Paradiso: Canto IV
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Dante Alighieri and Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Between two viands, equally removed And tempting, a free man would die of hunger Ere either he could bring unto his teeth.
So would a lamb between the ravenings Of two fierce wolves stand fearing both alike; And so would stand a dog between two does.
Hence, if I held my peace, myself I blame not, Impelled in equal measure by my doubts, Since it must be so, nor do I commend.
I held my peace; but my desire was painted Upon my face, and questioning with that More fervent far than by articulate speech.
Beatrice did as Daniel had done Relieving Nebuchadnezzar from the wrath Which rendered him unjustly merciless,
And said: “Well see I how attracteth thee One and the other wish, so that thy care Binds itself so that forth it does not breathe.
Thou arguest, if good will be permanent, The violence of others, for what reason Doth it decrease the measure of my merit?
Again for doubting furnish thee occasion Souls seeming to return unto the stars, According to the sentiment of Plato.
These are the questions which upon thy wish Are thrusting equally; and therefore first Will I treat that which hath the most of gall.
He of the Seraphim most absorbed in God, Moses, and Samuel, and whichever John Thou mayst select, I say, and even Mary,
Have not in any other heaven their seats, Than have those spirits that just appeared to thee, Nor of existence more or fewer years;
But all make beautiful the primal circle, And have sweet life in different degrees, By feeling more or less the eternal breath.
They showed themselves here, not because allotted This sphere has been to them, but to give sign Of the celestial which is least exalted.
To speak thus is adapted to your mind, Since only through the sense it apprehendeth What then it worthy makes of intellect.
On this account the Scripture condescends Unto your faculties, and feet and hands To God attributes, and means something else;
And Holy Church under an aspect human Gabriel and Michael represent to you, And him who made Tobias whole again.
That which Timaeus argues of the soul Doth not resemble that which here is seen, Because it seems that as he speaks he thinks.
He says the soul unto its star returns, Believing it to have been severed thence Whenever nature gave it as a form.
Perhaps his doctrine is of other guise Than the words sound, and possibly may be With meaning that is not to be derided.
If he doth mean that to these wheels return The honour of their influence and the blame, Perhaps his bow doth hit upon some truth.
This principle ill understood once warped The whole world nearly, till it went astray Invoking Jove and Mercury and Mars.
The other doubt which doth disquiet thee Less venom has, for its malevolence Could never lead thee otherwhere from me.
That as unjust our justice should appear In eyes of mortals, is an argument Of faith, and not of sin heretical.
But still, that your perception may be able To thoroughly penetrate this verity, As thou desirest, I will satisfy thee.
If it be violence when he who suffers Co-operates not with him who uses force, These souls were not on that account excused;
For will is never quenched unless it will, But operates as nature doth in fire If violence a thousand times distort it.
Hence, if it yieldeth more or less, it seconds The force; and these have done so, having power Of turning back unto the holy place.
If their will had been perfect, like to that Which Lawrence fast upon his gridiron held, And Mutius made severe to his own hand,
It would have urged them back along the road Whence they were dragged, as soon as they were free; But such a solid will is all too rare.
And by these words, if thou hast gathered them As thou shouldst do, the argument is refuted That would have still annoyed thee many times.
But now another passage runs across Before thine eyes, and such that by thyself Thou couldst not thread it ere thou wouldst be weary.
I have for certain put into thy mind That soul beatified could never lie, For it is near the primal Truth,
And then thou from Piccarda might’st have heard Costanza kept affection for the veil, So that she seemeth here to contradict me.
Many times, brother, has it come to pass, That, to escape from peril, with reluctance That has been done it was not right to do,
E’en as Alcmaeon (who, being by his father Thereto entreated, his own mother slew) Not to lose pity pitiless became.
At this point I desire thee to remember That force with will commingles, and they cause That the offences cannot be excused.
Will absolute consenteth not to evil; But in so far consenteth as it fears, If it refrain, to fall into more harm.
Hence when Piccarda uses this expression, She meaneth the will absolute, and I The other, so that both of us speak truth.”
Such was the flowing of the holy river That issued from the fount whence springs all truth; This put to rest my wishes one and all.
“O love of the first lover, O divine,” Said I forthwith, “whose speech inundates me And warms me so, it more and more revives me,