| |
| “O YE! in chosen fellowship advanced | |
| To the great supper of the blessed Lamb, | |
| Whereon who feeds hath every wish fulfill’d; | |
| If to this man through God’s grace be vouchsafed | |
| Foretaste of that, which from your table falls, | 5 |
| Or ever death his fated term prescribe; | |
| Be ye not heedless of his urgent will: | |
| But may some influence of your sacred dews | |
| Sprinkle him. Of the fount ye always drink, | |
| Whence flows what most he craves.” Beatrice spake; | 10 |
| And the rejoicing spirits, like to spheres | |
| On firm-set poles revolving, trail’d a blaze | |
| Of comet splendour: and as wheels, that wind | |
| Their circles in the horologe, so work | |
| The stated rounds, that to the observant eye | 15 |
| The first seems still, and as it flew, the last; | |
| E’en thus their carols weaving variously, | |
| They, by the measure paced, or swift, or slow, | |
| Made me to rate the riches of their joy. | |
| From that, which I did note in beauty most | 20 |
| Excelling, saw I issue forth a flame | |
| So bright, as none was left more goodly there. | |
| Round Beatrice thrice it wheel’d about, | |
| With so divine a song, that fancy’s ear | |
| Records it not; and the pen passeth on, | 25 |
| And leaves a blank: for that our mortal speech, | |
| Nor e’en the inward shaping of the brain, | |
| Hath colours fine enough to trace such folds. | |
| “O saintly sister mine! thy prayer devout | |
| Is with so vehement affection urged, | 30 |
| Thou dost unbind me from that beauteous sphere.” | |
| Such were the accents towards my lady breathed | |
| From that blest ardour, soon as it was stay’d; | |
| To whom she thus: “O everlasting light | |
| Of him, within whose mighty grasp our Lord | 35 |
| Did leave the keys, which of this wondrous bliss | |
| He bare below! tent this man as thou wilt, | |
| With lighter probe or deep, touching the faith, | |
| By the which thou didst on the billows walk. | |
| If he in love, in hope, and in belief, | 40 |
| Be steadfast, is not hid from thee: for thou | |
| Hast there thy ken, where all things are beheld | |
| In liveliest portraiture. But since true faith | |
| Has peopled this fair realm with citizens; | |
| Meet is, that to exalt its glory more, | 45 |
| Thou, in his audience, shouldst thereof discourse.” | |
| Like to the bachelor, who arms himself, | |
| And speaks not, till the master have proposed | |
| The question, to approve, and not to end it; | |
| So I, in silence, arm’d me, while she spake, | 50 |
| Summoning up each argument to aid; | |
| As was behoveful for such questioner, | |
| And such profession: “As good Christian ought, | |
| Declare thee, what is faith?” Whereat I raised | |
| My forehead to the light, whence this had breathed; | 55 |
| Then turn’d to Beatrice; and in her looks | |
| Approval met, that from their inmost fount | |
| I should unlock the waters. “May the grace, | |
| That giveth me the captain of the Church | |
| For confessor,” said I, “vouchsafe to me | 60 |
| Apt utterance for my thoughts;” then added: “Sire! | |
| E’en as set down by the unerring style | |
| Of thy dear brother, who with thee conspired | |
| To bring Rome in unto the way of life, | |
| Faith of things hoped is substance, and the proof | 65 |
| Of things not see; and herein doth consist | |
| Methinks its essence.”—“Rightly hast thou deem’d,” | |
| Was answer’d; “if thou well discern, why first | |
| He hath defined it substance, and then proof.” | |
| “The deep things,” I replied, “which here I scan | 70 |
| Distinctly, are below from mortal eye | |
| So hidden, they have in belief alone | |
| Their being; on which credence, hope sublime | |
| Is built: and, therefore substance, it intends. | |
| And inasmuch as we must needs infer | 75 |
| From such belief our reasoning, all respect | |
| To other view excluded; hence of proof | |
| The intention is derived.” Forthwith I heard: | |
| “If thus, whate’er by learning men attain, | |
| Were understood; the sophist would want room | 80 |
| To exercise his wit.” So breathed the flame | |
| Of love; then added: “Current is the coin | |
| Thou utter’st, both in weight and in alloy. | |
| But tell me, if thou hast it in thy purse.” | |
| “Even so glittering and so round,” said I, | 85 |
| “I not a whit misdoubt of its assay.” | |
| Next issued from the deep-imbosom’d splendour: | |
| “Say, whence the costly jewel, on the which | |
| Is founded every virtue, came to thee.” | |
| “The flood,” I answer’d, “from the Spirit of God | 90 |
| Rain’d down upon the ancient bond and new, 1— | |
| Here is the reasoning that convinceth me | |
| So feelingly, each argument beside | |
| Seems blunt and forceless in comparison.” | |
| Then heard I: “Wherefore holdest thou that each, | 95 |
| The elder proposition and the new, | |
| Which so persuade thee, are the voice of Heaven?” | |
| “The works, that follow’d, evidence their truth,” | |
| I answer’d: “Nature did not make for these | |
| The iron hot, or on her anvil mould them.” | 100 |
| “Who voucheth to thee of the works themselves,” | |
| Was the reply, “that they in very deed | |
| Are that they purport? None hath sworn so to thee.” | |
| “That all the world,” said I, “should have been turn’d | |
| To Christian, and no miracle been wrought, | 105 |
| Would in itself be such a miracle, | |
| The rest were not an hundredth part so great. | |
| E’en thou went’st forth in poverty and hunger | |
| To set the goodly plant, that, from the vine | |
| It once was, now is grown unsightly bramble.” | 110 |
| That ended, through the high celestial court | |
| Resounded all the spheres, “Praise we one God!” | |
| In song of most unearthly melody. | |
| And when that Worthy 2 thus, from branch to branch, | |
| Examining, had led me, that we now | 115 |
| Approach’d the topmost bough; he straight resumed: | |
| “The grace, that holds sweet dalliance with thy soul | |
| So far discreetly hath thy lips unclosed; | |
| That, whatsoe’er has past them, I commend. | |
| Behoves thee to express, what thou believest, | 120 |
| The next; and, whereon, thy belief hath grown.” | |
| “O saintly sire and spirit!” I began, | |
| “Who seest that, which thou didst so believe, | |
| As to outstrip feet younger than thine own, | |
| Toward the sepulchre; thy will is here, | 125 |
| That I the tenour of my creed unfold; | |
| And thou, the cause of it, hast likewise ask’d. | |
| And I reply: I in one God believe; | |
| One sole eternal Godhead, of whose love | |
| All Heaven is moved, Himself unmoved the while. | 130 |
| Nor demonstration physical alone, | |
| Or more intelligential and abstruse, | |
| Persuades me to this faith: but from that truth | |
| It cometh to me rather, which is shed | |
| Through Moses; the rapt Prophets; and the Psalms; | 135 |
| The Gospel; and what ye yourselves did write, | |
| When ye were gifted of the Holy Ghost. | |
| I | |
| three eternal Persons I believe; | |
| Essence threefold and one; mysterious league | 140 |
| Of union absolute, which, many a time, | |
| The word of gospel lore upon my mind | |
| Imprints: and from this germ, this firstling spark | |
| The lively flame dilates; and, like Heaven’s star, | |
| Doth glitter in me.” As the master hears, | 145 |
| Well pleased, and then enfoldeth in his arms | |
| The servant, who hath joyful tidings brought, | |
| And having told the errand keeps his peace; | |
| Thus benediction uttering with song, | |
| Soon as my peace I held, compass’d me thrice | 150 |
| The apostolic radiance, whose behest | |
| Had oped my lips: so well their answer pleased. | |
