Dante's Purgatorio: Canto XXX

Virgil’s Departure. Beatrice. Dante’s Shame.

When the Septentrion of the highest heaven
   (Which never either setting knew or rising,
   Nor veil of other cloud than that of sin,

And which made every one therein aware
   Of his own duty, as the lower makes 5
   Whoever turns the helm to come to port)

Motionless halted, the veracious people,
   That came at first between it and the Griffin,
   Turned themselves to the car, as to their peace.

And one of them, as if by Heaven commissioned, 10
   Singing, "Veni, sponsa, de Libano"
   Shouted three times, and all the others after.

Even as the Blessed at the final summons
   Shall rise up quickened each one from his cavern,
   Uplifting light the reinvested flesh, 15

So upon that celestial chariot
   A hundred rose 'ad vocem tanti senis,'
   Ministers and messengers of life eternal.

They all were saying, "Benedictus qui venis,"
   And, scattering flowers above and round about, 20
   "Manibus o date lilia plenis."

Ere now have I beheld, as day began,
   The eastern hemisphere all tinged with rose,
   And the other heaven with fair serene adorned;

And the sun's face, uprising, overshadowed 25
   So that by tempering influence of vapours
   For a long interval the eye sustained it;

Thus in the bosom of a cloud of flowers
   Which from those hands angelical ascended,
   And downward fell again inside and out, 30

Over her snow-white veil with olive cinct
   Appeared a lady under a green mantle,
   Vested in colour of the living flame.

And my own spirit, that already now
   So long a time had been, that in her presence 35
   Trembling with awe it had not stood abashed,

Without more knowledge having by mine eyes,
   Through occult virtue that from her proceeded
   Of ancient love the mighty influence felt.

As soon as on my vision smote the power 40
   Sublime, that had already pierced me through
   Ere from my boyhood I had yet come forth,

To the left hand I turned with that reliance
   With which the little child runs to his mother,
   When he has fear, or when he is afflicted, 45

To say unto Virgilius: "Not a drachm
   Of blood remains in me, that does not tremble;
   I know the traces of the ancient flame."

But us Virgilius of himself deprived
   Had left, Virgilius, sweetest of all fathers, 50
   Virgilius, to whom I for safety gave me:

Nor whatsoever lost the ancient mother
   Availed my cheeks now purified from dew,
   That weeping they should not again be darkened.

"Dante, because Virgilius has departed 55
   Do not weep yet, do not weep yet awhile;
   For by another sword thou need'st must weep."

E'en as an admiral, who on poop and prow
   Comes to behold the people that are working
   In other ships, and cheers them to well-doing, 60

Upon the left hand border of the car,
   When at the sound I turned of my own name,
   Which of necessity is here recorded,

I saw the Lady, who erewhile appeared
   Veiled underneath the angelic festival, 65
   Direct her eyes to me across the river.

Although the veil, that from her head descended,
   Encircled with the foliage of Minerva,
   Did not permit her to appear distinctly,

In attitude still royally majestic 70
   Continued she, like unto one who speaks,
   And keeps his warmest utterance in reserve:

"Look at me well; in sooth I'm Beatrice!
   How didst thou deign to come unto the Mountain?
   Didst thou not know that man is happy here?" 75

Mine eyes fell downward into the clear fountain,
   But, seeing myself therein, I sought the grass,
   So great a shame did weigh my forehead down.

As to the son the mother seems superb,
   So she appeared to me; for somewhat bitter 80
   Tasteth the savour of severe compassion.

Silent became she, and the Angels sang
   Suddenly, "In te, Domine, speravi:"
   But beyond 'pedes meos' did not pass.

Even as the snow among the living rafters 85
   Upon the back of Italy congeals,
   Blown on and drifted by Sclavonian winds,

And then, dissolving, trickles through itself
   Whene'er the land that loses shadow breathes,
   So that it seems a fire that melts a taper; 90

E'en thus was I without a tear or sigh,
   Before the song of those who sing for ever
   After the music of the eternal spheres.

But when I heard in their sweet melodies
   Compassion for me, more than had they said, 95
   "O wherefore, lady, dost thou thus upbraid him?"

The ice, that was about my heart congealed,
   To air and water changed, and in my anguish
   Through mouth and eyes came gushing from my breast.

She, on the right-hand border of the car 100
   Still firmly standing, to those holy beings
   Thus her discourse directed afterwards:

"Ye keep your watch in the eternal day,
   So that nor night nor sleep can steal from you
   One step the ages make upon their path; 105

Therefore my answer is with greater care,
   That he may hear me who is weeping yonder,
   So that the sin and dole be of one measure.

Not only by the work of those great wheels,
   That destine every seed unto some end, 110
   According as the stars are in conjunction,

But by the largess of celestial graces,
   Which have such lofty vapours for their rain
   That near to them our sight approaches not,

Such had this man become in his new life 115
   Potentially, that every righteous habit
   Would have made admirable proof in him;

But so much more malignant and more savage
   Becomes the land untilled and with bad seed,
   The more good earthly vigour it possesses. 120

Some time did I sustain him with my look;
   Revealing unto him my youthful eyes,
   I led him with me turned in the right way.

As soon as ever of my second age
   I was upon the threshold and changed life, 125
   Himself from me he took and gave to others.

When from the flesh to spirit I ascended,
   And beauty and virtue were in me increased,
   I was to him less dear and less delightful;

And into ways untrue he turned his steps, 130
   Pursuing the false images of good,
   That never any promises fulfil;

Nor prayer for inspiration me availed,
   By means of which in dreams and otherwise
   I called him back, so little did he heed them. 135

So low he fell, that all appliances
   For his salvation were already short,
   Save showing him the people of perdition.

For this I visited the gates of death,
   And unto him, who so far up has led him, 140
   My intercessions were with weeping borne.

God's lofty fiat would be violated,
   If Lethe should be passed, and if such viands
   Should tasted be, withouten any scot

Of penitence, that gushes forth in tears." 145

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Sender’s Note: The above image is listed on the Wikisource for Canto XXX of the Purgatorio: “William Blake: Purgatorio, Canto XXX, 60-146, Beatrice Addresses Dante from the Car”.

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NOTES

1 - 1

In this canto Beatrice appears.

The Seven Stars, or Septentrion of the highest heaven, are the seven lights that lead the procession, the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, by which all men are guided safely in things spiritual, as the mariner is by the Septentrion, or Seven Stars of the Ursa Minor, two of which are called the “Wardens of the Pole,” and one of which is the Cynosure, or Pole Star. These lights precede the triumphal chariot, as in our heaven the Ursa Minor precedes, or is nearer the centre of rest, then the Ursa Major or Charles's Wain.

In the Northern Mythology the God Thor is represented as holding these constellations in his hand. The old Swedish Rhyme Chronicle, describing the statues in the church of Upsala, says: –

“The God Thor was the highest of them;
He sat naked as a child,
Seven stars in his hand and Charles's Wain.

Spenser, Faerie Queen, I. ii. I: –

”By this the northern wagoner had set
His sevenfold teme behind the steadfast starre
That was in ocean waves yet never wet,
But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre
To all in the wide deep wandering arre.“

11 - 11

Song of Solomon iv. 8: ”Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon.“

17 - 17

At the voice of so venerable an old man.

19 - 19

The cry of the multitude at Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Matthew xxi. 9: ”Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.“

21 - 21

AEneid, VI. 833: ”Give me lilies in handfuls; let me scatter purple flowers.“

25 - 25

Milton, Parad. Lost I. 194:

”As when the sun new-risen Shines through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams.“

32 - 32

It will be noted that Dante makes Beatrice appear clothed in the colors of the Virgin Mary. ”The proper dress of the Virgin,“ says Mrs. Jameson, Legends of the Madonna, Introd., liii., ”is a close, red tunic, with long sleeves, and over this a blue robe or mantle. In the early pictures, the colors are pale and delicate. Her head ought to be veiled. The fathers of the primeval Church, particularly Tertullian, attach great importance to the decent veil worn by Christian maidens; and in all the early pictures the Virgin is veiled.“

35 - 35

Beatrice had been dead ten years at the date of the poem, 1300.

36 - 36

Fully to understand and feel what is expressed in this line, the reader must call to mind all that Dante says in the Vita Nuova of his meetings with Beatrice, and particularly the first, which is thus rendered by Mr. Norton in his New Life of Dante, p. 20: –

”Nine times now, since my birth, the heaven of light had
turned almost to the same point in its gyration, when first
appeared before my eyes the glorious lady of my mind, who
was called Beatrice by many who did not know why they thus
called her. She had now been in this life so long, that in
its course the starry heaven had moved toward the east one
of the twelve parts of a degree; so that about the beginning
of her ninth year she appeared to me, and I near the end of
my ninth year saw her. She appeared to me clothed in a most
noble color, a becoming and modest crimson, and she was girt
and adorned in the style that became her extreme youth. At
that instant, I say truly, the spirit of life, which dwells
in the most secret chamber of the heart, began to tremble
with such violence, that it appeared fearfully in the least
pulses, and trembling, said these words: Ecce deus fortior
me, qui veniens dominabitur mihi! 'Behold a god, stronger
than I, who, coming, shall rule me!'

“At that instant, the spirit of the soul, which dwells in
the high chamber to which all the spirits of the senses
bring their perceptions, began to marvel greatly, and,
addressing the spirits of the sight, said these words:
Apparuit jam beatitudo vestra, – 'Now hath appeared your
bliss.' At that instant the natural spirit, which dwells in
that part where the nourishment is supplied, began to weep,
and, weeping, said these words: Heu miser! quia frequenter
impeditus ero deinceps, – 'Woe is me wretched! because
frequently henceforth shall I be hindered.'

”From this time forward I say that Love lorded it over my
soul, which had been thus quickly put at his disposal; and
he began to exercise over me such control and such lordship,
through the power which my imagination gave to him, that it
behoved me to perform completely all his pleasure. He
commaned me many times that I should seek to see this
youthful angel, so that I in my boyhood often went seeking
her, and saw her of such noble and praiseworthy deportment,
that truly of her might be said that saying of the poet
Homer; 'She does not seem the daughter of mortal man, but of
God.' And though her image, which stayed constantly with
me, inspired confidence in Love to hold lordship over me,
yet it was of such noble virtue, that it never suffered that
Love should rule without the faithful counsel of Reason in
those matters in which such counsel could be useful.“

48 - 48

Dante here translates Virgil's own words, as he has done so many times before. AEneid, IV. 23: Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae.

52 - 52

The Terrestrial Paradise lost by Eve.

83 - 83

Psalm xxxi. I, 8; ”In thee, O Lord, Have I put my trust..... Thou hast set my feet in a large room.“

85 - 85

Aeneid, VI. 180: ”Down drop the firs; crashes, by axes felled, the ilex; and the ashen rafters and the yielding oaks are cleft by wedges.“

And IX. 87: ”A wood....dark with gloomy firs, and rafters of the maple.“

Denistoun, Mem. of the Duke of Urbino, I. 4, says: ”On the summit grew those magnificent pines, which gave to the district of Massa the epithet of Trabaria, from the beams which were carried thence for the palaces of Rome, and which are noticed by Dante as

'The living rafters Upon the back of Italy.'“

87 - 87

Shakespeare, Winter's Tale, IV. 3: –

”The fanned snow That's bolted by the northern blast twice o'er.“

And Midsummer Night's Dream: –

”High Taurus' snow Fanned with the eastern wind.“

113 - 113

Which are formed in such lofty regions, that they are beyond human conception.

125 - 125

Beatrice died in 1290, at the age of twenty-five.

136 - 136

How far these self-accusations of Dante were justified by facts, and how far they may be regarded as expressions of a sensitive and excited conscience, we have no means of determining. It is doubtless but simple justice to apply to him the words which he applied to Virgil, Canto III. 8: –

”O noble conscience, and without a stain,
How sharp a sting is trivial fault to thee!“

This should be borne in mind when we read what Dante says of his own shortcomings; as, for instance, in his conversion with his brother-in-law Forese, Canto XXIII. 115: –

”If thou bring back to mind
What thou with me hast been and I with thee,
The present memory will be grievous still.“

But what shall we say of this sonnet addressed to Dante by his intimate friend, Guido Cavalcanti? Rossetti, Early Italian Poets, p. 358: –

”I come to thee by daytime constantly,
But in my thoughts too much of baseness find:
Greatly it grieves me for thy gentle mind,
And for thy many virtues gone from thee.
It was thy wont to shun much company,
Unto all sorry concourse ill inclined:
And still thy speech of me, heartfel and kind,
Had made me treasure up thy poetry.
But now I dare not, for thine abject life,
Make manifest that I approve thy rhymes;
Nor come I in such sort that thou may'st know.
Ah! prythee read this sonnet many times:
So shall that evil one who bred this strife
Be thrust from thy dishonored soul, and go.“