emain, but through the glittering mass they
dart to and fro like motes in a sunbeam that finds its way through a
shutter or screen. With eyes amazed the poet now hears such a wondrous
melody that he says: "I was so much enamoured therewith that up to this
point there had not been anything which bound me with fetters of such
delight." (XIV, 128.)

The names of some of the spirits forming the Stellar Cross are made
known to the poet--Joshua and Judas Maccabaeus, the intrepid heroes of
the Old Testament, the Christian Knights, Charlemagne and Orlando the
Paladin, William of Aquitaine and Rainouart, Godfrey de Bouillon,
conqueror of Jerusalem, Robert Guiscard, military executor of Pope
Hildebrande.

Darting along the arm of the Stellar Cross and coming to its foot is a
splendor who greets Dante with warm affection. This is the spirit of his
great-great-grandfather, Cacciaguida, who sings the glory of ancient
Florence the better to describe the deterioration of the city in Dante's
day and to censure its people for their civil feuds, corruption and
opposition to the Imperial Eagle. Then at Dante's request the crusader
spirit interprets for his descendant the various predictions made to the
latter during his passage through Hell and Purgatory. Evil days will
come upon him (it must be remembered that this prophecy by Cacciaguida
is supposed to occur a year or two before Dante's exile), he will be
exiled from Florence and will become a homeless wanderer.

Let him, however, write his poem and declare his vision, no matter if
offense will be taken by the high ones of the earth. He, having a
prophet's work to do, must speak with all the boldness of a prophet
without fear or dissimulation. The words, while assuring the poet of the
sweetness of everlasting fame, bring to his mind, also, the bitterness
of the injustice of his exile and suffering, and apparently he harbors
the thought of vengeance upon his enemies. Beatrice, however, checks his
resentment, assuring him that she, so near to God, will assist him--a
most beautiful passage showing the relations between her and the poet,
whether the words are taken literally as exhibiting her as his
intercessor before the throne of the Most High, or allegorically
considered as declaring that Revealed Truth takes from man the desire of
vengeance and places his case in the hands of Him who has said:
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay." For Dante's spiritual perfection his
lovely guide bids h