Page:Divine Comedy (Longfellow 1867) v1.djvu/30

10 Bestir thee now, and with thy speech ornate,

And with what needful is for his release,

Assist him so, that I may be consoled.

Beatrice am I, who do bid thee go;

I come from there, where I would fain return;

Love moved me, which compelleth me to speak.

When I shall be in presence of my Lord,

Full often will I praise thee unto him.'

Then paused she, and thereafter I began:

'O Lady of virtue, thou alone through whom

The human race exceedeth all contained

Within the heaven that has the lesser circles,

So grateful unto me is thy commandment,

To obey, if 't were already done, were late;

No farther need'st thou ope to me thy wish.

But the cause tell me why thou dost not shun

The here descending down into this centre,

From the vast place thou burnest to return to.'

'Since thou wouldst fain so inwardly discern,

Briefly will I relate,' she answered me,

'Why I am not afraid to enter here.

Of those things only should one be afraid

Which have the power of doing others harm;

Of the rest, no; because they are not fearful.