31st. Split logs and laid them up nearly high enough for comfort. Mustered. Very disagreeable morning. Pleasanter in the P. M. Cold night. Home letter.
Upon the fly-leaves of the little 1864 war diary book are the following quotations from Dante’s Divine Comedy. The Cary translation was used. My references as to pages are to the edition of Oscar Kuhns, T.Y.Crowell & Co., New York and Boston. (F.D.T.)
“With such a smile
As might have made one blest amid the flames,” (p. 346).
“So shall delight make thee not feel thy toil,” (page 360).
“Let not the people be too swift to judge;
As one who reckons on the blade in field,
Or e’er the crop be ripe. For I have seen
The thorn frown rudely all the winter long,
And bark, that all her way across the sea
Ran straight and speedy, perish at the last
E’en in the haven’s mouth” (page 376).
“For one of these may rise, the other fall,” (p. 376).
“These eyes are not thine only Paradise” (p. 395).
“voice hath not uttered
Nor hath ink written, nor in fantasy
Was e’er conceived” (p. 399).
“A man
Is born on Indus banks, and none is there
Who speaks of Christ, nor who doth read nor write;
And all his inclinations and his acts,
As far as human reason sees, are good;
And he offendeth not in word or deed:
But unbaptized he dies and void of faith.
Where is the justice that condemns him? Where
His blame, if he believeth not?” (p. 401).
“And ye,
Oh mortal men! be wary how ye judge;” (p. 407).
“The sword of heaven is not in haste to smite,
Nor yet doth linger;” (p. 412).
“Faith of things hoped is substance, and the proof
Of things not seen” (p. 422).
“With hope, that leads to blissful end;” “Hope,” (said I,)
“Is of the joy to come a sure expectance;” (p. 426).
“Good, inasmuch as we perceive the good,
Kindles our love;” (p. 430).
“One universal smile it seemed of all things” (p. 433).
“Oh, mortal lust!
That canst not lift thy head above the waves
Which whelm and sink thee down.” (p. 436).
“faith and innocence
Are met with but in babes;” (p. 437).
“The aim of all
Is how to shine: e’en they, whose office is
To preach the gospel, let the gospel sleep,
And pass their own inventions oft instead” (p. 444).
“Here break we off, as the good workman doth,
That shapes the cloak according to the cloth.” (p. 458).
“Oh, speech!
How feeble and how faint art thou, to give
Conception birth.” (p. 461).