The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

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Cakto XXIir. HELL. 85 But little 'vailed it, since his wings made pause By innate dread ; one vanished underneath, The other rising o'er the guK withdraws. Not otherwise the wild duck when he seeth "* The falcon near, dives downwards at its dart, And he returns all spent in wing and breath. Then Calcabrina, angered at his heart By such a trick, behind the other sheared, The victim 'scaped, to combat turned his part. And as the trickster then had disappeared On his companion his sharp talons drew, And grappling with him o'er the deep they reared. But the other also was a falcon true, And knew full well to strike, and both in rings Circling fell headlong in the boiling stew. There suddenly the heat its looseninc: brinsrs. But they /ere powerless to rise up again. So thickly had their fall beslimed their wings. Then Barbariccia grieving with his train, Made four fly over to the other side, All with their prongs, and every one amain From here and there towards them downward glide, Stretching their hooks to those in slime immixt, Who were already cooked beneath the tide ; And so we left them with their task perplext.

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CANTO XXIII. Dante expresses to Yir^ his fear that they will be pursued by the revengeful demons, and as his alarm is fulfilled Virgil lilts him in his arms and carries him down the oliff into the next valley of Malebolge. There they find hypocrites punished by being clothed in long cloaks and weighty cowls of lead. Amongst these Dante converses with two I^joioing Friars, who, under the cloak of impartiality, had inflicted S^evous wrong on the Ghibeline party in Florence. ShiBNT, alone, without all company. On went we, one before and one behind. In the way Franciscan friars aie wont to hie. Upon old Esop's fable was inclined My cogitation by that strife below, * That where the tale of the Frog and Eat we find : Line 6. The fable where the frog offering to carr^ a rat across a stream with the intention of drowning him, both are carried off by a kite. The similitude is not so exact as Dante would make it appear.

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86 HELL. Canto XXUI. For does not more resemble now and now Than one to the other action, if all clear The object and result of each we trow ; And as thoughts follow on each other near, So sprang from this another by degrees. Which woke with double force my former fear. Thus did I think. It was through us that these Have been befooled with loss and ridicule, Such as I think must surely them displease.

If anger over evil passion rule They will pursue us hither crueller far Than greyhound at the moment it would pull The hare to pieces. Stood on end my hair With terror, and intent behind, 1 said, " O master, if thou dost not now take care Thee and myself at once to hide, I dread These Malebranche ; on our track they stir ; In thought already do I hear them tread.

And he replied, " If I a mirror were, Thy outward form I should not clearer show Than do thy inward thoughts to me recur. Even now thy thoughts amidst my own did flow With similar action, and in similar wise. So that they both to single counsel grow. If now in truth this right declivity lies, So that to the other ward we may descend. We will escape the chase thou didst surmise.

He had not brought his counsel to an end Before I saw them with their wings outraught, ^ Stretching for flight, as not far off they wend. Me then my leader suddenly upcaught. Like to a mother roused up by the roar, Who sees the burning flames all near her brought, And takes her child and flies, nor waits for more, ^ Having of him than of herself more care, Dressed in the only garment which she wore.

So from the summit of that hard rock there He slid adown the hanging mountain side. Which to the other ward descendeth sheer. ** Faster did water ne'er through channel glide To turn the wheels of some far inland mill. When nearest to the whirling blades it hied, Than did my master down that hanging hill, Bearing me up in safety on his breast, ^ More like a son than comrade of his will.