s: the obscurity of romance.  That he distinguished himself by his


s: skill in Provencal poetry is certain. It is probable that he was


s: born towards the end of the twelfth, and died about the middle of


s: all the notices he could collect relating to him.  Honourable


s: mention of his name is made by our Poet in the Treatise de Vulg.


s: Why should hard-favour'd grief be lodg'd in thee?


s: v. 89.  Justinian's hand.]  "What avails it that Justinian


s: delivered thee from the Goths, and reformed thy laws, if thou art


s: v. 94.  That which God commands.]  He alludes to the precept-


s: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's."


s: v. 98.  O German Albert!]  The Emperor Albert I. succeeded


s: Adolphus in 1298, and was murdered in 1308.  See Par Canto XIX


s: of Luxembourg, by whose interposition in the affairs of Italy our


s: v. 101.  Thy sire.]  The Emperor Rodolph, too intent on


s: increasing his power in Germany to give much of his thoughts to


s: v. 107.  Capulets and Montagues.]  Our ears are so familiarized


s: to the names of these rival families in the language of


s: Shakespeare, that I have used them instead of the "Montecchi" and


s: v. 108.  Philippeschi and Monaldi.] Two other rival families in


s: v. 113.  What safety, Santafiore can supply.]  A place between


s: Pisa and Sienna.  What he alludes to is so doubtful, that it is


s: not certain whether we should not read "come si cura"--" How


s: Santafiore is governed." Perhaps the event related in the note to


s: v. 51.  I sick wretch.]  Imitated by the Cardinal de Polignac in


s: Ceu lectum peragrat membris languentibus aeger


s: In latus alterne faevum dextrumque recumbens


s: Nec javat:  inde oculos tollit resupinus in altum:


s: Nusquam inventa quies; semper quaesita:  quod illi


s: Primum in deliciis fuerat, mox torquet et angit:


s: Nec morburm sanat, nec fallit taedia morbi.


s: v. 14.  Where one of mean estate might clasp his lord.]


s: E l'abbracciaro, ove il maggior s'abbraccia


s: v. 31.  The three holy virtues.]  Faith, Hope and Charity.


s: v. 32.  The red.]  Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance.


s: Broider'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone


s: Compare Ariosto, Orl. F. c. xxxiv. st. 49.


s: v. 79.  Salve Regina.]  The beginning of a prayer to the Virgin.


s: It is sufficient here to observe, that in similar instances I


s: shall either preserve the original Latin words or translate them,


s: v. 91.  The Emperor Rodolph.]  See the last Canto, v. 104.  He


s: v. 97.  Ottocar.]  King of Bohemia, was killed in the battle of


s: Marchfield, fought with Rodolph, August 26, 1278. Winceslaus II.


s: His son,who succeeded him in the kingdom of Bohemia. died in


s: v. 101.  That one with the nose deprest. ] Philip III of France,


s: who died in 1285, at Perpignan, in his retreat from Arragon.


s: v. 102.  Him of gentle look.]  Henry of Naverre, father of Jane


s: married to Philip IV of France, whom Dante calls "mal di Francia"


s: v. 110.  He so robust of limb.] Peter III called the Great,


s: King of Arragon, who died in 1285, leaving four sons, Alonzo,


s: James, Frederick and Peter. The two former succeeded him in the


s: kingdom of Arragon, and Frederick in that of Sicily.


s: He is enumerated among the Provencal poets by Millot, Hist. Litt.


s: v. 111.  Him of feature prominent.] "Dal maschio naso"-with the


s: masculine nose." Charles I. King of Naples, Count of Anjou, and


s: brother of St. Lonis.  He died in 1284. The annalist of Florence


s: remarks, that "there had been no sovereign of the house of


s: France, since the time of Charlemagne, by whom Charles


s: was surpassed either in military renown, and prowess, or in the


s: loftiness of his understanding."  G. Villani, 1. vii. c.  94.


s: We shall, however, find many of his actions severely reprobated


s: v. 113.  That stripling.]  Either (as the old commentators


s: suppose) Alonzo III King of Arragon, the eldest son of Peter III


s: who died in 1291, at the age of 27, or, according to Venturi,


s: Peter the youngest son. The former was a young prince of virtue


s: sufficient to have justified the eulogium and the hopes of Dante.


s: That hight Dante, speaken in this sentence


s: Lo!  in such manner rime is Dantes tale.


s: Full selde upriseth by his branches smale


s: Prowesse of man for God of his goodnesse


s: Woll that we claim of him our gentlenesse:


s: But temporal thing, that men may hurt and maime.


s: is no less inferior to his father Charles I. than James and


s: v. 127.  Costanza.]  Widow of Peter III She has been already


s: mentioned in the third Canto, v. 112.  By Beatrice and Margaret


s: are probably meant two of the daughters of Raymond Berenger,


s: Count of Provence; the former married to St. Louis of France, the


s: See Paradise, Canto Vl. 135.  Dante therefore considers Peter as


s: the most illustrious of the three monarchs.


s: v. 130.  Better issue.]  Edward l. of whose glory our Poet was


s: perhaps a witness, in his visit to England.


s: v. 133.  William, that brave Marquis.]  William, Marquis of


s: Monferrat, was treacherously seized by his own subjects, at


s: Alessandria, in Lombardy, A.D. 1290, and ended his life in


s: prison. See G. Villani, 1. vii. c. 135.  A war ensued between the


s: v. 6.  That seems to mourn for the expiring day.]


s: The curfew tolls the knell of parting day. Gray's Elegy.


s: v. 13.  Te Lucis Ante.]  The beginning of one of the evening


s: As with an object, that excels the sense,


s: v. 53.  Nino, thou courteous judge.]  Nino di Gallura de'


s: Visconti nephew to Count Ugolino de' Gherardeschi, and betrayed


s: v. 71 My Giovanna.]  The daughter of Nino, and wife of


s: v. 73.  Her mother.]  Beatrice, marchioness of Este wife of Nino,


s: v. 74.  The white and wimpled folds.]  The weeds of widowhood.


s: v. 80.  The viper.]  The arms of Galeazzo and the ensign of the


s: v. 81.  Shrill Gallura's bird.]  The cock was the ensign of


s: Gallura, Nino's province in Sardinia. Hell, Canto XXII.  80. and


s: v. 115.  Valdimagra.]  See Hell, Canto XXIV.  144. and Notes.


s: v. 133.  Sev'n times the tired sun.]  "The sun shall not enter


s: into the constellation of Aries seven times more, before thou


s: shalt have still better cause for the good opinion thou


s: expresses" of Valdimagra, in the kind reception thou shalt there


s: meet with."  Dante was hospitably received by the Marchese


s: Marcello Malaspina, during his banishment. A.D. 1307.


s: v. 1.  Now the fair consort of Tithonus old.]


s: So Tassoni, Secchia Rapita, c. viii. st. 15.


s: v. 5.  Of that chill animal.]  The scorpion.


s: v. 14.  Our minds.]  Compare Hell, Canto XXVI. 7.


s: v. 18.  A golden-feathered eagle. ] Chaucer, in the house of


s: Fame at the conclusion of the first book and beginning of the


s: second, represents himself carried up by the "grim pawes" of a


s: golden eagle. Much of his description is closely imitated from


s: v. 50.  Lucia.]  The enIightening, grace of heaven Hell, Canto


s: v. 85.  The lowest stair.]  By the white step is meant the


s: distinctness with which the conscience of the penitent reflects


s: his offences, by the burnt and cracked one, his contrition on,


s: their account; and by that of porphyry, the fervour with which he


s: doubt, Milton describing "the gate of heaven," P. L. b.


s: v. 100.  Seven times.] Seven P's, to denote the seven sins


s: (Peccata) of which he was to be cleansed in his passage through


s: v. 115.  One is more precious.]  The golden key denotes the


s: divine authority by which the priest absolves the sinners the


s: judgment requisite for the due discharge of that office.


s: With impetuous recoil and jarring, sound


s: Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate


s: Protinus, abducto patuerunt temple Metello.


s: Tunc rupes Tarpeia sonat: magnoque reclusas


s: Testatur stridore fores:  tune conditus imo


s: v. 6.  That Wound.]  Venturi justly observes, that the Padre


s: d'Aquino has misrepresented the sense of this passage in his


s: Scissa tremensque silex, tenuique erratica motu.


s: The verb "muover"' is used in the same signification in the


s: In neither place is actual motion intended to be expressed.


s: v. 52.  That from unbidden. office awes mankind.] Seo 2 Sam. G.


s: v. 68.  Gregory.]  St. Gregory's prayers are said to have


s: delivered Trajan from hell. See Paradise, Canto XX. 40.


s: v. 69.  Trajan the Emperor.  For this story, Landino refers to


s: two writers, whom he calls "Heunando," of France, by whom he


s: means  Elinand, a monk and chronicler, in the reign of Philip


s: Augustus, and "Polycrato," of England, by whom is meant John of


s: Salisbury, author of the Polycraticus de Curialium Nugis, in the


s: twelfth century. The passage in the text I find to be


s: nearly a translation from that work, 1. v. c. 8. The original


s: appears to be in Dio Cassius, where it is told of the Emperor


s: When a woman appeared to him with a suit, as he was on a journey,


s: out to him, 'then reign no longer' he turned about, and heard her


s: v. 119.  As to support.]  Chillingworth, ch.vi. 54.  speaks of


s: "those crouching anticks, which seem in great buildings to labour


s: illustration in his Essay on Wit and Humour, p. 4. s. 3.


s: v. 1.  0 thou Mighty Father.] The first four lines are borrowed


s: Dante, in his 'Credo,' has again versified the Lord's prayer.


s: Aldobrandeseo, Count of Santafiore, in the territory of Sienna


s: His arrogance provoked his countrymen to such a pitch of fury


s: against him, that he was murdered by them at Campagnatico.


s: v. 79.  Oderigi.]  The illuminator, or miniature painter, a


s: v. 83.  Bolognian Franco.]  Franco of Bologna, who is said to


s: v. 93.  Cimabue.]  Giovanni Cimabue, the restorer of painting,


s: was born at Florence, of a noble family, in 1240, and died in


s: Credidit ut Cimabos picturae castra tenere,


s: Sic tenuit vivens:  nunc tenet astra poli.


s: v. 95.  The cry is Giotto's.]  In Giotto we have a proof at how


s: early a period the fine arts were encouraged in Italy.  His


s: talents were discovered by Cimabue, while he was tending sheep


s: for his father in the neighbourhood of Florence, and he was


s: afterwards patronized by Pope Benedict XI  and Robert King of


s: Naples, and enjoyed the society and friendship of Dante, whose


s: likeness he has transmitted to posterity. He  died in 1336, at


s: v. 96.  One Guido from the other.]  Guido Cavalcanti, the friend


s: of our Poet, (see Hell, Canto X. 59.) had eclipsed the literary


s: fame of Guido Guinicelli, of a noble family in Bologna, whom we


s: shall meet with in the twenty-sixth Canto and of whom frequent


s: mention is made by our Poet in his Treatise de Vulg. Eloq.


s: Guinicelli died in 1276.  Many of Cavalcanti's writings, hitherto


s: v. 97.  He perhaps is born.]  Some imagine, with much


s: probability, that Dante here augurs the greatness of his own


s: poetical reputation.  Others have fancied that he prophesies the


s: glory of Petrarch.  But Petrarch was not yet born.


s: v. 136.  suitor.]  Provenzano salvani humbled himself so far for


s: the  sake of one of his friends, who was detained in captivity by


s: Sienna to contribute the sum required by the king for his ransom:


s: and this act of self-abasement atoned for his general ambition


s: v. 140.  Thy neighbours soon.]  "Thou wilt know in the time of


s: thy banishment, which is near at hand, what it is to solicit


s: favours of others and 'tremble through every vein,' lest they


s: Si modo, quem perhibes, pater est Thymbraeus Apollo. Virg. Georg.


s: The giants that attempted to scale heaven


s: When they lay dead on the Phlegren plain


s: v. 58.  What master of the pencil or the style.]


s: v. 94.  The chapel stands.]  The church of San Miniato in


s: Florence situated on a height that overlooks the Arno, where it


s: is crossed by the bridge Rubaconte, so called from Messer


s: Rubaconte da Mandelia, of Milan chief magistrate of Florence, by


s: whom the bridge was founded in 1237.  See G. Villani, 1. vi. c.


s: v.  96.  The well-guided city] This is said ironically of


s: v. 99.  The registry.]  In allusion to certain instances of fraud


s: v. 26.  They have no wine.]  John, ii.  3. These words of the


s: Virgin are referred to as an instance of charity.


s: v. 29.  Orestes]  Alluding to his friendship with Pylades


s: v. 32.  Love ye those have wrong'd you.]  Matt. c. v. 44.


s: v. 33.  The scourge.]  "The chastisement of envy consists in


s: hearing examples of the opposite virtue, charity.  As a curb and


s: restraint on this vice, you will presently hear very different


s: sounds, those of threatening and punishment."


s: "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek to come." Heb.


s: v. 101.  Sapia.]  A lady of Sienna, who, living in exile at


s: Colle, was so overjoyed at a defeat which her countrymen


s: sustained near that place that she declared nothing more was


s: v. 114.  The merlin.]  The story of the merlin is that having


s: been induced by a gleam of fine weather in the winter to escape


s: from his master, he was soon oppressed by the rigour of the


s: v. 119.  The hermit Piero.]  Piero Pettinagno, a holy hermit of


s: v. 141.  That vain multitude.]  The Siennese.  See Hell, Canto


s: confines of the Maremma, has led them to conceive hopes of


s: becoming a naval power: but this scheme will prove as chimerical


s: as their former plan for the discovery of a subterraneous stream


s: under their city."  Why they gave the appellation of Diana to the


s: v. 45.  'Midst brute swine.]  The people of Casentino.


s: v. 49.  Curs.]  The Arno leaves Arezzo about four miles to the


s: v. 61.  Thy grandson.]  Fulcieri de' Calboli, grandson of


s: Rinieri de' Calboli, who is here spoken to.  The atrocities


s: v. 95.  'Twixt Po, the mount, the Reno, and the shore.]  The


s: v. 99.  Lizio.]  Lizio da Valbona, introduced into Boccaccio's


s: Faenza, or as some say, of Brettinoro, Pier Traversaro, lord of


s: v. 102.  In Bologna the low artisan.]  One who had been a


s: mechanic named Lambertaccio, arrived at almost supreme power in


s: origin but great talents, who governed at Faenza.


s: v. 107.  Prata.]  A place between Faenza and Ravenna


s: v. 107.  Of Azzo him.] Ugolino of the Ubaldini family in Tuscany


s: He is recounted among the poets by Crescimbeni and Tiraboschi.


s: v. 109.  Traversaro's house and Anastagio's.]  Two noble families


s: former: her lover and the specter were of the Anastagi family.


s: v. 111.  The ladies, &c.]  These two lines express the true


s: spirit of chivalry.  "Agi" is understood by the commentators whom


s: exertions of knight-errantry."  But surely it signifies the


s: v. 114.  O Brettinoro.]  A beautifully situated castle in


s: Romagna, the hospitable residence of Guido del Duca, who is here


s: v. 118.  Baynacavallo.]  A castle between Imola and Ravenna


s: v. 121.  Pagani.]  The Pagani were lords of Faenza and Imola. One


s: v. 124.  Hugolin.]  Ugolino Ubaldini, a noble and virtuous person


s: v. 136.  Whosoever finds Will slay me.] The words of Cain, Gen.


s: v. 145.  There was the galling bit.]  Referring to what had been


s: v. 1.  As much.]  It wanted three hours of sunset.


s: v. 16.  As when the ray.]  Compare Virg. Aen. 1.viii. 22, and


s: v. 20.  Differs from the stone.]  The motion of light being


s: quicker  than that of a stone through an equal space.


s: v. 38.  Blessed the merciful.  Matt. c. v. 7.


s: v. 43.  Romagna's spirit.] Guido del Duea, of Brettinoro whom we


s: v. 101.  How shall we those requite.]  The answer of Pisistratus


s: the tyrant to his wife, when she urged him to inflict the


s: punishment of death on a young man, who, inflamed with love for


s: his daughter, had snatched from her a kiss in public.  The story


s: v. 105.  A stripling youth.]  The protomartyr Stephen.


s: v. 94.  As thou.]  "If thou wert still living."


s: v. 46.  I was of Lombardy, and Marco call'd.]  A Venetian


s: gentleman. "Lombardo" both was his surname and denoted the


s: country to which he belonged. G. Villani, 1. vii. c. 120, terms


s: v. 58.  Elsewhere.]  He refers to what Guido del Duca had said in


s: v. 70.  If this were so.]  Mr. Crowe in his Lewesdon Hill has


s: expressed similar sentiments with much energy.


s: Where freedom is not, there no virtue is, &c.


s: Compare Origen in Genesim, Patrum Graecorum, vol. xi. p. 14.


s: v. 79.  To mightier force.]  "Though ye are subject to a higher


s: power than that of the heavenly constellations, e`en to the power


s: v. 88.  Like a babe that wantons sportively.]  This reminds one


s: of the Emperor Hadrian's verses to his departing soul:


s: v. 99.  The fortress.]  Justice, the most necessary virtue in the


s: v. 103.  Who.]  He compares the Pope, on account of the union of


s: the temporal with the spiritual power in his person, to an


s: unclean beast in the levitical law.  "The camel, because he


s: cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean unto


s: v. 110.  Two sons.]  The Emperor and the Bishop of Rome.


s: v. 119.  Ere the day.]  Before the Emperor Frederick II was


s: v. 126.  The good Gherardo.]  Gherardo di Camino of Trevigi.


s: He is honourably mentioned in our Poet's "Convito."  Opere di


s: Dante, t. i. p. 173 Venez. 8vo.  1793. And Tiraboschi supposes


s: him to have been the same Gherardo with whom the Provencal poets


s: were used to meet with hospitable reception.  See Mr. Matthias's


s: Conrad.]  Currado da Palazzo, a gentleman of Brescia.


s: v. 127.  Guido of Castello.]  Of Reggio.  All the Italians were


s: v. 144.  His daughter Gaia.]  A lady equally admired for her


s: modesty, the beauty of her person, and the excellency of her


s: talents. Gaia, says Tiraboschi, may perhaps lay claim to the


s: praise of having been the first among the Italian ladies, by whom


s: v. 21.  The bird, that most Delights itself in song.]


s: I cannot think with Vellutello, that the swallow is here meant.


s: Dante probably alludes to the story of Philomela, as it is found


s: in Homer's  Odyssey, b. xix. 518 rather than as later poets have


s: told it. "She intended to slay the son of her husband's brother


s: Amphion, incited to it, by the envy of his wife, who had six


s: children, while herself had only two, but through mistake slew


s: her own son Itylus, and for her punishment was transformed by


s: In speaking of the nightingale, let me observe, that while some


s: have considered its song as a melancholy, and others as a


s: cheerful one, Chiabrera appears to have come nearest the truth,


s: when he says, in the Alcippo, a. l. s. 1,


s: v. 26.  One crucified.]  Haman.  See the book of Esther, c. vii.


s: v. 34.  A damsel.]  Lavinia, mourning for her mother Amata, who,


s: impelled by grief and indignation for the supposed death of


s: Turnus, destroyed herself.  Aen. 1. xii. 595.


s: v. 43.  The broken slumber quivering ere it dies.]  Venturi


s: suggests that this bold and unusual metaphor may have been formed


s: Tempus erat quo prima quies mortalibus aegris


s: Incipit, et dono divun gratissima serpit.


s: v. 81.  The love.]  "A defect in our love towards God, or


s: lukewarmness in piety, is here removed."


s: v. 94.  The primal blessings.]  Spiritual good.


s: v. 102.  Now.]  "It is impossible for any being, either to hate


s: itself, or to hate the First Cause of all, by which it exists.


s: We can therefore only rejoice in the evil which befalls others."


s: v. 135.  Along Three circles.]  According to the allegorical


s: commentators, as Venturi has observed, Reason is represented


s: under the person of Virgil, and Sense under that of Dante.  The


s: former leaves to the latter to discover for itself the three


s: carnal sins, avarice, gluttony and libidinousness; having already


s: and indifference, or lukewarmness in piety, which the Italians


s: v. 1.  The teacher ended.]  Compare Plato, Protagoras, v. iii.


s: v. 23.  Your apprehension.]  It is literally, "Your apprehensive


s: faculty derives intention from a thing really existing, and


s: displays the intention within you, so that it makes the soul turn


s: v. 47.  Spirit.]  The human soul, which differs from that of


s: brutes, inasmuch as, though united with the body, it has a


s: v. 65.  Three men.]  The great moral philosophers among the


s: v. 78.  A crag.]  I have preferred the reading of Landino,


s: scheggion, "crag," conceiving it to be more poetical than


s: secchion, "bucket," which is the common reading.  The same cause,


s: v. 78.  Up the vault.]  The moon passed with a motion opposite to


s: in which the sun is, when to those who are in Rome he appears to


s: set between the isles of Corsica and Sardinia.


s: v. 84.  Andes.]  Andes, now Pietola, made more famous than Mantua


s: v. 92.  Ismenus and Asopus.]  Rivers near Thebes


s: v. 99.  Caesar.]  See Lucan, Phars. I. iii. and iv, and


s: Caesar de Bello Civiii, I. i.  Caesar left Brutus to complete


s: the siege of Marseilles, and hastened on to the attack of


s: Afranius and Petreius, the generals of Pompey, at Ilerda (Lerida)


s: v. 118.  abbot.]  Alberto, abbot of San Zeno in Verona, when


s: Frederick I was emperor, by whom Milan was besieged and reduced


s: v. 121.  There is he.]  Alberto della Scala, lord of Verona, who


s: had made his natural son abbot of San Zeno.


s: v. 133.  First they died.]  The Israelites, who, on account of


s: their disobedience, died before reaching the promised land.


s: v. 4.  The geomancer.]  The geomancers, says Landino, when they


s: divined, drew a figure consisting of sixteen marks, named from so


s: v. 7.  A woman's shape.]  Worldly happiness.  This allegory


s: Quid color hic roseus sibi vult?  designat amorem:


s: Quippe amor est igni similis; flammasque rubentes


s: v. 97.  The successor of Peter Ottobuono, of the family of


s: Fieschi Counts of Lavagna, died thirty-nine days after he became


s: Pope, with the title of Adrian V, in 1276.


s: v. 98.  That stream.]  The river Lavagna, in the Genoese


s: v. 135.  nor shall be giv'n in marriage.]  Matt. c. xxii. 30.


s: "Since in this state we neither marry nor are given in marriage,


s: I am no longer the spouse of the church, and therefore no longer


s: v. 140.  A kinswoman.]  Alagia is said to have been the wife of


s: the Marchese Marcello Malaspina, one of the poet's protectors


s: during his exile.  See Canto VIII.  133.


s: v. 3.  I drew the sponge.]  "I did not persevere in my inquiries


s: from the spirit though still anxious to learn more."


s: v. 16.  Of his appearing.]  He is thought to allude to


s: Can Grande della Scala.  See Hell, Canto I. 98.


s: v. 25.  Fabricius.]  Compare Petrarch, Tr. della Fama, c. 1.


s: v. 30.  Nicholas.]  The story of Nicholas is, that an angel


s: having revealed to him that the father of a family was so


s: impoverished as to resolve on exposing the chastity of his three


s: daughters to sale, he threw in at the window of their house three


s: v. 42.  Root.]  Hugh Capet, ancestor of Philip IV.


s: v. 46.  Had Ghent and Douay, Lille and Bruges power.]  These


s: cities had lately been seized by Philip IV.  The spirit is made


s: to imitate the approaching defeat of the French army by the


s: Flemings, in the battle of Courtrai, which happened in 1302.


s: v. 51.  The slaughter's trade.]  This reflection on the birth of


s: his ancestor induced Francis I  to forbid the reading of Dante in


s: v. 52.  All save one.]  The posterity of Charlemagne, the second


s: race of French monarchs, had failed, with the exception of


s: Charles of Lorraine who is said, on account of the melancholy


s: temper of his mind, to have always clothed himself in black.


s: Venturi suggest that Dante may have confounded him with Childeric


s: v. 57.  My son.]  Hugh Capet caused his son Robert to be crowned


s: v. 59.  The Great dower of Provence.]  Louis IX, and his brother


s: Charles of Anjou, married two of the four daughters of Raymond


s: v. 64.  Poitou it seiz'd, Navarre and Gascony.]  I venture to


s: Landino has "Potti," and he is probably right for Poitou was


s: annexed to the French crown by Philip IV. See Henault, Abrege


s: Chron. A.D. l283, &c. Normandy had been united to it long before


s: by Philip Augustus, a circumstance of which it is difficult to


s: imagine that Dante should have been ignorant, but Philip IV, says


s: subjugation of Navarre is also alluded to in the


s: Paradise, Canto XIX. 140.  In 1293, Philip IV summoned Edward I.


s: to do him homage for the duchy of Gascogny, which he had


s: conceived the design of seizing.  See G. Villani, l. viii. c. 4.


s: v. 66.  Young Conradine.] Charles of Anjou put Conradine to death


s: v. 67.  Th' angelic teacher.]  Thomas Aquinas.  He was reported


s: to have been poisoned by a physician, who wished to ingratiate


s: himself with Charles of Anjou.  G. Villani, I. ix.  c. 218.  We


s: shall find him in the Paradise, Canto X.


s: v. 69.  Another Charles.]  Charles of Valois, brother of Philip


s: IV, was sent  by Pope Boniface VIII to settle the disturbed state


s: purpose, our poet and his friend,  were condemned to exile and


s: If I remember right, in one of the old romances, Judas is


s: v. 78.  The other.]  Charles, King of Naples, the eldest son of


s: Charles of Anjou, having, contrary to the directions of his


s: father, engaged with Ruggier de Lauria, the admiral of Peter of


s: Arragon, was made prisoner and carried into Sicily, June, 1284.


s: He afterwards, in consideration of a large sum of money, married


s: his daughter to Azzo VI11, Marquis of Ferrara.


s: v. 85.  The flower-de-luce.]  Boniface VIII was seized at Alagna


s: in Campagna, by order of Philip IV., in the year 1303, and soon


s: after died of grief. G. Villani, 1.  viii. c. 63.


s: v. 94.  Into the temple.]  It is uncertain whether our Poet


s: alludes still to the event mentioned in the preceding Note, or to


s: v. 111.  Heliodorus.]  2 Maccabees, c.  iii.  25.  "For there


s: appeared unto them a horse, with a terrible rider upon him, and


s: adorned with a very fair covering, and he ran fiercely and smote


s: v. 112.  Thracia's king.]  Polymnestor, the murderer of


s: v. 114.  Crassus.]  Marcus Crassus, who fell miserably in the


s: v. 26.  She.]  Lachesis, one of the three fates.


s: Venturi, I think rightly interprets this to be light.


s: Compare Plato, Theaet.  v. ii.  p. 76.  Bip.  edit., Virg; Aen.


s: v. 89.  From Tolosa.]  Dante, as many others have done, confounds


s: v. 94.  Fell.]  Statius lived to write only a small part of the


s: v. 14.  Aquinum's bard.]  Juvenal had celebrated his contemporary


s: v. 28.  Why.]  Quid non mortalia pecaora cogis


s: Venturi supposes that Dante might have mistaken the meaning of


s: the word sacra, and construed it "holy," instead of "cursed."


s: But I see no necessity for having recourse to so improbable a


s: v. 41.  The fierce encounter.]  See Hell, Canto VII.  26.


s: v. 57.  The twin sorrow of Jocasta's womb.]  Eteocles and


s: v. 107.  Of thy train. ]  Of those celebrated in thy Poem."


s: v. 112.  Tiresias' daughter.]  Dante appears to have forgotten


s: that he had placed Manto, the daughter of Tiresias, among the


s: sorcerers. See Hell Canto XX.  Vellutello endeavours, rather


s: awkwardly, to reconcile the inconsistency, by observing, that


s: although she was placed there as a sinner, yet, as one of famous


s: memory, she had also a place among the worthies in Limbo.


s: Lombardi excuses our author better, by observing that Tiresias


s: had a daughter named Daphne.  See Diodorus Siculus, 1. iv. 66.


s: v. 139.  Mary took more thought.]  "The blessed virgin, who


s: answers for yon now in heaven, when she said to Jesus, at the


s: marriage in Cana of Galilee, 'they have no wine,' regarded not


s: the gratification of her own taste, but the honour of the nuptial


s: v. 142  The women of old Rome.] See Valerius Maximus, 1. ii. c.


s: v. 26.  When Mary.]  Josephus, De Bello Jud. 1. vii. c. xxi. p.


s: v. 28.  Who reads the name.]  "He, who pretends to distinguish


s: the letters which form OMO in the features of the human face,


s: "might easily have traced out the M on their emaciated


s: countenances." The temples, nose, and forehead are supposed to


s: represent this letter; and the eyes the two O's


s: v. 44.  Forese.]  One of the brothers of Piccarda, she who is


s: again spoken of in the next Canto, and introduced in the


s: the last, when thou hadst lost the power of sinning, how happens


s: v. 87.  The tract most barb'rous of Sardinia's isle.]  The


s: Barbagia is part of Sardinia, to which that name was given, on


s: account of the uncivilized state of its inhabitants, who are said


s: v. 91.  The' unblushing domes of Florence.]  Landino's note


s: exhibits a curious instance of the changeableness of his


s: countrywomen. He even goes beyond the acrimony of the original.


s: "In those days," says the commentator, "no less than in ours, the


s: more suitable to a harlot than a matron. But, as


s: they changed soon after, insomuch that they wore collars up to


s: the chin, covering the whole of the neck and throat, so have I


s: hopes they will change again; not indeed so much from motives of


s: decency, as through that fickleness, which pervades every action


s: v. 97.  Saracens.]  "This word, during the middle ages, was


s: indiscriminately applied to Pagans and Mahometans; in short, to


s: "There is a canzone by this poet, printed in the collection made


s: by the Giunti, (p. 209,).land a sonnet to Guido Guinicelli in


s: that made by Corbinelli, (p 169,) from which we collect that he


s: lived not about 1230, as Quadrio supposes, (t. ii. p. 159,)  but


s: towards the end of the thirteenth century. Concerning, other


s: poems by Buonaggiunta, that are preserved in MS. in some


s: libraries, Crescimbeni may be consulted." Tiraboschi, Mr.


s: v. 23.  He was of Tours.]  Simon of Tours became Pope, with the


s: title of Martin IV in 1281 and died in 1285.


s: v. 29.  Ubaldino.]  Ubaldino degli Ubaldini, of Pila, in the


s: called Bonifazio de Fieschi, a Genoese, by Vellutello, the son of


s: v. 38.  gentucca.]  Of this lady it is thought that our Poet


s: v. 45.  Whose brow no wimple shades yet.]  "Who has not yet


s: v. 46.  Blame it as they may.]  See Hell, Canto XXI.  39.


s: v. 51.  Ladies, ye that con the lore of love.]Donne ch' avete


s: intelletto d'amore.The first verse of a canzone in our author's


s: v. 56.  The Notary.]  Jucopo da Lentino, called the Notary, a


s: poet of these times.  He was probably an Apulian: for Dante, (De


s: Vulg. Eloq. I. i. c 12.) quoting a verse which belongs to a


s: canzone of his published by the Giunti, without mentioning the


s: writer's name, terms him one of "the illustrious Apulians,"


s: praefulgentes Apuli. See Tiraboschi, Mr. Matthias's


s: edit.  vol. i. p. 137. Crescimbeni (1. i. Della Volg.  Poes p.


s: printed in Allacci's Collection, to show that the whimsical


s: compositions called "Ariette " are not of modern


s: v. 56.  Guittone.]  Fra Guittone, of Arezzo, holds a


s: distinguished place in Italian literature, as besides his poems


s: printed in the collection of the Giunti, he has left a collection


s: of that kind of writing in the language.  They were


s: published at Rome in 1743, with learned illustrations by Giovanni


s: regular and legitimate form, a species of composition in which


s: not only his own countrymen, but many of the best poets in all


s: the cultivated languages of modern Europe, have since so much


s: Guittone, a native of Arezzo, was the son of Viva di Michele.


s: He was of the order of the " Frati Godenti," of which an account


s: may be seen in the Notes to Hell, Canto XXIII.  In the year 1293,


s: and died in the following year.  Tiraboschi, Ibid.  p. 119.


s: courtly style; and Petrarch twice places him in the company of


s: our Poet. Triumph of Love, cap. iv. and Son. Par. See "Sennuccio


s: v. 81.  He.]  Corso Donati was suspected of aiming at the


s: sovereignty of Florence.  To escape the fury of his fellow


s: citizens, he fled away on horseback, but failing, was overtaken


s: and slain, A.D. 1308.  The contemporary annalist, after relating


s: at length the circumstances of his fate, adds, "that he was one


s: of the wisest and most valorous knights the best speaker, the


s: most expert statesman, the most renowned and enterprising, man of


s: very worldly, and in his time had formed many conspiracies in


s: Florence and entered into many scandalous practices, for the sake


s: The character of Corso is forcibly drawn by another


s: of  his contemporaries Dino Compagni.  1.  iii., Muratori, Rer.


s: v. 129.  Creatures of the clouds.]  The Centaurs. Ovid. Met. 1.


s: v. 58.  As sea-sponge.]  The fetus is in this stage is zoophyte.


s: Averroes is said to be here meant.  Venturi refers to his


s: commentary on Aristotle, De Anim 1. iii. c. 5. for the opinion


s: that there is only one universal intellect or mind pervading


s: every individual of the human race. Much of the knowledge


s: displayed by our Poet in the present Canto appears to have been


s: derived from the medical work o+ Averroes, called the Colliget.


s: v. 79.  Mark the sun's heat.]  Redi and Tiraboschi (Mr.


s: Matthias's ed. v. ii. p. 36.) have considered this an


s: anticipation of a profound discovery of Galileo's in natural


s: philosophy, but it is in reality taken from a passage in Cicero


s: "de Senectute," where, speaking of the grape, he says, " quae, et


s: est peracerba gustatu, deinde maturata dulcescit."


s: v. 70.  Caesar.]  For the opprobrium east on Caesar's effeminacy,


s: v. 87.  lycurgus.]  Statius, Theb.  1.  iv. and v. Hypsipile had


s: left her infant charge, the son of Lycurgus, on a bank, where it


s: was destroyed by a serpent, when she went to show the Argive army


s: Lycurgus's resentment, the joy her own children felt at the sight


s: The incidents are beautifully described in Statius, and seem to


s: have made an impression on Dante, for he again (Canto XXII. 110.)


s: v. 111.  He.]  The united testimony of Dante, and of Petrarch,


s: in his Triumph of Love, e. iv.  places Arnault Daniel at the head


s: parents, at the castle of Ribeyrae in Perigord, and that he was


s: at the English court, is the amount of Millot's information


s: The account there given of his writings is not much more


s: satisfactory, and the criticism on them must go for little better


s: It is to be regretted that we have not an opportunity of judging


s: for ourselves of his "love ditties and his tales of prose "


s: Our Poet frequently cities him in the work De Vulgari Eloquentia.


s: v. 113.  The songster of Limoges.]  Giraud de Borneil, of


s: Sideuil, a castle in Limoges.  He was a troubadour, much admired


s: and caressed in his day, and appears to have been in favour with


s: the monarchs of Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Arragon He is quoted


s: by Dante, De Vulg. Eloq., and many of his poems are still


s: remaining in MS. According to Nostradamus he died in 1278.


s: Millot, Hist. Litt. des Troub. t. ii. p. 1 and 23.  But I suspect


s: v. 132.  Thy courtesy.]  Arnault is here made to speak in his own


s: says on this subject is so curious, that the reader will perhaps


s: not be displeased it I give an abstract of it.


s: He first makes three great divisions of the European languages.


s: "One of these extends from the mouths of the Danube, or the lake


s: of Maeotis, to the western limits of England, and is bounded by


s: the limits of the French and Italians, and by the ocean. One


s: idiom obtained over the whole of this space: but was


s: afterwards subdivided into, the Sclavonian, Hungarian, Teutonic,


s: Saxon, English, and the vernacular tongues of several other


s: people, one sign remaining to all, that they use the affirmative


s: io, (our English ay.)  The whole of Europe, beginning from the


s: Hungarian limits and stretching towards the east, has a second


s: idiom which reaches still further than the end of Europe into


s: Asia. This is the Greek.  In all that remains of Europe, there is


s: severally distinguished by the use of the affirmatives, oc, oil,


s: and si; the first spoken by the Spaniards, the next by the


s: French, and the third by the Latins (or Italians).  The first


s: occupy the western part of southern Europe, beginning from the


s: limits of the Genoese.  The third occupy the eastern part


s: from the said limits, as far, that is, as the promontory of


s: Italy, where the Adriatic sea begins, and to Sicily. The second


s: are in a manner northern with respect to these for they have the


s: Germans to the east and north, on the west they are bounded by


s: the English sea, and the mountains of Arragon, and on the


s: south by the people of Provence and the declivity of the


s: Apennine." Ibid.  c. x. "Each of these three," he observes, "has


s: its own claims to distinction The excellency of the French


s: language consists in its being best adapted, on account of its


s: facility and agreeableness, to prose narration, (quicquid


s: redactum, sive inventum est ad vulgare prosaicum suum


s: est); and he instances the books compiled on the gests of the


s: Trojans and Romans and the delightful adventures of King Arthur,


s: with many other histories and works of instruction. The Spanish


s: (or Provencal) may boast of its having produced such


s: as first cultivated in this as in a more perfect and sweet


s: language, the vernacular poetry: among whom are Pierre


s: The privileges of the Latin, or Italian are two:  first that it


s: may reckon for its own those writers who have adopted a more


s: sweet and subtle style of poetry, in the number of whom are Cino,


s: v. 1.  The sun.]  At Jerusalem it was dawn, in Spain midnight,


s: and in India noonday, while it was sunset in Purgatory


s: v. 102.  I am Leah.]  By Leah is understood the active life, as


s: Rachel figures the contemplative. The divinity is the mirror in


s: which the latter looks. Michel Angelo has made these allegorical


s: personages the subject of two statues on the monument of Julius


s: of Michel Angelo, Sculpture viii. And x. and p 247.


s: v. 135.  Those bright eyes.]  The eyes of Beatrice.


s: v. 14.  The feather'd quiristers] Imitated by Boccaccio,


s: Fiammetta, 1. iv. "Odi i queruli uccelli," &c. --"Hear the


s: querulous birds plaining with sweet songs, and the boughs


s: trembling, and, moved by a gentle wind, as it were keeping tenor


s: v. 7.  A pleasant air.]  Compare Ariosto, O. F. c. xxxiv. st. 50.


s: v. Chiassi.]  This is the wood where the scene of Boccaccio's


s: sublimest story is laid. See Dec.  g. 5. n. 8. and Dryden's


s: Theodore and Honoria Our Poet perhaps wandered in it daring his


s: v. 41.  A lady.]  Most of the commentators suppose, that by this


s: lady, who in the last Canto is called Matilda, is to be


s: understood the Countess Matilda, who endowed the holy see with


s: the estates called the Patrimony of St. Peter,


s: and died in 1115. See G. Villani, 1. iv. e. 20 But it seems more


s: probable that she should be intended for an allegorical


s: Di sette liste tutte in quel colori, &c.


s: Conspicuous with three listed colours gay.


s: v. 79.  Ten paces.]  For an explanation of the allegorical


s: meaning of this mysterious procession, Venturi refers those "who


s: would see in the dark" to the commentaries of Landino,


s: Vellutello, and others: and adds that it is evident the Poet has


s: accommodated to his own fancy many sacred images in the


s: Apocalypse.  In Vasari's Life of Giotto, we learn that Dante


s: recommended that book to his friend, as affording fit


s: v. 104.  Gryphon.]  Under the Gryphon, an imaginary creature, the


s: v. 116.  'Three nymphs.]  The three evangelical virtues: the


s: first Charity, the next Hope, and the third Faith.  Faith may be


s: produced by charity, or charity by faith, but the inducements to


s: hope must arise either from one or other of these.


s: v. 125.  A band quaternion.]  The four moral or cardinal virtues,


s: v. 129.  Two old men.]  Saint Luke, characterized as the writer


s: v. 133.  Of the great Coan.]  Hippocrates, "whom nature made for


s: the benefit of her favourite creature, man."


s: v. 138.  Four others.]  "The commentators," says Venturi;


s: "suppose these four to be the four evangelists, but I should


s: rather take them to be four principal doctors of the church."


s: Yet both Landino and Vellutello expressly call them the authors


s: of the epistles, James, Peter, John and Jude.


s: v. 140.  One single old man.]  As some say, St. John, under his


s: character of the author of the Apocalypse.  But in the poem


s: attributed to Giacopo, the son of our Poet, which in some MSS,


s: accompanies the original of this work, and is descriptive of its


s: E'l vecchio, ch' era dietro a tutti loro


s: And the old man, who was behind them all,


s: See No. 3459 of the Harl.  MSS. in the British Museum.


s: v. 1.  The polar light.]  The seven candlesticks.


s: v. 61.  Nor.]  "Not all the beauties of the terrestrial Paradise;


s: v. 85.  But.]  They sang the thirty-first Psalm, to the end of


s: v. 87.  The living rafters.]  The leafless woods on the Apennine.


s: v. 90.  The land whereon no shadow falls.]  "When the wind blows,


s: under the equator cast little or no shadow; or, in other words,


s: v. 98.  The ice.]  Milton has transferred this conceit, though


s: scarcely worth the pains of removing, into one of his Italian


s: v. 3.  With lateral edge.]  The words of Beatrice, when not


s: addressed directly to himself, but speaking to the angel of hell,


s: v. 39.  Counter to the edge.]  "The weapons of divine justice are


s: v. 71.  The beard.]  "I perceived, that when she desired me to


s: raise my beard, instead of telling me to lift up my head, a


s: severe reflection was implied on my want of that wisdom which


s: v. 98.  Tu asperges me.]  A prayer repeated by the priest at


s: v. 106.  And in the heaven are stars.]  See Canto I. 24.


s: v. 116.  The emeralds.]  The eyes of Beatrice.


s: v. 2.  Their ten years' thirst.]  Beatrice had been dead ten


s: v. 9.  Two fix'd a gaze.]  The allegorical interpretation of


s: Vellutello whether it be considered as justly terrible from the


s: text or not, conveys so useful a lesson, that it deserves our


s: notice. "The understanding is sometimes so intently engaged in


s: contemplating the light of divine truth in the scriptures, that


s: it becomes dazzled, and is made less capable of attaining


s: such knowledge, than if it had sought after it with greater


s: v. 51.  When large floods of radiance.]  When the sun enters into


s: v. 74.  The blossoming of that fair tree.]  Our Saviour's


s: v. 97.  Those lights.]  The tapers of gold.


s: v. 110.  The bird of Jove.]  This, which is imitated from


s: Ezekiel, c. xvii. 3, 4.  appears to be typical of the


s: persecutions which the church sustained from the Roman Emperors.


s: v. 118.  A fox.]  By the fox perhaps is represented the treachery


s: v. 124.  With his feathers lin'd.].  An allusion to the donations


s: v. 136.  With plumes.]  The donations before mentioned.


s: v. 142.  Heads.]  By the seven heads, it is supposed with


s: sufficient probability, are meant the seven capital sins, by the


s: three with two horns, pride, anger, and avarice, injurious both


s: to man himself and to his neighbor: by the four with one horn,


s: gluttony, lukewarmness, concupiscence, and envy, hurtful, at


s: least in their primary effects, chiefly to him who is


s: v. 146.  O'er it.]  The harlot is thought to represent the state


s: of the church under Boniface VIII and the giant to figure Philip


s: v. 155.  Dragg'd on.]  The removal of the Pope's residence from


s: v. 36.  Hope not to scare God's vengeance with a sop.]  "Let not


s: him who hath occasioned the destruction of the church, that


s: vessel which the serpent brake, hope to appease the anger of the


s: Deity by any outward acts of religious, or rather superstitious,


s: ceremony, such as was that, in our poet's time, performed by a


s: murderer at Florence, who imagined himself secure from vengeance,


s: murdered, within the space of nine days."


s: v. 38.  That eagle.]  He prognosticates that the Emperor of


s: Germany will not always continue to submit to the usurpations of


s: the Pope, and foretells the coming of Henry VII Duke of


s: Luxembourg signified by the numerical figures DVX; or, as


s: Lombardi supposes, of Can Grande della Scala, appointed the


s: leader of the Ghibelline forces. It is unnecessary to point out


s: the imitation of the Apocalypse in the manner of this prophecy.


s: v. 50.  The Naiads.]  Dante, it is observed, has been led into a


s: mistake by a corruption in the text of Ovid's Metam.  I.  vii.


s: instead of Carmina Laiades, &c. as it has been since corrected.


s: Lombardi refers to Pansanias, where "the Nymphs" are spoken of as


s: Should the reader blame me for not departing from the error of


s: the original (if error it be), he may substitute


s: Events shall be the Oedipus will solve, &c.


s: v. 67.  Elsa's numbing waters.]  The Elsa, a little stream, which


s: v. 78.  That one brings home his staff inwreath'd with palm.]


s: "For the same cause that the pilgrim, returning from Palestine,


s: brings home his staff, or bourdon, bound with palm," that is, to


s: "In regard to the word bourdon, why it has been applied to a


s: pilgrim's staff, it is not easy to guess.  I believe, however


s: that this name has been given to such sort of staves, because


s: pilgrims usually travel and perform their pilgrimages on foot,


s: their staves serving them instead of horses or mules, then called


s: Mr. Johnes's Translation of Joinville's Memoirs.


s: Dissertation xv, by M. du Cange p. 152.  4to. edit.


s: The word is thrice used by Chaucer in the Romaunt of the Rose.


s: His glory, by whose might all things are mov'd,


s: Sheds more resplendence, elsewhere less.  In heav'n,


s: That largeliest of his light partakes, was I,


s: Witness of things, which to relate again


s: Surpasseth power of him who comes from thence;


s: For that, so near approaching its desire


s: Our intellect is to such depth absorb'd,


s: That memory cannot follow.  Nathless all,


s: That in my thoughts I of that sacred realm


s: Could store, shall now be matter of my song.


s: Thus far hath one of steep Parnassus' brows


s: Suffic'd me; henceforth there is need of both


s: So, as when Marsyas by thy hand was dragg'd


s: Forth from his limbs unsheath'd.  O power divine!


s: That of that happy realm the shadow'd form


s: Trac'd in my thoughts I may set forth to view,


s: Thou shalt behold me of thy favour'd tree


s: Come to the foot, and crown myself with leaves;


s: For to that honour thou, and my high theme


s: Will fit me.  If but seldom, mighty Sire!


s: To grace his triumph gathers thence a wreath


s: Caesar or bard (more shame for human wills


s: Deprav'd) joy to the Delphic god must spring


s: From the Pierian foliage, when one breast


s: Is with such thirst inspir'd.  From a small spark


s: Great flame hath risen: after me perchance


s: Others with better voice may pray, and gain


s: Through diver passages, the world's bright lamp


s: Rises to mortals, but through that which joins


s: Four circles with the threefold cross, in best


s: Course, and in happiest constellation set


s: He comes, and to the worldly wax best gives


s: Its temper and impression.  Morning there,


s: Here eve was by almost such passage made;


s: And whiteness had o'erspread that hemisphere,


s: Blackness the other part; when to the left


s: So of her act, that through the eyesight pass'd


s: Into my fancy, mine was form'd; and straight,


s: Beyond our mortal wont, I fix'd mine eyes


s: Upon the sun.  Much is allowed us there,


s: That here exceeds our pow'r; thanks to the place


s: That I beheld it bick'ring sparks around,


s: As iron that comes boiling from the fire.


s: A day new-ris'n, as he, who hath the power,


s: Her eyes fast fix'd on the eternal wheels,


s: Fix'd upon her, from upward gaze remov'd


s: That made him peer among the ocean gods;


s: Words may not tell of that transhuman change:


s: And therefore let the example serve, though weak,


s: For those whom grace hath better proof in store


s: Then newly, Love!  by whom the heav'n is rul'd,


s: Thou know'st, who by thy light didst bear me up.


s: Whenas the wheel which thou dost ever guide,


s: Temper'd of thee and measur'd, charm'd mine ear,


s: Then seem'd to me so much of heav'n to blaze


s: With the sun's flame, that rain or flood ne'er made


s: A lake so broad.  The newness of the sound,


s: And that great light, inflam'd me with desire,


s: Keener than e'er was felt, to know their cause.


s: Whence she who saw me, clearly as myself,


s: To calm my troubled mind, before I ask'd,


s: Open'd her lips, and gracious thus began:


s: Mak'st dull, so that thou seest not the thing,


s: Which thou hadst seen, had that been shaken off.


s: Thou art not on the earth as thou believ'st;


s: For light'ning scap'd from its own proper place


s: Ne'er ran, as thou hast hither now return'd."


s: Although divested of my first-rais'd doubt,


s: By those brief words, accompanied with smiles,


s: Whence, after utt'rance of a piteous sigh,


s: She tow'rds me bent her eyes, with such a look,


s: As on her frenzied child a mother casts;


s: Then thus began:  "Among themselves all things


s: Have order; and from hence the form, which makes


s: The higher creatures see the printed steps


s: Whither the line is drawn.  All natures lean,


s: In this their order, diversely, some more,


s: Some less approaching to their primal source.


s: Thus they to different havens are mov'd on


s: Through the vast sea of being, and each one


s: With instinct giv'n, that bears it in its course;


s: This to the lunar sphere directs the fire,


s: This prompts the hearts of mortal animals,


s: This the brute earth together knits, and binds.


s: Are aim'd at by this bow; hut even those,


s: That have intelligence and love, are pierc'd.


s: That Providence, who so well orders all,


s: With her own light makes ever calm the heaven,


s: In which the substance, that hath greatest speed,


s: Is turn'd: and thither now, as to our seat


s: Predestin'd, we are carried by the force


s: Of that strong cord, that never looses dart,


s: But at fair aim and glad.  Yet is it true,


s: That as ofttimes but ill accords the form


s: To the design of art, through sluggishness


s: Is sometimes quitted by the creature, who


s: Hath power, directed thus, to bend elsewhere;


s: As from a cloud the fire is seen to fall,


s: From its original impulse warp'd, to earth,


s: By vicious fondness.  Thou no more admire


s: Thy soaring, (if I rightly deem,) than lapse


s: Of torrent downwards from a mountain's height.


s: There would in thee for wonder be more cause,


s: If, free of hind'rance, thou hadst fix'd thyself


s: Below, like fire unmoving on the earth."


s: So said, she turn'd toward the heav'n her face.


s: All ye, who in small bark have following sail'd,


s: Eager to listen, on the advent'rous track


s: Of my proud keel, that singing cuts its way,


s: Backward return with speed, and your own shores


s: Where losing me, perchance ye may remain


s: Bewilder'd in deep maze.  The way I pass


s: Ne'er yet was run: Minerva breathes the gale,


s: To my rapt sight the arctic beams reveal.


s: Ye other few, who have outstretch'd the neck.


s: Timely for food of angels, on which here


s: Through the deep brine ye fearless may put out


s: Your vessel, marking, well the furrow broad


s: Before you in the wave, that on both sides


s: Equal returns.  Those, glorious, who pass'd o'er


s: When they saw Jason following the plough.


s: The increate perpetual thirst, that draws


s: Toward the realm of God's own form, bore us


s: And in such space as on the notch a dart


s: Is plac'd, then loosen'd flies, I saw myself


s: Arriv'd, where wond'rous thing engag'd my sight.


s: Whence she, to whom no work of mine was hid,


s: Turning to me, with aspect glad as fair,


s: To God, through whom to this first star we come."


s: Translucent, solid, firm, and polish'd bright,


s: Like adamant, which the sun's beam had smit


s: Receives, and rests unbroken.  If I then


s: Was of corporeal frame, and it transcend


s: Our weaker thought, how one dimension thus


s: Another could endure, which needs must be


s: That essence, which discovers by what means


s: God and our nature join'd!  There will be seen


s: That which we hold through faith, not shown by proof,


s: E'en as the truth that man at first believes.


s: I answered:  "Lady!  I with thoughts devout,


s: Such as I best can frame, give thanks to Him,


s: Who hath remov'd me from the mortal world.


s: But tell, I pray thee, whence the gloomy spots


s: Give rise to talk of Cain in fabling quaint?"


s: She somewhat smil'd, then spake:  "If mortals err


s: Unlocks not, surely wonder's weapon keen


s: Ought not to pierce thee; since thou find'st, the wings


s: Are short.  But what thy own thought is, declare."


s: Then I:  "What various here above appears,


s: Is caus'd, I deem, by bodies dense or rare."


s: She then resum'd:  "Thou certainly wilt see


s: In falsehood thy belief o'erwhelm'd, if well


s: Shall bring to face it.  The eighth sphere displays


s: Numberless lights, the which in kind and size


s: If rare or dense of that were cause alone,


s: Different virtues needs must be the fruits


s: Of formal principles, and these, save one,


s: Will by thy reasoning be destroy'd.  Beside,


s: Which thou inquirest, either in some part


s: That planet must throughout be void, nor fed


s: With its own matter; or, as bodies share


s: Their fat and leanness, in like manner this


s: Must in its volume change the leaves.  The first,


s: If it were true, had through the sun's eclipse


s: Of light, as through aught rare beside effus'd.


s: But this is not.  Therefore remains to see


s: Erroneous so must prove what seem'd to thee.


s: Pass through, there needs must be a limit, whence


s: And hence the beam, that from without proceeds,


s: Must be pour'd back, as colour comes, through glass


s: Reflected, which behind it lead conceals.


s: Now wilt thou say, that there of murkier hue


s: Than in the other part the ray is shown,


s: From this perplexity will free thee soon


s: The fountain whence your arts derive their streame.


s: Three mirrors shalt thou take, and two remove


s: From thee alike, and more remote the third.


s: Betwixt the former pair, shall meet thine eyes;


s: Then turn'd toward them, cause behind thy back


s: A light to stand, that on the three shall shine,


s: And thus reflected come to thee from all.


s: Though that beheld most distant do not stretch


s: A space so ample, yet in brightness thou


s: Will own it equaling the rest.  But now,


s: As under snow the ground, if the warm ray


s: Smites it, remains dismantled of the hue


s: And cold, that cover'd it before, so thee,


s: With light so lively, that the tremulous beam


s: Shall quiver where it falls.  Within the heaven,


s: Where peace divine inhabits, circles round


s: Of all that it contains.  The following heaven,


s: That hath so many lights, this being divides,


s: Through  different essences, from it distinct,


s: And yet contain'd within it.  The other orbs


s: Dispose, for their own seed and produce apt.


s: Thus do these organs of the world proceed,


s: As thou beholdest now, from step to step,


s: And thence transmitting downwards.  Mark me well,


s: How through this passage to the truth I ford,


s: The truth thou lov'st, that thou henceforth alone,


s: May'st know to keep the shallows, safe, untold.


s: "The virtue and motion of the sacred orbs,


s: As mallet by the workman's hand, must needs


s: By blessed movers be inspir'd.  This heaven,


s: From the deep spirit, that moves its circling sphere,


s: And as the soul, that dwells within your dust,


s: Through members different, yet together form'd,


s: In different pow'rs resolves itself; e'en so


s: Its goodness multiplied throughout the stars;


s: Makes with the precious body it enlivens,


s: With which it knits, as life in you is knit.


s: The virtue mingled through the body shines,


s: From hence proceeds, that which from light to light


s: Seems different, and not from dense or rare.


s: This is the formal cause, that generates


s: Proportion'd to its power, the dusk or clear."


s: That sun, which erst with love my bosom warm'd


s: Had of fair truth unveil'd the sweet aspect,


s: By proof of right, and of the false reproof;


s: Of doubt, as much as needed, rais'd my head


s: Erect for speech.  But soon a sight appear'd,


s: Which, so intent to mark it, held me fix'd,


s: As through translucent and smooth glass, or wave


s: Clear and unmov'd, and flowing not so deep


s: As that its bed is dark, the shape returns


s: That on white forehead set a pearl as strong


s: Comes to the eye: such saw I many a face,


s: All stretch'd to speak, from whence I straight conceiv'd


s: Between the man and fountain, amorous flame.


s: Sudden, as I perceiv'd them, deeming these


s: They were, I turn'd mine eyes, and nothing saw;


s: Then turn'd them back, directed on the light


s: Of my sweet guide, who smiling shot forth beams


s: From her celestial eyes.  "Wonder not thou,"


s: She cry'd, "at this my smiling, when I see


s: Thy childish judgment; since not yet on truth


s: It rests the foot, but, as it still is wont,


s: Makes thee fall back in unsound vacancy.


s: True substances are these, which thou behold'st,


s: Hither through failure of their vow exil'd.


s: But speak thou with them; listen, and believe,


s: That the true light, which fills them with desire,


s: Permits not from its beams their feet to stray."


s: Straight to the shadow which for converse seem'd


s: Most earnest, I addressed me, and began,


s: "O spirit, born for joy!  who in the rays


s: Of life eternal, of that sweetness know'st


s: The flavour, which, not tasted, passes far


s: All apprehension, me it well would please,


s: If thou wouldst tell me of thy name, and this


s: Your station here." Whence she, with kindness prompt,


s: And eyes glist'ning with smiles:  "Our charity,


s: Bars not the door, no more than she above,


s: Who would have all her court be like herself.


s: And if thy mind observe me well, this form,


s: With such addition grac'd of loveliness,


s: Will not conceal me long, but thou wilt know


s: Here 'mid these other blessed also blest.


s: Our hearts, whose high affections burn alone


s: With pleasure, from the Holy Spirit conceiv'd,


s: And this condition, which appears so low,


s: Is for this cause assign'd us, that our vows


s: Were in some part neglected and made void."


s: Whence I to her replied:  "Something divine


s: Beams in your countenance, wond'rous fair,


s: From former knowledge quite transmuting you.


s: Given now such aid, that to retrace your forms


s: More to behold, and more in love to dwell?"


s: She with those other spirits gently smil'd,


s: Then answer'd with such gladness, that she seem'd


s: With love's first flame to glow:  "Brother!  our will


s: What we possess, and nought beyond desire;


s: Then must our wishes jar with the high will


s: Of him, who sets us here, which in these orbs


s: And if her nature well thou contemplate.


s: Of blessedness, to keep ourselves within


s: The divine will, by which our wills with his


s: Are one.  So that as we from step to step


s: Are plac'd throughout this kingdom, pleases all,


s: E'en as our King, who in us plants his will;


s: Then saw I clearly how each spot in heav'n


s: Is Paradise, though with like gracious dew


s: The appetite remains, that this is ask'd,


s: And thanks for that return'd; e'en so did I


s: In word and motion, bent from her to learn


s: What web it was, through which she had not drawn


s: The shuttle to its point.  She thus began:


s: By whose pure laws upon your nether earth


s: The robe and veil they wear, to that intent,


s: That e'en till death they may keep watch or sleep


s: With their great bridegroom, who accepts each vow,


s: Which to his gracious pleasure love conforms.


s: from the world, to follow her, when young


s: Escap'd; and, in her vesture mantling me,


s: Made promise of the way her sect enjoins.


s: Thereafter men, for ill than good more apt,


s: Forth snatch'd me from the pleasant cloister's pale.


s: God knows how after that my life was fram'd.


s: This other splendid shape, which thou beholdst


s: At my right side, burning with all the light


s: May to herself apply.  From her, like me


s: The saintly folds, that shaded her fair brows.


s: E'en when she to the world again was brought


s: In spite of her own will and better wont,


s: Yet not for that the bosom's inward veil


s: Of mighty Constance, who from that loud blast,


s: Which blew the second over Suabia's realm,


s: That power produc'd, which was the third and last."


s: She ceas'd from further talk, and then began


s: Vanish'd, as heavy substance through deep wave.


s: Pursued her, when in dimness she was lost,


s: Turn'd to the mark where greater want impell'd,


s: But she as light'ning beam'd upon my looks:


s: So that the sight sustain'd it not at first.


s: Whence I to question her became less prompt.


s: Remote and tempting, first a man might die


s: Of hunger, ere he one could freely choose.


s: E'en so would stand a lamb between the maw


s: Of two fierce wolves, in dread of both alike:


s: E'en so between two deer a dog would stand,


s: Wherefore, if I was silent, fault nor praise


s: Was painted in my looks; and thus I spake


s: My wish more earnestly than language could.


s: As Daniel, when the haughty king he freed


s: From ire, that spurr'd him on to deeds unjust


s: "Well I discern," she thus her words address'd,


s: "How contrary desires each way constrain thee,


s: So that thy anxious thought is in itself


s: Bound up and stifled, nor breathes freely forth.


s: Thou arguest; if the good intent remain;


s: Should stint the measure of my fair desert?


s: "Cause too thou findst for doubt, in that it seems,


s: That spirits to the stars, as Plato deem'd,


s: Return.  These are the questions which thy will


s: Of that will treat which hath the more of gall.


s: Choose which thou wilt, nor even Mary's self,


s: Have not in any other heav'n their seats,


s: Than have those spirits which so late thou saw'st;


s: Make the first circle beauteous, diversely


s: Partaking of sweet life, as more or less


s: Afflation of eternal bliss pervades them.


s: Here were they shown thee, not that fate assigns


s: This for their sphere, but for a sign to thee


s: Of that celestial furthest from the height.


s: Thus needs, that ye may apprehend, we speak:


s: Since from things sensible alone ye learn


s: That, which digested rightly after turns


s: To your perception, hands and feet to God


s: Attributes, nor so means: and holy church


s: Tobias whole.  Unlike what here thou seest,


s: Each soul restor'd to its particular star,


s: E'en what his words declare: or else to shun


s: That to the influencing of these orbs revert


s: Perchance he doth not wholly miss the truth.


s: Erewhile perverted well nigh all the world;


s: So that it fell to fabled names of Jove,


s: And Mercury, and Mars.  That other doubt,


s: Which moves thee, is less harmful; for it brings


s: "That, to the eye of man, our justice seems


s: This truth may stand more clearly in your view,


s: "If violence be, when that which suffers, nought


s: Consents to that which forceth, not for this


s: These spirits stood exculpate.  For the will,


s: That will not, still survives unquench'd, and doth


s: Wrest it a thousand times; for, if it yield


s: Or more or less, so far it follows force.


s: And thus did these, whom they had power to seek


s: The hallow'd place again.  In them, had will


s: Been perfect, such as once upon the bars


s: Held Laurence firm, or wrought in Scaevola


s: To his own hand remorseless, to the path,


s: Whence they were drawn, their steps had hasten'd back,


s: Resolve so steadfast dwells.  And by these words


s: Which oft might have perplex'd thee still.  But now


s: Another question thwarts thee, which to solve


s: Might try thy patience without better aid.


s: I have, no doubt, instill'd into thy mind,


s: That blessed spirit may not lie; since near


s: The source of primal truth it dwells for aye:


s: And thou might'st after of Piccarda learn


s: That Constance held affection to the veil;


s: So that she seems to contradict me here.


s: Not seldom, brother, it hath chanc'd for men


s: Not to lose pity.  On this point bethink thee,


s: That force and will are blended in such wise


s: From non-compliance, it agrees.  Of will


s: Of th' other; so that both have truly said."


s: Such was the flow of that pure rill, that well'd


s: From forth the fountain of all truth; and such


s: The rest, that to my wond'ring thoughts l found.


s: "O thou of primal love the prime delight!


s: Goddess!  "I straight reply'd, "whose lively words


s: Still shed new heat and vigour through my soul!


s: To recompense, who sees and can reward thee.


s: Well I discern, that by that truth alone


s: Enlighten'd, beyond which no truth may roam,


s: Our mind can satisfy her thirst to know:


s: Therein she resteth, e'en as in his lair


s: The wild beast, soon as she hath reach'd that bound,


s: And she hath power to reach it; else desire


s: Were given to no end.  And thence doth doubt


s: Spring, like a shoot, around the stock of truth;


s: And it is nature which from height to height


s: On to the summit prompts us.  This invites,


s: Is dark to me.  I fain would know, if man


s: The failure of his vows, that in your scale


s: They lack not weight."  I spake; and on me straight


s: Beatrice look'd with eyes that shot forth sparks


s: Of love celestial in such copious stream,


s: I turn'd, and downward bent confus'd my sight.


s: "If beyond earthly wont, the flame of love


s: Of vision, marvel not: but learn the cause


s: In that perfection of the sight, which soon


s: The good it apprehends.  I well discern,


s: Ne'er fails to kindle love; and if aught else


s: Your love seduces, 't is but that it shows


s: Some ill-mark'd vestige of that primal beam.


s: "This would'st thou know, if failure of the vow


s: As from self-question to assure the soul."


s: Thus she her words, not heedless of my wish,


s: Began; and thus, as one who breaks not off


s: Discourse, continued in her saintly strain.


s: "Supreme of gifts, which God creating gave


s: Of goodness, and in his account most priz'd,


s: All intellectual creatures, and them sole


s: He hath endow'd.  Hence now thou mayst infer


s: Of what high worth the vow, which so is fram'd


s: That when man offers, God well-pleas'd accepts;


s: This treasure, such as I describe it to thee,


s: He makes the victim, and of his own act.


s: What compensation therefore may he find?


s: If that, whereof thou hast oblation made,


s: By using well thou think'st to consecrate,


s: Thou would'st of theft do charitable deed.


s: Thus I resolve thee of the greater point.


s: Dispensing, seems to contradict the truth


s: Ere the crude aliment, which thou hast taken,


s: And give it inward keeping.  Knowledge comes


s: Of learning well retain'd, unfruitful else.


s: "This sacrifice in essence of two things


s: Consisteth; one is that, whereof 't is made,


s: It ne'er is cancell'd if not kept: and hence


s: I spake erewhile so strictly of its force.


s: For this it was enjoin'd the Israelites,


s: Though leave were giv'n them, as thou know'st, to change


s: The offering, still to offer.  Th' other part,


s: The matter and the substance of the vow,


s: May well be such, to that without offence


s: It may for other substance be exchang'd.


s: But at his own discretion none may shift


s: By either key, the yellow and the white.


s: Nor deem of any change, as less than vain,


s: For what so precious in the balance weighs,


s: That all in counterpoise must kick the beam.


s: Take then no vow at random: ta'en, with faith


s: Preserve it; yet not bent, as Jephthah once,


s: '1 have done ill,' than to redeem his pledge


s: In folly, that great leader of the Greeks:


s: Her virgin beauty, and hath since made mourn


s: Both wise and simple, even all, who hear


s: Of so fell sacrifice.  Be ye more staid,


s: O Christians, not, like feather, by each wind


s: Removable: nor think to cleanse ourselves


s: The old and new, is yours: and for your guide


s: The shepherd of the church let this suffice


s: To save you.  When by evil lust entic'd,


s: Remember ye be men, not senseless beasts;


s: Hold you in mock'ry.  Be not, as the lamb,


s: That, fickle wanton, leaves its mother's milk,


s: Such were the words that Beatrice spake:


s: These ended, to that region, where the world


s: Is liveliest, full of fond desire she turn'd.


s: Though mainly prompt new question to propose,


s: And as the arrow, ere the cord is still,


s: Grew brighter at her smiles; and, if the star


s: Were mov'd to gladness, what then was my cheer,


s: Whom nature hath made apt for every change!


s: If aught approach them from without, do draw


s: Towards it, deeming it their food; so drew


s: Full more than thousand splendours towards us,


s: And in each one was heard:  "Lo!  one arriv'd


s: To multiply our loves!" and as each came


s: The shadow, streaming forth effulgence new,


s: Witness'd augmented joy.  Here, reader!  think,


s: If thou didst miss the sequel of my tale,


s: To know the rest how sorely thou wouldst crave;


s: Possess'd me, as soon as these had met my view,


s: To know their state.  "O born in happy hour!


s: Thou to whom grace vouchsafes, or ere thy close


s: Of fleshly warfare, to behold the thrones


s: The light communicated, which through heaven


s: Expatiates without bound.  Therefore, if aught


s: Thou of our beams wouldst borrow for thine aid,


s: Spare not; and of our radiance take thy fill."


s: Thus of those piteous spirits one bespake me;


s: As unto gods!" --"How in the light supreme


s: Thou harbour'st, and from thence the virtue bring'st,


s: That, sparkling in thine eyes, denotes thy joy,


s: l mark; but, who thou art, am still to seek;


s: Or wherefore, worthy spirit!  for thy lot


s: This sphere assign'd, that oft from mortal ken


s: Is veil'd by others' beams."  I said, and turn'd


s: Toward the lustre, that with greeting, kind


s: Erewhile had hail'd me.  Forthwith brighter far


s: Than erst, it wax'd:  and, as himself the sun


s: Hides through excess of light, when his warm gaze


s: Hath on the mantle of thick vapours prey'd;


s: Was, through increase of gladness, thus conceal'd;


s: And, shrouded so in splendour answer'd me,


s: "After that Constantine the eagle turn'd


s: Against the motions of the heav'n, that roll'd


s: Consenting with its course, when he of yore,


s: Lavinia's spouse, was leader of the flight,


s: A hundred years twice told and more, his seat


s: At Europe's extreme point, the bird of Jove


s: Held, near the mountains, whence he issued first.


s: There, under shadow of his sacred plumes


s: Swaying the world, till through successive hands


s: To mine he came devolv'd.  Caesar I was,


s: Of that prime love, whose influence I feel,


s: From vain excess to clear th' encumber'd laws.


s: Christ's nature merely human, with such faith


s: Who was chief shepherd, he with warning voice


s: To the true faith recall'd me.  I believ'd


s: His words: and what he taught, now plainly see,


s: The true and false oppos'd.  Soon as my feet


s: Were to the church reclaim'd, to my great task,


s: I gave me wholly, and consign'd mine arms


s: To Belisarius, with whom heaven's right hand


s: Was link'd in such conjointment, 't was a sign


s: That I should rest.  To thy first question thus


s: I shape mine answer, which were ended here,


s: But that its tendency doth prompt perforce


s: To some addition; that thou well, mayst mark


s: What reason on each side they have to plead,


s: By whom that holiest banner is withstood,


s: Both who pretend its power and who oppose.


s: "Beginning from that hour, when Pallas died


s: To give it rule, behold the valorous deeds


s: Have made it worthy reverence.  Not unknown


s: To thee, how for three hundred years and more


s: It dwelt in Alba, up to those fell lists


s: Where for its sake were met the rival three;


s: Nor aught unknown to thee, which it achiev'd


s: Down to the Sabines' wrong to Lucrece' woe,


s: With its sev'n kings conqu'ring the nation round;


s: Nor all it wrought, by Roman worthies home


s: 'Gainst Brennus and th' Epirot prince, and hosts


s: Of single chiefs, or states in league combin'd


s: Of social warfare; hence Torquatus stern,


s: And Quintius nam'd of his neglected locks,


s: Their fame, which I with duteous zeal embalm.


s: By it the pride of Arab hordes was quell'd,


s: The Alpine rocks, whence glide thy currents, Po!


s: Beneath its guidance, in their prime of days


s: Scipio and Pompey triumph'd; and that hill,


s: Under whose summit thou didst see the light,


s: Rued its stern bearing.  After, near the hour,


s: When heav'n was minded that o'er all the world


s: His own deep calm should brood, to Caesar's hand


s: Did Rome consign it; and what then it wrought


s: From Var unto the Rhine, saw Isere's flood,


s: Saw Loire and Seine, and every vale, that fills


s: The torrent Rhone.  What after that it wrought,


s: When from Ravenna it came forth, and leap'd


s: That tongue nor pen may follow it.  Tow'rds Spain


s: It wheel'd its bands, then tow'rd Dyrrachium smote,


s: And on Pharsalia with so fierce a plunge,


s: E'en the warm Nile was conscious to the pang;


s: Its native shores Antandros, and the streams


s: His pennons shook again; lightning thence fell


s: At sound of the Pompeian trump, return'd.


s: "What following and in its next bearer's gripe


s: It wrought, is now by Cassius and Brutus


s: Bark'd off in hell, and by Perugia's sons


s: And Modena's was mourn'd.  Hence weepeth still


s: Took from the adder black and sudden death.


s: With him it ran e'en to the Red Sea coast;


s: With him compos'd the world to such a peace,


s: That of his temple Janus barr'd the door.


s: "But all the mighty standard yet had wrought,


s: And was appointed to perform thereafter,


s: Throughout the mortal kingdom which it sway'd,


s: Falls in appearance dwindled and obscur'd,


s: If one with steady eye and perfect thought


s: On the third Caesar look; for to his hands,


s: The living Justice, in whose breath I move,


s: "Hear now and wonder at what next I tell.


s: Vengeance for vengeance of the ancient sin,


s: And, when the Lombard tooth, with fangs impure,


s: Sped to her rescue.  Judge then for thyself


s: Of those, whom I erewhile accus'd to thee,


s: What they are, and how grievous their offending,


s: Who are the cause of all your ills.  The one


s: So that 't is hard to see which more offends.


s: Be yours, ye Ghibellines, to veil your arts


s: Follow'd of him, who severs it and justice:


s: And let not with his Guelphs the new-crown'd Charles


s: Assail it, but those talons hold in dread,


s: Have rent the easing.  Many a time ere now


s: The sons have for the sire's transgression wail'd;


s: Nor let him trust the fond belief, that heav'n


s: Will truck its armour for his lilied shield.


s: "This little star is furnish'd with good spirits,


s: Whose mortal lives were busied to that end,


s: That honour and renown might wait on them:


s: And, when desires thus err in their intention,


s: True love must needs ascend with slacker beam.


s: But it is part of our delight, to measure


s: The close proportion.  Hence doth heav'nly justice


s: Render sweet harmony among these wheels.


s: "Within the pearl, that now encloseth us,


s: Shines Romeo's light, whose goodly deed and fair


s: Met ill acceptance.  But the Provencals,


s: That were his foes, have little cause for mirth.


s: Ill shapes that man his course, who makes his wrong


s: Of other's worth.  Four daughters were there born


s: Became a queen; and this for him did Romeo,


s: Though of mean state and from a foreign land.


s: A reckoning of that just one, who return'd


s: Twelve fold to him for ten.  Aged and poor


s: He parted thence: and if the world did know


s: The heart he had, begging his life by morsels,


s: 'T would deem the praise, it yields him, scantly dealt."


s: Thus chanting saw I turn that substance bright


s: Revolving; and the rest unto their dance


s: With it mov'd also; and like swiftest sparks,


s: In sudden distance from my sight were veil'd.


s: Me doubt possess'd, and "Speak," it whisper'd me,


s: "Speak, speak unto thy lady, that she quench


s: Thy thirst with drops of sweetness."  Yet blank awe,


s: Which lords it o'er me, even at the sound


s: As one in slumber held.  Not long that mood


s: Beatrice suffer'd:  she, with such a smile,


s: As might have made one blest amid the flames,


s: "Thou in thy thought art pond'ring (as I deem,


s: And what I deem is truth how just revenge


s: Could be with justice punish'd:  from which doubt


s: I soon will free thee; so thou mark my words;


s: For they of weighty matter shall possess thee.


s: "That man, who was unborn, himself condemn'd,


s: And, in himself, all, who since him have liv'd,


s: His offspring: whence, below, the human kind


s: Until it pleas'd the Word of God to come


s: Amongst them down, to his own person joining


s: The nature, from its Maker far estrang'd,


s: The nature with its Maker thus conjoin'd,


s: Created first was blameless, pure and good;


s: But through itself alone was driven forth


s: The way of truth and life, to evil turn'd.


s: The nature in assumption doom'd: ne'er wrong


s: Such nature on him, and endur'd the doom.


s: So different effects flow'd from one act,


s: And heav'n was open'd, though the earth did quake.


s: Count it not hard henceforth, when thou dost hear


s: That a just vengeance was by righteous court


s: Justly reveng'd.  But yet I see thy mind


s: By thought on thought arising sore perplex'd,


s: Solution of the maze.  What I have heard,


s: Is plain, thou sayst:  but wherefore God this way


s: For our redemption chose, eludes my search.


s: In sooth, much aim'd at, and but little kenn'd:


s: And I will therefore show thee why such way


s: Was worthiest.  The celestial love, that spume


s: With such effulgence blazeth, as sends forth


s: All beauteous things eternal.  What distils


s: Immediate thence, no end of being knows,


s: Whatever thence immediate falls, is free,


s: More grateful to its author, whose bright beams,


s: Though all partake their shining, yet in those


s: Are liveliest, which resemble him the most.


s: No longer stainless.  Sin alone is that,


s: Which doth disfranchise him, and make unlike


s: To the chief good; for that its light in him


s: Is no return; unless, where guilt makes void,


s: He for ill pleasure pay with equal pain.


s: Trangress'd, from these distinctions fell, no less


s: Than from its state in Paradise; nor means


s: Found of recovery (search all methods out


s: As strickly as thou may) save one of these,


s: The only fords were left through which to wade,


s: Releas'd him merely, or else man himself


s: "Fix now thine eye, intently as thou canst,


s: On th' everlasting counsel, and explore,


s: Instructed by my words, the dread abyss.


s: "Man in himself had ever lack'd the means


s: As high he, disobeying, thought to soar:


s: That God should by his own ways lead him back


s: Unto the life, from whence he fell, restor'd:


s: But since the deed is ever priz'd the more,


s: The more the doer's good intent appears,


s: Goodness celestial, whose broad signature


s: To raise ye up, was fain to leave out none,


s: Between the last night and the primal day,


s: Was or can be.  For God more bounty show'd.


s: Of his return to life, than had the terms


s: Were all too scant, had not the Son of God


s: "Now, to fulfil each wish of thine, remains


s: That thou mayst see as clearly as myself.


s: "I see, thou sayst, the air, the fire I see,


s: The earth and water, and all things of them


s: Compounded, to corruption turn, and soon


s: Dissolve.  Yet these were also things create,


s: Because, if what were told me, had been true


s: They from corruption had been therefore free.


s: "The angels, O my brother!  and this clime


s: In their whole being.  But the elements,


s: Which thou hast nam'd, and what of them is made,


s: Their substance, and create the' informing virtue


s: In these bright stars, that round them circling move


s: The soul of every brute and of each plant,


s: The ray and motion of the sacred lights,


s: But this our life the' eternal good inspires


s: "And hence thou mayst by inference conclude


s: Consider how the human flesh was fram'd,


s: When both our parents at the first were made."


s: By stream of potent radiance: therefore they


s: Of elder time, in their old error blind,


s: Her mother, and her son, him whom they feign'd


s: Whom I have sung preluding, borrow'd they


s: The appellation of that star, which views,


s: That grac'd my lady, gave me ample proof


s: That we had entered there.  And as in flame


s: A sparkle is distinct, or voice in voice


s: Discern'd, when one its even tenour keeps,


s: The other comes and goes; so in that light


s: Never was blast from vapour charged with cold,


s: Descended with such speed, it had not seem'd


s: To those celestial lights, that tow'rds us came,


s: Leaving the circuit of their joyous ring,


s: And after them, who in the van appear'd,


s: Desire, ne'er since extinct in me, to hear


s: Renew'd the strain.  Then parting from the rest


s: One near us drew, and sole began:  "We all


s: Are ready at thy pleasure, well dispos'd


s: To do thee gentle service.  We are they,


s: To whom thou in the world erewhile didst Sing


s: Moves the third heaven!' and in one orb we roll,


s: One motion, one impulse, with those who rule


s: Princedoms in heaven; yet are of love so full,


s: That to please thee 't will be as sweet to rest."


s: Sought the celestial guide, and were by her


s: Assur'd, they turn'd again unto the light


s: Who had so largely promis'd, and with voice


s: That bare the lively pressure of my zeal,


s: "Tell who ye are," I cried.  Forthwith it grew


s: In size and splendour, through augmented joy;


s: And thus it answer'd:  "A short date below


s: The world possess'd me.  Had the time been more,


s: Much evil, that will come, had never chanc'd.


s: My gladness hides thee from me, which doth shine  .


s: In its own silk enswath'd.  Thou lov'dst me well,


s: And had'st good cause; for had my sojourning


s: Been longer on the earth, the love I bare thee


s: Had put forth more than blossoms.  The left bank,


s: That Rhone, when he hath mix'd with Sorga, laves.


s: From where the Trento disembogues his waves,


s: With Verde mingled, to the salt sea-flood.


s: By Danube wash'd, whenas he strays beyond


s: The limits of his German shores.  The realm,


s: Where, on the gulf by stormy Eurus lash'd,


s: (Not through Typhaeus, but the vap'ry cloud


s: Bituminous upsteam'd), THAT too did look


s: Of monarchs, sprung through me from Charles and Rodolph;


s: had not ill lording which doth spirit up


s: The shout of 'death,' re-echo'd loud and long.


s: Had but my brother's foresight kenn'd as much,


s: And truly need there is, that he forecast,


s: Or other for him, lest more freight be laid


s: Nature in him, from bounty fall'n to thrift,


s: Would ask the  guard of braver arms, than such


s: As only care to have their coffers fill'd."


s: "My liege, it doth enhance the joy thy words


s: As to myself, who own it, when thou lookst


s: There, where thou markest that which thou dost speak,


s: Thence priz'd of me the more.  Glad thou hast made me.


s: Now make intelligent, clearing the doubt


s: Thy speech hath raised in me; for much I muse,


s: How bitter can spring up, when sweet is sown."


s: "If I have power to show one truth, soon that


s: Shall face thee, which thy questioning declares


s: Behind thee now conceal'd.  The Good, that guides


s: And blessed makes this realm, which thou dost mount,


s: In these great bodies: nor th' all perfect Mind


s: Upholds their nature merely, but in them


s: Their energy to save: for nought, that lies


s: Were it not thus, these heavens, thou dost visit,


s: Would their effect so work, it would not be


s: Art, but destruction; and this may not chance,


s: If th' intellectual powers, that move these stars,


s: Fail not, or who, first faulty made them fail.


s: Wilt thou this truth more clearly evidenc'd?"


s: To whom I thus:  "It is enough: no fear,


s: I see, lest nature in her part should tire."


s: He straight rejoin'd:  "Say, were it worse for man,


s: If he liv'd not in fellowship on earth?"


s: "Yea," answer'd I;  "nor here a reason needs."


s: Grow not of different duties in your life?


s: Consult your teacher, and he tells you 'no."'


s: Thus did he come, deducing to this point,


s: And then concluded:  "For this cause behooves,


s: The roots, from whence your operations come,


s: Must differ.  Therefore one is Solon born;


s: A third; and he a fourth, whose airy voyage


s: Cost him his son.  In her circuitous course,


s: Doth well her art, but no distinctions owns


s: 'Twixt one or other household.  Hence befalls


s: He dates from Mars his lineage.  Were it not


s: Unswervingly.  Thus place I in thy sight


s: That, which was late behind thee.  But, in sign


s: Of more affection for thee, 't is my will


s: Finding discordant fortune, like all seed


s: Out of its proper climate, thrives but ill.


s: And were the world below content to mark


s: Him, who was born to gird on him the sword,


s: And of the fluent phrasemen make your king;


s: Therefore your steps have wander'd from the paths."


s: After solution of my doubt, thy Charles,


s: That must befall his seed:  but, "Tell it not,"


s: Said he, "and let the destin'd years come round."


s: Nor may I tell thee more, save that the meed


s: Of sorrow well-deserv'd shall quit your wrongs.


s: And now the visage of that saintly light


s: Was to the sun, that fills it, turn'd again,


s: As to the good, whose plenitude of bliss


s: Infatuate, who from such a good estrange


s: Your hearts, and bend your gaze on vanity,


s: Alas for you!--And lo!  toward me, next,


s: Another of those splendent forms approach'd,


s: That, by its outward bright'ning, testified


s: The will it had to pleasure me.  The eyes


s: Blest spirit!  quickly be my will perform'd;


s: And prove thou to me, that my inmost thoughts


s: I can reflect on thee."  Thereat the light,


s: That yet was new to me, from the recess,


s: Where it before was singing, thus began,


s: As one who joys in kindness:  "In that part


s: Of the deprav'd Italian land, which lies


s: Between Rialto, and the fountain-springs


s: Of Brenta and of Piava, there doth rise,


s: From whence erewhile a firebrand did descend,


s: That sorely sheet the region.  From one root


s: I and it sprang; my name on earth Cunizza:


s: And here I glitter, for that by its light


s: This star o'ercame me.  Yet I naught repine,


s: Nor grudge myself the cause of this my lot,


s: Which haply vulgar hearts can scarce conceive.


s: Lustrous and costly, great renown hath left,


s: And not to perish, ere these hundred years


s: Five times absolve their round.  Consider thou,


s: When such life may attend the first.  Yet they


s: Care not for this, the crowd that now are girt


s: Impenitent, tho' scourg'd.  The hour is near,


s: When for their stubbornness at Padua's marsh


s: The water shall be chang'd, that laves Vicena


s: Lords it, and bears his head aloft, for whom


s: Shall sorrow for its godless shepherd's fault,


s: Of so deep stain, that never, for the like,


s: Was Malta's bar unclos'd.  Too large should be


s: The skillet, that would hold Ferrara's blood,


s: And wearied he, who ounce by ounce would weight it,


s: The which this priest, in show of party-zeal,


s: Courteous will give; nor will the gift ill suit


s: Mirrors, ye call them thrones, from which to us


s: Reflected shine the judgments of our God:


s: Whence these our sayings we avouch for good."


s: She ended, and appear'd on other thoughts


s: Intent, re-ent'ring on the wheel she late


s: Had left.  That other joyance meanwhile wax'd


s: A thing to marvel at, in splendour glowing,


s: For, in that upper clime, effulgence comes


s: Of gladness, as here laughter: and below,


s: As the mind saddens, murkier grows the shade.


s: "God seeth all:  and in him is thy sight,"


s: Said I, "blest Spirit!  Therefore will of his


s: Cannot to thee be dark.  Why then delays


s: That voice which joins the inexpressive song,


s: Pastime of heav'n, the which those ardours sing,


s: That cowl them with six shadowing wings outspread?


s: I would not wait thy asking, wert thou known


s: To me, as thoroughly I to thee am known.''


s: He forthwith answ'ring, thus his words began:


s: "The valley' of waters, widest next to that


s: Which doth the earth engarland, shapes its course,


s: Between discordant shores, against the sun


s: Where was before th' horizon.  Of that vale


s: Dwelt I upon the shore, 'twixt Ebro's stream


s: And Macra's, that divides with passage brief


s: Genoan bounds from Tuscan.  East and west


s: Whose haven erst was with its own blood warm.


s: Who knew my name were wont to call me Folco:


s: And I did bear impression of this heav'n,


s: That now bears mine: for not with fiercer flame


s: That fledg'd my cheek: nor she of Rhodope,


s: Were shrin'd within his heart.  And yet there hides


s: No sorrowful repentance here, but mirth,


s: Not for the fault (that doth not come to mind),


s: But for the virtue, whose o'erruling sway


s: And providence have wrought thus quaintly.  Here


s: The skill is look'd into, that fashioneth


s: With such effectual working, and the good


s: Thy wishes, all that in this sphere have birth,


s: Demands my further parle.  Inquire thou wouldst,


s: Beside me sparkles, as the sun-beam doth


s: On the clear wave.  Know then, the soul of Rahab


s: Is in that gladsome harbour, to our tribe


s: He to that heav'n, at which the shadow ends


s: First, in Christ's triumph, of all souls redeem'd:


s: For well behoov'd, that, in some part of heav'n,


s: The mighty contest won with either palm;


s: For that she favour'd first the high exploit


s: The Pope recks little now.  Thy city, plant


s: Of him, that on his Maker turn'd the back,


s: And of whose envying so much woe hath sprung,


s: Engenders and expands the cursed flower,


s: That hath made wander both the sheep and lambs,


s: Turning the shepherd to a wolf.  For this,


s: The gospel and great teachers laid aside,


s: The decretals, as their stuft margins show,


s: Are the sole study.  Pope and Cardinals,


s: Intent on these, ne'er journey but in thought


s: To Nazareth, where Gabriel op'd his wings.


s: Yet it may chance, erelong, the Vatican,


s: That were the grave of Peter's soldiery,


s: Shall be deliver'd from the adult'rous bond."


s: Looking into his first-born with the love,


s: Which breathes from both eternal, the first Might


s: Can roam, hath in such order all dispos'd,


s: As none may see and fail to' enjoy.  Raise, then,


s: O reader!  to the lofty wheels, with me,


s: One motion strikes on th' other.  There begin


s: Doth ever watch it.  See, how thence oblique


s: Brancheth the circle, where the planets roll


s: To pour their wished influence on the world;


s: Whose path not bending thus, in heav'n above


s: Much virtue would be lost, and here on earth,


s: All power well nigh extinct: or, from direct


s: Were its departure distant more or less,


s: Must, both in heav'n and here beneath, ensue.


s: Now rest thee, reader!  on thy bench, and muse


s: So shall delight make thee not feel thy toil.


s: Lo!  I have set before thee, for thyself


s: Feed now: the matter I indite, henceforth


s: Demands entire my thought.  Join'd with the part,


s: Which late we told of, the great minister


s: Time for us with his beam, went circling on


s: Along the spires, where each hour sooner comes;


s: As one, who till arriv'd, weets not his coming.


s: Counts not the act, oh then how great must needs


s: Have been her brightness!  What she was i' th' sun


s: (Where I had enter'd), not through change of hue,


s: Genius, art, practice--I might not so speak,


s: It should be e'er imagin'd: yet believ'd


s: It may be, and the sight be justly crav'd.


s: Hath ever travel'd?  Such are they dwell here,


s: Who of his spirit and of his offspring shows;


s: And holds them still enraptur'd with the view.


s: And thus to me Beatrice:  "Thank, oh thank,


s: The Sun of angels, him, who by his grace


s: As mine was at those words: and so entire


s: The love for Him, that held me, it eclips'd


s: Beatrice in oblivion.  Naught displeas'd


s: Was she, but smil'd thereat so joyously,


s: That of her laughing eyes the radiance brake


s: Surpassing, who themselves did make the crown,


s: And us their centre: yet more sweet in voice,


s: Than in their visage beaming.  Cinctur'd thus,


s: When the impregnate air retains the thread,


s: That weaves her zone.  In the celestial court,


s: So dear and beautiful, they cannot brook


s: Transporting from that realm: and of these lights


s: Such was the song.  Who doth not prune his wing


s: To soar up thither, let him look from thence


s: Those burning suns that circled round us thrice,


s: Then seem'd they like to ladies, from the dance


s: Not ceasing, but suspense, in silent pause,


s: List'ning, till they have caught the strain anew:


s: Suspended so they stood: and, from within,


s: Thus heard I one, who spake:  "Since with its beam


s: The grace, whence true love lighteth first his flame,


s: That after doth increase by loving, shines


s: Along this ladder, down whose hallow'd steps


s: None e'er descend, and mount them not again,


s: Who from his phial should refuse thee wine


s: To slake thy thirst, no less constrained were,


s: Thou fain wouldst hear, what plants are these, that bloom


s: In the bright garland, which, admiring, girds


s: This fair dame round, who strengthens thee for heav'n.


s: Leads, for his saintly flock, along the way,


s: Where well they thrive, not sworn with vanity.


s: He, nearest on my right hand, brother was,


s: If thou of all the rest wouldst be assur'd,


s: Let thine eye, waiting on the words I speak,


s: In circuit journey round the blessed wreath.


s: That next resplendence issues from the smile


s: The other, nearest, who adorns our quire,


s: To holy church his treasure.  The fifth light,


s: Goodliest of all, is by such love inspired,


s: That all your world craves tidings of its doom:


s: Within, there is the lofty light, endow'd


s: With sapience so profound, if truth be truth,


s: That taper's radiance, to whose view was shown,


s: In the other little light serenely smiles


s: That pleader for the Christian temples, he


s: Now, if thy mind's eye pass from light to light,


s: Upon my praises following, of the eighth


s: Thy thirst is next.  The saintly soul, that shows


s: The world's deceitfulness, to all who hear him,


s: Is, with the sight of all the good, that is,


s: Blest there.  The limbs, whence it was driven, lie


s: And exile came it here.  Lo!  further on,


s: Where flames the arduous Spirit of Isidore,


s: Of Bede, and Richard, more than man, erewhile,


s: In deep discernment.  Lastly this, from whom


s: Of one, whose spirit, on high musings bent,


s: Who 'scap'd not envy, when of truth he argued,


s: Reading in the straw-litter'd street."  Forthwith,


s: As clock, that calleth up the spouse of God


s: To win her bridegroom's love at matin's hour,


s: Each part of other fitly drawn and urg'd,


s: Sends out a tinkling sound, of note so sweet,


s: Affection springs in well-disposed breast;


s: Thus saw I move the glorious wheel, thus heard


s: Voice answ'ring voice, so musical and soft,


s: It can be known but where day endless shines.


s: Are those, which make thee beat thy wings below


s: Was hunting; this the priesthood follow'd, that


s: By civil business wealth; one moiling lay


s: What time from all these empty things escap'd,


s: Was rais'd aloft, and made the guest of heav'n.


s: They of the circle to that point, each one.


s: Where erst it was, had turn'd; and steady glow'd,


s: The lustre, that erewhile bespake me, smiling


s: With merer gladness, heard I thus begin:


s: Into the eternal light, and clearly mark


s: Thy thoughts, from whence they rise.  Thou art in doubt,


s: And wouldst, that I should bolt my words afresh


s: In such plain open phrase, as may be smooth


s: To thy perception, where I told thee late


s: That 'well they thrive;' and that 'no second such


s: Hath risen,' which no small distinction needs.


s: "The providence, that governeth the world,


s: Who with loud cries was 'spous'd in precious blood,


s: Might keep her footing towards her well-belov'd,


s: Hath two ordain'd, who should on either hand


s: I but of one will tell:  he tells of both,


s: Be taken:  for their deeds were to one end.


s: "Between Tupino, and the wave, that falls


s: From blest Ubaldo's chosen hill, there hangs


s: Rich slope of mountain high, whence heat and cold


s: Are wafted through Perugia's eastern gate:


s: Mourn for their heavy yoke.  Upon that side,


s: Where it doth break its steepness most, arose


s: From Ganges doth:  therefore let none, who speak


s: To call things rightly, be it henceforth styl'd.


s: He was not yet much distant from his rising,


s: When his good influence 'gan to bless the earth.


s: A dame to whom none openeth pleasure's gate


s: More than to death, was, 'gainst his father's will,


s: His stripling choice: and he did make her his,


s: Before the Spiritual court, by nuptial bonds,


s: And in his father's sight:  from day to day,