CANTO XI

"O thou Almighty Father, who dost make The heavens thy dwelling, not in bounds confin'd, But that with love intenser there thou view'st Thy primal effluence, hallow'd be thy name: Join each created being to extol Thy might, for worthy humblest thanks and praise Is thy blest Spirit. May thy kingdom's peace Come unto us; for we, unless it come, With all our striving thither tend in vain.

As of their will the angels unto thee Tender meet sacrifice, circling thy throne With loud hosannas, so of theirs be done By saintly men on earth. Grant us this day Our daily manna, without which he roams Through this rough desert retrograde, who most Toils to advance his steps. As we to each Pardon the evil done us, pardon thou Benign, and of our merit take no count.

'Gainst the old adversary prove thou not Our virtue easily subdu'd; but free From his incitements and defeat his wiles.

This last pet.i.tion, dearest Lord! is made Not for ourselves, since that were needless now, But for their sakes who after us remain."

Thus for themselves and us good speed imploring, Those spirits went beneath a weight like that We sometimes feel in dreams, all, sore beset, But with unequal anguish, wearied all, Round the first circuit, purging as they go, The world's gross darkness off: In our behalf If there vows still be offer'd, what can here For them be vow'd and done by such, whose wills Have root of goodness in them? Well beseems That we should help them wash away the stains They carried hence, that so made pure and light, They may spring upward to the starry spheres.

"Ah! so may mercy-temper'd justice rid Your burdens speedily, that ye have power To stretch your wing, which e'en to your desire Shall lift you, as ye show us on which hand Toward the ladder leads the shortest way.

And if there be more pa.s.sages than one, Instruct us of that easiest to ascend; For this man who comes with me, and bears yet The charge of fleshly raiment Adam left him, Despite his better will but slowly mounts."

From whom the answer came unto these words, Which my guide spake, appear'd not; but 'twas said:

"Along the bank to rightward come with us, And ye shall find a pa.s.s that mocks not toil Of living man to climb: and were it not That I am hinder'd by the rock, wherewith This arrogant neck is tam'd, whence needs I stoop My visage to the ground, him, who yet lives, Whose name thou speak'st not him I fain would view.

To mark if e'er I knew himnd to crave His pity for the fardel that I bear.

I was of Latiun, of a Tuscan horn A mighty one: Aldobranlesco's name My sire's, I know not if ye e'er have heard.

My old blood and forefathers' gallant deeds Made me so haughty, that I clean forgot The common mother, and to such excess, Wax'd in my scorn of all men, that I fell, Fell therefore; by what fate Sienna's sons, Each child in Campagnatico, can tell.

I am Omberto; not me only pride Hath injur'd, but my kindred all involv'd In mischief with her. Here my lot ordains Under this weight to groan, till I appease G.o.d's angry justice, since I did it not Amongst the living, here amongst the dead."

List'ning I bent my visage down: and one (Not he who spake) twisted beneath the weight That urg'd him, saw me, knew me straight, and call'd, Holding his eyes With difficulty fix'd Intent upon me, stooping as I went Companion of their way. "O!" I exclaim'd,

"Art thou not Oderigi, art not thou Agobbio's glory, glory of that art Which they of Paris call the limmer's skill?"

"Brother!" said he, "with tints that gayer smile, Bolognian Franco's pencil lines the leaves.

His all the honour now; mine borrow'd light.

In truth I had not been thus courteous to him, The whilst I liv'd, through eagerness of zeal For that pre-eminence my heart was bent on.

Here of such pride the forfeiture is paid.

Nor were I even here; if, able still To sin, I had not turn'd me unto G.o.d.

O powers of man! how vain your glory, nipp'd E'en in its height of verdure, if an age Less bright succeed not! imbue thought To lord it over painting's field; and now The cry is Giotto's, and his name eclips'd.

Thus hath one Guido from the other s.n.a.t.c.h'd The letter'd prize: and he perhaps is born, Who shall drive either from their nest. The noise Of worldly fame is but a blast of wind, That blows from divers points, and shifts its name Shifting the point it blows from. Shalt thou more Live in the mouths of mankind, if thy flesh Part shrivel'd from thee, than if thou hadst died, Before the coral and the pap were left, Or ere some thousand years have pa.s.sed? and that Is, to eternity compar'd, a s.p.a.ce, Briefer than is the twinkling of an eye To the heaven's slowest orb. He there who treads So leisurely before me, far and wide Through Tuscany resounded once; and now Is in Sienna scarce with whispers nam'd: There was he sov'reign, when destruction caught The madd'ning rage of Florence, in that day Proud as she now is loathsome. Your renown Is as the herb, whose hue doth come and go, And his might withers it, by whom it sprang Crude from the lap of earth." I thus to him: "True are thy sayings: to my heart they breathe The kindly spirit of meekness, and allay What tumours rankle there. But who is he Of whom thou spak'st but now?"--"This," he replied, "Is Provenzano. He is here, because He reach'd, with grasp presumptuous, at the sway Of all Sienna. Thus he still hath gone, Thus goeth never-resting, since he died.

Such is th' acquittance render'd back of him, Who, beyond measure, dar'd on earth." I then: "If soul that to the verge of life delays Repentance, linger in that lower s.p.a.ce, Nor hither mount, unless good prayers befriend, How chanc'd admittance was vouchsaf'd to him?"

"When at his glory's topmost height," said he, "Respect of dignity all cast aside, Freely He fix'd him on Sienna's plain, A suitor to redeem his suff'ring friend, Who languish'd in the prison-house of Charles, Nor for his sake refus'd through every vein To tremble. More I will not say; and dark, I know, my words are, but thy neighbours soon Shall help thee to a comment on the text.

This is the work, that from these limits freed him."

CANTO XII

With equal pace as oxen in the yoke, I with that laden spirit journey'd on Long as the mild instructor suffer'd me; But when he bade me quit him, and proceed (For "here," said he, "behooves with sail and oars Each man, as best he may, push on his bark"), Upright, as one dispos'd for speed, I rais'd My body, still in thought submissive bow'd.

I now my leader's track not loth pursued; And each had shown how light we far'd along When thus he warn'd me: "Bend thine eyesight down: For thou to ease the way shall find it good To ruminate the bed beneath thy feet."

As in memorial of the buried, drawn Upon earth-level tombs, the sculptur'd form Of what was once, appears (at sight whereof Tears often stream forth by remembrance wak'd, Whose sacred stings the piteous only feel), So saw I there, but with more curious skill Of portraiture o'erwrought, whate'er of s.p.a.ce From forth the mountain stretches. On one part Him I beheld, above all creatures erst Created n.o.blest, light'ning fall from heaven: On th' other side with bolt celestial pierc'd Briareus: c.u.mb'ring earth he lay through dint Of mortal ice-stroke. The Thymbraean G.o.d With Mars, I saw, and Pallas, round their sire, Arm'd still, and gazing on the giant's limbs Strewn o'er th' ethereal field. Nimrod I saw: At foot of the stupendous work he stood, As if bewilder'd, looking on the crowd Leagued in his proud attempt on Sennaar's plain.

O Niobe! in what a trance of woe Thee I beheld, upon that highway drawn, Sev'n sons on either side thee slain! Saul!

How ghastly didst thou look! on thine own sword Expiring in Gilboa, from that hour Ne'er visited with rain from heav'n or dew!

O fond Arachne! thee I also saw Half spider now in anguish crawling up Th' unfinish'd web thou weaved'st to thy bane!

O Rehoboam! here thy shape doth seem Louring no more defiance! but fear-smote With none to chase him in his chariot whirl'd.

Was shown beside upon the solid floor How dear Alcmaeon forc'd his mother rate That ornament in evil hour receiv'd: How in the temple on Sennacherib fell His sons, and how a corpse they left him there.

Was shown the scath and cruel mangling made By Tomyris on Cyrus, when she cried: "Blood thou didst thirst for, take thy fill of blood!"

Was shown how routed in the battle fled Th' a.s.syrians, Holofernes slain, and e'en The relics of the carnage. Troy I mark'd In ashes and in caverns. Oh! how fall'n, How abject, Ilion, was thy semblance there!

What master of the pencil or the style Had trac'd the shades and lines, that might have made The subtlest workman wonder? Dead the dead, The living seem'd alive; with clearer view His eye beheld not who beheld the truth, Than mine what I did tread on, while I went Low bending. Now swell out; and with stiff necks Pa.s.s on, ye sons of Eve! veil not your looks, Lest they descry the evil of your path!

I noted not (so busied was my thought) How much we now had circled of the mount, And of his course yet more the sun had spent, When he, who with still wakeful caution went, Admonish'd: "Raise thou up thy head: for know Time is not now for slow suspense. Behold That way an angel hasting towards us! Lo!

Where duly the sixth handmaid doth return From service on the day. Wear thou in look And gesture seemly grace of reverent awe, That gladly he may forward us aloft.

Consider that this day ne'er dawns again."

Time's loss he had so often warn'd me 'gainst, I could not miss the scope at which he aim'd.

The goodly shape approach'd us, snowy white In vesture, and with visage casting streams Of tremulous l.u.s.tre like the matin star.

His arms he open'd, then his wings; and spake: "Onward: the steps, behold! are near; and now Th' ascent is without difficulty gain'd."

A scanty few are they, who when they hear Such tidings, hasten. O ye race of men Though born to soar, why suffer ye a wind So slight to baffle ye? He led us on Where the rock parted; here against my front Did beat his wings, then promis'd I should fare In safety on my way. As to ascend That steep, upon whose brow the chapel stands (O'er Rubaconte, looking lordly down On the well-guided city,) up the right Th' impetuous rise is broken by the steps Carv'd in that old and simple age, when still The registry and label rested safe; Thus is th' acclivity reliev'd, which here Precipitous from the other circuit falls: But on each hand the tall cliff presses close.

As ent'ring there we turn'd, voices, in strain Ineffable, sang: "Blessed are the poor In spirit." Ah how far unlike to these The straits of h.e.l.l; here songs to usher us, There shrieks of woe! We climb the holy stairs: And lighter to myself by far I seem'd Than on the plain before, whence thus I spake: "Say, master, of what heavy thing have I Been lighten'd, that scarce aught the sense of toil Affects me journeying?" He in few replied: "When sin's broad characters, that yet remain Upon thy temples, though well nigh effac'd, Shall be, as one is, all clean razed out, Then shall thy feet by heartiness of will Be so o'ercome, they not alone shall feel No sense of labour, but delight much more Shall wait them urg'd along their upward way."

Then like to one, upon whose head is plac'd Somewhat he deems not of but from the becks Of others as they pa.s.s him by; his hand Lends therefore help to' a.s.sure him, searches, finds, And well performs such office as the eye Wants power to execute: so stretching forth The fingers of my right hand, did I find Six only of the letters, which his sword Who bare the keys had trac'd upon my brow.

The leader, as he mark'd mine action, smil'd.

CANTO XIII

We reach'd the summit of the scale, and stood Upon the second b.u.t.tress of that mount Which healeth him who climbs. A cornice there, Like to the former, girdles round the hill; Save that its arch with sweep less ample bends.

Shadow nor image there is seen; all smooth The rampart and the path, reflecting nought But the rock's sullen hue. "If here we wait For some to question," said the bard, "I fear Our choice may haply meet too long delay."

Then fixedly upon the sun his eyes He fastn'd, made his right the central point From whence to move, and turn'd the left aside.

"O pleasant light, my confidence and hope, Conduct us thou," he cried, "on this new way, Where now I venture, leading to the bourn We seek. The universal world to thee Owes warmth and l.u.s.tre. If no other cause Forbid, thy beams should ever be our guide."

Far, as is measur'd for a mile on earth, In brief s.p.a.ce had we journey'd; such prompt will Impell'd; and towards us flying, now were heard Spirits invisible, who courteously Unto love's table bade the welcome guest.

The voice, that firstlew by, call'd forth aloud, "They have no wine;" so on behind us past, Those sounds reiterating, nor yet lost In the faint distance, when another came Crying, "I am Orestes," and alike Wing'd its fleet way. "Oh father!" I exclaim'd, "What tongues are these?" and as I question'd, lo!

A third exclaiming, "Love ye those have wrong'd you."

"This circuit," said my teacher, "knots the scourge For envy, and the cords are therefore drawn By charity's correcting hand. The curb Is of a harsher sound, as thou shalt hear (If I deem rightly), ere thou reach the pa.s.s, Where pardon sets them free. But fix thine eyes Intently through the air, and thou shalt see A mult.i.tude before thee seated, each Along the shelving grot." Then more than erst I op'd my eyes, before me view'd, and saw Shadows with garments dark as was the rock; And when we pa.s.s'd a little forth, I heard A crying, "Blessed Mary! pray for us, Michael and Peter! all ye saintly host!"

I do not think there walks on earth this day Man so remorseless, that he hath not yearn'd With pity at the sight that next I saw.

Mine eyes a load of sorrow teemed, when now I stood so near them, that their semblances Came clearly to my view. Of sackcloth vile Their cov'ring seem'd; and on his shoulder one Did stay another, leaning, and all lean'd Against the cliff. E'en thus the blind and poor, Near the confessionals, to crave an alms, Stand, each his head upon his fellow's sunk,

So most to stir compa.s.sion, not by sound Of words alone, but that, which moves not less, The sight of mis'ry. And as never beam Of noonday visiteth the eyeless man, E'en so was heav'n a n.i.g.g.ard unto these Of his fair light; for, through the orbs of all, A thread of wire, impiercing, knits them up, As for the taming of a haggard hawk.