THESTORYOFTHEDIVINECOMEDY.

thestoryofthedivinecomedy.

theparadise.

theascenttoparadisewasaccomplishedbyafixedgazeintobeatrice'seyes,bywhichdante,likeglaucus,wasmadedivine,andbywhichhewaslifted,withincredibleswiftness,throughtheheavens.assoonashehadfixedhiseyesonbeatrice's,whointurnlookedtowardsheaven,theyfoundthemselvesintheheavenofthemoon,whoseluminousyetpearl-likelightenfoldedthem.whilebeatricewasexplainingtohimthatthespotsonthemoonwerenotcausedbythevaryingdegreesofatmosphericdensity,ashehadsupposed,butbythedivinevirtueinfusedindivinemeasurethroughtheangelicdwellersinthefirstheaven,hemetarda,hissister-in-law,whosebrother,corsodonati,hadtornherfromherconventtowedhertorosselindellatosa,soonafterwhichshedied.herealsowascostanza,daughterofrogeri.ofsicily,grandmotherofthatmanfrediwhomhehadseeninpurgatory.herebeatriceinstructeddanteastotheimperfectionofthosewillsthatheldnottotheirvows,butallowedviolencetothwartthem.

anotherlookintothesmilingeyes,andthetwowereintheheavenofmercury,wherethosewillsabideinwhomloveoffamepartlyextinguishedloveofgod.oneofthethousandsplendorsthatadvancedtowardsthemwasthesouloftheemperorjustinian,whoreviewedtheempire,thechurch,condemningseverelythebehavioroftheguelphsandghibellines,andtoldofthespiritswhoinhabitedthelittleplanet,whoselivesweresweetenedbylivingjustice,andwhoseearsweregladdenedbythesweetestharmonies.

dantewasunawareofhisascentinto,venus,wheredweltthosesoulswhowereloversonearth,untilheperceivedbeatrice'saddedbeauty.amidrevolvinglightscharlesmartelofhungaryappeared,denouncedhisbrotherrobertofsicily,andinstructeddanteonthesubjectsofheredityanddegeneracy;that"sweetseedcancomebitter"becausetheinfluenceofthestarunderwhichthechildisborncancounteractthatoftheparent,andbecausehisstateisnotalwaysadaptedtohimbyhisparentsandadvisers.

inthesphereofthesun,consecratedtothegreatdoctorsofdivinity,beatricebecamestillmorebeautiful;butsoabsorbedwasthepoetinthelovefortheeternalsourceofallthissplendorthatforthefirsttimeheforgother.outofthewhirlinglights,shininglikepreciousjewels,camesaintthomasaquinas,whopointedouttodantehisnotedcompanions,gratian,peterlombard,solomon,dionysius,boethius,andbaeda.thomasthenrelatedthestoryofsaintfrancisofassisiandthefoundingofhisorderofthefranciscans,uponwhichsaintbonaventuraofthefranciscans,fromthenextflamegarland,toldofsaintdominicandthedominicanorder.alas!whilebothordersweregreatinthebeginning,bothnarratorshadtocensuretheirpresentcorruption.

thearrayofbrilliantlights,dividingitself,formedintotwodiskswhich,revolvingoppositely,sangthepraisesofthetrinity.thesongofpraisefinished,saintthomasexplainedthatsolomonwaselevatedtothissphereforhiswisdomandhisregalprudence,andwarneddanteagainsttheerrorofrashjudgment.

thesplendorofmarswasalmostblinding;itwasruddierthantheothers,andinitdweltthesoulsofthecrusadersandmartyrs.whiledante'searswereravishedbyexquisitemusic,hiseyesweredazzledbythelights,whichhadarrangedthemselvesintheformofacross.fromoutthesplendor,onestarsaluteddante.itwasthesoulofhisancestoriaguida,whohadwaitedlongforthecomingofhisdescendant.herelatedtodantethestoryofhislife,commentingonthedifferencebetweenthesimplelifeoftheflorentinesofhisdayandthecorruptpracticesofdante'stime,andbroketothepoetwhathadalreadybeendarklyhintedtohiminhellandpurgatory,—hisbanishment;howhemustdepartfromflorenceandlearnhowsaltisthebreadofcharity,howwearisomethestairsintheabodeofthestranger.

asiaguidaceasedandpointedouttheotherwell-knowndwellersinmars,eachoneonthecrossflashedashisnamewascalled,—joshua,judasabeus,charlemagneandroland,godfreyofbouillon,robertguiscard,andothers.

injupiter,whosewhitenesscontrastedwiththeruddinessofmars,dweltthesoulsofgreatrulers,certainofwhomarrangedthemselvesfirsttoformthegoldenlettersofdiligitejustitiamquijudicatisterram("loverighteousness,yethatbejudgesoftheearth"),andthenformedthemselvesintotheromaneagleandsangofthejusticeandmercythatcausedtheirelevationtothisposition,andofeventsabouttooccurinhistory.

hadbeatricesmiledastheyascendedtosaturn,dantewouldhaveperishedasdidsemele,fromexcessoflight.insaturndweltthespiritsofthecontemplative,themonksandhermits,andherewasjacob'sladder,upanddownwhosebarsofgoldsparkledthespiritsofthesaints,silentforthesamereasonthatbeatricesmilednot.bydivineelection,saintpeterdamiandescendedandspokewithdante,accusingthechurchmenofthetimeofworldlinessandluxury."cephasandourlordcameonearthbarefootandpoorlyclad,butthesemenarecoveredwithgorgeousraimentandrideuponsleekpalfreys."asheclosed,athundercryofapprovalwentupfromtheothersaints.

upthewonderfulladderpasseddanteandhisladyintotheeighthheavenofthefixedstars,andlookingdownsawthelittleearthandthestarryheavensthroughwhichtheyhadpassed.then,asbeatricepausedwithherfaceallaflame,andhereyesfullofecstasy,downcamethehostsofchrist'striumphalmarch,andwithinthelivinglight,whichdazzleddante'seyesuntilhecouldnotsee,alsoappearedmary,motherofgod,crownedbygabriel,risingintotheempyrean.ofthosewhoremainedbehind,beatriceaskedthatdantebesprinkledwiththewatersofthelivingfountain;andwhiletheygavetheirconsent,saintpeterappearedasafirewhirlingecstatically,andsingingadivinesong.heexaminedthetremblingpoetonfaith,andhisquestionsbeingansweredsatisfactorily,encircledhimthricewithhislight.saintjames,whonextcameforth,waslikewisepleasedwithhisresponseonhope,andhewasthenblindedbytheeffulgenceofjohn,sothatforatimehecouldnotseethefaceofhislady.

oflovehespokewithjohn,andthentalkedwithadam.ashelistenedtothestrainsofrichestmelody,henoticedoneofthelights—saintpeter—changefromwhitetored,andthen,assilencefell,speak,enragedattheworldlinessoftheholysee."mycemeteryhasbeenmadeasewerofbloodandstench.whenthoureturnesttoearth,revealwhatthouhastheard.donotthouconcealwhatihavenotconcealed."

commandedbybeatrice,dantelookedbackatearthoncemore,andashelooked,wascarriedupintotheheavenoftheprimummobile,wheredweltthemoralphilosophers.heretheangelicspiritscircledroundthepointofintenselight,thedivinecentre.thenearergodwasthecircle,thegreatervirtueitpossessed.thisorderwasinversetothatoftheheavens,butdantelearnedfrombeatricethattheorbsrevolvedthroughnarrowpathsorwideaccordingtothevirtueoftheirparts,andthatastrictagreementofharmonyprevailedbetweenthegreatandthesmall.theangelandtheheavenswerecreatedsimultaneously,and,asdirectemanationsfromgod,knownodecay.ofthisandmanythingsconcerningthecreation,didbeatriceenlightendantebeforethebeautyofhersmiletoldhimthattheywereintheempyrean."nowshallthoulookuponthemightyhostsofparadise."

thepoet'sdazzledeyessawthenariveroflightfromwhichissuedlivingsparkssunkdownintotheflowerslikerubiessetingold.instructedbybeatricehedrankofthestreamandtheriverchangedintoalake;thenhesawthecourtsofheavenmademanifest,andthesplendorofgod.theampleroseunfoldeditsleavesbeforehim,breathingpraiseandperfume,andashegazedintoitbeatricepointedouttheradiantspiritsandthethrongedseats,oneofwhichwasreservedfortheemperorhenryofluxembourg,fromwhomdanteexpectedsomuch,andwhodiedbeforeaughtwasaccomplished.asdantegazed,thehostswithwingsofgoldandfacesoflivingflame,singinganthems,alternatelysankintotherose,likeaswarmofbeessinkingintosummerflowers,androseagaintoviewthedivinesplendor.turningtoquestionbeatriceagain,dantefoundinherplacesaintbernardofclairvaux,anoldmanfullofthetenderestpity,whopointedouttohimbeatriceinherownplace,thethirdroundofthefirstrank.asfromafar,dantepleadedwiththebeautifulladywhohadleftherplaceinheaventogoevenuntothegatesofhellforhissake,toaidhimstill;sheseemedtosmileuponhimbeforesheagainturnedhergazeupontheeternalfountainoflight.saintbernardexplainedtothepoetthedivisionsoftheroseandtheseatsofthesaints,andthenaddressedaprayertothevirgin,askingthatdantebepermittedtolookuponthealmightyfather.asheprayed,beatriceandalltheblessedonesclaspedtheirhandstoherwholikessowellprayersofdivinefervor.atagesturefrombernard,thepoetlookedupward.thenwhataradiantvisionmethiseyes!threecircleshesawofthreefoldcolorandonedimension.ashelooked,oneseemedtotakeourimage,andagainwaslostintheinfinitegloryofthelightdivine.ashetriedtodescribeit,imaginationfailedhim,thoughhiswillremained,movingonwiththeevenmotionofthesunandstars.