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as a modest woman, who abides

       Sure of herself, and at another's failing,

       From listening only, timorous becomes,

      Even thus did Beatrice change countenance;

       And I believe in heaven was such eclipse,

       When suffered the supreme Omnipotence;

      Thereafterward proceeded forth his words

       With voice so much transmuted from itself,

       The very countenance was not more changed.

      "The spouse of Christ has never nurtured been

       On blood of mine, of Linus and of Cletus,

       To be made use of in acquest of gold;

      But in acquest of this delightful life

       Sixtus and Pius, Urban and Calixtus,

       After much lamentation, shed their blood.

      Our purpose was not, that on the right hand

       Of our successors should in part be seated

       The Christian folk, in part upon the other;

      Nor that the keys which were to me confided

       Should e'er become the escutcheon on a banner,

       That should wage war on those who are baptized;

      Nor I be made the figure of a seal

       To privileges venal and mendacious,

       Whereat I often redden and flash with fire.

      In garb of shepherds the rapacious wolves

       Are seen from here above o'er all the pastures!

       O wrath of God, why dost thou slumber still?

      To drink our blood the Caorsines and Gascons

       Are making ready. O thou good beginning,

       Unto how vile an end must thou needs fall!

      But the high Providence, that with Scipio

       At Rome the glory of the world defended,

       Will speedily bring aid, as I conceive;

      And thou, my son, who by thy mortal weight

       Shalt down return again, open thy mouth;

       What I conceal not, do not thou conceal."

      As with its frozen vapours downward falls

       In flakes our atmosphere, what time the horn

       Of the celestial Goat doth touch the sun,

      Upward in such array saw I the ether

       Become, and flaked with the triumphant vapours,

       Which there together with us had remained.

      My sight was following up their semblances,

       And followed till the medium, by excess,

       The passing farther onward took from it;

      Whereat the Lady, who beheld me freed

       From gazing upward, said to me: "Cast down

       Thy sight, and see how far thou art turned round."

      Since the first time that I had downward looked,

       I saw that I had moved through the whole arc

       Which the first climate makes from midst to end;

      So that I saw the mad track of Ulysses

       Past Gades, and this side, well nigh the shore

       Whereon became Europa a sweet burden.

      And of this threshing-floor the site to me

       Were more unveiled, but the sun was proceeding

       Under my feet, a sign and more removed.

      My mind enamoured, which is dallying

       At all times with my Lady, to bring back

       To her mine eyes was more than ever ardent.

      And if or Art or Nature has made bait

       To catch the eyes and so possess the mind,

       In human flesh or in its portraiture,

      All joined together would appear as nought

       To the divine delight which shone upon me

       When to her smiling face I turned me round.

      The virtue that her look endowed me with

       From the fair nest of Leda tore me forth,

       And up into the swiftest heaven impelled me.

      Its parts exceeding full of life and lofty

       Are all so uniform, I cannot say

       Which Beatrice selected for my place.

      But she, who was aware of my desire,

       Began, the while she smiled so joyously

       That God seemed in her countenance to rejoice:

      "The nature of that motion, which keeps quiet

       The centre and all the rest about it moves,

       From hence begins as from its starting point.

      And in this heaven there is no other Where

       Than in the Mind Divine, wherein is kindled

       The love that turns it, and the power it rains.

      Within a circle light and love embrace it,

       Even as this doth the others, and that precinct

       He who encircles it alone controls.

      Its motion is not by another meted,

       But all the others measured are by this,

       As ten is by the half and by the fifth.

      And in what manner time in such a pot

       May have its roots, and in the rest its leaves,

       Now unto thee can manifest be made.

      O Covetousness, that mortals dost ingulf

       Beneath thee so, that no one hath the power

       Of drawing back his eyes from out thy waves!

      Full fairly blossoms in mankind the will;

       But the uninterrupted rain converts

       Into abortive wildings the true plums.

      Fidelity and innocence are found

       Only in children; afterwards they both

       Take flight or e'er the cheeks with down are covered.

      One, while he prattles still, observes the fasts,

       Who, when his tongue is loosed, forthwith devours

       Whatever food under whatever moon;

      Another, while he prattles, loves and listens

       Unto his mother, who when speech is perfect

       Forthwith desires to see her in her grave.

      Even thus is swarthy made the skin so white

       In its first aspect of the daughter fair

       Of him who brings the morn, and leaves the night.

      Thou, that it may not be a marvel to thee,

       Think that on earth there is no one who governs;

       Whence goes astray the human family.

      Ere January be unwintered wholly

       By the centesimal on earth neglected,

       Shall these supernal circles roar so loud

      The tempest that has been so long awaited

       Shall whirl the

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