Obeying, in humility so low, As high, he, disobeying, thought to soar: And, for this reason, he had vainly tried, Out of his own sufficiency, to pay The rigid satisfaction. Then behoved That God should by his own ways lead him back Unto the life, from whence he fell, restored: By both his ways, I mean, or one alone. But since the deed is ever prized the more. The more the doer's good intent appears; Goodness celestial, whose broad signature Is on the universe, of all its ways To raise ye up, was fain to leave out none. Nor aught so vast or so magnificent, Either for him who gave or who received, Between the last night and the primal day, Was or can be. For God more bounty showed, Giving himself to make man capable Of his return to life, than had the terms Been mere and unconditional release. And for his justice, every method else Were all too scant, had not the Son of God Humbled himself to put on mortal flesh." * * * * * THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST. CANTO XIV. And lo! forthwith there rose up round about A lustre, over that already there; Of equal clearness, like the brightening up Of the horizon. As at evening hour Of twilight, new appearances through heaven Peer with faint glimmer, doubtfully descried; So, there, new substances methought, began To rise in view beyond the other twain, And wheeling, sweep their ampler circuit wide. O genuine glitter of eternal Beam! With what a sudden whiteness did it flow, O'erpowering vision in me. But so fair, So passing lovely, Beatrice showed, Mind cannot follow it, nor words express Her infinite sweetness. Thence mine eyes regained Power to look up; and I beheld myself, Sole with my lady, to more lofty bliss Translated: for the star, with warmer smile Impurpled, well denoted our ascent. With all the heart, and with that tongue which speaks The same in all, an holocaust I made To God befitting the new grace vouchsafed. And from my bosom had not yet upsteamed The fuming of that incense, when I knew The rite accepted. With such mighty sheen And mantling crimson, in two listed rays The splendors shot before me, that I cried, "God of Sabaoth! that dost prank them thus!" As leads the galaxy from pole to pole, Distinguished into greater lights and less, Its pathway, which the wisest fail to spell; So thickly studded, in the depth of Mars, Those rays described the venerable sign, That quadrants in the round conjoining frame. Here memory mocks the toil of genius. Christ Beamed on that cross; and pattern fails me now. But whoso takes his cross, and follows Christ, Will pardon me for that I leave untold, When in the fleckered dawning he shall spy The glitterance of Christ. From horn to horn, And 'tween the summit and the base, did move Lights, scintillating, as they met and passed. Thus oft are seen with ever-changeful glance,