The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
And he to me : ** Thy city reeks amain With envy, so that overflows the bag. My life serene I past in that domain. You citizens were wont to call me Hog. For the pernicious sin of gluttonhead, Here, as thou seest, I. sicken in this quag. And I, sad soul, am not alone bested, ** But all of these like punishment endure For a like fault," and no more word he said. I answered him : " Hog, thy misery sure.
Inviting me to weeping, weighs me down ; But tell me, if thou know'st, what end will lure ^ The citizens of our divided town ? Is any just man there ? and wherefore rife Discord has aye disturbed its peaceful crown ? And he to me : " After a lengthened strife They'll come to blood, and first the forest side ** Will chase the other with much wrong to life.
That faction soon will topple from its pride, Within three years, and the other rise again, By help of him who now waits for the tide. These for long time their Vantage will maintain, Keeping the other 'neath a grievous load. So that they feel their shame, and deeply plain. Two there are just, and are not understood ; Pride, envy, avarice, in hateful round, Are sparks that every heart have flamed for good.
Here to a close he brought the tearful sound. And I to him : " Instruct me is my prayer, And as a boon let further speech abound. Line 52. '* Ton citizens were wont to call me Hog. In Italian Ciacoo. The real name of the unfortunate glutton has not been preserved. Line 66. ** And first the forest side Will chase the other. The city of Florence was then divided into the factions of the Bianchi and Neri.
'* llie forest side" is the former, to which Dante belonged, so called because its chief at that time was a new noble, Yieri de' Gerchi, who had lately oome from the woody country of the Yal de' Nievole. The history of these factions is frequently alluded to throughout the poem. Line 69. *' By help of him who now waits for the tide. Charles of Yalois, the brother of PhUip the Handsome, is here meant.
The meaning of the Italian words, " chi test^ piaggia," is disputed. Some consider them to Tuean, " who is now flattering the people ;" but the most probable explanation is that taken in the text, " who is now waiting on tlie shore for the favourable tide.*' He was called in by the Neri, when banished from the cityj to their assistance. Line 73.
" Two there are just, and are not undei^stood/' Xt is not known who were the two just men thus enigmatically expressed. S[pme suppose Dante and his friend, Guido Gavalcanti, to b^ ipte^n^ed.
p. 76
24 HELL. ^Cakto VI. Tegghiaio, Farinata, wortliy pair, Jacopo Rusticucci and his crew, ^ Arrigo, Mosca, who all strove so fair, Tell me where are they, that I know them too, Since my great longing is to learn of all. Drink they Hell's poison, or Heaven's honey dew ?'* And he : " Amongst the blacker souls they fall, ^ Crimes diverse drive them downwards to worse pain. If thou descend' st so far thou'lt see them all. But when thou'lt be on earth's most sweet domain, I pray thee bring me to their memories there ; I cannot speak or answer thee again." ^^ He turned askance his eyes' straightforward stare, Watched me a little, and then bowed his head ; With that he fell with the other blind ones there. " He will not wake again,'* my leader said, " From this time till there sounds the trump of doom, ®^ When will descend their hostile power in dread ; Each one will seek again his wretched tomb, Will take again his former flesh and face, Will hear His words eternally reboom." So we past on above that mixture base ^"** Of shadows and of rain with footsteps slow, Reasoning on future life a little space. Wherefore I said ; " O master, I would know Whether these torments after the great day Will lessen, keep as now, or fiercer grow ?" ^^ And he to me : " Thy science here essay. Which wills that more a thing is perfect nursed, The more it feels both good and evil sway. And though in truth this people, all accursed, With true perfection never can be dight, **^ Then, more than now, it looks to feel the worst."
Line 79. " Tegghiaio, Farinata, worthy pair, Jacopo Bnsticucci and his crew, Arrigo, Mosca, who all strov^e so fair." All these, except Arrigo, will be met with in lower circles of the Inferno. Tegghiaio appears in Canto XYI. ; Farinata, the great Ghibeline leader, in Canto X., in one of the finest portions of the whole poem ; Jacopo Busticucci, in company with Tegghiaio and Mosca, in Canto XXYIII., with l^e blood from his handless arms dropping on his face. The last advised the murder which began the Florentine factions. Line 106. " Thy science here essay." Virgil here refers to a sentence in Aristotle, whom Dante everywhere advances as his master in philosophic knowledge.
Canto VII. HELL. 25 We went along the roadway's outer site, Speaking much further than I here can show. We reached the point at which declines the height, There we discovered Pluto, our great foe. '^^'
And he to me : ** Your city reeks amain With envy, so that overflows the bag. My life serene I past in that domain. You citizens were wont to call me Hog. For the pernicious sin of gluttonhead, Here, as you seest, I. sicken in this quag. And I, sad soul, am not alone bested, ** But all of these like punishment endure For a like fault," and no more word he said. I answered him : " Hog, your misery sure. Inviting me to weeping, weighs me down ; But tell me, if you know'st, what end will lure ^ The citizens of our divided town ? Is any just man there ? and wherefore rife Discord has aye disturbed its peaceful crown ?" And he to me : " After a lengthened strife They'll come to blood, and first the forest side ** Will chase the other with much wrong to life. That faction soon will topple from its pride, Within three years, and the other rise again, By help of him who now waits for the tide. These for long time their Vantage will maintain, Keeping the other 'neath a grievous load. So that they feel their shame, and deeply plain. Two there are just, and are not understood ; Pride, envy, avarice, in hateful round, Are sparks that every heart have flamed for good." Here to a close he brought the tearful sound. And I to him : " Instruct me is my prayer, And as a boon let further speech abound. Line 52. '* Ton citizens were wont to call me Hog." In Italian Ciacoo. The real name of the unfortunate glutton has not been preserved. Line 66. ** And first the forest side Will chase the other." The city of Florence was then divided into the factions of the Bianchi and Neri. '* llie forest side" is the former, to which Dante belonged, so called because its chief at that time was a new noble, Yieri de' Gerchi, who had lately oome from the woody country of the Yal de' Nievole. The history of these factions is frequently alluded to throughout the poem. Line 69. *' By help of him who now waits for the tide." Charles of Yalois, the brother of PhUip the Handsome, is here meant. The meaning of the Italian words, " chi test^ piaggia," is disputed. Some consider them to Tuean, " who is now flattering the people ;" but the most probable explanation is that taken in the text, " who is now waiting on tlie shore for the favourable tide.*' He was called in by the Neri, when banished from the cityj to their assistance. Line 73. " Two there are just, and are not undei^stood/' Xt is not known who were the two just men thus enigmatically expressed. S[pme suppose Dante and his friend, Guido Gavalcanti, to b^ ipte^n^ed.
p. 76
24 HELL. ^Cakto VI. Tegghiaio, Farinata, wortliy pair, Jacopo Rusticucci and his crew, ^ Arrigo, Mosca, who all strove so fair, Tell me where are they, that I know them too, Since my great longing is to learn of all. Drink they Hell's poison, or Heaven's honey dew ?'* And he : " Amongst the blacker souls they fall, ^ Crimes diverse drive them downwards to worse pain. If you descend' st so far you'lt see them all. But when you'lt be on earth's most sweet domain, I pray you bring me to their memories there ; I cannot speak or answer you again." ^^ He turned askance his eyes' straightforward stare, Watched me a little, and then bowed his head ; With that he fell with the other blind ones there. " He will not wake again,'* my leader said, " From this time till there sounds the trump of doom, ®^ When will descend their hostile power in dread ; Each one will seek again his wretched tomb, Will take again his former flesh and face, Will hear His words eternally reboom." So we past on above that mixture base ^"** Of shadows and of rain with footsteps slow, Reasoning on future life a little space. Wherefore I said ; " O master, I would know Whether these torments after the great day Will lessen, keep as now, or fiercer grow ?" ^^ And he to me : " Your science here essay. Which wills that more a thing is perfect nursed, The more it feels both good and evil sway. And though in truth this people, all accursed, With true perfection never can be dight, **^ Then, more than now, it looks to feel the worst."
Line 79. " Tegghiaio, Farinata, worthy pair, Jacopo Bnsticucci and his crew, Arrigo, Mosca, who all strov^e so fair." All these, except Arrigo, will be met with in lower circles of the Inferno. Tegghiaio appears in Canto XYI. ; Farinata, the great Ghibeline leader, in Canto X., in one of the finest portions of the whole poem ; Jacopo Busticucci, in company with Tegghiaio and Mosca, in Canto XXYIII., with l^e blood from his handless arms dropping on his face. The last advised the murder which began the Florentine factions. Line 106. " Your science here essay." Virgil here refers to a sentence in Aristotle, whom Dante everywhere advances as his master in philosophic knowledge.
Canto VII. HELL. 25 We went along the roadway's outer site, Speaking much further than I here can show. We reached the point at which declines the height, There we discovered Pluto, our great foe. '^^'
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