That　would　have　still　annoyed　thee　many　times。
  But　now　another　passage　runs　across
  Before　thine　eyes；　and　such　that　by　thyself
  Thou　couldst　not　thread　it　ere　thou　wouldst　be　weary。
  I　have　for　certain　put　into　thy　mind
  That　soul　beatified　could　never　lie；
  For　it　is　near　the　primal　Truth；
  And　then　thou　from　Piccarda　might'st　have　heard
  Costanza　kept　affection　for　the　veil；
  So　that　she　seemeth　here　to　contradict　me。
  Many　times；　brother；　has　it　come　to　pass；
  That；　to　escape　from　peril；　with　reluctance
  That　has　been　done　it　was　not　right　to　do；
  E'en　as　Alcmaeon　（who；　being　by　his　father
  Thereto　entreated；　his　own　mother　slew）
  Not　to　lose　pity　pitiless　became。
  At　this　point　I　desire　thee　to　remember
  That　force　with　will　commingles；　and　they　cause
  That　the　offences　cannot　be　excused。
  Will　absolute　consenteth　not　to　evil；
  But　in　so　far　consenteth　as　it　fears；
  If　it　refrain；　to　fall　into　more　harm。
  Hence　when　Piccarda　uses　this　expression；
  She　meaneth　the　will　absolute；　and　I
  The　other；　so　that　both　of　us　speak　truth。〃
  Such　was　the　flowing　of　the　holy　river
  That　issued　from　the　fount　whence　springs　all　truth；
  This　put　to　rest　my　wishes　one　and　all。
  〃O　love　of　the　first　lover；　O　divine；〃
  Said　I　forthwith；　〃whose　speech　inundates　me
  And　warms　me　so；　it　more　and　more　revives　me；
  My　own　affection　is　not　so　profound
  As　to　suffice　in　rendering　grace　for　grace；
  Let　Him；　who　sees　and　can；　thereto　respond。
  Well　I　perceive　that　never　sated　is
  Our　intellect　unless　the　Truth　illume　it；
  Beyond　which　nothing　true　expands　itself。
  It　rests　therein；　as　wild　beast　in　his　lair；
  When　it　attains　it；　and　it　can　attain　it；
  If　not；　then　each　desire　would　frustrate　be。
  Therefore　springs　up；　in　fashion　of　a　shoot；
  Doubt　at　the　foot　of　truth；　and　this　is　nature；
  Which　to　the　top　from　height　to　height　impels　us。
  This　doth　invite　me；　this　assurance　give　me
  With　reverence；　Lady；　to　inquire　of　you
  Another　truth；　which　is　obscure　to　me。
  I　wish　to　know　if　man　can　satisfy　you
  For　broken　vows　with　other　good　deeds；　so
  That　in　your　balance　they　will　not　be　light。〃
  Beatrice　gazed　upon　me　with　her　eyes
  Full　of　the　sparks　of　love；　and　so　divine；
  That；　overcome　my　power；　I　turned　my　back
  And　almost　lost　myself　with　eyes　downcast。
  Paradiso：　Canto　V
  〃If　in　the　heat　of　love　I　flame　upon　thee
  Beyond　the　measure　that　on　earth　is　seen；
  So　that　the　valour　of　thine　eyes　I　vanquish；
  Marvel　thou　not　thereat；　for　this　proceeds
  From　perfect　sight；　which　as　it　apprehends
  To　the　good　apprehended　moves　its　feet。
  Well　I　perceive　how　is　already　shining
  Into　thine　intellect　the　eternal　light；
  That　only　seen　enkindles　always　love；
  And　if　some　other　thing　your　love　seduce；
  'Tis　nothing　but　a　vestige　of　the　same；
  Ill　understood；　which　there　is　shining　through。
  Thou　fain　wouldst　know　if　with　another　service
  For　broken　vow　can　such　return　be　made
  As　to　secure　the　soul　from　further　claim。〃
  This　Canto　thus　did　Beatrice　begin；
  And；　as　a　man　who　breaks　not　off　his　speech；
  Continued　thus　her　holy　argument：
  〃The　greatest　gift　that　in　his　largess　God
  Creating　made；　and　unto　his　own　goodness
  Nearest　conformed；　and　that　which　he　doth　prize
  Most　highly；　is　the　freedom　of　the　will；
  Wherewith　the　creatures　of　intelligence
  Both　all　and　only　were　and　are　endowed。
  Now　wilt　thou　see；　if　thence　thou　reasonest；
  The　high　worth　of　a　vow；　if　it　he　made
  So　that　when　thou　consentest　God　consents：
  For；　closing　between　God　and　man　the　compact；
  A　sacrifice　is　of　this　treasure　made；
  Such　as　I　say；　and　made　by　its　own　act。
  What　can　be　rendered　then　as　compensation？
  Think'st　thou　to　make　good　use　of　what　thou'st　offered；
  With　gains　ill　gotten　thou　wouldst　do　good　deed。
  Now　art　thou　certain　of　the　greater　point；
  But　because　Holy　Church　in　this　dispenses；
  Which　seems　against　the　truth　which　I　have　shown　thee；
  Behoves　thee　still　to　sit　awhile　at　table；
  Because　the　solid　food　which　thou　hast　taken
  Requireth　further　aid　for　thy　digestion。
  Open　thy　mind　to　that　which　I　reveal；
  And　fix　it　there　within；　for　'tis　not　knowledge；
  The　having　heard　without　retaining　it。
  In　the　essence　of　this　sacrifice　two　things
  Convene　together；　and　the　one　is　that
  Of　which　'tis　made；　the　other　is　the　agreement。
  This　last　for　evermore　is　cancelled　not
  Unless　complied　with；　and　concerning　this
  With　such　precision　has　above　been　spoken。
  Therefore　it　was　enjoined　upon　the　Hebrews
  To　offer　still；　though　sometimes　what　was　offered
  Might　be　commuted；　as　thou　ought'st　to　know。
  The　other；　which　is　known　to　thee　as　matter；
  May　well　indeed　be　such　that　one　errs　not
  If　it　for　other　matter　be　exchanged。
  But　let　none　shift　the　burden　on　his　shoulder
  At　his　arbitrament；　without　the　turning
  Both　of　the　white　and　of　the　yellow　key；
  And　every　permutation　deem　as　foolish；
  If　in　the　substitute　the　thing　relinquished；
  As　the　four　is　in　six；　be　not　contained。
  Therefore　whatever　thing　has　so　great　weight
  In　value　that　it　drags　down　every　balance；
  Cannot　be　satisfied　with　other　spending。
  Let　mortals　never　take　a　vow　in　jest；
  Be　faithful　and　not　blind　in　doing　that；
  As　Jephthah　was　in　his　first　offering；
  Whom　more　beseemed　to　say；　'I　have　done　wrong；
  Than　to　do　worse　by　keeping；　and　as　foolish
  Thou　the　great　leader　of　the　Greeks　wilt　find；
  Whence　wept　Iphigenia　her　fair　face；
  And　made　for　her　both　wise　and　simple　weep；
  Who　heard　such　kind　of　worship　spoken　of。'
  Christians；　be　ye　more　serious　in　your　movements；
  Be　ye　not　like　a　feather　at　each　wind；
  And　think　not　every　water　washes　you。
  Ye　have　the　Old　and　the　New　Testament；
  And　the　Pastor　of　the　Church　who　guideth　you
  Let　this　suffice　you　unto　your　salvation。
  If　evil　appetite　cry　aught　else　to　you；
  Be　ye　as　men；　and　not　as　silly　sheep；
  So　that　the　Jew　among　you　may　not　mock　you。
  Be　ye　not　as　the　lamb　that　doth　abandon
  Its　mother's　milk；　and　frolicsome　and　simple
  Combats　at　its　own　pleasure　with　itself。〃
  Thus　Beatrice　to　me　even　as　I　write　it；
  Then　all　desireful　turned　herself　again
  To　that　part　where　the　world　is　most　alive。
  Her　silence　and　her　change　of　countenance
  Silence　imposed　upon　my　eager　mind；
  That　had　already　in　advance　new　questions；
  And　as　an　arrow　that　upon　the　mark
  Strikes　ere　the　bowstring　quiet　hath　become；
  So　did　we　speed　into　the　second　realm。
  My　Lady　there　so　joyful　I　beheld；
  As　into　the　brightness　of　that　heaven　she　entered；
  More　luminous　thereat　the　planet　grew；
  And　if　the　star　itself　was　changed　and　smiled；
  What　became　I；　who　by　my　nature　am
  Exceeding　mutable　in　every　guise！
  As；　in　a　fish…pond　which　is　pure　and　tranquil；
  The　fishes　draw　to　that　which　from　without
  Comes　in　such　fashion　that　their　food　they　deem　it；
  So　I　beheld　more　than　a　thousand　splendours
  Drawing　towards　us；　and　in　each　was　heard：
  〃Lo；　this　is　she　who　shall　increase　our　love。〃
  And　as　each　one　was　coming　unto　us；
  Full　of　beatitude　the　shade　was　seen；
  By　the　effulgence　clear　that　issued　from　it。
  Think；　Reader；　if　what　here　is　just　beginning
  No　farther　should　proceed；　how　thou　wouldst　have
  An　agonizing　need　of　knowing　more；
  And　of　thyself　thou'lt　see　how　I　from　these
  Was　in　desire　of　hearing　their　conditions；
  As　they　unto　mine　eyes　were　manifest。
  〃O　thou　well…born；　unto　whom　Grace　concedes
  To　see　the　thrones　of　the　eternal　triumph；
  Or　ever　yet　the　warfare　be　abandoned
  With　light　that　through　the　whole　of　heaven　is　spread
  Kindled　are　we；　and　hence　if　thou　desirest
  To　know　of　us；　at　thine　own　pleasure　sate　thee。〃
  Thus　by　some　one　among　those　holy　spirits
  Was　spoken；　and　by　Beatrice：　〃Speak；　speak
  Securely；　and　believe　them　even　as　Gods。〃
  〃Well　I　perceive　how　thou　dost　nest　thyself
  In　thine　own　light；　and　drawest　it　from　thine　eyes；
  Because　they　coruscate　when　thou　dost　smile；
  But　know　not　who　thou　art；　nor　why　thou　hast；
  Spirit　august；　thy　station　in　the　sphere
  That　veils　itself　to　men　in　alien　rays。〃
  This　said　I　in　direction　of　the　light
  Which　first　had　spoken　to　me；　whence　it　became
  By　far　more　lucent　than　it　was　before。
  Even　as　the　sun；　that　doth　conceal　himself
  By　too　much　light；　when　heat　has　worn　away
  The　tempering　influence　of　the　vapours　dense；
  By　greater　rapture　thus　concealed　itself
  In　its　own　radiance　the　figure　saintly；
  And　thus　close；　close　enfolded　answered　me
  In　fashion　as　the　following　Canto　sings。
  Paradiso：　Canto　VI
  〃After　that　Constantine　the　eagle　turned
  Against　the　course　of　heaven；　which　it　had　followed
  Behind　the　ancient　who　Lavinia　took；
  Two　hundred　years　and　more　the　bird　of　God
  In　the　extreme　of　Europe　held　itself；
  Near　to　the　mountains　whence　it　issued　first；
  And　under　shadow　of　the　sacred　plumes
  It　governed　there　the　world　from　hand　to　hand；
  And；　changing　thus；　upon　mine　own　alighted。
  Caesar　I　was；　and　am　Justinian；
  Who；　by　the　will　of　primal　Love　I　feel；
  Took　from　the　laws　the　useless　and　redundant；
  And　e