Divine Comedy: Purgatory | Page 6

eyes,
Lo that way some, of
whom thou may'st obtain
Counsel, if of thyself thou find'st it not!"
Straightway he look'd, and with free speech replied:
"Let us tend
thither: they but softly come.
And thou be firm in hope, my son
belov'd."
Now was that people distant far in space
A thousand paces behind
ours, as much
As at a throw the nervous arm could fling,
When all
drew backward on the messy crags
Of the steep bank, and firmly
stood unmov'd
As one who walks in doubt might stand to look.
"O spirits perfect! O already chosen!"
Virgil to them began, "by that
blest peace,
Which, as I deem, is for you all prepar'd,
Instruct us
where the mountain low declines,
So that attempt to mount it be not
vain.
For who knows most, him loss of time most grieves."
As sheep, that step from forth their fold, by one,
Or pairs, or three at
once; meanwhile the rest
Stand fearfully, bending the eye and nose

To ground, and what the foremost does, that do
The others, gath'ring
round her, if she stops,
Simple and quiet, nor the cause discern;
So
saw I moving to advance the first,
Who of that fortunate crew were at
the head,
Of modest mien and graceful in their gait.
When they
before me had beheld the light
From my right side fall broken on the
ground,
So that the shadow reach'd the cave, they stopp'd
And
somewhat back retir'd: the same did all,
Who follow'd, though
unweeting of the cause
"Unask'd of you, yet freely I confess,
This is a human body which ye
see.
That the sun's light is broken on the ground,
Marvel not: but
believe, that not without
Virtue deriv'd from Heaven, we to climb

Over this wall aspire." So them bespake
My master; and that virtuous
tribe rejoin'd;
" Turn, and before you there the entrance lies,"

Making a signal to us with bent hands.

Then of them one began. "Whoe'er thou art,
Who journey'st thus this
way, thy visage turn,
Think if me elsewhere thou hast ever seen."
I tow'rds him turn'd, and with fix'd eye beheld.
Comely, and fair, and
gentle of aspect,
He seem'd, but on one brow a gash was mark'd.
When humbly I disclaim'd to have beheld
Him ever: "Now behold!"
he said, and show'd
High on his breast a wound: then smiling spake.
"I am Manfredi, grandson to the Queen
Costanza: whence I pray thee,
when return'd,
To my fair daughter go, the parent glad
Of Aragonia
and Sicilia's pride;
And of the truth inform her, if of me
Aught else
be told. When by two mortal blows
My frame was shatter'd, I betook
myself
Weeping to him, who of free will forgives.
My sins were
horrible; but so wide arms
Hath goodness infinite, that it receives

All who turn to it. Had this text divine
Been of Cosenza's shepherd
better scann'd,
Who then by Clement on my hunt was set,
Yet at the
bridge's head my bones had lain,
Near Benevento, by the heavy mole

Protected; but the rain now drenches them,
And the wind drives,
out of the kingdom's bounds,
Far as the stream of Verde, where, with
lights
Extinguish'd, he remov'd them from their bed.
Yet by their
curse we are not so destroy'd,
But that the eternal love may turn,
while hope
Retains her verdant blossoms. True it is,
That such one
as in contumacy dies
Against the holy church, though he repent,

Must wander thirty-fold for all the time
In his presumption past; if
such decree
Be not by prayers of good men shorter made
Look
therefore if thou canst advance my bliss;
Revealing to my good
Costanza, how
Thou hast beheld me, and beside the terms
Laid on
me of that interdict; for here
By means of those below much profit
comes."
CANTO IV
When by sensations of delight or pain,

That any of our faculties hath

seiz'd,
Entire the soul collects herself, it seems
She is intent upon
that power alone,
And thus the error is disprov'd which holds
The
soul not singly lighted in the breast.
And therefore when as aught is
heard or seen,
That firmly keeps the soul toward it turn'd,
Time
passes, and a man perceives it not.
For that, whereby he hearken, is
one power,
Another that, which the whole spirit hash;
This is as it
were bound, while that is free.
This found I true by proof, hearing that spirit
And wond'ring; for full
fifty steps aloft
The sun had measur'd unobserv'd of me,
When we
arriv'd where all with one accord
The spirits shouted, "Here is what
ye ask."
A larger aperture ofttimes is stopp'd
With forked stake of thorn by
villager,
When the ripe grape imbrowns, than was the path,
By
which my guide, and I behind him close,
Ascended solitary, when
that troop
Departing left us. On Sanleo's road
Who journeys, or to
Noli low descends,
Or mounts Bismantua's height, must use his feet;

But here a man had need to fly, I mean
With the swift wing and
plumes of high desire,
Conducted by his aid, who gave me hope,

And with light furnish'd to direct my way.
We through the broken rock ascended, close
Pent on each side, while
underneath the ground
Ask'd help of hands and feet. When we arriv'd

Near on the highest ridge of