Here　are　my　brethren；　who　within　the　cloisters
  Their　footsteps　stayed　and　kept　a　steadfast　heart。〃
  And　I　to　him：　〃The　affection　which　thou　showest
  Speaking　with　me；　and　the　good　countenance
  Which　I　behold　and　note　in　all　your　ardours；
  In　me　have　so　my　confidence　dilated
  As　the　sun　doth　the　rose；　when　it　becomes
  As　far　unfolded　as　it　hath　the　power。
  Therefore　I　pray；　and　thou　assure　me；　father；
  If　I　may　so　much　grace　receive；　that　I
  May　thee　behold　with　countenance　unveiled。〃
  He　thereupon：　〃Brother；　thy　high　desire
  In　the　remotest　sphere　shall　be　fulfilled；
  Where　are　fulfilled　all　others　and　my　own。
  There　perfect　is；　and　ripened；　and　complete；
  Every　desire；　within　that　one　alone
  Is　every　part　where　it　has　always　been；
  For　it　is　not　in　space；　nor　turns　on　poles；
  And　unto　it　our　stairway　reaches　up；
  Whence　thus　from　out　thy　sight　it　steals　away。
  Up　to　that　height　the　Patriarch　Jacob　saw　it
  Extending　its　supernal　part；　what　time
  So　thronged　with　angels　it　appeared　to　him。
  But　to　ascend　it　now　no　one　uplifts
  His　feet　from　off　the　earth；　and　now　my　Rule
  Below　remaineth　for　mere　waste　of　paper。
  The　walls　that　used　of　old　to　be　an　Abbey
  Are　changed　to　dens　of　robbers；　and　the　cowls
  Are　sacks　filled　full　of　miserable　flour。
  But　heavy　usury　is　not　taken　up
  So　much　against　God's　pleasure　as　that　fruit
  Which　maketh　so　insane　the　heart　of　monks；
  For　whatsoever　hath　the　Church　in　keeping
  Is　for　the　folk　that　ask　it　in　God's　name；
  Not　for　one's　kindred　or　for　something　worse。
  The　flesh　of　mortals　is　so　very　soft；
  That　good　beginnings　down　below　suffice　not
  From　springing　of　the　oak　to　bearing　acorns。
  Peter　began　with　neither　gold　nor　silver；
  And　I　with　orison　and　abstinence；
  And　Francis　with　humility　his　convent。
  And　if　thou　lookest　at　each　one's　beginning；
  And　then　regardest　whither　he　has　run；
  Thou　shalt　behold　the　white　changed　into　brown。
  In　verity　the　Jordan　backward　turned；
  And　the　sea's　fleeing；　when　God　willed　were　more
  A　wonder　to　behold；　than　succour　here。〃
  Thus　unto　me　he　said；　and　then　withdrew
  To　his　own　band；　and　the　band　closed　together；
  Then　like　a　whirlwind　all　was　upward　rapt。
  The　gentle　Lady　urged　me　on　behind　them
  Up　o'er　that　stairway　by　a　single　sign；
  So　did　her　virtue　overcome　my　nature；
  Nor　here　below；　where　one　goes　up　and　down
  By　natural　law；　was　motion　e'er　so　swift
  That　it　could　be　compared　unto　my　wing。
  Reader；　as　I　may　unto　that　devout
  Triumph　return；　on　whose　account　I　often
  For　my　transgressions　weep　and　beat　my　breast；
  Thou　hadst　not　thrust　thy　finger　in　the　fire
  And　drawn　it　out　again；　before　I　saw
  The　sign　that　follows　Taurus；　and　was　in　it。
  O　glorious　stars；　O　light　impregnated
  With　mighty　virtue；　from　which　I　acknowledge
  All　of　my　genius；　whatsoe'er　it　be；
  With　you　was　born；　and　hid　himself　with　you；
  He　who　is　father　of　all　mortal　life；
  When　first　I　tasted　of　the　Tuscan　air；
  And　then　when　grace　was　freely　given　to　me
  To　enter　the　high　wheel　which　turns　you　round；
  Your　region　was　allotted　unto　me。
  To　you　devoutly　at　this　hour　my　soul
  Is　sighing；　that　it　virtue　may　acquire
  For　the　stern　pass　that　draws　it　to　itself。
  〃Thou　art　so　near　unto　the　last　salvation；〃
  Thus　Beatrice　began；　〃thou　oughtest　now
  To　have　thine　eves　unclouded　and　acute；
  And　therefore；　ere　thou　enter　farther　in；
  Look　down　once　more；　and　see　how　vast　a　world
  Thou　hast　already　put　beneath　thy　feet；
  So　that　thy　heart；　as　jocund　as　it　may；
  Present　itself　to　the　triumphant　throng
  That　comes　rejoicing　through　this　rounded　ether。〃
  I　with　my　sight　returned　through　one　and　all
  The　sevenfold　spheres；　and　I　beheld　this　globe
  Such　that　I　smiled　at　its　ignoble　semblance；
  And　that　opinion　I　approve　as　best
  Which　doth　account　it　least；　and　he　who　thinks
  Of　something　else　may　truly　be　called　just。
  I　saw　the　daughter　of　Latona　shining
  Without　that　shadow；　which　to　me　was　cause
  That　once　I　had　believed　her　rare　and　dense。
  The　aspect　of　thy　son；　Hyperion；
  Here　I　sustained；　and　saw　how　move　themselves
  Around　and　near　him　Maia　and　Dione。
  Thence　there　appeared　the　temperateness　of　Jove
  'Twixt　son　and　father；　and　to　me　was　clear
  The　change　that　of　their　whereabout　they　make；
  And　all　the　seven　made　manifest　to　me
  How　great　they　are；　and　eke　how　swift　they　are；
  And　how　they　are　in　distant　habitations。
  The　threshing…floor　that　maketh　us　so　proud；
  To　me　revolving　with　the　eternal　Twins；
  Was　all　apparent　made　from　hill　to　harbour！
  Then　to　the　beauteous　eyes　mine　eyes　I　turned。
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXIII
  Even　as　a　bird；　'mid　the　beloved　leaves；
  Quiet　upon　the　nest　of　her　sweet　brood
  Throughout　the　night；　that　hideth　all　things　from　us；
  Who；　that　she　may　behold　their　longed…for　looks
  And　find　the　food　wherewith　to　nourish　them；
  In　which；　to　her；　grave　labours　grateful　are；
  Anticipates　the　time　on　open　spray
  And　with　an　ardent　longing　waits　the　sun；
  Gazing　intent　as　soon　as　breaks　the　dawn：
  Even　thus　my　Lady　standing　was；　erect
  And　vigilant；　turned　round　towards　the　zone
  Underneath　which　the　sun　displays　less　haste；
  So　that　beholding　her　distraught　and　wistful；
  Such　I　became　as　he　is　who　desiring
  For　something　yearns；　and　hoping　is　appeased。
  But　brief　the　space　from　one　When　to　the　other；
  Of　my　awaiting；　say　I；　and　the　seeing
  The　welkin　grow　resplendent　more　and　more。
  And　Beatrice　exclaimed：　〃Behold　the　hosts
  Of　Christ's　triumphal　march；　and　all　the　fruit
  Harvested　by　the　rolling　of　these　spheres！〃
  It　seemed　to　me　her　face　was　all　aflame；
  And　eyes　she　had　so　full　of　ecstasy
  That　I　must　needs　pass　on　without　describing。
  As　when　in　nights　serene　of　the　full　moon
  Smiles　Trivia　among　the　nymphs　eternal
  Who　paint　the　firmament　through　all　its　gulfs；
  Saw　I；　above　the　myriads　of　lamps；
  A　Sun　that　one　and　all　of　them　enkindled；
  E'en　as　our　own　doth　the　supernal　sights；
  And　through　the　living　light　transparent　shone
  The　lucent　substance　so　intensely　clear
  Into　my　sight；　that　I　sustained　it　not。
  O　Beatrice；　thou　gentle　guide　and　dear！
  To　me　she　said：　〃What　overmasters　thee
  A　virtue　is　from　which　naught　shields　itself。
  There　are　the　wisdom　and　the　omnipotence
  That　oped　the　thoroughfares　'twixt　heaven　and　earth；
  For　which　there　erst　had　been　so　long　a　yearning。〃
  As　fire　from　out　a　cloud　unlocks　itself；
  Dilating　so　it　finds　not　room　therein；
  And　down；　against　its　nature；　falls　to　earth；
  So　did　my　mind；　among　those　aliments
  Becoming　larger；　issue　from　itself；
  And　that　which　it　became　cannot　remember。
  〃Open　thine　eyes；　and　look　at　what　I　am：
  Thou　hast　beheld　such　things；　that　strong　enough
  Hast　thou　become　to　tolerate　my　smile。〃
  I　was　as　one　who　still　retains　the　feeling
  Of　a　forgotten　vision；　and　endeavours
  In　vain　to　bring　it　back　into　his　mind；
  When　I　this　invitation　heard；　deserving
  Of　so　much　gratitude；　it　never　fades
  Out　of　the　book　that　chronicles　the　past。
  If　at　this　moment　sounded　all　the　tongues
  That　Polyhymnia　and　her　sisters　made
  Most　lubrical　with　their　delicious　milk；
  To　aid　me；　to　a　thousandth　of　the　truth
  It　would　not　reach；　singing　the　holy　smile
  And　how　the　holy　aspect　it　illumed。
  And　therefore；　representing　Paradise；
  The　sacred　poem　must　perforce　leap　over；
  Even　as　a　man　who　finds　his　way　cut　off；
  But　whoso　thinketh　of　the　ponderous　theme；
  And　of　the　mortal　shoulder　laden　with　it；
  Should　blame　it　not；　if　under　this　it　tremble。
  It　is　no　passage　for　a　little　boat
  This　which　goes　cleaving　the　audacious　prow；
  Nor　for　a　pilot　who　would　spare　himself。
  〃Why　doth　my　face　so　much　enamour　thee；
  That　to　the　garden　fair　thou　turnest　not；
  Which　under　the　rays　of　Christ　is　blossoming？
  There　is　the　Rose　in　which　the　Word　Divine
  Became　incarnate；　there　the　lilies　are
  By　whose　perfume　the　good　way　was　discovered。〃
  Thus　Beatrice；　and　I；　who　to　her　counsels
  Was　wholly　ready；　once　again　betook　me
  Unto　the　battle　of　the　feeble　brows。
  As　in　the　sunshine；　that　unsullied　streams
  Through　fractured　cloud；　ere　now　a　meadow　of　flowers
  Mine　eyes　with　shadow　covered　o'er　have　seen；
  So　troops　of　splendours　manifold　I　saw
  Illumined　from　above　with　burning　rays；
  Beholding　not　the　source　of　the　effulgence。
  O　power　benignant　that　dost　so　imprint　them！
  Thou　didst　exalt　thyself　to　give　more　scope
  There　to　mine　eyes；　that　were　not　strong　enough。
  The　name　of　that　fair　flower　I　e'er　invoke
  Morning　and　evening　utterly　enthralled
  My　soul　to　gaze　upon　the　greater　fire。
  And　when　in　both　mine　eyes　depicted　were
  The　glory　and　greatness　of　the　living　star
  Which　there　excelleth；　as　it　here　excelled；
  Athwart　the　heavens　a　little　torch　descended
  Formed　in　a　circle　like　a　coronal；
  And　cinctured　it；　and　whirled　itself　about　it。
  Whatever　melody　most　sweetly　soundeth
  On　earth；　and　to　itself　most　draws　the　soul；
  Would　seem　a　cloud　that；　rent　asunder；　thunders；
  Compared　unto　the　sounding　of　that　lyre
  Wherewith　was　crowned　th