The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
Canto XIX. PURGATOKY. 205 Then with permission given for my design, Over the creature there I bent me down, Whose words that knowledge made me first divine : ^^ Saying, " O soal, in whom tears ripen soon, That, without which to God thou canst not turn, Cease for a while the chief care thou dost own. The who thou wert, and why all hold your stem Turned upwards, say if thou desirest greatly °* That I, who live, for thee earth's prayers should earn.
And he ; " Why Heaven our hinder parts thus meetly Reverseth towards itself, thou'lt know, but now Sdas quod ego fui sv^cessor Petri, 'Twixt Siestri and Chiaveri down doth flow ^^^ Bushing a river fair, and to its name Our race the title of its lineage owe.
How weigheth the great garb, kept free from shame, A month and little longer did I know : All other loads are feathers by the same. ^^ Ah woe ! my soul's conversion was but slow : But since tlie Roman Pastor I was made, .Thence I discovered life's false-seeming show. I saw that there the heart no rest essayed, Nor in that life could climb to loftier seat ; '^® Therefore on this new-kindled love I laid.
Until that time, wretched and separate From God, my greedy soul to all things clave ; Now I am punished here, as thou dost weet. The stain, produced by avarice, here we lave ^^^ In the purgation of converted spirits ; This mountain knows no bitterness so grave.
As erst, in life, the soul did never steer its Eyes to the height, engroseed on things terrene So Justice here prostrates it, as it merits. ^^-^ As erst, through avarice, our love has been Extinguisht to all good, hence failed its spell, So justice holds it here in bondage keen. Tied by the hands and feet thus close and well ; And long as it shall please just God to wreak, '^s So long we'll stay, stretcht out immovable.
I had knelt down, and was about to speak. But ere I had commenced, to him was known, Only by listening, my reverence meek. Line 100. The speaker is Ottobuono, of the family of the Fieschi, Counts of Lavagno. The river Lavagno runs through the Genoese territory. Ottobuono was elected under the name of Adrian V. in 1276, and died one month and nine days after his election.
p. 206Cakto XX. " Wliat cause," said he, " hatli bent thee thus adown?" ^ And I to him : " Your sacred dignity, My honest conscience smote me, thus to own. " Straighten thy limbs, and rise O brother free, Err not, a fellow servant," he replied, " Am I to one, with others, and with thee. ^^ If e'er the Gospel's holy text applied, Which sayeth Neque nvbent, thou hast knoWn, Why I thus speak, will clearly be descried.
Thy longer stay I wish not, go thee on ; Thy presence to my weeping gives respite, ^^ With which I ripen that which thou hast shown. I have a niece on earth, Alagia hight, Good in herself, since her hath lured in vain Our house, by bad example, from the right. On earth she only doth to me remain." ^** Line 137.
Since, as Matthew says, we neither marry nor are given in marriage, I am no longer the sponse of the Ghnrch, nor entitled to more reverence than any other servant of God. Line 142. Alagia, wife of the Marchese Malespina, one of Dante's protectors in his exile.
CANTO XX. Continning their jonmey rotmd the cornice, Dante hears a spirit relate illnstrions examples of Poverty and Liberality. He tells him that he is Hagh Capet, and mourns over the career of his descendants. He concludes by relating notorious examples of Avarice. As the poets continue their way the mountain trembles as with an earthquake, and all the spirits sing "Gloria in excelsis.*' The will can strive not against stronger will ; Therefore to please him, in my own despite From the wave I drew the sponge I might not filL I and my leader moved along the site Beside the rock encumbered, as one goes * Close to the battlements on a narrow height. Because the people, from whose eyes there flows In drops the evil which the wHd has nursed. On the outer edge of the circle lay in rows. "O ancient she- wolf, be thou aye accurst, Who more than all the other beasts hast prey. Through thy unquenchable and endless thirst.
p. 10
Line 10. Avarice. See Canto I. of the "Inferno:" the advent of Can Grande della Scala is supposed to be again alluded to in Line 15.
Canto XIX. PURGATOKY. 205 Then with permission given for my design, Over the creature there I bent me down, Whose words that knowledge made me first divine : ^^ Saying, " O soal, in whom tears ripen soon, That, without which to God you can not turn, Cease for a while the chief care you do own. The who you were, and why all hold your stem Turned upwards, say if you desirest greatly °* That I, who live, for you earth's prayers should earn." And he ; " Why Heaven our hinder parts thus meetly Reverses towards itself, you'lt know, but now Sdas quod ego fui sv^cessor Petri, 'Twixt Siestri and Chiaveri down does flow ^^^ Bushing a river fair, and to its name Our race the title of its lineage owe. How weighs the great garb, kept free from shame, A month and little longer did I know : All other loads are feathers by the same. ^^ Ah woe ! my soul's conversion was but slow : But since tlie Roman Pastor I was made, .Thence I discovered life's false-seeming show. I saw that there the heart no rest essayed, Nor in that life could climb to loftier seat ; '^® Therefore on this new-kindled love I laid. Until that time, wretched and separate From God, my greedy soul to all things clave ; Now I am punished here, as you do weet. The stain, produced by avarice, here we lave ^^^ In the purgation of converted spirits ; This mountain knows no bitterness so grave. As erst, in life, the soul did never steer its Eyes to the height, engroseed on things terrene So Justice here prostrates it, as it merits. ^^-^ As erst, through avarice, our love has been Extinguisht to all good, hence failed its spell, So justice holds it here in bondage keen. Tied by the hands and feet thus close and well ; And long as it shall please just God to wreak, '^s So long we'll stay, stretcht out immovable." I had knelt down, and was about to speak. But ere I had commenced, to him was known, Only by listening, my reverence meek. Line 100. The speaker is Ottobuono, of the family of the Fieschi, Counts of Lavagno. The river Lavagno runs through the Genoese territory. Ottobuono was elected under the name of Adrian V. in 1276, and died one month and nine days after his election.
206 PURGATORY. Cakto XX. " Wliat cause," said he, " hatli bent you thus adown?" ^ And I to him : " Your sacred dignity, My honest conscience smote me, thus to own." " Straighten your limbs, and rise O brother free, Err not, a fellow servant," he replied, " Am I to one, with others, and with you. ^^ If e'er the Gospel's holy text applied, Which says Neque nvbent, you have knoWn, Why I thus speak, will clearly be descried. Your longer stay I wish not, go you on ; Your presence to my weeping gives respite, ^^ With which I ripen that which you have shown. I have a niece on earth, Alagia hight, Good in herself, since her has lured in vain Our house, by bad example, from the right. On earth she only does to me remain." ^** Line 137. Since, as Matthew says, we neither marry nor are given in marriage, I am no longer the sponse of the Ghnrch, nor entitled to more reverence than any other servant of God. Line 142. Alagia, wife of the Marchese Malespina, one of Dante's protectors in his exile.
CANTO XX. Continning their jonmey rotmd the cornice, Dante hears a spirit relate illnstrions examples of Poverty and Liberality. He tells him that he is Hagh Capet, and mourns over the career of his descendants. He concludes by relating notorious examples of Avarice. As the poets continue their way the mountain trembles as with an earthquake, and all the spirits sing "Gloria in excelsis.*' The will can strive not against stronger will ; Therefore to please him, in my own despite From the wave I drew the sponge I might not filL I and my leader moved along the site Beside the rock encumbered, as one goes * Close to the battlements on a narrow height. Because the people, from whose eyes there flows In drops the evil which the wHd has nursed. On the outer edge of the circle lay in rows. "O ancient she- wolf, be you aye accurst, Who more than all the other beasts have prey. Through your unquenchable and endless thirst.
p. 10
Line 10. Avarice. See Canto I. of the "Inferno:" the advent of Can Grande della Scala is supposed to be again alluded to in Line 15.
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