The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

96 HELL. Canto XIV. Yet changing thus these mutuallj respond. For while the serpent cleft its tail in two Then were the pierced one's feet together joined. * ^^ Upwards the legs and thighs together grew, So closely knitted that ere long the cleft Made no appearance, all effaced from view. The tail divided took the shape which left The other's limbs, and supple grew the skin. While crusted o'er the man the scaly weft. I saw his arms the armpits close within. The while the beast's two feet that had been short Lengthened as much as those had shortened in. After its hinder feet together wrought Became the member which mankind conceals, While the poor wretches changed to a double sort. Meanwhile the vapour one and the other veils With a new colour and creates hair Upon the one and from the other peels. ^^ The one rose up, the other fell down sheer. Only preserving still their impious eyes, Beneath the which exchanged each visage rare. In him erect towards the temples flies The stuff superfluous, which to shape then grew, ^^ That on erst vacant cheeks the ears arise. The flesh that still remained nor backwards drew With what was over formed into a nose. And the lips thickened as was fitting too. In him that lay the visage forwards grows, ^^ And -closing in the head retire the ears. As in its shell a snail its horns does close. The united tongue erst fit for parlajice sheers In two, the while the other's forkt tongue pieced Together, and the vapour disappears. ^^ The spirit that was changed into a beast Away across the valley hissing flew. The other one behind him foaming chased. Then turning towards the last his shoulders new, He cried to him, " I would that Buoso flee ^** As I did, on his belly. Hell's ways through." Thus those within that seventh pit did I see Change and exchange, and be my tongue excused When flowers it fles in such novelty. And though in sooth my eyes had been confused No litSie, and my 'wildered soul surprised. Unto their flight concealment was refused,

Cahto XXVI. HELL. 07 Puccio Sciancato clear I recognised ; And of these three companions he alone Who came remained unchanged and undisguised ; ^*^ The other was he whom you, Gaville, do moan. Line 148. The three original spirits were Af^olo, BassOi and Puccio ; the six.footedseroent, Cianfa; the black adder, Francesco Cavalcante,. killed in the town of GaviUei for which his relations took a terrible revenge on its in> habitants, allnded to in the last line. They were all nobles in Florence, and it is not known for what acts Dante has placed them with the robbers kk his. seventh pit. CANTO XXVI. Dante ironically compliments Florence on its renown in the Infernal Regions^ and prophesies its approaching misfortunes. He passes with Yirgil into the eighth pit, over which he sees hovering flames, like will-o'the-wisps. These he nnds to be the souls of fraudulent counsellors. Yirgil converses with a flame with two horns, in which are the spirits of Ulysses and Diomed, and the former relates the final voyage which he and his old companions ventured into the unknown regions of the West, beyond the gates of Hercules. Florence rejoice ! since you so high do swell, That o'er the sea and earth your pinion rears, And your renown has travelled even to Hell. Amongst the robbers found I five such peers, Your citizens, from whence to me comes shame, * Nor much of honour unto you appears. But if when mom approaches truth we dream, Within a little time you will deplore What Prato and the rest for you would claim ; It would not be too soon if it were o'er : ^° Would it were o'er, since surely it must be ; As I grow older it will grieve me more. We sallied forth, and upwards by the way Which first descending there our foot-tracks showed, My leader clambered on and guided me. ^* And following on that solitary road Amid the boulders and rocks' splintered grain, Unaided by the hand the foot ne'er strode. Then did I grieve, and still I grieve again When I direct my thoughts to what I saw, ^ And more than erst my intellect restrain : Line 9. Frato is either a neighbouring territory to Florence, or else the Cardinal Nicolo di Prato, very hostile to the Bepublic. The evils it will soon deplore are said to have been the fall of a wooden bridge over the Amo, by wluch many lives were lost ; a conflagration that destroyed 1,700 buildings ; and the civil discords which broke out between the Bianchi and Neri, all within the ^ear 1304. Lme 21. The sight of the punishments in the eighth pit of men who had H

98 HELL. Cavto XXVI. Never to hie where virtue does not draw ; So that if star benign or higher 'hest Has given that good to use it still with awe. As when the peasant on a hill takes rest ^ Ip the season when the earth's great lightener shows His visage from our gaze conoealed the least. What time the gnat, replacing flies, forth goes, Beholds the fireflies o'er the vaUej shine, Where he perchance the vintage works, and ploughs ; ^ With flames so many was the eighth confine Eesplendent all, as I was made aware On reaching where its pit first met my eyne. And like the prophet, erst revenged by a bear, Beheld the chariot of Elias rise, ^ What time the heavenly horses sprang in air. Who could not so pursue them with his eyes Aught to distinguish, save the flame alone. Just like a little cloud ascend the skies ; So o'er the entrance of that pit moved on ^ Each flame, and none the soul within displayed. Though every one was round a sinner thrown. Gazing, above the precipice I swayed, So that unless I'd seized a rock at hand, Downwards I'd follow though no push were made. ^^ My chief, who saw me so intently stand. Told me : " Within the flames the spirits bide ; Each one is swathed in his consuming band." " My master, when I hear you," I replied, " More sure I am, but I already guessed ^ That it was so, and wished to ask my guide. Who is within the flame that forks its crest. Which seems to rise from Eteocles' pyre, Whose spirit with his brother's could not rest." He answered : " There consume within yon fire " Ulysses, Diomed, together so They wonne to punishment as erst to ire : There do they groan within the flame I trow The horse's ambush, through the city led. From whence the Eoman's noble seed we owe. * perverted their intellect to evil purposes by sedndng others with evil oonnsels etrack home to Dante, who felt that in intellect this class of the condemned were his peers. Line 56. The hatred of the brothers Eteocles and Folinioes was so great that when both their bodies were bamt on one funereal pyre their iJ^rnM refused to mingle, bat fled the one from the other.