beholds itself depicted. [42]
    But since this kingdom has made citizens
       By means of the true Faith, to glorify it
       ’Tis well he have the chance to speak thereof.” 
    As baccalaureate arms himself, and speaks not
      Until the master doth propose the question,
      To argue it, and not to terminate it,
    So did I arm myself with every reason,
      While she was speaking, that I might be ready
      For such a questioner and such profession. 
    “Speak on, good Christian; manifest thyself; [52]
      Say, what is Faith?” Whereat I raised my brow
      Unto that light from which this was breathed forth. 
    Then turned I round to Beatrice, and she
      Prompt signals made to me that I should pour
      The water forth from my internal fountain. 
    “May grace, that suffers me to make confession,”
      Began I, “to the great Centurion, [59]
      Cause my conceptions all to be explicit!”
    And I continued:  “As the truthful pen,
      Father, of thy dear brother wrote of it,
      Who put with thee Rome into the good way,
    Faith is the substance of the things we hope for,
      And evidence of those that are not seen;
      And this appears to me its quiddity.” [66]
    Then heard I:  “Very rightly thou perceivest,
      If well thou understandest why he placed it
      With substances and then with evidences.” 
    And I thereafterward:  “The things profound,
      That here vouchsafe to me their outward show,
      Unto all eyes below are so concealed,
    That they exist there only in belief,
      Upon the which is founded the high hope,
      And therefore take the nature of a substance. 
    And it behooveth us from this belief
      To reason without having other views,
      And hence it has the nature of evidence.” 
    Then heard I:  “If whatever is acquired
      Below as doctrine were thus understood,
      No sophist’s subtlety would there find place.” 
    Thus was breathed forth from that enkindled love;
      Then added:  “Thoroughly has been gone over
      Already of this coin the alloy and weight;
    But tell me if thou hast it in thy purse?”
      And I:  “Yes, both so shining and so round,
      That in its stamp there is no peradventure.” 
    Thereafter issued from the light profound
      That there resplendent was:  “This precious jewel,
      Upon the which is every virtue founded,
    Whence hadst thou it?” And I:  “The large outpouring
      Of the Holy Spirit, which has been diffused
      Upon the ancient parchments and the new, [93]
    A syllogism is, which demonstrates it
      With such acuteness, that, compared therewith,
      All demonstration seems to me obtuse.” 
    And then I heard:  “The