it would climb immediately to the Gate. Souls in Paradiso "ascend," that is, they rise effortlessly, but mountain climbing is hard work; it takes Dante a full day to climb to the Gate. (As the climb proceeds, however, the climb paradoxically becomes easier, rest harder, until at the end going uphill will be as easy as floating downstream. See Purg. 4. 91-96.) When Dante arrives at the Gate, the angel guardian cuts seven P's into his forehead (signifying the seven deadly peccate, Italian for sins) and opens the Gate, warning him not to look back after entering. The Gate then roars to a close behind him, its sound merging with that of a full chorus singing Te Deum Laudamus. It is unclear whether the other souls are similarly marked, but apparently it is Dante alone who bears the mark of the P's. The other details of Dante's entrance into Purgatorio are probably typical for the souls as well. At each of the upcoming seven cornices, the soul performs its penance until it feels so purified of that vice that it feels ready to proceed. (As Dante reaches these levels, the angel guardian of the cornice removes one of the P's.) The length of time spent at each cornice depends entirely upon the grip the vice once held upon the souls in life; at some cornices, souls need not spend any time beyond what is required simply to pass through, since all vices do not affect all people. As Dante climbs, for example, there are hints that he will spend his longest time after death at the cornices of lust, anger, and, especially, pride, all vices that seemed particularly to affect him. Souls may climb the mountain by day only, apparently because in doing so for they "pursue" the Sun, the symbol of divine light and love on this earth' when it sets, they rest. No soul is forced against its will to remain in any of the cornices. (For saved souls to act contrary to the will of God would be unthinkable.) Each suffers voluntarily and gratefully for as long as such s...
