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      XXIX. Beatrice's Discourse of the Creation of the Angels, and of the Fall of Lucifer. Her Reproof of Foolish and Avaricious Preachers.

       Table of Contents

      At what time both the children of Latona,

       Surmounted by the Ram and by the Scales,

       Together make a zone of the horizon,

      As long as from the time the zenith holds them

       In equipoise, till from that girdle both

       Changing their hemisphere disturb the balance,

      So long, her face depicted with a smile,

       Did Beatrice keep silence while she gazed

       Fixedly at the point which had o'ercome me.

      Then she began: "I say, and I ask not

       What thou dost wish to hear, for I have seen it

       Where centres every When and every 'Ubi.'

      Not to acquire some good unto himself,

       Which is impossible, but that his splendour

       In its resplendency may say, 'Subsisto,'

      In his eternity outside of time,

       Outside all other limits, as it pleased him,

       Into new Loves the Eternal Love unfolded.

      Nor as if torpid did he lie before;

       For neither after nor before proceeded

       The going forth of God upon these waters.

      Matter and Form unmingled and conjoined

       Came into being that had no defect,

       E'en as three arrows from a three-stringed bow.

      And as in glass, in amber, or in crystal

       A sunbeam flashes so, that from its coming

       To its full being is no interval,

      So from its Lord did the triform effect

       Ray forth into its being all together,

       Without discrimination of beginning.

      Order was con-created and constructed

       In substances, and summit of the world

       Were those wherein the pure act was produced.

      Pure potentiality held the lowest part;

       Midway bound potentiality with act

       Such bond that it shall never be unbound.

      Jerome has written unto you of angels

       Created a long lapse of centuries

       Or ever yet the other world was made;

      But written is this truth in many places

       By writers of the Holy Ghost, and thou

       Shalt see it, if thou lookest well thereat.

      And even reason seeth it somewhat,

       For it would not concede that for so long

       Could be the motors without their perfection.

      Now dost thou know both where and when these Loves

       Created were, and how; so that extinct

       In thy desire already are three fires.

      Nor could one reach, in counting, unto twenty

       So swiftly, as a portion of these angels

       Disturbed the subject of your elements.

      The rest remained, and they began this art

       Which thou discernest, with so great delight

       That never from their circling do they cease.

      The occasion of the fall was the accursed

       Presumption of that One, whom thou hast seen

       By all the burden of the world constrained.

      Those whom thou here beholdest modest were

       To recognise themselves as of that goodness

       Which made them apt for so much understanding;

      On which account their vision was exalted

       By the enlightening grace and their own merit,

       So that they have a full and steadfast will.

      I would not have thee doubt, but certain be,

       'Tis meritorious to receive this grace,

       According as the affection opens to it.

      Now round about in this consistory

       Much mayst thou contemplate, if these my words

       Be gathered up, without all further aid.

      But since upon the earth, throughout your schools,

       They teach that such is the angelic nature

       That it doth hear, and recollect, and will,

      More will I say, that thou mayst see unmixed

       The truth that is confounded there below,

       Equivocating in such like prelections.

      These substances, since in God's countenance

       They jocund were, turned not away their sight

       From that wherefrom not anything is hidden;

      Hence they have not their vision intercepted

       By object new, and hence they do not need

       To recollect, through

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