Thirty times told the time that he has been In his presumption, unless such decree Shorter by means of righteous prayers become. 140 145 CANTO IV. WHENEVER by delight or else by pain, That seizes any faculty of ours, Wholly to that the soul collects itself, And this against that error is which thinks And hence, whenever aught is heard or seen And other that which the soul keeps entire ; Of this I had experience positive In hearing and in gazing at that spirit; For fifty full degrees uprisen was The sun, and I had not perceived it, when We came to where those souls with one accord Cried out unto us: "Here is what you ask." A greater opening ofttimes hedges up With but a little forkful of his thorns The villager, what time the grape imbrowns, Than was the passage-way through which ascended Only my Leader and myself behind him, After that company departed from us. One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli, And mounts the summit of Bismantova, Of great desire, conducted after him Who gave me hope, and made a light for me. And on each side the border pressed upon us, When we were come upon the upper rim Of the high bank, out on the open slope, "My Master," said I, "what way shall we take?" And he to me: "No step of thine descend; Still up the mount behind me win thy way, Till some sage escort shall appear to us.” 20 25 30 35 40 Spent with fatigue was I, when I began : "O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold How I remain alone, unless thou stay!" “O son,” he said, "up yonder drag thyself," Pointing me to a terrace somewhat higher, Strained every nerve, behind him scrambling up, Turned to the East, from which we had ascended, Then to the sun uplifted them, and wondered Bewildered at the chariot of the light, Where 'twixt us and the Aquilon it entered. Were in the company of yonder mirror, Revolving still more near unto the Bears, How that may be wouldst thou have power to think, Together with this mount on earth to stand, So that they both one sole horizon have, And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road Which Phaeton, alas! knew not to drive, Thou 'lt see how of necessity must pass the other, This on one side, when that upon If thine intelligence right clearly heed." "Truly, my Master," said I, "never yet Saw I so clearly as I now discern, There where my wit appeared incompetent, That the mid-circle of supernal motion, Which in some art is the Equator called, How far we have to go; for the hill rises And he to me: "This mount is such, that ever 70 75 80 85 90 |