The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
68 HELL. CAirro XVIII- That whipt one thought his person to conceal, Lowering his face, but the attempt was vain. I told him, " Thou whose bent eyes earthwards steal, If only thy appearance speaketh plain,* Art Venedico, as I know full well. *® But what has led thee to such biting pain P" And he to me : " Unwillingly I tell, But by thy speech so clear am I bested, Which of our ancient world brings back the spell.
I erst was he who fair Ghisola led ^ To satisfy the will of the Marchese, However now the shameful tale be said. Nor wail I only here, a Bolognese : Eather this place is crowded with that line. Unto so many tongues it is not easy ^ To utter Sissa in that town of mine. If evidence thou wouldst that cannot fail, Eecall to mind how we to greed incline.
Whilst he was speaking with his leather flail A demon lashed him ; " Get ye on," he cried. ^ " Pandar ! no prostitutes are here for sale. On this I turned and joined again my guide. Soon after that a few steps brought us where A ridge that jutted from the bank we spied, O'er which our forms we lightly climbing rear, '" And turning to the right upon the rock From those eternal boundmes on we bear.
When we had reached the centre where the block Is arched beneath to let the scourged pass through, My leader said, " Wait here, and cast thy look ^* Upon the faces of that ill-bom crew. Of whom thou hast not yet beheld the face. Since they together with us onwards drew. Standing on that old bridge we watch the race That came towards us*of that other band, ^ Who by the whip are likewise driven in chase. Line 56.
Venedico Gacoianimico, a gentleman of Bologna, who, as he here tells us, was bribed by Obizzo da Este, the Marchese of Ferrara, to deceive his sister Ghisola into yielding herself to his desires. The Marchese has already been introduced boiling in the river of blood. Line 01. Sissa is the shibboleth of the Bolognese, being their fashion of pronouncing the affirmative si. Line 78.
" Since they together with us onwards drew"— i.e., were going in th« same direction as tbe poets, before they mounted the bridge to cross the •Talley.
Casto XVm. HELL. 69 Mj gentle master without my demand Said to me, " See that loftj form who oomes, And seems in spite of grief tears to command. Even yet how royally his aspect looms ! ^ 'Tis Jason, who by intellect and heart Conqueied the Golden Meeoe from Oolchian homes. Passing by Lemnos' isle he played his part. Soon after that those angered women bold Had put the males to death by hellish aurt.
'*' With gestures then and the skilled words he told Isiphile the maiden he deceived. Who all the others had deceived of old ; There pregnant he deserted her, bereaved. Him has that crime to such a torment borne ; ^ Sevenged is also now Medea grieved. With him there go who women left forlorn. Let this suffice thee of this vale to weet, And of all those beneath its tushes torn.
Now we had reached to where the narrow street *'^* Beaches at length the second bank athwart, Where this and the further valley's bridges meet. There people we perceive who groan apart In the other ward and their own bodies strike With their own hands, and with their nostrils snort. "^* The banks with mouldiness were crusted thick, By the breathing &om below which clung thereto, Offensive to the eyes and nose alike.
The bottom is so steep that for the view No place would answer save we cbmbed the steep ^** Crown of the arch that o'er the abysses grew. We came there and from thence down in the deep Saw people smothered in a filthy smurch From human privies gathered in a heap. And whilst below my eyes commence their search • *" A head so smeared with excrement I rede. One knew not whether lay or of the Church.
He shouted to me : " Why so great thy greed To stare at me alone in this foul sty ? And I to him : " Because if well I heed, ^^ Thee have I seen ere now with hair more dry, And thou must be Alessio Intermen^i ; For staring at thee this the reason why. Line 93. Isiphile had deceived the other women by saving her father from the general slaughter of the males in the island.
70 HELL. Cahto XIX. Striking his pumpkin then he said to me, '* The constant flatteries have submerged me here, ^ From which of old my tongue was never free. On this my leader said to me, *' Make steer Thy right a little forward in the grot, So that there strike upon thy vision clear The face of that dishevelled filthy slut ^ Who scratches with her shotten nails her side.
And now stands upright, and now down will squat ; The harlot's name is Thais, who replied, • When questioned by her keeper, * Have I great Favour with thee P' ' Most marvellous,' and lied. ^^ Let this suffice our sight to satiate. Line 133. A character in a play of Terenoe»froin which this not wery extraordinary specimen of female flattery is qaoted.
68 HELL. CAirro XVIII- That whipt one thought his person to conceal, Lowering his face, but the attempt was vain. I told him, " You whose bent eyes earthwards steal, If only your appearance speaks plain,* Art Venedico, as I know full well. *® But what has led you to such biting pain P" And he to me : " Unwillingly I tell, But by your speech so clear am I bested, Which of our ancient world brings back the spell. I erst was he who fair Ghisola led ^ To satisfy the will of the Marchese, However now the shameful tale be said. Nor wail I only here, a Bolognese : Eather this place is crowded with that line. Unto so many tongues it is not easy ^ To utter Sissa in that town of mine. If evidence you would that cannot fail, Eecall to mind how we to greed incline." Whilst he was speaking with his leather flail A demon lashed him ; " Get you on," he cried. ^ " Pandar ! no prostitutes are here for sale." On this I turned and joined again my guide. Soon after that a few steps brought us where A ridge that jutted from the bank we spied, O'er which our forms we lightly climbing rear, '" And turning to the right upon the rock From those eternal boundmes on we bear. When we had reached the centre where the block Is arched beneath to let the scourged pass through, My leader said, " Wait here, and cast your look ^* Upon the faces of that ill-bom crew. Of whom you have not yet beheld the face. Since they together with us onwards drew." Standing on that old bridge we watch the race That came towards us*of that other band, ^ Who by the whip are likewise driven in chase. Line 56. Venedico Gacoianimico, a gentleman of Bologna, who, as he here tells us, was bribed by Obizzo da Este, the Marchese of Ferrara, to deceive his sister Ghisola into yielding herself to his desires. The Marchese has already been introduced boiling in the river of blood. Line 01. Sissa is the shibbols of the Bolognese, being their fashion of pronouncing the affirmative si. Line 78. " Since they together with us onwards drew"— i.e., were going in th« same direction as tbe poets, before they mounted the bridge to cross the •Talley.
Casto XVm. HELL. 69 Mj gentle master without my demand Said to me, " See that loftj form who oomes, And seems in spite of grief tears to command. Even yet how royally his aspect looms ! ^ 'Tis Jason, who by intellect and heart Conqueied the Golden Meeoe from Oolchian homes. Passing by Lemnos' isle he played his part. Soon after that those angered women bold Had put the males to death by hellish aurt. '*' With gestures then and the skilled words he told Isiphile the maiden he deceived. Who all the others had deceived of old ; There pregnant he deserted her, bereaved. Him has that crime to such a torment borne ; ^ Sevenged is also now Medea grieved. With him there go who women left forlorn. Let this suffice you of this vale to weet, And of all those beneath its tushes torn." Now we had reached to where the narrow street *'^* Beaches at length the second bank athwart, Where this and the further valley's bridges meet. There people we perceive who groan apart In the other ward and their own bodies strike With their own hands, and with their nostrils snort. "^* The banks with mouldiness were crusted thick, By the breathing &om below which clung thereto, Offensive to the eyes and nose alike. The bottom is so steep that for the view No place would answer save we cbmbed the steep ^** Crown of the arch that o'er the abysses grew. We came there and from thence down in the deep Saw people smothered in a filthy smurch From human privies gathered in a heap. And whilst below my eyes commence their search • *" A head so smeared with excrement I rede. One knew not whether lay or of the Church. He shouted to me : " Why so great your greed To stare at me alone in this foul sty ?" And I to him : " Because if well I heed, ^^ You have I seen ere now with hair more dry, And you must be Alessio Intermen^i ; For staring at you this the reason why." Line 93. Isiphile had deceived the other women by saving her father from the general slaughter of the males in the island.
70 HELL. Cahto XIX. Striking his pumpkin then he said to me, '* The constant flatteries have submerged me here, ^ From which of old my tongue was never free." On this my leader said to me, *' Make steer Your right a little forward in the grot, So that there strike upon your vision clear The face of that dishevelled filthy slut ^ Who scratches with her shotten nails her side. And now stands upright, and now down will squat ; The harlot's name is Thais, who replied, • When questioned by her keeper, * Have I great Favour with you P' ' Most marvellous,' and lied. ^^ Let this suffice our sight to satiate." Line 133. A character in a play of Terenoe»froin which this not wery extraordinary specimen of female flattery is qaoted.
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