few isolated passages, that Christianity discountenances the possession of wealth in its disciples, and enjoins the profession of a voluntary poverty, as a means of securing the especial favour of the Almighty. But the Gospel, when fairly interpreted, contains no intimation to that effect....The rich man is a servant of God charged with great responsibilities.”— Sermons by the Rev. W. Harness, pp. 55, 70. (67.) i.e. "It availed not, to make men embrace Poverty, that she enabled Amyclas, the poor fisherman, to sleep securely in the neighbourhood of hostile armies, and to hear without alarm the voice of Cæsar." The story is from Lucan, Phars. v. 504. He relates that Cæsar, having quitted the camp by night, alone, and wandering by the sea-shore, knocked at the hut of Amyclas, who taking him for some shipwrecked man, "Quisnam mea naufragus, inquit, Tecta petit? aut quem nostræ Fortuna coëgit Auxilium sperare case?" whereon Lucan makes Cæsar exclaim, as imitated by Dante, line 82—

"O vitæ tuta facultas

Pauperis, angustique lares! o munera nondum

Intellecta Deúm! quibus hoc contingere templis,
Aut potuit muris, nullo trepidare tumultu,

Cæsareâ pulsante manu ?"

(79.) "St. Bernard first followed the example of St. Francis by going barefoot, in imitation of the Apostles."—Lombardi. (83.) Egidius and Sylvester were two of the followers of St. Francis.

Page 106. (Line 85.) "Thence," i.e. "from his country," St. Francis (styled "lord and father," as the founder and master of the Order) proceeded to Rome, unabashed by his low birth, and accompanied by his Spouse and family, i.e. Poverty and her followers, who wore the girdle. (89.) Peter Ber

nardon was a man in low circumstances. (91.) In 1214, Innocent sanctioned the establishment of his order. (98.) This was subsequently confirmed by Honorius III. (106.) i.e. On mount Alverna in the Apennines, between the Tiber and the Arno, he perfected his sufferings, and inflicted on himself the stigmata, resembling the wounds of Christ, which were found on his body at his death.

"his

Page 107. (Line 112.) Recommending Poverty, dearest Lady," to his followers, and forbidding any ceremony to be observed at his funeral, “his spirit returned to God who gave it." (118.) i.e. "Think what he must have been, who was a worthy colleague of St. Francis to sustain the bark of St. Peter, i.e. the Church of God:-and such a colleague was our Patriarch St. Dominic." "He says 'our' because Thomas Aquinas the speaker belonged to the order of St. Dominic."Landino.

Page 108. (Line 137.) i e. " The origin of my discourse." The "il correggier," adopted by Lombardi from the Nidob. edit. is explained by him to mean the Dominican Order, from their practice of wearing the girdle. (139.) This line, conveying a reproof of the successors of St. Dominic, is taken from canto x. 96.

CANTO XII.

ARGUMENT,

THOMAS AQUINAS having finished the history of St. Francis, Bonaventura commences that of St. Dominic.

SOON as the blessed flame drew near the bound

Of its discourse,-spontaneously impell'd,

The sacred Wheel began to turn around:

Nor had it made one revolution yet,

Ere, circling it, another I beheld

While step and song in mutual concert met ;—

Song, as superior to our humble Nine,
And which as far our Sirens doth excel,

As primal light reflected doth outshine.

As when her handmaid Juno summons, rise
Two arches of like hue and parallel, .

Drawn out on fleecy cloud athwart the skies

1

7

The outer springing from the inner one,

Like to the voice of that fair Nymph who stray'd,

Consumed by love, as vapours by the sun; (Whence men on earth a sure reliance found Upon the covenant with Noah made,

That never shall again the world be drown'd)— E'en so the twofold Garland turn'd to us,~

Of roses form'd, that bloom eternally;

And one with the other corresponded thus.
Soon as the sound of dance, and song, according
To such glad movement, and the revelry
Of light to light fresh brilliancy affording
With one consent were in a moment still,

Like eyes whose movements simultaneous are,
Opening and shutting at the mover's will;-
From one of those new splendours came a sound;
Whence, e'en as turns the needle to the star,
To see its whereabout, I turn'd around.

It then began: "The love which makes me fair
Wills that by me that other Chief be named,
Who glory here obtains in equal share.
Memory the record of the twain should keep;
That as in holy warfare both were famed,
Both a like harvest of renown should reap.-

13

19

25

31

Christ's blessed army, which to reunite

Cost him so dear, was now advancing on,
Tardy and few, and ill prepared for fight;
What time the Eternal King provision made
For his endanger'd host, through grace alone,
Not for their merit;—and (as hath been said)
Raised up two champions to his Bride's relief,

Who, both in argument and action bold,
Gather'd the scatter'd people to their Chief.
In that fair clime where springs from out the west
The gentle wind that bids the leaves unfold,
Whence Europe sees renew'd her flowery vest,
Not distant from the beating of the waves,

In rear of which at times (his ardour stay'd)
The setting sun his ample forehead laves,
The happy Callaroga hath her site

Beneath the massy shield's protecting shade,
Where yields one lion, one displays his might :
There the courageous loving Knight arose

Who fought the Christian fight, with faith endued,

Kind to his own, but cruel to his foes.

And while he yet was in his mother's womb,

With living virtue was he so imbued,

He made her prophesy of things to come.

37

43

49

55