The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
92 HELL. • Camto XXIV. So from the learned of old times we hear The phcBniz dies and then is bom once more When it completeth its five-hundredth year. Nor grass nor corn it tasteth evermore ; Only with tears of incense and of myrrh, Of balm and nard its funeral pile doth store. And like to him who falls nor knoweth where, By force demoniac when on earth he lies. Or epileptic stroke, and cannot stir, (hkzes around when he once more doth rise.
All 'wildered by the agony he knows That he has suffered, and round gazmg sighs ; Such was that sinner after he arose. Justice of God ! indeed it is severe, That for His vengeance poureth down such blows. My leader asked him who he was to clear, On which he said, " From Tuscany I fell, 'Tis not long since, into this gulf of fear.
A bestial life, not human, pleased me well, As stiited to a bastard ; Fucd, I, '^^ Beast, in Pistoia found fit covert fell. I to my leader : " Tell him not to fly, And ask what crime has thrust him down so low ; A man of blood and anger I descry. The sinner heard, nor sought to disavow, But towards me raised his soul and visage plain. Covered all o'er with wretehed shame's red glow.
" It grieves me more," he said, " that in this pain Thou hast discovered me where thou dost see. Than when from the other life I first was ta'en. ^^ Deny I cannot what thou askest me ; So low I now am placed because of old I robbed the hangings of our sacristy ; And falsely 'gainst anoâer was it told. But that thou mayst not glory in this view. If ever thou shouldst leave this gloomy hold.
Open thy ears to my announcement true : Though in Pistoia first the Neri fail. And Florence taketh men and customs new. Line 125. Vanni Fncoi was a bastard son of a member of theLazzeri family in Fistoja : he robbed the sacristy of the cburcdi of St. James, and caused the crime to be attributed to Yanni della Nona, who was thereupon execated.
Dante, knowing the violence of his natare, is snrprised at finding him amongst the fraudulent, instead of in the preceding circle. Line 143. The Bianchi of Fistoj a, assisted by the same party in Florence, drove the Negri out of the former city in 1301. The Bianohi (Dante's partyi
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Cabto XXV. HELL. 93 Mars draws a vapour forth in Magra's vale, ^*^ With turbid clouds of vengeance circled round ; And with impetuous tempest will assail, Selecting for his field Piceno's ground, Where suddenly thy faction will be torn. And every white will there receive a wound ; And 1 have told thee now to make thee mourn."
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Facd being of the Ne^ faction) were shortly after chased from Florence and the N^ri became dommant ; the vaponr in Maflnm^s vale is the Marqnis MaLespma, lord of that Tsonntry, who as head of the Negri gave battle to the Bianohi and defeated them on the field of Piceno. These events are here related as prophecy, most unpalatable to Dante.
CANTO XXV. While Fncci vents his rage in blaspthemy he is attacked by the serpents, and flees away, pnrsned by Caoos in the shape of a centaur, whose croup is covered witn adders, while a fiery dragon is seated on his crest. A party of Florentines then advance under the bank where the poets are standing, and four of them go through the most extraordinary transformations. When he had closed his speech the robber there Eaised his clenched fingers with the thumb thrust through, Shouting : " God take him, him to thee I bare." Then did the serpents prove my guardians true. For one entwined himself around his neck, ^ As though it said. Thou shalt not speak anew. Another seized his arms and bound him back. Clutching him there so firmly in his sway That bound by these he could not make a beck. Pistoja ! ah, Pistoja ! why dost stay ^° To bum thyself away to ashes all, Since in ill-doing thou advancest aye ? In all the circles 'neath Hell's gloomy pall I saw no soul towards God display such pride, Not he who fell adown from Thebes's wall. " He spake no further word, but off he hied. A centaur saw I come in angry storm, " Where is this fierce fell spirit ? where ?*' he cried. I do not think Maremma has such swarm Of adders as he had upon his back, ^ Up to the point where springs the human form. Line 2. " Le mani alzo con an^bidae le fiohe." GkLve the fig with his hands, an insulting gesture in the Middle Ages, made by thrusting the thumb through the clendi^ fingers. Line 15. Capaneus, described in Canto XIY.
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92 HELL. • Camto XXIV. So from the learned of old times we hear The phcBniz dies and then is bom once more When it completes its five-hundredth year. Nor grass nor corn it tastes evermore ; Only with tears of incense and of myrrh, Of balm and nard its funeral pile does store. And like to him who falls nor knows where, By force demoniac when on earth he lies. Or epileptic stroke, and cannot stir, (hkzes around when he once more does rise. All 'wildered by the agony he knows That he has suffered, and round gazmg sighs ; Such was that sinner after he arose. Justice of God ! indeed it is severe, That for His vengeance pours down such blows. My leader asked him who he was to clear, On which he said, " From Tuscany I fell, 'Tis not long since, into this gulf of fear. A bestial life, not human, pleased me well, As stiited to a bastard ; Fucd, I, '^^ Beast, in Pistoia found fit covert fell." I to my leader : " Tell him not to fly, And ask what crime has thrust him down so low ; A man of blood and anger I descry." The sinner heard, nor sought to disavow, But towards me raised his soul and visage plain. Covered all o'er with wretehed shame's red glow. " It grieves me more," he said, " that in this pain You have discovered me where you do see. Than when from the other life I first was ta'en. ^^ Deny I cannot what you askest me ; So low I now am placed because of old I robbed the hangings of our sacristy ; And falsely 'gainst ano&er was it told. But that you mayst not glory in this view. If ever you should leave this gloomy hold. Open your ears to my announcement true : Though in Pistoia first the Neri fail. And Florence takes men and customs new. Line 125. Vanni Fncoi was a bastard son of a member of theLazzeri family in Fistoja : he robbed the sacristy of the cburcdi of St. James, and caused the crime to be attributed to Yanni della Nona, who was thereupon execated. Dante, knowing the violence of his natare, is snrprised at finding him amongst the fraudulent, instead of in the preceding circle. Line 143. The Bianchi of Fistoj a, assisted by the same party in Florence, drove the Negri out of the former city in 1301. The Bianohi (Dante's partyi
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Cabto XXV. HELL. 93 Mars draws a vapour forth in Magra's vale, ^*^ With turbid clouds of vengeance circled round ; And with impetuous tempest will assail, Selecting for his field Piceno's ground, Where suddenly your faction will be torn. And every white will there receive a wound ; And 1 have told you now to make you mourn."
p. 150
Facd being of the Ne^ faction) were shortly after chased from Florence and the N^ri became dommant ; the vaponr in Maflnm^s vale is the Marqnis MaLespma, lord of that Tsonntry, who as head of the Negri gave battle to the Bianohi and defeated them on the field of Piceno. These events are here related as prophecy, most unpalatable to Dante.
CANTO XXV. While Fncci vents his rage in blaspthemy he is attacked by the serpents, and flees away, pnrsned by Caoos in the shape of a centaur, whose croup is covered witn adders, while a fiery dragon is seated on his crest. A party of Florentines then advance under the bank where the poets are standing, and four of them go through the most extraordinary transformations. When he had closed his speech the robber there Eaised his clenched fingers with the thumb thrust through, Shouting : " God take him, him to you I bare." Then did the serpents prove my guardians true. For one entwined himself around his neck, ^ As though it said. You shall not speak anew. Another seized his arms and bound him back. Clutching him there so firmly in his sway That bound by these he could not make a beck. Pistoja ! ah, Pistoja ! why do stay ^° To bum yourself away to ashes all, Since in ill-doing you advancest aye ? In all the circles 'neath Hell's gloomy pall I saw no soul towards God display such pride, Not he who fell adown from Thebes's wall. " He spake no further word, but off he hied. A centaur saw I come in angry storm, " Where is this fierce fell spirit ? where ?*' he cried. I do not think Maremma has such swarm Of adders as he had upon his back, ^ Up to the point where springs the human form. Line 2. " Le mani alzo con an^bidae le fiohe." GkLve the fig with his hands, an insulting gesture in the Middle Ages, made by thrusting the thumb through the clendi^ fingers. Line 15. Capaneus, described in Canto XIY.
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