was then of such an age, that the starry heavens had moved the twelfth part of a degree towards the East1 during her lifetime; so that, she appeared to me, about the beginning of her ninth year, and I saw her, about the end of my ninth year. She appeared to me in a dress of a noble colour, a subdued and becoming blood red, with a sash aud ornaments suited to her very youthful years. At that moment, (I speak the truth) the Spirit of Life' which dwells in the most secret chamber of the heart, began to tremble so violently, as to be frightfully visible in the smallest pulses of my Body, aud with faultering voice, said these words: "Ecce deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur mihi."-" Behold a God stronger than I, who coming, will subdue me." — Then the animal Spirit, which dwells in the lofty chamber, whither the spirits of the Senses carry their perceptions began to marvel greatly, and addressing itself especially to the Spirits of Vision, said these Words, "Apparuit jam beatitudo vestra,"-"Now has thy blessedness appeared. "-At that moment the Spirit of Nature, which dwells in that part to which we administer food, began to weep, and amidst tears, said the following words: "Heu miser! quia frequenter impeditus ero deinceps" "Ah! wretched me! for henceforth I shall often be impeded!" From that time forth, I say, that Love held absolute empire over my soul, (which had been

3

In the Convito are the following words « That heaven following the motion of the starry spheres moves from West to East, one degree in a hundred years, the twelfth part of which is eight years and a third — Beatrice was therefore 8 years and 4 months old.

2 The vital principle.

3 The Brain.

tade e tanta signoria, per la virtù che gli dava la mia imaginazione, che mi convenia fare compiutamente tutti i suoi piaceri. Egli mi comandava molte volte che io cercassi per vedere quest'Angiola giovanissima: ond'io nella mia puerizia molte fiate l'andai cercando, e vedeala di sì nobili e laudabili portamenti, che certo di lei si potea dire quella parola del poeta Omero: "Ella non pare figliuola d'uomo mortale, ma di Dio." Ed avvegna che la sua imagine, la quale continuamente meco stava, fosse baldanza d'amore a signoreggiarmi, tuttavia era di sì nobile virtù, che nulla volta sofferse che Amore mi reggesse senza il fedele consiglio della ragione in quelle cose là dove cotal consiglio fosse utile a udire. E però che soprastare alle passioni ed atti di tanta gioventudine pare alcuno parlare fabuloso, mi partirò da esse, e trapassando molte cose, le quali si potrebbero trarre dall' esemplo onde nascono queste, verrò a quelle parole, le quali sono scritte nella mia memoria sotto maggiori paragrafi.

Poichè furono passati tanti dì, che appunto erano compiuti li nove anni appresso l'apparimento soprascritto di questa gentilissima, nell'ultimo di questi di avvenne, che questa mirabile donna apparve a me vestita di colore bianchissimo in mezzo di due gentili donne, le quali erano di più lunga etade, e passando per una via volse gli occhi verso quella parte ov' io era molto pauroso; e per la sua ineffabile cortesia, la quale è oggi meritata nel grande secolo, mi salutò virtuosa

so quickly betrothed to him) and began to exercise over me, in consequence of the strength which my Imagination gave him, such vast and uncontroled power, that I was compelled wholly to comply with all his wishes He oftentimes commanded me to strive to get a Sight of this youthful Angel; consequently, I frequently sought her during my Boyhood, and found in her, so noble so praiseworthy a bearing, that the line of Homer might with truth be applied to her, "She seems not a daughter of mortal man, but of the Gods" and although her Image, which was always present to me, might be the effect of Love's bold seigniory over me, yet it possessed a power so noble, that on no occasion (in those matters which required the faithful counsel of Reason,) would it suffer Love to move me, without listening to its dictates But as the dwelling on the passions and actions of such extreme youth, would appear but as an idle story, I shall say no more about them; and omitting many circumstances which might be extracted from this, my case, in which they occurred, I shall pass on to those words which are written in my memory in characters more distinct.

When exactly so many days had elapsed after the above described apparition of this most noble Lady, as were necessary to complete nine whole years; it chanced, that on the last of those days, this most admirable person appeared to me in a dress of the purest white, between two noble Ladies, older than herself; and passing along the street, she turned her eyes towards the spot, where, trembling with fear, I stood; and with an ineffable Courtesy (which now has its reward in Eter

mente tanto, che mi parve allora vedere tutti i termini della beatitudine. L'ora che lo suo dolcissimo salutare mi giunse era fermamente nona di quel giorno: e perocchè quella fu la prima volta che le sue parole vennero a' miei orecchi, presi tanta dolcezza, che come inebriato mi partii dalle genti. E ricorso al solingo luogo d'una mia camera, puosimi a pensare di questa cortesissima; e pensando di lei, mi sopraggiunse un soave sonno, nel quale m'apparve una maravigliosa visione: chè mi parea vedere nella mia camera una nebula di colore di fuoco, dentro alla quale io discernea una figura d'uno Signore, di pauroso aspetto a chi lo guardasse: e pareami con tanta letizia, quanto a se, che mirabil cosa era: e nelle sue parole dicea molte cose, le quali io non intendea se non poche, tra le quali io intendea queste: Ego dominus tuus. Nelle sue braccia mi parea vedere una persona dormire nuda, salvo che involta mi parea in un drappo sanguigno leggermente, la quale io riguardando molto intentivamente, conobbi ch'era la donna della salute, la quale m'avea lo giorno dinanzi degnato di salutare. E nell' una delle mani mi parea, che questi tenesse una cosa, la quale ardesse tutta; e pareami che mi dicesse queste parole: Vide cor tuum. E quando egli era stato alquanto, pareami che disvegliasse questache dormia; e tanto si sforzava per suo ingegno, che le facea mangiare quella cosa che in mano gli ardeva, la quale ella mangiava dubitosamente. Appresso ciò, poco dimorava, che la sua letizia si convertia in amarissimo pianto: e così piangendo si ricogliea questa donna nelle

2

nity) saluted me in so striking a manner, that I seemed to reach the very extreme of happiness - The hour at which I received this most bewitching salutation, was precisely the none1 of that day; and as this was the first time that her words had reached my ears, the pleasure which I received was such, that I quitted the company, as it were in a state of Intoxication And retiring to my solitary Chamber, I sat down to meditate on this most courteous Lady; during my meditation, a sweet sleep came over me, in which appeared a wonderful Vision - I seemed to see in my chamber a cloud, red as fire, in the midst of which I discerned the figure of a man whose aspect struck fear into the Beholder, whilst, wonderful to say he appeared all Joy - And he spoke of many things, few of which I understood; but amongst them was this, "Ego dominus tuus,' "I am thy Master "—In his arms I seemed to see a sleeping figure, naked, except a slight covering of a bloodred coloured drapery -but looking more attentively, I saw that it was the Lady of my happiness, who had condescended to address me on the day before In one of his hands he seemed to hold something which was all in flames; and to say these words," Vide cor tuum"-"Behold thine own heart"- And after a short time, he seemed to me to awaken her who slept, and to exert his skill in such wise, that he forced her to eat that which was burning in his hand and this she did with hesitation and fear-He stayed but a short time after this, but his joy was changed to most bitter lamen

The 5th of the 7 canonical hours or half past eleven A. M.

2 Love.

"