Canto 18

The lofty Teacher had put an end to his discourse, and looked attentive on my face to see if I appeared content; and I, whom a fresh thirst already was goading, was silent outwardly, and within was saying, “Perhaps the too much questioning I make annoys him.” But that true Father, who perceived the timid wish which did not disclose itself, by speaking gave me hardihood to speak. Then I, “My sight is so vivified in thy light that I discern clearly all that thy discourse may imply or declare: therefore I pray thee, sweet Father dear, that thou demonstrate to me the love to which thou referrest every good action and its contrary.” “Direct,” he said, “toward me the keen eyes of the understanding, and the error of the blind who make themselves leaders will be manifest to thee. The mind, which is created apt to love, is mobile unto everything that pleases, soon as by pleasure it is roused to action. Your faculty of apprehension draws an image from a real existence, and within you displays it, so that it makes the mind turn to it; and if, thus turned, the mind incline toward it, that inclination is love, that inclination is nature which is bound anew in you by pleasure.²⁴³ Then, as the fire moveth upward by its own form,²⁴⁴ which is born to ascend thither where it lasts longest in its material, so the captive mind enters into longing, which is a spiritual motion, and never rests until the thing beloved makes it rejoice. Now it may be apparent to thee, how far the truth is hidden from the people who aver that every love is in itself a laudable thing; because perchance its matter appears always to be good;²⁴⁵ but not every seal is good although the wax be good.”

The noble Teacher had finished speaking. He looked closely at my face to see whether I seemed satisfied. But a fresh thirst was already urging me on. I said nothing aloud, while inwardly I thought, “Perhaps my many questions are annoying him.” But that true Father sensed the timid wish I had not revealed. By speaking, he gave me courage to speak. Then I said, “My sight is so enlivened by your light that I clearly understand all your words imply or state. So I pray you, dear, kind Father, explain to me the love to which you trace every good action and its opposite.” “Turn the keen eyes of your understanding toward me,” he said. “Then the error of those blind people who make themselves leaders will become clear to you. The mind is created ready to love. As soon as pleasure rouses it to act, it turns toward whatever pleases it. Your power of perception draws an image from something real and presents it within you. The image makes the mind turn toward it. If the mind then inclines toward the image, that inclination is love. It is nature, newly bound within you by pleasure.²⁴³ “Fire moves upward because of its own nature,²⁴⁴ which makes it rise to where it lasts longest in its material. In the same way, the captivated mind begins to long. This longing is a movement of the spirit, and it never rests until the beloved thing brings it joy. Now you may see how far the truth is hidden from those who claim that every love is worthy of praise. They may believe this because love's object always appears to be good.²⁴⁵ But not every seal is good, although the wax is good.”

“Thy words, and my understanding which follows,” replied I to him, “have revealed love to me; but that has made me more full of doubt. For if love is offered to us from without, and if with other foot the soul go not, if strait or crooked she go is not her own merit.”²⁴⁶ And he to me, “So much as reason seeth here can I tell thee; beyond that await still for Beatrice; for it is a work of faith. Every substantial form that is separate from matter, and is united with it,²⁴⁷ has a specific virtue residing in itself which without action is not perceived, nor shows itself save by its effect, as by green leaves the life in a plant. Yet, whence the intelligence of the first cognitions comes man doth not know, nor whence the affection for the first objects of desire, which exist in you even as zeal in the bee for making honey: and this first will admits not desert of praise or blame. Now in order that to this every other may be gathered,²⁴⁸ the virtue that counsels²⁴⁹ is innate in you, and ought to keep the threshold of assent. This is the principle wherefrom is derived the reason of desert in you, according as it gathers in and winnows good and evil loves. Those who in reasoning went to the foundation took note of this innate liberty, wherefore they bequeathed morals²⁵⁰ to the world. Assuming then that every love which is kindled within you arises of necessity, the power exists in you to restrain it. This noble virtue Beatrice calls the free will, and therefore see that thou have it in mind, if she take to speaking of it with thee.”

“Your words and my understanding of them,” I replied, “have revealed love to me. But that has only filled me with more doubt. For if love comes to us from outside, and the soul moves only through love, then whether it goes straight or astray is not to its own credit or blame.”²⁴⁶ And he said to me, “I can tell you only what reason can see here. Beyond that, wait for Beatrice, for it is a matter of faith. Every substantial form, both one separate from matter and one united with it,²⁴⁷ has a power of its own. That power cannot be perceived until it acts. It shows itself only through its effect, just as a plant’s life shows itself through green leaves. “Yet no one knows where our understanding of first principles comes from. Nor do we know where our desire for the first things we seek comes from. These exist in you just as the impulse to make honey exists in a bee. This first desire deserves neither praise nor blame. Now, so that all your other desires may be brought into harmony with it,²⁴⁸ you are born with a power of judgment.²⁴⁹ That power should guard the threshold of consent. It is the source of your merit or blame, as it accepts or rejects good and evil loves. “Those who reasoned their way to the foundations recognized this inborn freedom. That is why they left moral teaching²⁵⁰ to the world. So, even assuming that every love kindled within you arises of necessity, you have the power to restrain it. Beatrice calls this noble power free will. Remember that if she speaks to you about it.”

The moon, belated²⁵¹ almost to midnight, shaped²⁵² like a bucket that is all ablaze, was making the stars appear fewer to us, and was running counter to the heavens²⁵³ along those paths which the sun inflames, when the man of Rome sees it between Sardinia and Corsica at its setting;²⁵⁴ and that gentle shade, for whom Pietola²⁵⁵ is more famed than the Mantuan city, had laid down the burden of my loading:²⁵⁶ wherefore I, who had harvested his open and plain discourse upon my questions, was standing like a man who, drowsy, rambles. But this drowsiness was taken from me suddenly by folk, who, behind our backs, had now come round to us. And such as was the rage and throng, which of old Ismenus and Asopus saw at night along their banks, in case the Thebans were in need of Bacchus, so, according to what I saw of them as they came, those who by good will and right love are ridden curve their steps along that circle. Soon they were upon us; because, running, all that great crowd was moving on; and two in front, weeping, were crying out, “Mary ran with haste unto the mountain ²⁵⁷ and Caesar, to subdue Ilerda, thrust at Marseilles, and then ran on to Spain.”²⁵⁸ “Swift, swift, that time be not lost by little love,” cried the others following, “for zeal in doing well may refreshen grace.” “O people, in whom keen fervor now perhaps redeems your negligence and delay, through lukewarmness, in well-doing, this one who is alive (and surely I lie not to you) wishes to go up, soon as the sun may shine again for us; therefore tell us where is the opening near.” These words were of my Guide; and one of those spirits said: “Come thou behind us, and thou shalt find the gap. We are so filled with desire to move on that we cannot stay; therefore pardon, if thou holdest our obligation for churlishness. I was Abbot²⁵⁹ of San Zeno at Verona, under the empire of the good Barbarossa, of whom Milan, still grieving, doth discourse. And he has one foot already in the grave,²⁶⁰ who soon will lament on account of that monastery, and will be sorry for having had power there; because in place of its true shepherd he has put his son, ill in his whole body and worse in mind, and who was evil-born.” I know not if more he said, or if he were silent, so far beyond us he had already run by; but this I heard, and to retain it pleased me.

The moon rose late,²⁵¹ almost at midnight. Shaped²⁵² like a blazing bucket, it made fewer stars visible to us. It moved against the heavens²⁵³ along the paths the sun lights up when a man in Rome sees it set between Sardinia and Corsica.²⁵⁴ That gentle shade, who has made Pietola²⁵⁵ more famous than the city of Mantua, had relieved the burden I had placed on him.²⁵⁶ I had taken in his clear, straightforward answers to my questions. Now I stood there like a drowsy man whose thoughts are wandering. But my drowsiness suddenly vanished when people came around behind us. Long ago, Ismenus and Asopus saw raging crowds along their banks at night, when the Thebans needed Bacchus. With that same fury and in just such a throng, as far as I could see, these people rounded the circle, driven by goodwill and righteous love. They were soon upon us, because the whole great crowd was running. Two at the front were weeping and crying out, “Mary ran with haste to the mountain,²⁵⁷ and Caesar, to subdue Ilerda, attacked Marseilles, then hurried on to Spain.”²⁵⁸ “Quickly, quickly, so that time is not lost through too little love,” cried the others behind them, “for zeal in doing good may renew grace.” “O people,” my Guide said, “your keen fervor perhaps now makes up for your neglect and delay in doing good through lukewarmness. This man is alive, and I assure you I am not lying. He wishes to climb as soon as the sun shines on us again. So tell us where the nearby opening is.” One of the spirits said, “Follow us, and you will find the gap. We are so eager to keep moving that we cannot stop. So forgive us if you take our obligation for rudeness. I was Abbot²⁵⁹ of San Zeno at Verona, under the rule of the good Barbarossa, whom Milan still speaks of with grief. And a man who has one foot in the grave²⁶⁰ will soon lament because of that monastery. He will regret having had power there, because he has put his son in place of its true shepherd. His son is ill in his whole body, worse in mind, and was born out of wedlock.” I do not know whether he said more or fell silent, for he had already run far beyond us. But I heard these words and was glad to remember them.

And he who was at every need my succor said: “Turn thee this way; see two of them coming, giving a bite to sloth.” In rear of all they were saying: “The people for whom the sea was opened were dead before their heirs beheld the Jordan;²⁶¹ and those who endured not the toil even to the end with the son of Anchises,²⁶² offered themselves to life without glory.”

And the one who always came to my aid said: “Turn this way. See two of them coming, rebuking sloth.” At the very back, they were saying: “The people for whom the sea was opened died before their descendants saw the Jordan.²⁶¹ Those who did not endure the journey to the end with the son of Anchises²⁶² chose a life without glory.”

Then when those shades were so far parted from us that they could no more be seen, a new thought set itself within me, from which many others and diverse were born; and I so strayed from one unto another that, thus wandering, I closed my eyes, and transmuted my meditation into dream.

When the shades had gone so far from us that we could no longer see them, a new thought came to me. From it, many different thoughts arose. I wandered so far from one thought to another that I closed my eyes, and my thoughts turned into a dream.