Canto 28

After she who imparadises my mind had disclosed the truth counter to the present life of wretched mortals, as he, who is lighted by a candle from behind, sees its flame in a mirror before he has it in sight or in thought, and turns round to see if the glass tell him the truth, and sees that it accords with it as the note with its measure;⁵³² I thus my memory recollects that I did, looking into the beautiful eyes, wherewith Love made the cord to ensnare me.⁵³³ And when I turned, and mine were touched by that which is apparent in that revolving sphere whenever one gazes fixedly on its gyration, I saw a Point which was raying out light so keen that the sight on which it blazes must needs close because of its intense keenness. And whatso star seems smallest here would seem a moon if placed beside it, as star with star is placed. Perhaps as near as a halo seems to girdle the light which paints it, when the vapor that bears it is most dense, at such distance round the Point a circle of fire was whirling so swiftly that it would have surpassed that motion which with most speed girds the world; and this was by another circumcinct, and that by the third, and the third then by the fourth, by the fifth the fourth, and then by the sixth the fifth. Thereon the seventh followed, so spread now in compass that the messenger of Juno entire⁵³⁴ would be narrow to contain it. So the eighth and the ninth; and each was moving more slowly, according as it was in number more distant from the first.⁵³⁵ And that one had the clearest flame from which the Pure Spark was least distant; I believe because it partakes more of It. My Lady, who saw me deeply suspense in doubt, said, “On that Point Heaven and all nature are dependent. Gaze on that circle which is most conjoined to It, and know that its motion is so swift because of the burning love whereby it is spurred.” And I to her, “If the world were set in the order which I see in those wheels, that which is propounded to me would have satisfied me; but in the world of sense the revolutions may be seen so much the more divine as they are more remote from the centre.⁵³⁶ Wherefore if my desire is to have end in this marvellous and angelic temple, which has for confine only love and light, I need yet to hear why the example and the exemplar go not in one fashion, because I by myself contemplate this in vain.” “If thy fingers are insufficient for such a knot, it is no wonder, so hard has it become through not being tried.” Thus my Lady; then she said, “Take that which I shall tell thee, if thou wouldest be satisfied, and make subtle thy wit about it. The corporeal circles⁵³⁷ are wide and narrow according to the more or less of virtue which is spread through all their parts. Greater goodness must make greater welfare; the greater body, if it has its parts equally complete, contains greater welfare. Hence this one,⁵³⁸ which sweeps along with itself all the rest of the universe, corresponds to the circle⁵³⁹ which loves most, and knows most. Therefore, if thou compassest thy measure round the virtue, not round the seeming of the substances which appear circular to thee, thou wilt see in each heaven a marvellous agreement with its Intelligence, of greater to more and of smaller to less.”⁵⁴⁰

After she who fills my mind with paradise revealed the truth about the present life of wretched mortals, I reacted like someone who sees a candle’s flame in a mirror before seeing it directly or thinking of it. He turns around to see whether the mirror tells him the truth. He sees that the flame matches its reflection as a musical note matches its measure.⁵³² My memory tells me that I did the same as I looked into the beautiful eyes Love used to make the cord that ensnared me.⁵³³ When I turned, my eyes met what appears in that revolving sphere whenever one gazes steadily at its turning. I saw a Point shining with such piercing light that any eye it strikes must close against its intense brightness. Any star that seems smallest here would look like a moon beside it, as one star looks beside another. Perhaps a halo seems to circle its source of light most closely when the vapor that carries it is densest. At about that distance from the Point, a circle of fire spun around it. It spun so swiftly that it would have outpaced the fastest motion that circles the world. Another circle surrounded it, and a third surrounded the second. A fourth surrounded the third, a fifth the fourth, and a sixth the fifth. The seventh followed. By now the circles had spread so wide that the whole messenger of Juno⁵³⁴ would be too narrow to contain it. So came the eighth and ninth circles. Each circle moved more slowly, the farther its number was from the first.⁵³⁵ The circle closest to the Pure Spark had the clearest flame. I believe this was because it shares more fully in the Pure Spark. My Lady, who saw how deeply I was troubled by doubt, said, “Heaven and all nature depend on that Point. Look at the circle closest to it. Know that it moves so swiftly because the burning love that drives it is so great.” And I said to her, “If the world were ordered like the circles I see, what you have told me would satisfy me. But in the world of sense, the revolutions seem more divine the farther they are from the center.⁵³⁶ So, if my desire is to be satisfied in this marvelous angelic temple, bounded only by love and light, I still need to hear why the copy and its model do not follow the same order. I cannot understand this by thinking about it alone.” “It is no wonder your fingers cannot untie such a knot. It has grown so tight because no one has tried to loosen it.” So said my Lady. Then she continued, “If you want to be satisfied, take in what I tell you and think carefully about it. The bodily circles⁵³⁷ are wider or narrower according to how much power is spread through all their parts. Greater goodness must bring greater well-being. If a greater body has all its parts equally complete, it contains greater well-being. So this sphere,⁵³⁸ which carries all the rest of the universe along with it, corresponds to the circle⁵³⁹ that loves most and knows most. Therefore, if you measure by power rather than by the apparent size of the substances that seem circular to you, you will see a marvelous agreement between each heaven and its Intelligence. The greater corresponds to the more, and the smaller to the less.”⁵⁴⁰

As the hemisphere of the air remains splendid and serene when Boreas blows from that cheek wherewith he is mildest,⁵⁴¹ whereby the mist which first troubled it is cleared and dissolved, so that the heaven smiles to us with the beauties of all its flock, so I became after my Lady had provided me with her clear answer, and, like a star in heaven, the truth was seen.

When Boreas blows from his gentlest cheek,⁵⁴¹ the sky becomes bright and clear. His wind clears away the mist that had clouded it, so that heaven smiles on us with all its beautiful stars. Just as the sky clears, so did I after my Lady gave me her clear answer. The truth appeared like a star in heaven.

And after her words had stopped, not otherwise does molten iron throw out sparks than the circles sparkled. Every scintillation followed its flame,⁵⁴² and they were so many that their number, was of more thousands than the doubling of the chess. I heard Hosaimah sung from choir to choir to the fixed Point that holds them, and will forever hold them, at the Ubi⁵⁴³ in which they have ever been. And she, who saw the dubious thoughts within my mind, said, “The first circles have shown to thee the Seraphim and the Cherubim. Thus swiftly they follow their own bonds,⁵⁴⁴ in order to liken themselves to the Point so far as they can, and they can so far as they are exalted to see. Those other loves, which go round about them, are called Thrones of the divine aspect, because they terminated the first triad.⁵⁴⁵ And thou shouldst know that all have delight in proportion as their vision penetrates into the True in which every understanding is at rest. Hence may be seen how beatitude is founded on the act which sees, not on that which loves, which follows after. And merit, which grace and good will bring forth, is the measure of this seeing; thus is the progress from grade to grade.

After she stopped speaking, the circles sparkled like molten iron throwing off sparks. Every spark followed its flame,⁵⁴² and there were thousands upon thousands of them, more than in the doubling of the chessboard. I heard choir after choir sing Hosaimah to the fixed Point. The Point holds them, and will forever hold them, at the Ubi⁵⁴³ where they have always been. She saw the questions in my mind and said, “The first circles have shown you the Seraphim and the Cherubim. They move so swiftly along their appointed paths⁵⁴⁴ to become as much like the Point as they can. And they can become like it only as far as their exalted vision allows. The other loves that circle around them are called Thrones of the divine presence. They are so called because they complete the first triad.⁵⁴⁵ You should know that all find delight in proportion to how deeply they see into the True, where every understanding finds rest. From this you can see that blessedness is founded on the act of seeing, not on the act of loving, which follows it. Merit, brought forth by grace and goodwill, is the measure of this vision. In this way, they rise from one degree to the next.

“The next triad that thus buds in this sempiternal spring which the nightly Aries despoils not,⁵⁴⁶ perpetually sing their spring song of Hosannah with three melodies, which sound in the three orders of joy wherewith it is threefold. In this hierarchy are the three Divinities, first Dominations, and then the Virtues; the third order is of Powers. Then, in the two penultimate dances, the Principalities and Archangels circle; the last is wholly of Angelic sports. These orders are all upward gazing, and downward prevail, so that toward God they all are drawn, and they all draw. And Dionysius⁵⁴⁷ with such great desire set himself to contemplate these orders, that he named and divided them, as I. But Gregory⁵⁴⁸ afterward separated from him; wherefore, so soon as he opened his eyes in this Heaven, he smiled at himself. And if a mortal proffered on earth so much of secret truth, I would not have thee wonder, for he who saw it hereabove⁵⁴⁹ disclosed it to him, with much else of the truth of these circles.”

“The next triad blossoms in this eternal spring, which the nighttime Aries cannot strip bare.⁵⁴⁶ It forever sings its spring song of Hosannah in three melodies. These sound in the three orders of joy that make up the triad. In this hierarchy are three divine orders: first the Dominations, then the Virtues, and third the Powers. Then, in the next two dances, the Principalities and Archangels circle. The last is entirely made up of the joyous movements of Angels. All these orders look upward and exert their power downward. So they are all drawn toward God, and they all draw others toward him. Dionysius⁵⁴⁷ devoted himself so eagerly to contemplating these orders that he named and divided them as I do. But Gregory⁵⁴⁸ later disagreed with him. So, as soon as Gregory opened his eyes in this Heaven, he smiled at his own mistake. And if a mortal revealed so much secret truth on earth, I would not have you wonder. For he who saw it here above⁵⁴⁹ revealed it to Dionysius, along with much else about these circles.”