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And from her bosom the illustrious soul

Wished to depart, returning to its realm,

And for its body wished no other bier.
Think now what man was he, who was a fit

Companion over the high seas to keep
The bark of Peter to its proper bearings.
And this man was our Patriarch; hence whoever
Doth follow him as he commands can see

That he is laden with good merchandise.

But for new pasturage his flock has grown

So greedy, that it is impossible

They be not scattered over fields diverse;

And in proportion as his sheep remote

And vagabond go farther off from him,
More void of milk return they to the fold.

Verily some there are that fear a hurt,

And keep close to the shepherd; but so few,
That little cloth doth furnish forth their hoods.

Now if my utterance be not indistinct,

If thine own hearing hath attentive been,

If thou recall to mind what I have said,

In part contented shall thy wishes be;

For thou shalt see the plant that's chipped away,
And the rebuke that lieth in the words,
'Where well one fattens, if he strayeth not.'

,,,

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CANTO XII.

ON as the blessed flame had taken up

SOON

The final word to give it utterance,

Began the holy millstone to revolve,
And in its gyre had not turned wholly round,
Before another in a ring enclosed it,

And motion joined to motion, song to song;
Song that as greatly doth transcend our Muses,

Our Sirens, in those dulcet clarions,

As primal splendor that which is reflected.
And as are spanned athwart a tender cloud

Two rainbows parallel and like in color,
When Juno to her handmaid gives command,

(The one without born of the one within,

Like to the speaking of that vagrant one

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Whom love consumed as doth the sun the vapors,) 15 And make the people here, through covenant God set with Noah, presageful of the world

That shall no more be covered with a flood,

In such wise of those sempiternal roses

The garlands twain encompassed us about, And thus the outer to the inner answered. After the dance, and other grand rejoicings,

Both of the singing, and the flaming forth Effulgence with effulgence blithe and tender, Together, at once, with one accord had stopped,

(Even as the eyes, that, as volition moves them, Must needs together shut and lift themselves,) Out of the heart of one of the new lights

There came a voice, that needle to the star Made me appear in turning thitherward. And it began: "The love that makes me fair

Draws me to speak about the other leader, By whom so well is spoken here of mine. 'Tis right, where one is, to bring in the other,

That, as they were united in their warfare,
Together likewise may their glory shine.

The soldiery of Christ, which it had cost

So dear to arm again, behind the standard
Moved slow and doubtful and in numbers few,

When the Emperor who reigneth evermore

Provided for the host that was in peril,

Through grace alone and not that it was worthy;

And, as was said, he to his Bride brought succor

With champions twain, at whose deed, at whose word

The straggling people were together drawn.

Within that region where the sweet west wind

Rises to open the new leaves, wherewith
Europe is seen to clothe herself afresh,
Not far off from the beating of the waves,

Behind which in his long career the sun
Sometimes conceals himself from every man,

Is situate the fortunate Calahorra,

Under protection of the mighty shield

In which the Lion subject is and sovereign.

Therein was born the amorous paramour

Of Christian Faith, the athlete consecrate,
Kind to his own and cruel to his foes;
And when it was created was his mind

Replete with such a living energy,
That in his mother her it made prophetic.

As soon as the espousals were complete

Between him and the Faith at holy font,

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Where they with mutual safety dowered each other,

The woman,

who for him had given assent,

Saw in a dream the admirable fruit

That issue would from him and from his heirs;

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And that he might be construed as he was,

A spirit from this place went forth to name him

With His possessive whose he wholly was.
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

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Was the first counsel that was given by Christ.

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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,)

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