This　little　planet　doth　adorn　itself
  With　the　good　spirits　that　have　active　been；
  That　fame　and　honour　might　come　after　them；
  And　whensoever　the　desires　mount　thither；
  Thus　deviating；　must　perforce　the　rays
  Of　the　true　love　less　vividly　mount　upward。
  But　in　commensuration　of　our　wages
  With　our　desert　is　portion　of　our　joy；
  Because　we　see　them　neither　less　nor　greater。
  Herein　doth　living　Justice　sweeten　so
  Affection　in　us；　that　for　evermore
  It　cannot　warp　to　any　iniquity。
  Voices　diverse　make　up　sweet　melodies；
  So　in　this　life　of　ours　the　seats　diverse
  Render　sweet　harmony　among　these　spheres；
  And　in　the　compass　of　this　present　pearl
  Shineth　the　sheen　of　Romeo；　of　whom
  The　grand　and　beauteous　work　was　ill　rewarded。
  But　the　Provencals　who　against　him　wrought；
  They　have　not　laughed；　and　therefore　ill　goes　he
  Who　makes　his　hurt　of　the　good　deeds　of　others。
  Four　daughters；　and　each　one　of　them　a　queen；
  Had　Raymond　Berenger；　and　this　for　him
  Did　Romeo；　a　poor　man　and　a　pilgrim；
  And　then　malicious　words　incited　him
  To　summon　to　a　reckoning　this　just　man；
  Who　rendered　to　him　seven　and　five　for　ten。
  Then　he　departed　poor　and　stricken　in　years；
  And　if　the　world　could　know　the　heart　he　had；
  In　begging　bit　by　bit　his　livelihood；
  Though　much　it　laud　him；　it　would　laud　him　more。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　VII
  〃Osanna　sanctus　Deus　Sabaoth；
  Superillustrans　claritate　tua
  Felices　ignes　horum　malahoth！〃
  In　this　wise；　to　his　melody　returning；
  This　substance；　upon　which　a　double　light
  Doubles　itself；　was　seen　by　me　to　sing；
  And　to　their　dance　this　and　the　others　moved；
  And　in　the　manner　of　swift…hurrying　sparks
  Veiled　themselves　from　me　with　a　sudden　distance。
  Doubting　was　I；　and　saying；　〃Tell　her；　tell　her；〃
  Within　me；　〃tell　her；〃　saying；　〃tell　my　Lady；〃
  Who　slakes　my　thirst　with　her　sweet　effluences；
  And　yet　that　reverence　which　doth　lord　it　over
  The　whole　of　me　only　by　B　and　ICE；
  Bowed　me　again　like　unto　one　who　drowses。
  Short　while　did　Beatrice　endure　me　thus；
  And　she　began；　lighting　me　with　a　smile
  Such　as　would　make　one　happy　in　the　fire：
  〃According　to　infallible　advisement；
  After　what　manner　a　just　vengeance　justly
  Could　be　avenged　has　put　thee　upon　thinking；
  But　I　will　speedily　thy　mind　unloose；
  And　do　thou　listen；　for　these　words　of　mine
  Of　a　great　doctrine　will　a　present　make　thee。
  By　not　enduring　on　the　power　that　wills
  Curb　for　his　good；　that　man　who　ne'er　was　born；
  Damning　himself　damned　all　his　progeny；
  Whereby　the　human　species　down　below
  Lay　sick　for　many　centuries　in　great　error；
  Till　to　descend　it　pleased　the　Word　of　God
  To　where　the　nature；　which　from　its　own　Maker
  Estranged　itself；　he　joined　to　him　in　person
  By　the　sole　act　of　his　eternal　love。
  Now　unto　what　is　said　direct　thy　sight；
  This　nature　when　united　to　its　Maker；
  Such　as　created；　was　sincere　and　good；
  But　by　itself　alone　was　banished　forth
  From　Paradise；　because　it　turned　aside
  Out　of　the　way　of　truth　and　of　its　life。
  Therefore　the　penalty　the　cross　held　out；
  If　measured　by　the　nature　thus　assumed；
  None　ever　yet　with　so　great　justice　stung；
  And　none　was　ever　of　so　great　injustice；
  Considering　who　the　Person　was　that　suffered；
  Within　whom　such　a　nature　was　contracted。
  From　one　act　therefore　issued　things　diverse；
  To　God　and　to　the　Jews　one　death　was　pleasing；
  Earth　trembled　at　it　and　the　Heaven　was　opened。
  It　should　no　longer　now　seem　difficult
  To　thee；　when　it　is　said　that　a　just　vengeance
  By　a　just　court　was　afterward　avenged。
  But　now　do　I　behold　thy　mind　entangled
  From　thought　to　thought　within　a　knot；　from　which
  With　great　desire　it　waits　to　free　itself。
  Thou　sayest；　'Well　discern　I　what　I　hear；
  But　it　is　hidden　from　me　why　God　willed
  For　our　redemption　only　this　one　mode。'
  Buried　remaineth；　brother；　this　decree
  Unto　the　eyes　of　every　one　whose　nature
  Is　in　the　flame　of　love　not　yet　adult。
  Verily；　inasmuch　as　at　this　mark
  One　gazes　long　and　little　is　discerned；
  Wherefore　this　mode　was　worthiest　will　I　say。
  Goodness　Divine；　which　from　itself　doth　spurn
  All　envy；　burning　in　itself　so　sparkles
  That　the　eternal　beauties　it　unfolds。
  Whate'er　from　this　immediately　distils
  Has　afterwards　no　end；　for　ne'er　removed
  Is　its　impression　when　it　sets　its　seal。
  Whate'er　from　this　immediately　rains　down
  Is　wholly　free；　because　it　is　not　subject
  Unto　the　influences　of　novel　things。
  The　more　conformed　thereto；　the　more　it　pleases；
  For　the　blest　ardour　that　irradiates　all　things
  In　that　most　like　itself　is　most　vivacious。
  With　all　of　these　things　has　advantaged　been
  The　human　creature；　and　if　one　be　wanting；
  From　his　nobility　he　needs　must　fall。
  'Tis　sin　alone　which　doth　disfranchise　him；
  And　render　him　unlike　the　Good　Supreme；
  So　that　he　little　with　its　light　is　blanched；
  And　to　his　dignity　no　more　returns；
  Unless　he　fill　up　where　transgression　empties
  With　righteous　pains　for　criminal　delights。
  Your　nature　when　it　sinned　so　utterly
  In　its　own　seed；　out　of　these　dignities
  Even　as　out　of　Paradise　was　driven；
  Nor　could　itself　recover；　if　thou　notest
  With　nicest　subtilty；　by　any　way；
  Except　by　passing　one　of　these　two　fords：
  Either　that　God　through　clemency　alone
  Had　pardon　granted；　or　that　man　himself
  Had　satisfaction　for　his　folly　made。
  Fix　now　thine　eye　deep　into　the　abyss
  Of　the　eternal　counsel；　to　my　speech
  As　far　as　may　be　fastened　steadfastly！
  Man　in　his　limitations　had　not　power
  To　satisfy；　not　having　power　to　sink
  In　his　humility　obeying　then；
  Far　as　he　disobeying　thought　to　rise；
  And　for　this　reason　man　has　been　from　power
  Of　satisfying　by　himself　excluded。
  Therefore　it　God　behoved　in　his　own　ways
  Man　to　restore　unto　his　perfect　life；
  I　say　in　one；　or　else　in　both　of　them。
  But　since　the　action　of　the　doer　is
  So　much　more　grateful；　as　it　more　presents
  The　goodness　of　the　heart　from　which　it　issues；
  Goodness　Divine；　that　doth　imprint　the　world；
  Has　been　contented　to　proceed　by　each
  And　all　its　ways　to　lift　you　up　again；
  Nor　'twixt　the　first　day　and　the　final　night
  Such　high　and　such　magnificent　proceeding
  By　one　or　by　the　other　was　or　shall　be；
  For　God　more　bounteous　was　himself　to　give
  To　make　man　able　to　uplift　himself；
  Than　if　he　only　of　himself　had　pardoned；
  And　all　the　other　modes　were　insufficient
  For　justice；　were　it　not　the　Son　of　God
  Himself　had　humbled　to　become　incarnate。
  Now；　to　fill　fully　each　desire　of　thine；
  Return　I　to　elucidate　one　place；
  In　order　that　thou　there　mayst　see　as　I　do。
  Thou　sayst：　'I　see　the　air；　I　see　the　fire；
  The　water；　and　the　earth；　and　all　their　mixtures
  Come　to　corruption；　and　short　while　endure；
  And　these　things　notwithstanding　were　created；'
  Therefore　if　that　which　I　have　said　were　true；
  They　should　have　been　secure　against　corruption。
  The　Angels；　brother；　and　the　land　sincere
  In　which　thou　art；　created　may　be　called
  Just　as　they　are　in　their　entire　existence；
  But　all　the　elements　which　thou　hast　named；
  And　all　those　things　which　out　of　them　are　made；
  By　a　created　virtue　are　informed。
  Created　was　the　matter　which　they　have；
  Created　was　the　informing　influence
  Within　these　stars　that　round　about　them　go。
  The　soul　of　every　brute　and　of　the　plants
  By　its　potential　temperament　attracts
  The　ray　and　motion　of　the　holy　lights；
  But　your　own　life　immediately　inspires
  Supreme　Beneficence；　and　enamours　it
  So　with　herself；　it　evermore　desires　her。
  And　thou　from　this　mayst　argue　furthermore
  Your　resurrection；　if　thou　think　again
  How　human　flesh　was　fashioned　at　that　time
  When　the　first　parents　both　of　them　were　made。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　VIII
  The　world　used　in　its　peril　to　believe
  That　the　fair　Cypria　delirious　love
  Rayed　out；　in　the　third　epicycle　turning；
  Wherefore　not　only　unto　her　paid　honour
  Of　sacrifices　and　of　votive　cry
  The　ancient　nations　in　the　ancient　error；
  But　both　Dione　honoured　they　and　Cupid；
  That　as　her　mother；　this　one　as　her　son；
  And　said　that　he　had　sat　in　Dido's　lap；
  And　they　from　her；　whence　I　beginning　take；
  Took　the　denomination　of　the　star
  That　woos　the　sun；　now　following；　now　in　front。
  I　was　not　ware　of　our　ascending　to　it；
  But　of　our　being　in　it　gave　full　faith
  My　Lady　whom　I　saw　more　beauteous　grow。
  And　as　within　a　flame　a　spark　is　seen；
  And　as　within　a　voice　a　voice　discerned；
  When　one　is　steadfast；　and　one　comes　and　goes；
  Within　that　light　beheld　I　other　lamps
  Move　in　a　circle；　speeding　more　and　less；
  Methinks　in　measure　of　their　inward　vision。
  From　a　cold　cloud　descended　never　winds；
  Or　visible　or　not；　so　rapidly
  They　would　not　laggard　and　impeded　seem
  To　any　one　who　had　those　lights　divine
  Seen　come　towards　us；　leaving　the　gyration
  Begun　at　first　in　the　high　Seraphim。
  And　behind　those　that　most　in　front　appeared
  Sounded　〃Osanna！〃　so　that　never　since
  To　hear　again　was　I　without　desire。
  Then　unto　us　more　nearly　one　a