Authors: Dante
8.
For this image, see
Aeneid
VI.230,
rore levi
(light dew), as was first suggested by Tommaseo (comm. to vv. 7–9).
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10–12.
These souls whirl, upon a central point, in circles. They look like comets because they have tails of light; however, they apparently maintain their circular orbits, that is, are not errant in their motions, as actual comets are.
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13–18.
The simile clarifies the motion of these “comets.” Like the flywheels of a mechanical clock, some move more quickly than others; however, here greater speed is the mark of greater worthiness, as we learn from vv. 19–21.
Among the earlier commentators, only John of Serravalle (comm. to these verses) perceives and expresses the precise resemblance between the simile’s tenor and vehicle. For him the circling groups of dancers and the flywheels are precisely related in their varying grades of joy, their greater and lesser speeds revealing their relative degrees of blessedness. He does not go on to observe, and nearly five centuries would pass until Poletto would do so (comm. to these verses), that, since we are seeing the Church Militant, the circles that we are observing here might well be the circles we observe there (in Canto XXXII), that is, the “rows” in the round “amphitheater” of the Rose. In that case, all those who seem to believe that this circle contains only apostles need to revise their opinion. The highest tier of the Rose contains Mary (
Par.
XXXII.1); John the Baptist (XXXII.31); Adam, Peter, John (as scribe of the Apocalypse), Moses, Anna, and Lucy (all referred to in XXXII.118–137). All of these, we must assume, are in that circling dance from which issues Peter now, and James and John in the next canto. It is difficult to understand why Poletto’s understanding of these verses has not entered the discussion of them, which remains, as a result, maddeningly vague. See Hollander (Holl.2006.2).
For a much earlier listing, which also refers to the population of the top tier of the Rose, see the note to
Paradiso
IV.29–30. In those lines we learn that Moses, both Johns, Mary, and Samuel are probably there; the first four are indeed confirmed as being in the highest row by the text of
Paradiso
XXXII.
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16.
The word
carola
(lit. “carol”) here refers to a style of dancing. See Greco (Grec.1974.1), pp. 112–13, for the distinction between a
danza
(dance) and a
carola
(reel), in which dancers in circles or in straight lines hand each other off to a next (temporary) partner. But see Landino (comm. to vv. 16–18) for the most economical explanation: “Chosì quelle carole,
idest
anime che si giravono; proprio carola che significa ballo tondo,
differentemente danzando
, et per questa differentia dimostra più et meno beatitudine, et però dice
mi si faceano stimare veloci et lente
della sua richeza” (Thus were these “carols,” i.e., souls, turning. “Carol” signifies “round dance.” “Moving to a different measure” in such a way as to reveal more and less beatitude; and therefore [the poet] says “made me gauge their gladness” by its wealth).
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19–21.
From among the “dancers” and from the group of them that was most joyful, evidently the one that includes the apostles, came a “flame” that was as bright as any other there. We perhaps need to be reminded that Dante is beholding the Church Triumphant, minus Jesus and Mary. When we examine the inhabitants of the Rose (
Par.
XXXII.118), we will see that the only two apostles mentioned there (Peter and John) are in the highest rank in that great stadium. Their situation here lends support to those who believe that the group set apart here is also apostolic. But see the note to vv. 13–18.
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19.
The dancer who is most precious (“of greater value”) is St. Peter; he will not be named until Canto XXV.12. For the second appearance of the noun
carezza
, see
Paradiso
XXV.33.
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20–21.
Peter’s higher worth among even such exalted company as this is indicated by his greater brightness.
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22.
Peter circles Beatrice three times, as he will do again at the end of the canto (verse 152), on that occasion circling Dante. This number, that of the Trinity, is obviously auspicious. (Some later commentators see it as the number of the three theological virtues; since Peter appears here as the representative of only one, Faith, that would seem a less likely reference here.) However, and as other passages will remind us, it is also the number of times Peter betrays Jesus (see Matthew 26:34, 26:75; Mark 14:30, 14:72; Luke 22:34, 22:61). This might not be a case convincingly made on the basis of this verse alone; but see the note to vv. 124–126.
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24.
The
fantasia
, the image-receiving capacity of the brain, receives sounds as well, as this passage makes clear.
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25.
The familiar image of Dante as scribe is before us again, but now in nonforthcoming mode. His
dictator
(his phantasy) cannot bring Peter’s song of affection for Beatrice back to mind, and so his pen must omit it.
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26.
Daniello (comm. to vv. 22–27) is apparently the only reader of this canto to think of the context offered this scene by the weaving contest between Athena and Arachne. He does so in order to place the painterly technique (the representation of folds in a garment) referred to here in an Ovidian context (
Metam.
VI.61–66). Jacopo della Lana (comm. to vv. 26–27) was the first to make the now common observation that this verse
describes the way a painter would depict the folds in a garment, by using darker colors for them.
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27–30.
Dante laments the coarseness of the art of his time (his own included), which is simply not up to the challenge of representing such delicate shadings, whether visually or verbally. What he does reproduce is what Peter says to Beatrice, i.e., the words that he speaks after he has stopped singing. She, he reports, has loosed him from the sphere he was circling in (see verse 11) and he, as a result, may serve as Dante’s interlocutor.
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31–33.
And now Dante does reassume his role as scribe, setting down the words that Peter uttered after he had finished his (unrecorded) song. No other section of the poem has more uses of the noun for “breath,”
spiro
, and the verb for “inspire” or “breathe into,”
spirare
(
Par.
XXIII.104, XXIV.82, XXV.82, XXV.132, XXVI.3, XXVI.103). The self-consciousness of these lines is telling: Peter, inspired (the word the poet uses for his breath,
spiro
, is nearly surely intended to remind us of the spiration of the Holy Spirit), utters words that Dante, his scribe, can tell us (and just has). See the notes to
Purgatorio
XXIV.55–63 and
Paradiso
VI.88.
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34–36.
From this tercet we realize that the “everlasting light” (we remember that this light was the most brilliant among its companions in the Church Triumphant at verse 21) addressed by Beatrice is St. Peter. For Jesus left the “keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19) to Peter. In the tradition of Roman Catholicism, this signified that Jesus picked him to be the first pope, presiding over, among other things, the departure of the saved and damned souls for the afterlife.
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37–38.
Beatrice invites Peter to examine Dante on the theological virtue Faith, both its major tenets and its lesser aspects. For the word
tenta
, see the note to verse 48.
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39.
Peter’s walking on water displayed his faith in Jesus, but also revealed the tenuous nature of that faith when he doubts and begins to sink, causing Jesus to castigate him: “O you of little faith” (Matthew 14:28–33). And so here Beatrice is remembering Peter’s noble beginning and suppressing reference to the far less impressive conclusion of the biblical narrative. See the note to vv. 124–126.
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40–45.
Beatrice concludes her intervention on Dante’s behalf by acknowledging that Peter already knows that her pupil passes muster on the three theological virtues. On the other hand, it is Dante’s responsibility to glorify these, most of all Faith.
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40.
The three verbs of this verse obviously reflect the three theological virtues, Love, Hope, and Faith, in that order, as was apparent from the very beginning of the commentary tradition (see Jacopo della Lana on this verse).
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46–51.
The medieval bachelor’s examination in theology, some elements of which still persist in oral doctoral examinations in a few fields at a few institutions in our day, is rehearsed here. A bachelor was a candidate for the first degree in the field, just as today. The examination was administered by a
magister
(master); he certified the bachelor as being worthy of entering the pursuit of the doctorate in theology, probably his own goal as well.
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48.
The
magister
intervenes, not to settle the question (
quaestio
, a formal exercise in debate in which the answer is known or assumed), but to formulate it—as Peter is about to do.
See Scartazzini (comm. to vv. 47–48) for a full discussion of the dispute that has followed this verse through the centuries. And see Tozer’s explanation (comm. to vv. 46–48): “The allusion here is to what took place in the mediaeval Universities. The ‘Master’ is a duly licensed teacher, and the Bachelor a student who is preparing for the office of teacher. The Bachelor at one stage of his preparatory course was required to pass through a form of examination, which was called ‘Disputatio tentativa,’ before a Master, who propounded the subject of this (
la question
). Usually in such cases a number of opponents were appointed to combat the candidate’s arguments (see Rashdall,
The Universities of Europe in the Middle Ages
, vol. I., p. 466). In the present instance, however, this is not supposed to happen, and the proofs advanced lead up to a conclusion which is recognized as well established, so that the candidate has no need [to]
terminar la questione
. Similarly, St. Peter propounds the question, and Dante adduces what he considers to be the fitting arguments, but the conclusion is determined beforehand. The title ‘disputatio tentativa’ is probably referred to in the word
tenta
in 1. 37.”
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52–111.
Tozer (comm. to these verses) divides the ensuing “examination” into five parts, as follows: “The subjects of the questions and answers in
what follows are: (1) what faith is (ll. 52–66); (2) how Dante understands St. Paul’s definition of faith (ll. 67–82); (3) whether Dante possesses faith (ll. 83–87); (4) whence he derived his faith (ll. 88–96); (5) what is the evidence of the inspiration of Scripture, on which he bases his faith (ll. 97–111).”
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52–57.
Dante turns to Peter and then to Beatrice, who signals that he should, in metaphor, “pour forth the waters” of his answer. As Grandgent was apparently the first to notice, the passage is possibly a calque on Christ’s words (John 7:38: “He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, ‘From within him there shall flow rivers of living water’ ”). It is interesting that here, as later (vv. 64–65, when he will turn to Paul for the definition of Faith), Dante never uses the words of his examiner to define this theological virtue. It is all very well to explain (as does Carroll [comm. to vv. 52–66]) that Peter never offered a definition of it, with the result that Dante had, therefore, to resort to St. Paul. The question then remains (in addition to the nagging question of Paul’s absence from the cast of characters who perform a part in the poem), why did Dante choose to give Peter so prominent a role with regard to Faith? And, for the question of Paul’s importance to Dante, see the last items in the note to
Inferno
XXXI.67.
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56–57.
Cf.
Inferno
I.79–80: “Or se’ tu quel Virgilio e quella
fonte
/ che
spandi
di parlar sì largo fiume?” (Are you then Virgil, the fountainhead / that pours so full a stream of speech?). Consultation of the DDP reveals that apparently no one has seen what seems a fairly obvious self-citation, perhaps because it would seem to have Beatrice promote Dante to Virgil’s status, making him, and not the Latin poet, a “source” or “fountainhead”; nonetheless, that is approximately what has transpired within the narrative.
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