,,world999999        ,,dante3 ,,the     
,,central ,,man ,,of ,,all ,,the        
,,world4  ,a ,course of ,lectures       
,delivered ,before the ,student ,body of
 the ,new ,york ,state ,college for     
,teachers1 ,albany1 #aiai1 #aibj  by    
,,john ,t4 ,,slattery1 ,ph4,d4  ,with a 
,preface by ,john ,h4 ,finley1 ,l4,h4,d4
        ,new ,york ,p4 ,j4 ,kenedy      
,sons #aibj ,copyright1 #aibj1 by ,p4   
,j4 ,kenedy  ,sons1 ,new ,york ,printed 
in ,u4,s4,a4      ,,dedication  ,,this  
,,modest ,,work ,,owes ,,its            
,,publication ,,to ,,the ,,encouragement
 ,,of  ,,president ,,abram ,r4          
,,brubacher  ,,and  ,,dean ,,harlan ,h4 
,,horner  ,,of ,,the ,,state ,,college  
,,for ,,teachers1 ,,albany1 ,n4,y4      
,,where ,,many ,,pleasant ,,hours ,,were
 ,,passed ,,in      ,,delivering ,,these
 ,,lectures4 ,,to ,,these ,,friends     
,,and ,,to ,,the ,,student-,,body ,,of  
,,the ,,college ,,the      ,,author     
,,has ,,the ,,honor ,,of ,,dedicating   
,,this ,,book      ,,preface   ,i stand 

as does the reader at the entrance to   
this book which ,i have not as yet      
entered myself4 ,i have before me the   
journey through the ,inferno and        
,purgatorio1 into ,paradise1 with a new 
companion4 ,i have made the journey     
before many times with others1 or with  
,dante and ,virgil alone1 but ,i know   
that ,i shall enjoy especially the      
companionship and comment of one with   
whom ,i have had such satisfaction of   
comradeship in our journey as neighbors 
for a little way across this earth4 ,i  
invite others1 and ,i hope they may be  
many1 to make this brief journey with   
us1 not because ,i know specifically    
what ,dr4 ,slattery will say along the  
way1 but because whatever he says out of
 his deep and reverent acquaintance with
 the ,divine ,comedy will help us all   
who follow him1 whether we are of his   
particular faith or not1 to an          
appreciation of the meaning of this     
immortal poem1 and make us desire to go 
again and again in our reading through  

these spaces of the struggles of human  
souls4  ,a world-literary-movement will 
commemorate in #aiba the six hundredth  
anniversary of the death of the immortal
 ,dante4 ,that a medievalist should call
 forth the homage of the twentieth      
century to the extent of being honored  
in all civilized lands and by cultured  
peoples who1 for the most part1 do not  
know the language spoken by him1 or who 
do not profess the religion of him who  
wrote the most religious book of        
,christianity1 is a marvel explainable  
by the fact that the ,divine ,comedy is 
a drama of the soul1--the story of a    
struggle which every man must make to   
possess his own spirit against forces   
that would enslave it4 ,the central     
interest of the poem is in the          
individual who may be you or ,i instead 
of ,dante the subject of the work1 and  
that fact exalts the personal element   
and gives the spiritual value which we  
of modern times appreciate as well as   
did the thirteenth century4  ,the       

,divine ,comedy is attractive for other 
reasons4 ,it may appeal to us as it did 
to ,tennyson1 because of its divine     
intensity1 or it may affect us as it did
 ,charles ,eliot ,norton by its powerful
 exposition of moral penalties and      
rewards1 showing that righteousness is  
inexorable2 or it may interest us       
because of its solid realism1 its pure  
strength of conception1 its surpassing  
beauty1 its vivid imaginative power1 its
 perfection of diction without          
superfluousness1 without defect4        
,whatever be the reason of our interest 
in ,dante1 the study of his ,divine     
,comedy will ever be both a discipline  
not so much to elevate our thoughts1    
says ,coleridge1 as to send them down   
deeper1 and a delight calling forth the 
deepest emotions of our being4  ,,john  
,h4 ,,finley4     ,,contents            
,,page     ,dante and ,his ,time        
#a     ,dante1 ,the ,man            #di 
,dante's ,inferno          #aja         
,dante's ,purgatorio       #aea         

,dante's ,paradiso         #bai         
,,dante ,,and ,,his ,,time     ,,dante  
,,and ,,his ,,time   ,to know ,dante we 
must know the age which produced        
,christianity's greatest poet1 he whom  
,ruskin calls the central man of all the
 world1 as representing in perfect      
balance the imaginative1 moral and      
intellectual faculties1 all at their    
highest4 ,other writers are not so      
dependent upon their times for our clear
 understanding of their books4 ,dante to
 be intelligible to the modern mind1    
cannot be taken out of the thirteenth   
century4 ,its contemporary history and  
its contemporary spirit says ,brother   
,azarias in his ,phases of ,thought and 
,criticism1 constitute his clearest and 
best commentary4 ,only in the light of  
this commentary can we hope to know his 
message and realize its supremacy4 ,and 
that it is worth while to make the study
 there can be no doubt upon the part of 
any seeker of truth and admirer of      
beauty4  ,emerson said3 ,i think if ,i  

were a professor of rhetoric ,i should  
use ,dante for my text-book4 ,dante is  
the rhetorician4 ,he is all wings1 pure 
imagination and he writes like ,euclid4 
,james ,russell ,lowell told his        
students in answer to the question as to
 the best course of reading to be       
followed3 ,if ,i may be allowed a       
personal illustration1 it was my own    
profound admiration for the ,divina     
,commedia of ,dante that lured me into  
what little learning ,i possess4        
,gladstone declared3 ,in the school of  
,dante ,i learned a great part of that  
mental provision 444 which has served me
 to make the journey of human life4 ,it 
surely must be of inestimable advantage 
to sit under the instruction of one of  
the race's master teachers who          
stimulates one to lofty thinking and    
deep feeling1 leads one into realms of  
wider knowledge and helps one to know   
his own age by revealing a mighty past4 
,to see that mighty past1 to live again 
with ,dante in the thirteenth century is

 possible only after we have cleared the
 way with which ignorance and           
misrepresentation have encumbered the   
approach4 ,here1 perhaps1 more than in  
any other period of civilization is the 
dictum true that history is often a     
conspiracy against the truth4 ,we       
moderns who are not only obsessed with  
the theory of evolution1 but are        
dominated by the idea that nothing of   
permanent value can come from           
medievalism1 arrogantly proclaim that   
ours is the greatest of centuries       
because we have not only what all other 
centuries had1 but something else       
distinctively our own--a vast           
contribution to the world's progress4   
,this self-complacency makes us forget  
that whatever truth there may be in the 
great theory of evolution1 certainly the
 validity of the theory is not confirmed
 by the intellectual history of the     
human race4 ,as was said of the         
,patriarchal ,age so we may say of      
,dante's times there were giants in     

those days which we presume to ignore4  
,homer1 ,shakespeare1 ,dante1 indeed    
stand forth in irrefutable protest      
against the questionable assertion of   
evolution that the present is           
intellectually superior to the past4    
,the evolutionary theory prejudices our 
age against acknowledging the high      
accomplishments of the past4 ,so to know
 the truth we must overcome the         
conspiracy with which so-called history 
has enveloped the past1 especially those
 generations immediately prior to       
,dante's4 ,how that ignorance of the    
history and spirit of that period can   
blind even a great writer to the        
wonderful feats inherited from the      
centuries immediately preceding the     
thirteenth1 is revealed by the assertion
 of ,carlyle that in ,dante ten silent  
centuries found a voice4 ,to state what 
history now regards as fact1 it must be 
said that while ,dante by his giant     
personality and sublime poetic genius   
could alone ennoble any epoch he was not

 a solitary phenomenon of his time but a
 worthy culmination of the literary     
movement which1 beginning shortly before
 #abjj1 produced down to #acjj such a   
mass of undying literature that         
subsequent generations have found in it 
their model and inspiration and have    
never quite equalled its originality and
 worth4  ,in verification of this       
statement ,i have only to mention to you
 the names of the ,cid of ,spain1 the   
,arthurian ,legends of ,england1 the    
,nibelungen ,lied of ,germany and the   
poems of the ,meistersingers1 the       
,trouveres and the ,troubadours4 ,the   
authors of these works had been taught  
to make themselves eternal as ,dante    
says ,brunetto ,latini taught him4 ,they
 are proof against the alleged dumbness 
of the ages just preceding ,dante's4 ,of
 those times speaks ,dr4 ,ralph ,adams  
,cram1 renowned equally for historical  
study and for architectural ability3    
,the twelfth was the century of         
magnificent endeavors and all that was  

great in its successor is here in embryo
 not only in art but in philosophy1     
religion and the conduct of life4 ,the  
eleventh century is a time of aspiration
 and vision1 of the enunciation of new  
principles and of the first shock of the
 contest between the old that was doomed
 and the new that was destined to       
unprecedented victories4 7,the          
,substance of ,gothic1 p4 #fi47  ,let us
 now make a general survey of ,dante's  
century and then consider the more      
particular events and circumstances of  
his environment4  ,it may be a surprise 
to you to know that there is a book     
entitled ,the ,thirteenth1 the ,greatest
 of ,centuries by ,dr4 ,james ,j4       
,walsh1 in its fifth edition with a sale
 of #gj1jjj copies4 ,he indeed is not   
the only man of letters who signalizes  
that century for its greatness4 ,to     
confine the quotations to two writers   
well known in our day1 ,i find that     
,fiske in his ,beginnings of ,new       
,england says of the thirteenth century3

 ,it was a wonderful time but after all 
less memorable as the culmination of    
medieval empire and medieval church than
 as the dawning of the new era in which 
we live today4 ,frederic ,harrison1 in  
his ,survey of the ,thirteenth ,century 
says1 ,of all the epochs of effort after
 a new life that 444 is the most        
spiritual1 the most really constructive 
and indeed the most truly philosophic4  
,it had great thinkers1 great rulers1   
great teachers1 great poets1 great      
artists1 great moralists1 and great     
workmen4 ,it could not be called the    
material age1 the devotional age1 the   
political age or the poetic age in any  
special degree4 ,it was equally poetic1 
political1 industrial1 artistic1        
practical1 intellectual and devotional4 
,and these qualities acted on a uniform 
conception of life with a real symmetry 
of purpose4  ,ours is an age of thought 
but of thought finding concrete         
expression in practical invention and   
especially in activities in the line of 

manufacture and commerce4 ,posterity    
will probably characterize our age as   
the ,industrial ,age1 a phrase that will
 signalize our period both for the      
development of industries not thought   
possible a century ago and for the      
evolution of the industrial worker to a 
position of striking importance and     
power4 ,for the first time in the       
history of humanity the workman's status
 is the subject of international        
agreement4 ,the ,league of ,nations     
promises to treat ,labor from a         
humanitarian point of view and so to    
place it on the broad1 firm pathway     
leading to industrial peace and         
economical solidarity for the common    
good4 ,that would seem a necessity in   
view of the strides of progress in other
 directions4  ,now wireless telegraphy  
crosses oceans and unites continents4   
,the wireless telephone between ships   
and shore is in operation4 ,it has been 
found practicable to transport by       
submarine a cargo from ,bremen to       

,baltimore4 ,in aircraft the development
 has been just as wonderful4 ,less than 
ten years ago the world's record for    
long flight by aeroplane was made1 with 
no regard for time1 with two stops      
between ,albany and ,new ,york4 ,in     
,july1 #aiai1 an aeroplane making no    
stop covered the distance between ,new  
,york and ,chicago in some six hours4   
,furthermore an ,american seaplane1 in  
three stages made the trip from ,new    
,york to ,england and then a ,british   
,dirigible without making a stop came   
from ,england to ,long ,island in       
ninety-six hours4 ,this is the end and  
the beginning of an age says the author 
of ,mr4 ,brittling ,sees ,it ,through4  
,this is something far greater than the 
,french ,revolution or the ,reformation 
and we live in it4  ,we indeed consider 
it the age of big things4 ,dynasties    
fall and republics spring up4 ,when war 
breaks out it is a ,world ,war involving
 twenty-four nations and causing        
#g1gha1hjf deaths 7,nelson's            

,encyclopedia1 ,v4 iv1 p4 #eai7 and     
costing #bjj1jjj1jjj1jjj4 ,in the first 
year in which we were at war1 our       
country spent more than had been the    
cost of conducting the government for   
#abd years1 including the expenses of   
the ,civil and the ,spanish-,american   
,wars4 ,yes1 it is an age of big things4
 ,the ,allies in the ,champagne         
offensive of ,september1 #aiae1 threw   
#ej1jjj1jjj shells into the ,german     
lines in three days4 ,was it one out of 
sympathy with big things1 one intent on 
the quiet of the higher life as         
contrasted with the din of the day1 who 
said that modern civilization is noise  
and the more civilization progresses1   
the greater will be the noise8 ,in any  
event the muses who inspired ,dante1 are
 almost dumb4 ,now the captains of      
industry are the commanding figures of  
the day and the student1 the poet1 the  
philosopher1 the statesman have gone    
into innocuous desuetude4 ,amy ,lowell  
is preferred to ,longfellow3 ,charlie   

,chaplin draws bigger crowds than       
,shakespeare can interest4 ,trainmen get
 wages higher than are the salaries of  
some of our governors4 ,unskilled labor 
is paid more than the teachers of our   
youth receive4 ,the cost of living was  
never higher in the history of mankind4 
,how illuminating to turn from this     
picture to that of ,dante's age4 ,then  
in ,florence1 a bushel of wheat cost    
about fifteen cents1 a carpenter could  
buy a broad ax for five cents1 a saw for
 three cents1 a plane for four cents1 a 
chisel for one cent4 ,the average daily 
wage of a woolworker was about          
thirty-six cents4 ,in view of the high  
purchasing power of money in ,dante's   
age1 the fact that he borrowed at least 
seven hundred and fifty seven and a half
 golden florins1 a debt that was not    
paid until after his death1 leads one to
 think that he must have been regarded  
by his contemporaries as prodigal in the
 use of money4 ,his financial           
difficulties must have given him an     

uneasy conscience for he insists        
repeatedly on the wickedness of         
prodigality4 ,in fact he makes the abuse
 of money on the part either of a miser 
or of a spendthrift a sin against the   
social order punishable according to the
 gravity of the offence in ,hell or     
,purgatory4  ,to return to the matter of
 prices in ,dante's day4 ,in ,england a 
goose could be bought for two and a half
 pence4 ,a stall-fed ox commanded       
twenty-four shillings while his fellow  
brought up on grass was sold for sixteen
 shillings4 ,a fat hog1 two years       
old1--and this is interesting to us who 
pay seventy-five cents a pound for      
bacon--a fat hog two years old cost only
 three shillings four pence and a fat   
sheep shorn1 one shilling and two pence4
 ,a gallon of oysters was purchasable   
for two pence1 a dozen of the best soles
 for three pence4 ,a yard of broadcloth 
cost only one shilling one pence1 a pair
 of shoes four pence4 ,these figures of 
,english money are taken from an act of 

,edward ,,iii of ,england who was born  
seven years after ,dante's death4       
,parliamentarian enactment under the    
same king fixed a table of wages4  ,for 
a day's work at haymaking or weeding of 
corn1 for instance1 a woman got one     
penny4 ,for mowing an acre of grass or  
threshing a quarter of wheat a man was  
paid four pence4 ,the reaper received   
also four pence for his day's labor4    
,eight hours constituted a working day4 
,the people of the ,middle ,ages not    
only had the ,saturday half-holiday but 
they enjoyed release from work on nearly
 forty vigils of feast days during the  
year4 ,that they were as well off1 e4g4 
as the unskilled laborer of our day1 who
 demands from four to eight dollars a   
day as a wage1 is evident from the fact 
that while he has to pay forty cents a  
pound for mutton1 the workman of ,edward
 the ,third's day earned enough in four 
days to buy a whole sheep and a gallon  
of ale4 ,so plentiful was meat in       
,england that it was the ordinary diet  

of the poor4 ,a preamble of an act of   
,parliament of the fourteenth century in
 specifying beef1 pork1 mutton and veal 
declares that these are the food of the 
poorer sort4 7,the ,thirteenth1 the     
,greatest of ,centuries1 p4 #dgi47      
,speaking of live-stock leads to the    
observation that the people of ,dante's 
time for the most part lived in the     
country4 ,cities had not yet become     
magnets4 ,london is supposed to have had
 a population of twenty-five thousand1  
,york ten thousand four hundred1        
,canterbury1 four thousand seven        
hundred1 ,florence1 in the year #acjj1  
according to ,villani1 a contemporary of
 ,dante1 had ninety thousand enjoying   
the rights of citizenship4 ,of rich     
,grandi1 there were fifteen hundred4    
,strangers passing through the city     
numbered about two thousand4 ,in the    
elementary schools were eight thousand  
to ten thousand children4 7,staley's    
,guilds of ,florence1 p4 #eee47  ,the   
means of travel and communication1 of   

course1 were few and difficult4 ,the    
roads were bad and dangerous4 ,in       
,france1 ,germany and ,italy there were 
so many forms of government1 dukedoms1  
baronies1 marquisates1 signories1 city  
republics1 each with its own custom     
regulations1 not to speak of each having
 its own coinage and language1 that     
travelers encountered obstacles almost  
at every step4 ,for the most part1      
journeys had to be made afoot and a     
degree of safety was attained only if   
the traveler joined a large trade       
caravan1 a pilgrimage or a governmental 
expedition4 ,night often found the party
 far from a hospice or inn and so they  
were obliged for shelter to camp on the 
highway or in the fields4 ,necessarily  
the traveler was subjected to           
innumerable privations and sufferings4  
,i have not been able to get accurate   
information as to the exact length of   
time required to make a trip1 say from  
,london to ,paris--a distance covered   
the other day by an aeroplane in eighty 

minutes4 ,but1 the ,consuetudines of the
 ,hereford ,cathedral1 ,england1 afford 
us some data upon which to base the     
conclusion that six weeks were necessary
 for such a trip1 allowing another week 
for religious purposes4 ,the            
,consuetudines after specifying that no 
canon of the cathedral was to make more 
than one pilgrimage beyond the seas in  
his lifetime1 allows the clergyman seven
 weeks' absence to go abroad to the tomb
 of ,st4 ,denis in the suburbs of       
,paris1 sixteen weeks to ,rome and a    
year to ,jerusalem4  ,a table of time   
limits between ,florence and the        
principal cities of ,europe and the     
,east made by the ,florentine ,banking  
houses in ,dante's day1 showed the      
number of days required for consignments
 of specie and goods to reach their     
destination4 ,rome was reached in       
fifteen days1 ,venice and ,naples in    
twenty days1 ,flanders in seventy days1 
,england and ,constantinople in         
seventy-five days1 ,cyprus in ninety    

days4 ,how long it took ,dante to make  
the trip from ,florence to ,rome1 we do 
not know but history tells us that he   
went to the ,eternal ,city in the year  
#acjj4 ,he was indeed a great traveler4 
,during his twenty years' exile1 we know
 that our poet's itinerary led him among
 other places to ,padua1 ,venice1       
,ravenna1 ,paris and there is good      
reason to believe1 as ,gladstone        
contends1 that he went for study to     
,oxford4 ,the regret is permissible that
 he did not leave us an account of his  
journeyings4 ,had he given us           
pictures--as he alone could have painted
 them--of scenes by the wayside and of  
the courts of which he was an honored   
guest1 says ,dr4 ,j4,a4 ,zahm in his    
,great ,inspirers1 we should have had   
the most interesting and the most       
instructive travel book ever written4   
,we cannot but notice one great effect  
brought about by traveling in those     
days1 especially by pilgrimages and by  
the ,crusades formed in defence of      

pilgrimages to the ,holy ,land and that 
is1 that there arose on all sides a     
desire for liberty and the growth of a  
spirit of nationality that worked to the
 destruction of absolute government4    
,the power of the common people began to
 assert itself4 ,in #abae1 ,england     
forced from ,john ,lackland the ,magna  
,charta1 the foundation of all the      
liberty of ,english speaking people even
 in modern times4 ,the very year in     
which ,dante was born1 representatives  
of the townspeople were admitted as     
members of the ,english ,parliament4 ,in
 ,france1 during the thirteenth century1
 the centralization of power in the     
hands of the kings went forward with the
 gradual diminution of the influence of 
the nobility--a fact operating to the   
people's advantage4  ,in #abbb the      
nobles forced ,andrew ,,ii of ,hungary  
to issue the ,golden ,bull1 the         
instrument which ,blackstone later      
declared turned anarchy into law4 ,in   
,germany and ,sicily ,frederick ,,ii    

published laws giving a larger measure  
of popular freedom4 ,in ,italy1 the     
existence of the city                   
republics--especially those of          
,florence1 ,sienna1 ,pisa--showed how   
successfully the ferment of liberty had 
penetrated the mass of the body-politic4
  ,coming now to regard the             
characteristics of ,dante's age we must 
say that the first big thing that looms 
in sight is the fact that this was the  
golden age of ,christian faith4         
,everywhere the ,cross1 the symbol of   
salvation1 met the eye4 ,it was the age 
when men lived in one faith1 used one   
ritual1 professed one creed1 accepted a 
common doctrine and moral standard and  
breathed a common religious atmosphere4 
,heresy was not wholly absent but it was
 the exception4 ,religion regarded then 
not as an accident or an incident of    
life but as a benign influence          
permeating the whole social fabric1 not 
only cared for the widow and orphan and 
provided for the poor1 but it shaped    

men's thoughts1 quickened their         
sentiments1 inspired their work and     
directed their wills4 ,these men        
believed in a world beyond the grave as 
an ever present reality4 ,hell1         
,purgatory1 ,heaven were so near to them
 that they1 so to speak1 could touch the
 invisible world with their hands4 ,to  
them1 as to ,dante1 this life was but a 
shadowy appearance through which the    
eternal realities of another world were 
constantly betraying themselves4 ,of the
 intensity and universality of faith in 
that life beyond death1 ,dante is not   
the exception but the embodiment4 ,his  
poem has no such false note of          
scepticism as we detect in ,tennyson's  
,in ,memoriam4 ,note the words of the   
modern poet3    ,i falter where ,i      
firmly trod     ,and falling with my    
weight of cares     ,upon the great     
world's altar stairs   ,that slope      
through darkness up to ,god1   ,i       
stretch lame hands of faith and grope   
,and gather dust and chaff and call     

,to what ,i feel is ,lord of all   ,and 
faintly trust the larger hope4  ,not    
thus does ,dante speak4 ,as the voice of
 his age he begins with faith1 continues
 with faith and leads us to the unveiled
 vision of ,god4 ,he both shows us his  
unwavering adherence to ,christian      
doctrine in that scene in ,paradiso     
where he is examined as to his faith by 
,st4 ,peter and he teaches us that the  
seen is only a stepping stone into the  
unseen4 ,it has been said of him in     
reference to his ,divina ,commedia1 ,the
 light of faith guides the poet's steps 
through the hopeless chambers of ,hell  
with a firmness of conviction that knows
 no wavering4 ,it bears him through the 
sufferings of ,purgatory1 believing     
strongly fits reality3 it raises him on 
the wings of love and contemplation into
 ,heaven's ,empyrean1 where he really   
hopes to enjoy bliss far beyond that    
whereof he says4 7,brother ,azarias47   
,leading the religious awakening of the 
thirteenth century and making possible  

,dante's work at the end of the century 
were two of the world's greatest        
exponents of the spiritual life1 both   
signalized in the ,paradiso4 ,st4       
,dominic characterized by ,dante 7,par4 
,,xii1 #ef7 as a jealous lover of the   
,christian faith with mildness toward   
his disciples but formidable to his     
foes1 founded an order to be the        
champions of ,faith and the true lights 
of the world4 ,even in its early days it
 gave to the world eminent scholars such
 as ,albertus ,magnus and ,st4 ,thomas  
,aquinas1 and it has never ceased to    
number among its members great thinkers1
 ardent apostles1 stern ascetics and    
profound mystics4 ,in ,dante's time it  
was the only order specially charged    
with the office of preaching and from   
its founder's time down to the present  
day the one who acts as the ,pope's     
,theologian has been taken from the     
ranks of this order4 ,besides preaching 
to all classes of ,christian society and
 evangelizing the heathen1 the          

,dominicans in ,dante's day fought      
against heresy and schism1 lectured in  
the universities1 toiled among the poor1
 activities in which the order is still 
engaged4  ,but perhaps the man whose    
spiritual influence was greatest in     
medievalism1 if not in all the history  
of ,christianity1 was ,francis of       
,assisi1 who all seraphical in order    
rose a sun upon the world4 7,par4 ,,xi1 
#cg47 ,born at ,assisi in ,umbria in    
#aahb1 the son of a wealthy cloth       
merchant and of ,pica1 a member of a    
noble family of ,provence1 ,francis grew
 up a handsome1 gay and gallant youth   
the prime favorite among the young      
nobles of the town1 the foremost in     
every feat of arms1 the leader of civil 
revels1 the very king of frolic4 ,a low 
fever contracted when with his fellow   
citizens he fought against the          
,perugians turned his thoughts to the   
things of eternity4 ,upon his recovery  
he determined to devote himself to the  
service of his fellow man for the honor 

of ,god4  ,his renunciation of the      
things of this life was dramatic4 ,to   
swerve him from the new life his father 
had cited him to appear before the      
,bishop4 ,francis1 unmoved by the appeal
 of his father persisted in his         
resolution4 ,stripping himself of the   
clothes he wore1 the ,bishop covering   
his nakedness1 ,francis gave his clothes
 to his father saying1 ,hitherto ,i have
 called you ,father1 henceforth ,i      
desire to say only ,our ,father who art 
in heaven4 ,then and there as ,dante    
sings1 were solemnized ,francis'        
nuptials with his beloved ,spouse1 the  
,lady ,poverty1 under which name1 in the
 mystical language afterwards so        
familiar to ,francis1 he comprehended   
the total surrender of all wordly goods1
 honors and privileges4 ,he went forth  
and attracted disciples4 ,with these    
partaking of his zeal and animated by   
his charity1 he labored to make his     
generation turn from the sordid to the  
spiritual1 diffusing over all the people

 a tender love of nature and ,god4      
,among his disciples--great minds of the
 time--were ,thomas of ,celano1 one of  
the literary geniuses of the day1 the   
author of the sublime ,dies ,irae--a    
religious poem chanted to this day at   
every funeral high mass in the ,catholic
 ,church1 and frequently sung or played 
in great opera houses1--,bonaventure1   
professor of philosophy and theology at 
the university of ,paris1 ,roger ,bacon1
 the friar1 the renowned teacher at     
,paris and ,oxford1 ,duns ,scotus1 the  
subtile doctor4 ,in the ,third ,order   
established for those not following the 
monastic life the membership1 in the    
course of time1 embraced among others   
,st4 ,louis1 ,king of ,france1 ,st4     
,elizabeth of ,hungary1 and ,dante4     
,he1 towards the end of his exile1      
footsore1 weary and discouraged1        
buffeted by the adverse winds of fortune
 knocked1 a stranger1 at the gates of   
the ,franciscan monastery at ,lunigiana4
 ,as neither ,i nor any of the brothers 

recognized him1 writes ,brother ,hilary1
 the ,prior1 ,i asked him what he       
wished4 ,he made no answer but gazed    
silently upon the columns and galleries 
of the cloister4 ,again ,i asked him    
what he wished and whom he sought and   
slowly turning his head and looking     
around upon the brothers and me1 he     
answered ',peace4'  ,the monks spoke    
gently to him1 ministered with kindly   
and delicate sympathy to his bodily and 
spiritual needs4 ,his reticence left him
 and his reserve melted away4 ,here the 
object of loving hospitality1 he        
remained finding means and opportunity  
for profound study4 ,before he departed 
he drew from his bosom a part of the    
precious manuscript of ,divina ,commedia
 and trustingly giving it into the hands
 of the ,prior said1 ,here1 ,brother1 is
 a portion of my work which you may not 
have seen3 this remembrance ,i leave    
with you3 forget me not4  ,that he      
himself was not unforgetful of the      
sympathy of the simple and warm-hearted 

followers of ,st4 ,francis is evident   
from the fact that he gloried in his    
membership of the ,third ,order1 wearing
 about his body the ,franciscan cincture
 for chastity and it is not unlikely    
that at ,ravenna before he finally      
closed his eyes upon the turmoil of the 
world full of vicissitudes1 he modestly 
requested that he be buried in the      
simple habit of the order and be laid to
 rest in a tomb attached to their       
monastery4 ,in any event such was his   
burial4  ,for our sympathetic           
understanding of the supremacy of       
religion in ,dante's day1 may ,i again  
quote ,ralph ,adams ,cram1 whose words  
on the eleventh century are equally     
applicable to the era of our ,florentine
 and to his country8 ,dr4 ,cram writes3 
,it is hard for us to think back into   
such an alien spirit and time as this   
and so understand how with one-tenth of 
its present population ,england could   
support so vast and varied a religious  
establishment1 used as we are to an age 

where religion is only a detail for many
 and for most a negligible factor4 ,we  
are only too familiar with the community
 that could barely support one parish   
church1 boasting its one-half dozen     
religious organizations1 all together   
claiming the adherence of only a        
minority of the population1 but in the  
,middle ,ages1 religion was not only the
 most important and pervasive thing1 it 
was a moral obligation on every man1    
woman and child1 and rejection or even  
indifference was unthinkable4 ,if once  
we grasp this fact1 continues ,cram1 we 
can understand how in the eleventh      
century1 the whole world should cover   
itself with 'its white robe of          
churches4'  ,the second great fact      
observable in the times of ,dante is    
that it was an age of inquiry and of    
efficient craftsmanship4 ,many of our   
generation think that ,dante's day being
 so far removed from the age of printing
 and the spirit of positivism1 and being
 given to the upholding of authority    

almost as an unexhaustible source of    
knowledge1 was wholly unacquainted with 
scientific research4 ,furthermore they  
declare that education then was almost  
at its minimum stage4 ,a little study   
will show that the people of that era   
were not unacquainted with the          
scientific spirit and it will also prove
 that if education did not prevail1 in  
the sense that everybody had an         
opportunity to read and write--a        
consummation hardly to be               
expected--education in the sense of     
efficiency--education in the            
etymological sense1 i4e4 the training of
 the faculties so that the individual   
might develop creative self-expression  
and especially that he might bring out  
what was best in him1 all which meant   
knowledge highly useful to himself and  
others--that kind of education was not  
uncommon4  ,to give an idea of the      
scientific inquiry and sharp observation
 of mind in those days1 ,i might cite   
,dante as a master exponent of nature   

study1 and adept of science4 ,passing   
over his experiment in optics given in  
,paradiso1 given so naturally as to     
justify the inference that investigation
 in physics was then not an uncommon    
mode of gaining knowledge1 ,i call your 
attention to an observation made by     
,alexander ,von ,humboldt1 the          
distinguished scientist1 to prove that  
nothing escaped the eyes of ,dante1     
intent equally upon natural phenomena   
and the things of the soul4 ,von        
,humboldt suggests that the rhetorical  
figure employed by ,dante in his        
description of the ,river of ,light with
 its banks of wonderful flowers 7,par4  
,,xxx1 #fa7 is an application of our    
poet's knowledge of the phosphorescence 
of the ocean4 ,if you have ever looked  
down the side of a steamship at night as
 it ploughed its way forward1 and if you
 have ever observed in the sea the      
thousand darting lights just below the  
water line your enjoyable experience    
will enable you to appreciate the beauty

 of this passage4 ,i now quote3    ,i   
saw a glory like a stream flow by   ,in 
brightness rushing and on either side   
,were banks that with spring's wondrous 
hues might vie   ,and from that river   
living sparks did soar   ,and sank on   
all sides in the flow'rets bloom   ,like
 precious rubies set in golden ore      
,then as if drunk with all the rich     
perfume   ,back to the wondrous torrent 
did they roll   ,and as one sank another
 filled its room4  ,commenting on this  
passage1 ,von ,humboldt says ,it would  
seem as if this picture had its origin  
in the poet's recollection of that      
peculiar and rare phosphorescent        
condition of the ocean in which luminous
 points appear to rise from the breaking
 waves and1 spreading themselves over   
the surface of the waters1 convert the  
liquid plain into a moving sea of stars4
 ,this mention of a sea brings to mind  
the striking fact that ,dean ,church has
 pointed out1 viz41 when ,dante speaks  
of the ,mediterranean1 he speaks not as 

a historian or an observer of its storms
 or its smiles but as a geologist4 ,the 
,mediterranean is to him3 ,the greatest 
valley in which water stretcheth4 7,par4
 ,,ix1 #hb47  ,so also when he speaks of
 light he regards it not merely in its  
beautiful appearances but in its natural
 laws 7,purg4 ,,xv74 ,and when ,dante   
comes to describe the exact color1 say  
of an apple blossom1 his splendid and   
unequalled power as a scientific        
observer of ,nature and a poet is most  
evident4 ,ruskin 7,mod4 ,painters ,,iii1
 #bbf7 commenting on the passage3       
flowers of a color less than that of    
roses but more than that of violets     
7,purg4 ,,xxxii1 #eh7 makes this        
interesting remark3 ,it certainly would 
not be possible in words1 to come nearer
 to the definition of the exact hue     
which ,dante meant--that of the apple   
blossom4 ,had he employed any simpler   
color phrase1 as 'pale pink' or 'violet 
pink' or any other such combined        
expression1 he still could not have     

completely got at the delicacy of the   
hue2 he might1 perhaps1 have indicated  
its kind1 but not its tenderness2 but by
 taking the rose-leaf as the type of the
 delicate red1 and then enfeebling this 
with the violet gray he gets1 as closely
 as language can carry him to the       
complete rendering of the vision        
although it is evidently felt by him to 
be in its perfect beauty ineffable4     
,these examples of ,dante's interest in 
scientific observation prove his fitness
 to be considered a representative of   
his age in its love for science4        
,instead1 however1 of proposing ,dante  
as a typical example of the experimental
 inquiry of his age--you may say that he
 is sui generis--,i shall call forth    
other witnesses4  ,first let ,albertus  
,magnus speak4 ,he was distinguished as 
a theologian and philosopher and was    
also renowned as a scientist4 ,in his   
tenth book after describing all the     
trees1 plants and herbs then known1 he  
says3 ,all that is here set down is the 

result of our own observation or has    
been borrowed from others whom we have  
known to have written what their        
personal experience has confirmed1 for  
in these matters1 experience alone can  
give certainty 7experimentum solum      
certificat in talibus74  ,we may be sure
 that such an investigator showing in   
his method a prodigious scientific      
progress was on the line so successfully
 followed by modern natural philosophy4 
,this conclusion is confirmed by        
evidence from his other books showing   
that he did a great deal of experimental
 work1 especially in chemistry4 ,in his 
treatise ,de ,mineralibus1 ,albertus    
,magnus keen to observe natural         
phenomena1 enumerates different         
properties of natural magnets and states
 some of the properties commonly        
attributed to them4  ,in his book on    
,botany he treats of the organic        
structure and physiology of plants so   
accurately as to draw from ,meyer1 a    
botanist of the nineteenth century1 this

 appreciative tribute4 ,no botanist who 
lived before ,albert can be compared to 
him unless ,theophrastus1 with whom he  
was not acquainted3 and after him none  
has painted nature with such living     
colors or studied it so profoundly until
 the time of ,conrad ,gesner and        
,cesalpino--a high compliment indeed for
 ,albertus for leadership in science for
 three centuries4 ,to quote ,von        
,humboldt again1 ,i have found in the   
book of ,albertus ,magnus1 ,de ,natura  
,locorum1 considerations on the         
dependence of temperature concurrently  
on latitude and elevation and on the    
effect of different angles of incidence 
of the sun's rays in heating the ground1
 which have excited my surprise4        
,albertus ,magnus gains renown also from
 his distinguished pupil ,roger ,bacon  
who1 some think1 should have the honor  
of being regarded as the father of      
inductive science--an honor posterity   
has conferred upon another of the same  
family name who lived #cjj years later4 

,we1 who wear eye-glasses would be      
willing1 ,i think1 to vote the honor to 
the elder ,bacon1 because if we do not  
owe to him the discovery of lenses1 we  
are his debtors for his clarification of
 the principles of lenses and for his   
successful efforts in establishing them 
on a mathematical basis4 ,in any event1 
he was a pioneer in inductive science4  
,before gunpowder is known to have been 
discovered in the ,west1 the friar      
,roger ,bacon must have made some       
interesting experiments along the line  
of explosives1 else he could not have   
made the following remarkable statement 
as to the property of gunpowder3 ,one   
may cause to burst from bronze1         
thunderbolts more formidable than those 
produced by nature4 ,a small quantity of
 prepared matter causes a terrible      
explosion accompanied by a brilliant    
light4 ,one may multiply this phenomenon
 so far as to destroy a city or an army4
 ,anticipating the use of even motor    
boats and automobiles driven by         

gasoline1 this thirteenth century       
scientist wrote3 ,art can construct     
instruments of navigation such that the 
largest vessels governed by a single man
 will traverse rivers and seas more     
rapidly than if they were filled with   
oarsmen4 ,one may also make carriages   
which1 without the aid of any animal1   
will run with remarkable swiftness4     
,this man whose clarity of vision       
anticipated those discoveries of the    
nineteenth century1 left three disciples
 after him1--,john of ,paris1 ,william  
of ,mara and ,gerard ,hay--who followed 
their master's methods1 especially of   
testing by observation and by careful   
searching of authorities1 every         
proposition that came up for study4     
,perhaps the most striking argument in  
favor of the experimental attitude of   
,dante's century is that afforded by    
certain facts in the history of medicine
 of that epoch4 ,then surgery began to  
make vast strides4 ,pagel1 regarded in  
our time as the best informed writer on 

the history of medicine1 has this to say
 of the surgery in ,dante's age4 ,the   
stream of literary works on surgery     
flows richer during this period4 ,while 
surgeons are far from being able to     
emancipate themselves from the ruling   
pathological theories1 there is no doubt
 that in one department1 that of manual 
technics1 free observation came to      
occupy the first place in the effort for
 scientific progress4 ,investigation is 
less hampered and concerns itself with  
practical things and not with artificial
 theories4 ,experimental observation was
 in this not repressed by an unfortunate
 and iron-bound appeal to reasoning4    
7,the ,popes and ,science1 p4 #agb47    
,as to medical practice in the          
thirteenth century1 interesting data are
 furnished by the ,bulletin of ,johns   
,hopkins ,hospital and the ,journal of  
the ,american ,medical ,association1    
,january1 #aijh4 ,the former publication
 gives us remarkable instances of       
surgical operations and of the treatment

 of ,bright's disease1 matters which we 
might have thought possible only in the 
nineteenth century2 the latter publishes
 in full the law for the regulation of  
the practice of medicine issued by      
,emperor ,frederick ,,ii in #abdj or    
#abda4 ,according to that law binding on
 the two ,sicilies1 three years of      
preparatory university work were        
required before the student could begin 
the study of medicine4 ,then he had to  
devote three years to the study of      
medicine and finally he had to spend a  
year under a physician's direction      
before a license was issued to him4 ,in 
connection with this high standard of a 
medical education1 the law of ,frederick
 ,,ii forbade not only the sale of      
impure drugs under penalty of           
confiscation of goods1 but also the     
preparation of them under penalty of    
death--stern legislation1 anticipating  
by nearly seven centuries the ,american 
,pure ,drug ,law4 7,the ,popes and      
,science1 p4 #dai47  ,undoubtedly the   

experimental demonstration and original 
observation of ,dante's time sprang     
either from the training or pedagogical 
methods of the great universities of    
that period4 ,there were universities at
 ,oxford1 ,paris1 ,cologne1 ,montpelier1
 ,orleans1 ,angers4 ,spain had four     
universities2 ,italy1 ten4 ,the number  
of students in attendance must amaze us 
if we think that higher education did   
not then prevail4 ,professor ,thomas    
,davidson in his ,history of ,education1
 says3 ,the number of students reported 
as having attended some of the          
universities in those early days almost 
passes belief1 e4g4 ,oxford is said to  
have had about #cj1jjj about the year   
#acjj and half that number as early as  
#abbd4 ,the numbers attending the       
,university of ,paris were still        
greater4 ,the numbers become less       
surprising when we remember with what   
poor accommodations--a bare room and an 
armful of straw--the students of those  
days were content and what numbers of   

them even a single teacher like ,abelard
 could1 long before1 draw into lonely   
retreats4  ,that in the twelfth and     
following centuries there was no lack of
 enthusiasm for study1 notwithstanding  
the troubled conditions of the times1 is
 very clear4 ,in the thirteenth and     
fourteenth centuries1 education rose in 
many ,european states to a height which 
it had not attained since the days of   
,seneca and ,quintilian4  ,the          
curriculum followed by a student in     
,dante's time embraced the seven liberal
 arts of the ,trivium and the           
,quadrivium1 namely ,grammar1           
,dialectic1 ,rhetoric1 ,arithmetic1     
,music1 ,geometry and ,astrology4 ,the  
higher education comprised also         
,physics1 ,metaphysics1 ,logic1 ,ethics1
 and ,theology4 ,of the cultural effect 
of the old education1 ,professor ,huxley
 spoke in the highest praise on the     
occasion of his inaugural address as    
rector of ,aberdeen ,university4 ,i     
doubt1 he said1 if the curriculum of any

 modern university shows so clear and   
generous a comprehension of what is     
meant by culture as the old ,trivium and
 ,quadrivium does4 7,the ,thirteenth the
 ,greatest of ,centuries1 p4 #dff47     
,speaking of education in those distant 
days1 one thinks of the supreme         
intellect of medieval life1 the giant   
genius ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 whose     
philosophy was the food of ,dante and   
became the basis not only of ,dante's   
great poem but of ,christian            
,apologetics down to our own day1 when  
,pope ,leo ,,xiii directed that all     
,catholic seminaries and universities   
implant the doctrine expounded by       
,thomas1 ,angel of the ,schools4 ,a     
philosopher whose breadth and lucidity  
of mind gave such perennial interest to 
a system of thought that it is still    
followed more generally than that of any
 other school of philosophy--taught in  
the regular course even at ,oxford1     
,harvard1 ,columbia--such a philosopher 
could have left the impress of his      

genius upon seven succeeding centuries  
only if his work had been to philosophy 
what ,dante's ,divina ,commedia is to   
literature4  ,the subject of scholastic 
philosophy now more or less claims      
attention here1 since the coming to our 
country of the most distinguished       
exponent of ,neo-scholasticism4         
,cardinal ,mercier before becoming a    
prince of the ,church1 held the chair of
 neo-scholastic philosophy at ,louvain  
where he made his department so         
distinguished for deep scholarship that 
pupils came from afar to sit under his  
instruction or to prepare themselves for
 a doctorate of philosophy whose        
requirements at ,louvain were perhaps1  
more exacting than at any other modern  
university4  ,in #ahhi ,bishop ,john ,h4
 ,keane engaged in the task of getting  
together a faculty for the ,catholic    
,university at ,washington went to      
,louvain to see ,dr4 ,mercier4 ,i want  
you to go to ,washington and become head
 of our school of philosophy1 said the  

visitor4 ,i am perfectly willing to go1 
nothing could please me more4 ,but we   
must first get the permission of the    
,pope1 answered the ,belgian scholar4   
,bishop ,keane went to ,rome and        
presented the matter to ,leo ,,xiii4    
,better leave him where he is1 replied  
the ,pope4 ,he is more needed in        
,belgium than in the ,united ,states4   
,so it was owing to the wisdom of ,pope 
,leo in keeping the right man in the    
right place that ,belgium's strongest   
man was held for his country against the
 evil hour to be a terror to wrongdoers 
and an inspiration and object of        
reverence4  ,the ,world's ,war revealed 
,belgium's ,primate not only as a great 
lucid thinker who shattered the         
subtilities with which the philosophy of
 might tried to confuse the mind of the 
world1 but also as an undaunted leader  
who could not be frightened or defeated 
by all the forces of militarism4 ,to my 
mind the secret of the dominating       
influence working upon ,cardinal        

,mercier's character and making him a   
world-hero came from his training in    
scholastic philosophy and from his      
having assimilated the spirit of the    
thirteenth century4  ,that period indeed
 not only trained its people to a high  
spiritual ideal but gave them golden    
opportunities to express themselves and 
to put forth1 under the inspiration of  
religion1 the best that was in them4    
,the medium was the guild system which1 
working from a self-protecting alliance 
of traders1 extended itself to every    
existing form of industry and commerce  
and gave the workman a position of      
self-respect and independence such as he
 had never held before and has failed to
 achieve since 7,cram74  ,a remarkable  
thing about the guild system was that it
 established and maintained what we1    
today1 call technical schools for the   
training of apprentices4 ,but more      
remarkable was the spirit which animated
 the system4 ,operare est orare was its 
principle4 ,as a result of that teaching

 that labor is practical prayer1 that   
the worker should labor not simply for a
 wage1 but for perfection1 men with     
untiring energy straining for finer and 
better work came to make the best things
 their minds could conceive1 their taste
 could plan1 their hands could fashion4 
,bell-making in ,dante's day attained   
such perfection that the form and       
composition of bells have ever since    
been imitated4 ,workers of precious     
metals produced such wonderful chalices 
that succeeding generations have never  
equalled the ancient model4 ,the masonry
 of medievalism has secrets of          
construction lost to our age4           
,mechanical engineering solved without  
the use of steel girders problems in the
 structural work of cathedrals1 palaces1
 fortresses and bridges that causes     
open-eyed astonishment in the twentieth 
century4 ,wood carving as seen in many  
medieval chairs1 tables1 and choir      
equipment is of design so exquisite and 
of finish of detail so artistic that it 

is the despair of the cabinet makers of 
our age4  ,the beauty of the thirteenth 
century needlework made into chasubles1 
copes1 albs1 stoles1 altar              
covers1--triumphs of artistic           
excellence1 is seen in the typical      
example of the ,cope of ,ascoli for     
which ,mr4 ,pierpont ,morgan about ten  
years ago1 paid sixty thousand dollars4 
,so high a price was paid for this      
ecclesiastical vestment not because it  
was an antique but because marvelous    
expertness in artcraft had given it such
 value4 ,be it recorded to the honor of 
the ,american millionaire1 that he      
returned the treasure to a church in    
,italy when he discovered that he had   
unknowingly bought stolen property4  ,of
 iron-mongery of ,dante's time1 the     
author of the ,thirteenth the ,greatest 
of ,centuries writes as follows3 ,it is 
difficult to understand how one of the  
village blacksmiths of the time made a  
handsome gate that has been the constant
 admiration of posterity ever since1 or 

designed high hinges for doors that     
artists delight to copy1 or locks and   
latches and bolts that are transported  
to our museums to be looked at with     
interest not only because they are      
antiques but for the wonderful          
combination of the beautiful and the    
useful which they illustrate4 ,the      
surprise grows the greater when we      
realize that these beautiful objects    
were made not only in one place or even 
in a few places1 but in nearly every    
town of any size in ,england1 ,france1  
,italy1 ,germany and ,spain at various  
times during the thirteenth century and 
that at any time a town of considerably 
less than ten thousand inhabitants      
seemed to be able to obtain among its   
own inhabitants1 men who could make such
 works of art not as copies nor in      
servile imitation of others1 but with   
original ideas of their own1 and make   
them in such perfection that in many    
cases they have remained the models for 
many centuries4  ,that is especially    

true of the thirteenth century glass    
windows as seen1 for example1 in the    
,cathedrals of ,york1 ,lincoln1         
,westminster1 ,canterbury1 ,chartres1   
,rheims1 and in ,notre ,dame and the    
,sainte ,chapelle1 ,paris4 ,modern art  
with all its boasting cannot begin to   
make anything comparable to that antique
 glass made and put in place by faith   
and love long before ,columbus          
discovered ,america4 ,there are tiny    
bits of it in this country as a result  
of the relic hunting of our soldiers in 
the ,world's ,war4 ,many of them got a  
fragment of the shattered glass of      
,rheims1 petrified color deep sky blue1 
ruby1 golden green1 and sent it home to 
a sweetheart1 a wife or sister to be    
mounted on a ring or set in a pin4  ,the
 donors for the most part of the glass  
of the thirteenth century ,cathedrals1  
were guilds at that time4 ,for the      
,cathedral of ,chartres e4g4 the drapers
 and the furriers gave five windows1 the
 porters one1 the tavern-keepers two1   

the bakers two4  ,in ,dante's time      
glass-making reached its climax and then
 the curve began to decline1 until in   
the eighteenth century and in the early 
part of the nineteenth century          
glass-making reached its lowest point4  
,great as was ,dante's day in the       
efficiency and education promoted by the
 ,guild system--,dante himself was a    
member of it--the achievement of his era
 in architecture was the most notable   
perhaps because what happened there     
epitomizes all that was done elsewhere  
and the nature of what was accomplished 
is precisely that which informed the    
whole body of medieval achievement4     
7,the ,substance of ,gothic1 p4 #acg47  
,in the course of the century that gave 
birth to ,dante1 architecture rose to a 
glory never equalled before or after4   
,in ,france alone between the years of  
#aahj and #abgj eighty great cathedrals 
and five hundred abbey houses were      
constructed4 ,it was in this century    
that ,notre ,dame1 ,paris1 arose1 the   

only un-,greek thing said ,r4,m4        
,stevenson1 which unites majesty        
elegance and awfulness4 ,but it was not 
alone4 ,other ,notre ,dames sprung up in
 ,germany1 ,italy and ,spain4 ,in       
,england also1 in that period there were
 more than twenty cathedrals in the     
course of construction1 some of them in 
places as small as ,wells1 whose        
population never exceeded four thousand4
  ,to look today upon ,wells with its   
facade of nearly three hundred statues1 
one hundred and fifty-three of which are
 life size or heroic and then to realize
 that this magnificent poem in stone was
 composed by villagers unknown to us and
 unhonored and unsung1 is to open our   
eyes to the wonders accomplished by the 
foremost age of architecture4  ,so      
wonderful are those cathedrals that     
,ferguson1 the standard ,english        
authority on ,gothic architecture1 does 
not hesitate to say2 ,if any one man    
were to devote a lifetime to the study  
of one of our great cathedrals1 assuming

 it to be complete in all its medieval  
arrangements--it is questionable whether
 he would master all its details and    
fathom all the reasonings and           
experiments which led to the result     
before him4  ,and when we consider that 
not only in the great cities alone1 but 
in every convent and in every parish1   
thoughtful men were trying to excel what
 had been done and was doing by their   
predecessors and their fellows1 we shall
 understand what an amount of thought is
 built into the walls of our churches1  
castles1 colleges and dwelling houses4  
,my own impression is that not one-tenth
 part of it has been reproduced in all  
the works written on the subject up to  
this day and much of it is probably lost
 never again to be recovered for the    
instruction and delight of future ages4 
,the irreparable shattering of the      
greatest of these monuments of the past1
 occurred in our day4 ,the ,cathedral of
 ,rheims1 the crowning perfection of    
architecture having survived the ravages

 of wars1 the brutishness of            
revolutions1 the smug complacency of    
restoration which had stripped it of its
 altars1 its shrines and its tombs of   
unnumbered kings was the target for two 
years of ,german shell and shrapnel and 
today it stands gaunt and scathed in a  
circle of ruin4 ,but even in its ruin it
 shows infinite majesty and if it is    
left as it is1--and may that be so--for 
restoration would only vulgarize its    
incomparable art1 ,rheims will stand as 
a monument both to the thirteenth       
century which had made it the supreme   
type of the ,gothic ideal to raise men's
 souls to ,god1 and to the twentieth    
century against whose materialism it was
 an offence and a protest4  ,the third  
characteristic of the age of ,dante is  
its chivalry1 which placed woman on the 
highest pedestal she had ever occupied4 
,in literature that unique influence is 
seen in a new and an exalted conception 
of love4 ,love is now coupled with      
nobility of life4 ,the troubadours had  

sung of love as a quality belonging to  
gentle folk1 meaning by that phrase the 
nobility1 and nobility had been defined 
by the ,emperor ,frederick ,,ii1 patron 
of the troubadours1 as a combination of 
ancestral wealth and fine manners4 ,in  
the ,banquet 7bk4 ,,iv7 ,dante rejects  
that definition and transfers nobility  
from the social to the moral order      
holding that nobility exists where      
virtue dwells4  ,love1 the flowering of 
this nobility1 may be found in the heart
 of him even lowest in the social scale 
provided that he is a virtuous man4 ,it 
is not an affair solely of gentle blood4
 ,it has no pedigree of birth or        
richness4 ,in this sense the true lover 
need not be a gentleman but he must be a
 gentle man1 loving not by genteel code 
of caste but by gentle code of          
character4 7,j4,b4 ,fletcher3 ,dante p4 
#bg47  ,thus ,dante makes ,guido        
,guinicelli say3 ,love and the gentle   
heart are one and the same thing4 ,and  
,dante himself in one of his ,canzoni   

writes3    ,let no man predicate   ,that
 aught the name of gentleman should have
   ,even in a king's estate   ,except   
the heart there be a gentle man's4      
,love1 ,then1 ,became ,in ,literature   
,such ,a ,refined ,emotion ,that ,to    
,quote ,dante3 ,it ,makes ,ill ,thought 
,to ,perish1 ,it ,drives ,into ,foul    
,hearts ,a ,deadly ,chill ,and ,on ,the 
,other ,hand ,it ,fills ,indeed ,the    
,lover ,with ,such ,delicacy ,of        
,sentiment ,for ,his ,beloved ,that ,she
 ,is ,his ,inspiration ,to ,virtue ,and 
,the ,muse ,who ,directs ,his ,pen4 ,in 
,harmony ,with ,the ,sweet ,new ,style  
,of ,sincerity ,with ,which ,dante      
,treats ,of ,love1 ,thomas ,bernart ,de 
,ventadorn ,sings3  ,it is no wonder if 
,i sing better than any other singer1   
for my heart draws near to ,love and ,i 
am a better man for ,love's command4    
,not in literature alone but in actual  
life did chivalry exalt the eternal     
womanly4 ,in ,dante's age1 to quote the 
author of ,phases of ,thought and       

,criticism1 ,knights passed from land to
 land in search of adventure1 vowed to  
protect and defend the widow and the    
orphan and the lonely woman at the      
hazard of their lives3 they went about  
with a prayer on their lips and in their
 hearts the image of the lady-love whom 
they had chosen to serve and to whom    
they had pledged loyalty and fidelity3  
they strove to be chaste in body and    
soul and as a tower of strength for the 
protection of this spirit of chastity1  
they were taught to venerate the ,virgin
 ,mother ,mary and cultivate toward her 
a tender devotion as the purest and     
holiest ideal of womanhood4 ,this spirit
 of chivalry is the ruling spirit of    
,dante's life and the inspiration of    
some of his sublimest flights4  ,all    
these high achievements of ,dante's     
century are all the more notable in view
 of the fact that war with its horror   
and destruction was never absent from   
those times4 ,every ,european country   
was involved often in war and ,asia and 

,africa were not free from its          
devastation4  ,in such stirring times1  
,dante was born at ,florence4 ,a city of
 flowers and gay festivities1 the home  
of a cultured pleasure-loving people1 it
 was the frequent scene of feuds and    
factions handed down from sire to son4  
,the hatred they engendered and the     
desolation they caused may be understood
 from the reading of ,romeo and ,juliet1
 a tragedy whose scene is laid in       
,verona in the year #acjc and to the    
families concerned in which ,dante makes
 allusion in the sixth canto of his     
,purgatorio4 ,but ,verona and ,florence 
were not the only cities involved by the
 militarism of the age4 ,especially in  
northern ,italy were strife and         
bloodshed common4 ,province1 city1 town1
 hamlet and even households were torn by
 internal dissensions1 which only       
complicated the main conflict of that   
day1 viz41 the world struggle for       
supremacy of pope and emperor4  ,the    
imperial party called ,ghibellines1     

composed mainly of aristocrats and their
 followers1 aimed to break down the     
barriers which kept the ,german ,emperor
 out of ,italy1 their object being to   
have him subjugate the whole country1   
even the states of the ,pope4 ,the papal
 or popular party1 known as ,guelfs1 had
 as its purpose the independence of     
,italy--the freedom and alliance of the 
great cities of the north of ,italy and 
dependence of the center and southern   
parts on the ,roman ,see4 ,a few months 
after ,dante's death1 the ,ghibellines1 
the imperial party1 suffered a defeat by
 the overthrow of ,king ,manfred from   
which they never recovered4 ,but in     
,florence for many years they maintained
 their struggle4  ,to add to the        
confusion of the ,florentines whose     
sympathy was mostly ,guelf--i4e4        
favorable to the papal or popular       
cause--the ,guelf party of ,florence was
 divided into two factions1 the ,bianchi
 and the ,neri1 the history of whose    
tumults often leading to blood and      

mischief may be known by the frequent   
allusions of our poet4 ,embroiled by    
those feuds1 ,dante is found not only as
 a prior among the ruling ,bianchi but  
as a soldier under arms at the battle of
 ,campaldino and at the siege of        
,caprona4 ,later when the ,neri were    
restored to power1 ,dante was banished  
and never again beheld his beloved city4
 ,in exile ,dante transferred his       
allegiance to the ,ghibellines though he
 upheld the ,guelf view as to the       
primacy of the ,church4 ,subsequently he
 tried1 but in vain1 to form a party    
independent of ,guelf1 ,ghibelline1     
,bianchi or ,neri4  ,may ,i conclude    
this chapter by giving you another view 
of ,dante's environment8 ,to point out  
the degeneracy of ,florence1 ,dante     
becomes a laudator acti temporis in a   
picture of the earlier ,florence that   
has never been equalled4  ,florence was 
abiding in peace1 sober and modest4 ,she
 had not necklace or coronal or women   
with ornamented shoes or girdle which   

was more to be looked at than the       
person4 ,nor yet did the daughter at her
 birth give fear to her father1 for the 
time and dowry did not outrun measure on
 this or that side4 ,she had not houses 
empty of families4 ,i saw ,bellencion   
,berti go girt with leather and bone and
 his lady come from the mirror with     
unpainted face4 ,i saw him of the ,nerlo
 and him of the ,vecchio satisfied with 
unlined skin and their ladies with the  
spindle and the distaff4 ,o6 fortunate  
women1 each was sure of her burial place
 7,paradiso ,,iv1 #ig74  ,but time      
changed all that4 ,with her population  
vastly increased in ,dante's day and her
 commerce on all seas and on every road 
and her banking system controlling the  
markets of ,europe and the ,east1       
,florence had become such a mighty city 
that ,pope ,boniface ,,viii could say to
 the ,florentine embassy who came to    
,rome to take part in the ,jubilee of   
#acjj3 ,florence is the greatest of     
cities4 ,she feeds1 clothes1 governs us 

all4 ,indeed she appears to rule the    
world4 ,she and her people are1 in      
truth1 the fifth element of the         
universe4 7,the ,guilds of ,florence1 p4
 #efb47  ,such greatness was attained   
according to ,dante only at the loss of 
pristine simplicity and virtue4 ,so he  
apostrophizes his native city3 ,rejoice 
,o ,florence1 since thou art so mighty  
that thou canst spread thy wings over   
sea and land and thy name is known      
throughout ,hell4 ,notorious for crime  
,florence still kept a big place in her 
life for religion4 ,there religion was  
abused but its beneficial effects       
continued to be manifest--vice was      
flagrant but it never lost the sense of 
shame--men were cruel but their cruelty 
was followed by sincere                 
regrets--misfortunes were frequent and  
signal but they were accepted with      
resignation or with the hope of         
retrieval or men gloried in them on     
account of the cause in which they      
suffered4 7,brother ,azarias47  ,and1   

meanwhile1 side by side with fierce and 
bloody struggles the creative forces of 
art and architecture were making        
marvelous progress before the very eyes 
of ,dante4 ,niccolo ,pisano had finished
 his ,sienna pulpit and with his son was
 engaged on his immortal works of       
sculpture4 ,orcagna had made a wonderful
 tabernacle for the ,florentine church  
of ,san ,michele1 ,cimabue had painted  
the ,madonna which is now in the        
,rucellai chapel4 ,giotto had completed 
his work at ,assisi and ,rome and would 
soon give to the world the ,florentine  
,campanile4 ,fra ,sisto and ,fra        
,ristoro had built the church ,santa    
,maria ,novella at ,florence and        
,arnolfo di ,cambio1 while ,dante was   
writing sonnets1 had begun the duomo or 
cathedral of ,santa ,maria del ,fiore4  
,the stout walls and lofty tower of the 
,bargello had sprung into beauteous     
being4 ,santa ,croce destined to be the 
burial place of illustrious ,italians1  
had been built and remains today one of 

,florence's greatest churches4 ,st4     
,john's ,baptistry1 il mio bel          
,giovanni1 had received its external    
facing of marble1 and in ten years after
 ,dante's death would get its massive   
bronze doors which are unparalleled in  
the world4  ,the century closed with the
 opening of the great ,jubilee at ,rome4
 ,march twenty-fifth of the following   
year1 #acjj1 ,dante places as the time  
for his journey through the realms of   
the unseen--the story of which is told  
in the ,divina ,commedia4 ,if sympathy  
with ,dante and his work is not aroused 
already1 perhaps these two quotations   
may quicken your interest4  ,charles    
,elliot ,norton writes3 ,there are few  
other works of man1 perhaps there is no 
other1 which affords such evidence as   
the ,divine ,comedy1 of uninterrupted   
consistency of purpose1 of sustained    
vigor of imagination1 and of steady     
force of character controlling alike the
 vagaries of the poetic temperament1 the
 wavering of human purpose1 the         

fluctuation of human powers1 the        
untowardness of circumstances4 ,from the
 beginning to the end of his work of    
many years there is no flagging of      
energy1 no indication of weakness4 ,the 
shoulders burdened by a task almost too 
great for mortal strength1 never tremble
 under their load4  ,and ,dr4 ,frank    
,crane1 a foremost writer of the        
syndicate press1 says ,i have put a good
 deal of hard labor digging into ,dante 
and while ,i cannot say that ,i ever got
 from him any direct usable material1   
yet ,i no more regret my hours spent    
with him than ,i regret the beautiful   
landscapes ,i have seen1 the great music
 ,i have heard1 the wise and noble souls
 ,i have met1 the wondrous dreams ,i    
have had4 ,these are all a part of one's
 education1 of one's equipment for life 
and perhaps the best part4     ,,dante  
,,the ,,man     ,,dante ,,the ,,man     
,fifty-five years ago when called on for
 a poem to celebrate the sixth hundredth
 anniversary of ,dante's birth1         

,tennyson1 feeling his own littleness   
before this central man of all the      
world1 wrote3    ,king1 that has reigned
 six hundred years and grown   ,in power
 and ever growest   ,i1 wearing but the 
garland of a day1   ,cast at thy feet   
one flower that fades away4  ,new       
tributes to the genius of ,dante will be
 offered by our generation1 for already 
great preparations are under way in all 
parts of ,italy and the literary world  
to commemorate in #aiba1 the six        
hundredth anniversary of the death of   
the author of the greatest of all       
,christian poems4 ,the question         
naturally suggests itself3 ,has not the 
world moved forward many centuries from 
,dante's viewpoint and lost interest in 
many things regarded as truths or at    
least as burning issues by ,dante8 ,who 
is now concerned with the ,ptolomaic    
system of astronomy1 which is so often  
the subject of ,dante's thought8 ,who is
 now interested in the tragic jealousies
 and injustices suffered by the people  

of ,florence which led to the bitter    
feuds that helped to make ,dante the    
great poet8 ,who1 in this twentieth     
century so intent upon making the world 
safe for democracy1 has sympathy with   
,dante's advocated scheme of a          
world-wide absolute monarchy as the cure
 for the ills of the society of his day8
 ,is this generation which sees ,italy  
united as a result of the overthrow of  
the ,papal states1 so universally       
concerned with ,papal claims which were 
matters of vital importance to ,dante   
and his generation8 ,is our era1 which  
unfortunately looks upon religion as a  
negligible factor and not as the        
animating principle of life1 interested 
in the golden age of faith of which     
,dante is the embodiment1 and his       
message in which the eternal is the     
object8  ,yet1 ,dante's following is    
today larger than ever before2 his      
empire over minds and hearts is more    
extensive4 ,the moving pictures feature 
his ,inferno2 the press issues1 even in 

languages not his own1 such a mass of   
books and articles concerning him that a
 specialist can hardly keep track of the
 output4 ,in the universities1          
especially of ,harvard1 ,cornell and    
,columbia1 not to speak of those in     
other lands1 the courses on ,dante      
attract an unusually large number of    
students4 ,outside of the academic      
atmosphere there are thousands of       
readers who still find in his writings1 
a solace in grief1 a strength in        
temptation1 a deep sense of reality1    
permanent though unseen1 of the love of 
,god and of ,his justice4 ,the reasons  
are not far away4  ,our poet1 says      
,grandgent was a many sided genius who  
has a message for nearly everyone4      
,dante's compelling renown among us1 is 
due says ,dr4 ,frank ,crane both to the 
intrinsic greatness of the man's        
personality and to the sheer beauty of  
his craftsmanship4  ,the secret of      
,dante's power writes ,james ,russell   
,lowell is not far to seek4 ,whoever can

 express himself with the full force of 
unconscious sincerity will be found to  
have uttered something ideal and        
universal4  ,whether one or all these   
reasons are the true explanation of the 
twentieth century's great interest in   
,dante1 the fact remains1 as ,tennyson  
said1 that far from being a waning      
classic1 ,dante in power ever grows1 and
 the interest he calls forth            
constitutes1 as ,james ,bryce observed  
in his ,lowell ,institute lectures the  
literary phenomenon of ,england and     
,america4  ,now to ,dante as the man let
 us turn4 ,to know the fibre of his     
manhood will help us to appreciate the  
genius of his art4 ,it is needful to    
know ,dante as man wrote ,charles       
,elliot ,norton1 in order fully to      
appreciate him as poet4 ,the thought is 
expressed in another way by ,james      
,russell ,lowell3 ,the man behind the   
verse is far greater than the verse     
itself and ,dante is not merely a great 
poet but an influence1 part of the      

soul's resources in time of trouble4    
,from him the soul learns that 'married 
to the truth she is a mistress but      
otherwise a slave shut out of all       
liberty' 7,the ,banquet74 ,but that     
knowledge is dependent upon our intimacy
 with the life and spirit of ,dante4 ,in
 many other cases the knowledge of the  
life and personality of an author may   
not be essential to either our enjoyment
 or our understanding of his work4 ,in  
the case of ,dante he faces his own     
mirror and so appears in the            
mid-foreground of his reflected word4   
,before looking into that mirror for    
,dante's picture1 let us first recall   
some of the established facts in his    
life and then see what manner of man he 
appeared to those who were his          
contemporaries or who lived             
chronologically near him4  ,dante was   
born in ,florence in the year #abfe4    
,his father was a notary belonging to an
 old but decadent ,guelph family1 his   
mother1 named ,bella1 was a daughter of 

,durante ,abati1 a ,ghibelline noble4   
,whether his own family was regarded    
among the first families of nobility or 
not1 it is certain that ,dante enjoyed  
the honor of knowing that one of his    
forebears1 ,cacciaguida1 had been       
knighted by ,emperor ,conrad ,,ii on the
 ,second ,crusade4 ,precocious ,dante   
must have been1 as a boy1 with faculties
 and emotions extraordinarily developed1
 for in his ninth year1 while attending 
a festal party1 he fell in love with a  
little girl named ,beatrice ,portinari1 
eight years old4 ,although still a child
 to quote ,boccaccio his earliest       
biographer he received her image into   
his heart with such affection that from 
that day forward never so long as he    
lived1 did it depart therefrom4 ,she    
became the wife of ,simone dei ,bardi1  
and died in her twenty-fourth year1 the 
subject of many sonnets from her mystic 
lover who1 if he had never written      
anything else1 would have been entitled1
 by his book of sonnets1 his ,new ,life1

 to rank as a poet of the first class4  
,two years after the death of ,beatrice1
 ,dante married ,gemma ,donati1 a member
 of an old aristocratic family of       
,florence and by her had four children4 
,in the period between the death of     
,beatrice and his marriage he had seen  
military service1 having borne arms as a
 ,guelph at the battle of ,campaldino   
7,purg4 ,v1 #ia-abi7 in which the       
,florentines defeated the ,ghibelline   
league of ,arezzo and he took part at   
the siege of ,caprona and was present at
 its surrender by the ,pisans 7,inf41   
,,xxi1 #ie47 ,when he was thirty years  
old he became a member of the ,special  
,council of the ,republic1 consisting of
 eight of the best and most influential 
citizens and in #acjj1 at the age of    
thirty-five1 midway in the journey of   
his life1 he was elected one of the six 
,priors 7chief magistrates of his city7 
for the months of ,june and ,july4      
,shortly after this ,dante with three   
others went to ,rome on an embassy to   

,pope ,boniface ,,viii to get that      
pontiff's veto to the intervention of   
,charles de ,valois1 brother of ,philip 
,,iv of ,france1 in the affairs of      
,florence4 ,but there was delay in the  
transaction of the business and that    
gave the stranger time to win the city  
by treachery4 ,when the news reached    
,dante1 he hurried homeward4 ,at ,sienna
 he learned that his house had been     
pillaged and burned and he himself had  
been accused of malfeasance in office4  
,without a trial he was condemned to a  
heavy fine and to perpetual banishment  
under penalty that if he returned he    
would be burned alive4 ,then began his  
twenty years' exile--years in which he  
went sometimes almost begging and at all
 times even when he was an honored guest
 in the home of nobility--knowing as    
only an exile can know how bitter is the
 bread of dependence and how steep the  
stranger's stairs4 ,it was during his   
exile that ,dante completed his immortal
 ,divina ,commedia1 the child of his    

thought cradled into poetry by wrong4   
,dante never again saw ,florence for    
which he yearned with all the intensity 
of the ,hebrew captives weeping on the  
rivers of ,babylon for a sight of       
,jerusalem4 ,death came to free his     
undaunted soul in the year #acba while  
he was a guest at ,ravenna of ,guido    
,novello da ,polenta1 a nephew of       
,francesca da ,rimini4 ,at ,ravenna the 
last seat of ,roman arts and letters1 in
 a sepulchre attached to the convent of 
the ,franciscan monks1 he was buried    
with the honors due to a saint and a    
sage4 ,the inscription on his epitaph   
said to have been composed by him on his
 deathbed1 is paraphrased by ,lowell in 
the following words3    ,the rights of  
,monarchy1 the ,heavens1 the stream of  
,fire1 the ,pit   ,in vision seen1 ,i   
sang as far as to the ,fates seemed fit4
   ,but since my soul1 an alien here1   
hath flown to nobler wars1   ,and       
happier now1 hath gone to seek its      
,maker with the stars1   ,here am ,i1   

,dante1 shut1 exiled from the ancestral 
shore   ,whom ,florence1 the fairest of 
all-least-loving mothers1 bore4  ,such  
is the brief outline of the outward life
 of him of whom ,michelangelo declared3 
,ne'er walked the earth a greater man   
than he4  ,it will help us to a better  
understanding of that man if his        
likeness is impressed upon our memory4  
,the portrait made by his friend        
,giotto1 shows him as a young man       
perhaps of twenty to twenty-five years1 
with a face noble1 beardless1 strong1   
intelligent and pensive--a face which   
would not lead one to suspect an        
appreciation of humor4 ,yet writers find
 two distinct forms of that quality--a  
playfulness in his eclogues and a       
grotesqueness in certain of his         
assignments to punishments in ,hell4    
,contrasting with this picture of his   
early life is the face of his death mask
 and of the ,naples bust1 suggesting the
 lines    ,how stern of lineament1 how  
grim   ,the father was of ,tuscan song4 

,here we see him mature with strength of
 character in every feature and a       
seriousness of mien which shows a man   
with whom one might not take liberties4 
,it was of ,dante in mature life that   
,boccaccio wrote3 ,our poet was of      
moderate height and after reaching      
maturity was accustomed to walk somewhat
 bowed with a slow and gentle pace1 clad
 always in such sober dress as befitted 
his ripe years4 ,his face was long1 his 
nose aquiline and his eyes rather large 
than small4 ,his jaws were large and his
 lower lip protruded beyond the upper4  
,his complexion was dark and his        
expression very melancholy and          
thoughtful4 ,his manners1 whether in    
public or at home1 were wonderful1      
composed and restrained1 and in all ways
 he was more courteous and civil than   
any one else4  ,bruni1 on the other     
hand1 who wrote a century later         
describes ,dante as if he had in mind   
,giotto's fresco of the poet4 ,this is  
,bruni's word-picture3 ,he was a man of 

great refinement1 of medium height and a
 pleasant but deeply serious face4 ,it  
was remarkable that although he studied 
incessantly1 none would have supposed   
from his happy manner and youthful way  
of speaking that he had studied at all4 
,however well these pictures may        
visualize the poet for us1 ,i cannot    
help thinking that ,dante himself1 after
 the manner of great artists who paint  
their own pictures1 gives us a far      
better portrait of himself4 ,what we    
know of him from others is as nothing   
compared to the revelation he has made  
of himself in his writings4 ,for1 as    
,dr4 ,zahm1 in his ,great ,inspirers1   
has said3 ,dante1 although the most     
concealing of men was1 paradoxical as it
 may seem1 the most self-revealing4 ,the
 indirect recorder of his own life1 he  
discloses to us an intimate view of his 
spiritual struggles1 of the motives     
which actuated him1 of the passions he  
experienced1 not to speak of the        
judgments he formed upon all great      

questions4 ,so true is this that if it  
were possible to meet him1 we should    
feel that he was an intimate friend who 
had never concealed anything from       
us--who had discoursed with us on all   
subjects2 science1 literature1          
philosophy1 theology1 love1 poetry1     
happiness1 the world to come and all    
that of which it most imports us to have
 accurate knowledge4 ,let us then see   
the man as reflected in his writings4   
,first of all he reveals himself as a   
man profoundly animated by religion4 ,he
 is not a ,huysmanns or a ,franois      
,coppe1 a ,brunetiere1 a ,paul ,bourget1
 forsaking the religious teachings of   
his youth only to embrace them in mature
 life4 ,never for a moment did he       
deflect from the ,catholic doctrine1    
though his studies led him to the       
consideration of the most subtle        
arguments raised against it4 ,he was    
indeed the defender and champion of     
faith1 having no sympathy for a mind    
which would lose itself in seeking the  

solution of the incomprehensible        
mysteries of religion4 ,so he has       
,virgil say3    ,insensate he who thinks
 with mortal ken   ,to pierce           
,infinitude which doth enfold   ,three  
persons in one substance4 ,seek not1    
then1   ,o ,mortal race1 for reasons1   
but believe   ,and be content1 for had  
all been seen   ,no need there was for  
,mary to conceive4   ,men have ye known 
who thus desired in vain   ,and whose   
desires1 that might at rest have been1  
,now constitute a source of endless     
pain4   ,plato1 the ,stagerite1 and many
 more   ,i here allude to4 ,then his    
head he bent1   ,was silent and a       
troubled aspect wore4           7,purg41
 ,,iii1 #cd47  ,guided by the wisdom he 
thus enunciated ,dante from youth to    
death maintained a child-like faith that
 satisfied his intellect and animated   
his sentiments4 ,his faith really grew  
into a passion4 ,his fidelity to the    
truth of the doctrines of the ,church or
 to the sacred offices of the papacy was

 never shaken either by the scandals of 
clerical life or the opposition of      
different popes to his political ideals4
 ,frequently he raised his voice in     
protest yet1 notwithstanding his        
censures against what he considered     
abuses in the external administration of
 the ,church and the policy of her      
popes1 on his part there was not the    
least suspicion of unsettled faith or   
revolutionary design4 ,strongly         
convinced of the divinity of the        
,church1 his passionate nature could not
 help execrating the human element that 
would weaken her influence4 ,he teaches 
that the mystical ,vine of the ,church  
still grows and ,peter and ,paul who    
died for it1 still live4 ,he holds by   
that ,church4 ,he begs ,christians not  
to be moved feather-like by every wind  
of doctrine4 ',you have' he tells them  
'the ,old ,testament and the ,new4 ,the 
,pastor of the ,church guides you1 let  
this suffice for your salvation'        
7,brother ,azarias74 ,in his devotional 

life ,dante is just as ardent as he is  
firm in his adherence to dogma4 ,while  
all ,catholics are held to profess a    
common creed1 each may follow the bent  
of his disposition and sympathy in pious
 practices1 theologically called        
devotions4 ,it seems to me that ,dante  
had three such devotions which he       
practised intensely in his inner life4  
,first1 devotion to the sacred ,humanity
 of ,christ4 ,in eleven places does he  
speak at length of ,christ's two-fold   
nature as ,god and ,man2 in ten places  
does he refer to ,christ as the ,second 
,person of the ,blessed ,trinity1 and   
wherever ,cristo occurs at the end of a 
line1 ,dante out of reverence for the   
,sacred ,person does not rime with it1  
but repeats the name itself4 ,the climax
 of the ,purgatorio is the apparition of
 the ,griffin1 the symbol of ,christ4   
,further1 on the stellar white cross of 
red-glowing ,mars the poet shows the    
figure of the ,redeemer4 ,in the        
,empyrean ,christ is represented in the 

unveiled glory of ,his human and divine 
natures4 ,so teaching the doctrine of   
the ,incarnation most clearly and most  
ardently ,dante seeks to promote this   
cultus as the soul of the ,catholic     
religion4  ,dante's second special      
devotion is to the ,blessed ,virgin4    
,his ,paradiso contains the best        
treatise on ,mariology4 ,the whole      
,divine ,comedy indeed is the poet's    
loving testimonial of gratitude to the  
,madonna4 ,it was through ,mary that his
 visionary voyage to the other world was
 made possible4 ,she rescued him when he
 was enslaved by sin and sent as his    
successive guides ,virgil1 ,beatrice and
 ,st4 ,bernard4 ,she of all creatures is
 proclaimed on every terrace of         
,purgatory first in virtue and highest  
in dignity and her example is exhibited 
as an unfailing source of inspiration to
 the ,souls1 to endure suffering        
cheerfully and to make themselves1 like 
her1 the exemplars of goodness in the   
highest degree4 ,in ,paradiso she is    

seen by the poet in all her unspeakable 
loveliness and beatitude and as ,queen  
of ,angels and of ,saints her           
intercession is favorably invoked that  
,dante might enjoy the ,vision of ,god  
himself4 ,in the last canto of the poem 
her super-eminence and incomparable     
excellence are sung with a sweetness of 
expression1 a depth of philosophy and a 
tenderness of feeling that have never   
been surpassed in human language4       
,thou ,virgin ,mother1 daughter of thy  
,son1   ,humble and high beyond all     
other creatures1   ,the limit fixed of  
the eternal counsel2   ,thou art the one
 who such nobility   ,to human nature   
gave that its ,creator   ,did not       
disdain to make ,himself its creature4  
,within thy womb rekindled was the love 
,by heat of which in the eternal peace1 
,after such wise1 this flower was       
germinated4   ,here unto us thou art a  
noonday torch   ,of charity1 and below  
there among mortals   ,thou art the     
living fountainhead of hope4    ,lady1  

thou art so great and so prevailing1    
,that he who wishes grace nor runs to   
thee1   ,his aspirations without wings  
would fly4   ,not only thy benignity    
gives succor   ,to him who asketh it1   
but oftentimes   ,forerunneth of its own
 accord the asking4   ,in thee          
compassion is1 in thee is pity1   ,in   
thee magnificence2 in thee unites       
,whatever of goodness is in any         
creature4  ,the third private devotion  
of ,dante is devotion to the ,souls in  
,purgatory--a pious practice founded    
upon the scriptural words3 ,it is a holy
 and a wholesome thought to pray for the
 dead that they may be loosed from their
 sins4 ,not only does ,dante answer the 
objection raised as to the efficacy of  
prayer offered for the souls in         
,purgatory 7,,vi1 #bh7 but in many      
passages he promises his own prayers and
 works and seeks to arouse in others on 
earth a helpful sympathy for those      
souls4 ,truly he says1 we ought to help 
them to wash away their stains which    

they have borne hence1 so that1 pure and
 light1 they may go forth to the starry 
spheres1 7,purg4 ,,vi1 #cd47  ,to sum up
 ,dante's attachment to his religion we 
can truly say not only his life but his 
great poem radiates the spirit and      
doctrine of the ,church4 ,hettinger says
 of ,dante3 ,in truth he anticipated the
 most pregnant developments of ,catholic
 doctrine1 mastered its subtlest        
distinctions and treated its hardest    
problems with almost faultless accuracy4
 ,were all the libraries in the world   
destroyed and the ,sacred ,scripture    
with them1 the whole ,catholic system of
 doctrine and morals might be almost    
reconstructed out of the ,divina        
,commedia4  ,intensity1 indeed1 is the  
characteristic of ,dante's spiritual    
life4 ,in bringing that quality to his  
faith and religious practice he was only
 manifesting the operation of the       
dominating quality which regulated his  
whole life and shaped all his mental and
 emotional habits4 ,the realm of his    

thought and feeling was truly the land  
of the strenuous life4 ,having once set 
out to say of ,beatrice what had never  
been said of any woman1 ,dante applied  
himself to his prodigious task with a   
consistency of purpose that was unmoved 
by persecution and unshaken by time4 ,in
 all the years that he spent in the     
composition of the ,divina ,commedia    
there was no flagging of interest1 no   
indication of weakness4 ,no one ever    
applied himself with more complete      
absorption or with greater power of     
unfaltering concentration1 just as no   
one ever felt more deeply the outrageous
 arrows of fortune or the transcendent  
supremacy of love4 ,it is precisely     
because of this intensity that his      
thoughts and feelings affect us so      
profoundly six centuries later4         
,intense in his own life ,dante had no  
sympathy with slackers or the lukewarm  
whom he characterizes as never having   
been alive1 i4e4 of never having        
awakened to responsibility to take part 

in good or evil4 ,as a consequence they 
never contributed anything to society4  
,because in this life they shifted from 
one side to another1 they are now       
depicted running perpetually after an   
aimlessly dodging banner4 ,here is the  
description of the punishment of the    
lukewarm3  ,now sighs1 cries1 and shrill
 shrieks rang through the starless air3 
,whereat at first ,i began to weep1     
strange tongues1 hurried speech1 words  
of pain1 accents of wrath1 voices loud  
and weak1 and the sound of hands        
accompanying them1 made a tumult which  
revolves forever in that air endlessly  
dark1 like sands blowing before a       
whirlwind4 ,and ,i1 whose head was      
hooded with horror1 exclaimed3 ',master1
 what is it ,i hear8 ,what kind of      
people is it that seems so vanquished by
 grief8 ,and he replied3 ',this is the  
miserable way followed by the sorry     
souls of those who lived without infamy 
and without glory4 ,they are mingled    
with the mean choir of those angels who 

were not rebels and were not faithful to
 ,god1 but were for themselves4 ,heaven 
cast them out lest its beauty should be 
spoiled2 and deep ,hell will not receive
 them1 because the damned might derive  
some satisfaction from them4'           
',master1' ,i said1 'what is so grievous
 to them which makes them complain so   
loud8' ',i shall tell thee right        
briefly' he answered4 ',these people    
have no hope of death and their blind   
life's so vile that they are envious of 
any other lot4 ,the world allows no     
report of them to last3 mercy and       
justice disdain them4 ,let us not speak 
of them but look and pass by6' ,and ,i1 
looking1 saw a banner which ran circling
 so swift that it seemed scornful of all
 rest3 and after it there came trailing 
such a long train of people that ,i     
should never have thought death had     
undone so many4 ,when ,i had made out   
one or two of them ,i saw and recognized
 the shade of him who1 for cowardice1   
made the great refusal4 ,forthwith ,i   

understood and was convinced that this  
was the sect of poltroons1 obnoxious    
both to ,god and to ,god's enemies4     
,these luckless creatures who never had 
been really alive1 were naked and badly 
stung by flies and wasps which were     
there4 ,these insects streaked their    
faces with blood which1 mixed with      
tears1 was caught by disgusting worms at
 their feet-- 7,inferno ,,iii1 #cc4     
,grandgent's translation47 ,in reading  
that description of the punishment of   
the lukewarm1 one cannot fail to observe
 that not one is called by name4        
,because they lived without infamy and  
without glory their name deserves to be 
lost forever to the world4  ,of the     
renown of ,dante's own name our poet has
 no misgivings4 ,he reveals himself as a
 man having supreme confidence in his   
own powers4 ,boccaccio represents him as
 saying when he was with his party at   
the head of the government of the       
republic of ,florence1 and when there   
was question of sending him on an       

embassy to ,rome1 ,if ,i go1 who stays8 
,and if ,i stay1 who goes8 ,as if he    
alone1 is the comment of ,boccaccio1 was
 worth among them all1 and as if the    
others were nothing worth except through
 him4 ,it is certain that ,dante put a  
high valuation upon his genius1 an      
estimate due1 perhaps1 to the belief he 
held1 like ,napoleon1 in the potency of 
his star4 ,he was born under the        
constellation of the ,gemini and to them
 in gratitude for his self-recognized   
talent he gives praise3    ,o glorious  
stars1 ,o light impregnated   ,with     
mighty virtue1 from which ,i acknowledge
   ,all of my genius whatso'er it be1   
,with you was born1 and hid himself with
 you1   ,he who is father of all mortal 
life1   ,when first ,i tasted of the    
,tuscan air4           7,par4 ,,xxii1   
#aab7  ,certain it is that ,dante acted 
on the counsel which1 addressed to      
himself1 he puts into the mouth of his  
beloved teacher1 ,brunetto ,latini1     
,follow thy star and thou cans't not    

miss the glorious port4 7,inf41 ,,xv1   
#ee47 ,in ,purgatorio ,dante says3 ,my  
name as yet marks no great sound1 but he
 boasts that he will surpass in fame the
 ,guidos1 writers of verse3 ,perchance  
some one is already born who will drive 
both from out the nest4 ,he is so sure  
that posterity will confer immortality  
upon his work that he does not hesitate 
to make himself sixth among the greatest
 writers of the world4 ,this passage    
occurs when he enters ,limbus           
accompanied by ,virgil to whom a group  
of spirits1 ,homer1 ,horace1 ,ovid1 and 
,lucan1 make salutation4 7,inf41 ,,iv1  
#gf47 ,posterity has bestowed greater   
renown on ,dante's name than even he    
presumed to hope1 for it has placed him 
in the ,court of ,letters with only one 
of the writers of antiquity1 ,homer1 and
 with two subsequent writers1 ,cervantes
 and ,shakespeare4  ,naturally we think 
that a writer who was so positively     
confident and boastful of his powers    
must have been given to pride and ,dante

 indeed plainly indicates to us that he 
was guilty of this4 ,but it was pride1  
we think1 that was honorable and not a  
vice1 a pride of which a lesser light1  
,lacordaire says1 ,by the grace of ,god1
 ,i abhor mediocrity4 ,in the dark wood 
,dante represents the ,lion 7,pride7 as 
preventing him from ascending the       
mountain--,he seemed to be coming to me 
with head upreared and with such raging 
hunger1 that the air appeared to be in  
fear of him4 7,inf41 ,i1 #dc47  ,and    
that the poet's trepidation was         
justified he later makes known 7,purg4  
,,xi1 #acf7 when he expresses the fear  
that for pride he may be eternally      
punished4 ,perhaps it was because ,dante
 recognized the pride of his learning1  
of his ancestry1 of his associations    
with distinguished personages as his    
besetting sin that he exercised his     
skill as a master in showing us profound
 imagery representing the               
characteristics of pride4 ,carved out of
 the mountain in the first circle of a  

terrace of ,purgatory are scenes        
illustrative of humility4 ,while looking
 on these scenes1 which seem to live and
 speak in their beautiful and compelling
 reality1 the poet turns and sees       
approaching the forms of the proud4 ,on 
earth they had exalted themselves as if 
they had the weight of the world on     
their shoulders1 so now they are seen   
bent under huge burdens of stone1       
crumpled up in postures of agonizing    
discomfort4 ,the poet1 to let us know   
that he shares in their punishment1     
says3    ,with equal pace as oxen in the
 yoke1   ,i1 with that laden spirit1    
journey'd on   ,long as the mild        
instructor suffer'd me4                 
7,purg4 ,,xii1 #a7  ,he apostrophizes   
them1 but the words are really an       
upbraiding of himself for pride4    ,o  
ye proud ,christians1 wretched weary    
ones1   ,who in the vision of the mind  
infirm1   ,confidence have in your      
backsliding steps1   ,do ye not         
comprehend that we are worms   ,born to 

bring forth the angelic butterfly       
,that flieth unto judgment without      
screen8   ,who floats aloft your spirit 
high in air8   ,like are ye unto insects
 undeveloped   ,even as the worm in whom
 formation fails6   ,as to sustain a    
ceiling or a roof   ,in place of corbel1
 sometimes a figure   ,is seen to join  
unto its knees its breast   ,which makes
 of the unreal1 real anguish   ,arise in
 him who sees it3 fashioned thus        
,beheld ,i these1 when ,i had ta'en good
 heed   ,true is it1 they were more or  
less bent down   ,according as they were
 more or less laden   ,and he who had   
most patience on his looks   ,weeping   
did seem to say ,i can no more4         
7,purg4 ,x1 #aba7  ,like all great men  
of undoubted sincerity ,dante was       
intellectually big enough to change his 
mind when a new view presented itself in
 condemnation of an earlier judgment4   
,so his ,vernacular ,composition        
retracts a statement he had made in the 
,new ,life where he had held that as    

amatory poems were addressed to ladies  
ignorant of ,latin1 ,love should be the 
only subject the poet ought to present  
in the vernacular4 ,he learned later and
 published his new view that there is   
good precedent for treating in the      
vulgar tongue not only ,love but also   
,righteousness and ,war4  ,other        
examples of his honesty of mind are     
furnished in the ,paradise where he     
expresses through the mouths of his     
disembodied teachers views opposed to   
those he had already advanced in his    
other works4 ,thus his theory of the    
spots on the moon1 his statement as to  
the respective rank of the angelic      
orders1 his assumption that ,hebrew was 
the language of ,adam and ,eve--all     
yield to a maturer conception in        
contradiction to his original views4 ,he
 is1 it is true1 sometimes blinded by   
partisanship or lacking in the          
historical perspective necessary for a  
true judgment of his contemporaries--but
 ,dante is naturally so sincere a man   

that he is eager to be just to every    
one4 ,perhaps there is no better        
instance of the exercise of this quality
 than in his assigning to the heaven of 
,jupiter1 ,constantine1 to whose        
supposed donation of vast territories1  
then regarded as genuine1 ,dante        
ascribes the corruption of the ,church4 
,many readers1 whose acquaintance with  
our poet does not extend beyond the     
,inferno1 see in him only the           
incarnation of savagery and scorn4 ,they
 fail to pay tribute to the wonderful   
power of his friendship or to recognize 
that his sufferings of adversity and    
injustice gave birth to deep passion4   
,to them he seems only to place his few 
friends in ,heaven and in ,hell to roast
 all his enemies4 ,it must be at once   
confessed that there are instances in   
the ,divina ,commedia which1 taken by   
themselves1 would lead one to so        
superficial an estimate of the man4 ,in 
,canto ,,viii of the ,inferno ,dante    
with his guide1 ,virgil1 enters a bark  

on the ,styx and sails across the broad 
marsh4 ,during the passage a spirit all 
covered with mud addresses ,dante1 who  
recognizes him as ,filippo ,argenti1 a  
,florentine notorious for his arrogance 
and brutal violence4 ,master1 says      
,dante to ,virgil1 ,i should be glad to 
see him dipped in this swill ere we quit
 the lake4 ,and he to me1 ',before the  
shore comes to thy view thou shalt be   
satisfied4' ,a little while after this  
,i saw the muddy people make such a     
rending of him that even now ,i praise  
and thank ,god for it4 ,such gloating   
over suffering surely seems to say to   
you3 ,here we have a man of a cruel     
vindictive nature4  ,again1 in the ice  
of ,caina1 the region where traitors are
 immersed up to their heads1 ,dante hits
 his foot violently against the face of 
,bocca degli ,abati who betrayed the    
,florentines at the crucial battle of   
,montaperti4 ,weeping it cried out to   
me3 ',why tramplest thou on me8 ,if thou
 comest not to increase the vengeance   

for ,montaperti1 why dost thou molest   
me8' ,i said3 ',what art thou who thus  
reproachest others8' ',nay who art thou'
 he answered 'that through the ,antenora
 goest1 smiting the cheeks of others1 so
 that if thou wert alive1 it were too   
much4' ',i am alive' was my reply 'and  
if thou seekest fame1 it may be precious
 to thee1 that ,i put thy name among the
 other notes4' ,and he to me4 ',the     
contrary is what ,i long for1 take      
thyself away6' ,then ,i seized him by   
the afterscalp and said3 ',it will be   
necessary that thou name thyself or that
 not a hair remain upon thee here4'     
,whence he to me3 ',even if thou unhair 
me ,i will not tell thee who ,i am4' ,i 
already had his hair coiled on my hand  
and had plucked off more than one tuft  
of it1 he barking and keeping down his  
eyes1 when another cried1 ',what ails   
thee ,bocca8' ,having thus learned the  
sinner's name1 the poet releases him1   
saying3 'accursed traitor ,i do not want
 thee to speak1 for to thy shame ,i will

 bear true tidings' 7,inf41 ,,xxxii1    
#ig47 ,some may say that it is to       
,dante's shame that he shows himself so 
devoid of pity4  ,another example would 
seem to confirm this startling view of  
,dante's character4 ,at the bottom of   
,hell1 eager to learn the identity of a 
reprobate1 a certain ,friar ,albergo1   
the poet promises him in return for the 
desired information to remove the ice   
from his eyes so that he may have the   
poor consolation of grief unchecked4    
,remove the hard veils from my face that
 ,i may vent the grief which stuffs my  
heart1 a little ere the weeping freeze  
again6 ,wherefore ,i said to him4 ',if  
thou woulds't have me aid thee1 tell me 
who thou art1 and if ,i do not extricate
 thee1 may ,i have to go to the bottom  
of the ice4' ,the poet of course knows  
that he must go thither to continue his 
journey to ,purgatory1 but the reprobate
 soul is unaware of such a course1 and  
believes that the visitor has fortified 
his promise with a true oath4 ,both his 

name and the damning story of his life  
are soon told by the poor wretch1 who   
then asks ,dante for the fulfillment of 
the promise--the removal of the ice so  
that sight may be restored even for a   
minute4 ',open my eyes' he said--but ,i 
opened them not1 to be rude to him was  
courtesy 7,inf41 ,,xxxiii1 #adh47 ,does 
not ,dante by his own words show himself
 deep-dyed in hatred and cruelty8  ,the 
case against him says ,dinsmore1 is not 
so bad as the first reading would       
indicate4 ,part of the explanation of   
his apparent cruelty undoubtedly lies in
 the fact that the poet would teach us  
that character is influenced by         
environment4 ,in the circle of wrath1 he
 is wrathful1 in the pit of traitors he 
is false4 ,then we are to recall that   
,dante undoubtedly laid to heart        
,virgil's reproof1 when he wept at the  
sad punishment of the soothsayers3 ',who
 is more wicked than he who feels       
compassion at the ,divine ,judgment4'   
,passionate love of ,god1 ,dante holds1 

implies passionate hatred of ,god's     
enemies4 ,that is a thought expressed by
 the ,psalmist4 ',lord1 have ,i not     
hated them that hate thee and pined away
 because of thy enemies8 ,i have hated  
them with a perfect hatred and they are 
become enemies to me' 7,,cxxxviii1 #ba74
 ,so it may be said that ,dante has the 
spirit of the psalmist and seeks to     
love1 as ,god loves1 and to hate as ,god
 hates4  ,whether that explanation      
satisfy my readers or not1 there is     
another side to ,dante's character that 
is most attractive4 ,dowered with the   
hate of hate1 the scorn of scorn1 he was
 a paradox1--gentle and tender4 ,failure
 to see this phase of ,dante's nature   
led ,frederick ,schlegel to declare that
 ,dante's chief defect is the want of   
gentle feelings--a statement that called
 forth this exclamation from ,lord      
,byron3 ,of gentle feelings4 ,and       
,francesca of ,rimini and the father's  
feelings in ,ugolino and ,beatrice and  
the ,pia6 ,why there is a gentleness in 

,dante above all gentleness when he is  
tender6  ,let us see some examples of   
this tender quality in our poet4 ,only  
one endowed with gentleness and beauty  
of soul1 could have conceived a         
,purgatory not hot with sulphurous      
flames remarks ,dinsmore1 but healing   
the wounded spirit with the light of    
shimmering sea1 the glories of morning1 
the perfume of flowers1 the touch of    
angels1 the living forms of art and the 
sweet strains of music4  ,only a man of 
warm-heartedness and delicate           
susceptibility at the sight of a row of 
souls1 temporarily blinded1 would have  
been touched to such an extent that he  
would be filled with anxiety lest in    
looking upon them and silently passing  
them by who could not return his gaze1  
he would show them some discourtesy4    
,it were a wrong1 methought1 to pass and
 look   ,on others1 yet myself1 the     
while unseen1   ,to my sage counsel     
therefore did ,i turn4           7,purg4
 ,,xiii1#gc7  ,gentleness also reveals  

itself in lovely lines wherein the poet 
speaks of the relations of parent and   
child4 ,he tells us1 for instance1 how  
,an infant seeks his mother's breast    
,when fear and anguish vex his troubled 
heart4           7,purg4 ,,xxx47  ,he   
recalls how he himself with child-like  
sorrow stood confessing his sins3    ,as
 little children1 dumb with shame's keen
 smart1   ,will listening stand with    
eyes upon the ground   ,owning their    
faults with penitential heart   ,so then
 stood ,i4           7,purg4 ,,xxxi1    
#ff7  ,when overcome by the splendor of 
the heaven ,saturn it is as a child he  
turns to ,beatrice for assurance3       
,oppressed with stupor1 ,i unto my guide
   ,turned like a little child who      
always runs   ,for refuge there where he
 confideth most1   ,and she1 even as a  
mother who straightway   ,gives comfort 
to her pale and breathless boy   ,with  
voice whose wont is to reassure him1    
,said to me3 ',knowest thou not thou art
 in heaven8'           7,par4 ,,xxii1   

,i7  ,again1 it is the gentle heart of a
 fond father who speaks in the following
 lines3    ,awaking late1 no little     
innocent   ,so sudden plunges towards   
its mother's breast   ,with face intent 
upon its nourishment   ,as ,i did bend4 
7,par4 ,,xxx1 #he1 ,grandgent's trans47 
,another figure of beautiful imagery    
makes us appreciate ,dante's            
understanding of infantile emotion4 ,he 
is eager to tell us how bright souls    
flame upward towards the ,virgin ,mother
 and here is the simile3    ,and as a   
babe which stretches either arm   ,to   
reach its mother1 after it is fed       
,showing a heart with sweet affection   
warm1   ,thus every flaming brightness  
reared its head   ,and higher1 higher   
straining1 by its act   ,the love it    
bore to ,mary plainly said4             
7,par4 ,,xxiii1 #aba ,grandgent's       
trans47  ,perhaps the most appealing    
example of ,dante's kindly love for     
children springs from the fact that     
instead of following the teaching of    

,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 who holds that in
 heaven the risen bodies of baby        
children will appear in the aspect of   
the prime of life1 our poet discloses   
them with the charm of babyhood         
carrolling1 as it were1 the nursery     
songs of ,heaven4 ,of those blessed     
infants he speaks3    ,their youth1     
those little faces plainly tell1        
,their childish treble voices tell it1  
too1   ,if thou but use thine eyes and  
listen well4           7,par4 ,,xxxii1  
#df4 ,grandgent's trans47  ,seeing so   
many examples of ,dante's love for      
motherhood and children1 one naturally  
wonders why he makes no mention of his  
own wife and children4 ,but we have only
 to remember that a nice sense of       
delicacy may have restrained him from   
speaking of the sacredness of his family
 life4 ,in this matter he exhibited the 
wisdom of the gentleman-,saint1 ,francis
 de ,sales1 who used to say1 ,without   
necessity never speak of yourself well  
or ill4 ,it was indeed a principle of   

propriety with our poet that talking    
about one's self in public is to be     
avoided as unbecoming unless there is   
need of self vindication or edification 
of others4 ,only once in the ,divine    
,comedy does he mention his own name and
 at once he apologizes for the          
intrusion4 ,it is true that the poem is 
autobiographical but it is that in so   
far as it concerns matters of universal 
interest from which the poet may draw   
the moral that what ,god has done for   
him ,he will do for all men if they will
 but let ,him4 ,that being so it was not
 necessary for him to exploit his family
 affairs4  ,out of the kindly heart of  
,dante sprang gratitude1 one of the     
strongest virtues of his being4 ,he     
never wearies in pouring forth thanks to
 his ,maker for the gift of creation and
 ,his fatherly care of all beings in the
 universe4 ,he is filled with unbounded 
gratitude to the ,saviour for having    
become man and for having suffered and  
died for our salvation instead of taking

 an easier way of satisfying divine     
justice4 ,in his works he mentions the  
name or the offices of the ,holy ,ghost 
eight times4 ,to the ,blessed ,virgin1  
the saints and especially to ,beatrice  
for their virtuous example and loving   
protection he is heartily grateful4 ,his
 thankful affection is extended to those
 who showed him kindness particularly   
during the years of his homeless        
poverty4 ,to them he offers the only    
thing he has to give--an undying tribute
 of praise4 ,tenderly he makes known his
 obligations to all those who taught    
him1 both the teachers of his own day   
and the masters of past ages4 ,but it is
 to ,virgil1 his ideal author1 the guide
 whom he has chosen for his journey     
through ,hell and ,purgatory1 that he   
offers his most touching tribute of     
gratitude4 ,the occasion arises when he 
discovers his beloved ,beatrice in the  
,garden of ,eden and turns to ,virgil to
 tell him of his overwhelming joy4 ,but 
behold6 his guide has vanished1 his     

mission fulfilled4 ,and all the joys of 
the earthly ,paradise1 originally       
forfeited by the sin of ,eve1 cannot    
compensate the disciple for the loss of 
his great master4 ,in loneliness he     
weeps1 staining again his face that had 
been washed clean with dew by ,virgil   
when they emerged from ,hell4 ,is there 
not genuine pathos in these lines8      
,virgil was gone6 and we were all       
bereft6   ,virgil my sweetest sire6     
,virgil who led   ,my soul to safety1   
when no hope was left4   ,not all our   
ancient mother forfeited1   ,all ,eden1 
could prevent my dew cleansed cheek     
,from changing whiteness to a tearful   
red4           7,purg4 ,,xxx1 #de1      
,grandgent's trans47  ,one quality is   
still necessary to complete the picture 
which our poet gives of himself4 ,so far
 we see him as a man of strong faith1 of
 abiding intensity--a man having supreme
 confidence in himself with resulting   
pride of life1 a man big with splendid  
sincerity and dowered with deep passion1

 yet manifesting a gentle1 gracious and 
grateful spirit4 ,so composed1 he is a  
combination of virtues that may inspire 
and traits that may attract many        
readers4 ,but this is not the finished  
picture of the strangely fascinating man
 who has for six hundred years exercised
 an irresistible sway over hearts and   
minds4 ,what feature is lacking8 ,the   
one which has made him master over      
willing subjects who love and admire him
 whether they live in a monarchy or     
republic1 a hovel or a palace1 whether  
they are of his faith or alien to it4   
,because the world ever loves a lover1  
and because ,dante is ,the ,lover par   
excellence whose love-story is one to   
which heaven and earth have put their   
hand1 he stands forth with a hold on    
humanity that is both enduring and      
supreme4  ,love as a passion and a      
principle of action never left him to   
his dying day1 from the time when he1 a 
boy of nine years of age1 became        
attracted by the sweet little girl      

,beatrice4 ,she appeared to me he says1 
clothed in a most noble color1 a modest 
and becoming crimson1 and she was girt  
and adorned in such wise as befitted her
 very youthful age4 ,if we add to those 
few lines the brief statements made     
later in the ,new ,life that her hair   
was light and her complexion a          
pearl-pink and that when he saw her as a
 maiden she was dressed in white1 we    
have the only description that ,dante   
ever gave of her personal appearance4   
,it was love at sight4 ,i truly say that
 at that instant the spirit of life     
which dwells in the most secret chamber 
of the heart1 said these words3 ',behold
 a god stronger than ,i1 who coming     
shall rule over me4' ,from that time    
forward ,love lorded it over my soul    
which had been so speedily wedded to him
 and he began to exercise over me such  
control and such lordship1 through the  
power which my imagination gave him1    
that it behooved me to do completely all
 his pleasure4  ,if we are disposed to  

doubt ,dante's capability of deep       
emotion at so tender an age we have only
 to remember that ,cupid's darts pierced
 at an early age the hearts of others of
 precocious sensibilities4 ,the love    
experience of ,lord ,byron1 ,victor     
,hugo1 and ,canova the sculptor1 when   
they too were only children is a matter 
of history4 ,this statement we shall the
 more readily accept if we recall the   
dictum of ,pascal3 ,the passions are    
great in proportion as the intelligence 
is great4 ,in a great soul everything is
 great4 ,in the light of that principle 
we must say that if ,dante's love       
attachment in early life runs counter to
 the experience of mankind1 he is1 even 
as a boy1 exceptional in the power of   
imagination and peculiarly sensitive to 
heart impressions4  ,his experience as a
 nine year old boy loving with a depth  
of increasing emotion a girl with whom  
there probably had never been any       
communication except a mere greeting1 a 
love reverential1 persisting1 even after

 her marriage to another1 continuing    
through the married life of the poet    
himself1 a love1 the story of which is  
celebrated in matchless verse1--all that
 is so unique a thing that critics have 
been led to deny the very existence of  
,beatrice or to see in the story an     
allegory which may be interpreted in    
various ways4  ,some critics see in     
,beatrice only the ideal of womanhood2  
others make her an allegory of          
conflicting things4 ,francesco ,perez   
holds that ,beatrice is only the figure 
of ,active ,intelligence1 while ,dante  
,gabriel ,rossetti advances the         
fantastic theory that she is the symbol 
of the ,roman ,empire1 and love--the    
anagram of ,roma--on ,dante's part is   
only devotion to the imperial cause4    
,according to ,scartazzini1 ,beatrice is
 the symbol of the ,papacy4 ,gietmann   
denies the historicity of ,beatrice and 
declares that she typifies the ,church4 
,the argument for this theory expressed 
by a sympathetic reviewer of ,gietmann's

 book1 ,beatrice1 ,geist und ,kern der  
,danteshen ,dichtung1 follows3 ,beatrice
 is the soul and center of the poet's   
works1 his inspiring genius1 the ideal  
which moulds his life and character4 ,if
 we consider her as a mere historical   
personage we must look upon those works 
as silly and meaningless romances1 and  
on the poet himself as a drivelling     
day-dreamer4  ,but if we are able to    
assign to ,dante's beloved an           
appropriate and consistent allegorical  
character1 in keeping with the views of 
the poet's time1 and with the quality of
 the varied material which goes to build
 up his poetic structures1 his creations
 will appear not only intelligible and  
natural1 but unfold a treasure of       
thought and beauty nowhere else to be   
found1 while the poet himself will be   
shown to be not only one of the greatest
 masters of thought and imagination1 but
 one of the noblest and loftiest minds  
to be met with in the history of letters
 7,john ,conway1 ,am4 ,cath4 ,quar4     

,review1 ,april1 #ahib74  ,the editor of
 the ,english ,quarterly ,review 7,july1
 #ahif1 p4 #da7 while not denying the   
real existence of ,beatrice argues that 
she represents ,faith1 and affirms that 
the story of ,dante's love for her1 a   
love wavering at times1 represents the  
conflict of ,faith and ,science4 ,you   
will be interested in seeing1 as a      
curiosity of literature1 how that author
 attempts the translation into allegory 
of ,dante's account of his first meeting
 with ,beatrice4  ,this is the          
translation--,dante speaking in the     
first person says3 ,at the close of my  
ninth year ,i experienced strong        
impressions of religion4 ,this was the  
time of my ,confirmation and my ,first  
,communion4 ,i was filled with reverence
 for the wondrous truths instilled into 
my mind by those whom ,i loved best3 and
 my whole being glowed with the roseate 
glow of a first love4 ,my feelings were 
rapturous yet constant2 and from that   
time ,i date the beginning of a ,new    

,life4 ,from that time forward ,i was so
 completely under the influence of this 
divine principle that my soul was1 as it
 were1 espoused to heavenly love1 and it
 was in the precepts and ordinances of  
the ,church that this passion found its 
proper satisfaction4 ,often and often   
did it lead me to the congregation of   
the faithful1 where ,i had meetings with
 my youthful angel and these were so    
gratifying that all through my boyhood  
,i would frequently go in search of a   
repetition of those pleasures and ,i    
perceived her so noble and admirable in 
all her bearings1 that of her might     
assuredly be said that saying of ,homer3
 ',she seemed no daughter of mortal man 
but of ,god4'  ,we need not be surprised
 that there is such divergence of       
opinion among critics as to the         
interpretation of ,dante4 ,he himself in
 ,the ,banquet 7bk4 ,,ii1 ch4 #ae71     
written some years after his ,new ,life1
 tells us that there is a hidden meaning
 back of the literal interpretation of  

his words4 ,that is especially true of  
the ,divine ,comedy1 as he writes to    
,can ,grande in explanation of the      
purpose of the poem4 ,in the ,paradiso  
he bids this lacking in power of        
penetration to pierce the symbolism1 to 
accompany him no longer on his journey  
through the invisible world4    ,o ye   
who in some pretty little boat   ,eager 
to listen1 have been following   ,behind
 my ship1 that singing sails along1     
,turn back to look again upon your      
shores1   ,do not put out to sea1 lest1 
peradventure1   ,in losing me1 you might
 yourselves be lost4           7,par4   
bk4 ,,ii1 ,i47  ,with obscurity thus    
acknowledged1 is it any wonder that     
,dante is subjected to prolonged        
controversy by historical criticism     
which has not hesitated to cast doubt   
upon the authorship of the ,iliad and   
the ,synotic ,gospels8 ,in the face of  
this obscurity it is the opinion of such
 well known ,dantian scholars as        
,d',ancona1 ,charles ,eliot ,norton1    

,john ,addington ,symonds1 ,dean        
,plumtre1 ,edmund ,gardiner1 ,w4,w4     
,vernon1 ,paget ,toynbe1 ,c4,h4         
,grandgent1 ,jefferson ,b4 ,fletcher1   
,james ,russell ,lowell--that ,beatrice 
is both a real human being and a symbol4
  ,the direct testimony1 not to urge the
 subtle arguments furnished by internal 
evidence of ,dante's works1 as to the   
reality of ,beatrice ,portinari as the  
beloved of our poet is offered first by 
,boccaccio who was acquainted with      
,dante's daughter ,beatrice1 a nun who  
lived near enough to the poet to get    
information from the ,portinari family4 
,certainly ,boccaccio did not hesitate  
when chosen in #acgc by the ,florentines
 to lecture on ,dante1 to make the very 
positive statement that the boy ,dante1 
received the image of ,beatrice         
,portinari into his heart with such     
affection that from that day forward as 
long as he lived it never departed from 
him4 ,that statement was doubtless made 
within the hearing of many relatives and

 friends of the families concerned1 the 
,alighieri1 the ,portinari1 the ,bardi4 
,if the statement was false1 argues ,dr4
 ,edward ,moore1 ,england's foremost    
,dantian scholar1 it must have been so  
glaring and palpable that its assertion 
could only have covered ,boccaccio with 
ridicule4 ,the second authority for the 
statement that ,beatrice ,portinari had 
a real existence and was the object of  
,dante's love is furnished by ,dante's  
own son ,pietro1 who wrote a commentary 
on the ,divine ,comedy nineteen years   
after his father's demise--a commentary 
in which he declares because mention is 
here first made of ,beatrice of whom so 
much has been said1 especially in the   
third book of the ,paradiso1 it is to be
 premised that there really was a lady  
,beatrice by name1 greatly distinguished
 for her beauty and virtues who1 in the 
time of the author1 lived in the city of
 ,florence and who was of the house of  
certain ,florentine citizens called the 
,portinari1 of whom the author ,dante   

was a suitor4 ,during the life of the   
said lady1 he was her lover and he wrote
 many ballads to her honor4 ,after her  
death in order that he might make her   
name famous1 he1 in this his poem1      
frequently introduced her under the     
allegory and style of theology4  ,the   
third witness quoted by ,w4,w4 ,vernon1 
is ,benvenuto da ,imola who attended the
 lectures of ,boccaccio and succeeded   
him as incumbent of the chair of        
,dantian literature1 established by the 
government of ,florence4 ,this          
,florentine professor whose commentary  
on ,dante was written only fifty years  
after the death of the poet1 expressly  
states that this ,beatrice 7he does not 
mention her family name7 was really and 
truly a ,florentine of great beauty and 
most honorable reputation4 ,when she was
 eight years old she so entered into    
,dante's heart that she never went out  
from it and he loved her passionately   
for sixteen years1 at which time she    
died4 ,his love increased with his      

years3 he would follow her where-ever   
she went and always thought that in her 
eyes he could behold the summit of human
 happiness4 ,dante in his works1 at one 
time1 takes ,beatrice as a real         
personage and at another in a mysterious
 sense as ,sacred ,theology 7,readings  
on ,inf41 ,i1 #fa47  ,the question now  
arises3 ,did ,beatrice know of ,dante's 
love and did she reciprocate his        
passion8 ,many critics answer in the    
negative1 believing that an affirmative 
view must premise a guilty love since   
,beatrice was married to ,simone de     
,bardi and ,dante to ,gemma ,donati4    
,but an opposite view holds that such a 
deduction overlooks the unique fact that
 the love of ,dante and ,beatrice was   
purely spiritual and mystical4 ,doctor  
,zahm says that ,dante's passion was a  
species of homage to the beloved which  
was common during the age of the        
troubadours but which has long since    
disappeared--a chivalrous devotion to a 
woman1 neither wife nor mistress1 by    

means of which the spirit of man1 were  
he knight or poet1 was rendered capable 
of self-devotion1 and of noble deeds and
 of rising to a higher ideal of life    
7,great ,inspirers1 p4 #bde47  ,in any  
event we know that it was a most noble1 
exalting sentiment and if we accept the 
statement of ,bishop de ,serravalle1 the
 love was mutual and lasting4 ,this     
ecclesiastic while attending the council
 of ,florence in #adad was asked by the 
,bishops of ,bath and ,salisbury1       
,england1 to make a ,latin translation  
of the ,divine ,comedy4 ,in the preamble
 to his translation he not only declares
 that ,dante historically and literally 
loved ,beatrice 7,dantes delexit hanc   
puellam historice et literaliter7 but he
 affirms that the love was reciprocal   
and that it lasted during the lifetime  
of ,beatrice1 7,philocaptus fuit de ipsa
 et ipsa de ipso1 qui se invicem        
dilexerunt quousque vixit ipsa puella74 
,only by holding such a view can we     
really appreciate the significance and  

beauty of that episode in ,purgatorio   
depicting the first meeting of the      
lovers in the invisible world after ten 
years' separation--a meeting said to be 
one of the most touching and beautiful  
episodes in all literature4  ,in the    
,terrestrial ,paradise a voice is heard 
after the sudden departure of ,virgil4  
,dante it says though ,virgil leave     
thee1 weep not1 weep not yet1 for thou  
must weep for a greater wound4 ,i beheld
 that ,lady who had erst appeared to me 
under a cloud of flowers cast by angel's
 hands3 and she was gazing at me across 
the stream 444 ',look at us well4 ,we   
are1 indeed ,beatrice4 ,hast thou then  
condescended to come to the mountain8'  
7the mountain of discipline7--,shame    
weighed down my brow4 ,the ice that had 
collected about my heart1 turned to     
breath and water and with agony issued  
from my breast through lips and eyes4   
,beatrice then proceeds to tell the     
angels of her love for the poet and of  
his faithlessness to her4 ,for some time

 ,i sustained him with the sight of my  
face4 ,showing to him my youthful eyes  
,i led him toward the right quarter4 ,as
 soon as ,i reached the threshold of the
 second age of man and passed from      
mortal to eternal life he took himself  
from me and gave himself to another4    
,beatrice now turns to ,dante and       
rebukes him3 ,in order the more to shame
 thee from thine error and to make thee 
stronger1 never did nature and art      
present to thee a charm equal to that   
fair form now scattered in earth with   
which ,i was enclosed4 ,and if this     
greatest of charms so forsook thee at my
 death1 what mortal thing should        
thereafter have led thee to desire it8  
,verily at the first hour of            
disappointment over elusive things1 thou
 shouldst have flown up after me who was
 no longer of them4 ,thou shouldst not  
have allowed thy wings to be weighed    
down to get more wounds1 either by a    
little maid or by any other so short    
lived vanity4 ,the effect of her rebuke 

is the overwhelming of his heart with   
shame and contrition4 ,so much remorse  
gnawed at my heart that ,i fell         
vanquished and what ,i then became she  
knoweth who gave me the cause 7,purg4   
,,xxxi1 #di74 ,he arose forgiven1 the   
memory of his sin removed by the waters 
of ,lethe4 ,then drinking of the waters 
of ,eunoe he was made fit to ascend to  
,heaven4  ,to understand the allusion to
 his defection and to see the           
progressive development of his love of  
,beatrice as a woman1 then as a living  
ideal and finally as an animated        
symbol--the various transfigurations in 
which ,beatrice appears to him1 we must 
go back to his ,new ,life--the book of  
which ,charles ,eliot ,norton says--so  
long as there are lovers in the world   
and so long as lovers are poets this    
first and tenderest love-story of modern
 literature will be read with           
appreciation and responsive sympathy4   
,it is hardly to be supposed that the   
nine year old lover noted with minute   

care in his diary1 his first meeting of 
,beatrice ,portinari but as he looked   
back on the event years later he saw    
that the vision had been the the        
greatest crisis in his mental1 moral and
 spiritual history4 ,the story begins in
 the first page of the ,new ,life4 ,a   
real living child familiarly called     
,bice1 the diminutive for ,beatrice1    
enamoured ,dante with a real1 genuine   
love4 ,after that meeting1 says the     
poet1 ,i in my boyhood often went       
seeking her and saw her of such noble   
and praiseworthy deportment that truly  
of her might be said the word of the    
poet ,homer3 ',she seems not the        
daughter of mortal man but of ,god4'    
,nine years passed and the child1 now a 
maiden1 blooming in her beauty's spring1
 saluted me with such virtue that it    
seemed to me that ,i saw all the bounds 
of bliss4 ,since it was the first time  
her words came to my ears ,i took in    
such sweetness that1 as it were         
intoxicated1 ,i turned away from the    

folk and betaking myself to the solitude
 of my own chamber ,i sat myself down to
 think of this most courteous lady4  ,a 
little later the wrapt expression of his
 loving eyes as he looks at ,beatrice   
attracts the attention of others and to 
misdirect them1 he feigns love for the  
lady he calls the screen of truth and   
writes verses in her honor4 ,on the part
 of ,beatrice there is misunderstanding 
of the amatory verses he writes at this 
period and she withholds her greeting4  
,then1 more than ever1 he realizes what 
that salutation meant to him4 ,deprived 
of it now1 he dwells upon the sweet     
memory of the salutation3 ,in the hope  
of her marvelous salutation there no    
longer remained to me an enemy1 nay1 a  
flame of charity possessed me which made
 me pardon everyone who had done me     
wrong4 ,under the influence of her      
salutation1 ,dante tells us that he     
devised this sonnet3    ,so gentle and  
so gracious doth appear   ,my lady when 
she giveth her salute   ,that every     

tongue becometh1 trembling1 mute3   ,nor
 do the eyes to look upon her dare      
,although she hears her praises1 she    
doth go   ,benignly vested with         
humility3   ,and like a thing come down1
 she seems to be1   ,from heaven to     
earth1 a miracle to show4   ,so pleaseth
 she whoever cometh nigh4   ,she gives  
the heart a sweetness through the eyes1 
,which none can understand who doth not 
prove   ,and from her countenance there 
seems to move   ,a spirit1 sweet1 and in
 ,love's very guise1   ,who to the soul1
 in going sayeth3 ',sigh4'              
7,norton's translation47  ,because she  
now denies to him the bliss of          
salutation he says3 ,i went into a      
solitary place to bathe the earth with  
most bitter tears4 ,but this            
misunderstanding is not his only        
torment4 ,almost from his second meeting
 he fears that his beloved will soon    
die4 ,his prophetic vision becomes an   
agonising reality when in #abij in her  
twenty-fourth year1 the eyes that       

radiated bliss are closed in death4  ,so
 stunned was he by the blow that his    
life was despaired of4 ,when he         
recovered it seemed to him that         
,florence had lost her gaiety and       
desolate is mourning the loss of his    
beloved one4 ,pilgrims passing on their 
way to ,galicia do not appear to share  
the general grief4 ,to arouse their     
sympathy in the loss which the city has 
sustained the heart-broken poet lover   
devises a sonnet in which ,i set forth  
that which ,i had said to myself4       
,pilgrims3   ,if through your will to   
hear1 awhile ye stay1   ,truly my heart 
with sighs declare to me   ,that ye     
shall afterwards depart in tears4       
,alas her ,beatrice now lost hath she4  
,and all the words that one of her way  
may say   ,have virtue to make weep     
whoever hears4           7,norton's     
translation47  ,in his great affliction 
his grieving heart is sustained by his  
belief in immortality4 ,his vision      
penetrates the skies and he sees his    

'lady of virtue' in glory in the regions
 of the eternal4    ,the gentle lady to 
my mind had come   ,who1 for the sake of
 her exceeding youth1   ,had by the     
,lord most ,high been ta'en from earth  
,to that calm heaven where ,mary hath   
her home4  ,in heaven indeed more than  
upon earth she enamours the poet4 ,there
 divested of her mortal veil1 to his    
eyes she    grew perfectly and          
spiritually fair1  leading him to fit   
himself to put on immortality4 ,the     
passion of his boyhood has now become   
the ennobling ideal of his life4        
,sustaining and stimulating him1 saving 
him from himself1 ever leading him      
upward and onward1 his angelicized lady 
is an abiding presence with him whether 
he is deep in the contemplation of the  
study of philosophy and the learning of 
the ancients1 or engaged in the activity
 of military or political life1 or as   
homeless wayfarer in exile1 making his  
way from place to place4 ,when he falls 
from grace it is ,beatrice who disturbs 

his peace of mind by a battle of        
thoughts4 ,it is the strong image of    
,beatrice who comes to him as he had    
seen her as a child1 raises him from    
moral obliquity1 fills him with the very
 essence of the spiritual4 ,then he has 
a wonderful vision--a vision in which ,i
 saw things which made me resolve to    
speak no more of this blessed one       
7,beatrice7 until ,i could more worthily
 treat of her4 ,and to attain to this ,i
 study to the utmost of my power as she 
truly knows3 ,so that if it shall please
 ,him through whom all things live that 
my life be prolonged for some years1 ,i 
hope to say of her what was never said  
of any woman4  ,that promise1 involving 
years of intense study and increasing   
devotion to his beloved1 ,dante kept4   
,the ,divine ,comedy is his matchless   
monument to her who is the protagonist  
and muse of his poem and the love of his
 heart4 ,not only has the poet made her 
says ,norton1 the loveliest and most    
womanly woman of the ,middle ,ages at   

once absolutely real and truly ideal1   
but he has done what no poet had ever   
before conceived1 thereby achieving     
something unique in the whole range of  
literature--he has imparadised among the
 saints and angels his lovely wonder1   
,beatrice1 that so she spreads even     
there a light of love which makes the   
angels glad and even to their subtle    
minds can bring a certain awe of        
profound marvelling4 ,he has given to   
her such a glorious exaltation that     
after ,rachel and ,eve she of all women 
is enthroned in the glowing ,rose of    
,heaven next to the ,virgin ,mother1 our
 tainted nature's solitary boast1 and so
 enthroned1 ,beatrice is at once his    
beloved and the symbol of revelation1   
the heavenly light that discloses to    
mankind both the true end of our being  
and the realities of ,eternity4  ,now   
with tremulous delight in his heart1    
admiration on his lips1 ecstasy in his  
soul1 he is able to render her perhaps  
the very purest tribute of praise and   

gratitude that ever came out of a human 
soul3    ,o ,lady1 thou in whom my hope 
is strong   ,and who1 for my salvation1 
didst endure   ,in ,hell to leave the   
imprint of thy feet1   ,of whatsoever   
things ,i have beheld1   ,as coming from
 thy power and from thy goodness   ,i   
recognize the power and the grace4      
,thou from a slave hast brought me unto 
freedom1   ,by all those ways1 by all   
the expedients1   ,whereby thou hast the
 power of doing it4   ,preserve towards 
me thy magnificence   ,so that this soul
 of mine1 which thou hast healed        
,pleasing to thee be loosened from the  
body4  ,norton says3 ,it is needful to  
know ,dante as a man in order fully to  
appreciate him as poet4  ,what manner of
 man then was he8 ,redeemed by love1 he 
was1 to quote ,john ,addington ,symonds1
 the greatest1 truest1 sincerest man of 
modern ,europe4     ,,dante',s ,,inferno
     ,,dante',s ,,inferno   ,at no      
period of modern times do we find that  
literature showed an interest more keen 

in the ,hereafter than at the present   
day4 ,religion has always used both pen 
and voice to direct men's thoughts      
towards eternity1 but now it is         
literature that goes for subject-matter 
to religion4 ,this change of attitude is
 due1 no doubt1 to the fact that several
 factors in present-day life--factors   
that literature cannot ignore1 have     
turned popular thought to religion4 ,the
 ,world-war has disciplined the         
character of men by the unspeakable     
experiences of contact with shot1 shell 
and shrapnel and the result has been    
that countless numbers have turned to   
religion for strength and consolation4  
,countless thousands whose dear ones    
made the supreme sacrifice for the      
ideals of patriotism1 also find in      
religion their only solace4  ,those who 
have not this refuge turn to            
spiritualism and psychical research in a
 futile effort to find a satisfactory   
solution of the problem of the          
,hereafter4 ,again and again we see the 

unrest of the ever-questioning soul     
depicted in the drama and the literature
 of the day as it seeks enlightenment on
 the potentiality of the future life4   
,the stage presents plays based on      
spiritualistic manifestations or upon   
supernatural healing or miraculous      
intervention4 ,many recent novels have  
either psychical phenomena for their    
central interest or plots evolved out of
 the miraculous in religion4 ,as        
exponents of psychical research1 ,sir   
,arthur ,conan ,doyle1 ,w4,t4 ,stead and
 ,sir ,oliver ,lodge make an appeal to  
readers to accept as scientific truths1 
the psychical manifestations of the     
unseen world4 ,a typical answer is given
 to that appeal by a distinguished      
writer1 ,doctor ,inge1 ,dean of ,st4    
,paul's1 ,london1 who declares3 ,if this
 kind of after-life were true1 this     
portrayed in the pitiable revival of    
necromancy in which many desolate hearts
 have sought spurious satisfaction1 it  
would1 indeed1 be a melancholy          

postponement or negation of all we hope 
and believe about our dead4             
,prescinding from any attempt to discuss
 the occult phenomena evoked1 observed  
and studied in our day or to treat of   
the matters involved in the supernatural
 in the books of the day1 one may state 
as a fact that the whole tendency of    
present day literature is to show a     
yearning for light on a subject of      
fundamental importance to human nature4 
,far back in the history of the race    
,job gave voice to the spiritual        
problems that are today engaging the    
attention of the world4 ,some fifteen   
hundred years ago1 ,st4 ,augustine      
proposed to himself the question which  
so generally concerns the twentieth     
century3 ,on what matter of all those   
things of which thou art ignorant1 hast 
thou the greatest desire for            
enlightenment8 ,the great ,bishop of    
,hippo becomes the spokesman of humanity
 when he answers his own question by    
proposing another3 ,am ,i immortal or   

not8 7,soliloquia #b;d74  ,in the realms
 of literature no work of man has       
answered that question with greater     
vividness of imagery1 intensity of      
concentration1 beauty of                
description--all based in a large       
measure on the teachings of             
,christianity--than has ,dante in his   
,divine ,comedy4 ,devised as a love     
offering to the memory of his beloved   
,beatrice who in the work is symbolized 
as ,heavenly ,light on the things hidden
 from man1 the poem leads the reader    
through the dark abyss of ,hell1 the    
patient abode of ,purgatory1 the        
glorious realm of ,heaven as if the poet
 had seen ,eternity in reality instead  
of in imagination4 ,not only the state  
and the conditions of the soul after    
death does he visualize with the        
precision of ,euclid1 but as a          
philosopher and a theologian he proposes
 for our instruction in the course of   
the journey many questions of dogmatic  
and speculative thought affecting the   

,hereafter4 ,he believes himself called 
to be not simply a poet to entertain his
 readers1 but a prophet and a preacher  
with burning fire to deliver a message  
for man's salvation4 ,so he asks the    
help of ,heaven3  ,o ,supreme ,light    
that so high upliftest ,thyself from    
mortal conceptions1 re-lend a little to 
my mind of what ,thou didst appear and  
make my tongue so powerful that it may  
be able to leave one single spark of    
,thy glory1 for the future people3 for  
by returning to my memory and by        
sounding a little in these verses1 more 
of ,thy victory shall be conceived      
7,par4 ,,xxxiii1 #fg74  ,comedy is the  
title which ,dante gives to his trilogy 
and posterity has added the prefix      
adjective divine4 ,the term comedy      
however is not used in the modern sense 
which suggests to us a light laughable  
drama written in a familiar style4      
,comedy ,dante himself explains in his  
dedication of the poem1 is a certain    
kind of poetical narrative which differs

 from all others4 ,it differs from      
tragedy in its subject matter in this   
way1 that tragedy in the beginning is   
admirable and quiet1 in its ending or   
catastrophe foul and horrible 444       
,comedy on the other hand1 begins with  
adverse conditions1 but its theme has a 
happy termination4 ,likewise they differ
 in their style of language1 for tragedy
 is lofty and sublime1 comedy lowly and 
humble4  ,from this it is evident why   
the present work is called a comedy1 for
 if we consider the theme in its        
beginning it is horrible and foul       
because it is ,hell2 in its ending      
fortunate1 desirable and joyful because 
it is ,paradise3 and if we consider the 
style of language the style is lowly and
 humble because it is the vulgar tongue 
in which even housewives hold converse4 
,the theme of the poem ,dante himself   
explains3 ,the subject of the work      
literally taken is the state of souls   
after death2 this is the pivotal idea of
 the poem throughout its entire course4 

,in the allegorical sense the poet      
treats of the hell of this world through
 which we are journeying as pilgrims1   
with the power of meriting and          
demeriting1 and the subject is man1 in  
as much as by his merits and demerits he
 is subject to divine ,justice1         
remunerative or retributive 7,epis4     
dedicat4 ad ,can ,grande74  ,one of the 
earliest commentators amplifies the     
poet's statement4 ,benvenuto da ,imola  
writes3 ,the matter or subject of this  
book is the state of the human soul both
 as connected with the human body and as
 separated from it4 ,as the state of the
 whole is threefold1 so does the author 
divide his work into three parts4 ,a    
soul may be in sin2 such a one even     
while it lives with the body1 is morally
 speaking dead1 and hence it is in moral
 ,hell2 when separated from the body1 if
 it died incurably obstinate1 it is in  
the actual ,hell4 ,again a soul may be  
receding from vice3 such a one while    
still in the body is in the moral       

,purgatory1 or in the act of penance in 
which it purges away its sin2 if        
separated1 it is in the actual          
,purgatory4 ,yet even while living in   
the body1 a soul is already in a manner 
in ,paradise1 for it exists in as great 
felicity as is possible in this life of 
misery3 separated from the body1 it is  
in the heavenly ,paradise where there is
 true and perfect happiness1 where it   
enjoys the vision of ,god4 7,ozanam1    
,dante1 p4 #abi47  ,this testimony as to
 the subject matter of the ,divine      
,comedy is brought forth to offset the  
statements not infrequently made by     
expositors who deny or ignore the       
supernatural that ,dante's full thought 
can be realized even if the reader      
rejects the poet's spiritual teaching1  
especially his doctrine of the existence
 of a real ,heaven and a real ,hell4 ,it
 is true that ,dante is such a          
many-sided genius that he has a message 
for almost every person4 ,it is likewise
 true that an allegorical interpretation

 may be adopted with no belief in the   
,hereafter and it may open up many      
fruitful lessons for the reader4 ,that  
being granted1 one may still ask whether
 one can ignore ,dante's doctrine of    
future rewards and punishment and so get
 full satisfaction from treating the    
poet's conception of the ,hereafter as a
 mere allegory4  ,the allegory          
presupposes that sin inevitably brings  
its own penalty4 ,but in this life      
virtue does not always bear its own     
reward nor is evil always followed by   
retribution4 ,dante as the prophet and  
the preacher of ,christianity would have
 us understand1 as ,benvenuto da ,imola 
points out1 that if the moral law is not
 vindicated in this life it will be in  
the ,hereafter1 for our acts make our   
eternity4 ,so the poet holds that while 
this life according as it shows the soul
 in sin1 in repentance or in virtue may 
be considered allegorically ,hell1      
,purgatory or ,heaven1 before the ,last 
,judgment a real ,hell1 a real          

,purgatory1 a real ,heaven is the abode 
of disembodied spirits according to     
their demerits or merits and after the  
,last ,judgment1 ,purgatory no longer   
existing1 souls will be in eternal      
suffering in ,hell or in unending joy in
 ,heaven4  ,it is not to be expected    
that any reader will believe that       
,dante's ,hell is a photograph of       
reality4 ,it is a ,hell largely         
fashioned by poetic visions and         
political theories1 peopled in a great  
measure by those who stand in opposition
 to the poet's theory of government4 ,it
 is not1 as is sometimes asserted1 a    
place to which the poet consigns his    
personal enemies4 ,as ,dinsmore says3   
,dante had too much greatness in his    
soul and too much pride 7it may be7 to  
make revenge a personal matter3 he had  
nothing but contempt for his own enemies
 and never except in the case of        
,boniface ,,viii 444 did he place a     
single one of them in the ,inferno1 not 
even his judge ,cante ,gabriella4       

,though largely colored by his political
 theories ,dante's ,hell is also a      
theological conception based on the     
teaching of the ,catholic ,church that  
,hell exists as a place or state of     
punishment for the rebel angels and for 
man dying impenitent1 that is1 for man  
in whom sin has become so humanized that
 death finds him not simply in the act  
or habit of sin but so transformed that 
in the striking words of ,bossuet1 he is
 man made sin4 ,dante fully accepted    
that doctrine which had been the        
constant tradition and faith of the     
,church and had been reaffirmed in the  
second ecumenical ,council of ,lyons    
held when ,dante was a boy1 nine years  
of age4  ,it is not unlikely with his   
precocity for knowledge and sentiment at
 that age that he was deeply impressed  
with the history of that council        
especially as its legislation also dealt
 with the ,crusades1 the union of       
,churches1 the reform of the ,church1   
the appointment of a king of the ,romans

 and an emperor--matters of vital       
importance to him later4 ,he must have  
recalled that ,council also with special
 interest1 for two of his ideal         
personages1 ,thomas ,aquinas and        
,bonaventure met their death1 one on his
 way to the ,council1 the other while   
actually attending its sessions4  ,in   
any event ,dante firmly believed the    
doctrine of the ,hereafter that they    
that have done good shall go into life  
everlasting and they that have done     
evil1 into everlasting fire4 ,he held   
that the punishment of the damned is    
two-fold4 ,the greater punishment1      
called the pain of loss1 consists in the
 loss of the ,beatific ,vision1 a       
suffering so great that the genius of   
,st4 ,augustine can hardly translate it 
in human language4 ,to be separated from
 ,god1 he says1 is a torment as great as
 the very greatness of ,god4 ,the other 
pain of the reprobate consists in the   
torment of fire so frequently mentioned 
in ,holy ,writ4 ,according to the       

greater number of theologians the term  
fire denotes a material and so a real   
fire 444 7but7 there have never been    
wanting theologians who interpret the   
scriptural term fire metaphorically as  
denoting an incorporeal fire and thus   
far the ,church has not censured their  
opinion 7,cath4 ,encyclo41 ,,viii1      
#baa47  ,while the pain of loss and the 
pain of sense constitute the very       
essence of the punishment of ,hell1     
theologians teach that there are other  
sufferings called accidental4 ,the      
reprobate never experience v4g4 the     
least real pleasure nor are they ever   
free from the hideous presence of one   
another4 ,after the ,last ,judgment the 
lost souls will also be tormented by    
union with their bodies1 a union        
bringing about a fresh increase of      
punishment4 ,on this subject1 for our   
information ,dante addresses ,virgil his
 guide through ,hell3 ,master1 will     
these torments after the great sentence 
increase or diminish8 ,virgil explains  

that they will become worse because when
 the soul is united again to the body   
there will be perfection of being and   
the resulting sensitiveness will be the 
more intense4  ,return unto thy science1
 answers ,virgil1 which wills that as a 
thing more perfect is the more it feels 
of pleasure and of pain4 7,inf41 ,,vi1  
#dj47  ,dante also holds that only by   
way of exception is there any escape    
from ,hell once a soul is condemned4    
,following a legend commonly believed in
 the ,middle ,ages that in answer to the
 prayers of ,pope ,gregory the ,great1  
the soul of the ,emperor ,trajan was    
delivered from ,hell1 ,dante assumes    
that ,god who could not save ,trajan    
against his will1 allowed his soul to   
come back to its bones and while thus   
united to use its will for salvation4   
,so regenerated ,trajan is placed by    
,dante1 in the ,heaven of ,jupiter      
7,par4 ,,xx #dj1 #g74 ,referring to this
 incident the ,catholic ,encyclopedia   
says3 ,in itself it is no rejection of  

,catholic dogma to suppose that ,god    
might at times by way of exception1     
liberate a soul from ,hell4 ,thus some  
argued from a false interpretation of ,i
 ,peter ,,iii1 #ai seq4 that ,christ    
freed several damned souls on the       
occasion of ,his descent into ,hell4    
,others were led by untrustworthy       
stories into the belief that the prayers
 of ,gregory the ,great rescued the     
,emperor ,trajan from ,hell but now     
theologians are unanimous in teaching   
that such exceptions never take place   
and never have taken place 7,,viii1     
#bji47  ,as to the location of ,hell it 
is the poet ,dante and not ,dante the   
theologian1 as we shall see later1 who  
gives definite place and boundaries to  
,hell4 ,he knows that on this subject   
the ,church has decided nothing1 holding
 to the statement of ,st4 ,augustine3   
,it is my opinion that the nature of    
hell-fire and the location of ,hell are 
known to no man unless the ,holy ,ghost 
made it known to him by a special       

revelation4  ,dante makes his ,hell big 
enough to hold the majority of mankind4 
,he thinks that the elect will be       
comparatively few--just numerous enough 
to fill those places in heaven forfeited
 by the rebel angels who formed         
according to his conjecture1 about a    
tenth of the angelical host4 ,that their
 places in ,heaven are already nearly   
filled leaving little room for future   
generations ,dante makes known in the   
words of ,beatrice3    ,behold our      
,city's circuit1 oh how vast   ,behold  
our benches now so full that few   ,are 
they who are henceforth lacking here4   
7,par4 ,,xxx1 #acj47  ,his theory of    
restrictive salvation1 it may be noted1 
is not in accord with the teaching of   
the ,church which holds that to every   
man ,god gives grace sufficient for     
salvation4 ,that is true even as        
affecting the heathen and those living  
in place or in time far removed from the
 ,cross4 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas expresses
 this doctrine of the ,church when he   

writes3 ,if anyone who is born in a     
barbaric nation does what lieth in him1 
,god will reveal what is necessary for  
salvation1 either by internal           
inspiration or by a teacher4  ,the      
farcical element is not wanting in the  
,inferno1 a fact proving that our poet1 
in furnishing the episodes1 not superior
 to his age which demanded especially in
 the religious plays presented in the   
public square the sight of the          
discomfiture of the devil in scenes     
provoking the audience to laughter4 ,the
 best example of such farcicality occurs
 in the eighth circle1 fifth bolgia1    
where officials1 traffickers in public  
offices1 or unjust stewards are immersed
 in boiling pitch4 ,from time to time   
when the fiends are not alert the       
reprobate here come to the surface for a
 breathing or cooling spell1 like       
dolphins on the approach of a storm     
darting in the air and diving back again
 or like frogs with their muzzles alone 
exposed and their bodies covered by the 

water1 resting on the banks of a stream 
into which they drop at the first       
approach of danger4  ,getting in this   
way momentary relief from suffering a   
grafter named ,ciampolo1 a former       
retainer of ,king ,thibaut ,,ii of      
,navarre1 lingered too long and was     
deftly hooked by ,graffiacane amid the  
savage exultations of the other fiends1 
who proceed to maltreat the unfortunate 
wretch4 ,the hideous confusion of       
attacks by the demons is stopped long   
enough for the poet to learn his        
history1 and also what is more          
interesting to ,dante1 the names of two 
,italians1 ,friar ,gomita and ,michel   
,zanche who are likewise suffering in   
the boiling pitch4 ,ciampolo1 to save   
himself from further maltreatment and to
 escape from his captors1 now has       
recourse to stratagem4 ,he promises that
 if they consent to withdraw out of     
sight he will whistle a signal that will
 be recognized only by his hapless      
comrades2 the two ,italians and five    

others will then come to the surface for
 cool air4 ,the fiends may then have not
 one1 but seven to rend6 ,the crafty    
plan succeeds4 ,the demons withdraw     
behind the crags and then ,ciampolo     
plunges deeply into the boiling pitch4  
,two devils1 endeavoring to swoop down  
upon him now beyond their reach1 fall   
upon each other in brutal fury1 while   
the rest of the troop hurry to the      
opposite shore to rescue the belimed    
pair4 ,here is ,dante's description of  
the farce3  ,as dolphins1 when with the 
arch of the back2 they make sign to     
mariners that they may prepare to save  
their ship3 so now and then1 to ease the
 punishment1 some sinner showed his back
 and hid in less time than it lightens4 
,and as at the edge of the water of a   
ditch1 the frogs stand only with their  
muzzles out1 so that they hide their    
feet and other bulk3 thus stood on every
 hand the sinners2 but as ,barbariccia  
approached1 they instantly retired      
beneath the seething4 ,i saw1 and my    

heart still shudders thereat1 one linger
 so1 as it will happen that one frog    
remains while the other spouts away2 and
 ,graffiancane1 who was nearest to him1 
hooked his pitchy locks and haled him   
up1 so that to me he seemed an otter4   
,i already knew the name of every one1  
so well ,i noted them as they were      
chosen1 and when they called each other1
 listened how4 ',o ,rubicante1 see thou 
plant thy clutches on him1 and flay     
him6' shouted together all the accursed 
crew4 ,and ,i3 ',master1 learn if thou  
canst1 who is that piteous wight1 fallen
 into the hands of his adversaries4' ,my
 ,guide drew close to 7his side7 and    
asked him whence he came2 and he        
replied3 ',i was born in the kingdom of 
,navarre4 ,my mother placed me as       
servant of a lord2 for she had borne me 
to a ribald master of himself and of his
 substance4 ,then ,i was domestic with  
the good ,king ,thibault2 here ,i set   
myself to doing barratry1 of which ,i   
render reckoning in this heat4' ,and    

,ciriatto1 from whose mouth on either   
side came forth a tusk as from a hog1   
made him feel how one of them did rip4  
,amongst evil cats the mouse had come2  
but ,barbariccia locked him in his arms1
 and said3 ',stand off whilst ,i enforke
 him6' ,and turning his face to my      
,master3 ',ask on1' he said1 'if thou   
wouldst learn more from him1 before some
 other undo him4'  ,the ,guide          
therefore3 ',now say1 of the other      
sinners knowest thou any that is a      
,latian1 beneath the pitch8' ,and he3   
',i parted just now from one who was a  
neighbour of theirs 7on the other side72
 would ,i still were covered with him1  
for ,i should not fear claw nor hook6'  
,and ,libicocco cried3 ',too much have  
we endured1' and with the hook seized   
his arm and mangling carried off a part 
of brawn4 ,draghignazzo1 he too1 wished 
to have a catch at the legs below2      
whereat their decurion wheeled around   
around with evil aspect4 ,when they were
 somewhat pacified1 my ,guide1 without  

delay1 asked him that still kept gazing 
on his wound3 ',who was he1 from whom   
thou sayest that thou madest an ill     
departure to come ashore8' ,and he      
answered3 ',it was ,friar ,gomita1 he of
 ,gallura1 vessel of every fraud1 who   
had his master's enemies in hand1 and   
did so to them that they all praise him 
for it3 money took he for himself1 and  
dismissed them smoothly1 as he says2 and
 in his other offices besides1 he was no
 petty but a sovereign barrator4 ,with  
him keeps company ,don ,michel ,zanche  
of ,logodoros2 and in speaking of       
,sardinia the tongues of them do not    
feel weary4 ,oh me6 see that other      
grinning2 ,i would say more2 but fear he
 is preparing to claw my scurf4' ,and   
their great ,marshal1 turning to        
,farfarello1 who rolled his eyes to     
strike1 said3 ',off with thee1          
villainous bird6' ',if you wish to see  
or hear ,tuscans or ,lombards1' the     
frightened sinner then resumed1 ',i will
 make them come4 ,but let the 7evil     

claws hold back7 a little1 that they may
 not fear their vengeance2 and ,i1      
sitting in this same place1 for one that
 ,i am1 will make seven come1 on        
whistling1 as is our wont to do1 when   
any of us gets out4'  ,o ,reader1 thou  
shalt hear new sport6 ,all turned their 
eyes toward the other side1 he first who
 had been most unripe for doing it4 ,the
 ,navarrese chose well his time2 planted
 his soles upon the ground1 and in an   
instant leapt and from their purpose    
freed himself4 ,thereat each was stung  
7with guilt72 but he most who had been  
the cause of the mistake2 he therefore  
started forth1 and shouted3 ',thou'rt   
caught6' ,but little it availed 7him72  
for wings could not outspeed the terror2
 the sinner went under2 and he1 flying1 
raised up his breast3 not otherwise the 
duck suddenly dives down1 when the      
falcon approaches1 and he returns up    
angry and defeated4  ,calcabrina1       
furious at the trick1 kept flying after 
him1 desirous that the sinner might     

escape1 to have a quarrel4 ,and1 when   
the barrator had disappeared1 he turned 
his talons on his fellow1 and was       
clutched with him above the ditch4 ,but 
the other was indeed a sparrowhawk to   
claw him well2 and both dropt down into 
the middle of the boiling pond4 ,the    
heat at once unclutched them2 but rise  
they could not1 their wings were so     
beglued4 ,barbariccia with the rest     
lamenting1 made four of them fly over to
 the other coast with all their drags2  
and most rapidly on this side1 on that1 
they descended to the stand2 they       
stretched their hooks towards the limed 
pair1 who were already scalded within   
the crust2 and we left them thus        
embroiled4 7,,xxii1 #ai47  ,the         
grotesque1 also1 plays a part in the    
,inferno appearing not only in the      
demons taken from classical legend and  
deformed into caricatures1 but also in  
the punishment of crimes1 v4g4 simony   
and malfeasance in public office1       
regarded by our poet as malicious in    

themselves and grotesque in their       
perversity4  ,readers who regard the    
grotesque as a repelling element in the 
,inferno may be surprised to learn that 
,ruskin considers this feature of       
,dante's writings an expression of the  
highest human genius4 ,the great        
,english critic writes3  ,i believe that
 there is no test of greatness in       
nations1 periods1 nor men more sure than
 the development1 among them or in them 
of a noble grotesque1 and no test of    
comparative smallness or limitation1 of 
one kind or another1 more sure than the 
absence of grotesque invention or       
incapability of understanding it4 ,i    
think that the central man of all the   
world1 as representing in perfect       
balance and imaginative1 moral and      
intellectual faculties1 all at their    
highest is ,dante2 and in him the       
grotesque reaches at once the most      
distinct and the most noble development 
to which it was ever brought in the     
human mind4 ,of the grotesqueness of our

 own ,shakespeare ,i need hardly speak1 
nor of its intolerableness to his       
,french critics2 nor of that of schylus 
and ,homer1 as opposed to the lower     
,greek writers2 and so ,i believe it    
will be found1 at all periods1 in all   
minds of the first order4  ,dante's     
doctrine of punishment presupposes      
certain primary truths which the ,church
 proclaims today as she did in ,dante's 
day4 ,according to the ,florentine's    
creed1 man must answer to ,god for his  
moral life because he has free will4 ,he
 cannot excuse his evil deed on the     
ground of necessity4 ,even in the face  
of planetary influence and of temptation
 from within1 by his evil inclinations1 
and from without by solicitation of     
other agents man has still such         
discernment between good and evil and   
such power to make choice freely1 that  
moral judgment with him is free4 ,who   
hath been tried thereby and made        
perfect1 says ,holy ,writ1 he shall have
 glory everlasting4 ,he that could have 

transgressed1 and hath not transgressed 
and could do evil things1 and hath not  
done them4 7,eccli41 ,,xxxi1 #aj47      
,against this doctrine of free will the 
sociology1 the philosophy and the       
medical science of the present day      
contend with a theory which minimizes   
man's accountability for sin if it does 
not wholly excuse him as the victim of  
heredity1 environment or society4       
,literature also1 as reflected not only 
in the ,greek tragedies but in the      
writings of authors from ,shakespeare to
 ,shaw portray the evil doer as the     
victim of fate or determinism4  ,against
 all such theories and views ,dante     
appears as the fearless1 uncompromising 
champion of the doctrine of the         
greatness of man in the exercise of the 
divine gift of ,free ,will4 ,his own    
life1 showing how he had won victory    
over the forces of poverty and          
persecution1 is symbolic of the glorious
 truth he would teach2 viz41 that man1  
endowed with free will and animated with

 the grace of ,god1 is master of his    
destiny and cannot be defeated even by  
principalities and powers4 ,so he tells 
us1 ,and free will which if it endure   
fatigue in the first battles with the   
heavens1 afterwards if it be well       
nurtured1 conquers everything4 7,purg41 
,,xvi1 #gf47 ,he makes ,beatrice testify
 to the supremacy of the will3 ,the     
greatest gift which ,god in ,his bounty 
bestowed in creating and that which ,he 
prizes most1 was the freedom of will    
with which the creatures that have      
intelligence--they all and they         
alone--were endowed4 7,cf4 ,purg41      
,,xviii1 #ff-gc47  ,but such a          
distinctive endowment may be the the    
curse of man if he fails to use it      
rightly4 ,like ,job1 ,dante insists that
 life is a warfare4 ,victory is possible
 only by the right exercise of the will 
enlightened by ,god4 ,defeat is sure if 
the will embraces sin4 ,to ,dante sin is
 not a mere vulgarity or the violation  
of a social convention or a soft        

infirmity of the blood4 ,very hateful to
 his fervid heart and sincere mind1 says
 ,james ,russell ,lowell1 would have    
been the modern theory which deals with 
sin as involuntary error4 ,to ,dante sin
 is the greatest evil of the world--not 
only because it is the source of all    
other evils1 but because it is at once  
the denaturing of man--the damned are   
characterized as the woeful people who  
have lost the good of the understanding 
7,inf41 ,,iii1 #ah71 and it is also a   
defiance of ,god4 ,sin1 then1 is        
,atheism--a rejection of ,god1 with a   
conviction that pleasure or happiness   
can be attained outside of ,god1        
independent of ,god and in opposition to
 ,god4 ,apart from the inspired writers 
of ,holy ,writ it is doubtful whether   
any other writer ever had such an awful 
sense of sin and such a vivid vision of 
sin and its consequences as ,dante has  
given to the world in a picture which   
has burned terror into the thought of   
man4  ,to show us that life is a warfare

 against sin1 ,dante gives us several   
striking pictures of temptation and     
heavenly deliverance from evil4 ,at the 
very beginning of the ,divine ,comedy1  
we see his ascent to the mountain of the
 ,lord barred by ,lust1 ,pride and      
,avarice represented by a leopard1 a    
lion1 and a wolf4 ,he is victorious over
 those enemies of his salvation because 
,reason 7,virgil7 and ,beatrice         
7,revelation7 come to his aid4          
,temptation is also exhibited in        
,ante-,purgatorio and that is the more  
remarkable because both as a theologian 
and a poet ,dante holds that the present
 life is the end of man's probation and 
that as a consequence1 temptation is not
 to be encountered in the next life4    
,why it is put forth in                 
,ante-,purgatorio is explained by the   
theory that our poet here nods1 that he 
means1 not the actual ,purgatory of     
disembodied spirits1 but moral          
,purgatory1 i4e41 the present life      
wherein man1 striving upward1 is        

attacked by temptation to keep him from 
the end for which ,god created him4     
,showing temptation in                  
,ante-,purgatorio1 the poet gives us a  
picture of souls protected by two angels
 against the serpent4 ,here is the      
scene3    ,now was the hour that wakens 
fond desire   ,in men at sea1 and melts 
their thoughtful heart   ,who in the    
morn have bid sweet friends farewell1   
,and pilgrim newly on his road with love
   ,thrills1 if he hear the vesper bell 
from far1   ,that seems to mourn for the
 expiring day3   ,a band of souls       
approach3   ,i saw that gentle band     
silently next   ,look up1 as if in      
expectation held1   ,pale and in lowly  
guise2 and1 from on high1   ,i saw1     
forth issuing descend beneath1   ,two   
angels1 with two flame-illumined swords1
   ,broken and mutilated of their       
points4   ,green as the tender leaves   
but newly born1   ,their vesture was1   
the which1 by wings as green   ,beaten1 
they drew behind them1 fann'd in air4   

,a little over us one took his stand2   
,the other lighted on the opposing hill2
   ,so that the troop were in the midst 
contain'd4   ,but in their visages the  
dazzled eye   ,was lost1 as faculty that
 by too much   ,is overpower'd4 ',from  
,mary's bosom both   ,are come1'        
exclaimed ,sordello1 'as a guard   ,over
 the vale1 'gainst him1 who hither      
tends1   ,the serpent4' ,whence1 not    
knowing by which path   ,he came1 ,i    
turn'd me round2 and closely press'd1   
,all frozen1 to my leader's trusted     
side4  ,after describing an interview   
with one of the souls1 the poet         
continues his narrative3    ,while yet  
he spoke1 ,sordello to himself   ,drew  
him1 and cried3 ',lo there our enemy6'  
,and with his hand pointed that way to  
look   ,along the side1 where barrier   
none arose   ,around the little vale1 a 
serpent lay1   ,such haply as gave ,eve 
the bitter food4   ,between the grass   
and flowers1 the evil snake   ,came on1 
reverting oft his lifted head2   ,and1  

as a beast that smooths its polish'd    
coat4   ,licking his back4 ,i saw not1  
nor can tell1   ,how those celestial    
falcons from their seat   ,moved1 but in
 motion each one well described4        
,hearing the air cut by their verdant   
plumes1   ,the serpent fled2 and1 to    
their stations1 back   ,the angels up   
return'd with equal flight4             
7,purg41 ,,viii47  ,a third picture of  
temptation is furnished by the episode  
of one of the ,sirens who appears first 
repulsive and then seems to the poet    
sweet and alluring4 ,only when ,virgil  
discloses her hideous nature does ,dante
 see how easily he might have fallen a  
victim to her wiles4 ,he tells us that  
in his sleep there appeared to him a    
woman with stammering utterance1        
squinting eyes1 deformed hands4 ,i gazed
 at her1 and as the sun restores the    
cold limbs made heavy by night1 thus my 
look loosened her tongue1 then          
straightened her all out in a little    
while and colored her wan face as love  

demands4 ,when her speech was thus      
unbound she began to sing so that ,i    
could hardly have turned my attention   
from her4 ',i am1' she sang1 ',i am     
sweet ,siren who bewitch sailors by     
mid-sea1 so full am ,i of charm to hear4
 ,by my song ,i turned ,ulysses from his
 wandering way4 ,and whosoever abides   
with me seldom departs1 so wholly do ,i 
satisfy him4' ,her lips were not yet    
closed when a lady1 swift and holy1     
appeared at my side to confound the     
other4 ',o ,virgil1 ,virgil1 who is     
this8' she said proudly2 and he advanced
 with his eyes fixed only on this modest
 woman4 ,virgil 7,reason called by      
,conscience7 comes to the rescue of the 
entranced poet and reveals the ,siren in
 all her foul ugliness4 ,at that ,dante 
awakes from his dream more than ever    
convinced of the evil of sin and its    
hideousness4 7,purg41 ,,xix1 #i47  ,our 
poet1 as we said1 is firmly convinced   
that sin will be punished in ,hell4 ,but
 where is ,hell8 ,popular tradition     

attributing an infernal connection with 
volcanic phenomena and moved by those   
passages in ,holy ,scripture which      
describe ,hell as a place to which the  
reprobate descend1 locates ,hell in the 
interior of the earth4 ,dante not only  
follows this tradition for his ,hell1   
but he does what no other writer before 
or after him ever did--he constructs a  
,hell with such rare architectural skill
 that the awful structure stands forth  
in startling reality1 visualized easily 
as to form an atmosphere1 and with a    
finish of detail that is amazing4       
,covered by a crust of earth it is      
situated under ,jerusalem and extends in
 funnel shape to the very center of the 
earth4  ,how it got this shape is told  
by the poet4 ,when ,lucifer was hurled  
from ,heaven by the justice of ,god1 he 
kept falling until he reached the center
 of earth1 whence further motion        
downward was impossible4 ,at the        
approach of ,lucifer the earth is       
represented as recoiling and so making  

the cavity of ,hell4 ,the earth         
dislodged by the cataclysm was forced   
through an opening1 a kind of nozzle of 
the funnel of ,hell1 to the antipodes   
and it there emerged1 forming a         
mountain1 which became the site of the  
,garden of ,eden and ,purgatory4 ,the   
phenomenon made land in the northern and
 water in the southern hemisphere4 ,here
 is the description3    ,upon this side 
he fell down out of heaven   ,and all   
the land1 that whilom here emerged      
,for fear of him made of the sea a veil 
,and came to our hemisphere2 and        
peradventure   ,to flee from him1 what  
on this side   ,left the place vacant   
here and back recoiled4                 
7,inf41 ,,xxxiv1 #aba47  ,the material  
structure of the ,inferno is a series of
 nine concentric circles--darkness      
brooding over the whole region1--with   
ledges1 chasms1 pits1 swamps and rivers4
 ,the rivers1 though different in name  
and aspect1 appear to be one and the    
same stream winding its way through the 

various circles4 ,we see it first as the
 boundary of ,hell proper and it is     
known as the ,acheron4 ,it comes again  
to view in the fourth circle and is     
called the ,styx4 ,in the seventh       
circle1 second round1 it emerges as the 
red blood stream of ,phlegethon4 ,in the
 very depths of ,hell it forms the      
frozen lake of ,cocytus4 ,the circles of
 ,hell1 distant from one another1       
decrease in circumference as descent is 
made--the top circle being the widest4  
,galileo estimates that ,dante's ,hell  
is about #d1jjj miles in depth and as   
many in breadth at its widest diameter4 
,its opening is near the forest at the  
,fauces ,averni1 near ,cuma1 ,italy1    
where ,virgil places the site of the    
entrance of his ,inferno4  ,dante's     
,hell in its moral aspect is            
,aristotelian4 ,sins are divided into   
three great classes1 incontinence1      
bestiality and malice4 ,incontinence is 
punished in the five upper circles2     
bestiality and malice in the ,city of   

,dis1 lower ,hell4 ,more particularly   
stated1 ,dante's scheme of punishment in
 the underworld1 not considering the    
vestibule of ,hell1 where neutrals are  
confined1 is as follows3 #a1 ,limbo2 #b1
 ,the ,circle of ,lust2 #c1 ,gluttony2  
#d1 ,avarice and ,prodigality2 #e1      
,anger1 ,rage and ,fury2 #f1 ,unbelief  
and ,heresy2 #g1 ,violence2 #h1 ,fraud2 
#i1 ,treason4  ,in regard to this plan  
of punishment three things are to be    
noted3 7a7 ,though generally following  
the teaching of ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1  
here ,dante1 in his conception of       
,limbo1 differs from his master4 ,our   
poet's ,limbo1 wherein are the souls of 
unbaptized children and others who died 
stained with original sin1 but without  
personal grievous guilt1 is a much more 
severe abode than that of the ,angelic  
,doctor4 ,the latter teaches that ,limbo
 is a place or a state1 not merely of   
exemption from suffering and sorrow1 but
 of perfect natural happiness unbroken  
even by a knowledge of a higher1 a      

supernatural destiny that has never been
 given4 ,dante's ,limbo1 on the other   
hand1 represents the souls in sadness   
brought about by their constant desire  
and hope never realizable1 of seeing    
,god4 ,they suffer no pain of sense1 but
 they are baffled in their endless      
yearning for the ,beatific ,vision4 ,to 
quote ,dante3    ,there1 in so far as ,i
 had power to hear1   ,were lamentations
 none1 but only sighs   ,that tremulous 
made the everlasting air4   ,and this   
arose from sorrow without torment1      
,which the crowds had1 that many were   
and great1   ,of infants and of women   
and of men4   ,to me the ,master good3  
',thou dost not ask   ,what spirits     
these may be1 which thou beholdest8     
,now will ,i have thee know1 ere thou go
 farther1   ,that they sinned not2 and  
if they merit had1   ',t is not enough1 
because they had not baptism1   ,which  
is the portal of the ,faith thou        
holdest2   ,and if they were before     
,christianity1   ,in the right manner   

they adored not ,god2   ,and among such 
as these am ,i myself4   ,for such      
defects1 and not for other guilt1       
,lost are we1 and are only so far       
punished1   ,that without hope we live  
on in desire4'           7,,iv1 #be47   
7b7 ,our poet represents a soul as      
punished but for one sin1 though it may 
be guilt-dyed by its having broken all  
the commandments4 ,even so1 it is placed
 in one particular circle wherein a     
certain sin is punished and we are not  
told that it passes to other circles4   
,in explanation of this we have only to 
remember that ,dante1 for our           
instruction1 is showing us object       
lessons of evil1 types of certain sins4 
,judas1 for example1 whose name is      
synonymous with traitor1 is exhibited as
 suffering in the ninth circle1 the     
circle of treason1 the poet taking no   
notice of other sins1 v4g41 sacrilege1  
avarice1 suicide1 of which the fallen   
apostle may have been guilty4           
,furthermore1 ,dante as a master        

psychologist and moralist would teach us
 the lesson that the evil doer may come 
to damnation through one sin if that    
acquires such an ascendency over his    
will as to become a capital sin or      
predominant passion of his life4 ,then  
the besetting passion is the father of  
an innumerable progeny of evil4 ,this is
 seen 7,purg41 ,,xx1 #ajc7 in the case  
of ,pygmalion1 whose predominant        
passion1 avarice1 made him a traitor1 a 
thief and a parricide4  7c7 ,let us not 
be surprised that ,dante is so lenient  
in the punishment of carnal sinners4 ,he
 assigns a lighter punishment to the    
unchaste than to the unjust4 ,back of   
his plan is a sound theological         
doctrine4 ,guilt is to be estimated not 
simply from the gravity of the matter   
prohibited to conscience and the        
knowledge that one has of the evil1 but 
more especially from the malice         
displayed by the will in its voluntary  
choosing and embracing the evil4 ,now   
impurity1 it is held1 is often a sin of 

impulse4 ,it springs from concupiscence1
 a common human inclination1 wrong only 
when there is inordinateness4 ,then     
though a man freely consents to the     
temptation and thereby commits a        
grievous sin1 his will generally is not 
overcast with perversion or affected    
with malice4 ,that being so1 ,dante in  
assigning punishment for sins against   
the virtue of purity is moved by the    
thought that such sins deserve a milder 
punishment in ,hell1 because they may be
 oftener surprises than infidelities4   
,to make known the nature of the        
particular sin he depicts ,dante shows  
us the evil in various phases4 ,first of
 all it is personified in repulsive     
demons1 the guardians of the circles of 
,hell4 ,at the very entrance1 sits1     
symbolizing the evil conscience1 the    
sinners' judge ,minos horrific and      
grins4 ,the ill-born spirit comes before
 him1 confesses all and that            
sin-discerner 7,minos7 sees what place  
in ,hell is for it1 and with his tail   

makes as many circles round himself as  
the degrees he will have it descend4    
7,inf41 ,v1 #b47 ,in the circle of      
,gluttony1 the sin is symbolized by the 
three-headed monster ,cerberus1 who     
clutches the spirits1 flays and         
piecemeal rends them4  ,plutus1 the     
ancient god of riches--a cursed         
wolf--commands the circle of ,avarice4  
,phlegyas1 who in fury set fire to      
,apollo's temple1 is head of the circle 
of ,anger4 ,symbolizing remorse1 the    
three ,furies1 in the semblance of women
 girt with green water snakes1 with     
snakes for hair1 and the ,gorgon        
,medusa1 representing the               
heart-hardening effect of sensual       
pleasures1 are found on the fire-glowing
 towers of the ,city of ,dis1 ,inner    
,hell4 ,in the seventh circle presides  
,minotaur1 half-man1 half-bull1 the     
symbol of bloodthirsty violence and     
brutal lust4  ,fraud is typified by     
,geryon1 having the face of an honest   
man and the body of a dragon4 ,further  

down giants are seen1 emblematic of the 
enormity of crime4 ,at the very lowest  
point of ,hell is ,lucifer1 emperor of  
the ,realm of ,sorrow4 ,a gigantic      
monster1 he is imprisoned in ice formed 
from rivers which freeze by the         
movements of his bat-like wings flapping
 in vain efforts to raise himself4 ,to  
him1 as to the source of all evil1 flow 
back all the streams of guilt4 ,as he   
sinned against the ,tri-une ,god1 he is 
represented with three faces1 one       
crimson1 another between white and      
yellow1 and the third black4 7,,xxxiv1  
#ee47  ,not only by such terrible       
monsters1 but by the environment of the 
condemned sinner1 does our poet reveal  
the hideousness of sin4 ,to mention only
 the three great divisions of ,hell1 the
 abodes of incontinence1 bestiality and 
malice1 we find in murky gloom the      
incontinent whose sin had darkened their
 understanding4 ,in the ,city of ,dis1  
red with fire1 are the violent and the  
bestial1 who in this life had burned    

either with consuming rage or unnatural 
passion2 in the frozen circle of malice 
are those whose sins had congealed human
 sympathy and love into cold1           
calculating destruction of trust reposed
 in them4  ,but it is principally by    
depicting the intellectual1 the moral   
and the physical sufferings of the      
damned that ,dante would teach us the   
nature of sin4 ,to depict physical      
sufferings the poet was under the       
necessity of creating provisional bodies
 for his damned4 ,without such a poetic 
device the souls of the reprobate before
 the resurrection of their bodies cannot
 be conceived to suffer physically1     
since they lack the senses and organs of
 pain4 ,so ,dante pictures the damned   
united to forms shadowy yet real1       
palpable and visible4 ,they sometimes   
lose the human semblance and assume more
 sinister shapes1 grovelling as hideous 
serpents1 bleeding and wailing from     
shrubs and trees1 or bubbling in a      
slushing stream4  ,in such forms the    

souls are seen in punishment fitting    
their sin1 on the principle that by what
 things a man sinneth by the same he is 
tormented4 7,wisdom ,,xi1 #ag47 ,the    
unchaste because they allowed their     
reason to be subjected to the hot blasts
 of passion are now driven by a hellish 
storm which never rests2 whirling and   
smiting1 it vexes them4 7,inf41 ,v1     
#ca47 ,the gluttonous howl like dogs as 
hail and rain and snow beat down upon   
them and ,cerberus attacks and rends    
them4 ,the misers and spendthrifts to   
whom money was king1 now are occupied in
 rolling huge stones in opposite        
directions4 ,the wrathful1 all muddy and
 naked1 assail and tear one another4    
,the sullen are fixed in slime and      
gurgle a dismal chant4 ,the materialist 
and the heretic1 whose existence1 ,dante
 holds1 was only a living death1 are    
confined in blazing tombs4 ,murderers   
and tyrants are immersed in boiling     
blood4  ,with poetic justice1 suicides  
are represented as stunted trees        

lacerated by the beaks of foul harpies4 
,the violent lie supine on a plain of   
dry and dense sand1 upon which descend  
flakes of fire like snow in the ,alps1  
without a wind4 ,usurers--should we call
 them profiteers8--suffer also from a   
rain of fire and carry about their necks
 money bags stamped with armorial       
designs4 ,thieves1 to remind them of    
their sneaking trade1 are repeatedly    
transformed from men into snakes1       
hissing and creeping4 ,hypocrites march 
in slow procession with faces painted   
and with leaden cloaks all glittering   
with gold on the outside4 ,with such    
realism does ,dante declare the nature  
of sin and its inevitable consequences4 
,let us now accompany ,dante through the
 ,underworld4 ,the scene opens at dawn  
in a dark and tangled wood4 ,dante1 the 
type of humanity1 is unable to ascend   
the ,hill of the ,lord1 as we said      
before1 because his way is barred       
successively by a leopard1 a lion and a 
wolf1 representing the passions of life4

 ,virgil 7,reason71 sent by ,beatrice   
7,revelation71 offers to conduct the    
poet by another road4 ,it is a way which
 leads through ,hell and ,purgatory4    
,through the heavens ,beatrice herself  
will be the guide4 ,descending through  
the earth the two poets come to the     
,vestibule of ,hell4 ,on the gate       
appears this inscription3    ,through me
 you pass into the city of woe          
,through me you pass into eternal pain  
,through me among the people lost for   
aye   ,justice1 the founder of my       
fabric1 moved   ,to rear me was the task
 of ,power divine1   ,supremest wisdom  
and primeval ,love   ,before me things  
create were none1 save things           
,eternal1 and eternal ,i endure4   ,all 
hope abandon1 ye who enter here4  ,it   
may be said in passing that in these    
nine lines ,dante attains an effect for 
which ,milton1 with all his heavy       
description of the gateway of ,hell1    
labors in vain4 ,contrast with the      
,florentine's the words of the author of

 ,paradise ,lost3    ,hell bounds high  
reaching to the horrid roof   ,and      
thrice three fold the gates3 three folds
 were brass1   ,three iron1 three of    
adamantine rock4   ,impenetrable1       
impaled with circling fire1   ,yet      
unconsumed4 ,before the gate there sat  
,on either side a formidable shape1 etc4
  ,not by gigantic images which only    
astonish the reader1 but by words which 
burn into the brain and leave him       
dismayed1 does our poet drive home his  
thought4  ,passing through a crowd of   
neutrals the poets come to the river    
,acheron1 where assemble those who die  
in mortal sin1 to be ferried over by the
 demon ,charon4 ,he refuses passage to  
,dante3 ,by other ways1 by other        
ferries1 shalt thou pass over1 a lighter
 boat must carry thee4 7,inf41 ,,iii1   
#ia47 ,an earthquake occurs1 accompanied
 with wind and lightning1 and ,dante    
falls into a state of insensibility4    
,upon coming to consciousness he finds  
himself on the brink of the ,abyss1     

whence the poets enter ,limbo4 ,here    
,christ descended1 ,virgil says1 and    
drew from us the shade of our first     
parent1 of ,abel1 his son2 that of      
,noah1 of ,moses1 the lawgiver1 the     
obedient2 patriarch ,abraham and ,king  
,david2 ,israel1 with his father1 and   
with his sons and with ,rachel1 for whom
 he wrought much1 and many others and   
made them blessed4 7,inf41 ,,iv1 #ee47  
,in the second circle1 where carnal     
sinners are punished1 ,dante sees1 among
 others1 ,semiramis1 ,dido1 ,cleopatra1 
,helen1 ,achilles1 ,paris4 ,the poet's  
attention is suddenly attracted by two  
spirits1 who prove to be ,francesca da  
,rimini and her lover1 ,paolo1 murdered 
by her husband when ,dante was          
twenty-four years old4 ,the scandal of  
their illicit love and the penalty they 
paid by their lives must have been so   
generally known that ,dante1 though     
attached to her family by the memory of 
hospitality received from her nephew1   
,guido ,novello da ,polenta1 the lord of

 ,ravenna1 is dominated by the necessity
 of declaring in ,francesca and ,paolo  
the operation of the unalterable law    
which rules the terrible consequences of
 crime unforgiven by ,heaven4 ,was it   
gratitude for kindness extended to him1 
an exile1 by the ,lord of ,ravenna1 or  
was it the memory of association with   
the brother of ,francesca1 at the battle
 of ,campaldino1 that led our poet to   
treat the whole episode of the fatal    
liaison with such tender sympathy for   
the unfortunate lady that he hoped to   
rehabilitate her memory8 ,in any event1 
the poet represents himself as gracious 
and benign when addressing ,francesca1  
and she1 moved by his friendly attitude1
 tells the story of her intrigue1 in    
lines justly regarded as the most       
beautiful ever written in verse4 ,the   
reader will not fail to observe that the
 fatal denouement is only hinted1 not   
told--the line1 that day we read no     
more1 making what is admitted to be the 
finest ellipsis in all the literature of

 the world4    ,then turning1 ,i to     
them1 my speech address'd   ,and thus   
began3 ',francesca6 ,your sad fate      
,even to tears my grief and pity moves4 
,but tell me1 in the time of your sweet 
sighs1   ,by what and how ,love granted 
that ye knew   ,your yet uncertain      
wishes4' ,she replied3   ',no greater   
grief than to remember days   ,of joy1  
when misery is at hand4 ,yet so eagerly 
,if thou art bent to know the primal    
root   ,from whence our love gat being1 
,i will do   ,as one who weeps and tells
 his tale4 ,one day   ,for our delight1 
we read of ,lancelot1   ,how him love   
thrall'd4 ,alone we were1 and no        
,suspicion near us4 ,oft times by that  
reading   ,our eyes were drawn together1
 and the hue   ,fled from our alter'd   
cheek4 ,but at one point   ,alone we    
fell4 ,when of that smile1 we read1     
,the wish'd smile so rapturously kiss'd 
,by one so deep in love1 then he who    
ne'er   ,from me shall separate1 at once
 my lips   ,all trembling kiss'd4 ,the  

book and writer both   ,were love's     
purveyors4 ,in its leaves that day   ,we
 read no more4' ,while thus one spirit  
spake1   ,the other wail'd so sorely1   
that heart-struck   ,i through          
compassion fainting1 seem'd not far     
,from death1 and like a corse fell to   
the ground4  ,in the next circle where1 
with faces to the ground1 the gluttons  
suffer in a ceaseles storm1 the shade of
 ,ciacco1 the ,florentine1 sits up as he
 recognizes a fellow-citizen3    ,he    
said to me3 ',thy ,city which is filled 
,with envy1 like a sack that overflows1 
,once held me in its tranquil life1 well
 skilled   ,in dainties1 and a glutton1 
and by those   ,who dwelt there ,ciacco 
called1 but now the blows   ,of this    
fierce rain avenge my wasteful sin4     
,sad as ,i am1 full many another knows  
,for a like crime like penalty within   
,this circle'1 and more word he spake   
not4 7,,vi1 #di47  ,in the fourth circle
 the poet sees the souls of the prodigal
 and avaricious rolling heavy stones1   

against each other with mutual          
recriminations3    ,almighty ,justice6  
in what store thou heap'st   ,new pains1
 new troubles1 as ,i here beheld1       
,wherefore doth fault of ours bring us  
to this8   ,e'en as a billow1 on        
,charybdis rising   ,against encountered
 billow dashing breaks2   ,such is the  
dance this wretched race must lead      
,whom more than elsewhere numerous here 
,i found4           7,,vii1 #ai47  ,the 
next is the circle of the wrathful and  
the sullen4 ,following is the circle of 
the materialists and heretics1 all      
covered with burning sepulchres3        
,soon as ,i was within1 ,i cast around  
,my eyes and saw extend on either hand  
,a spacious plain1 that echoed to the   
sound   ,of grief and torment sore2 as  
o'er the land   ,at ,aries where        
,rhone's vast waters stagnant stand     
,or ,pola1 near ,quarnero ,bay1 that    
bounds   ,and bathes the line of ,italy1
 expand   ,plains rough and heaving with
 supulchral mounds1   ',tis thus the    

plain1 wherein ,i stood1 with tombs     
abounds1   ,save that the buried were   
more grimly treated4   ,for twixt the   
graves were scattered tongues of fire   
,by which to such a pitch the place was 
heated   ,that iron could no fiercer    
flame require   ,for art to mould it3   
lamentation dire   ,issued from each    
unlidded vault1 and seemed   ,the voice 
of those in torment4  ,from one of these
 fiery tombs1 the ,florentine           
freethinker1 the haughty ,farinata1     
rises with breast and brow erect1 as    
holding ,hell in great contempt1 and    
tells ,dante that the souls of the lost 
have no knowledge concerning things that
 are actually passing on earth1 though  
they know the past and see the future4  
,he foretells the duration of the poet's
 exile and boasts that he himself saved 
,florence from being razed to the       
ground4    ,when all decreed that       
,florence should be laid   in ruin ,i   
alone with fearless face defended her4  
7,x1 #ia47  ,in the seventh circle      

,virgil leads ,dante to the river of    
blood1 in which boils every one who by  
violence injures others4 ,centaurs1 half
 horses and half men1 are there4 ,around
 the fosse they go by thousands1        
piercing with their arrows whatever     
spirit wrenches itself out of the blood 
farther than its guilt has allotted for 
it4 7,,xii1 #gc47 ,with characteristic  
realism the poet describes ,chiron1 one 
of the leaders of the ,centaurs1 pushing
 back with an arrow his beard as he     
prepares to speak3      ,chiron took an 
arrow1 and with the notch put back his  
beard upon     his jaws4 ,when he had   
uncovered his great mouth1 he said to   
his     companions3 ',have ye perceived 
that the one behind 7,dante7 moves      
what he touches8 ,the feet of the dead  
are not wont to do so4'     7,,xii1     
#gf47  ,in the third round of ,circle   
,,vii ,dante meets his friend ,brunetto 
,latini1 punished for unnatural         
offences4    ,i remembered him and      
toward his face   ,my hand inclining1   

answered3 ,ser ,brunetto6   ,and are ye 
here8 ,he thus to me3 ',my son6   ,oh   
let it not displease thee1 if ,brunetto 
,latini but a little space with thee    
,turn back1 and leave his fellows to    
proceed4'   ,i thus to him replied3     
',much as ,i can1   ,i thereto pray     
thee3 and if thou be willing   ,that ,i 
here seat me with thee1 ,i consent3     
,his leave with whom ,i journey1 first  
obtain'd4'   ',o ,son1' said he1        
'whoever of this throng   ,one instant  
stops1 lies then a hundred years1   ,no 
fan to ventilate him1 when the fire     
,smitest sorest4 ,pass thou therefore   
on4 ,i close   ,will at thy garments    
walk and then rejoin   ,my troup1 who go
 mourning their endless doom4'          
99       99       99       99       99  
,were all my wish fulfill'd1 ,i straight
 replied1   ,thou from the confines of  
man's nature yet   ,hadst not been      
driven forth2 for in my mind   ,is      
fix'd1 and now strikes full upon my     
heart1   ,the dear1 benign1 paternal    

image1 such   ,as thine was1 when so    
lately thou didst teach me   ,the way   
for man to win eternity3   ,and how ,i  
prized the lesson1 it behoves1   ,that1 
long as life endures1 my tongue should  
speak4           7,,xv1 #bh47  ,the     
eighth circle is known as ,malebolge1   
,evil ,pouches1 of which there are ten4 
,here are punished differently panders1 
seducers1 flatterers1 simonists1        
magicians1 cheats1 hypocrites1 thieves1 
evil-counsellors1 forgers4  ,in the     
ninth circle1 the abode of traitors1    
which comprises four divisions1 named   
respectively after ,cain 7,caina71      
,antenor of ,troy 7,antenora71 ,ptolemy 
of ,jericho 7,tolomea71 and ,judas      
,iscariot 7,giudecca71 ,dante sees in   
the second division1 ,antenora1 the     
shade of the traitor ,ugolino imprisoned
 in ice with his enemy1 ,archbishop     
,ruggieri1 by whom he was betrayed4     
,ugolino1 with his two sons and two     
grandsons1 were locked in the ,tower of 
,famine at ,pisa1 the key of the prison 

was thrown into the river and the       
prisoners began their term of starvation
 ending in death4 ,the story of the     
imprisonment and the death of the five  
prisoners is one of the most tragic     
recitals in the domain of literature4   
,in the passage ,i quote1 ,ugolino is   
relating his feelings when he finds     
himself imprisoned with his sons and    
grandsons in the ,tower of ,famine4     
,when ,i awoke before the morn1 that    
day1   ,i heard my little sons1 who     
shared my cell1   ,for bread1 even in   
their slumber1 moaning pray2   ,hard art
 thou1 if unmoved thou hearest me tell  
,the message that my heart had guessed  
too well6   ,if this thou feel not1 what
 can make thee feel8   ,and when we all 
were risen1 the hour befell   ,at which 
was brought to us the morning meal1     
,yet each one doubted sore what might   
their dreams reveal4    ,and as the     
locking of the gate ,i heard   ,beneath 
that terrible tower1 ,i gazed alone     
,into my children's faces1 without a    

word4   ,i wept not1 for within ,i      
turned to stone2   ,but saw that they   
were weeping every one2   ',twas then my
 darling little ,anselm cried3   ',you  
look so1 father6 ,say1 what have they   
done8'   ,still not a tear ,i shed1 nor 
word replied   ,that day1 nor till that 
night in next day's dawning died4       
,and as there shot into this prison     
drear   ,a little sunbeam1 by whose     
light ,i caught   ,my look upon four    
faces mirrored clear2   ,both of my     
hands ,i bit1 by grief o'erwrought4     
,then suddenly they rose as if they     
thought   ,i did it hungering2 ',less   
our misery1'   ,they cried1 ',should'st 
thou on us feed1 who are nought   ,but  
creatures vested in our flesh by thee3  
,then strip away the weeds that still   
thine own must be4'    ,it calmed me to 
make them feel less their fate2   ,two  
days we spent in silence all forlorn2   
,earth1 ,earth1 oh wherefore wert thou  
obdurate1   ,and would'st not open6 ,on 
the following morn   ,gaddo1 before my  

face1 from life was torn6   ',can you   
not help me1 father8' first he cried1   
,and perished2 then1 ,i saw the younger 
born1   ,three1 one by one1 fall ere the
 sixth day sped--   ,plainly as you see 
me1 and this accursed head4    ',already
 blind1 ,i fondly grope my way   ,to    
them1 and for three days their names ,i 
call   ,after their death2 then famine  
found its prey   ,and did what sorrow   
could not4' ,this was all   ,he said4   
7,,xxxiii1 #ce47  ,and now we come with 
the poets to the lowest depths of ,hell1
 where we see imprisoned in ice         
,lucifer1 huge and hideous4 ,as we gaze 
on mankind's enemy1 an archangel fallen 
and punished for sin1 the words of      
,isaias come to mind3 ,how art thou     
fallen from ,heaven1 ,o ,lucifer1 who   
did'st rise in the morning6 ,how art    
thou fallen to the earth1 that did'st   
wound the nations4 ,and thou saidst     
within thy heart1 ',i will ascend into  
,heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above  
the stars of ,god--,i will be like the  

most ,high4 ,but yet thou shalt be      
brought down to ,hell1 into the very    
depth of the pit4 7,is41 ,,xiv1 #ab47   
,let us see how ,dante puts ,lucifer    
into the very depth of the pit4    ,the 
lamentable kingdom's emperor   ,issued  
from out the ice with half his breast2  
,and with a giant more do ,i compare    
,than with his arms do giants2 therefore
 see   ,how great must be that whole    
which corresponds   ,unto a part so     
fashioned4 ,if he was   ,as beautiful as
 he is ugly now1   ,and raised his brows
 against his ,maker1 sure   ,all        
sorrowfulness must proceed from him4    
,ah6 how great marvel unto me it seemed 
,when ,i beheld three faces to his head6
   ,the one before1 and that was        
vermeil-hue2   ,two were the others     
which adjoined to this1   ,over the     
midst of either shoulder1 and   ,they   
made the joining where the crown is     
placed4   ,and between white and yellow 
seemed the right2   ,the left was such  
an one to be beheld   ,as come from     

there wherein the ,nile is sunk4        
,there issued under each two mighty     
wings1   ,such as 'twas fitting for so  
great a bird3   ,i never saw the sails  
of shipping such4   ,they had not       
feathers1 but the mode thereof   ,was   
like a bat's2 and these he fluttered so 
,that from him there was moved a        
threefold wind3   ,cocytus all was      
frozen over hence4   ,with six eyes wept
 he1 and three chins along   ,the       
weeping trickled1 and a bloody foam4    
,at every mouth he shattered with his   
teeth   ,a sinner1 in the manner of a   
brake1   ,so that he thus made woful    
three of them4   ,the biting for the    
foremost one was nought   ,unto the     
scratching1 for at times the spine      
,remained of all the skin completely    
stripped4   ',that soul above which has 
most punishment   ,is1' said my lord1   
',judas ,iscariot1   ,who has his head  
within1 and outside plies   ,his legs4  
,o' the other two1 whose head is down1  
,brutus is he who from the black head   

hangs2   ,see how he writhes1 and does  
not speak a word3   ,the other's        
,cassius1 who appears1 so gaunt1'       
7,,xxxiv1 #bh-fg7  ,now that the lesson 
is learned that the wages of sin is     
death1 that sin will find a man out and 
bring him to the judgment of ,god1 the  
gracious guide can release his companion
 from his awful contemplation4  ,now it 
is time for us to go1 says ,virgil1 for 
we have seen all4 ,by a secret path     
leading to ,purgatory the pilgrims make 
their way through the darkness1 guided  
by the encouraging murmur of running    
water4 ,it is a streamlet of discarded  
sin1 flowing constantly from ,purgatory1
 whence wickedness is washed down to its
 original ,satanic source4    ,by that  
hidden way   ,my guide and ,i did enter1
 to return   ,to the fair world2 and    
heedless of repose   ,we climb'd1 he    
first1 ,i following his steps1   ,till  
on our view the beautiful lights of     
,heaven   ,dawn'd through a circular    
opening in the cave   ,thence issuing we

 again beheld the stars4     ,,dante',s 
,,purgatorio     ,,dante',s ,,purgatorio
   ,purgatory1 as a doctrine1 is        
peculiar to the ,catholic ,church2      
,purgatory1 as a discipline from sin to 
virtue1 is a practice followed by a     
large portion of humanity4 ,the latter  
fact explains why so many who reject the
 dogma1 still love and admire ,dante's  
,purgatorio1 which1 while it teaches the
 doctrine of the intermediate state1    
also serves as an allegory1 the most    
helpful and beautiful allegory1 perhaps1
 in the literature of the world4 ,in the
 opinion of ,dean ,stanley1 it is the   
most religious book he ever read4 ,it   
makes a peculiar appeal to the modern   
mind because1 as ,grandgent says3 ,it's 
theme is betterment1 release from sin   
and preparation for ,heaven 444 7and7   
its atmosphere is rightly one of hope   
and progress4  ,dinsmore declares3      
,purgatory as a place may not exist in  
our system of thought1 but life is a    
cleansing process if we take its        

hardships in a proper spirit4 ,in       
another place he asserts3 ,in pondering 
the way of life by which this high      
priest of the ,middle ,ages 7,dante7    
proclaims that men attain perfect       
liberty1 we cannot but remark the stress
 he lays upon a principle which has     
well-nigh faded from the ,protestant    
mind4 ,it is that of expiation--7and7   
expiation is no musty dogma of the      
schoolmen1 but a living truth4444 ,dante
 placed more emphasis on the human side 
of the problem than we1 and for this    
reason he deserves attentive study1     
having portrayed most powerfully some   
truths which our age1 so eager to break 
from the narrowness of the past1 has    
overlooked4  ,in agreement with this    
statement of the learned ,congregational
 divine is ,william ,t4 ,harris1 former 
,united ,states ,commissioner of        
,education1 who observes in his         
,spiritual ,sense of the ,divina        
,commedia1 that if ,purgatory is absent 
from the ,protestant creed1 the thought 

of which ,purgatory in this life is the 
symbol1 is not uncommon in non-,catholic
 literature4 ,his exact words are3 ,if  
,protestantism has omitted ,purgatory   
from its religion1 certainly ,protestant
 literature has taken it up and absorbed
 it entire1 and for proof he points to  
the moral1 among other books1 of ,the   
,scarlet ,letter1 ,the ,marble ,faun1   
,adam ,bede and ,romola1 all showing    
,that men may rise on stepping stones   
,of their dead selves to higher things4 
,dante1 the theologian1 makes his       
allegory grow out of the doctrine of    
,purgatory4 ,according to the teaching  
of the ,catholic ,church1 temporal      
punishment is connected with sin4 ,even 
when the guilt of sin is forgiven1 the  
justice of ,god in most cases calls for 
amends by means of the temporal         
punishment of the sinner4 ,holy ,writ   
gives us instances of the operation of  
this law4 ,adam1 though brought out of  
his disobedience 7,wisdom ,x1 #b7 was   
condemned to eat bread in the sweat of  

his face 7,gen4 ,,iii1 #ai7 to his dying
 day4 ,moses and ,aaron were forgiven   
for their sin of incredulity1 but they  
were punished by being deprived of the  
glory of entering the ,land of ,promise4
 7,num41 ,,xx1 #ab47 ,to ,king ,david1  
perfectly contrite1 the prophet ,nathan 
announces in the name of ,god1 the      
forgiveness of the guilt of adultery and
 murder1 yet he must suffer for his sin4
 ,nathan said to ,david3 ',the ,lord    
also hath taken away thy sin4 ,thou     
shalt not die4 ,nevertheless1 because   
thou hast given occasion to the enemies 
of the ,lord to blaspheme for this      
thing1 the child shall die1' and it came
 to pass on the seventh day that the    
child died 7,,ii ,kings ,,xii1 #ac47    
,from these instances it is evident that
 when ,god forgives the guilt of sins   
and the eternal punishment due to such  
of them as are mortal1 ,he does not     
remove the temporal punishment which    
must be satisfied in this life or in the
 life to come4 ,that is true1 the       

,church teaches1 even of unrepented     
venial sin with its debt of temporal    
punishment4 ,while venial sin does not  
destroy the supernatural life of the    
soul and while1 therefore1 it is not    
said to be punishable in ,hell1 still it
 is sin in the sight of ,him whose eyes 
are too pure to behold evil4 7,hab41 ,i1
 #ac47 ,now the ,church has ever held   
that into ,heaven there shall not enter 
anything defiled4 7,apoc41 ,,xxi1 #bg47 
,likewise1 she has taught that ,hell is 
the eternal punishment of souls whose   
grievous guilt has not been forgiven4   
,it follows1 therefore1 according to her
 teachings1 that there must be a middle 
state for the cleansing of unrepented   
venial sins and for the satisfaction of 
sins already forgiven but not wholly    
expiated4  ,this state or place is      
called ,purgatory1 the belief in the    
existence of which is confirmed by the  
practice of praying for the dead1 a     
practice based on the teachings of the  
,old and of the ,new ,testament4 ,in the

 second book of ,maccabees 7,,xii1 #dc1 
#df7 we read that ,judas1 the general of
 the ,hebrew army1 sent twelve thousand 
drachms of silver to ,jerusalem for     
sacrifice to be offered for the sins of 
the dead1 thinking well and religiously 
concerning the resurrection4 7,for if he
 had not hoped that they that were slain
 should rise again1 it would have seemed
 superfluous and vain to pray for the   
dead47 ,and because he considered that  
they who had fallen asleep with         
godliness had great grace laid up for   
them4 ,it is1 therefore1 a holy and     
wholesome thought to pray for the dead  
that they may be loosed from sins4      
,this doctrine presupposes that the dead
 for whom prayer is profitable are      
neither in ,heaven1 the abode of the    
elect1 nor in ,hell1 from which release 
is not possible1 but in a state of      
purification1 lasting for a time4 ,the  
,new ,testament alludes to that state4  
,christ declares3 ,and whosoever shall  
speak a word against the ,son of ,man1  

it shall be forgiven him2 but he that   
shall speak against the ,holy ,ghost1 it
 shall not be forgiven him1 neither in  
this world nor in the world to come4    
7,matt41 ,,xii1 #cb47 ,these words imply
 that there is a future state in which  
some sins are purged away1 while there  
is another state 7,hell7 in which the   
punishment is eternal4 ,the words of    
,st4 ,paul3 ,if any man's work burn1 he 
shall suffer loss2 but he himself shall 
be saved1 yet so as by fire 7#a ,cor41  
,,iii1 #ae71 are interpreted to mean the
 existence of a middle state in which   
unforgiven venial sins and the temporal 
punishment due to sin will be burnt away
 and the soul thus purified will attain 
eternal life4  ,to state the doctrine of
 the ,church briefly1 let it be said    
that the ,church has defined that there 
is a ,purgatory and that the souls in   
,purgatory are helped by the suffrages  
of the faithful4  ,out of facts so      
general1 ,dante the poet1 has created a 
,purgatory wholly unique in the realms  

of literature1 and amazingly definite as
 to place1 form1 atmosphere1 inhabitants
 and their activities4 ,in the southern 
hemisphere1 at the very antipodes of    
,jerusalem1 out of an ocean on which    
there is no other land 7according to    
,dante's system of cosmography7 springs 
the island of ,purgatory1 redolent with 
flowers1 lovely with music1 peace       
keeping pace with penance over all the  
region4 ,not a flat1 unbroken plain is  
this island1 but a mountain whose shores
 are washed by the ocean1 from which the
 earth forced from the interior by      
,lucifer's fall1 rises in a truncated   
conical structure4 ,while its coast and 
the land below the terraces are within  
the zone of air1 its heights extend into
 the sphere of fire and its crown is the
 ,garden of ,eden4 ,the lowest part of  
the mountain called ,ante-,purgatorio is
 the abode of the procrastinators and   
the excommunicated who put off their    
repentance to the end and now must      
suffer a proportionate delay before they

 are permitted to begin their ascent1   
their work of purification4             
,purification begins only after the soul
 passes into ,purgatory proper4 ,at the 
entrance is ,st4 ,peter's gate1 guarded 
by an angel1 who1 with his sword        
inscribes on the brow of the penitent   
seven times the letter ,p1 the first    
letter of the word ,peccatum1 signifying
 sin4 ,these seven ,p's1 outward signs  
of inward evil1 represent the seven     
capital sins1 the ,p's of which are     
removed in succession by an angel as    
penance is done for each sin on its     
corresponding terrace4 ,the seven       
terraces which run around the mountain1 
rise in succession with lessening       
circuit as ascent is made1 their width  
being about seventeen or eighteen feet4 
,connecting each terrace and cut out of 
solid rock is a narrow stairway1 guarded
 by an angel4 ,the steps of each        
successive stairway become less steep as
 each terrace is attained4 ,crowning the
 mountain is the ,garden of ,eden1      

lonely and deserted since ,adam and     
,eve1 after six hours of occupancy1 were
 forced from its confines4 ,its herbage 
is still luxuriant1 its flowers endless 
and fragrant1 its trees1 melodious with 
birds1 rustle with the balmy wind1 its  
waters serve to irrigate the garden as  
well as to help the soul4 ,these waters1
 the rivers ,lethe and ,eunoe1 are      
produced from heavenly sources and have 
miraculous powers4 ,the former removes  
the memory of sin2 the latter restores  
the recollection of virtuous deeds1 a   
poetical way of expressing the ,catholic
 dogma1 that with the revival of grace  
in the heart of the converted sinner    
comes back the merit that had been      
acquired by moral acts4  ,the problem   
which ,dante sets out to solve in his   
,purgatory is this3 ,assuming that the  
sinner has been baptized1 how can he    
break his shackles and attain to the    
liberty of the children of ,god8 ,the   
literal narrative of ,dante's ,purgatory
 presupposing that the soul at the hour 

of death is in the state of grace1 now  
shows us that soul working towards      
perfection by way of expiation for      
unforgiven venial sin and for the       
temporal punishment due to sin4 ,it is  
the only way by which it can again      
attain its pristine dignity4 ,and to his
 dignity he never returns1 says ,dante1 
unless where sin makes void1 he fill up 
for evil pleasures just penalties4  ,the
 rule holds good1 also1 for salvation in
 this world4 ,the thin veil of allegory 
enables us to penetrate ,dante's        
teaching that this life also is a       
,purgatory1 and here1 too1 we may cast  
off the defilement of sin by means of   
repentance and expiation4 ,but first the
 soul must be girt with the rush of     
humility1 and have perfect contrition   
represented by its being washed with the
 dew1 the moisture that descends from   
,heaven4 ,to ,virgil 7,reason guided by 
,heaven7 says ,cato 7the symbol of      
,liberty71 ,go1 then1 and see that thou 
gird this man with a smooth rush and    

that thou wash his face 7with dew7 so   
that thou efface from it all foulness1  
for it would not be fitting to go into  
the presence of the first ,minister1 who
 is of those of ,paradise1 with eyes    
dimmed by any mist4 7#a1 #ie47  ,but    
even if the soul1 by perfect contrition1
 is freed from its guilt of mortal sin1 
it must according to the mind of        
,christ1 who instituted the sacrament of
 ,penance for the remission of sin1     
submit to the power of the keys         
committed to the priesthood and that    
will be the more necessary if its       
contrition is imperfect4 ,while perfect 
contrition without the sacrament of     
,penance may remit sin1 if the          
supernatural motive of sorrow is not the
 love of ,god1 but a motive less worthy1
 e4g41 fear of punishment1 forgiveness  
is to be obtained only by the worthy    
reception of ,penance4 ,in other words1 
the penitent must confess his sin to a  
duly authorized priest1 express his     
contrition1 accept the penance enjoined 

by the confessor for the satisfaction of
 sin and be absolved by virtue of the   
words of ,christ3 ,whose sins you shall 
forgive they are forgiven and whose sins
 you shall retain1 they are retained4   
,all this is most beautifully expressed 
by ,dante in his description of the     
,gate of ,st4 ,peter and its angelic    
keeper3    ,the lowest stair was marble 
white1 so smooth   ,and polish'd that   
therein my mirror'd form   ,distinct ,i 
saw4 ,the next of hue more dark   ,than 
sablest grain1 a rough and singed block1
   ,cracked lengthwise and across4 ,the 
third1 that lay   ,massy above1 seemed  
prophyry1 that flam'd   ,red as the     
life-blood spouting from a vein4   ,on  
this ,god's angel either foot sustain'd1
   ,upon the threshold seated1 which    
appear'd   ,a rock of diamond4 ,up the  
trinal steps   ,my leader cheerly drew  
me4 ',ask1' said he1   ',with humble    
heart1 that he unbar the bolt4'         
,piously at his holy feet devolv'd   ,i 
cast me1 praying him for pity's sake    

,that he would open to me3 but first    
fell   ,thrice on my bosom prostrate4   
,seven times   ,the letter1 that denotes
 the inward stain1   ,he on my forehead 
with the blunted point   ,of the drawn  
sword inscrib'd4 ,and ',look1' he cried1
   ',when enter'd1 that thou wash these 
scars away4'   ,ashes1 or earth ta'en   
dry out of the ground1   ,were of one   
colour with the robe he wore4   ,from   
underneath that vestment forth he drew  
,two keys of metal twain3 the one was   
gold1   ,its fellow silver4 ,with the   
pallid first1   ,and next the burnish'd1
 he so ply'd the gate1   ,as to content 
me well4 ',whenever one   ,faileth of   
these1 that in the keyhole straight     
,it turn not1 to this alley then expect 
,access in vain4' ,such were the words  
he spake1   ',one is more precious2 but 
the other needs   ,skill and sagacity1  
large share of each1   ,ere its good    
task to disengage the knot   ,be        
worthily perform'd4 ,from ,peter these  
,i hold1 of him instructed1 that ,i err 

,rather in opening than in keeping fast1
   ,so but the suppliant at my feet     
implore4'   ,then of that hallow'd gate 
he thrust the door1   ,exclaiming1      
',enter1 but this warning hear3   ,he   
forth again departs who looks behind4'  
7,,ix1 #ge47  ,the allegory back of     
these words is put forth in clear       
language by ,maria ,f4 ,rossetti4 ,we   
need hardly to be told she writes in her
 ,shadow of ,dante 7pp4 #aab-ac7 that   
the ,gate of ,st4 ,peter is the         
,tribunal of ,penance4 ,the triple stair
 stands revealed as candid ,confession  
mirroring the whole man1 mournful       
,contrition breaking the hard heart of  
the gazer on the ,cross1 ,love all      
aflame offering up in ,satisfaction the 
lifeblood of body1 soul1 and            
spirit3--the adamantine threshold-seat  
as the priceless merits of ,christ the  
,door1 ,christ the ,rock1 ,christ the   
sure ,foundation and the precious       
,corner-,stone4 ,in the ,angel of the   
,gate1 as in the ,gospel ,angel of      

,bethesda1 is discerned the ,confessor2 
in the dazzling radiance of his         
countenance1 the exceeding glory of the 
ministration of righteousness2 in the   
penitential robe1 the sympathetic       
meekness whereby1 restoring one         
overtaken in a fault1 he considers      
himself lest he also be tempted2 in the 
sword1 the wholesome severity of his    
discipline2 in the golden key1 his      
divine authority2 in the silver1 the    
discernment of spirits whereby he denies
 absolution to the impenitent1 the      
learning and discretion whereby he      
directs the penitent4  ,dante's plan of 
,purgatorial punishment makes no        
distinction between the punishment put  
forth for unforgiven venial sin and that
 due in satisfaction for the violation  
of the moral order by one whose guilt   
has been remitted4 ,both partake of the 
same penalty4 ,is that because the poet 
thinks that if forgiveness is finally   
won by sorrow and suffering1 expiation  
for the offence is still to be made8 ,or

 does he hold that the seven capital    
sins entailing temporal punishment      
either operate effectively in every     
soul1 or exist at least radically       
according to the principle voiced by    
,hamilton ,wright ,mabie3 ,the man who  
slowly builds ,heaven with him1 has     
constantly the terrible knowledge that  
he has only to put his hand forth in    
another direction in order to build     
,hell8  ,in any event ,dante1 who shows 
in ,hell how men are made sin eternally1
 in ,purgatory exhibits the sinful      
disposition more or less under the      
control of the will1 yet of such a      
nature that only the grace of ,god held 
the soul back from the ,abyss4 ,it must 
be purged of all tendency to evil so as 
to be made pure and ready to mount to   
the stars4 7,,xxxiii1 #adj47 ,the       
purgation is seen in process in a       
threefold manner according to ,dante4 ,a
 material punishment is inflicted to    
mortify the evil passion and to incite  
the soul to virtue2 the soul meditates  

upon the capital sin and its opposite   
virtue1 moved to abhorrence of the evil 
and to admiration of the good by        
examples drawn from sacred and profane  
history2 vocal prayer is addressed to   
,god and it brings forth grace to purify
 and strengthen the soul4 ,hard in the  
beginning is this work of repentance1   
but it becomes easy as the habit of     
virtue is formed4    ,the mountain is   
such1 that ever   ,at the beginning down
 below1 'tis tiresome   ,and aye the    
more one climbs1 the less it hurts4     
7,,iv1 #ij47  ,as purification from each
 capital sin is effected1 the soul      
experiences the removal of a heavy      
burden and the consequent enjoyment of  
new liberty1 ,dante1 purified from      
pride1 asks ,virgil3 ,master1 say what  
heavy thing has been lifted from me1    
that scarce any toil is perceived by me 
in journeying4 ,he answered ,when the   
,p's which have remained still nearly   
extinguished on thy face1 shall like the
 one be wholly rased out1 thy feet shall

 be so vanquished by goodwill1 that not 
only will they feel it no toil1 but it  
shall be a delight to them to be urged  
upward4 7,,xii1 #aah74  ,mention was    
made of the material punishment of the  
souls in ,purgatory4 ,unlike the        
retributive penalties inflicted in      
,hell1 this punishment is reformative1  
confirming the penitent in good habits  
of thought and deed4 ,the proud here    
realize the irrevocable sentence        
everyone who exalteth himself shall be  
humbled4 ,they creep round with huge    
burdens of stone bowing them down to the
 very dust and so abased their hearts   
are turned to humility4  ,the envious   
sing the praises of generosity while    
their eyes1 the seat of their sins1 are 
tortured by sutures of wire shutting out
 the light4  ,the slothful cannot be    
restrained in their hurry forward1 the  
leaders1 shouting with tears1 examples  
of diligence1 a pair in the rear crying 
out instances of sloth4  ,penitents     
expiating the sins of avarice and       

prodigality lie prostrate and motionless
 bound hand and foot1 with their faces  
to the ground1 murmuring the words of   
the psalmist3 ,my soul hath cleaved to  
the pavement 7,ps41 #aah1 #be47 ,during 
the day they eulogize the liberal2      
during the night they denounce instances
 of avarice4  ,the gluttonous suffer so 
much from hunger and thirst that they   
are reduced to a state of pitiable      
emaciation4 ,all the while hungering for
 righteousness1 they glory in crucifying
 the old ,adam in them4  ,the unchaste  
purify their passion in hot flames while
 other penitents sing the loveliness of 
chastity and proclaim many examples of  
that virtue4  ,through this purification
 by suffering1 the spirits not only     
submit willingly but they exhibit real  
contentment if not actual love of the   
chastisement imposed upon them4 ,the    
unchaste not only heedfully keep within 
the flames but gladly endure the fire   
because they are convinced with such    
treatment and with such diet must the   

last wound be healed 7,,xxv1 #acf74 ,and
 most beautiful and enlightening of all1
 one of the souls tells ,dante that the 
same impulse which brought ,christ      
gladly to the agony of the ,cross throws
 them upon their sufferings4 ,forese1   
speaking for the gluttonous1 says that  
the mood in which they accept the       
penitential pains is one of submission  
as well as of solace4 ,and not only     
once1 while circling this road1 is our  
pain renewed4 ,i say pain and ought to  
say solace1 for that desire leads us to 
the tree which led glad ,christ to say1 
',eli1' when ,he made us free with his  
blood4 7,,xxiii1 #ga74 ,the avaricious  
confess so long as it shall be the      
pleasure of the just ,lord1 so long     
shall we lie here motionless and        
outstretched 7,,xix1 #abe74 ,among the  
envious1 ,guida del ,duca prays ,dante  
to continue his journey instead of      
stopping to interrogate him1 for he     
himself delights far more to weep than  
to talk 7,,xiv1 #abe74 ,the slothful in 

their eagerness not to interrupt their  
diligence in penance1 by their          
conversing with ,virgil1 entreat him not
 to ascribe this attitude to            
discourtesy1 ,we are so filled with     
desire to speed on they tell the poets  
that stay we cannot1 therefore forgive  
if thou hold our penance for rudeness4  
7,,xviii1 #aae74  ,by such instances and
 by many others does our poet show the  
contented spirit prevailing in          
,purgatory4 ,he makes it1 indeed1 a     
realm whose very atmosphere is one of   
peace1 because the will of ,god is done 
there even in the midst of suffering4   
,the greeting there is ,my brothers1 may
 ,god give us peace 7,,xxi1 #ac74 ,the  
penitents pray for a far greater measure
 of peace3 ,voices ,i heard and every   
one appeared to supplicate for peace and
 misericord the ,lamb of ,god who takes 
away our sins 7,,xvi1 #ae74 ,when the   
wrathful finish their penance an angel  
says to them1 ,blessed are the          
peacemakers who are without ill anger   

7,,xvii1 #fh74  ,the waters of          
,purgatory are called the waters of     
peace which are the souls diffused from 
the eternal fountain 7,,xvi1 #acc74     
,dante addresses the souls as certain of
 gaining the unending peace of          
,paradise4 ,o ,souls1 sure in the       
possession whenever it may be of a state
 of peace 7,,xxvi1 #ed74 ,and when the  
day of release comes on which a soul    
attains perfect peace1 the whole        
mountain of ,purgatory literally thrills
 with joy and every voice is raised to  
join the harmonious concert of the      
angelic hymn first sung at ,bethlehem1  
,gloria in ,excelsis ,deo4 ,in this way 
does the poet teach us the lesson that  
both ,purgatory proper and the          
penitential discipline of life give us a
 peace wholly in contrast with the      
uproar of sin whether heard in the halls
 of conscience or in the eternal        
,hereafter4 ,how different are those    
openings from those in ,hell1 he says1  
for here we enter through songs and down

 there through fierce wailings 7,,xii1  
#aab74  ,although our poet1 imbued with 
the ,catholic doctrine1 teaches that    
intercessory prayer helps the soul to   
shorten its term in ,purgatory--a       
doctrine bound up with the doctrine of  
the ,communion of ,saints--it must never
 be forgotten that ,dante is a ,catholic
 preacher when he insists that personal 
effort aided by ,god's grace1 is the    
thing of supreme importance in the      
matter of salvation and purification4   
,neither lip-sorrow nor the sacraments  
themselves unless accompanied by true   
sorrow and repentance1 can profit the   
soul4 ,he cannot be absolved who doth   
not first repent1 nor can he repent the 
sin and will it at the same time1 for   
this were contradiction to which reason 
cannot assent 7,inf41 ,,xxvii1 #aah47   
,prayer can help the soul struggling in 
life or in ,purgatory proper1 but the   
assistance derived from prayer can never
 do away with the necessity of personal 
penance4 ,conquer thy panting with the  

soul that conquers every battle if with 
its heavy body it sinks not down4  ,let 
us now hear how ,dante sings of that    
second realm in which the human soul is 
purified and becomes worthy to ascend to
 ,heaven 7,i1 #e74 ,coming out of the   
blackness of ,hell just before dawn on  
,easter ,sunday1 ,virgil and ,dante are 
entranced at the beautiful scene before 
them4 ,through a cloudless sky of that  
deep blue for which the sapphire is     
noted1 shines ,venus1 the morning star2 
in the south appear four wonderful stars
 of still greater brilliancy1 seen      
before only by our first parents4       
,sweet sheen of oriental sapphire hue   
,that1 mantling in the aspect calm and  
bright   ,of the pure air1 to the primal
 circle grew1   ,began afresh to give my
 eyes delight   ,soon as ,i issued from 
the deathful air   ,that had cast       
sadness o'er my mind and sight1   ,the  
beauteous planet that for love takes    
care   ,was making the ,east laugh      
through all its span1   ,veiling the    

,fish1 that in its escort were   ,turned
 to the right1 ,i set my mind to scan   
,the other pole2 and four stars met my  
gaze   ,ne'er seen before1 except by    
primal man   ,heaven seemed rejoicing in
 their flaming rays4  ,the two poets    
looking to the north see ,cato the      
,warder of ,purgatory1 his face         
illuminated by the four stars1 typical  
of the cardinal virtues1 ,prudence1     
,justice1 ,fortitude and ,temperance4   
,is ,dante's selection of ,cato1 the    
pagan suicide1 as the guardian of       
,christian ,purgatory1 to be taken as an
 example of the broadmindedness of the  
poet who believes so wide arms hath     
goodness infinite1 that it receives all 
who turn to it8 ,or is it an instance   
showing how the leaven of the old ,roman
 spirit in the poet--a spirit which     
justifies suicide1 prevails with his    
profession of ,christianity which       
condemns the taking of one's life8      
,whatever be the answer ,cato's taking  
his own life rather than renounce       

liberty is symbolical of the soul1      
destroying all selfishness that it may  
attain the light and freedom of         
spiritual life4 ,in the poem ,cato is   
represented as challenging the poets as 
if they were fugitives from ,hell4 ,when
 he is told that it is by divine decree 
that the pilgrims are making the        
journey1 he bids ,virgil cleanse ,dante 
with dew and gird him with a rush and he
 concludes by saying3 then be not this  
way your return1 the sun which now is   
rising1 will show you how to take the   
mount at an easier ascent--words whose  
spiritual sense would seem to be that   
once the soul has turned to virtue1 it  
must never go back to sin and in its    
upward path to perfection it will be    
guided by the rays of divine grace 7the 
sun7 whose enlightenment will make the  
ascent easier4  ,while lingering on the 
shore1 undecided which way to turn1 the 
poets see a great marvel4 ,over the     
water dancing with sunlight comes a     
white boat propelled by the white wings 

of an angel called the ,divine ,bird1   
red with flame and bringing from the    
banks of the ,tiber1 the bosom of the   
,church1 over a hundred souls to begin  
their term in ,purgatory4 ,in ,charon's 
bark the reprobate souls fill the air   
with their imprecations2 in the         
angel-steered boat the spirits coming to
 ,purgatory devoutly chant3 ,when       
,israel went out of ,egypt1 the psalm so
 fittingly descriptive of their own     
liberation from guilt and their coming  
into peace4 ,here is the description of 
the scene3    ,and lo6 as when1 upon the
 approach of morning1   ,through the    
gross vapours ,mars grown fiery red     
,down in the ,west upon the ocean floor1
   ,appeared to me--may ,i again behold 
it6--   ,a light along the sea so       
swiftly coming1   ,its motion by no     
flight of wing is equalled2   ,from     
which when ,i a little had withdrawn    
,mine eyes1 that ,i might question my   
,conductor1   ,again ,i saw it brighter 
grown and larger4   ,then on each side  

of it appeared to me   ,i knew not what 
of white1 and underneath it   ,little by
 little there came forth another4   ,my 
,master yet had uttered not a word      
,while the first whiteness into wings   
unfolded2   ,but when he clearly        
recognized the pilot1   ,he cried3      
',make haste1 make haste to bow the     
knee6   ,behold the ,angel of ,god6 fold
 thou thy hands6   ,henceforward shalt  
thou see such officers6   ,see how he   
scorneth human arguments1   ,so that nor
 oar he wants1 nor other sail   ,than   
his own wings1 between so distant       
shores4   ,see how he holds them pointed
 up to heaven1   ,fanning the air with  
the eternal pinions1   ,that do not     
mount themselves like mortal hair6'     
,then as still nearer and more near us  
came   ,the ,bird ,divine1 more radiant 
he appeared1   ,so that near by the eye 
could not endure him1   ,but down ,i    
cast it2 and he came to shore   ,with a 
small vessel1 very swift and light1     
,so that the water swallowed naught     

thereof4   ,upon the stern stood the    
,celestial ,pilot2   ,beatitude seemed  
written in his face1   ,and more than a 
hundred spirits sat within4             
7,,ii1 #ac47  ,and now occurs a touching
 episode which shows how deep and rich  
is friendship in ,dante's heart4 ,one of
 the shades recognizing him1 steps      
forward with a look so full of affection
 to embrace him that the poet is moved  
to do likewise4 ,amazement ensues on    
both sides4 ,the spirit finds ,dante    
alive in the flesh and he in turn on    
account of the impalpability of the     
shade clasps only empty air4 ,but there 
is mutual recognition4 ,dante asks his  
newly-found friend ,casella1 the        
musician1 to sing as he used to do when 
his sweet voice soothed the troubled    
heart of the poet and banished his      
cares4 ,may it please thee therewith to 
solace awhile my soul that with its     
mortal form1 journeying here1 is sore   
distressed4 ,casella's answer is as     
loving as it is surprising4 ,he sings   

one of ,dante's canzoni and the whole   
party listen with intent delight finally
 broken by the chiding words of ,cato3  
,what is this ye laggard spirits8       
,what negligence1 what standing still is
 this8   ,run to the mountain to strip  
off the slough   ,that lets not ,god be 
manifest to you4           7,,ii1 #aag47
  ,at the foot of the mountain the poets
 meet a troop of spirits who1 though    
excommunicated1 died contrite4 ,for     
their delay in submitting to the ,church
 for absolution they must wait thirty   
times as long as the period of their    
excommunication4 ,one of them1 ,king    
,manfred1 ,chief of the ,ghibellines1   
son of ,emperor ,frederick ,,ii1 tells  
of his last moment conversion and also  
how the ,bishop of ,cosenza at the word 
of ,pope ,clement ,,iv1 enforcing the   
penalty of excommunication against the  
corpse of the king1 had it removed from 
the ,papal realm and thrown into the    
river ,verde4  ,in narrating how a      
,christian may be saved even if he died 

under the ban of the ,church1 ,dante is 
only expressing what every ,catholic    
knows as to the effect of               
excommunication4 ,this ecclesiastical   
censure incurred by a contumacious      
member of the ,church1 a censure        
entailing forfeiture of all rights and  
privileges common to a ,christian1 such 
as the right to the sacraments1--a right
 restored through the confessor1        
however1 whenever there is danger of    
death--the right to public service and  
prayers1 the right to jurisdiction1 and 
to benefices1 the right to the canonical
 forum1 to social intercourse and to    
,christian burial1 this censure of      
excommunication does not in the mind of 
the ,church carry with it exclusion from
 ,purgatory or ,heaven4  ,according to a
 principle of canon law applied to      
censures1 ,ecclesia de internis non     
judicat1 the ,church in the matter of   
crime does not concern itself with      
interior dispositions1 excommunication  
far from being a sentence of damnation  

in the next world1 is a penalty         
pertaining to the external forum of the 
,church in this life4 ,even if the      
penalty follows the corpse so far as to 
exclude it from ,christian burial1 even 
here the purpose of the ,church is not  
to pronounce a verdict of the loss of   
the contumacious soul in the ,hereafter1
 but to stigmatize among the living1 the
 memory of the person and so to inspire 
in them a hatred of the evil condemned  
and a respect for law4 ,the story of    
,manfred now follows3    ,and one of    
them began3 ',whoe'er thou art1   ,thus 
going turn thine eyes1 consider well    
,if e'er thou saw me in the other world'
   ,i turned me tow'rds him1 and looked 
at him closely2   ,blond was he1        
beautiful1 and of noble aspect1   ,but  
one of his eyebrows had a blow divided4 
,when with humility ,i had disclaimed   
,e'er having seen him1 ',now behold1' he
 said4   ,and showed me high upon his   
breast a wound4   ,then said he with a  
smile3 ',i am ,manfredi1   ,the grandson

 of the ,empress ,costanza2             
,therefore1 when thou returnest1 ,i     
beseech thee   ,go to my daughter       
beautiful1 the mother   ,of ,sicily's   
honor and of ,aragon's1   ,and the truth
 tell her1 if aught else be told4       
,after ,i had my body lacerated   ,by   
these two mortal stabs1 ,i gave myself  
,weeping to ,him1 who willingly doth    
pardon4   ,horrible my iniquities had   
been2   ,but ,infinite ,goodness hath   
such ample arms1   ,that it receives    
whatever turns to it1   ,had but        
,cosenza's pastor1 who in chase   ,of me
 was sent by ,clement at that time1     
,in ,god read understandingly this page1
   ,the bones of my dead body still     
would be   ,at the bridge-head1 near    
unto ,benevento1   ,under the safeguard 
of the heavy cairn4   ,now the rain     
bathes and moveth them the wind1        
,beyond the realm1 almost beside the    
,verde1   ,where he transported them    
with tapers quenched4   ,by malison of  
theirs is not so lost   ,eternal ,love1 

that it cannot return1   ,so long as    
hope has anything of green4'            
7,,iii1 #aje47  ,following the          
directions given by ,manfred and his    
companions our travelers continue their 
way upward until they reach a broad     
ledge cut out in the side of the        
mountain4 ,while resting here ,dante    
sees a spirit whom he recognizes as     
,balaqua1 a maker of musical            
instruments1 whose laziness was a byword
 in ,florence4 ,our poet who knew the   
man intimately had often upbraided him  
for his indolence4 ,it is said that to  
excuse himself in the days of his mortal
 life1 ,balaqua quoted a line of        
,aristotle3 ,by sitting down and resting
 the soul is rendered wise1 to which    
,dante retorted3 ,certainly if one      
becomes wise by sitting down none was   
ever so wise as thou4 ,now in ,purgatory
 there is amused indulgence upon        
,dante's part as he addresses his former
 fellow citizen sitting and clasping his
 knees1 holding his face down between   

them1 lazier than if sloth were his very
 sister 7,,iv1 #aj74    ,his sluggish   
attitude and his curt words   ,a little 
unto laughter moved my lips   ,then ,i  
began3 ',balaqua ,i grieve not   ,for   
thee henceforth2 but tell me wherefore  
seated   ,in this place art thou8       
,waitest thou an escort8   ,or has thy  
usual habit seized upon thee8'   ,and   
he3 ',o brother1 what's the use of      
climbing8   ,since to my torment would  
not let me go   ,the angel of the ,lord 
who sitteth at the gate4   ,first heaven
 must needs so long revolve me round    
,outside thereof1 as in my life it did1 
,since the good sighs ,i to the end     
postponed1   ,unless e'er that some     
prayer may bring me aid   ,which rises  
from a heart that lives in grace4       
7,,iv1 #abj47  ,unless assisted by the  
prayer of the sinless faithful upon     
earth1 ,balaqua and his class must stay 
in ,outer-,purgatory1 each for a term   
equal to the period of his natural life4
 ,the third and the fourth classes in   

,outer-,purgatory1 viz41 those who died 
of violence1 deferring their repentance 
to the last hour1 and kings and princes 
who because of temporal concerns of     
state put off their conversion to the   
last--all those also must remain in     
,outer-,purgatory for a period equal to 
that of their lives upon earth1 unless  
the time be shortened by intercessory   
prayer4 ,it is to be noted that the     
souls of the violently slain press so   
closely and so insistently about ,dante 
in their eagerness to obtain his good   
offices in favor of prayerful           
intercession for them by their friends  
upon earth that he has great difficulty 
in getting away from these souls4 ,he   
succeeds by making promises to execute  
their desires--comparing his difficulty 
of advancing to the trouble a winner at 
dice experiences when bystanders crowd  
about him in obstructive congratulations
 and make his way impracticable until he
 gives some of his winnings to this one1
 and some to that one4    ,when from    

their game of dice men separate   ,he   
who hath lost remains in sadness fix'd1 
,revolving in his mind what luckless    
throws   ,he cast2 but meanwhile all the
 company   ,go with the other2 one      
before him runs1   ,and one behind his  
mantle twitches1 one   ,fast by his side
 bids him remember him1   ,he stops not1
 and each one to whom his hand   ,is    
stretch'd1 well knows he bids him stand 
aside1   ,and thus he from the crowd    
defends himself4   ,e'en such was ,i in 
that close-crowding throng2   ,and      
turning so my face around to all1   ,and
 promising1 ,i 'scaped from it with     
pains4          7,,vi1 #a47  ,higher up 
the mountain occurs a touching instance 
of love of country4 ,virgil draws near a
 spirit praying that it would show us   
the best ascent2 and that spirit        
answered not his demand but of our      
country and of our life did ask us4 ,and
 the sweet ,leader 7,virgil7 began      
,mantua 444 ,and the shade all rapt in  
self leaped toward him saying1 ,o       

,mantuan1 ,i am ,sordello of thy city4  
,and one embraced the other 7,,vi1 #fg74
 ,this episode gives to ,dante the      
opportunity to contrast on the one hand 
the love of those two fellow citizens   
drawn together by no other bond than    
affection for their native place and on 
the other hand hatred with which living 
contemporaries rend one another4  ,ah   
,italy1 thou slave1 that gentle spirit  
was thus quick1 merely at the sweet name
 of his city1 to give greeting there to 
his fellow citizen and now in thee thy  
living abide not without war and one    
doth rend the other of those that one   
wall and one foss shuts in 7,,vi1 #gi74 
,as night approaches ,sordello leads the
 poets to the angelically protected     
,flowery ,valley wherein are found the  
souls of those rulers who were negligent
 of the spiritual life4 ,many of them   
were once old enemies but now they not  
only sing together but live in harmony1 
united also in paying tributes to the   
worth of some reigning monarchs or in   

expressing denunciation at the          
degeneracy of others4 ,here in the      
,valley of the ,princes1 while sleeping 
on the grass and among the flowers1     
,dante has a strange dream indicative of
 a near episode in his journey4 ,he sees
 an eagle in the sky with wings wide    
open and intent upon swooping    ,then  
wheeling somewhat more1 it seemed to me 
,terrible as the lightning he descended 
,and snatched me upward even to the     
7sphere of7 fire   ,therein it seemed   
that he and ,i were burning1   ,and the 
imagined fire did scorch me so   ,that  
of necessity my sleep was broken4       
7,,ix1 #bh47  ,he awakes to find himself
 actually transported up the            
perpendicular wall to the entrance ,gate
 of ,purgatory4 ,virgil interprets the  
dream1 pointing out that the eagle      
represents ,lucia 7,illuminating ,grace7
 who has carried the poet to ,st4       
,peter's ,gate4    ,thou hast at length 
arrived at ,purgatory2   ,see there the 
cliff that closeth it around2   ,see    

there the entrance1 where it seems      
disjoined4   ,while at dawn1 which doth 
precede the day1   ,when inwardly thy   
spirit was asleep   ,upon the flowers   
that deck the land below1   ,there came 
a ,lady and said3 ',i am ,lucia2   ,let 
me take this one up1 who is asleep2     
,so will ,i make his journey easier for 
him4'   ,sordello and the other noble   
shapes   ,remained2 she took thee1 and1 
as day grew bright1   ,upward she came1 
and ,i upon her footprints4   ,she laid 
thee here2 and first her beauteous eyes 
,that open entrance pointed out to me2  
,then she and sleep together went away4 
7,,ix1 #di47  ,the poet1 as we said     
before1 cannot enter ,purgatory until he
 mounts the three steps of confession1  
contrition and satisfaction4 ,moreover1 
he must receive absolution from the     
angel-keeper1 typical of the priestly   
confessor1 and he must have seven ,p's  
branded upon his forehead4 ,when this is
 done the angel opens the gate and      
,dante enters to the sound of a         

thunder-peal from the organ of ,heaven1 
and of voices expressing the joy of     
,heaven upon the sinner's doing penance4
  ,dante's description1 which now       
follows1 of the lovely art displayed on 
the terrace of ,pride leads to the      
reflection that he must have been a     
matchless master of visual instruction  
or at least the representative of his   
times1 which1 before the age of         
printing1 taught the people by means of 
pictures painted upon canvas1 burnt in  
glass or chiseled in stone4 ,certain it 
is that the people of ,dante's day from 
seeing the productions of art knew the  
,bible and sacred and profane history so
 well as to amaze subsequent generations
 taught from the printed page4 ,be that 
as it may1 the power and beauty of      
,dante's pictures on the terraces of    
,purgatory show his consummate knowledge
 of a principle of psychology very much 
operative in our day1 a principle which 
makes character by educating the will   
far better than any other pedagogical   

method4 ,verba movent1 exampla trahunt1 
is a principle which ,dante illustrates 
on every terrace of ,purgatory4  ,on the
 terrace of ,pride the penitent sees    
examples of humility carved of white    
marble out of the mountain side like    
,thorwaldsen's ,lion1 at ,lucerne1      
,switzerland4 ,their reality is so      
compelling that1 not only ,polycletus   
7the great ,greek sculptor7 but ,nature 
there would be put to shame4 ,first to  
meet the penitent's eyes is the scene of
 the ,annunciation--the angel ,gabriel  
saluting the ,blessed ,virgin and       
unfolding to her ,god's plan of making  
her the ,mother of ,his ,son for the    
salvation of mankind4 ,in humility she  
gives her consent in the words3 ,behold 
the handmaid of the ,lord1 be it done to
 me according to thy word4 ,that is the 
attitude in which she is represented in 
sculpture1 says ,dante1 an attitude     
imprinting those words as expressly as a
 figure is stamped in wax 7,x1 #dd74    
,near that work of art ,david stands    

forth in marble1 dancing before the ,ark
 of the ,covenant4 ,trajan1 the ,roman  
emperor1 is also seen1 interrupting     
affairs of state to grant a poor woman a
 favor4 ,not only of humility but also  
of pride are examples given4 ,looking   
down on the pavement over which they    
slowly walk with their heavy burdens1   
the proud have before their eyes the    
sculptured punishment of pride as       
committed by ,satan1 ,briareus1 the     
,giants1 ,nimrod1 ,niobe1 ,saul and     
others4 ,meditating on the loveliness of
 humility and the hatefulness of pride1 
as suggested by those examples and      
bearing with prayer the heavy weights   
imposed upon them for their humiliation 
and penance1 the proud experience a     
transformation of disposition wholly    
alien to them in the days of their      
mortality4 ,among the souls in this     
first terrace is ,oderisi1 who attained 
such renown as an illuminator of        
manuscripts and a painter of miniatures 
that he boasted that no one could       

surpass him4 ,now he not only is        
conscious of his former blatant pride1  
but in proof of his change of heart he  
gives full credit for superiority to his
 former pupil and subsequent rival1     
,franco ,bolognese2    ,o1 asked ,i him1
 art thou not ,oderisi1   ,agobbio's    
honor and honor of that art   ,which is 
in ,paris called illuminating8          
',brother1' said he1 'more laughing are 
the leaves   ,touched by the brush of   
,franco ,bolognese4   ,all his the honor
 now1 and mine in part1   ,in sooth ,i  
had not been so courteous   ,while ,i   
was living1 for the great desire   ,of  
excellence on which my heart was bent4' 
7,,xi1 #gi47  ,dante sees here another  
spirit1 ,provenzano ,salvani4 ,his rapid
 advance from ,outer ,purgatory to      
,purgatory was due to the merit of a    
self-humiliating act performed in favor 
of a friend4 ,this friend had been taken
 prisoner by ,king ,charles of ,anjou   
and was held for ransom of a thousand   
florins of gold1 the threat being made  

that if the amount was not raised within
 a month he would be put to death4 ,it  
speaks well for the tender friendship of
 ,salvani that he put aside all his     
pride and arrogance while he took his   
place in the market square to beg alms  
with which to liberate his friend4      
,dante relates the incident in the      
following words2 ,when he was living in 
highest glory1 in the market place of   
,sienna he stationed himself of his own 
free will and put away all shame and    
there to deliver his friend from the    
pains he was suffering in ,charles'     
prison1 he brought himself to tremble in
 every vein 7,,xi1 #acc74  ,as the poets
 enter the terrace of ,envy aerial      
voices proclaim examples of ,brotherly  
,love4 ,first are heard the words of the
 ,blessed ,virgin3--,they have no wine1 
words in favor of those who were in need
 at the marriage feast1 which led       
,christ to perform his first miracle4   
,then as an example of exposing one's   
self to death for the sake of another1  

the incident is recalled of the pagan   
,pylades feigning himself to be ,orestes
 to save the latter from death4 ,the    
voice saying1 ,love those from whom ye  
have had evil1 is an exhortation to the 
heroic act of charity of returning good 
for evil4 ,in contrast with those       
counsels of charity1 other voices call  
out direct warnings against envy4  ,on  
this terrace is neither beauty nor art  
but envy's own color4 ,a livid hue is   
the whole landscape4 ,of this color also
 are the garments of the suffering      
souls4 ,they are depicted one leaning   
against the other in mutual love and for
 mutual support1 like beggars sitting at
 the entrance of a church to which      
crowds go for the gaining of an         
,indulgence4 ,pitiable is the scene1 for
 the envious in expiation for their sin1
 which entered their soul through its   
windows1 the eyes1 are deprived of      
sight1 their lids being fastened by a   
wire suture such as is used for the     
taming of a hawk4 ,dante says of them3  

,i saw1   ,shadows with garments dark as
 was the rock2   ,and when we pass'd a  
little forth1 ,i heard   ,a crying1     
',blessed ,mary6 pray for us1   ,michael
 and ,peter6 all ye saintly host6'   ,i 
do not think there walks on earth this  
day   ,man so remorseless1 that he had  
not yearn'd   ,with pity at the sight   
that next ,i saw4   ,mine eyes a load of
 sorrow teem'd1 when now   ,i stood so  
near them1 that their semblance   ,came 
clearly to my view4 ,of sackcloth vile  
,their covering seem'd2 and1 on his     
shoulder1 one   ,did stay another1      
leaning2 and all lean'd   ,against the  
cliff4 ,e'en thus the blind and poor1   
,near the confessionals1 to crave an    
alms1   ,stand1 each his head upon his  
fellow's sunk2   ,so most to stir       
compassion1 not by sound   ,of words    
alone1 but that which moves not less1   
,the sight of misery4 ,and as never beam
   ,of noonday visiteth the eyeless man1
   ,e'en so was heaven a niggard unto   
these   ,of this fair light3 for1       

through the orbs of all1   ,a thread of 
wire1 impiercing1 knits them up1   ,as  
for the taming of a haggard hawk4       
7,canto1 ,,xiii1 #db47  ,as the poets   
continue their way over the second      
terrace ,virgil explains an obscure     
phrase uttered by ,guido del ,duca1 a   
soul punished for the sin of envy4 ,that
 spirit speaking to ,dante reproached   
mankind for setting its heart upon      
material things2 ,the heavens are       
calling to you and wheel around you1    
displaying unto you their eternal       
beauties and your eye gazes only on     
earth4 ,envy is consequently engendered 
because as the spirit says3 ,mankind    
sets its heart there where exclusion of 
partnership is necessary4 7,,xv1 #dc74  
,what meant the spirit from ,romagna by 
mentioning exclusion and partnership8   
asks ,dante4 ,virgil proceeds to tell   
him that companionship in earthly       
possessions is not possible1 for the    
more of any material thing a person has1
 the less of it remains for others4     

,hence envy arises from the very nature 
of the object which excludes            
partnership4 ,on the other hand the more
 of the spiritual life one has1 the more
 others participate in knowledge1 peace 
and love1 and this is especially true of
 the angels and the elect4 ,the greater 
their number1 the greater is the sum    
total of grace bestowed by ,god and the 
more each spirit shares his love with   
others4 ,the more spirits there on high 
yonder who love1 the more there are to  
love perfectly and the more do they love
 each other and as a mirror one reflects
 back to the other 7,,xv1 #ge74  ,this  
doctrine is expounded until the poets   
reach the third terrace1 where wrath is 
punished4 ,here ,dante represents       
himself as having a vision wherein he   
beholds examples of meekness and        
patience4 ,first he sees the ,finding of
 the ,boy ,christ in the temple and     
hears ,mary's gentle complaint4 ,then   
follows the scene of ,pisistratus       
refusing to condemn a youth for         

insulting his daughter4 ,the third      
picture is that of the stoning of ,st4  
,stephen4    ,then suddenly ,i seem'd   
,by an ecstatic vision wrapt away3      
,and in a temple saw1 methought1 a crowd
   ,of many persons2 and at the entrance
 stood   ,a dame1 whose sweet demeanor  
did express   ,another's love1 who said1
 ',child6 why hast thou   ,dealt with us
 thus8 ,behold thy sire and ,i          
,sorrowing have sought thee2' and so    
held her peace2   ,and straight the     
vision fled4 ,a female next   ,appear'd 
before me1 down whose visage coursed    
,those waters1 that grief forces out    
from one   ,by deep resentment stung who
 seem'd to say3   ',if thou1            
,pisistratus1 be lord indeed   ,over    
this city1 named with such debate   ,of 
adverse gods1 and whence each science   
sparkles1   ,avenge thee of those arms1 
whose bold embrace   ,hath clasp'd our  
daughter2' and to her1 me seem'd1       
,benigh and meek1 with visage           
undisturb'd1   ,her sovereign spake3    

',how shall we those requite   ,who wish
 us evil1 if we thus condemn   ,the man 
that loves us8' ,after that ,i saw   ,a 
multitude1 in fury burning1 slay   ,with
 stones a stripling youth1 and shout    
amain   ',destroy1 destroy'2 and him ,i 
saw1 who bow'd   ,heavy with death unto 
the ground1 yet made   ,his eyes1       
unfolded upward1 gates to heaven1       
,praying forgiveness of the ,almighty   
,sire1   ,amidst that cruel conflict1 on
 his foes1   ,with looks that win       
compassion to their aim4                
7,canto1 ,,xv1 #hd47  ,the wrathful are 
punished by being enveloped in a dense  
pungent smoke1 emblematic of the        
stifling caused by angry passions4      
,darkness of hell1 and of a night       
deprived   ,of every planet under a poor
 sky1   ,as much as may be tenebrous    
with cloud1   ,ne'er made unto my sight 
so thick a veil1   ,as did that smoke   
which there enveloped us1   ,nor to the 
feeling of so rough a texture2   ,for   
not an eye it suffered to stay open2    

,whereat mine escort1 faithful and      
sagacious1   ,drew near to me and       
offered me his shoulder4   ,e'en as a   
blind man goes behind his guide1   ,lest
 he should wander1 or should strike     
against   ,aught that may harm or       
peradventure kill him1   ,so went ,i    
through the bitter and foul air1        
,listening unto my ,leader1 who said    
only1   ',look that from me thou be not 
separated4'   ,voices ,i heard1 and     
every one appeared   ,to supplicate for 
peace and misericord   ,the ,lamb of    
,god who takes away our sins4   ,still  
,agnus ,dei their exordium was2   ,one  
word there was in all1 and metre one1   
,so that all harmony appeared among     
them4   ',master1' ,i said1 'are spirits
 those ,i hear8'   ,and he to me3 ',thou
 apprehendest truly1   ,and they the    
knot of anger go unloosing4'            
7,canto1 ,,xvi1 #a47  ,soon after this  
our poet hears one of the spirits of the
 wrathful1 discoursing on the degeneracy
 of human life and sees in a second     

series of visions1 historic instances of
 wrath and its punishment4 ,he is       
awakened from his trance by the shining 
light and the glad summons of the ,angel
 of meekness1 who is at the stair       
leading to the next terrace4    ,this is
 a spirit divine who in the way   ,of   
going up directs us without asking      
,and who with his own light himself     
conceals4         99       99       99  
99       99    ,accord we our feet1 to  
such inviting   ,let us make haste to   
mount ere it grow dark2   ,for then we  
could not till the day return4          
7,,xvii1 #ee47  ,lightened of the third 
,p the poet passes from the circle of   
the wrathful up the fourth stairway4    
,here he takes the opportunity to engage
 ,virgil in conversation regarding love 
as the seed of the capital sins4 ,these 
sins1 it may be remarked in passing1 are
 not always mortal sins1 though many    
,dantian editors make the mistake of so 
classifying them4 ,it is to be observed 
that on all the stairways of ,purgatory 

there is a conference between the two   
poets on things likely to be of interest
 to ,dante1 in the matter of his        
salvation4 ,at the end of the present   
conference ,dante falls into slumber1   
from which he is aroused by the racing  
activity of the souls of the slothful1  
shouting instances of zeal and energy4  
,sloth is defined by ,st4 ,thomas       
,aquinas as sadness and torpor in the   
face of some spiritual good which one   
has to achieve1 and a preacher of our   
day modernizes that definition to mean1 
the don't-care-feeling in the presence  
of duty4 ,the sin is unlisted in modern 
treatises on ,ethics1 the writers of    
which see in its symptoms only          
indications of melancholia1 neurasthenia
 or pellagra4 ,but according to the     
scholastic classification still followed
 in this matter by the ,catholic        
,church1 sloth is to be considered as a 
specific vice opposed to the great      
commandment to love ,god with our whole 
heart4  ,so ,dante estimates it in his  

scheme of punishment1 representing the  
souls crying out in their diligence1    
,haste1 haste1 let no time be lost      
through little love4 ,these souls are   
condemned to rush round and round at the
 topmost speed1 those in front          
proclaiming instances of alacrity1 viz41
 how the ,blessed ,virgin hastened to   
the hill country to visit ,elizabeth and
 how ,julius ,caesar hurried to subdue  
,lerida4 ,those in the rear recall      
examples of sloth1 viz41 how the        
,israelites through wandering in the    
desert lost the ,promised ,land1 and how
 the ,trojans who dallied in ,sicily    
gave themselves up to a life inglorious4
 ,dante's slothful souls are startlingly
 swift in their action4 ,one of them1   
the ,abbot ,zeno giving directions for  
ascent to ,virgil and reprobating the   
sins of his successors in the monastery 
is out of hearing as soon as he speaks3 
,if more be said or if he was silent ,i 
know not1 so far already had he raced   
beyond us 7,,xviii1 #abg74  ,the reader 

will not fail to note that the terrace  
of the slothful is the only circle of   
,purgatory where there is no request for
 intercessory prayer and that ,dante    
here never speaks to any of those souls4
 ,is that because the poet wishes us to 
understand that his own sentiment is    
that they do not deserve to be prayed   
for who neglected through sloth to pray 
for themselves and that his own silence 
in their presence is indicative of his  
disregard for souls so stained8  ,to    
foreshow the sins to be treated on the  
three upper terraces1 where are punished
 those who yielded to the sins of the   
body1 ,dante represents himself as      
tempted by a ,siren4 ,she is described  
as ugly and repulsive and then becoming1
 under the gaze of the beholder1 fair   
and alluringly attractive--a            
description1 perhaps1 unconsciously     
reproduced by ,pope when he wrote3      
,vice is a monster of so frightful mien 
,as to be hated needs but to be seen4   
,yet seen too oft1 familiar with her    

face   ,we first endure1 then pity1 then
 embrace4  ,saved from the ,siren by a  
noble lady 7perhaps ,lucia1             
,illuminating ,grace7 and ,virgil1 the  
poet is brooding upon the dream which   
has brought to his senses the pleasures 
of the world1 when his guide admonishes 
him how salvation from sin's seduction  
is to be had--viz41 by using worldly    
things as things to be trodden under    
foot1 while the mind is raised to       
,heaven1 ,god's lure to draw it upward4 
,didst thou behold1 that old enchantress
   ,who sole above us henceforth is     
lamented8   ,didst thou behold how man  
is free from her8   ,suffice it thee1   
and smite earth with thy heels1   ,thine
 eyes lift upward to the lure1 that     
whirls   ,the ,eternal ,king with       
revolutions vast4           7,,xix1     
#eh47  ,on the fifth terrace our poets  
find the shades of the avaricious and   
the prodigals4 ,they lie face to the    
ground1 bound hand and foot1 recalling  
during the night instances of avarice   

and during the day proclaiming the      
praise of liberality1 as manifested in  
the ,blessed ,virgin1 the pagan         
,fabricius and ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,the     
latter is identified in the ,united     
,states and some other countries1 with  
the popular ,santa ,claus4 ,dante says  
of ,st4 ,nicholas that the spirit went  
on to speak of the bounty which         
,nicholas gave to the maidens1 to lead  
their youth to honor 7,,xx1 #cb74 ,the  
allusion is to the legend that this     
,bishop of ,myra secretly threw at      
different times into the windows of the 
home of three destitute maidens1 bags of
 gold sufficient to provide them with   
dowries without which they would have   
been forced by poverty to a life of     
shame4 ,in the realm of the avaricious  
and the prodigals1 ,dante addresses one 
of the repentent souls3 ,spirit1 who    
thou wast and why ye have your backs    
turned upward1 tell me 7,,xx1 #id74     
,the answer of the shade of ,pope       
,adrian ,,iv1 who died thirty-nine days 

after his election to the supreme       
pontificate without having been crowned1
 is one of the fine passages of the     
poem4       ,and he to me3 ',why ,heaven
 makes us turn our backs to it1 thou    
shalt learn3 but first know that ,i was 
the successor of ,peter4      ,between  
,siestri and ,chiaveri there rushes down
 a fair river and      from its name the
 title of my race takes its proudest    
distinction4      ,for one month and a  
little more ,i experienced how heavily  
the great      mantle weighs on him who 
keeps it out of the mire1 so much so    
that      all the other burdens seem but
 feathers4 ,my conversion alas6 was     
tardy2 but when ,i had become the ,roman
 pastor then ,i discovered how          
false life is4 ,in it ,i found that the 
heart had no repose nor was      it     
possible to rise higher in that life2   
wherefore the desire for      this      
7immortal life7 was kindled in me4 ,up  
to that time1 ,i was a      wretched    
soul and severed from ,god1 wholly given

 up to ,avarice4 ,now      as thou seest
 ,i am punished for it here4 ,what is   
the effect of      ,avarice is here made
 manifest in the purgation of the       
converted      souls1 and the mountain  
has no more bitter penalty1 as our eyes 
fixed on earthly things1 were not lifted
 up on high1 even so has      justice   
sunk them to the ground in this place4  
,even as ,avarice      quenched our love
 for every good1 wherefore our works    
were lost1 so      justice doth hold us 
fast1 bound and seized by feet and      
hands2 and      so long as it shall be  
the pleasure of the just ,lord1 so long 
shall      we lie here motionless and   
outstretched4' 7,,xix1 #ig47  ,at this  
point occurs one of those delightful    
surprises full of realism1 that ,dante  
uses from time to time to heighten the  
reader's interest4 ,the poet has just   
learned that the spirit before him is   
,pope ,adrian ,,iv4 ,at once ,dante     
falls on his knees to pay homage to the 
high office of the ,roman ,pontiff1 and 

he is about to say according to the     
conjecture of ,benvenuto ,holy ,father1 
,i entreat your holiness to excuse my   
natural ignorance1 for ,i was not aware 
of your being ,pope4 ,but the spirit    
bids the poet arise1 telling him that in
 the spirit world the dignities and     
relations of this life are abolished4   
,i on my knees had fallen and wished to 
speak2   ,but even as ,i began and he   
was aware1   ,only by listening1 of my  
reverence1   ',what cause1' he said1    
'has downward bent thee thus8'   ,and ,i
 told him3 ',for your dignity1          
,standing1 my conscience stung me with  
remorse4'   ',straighten thy legs1 and  
upward raise thee1 brother1'   ,he      
answered1 ',err not1 fellow servant am  
,i   ,with thee and with the others to  
one power   ,if e'er that holy1         
evangelic sound   ,which sayeth neque   
nubent1 thou hast heard   ,well canst   
thou see why in this wise ,i speak4'    
7,,xix1 #abg47  ,in this part of        
,purgatory ,dante treats his readers to 

two other instances of surprise4 ,the   
first case which also makes use of the  
dramatic quality of suspense1 postponing
 the explanation to the following canto 
in order to prolong the eager           
expectation of the reader1 narrates the 
occurrence of a wonderful phenomenon1   
the shaking of the mountain of          
,purgatory1 accompanied by a harmonious 
outburst of joyful thanksgiving4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,we were striving to surmount the way so
 far as was permitted to our power when 
,i felt the mountain quake like a thing 
which is falling2 whereupon a chill     
gripped me1 as is wont to grip him who  
is given to death4 ,of a surety ,delos  
was not shaken so violently ere ,latona 
made her nest therein to give birth to  
heaven's two eyes4 ,then began on all   
sides a shout1 such that the ,master    
drew toward me saying3 ',fear not while 
,i do guide thee4' ,gloria in ,excelsis 
,deo all were saying1 by what ,i        
understood from those near by1 whose cry

 could be heard4 ,motionless we stood   
and in suspense1 like the shepherds who 
first heard that hymn1 until the quaking
 ceased and it was ended4 ,then we took 
up again our holy way1 looking at the   
shades1 that lay on the ground already  
returned to their wonted plaint4 ,no    
ignorance1 if my memory err not in this1
 did ever with so great assault give me 
yearning for knowledge1 ,i then seemed  
to have while pondering3 nor by reason  
of our haste was ,i bold to ask2 nor of 
myself could ,i see aught there2 thus ,i
 went on timid and pensive4  ,his       
curiosity is satisfied in an unexpected 
way4 ,the natural thirst which never is 
sated1 save with the water whereof the  
poor ,samaritan woman asked the grace1  
was burning within me--and lo1 even as  
,luke writes to us that ,christ appeared
 to the two who were on the way1 already
 risen from the mouth of the tomb1 a    
shade appeared to us saying3 ',my       
brothers ,god give you peace4' ,quickly 
we turned us and ,virgil gave back to   

him the sign that is fitting thereto4   
,then began1 ',may the true court that  
binds me in eternal exile1 bring thee   
peace to the council of the blest4'     
',how1' said he1 and meantime we met    
sturdily1 ',if ye are shades that ,god  
deigns not above1 who hath escorted you 
so far by his stairs'8 ,and my ,teacher3
 ',if thou lookest at the marks which   
this man bears and which the angel      
outlines clearly wilt thou see 'tis meet
 he reign with the good4444 ,wherefore  
,i was brought from ,hell's wide jaws to
 guide him and ,i will guide him onward1
 so far as my school can lead him4 ,but 
tell us1 if thou knowest1 why the mount 
gave before such quakings and wherefore 
all seemed to shout with one voice down 
to its soft base4'  ,it was the very    
question ,dante had been yearning to    
utter4  ,thus1 by asking did he thread  
the very needle of my desire and with   
the pope alone my thirst was made less  
fasting4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,the spirit1 ,statius by   

name1 who has just obtained his release 
from ,purgatorial confinement to ascend 
to ,heaven1 states that the earthquake  
was not due to natural causes1 such as  
strong dry vapors producing wind1 but   
was caused by spiritual elements        
operative upon a soul's completing the  
penance and term assigned4         99   
99       99       99       99  ,it      
quakes here when some soul feeleth      
herself cleansed1 so that she may rise  
up or set forth1 to mount on high1 and  
such a shout follows her4 ,of the       
cleansing the will alone gives proof1   
which fills the soul1 all free to change
 her cloister1 and avails her to        
will4444 ,and ,i who have lain under    
this torment five hundred years and     
more1 only now felt free will for a     
better threshold4 ,therefore didst thou 
feel the earthquake and hear the pious  
spirits about the mount give praises to 
the ,lord4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,this ,statius was a ,roman
 poet who died in the year #if4 ,his    

term in ,purgatory therefore has lasted 
a little more than eleven centuries4    
,the next longest period mentioned by   
,dante is that of ,duke ,hugh ,capet who
 has been in ,purgatory over #cej years 
with his purification still incomplete4 
,statius by ,dante's poetic invention is
 represented first as saved through the 
influence of ,virgil's poems and then is
 shown to be a ,christian1 having been  
led to embrace ,christianity both from  
the heroic example of the martyrs and   
from his meditation on ,virgil's        
prophecy of the ,cuman ,sibyl           
interpreted in the ,middle ,ages to     
refer to ,christ4 ,in the ,divina       
,commedia ,statius pays a glowing       
tribute to the neid and its author1     
wholly ignorant that he is addressing   
,virgil himself4 ,of the neid ,i speak  
which was a mother to me and was to me a
 nurse in poesy 444 and to have lived   
yonder when ,virgil was alive1 ,i would 
consent to one sun more than ,i need    
perform4 ,dante is all aquiver to       

surprise ,statius with the information  
that ,virgil is at hand1 but ,virgil    
turned to me with a look that silently  
said1 'be silent4'            ,but the  
power which wills   ,bears not supreme  
control3 laughter and tears   ,follow so
 closely on the passion prompts them1   
,they wait not for the motions of the   
will   ,in nature most sincere4 ,i did  
but smile1   ,as one who winks2 and     
thereupon the shade   ,broke off1 and   
peer'd into mine eyes1 where best   ,our
 looks interpret4 ',so to good event    
,mayst thou conduct such great emprize1'
 he cried1   ',say1 why across thy      
visage beam'd1 but now1   ,the lightning
 of a smile4' ,on either part   ,now am 
,i straiten'd2 one conjures me speak1   
,the other to silence binds me2 whence a
 sigh   ,i utter1 and the sigh is heard4
 ',speak on1'   ,the teacher cried 'and 
do not fear to speak3   ,but tell him   
what so earnestly he asks4'   ,whereon  
,i thus3 ',perchance1 ,o ancient spirit 
,thou marvel'st at my smiling4 ,there is

 room   ,for yet more wonder4 ,he1 who  
guides my ken   ,on high1 he is that    
,mantuan1 led by whom   ,thou didst     
presume of men and gods to sing4   ,if  
other cause thou deem'dst for which ,i  
smiled1   ,leave it as not the true one3
 and believe   ,those words1 thou       
spakest of him1 indeed the cause4'      
,now down he bent to embrace my         
teacher's feet2   ,but he forbade him3  
',brother6 do it not3   ,thou art a     
shadow1 and behold'st a shade4'   ,he1  
rising1 answer'd thus3 ',now hast thou  
proved   ,the force and ardor of the    
love ,i bear thee1   ,when ,i forget we 
are but things of air1   ,and1 as a     
substance1 treat an empty shade4'       
7,,xxi1 #ajf47  ,on the sixth terrace   
,dante with five ,p's removed1          
accompanied by ,virgil sees the souls of
 those who sinned by gluttony4 ,they are
 an emaciated crowd obliged to pass and 
repass before a fruit-laden tree bedewed
 with clear water from a fountain1      
without being able to satisfy their     

hunger or quench their thirst4 ,voices  
from this tree proclaim examples of     
temperance2 voices from another tree    
equally tantalizing1 declare examples of
 gluttony4    ,people ,i saw beneath it 
7the tree7 lift their hands   ,and cry  
,i know not what towards the leaves1    
,like little children eager and deluded1
   ,who pray1 and he they pray to doth  
not answer   ,but1 to make very keen    
their appetite   ,holds their desire    
aloft and hides it not4   ,then they    
departed as if undeceived4              
7,,xxiv1 #ajf47  ,here ,dante recognizes
 among the gaunt attenuated figures of  
the penitents1 ,forese ,donati1 his     
intimate friend and kinsman of his wife 
,gemma4 ,our poet was surprised to find 
him so soon after his death on one of   
the terraces of ,purgatory1 the         
assumption being that because of his    
delay of conversion to the end of his   
life ,forese would be in ,outer         
,purgatory for a term equal in duration 
to the length of his life on earth4 ,but

 the reason he had come so quickly to   
,purgatory is to be found in the        
efficacy of the prayers of his widow for
 the repose of his soul4     ,then      
answered he3 ',that now ,i wander       
reaping   ,the bitter sweat of all this 
punishment   ,my ,nella gained for me1  
her vigil keeping   ,in prayer devout   
and infinite lament4   ,thus1 here1     
beyond that shore of waiting sent1   ,i 
landed1 from the lower circles freed4   
,and that more dear to ,god omnipotent  
,lives on my little widow1 is the meed  
,of the lone life she spends in many a  
saintly deed4'           7,,xxxiii1     
#he47  ,before ascending to the seventh 
and last terrace ,dante describes how   
the angel of abstinence removed the     
sixth ,p4    ,and as the harbinger of   
early dawn1   ,the air of ,may doth move
 and breathe out fragrance   ,impregnate
 all with herbage and with flowers1     
,so did ,i feel a breeze strike in the  
midst   ,my front1 and felt the moving  
of the plumes   ,that breathed around an

 odor of ambrosia2   ,and heard it said2
 ,blessed are they whom grace   ,so much
 illumines that the love of taste       
,excites not in their breasts too great 
desire1   ,hungering at all times so far
 as is just4           7,,xxiv1 #ade47  
,and now our penitent as he reaches the 
seventh terrace1 where sins against the 
virtue of purity are expiated1 enters   
upon the last stage of his purification4
 ,here the spirits pass and repass      
through the midst of intensely hot      
flames1 proclaiming examples of         
chastity4 ,it is worthy of note that    
this terrace is the only place in       
,dante's ,purgatory where fire is the   
punitive agent--a conception of our poet
 all the more remarkable because it runs
 counter to the view commonly held by   
the churchmen in the ,west1 including   
,st4 ,augustine1 ,st4 ,gregory the      
,great1 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 ,st4     
,bonaventure1 who teach that fire is the
 cleansing element of all ,purgatory4   
,that indeed is only a theological      

opinion4 ,the ,church itself1 as the    
,greeks were assured at the ,council of 
,florence1 has never put forth any      
dogmatic decree on the subject4  ,bidden
 by the angel to enter the fire1 ,dante 
draws back paralysed with fear4 ,scenes 
of burning at the stake come with horror
 to his mind4 ,he probably recalls also 
that ,florence had condemned him to be  
burned alive4 ,so1 for the first time in
 ,purgatory he recoils at the penance he
 must perform4 ,impassionately ,virgil  
exhorts him4 ,the stubborn pupil yields 
only at the utterance of ,beatrice's    
name4 ,for love of her he will endure   
the flame4    ,the ,mantuan spake3 ',my 
son1   ,here torment thou mayst feel1   
but canst not death4   ,remember thee1  
remember thee1 if ,i   ,safe e'en on    
,geryon brought thee2 now ,i come       
,more near to ,god1 wilt thou not trust 
me now8   ,of this be sure2 though in   
its womb that flame   ,a thousand years 
contain'd thee1 from thy head   ,no hair
 should perish4 ,if thou doubt my truth1

   ,approach2 and with thy hands thy    
vesture's hem   ,stretch forth1 and for 
thyself confirm belief4   ,lay now all  
fear1 oh6 lay all fear aside4   ,turn   
hither1 and come onward undismay'd4'    
,i still1 though conscience urged1 no   
step advanced4   ,when still he saw me  
fix'd and obstinate1   ,somewhat        
disturb'd he cried3 ',mark now1 my son1 
,from ,beatrice thou art by this wall   
,divided4' ,as at ,thisbe's name the eye
   ,of ,pyramus was open'd 7when life   
ebb'd   ,fast from his veins7 and took  
one parting glance1   ,while vermeil    
dyed the mulberry2 thus ,i turned   ,to 
my sage guide1 relenting1 when ,i heard 
,the name that springs for ever in my   
breast4   ,he shook his forehead2 and1  
',how long1' he said1   ',linger we     
now'8 then smiled1 as one would smile   
,upon a child that eyes the fruit and   
yields4   ,into the fire before me then 
he walk'd2   ,and ,statius1 who erewhile
 no little space   ,had parted us1 he   
pray'd to come behind1   ,i would have  

cast me into molten glass   ,to cool me1
 when ,i entered2 so intense   ,raged   
the conflagrant mass4 ,the sire beloved1
   ,to comfort me1 as he proceeded1     
still   ,of ,beatrice talk'd4 ',her     
eyes1' saith he1   ',e'en now ,i seem to
 view4' ,from the other side   ,a voice1
 that sang did guide us2 and the voice  
,following1 with heedful ear1 we issued 
forth1   ,there where the path led      
upward4 ',come1' we heard1   ',come     
blessed of my ,father4'                 
7,canto1 ,,xxvii1 #bj47  ,on emerging   
from the fire and on the very threshold 
of the ,garden of ,eden1 ,dante is      
addressed by ,virgil1 no longer         
competent to guide him higher4 ,the     
,mantuan in touching words tells his    
disciple that having passed through     
,purgatory he needs no other guide than 
his own will1 upright and sound1 until  
he passes under the tutelage of         
,beatrice4    ,the temporal fire and the
 eternal   ,son1 thou hast seen1 and to 
a place art come   ,where of myself no  

farther ,i discern4   ,by intellect and 
art ,i here have brought thee2   ,take  
thine own pleasure for thy guide        
henceforth2   ,beyond the steep ways and
 the narrow art thou4   ,expect no more 
or word or sign from me2   ,free and    
upright and sound is thy free will1     
,and error were it not to do its bidding
   ,thee o'er thyself ,i therefore crown
 and mitre4           7,,xxvii1 #abg47  
,brother ,azarias gives us the mystical 
sense of this passage4 ,the soul has    
conquered2 therefore ,virgil leaves the 
poet free from the dominion of his      
passions2 more than free1 a king crowned
 triumphant over himself2 more than a   
king1 a mitred priest1 ruling the       
cloister of his heart1 his thoughts and 
his affections and mediator and         
intercessor before ,divine ,mercy for   
himself and those commending themselves 
to his prayers4  ,so crowned and mitred 
over himself ,dante now enters the      
,garden of ,eden4  ,here did the parents
 of mankind dwell in innocence2 here is 

there perpetual spring and every fruit4 
,in the forest of ,eden is a pure stream
 with two currents1 ,lethe and ,eunoe1  
the first has the power of all past sins
 the memory to erase1 the other can     
restore remembrance of good deeds and   
pious days4 ,on the banks of this stream
 the poet sees ,matilda1 who represents 
the ,active ,life4  ,there appeared to  
me a lady all alone who went along      
singing and selecting from among the    
flowers wherewith all her path was      
enamelled 444 suddenly the lady turned  
completely round towards me1 saying1    
',my ,brother1 look and listen' 7,,xxix1
 #ae74 ,a solemn chant is heard1 a      
wonderful light is seen4 ,it is a       
pageant representing the return of      
mankind to ,eden through membership in  
the ,church4  ,first come1 shedding     
heavenly light1 the seven mystical      
candlesticks1 symbolic of the seven     
gifts of the ,holy ,ghost or the seven  
sacraments of the ,church4 ,next follow 
twenty-four ancients representating the 

books of the ,old ,testament4 ,then are 
seen the four prophetic animals         
symbolizing the four ,evangelists4      
,christ drawing a chariot representing  
the ,church1 the central figure of the  
pageant1 advances under the form of the 
fabulous griffin1 half eagle and half   
lion1 typifying the two-fold nature of  
our ,lord4 ,on the right side of the    
chariot1 dancing are three nymphs1 the  
theological virtues1 ,faith1 ,hope and  
,charity4 ,on the left side are four    
other nymphs--the cardinal virtues1     
,prudence1 ,justice1 ,fortitude and     
,temperance4 ,next come two old men1    
dignified and grave1 ,st4 ,paul and ,st4
 ,luke1 who are followed by four others 
representing other books of the ,new    
,testament viz41 the ,epistles of ,st4  
,james1 ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,john and ,st4
 ,jude4 ,the rear guard is an aged      
,solitary symbolic of the ,apocalypse4  
,and when the chariot was opposite to me
 writes ,dante1 a clap of thunder was   
heard2 and those worthy folk seemed to  

have their further march forbidden1 and 
halted there with the first ensign      
7,,xxix1 #aec74  ,what is the meaning of
 this symbolic procession so common to  
,dante's day1 so alien to ours8 ,we have
 already said that it is a dramatic     
representation of the human race finding
 happiness1 finding its ,eden in its    
membership in the ,church4 ,but it1     
also1 is a symbolic lesson for the      
individual4 ,dante1 the type of humanity
 having done penance for his sins1 is   
about to be received through the        
sacrament of penance into the soul of   
the ,church i4e4 into the full communion
 of grace4 ,it is fitting1 therefore1   
that the ,church should advance to meet 
him1 the repentant sinner1 and should   
reveal itself to him before receiving   
him into its bosom4  ,if objection be   
made that ,dante already has been       
absolved from sin and in ,purgatory has 
made expiation for his offences1 the    
answer is given by ,ozanam2 ,at the term
 of the expiatory course1 as at its     

beginning1 to quit it as well as to     
enter upon it1 we must render submission
 to a religious authority and fulfill   
the conditions without which ,god does  
not treat with us--confession for       
oblivion1 fears for consolation and     
shame for definitive rehabilitation4    
,when the pageant comes to a halt the   
participants group themselves about the 
,griffin and the ,chariot1 by that act  
declaring that the goal and object of   
their desires are centered in ,christ   
and ,his ,church4 ,then one of the      
company by divine command calls aloud   
three times to a heavenly being1 the    
spouse of the ,church1 to appear and the
 cry is repeated by the whole company4  
,from the ,chariot arise1 as will arise 
the dead from their graves1 a hundred   
angels scattering flowers over and      
around the ,chariot and also raising    
their voices in the call for the        
,heavenly ,bride4 ,they first sing the  
words of the ,canticle of ,palm ,sunday4
 ,benedictus qui venis 7,blessed art    

thou who comest7 and then the beautiful 
line from the ,aeneid3 ,manibus o date  
lilia plenis 7,oh6 give lilies with full
 hands74 ,then comes from the clouds    
through the midst of the flowers        
showering down again within and without 
the ,chariot1 arrayed in the colors of  
the three theological virtues1 the      
object of the invocation4  ,crowned with
 olive over a white veil a ,lady        
appeared to me1 vestured in hue of      
living flame under a green mantle4 ,it  
is ,beatrice1 ,dante's beloved1 now     
apotheosized in the personification of  
,revelation4 ,what other poet ever      
dreamed of so glorifying his beloved    
that for her coming the natural virtues 
prepare the way1 the supernatural       
virtues1 as handmaids accompany her to  
assist us to the understanding of her   
doctrine1 the angels sing her laudation 
and she herself in the role both of     
unveiler of the ,scriptures of the      
,prophets and the ,apostles and the     
mystical ,bride of the ,canticles is    

worthy to be called ,o ,light1 ,o ,glory
 of the human race8  ,dante before      
seeing her face1 recognizes her by some 
mysterious instinct of love1 recognizes 
her after a lapse according to fiction  
of ten years1 but in reality of         
twenty-four years since her death4  ,to 
,virgil1 ,dante turns to tell the joyous
 news but ,virgil has gone and tears    
course down the face of his disciple4   
,dante1 says ,beatrice1 weep not that   
,virgil leaves thee1 nay weep thou not  
yet1 for thou wilt have to weep for     
another wound4 ,awed by her appearance1 
he is taken back by her greeting4 ,the  
mere thought of her loveliness uplifted 
him in the world4 ,the hope of seeing   
her carried him through the horrors of  
,hell and the penance of ,purgatory4    
,crowned and mitred over himself he came
 to ,eden to meet her4 ,and she has only
 reproaches for him4 ,particularly to   
the angels does she tell the story of   
his defection from the high ideals which
 she inspired in him4 ,this man was such

 in his new life potentially that every 
good talent would have made wondrous    
increase in him--7but7 so low sank he   
that all means for his salvation were   
already short save showing him the lost 
people4 ,for this ,i visited the portal 
of the dead and to him who has guided   
him up hither1 weeping my prayers were  
borne4 ,god's high decree would be      
broken if ,lethe were passed and such   
viands were tasted1 without some sort of
 penitence that may shed tears4  ,to her
 lover she turns for confirmation of the
 truth of her words3 ,say1 say if this  
is true2 to such accusation thy         
confession must be joined4  ,confusion  
and fear together mingled1 drove forth  
from my mouth a ',yea1' a monosyllable  
of confession which showed the depth of 
his shame4  ,but it is the sight of the 
superhuman beauty of ,beatrice which    
completes his contrition and            
resuscitates his love so as to fit him  
to pass through the waters of the       
,lethe4  ,my eyes beheld ,beatrice1     

turned toward the animal 7the ,griffin7 
that is ,one ,person only 7,christ7 in  
twofold nature 7i4e4 ,god and man74     
,under her veil and on the far side of  
the stream she seemed to me to surpass  
more her ancient self1 than she         
surpassed the others here when she was  
with us4 ,so much remorse gnawed at my  
heart that ,i fell vanquished and what  
,i then became she knoweth who gave me  
the cause4 7,,xxxi1 #hb47  ,when he     
recovers consciousness he finds his     
immersion in the ,lethe in progress by  
,matilda4 ,then he is led to ,beatrice  
by the four nymphs 7the cardinal        
virtues7 and at the request of the three
 nymphs who typify the theological      
virtues she smiles upon him4  ,the fair 
lady 7,matilda7 dipped me where ,i must 
needs swallow of the water1 then drew me
 forth and led me1 bathed1 within the   
dance of the four fair ones1 and each   
did cover me with her arm4 ',here we are
 nymphs and in heaven are stars4 ,ere   
,beatrice descended to the world1 we    

were ordained for her handmaids3 we will
 lead thee to her eyes3 but the three on
 the other side who deeper gaze will    
sharpen thine eyes to the joyous light  
that is within4  ,beholding the         
glorified beauty of ,beatrice wholly    
inexpressible1 ,dante is in such rapture
 that he is oblivious of everything     
else4    ,mine eyes with such an eager  
coveting   ,were bent to rid them of    
their ten years' thirst   ,no other     
sense was waking2 and e'en they   ,were 
fenced on either side from heed of      
aught3   ,so tangled1 in its custom'd   
toils1 that smile   ,of saintly         
brightness drew it to itself4  ,when our
 poet comes out of his rapture1 the     
,chariot and the mystical company are   
moving to a tree1 the tree of the       
knowledge of good and evil which        
according to a beautiful tradition has  
become the ,cross of ,christ1 the tree  
of salvation4 ,to that tree is attached 
the ,chariot which ,christ 7the         
,griffin7 now leaves to enter ,heaven   

again with the ancients and the angels4 
,beatrice remains with the seven nymphs 
to guard the ,chariot 7the ,church74 ,up
 to this point the picture of the       
,church has been one of peace and       
happiness4 ,now with prophetic eye the  
poet beholds the tribulations which the 
,church will suffer from without and    
within4 ,the description of the vision  
and the explanation of the symbolism are
 so well set forth by ,ozanam that ,i   
quote his words unable to improve upon  
them1 as ,i also share his view as to   
the unwarranted severity here of        
,dante's censures of the ,church4  ,an  
eagle falls like lightning upon the     
tree1 from which he tears the bark1 and 
upon the car1 which bends beneath his   
weight4 ,then comes a fox which finds   
its way within1 and then a portion is   
torn off by a dragon that issues from   
the gaping earth4 ,thus far it is easy  
to recognize the persecutions of the    
,roman emperors which so harried the    
,church1 the heresies by which it was   

desolated1 and the schisms by which it  
was torn4 ,soon1 the eagle reappeared1  
less menacing but not less dangerous2 he
 shook his plumes above the sacred car1 
which speedily underwent a monstrous    
transformation4 ,from divers parts of it
 arose seven heads armed with ten horns2
 a courtesan was seated in the midst2 a 
giant stood at her side1 exchanging with
 her impure caresses which he           
interrupted to scourge her cruelly4     
,then1 cutting loose the metamorphosed  
car1 he bears it away1 and is lost with 
it in the depths of the forest4  ,is not
 this again the ,church1 enriched1 by   
the gifts of princes who have become her
 protectors1 sadly marred in appearance1
 sundry of her members defiled by the   
taint of the seven capital sins1 and    
herself ruled over by unworthy pontiffs8
 ,is not this the court of ,rome1       
exchanging criminal flatteries with the 
temporal power1 which flatteries are to 
be followed by cruel injuries1 when the 
,holy ,see1 torn from the foot of the   

cross of the ,vatican1 is transferred to
 a distant land1 on the banks of a      
foreign river8 ,but these ills will not 
be without end nor without retribution4 
,the tree that lost and that saved the  
world cannot be touched with impunity1  
and if the ,church has been made        
militant here below1 it is with the     
liability of suffering from passing     
reverses1 but also with the assurance of
 final victory4  ,dante's own eternal   
victory is now assured1 ,beatrice       
directs ,matilda to lead him to the     
,eunoe1 whose waters will regenerate him
 and fit him to ascend to ,paradise4    
,behold1 ,eunoe which gushes forth      
yonder1 lead him thereto and as thou art
 wont1 revive in him again his fainting 
powers4  ,the poem closes with an       
address to the reader3    ,if1 ,reader1 
,i possessed a longer space   ,for      
writing it1 ,i yet would sing in part   
,of the sweet draught that ne'er would  
satiate me2   ,but inasmuch as full are 
all the leaves   ,made ready for this   

second canticle1   ,the curb of art no  
farther lets me go4   ,from the most    
holy water ,i returned   ,regenerate1 in
 the manner of new trees   ,that are    
renewed with a new foliage1   ,pure and 
disposed to mount unto the stars4       
7,purg41 ,,xxxiii1 #acf47               
,,dante',s ,,paradiso     ,,dante',s    
,,paradiso  ,of ,dante's trilogy the    
,paradiso is truly his medieval miracle 
of song1 the supreme achievement of his 
genius4 ,here the poetry of the sublime 
reaches its highest point--the summit on
 which ,dante is a lonely and           
unchallenged figure4 ,no uninspired     
hand1 says ,cardinal ,manning1 has ever 
written thoughts so high in words1 so   
resplendent1 as the last stanza of the  
,divina ,commedia4 ,it was said of ,st4 
,thomas3 ,post ,summam ,thom nihil      
restat nisi lumen glori4 ,it may be said
 of ,dante3 ,post ,dantis ,paradisum    
nihil restat nisi visio ,dei4 7,after   
,dante's ,paradiso nothing remains but  
the vision of ,god47  ,shelley's tribute

 to the supremacy of ,dante's ,heaven is
 no less beautiful3 ,dante's apotheosis 
of ,beatrice and the gradations of his  
own love and her loveliness by which1 as
 by steps1 he feigns himself to have    
ascended to the throne of the ,supreme  
,cause1 is the most glorious imagination
 of modern poetry4  ,ruskin says3 ,every
 line of the ,paradiso is full of the   
most exquisite and spiritual expressions
 of ,christian truths and the poem is   
only less read than the ,inferno because
 it requires far greater attention and  
perhaps1 for its full enjoyment1 a      
holier heart4  ,that ,dante's ,inferno  
is more popular reading than his        
,paradiso is due to the fact that evil  
and its consequences offer to the artist
 richer material for dramatic           
fascination and to the reader more      
lively interest in characters intensely 
human1 than does the less sensational   
story of the ,elects finding peace and  
happiness in a realm transcending the   
experiences of human nature4 ,dante's   

,purgatorio also finds a wider circle of
 readers because his penitents1         
suffering1 struggling and aspiring1 like
 people upon earth1 have more human     
traits and exhibit more human interest  
than the saints confirmed in grace      
against human weakness4  ,another reason
 for lesser interest manifested in this 
part of the ,divina ,commedia is the    
difficulty and obscurity of the         
,paradiso4 ,it is not easy reading1     
because it requires study1 repetition1  
concentration1 meditation1 qualities    
absent from the art of reading as it    
prevails today4 ,if we ever have time to
 look at a book1 the habit of skimming  
with inattentive rapidity so urges us   
onward that we find ourselves flitting  
from page to page1 from chapter to      
chapter1 panting and uninstructed4 ,and 
if we belong to the bookless majority   
who have no time to read1 we rush to the
 moving picture theatre to get our      
mental pabulum--often a season's best   
seller--boiled down1 served in          

rapid-fire order and bolted in the      
twinkling of an eye4 ,for all such      
,dante's ,paradiso is an intellectual as
 well as a spiritual impossibility and  
the poet begs such not to follow him on 
his voyage to the eternal kingdom4      
,oh ye who in some pretty little boat   
,eager to listen1 have been following   
,behind my ship1 that singing sails     
along1   ,turn back to look again upon  
your shores2   ,in losing me1 you might 
yourselves be lost4   ,the sea ,i sail  
has never yet been passed4   ,minerva   
breathes1 and pilots me ,apollo1   ,and 
,muses nine point out to me the ,bears4 
,ye other few1 who have the neck        
uplifted   ,betimes to th' bread of     
,angels upon which   ,one liveth here   
and grows not sated by it1   ,well may  
you launch upon the deep salt-sea       
,your vessel1 keeping still my wake     
before you   ,upon the water that grows 
smooth again4   ,those glorious ones who
 unto ,colchos passed   ,were not so    
wonder-struck as you shall be1   ,when  

,jason they beheld a ploughman made4    
7,,ii1 #a47  ,the song which ,dante     
sings in the ,paradiso is the eternal   
happiness of man in vision1 love and    
enjoyment united to his ,creator4 ,in   
preparation for this final consummation 
the poet1 as he ascends to the          
,empyrean1 gives a most beautiful       
epitome of the principal mysteries of   
religion and of some of the tenets of   
scholastic philosophy1 treating         
especially the ,fall of ,man1           
,predestination1 ,free ,will1 the       
,redemption1 the ,immortality of the    
,soul and the theory of ,human          
,knowledge4 ,allegorically considered1  
the poem is a veil1 under which we see  
the ideal life of man upon earth1       
exercising virtue and gaining virtue's  
rewards4  ,to exhibit man's supreme1    
happiness in the next life1 the         
,christian poet1 insisting that his     
purpose is the inculcation of truth1    
both to save and to adorn the soul1 must
 base his theme upon the doctrines of   

the ,church4 ,the definition of some of 
those dogmas ,dante anticipated4 ,all   
may be summed up in the following       
statement3  ,it is of ,catholic faith   
that the souls of the blessed see ,god  
directly and face to face and this      
vision is ,supernatural2 that there are 
degrees of this vision1 corresponding to
 the merits of the elect2 that to see   
,god in ,his ,essence1 the intellect is 
supernaturally perfected2 that the      
,beatific ,vision is not deferred to the
 ,day of ,judgment1 but is possessed at 
once after death but the ,just1 in whom 
there is no stain of sin or who have no 
temporal punishment to be expiated2 and1
 furthermore1 that all human beings at  
the end of the world will arise with    
their own bodies4  ,how will the poet   
bring home those incomprehensible truths
 to his readers8 ,he has to treat a     
subject wholly transcendent and         
supernatural4 ,though his vision be     
celestial1 his langauge must be         
terrestrial4 ,he must visualize states  

of the soul which are alien to the eyes 
of the body and translate into terms of 
the senses things which are wholly      
non-sensuous4 ,dante is aware that no   
poet ever essayed that feat before3 ,the
 sea ,i sail has never yet been passed4 
7#a1 #h47 ,he knows1 also1 that shoals  
and rocks1 seemingly impassable and a   
sea which may engulf his genius1 are    
before him4 ,it is no coastwise voyage  
for a little barque1 this sea through   
which the intrepid prow goes cleaving   
nor for a pilot who would spare himself4
 7,,xxiii1 #fg47  ,and yet he will      
attempt the impossible1 he will endeavor
 to sing not of the scenes but of the   
states of suprasensible spiritual       
joys--joys which ,bishop ,norris says   
are without example1 above experience   
and beyond imagination1 for which the   
whole creation wants a comparison1 we an
 apprehension and even the word of ,god1
 a revelation4 ,conscious of all that1  
,dante confesses the impotency of       
speech1 the inadequacy of memory1 the   

helplessness of imagination for the task
 to which he sets himself4 ,he tells us 
that the sublime songs of the elect have
 lapsed and fallen out of my            
memory--that to represent and           
transhumanize in words impossible were4 
7,i1 #ga47    ,and what was the sun     
wherein ,i entered1   ,apparent1 not by 
color1 but by light   ,i1 though ,i call
 on genius1 art and practice   ,cannot  
so tell that it could be imagined4      
7,x1 #da47  ,so by the very nature of   
the subject visualization can be only   
partial--only the shadow of the blessed 
realm1 can be shown4 ,but what human    
nature can do1 even if its feat seems   
solitary and unique1 ,dante has         
accomplished in a failure which         
constitutes the most wonderful          
achievement in the domain of the sublime
 in literature1 an achievement leaving  
us with a sense of his own ineffable    
bliss and of the inexpressible joys of  
the ,elect--an achievement which came to
 pass1 say some readers1 because his    

poem is an account of a supernatural    
vision--and ,dante hints that he thinks 
he was so favored1 or because it is a   
work to which both heaven and earth have
 set their hand1 showing him1 as        
,emerson observes1 all imagination1 or1 
as ,james ,russell ,lowell says1 ,the   
highest spiritual nature which has      
expressed itself in rhythmical form4    
,there are two methods of representing  
man's supreme happiness1 relative and   
absolute3 one is to depict nature at her
 best1 untouched by sin1 and to show man
 free from every defect and blemish1 in 
the full perfection of his being4       
,naturally the imagery in this case is  
the imagery born of finite human        
experiences4 ,the other method          
describes1 as we said1 not scenes of    
happiness but transcendent conditions of
 the soul as it is brought into ultimate
 communion with ,supreme ,goodness--the 
finite possessing and enjoying the      
,infinite4 ,here the human mind1 let us 
repeat it1 finds earthly images         

powerless to translate its thought1 for 
it hath not entered into the heart of   
man to conceive the glory of the        
spiritual world4 ,these two methods     
,dante follows successively4  ,his ,eden
 on the summit of ,purgatory is         
literally the earthly ,paradise of ,adam
 and ,eve4 ,it is pictured in moving    
imagery as man's native country of      
delights1 a lofty garden of ineffable   
loveliness1 high above all the physical 
and moral disturbances of earth1 its    
waters1 its winds1 its flowers and its  
music all coming from supernatural      
sources1 its bliss springing from the   
perfect harmony of man's animal1        
intellectual and spiritual powers in    
full and perfect accord with reason4 ,it
 is ,paradise ,regained by man's        
climbing the mountain of ,purgatory1 and
 its significance is understood if we   
remember that ,dante would teach us that
 the present life can be made dual1 a   
life worth while in itself1 full of     
service and godliness as well as a      

preparation for the unending life of    
,heaven4  ,for ,dante there must be1    
also1 the ,celestial ,paradise where    
man's supernatural destiny will be      
realized in joys which the eye has not  
seen and in music which the ear has not 
heard4 ,his ,paradiso has been called   
the ,ten ,heavens1 but in reality there 
is in his plan only one ,heaven1 the    
,empyrean1 the abode of the angels1 of  
the blessed spirits and of ,god4 ,it is 
high above the planets and the stars1   
beyond time and space4 ,the ,church has 
never answered the question3 ,where is  
,heaven8 ,theologians1 however1 have put
 forth various opinions4 ,some say1     
writes ,father ,honthein1 that ,heaven  
is everywhere1 as ,god is everywhere1   
the blessed being free to move freely in
 every part of the universe while still 
remaining with ,god and seeing ,him     
everywhere4 ,others hold that ,heaven is
 a special place with definite limits4  
,naturally this place is held to exist1 
not within the earth1 but in accordance 

with the expressions of ,scripture1     
'without and beyond its limits4' 7,cath4
 ,encycl41 ,,vii1 #agj47  ,according to 
,dante's conception1 ,heaven1 being     
non-spatial and non-temporal1 is not a  
place but a state of spiritual life4 ,as
 an aid in depicting that state he makes
 use of a unique literary device4 ,he   
poetically creates nine ,heavens1 the   
,moon1 ,mercury1 ,venus1 the ,sun1      
,mars1 ,jupiter1 ,saturn1 the ,fixed    
,stars1 the ,primum ,mobile or ,first   
,movement4 ,these1 according to the     
,ptolemaic system which our poet        
follows1 are concentric with the earth1 
around which as their center they       
revolve1 while the earth remains fixed  
and motionless4 ,the motion of each of  
these nine spheres1 originally coming   
from the ,primum ,mobile1 is            
communicated to it by the love of the   
angelic guardians1 a literal application
 of the common saying that love makes   
the world go around4  ,as a poetic      
fiction necessary for him to enter      

finally the true ,heaven ,dante is      
required to pass through these nine     
spheres1 the fiction being used by him  
as an artist to declare the glories of  
the heavens and as a teacher to         
inculcate doctrines for the instruction 
and edification of mankind4 ,in each of 
the nine ,heavens groups of the blessed 
are represented as coming to meet him as
 he returns to ,god as to the port      
whence 7he7 set out when 7he7 first     
entered upon the sea of this life4      
,this peerless rhetorical figure is     
explained in the ,banquet1 where he     
says3 ,as his fellow-citizens come forth
 to meet him who returns from a long    
journey even before he enters the gates 
of his city2 so to the noble soul come  
forth the citizens of the eternal ,life4
 ,this apparition of the blessed spirits
 to greet the mystic traveller as he    
mounts from sphere to sphere has several
 advantages3 it peoples with hosts of   
spirits1 the immense lonely spaces      
through which the journey lies2 it      

affords the poet the opportunity of     
asking them many things which have great
 utility and delight2 it finally gives  
him a sensible sign of the degree of    
beatitude which they possess in that    
realm of many mansions where each is    
rewarded according to his merit and     
capacity1 the capacity of each spirit   
being in proportion to its degree of    
knowledge and love4 ,this is stressed by
 the poet's representing the apparitions
 first as faint yet beautiful outlines  
of human features1 then as ascent is    
made to the other ,heavens1 the spirits 
make themselves known by increasing     
manifestations of light so dazzling     
finally that the splendor would blind   
,dante if his vision were not divinely  
adapted to its supernatural needs4  ,the
 inequalities of bliss are also         
symbolized by the sphere in which the   
spirits appear to him2 those in the     
sphere of the moon1 e4g41 are less      
favored than those in the ,heaven of    
,mercury4 ,the inequality of merit1 and 

therefore of reward1 is also declared by
 the difference in both the quickness of
 the spirits' movement and their        
clearness of vision into the essence of 
,god4 ,the ,empyrean1 it is worth while 
repeating1 is the only true ,paradise1  
the nine ,heavens being only myths or   
poetic devices4 ,if spirits are seen    
there1 they have come forth only from   
the ,empyrean and will quickly return   
there after preparing the poet for the  
eternal ,light of ,light4  ,the         
materials out of which ,dante constructs
 his ,paradiso are not1 as we are       
already aware1 fantastic images such as 
he employed for the first two parts of  
the ,divina ,commedia1 but are things of
 the spirit1 viz41 knowledge1 beauty1   
faith1 love1 joy2 and he is aided in    
making visible those invisible entities 
of the spiritual life by such intangible
 things as sound1 motion and light4     
,light1 indeed1 is one of the leading   
elements in the ,paradiso4 ,the poem    
begins with a reference to the light of 

,god's glory1 and its last line speaks  
of the ,love which moves the ,sun and   
the other stars4 ,and between this      
beginning and this end in thirty-three  
cantiche light is represented not only  
by degrees of increasing intensity and  
variety of unlocked for movements but as
 surrounding the spirits1 living flames1
 and constituting1 symbolically1 the    
beatitude of ,heaven4  ,dean ,church1 in
 his classic essay on ,dante1 has a     
beautiful paragraph that here calls for 
quotation3 ,light in general is his     
special and chosen source of poetic     
beauty4 ,no poet that we know has shown 
such singular sensibility to its varied 
appearances4444 ,light everywhere--in   
the sky and earth and sea--in the stars1
 the flames1 the lamp1 the gems--broken 
in the water1 reflected from the mirror1
 transmitted through the glass1 or      
colored through the edge of the         
fractured emerald--dimmed in the mist4  
,the halo1 the deep water--streaming    
through the rent cloud1 glowing in the  

coal1 quivering in the lightning1       
flashing in the topaz and the ruby1     
veiled behind the pure alabaster1       
mellowed and clouding itself in the     
pearl-light contrasted with shadow1     
shading off and copying itself in the   
double rainbow like voice and           
echo--light seen within light--light    
from every source and in all its shapes 
illuminates1 irradiates1 gives glory to 
the ,commedia4444 ,and when he 7,dante7 
rises beyond the regions of earthly day1
 light1 simple and unalloyed1 unshadowed
 and eternal1 lifts the creations of his
 thought above all affinity to time and 
matter2 light never fails him1 as the   
expression of the gradations of bliss2  
never reappears the same1 never refuses 
the new shapes of his invention1 never  
becomes confused or dim1 though it is   
seldom thrown into distinct figure and  
still more seldom colored4  ,in making  
light such a central feature of ,heaven 
and symbolically in identifying light   
with ,god and the angels and the        

blessed1 ,dante is only expressing--but 
expressing beautifully and              
supremely--the thought which pagan      
oracles proclaimed and ,holy ,writ and  
the ,church made known4 ,from the       
earliest ages the sun which vivifies and
 illuminates the world was regarded by  
many nations as the symbol of the       
,deity--and by still other nations it   
was adored4 ,the psalmist1 addressing   
,god1 says3 ,thou art clothed with light
 as with a garment4 7,ps41 ,,ciii1 #b47 
,st4 ,paul declares that the ,lord of   
,lords inhabiteth light inaccessible4   
7#a ,tim41 ,,vi1 #af47 ,the ,seer of    
,patmos tells us that the heavenly      
,jerusalem has no need of the light of  
the sun and the moon to shine upon it1  
for the glory of ,god hath enlightened  
it and the ,lamb is the lamp thereof4   
7,apoc41 ,,xx1 #bc47 ,i am the light of 
the world1 declares ,christ1 and with   
that revelation ringing in his ears the 
,beloved ,disciple does not hesitate to 
say3 and this is the declaration which  

we have heard--that ,god is light4 7,i  
,john1 ,i1 #e47 ,in narrating his vision
 of ,heaven1 ,ezechial compares the     
light emanating from and enveloping the 
,deity1 to fire4 ,i saw the likeness as 
of the appearance of fire1 as the       
appearance of brightness4 7,,xxiv1 #ag47
 ,moses on the mountain saw the ,lord in
 the midst of fire1 and on another      
mountain ,christ1 the brightness of his 
,father's glory was transfigured before 
his apostles and his face did shine as  
the ,sun and his garments became shining
 or glittering4 7,matt41 ,,xvii1 #b47   
,small wonder then that the ,nicaean    
creed declares that ,christ is ,god of  
,god1 ,light of light4 ,not only with   
,god1 but with ,his saints is the idea  
of visible light intimately associated4 
,the prophet ,daniel tells us that ,they
 that are learned shall shine as the    
brightness of the firmament1 and they   
that instruct many unto justice1 as     
stars to all eternity4 7,,xii1 #c47 ,and
 it is ,christ ,himself who says3 ,then 

shall the just shine as the sun1 in the 
kingdom of their ,father4 7,matt41      
,,xiii1 #dc47  ,in using such a subtle1 
dazzling element as light so generally  
and in such countless varieties         
throughout his ,paradiso1 ,dante is     
exposed to the danger of palling his    
readers with brightness and making them 
lose interest in things glorious and    
supernal4 ,but the genius of the man    
saves the artist4 ,by a conception of   
matchless beauty he binds the light of  
heaven to the human1 making the smile in
 the eye of his beloved guide1          
,beatrice1 express his own personal     
heaven1 in the light that enters his    
mind and the ardor which quickens his   
heart4 ,as he mounts with her the       
stairway of the heavens leading to the  
,eternal ,palace and his motion is      
brought about simply by his gazing into 
her eyes1 she makes known to him by her 
increasing brightness both his own      
mounting knowledge and his ascent nearer
 the ,empyrean4  ,as ,dante represents  

the increase of light and love deepening
 and expanding in him as he rises       
empyreanward all by the loved smile of  
his beloved ,beatrice1 it is well that  
we bear in mind the significance of the 
symbolism as expounded by the poet in   
his ,banquet4 7,,iii1 #ae47 ,beatrice   
being ,revelation or ,wisdom made known 
to the world1 in her face appear things 
that tell of the pleasures of ,paradise 
and 444 the place wherein this appears  
is in her eyes and her smile4 ,and here 
it should be known that the eyes of     
,wisdom are the two demonstrations by   
which is seen the truth most certainly2 
and her smile is her persuasion by which
 is shown forth the interior light of   
,wisdom under some veil2 and in these   
two things is felt the highest pleasure 
of beatitude1 which is the greatest good
 of ,paradise4  ,beatrice--,revealed    
,truth--remains the poet's guide until  
he comes to behold the ,beatific        
,vision4 ,then1 no longer needed1 she   
withdraws in favor of the contemplative 

,st4 ,bernard as guide1 just as ,virgil 
had withdrawn when he was powerless and 
when ,beatrice was needed4  ,the        
question here presents itself3 ,in what 
does ,dante place the happiness of      
,heaven8 ,does he paint such a ,heaven  
that it shows principally the           
rectifications of the inequalities of   
this life--a ,heaven of such happiness1 
e4g41 that the poor will love poverty or
 be resigned to it in the hope of       
possessing the riches of this ,eternity8
 ,is ,dante's ,heaven one in which      
happiness is so alluring that innocence 
will gladly submit to calumny and faith 
will lovingly welcome the sword or      
stake1 in the certain confidence of     
gaining unending glory or bliss8 ,the   
,paradiso does reward poverty1 crown    
innocence1 glorify martyrdom1 but it was
 never intended to be an account of what
 takes place in the real ,heaven1 or to 
be a description of the particular acts 
of goodness which win ,heaven for the   
soul1 or a rapturous picture appealing  

to the emotions of the believer and     
alluring him from earth4  ,does ,dante  
place the happiness of ,heaven in the   
bliss and glorification of family       
reunion8  ,he is too good a theologian  
to place the essential happiness of     
,heaven merely in the joy of family     
reunion4 ,he does not ignore that       
feature of eternity1 but he does not    
stress it1 because temperamentally he is
 moved less by sentiment of family and  
ties of friendship than by his curiosity
 for knowledge1 by his yearnings to     
behold ,eternal ,wisdom4 ,only once does
 he mention ,heaven as the state of     
reunion of families and friends1 and    
that is when he comments upon the action
 of the twenty-three spirits in the     
,heaven of the ,sun1 in expressing their
 agreement with ,soloman's discourse as 
to the participation which the human    
body will have1 after the ,resurrection 
in the glories of ,paradise3    ,so     
ready and so cordial an ,amen           
,follow'd from either choir1 as plainly 

spoke   ,desire of their dead bodies2   
yet perchance   ,not for themselves1 but
 for their kindred dear1   ,mothers and 
sires and those whom best they loved1   
,ere they were made imperishable flames4
           7,,xiv1 #fe47  ,for ,dante1  
,heaven must be the beatitude of the    
intellect and that primarily by the     
intellect's having an intuition full of 
joy in the ,divine ,essence1 and        
secondly by its possessing full light on
 all those vexatious problems and       
mysteries which baffle us in this life4 
,well ,i perceive that never sated is   
,our intellect unless ,truth illumines  
it1   ,beyond which nothing true expands
 itself4   ,it rests therein1 as wild   
beast in his lair   ,when it attains it 
and it can attain it4           7,,iv1  
#abe47  ,in insisting upon the power of 
the mind to know the truth and to find  
perfect happiness in the supernatural   
act of beholding ,god face to face1     
,dante is not in agreement with         
,pragmatism1 ,hegelianism and the new   

,realist theory--all which make truth   
elusive to the mind2 but he is in full  
accord with the teaching of the         
,catholic ,church1 which defends the    
rights of reason holding1 e4g41 that by 
the natural light of reason ,god can be 
known with certainty1 by means of       
created things 7,vatican ,council71 and 
proclaiming that all the saints in      
,heaven have seen and do see the ,divine
 ,essence by direct intuition and face  
to face in such wise that nothing       
created intervenes as an object of      
vision2 444 that the ,divine ,essence   
presents itself to their immediate gaze1
 unveiled1 clearly and openly2 that in  
this vision they enjoy the ,divine      
,essence1 and in virtue of this vision  
and this enjoyment they are truly       
blessed and possess eternal life and    
eternal rest4 7,benedict ,,xii1 ,cath4  
,encycl41 ,,vii1 #aga47  ,it is         
interesting to see how ,dante's ,master1
 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 demonstrates the
 proposition that the beatitude of man  

consists in the vision of the ,divine   
,essence4 ,with his usual lucidity of   
thought he writes3 ,the last and perfect
 happiness of man cannot be otherwise   
than in the vision of the ,divine       
,essence4 ,in evidence of this statement
 two points are to be considered3 first1
 that man is not perfectly happy so long
 as there remains anything for him to   
desire and seek2 secondly1 that the     
perfection of every power is determined 
by the nature of its object4 ,now the   
object of the intellect is the essence  
of a thing2 hence the intellect attains 
to perfection so far as it knows the    
,essence of what is before it4 ,and     
therefore1 when a man knows an effect   
and knows that it has a cause1 there is 
in him an outstanding natural desire of 
knowing the essence of the cause4 ,if1  
therefore1 a human intellect knows the  
essence of a created effect without     
knowing aught of ,god beyond the fact of
 ,his existence1 the perfection of that 
intellect does not yet adequately reach 

the ,first ,cause1 but the intellect has
 an outstanding natural desire of       
searching into the said ,cause2 hence it
 is not yet perfectly happy4 ,for       
perfect happiness1 therefore1 it is     
necesary that the intellect shall reach 
as far as the very essence of the ,first
 ,cause4 7,rickaby1 ,aquinas ,ethicus   
,i1 #b q41 #c a1 #h47  ,this masterly   
exposition is after all only the        
philosophical development of what every 
,catholic child learns from one of the  
first questions of the little           
,catechism3 ,why did ,god make you8 ,god
 made me to know ,him1 to love ,him1 and
 to serve ,him in this life1 and to be  
happy with ,him forever in the next4    
,with the satisfaction of the           
intellect's boundless yearning for      
knowledge attained by intuition of the  
,essence of ,god1 a consummation that   
will somewhat deify us--,who shall be   
made like to him1 because we shall see  
him as he is 7,i ,john1 ,,iii1 #b471 the
 happiness of man will be primarily     

intellectual1 being as ,dante           
beautifully says3 ,light intellectual   
full of love1 love of the true good1    
full of joy1 joy that transcendeth all  
sweetness4 7,,xxx1 #dj47  ,his ,heaven1 
then1 is no ,nirvana1 for each spirit   
will for eternity have its              
individuality1 and its activity will be 
unremitting in seeing ,god face to      
face--a vision that will cause the      
spirit increasing wonder in an act that 
will have no flagging nor satiety4      
,what1 after all1 is ,heaven1 says      
,bulwer ,lytton1 but a transition from  
dim guesses to the fullness of wisdom1  
from ignorance to knowledge1 but        
knowledge of what order8 ,to that       
exclamation of the nineteenth century   
writer the medieval seer answers with   
conviction that the summum bonum is to  
be found only in the intellect's        
attaining ,truth4  ,let us now join     
,dante in his mystic journey to the     
,heavenly ,kingdom4 ,we left him after  
three days and three nights in          

,purgatory1 standing with ,beatrice on  
the summit of the mountain in the       
,earthly ,paradise1 where he remained   
six hours4 ,at noon he begins his ascent
 through space1 a feat accomplished by  
,beatrice's looking up to the ,heavens  
and by ,dante's fixing his eyes upon    
her4 ,at once his human nature is       
supposed to take on agility1 the        
supernatural quality which makes the    
body independent of space1 and he begins
 to rise with incomprehensible velocity4
 ,though they are travelling without    
conscious movement at the rate of       
#hd1jjj miles a second1 there is time   
for ,dante's mind to operate in desire  
to know how he can ascend counter to    
gravitation and for ,beatrice to        
discourse upon the law--,dante's        
invention--of universal 7material and   
spiritual7 gravitation4    ,the newness 
of the sound and the great light        
,kindled in me a longing for their cause
   ,never before with such acuteness    
felt4   ,and she began3 ',thou makest   

thyself so dull   ,with false imagining1
 that thou sees not   ,what thou wouldst
 see if thou hadst shaken it off4       
,thou are not upon earth as thou        
believest2   ,but lightning1 fleeing its
 appropriate site1   ,ne'er ran as thou1
 who thitherward returnest4'            
7,i1 #hh47  ,she explains the order     
established by ,providence by force of  
which created beings seek their natural 
habitat1 earthly things being attracted 
downward1 spiritual entities being drawn
 upward irresistibly if they do not     
oppose this innate inclination to good4 
,it is as natural for a man purged of   
all evil to ascend to ,god1 she         
declares1 as it is for a stream from a  
mountain height to fall into a valley4  
,very shortly after this1 the first     
stage of the celestial journey is       
reached4 ,direct thy mind to ,god in    
gratitude1 she said1 who hath united us 
with the first star4 ,me seemed a cloud 
enveloped us1 shining dense1 firm and   
polished like a diamond smitten by the  

sun4 ,within itself the eternal pearl   
received us1 as water doth receive a ray
 of light1 though still itself uncleft4 
,this is the ,heaven of the ,moon1 the  
planet farthest removed from the        
,empyrean and therefore the sphere where
 not only motion but also beatitude are 
least in the heavenly bodies4 ,the      
sphere of the ,moon1 indeed with those  
of ,mercury and of ,venus1 is held by   
,dante's cosmography to be within the   
shadow cast by the earth4 ,consequently1
 the spirits in those three lowest      
,heavens are represented as less perfect
 than those in the higher spheres1      
because in the moral sense the shadow of
 earth fell upon their lives making them
 imperfect through inconstancy1 vain    
glory or unlawful love4  ,in the ,heaven
 of the ,moon a long disquisition is    
carried on by ,beatrice in explanation  
of ,dante's question as to why there are
 spots on the moon4 ,it is very likely  
that this matter of apparent irrelevance
 in the heavenly realms is introduced   

here at the very first stage of the     
ascent to give the poet the opportunity 
of proclaiming that the first thing one 
must learn in his passage               
heavenward--even if this is to be       
understood in an allegorical sense--is  
that the laws of the laboratory are not 
the rationale of the heavenly world and 
that to employ them to explain the      
supernal is to violate the very science 
of these laws1 in an application of     
scope to which in their very nature they
 protest4 ,this point of seeing natural 
causes for the unexplainable phenomenon 
of ,heaven and especially of relying    
upon the testimony of the senses is soon
 brought out by ,beatrice reproving     
,dante for thinking that the spirits    
whom he now sees are only reflections of
 the human face3    ,marvel thou not1   
she said to me1 because   ,i smile at   
this thy puerile conceit1   ,since on   
the truth it trusts not yet its foot1   
,but turns thee1 as 'tis wont1 on       
emptiness4   ,true substances are these 

which thou beholdest1   ,here relegate  
for breaking of some vow4   ,therefore  
speak with them1 listen and believe4    
7,,iii1 #be47  ,so directed1 the poet   
gazes again upon the faint forms        
appearing like reflections seen in a    
plate of glass or in a dark1 shallow    
pool4 ,these1 the first spirits he      
meets1 are apparitions in human form4   
,in the other spheres all that he will  
see of the souls will be the light which
 envelopes them and which seemingly is  
identified with them1 but here he sees  
beautiful women divinely glorious even  
in their dim outline1 who as nuns had   
violated their vow of perpetual         
chastity4 ,in the ,inferno the poet1 to 
lead the reprobate soul to speak to him1
 promised earthly fame2 in ,purgatorio  
there was the offer of intercessory     
prayer1 here in the first ,heaven there 
is only an appeal to the charity which  
inflames the spirit4 ,all eagerness1    
,dante now addresses the spirit1 who    
appears most desirous to converse with  

him4 ,this is ,piccarda1 kinswoman of   
his wife and sister of his friend       
,forese 7,purg4 ,,xxiii1 #dj71 a ,poor  
,clare nun1 who was compelled by her    
brother1 ,corse1 to leave her convent   
and marry ,rossellino della ,tosa in the
 expectation that the marriage would    
promote a political alliance4 ,so       
sacrificed1 the young virgin sister of  
lofty ideals and delicate spiritual     
sensibility1 experienced unhappiness1   
the intensity of which is revealed by   
the ellipsis contained in the magic     
line3 ,and ,god doth know what my life  
became4 ,dante addresses ,piccarda3     
',o well-created spirit1 who in the rays
   ,of life eternal dost the sweetness  
taste   ,which being untasted ne'er is  
comprehended1   ,grateful 'twill be to  
me1 if thou content me   ,both with thy 
name and with your destiny4'   ,whereat1
 she promptly and with laughing eyes3   
',our charity doth never shut the doors 
,against a just desire1 except as she   
,who wills that all her court be like   

herself4   ,i was a virgin sister in the
 world2   ,and if thy mind doth         
contemplate me well1   ,the being more  
fair will not conceal me from thee1     
,but thou shalt recognize ,i am         
,piccarda1   ,who1 stationed here among 
these other blessed1   ,myself am       
blessed in the lowest sphere4   ,all our
 affections1 that alone inflamed   ,are 
in the pleasure of the ,holy ,ghost1    
,rejoice at being of his order formed2  
,and this allotment1 which appears so   
low1   ,therefore is given us1 because  
our vows   ,have been neglected and in  
some part void4'   ,whence ,i to her3   
',in your miraculous aspects   ,there   
shines ,i know not what of the divine1  
,which doth transform you from our first
 conceptions4   ,therefore ,i was not   
swift in my remembrance2   ,but what    
thou tellest me now aids me so1   ,that 
the refiguring is easier to me4'        
7,,iii1 #cg47  ,dante1 you recall1 had  
found the souls in ,purgatory contented 
with their lot1 though they were        

enduring great suffering2 in ,heaven he 
is eager to learn in the very beginning 
whether the ,elect are satisfied with   
the decree which awards to them         
happiness in unequal measure4 ,so he    
asks ,piccarda whether she and the other
 spirits in this lowest sphere are not  
eager for a higher place4 ,the answer is
 one of the most touching and beautiful 
passages in the poem1 summing up in     
language of radiant gladness the law of 
,heaven that in ,god's will is our      
peace1 words which ,gladstone says      
appear to have an unexpressible majesty 
of truth about them1 to be almost as if 
they were spoken from the very mouth of 
,god4    ',but tell me1 ye who in this  
place are happy1   ,are you desirous of 
a higher place1   ,to see more or to    
make yourselves more friends8'   ,first1
 with those other shades1 she smiled a  
little2   ,thereafter answered me so    
full of gladness1   ,she seemed to burn 
in the first fire of love3   ',brother1 
our will is quieted by virtue   ,of     

charity1 that makes us wish alone   ,for
 what we have1 nor gives us thirst for  
more4   ,if to be more exalted we       
aspired1   ,discordant would our        
aspirations be   ,unto the will of ,him 
who here secludes us2   ,which          
thou-shalt see finds no place in these  
circles1   ,if being in charity is      
needful here1   ,and if thou lookest    
well into its nature2   ,nay 'tis       
essential to this blest existence   ,to 
keep itself within the will divine1     
,whereby our very wishes are made one2  
,so that1 as we are station above       
station   ,throughout this realm1 to all
 the realm 'tis pleasing1   ,as to the  
,king1 who makes ,his will our will4    
,and ,his will is our peace2 this is the
 sea   ,to which is moving onward       
whatsoever   ,it doth create1 and all   
that nature makes4'   ,then it was clear
 to me how everywhere   ,in ,heaven is  
,paradise1 although the grace   ,of good
 supreme there rain not in one measure4 
7,,iii1 #fd47  ,piccarda then tells the 

moving story of her life1 how as a girl 
she entered the order of ,st4 ,clare1   
only to be torn from the nunnery and    
given into marriage4    ,a perfect life 
and merit high in ,heaven   ,a lady o'er
 us1 said she1 by whose rule   ,down in 
your world they vest and veil           
themselves1   ,that until death they may
 both watch and sleep   ,beside that    
,spouse who every vow accepts   ,which  
charity conformeth to his pleasure4     
,to follow her1 in girlhood from the    
world   ,i fled1 and in her habit shut  
myself1   ,and pledged me to the pathway
 of her sect4   ,then men accustomed    
unto evil more   ,than unto good1 from  
the sweet cloister tore me2   ,god knows
 what afterward my life became4         
7,,iii1 #ig47  ,certain questions       
interesting to a seeker of truth grow   
out of ,piccarda's statement and these  
,beatrice proceeds to solve for the     
edification of ,dante4 ,the first       
question asks whether in the assignment 
to the lowest sphere of souls who       

violated their vows1 there is divine    
,justice2 the second concerns ,plato's  
teaching that souls really come from the
 stars and return thither2 the third is 
about the loss of merit through coercion
 of the will1 as exemplified in the case
 of ,piccarda4 ,the solution of these   
difficulties need not detain us if only 
we remember ,dante's view that the      
theories maintained by him in the       
,heaven of the ,moon are intended to    
manifest1 as ,gardner and ,scartazzini  
point out1 the moral freedom of man and 
to show that no external thing can      
interfere with the soul that is bent    
upon attaining the end for which ,god   
has destined it4  ,to the next ,heaven1 
the sphere of ,mercury1 ,beatrice and   
,dante soar more swiftly than an arrow  
attains its mark while the bow is still 
vibrating4 ,increasing in loveliness as 
she ascends1 ,beatrice1 in the second   
realm1 radiates such splendor that      
,mercury itself1 apart from its own     
light1 gains such glory from her that it

 seems to glitter or smile from very    
gladness4    ,my lady there so joyful ,i
 beheld   ,as unto the brightness of    
that heaven she entered   ,more luminous
 thereat the planet grew1   ,and if the 
star itself was changed and smiled      
,what became ,i who by my nature am     
,exceeding mutable in every guise8 7,v1 
#ig47  ,greeting the travellers1 more   
than a thousand spirits joyfully        
exclaim3 ,lo1 one who shall increase our
 loves6 ,the ,saints in ,mercury thus   
testify to their delight that one       
7,dante7 has come to be the fresh object
 of their love1 just as it is said that 
there shall be joy before the angels of 
,god upon one sinner doing penance4     
7,luke ,,xv1 #aj47 ,these splendors in  
,mercury are the souls of those in whose
 virtue there was the alloy of ambition 
and vainglory--a combination1 according 
to ,dante1 which makes the rays of true 
love less vividly mount upwards4 ,the   
poet is addressed by a spirit who bids  
him ask any question he will and        

,beatrice confirms the invitation4      
,speak1 speak with confidence and trust 
them even as gods4 ,all eagerness for   
knowledge1 ,dante inquires of the       
friendly splendor who he is and why he  
is in this particular ,heaven4  ,the    
story told by the spirit of ,emperor    
,justinian is a brief sketch of his own 
life1 with reference to his conversion  
from heresy by ,pope ,agapetus1 to the  
victories of his general1 ,belisarius1  
and to his own great work of the        
codification of the ,roman law4 ,he then
 traces the history of ,rome from the   
time of neas to the thirteenth century1 
bent upon showing that the ,roman       
,empire1 as a world-power over          
governments and peoples1 is divine in   
its institution and providentially      
protected in its course4 ,two facts are 
adduced in crowning proof of this       
audacious statement1 viz41 ,christ's    
choosing to be born and to be registered
 as a subject of ,csar and ,his         
crucifixion under ,tiberius1 acting     

through ,pontius ,pilate as the divinely
 constituted instrument of eternal      
justice exercised by the ,heavenly      
,father against ,his ,son1 at once the  
victim of sin and its atonement4  ,dante
 enlarges on this point in his          
,monarchia4 ,if the ,roman ,empire did  
not exist by right1 the sin of ,adam was
 not punished in ,christ4444 ,if1       
therefore1 ,christ had not suffered by  
the sentence of a regular judge1 the    
penalty would not have been properly    
punished2 and none could be a regular   
judge who had not jurisdiction over all 
mankind1 for all mankind was punished in
 the flesh of ,christ1 who 'hath borne  
our infirmities and carried our         
sorrows1' as said the prophet ,isaias4  
,and if the ,roman ,empire had not      
existed by right1 ,tiberius ,csar1 whose
 vicar was ,pontius ,pilate1 would not  
have had jurisdiction over all mankind4 
,to us both the argument and its        
conclusion are wholly indefensible4 ,it 
seems indeed a mockery and a blasphemy  

to attribute to such a monster as       
,tiberius ,csar glory because ,christ   
was crucified in his reign4 ,dante's    
words1 however1 as spoken by ,justinian1
 leave no room for doubt that the poet  
was convinced that all the ancient      
celebrity of ,rome was insignificant as 
compared to the glory that would come to
 it because it would carry out the      
crucifixion of ,christ4    ,but what the
 standard that has made me speak        
,achieved before1 and after should      
achieve   ,throughout the mortal realm  
that lies beneath1   ,becometh in       
appearance mean and dim   ,if in the    
hand of the third ,csar seen   ,with an 
eye unclouded and affection pure        
,because the living ,justice that       
inspires me   ,granted it1 in the hand  
of him ,i speak of   ,the glory of doing
 vengence for its wrath4                
7,,vi1 #hb47  ,shining among the        
splendors of ,mercury is a spirit who1  
though he was not a lawmaker like       
,justinian1 attained earthly renown by  

arranging the marriages of four ,kings4 
,known by the name of ,romeo1 a word    
meaning a pilgrim of ,rome1 this man    
came a stranger to the ,court of        
,raymond ,berenger1 ,court of ,provence1
 multiplied the income without lessening
 the grandeur of his master and brought 
about the marriages to royalty of the   
four daughters of the                   
household--,margaret to ,st4 ,louis of  
,france1 ,eleanor to ,henry ,,iii of    
,england1 ,sanzia to ,richard1 ,earl of 
,cornwall 7brother of ,henry ,,iii71    
elected ,king of the ,romans1 ,beatrice 
to ,charles of ,anjou1 later by ,papal  
investiture1 ,king of ,naples4 ,charged 
by jealous barons with having wasted his
 master's goods1 ,romeo established his 
innocence and then departed as he came1 
on a mule and with a pilgrim's staff4   
,from affluence he goes a-begging and   
this is so much like ,dante's own case  
that the poet's sympathy goes out to the
 calumniated man1 and he says with      
touching simplicity3    ,if the world   

could know the heart he had   ,in       
begging bit by bit his livelihood1      
,though much it laud him1 it would laud 
him more4           7,,vi1 #adj47       
,justinian's words as to the crucifixion
 of ,christ suggest to ,dante this      
question3 ,why was man's redemption     
effected by the death of ,christ upon   
the ,cross rather than by some other    
mode8 ,investing the argumentative      
propositions of ,st4 ,thomas with poetic
 beauty1 ,dante shows that while ,god   
might have freely pardoned man without  
exacting any satisfaction1 on the       
hypothesis that ,he had chosen to       
restore mankind to ,his favor and at the
 same time to require full satisfaction 
as a condition of pardon and            
deliverance1 there was only one way for 
the accomplishment of this              
reconciliation and that was by the      
atonement of ,one who was both ,god and 
,man4 ,for sin1 inasmuch as it is an act
 against the ,infinite ,being1 requires 
a satisfaction of infinite value4 ,man  

being finite is incapable of adequately 
making such satisfaction4 ,but the ,word
 was made flesh that by ,his atonement  
on the ,cross ,mercy would be declared  
and ,justice would be satisfied4  ,your 
nature1 when it sinned in its totality  
in its first seed1 from these dignities1
 even as from ,paradise1 was parted2 nor
 might they be recovered1 if thou look  
right keenly1 by any way save passing   
one or the other of these fords3 either 
that ,god1 of his sole courtesy1 should 
have remitted2 or that man should of    
himself have given satisfaction for his 
folly4 ,man had not power1 within his   
own boundaries1 even to render          
satisfaction1 since he might not go in  
humbleness by after-obedience so deep   
down as in disobedience he had framed to
 exalt himself on high2 and this is the 
cause why from the power to render      
satisfaction by himself man was shut    
off4 ,wherefore needs must ,god with his
 own ways reinstate man in his unmaimed 
life1 ,i mean with one way or with both 

the two4 ,but because the doer's deed is
 the more gracious the more it doth     
present us of the heart's goodness      
whence it issued1 the divine ,goodness  
which doth stamp the world1 deigned to  
proceed on all his ways to lift you up  
again2 nor between the last night and   
the first day was1 nor shall be1 so     
lofty and august a progress made on one 
or on the other1 for more generous was  
,god in giving of himself to make man   
able to uplift himself again1 than had  
he only of himself granted remission2   
and all other modes fell short of       
justice1 except the ,son of ,god had    
humbled him to become flesh4 7,,vii1    
#he47  ,from ,mercury to ,venus the     
ascent has been so rapid that ,dante is 
unaware that he has reached the third   
,heaven until he sees the greater       
loveliness of ,beatrice represented by  
her greater radiance4 ,as ascent is made
 heavenward it will also be found that  
the spirits are seen not as human faces1
 as was the case in the ,heaven of the  

,moon1 but as lights increasing in      
intensity and manifesting a movement of 
greater speed to the accompaniment of   
diverse music4 ,it is necessary to keep 
in mind this plan of the poet lest      
thinking the lovely lights1 and lovely  
sounds and lovely movements are only    
terms descriptive of physical1 though   
impalpable phenomena1 we lose the deep  
and beautiful symbolism that is the     
magic secret of the seraphic poesy of   
the ,paradiso4 ,of the brilliancy and   
movement of the spirits of the ,sphere  
of ,venus--spirits who in this life     
failed in ,christian ideals because of  
their amours1 ,dante says1 and his      
description is that of an expert        
musician distinguishing between the     
singing of one who sustains the         
main-theme and that of other voices     
rising and falling in subordination to  
the principal melody3    ,and as within 
a flame a spark is seen1   ,and as      
within a voice discerned1   ,when one is
 steadfast1 and one comes and goes1     

,within that light beheld ,i other lamps
   ,move in a circle1 speeding more and 
less1   ,methinks in a measure of their 
inward vision4   ,from a cold cloud     
descended never winds1   ,or visible or 
not1 so rapidly   ,they would not       
laggard and impeded seem   ,to any one  
who had those lights divine   ,seen come
 towards us1 leaving the gyration       
,begun at first in the high ,seraphim4  
,and behind those that most in front    
appeared   ,sounded ',osanna6' so that  
never since   ,to hear again was ,i     
without desire4   ,then unto us more    
nearly one approached1   ,and it alone  
began3 ',we all are ready   ,unto thy   
pleasure1 that thou joy in us4    ,we   
turn around with the celestial ,princes1
   ,one gyre and one gyration and one   
thirst1   ,to whom thou in the world    
didst say1   ,ye who1 intelligent1 the  
third heaven are moving2   ,and are so  
full of love1 to pleasure thee   ,a     
little quiet will not be less sweet4'   
7,,viii1 #af47  ,the speaker discloses  

himself to be ,charles ,martel1 once    
titular ,king of ,hungary1 who on the   
occasion of a nineteen days' visit to   
,florence1 formed an intimate friendship
 with the poet4 ,for the latter's       
edification the spirit expounds the     
problem3 ,why from the same parents1    
children grow up different in           
disposition1 talent and career1 a       
problem just as interesting to the      
twentieth as the thirteenth century4 ,we
 account for the difference according to
 the principles of variation1 heredity  
and environment1 but to stellar         
influence intent upon securing the      
fulfillment of the law of individuality1
 was the difference attributed by the   
medieval mind1 which regarded the stars 
and planets not as soulless spheres1 but
 as orbs palpitating with the life of   
angelic intelligences and radiating     
their influence upon the people of the  
earth4  ,hence it was held that the     
,heavens affected the diversity of the  
characters of children who otherwise    

would be cut out the exact pattern of   
their parents4 ,the begotten nature     
would ever take a course like its       
begetters1 did not divine provision     
overrule4 7,,viii1 #acf47 ,the necessity
 for diversity in man's life is deduced 
from the fact that in society men are   
providentially destined for different   
vocations4 ,wherefore is one born ,solon
 7a legislator71 another ,xerxes 7a     
soldier71 another ,melchisedech 7a      
priest71 and the man who soaring through
 the welkin lost his son4 7,daedalus1   
the typical mechanician47 ,but stellar  
influence always controlled by man's    
free will is often ignored1 especially  
when we put into the sanctuary one who  
should be on the battle field and when  
we gave a throne to him whose right     
place is in the pulpit4    ,and if the  
world below would fix its mind   ,on the
 foundation which is laid by nature1    
,pursuing that1 't would have the people
 good4   ,but you into religion wrench  
aside   ,him who was born to gird him   

with the sword1   ,and make a king of   
him who is for sermons2   ,therefore    
your footsteps wander from the road4    
7,,viii1 #adb47  ,the next four spheres 
being beyond the earth's shadow are for 
spirits whose virtue was undimmed by    
human infirmity and whose place in      
eternal life is consequently one of     
greater vision and bliss4 ,in the first 
of these higher spheres1 the ,sphere of 
the ,sun1 the fourth ,heaven1 ,dante    
sees the spirits of great theologians   
and others who loved wisdom--great      
teachers of men4 ,around him and        
,beatrice1 as their center1 twelve of   
them appear in one circle and twelve in 
another1 while behind those dazzling    
splendors of spirits are other vivid    
lights probably representing authors    
whom the poet had not read or           
comprehended or symbolizing the men of  
science1 the lovers of wisdom1 who in   
the future by their discoveries would   
add to our knowledge of truth4 ,as one  
of the basic truths of ,revelation is   

the mystery of the ,blessed ,trinity1   
here in the ,heaven of the ,doctors the 
dogma is made prominent by special      
frequency of reference and symbolism4   
,the ,creation1 as an act of the ,three 
,divine ,persons1 is mentioned in lines 
of exquisite grace3    ,looking into    
,his ,son with all the ,love   ,which   
each of them eternally breathes forth   
,the primal and unutterable ,power      
,whate'er before the mind or eye        
revolves   ,with so much order made1    
there can be none   ,who thus beholds1  
without enjoying it4           7,x1 #a47
  ,not only by thought1 but by dancing1 
is the same truth expressed3 those      
burning suns round about us whirled     
themselves three times4 7,x1 #gf47      
,again in song they proclaim the mystery
 of the ,holy ,trinity3    ,the ,one and
 ,two and ,three who ever liveth   ,and 
reigneth ever in ,three and ,two and    
,one   ,not circumscribed and all       
circumscribing   ,three several times   
was chanted by each one   ,among those  

spirits1 with such melody   ,that for   
all merit it were just reward4          
7,,xiv1 #bg47  ,in this ,heaven we hear 
the eulogy of ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi  
pronounced by a ,dominican and the      
praises of ,st4 ,dominic sung by a      
,franciscan--consummate art that is an  
indirect invitation to the two orders of
 monks upon earth to avoid jealousy and 
to practice mutual respect4 ,it has been
 said that these narratives give us the 
essence of what constitutes true        
biography1 viz41 a picture of the       
spiritual element in man drawn in such  
words as ever to command the            
understanding and elicit the respect of 
the reader of every period4 ,the first  
speaker is ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 and   
his reference to the mystical marriage  
of ,st4 ,francis and ,lady ,poverty will
 be the better understood if we have    
before the mind's eye ,giotto's painting
 which hangs over the tomb of the       
founder of the ,franciscans4 ,the       
figures in the pictures are described by

 ,gardiner 7,ten ,heavens1 p4 #aac73    
,christ1 standing upon a rock1 unites   
,st4 ,francis to his chosen bride1 who  
is haggard and careworn1 clothed in     
ragged and patched garments1 barefooted 
and girded with a cord4 ,roses and      
lilies spring up behind her and encircle
 her head2 she wears the aureole and has
 wings1 though weak2 but thorns and     
briars are around her feet4 ,hope and   
,love are her bridesmaids2 ,hope clothed
 in green with uplifted hand and ,love  
with flame-colored flowers and holding a
 burning heart4 ,a dog is barking at the
 ,bride and boys are assaulting her with
 sticks and stones1 but all around are  
bands of angelic witnesses1 their       
flowing raiment and mighty wings glowing
 with rainbow hues4 ,in these days when 
money seems the ideal of thousands1     
,poverty1 whose mystical appeal is so   
glowingly painted1 still speaks to great
 numbers of men and women who give up   
material comforts and ease to embrace as
 monks and nuns the state of voluntary  

poverty4 ,let us now hear how ,st4      
,thomas recounts the life and work of   
,st4 ,francis of ,assisi3    ,he was not
 yet much distant from his rising1      
,when his good influence 'gan to bless  
the earth4   ,a dame1 to whom one       
openeth pleasure's gate   ,more than to 
death1 was 'gainst his father's will1   
,his stripling choice2 and he did make  
her his1   ,before the spiritual court1 
by nuptial bonds1   ,and in his father's
 sight3 from day to day1   ,then loved  
her more devoutly4 ,she1 bereaved   ,of 
her first husband1 slighted and obscure1
   ,thousand and hundred years and more1
 remain'd   ,without a single suitor1   
till he came4   ,there concord and glad 
looks1 wonder and love1   ,and sweet    
regard gave birth to holy thoughts1     
,so much that venerable ,bernard first  
,did bare his feet1 and1 in pursuit of  
peace   ,so heavenly1 ran1 yet deem'd   
his footing slow4   ,o hidden riches6 ,o
 prolific good6   ,egidius bares him    
next1 and next ,sylvester1   ,and       

follow1 both1 the bridegroom3 so the    
bride   ,can please them4 ,thenceforth  
goes he on his way   ,the father and the
 master1 with his spouse1   ,and with   
that family1 whom now the cord   ,girt  
humbly3 nor did abjectness of heart     
,weigh down his eyelids1 for that he was
 son   ,of ,pietro ,bernardone1 and by  
men   ,in wondrous sort despised4 ,but  
royally   ,his hard intention he to     
,innocent   ,set forth2 and1 from him1  
first received the seal   ,on his       
religion4 ,then1 when numerous flock'd  
,the tribe of lowly ones1 that traced   
his steps1   ,whose marvelous life      
deservedly were sung   ,in heights      
empyreal2 through ,honorius' hand   ,a  
second crown1 to deck their ,guardian's 
virtues1   ,was by the eternal ,spirit  
inwreathed3 and when   ,he had1 through 
thirst of martyrdom1 stood up   ,in the 
proud ,soldan's presence1 and there     
preach'd   ,christ and his followers1   
but found the race   ,unripen'd for     
conversion2 back once more   ,he hasted 

7not to intermit his toil71   ,and      
reap'd ,ausonian lands4 ,on the hard    
rock1   ',twixt ,arno and the ,tiber1 he
 from ,christ   ,took the last signet1  
which his limbs two years   ,did carry4 
,then1 the season come that he1   ,who  
to such good had destined him1 was      
pleased   ,to advance him to the meed1  
which he had earn'd   ,by his           
self-humbling2 to his brotherhood1   ,as
 their just heritage1 he gave in charge 
,his dearest lady3 and enjoin'd their   
love   ,and faith to her2 and1 from her 
bosom1 will'd   ,his goodly spirit      
should move forth1 returning   ,to its  
appointed kingdom2 nor would have   ,his
 body laid upon another bier4           
7,,xi1 #ee47  ,at the conclusion of this
 discourse the spirits in both circles1 
arranged like the concentric circles of 
a double rainbow1 express their joy by a
 gyrating dance and song4  ,if ,st4     
,francis was a sun upon the world1 ,st4 
,dominic is shown by the next speaker1  
,st4 ,bonaventure1 to be a splendor of  

cherubic delight4 ,in happy ,callaroga  
was born the passionate lover of the    
,christian faith1 the holy champion1    
gentle to his own1 and without mercy to 
his enemies4 ,as soon as his soul had   
been created it was so replete with     
energy that1 within his mother's womb1  
it made her a prophetess4 ,when the     
pledges for his baptism had been given  
at the sacred font1 and he and ,faith   
had become one1 dowering each other with
 salvation1 the lady who had given      
assent for him1 beheld in her sleep the 
wonderful fruit which would one day come
 of him1 and of his heirs4 ,he was named
 ,dominic4 ,i speak of him as the       
husbandman whom ,christ chose to assist 
,him with ,his garden4 ,of a truth did  
he seem ,christ's messenger and friend1 
for the very first inclination which he 
manifested was to follow the first      
percept which ,christ gave4 ,not for the
 world1 love of which at present makes  
men toil1 but for love of the true      
manna1 did he1 in short while1 become a 

mighty teacher1 such that he set about  
pruning the vineyard of the church1     
which soon runs wild if the vinedresser 
be negligent4  ,from the ,papal chair   
which1 in former days1 was more generous
 to the righteous poor1 not because it  
has grown degenerate in itself1 but     
because of the degeneracy of him who    
sits upon it1 ,dominic begged not to be 
allowed to dispense to the poor only two
 or three where six was due1 nor sought 
the first vacant benefice1 the tithes of
 which belong to ,god's poor4 ,he begged
 rather for leave to fight against the  
erring world in behalf of the seed of   
true faith1 four and twenty plants of   
which encircle you4 ,then1 armed with   
doctrine and firm determination1        
together with the sanction of the       
,papacy1 he issued forth like a torrent 
from on high1 and on heretics his       
onslaught smote with greatest force     
where was most resistance4 ,afterward1  
from him there burst forth various      
streams by which the ,catholic garden is

 watered so that the plants in it are   
becoming vigorous4 7,,xii1 #dh47        
,transported into the ,heaven of ,mars  
,dante is made aware of his ascent      
thither only by the glow of the ruddy   
planet1 so different from the white     
sheen of the sun4 ,at once he beholds a 
spectacle far more marvelous than the   
circles of dancing lights he has just   
seen4 ,it fills him with such wonder and
 bliss that he falls into an ecstasy and
 only after that does he look into the  
eyes of ,beatrice1 now more lovely than 
ever4 ,what is the new marvel8 ,a starry
 cross traversing the sphere--a cross1  
the arms and body of which1 each like a 
,milky ,way1 are made up of dazzling    
lights of the souls of those who laid   
down their lives for the ,faith4 ,on the
 ,cross is flashed the blood red image  
of the ,crucified1 likewise formed by   
glowing stars1 the souls of ,christian  
warriors4 ,not stationary do the        
splendors remain1 but through the       
glittering mass they dart to and fro    

like motes in a sunbeam that finds its  
way through a shutter or screen4 ,with  
eyes amazed the poet now hears such a   
wondrous melody that he says3 ,i was so 
much enamoured therewith that up to this
 point there had not been anything which
 bound me with fetters of such delight4 
7,,xiv1 #abh47  ,the names of some of   
the spirits forming the ,stellar ,cross 
are made known to the poet--,joshua and 
,judas ,maccabaeus1 the intrepid heroes 
of the ,old ,testament1 the ,christian  
,knights1 ,charlemagne and ,orlando the 
,paladin1 ,william of ,aquitaine and    
,rainouart1 ,godfrey de ,bouillon1      
conqueror of ,jerusalem1 ,robert        
,guiscard1 military executor of ,pope   
,hildebrande4  ,darting along the arm of
 the ,stellar ,cross and coming to its  
foot is a splendor who greets ,dante    
with warm affection4 ,this is the spirit
 of his great-great-grandfather1        
,cacciaguida1 who sings the glory of    
ancient ,florence the better to describe
 the deterioration of the city in       

,dante's day and to censure its people  
for their civil feuds1 corruption and   
opposition to the ,imperial ,eagle4     
,then at ,dante's request the crusader  
spirit interprets for his descendant the
 various predictions made to the latter 
during his passage through ,hell and    
,purgatory4 ,evil days will come upon   
him 7it must be remembered that this    
prophecy by ,cacciaguida is supposed to 
occur a year or two before ,dante's     
exile71 he will be exiled from ,florence
 and will become a homeless wanderer4   
,let him1 however1 write his poem and   
declare his vision1 no matter if offense
 will be taken by the high ones of the  
earth4 ,he1 having a prophet's work to  
do1 must speak with all the boldness of 
a prophet without fear or dissimulation4
 ,the words1 while assuring the poet of 
the sweetness of everlasting fame1 bring
 to his mind1 also1 the bitterness of   
the injustice of his exile and          
suffering1 and apparently he harbors the
 thought of vengeance upon his enemies4 

,beatrice1 however1 checks his          
resentment1 assuring him that she1 so   
near to ,god1 will assist him--a most   
beautiful passage showing the relations 
between her and the poet1 whether the   
words are taken literally as exhibiting 
her as his intercessor before the throne
 of the ,most ,high1 or allegorically   
considered as declaring that ,revealed  
,truth takes from man the desire of     
vengeance and places his case in the    
hands of ,him who has said3 ,vengeance  
is mine1 ,i will repay4 ,for ,dante's   
spiritual perfection his lovely guide   
bids him not simply look into her her   
eyes 7allegorically meaning not merely  
to contemplate theological truth7 but   
follow the example of men sturdy of     
faith and valiant of deed4 ,the passage 
here follows3    ,now was alone         
rejoicing in its word   ,that soul      
beatified1 and ,i was tasting   ,my own1
 the bitter tempering with the sweet1   
,and the ,lady who to ,god was leading  
me   ,said3 ',change thy thought2       

consider that ,i am   ,near unto ,him   
who every wrong disburdens4'   ,unto the
 loving accents of my comfort   ,i      
turned me round1 and then what love ,i  
saw   ,within those holy eyes ,i here   
relinquish   ,not only that my language 
,i distrust1   ,but that my mind cannot 
return so far   ,above itself1 unless   
another guide it4   ,thus much upon that
 point can ,i repeat4   ,that1 her again
 beholding1 my affection   ,from every  
other longing was released4   ,while the
 eternal pleasure1 which direct   ,rayed
 upon ,beatrice1 from her fair face     
,contented me with its reflected aspect1
   ,conquering me with the radiance of a
 smile   ,she said to me1 ',turn thee   
about and listen2   ,not in mine eyes   
alone is ,paradise4   ,here are blessed 
spirits that below1 ere yet   ,they came
 to ,heaven1 were of such great renown  
,that every ,muse therewith would       
affluent be   ,therefore look thou upon 
the cross' horns4'            7,,xviii1 
#d47  ,now rising to ,jupiter1 where    

appear the spirits of those who upon    
earth in a signal manner loved and      
rightly administered justice1 ,dante is 
again made aware of his uplifting by the
 increased beauty of ,beatrice1 by the  
new light different from that of ruddy  
,mars1 which envelopes him and by the   
perception of his own increase of virtue
 and power4 ,here the poet has recourse 
to a most ingenious system of symbols to
 give variety to his descriptions and   
doctrine1 and so to sustain the interest
 of the reader4 ,many hundreds of the   
souls of the just appear as golden      
lights and so group themselves as to    
spell against the glowing white         
background of the light of the planet1  
the maxim from the ,book of ,wisdom3    
,diligite justitiam qui judicatis terram
 7,love justice ye who judge the earth47
 ,then fade away all the letters except 
the last one1 the ,m of terram1 ,m1     
symbol of ,monarchy1 and that ,m stands 
out in general outline somewhat like the
 ,florentine lily1 the armorial sign of 

,florence4 ,and now other golden lights 
come from the ,empyrean and transform   
the ,m into the figure of an eagle1 the 
bird of ,jove1 with outstretched wings4 
,but the marvel is only partly revealed1
 for soon the ,eagle speaks and its     
voice1 though made up of a thousand     
voices of the ,just1 comes forth a      
single sound1 like a single heat that   
comes from many brands or the one odor  
that is exhaled from many flowers4      
,what a startling spectacle it must have
 been to the mind of the thirteenth     
century1 used to candles as the ordinary
 means of illumination1 to have         
visualized before it the blessed spirits
 in the light of ,heaven1 dancing1      
whirling1 circling in perfect harmony   
and making more formal designs to       
express their bliss by the rapidity of  
their rhythmical movements6 ,even though
 exquisitely quaint as the picture may  
appear to us1 it has been executed so   
reverently that criticism has rarely if 
ever attacked this conception of our    

poet4 ,with light as his principal      
material to make known to us the joys of
 ,heaven1 he has to paint everything in 
high light1 using no shadows and he     
solves his artistic problem by the      
variety of his splendors and by the deep
 symbolism of their action4 ,his nine   
,heavens are not meant to be a picture  
true to reality of what the ,souls in   
,heaven are doing4 ,these nine ,heavens1
 as we said before1 are only myths to   
which from the ,empyrean come forth the 
,elect in condescension to ,dante's     
sense-bound faculties1 in order to      
symbolize certain truths4 ,so in this   
sixth sphere the poet would teach us    
that the ,heaven of ,jupiter represents 
justice on earth and on the screen of   
this sphere he would put forth by means 
of the ,imperial ,eagle the arguments he
 has already advanced in his ,monarchia 
that the ,roman ,empire is divine in its
 origin--that only from such an         
institution can human justice proceed   
from civil government4 ,he represents   

unity coming from the ,roman ,empire by 
his showing to us the unison with which 
all the splendors of the ,eagle speak in
 a voice blended as one sound--clearly  
also an allegory for the ,guelf forces  
to become an integral part of the       
,universal ,monarchy4  ,justice is the  
quality which this ,heaven symbolizes   
and the ,eagle reads in ,dante's mind a 
doubt against the operation of justice  
and proceeds to dispel it4    ,for      
saidst thou3 ',born a man is on the     
shore   ,of ,indus1 and is none who     
there can speak   ,of ,christ1 nor who  
can read1 nor who can write2   ,and all 
his inclinations and his actions   ,are 
good1 so far as human reason sees1      
,without a sin in life or in discourse3 
,he dieth unbaptized and without faith2 
,where is this justice that condemneth  
him8   ,where is his fault1 if he do not
 believe8'            7,,xix1 #gj47     
,the question is answered both directly 
and indirectly4 ,the exclusion of the   
virtuous pagan from ,heaven is assumed  

to be an act of injustice but who art   
thou who wouldst set upon the seat to   
judge at a thousand miles away with the 
short sight that carries but a span8    
7,,xix1 #gi47 ,as our very idea of      
justice comes from ,god all just and all
 wise1 that thought ought to assure us  
that not even the virtuous heathen will 
be excluded from ,heaven4 ,faith indeed 
is required for salvation1 but many     
having faith will be condemned1 while   
many seemingly without it will be       
admitted into ,heaven4    ,but look     
thou1 many crying are1 ',christ1        
,christ'6   ,who at the judgment will be
 far less near   ,to him than some shall
 be who knew not ,christ4   ,such       
,christians shall the ,ethiop condemn   
,when the two companies shall be        
divided1   ,the one forever rich1 the   
other poor4            7,,xix1 #ajf47   
,the indirect answer to ,dante's        
objection as to the exclusion of the    
virtuous heathen from ,heaven is given  
by the poet speaking through the beak of

 the ,eagle and showing in this ,heaven 
as one of the lights of the ,eagle      
itself1 the soul of ,rhipeus mentioned  
by neas as above all others the most    
just among the ,trojans and the         
strictest observer of right4 ,so now1   
says ,benvenuto1 the fourteenth century 
lecturer on ,dante1 our author fitly    
introduces a pagan infidel in the person
 of ,rhipeus1 of whose salvation there  
would seem the very slightest chance of 
all2 by reason of the time1 so many     
centuries before the advent of ,christ2 
by reason of the place1 for he was of   
,troy where exceeding pride was then    
paramount2 by reason of the sect1 for he
 was a pagan and gentile1 not a ,jew4   
,briefly then our author wishes us to   
gather from this fiction--this          
conclusion1--that even such a pagan of  
whose salvation no one hoped1 is capable
 of salvation4  ,in the ,heaven of      
,saturn1 ,beatrice tells the poet that  
she does not smile out of regard for his
 human vision not powerful enough to    

sustain her excess of beauty4 ,the      
lovely symphonies of ,paradise are also 
silent for the same reason4 ,this in    
effect is a poetical way of saying that 
the bliss and glory in ,saturn are      
greater than any beatitude in the lower 
spheres4  ,this seventh ,heaven is the  
,heaven where appear saints             
distinguished for contemplation1 the    
principle representatives being ,st4    
,peter ,damian and ,st4 ,benedict4 ,the 
latter wrote a treatise in which he     
likened the rule of his order to a      
ladder having twelve rungs by means of  
which the mystic might mount to ,heaven4
 ,the second rung in that ladder is     
silence4 ,if ,dante was familiar with   
the ,benedictine treatise1 the          
significance of silence in ,saturn is at
 once suggested4 ,the figure of a ladder
 is a very common one in mystical       
theology1 which borrows the conception  
from the experience of ,jacob 7,gen4    
,,xxviii1 #ab74 ,and he saw in his sleep
 a ladder standing upon the earth and   

the top thereof touching heaven1 the    
angels also of ,god ascending and       
descending4 ,to symbolize the truth that
 ,heaven is to be reached through the   
,church by means of the contemplation of
 eternal things ,dante now shows us the 
,golden ,ladder1 down which gleam so    
many radiant spirits that it seems as if
 all the stars of ,heaven are           
approaching4    ,colored like gold1 on  
which the sunshine gleams1   ,a stairway
 ,i beheld to such a height   ,uplifted1
 that mine eye pursued it not4          
,likewise beheld ,i down the steps      
descending   ,so many splendors1 that ,i
 thought each light   ,that in the      
heaven appears was there diffused4      
7,,xxi1 #bh47  ,in the ,heaven of the   
,fixed ,stars the triumph of ,christ    
gladdens the wondering eyes of the poet3
  ,behold the hosts of ,christ's        
triumphal march and all the fruit       
harvested by the rolling of these       
spheres4  ,at these words of ,beatrice  
,dante turns and beholds all the saints 

seen in the other spheres and many other
 spirits gathered round the ,god-man to 
praise ,him for the ,redemption and     
,atonement4 ,christ here reveals        
,himself in the form of a gorgeous ,sun 
surrounded by those countless spirits1  
appearing as lights or flowers4         
,apparently the poet gets just a        
momentary glimpse of the glorified      
humanity of the ,saviour4 ,the direct   
rays of the divine splendor cannot long 
be endured1 so1 in condescension to     
,dante's weakness of vision1 a cloudy   
screen permits the poet to sustain the  
,vision now irradiating its light on the
 living1 spiritual flowers4    ,saw ,i1 
above the myriad of lamps1   ,a sun that
 one and all of them enkindled1   ,e'en 
as our own doth the supernal sights1    
,and through the living light           
transparent shone   ,the lucent         
substance so intensely clear   ,into my 
sight1 that ,i sustained it not4   ',o  
,beatrice1 thou gentle guide and dear6' 
,to me she said3 ',what overmasters thee

   ,a virtue is from which naught       
shields itself4   ,there are the wisdom 
and the omnipotence   ,that ope the     
thoroughfares 'twixt heaven and earth   
,for which there erst had been so long a
 yearning4'           7,,xxiii1 #bh47   
,after ,christ withdraws to the         
,empyrean the poet finds that he has    
been so much strengthened and           
enlightened by the ,vision that         
increased power of sight is given to him
 again to behold the smile of his guide4
 ,she says to him3    ,open thine eyes  
and look at what ,i am   ,thou has      
beheld such things1 that strong enough  
,hast thou become to tolerate my smile4 
7,,xxiii1 #df47  ,he continues in       
ecstasy to gaze upon her surpassing     
beauty until she bids him look upon the 
meadow of flowers1 the angels and       
saints3    ,why doth my face so much    
enamor thee1   ,that to the garden fair 
thou turnest not1   ,which under the    
rays of ,christ is blossoming8   ,there 
is the ,rose in which the ,word ,divine 

,became incarnate2 there the lilies are 
,by whose perfume the good way was      
discovered4           7,,xxiii1 #gj47   
,the lilies are the apostles1 the ,rose 
the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary4 ,mary1 says 
,cardinal ,newman1 is the most beautiful
 flower that ever was seen in the       
spiritual world4 ,she is the ,queen of  
spiritual flowers and therefore she is  
called ,rose1 for the rose is fitly     
called of all flowers that most         
beautiful4 ,dante says3 ,the name of the
 fair flower that ,i e'er invoke morning
 and night utterly enthralled my soul to
 gaze upon the greater fire4 ,now with  
joy the poet sees the coronation by the 
spirits of ,mary1 ,mystical ,rose1 and  
then his eyes follow her as she mounts  
to the ,empyrean in the wake of her     
divine ,son while the gleaming saints   
sing her praises in the ,regina ,coeli4 
,the eight ,heavens through which the   
poet has come1 have been so many stages 
of preparation for the final vision of  
,paradise4 ,his eyes have been gradually

 gaining strength by gazing upon        
miracles of light and beauty and by     
seeing truth embodied in many           
representative forms to fit him finally 
to see ,god in ,his ,essence4 ,before   
that consummation1 however1 one more    
preparatory vision is necessary4 ,the   
poet must first see the symbolic image  
of ,god4 ,what6 you may exclaim1 will   
,dante be audacious enough to attempt to
 picture the ,invisible ,himself8       
,granted that 'he is all wings and pure 
imagination' can he hope to image the   
,incomprehensible ,being 'who only hath 
immortality and inhabiteth light        
inaccessible1 whom no man hath seen nor 
can see8' 7,i ,tim4 ,,vi1 #af74 ,will he
 not defeat his purpose by employing a  
symbol circumscribing ,him who is beyond
 circumscription8 ,but the genius of    
,dante does not fail him in his daring  
undertaking1 and this is the more       
remarkable because instead of selecting 
as a symbol something infinitely large1 
he choses something atomically small4   

,in the ninth ,heaven surrounded by the 
nine orders of pure spirits ,god is     
represented as an indivisible atomic    
,point radiating light and symbolizing  
the unity of the ,divinity as a fitting 
prelude to the more intimate vision of  
the ,blessed ,trinity which will be     
vouchsafed in the ,empyrean4 ,a ,point  
,i saw that darted light so sharp no lid
 unclosing may bear up against its      
keenness4 ,on that ,point depend the    
heavens and the whole of nature         
7,,xxxviii1 #af74  ,on the              
appropriateness of this symbol ,ozanam  
makes this interesting comment3 ,god    
reveals ,himself as necessarily         
indivisible and consequently incapable  
of having ascribed to ,him the          
abstraction of quantity and quality by  
which we know creatures3 indefinable1   
because every definition is an analysis 
which decomposes the subject defined2   
incomparable because there are no terms 
to institute a comparison2 so that one  
may say1 giving the words an oblique    

meaning1 that ,he is infinitely little1 
that ,he is nothing4 ,but on the other  
hand1 that which is without extension1  
moves without resistance2 that which is 
not to be grasped1 cannot be contained2 
that which can be enclosed within no    
limits1 either actual or logical is by  
that very fact limitless4 ,the          
infinitely little is then also the      
infinitely great and we may say that it 
is all4 ,the indivisible atomic ,point  
of intensest light as a symbol of ,god  
is indeed a sublime conception of faith 
and genius that appeals equally to the  
child1 the philosopher and the mystic4  
,the supreme thing still necessary for  
the consummation of ,dante's pilgrimage 
is the ,beatific ,vision of ,god4 ,that 
occurs in the ,empyrean where symbol    
gives way to reality1 where the ,elect  
are seen no longer in forms veiled in   
light but in the glorified semblance of 
their earthly bodies1 where             
contemplation gives direct vision of    
,god in ,his essence4 ,how will the     

poet1 while still in the flesh1 endure  
this vision of the ,infinite1           
,incomprehensible ,eternal ,god8        
,prepared as he has been by the         
experiences of the nine ,heavens1 he has
 still further need of supernatural     
assistance4 ,that is now given to him by
 means of a flash wrapping him in a     
garment of light1 which blinds him and  
then illuminates his sight and intellect
 and enables him to see a more complete 
foreshadowing of truth dissolving into  
,divine ,wisdom4  ,the spectacle he now 
beholds1 perhaps suggested to the poet  
by the passage from the ,apocalypse     
7,,xxii1 #a74 ,and he showed me a river 
of water of life1 clear as crystal      
proceeding from the throne of ,god and  
of the ,lamb1--the spectacle which now  
presents itself is that of a river of   
light flowing between two banks of      
flowers and vivid with darting sparks4  
,the river represents illuminating      
grace1 the sparks angels1 the flowers   
saints4 ,this river of light wherein are

 reflected the ,elect1 as verdure and   
flowers on a hillside are mirrored in a 
limpid stream at its foot1 is poetically
 represented as having the effect of a  
sacrament4 ,it bestows grace and that   
grace called lumen gloriae1 light of    
glory1 endowing the soul with a faculty 
beyond its natural needs or merits1 so  
disposes the soul that it becomes       
deiform and is rendered capable of      
immediate intuition of the ,divine      
,essence4    ,there is a light above1   
which visible   ,makes the ,creator unto
 every creature   ,who only in beholding
 ,him1 has peace4           7,,xxx1     
#ajj47  ,beatrice tells ,dante that he  
must drink his fill of the stupendous   
splendor by gazing intently on the river
 of pure light1 so that he may be able  
to contemplate the whole unveiled glory 
and then see ,god directly4  ,as ,dante 
gazes on the illuminating stream it     
undergoes a marvelous transformation1   
taking the form of a ,rose the center of
 which is a sea of radiance4    ,and    

even as the penthouse of mine eyelids   
,drank of it1 it forthwith appeared to  
me   ,out of its length to be           
transformed to round4   ,then as a folk 
who have been under masks   ,seem other 
than before1 if they divest   ,the      
semblance not their own they disappeared
 in1   ,thus into greater pomp were     
changed for me   ,the flowerets and the 
sparks1 so that ,i saw   ,both of the   
,courts of ,heaven made manifest4       
7,,xxx1 #hg47  ,the two courts of       
,heaven1 angels and saints1 are made    
manifest in the ,rose which spreads out 
like a vast amphitheatre the lowest     
circle of which is wider than the       
circumference of the sun4 ,above the    
center of the ,rose as the ,point of    
light1 is ,god in all ,his glory and    
love1 adored in blissful raptures by the
 saints who form the petals of the      
heavenly flower4 ,angels with faces     
aflame1 in white garments and with      
golden wings fly down to the petals as  
bees to flowers1 bringing ,god's        

blessings to the saints and fly back to 
,god as bees to their hive1 carrying the
 adoration of the ,elect4  ,beatrice    
leads the poet into the center of the   
,heavenly ,rose4    ,into the yellow of 
the ,rose ,eternal   ,that spreads1 and 
multiplies1 and breathes an odor   ,of  
praise unto the ever-vernal ,sun1   ,as 
one who silent is and fain would speak1 
,me ,beatrice drew on1 and said3        
',behold   ,of the white stoles how vast
 the convent is6   ,behold how vast the 
circuit of our city6   ,behold our seats
 so filled to overflowing1   ,that here 
henceforward are few people wanting6'   
7,,xxx1 #abd47  ,while ,dante gazes on  
the supernatural spectacle ,beatrice    
slips away to take her place the third  
seat below the throne of the ,blessed   
,virgin4 ,as his guide she has led him  
to the highest ,heaven and has          
instructed him in all that concerns ,god
 and ,his attributes4 ,her mission as   
,revelation or ,divine ,science being   
finished1 she withdraws and sends ,st4  

,bernard to bring the poet into intimate
 union with the ,godhead4    ,the       
general form of ,paradise already   ,my 
glance had comprehended as a whole1     
,in no part hitherto remaining fixed1   
,and round ,i turned me with rekindled  
wish   ,my lady to interrogate of things
   ,concerning which my mind was in     
suspense4   ,one thing ,i meant1 another
 answered me2   ,i thought ,i should see
 ,beatrice1 and saw   ,an ,old ,man     
habited like the glorious people4       
,o'er flowing was he in his eyes and    
cheeks   ,with joy benign1 in attitude  
of pity   ,as to a tender father is     
becoming4   ,and ',she1 where is she8'  
instantly ,i said2   ,whence he3 ',to   
put an end to thy desire1   ,me         
,beatrice hath sent from mine own place4
   ,and if thou lookest up to the third 
round   ,of the first rank1 again shalt 
thou behold her   ,upon the throne her  
merits have assigned her4'   ,without   
reply ,i lifted up mine eyes1   ,and saw
 her1 as she made herself a crown       

,reflecting from herself the eternal    
rays4   ,not from that region which the 
highest thunders   ,is any mortal eye so
 far removed1   ,in whatsoever sea it   
deepest sinks1   ,as there from         
,beatrice my sight2 but this   ,was     
nothing unto me2 because her image      
,descended not to me by medium blurred4 
7,,xxxi1 #eb47  ,st4 ,bernard1 the      
mystic1 celebrating the ,blessed        
,virgin's praises in a marvelous        
outburst of song1 unsurpassed for       
lyrical beauty1 beseeches her           
intercession that ,dante may see ,god   
face to face4    ,now doth this man1 who
 from the lowest depth   ,of the        
universe as far as here has seen   ,one 
after one the spiritual lives1          
,supplicate thee through grace for so   
much power   ,that with his eyes he may 
uplift himself   ,higher towards the    
uttermost salvation4   ,and ,i1 who     
never burned for my own seeing   ,more  
than ,i do for his1 all of my prayers   
,proffer to thee1 and pray they come not

 short1   ,that thou wouldst scatter    
from him every cloud   ,of his mortality
 so with thy prayers1   ,that the ,chief
 ,pleasure be to him displayed4   ,still
 farther do ,i pray thee1 ,queen1 who   
canst   ,whate'er thou wilt1 that sound 
thou mayst preserve   ,after so great a 
vision his affections4   ,let thy       
protection conquer human movements2     
,see ,beatrice and all the blessed ones 
,my prayers to second clasp their hands 
to thee6   ,the eyes beloved and revered
 of ,god1   ,fastened upon the speaker1 
showed to us   ,how grateful unto her   
are prayers devout2   ,then unto the    
,eternal ,light they turned1   ,on which
 it is not credible could be   ,by any  
creature bent an eye so clear4          
7,,xxxiii1 #bb47  ,the prayer is        
granted4 ,my vision becoming undimmed1  
more and more entered the beam of light 
which in itself is ,truth4 7,,xxxiii1   
#eb47 ,the veil is removed4 ,he gazes   
into the limitless depths of the        
,divinity4 ,he enjoys the ,beatific     

,vision4  ,first he sees by immediate   
intuition the ,divine ,essence in its   
creative power1 the examplar of all     
substances1 modes and accidents united  
in harmony and love2 then he beholds the
 ,creator ,himself and all the divine   
perfections and all the eternal plans of
 ,god4 ,clear to the poet now is the    
truth of the mystery of the ,blessed    
,trinity unveiled in circles of light   
like rainbows of green1 white and red of
 equal circumference1 the ,second being 
as it were the splendor of the ,first   
and the ,third emanating from the two   
others4 ,unravelled also is the mystery 
of the two natures human and divine1 in 
the divine person of ,christ seen in    
human form in the second luminous       
circle4 ,but the ,vision is so far above
 the poet's memory to retain or his     
speech to express that he cannot find   
words to make intelligible the splendor 
he beholds or the rapture he            
experiences4  ,oh grace abounding1      
wherein ,i presumed to fix my look on   

the eternal light so long that ,i       
consumed my sight thereon6 ,within its  
depths ,i saw ingathered1 bound by love 
in one volume1 the scattered leaves of  
all the universe2 substance and         
accidents and their relations1 as though
 together fused1 after such fashion that
 what ,i tell of is one simple flame4   
,in the profound and shining being of   
the deep light appeared to me three     
circles1 of three colours and one       
magnitude2 one by the second as ,iris by
 ,iris seemed reflected1 and the third  
seemed a fire breathed equally from one 
and from the other4 ,oh1 but how scant  
the utterance1 and how faint1 to my     
conceit6 and it1 to what ,i saw1 is such
 that it sufficeth not to call it       
little4 ,o light eternal who only in    
thyself abidest1 only thyself dost      
understand1 and to thyself1             
self-understood1 self-understanding1    
turnest love and smiling6 ,that circling
 which appeared in thee to be conceived 
as a reflected light1 by mine eyes      

scanned some little1 in itself1 of its  
own colour1 seemed to be painted with   
our effigy1 and thereat my sight was all
 committed to it4  ,to the high fantasy 
here power failed2 but already my desire
 and will were rolled--even as a wheel  
that moveth equally--by the ,love that  
moves the sun and the other stars4      
7,,xxxiii1 #hb47