The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
Cahto X. HELL. 39 Ah, that repose at last your seed await ! Besought I him, " This diflBiculty clear, ** Which has perplext my judgment with its weight. It seems that you can see, if well I hear. Forward to that which Time will slow unfold, And of the present wholly blind appear." ^* Like those who have bad eyesight, we behold Things which are dist>ant from us," he replied, " Such light Great G-od permits us still to hold.
When they approach or are, in vain is tried Our knowledge, save what others here relate, We can know nothing of your human tide. But thou must know that dead to future fate Will be our prescient knowledge from that time When of the future will be closed the gate. Then I, as one compunctious for my crime. Said, *' You must tell him then who fell down low. His son still liveth in our mortal clime.
And if in answering I was mute just now, Explain it was because my thoughts did track That puzzling secret you have made me know. My master had already called me back, Therefore I prayed the spirit with more speed To tell me who were with him in the rack. '< More than a thousand with me share this bed ; My tomb's confines the second Frederic hold, The Cardinal, of the rest I take no heed.
Then he was silent, and towards the old Poet I turned my steps, thinking again Of that unfrienmy prophecy he told. Line 108. " When of the fatore will be dosed the gate. The final judgment, after which there will be no past nor future, but only an ebsmal present. Lone 109. ''Then I, as one oompunctious for my crime.
Dante's conaoience smites him for not having at once relieved the mind of Cavalcante oonoeming his son, who was alive at the date the poem is supposed to have talcen place.
The excuse Dante gives for his neglect is clearly an afterthought and a bad one, for it was not till after Cavaloante had fiiJlen down in despair, under ihe mistaken belief in his son's death, that Farinata made to Dante the mysterious announcement of his future exile. liine 119. '* My tomVs confines the second Frederic hold, The Cardinal.
The Emperor Frederic II., nephew of Barbarossa, is included amongst the heretics for his opposition to the Church. The Cardinal is Ottavian Ubaldini, an open unbeliever and Ghibeline in spite of being a Church dignitary. He it was who said, " If there is such a thmg as a soul I have lost mine for the Ghibelines."
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40 HELL. CAjno XI. The bard moved on, and as we went, " Explain/* He said, " the reason thou art thus bestirred." ^ And I to answer his request was fain. *^ Guard in thy mind the speech which thou hast heard Against thyself," the prescient si^e did say, " And listen now," with this his hand he reared, ** When thou shalt be before the sweet light's ray ^** Of her whose eye sees all things without veil. From her thoult learn of all thy life the way." Then to the left he turned ; the outer pale We left, and inwards to the centre hie, Along a path which pierceth to a vale, ^ And even so far exhaled its stench on high. Line 131. " Of her whose eye sees all things withoat veiL" Beatrioe, who sees all things in the sight of God.
CANTO XI. Besting on a rock that overhangs the seventh circle while they pause to aocostom themselves to the fetid atmoe^ere^ Virgil explains to Dante what crimes are punished in the three remaining cu^es, namely, violence^ fraad, and treason. He shows how the crimes punished in the circles outside the city of Dis are of less culpability than those doomed wiiliin the waUs, and now usury is particularly hateful to Qod. Above the extremity of a lofty chain Of broken rocks heaped roughly in a bank. We issued forth upon more cruel pain. And here, through the excess of odour rank Which from the depths profound the abysses threw, * Against the lid of a great tomb we sank. Of which at once the inscription caught my view ; " Pope Anastasius here behold," it said, " Whom erst Photinus from the straight path drew. " Now our descent must be some while delayed, So that the accustomed sense may somewhat bear The fetid odour, hence no more dismayed." My master thus, and I : *' Some mode prepare^ ' Of compensation, that the time be past Not idly." He replied, " Thy thoughts I share. " Line 8. " 'P<>PO Anastasius here behold/ it said." It is doubtful whether either of the ^opes of this name was really led astray by the heresy of Photinus, a deacon of the Church of Thessalonica in the ^f&. century. It is certain, however, that Dante intended to place a Pope amongst his condemned heretics.
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Cahto X. HELL. 39 Ah, that repose at last your seed await !" Besought I him, " This diflBiculty clear, ** Which has perplext my judgment with its weight. It seems that you can see, if well I hear. Forward to that which Time will slow unfold, And of the present wholly blind appear." ^* Like those who have bad eyesight, we behold Things which are dist>ant from us," he replied, " Such light Great G-od permits us still to hold. When they approach or are, in vain is tried Our knowledge, save what others here relate, We can know nothing of your human tide. But you must know that dead to future fate Will be our prescient knowledge from that time When of the future will be closed the gate." Then I, as one compunctious for my crime. Said, *' You must tell him then who fell down low. His son still lives in our mortal clime. And if in answering I was mute just now, Explain it was because my thoughts did track That puzzling secret you have made me know. My master had already called me back, Therefore I prayed the spirit with more speed To tell me who were with him in the rack. '< More than a thousand with me share this bed ; My tomb's confines the second Frederic hold, The Cardinal, of the rest I take no heed." Then he was silent, and towards the old Poet I turned my steps, thinking again Of that unfrienmy prophecy he told. Line 108. " When of the fatore will be dosed the gate." The final judgment, after which there will be no past nor future, but only an ebsmal present. Lone 109. ''Then I, as one oompunctious for my crime." Dante's conaoience smites him for not having at once relieved the mind of Cavalcante oonoeming his son, who was alive at the date the poem is supposed to have talcen place. The excuse Dante gives for his neglect is clearly an afterthought and a bad one, for it was not till after Cavaloante had fiiJlen down in despair, under ihe mistaken belief in his son's death, that Farinata made to Dante the mysterious announcement of his future exile. liine 119. '* My tomVs confines the second Frederic hold, The Cardinal." The Emperor Frederic II., nephew of Barbarossa, is included amongst the heretics for his opposition to the Church. The Cardinal is Ottavian Ubaldini, an open unbeliever and Ghibeline in spite of being a Church dignitary. He it was who said, " If there is such a thmg as a soul I have lost mine for the Ghibelines."
lau
40 HELL. CAjno XI. The bard moved on, and as we went, " Explain/* He said, " the reason you are thus bestirred." ^ And I to answer his request was fain. *^ Guard in your mind the speech which you have heard Against yourself," the prescient si^e did say, " And listen now," with this his hand he reared, ** When you shall be before the sweet light's ray ^** Of her whose eye sees all things without veil. From her thoult learn of all your life the way." Then to the left he turned ; the outer pale We left, and inwards to the centre hie, Along a path which pierces to a vale, ^ And even so far exhaled its stench on high. Line 131. " Of her whose eye sees all things withoat veiL" Beatrioe, who sees all things in the sight of God.
CANTO XI. Besting on a rock that overhangs the seventh circle while they pause to aocostom themselves to the fetid atmoe^ere^ Virgil explains to Dante what crimes are punished in the three remaining cu^es, namely, violence^ fraad, and treason. He shows how the crimes punished in the circles outside the city of Dis are of less culpability than those doomed wiiliin the waUs, and now usury is particularly hateful to Qod. Above the extremity of a lofty chain Of broken rocks heaped roughly in a bank. We issued forth upon more cruel pain. And here, through the excess of odour rank Which from the depths profound the abysses threw, * Against the lid of a great tomb we sank. Of which at once the inscription caught my view ; " Pope Anastasius here behold," it said, " Whom erst Photinus from the straight path drew. " Now our descent must be some while delayed, So that the accustomed sense may somewhat bear The fetid odour, hence no more dismayed." My master thus, and I : *' Some mode prepare^ ' Of compensation, that the time be past Not idly." He replied, " Your thoughts I share. " Line 8. " 'P<>PO Anastasius here behold/ it said." It is doubtful whether either of the ^opes of this name was really led astray by the heresy of Photinus, a deacon of the Church of Thessalonica in the ^f&. century. It is certain, however, that Dante intended to place a Pope amongst his condemned heretics.
99 10 ao
3ft
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