The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

CANTO XIV. Dante is addressed by two shadows, Guide del Daoa of Brettinoro and Binieri de' Caldoli of Bomagna. The former, on Dante's mentioning that he has come from the vale of Arno, inveighs against the degeneracy of its inhabitants. On leaving these, the poets hear voices recording instances of the crime of Envy. " Who then is he, who comes round our hill Ere death to soar has granted him the boon, And opes his eyes, and closes at his will ?" *' I know not who, but he is not alone, Ask him yourself, since you are placed more near, ^ To make him speak, accost him fair in tone." Two spirits thus, bent towards each other, there At my right hand, this parley held on me. Then to address me they their faces rear ; And spake the one : " spirit who not free, ^^ Yet from your body, mountest Heaven's serene. For charity console us here, and say, Whence come, and who you are ; your favour seen Makes in us wonder so intensified. As claims a thing which never yet has been." ^^ And I : " Through central Tuscany does glide. In Falterona sprung, a little stream, With course of hundred miles unsatisfied : There is the region whence I bring this frame ; To tell you who I am were idle prate, ^ Since yet but little does resound my name." " If your intention well I penetrate In understanding," made to me reply He who first spake, " you speak' st of Arno's seat." The other then to him made parley : " Why ^ That river's proper name did he conceal. As man does of a thing of horrible dye ?" The shadow unto whom that question fell. Repaid it thus : " I know not, but of right Should perish even the name of such a vale. ^^ Line 16. The river Arno, whose coarse extends for 120 miles, rising in the Falterona, a mountain in the Apennines.

184 PURGATORY. Cakto XIV. For, from its source, where rise in pregnant might The Alpine Hills, now from Pelorus torn, Which rarely passes Falterona's height, On to the seashore where it does return All that for it the skies from ocean drain, ^ By which are rivers filled, and onwards borne. All who are there, to fly from virtue strain As 'twere an adder, either by the lot Of the locality, or habit's bane. Whence all the dwellers in that wretched spot ^ Are metamorphosed in their nature so. It seemed that Circe held them in her grot. Mid filthy swine, for gallnuts fit I trow. More than for other food prepared for man, Its miserable course at first does flow. ^ Then it finds curs, descending to the plain. More snarling than their strength can give them claim, And here it twists, to avoid them, with disdain. Falling it goes, and as does swell its stream So does it find the curs to wolves have grown, *^ That ditch accursed, and of unlucky fame. Descended then through deeper channels down. Foxes it finds so full of fraud, that fear They know not to meet wit outmatch their own. Kor will I cease to speak, though others hear : " Q-ood it will be for him to bear in mind That which the source of truth to us shows dear. I see your grandson, of the wolfish kind Become the hunter, on the bank arrive Of the proud river, all to him resigned. ^ He sells their flesh, the while they're yet alive. Then slays them like to old and fattened beeves ; Many of life, himself of fame does 'prive. Line 31. From the Bonrce of the Amo in the ApennineSi now separated from Peloms in Sicily, the highest of whose hills is Falterooa, nntil it enters the ocean, all the dwellers heside it fly from virtue, so that they seem as if changed by Circe into animals. Line 43. The swine are the people of the Casentine, bnt the Conti Gnidi, alluded to in Canto XXZ. of the ** HeU," are probably chiefly allnded to. Line 46. The curs are the Aretines ; the river curyes, leaving Arezzo four miles to the right. Line 50. The wolves are the Florentines, and the foxes the men of Pisa. Line 55. The presence of Dante, a Tuscan, will not restrain him. Line 58. Fulcieri de* Caldcli, grandson of Binieri, became Podesta of Florence in 1802, and massacred many of the Florentines, especially of the Bianchi party, being bribed thereto by the Neri.

CiKTo XIV. PUKGATORY. 185 Bloody he issues from that wood that grieyes, He leaves it such, that in a thousand years, ^ Will not grow green again its withered leaves." As at the warning of some future tears, •Troubles the face of him, who listening learns From what side will assault him perilous fears : So did I see that other soul by turns ^^ Listen, grow troubled, and to sorrow yield. As the words' meaning pondered, clearer bums. The speech of one, the other's woe revealed, Made me desirous both their names to know, And for that boon with praying I appealed. On which the soul who first addressed me, so Began again : " You would I should incline To tell you, what to me you would not show. But since God wills that in you should shine His grace so much, no niggard will I be : '® Guido del Duca, know me then in fine. My blood from envy was so little free That when I only saw a joyful man, My face all steeped in paleness you would see. Now from that seed I reap what straw I can. ^ human race, why set your heart engrossed There, where is need of company or ban ? This is Einier, the honour, and the boast Of the House of Caldoli, where owned by none, The inheritance of all his worth is lost. ^ And not alone, his blood all bare has grown 'Twixt Po, the Hills, the Eeno, and the shore, Of wealth required for needs, and joyaunce' boon : Since within all their boundaries, galore Grows the thick crop of poisonous shoots, that ne'er ^ Will husbandry's slow toil root out the store. Where is good Lizio, and Manardi, where Carpigno, Traversaro ? Ah indeed Is changed to bastard every Eoman heir ! When in Bologne takes root plebeian breed : ^^ When in Faenza, Bernardino too Springs up a gentle growth from lowliest weed- Line 86. This expression is explained in the following Canto. If man were to seek for heavenly good, the fact that it was shfured also by others woald not cause envy, bat gratification. Liue 92. The boandaries of Romagna, the country of Rinieri. Line 100. At this period, one Lamhertaccio, of the lower orders, arrived at supreme power in Bologna, while Bemardin di Fosoo, also of low origin, rose to the government of Faenza. The other names mentioned are all of noble Italian families.