of Dante Alighieri
The third cantica of the Divine Comedy, translated into English triple rhyme by Laurence Binyon
A reading in six parts
Produced by Peter Duval Smith
Part 3 (Cantos 12-17): Dante and Beatrice are in the Fourth Heaven, that of the Sun, where they meet the souls of those who sought wisdom on earth; St. Bonaventura praises the example of St. Dominic and condemns the degeneracy of his own order, the Franciscans; first Thomas Aquinas and then Solomon attempt to resolve some of the perplexities in Dante's mind; Dante and Beatrice mount to the Fifth Heaven of Mars, where the souls of warriors and martyrs appear in the form of a dazzling cross; Dante is greeted by his ancestor Cacciaguida, who contrasts the happy Florence of his day with the corrupt city of Dante's time; he prophesies that Dante will soon be an exile from Florence and exhorts him not to compromise his integrity as a poet.
(Part 4: May 23)