I heard voices, and each appeared to be praying for peace and mercy to the Lamb of God that taketh sins away. Only “Agnus Dei[1] were their exordiums: one word there was in all, and one measure; so that among them seemed entire concord. “Are these spirits, Master, that I hear?” said I. And he to me, “Thou apprehendest truly; and they go loosening the knot of anger.” “Now who art thou that cleavest our smoke, and yet dost speak of us even as if thou didst still divide the time by calends?”[2] Thus by one voice was said: whereon my Master said, “Reply, and ask if by this way one goeth up.” And I, “O creature, that cleansest thyself in order to return beautiful unto Him who made thee, a marvel shalt thou hear if thou accompanyest me.” “I will follow thee, so far as is permitted me,” it replied, “and if the smoke allows not seeing, in its stead hearing shall keep us joined.” Then I began, “With that swathing band which death unbinds I go upward, and I came hither through the infernal anguish. And if God bath so enclosed me in His grace that He wills that I should see His court by a mode wholly out of modern usage, conceal not from me who thou wert before thy death, but tell it to me, and tell me if I am going rightly to the pass; and let thy words be our guides.” “Lombard I was, and was called Marco; the world I knew, and that worth I loved, toward which every one hath now unbent his bow. For mounting thou art going rightly.” Thus he replied, and added, “I pray thee that thou pray for me when thou shalt he above.” And I to him, “I pledge my faith to thee to do that which thou askest of me; but I am bursting inwardly with a doubt, if I free not myself of it; at first it was simple, and now it is made double by thy words which make certain to me, here as elsewhere, that wherewith I couple it.[3] The world is indeed as utterly deserted by every virtue as thou declarest to me, and with iniquity is big and covered; but I pray that thou point out to me the cause, so that I may see it, and that I may show it to others; for one sets it in the heavens, and one here below.” [1] “The Lamb of God.” [2] By those in the eternal world dine is not reckoned by earth divisions. [3] The doubt was occasioned by Guido del Duca’s words (Canto XV.), in regard to the prevalence of evil in Tuscany, arising either from misfortune of the place, or through the bad habits of men. The fact of the iniquity of men was now reaffirmed by Marco Lombardo; Dante accepts the fact as certain, and his doubt is coupled with it.