The like not found on earth.  Fondly I gaz’d
Upon those patterns of meek humbleness,
Shapes yet more precious for their artist’s sake,
When “Lo,” the poet whisper’d, “where this way
(But slack their pace), a multitude advance. 
These to the lofty steps shall guide us on.” 
     Mine eyes, though bent on view of novel sights
Their lov’d allurement, were not slow to turn. 
     Reader!  I would not that amaz’d thou miss
Of thy good purpose, hearing how just God
Decrees our debts be cancel’d.  Ponder not
The form of suff’ring.  Think on what succeeds,
Think that at worst beyond the mighty doom
It cannot pass.  “Instructor,” I began,
“What I see hither tending, bears no trace
Of human semblance, nor of aught beside
That my foil’d sight can guess.”  He answering thus: 
“So courb’d to earth, beneath their heavy teems
Of torment stoop they, that mine eye at first
Struggled as thine.  But look intently thither,
An disentangle with thy lab’ring view,
What underneath those stones approacheth:  now,
E’en now, mayst thou discern the pangs of each.” 
     Christians and proud!  O poor and wretched ones! 
That feeble in the mind’s eye, lean your trust
Upon unstaid perverseness!  Know ye not
That we are worms, yet made at last to form
The winged insect, imp’d with angel plumes
That to heaven’s justice unobstructed soars? 
Why buoy ye up aloft your unfleg’d souls? 
Abortive then and shapeless ye remain,
Like the untimely embryon of a worm! 
     As, to support incumbent floor or roof,
For corbel is a figure sometimes seen,
That crumples up its knees unto its breast,
With the feign’d posture stirring ruth unfeign’d
In the beholder’s fancy; so I saw
These fashion’d, when I noted well their guise. 
     Each, as his back was laden, came indeed
Or more or less contract; but it appear’d
As he, who show’d most patience in his look,
Wailing exclaim’d:  “I can endure no more.”

CANTO XI

O thou Almighty Father, who dost make
The heavens thy dwelling, not in bounds confin’d,
But that with love intenser there thou view’st
Thy primal effluence, hallow’d be thy name: 
Join each created being to extol
Thy might, for worthy humblest thanks and praise
Is thy blest Spirit.  May thy kingdom’s peace
Come unto us; for we, unless it come,
With all our striving thither tend in vain. 
As of their will the angels unto thee
Tender meet sacrifice, circling thy throne
With loud hosannas, so of theirs be done
By saintly men on earth.  Grant us this day
Our daily manna, without which he roams
Through this rough desert retrograde, who most
Toils to advance his steps.  As we to each
Pardon the evil done us, pardon thou
Benign, and of our merit take no count. 
’Gainst the old adversary prove thou not