The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
Line 61. Mordred, the infamons son of Arthur, who, while lying in wait for his father, was cloven through by the latter with his spear, so that the sun past through his shadow ! Line 63. Foccaccia, a noble of Fistoja, who murdered his uncle.
Mascheroni, the speaJcer Gamiccione, and Carlino de' Pazzi were aU Florentines^ and the first two also murdered their kinsman, while the last betrayed a castle to the Florentines in which the Bianchi faction had held out against them for several days. Line 81.
The speaker is Bocca degli Abbati, a Ouelph, who, bought over by the Ghibelines in the height of the battle of Mont' Anerti, cut off the hand of the chief Guelph banner-bearer, at the fall of wnose banner the Cruelphs gave way, and were utterly routed. See the note on the great Ghibeline Farinata in Canto X.
Canto XXXII. HELL. 123^ And he to me : " The contrao^ I claim. Be off from here, nor further torture shape. ^ Thou flatterest idly in this vale of shame.'' Then did I seize the hair upon his nape, And said, '^ ^Tis fit that thou thy name declare, Or not a hair upon thy head shall 'scape.'* Whence he to me : " Why dost thou rend my hair ? ^^ I will not tell thee who I am, nor show, Though thou a thousand times my head shouldst tear.
His hair already round my hands I draw, And tufts far more than one I'd stript away, He barking, with his eyes still fixt below. ^^ " What hast thou, Bocca ?" cried another fay. " Is't not sufficient with thy jaws to creak But thou must bark ? What devil rips thee ? say. " Henceforth," I said, " I want thee not to speak. Thou wicked traitor, of thy shameful state ^^ Authentic tidings to the world I'll take. " Off !" he replied.
" Whate'er thou will'st relate. But be not silent, wouldst thou 'scape from here, Of him whose tongue was now so prompt to prate- The silver of the French he waileth here. "^ I saw Du Duera, thou henceforth canst say There, where the sinners all so cool appear. Hadst thou but asked of the others in this bay. Thou seest Di Becchiera at thy side.
Whose head in Florence was cut off one day. ^^ Gianni del Soldanier I think doth bide Beyond with Quno and Tribaldello there. Who oped Faenza steeped in slumber's tide. From him already we were parted far When I beheld two frozen in one hole, *^ So that one head was hood to the other's hair. As bread in famine time is swallowed whole. So the one above i' the other cranched his jaw Where the spine's marrow to the brain doth roll.
Not otherwise did Tideus foully gnaw ^ The head of Menalippus with disdain As he the other's skull did ravening claw. ** O thou who by such bestial sign show'st plain Thy hate of this one, whom thou dost devour, Say why," I said, " and I for this am fain *^ Line 116. Du Daera sold a Ghibeline position in the Parmegiano to the French leader Gay de Montfort. Di Becchit^ra, del Soldanier, and Tribaldello were all Italians. Gano was the traitor in the time of Charlemagne through whom befell the rout at Fontarabia.
124 HELL. Canto XXXIU. If thou with reason against him doth glower, Knowing his sin and who ye are, full soon In the upper world to right thee. I have power If what I offer doth not importune.'*
CANTO XXXIII. Count XJgolin relates to Dante the fearful end of himself and his sons, left to die of hunger in the Tower of Famine. The poets then pass onwards to the third division of the last circle, called Idomea, in which are punished those who have betrayed their benefactors. The friar Alberigo explains to Dante that when men have committed the height of perfidy their spirits are at once sent to torment, a fiend taking possession of the body wnich appears to be still alive on earth. • His mouth he lifted from that savage food, That sinner, as he wiped away with hair, Tom from behind the skull, the gouts of blood. Then he began : " Thou wouldst that I should bear That desperate grief again, at which doth break ^ My heart, abready thinking only, ere I speak ; but if my words prove seed to wreak Shame on the traitor whom I'm gnawing here. At the same time thou'lt see me weep, yet speak. I know not who thou art, nor to this sphere In what way thou art come, but Florentine Thou seemest truly when thy speech I hear. Thou then must know I was Count Ugolin, And this is the Archbishop Euggieri : Now I will tell thee why so close we join. That by the effect of his suggestions eerie. Trusting in him, I pined a captive long, Then died, with telling thee I need not weary. But what thou hast not heard amongst the throng — Namely, how cruel was the death I died, Thou'lt hear, and know if he has done me wrong. A small hole in the tower where the eagles bide, Which men through me the Tower of Famine call, And where yet further victims will be tried,
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Line 61. Mordred, the infamons son of Arthur, who, while lying in wait for his father, was cloven through by the latter with his spear, so that the sun past through his shadow ! Line 63. Foccaccia, a noble of Fistoja, who murdered his uncle.
Mascheroni, the speaJcer Gamiccione, and Carlino de' Pazzi were aU Florentines^ and the first two also murdered their kinsman, while the last betrayed a castle to the Florentines in which the Bianchi faction had held out against them for several days. Line 81.
The speaker is Bocca degli Abbati, a Ouelph, who, bought over by the Ghibelines in the height of the battle of Mont' Anerti, cut off the hand of the chief Guelph banner-bearer, at the fall of wnose banner the Cruelphs gave way, and were utterly routed. See the note on the great Ghibeline Farinata in Canto X.
Canto XXXII. HELL. 123^ And he to me : " The contrao^ I claim. Be off from here, nor further torture shape. ^ You flatterest idly in this vale of shame.'' Then did I seize the hair upon his nape, And said, '^ ^Tis fit that you your name declare, Or not a hair upon your head shall 'scape.'* Whence he to me : " Why do you rend my hair ? ^^ I will not tell you who I am, nor show, Though you a thousand times my head should tear." His hair already round my hands I draw, And tufts far more than one I'd stript away, He barking, with his eyes still fixt below. ^^ " What have you, Bocca ?" cried another fay. " Is't not sufficient with your jaws to creak But you must bark ? What devil rips you ? say." " Henceforth," I said, " I want you not to speak. You wicked traitor, of your shameful state ^^ Authentic tidings to the world I'll take." " Off !" he replied. " Whate'er you will'st relate. But be not silent, would you 'scape from here, Of him whose tongue was now so prompt to prate- The silver of the French he wails here. "^ I saw Du Duera, you henceforth can say There, where the sinners all so cool appear. Hadst you but asked of the others in this bay. You seest Di Becchiera at your side. Whose head in Florence was cut off one day. ^^ Gianni del Soldanier I think does bide Beyond with Quno and Tribaldello there. Who oped Faenza steeped in slumber's tide." From him already we were parted far When I beheld two frozen in one hole, *^ So that one head was hood to the other's hair. As bread in famine time is swallowed whole. So the one above i' the other cranched his jaw Where the spine's marrow to the brain does roll. Not otherwise did Tideus foully gnaw ^ The head of Menalippus with disdain As he the other's skull did ravening claw. ** O you who by such bestial sign show'st plain Your hate of this one, whom you do devour, Say why," I said, " and I for this am fain *^ Line 116. Du Daera sold a Ghibeline position in the Parmegiano to the French leader Gay de Montfort. Di Becchit^ra, del Soldanier, and Tribaldello were all Italians. Gano was the traitor in the time of Charlemagne through whom befell the rout at Fontarabia.
124 HELL. Canto XXXIU. If you with reason against him does glower, Knowing his sin and who you are, full soon In the upper world to right you. I have power If what I offer does not importune.'*
CANTO XXXIII. Count XJgolin relates to Dante the fearful end of himself and his sons, left to die of hunger in the Tower of Famine. The poets then pass onwards to the third division of the last circle, called Idomea, in which are punished those who have betrayed their benefactors. The friar Alberigo explains to Dante that when men have committed the height of perfidy their spirits are at once sent to torment, a fiend taking possession of the body wnich appears to be still alive on earth. • His mouth he lifted from that savage food, That sinner, as he wiped away with hair, Tom from behind the skull, the gouts of blood. Then he began : " You would that I should bear That desperate grief again, at which does break ^ My heart, abready thinking only, ere I speak ; but if my words prove seed to wreak Shame on the traitor whom I'm gnawing here. At the same time you'lt see me weep, yet speak. I know not who you are, nor to this sphere In what way you are come, but Florentine You seemest truly when your speech I hear. You then must know I was Count Ugolin, And this is the Archbishop Euggieri : Now I will tell you why so close we join. That by the effect of his suggestions eerie. Trusting in him, I pined a captive long, Then died, with telling you I need not weary. But what you have not heard amongst the throng — Namely, how cruel was the death I died, You'lt hear, and know if he has done me wrong. A small hole in the tower where the eagles bide, Which men through me the Tower of Famine call, And where yet further victims will be tried,
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