Wherefore, the joy thy words impart to me 85 Is much increased, my Lord, to think that where Each good begins and endeth-there by thee 'Tis seen, as seen by me; and hence delight O'erwhelms me also, that thou seest it there, Where God affords a mirror to thy sight." "Thy words have made me glad; and since a doubt 91 They have produced, do thou that doubt erase; Namely how bitter seed from sweet may sprout." Thus I -he answer'd: "Let me impress thy mind With but one truth-I will before thee place That which at present thou dost view behind. The Good Supreme, who motion doth dispense, : And bliss through heaven, endues these bodies vast With power to act as his own Providence Nor doth that prescient and self-perfect Mind Consult the natures only, but forecast To ensure the permanency of each kind. Hence whatsoe'er this bow takes aim at, lies Within the reach of its unerring dart; As arrow to its destined object flies: 97 103 Which, were it not the case, these heavens would show The effect in exhibitions, not of art, But of destruction: which may not be so, Unless the Intelligences which direct These stars, defective are, as also He Who first originated their defect. 109 This truth more clearly shown wouldst thou desire ?" "Not now," I said; "since Nature well I see, In her important functions cannot tire." He then return'd: "Would it be worse for man, 115 With social feelings were he not endued ?" “Yes,” I replied, “and thou the cause mayst scan.” "And can he in such social converse dwell, Unless with divers qualities imbued?" "No, if thereon your master judges well." Thus far the spirit his deductions drew, And then concluded: "Different if then be The effects, the causes must be different too. Hence one is born a Solon, Xerxes one, This a Melchisedec, another he Whose flight through air brought ruin on his son. From sire so vile, that Mars the credit bore. 121 127 The nature of the son would ever be Like to the sire, if heavenly foresight had But still a corollary will I add, To show how favour'd art thou in mine eyes.- To nature's everlasting rules give heed, His wit to sharpen in religion's cause; And make a king of him most fit to preach; Reversing Nature's fundamental laws." 133 139 145 NOTES. Page 73. (Line 9.) From Virgil, Æn. i. 717. "Hæc pectore toto Hæret, et interdum gremio fovet." Page 74. (Line 13.) "There is no circumstance in the whole compass of the Divina Commedia more exquisitely imagined than the unfelt swiftness with which Dante and Beatrice, by the mere act of volition, are transported from planet to planet in the Paradiso; nor is the evidence of their arrival at each new stage, in the increased loveliness of the lady to the eyes of the poet, less delicately conceived."―James Montgomery. Page 75. (Line 37.) This is the first verse of one of the canzone of Dante.-" Intelligent," i.e. " by your intelligence." The third heaven is that of Venus. (40.) i e. "Without speaking-and merely by a look, Dante asked permission of Beatrice to address the Spirit; and Beatrice in like manner showed her acquiescence."-Lombardi. (49.) “The Spirit who speaks is Charles Martel, eldest son of Charles II. King of Naples. During the life time of his father, Charles Martel was crowned King of Hungary, (being the son of Maria of Hungary, sister of Ladislaus, King of Hungary, who died in 1290 without heirs) and had he survived his father, would have inherited his possessions; but on his dying before him, his brother Robert usurped the throne to the exclusion of Charles's sons. Dante here makes a prophetic allusion to the bad government of Charles's sons."-Lombardi. (55.) "I do not find that any one mentions this friendship of our poet with King Charles Martel. Perhaps he contracted the friendship on occasion of his having been twice ambassador at Naples to the King his father, or while Charles Martel remained at Florence, expecting during three weeks the return of his father."-Lombardi. (60.) i.e. Provence was prepared to receive me, as my father's heir, had I survived him. Page 76. (Line 61.) "The horn of Ausonia" means the kingdom of Naples, so called as being the extremity or foot of Italy, with which Ausonia is synonymous. (67. i.e." Sicily, darkened by the fumes of Etna, would have now been govern ed by my descendants had I lived longer, and so prevented the misrule which has ensued." In 1291, Charles Martel married Clemenza, a daughter of Rodolph of Austria, by whom he had one son, Charles. These are the Rodolph and the Charles spoken of line 72; i.e. the father-in-law and son of Charles Martel. (75.) "In Palermo took place the famous Sicilian vespers, when all the French in Sicily were put to death; in consequence of which Peter of Arragon obtained the government of the island, to the exclusion of the king of Anjou." -Lombardi. While Robert, the brother of Charles Martel, was in Catalonia as hostage for his father during seven years, he contracted friendship with many poor Catalonians. These he brought into Italy, and promoted to offices of state. "If," says Charles Martel, "my brother Robert foresaw how ill government alienates the hearts of a subject people, he would abandon these hungry and greedy paupers of Catalonia, whom he has raised to civil offices, but who traffic in justice,-lest the people should be roused to vengeance."-Costa. Page 77. (Line 93. This refers to line 82, where it was said that Robert, King of Naples, was degenerate, such degeneracy exciting Dante's surprise, as contrary to the rule, " Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis." Charles Martel says, line 96, that he will explain the cause. (97.) The argument, here begun, and continued to the end of the canto, is as follows:-" Whatever ends are desirable for the well-being of man, are effected by God's providence through the medium of the heavenly bodies and the Intelligences which direct them: and this providential influence, which we call nature, is unerring in its functions. But society, which requires a variety of talents, could not exist, if all were alike; nor is it expedient that all should possess, as by inheritance, the same temper and talents as their parents. G |