Canto 24

“O company elect to the great supper of the blessed Lamb, who feeds you so that your desire is always full, since by grace of God this man foretastes of that which falls from your table, before death prescribes the time for him, give heed to his immense longing, and bedew him a little; ye drink ever of the fount whence comes that which he ponders.” Thus Beatrice; and those glad souls made themselves spheres upon fixed poles, flaming brightly in manner of comets. And as wheels within the fittings of clocks revolve, so that to him who gives heed the first seems quiet, and the last to fly, so these carols,⁴⁷⁴ differently dancing, swift and slow, enabled me to estimate their riches.

“You who have been chosen for the great supper of the blessed Lamb, he feeds you so that your desire is always satisfied. By God’s grace, this man has a foretaste of what falls from your table before death sets the time for him. Attend to his immense longing, and sprinkle a little on him. You always drink from the fountain that gives rise to what he is pondering.” So Beatrice spoke. The joyful souls formed spheres around fixed poles, blazing brightly like comets. The wheels inside a clock turn at different speeds. To anyone watching closely, the first seems still, while the last seems to fly. In the same way, these dancing circles,⁴⁷⁴ moving at different speeds, some fast and some slow, let me judge their riches.

From that which I noted of greatest beauty, I saw issue a fire so happy that it left there none of greater brightness; and three times it revolved round Beatrice with a song so divine that my fancy repeats it not to me; therefore the pen makes a leap, and I write it not, for our imagination, much more our speech, is of too vivid color⁴⁷⁵ for such folds. “O holy sister mine, who so devoutly prayest to us, by thy ardent affection thou unbindest me from that beautiful sphere:” after it had stopped, the blessed fire directed to my Lady its breath, which spoke thus as I have said. And she, “O light eternal of the great man to whom our Lord left the keys, which he bore below, of this marvellous joy, test this man on points light and grave, as pleases thee, concerning the Faith, through which thou didst walk upon the sea. If he loves rightly, and hopes rightly, and believes, it is hidden not from thee, for thou hast thy sight there where everything—@is seen depicted. But since this realm has made citizens by the true faith, it is well that to glorify it speech of it should fall to him.”⁴⁷⁶

From the most beautiful thing I had noticed, I saw a joyful flame emerge. No flame left there shone more brightly. It circled Beatrice three times, singing a song so divine that my imagination cannot recall it. So my pen skips over the song, and I do not write it down. Our imagination, and even more so our speech, is too vividly colored⁴⁷⁵ for such delicate folds. “O holy sister of mine, who prays to us so devoutly, your fervent love frees me from that beautiful sphere.” After it stopped, the blessed flame spoke these words to my Lady. She replied, “O eternal light of the great man to whom our Lord entrusted the keys to this wondrous joy, which he carried on earth, test this man on the Faith through which you walked on the sea. Ask him easy or difficult questions, as you please. Whether he loves rightly, hopes rightly, and believes is not hidden from you. For you look upon the place where everything is seen depicted. But since true faith has made people citizens of this realm, it is fitting that he should speak of faith to glorify it.”⁴⁷⁶

Even as, until the master propounds the question, the bachelor speaks not, and arms himself in order to adduce the proof, not to decide it, so, while she was speaking, I was arming me with every reason, in order to be ready for such a questioner, and for such a profession.

A student does not speak until the master asks the question. The student prepares to offer proof, not to settle the question. In the same way, while she was speaking, I prepared every argument I could, so I would be ready for such a questioner and such a profession.

“Say thou, good Christian, declare thyself; Faith,—what is it?” Whereon I raised my brow to that light whence this was breathed out. Then I turned to Beatrice, and she made prompt signals to me that I should pour the water forth from my internal fount. “May the Grace,” began I, “which grants to me that I confess myself to the high captain, cause my conceptions to be expressed.”⁴⁷⁷ And I went on, “As the veracious pen, Father, of thy dear brother (who with thee set Rome on the good track) wrote of it, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and evidence of things not seen:⁴⁷⁸ and this appears to me its essence.” Then I heard, “Rightly dost thou think, if thou understandest well why he placed it among the substances, and then among the evidences.” And I thereon: “The deep things which grant unto me here the sight of themselves, are so hidden to eyes below that there their existence is in belief alone, upon which the high hope is founded, and therefore it takes the designation of substance; and from this belief we needs must syllogize, without having other sight, wherefore it receives the designation of evidence.”⁴⁷⁹ Then I heard, “If whatever is acquired below for doctrine, were so understood, the wit of sophist would have no place there.” Thus was breathed forth from that enkindled love; then it added, “Very well have the alloy and the weight of this coin been now run through, but tell me if thou hast it in thy purse?” And I, “Yes, I have it so shining and so round that in its stamp nothing is uncertain to me.” Then issued from the deep light which was shining there, “This precious jewel, whereon every virtue is founded, whence came it to thee?” And I, “The abundant rain of the Heavenly Spirit, which is diffused over the Old and over the New parchments, is a syllogism⁴⁸⁰ which has proved it to me so acutely that in comparison with it every demonstration seems to me obtuse.” I heard then, “The Old and the New proposition⁴⁸¹ which are so conclusive to thee,—why dost thou hold them for divine speech?” And I, “The proofs which disclose the truth to me are the works⁴⁸² that followed, for which nature never heated iron, nor beat anvil.” It was replied to me, “Say, what assures thee that these works were? The very thing itself which requires to be proved, naught else, affirms it to thee.” “If the world were converted to Christianity,” said I, “without miracles, this alone is such that the others are not the hundredth part; for thou didst enter poor and fasting into the field to sow the good plant, which once was a vine and now has become a thornbush.”

“Tell me, good Christian, declare yourself. What is faith?” I looked up at the light from which the question came. Then I turned to Beatrice. She quickly signaled for me to pour out the water from my inner fountain. “May the grace that allows me to declare myself to the great captain help me express my thoughts,” I began.⁴⁷⁷ I went on, “Father, your dear brother wrote the truth about faith. Together, you and he set Rome on the right path. He wrote that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.⁴⁷⁸ That seems to me to be its essence.” Then I heard, “You think rightly, if you understand why he called faith both substance and evidence.” I replied, “The profound things I see here are so hidden from earthly eyes that people below know them only through belief. On that belief their great hope rests, and so faith is called substance. We must also reason from that belief, without seeing anything more, and so faith is called evidence.”⁴⁷⁹ Then I heard, “If everything learned as doctrine on earth were understood so well, sophists would have no room to practice their tricks.” The words came from that blazing love. Then the voice added, “You have thoroughly examined the metal and weight of this coin. But tell me, do you have it in your purse?” I replied, “Yes, I have it, so bright and round that I have no doubt about its stamp.” Then a voice came from the deep light shining there. “Where did you get this precious jewel, on which every virtue is founded?” I replied, “The Heavenly Spirit rains abundantly on both the Old and the New parchments. That rain forms a syllogism⁴⁸⁰ that has proved faith to me so sharply that every other demonstration seems dull by comparison.” Then I heard, “Why do you believe that the Old and the New propositions⁴⁸¹ that convince you so completely are the word of God?” I replied, “The proofs that reveal the truth to me are the works⁴⁸² that followed. Nature never heated iron or hammered an anvil to make those works.” The voice replied, “Tell me, what assures you that these works happened? Only the very thing that needs to be proved tells you so.” “If the world was converted to Christianity without miracles,” I said, “that alone would be such a miracle that the others would not amount to a hundredth of it. For you entered the field poor and fasting to sow the good plant, which was once a vine and has now become a thornbush.”

This ended, the high holy Court resounded through the spheres a “We praise God,” in the melody which thereabove is sung.

When this ended, the high holy Court sang “We praise God” in the melody sung in heaven. Their song echoed through the spheres.

And that Baron who thus from branch to branch, examining, had now drawn me on, so that to the last leaves we were approaching, began again: “The Grace that dallies with thy mind has opened thy mouth up to this point as it should be opened, so that I approve that which has issued forth, but now there is need to express what thou believest, and wbence it has been offered to thy belief.” “O holy father, spirit who seest that which thou so believedst that thou, toward the sepulchre, didst outdo younger feet,”⁴⁸³ began I, “thou wishest that I should declare here the form of my ready belief, and also thou inquirest the cause of it. And I answer: I believe in one God, sole and eternal, who, unmoved, moves all the Heavens with love and with desire; and for such belief have I not only proofs physical and metaphysical, but that truth also gives it to me which hence rains down through Moses, through Prophets, and through Psalms, through the Gospel, and through you who wrote after the fiery Spirit made you holy. And I believe in three Eternal Persons, and these I believe one essence, so one and so threefold that it will admit to be conjoined with ARE and IS. Of the profound divine condition on which I touch, the evangelic doctrine ofttimes sets the seal upon my mind. This is the beginning; this is the spark which afterwards dilates to vivid flame, and like a star in heaven scintillates within me.”

The Baron had questioned me, leading me from branch to branch, until we were approaching the last leaves. Now he began again: “The Grace that plays upon your mind has led you to speak as you should. So I approve of what you have said. But now you must say what you believe and where your belief came from.” “O holy father, you are a spirit who now sees what you believed so firmly. Your belief made you outrun younger feet on the way to the tomb,”⁴⁸³ I began. “You want me to declare the form of my ready belief. You also ask what caused it. I answer: I believe in one God, the only and eternal God. Without moving, he moves all the Heavens through love and desire. For this belief, I have not only physical and metaphysical proofs. I also have the truth that rains down from here through Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. It comes through the Gospel and through you who wrote after the fiery Spirit made you holy. I believe in three Eternal Persons. I believe these three are one essence, both one and three. So both ARE and IS apply to them. The teaching of the Gospel often confirms in my mind this profound divine nature I have mentioned. This belief is the beginning. It is the spark that later grows into a bright flame and shines within me like a star in heaven.”

Even as a lord who hears what pleases him, thereon, rejoicing in the news, embraces his servant, soon as he is silent, thus, blessing me as he sang, the apostolic light, at whose command I had spoken, thrice encircled me when I was silent; so had I pleased him in my speech.

A lord who hears pleasing news may rejoice and embrace his servant as soon as the servant finishes speaking. In the same way, the apostolic light, at whose command I had spoken, circled me three times when I fell silent. He blessed me as he sang, so pleased was he by what I had said.