Paradiso: Canto XII

Second circle of the spirits of wise religious men, doctors of the Church and teachers.—St. Bonaventura narrates the life of St. Dominic, and tells the names of those who form the circle with him.

Soon as the blessed flame uttered the last word of its speech the holy mill-stone began to rotate, and had not wholly turned in its gyration before another enclosed it with a circle, and matched motion with motion, song with song; song which in those sweet pipes so surpasses our Muses, our Sirens, as a primal splendor that which it reflects. As two bows parallel and of like colors are turned across a thin cloud when Juno gives the order to her handmaid (the outer one born of that within, after the manner of the speech of that wandering one whom love consumed, as the sun does vapors), and make the people here presageful, because of the covenant which God established with Noah concerning the world, that it is nevermore to be flooded; so the two garlands of those sempiternal roses turned around us, and so the outer responded to the inner. After the dance and the other great festivity, alike of the singing and of the flaming, light with light joyous and courteous, had become quiet together at an instant and with one will (just as the eyes which must needs together close and open to the pleasure that moves them), from the heart of one of the new lights a voice proceeded, which made me seem as the needle to the star in turning me to its place and it began, “The love which makes me beautiful draws me to speak of the other leader by whom so well has been spoken here of mine. It is fit that where one is the other be led in, so that as they served in war with one another, together likewise may their glory shine.

“The army of Christ, which it had cost so dear to arm afresh, was moving slow, mistrustful, and scattered, behind the standard, when the Emperor who forever reigns provided for the soldiery that was in peril, through grace alone, not because it was worthy, and, as has been said, succored his Bride with two champions, by whose deed, by whose word, the people gone astray were rallied.

“In that region where the sweet west wind rises to open the new leaves wherewith Europe is seen to reclothe herself, not very far from the beating of the waves behind which, over their long course, the sun sometimes bides himself to all men, sits the fortunate Callaroga, under the protection of the great shield on which the Lion is subject and subjugates. Therein was born the amorous lover of the Christian faith, the holy athlete, benignant to his own, and to his enemies harsh. And when it was created, his mind was so replete with living virtue, that in his mother it made her a prophetess. After the espousals between him and the faith were completed at the sacred font, where they dowered each other with mutual safety, the lady who gave the assent for him saw in a dream the marvellous fruit which was to proceed from him and from his heirs; and in order that he might be spoken of as he was, a spirit went forth from here to name him with the possessive of Him whose he wholly was. Dominic he was called; and I speak of him as of the husbandman whom Christ elected to his garden to assist him. Truly he seemed the messenger and familiar of Christ; for the first love that was manifest in him was for the first counsel that Christ gave. Oftentimes was he found by his nurse upon the ground silent and awake, as though he said, 'I am come for this.' O father of him truly Felix! Omother of him truly Joan, if this, being interpreted, means as is said!

“Not for the world, for which men now toil, following him of Ostia and Thaddeus, but for the love of the true manna, be became in short time a great teacher, such that he set himself to go about the vineyard, which quickly fades if the vinedresser is bad; and of the Seat which was formerly more benign unto the righteous poor (not through itself but through him who sits there and degenerates), he asked not to dispense or two or three for six, not the fortune of the first vacancy, non decimas, quae sunt pauperum Dei, but leave to fight against the errant world for that seed of which four and twenty plants are girding thee. Then with doctrine and with will, together with the apostolic office, he went forth like a torrent which a lofty vein pours out, and on the heretical stocks his onset smote with most vigor there where the resistance was the greatest. From him proceeded thereafter divers streams wherewith the catholic garden is watered, so that its bushes stand more living.

If such was one wheel of the chariot on which the Holy Church defended itself and vanquished in the field its civil strife, surely the excellence of the other should be very plain to thee, concerning which Thomas before my coming was so courteous. But the track which the highest part of its circumference made is derelict; So that the mould is where the crust was. His household, which set forth straight with their feet upon his footprints, are so turned round that they set the forward foot on that behind; and soon the quality of the barvest of this bad culture shall be seen, when the tare will complain that the chest is taken from it. Yet I say, he who should search our volume leaf by leaf might still find a page where he would read, 'I am that which I am wont:' but it will not be from Casale nor from Acquasparta, whence such come unto the Written Rule that one flies from it, and the other contracts it.

“I am the life of Bonaventura of Bagnoregio, who in great offices always set sinister care behind me. Illuminato and Augustin are here, who were among the first barefoot poor that in the cord made themselves friends to God. Hugh of St. Victor is here with them, and Peter Mangiadore, and Peter of Spain, who down below shines in twelve books; Nathan the prophet, and the Metropolitan Chrysostom, and Anselm, and that Donatus who deigned to set his hand to the first art; Raban is here, and at my side shines the Calabrian abbot Joachim, endowed with prophetic spirit.

“The flaming courtesy of Brother Thomas, and his discreet discourse, moved me to celebrate so great a paladin; and with me moved this company.”