第十篇我们步进了大门不正之爱使曲径视作直道，因此灵魂们常被摈于门外背后轰隆作响，知道门又关闭了；假使那时我掉转头去看，我的错处还能被原宥么？
我们越一条迂曲的石缝，时而左弯，时而右弯，好像波浪起伏一般。我的向导开始说：“走这种路要晓得技巧，须紧跟着弯弯曲曲的边路走。”这样可减短我们脚步的间距。我们走出石缝前，那缺月已再卧在她的睡床上了。我们立止在那里的山向后缩进；我的腿脚相当酸软疲倦，可我们二人都不识去路，暂时呆立在那比沙漠还要寂静的平地上。这平地的外边下临无极的深渊，里边是卓立千仞的绝崖峭壁；从里到外的阔度是人体身长的三倍；无论朝左或向右，尽我的目力了望去，这里突出的部分如同同样阔度的一条腰带。我们还未移开一步，我就发现不可攀登的绝壁下部洁白的大理石，上面有精美的雕刻，不要说波吕克勒托斯的艺术，就是自然本身也要退避三舍。
一位天盒，他带着和平的布告降到人间多少个世纪以来，人民痛哭着祈求和平，他把长久闭着的门大开了，他显在我们的面前这样真实，那雕刻所表示的情状，不似一个哑像。我可以发誓，他在说：“我祝福你！”同时一位女子的雕像并立着；这她是转动钥匙开神爱之门的，她的状态似在说：“我是上帝的女使。”这些雕像都和蜡制的一样浮动。
“请不要使你的精神专注在一处！”和善的引导人对我这样说；那时我站在他的旁边，就是我们心跳的一边。我将目光注视到更远之处，看在马利亚的身后边，那里站着引导我的人，于是我走到维吉尔那边，以便能欣赏壁上另一部分的雕刻。
那里的雕刻也在大埋石上：一头牛拉着车子，上载着神圣的约柜，他寓示人对非分之事应所畏惧，在牛车前面，有一群人，分成土支颂歌的队伍。这雕像使我的二种感觉开始对立，一种说：“不然！”另一种说：“是的，他们在颂唱着！”同样，那雕像中香烟缭绕，眼睛和鼻羽又发生不同的意见，一个说“是”，一个道“非”。约柜的前面，踊跃舞蹈的是谦逊的《诗篇》创作者，这时他的情态显出高贵或卑微于一位国王。在相反方面，显示出一个很的大王宫的窗口，从那里米甲用惊奇的眼光凝望着，她的情态似一位忧愤而恼怒的女子。”
我从站立的地方移动了几步，看那米甲后边的另一则故事。那里的白色吸引了我。那里刻着罗马元首的无上光荣，他的美德使格利高里获得了极大的胜利；我指的就是图拉真皇帝。一个穷困的寡妇，立在他的马首一侧，洒着泪水，显示伤心。环绕着他有一群武士；他的头上飘着金鹰的幡旗。那寡妇处在众人间，似在哭诉说：“陛下！替我的儿子报仇，有人将他杀死，我的心已碎！”图拉真回说：“等我回来。”她似因为痛苦而不能再忍受，又说：“陛下！要是你不回来？”他说：“继承我的会替你报仇。”但那寡妇又说：”要是你不肯做这件善事，难道会有别人肯做？”当时图拉真说：“好！你会如意的！在我离开此地以前，我应尽我的职责：正义要求如此，怜悯留住我的脚步。”
他，从未看见过新东西，创制这种视而可知的言语，对于我们是新的，因为人间还未有。
当我正在详视那些了不起的谦逊者，并欣赏那些精妙的艺术时，诗人喃喃地说：“看那儿的一群，他们的步子太慢；他们要送我们向高一层去呢。”我的目光，沉迷在那些故事上，听见他的话，立即转头望向他。读者诸君！我个人愿意你们，在听见上帝怎样叫人偿还债务以后，暂时转移你们向善的勇气。不要留心在痛苦的外表，要想到他的后果；要想到这种痛苦最长久也不至于超过最后判决。
我开始说：“老师，那一群向我们前进的，据我看更像是人，我不懂什么缘故，我的目力竟不能决定。”他对我说：“他们受痛苦的压迫，使他门身典到地，所以开始我也怀疑我的眼睛。但是你用心看，便知道那些大块石头的下面是些什么；也许你已经发现他们每个人自击其胸罢。”
骄傲的基督徒呀！你们既可怜又无用，在智慧上又患了近视病，后退反以为是进取呢！你们不知道自己是条青虫。要准备化为天使一般的蝴蝶，直飞向到那正义面前，不用辩护诉状么？何以一条发育尚未完备的小虫，便会昂首青云呢？
有众多建筑，为支持屋顶或天花板，会使用一种雕刻为人形的柱，那人形是膝与胸接，呈现负重的表示；这种夸大的形象，每使看的人真发生的不安。当我用心看了那些灵魂后，在我心里所生出的感觉便是如此。那里真正的情形，他们弯曲的程度要看他们所负重物的大小；从他们的外貌看来，那最能忍耐的，似乎也哭着说：“我不能再支撑了！”
(Which the soul's ill affection doth disuse,
Making the crooked seem the straighter path),
I heard its closing sound. Had mine eyes turn'd,
For that offence what plea might have avail'd?
We mounted up the riven rock, that wound
On either side alternate, as the wave
Flies and advances. "Here some little art
Behooves us," said my leader, "that our steps
Observe the varying flexure of the path."
Thus we so slowly sped, that with cleft orb
The moon once more o'erhangs her wat'ry couch,
Ere we that strait have threaded. But when free
We came and open, where the mount above
One solid mass retires, I spent, with toil,
And both, uncertain of the way, we stood,
Upon a plain more lonesome, than the roads
That traverse desert wilds. From whence the brink
Borders upon vacuity, to foot
Of the steep bank, that rises still, the space
Had measur'd thrice the stature of a man:
And, distant as mine eye could wing its flight,
To leftward now and now to right dispatch'd,
That cornice equal in extent appear'd.
Not yet our feet had on that summit mov'd,
When I discover'd that the bank around,
Whose proud uprising all ascent denied,
Was marble white, and so exactly wrought
With quaintest sculpture, that not there alone
Had Polycletus, but e'en nature's self
Been sham'd. The angel who came down to earth
With tidings of the peace so many years
Wept for in vain, that op'd the heavenly gates
From their long interdict before us seem'd,
In a sweet act, so sculptur'd to the life,
He look'd no silent image. One had sworn
He had said, "Hail!" for she was imag'd there,
By whom the key did open to God's love,
And in her act as sensibly impress
That word, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord,"
As figure seal'd on wax. "Fix not thy mind
On one place only," said the guide belov'd,
Who had me near him on that part where lies
The heart of man. My sight forthwith I turn'd
And mark'd, behind the virgin mother's form,
Upon that side, where he, that mov'd me, stood,
Another story graven on the rock.
I passed athwart the bard, and drew me near,
That it might stand more aptly for my view.
There in the self-same marble were engrav'd
The cart and kine, drawing the sacred ark,
That from unbidden office awes mankind.
Before it came much people; and the whole
Parted in seven quires. One sense cried, "Nay,"
Another, "Yes, they sing." Like doubt arose
Betwixt the eye and smell, from the curl'd fume
Of incense breathing up the well-wrought toil.
Preceding the blest vessel, onward came
With light dance leaping, girt in humble guise,
Sweet Israel's harper: in that hap he seem'd
Less and yet more than kingly. Opposite,
At a great palace, from the lattice forth
Look'd Michol, like a lady full of scorn
And sorrow. To behold the tablet next,
Which at the hack of Michol whitely shone,
I mov'd me. There was storied on the rock
The' exalted glory of the Roman prince,
Whose mighty worth mov'd Gregory to earn
His mighty conquest, Trajan th' Emperor.
A widow at his bridle stood, attir'd
In tears and mourning. Round about them troop'd
Full throng of knights, and overhead in gold
The eagles floated, struggling with the wind.
The wretch appear'd amid all these to say:
"Grant vengeance, sire! for, woe beshrew this heart
My son is murder'd." He replying seem'd;
"Wait now till I return." And she, as one
Made hasty by her grief; "O sire, if thou
Dost not return?"—"Where I am, who then is,
May right thee."—"What to thee is other's good,
If thou neglect thy own?"—"Now comfort thee,"
At length he answers. "It beseemeth well
My duty be perform'd, ere I move hence:
So justice wills; and pity bids me stay."
He, whose ken nothing new surveys, produc'd
That visible speaking, new to us and strange
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."