The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

64 HELL. Cabto XVIL So to the right hand do we downwards stretch, And to avoid the burning sand and flame We make ten paces on the furthest beach. And when beside it we descending came I see a little farther on the sand ^'^ Some people seated near the falling stream.

The master here ; " That thou mayst anderstan4 All that this circle holds for thee to see, Now go and see their state thus near at hand ; Thy conversation with them brief must be. *^ With this thing will I speak while thou dost go That it should yield us its. strong shoulders free. Thus once again along the furthest row Of that seventh cmde wend I all alone, To where together sate that race of woe.

Gushed from their eyes the grief of every one ; Now here, now there, with hands they strive to ease The vapours now, and now the heat alone. Not otherwise do dogs in summer days, Now with the snout and now with paws, when bit *^ By gnats or by mosquitoes or by fleas.

When on the face of some my eyes I set, On whom that grievous fire doth never flag, None could I recognise, but well I wit That from the neck of each there hung a bag ^ Marked with some colour and heraldic sign. And thence it seemed their eyes could never wag. Then as I came inspecting all the line, I saw one bag upon a field of or That held an azure lion as design. '^ Then carrying on my scrutiny before.

Another on a field of gules I trow, A goose than butter whiter far that bore. Then one who of an azure pregnant sow - Bore the impression on his satchel white, ^ Said to me : ''In this graveyard what dost thou f Now get thee on, and since a living wight, Enow that my former neighbour, Yitalian^ At my left) haiid beside me here will sit.

Amidst these Florentines I'm Paduan, ^^ And oftentimes my dinned ears I would close When they cry out, " There comes the sovran man Line 56. The armorial beannffs afterwards described belong to yarions houses of Florence and FadnaV all of whom are detailed by the early commantatoi«, but their dry recapitulation would be of no interest to modem English readers.

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Canto XVII. HELL. 65 The bag with three goats who will here expose." He twisted then his mouth and thrust his tongue Out like a bullock when he licks his nose. And I in fear lest further stay would wrong Him who my sojourn to be brief had told, Turned back again from 'midst that wearied throng. I found my leader had already hold All firmly seated on that wild beast's back, Who said to me, " Now be thou strong and bold. Now by such steps we must descend this track ; Mount thou before me, I will sit in aid. So that for thee the tail all mischief lack." Like one who waits the fever fit dismayed, With whitened nails already, trembling cold. Watching the fixed hour on the dial's shade. So was I smitten by the words he told, But his expected threats became the goad Which near good master makes the servant bold. I took my seat upon those shoulders broad, And wished to say, only no utterance came. Embrace me closely on this perilous road. But he whose help I ne'er in vain did claim Soon as I mounted clasped me firm and near. And with his arms my weakness overcame. He cried out : " Gerion, now right onwards steer, Make thy wheels large and gradual the descent. Think of the novel burden thou dost bear." As from its launching place the ship is sent Stem for\7ards, so his way he then addrest. And when he felt sufficient space was lent. He turned his tail to where had been his breast, And moved it stretched out lithely like an eel, And with his arms the air towards him prest. 1 do not think that greater fear could feel Phaeton himself when he had dropt the reins. At which, a.s still we see, the burnt Heavens reel. Nor Icarus when he perceived his reins, Bj the wax melting, from his wings let free. His father crying out in anguish strains.

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Line 97. Qerion was King of Spain, and slain by Hercnles. Being celebrated for his frauds, Dante has chosen him as the personification of Fraud itself, as in the previous circles we find Cerberus represent Gluttony, the Minotaur Violence, &c. Line 108. In allusion to the Milky Way having been produced by the combustion of the Heavens when the.sun went astray under Phaeton's guidance.

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66 HELL. Canto XVIU. Than was my own when all around I see Nothing but air, and save that monstrous show. All other vision vanished quite for me. Onwards it goeth, swimming soft and slow, It wheels and sinks, but I of nought am 'ware, Save that the air strikes upwards from below. Already at the right the roar I hear Beneath me rising from the horrible shower, At which my straining eyes I downwards peer. Then did my fear increase with greater power, Because both flames I see and screams I hear, At which all trembling in my seat I cower. Till then unheard there strike upon my ear, A s through great pains we sank and circled on, Cries that on every side approached us near. Like to a falcon that too long hath flown, That cannot see the lure or any prey Making the hawker murmur. Tush ! 'tis down ! Weary descendeth whence in wheeling play It active sprung, and distant from its lord Settles disdainfully in angry bay ; So Gerion placed us in that deep abhorred, Standino^ at base of rocks that steep upspring. And with our persons' weight no longer stored. It vanished like an arrow from the string.

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