Canto 21

The natural thirst,³¹⁰ which is never satisfied save with the water³¹¹ whereof the poor woman of Samaria besought the grace, was tormenting me, and haste was goading me along the encumbered way behind my Leader, and I was grieving at the just vengeance; and lo,—as Luke writes for us that Christ, now risen forth from the sepulchral cave, appeared to the two who were on the way,—a shade appeared to us; and it was coming behind us looking at the crowd that lay at its feet: nor did we perceive it, so it spoke first saying, “My Brothers, may God give you peace!” We turned suddenly, and Virgil gave back to it the greeting which answers to that;³¹² then he began: “In the assembly of the blest may the true court, which relegates me into eternal exile, place thee in peace.” “How,” said it,—and meanwhile we went on steadily,—“if ye are shades that God deigns not on high, who hath guided you so far along his stairs?” And my Teacher, “If thou regardest the marks which this one bears, and which the Angel traces, thou wilt clearly see it behoves that with the good he reign. But, because she who spinneth day and night³¹³ had not for him yet drawn the distaff off, which Clotho loads for each one and compacts, his soul, which is thy sister and mine, coming upwards could not come alone, because it sees not after our fashion. Wherefore I was drawn from out the ample throat of Hell to show him, and I shall show him so far on as my teaching can lead him. But tell us, if thou knowest, why just now the mountain gave such shocks, and why all seemed to cry together, even down to its moist feet.” Thus asking he shot for me through the needle’s eye of my desire, so that only with the hope my thirst became less craving.

The natural thirst,³¹⁰ which only the water³¹¹ can satisfy, was tormenting me. The poor woman of Samaria had begged for the grace of that water. Haste drove me along the obstructed path behind my Leader, and I grieved at the just punishment. Then a shade appeared to us, just as Luke tells us Christ appeared to the two travelers after rising from the tomb. The shade was coming behind us, looking at the crowd lying at its feet. We did not notice it until it spoke first, saying, “My brothers, may God give you peace!” We turned suddenly, and Virgil returned the greeting.³¹² Then he said, “May the true court place you in peace among the blessed, though it has condemned me to eternal exile.” “How,” the shade said, as we continued steadily on our way, “if you are shades whom God does not welcome above, who has guided you so far up his stairs?” My Teacher replied, “If you look at the marks this one bears, which the Angel traces, you will clearly see that he is destined to reign among the good. But she who spins day and night³¹³ had not yet finished spinning his thread. Clotho loads and gathers the thread for each person. So his soul, which is sister to yours and mine, could not come upward alone, because it does not see as we do. Therefore I was brought out of the wide throat of Hell to guide him, and I will guide him as far as my teaching can lead him. But tell us, if you know, why the mountain just shook so violently, and why everyone seemed to cry out together, all the way down to its damp base.” With this question, he aimed straight at the heart of my desire. The hope of an answer alone made my thirst less urgent.

The shade began: “There is nothing which without order the religion of the mountain can feel, or which can be outside its wont.³¹⁴ Free is this place from every alteration; of that which heaven receives from itself within itself there may be effect here, but of naught else;³¹⁵ because nor rain, nor hail, nor snow, nor dew, nor frost, falls higher up than the little stairway of the three short steps; clouds appear not, or thick or thin; nor lightning, nor the daughter of Thaumas³¹⁶ who yonder often changes her quarter; dry vapor³¹⁷ rises not farther up than the top of the three steps of which I spoke, where the vicar of Peter has his feet. It trembles perhaps lower down little or much; but up here it never trembles because of wind that is hidden, I know not how, in the earth. It trembles here when some soul feels itself pure, so that it rises or moves to ascend; and such a cry seconds it. Of the purity the will alone makes proof, which surprises the soul, wholly free to change its company, and helps it with the will. The soul wills at first indeed, but the inclination,—which, contrary to the will, Divine Justice sets to the torment, as erst to the sin,—allows it not.³¹⁸ And I who have lain in this pain five hundred years and more, only just now felt a free volition for a better seat. Wherefore thou didst feel the earthquake, and hear the pious spirits through the Mountain giving praise to that Lord, who—may He speed them upward soon!”

The shade began: “Nothing happens in the mountain’s sacred order that is irregular or contrary to its custom.³¹⁴ This place is free from every change. Only what heaven receives within itself from itself can have an effect here, and nothing else can.³¹⁵ For no rain, hail, snow, dew, or frost falls above the little stairway of three short steps. No clouds appear, thick or thin. There is no lightning, nor the daughter of Thaumas,³¹⁶ who often changes her position down there. Dry vapor³¹⁷ rises no higher than the top of the three steps I mentioned, where the vicar of Peter stands. The mountain perhaps trembles a little or a great deal lower down. But up here, it never trembles because of wind somehow hidden in the earth. I do not know how the wind is hidden there. “Here the mountain trembles when a soul feels itself pure and rises or moves to ascend. A cry follows the trembling. The will alone gives proof of purity. It comes upon the soul suddenly, now wholly free to change its company, and helps the soul by willing it. The soul does wish to ascend at first. But an inclination prevents it, even though the soul wills otherwise. Divine Justice directs this inclination toward torment, just as it once directed the inclination toward sin.³¹⁸ I have lain in this pain for more than five hundred years. Only just now did I feel a free desire for a better place. That is why you felt the earthquake and heard the devout spirits throughout the Mountain praising that Lord. May he speed them upward soon!”

Thus he said to us, and since one enjoys drinking in proportion as the thirst is great, I could not say how much he did me good. And the sage Leader, “Now I see the net which snares you here, and how it is unmeshed; wherefore it trembles here; and for what ye rejoice together. Now who thou wast may it please thee that I know, and that from thy words I learn why for so many centuries thou hast lain here?” “At the time when the good Titus, with the aid of the Most High King, avenged the wounds wherefrom issued the blood sold by Judas, I was fatuous enough on earth with the name which lasts longest, and honors most,”³¹⁹ replied that spirit, “but not as yet with faith. So sweet was my vocal spirit, that me of Toulouse Rome drew to itself, where I deserved to adorn my temples with myrtle. Statius the people still on earth name me. I sang of Thebes, and then of the great Achilles, but I fell on the way with my second load.³²⁰ Seed of my ardor were the sparks that warmed me of the divine flame whereby more than a thousand have been kindled; I speak of the Aeneid, which was mother to me, and was my nurse in poesy: without it I balanced not the weight of a drachm; and to have lived yonder, when Virgil lived, I would agree to one sun more than I owe for my issue from ban.”³²¹

He said this to us. Since the greater the thirst, the greater the pleasure of drinking, I cannot say how much good his words did me. Then the wise Leader said, “Now I see the net that traps you here, and how you are freed from it. I see why the mountain trembles here, and why you all rejoice together. Now, please tell me who you were, and why you have lain here for so many centuries.” The spirit replied, “In the time when the good Titus, with the help of the Most High King, avenged the wounds that shed the blood sold by Judas, I was well known on earth by the name that lasts longest and brings the most honor.³¹⁹ But I did not yet have faith. My poetry was so sweet that Rome drew me from Toulouse, and there I earned the right to wear a crown of myrtle. People on earth still call me Statius. I sang of Thebes, and then of the great Achilles, but I fell on the way while carrying that second burden.³²⁰ The seeds of my passion were the sparks that warmed me from the divine flame that has kindled more than a thousand poets. I mean the Aeneid. It was my mother and my nurse in poetry. Without it, I would not have weighed a drachm. And to have lived on earth when Virgil lived, I would agree to spend one more year here than I owe before leaving my exile.”³²¹

These words turned Virgil to me with a look which, silent, said, “Be silent:” but the power that wills cannot do everything; for smiles and tears are such followers on the emotion from which each springs, that in the most truthful they least follow the will. I merely smiled, like a man who makes a sign; whereat the shade became silent, and looked at me in the eyes where the expression is most fixed. And it said, “So mayst thou in good complete so great a labor, why aid thy face just now display to me a flash of a smile?” Now am I caught on one side and the other: one bids me be silent, the other conjures me to speak; wherefore I sigh and am understood by my Master, and “Have no fear to speak,” he said to me, “but speak, and tell him what he asks so earnestly.” Whereon I, “Perhaps thou marvellest, ancient spirit, at the smile I gave; but I would have more wonder seize thee. This one who guides my eyes on high is that Virgil from whom thou didst derive the strength to sing of men and of the gods. If thou didst believe other cause for my smile, dismiss it as untrue, and believe it to be those words which thou saidst of him.” Already he was stooping to embrace the feet of my Leader, but he said to him, “Brother, do it not, for thou art a shade, and thou seest a shade.” And he rising, “Now canst thou comprehend the sum of the love that warms me to thee when I forget our vanity, treating the shades as if a solid thing.”³²²

At these words, Virgil turned to me with a look that silently said, “Be silent.” But the will cannot control everything. Smiles and tears follow the emotions that produce them. In the most truthful people, they are least subject to the will. I only smiled, like a man making a sign. At that, the shade fell silent and looked into my eyes, where expression is most fixed. He said, “May you bring this great journey to a good end. But why did your face show me a flash of a smile just now?” Now I was caught between the two. One told me to be silent, while the other begged me to speak. So I sighed, and my Master understood me. “Do not be afraid to speak,” he said. “Speak, and tell him what he asks so earnestly.” Then I said, “Perhaps you wonder, ancient spirit, why I smiled. But I would have you feel even greater wonder. The one who guides my eyes upward is Virgil. From him you gained the strength to sing of men and gods. If you thought my smile had another cause, dismiss it as false. Believe instead that it was caused by the words you said about him.” The shade was already bending down to embrace my Leader’s feet, but Virgil said, “Brother, do not do it. You are a shade, and you see a shade.” Rising, the shade said, “Now you can understand how much love I feel for you. I even forgot that we are insubstantial and treated shades as if they were solid.”³²²