"
Buti's comment is, "that is, makes of itself a receptacle to other
things, that is, to all things that exist, which are all seen in it."
Dante says (_ubi supra_), "The descending of the virtue of one thing
into another is a reducing that other into a likeness of itself....
Whence we see that the sun sending his ray down hitherward reduces
things to a likeness with his light in so far as they are able by
their disposition to receive light from his power. So I say that God
reduces this love to a likeness with himself as much as it is
possible for it to be like him." In Provencal _pareilh_ means _like_,
and Dante may have formed his word from it. But the four earliest
printed texts read:--
"Che fa di se pareglio all' altre cose."
Accordingly we are inclined to think that the next verse should be
corrected thus:--
"E nulla face a lui di se pareglio."
We would form _pareglio_ from _parere_ (a something in which things
_appear_), as _miraglio_ from _mirare_ (a something in which they are
_seen_). God contains all things in himself, but nothing can wholly
contain him. The blessed behold all things in him as if reflected,
but not one of the things so reflected is capable of his image in its
completeness.
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