William Blake

The day was moving on and the auburn
     atmosphere deprived the earthly creatures of their
     exertion; and I was only one
gearing up as if going to war -- the way's
     battle and conflict fought for pity's sake,
     which unerring, the mind will illustrate.
Oh you Muses, oh towering genius, please aid
     me now; oh you intellect that wrote what
     I saw, here shall your noble worth be famed.
I started: "Poet, you who guide me, look at
     whether my worthiness is strong enough
     before you commit me to the high path.
You said that Silvius's father, while still just
     corruptible flesh, went to the undying
     world, and perceived it with senses. But
if th' opponent of all evil was to him kind,
     considering the lofty results which were
     to come of him, the 'who' or 'what' seem right
deserved to a man of intellectual under-
     standing, since he was chosen in Empyrean
     heaven as father of revered Rome and for
its empire: the city and its dominion,
     wanting to tell the truth, were fixed as th' holy place,
     where the great Peter's successor sits on throne.
Throughout this voyage for which you credit his
     merit, he perceived things which did motivate
     his triumph and caused the Papal mantum. &
after that is where the chosen Vessel went,
     to return with comfort for this faith which is,
     on the way of salvation, primary step.[30
But I... why go there?, or who permits it?
     I am not Aeneas -- am no Paul; neither I
     nor others believe me appropriate for this.
So if I throw caution to the wind and go, I'm
     afraid the arrival may be madness. You're smart --
     you understand my reasons I don't discuss why."
And like one who disavows that which he wants
     and changes purpose for new intentions, so
     that every bit is removed from the start,
so did I act on that darkening slope,
     because over-thinking, I wasted th' undertaking
     which was too quickly ventured starting out.
"If I've understood your statement," replying
     did that ghost of the eminent poet say,
     "your mind, it's been afflicted by cowardice;
this often times so gets in a man's way
     that it turns him from honor's endeavor,
     like seeing a beast when obscure, it is shade.
So in order that you get free from this fear,
     I'll tell you why I came, also what I
     perceived the first moment I felt sorry for
you. I was among those in Limbo confined,
     and a lady called on me who was so blessed and
     beautiful, I sought to make her commands mine.
Her eyes, did those outshine the stars; and then
     she began to tell me in a pleasing, even
     tone -- with an angel's voice -- in own words said:
'Oh, you true noble spirit of courtesy
     from Mantua, whose fame still lasts on earth,
     and will last as long as the distant world, my[60
friend, who is not a friend of fortune, is
     so checked in his way on the desert slope
     that fear turns him back; and I am afraid thus
that he may be already too wayward, so
     that I might not arrive in time to save him,
     from what I heard of him in heaven's glow.
So get going, & do help him with your dis-
     course decorous and pragmatic speech to keep
     him alive, that I should be comforted by this.
I'm Beatrice, and tell you to go; me,
     I come from the place where I wish to return;
     love set me going, which moving made me speak.
When I do call at court upon my lord,
     frequently I will laud him in praise of you.'
     Then she got quiet, and next I did start:
'O virtue's righteous lady, alone through
     which the human race goes beyond all content-
     ment of that heaven which holds onto
the smallest spheres, your imperative went
     so pleasing that if already obeyed, I'd
     think it late; man's not yours any longer than
it takes me t' unwrap your gift. But grant me why
     you look out not for your descent here to this
     circle, from spacious spot where you burn to retire.'
'Because you wish to know so deeply, in
     brief will I tell you,' she told me, 'why I've
     no fear of coming down here. Being afraid is
necessary in fear of only those objects which have
     power over things done to others' harm; for
     th' others that don't, are ones which do not scare.[90
I'm so created by God, dear mercy, that your
     sadness touches me not, nor does this fire's
     flame try me. A noble lady, courteous over
in heaven, feels compassion towards this
     stumbling block I send you to, such that she
     shatters stern judgment up above. This lady did
ask for Lucia by request and said, "Now see
     your faithful believer needs you, and I do
     commend him to you." Lucia, enemy
opposed to each and any cruelty, moved
     and came over to the place where I was, as
     I sat there along with Rachel of old. She spoke:
"Beatrice, please help the man -- by God's true praise --
     who fell so in love with you, that he walked
     away for you, off from the common crowds?
Do you not hear the pity of his cry's ache?
     Don't you see the death he battles against, on
     the stream where the sea holds not any sway?"
Never were any people on the earth in
     such rush to take advantage or avoid their
     loss as I did, after such words when spoken,
come down here from my blissful seat, trusting your
     straight, honest speaking -- noble courtesy,
     which does you honor, & the one who's heard.'
Then as this talk had been explained to me,
     she turned her eyes that glistened weeping tears,
     by which she made me go even more quickly.
And I came to you just like she wanted here:
     I'll take you away from in front of that beast
     that on the mountain cuts off your going near.[120
So, then: what is it? For what, why are you wait-
     ing? Why seduce the heart with such cowardly
     fear, because you're aflame and are too shy yet,
when three such ladies so blessèd in the
     court of heaven are concerned about you, and
     you're promised so much good by my speaking?"
Like tiny flowers -- hunched over and closed
     up from the night-air chill, after the sun en-
     lightens them -- straighten up their stem, all opened,
so did I with my worn out virtue, and
     so great a daring raced into my heart,
     that I started like a free speaking man:
"How caring is she who helps me! and so court-
     eous are you who were ready to obey
     the truthful words she passed on to you! In short,
you have so inclined with desire my
     will to go along with your promises, that
     I have gone back to the first proposal made.
Come now, as a single will belongs to both:
     you -- the leader, lord and master." So I spoke
     to him; and when he moved on, I entered
over the mountainous and woodland road.