[8] The Scriptures teach you that “the judgments of God are
unsearchable, and His ways past finding out;” why, foolish, do ye
disregard them?
“The primal Will, which of Itself is good, never is moved from Itself,
which is the Supreme Good. So much is just as is accordant to It; no
created good draws It to itself, but It, raying forth, is the cause of
that good.”
As above her nest the stork circles, after she has fed her brood, and
as he who has been fed looks up at her, such became (and I so raised my
brows) the blessed image, which moved its wings urged by so many
counsels. Wheeling it sang, and said, “As are my notes to thee who
understandest them not, so is the eternal judgment to you mortals.”
After those shining flames of the Holy Spirit became quiet, still in
the sign which made the Romans reverend to the world, it began again,
“To this kingdom no one ever ascended, who had not believed in Christ
either before or after he was nailed to the tree. But behold, many cry
Christ, Christ, who, at the Judgment, shall be far less near to him,
than such an one who knew not Christ; and the Ethiop will condemn such
Christians when the two companies shall be divided, the one forever
rich, and the other poor. What will the Persians be able to say to your
kings, when they shall see that volume open in which are written all
their dispraises?[1] There among the deeds of Albert shall be seen that
which will soon set the pen in motion, by which the kingdom of Prague
shall be made desert.[2] There shall be seen the woe which he who shall
die by the blow of a wild boar is bringing upon the Seine by falsifying
the coin.[3] There shall be seen the pride that quickens thirst, which
makes the Scot and the Englishman mad, so that neither can keep within
his own bounds.[4] The luxury shall be seen, and the effeminate living
of him of Spain, and of him of Bohemia, who never knew valor, nor
wished it.[5] The goodness of the Cripple of Jerusalem shall be seen
marked with a I, while an M shall mark the contrary.[6] The avarice and
the cowardice shall be seen of him[7] who guards the island of the
fire, where Anchises ended his long life; and, to give to understand
how little worth he is, the writing for him shall be in contracted
letters which shall note much in small space. And to every one shall be
apparent the foul deeds of his uncle and of his brother[8] who have
dishonored so famous a nation and two crowns. And he of Portugal,[9]
and he of Norway[10] shall be known there; and he of Rascia,[11] who,
to his harm, has seen the coin of Venice. O happy Hungary, if she allow
herself no longer to be maltreated! and happy Navarre, if she would arm
herself with the mountains which bind her round![12] And every one must
believe that now, for earnest of this, Nicosia and Famagosta are
lamenting and complaining because of their beast which departs not from
the flank of the others.[13]