The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

186 PURGATORY. Cakto XIV. Marvel not, Tuscan, if I weep anew, When with Da Frata to my mind I call Ugolin D'Azzo, who has lived vdth you : ^^^ Frederic Tignoso, and his comrades all ; Both race alike disherited one sees, The Anastazi and Traversarian hall. The ladies, and the knights, the toils, the ease Which lured us unto love, and courtesy, ^'" There, where all hearts have fallen in knavish ways. Brettinoro, wherefore do not fly Since your own family from you is gone. And many more to escape from perfidy ? Bagnacaval most rightly gets no son : "* And Castrocar and Como both do ill, Sons to such counts but make the broils go on. Yet when their Demon has gone out, will still Do the Fagani well, though never more Can spring a sample of old worth and skill. ^^ O Ugolin de' Fantolin, secure Is your good name, sure of no race behind Degenerate, who can render it obscure. But Tuscan go your way, I'm now inclined Far more to weep henceforth than parlance share, ^-* So has that speech of yours disturbed my mind." We knew those charitable souls were 'ware Of our departure, so their silence made Us certain of the road we followed there. When in our solitude once more we strayed, "® Like lightning cleaves the air in forked play. From opposite there smote a voice, which said, " Ah, whosoever finds me, will slay." And fled like thunder, which in distance growled If suddenly the cloud does break away. ^"^ Scarce truce from hearing that our senses hold. And lo ! another, with such shattering tone, Eesembled thunder which behind it rolled : Line 112. Brettinoro was the castle belonging to the speaker, Guido del Dnca. Line 115. Connts of small territories in Romagna. The Pagani were lords of Faenza, one of whom, Mainardo, was suniamed the Demon on account of his treachery. He is named in Canto XXVII. of the " Hell" as rnling the cities of Faenza and Imola, and always changing sides. Line 133. The speech of Cain after God had cursed him for his brother's death. Gen., ch. iv., v. 14.

Canto XV. PURGATORY. 187 *' I am Aglauros, who was turned to stone :" Then closer to the poet's clasp to creep, ^*^ Backwards, not forwards, were my footsteps thrown. Already did the air on all sides sleep : And he spake thus : " That was the stern rebuke Mankind within his measure meant to keep. But you the bait so swallow, that the hook ^*^ Of the old enemy does draw you close ; Hence, curb, or urging you so little brook. Calls you the sky, which circling round you goes. Showing the eternal beauties of the sphere. While still your eyes intent on earth repose : ^^ Whence smites you. He, who sees all things clear.*' Line 139. Aglauros was changed into a rock for preventing, through envy, her sister Herse's intrigue with Mercury. Ovid's Metam.," book ii.

CANTO XV. The poets advancing meet an Angel, who invites them to ascend to the next steep. Mounting the stairs they issue on the third cornice, where the sin of Anger is purged. Dante falling into a waking trance, beholds in vision various famous examples of patience — the Virgin seeking Jesus amongst the doctors in the Temple, Pisistratus calming his indignant wife, and the martyrdom of Stephen. As the evening advances, the poets are enveloped in a thick smoke. As much as 'twixt the third hour of the day And morning's rise, appears of the s/here Which ever totters like a child at play ; So much towards the evening, did appear Of the sun's journey through the sky to rest ; * 'Twas evening there, when it was midnight here. Directly on our front the rays molest, For we had so turned round the mountain now That we were walking straight towards the west, When I perceived the splendour smite my brow With glory even more brilliant than before. That I was dazed with what I did not know : On which I lifted up my hands before My eyebrows, making them a shade between. To guard my sight from light's superfluous shower, ^* Line 1. The first six lines are very obscure. The meaning is that it was now three hours before sunset, which Dante makes the commencement of evening.

p. 10