one by whom the words of the song are not distinctly heard, so from the lights that appeared to me in that place there was gathered about the Cross a melody that ravished me without my understanding the hymn. Well did I mark that it was of lofty praise, because there did reach me (these words): "Arise and conquer," as to one who understands not and (yet) hears. I was so much enamoured therewith that up to this point there had not been anything which had bound me with fetters of such delight. Dante then observes that perchance some may think. him exaggerating for seeming to put the joy that he derived from the eyes of Beatrice after that caused by these lovely strains. But they will hold him blameless when he explains that, since he has risen up into the Sphere of Mars, he has not yet looked upon Beatrice. Forse la mia parola par tropp' osa,* Posponendo il piacer degli occhi belli,t 130 * osa: Adjective derived from the verb osare, "to dare," and meaning 66 presumptuous." See note in Readings on the Purgatorio, 2nd edition, on Purg. xi, 126:— "A satisfar chi è di là tropp' oso." See also Purg. xx, 149: "Nè per la fretta domandarn' er' oso." + occhi belli: In the next Canto (xv, 34-36), Dante describes what the effect on him was, when he did see the eyes of Beatrice : ". . . dentro agli occhi suoi ardeva un riso Tal, ch' io pensai co' miei toccar lo fondo Ma chi s'avvede, et seq.: What Dante means in this passage is, that any one who can comprehend that the Spheres of Heaven increase in beauty as one ascends higher and higher in them, can also comprehend that, on reaching the Sphere of Mars, he was overcome by the increasing loveliness of all that he saw and heard; and, as is stated on the following page, he D' ogni bellezza più fanno più suso, Per escusarmi, e vedermi dir vero : Chè il piacer santo non è qui dischiuso, Perchè si fa, montando, più sincero. Perchance my language appears too presumptuous, in setting lower than it the delight of those lovely eyes (Beatrice's) in beholding which my desire has repose. But he who considers that the living seals of all beauty (i.e. the successive Spheres of Heaven that give their impress and influence to the human soul), grow the more efficacious the higher they ascend, and that I had not (as yet) in that place (the Sphere of Mars) turned round towards these (eyes of Beatrice), can excuse me, as to that of which I accuse myself to excuse myself, and (can) see that I speak the truth: inasmuch as the saintly bliss (of Beatrice's eyes) is not here excluded, since as it ascends it becomes more purified. 135 Beatrice's beauty has not hitherto attained the maximum of glory that it will acquire when Dante shall have ascended and seen it in its perfection in the Heaven of Heavens. had not yet looked at Beatrice. The great majority of the best Commentators (says Casini) understand vivi suggelli to be the Heavens, called vivi by reason of their movements and their dependence upon the active Intelligences that are their motors. Some few, however, follow Vellutello, who was the first to think that they meant the eyes of Beatrice. Compare Par. viii, 127129: "La circular natura, ch' è suggello Alla cera mortal, fa ben sua arte, Ma non distingue l' un dall' altro ostello." END OF CANTO XIV, SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE TO CANTO XIV. Early in 1898, after I had otherwise completed this Canto, I discussed with Dr. Moore the intense difficulties of these last thirteen lines, the interpretation of which in their hidden meaning seemed insuperable. Dr. Moore was so kind as to write out for me the following observations, which, with his permission, I give in extenso. In this passage Dante seems to say: (1) Every kind of beauty or joy is increased as we ascend from sphere to sphere, including that which is derived from or belongs to Beatrice (ll. 133 et seq.). This is elsewhere said of her smile; cf. especially Par. xxi, 4; and xxx, 19-27. (2) Thus the beauty and joy of everything in the Sphere of Mars is greater than that of anything in any previous or lower sphere (11. 127-129), even including the eyes of Beatrice as seen hitherto (l. 131). (3) Hence, further, 1. 127 is justified, since the surpassing loveliness of the song there described is compared with all that has preceded, but not with the eyes or aspect of Beatrice (in this same heaven) to which in fact Dante has not yet turned (1. 135). (4) Consequently, the holy joy which they would give is not excluded here, because it is not explicity mentioned (1. 138), for in fact it also is ever intensified as one ascends higher, as appears from 11. 133-134, as well as from 1. 139. A great dispute centres on the sense of dischiuso. We find the verb dischiudere has with Dante two leading significations: (A) to exclude, extrude, or discharge, as e.g. in Par. vii, 102; and in Purg. xix, 70, where it signifies: "discharged from the narrow cleft of rock into the open space." And it has a somewhat similar meaning in Purg. xxxi, 9. On dischiuso in the passage we are considering (Par. xiv, 138), Buti says: "eccettato." Benvenuto: "non exclusum, immo potius inclusum." (B) to unclose or display, as in Par. xxiv, 100, but even there the connection with (A) is not distant. In Purg. xxxiii, 132, either meaning would do. But finally-What is the actual meaning of the whole passage? [It is not, of course, mere idle sentiment.] Possibly something like this; In Convivio ii, 16, ll. 32 et seq., and especially in ibid. iii, 15, ll. 13-15, we read that the eyes of Filosofia or Sapienza are her demonstrations. Probably, therefore, the eyes of Beatrice are the convincing proof or the intellectual aspect of Theological Truths. Note especially 1. 132, and compare Par. iv, 124-129. Each ascending sphere brings a fresh accession of insight into Divine Truth, and into the truths and mysteries of Theology; and each such accession has two aspects: (a) The revelation and passive reception of it; and (B) The demonstration or understanding of it. It is first revealed to and shed upon the awakened mind, which joyfully and unquestioningly welcomes it, though not understood, in trust, miore. [This is the stage reached, up to this point, in the Sphere of Mars, and of this a hint seems to be given in l. 123, una melode, che mi rapiva senza intender l' inno.] Afterwards the mind advances to the understanding of the "sweet reasonableness" of it, and this largely increases the joy first experienced in the mere recognition or reception of the same truth. For this distinction see Par. ii, 43-45:— "Lì si vedrà ciò che tenem per fede, Non dimostrato, ma fia per sè noto, A guisa del ver primo che l' uom crede." Now if we call the Spheres in ascending order, (1), (2), (3) and use (a) and (B) as above, then (I a) is less than (2 a), and (1 B) than (2 B), etc.; but even (2 a) is greater than (1 ẞ), and (2) than (1 y), and so on throughout. Hence, in the Sphere of Mars, the joy of the passive reception of the revelation of truth given in that Sphere is higher than that of any revelation in the lower Sphere of the Sun, either as merely received and recognized, though senza intender (1. 123), or even as demonstrated to the satisfaction of the intellect. This is expressed in ll. 133-134. The revelation already received at the outset of the Sphere of Mars truly surpassed all whatsoever that had been experienced before (ll. 127-129), but as yet Dante had not regarded it in its intellectual or rational aspect; he had not risen above the "r" to the "dióri;" so far he had been "Contented if he might enjoy The things which others understand." In other words, he had not yet turned to the eyes of Beatrice, as they presented themselves in this particular Sphere. While my work on the first edition was in the press, I received as a gift from Mr. Haselfoot the very handsome volume which represents the second edition of his valuable work. At the end of Canto xiv of the Paradiso, there is an important note containing his views upon this difficult and much disputed passage, but I prefer those of Dr. Moore quoted above. |