“O saintly sire and spirit!” I began,
“Who seest that, which thou didst so believe,
As to outstrip feet younger than thine own,
Toward the sepulchre? thy will is here,
That I the tenour of my creed unfold;
And thou the cause of it hast likewise ask’d. 
And I reply:  I in one God believe,
One sole eternal Godhead, of whose love
All heav’n is mov’d, himself unmov’d the while. 
Nor demonstration physical alone,
Or more intelligential and abstruse,
Persuades me to this faith; but from that truth
It cometh to me rather, which is shed
Through Moses, the rapt Prophets, and the Psalms. 
The Gospel, and that ye yourselves did write,
When ye were gifted of the Holy Ghost. 
In three eternal Persons I believe,
Essence threefold and one, mysterious league
Of union absolute, which, many a time,
The word of gospel lore upon my mind
Imprints:  and from this germ, this firstling spark,
The lively flame dilates, and like heav’n’s star
Doth glitter in me.”  As the master hears,
Well pleas’d, and then enfoldeth in his arms
The servant, who hath joyful tidings brought,
And having told the errand keeps his peace;
Thus benediction uttering with song
Soon as my peace I held, compass’d me thrice
The apostolic radiance, whose behest
Had op’d lips; so well their answer pleas’d.

CANTO XXV

If e’er the sacred poem that hath made
Both heav’n and earth copartners in its toil,
And with lean abstinence, through many a year,
Faded my brow, be destin’d to prevail
Over the cruelty, which bars me forth
Of the fair sheep-fold, where a sleeping lamb
The wolves set on and fain had worried me,
With other voice and fleece of other grain
I shall forthwith return, and, standing up
At my baptismal font, shall claim the wreath
Due to the poet’s temples:  for I there
First enter’d on the faith which maketh souls
Acceptable to God:  and, for its sake,
Peter had then circled my forehead thus.

Next from the squadron, whence had issued forth
The first fruit of Christ’s vicars on the earth,
Toward us mov’d a light, at view whereof
My Lady, full of gladness, spake to me: 
“Lo! lo! behold the peer of mickle might,
That makes Falicia throng’d with visitants!”

As when the ring-dove by his mate alights,
In circles each about the other wheels,
And murmuring cooes his fondness; thus saw I
One, of the other great and glorious prince,
With kindly greeting hail’d, extolling both
Their heavenly banqueting; but when an end
Was to their gratulation, silent, each,
Before me sat they down, so burning bright,
I could not look upon them.  Smiling then,
Beatrice spake:  “O life in glory shrin’d!”
Who didst the largess of our kingly court
Set down with faithful pen! let now thy voice
Of hope the praises in this height resound. 
For thou, who figur’st them in shapes, as clear,
As Jesus stood before thee, well can’st speak them.”