The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

Caitto n. HELL. 9 Dost you not hear the anguish of his woe ? Seest you not Death, against him armod in fight, O'er the river, stormier than the wild sea's flow ? There never yet were persons swift in flight To gain their 'vantage, or their loss to flj, ^^® As after listening to those words of might I came here from ray happy seat on high, Confiding in your honourable word, That you, and those who've heard, does glorify.' After she'd spoken thus, as you have heard, "* Her beaming eyes in tears she turned away. For which to greater haste I was bestirred. And as she willed it, came to you straightway : Aloft I raised you from that savage beast Which from the pleasant mountain barred your way : ^^ ' Then what is this ? and wherefore do you rest ? Wherefore such vileness nourish in your heart ? Why have not daring, and frank hope exprest, Since three such blessed ladies take your part Within the Palace of Heaven's Infinite, ^® And such fair promise does my speech impart ?' Like unto flowrets with the chill of night Bent down, and closed, when o'er them shines the sun Eaise up their stems, and open in his light, Such goodly ardour to my heart there ran, ^^ So did my weary virtue renovate. That like one of free heart I thus began : * Oh pitiful was she, who helped my Fate, And courteous you, who were so prompt to obey The words of truth she did to you relate. ^^ With such desire the venture to repay You have inspired my heart with all your speech, I turn me to our first resolve, straightway. Onwards, with us there's but one will for each. My leader you, my lord, and master mild !' '*• So spake I, and behind his steps I reach. And entered on the pathway steep and wild." Line 108. " O'er the river, stormier than the wild sea's flow." Bealistic commentators sapx>08e from this that there was a river by the hillside not before mentioned by the poet. The river probably means the whirl of human passions — ^in truth, stormier than the ocean.

CANTO in. Dante, following Virgil, arrives at the gates of Hell, and reads the inscription written thereon. Immediately within the precincts he finds the vast crowd of human beings who on earth have done neither good nor evil, and who are pnnished there, together with the Angels who were neither on the side of God nor Ladfer when the latter rebelled, and who are hence excluded from Heaven and from the circles of Hell itself. From there they TG&ch. the bank of the Biver Acheron, where the Demon Charon ferries over the spirits of the condenmed into Hell, and there Dante falls into a sadden swoon. ** THsoTiaH me you pass into the city of woe, Through me into eternal pain you rove ; Through me amidst the people lost you go. My high Creator justice first did move ; Me Power IHvine created, and designed, * The highest wisdom and the primal love. Previous to me was no created kind, Save the Eternal ; I eternal last. You who here enter, leave all hope behind." Such were the words of cruel scope I traced, Above the summit of a gateway writ. " Master, for me stem sentence here is past." And he to me, like one of prudent wit, '' Here it behoves to lay aside each doubt ; All cowardice, as dead, one here must quit. ^^ We've come unto the place I spake about. Where you the grieving people shall behold. Who the intellectual blessing live without." And then he clasped my hand within his hold, With joyous face from whence I comfort keep, And placed me there, within the secret fold. There sighings, and complaints, and wailings deep, Besounded ever in the starless air. So that at first I could not help but weep. Different tongues, speech horrible to hear, ^ Accents of anger and the words of pain. Voices both high and low, hand-clappings there. Lines 5 and 6. The persons of the Trinity are here described ; the high Creator, whom Justice moved to make Hell. Line 8. " Save the Eternal." The angels and other eternal things, Hell being in existence before the creation of man and the world. Line 18. " Who the intellectual blessing live without." The intellectual blessing is God, to know whom is only life.

Canto IIL HELL. 11 Made up a tumult which aye whirls amain Through the thick air, eternally obscure, Like sand storm-driven o'er the desert plain. ^ I, compast round with horror, insecure, Said, " O my master, what is this I hear ? And who are these whom grief does so immure?" And he to me : '* After this fashion drear These wretched souls their after-life pursue ^ Who both from infamy and praise lived clear. Mingled they are with that contemptible crew Of angels who would not rebellion dare. Not faithful Godwards, to themselves but true. Heaven drove them out, lest it might be less fair, ^ Neither received them deepest Hell's domain, That from them evil should no glory share." And I : " O master, what so grievous pain Is theirs which makes them with such force lament ?" He answered : " Very briefly I'll explain. ** To these no distant hope of death is lent. And their blind life is so supremely low. That any change of fate would give content. Beport of them the world can never know, Mercy and justice only can despise. ^ Speak not about them : look, and onwards go." And I, who looked, beheld a banner rise. That with such swiftness whirling, rushed amain, That every thought of respite it denies ; And after it there came so long a train ^ Of people, that I would not have surmised That Death such multitudes could e'er have slain. After that I some few had recognised, I looked, and there his shadow met my view, Who made the great refusal, fear-advised. ^ Straightway I understood, and surely knew That this was that most miserable band. Hateful to God, and to His enemies too. Those wretched ones who life had never scanned. Were naked stark and cruelly stung o'er ®* By flies and wasps that ever round them fanned. In lines these streaked their faces with their gore. Which mixed with tears flowed down, and at their feet Was feasted on by dainty worms galore. Line 60. " WUo made the great refasal, fear-advised." Saint Celestine is here intended, who renotmoed the Papacy daring Dante's lifetime, and whom, therefore, he was able to recognise amon^ the ignominious crew. Celestine's abdication is, however, generally ascribed, not to base fear, bat to the highest motives of self-abnegation.