Such was my joy, what time an answer clear

Vouchsafed my gracious Lady, nought disguising,
And made the truth like star in heaven appear.
And when she ceased, throughout their compass vast
The circles shot forth sparks, like those arising
From red hot iron, when in a mould 'tis cast:
Each spark kept its own circle, and amounted

In number unto millions more than e'en
The double every square on chess board counted.
Hosanna rang throughout, until the lay
Arrived at the fix'd Point, whose light serene
Keeps each to its own place, and shall for aye.
Then she who saw my inward doubting, said:
"Know this-that Cherubin and Seraphin
Have in the two first circles been display'd.
Thus swiftly follow they their bonds of love,
That they resemblance to the Point may win;
So gifted, as their vision soars above.

The Loves that the succeeding circle shows

Are Thrones denominated by the All-wise,

Since the first Hierarchy they compose.
And thou shouldst know, they all enjoyment find,
As with profounder vision they their eyes
Fix on the Truth, in which rests every mind.

85

91

97

103

Hence it is seen how perfect bliss is founded

In the act of vision, not of love; for this

109

Comes afterwards;-and as fair deeds abounded, (Born of good-will and grace, through heavenly aid,) Given in such measure is the sight of bliss:

Thus happiness proceeds through every grade. The ensuing Hierarchy, blooming ever

In this abode of sempiternal spring,

Which the nocturnal Aries injures never,
Hosanna chants, with joy that knows no close,
In threefold melody-embodying

The threefold orders that the choir compose.
In this are found the triple bands divine-
First Dominations, Virtues secondly ;-
Powers next to these, the third in order, shine.
Lo, Princedoms, and Archangels then advance,
And circling join the grand festivity;
Angels alone complete the joyous dance.

These various ranks all raise their looks above,

115

And have such influence downward too, that they Draw all tow'rds God, as they are drawn, by love. With such desire did Dionysius try

Their numerous parts and orders to array,

That he distinguish'd them as well as I.

121

127

But in their ranks some change did Gregory make; 133

Wherefore as soon as in this heaven his eyes

He open'd, smiled he at his own mistake. And if a truth so secret was display'd

By mortal man, let this not cause surprise; For one who saw it the discovery made, And opened up the wonders of these skies."

NOTES.

Page 262. (Line 1.) "Imparadisa la mia mente;" i.e. "Who raises my soul to the contemplation of heavenly things." -Ottimo Commento. Hence Milton: " Imparadised in one another's arms." In the last canto Beatrice had enlarged on the wretchedness of mankind. (11.) In the eyes of Beatrice he saw as in a mirror that representation of God, which on turning round he saw in reality. "By the eyes of Beatrice are meant the mirror of theological truth."-Ottimo Commento.

Page 263. (Line 14.) The "volume" means the ninth heaven in which Dante now was. See canto xxiii. 112. (16.) A few days before his death Payson said to his wife," Hitherto I have viewed God as a fixed star, bright indeed, but often intercepted by clouds, but now He is coming nearer and nearer, and spreads into a sun so vast and glorious that the sight is too dazzling for flesh and blood to sustain.” (22.) Around this point, at the distance that the halo, formed by vapours, is from the moon, the Angels move in nine circles of

fire, corresponding to the nine heavens. See note, line 66. The "swiftest motion" is that of the ninth heaven. (32.) Iris, or the rainbow.

"EK

Page 264, (Line 42.) Thus Aristotle. Met. vii, 7. τοιαύτης ἄρα ἀρχῆς ἤρτηται ὁ οὐρανὸς και ἡ φύσις.” (53.) The ninth heaven-next to the empyrean, or seat of the blessed,. consisting of light and love. See canto xxvii. 112.

Page 265. (Line 64.) i.e. “Since the material heavens," or "heavenly circles," vary in their size, the largest heaven, or primum mobile, must necessarily be identified with the Intelligences, which are nearest God, and abound most in wis, dom and love, i.e. with the Seraphim: and so on. (73.) "If,, therefore, you judge by the endowments of the Angels, and not by the size of the circles, (the substances that circling are descried') you will find a wonderful conformity between each of the nine heavens and their respective Intelligences, or nine orders of Angelic Directors." (82.) Thus Shakspeare, Henry V. act. iii. s. 2. "While yet the cool and temperate wind of grace O'er blows the filthy and contagious clouds."

Page 266. (Line 89.) The nine circles of Angels, (92.) "Let us look upward and view the heavenly regions above us, where millions of millions of holy Angels dwell. There the kingdom of God is in its glory: there virtue shines in its full lustre and brightness.”—Bp. Bull. See note, xxix. 133. Thus Milton. Par. Lost. iv. 677.

"Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth

Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep:
All these with ceaseless praise his work behold

Both day and night."

(106.) "Beatrice says, that each of them abounds in love, in glory, and in happiness, in proportion to their knowledge of

God, who is the final end and resting place of the intellect." Ottimo Commento.

Page 267. (Line 109.) “Hence Dante proceeds to solve the scholastic question, In quo consistit beatitudo formalis; an in visione an in amore?"-Lombardi. The love of God, he says, follows, does not precede, the knowledge of Him, according to the Scripture: "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. xi. 6. "We love Him, because He first loved us." 1 John iv. 19. (115.) Where the bloom of spring is not blighted, as on earth, in Autumn, when Aries rises at sunset. (121.) "From hence we mount aloft unto the sky

And look into the crystal firmament;

There we behold the heaven's great Hierarchy,

The star's pure light, and sphere's swift movement,
The spirits and Intelligences fair,

And Angels waiting on the Almighty's chair."

Spencer. Tears of the Muses.

Urania.

(130.) See canto x. 115, and note. "About the end of the fourth century, there came forth a book under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, the convert and disciple of St. Paul, Acts xvii. 34, entituled: 'Concerning the Celestial Hierarchy,' -wherein the Author speaks so sublimely, so punctually, with so much assurance of the things above, as if he had himself surveyed the heavenly mansions; and, as a learned man expresses it, taken an exact inventory of all that is there.... Afterwards the schoolmen and others of the Church of Rome, taking the book to be really his, whose name it bears, received all the groundless conjectures therein as very truths.— Bp. Bull. Serm. xi. 12,