Why cherish in thy heart a craven fear? Where is thy franchise, where thy bravery, When three such blessed ladies have a care For thee in Heaven's court, and these words of mine Thee for such wealth of blessedness prepare?' As flowers, by chills nocturnal made to pine And shut themselves, when touched by morning bright Upon their stems arise, full-blown and fine; So of my faltering courage changed the plight, 130 And such good cheer ran through my heart, it spurred Me to declare, like free-born generous wight: 'O pitiful, who for my succour stirred! And thou how full of courtesy to run, Alert in service, hearkening her true word! Thou with thine eloquence my heart hast won To keen desire to go, and the intent Which first I held I now no longer shun. Therefore proceed; my will with thine is blent: Thou art my Guide, Lord, Master;[202] thou alone!' 140 Thus I; and with him, as he forward went, The steep and rugged road I entered on. FOOTNOTES: [183] _Close of day_: The evening of the Friday. It comes on us with something of a surprise that a whole day has been spent in the attempt to ascend the hill, and in conference with Virgil. [184] _Alone_: Of earthly creatures, though in company with Virgil, a shade. In these words is to be found the keynote to the Canto. With the sense of deliverance from immediate danger his enthusiasm has died away. After all, Virgil is only a shade; and his heart misgives him at the thought of engaging, in the absence of all human companionship, upon a journey so full of terrors. He is not reassured till Virgil has displayed his commission. [185] _Muses_: The invocation comes now, the First Canto being properly an introduction. Here it may be pointed out, as illustrating the refinement of Dante's art, that the invocation in the _Purgatorio_ is in a higher strain, and that in the _Paradiso_ in a nobler still. [186] _Silvius' father_: Æneas, whose visit to the world of shades is described in the Sixth _Æneid_. He finds there his father Anchises, who foretells to him the fortunes of his descendants down to the time of Augustus.