Commentary Inf II 76-78

The meaning of this difficult tercet would seem to be: 'O lady of virtuous disposition that alone, shared by others, may bring them, too, to salvation out of the sub-lunar world of sin....' This is to rely on Mazzoni's affirmation (Mazz.1967.1, pp. 276-277) of Barbi's reading of the verse (Barb.1934.2, p. 22). Barbi's (and Mazzoni's) main objection to making donna the antecedent of cui is that to do so 'depersonalizes' Beatrice, making her an 'allegory' of theology, as indeed most of the commentators who so construe the line do in fact interpret her. Chiavacci Leonardi (Chia.1984.1), pp. 4-19, mounts a sustained counter-attack upon the Barbi/Mazzoni position, citing Boethius (Consolatio I, iii, 3), who addresses the Lady Philosophy as 'omnium magistra virtutum' (mistress of every virtue), a passage first adduced by Pietro di Dante (DDP Pietro1.Inf.I.76). For her, as for Singleton (Sing.1956.1) before her, the reference of cui is to donna, for Virgil that woman who knows all things, Philosophy. Jacoff and Stephany support Singleton and Chiavacci Leonardi (Jaco.1989.1, pp. 42-48). What complicates any attempt at interpreting this verse is the fact that it is Virgil who is describing his meeting with Beatrice, a woman whom he doesn't know. However, he perhaps knows enough. She has named herself at v. 70, announces (rather obliquely) that she inhabits heaven, and, that, when she returns there, she will praise Virgil to God (vv. 71-74). Virgil, having seen Christ harrow hell ([Inf IV 52-63]), knows that this woman, unlike any others whom he knew when he was on earth, is part of that Christian dispensation which alone permits the ascent to heaven. Thus he knows all that he needs to in order to understand that the virtues of this woman are such that all those who share them may be saved -- it is in these alone that the human race 'exceeds' its circumstances. To make Beatrice unique among humankind would imply that no one but she 'exceeds' the dross of the physical universe. And that would go too far, even for Dante. Our translation follows Petrocchi, who also accepts the Barbi/Mazzoni reading of the line's meaning. We also agree with that reading, while admitting that a strong case for the other view has been made by those who do not.