marvelously
             ordered physical universe, created for man's enjoyment, must contain
             somewhere a clue to a better political organization or government than
             that of Dante's day. (Dante, Ciardi and MacAllister x)
             Dante's quest led him firstly back to the cannon of the faith, yet, when
             answers were not to be found Dante broadened his scope of exploration and
             lighted on a philosophical perspective and a philosophical base:
             Exploration of these questions led Dante through the Scriptures with
             their commentators, the Church Fathers, notably Anselm, Bonaventure,
             and Augustine, to Boethius and beyond to Lucan, Statius, Ovid, Horace,
             and his beloved and revered Virgil. Cicero's treatises were a
             wonderful discovery ("like happening upon gold while looking for
             silver") but bristling with difficulties both stylistic and
             conceptual. This was the new and alien mat
             ...