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Dominic was he called； and him I speak of Even as of the husbandman
whom Christ Elected to his garden to assist him。
Envoy and servant sooth he seemed of Christ； For the first love made
manifest in him Was the first counsel that was given by Christ。
Silent and wakeful many a time was he Discovered by his nurse upon
the ground； As if he would have said； 'For this I came。'
O thou his father； Felix verily！ O thou his mother； verily Joanna； If this；
interpreted； means as is said！
Not for the world which people toil for now In following Ostiense and
Taddeo； But through his longing after the true manna；
He in short time became so great a teacher； That he began to go about
the vineyard； Which fadeth soon； if faithless be the dresser；
And of the See； （that once was more benignant Unto the righteous
poor； not through itself； But him who sits there and degenerates；）
Not to dispense or two or three for six； Not any fortune of first
vacancy； 'Non decimas quae sunt pauperum Dei；'
He asked for； but against the errant world Permission to do battle for
the seed； Of which these four and twenty plants surround thee。
Then with the doctrine and the will together； With office apostolical he
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THE DIVINE COMEDY
moved； Like torrent which some lofty vein out…presses；
And in among the shoots heretical His impetus with greater fury smote；
Wherever the resistance was the greatest。
Of him were made thereafter divers runnels； Whereby the garden
catholic is watered； So that more living its plantations stand。
If such the one wheel of the Biga was； In which the Holy Church itself
defended And in the field its civic battle won；
Truly full manifest should be to thee The excellence of the other； unto
whom Thomas so courteous was before my coming。
But still the orbit； which the highest part Of its circumference made； is
derelict； So that the mould is where was once the crust。
His family； that had straight forward moved With feet upon his
footprints； are turned round So that they set the point upon the heel。
And soon aware they will be of the harvest Of this bad husbandry；
when shall the tares Complain the granary is taken from them。
Yet say I； he who searcheth leaf by leaf Our volume through； would
still some page discover Where he could read； 'I am as I am wont。'
'Twill not be from Casal nor Acquasparta； From whence come such
unto the written word That one avoids it； and the other narrows。
Bonaventura of Bagnoregio's life Am I； who always in great offices
Postponed considerations sinister。
Here are Illuminato and Agostino； Who of the first barefooted beggars
were That with the cord the friends of God became。 Hugh of Saint Victor
is among them here； And Peter Mangiador； and Peter of Spain； Who down
below in volumes twelve is shining；
Nathan the seer； and metropolitan Chrysostom； and Anselmus； and
Donatus Who deigned to lay his hand to the first art；
Here is Rabanus； and beside me here Shines the Calabrian Abbot
Joachim； He with the spirit of prophecy endowed。
To celebrate so great a paladin Have moved me the impassioned
courtesy And the discreet discourses of Friar Thomas；
And with me they have moved this company。〃
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THE DIVINE COMEDY
Paradiso： Canto XIII
Let him imagine； who would well conceive What now I saw； and let
him while I speak Retain the image as a steadfast rock；
The fifteen stars； that in their divers regions The sky enliven with a
light so great That it transcends all clusters of the air；
Let him the Wain imagine unto which Our vault of heaven sufficeth
night and day； So that in turning of its pole it fails not；
Let him the mouth imagine of the horn That in the point beginneth of
the axis Round about which the primal wheel revolves；
To have fashioned of themselves two signs in heaven； Like unto that
which Minos' daughter made； The moment when she felt the frost of
death；
And one to have its rays within the other； And both to whirl
themselves in such a manner That one should forward go； the other
backward；
And he will have some shadowing forth of that True constellation and
the double dance That circled round the point at which I was；
Because it is as much beyond our wont； As swifter than the motion of
the Chiana Moveth the heaven that all the rest outspeeds。
There sang they neither Bacchus； nor Apollo； But in the divine nature
Persons three； And in one person the divine and human。
The singing and the dance fulfilled their measure； And unto us those
holy lights gave need； Growing in happiness from care to care。
Then broke the silence of those saints concordant The light in which
the admirable life Of God's own mendicant was told to me；
And said： 〃Now that one straw is trodden out Now that its seed is
garnered up already； Sweet love invites me to thresh out the other。
Into that bosom； thou believest； whence Was drawn the rib to form the
beauteous cheek Whose taste to all the world is costing dear；
And into that which； by the lance transfixed； Before and since； such
satisfaction made That it weighs down the balance of all sin；
Whate'er of light it has to human nature Been lawful to possess was all
infused By the same power that both of them created；
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And hence at what I said above dost wonder； When I narrated that no
second had The good which in the fifth light is enclosed。
Now ope thine eyes to what I answer thee； And thou shalt see thy
creed and my discourse Fit in the truth as centre in a circle。
That which can die； and that which dieth not； Are nothing but the
splendour of the idea Which by his love our Lord brings into being；
Because that living Light； which from its fount Effulgent flows； so that
it disunites not From Him nor from the Love in them intrined；
Through its own goodness reunites its rays In nine subsistences； as in a
mirror； Itself eternally remaining One。
Thence it descends to the last potencies； Downward from act to act
becoming such That only brief contingencies it mak