Part 3 (1/2)

It shone even in the face of the Faust as he pa.s.sed.

And behold, when Margaret looked at him he had grown young. His hair glinted in the sun and the wonder had come back to his eyes. b.u.t.terflies circled above them, and they went on and on, free and glad together, and the holy light was over everything.

But the poet tells us that afterwards Faust traveled into a very strange, far world, where there was never any silence or living flowers.

Nothing was perfect or holy there, and Margaret could not go. But they tell us that whenever he looked away from this strange world, he heard again the singing, and smelled the faint fragrance of lilies, and it seemed to him that he was there again in the light, with the blessed Margaret leading him on forever.

Oh, eternal light!

For I therein, methought, in its own hue, Beheld our image painted.

--_From Dante's ”Paradise.”_

[Ill.u.s.tration:

_By Dante Gabriel Rossetti_

THE BEATA BEATRICE]

BEATRICE.

Dear children, there is a great story of Heaven told by a poet called Dante, who dreamed that he was led through Heaven by the beautiful Beatrice.

And this is how it was. Dante had come to think so many unloving thoughts of all the people, that whenever he went about the streets of Florence where he lived, he thought he saw evil marks on all the faces.

And it seemed to him that everyone in the world was lost from G.o.d. And the angry sorrow in his heart grew so great that there was not a single loving, hopeful thought in it. Then there came to him a wonderful vision. It seemed to him that Beatrice, whom he loved, came down from G.o.d and spoke to him and led him up, and showed him Heaven.

But his eyes were so dim at first, it seemed only the s.h.i.+ning of a few small stars. But as they journeyed, Beatrice spoke to him of many things he had not understood, and while she talked, Heaven grew plainer and he saw that the stars were all s.h.i.+ning together in a soft radiance, like the halos of many saints. And the wisdom of the world began to slip from Dante, and he stood there in Heaven as a little child.

Beatrice led him on and on, and whenever she wished him to see Heaven more plainly she talked of the world he lived in and the men he hated.

Now when one who lives with G.o.d speaks of hate, it is nothing. And as he listened, Dante began to see that Man was in Heaven. When he had learned this, they went with a great flight up to G.o.d. And behold! it seemed to Dante that the higher he went in Heaven the nearer home he came, for all around him there were faces that he knew.

And they went on and on to the very highest Heaven, where G.o.d and man live together, and the angels cannot tell G.o.d from man or man from G.o.d.

And Beatrice showed Dante this great mystery. And he stood still, looking, with the great light s.h.i.+ning into his eyes.

Although he does not tell us what he saw, we know it was Florence, where he lived, and that he was looking at all the people with loving eyes, and seeing them just as those who live with G.o.d see men.

Heaven is here, little children. Let us love one another.

FROM ”PARSIFAL.”