Truly　to　him　who　with　me　subtilizes；
  If　so　the　Scripture　were　not　over　you；
  For　doubting　there　were　marvellous　occasion。
  O　animals　terrene；　O　stolid　minds；
  The　primal　will；　that　in　itself　is　good；
  Ne'er　from　itself；　the　Good　Supreme；　has　moved。
  So　much　is　just　as　is　accordant　with　it；
  No　good　created　draws　it　to　itself；
  But　it；　by　raying　forth；　occasions　that。〃
  Even　as　above　her　nest　goes　circling　round
  The　stork　when　she　has　fed　her　little　ones；
  And　he　who　has　been　fed　looks　up　at　her；
  So　lifted　I　my　brows；　and　even　such
  Became　the　blessed　image；　which　its　wings
  Was　moving；　by　so　many　counsels　urged。
  Circling　around　it　sang；　and　said：　〃As　are
  My　notes　to　thee；　who　dost　not　comprehend　them；
  Such　is　the　eternal　judgment　to　you　mortals。〃
  Those　lucent　splendours　of　the　Holy　Spirit
  Grew　quiet　then；　but　still　within　the　standard
  That　made　the　Romans　reverend　to　the　world。
  It　recommenced：　〃Unto　this　kingdom　never
  Ascended　one　who　had　not　faith　in　Christ；
  Before　or　since　he　to　the　tree　was　nailed。
  But　look　thou；　many　crying　are；　'Christ；　Christ！'
  Who　at　the　judgment　shall　be　far　less　near
  To　him　than　some　shall　be　who　knew　not　Christ。
  Such　Christians　shall　the　Ethiop　condemn；
  When　the　two　companies　shall　be　divided；
  The　one　for　ever　rich；　the　other　poor。
  What　to　your　kings　may　not　the　Persians　say；
  When　they　that　volume　opened　shall　behold
  In　which　are　written　down　all　their　dispraises？
  There　shall　be　seen；　among　the　deeds　of　Albert；
  That　which　ere　long　shall　set　the　pen　in　motion；
  For　which　the　realm　of　Prague　shall　be　deserted。
  There　shall　be　seen　the　woe　that　on　the　Seine
  He　brings　by　falsifying　of　the　coin；
  Who　by　the　blow　of　a　wild　boar　shall　die。
  There　shall　be　seen　the　pride　that　causes　thirst；
  Which　makes　the　Scot　and　Englishman　so　mad
  That　they　within　their　boundaries　cannot　rest；
  Be　seen　the　luxury　and　effeminate　life
  Of　him　of　Spain；　and　the　Bohemian；
  Who　valour　never　knew　and　never　wished；
  Be　seen　the　Cripple　of　Jerusalem；
  His　goodness　represented　by　an　I；
  While　the　reverse　an　M　shall　represent；
  Be　seen　the　avarice　and　poltroonery
  Of　him　who　guards　the　Island　of　the　Fire；
  Wherein　Anchises　finished　his　long　life；
  And　to　declare　how　pitiful　he　is
  Shall　be　his　record　in　contracted　letters
  Which　shall　make　note　of　much　in　little　space。
  And　shall　appear　to　each　one　the　foul　deeds
  Of　uncle　and　of　brother　who　a　nation
  So　famous　have　dishonoured；　and　two　crowns。
  And　he　of　Portugal　and　he　of　Norway
  Shall　there　be　known；　and　he　of　Rascia　too；
  Who　saw　in　evil　hour　the　coin　of　Venice。
  O　happy　Hungary；　if　she　let　herself
  Be　wronged　no　farther！　and　Navarre　the　happy；
  If　with　the　hills　that　gird　her　she　be　armed！
  And　each　one　may　believe　that　now；　as　hansel
  Thereof；　do　Nicosia　and　Famagosta
  Lament　and　rage　because　of　their　own　beast；
  Who　from　the　others'　flank　departeth　not。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XX
  When　he　who　all　the　world　illuminates
  Out　of　our　hemisphere　so　far　descends
  That　on　all　sides　the　daylight　is　consumed；
  The　heaven；　that　erst　by　him　alone　was　kindled；
  Doth　suddenly　reveal　itself　again
  By　many　lights；　wherein　is　one　resplendent。
  And　came　into　my　mind　this　act　of　heaven；
  When　the　ensign　of　the　world　and　of　its　leaders
  Had　silent　in　the　blessed　beak　become；
  Because　those　living　luminaries　all；
  By　far　more　luminous；　did　songs　begin
  Lapsing　and　falling　from　my　memory。
  O　gentle　Love；　that　with　a　smile　dost　cloak　thee；
  How　ardent　in　those　sparks　didst　thou　appear；
  That　had　the　breath　alone　of　holy　thoughts！
  After　the　precious　and　pellucid　crystals；
  With　which　begemmed　the　sixth　light　I　beheld；
  Silence　imposed　on　the　angelic　bells；
  I　seemed　to　hear　the　murmuring　of　a　river
  That　clear　descendeth　down　from　rock　to　rock；
  Showing　the　affluence　of　its　mountain…top。
  And　as　the　sound　upon　the　cithern's　neck
  Taketh　its　form；　and　as　upon　the　vent
  Of　rustic　pipe　the　wind　that　enters　it；
  Even　thus；　relieved　from　the　delay　of　waiting；
  That　murmuring　of　the　eagle　mounted　up
  Along　its　neck；　as　if　it　had　been　hollow。
  There　it　became　a　voice；　and　issued　thence
  From　out　its　beak；　in　such　a　form　of　words
  As　the　heart　waited　for　wherein　I　wrote　them。
  〃The　part　in　me　which　sees　and　bears　the　sun
  In　mortal　eagles；〃　it　began　to　me；
  〃Now　fixedly　must　needs　be　looked　upon；
  For　of　the　fires　of　which　I　make　my　figure；
  Those　whence　the　eye　doth　sparkle　in　my　head
  Of　all　their　orders　the　supremest　are。
  He　who　is　shining　in　the　midst　as　pupil
  Was　once　the　singer　of　the　Holy　Spirit；
  Who　bore　the　ark　from　city　unto　city；
  Now　knoweth　he　the　merit　of　his　song；
  In　so　far　as　effect　of　his　own　counsel；
  By　the　reward　which　is　commensurate。
  Of　five；　that　make　a　circle　for　my　brow；
  He　that　approacheth　nearest　to　my　beak
  Did　the　poor　widow　for　her　son　console；
  Now　knoweth　he　how　dearly　it　doth　cost
  Not　following　Christ；　by　the　experience
  Of　this　sweet　life　and　of　its　opposite。
  He　who　comes　next　in　the　circumference
  Of　which　I　speak；　upon　its　highest　arc；
  Did　death　postpone　by　penitence　sincere；
  Now　knoweth　he　that　the　eternal　judgment
  Suffers　no　change；　albeit　worthy　prayer
  Maketh　below　to…morrow　of　to…day。
  The　next　who　follows；　with　the　laws　and　me；
  Under　the　good　intent　that　bore　bad　fruit
  Became　a　Greek　by　ceding　to　the　pastor；
  Now　knoweth　he　how　all　the　ill　deduced
  From　his　good　action　is　not　harmful　to　him；
  Although　the　world　thereby　may　be　destroyed。
  And　he；　whom　in　the　downward　arc　thou　seest；
  Guglielmo　was；　whom　the　same　land　deplores
  That　weepeth　Charles　and　Frederick　yet　alive；
  Now　knoweth　he　how　heaven　enamoured　is
  With　a　just　king；　and　in　the　outward　show
  Of　his　effulgence　he　reveals　it　still。
  Who　would　believe；　down　in　the　errant　world；
  That　e'er　the　Trojan　Ripheus　in　this　round
  Could　be　the　fifth　one　of　the　holy　lights？
  Now　knoweth　he　enough　of　what　the　world
  Has　not　the　power　to　see　of　grace　divine；
  Although　his　sight　may　not　discern　the　bottom。〃
  Like　as　a　lark　that　in　the　air　expatiates；
  First　singing　and　then　silent　with　content
  Of　the　last　sweetness　that　doth　satisfy　her；
  Such　seemed　to　me　the　image　of　the　imprint
  Of　the　eternal　pleasure；　by　whose　will
  Doth　everything　become　the　thing　it　is。
  And　notwithstanding　to　my　doubt　I　was
  As　glass　is　to　the　colour　that　invests　it；
  To　wait　the　time　in　silence　it　endured　not；
  But　forth　from　out　my　mouth；　〃What　things　are　these？〃
  Extorted　with　the　force　of　its　own　weight；
  Whereat　I　saw　great　joy　of　coruscation。
  Thereafterward　with　eye　still　more　enkindled
  The　blessed　standard　made　to　me　reply；
  To　keep　me　not　in　wonderment　suspended：
  〃I　see　that　thou　believest　in　these　things
  Because　I　say　them；　but　thou　seest　not　how；
  So　that；　although　believed　in；　they　are　hidden。
  Thou　doest　as　he　doth　who　a　thing　by　name
  Well　apprehendeth；　but　its　quiddity
  Cannot　perceive；　unless　another　show　it。
  'Regnum　coelorum'　suffereth　violence
  From　fervent　love；　and　from　that　living　hope
  That　overcometh　the　Divine　volition；
  Not　in　the　guise　that　man　o'ercometh　man；
  But　conquers　it　because　it　will　be　conquered；
  And　conquered　conquers　by　benignity。
  The　first　life　of　the　eyebrow　and　the　fifth
  Cause　thee　astonishment；　because　with　them
  Thou　seest　the　region　of　the　angels　painted。
  They　passed　not　from　their　bodies；　as　thou　thinkest；
  Gentiles；　but　Christians　in　the　steadfast　faith
  Of　feet　that　were　to　suffer　and　had　suffered。
  For　one　from　Hell；　where　no　one　e'er　turns　back
  Unto　good　will；　returned　unto　his　bones；
  And　that　of　living　hope　was　the　reward；
  Of　living　hope；　that　placed　its　efficacy
  In　prayers　to　God　made　to　resuscitate　him；
  So　that　'twere　possible　to　move　his　will。
  The　glorious　soul　concerning　which　I　speak；
  Returning　to　the　flesh；　where　brief　its　stay；
  Believed　in　Him　who　had　the　power　to　aid　it；
  And；　in　believing；　kindled　to　such　fire
  Of　genuine　love；　that　at　the　second　death
  Worthy　it　was　to　come　unto　this　joy。
  The　other　one；　through　grace；　that　from　so　deep
  A　fountain　wells　that　never　hath　the　eye
  Of　any　creature　reached　its　primal　wave；
  Set　all　his　love　below　on　righteousness；
  Wherefore　from　grace　to　grace　did　God　unclose
  His　eye　to　our　redemption　yet　to　be；
  Whence　he　believed　therein；　and　suffered　not
  From　that　day　forth　the　stench　of　paganism；
  And　he　reproved　therefor　the　folk　perverse。
  Those　Maidens　three；　whom　at　the　right…hand　wheel
  Thou　didst　behold；　were　unto　him　for　baptism
  More　than　a　thousand　years　before　baptizing。
  O　thou　predestination；　how　remote
  Thy　root　is　from　the　aspect　of　all　those
  Who　the　First　Cause　do　not　behold　entire！
  And　you；　O　mortals！　hold　yourselves　restrained
  In　judging；　for　ourselves；　who　look　on　God；
  We　do　not　know　as　yet　all　the　elect；
  And　sweet　to　us　is　such　a　deprivation；
  Because　our　good　in　this　good　is　made　perfect；
  That　whatsoe'er　God　wills；　we　also　will。〃
  After　this　manner　by　that　shape　divine；