Paradiso: Canto XXIV

"O fellowship elect to the great supper of the blessed Lamb, who feedeth you in such fashion that your desire ever is fulfilled;

if by the grace of God this man foretasteth of that which falleth from your table ere death prescribe the time to him,

give heed to his unmeasured yearning and bedew him somewhat: ye drink ever of the fountain whence floweth that on which his thought is fixed."

Thus Beatrice: and those glad souls made themselves spheres upon fixed poles, outflaming mightily like unto comets.

And even as wheels in harmony of clock-work so turn that the first, to whoso noteth it, seemeth still, and the last to fly,

so did these carols with their differing whirl, or swift or slow, make me deem of their riches.

From the one I noted of most beauty, I saw issue a so blissful flame it left none there of greater brightness;

and thrice round Beatrice did it sweep with so divine a song, my fantasy repeateth it not to me;

wherefore my pen leapeth, and I write it not: for such folds our imagination, not only our speech, is too vivid colouring.

"O holy sister mine, who thus dost pray to us devoutly, by thy glowing love thou dost unloosen me from this fair sphere."

The breath that thus discoursed, as I have written down, was turned unto my Lady by that blessed flame so soon as it had stayed.

And she: "O light eternal of that great man to whom our Lord gave up the keys he brought down of this wondrous joy,

test this man here on the points both light and grave, as it doth please thee, anent the faith whereby thou once didst walk upon the sea.

Whether he loveth well and well hopeth and believeth is not hidden from thee, for thou hast thy vision there where everything is seen depicted.

But since this realm hath made its citizens by the true faith, 'tis well that, for the glorifying of it, it should chance him to speak thereof."

Even as the bachelor armeth himself and speaketh not until the master setteth forth the question, to sanction it, but not determine it;

so did I arm myself with every reason whilst she was speaking, that I might be ready for such examiner and such profession.

"Good Christian, speak, and manifest thyself; what thing is faith? "Whereat I lifted up my brow upon that light whence breathed forth this word;

then turned me to Beatrice, and she made eager indication to me that I should pour the water forth from my inward fountain.

"May the grace that granteth me to confess me," I began, "to the veteran fore-fighter, make my thoughts find expression!"

And I followed on: "As wrote for us, O father, the veracious pen of thy dear brother, who, with thee, set Rome on the good track;

faith is the substance of things hoped for, and argument of things which are not seen; and this I take to be its quidity.""

Then heard I: "Rightly dost thou deem, if well thou understandest wherefore he placed it amongst the substances, and then amongst the arguments."

And I thereon: "The deep things which grant me here the largess to appear before me, are from the eyes of them below so hidden

that their existence is there only in belief, whereon is built the lofty hope; and so of substance it embraceth the intention;

and from this belief needs must we syllogise without further sight; therefore it includes the intention of argument."

Then heard I: "If all that is acquired down below by teaching were so understood, there were no room left for the wit of sophist,"

Thus was breathed forth from that enkindled love; then did it add: "Right well hath now been traversed this coin's alloy and weight;

but tell me if thou hast it in thy purse." Whereupon I: Yea, so bright and round I have it that for me is no perhaps in its impression."

Then issued from the deep light that was glowing there: "This dear gem on which all virtue is up-built,

whence came it to thee? "And I: "The ample shower of the Holy Spirit which is poured over the old and over the new parchments,

is syllogism that hath brought it to so sharp conclusion for me, that, compared to it, all demonstration seemeth blunt to me."

Then heard I: "That old and that new proposition which bringeth thee to such conclusion, wherefore dost hold it for divine discourse?"

And I: "The proof which doth unfold the truth to me lieth in the works that followed, for which nature ne'er heated iron yet, nor hammered anvil."

The answer came to me: Say, who assureth thee that these works were? The very script that would attest itself, no other, sweareth it to thee."

"If the world turned to Christianity, I said, without miracles, this one is such that the others are not the hundredth of it;

for thou didst enter poor and hungry upon the battle-field to sow the good plant which was erst a vine, but now has grown a thorn."

This ended, the high holy court made God we praise ring through the spheres, in melody such as up there is sung.

And that Baron who so from branch to branch, examining, had drawn me now, that we were nigh unto the utmost leaves,

began again: "The grace which holdeth amorous converse with thy mind hath oped thy mouth till now as it behoved to open;

so that I sanction that which forth emerged; but now behoveth thee to utter what it is thou dost believe, and whence it offered it to thy believing."

"O holy father, thou spirit who now seest that which of old thou didst so believe that thou didst overcome more youthful feet drawing anigh the sepulchre,"

I began, "thou wouldst have me here make plain the form of my eager belief, and dost also ask the cause of it;

whereto I answer: I believe in one God, sole and eternal, who moveth all the heaven, himself unmoved, with love and with desire.

And for such belief I have not only proofs physic and metaphysic, but it is given me likewise by the truth which hence doth rain

through Moses, through the Prophets and through the Psalms, through the Gospel and through you who wrote when the glowing Spirit had made you fosterers.

And I believe in three eternal Persons, and I believe them one Essence, so One and so Trine as to comport at once with are and is.

With the profound divine state whereof I speak, my mind is stamped more times than once by evangelic teaching.

This the beginning is; this is the spark which then dilates into a living flame, and like a star in heaven shineth in me."

Like as the master who heareth what doth please him, and thereupon embraceth the servant, rejoicing at the news, so soon as he is silent;

so, blessing me as it sang, three times circled me, so soon as I was silent, the apostolic light at whose command I had discoursed; so did I please him in my utterance.