"As to the King, who makes his will our will.
"His will is our peace; this is the sea
"To which is moving onward whatsoever
"It doth create, and all that nature makes."
"To follow her, in girlhood from the world
"I fled, and in her habit shut myself,
"And pledged me to the pathway of her sect.
"Then men accustomed unto evil more
"Than unto good, from the sweet cloister tore me;
"God knows what afterward my life became."
"That which Timaeus argues of the soul
"Doth not resemble that which here is seen,
"Because it seems that as he speaks he thinks.
"He says the soul unto its star returns,
"Believing it to have been severed thence
"Whenever nature gave it as a form."
"This principle ill understood once warped
"The whole world nearly, till it went astray
"Invoking Jove and Mercury and Mars."
"That as unjust our justice should appear
"In eyes of mortals, is an argument
"Of faith, and not of sin heretical."
"Such was the flowing of the holy river
"That issued from the fount whence springs all truth;
"This put to rest my wishes one and all."
"'I wish to know if man can satisfy you
"'For broken vows with other good deeds, so
"'That in your balance they will not be light.'
"Beatrice gazed upon me with her eyes
"Full of the sparkle of love, and so divine,
"That, overcome my power, I turned my back
"And almost lost myself with eyes downcast."
"The greatest gift that in his largess God
"Creating made, and unto his own goodness
"Nearest conformed, and that which he doth prize
"Most highly, is the freedom of the will,
"Wherewith the creatures of intelligence
"Both all and only were and are endowed."
"Let mortals never take a vow in jest;
"Be faithful and not blind in doing that."
Lilies most commonly mean devotion or purity, though meaning can vary by type of lily, culture, and color.
"To the public standard one of the yellow lilies
"This little planet doth adorn itself
"But in commensuration of our wages
x
"This little planet doth adorn itself
"But in commensuration of our wages
x
"Opposes, the other claims it for a party,
"So that 'tis hard to see which sins the most."
"With the good spirits that have active been,
"That fame and honour might come after them;
"And whensoever the desires mount thither,
"Thus deviating, must perforce the rays
"Of the true love less vividly mount upward."
"With our desert is portion of our joy,
"Because we see them neither less nor greater."
"Herein doth living Justice sweeten so
"Affection in us, that for evermore
"It cannot warp to any iniquity."
"And to his dignity no more returns,
"Unless he fill up where transgression empties
"With righteous pains for criminal delights."
"Man in his limitations had not power
"To satisfy, not having power to sink
"In his humility obeying them,
"Far as he disobeying thought to rise;
"And for this reason man has been from power
"Of satisfying by himself excluded."
"'For 'tis impossible
"That nature tire, I see in what is needful.'
"Whence he again: 'Now say, would it be worse
"For me on earth were they not citizens?'
"'Yes,' I replied; 'and here I ask no reason.'
"'And can they be so, if below they live not
"Diversely unto offices diverse?
"No, if your master writeth well for you.'
"So came he with deductions to this point;
"Then he concluded: 'Therefore it behoves
"'The roots of your effects to be diverse.'"
"And if the world below would fix its mind
"On the foundation which is laid by nature,
"Pursuing that, 'twould have the people good.
"But you unto religion wrench aside
"Him who was born to gird him with the sword,
"And make a king of him who is for sermons;
"Therefore your footsteps wander from the road."
"Declare unto him if the light wherewith
"Blossoms your substance shall remain with you
"Eternally the same that it is now;"
"When, glorious and sanctified, our flesh
"Is reassured, then shall our persons be
"More pleasing by their being all complete;
"For will increase whate'er bestows on us
"Of light gratuitous the Good Supreme,
"Light which enables us to look on Him;"
"Suffice it of my elders to hear this;
"But who they were, and whence they thither came,
"Silence is more considerate than speech."
"To hear how races waste themselves away,
"Will seem to thee no novel thing nor hard,
"Seeing that even cities have an end.
"All things of yours have their mortality,
"Even as yourselves; but it is hidden in some
'That a long while endure, and lives are short;"
"I turned me round, and then what love I saw
"Within those holy eyes I here relinquish;
"Not only that my language I distrust,
"But that my mind cannot return so far
"Above itself, unless another guide it.
"There much upon that point can I repeat,
"That, her again beholding, my affection
"From every other longing was released."
"There shall be seen the woe that on the Seine
"He brings by falsifying of the coin,
"Who by the blow of a wild boar shall die.
"There shall be seen the pride that causes thirst,
"Which makes the Scot and Englishmen so mad
"That they within their boundaries cannot rest;
"Be seen the luxury and effeminate life
"Of him of Spain, and the Bohemian,
"Who valor never knew and never wished;
"Be seen the Cripple of Jerusalem,
"His goodness represented by an I,
"While the reverse an M shall represent;
"Be seen the avarice and poltroonery
"Of him who guards the Island of the Fire,
"Wherein Anchises finished his long life;"
"And she smiled not; but 'If I were to smile,'
"She unto me began, 'thou wouldst become
"'Like Semele, when she was turned to ashes.
"'Because my beauty, that along the stairs
"'Of the eternal palace more enkindles,
"'As thou hast seen, the further we ascend,
"'If it were tempered not, is so resplendent
"'That all thy mortal power in its effulgence
"'Would seem a leaflet that the thunder crushes.'"
"...the use of men is like a leaf
"On bough, which goeth and another cometh."
"O joy! O gladness inexpressible!
"O perfect life of love and peacefulness!
"O riches without hankering secure!"
"'If I my colour change,
"'Marvel not at it; for while I am speaking
"'Thouh shalt behold all these their colour change.'"
"Fidelity and innocence are found
"Only in children; afterwards they both
"Take flight or e'er the cheeks with down are covered.
"One, while he prattles still, observes the fasts,
"Who, when his tongue is loosed, forthwith devours
"Whatever food under whatever moon;
"Another, while he prattles, loves and listens
"Unto his mother, who when speech is perfect
"Forthwith desires to see her in her grave."
"Not to see the harm doth not excuse them."
"Not only does the beauty I beheld
"Transcend ourselves, but truly I believe
"Its Maker only may enjoy it all."
"With voice and gesture of a perfect leader
"She recommenced: 'We from the greatest body
"'Have issued to the heaven that is pure light;
"'Light intellectual replete with love,
"'Love of true good replete with ecstasy
"'Ecstasy that trascendeth every sweetness.'"
"There is a light above, which visible
"Makes the Creator unto every creature,
"Who only in beholding Him has peace,"
"'O Lady, thou in whom my hope is strong,
"'And who for my salvation didst endure
"'In Hell to leave the imprint of thy feet,
"'Of whatsoever things I have beheld,
"'As coming from thy power and from thy goodness
"'I recognise the virtue and the grace.
"'Thou from a slave hast brought me unto freedom,
"'By all those ways, by all the expedients,
"'Whereby thou hadst the power of doing it.
"'Preserve towards me thy magnificence,
"'So that this soul of mine, which thou hast healed,
"'Pleasing to thee be loosened from the body.'"
"'Tis true that in the early centuries,
"With innocence, to work out their salvation
"Sufficient was the faith of parents only.
"After the earlier ages were completed,
"Behoved it that the males by circumcision
"Unto their innocent wings should virtue add;
"But after that time of grace had come
"Without the baptism absolute of Christ,
"Such innocence below there was retained."
"Even such was I at that new apparition:
"I wished to see how the image to the circle
"Conformed itself, and how it there finds place;
"But my own wings were not enough for this,
"Had it not been that then my mind there smote
"A flash of lightning, wherein came its wish.
"Here vigour failed the loft fantasy:
"But now was turning my desire and will,
"Even as a wheel that equally is moved,
"The love which moves the sun and the other stars."
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