Classic Poem

CANTO XXXII.

Argument.

St. Bernard shows Dante the Saints of the Old and New Testament.

G AZING on that wherein his soul did take
Such deep delight, the Sage now freely there
Assumed the teacher's office, and thus spake
These holy words: " She whom thou seest so fair,
At Mary's feet, did open first the wound
By the Maid-mother heal'd. And seated, where
Rises the third great circle of this bound,
Beneath is Rachel, as thou well may'st see,
With Beatrice, in like gradation found.
Sarah, Rebecca, Judith too, and she,
The ancestress of him who, for the grief
Of guiltiness, sang Misereri mei ,
Are here beheld, as in my accents brief
I show by name, while here I downward go,
Along this fairest rose, from leaf to leaf.
From the seventh grade, both higher and more low,
The Hebrew maids and matrons do abide,
Parting the petals of this flower. And know,
As is the look whereby their faith descried
The Christ, they on this wise the wall do build
From whence the sacred staircase doth divide.
On this side, where the flower is wholly fill'd
With leaves, are those who, in the days of old,
Believed in Christ, not yet on earth reveal'd.
And where the semicircle doth enfold
Some vacant spots, those spirits dwell, whose eyes
By faith a risen Saviour did behold.
As, here, the bright and glorious throne doth rise
Of her, the Lady of the heavenly spheres,
And all those others, which, in lowlier guise,
The ranks divide; thus, opposite, appears
The ever holy Baptist, who the lone
Desert, and martyrdom, and two long years
Of Hades bore. And 'neath his feet are shown
Augustine, Francis, and St. Benedict,
And others, downward still from zone to zone.
Here unto God's high works thine eyes direct;
Because both aspects of the Faith do fill
This garden equally. Thine intellect
Should know that those beneath the grade which still
In midst doth sever the two companies,
Had never merit in their proper will,
But only an imputed righteousness;
For all those spirits were absolvid, ere
They could have true election. And of this
Thou may'st be certain by the mien they wear,
And by their childish voices; if thou seek
To see them plainly, and their accents hear.
Now dost thou doubt; and, doubting, dost not speak:
But I will loose the cord which binds thy thought,
Too subtle for thy vision dim and weak.
Ne'er in this realm's great amplitude ye aught
Of casual or uncertain may descry;
As hunger, thirst, and sorrow enter not.
For, 'stablished evermore within the sky,
Is the eternal law that all things here,
As ring unto the finger, do reply:
And thus those souls (so early to the sphere
Of the true life upborne), not without cause,
Of less and greater excellence appear.
The Sovereign, at whose word this realm doth pause
In such deep love and marvellous delight,
That never Will might soar to higher laws,
Created all things, in his smile of light,
And at his pleasure grace doth o'er them breathe
Diversely; the result to know aright
Here must suffice. And Holy Scripture hath
This clearly noted of those Twins, who e'en
Within their mother's womb erst strove in wrath
Thus, as your locks of different hues are seen,
The light of grace a crown doth ever weave,
Most suited to each diverse brow, I ween.
And, without merit, do those souls receive
Their meed of glory, in a diverse grade,
Yet diff'rent but as they its rays perceive,
By ante-natal gift. In days long fled,
To save an infant and yet stainless soul
Sufficed the faith within its parents stay'd.
And when those early ages ceased to roll,
That each man-child might soar on sinless plume,
The rite of circumcision did for all
Avail. But when the time of grace was come,
If not most perfectly baptised in Christ,
Such innocence in Hades had its doom.
Look now within the face which unto Christ
Doth most resemble; for its clearest light
Alone can fit thine eyes to look on Christ. "
O'er her I saw a shower of gladness bright,
Borne downwards by those holy ones which be
Created for this high and glorious flight.
From all the things which I till now did see,
My soul did less of wond'ring marvel wear,
Nor was God's semblance made so clear to me.
The angel-form who first descended there,
" Ave, Maria, gratia plena " sang
Before her, with his wings in the still air
Extended. And on every side there rang
The echo unto that divinest lore,
From all the Heavenly Court, while gladness sprang
Serener on each brow. I spake once more:
" O holy father, who dost bear for me
To leave thy dwelling on the joyous shore
Appointed for thy home, say, who may be
Yon angel in whose eyes such love doth burn
Toward our Queen, that I his form do see
As living fire? " And, eager, did I turn
To him whose light from Mary's rays did flow,
As by the sun doth shine the star of morn.
And he to me: " Both strength and beauty glow
In him with a more full and ample store
Than elsewhere ye in man or angel know.
And it is well; for he to Mary bore
The palm, what time the Son of God came down,
To bear the burden of our flesh, of yore.
But lift thou up thine eyes (the while are shown
These things by my discourse), and let them rest
On the patricians near this righteous throne.
The twain who sit on high, most richly blest,
May of this flower be deem'd the double root,
Those who are nighest to our Queen august.
Lo! on the left, most near unto the foot
Of Mary's throne, the Father, for whose dire
Bold gluttony we taste such bitter fruit:
And, on her right, the venerable sire
Of Holy Church, to whom Christ did confide
The keys of this sweet rose. He who the ire
And sorrow which should grieve the beauteous bride,
Won by the spear and nails, did with his eyne
Behold in mystic vision, ere he died,
Is with him. Near the parent of our line,
Thou seest the Leader who with manna fed
A people ingrate, fickle, and malign.
And nigh St. Peter, there, is Anna stay'd,
To gaze upon her daughter so content,
That ne'er from thence her loving eyes have sped,
Though with Hosannas still her voice is blent:
And, opposite the sire of many a son,
Doth sit Lucia, who thy Lady sent,
When thou, bent downwards low, wast nigh undone.
But since thy yet remaining time doth fly,
Here let us stop, as one who makes the gown
In measure of his cloth. Then raise thine eye
To Primal Love, that thou its inner cell
Of lightning-glory, far as it doth lie
In mortal power, may'st enter now and dwell
Therein. And lest thou move on backward wing,
Still deeming thou speed'st onward, it is well
To beg for aid from her whence aye doth spring
Such grace: then do thou heedfully prepare
With all thy heart unto my words to cling. "
Thus did he speak; and now began this holy prayer.