Canto 22

Already was the Angel left behind us,—the Angel who had turned us to the sixth round,—having erased a stroke³²³ from my face; and he had said to us that those who have their desire set on justice are Beati, and his words ended with sitiunt, without the rest.³²⁴ And I, more light than through the other passes, was going on so that without any labor I was following upward the swift spirits, when Virgil began, “Love kindled by virtue always kindles another, provided that its flame appear outwardly; wherefore from the hour when amid us Juvenal descended into the limbo of Hell, and made known to me thy affection, my own good will toward thee was such that more never bound one to an unseen person; so that these stairs will now seem short to me. But tell me (and as a friend pardon me, if too great confidence let loose my rein, and as a friend now talk with me) boxy avarice could find a place within thy breast, amid wisdom so great as that wherewith through thy diligence thou wast filled?”

We had already left the Angel behind us. He had directed us to the sixth round and erased a stroke³²³ from my face. He had told us that those who desire justice are blessed. His words ended with sitiunt, leaving out the rest.³²⁴ I felt lighter than on the other passages and followed the swift spirits uphill without effort. Then Virgil began, “Love inspired by virtue always inspires love in return, as long as it is openly shown. So when Juvenal descended to join us in the limbo of Hell, he told me of your affection. From that hour, my goodwill toward you was as great as anyone has ever felt for a person unseen. That is why these stairs will now seem short to me. But tell me something. As a friend, forgive me if I speak too freely, and answer me as a friend. How could greed find a place in your heart, alongside the great wisdom you gained through your diligence?”

These words first moved Statius a little to smiling; then he replied, “Every word of thine is a dear sign to me of love. Truly oftentimes things have such appearance that they give false material for suspicion, because the true reasons lie hid. Thy question assures me of thy belief, perhaps because of that circle where I was, that I was avaricious in the other life; know then that avarice was too far removed from me, and this want of measure thousands of courses of the moon have punished. And had it not been that I set right my care, when I understood the passage where thou dost exclaim, as if indignant with human nature, “O cursed hunger of gold, to what dost thou not impel the appetite of mortals?”³²⁵ I, rolling, should share the dismal jousts.³²⁶ Then I perceived that the bands could spread their wings too much in spending; and I repented as well of that as of my other sins. How many shall rise with cropped hair³²⁷ through ignorance, which during life and in the last hours prevents repentance for this sin! And know, that the vice which rebuts any sin with direct opposition,³²⁸ together with it here dries up its verdure. Wherefore if to purify myself I have been among the people who lament their avarice, because of its contrary this has befallen me.” “Now when thou wast singing³²⁹the cruel strife of the twofold affliction³³⁰ of Jocasta,” said the Singer of the Bucolic songs, “it does not appear from that which Clio touches³³¹ with thee there,³³² that the faith, without which good works suffice not, had yet made thee faithful. If this be so, what sun, or what candles dispersed thy darkness so that thou didst thereafter set thy sails behind the Fisherman?”³³³ And he to him, “Thou first directedst me toward Parnassus to drink in its grots, and then, on the way to God, thou enlightenedst me. Thou didst like him, who goes by night, and carries the light behind him, and helps not himself, but makes the persons following him wise, when thou saidst, ‘The ages are renewed; Justice returns, and the primeval time of man, and a new progeny descends from heaven.’³³⁴ Through thee I became a poet, through thee a Christian. But in order that thou mayst better see that which I sketch, I will stretch out my hand to color it. Already was the whole world teeming with the true belief, sown by the messengers of the eternal realm; and these words of thine touched upon just now were in harmony with the new preachers, wherefore I adopted the practice of visiting them. They came to me then appearing so holy, that, when Domitian persecuted them, not without my tears were their lamentings. And so long as I remained on earth I succored them; and their upright customs made me scorn all other sects. And before I had led the Greeks to the rivers of Thebes in my verse, I received baptism; but out of fear I was a secret Christian, for a long while making show of paganism: and this lukewarmness made me circle round the fourth circle,³³⁵ longer than to the fourth century. Thou, therefore, that didst lift for me the covering that was hiding from me such great good as I say, while we have remainder of ascent, tell me where is our ancient Terence, Caecilius, Plautus, and Varro, if thou knowest it; tell me if they are damned, and in what region?” “They, and Persius, and I, and many others,” replied my Leader, “are with that Greek whom the Muses suckled more than any other ever, in the first girdle of the blind prison. Oftentimes we discourse of the mountain³³⁶ that hath our nurses³³⁷ always with itself. Euripides is there with us, and Antiphon, Simonides, Agathon, and many other Greeks who of old adorned their brows with laurel. There of thine own people³³⁸ are seen Antigone, Deiphile, and Argia, and Ismene sad³³⁹ even as she was. There she is seen who showed Langia;³⁴⁰ there is the daughter of Tiresias and Thetis,³⁴¹ and Deidamia with her sisters.”

These words first made Statius smile a little. Then he replied, “Every word you speak is a welcome sign of your love for me. Things often appear to give good reason for suspicion because their true causes are hidden. Your question tells me what you believe. Perhaps, because of the circle where I was, you believe I was greedy in my other life. Know, then, that greed was far from my nature. Thousands of cycles of the moon have punished me for my lack of moderation in spending. I corrected my ways when I understood the passage where you cry out, as if indignant at human nature, ‘O cursed hunger for gold, what will you not drive mortals to crave?’³²⁵ Had I not done so, I would be rolling in those dismal jousts.³²⁶ Then I realized that people could also spread their hands too freely in spending. I repented of that as well as my other sins. How many will rise with cropped hair³²⁷ because ignorance keeps them from repenting of this sin, both during life and in their final hours! And know that a vice directly opposed to a sin³²⁸ loses its power here along with that sin. So if I have been among those who lament their greed, I was there to purify myself of its opposite.” “Now, when you were singing³²⁹ of the cruel struggle caused by Jocasta’s double sorrow,”³³⁰ said the Singer of the Bucolic songs, “nothing in what Clio recounts³³¹ with you there³³² suggests that you had yet become a believer in the faith without which good works are not enough. If that is so, what sun or candles drove away your darkness, so that you later set your sails to follow the Fisherman?”³³³ Statius replied, “You first directed me to drink in the caves of Parnassus. Then you gave me light on the way to God. You were like someone walking at night with a light behind him. It does not help him, but it guides those who follow. So it was when you said, ‘The ages are renewed; Justice returns, and the primeval time of man, and a new progeny descends from heaven.’³³⁴ Through you I became a poet, and through you a Christian. But to make this sketch clearer, I will fill in its colors. The whole world was already full of the true belief, sown by the messengers of the eternal realm. And your words, which I have just mentioned, agreed with the new preachers. So I began visiting them. They seemed so holy to me that, when Domitian persecuted them, I wept at their laments. And as long as I remained on earth, I helped them. Their upright ways made me scorn all other sects. Before I had led the Greeks to the rivers of Thebes in my verse, I was baptized. But out of fear I kept my Christianity secret, and for a long time I pretended to be a pagan. Because of this lukewarmness, I went around the fourth circle³³⁵ for more than four centuries. You lifted the covering that hid from me the great good I have described. So, while we still have more to climb, tell me, if you know, where our ancient Terence, Caecilius, Plautus, and Varro are. Tell me whether they are damned, and in what region.” “They, Persius, I, and many others,” replied my Leader, “are with the Greek whom the Muses nurtured more than anyone else. We are in the first circle of the dark prison. We often speak of the mountain³³⁶ where our nurses³³⁷ dwell forever. Euripides is there with us, along with Antiphon, Simonides, Agathon, and many other Greeks who long ago adorned their brows with laurel. There, among your own characters,³³⁸ are Antigone, Deiphile, and Argia, and Ismene, still sad³³⁹ as she was. There, too, is the woman who showed the way to Langia.³⁴⁰ There are the daughter of Tiresias and Thetis,³⁴¹ and Deidamia with her sisters.”

Now both the poets became silent, once more intent on looking around, free from the ascent and from the walls; and four of the handmaids of the day were now remaining behind,³⁴² and the fifth was at the pole,³⁴³ directing still upward its burning horn, when my Leader, “I think that it behoves us to turn our right shoulders to the outer edge, circling the Mount as we are wont to do.” Thus usage was there our guide, and we took the way with less doubt because of the assent of that worthy soul.

Both poets fell silent and looked around again, now free from the climb and the walls. Four of the day’s handmaids were now behind us,³⁴² and the fifth was at the pole,³⁴³ still pointing its burning horn upward. Then my Leader said, “I think we should turn our right shoulders toward the outer edge and circle the Mount as we usually do.” So our usual practice guided us there, and we took that path with less doubt because the worthy soul agreed.

They were going on in front, and I solitary behind, and I was listening to their speech which gave me understanding in poesy. But soon the pleasant discourse was interrupted by a tree which we found in the mid road, with apples sweet and pleasant to the smell. And as a fir-tree tapers upward from branch to branch, so downwardly did that, I think in order that no one may go up. On the side on which our way was closed, a clear water fell from the high rock and spread itself over the heaves above. The two poets approached the tree, and a voice from within the heaves cried: “Of this food ye shall have want.” Then it said, “Mary thought more, how the wedding³⁴⁴ should be honorable and complete, than of her mouth,³⁴⁵ which answers now for you; and the ancient Roman women were content with water for their drink; and Daniel despised food and gained wisdom. The primal age, which was beautiful as gold, with hunger made acorns savory, and with thirst every streamlet nectar. Honey and locusts were the viands that nourished the Baptist in the desert, wherefore he is in glory, and so great as by the Gospel is revealed to you.

They walked ahead, and I followed alone, listening to their conversation, which taught me about poetry. But soon their pleasant conversation was interrupted by a tree in the middle of the road. Its apples were sweet and fragrant. Just as a fir tree tapers upward from branch to branch, this tree tapered downward. I think it was shaped this way so that no one could climb it. On the side where the tree blocked our way, clear water fell from the high rock and spread over the leaves above. The two poets approached the tree, and a voice cried from within its leaves: “You shall be deprived of this food.” Then it said, “Mary cared more about making the wedding³⁴⁴ honorable and complete than about her own mouth,³⁴⁵ which now speaks for you. The women of ancient Rome were content to drink water. Daniel rejected food and gained wisdom. In the first age, which was as beautiful as gold, hunger made acorns taste good, and thirst made every stream taste like nectar. Honey and locusts were the food that nourished the Baptist in the desert. That is why he is in glory and as great as the Gospel reveals to you.