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      VIII. Ascent to the Third Heaven, Venus: Lovers. Charles Martel. Discourse on diverse Natures.

       Table of Contents

      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 approached,

       And it alone began: "We all are ready

       Unto thy pleasure, that thou joy in us.

      We turn around with the celestial Princes,

       One gyre and one gyration and one thirst,

       To whom thou in the world of old didst say,

      'Ye who, intelligent, the third heaven are moving;'

       And are so full of love, to pleasure thee

       A little quiet will not be less sweet."

      After these eyes of mine themselves had offered

       Unto my Lady reverently, and she

       Content and certain of herself had made them,

      Back to the light they turned, which so great promise

       Made of itself, and "Say, who art thou?" was

       My voice, imprinted with a great affection.

      O how and how much I beheld it grow

       With the new joy that superadded was

       Unto its joys, as soon as I had spoken!

      Thus changed, it said to me: "The world possessed me

       Short time below; and, if it had been more,

       Much evil will be which would not have been.

      My gladness keepeth me concealed from thee,

       Which rayeth round about me, and doth hide me

       Like as a creature swathed in its own silk.

      Much didst thou love me, and thou hadst good reason;

       For had I been below, I should have shown thee

       Somewhat beyond the foliage of my love.

      That left-hand margin, which doth bathe itself

       In Rhone, when it is mingled with the Sorgue,

       Me for its lord awaited in due time,

      And that horn of Ausonia, which is towned

       With Bari, with Gaeta and Catona,

       Whence Tronto and Verde in the sea disgorge.

      Already flashed upon my brow the crown

       Of that dominion which the Danube waters

       After the German borders it abandons;

      And beautiful Trinacria, that is murky

       'Twixt Pachino and Peloro, (on the gulf

       Which greatest scath from Eurus doth receive,)

      Not through Typhoeus, but through nascent sulphur,

       Would have awaited her own monarchs still,

       Through me from Charles descended and from Rudolph,

      If evil lordship, that exasperates ever

       The subject populations, had not moved

       Palermo to the outcry of 'Death! death!'

      And if my brother could but this foresee,

       The greedy poverty of Catalonia

       Straight would he flee, that it might not molest him;

      For verily 'tis needful to provide,

       Through him or other, so that on his bark

       Already freighted no more freight be placed.

      His nature, which from liberal covetous

       Descended, such a soldiery would need

       As should not care for hoarding in a chest."

      "Because I do believe the lofty joy

       Thy speech infuses into me, my Lord,

       Where every good thing doth begin and end

      Thou seest as I see it, the more grateful

       Is it to me; and

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