Then heard I: "Very rightly thou perceivest,
If well thou understandest why he placed it
With substances and then with evidences."
And I thereafterward: "The things profound,

That here vouchsafe to me their apparition,
Unto all eyes below are so concealed,
That they exist there only in belief,

70

Upon the which is founded the high hope,

And hence it takes the nature of a substance.

75

And it behoveth us from this belief

To reason without having other sight,

And hence it has the nature of evidence."

Then heard I: "If whatever is acquired

Below by doctrine were thus understood,

No sophist's subtlety would there find place."
Thus was breathed forth from that enkindled love;

Then added: "Very well has been gone over
Already of this coin the alloy and weight;

But tell me if thou hast it in thy purse?"

And I: "Yes, both so shining and so round,

That in its stamp there is no peradventure."

Thereafter issued from the light profound

That there resplendent was: "This precious jewel,
Upon the which is every virtue founded,

80

85

90

Whence hadst thou it?" And I: "The large outpouring

Of Holy Spirit, which has been diffused

Upon the ancient parchments and the new, A syllogism is, which proved it to me

With such acuteness, that, compared therewith,

All demonstration seems to me obtuse." And then I heard: "The ancient and the new

Postulates, that to thee are so conclusive,

Why dost thou take them for the word divine ?" And I: "The proofs, which show the truth to me, Are the works subsequent, whereunto Nature Ne'er heated iron yet, nor anvil beat."

'T was answered me: "Say, who assureth thee

95

100

That those works ever were? the thing itself That must be proved, naught else to thee affirms it." 105 "Were the world to Christianity converted,"

I said, "withouten miracles, this one

Is such, the rest are not its hundredth part;
Because that poor and fasting thou didst enter

Into the field to sow there the good plant,
Which was a vine and has become a thorn!"

This being finished, the high, holy Court

110

Resounded through the spheres, "One God we praise!"
In melody that there above is chanted.

And then that Baron, who from branch to branch,
Examining, had thus conducted me,

Till the extremest leaves we were approaching,
Again began: "The Grace that dallying

Plays with thine intellect thy mouth has opened,
Up to this point, as it should opened be,
So that I do approve what forth emerged;

But now thou must express what thou believest,
And whence to thy belief it was presented."
"O holy father, spirit who beholdest

What thou believedst so that thou o'ercamest,
Towards the sepulchre, more youthful feet,"

Began I, "thou dost wish me in this place

The form to manifest of my prompt belief,

115

120

125

And likewise thou the cause thereof demandest.

And I respond: In one God I believe,

130

Sole and eterne, who moveth all the heavens
With love and with desire, himself unmoved;

And of such faith not only have I proofs

Physical and metaphysical, but gives them

Likewise the truth that from this place rains down 135 Through Moses, through the Prophets and the Psalms, Through the Evangel, and through you, who wrote After the fiery Spirit sanctified you;

In Persons three eterne believe, and these

One essence I believe, so one and trine
They bear conjunction both with sunt and est.

With the profound condition and divine

Which now I touch upon, doth stamp my mind

Ofttimes the doctrine evangelical.

This the beginning is, this is the spark

Which afterwards dilates to vivid flame,

And, like a star in heaven, is sparkling in me.” Even as a lord who hears what pleaseth him

His servant straight embraces, gratulating
For the good news as soon as he is silent;
So, giving me its benediction, singing,

Three times encircled me, when I was silent,
The apostolic light, at whose command
I spoken had, in speaking I so pleased him.

140

145

150

CANTO XXV.

IF e'er it happen that the Poem Sacred,

To which both heaven and earth have set their hand,
So that it many a year hath made me lean,

O'ercome the cruelty that bars me out

From the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered, s An enemy to the wolves that war upon it, With other voice forthwith, with other fleece Poet will I return, and at my font

Baptismal will I take the laurel crown; Because into the Faith that maketh known

All souls to God there entered I, and then Peter for her sake thus my brow encircled. Thereafterward towards us moved a light

Out of that band whence issued the first-fruits

Which of his vicars Christ behind him left,

And then my Lady, full of

ecstasy,

Said unto me: "Look, look! behold the Baron

For whom below Galicia is frequented."

10

15