The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
INTliODUCTlON. xxvii of the " Purgatory/* where the soul of Manfred addresses Dante.— Canto III., lines 112—132. . The death of Manfred placed Charles of Anjou at once on the throne of Naples, but his rapid successes, in conjunction with the Pope, so alarmed the Ghibeline party that they made overtures to Curradino, the son of Conrad, to advance to their assistance and claim his rightful crown.
The gallant youth, who was only sixteen years of age, entered Florence with a force of 10,000 Germans in answer to their appeal, and his ranks being rapidly swelled in his advance, entered Naples, where his arrival was heartily welcomed by the people, tired out by one year of French exactions.
Charles brought up his forces to oppose him, and the decisive action took place at Tagliacozzo : — " Where less to arms, than him The old Alardo, Charles his victory owes. " Hell," XXVIII., Unes 17, 18. Young Curradino was at first successful, and his forces drove before them the greater portion of the French. But when thrown into disorder by their too eager pursuit the critical moment was seized by Charles.
Acting on the advice of an old French commander, Allarde Saint Valori, they were attacked in turn by the French reserve, and the fate of the day was suddenly changed. The Germans and Ghibelines were utterly routed, and Curradino himself taken prisoner, who, with many of his noblest companions, was shortly afterwards ruthlessly executed by the conqueror. The bloodshed with which Charles of Anjou stained his victory brought a rapid retribution.
As his grandson, Charles Martel, whom Dante places in Paradise, tells the poet, the beautiful Trinacria would have had his sons for kings : — " If evil ruling, which makes desperate The subject people, had not roused the cry Of Death, still Death, within Palermo's gate. " Paradise," Canto 7III., Unas 74^—6.
John of Procida, a nobleman ruined by the fall of Manfred and Charles's confiscation of his estates, stirred up the Sicilians to rise on their French masters, and the massacre of the latter xxviii INTRODUCTION. throughout the island, on the ringing of the vesper bells at Palermo, followed on his instigation and their own tyrannical excesses.
The island gave itself to Peter of Arragon, who had married Manfred's daughter, all efforts of Charles to recover it were fruitless, and it remained permanently severed from the kingdom of Naples under the rule of Manfred's descendants, whose grandson, Frederic II., enjoyed the crown at the date of Dante's poem.
In the " Purgatory" both Peter of Arragon and Charles of Anjou are introduced, with other sovrans of their time, and their superiority to their living descendants is maintained. — " Purgatory," Canto VII., lines 112 — 127. In the same group appears the Emperor Eodolph, the founder of the house of Hapsburg, " Who had power alone To heal the wounds that Italy hath slain. Lines 94, 96.
His neglect of Italy throughout the twenty years of his reign was a keen subject of regret to the poet, who reproaches him and his son and successor Albert with being the cause of the miseries of his country, which they did nothing to prevent. — "Purgatory," VL, lines 97 — 118.
Bodolph was occupied throughout his reign in consolidating the fortunes of his house in Germany, and Dante represents him in Purgatory by the side of Ottocar II., King of Bohemia, the last opponent whom he overthrew. Ottocar was slain in the decisive battle between them, and Eodolph married his own daughter to Ottocar's son, Yinceslaus, whom he left in possession of his kingdom.
Dante's sympathies were entirely with the martial Ottocar, who refused all submission to the Emperor rather than with his more submissive son, so that he declares that " In his youth Far better he than Yinceslaus his son. Who, bearded, sank in luxury and sloth. " Purgatory," VII., lines 101—8. During the struggle between Bodolph and Ottocar three Popes succeeded within one year to the Papal seat. Adrian V. ,
INTRODUCTION. xxix introduced in the " Purgatory" as suffering for the sin of avarice, and who tells Dante " How weigheth the great garb, kept free from shame, A month, and little longer, did I know : All other loads are feathers by the same. " Purgatory," XIX., Unes 103—6. He died thirty-nine days after his accession, and was succeeded by John XXI., who only surrived him for eight months.
TTnder his own name of Pietro of Spain he is introduced amongst the holy fathers in the ** Paradise" in the 12th Canto. He was succeeded by Nicholas III., of the family of the Orsini, who, on account of his nepotism, is the principal fig^e in that circle of Hell where simony is punisht : — '' And of the Bears a worthy son, in baste Desirous to advance the little Bears, There richfes, here myself in purse I placed. " HeU," XIX., lines 70-2.
He was, however, an energetic ruler, and in his time what afterwards constituted the Papal territories were finally ceded to the See by the Emperor Eodolph.
On his death, in 1281, he was succeeded by Martin lY., represented as purging his gluttony in Purgatory : — '* And that face Thinner than all the rest, beyond him, there Possest the holy Church in his embrace : He came from Tours, and fasting doth atone The wine-steeped eels of famed Bolsena's race.
Canto XXI7., lines 20-^ Martin lY. died in 1285, and his successors, Honorius IV. and Nicholas IV., who completed the long period of Rodolph's reign, are not alluded to by Dante throughout his poem. In July, 1291, Eodolph died, and his efforts to retain the empire in his family seemed at first doomed to failure, as Adolphus Count of Nassau was elected King of the Eomans, and crowned at Aix la Chappelles.
Shortly after the Papal See became vacant, and remained so, owing to the intrigues of rival cardinals, for two years. The astonishment of Europe was not so great at this protracted vacancy as when it was known that the cardinals' choice had fallen upon Pietro, the
INTliODUCTlON. xxvii of the " Purgatory/* where the soul of Manfred addresses Dante.— Canto III., lines 112—132. . The death of Manfred placed Charles of Anjou at once on the throne of Naples, but his rapid successes, in conjunction with the Pope, so alarmed the Ghibeline party that they made overtures to Curradino, the son of Conrad, to advance to their assistance and claim his rightful crown.
The gallant youth, who was only sixteen years of age, entered Florence with a force of 10,000 Germans in answer to their appeal, and his ranks being rapidly swelled in his advance, entered Naples, where his arrival was heartily welcomed by the people, tired out by one year of French exactions.
Charles brought up his forces to oppose him, and the decisive action took place at Tagliacozzo : — " Where less to arms, than him The old Alardo, Charles his victory owes. " Hell," XXVIII., Unes 17, 18. Young Curradino was at first successful, and his forces drove before them the greater portion of the French. But when thrown into disorder by their too eager pursuit the critical moment was seized by Charles.
Acting on the advice of an old French commander, Allarde Saint Valori, they were attacked in turn by the French reserve, and the fate of the day was suddenly changed. The Germans and Ghibelines were utterly routed, and Curradino himself taken prisoner, who, with many of his noblest companions, was shortly afterwards ruthlessly executed by the conqueror. The bloodshed with which Charles of Anjou stained his victory brought a rapid retribution.
As his grandson, Charles Martel, whom Dante places in Paradise, tells the poet, the beautiful Trinacria would have had his sons for kings : — " If evil ruling, which makes desperate The subject people, had not roused the cry Of Death, still Death, within Palermo's gate. " Paradise," Canto 7III., Unas 74^—6.
John of Procida, a nobleman ruined by the fall of Manfred and Charles's confiscation of his estates, stirred up the Sicilians to rise on their French masters, and the massacre of the latter xxviii INTRODUCTION. throughout the island, on the ringing of the vesper bells at Palermo, followed on his instigation and their own tyrannical excesses. The island gave itself to Peter of Arragon, who had married Manfred's daughter, all efforts of Charles to recover it were fruitless, and it remained permanently severed from the kingdom of Naples under the rule of Manfred's descendants, whose grandson, Frederic II., enjoyed the crown at the date of Dante's poem. In the " Purgatory" both Peter of Arragon and Charles of Anjou are introduced, with other sovrans of their time, and their superiority to their living descendants is maintained. — " Purgatory," Canto VII., lines 112 — 127. In the same group appears the Emperor Eodolph, the founder of the house of Hapsburg, " Who had power alone To heal the wounds that Italy has slain." Lines 94, 96. His neglect of Italy throughout the twenty years of his reign was a keen subject of regret to the poet, who reproaches him and his son and successor Albert with being the cause of the miseries of his country, which they did nothing to prevent. — "Purgatory," VL, lines 97 — 118. Bodolph was occupied throughout his reign in consolidating the fortunes of his house in Germany, and Dante represents him in Purgatory by the side of Ottocar II., King of Bohemia, the last opponent whom he overthrew. Ottocar was slain in the decisive battle between them, and Eodolph married his own daughter to Ottocar's son, Yinceslaus, whom he left in possession of his kingdom. Dante's sympathies were entirely with the martial Ottocar, who refused all submission to the Emperor rather than with his more submissive son, so that he declares that " In his youth Far better he than Yinceslaus his son. Who, bearded, sank in luxury and sloth." " Purgatory," VII., lines 101—8. During the struggle between Bodolph and Ottocar three Popes succeeded within one year to the Papal seat. Adrian V. ,
INTRODUCTION. xxix introduced in the " Purgatory" as suffering for the sin of avarice, and who tells Dante " How weighs the great garb, kept free from shame, A month, and little longer, did I know : All other loads are feathers by the same." " Purgatory," XIX., Unes 103—6. He died thirty-nine days after his accession, and was succeeded by John XXI., who only surrived him for eight months. TTnder his own name of Pietro of Spain he is introduced amongst the holy fathers in the ** Paradise" in the 12th Canto. He was succeeded by Nicholas III., of the family of the Orsini, who, on account of his nepotism, is the principal fig^e in that circle of Hell where simony is punisht : — '' And of the Bears a worthy son, in baste Desirous to advance the little Bears, There richfes, here myself in purse I placed." " HeU," XIX., lines 70-2. He was, however, an energetic ruler, and in his time what afterwards constituted the Papal territories were finally ceded to the See by the Emperor Eodolph. On his death, in 1281, he was succeeded by Martin lY., represented as purging his gluttony in Purgatory : — '* And that face Thinner than all the rest, beyond him, there Possest the holy Church in his embrace : He came from Tours, and fasting does atone The wine-steeped eels of famed Bolsena's race." Canto XXI7., lines 20-^ Martin lY. died in 1285, and his successors, Honorius IV. and Nicholas IV., who completed the long period of Rodolph's reign, are not alluded to by Dante throughout his poem. In July, 1291, Eodolph died, and his efforts to retain the empire in his family seemed at first doomed to failure, as Adolphus Count of Nassau was elected King of the Eomans, and crowned at Aix la Chappelles. Shortly after the Papal See became vacant, and remained so, owing to the intrigues of rival cardinals, for two years. The astonishment of Europe was not so great at this protracted vacancy as when it was known that the cardinals' choice had fallen upon Pietro, the
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.