The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
INTRODUCTION. U Eeport of them the world can never know, Mercy and Justice onlj can despise, Speak not about them : look, and onwards go. " Hell," III., Unes 47-52.
The Eiver Acheron divides this miserable crew from the habitations of the damned, and after crossing it Dante follows his guide into the first circle of Hell, or Limbo, which is not a place of real punishment, except that its inhabitants are shut out for ever from the hope of bliss and the presence of God. Dante, who accepted without question every dogma of his Church, could allow no place in Paradise to any one without its fold.
Even Virgil, who conducts him not only through Hell, but ascends with him through all the purifying stages of the Mount of Purgatory, cannot alter his immutable doom, and after wandering through the calm delights of Eden, or the earthly Paradise, returns to pass eternity in Limbo.
There are confined the souls of all who are free from sin, and who yet, from wanting baptism, or a knowledge of Christ to come, can never enter the regions of the Blest. The place is thus described by Virgil when questioned by a spirit in Purgatory of his own fate : — " There is a place below, not sad with pain. But only doomed to darkness, where laments Sound not like wailings, but are sighings fain.
There do I stay with little innocents Bit by the teeth of Death, before that they From sin original were made exempts. There do I stay, with those who failed to essay The sacred virtues three, though without sin They knew the rest, and followed them alway. "Purgatory," VII., lines 28—36. Here Dante meets the heroes of antiquity, and is admitted by Homer into the sacred band of poets.
From this place of austere calm, dififering in nothing from Virgil's Elysian fields, Dante is led on by his guide to the regions of punishment, and follows him through all the circles in which criminals of every grade work out their doom. At last they reach the lowest pit, in the centre of earth, where, rising out of the ice in which the spirits of murderers are immersed.
lii INTRODUCTION. the giant form of Lucifer is seen, the king of those realms of horror. Down the body of the fallen Angel Virgil carries Dante, and at last, passing out on the Antipodes, they leave the abodes of gloom '' and issue thence to see the stars once more.
The ordinary reader, whose knowledge of Dante is confined to a few gloomy passages of the " Inferno," can have no true conception of the poet whose highest genius rejoices in the calm regions of Purgatory, and exults in the ineffable glories of Paradise.
The locality of the Purgatory is a towering mountain, situated on the antipodes of Jerusalem, on the steep sides of which, on the seven separate cornices, the spirits are purified from the taint of the seven cardinal sins. I know nothing more exquisite in poetry than Dante's description of his delight on leaving Hell's circles, and being restored once more to the light of Heaven : — '^ The dulcet hues of orient sapphire melt.
And gathered all into serenest light Of the pure air unto the farthest belt. So that my eyes returned to new delight, Soon as I issued from the lethal air, Which had oppressed my breast and dimmed my sight. " Purgatory," Canto I., linee 18—18.
With dew gathered from the reeds on the ocean's verge Virgil washes from Dante's face all trace of Hell ;— " With both his hands from off the scattered grass My master tenderly the moisture takes ; Wlience I, who of his wish perceptive was. Extended towards him my all-tearful cheeks. And then discovered, on my face once more. The hue of life that Hell had shrouded, breaks. "Pnrgatory," Canto I., lines 124—129.
They then proceed towards the mountain on the lowest slopes of which are detained in the Ante-Purgatory the spirits who delayed in life repentance for their sins. Through this, and through the seven cornices, on each of which the spirits are purified from each of the capital sins, the poets proceed
INTRODUCTION. liii together. While the spirit of this portion of the poem is essentially autobiographical Dante tells us how little he feared the punishment allotted to enyy, of which sin he felt himself comparatively free, while his shoulders were already wrung with the burden which he knew he should have to carry to purge away his besetting sin of pride.
The punishments under which the spirits purify their sins of life are not in general such as to necessitate their being shared by the poets who are privileged to behold them, but both Dante and Virgil pass through the smoke which purifies the sin of anger, and being afterwards joined by Statins all three poets pass through the molten flame in which those who have been guilty of incontinence are cleared from its taint.
This is the last cornice of purifying punishment, and, after mounting the last stair, Virgil declares that his guidance is over, and that henceforth Dante may wander at his own will without farther prompting. They have reached the earthly Paradise, the Eden which our fi.rst parents lost, after a brief residence of seven hours.
Here Beatrice, Dante's lifelong love, descends from Heaven, and as with throbbing heart he feels her presence, and turns to Virgil to express his weakness, he finds that his faithful guide is gone : — " Although my eyes no recognition told. Through hidden virtue which from her there ran Of olden love I felt the mighty hold.
Soon as upon my sight there smote again Another's virtue, which had smote me quite Ere I had issued out of childhood's reign : Unto my left I turned me for respite. Just as the infant runneth to his dame Whene'er af^icted or whene'er in fright, To say to Virgil, * Rests within my frame No dram of blood that doth not tremble now ; I know the symptoms of the olden flame. But Virgil had bereaved us of him, woe !
Virgil, the sweetest father one could grieve, Virgil, to whom entrusted, life I owe : Nor all she lost, our olden mother Eve, Availed, upon my cheeks erst washed with dew, But that the tears their soiling trace should leave. "Purgatory," Canto XXX., lines 37—54.
INTRODUCTION. U Eeport of them the world can never know, Mercy and Justice onlj can despise, Speak not about them : look, and onwards go. " Hell," III., Unes 47-52.
The Eiver Acheron divides this miserable crew from the habitations of the damned, and after crossing it Dante follows his guide into the first circle of Hell, or Limbo, which is not a place of real punishment, except that its inhabitants are shut out for ever from the hope of bliss and the presence of God. Dante, who accepted without question every dogma of his Church, could allow no place in Paradise to any one without its fold.
Even Virgil, who conducts him not only through Hell, but ascends with him through all the purifying stages of the Mount of Purgatory, cannot alter his immutable doom, and after wandering through the calm delights of Eden, or the earthly Paradise, returns to pass eternity in Limbo.
There are confined the souls of all who are free from sin, and who yet, from wanting baptism, or a knowledge of Christ to come, can never enter the regions of the Blest. The place is thus described by Virgil when questioned by a spirit in Purgatory of his own fate : — " There is a place below, not sad with pain. But only doomed to darkness, where laments Sound not like wailings, but are sighings fain.
There do I stay with little innocents Bit by the teeth of Death, before that they From sin original were made exempts. There do I stay, with those who failed to essay The sacred virtues three, though without sin They knew the rest, and followed them alway. "Purgatory," VII., lines 28—36. Here Dante meets the heroes of antiquity, and is admitted by Homer into the sacred band of poets.
From this place of austere calm, dififering in nothing from Virgil's Elysian fields, Dante is led on by his guide to the regions of punishment, and follows him through all the circles in which criminals of every grade work out their doom. At last they reach the lowest pit, in the centre of earth, where, rising out of the ice in which the spirits of murderers are immersed.
lii INTRODUCTION. the giant form of Lucifer is seen, the king of those realms of horror. Down the body of the fallen Angel Virgil carries Dante, and at last, passing out on the Antipodes, they leave the abodes of gloom '' and issue thence to see the stars once more.
The ordinary reader, whose knowledge of Dante is confined to a few gloomy passages of the " Inferno," can have no true conception of the poet whose highest genius rejoices in the calm regions of Purgatory, and exults in the ineffable glories of Paradise.
The locality of the Purgatory is a towering mountain, situated on the antipodes of Jerusalem, on the steep sides of which, on the seven separate cornices, the spirits are purified from the taint of the seven cardinal sins. I know nothing more exquisite in poetry than Dante's description of his delight on leaving Hell's circles, and being restored once more to the light of Heaven : — '^ The dulcet hues of orient sapphire melt.
And gathered all into serenest light Of the pure air unto the farthest belt. So that my eyes returned to new delight, Soon as I issued from the lethal air, Which had oppressed my breast and dimmed my sight. " Purgatory," Canto I., linee 18—18.
With dew gathered from the reeds on the ocean's verge Virgil washes from Dante's face all trace of Hell ;— " With both his hands from off the scattered grass My master tenderly the moisture takes ; Wlience I, who of his wish perceptive was. Extended towards him my all-tearful cheeks. And then discovered, on my face once more. The hue of life that Hell had shrouded, breaks. "Pnrgatory," Canto I., lines 124—129.
They then proceed towards the mountain on the lowest slopes of which are detained in the Ante-Purgatory the spirits who delayed in life repentance for their sins. Through this, and through the seven cornices, on each of which the spirits are purified from each of the capital sins, the poets proceed
INTRODUCTION. liii together. While the spirit of this portion of the poem is essentially autobiographical Dante tells us how little he feared the punishment allotted to enyy, of which sin he felt himself comparatively free, while his shoulders were already wrung with the burden which he knew he should have to carry to purge away his besetting sin of pride. The punishments under which the spirits purify their sins of life are not in general such as to necessitate their being shared by the poets who are privileged to behold them, but both Dante and Virgil pass through the smoke which purifies the sin of anger, and being afterwards joined by Statins all three poets pass through the molten flame in which those who have been guilty of incontinence are cleared from its taint. This is the last cornice of purifying punishment, and, after mounting the last stair, Virgil declares that his guidance is over, and that henceforth Dante may wander at his own will without farther prompting. They have reached the earthly Paradise, the Eden which our fi.rst parents lost, after a brief residence of seven hours. Here Beatrice, Dante's lifelong love, descends from Heaven, and as with throbbing heart he feels her presence, and turns to Virgil to express his weakness, he finds that his faithful guide is gone : — " Although my eyes no recognition told. Through hidden virtue which from her there ran Of olden love I felt the mighty hold. Soon as upon my sight there smote again Another's virtue, which had smote me quite Ere I had issued out of childhood's reign : Unto my left I turned me for respite. Just as the infant runs to his dame Whene'er af^icted or whene'er in fright, To say to Virgil, * Rests within my frame No dram of blood that does not tremble now ; I know the symptoms of the olden flame.' But Virgil had bereaved us of him, woe ! Virgil, the sweetest father one could grieve, Virgil, to whom entrusted, life I owe : Nor all she lost, our olden mother Eve, Availed, upon my cheeks erst washed with dew, But that the tears their soiling trace should leave." "Purgatory," Canto XXX., lines 37—54.
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