The other which near by adorns our choir

That Peter was who, e'en as the poor widow,
Offered his treasure unto Holy Church.

The fifth light, that among us is the fairest,

Breathes forth from such a love, that all the world
Below is greedy to learn tidings of it.
Within it is the lofty mind, where knowledge
So deep was put, that, if the true be true,
To see so much there never rose a second.
Thou seest next the lustre of that taper,

Which in the flesh below looked most within
The angelic nature and its ministery.

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Within that other little light is smiling

The advocate of the Christian centuries,

Out of whose rhetoric Augustine was furnished.
Now if thou trainest thy mind's eye along
From light to light pursuant of my praise,
With thirst already of the eighth thou waitest.
By seeing every good therein exults.

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The sainted soul, which the fallacious world
Makes manifest to him who listeneth well;
The body whence 'twas hunted forth is lying
Down in Cieldauro, and from martyrdom
And banishment it came unto this peace.
See farther onward flame the burning breath
Of Isidore, of Beda, and of Richard
Who was in contemplation more than man.
This, whence to me returneth thy regard,
The light is of a spirit unto whom

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In his grave meditations death seemed slow.

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It is the light eternal of Sigier,

Who, reading lectures in the Street of Straw,
Did syllogize invidious verities."

Then, as a horologe that calleth us

What time the Bride of God is rising up

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With matins to her Spouse that he may love her,

Wherein one part the other draws and urges,
Ting! ting! resounding with so sweet a note,
That swells with love the spirit well disposed,
Thus I beheld the glorious wheel move round,
And render voice to voice, in modulation
And sweetness that can not be comprehended,
Excepting there where joy is made eternal.

CANTO XI.

O THOU insensate care of mortal men,
How inconclusive are the syllogisms

That make thee beat thy wings in downward flight!

One after laws and one to aphorisms

Was going, and one following the priesthood,
And one to reign by force or sophistry,
And one in theft, and one in state affairs,

One in the pleasures of the flesh involved
Wearied himself, one gave himself to ease;
When I, from all these things emancipate,

With Beatrice above there in the Heavens
With such exceeding glory was received!
When each one had returned unto that point
Within the circle where it was before,
It stood as in a candlestick a candle;
And from within the effulgence which at first
Had spoken unto me, I heard begin
Smiling while it more luminous became :

"Even as I am kindled in its ray,

So, looking into the Eternal Light,
The occasion of thy thoughts I apprehend.
Thou doubtest, and wouldst have me to resift
In language so extended and so open
My speech, that to thy sense it

may

be plain,

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PARADISO XI.

Where just before I said, 'where well one fattens,'
And where I said, 'there never rose a second';
And here 'tis needful we distinguish well.
The Providence, which governeth the world
With counsel, wherein all created vision.
Is vanquished ere it reach unto the bottom,
(So that towards her own Beloved might go

The bride of Him who, uttering a loud cry,
Espoused her with his consecrated blood,
Self-confident and unto Him more faithful,)
Two Princes did ordain in her behoof,
Which on this side and that might be her guide.
The one was all seraphical in ardor;

The other by his wisdom upon earth
A splendor was of light cherubical.
One will I speak of, for of both is spoken

In praising one, whichever may be taken,

Because unto one end their labors were.
Between Tupino and the stream that falls

Down from the hill elect of blessed Ubald,
A fertile slope of lofty mountain hangs,
From which Perugia feels the cold and heat
Through Porta Sole, and behind it weep
Gualdo and Nocera their grievous yoke.
From out that slope, there where it breaketh most
Its steepness, rose upon the world a sun

As this one does sometimes from out the Ganges;

Therefore let him who speaketh of that place,
Say not Ascesi, for he would say little,
But Orient, if he properly would speak.
He was not yet far distant from his rising
Before he had begun to make the earth
Some comfort from his mighty virtue feel.
For he in youth his father's wrath incurred
For certain Dame, to whom, as unto death,
The gate of pleasure no one doth unlock;

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And was before his spiritual court
Et coram patre unto her united;

Then day by day more fervently he loved her.
She, reft of her first husband, scorned, obscure,
One thousand and one hundred years and more,
Waited without a suitor till he came.
Naught it availed to hear, that with Amyclas
Found her unmoved at sounding of his voice
He who struck terror into all the world;
Naught it availed being constant and undaunted,
So that, when Mary still remained below,
She mounted up with Christ upon the cross!
But that too darkly I may not proceed,

Francis and Poverty for these two lovers
Take thou henceforward in my speech diffuse.
Their concord and their joyous semblances,
The love, the wonder, and the sweet regard,
They made to be the cause of holy thoughts;
So much so that the venerable Bernard

First bared his feet, and after so great peace
Ran, and, in running, thought himself too slow.
O wealth unknown! O veritable good!

Giles bares his feet, and bares his feet Sylvester
Behind the bridegroom, so doth please the bride!
Then goes his way that father and that master,
He and his Lady and that family

Which now was girding on the humble cord;
Nor cowardice of heart weighed down his brow
At being son of Peter Bernardone,
Nor for appearing marvellously scorned;

But regally his hard determination

To Innocent he opened, and from him Received the primal seal upon his Order. After the people mendicant increased Behind this man, whose admirable life Better in glory of the heavens were sung,

Incoronated with a second crown

Was through Honorius by the Eternal Spirit
The holy purpose of this Archimandrite.
And when he had, through thirst of martyrdom,

In the proud presence of the Sultan preached
Christ and the others who came after him,
And, finding for conversion too unripe

The folk, and not to tarry there in vain,
Returned to fruit of the Italic grass,

On the rude rock 'twixt Tiber and the Arno
From Christ did he receive the final seal,
Which during two whole years his members bore.

When He, who chose him unto so much good,

Was pleased to draw him up to the reward
That he had merited by being lowly,

Unto his friars, as to the rightful heirs,

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His most dear Lady did he recommend,

And bade that they should love her faithfully;

And from her bosom the illustrious soul

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Wished to depart, returning to its realm,
And for its body wished no other bier.
Think now what man was he, who was a fit
Companion over the high seas to keep
The bark of Peter to its proper bearings.
And this man was our Patriarch; hence whoever
Doth follow him as he commands can see
That he is laden with good merchandise.

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But for new pasturage his flock has grown
So greedy, that it is impossible

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They be not scattered over fields diverse;

And in proportion as his sheep remote

And vagabond go farther off from him,
More void of milk return they to the fold.

Verily some there are that fear a hurt,

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And keep close to the shepherd; but so few,

That little cloth doth furnish forth their hoods.