I. PROŒMIUM TO THE PARadiso-Dante's Entrance

AND INVOCAtion—AscenT INTO THE SPHERE OF

FIRE-BEATRICE EXPLAINS THE MODE OF THEIR

TRANSIT-The Order oOF THE UNIVERSE

II. THE FIRST HEAVEN SPHERE OF THE MOON

SPIRITS WHO HAD FAILED IN THEIR VOWS OF

CHASTITY-INTRODUCTION-ARRIVAL IN THE HEA-

VEN OF THE MOON-THE SPOTS UPON THE FACE

OF THE MOON-InfluenCES OF THE HEAVENS

III. SPHERE of the Moon (continued)-Souls of Those

WHO HAVE Failed to KEEP HOLY Vows-PICCarda

DE' DONATI-ALL THE BLESSED COntented wITH

THEIR PLACES IN HEAven-The EMPRESS CON-

STANCE

IV. SPHERE OF THE MOON (continued)-DANTE's Further

DOUBTS UPON Two POINTS SOLVED: (a) How can

Merit be Diminished by Acts done under Com-

PULSION? (b) Do Souls after Death Return to

THE STARS FROM WHICH, ACCORDING TO PLATO,

THEY WENT FORTH INTO THE WORLD?

I

45

89

120

CANTO

V. SPHERE OF THE MOON (concluded) — The Binding

Force of Vows DISCUSsed-Their PERMUTATION

Admissible, bUT THEIR BREACH UNCONDONABLE—

ASCENT TO THE SECOND HEAVEN SPHERE OF

MERCURY-JUSTINIAN

VI. SPHERE OF MERCURY (Continued) — THE EMPEROR

JUSTINIAN-HISTORY OF THE ROMAN Eagle and
EAGLE

EMPIRE GUELPHS AND GHIBELLINES OTHER

SPIRITS IN THE SPHERE OF MERCURY-ROMEO DI

VILLANOVA

VII. SPHERE OF MERCURY (concluded)-EXPLANATION OF

BEATRICE RESPECTING THE JUSTICE OF GOD—The

REDEMPTION OF MANKIND THE DISSOLUTION OF

The ElementTS AND HUMAN IMMORTALITY

VIII. ASCENT TO THE THIRD HEAVEN-Sphere of Venus

-THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN UNder

THE INFLUENCE OF VENUS ON EARTH-CHARLES

Martel, the TITULAR KING OF HUNGARY-Robert,

KING OF Naples-The Reason of THE CONStant

DISSIMILARITY OF SONS FROM THEIR FATHERS

PAGE

149

178

IX. Sphere of VENUS (concluded)—Cunizza da Romano

-FOLCO OF MARSEILLES-Rahab-DENUNCIATION

OF PAPAL COURT FOR NEGLECT OF THE HOLY

LAND

X. ASCENT TO THE FOURTH HEAVEN-Sphere of the

SUN, OR SPHERE OF WISDOM AND Knowledge—

THE FIRST GARLAND OF GLORIFIED SOULS-THE

THEOLOGIANS AND FATHERS OF THE CHURCH-ST.

THOMAS AQUINAS-BoëthiuS-THE SCHOOLMEN

XI. SPHERE OF THE SUN (continued)-THE Vanity of

Worldly Cares-St. Thomas Aquinas, a Domi-

NICAN, RELATES THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS OF

ASSISI-DEGENERACY OF the Monastic Orders

210

244

284

329

364

CANTO

XII. SPHERE OF THE SUN (Continued) - THE SECOND

GARLAND OF GLORIFIED SOULS-BONAventura, a

FRANCISCAN, CELEBRATES THE PRAISES OF ST.

Dominic, and Censures the DegeneraCY OF THE

FRANCISCANS Bonaventura NAMES TWELVE

SPIRITS, INCLUDING HIMself -

XIII. SPHERE OF THE SUN
THE SUN (continued)

ST. THOMAS

AQUINAS RESUMES HIS SPEECH-HE DISCOURSES

ON THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON, WHICH IS SECOND

ONLY TO THAT OF ADAM AND CHRIST-THE CAPRI-

CIOUS INTERpretation of Scripture BY CERTAIN

SCHOLASTIC REASONERs Censured

XIV. SPHERE OF THE SUN (concluded)-SOLOMON Speaks

OF THE GLORIOUS APPEARANCE OF THE BLEssed

after the RESURRECTION OF THE BODY-ASCENT

TO THE FIFTH HEAVEN-THE SPhere of Mars-

THE WARRIOR SPIRITS IN THE FORM OF A Radiant

Cross-Harmony of thE SPHERES-DANTE IN AN

ECSTASY

XV. SPHERE OF MARS (continued)-THE MARTYRS FOR

THE FAITH-THE CRUSADER CACCIAGUIda-Con-

TRAST BETWEEN THE FLORENCE OF CACCIAGUIDA

and the Florence of Dante

PAGE

392

426

456

487

ILLUSTRATION.

General VIEW OF PARADISE ACCORDING TO DANTE, Coloured

Plate

opposite p. I

x

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.

In this Second Edition the work has been carefully revised, and many improvements have been introduced.

A section on the subject of Giotto's portrait of Dante in the Bargello at Florence has been added to the Preliminary Chapter.

I have again to thank my friends, Dr. Moore, Mr. D. R. Fearon, C.B., Mr. H. R. Tedder, and Dr. Paget Toynbee, Litt. Doct., for the valuable assistance they have always been ready and willing to render me.

I thank my Wife for her ample and lucid Index.

The reading of the proofs and the Italian revision have been again undertaken by Signorina L. P. de' Castelvecchio, and I gratefully acknowledge the great skill and unwearied patience with which this task has been performed by that talented lady.

WILLIAM WARREN VERNON.

THE ATHENÆum Club,

PALL MALL,
October, 1908.