The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri

CANTO XII. The poets leave the hardened spirits, and as they rapidly advance, Dante's attention is drawn hy Yirgil to the effigies which are drawn upon the ledge, and which represent various examples of pride. They are finally met by an Angel, who points out to them the stairs by which they are to ascend, and touching Dante's forehead with his wing effaces one of the seven Ps which had been engraved there at the entrance into Purgatory. Like bullocks in a yoke together go, That burdened soul did I accompany, As long as my sweet master would allow. But when he said : " Now leave him, forwards hie. For here 'tis well that both with oars and sail, Each one in pushing his own bark should vie : Erect, as eager the advance to hail, I raised my person, but nathless my mind Eemained stiU bowed and humbled in the vale. I had moved on, and willingly behind My master's steps I followed, and we both Already showed ourselves as light as wind ; " Turn your eyes downwards," said he as he goes, " To solace the long way 'twill profit you To look on what the bed, your feet tread, shows." ^* As, to preserve awhile their memory, The mounded tombs 'neath which the buried sleep Of their mute tenant bear the effigy, Whence there full many a time the passers weep By the keen puncture of remembrance fain, The which, the gentle-hearted only keep : So saw I, but the likeness better ta'en. Traced with the sculptor's skill divinest there. Throughout the length of that hill-circling plain. Him did I see who was created fair, ^ More than aught other creature, down from Heaven Descending with a lightning sheen through air. I saw Briareus,' hundred-handed, riven By the celestial weapon, yonder lie. Prone to the eaith in lethal force down driven. ^ I saw Apollo, Pallas, Mars, on high In panoply around their father stand, Viewing the giant's limbs, all scattered nigh. Nimrod I saw, beneath the work he planned, Bewildered as it were, and with surprise ^ Watching his proud compeers on Sennaar's land.

176 PURGATORY. Canto XII. O Niobe, with what woe-laden eyes Did I behold you, sculptured on that plain, Mid your fourteen dead sons in sacrifice ! Saul, how vividly were figured, slain ^° On your own sword, upon Gilboa*s hill, Which afterwards received nor dew nor rain ! mad Aragne, so I see you still. Already half a spider, in the mass Of the sad work, which wrought for you such ill ! ^^ Rehoboam, not a threat we trace There, in your image, full of craven fear A chariot bore you, ere the foemen chase. There showed us, too, that graven pavement, clear. What price Alcmeon made his mother pay For that unhappy necklace, won too dear. It showed how his own sons conspired in fray Against Sennacherib, in the Temple's rood, And how they left him dead, and fled away. The mangling, and the cruel deed it showed. Which Tamiris did, when she to Cyrus said. Blood you did thirst, I fill you now with blood. Line 42. " You monntains of Giltoa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon yon." — 2 Samuel, ch. i., v. 21. Petrarch has a similar allusion to the curse of David, mourning for the death of Saul, probably imitated from this passage : — " El pastor ch'a Golia ruppe la f route Pianse la ribellante sua famiglia, E sopra '1 buon Saul caugio le ciglia, Ond' assai piu dolersi il fiero monte." Sonnetto XXXYI. Line 43. Aragne, changed into a spider for having challenged Pallas to a trial of skill in female work. Ovid's " Metam.," book vi. Line 46. " Then King Behoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute : and all Israel stoned him with stones that he died : therefore King Behoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem." — 1 Kings, chap, xii., v. 18. Line 51. Eriphile, bribed by Polinices with a necklace, discovered where her husband Amphiaraus had hidden himself to avoid joining in the war against Thebes, and on the command of the latter, their son Alcmeon slew his motlier in revenge. Line 52. '^And it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his God, that Adrammelech and Shareger his sons smote him with the sword ; and they escaped into the land of Armenia." — 2 Kings, chap, xix., V. 37. Line 56. Tamiris, Queen of Scythia, whose son had been killed by Gyrus, having made him prisoner, cut off his head, and placed it in a basin full of blood, with the speech, " Satia te sanguine, quem sitisti." Justinian, book i.

Canto xn. PURGATORY. 177 It showed how in the rout the Assyrians fled After that Holofernes had been slain, And all the rest of their destruction dread. ^° Troj I beheld in caves and ashes lain ; Ilion, you how lowered and how vile Displayed the image, which is there seen plain. What mastery of pencil, and of style, Had he who drew the shades, and outlines here, ^ Which subtlest intellects to gaze would guile. Alive the living, dead the dead appear ; Who saw the facts beheld not more than I, Of what I trod on, whilst bent down I peer. Now with high looks, keep up your surquedry, sons of Eve, and never bow your face, Lest that your evil pathway you descry. Already had we turned, of the mountain's space. And turned the sun upon his pathway, more Than had the mind not free, the power to trace, When he, who ever watchful walked before. Commenced : " Lift up your head," he 'gan to say, " No longer is there time thus rapt to pore. See yonder is an Angel on our way Who comes towards us ; see, there does return ^ Now the sixth maid from service of the day. With reverence now your acts and face adorn, That he with pleasure your advance secure ; Think that this day can ne'er again be born." In his advice experienced, I was sure ®* It was 'gainst losing time, of that he ne'er Could parley with me in a style obscure. Advanced towards us the sweet creature fair All garbed in white, in face as does appear, All tremulously bright the momins^ star. ^ His anus he opened, and his wings did rear, And said : " Come on, henceforth with ease o'er all The mount can you ascend, the steps are near." How very few approach unto that call ; O human race, though bom above to soar, ** Why at the slightest breath do you thus fall ? To where the rock was cleft he led us o*er. There touched me with his wings upon the front. Then promised me an upward progress sure. Line 81 . The handmaids on the seryice of the day are the hoars. Virgil tells him that an Angel is approaching, and that the sixth hour is past. N