NOTES ON NEW POEMS
1. "che lo glorifico." In the Piazza dei Signori, you will find an inscription which translates thus:
"It is here Can Grande della Scala gave welcome to Dante Alighieri, the same which glorified him, dedicating to him that third his song eternal."
"C.G. vi accolse D.A. che lo
glorifico dedicandogli la terza,
delle eterne sue cantiche."
2. Ref. Richard of St. Victor. "On the preparation of the soul for contemplation," where he distinguishes between cogitation, meditation, and contemplation.
In cogitation the thought or attention flits aimlessly about the subject.
In meditation it circles round it, that is, it views it systematically, from all sides, gaining perspective.
In contemplation it radiates from a centre, that is, as light from the sun it reaches out in an infinite number of ways to things that are related to or dependent on it.