Page:The Commedia and Canzoniere of Dante Alighieri vol i.djvu/8



“The Poet in a golden dime was born, With golden stars abore, Dowered with the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn, The love of love.”

“At the Round Table of King Arthur there was left always one seat vacant for him who should accomplish the adventure of the Holy Grail. It was calle4 the ‘perilous seat’ because of the dangers he must encounter who would win it. In the company of the Epic poets there was a place left for whoever should embody the Christian idea of a triumphant life, outwardly all defeat, inwardly victorious, who should make us partakers of that cup of sorrow in which all are communicants with Christ, He who should do this would indeed achieve the ‘perilous seat,’ for he must combine poesy with doctrine in such cunning wise, that one lose not its beauty nor  the other its severity—and Dante has done it.”