 

Chi  nel  diletto  della  carne  involto, 
S'  affaticava,t  e  chi  si  dava  all'  ozio ; 

Quando  da  tutte  queste  cose  sciolto,J  10 

Con  Beatrice  m'  era  suso  in  cielo 
Cotanto  gloriosamente  §  accolto. 


*  civil  negozio :  Compare  Convito  I,  i,  11.  30-34:  "La  cura 
famigliare  e  civile,  la  quale  convenevolmente  a  se  tiene  degli 
uomini  il  maggior  numero,  sicch£  in  ozio  di  speculazione  essere 
non  possono." 

t  S'  affaticava  :  Buti  sums  up  well  the  heads  of  Dante's  general 
censure :  "  Ecco  che  ha  contato  lo  nostro  autore  nuove  cure  e 
sollicitudini  che  gli  uomini  mondani  pigliano  ingannati  dal- 
1'  amore  mondano,  cioe  dei  beni  mondani,  cio&  li  judici  delle 
leggi  canoniche  e  civili,  li  medici  della  fisica  e  della  cirugia,  li 
cherici  degli  ordini  ecclesiastici  e  de'  benefici,  li  signori  di  sig- 
noria,  li  rubbatori  in  rubbare,  li  artefici  nei  loro  artifici,  li  carnali 
e  lussuriosi  nei  diletti  carnali  e  lussurie,  e  li  pigri  ne  1'  ozio ;  onde 
ha  toccato  quasi  tutte  le  diversita  degli  esercizi  degli  uomini 
mondani." 

J  da  tutte  queste  cose  sciolto :  Poletto  remarks  that,  at  first 
sight,  this  confession  might  seem  almost  too  arrogant  and 
audacious ;  but  let  readers  turn  their  thought  back  to  the  con- 
cluding verses  of  Purgatorio,  xxvii : 

"  Libero,  dritto  e  sano  £  tuo  arbitrio, 
E  fallo  fora  non  fare  a  suo  senno." 

Let  them  also  remember  that  in  Par.  i,  139-141,  Beatrice  had 
already  made  for  Dante  the  same  confession : 
"  Maraviglia  sarebbe  in  te,  se  privo 

D'impedimento  giu  ti  fossi  assiso, 
Come  a  terra  quiete  in  foco  vivo." 

As  regards  sciolto,  Tommase'o,  followed  by  others,  compares  it 
with  Virg.  &n.  iv,  652 : 

"Accipite  hanc  animam,  meque  his  exsolvite  curis." 
and  Horace,  I  Sat,  vi,  128-130 : 

"  Haec  est 

Vita  solutorum  misera  ambitione  gravique: 
His  me  consolor  victurum  suavius." 

§  gloriosamente :  It  is  necessary,  for  the  accentuation  of  the 
verse,  to  read  this  adverb  as  though  it  were  two  words :  gloriosa 
— mente;  as  also  in  Inf.  xxi,  6 : 

"  E  vidila  mirabil — mente  oscura." 
So  also  Petrarch,  Part  iv,  Canz.  I,  st.  4  : 

"  Nemica  natural— mente  di  pace." 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  367 

Some  were  going  after  the  law,  some  after  aphorisms 
(of  Hippocrates,  i.e.  after  medicine),  and  some  were 
following  the  priesthood,  some  (aspiring)  to  rule  by 
force  or  by  sophistry,  and  some  were  wearying  them- 
selves in  plundering,  some  in  state  affairs,  some  were 
ensnared  by  the  delights  of  sensuality,  and  some 
were  giving  themselves  up  to  indolence  ;  when  I,  dis- 
engaged from  all  these  matters,  was  being  received 
with  Beatrice  in  so  glorious  a  manner  up  in  Heaven. 


Division  II.  The  Blessed  ones  now  suspend  their 
movement,  and  the  spirit  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  in- 
creasing in  brilliancy,  again  addresses  Dante,  telling 
him  that  he  can  read  in  his  thoughts  the  existence  of 
two  doubts,  as  to  the  meaning  of  expressions  used  by 
St.  Thomas  in  the  last  canto.  The  first  of  these  is 
where  (x,  96)  he  said  of  the  Order  of  St.  Dominic : 
U'  ben  s'  impingiia  se  non  si  vaneggia :  and  the  second 
where  (1.  1 14)  he  said  of  Solomon,  A  veder  tanto  non 
surse  (or  nacque]  il  secondo.  The  signification  of  the 
first  of  these  he  proceeds  to  elucidate,  and  his  speech 
lasts  to  the  end  of  the  canto. 

Poi  che  ciascuno  fu  tomato  ne  lo  * 

Punto  del  cerchio  in  che  avanti  s'era, 
Fermossi  t  come  a  candellier  candelo.  15 

Ed  io  senti'  dentro  a  quella  lumiera 

Che  pria  m'  avea  parlato,  sorridendo 
Incominciar,  facendosi  piu  mera: 

After  that  each  of  them  had  returned  to  that  point 
of  the  circle  in  which  he  had  been  before,  he  stood 
still  like  a  candle  in  a  candlestick.  And  from  within 

*  ne  lo  for  nello :    We  find  a  similar  composite  rhyme  in 
Inf.  vii,  28,  where  pur  li  is  made  to  rhyme  to  burli. 
t  Fermossi:  Others  read  fermosl,  or  fermi  sL 


368  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

that  lustre  which  had  spoken  to  me  before,  and  which 
made  itself  more  radiant  with  smiles,  I  heard  com- 
mence (as  follows) : 

St.  Thomas  Aquinas's  discourse. 

—  "  Cos!  com'  io  del  suo  raggio  risplendo,* 

Si,  riguardando  nella  luce  eterna,  20 

Li  tuoi  pensieri,  onde  cagioni,t  apprendo. 
Tu  dubbi,  ed  hai  voler  che  si  ricerna  £ 
In  si  aperta  e  in  si  distesa  lingua 
Lo  dicer  mio,  ch'  al  tuo  sentir  si  sterna, 
Ove  dinanzi  dissi :  '  U'ben  s'  impingua,'  25 

E  Ik  u'  dissi :  '  Non  nacque  §  il  secondo ; ' 
E  qui  e  uopo  che  ben  si  distingua. 
"  Even  as  I  am  illumined  by  its  ray,  so,  looking  into 

*  risplendo:  This  is  the  reading  of  all  the  best  MSS.,  and 
the  old  editions  and  Commentators.  The  reading  that  finds 
most  favour  with  many  modern  authorities  is  n?  accendo.  Scar- 
tazzini  and  Casini  read  risplendo. 

t  onde  cagioni :  Buti  reads  ond'  io  cagion  apprendo.  Others 
onde  cagion;  and  onde  caggion.  Gregoretti  (Venezia,  1868)  in- 
terprets the  line  tersely  and  well :  "  Apprendo  onde  cagioni, 
onde  traggi  cagione  ai  tuoi  pensieri." 

$  si  ricerna :  Ricernere  is  interpreted  in  the  Gran  Dizionario 
(which  quotes  this  passage  and  no  other)  as  Ridistinguere,  Di- 
chiarar  meglio ;  i.e.  to  give  a  better  explanation.  Some  Com- 
mentators however  (including  Benvenuto)  think  it  means  "  to 
explain  over  again." 

§  nacque:  Others  read  surse.  On  this  Dr.  Moore  (Textual 
Criticism,  pp.  460-462),  after  emphatically  disagreeing  with  the 
note  of  Mr.  Butler,  who  thinks  that  nacque  was  only  "an  in- 
truding gloss,"  says:  "  It  is  perhaps  difficult  to  decide  positively 
between  surse  and  nacque  in  this  passage,  though  I  think  there 
are  very  strong  reasons  forgiving  a  preference  to  nacque,  which 
is  also  the  reading  of  an  overwhelming  majority  of  MSS."  Dr. 
Moore  also  gives  his  reasons  for  preferring  nacque,  which  is 
decidedly  the  diffidlior  lectio.  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me :  "  Since 
surse  is  the  actual  word  in  the  passage  referred  to,  there  was 
therefore  an  obvious  reason  for  altering  surse  to  nacque.  A 
similar  case  occurs  in  Par.  xxv,  73,  where  in  many  editions  Sperino 
in  te  (the  reading  of  the  overwhelming  majority  of  MSS.)  has 
been  altered  to  Sperent  in  te  in  order  to  assimilate  it  to  1.  98." 


Canto  XL        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  369 

the  Light  Eternal,  I  discern  thy  thoughts,  whence 
thou  causest  them  (i.e.  how  they  originate).  Thou 
art  in  doubt,  and  art  desirous  that  my  words  should 
be  better  explained  to  thee  in  language  so  open  and 
so  extended,  that  it  may  be  reduced  to  the  level  of 
thy  perception  (in  the  passage)  where  I  said  just 
now:  '  U'  ben  s1  impinguaj'  and  that  other  where  I 
said  :  '  Non  nacque  il  secondo  ;  '  and  here  it  is  neces- 
sary that  a  clear  distinction  be  made. 

Division  III.  The  explanation  of  the  doubts  now 
commences,  and  Dante  with  consummate  art  makes 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  a  Dominican,  relate  the  life  and 
dwell  upon  the  praises  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi ;  while 
in  the  next  canto  we  shall  find  Bonaventura,  a  Fran- 
ciscan, singing  the  praises  of  St.  Dominic.  Each 
blames  the  degeneracy  into  which  his  own  Order  has 

fallen. 

La  provvidenza,  che  governa  il  mondo 

Con  quel  consiglio  nel  quale  ogni  aspetto 

Create  e  vinto*  pria  che  vada  al  fondo,  30 

Perocche  andasse  ver  lo  suo  diletto 
La  sposa  di  colui,  ch'  ad  alte  grida 
Disposb  lei  col  sangue  benedetto,t 

*  ogni  aspetto  Creato  t  vinto,  etc. :  Compare  with  this  Dante's 
own  words  in  Convito  iv,  5, 11.  1-4:  "Non  £  maraviglia  se  la 
divina  Provvidenza,  che  del  tutto  Pangelico  e  1'umano  accorgi- 
mento  soperchia,  occultamente  a  noi  molte  volte  precede,"  and 
ibid,  11.  69-72  :  "  Oh  ineffabile  e  incomprensibile  Sapienza  di  Dio 
.  .  .  ed  oh  istoltissime  e  vilissime  bestiuole  che  a  guisa  d'uomini 
pascete,  che  presumerete  contro  a  nostra  Fede  parlare  ;  e  volete 
sapere,  filando  e  zappando,  ci6  che  Iddio  con  tanta  prudenza  ha 
ordinato  !  Maledetti  siate  voi  e  la  vostra  presunzione,  e  chi  a  voi 
crede."  Compare  also  Rom.  xi,  33  :  "  O  the  depth  of  the  riches 
both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God!  how  unsearchable 
are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out  !"  See  also 
St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xii,  art.  7). 

t  ad  alte  grida  .  .  .  sangue  benedetto  :  Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in 
Dante,  p.  63,  §  30)  observes  :  "  It  would  hardly  be  worth  while 

I.  BB 


370  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

In  se  sicura  ed  anco  a  lui  piu  fida,* 

Due  Principi  ordino  in  suo  favore,  35 

Che  quinci  e  quindi  le  fosser  per  guida. 

The  Providence  which  rules  the  world  with  that 
counsel  in  which  all  created  sight  is  vanquished  until 
it  has  penetrated  its  depth,  in  order  that  towards  her 
Beloved  might  go  the  (Church)  Bride  of  Him,  Who 
crying  with  a  loud  voice  espoused  her  with  His 
sacred  blood,  (she)  secure  in  herself,  and  even  still 
more  trustful  in  Him,  ordained  two  Princes  for  her 
own  behoof,  who  on  either  side  of  her  should  be  her 
guides. 

St.  Francis  in  rendering  her  more  full  of  faith  by 
means  of  his  ardent  love,  and  St.  Dominic  in  fortify- 
ing her  through  his  profound  wisdom  and  learning. 
L'  un  fu  tutto  serafico  t  in  ardore, 


pointing  out  the  passing  yet  obvious  reference  to  St.  Matt,  xxvii, 
46-50  (Clamavit  Jesus  voce  magna  .  .  .  iterum  damans  voce 
magna),  or  to  the  parallel  passages  in  SS.  Mark  and  Luke,  ex- 
cept that  some  old  Commentators  (Pietro  di  Dante,  and  to  some 
extent  Benvenuto)  have  explained  the  alte  grida  to  refer  to  the 
cries  of  the  Jews,  '  Crucify  Him !  Crucify  Him  ! '  The  reference 
given  above,  especially  when  taken  in  connexion  (as  Scartaz- 
zini  points  out)  with  the  idea  expressed  in  Acts  xx,  28  (Ecclesiam 
Dei  quam  aquisivit  sanguine  suo)  leaves  no  doubt,  I  think,  as  to 
the  true  interpretation  of  the  pasage."  Compare  too  Par.  xxxi, 
2,  3,  where  Dante  calls  the  Saints  in  Heaven 

"la  milizia  santa, 
Che  nel  suo  sangue  CRISTO  fece  sposa." 

*  a  lui  piu  fida:  I  have  with  some  hesitation  translated  fida 
"trustful;"  as  the  antithesis  between  "secure  in  herself,"  and 
"  yet  more  faithful  to  him,"  seems  rather  to  halt.  See  Gran 
Dizionario,  s.  v.fido  (adj)  §  10  :  "  Nel  senso  del  latin.  Fisus,  e 
dell'  italiano  Ftdente"  It  is  so  used  by  Boccaccio  in  Filocopo  v, 
336 :  "  Cio  che  tu  ne  consiglierai,  faremo,  fidi  che  altro  che  il 
nostro  onore  non  sosterresti." 

t  L}  unfu  tutto  serafico,  et  seq.  :  The  distinction  so  definitely 
laid  down  here  by  Dante  between  the  attributes  of  the  Seraphim 
and  Cherubim  is  evidently  derived  by  him  from  the  following 
passage  of  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  Ixiii, 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  37 1 

L'  altro  per  sapienza  in  terra  fue 
Di  cherubica  luce  uno  splendore. 

DelF  un  dir6,  perocch£  d'  ambo  e  due  40 

Si  dice  1'  un  pregiando,  qual  ch'  uom  prende, 
Perch£  ad  un  fine  fur  1'  opere  sue. 

The  one  (St.  Francis)  was  all  seraphic  in  fervency, 
the  other  (St.  Dominic)  for  wisdom  was  on  earth  a 
splendour  of  cherubic  light.  I  will  speak  (only)  of 
one  (the  former),  since  by  praising  the  one  one 
speaks  (equally)  of  both,  whichever  one  takes,  be- 
cause their  deeds  were  to  one  end  (i.e.  the  support 
and  guidance  of  the  Church). 

The  life  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi*  is  now  told.  Long- 
art.  7) :  "  Cherubim  interpretatur  plenitudo  scientiae,  Seraphim 
autem  interpretatur  ardentes,  sive  incendentes.  Et  sic  patet 
quod  Cherubim  denominetur  a  scientia,  quae  potest  esse  cum 
mortal!  peccato  ;  Seraphim  vero  denominatur  ab  ardore  chari- 
tatis,  quae  cum  peccato  mortali  esse  non  potest.  Et  ideo  primus 
angelus  peccans  non  est  denominatus  Seraphim,  sed  Cherubim." 
Mr.  Butler  remarks  that  these  distinctive  characters  of  each  of 
the  two  great  Orders  have  been  more  or  less  maintained  by 
them  since.  The  Franciscans  have  attended  more  to  good 
works,  the  Dominicans  to  doctrine. 

*  St.  Francis  was  born  1 182  at  Assisi,  where  his  father  was  a 
wealthy  merchant.  The  family  name  was  Bernardone.  His 
baptismal  name  was  John,  but  having  learned  French  in  the 
interest  of  his  father's  trade,  he  became  known  as  //  Francesco 
(the  Frenchman).  He  was  brought  up  in  affluence  and  luxury, 
and  was  in  early  life  remarkable  for  his  love  of  gaiety  and 
ostentatious  prodigality ;  he  was  distinguished  for  prowess  in 
arms,  but,  being  taken  prisoner  in  the  war  between  Assisi  and 
Perugia,  he  passed  a  year  in  confinement  in  the  latter  city.  It 
was  about  that  time  that  a  severe  illness  turned  his  thoughts 
from  earth,  and  he  resolved  to  obey  the  precepts  of  the  gospel, 
and  devote  himself  to  poverty,  which  he  styled  "his  Bride." 
He  exchanged  clothes  with  a  beggar  and  ever  afterwards  wore 
the  meanest  attire.  He  began  to  visit  hospitals,  and  used  to 
kiss  the  sores  of  lepers,  and  minister  to  their  wants.  In  a  sup- 
posed vision  in  the  Church  of  San  Damiano,  he  seemed  to  hear 
a  voice  thrice  saying  to  him  :  "  Francis,  seest  thou  not  that  my 
house  is  in  ruins;  go  and  restore  it  for  me."  In  obedience  to 
this  call  he  sold  some  merchandize  of  his  father's  and  devoted 

BB    2 


372  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

fellow  says  that  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  distinguish 
between  the  facts  of  history  and  the  myths  of  tradi- 
tion ;  but  through  all  we  see  the  outlines  of  a  gentle, 
beautiful  and  noble  character.  "  All  living  creatures 
were  to  him  brothers  and  sisters.  To  him  the  lark 
was  an  emblem  of  the  Cherubim,  and  the  lamb  an 
image  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  He  is  said  to  have 
preached  to  the  birds." 

Assisi  is  first  described,  lying  as  it  does  between 
the  Tupino  (a  river  running  from  the  Apennines  past 
Foligno  into  the  Tiber)  and  the  Chiascio,  or  Chiassi, 
the  source  of  which  is  in  a  hill,  near  Gubbio,  upon 
which  St.  Ubald  had  his  hermitage  before  he  was 
called  to  be  Bishop  of  Gubbio.  The  Chiassi  then 
flows  past  Assisi  and  Perugia,  and  runs  out  into  the 
Tiber  near  Rosciano. 

Intra  Tupino*  e  1'  acqua  che  discende 
Del  colle  eletto  del  beato  Ubaldo, 
Fertile  costa  d'  alto  monte  pende.  45 

Onde  Perugia  sente  freddo  e  caldo 
Da  porta  Sole,  e  diretro  le  piange 

the  money  to  the  restoration  of  the  church.  He  then  arrayed 
himself  in  a  tunic  of  coarse  brown  cloth,  girt  with  a  hempen 
cord.  His  example  was  followed  by  two  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men, Bernardo  Quintavalle,  and  Pietro  Cattano.  These  were  in 
time  followed  by  others,  and  in  1210,  the  brotherhood  having 
now  increased  to  eleven  in  number,  the  foundation  was  laid  of 
the  great  Franciscan  Order.  In  1219  his  convent  was  moved 
to  Alvernia,  in  the  deepest  solitudes  of  the  Apennines.  Worn 
out  by  his  many  labours  and  macerations,  St.  Francis  died  in 
October,  1226,  and  was  buried  at  Assisi. 

*  Intra  Tupino,  et  sea. :  "Auctor  subdit  describendo  Assisium, 
quod  est  in  valle  Spoliti  inter  duo  flumina,  scilicet  Topinum  et 
Clusum,  qui  venit  de  montibus  Eugubii,  cujus  sanctus  Ubaldus 
est  patronus,  quia  fuit  episcopus  ejus  civitatis."  (Talice  da 
Ricaldone.) 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  373 

Per  grave  giogo  Nocera*  con  Gualdo. 

Between  Tupino,  and  the  water  that  descends  from 
the  hill  chosen  by  the  blessed  Ubaldo,  there  hangs 
the  fertile  slope  of  a  high  mountain  (Monte  Subasio), 
from  which  Perugia  feels  the  cold  and  heat  from  Porta 
Sole,  and  behind  her  Nocera  and  Gualdo  bewail  their 
heavy  yoke. 

Porta  Sole  is  the  gate  of  Perugia  looking  towards 
Assisi,  and  Viterbo.  By  cold  and  heat  is  meant  that 
in  summer  it  receives  the  rays  of  the  sun  reflected 
back  from  Monte  Subasio,  and  from  this  mountain 
itself  Porta  Sole  in  winter  receives  icy  winds.  Nocera 
and  Gualdo,  in  the  time  of  Dante,  suffered  much  from 
the  oppression  of  Perugia,  under  whose  dominion  they 

were. 

Di  questa  costat  la  dov'  ella  frange 

Piu  sua  rattezza,  nacque  al  mondo  un  sole,          50 
Come  fa  questo  tal  volta  di  Gange. 

From  this  slope  at  the  point  where  it  breaks  its  steep- 
ness most  (i.e.  at  Assisi),  there  rose  on  the  world  a 
sun  (St.  Francis),  as  at  times  does  this  one  (the  real 
Sun,  rise)  forth  from  the  Ganges. 

The  Ganges  was  for  Dante  the  extreme  east  of  the 
world.  (See  Pnrg.  ii,  5  ;  and  xxvii,  4).  Dante  sup- 
posed the  sun  to  rise  in  the  far  east  with  a  splendour 
unknown  in  Europe. 


*  Nocera  :  "  Non  intelligas  de  ilia  quae  est  in  Apulia."  (Talice 
da  Ricaldone).  Nocera  and  Gualdo  were  small  towns  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Perugia. 

t  questa  costa:  Assisi  is  situated  on  the  western  side  of  Monte 
Subasio,  where  the  mountain  slope  is  more  gentle,  or,  in  Dante's 
words  breaks  its  steepness  most.  Casini  relates  that  Bernardo 
da  Bessa,  a  companion  of  St.  Bonaventura,  wrote  a  compendium 
of  the  life  of  St.  Francis  by  Tommaso  da  Celano,  which  com- 
pendium commences  with  these  words :  "  Quasi  sol  oriens  in 
mondo  beatus  Franciscus  vita,  doctrina  et  miraculis  claruit." 


374  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

Pero  chi  d'  esso  loco  fa  parole 

Non  dica  Ascesi,*  che  direbbe  corto, 
Ma  Oriente,  se  proprio  dir  vuole. 

Wherefore  whosoever  will  speak  of  that  place,  let 

him  not  say  '  Ascesi,'  which  would  say  too  little  (///. 

speak  short),  but  (rather)  '  The  East,    if  he  would 

say  it  aright. 

The  old  way  of  writing  Assisi  was  '  Ascesi '  (which 
in  Italian  makes  a  pun  upon  the  words  with  the  sense 
of  'I  ascended')  as  being  the  proper  name  of  the 
place  where  St.  Francis  was  born,  and  bearing  also 
the  sense  of  rising,  mounting,  etc.,  from  the  verb 
ascendere.  Dante  works  this  out  by  saying  that  it 
would  be  too  little  to  describe  St.  Francis,  whom  he 
has  styled  "  a  sun,"  as  having  risen  at  Assisi  ;  the 
place  should  rather  be  spoken  of  as  "  the  East,"  be- 
cause there  rose  this  wonderful  sun  of  Christian 
Truth. 

The  piety  of  which  St.  Francis  gave  evidence  in 
early  life  is  next  described  ;  so  great  was  it,  that  the 
world  seeing  such  virtue  displayed  in  so  young  a 
man,  began  to  take  heart  of  hope  that  virtue,  so  long 
abandoned  on  earth,  was  about  to  return.  His  love 
of  poverty,  which  he  wooed  as  a  lover  woos  his  mis- 
tress, brought  him  into  hostility  with  his  father. 

*  Ascesi  et  seq.  :  On  this  see  Dr.  Moore,  Studies  in  Dante, 
pp.  63,  64,  §  31:  "There  is  no  doubt  primarily  ....  a  play  on 
the  words  Ascesi  (as  if  from  ascendere)  and  Oriente.  The  mean- 
ing beyond  this  to  be  attributed  to  Oriente  is,  I  think,  determined 
by  St.  Luke  i,  78, '  visitavit  nos  Oriens  ex  alto,'  i.e. '  the  dayspring 
from  on  high  hath  visited  us.'  This  continues  the  metaphor  of 
1.  50,  'nacque  al  mondo  un  sole,'  and  moreover  the  expression 
would  be  specially  familiar  to  a  reader  of  the  Vulgate,  as  it 
occurs  in  two  well-known  prophecies  of  Zechariah  iii,  8,  and 
vi,  12,  'servum  meum  Orientem,'  and  '  Oriens  nomen  ejus'—  in 
both  which  cases  our  version  has  'the  Branch.'" 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  375 

Non  era  ancor  molto  Ion  tan  dall'orto,  55 

Ch'ei  comincio  a  far  sentir  la  terra 
Delia  sua  gran  virtute  alcun  conforto  ; 

Che  per  tal  donna  giovinetto  in  guerra 

Del  padre  corse,*  a  cui,  com'  alia  morte, 

La  porta  del  piacer  nessun  disserra  ;  60 

Ed  innanzi  alia  sua  spirital  corte, 

Et  coram  paired  le  si  fece  unito  ; 
Poscia  di  di  in  di  1'  amo  piu  forte. 

He  was  not  yet  very  far  from  his  rising  (i.e.  birth), 
when  he  began  to  make  the  earth  feel  some  comfort 
from  his  great  virtue;  for  while  yet  a  stripling  he  in- 
curred the  wrath  (//'/.  war)  of  his  father  for  a  certain 
Dame  (namely,  Poverty),  to  whom,  as  unto  death,  no 
one  unlocks  the  gate  of  pleasure  (i.e.  no  one  wil- 
lingly courts  poverty),  and  in  presence  of  his  spiri- 
tual court,  and  coram  patre  he  united  himself  to  her, 
after  which  from  day  to  day  he  loved  her  more 
ardently. 

St.  Francis,  before  the  tribunal  of  the  Bishop  of  Assisi 
and  in  his  father's  presence,  renounced  his  inheritance 
and  took  a  vow  of  poverty,  taking  as  it  were,  poverty 

*  in  guerra  Del  padre  corse :  Observe  the  force  of  del.  St. 
Francis  did  not  run  into  strife  with  his  father  (col padre)  but  ran 
into  the  displeasure  of  his  father  (in  guerra  fa\  padre).  Like  a 
true  Christian,  he  suffered  his  father's  wrath,  but  he  did  not 
make  strife. 

t  coram  patre  :  The  old  Commentators  all  relate  this  episode. 
"  Presente  to  vescovo,  della  cui  diocesi  era,  rifiut6  al  padre  ogni 
ereditate  e  ogni  possessione  di  temporali  ricchezze."  (Lana.) 
"  Per  queste  parole  dice  che  dinanzi  al  vescovo  d'  Ascesi,  san 
Francesco  rifiut6  il  retaggio  del  suo  padre  e  ispos6  per  sua  sposa 
la  poverta."  (Falso  Boccaccio).  Some  have  attempted  to  prove 
that  coram  patre  means  u  before  his  spiritual  father,  i.e.  the 
Bishop,"  but  Lombardi  justly  points  out  that  "leggendosi  nella 
Vita  di  Francesco  che  rinunzib  ad  ogni  terreno  avere,  e  di- 
spogliossi  in  presenza  del  Vescovo  d' Assisi  edel  propriogenitore, 
diviene  chiaro  che  per  la  sua  spirital  corte  dee  intendersi  il 
Vescovo  d'  Assisi  coll'  assistente  suo  clero ;  e  che  per  patre  il 
carnale,  e  non  lo  spiritual  padre." 


376  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XL 

for  his  bride.     Her  first  bridegroom  had  been  Jesus 
Christ,  and  from  His  death  until  her  union  with  St. 
Francis,  poverty  had  remained  despised  and  rejected. 
Questa,  privata  del  primo  marito, 

Mille  cent'  anni  e  piu*  dispetta  e  scura  65 

Fino  a  costui  si  stettet  senza  invito  ; 
Ne  valse  udir  che  la  trovo  sicura 

Con  Amiclate,  +  al  suon  della  sua  voce, 
Colui  ch'  a  tutto  il  mondo  fe'  paura ; 

*  Mille  cent' anni  e  piu :  The  actual  date  when  St.  Francis 
renounced  the  world  and  embraced  poverty  was  A.D.  1207,  that 
is  1174  years  after  that  poverty  had  become  widowed  by  the 
death  of  her  First  Spouse  Jesus  Christ. 

t  dispetta  e  scura  .  .  .  stette :  Benvenuto  points  out  that  this 
is  a  palpable  exaggeration  :  "  Sed  hie  nota,  quod  autor  videtur 
dicere  falsum,  quia  multi  sancti  patres  et  heremitae  dilexerunt 
paupertatem  et  despexerunt  mundum  propter  Christum,  et  an- 
tiquitus  et  moderniter,  sicut  Benedictus,  Macarius,  Bernardus, 
Petrus  Damianus,  de  quibus  dicetur  infra  .  .  .  Dicendumbreviter, 
quia  nullus  tantum  et  in  totum  amavit  paupertatem  tarn  perfecte, 
tarn  generaliter,  tarn  volenter." 

£  la  trovb  .  .  .  con  Amiclate :  Amyclas  was  a  poor  Dalmatian 
fisherman  living  on  the  coast  of  the  Adriatic  ;  who  found  him- 
self so  secure  in  his  poverty,  that  he  habitually  slept  with  open 
doors  while  the  country  was  being  over-run  by  the  turbulent 
soldiery  of  the  two  armies  during  the  civil  war  between  Caesar 
and  Pompey.  He  remained  perfectly  undisturbed  on  being  un- 
expectedly visited  by  Caesar  himself.  Lucan,  Phars.  v,  519  et 
seq.)  must  have  suggested  this  passage  to  Dante  : 

"  Haec  Caesar  bis  terque  manu  quassantia  tectum 
Limina  commovit :  molli  consurgit  Amyclas, 
Quern  dabat,alga,thoro.  Quisnammeanaufragus,inquit, 
Tecta  petit  ?  aut  quae  nostrae  fortuna  coegit 
Auxilium  sperare  casae  ?  Sic  fatus  ab  alto  .  .  . 
Securus  belli  :  praedam  civilibus  armis 
Scit  non  esse  casas.     O  vitae  tuta  facultas 
Pauperis  angustique  lares !     O  munera  nondum 
Intellecta  Deum !  quibus  hoc  contingere  templis, 
Aut  potuit  muris,  nullo  trepidare  tumultu 
Caesarea  pulsante  manu  ?" 

Compare  Conv.  iv,  13,  11.  110-121,  where  the  above  passage  in 
Lucan  is  cited  almost  word  for  word. 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  377 

Ne  valse  esser  costante,  ne  feroce,*  70 

SI  che,  dove  Maria  rimase  giuso, 
Ella  con  Cristo  salse  t  in  sulla  croce. 

She,  widowed  of  her  first  husband  for  eleven  hun- 
dred years  and  upwards  slighted  and  unknown,  had 
remained  unwooed  until  his  time  (i.e.  of  St.  Francis); 
nor  aught  did  it  avail  her  to  hear  that  he  (Caesar) 
who  struck  terror  into  all  the  world,  found  her  with 
Amyclas,  unmoved  at  the  sound  of  his  voice ;  nor 
aught  did  it  avail  her  to  be  so  constant  and  un- 
daunted that  she  mounted  on  to  the  cross  with 
Christ,  while  Mary  remained  at  the  foot  of  it. 
Cornoldi  observes  that  Poverty  may  be  said  to  have 

*  feroce  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  courageous,  and  means 
that  Poverty  remained  undauntedly  constant  in  her  love  of  Christ. 
The  Gran  Dizionario  quotes  the  word  in  this  passage  as  mean- 
ing "  Liberalmente  deliberate  e  fermo."  And  in  Murray's  New 
English  Dictionary,  s.  v.  fierce,  I  find,  §  2  :  "High-spirited,  brave, 
valiant,"  and  §  5,  b  "dial.,  Brisk,  lively,  vigorous."  In  Classical 
Latinym?.ris  sometimes  used  in  a  good  sense.  See  Dictionaries, 
though  not  all  the  definitions  appear  conclusive.  In  the  Mid- 
land Counties  we  sometimes  find  the  word  "  fierce  "  used  to  ex- 
press courage,  hardihood.  I  remember  a  father  saying  sorrow- 
fully to  me  about  the  death  of  his  infant  child :  "  He  was  very 
fierce  only  the  day  before." 

t  salse:  I  follow  the  Oxford  text  in  this  reading,  and  Dr.  Moore 
has  kindly  given  me  his  notes  on  the  subject.  "  It  is  remark- 
able that  all  the  Commentators  whose  opinions  can  be  traced, 
e.g.  Ott.,  Buti,  Daniello,  Vellutello,  Landino  (Lana  is  doubtful), 
adopt  salse,  whereas  the  MS.  authority  js  pianse.  This  opposi- 
tion between  the  MSS.  and  the  Commentators  occurs  in  7  or  8 
other  cases  in  the  D.C.,  and  in  every  instance  (with  perhaps  one 
exception)  the  Commentators  are  undoubtedly  correct.  Salse  is 
'  diffkilior  lectio.'  This  bold  metaphor  too  was  more  likely  to 
be  altered  into  the  safe  and  commonplace  pianse  than  vice  versa. 
The  phrase  con  Cristo  pianse  is  not  at  all  happy,  nor  is  Povcrta 
pianse.  Salse  gives  proper  antithesis  to  rimase  giuso,  not  so 
pianse.  The  idea  of  Poverty  mounting  the  Cross  with  Christ  is 
a  commonplace  in  early  Franciscan  literature,  e.g.  Comment' tan 
Paupertatis  cum  S.  Francisco,  and  Fioretti  di  San  Francesco 
d' Assist  (p.  43).  This  Canto  has  several  other  expressions 
evidently  copied  from,  or  suggested  by  these  works."  See  also 
Dr.  Moore's  Studies  in  Dante,  p.  86. 


378  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

mounted  on  to  the  Cross  when  Jesus  Christ  was  nailed 
to  it  naked. 

Thomas  Aquinas  now,  in  order  not  to  keep  Dante's 
mind  any  longer  in  doubt,  drops  the  allegory,  and 
states  that  in  plain  language  he  means  by  the  one 
lover,  St.  Francis,  and  by  the  other,  Poverty.  He 
points  out  that  the  world,  edified  by  the  perfect 
accord  and  joy  evidenced  by  their  union,  became 
inspired  by  holy  thoughts,  so  that  other  men  of  dis- 
tinction were  led  to  follow  the  wonderful  example  of 
St.  Francis,  and  to  devote  themselves  to  a  life  of 
poverty. 

Ma  perch'  io  non  proceda  troppo  chiuso,* 
Francesco  e  Poverta  per  quest!  amanti 
Prendi  oramai  nel  mio  parlar  diffuse.  75 

La  lor  concordia  e  i  lor  lieti  sembianti, 
Amore  e  maraviglia  e  dolce  sguardo 
Facean  esser  cagion  di  pensier  santi  ;t 
Tanto  che  il  venerabile  Bernardo  $ 

*  troppo  chiuso,  i.e.  troppo  oscuro.  Compare  Purg.  xii,  85-87  : 

"  Io  era  ben  del  suo  ammonir  uso, 

Pur  di  non  perder  tempo,  si  che  in  quella 
Materia  non  potea  parlarmi  chiuso." 

t  cagion  di  pensier  santi:  Scartazzini  says  that,  though  the 
construction  of  these  three  lines  is  obscure,  yet  the  sense  is 
quite  clear,  namely,  that  the  example  set  by  St.  Francis  was 
wholesome  and  edifying,  an  example  moreover  that  many  others 
were  led  to  follow.  Some  (including  Costa,  Giuliani,  and  Poletto) 
read  Amore  a  maraviglia.  Casini  quotes  the  following  from 
Bonaventura,  Vita,  p.  751:  "  Faciebat  namque  sancta  pauper- 
tas  .  .  .  ipsos  ad  omnem  obedientiam  promptos,  robustos  ad 
labores  et  ad  itinera  expedites.  Et  quia  nihil  terrenum  habebant, 
nihil  amabant,  nihilque  timebant  amittere,  securi  erant  ubique, 
nullo  pavore  suspensi,  nulla  cura  distracti,  tamquam  qui  absque 
mentis  turbatione  vivebant,  et  sine  sollicitudine  diem  crastinum 
et  serotinum  hospitium  exspectabant." 

*  Bernardo  Si  scalzb  prima :  This  is  Bernard  of  Quintavalle, 
surnamed  //  -venerabile,  who  was  the  first  follower  of  St.  Francis. 


Canto  XL         Readings  on  the  Paradise.  379 

Si  scalzo  prima,  e  dietro  a  tanta  pace  80 

Corse,  e  correndo  gli  parv'  esser  tardo. 
O  ignota  ricchezza,*  o  ben  ferace  !  t 
Scalzasi  Egidio,  scalzasi  Silvestro,$ 
Dietro  allo  sposo  ;  si  la  sposa  piace. 


He  must  not  be  confused  with  St.  Bernard  who  was  abbot  of 
Clairvaux  (Chiaravalle).  The  Bernard  we  are  speaking  of  was 
a  rich  citizen  of  Assisi,  of  whom  the  Ottimo  says  :  "  E  '1  primo 
fu  frate  Bernardo,  pietra  di  questo  edificio,  bene  ardente  del 
Signore,  lo  quale  li  molti  beni  che  ebbe  non  alii  parenti,  ma 
alii  poveri  diede,  ed  in  santa  vita  e  chiara  morte  ei  di  miracoli 
risplende."  See  also  Serravalle :  "Venerabilis  Bernardus,  primus 
sotius  Sancti  Francisci,  qui  fuit  doctor  juris  civilis,  discalciavit 
se,  idest  voluit  ire  discalciatus,  sicut  Franciscus.  Vel  sic  distri- 
buit  omnia  bona,  dans  ilia  pauperibus  ;  et  sic  discalciavit  se 
prius,  quia  fuit  primus  sotius  Sancti  Francisci." 

*  O  ignota  ricchezza :  Serravalle  goes  on  :  "  Nota  quod  dum 
Romani  dilexerunt  paupertatem,  totum  mundum  acquisierunt, 
spernentes  divitias,  sicut  patet  de  Fabritio  et  multis  aliis.  Post- 
quam  dilexerunt  divitias,  mundum  perdiderunt,  et  ceperunt  inter 
se  certare,  facti  sunt  vitiosi." 

t  ferace :  Others  read  verace.  On  this  Dr.  Moore  (Textual 
Criticism,  pp.  462,  463)  writes  :  "  The  common  reading  ferace 
(found  by  Dr.  Moore  in  128  MSS.)  is  no  doubt  the  true  one, 
though  a  considerable  number  of  MSS.  (41)  have  substituted 
the  better  known  and  more  obvious  word  verace.  It  need 
scarcely  be  pointed  out  how  the  context  both  preceding  and 
following  is  an  expansion  of  the  idea  of  ferace.  See  especially 
11.  78-81,  83  et  seq.,  and  94,  where  the  abundant  fruits  of  the 
example  of  St.  Francis  are  set  forth  ....  Out  of  30  editions,  I 
have  found  ferace  only  in  Jest,  Mantua,  Witte,  and  Scartazzini. 
There  is  no  trace  of  verace  in  any  of  the  early  Commentators, 
ferace  being  explained  by  all  the  four  who  notice  the  passage, 
viz. :  Benvenuto  (idest  bonum  fertile  et  multiplex],  Buti,  Landino, 
and  Vellutello  (the  two  last  paraphrasing)  by  cioe  fertile  et 
abbondante." 

J  Egidio  .  .  .  Silvestro:  Egidio  or  Gillio  (Giles)  was  the  third 
follower  of  St.  Francis,  the  second  being  one  Pietro  who  is  not 
mentioned  by  Dante.  Egidio  was  a  native  of  Assisi,  and  died  in 
1272,  leaving  a  work  called  Verba  Aurea.  Tommaso  da  Celano 
(Thorn.  Celanus,  Vita  Francisci,  p.  691)  speaks  of  him  as  "vir 
simplex  et  rectus  ac  timeus  Deum,  qui  longo  tempore  durans, 
sancte,  juste,  ac  pi6  vivendo,  perfectae  obedientiae  sanctaeque 


380  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XL 

But  that  I  may  not  proceed  in  language  too  veiled, 
henceforth  take  Francis  and  Poverty  for  these  lovers 
in  my  diffuse  narrative.  Their  concord,  their  glad- 
some countenances,  made  their  love,  their  wonder  (at 
each  other),  and  their  sweet  contemplation  to  be  the 
cause  of  holy  thoughts  (in  men) ;  so  much  so  that 
the  venerable  Bernard  (of  Quintavalle)  first  bared  his 
feet,  and  ran  after  such  great  peace,  and,  as  he  ran,  it 
seemed  to  him  that  he  was  slow  of  foot.  O  unknown 
riches,  O  prolific  good  !  Egidius  (next)  bares  his  feet, 
and  Sylvester  bares  his  feet  (also),  following  after 
the  bridegroom  (St.  Francis) ;  so  well  does  the  bride 
(Poverty)  please  them. 

The  progress  of  the  Order  is  further  recounted ;  its 
foundation  and  its  provisional  approval  by  Pope 
Innocent  III,  as  also  the  perfect  indifference  with 
which  St.  Francis,  the  son  of  a  rich  father,  presented 
himself  in  poverty  before  the  haughty  Pontiff. 

Indi  sen  va  quel  padre  e  quel  maestro  85 

Con  la  sua  donna,  e  con  quella  famiglia 
Che  gia  legava  1'  umile  capestro  ;* 

contemplationis  nobis  dedit  exemplum."  Bonaventura  ( Vita, 
p.  748)  says  :  "  sanctus  pater  Egidius,  vir  utique  Deo  plenus  et 
celebri  memoria  dignus."  Of  Silvestro  Bonaventura  (ibid.} 
says :  "  honestae  conversationis  viro."  The  Ottimo  relates  that,, 
while  he  was  still  a  secular  priest,  he  saw  in  a  dream  a  golden 
cross  issue  from  the  mouth  of  St.  Francis ;  the  summit  of  which 
touched  the  skies,  and  its  arms  girded  the  world  on  either  side. 
The  deep  impression  on  him  caused  by  this  vision  made  him 
renounce  the  world  forthwith,  and  become  a  perfect  follower  of 
St.  Francis.  A  story  is  also  told  of  his  contrition  at  having 
insisted  on  payment  for  some  stone  he  had  sold  to  St.  P'rancis 
for  the  repairs  of  the  Church  of  San  Damiano,  and  the  remorse 
he  felt  for  his  greed  of  gold,  when  St.  Francis  instantly  paid 
him. 

*  capestro:  In  Inferno,  xxvii,  91-93,  Guido  da  Montefeltro, 
while  bitterly  reviling  Boniface  VIII  for  having  led  him  into 
giving  fraudulent  counsel,  further  reproaches  him  for  not 
respecting  the  cord  that  Guido  wore  as  the  emblem  of  the 
Franciscan  Order  : 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  381 

N£  gli  gravo*  vilta  di  cor  le  ciglia, 

Per  esser  fi'  f  di  Pietro  Bernardone, 

Ne  per  parer  dispetto  a  maraviglia.  90 

Ma  regalmentej  sua  dura  intenzione 
Ad  Innocenzio  aperse,  e  da  lui  ebbe 
Primo  sigillo  §  a  sua  relig'ione. 

"  N£  sommo  offizio,  ne  ordini  sacri 

Guardo  in  se,  ne  in  me  quel  capestro 
Che  solea  far  li  suoi  cinti  piu  macri." 
See  also  Par.  xii,  130-132. 

*  gravo  :  Benvenuto  says  :  "  Non  inclinavit  frontem  ejus  ad 
terram  prae  verecundia,  per  esser  figlio  di  Pier  Bernardone 'idest 
quamvis  esset  films  ditissimi  hominis."  Talice  da  Ricaldone ; 
"  licet  esset  filius  Petri  Bernardoni,  magni  civis  et  divitis,  non 
ex  hoc  erubuit  sequi  vestigia  paupertatis."  The  Anonimo 
Florentine,  Scartazzini,  and  Casini  also  take  this  interpreta- 
tion ;  but  many  Commentators  understand  that  St.  Francis  went 
before  the  Pope  unabashed  at  his  father  being  a  man  of  low 
birth. 

t  _/?'.•  a  common  form  of  figlio  among  the  early  writers. 

I  regalmente :  "  Con  animo  regio  ed  invitto."  (Landino). 
"  Sed  realiter,  idest  sicut  unus  rex  aut  filius  regis,  suam  duram, 
idest  firmam,  intentionem  Innocentio  .  .  .  qui  tune  erat  Papa, 
aperuit  .  .  .  et  ab  eo  habuit  primum  sigillum,  idest  confirma- 
tionem,  suae  religionis.  Per  sigillum  aliqui  intelligunt  privi- 
legium,  et  volunt  dicere  quod  papa  Innocentius,  sub  cujus 
pontificatu  Sanctus  Franciscus  cepit  Ordinem  suum,  dedit  ipsi 
Sancto  Francisco  privilegium,  quo  Ordo  Sancti  Francisci  habuit 
firmitatem.  Sed  postea  Honorius  tertius  confirmavit  Regulam 
isti  Beato  Francisco  ;  qui  Honorius  tertius  successit  Innocentio 
quarto  (sic).  Demum  Gregorius  canonizavit  Sanctum  Fran- 
ciscum  juxta  illam  antiphonam:  'Cepit  sub  Innocentio,  cur- 
sumque  sub  Honorio  perfecit  gloriosum,  succedit  hiis  Gregorius, 
magnificavit  amplius  miraculis  famosum."'  (The  above  is  by 
Serravalle,  himself  a  Franciscan  friar,  who  however,  throughout 
the  paragraph,  wrongly  styles  Innocent  as  the  Fourth  instead  of 
the  Third).  Compare  Purg.  xxx,  70  : 

"  Regalmente  nell'  atto  ancor  proterva,"  etc. 

§  Primo  sigillo:  Cesari  (Bellezse,  vol.  iii,  p.  209)  points  out 
that  the  Order  of  St.  Francis  was  stamped  with  three  seals : 
"  Vedremo  a  questa  religione  por  tre  sigilli  :  due  da  due  Papi, 
e  '1  terzo  da  Cristo  con  le  stimate?  See  below,  11.  106-108,  where 
the  stigmata  are  called  /'  ultimo  sigillo. 


382  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XI. 

Thenceforth  went  his  way  that  Father  and  that 
Master  with  his  bride  (i.e.  St.  Francis  with  Poverty), 
and  with  that  family  who  were  now  girding  on  the 
humble  cord  ;  nor  did  any  cowardice  of  heart  weigh 
down  his  brow,  from  being  the  son  of  Pietro  Bernar- 
done,  nor  from  seeming  marvellously  scorned  (in  his 
lowly  garb).  But  with  the  dignity  of  a  king  he  un- 
folded to  Innocent  his  stern  resolve,  and  from  him 
received  the  first  seal  (i.e.  official  recognition)  for  his 
Order. 

The  increase  in  the  numbers  of  the  Franciscans  is 
next  told,  and  the  solemn  and  definite  confirmation 
of  their  Order  by  Pope  Honorius  III  in  1223. 
Poi  che  la  gente  poverella  crebbe* 

Dietro  a  costui,  la  cui  mirabil  vita  95 

Meglio  in  gloria  del  ciel  si  canterebbe,t 
Di  seconda  corona  redimitaj 


*  crebbe:  The  Ottimo  says  that  St.  Francis,  after  that  the 
Order  had  been  so  greatly  augmented,  submitted  to  Pope 
Honorius  that  there  were  some  Friars  who  were  unable  to  en- 
dure the  extreme  rigour  of  the  rule  (non  poteano  si  aspra  vita 
mantenere),  whereupon  the  Pope  authorized  him  to  relax  it  when 
necessary.  Others  say  (adds  the  Ottimo),  that  he  conceded 
to  them  the  authorization  to  administer  the  Sacraments  of  the 
Church,  as  well  as  the  faculty  of  becoming  prelates,  when  so 
appointed. 

t  Meglio  in  gloria  del  ciel  si  canterebbe  :  Brunone  Bianchi  ex- 
plains this  to  mean  that  the  admirable  life  of  St.  Francis  would 
be  more  worthy  to  be  chanted  by  Angels  and  Saints  in  the 
glory  of  the  Heavens,  rather  than  by  the  Friars  on  earth. 
Therefore  in  gloria  del  ciel  must  not  be  translated  "to  the  glory 
of  Heaven,"  though  Benvenuto  does  so  understand  it  (ad gloriam 
gratiae  divinae).  See  Moore's  Studies  in  Dante,  p.  86,  as  to 
the  statement  that  Da  Carbonara  makes  on  the  authority  of 
Prudenzano. 

£  seconda  corona :  Pope  Honorius,  in  1223,  confirmed  the  per- 
mission to  found  the  Order  of  Franciscans  or  Minor  Friars, 
which  Pope  Innocent  III  had  provisionally  granted  in  1214. 
The  consent  of  Honorius  is  said  to  have  been  obtained  through 
the  mediation  of  Cardinal  Ugolino,  afterwards  Pope  Gregory  IX. 


Canto  XI.         Readings  ou  the  Paradiso.  383 

Fu  per  Onorio  dell'  eterno  spiro 
La  santa  voglia  d'esto  archimandrita  :* 
After  that  these  poor  folk  (i.e.  the  Minorite  friars 
devoted  to  poverty)  multiplied,  following  him  whose 
admirable  life  were  best  to  be  chanted  in  the  glory 
of  the  Heavens,  the  holy  purpose  of  this  Archiman- 
drite (i.e.  Abbot  of  many  monasteries)  was  by  the 
Eternal   Spirit  through    Honorius  crowned   with  a 
second  diadem. 

Thomas  Aquinas  then  relates  the  unsuccessful  mis- 
sion of  St.  Francis  to  the  Saracens  in  1219,  his  return 
to  Italy,  and  his  settlement  in  the  Monastery  of 
Alvernia.. Tradition  says  that  in  company  with  twelve 
of  his  brethren  he  went  to  the  East  at  the  time  of  the 
Fifth  Crusade.  At  Ptolemais  he  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Saracens,  or  according  to  others  at  St.  Jean 
d'Acre.  He  boldly  preached  Christ  and  his  Apostles 
before  the  Soldan,  who,  while  wholly  unconverted  by 
his  arguments,  was  much  impressed  by  the  miracles 
which  St.  Francis  was  said  to  have  performed.  Owing 
to  these  he  was  honourably  entertained,  and  set  at 
liberty,  though  Tommaso  da  Celano  relates  that  his 
courteous  treatment  by  the  Soldan  had  been  preceded 
by  much  cruelty  on  the  part  of  the  Saracen  soldiery. 
It  was  after  this  that  St.  Francis  retired  to  Alvernia, 
and  there,  according  to  tradition,  while  absorbed  in 
prayer,  he  was  said  to  have  received  in  his  hands  and 
feet  the  stigmata  of  Christ.  This  was  the  third  and 
final  seal  of  the  Order  of  the  Franciscans. 

*  archimandrita :  Lubin  says  that  this  was  a  title  in  the  Greek 
Church  for  one  who  had  the  supervision  of  many  convents,  and 
corresponds  to  the  title  of  "  Provincial "  in  the  Western  Church. 
Compare  De  Mon.  iii,  9,  11.  123-125:  "Juvat  quippe  talia  de 
Archimandrita  nostro  in  laudem  suae  puritatis  continuasse." 
And  Epist.  viii,  §  6  :  "  nomine  solo  archimandritis." 


384  Readings  on  the  Paradise,         Canto  XI. 

E  poi  che,*  per  la  sete  del  martiro,  100 

Nella  presenza  del  Soldan  superba 
Predico  Cristo  e  gli  altri  che  il  seguiro  ; 

E  per  trovare  a  conversione  acerba 

Troppo  la  gente,  per  non  stare  indarno, 
Reddissi  al  frutto  dell'italica  erba;  105 

Nel  crudo  sasso  intra  Tevero  ed  Arno 
Da  Cristo  prese  1'  ultimo  sigillo,t 
Che  le  sue  membra  due  anni  portarno. 

And  after  that,  through  thirst  of  martyrdom,  in  the 
haughty  presence  of  the  Soldan,  he  had  preached 


*  Epoi  che,  et  seq. :  The  mission  of  St.  Francis  to  the  East  is 
thus  related  by  Tommaso  da  Celano  (pp.  cit.  lib.  i,  cap.  4,  §  23) 
where,  after  saying  that  in  1212  St.  Francis  called  together  all  his 
followers,  he  adds  :  "Et  plura  eis  de  regno  Dei,  de  contemptu 
mundi,  de  abnegatione  propriae  voluntatis  et  proprii  corporis 
subjectione  pronuncians,  binos  illos  in  partes  quatuor  segre- 
gavit,  et  ait  ad  eos  :  '  Ite  cautissimi,  bini  et  bini  per  diversas 
partes  orbis,  annunciantes  pacem  hominibus,  et  poenitentiam 
in  remissionem  peccatorum.  Et  estote  patientes  in  tribula- 
tione,  securi,  quia  propositum  suum  et  promissum  Deus  adim- 
plebit.  Interrogantibus  humiliter  respondete,  persequentibus 
benedicite,  vobis  injurientibus  et  calumniam  referentibus  gratias 
agite :  et  pro  his  regnum  vobis  paratur  aeternum."  Further  on 
Tommaso  da  Celano  relates  that  St.  Francis,  after  having  been  ill- 
treated  by  the  Saracen  soldiery,  "  Soldano  honorifice  plurimum 
est  susceptus." 

t  /'  ultimo  sigillo  :  Scartazzini  says  that  the  legend  of  the  holy 
Stigmata  is  related  in  practically  the  same  language  by  the 
earliest  biographers  of  St.  Francis,  namely,  Tommaso  da  Celano, 
the  Tres  Socii,  and  Bonaventura,  who  state  that,  in  the  year  1224, 
St.  Francis  was  on  Mount  Alvernia  for  the  purpose  of  fasting  for 
forty  days.  He  besought  Our  Lord  that  He  would  vouchsafe  to 
him  the  grace  of  being  enabled  to  have  as  much  corporeal  sen- 
sation as  possible  of  the  sufferings  of  His  Passion.  This  prayer 
was  heard.  Christ  appeared  to  him  in  the  form  of  a  Seraphim, 
and  immediately  St.  Francis  found  upon  his  own  hands  and  feet 
the  print  of  the  nails,  and  in  his  right  side  the  wound  of  the 
spear.  Although  these  wounds  caused  St.  Francis  excruciating 
suffering,  his  heart  was  filled  with  exuberant  gladness.  Lana  says 
that  he  carried  these  wounds  for  two  years,  and  his  brethren  only 
discovered  them  after  his  death. 


Canto  XL         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  385 

Christ  and  the  others  that  followed  Him  (i.e.  the 
apostles  and  martyrs);  and,  because  he  found  the 
(Saracen)  people  too  unripe  for  conversion,  (and)  in 
order  that  he  might  not  remain  there  to  no  purpose, 
he  returned  to  the  harvest  of  the  Italian  crop  ;*  on 
the  rocky  ridge  between  Tiber  and  Arno  (i.e.  on  the 
heights  of  Alvernia  in  the  Casentino),  did  he  receive 
from  Christ  the  final  seal,  which  his  members  bore 
during  two  years. 

The  edifying  death  of  St.  Francis  concludes  the  ac- 
count of  a  beautiful  life  in  which  self  was  wholly 
yielded  to  God  ;  poverty  was  cherished  as  an  inesti- 
mable treasure  ;  and  riches  despised  as  mere  dross. 
Quando  a  colui  ch'a  tanto  ben  sortillo,t 

Piacque  di  trarlo  suso  alia  mercede,  no 

Ch'  ei  merito  nel  farsi  pusillo,!t 
Ai  frati  suoi,  si  com'  a  giuste  erede,§ 

Raccomando  ||  la  sua  donna  piu  cara, 
E  comando  che  1'  amassero  a  fede ; 

*  St.  Francis  returned  to  preach  in  Italy,  so  as  to  make  the 
seed  that  he  had  sown  there  bear  fruit. 

t  sortillo  :  Compare  Petrarch,  Trionfo  della  Fama,  i,  1.  61 : 
"  Perch'  a  si  alto  grado  il  ciel  sortillo." 

$  pusillo  must  by  no  means  be  taken  as  the  same  as  pusil- 
lanimo  (cowardly).  It  means  "poor,  humble,  of  low  estate;" 
also  "  petty-minded  ; "  and  the  Gran  Dizionario  quotes  several 
passages  from  the  works  of  the  celebrated  Jesuit  preacher  of  the 
1 7th  century,  Padre  Segneri,  where  it  is  used  in  that  sense. 

§  giuste  erede :  Erede  is  the  plural  of  ereda,  which  word  we 
find  Dante  using  in  Inf.  xxxi,  116: 

"  Che  fece  Scipipn  di  gloria  ereda." 

Compare  also  Purg.  vii,  118.  Compare  Giov.  Villani,  lib.  iv, 
cap.  20,  where  it  says  of  the  Countess  of  Canossa :  "  E  alia 
perfine,  morto  il  padre  e  la  madre  della  Contessa  Matelda,  ella 
rimasa  ereda  si  diliber6  di  maritare."  See  also  Nannucci,  Teorica 
de1  nomi,  p.  2 1 7  et  seq. 

||  Raccomandb :  On  this  Bonaventura  (p.  781)  relates:  "  Hord 
denique  sui  transitus  propinquante,  fecit  fratres  omnes  existentes 
in  loco  ad  se  vocari,  et  eos  consolatoriis  verbis  pro  sua  morte  de- 
mulcens,  paterno  affectu  ad  divinum  est  hortatus  amorem.  De 

I.  CC 


386  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

E  del  suo  grembo  *  1'  anima  preclara  1 1 5 

Mover  si  voile,  tornando  al  suo  regno, 
Ed  al  suo  corpo  non  voile  altra  bara.t 

When  it  pleased  Him  Who  chose  him  for  so  much 
good,  to  draw  him  up  on  high  to  the  recompense 
which  he  had  merited  in  making  himself  of  low 
estate,  to  his  brotherhood  as  to  his  lawful  heirs,  he 
commended  his  most  dear  lady  (Poverty),  and  com- 
manded them  to  love  her  faithfully ;  and  from  her 
bosom  his  illustrious  soul  willed  to  depart,  returning 
to  its  realm,  nor  for  his  body  would  he  have  any 
other  bier. 

Dionisi  interprets  this :  "  The  Seraphic  St.  Francis 
died  in  the  bosom  of  poverty,  which  was  his  most 
dearly  beloved  lady.  From  thence  his  soul  flew  up  to 
Heaven,  and  the  corpse  remained  in  the  bosom  of  the 
said  poverty  ;  that  was  his  bier,  nor  would  he  have  any 
other." 


Division  IV.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  after  having 
thus  briefly  sketched  out  the  principal  incidents  in  the 
life  of  St.  Francis,  now  returns  to  the  solution  of 
Dante's  first  doubt,  which  was  as  to  St.  Thomas's 
meaning  when  he  said  (x,  94-96)  that  the  lambs  of 

patientia  et  paupertate  et  sanctae  romanae  ecclesiae  fide  ser- 
vandis  sermonem  protraxit,  ceteris  institutis  sanctum  Evan- 
gelium  anteponens." 

*  suo  grembo :  i.e.  "  In  grembo  della  poverta." 
t  non  voile  altra  bara :  I  follow,  as  is  seen  above,  this  inter- 
pretation of  Dionisi  (La  Div.  Com.  di  D.  Al.  di  G.  J.  de'  Dionisi, 
Parma,  1795,  3  v°ls-  folio).  But  some  think  this  alludes  to  the 
circumstances  of  St.  Francis's  death,  when  he  caused  himself  to 
be  stripped  naked,  and  laid  on  the  bare  earth,  and  sprinkled 
with  ashes,  as  a  token  that,  even  when  dying,  he  was  faithful 
to  Poverty,  to  whom  he  had  devoted  his  life.  Anyhow  the  two 
interpretations  come  to  the  same  in  the  end. 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  387 

the  Dominican  flock  fattened  wonderfully  if  they  did 
not  go  astray.  He  tells  Dante  that  when  he  considers 
the  greatness  and  holiness  of  St.  Francis,  he  may  also 
imagine  what  was  the  greatness  and  holiness  of  St. 
Dominic,  to  whose  Order  St.  Thomas  himself  be- 
longed. St.  Dominic,  as  a  colleague  of  St.  Francis, 
had  been  predestined  by  God  to  steer  the  bark  of  the 
Church.  But  the  Dominicans  now  seek  for  honours 
and  prelacies  instead  of  keeping  faithfully  their  ori- 
ginal vow. 

Pensa*  oramai  qual  fu  colui  che  degno 
Collega  fu  a  mantener  la  barca  t 
Di  Pietro  in  alto  mar  per  dritto  segno  !  120 

E  questi  fu  il  nostro  patriarca;$ 

Per  che  qual  segue  lui  com'  ei  comanda, 
Discerner  puoi  che  buone  merce  carca. 
Ma  il  suo  peculio§  di  nuova  vivanda 


*  Pensa  et  seq. :  Casini  explains  this  well :  "  Se  tale  fu  san 
Francesco,  imagina  qual  fosse  san  Domenico,  che  gli  fu  dato 
come  collega  a  salvare  la  Chiesa  in  mezzo  ai  pericoli  delle 
eresie,  indirizzandola  alia  practica  della  pura  fede." 

t  mantener  la  barca:  Compare  Convito  iv,  4,  11.  50-60:  "Sic- 
come  vedemo  in  una  nave,  che  diversi  uffici  e  diversi  fini  di 
quella  a  uno  solo  fine  sono  ordinati,  cioe  a  prendere  lo  desi- 
derato  porto  per  salutevole  via:  dove,  siccome  ciascuno  ufficiale 
ordina  la  propria  operazione  nel  proprio  fine,  cosl  e  uno  che 
tutti  questi  fini  considera,  e  ordina  quelli  nell'  ultimo  di  tutti :  e 
questi  e  il  nocchiere,  alia  cui  vece  tutti  ubbidire  deono.  E  questo 
vedemo  nelle  religion!  (i.e.  in  the  religious  Orders)  e  negh  eser- 
citi."  In  Epist.  vi,  i,  11.  13,  14,  Dante  speaks  of  the  Church  as 
navicula  Petri. 

£  il  nostro  patriarca :  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  being  himself  a 
Dominican,  naturally  calls  St.  Dominic  "our"  patriarch,  as 
having  been  the  founder  of  the  Order. 

§  il  suo  peculio  :  The  Dominican  Order, — peculio  \s  from  the 

Compare  Purg.  xxvii,  82,  83: 
"  E  quale  il  mandrian  che  fuori  alberga, 

Lungo  il  peculio  suo  queto  pernotta." 

CC   2 


388  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.         Canto  XI. 

£  fatto  ghiotto  si  ch'  esser  non  puote  125 

Che  per  diversi  salti*  non  si  spanda; 
E  quantot  le  sue  pecore  remote 

E  vagabonde  piu  da  esso  vanno, 
Piu  tornano  all'ovil  di  lattej  vote. 

Reflect  now  what  man  was  he  (St.  Dominic)  who 
was  the  worthy  colleague  (of  St.  Francis),  to  keep 
the  bark  of  Peter  (i.e.  the  Church)  on  the  deep  sea 
upon  the  right  course  !  And  this  man  was  our 
Patriarch  ;  hence,  whosoever  follows  him  in  the  way 
that  he  commands  (i.e.  according  to  the  rule  of  the 
Dominican  Order),  thou  mayest  see  with  what  good 
merchandise  he  loads  his  ship.  But  his  flock  has 
become  so  greedy  after  new  pasturage  (i.e.  honours 
and  dignities),  that  it  is  not  possible  but  that  they 
be  scattered  about  in  wooded  mountain  glades 
widely  different ;  and  the  more  his  sheep  wander 
afar  and  astray  from  him,  so  much  the  more  empty 
of  milk  do  they  return  to  the  fold. 

St.  Thomas  sadly  remarks  that,  though  the  Order  is 
not  wholly  destitute  of  worthy  brethren,  yet  their 
number  is  small. 

*  salti  is  derived  from  the  Latin  saltus,  which  amongst  other 
significations  has  that  of  woodland,  or  mountain,  pastures.  Salto 
in  modern  Italian  means  "  a  forest "  only.  "  Est  enim  saltus  locus 
herbosus  et  montuosus,  sicut  saepe  patet  apud  antiques  autores." 
(Benvenuto).  Cornoldi  understands  this  terzina:  "  Ma  ora  il  suo 
gregge  (peculio)  d'  altro  cibo  &  ghiotto,  e  pero  deve  sbandarsi 
fuori  dalP  ovile  o  dal  chiostro  in  luoghi  pericolosi."  Compare 
Ezek.  xxxiv,  6:  "My  sheep  wandered  through  all  the  mountains, 
and  upon  every  high  hill." 

t  quanta,  et  seq. :  "  Quanto  piu  i  dominicani  s'  allontanano 
ed  errano  fuori  della  regola  del  fondatore,  ritornano  all'  ordine 
tanto  piu  manchevoli  di  quella  dottrina  teologica,  che  lor  bisogna 
a  confermare  nei  cristiam  la  fede  intepidita."  (Casini).  "Quanto 
piu  si  dilungano  dalla  regola  dell'  ordine,  piu  sono  vote  del  nutri- 
mento  della  regola."  (Ottimd). 

%  latte  :  Compare  I  Pet.  ii,  2 :  "As  newborn  babes,  desire  the 
sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby."  And 
i  Cor.  iii,  2  :  "  I  have  fed  you  with  milk,  and  not  with  meat." 


Canto  XI.         Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  389 

Ben  son  di  quelle*  che  temono  il  danno,  130 

E  stringonsi  al  pastor;  ma  son  si  poche, 
Che  le  cappe  fornisce  poco  panno. 
Some  (sheep,  i.e.  Dominicans)  indeed  there  are  who 
fear  harm  and  keep  close  up  to  the  shepherd ;  but 
they  are  so  few,  that  (but)  little  cloth  will  furnish 
them  with  cowls. 

St.  Thomas  Aquinas  concludes  the  Canto  by  telling 
Dante  that  if  he  has  carefully  followed  his  speech, 
and  grasped  its  full  signification,  he  will  easily  see 
what  has  been  the  object  of  St.  Thomas's  figure  of 
words,  namely,  that  St.  Dominic  guides  his  Order  by 
a  path  in  which  it  can  derive  the  greatest  profit  from 
the  practice  of  Virtue,  or  following  the  figure,  get  fat ; 
provided  always  that  it  doth  not  give  itself  up  to 
vanity,  and  become  a  slave  to  ambition  and  greed,  in 
which  latter  case  it  will  only  get  puffed  up,  a  very 
different  thing  from  being  fattened. 

Or  se  le  mie  parole  non  son  fioche,+ 

Se  la  tua  audienza  e  stata  attenta, 

Se  ci6  ch'ho  detto  alia  mente  rivoche,  135 

In  parte  fia  la  tua  voglia  contenta, 

Perche  vedrai  la  pianta  onde  si  scheggia,! 

E  vedrai  il  coreggier§  che  argomenta, 
'  U'ben  s'  impingua,  se  non  si  vaneggia.'" — 

*  quelle  in  the  feminine  agrees  with  pecore  understood. 

t  fioche :  the  primary  meaning  of  Jioco  is,  one  who  has  an 
impediment  to  the  voice  caused  by  damp,  or  catarrh  that  has 
attacked  the  uvula,  and  the  adjective  is  as  much  used  in  speak- 
ing of  the  voice,  as  of  the  words  uttered  by  that  voice.  Hence 
it  may  mean  either  "hoarse,  feeble,  or  indistinct."  Dr.  Moore 
writes  to  me  that  he  doubts  whether  there  is  a  single  passage  in 
Dante  where  Jioco  means  "  hoarse." 

J  si  scheggia  :  The  tree  at  which  St.  Thomas  had  been  hew- 
ing was,  metaphor  apart,  his  own  Order  of  Dominicans.  Com- 
pare Is.  li,  i :  "  Hearken  to  me,  ye  that  follow  after  righteousness, 
ye  that  seek  the  Lord :  look  unto  the  rock  whence  ye  are  hewn." 

§  coreggier :  This  means  a  Dominican  friar,  from  the  thong 


3QO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XL 

Now  if  my  words  be  not  indistinct,  if  thy  hearing 
has  been  attentive,  if  thou  recall  (also)  to  thy  memory 
that  which  I  have  spoken,  thy  desire  will  in  part  be 
satisfied  (i.e.  thou  wilt  have  had  the  answer  to  the 
first  of  thy  doubts)  because  thou  wilt  discern  the 
tree  from  which  they  have  been  split  off  (i.e.  thou 
wilt  understand  at  what  object  my  words  of  reproof 
have  been  uttered),  and  thou  wilt  see  how  the  wearer 
of  the  thong  reasons  (i.e.  what  the  Dominican  friar 
means  when  he  says,  as  I  did  above)  '  where  they 
will  thrive  well  if  they  go  not  astray.'  " 

of  leather  (coreggia)  which  the  Order  had  adopted  as  a  girdle. 
The  Franciscans  from  the  corda  were  called  cordiglieri  (cor- 
deliers): See  Inf.  xxvii,  67,  68,  where  Guido  da  Montefeltro 
tells  Dante  that  he  quitted  the  profession  of  arms  to  don  the 
cord  in  a  Franciscan  cloister  : 

"  lo  fui  uom  d'arme,  e  poi  fui  cordelliero, 

Credendomi,  si  cinto,  fare  ammenda." 

Another  reading  is  corregger.  It  may  be  noted  that  "corrigia" 
in  the  Vulgate  is  equivalent  to  "  shoe's  latchet "  in  Gen.  xiv,  23, 
and  Is.  v,  27. 


END  OF  CANTO  XI. 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradise.  391 


CANTO   XII. 


THE  FOURTH  HEAVEN,  THE  SPHERE  OF  THE  SUN 
(continued}. — THE  SECOND  GARLAND  OF  GLORI- 
FIED SOULS.— BONAVENTURA,  A  FRANCISCAN, 
CELEBRATES  THE  PRAISES  OF  ST.  DOMINIC,  AND 
CENSURES  THE  DEGENERACY  OF  THE  FRAN- 
CISCANS. —  BONAVENTURA  NAMES  TWELVE 

SPIRITS,   INCLUDING   HIMSELF. 

WE  are  to  suppose  that  Dante  and  Beatrice  have 
remained  in  the  centre  of  the  garland  of  spirits  des- 
cribed in  the  last  Canto,  and  in  this  position  they  are 
to  behold  still  greater  wonders. 

Benvenuto  divides  this  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  21,  a  second 
garland  of  blessed  spirits  appears,  enclosing  the  first 
one. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  22  to  v.  105,  St. 
Bonaventura  relates  the  life  of  St.  Dominic. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  106  to  v.  126,  he 
censures  and  laments  the  degeneracy  of  his  Fran- 
ciscan brethren. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  127  to  v.  145,  St. 
Bonaventura  names  in  order  the  glorious  spirits  form- 
ing the  second  and  outer  garland,  of  whom  he  is  one 

Division  I.      The   text   sufficiently   describes  the 
whole  action  of  the  scene. 


392  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Si  tosto  come  1'  ultima  parola* 

La  benedetta  fiamma  per  dir  tolse,+ 
A  rotar  comincio  la  santa  mola  ;| 

E  nel  suo  giro  tutta  non  si  volse 

Prima  ch'un'altra  di  cerchio  la  chiuse,  5 

E  moto  a  moto,  e  canto  a  canto  colse  ;  § 

Canto,  che  tanto  vince  nostre  Muse, 

Nostre  Sirene,||  in  quelle  dolci  tube, 
Quanto  primo  splendorlT  quel  ch'  ei  refuse.** 


*  F  ultima  parola  :  This  refers  to  vaneggia,  the  last  word  of 
the  previous  canto. 

t  per  dir  tolse :  This  is  equivalent  to  prese  a  dire.  Scartaz- 
zini  says  that  the  use  of  the  particle  per  instead  of  a  is  not  with- 
out authority  nor  example. 

J  santa  mola:  The  Commentators  mostly  agree  that  the  com- 
parison of  the  movement  of  the  garland  of  spirits  to  that  of  a 
mill-stone  is  by  no  means  to  be  taken  as  indicative  of  their 
speed,  but  of  their  horizontal  gyration.  The  Gran  Dizionario, 
referring  to  this  passage,  says  of  mola,  §  5  :  "  1'  uso  Dante  a 
significare,  Una  schiera  d  anime  beate,  che,  facendo  cerchio  al 
poeta  gli  si  giravano  intorno."  Compare  Par.  xxi,  80,  81 : 
"...  del  suo  mezzo  fece  il  lume  centro, 

Girando  s£  come  veloce  mola." 

compare  also  Con-vita,  iii,  5  passim,  where  Dante  likens  the 
diurnal  movement  (according  to  the  Ptolemaic  system)  of  the 
sun  to  that  of  a  mill- stone. 

§  The  Gran  Dizionario,  s.v.  cogliere  §  9,  says  of  colse  in  this 
particular  passage :  "  Per  far  corrispondere,"  which  I  have 
translated :  "  adjusted." 

||  nostre  Muse,  Nostre  Sirene :  These,  says  Casini,  "sono 
secondo  i  piii  degli  interpreti  i  poeti  e  le  cantatrici  (as  for  in- 
stance Virgil  is  called  nostra  maggior  Musa  in  Par.  xv,  26), 
cioe  quelli  che  piu  dolcemente  usano  dell'  umana  favella ;  secondo 
altri,  sarebbero  proprio  le  Muse  e  le  Sirene  della  mitologia." 

IT  Quanto  primo  splendor:  Dante  has  a  decided  liking  for 
this  simile.  See  Purg.  xv,  16 ;  Par.  i,  49-51;  Par.  xxxiii,  127, 
et  seq. 

**  refuse:  Dante  uses  rifondere  for  riflettere  in  Par.  ii,  88-90: 
'  Ed  indi  1'  altrui  raggio  si  rifonde 

Cosi,  come  color  torna  per  vetro, 

Lo  qual  diretro  a  se  piombo  nasconde." 


Canto  xil.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  393 

So  soon  as  the  blessed  flame  (i.e.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas) 
had  commenced  uttering  the  final  word  of  his  speech, 
the  holy  mill-stone  (i.e.  circle  of  spirits)  began  to  re- 
volve; and  in  its  gyration  had  not  made  one  complete 
circuit,  before  another  (garland  of  spirits)  enclosed  it 
in  a  circle,  and  adjusted  motion  to  motion,  and  song 
to  song ;  a  song  that  as  much  surpasses  (that  of)  our 
Muses,  our  Sirens,  in  those  melodious  pipes  (i.e. 
voices),  as  the  primal  splendour  (the  Sun)  that  (ray) 
which  it  reflected. 

Tommaseo  desires  our  special  attention  to  the  evident 
difference  of  the  praises  of  the  two  men  and  their  two 
Orders.  First,  round  Dante  and  Beatrice  is  formed 
the  circle  of  the  Dominicans,  and  round  it  the  garland 
of  the  Franciscans  like  a  double  rainbow ;  and  as  in 
the  motions  of  the  heavens  the  farthest  off  is  the  most 
rapid,  as  well  as  the  most  divine,  so  here  the  Fran- 
ciscans, to  make  the  gyrations  harmonize  with  those 
of  the  Dominicans,  must  perforce  make  them  more 
rapid.  Dante  compares  the  two  choirs  of  spirits  to 
the  concentric  circles  of  a  double  rainbow,  and  their 
chanting  to  the  voice  of  the  echo,  because  the  voices 
of  the  encircling  choir  repeated  the  voices  of  the  en- 
circled one. 

Come  si  volgon  per  tenera  nube*  10 

Due  archi  t  paralleli  e  concolori, 


*  tenera  nube :  "  Questo  tenera,  val  molle,  come  spugna;  et  e 
in  uso  anche  a'  Latini."    (Cesart).     "  Si  nubes  est  tenera,  idest 
non  grossa."    (Post.  Cass.).     Compare  Lucretius  ii,  144,  145: 
"  Et  variae  volucres,  nemora  avia  pervolitantes 

Aifra  per  tenerum,  liquidis  loca  vocibus  opplent." 
and  Ibid,  i,  207,  208  : 

"  Semine  quando  opus  est  rebus,  quo  quaeque  creatae 

Aeris  in  teneras  possent  proferrier  auras." 
t  Due  archi,  etc.:  "  Nella  31  del  xxv  Purg.  il  Poeta  accennfc 
in  generale  alia  natura  del  fenomeni  lucidi  degli  aloni  (Halos)  e 


394  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Quando  Junone  a  sua  ancella*  iube, 
Nascendo  di  quel  d'  entro  quel  di  fuori,t 
A  guisa  del  parlar  di  quella  vaga,$ 
Ch'  amor  consunse  §  come  sol  vapori ;  15 


dell'  iride ;  qui  specialmente  a  quest'  ultima  descrivendola  quando 
ci  si  presenta  piii  bella  in  arco  duplice  e  ben  determinate."  (An- 
tonelli  ap.  Tommaseo.) 

*  sua  ancella,  i.e.  Iris,  the  daughter  of  Thaumas,  the  messen- 
ger of  the  Gods  in  general,  though  more  especially  so  of  Juno. 
Compare  Purg.  xxi,  49-51 : 

"  Nuvole  spesse  non  paion,  ne  rade, 

Ne  corruscar,  ne  figlia  di  Taumante, 
Che  di  la  cangia  sovente  contrade." 
Compare  also  Ovid,  Metam.  i,  270,  271 : 

"  Nuntia  Junonis,  varies  induta  colores, 
Concipit  Iris  aquas,  alimentaque  nubibus  affert." 

t  Nascendo  di  quel  d*  entro  quel  di  fuori :  "Avendo  posto 
mente  il  nostro  attento  osservatore,  che  1'  arco  esteriore  e  meno 
vivace  dell'  interiore,  e  inversamente  colorato,  ha  supposto  che 
quel  di  fuori  nascesse  per  reflessione  da  quel  di  dentro,  pren- 
dendo  similitudine  dall'  esempio  dell'  eco ;  .  .  .  .  ma  veramente 
e  1'  uno  e  1'  altro  arco  si  origina  dal  sole  nelle  stesse  circostanze 
general!  di  tenerezza  di  nube,  cioe  di  nuvolo  disteso  risolventesi 
in  pioggia ;  senonche  nei  raggi  dell'  estremo  segue  una  doppia 
reflessione."  (Antonelli  ap.  Tommase'o.) 

£  A  guisa  del  parlar  di  quella  vaga :  i.e.  In  the  same  way  that 
the  sound  of  the  echo  is  produced  by  the  reflection  of  the  voice. 
Echo  was  the  daughter  of  Ae'r  and  Tellus.  She  awoke  the 
wrath  of  Juno  by  becoming  the  confidant  of  Jupiter's  amours, 
and  was  by  that  goddess  deprived  of  the  power  of  speech,  except 
that  of  repeating  the  last  syllables  of  words  spoken  by  other 
people.  Pan  was  one  of  Echo's  admirers.  After  being  punished 
by  Juno,  she  fell  in  love  with  Narcissus;  but  being  despised  by 
him,  she  pined  away  with  grief,  and  was  transformed  into  a  stone, 
which  repeated  people's  words.  Casini  observes  that  Dante  makes 
use  here  of  a  second  simile  included  in  the  principal  one,  and,  as 
if  that  were  not  enough,  adds  a  third  to  elucidate  the  vanishing 
of  Echo;  and  this  is  not,  he  thinks,  a  superfluity,  as  Tommase'o 
contends,  but  a  wealth  of  phantasy,  by  means  of  which  Dante 
obtains  in  the  very  brevity  of  his  diction  the  most  marvellous 
effects  of  art,  in  turning  the  reader's  attention  to  the  most  varied 
phenomena. 

§  consunse :  This  word  is  said  by  Venturi  (Simil.  35)  to  epi- 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  395 

E  fanno  qui  la  gente  esser  presaga,* 
Per  lo  patto  che  Dio  con  No£  pose, 
Del  t  mondo  che  giammai  piu  non  si  allaga : 

Cosi  di  quelle  sempiterne  rose 

Volgeansi  circa  noi  le  due  ghirlande,  20 

E  si  1'estrema  all' ultima  rispose.J 

As  within  a  tender  (i.e.  moist  and  transparent)  cloud 
two  bows  parallel  and  of  like  hues  make  their  curve, 
when  Juno  gives  the  order  (to  descend)  to  her  hand- 
maid (Iris),  the  exterior  (bow)  taking  its  birth  from 
the  inner,  like  the  speech  of  that  wanderer  (i.e.  the 
Nymph  Echo),  whom  love  consumed  as  the  sun 
(consumes)  the  vapours;  and  they  (the  two  rain)- 
bows)  make  men  on  earth  to  be  prescient,  by  reason 
of  the  covenant  that  God  established  with  Noah, 
respecting  the  world,  that  nevermore  shall  it  be  sub- 
merged by  a  flood :  in  like  manner  were  the  two 
garlands  of  those  sempiternal  roses  revolving  round 
us,  and  in  like  manner  did  the  outermost  one  cor- 
respond to  the  innermost. 

The  subjoined  diagram  will  greatly  facilitate  the 
reader's  comprehension  of  the  double  garland  of 
spirits  that  forms  the  subject  of  this  Canto,  and  will 

tomize  admirably  the  long  account  of  Ovid  (Metam.  iii,  339-510), 
and  especially  illustrates  Ovid's  word  attenuant  in  11.  396,  397 : 
"  Attenuant  vigiles  corpus  miserabile  curae: 
Adducitque  cutem  macies." 

*  fanno  .  .  .  la  gente  .  .  .  presaga:  Men  have  a  foresight  on 
seeing  the  rainbow,  that  the  bow  that  God  has  set  in  the  hea- 
vens is  a  sure  token  that  "  the  waters  shall  no  more  become  a 
flood  to  destroy  all  flesh."  (Gen.  ix,  15.) 

+  Del  stands  here  for  the  Latin  de,  and  is  equivalent  (says 
Scartazzini)  to  quanta  al  mondo,  circa  al  mondo,  i.e.  "  with  re- 
spect to  the  world,  as  regards  the  world." 

J  risposc  (says  Tommase'o)  is  equivalent  to  corrispose,  in  the 
Latin  sense  of  proportion.  "  Dice,  che  le  due  ghirlande  di  quelle 
anime  beate  si  volgeano  intorno  di  Beatrice  e  di  Dante  ;  e  cosl 
rispose  quella  strema,  cio£  di  fuori,  a  quell'  ultima,  cioe  di 
dentro."  (Ottimo.) 


396 


Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  XII. 


at  the  same  time  illustrate  Dante's  description  of  the 
inner  garland,  first  mentioned  in  Par.  x,  64  et  seq. 


ABBOT  JOACHIM 


ST.  BONAVENTURA£ 


•ILLUMINATO 


RABANUS  MAURUS" 


OONATUS 


CHBY50STOM 


PI  ETRO 


ATHAN  THE  PROPHET 


PETRUS  HI3PANOS 


St.  Thomas  Aquinas  had  commenced  the  enume- 
ration of  his  companions  from  his  right.  Poletto 
thinks  it  most  probable  that  St.  Bonaventura  did  the 
same.  Only  we  must  remember  that  St.  Bonaventura 
was  behind  Dante,  who,  on  hearing  his  voice  (11.  29,  30) 
executed  a  volte-face  (mi  fece  .  .  .  volgermi  alsuo  dove), 
and  therefore  No.  I  in  the  outer  circle  is  not  in  the 
same  direction  as  No.  I  in  the  inner  circle,  and  so  with 
the  other  numbers  respectively. 

Division  II.  Dante  describes  how  the  dance  and 
the  song  suddenly  cease,  and  how  one  of  the  spirits, 
who,  we  learn,  is  St.  Bonaventura,  a  Franciscan,  from 
the  outer  garland  commences  to  praise  St.  Dominic  ; 


Canto  XII.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  397 

Dante,  on  hearing  the  voice,  turns  to  it  as  quickly  as 
does  the  magnetised  needle  to  the  polar  star.  Before 
Bonaventura  recounts  the  life  of  St.  Dominic,  he  ex- 
plains that  the  motive  which  induces  him  to  do  so  is 
celestial  love. 

Poich£  il  tripudio  e  1'  alta  festa  grande, 
Si  del  cantare  e  si  del  fiammeggiarsi,* 
Luce  con  luce  gaudiose  e  blande,t 
Insieme  a  puntoj  ed  a  voler  quetarsi,  25 

Pur  come  gli  occhi  ch'  al  piacer  che  i  move 
Conviene  insieme  chiudere  e  levarsi, 
Del  cor  dell'  una  delle  luci  nuove 

Si  mosse  voce,  che  1'  ago  §  alia  Stella 

*  fiammeggiarsi :  This,  thinks  Scartazzini,  means  that  each 
spirit  was  rivalling  in  brilliancy  with  its  companions  in  token  of 
Holy  Love.  Compare  Par.  xv,  73-75  : 

"  L'  afletto  e  il  senno, 
Come  la  prima  Equalita  v'  apparse, 
D'  un  peso  per  ciascun  di  voi  si  fenno." 

t  gaudiose  e  blande:  Cesari,  full  of  admiration  of  this  passage, 
exclaims :  "  Queste  espressive  e  vibrate  e  dolci  parole,  di  tri- 
pudio, festa,  fiammeggiarsi,  gaudiose  e  blande,  comprendono  ed 
imprimono  ne'lettori  un  sentimento  di  dolce  allegrezza  con 
qualche  scotimento  ;  perchk  al  tutto  si  pare  quella  danza  non 
iscapestrata  (disorderly),  ma  modesta,  e  tuttavia  giubilante." 

J  a  punto :  "  Come  gli  occhi  al  cenno  della  volontk  si 
aprono  e  si  chiudono,  cosi  in  un  punto  solo  ristettero  quelle 
luci."  (Cornoldi).  "  Nella  stessa  guisa  che  gli  occhi  si  chiudono 
o  si  levano  a  guardare  con  atto  simultaneo,  secondo  che  li 
muove  il  desiderio."  (Casini).  Compare  Par.  xx,  146-148  : 

"  io  vidi  le  due  luci  benedette, 
Pur  come  batter  d'  occhi  si  concorda, 
Con  le  parole  mover  le  fiammette." 

§  ago:  Scartazzini  says  that  Dante,  in  the  most  graceful 
manner,  likens  his  own  eagerness,  to  turn  quickly  round  towards 
this  new  brilliant  spirit,  to  the  recent  discovery  of  a  great  Italian 
genius.  It  is  to  Flavio  Gioja,  a  pilot  on  the  Amalfitan  coast,  to 
whom  we  owe  the  compass  in  its  practical  serviceable  form, 
although  the  use  of  the  magnetic  needle  has  been  attributed  to 
ages  far  more  remote,  and  even  the  Etruscans  have  been  credited 


398  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Parer  mi  fece  in  volgermi  al  suo  dove  ;*  30 

E  comincio  : — "L'amor  che  mi  fa  bellat 

Mi  tragge  a  ragionar  dell'altro  duca, 

Per  cui  del  mio  si  ben  ci  si  favella. 
Degno  e  che  dove  1'  un,  1'  altro  s'  induca, 

Si  che  com'  elli  ad  una  militaro,  35 

Cosi  la  gloria  loro  insieme  luca. 

After  that  the  dance  and  the  great  and  exalted  fes- 
tivity, both  of  the  singing  and  the  flaming  forth,  light 
with  light  blithe  and  tender,  together  at  the  same 
instant,  and  with  one  single  will  had  come  to  rest, 
even  as  the  eyes  which  at  the  volition  that  moves 
them  must  perforce  shut  and  raise  themselves  to- 
gether, (then)  from  the  heart  of  one  of  the  new.  lights 
(i.e.  from  one  of  the  spirits  in  the  garland  that  had 
last  come  into  view)  there  came  a  voice  which  made 
me,  in  my  turning  to  its  whereabout,  resemble  the 
(magnetized)  needle  (darting  round)  to  the  (polar) 
star ;  and  it  began  :  "  The  Love  that  makes  me 
beautiful  prompts  me  to  discourse  about  the  other 
leader  (St.  Dominic),  by  whom  (i.e.  through  his  fol- 
lower Aquinas)  such  good  is  spoken  to  us  of  mine. 
It  is  right  that  where  one  is,  the  other  should  be 

with  the  discovery  of  Britain  by  the  help  of  a  needle  that  always 
pointed  to  the  north.  Anyhow  the  use  of  the  compass  was 
known  to  several  Italian  writers  that  lived  before  Dante,  such 
as  Guido  Guinicelli,  Matteo  di  Rieco  da  Messina,  and  Pier  delle 
Vigne. 

*  dove  :  Compare  Par.  iii,  88,  89  : 

"  Chiaro  mi  fu  allor  com'  ogni  dove 

In  cielo  e  Paradiso." 

I  have  translated  al  suo  dove  "  to  its  whereabout."  Compare 
Shakespeare,  Macbeth,  act  ii,  scene  i  : 

•'  Thou  sure  and  firm-set  earth, 
Hear  not  my  steps,  which  way  they  walk,  for  fear 
Thy  very  stones  prate  of  my  whereabout." 
t  mi  fa  bella:  In  Purg.  ii,  75,  we  read  that  the  newly  arrived 
spirits  in  Purgatory  are  so  astounded  on  ascertaining,  by  seeing 
him  breathe,  that  Dante  is  a  living  man,  that  they  flock  around 
him,  and  quite  forget  that  they  must  hasten  to  their  purgation  : 
"  Quasi  obbliando  d'  ire  a  farsi  belle.'' 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  399 

introduced,  so  that  as  together  they  waged  their  war- 
fare, so  together  their  glory  should  shine  forth. 

The  meaning  of  the  last  six  verses  is  that,  as  by  the 
mouth  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  it  is  Dominic  himself 
who  has  spoken  in  such  high  praise  of  St.  Bonaven- 
tura's  leader,  St.  Francis ;  so  it  is  meet  that  St.  Francis 
shall  in  his  turn  speak  in  praise  of  his  fellow-soldier 
St.  Dominic,  by  the  mouth  of  a  Franciscan,  St.  Bona- 
ventura. 

Before  narrating  the  life  of  St.  Dominic,  St.  Bona- 
ventura  premises,  by  remarking  incidentally,  that  God 
of  His  Infinite  Grace  provided  the  Church,  while  it 
was  yet  but  weak  and  vacillating,  with  two  great 
leaders,  namely  Francis  and  Dominic. 
L'  esercito  di  CRISTO,*  che  si  caro 

Cost6  a  riarmar,t  dietro  all'  insegna 
Si  movea  tardo,  suspiccioso  e  raro  ;t 
Quando  lo  Imperador  che  sempre  regna,§  40 


*  L'  esercito  di  Cristo :  The  Church — The  Christian  people. 

t  riarmar :  This  carries  on  the  metaphor  of  the  esercito. 
Giuliani  reads  riamar,  which  he  compares  with  Par.  xxxiii,  7. 
Compare  Convito  iv,  5, 11.  16-23 :  "Volendo  la  smisurabile  Bonta 
divina  1'  umana  creatura  a  se  riconformare,  che  per  lo  peccato 
della  prevaricazione  del  primo  uomo  da  Dio  era  partita  e  dis- 
formata,  eletto  fu  in  quell'  altissimo  e  congiuntissimo  Consistoro 
divino  della  Trinita,  che  '1  Figliuolo  di  Dio  in  terra  discendesse 
a  fare  questa  concordia." 

J  tardo^  suspiccioso  e  raro:  "Dice  che  1'oste  di  Cristo,  cioe  li 
Cristiani  si  moveano  tardi,  sospettosi  e  radi  dietro  alia  insegna. 
Nota  tre  difetti,  tarditade  cioe,  lentezza,  e  pigrezza  in  operare  ; 
sospettoso,  nota  vacillitade  ed  inconstanza  circa  la  fede  ;  rado, 
cioe  poca  gente  andava  in  quell' oste,  la  quale  oste  cost6  cosl 
cara  a  riarmarla.  Oh  quanto  sangue  innocente  e  giusto  si  spese 
per  riarmarla!  tutti  i  santi  libri  ne  sono  pieni."  (Ultimo). 

§  lo  Imperador  che  sempre  rcgna  :  Compare  Inf.  i,  124 : 

"...  quello  Imperador  che  lassii  regna." 
and  Par.  xxv,  41 :  "lo  nostro  Imperadore."    And  Convito  iii,  12, 


4OO  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  XII. 

Provvide  alia  milizia  ch'  era  in  forse,* 
Per  sola  grazia,  non  per  esser  degna  ; 
E  com'  e  detto,  a  sua  sposa  soccorse 

Con  due  campioni,  al  cui  fare,  al  cui  dire 
Lo  popol  disviato  si  raccorse.  45 

The  army  of  Christ,  which  it  cost  so  dear  to  re-equip, 
was  marching  after  its  banner  (the  Cross)  slowly,  full 
of  doubt,  and  with  thin  ranks,  when  the  Emperor 
(God),  Who  reigns  for  ever,  made  provision  for  His 
soldiers  that  were  in  jeopardy  (from  doubts  as  to 
Divine  Succour),  of  His  Grace  alone,  not  through 
its  deserving ;  and,  as  has  been  said  (see  xi,  35)  He 
sent  to  the  succour  of  His  Bride  two  champions,  at 
whose  deeds,  at  whose  words,  the  people  rallied  who 
had  gone  astray. 

God  created  Man  armed  with  the  panoply  wherewith 
to  resist  the  arts  of  the  adversary.  By  sin  Man  found 
himself  disarmed,  so  that  he  was  unable  any  more  to 
save  and  defend  himself.  But  Christ  the  Redeemer 
by  His  precious  blood  equipped  him  afresh  in  the 
panoply  of  God,  and  set  him  to  march,  as  a  soldier  of 
Christ,  after  the  Cross,  the  Standard  of  Man's  redemp- 
tion. But  the  ranks  of  the  army  were  full  of  doubts, 

11.  114-116:  "O  nobilissimo  ed  eccellentissimo  cuore,  che  nella 
sposa  dell'  Imperadore  del  Cielo  s'  intende  !" 

*  in  forse :  See  Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  forse,  §  4  :  "  Con  la 
particella  In  avanti  vale  In  dubbio,  in  timore,  in  pertcolo." 
Compare  Inf.  viii,  109-110: 

"  Cosl  sen  va,  e  quivi  m'  abbandona 

Lo  dolce  padre,  ed  io  rimango  in  forse."    (i.e.  in 
doubt  and  fear).     And  Inf.  xvii,  94-96 : 

"  Ma  esso  che  altra  volta  mi  sovvenne 
Ad  altro  forse,  tosto  ch'  io  montai, 
Con  le  braccia  m'avvinse  e  mi  sostenne." 
And  Boccaccio,  Decam.  Giorn.  v,  nov.  9  :  "  Rimasa  fuor  della 
speranza  d'  avere  il  falcone,  e  per  quello  della  salute  del  figliuolo 
entrata  in  forse."    The  note  on  this  passage  in  Boccaccio  men- 
tions the  use  by  Petrarch  of  the  verb  inforsare  in  the  sense  of 
mettere  in  forse. 


Canto  xii.       Readings  on  the  Paradise.  401 

by  reason  of  the  heresies  introduced  into  the  Church, 
and  the  combatants  were  but  lukewarm  and  indif- 
ferent, when  their  enthusiasm  was  suddenly  aroused 
by  the  two  fiery  warriors  whom  God  set  at  their  head 
to  lead  them  forth  to  victory. 

St.  Dominic's  birthplace  is  first  mentioned  by 
Bonaventura. 

In  quella  parte*  ove  surge  ad  aprire 
Zeffiro  dolce  le  novelle  fronde,t 
Di  che  si  vede  Europa  rivestire, 
Non  molto  lungi  al  percoter  dell'  onde, 

Dietro  alle  quali,  per  la  lunga  foga,  J  50 

Lo  sol  tal  volta§  ad  ogni  uom  si  nasconde, 

*  In  quella  parte:  In  Spain,  where  the  west  wind  rises,  which 

carries  the  spring  into  the  whole  of  Europe,  not  far  from  the 

Bay  of  Biscay,  was  the  birthplace  of  St.  Dominic.     The  ancients 

believed  in  the  fecundating  powers  of  the  Zephyr,  or,  as  it  was 

also  called,  the  Favonian  wind.    Compare  Ovid,  Metam.  i,  63, 64: 

"Vesper,  et  occiduo  quae  littora  sole  tepescunt, 

Proxima  sunt  Zephyro."     And  ibid,  107,  108  : 

"Ver  erat  aeternum,  placidique  tepentibus  auris 

Mulcebant  Zephyri  natos  sine  semine  flores." 
and  Lucretius  i,  10,  11: 

"  Nam,  simul  ac  species  patefacta  est  verna  diei, 

Et  reserata  viget  genitabilis  aura  Favoni." 
t  novelle  fronde :  Compare  Purg.  xxxiii,  143,  144: 
"  Rifatto  si,  come  piante  novelle 

Rinnovellate  di  novella  fronda." 

I  foga :  the  literal  sense  of  this  word  is  "  impetuous  course." 
The  Gran  Dizionario  is  very  precise  in  denying  that  it  has 
any  connection  with  focus,  as  some  translators  have  supposed  : 
"Impeto,  Furia,  Andamento,  oOperamento  sollecito,  frettoloso, 
senza  riposo.  Non  da  Foats,  ma  da  Fuga,  che  dicesi  per  Moto 
rapidoanche  non  di  chi  scappa."  Compare  fougue  'AnAfougeux 
in  French. 

§  tal  volta(i.e.  sometimes):  "  Quando  siamo  verso  il  colmo 
della  state,  e  percio  non  sempre  (tal  volta),  rispetto  all'  Italia  il 
sole  andando  per  la  lunga  sua  foga  o  corso,  si  nasconde  al  di  la 
dell'acque  dell' Oceano  nella  direzione  del  lito,  non  lungi  dal 
quale  siede  Callaroga."  (Cornoldi). 

I.  DD 


4O2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XII. 

Siede  la  fortunata  Calaroga,* 

Sotto  la  protezion  del  grande  scudo, 
In  che  soggiace  il  leone  e  soggioga. 

In  that  region  (Spain  in  the  West)  where  the  gentle 
Zephyr  rises  to  open  the  young  leaves,  with  which 
(the  whole  of)  Europe  is  seen  to  attire  herself 
anew,  not  very  far  from  the  beating  of  the  waves 
(i.e.  not  far  from  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic) — behind 
which,  during  the  time  when  his  course  is  long  (i.e. 
in  the  longest  days),  the  Sun  conceals  himself  at 
times  from  every  man — is  situated  highly-favoured 
(i.e.  happy)  Calaroga,  under  the  protection  of  the 
mighty  shield,  within  which  the  Lion  is  subjected 
and  subjugates. 

Mr.  Haselfoot  explains  that  during  the  summer  solstice 
the  sun  sets  in  the  Atlantic  directly  opposite  the  West 
coast  of  Spain.  Dante  says  that  he  then  conceals 
himself  from  all  men's  sight,  because  the  other  hemi- 
sphere was  supposed  to  consist  entirely  of  ocean,  and 
to  be  uninhabited. 

Having  defined  Calaroga  in  Spain  as  the  place  of 
St.  Dominic's  birth,  St.  Bonaventura  expatiates  upon 
that  saint's  infancy,  his  early  virtues,  and  the  curious 
legend  about  his  mother's  dream. 

Dentro  vi  nacque  1' amoroso  drudot  55 

Delia  fede  cristiana,  il  santo  atleta, 

*  Calaroga,  anciently  called  Calagurris,  but  now  known  as 
Calahorra,  was  a  city  in  the  dominion  of  the  Kings  of  Old 
Castile,  in  whose  arms  were  quartered  two  castles  and  two 
lions,  one  lion  being  above  one  of  the  castles,  and  the  other 
lion  beneath  the  other  castle,  and  that  is  the  meaning  of  the 
lion  subject  and  the  lion  subjugating.  Alfonso  VIII  was  King 
of  Castile  (1158-1214)  at  the  time  that  St.  Dominic  was  born 
(1170). 

t  drudo :  This  word  in  modern  Italian  signifies  "a  paramour," 
nor  could  it,  I  imagine,  be  used  nowadays  except  in  a  bad  sense, 
in  which  Dante  also  uses  it,  in  Inf.  xviii,  134,  and  Purg.  xxxii, 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  403 

Benigno  ai  suoi,  ed  ai  nemici  crudo;* 
E  come  fu  creata,  fu  repleta 

Si  la  sua  mente  di  viva  virtute, 

Che  nella  madre  lei  fece  profeta.t  60 

Therein  (at  Calaroga)  was  born  the  ardent  lover  of 
the  Christian  Faith  (Dominic),  the  holy  champion, 
gentle  to  his  own  (the  Faithful),  and  pitiless  to  his 
enemies  (i.e.  to  Infidels  and  Heretics) ;  and  as  soon 

155.  But,  as  the  Gran  Dizionario  shows,  "  II  primo  senso,  e  di 
Fedele,  Vassallo"  and  the  Gran  Dizionario  then  quotes  the  fol- 
lowing from  the  life  of  St.  Anthony :  "  Sforzatevi  di  mantenervi 
sempre  fedeli  drudi  del  Barone  missere  Jesu  Cristo."  In  its 
secondary  signification  drudo  =  Amante,  Vagp.  And  (3)  "Per 
amante  disonesto ;  ed  oggi  si  usa  soltanto  in  questo  senso." 
Many  words  have  considerably  modified  their  original  meaning 
since  Dante's  time,  just  as  in  old  English,  the  words  "knave," 
"  wench,"  etc.  meant  nothing  disparaging.  In  the  present  pas- 
sage, according  to  the  Gran  Dizionario,  we  are  to  take  St. 
Dominic  as  "  non  solo  come  amatore,  ma  come  Fedele." 

*  ai  nemici  crudo :  St.  Dominic  waged  a  cruel  exterminating 
war  against  the  Albigenses.  In  his  Studies  in  Dante,  p.  16, 
Dr.  Moore  writes :  "  In  Par.  xii,  57,  we  are  rather  startled  to 
find  a  line  the  exact  resemblance  of  which  to  Euripides,  Medea, 
1.  809,  can  hardly  be  accidental.  Compare  ftapelav  fxfyou  Kal 
$(\oiffiv  efyxfj/ij  with  '  Benigno  ai  suoi  ed  ai  nemici  crudo.'  Such 
a  sentiment,  however,  may  well  have  occurred  in  a  Latin  form 
in  a  collection  of  '  Elegant  Extracts. ' " 

t  Rohrbacher  (Histoire  universelle  de  VEglise  catholique, 
Paris,  1849;  29  vols.  8vo,  xvii,  1.  71):  relates  that  Dominic's 
mother  beheld  in  a  dream  the  fruit  of  her  womb  in  the  form  of 
a  dog  which  held  a  lighted  torch  in  its  mouth,  and  fled  forth 
from  her  to  set  the  whole  world  on  fire.  Feeling  much  dis- 
turbed at  a  presage,  of  which  she  could  not  understand  the 
import,  she  used  to  go  frequently  to  pray  at  the  tomb  of  St. 
Dominic  of  Silo,  formerly  abbot  of  the  monastery  of  that 
name,  not  far  from  Calaroga,  and  as  a  thank-offering  for  the 
consolations  she  so  obtained,  gave  the  name  of  Dominic  to  the 
son  who  had  been  the  object  of  her  prayers.  The  dream  of  St. 
Dominic's  mother  afterwards  formed  the  subject  of  the  arms  of 
the  Dominican  Order.  The  dog  seen  in  the  dream  is  said  to 
have  been  black  and  white,  and  hence  the  habit  assumed  by  the 
Order.  The  word  "  Dominicani"  has  lent  itself  to  a  play  on  the 
words  "  Domini  canes." 

DD   2 


404  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XII. 

as  his  soul  was  created,  it  was  so  filled  with  living 
power,  that  it  (that  power)  while  he  was  still  in  (the 
womb  of)  his  mother  made  her  prophetic. 

Aa  allusion  is  now  made  to  a  second  dream,  in  which 
Dominic's  godmother  thought  she  saw  one  star  upon 
the  child's  brow,  and  another  on  the  nape  of  his  neck, 
which  two  stars  illuminated  the  East  and  the  West. 
This  second  dream  took  place  after  Dominic's  bap- 
tism ;  the  first  one,  dreamed  by  his  mother,  before  his 

birth. 

Poiche  le  sponsalizie*  fur  compiute 

Al  sacro  fonte  intra  lui  e  la  fede, 

U'  si  dotar  di  mutua  salute  ;t 
La  donna t  che  per  lui  1'assenso  diede, 

Vide  nel  sonno  il  mirabile  frutto  65 

Ch'  uscir  dovea  di  lui  e  delle  erede ;  § 
E  perche  fosse  quale  era  in  costrutto,|| 

*  le  sponsalizie :  "  Poi  che  al  sacro  fonte  del  battesimo  si  fece 
sposo  della  Fede."  (Daniello.)  Dr.  Moore  suggests  to  me  that 
there  is  perhaps  an  intentional  parallel  here  between  the  mar- 
riage of  St.  Dominic  and  Faith,  and  that  of  St.  Francis  and 
Poverty. 

•f  mutua  salute:  Tommase"o  explains  this  to  mean  that 
Dominic  undertook  to  fight  for  the  security  of  the  Faith,  and 
the  Faith  promised  Dominic  Eternal  Salvation. 

X  La  donna:  Not  the  mother,  but  the  godmother.  "Ilia 
matrona,  quae  in  baptismo  dicti  sancti  Dominici  dedit  assen- 
sum  abrenuntiando  Satanae,  ut  fit  in  tali  actu,  somniavit  ante 
dictum  puerum  in  fronte  portare  quamdam  stellam,  quae  lumen 
et  directionem  ad  portum  salutis  denotat."  (Pietro  di  Dante.) 
In  the  above  commentary,  as  in  that  of  Benvenuto,  we  see 
that  only  one  star  is  mentioned  in  the  dream,  but  others  state 
that  one  star  was  seen  on  the  child's  brow,  and  another  on  the 
nape  of  his  neck. 

§  erede:  Compare  1.  112  of  the  last  Canto,  where  the  heirs  of 
St.  Francis  are  spoken  of  as  Ai  frati  sum',  si  con?  a  giuste  erede. 
Therefore  the  le  erede  of  St.  Dominic  are  the  Friars  of  his 
Order. 

||  perche  fosse  .  .  .  in  costrutto :  "  idest  in  loquela  vel  nomine 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  405 

Quinci  si  mosse  spirito  a  nomarlo 
Del  possessive*  di  cui  era  tutto. 

Dominico  fu  detto ;  ed  io  ne  parlo  70 

Si  come  dell'  agricolat  che  CRISTO 
Elesse  all'  orto  suo  per  aiutarlo. 

After  that  the  espousals  had  been  completed  at  the 
sacred  Font  between  him  and  the  Faith  (at  his 
Baptism),  where  they  dowered  each  other  (i.e.  by 
exchanging  pledges)  with  mutual  security ;  the  lady, 
who  on  his  behalf  had  given  assent  (when  the  Bap- 


talis  .  .  .  qual  era,  scilicet  in  re  et  facto."  (Benvenuto.) 
"  affinche  fosse  nella  costruzione  del  nome  quel  ch'  egli  era  in  s£ 
stesso,  cioe  del  Signore  (Dominicus)nel  nome,  come  del  Signore 
era  in  tutto  se."  (Brun.  Bianchi.) 

*  possessive :  The  possessive  adjective  of  Dominus,  the  Lord, 
is  Dominicus,  whence  we  get  Domenica,  the  Lord's  Day ;  the 
Dominical  letter,  etc.  The  following  is  from  Casini :  "  Appare 
qui  manifesta  la  tendenza  di  Dante  a  ricercare  una  particolare 
significazione  nei  nomi  propri  delle  persone :  il  poeta  nostro  pro- 
fessava  la  dottrina  che  nomina  sunt  consequentia  rerum  ( Vita 
Nuova,  §  xiii,  11.  20,  21);  e  percio  nel  nome  di  Beatrice  trovava 
specialmente  1'  idea  dellabeatitudine ( VitaNuova,  §  i,  11. 5-8) ;  e  nel 
nome  e  nel  soprannome  della  donna  dei  Cavalcanti  il  concetto 
di  una  precorritrice  (Vita  Nuova,  §  xxiv,  11.  15-39);  e  sicompia 
ceva  di  antitesi  come  quella  tra  non  savia  e  Sapla  (Purg.  xiii, 
109);  e  forse  anche  tra  Scesi  e  Oriente  (Par.  xi,  53,  54).  Cosi 
qui  per  il  nome  Domenico,  e  piu  innanzi  (xii,  79-81)  per  quelli 
dei  suoi  genitori ;  al  qual  proposito  e  da  avvertire  che  Dante 
pote  trarre  1'idea  di  queste  significazioni  dai  biografi  del  santo, 
perche  in  Bartolommeo  da  Trento  si  legge,  p.  559:  'Dominicus, 
qui  Domini  custos  vel  a  Domino  custoditus  etymologicatur  vel 
quia  praecepta  Domini  custodivit,  vel  quia  Dominus  custodivit 
eum  ab  inimicis,'  et  in  Teodorico  d' App.,  p.  556:  'Generatur  a 
patre  Felice ;  parturitur,  nutritur,  fovetur  a  Johanna  Dei  gratia 
matre;  renascitur  et  Dominico  nomine  insignitur,  gratiae  alum- 
nus, divinitatis  cupidus,  aeternaeque  felicitatis  heres  futurus.'" 
\  agricola  .  .  .  orto :  We  find  the  simile  of  the  Church  again 
compared  to  a  garden  further  on  in  this  Canto  (1.  104): 

"  Onde  1'  orto  cattolico  si  riga." 
Compare  also  Par.  xxvi,  64,  65  : 

"  Le  fronde  onde  s'  infronda  tutto  1'  orto 
Dell'  ortolano  eterno,"  etc. 


406  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

tizing  Priest  asked  the  sponsor  '  Wilt  thou  be  bap- 
tized?'), beheld  in  her  sleep  the  marvellous  fruit 
that  was  to  issue  forth  from  him  and  from  his  heirs 
(i.e.  the  Dominicans) ;  and  in  order  that  in  the  con- 
struction (of  his  name)  he  might  be  what  he  (actually) 
was  (i.e.  God's  own),  a  spirit  went  forth  from  thence 
to  give  him  the  name  of  the  possessive  of  Him  to 
Whom  he  wholly  belonged.  Dominic  was  he  called ; 
and  of  him  I  speak  even  as  the  tiller  of  the  earth, 
whom  Christ  elected  to  His  garden  (the  Church)  to 
assist  him. 

Benvenuto  says  that,  in  the  earlier  part  of  this  Canto, 
it  was  pointed  out  that  the  army  of  Christ  stood  in 
great  need  of  assistance,  and  Benvenuto  (commenting 
on  1.  37  et  seq.}  remarked  that  its  greatest  need  was  of 
competent  leaders,  and  therefore  two  were  called  forth, 
St.  Francis  to  combat  vice,  and  St.  Dominic  to  com- 
bat heresy. 

St.  Dominic's  devoted  love  to  God  and  to  Man  is 
next  shown. 

Ben  parve  messo  e  famigliar  di  CRISTO  ;  * 
Ch&  il  primo  amor  che  in  lui  fu  manifesto 
Fu  al  primo  consigliot  che  di£  CRISTO.  75 

Spesse  fi'ate  fu  tacito  e  desto 


*  CRISTO  :  It  will  be  observed  that  the  word  CRISTO  is  here 
repeated  three  times,  rhyming  to  itself,  as  though  (observes  Scar- 
tazzini)  no  other  word  is  worthy  of  being  made  to  rhyme  to  so 
great  a  name.  The  same  thing  occurs  again  in  Par.  xiv,  104, 
106,  108;  in  Par.  xix,  104,  106,  108 ;  and  in  Par.  xxxii,  83,  85, 
87.  Compare  also,  in  Purg.  xx,  65,  67,  69,  where  the  word  am- 
tnenda  is  three  times  repeated  ;  and  in  Par.  xxx,  95,  97,  99,  the 
word  vidi. 

t  primo  consiglio :  The  first  counsel  given  by  Christ  is  that 
cited  in  St.  Matt,  xix,  21,  where  our  Lord  says  to  the  rich  young 
man :  "  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and  sell  that  thou  hast,  and 
give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven,  and 
come  and  follow  me." 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  407 

Trovato  in  terra*  dalla  sua  nutrice,t 
Come  dicesse :  '  lo  son  venuto  a  questo.'J 

Both  the  messenger  and  the  friend  of  Christ  in  good 
sooth  he  showed  himself;  for  the  first  love  that 
was  manifested  in  him  was  for  the  first  counsel  that 
Christ  gave.  Many  a  time  was  he  discovered  by  his 
nurse  silent  and  sleepless  on  the  ground,  as  though 
he  would  say  :  '  To  this  end  am  I  come.' 

Legends  relate  that  while  Dominic  was  yet  but  a 
stripling,  and  ardently  devoted  to  study,  he  sold  all 
his  books  and  what  little  else  he  had,  in  order  to  give 
the  proceeds  to  the  poor.  On  his  friends  remonstrating 
with  him  for  thus  depriving  himself  of  the  means  of 
pursuing  his  studies,  he  answered  :  "  I  will  not  study 
upon  dead  skins  (i.e.  parchments),  and  let  men  die  of 
hunger."  For  there  was  a  great  famine  at  the  time. 
It  is  also  related  of  him,  that  seeing  a  woman  weeping 
because  she  had  not  wherewithal  to  pay  the  ransom 


*  Trovato  in  terra  :  Casini  remarks  that,  although  the  fact  is 
recorded  of  St.  Dominic  by  his  early  biographers  that  he  habit- 
ually left  his  bed  and  passed  the  night  in  prayer,  he  thinks  Dante 
must  have  seen  the  work  of  Vincent  de  Beauvais,  who  (Spec, 
hist,  xxix,  94)  speaks  of  this  forsaking  of  his  couch  by  a  child  as 
a  wonderful  act  of  humility  and  penitence :  "  Nato  igitur  ex  piis 
parentibus  et  religiose  viventibus,  in  ilia  puerili  aetate  sua  cor  ei 
senile  jam  inerat,  et  sensus  veneranda  canities  tenella  sub  facie 
latitabat:  cum  enim  esset  adhuc  puerulus,  nondum  a  nutricis 
diligentia  segregatus,  deprehensus  est  saepe  lectum  dimittere, 
quasi  jam  carnis  delicias  abhorreret,  et  eligebat  potius  ad  terrain 
occumbere." 

t  nutricc  is  properly  a  wet-nurse.      A  dry  nurse  is  bambinaja. 

t  lo  son  venuto  a  questo  :  "  Ipse  Dominicus  fu  trovato  in 
terra  dalla  sua  nutrice  tacito,  scilicet,  sine  planctu,  quia  scilicet, 
non  ceciderat  casualiter,  sicut  saepe  solet  accidere  infantibus, 
e  desto,  idest,  vigil,  non  dormiens,  sicut  aliquando  pueri  inveniun- 
tur:  et  dicit,  come  dicesse:  io  son  venuto  a  questo,  scilicet,  ad 
istum  statum  humilitatis,  velut  si  diceret  sibi  ipse  Dominicus: 
Terra  es,  et  in  terrain  reverteris."  (Benvenuto.) 


408  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

of  her  brother  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Moors,  Dominic  offered  to  sell  himself  as  a  slave  to 
supply  her  need. 

St.  Bonaventura  enthusiastically  apostrophizes  the 
parents  of  such  a  son  as  St.  Dominic. 

O  padre  suo  veramente  Felice !  * 

O  madre  sua  veramente  Giovanna,t  80 

Se  interpretata  val  come  si  dice ! 

O  Felix  (i.e.  happy)  in  very  truth  his  father!  O  Joanna 
(the  grace  of  God)  in  very  truth  his  mother,  if 
(Joanna)  interpreted  has  the  sense  men  say! 

Little  did  Dominic  reck,  says  Bonaventura,  the  profit- 
less science  taught  in  the  Decretals,  or  the  empiri- 
cisms of  so-called  medical  experts,  but  by  diligent 
study  he  became  in  a  marvellously  short  time  a  pro- 
found scholar  in  Christian  learning.  He  tended  the 
vineyard  of  the  Lord  (the  Church),  guarding  and 
cultivating  it,  while  at  the  same  time  he  eliminated 
from  it  the  weeds  of  false  doctrine,  and  fortified  it  by 
the  reasonings  of  Sacred  Theology.  But  when  he 
had  arrived  at  great  distinction,  and  might  have 
abused  the  confidence  with  which  he  was  treated  by 
the  great  dignitaries  of  the  Church,  instead  of  asking 
aught  for  himself  in  the  way  of  riches  or  honours,  as 
would  have  been  done  by  the  modern  prelates  in  the 


*  Felice :  The  father  of  Dominic  was,  according  to  some, 
though  not  all,  Felice  de  Guzman,  and  Dante  takes  his  name  in 
the  double  sense  of  a  proper  name,  and  also  as  meaning  "happy, 
blessed,"  in  that  he  was  the  father  of  such  a  son  as  Dominic. 

t  Giovanna :  Dante  was  not  acquainted  with  Hebrew,  but 
Casini  says  that  the  theologians  of  the  Middle  Ages,  had  taken 
the  Hebrew  word  meaning  "full,  abounding  in,  the  grace  of 
Jehovah,"  and  interpreted  it  domini  gratia.  Dominic's  mother 
was  Giovanna  d'  Asa. 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  409 

time  of  Dante,  he  only  asked  permission  to  fight  for 
the  Faith. 

Non  per  lo  mondo,  per  cui  mo  s'affanna 
Diretro  ad  Osti'ense*  ed  a  Taddeo,t 
Ma  per  amor  della  verace  manna,!}: 
In  picciol  tempo  gran  dottor  si  feo,  85 

*  Ostiense :  Enrico  di  Susa,  generally  known  as  the  Cardinal 
Ostiense  from  having  been  made  Bishop  of  Ostia  in  1261,  was 
a  great  canonical  jurist,  who  was  born  at  Susa  in  the  I3th  cen- 
tury. He  studied  under  Jacobo  Balduini  at  Bologna,  and  later 
became  himself  a  teacher  there  of  Canon  Law  in  that  University; 
and  it  is  further  stated  that  he  taught  at  Paris,  and  in  England 
afterwards,  where  Henry  III,  il  re  della  semplice  vita  (Purg.  vii, 
1 30)  held  him  in  great  favour.  His  principal  works  were  his 
Commentaria  in  Decretales,  and  the  Summa  Ostiensis,  well 
known  as  text  books  in  the  law  schools.  He  died  in  1271.  He 
is  alluded  to  here  as  though  he  personified  "  the  Decretals,"  as 
Benvenuto  is  particular  in  explaining :  "Per  hoc  notat  decretalia." 

+  Taddeo :  Although  some  have  attempted  to  prove  that  this 
personage  was  one  Taddeo  Popopoli,  a  jurist  of  Bologna,  it  is 
now  generally  admitted  that  the  allusion  is  to  Mastro  (Doctor] 
Taddeo  degli  Alderotti,  a  medical  man  of  great  reputation,  who 
died  at  Bologna  in  1303.  He  made  a  translation  of  Aristotle's 
Ethics,  which  is  censured  by  Dante  in  Convito  i,  10,  11.  70-73. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  from  the  following  comment  by  Pietro 
di  Dante,  that  by  Ostiense  Dante  implied  the  study  of  Law,  and 
by  Taddeo  the  study  of  Medicine :  "  Dominions  .  .  .  effectus 
est  scientia  infusiva  magnus  Doctor,  non  circa  jura,  sequendo 
Dominum  Henricum  Cardinalem  Ostiensem  in  suis  summis  et 
lecturis  Decretalium,  et  non  etiam  circa  medicinalia,  sequendo 
Magistrum  Thaddeum  physicum  in  suis  scriptis,  pro  quibus 
totus  mundus  anhelat,  allegando : 

'  Dat  Galenus  opes,  dat  sanctio  Justiniana; 

Ex  aliis  paleas,  ex  istis  collige  grana.'" 
in  Par.  xi,  4,  Dante  had  said : 

"  Chi  dietro  a  iura,  e  chi  ad  aforismi,"  etc. 
and  of  that  verse  the  present  passage  is  a  direct  comment. 

J  verace  manna :  Compare  St.  John  vi,  56-58  :  "  He  that  eateth 
my  flesh,  .  .  .  even  he  shall  live  by  me.  This  is  that  bread 
which  came  down  from  heaven :  not  as  your  fathers  did  eat 
manna,  and  are  dead :  he  that  eateth  this  bread  shall  live  for 
ever."  Compare  also  Purg.  xi,  13: 

"  Da  oggi  a  noi  la  cotidiana  manna." 


4IO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XII. 

Tal  che  si  mise  a  circuir  la  vigna,* 
Che  tosto  imbianca,  se  il  vignaio  6  reo ; 

Ed  alia  sedia  che  gia  fu  benigna 

Piu  ai  poveri  giusti  (non  per  lei, 

Ma  per  colui  che  siede,  che  traligna),t  90 

Non  dispensare  o  due  o  tre  per  sei,t 
Non  la  fortuna  di  prima  vacante, 
Non  decimas\  quae  sunt  pauperuin  Dei, 

*  circuir  la  vigna  :  Dominic  tended  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord, 
the  Church,  guarding  it  and  cultivating  it,  eliminating  from  it 
the  weeds  of  false  doctrine,  and  fortifying  it  by  the  reasonings 
of  sacred  Theology  and  the  Christian  Faith.  Compare  Jerem.  ii, 
21 ;  and  Isaiah  v,  the  whole  chapter. 

t  non  per  lei,  Ma  per  colui  .  .  .  che  traligna.  Dante  dis- 
tinguishes between  the  blameless  Papal  dignity,  and  the  guilty 
dignitary,  Boniface  VIII.  The  fault  did  not  lie  with  the  Papal 
Throne  and  Office,  but  with  its  then  unworthy  occupant,  who 
did  not  exercise  his  mission  of  Christian  love,  as  it  was  his  sacred 
duty  to  do. 

I  due  o  tre  per  sei:  "  Non  domando  dispensazione  di  dare  due 
o  tre,  quando  doveva  dare  sei,  impero  che  mold  sono  che  cio 
addomandono."  (Lana).  Compare  also  Conv.  iv,  27,  11.  117-127  : 
"Ahi  malastrui  e  malnati  !  che  disertate  vedove  e  pupilli,  che 
rapite  alii  meno  possenti,  che  furate  ed  occupate  1'  altrui  ragioni ; 
e  di  quello  corredate  conviti,  donate  cavalli  e  arme,  robe  e 
danari ;  portate  le  mirabili  vestimenta  ;  edificate  li  mirabili 
edifici  e  credetevi  Larghezza  fare  !  E  che  e  questo  altro  fare 
che  levare  il  drappo  d'  in  su  1'  altare,  e  coprirne  il  ladro  e  la  sua 
mensa?"  See  also  Cornoldi  on  this  passage  :  "  Domenico  alia 
Santa  Sede,  la  quale  a  cagione  del  Papa  presente,  al  dir  di 
Dante,  ha  lasciato  di  essere  benigna  coi  poverelli,  non  dimando 
facolta  di  dare  due  o  tre  per  guadagnare  sei  ;  non  dimando  le 
rendite  del  primo  beneficio  vacante,  non  le  decime  che  sono  dei 
poveri  ;  ma  dimand6  facolta  di  combattere  per  la  fede  che  £  il 
seme  dal  quale  nacquero  queste  ventiquattro  piante  che  in  due 
concentriche  ghirlande  ti  circondano."  Scartazzini  says  that 
from  1215  Dominic  had  been  soliciting  the  approval  of  his 
Order,  and  that  after  the  repeated  petitions  of  himself,  and  of 
others  on  his  behalf,  Innocent  III  relaxed  in  his  favour  the  edict 
of  the  Lateran  Council  prohibiting  the  foundation  of  any  new 
Order,  and  confirmed  that  of  the  Dominicans  by  word  of  mouth 
only.  In  1216  Honorius  III  gave  it  his  solemn  confirmation. 

§  Non  decimas,  et  seq.  :  Scartazzini  remarks  that  these  utter- 


Canto  XII.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  411 

Addomand6 ;  ma  contro  al  mondo  errante 

Licenza  di  combatter  per  lo  seme,  95 

Del  qual  ti  fascian  ventiquattro  piante. 

Not  for  the  world,  for  the  love  of  which  men  labour 
now  a  days  in  following  Ostiense  and  Taddeo  (i.e. 
Law  and  Medicine),  but  for  the  love  of  the  true 
manna  (i.e.  Theology),  in  a  short  time  he  became  a 
teacher  so  mighty,  that  he  began  to  go  about  that 
vineyard  (the  Church),  which  soon  grows  white  (i.e. 
withers  away)  if  the  vinedresser  be  guilty  (of  negli- 
gence) ;  and  from  the  (Papal)  Seat  which  in  old  time 
used  to  be  more  bountiful  to  the  righteous  poor — 
not  by  any  fault  of  its  own,  but  by  (that  of)  him  who 
sitteth  thereon,  and  is  degenerate — he  (Dominic)  be- 
sought not  to  dispense  two  or  three  for  six  (i.e.  he 
did  not  entreat  for  a  dispensation  to  be  allowed  to 
pay  one  third  or  one  half  only  of  the  sum  due  to  the 
poor),  nor  yet  the  fortune  of  the  first  vacant  benefice, 
non  derimas  quae  sunt  pauperum  Dei  (i.e.  the  tithes 
which  belong  to  God's  poor);  but  (he  begged)  for 
permission  to  fight  against  the  erring  world  on  behalf 
of  that  seed  (the  Faith),  twenty-four  plants  of  which 
(i.e.  the  twice  twelve  spirits  of  the  two  garlands) 
environ  thee. 

St.  Dominic's  onslaught  against  heresy  is  next  de- 
scribed ;    and  an  allusion  is  made  to  the  different 
branches  of  his  order  which  soon  sprung  up. 
.Poi  con  dottrina  e  con  volere  insieme* 


ances  in  Latin  occur  not  unfrequently  in  the  Divina  Commedia, 
but  only  in  the  mouths  of  popes,  Angels,  doctors  of  the  Church, 
or  blessed  spirits.  It  is  the  language  of  the  sanctuary.  Biagioli 
in  reply  to  Venturi  who  had  criticized  the  sentence  as  but  poor 
Latin,  says  that  the  words  are  in  the  true  style  of  those  Canonists 
who  discuss  the  question  of  tithes,  and  "  se  [Dante]  avessecom- 
posto  questo  verso  coll'aureo  stile  di  Virgilio,  ovvero  in  volgare, 
e'  non  porterebbe  impresso  quel  vigore  e  autorita,  che  questa, 
quasi  formula  dall'  uso  consecrata,  seco  impronta." 

*  con  dottrina  e  con  volere  insieme :  Poletto  remarks  that  we 
have  here  the  three  requisite  characteristics  of  a  true  apostle  ; 


412  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Con  P  offizio  apostolico  si  mosse, 
Quasi  torrente  *  ch'  alta  vena  preme, 
E  negli  sterpi t  eretici  percosse  100 

L'impeto  suo,  piu  vivamente  quivi 
Dove  le  resistenze  eran  piu  grosse.J 

the  necessary  equipment  of  profound  learning,  zeal  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls,  and  the  equally  necessary  authority  of  the  Church 
to  exercise  that  ministry. 

*  Quasi  torrente  :  The  simile  of  the  torrent  falling  headlong 
from  a  great  height  demonstrates  the  fiery  zeal  with  which 
St.  Dominic  betook  himself  to  his  work.  Of  the  words  ch'  alta 
vena  preme,  Cesari  (Bellezze,  p.  235)  says  that  the  word  preme 
is  most  powerfully  descriptive  of  the  impetuosity  given  to  the 
torrent  by  the  sheer  weight  or  concussion  of  the  rivulet  swollen 
by  heavy  rain  which,  falling  from  the  summit  of  a  lofty  mountain, 
sends  forth  its  waters  with  irresistible  force.  Cesari  thinks 
Dante  had  in  his  mind  the  following  passage  of  Lucretius 
(lib.  i,  282-284) : 

"  Ac  quom  mollis  aquae  fertur  natura  repente 
Flumine  abundanti,  quern  largeis  imbribus  auget 
Montibus  ex  alteis  magnus  decursus  aquai." 
Compare  also  Virg.  ^En.  ii,  304-306  : 

"  In  segetem  veluti  cum  flamma  furentibus  Austris 
Incidit,  aut  rapidus  montano  flumine  torrens 
Sternit  agros,  sternit  sata  laeta  boumque  labores." 
t  sterpi ' :  Buti  says  that  sterpo  is  a  bastard  wood  which  does 
not  bear  fruit,  and  that  is  what  the  heretics  are.     "  Li  Cattolici 
sono  arbori  fruttuosi,  li  Eretici  sono  sterpi  pungenti  e  nocivi  e 
venenosi,  li  quali  sono  da  tagliare  e  da  ardere.     E  quivi  piu 
forte  percosse,  dove  erano  li  avversarii  con  maggiore  resistenza  : 
dove  il  pericolo  e  maggiore,  quivi  si  dee  avere  maggiore  cautela." 
(Ottimo).     This  agrees  with  Purg.  xiv,  95  :  "venenosi  sterpi." 
The  Gran  Dizionario  specifically  defines  sterpo  as  the  accidental 
shoot  from  a  fallen  trunk  or  a  lopped-off  branch. 

%  Dove  le  resistenze  eran  piu  grosse :  "  idest,  ubi  erant  majores 
haeretici,  vel  ratione  scientiae  vel  potentiae  :  non  enim  fecit 
sicut  quidam  moderni  inquisitores,  qui  non  sunt  audaces  nee 
solertes,  nisi  contra  quosdam  divites  denariis,  pauperes  amicis, 
qui  non  possunt  facere  magn.im  resistentiam,  et  extorquent  ab 
eis  pecunias,  quibus  postea  emunt  episcopatum."  (Benvenuto). 
Quivi  dove  refers  to  Provence,  or  more  especially  to  the  territory 
round  Toulouse,  where  Dominic  most  cruelly  persecuted  the 
Albigenses,  a  people  of  the  most  blameless  lives,  and  in  his  so- 
called  apostolical  office,  says  Scartazzini,  he  by  no  means  imi- 


Canto  XII.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  413 

Di  lui  si  fecer  poi  diversi  rivi,* 
Onde  P  orto  cattolico  si  riga, 
Si  che  i  suoi  arbuscelli  stan  piu  vivi.  105 

Then  (fortified)  with  doctrine  and  firm  will  together 
with  the  apostolical  office  (granted  him  by  the  Pope) 
he  moved  forward  like  a  torrent  which  some  lofty 
source  forcibly  urges,  and  his  impetuous  attack  dashed 
in  among  the  worthless  shoots  of  heresy,  with  the 
greater  vehemence  in  those  places  where  the  resist- 
ance was  the  most  obstinate.  Of  him  were  made 
thereafter  various  rills,  by  which  the  Catholic  garden 
is  irrigated,  so  that  its  shrubs  are  growing  with  greater 
vigour. 

Division  III.  Bonaventura  having  with  much 
commendation  related  the  life  of  St.  Dominic,  now 
proceeds  to  censure  that  of  the  Dominicans  of  his 
Order  who  have  derogated  from  his  example  and 
precepts.  Bonaventura  says  :  "  Now  that  I  have  told 
you  what  the  life  of  St.  Dominic  was,  you  may  judge 
how  great  must  have  been  that  of  St.  Francis."  His 
arguments  are  the  same  as  those  used  by  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  and  as  the  latter  went  on  to  censure  his 

tated  the  apostles,  who  neither  persecuted  nor  slew  anyone. 
Upon  the  beautiful  lives  of  the  Albigenses,  see  Anelli,  Storia 
della  CAiesa,  1.  883  et  seq.  The  story  of  Dominic's  ferocious 
persecutions  is  told  by  J.  J.  Barrau  et  B.  Darragon,  Histoire  des 
croisades  centre  les  Albigeois,  Paris,  1840. 

*  poi  diversi  rivi :  Casini  observes  that  St.  Dominic  being 
compared  to  a  torrent,  the  rills  (rivi)  emanating  from  him  must 
mean  his  followers,  whose  preaching  made  the  Catholic  Church 
fruitful,  confirming  the  Faithful  in  their  creed,  and,  to  preserve 
the  metaphor,  irrigated  the  Catholic  garden  (f  orto  cattolico)  and 
made  its  shrubs  green.  Scartazzini  says  that  rivi  does  not  refer 
to  the  Inquisitors,  as  the  Postillatore  Cassinese  interprets,  but 
to  the  different  Orders  that  followed  Dominic,  of  which  there 
were  three,  namely,  the  preaching  Friars,  the  monastic  Virgins, 
and  the  Tertiaries. 


414  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Dominican  co-religionaries,  so  does  Bonaventura  re- 
prove the  derogation  of  the  Franciscans.  And  be  it 
remarked  that,  at  the  time  of  the  Vision,  Bonaventura 
was  the  General  of  the  Franciscan  Order.  He  begins 
by  describing  St.  Francis  and  St.  Dominic  as  the  two 
wheels  of  the  chariot  of  the  Church,  who  defended 
it  in  its  civil  war,  that  is,  war  waged  by  the  dis- 
cords of  the  heretics  who  are  of  the  same  congrega- 
tion as  Christians,  and  who,  instead  of  defending  the 
common  Faith,  divide  and  rend  it. 
Se  tal  fu  1'  una  rota  della  biga,* 

In  che  la  Santa  Chiesa  si  difese, 

E  vinse  in  campo  la  sua  civil  briga, 
Ben  ti  dovrebbe  assai  esser  palese 

L'  eccellenza  dell'  altra,  di  cui  Tomma  1 10 

Dinanzi  al  mio  venir  fu  si  cortese. 
Ma  1'orbitat  che  fe'la  parte  somma 

*  biga:  This  means  the  chariot  of  the  Church,  of  which  St. 
Dominic  was  one  wheel,  and  St.  Francis  the  other.  Compare 
Purg.  xxix,  107,  108,  where  the  chariot  of  the  Church  is  spoken 
of  as  two- wheeled : 

"  Un  carro,  in  su  due  rote,  trionfale, 

Ch'al  collo  d'un  grifon  tirato  venne." 

Scartazzini  points  out  that  some  modern  Commentators  have 
chosen  to  understand  biga  as  a  chariot  with  two  horses,  instead 
of  with  two  wheels,  but  that  all  the  old  Commentators  under- 
stand wheels.  Of  biga,  the  Ottimo  says  :  "  Biga  si  e  il  carro  di 
due  rote."  Lana  is  more  explicit:  "Sono  carriole  che  hanno 
solo  due  ruote,  e  sono  appellate  altresi  brozze  [?  birocci  from  bis 
and  rota\  e  carreggiasi  con  esse  legna." 

t  /'  orbita :  "  L'  orbita  k  qui  la  rotaja  [rut],  la  riga  segnata  in 
terra,  e  vale,  La  norma  dell'  esempio  de'  primi  Santi  dell'  Ordine, 
e  abbandonata,  per  forma  che  ogni  bonta  e  intristita,  presa  1'im- 
magine  del  vino  sano  e  grande,  che  produce  la  gromma,  e  del 
reo  che  la  muffa."  (Cesari,  Bellezze,  vol.  iii,  p.  236).  As  to  the 
disorder  in  which  the  Frati  Minori  had  sunk,  see  Lana,  who 
lived  in  that  time,  and  was  a  witness  of  their  dissensions:  "Qui 
tocca  fra  Bonaventura  alcuna  cosa  dello  disordine  ch'  £  in  li 
Frati  Minori,  e  dice  ch'elli  sono  tanto  cresciuti  in  numero  e  in 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  415 

Di  sua  circonferenza,  &  derelitta, 
Si  ch'  e  la  muffa*  dov'  era  gromma. 

If  such  was  the  one  wheel  of  the  two- wheeled  chariot 
in  which  the  Holy  Church  made  her  defence,  and 
did  in  the  field  overcome  her  civil  strife,  it  should 
indeed  be  made  evident  to  thee  the  excellence  of  the 
other  wheel  (i.e.  St.  Francis)  about  whom  Thomas 
(Aquinas)  before  my  coming  was  so  courteous  (in 
relating  his  life).  But  the  wheel's  track,  which  the 
highest  part  of  its  circumference  made,  is  abandoned, 
so  that  the  mouldiness  is  where  the  crust  was. 

This  means:  "The  rule  of  St.  Francis  is  already 
deserted  ;  and  the  lees  of  the  wine  are  turned  into 
mouldiness."  Casini  feels  certain  that,  in  the  above 
lines,  Dante  is  alluding  to  the  schism  in  the  Fran- 
ciscan Order  that  was  taking  place  between  the  so- 
called  spirituali  or  followers  of  Pier  Giovanni  Olivi 
(1247-1297),  the  great  champion  of  the  strictest  ob- 
servance of  the  Franciscan  Rule  of  poverty,  on  the 

novitadi  di  vita  che  quasi  quello  ordine  hae  fatto  moto  circolare, 
e  vae  mo  contra  quelli  che  in  principio  elli  andava,  si  che  quelli 
che  sono  modern!  gittano  cioe  contradiceno  alii  antichi  e  primi. 
Or  qui  latenter  V  autore  tocca  di  quella  setta  che  fue  tra  essi, 
che  si  appellavano  Frati  delta  povera  vita;  e  per6  dice :  dov'  era 
in  principio  la  gromma,  cio&  la  fraternitade  e  la  unitade,  mo  si 
gli  e  la  muffa,  cio£  la  discordia  e  la  divisione." 

*  muffa:  This  image  is  taken  from  wine-casks  which,  when 
well  cared  for,  produce  the  crust  in  the  wine  [gronuna\  which 
tends  to  its  preservation,  but  if  neglected,  allow  the  mouldiness 
to  come  in  which  spoils  the  wine.  Benvenuto,  remarking  on  the 
appropriateness  of  the  simile,  adds:  "gromma  enim  est  solida, 
sapida,  odorifera  et  bona,  ita  quod  conservat  vinum  ;  muffa  vero 
est  lubrica,  insipida,  foetida,  mala,  et  inficit  omne  vinum  quan- 
tumcumque  de  se  bonum.  Ita  a  simili:  in  primis  fratribus  erat 
virtus  quae  est  vere  solida,  delectabilis  et  bona,  quae  conservat 
animum  et  salvat ;  in  modernis  vero  est  vitiositas,  quae  est 
lubrica,  amara,  infamis  et  mala,  quae  infirmat  et  depravat  omnern 
animum  quantumcumque  de  se  sanum  et  bonum:  est  autem 
gromma  crusta  quae  fit  in  vasis  ex  vino,  quae  alio  nomine  dicitur 
tartarum  (or,  in  the  Este  MS.  of  Benvenuto,  tarsum.)" 


416  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XII. 

one  hand  ;  and,  on  the  other,  the  conventuali,  who, 
taking  a  broader  interpretation  of  the  Rule,  were  not 
opposed  to  the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  worldly 
goods,  and  the  acquisition  of  spiritual  dignities.  This 
discord  was  going  on  with  varying  vicissitudes  during 
the  whole  of  Dante's  life-time  ;  and  he  clearly  dis- 
cerned the  mischief  it  would  do  to  the  sanctity  of 
the  Order,  and  the  great  extravagance  there  was  in 
either  of  these  two  extreme  doctrines. 

Bonaventura  points  out  that  those  Franciscans  who 
are  more  advanced  in  the  path  of  virtue  find  them- 
selves in  opposition  to  those  who  are  more  backward, 
and  hence  the  fierce  dissensions  among  them.  They 
will  find  out,  when  it  is  too  late,  the  evil  consequences 
of  their  disunion,  for  a  whole  section  of  the  Friars 
will  before  long  be  banished  from  the  Order. 

La  sua  famiglia,  che  si  mosse  dritta  1 15 

Coi  piedi  alle  sue  orme,  e  tanto  volta, 
Che  quel  dinanzi  a  quel  diretro  gitta  ;* 
E  tosto  si  vedrk  della  ricolta 

Delia  mala  coltura,  quando  il  loglio 

Si  lagnerk-f-  che  1'arcagli  sia  tolta.  120 

*  quel  dinanzi  a  quel  diretro  gitta:  The  interpretation  of  this 
line  which  finds  most  favour  among  the  Commentators  is  that  of 
Lombardi.  It  is,  that  the  Franciscans  now  set  the  point  of  their 
teet  on  that  spot  where  St.  Francis  set  his  heel,  showing  that 
they  were  walking  in  precisely  the  opposite  direction  to  that  of 
their  founder.  I  prefer,  however,  to  follow  Casini,  who  says  : 
"  Credo  che  Dante  abbia  voluto  dire  che  quelli  dei  francescani 
che  sono  piu  innanzi  nel  cammino  della  virtu  si  trovano  in  con- 
trasto  con  quelli  che  son  piu  indietro,  insomma  che  c'  e  vivissima 
lotta  fra  spirituali  e  conventuali"  Casini  does  not  think  that 
Lombardi's  interpretation  gives  the  full  rendering  of  the  thought 
in  Dante's  mind,  which  is  wholly  upon  the  discord  then  existing 
among  the  Franciscans. 

•f  quando  il  loglio  Si  lagnera:  This  of  course  alludes  to  the 
parable  in  St.  Matt,  xiii,  30 :  "  Let  both  gro-.v  together  until  the 


Canto  XII.        Readings  on  the  Paradise.  417 

His  family  (the  Franciscans)  that  had  set  out  in  the 
right  way  with  feet  planted  in  his  footprints,  has  so 
much  turned  round,  that  it  casts  him  who  is  in  front 
upon  him  who  is  behind ;  and  soon  shall  it  be  seen 
by  the  harvesting  how  bad  has  been  the  tillage,  when 
the  tares  shall  complain  that  the  granary  has  been 
taken  from  them. 

Yet,  if  any  one  were  to  examine  one  by  one  the  indi- 
vidual friars  of  the  Order,  he  would  still  find  a  few 
that  are  faithful  to  the  rule  of  their  founder. 
Ben  dico,  chi  cercasse  a  foglio  a  foglio 

Nostro  volume,*  ancort  troveria  carta 

U'  leggerebbe :  '  Io  mi  son  quel  ch'  io  soglio.'  J 

harvest :  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I  will  say  to  the  reapers, 
Gather  ye  together  first  the  tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles  to 
burn  them :  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn."  The  more 
general  explanation  is,  "  quando  il  traviato  frate  si  lagnera  che 
gli  sia  tolto  il  Paradise  per  essere  sepolto  nell' Inferno;"  but 
Casini,  after  remarking  that  the  passage  is  one  of  very  difficult 
interpretation,  as  far  as  history  goes,  thinks,  as  Dante  is 
evidently  alluding  to  some  circumstance  of  a  date  not  much 
later  than  1300,  and  to  which  Ubertino  da  Casale  and  Matteo 
d' Acquasparta  were  strangers  (11.  124-126),  that  Dante's  words 
may  well  refer  to  the  Constitution  of  John  XXII  (in  April  1317) 
against  the  spirituali,  when,  on  the  question  being  discussed 
whether  the  Franciscans  should  "  habere  granaria  et  cellaria," 
it  was  decreed  that  the  matter  should  be  one  for  the  decision  of 
the  superiors  of  the  convents,  and  a  sharp  rebuff  was  thereby 
given  to  the  spirituali,  and  a  warning  conveyed  to  them  to 
adhere  strictly  to  their  original  profession  of  poverty. 

*  a  f°gti°  a  foglio  Nostro  -volume:  The  volume  is  the  Fran- 
ciscan Order,  and  its  leaves  are  the  Friars. 

\  ancor,  etc.  :  This  passage  reminds  one  of  I  Kings  xix,  18, 
where  Jehovah  says  to  Elijah:  "Yet  I  have  left  me  seven 
thousand  in  Israel,  all  the  knees  which  have  not  bowed  unto 
Baal,"  etc. 

t  son  quel cK io  soglio:  Equivalent  to,  "  Io  sono  quale  sole- 
vano  essere  i  francescani  primitivi."  Casini  in  a  note  on 
Inf.  xxvii,  48,  "  La  dove  soglion,  fan  de'denti  succhio,"  explains 
the  line  :  "  dove  solevano  gik  per  1'  addietro,"  and  remarks  that 
the  persons  of  the  present  tense  of  the  verb  solere  were  often 

I.  E  E 


41 8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Ma  non  fia  da  Casal,  n£  d'  Acquasparta,* 

Lk  onde  vegnon  tali  alia  scrittura,  125 

Che  1'  un  la  fugge,  e  1'  altro  la  coarta. 

Still  I  affirm  that  whoever  should  search  through  our 
volume  leaf  by  leaf  (i.e.  should  investigate  our  Order 
friar  by  friar)  would  yet  find  some  page  (i.e.  some 
brother)  on  which  might  be  read  :  '  I  am  what  I  used 

used  by  early  Italian  writers  with  the  sense  of  the  imperfect : 
thus  Pier  delle  Vigne  (quoted  in  the  Gran  Dizionario)  says  of  a 
woman  no  longer  living : 

"  Quella  ch'  io  amare  e  servir  soglio." 

and  Pacino  Angiollieri  (in  Nannucci's  Manuale  della  Lettera- 
tura  del  Primo  Secolo,  vol.  i,  p.  221),  after  the  death  of  the  lady 
of  his  love,  exclaims  : 

"  Lasso  !  che  spessamente  il  giorno  miro 
Al  loco,  ove  madonna  suol  (used  to)  parere, 
Ma  non  la  veggo  si  come  gik  soglio  [as  I  was  wont  to  do 

in  times  gone  by]." 
Compare  Inf.  xvi,  67,  68  : 

"  Cortesia  e  valor  di'  se  dimora 

Nella  nostra  cittk  si  come  suole?" 

*  Ma  non  fia  da  Casal,  ne  d*  Acquasparta,  et  seq. :  Bona- 
ventura  has  just  said  that  there  are  some  few  faithful  friars  still 
left,  but,  he  adds,  it  is  not  among  the  two  extreme  parties  that 
they  will  be  found,  and  he  names  their  respective  leaders.  The 
former  of  these  Fra  Ubertino  da  Casale,  also  called  de  Italia, 
was  chiefly  known  as  a  zealot  for  the  most  narrow  and  strict 
interpretation  of  the  rule  of  St.  Francis.  He  was  a  disciple  of 
Pier  Giovanni  Olivi,  and  on  the  death  of  Olivi  in  1297,  succeeded 
him  as  the  head  of  the  Spirituali.  Pietro  di  Dante  says  of  him  : 
"  Composuit  libellum  vocatum  Proloquium  de  potentia  Papae, 
coarctando  scripturam.  Dicendo  quod  ad  hoc  ut  Papa  esset, 
Papa  vere  debeat  habere  quae  Petrus  habuit."  Serravalle  calls 
Fra  Ubertino  "  magister  in  Theologia,  valens  homo  .  .  .  magnus 
sillogizator,  subtilis  sophista."  Cardinal  Matteo  d'  Acquasparta 
was  General  of  the  Minor  Franciscan  Friars,  and  is  notorious 
for  the  lax  manner  in  which  he  administered  the  discipline  of 
the  Order.  He  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  Dante's  time. 
In  1297  he  was  sent  by  Boniface  VIII  to  Florence,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  the  assistance  of  100  knights  to  support  the 
pope  in  his  war  against  the  Colonnas.  In  1300  the  pope  sent 
him  back  to  Florence,  during  the  time  that  Dante  was  one  of  the 
Priori,  to  try  and  bring  about  a  peaceful  settlement  of  the  feuds 
of  the  Neri  and  Bianchi. 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  419 

to  be  (i.e.  I  follow  the  original  rule  of  St.  Francis). 
But  it  will  not  be  from  Casale  nor  from  Acquasparta 
whence  there  come  such  to  the  writing  (i.e.  to  the 
rule  written  by  St.  Francis),  inasmuch  as  the  one 
evades  it,  and  the  other  narrows  it  (i.e.  makes  it  even 
more  stringent). 


Division  IV.  In  Canto  x,  91,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
had  said  to  Dante :  Tu  vuoi  saper  di  quai  piante 
s'  infiora  questa  ghirlanda,  and  then  began  to  name 
the  blessed  spirits,  one  by  one,  that  were  his  com- 
panions in  the  innermost  garland.  Then,  in  Canto 
xii,  4,  the  second,  or  outer,  garland  made  its  appear- 
ance. Bonaventura  reads  Dante's  thoughts,  and  pro- 
ceeds to  gratify  his  unexpressed  wish  to  know  who 
these  last  spirits  are,  by  naming  first  himself,  and  then 
his  companions  of  the  outermost  garland. 

It  will  be  noticed  that,  while  these  two  garlands 
contain  many  of  their  followers,  yet  St.  Francis  and 
St.  Dominic  are  not  themselves  there.  They  are  placed 
far  up  above,  among  the  petals  of  the  Heavenly  Rose, 
though  St.  Francis  alone  is  mentioned  by  name.  (See 
Par.  xxxii,  34-36). 

First  comes  Bonaventura  himself,  the  great  school- 
man, with  whom  are  named  two  obscure  but  holy 

friars. 

lo  son  la  vita  di  Bonaventura* 

Da  Bagnoregio,  che  nei  grandi  offici 
Sempre  posposi  la  sinistra  cura. 

*  Bonaventura:  The  real  name  of  St.  Bonaventura  was 
Giovanni  di  Fidanza.  He  was  born  in  1221  at  Bagnorea  in 
Tuscany;  he  entered  the  Franciscan  Order  in  1243  and  became 
General  of  it  in  1256.  In  1265  he  declined  the  offer  of  Clement  IV 
to  create  him  Archbishop  of  York,  but  in  1272  was  made  a 

E  E   2 


420  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XII. 

Illuminate*  ed  Augustin  son  quid,  130 

Che  fur  dei  primi  scalzi  poverelli, 
Che  nel  capestro  a  Dio  si  fero  amici. 

I  am  the  soul  of  Bonaventura  of  Bagnoregio,  who  in 
my  high  offices  always  put  last  the  care  of  the  left 
hand  (i.e.  I  always  made  the  care  of  temporal  affairs 
secondary  to  spiritual  ones).  Here  are  Illuminate 
and  Agostino,  who  were  among  the  earliest  bare- 
footed poor  (i.e.  Franciscan  friars),  who  in  the  (cinc- 
ture of  the)  cord  made  themselves  beloved  by  God. 

Then  follow  Hugh  of  St.  Victor,  the  mystic ;  Petrus 
Comestor,  the  historian  ;  Peter  of  Spain,  the  logician  ; 
Nathan,  the  prophet ;  Chrysostom,  the  preacher ; 
Anselm,  the  statesman ;  Donatus,  the  grammarian  ; 
Rabanus,  the  theologian  ;  and  Joachim,  the  seer. 
Ugo  da  san  Vittore  t  e  qui  con  elli, 


cardinal  and  Bishop  of  Albano.  He  died  at  Lyons  in  1274. 
Bonaventura  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  worship  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  Sixtus  IV,  himself  a  Franciscan,  pronounced  his 
canonization  in  1482,  and  a  hundred  years  afterwards  Sixtus  V, 
by  a  bull  written  in  1587,  decreed  that  St.  Bonaventura  should 
be  placed  in  the  same  rank  of  Saintship  as  St.  Dominic,  and  be 
venerated  as  one  of  the  great  masters  of  theology.  Bonaventura 
is  known  as  the  Doctor  Seraphicus,  a  name  that  seems  to  mark 
his  place  among  the  great  mystic  theologians. 

*  Illuminate  da  Rieti,  and  Agostino  were  two  Franciscan 
friars  of  great  sanctity,  but  of  small  reputation  otherwise.  The 
former  went  in  the  train  of  St.  Francis  in  his  mission  to  the 
Holy  Land,  and  the  latter  became  the  head  of  his  Order  in  the 
Terra  di  Lavoro. 

t  Ugo  da  san  Vittore :  Hugo  de  St.  Victor  was  a  Fleming 
born  at  Ypres  in  1097.  He  entered  the  celebrated  monastery 
of  St.  Victor  at  Paris  in  1133,  and  died  in  1141.  He  wrote 
several  works  in  which  he  attacked  Rationalism,  the  most  im- 
portant of  which  are  Auditio  didascalica;  De  sacramentis  fidei 
christianae;  De  laude  caritatis,  and  others.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
considered  these  to  be  works  of  the  greatest  authority.  Richard 
de  St.  Victor  and  Peter  Lombard  were  among  the  pupils  of 
Hugh. 


Canto  XII.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  421 

E  Pietro  Mangiadore,*  e  Pietro  Ispano,t 
Lo  qual  giu  luce  in  dodici  libelli ;  135 

Natan$  profeta,  e  il  metropolitano 

Crisostomo,  ed  Anselmo,  e  quel  Donate  § 

*  Pietro  Mangiadore  is  better  known  by  the  name  of  Petrus 
Comestor.  He  was  a  Frenchman,  born  at  the  beginning  of  the 
twelfth  century  at  Troyes,  where  in  1 147  he  became  Dean  of  the 
Cathedral ;  and  1 164  was  appointed  Chancellor  of  the  University 
of  Paris.  He  died  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Victor  in  1 179.  The 
most  notable  of  his  many  works  is  his  Historia  scholastica, 
which  is  a  recompilation  of  the  biblical  books. 

t  Pietro  Ispano  was  by  birth  a  Portuguese,  the  son  of  a 
physician  of  Lisbon,  was  born  about  1226,  became  Archbishop 
of  Braga,  and  in  1273  was  made  a  Cardinal  and  Bishop  of 
Frascati.  In  1276  he  was  elected  Pope,  and  took  the  title  of 
John  XXI :  He  was  killed  by  the  fall  of  the  papal  palace  at 
Viterbo  in  1277.  He  studied  medicine  in  his  youth,  and  wrote 
a  work  entitled  Thesaurus  pauperum,  but  later  on  wrote  the 
great  work  on  Logic  Summulae  logicae. 

%  Natan:  The  only  apparent  reason  why  Dante  has  intro- 
duced Nathan  among  the  great,  is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  old 
Commentators,  because  he  said  to  David :  "  Thou  art  the  man  !" 
Philalethes  thinks  that  he  and  St.  Chrysostom  are  put  side  by 
side,  because  both  spoke  bitter  truths  to  the  Great  Ones  of  the 
earth.  "  L'  autore  lo  mette  fra  questi  dottori  perche  pales6  lo 
suo  peccato  a  David,  come  questi  altri  hanno  fatti  palesi  li  vizi  e 
le  virtu  nelle  loro  opere  che  hanno  scritto."  (Buti). 

§  Crisostomo:  John,  from  his  great  eloquence  surnamed 
Chrysostom  (i.e.  Golden  Mouth),  was  born  at  Antioch  in  347, 
ordained  priest  in  386,  elected  Patriarch  and  Metropolitan 
Bishop  of  Constantinople  in  398.  In  403  he  was  deposed  from 
his  high  office,  and  died  in  banishment  on  the  shores  of  the 
Black  Sea  in  407.  Longfellow  says  of  him  that  "his  whole 
life  ...  his  austerities  as  a  monk,  his  fame  as  a  preacher,  his 
troubles  as  Bishop  of  Constantinople,  his  controversy  with  Theo- 
philus  of  Alexandria,  his  exile  by  the  Emperor  Arcadius,  his 
triumphant  return,  his  second  banishment,  and  his  death — is 
more  like  a  romance  than  a  narrative  of  facts."  His  works  are 
exceedingly  voluminous,  consisting  chiefly  of  commentaries, 
homilies,  and  liturgies. 

Anselmo:  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  1093,  was 
by  birth  a  Piedmontese,  born  at  Aosta  in  1033,  his  religious  edu- 
cation took  place  in  the  Abbey  of  Bee  in  Normandy,  of  which 
he  became  abbot  in  1078.  He  was  made  Archbishop  of  Canter- 


422  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Ch'  alia  prim'  arte  degno  por  la  mano ; 
Rabano*  e  qui,  e  lucemi  da  lato 

II  Calabrese  abate  Gioacchino,t  140 

Di  spirito  profetico  dotato. 

bury  by  William  Rufus.  He  wrote  a  celebrated  treatise  on  the 
Atonement,  entitled  Cur  Deus  homo?  and  the  tract  De  Veritate 
is  said  to  be  the  groundwork  of  his  theory  of  knowledge.  His 
two  greatest  works  however  are  the  Monologion  and  Proslogion. 
Many  have  held  that  Anselm  may  be  reckoned  the  earliest  of 
the  schoolmen  who,  in  his  works,  found  their  first  impulse  to 
justify  Scripture  and  the  Church  by  reason.  Anselm's  dealings 
with  King  William  Rufus  show  him  to  have  been  a  profound 
statesman.  No  better  account  of  his  life  can  be  read  than  the 
Essay  by  Dean  Church. 

Donato :  ^Elius  Donatus  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the 
fourth  century,  and  was  a  grammarian  who  taught  at  Rome. 
He  wrote  a  commentary  on  Virgil,  and  the  Ars  Grammatica,  a 
work  of  great  repute  in  the  middle  ages.  Dante  calls  the  work 
he  put  his  hand  to  la  print  arte,  for  Grammar  being  the  first  of 
the  seven  liberal  arts  taught  to  children,  was  in  those  days 
termed  "  First  Art." 

*  Rabano:  Rabanus  Maurus,  a  learned  theologian,  was  born 
at  Mayence  about  776,  was  brought  up  in  the  Monastery  of 
Fulda,  and  afterwards  studied  at  St.  Martin's  at  Tours.  He  was 
made  Abbot  of  Fulda  in  822,  Archbishop  of  Mayence  in  847, 
and  died  in  856.  He  left  many  works  of  theology  and  biblical 
exegesis. 

t  //  Calabrese  abate  Gioacchino :  Gioacchino  da  Celico  in 
Calabria  was  born  about  1150,  and  having  during  a  pilgrim- 
age to  the  Holy  Land  vowed  himself  to  a  monastic  life,  he 
entered  the  Cistercian  monastery  of  Sambucina  about  1158. 
He  was  for  a  short  time  Abbot  of  the  monastery  of  Corazo, 
but  soon  left  that  dignity  in  order  to  devote  himself  to  biblical 
study.  He  then,  in  search  of  a  more  austere  life,  founded  a 
monastery  at  a  place  called  Santa  Flora,  a  wild  and  remote 
spot  among  the  mountains,  and  there  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  life  in  study  and  contemplation.  He  died  in  1202. 
It  is  said  that  the  multitude  revered  him  as  a  person  divinely 
inspired,  and  equal  to  the  most  illustrious  prophets  of  ancient 
times.  Among  other  prophecies  that  were  current  of  his,  Pietro 
di  Dante  refers  to  the  following  one,  which  announces  the  birth 
of  Antichrist  in  1260,  and  attributes  it  to  Joachim  : 
"  Cum  decies  seni  fuerint  et  mille  ducenti 
Anni,  qui  nato  sumunt  exordia  Christo, 


Canto  XII.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  423 

Hugh  of  St.  Victor  is  here  with  them,  and  Pietro 
Mangiadore,  and  Peter  of  Spain  who  down  below 
(on  earth)  shines  in  twelve  volumes ;  Nathan  the 
prophet,  and  Chrysostom  the  Metropolitan,  and 
Anselm,  and  that  Donatus,  who  to  the  first  art  (/>. 
Grammar)  designed  to  put  his  hand;  here  is  Rabanus, 
and  at  my  side  beams  with  radiance  Joachim  the 
Abbot  of  Calabria,  (who  was)  endowed  with  the 
spirit  of  prophecy. 

In  conclusion  Bonaventura  explains  to  Dante  that 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  had  induced  him  to  make  this 
panegyric  of  St.  Dominic,  whom  he  terms  a  Paladin, 
because  in  the  romances  of  chivalry  the  twelve  cham- 
pions of  Charlemagne  are  called  Paladins. 
Ad  inveggiar*  cotanto  paladino 

Tune  Antichristus  nequissimus  est  oriturus. 
Haec  Cistercensis  Joachim  praedixit,  et  anno 
Quo  Saladinus  sanctam  sibi  subdidit  urbem." 
Philalethes  thinks  Dante  may  have  thought  this  prophecy  to 
have  been  fulfilled  by  the  Papal  throne  being  held,  at  the  time, 
or  thereabouts,  by  Boniface  VIII. 

*  inveggiar :  The  only  meaning  of  this  word  given  by  the 
dictionaries  is  invidiare,  but  none  of  the  best  Commentators  so 
understand  :t  in  this  passage.  Casini  interprets  the  terzina 
thus  :  "  To  celebrate  the  praises  of  St.  Dominic,  that  energetic 
champion  of  the  Faith,  I,  Bonaventura  the  Franciscan,  have 
been  impelled  by  the  example  of  the  Dominican  St.  Thomas, 
who  has  proclaimed  the  praises  of  St.  Francis."  Casini  adds  : 
"  Questo  e  certamente  il  senso  della  terzina,  ma  gran  difficoltk 
nelF  interprstazione  letterale  adduce  il  verbo  inveggiare,  che 
essendo  fojgiato  [formed]  sul  nome  inveggia  (Purg.  vi.  20), 
significa  p-opriamente  invidiare."  Most  of  the  modern  Com- 
mentators think  the  explanation  in  the  Ottimo  is  the  best  : 
"  Prendi  qaesto  inveggiare  cioe  invidiare,  in  buona  parte :  buona 
e  la  invidia  che  procede  in  avanzare  alcuno  in  bene  operare." 
As  Poletto  points  out,  Envy  in  a  bad  sense  cannot  exist  among 
the  Blessed,  and  therefore  to  envy  in  a  holy  way  is  to  recognize 
adequately  one's  neighbour's  merits,  which  produces  a  holy 
emulation,  and  therefore  signifies  neither  more  nor  less  than 
"  to  praise,  to  celebrate."  Nearly  all  the  Old  Commentators, 
includ.ng  the  precise  Buti,  so  understand  the  passage. 


424  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XII. 

Mi  mosse  la  infiammata  cortesia 
Di  fra  Tommaso,  e  il  discrete  latino;* 
E  mosse  meco  questa  compagnia." —  145 

To  celebrate  so  great  a  paladin  the  impassioned 
courtesy  and  the  modest  words  of  Brother  Thomas 
moved  me ;  and  with  me  set  in  motion  all  this  com- 
pany (i.e.  my  eleven  companions)." 

*  discreto  latino:  Latino  is  here  simply  voice,  speech,  or  words. 
In  the  Canzoniere,  Ballata  IV  (beginning  Fresca  rosa  novella) 
Dante  uses  it  for  the  singing  of  the  birds : 
"  E  cantinne  gli  augelli 
Ciascuno  in  suo  latino 
Da  sera  e  da  mattino 
Sulli  verdi  arbuscelli." 

See  notes  on  Par.  iii,  63  ;  and  Par.  xvii,  35. 
Discreto  has  in  this  passage,  says  the  Gran  Dizionario,  the  sense 
of  "  prudentemente  moderate." 


END  OF  CANTO  XII. 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  425 


CANTO    XIII. 


THE  FOURTH  SPHERE  :  THE  HEAVEN  OF  THE  SUN 

(continued]. — ST.    THOMAS    AQUINAS    RESUMES 

HIS  SPEECH. — HE  DISCOURSES  ON  THE  WISDOM 
OF  SOLOMON,  WHICH  is  SECOND  ONLY  TO  THAT 
OF  ADAM  AND  CHRIST. — THE  CAPRICIOUS  IN- 
TERPRETATION OF  SCRIPTURE  BY  CERTAIN 
SCHOLASTIC  REASONERS  CENSURED. 

THERE  has  been  no  change  in  the  position  of  Dante 
and  Beatrice.  They  are  in  the  same  spot  they  occu- 
pied in  the  last  two  Cantos,  with  the  double  garland 
of  spirits  around  them. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  27,  Dante 
compares  the  two  garlands  of  saints  to  some  of  the 
brightest  stars  in  heaven.  (I  explain  at  1.  25  why  I 
have  somewhat  altered  the  divisions.) 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  28  to  v.  in, 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  solves  the  second  of  Dante's 
two  doubts  (mentioned  in  Canto  XI),  namely,  that 
referring  to  Solomon. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  112  to  v.  142, 
St.  Thomas  gives  to  Dante  a  sort  of  general  precept 
of  warning  as  to  the  solution  of  doubts,  and  as  to  the 
answering  of  questions. 

Division  I.     In  his  progress  throughout  Paradise 
the  conversations  of  Dante  with  the  Blessed  spirits 


426  Readings  on  the  Paradist.      Canto  XIII. 

are  alternated  with  their  songs  and  their  dances,  and 
so  now,  as  soon  as  St.  Bonaventura  has  finished 
speaking,  the  twenty-four  spirits  of  the  double  gar- 
land at  once  break  forth  into  renewed  melody  and 
rhythmic  measures.  Dante,  wishing  to  give  a  tolerably 
intelligible  idea  of  this  wondrous  spectacle,  seeks  a 
simile  in  the  stars,  and  invites  his  reader  to  picture 
to  himself  the  fifteen  stars  of  greatest  magnitude  ;  to 
add  to  these  the  seven  stars  of  the  Great  Bear  and  the 
two  brightest  of  the  Little  Bear  ;  and  having  thus  got, 
in  all,  twenty-four  stars  of  the  greatest  brilliancy,  with 
them  to  construct  in  imagination  two  circles  equal  to 
one  another,  each  of  twelve  stars,  and  let  one  of  these 
circles  surround  and  contain  the  other ;  let  them  then 
move  at  equal  pace  to  one  another,  only  in  opposite 
directions.  When  the  reader  shall  have  noted  this, 
he  will  then  have  a  faint  shade  of  an  idea  (avra  quasi 
r  ombra  della  vera  costellazion,  11.  19,  20)  of  what  was 
the  movement  of  those  twenty-four  Blessed  Saints  in 
the  Heaven  of  the  Sun. 

Immagini  chi  bene  intender  cupe* 

Quel  ch'  io  or+  vidi  (e  ritenga  1'  iniage,^ 
Mentre  ch'io  dico,  come  ferma  rupe)§ 

Quindici  stelle  che  in  diverse  plage  || 

*  cupe :  From  the  Latin  verb  cupere,  "to  desire."     It  is  only 
used  by  Dante  in  this  one  passage. 

t  or:  The  Italian  Commentators  say  that  or  must  here  be 
translated  "  a  questo  punto." 

J  image,  for  imagine.     Compare  Purg.  xxv.  26  : 
"  Guizza  dentro  allo  specchio  vostra  image." 
§  come  ferma  rupe  :  Compare  Purg.  v.  14  : 
"  Sta  come  torre  ferma  che  non  crolla." 


II  plage :  Compare  Par.  xxiii,  10-12  : 
"  Cosi  la  DC 


Donna  mia  si  stava  eretta 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  427 

Lo  cielo  avvivan  di  tanto  sereno,*  5 

Che  soperchia  dell'  acre  ogni  compage  ;t 
Immagini  quel  Cairo  J  a  cui  il  seno 

Ed  attenta,  rivolta  inver  la  plaga  \regiori\ 
Sotto  la  quale  il  sol  mostra  men  fretta." 

Compare  also  De  Vulg.  Eloq.  i,  8,  11.  3-4  :  "  Per  universa  mundi 
climata  climatunque  plagas."  A  few  lines  further  down  (17-19) 
Dante  explains  that  this  means  "regions."  Compare  again 
Quaest.  Aq.  et  Terr.  §  19,  11.  35-36  :  "Patet  .  .  .  per  astrologos 
climata  describentes,  et  per  cosmographos  regiones  terrae  per 
omnes  plagas  ponentes." 

*  sereno :  This  means  here,  "  brilliancy,  radiance."  In  Par. 
xix,  64,  65,  Dante  uses  it  to  describe  God,  the  Author  of  all 
Light : 

"  Lume  non  e,  se  non  vien  dal  sereno 
Che  non  si  turba  mai." 

t  compage,  which  in  its  primary  sense  signifies,  "Congiunzione, 
Concatenazione,  etc."  (See  Gran  Diz^)  in  this  passage  is  inter- 
preted "densitk,  spessezza."  Benvenuto  renders  the  line :  "  idest, 
vincunt  omnem  aliam  aggregationem  aeteris,  sive  sit  gallasia, 
sive  quaecumque  alia  constellatio."  Daniello  explains  it  well : 
"  Ogni  composizione  ed  aggregate  dell'  aria,  perciocch£  la  fol- 
tezza  e  densitk  dell' acre  non  ci  vieta  il  poterle  vedere."  See 
also  Nannucci,  Teorica  dei  Nomi,  p.  76,  et  seq. :  "  Abbiamo 
alcuni  nomi  femminini  che  finiscono  in  O,  usati  da'  poeti,  e  che  si 
presero  di  netto  dal  nominativo  singolare  della  terza  declinazione 
de'  Latini,  come  imago,  compago,  etc.,  i  quali  si  terminarono  an- 
ch'  essi  in  E  per  paritk  di  cadenza  con  quelli  delle  altre  declina- 
zioni,  ch'  ebbero  la  stessa  uscita,  e  si  disse  image,  compage,  etc." 

t  Immagini quel Carro,etc. :  " idest, illam  constellationem  qua; 
dicitur  ursa  major  vel  minor,  et  appellatur  currus  similitudinarie, 
quia  constat  ex  stellis  septem,  quarum  quatuor  sunt  quasi  quatuor 
rotae  pares  in  curru,  duae  tamquam  boves,  septima  sicut  bubul- 
cus  ducens  currum,  et  istae  stellae  moventur  circa  nostrum 
polum  septemtrionalem,  et  sunt  perpetua  apparitionis."  (Ben- 
venuto). Compare  Dante,  Cam.  xv  (which  begins  lo  son  venuto 
al  punto  della  rota),  st.  3  : 

"  Fuggito  £  ogni  augel,  che  '1  caldo  segue, 
Dal  paese  d'  Europa,  che  non  perde 
Le  sette  stelle  gelide  unquemai." 

and  Boethius,  Phil.  Consol.\\\>.  iv,  metr.  6  (ed.  Peiper,  p.  115): 
"  Nee  quae  summo  vertice  mundi 
Flectit  rapidos  Ursa  meatus 


428  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XIII. 

Basta  del  nostro  cielo  e  notte  e  giorno, 
Si  ch'  al  volger  del  temo  non  vien  meno  ; 

Let  him  imagine,  who  desires  rightly  to  understand 
that  which  I  at  this  juncture  saw — and  while  I  am 
speaking,  let  him  keep  the  image  before  him  as  an 
immovable  rock — (let  him,  I  say,  imagine)  the  fifteen 
stars  which  in  divers  regions  animate  the  heavens 
with  a  brilliancy  so  great,  that  it  irresistibly  forces  its 
way  through  every  density  of  the  atmosphere ;  (then) 
imagine  that  Wain  for  which  the  bosom  of  our  heaven 
(i.e.  the  field  of  our  Northern  Hemisphere)  suffices 
both  night  and  day,  so  that  in  the  turning  of  its  pole 
it  disappears  not ; 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  Wain,  i.e.  the  Great  Bear, 
illuminates  our  hemisphere  by  day  and  by  night, 
and  mariners  always  make  use  of  it  to  find  the  north. 
The  Wain  describes  so  small  a  circle  in  its  revolu- 
tions, that  it  never  passes  out  of  view,  or  sets,  as  do 
other  stars.  To  understand  the  next  few  lines  it  may 
be  remarked  that,  in  the  Little  Bear,  the  stars  take 
the  form  of  a  horn,  whose  commencement  is  near  the 
extreme  point  of  the  axis  of  our  earth,  round  which  the 
Primum  Mobile,  according  to  the  Ptolemaic  system, 
revolves.  The  two  most  brilliant  stars  of  the  Little 
Bear  form  the  mouth  at  the  broad  end  of  the  horn : 
the  small  end  being  the  Pole  Star. 

Immagini  la  bocca  di  quel  corno,*  10 

Numquam  occiduo  lota  profundo 

Caetera  cernens  sidera  mergi 

Cupit  oceano  tinguere  flammas." 

*  bocca  di  quel  corno:  Longfellow  observes  that  the  constella- 
tion of  the  Little  Bear  as  much  resembles  a  horn  as  it  does  a 
bear.  Of  this  horn  the  Pole  Star  forms  the  smaller  end.  Of 
bocca,  Brun.  Bianchi  remarks  :  "  le  due  stelle  dell'  Orsa  minore, 
le  piu  vicine  al  polo,  le  quali  poste  una  di  qua  ed  una  di  la 
da  esso  polo,  formano  quasi  un'apertura,  una  bocca  di  quel 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  429 

Che  si  comincia  in  punta  dello  stelo 

A  cui  la  prima  rota  va  dintorno, 
Aver  fatto  di  s£  due  segni*  in  cielo 

(Qual  fece  la  figliuola  di  Minoit 

Allora  che  send  di  morte  il  gielo).  15 

E  1'  un  nell'  altro  aver  li  raggi  suoi, 

Ed  ambo  e  due  girarsi  per  maniera, 

Che  I1  uno  andasse  al  prima  e  1'  altro  al  poi,  J 


corno,  di  quello  spazio  in  figura  di  corno,  che  ha  il  suo  centro  in 
punta  dell'  asse  mondiale,  in  cui  si  gira  la  prima  ruota,  cio£  il 
primo  cielo  rotante,  detto  il  Primo  Mobile" 

*  segni :  Used  here  to  signify,  "  Constellations."     Dante  uses 
it  again  in  the  same  sense  in  Par.  xxii,  no,  in  : 

"  io  vidi  il  segno 

Che  segue  il  Tauro,  e  fui  dentro  da  esso." 
t  figliuola  di  Minoi,  i.e.  Ariadne,  who  being  deserted  by 
Bacchus,  and  dying  of  grief,  the  god  changed  her  garland  into 
the  constellation  known  as  her  crown.  The  story  is  told  by 
Ovid,  Metam.  viii,  174-182  :  compare  also  Chaucer,  The  Legend 
of  Ariadne  of  Athens  (in  the  Legend  of  Good  Women  at  the 
end): 

"  And  in  the  signe  of  Taurus  men  may  see, 

The  stones  of  her  crowne  shine  clere." 
And  Spenser,  Faerie  Queene,  book  vi,  canto  x,  st.  13  : 
"  Looke  !  how  the  crowne,  which  Ariadne  wore 
Upon  her  yvory  forehead  that  same  day 


Being  now  placed  in  the  firmament, 
Through  the  bright  Heaven  doth  her  beams  display." 
t  al  prima  .  .  .  al  poi :  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  decide 
which  of  two  interpretations  of  this  passage  to  prefer.  Scar- 
tazzini  frankly  confesses  himself  unable  to  decide,  as  the  ex- 
pression is  to  him  quite  obscure.  The  most  generally  accepted 
rendering,  and  the  one  preferred  by  Casini,  is  that  the  two  con- 
stellations were  circling  in  directions  contrary  the  one  to  the 
other.  I  rather  prefer,  however,  the  following  interpretation  by 
Brunone  Bianchi,  who,  after  giving  the  more  general  rendering, 
adds  :  "  Ma  convien  ricordare  cio  che  e  detto  al  verso  3,  ct  seq., 
di  canto  xii,  cio£  che  queste  due  ghirlande  facevano  il  mede- 
simo  moto,  e  spiegare  cosi :  girarsi  quei  segni  per  maniera  che 
P  uno  andasse  al  prima,  dinanzi.  e  1'  altro  al  poi,  dietro  di 
quello."  There  is  a  passage  in  the  Convito  iv,  2,  11.  47-49 : 


430  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XI II. 

Ed  avrk  quasi  1'  ombra  della  vera 

Costellazion,*  e  della  doppia  danza,  20 

Che  circulava  il  punto  dov'  io  era  ; 
Poi  ch'  e  tanto  di  Ik  da  nostra  usanza, 

Quanto  di  Ik  dal  mover  della  Chianat 

Si  move  il  ciel  che  tutti  gli  altri  avanza. 

Let  him  (next)  imagine  the  mouth  of  that  horn, 
which  commences  at  the  point  of  the  axle  round 
which  the  first  wheel  (i.e.  the  Primum  Mobile) 
revolves,  to  have  made  of  itself  two  signs  (i.e.  Con- 
stellations) in  the  heavens,  such  as  the  daughter 
of  Minos  (Ariadne)  did,  when  she  felt  the  chill  of 
death,  and  that  one  (of  these  signs)  has  its  rays  con- 
tained within  the  other,  and  that  both  the  twain  rotate 
in  such  a  manner,  that  the  one  should  go  first  and 
the  other  after ;  and  he  will  then  have  as  it  were 
a  shadow  of  the  true  constellation,  and  of  the  double 
dance,  which  was  circling  round  the  point  at  which  I 
was;  because  it  (the  reality)  is  as  far  beyond  our  usage, 
as  the  motion  of  that  heaven  that  outstrips  all  the 
others  (i.e.  the  Primum  Mobile)  is  swifter  than  the 
movement  of  the  Chiana. 

The  Primum  Mobile  was  the  most  rapid  of  all  the 
heavens  in  the  velocity  of  its  gyrations,  and  Dante 
compares  it  with  the  sluggish  Chiana  to  mark  an 
extreme  contrast. 

Dante  then  draws  another  contrast  between  the 


which  seems  to  confirm  this  :  "  II  tempo  secondoche  dice  Aris- 
totile  nel  quarto  della  Fi'sica,  e  numero  di  movimento  secondo 
prima  e  pot." 

*  vera  Costellazion:  This  signifies  the  twenty-four  blessed 
spirits,  who  were  moving  round  Dante  in  the  two  concentric 
garlands  \nella  doppia  danza.} 

+  Chiana :  A  river  in  the  territory  of  Arezzo,  which  at  the 
present  day  runs  through  an  artificial  channel  ;  but  in  Dante's 
time  it  was  a  sluggish  stream,  nearly  stagnating  in  the  marshes 
of  Valdichiana.  The  district  is  now  celebrated  for  its  mag- 
nificent oxen. 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  431 

song  of  these  Saints,  a  song  of  the  greatest  mystery 
of  the  Christian  Faith,  and  the  wild  ritual  of  the 
ancients  in  honour  of  Bacchus  and  Apollo. 

Li  si  canto*  non  Bacco,  non  Peana,t  25 

Ma  tre  Persone  in  divina  natura, 
Ed  in  una  personal  essa  e  1'  umana. 
Not  lo  Bacchus,  not  lo  Paean  did  they  sing  there, 
but  Three  Persons  in  Divine  Nature,  and  in  One 
Person  (united)  that  and  the  human. 

*  L\  si  canto,  et  seq. :  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  Ben- 
venuto  makes  his  first  division  end  with  a  semi-colon  at  1.  21,  in 
the  middle  of  the  sense.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  making  a 
slight  alteration,  and  begin  my  second  division  after  a  full  stop, 
and  after  the  conclusion  of  the  song  of  the  saints. 

t  non  Bacco,  non  Peana :  The  Thebans  used  to  celebrate  the 
praises  of  Bacchus  upon  Mount  Cithaeron ;  and  Apollo  was 
worshipped  with  song  and  sacrifice  both  at  Delos  and  in  Lycia. 
Scartazzini  dryly  remarks  that  it  was  perhaps  hardly  necessary 
to  remind  us  that  it  is  not  the  custom  in  Paradise  to  chant 
hymns  in  honour  of  the  gods  of  the  heathen  ! 

t  in  una  persona:  i.e.  in  the  person  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
in  Whom  the  Divine  Nature  was  conjoined  with  the  human  in 
one  person.  Some  read  sustanzia,  which  however  Ur.  Moore 
only  found  in  12  MSS.,  while  he  found  persona  in  over  200.  In 
Textual  Criticism,  pp.  463,  464,  he  writes :  "  The  overwhelming 
majority  of  MSS.  here  read  correctly  persona.  Possibly  some 
pedantic  copyist  thought  the  occurrence  of  una  persona  im- 
mediately after  tre  Persone  either  inelegant  or  inconsistent. 
Persona  is  theologically  correct,  and  embodies  the  truth  which 
Dante  still  more  explicitly  states  in  Purg.  xxxi,  81,  "Ch"  e  sola 
una  persona  in  due  nature!"  Sustanzia  would  be  theologically 
incorrect,  unless  (as  Scartazzini  suggests)  sustanzia  be  taken  as 
equivalent  to  persona,  as  is  the  case  in  some  ancient  theological 
writers.  This  however  is  improbable,  since  Dante  carefully  dis- 
tinguishes the  words  in  a  passage  of  the  Convito  (ii,  6, 11.  59, 60). 
'  Conciossiache  la  Maestk  Divina  sia  in  Tre  Persone,  che  hanno 
una  Sustanza.'  The  rare  reading  in  una  natura,  which  I  find 
only  in  two  MSS.,  would  clearly  land  Dante  in  the  monophysitc 
heresy  at  once.  Observe  how  carefully  he  distinguishes  persona 
and  natura  in  Par.  vii,  40-45.  There  is  no  trace  of  sustanzia 
in  the  old  Commentators,  while  Ott.,  Anon.  Fior.,  Benvenuto, 
Buti,  Landino,  Vellutello,  Daniello,  and  Serravalle  recognize 
persona? 


43 2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

Division  II.  During  a  cessation  of  the  dance  and 
song,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  again  becomes  the  spokes- 
man for  the  spirits  in  the  two  garlands,  who  desire  to 
give  to  Dante  the  solution  of  his  second  doubt.  In 
Par.  x,  112,  et  seq.,  St.  Thomas  had  said  that,  in  the 
mind  of  Solomon,  such  profound  wisdom  had  been 
implanted,  that  never  had  a  second  arisen  who  dis- 
cerned so  much.  This  had  aroused  in  Dante's  mind 
a  doubt  (xi,  24-26),  for  it  seemed  to  him  that  the 
wisdom  of  Adam  and  of  Christ  was  more  profound 
than  that  of  the  ancient  King  of  Israel.  Now  St. 
Thomas  proceeds  to  explain  this  doubt  away,  and  he 
tells  Dante  that  in  truth  both  Adam  and  Christ  were 
wiser  than  Solomon,  because  God  operated  in  them 
directly,  not  by  means  of  the  Celestial  Influences, 
which  have  their  greatest  power  in  the  Primum  Mobile, 
but  get  weaker  as  they  descend  from  sphere  to 
sphere  ;  and  are  resisted  by  mortal  matter.  But  even 
this  does  not  disprove  the  truth  of  A  veder  tanto  non 
surse  il  secondo,  for  it  does  not  say  that  Solomon  was 
wiser  than  all  men  on  the  earth,  but  wiser  than  all 
the  kings  of  the  earth. 

Compi£  il  cantare*  e  il  volger  sua  misura, 

Ed  attesersi  a  noi  quei  santi  lumi, 

Felicitando  set  di  cura  in  cura.  30 

*  Compti  il  cantare,  et  seq. :  "Auctor  .  .  .  describit  quieta- 
tionem  motus  et  cantus  animarum  dictarum  coronarum,  quern 
motum  et  cantum  exprimit  per  unam  comparationem  pulcram 
et  propriam  ;  quae  comparatio  stat  in  hoc,  quod  motus  et  cantus 
illarum  coronarum  [garlands]  superavit  tantum  motum  et  cantum 
nostrarum  dantiarum,  quantum  motus  firmamenti  excedit  motum 
unius  stagni  mortui  .  .  .  Cantus  duravit  tantum  quantum  circu- 
latio,  et  ita  finivit  simul  secum  pariter."  (Benvenuto). 

t  Felicitando  s2 :  Cesari  (Bellezze)  exclaims:  "Bello!   Fino 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  433 

Ruppe  il  silenzio  nei  concord!  numi* 

Poscia  la  luce,  in  cui  mirabil  vita 

Del  poverel  di  Diot  narrata  fumi, 
E  disse  : — "  Quando  1'una  paglia  e  trita,J 

Quando  la  sua  semenza  e  gia  riposta,  35 

A  batter  1'  altra  dolce  amor  m'  invita. 
The  singing  and  the  dance  completed  its  measure, 
and  those  holy  lights  (then)  turned  their  attention 
to  us,  gathering  gladness  to  themselves  (in  pass- 
ing) from  the  care  (of  praising  God)  to  the  care 
(of  satisfying  my  desire).  Then  that  luminary  (St. 
Thomas)  from  within  which  the  wondrous  life  of 
God's  own  poor  one  (St.  Francis)  had  been  related  to 
me,  broke  the  silence  among  those  Saints  united  (in 
heart),  and  said :  "  Now  that  one  straw  (i.e.  ear  of 
corn)  has  been  threshed  out,  now  that  its  grain  is 
safely  garnered,  sweet  Love  invites  me  to  thresh  out 
the  other. 

That  is  to  say :  "  Now  that  thy  first  doubt  as  to  U'  ben 
s'  impingua  has  been  explained  away,  I  will  proceed 
to  explain  away  thy  second  doubt,  about  Solomon." 

a  quel  punto  quelle  anime  s1  erano  letiziate  lodando  Dio :  or 
passano  a  letiziarsi,  sfogando  la  lor  carita  al  nostro  servigio — 
parlar  riciso  e  serrato,  ma  proprio  e  pieno  di  senso." 

*  numi:  "Propriamente  Dei,  qui  per  Beati."  (Scartazzini). 
"  Quelli  beati  spiriti  si  possono  chiamare  iddii  per  partecipa- 
zione  de  la  beatitudine,  la  quale  e  quello  che  £  la  divinita." 
(Buti).  Compare  Par.  v,  122,  123  : 

"Di'di' 
Sicuramente,  e  credi  come  a  Dii." 

t  poverel  di  Dio:  "II  glorioso  poverello  di  Cristo,  messer 
San  Francesco."  (Fioretti  di  S.  Francesco,  ap.  Poletto). 

t  trita :  "  Spiegare  il  vero  e  quasi  liberar  dalla  paglia  il 
grano  che  sara  nutrimento."  (Tommase'o).  "  Parla  di  cotale 
gia  fatta  dichiarazione  come  di  grano  di  gia  battuto  e  riposto  ; 
e  della  dichiarazione  ch'  e  ora  per  fare,  come  di  grano  ancor  da 
battersi ;  egiudiziosamente  ;  imperocche  siccome  per  la  battitura 
sciogliesi  e  traggesi  il  grano  dalla  scorza  e  paglia  che  lo  n;i- 
sconde,  cosl  per  la  dichiarazione  sciogliesi  e  traggasi  il  senso 
dall'oscuro  parlare  che  lo  tiene  celato."  (Lombardi). 

I.  F  F 


434  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XIII. 

Tu  credi  che  nel  petto,*  onde  la  costa 
Si  trasse  per  formar  la  bella  guancia, 
II  cui  palato  a  tutto  il  mondo  costa, 

Ed  in  quel  che,  forato  dalla  lancia,  40 

E  poscia  e  primat  tanto  satisfece, 
Che  d'  ogni  colpa  vince  la  bilancia, 

Quantunque  alia  natura  umana  lece 
Aver  di  lume,  tutto  fosse  infuso 
Da  quel  valor  che  1'  uno  e  1'  altro  fece  :  45 

E  pero  ammiri  cio  ch'  io  dissi  suso,J 

Quando  narrai  che  non  ebbe  il  secondo 
Lo  ben  che  nella  quinta  luce  e  chiuso. 

*  nel  petto:  From  the  body  of  Adam  God  took  a  rib  to  fashion 
the  body  of  the  fair  Eve  (Genesis,  ii,  21,  22),  and  she  by  eating 
of  the  forbidden  fruit  was  the  cause  of  so  much  woe  to  the 
human  race.  (Scartazzini.)  See  Purg.  xxix,  23-30 : 

"  buon  zelo 

Mi  fe'  riprender  1'  ardimento  d'  Eva, 
Che,  Ik  dove  ubbidia  la  terra  e  il  cielo, 
Femmina  sola,  e  pur  teste  formata, 
Non  sofferse  di  star  sotto  alcun  velo; 
Sotto  il  qual,  se  devota  fosse  stata, 
Avrei  quelle  ineffabili  delizie 
Sentite  prima,  e  piu  lunga  fiata." 

Both  the  beauty  of  Eve,  and  the  deep  wound  that  her  sin  in- 
flicted upon  the  human  race  are  alluded  to  in  Par.  xxxii,  4-6 : 
"  La  piaga  che  Maria  richiuse  ed  unse, 

Quella  [Eve\  ch'  e  tanto  bella  da'  suoi  piedi 
E  colei  che  1'  aperse  e  che  la  punse." 

t  poscia  e  prima:  There  are  different  interpretations  of  this 
line,  which  I  understand  :  "  Before  Our  Lord's  death  and  after 
it."  Scartazzini,  after  dealing  with  other  opinions,  says  that 
he  thinks  it  sufficient  to  simply  recollect  the  sentence  in  the 
Apostles'  Creed  :  "  Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  was  crucified, 
dead" — that  was  prima;  while  "and  buried.  He  descended 
into  Hell " — that  was  poscia.  Some  think  the  words  mean  that 
Our  Lord  made  satisfaction  both  for  all  sin  committed  before 
His  death,  and  for  all  sin  committed  after  it. 

J  suso :  St  Thomas  refers  to  his  words  about  Solomon  in 
Par.  x,  112-114,  whom  he  described  as  being  in  la  quinta  luce: 
"  Entro  v'  e  1'  alta  mente  u'  si  profondo 

Saper  fu  messo,  che  se  il  vero  e  vero, 
A  veder  tanto  non  surse  il  secondo." 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  435 

Thou  believest  that  in  the  breast  (of  Adam),  from 
which  was  taken  out  the  rib  to  form  the  lovely  face 
(lit.  cheek,  of  Eve),  whose  taste  costs  the  whole  world 
(so  dear),  and  in  that  (of  Christ)  which  pierced  by 
the  spear,  both  after  and  before  (i.e.  in  His  descent 
into  Hell  after  death,  and  in  His  Passion  and  Cruci- 
fixion before  death)  made  satisfaction  so  great  that 
it  outweighs  the  balance  of  every  sin,  (thou  believest, 
I  say)  that  in  so  far  as  it  is  permitted  to  human 
nature  to  possess  light,  it  was  all  infused  (into  Adam 
and  into  Christ)  by  that  Power  Who  created  both  of 
them  :  and  therefore  thou  dost  marvel  at  what  I  said 
above  (Par.  x,  112),  when  I  related  that  the  excellence 
that  is  enclosed  in  the  fifth  light  (i.e.  Solomon)  never 
had  a  second  (i.e.  never  had  another  like  him). 

St.  Thomas  points  out  to  Dante  that  Dante's  opinion 
is  quite  in  consonance  with  St.  Thomas's  former 
words,  both  harmonizing  in  truth.  The  substance  of 
what  he  now  begins  to  say,  is  as  follows  :  All  creation 
proceeds  from  God,  Triune  and  One,  by  the  emanation 
of  His  Excellence  into  the  Angelic  bodies. 
Ora  apri  gli  occhi  a  quel  ch'io  ti  rispondo,* 

E  vedrai  il  tuo  credere  e  il  mio  dire  50 

Nel  vero  farsi  come  centre  in  tondo.t 
Cio  che  non  more,!  e  ci6  che  pu6  morire, 


*  quel  ch?  to  ti  rispondo :  The  whole  substance  of  the  long  ex- 
position, that  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  now  makes  to  Dante,  will  be 
found  in  the  Summa,  pars,  i,  qu.  xciv,  throughout  the  four 
Articles  which  relate  to  Adam  ;  and  in  pars,  iii,  questions  ix-xii, 
concerning  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 

t  Nel  vero  farsi  come  centra  in  tondo :  Compare  Boethius, 
Philos.Consol.\\\,^ro5.\\,\\.  110-112:  "  Nimium  .  .  .  o  alumne 
laetor,  ipsam  enim  mediae  veritatis  notam  Mente  fixisti." 

I  Cib  che  non  wore,  et  seq. :  Lana  explains  that  the 
Angels,  human  souls,  heaven,  and  the  elements,  are  what  die 
not,  while  that  which  can  die  are  the  individual  forms  of  things 
corporate.  But  Scartazzini  prefers  to  take  it  "  in  senso  univer- 
salissimo  :  '  Ogni  incorruttibile  e  corruttibile  creatura.' "  These 

FF   2 


436  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

Non  e  se  non  splendor  di  quella  idea* 
Che  partorisce,  amando,  il  nostro  Sire  ; 

Che  quella  viva  luce  che  si  meat  55 

Dal  suo  lucente,  che  non  si  disuna 
Da  lui,  ne  dall'  amor  che  a  lor  s'  intrea,J 

Per  sua  bontate§  il  suo  raggiare  aduna, 

all  are  nothing  but  a  ray  reflected  from  the  great  Idea  which 
God  generates  in  His  Love. 

*  idea  :  This  Scholastic  term  is  thus  explained  by  St.  Thorn. 
Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol,  i,  qu.  xv,  art.  i)  :  "'I8«t  Graece,  Latine 
forma  dicitur.  Unde  per  ideas  intelliguntur  formae  aliquarum 
rerum  praeter  ipsas  res  existentes.  Forma  autem  alicujus  rei 
praeter  ipsam  existens  ad  duo  esse  potest,  vel  ut  sit  exemplar 
ejus  cujus  dicitur  forma,  vel  ut  sit  principium  cognitionis  ipsius, 
secundum  quod  formae  cognoscibilium  dicuntur  esse  in  cogno- 
scente .  .  .  Quia  mundus  non  est  casu  factus,  sed  est  factus  a 
Deo  per  intellectum  agente,  necesse  est  quod  in  mente  divina 
sit  forma  ad  similitudinem  cujus  mundus  est  factus."  Professor 
Norton  has  an  excellent  note  here:  "The  creation  of  things 
eternal  and  things  temporal  alike  is  the  splendid  manifestation 
of  the  idea  which  the  triune  God,  in  his  love,  generates.  The 
living  Light  in  the  Son,  emanating  in  its  lucent  source  in  the 
Father,  in  union  with  the  love  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  three  re- 
maining always  one,  pours  out  its  radiance  through  the  nine  Orders 
of  the  Angelic  Hierarchy,  who  distribute  it  by  means  of  the 
Heavens  of  which  they  are  the  Intelligences." 

t  mea  is  from  meare  (from  the  same  verb  in  Latin),  i.e.  flows, 
proceeds,  is  derived.     Compare  Par.  xv,  55,  66: 
"  Tu  credi  che  a  me  tuo  pensier  mei 

Da  quel  ch'  e  primo," 
and  Par.  xxiii,  79,  80 : 

"  Come  a  raggio  di  sol,  che  puro  mei 

Per  fratta  nube,"  &c. 
Some  read  j'  innea,  or  s1  t'n£a,  instead  of  j)  mea. 

t  s>  intrea :  Scartazzini  says  that  Dante  invented  the  verb 
intrearsi  to  express  the  indivisibility  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  II 
Lucente  is  the  Father,  la  viva  luce  the  Son,  ?  amore  the  Holy 
Spirit.  In  Inf.  iii,  6,  we  find  "II  Primo  Amore." 

§  bontate  .  .  .  Quasi  specchiato:  "  II  Verbo  e  luce  interna  in- 
creata,  che  pure  rimanendosi  una,  viene  alle  creature  a  mani- 
festarsi  come  in  altrettanti  specchi.  Come  lo  splendore  del  sole 
si  ravvisa  negli  specchi  nei  quali  imprime  la  sua  imagine,  cosi 
lo  splendore  del  Verbo  si  ravvisa  nelle  creature  che  sono  sue 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  437 

Quasi  specchiato,  in  nove  sussistenze, 
Eternalmente  rimanendosi  una.  60 

Open  now  thine  eyes  to  that  which  I  answer  thee, 
and  thou  wilt  perceive  that  thy  belief  and  my  words 
have  place  in  the  truth  as  the  centre  in  a  circle. 
That  which  cannot  die,  and  that  which  can  die,  are 
naught  else  but  the  beaming  of  that  Idea  to  which 
our  Sovereign  Lord  in  His  Love  gives  birth  (i.e. 
things  both  corruptible  and  incorruptible  are  the 
emanation  of  Love  in  the  Mind  of  God) ;  for  that 
living  Light  (God  the  Son)  Which  so  streams  forth 
from  Its  radiant  source  (God  the  Father),  that  It  is  not 
disunited  from  It,  nor  from  the  Love  (God  the  Holy 
Ghost)  Which  with  Them  forms  the  Trinity,  (that 
Living  Light,  I  say,  Jesus  Christ)  by  Its  Goodness 
collects,  as  in  a  mirror,  Its  rays  into  nine  Subsistencies 
(i.e.  the  nine  Orders  of  the  Heavenly  Hierarchy), 
Itself  for  all  eternity  remaining  One. 

In  the  next  six  lines  St.  Thomas  points  out  that, 
through  the  Nine  Angelic  Hierarchies,  the  emanation 
of  the  excellence  of  God  descends  even  down  to 
things  corruptible.  The  Essential  and  Eternal  Light, 
the  Source  of  Informative  Virtues,  reflected  from 
Sphere  to  Sphere,  and  becoming  enfeebled  by  these 
reflexions,  is  only  able  to  produce  in  the  lowest 
Sphere  of  all,  creatures  that  are  imperfect,  and  of 
limited  existence.  The  last  potencies  are  the  things 
least  capable  of  impression  by  the  energy  which  God 
transmits  from  Sphere  to  Sphere,  from  the  Primum 
Mobile  downwards,  and  which  energy  He  allows  to 
become  so  attenuated  as  it  descends,  that  in  its  final 
stage  on  the  earth,  it  can  only  produce  things  cor- 


imagini.  II  Verbo  rimane  eternalmente  una  sola  persona  o 
sussistenza,  quantunque  le  specchiate  imagini  sieno  moltissime." 
(Cornoldi). 


438  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

ruptible  and  of  short  duration,  such  as  animals  and 
plants  ;  called  by  Dante  mere  contingencies. 
Quindi  discende*  all'  ultime  potenze 
Giu  d'  atto  in  atto  tanto  divenendo, 
Che  piu  non  fa  che  brevi  contingenze  ;t 


*  Quindi  discende,&.  seq. :  The  following  remarks  are  extracted 
from  Dr.  Moore's  Studies  in  Dante,  p.  1 10  :  "The  Divine  Essence 
is  here  represented  as  entering  into  the  several  orders  of  Being 
in  a  constantly  diminishing  degree,  as  they  are  removed  in  a 
descending  scale  from  the  Divine  Source  of  all  Being  .  .  .  The 
idea  is  an  Aristotelian  one.  For  Dante's  language,  if  not  derived 
from,  bears  an  interesting  resemblance  to,  Aristotle,  De  Mundo, 
cap.  vi,  397,  b.  27  seqc|."  Compare  Par.  ii,  121-124: 
"  Questi  organi  del  mondo  cosi  vanno, 

Come  tu  vedi  omai,  di  grado  in  grado, 
Che  di  su  prendono,  e  di  sotto  fanno." 
and  Conv.  iv,  xxi,  11.  44  et  seq. 

"There  is  also  a  passage  in  Albertus  Magnus,  Phys.  lib.  ii, 
Tr.  i,  ch.  5,  which  so  closely  corresponds  with  the  ideas,  and 
almost  with  the  language  of  Dante,  in  these  and  several  other 
passages,  that  it  is  worth  transcribing,  especially  as  he  is  a  writer 
with  whom  Dante  shows  himself  often  to  have  been  familiar. 
Further,  this  is  the  very  chapter  in  which  Albertus  discusses  the 
distinction  between  Natura  Universalis  and  Natura  particulars, 
which  is  repeated  several  times  by  Dante,  and  which  he  seems 
to  have  derived  from  this  chapter.  At  any  rate  I  have  not  been 
able  to  discover  any  other  source  for  it.  Albertus  quoting  (and  it 
is  true,  in  certain  respects  impugning)  the  doctrine  of  Hermes 
Trismegistus,  says  this :  ' .  .  .  quod  natura  egrediens  est  vis 
egrediens  a  prima  causa  per  motum  coeli,  quae  quia  est  processio 
quaedam  facta  a  prima  causa  quae  movet  primum  causatum, 
est  virtus  principians  motum  :  et  quia  per  motum  coeli  egreditur, 
est  ipsa  virtus  incorporabilis  particularibus,  et  diversificatur  in 
illis  secundum  diversitatem  recipientium,  et  efficitur  nobilior  et 
minus  nobilis,  et  efficacior  et  minus  efficax,  secundum  quod  est 
propinquior  et  remotior  a  prima  causa,  ex  qua  in  inferiora  pro- 
cedit.' " 

t  contingenze :  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  i,  qu.  Ixxxvi, 
art.  3)  defines  the  exact  meaning  of  the  term:  "  Contingens  est 
quod  potest  esse  et  non  esse."  It  is  therefore  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  necessitas,  and  brevi  contingenze  mean  corruptible  things 
of  short  and  uncertain  duration.  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin. 
(Summa  contra  Gentiles,  iii,  72)  :  "  Ex  causis  autem  proximis 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  439 

E  queste  contingenze  essere  intendo 

Le  cose  generate,  che  produce  *  65 

Con  seme,  e  senza  seme  il  ciel  movendo. 
Thence  (i.e.  through  these  nine  Subsistencies)  It 
descends  downwards  to  the  last  potencies  from 
influence  to  influence,  becoming  so  much  lowered 
(in  energy),  that  It  makes  nothing  further  save  brief 
contingencies  ;  and  these  contingencies  I  understand 
to  be  things  generated,  such  as  the  moving  heaven 
produces  with  seed  and  without  seed. 

By  seed  are  generated  all  organic  things,  the  human 
species,  animals,  plants,  etc. ;  without  seed  all  inor- 
ganic substances. 

But  St.  Thomas  shows  next  that  there  is  a  great 
diversity  in  the  material  of  contingent  or  temporal 
things,  and  the  heavenly  influence  which  shapes 
them,  and  they  are  receptive  of  the  Divine  Idea 
either  more  or  less  according  to  their  dispositions, 
and  for  that  reason  men  are  of  varying  intellects. 
La  cera  t  di  costoro,  e  chi  la  duce, 

Non  sta  d'  un  modo,  e  pero  sotto  il  segno 

Ideale  poi  piu  e  men  traluce : 

aliqui  effectus  dicuntur  necessarii  vel  contingentes  ;  non  autem 
ex  remotis  causis.  Nam  fructificatio  plantae  est  effectus  con- 
tingens  propter  causam  proximam,  quae  est  vis  germinativa 
quae  potest  impediri  ac  deficere  .  .  .  non  omnes  effectus  qui 
providentiae  subduntur  erunt  necessarii  sed  plurimi  sunt  con- 
tingentes." Scartazzini  points  out  that  what  Dante  intended  by 
contingenze  he  himself  explains  with  the  utmost  precision  and 
lucidity  in  the  lines  that  follow  (64-66). 

*  che  produce,  et  seq. :  The  whole  theory  of  the  generation  of 
seed  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  and  its  dissemination  upon  the 
Earth,  is  described  in  Purg.  xxviii,  103-1 17. 

t  La  cera,  et  seq.:  Compare  Par.  viii,  127-129 : 
"  La  circular  natura,  ch'  e  suggello 

Alia  cera  mortal,  fa  ben  sua  arte, 
Ma  non  distingue  1'un  dall'altro  ostello." 
Compare  also  Convito  iii,  7,  11.  11-16:  "  La  divina  bont.'i  in  tutte 


440  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XIII. 

Ond'  egli  avvien  ch'  un  medesimo  legno,  70 

Secondo  specie,  meglio  e  peggio  frutta ; 
E  voi  nascete  con  diverse  ingegno. 

The  wax  (i.e.  ductile  matter)  of  these,  and  that  which 
moulds  them  (i.e.  the  Heavenly  Influence),  are  not 
always  uniform,  and  therefore  under  the  signet  (i.e. 
impress)  of  the  (Divine)  Idea  it  (the  wax)  shines 
thereafter  with  greater  or  less  intensity  :  whence  it 
comes  to  pass  that  one  and  the  same  tree,  according 
to  its  kind,  bears  better  or  worse  fruit :  and  you 
(mortals)  are  born  with  diverse  intellect. 

If  the  material  were  absolutely  perfect,  and  always 
fit  to  receive  the  impression,  and  the  Heavenly  In- 
fluence at  its  highest  point  of  energy,  instead  of  being 
attenuated  by  its  gradual  descent  through  the  several 
spheres,  all  created  things  would  display  the  entirety 
of  the  Divine  Idea,  of  which,  as  it  happens,  Nature 
can  show  but  a  dim  shadow.  Here  Mr.  Norton  re- 
marks that  Nature,  the  second  Cause,  never  transmits 
the  whole  of  the  Creative  light. 


le  cose  discende ;  e  altrimenti  essere  non  potrebbono ;  ma  avve- 
gnache  questa  bonta  si  muova  da  semplicissimo  principio,  diver- 
samente  si  riceve,  secondo  piii  o  meno,  delle  cose  riceventi."  In 
Par.  i,  40-42,  Dante,  speaking  of  the  Sun's  influence  upon  the 
earth,  adds : 

"  Con  miglior  corso  e  con  migliore  Stella 

Esce  congiunta,  e  la  mondana  cera 

Piu  a  suo  modo  tempera  e  suggella." 

Compare  too  Convito  iii,  7,11.  46-88.  In  Purg.  viii,  112,  113,  we 
find  lucerna  used  in  combination  with  cera,  the  former  to  signify 
Divine  Grace,  and  the  latter  man's  free  will  acting  in  concurrence 
with  it: 

"  Se  la  lucerna  die  ti  mena  in  alto 

Trovi  nel  tuo  arbitrio  tanta  cera,"  etc. 

In  Inf.  xxv,  61,  62,  the  interchanging  forms  of  man  and  serpent 
are  compared  to  easily-moulded  wax: 

"  Poi  s'  appiccar,  come  di  calda  cera 

Fossero  stati,  e  mischiar  lor  colore." 


Canto  xiii.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  441 

Se  fosse  *  a  punto  la  cera  dedutta, 

E  fosse  il  cielo  in  sua  virtu  suprema, 

La  luce  del  suggel  parrebbe  tutta ;  75 

Ma  la  natura  la  da  sempre  scema, 
Similemente  operando  all'  artista, 
Ch'  ha  1'  abito  t  dell'  arte,  e  man  che  trema. 
If  the  wax  were  worked  up  to  the  exact  point  (of 

*  Se  fosse,  et  seq. :  "  Cio£  se  la  disposizione  del  cielo  fosse  a 
produrre  uno  agricola,  e  la  materia  fosse  a  cio  disposta,  allora 
nella  ditta  cera,  cioe  materia,  apparerebbe  tutta  la  forma  del 
sigillo,  cio£  quella  virtu  celeste,  e  sarebbe  perfetto  agricola." 
(Lana.)  Compare  Par.  i,  127-129: 

"  Ver  £  che,  come  forma  non  s'  accorda 
Molte  fiate  alia  intenzion  dell'  arte, 
Perch' a  risponder  la  materia  £  sorda;"  etc. 
Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.,  p.  198,  sim.  340)  observes  that  the  pas- 
sage we  are  discussing  completes  the  above  quoted  simile  in 
Par.  i,  of  which  he  says:  "La,  all' intenzione  dell' arte  non 
risponde  la  materia  che  e  sorda ;  qui,  non  risponde  la  mano 
dell' artista  che  e  manchevole.  Ma  in  questa  mano  che  trema 
si  vorra  egli  intendere  solamente  quella  che  £  resa  impotente  per 
naturale  infermita  ?  Non  crediamo ;  e  ci  pare  che  in  essa  s'adom- 
bri  anco  lo  sgomento  [timidity]  profondo,  di  cui  non  vanno  scevre 
le  anime  grandi,  come  si  sa  di  Lionardo  e  di  Michelangiolo : 
sgomento  che  fa  tremare  la  mano,  ed  £  alia  stanca  mente  riposo, 
e  spesso  umiltk  fecondadi  opere  immortali."  In  Michelangiolo's 
Sonnet  Ixxxiii,  Parallelo  tra  /'  arte  delta  Scultura  e  /'  arte  di 
ainare,  see  the  opening  lines : 

"  Non  ha  1'  ottimo  artista  alcun  concetto 
Ch'  un  marmo  solo  in  s&  non  circoscriva 
Col  suo  soverchio,  e  solo  a  quello  arriva 
La  man  che  obedisce  all'  intelletto." 

t  /'  abito :  The  word  here  seems  to  have  the  same  meaning  as  in 
several  passages  in  the  Convito.  Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in  Dante, 
p.  1 54)  says  that  thisbeautiful  comparison  of  nature  toan  artist  with 
an  unsteady  hand,mayhave  been  suggested  by  Aristotle.  (Phys.  II, 
viii,  1993,  33).  Compare  Convito  iii,  12, 11.  14-18:  "E  uno  studio, 
il  quale  mena  1'  uomo  all'  abito  dell'  arte  e  della  scienza ;  e  un  altro 
studio,  il  quale  nell' abito  acquistato  adopera."  See  also  Con- 
•vito  iii,  13,  11.  95-101 :  "Onde,  avvegnache  all' abito  di  quella  per 
alquanti  si  vegna,  non  vi  si  viene  si  per  alcuno,  che  propriamente 
abito  dire  si  possa  ;  perocch£  il  primo  studio,  cio6  quello  per  lo 
quale  1'  abito  si  genera,  non  puo  quella  perfettamente  acquistare. 
E  qui  si  vede  1'  ultima  sua  lode." 


442  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  XIII. 

perfection),  and  were  the  heaven  at  its  highest  dis- 
posing influence,  the  lustre  of  the  seal  would  then 
be  manifested  in  full ;  but  Nature  ever  turns  out  it 
(the  lustre)  imperfect,  doing  her  work  like  the  artist, 
who  has  the  skill  of  his  art,  and  yet  a  hand  that 
trembles. 

Tommaseo  says  that  by  la  man  che  trema  are  meant 
those  mundane  elements  which  do  not  precisely  corres- 
pond to  the  excellence  of  the  divine  influence. 

But,  St.  Thomas  goes  on  to  say,  this  absolute  per- 
fection does  occur,  when  the  being  is  directly  created 
by  God,  as  was  notably  the  case  with  Adam,  and  with 
Christ,  who  were  endowed  with  perfect  wisdom. 
Pero  se  il  caldo  amor*  la  chiara  vista 

Delia  prima  virtu  dispone  e  segna,  80 

Tutta  la  perfezion  quivi  s'  acquista. 

*  Pero  se  il  caldo  amor,  et  seq. :  Among  the  many  ways 
suggested  of  rendering  this  intensely  difficult  passage,  I  have 
preferred  to  take  that  of  Danielle,  who  is  followed  by  Lombardi, 
Biagioli,  Philalethes,  Witte,  Longfellow,  Scartazzini,  Poletto,  and 
by  the  most  modern  of  all  the  Commentators,  Casini.  Daniello 
says  :  "  Havendo  dimostrato  come  le  cose  produtte  dalla  mente 
divina  per  mezo  delle  seconde  cagioni,  siano  imperfette  ;  hora 
concludendo  e  lodando  1'  opinion  del  Poeta,  che  in  Adamo  e  in 
Cristo  fosse  ogni  perfettione,  dice  che  se  '1  caldo  Amor,se  1'  infiam- 
mata  carita,  e  la  chiara  Vista,  e  il  chiaro  splendore,  de  la  prima 
Virtu,  cioe  d'  Iddio,  toccando  un'altra  volta  brevemente  la 
Trinita,  significando  per  la  prima  virtu,  il  padre,  per  la  chiara 
vista,  la  sapienza  del  figliuolo,  e  il  caldo  amor,  la  carita  dello 
Spirito  santo."  Scartazzini,  who  is  also  quoted  by  Casini,  writes  : 
"  II  Poeta,  avendo  mostrato  sin  qui  che  quando  Dio  opera 
mediante  le  cause  seconde,  ossia  quando  opera  la  natura, 
P  effetto  che  ne  viene  non  &  mai  nella  pienezza  della  sua  per- 
fezione,  passa  a  dimostrare  che  quando  Dio  opera  immediata- 
mente  e  da  se,  senza  valersi  delle  cause  seconde  o  della  natura, 
P  effetto  che  ne  riesce  e  perfettissimo."  This  was  the  case  (i) 
in  the  Creation  of  Adam  ;  (2)  in  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son. 
For  the  former  compare  Par.  xxvi,  82-84  : 

"  Dentro  da  que'  rai 
Vagheggia  il  suo  fattor  Panima  prima 
Che  la  prima  virtu  creasse  mai." 


Canto  Xlil.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  443 

Cos!  fu  fatta  gia  la  terra  degna 

Di  tutta  1' animal  perfezione  ;* 

Cosi  fu  fatta  la  Vergine  pregna.t 
Si  ch'  io  commendo^  tua  opinione  :  85 

Che  1'  umana  natura  mai  non  fue, 

Ne  fia,  qual  fu  in  quelle  due  persone. 

If  however  the  fervent  Love  (i.e.  God  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  creative  Spirit)  disposes  and  imprints  the 
perfect  sight  of  the  Primal  Virtue  (i.e.  of  God  the 
Father),  complete  perfection  is  acquired  there  (i.e.  in 
that  substance,  as  in  Adam  and  Christ).  Thus  (i.e.  by 
such  direct  Divine  operation)  was  earth  made  worthy 
to  receive  (in  the  person  of  Adam)  the  highest  animal 
perfection  ;  thus  again  (i.e.  by  the  direct  operation 
of  God)  was  the  Virgin  made  pregnant.  So  that  I 
commend  thy  opinion,  that  human  nature  never  yet 
was,  nor  can  be  (as  perfect)  as  it  was  in  those  two 
persons  (Adam  and  Christ). 

Up  to  this  point  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  has  at  great 
length  confirmed  the  truth  of  Dante's  idea  of  the 
complete  perfection  both  of  Adam  and  of  Christ. 

*  tutta  r  animal  perfezione :  Compare  De  Vulg.  Eloy.  i,  5, 
11.  10-15  :  "Si  erg°  feber  ille  atque  perfectionts  principium  et 
amator  afflando  primum  hominem  omni  perfectione  complevit, 
rationabile  nobis  apparet  nobilissimum  animal  non  ante  sentire 
quam  sentiri  coepisse." 

t  pregna :  "  Nel  formare  della  terra  il  primo  uomo  e  nell'  in- 
gravidar  della  Vergine,  in  ambedue  la  virtu  divina  dedusse  la 
cera  appunto,  ed  opero  la  virtu  suprema  de'  Cieli ;  cioe,  Iddio 
dispose  la  materia,  e  la  virtu  de'  Cieli  oper6  immediatamente 
colla  mano  di  Dio  :  e  1"  opera  fu  perfetta.  Stando  dunque  le 
cose  si  come  stanno,  segue  a  dire  San  Tommaso  a  Dante  ;  tu 
ben  dicesti,  che  Adamo  e  Cristo  furono  perfettissimi."  (Cesari, 
Bellezze). 

£  commendo,  et  seq.  :  St.  Thomas  applauds  and  agrees  with 
Dante's  opinion  (expressed  in  11.  37-45),  seeing  that  human 
nature  never  was,  nor  ever  could  be  as  perfect  as  it  was  in  Adam 
and  in  Christ.  "  Hai  ragione  di  dire  che  il  primo  uomo,  in 
quanto  uomo,  fu  perfettissimo,  e  cosi  dell"  umanita  di  Cristo  bene 
si  afferma."  (Cornoldi.) 


/\/\/\  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

Now  he  deals  with  the  objection  that  might  be  made, 
"  How  then,  didst  thou  say,  that  the  like  of  Solomon 
never  lived  ? "  This,  St.  Thomas  remarks,  would  be 
the  first  question  likely  to  be  put  to  him  by  Dante. 

Or  s'  io  non  procedessi  avanti  piue, 

'  Dunque  come  costui  fu  senza  pare  ? ' 
Comincerebber  le  parole  tue.  90 

Ma  perch£  paia  ben  cio  che  non  pare, 

Pensa  chi  era,  e  la  cagion  che  il  mosse,* 
Quando  fu  detto,  '  Chiedi,'  a  domandare. 

Now  if  I  were  not  to  proceed  further, — '  How  then 
was  this  other  one  without  a  peer  ? '  would  begin  thy 
words.  But  in  order  that  that  which  is  not  now 
apparent  may  appear  clearly,  consider  who  he  was, 
and  the  cause  that  moved  him  to  make  his  petition 
when  it  was  said  to  him,  '  Ask.' 

Dante  is  to  think  of  Solomon  not  so  much  as  a 
man  as  a  king.  The  cause  that  moved  him  to  pray 

*  la  cagion  che  il  mosse :  See  I  Kings,  iii,  5-9  :  "  In  Gibeon  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  in  a  dream  by  night :  and  God  said, 
Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee.  And  Solomon  said,  Thou  hast 
shewed  unto  thy  servant  David  my  father  great  mercy,  ac- 
cording as  he  walked  before  thee  in  truth,  and  in  righteous- 
ness, and  in  uprightness  of  heart  with  thee  ;  and  thou  hast  kept 
for  him  this  great  kindness,  that  thou  hast  given  him  a  son  to 
sit  on  his  throne,  as  it  is  this  day.  And  now,  O  Lord  my  God, 
thou  hast  made  thy  servant  king  instead  of  David  my  father  ; 
and  I  am  but  a  little  child  :  I  know  not  how  to  go  out  or  come 
in.  And  thy  servant  is  in  the  midst  of  thy  people,  which 
thou  hast  chosen,  a  great  people,  that  cannot  be  numbered  nor 
counted  for  multitude.  Give  therefore  thy  servant  an  under- 
standing heart  to  judge  thy  people,  that  I  may  discern  between 
good  and  bad  :  for  who  is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great  a 
people  ?  "  Dante  refers  to  this  in  Convito  iv,  27,  11.  56-63  :  "  Se 
ben  si  mira,  dalla  Prudenza  vengono  i  buoni  consigli,  i  quali  con- 
ducono  s£  ed  altri  a  buon  fine  nelle  umane  cose  e  operazioni. 
E  questo  &  quel  dono  che  Salomone,  veggendosi  al  governo  del 
popolo  esser  posto,  chiese  a  Dio,  siccome  nel  terzo  libro  delli 
Regi  £  scritto." 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  445 

to  God  to  grant  him  wisdom  was  the  desire  of  rightly 
governing  his  kingdom  and  people,  rather  than  that 
of  the  mere  acquisition  of  scientific  knowledge. 
Non  ho  parlato  si  che  tu  non  posse 

Ben  veder  ch'  ei  fu  re,  che  chiese  senno,  95 

Acciocche  re  suffici'ente  fosse  ; 
Non  per  saper  lo  numero*  in  che  enno 
Li  motor  di  quassu,  o  se  necesse 
Con  contingente  mai  necesse  fenno  ; 
Non  si  est  dare  primum  motum  esse,  100 

O  se  del  mezzo  cerchio  far  si  puote 
Triangol  si  ch'  un  retto  non  avesse. 

I  have  not  spoken  so  (obscurely)  that  thou  canst  not 
see  clearly  that  he  was  a  king,  who  asked  for  wisdom 
in  order  that  he  might  be  a  capable  king ;  it  was  not 

*  lo  numero,  etc.  :  Casini  says  that  the  question  as  to  how 
many  were  the  Motor  Intelligences  existing  in  the  heavens  was 
a  metaphysical  problem  which  Dante  alludes  to  in  Convito  ii, 
5  and  6,  where,  after  referring  to  the  opinions  held  on  the  subject 
by  Aristotle,  Plato  and  others,  he  concludes  that  their  number 
is  innumerable  and  indeterminate.  Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in  Dante, 
pp.  116,  117)  referring  to  11.  97-102,  says  :  "Of  the  four  specimens 
given  here  by  Dante  of  purely  speculativequestions  which  Solomon 
is  commended  for  postponing  to  the  desire  for  practical  wisdom, 
the  first  three  are  evidently  suggested  by  Aristotle,  and  the  first 
possibly  also  by  Plato  (in  view  of  the  passage  in  Con-vita  ii,  5, 
11.  2i,£/.tty.),while  the  last  is  a  well-known  geometrical  theorem 
(Euclid,  iii,  31).  As  to  the  first  in  the  Con-vita,  I.  c.,  Dante 
compares  the  views  of  Aristotle  and  Plato  on  the  subject  of  the 
primi  mo-vitori,  referring  to  two,  as  he  thinks,  somewhat  incon- 
sistent utterances  of  the  former  in  the  De  Coelo  and  in  the 
Metaphysics  (see  references  in  Index) ;  while  as  to  Plato,  Dante 
seems  to  be  referring  to  the  Timaeus,  p.  39  E.  and  40  A.  The 
second  problem,  whether  from  a  syllogism  with  one  necessary 
and  one  contingent  premiss  the  conclusion  can  ever  be  other- 
wise than  contingent,  is  discussed  by  Aristotle  in  the  Prior 
Analytics  I,  xvi.  The  third  problem,  whether  Motion  is  eternal 
or  not,  is  dealt  with  by  Aristotle  in  Phys.  viii,  ch.  i,  and  ii,  and 
he  determines,  in  opposition  to  Plato,  that  both  Time  and 
Motion  are  eternal.  For  Plato's  views  on  this  subject,  see 
Timaeus,  37  D,  38  B,  etc." 


446  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XI 1 1. 

to  learn  the  number  in  which  are  the  Motors  here  on 
high,  or  if  necesse  with  a  contingent  ever  made  necesse. 
Not  si  est  dare  primum  motum  esse  (whether  one  must 
concede  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  first  motion), 
or  if  in  a  semi-circle  a  triangle  can  be  drawn  so  that 
it  have  no  right  angle. 

Solomon  did  not  ask  God  to  reveal  to  him  how  many 
are  the  Intelligences  that  move  the  Spheres  ;  nor  if  a 
premiss  necessarily  true,  coupled  with  only  one  con- 
tingency that  is  true,  ever  produced  a  necessarily  true 
conclusion,  a  thing  which  Aristotle  affirms,  but  Plato 
denies.  He  did  not  ask  whether  such  a  thing  exists 
as  a  first  motion,  i.e.  one  that  is  not  produced  by 
another  motion,  a  question  which  involves  another  as 
to  whether  the  world  was  eternal.  This  principle 
again  Aristotle  affirms,  while  it  is  denied  by  Theo- 
logians. Solomon  did  not  ask  for  ability  to  dive  into 
the  speculative  problem  whether  the  truths  of  Geo- 
metry (of  which  this  is  taken  as  a  type)  are  absolutely 
immutable  throughout  the  Universe.  We  have  three 
highly  speculative  questions  relating  to  Logic,  Physics, 
and  Geometry  set  in  contrast  with  practical  wisdom. 
Onde,  se  cio  ch'  io  dissi  *  e  questo  note, 
Regal  prudenza  e  quel  vedere  impari,t 
In  che  lo  stral  di  mia  intenzion  percote.  105 

*  do  cK io  dissi:  This  refers  to  St.  Thomas's  words  about 
Solomon  in  x,  112-114: 

"  Entro  v'  e  1'  alta  mente  u'  si  profondo 

Saper  fu  messo,  che  se  il  vero  e  vero, 
A  veder  tanto  non  surse  il  secondo." 

t  ^  quel  vedere  impart:  There  are  two  distinct  readings  and 
different  interpretations  in  this  passage.  The  point  is,  are  we 
to  read  e  (verb)  or  e  (copula)?  Are  we  to  understand  impart  as 
an  adjective  i.e.  "  peerless,"  or  as  the  2nd  person  of  the  present 
Indie,  of  the  verb  imparare,  with  the  sense  of  "  thou  learnest  ?  " 
1  prefer  the  former  of  these,  which  is  adopted  by  Moore,  Norton, 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  447 

E,  se  al  Surse  *  drizzi  gli  occhi  chiari, 
Vedrai  aver  solamente  rispetto 
Ai  regi,  che  son  molti,  e  i  buon  son  rari.t 

Wherefore  if  thou  notest  what  I  said  (i.e.  that  Solomon 
was  without  a  peer),  and  now  this  (namely,  that  the 
Wisdom  he  asked  for  was  not  speculative  but  kingly), 
(then)  a  kingly  prudence  is  that  peerless  seeing  at 
which  the  shaft  of  my  intention  strikes.  And  if  to 
(the  word)  surse  (i.e.  arose)  thou  direct  thine  eyes 
clearly,  thou  wilt  see  that  it  has  reference  to  kings 
only,  who  are  many,  but  the  good  (Kings)  are  rare. 

St.  Thomas  concludes  his  solution  of  Dante's  second 

doubt. 

Con  questa  distinzion  J  prendi  il  mio  detto, 

E  cosi  puote  star  con  quel  che  credi  no 

Del  primo  padre  e  del  nostro  diletto. 

Take  my  words  with  this  distinction,  and  thus  they 
can  be  consistent  with  what  thou  believest  of  the  first 
father  (Adam)  and  of  our  Well-Beloved  (i.e.  Christ). 

Camerini,  Brunone  Bianchi,  Fraticelli,  Benvenuto,  Blanc,  Buti, 
Cesari,  Cornoldi,  and  others.  Scartazzini  and  Casini  adopt  the 
other  reading  and  interpretation.  Compare  the  use  of  dispart 
in  Purg.  xiii,  120: 

"  Letizia  presi  a  tutte  altre  dispari." 

*  Surse :  In  the  Vulgate  (III  Reeum,  iii,  12)  we  find  the  origin 
of  surse  in  the  word  surrecturus  :  '  Ecce  feci  tibi  secundum  ser- 
mones  tuos,  et  dedi  tibi  cor  sapiens  et  intelligens,  in  tantum  ut 
nullus  ante  te  similis  tui  fuerit  nee  post  te  surrecturus  sit." 

+  regi     .    .     .     buon  son  rari :  In  Par.  xix,  112-114,  Dante 
indignantly  exclaims  that  heathen  kings,  who  know  not  Christ, 
will  rebuke  the  sins  of  kings  professedly  Christian,  when  the 
books  are  opened  on  the  Day  of  Judgment : 
"  Che  potran  dir  li  Persi  ai  vostri  regi, 

Come  vedranno  quel  volume  aperto, 
Nel  qual  si  scrivon  tutti  i  suoi  dispregi?" 

I  distinzion :  If,  says  St.  Thomas,  Dante  takes  his  words  in 
Par.  x,  in  the  sense  of  there  being  avast  difference  between  men 
invested  with  regal  authority,  and  ordinary  men,  he  will  see  that 
they  are  in  perfect  agreement  with  Dante's  opinion  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  Adam  and  of  Christ 


448  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

Division  III.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  having  now 
solved  this  last  doubt,  gives  Dante  a  precept  of  warn- 
ing about  the  solution  of  doubts  generally,  and  the 
answering  of  questions.  He  tells  him  that  the  wise 
man  must  be  slow  to  answer  questions  put  to  him, 
must  be  slow  in  affirming  and  slow  in  denying  any 
proposition,  since  in  it  that  which  may  be  true  in  one 
sense,  may  be  false  in  another  ;  he  must  therefore 
ponder  and  understand  well,  and  be  slow  in  coming 
to  his  conclusions,  or  he  may  find  that  he  is  running 
into  the  gravest  errors,  like  so  many  whose  opinions 
have  been  shown  to  be  heretical. 

E  questo  ti  sia  sempre  piombo  *  ai  piedi, 
Per  farti  mover  lento,  com'  uom  lasso,t 
Ed  al  si  ed  al  no,t  che  tu  non  vedi ; 
Ch£  quegli  e  tra  gli  stolti  bene  abbasso,  115 

Che  senza  distinzion  afferma  o  nega, 
Nell'  un  cosi  come  nell'  altro  passo ; 
Perch'  egP  incontra  che  piu  volte  piega 
L'  opinion  corrente  §  in  falsa  parte, 
E  poi  l'affetto||  lo  intelletto  lega.  120 

*  ti  sia  .  .  .  piombo :  "  Cioe,  che  mai  tu  non  sia  subito  e 
giudicare  1'  altrui  detto  per  libero  si,  o  per  libero  no ;  ma  sempre 
procedi  con  distinzione,  considerando  che  si  possono  ad  una 
medesima  cosa  avere  diversi  rispetti."  (Ottimo.) 

t  uom  lasso :  Compare  nearly  the  same  simile  in  Inf.  xxxiv,  83  : 
"  il  Maestro,  ansando  com'  uom  lasso." 

t  edalsl  edal  no:  It  is  by  no  means  always  clear  whether  one 
is  to  give  an  affirmative  or  a  negative  opinion. 

§  /'  opinion  corrente:  "  L'  opinione  corrente,  che  non  si  ferma 
a  distinguere,  piu  volte  piega  a  falsa  parte  che  a  la  vera  parte; 
e  la  cagione  si  e,  che  de  le  cose  non  certe  &  opinione :  imper6 
che  de  le  certe  e  scienzia,  e  quando  1'  opinione  si  dirizza  a  la 
verita  non  &  piu  opinione :  impero  che  diventa  scienzia,  sicche, 
stante  1'  opinione  che  e  credere  che  cosi  sia  senza  certezza,  piega 
lo'ntelletto  a  la  falsita,  per  che  a  la  verita  non  adiunge  e  pero 
piegasi  a  quel  che  crede  esser  vero."  (Buti.) 

||  /'  affetto,  et  seq. :  Casini  says :  "  La  predilezione  naturale  che 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  449 

And  let  this  ever  be  as  lead  unto  thy  feet,  to  make 
thee  move  slowly,  even  as  a  weary  man,  both  to  the 
yea  and  the  nay  which  thou  seest  not ;  for  very  low 
down  among  the  fools  is  he,  who  without  distinction 
affirms  or  denies,  as  well  in  the  one  case  as  in  the 
other  (i.e.  both  in  the  yes  and  in  the  no) ;  for  it  often 
happens  that  a  precipitate  judgment  leans  in  the 
wrong  direction,  and  then  self-love  fetters  the  intellect 
(i.e.  by  causing  it  to  retain  its  prejudices). 

That  which  might  seem  to  be  the  inertness  of  a  weary 
intellect,  is  often  only  prudence  and  caution  in  arriv- 
ing at  safe  conclusions  as  to  truth.  The  wise  man 
has  from  his  experience  many  pros  and  cons  in  his 
mind  to  compare,  while  forming  his  judgment,  and  he 
will  not  therefore  take  any  decisive  step  until  he  sees 
the  truth  clear  before  him.  But  he  who  knows  little, 
and  that  little  which  he  thinks  he  knows  being  often 
defective,  finds  no  difficulty  whatever  in  coming  to  an 
immediate  conclusion,  for  he  is  led  by  his  imagination. 
The  foolish  think  the  majority  must  always  be  right. 
But  there  is  no  greater  error ;  for  those  who  think 
rightly  are  few  in  number. 

St.  Thomas  goes  on  to  say  that  those  who  betake 
themselves  to  search  out  the  truth,  without  being 
equipped  with  the  proper  logical  methods  for  the 
acquisition  of  knowledge,  are  undertaking  a  work  that 
is  useless,  nay  more,  that  is  hurtful,  because  when 
they  bring  their  investigation  to  an  end,  not  only  will 
they  find  that  they  have  failed  to  arrive  at  the  truth, 
but  they  will  find  that  they  are  entangled  in  error. 

ciascuno  ha  per  il  proprio  giudizio  tiene  1'  intelletto  nell'  errore, 
gl'  impedisce  di  discernere  la  verita."  Compare  Cicero,  Aca- 
dem.  iv :  "  Nihil  est  turpius  quam  cognition!  et  perception!  af- 
fectionem  approbationemque  praecurrere." 

I.  GG 


45O  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

Vie  piu  che  indarno  da  riva  si  parte, 

Perche  non  torna  tal  qual  ei  si  move, 
Chi  pesca  per  lo  vero  e  non  ha  1'  arte : 

E  di  cio  sono  al  mondo  aperte  prove 

Parmenide,  Melisso,  Brisso*  e  mold  125 

*  Parmenide,  Melisso,  Brisso:  Compare  with  this  De  Man.  iii, 
4, 1.  30  et  seq. :  "  Quae  duo  Philosophus  objiciebat  contra  par- 
menidem  et  Melissum,  dicens  :  '  Qui  falsa  recipiunt,  et  non 
syllogizantes  sunt."'  Dr.  Moore  (Studies  in  Dante,  pp.  117,  118) 
writes  in  reference  to  these  two  passages  :  "  By  putting  together 
different  passages  (chiefly  three)  of  Aristotle,  we  have  the  source 
of  Dante's  selection  of  these  three  names  as  types  of  false 
reasoners  clearly  disclosed.  \nPhys.  in,  i,  i86a  7  seqq?)  which 
Dante  definitely  quotes  in  De  Mon.  1.  c.  (though  not  quite 
accurately,  since  Aristotle's  words  are  «ol  yip  tytvUri  Xapftavovai  /cal 
iurv\\6yitrroi  tlffiv  CUITWV  ol  \6yoi).  Parmenides  and  Melissus  are 
held  up  as  examples  of  fy«<m/eo>s  a-v\\oyi£orrfs.  To  this  we  may 
add  a  passage  in  the  De  Coelo,  iii,  i  (quoted  by  Mr.  Butler) 
p.  298,  b.  17,  where  Aristotle,  speaking  somewhat  less  harshly 
of  them  (el  KOI  rSAAa  \tyovffi  KO\£>S),  says  that  they  were  misled  by 
attaching  undue  importance,  (as  we  might  say)  'to  things  of 
Sense,'  8<«t  rb  priQfv  &\\b  irapb.  rfyv  ruv  alffd-rjruv  overlay  \nro\a.^A.Vfiv 
flvat.  Both  these  philosophers  are  frequently  mentioned  with 
unfavourable  criticism  by  Aristotle ;  Bryson  not  quite  so  often, 
but  he  is  spoken  of  with  great  severity  in  Soph.  Elench.  xi  (171 
b.  1 6  seqq.,  172  a.  4)  as  not  only  a  misguided,  but  a  deliberately 
dishonest  reasoner.  His  argument  was  not  only  tyta-mcSs,  but 
dira.Ti]TiKbs  Hal  &SIKOS.  It  was  therefore  pre-eminently  a  case  in 
which  /' affetto  lo  intelletto  lega  (1.  120).  And  we  know  that 
Dante  was  acquainted  with  the  Soph.  Elench.,  because  in  the 
De  Mon.,  in  the  sentence  preceding  that  which  is  quoted  above, 
he  makes  a  definite  quotation  from  that  work  (§  18)." 

Parmenide:  Although  Xenophanes  is  usually  credited  with 
having  founded  the  Eleatic  school  of  philosophy,  Parmenides, 
who  was  born  at  Elea  about  B.C.  515,  was  the  first  who  com- 
pletely developed  its  doctrines,  which  were  that  "  the  One  is 
God,"  and  that  God  is  self-existent,  eternal,  unchangeable,  im- 
movable, of  the  same  substance  throughout,  and  in  every  respect 
incomparable  to  man. 

Melisso:  Melissus  of  Samos  was  the  last  of  the  Eleatic 
philosophers,  he  lived  about  a  century  after  Parmenides,  and 
closely  followed  his  doctrines. 

Brisso:  Bryson  was  born  at  Heraclea,  and  is  but  little 
known  except  as  one  of  those  who  endeavoured  to  square  the 
circle. 


Canto  XIII.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  451 

I  quali  andavano,  e  non  sapean  dove. 
Si  fe'  Sabellio*  ed  Arrio,t  e  quegli  stolti 
Che  furon  come  spade  alle  scritture 
In  render  torti  li  diritti  volti. 

Much  more  than  in  vain  does  that  man  put  forth 
from  the  shore,  who  fishes  for  the  truth  and  has  not 
the  skill,  because  he  does  not  return  such  as  he  set 
out ;  and  of  this  are  standing  proofs  to  the  world 
Parmenides,  Melisstis,  Bryson,  and  many  others  who 
journeyed  on  (in  searching  after  the  truth)  and  knew 
not  whither.  Thus  did  Sabellius  and  Arius,  and  those 
fools  who  were  as  swords  to  the  Holy  Scripture,  in 
giving  back  distorted  reflections  of  the  features  that 
were  straight. 

The  reflection  of  a  face  on  the  blade  of  a  sword  gives 
a  distorted  image,  though  Lombard!  attempted  the 
far-fetched  interpretation  that  these  heretics  were  like 
swords  that  mutilated  the  Scriptures  in  such  wise  as 
to  make  them  seem  favourable  to  those  errors  which 
they,  in  fact,  distinctly  condemn.  But  the  interpreta- 
tion I  have  followed  is  that  of  all  the  best  Commenta- 
tors, old  and  new. 

St.  Thomas  sums  up,  by  warning  men  not  to  be 
hasty  in  forming  opinions  as  to  the  salvation  or  the  per- 
dition of  others,  and  he  especially  refers  to  the  ques- 

*  Sabellio:  Sabellius  was  born  at  Pentapolis  in  Africa  at  the 
beginning  of  the  3rd  century  after  Christ.  He  was  the  author 
of  certain  heretical  doctrines,  founded  on  the  denial  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  publicly  condemned  by  the  Council  of  Alexandria  A.D. 
261.  He  died  about  four  years  afterwards. 

t  Arrio :  Arius,  the  celebrated  heretic,  was  born  in  Libya 
about  280  A.D.  and  died  at  Constantinople  in  336.  He  denied 
the  Consubstantiality  of  the  Word,  and  believed  the  Son  to  be 
equal  in  power  with  the  Father,  but  of  a  different  essence  or 
nature.  This  error  gave  rise  to  the  notorious  Heterousian  or 
Homoiousian  controversy,  that  distracted  the  Church  for  three 
hundred  years.  The  Arian  heresy  was  condemned  by  the  Council 
of  Nicaea  in  325. 

GG   2 


452  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIII. 

tion  as  t^  the  salvation  of  Solomon,  a  matter  about 
which  the  greatest  doubts  were  entertained. 

Non  sien*  le  genti  ancor  troppo  sicure  130 

A  giudicar,  si  come  quei  che  stima 
Le  biade  in  campo  pria  che  sien  mature ; 
Ch'  io  ho  veduto  tutto  il  verno  prima 
II  prim  mostrarsi  rigido  e  feroce, 
Poscia  portar  la  rosat  in  sulla  cima  ;  135 

E  legnoj  vidi  gia  dritto  e  veloce 

Correr  lo  mar  per  tutto  suo  cammino, 
Perire  al  fine  all'  entrar  della  foce.J 

*  Non  sien,  et  seq. :  Compare  I  Cor,  iv,  5 :  "  Judge  nothing 
before  the  time,  until  the  Lord  come,  who  both  will  bring  to 
light  the  hidden  things  of  darkness,  and  will  make  manifest  the 
counsels  of  the  hearts."  And  Convito  iv,  15, 11.  120-129  :  "  Sono 
molti  tanto  presuntuosi,  che  si  credono  tutto  sapere ;  e  per 
questo  le  non  certe  cose  affermano  per  certe  :  lo  qual  vizio 
Tullio  massimamente  abbomina  nel  primo  degli  Officii,  e  Tom- 
maso  nel  suo  Contra  Gentili,  dicendo  :  '  Sono  molti  tanto  di 
loro  ingegno  presuntuosi  che  credono  col  suo  intelletto  potere 
misurare  tutte  le  cose,  stimando  tutto  vero  quello  che  a  loro  pare." 

f  Poscia  portar  la  rasa,  etc.  :  Compare  Poliziano,  Rispetti 
Spicciolati,  Ixxiv  : 

"  Ogni  pungente  e  venenosa  ispina 
Si  vede  a  qualche  tempo  esser  fiorita." 

£  legno  :  This  word  means  many  things  built  of  wood,  besides 
its  primary  signification  of  "wood."  See  Gran  Diztonario,  s.v. 
legno,\  io="ship,"  and  §  ii=" carriage."  Both  these  expres- 
sions are  in  common  every  day  use  in  modern  Italian.  Dante 
uses  legno  in  the  sense  of  ''  ship "  more  than  once.  See 
Par.  ii.  3  : 

"  Retro  al  mio  legno  che  cantando  varca." 
and  Inf.  iii,  93,  where  Charon  says  to  Dante  : 

"  Piii  lieve  legno  convien  che  ti  porti." 

§  Perire  .  .  .  aW  entrar  della  face :  Compare  Pulci,  Morg. 
Magg.  xxv,  st.  276  : 

"  Quanti  gran  legni  si  vede  perire, 

Disse  il  Poeta,  a  1'  entrar  della  foce." 
and  Tasso,  Ger.  Liber,  xi,  st.  84  : 

"  Ma  qual  nave  talor,  che  a  vela  piene 
Corre  il  mar  procelloso  e  1'  onde  sprezza, 


Canto  XIII.     Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  453 

Let  not  people  yet  be  too  confident  in  judging,  like 
him  who  values  the  corn  in  a  field  before  it  be  ripe ; 
for  I  have  seen  the  briar  show  itself  at  first  intract- 
able and  wild  during  the  whole  winter  (and)  after- 
wards bear  the  rose  upon  its  top ;  and  once  saw  I  a 
ship  upright  and  swift  run  her  course  over  the  sea 
during  her  entire  voyage,  (and)  finally  perish  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour. 

St.  Thomas  concludes  the  Canto  with  the  remark 
that  any  simpleton  must  not  presume  to  define  what 
the  Wisdom  of  God  has  determined  as  the  ultimate 
end  of  all  who  die.  The  sinner  may  so  repent  on  his 
death-bed  as  to  be  saved,  and  the  just  person  by 
arrogant  presumption  and  self-righteousness  may 
after  all  lose  his  soul. 

Non  creda  donna  Berta  o  ser  Martino* 

Per  vedere  ,un  furare,  altro  offerere,  140 

Vedergli  dentro  al  consiglio  divino  ;t 

Poscia  in  vista  del  porto,  o  su  le  arene, 

O  su  i  fallaci  scogli  un  fianco  spezza." 
and  Poliziano,  Ballata  xvi,  11.  10-12  : 

"  E'  m'  intervien,  come  spesso  alle  nave 

Che  vanno  vanno  sempre  con  buon  vento, 

Poi  rompono  all'  entrar  nel  porto  drento." 

See  also  in  the  Rime  of  Monte  Andrea  da  Firenze,  in  the  Poeti 
del  Primo  Secolo  delta  Lingua  Italiana,  Florence,  1816,  vol.  ii, 

P-  34: 

'  Di,  che  gran  nave,  talora  giunto  a  porto, 
Di  gran  tempesta  pere,  e  va  a  fondo." 

Compare  too  Conv.  iv,  28,  11.  55-59:  "O  miseri  e  vili  che  colle 
vele  alte  correte  a  questo  porto :  e  Ik  dove  dovreste  riposare,  per 
lo  impeto  del  vento  rompete,  e  perdete  voi  medesimi  Ik  ove 
tanto  camminato  avete !" 

*  donna  Berta  o  ser  Martino :  Nearly  equivalent  to  our 
"Tom,  Dick  and  Harry."  Compare  Conv.  i,  8,  1.  94:  "Onde 
suole  dire  Martino."  And  Ibid,  iii,  u,  1.  67:  "Non  diciamo 
Giovanni  amico  di  Martino." 

t  Vedergli  dentro  al  consiglio  di-vino  :  Mr.  Wright,  in  a  note 
on  this  passage  in  his  translation,  quotes  the  following  from 
Burns,  Address  to  the  Unco  Quid: 


454  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  xill. 

Che  quel  pub  surgere,  e  quel  pub  cadere.* — " 

Let  not  Dame  Bertha  nor  Gaffer  Martin  (i.e.  any 
wiseacre)  imagine  because  they  see  one  man  steal, 
and  another  perform  acts  of  worship  (lit.  make  offer- 
ings), that  they  can  see  them  within  the  counsels  of 
Heaven ;  for  one  of  these  may  rise  up  and  the  other 
may  fall." 

Then  gently  scan  your  brother  man, 

Still  gentler  sister  woman ; 
Though  they  may  gang  a  kennin'  wrang, 

To  step  aside  is  human : 
One  point  must  still  be  greatly  dark, 

The  moving  why  they  do  it ; 
And  just  as  lamely  can  ye  mark 

How  far  perhaps  they  rue  it. 
Who  made  the  heart,  'tis  He  alone 

Decidedly  can  try  us; 
He  knows  each  chord — its  various  tone, 

Each  spring — its  various  bias. 
Then  at  the  balance  let's  be  mute ; 

We  never  can  adjust  it ; 
What's  done  we  partly  may  compute, 

And  know  not  what's  resisted. 

*  e  quel  pub  cadere  :  "  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take 
heed  lest  he  fall."    (i  Cor.  x,  12). 


END  OF  CANTO  XIII. 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  455 


CANTO    XIV. 


THE  HEAVEN  OF  THE  SUN  (concluded}. — SOLOMON 
SPEAKS  OF  THE  GLORIOUS  APPEARANCE  OF  THE 
BLESSED  AFTER  THE  RESURRECTION  OF  THE 
BODY. — ASCENT  TO  THE  FIFTH  SPHERE,  THE 
HEAVEN  OF  MARS. — THE  WARRIOR  SPIRITS  IN 
THE  FORM  OF  A  RADIANT  CROSS. — THE  HEA- 
VENLY MELODY.— DANTE  IN  AN  ECSTASY. 

DE  GUBERNATIS  remarks  that  this  Canto  is  woven 
throughout  of  the  most  minute  and  delicate  threads, 
and  is  a  gentle  breath  of  seraphic  poesy. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  33,  Beatrice 
calls  the  attention  of  the  Spirits  to  another  doubt  that 
is  hidden  in  Dante's  mind. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  84,  the 
spirit  of  Solomon  solves  the  doubt. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  85  to  v.  108,  Dante 
describes  his  ascent  with  Beatrice  into  the  Sphere  of 
Mars. 

In  the  FourtJi  Division,  from  v.  108  to  v.  139,  the 
glorious  spirits  of  the  Soldiery  of  Christ,  and  the 
hymn  they  were  singing,  are  mentioned. 

Division  I.  As  Dante  and  Beatrice  stand  in  the 
centre  of  the  two  radiant  garlands,  Beatrice,  as  soon 
as  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  has  finished  speaking  from 


456  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

the  outer  rim,  herself  speaking  from  the  centre, 
addresses  the  Spirits ;  and  tells  them  that  Dante 
will  be  anxious  to  know  whether,  after  the  general 
Resurrection,  when  they  return  to  Heaven  with  their 
own  bodies,  having  again  become  visible,  the  Light, 
which  now  enwraps  them  with  its  glory,  will  continue 
to  shine  around  them  with  what  might  be  too  great 
an  excess  of  radiance  for  their  eyes  to  bear.  Dante 
had  not  yet  felt  this  doubt,  but  Beatrice  foresaw  that 
he  would  do  so.  A  simile  now  suggests  itself  to 
Dante's  mind,  which  Antonelli  (ap.  Tommaseo)  thus 
explains :  "  The  Poet,  finding  himself  in  the  centre  of 
the  two  crowns  of  glory,  and  Beatrice  having  com- 
menced to  speak  as  soon  as  Aquinas  had  ceased,  this 
double  wave  of  salutary  wisdom  moving  from  the  rim 
to  the  centre,  and  back  from  the  centre  to  the  rim,  as 
it  passed  between  the  Angelic  Doctor  and  the  Che- 
rubic Lady,  brought  into  the  Poet's  mind  the  ana- 
logous circumstance  which  occurs  in  a  round  vessel 
containing  water,  be  it  either  from  the  surface  or  from 
the  inside,  when  there  will  arise  on  the  surface  of  the 
liquid  an  undulating  movement  from  the  circumfer- 
ence to  the  centre,  and  from  the  centre  to  the  circum- 
ference. As  this  movement  is  really  in  the  water,  the 
water  may  in  some  sort  be  said  to  move  ;  but  one  can 
hardly  believe  that  to  be  the  case  by  the  translation 
of  the  aqueous  molecules  either  to  the  centre  or  to  the 
circumference  ;  because,  so  far  as  that  is  concerned, 
they  remain  unchangeable,  leaving  their  places  only 
as  regards  the  surface-level,  that  is  to  say,  by  rising 
and  falling.  This  circumstance  visibly  renders  greater 
the  resemblance  between  the  material  and  intellectual 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  457 

fact,  than  by  that  which  it  is  wished  here  to  make 

understood." 

Dal  centre  al  cerchio,*  e  si  dal  cerchio  al  centre, 
Moves!  1'  acqua  in  un  ritondo  vaso, 
Secondo  ch'  e  percossa  fuori  o  dentro. 

From  the  centre  to  the  rim,  and  from  the  rim  to  the 
centre,  the  water  moves  in  a  round  vessel,  according 
as  it  is  struck  from  without  or  from  within. 

After   showing   the   application    of   the    simile   to 
the  matter  he  wishes  to  discuss,  Dante  relates  how 
Beatrice    commences    speaking   to    the   twenty-four 
.spirits  in  the  double  circle  around   her. 
Nella  mia  mente  fe'  subito  casot 

Questo  ch'  io  dico,  si  come  si  tacque  5 

La  gloriosa  vitaj  di  Tommaso, 
Per  la  similitudine§  che  nacque 

*  Dal centro  al  cerchio :  Benvenuto  explains  this  well :  "Ad 
intelligentiam  comparationis  clare  est  praenotandum,quod  auctor 
in  ista  litera  aliud  non  vult  dicere  sententialiter  in  effectu,  nisi 
quod  sicut  in  vase  rotundo  pleno  aqua,  puta  mastello  [i.e.  a  basin, 
see  Ducange],  si  sit  percussum  ab  extra  qua  movetur  a  circum- 
ferentia  ad  centrum  ;  et  e  converse,  si  sit  percussum  intus,  aqua 
movetur  e  converse  a  centro  ad  circumferentiam  ;  ita  in  pro- 
posito  motus  verborum  incipit  primo  ab  extra,  scilicet  a  Thoma, 
qui  erat  in  circumferentia,  idest,  in  circulo  interioris  coronae,  et 
venit  ad  centrum,  idest  ad  autorem  et  Beatricem  qui  stabant  in 
medio  coronarum,  tanquam  centrum  :  postea  motus  coronarum 
incoepit  a  centro,  scilicet,  a  Beatrice,  et  redivit  ad  circumfer- 
entiam, idest,  ad  Thomam."  Casini  notes  that  dal  centro  al 
cerchio  answers  to  percossa  dentro;  dal  cerchio  al  centro  to  per- 
cossa fuori. 

t  fe>  subito  caso :  Most  of  the  Commentators  think  caso  stands 
for  caduia,  and  that  fe'  caso  is  equivalent  to  cadde;  but  (with 
some  of  the  oldest  Commentators)  the  Ottimo  interprets :  "  fece 
subito  caso,  cioe,  dedusse  in  volere  sapere,"  i.e.  "  made  an  im- 
pression," "  aroused  a  doubt."  Casini  finds  the  interpretation 
difficult. 

\  vita:  Compare  Par.  xii,  127: 

"  Io  son  la  vita  di  Bonaventura"  (i.e.  the  spirit). 

§  similitudine :   Scartazzini  says  that  the  simile  is  that  the 


458  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

Del  suo  parlare  e  di  quel  di  Beatrice, 
A  cui  si  cominciar  dopo  lui  piacque  : 

— "A  costui  fa  mestieri,  e  nol  vi  dice  10 

Ne  con  la  voce,  ne  pensando  ancora, 
D'  un  altro  vero  andare  alia  radice. 

Ditegli  *  se  la  luce,  onde  s'  infiora 
Vostra  sustanzia,  rimarra  con  voi 
Eternalmente  si  com'  ella  e  ora  ;  15 

E  se  rimane,t  dite  come,  poi 

voice  of  St.  Thomas  came  from  the  circle  of  the  spirits  to  the 
centre,  where  were  Dante  and  Beatrice,  while  the  voice  of 
Beatrice  proceeded  in  the  contrary  way,  from  the  centre  towards 
the  rim  of  the  circle,  where  the  spirits  were. 

*  Ditegli,  etc.  :  The  question  as  to  the  intensity  of  radiance 
that  would  surround  the  spirits  after  the  resurrection  of  their 
bodies,  and  as  to  the  possibility  of  the  human  eye  being  able  to 
gaze  upon  their  glory,  was  a  question  much  debated  by  the 
Schoolmen,  and  Dante  was  doubtless  well  acquainted  with  the 
following  passage  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  where  it  is  fully  dis- 
cussed (Summ.  Theol.,  pars,  iii,  Supplementum,  qu.  Ixxxv,  art.  i): 
"  Dicitur  Matt.  13,  43:  Fulgebunt  justi,  sicut  sol  in  regno  Patris 
eorum :  et  Sap.  3,  7 :  Fulgebunt  justi,  et  tanquam  scintillae  in 
arundineto  discurrent  .  .  .  Quod  corpora  sanctorum  fore  lucida 
post  resurrectionem,  ponere  oportet  propter  auctoritatem  Scrip- 
turae,  quae  hoc  promittit.  Sed  claritatis  hujus  causam  quidam 
attribuunt  quintae  (id.  est,  coelesti)  essentiae,  quae  tune  domi- 
nabitur  in  corpore  humano.  Sed  quia  hoc  est  absurdum,  ut  saepe 
dictum  est  (qu.  84,  art.  i),  ideo  melius  est,  ut  dicatur  quod  claritas 
ilia  causabitur  ex  reduntantia  gloriae  animae  in  corpus.  Quod 
enim  recipitur  in  aliquo,  non  recipitur  per  modum  influentis,  sed 
per  modum  recipientis.  Et  ideo  claritas  quae  est  in  anima 
spirituals,  recipitur  in  corpore  ut  corporalis.  Et  ideo  secundum 
quod  anima  erit  majoris  claritatis  secundum  majus  meritum,  ita 
etiam  erit  differentia  claritatis  in  corpore,  ut  patet  per  Apostolum, 
I  Corinth.  15.  Et  ita  in  corpore  glorioso  cognoscetur  gloria 
animae,  sicut  in  vitro  cognoscitur  color  corporis  quod  continetur 
in  vase  vitreo,  ut  Gregorius  dicit  super  illud,  Job  28  :  "  Non 
adaequabitur  ei  aurum,  vel  vitrum,  loc.  cit.  in  arg.  2)."  The 
above  is  the  substance  of  the  first  of  these  two  questions. 

t  se  rimane :  Here  the  second  question  is  asked,  namely,  if 
the  glory  of  the  spirits  after  resurrection  remains  the  same  as  it 
is  now,  how  will  the  human  eye  be  able  to  sustain  it  without 
injury.  To  this  again  we  find  a  parallel  in  the  Summ.  Theol., 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  459 

Che  sarete  visibili  rifatti, 

Esser  potra  ch'  al  veder  non  vi  noi." — 

Into  my  mind  fell  suddenly  this  which  I  say,  so  soon 
as  the  glorified  spirit  of  Thomas  was  silent,  from  the 
similitude  which  was  engendered  by  his  speech,  and 
by  that  of  Beatrice,  whom  after  him,  it  pleased  to 
begin  :  "  This  man  (i.e.  Dante)  has  need, — and  he 
tells  it  you  not,  neither  with  his  voice,  nor  yet  even 
in  thought — of  going  to  the  root  of  another  truth. 
Tell  him  if  the  light,  wherewith  your  substance  is 
enflowered,  will  remain  with  you  to  all  eternity  the 
same  as  it  is  now ;  and,  if  it  do  so  remain,  say  how, 
after  that  ye  have  been  again  made  visible  (i.e.  by 
the  Resurrection  of  the  body),  it  will  be  possible  that 
it  (the  radiance)  shall  not  injure  your  sight." 

How  will  an  organ  so  feeble  as  the  human  eye  be 
able  to  bear  such  an  excess  of  light,  and  not  be 
destroyed  ?  Mr.  Butler  remarks  that  in  no  case  has 
Dante  represented  himself  as  able  to  discern  any 
form  or  features,  except  possibly  in  that  of  Piccarda, 
and  all  that  can  at  present  be  seen  of  the  souls  of  the 
blessed  is  the  light  that  surrounds  them. 

pars  iii,  Supplementum,  qu.  Ixxxii,  art.  4  :  "  Intensio  luminis 
non  impedit  receptionem  spiritualem  specie!  colons,  dummodo 
maneat  in  natura  diaphani  ;  sicut  patet  quod  quantumcumque 
illuminetur  aer,  potestesse  medium  in  visu  :  etquanto  est  magis 
illuminatus,  tanto  per  ipsum  aliquid  clarius  videtur,  nisi  sit  de- 
fectus  ex  debilitate  visus.  Quod  autem  in  speculo  directe  op- 
posito  radio  solis  non  appareat  species  corporis  oppositi,  non 
est  propter  hoc  quod  impediatur  receptio,  sed  propter  hoc  quod 
impediatur  reverberatio  :  oportet  enim,  ad  hoc  quod  forma  in 
speculo  appareat,  quod  fiat  quaedam  reverberatio  ad  aliquod 
corpus  obscurum  :  et  ideo  plumbum  vitro  adjungitur  in  speculo: 
hanc  autem  obscuritatem  radius  solis  repellit :  unde  non  potest 
apparere  species  aliqua  in  speculo :  hanc  autem  obscuritatem 
radius  solis  repellit :  unde  non  potest  apparere  species  aliqua  in 
speculo.  Claritas  autem  corporis  gloriosi  non  aufert  diaphanei- 
tatem  a  pupilla,  quia  gloria  non  tollit  naturam  :  unde  magnitude 
claritatis  in  pupilla  magis  faciet  ad  acumen  visus  quam  ad  ejus 
defectum." 


460  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

The  holy  choir  on  hearing  the  words  of  Beatrice 
testify  their  joy  by  renewed  dance  and  song  like  that 
so  fully  described  in  Canto  x,  11,  76-81. 
Come  da  piu  letizia  pinti*  e  tratti 

Alia  fiatat  quei  che  vanno  a  rota  20 

Levan  la  voce,  e  rallegrano  gli  atti ; 
Cos!  all'  orazion  J  pronta  e  devota 

Li  santi  cerchi  mostrar  nuova  gioia§ 
Nel  tornear  e  nella  mira  nota.|| 

As  by  increased  gladness  urged  and  drawn  on,  they 
who  are  dancing  in  a  ring  all  at  once  uplift  their 
voices  and  animate  their  gestures  ;  so  at  that  sudden 
and  reverend  petition  (of  Beatrice)  the  holy  circles 


*  Come  da  piu  letizia  pinti,  et  seq.  :  Casini  explains  this  well : 
"  Come  accade  nel  ballo  che  spinti  e  trascinati  da  letizia  mag- 
giore  della  solita  tutti  i  danzatori  insieme  cantano  con  piu 
vivacita  e  fanno  segno  d'  allegrezza  coi  loro  atteggiamenti.  E 
una  similitudine  che  si  ricollega  con  quella  del  Par.  x,  79-81, 
dipingendo  con  vivissimi  tratti  un'  altra  scena  di  danza,  il 
momento  cioe  in  cui  i  danzatori  eccitati  dalle  parole  della  bal- 
lata  esprimenti  un  sentimento  piu  lieto  o  un  pensiero  di  maggior 
interesse  cantano  e  si  muovono  con  piu  vivacita,  per  dimostra- 
zione  della  loro  letizia." 

t  allafiata  :  This  is  undoubtedly  the  correct  reading,  though 
some  have  contended  for  alcuna  fiataj  but  the  overwhelming 
majority  of  MSS.  and  editions  read  alia  fiata,  and  explain  it 
/«//'  insieme,  like  the  French  d  la  fois. 

I  orazion  is  here  equivalent  to  "  petition,  prayer."  "  Orazione 
non  intendere  tu  qui,  quello  ch'  e  ascendimento  della  mente  a 
Iddio  ;  ma  quella  ch'  e  ordinazione  di  parole  dimostrante  con- 
vene vole  e  perfetta  sentenza."  (Otttmo.) 

§  nuova  gioia  :  Compare  Par.  viii,  46,  47  : 
"  E  quanta  e  quale  vid'  io  lei  far  piue 

Per  allegrezza  nuova  che  s'  accrebbe,"  etc. 

||  mira  nota :  Mira  is  an  adjective,  and  the  words  are  equiva- 
lent to  "  mirabile  canto."  Casini  says  that  here,  as  in  other 
passages,  miro  is  never  used  except  to  express  divine  persons 
and  things.  Compare  Par.  xxiv,  36  :  "  questo  gaudio  miro  ;  " 
xxviii,  53  :  "questo  miro  ed  angelico  templo"  ;  and  xxx,  68. 
"  Riprofondavan  s£  nel  miro  gurge." 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  461 

manifested  new  delight  in  their  gyrations  and  in  their 
wondrous  strain. 

Here  (observes  Benvenuto)  Dante,  from  what  has 
just  been  said,  goes  on  to  censure  the  excessive 
display  in  the  funereal  grief  of  men  on  earth :  seeing 
that  what  we  are  mourning  for  is  our  own  selves,  who 
are  passing  from  this  vale  of  tears  to  that  great  glory 
in  Heaven. 

Qual  si  lamenta*  perch£  qui  si  moia  25 

Per  viver  colassu,  non  vide  quive 
Lo  refrigerio  dell'  eterna  ploia.  t 

Whoso  laments  that  one  dies  here  (in  the  world), 
to  live  up  there  on  high,  has  never  considered  the 
refreshment  (up)  there  of  the  eternal  rain  (i.e.  the 
happiness  that  springs  from  Divine  Grace). 

Dante  means  (says  Benvenuto)  "  Whosoever  laments 
having  to  die  down  here  to  live  afterwards  in  Heaven, 
certainly  laments  because  he  has  never  been  up  into 

*  Qual  si  lamenta,  et  seq.  :  Both  Scartazzini  and  Casini  seem 
to  prefer  the  interpretation  of  this  passage  as  given  by  the 
Ottimo :  "Questo  testo  e  chiaro  e  vero,  dove  dice  che  chi  qua 
giu  piange  quando  di  questa  misera  vita  si  parte  alcuno,  li  cui 
atti  ragionevolmente  sieno  giudicati  giusti,  non  ha  veduta  la 
gloria  del  Cielo."  I  notice  that  both  the  above-named  Com- 
mentators think  that  non  vide  quive  must  be  taken  in  the  sense 
of  "never  considered,"  "turned  his  mind  to."  Casini  says: 
"  Chi  si  lamenta  perch£  muoiono  al  mondo  gli  uomini  meritevoli 
dell'  eterna  vita,  non  ha  mai  considerate  la  felicita  che  nasce 
dalla  grazia  divina." 

t  ploia:  Compare  Par.  xxiv,  91,  92  : 

"  La  larga  ploia 
Dello  Spirito  Santo,"  etc. 

on  which  passage  Daniello  comments:  "La  grazia  che  largamente 
piove  dallo  Spirito  Santo  in  su  le  vecchie,  in  su  le  nuove  cuoia, 
su  le  carte  del  libro  della  vecchia  e  nuova  Scrittura."  And  Buti 
observes  :  "  Ploja  in  francioso  e  a  dire  pioggia."  I  find  in  Littre", 
Dictionnaire  de  la  Languc  Fran$aiset  v.  s.  pluie,  among  the 
etymological  derivations,  that  the  Provencal  is  pluvia,  ploia> 
plueia;  Catal.  pluja,  Latin,  pluvia. 


462  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  XIV. 

Heaven  to  see  the  joy  which  the  everlasting  rain  of 
the  beatific  light  produces  in  the  Blessed  ;  or,  if  he 
could  only  see  the  ineffable  bliss  of  those  that  I 
(Dante)  beheld,  he  would  not  weep  for  those  who  pass 
out  of  our  wretched  life  into  the  vast  life  of  eternal  joy." 
Dante,  listening  to  the  spirits,  relates  what  was  the 
burden  of  their  song. 

Quell'  uno  e  due  e  tre  *  che  sempre  vive, 
E  regna  sempre  in  tre  e  due  ed  uno, 
Non  circonscritto,t  e  tutto  circonscrive,  30 

Tre  volte  era  cantato  da  ciascuno 
Di  quegli  spirti  con  tal  melodia, 
Ch'  ad  ogni  merto  saria  giusto  muno.J 

*  QuelV  uno  e  due  e  tre:  "  Quell'  uno  che  sempre  vive  e  regna 
in  tre  (cio£  quell'  uno  Dio  ch&  vivera  e  regnera  sempre  in  tre 
Persone) ;  quel  due  che  vive  sempre  e  regna  in  due  (quello  di  due 
nature  divina  ed  umana,  Gesu  Cristo,  che  nelle  medesime  vivera 
e  regnera  eternamente) ;  quel  tre  che  vive  sempre  regna  in  uno 
(quelle  tre  divine  Persone  che  viveranno  e  regneranno  sempre 
in  unita  di  natura."  (Lombardi.)  Casini  is  of  opinion  that  this 
comment  of  Lombardi's  is  the  best  of  all  that  he  has  seen  on  this 
passage,  because  it  so  clearly  brings  forward  the  symmetrical 
parallelism  of  the  expressions  used  by  Dante  to  signify  the 
Trinity.  As  Gary  points  out,  this  passage  has  been  literally 
translated  by  Chaucer,  Troilus  and  Cresseide,  book  v,  last 
stanza : 

"  Thou  one,  two,  and  three,  eterne  on  live, 
That  raignest  aie  in  thre,  two,  and  one, 
Uncircumscript,  and  all  maist  circumscrive." 

t  Non  circonscritto  :  Compare  the  opening  words  of  the  Pater 
Noster  in  Purg.  xi,  i,  2 : 

"  O  Padre  nostro,  che  nei  cieli  stai, 

Non  circonscritto,"  etc. 

"  Circumscriptus  dicitur  quando  principium,  medium,  et  finis 
potest  assignari  in  loco,  et  sic  corpus  est  in  loci  definitione ;  nam 
sic  est  hie,  quod  non  alibi."  (Pietro  di  Dante.)  See  also  Convito  iv, 
9,  11.  30-33. 

$  muno :  This  is  a  Latinism,  from  munus,  "a  gift,  a  recom- 
pense." "  Munus  e  quello  dono  che  viene  nella  offerta,  o  quello 
dono  che  si  fa  per  via  d'  oblazione  dalli  principi."  (Ottimo.) 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  463 

That  One  and  Two  and  Three  (i.e.  the  Triune  God) 
Who  lives  for  ever,  and  ever  reigns  in  Three,  Two, 
and  One,  not  circumscribed,  and  all  things  circum- 
scribing, three  times  was  chanted  by  those  spirits 
with  such  (i.e.  so  sweet)  a  melody,  as  for  every  merit 
would  be  a  just  reward. 

Division  II.  One  of  the  spirits  of  the  inner  gar- 
land is  now  heard,  who  replies  to  the  question  put  by 
Beatrice.  With  the  one  exception  of  Landino,  who 
thinks  this  was  Peter  Lombard  (magister  Senten- 
tiarum),  all  the  Commentators,  ancient  and  modern 
alike,  agree  that  the  voice  is  that  of  Solomon,  an 
opinion  which  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  passage 
where  he  is  described,  in  Par.  x,  109,  as  la  quinta  luce, 
cJf  e  tra  noi  pin  bella,  and  this  seems  to  correspond 
with  the  present  text,  nella  luce  pin  dia.  Solomon 
replies  to  the  question  asked  by  Beatrice  in  Dante's 
name,  and  tells  him  that,  as  long  as  the  glory  of  Para- 
dise lasts,  so  long  will  the  spirits  in  it  be  endued  with 
the  same  radiant  vesture.  And  when  they  shall 
again  be  clothed  upon  with  flesh  (II  Cor.  v.  2),  that 
same  flesh  in  its  turn  will  be  reclothed  with  light,  like 
a  coal  that  gives  forth  flame,  and  by  its  glowing 
whiteness  surpasses  it :  they  will  have  their  entire 
bodies,  and  the  entire  grace  of  God.  Nor  will  the 
radiance  be  injurious  to  the  eyes  of  their  resuscitated 
bodies.  For,  by  reason  of  the  re-union  of  the  flesh 
with  the  spirit,  the  Blessed,  increasing  in  perfection, 
will  increase  also  in  vesture  and  in  light  of  glory. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  the  organs  of  the  body  being 
disposed  and  fortified  for  the  express  purpose  of 
enabling  them  to  endure  superhuman  delights,  they 


464  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

will  perpetually  enjoy  them,  instead  of  being  fatigued 
by  them. 

Ed  io  udi'nella  luce  piu  dia* 

Del  minor  cerchio  una  voce  moclesta,  35 

Forse  qual  fu  dall'  Angelo  a  Maria, 

Risponder : — "  Quanto  fia  t  lunga  la  festa 
Di  Paradiso,  tanto  il  nostro  amore 
Si  raggera  dintorno  cotal  vesta. 

La  sua  chiarezza  seguira  1'  ardore,  40 

L'  ardor  la  visi'one,  e  quella  £  tanta, 
Quanta  ha  di  grazia  sopra  il  suo  valore.J 

And  I  heard  in  the  divinest  light  in  the  lesser  circle 
a  subdued  voice,  such  perchance  as  was  that  of  the 
Angel  (Gabriel)  to  Mary,  reply : — "  So  long  as  the 

* piu  dia:  The  Ottimo  explains  this :  "  piu  divina  e  piu  esplen- 
diente."  Poletto  quotes  a  marginal  comment  of  Alfieri  the  poet, 
in  his  own  copy  of  Dante :  "  Le  voci  dius  et  divus  de'  Latini  non 
altro  significano  che  divino;  e  siccome  le  creature  tanto  sono 
piu  divine  quanto  piu  son  presso  a  Dio  (cf.  Convito  ii,  4, 1.  18),  ne 
deriva  anche  che  quanto  a  Dio  son  piu  vicine,/>/«  prendono  della 
sua  luce  (Par.  i,  4):  percio  non  han  torto  alcuni  chiosatori,  che 
qui  spiegano  piu  divina;  e  hanno  ragione  quelli  che  spiegano 
piu  risplendente."  We  find  the  same  double  signification  of  dia 
in  Par.  xxiii,  106-108: 

"  E  girerommi,  Donna  del  ciel,  mentre 
Che  seguirai  tuo  figlio,  e  farai  dia 
Piu  la  spera  suprema,  perche  gli  entre." 
See  also  Par.  xxvi,  io,  n. 

+  Quanto  fia,  et  seq. :  The  meaning  of  this  amplified  is  that,  for 
so  long  as  the  bliss  of  Paradise  shall  last,  that  is  for  all  eternity, 
so  long  will  the  love  of  the  spirits  in  it  continue  to  manifest  itself 
in  the  radiant  glory  in  which  they  are  enwrapped. 

J  valore  :  Scartazzini,  Casini,  and  Poletto  all  agree  that  valore, 
as  used  here,  signifies  "  merit."  Compare  the  words  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer:  "  Not  weighing  our  merits,  but  pardoning 
our  offences."  We  find  the  combination  of  grace  and  merit  in 
Par.  xxix,  61,  62: 

"  Perch£  le  viste  lor  furo  esaltate 

Con  grazia  illuminante,  e  con  lor  merto." 
and  Purg.  vii,  19,  where  Sordello  exclaims  to  Virgil: 
"  Qual  merito  o  qual  grazia  mi  ti  mostra?" 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  465 

festal  joy  of  Paradise  lasts,  so  long  shall  our  love 
make  to  radiate  around  us  such  a  vesture  (i.e.  the 
light  with  which  we  are  clothed).  Its  brilliancy  will 
be  in  proportion  to  the  fervency  of  our  love,  our 
fervency  (will  be  in  proportion  to)  our  vision  (of  God) 
and  that  vision  is  proportionate  to  the  amount  of 
grace  it  receives  superior  to  its  own  merit. 

Scartazzini  explains  this :  "  The  radiant  brilliancy 
of  this  vesture  of  light  springs  from  the  fervency  of 
our  love,  and  is  in  proportion  to  it  ;  the  amount  of  our 
love  is  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  our  Vision  of 
God,  which  again  is  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of 
Divine  Grace  vouchsafed  to  us.  Therefore — to  take 
it  backwards — From  Grace  is  generated  the  pro- 
portionate merit  (valore)  ;  from  the  merit  issues  the 
Vision  also  in  proportion  ;  from  the  Vision  proceeds 
the  love  also  in  proportion  ;  and  finally  from  the 
love  the  brilliancy  of  the  vesture,  also  in  proportion." 
Solomon  answers  the  second  part  of  the  question, 
and  says  that  the  spirits,  after  rising  again,  will 
possess  a  far  keener  sense  of  sight,  and,  therefore, 
the  excess  of  their  radiance,  so  far  from  injuring, 
will  delight  them. 

Come  la  carne  gloriosa  e  santa 
Fia  rivestita,  la  nostra  persona 
Piu  grata*  fia  per  esser  tutta  e  quanta.  45 

*  Pin  grata:  Brunone  Bianchi  (gth  edition,  Florence,  1886) 
comments  thus :  "grata,  piu  bella,  piu  splendente,  e  percib  af- 
fetta  di  maggior  piacere,  per  essere  nella  sua  integrita,  cioe,  in 
corpo  ed  anima,  e  conseguentemente  piu  perfetta."  Compare 
Inf.  vi,  106-108: 

"...    Ritorna  a  tua  scienza, 

Che  vuol,  quanto  la  cosa  &  piu  perfetta 
Piu  senta  il  bene,  e  cosi  la  doglienza." 

In  both  these  passages  Dante  is  evidently  referring  to  St.  Thorn. 
Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i,  qu.  xc,  art.  4):  "Anima,  cum  sit 

I.  H  H 


466  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

Per  che  s'  accrescera  cio  che  ne  dona 

Di  gratuito  lume  il  Sommo  Bene ; 

Lume  ch'  a  lui  veder  ne  condiziona : 
Onde  la  vision  crescer  conviene, 

Crescer  1'  ardor  che  di  quella  s'  accende,  50 

Crescer  lo  raggio  che  da  esso  viene. 

When  (at  the  Resurrection)  our  flesh  glorified  and 
made  holy  shall  be  clothed  upon  us  again,  then  will 
our  personality  be  more  pleasing  from  being  all 
complete.  Wherefore  that  which  the  Supreme  Good 
vouchsafes  to  us  of  light  freely  given  will  be  increased ; 
light  which  fits  us  for  beholding  Him  :  Hence  our 
vision  must  needs  increase,  increase  the  fervency  by 
which  it  is  enkindled,  increase  the  radiance  which 
proceeds  from  that  (fervour). 

The  glorious  effulgence  of  the  Blessed  not  only 
remains,  but  will  be  increased  after  the  Resurrection  ; 
inasmuch  as  it  is  the  effect  of  the  Divine  Grace 
which  is  imparted  and  received  in  greater  quantity, 
the  more  that  the  being  to  receive  it  is  in  a  state 
of  perfection.  Hence  the  soul  re-united  to  its  own 
body  will  be  more  perfect,  and  more  fitted  to  receive, 
and  consequently  to  reflect  into  the  eternal  radiance, 
the  Light  of  Grace  from  within. 

Solomon  then  makes  the  following  comparison. 
From  burning  coal  proceeds  a  flame,  but  the  flame 
is  not  sufficient  to  conceal  the  glowing  coal  from 

pars  humanae  naturae,  non  habet  naturalem  perfectionem,  nisi 
secundum  quod  est  corpori  unita."  And  ibid,  (pars  i,  2daE, 
qu.  iv,  art.  5):  "  Desiderium  animae  separatae  totaliter  quiescit 
ex  parte  appetibili,  quia  habet  id  quod  suo  appetitui  sufficit ; 
sed  non  totaliter  requiescit  ex  parte  appetentis,  quia  illud 
bonum  non  possidet  secundum  omnem  modum,  quo  possi- 
dere  vellet.  Et  ideo,  corpore  resumpto,  beatitude  crescit,  non 
intensive,  sed  extensive."  Most  of  the  Commentators  under- 
stand: piu grata  a  Dio.  Others:  " piu  grata  a  noi."  Others 
again  :  "  piu  grata  a  Dio  ed  a  noi." 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  467 

the  eye.  In  like  manner  the  risen  and  glorified 
body  shall  not  be  concealed  by  the  radiance  that 
it  emits,  and  all  the  organs  of  our  glorified  bodies 
will  be  so  fortified,  that  no  excess  of  light  will  be 
able  to  injure  our  eyesight,  when  we  look  upon  one 
another. 

Ma  si  come  carbon  *  che  fiamma  rende, 
E  per  vivo  candor  quella  soperchia 
SI,  che  la  sua  parvenza  t  si  difende, 
Cosi  questo  fulgor,  che  gia  ne  cerchia,  55 

Fia  vinto  in  apparenza  dalla  carne 
Che  tutto  di  la  terra  ricoperchia ; 
Ne  potra  tanta  luce  affaticarne, 

Ch&  gli  organi  £  del  corpo  saran  forti 

A  tutto  cio  che  potra  dilettarne."—  60 

But  even  as  the  coal  that  gives  out  flame,  and  in  its 
glowing  incandescence  surpasses  it  so  much,  that  its 
own  appearance  is  maintained,  so  will  this  effulgence, 
which  now  envelops  us,  be  overpowered  in  visibility 

*  carbon :  "  Come  il  carbone  acceso  da  la  fiamma  intorno  a  se, 
ma  piu  di  questa  risplende,  ed  e  percio  visibile  entro  la  fiamma 
stessa,  cosi  la  carne  (che  ora  la  terra  ricoperchia)  quando  sara 
risorta  e  sara  qui  unita  all'  anima,  sark  cinta  di  luce,  ma  di  questa 
sara  piu  luminosa  e  la  si  vedra  entro  essa."  (Cornoldi.) 

^parvenza:  See  notes  on  1.  71,  and  1.  73. 

J  organi :  In  several  passages  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  do  we 
find  that  his  theory  of  the  impassibility  of  the  risen  souls  of  the 
Blessed  illustrates  this  terzina.  Compare  Sutnm.  Theol.  (pars  iii, 
Suppl. qu. lxxxv,art.  2):  "Corpus  gloriosum  nonpotestpatialiquid 
passione  naturae,  sed  solum  passione  animae,  ita  ex  proprietate 
gloriae  non  agit  risi  actione  animae.  Claritas  autem  intensanon 
offendit  visum,  in  quantum  agit  actione  animae,  sed  secundum 
hoc  magis  delectat ;  offendit  autem,  in  quantum  agit  actione 
naturae,  calefaciendo  et  dissolvendo  organum  visus,  et  disgre- 
gando  spiritus.  Et  ideo  claritas  corporis  gloriosi,  quamvis  ex- 
cedat  claritatem  solis,  tamen  de  sui  natura  non  offendit  visum,  sed 
demulcet ;  propterquod  claritas  ilia  comparatur  claritati  jaspidis 
(Apocal.  21)."  Compare  also  ibid,  (pars  iii,  Suppl.  qu.  Ixxxii, 
art.  i  ;  art.  iii ;  and  art.  4). 

H  H   2 


468  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIV. 

by  that  flesh  which  all  this  while  the  earth  covers 
(in  the  grave) ;  nor  will  so  great  a  light  be  able  to 
fatigue  us,  because  the  organs  of  the  body  will  have 
sufficient  strength  for  everything  that  can  bring  us 
delight." 

On  hearing  the  words  of  Solomon,  all  the  other 
twenty-three  spirits  in  the  two  garlands  chime  in 
with  an  eager  Amen,  by  which  they  signify  that 
they  long  for  the  time  when  their  bodies,  still  lying 
dead  on  Earth,  shall  be  re-united  to  their  souls,  and 
with  them  make  a  perfect  whole.  And  not  only  do 
they  signify  the  desire  they  have  for  the  resurrection 
of  their  own  bodies,  but  also  of  the  bodies  of  all 
those  dear  to  them  in  life,  and  whom  they  long  to  be 
able  to  see  in  Heaven. 

Tanto  mi  parver  subiti  ed  accorti 

E  1'  uno  e  1'altro  coro  a  dicer: — "  Amme," — 
Che  ben  mostrar  disio  dei  corpi  morti ; 
Forse  non  pur  per  lor,*  ma  per  le  mamme, 

Per  li  padri,  e  per  gli  altri  che  fur  carit  65 

Anzi  che  fosser  sempiterne  fiamme. 

*  Forse  non  pur  per  lor,  et  seq.:  This  is  well  illustrated  in  St. 
Thorn.  Aquin.  (Siimm.  TJieol.  pars  i,  2d8B,  qu.  iv,  art.  8) :  "  Si 
loquamur  de  perfecta  beatitudine,  quae  erit  in  patria,  non 
requiritur  societas  amicorum  de  necessitate  ad  beatitudinem ; 
quia  homo  habet  totam  plenitudinem  suae  perfectionis  in  Deo. 
Sed  ad  bene  esse  beatitudinis  facit  societas  amicorum  .  . 
Perfectio  charitatis  est  essentialis  beatitudini  quantum  ad  dilec- 
tionem  Dei,  non  quantum  ad  dilectionem  proximi.  Unde  si 
esset  una  sola  anima  fruens  Deo,  beata  esset,  non  habens  proxi- 
mum  quern  diligeret.  Sed  supposito  proximo,  sequitur  dilectio 
ejus  ex  perfecta  dilectione  Dei.  Unde  quasi  concomitanter  se 
habet  amicitia  ad  perfectam  beatitudinem." 

+  Per  le  mamme,  per  li  padri,  e  per  gli  altri  che  fAr  cart :  On 
this  see  Dr.  Moore,  Dante  and  his  early  Biographers,  London, 
1890,  p.  1 8,  footnote  :  "The  omission  of  any  mention  of  -wives 
in  Par.  xiv,  64,  65,  has  sometimes  been  remarked  upon.  It  was 
perhaps  forgotten  that  the  spirits  are  those  of  the  great  Theo- 
logians !  " 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  469 

So  ready  and  so  alert  to  say  Amen  did  both  the  one 
and  the  other  choir  appear  to  me,  that  they  plainly 
showed  the  desire  for  their  dead  bodies  ;  not,  may- 
be for  themselves  alone,  but  for  their  mothers,  for 
their  fathers,  and  for  the  others  that  had  been  dear 
to  them  before  they  became  imperishable  flames. 

Dante  now  becomes  aware  of  another  phenomenon. 
He  sees  a  circle  of  new  light  appearing  like  the 
gleam  of  the  horizon  when  it  clears.  It  shapes  itself 
into  a  nebulous  ring  of  immense  size,  like  a  sort  of 
aureole  ;  and,  as  an  outside  cincture,  surrounds  the 
two  garlands  previously  described.  In  this  third 
luminous  circle  a  new  set  of  Subsistencies,  or  blessed 
spirits,  are  faintly  discerned  ;  but  Dante  does  not  tell 
us  who  they  are  ;  for  indeed  he  is  not  as  yet  able  to 
distinguish  them.  They  are  like  the  stars  at  the 
approach  of  night,  at  one  moment  visible  to  the  eye, 
and  the  next  moment  lost  to  sight,  so  vast  is  the 
distance  at  which  Dante  sees  this  new  circle. 
Ed  ecco  intorno  di  chiarezza  pari 

Nascere  un  lustro  *  sopra  quel  che  v'  era, 

Per  guisa  d'  orizzonte  che  rischiari. 
E  si  come  al  salir  di  prima  sera  70 

Comincian  per  lo  ciel  nuove  parvenze,t 

SI  che  la  vista  %  pare  e  non  par  vera ; 

*  Ed  ecco  ,  .  .  un  lustro :  Compare  Purg.  xxix,  16-18: 
"  Ed  ecco  un  lustro  subito  trascorse 

Da  tutte  parti  per  la  gran  foresta, 
Tal  che  di  balenar  mi  mise  in  forse." 

t  parvenze :  This  word,  which  in  the  singular  means  a  phe- 
nomenon, or  apparition,  here  refers  to  the  stars.  Blanc  (  Voc. 
Dant.)  defines  it:  "II  modo  in  cui  un  oggetto  apparisce,  si 
mostra." 

I  la  -vista:  Dr.  Moore  (Text.  Crit.  p.  464)  says  that  he  found 
this  reading  in  138  MSS.,  and  the  variant  la  cosa  only  in  39.  He 
only  registers  the  two  readings  as  affording  possible  tests  of  re- 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

Parvemi  li  novelle  sussistenze* 

Cominciar  a  vedere,  e  fare  un  giro 

Di  fuor  dalF  altre  due  circonferenze.  75 

And  lo !  all  round,  of  equal  brightness,  there  arose 
a  lustre  outside  the  one  which  was  there,  after  the 
manner  of  an  horizon  that  brightens  up  (into  day). 
And  as  at  the  rise  of  early  evening  new  appearances 
in  the  heaven  begin  to  show,  so  that  the  sight  seems 
real,  and  yet  not  real ;  methought  that  I  began  to 
discern  new  substances,  and  that  an  orbit  was  formed 
outside  the  other  two  circumferences. 

Dante  exclaims  that  all  this  light  and  movement 
dazzled  and  confused  him,  but  after  looking  at 
Beatrice,  so  fair  and  smiling,  his  eyes  regained  their 
power  of  looking  up,  and  he  now  finds  that  alone 
with  her  he  has  been  transported  into  the  sphere  above, 
namely  into  the  Heaven  of  Mars. 

O  vero  isfavillar  t  del  santo  spiro, 
Come  si  fece  subito  e  candente 
Agli  occhi  miei  che  vinti  non  soffriro! 

Ma  Beatrice  si  bella  e  ridente 

lationship,  since  there  can  be  no  question  of  accidental  confusion 
of  the  two  words.  "  The  reading  cosa  would  bring  the  passage 
into  very  close  resemblance  with  Purg.  vii,  10-12,  cited  hereby 
Scartazzini,  but  -vista  seems  both  to  suit  parvenza,  and  to  be  in 
every  way  more  poetical,  though  such  questions  of  taste  are 
matters  of  opinion,  and  scarcely  worth  recording  for  critical 
purposes." 

*  sussistenze :  Compare  Par.  xiii,  59. 

t  vero  isfavillar:  Poletto  says  that  the  spirits  are  the  true 
radiance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  because  upon  them  shines  directly 
the  Divine  Light  which  is  again  called  The  True  Light  in 
Par.  xxxiii,  52-54 : 

" .  .  .la  mia  vista,  venendo  sincera, 
E  piu  e  piu  entrava  per  lo  raggio 
Dell'  alta  luce,  che  da  s&  e  vera." 

Compare  Conv.  iii,  14, 11.  35-37 :  "  Onde  nelle  Intelligenze  raggia 
la  divina  luce  senza  mezzo  [i.  e.  vera  luce,  or  vero  isfavillar}, 
nell'  altre  si  ripercuote  da  queste  Intelligenze  prima  illuminate." 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso,  47 1 

Mi  si  mostro,  che  tra  quelle*  vedute  80 

Si  vuol  lasciar  che  non  seguir  la  mente. 
Quindi  ripreser  gli  occhi  miei  virtute 
A  rilevarsi,  e  vidimi  translate 
Sol  con  mia  Donna  in  piu  alta  salute.f 

0  true  radiance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  how  sudden  and 
incandescent  it  flowed  into  my  eyes,  which  being 
overcome  (by  so  much  splendour)  endured  it  not  ! 
But  Beatrice  appeared  to  me  so  fair  and  so  smiling, 
that  this  must  be  left  (untold)  among  those  sights 
which  followed  not  my  memory.     After  a  while  my 
eyes  recovered  enough  power  to  look  up  again,  and 

1  found  myself  alone  with  my  Lady  translated  into 
a  more  exalted  beatitude  (i.e.  the  Fifth  Heaven). 

Division  III.  Hardly  has  Dante  realized  his 
transference  into  a  new  region  of  Heaven,  than  from 
the  fiery  red  look  of  the  atmosphere  he  perceives  that 
he  has  reached  the  Sphere  of  Mars.  With  heartfelt 
emotion,  but  in  unspoken  words,  he  renders  thanks 
unto  God  for  his  new  elevation.  The  acceptance 
of  his  offering  of  praise  and  gratitude  is  immediately 

*  tra  quelle :  Others  read  tra  I'  altre.  Landino,  who  like 
most  of  the  old  Commentators,  and  an  immense  majority  of  the 
MSS.,  reads  tra  quelle,  comments  thus:  "  Ed  accrebbe  la  bel- 
lezza  ed  il  gaudio  tanto  in  Beatrice,  che  il  Poeta  non  lo  puo 
esprimere,  e  per  questo  lo  lascia  tra  quelle  vedute  cose,  che  non 
seguono,  .  .  .  anzi  abbandonano  la  mente,  quando  le  vuole  de- 
scrivere." 

t  piu  alta  salute:  "  Diceres  tu, quomodo  plus  alta  salus,  quia 
Sol  est  pater  generationis,  et  Mars  pater  corruptionis  et  mor- 
tium  ?  Respondeo  quod  verum  dicit ;  quia  venit  propius  ad 
primam  causam;  idest  adducitur,  quia  ibi  sunt  illi  qui  pugna- 
verunt  pro  fide,  et  sparserunt  sanguinem  suum  pro  justitia  et 
fide  ;  et  plus  meruerunt  quam  isti  Doctores,  qui  solum  adoperati 
sunt  calamum."  (Talice  da  Ricaldone.)  "  Proprius  ad  primam 
causam  "  may  be  explained  by  the  opinion  that  the  heaven  of 
Mars  was  above  that  of  the  Sun,  and  consequently  nearer  to  the 
highest  heaven  of  all,  the  Empyrean,  the  abode  of  God  Himself. 


472  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV. 

signified  to  him  by  a  marvellous  grouping  together 
of  innumerable  fiery  lights  in  a  form  that  will  be 
shortly  described. 

Ben  m'  accors'  io  ch'  io  era  piu  levato,  85 

Per  1'  affocato  riso  *  della  Stella, 
Che  mi  parea  piu  roggio  t  che  1'  usato. 

Con  tutto  il  core,  e  con  quella  favella 

Ch'  e  una  in  tutti,J  a  Dio  feci  olocausto,§ 


*  affocato  riso  :  Compare  Convito  ii,  14,  11.  159-170:  "Esso  e 

10  mezzo  di  tutti,  cio£  delli  primi,  delli  secondi,  delli  terzi  e  delli 
quarti.  L'  altra  si  e  ch'  esso  Marte  dissecca  e  arde  le  cose,  perch£ 

11  suo  calore  e  simile  a  quello  del  fuoco  ;  e  questo  e  quello  pei  ch& 
esso  appare  affocato  di  colore,  quando  piu  e  quando  meno,  se- 
condo  la  spessezza  e  rarita  delli  vapori  che  '1  seguono  ;  li  quali 
per  loro  medesimi  molte  volte  s'  accendono,  siccome  nel  primo 
della  Meteora  e  determinate."  On  this  Buti  observes  that  "  e  vero 
che  Io  splendore  di  Marte  viene  piu  affocato  che  quello  del  Sole  ; 
impero  che  rosseggia,  e  Io  Sole  gialleggia."     This,  however,  is 
only  in  the  literal  sense ;  allegorically,  "  si  de'  intendere  che  mag- 
giore  ardore  di  carita,  cio£  piu  ardente,  e  in  coloro  che  combat- 
teno  e  vinceno  li  tre  inimici  detti  di  sopra — il  mondo,  il  dimonio 
e  la  carne — che  in  coloro  che  s&  esercitano  ne  le  Scritture. " 
Compare  Purg.  ii,  13,  14: 

"  Ed  ecco  qual,  sul  presso  del  mattino, 

Per  li  grossi  vapor  Marte  rosseggia,"  etc. 
t  r°ggi°  •'  Casini  observes  that  this  is  a  Tuscan  form  of  the 
Latin  rubeus,  and  is  akin  to  robbio  (see  1.  94).  It  occurs  more 
than  once  in  Dante's  writings  (see  Inf.  xi,  73  ;  Purg.  iii,  16)  to 
express  a  flaming  red.  Borghini  (Studt,  ed.  Gigli,  p.  239)  says 
of  it  that  it  is  one  of  the  three  red  colours,  mentioned  in  Para- 
dise :  "  Tre  colori  abbiamo  :  rosso,  ch'  e  quello  del  cinabro  ;  ver- 
miglio,  ch'  e  del  verzino  [Brazil  •wood']  e  della  lacca  [red  lac]  ; 
roggio,  ch'  e  del  ferro  rovente  e  che  tende  al  colore  della  ruggine 
[rust]." 

£  favella  Ch'  £  una  in  tutti :  Thought  language  is  the  same  in 
all  men,  whatever  be  their  speech. 

§  olocausto :  Lana,  the  Anon.  Fior.  and  the  Ottimo  all  give 
nearly  identical  comments  on  this  word,  which  is  contrasted 
with  sacrificio  (1.  92) :  "Olocausto  si  e  quando  si  fa  intero  sacri- 
ficio  o  vittima,  cio&  di  tutta  la  cosa  ;  sa.cr\f\c\o proprie  si  e  quando 
si  fa  vittima  pure  della  parte.  E  per  mostrare  1'  autore  esso  sacri- 


Canto  XIV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  473 

Qual  conveniasi  alia  grazia*  novella;  90 

E  non  er'  anco  del  mio  petto  esaustb 

L'  ardor  del  sacrificio,  ch'  io  conobbi 
Esso  litare  t  stato  accetto  e  fausto  ; 

Che  con  tanto  lucore  e  tanto  robbi 

M'  apparvero  splendor  J  dentro  a  due  raggi         95 
Ch'  io  dissi :— "  O  Elios  §  che  si  gli  addobbi !  "||— 


ricare  e  fare  olocausto,  menziona  questi  due  vocaboli  come  appare 
nel  testo."    (Lana.) 

*  grazia  here  seems  to  illustrate  its  use  in  Par.  xv,  36  :  "  Delia 
mia  grazia  e  del  mio  Paradiso." 

t  litare:  Dante  has  here  used  the  Latin  verb  meaning  to 
sacrifice.  He  would  remember  the  two  following  passages  in 
Virgil,  ;En.  ii,  118,  119  : 

"  Sanguine  quaerendi  reditus,  animaque  litandum  Argo- 

lica." 
and  y£#.  iv,  50,  51: 

"Tu  modo  posce  Deos  veniam,  sacrisque  litatis 
Indulge  hospitio." 

t  splendor :  These  are  the  glorious  spirits  of  brave  warriors 
who  laid  down  their  lives  fighting  for  the  Faith.  Robbi,  plur.  of 
robbio,  agrees  with  splendori. 

§  Elios:  This  term  which  Dante  uses  to  apostrophize  God, 
is,  Casini  thinks,  a  hybrid  form  that  sprung  up  through  the  con- 
fusion in  early  times  between  the  Hebrew  EL  (see  Par.  xxvi, 
136)  and  the  Greek  Helios,  the  Sun. 

||  addobbi  :  In  its  literal  sense  addobbare  signifies  to  adorn  the 
walls  with  tapestry,  arras,  etc.,  but  here  it  means  simply  to  adorn 
with  light,  to  illumine.  In  Donkin's  Etymological  Dictionary 
of  the  Romance  Languages,  London,  1864,  I  find:  "Addobbare, 
O.  Sp.  adobar,  Pr.  adobar,  O.  Fr.  adouber,  to  fit  out,  equip.  From 
the  A.  S.  dubban,  O.  Norse  dubba  to  strike  (Fr.  dauber,  to  beat), 
and  first  used  of  the  accolade  or  blow  with  the  sword  given  in  the 
ceremony  of  knighting.  A.  S.  dubban  to  riddere,  to  dub  a  knight, 
Fr.  addubber  a  chevalier;  it  was  next  used  of  any  solemn  prepara- 
tion or  equipment . . .  hence  adouber  richement  to  equip  magnifi- 
cently, se  douber  to  arm  oneself,  this  simple  form  being  rare  .  .  . 
Wedgwood  (s.  o.  dub)  considers  that  the  notion  of  preparation, 
equipment,  etc.,  is  the  primary  one ...  In  English  to  dub  cloth  is 
to  dress  it  with  teasles ;  to  dub  a  cock  to  prepare  it  for  fighting  by 
cutting  off  the  comb  and  wattles  ;  dubbing,  a  mixture  of  tallow 
for  dressing  leather,  also  a  dressing  used  by  weavers." 


474  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIV. 

Well  did  I  perceive  that  I  had  risen  higher,  by  the 
enkindled  smiling  of  the  star  (Mars)  which  appeared 
to  me  ruddier  than  its  wont.  With  all  my  heart,  and 
with  that  tongue  (i.e.  thought)  which  is  the  same  for 
all,  I  made  such  holocaust  (i.e.  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving) to  God,  as  was  befitting  his  newly-conferred 
grace  ;  and  not  yet  was  the  burning  of  mine  offering 
consumed  in  my  bosom,  before  I  knew  that  sacrifice 
had  been  accepted  with  favour ;  for  with  such  intense 
radiance  and  so  ruby- tinted  splendours  appeared  to 
me  within  two  rays,  that  I  said  :  "  O  Helios  (i.e.  O 
God)  Who  dost  so  adorn  them  ! " 

Buti  draws  from  Albumasar  an  elaborate  account  of 
the  influences  of  Mars.  A  translation  of  his  quaint 
remarks  is  given  by  Longfellow. 

The  spirits  of  the  saintly  warriors  who  fought  for 
Christ,  who  Dante  now  sees  in  the  Heaven  of  Mars, 
are  shining,  some  more,  some  less  brightly.  He 
compares  them  to  the  mass  of  stars,  some  larger, 
and  some  smaller,  that  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Milky 
Way. 

Come  distinta  da  minori  e  maggi  * 

Lumi  biancheggia  tra  i  poli  del  mondo 
Galassia  si,  che  fa  dubbiar  ben  saggi,t 


*  maSSl '  •'  Compare  Inf.  vi,  48  : 

" .  .  .  s'  altra  e  maggio,  nulla  e  si  spiacente." 
and  see  my  note  on  that  passage  in  Readings  on  the  Inferno. 

f  fa  dubbiar  ben  saggi :  "Ad  quod  sciendum  quod  de  galassia 
fuerunt  variae  opiniones  .  .  .  hie  nota  quod  comparatio  est  pro- 
pria  ad  propositum.  Sicut  enim  stellae  differentes  in  magni- 
tudine  et  splendore  simul  aggregatae  faciunt  constellationem 
galassiae,  ita  hie  animae  beatae  differentes  inter  se  secundum 
plus  et  minus  gloriae  simul  proportionabiliter  ordinatae  faciunt 
hie  signum  crucis."  (Benvenuto).  See  Dante's  own  remarks  in 
the  Convito  ii,  15,  11.  45-77:  "£  da  sapere  che  di  quella  Galassia 
li  filosophi  hanno  avuto  diverse  opinion!.  Che  li  Pittagorici  dissero 
che  '1  sole  alcuna  fiata  erro  nella  sua  via,  e,  passando  per  altre 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  OH  the  Paradiso.  475 

Si  costellati*  facean  nel  profondo  100 

Marte  quei  rai  il  venerabil  segno, 
Che  fan  giunture  t  di  quadrant!  in  tondo. 


parti  non  convenient!  al  suo  fervore,  arse  il  luogo,  per  lo  quale 
passo  ;  e  rimasevi  quell'  apparenza  dell'  arsura.  E  credo  che  si 
mossero  dalla  favola  di  Fetonte,  la  quale  narra  Ovidio  {Met.  ii, 
47-324)  .  .  .  Altri  dissero  (siccome  fu  Anassagora  e  Democrito) 
che  cio  era  lume  di  sole  ripercosso  in  quella  parte.  E  queste 
opinion!  con  ragioni  dimostrative  riprovarono.  Quello  che  Ari- 
stotile  si  dicesse  di  cio,  non  si  pub  bene  sapere,  perche  la  sua 
sentenza  non  si  trova  cotale  nell'  una  traslazione  come  nell'  altra. 
E  credo  che  fosse  1'errore  de' traslatori  ;  che  nella  Nuova  par 
dicere,  che  cio  sia  uno  ragunamento  di  vapori  sotto  le  stelle  di 
quella  parte,  che  sempre  traggono  quelli  ;  e  questa  non  pare 
avere  ragione  vera.  Nella  Vecchia  dice,  che  la  Galassia  non 
e  altro  che  multitudine  di  stelle  fisse  in  quella  parte,  tanto 
picciole  che  distinguere  di  quaggiu  non  le  potemo  ;  ma  di  loro 
apparisce  quello  albore,  il  quale  noi  chiamiamo  Galassia.  E 
puote  essereche  il  cielo  in  quella  parte  e  piii  spesso  \Iias  greater 
density},  e  pero  ritiene  e  ripresenta  quello  lume ;  e  questa  opinione 
pare  avere,  con  Aristotile,  Avicenna,  e  Tolommeo." 

*  costellati:  "Disposti  in  forma  di  costellazione."  (Blanc, 
Voc.  Dant.).  The  Ottimo  defines  the  constellation  :  "  Essi 
spirit!  faceano  nel  profondo  della  stella  una  costellazione  di 
croce  ;  ch'  e  il  segno  venerabile,  nella  forma  disegnata  qui  ap- 
presso."  This  is  the  figure  : 


t  Che  fan  giunture,  et  seq. :  On  this  Casini  writes  :  "  Dante 
vuol  dire  che  le  due  liste  [streaks,  bands'}  erano  della  stessa 
lunghezza  e  s'  intersecavano  nel  punto  di  mezzo,  formando  una 
croce  a  bracci  uguali :  a  questo  fine  ricorre  alia  geometria,  la 
quale  ci  mostra  che  due  diametri  d'  un  cerchio  intersecandosi 
.ad  angolo  retto  formano  una  croce  perfetta  ;  e  chiama  Ptoff/WV 
.di  quadranti  i  diametri,  perche  ciascuno  risulta  dall'  unione 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XIV. 

As,  distinguished  by  lesser  or  greater  lights  (i.e.  stars), 
the  Milky  Way  gleams  so  white  between  the  Poles 
of  the  earth,  that  it  causes  even  learned  men  to 
doubt,  thus  constellated  in  the  depths  of  Mars  (i.e. 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  planet)  did  those  rays  fashion 
that  venerated  sign  (i.e.  the  Cross),  which  intersec- 
tions of  quadrants  form  in  a  circle. 

Tommaseo  remarks  that  the  old  Byzantine  coins 
had  a  Greek  Cross  filling  the  whole  disc.  The  rough 
outline  from  the  Ottimo  of  the  starry  cross  within 
a  circle,  is  not  very  unlike  the  reverse  side  of  our 
English  Plorin  (see  preceding  page).  Dante  wishes 
that  it  were  in  him  to  give  even  an  approximate  idea  of 
that  Cross,  but  he  confesses  that  he  is  quite  unable  to 
describe  what  he  saw,  though  he  well  recollects  it. 

Qui  vince  la  memoria  mia  lo  ingegno  ;* 

Che  quella  croce  lampeggiava  CRISTO,t 

Si  ch'io  non  so  trovare  esemplo  degno.  105 

Ma  chi  prende  sua  croce!  e  segue  CRISTO, 

di  due  raggi  \radii\  cio£  di  due  di  quelle  linee  che  servono  a 
segnare  nei  circolo  1'estremita  di  un  quadrante."  Compare 
Purg.  iv,  41,42: 

"  E  la  costa  superba  piu  assai, 
Che  da  mezzo  quadrante  a  centre  lista." 

*  vince  la  memoria  .  .  .  lo  ingegno  :  Compare  Dante's  words 
in  Epist.  x,  §  29,  11.  575-577:  "  Multa  .  .  .  per  intellectum  vide- 
mus  quibus  signa  vocalia  desunt." 

t  Cristo:  As  already  mentioned,  there  are  three  other  in- 
stances in  the  D.C.  of  this  triplication  of  the  name  of  Christ  at 
the  end  of  lines  rhyming  ;  as  if  no  other  word  were  worthy  of 
such  an  honour.  Compare  Par.  xii,  11.  71,  73,  75  ;  Par.  xix, 
11.  104,  106,  108  ;  and  xxxii,  83,  85,  87.  In  Purg.  xx,  65,  67,  69, 
he  similarly  repeats  the  word  ammenda;  and  in  Par.  xxx,  95, 
97,  99  the  word  vidi  is  repeated  three  times. 

+  chi  prende  sua  croce :  Compare  St.  Matt,  x,  38:  "He  that 
taketh  not  his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of 
me."  And  St.  Matt,  xvi,  24 :  "  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me." 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  477 

Ancor*  mi  scuserk  di  quel  ch'  io  lasso,t 
Vedendo  in  quell' albor  balenar  CRISTO. 
Here  ray  memory  overpowers  my  faculties  ;  for  on 
that  Cross  CHRIST  was  flashed  in  such  glory  that 
I  know  not  how  to  find  a  meet  similitude.     But 
whoso  takes  his  cross  and  follows  CHRIST  will  one 
day  pardon  me  for  that  which  I  leave  untold,  when 
in  that  brightness  he  beholds  Christ  shine  as  the 
lightning. 

When  the  beholder  sees  the  excess  of  glory,  he  will 
well  pardon  a  human  tongue  for  being  unable  to 
utter  it. 

Division  IV.  Dante  now  gives  a  general  descrip- 
tion of  the  warrior  spirits,  as  they  flitted  rapidly 
along  the  two  lines  of  the  Cross  both  perpendicularly 
and  horizontally  ;  and  he  compares  their  movements 
to  a  well-known  phenomenon  in  our  daily  life,  when, 
a  shutter  being  closed  over  a  window  to  exclude  the 
strong  light  of  the  Sun,  if  a  ray  passes  through  a 
chink  in  the  shutter,  small  particles  of  dust  are  seen 
to  dance  about  in  it. 

Di  corno  in  corno,  e  tra  la  cima  e  il  basso, 

Si  movean  lumi,t  scintillando  forte  I  io 

Nel  congiungersi  insieme  e  nel  trapasso. 

*  Ancor :  See  Gran  Dizonario,  s.  v.  ancbra,  §  1 1 :  "In  forza 
di  '  Per  1 '  avvenire.' "  This  interpretation  I  follow,  taking  ancora 
here  to  mean  "at  some  future  day."  Compare  Boccaccio,  Decani. , 
Giorn.  x,  Nov.  9 :  "  Egli  potra  ancora  avvenire  che  noi  vi  farem 
vedere  di  nostra  mercatanzia."  Some  think  that  the  same  in- 
terpretation should  be  given  to  ancor,  in  Purg.  xiii,  133:  "Gli 
occhi ...  mi  fieno  ancor  qui  tolti." 

t  quel  cK  io  lasso:  "quel  che  io  tralascio  per  non  trovare 
degne  espressioni."  (Cornoldi). 

\  lumi :  "  idest,  spiritus  luminosi  si  mmrcan  di  corno  in  corno 
idest,  ab  uno  extreme  lineae  transversalis  ad  aliud,  e  tra  la 
cima  e  7  basso,  idest,  a  summitate  lineae  rectae  ad  pedem  ipsius 
crucis.  Aliqui  tamen  exponunt  quod  movebantur  circulariter 


478  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XIV, 

Cosi  si  veggion  *  qui  diritte  e  torte, 
Veloci  e  tarde,  rinnovando  vista, 
Le  minuzie  dei  corpi  lunghe  e  corte 

Moversi  per  lo  raggio,  onde  si  lista +  115 

Tal  volta  1'  ombra,  che  per  sua  difesa 
La  gente  con  ingegno  ed  arte  acquista. 

From  horn  to  horn  (i.e.  from  one  arm  of  the  Cross 
to  the  other),  and  between  the  summit  and  the  base, 

circa  quatuor  extremitates  crucis,  ita  quod  faciebant  de  se  circu- 
lum  circa  crucem.  Et  dicit,  scintillando  forte,  idest,  radiando 
et  flammando,  nel  congiungersi  insieme,  idest,  quando  occurre- 
bant  sibi  in  via,  e  nel  trapasso,  idest,  in  transitu ;  et  ista  litera 
ostendit  quod  prior  expositio  sit  melior,quia  istae  animae  occurre- 
bant  sibi  in  discursu  :  puta  illae  quae  movebantur  a  superiori 
parte  versus  inferiorem,  occurrebant  venientibus  ab  inferiori 
parte  ad  superiorem ;  et  ita  venientes  a  dextro  cornu  obviabant 
venientibus  a  sinistro  et  e  converso."  (Benvenuto). 

*  Cosl  si  veggion  et  seq. :  "  Similitudine  stupenda  (exclaims 
Casini)  per  la  profondita  e  accuratezza  dell' osservazione,  onde 
nulla  sfugge  al  poeta  della  condizione  del  fenomeno  da  lui 
dipinto,  e  piu  poi  per  la  pittoresca  precisione  del  linguaggio  che 
rende  il  fatto  fisico  nei  suoi  piu  minuti  particolari  senza  super- 
fluita  di  parole ;  ed  e  di  quelle  che  rivelano  in  Dante,  oltre  che  il 
grande  artista,  1' investigatore  felice  della  natura."  Compare 
Lucretius,  ii,  113-119: 

"  Contemplator  enim,  quom  solis  lumina  quomque 
Insertim  fondunt  radios  per  opaca  domorum  : 
Multa  minuta,  modis  multis,  per  inane  videbis 
Corpora  misceri,  radiorum  lumine  in  ipso ; 
Et,  velut  aeterno  certamine,  proelia  pugnasque 
Edere,  turmatim  certantia  ;  nee  dare  pausam, 
Conciliis  et  discidiis  exercita  crebris." 
Compare  Chaucer,  Wif  of  Battts  Tale,  \.  6450  : 
"As  thikke  as  motes  m  the  sonnebeme." 
And  Milton,  //  Penseroso,  8  : 

"  As  thick  and  numberless 
As  the  gay  motes  that  people  the  sunbeam." 
t  silista :  Cesari  (p.  265)  happily  remarks :  "Un  raggio  di  sole 
si  metta  per  una  fessura  in  una  camera,  renduta  oscura  chiudendo 
usci  e  finestre.     Nptate  quel  si  lista  F  ombra,  quanto  proprio! 
una  lista  o  fettuccia  [little  slice]  di  luce  taglia  1' ombra  della 
camera  :  e  pero  ho  detto  fessura,  che  da  una  benda  [a  band], 
non  un  filo  di  luce  :  per  questo  raggio  s'aggirano  que'che  la 
gente  dice  atomi." 


Canto  XIV.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  479 

lights  were  moving,  and  sparkled  brightly  both  as 
they  met  together  and  as  they  passed.  Thus  here 
(on  Earth)  both  straight  and  crooked,  rapid  and 
slow,  long  and  short,  ever  changing  their  appearance, 
the  atoms  of  bodies  are  seen  to  move  across  the  ray 
of  sunlight,  wherewith  is  sometimes  streaked  the 
shade,  which  people  with  artifice  and  skill  contrive 
for  their  protection  (namely,  when  they  close  the 
shutters  against  the  sunlight). 

After  speaking  of  their  graceful  movements,  Dante 
goes  on  to  say  that  the  impression  made  upon  him  by 
the  song  of  those  spirits  was  so  great,  that  he  fell  into 
an  ecstasy.  Never  before  has  he  experienced  such 
bliss.  The  notes  of  each  spirit  were  blended  together 
into  such  harmony,  that  it  had  upon  him  the  effect  of 
a  beautiful  orchestral  symphony,  in  which  the  senses 
are  charmed  without  the  ear  being  able  to  distinguish 
the  individual  instruments. 

E  come  giga*  ed  arpa,t  in  tempra  tesa 
Di  molte  corde,  fa  dolce  tintinnot 

*  &*&a  •'  Scartazzini  says  that  this  signifies  a  violin,  and  is 
derived  from  the  ancient  German  Gtge,  which  in  modern 
German  is  Geige. 

\  arpa :  "  Sunt  duo  genera  instrumentorum  musicorum, 
sonantium  ;  inter  alia,  gyga  et  harpa.  Harpa  multum  utuntur 
Anglic),  quam  vocant  citharam  ;  et  gloriantur  quod  tale  instru- 
mentum,  scilicet  harpa,  sive  cithare,  primo  fuit  adinventum  in 
Anglia."  (Giovanni  di  Serravalle,  Translatio  et  Comentum  totius 
libri  Dantis  Aldigherii,  Prato,  1891).  This  quotation  is  interest- 
ing from  the  fact  that  Giov.  di  Serravalle,  Archbishop  of  Fermo, 
during  the  sitting  of  the  Council  of  Constance  (1414-18),  was 
induced  to  write  his  commentary  and  Latin  Translation  of 
Dante  by  two  English  Bishops  present  at  the  time,  namely 
Nicholas  Bubwich,  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  and  Robert 
Hallam,  Bishop  of  Salisbury. 

$  tintinno :  Compare  Par.  x,  143: 

"  Tin  tin  sonando  con  si  dolce  nota." 
Compare  also  Ariosto,  Orl.  Fur.  vii,  st.  19  : 

"  A  quella  mensa  cetere,  arpe  e  lire, 


480  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XIV. 

A  tal  da  cui  la  nota  non  e  intesa,  120 

Cosi  dai  lumi  che  li  m'  apparinno 

S'  accogliea*  per  la  croce  una  melode, 
Che  mi  rapiva  senza  intender  1'  inno.t 

Ben  m'  accors'  io  ch'  ell'  era  d'  alte  lode,J 

Perocche  a  me  venia: — "Risurgi  e  vinci," — §    125 
Com'  a  colui  che  non  intende  ed  ode. 

Io  m'  innamorava  tanto  quinci, 

Che  infino  a  li  non  fu  alcuna  cosa 
Che  mi  legasse  con  si  dolci  vinci.  || 
And  as  the  viol  and  harp  strung  into  accord  with 
many  strings  make  a  sweet  tinkling  on  (the  ears  of) 

E  diversi  altri  dilettevol  suoni 
Faceano  intorno  1"  aria  tintinnire 
D'  armonia  dolce  e  di  concenti  buoni." 
The  word  occurs  in  Virgil  (Georg.  iv,  64)  as  tinnitus. 

*  S1  accogliea .  . .  una  melode :  Cesari,  after  remarking  that  no 
word  so  well  as  accogliea  could  render  the  force  of  what  Dante 
wished  to  express,  observes  that  Dante  uses  it  mPurg.  i,  13,  to 
depict  one  object  that  is  received  inside  another : 
"  Dolce  color  d'  oriental  zaffiro, 

Che  s'  accoglieva  nel  sereno  aspetto 
Dal  mezzo  puro." 

f  senza  intender  F  inno :  Dante  could  not  distinguish  the 
whole  hymn,  only  the  sentence  :  "  Risurgi  e  vinci."  Compare 
Purg.  ix,  145 : 

"  Che  or  si  or  no  s'  intendon  le  parole." 

I  alte  lode:  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol.  pars  i, 
2dae,  qu.  ci,  art.  2) :  "In  statu  futurae  beatitudinis  intellectus 
humanus  ipsam  divinam  veritatem  in  se  ipsa  intuebitur  ;  et  ideo 
exterior  cultus  non  consistet  in  aliqua  figura,  sed  solum  in  laude 
Dei." 

§  Risurgi  e  vinci :  "  Questa  e  parola  de  la  santa  Scrittura  che 
si  dice  di  Cristo  ;  impero  che  egli  risurresse  da  morte  e  vinse  Io 
dimonio  che  aveva  vinto  1'  uomo  ;  e  questo  bene  e  intelligibile  a 
Io  intelletto  umano  ;  ma  1'  altre  cose  divine,  che  furno  fatte  da 
Cristo  e  in  lui  sono,  et  apprendono  e  diceno  li  beati,  che  sono 
comprensori,  non  si  possono  intendere  da  noi  che  siamo  viatori." 
(Buti.)  These  are  Buti's  words,  but  the  passage  does  not  seem 
to  be  one  known  now. 

||  vinci,  torvincoli:  "  vinci  sono  quelli  legami  con  che  comune- 
mente  si  legano  li  cerchi  delle  botti  [casks}."  (Lana). 


Canto  xiv.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  48 1 

one  by  whom  the  words  of  the  song  are  not  distinctly 
heard,  so  from  the  lights  that  appeared  to  me  in  that 
place  there  was  gathered  about  the  Cross  a  melody 
that  ravished  me  without  my  understanding  the  hymn. 
Well  did  I  mark  that  it  was  of  lofty  praise,  because 
there  did  reach  me  (these  words) :  "  Arise  and  con- 
quer," as  to  one  who  understands  not  and  (yet)  hears. 
I  was  so  much  enamoured  therewith  that  up  to  this 
point  there  had  not  been  anything  which  had  bound 
me  with  such  gentle  fetters. 

Dante  then  observes  that  perchance  some  may  think 
him  exaggerating  for  seeming  to  put  the  joy  that  he 
derived  from  the  eyes  of  Beatrice  after  that  caused  by 
these  lovely  strains.  But  they  will  hold  him  blame- 
less when  he  explains  that,  since  he  has  risen  up  into 
the  Sphere  of  Mars,  he  has  not  yet  looked  upon 
Beatrice. 

Forse  la  mia  parola  par  tropp'osa,*  130 

Posponendo  il  piacer  degli  occhi  belli,t 
Ne'  quai  mirando  mio  disio  ha  posa. 

Ma  chi  s'avvedet  che  i  vivi  suggelli 


*  osa :  Adjective  derived  from  the  verb  osare,  "  to  dare,"  and 
meaning  "  presumptuous."  See  note  in  Readings  on  the  Pur- 
gatorio,  2nd  edition,  on  Purg.  xi,  126  : 

"A  satisfar  chi  e  di  la  tropp'  oso." 
see  also  Purg.  xx,  149  : 

"  Ne  per  la  fretta  domandarn'  er5  oso." 

t  occhi  belli:  In  the  next  Canto  (xv,  34-36),  Dante  describes 
what  the  effect  on  him  was,  when  he  did  see  the  eyes  of 
Beatrice  : 

"...  dentro  agli  occhi  suoi  ardeva  un  riso 

Tal,  ch'  io  pensai  co'  miei  toccar  lo  fondo 
Delia  mia  grazia  e  del  mio  Paradiso." 

%  Ma  chi  ?  avvede,  et  seq.  :  What  Dante  means  in  this  pas- 
sage is,  that  any  one  who  can  comprehend  that  the  Spheres  of 
Heaven  increase  in  beauty  as  one  ascends  higher  and  higher  in 
them,  can  also  comprehend  that,  on  reaching  the  Sphere  of 
Mars,  he  was  overcome  by  the  increasing  loveliness  of  all  that 
he  saw  and  heard  ;  and,  as  is  stated  on  the  following  page,  he  had 

I.  I  I 


482  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  xiv. 

D'  ogni  bellezza  piu  fanno  piu  suso, 

E  ch'  io  non  m'  era  li  rivolto  a  quelli,  135 

Escusar  puommi  di  quel  ch'  io  m'  accuso 
Per  escusarmi,  e  vedermi  dir  vero  : 
Che  il  placer  santo  non  e  qui  dischiuso, 

Perche  si  fa,  montando,  piu  sincere. 

Perchance  my  language  appears  too  presumptuous, 
in  setting  lower  than  it  the  delight  of  those  lovely 
eyes  (Beatrice's)  in  beholding  which  my  desire  has 
reposed.  But  he  who  considers  that  the  living  seals 
of  all  beauty  (i.e.  the  successive  Spheres  of  Heaven 
that  give  their  impress  and  influence  to  the  human 
soul),  grow  the  more  efficacious  the  higher  they 
ascend,  and  that  I  had  not  (as  yet)  in  that  place  (the 
Sphere  of  Mars)  turned  round  towards  these  (eyes 
of  Beatrice),  can  excuse  me,  as  to  that  of  which  I 
accuse  myself  to  excuse  myself,  and  (can)  see  that  I 
speak  the  truth :  inasmuch  as  the  saintly  bliss  (of 
Beatrice's  eyes)  is  not  here  excluded,  since  as  it 
ascends  it  becomes  more  purified. 

Beatrice's  beauty  has  not  hitherto  attained  the  maxi- 
mum of  glory  that  it  will  acquire  when  Dante  shall 
have  ascended  and  seen  it  in  its  perfection  in  the 
Heaven  of  Heavens. 


not  yet  looked  at  Beatrice.  The  great  majority  of  the  best 
Commentators  (says  Casini),  understand  vivi  suggelli,  to  be  the 
Heavens,  called  vivi  by  reason  of  their  movements  and  their 
dependance  upon  the  active  Intelligences  that  are  their  motors. 
Some  few,  however,  follow  Vellutello,  who  was  the  first  to  think 
that  they  meant  the  eyes  of  Beatrice.  Compare  Par.  viii,  127- 
129  : 

"  La  circular  natura,  ch'  e  suggello 

Alia  cera  mortal,  fa  ben  sua  arte, 

Ma  non  distingue  1'  un  dall'  altro  ostello." 


END  OF  CANTO  XIV. 


Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  483 


SUPPLEMENTAL  NOTE  TO  CANTO  XIV. 

Early  in  1898,  after  I  had  otherwise  completed  this  Canto, 
I  discussed  with  Dr.  Moore  the  intense  difficulties  of  these 
last  thirteen  lines,  the  interpretation  of  which  in  their  hidden 
meaning  seemed  insuperable.  Dr.  Moore  was  so  kind  as 
to  write  out  for  me  the  following  observations,  which,  with 
his  permission,  I  give  in  extenso. 

In  this  passage  Dante  seems  to  say  : 

(i)  Every  kind  of  beauty  or  joy  is  increased  as  we  ascend 
from  sphere  to  sphere,  including  that  which  is  derived  from 
or  belongs  to  Beatrice  (11.  133  et  seq.\  This  is  elsewhere 
said  of  her  smile  ;  cf.  especially  Par.  xxi,  4;  and  xxx,  19-27. 

(a)  Thus  the  beauty  and  joy  of  everything  in  the  Sphere 
of  Mars  is  greater  than  that  of  anything  in  any  previous  or 
lower  sphere  (11.  127-129),  even  including  the  eyes  of  Beat- 
rice as  seen  hitherto  (1.  131). 

(3)  Hence,  further,  1.  127  is  justified,  since  the  surpassing 
loveliness  of  the  song  there  described  is  compared  with  all 
that  has  preceded,  but  not  with  the  eyes  or  aspect  of  Beatrice 
(in  this  same  heaven)  to  which  in  fact  Dante  has  not  yet 
turned  (1.  135). 

(4)  Consequently,  the  holy  joy  which  they  would  give  is 
not  excluded  here,  because  it  is  not  explicitly  mentioned 
(1.  138),  for  in  fact  it  also  is  ever  intensified  as  one  ascends 
higher,  as  appears  from  11.  133-134,  as  well  as  from  1.  139. 

A  great  dispute  centres  on  the  sense  of  dischiuso.  We 
find  the  verb  dischiudere  has  with  Dante  two  leading  signifi- 
cations. 

(A)  to  exclude,  extrude,  or  discharge,  as  e.g.  in  Par.  vii,  102 ; 
and  in  Purg.  xix,  70,  where  it  signifies  :  "  discharged  from 
the  narrow  cleft  of  rock  into  the  open  space."  And  it  has 
a  somewhat  similar  meaning  in  Purg.  xxxi,  9. 

I  I  2 


484  Readings  on  the  Paradiso. 

On  dischiuso  in  the  passage  we  are  considering  (Par.  xiv, 


Buti  says  :  "  eccettato." 

Benvenuto  :  "  non  exclusum,  immo  potius  inclusum." 

The  Ottimo  :  "  non  tolto." 

(B)  to  unclose  or  display,  as  in  Par.  xxiv,  100,  but  even 
there  the  connection  with  (A)  is  not  distant.  In  Purg. 
xxxiii,  132,  either  meaning  would  do. 

But  finally  —  What  is  the  actual  meaning  of  the  whole 
passage?  [It  is  not,  of  course,  mere  idle  sentiment].  Possibly 
something  like  this  :  In  Convito  ii,  16,  11.  32  et  seq.  ;  and 
especially  in  Ibid\\\^  15,  11.  13-15,  we  read  that  the  eyes  of 
Filosofia  or  Sapienza  are  her  demonstrations.  Probably, 
therefore,  the  eyes  of  Beatrice  are  the  convincing  proof  or 
the  intellectual  aspect  of  Theological  Truths.  Note  espe- 
cially 1.  132,  and  compare  Par.  iv,  124-129. 

Each  ascending  sphere  brings  a  fresh  accession  of  insight 
into  Divine  Truth,  and   into  the  truths  and   mysteries  of 
Theology  ;  and  each  such  accession  has  two  aspects  : 
(a)   The  revelation  and  passive  reception  of  it  ; 
and  (/3)  The  demonstration  or  understanding  of  it. 

It  is  first  revealed  to  and  shed  upon  the  awakened  mind, 
which  joyfully  and  unquestioningly  welcomes  it,  though  not 
understood,  in  trust,  turret.  [This  is  the  stage  reached, 
up  to  this  point,  in  the  Sphere  of  Mars,  and  of  this  a  hint 
seems  to  be  given  in  1.  123,  una  melode,  che  mi  rapiva  senza 
intender  /'  innol\  Afterwards  the  mind  advances  to  the 
understanding  of  the  "  sweet  reasonableness  "  of  it,  and  this 
largely  increases  the  joy  first  experienced  in  the  mere  recog- 
nition or  reception  of  the  same  truth. 

For  this  distinction  see  Par.  ii,  43-45  : 

"  L\  si  vedra  ci6  che  tenem  per  fede, 

Non  dimostrato,  ma  fia  per  se  noto, 

A  guisa  del  ver  primo  che  1'  uom  crede." 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  485 

Now  if  we  call  the  spheres  in  ascending  order,  (i),  (2),  (3) 
and  use  (a)  and  ((3)  as  above,  then 

(i  a)  is  less  than  (2  a),  and  (i  /8)  than  (2  /?),  etc. ;  but 
even  (2  a)  is  less  than  (i  /?),  and  (2/8)  than  (i  y),  and  so  on 
throughout. 

Hence,  in  the  Sphere  of  Mars,  the  joy  of  the  passive 
reception  of  the  revelation  of  truth  given  in  that  sphere  is 
higher  than  that  of  any  revelation  in  the  lower  sphere  of 
the  Sun,  either  as  merely  received  and  recognized,  though 
senza  intender(\.  1 23),  or  even  as  demonstrated  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  intellect.  This  is  expressed  in  11.  133-134.  The 
revelation  already  received  at  the  outset  of  the  Sphere  of 
Mars  truly  surpassed  all  whatsoever  that  had  been  expe- 
rienced before  (11.  127-129),  but  as  yet  Dante  had  not  re- 
garded it  in  its  intellectual  or  rational  aspect ;  he  had  not 
risen  above  the  "  OTI  "  to  the  "  8«m  ; "  so  far  he  had  been 
"  Contented  if  he  might  enjoy 

The  things  which  others  understand." 
In  other  words,  he  had  not  yet  turned  to  the  eyes  of  Beatrice, 
as  they  presented  themselves  in  this  particular  Sphere. 


While  my  work  is  in  the  press,  I  have  received  as  a  gift 
from  Mr.  Haselfoot  the  very  handsome  volume  which  repre- 
sents the  second  edition  of  his  valuable  work.  At  the  end 
of  Canto  xiv,  of  the  Paradiso,  there  is  an  important  note 
containing  his  views  upon  this  difficult  and  much  disputed 
passage. 


486  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 


CANTO   XV. 


THE  FIFTH  SPHERE  :  THE  HEAVEN  OF  MARS  (con- 
tinued}.— THE  MARTYRS  FOR  THE  FAITH. — 
THE  CRUSADER  CACCIAGUIDA. —  CONTRAST 
BETWEEN  THE  FLORENCE  OF  CACCIAGUIDA 
AND  THE  FLORENCE  OF  DANTE. 

THIS  Canto  contains  the  famous  and  beautiful  de- 
scription of  Florence  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Twelfth  Century.  I  cordially  recommend  to  the 
perusal  of  my  readers  the  fine  metrical  translation  of 
my  old  college  friend  Mr.  Edward  Pember,  Q.C.,  in 
his  work  Adrastus  and  other  Poems,  London,  1897. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  successful  translations  of  Dante 
that  I  ever  read. 

Benvenuto  divides  it  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  36,  Dante  is 
accosted  by  his  ancestor  Cacciaguida. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  37  to  v.  87,  after 
mutual  greetings  have  passed  between  them,  Dante 
asks  Cacciaguida  who  he  is. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  88  to  v.  148,  Caccia- 
guida names  himself,  and  draws  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
simplicity  of  the  life  at  Florence  in  his  time. 

Division  I.  We  take  up  the  scene  as  we  left  it  in 
the  last  Canto.  Dante  and  Beatrice  are  standing  near 
the  foot  of  the  vast  starry  Cross,  from  which  is  pro- 


Canto  XV.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  487 

ceeding  a  melody  that  ravished  all  Dante's  senses.  As 
the  Canto  opens,  there  is  a  pause  in  that  melody, 
which  would  seem  to  have  been  intentionally  made 
by  the  Blessed  Spirits,  in  order  that  Dante  might 
take  advantage  of  the  temporary  silence,  and  speak 
for  himself.  Their  tender  and  courteous  manifesta- 
tions of  Love  appear  to  him  a  good  augury  for  those 
on  Earth  who  would  invoke  their  mediation  and  inter- 
cession ;  and  well  merited  would  be  eternal  damnation 
by  all  those  who  fail  to  discipline  themselves  to  this 
exalted  Love  of  Heaven. 

Benigna  volontade,  in  cui  si  liqua  * 

Sempre  1'  amor  che  drittamente  spira, 

Come  cupidita  t  fa  nell'  iniqua, 
Silenzio  pose  a  quella  dolce  lira,! 

E  fece  quietar  le  sante  corde,§  5 

*  si  liqua:  "  idest,  manifestat  se."     (Talice  da  Ricaldone). 
"  idest,  in  qua  liquido  et  clare  ostenditur."     (Benvenuto).      "  si 
liqua,  cioe  manifesta,  dimostra,  ed  apertissimamente  e  in  detto 
e  in  fatto  si  diliquida  il  diritto  amore."     (Ottimo.}     Most  of  the 
Commentators  derive  the  word  from  the  Latin  liquet,  "  is  made 
manifest,"  and  this  is  the  interpretation  I  follow.     A  few  derive 
it  from  the  Latin  liquare  "  to  resolve  ;"  but  there  is  not  much 
difference  in  the  sense,  whichever  derivation  be  preferred, 
t  Come  cupidita,  etc.:  Compare  Par.  xxvii,  121-123: 
"  O  cupidigia,  che  i  mortali  affonde 

SI  sotto  te,  che  nessuno  ha  potere 
Di  trarre  gli  occhi  fuor  delle  tue  onde  !" 

See  Buti  on  this  :  "  Fa  1'autore  similitudine  per  contrarie  cose, 
dicendo  che,  come  ne  la  buona  volonta  si  manifesta  1*  ordinato 
e  perfetto  amore  ;  cosl  ne  la  ria  volonth.  si  dimostra  lo  disordi- 
nato  ed  imperfetto  amore,  lo  quale  1'  autore  chiama  cupidita." 
t  lira:  Compare  Par.  xxiii,  100-102: 

"  Comparata  al  sonar  di  quella  lira, 
Onde  si  coronava  il  bel  zaffiro, 
Del  quale  il  ciel  piu  chiaro  s'  inzaffira." 

£  sante  corde :  "E  perch6  ha  chiamato  quel  canto  lira,  ora 
chiama  le  voci  degli  spiriti  corde,  perciocche  tutta  quella  con- 
gregazione  di  quelli  spiriti  era  come  unacithera,  e  gli  spiriti  eran 


488  Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  XV. 

Che  la  destra  del  cielo  allenta  e  tira.* 
That  kindly-intentioned  will, — in  which  is  ever  mani- 
fested the  Love  which  is  breathed  forth  rightfully  (i.t. 
perfect  Charity),  in  the  same  way  that  ill-regulated 
love  does  (manifest  itself)  in  the  will  to  do  evil, — 
imposed  silence  upon  that  sweet  minstrelsy  (lit.  lyre), 
and  caused  to  cease  the  saintly  chords  (i.e.  move- 
ment of  the  spirits),  which  the  right  hand  of  Heaven 
relaxes  and  tightens. 

As  in  a  well-directed  will  a  well-regulated  and 
perfect '  Love  is  revealed,  so  in  an  ill-directed  will 
is  shown  that  ill-regulated  and  imperfect  love  which 
Dante  styles  cupiditd.  He  calls  the  sacred  melody  of 
the  Saints  a  lira,  using  pars  pro  toto,  and  retaining  the 
simile  of  giga  and  arpa,  which  we  saw  in  1.  1 18  of  the 
last  Canto.  To  keep  up  the  simile  farther,  he  calls 
the  voices  of  the  Blessed  Spirits  corde,  for,  as  the 
whole  congregation  of  them  was  like  a  lyre,  the  spirits 
were  its  chords,  and  God  was  its  tuner. 

From  the  self-imposed  silence  of  the  spirits,  Dante 
goes  on  to  say  to  himself  that  the  Saints  will  never  be 
deaf  to  righteous  prayer,  and  that  he  has  a  proof  of  it 
here,  inasmuch  as  they  have  spontaneously  suspended 
their  chant  in  order  that  he  may  feel  disposed  to 
signify  to  them  his  desires.  Those  then  who  for  the 
sake  of  transitory  pleasures  deprive  themselves  for  ever 
of  such  love  as  this,  deserve  an  endless  punishment. 
Come  saranno  ai  giusti  preghi  sorde 

Quelle  sustanzie,t  che  per  darmi  voglia 

come  corde  di  quella."  (Landino.)  Casini  interprets  quietar 
as  "  to  cause  to  cease  moving,"  not  "  rendered  silent  "  which  is 
expressed  in  the  previous  line.  See  below. 

*  tira:  Compare  Par.  x,  142  : 

"  Che  P  una  parte  1'  altra  tira  ed  urge." 

t  sustanzie  :  Dante  uses  this  word  to  express  the  spirits  of  the 
Blessed  in  Par.  vii,  5,  6 : 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  489 

Ch'  io  le  pregassi,  a  tacer  fur  concorde  ?  * 
Ben  e  f  che  senza  termine  si  doglia  io 

Chi  per  amor  di  cosa  che  non  duri 
Eternalmente  quell'  amor  si  spoglia. 

How  can  these  Substances  (i.e.  Saints)  ever  be  deaf 
to  righteous  supplications,  (they)  who  to  give  me  the 
desire  of  praying  to  them,  of  one  accord  became 
mute  ?  Right  is  it  that  endlessly  should  sorrow 
he  who,  for  love  of  things  that  do  not  last,  divests 
himself  for  ever  of  that  Love. 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  shining  lights,  who,  we 
learn  later  on,  is  the  spirit  of  Cacciaguida,  Dante's 
great-great-grandfather,  detaches  himself  from  the 
Cross  of  the  Holy  Warriors,  and  darts  down  to  meet 
his  descendant  like  a  meteor-flash  across  the  Sapphire 
Heaven. 

Quale  per  li  seren  J  tranquilli  e  puri 


"  Fu  viso  a  me  cantare  essa  sustanza, 
Sopra  la  qual  doppio  lume  s'  addua." 
and  ibid,  xxix,  3 1  -33 : 

"  Concreato  fu  ordine  e  costrutto 

Alle  sustanzie,  e  quelle  furon  cima 
Nel  mondo,  in  che  puro  atto  fu  produtto." 
*  concorde :  An  old  form  for  concordi,  used  even  in  prose. 
See  Nannucci,   Teorica  di  Nomi,  p.  249  et  seq.     Philalethes 
contends  that  this  is  a  good  argument  for  invocation  of  the 
Saints. 

t  Ben  2,  et  seq.:  Dante  is  here  referring  to  a  contention  of 
St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Suttwt.  Theol.  pars  iii,  Supplementum, 
qu.  xcix,  art.  i):  "  Secundum  divinam  justitiam  aliquis  ex  pec- 
cato  redditur  dignus  penitus  a  civitatis  Dei  consortio  separari ; 
quod  fit  per  omne  peccatum  quo  contra  charitatem  peccat,  quae 
est  vinculum  civitatem  praedictam  uniens.  Et  ideo  pro  peccato 
mortali,  quod  est  contrarium  charitati,  aliquis  in  aeternum  a 
societate  sanctorum  exclusus,  aeternae  paenae  addicitur."  St. 
Thomas  bases  his  arguments  on  the  authority  of  St.  Augustine, 
De  Civ.  Dei,  xxi,  12 ;  and  Gregory  the  Great,  Dial,  iv,  44. 

t  seren :  This  must  be  understood  for  sercni  notturni,  sereno 
being  a  substantive,  meaning  the  sky  at  evening.  Compare 


4QO  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

Discorre  ad  ora  ad  or*  subito  foco, 

Movendo  gli  occhi  che  stavano  sicuri,  1 5, 

E  pare  Stella  che  tramuti  loco,t 

Se  non  che  dalla  parte  ond'  ei  s'  accende  £ 
Nulla  sen  perde,  ed  esso  dura  poco; 

Tale,  dal  corno  che  in  destro  si  stende, 

Al  pie  di  quella  croce  corse  un  astro  20 

Delia  costellazion  che  li  risplende ; 

Ne  si  parti  la  gemma  dal  suo  nastro, 
Ma  per  la  lista  radial  trascorse, 
Che  parve  foco  retro  ad  alabastro.§ 

Tasso,  Ger.  Lib.  ix,  st.  62,  where  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
Archangel  Michael  descended  from  Heaven  is  described : 
"  Tal  suol,  fendendo  il  liquido  sereno, 

Stella  cader  della  gran  madre  in  seno." 
and  Petrarch,  part  i,  canz.  xii,  st.  5: 

"  Non  vidi  mai  dopo  notturna  pioggia 

Gir  per  1'  acre  sereno  stelle  erranti." 
and  Ovid,  Metam.  ii,  319-322: 

"At  Phaethon,  rutilos  flammae  populante  capillos, 
Volvitur  in  praeceps,  longoque  per  aera  tractu 
Fertur,  ut  interdum  de  coelo  stella  sereno 
Etsi  non  cecidit,  potuit  cecidisse  videri." 
*  ad  ora  ad  or :  Compare  Inf.  xv,  84,  85  : 

"quando  nel  mondo  ad  ora  ad  ora 
M'  insegnavate  come  1'  uom  s'  eterna." 

t  stella  che  tramuti  loco :  We  find  the  same  sentence  in  Frezzi,. 
Quadriregio,  i,  1 3  : 

" .     .     .La  fiamma  corrente 

Pare  una  stella  che  tramuti  loco." 
Compare  too  Poliziano,  La  Giostra,  lib.  ii,  st.  17 : 
"  Cosi  e'  vapor  pel  bel  seren  giu  scendono, 
Che  paion  stelle  mentre  1'  acre  fendono." 
t  £  accende:  Compare  Purg.  v,  37,  38: 
"  Vapori  accesi  non  vid'  io  si  tosto 

Di  prima  notte  mai  fender  sereno." 

§  alabastro :  Landino  particularly  specifies  that  he  was  struck 
by  the  sight  of  a  candle  in  an  alabaster  vase  at  Rome  in  the  time 
of  Pope  Eugenius  IV:  "  Alabastro  e  spezie  di  marmo  molto 
candido,  cosi  detto  da  Alabastride,  luogo  in  Egitto  non  lontano 
da  Tebe,  del  quale  gli  antichi  facevano  vasi  per  gli  unguenti,. 
perche  ottimamente  si  conservano  in  quelli.  £  perspicuo 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  491 

As  through  the  tranquil  and  pure  evening  skies  there 
shoots  from  time  to  time  a  sudden  fire,  —  causing  to 
move  the  eyes  that  were  in  repose, — and  seems  to 
be  a  star  that  is  changing  its  place,  were  it  not  that 
from  the  part  (of  the  heavens)  whence  it  is  enkindled 
nothing  is  missed  (i.e.  no  star  has  disappeared),  and 
this  (the  flash)  lasts  but  an  instant  (i.e.  is  soon  ex- 
tinct). So  from  the  arm  that  extends  to  the  right, 
down  to  the  foot  of  that  Cross  there  shot  a  star  from 
the  Constellation  (of  Saints)  that  beams  there  (i.e. 
upon  the  Cross) ;  nor  did  the  gem  break  forth  beyond 
its  band  (of  light  forming  the  Cross),  but  ran  along 
the  radiant  outline,  in  such  wise  that  it  seemed  like 
fire  (seen)  behind  alabaster. 

The  star  did  not  once  quit  the  Cross.  It  ran  from 
the  right  arm  to  the  centre,  and  from  the  centre  to  the 
foot,  always  keeping  within  the  stripe  of  the  concen- 
trated glory  given  forth  by  the  congregation  of  blessed 
spirits  by  whom  the  Cross  was  formed. 

A  beautiful  passage  of  Virgil  (JEn.  vi)  now  recurs 
to  Dante's  memory,  wherein  the  affectionate  greeting 
of  .^Eneas  by  his  father  in  the  Infernal  Regions  sug- 
gests a  vivid  comparison  with  the  greeting  now  given 
to  Dante  by  the  saintly  spirit  of  his  ancestor. 

Si  pia  P  ombra  d'  Anchise  *  si  porse,t  25 

diafano  e  trasparente.  Ed  io  vidi  a  Roma,  ne'  tempi  di 
Eugenio  IV,  un  vaso  d'alabastro,  nel  quale  la  candela  ris- 
plendeva  piii  che  in  sottillissima  lanterna." 

*  /'  ombra  d1  Anchise :  This  touching  scene  is  depicted  in  some 
of  Virgil's  most  beautiful  lines  in  sltn.  vi,  684-691 : 

"  Isque  ubi  tendentem  adversum  per  gramina  vidit 
^Eneam,  alacris  palmas  utrasque  tetendit ; 
Effusaeque  genis  lacrymae,  et  vox  excidit  ore : 
Venisti  tandem,  tuaque  expectata  parenti 
Vicit  iter  durum  pietas  ?  Datur  ora  tueri, 
Nate,  tua  ;  et  notas  audire  et  reddere  voces  ? 
Sic  equidem  ducebam  animo,  rebarque  futurum, 
Tempora  dinumerans,  nee  ne  mea  cura  fefellit." 
t  si porse:  Equivalent  to  the  Latin  sese  obtulit. 


492  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

Se  fede  merta  nostra  maggior  Musa,* 
Quando  in  Elisio  del  figlio  s'  accorse. 

With  equal  tenderness  did  the  shade  of  Anchises 
show  himself  if  our  greatest  Muse  (i.e.  Virgil)  merits 
credence,  when  in  Elysium  he  perceived  his  son. 

Cacciaguida  now  speaks,  addressing  Dante  in  Latin. 
Some  think  that  he  is  represented  speaking  Latin  as  a 
more  dignified  mode  of  speech,  as  Dante  shows  in  the 
Vita  Nuova,  where  Love  addresses  him  in  Latin. 
O  sanguis  meus^  o  superinfusa 
Gratia  Dei !  sicut  tibi,  cut 
Bis  |  unquam  coeli  ianua  reclusa  ?  30 

"  O  my  blood  (i.e.  my  descendant),  O  Grace  of  God 
superabundantly  outpoured  !  To  whom,  as  unto 
thee  (Dante)  was  the  portal  of  Heaven  ever  before 
twice  unclosed. 

At  the  end  of  the  last  Canto  (11.  127-139)  we  saw  that 
Dante  made  an  apology  for  having  seemed  to  admire 
the  glorious  Cross  of  Mars  even  more  than  the  beau- 
tiful eyes  of  Beatrice,  but  he  added,  in  extenuation 
of  so  great  a  fault,  that  he  had  not  as  yet  looked 
upon  her  eyes  since  he  and  she  had  ascended  to 
that  planet.  After  looking  earnestly  for  a  moment 
upon  the  radiant  form  of  Cacciaguida,  Dante  turns 

*  nostra  maggior  Musa:  Nostro  is  continually  used  by  Italians, 
even  at  the  present  day,  to  signify  anything  national.  Virgil 
being  a  Latin  poet,  Dante  identifies  him  with  the  modern  in- 
habitants of  Italy;  and  speaks  of  him  as  Musa.  Compare  the 
use  of  Musa  in  Par.  xviii,  33 : 

"  SI  ch'  ogni  Musa  ne  sarebbe  opima." 

t  O  sanguis  meus:  This  seems  to  be  imitated  from  AZn.  vi,  836: 
"  Projice  tela  manu,  sanguis  meus." 

tBis:  Pietro  di  Dante  paraphrases  this:  "O  qualis  gratia 
est  haec,  ut  tibi  sanguini  meo  porta  coeli  bis  sit  reclusa,  idest 
aperta.  Nam  nunc  est  semel,  et  cum  mortuus  eris  erit  iterum, 
et  sic  bis." 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  493 

his  gaze  full  upon  Beatrice's  eyes,  and  we  read   of 
the  powerful  effect  upon  him. 

Cosi  quel  lume ;  ond1  io  m'  attest  a  lui.* 
Poscia  rivolsi  alia  mia  Donna  il  viso, 
E  quinci  e  quindi  stupefatto  fui ; 
Ch&  dentro  agli  occhi  suoi  ardeva  un  riso 

Tal,  ch'  io  pensai  co'  miei  toccar  lo  fondo  35 

Delia  mia  grazia  t  e  del  mio  Paradiso.I 

Thus  (spoke)  that  light ;  whereupon  I  turned  atten- 
tively to  him.  Then  I  turned  back  my  sight  to  my 
Lady,  and  both  on  the  one  side  and  on  the  other  I 
was  struck  with  awe  (i.e.  on  the  one  side  at  the 
words  of  the  spirit,  and  on  the  other  at  the  aug- 
mented glory  of  Beatrice) ;  for  in  her  eyes  there  was 
glowing  such  a  smile,  that  with  mine  methought  I 
was  sounding  the  extreme  depths  (i.e.  reaching  the 
final  limits)  of  the  grace  vouchsafed  me  and  of  my 
beatitude  in  Paradise. 

Division  II.  Cacciaguida  now  speaks  in  words  of 
so  profound  a  nature,  that  Dante's  human  faculties 
are  unable  to  comprehend  them.  After  a  time, 


*  nf  attest  a  lui:  Compare  Par.  xiii,  29,  30: 
"  Ed  attesersi  a  noi  quei  santi  lumi, 

Felicitando  s£  di  cura  in  cura." 
t  grazia  :  Compare  Purg.  xiv,  79,  80 : 

"  Ma  da  che  Uio  in  te  vuol  che  traluca 

Tanta  sua  grazia,  non  ti  saro  scarso." 

Dante  is  probably  referring  to  Cacciaguida's  words  "  superinfusa 
gratia  Dei." 
t  mio  Paradiso :  Compare  Par.  xviii,  20,  21  : 

"  Volgiti  ed  ascolta, 

Che  non  pur  ne'  miei  occhi  e  Paradiso." 

"On  which  passage  Casini  comments:  " paradiso :  dolcezza, 
beatitudine  di  paradiso  ;  cos!  anche  in  Par.  xv,  36."  I  have, 
therefore,  here  translated  Paradiso,  "  my  beatitude  in  Paradise." 
This  interpretation  seems  to  agree  with  that  of  Benvenuto : 
"  idest,  pervenisse  ad  finem  gratiae  mihi  concessae  a  Deo  et 
meae  beatitudinis  .  .  .  coi  miei,  scilicet  oculis  intellectualibus." 


494  Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

however,  they  become  more  intelligible  to  him,  and 
he  hears  his  ancestor  offering  up  a  thanksgiving  for 
the  condescension  shown  by  the  Holy  Trinity  to 
Dante  his  descendant. 

Indi  ad  udire  ed  a  veder  giocondo,* 

Giunse  lo  spirto  al  suo  principio  cose 
Ch'  io  non  intesi,  si  parlo  profondo  : 
Ne  per  elezion  t  mi  si  nascose,  40 

Ma  per  necessitk,  ch&  il  suo  concetto 
Al  segno  dei  mortal  si  soprappose. 
E  quando  1'  arco  dell'  ardente  affetto 
Fu  si  sfocato $  che  il  parlar  discese 
Inver  lo  segno  del  nostro  intelletto;  45 

La  prima  cosa  che  per  me  s'  intese, 
—  "  Benedetto  sie  tu," —  fu,  —  "  Trino  ed  Uno,"— 

Che  nel  mio  seme  §  sei  tanto  cortese." — 
Thereafter,  delectable  alike  both  to  hearing  and  to 

*  ad  udire  ed  a  veder  giocondo  :  "  Giocondo  ad  udire,  impero 
che  diceva  cose  dilettevoli  e  piacevoli,  e  -vedere,  impero  che  era 
risplendente  e  pieno  di  fervore  di  caritk,  e  della  luce  della  beati- 
tudine."  (Buti.) 

t  Nt  per  elezion,  et  seq. :  "  Ne  per  libera  volontk  dapprima 
parlo  oscuro,  ma  perch£  diceva  cose  superiori  alia  umana  capa- 
cita.  Dopo  si  rese  accostevole  alia  nostra  mente."  (Cornoldi.) 

J  sfocato :  I  must  confess  to  being  much  puzzled  as  to  the 
translation  of  this  word,  though  the  sense  of  the  more  usual 
reading  sfogato  is  easy  enough.  Were  I  to  translate  it  "  cooled, 
quenched,"  it  is  an  expression  that  could  not  well  be  used  of  a 
bow,  though  it  would  apply  happily  to  ardente  affetto.  On  the 
whole  I  prefer  to  follow  the  Gran  Dizionario,  s.  v.  sfocato,  §  2, 
which  takes  it  to  be  used  in  a  metaphorical  sense  akin  to  the 
more  modern  sfogato.  Casini  reads  sfocato  and  comments  as 
though  it  were  sfogato:  "quando  1'ardore  della  carita  si  fu 
sfogato  tanto  che  le  parole  di  Cacciaguida  s'  abbassarono  al 
grado  delP  intelligenza  umana,  cio  ch'  io  intesi  per  primo  fu  un 
ringraziamento  al  Signore  per  la  grazia  concessa  a  me."  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  Casini  seemingly  treats  arco  as  redundant. 

§  nel  mio  seme,  et  seq.:  "  Cioe,  che  'ntese  com'  ello  laudava  la 
Trinita,  la  quale  nella  sua  semente,  cio£  in  lo  suo  discendere, 
ch'era  Dante,  avea  largito  tanta  cortesia,"  etc.  (Lana.) 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  495 

sight,  the  spirit  added  to  his  first  words  things  that  I 
did  not  understand,  so  profound  was  his  speech  : 
nor  of  choice  did  he  hide  himself  from  me,  but  of 
necessity,  for  his  conception  soared  far  above  the 
range  of  mortals.  And  when  the  bow  of  his  ecstatic 
affection  was  so  far  relaxed  that  his  speech  came 
down  to  the  level  of  our  (human)  intellect ;  the 
first  thing  that  was  understood  by  me  was  :  "  Blessed 
be  Thou,  Trine  and  One,  Who  art  so  gracious  to- 
wards my  descendant  (lit.  seed)." 

Cacciaguida  says  that  for  a  long  time  past  he  had 
read  in  the  book  of  destiny  that  Dante  would  one 
day  visit  Paradise.  He  commends  Dante  for  not 
asking  him  his  name,  and  understands  that  he  has 
abstained  from  doing  so  in  sure  trust  that  Cacciaguida 
is  able  to  read  his  thoughts,  and  is  consequently  well 
acquainted  with  Dante's  desire  to  know  who  he  is. 
E  seguio : — "  Grato  e  Ionian  digiuno,* 

Tratto  leggendo  nel  magno  t  volume  +  50 

*  digiuno  .  .  .  solutp  hai :  Compare  Par.  xix,  25-27: 
"  Solvetemi  spirando  il  gran  digiuno 

Che  lungamente  m'  ha  tenuto  in  fame, 
Non  trovandogli  in  terra  cibo  alcuno." 

t  nel  magno  :  This  reading  has  by  far  the  best  MS.  authority, 
but  the  first  four  editions  read  del  magno.  Many  editions  have 
nel  maggior,  which  has  little  or  no  sanction  from  the  MSS. 

|  •volume :  "  E  dice  per  similitudine,  cioc,  che  come  1'  uomo 
leggendo  cava  del  libro  ch'egli  legge;  cosl  li  beati  ragguar- 
dando,  come  si  vede  nel  libro  scritto  la  scrittura,  ch'e,  in  Dio 
vedono  ogni  cosa,  e  quinde  cavano  ogni  cosa  ch'elli  sanno. 
E  cosi  vuole  1'  autore  che  s"  intenda  che  messer  Cacciaguida 
vedesse  in  Uio  che  Dante  dovea  fare  questa  opera,  e  che  per 
questo  modo  desiderava  che  venisse  a  perfezione,  sicch£  dice 
ora  lo  suo  desiderio  sazio;  e  chiama  Iddio  maggior  volume: 
impero  ch'  egli  £  la  maggior  cosa  che  sia,  et  £  come  libro  in  che 
i  beati  vedono  ogni  cosa."  (Buti.)  In  Inf.  xix,  54,  we  have 
the  book  of  destiny  alluded  to  when  Nicholas  III,  mistaking 
Dante  for  Boniface  VIII,  exclaims: 

"Di  parecchi  anni  mi  mend  lo  scritu>. 


496  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

U'non  si  muta*  mai  bianco  n£  bruno, 
Soluto  hai,  figlio,  dentro  a  questo  lume  t 

In  ch'  io  ti  parlo,  merc&  di  colei 

Ch'  all'  alto  volo  ti  vesti  le  piume.J 
Tu  credi  che  a  me  tuo  pensier  mei§  55 

Da  quel  ch'  e  primo,  ||  cosi  come  raialf 

*  IP  non  si  mu/a,  et  seq. :  Buti  understands  this  to  mean  that 
in  God  no  changes  are  possible,  for  in  Him  all  things  created 
take  their  light  \riluceno\ ;  and  as  in  a  written  book  the  writing 
remains  unaltered,  unless  people  actually  change  the  white  of 
the  paper  and  the  black  of  the  ink ;  so  Dante  here  means  that 
nothing  in  God  can  undergo  change,  nor  can  the  black  or  the 
white  be  altered,  more  than  in  a  written  book.  In  God  every- 
thing shines  forth  clearly,  so  that  He  is  like  immutable  writing. 
Scartazzini  thinks  Bull's  interpretation  is  by  far  the  best  he  has 
seen.  The  bianco  is  the  paper,  the  bruno  the  ink. 

t  dentro  a  questo  lume :  By  this  Cacciaguida  means  "in  my- 
self, who  am  speaking  to  thee  from  within  this  radiance." 
X  vestl  le  piume :  Compare  Par.  xxv,  49,  50: 
"  E  quella  pia,  che  guido  le  penne 

Delle  mie  ali  a  cosi  alto  volo,"  etc. 
Compare  also  Boethius,  Phil.  Consol.  iv,  Metrum  i : 
"  Sunt  etenim  pennae  volucres  mihi, 
Quae  celsa  conscendant  poli : 
Quas  sibi  cum  velox  mens  induit, 

Terras  perosa  despicit, 
Aeris  immensi  superat  globum, 

Nubesque  post  tergum  videt,"  etc. 

§  mei :  On  this  verb  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  94)  says  :  "II 
verbo  Meare,  usato  altre  volte  da  Dante,  e  andato  infelicemente 
in  disuso  ;  ma  la  scienza  ha  conservata  la  parola  Meati  \i.  e.  the 
Avenues  of  sensation  in  the  body],  alia  cui  precisa  significazione 
miun  altra  potrebbe  sostituirsi."  He  says  that  mei  is  equivalent 
to  trapassi.  On  the  terzina  in  the  text,  Venturi  (p.  192,  Sim. 
333),  remarks  :  "  fc  similitudine  che  in  forma  familiare  spiega 
altissimo  concetto.  Dio  &  unitk  infinita,  e  tutti  i  numeri  infini- 
tamente  immaginabili  raggiano  dall'  uno,  perch&  non  sono  che 
aggregate  di  unitk." 

||  Da  quel  cJt  ^  primo :  Compare  Dante's  words  in  the  Epistle 
to  Cangrande  (Ep.  x),  11.  356-358  :  "  Constat,  quod  habere  esse  a 
se  non  convenit  nisi  uni,  scilicet  primo,  seu  principio,  qui  Deus 
est." 

IT  raia  :  "  Si  deriva  forma  antica  per  '  Raggia?  Cosi  dice- 
vasi  raio  e  rai  .  .  .  Raggiare  e  verbo  che  ha  senso  sacro  per 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  497 

Dall'  un,  se  si  conosce,  il  cinque  e  il  sei. 
E  pero  chi  io  mi  sia,  e  perch'  io  paia 
Piu  gaudioso  a  te,  non  mi  domandi, 
Che  alcun  altro  in  questa  turba  gaia.  60 

And  he  went  on  :  "  My  Son,  thou  hast  appeased 
within  this  effulgence,  from  within  which  I  speak  to 
thee,  a  pleasant  and  long-felt  craving,  derived  from 
reading  in  the  mighty  volume  (of  futurity),  wherein 
is  never  altered  either  white  or  black,  by  grace  of  her 
(Beatrice)  who  for  thy  lofty  flight  clothed  thee  with 
plumage.  Thou  believest  that  thy  thoughts  stream 
forth  to  me  from  Him  Who  is  First  (i.e.  the  Source 
of  all),  just  as  from  the  Unit,  if  that  be  known,  are 
derived  the  (numbers)  five  and  six.  And  therefore 
(i.e.  from  believing  that  thy  thoughts  are  known  to 
us)  thou  askest  me  not  who  I  am,  and  why  I 
appear  more  gladsome  unto  thee  than  any  other  in 
this  jocund  throng. 

Cacciaguida's  affectionate  greeting  of  Dante  was 
shown  by  his  augmented  joyfulness. 

PAlighieri."  (Venturi.)  On  this  passage  Antonelli  (ap.  Tom- 
mase'o)  remarks  :  "  Laddove  abbonda  1'  astronomia  e  la  fisica 
e  la  geometria,  non  deve  esserci  penuria  d' aritmetica,  neces- 
saria  loro  ministra.  E  il  Poeta  non  la  trascura.  Qui  trae 
dall'  aritmetica  una  opportuna  dichiarazione  a  sublime  concetto, 
dicendo  che  dalla  perfetta  cognizione  della  assoluta  unitk  si  ha 
contezza  delle  cose,  come  dalla  idea  chiara  dell'  unitk  matematica 
precede  la  visione  intellettuale  di  ogni  numero,  indicate  colla 
determinazione  del  cinque  e  del  sei.  Questa  veduta  sempli- 
cissima  e  il  fondamento  della  scienza  dei  numeri."  As  to  the 
analogy  between  light  and  numbers,  see  Dante's  words  in 
Comrito  ii,  14, 11.  123-153  :  "  E'l  cielo  del  Sole  si  puo  comparare 
all'  Arismetica  per  due  proprietadi  :  1'  una  si  e,  che  del  suo  lume 
tutte  le  altre  stelle  s'  informano  ;  1'  altra  si  e,  che  1'  occhio  nol  puo 
mirare.  E  queste  due  proprietadi  sono  nelF  Arismetica,  che 
del  suo  lume  tutte  le  altre  scienze  s'alluminano  ;  perocche  i  loro 
suggetti  sono  tutti  sotto  alcuno  numero  considerati,  e  nelle 
considerazioni  di  quelli  sempre  con  numero  si  precede  .  .  . 
L'  altra  proprieta  del  Sole  ancor  si  vede  nel  numero,  del  qual  e 
1' Arismetica,  che  1' occhio  dello  intelletto  nol  puo  mirare; 
perocch£  il  numero,  quanto  e  in  se  considerate,  e  infinite  :  e 
questo  non  potemo  noi  intendere." 

I.  KK 


498  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

What  he  next  says  is  to  this  effect  The  spirits 
in  Heaven,  whatever  be  their  degree  of  beatitude, 
gaze  upon  God,  as  upon  a  mirror  in  which  every 
truth  is  clearly  reflected.  Dante's  human  thoughts 
are  laid  open  before  he  has  time  to  formulate  them, 
and  are  manifested  in  Heaven.  Benvenuto  observes 
that  Dante  had  just  before  had  experience  of  this, 
for  Cacciaguida  sped  down  to  him  from  the  arm  of 
the  Cross,  having  foreseen  in  God  exactly  what 
Dante  was  thinking  of.  But  he  now  tells  Dante 
that  although  he  clearly  sees  his  wish,  and  has  his 
answer  ready  to  satisfy  it,  he  wishes  him  all  the 
same  to  unfold  his  desire,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
the  better  fulfilled. 

Tu  credi  il  vero  ;  che  minori  e  grandi 
Di  questa  vita*  miran  nello  speglio,! 
In  che,  prima  che  pensi,  il  pensier  pandi.J 
Ma  perche  il  sacro  amore,  in  che  io  veglio§ 

Con  perpetua  vista,  e  che  m'  asseta  65 


*  questa  vita  :  "  cioe  gli  spiriti  piu  o  meno  illustri  che  stanno 
qui  in  Paradiso."  (Cornoldi.) 

t  miran  nello  speglio  :  "  idest,  Deum  tamquam  in  speculum 
in  quo  relucet  omnis  veritas."  (Benvenuto).  Dante  expresses 
the  same  idea  in  Par.  xxvi,  106-108  : 

"  Perch'  io  la  veggio  nel  verace  speglio 
Che  fa  di  s£  pareglio  all'  altre  cose, 
E  nulla  face  lui  di  se  pareglio." 

t  prima  che  pensi,  il  pensier  pandi  :  Doubtless  Dante  had  in 
his  mind  the  words  in  Psalm  cxxxix,  2  :  "  Thou  understandest 
my  thought  afar  off,"  or  in  the  Prayer  Book  version  :  "  Thou 
understandest  my  thoughts  long  before."  In  the  Vulgate  afar 
off"\s  de  longe.  In  Par.  xxv,  20,  we  again  find  the  \tr\spandere 
used:  "1'uno  all'  altro  pande."  It  is  a  Latinism  that  was  not 
uncommon  among  the  early  writers. 

§  io  veglio  :  Compare  Purg.  xxx,  103  : 
"  Voi  vigilate  nell'  eterno  die." 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  499 

Di  dolce  disiar,*  s'  adempia  meglio, 
La  voce  tua  sicura,t  balda  e  lieta 
Suoni  la  volonta,  suoni  il  disio, 
A  che  la  mia  risposta  e  gia  decreta." — 

Thou  believest  (what  is)  the  truth ;  because  in  this 
existence  (of  ours  in  Heaven)  the  lesser  (spirits)  and 
the  great  (alike)  gaze  upon  that  Mirror  (God),  in 
which  before  thou  canst  think  is  displayed  thy 
thought.  But  that  the  Holy  Love  in  which  I  am 
ever  watching  with  unceasing  vision,  and  which 
makes  me  thirst  with  sweet  longing  may  be  the  more 
fully  contented,  let  thy  voice  fearless,  confident,  and 
joyful,  sound  forth  thy  will,  sound  forth  the  wish, 
to  which  my  answer  is  already  decreed." 

Having  received  from   Beatrice  a  sign  of  approval, 
Dante  replies  to  Cacciaguida. 

Io  mi  volsi  a  Beatrice,  e  quella  udfo  70 

Pria  ch'io  parlassi,  ed  arrosemij  un  cenno 

*  dolce  disiar :  Scartazzini  remarks  that  in  Limbo  there  was 
longing  without  hope.  Compare  Inf.  iv,  42  ;  and  Purg.  iii,  41, 
42  ;  in  Paradise  there  was  a  longing  full  of  sweetness. 

t  sicura :  Casini  interprets  this  "  libera  da  ambagi,"  i.  e. 
"  unambiguous."  I  should  much  prefer  this  meaning,  if  I  could 
only  find  any  authority  for  such  a  use  of  sicuro.  Buti  says  of 
these  three  adjectives  :  "  Tre  cose  tocc6  che  debbe  avere  lo 
parlatore  nella  sua  voce  :  cioe  che  debbe  esser  ferma  e  non 
tremante,  che  significa  timore  ;  e  debbe  essere  ardita,  cioe  alta 
e  non  bassa,  che  significa  dififidenzia  ;  e  debbe  essere  lieta  e  non 
piangulosa,  che  significa  tristizia  ;  e  vedute  in  lui  queste  tre  cose, 
crescera  1'ardore  della  carita."  For  this  sense  expressed  by 
different  metaphors,  compare  Par.  xvii,  7-9  : 

"  Per  che  mia  donna  :  '  Manda  fuor  la  vampa 
Del  tuo  disio,'  mi  disse,  '  si  ch'  ella  esca 
Segnata  bene  della  interna  stampa.' " 
And  Par.  xxiv,  55-57  : 

"  Poi  mi  volsi  a  Beatrice,  ed  essa  pronte 

Sembianze  femmi,  perch'  io  spandessi 
L'  acqua  di  fuor  del  mio  interno  fonte." 

t  arrosemi :  The  more  common  reading  here  is  arrisemi  un 
cenno,  which  is  generally  translated  :  "  smiled  to  me  a  greeting." 
This  is  the  facilior  lectio,  and  one  easily  adopted  by  those 

K  K   2 


500  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

Che  fece  crescer  1'  ali  al  voler  mio. 
Poi  cominciai  cosi : — "  L'  affetto  e  il  senno,* 

Come  la  prima  Equalitat  v'apparse, 

D'  un  peso  per  ciascun  di  voi  si  fenno ;  75 

Perocche  il  Sol,  che  v'  allumo  ed  arse 

Col  caldo  e  con  la  luce,  e  si  iguali,J 

Che  tutte  simiglianze  sono  scarse. 

copyists  who  did  not  understand  arrosemi.  Another  objection 
to  arrisemi  is  that  arridere  is  a  neuter  verb,  and  its  active 
use  is  exceedingly  rare.  Arrosemi,  from  the  verb  arrogere 
(=aggiungere)  perf.  arrest,  past  part,  arroto  is  a  verb  in  frequent 
use  in  the  time  of  Dante,  and  occurs  more  than  once  in  Villani. 
I  find  arrosemi  in  the  Foligno,  Jesi  and  Naples  editions,  and  it 
is  the  one  adopted  by  Moore  and  Witte.  See  Fornaciari's 
Grammatica  Storica,^  166,  on  this  word.  The  word  "added" 
comes  so  awkwardly  in  the  translation,  that  I  have  substituted 
for  it  "granted  me  also."  See  G.  Villani  xi,  90  :  "  Non  si  vollono 
ismuovere,  se  non  ch'  arrosono  Asciano  e  '1  Colle,  ch'  era  sopra 
Buggiano."  And  ibid,  ix,  271:  "E  quelle  elezioni  trovando 
assai  ben  fatte  non  le  mutarono,  ma  arrosero  (in  some  editions 
this  is  aggiunserd)  gente  nuova  per  6  priorati."  See  also  Novella, 
cxcvi  of  Franco  Sacchetti  :  "  Costui  se  la  prese,  e  arrose  il  soda- 
mento ;  e  Begnai  fu  liberato."  Casini  excuses  himself  for  not 
following  Witte,  as  he  prefers  to  read  arrisemi. 

*  L'  affetto  e  il  senno :  See  the  antithesis  to  this  in  Purg.  xviii, 

"  Pero,  Ik  onde  vegna  lo  intelletto 

Delle  prime  notizie,  uomo  non  sape, 
Ne  de'  primi  appetibili  1'  affetto." 

t  la  prima  Equalita:  Dr.  Moore,  in  a  letter  to  me,  thinks  the 
idea  is  that  in  the  Primal  Essence  all  qualities  or  attributes  are 
in  perfect  balance,  proportion,  and  harmony,  and  hence  it  is 
"  the  Prime  Equality."  He  doubts  whether  there  is  any  allusion 
to  the  Trinity. 

t  I  si  iguali :  Nearly  all  modern  editions  from  Buti  to  our 
time  read  AL  So! and  en  si  iguali,  and  translate  "  in  the  Sun  .  .  . 
they  (i.e.  Love  and  knowledge)  ARE  so  equal,"  etc.  I  prefer 
however  to  follow  Moore,  Witte,  Scartazzini,  Benvenuto,  Cod. 
Cassinese,  the  Four  First  Editions,  Casini,  and  others,  in  reading 
I  si  iguali  taking  iguali  as  an  adjective  in  the  singular,  and  of 
this  use  Casini  says  there  are  the  following  instances.  In  the 
Sermons  of  Giovanni  da  Rivalto,  Florence,  \"jy),predica  33: 
"  II  demonio  desidero  d'  essere  iguali  a  Dio."  and  Prediche 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  501 

I  turned  me  to  Beatrice,  and  she  had  heard  before 
I  spake,  and  granted  me  also  a  sign  (of  assent) 
which  made  the  wings  of  my  will  to  grow.  Then 
I  began  thus :  "  For  each  of  you  did  the  affection 
and  the  intelligence  become  of  one  weight  (i.e. 
equal)  so  soon  as  (God)  the  Prime  Equality  became 
visible  unto  you  ;  because  the  Sun  which  illumined 
and  inflamed  you  with  the  heat  (of  His  Love)  and 
the  light  (of  His  Knowledge)  is  of  such  an  equality, 
that  all  comparisons  are  inadequate. 

Dante  professes  his  earnest  desire  to  render  worthy 
thanks  to  Cacciaguida,  but  finds  himself  wholly 
unable  to  do  so,  because  in  mortal  men  the  will, 
which  is  boundless  in  its  desires,  does  not  possess 
the  power  of  expressing  its  affections  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Blessed  spirits  in  Heaven,  with  whom 
Love  and  Wisdom  are  made  equal  in  God.  Dante 
therefore  entreats  the  spirit  to  accept  the  mute 
expression  of  thanks  which  he  feels  in  his  heart, 
and  to  reveal  to  him  his  name.  Dante  limits  himself 
to  his  affection  (affetto)  since  he  finds  himself  unable 
to  make  use  of  his  wisdom  (senno). 

Ma  voglia  ed  argomento*  nei  mortali, 

Per  la  cagion  ch'  a  voi  e  manifesta,  80 

Diversamente  son  pennuti  in  ali. 
Ond'  io  che  son  mortal,  mi  sentot  in  questa 

Disagguaglianza,  e  per6  non  ringrazio, 

inedite,  Bologna,  1867,  p.  135  :  "  Rilevalo  dalle  sozzure  e  fallo 
iguali  co'  principi."  Also  in  a  passage  in  Antonio  Pucci, 
Centiloquio,  i,  54 :  "  E  fu  il  suo  nome  alia  Provincia  iguali." 

*  voglia  ed  argomento :  These  are  undoubtedly  the  same  as 
the  affetto  e  il senno  of  1.  73,  because,  as  Casini  says :  "  la  volontk 
e  atto  del  sentimento,  1'  argomento  e  atto  dell'  intelligenza." 

t  mi  sento  et  seq.  :  "II  Poeta  vuol  qul  esprimere  quella 
Disagguaglianza  onde  col  senno,  col  ragionare  (argomento)  non 
pub  spiegare  /'  affetto  (la  voglia)  suo,  ne  rispondere  alia  paterna 
festa  che  coll'  intenzione  del  cuore."  (Scartazzini). 


5O2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

Se  non  col  core,  alia  paterna  festa.* 
Ben  supplico  io  a  te,t  vivo  topazio,£  85 

Che  questa  gioia§  preziosa  ingemmi, 
Perchfe  mi  facci  del  tuo  nome  sazio." — 
But,  in  mortals,  the  will  and  the  power  (of  giving 
expression  to  it)  have  their  wings  feathered  in  a 
different  way,  from  the  cause  that  is  well  known 
to  you  (spirits).  Wherefore  I,  who  am  (but  a) 
mortal,  feel  myself  in  this  disparity,  and  therefore 
render  no  thanks  save  with  my  heart  for  thy  paternal 
welcome.  Earnestly  do  I  entreat  thee,  thou  Living 
Topaz,  who  ingemmest  this  precious  jewel  (i.e.  this 
radiant  cross),  that  thou  wouldst  make  me  satisfied 
with  (hearing)  thy  name." 

Division  III.  In  answer  to  Dante's  prayer  Caccia- 
guida  makes  his  revelation.  He  does  not,  however, 
immediately  disclose  his  name,  but  says  to  Dante  : 
"  Thou  art  my  descendant,  and  I  was  thy  ancestor. 
Thy  great-grandfather  was  my  son.  He  is  still 
suffering  in  Purgatory  for  Pride — Pray  for  him." 
Having  said  that  much,  Cacciaguida  proceeds  to 

*  paterna  festa  :  Dante  remembers  that  in  1.  28  Cacciaguida 
called  him  Sanguis  meus,  in  1.  48  Mio  seme,  and  in  1.  ^figlio^ 
and  therefore  calls  his  greeting  a  paternal  one.  Far  festa  a 
qualche  d>  uno  is  a  regular  Tuscan  idiom  for  giving  any  one  an 
exuberant  welcome.  If  one  asks  a  person  how  such  and  such  a 
visit  to  friends  went  off,  he  might  reply :  "  O,  mi  fecero  tante 
feste,"  i.e.  "  they  gave  me  such  a  welcome ! " 

+  supplico  io  a  te :  Dante  uses  this  verb  with  the  dative  case, 
as  in  Latin.  Compare  Par.  xxvi,  94,  and  xxxiii,  25. 

J  topazio :  See  the  Ottimo  on  this  :  "Topazio  e  una  gemma 
intra  Paltre  maggiore;  e  sonne  di  due  ragioni :  1'una  ha  colore 
d'aurp  purissimo,  1'altra  ha  colore  di  purissimo  acre;  et  e  si 
perspicacissimo,  che  riceve  in  se  la  chiarezza  di  tutte  1'altre 
gemme.  Dicesi  che  a  colui  che'l  porta  non  puo  nuocere 
nemico." 

§  questa  gioia  :  The  radiant  Cross,  not  the  planet  Mars. 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  503 

speak  at  great  length  of  the  condition  of  Florence 
in  his  own  days,  and  the  simple  habits  of  its  citizens, 
after  relating  which,  he  names  himself. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  possible  reason  for 
Dante  not  introducing  Cacciaguida's  name  until 
the  end  of  the  Canto,  may  have  been  from  his  con- 
sciousness that,  without  some  preliminary  account 
of  his  ancestor,  that  personage  would  have  been 
wholly  unknown  to  Dante's  contemporaries. 
— "O  fronda  mia,*  in  chef  io  compiacemmil|l 

Pure  aspettando,  io  fui  la  tua  radice  : — "§ 
Cotal  principio,  rispondendo,  femmi.  90 

Poscia  mi  disse  : — "  Quel  ||  da  cui  si  dice 


*  fronda  mia:  Compare  Psalm  i,  3  (  Vulgate):  "Et  erit  tanquam 
lignum  quod  plantatum  est  secus  decursus  aquarum,  quod  fructum 
suum  dabit  in  tempore  suo ;  et  folium  ejus  non  defluet."  I  pre- 
fer to  take  fronda  in  the  sense  of  "  branch,  scion,"  rather  than 
"  leaf,"  as  all  the  other  English  translations  do,  for  although 
fronda  can  mean  "  leaf,"  its  primary  signification  is  "  branch," 
which  seems  to  me  to  accord  better  with  the  metaphor,  of  a 
family  compared  to  a  tree. 

t  in  che :  This  is  the  reading  of  the  overwhelming  majority 
of  the  authorities,  but  Witte  follows  the  Sta.  Croce  MS.  in  read- 
ing in  cui. 

I  in  che  io  compiacemmi :  This  resembles  the  words  in  St. 
Matthew  iii,  17  (Vulgate}:  "Et  ecce  vox  de  coelis  dicens  :  Hie 
est  filius  meus  dilectus,  in  quo  mihi  complacui." 

§  radice :  Compare  Isaiah  xi,  i  :  "  Et  egredietur  virga  de 
radice  Jesse,  et  flos  de  radice  ejus  ascendet."  This  passage  in 
Isaiah  Dante  quotes  in  Convito  iv,  5,  11.  42-44,  and  in  11.  53,  54, 
adds  :  "  Fu  contemporaneo  alia  radice  della  progenie  di  Maria." 

||  Quely  et  seq. :  Cacciaguida  is  speaking  of  Aldighiero,  his 
son,  father  of  Bellincione,  whose  son,  Aldighiero  II,  was  Dante's 
father.  Bartoli  (Storia  della  Letteratura  Italiana,  vol.  v,  p.  5) 
says  that  the  existence  of  Cacciaguida  is  now  a  verified  historical 
fact.  In  the  State  Archives  of  Florence  there  is  a  deed  of  Dec. 
9,  1189,  in  which  occur  the  names  of  Alighiero  and  Preitenitto, 
sons  of  Cacciaguida,  who  therein  give  a  promise  to  Tolomeo, 
rector  of  the  Church  of  St.  Martino,  that  they  will  at  his  request 


504  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

Tua  cognazion,  e  che  cent'  anni  e  piue 
Girato  ha  il  monte  in  la  prima  cornice,* 
Mio  figlio  fu,  e  tuo  bisavo  fue  : 

Ben  si  convien  che  la  lunga  fatica  95 

Tu  gli  raccorci  con  1'  opere  tue. 

"  O  branch  of  my  tree,  in  whom  even  while  I  waited 
I  took  delight,  I  was  thy  parent  root : "  Such  a 
beginning  he  made  in  reply  to  me.  Then  he  said 
to  me :  "  He  from  whom  thy  family  is  named  (i.e. 
Aldighiero),  and  who  for  a  hundred  years  and  more 
has  been  circling  round  the  Mount  (of  Purgatory) 
in  its  first  Cornice,  was  my  son,  and  thy  great- 
grandfather :  Fitting  indeed  were  it  that  thou  by 
thy  works  (i.e.  prayers)  should'st  make  shorter  for 
him  his  long  fatigue. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Cacciaguida,  in  order  the 
better  to  describe  the  deterioration  of  the  Florence  of 
Dante's  days,  and  that  he  may  censure  its  citizens 
more  cautiously,  first  sketches  a  beautiful  outline  of 
the  simple  and  peaceful  ways  of  the  citizens  in  his 
own  time.f  Benvenuto  adds  that  in  1154  Florence 

cut  down  a  certain  fig  tree  in  their  garden  by  the  wall  of  the 
church.  It  seems  to  have  been  established  (see  Casini's  note) 
that  this  Aldighiero  was  alive  on  the  I4th  August,  1201,  when 
he  was  present  as  a  witness  of  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money 
to  the  Commune  of  Florence  by  one  Jacobo  Rosa.  That  would 
only  make  99  years  to  the  supposed  date  of  the  vision  of  Dante, 
but  Dante  did  not  probably  know  the  precise  date  of  Aldighiero's 
death,  and  cenf anni  e  piue  is  apparently  more  or  less  a  vague 
term. 

*  prima  cornice :  I  think  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this 
alludes  to  the  First  Cornice  of  Purgatory  proper,  in  which  the 
Proud  have  to  bear  grievous  burdens  on  their  backs  (lunga 
fatica).  Some,  including  Lana,  the  Ottimo,  and  the  Anoniino 
Florentine-,  have  contended  that  Dante  meant  the  first  terrace 
of  Antepurgatory.  If  so,  he  should  have  said  balzo,  which  is 
Dante's  name  for  the  terraces  of  Antepurgatory,  as  cornice  is  for 
each  of  the  Cornices  in  Purgatory  proper. 

+  This  description  of  the  citizens  of  Florence  should  be  com- 
pared with  a  similar  one  by  G.  Villani  (lib.  vi,  cap.  69) ;  except 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  505 

was  two-thirds  smaller  than  it  was  in  his  (Benvenuto's) 
time,  as  can  be  seen  by  its  ancient  inner  line  of  walls. 
Fiorenza  dentro  dalla  cerchia*  antica 

Ond'  ella  toglie  ancora  e  terza  e  nona,t 


that  Villani  treats  of  a  period  (about  1260)  subsequent  to  that 
spoken  of  by  Cacciaguida  :  "  E  nota  che  al  tempo  del  detto 
popolo,  e  in  prima,  e  poi  a  gran  tempo,  i  cittadini  di  Firenze 
viveano  sobrii,  e  di  grosse  vivande,  e  con  piccole  spese,  e  di 
molti  costumi  e  leggiadrie  grossi  e  rudi;  e  di  grossi  drappi 
vestieno  loro  e  le  loro  donne,  e  molti  portavano  le  pelli  scoperte 
sanza  panno,  e  colle  berrette  in  capo,  e  tutti  con  gli  usatti  [leather 
boots']  in  piede,  e  le  donne  fiorentine  co'  calzari  [boots]  sanza 
ornamenti,  e  passavansi  le  maggiori  [and  even  the  greatest  ladies 
were  contented  with']  d'  una  gonnella  assai  stretta  di  grosso  scar- 
latto  d'  Ipro  [of  Ypres],  o  di  Camo  [camlet],  cinta  ivi  su  d'uno 
scaggiale  [leather  girdle'}  all'  antica,  e  uno  mantello  foderato  di 
vaio  [minever']  col  tassello  [hood]  sopra,  e  portavanlo  in  capo  ; 
e  le  comuni  donne  vestite  d'uno  grosso  verde  di  Cambragio 
[cloth  of  Cambray]  per  lo  simile  modo,  e  lire  cento  era  comune 
dota  di  moglie,  e  lire  dugento  o  trecento  era  a  quegli  tempi 
tenuta  isfalgorata  [quite  out  of  the  way] ;  e  le  piii  delle  pulcelle 
[maidens]  aveano  venti  o  piu  anni,  anzi  ch'  andassono  a  marito. 
Di  si  fatto  abito  e  di  grossi  costumi  erano  allora  i  Fiorentini, 
ma  erano  di  buona  fe  e  leali  tra  loro  e  al  loro  comune,  e  colla 
loro  grossa  vita  e  povertk,  feciono  maggiori  e  piu  virtudiose  cose, 
che  non  sono  fatte  a'  tempi  nostri  con  piu  morbidezza  \luxury\ 
e  con  piu  ricchezza." 

*  cerchia :  I  have  fully  explained  in  Readings  on  the  Inferno \ 
vol.  ii,  pp.  53,  54,  that  cerchia,  "a  circuit,  circular  enclosure, 
enceinte  of  the  walls  of  a  city,"  is  not  the  same  thing  as  cerchio 
"a  circle;"  and  that  in  the  passage  there  discussed  {Inf.  xviii, 
72),  cerchie  eterne  must  be  taken  to  mean  the  huge  encircling 
wall  of  cliffs  that  towered  above  and  around  Malebolge.  I  trans- 
lated the  words  "those  everlasting  lines  of  circumvallation." 
The  particular  line  of  the  walls  of  Florence  called  la  cerchia 
antica  was  the  first  extension  of  the  original  circuit  begun  (ac- 
cording to  Villani  iv,  cap.  8)  in  1078.  Cacciaguida  calls  it  antica^ 
although  in  fact  it  was  the  second  line  of  walls  built,  because  it 
was  so  in  respect  to  the  walls  existing  in  Dante's  time  begun  in 
1284,  and  only  completed  in  the  following  century. 

t  toglie  .  .  .  terza  e  nona :  "  Sulle  ditte  mura  vecchie  si  e  una 
ecclesia  chiamata  la  Badla,  la  quale  ecclesia  suona  terza  e  nona 
e  1"  altre  ore,  alle  quali  li  lavoranti  delle  arti  entrano  ed  esceno  di 


506  Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  XV. 

Si  stava  in  pace,*  sobria  e  pudica. 

Non  avea  catenella,  non  corona,t  100 

Non  donne  contigiate,J  non  cintura§ 
Che  fosse  a  veder  piu  che  la  persona.|| 

Non  faceva  nascendo  ancor  paura 

La  figlia  al  padre,  che  il  tempo  e  la  dote 

Non  fuggian  quinci  e  quindi  la  misura.  105 

Florence,  within  the  ancient  circuit  (of  her  walls) 

lavorio."  (Lana).  This  is  the  old  Badia  that  we  know  so  well, 
in  the  Piazza  San  Firenze,  and  opposite  to  the  Bargello. 

*  Si  stava  in  pace  :  The  feuds  and  civil  dissensions  that  con- 
vulsed Florence  began  in  1177;  Villani  (v,  cap.  9)  remarks  that 
they  were  due  to  "  troppa  grassezza  e  riposo  mischiato  colla 
superbia  e  ingratitudine." 

+  catenella  . . .  corona :  Casini  quoting  Buti  says :  "  La  catenella 
sarebbe  una  specie  di  collana  o  di  braccialetto  formato  conbotton- 
cini  d'  argento  dorati  infilati  in  varie  guise ;  la  corona  era  1'  orna- 
mento  usato  per  il  capo,  e  si  faceva  d'  oro  e  d'  argento  e  di  perle 
preziose,  come  le  corone  che  ancora  si  vedono  sulle  imagini  della 
Vergine,  e  tanto  era  diffusa  questa  costumanza  che  bisogno  a 
frenarla  la  legge  sontuariadel  1330."  See  Villani,  lib.  x,  cap.  150. 
%  contigiate :  "  Le  contigie,  onde  e  1'  espressione  donne  con- 
tigiate,  erano  calzature  di  cuoio  trapunto  o  stampato,  delle  quali 
pare  che  primitivamente  facessero  uso  speciale  le  meretnci. " 
{Casini.)  Benvenuto  was  evidently  very  averse  to  high-heeled 
shoes,  for  he  says :  "  non  donne  contigiate,  qui  non  portabant 
calceamenta  contesiata,  more  vilium  foeminarum  sicut  nunc ; 
sed  hodie  portant  punctas  ad  calceos,  quid  turpius  !  "  Both  Buti 
and  Landino  speak  of  them  as  soled  stockings  covered  with 
embroidered  leather.  The  word  is  said  to  be  akin  to  the  old 
French  Cointise,  and  the  Breton  Coantis,  beauty,  or  a  splendid 
dress.  Serravalle  gives  the  most  quaint  interpretation  :  "  Non 
dominas  factas  comitissas  (nam  moderno  tempore  uxores  car- 
pentariorum,  sartorum),  portant  coronas  et  videntur  comitisse, 
et  tune  dicuntur  domine  contessate,  idest  comitisse  facte." 

§  cintura  :  ."  La  cintura  o  cintola  era  per  lo  piu  di  liste  d'  ar- 
gento, delle  quali  le  leggi  sontuarie  limitarono  il  numero." 
(Casini.) 

||  Che  fosse  a  veder  piu  che  la  persona  :  Compare  Ovid,  Re- 
media  Amoris,  343 : 

"  Auferimur  cultu  :  gemmis  auroque  teguntur 
Omnia :  pars  minima  est  ipsa  puella  sui." 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  507 

from  which  she  still  takes  (i.e.  hears  tolled)  both 
Tierce  and  Nones,  abode  in  peace  temperate  and 
modest.      No  chain  had  she,  no  diadem,  no  gor- 
geously attired  dames,  no  (engemmed)  girdle  which 
caught  the  eye  more  than  did  the  wearer.     Not  yet 
did  the  daughter  at  her  birth  cause  the  father  to 
fear,  because  (in  those  days)  the  time  (for  a  maid 
to  wed)  and  her  dowry  used  not    to  overrun  the 
reasonable  limit  either  on  this  side  or  on  that. 
Benvenuto  explains  this  last  sentence  to  mean  that 
the  eye  of  the  damsel  used  not  to  depart  from  the 
properly  allotted  epoch  for  espousals  on  the  one  hand 
(quinci)  as  it  does  now  (i.e.  in  Benvenuto's  time),  for  in 
those  days  girls  were  not  wont  to  wed  till  they  were 
20  or  25  ;  but  now  in  their  eleventh  or  even  in  their 
ninth  year !     And  on  the  other  hand  (quindi)  a  girl's 
dowry  did   not  exceed  reasonable  proportions  as  it 
does  now.     Lycurgus  ordained  that  no  dowry  should 
be  given  to  girls,  but  with  that  Benvenuto  does  not 
agree.     In  Cacciaguida's  days  an  exceptionally  rich 
citizen  would  give  his  daughter  two  or  three  hundred 
pieces  of  gold,  whereas  now  (says  Benvenuto)  he  must 
give  as  much  as  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred. 
Non  avea  case  di  famiglia  vote ; 

Non  v'  era  giunto  ancor  Sardanapalo  * 
A  mostrar  cio  che  in  camera  si  puote. 

*  Sardanapalo  :  Many  Commentators  understand  this  passage 
to  allude  to  the  perpetration  of  hideous  crime ;  but  I  follow  Ben- 
venuto, Pietro  di  Dante,  and  the  Postillatore  Cassinese  in  ex- 
plaining it  as  the  absurd  effeminate  luxury  for  which  Sardanapalus 
was  notorious  in  Grecian  history,  a  fact  which  Dante  knew  through 
Orosius,  who  (Hist,  i,  19),  says  that  he  was  the  last  of  the  Assy- 
rian kings,  a  most  effeminate  man,  accustomed  to  array  himself 
in  purple  and  female  garments,  and  a  great  lover  of  delicacies. 
Compare  Juvenal  (Sat.  x,  362): 

"  Et  Venere,  et  coenis,  et  pluma  Sardanapali." 
The  three  Commentators  mentioned  above  only  see  in  the  words 


508  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

No  houses  had  she  bare  of  family ;  nor  had  Sarda- 
napalus  yet  come  to  show  what  can  be  done  in  a 
chamber. 

It  is  usually  understood  that  case  vote  means  that  the 
excessive  pomp  and  luxury  of  the  Florentines  made 
them  build  palaces  too  large  for  their  inmates,  though 
some  think  it  signifies  that  the  continual  wars  and 
factions  kept  all  the  males  away  from  home. 
Non  era  vinto  ancora  Montemalo* 

Dal  vostro  Uccellatoio,t  che,  com'  e  vinto         no 
Nel  montar  su,  cosl  sara  nel  calo. 
Not  yet  was  Montemalo  outstripped  by  your  Ucel- 
latojo,  which,  as  it  is  surpassed  in  its  rise,  so  shall 
it  be  in  its  fall. 

rib  che  in  camera  si  puote  an  allusion  to  the  exaggeratedly  effemi- 
nate luxury  at  which  the  Florentines  had  arrived  in  the  internal 
decoration  of  their  palaces.  Benvenuto  says  :  "  Nondum  per- 
venerat  Florentiam  mollities  Sardanapali,  a  mostrar  rib  che  'n 
camera  si  puote ;  nam  Sardanapalus  fuit  studiosissimus  circa 
muliebres  mollities  inveniendas;  fuit  enim  primus  qui  invenit 
usus  culcitrae  [of  the  mattress~\  et  plumarum." 

*  Montemalo :  From  Lana  we  have  a  descriptive  account  of 
Monte  Mario,  which  clearly  shows  (were  the  evidence  of  ruins 
not  also  forthcoming),  that  in  his  time  it  was  covered  with  fine 
buildings:  "  Montemalo  si  e  nel  contado  di  Roma,  ed  e  lo  primo 
luogo  donde  si  vede  la  cittade,  lo  quale  Montemalo  al  tempo  che 
i  romani  trionfavano,  era  molto  bello  luogo  e  adorno  di  mura  e 
di  torri ;  cosi  nel  contado  di  Firenze  e  uno  luogo,  nome  1'  Uccel- 
latojo,  dal  quale  venendo  di  Bologna  si  vede  prima  la  citta:  or 
li  fiorentini  crescendo  in  superbia  cominciarono  a  far  fortezze  in 
contado,  fare  noie  e  oltraggio  alii  suoi  vicini,  si  che  rinforzoron 
di  mura  e  di  torri  lo  detto  Uccellatojo,  in  tale  modo  che  esso  era 
ed  e  piu  forte  di  Montemalo." 

t  Uccellatojo  :  This  must  be  pronounced  Uccellatoi'  (the  ter- 
minal oi  as  a  diphthong).  See  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i, 
p.  196,  where  in  a  note  on  Inf.  vi,  79,  it  is  stated  that  Tegghiaio 
must  be  pronounced  as  a  dissyllable.  The  terminations  aw,  oto, 
m'a,  were  commonly  used  as  monosyllables  by  the  Tuscan  poets. 
See  primaio,  Purg.  xiv,  66 ;  Uccellatojo  in  the  present  passage  ; 
as  well  as  Pistoia  in  a  verse  of  Petrarch.  These  were  pronounced 
primaij  Uccellatol;  and  Pistol. 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  509 

Monte  Mario  (then  called  Montemalo)  is  the  emin- 
ence from  which  a  traveller  coming  from  Viterbo  first 
sees  the  magnificent  view  of  Rome  ;  and  in  like 
manner  it  is  from  Monte  Uccellatojo  that  the  traveller 
from  Bologna  first  sees  that  of  Florence  (see  note). 

In  Cacciaguida's  beautiful  picture  of  Florence  the 
one  figure  that  seems  to  stand  out  most  prominently 
as  the  object  of  his  admiration  is  Bellincion  Berti  dei 
Ravignani,  the  father  of  la  buona  Gualdrada  (Inf. 
xv*i>  37)-  He  seems  to  be  Dante's  beau  ideal  for  all 
that  is  dignified  and  noble,  and  yet  was  a  man  of 
simple  tastes. 

Bellincion  Berti  *  vid'  io  andar  cinto 

Di  cuoio  e  d'osso,  e  venir  dallo  specchio 
La  donna  sua  senza  il  viso  dipinto  ;  t 

*  Bellincion  Berti :  The  Ottimo  after  saying  that  this  great 
personage  is  taken  as  an  exemplification  of  the  modest  way  of 
living  practised  in  those  days,  and  more  especially  the  unassum- 
ing garb  of  even  the  noblest  and  the  greatest  men  in  Florence, 
adds :  "  Bellincione  Berti  fu  cavaliere  notabilissimo,  e  fu  de'  Ra- 
vignani, a  cui  succedettono  in  redittagio  li  conti  Guidi  per 
madonna  Gualdrada,  della  quale  e  fatta  menzione  sopra,  capi- 
tolo  xvi  Inferni."  See  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  546, 547. 

t  viso  dipinto:  We  are  to  infer  that  ladies  in  the  time  of 
Dante  were  much  given  to  rouge,  white  paint,  and  cosmetics. 
In  the  Trattato  della  Pittura  of  Cennino  Cennini,  a  pupil  of 
Agnolo  Gaddi,  published  by  Giuseppe  Tambroni,  Rome,  1821, 
a  work  which  the  publisher  styles:  "II  piu  antico  monumento 
scritto,  che  abbiano  le  belle  arti  dopo  il  loro  risorgimento  [Re- 
naissance}? we  find  at  p.  145,  that  cap.  clxi,  is  entirely  devoted 
to  instruction  in  painting  the  human  face:  "  Usando  1'arte,  per 
alcune  volte  t'addiverra  avere  a  tignere  o  dipignere  in  carne, 
massimamente  colorire  un  viso  d'  uomo  o  di  femmina.  I  tuoi 
colori  puoi  fare  temperati  con  uovo;  o  vuoi,  per  caleflfare  [to 
make  them  more  intense],  ad  oglioo  con  vernice  liquida,  la  quale 
e  piii  forte  tempera  che  sia.  Ma  vorrai  tu  lavarla  poi  la  faccia 
di  questo  colore,  o  ver  tempere ;  togli  rossumi  d'  uovo,  a  poco  a 
poco  gli  frega  alia  faccia,  e  con  la  mano  va  stroppiciando  [begin 
rubbing],  Poi  togli  acqua  caldabollita  con  romola  [Romagnole 


5IO  Readings  on  the  Paradise.        Canto  XV. 

E  vidi  quel  de'  Nerli  e  quel  del  Vecchio*  115 

Esser  content!  alia  pelle  scoperta, 
E  le  sue  donne  al  fuso  ed  al  pennecchio.t 

I  have  seen  Bellincion  Berti  walk  about  girdled  with 
leather  and  bone  (i.e.  a  clasp  of  bone),  and  his  dame 
come  away  from  her  mirror  without  her  face  being 
painted ;  and  I  have  seen  him  (the  head)  of  the 
Nerli,  and  him  (the  head)  of  the  Vecchietti  content 
with  unlined  fur,  and  their  dames  with  the  spindle 
and  the  flax. 

At  this  point  Cacciaguida  breaks  forth  into  an  outburst 
of  admiration  for  the  blessings  of  a  home  life.  We  may 
infer  that  Dante  was  bewailing  his  own  exile,  and 
thinking  of  the  sad  bereaved  existence  of  his  own  wife. 

word  for  crusca,  bran],  o  ver  crusca,  e  lavagli  la  faccia :  e  poi 
ripiglia  un  rossume  d'  uovo,  e  di  nuovo  gli  stroppiccia  la  faccia. 
Avendo  poi  per  lo  detto  modo  dell'acqua  calda,  rilavagli  la 
faccia.  Tante  fiate  fa  cosi,  che  la  faccia  rimarra  di  suo  colore 
di  prima;  non  contando  di  piu  di  questa  maderia." 

*  d£  Nerli  .  .  .  del  Vecchio :  Both  these  were  very  ancient 
families  of  consular  dignity,  and  of  the  Guelph  party.  The  Nerli 
dwelt  in  the  Sesto  d'  Oltrarno  to  the  south  of  the  river.  The 
name  of  Nerli  became  familiar  to  me  in  early  youth,  as  my  two 
first  winters  in  Florence  in  1840  and  1841,  were  passed  in  one 
of  their  palaces.  The  del  Vecchio  family  dwelt  in  the  Quartiere 
di  San  Brancazio,  and,  when  the  Guelph  party  became  divided, 
they  joined  the  faction  of  the  Neri.  They  were  better  known 
as  the  de'  Vecchietti. 

^  pennecchio :  This  means  the  lump  of  hemp  or  wool  that  is 
placed  upon  the  distaff  \roccd\ ;  fuso  is  the  spindle,  held  in  the 
left  hand,  on  which  the  fingers  wind  the  new  made  thread, 
twirling  it  rapidly,  and  reminding  one  of  the  French  ballad  song, 
File  Jeanne,  v.  2  : 

"  Fais  tourner  bien  vite 

Ton  fuseau,  petite,"  etc. 

The  Ottimo  contrasts  the  time  of  Cacciaguida,  when  even  the 
great  ladies  span,  whereas  in  his  own  time,  said  to  be  contem- 
porary with  Dante,  not  even  would  the  maids  spin,  much  less 
the  great  lady  (pggi  non  vuolefilare  la  fante,  non  che  la  donna). 
Compare  Pro-v.  xxxi,  19  (Vulgate):  "  Manum  suam  misit  ad 
fortia,  et  digiti  ejus  apprehenderunt  fusum." 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradise.  511 

The  peaceful  life  of  the  Florentine  women  was  passed 
in  the  quiet  confidence  of  dying  in  their  own  homes, 
and  without  the  fear  of,  what  in  Dante's  time  was 
so  prevalent,  their  husbands  voluntarily  leaving 
Florence  to  make  fortunes  in  France,  and,  according 
to  the  oldest  Commentators,  in  England  as  well. 
O  fortunate  !  *  Ciascuna  era  certa 

Delia  sua  sepoltura,  ed  ancor  nulla 
Era  per  Franciaf  nel  letto  deserta.  120 

L'  una  vegghiava  a  studio  della  culla, 
E  consolando  usava  1'  idiomaj 
Che  prima  i  padri  e  le  madri  trastulla ; 
L'  altra  traendo  alia  rocca  la  chioma, 

Favoleggiava  con  la  sua  famiglia  125 

De'  Troiani,  di  Fiesole,  e  di  Roma. 

O  happy  women  !      Each  one  was  sure  of  her  own 
burial  place,  and  as  yet  none  of  them  for  the  sake  of 

*  O  fortunate  /  :  The  lamentable  dispersion  of  families  may 
be  noticed  in  Inf.  x,  where  Farinata,  after  telling  Dante  that  his 
ancestors  were  adversaries  of  his,  adds  (1.  48) : 

"Si  che  per  due  fiate  gli  dispersi." 

Dante  retorts  that  his  ancestors,  if  driven  by  the  party  of  Fari- 
nata twice  into  exile,  had  twice  returned,  but  Farinata's  des- 
cendants had  been  exiled  to  some  purpose,  and  have  never 
learned  the  art  of  re-patriating  themselves  (1.  51): 
"  Ma  i  vostri  non  appreser  ben  quell'  arte." 
The  certainty  of  being  buried  in  their  own  country  was  the 
Florentine  ladies'  compensation  for  the  frugal  life  they  had 
to  lead. 

t  Per  Francia :  Buti  says  that  the  citizens  of  Florence  began 
to  visit  France  after  the  great  defeat  of  the  Guelphs  in  the  battle 
of  Montaperti  (1260).  Benvenuto  rather  takes  the  allusion  to 
France  to  mean  that  no  Florentine  lady  lay  in  her  bed  bereaved 
of  her  husband,  who  had  been  forced  to  go  and  fight  for  France, 
and  had  fallen  in  battle.  It  would  rather  seem  that  the  hus- 
bands went  on  their  own  account  in  search  of  wealth. 

J  /'  tdioma,  et  seq.:  Compare  Tibullus,  lib.  ii,  eleg.  v,  93,  94: 
"Nee  taedebit  avum  parvo  advigilare  nepoti, 

Balbaque  cum  puero  dicere  verba  senem." 


5 1 2  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.        Canto  XV. 

France  lay  deserted  in  her  bed.  One  would  keep 
watch  in  charge  of  her  cradle,  and  as  she  soothed 
her  child,  would  talk  the  language  which  first  amuses 
fathers  and  mothers  (i.e.  the  Italian  baby-song  Ninna 
Nannd) ;  another,  as  she  drew  the  thread  from  the 
distaff,  would  among  her  family  recount  the  old  tales 
of  the  Trojans,  of  Fiesole,  and  of  Rome. 

Benvenuto  says  that,  of  the  Trojans  and  of  Rome,  the 
matrons  of  Florence  could  with  truth  relate  great 
deeds  (verum  dicere  poterant}  but  of  Fiesole  they  must 
positively  have  had  to  invent  the  achievements  (recte 
fabulabantur],  as  it  never  had  done  anything  of  the 
slightest  importance. 

Cacciaguida,  with  just  pride,  claims  for  the  Florence 
of  his  days  that  in  it  conspicuously  wicked  persons 
were  as  rare  as  were  conspicuously  good  ones  in  the 
time  of  Dante. 

Saria  tenuta  allor  tal  maraviglia 

Una  Cianghella,*  un  Lapo  Salterello,t 
Qual  or  saria  Cincinnato  e  Corniglia. 

*  Cianghella :  Of  her  the  Falso  Boccaccio  relates :  "  Fu  di  quei 
della  Tosa,  maritata  a  Imola.  Costei  fu  delle  superbe  femmine 
del  mondo,  e  andando  una  mattina  di  pasqua  alia  chiesa,  e  tro- 
vandola  piena  di  donne,  e  nessuna  si  movea  per  lei,  costei  plena 
di  superbia  comincio  a  pigliare  or  questae  or  quella  pigliandole 
per  le  treccie  mostrando  la  sua  superbia  e  bestialita  [stupidity] 
e  alterezza  e  maggioranza."  Lana,  the  Anonimo  Fiorentino,  and 
the  Ottimo  also  speak  of  her  overweening  pride  and  absurd  pre- 
tensions ;  and  Lana  adds  that  she  was  a  very  beautiful  woman 
who  introduced  such  novelties  into  female  dress  that  her  name 
has  passed  into  a  proverb,  and  that  all  the  ladies  of  Florence 
went  half  mad  in  striving  to  copy  or  outdo  her  exaggerated 
costumes. 

\  Lapo  S alter ello :  Casini  says  that  this  personage  was  a  doc- 
tor of  laws  and  a  poet  in  the  time  of  Dante  at  Florence.  He 
is  to  be  noticed  as  an  intriguer  and  agitator  who  took  part  in 
most  of  the  public  events  at  Florence  from  the  establishment  of 
the  priorato  down  to  the  dispersion  of  the  party  of  the  Bianchi; 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  5 1 3 

A  Cianghella  or  a  Lapo  Salterello  would  (in  my  time) 
have  been  held  as  great  a  wonder,  as  Cincinnatus  or 
Cornelia  would  be  now. 

Having  concluded  his  sketch  of  old  Florence,  Caccia- 
guida  proceeds  to  answer  Dante's  question  (11.  85-87) 
as  to  who  he  was.  He  relates  his  birth  at  Florence  ; 
his  baptism  by  the  name  of  Cacciaguida  in  Dante's 

and  his  name  consequently  occurs  both  in  the  documents  and 
the  chronicles  of  that  time.  At  one  time  he  went  as  one  of  the 
ambassadors  sent  by  the  Republic  to  Boniface  VIII,  and  in 
1300  incurred  the  bitter  hostility  of  that  Pontiff  by  denouncing 
a  secret  treaty  by  which  Boniface  was  attempting  to  get  pos- 
session of  Florence ;  but  being  unsuccessful  in  steering  a  safe 
course  for  himself  at  the  time  when  the  Bianchi  and  the  Neri 
broke  out  into  open  hostility,  he  was,  after  the  triumph  of  the 
latter,  proscribed  and  condemned  for  corruption  of  judicial  acts. 
That  he  was  really  guilty  of  such  evil  deeds  would  seem  to  be 
partly  proved  by  Dante's  denunciation  of  him  in  the  present 
passage,  for  we  must  remember  that  he  belonged  to  the  same 
faction  as  Dante  himself.  Dr.  Moore  writes  to  me  that  possibly 
Dante  may  have  keenly  resented  being  '  bracketed '  with  Lapo 
Salterello  in  the  decree  of  exile  of  March  10,  1302.  He  may 
have  looked  upon  Lapo  as  one  of  the  compagnia  malyagia  e 
scempia  alluded  to  in  Par.  xvii,  61-69,  whose  companionship, 
it  was  predicted  to  him,  it  would  be  his  glory  to  abandon.  Most 
of  the  early  Commentators  speak  of  Lapo  Salterello  as  a  dis- 
solute voluptuary,  but  I  certainly  prefer  Casini's  view,  which  is 
that  the  whole  passage  in  this  terzina  is  meant  to  draw  a  strong 
contrast  between  the  purity  of  ancient  times,  both  in  private 
life,  and  in  public ;  and  while  Cianghella's  exaggerated  luxury 
is  contrasted  with  the  severe  simplicity  of  the  unaffected  Cor- 
nelia, who  scorned  to  be  bedizened  with  ornaments,  and  deemed 
her  children  to  be  her  best  and  only  jewels ;  so  the  high-prin- 
cipled public  rectitude  of  the  celebrated  Roman  dictator  Cin- 
cinnatus, who  after  fulfilling  his  state  duties  returned  to  his 
plough,  is  depicted  in  glaring  antithesis  to  the  tortuous  jobbery, 
and  improbity  of  Lapo  Salterello.  Cincinnatus  is  mentioned  in 
Par.  vi,  46,  47 : 

".  .  .  e  Quinzio  che  dal  cirro 

Negletto  fu  nomato." 

And  Cornelia  we  have  already  seen  in  Limbo;  see  Inf.  iv,  128. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Scipio  Africanus,  and  the  mother  of  the 
(iracchi. 

I  L  L 


514  Readings  on  the  Paradiso,       Canto  XV. 

beautiful  San  Giovanni  (Inf.  xix,  17);  his  marriage; 
his  military  career,  and  his  death  as  a  Crusader.  The 
reader  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  the  complacency  with 
which  the  old  knight  recounts  his  life. 

A  cosi  riposato,*  a  cosi  bello  130 

Viver  di  cittadini,  a  cosi  fida 

Cittadinanza,  a  cosi  dolce  ostello, 
Maria  mi  die,  chiamata  in  alte  grida,t 

E  nell'  antico  vostro  Batisteo % 

*  A  cosi  riposato  .  .  .  Viver  di  cittadini :  Casini  observes  that 
in  this  terzina  is  continued  the  tacit  contrast  of  Cacciaguida's 
Florence  with  the  Florence  of  Dante,  which  in  Inf.  vi,  63,  is 
spoken  of  as 

"...  (da)  tanta  discordia  assalita." 
and  ibid.  49,  50,  where  Ciacco  says  to  Dante : 
"...  La  tua  citta,  ch'  e  piena 

D'  invidia  si  che  gia  trabocca  il  sacco." 
See  also  Par.  ix,  127,  128  : 

"  La  tua  citta,  che  di  colui  \Satan\  e  pianta 
Che  pria  volse  le  spalle  al  suo  fattore." 

t  Maria  .  .  .  chiamata  in  alte  grida:  Compare  Purg.  xx, 
19-21: 

"E  per  ventura  udi':  '  Dolce  Maria:' 

Dinanzi  a  noi  chiamar  cosi  nel  pianto, 
Come  fa  donna  che  in  partorir  sia." 

$  nelV  antico  vostro  Batisteo  :  The  Baptistery  of  San  Giovanni 
in  Florence  ;  a  building  dear  to  every  Florentine,  but  especially 
so  to  the  Guelph  faction,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  holding  their 
meetings  in  it.  On  one  occasion  the  Ghibellines,  happening  to 
be  in  power,  determined  to  destroy  an  edifice  so  beloved  by 
their  adversaries,  and  commissioned  the  great  architect  Andrea 
Pisano  to  undermine  the  lofty  tower  of  the  Guardamorto  that 
stood  hard  by,  in  such  wise,  that  it  should  fall  and  crush  the 
Baptistery.  Andrea  being  a  person  of  great  taste,  and  feeling 
much  repugnance  to  destroying  a  national  monument  of  such  uni- 
versal interest,  pretended  to  make  a  miscalculation  in  measuring 
his  distance,  and  the  great  tower  having  been  undermined,  and 
the  props  that  supported  it  being  burned,  it  fell  so  as  to  miss  the 
Baptistery  by  a  few  feet.  We  see  Dante's  love  for  the  building 
in  Inf.  xix,  16,  18,  where  he  compares  the  stoves,  in  which  the 
Simoniacal  Popes  were  being  scorched  head  downwards,  to  the 


Canto  XV.        Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  515 

Insieme  fui  cristiano  e  Cacciaguida.*  135 

Moronto  fu  mio  frate  ed  Eliseo  ;t 

Mia  donna  venne  a  me  di  val  di  Pado, 

E  quindi  il  soprannome  tuo  si  feo. 
Poi  seguitai  lo  imperador  Corrado,£ 

little  cavities  round  the  great  font  in  the  Baptistery,  in  which 
the  baptizing  priests  used  to  stand  : 

"  Non  mi  parean  meno  ampi  n&  maggiori, 

Che  quei  che  son  nel  mio  bel  San  Giovanni 

Fatti  per  loco  de'  battezzatori." 

*  Cacciaguida:  We  have  already  noticed  (see  footnote  on 
1.  91)  that  the  existence  of  Cacciaguida  is  now  an  historical  fact, 
verified  by  a  deed  in  the  State  Archives  of  Florence,  in  which 
occur  the  names  of  Alighiero  and  Preitenitto,  sons  of  Cac- 
ciaguida. It  has  been  remarked  that,  whereas  nearly  all  the  old 
Commentators  write  about  Cacciaguida,  not  a  single  one  of  them 
knew  anything  more  of  him  than  what  Dante  says  himself  of 
his  ancestor,  namely,  that  he  was  born  in  the  ward  of  Porta  San 
Piero  at  Florence  about  1090;  and  probably  was  of  the  Elisei, 
one  of  the  oldest  Florentine  families  who  claimed  ancient  Roman 
descent ;  that  he  married  a  lady  of  the  Valley  of  the  Po,  from 
whom  his  son  Alaghieri  took  his  name  and  separated  off  from 
his  father's  line;  that  he  had  two  brothers,  Moronto  and  Eliseo; 
that  he  followed  the  Emperor  Conrad  III  to  the  Second  Crusade 
and  was  knighted  by  him  ;  that  he  died  in  battle,  fighting  against 
the  Saracens  about  1 147.  Further  information  about  him  have 
we  none. 

t  Moronto  .  .  .  ed  Eliseo:  Nothing  is  known  of  these  two 
brothers  of  Cacciaguida,  except  that  Bartoli  (Lett.  Ital.  vol.  v, 
pp.  6,  7)  says  that  a  document  belonging  to  the  Badla  at 
Florence  of  the  year  1076  speaks  of  the  "filii  et  nepotibus  (sic) 
Morunti  de  Arco"  and  this  Moronto  may  have  been  an  ancestor 
of  Moronto,  Cacciaguida's  brother.  Furthermore  Bartoli  states 
that  in  another  document  are  the  following  words  :  "  Leonardus 
olim  domini  Bonaccursi  de  Liseis,  populi  S.  Mariae  Nipotecose 
de  arcu  pietatis."  It  seems  too  that  the  Elisei  family  in  several 
ancient  deeds  are  designated  specially  as  de  arcu  pietatis.  There 
seems  then  just  a  plausible  inference  that  Moronte  was  of  the 
family  of  the  Elisei,  and  therefore  that  these  latter  and  the 
Alighieri  sprung  from  the  same  source. 

t  lo  imperador  Corrado :  Conrad  III  of  Hohenstaufen  was 
born  1093,  elected  Emperor  1138,  and  died  in  1152.  He  took 
part  in  the  Second  Crusade  (i  147-1149)  in  conjunction  with 
Louis  VII  of  France,  and  with  him  suffered  a  disastrous  reverse 

L  L  2 


516  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XV. 

Ed  ei  mi  cinse  della  sua  milizia,  140 

Tanto  per  bene  oprar  gli  venni  in  grado. 

Dietro  gli  andai  incontro  alia  nequizia 
Di  quella  legge,  il  cui  popolo  usurpa, 
Per  colpa  dei  pastor,  vostra  giustizia. 

Quivi  fu'  io  da  quella  gente  turpa  145 

Disviluppato  dal  mondo  fallace, 
11  cui  amor  molte  anime  deturpa, 

E  venni  dal  martiro  a  questa  pace." — 

To  such  a  tranquil,  to  such  a  beautiful  life  of  citizens, 
to  such  a  loyal  community,  to  so  sweet  a  home,  Mary, 
with  loud  cries  invoked  (by  my  mother  in  labour), 
bestowed  me,  and  in  your  ancient  Baptistery  I  be- 
came at  once  a  Christian  and  Cacciaguida.  Moronto 
and  Eliseo  were  my  brothers,  my  wife  came  to  me 
from  the  Valley  of  the  Po,  and  from  her  was  thy 
surname  derived.  Later  on  I  followed  the  Emperor 
Conrad  (III  of  Suabia),  and  he  belted  me  knight 
among  his  chivalry,  so  much  by  my  gallant  achieve- 
ments did  I  merit  his  approbation.  In  his  train  I 
went  to  combat  against  the  iniquity  of  that  (Maho- 
medan)  law,  whose  people  (the  Saracens)  by  the 
fault  of  your  Pastor's  usurp  your  just  rights  (to  the 
Holy  Land).  There  was  I  by  that  foul  race  released 
from  the  deceitful  world,  the  love  of  which  debases 
many  a  soul,  and  came  from  martyrdom  unto  this  rest." 

followed  by  a  retreat,  during  their  unsuccessful  attempt  to 
besiege  and  capture  Damascus.  Casini  observes  that  nothing  is 
known  in  history  of  any  participation  of  the  Florentines  in  this 
Crusade,  nor  is  it  quite  clear  how  Cacciaguida  took  service 
under  Conrad,  seeing  that  that  Emperor  is  not  known  to  have 
ever  come  to  Italy;  and  therefore  Casini  thinks  Dante  must 
have  confused  Conrad  III  with  Conrad  II  (1024-1039),  who  is 
recorded  by  Villani  (lib.  iv,  cap.  9)  to  have  been  at  Florence. 
[N.B.—  Villani  is  evidently  alluding  to  Conrad  II  (the  Salic), 
but  he  erroneously  speaks  of  him  as  "  Currado  primo  "].  See 
Chronological  Table  of  Emperors  and  Popes  in  Bryce's  The 
Holy  Roman  Empire,  London,  1889. 

END  OF  CANTO  XV. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  517 


CANTO    XVI. 


THE  FIFTH    SPHERE  :    THE    HEAVEN  OF  MARS 

(continued}.— -THE  EMPTINESS  OF  NOBLE  LINE- 
AGE. —  CACCIAGUIDA'S  ANCESTORS.  -  -  COM- 
PARISON BETWEEN  THE  GREAT  FAMILIES  OF 
ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  FLORENCE. 

IN  this  Canto  the  interview  between  Dante  and  his 
great  ancestor  continues  uninterrupted. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  9,  Dante 
declaims  against  the  vain  glory  of  noble  descent. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  10  to  v.  45, 
Cacciaguida,  in  compliance  with  Dante's  petition, 
gives  a  more  detailed  description  of  his  origin  and 
his  abode. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  46  to  v.  87,  Cac- 
ciaguida tells  Dante  something  of  the  dimensions  of 
the  City  of  Florence  in  his  day,  and  of  the  quality 
of  its  population. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  88  to  v.  154,  he 
describes  some  of  the  most  illustrious  of  the  Florentine 
families. 

Division  I.  Dante  confesses  that  he  was  not  quite 
able  to  suppress  a  feeling  of  boastfulness  as  to  his 
descent  from  so  renowned  a  knight  as  Cacciaguida, 
although  he  exclaims  against  the  emptiness  of  noble 


5 1 8  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XVI. 

blood,  unless  the  dignity  of  it  be  maintained  by  true 
nobility  and  virtue  in  successive  generations. 

O  poca  *  nostra  nobilta  di  sangue  ! 
Se  gloriar  di  te  la  gente  fai 
Quaggiu,  dove  1'  affetto  nostro  langue, 

Mirabil  cosa  non  mi  sara  mai ; 

Ch£  Ik,  dove  appetito  non  si  torce,  5 

Dico  nel  cielo,  io  me  ne  gloriai. 

Ben  sei  tu  manto  che  tosto  raccorce, 
Si  che,  se  non  s'  appon  di  die  in  die, 
Lo  tempo  va  dintorno  con  le  force,  t 

Alas  !  our  miserable  nobility  of  blood  !  If  thou  dost 
make  people  to  boast  of  thee  down  here  (i.e.  in  the 
world),  where  our  affection  is  but  feeble,  it  will  never 
be  to  me  a  marvellous  thing ;  because  there,  where 
appetite  is  not  perverted,  I  mean  in  Heaven,  I  made 
a  boast  of  it.  In  good  sooth,  art  thou  a  mantle  that 
is  quick  to  get  short,  so  that,  if  from  day  to  day  cloth 
be  not  added  (to  that  already  worn  out),  time  goeth 
round  about  thee  with  his  shears. 

When  nobility  of  race  is  handed  down  (says  Ben- 
venuto)  from  one  valiant  man  to  another,  then  it  ever 
goes  on  increasing  and  prospering ;  but  when  it 
descends  to  a  degenerate  posterity,  it  immediately 
declines  ;  and  as  a  fact  we  continually  see  the  greater 
number  of  the  illustrious  families  terminate  in  some 
wretched  vicious  imbecile  (terminantur  in  aliquo  im- 

*  O  poca,  et  seq. :  Compare  Boethius,  Phil.  Consol.  iii,  pros.  6 : 
"Jam  vero  quam  sit  inane,  quam  futile  nobilitatis  nomen,  quis 
non  videat  ?  quae  si  ad  claritudinem  refertur,  aliena  est.  Videtur 
namque  esse  nobilitasquaedam  de  meritis  veniens  laus  parentum. 
Quod  si  claritudinem  praedicatio  facit,  illi  sint  clari  necesse  est 
qui  praedicantur.  Quare  splendidum  te,  si  tuam  non  habes, 
aliena  claritudo  non  efficit.  Quod  si  quid  est  in  nobilitate  bonum, 
id  esse  arbitror  solum,  ut  imposita  nobilibus  necessitudo  vide- 
atur,  ne  a  majorum  virtute  degeneret." 

t  force  for -forbid  from  the  Latin  furcae. 


Canto  XVI.     Readings  on  the  Paradise.  519 

becilli  et  tristi  captivo).  The  succeeding  heads  of 
noble  families  must  add  their  own  great  deeds,  or  the 
prowess  of  their  ancestors  will  soon  be  forgotten. 

Division  II.  We  have  on  more  than  one  occasion 
noticed  that,  throughout  Dante's  journey  in  Hell  and 
Purgatory,  whenever  he  encountered  personages  of 
great  dignity,  he  invariably  addressed  them  with  "  voi  " 
as  a  mark  of  respect.  Farinata,  Cavalcante,  Brunetto, 
Conrad  Malaspina,  Pope  Adrian  V,  Guido  Guinicelli, 
and  Beatrice.  In  the  case  of  Guido  da  Montefeltro, 
Dante  first  addressed  him  with  "  tu"  not  knowing  who 
he  was,  and  had  no  opportunity  of  speaking  to  him 
again,  as  Guido,  after  relating  his  story,  darted  away. 
He  now  begins  to  address  Cacciaguida  with  "  voi" 
but  the  sturdy  old  Crusader  shows  great  contempt  for 
so  modern  a  usage,  and  Beatrice  contrives  to  give 
Dante  a  hint  that  he  has  been  guilty  of  an  error. 

Dal  Voi,*  che  prima  Roma  sofferfe,  10 

In  che  la  sua  famiglia  men  persevra,t 

Ricominciaron  le  parole  mie. 
Onde  Beatrice,  ch'  era  un  poco  scevra, 

Ridendo,  parve  quella  che  tossfoj 

Al  primo  fallo  scritto  di  Ginevra.  15 

*  Dal  Voi:  The  use  of  "You"  for  "Thou"  is  said  to  have 
been  introduced  by  the  Romans  in  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar. 
On  this  the  Ottimo :  "Tornando  Giulio  Cesare  vincitore  in  ogni 
parte  del  mondo,  e  ricevendo  gli  onori  de"  triunfi  dell'  avute  vit- 
torie,  li  Romani  soffersono  primamente  di  dire  a  lui,  uno  uomo, 
i'oi;  la  qual  cosa  li  Romani  fecero  piu  per  paura  e  per  servile 
onore,  che  per  affettuosa  reverenza." 

t  men  persevra :  Casini  remarks  that  the  Romans  have  always 
used  tit  more  than  other  Italians,  and  do  so  still:  "nel  quale 
uso  del  voi  \  romani  hanno  perseverato  meno  d'ogni  altra  cit- 
tadinanza  italiana:  'tueggiano  ogni  persona,'  dice  51  Lana,  ed  e 
uso  vivo  anche  oggi." 

+  parve  quella  che  tossfo :  Dante  appears  to  have  read  this 


520  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

With  the  You,  which  Rome  was  the  first  to  tolerate, 
(a  usage)  in  which  its  people  does  not  persevere  as 
much  (now),  did  my  words  begin  again.  Whereupon 
Beatrice,  who  was  standing  a  little  on  one  side,  smiling 
appeared  like  her  (La  Dame  de  Mallehault)  who 
coughed  at  the  first  offence  that  was  written  of 
Guenevere. 

On  the  words  quella  che  tossio  et  seq.,  Benvenuto 
writes  :  "  idest,  ad  osculum  quod  fuit  primum  fallum 
amoris  Genevrae,  de  quo  scriptum  est  in  Inferno. 
Cum  enim  Lancillottus  pervenisset  ad  colloquium 
cum  regina  Genevra  opera  principis  Galeoti,  nee 
auderet  prae  nimio  pudore  pandere  flammam  amoris 
sui,  princeps  Galeotus  interposuit  se,  et  fecit  eos  per- 
venire  ad  osculum:  tune  quaedam  domina  nomine 
Damma  socia  reginae  perpendens  de  actu,  tussivit  et 
spuitty,  quasi  dicens  :  bene  te  video  ;  ita  in  proposito 
Beatrix  risit  nunc,  quasi  dicat :  bene  audio  te,  vel  tu 
bene  audiris,  cave  quod  dicas."  Beatrice  probably 
smiled  at  the  human  weakness  of  Dante,  who,  out  of 
the  mere  vain-gloriousness  of  his  nobility,  addressed 
his  ancestor  with  the  "  Voi" 

Dante,  after  first  bespeaking  the  good  will  of  his 
ancestor  with  expressions  of  affection  and  confidence, 
puts  certain  questions  to  him  as  to  his  family,  his 
residence,  the  date  of  his  birth,  as  to  the  Florence  of 

story  in  some  different  version  from  what  is  known  in  our  time. 
Lana  gives  an  account  of  the  rendez-vous  between  Queen  Guene- 
vere and  Lancelot,  from  which  I  extract  the  following  passage  : 
"Or  Lancilotto  costretto  da  amore  stava  timido  apresso  la  reina, 
ne  parlava,  ne  s'  argomentava  di  fare  altro.  La  donna  di  Manoalt 
[Mallehault~\  si  come  ricordata  e  che  cognosceva  lo  luogo  e  per 
che  dove  erano,  tossio  e  fe'  cenno  a  Lancilotto  che  dovesse  pren- 
dere  alcuno  diletto,  ond'  ello  cosi  favoreggiato  gitto  il  braccio  al 
collo  alia  reina  e  baciolla." 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  521 

his  days,  and  as  to  the  more  distinguished  families 
in  it. 

lo  cominciai : — "  Voi  siete  il  padre  mio, 
Voi  mi  date  a  parlar  tutta  baldezza,* 
Voi  mi  levate  si  ch'  io  son  piu  ch'  io. 

Per  tanti  rivi  s'  empie  d'  allegrezza 

La  mente  mia,  die  di  s£  fa  letizia,  20 

Perche  pub  sostener  che  non  si  spezza. 

Ditemi  dunque,  cara  mia  primizia,t 

Quai  fur  li  vostri  antichi,  e  quai  fur  gli  anni 
Che  si  segnaro  in  vostra  puerizia. 

Ditemi  dell' ovil  di  San  Giovanni  +  25 

Quanto  era  allora,  e  chi  eran  le  genti 
Tra  esso  degne  di  piu  alti  scanni." — 


*  baldezza:  Compare  Par.  xxxii,  109-111: 

" Baldezza  e  leggiadria, 

Quanta  esser  puo  in  Angelo  ed  in  alma, 
Tutta  £  in  lui,  e  si  volem  che  sia." 
and  Inf.  viii,  118,  119  : 

"  Gli  occhi  alia  terra,  e  le  ciglia  avea  rase 
D'ogni  baldanza." 

t  primizia :  Compare  Par.  xxv,  13-15: 
"  Indi  si  mosse  un  lume  verso  noi 

Di  quella  spera  ond'  usci  la  primizia 
Che  lascio  Cristo  dei  vicarii  suoi." 

primizia  is  capo-stipitc,  the  original  root  of  the  ancestral  tree, 
or  progenitore.  Dante  so  styles  Cacciaguida,  for  we  must  re- 
member that  Dante  knew  no  older  ancestors,  nor  does  history 
record  any. 

t  ovil  di  San  Giovanni:  Compare  the  touching  lines  in  /'</;. 
xxv,  1-6,  in  which  Dante  indulges  in  a  faint  hope,  unhappily 
never  fulfilled,  that  his  sacred  poem  would  obtain  for  him  a  re- 
mission of  his  unjust  sentence  of  banishment,  and  enable  him 
to  return  (11.  5,  6)  to  the 

"...  bello  ovil,  dov' io  dormii  agnello 
Nimico  ai  lupi  che  gli  danno  guerra." 

Giovanni  Villani  (iv,  cap.  io)  says  of  the  district  of  the  Cathedral, 
(and  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  great  Church  of  Santa 
Maria  del  Fiore  had  not  then  been  built,  but  the  present  Bap- 
tistery was  then  the  Cathedral) :  "E  prima  quelli  della  porta  del 
Duomo  che  fu  il  primo  ovile  e  stazzo  della  rifatta  Firenze,"  etc. 


522  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

I  began :  "  You  are  my  Sire,  you  give  me  all  con- 
fidence to  speak,  you  uplift  me  so  that  I  am  more 
than  myself.  Through  so  many  streams  is  my  mind 
filled  with  gladness,  that  it  makes  a  joy  of  itself  (i.e. 
it  converts  its  whole  being  into  joy),  because  it  can 
endure  this  and  not  burst.  Tell  me  then  my  beloved 
ancestral  root,  who  your  ancestors  were,  and  what 
were  the  years  that  were  chronicled  in  your  boyhood. 
Tell  me  of  the  sheepfold  of  San  Giovanni  (i.e.  Flo- 
rence), of  what  size  was  it  then,  and  which  were  the 
families  within  it  worthy  of  the  higher  degrees  (of 
honour)." 

Scanni  properly  means  seats  in  an  amphitheatre 
that  rise  one  above  another,  but  Benvenuto  translates 
degne  di  piu  alti  scanni,  "  idest,  majoribus  gradibus 
honorum." 

We  have  noticed  that  Dante  has  asked  four  ques- 
tions. 

(1)  Who  were  Cacciaguida's  ancestors? 

(2)  In  what  year  was  he  born  ? 

(3)  What  was  the  population  of  Florence  in  his 

time  ? 

(4)  And  who  were  its  most  honourable  citizens  ? 
Before  replying,  the  spirit  of  Cacciaguida  shows 

his  delight  by  an  increase  of  radiant  light.  He 
answers  the  second  question,  and  tells  Dante  that  he 
was  born  on  the  25th  January,  1091. 

Come  s'avviva*  allo  spirar  dei  venti 


*  Come  S?  a-vviva  .  .  .  Carbone  in  fiamma :  Compare  Par.  xiv, 

52-55  : 

"  Ma  si  come  carbon  che  fiamma  rende, 
E  per  vivo  candor  quella  soperchia 
Si,  che  la  sua  parvenza  si  difende, 
Cosi  questo  fulgor." 
and  Par.  xix,  19-21 : 

"  Cosi  un  sol  calor  di  incite  brage 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  523 

Carbone  in  fiamma,  cosi  vidi  quella 

Luce  risplendere  a'  miei  blandimenti :  30 

E  come  agli  occhi  miei  si  fe'  piu  bella, 

Cosi  con  voce  piu  dolce  e  soave, 

Ma  non  con  questa  moderna  favella,* 
Dissemi  : — "  Da  quel  dif  che  fu  detto  AVE, 

Al  parto  in  che  mia  madre,  ch'  e  or  santa,  35 

S'  allevio  di  me  ond'  era  grave, 
Al  suo  Leon  cinquecento  cinquanta 

E  trenta  fiate  venne  questo  foco 

A  rinfiammarsi  sotto  la  sua  pianta. 

Si  fa  sentir,  come  di  molti  amori 
Usciva  solo  un  suon  di  quella  image." 

L.  Venturi  (Simil.,  Dant.,  p.  53,  Sim.  85)  remarks  that  the  simile 
in  the  text  contains  the  idea  separately  indicated  in  the  two 
above  illustrations,  of  describing  together  the  glow  and  the 
heat  produced  by  the  lighted  coal.  Compare  Ovid,  Metam.  vii, 
79-81: 

"  Ut  solet  a  vends  alimenta  assumere,  quaeque 
Parva  sub  inducta  latuit  scintilla  favilla, 
Crescere,  et  in  veteres  agitata  resurgere  vires." 

*  questa  moderna  favella  :  Some  Commentators  think  that 
Cacciaguida  spoke  in  Latin,  and  that  the  moderna  favella  meant 
the  Tuscan  idiom,  but  I  much  prefer  Casini's  views  on  the 
subject,  who  says :  "  In  short  Cacciaguida  was  speaking  in  the 
Florentine  dialect,  neither  more  nor  less  than  other  fellow- 
citizens  of  his  whom  Dante  encounters  in  the  three  kingdoms 
of  departed  spirits  ;  only,  as  he  lived  nearly  two  centuries  before 
Dante,  his  language  would  be  far  more  archaic  in  its  expressions, 
and  would  have  considerable  dissimilarity  from  the  ordinary 
speech  of  Florentines  in  Dante's  days. 

t  Da  quel  dl,  et  seq.  :  The  meaning  of  the  passage  is  that  the 
planet  Mars  had  returned  to  the  sign  of  the  Lion  (Leo)  500  +  50 
+  30  =  580  times  from  the  Incarnation  of  Christ  to  Caccia- 
guida's  own  birth,  by  which  we  are  to  understand  that  the 
planet  in  its  orbit  had  made  580  revolutions.  Brunette  Latini 
(Li  Tresors,  livre  i,  part  iii,  chap,  cxi)  says  :  "  Mars  est  chaus  et 
bataillereus,  et  mauvais,  et  est  apelez  Diex  de  batailles  ;  et  va 
par  tous  les  XII  signes  en  ii  ans  et  i  mois  et  XXX  jors,  et 
parfet  et  accomplist  son  cours  en  ii  anz  et  demi,  po  s'  en  faut." 
This  would  make  Cacciaguida  born  long  after  the  crusade  in 
which  he  died.  But  Dante,  who  had  studied  the  Almagesto  of 
Ptolemy,  and  had  perhaps  seen  the  astronomical  tables  of  King 


524  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

As  at  the  breathing  of  the  winds  a  coal  is  quickened 
into  flame,  so  saw  I  that  light  become  resplendent  at 
ray  words  of  endearment :  and  as  to  my  eyes  it  be- 
came more  fair,  so  with  a  voice  more  gentle  and  soft, 
but  not  in  this  modern  dialect,  it  said  to  me :  "From 
the  day  (of  the  Annunciation)  on  which  Ave  was 
uttered,  to  the  child-birth  in  which  my  mother  who 
is  now  a  Saint  was  delivered  of  me  with  whom  she 
had  been  burdened,  this  fire  (i.e.  the  planet  Mars) 
had  returned  to  its  own  Lion  (i.e.  the  sign  of  Leo) 
five  hundred  and  fifty  and  thirty  times  to  be  re- 
kindled underneath  its  paw. 

Cacciaguida  then  answers  Dante's  question  as  to  who 
were  his  ancestors,  telling  him  that  they,  and  he  like- 
wise, were  born  in  the  Sesto  di  Porta  San  Piero  ;  and 
his  reason  for  accentuating  this  circumstance  was  that 
the  having  one's  houses  within  the  primitive  circuit 
was  a  distinct  proof  of  ancient  citizenship. 

Gli  antichi  miei*  ed  io  nacqui  nel  loco  40 

Dove  si  trova  pria  1'  ultimo  sesto 
Da  quel  che  corre  il  vostro  annual  gioco.t 

Basti  de'  miei  maggiori  udirne  questo  ; 

Alfonso  of  Castille,  knew  the  subject  better  than  his  school- 
master, and  was  aware  that  the  period  of  a  revolution  of  Mars 
is  less  than  two  years.  Witte  cites  these  tables  in  his  notes, 
and  says  they  give  686  days  22  hours  and  24  minutes,  and  that, 
having  regard  to  the  leap  years,  580  such  revolutions  give  1090 
years  and  something  under  four  months.  According  to  this 
Cacciaguida  at  the  time  of  the  second  crusade,  was  in  his 
fifty-seventh  year.  Some  read  "  cinque  cento  e  cinquanta  e  tre 
[instead  of  trenta\  f'iate,"  etc.  See  article  on  "  The  Astronomy 
of  Dante"  in  The  Quarterly  Review,  April,  1898,  in  which 
(pp.  512,  513)  this  passage  is  specially  mentioned. 

*  Gli  antichi  miei,  et  seq. :  This  is  the  answer  to  Dante's 
question  (1.  23)  Quatfdr  It  vostri  antichi  ? 

t  annual gioco :  The  Festa  di  San  Giovanni  on  the  24th  June 
is  still  observed  with  great  ceremony.  The  horse  racing  is,  I 
think,  now  discontinued,  though  I  myself  witnessed  it  in  1854. 
Fireworks  and  splendid  illuminations,  however,  are  to  be  seen 
every  year. 


Canto  xvi.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  525 

Chi  ei  si  furo,*  ed  onde  venner  quivi, 

Piu  e  tacer  che  ragionare  onesto.  45 

My  ancestors  and  I  were  born  in  that  spot  where  is 
first  encountered  the  last  ward  (of  the  city)  by  him 
who  runs  in  your  annual  game.  Of  my  ancestors 
suffice  it  for  thee  to  hear  thus  much  ;  as  to  who  they 
were,  and  from  whence  they  came  hither,  it  is  more 
honourable  to  be  silent  than  to  discourse. 

Benvenuto  observes  :  "  You  must  know,  that  it  is  a 
custom  every  year  at  Florence  for  horses  to  be  run  in 
races  for  a  prize  in  token  of  festal  rejoicing,  a  custom 
which  we  also  find  prevails  in  many  cities  in  Italy : 
and  this  is  an  exceedingly  ancient  usage  both  among 
the  Greeks  and  the  Romans.  Those  who  ran  in  the 
race  passed  in  front  of  the  houses  of  the  Elisei  at  the 
commencement  of  the  last  ward,  and  near  the  Mercato 
Vecchio,  which  is  an  ancient  place  for  merchants  and 
dealers,  as  are  the  Rialto  (Rivus  altus]  at  Venice, 
and  the  Carobbio  at  Bologna.  And  mark,  that  in 
olden  time  there  used  to  stand  near  the  houses  of  the 
Elisei  a  triumphal  arch,  by  taking  sanctuary  under 
which  criminals  had  immunity ;  so  great  was  the  pri- 
vilege of  nobility  enjoyed  by  the  Elisei." 

Division  III.  Cacciaguida,  replying  to  Dante's 
petition,  Ditemi  dell'  ovil  di  San  Giovanni  (1.  25), 
tells  him  distinctly  that  the  population  of  Florence 
in  his  time  (1106)  was  just  one-fifth  (about  14,000)  of 
what  it  was  in  1300  (about  70,000). 

*  Chi  ei  si  furo,  etc.  :  Brunone  Bianchi  suggests  two  reasons 
for  Cacciaguida's  reticence  about  his  ancestors  :  "  Forse  per 
modestia  non  vuole  entrare  nei  suoi  antichi  che  egli  crede  di 
origine  romana.  E  fors'  anche  se  ne  vergogna,  perchfe  disceso 
di  quei  Frangipani  che  tradirono  Corradino,  dandolo  in  mano  a 
Carlo  d'Angib." 


526  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XVI. 

Tutti  color  ch'  a  quel  tempo  eran  ivi 

Da  poter  arme*  tra  Marte  e  il  Batista,t 
Erano  il  quinto  di  quei  che  son  vivi. 

All  those  who  at  that  time  were  there  between  Mars 
and  the  Baptist  (i.e.  between  the  Ponte  Vecchio  and 
the  Baptistery),  able  to  bear  arms,  were  the  fifth  of 
those  who  are  now  living. 

But  in  answering  the  question,  Chi  eran  le  genti  tra 
esso  degne  di  piii  alti  scanni  (11.  26,  27),  Cacciaguida 
says  in  effect  :  "  Yes,  they  were  only  the  fifth  of  the 
present  population,  but  they  were  all  Florentines 
without  any  admixture  of  blood  with  the  people  of 
the  neighbouring  countryside." 

Ma  la  cittadinanza,  ch'  e  or  mista 

*  Da  poter  arme :  Others  read  portar,  which  Dr.  Moore  found 
in  54  MSS.,  whereas  he  found  poter  in  106  MSS.  In  Textual 
Criticism,  p.  465,  he  says  :  "  That  the  slightly  unusual  expression 
poter  arme  is  the  original  reading,  for  which  the  obvious  and 
common-place  portar  arme  has  been  substituted,  scarcely  needs 
argument.  Several  instances  of  this  quasi-elliptic  use  of  potere 
will  be  found  in  the  Dictionary.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  dis- 
tinctly facilior  lectio  '  portare '  is  found  only  in  about  one-third 
of  the  MSS.  examined,  nor  does  it  seem  to  have  found  much 
favour  in  Editions."  Buti  writes  that  those  able  to  bear  arms 
were  "  uomini  fatti  da  diciotto  anni  in  su  e  da  70  in  giu." 
Casini  remarks  that  the  verb  potere,  as  used  in  the  text,  is  not 
rare,  and  he  quotes  an  instance  (without  reference),  from  Sac- 
chetti,  Novelle :  "  Gli  parve  troppo  giovane  da  non  potere 
a'  disagi  del  mare."  i.e.  da  non  poter  resistere. 

t  tra  Marte  e  il  Batista  :  In  the  Florence  of  Cacciaguida  the 
Oltrarno,  i.e.  that  part  of  the  city  beyond  the  river,  where  the 
Palazzo  Pitti  is  now,  was  not  included  in  the  circuit,  and  was 
but  sparsely  inhabited.  See  Villani,  iv,  cap.  14:  "  Oltrarno  non 
avea  in  quei  tempi  gente  di  legnaggio  n£  di  rinomo,  perocche, 
come  avemo  detto  addietro,  e'non  era  della  cittk  antica,  ma 
borghi  abitati  di  vili  e  minute  genti."  Fraticelli  observes  that  the 
piccolo  cerchio  delle  mura  extended  from  south  to  north  from 
the  Ponte  Vecchio,  where  stood  the  statue  of  Mars  (Inf. 
xiii,  144,  and  see  notes  thereupon  in  Readings  on  the  lnferno\  to 
the  Church  of  San  Giovanni ;  and  it  extended  from  San  Piero  on 
the  east  to  San  Pancrazio  on  the  west. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  527 

Di  Campi,  di  Certaldo  e  di  Fighine,*  50 

Pura  vedeasi  nell'  ultimo  artista. 

But  the  community,  which  is  now  mixed  with  Campi, 
with  Certaldo,  and  with  Fighine,  was  then  to  be  seen 
pure  in  the  lowest  artizan. 

Benvenuto  explains  nell'  ultiuo  artista  in  pretty 
definite  language :  "  id  est  in  vilissimo  artifice,  sicut 
in  eo  qui  purgat  cloacas." 

Cacciaguida  exclaims  how  much  better  it  would 
have  been  for  Florence  had  she  not  extended  her 
boundaries  and  included  in  them,  as  she  did  in 
Dante's  time,  the  country  towns  in  the  Val  di 
Bisenzio,  the  Val  d'Elsa,  and  the  Valdarno  ;  for  the 
new  citizens,  thus  brought  in,  contained  among  them 
many  enriched  plebeians  at  whose  hands  the  purity 
of  the  public  offices  greatly  suffered. 

O  quanto  fora  meglio  esser  vicine 

Quelle  genti  ch'io  dico,  ed  al  Galluzzot 

*  Di  Campi,  di  Certaldo  e  di  Fighine :  Campi  in  the  Val  di 
Bisenzio,  Certaldo  in  the  Val  d'  Elsa,  and  Figline  (then  Fighine) 
in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Arno  were  all  small  boroughs  in  the 
district  round  Florence.  Casini  thinks  that  Dante's  reference 
to  them  is  by  no  means  accidental,  for  he  would  in  writing  of 
Figline  recollect  that  from  it  came  the  two  brothers  Franzesi, 
usurers  and  evil  counsellors  of  the  King  of  France,  and  who 
returned  to  Florence  with  Charles  de  Valois.  From  the  same 
place  came  Baldo  Fini,  a  doctor  of  laws  whom  the  Neri  sent  in 
1311  to  stir  up  the  King  of  France  against  the  Emperor 
Henry  VII.  Dante  would  recollect  that  from  Certaldo  came 
that  judge  Jacopo  d'  Ildebrandino,  who  was  one  of  the  Priori  in 
1289,  and  later  on  one  of  the  greatest  intriguers  among  the 
Neri,  the  party  to  whom  Dante  owed  his  exile.  Certaldo,  we  may 
remark,  was,  according  to  some,  the  birth-place  of  Boccaccio, 
though  most  people  think  it  was  at  Paris  that  he  first  saw  the 
light.  Any  how  he  is  always  spoken  of  by  Benvenuto  as  "  my 
revered  teacher  Boccaccio  di  Certaldo,"  and  he  died  there  in 
1375- 

t  Galuzzo  is  a  village  2  miles  from  Florence  on  the  Siena  road. 


528  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XVI. 

Ed  a  Trespiano*  aver  vostro  confine, 
Che  averle  dentro,  e  sostener  lo  puzzo  55 

Del  villan  d'  Aguglion,t  di  quel  da  Signa, J 
Che  gia  per  barattar  ha  1'  occhio  aguzzo ! 

O  how  much  better  were  it  for  the  people  that  I  name 
to  be  (your)  neighbours,  and  to  have  your  boundaries 
at  Galuzzo  and  at  Trespiano,  than  having  them  with- 
in (the  city  boundaries),  and  having  to  endure  the 

*  Trespiano  is  well  known  to  modern  residents  at  Florence. 
As  the  traveller  from  Florence  to  Bologna  slowly  ascends  the 
high  road  not  far  from  the  summit  of  the  height,  on  the  hill  to 
his  right  hand  is  Trespiano,  now  the  public  cemetery.  It  is 
about  3  miles  from  Florence. 

t  villan  d'  Aguglion:  Messer  Baldo  d'  Aguglione  was  a  man  of 
low  birth,  who  during  Dante's  lifetime  exercised  great  authority 
at  Florence.  To  conceal  some  delinquency  that  they  had  com- 
mitted, he,  together  with  Messer  Niccolo  Acciajuoli  tore  out  a 
leaf  from  the  public  ledger.  In  Purg.  xii,  105,  Dante  makes 
allusion  to  this  and  other  frauds,  which  appear  to  have  been 
perpetrated  during  his  exile.  Of  this  man  see  Del  Lungo, 
Dante  ne1  tempi  di  Dante,  Bologna,  1888,  p.  67:  "Dall'agita- 
zione  democratica  del  '93  al  trionfo  di  parte  Guelfa  contro 
P  Impero  del  1312,  il  nome  di  messer  Baldo,  che  fu  del  supremo 
magistrate  sei  volte  e  piu  altre  ambasciatore  e  sindaco  del 
Comune,  e  sempre  dei  piu  operosi  e  autorevoli  ne'  Consigli, 
ricorre  quasi  ad  ogni  pagina  della  storia  di  Firenze  guelfa.  In 
questo  villan  d' Aguglione,  di  famiglia  ghibellina,  Firenze  guelfa 
ebbe  il  formulatore,  del  suo  giure  con  gli  Ordinamenti  di 
Giustizia,  e  1'  esecutore  delle  sue  vendette  con  la  Riformagione 
contro  coloro  che  maledetti  per  Ghibellini  espiarono  essi  soli  i 
comuni  peccati." 

I  quel  da  Signa :  Messer  Fazio  (or  Bonifazio)  dei  Moru- 
baldini  of  Signa  was  a  doctor  of  laws.  At  the  time  of  the  schism 
in  the  Guelph  party  he  was  a  great  intriguer.  He  took  part 
with  the  Bianchi  until  their  overthrow,  and  then  he  and  other 
traitors  to  their  party  passed  over  to  the  side  of  the  Neri,  and 
as  Dino  Compagni  (Cron.  ii,  23)  contemptuously  observes  of  their 
reception  by  the  Neri  :  "furono  ricevuti  .  .  .  solo  per  malfare." 
Fazio  was  four  times  one  of  the  Priori,  and  in  1316  was  Gon- 
faloniere  della  Giustizia.  In  1310  he  was  sent  as  ambassador 
to  Pope  Clement  V  to  stir  up  difficulties  between  that  Pontiff 
and  the  Emperor  Henry  VII.  In  this  he  seems  to  have  been 
highly  successful,  and  his  name  appears  in  a  long  list  of  persons 
condemned  by  the  Emperor  in  1313. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  529 

stench  of  that  low-born  miscreant  d'Aguglione,  and 
him  of  Signa,  who  already  has  his  eyes  sharp-set  for 
trafficking. 

All  these  terrible  evils  were,  in  Cacciaguida's 
opinion,  due  to  the  dissensions  that  existed  between 
the  Empire  and  the  Roman  Curia.  Owing  to  these, 
all  secular  authority  had  been  lost  in  Italy,  and  the 
powerful  families  whose  strongholds  were  at  a  dis- 
tance frcm  Florence,  being  dispossessed  of  them  by 
the  Florentines,  were  driven  into  the  city  itself,  where 
in  their  turn  they  became  the  leaders  of  civil  war  and 
disturbance. 

Se  la  gente  ch'  al  mondo  piu  traligna,* 

Non  fosse  stata  a  Cesare  noverca, 

Ma  come  madre  a  suo  figliuol,  benigna,  60 

Tal  fatto  e  Fiorentino,  e  cambia  e  merca, 

Che  si  sarebbe  volto  a  Simifonti,t 

*  la  gente  cK  al  mondo  piu  traligna:  Not  the  Florentines,  as 
Blanc,  nor  the  Guelphs,  as  Witte,  would  contend  (for  how  could 
the  Emperor  be  styled  step-son  to  either),  but  the  priesthood, 
whom  Dante  denounces  for  the  same  offence  of  hostility  to  the 
Empire  in  Purg.  vi,  91-93: 

"  Ahi  gente,  che  dovresti  esser  devota, 
E  lasciar  seder  Cesare  in  la  sella, 
Se  bene  intendi  cio  che  Uio  ti  nota!" 

It  is  to  them,  the  transgressing  pastors  of  the  Church,  that 
Dante  is  here  referring,  to  them  who  were  neglecting  both  their 
duties  ;  for  they  were  neither  rendering  unto  Caesar  the  things 
which  were  Caesar's  nor  unto  God  the  things  which  were  God's. 
The  relationships  of  step-mother  and  real  mother  in  1.  60,  arc 
put  in  strong  antithesis  to  each  other. 

\  Simifonti,  for  Semifonte,  which  was  a  strongly  fortified 
castle  in  the  Val  d'Elsa,  was  destroyed  by  the  Florentines  in 
1302.  It  is  very  doubtful  to  whom  Dante  is  referring  in  these 
two  lines,  but,  as  Buti  remarks,  it  is  evidently  a  pointed  allusion 
to  some  well-known  person:  "di  cui  dica,  non  ho  trovato  ;  ma 
certo  e  che  di  qualche  grande  e  nominate  cittadino  intese 
1'  autore."  Probably  it  was  a  hit  at  some  parvenu,  who  was  dis- 
playing his  wealth  at  Florence,  while  it  was  known  that  his  fore- 
fathers had  been  mendicants. 

I.  M  M 


53°  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XVI. 

La  dove  andava  1'  avolo  alia  cerca.* 
Sariasi  Montemurlot  ancor  dei  Conti; 

Sariansi  i  Cerchi  nel  pivier  d' Acone,J  65 

E  forse  in  Valdigreve  i  Buondelmonti.§ 

*  alia  cerca  :  "  Andare  alia  cerca  "  is  a  regular  idiom,  chiefly 
applied  to  mendicant  friars,  going  their  rounds  soliciting  arms. 
In  the  Promessi  Sposi,  by  Aless.  Manzoni,  cap.  iii,  Fra  Galdino, 
a  Capuchin  Friar,  is  depicted  coming  in  with  a  sack  in  which  to 
receive  eleemosynary  contributions  of  walnuts  from  the  peasants, 
and  is  mentioned  as  having  come,  "alia  cerca  delle  noci." 

t  Montemurlo :  This  castle  is  still  in  existence,  a  prominent 
object  in  the  landscape,  on  the  right  hand  of  those  who  travel 
by  the  railway  between  Florence  and  Pistoja.  In  olden  times 
it  belonged  to  the  Conti  Guidi,  but  in  1254,  being  unable  to 
defend  it  against  the  Pistojese,  they  sold  it  to  the  Florentines. 
On  this  sale  Brunone  Bianchi  remarks  :  "  Se  dunque  la  Toscana 
fosse  stata  retta  per  1'  imperatore,  i  Guidi  non  sarebbero  stati 
costretti  a  vendere  il  castello,  per  cui  poi  tante  discordie  ebbero 
luogo." 

I  i  Cerchi  nel  pivier  d'  Acone :  The  parish  of  Acone  was  in 
the  Val  di  Sieve.  We  shall  see  by  the  following  passage  from 
the  Ottimo  that,  owing  to  the  capture  and  destruction  of  their 
castle,  the  Cerchi  were  driven  into  Florence,  and,  as  is  well 
known,  the  feud  between  them  and  the  Donati  was  the  cause  of 
the  death  of  Buondelmonte,  and  of  the  subsequent  division  of 
the  Guelph  party :  "  I  Cerchi  .  .  .  al  tempo  dell'  Autore  erano 
in  grandi  ricchezze  e  stato  di  cittadinanza,  li  quali  furono  della 
contrada  detta  oggi  Piviere  d'  Acone,  la  quale  per  lo  castello  di 
Monte  di  Croce,  ch'.e  in  quello  piviere,  ebbe  molte  guerre  col 
comune  di  Firenze  :  finalmente  nel  mille  cento  cinquanta  tre  li 
Fiorentini  presero  e  disfecero  il  detto  castello;  di  che  piii 
uomini  della  contrada  vennero  ad  abitare  la  cittk  di  Firenze,  in 
fra  i  quali  furono  i  Cerchi,  la  cui  cittadinanza  1'  Autore  biasima, 
pero  che  furono  cagione  di  divisione  e  principalmente  di  setta, 
detta  Parte  Bianca;  de' quali  fu  1' Autore  maleavventurata- 
mente."  {Ottimo).  After  their  entrance  into  the  city  they  betook 
themselves  to  commerce,  amassed  great  wealth,  and,  having 
bought  the  palaces  of  the  Counts  Guidi  in  1280,  became  the 
possessors  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Ward  of  San  Piero. 

§  in  Valdigreve  i  Buondelmonti :  The  principal  abode  of  the 
Buondelmonti  was  the  castle  of  Montebuoni  in  the  Val  di  Greve, 
a  valley  which  takes  its  name  from  the  little  river  Greve,  which 
runs  from  the  country  town,  also  called  Greve,  and  flows  into 
the  Arno  to  the  East  of  Empoli.  The  Buondelmonti,  like  the 
Cerchi,  were  dispossessed  of  their  stronghold  by  the  Florentines, 


Canto  XVI.       Readings  on  the  Par adiso.  531 

If  the  people  who  in  the  world  are  most  degenerate 
(i.e.  the  clergy),  had  not  been  to  Caesar  (i.e.  the  Em- 
pire) a  step-mother,  but  kind,  as  a  mother  to  her  own 
son,  a  certain  person  there  is,  who  has  become  a 
Florentine  and  barters  and  trades,  who  would  have 
been  turned  back  to  Simifonti,  there  where  his  grand- 
sire  used  to  go  round  seeking  alms.  Montemurlo 
would  still  belong  to  the  Counts  (Guidi) ;  the  Cerchi 
would  be  in  the  parish  of  Acone,  and  perchance  the 
Buondelmonti  in  the  Val  di  Greve. 

He  then  sternly  declares  that  corruption  first  en- 
tered into  Florence  by  "  the  confusion  of  persons,"  by 
the  different  habits  that  were  introduced,  and  by  the 
arrogance  which  is  always  to  be  found  in  upstarts 
that  have  been  suddenly  raised  from  a  low  to  a  high 
position. 

Sempre  la  confusion  delle  persone* 

and  hence  their  residence  at  Florence,  which  (11.  140-144)  Dante 
laments  should  ever  have  been  brought  about.  Villani  (lib.  iv, 
cap.  36)  thus  speaks  of  them:  "  Nelli  anni  di  Cristo  MCXXXV 
essendo  in  pie  il  castello  di  Montebuoni  il  quale  era  molto  forte, 
c  era  di  que'  della  casa  de'  Buondelmonti,  i  quali  erano  Cattani 
[see  end  of  note\  e  antichi  gentili  uomini  di  contado,  e  per  lo 
nome  del  detto  castello  avea  nome  la  casa  de'  Buondelmonti,  e 
per  la  forza  di  quello  toglieano  i  passaggi ;  la  qual  cosa  a'  Fio- 
rentini  non  piacendo,  ne  volendo  si  fatta  fortezza  presso  alia 
citta,  v1  andarono  a  oste  del  mese  di  giugno,  e  ebbono  a  patti, 
che  '1  castello  si  disfacesse,  e  1'altre  possession!  rimanessero 
a'detti  Cattani,  e  tornasscro  abitanti  in  Firenze.  [N.B.  tornassero 
here  is  not,  'should  return,'  but  'should  change  their  residence 
and  become' (inhabitants  of  Florence).  This  is  a  regular  idiom 
at  Florence].  E  cosi  cominci6  il  comune  di  Firenze  a  dilatarsi 
con  forza  piu  che  con  ragione,  crescendo  il  contado,  e  sottomet- 
tendolo  a  sua  giurisdizione,  e  mettendo  sotto  sua  signoria  mold 
nobili  contadini,  e  disfacendo  molte  fortezze  del  contado."  N.B. 
The  word  "  Cattano  "  is  explained  by  the  Gran  Dizionario  to 
have  been  a  regular  mediaeval  title,  as  much  so  as  Duke  or 
Marquess,  and  was  something  between  a  Vavassoranda  Baron. 
In  Worcester's  Dictionary  of  the  English  Language,  s.  v.  Vava- 
sor, I  find :  Valvasores  was  sometimes  used  to  denote  those  who 
held  immediately  of  the  king,  otherwise  called  capitanei. 
*  Confusion  delle  persone :  This  utterance  is  but  the  echo  of 
M  M  2 


532  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  XVI. 

Principio  fu  del  mal  della  cittade, 
Come  del  corpo  il  cibo  che  s'  appone. 
E  cieco  toro*  p'iii  avacciot  cade  70 

Che  '1  cieco  agnello,  e  molte  volte  taglia 
Piu  e  meglio*  una  che  le  cinque  spade. 

Ever  was  the  intermingling  of  populations  the  be- 
ginning of  the  City's  adversity,  as  in  the  body  the 
food  that  is  eaten  in  excess.  And  a  blind  bull  falls 

Dante's  explosion  of  indignant  wrath  (Inf.  xvi,  73-75)  when 
answering  Jacopo  Rusticucci's  question  as  to  whether  Liberality 
and  Worth  still  have  their  abode  in  Florence.  Dante  with 
bold  decision  (con  faccia  levatd)  replies,  addressing  the  city 
itself. 

"  La  gente  nuova,  e  i  subiti  guadagni, 

Orgoglio  e  dismisura  han  generata, 
Fiorenza,  in  te,  si  che  tu  gia  ten  piagni." 

*  cieco  toro,  et  seq. :  L.  Venturi  (Simil.  Dant.  p.  141,  142,  Sim. 
237),  discusses  these  two  metaphors  :  "Con  le  due  immagini  poi 
del  toro  e  della  spada  esprime  che  il  crescere  della  popolazione, 
anzichfe  render  migliore  e  piu  forte  la  citta,  spesso  nei  civili 
negozi  la  peggiora  e  la  indebolisce.  II  cieco  toro  rappresenta  la 
forza  senza  il  senno  (Compare  Wisdom  vi,  i).  E  \  una  spada 
significa  che  un  solo  prode  [man  of  prowess]  giova  meglio  che 
molti  men  valorosi  alia  salute  della  patria."  Compare  Ecclus. 
xvi,  5.  (Vulgate):  "Ab  uno  sensato  inhabitabitur  patria  ;  tribus 
impiorum  deseretur." 

t  avaccio :  The  Gran  Dizionario  says  this  now  obsolete  word 
is  an  adverb  for  avacciatamente  and  means  "  very  shortly, 
huriedly."  We  find  it  in  Inf.  x,  116,  117,  where  Dante,  being 
summoned  away  by  Virgil,  hurriedly  asks  Farinata  who  are  his 
companions  : 

"  Perch'  io  pregai  lo  spirto  piu  avaccio 
Che  mi  dicesse  chi  con  lui  si  stava." 

and  Inf.  xxxiii,  106,  107. 

"  Avaccio  sarai  dove 
[quickly  shall  thou  have  reached  a  spot  where] 

Di  cio  ti  fara  1'occhio  la  risposta." 
Compare  Burchiello,  Sonetti,  Parte  Prima,  Son.  69  : 

"  Dicono  il  mattutino  avaccio  avaccio  [they  recite  matt  ins 

with  indecent  haste\ 
Senza  tonaca  o  cotta  o  piviale." 
£  Piu  e  meglio:  This  is  like  Horace  I,  Sat.  x,  14,  15  : 

"  Ridiculum  acri 
Fortius  et  melius  magnas  plerumque  secat  res." 


Canto  XVI.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  533 

more  headlong  than  the  blind  lamb,  and  oftentimes  a 
single  sword  will  cut  deeper  and  better  than  will  the 
five. 

Since  Cacciaguida's  time  the  population  of  Florence 
lias  been  multiplied  fivefold  ;  hence  the  reference  to 
five  swords. 

He  tells  Dante  that,  if  he  marks  the  decay  of  great 
cities  in  the  progress  of  centuries,  he  need  not  marvel 
if  families  decay  and  disappear. 

Se  tu  riguardi  Luni*  ed  Urbisagliat 
Come  son  ite,  e  come  se  ne  vanno 
Diretro  ad  esse  ChiusiJ  e  Sinigaglia  :§  75 

*  Luni :  An  ancient  Etruscan  city,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  Magra,  not  very  far  from  Spezia.  It  had  already  been 
destroyed  in  Dante's  time,  but  its  name  still  survives  in  the 
Lunigiana  district,  where  the  great  lords  of  Malaspina  bore 
rule.  It  is  mentioned  in  Inf.  xx,  46-50  : 

"  Aronta  e  quel  che  al  ventre  gli  s'  atterga, 
Che  nei  monti  di  Luni,  dove  ronca 
Lo  Carrarese  che  di  sotto  alberga, 
Ebbe  tra  bianchi  marmi  la  spelonca 

Per  sua  dimora." 

t  Urbisaglia :  The  ancient  Urbs  Salvia  in  the  Marca  d'  An- 
cona,  near  Macerata.  It  is  said  to  have  been  an  exceedingly 
populous  and  flourishing  city,  but  to  have  been  destroyed  by 
Alaric.  Casini  says  that  one  gathers,  from  a  legal  document  of 
the  year  1297,  that  there  was  still  in  existence  a  very  strong 
castle,  which  its  lord  Fidesmido  di  Pietro  pledged  for  700 
golden  florins.  Benvenuto  writes  of  it :  "  Ista  fuit  olim  civitas 
in  Marchia  anconitana  non  longe  a  civitate  quae  hodie  dicitur 
Macerata,  et  est  penitus  deserta  ita  quod  non  apparent,  nisi 
quaedam  vestigia  ruinarum  :  et  fuit  olim  maxima  civitas,  sicut 
t:go  notavi  unde  dicta  est  quasi  urbs  alia,  idest  alia  Roma." 

\  Chiusi :  The  ancient  Clusium,  one  of  the  most  renowned  of 
the  Etruscan  cities,  it  is  in  the  south  of  Tuscany  about  half- 
way between  Florence  and  Rome. 

§  Sinigaglia:  The  old  name  of  this  city  was  Sena  Gallica. 
It  was  sacked  by  Manfred's  Saracen  soldiery  in  1264,  the  year 
before  Dante  was  born,  and  its  comparatively  recent  destruction 
must  have  been  familiar  to  him.  The  Mastai-Ferretti,  Pope 
Pius  IX's  family,  belong  to  Sinigaglia. 


534  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  xvi. 

Udir  come  le  schiatte  si  disfanno 

Non  ti  parra  nuova  cosa  n&  forte, 
Poscia  che  le  cittadi  termine  hanno.* 

If  thou  regard  Luni  and  Urbisaglia  how  they  have 
passed  away,  and  how  Chiusi  and  Sinigaglia  are  pass- 
ing away  after  them,  it  will  not  appear  to  thee  a  novel 
nor  a  strange  thing  to  hear  how  families  become  ex- 
tinct, seeing  that  cities  have  their  limit  (of  existence). 

He  then  points  out  that  in  the  world  everything  has 
an  end,  but  that  in  certain  things,  as  for  instance  in 
the  lives  of  families  and  of  cities,  the  end,  although 
certain  to  come,  is  not  so  easily  discernible  by  the 
individual,  because  he  comes  to  an  end  before  they 
do.  Dante  must  therefore  not  think  it  unnatural  if,  in 
his  discourse,  Cacciaguida  alludes  to  some  families 
who  have  so  completely  passed  away,  that  their  very 
names  are  forgotten. 

Le  vostre  cose  tutte  hanno  lor  morte 

Si  come  voi ;  ma  celasi  in  alcuna  80 

Che  dura  molto,  e  le  vite  son  corte.f 
E  come  il  volger  del  ciel  della  lunaj 

*  le  cittadi  termine  Jianno :  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin. 
(Summ.  Theol.,  pars  iii,  suppl.  qu.  xcix,  art.  l) :  "Perpetuo  homo 
non  manet,  .  .  .  etiam  ipsa  civitas  deficit." 

t  le  vite  son  corte :  "  Si  les  hommes  apprennent  k  se  mode'rer 
en  voyant  mourir  les  rois,  combien  plus  seront-ils  frappes  en 
voyant  mourir  les  royaumes  memes  !  et  ou  peut-on  recevoir  une 
plus  belle  le$on  de  la  vanitd  des  grandeurs  humaines?"  (Bos- 
suet,  Discours  sur  /'  histoire  universelle,  partie  iii,  chap.  i. 
Paris,  1784). 

$  ciel  della  luna:  Compare  Quaest.  de  Aq.  et  Terr.  §  vii  : 
"  Aqua  videtur  maxime  sequi  motum  Lunae,  ut  patet  in  accessu 
et  recessu  maris  ;  cum  igitur  orbis  Lunae  sit  excentricus,  ration- 
abile  videtur  quod  aqua  in  sua  sphaera  excentricitatem  imitetur 
orbis  Lunae."  Some  think  that  Dante  was  probably  thinking  of 
the  tides  he  had  seen  in  Flanders,  mentioned  in  Inf.  xv,  4,  5  : 
"  Quale  i  Fiamminghi  tra  Guizzante  e  Bruggia, 

Temendo  il  fiotto  che  ver  lor  s'  avventa,"  etc. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  535 

Copre  e  discopre*  i  liti  senza  posa, 

Cosi  fa  di  Fiorenza  la  fortuna  ;t 
Perche  non  dee  parer  mirabil  cosa  85 

Cio  ch'  io  dir6  degli  alti  Fiorentini, 

Onde  la  fama  nel  tempo  £  nascosa. 
All  your  (earthly)  affairs  have  their  death  (i.e.  are 
mortal)  even  as  you  yourselves ;  but  it  (mortality) 
is  hidden  in  some  that  endure  for  a  long  while,  and 
lives  are  short  (i.e.  human  lives  are  too  short  to  wit- 
ness the  decay  of  cities).  And  as  the  revolution  of 
the  heaven  of  the  Moon  covers  and  uncovers  the 
shores  unceasingly,  so  in  like  manner  does  Fortune 


But  although  the  Mediterranean  tides  are  small  compared  to 
those  of  the  Ocean,  still  they  are  perceptible,  as  I  myself  noticed 
during  a  month  spent  at  Leghorn.  At  low  water  the  surface  of 
the  rocks  were  completely  uncovered,  and  at  high  water  they 
were  lost  to  sight.  Besides  Virgil  would  be  doubtless  alluding 
to  Mediterranean  tides  in  ^-En.  xi,  624-628 : 

"Qualis  ubi  alterno  procurrens  gurgite  pontus 
Nunc  ruit  ad  terras,  scopulosque  superjacit  undam 
Spumens,  extremamque  sinu  perfundit  arenam  ; 
Nunc  rapidus  retro,  atque  aestu  revoluta  resorbens 
Saxa  fugit,  littusque  vado  labente  relinquit." 
*  Copre  e  discopre :  Compare  St.  Thorn.  Aquin.  (Summ.  Theol. 
pars  i,  qu.  cv,  art.  6) :  "  Cum  aliquid  contingit  in  rebus  naturalibus 
praeter  naturam  inditam,  hoc  potest  .  .  .  contingere  .  .  .  per 
actionem  illius  agentis  a  quo  dependet  actio  naturalis,  ut  patet 
in  fluxu  et  refluxu  maris,  qui  non  est  contra  naturam,  quamvis  sit 
praeter  motum  naturalem  aquae,  quae  movetur  deorsum.     Est 
enim  ex  impressione  coelestis  corporis  a  quo  dependet  naturalis 
inclinatio  inferiorum  corporum."     Compare  also  Ibid.  qu.  ex, 
art.  3  :  "  Fluxus  et  refluxus  maris  non  consequitur  formam  sub- 
stantialem  aquae,  sed  virtutem  lunae."     And  Ibid,  (pars  ii,  2d», 
qu.  ii,  art.  3)  :  "Aqua  secundum  motum  proprium  movetur  ad 
centrum,  secundum  autem  motum  lunae  movetur  circa  centrum 
secundum  fluxum  et  refluxum." 

t  la  fortuna :  Compare  Inf.  vii,  77,  et  seq.,  where  Virgil  tells 
Dante  that  God  "  for  worldly  splendours  appointed  a  general 
ministress  and  guide,  who  from  time  to  time  might  change  the 
empty  goods  from  nation  to  nation,  and  from  one  family  to 
another,  beyond  prevention  of  human  intelligence  ;  and  there- 
fore one  nation  rules,  and  another  languishes,  pursuing  the 
decree  of  her  (Fortune),  who  is  hidden  like  a  snake  in  the 
grass."  (Translation  in  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  p.  224). 


536  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XVI. 

deal  with  Florence  (i.e.  now  raising!  it  to  prosperity, 
and  now  depressing  it).  For  which  reason  it  should 
not  appear  a  marvellous  thing  that  which  I  shall 
relate  of  those  illustrious  Florentines  of  whom  the 
fame  is  hidden  in  the  Past. 

Division  IV.  Cacciaguida  now  rapidly  runs  over 
the  names  of  many  noble  families  that  were  pre-emi- 
nent at  Florence  in  his  time,  of  whom  some  were,  in 
Dante's  time,  altogether  extinct,  some  were  sunk  into 
obscurity  and  unimportance,  while  some  who  were 
powerful  in  130x3,  had  been  insignificant  in  the  time 
of  Cacciaguida. 

lo  vidi  gli  Ughi,*  e  vidi  i  Catellini,t 

Filippi,J  Greci,§  Ormanni||  ed  Alberichi,1T 
Gia  nel  calare,**  illustri  cittadini ;  90 

E  vidi  cosi  grandi  come  antichi, 

Con  quel  della  Sannella,tt  quel  dell' Area,  £{; 

*  Ughi :  "furono  antichissimi,  i  quali  edificarono  Santa  Maria 
degli  Ughi,  e  tutto  il  poggio  di  Montughi  fu  loro,  e  oggi  sono 
spenti."  (Villani,  iv,  cap.  12). 

t  Catellini :  "furono  antichissimi,  e  oggi  non  n'&  ricordo." 
(Villani,  ibid.} 

|  Filippi:  "che  oggi  sono  niente,  allora  eranograndi e  possenti." 
(Ibid.  cap.  13.) 

§  Greet:  "fu  loro  tutto  il  borgo  de' Greci,  oggi  sono  finiti  e 
spenti."  (Villani,  ibid). 

||  Ormanni :  "  Abitavano  ov'  &  oggi  il  palagio  del  popolo  [i.e. 
the  Bargello],  e  chiamansi  oggi  Foraboschi."  (Villani.  ibid). 

^T  Alberichi :  A  family  in  the  ward  of  For  San  Piero  ;  "fu 
loro  la  chiesa  di  Santa  Maria  Alberighi  da  casa  i  Donati,  e  oggi 
non  n'  £  nullo."  (Villani,  iv,  ii). 

**  nel  calare :  These  families  were  in  their  decline  in  the 
days  of  Cacciaguida  ;  by  Dante's  time  they  had  all  passed  away. 

ft  della  Sannella:  "erano  grandi  intorno  a  Mercato  Nuovo." 
(Villani  iv,  12).  "Di  questi  ancora  sono  alcuni,  ma  in  istato 
assai  popolesco."  (Ottimo).  During  the  last  30  years  a  modern 
Mercato  Nuovo  has  been  built,  and  the  former  one  of  that  name, 
where  is  the  beautiful  bronze  statue  of  the  wild  boar,  is  now  more 
generally  known  among  Florentines  by  the  name  of  Loggie  della 
Stufa. 

£t  delVarca:  "molto  antichi,  eoggi  sono  spenti."  (Villani,  iv,  12.) 


Canto  XVI.       Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  537 

E  Soldanieri,*  ed  Ardinghi,t  e  Bostichi.J 
I  saw  the  Ughi,  and  I  saw  the  Catellini,  the  Filippi, 
the  Greci,  the  Ormanni,  and  the  Alberichi,  even  in 
their  decline  illustrious  citizens;  and  I  saw  as  mighty 
as  (they  were)  ancient,  with  him  of  La  Sannella,  him 
of  L'Arca,  and  Soldanieri,  and  Ardinghi,  and  Bostichi. 
In  the  Ward  of  For  San  Piero,  hard  by  the  old  gate- 
way, in  the  time  of  Dante  were  the  houses  of  the  Cerchi, 
which  had  been  sold  to  them  in  1 280  by  the  Counts 
Guidi,  who  in  their  time  had  inherited  them  from  the 
Ravignani,  by  the  marriage  of  Count  Guido  Guerra 
with   the   good    Gualdrada    daughter   of    Bellincion 
Berti.     (See  Inf.  xvi,  37,  and  note  on  that  passage  in 
Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  546,  547). 
Sopra  la  porta,§  che  al  presente  &  carca 

Di  nuova  felloniajj  di  tanto  peso  95 

*  Soldanieri:  A  Ghibelline  family  in  the  Sesto  of  san  Bran- 
crazio.  (Villani,  v.  cap.  39).  "  Questi  sono  ancora  ;  ma  per 
parte  Ghibellina  sono  fuori."  (Ottimd). 

\  Ardinghi:  "che  abitavano  in  Orto  san  Michele,  erano 
molto  antichi."  (Villani,  iv,  11).  "Questi  sono  al  presente  in 
bassissimo  stato,  e  pochi."  (Ottimd}. 

J  Bostichi:  "intorno  a  Mercato  nuovo  erano  grandi  i 
Bostichi."  (Villani,  iv,  cap.  13).  "  Questi  sono  al  presente  di 
poco  valore,  e  di  poca  dignitade."  (Ottimd). 

§  Sopra  laporta:  et  seq. :  Casini  thinks  that  the  acquisition 
by  the  low-born  Cerchi  of  the  vast  palaces  and  surrounding 
houses  near  the  ancient  gate  of  For  San  Piero,  which  were  bound 
up  in  reminiscences  of  the  older  and  far  more  illustrious  families 
to  whom  they  had  belonged,  must  have  made  a  profound  impres- 
sion upon  the  citizens  living  near. 

||  nuova  fellonia :  The  Cerchi  were  novi  homines,  and  the 
wordfeltom'a  properly  signifies  "betrayal,"  by  which  we  may 
infer  that  Dante  wishes  to  allude  to  the  way  the  Cerchi  pushed 
themselves  into  public  affairs  and  introduced  their  private  en- 
mities into  civic  business,  resulting  in  the  schism  of  the  Guelph 
party  into  the  two  hostile  factions  of  Neri  and  Bianchi.  Of  the 
Cerchi,  Villani  (viii,  cap.  39)  says  that  they  had  in  a  very  short 
time  thrust  themselves  forward  "  in  grand  stato  e  potere."  They 


Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XVI. 

Che  tosto  fia  jattura  della  barca,* 
Erano  i  Ravignani,t  ond'  &  disceso 

II  conte  Guido,  e  qualunque  del  nomet 
Dell'  alto  Bellincion  ha  poscia  preso. 

Near  unto  the  gate,  which  at  the  present  time  is 
laden  with  a  novel  treachery  of  such  a  weight  as  soon 
will  bring  about  the  wrecking  of  the  ship,  were  living 
the  Ravignani,  from  whom  is  descended  the  Count 
Guido  (Guerra),  and  whoever  has  since  assumed  the 
name  of  the  great  Bellincione. 

Certain  branches,  both  of  the  Adimari  and  the  Donati, 
added  to  their  own  name  that  of  De'  Bellincioni. 

The  two  distinguished  families  of  Delia  Pressa  and 
Galigai,  who  are  next  mentioned,  were  Ghibelline, 
and  the  gilded  hilt  and  pommel  of  the  latter  showed 
they  were  of  knightly  rank.  A  number  of  others  of 
both  parties  come  next  in  order. 

Quel  della  Pressa  §  sapeva  gia  come  100 

were  the  ruin  of  Florence,  and  were  treacherous  to  the  civic 
duties  they  had  so  recently  entered  upon. 

*  barca  .  .  .  carca:   Compare  Par.  viii,  79-81,  where  Dante 
says  that  the  government  of  Robert  of  Anjou  is  weighed  down 
by  the  cupidity  of  his  Catalan  soldiers  and  officials  : 
"  Che  veramente  provveder  bisogna 

Per  lui,  o  per  altrui,  si  ch'  a  sua  barca 
Carcata  piu  di  carco  non  si  pogna." 

t  Ravignani :  "  i  Rovignani  furono  molto  grandi,  e  abitavano 
in  sulla  porta  san  Piero  .  .  .  e  di  loro  per  donna  nacquero  tutti 
i  conti  Guidi,  .  .  .  della  figliuola  del  buono  messere  Bellincione 
Berti :  a'  nostri  di  e  venuto  meno  tutto  quello  legnaggio."  (Vil- 
lani,  iv,  cap.  ll). 

|  del  name:  I  follow  all  the  Italian  Commentators  in  taking 
del  name  for  //  nome.  I  cannot  find  one  that  makes  a  distinc- 
tion between  del  and  il. 

§  della  Pressa :  This  family  is  spoken  of  by  Villani  (iv,  cap.  10; 
and  vi,  caps.  65  and  78)  as  gentili  uomini  of  the  district  of  the 
Porta  del  Duomo.  They  were  charged  with  being  Ghibellines 
and  of  having  been  traitors  to  their  country  at  the  battle  of 
Montaperti,  and  were  exiled  in  1258. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  539 

Regger  si  vuole,  ed  avea  Galigaio* 
Dorata  in  casa  sua  gia  1'  elsa  e  il  pome. 
Grande  era  gik  la  colonna  del  vkio,t 

Sacchetti,!  Giuochi,§  Fifanti)|  e  Barucci,1T 

E  Galli,**  e  quei  che  arrossantt  per  lo  staio.   105 

He  of  La  Pressa  already  knew  how  government  should 
be  carried  on,  and  already  Galigaio  had  the  hilt  and 
pommel  (of  his  sword)  gilded  in  his  house.  Mighty 
already  was  the  pale  of  minever  (on  the  escutcheon 

*  Galigaio :  The  Galigai  are  mentioned  by  Villani  in  lib.  v, 
cap.  39  (as  the  Galigari)  among  the  noble  Ghibelline  families 
who  inhabited  the  Ward  of  the  Porta  san  Piero;  and  their 
decadence  in  the  time  of  Dante  is  thus  described  by  the  Ottimo: 
"  questi  erano  gik  in  tale  stato,  che  di  loro  erano  cavalieri ;  ora 
sono  del  popolo,  assai  bassi." 

t  colonna  del  vaio :  The  Pigli,  whose  arms  were  in  heraldic 
terms,  gules,  a  pale,  vair;  in  other  words  (says  Prof.  Norton),  a 
red  shield  divided  longitudinarily  by  a  stripe  of  the  heraldic 
representation  of  the  fur  called  vair.  Of  them  Villani  (iv,  cap.  12) 
writes  that  they  were  "gentili  uomini  e  grandi  in  quelli  tempi." 

£  Sacchetti:  An  old  Guelpli  Family.  "  Furono  nimici  del- 
1'Autore  .  .  .  Furono  e  sono  giusta  lor  possa,  disdegnosi  e 
superbi :  e' son  Guelfi."  (Ottimo}. 

§  Ginochi:  A  Ghibelline  family,  of  whom  the  Ottimo  says  : 
"Questi  sono  divenuti  al  neente  [come  to  nothing]  oggi  del- 
1'  avere  e  delle  persone  ;  e'  sono  Ghibellini." 

il  Fifanti:  called  by  the  Ottimo  Sifanti.  Later  on  they  were 
known  as  the  Bogolesi.  They  were  staunch  Ghibellines,  and 
one  of  them  was  implicated  in  the  assassination  of  Buondel- 
monte.  They  dwelt  in  the  Por  Santa  Maria. 

IT  Barucci:  Villani  (iv,  cap.  10)  says  they  had  been  inhabitants 
of  the  district  of  Santa  Maria  Maggiore,  but  were  extinct ;  and 
the  Ottimo :  "  Furono  pieni  di  ricchezze  e  di  leggiadrie,  oggi 
sono  pochi  in  numero,  e  senza  stato  d'  onore  cittadino  ;  sono 
Ghibellini." 

**  Galli :  "abitavano  in  Mercato  nuovo"  (Villani,  iv,  cap.  13) 
"  I  (Ghibellini  del  detto  sesto,  la  casa  .  .  .  dei  Galli."  (Ibid,  v, 
cap.  39). 

tt  quei  che  arrossan  per  lo  staio :  "  Nel  quartiere  di  porta  san 
Piero  erano  .  .  .  i  Chiarmontesi."  (Ibid,  iv,  cap.  u).  "Nel 
sesto  di  san  Piero  Scheraggio,  i  nobili  che  furono  guelfi,  .  .  . 
i  Chiaramontesi,"  etc.  (Ibid.  v.  cap.  39). 


54O  Readings  on  the  Paradise.       Canto  XVI. 

of  the  Pigli),  Sacchetti,  Giuochi,  Fifanti,  and  Barucci, 
and  Galli,  and  they  who  blush  for  the  bushel. 

Durante  de'  Chiarmontesi,  when  presiding  over  the 
Salt  Office,  abstracted  a  stave  from  the  bushel  stan- 
dard measure,  and  thus  acquired  a  large  sum  of 
money  for  himself.*  He  was  eventually  detected,  and, 
according  to  Benvenuto  and  Landino,  beheaded,  so 
that  the  remembrance  of  his  crime  is  a  perpetual 
shame  to  his  descendants.  The  wooden  bushel  was 
after  this  replaced  by  an  iron  one. 

Two  other  Guelph  consular  families  are  next 
mentioned. 

Lo  ceppot  di  che  nacquero  i  Calfucci 
Era  gia  grande,  e  gia  erano  tratti 
Alle  curulej  Sizii  ed  Arrigucci.§ 
The  stock   (the  Donati)  from  which  the  Calfucci 
were  born,  was  great  already,  and  already  had  Sizii 
and  Arrigucci  been  drawn  to  the  Curule  Chairs. 
Cacciaguida  sadly  recalls  the  past  greatness  of  the 

*  In  Purg.  xii,  104,  105,  Dante  speaks  of  the  foot-stairway 
(still  existing)  that  runs  from  the  city  of  Florence  up  the  hill  on 
which  stands  the  Church  of  San  Miniato,  and  which  he  says 
was  made  at  a  time  when  the  State  records  and  the  bushel 
measure  were  inviolate  (ad  etade  CK  era]  sicuro  il  quademo  e  la 
doga).  See  Readings  on  the  Purgatorto,  2nd  ed.  vol.  i,  pp.  458- 
460. 

t  Lo  ceppo :  "  I  Donati  ovvero  Calfucci,  che  tutti  furono  uno 
leguaggio,  ma  i  Calfucci  vennero  meno."  (Villani,  iv,  cap.  n) 
''Calfucci,  Donati  et  Uccellini  furono  d'uno  ceppo;  li  Donati 
spensero  li  detti  loro  consorti  Calfucci,  si,  che  oggi  nullo,  o  uno 
solo  se  ne  mentova,  o  pochissimi."  (Ottimo). 

|  curule :  This  is  feminine  plural  of  a  substantial  form  of  the 
adjective  curule,  plural  curuli.  The  Gran  Dizionario  says  the 
word  is  used  here  as  a  substantive,  according  to  a  form  peculiar 
to  Tuscan  idiom,  and  to  other  dialects. 

§  Sizii  ed  Arrigucci:  "Erano  ancora  nel  detto  quartiere 
[Porta  del  Duomo]  Arrigucci  e'  Sizii."  (Villani,  iv,  cap.  10) 
"  Questi  [Sizii]  sono  quasi  spenti.  Questi  [Arrigucci]  sono  quasi 
venuto  meno."  (Ottimo). 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  54 l 

two  great  Ghibelline  families,  the  Uberti,  and  the 
Lamberti,  once  so  powerful  and  so  arrogant,  but  then 
irrevocably  banished,  and  never  again  to  recover 
their  former  dignity.  Benvenuto  thinks  the  latter 
family  were  even  the  more  noble  of  the  two,  and  he 
mentions  as  a  curious  proof  of  this,  that  they  used  to 
be  buried  upon  bronze  horses  (Sed  omnibus  omissis 
singulare  signum  nobilitatis  eorum  erat,  quod  mortut 
sepeliebantur  equites  scilicet  sedentes  in  equo  brungio.) 
O  quali  io  vidi  quei*  che  son  disfatti 

Per  lor  superbia  !  e  le  palle  dell'  orot  i  io 

Fiorian  Fiorenza  in  tutti  suoi  gran  fatti. 
O  how  glorious  did  I  behold  those  (the  Uberti)  who 
are  undone  through  their  pride  !    and  the  golden 
balls  (of  the  Lamberti)  embellished  Florence  with 
all  their  doughty  deeds. 

The  descendants  of  the  Visdomini  and  Tosinghi, 
Guelph  families  of  the  faction  of  the  Neri,  are  referred 
to  with  scathing  sarcasm.  These  two  families  had 
the  privilege  of  enjoying  the  episcopal  revenues  of 

*  quei:  the  Uberti.  "  Di  costoro  ha  trattato  1'Autore  di  sopra 
capitolo  X  Inferni,  dove  introduce  messer  Farinata,  uno  di Ipro ; 
li  quali  furono  in  tanta  altezza,  infino  che  non  venne  la  diyisione 
delle  parte,  che  si  potea  dire  che  quasi  fossero  padri  della 
cittade."  (Ottimo).  The  treatment  that  the  once  revered  Uberti 
met  at  the  hands  of  their  fellow  citizens  at  Florence  is  discussed 
;it  great  length  in  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i,  pp.  3°7-33°- 

f  le  palle  deW  oro :  "Nobilissimi  e  potentissimi  cittadini 
furono  li  Lamberti,  de'  quali  per  la  loro  arme  1'  Autore  ne  fa 
menzione ;  quasi  dica  :  come  la  palla  e  designatrice  dell'  uni- 
verse, e  1'oro  avanza  ogni  metallo,  cosi  di  bontade  e  di  valore 
costoro  avanzavano  li  altri  cittadini :  de'  quali  1'  Autore  tocc6  di 
sopra,  capitolo  xxvii  Inferni."  (Ottimo).  This  reference  is 
to  Mosca  dei  Lamberti  one  of  the  assassins  of  Buondelmonte. 
See  Inf.  xxviii,  103-107,  and  see  the  account  of  his  crimes  and 
punishment  in  the  Ninth  Bolgia  of  Malebolge  among  the  Dis- 
seminators of  Discord  in  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  ii, 
pp.  468-471. 


542  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

Florence  from  the  death  of  one  Bishop  till  the  appoint- 
ment of  another,  and  so,  by  deferring  the  appointment, 
are  said  to  have  fattened.  Their  ancestors  however 
were  renowned,  like  the  Lamberti,  for  loving  the 
honour  of  their  country. 

Cosi  facean  li  padri  di  coloro 

Che,  sempre  che  la  vostra  chiesa  vaca, 
Si  fanno  grassi  stando  a  consistoro.* 
So  acted  likewise  the  ancestors  of  them  who,  when- 
ever your  (Episcopal)  Church  is  vacant  make  them- 
selves fat  by  staying  in  consistory. 

Dante's  chief  reproach,  spoken  through  the  mouth 
of  Cacciaguida,  is  reserved  for  the  Adimari,  formerly 
named  de  Adelmanis,  an  upstart  Guelph  stock,  said  to 
have  been  of  German  extraction.  They  had  several 
branches,  the  Argenti  (Inf.  viii,  32-64);  the  Aldobrandi 
(Inf.  xvi,  41 ) ;  the  Cavicciuli  (Inf.  xix,  19)  ;  and  there 
would  appear  to  have  existed  bitter  hostility  between 
some  of  them  and  Dante's  family.  One  of  them,  Boc- 
caccio Cavicciulli,  is  said  to  have  occupied  Dante's 
house  and  property  during  his  exile,  and  to  have  vehe- 
mently opposed  all  motions  for  his  recall  to  Florence 
L'  oltracotatat  schiatta,  che  s'  indraca  115 

Retro  a  chi  fugge,  ed  a  chi  mostra  il  dente, 
O  ver  la  borsa,  com'  agnel  si  placa, 
Gia  venia  su,  ma  di  picciola  gente, 

Si  che  non  piacque  ad  Ubertin  Donato 

Che  poi  il  suocero  il  fe'lor  parente.  120 

*  stando  a  consistoro:  Buti  observes  that  these  people  as- 
sembled "come  sta  lo  papa  coi  cardinali  a  consistoro  ad 
ordinare  li  fatti  della  Chiesa " ;  and  Cornoldi  adds  rather 
quaintly  :  "  Come  fossero  padroni,  stanno  nel  palagio  del  Ve- 
scovo  e  se  la  pappano  [i.e.  gorge  themselves]." 

t  oltracotata:  Compare  Inf.  viii,  124,  where  Virgil  says  of 
the  Demons: 

"  Questa  lor  tracotanza  non  £  nuova." 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  tlie  Paradiso.  543 

That  insolent  brood  that  play  the  dragon  behind 
whoever  flees,  but  unto  him  that  shows  his  teeth  or 
his  purse  is  as  gentle  as  a  lamb,  was  already  on  the 
rise,  but  of  insignificant  lineage,  so  that  it  pleased  not 
Ubertino  Donati,  that  his  father-in-law  (Bellincion 
Berti)  should  thereafter  make  him  their  kinsman. 

Ubertino  de'  Donati  was  married  to  one  of  the  Ravig- 
nani,  a  daughter  of  Bellincion  Berti,  and  was  greatly 
disgusted  when  another  daughter  (about  1230)  mar- 
ried into  the  Adimari  family. 

Then  come  three  families  of  consular  dignity,  all 
Ghibellines. 

Gik  era  il  Caponsacco*  nel  mercato 
Disceso  giu  da  Fiesole,  e  gik  era 
Buon  cittadino  Giudat  ed  Infangato.lt 
Already  had   the   Caponsacchi   come    down    from 
Fiesole  into  the  Mercato  Vecchio,  and  already  were 
the  Giudi  and  Infangati  citizens  of  worth. 
The  next  terzina  is  one  of  very  disputed  interpretation. 
Modern  Commentators  explain  it  that  such  was  the 
simplicity  and  absence  of  jealousy  in  those  times,  that 

and  Inf.  ix,  91-93,  where  the  angel  sternly  reproves  the  same 
Demons  : 

"  O  cacciati  del  ciel,  gente  dispetta, 

Onde'esta  oltracotanza  in  voi  s'alletta?" 

*  Caponsacco:  "Quest!  furono  del  contado  di  Firenze  e  del 
tenitorio  \territorio\  di  Fiesole,  e  vennero  ad  abitare  nel  mercato 
vecchio  nella  piu  nobile  parte  della  cittade.  Sono  Ghibellini,  e 
al  tempo  della  delta  cacciata  andarono,  e  sono  fuori."  (Ottimo). 
A  lady  of  this  family  was  the  wife  of  Folco  Portinari,  and  the 
mother  of  Beatrice. 

t  Giuda :  i.e.  \  Giudi.  "  Questi  son  gente  d'  alto  animo 
Ghibellini,  e  molto  abbassati  d'  onore  e  di  ricchezze  e  di  persone  ; 
e  quelli  che  v'  erano  al  tempo  dell'  Autore,  seguirono  coi  detti 
Cerchi  la  fuga."  (Ottimo]. 

\  Infangato  :  "  Questi  sono  bassi  in  onore  e  pochi  innumero  : 
sono  Ghibellini  disdegnosi."  (Ottimo). 


544  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

a  public  gate  could  bear  a  private  name  ;  and  some 
contend  that  quei  della  Pera  refers  to  the  Peruzzi. 
I  prefer,  however,  to  take  the  opinion  of  Casini,  who 
explains  the  three  lines  that  follow  to  mean  that  one 
of  the  gates  of  the  city  was  named  after  a  family  that 
in  Dante's  time  were  completely  extinct, 
lo  diro  cosa  incredibile  e  vera : 

Nel  picciol  cerchio  s'entrava  per  porta,  125 

Che  si  nomava  da  quei  della  Pera. 
I  will  tell  a  thing  incredible  and  (yet)  true  !    Into 
the  small  circuit  one  used  to  enter  by  a  postern-gate 
that  was  named  after  them  of  La  Pera. 

The  Ottimo  (who,  according  to  Casini,  is  particularly 
accurate  about  these  local  details)  comments :  "  Chi 
crederebbe,  che  quelli  della  Pera  fossono  antichi  ?  lo 
dico  ch'elli  son  si  antichi,  che  una  porta  del  primo 
circulo  della  cittade  fu  dinominata  da  loro ;  li  quali 
vennero  si  meno,  che  di  loro  non  fu  memoria." 
This  postern  gate  was  called  Porta  Peruzza,  or  Pie- 
ruzza,  and  in  the  quarto  edition  of  Ricordano  Males- 
pini,  Storia  Fiorentina,  edited  by  Vincenzo  Follini. 
Florence,  1816,  p.  263,  note  18,  it  is  suggested  that  the 
Peruzzi  family  came  to  live  near  that  gate,  and  took 
their  name  from  it.  Benvenuto  explicitly  contradicts 
the  assertion  that  the  postern  was  called  after  the 
Peruzzi.  Villani  (iv,  13)  says  he  knows  the  tradition 
"  ma  non  1'  affermo." 

Villani  and  Benvenuto  are  both  careful  to  point  out 
that  there  were  only  four  principal  gates.  Villani 
speaks  of  Porta  Peruzza  as  "una  postierla."  Benvenuto 
says :  "  Et  nota,  quod  haec  porta  non  erat  de  princi- 
palibus.  Habebat  enim  tune  Florentia  quatuor  portas 
magistras,  scilicet,  portam  sancti  Petri,  portam  juxta 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  545 

Duomum,  portam  sancti  Pauli,  portam  sanctae  Mariae 
Aliae  vero  erant  portae  parvulae." 

Five  families  are  next  grouped  together.  These, 
though  not  named  by  Dante,  are  the  Pulci,  the  Nerli 
the  Gangalandi,  the  Giandonati,  and  the  Delia  Bella, 
who  are  known  (Villani,  iv,  2)  to  have  been  knighted 
and  ennobled  by  the  gran  barone,  the  Marquess  Hugh 
of  Brandenburg  ;  and  either  from  gratitude,  or  by  his 
permission,  quartered  his  arms  with  their  own.  Hugh 
was  the  Imperial  Vicar  for  Otho  III,  and  as  he  had 
richly  endowed  the  Badia  of  Florence,  which  his 
mother  Willia  had  founded — at  his  death  on  St. 
Thomas's  Day,  1006 — he  was  buried  in  that  church, 
and  the  anniversary  of  his  death  was  ever  afterwards 
observed  with  great  honour.  The  representative  of 
one  of  the  above-mentioned  five  families,  Giano  della 
Bella,  took  part  with  the  commons  of  Florence  against 
the  nobles,  and  Fraticelli  says  of  him  :  "  di  nobile  si 
fece  popolano,  e  di  ghibellino  guelfo."  In  1293  he 
procured  the  passing  of  the  "Ordinances  of  Justice," 
by  which  thirty-seven  Guelph  families  were  for  ever 
excluded  from  the  Signoria  of  Florence.  Giano  in- 
curred much  odium  by  this  course  of  action,  and 
according  to  Villani  (lib.  viii,  cap.  8)  "  he  was  con- 
demned and  banished  for  contumacy  .  .  .  and  all  his 
possessions  confiscated,  .  .  .  whence  great  mischief  ac- 
crued to  our  city,  and  chiefly  to  the  people,  for  he 
was  the  most  loyal  and  upright  popolano  and  lover  of 
public  good  of  any  man  in  Florence."  Giano  dis- 
guised the  arms  of  Hugh  of  Brandenburg,  quartered 
in  his  own,  by  surrounding  them  with  a  fringe  of 
gold.  (See  Paget  Toynbee,  Dante  Dictionary,  1898). 

I.  N  N 


546  Readings  on  the  Paradise.      Canto  XVJ. 

Ciascun  che  della  bella  insegna  porta 

Del  gran  barone,  il  cui  nome  e  il  cui  pregio 
La  festa  di  Tommaso  riconforta, 

Da  esso  ebbe  milizia  e  privilegio ;  130 

Avvenga  che  col  popol  si  raduni 
Oggi  colui  che  la  fascia  col  fregio.* 

Each  one  that  bears  the  noble  escutcheon  of  the 
great  baron  whose  name  and  renown  the  feast  of 
St.  Thomas  still  commemorates,  from  him  received 
knighthood  and  privilege,  although  that  man  (Giano 
della  Bella)  to-day  unites  himself  to  the  populace,  he, 
who  encircles  it  (the  escutcheon)  with  a  border. 

After  mentioning  two  more  Guelph  families  of  some 
importance  in  his  time,  but  whose  sun  was  set  in 
Dante's  time,  Cacciaguida  remarks  that  it  was  a  bad 
day  for  them,  when  the  Buondelmonti,  driven  into 
Florence  after  the  destruction  of  their  stronghold,  the 
Castello  Montebuoni,  came  to  inhabit  Borgo  Santi 
Apostoli,  where  these  two  families  had  been  residing 
up  to  then  in  peace  and  quiet. 

Gia  erant  Gualterotti  ed  Importuni ; 

Ed  ancor  saria  Borgo  J  piii  quieto 

Se  di  nuovi  vicin  fosser  digiuni.  135 

*  la  fascia  col  fregio :  A  border  of  gold  was  the  only  difference 
between  the  arms  of  Delia  Bella  and  those  of  the  Marquess 
Hugh  of  Brandenburg. 

t  Gideranetseq. :  Withdraw  wemust  understandthe  words''in 
pregio,"  i.e.  "  they  were  persons  of  consideration,  were  flourish- 
ing." On  these  two  families,  see  Villani,  iv,  cap.  13 :  "In  borgo 
santo  Apostolo  erano  grandi  Gualterotti  ed  Importuni,  che  oggi 
sono  popolani."  And  in  v,  cap.  39  :  "  Nel  sesto  di  Borgo  furono 
guelfi  ...  la  casa  de' Gualterotti,  e  quella  degl'  Importuni."  The 
Ottimo  says  there  were  very  few  members  of  the  two  families, 
nor  were  they  held  in  great  honour. 

J  Ed  ancor  saria  Borgo,  et  seq.  :  "  Dice  1'  Autore  che  '1  sesto, 
Chiamato  Borgoy  saria  in  piu  pace,  se  i  Buondelmonti,  li  quali 
a  tempo  di  messer  Cacciaguida  vennero  alia  cittade,  non  vi 
fossono  venuti."  (Ottimd). 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradiso.  547 

Aready  were  flourishing  the  Gualterotti  and  Impor- 

tuni ;  and  a  much  quieter  place  would  the  Borgo  be, 

if  they  (who  were  peaceable)  had  been  exempt  from 

new  neighbours  (namely,  the  Buondelmonti). 

Nothing  can  better  illustrate  the  small  size  of  the 

ancient  circuit  of  Florence,  than  this  mention  of  Borgo 

Santi  Apostoli  as  the  Borgo  par  excellence.     It  is  now 

in  the  very  heart  of  the  city.     There  are  many  other 

streets  bearing  the  name  of  Borgo  now ;  Borgognis- 

santi,  Borgo  de'  Greci,  Borgo  a  Pinti,  Borgo  San  Fre- 

diano,  etc.,  still  in  the  city,  but  much  further  from  the 

centre. 

Cacciaguida  now  utters  a  bitter  cry  of  lament  at 
the  discord  brought  into  Florence  by  Buondelmonte 
dei  Buondelmonti,  who,  by  his  faithless  desertion  of 
his  affianced  bride,  a  maiden  of  the  noble,  and  up  to 
then  respected,  house  of  the  Amidei,  and  marrying 
one  of  the  house  of  the  Donati,  occasioned  his  own 
assassination  on  the  Ponte  Vecchio,  hard  by  the  statue 
of  Mars,  at  the  hands  of  the  outraged  members  of  the 
Amidei  family.  This  murder  and  the  consequent 
discord  that  it  brought  about,  was  the  origin  of  the 
Guelph  and  Ghibelline  factions  in  Florence,  and  put 
an  end  to  the  joyous  life  of  her  citizens.  Would  to 
God,  says  Cacciaguida,  that  young  Buondelmonte 
might  have  been  drowned  when  fording  the  Ema 
in  the  Valdigrieve,  and  never  have  lived  to  come  to 
Florence. 

La  casa*  di  che  nacque  il  vostro  fleto, 

Per  lo  giusto  disdegnot  che  v'ha  morti, 

*  La  casa :  The  Amidei. 

t  disdegno :  Indignation  at  the  affront  they  had  received. 
"E  dice  per  lo  giusto  disdcgno,  pero  che  li  Amidei  ebbero 
cagione  manifesta  di  disdegnarsi,  si  come  piu  nobili,  contra  li 

N  N    2 


548  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.       Canto  XVI. 

E  pose  fine  al  vostro  viver  lieto, 
Era  onorata*  ed  essa  e  suoi  consorti. 

O  Buondelmonte,  quanto  mal  fuggisti  140 

Le  nozze  sue  per  gli  altrui  conforti  !t 
Molti  sarebbon  lieti  che  son  tristi, 

Se  Dio  t'  avesse  conceduto  ad  EmaJ 

La  prima  volta  che  a  citta  venisti. 
Ma  conveniasi  a  quella  pietra  scema§  145 

Che  guarda  il  ponte,  che  Fiorenza  fesse 

Vittima  nella  sua  pace  postrema. 
The  house  (the  Amidei)  from  which  your  tears  have 
had  their  birth,  through  its  justifiable  indignation 
which  has  been  your  destruction,  and  has  put  an  end 
to  your  happy  mode  of  living,  was  honoured  (then) 
both  itself  and  its  kindred  branches.  O  Buondel- 
monte, in  how  evil  an  hour  didst  thou  flee  from  its 
nuptials  through  the  instigation  of  another  (namely, 
Gualdrada,  the  mother  of  the  Donati  damsel)  !  Many 
would  be  rejoicing  who  now  are  sorrowing,  if  God 
had  surrendered  thee  to  Ema,  the  first  time  that  thou 

Buondelmonti.  E  dice  che  pose  fine  al  vivere  lieto  e  pacifico 
della  citta,  pero  che  infino  a  quivi  non  aveva  avuto  divisioni 
nella  cittade;  ed  ogni  regno  diviso  in  se  si  dissolve."  (Ottimo). 

*  Era  onorata  et  seq. :  "gli  Amidei,  onorevoli  e  nobili  citta- 
dini."  (Villani,  v,  cap.  38). 

t  gli  altrui  conforti :  It  was  Gualdrada,  by  some  called 
Lapaccia,  de'  Donati,  who  instigated  Buondelmonte  to  marry 
her  daughter  Ciulla  instead  of  the  daughter  of  the  Amidei  to 
whom  he  was  affianced.  The  story  is  related  at  great  length  in 
the  Pecorone  of  Giovanni  Fiorentino. 

£  conceduto  ad  Ema :  According  to  Buti,  Buondelmonte  was 
nearly  drowned  when  fording  the  Ema  ;  but  as  no  other  Com- 
mentator mentions  the  episode,  Buti  may  have  invented  the  tale 
from  the  above  lines. 

§  pietra  scema:  "Alcuna  idolatria  si  parea  per  li  cittadini 
contenere  in  quella  statua,  che  credeano  che  ogni  mutamento 
ch'  ella  avesse,  fosse  segno  di  futuro  mutamento  della  cittade. 
E  dice  scema  pero  che  rotta  e  corrosa  per  lo  lungo  stare  che 
fece  nelFacqua  d'Arno,  quando  il  ponte  vecchio  cadde,  anni 
1178  a  di  25  di  Novembre,  e  fu  riposta  per  li  circustanti  di 
Semifonte."  (Ottimo).  See  Readings  on  the  Inferno,  vol.  i, 
pp.  448-452  on  Inf.  xiii,  143-151. 


Canto  XVI.      Readings  on  the  Paradise.  549 

earnest  to  the  city.  But  it  was  fitting  that  hard  by 
that  mutilated  stone  which  guards  the  bridge,  Flor- 
ence should  immolate  a  victim  at  the  latest  hour  of 
her  peace. 

A  human  sacrifice  to  the  idol  of  the  god  of  war  was 
appropriate  on  the  part  of  Florence,  at  a  time  when 
her  peaceful  days  were  coming  to  an  end,  and  she 
was  for  evermore  to  have  discord  and  civil  war. 

Cacciaguida  concludes  his  long  address,  recalling 
with  great  pride  the  peaceable  disposition  of  the 
noble  families  of  his  time,  and  bitterly  denouncing 
two  customs  that  the  subsequent  discords  among  the 
Tuscan  populations  had  rendered  prevalent ;  the  one, 
that  the  victorious  State  used  to  dishonour  the  stand- 
ard of  the  conquered  State  by  dragging  it  in  the  dust, 
the  other,  that  the  Guelphs,  after  the  expulsion  of  the 
Ghibellines,  had  altered  the  very  arms  of  their  native 
city. 

Con  queste  genti,  e  con  altre  con  esse,* 
Vid'  io  Fiorenza  in  si  fatto  riposo, 
Che  non  avea  cagion  onde  piangesse.  150 

Con  queste  genti  vid'  io  glorioso 

E  giusto  il  popol  suo  tanto,  che  il  giglio 
Non  era  ad  asta  mai  posto  a  ritroso,t 
Ne  per  division  fatto  vermiglio." 
With  these  families,  and  others  with  them,  beheld 
I  Florence  in  such  complete  tranquillity  that  she  had 

*  altre  con  esse :  Scartazzini  points  out  that  although  Villani 
(v.  39)  records  upwards  of  seventy  illustrious  Florentine  families, 
Cacciaguida  has  not  here  mentioned  even  the  half  of  them. 

t  a  ritroso :  "  Hoc  dicit,  quia  de  more  est  victorum  saepe 
pervertere  insignia  capta  ab  hostibus,  ponendo  caput  hastae 
superius  deorsum  et  pedem  sursum.  Quod  tamen  saepe  factum 
est  Florentiae  tempore  bellorum  civilium ;  quia  aliquando 
ghibellini  expulsi  capiebant  insignia  intraneorum,  et  subverte- 
bant  in  opprobrium  guelphorum,  et  e  contrario."  (Benvenuto). 


550  Readings  on  the  Paradiso.      Canto  XVI. 

no  occasion  whereof  to  weep.  With  these  families 
beheld  I  her  population  so  glorious  and  just,  that  the 
Lily  never  had  been  placed  reversed  on  the  spear, 
nor  through  divisions  transformed  (from  white)  to 
gules." 

The  banner  of  Florence  had  never  in  those  days  been 
captured  in  battle,  and  reversed  by  the  captors  in  sign 
of  derision  at  its  defeat.  The  old  shield  of  Florence 
was  a  white  lily  on  a  red  field  ;  but,  after  the  expulsion 
of  the  Ghibellines,  the  Guelphs  changed  it  into  a  red 
lily  upon  a  white  field. 


END  OF  CANTO  XVI  AND  VOL.  I. 


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READINGS  ON  THE  "INFERNO"  OF  DANTE. 
Chiefly  based  on  the  Commentary  of  Benvenuto  da 
Imola.  By  the  Honble-  William  Warren  Vernon, 
M.A.  With  an  Introduction  by  the  Rev.  Edward 
Moore,  D.D.,  Hon.D.Litt.  Dublin,  Principal  of 
St.  Edmund  Hall,  Oxford.  2  vols.  Vol.  I,  pp.  cxi 
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present  labours." — Times. 

"  Long  residence  in  Italy,  and  thorough  mastery  of  its  lan- 
guage and  literature,  have  specially  fitted  him  for  the  task  of 
translation,  enabling  him  to  render  difficult  idioms  and  fine 
shades  of  meaning  with  a  precision  scarcely  to  be  attained  by 
distant  scholars,  whose  knowledge  of  Italian  is  chiefly  derived 
from  books.  This  is  the  verdict  of  more  than  one  leading 
Italian  writer." — Academy. 

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Published  by  Messrs.  Macmillan  &  Co.,  St.  Martin's  Street,  W.O. 


READINGS  ON  THE  "PURGATORIO"  OF 
DANTE.  Chiefly  based  on  the  Commentary  of 
Benvenuto  da  Imola.  By  the  Honble<  William 
Warren  Vernon,  M.A.,  Accademico  Corrispondente 
della  Crusca  and  Cavaliere  di  S.  Maurizio  e  Laz- 
zaro  in  Italy.  With  an  Introduction,  by  the  late 
Very  Rev.  the  Dean  of  St.  Paul's.  Second  edition, 
revised  and  enlarged.  Vol.  I,  pp.  i-lii,  p.  i  to  579. 
Portrait  of  Dante,  after  Giotto,  in  colours  ;  Plan  of 
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BENEVENUTI   DE  RAMBALDIS  DE  IMOLA 

COMENTUM  SUPER  DANTIS  ALDIGHERIJ  COMCE- 
DIAM.  Nunc  primum  integre  in  lucem  editum, 
sumptibus  Guilielmi  Warren  Vernon,  Curante 
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