He cried aloud: “Quick, quick, and bow the knee ! Behold the Angel of God! fold up thy hands! Henceforward shalt thou see such officers! "See how he scorns all human arguments, So that no oar he wants, nor other sail Than his own wings, between so distant shores! "See, how he holds them, pointed straight to heaven, Fanning the air with the eternal pinions, That do not moult themselves like mortal hair!" And then, as nearer and more near us came presence, But down I cast it; and he came to shore Upon the stern stood the Celestial Pilot! "In exitu Israel out of Egypt!" Thus sang they all together in one voice, Then made he sign of holy rood upon them, THE TERRESTRIAL PARADISE. FROM DANTE. PURGATORIO, XXVIII. LONGING already to search in and round Withouten more delay I left the bank, A gently-breathing air, that no mutation Whereat the tremulous branches readily Did all of them bow downward towards that side Yet not from their upright direction bent But, with full-throated joy, the hours of prime Even as from branch to branch it gathering swells, Already my slow steps had led me on Could see no more the place where I had entered. And lo! my farther course cut off a river, All waters that on earth most limpid are, Would seem to have within themselves some mixture, Although it moves on with a brown, brown current, EVEN as the Blessed, in the new covenant, So, upon that celestial chariot, A hundred rose ad vocem tanti senis, They all were saying: “Benedictus qui venis,” I once beheld, at the approach of day, The orient sky all stained with roseate hues, And the sun's face uprising, overshadowed, Thus in the bosom of a cloud of flowers, With crown of olive o'er a snow-white veil, Even as the snow, among the living rafters Blown on and beaten by Sclavonian winds, And then, dissolving, filters through itself, Even such I was, without a sigh or tear, But, when I heard in those sweet melodies Compassion for me, more than had they said, Oh, wherefore, lady, dost thou thus consume him?" The ice, that was about my heart congealed, my * breast. Confusion and dismay, together mingled, Even as a cross-bow breaks, when 'tis discharged, So I gave way under this heavy burden, passage. THE NATURE OF LOVE. FROM THE ITALIAN OF GUIDO GUINICELLI. To noble heart Love doth for shelter fly, Soon as the sun's broad flame Was formed, so soon the clear light filled the air; So love springs up in noble breasts, and there As heat in the bright flame finds its allotted place. As hidden virtue in the precious stone: Has drawn forth what was vile, the stars impart Strange virtue in their rays: And thus when Nature doth create the heart Noble and pure and high, Like virtue from the star, love comes from woman's eye. SPRING. FROM THE FRENCH OF CHARLES D'ORLEANS. Fifteenth Century. GENTLE Spring!-in sunshine clad, Well dost thou thy power display! For Winter maketh the light heart sad, And thou, thou makest the sad heart gay. He sees thee, and calls to his gloomy train, The sleet and the snow, and the wind and the rain; |