Noon's fervid hour perchance six thousand miles from hence is distant, and the shadowy cone almost to level on our earth declines, when from the midmost of this blue abyss by turns some star is to our vision lost. And straightway as the handmaid of the sun puts forth her radiant brow, all, light by light, fade, and the spangled firmament shuts in, even to the loveliest of the glittering throng. Thus vanished gradually from Dante's sight the triumph which plays ever round the point that overcame him, seeming, for it did, engirt by that it girdeth. Wherefore love, with loss of other object, forced him bend his eyes on Beatrice once again. If all that hitherto is told of her were in one praise concluded, it were too weak to furnish out this turn. His eyes did look on beauty such as he believes in sooth not merely to exceed our human, but that save its Maker none can to the full enjoy it. At this point overpowered he fails, unequal to his theme, as never bard of buskin or of sock has failed before. For, as the sun doth to the feeblest sight, even so remembrance of that witching smile has dispossessed his spirit of itself. Not from that day, when on this earth he first beheld her charms, up to that view of them, has he with song applausive ever ceased to follow, but not follow them no more. His course here bounded, as each artist's is, when it doth touch the limit of his skill.
She, such as he bequeaths her to the bruit of louder trump than his, which hastens on, urging its arduous matter to the close, her words resumed, in gesture and in voice resembling one accustomed to command. Forth from the last corporeal are we come into the heaven that is unbodied light, light intellectual replete with love, love of true happiness replete with joy, joy that transcends all sweetness of delight. Here shalt thou look on either mighty host of Paradise, and one in that array which in the final judgment thou shalt see. As when the lightning, in a sudden spleen unfolded, dashes from the blinding eyes the visive spirits dazzled and bedimmed, so, round about him, fulminating streams of living radiance played, and left him swathed and veiled in dense impenetrable blaze. Such weal is in the love that stills this heaven, for its own flame the torch this fitting ever. No sooner to his listening ear had come the brief assurance, than he understood new virtue into him infused, and sight kindled afresh, with vigour to sustain excess of light, however pure. He looked, and in the likeness of a river saw light flowing, from whose amber-seeming waves flashed up effulgence as they glided on twixt banks, on either side, painted with spring, incredible how fair. And from the tide there ever and anon, outstarting, flew sparkles instinct with life, and in the flowers did set them, like to rubies chased in gold, then, as if drunk with odours, plunged again into the wondrous flood, from which, as one reentered, still another rose. The thirst of knowledge high, whereby thou art inflamed, to search the meaning of what here thou seest, the more it warms thee, pleases me the more. But first behooves thee of this water drink, or ere that longing be allayed. So spoke the day-star of his eyes, then thus subjoined: this stream, and these, forth issuing from its gulf, and diving back, a living topaz each, with all this laughter on its bloomy shores, are but a preface, shadowy of the truth they emblem. Not that in themselves the things are crude, but on thy part is the defect, for that thy views not yet aspire so high. Never did babe, that had outslept his wont, rush with such eager straining to the milk, as Dante toward the water, bending him to make the better mirrors of his eyes in the refining wave. And as the eaves of his eyelids did drink of it, forthwith seemed it unto him turned from length to round. Then as a troop of maskers, when they put their vizors off, look other than before, the counterfeited semblance thrown aside, so into greater jubilee were changed those flowers and sparkles, and distinct he saw before him either court of heaven displaced.
O prime enlightener, thou who cravedst him strength on the high triumph of thy realm to gaze, grant virtue now to utter what he kenned. There is in heaven a light whose goodly shine makes the Creator visible to all created, that in seeing him alone have peace, and in a circle spreads so far that the circumference were too loose a zone to girdle in the sun. All is one beam, reflected from the summit of the first that moves, which being hence and vigour takes. And as some cliff that from the bottom eyes its image mirrored in the crystal flood, as if to admire its brave appareling of verdure and of flowers, so, round about, eyeing the light, on more than million thrones, stood, eminent, whatever from our earth has to the skies returned. How wide the leaves extended to their utmost of this rose, whose lowest step embosoms such a space of ample radiance. Yet nor amplitude nor height impeded, but his view with ease took in the full dimensions of that joy. Near or remote, what there avails, where God immediate rules, and Nature, awed, suspends her sway? Into the yellow of the rose perennial, which in bright expansiveness lays forth its gradual blooming, redolent of praises to the never-wintering sun, as one who fain would speak yet holds his peace, Beatrice led him, and, behold, she said, this fair assemblage, stoles of snowy white how numberless. The city where we dwell, behold how vast, and these our seats so thronged few now are wanting here. In that proud stall, on which the crown, already over its state suspended, holds thine eyes, or ere thyself mayst at the wedding sup, shall rest the soul of the great Harry, he who, by the world Augustus hailed, to Italy must come, before her day be ripe. But ye are sick, and in your tetchy wantonness as blind as is the bantling that of hunger dies and drives away the nurse. Nor may it be that he who in the sacred forum sways, openly or in secret, shall with him accordant walk, whom God will not endure in the holy office long, but thrust him down to Simon Magus, where Magna's priest will sink beneath him. Such will be his meed.
