Canto XVIII of the Purgatory
image Luis Rojo

The Free Will.
All that you should know about Love.

Posto avea fine al suo ragionamento l'alto dottore, e attento guardava ne la mia vista s'io parea contento; e io, cui nova sete ancor frugava, di fuor tacea, e dentro dicea: 'Forse lo troppo dimandar ch'io fo li grava'. Ma quel padre verace, che s'accorse del timido voler che non s'apriva, parlando, di parlare ardir mi porse. Ond'io: «Maestro, il mio veder s'avviva sě nel tuo lume, ch'io discerno chiaro quanto la tua ragion parta o descriva.


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My learned guide had finished his speech, and he looked at me attentively in the eyes to see whether I were satisfied with his answers; and me, who was avid of knowing, I was afraid to importune him and yet, I asked him: "Master, I understand your reasoning, but I would like you to explain to me what is that love which you say that it results from it, all good action as much as its opposite." "Open well wide your spirit, and you will clearly see the error of the blind men who claimed to be your guides. Know that your soul is made that way: it is, by nature, prepared for love, and it joined thus what pleases it, attracted by the pleasure which it wakes up in you and makes it pass to the act. Imagine a woman that your spirit conceals and whose image is spread in you so that you feel something for her; this attraction is called love, and by the effect of pleasure, make her live in you. Thus, as the fire which rises quite naturally, your heart is inflamed by a spiritual desire which never does stop before having enjoyed the loved woman. You can see now how the truth remains hidden to these guides who tell you that any love is a creditable thing in oneself, but it is not always so, admitting even that it is so, love can be guilty by too or not enough ardour." I answered to him: "Your words and what my spirit retains of them, informed me on what was love; but that has not decreased my doubts, because, if the soul is only driven under the impulse of love which comes to us from outside, it does not have anymore merit to act in good or evil." He answered to me: "I can tell you all that reason has to say on this subject but, for all that goes beyond, that relates to faith and Jeanne will be able to teach it to you better than me. Any soul, distinct from the matter and join to it, has the natural disposition to knowledge and love, disposition which can manifest itself only by its effects. Also, does not man know, and has not to praise or blame himself for that, from where comes to him, its natural disposition to love, nor the appetite of his first inclinations, which are in him like the instinct for the bee to make honey; however, so that with these innate tendencies agrees, thoses which are free, it is from reason that its responsibility rises, the occasion to deserve, according to whether it accommodate or reject, good and bad loves. Those who, by reasoning, looked further into these problems, recognized this innate freedom, and they left to the world, the Moral. If necessity generates any love to ignite in you, you have in you, all the capacity to restrain it. It is the noble virtue that Jeanne calls the free will, also, your task is to remember it, if she speaks to you about it." I thus received a clear and satisfactory answer to all my questions, I was like a man who dreams while being somnolent. But I was suddenly awaked from my somnolence by people who approached, behind us, who had already walked around. I saw on this cornice that came, while playing of the hips, those who are spurred still by some good will and a right love. They were towards us, always going running; and in front, two of them shouted: "Quickly, quickly! let us not waste any more time by insufficiency love, because the zeal to act well, made our grace turn green again." Marie ran in haste to the mountain, and an unknown one wanted to put her in a waft, he deflowered her then went to shelter himself . "Oh souls, in which ardour invites me to give you what you miss but that one is a living being and could not satisfy your desires, also, tell us where is the passage which will make us go up higher." Thus spoke my guide, and one of the frivolous spirits answered with a voice which was already a caress: "Follow our steps and we will make you find the exit." When these shadows were so distant from us that one could not any more see them, nor hope anything from them, a new thought penetrated my spirit, from which many others rises, excessively various: And, from one to the other, I wandered so well that, by daydream, I closed again my eyes and my thoughts were transformed into a dream.



Marco Polo ou le voyage imaginaire (La tragédie humaine, janvier 2000) © 1999 Jean-Pierre Lapointe
Theme musical: so ben mi de Orazio Vecchi, emprunté aux Classical Midi Archives.
Important Notice: any photos or fragments of photos subject to copyright will be removed on notice.


CANTO XIX OF THE PURGATORY