needed by the whole domain, although 55
God is not always equally in all.
Yet in my body my imperfect will
still craved more water from her well of truth. 58
The pure cloth of the life she’d tried to weave
was slashed before the fabric was complete.
I begged Piccarda to explain. Said she, 61
“A perfect love of Christ allowed Saint Clare
to teach the vows by which a lady may
put on the bridal veil and marry Him. 64
Just such a nun was I who left the world
to join the Poor Clare sisterhood. Alas,
greedy relations came, dragged me away. 67
God knew my sufferings. Upon my right,
shining with all the splendour of the moon
is one whose plight was mine. Raped from cloister, 70
keeping bridal veil over her heart, she
is Constance, heiress to the Swabian throne,
mother of Europe’s holy potentate 73
who should have been the Roman Emperor.”
Piccarda, singing Ave Maria,
76 sank from my eyes into deeper light like
stone in pond. I looked to Beatrice who
increased so vividly upon my sight,
79 questioning her was more than I could do.
4: More Moonlight
Between two equally enticing meals 1
an idiot might starve before he chose.
A lamb between two wolves would also doubt
which way to turn, or hound between two does. 4
I hungered after what my guide might say
if asked why Heaven’s justice seemed unkind,
but can a man God made doubt God is good? 7
I feared to ask that question choking me,
but Beatrice, who understood my mind
replied at once, “What ties your tongue is this: 10
how can good vows and wills deserve the less
if broken by another’s wickedness?
Your other doubt is astrological. 13
Plato wrote after death all souls return
to planets ruling them. Did moons decree
these nuns’ inconstancy? Both these doubts need 16
an answer. I will take the second first.
It is most poisonous, so listen hard.
No seraphim that is most one with God – 19
not Abraham, Moses or Samuel –
neither John Baptist or Evangelist –
22 not even Mary in the highest Heaven
is separated from the two you’ve met
although they chose to greet you in this sphere.
25 All share alike in the eternal bliss
according to their soul’s capacity.
To indicate the nature of life here
28 I am compelled to talk to you as if
Heavenly Paradise has social ranks
like those on earth. This is not so, but I
31 can only make the highest things more clear
by speaking of them in the words you know,
although they may mislead. God’s Scriptures say
34 He sees, acts, speaks with eyes, hands, mouth because
only thus men and women can conceive
One seeing with all light, whose deeds are days,
37 whose voices teach in all that can be heard:
thunder and waves, birdsong and whispered speech.
Plato says after death all souls return
40 to stars they left at birth, meaning perhaps
natural forces shape our characters
to some extent. If so this partial truth
43 has misled worshippers of sun and moon,
Venus and Mars, who treat these stars as gods.
Your other doubt can do no mischief here
46 or lose the smallest droplet of my love.
That in your eyes justice seems cruelty
is not a sign of heresy, but faith.
By all who know that Jesus Christ is God, 49
doubts can be logically overcome.
Doubt should make faith more sure. The facts are these.
No force can make a flame burn upside down 52
or alter any wholly pure good will,
though force may twist them sideways or depress.
To show that torture could not change his mind 55
Saint Lawrence chose to roast upon a grill
and Mucius compelled his hand to burn.
Rare are heroic virtues of that kind. 58
When stronger forces make good nuns break vows
and leave their cloisters, they are not to blame,
yet must feel shame if the strong force withdraws 61
and she does not return because
