These substances, since in God's countenance
  They jocund were, turned not away their sight
  From that wherefrom not anything is hidden;

Hence they have not their vision intercepted
  By object new, and hence they do not need
  To recollect, through interrupted thought.

So that below, not sleeping, people dream,
  Believing they speak truth, and not believing;
  And in the last is greater sin and shame.

Below you do not journey by one path
  Philosophising; so transporteth you
  Love of appearance and the thought thereof.

And even this above here is endured
  With less disdain, than when is set aside
  The Holy Writ, or when it is distorted.

They think not there how much of blood it costs
  To sow it in the world, and how he pleases
  Who in humility keeps close to it.

Each striveth for appearance, and doth make
  His own inventions; and these treated are
  By preachers, and the Evangel holds its peace.

One sayeth that the moon did backward turn,
  In the Passion of Christ, and interpose herself
  So that the sunlight reached not down below;

And lies; for of its own accord the light
  Hid itself; whence to Spaniards and to Indians,
  As to the Jews, did such eclipse respond.

Florence has not so many Lapi and Bindi
  As fables such as these, that every year
  Are shouted from the pulpit back and forth,

In such wise that the lambs, who do not know,
  Come back from pasture fed upon the wind,
  And not to see the harm doth not excuse them.

Christ did not to his first disciples say,
  'Go forth, and to the world preach idle tales,'
  But unto them a true foundation gave;

And this so loudly sounded from their lips,
  That, in the warfare to enkindle Faith,
  They made of the Evangel shields and lances.

Now men go forth with jests and drolleries
  To preach, and if but well the people laugh,
  The hood puffs out, and nothing more is asked.

But in the cowl there nestles such a bird,
  That, if the common people were to see it,
  They would perceive what pardons they confide in,

For which so great on earth has grown the folly,
  That, without proof of any testimony,
  To each indulgence they would flock together.

By this Saint Anthony his pig doth fatten,
  And many others, who are worse than pigs,
  Paying in money without mark of coinage.

But since we have digressed abundantly,
  Turn back thine eyes forthwith to the right path,
  So that the way be shortened with the time.

This nature doth so multiply itself
  In numbers, that there never yet was speech
  Nor mortal fancy that can go so far.

And if thou notest that which is revealed
  By Daniel, thou wilt see that in his thousands
  Number determinate is kept concealed.

The primal light, that all irradiates it,
  By modes as many is received therein,
  As are the splendours wherewith it is mated.

Hence, inasmuch as on the act conceptive
  The affection followeth, of love the sweetness
  Therein diversely fervid is or tepid.

The height behold now and the amplitude
  Of the eternal power, since it hath made
  Itself so many mirrors, where 'tis broken,

One in itself remaining as before."