The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-07-30

ners in Is three laws. and the GLOW waving
OF his batlike wings dffuses an icy wind OF
death throughout the nethermost hell: for TO
Dante. cold not FIRE, is the supreme expires
sion OF the second death. All this IL very
strange: far less appealing than Milton; yet
II we think we may discover that Dante had
special meaning and had brooded long over
the nature aud function OF aWi before ne
presented Luclter as he did.
Meanwhile. when we turn 70 CO mparing me
heavens Of the two poets. Maeaualay's as
tinction becomes entirely false one questions
II he bad ever read ANYTHING IN Dante be-
yond tho Inferno For Mltop's heaven is
a large definite country. with Nrrecise gees
raphv. up somewhere in the skv. Dante's is
infinite though ordered space. TheNhcaYen
OF paradise Lost" is surrounded by a crystal
hnttlement the rebel angels have their coun
try seats In the northern part OF the land I;
uhen thew are in the final conflict routed
hattlement and. breaking through 1t. fall
down down through the material universe
Of chaos, till they tumble into hell. me
deuizrus nj this country are as clearly ST.
bic 20 us ms the scenery. They are masnlh-
cert cond lions. Millions angels 1t is well to
compare them with DAnte's. which are dulte
less ioauscious. less like intelligent statesmen
on heroic scale. more like spiritual forces.
focused and made visible There is
We Mt at all events and this most important.
where no one can question which of our two
poets IL the greater-the treatment Of me
Deity, Here Milton made 2 great mistake
foi he brought God directly uoon tho scene;
made Him talk and talk moreover. OF an
subjects in the world on theology. the
authropomorphic method OF the Parau 81
Lost" is absolutely obnoxious hero Dante
was wifer: IL Ia not for us 20 say whether
his greater wisdom sprung from deeper rev
erence. God In his Paradise is all-per,
vasive. and the consciopsness Of every snru
IL unarpareut and even at the climax. where
in prradse is fixed on HIM alone. but nc
the beatifc vision is attained, We see tha'
vision only in symbol. and understand u,
nature rather from the wondrous solemnlN VI
Dantes passion than from anv other cause
Indeed wa NAV "a well say frankly that
out OF the Scriptures no poet has sven beer
successful in depicting heaven--a state of un-
Swallowed light untroubled iov-exc pt
Dante The more one studies the Paradise
the more wonderful 1t appears. And the rea-
son why Dante has succeeded where al
others have failed Is because he alone mas
so far man can do. nlscarded Auturo
romorphism and adopted method whol,'
SYMBOLIC His saints and angels do not ap
pear to us in the body: they are desoriDe'
simply by deepening light BY shhuns
dreamlike symbol. 1t is imposslole 10 SGE
gest the manifold forms OF beauty ~ WHICH
the life OF tho blessed is revealed They ar
manifest as rainbows aud flowers as dancin'
lights reflections in clear water as hNlul
birds Of light, as rubbles in the sun as
golden stairway mounting upward a.
crown as stars losing themselves IN q deep
ening day as river OF light. and MARY
Us a celestial rose--the rose Of the blesse1
wherein all the saints tier after tier intoXl
Gated by the fragrance Of that wonderiu
! world-n flower sit gazing toward the colder
center. which Is God As he secs all thes
, images OF glory Dantes mood is ore o
worship and JOY unspeakahle. That whlc
l was seeing seemed to me a smile OF N
universe!" he exclams. And his ioy IS es
sentiGllv not because Of the beauty. not he
cause OF the melody that ever sounds through
the ranks OF the redeemed not Tor any nat
ural reason. but supreutalY and finally be
l cruise this heaven is a holy place. H0 ma
made us feel its holiness; feel that we ar
: in 4 region where sin is ended and banished
5 though character remains. THIS is won
' derful thing to do. Milton did great things
: but he could not do this Milton > heaven
|. OF course supncsed to be the abode of riEht
y cousuess: bus We do not feel i so In D -at'
i three lovely lines. near the hesaning Of IN
9 Paradise" sum M the wh9lc effect u
. His will Is our peace saws one of the lea'
: of the blessed ones. at Is that SEA where
, unto Is moving all that which It creates az
n that which Nature makes" IN in sua yo,
untnde a nostra pace these great word
l. arc IKE text On whieh the whole II tn
=, "Divino Comedy" is but The comment
II VIDA D SENDER.
Is Welles1v College,