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An English Commentary on
Dante's Divina Commedia
Henry Frowde, M.A.
Publisher to the University of Oxford
London, Edinburgh
New York
An English Commentary on
Dante's Divina Commedia
By the
Rev. H. F. Tozer, M.A. X
Honorary Fellow of Execer College, Oxford
Author of * The Islands of the Aegean '
* A History of Ancient Geography '. v - ^
&C. : ; ; ;«
Oxford
At the Clarendon Press
I 9 o I
• • •
• • •
Oxford
^'nnted at the Clarendon Press
.^/ By Horace Hart, M.A.
Printer to the University
BURDACH
PREFACE
The primary aim with which these notes have been written is
to make Dante's meaning clear to the reader of his poem; and
with a view to this, in interpreting the harder passages, translations,
paraphrases, or explanations have been introduced, according as one
or other of these methods appeared better suited to that purpose.
With the same object — in accordance with the principle which is
now generally accepted, that ' Dante is to be explained by Dante ' —
numerous references have been made, especially for the uses of words
and phrases, from one part of the poem to another, and also to
Dante's prose works, in which, owing to the numbering of the lines
in the Oxford edition, passages can now be easily found. The
origin and exact meaning of archaic and otherwise unusual words
have also been investigated ; and the more marked peculiarities of
syntax and metre have from time to time been noticed. Further,
I have endeavoui-ed to elucidate the allusions and illustrative state-
ments with which the Divina Commedia teems, as far as the
restricted limits of such a work as the present admit, and the needs
of ordinary students require. With a view to this, attention has
been paid to the sources of Dante's facts and references, an accurate
knowledge of which is of great service towards the interpretation of
his meaning; and as works written in Greek, except where they
were translated, are excluded from consideration by Dante's ignorance
of that language, and generally the number of books which were in
circulation in his age was limited, it is possible in a large number of
cases to determine his authorities with some confidence — the more
so because the Poet is fond of introducing into his verses expressions
V
r.il0-1157
PREFACE
and graphic touches which occur in his originals. The contents of
each Canto have been briefly sketched in the Argument prefixed to
it ; but in such portions of the narrative as call for special analysis,
and still more in the philosophical and theological disquisitions, more
complete summaries are introduced in the notes. Attention is also
drawn as occasion requires to the allegorical element which underlies
the story. For the sake of clearness the discussion of different
interpretations of the same passage has been avoided, except in cases
where the balance does not greatly preponderate in favour of any
one of them. I am in hopes that by this mode of treatment this
Commentary may prove useful to students of one of the sublimest
of poems.
The text which I have followed is that of the Oxford edition of
the Divina Comtnedia (1900); but the notes are intended for use
with other editions also : and with this object the more important
variations in the text have been noticed, and the meaning of the
passages has been explained accordingly.
The following are the works which I have chiefly used in study-
ing the poem with a view to these notes. For the valuable assistance
which I have received from them I cannot be too grateful.
Blanc. Versuch einer bloss philologischen Erklarung mehrerer
dunklen und streitigen Stellen der Gottlichen Komodie.
Vocabolario Dantesco.
Grammatik der Italianischen Sprache.
Butler. Edition of the poem, with prose translation and notes ;
three vols.
Cary. Verse translation with notes.
Casinl Edition with Italian notes.
DiEZ. Etymologisches Worterbuch der Romanischen Sprachen ;
4th ed., 1878.
Grammaire des Langues Romanes; three vols.
Fay. Concordance of the Divina Commedia.
KOrting. Lateinisch-romanisches Worterbuch.
PREFACE
Longfellow. Verse translation with notes ; three vols.
Moore. Contributions to the Textual Criticism of the Divina
Commedia.
Studies in Dante ; first series.
The Time-references in the Divina Commedia.
Tutte le Opere di Dante Alighieri (the Oxford Dante).
Philalethes. German verse translation with notes ; three vols.
ScARTAZZiNi. Two editions with Italian notes, the larger in
three vols., the smaller in one vol.
ToYNBEE. Dante Dictionary.
Vernon. Readings on the Inferno of Dante ; two vols.
Readings on the Purgatorio of Dante ; two vols.
Vocabolario Tramater ; seven vols.
Witte. La Divina Commedia, ricorretta sopra quattro dei pivi
autorevoli testi a penna.
(The references to Aristotle are made to the Oxford edition of
Bekker's text.)
My best thanks are due to many friends, who have supplied me
with information on subjects illustrative of the Divina Commedia
with which I am myself imperfectly acquainted ; and especially to
those accomplished Dante scholars. Dr. E. Moore and Mr. Paget
Toynbee, who have always been ready to lend me their assist-
ance. To the latter of these two gentlemen I owe a further debt of
gratitude for having with great kindness read through the proof-
sheets of the present volume, and having favoured me with various
corrections and valuable suggestions.
H. F. T.
CONTENTS
Page
Commentary on Inferno ..... i
,, ,, Purgatorio . . . . .189
„ „ Paradiso . . . . .401
AN ENGLISH COMMENTARY ON
DANTE'S ^DIVINA COMMEDIA'
INFERNO
CANTO I
Prefatory Note on Dante's Conception of Hell.
HELL, as conceived by Dante, is a vast funnel-shaped cavity,
extending from the neighbourhood of the earth's surface to its
centre. The area which is thus formed is divided into nine^oncentric
cixcIeSj^ which descend one below the other, gradually narrowing, untiF
the pit of Hell is reached, where Lucifer is stationed. In each of
these circles a different form of sin is punished ; and the upper part
of the area, containing the first five circles, is assigned to the less
heinous sins ; the lower part, containing the four remaining circles ,
to the more heinous sins. The latter of these portions, which is
called the City of Dis, is separated from the former by a strong
wall of circuit "W ithin the gate of Hell, but on the hither side of
the Acheron, beyond which stream the first circle commences, is
a sort of Ante-Hell, in which the pusillanimous, or those who did
neither good nor evil, are punished, together with those angels who
were neutral at the time of Lucifer's rebellion. The first circle is
the L'tmbus, which contains the souls of the virtuous heathen and of
unbaptized children ; the suffering of these is confined to regret for
their exclusion from the presence of God.
t TOZER I B
INFERNO [I. 1-3
In his journey through Hell Dante follows a leftward course
•throughout, thai direction being intended to signify that the forms
; of sin /Which he pp.Fses become steadily worse as he descends. In
contrast with this, .his, course through Purgatory is continuously
to\var(ls ; the right hapd. :
' The time occupied ' by Dante's transit through the Inferno is
between twenty-four and twenty-five hours.
Argument. — Dante loses his way in a dark forest, and when at
last he has escaped from this, and has regained the sunshine, he finds
himself at the foot of a hill, which he proceeds to ascend. But his
progress is impeded by the sight of three beasts — a panther, a lion,
and a wolf — which stop his way, and he gradually retreats into the
forest. There he espies a human figure, which he summons to hi?
aid. This proves to be the spirit of the poet Virgil, who undertakes
to conduct him through the regions of Hell and Purgatory, intimating
at the same time that under other guidance he may visit Heaven also ;
and Dante departs in his company.
Line i. Nel mezzo, &c. : 'midway in the course of our mortal
life,' i. e. at thirty-five years of age, in accordance with the saying
of the Psalmist, ' The days of our age are threescore years and ten, '
Ps. xc. lO. Dante was born in 1265, and consequently his
' conversion,' which was the turning-point of his spiritual life, and
which he ascribes to the eifect of his Vision upon him, took place
in 1 300. This date was a marked one, both in the history of the
time, as being the great year of Jubilee, and in Dante's career, since
it was the year of his Priorate at Florence.
2,3. selva oscura : by this is meant, allegorically, ' the world '
in the unfavourable sense of the term — the social influences which
darken a man's perception of the tmth, and prevent him from seeing
the right path. Similarly in Conv. iv. 24, 11. 123-6, Dante uses
the term ' the wood of error of this life ' for the world and its
temptations — '1' Adolescente, ch' entra nella selva erronea di questa
vita, non saprebbe tenere il buon cammino.' Che, &c. : ' where (in
which wood) the right way was lost.' If, with Witte and Scartazzini,
Ch^ (accented) is read, the meaning will be ' for the right way was
lost to me ' ; this explains why Dante found himself in the wood
of error.
4-3^] INFERNO
4-6. quanto a dir, &c. : ^ as for describing that y/oqd .,. .,, which
at the mere thought of it renews my fears, 'tis a hare task.'!.
7. Tan to fe amara, &c. : understand questa selva ; the sufferings
of the Hfe of worldliness are hardly exceeded^by the pains oC death. ^
8, 9. del ben, &c. : of his conversion. a^txe.cose,: the horrors
of the wood, which otherwise he would not wilhngly recall.
10. I' non so ben, &c. : the deadening influence of sin prevented
him from tracing the manner and the stages of his fall.
1 2. Che : the antecedent is punto ; 'at the moment when I deserted
the way of truth.' Che is frequently used for 'when,' especially
where, as here, the preposition which supplies that meaning is found
with the antecedent.
13, 14. un coUe: this hill, which in 1. 78 is said to be
'principio e cagion di tutta gioia,' is the Mountain of Salvation — ' the
hills from whence cometh help,' Ps. cxxi. i — which is enlightened
by the beams of divine grace (11. 16-18), but has to be reached by
the steep ascent of perseverance, valle : the selva ; cp. Inf. xv. 50,
' mi smarri' in una valle.'
17, 18. pianeta : the sun, which represents allegorically the light
of God's grace. According to the astronomy of the period the sun
was one of the planets, altrui : ' persons,' ' men ' ; the word is
here used in a general sense ; cp. Inf. ii. 89.
20, 21. nel lago del cor, &c. : 'had settled in my heart's
depths ' ; lago is used of the heart as being the receptacle of the
blood, pieta : ' distress ' ; Dante uses pieta only in the sense of
'sorrow,' 'distress' — not, like^/V/<3, for 'pity.'
26, 27. a rimirar lo passo : * to look back on the wood through
which I had passed,' i. e. on the life of sin from which he had
escaped. Che non lascio, &c. : ' which never suffered a soul to
escape alive ' ; i. e. the life of sin (if persevered in) leads to inevitable
ruin.
28-30. ei: for ebbi; this form was used by other writers of
Dante's period ; see Moore, Text. Crit., p. 259. Si che, &c. : this
implies that he was ascending the hill, because in mounting the lower
foot is that on which the weight of the body is thrown.
32. lonza : 'panther'; the three beasts which are here intro-
duced — the panther, the lion, and the wolf — were suggested by
Jer. v. 6. The primary allegorical meaning of these is three forms
of temptation — lust, pride, and avarice — which present themselves to
3 B 2
INFERNO [1. 37-6^
.the converged soul, oi) its upward course ; the lonza is thus interpreted
I'm Inf.'.xfu T6Sy the lupa in Purg. xx. lo. The prevalence of
-pride z*nd avarice' {or greed) in Florentine society at this time is
Korice^t in -Icif. vi* 7^) 7*5 > ^^^t of corrupt living in Purg. xxiii. 94
' '3';. dal,*<S^c'.':' 'at 'morning prime*; for this use of ila cp. Par.
xxxi. 118,^^ matlina, and the expressions t/a mane, da sera.
38-40. quelle stelle : the constellation of Aries, in which the
sun is in the early spring ; it is this season of the year which is here
intended. In the middle ages the world was believed to have been
created at the vernal equinox. quelle cose belle: the heavenly
bodies.
42. Di: lit. * concerning ' ; take with bene sperar — 'good
hope of escaping or conquering that beast.'
46-8. venesse : archaic for venisse. che 1' aer ne temesse :
the expression is hyperbolical, expressing the excitement of Dante's
feelings at the moment — an instance of the ' pathetic fallacy.' Cp.
Tennyson's Godiva, where, as she is described as riding naked
through the town —
* The deep air listened round her as she rode,
And all the low wind hardly breathed for fear.'
49. Ed una lupa : understand parea che contra me venesse. If
E d* una is read, it must be la vista (1. 45) d' una lupa.
54. deir altezza: of reaching the height.
55. quale e quel, &c. : the turn of the tide of fortune against
the money-making man, and his consequent despondency, is introduced
to illustrate Dante's discouragement arising from tJie check to his
upward course.
58-60. senza pace : ' merciless.' Ih. : to the darkness of the
selva oscura. tace : ' doth not shine '; for a similar transference of
the impressions of one sense to another cp. Inf. v. 28, 'loco d' ogni
luce muto.'
61. rovinava: ' was hastening down to,' lit. ' falling down ' ; the
basso loco is the valle (1. 1 4) of the selva. Allegorically, ' while
I was speeding on my downward way towards the life of sin.'
63. Chi, &c. : ' one who appeared enfeebled by long silence ' ;
i. e. he looked like one who, from long want of commerce with other
human beings, had lost vitality. Dante thus describes the impression
made on him by a disembodied spirit, which he now sees for the
4
1. 68-89] INFERNO
first time ; he doubted whether he could be ' very man ' (uomo certo,
1. 66), though he had the aspect of a man (cp. Inf. vi. 36, lor
vanita, che par persona). Fioco, wherever it occurs in the Dlv.
Com., signifies 'feeble,' 'faint,' and it is used both of the bodily
powers, as in Inf. xxxiv. 22, and of the voice, as in Inf. iii. 27.
In the present passage, as it refers directly to Chi, it is more natural
to take it of the former. Every interpretation of the passage which
turns on the sound of Virgil's voice — as, ' hoarse from long disuse of
speech,' and Gary's, 'whose voice seemed faint through long disuse
of speech ' — is excluded by the fact that he had not yet spoken.
Blanc's view, that it means ' one whose long silence seemed to show
him faint' [Versuch, p. 12), avoids this error, but is open to the
objections (i) that, as Virgil appears suddenly to Dante, there was
no great opportunity for long silence; (2) that Dante's doubt as to
Virgil's being uomo certo seems to arise from something in his
appearance rather than from his not speaking at once.
68. Lombardi : observe the anachronism ; similarly in Par. vi.
49 the Carthaginians are called Arabs, and in Conv. iv. 5, 11. 160-4,
the Gauls are called Frenchmen.
70. sub lulio : if this means ' when Julius was head of the
state ' — and it probably does so, for to Dante Julius Caesar was the
first of the dynasty of the Caesars— it is an error, for Virgil was
born in 70 B.C., and at that time even the first triumvirate had not been
formed. But if it means ' in the time of Julius,' it is admissible,
since Julius Caesar was already a prominent man at that time. The
use of Latin in sub lulio is probably due to its being a date in
Roman history; cp. ab ant'tco in Inf. xv. 62. tardi : various
explanations are given of this ; perhaps the best is, that Virgil had
not risen into prominence before Caesar's death in 44 B. c.
73. giusto : Aeneas is described by this epithet in Virg. Aen. i.
544, 545, ' quo iustior alter Nee pietate fuit,' &c.
77. il dilettoso monte: the colle of I. 13.
83. il lungo studio : an evidence of this is found in Dante's
frequent quotations from Virgil's poems, which amount to about
two hundred ; see Moore, Studies, i. p. 4.
87. Lo bello stile: i.e. his poetic taste, as already manifested
in his lyric poems.
89. saggio : on the mediaeval estimate of Virgil's knowledge see
Prefatory Note to Canto II.
5
INFERNO [I. 91-101
91. altro viaggio : the nature of this journey Virgil describes
below in 11. 114 foil.
94. gride : archaic for gridi. Similar archaisms in the vowel
endings of the inflexions of the verbs will be found in the rhymes
throughout the poem. It may here be remarked once for all that
Dante does not arbitrarily alter the forms of words for the sake
of the rhyme, though he employs every available license in producing
variety, e. g. by using archaic, dialectic, Latin, Provencal, and other
forms. The chief archaic and dialectic forms in the D'lv. Com. are
to be found in Nannucci, Voci usate da Dante in grazia della r'ttna,
and Blanc, Grammatik der ital. Sprache.
95. la sua via : the way that she guards.
100. Molti son, &c. : from speaking of the general character of
avarice Virgil passes to its influence in Italy, where it was the moving
power in a variety of intrigues.
I o I . il veltro : ' the greyhound.' The discussion of the question,
Who is meant by this expression ? has given birth to a considerable
literature. It has been interpreted of Christ, of an unknown but
hoped-for saviour of Italy, of Henry of Luxemburg, and of Can
Grande della Scala of Verona. The principal points in the descrip-
tion of the personage referred to — viz. his most prominent virtue,
and the scene of his influence (see the notes on 11. 103, 105) — are
suitable to Can Grande, if we allow for the vagueness which is
inseparable from an oracular intimation like the present ; and the
term veltro is most easily explained' as referring to the name Can
Grande, and to the mastiff on the coat of arms of the Scaligers.
When we add to this that Can Grande was a strong supporter of
the imperial cause, which Dante had so much at heart, and that he
was a prominent patron and entertainer of the poet himself, it is not
unnatural to suppose that Dante was, at least indirectly, referring
to him. But at the same time the function which he assigns to the
veltro in what follows is evidently one of too widely extended
influence to be restricted to any local potentate ; so that we are led
to the conclusion that the poet intends that his words should also
bear a more extended application as pointing to a ' coming man ' —
a ruler who was to be both politically and socially the regenerator of
Italy. Such a personage is again foreshadowed in the dux of
Purg. xxxiii. 43, where also the expressions used cannot be limited
in their application to any definite person.
6
I. 103-17] INFERNO
103-5. peltro : 'pewter,* i.e. lucre; the meaning is, 'he will
not be greedy either of land or lucre.' This virtue is specially
attributed to Can Grande in Par. xvii. 84. nazion : ' dominion.*
tra Feltro e Feltro : between Feltre near Belluno towards the
north and Montefeltro in Romagna towards the south. The
territory thus indicated was the scene of the greater part of Can
Grande's operations in the imperial cause.
106. umile: 'in her low estate.' As it is Virgil who speaks,
and characters from the Aeneid are introduced in the next two lines,
this epithet is probably borrowed from Aen. iii. 522, ' humilemque
videmus Italiam.' The meaning ' low-lying ' in which Virgil
there uses it — for he is describing the low ground of the heel of
Italy — is inapplicable here ; and consequently we must suppose
that Dante has made him adapt the word to his present purposes
in speaking of the depressed condition of Italy in the thirteenth
century.
107, 108. Cammilla, &c. : in Virgil's description in the Aeneid
of the struggle between the Trojans and the native races for the
possession of Italy, Nisus and Euryalus met their deaths on the side
of the former {Aen. ix. 433-45), Camilla and Turnus on the
side of the latter [Aen. xi. 831 ; xii. 952).
III. invidia: the envy of the devil which caused the Fall of
man ; cp. Wisd. ii. 24, ' Through envy of the devil came death
into the world.' With the Fall sin arose, and in particular the sin
here mentioned, covetousness.
1 1 2-4. me': = wf^//o, 'benefit.' loco eterno : Hell; cp.
Inf. iii. 8, ' io eterno duro.'
117. Che, &c. : as regards the construction — Che and ciascun
are in apposition, and the latter is the subject to grida, which
consequently is in the sing, number. The meaning is, ' who one
and all invoke the second death,' i.e. express their longing for
annihilation; cp. Inf. iii. 46 and xiii. 118, in both which passages
morte^ in the sense of extinction, is used of those already dead.
Instances of the use of gridare in the sense of chiedere gridando are
given in the Vocah. Tramater. Others take grida in the more usual
sense of 'proclaim,' and la seconda morte as the state of the
damned after the final judgement, when their torments will be
increased after they have reassumed their bodies ; for this cp. ' the
second death' in Rev. ii. 11 ; xx. 14.
INFERNO [i. 118-34
118. color: the souls in Purgatory.
122. Anima : Beatrice.
126. per me si vegna : ' that any should enter by my guidance.*
134. la porta di san Pietro : the gate of Purgatory, the keys
of which are entrusted by St. Peter to the angel that guards it ;
cp. Purg. ix. 117, 127.
CANTO II
Prefatory Note on the Position of Virgil and
Beatrice in the Poem.
The office which Virgil discharges in the Divina Commedia is
that of being Dante's guide in his journey through Hell and
Purgatory. In the allegory of the poem he symbolizes human
reason in its highest development, while Beatrice, who conducts
the poet through Paradise, represents theology or revealed truth ;
this is clearly explained in Purg. xviii. 46-8. Thus in the first
two Cantiche, where moral questions — the punishment which sin
brings in its train, and the discipline by which its injurious effects
can be remedied — are being treated of, the knowledge with which
Virgil is gifted suffices for Dante's guidance ; but in the third
section of the poem, which deals with spiritual truths and heavenly
mysteries, the aid of an inspired teacher is required for his instruc-
tion. The relation in which Dante's two guides stand to one
another is shown in the Earthly Paradise, where, as soon as Beatrice
appears on the scene, Virgil, the object of whose mission is now
accomplished, disappears (Purg. xxx. 49).
We may assume that Dante's primary reason for assigning to
Virgil so prominent a place in the action of the poem was his sense
of the debt which he owed him in respect of the formation of his
own poetic style. This feeling on his part towards the Roman
poet he definitely expresses in Inf. i. 85-7. He also admired
him as being in the yleneid the poet of the Roman Empire, the
belief in which institution was the basis of his own political creed.
At the same time it was only natural that Dante should select him
to be the representative of human intelligence, in consequence of the
extraordinarily high estimate that was formed of his powers during
8
II. i] INFERNO
the middle ages. From various causes, in the minds of the vulgar
Virgil had come to be regarded as a poweiful magician, and among
the learned the character almost of omniscience was attributed to
him ; while Christian teachers — chiefly owing to the supposed
prediction of the birth of Christ contained in his Fourth Eclogue —
in some cases ranked him among the ancient Prophets. Dante
himself in Inf. i. 89 addresses him ^sfamoso saggio; and in Purg.
xxii. 73 Statius is made to attribute his conversion to Christianity
to his prophecy. (See on this subject Comparetti, Vergil in the
Middle Ages\ trans, by E. F. M. Benecke.) Dante also no doubt
felt that the fact of his companion and guide being a famous poet
would contribute to the treatment of the subject an element of grace
and . sympathy which would otherwise be lacking ; and this result
of their spiritual affinity constantly impresses itself on his readers
in the courteous and affectionate relations which they feel to exist
between them.
Argument. — Dante discloses to Virgil his doubt, whether he is
qualified to undertake the proposed journey. Virgil, in order to
restore his confidence, describes how Beatrice — at the instigation
of Dante^s special saint, St. Lucy, who in turn had been prompted
by the Blessed Virgin herself — had descended from heaven to
Limbo, where he was, to implore him to rescue his brother poet
from danger. Dante, being thus assured of the protection of heaven,
professes himself ready to start without delay.
Line i. Lo giomo se n' andava: the time is the evening of
Good Friday, April 8, 1300. That the day was Good Friday
is clearly implied by what is said in Inf. xxi. 112 (where see note).
That the year was 1 300 a. d. has already been deduced from what
is said in Inf. i. i concerning Dante's age at the time of his Vision ;
and in that year according to the calendar Good Friday fell on
April 8. From the determination of Good Friday evening as the
time of Dante's entrance into Hell, it further follows that he passed
the Thursday night preceding in the sel'va (Inf. i. 21), and that
the whole of Good Friday was occupied by the struggle with the
Beasts and his meeting with Virgil. It should be noticed that
Eastertide 1300 is carefully observed throughout the Dii), Com.
as the date of Dante's Vision, so that all references in the poem
to events of a later date than this are to be regarded as prophetic.
INFERNO [II. 4-24
(For additional proofs of the points mentioned above see Moore's
Time- References In the D'lvina Commed'ia^ pp. 6 foil.)
4-6. la guerra : ' the painful struggle.' ritrarrk : ' will re-
count'; cp. Inf. iv. 145. chenonerra: not 'unerring,' 'infallible,'
but ' which does not stray,' as being fixed intently on its pui^pose.
7. O Muse: Dante defends the use of poetical invocations in
his letter to Can Grande, Epist. x. § 18, 11. 306-12. Observe
that the invocation, which in the two other Cantiche occurs in
Canto I (Purg. i. 8; Par. i. 13), is here found in Canto II, the
reason being that Canto I is introductory to the whole poem. This
is also the explanation of there being thirty-four Cantos in the
Inferno, whereas there are thirty-three in the other parts, ingeg^o :
' spirit of genius,' of which the Muses are the representatives.
8. scrivesti : sc. on the tablets of memory; cp. Inf. xv. 88.
1 2. alto passo : ' hazardous transit ' through the world of
spirits, alto adds a superlative force to the substantive, like that
of * supreme' in English; and so in the present connexion may
mean 'dread,' 'momentous,' or 'hazardous.'
13-5. di Silvio lo parente: Aeneas, whose son Silvius is
mentioned in j^en. vi. 763. Corruttibile ancora : 'while still
clothed in human flesh'; cp. i Cor. xv. 53, 'for this corruptible,'
&c. secolo : ' world ' ; Virgil in the sixth Aeneid has described
Aeneas' visit to the world of spirits, fu sensibilmente : 'was
there in the body,' not in a vision.
1 6-9. Pero, &c. : * Wherefore, if the adversary of all evil
(God) was gracious to him, in consideration of the mighty result
which was to proceed from him (viz. the Roman Empire), and the
person (the Emperor), and his greatness, this cannot but approve
itself to a reflecting mind.' According to Dante's political views,
which he has developed in the Dc Monarchia^ the Roman Empire
was the embodiment of the true principles of government, and the
type to be followed in succeeding ages, i : = gU ; cp. Inf. xxii.
73 ; Par. xxix. 17. il chi, e il quale: these expressions are the
quis and qualis of the Schools ; quale, lit. ' of what sort,' i. e. how
great.
20. alma: * fostering.' suo impero : note the synizesis, jmo
im- being pronounced as one syllable.
22-4. a voler dir lo vero : this form of asseveration seems
to be a profession of faith on Dante's part in the relationship of the
10
II. !2S-56] INFERNO
Empire and the Church which is here implied; perhaps also it
contains an apology to Virgil for giving a Christian interpretation
(and therefore a different one from his) of the foundation of the
Roman Empire, maggior : the most exalted of that name.
25-7. onde, &c. : 'for which thou dost celebrate him,' in the
sixth Aeneid. Intese cose, &c. ; the meaning is : — He heard
the prophecies concerning the Roman Empire, which gave him
confidence to conquer Italy, and so to cause the foundation of
Rome, the future seat of the Papacy.
28-30. Andowi, &c. St. Paul, the 'chosen vessel' (Acts
ix. 15) was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. xii. 2). vi =
ad immortale secoloj 1. 14. conforto, &c. : ' support (derived from
the sight of the spiritual world) to faith, which is the starting-
point,' &c.
31—3. io perche venirvi : 'why should I come thither'; the
infin. is used, because it is a rhetorical question, which does not
expect an answer, and it is hurriedly uttered, il crede : 'believes
this,' viz. that I am worthy.
34-6. se del venire, &c. : 'if I consent to come,' lit. 'if I
resign myself in the matter of coming.' For the use of abbandonarsi
cp. Purg. xvii. 136; Par. xvii. 108; xxxi. 75. me* eh' io non
ragiono : ' better than I express it in words.'
39. dal cominciar, &c. : 'withdraws wholly from what he has
begun.'
41. Perche, &c. : 'so that through reflexion I cancelled the
enterprise.'
45. oflfesa : 'impeded,' as by a stumbling-block; 'the impedi-
ment that checks thy spirit is cowardice.'
48. falso veder : ' mistake of sight.'
52, 53. sospesi : 'in the intermediate state' — a condition
intermediate between salvation and damnation, that of Limbo ; cp.
Inf. iv. 45. donna : Beatrice ; see 1. 70.
55. la Stella: for 'the stars' generally. Cp. Vita Nuova,
§ 23, 11. 176, 177, 'Poi mi parve vedere appoco appoco Turbar Io
Sole ed apparir la Stella'; Conv. iv. 19, 11. 30, 31, ' Siccome e '1
cielo, dovunque e la Stella ' ; also the use of /a Jiammella for le
Jiammelle in Inf. xvii. 33.
56. soave e piana : take in sua favella with this — ' in sweet
low tones,' lit. ' sweet and low in her manner of speaking.'
II
INFERNO [II. 60-78
60. quanto il mo to lontana : the meaning is ' to the end
of time,' lit. 'as far as motion extends into the distance,' the motion
being that of the heavenly bodies, by which time is determined.
mondo is also read here, and it is difficult to decide whether this
or moto is right. As regards the authority of the MSS., the balance
is slightly in favour of mondo ; on the other hand, moio is the harder
of the two to explain, and therefore the less likely to have been
substituted for another reading (see Moore, Text. Cr'tt.^ pp. 270-272).
The general meaning with mondo is practically the same as with
mo/o, viz. 'to the end of the world,' lit. 'so long as the world
is ever moving onward.' Some authorities regard lontana not
as a verb (for si lontana)^ but as an adj., agreeing with fama\
in this case the construction will be, ' la fama durera tanto lontana
('so far into the distant ages') quanto il moto (or, mondo) durera.'
61. L' amico, &c. : ' one whom I love, but fortune loveth not.*
66. Per quel, &c. : ' from what I have heard ' ; this is explained
in 11. 107, 108.
67. parola ornata : ' skill in speech ' ; cp. parole ornate in Inf.
xviii. 91.
70. Beatrice : on the position which she occupies in the scheme
of the poem see the Prefatory note to this Canto.
74. Di te mi lodero : ' I will express myself pleased with thee ' ;
this is the proper meaning of lodarsi di ; cp. Inf. xxii. 84, ' ciascun
se ne loda.' It is noticeable that the present passage implies that
the consciousness of God's approbation could be a source of happi-
ness to a spirit in Limbo. This view seems to be corroborated
by a passage in the Appendix to St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa,
Q. I, Art. 2, referring to the position of unbaptized children in
Limbo, who were excluded from heaven for the same cause as
the virtuous heathen, viz. from the lack of Christian faith and
baptism. ' Quamvis pueri non baptizati sint separati a Deo quantum
ad illam coniunctionem quae est per gloriam, non tamen ab eo penitus
sunt separati, immo ei coniunguntur per participationem naturalium
bonorum ; et ita etiam de Ipso gaudere poterunt naturali cognitione
et dilcctione.'
75. tacette : for tacque\ cp. Inf. xxvii. 98.
76-8. sola per cui, &c. : the meaning of this, as addressed
to Beatrice, is, 'It is only by means of Theology, i. e. the knowledge
of Divine truth, that the thoughts of man rise above this sublunary
12
II. 79-9^] INFERNO
sphere.' The first of the concentric spheres which form Dante's
heaven is that of the moon (see Prefatory Note to Canto I of the
Paradiso) ; and as this is the nearest to the earth, which is the
centre of the system, it is the smallest — ha minor li cerchi sui.
Thus the expression 'everything contained by that heaven ' — ogni
contento Da quel ciel — is equivalent to 'everything sublunary.'
The idea which is embodied in these lines was probably suggested
to Dante by a passage in Cicero's Somnlum Scipionis, with which
work we know from Par. xxii. 133 foil, that he was familiar. It is
there said of the sphere of the moon (§ 4) — 'Infra autem iam nihil est
nisi mortale et caducum praeter animos munere Deorum hominum
generi datos : supra lunam sunt aeterna omnia ' ; after which it is
added (§ 6) — 'haec caelestia semper spectato, ilia humana contemnito.'
79-81. These lines must be taken in connexion with what
follows in 1. 82, Ma d'lmmi la cagion, &c. Virgil assures Beatrice
of his anxiety to comply at once with her request, but at the same
time his longing for an explanation of her willingness to descend
from heaven to hell overpowers his desire to do so. First he says,
with polite extravagance of speech, ' obedience to your behests comes
to me all too late, even were it already paid,' in other words, ' I
would readily, and more than readily, obey on the spot ' — ' but,' he
adds, ' I am anxious first to ask a question.' talento : ' desire.'
82-4. che : ' for which (reason),' ' why.' centre : according
to Dante the earth was the centre of the universe, and hell extended
from just within the surface of the earth to its centre, ampio
loco : the highest or Empyrean heaven, the seat of the Blessed,
which embraces the other spheres of Paradise; cp. Purg. xxvi. 63,
' piii ampio si spazia.'
85. saper cotanto addentro : 'to know so much of the
heart of the matter,' ' investigate the matter so closely.'
89. altrui: 'persons,' 'men'; cp. Inf. i. 18 ; Purg. iv. 54.
91. sua merce: 'thanks to him,' an elliptical expression.
94-6. Donna e gentil : the Blessed Virgin is meant, who
symbolizes prevenient grace. Her name, like that of Christ and
other sacred names, is not allowed to be pronounced in Hell ; * see
note on Inf. iv. 53. impedimento : ' the hindrance to Dante's
onward course.' ove : 'to deal with which.' Si die, &c. : 'so
that she mitigates the strictness of God's judgement,' i. e. she causes
mercy to prevail against justice in Dante's case.
13
INFERNO [II. 97-122
97. Lucia: St. Lucy, the martyr of Syracuse, who represents
illuminative grace. This idea arose from her name [Lucia from
luce\ and for this reason she is represented in art as carrying a lamp
(Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art^ vol. ii. p. 614).
98. il tuo fedele: this expression implies that Dante was a
devotee of St. Lucy. This was probably due to her being the
patron saint of those who suffered from diseases of the eyes
(Jameson, op. cit.j p. 617), for Dante tells us that he was affected
by weakness of sight, first through weeping for the loss of Beatrice
(Fifa Nuova, § 32, 11. 1-4), and afterwards from the effects of
overmuch reading (Conv. iii. 9, 11. 149-153).
100-2. nimica, &c. : gentleness was one of St. Lucy's
characteristics. Probably, as the term crudelitas in Aquinas is used
of ' over-severity in punishment,' it is implied here that she would
naturally second the efforts of the Virgin to cause mercy to triumph
over justice, che ; ' I who was sitting ' ; or perhaps, ' where/ the
notion of place being supplied by the antecedent loco, con 1' antica
Rachele: cp. Par. xxxii. 8, 9.
103-5. loda di Dio vera: cp. Fita Nuova, § 26, II. 17-19,
* Ed altri dicevano : Questa e una meraviglia ; che benedetto sia lo
Signore che si mirabilmente sa operare.' uscio per te : it was his
determination to celebrate Beatrice which caused him to devote
himself to study, and thus to rise to distinction; ibid. § 43, 11. 1-7.
108. la fiumana, &c. : 'the rushing torrent, than which the sea
is not wilder,' lit. 'over which the sea may not boast itself.'
Fiumana signifies 'a full rushing stream.' The meaning of the
passage is not literal, but spiritual and allegorical. The rushing
stream is the 'world,' and the death which threatens Dante is
spiritual ruin.
113, 114. parlare onesto : 'skill in speech,' like the paro/a
omata of 1. 67. e quei, &c. : the meaning apparently is: — 'and
those who have heard and imitated it' ; cp. Inf. i. 86, 87.
118, 119. volse: (or voile; cp. Inf. xxix. 102. quella fiera :
the wolf; cp. Inf. i. 49-54.
121, 122. Dunque che h? this is the answer to Dante's
objections as to his fitness for the journey, allette: for a/Ietli^
'give entrance to'; allettare is from Lat. adlectare, 'to entice,'
'invite,' frequentative of a/Iicere; cp. the use of allettarsi for 'to
find entrance ' in Inf. ix. 93.
14
II, 128— III. 12] INFERNO
128. gl' imbianca : 'lightens upon them'; cp. Par. vii. 81.
132. franca: 'resolute.'
142. alto e silvestro : 'deep and wild.' For alto in this sense
cp. Inf. xvi. 114, 'alto burrato.' The meaning 'deep' is suitable
here, because the way lay through a valley (Inf. i. 14); and its
association with silvestro suggests that it is a descriptive epithet.
Cammin silvestro for ' wild road ' occurs again in Inf. xxi. 84.
CANTO III
Argument. — Dante, following Virgil, passes through the gate
of Hell, after reading the inscription over it. He then enters the
vestibule of Hell, a space on the hither side of the river Acheron,
where are punished the souls of the pusillanimous and indifferent,
together with the angels who were neutral at the time of Lucifer's
rebellion. When the Poets reach the bank of the Acheron, they
find there Charon, and a crowd of spirits whom he is preparing to
ferry across in his boat. An earthquake now occurs, by which
Dante is overpowered and loses consciousness.
Lines 5, 6. The three qualities here mentioned — power, wisdom,
and love — represent the three Persons of the Trinity ; cp. Conv. ii. 6,
11. 62 foil., where Dante speaks of 'la Potenza somma del Padre,'
and ' la somma Sapienza del Figliuolo,' and 'la somma e ferventissima
Carita dello Spirito Santo.' In the Paradiso amore ov prlmo amore
is several times used as a name of the Holy Spirit ; cp. Par. vi. 1 1 ;
X. I ; xiii. 57, 79.
7, 8. Dinanzi a me, &c. : Hell was created at the time of the
fall of the rebellious angels, and at that time the only things that
existed were the cose eteme, i. e. the angels, the heavens, and
other imperishable things, io etemo dure : ' I endure ever-
lastingly,' etemo being adverbial. If eterna is read, it agrees with
io, i. e. la porta of 1. 11.
12. duro : 'appalling'; and sospetto in 1. 14 means 'timidity,'
as in Inf. ix. 51. If duro is taken as 'hard to comprehend,'
sospetto must mean ' doubt ' ; but the former interpretation is
probably right, because 11. 14, 15 are in imitation of the words of
the Sibyl to Virgil, when he enters the infernal regions [Aen. vi.
261), 'Nunc animis opus, Aenea, nunc pectore firmo.'
15
INFERNO [ill. 13-50
1 3. accorta : ' well-advised/ as being acquainted with the region
and its influences.
16-8. io t' ho detto: see Inf. i. 114 foil, il ben dell'
intelletto : the knowledge of God, in which the spiritual happiness
of man consists.
22. Quivi : they have now passed the gate of Hell, and have
entered the vestibule (see the Argument to this Canto). This
vestibule is a creation of Dante's own.
25. Diverse: ' strange,' as in Inf. vi. 13; vii. 105; xxii. 10.
The word gets this meaning from that of 'different from our
experience.'
27. fioche: 'faint,' in contrast to alte; cp. ' sospiri, pianti ed
alti guai' in 1. 22. suon di man: smiting the hands together
in despair.
28-30. s'aggira: 'swirls.' senza tempo tinta : 'dark for
evermore.' quando, &c. : ' when the wind blows like a whirlwind.'
31. orror: 'terror.' The majority of the MSS. here read
error (Moore, Text. Cr'tt., p. 275); but orror is almost certainly
right, the passage being imitated from Virg. Aen. ii. 559, 'At me
tum primum saevus circumstetit horror.'
37. quel cattivo coro, &c. : the neutral angels, like the vesti-
bule itself, seem to have been a conception of Dante's own. The
contempt which he expresses for them corresponds to that which he
elsewhere displays towards persons who were neutral in their views,
whether political or otherwise.
40, 41. Cacciarli, &c. : 'the heavens expelled them lest their
brightness should be dimmed by their presence, and the depth of Hell
refuses to receive them.' Observe that their expulsion took place
once for all^ whereas the refusal to receive them was permanent ; this
accounts for the difference of tense between Cacciarli and riceve.
The failure to perceive this gave rise to the reading Caccianli.
42. Che, &c. : the meaning is: — 'so that (as a consequence of
their being admitted) the criminals in Hell should be able to glory
in seeing them, who had not rebelled against God, but had been
cowardly, in the same condemnation with themselves.' To prevent
this they are excluded from Hell by the divine laws.
46. morte : this in their case is extinction, the seconda morte of
Inf. i. 117.
49, 50. la88a = /<r/xr/V7; cp. lass't in Inf. ii. 18. Misericordia,
16
HI. 53-83] INFERNO
&c. : * mercy disdains them and justice too.' Obsei-ve the sing. vb.
with two subjects ; Dante often avails himself of this use for the
sake of the rhyme.
53, 54. girando : 'moving hither and thither.' indegna : for
indegnata^ ' it appeared to me to scorn delay.' The punishment
of dull apathy is to be kept in restless movement, goaded on by
stings, and treated with ignominy. Their having all to follow one
banner implies the want of individuality in their characters.
59, 60. Vidi e conobbi : this implies that the person spoken of
was some one personally known to Dante. It is usually regarded
as being Pope Celestine V, who abdicated within a year of his
election in 1294. Dante refers again to his rifiuto in Inf. xxvii.
105. The Poet's view of the Papal office would naturally lead him to
regard such an act with great disfavour, and so far the identification
is suitable ; but a doubt arises with regard to it, from its being un-
certain whether Dante could have seen Celestine.
64. sciaurati : for sciaguratu mai non fur vivi : cp. Conn).
iv. 7, 11. 106, 107, ' veramente morto il malvagio uomo dire si puo.'
70. mi diedi : ' I set myself to look.'
71 foil. The greater part of the remainder of the Canto was
suggested by Virg. Aen. vi. 268 foil. Besides Charon's boat and the
crossing of the Acheron, the following may be noticed as the most
striking points of resemblance between the two passages : the de-
scription of Charon, lanose gote^ 1-97 ('canities inculta,' Aen. vi.
1. 300) ; occhi di bragia, 1. 109 (' stant lumina flamma,' 1. 300); the
appearance of the Acheron, Un)ida palude, 1. 98 (' vada livida,' 1. 320);
the faint W^t^Jioco lume., 1. 75 ('sub luce maligna,' 1. 270); the shades
crowding to the stream, d'l trapassar st pronte^ !• 74 ('concursus ad
amnem,' 1. 318); and the simile of the leaves in autumn. Come d'
auiunno, &c., 1. 112 (' Quam multa in silvis auctumni frigore primo,'
&c., 1. 309).
73. costume: 'ordinance.*
76. Le cose ti fien conte : Virgil explains them in II. 121
foil, conte : ' known,' ' clear ' ; cp. Inf. xxi. 62. Conto is the Lat.
cognitus.
80, 81. Temendo no: cp. Inf. xvii. 76. The usage cor-
responds to that of the Lat. vereor ne. mi trassi : ' I restrained
myself,' 'abstained.'
83. bianco per antico pelo : similarly in Purg. i. 34, 35, it
TozER 17 C
INFERNO [im 91-130
is said of Cato, ^ Lunga la barba e di pel bianco mista Portava, e i
suoi capegli simigliante/ Charon in the Inferno is intended to be a
sort of prototype of Cato in the Purgatorio.
91. per altri porti : *by another port,' viz. the port for the
crossing to Purgatory. The souls bound for Purgatory met at the
mouth of the Tiber, and were ferried across from there by an angel ;
see Purg. ii. 100, loi. Charon means that Dante was not a
condemned soul, and therefore ought not to pass by the way of
Hell, but by that of Purgatory. The form of expression in 11. 91,
92 is elliptical, and as it stands it seems to involve a contradiction.
In ^per altri porti Verrai a ipisiggra.,^ piaggia would mean the further
bank, while in ' Verrai a piaggia per passare ' it would mean the
hither bank. Charon's meaning is ' per altri porti verrai a piaggia,
non verrai qui per passare.'
93. Piu lieve legno : the vasello legg'iero of Purg. ii. 41, in
which the souls were ferried to Purgatory.
94-6. non ti crucciare : ' be not indignant ' at having to
transport him. col^ : in Heaven, dove si puote, &c. : * where
power accompanies will.'
106. si ritrasser : 'they congregated,' lit. 'drew in,' 'drew
together.'
no, III. le raccoglie : i.e. in his boat, s' adagia : 'delays
to enter.'
1 1 2-4. si levan : ' are stripped off.' Vede : for a similar
act attributed to a tree Scartazzini compares Virg. Georg. ii. 82,
'Miraturque novas frondes.' Rende is also read, but it has less
authority, and is lectio facilior .
117. per cenni, &c. : 'at (lit. because of ) his signals, as a bird
(falcon) at his recall.'
128, 129. E pero, &c. : * and therefore, if Charon is distressed
on thy account, thou canst clearly understand now what his words
imply.' The cause of Charon's vexation is that the laws of Hell
are being broken by an uncondemned soul being admitted (11. 88,
89). This implies that he recognizes Dante as ' anima buona,' and
therefore destined to be saved. Virgil gives a pleasant interpretation
to Charon's threats.
130. Finite questo : ' when Virgil had ceased speaking.'
18
IV. 2-24] INFERNO
CANTO IV
Argument. — When Dante wakes, he finds himself on the other
side of the Acheron, and the Poets now enter the first Circle of the
Inferno. This is Limbo, or the abode of the virtuous heathen and
unbaptized infants, whose suffering is confined to the longing,
without the hope, of seeing God. When Dante inquires whether
any spirits had ever been delivered from this spot, Virgil answers
that Christ, when He descended into Hell, released the souls of the
Patriarchs and many others. They now perceive a bright light in
the distance, and as they approach it they are met by Homer and
three other of the greatest poets of antiquity, who greet Virgil on
his return, and allow Dante to be numbered in their company. They
all enter a noble castle, within which on a verdant meadow are
assembled a number of famous historical personages, and also a
group of philosophers and men of science, among whom Aristotle
holds the most conspicuous place. Leaving these, they pass into
the darkness of the second Circle.
Line 2. tuono : we learn from 1. 9 that this was the concentrated
sound of the lamentations in Hell.
7. la proda : this is the rim of the first and uppermost Circle of
the Inferno. We are not told how Dante was transported hither
across the Acheron. Similarly at the beginning of Canto VI it is
not explained how he passed while in a state of unconsciousness
from the second into the third Circle.
II. per ficcar : ' for all my fixing ' ; cp. Inf. xvi. 93, per parlar.
More usually per che with the subj. is used to give this sense, as in
I. 64.
13. cieco mondo : the world of those who are spiritually blind,
on whom the light of God and reason never shines ; cp. Inf. vi. 93.
16. del color : of his pallor.
22. la via lunga, &c. : 'the length of the journey urges haste.'
24. prime cerchio : this is Limbo, in which place are found
the unbaptized infants and the virtuous heathen — those who were
excluded from Heaven only through lack of baptism and of the
knowledge of the true faith. Dante repeats this in Purg. vii. 25—36.
19 C 2
INFERNO [IV. 25-52
The Patriarchs also were believed to have previously been in this
abode, but they were delivered from it at the time of Christ's descent
into Hell. The Schoolmen generally divided Limbo into two parts,
the Limbus Patrum and the L'lmhus Infantium ; Aquinas, however,
says {Summa; Partis iii. Supplementum, Q. 69, Art. 6) that while
the L. Patrum and L. Infantium differed in the character of their
reward or punishment, the position of the two was probably the
same, only the L. Patrum was above the L. Infantium.
25, 26. secondo che, &c. : 'as far as I could judge from
hearing.' Non avea, &c. : ' there was naught of lamentation
beyond sighs.' avea = vi era ; cp. ha for 'vi e in Inf. vii. 118.
Blanc remarks [Gram., p. 483) that this use is common in Boc-
caccio, ma' che, ' except,' is the Lat. magis quam.
28. duel senza martiri : this is exactly the view of Aquinas,
Summa, 3. Q. 52, Art. 2; ' non puniuntur poena sensus (by physical
pain) propter peccatum actuale, sed solum poena damni (by feeling
what they have lost) propter peccatum originale.'
30. D' infanti e : hiatus between vowels in separate words, as
here — infanti | e — is very rarely admitted by Dante, unless the
former of the two is accented ; but, strange to say, i is unelided
before e three times in this Canto; cp. 1. 73, onori \ e; I. 122,
conobbi \ Ettore,
34-6. mercedi : ' deserts,' arising from good works, parte della
fede : ' an article of the faith.'
4 1 . sol di tanto offesi : ' we only suffer thus far ' ; for offesi
in this sense cp. offense in Inf. v. 109.
45. sospesi : ' suspended,' i. e. in a negative condition, which is
neither happiness nor misery, but deprivation of the presence of God ;
cp. Inf. ii. 52.
47, 48. per vcler, &c. : 'from the wish to certify myself con-
cerning that faith (the Christian faith) which overpowers all error.'
Dante regards the truth of Christianity as indisputable, but he desires
to fortify his belief in it by verifying the fact of Christ's Descent
into Hell, which is an article of the Creed. There is much to be
said, however, for the interpretation 'from the wish to be certain
with such faith as masters all error.'
49. Uscicci : ' did any go forth from hence.' The use of ci
for di qui occurs again in trasseci, 1. 55 ; cp. uscirci in Inf. xxiii. 130.
51, 52. coperto : 'veiled'; what was implied, though not
20
IV. 53-69] INFERNO
expressed, in Dante's question is, * Is it true that Christ de-
scended into Hell and delivered the souls of the Patriarchs ? '
nuovo : Virgil died in 19 b. c.
53. un possente : Christ. His name — like certain other names,
which are sacred either in themselves or from some association
attached to them, as God, the Blessed Virgin, and Beatrice — is not
allowed to be mentioned in Hell. A similar feeling is shown in
the case of the Sun, as being God's dispenser of light ; for though
the name of that luminary occurs in a few places in Dante's account
of Hell (e. g. Inf. vii. 122 ; xxvi. 117 ; xxviii. 56), yet no compu-
tations of time are made by it, the Moon being referred to instead.
56. This line and those which rhyme with it are ten-syllable
lines. The justification of this exceptional metrical usage is that
one of the rhyming words (here Noe) is a proper name accented on
the final syllable. This explanation applies to six others out of the
total number of fourteen groups of ten-syllable lines in the poem,
viz. Inf. XX. 70, ^tto, fo, Po ; xxviii. 32, ^//, qui^ cost ; xxxii. 26,
Osteric, Tambernic^ eric; xxxii. 62, Artu^ p'lu^ fu \ Purg. iv. 68, S'ton^
orizzon, Feton\ xii. 41, Gelboe, t^i f^' See further in notes on
Inf. xxxi. 145, and Purg. xxiii. 74.
57. ubbidiente : this is equivalent to the title 'servant of God,'
which is five times applied to Moses in Scripture. As a mere
epithet the word would be out of place here.
60. per cui, &c. : ' for whose sake he (Jacob) served so long,'
viz. two periods of seven years ; Gen. xxix. 20, 30.
64. Non lasciavam, &c. : ' we did not halt on our way, for
all his converse.' perche : 'for all that,' 'however much,' as in
Inf. viii. 121 and elsewhere, dicessi : for dicesse ; cp. chiudessi in
Inf. ix. 60.
68, 69. di qua dal sonno : ' on the hither side of the place of
my repose,' i. e. from the entrance to the first Circle, where he
awoke, 1. i . foco : the light here mentioned proceeds from, or is
associated with, the castello (see 11. 103-6). The idea of it was
suggested by Virg. Aen. vi. 640, ' Largior hie campos aether et
lumine vestit Purpureo,' in which passage the abode of the blessed
spirits is described. It represents allegorically human reason, the
light of which, proceeding from the good and wise heathen, illumi-
nates that half of the dark Circle of the Inferno in which they are
(emisperio di tenebre).
21
INFERNO [IV. 70-110
70, 71. Di lungi, &c. : ' we were still distant from it a space,
but not so far,' &c.
74. cotanta onranza : sc. that of being in the light, while the
rest are in darkness.
77. nella tua vita : i. e. among living men.
86. spada : Homer holds the sword as being the poet of a
warlike epic, the Iliad.
89. Orazio satiro : Dante calJs Horace 'magister noster
Horatius' in De Vulg. Eloq.^ ii. 4, 11. 33, 34. Satiro means
'moralist' rather than 'satirist,' for Dante's writings furnish no
evidence of his acquaintance with Horace's Satires. In like manner
he does not speak of him as a lyric poet, for the Odes of Horace
were almost unknown in the middle ages (Moore, Studies, i.
pp. 28, 29).
90. After Virgil, Ovid and Lucan are the poets whom Dante
quotes most frequently — Ovid about 100, Lucan about fifty times.
Next to them comes Statius, whom Dante glorifies in the Purga-
torio (Moore, p. 4).
91-3. Perocche, &c. : 'because each of them enjoys, as I do
(Ht. ' corresponds with me in '), the name (of poet), which was
proclaimed by the solitary voice (1. 79), therefore they do me
honour.'
94-6. la bella scuola : the five poets here introduced are
quoted together in the J^ita Nuova, § 25, 11. 72—97; in the De
Vulg. Eloq., ii. 6, 11. 79—81, the specimen poets whom Dante
names are Virgil, Ovid, Statius, and Lucan. Di quel signer, &c. :
' of those masters of the highest flight of song, which soars,' &c.
99. di tanto : 'thereat'; cp. a tanto, 'thereupon,' Inf. ix. 48.
104, 105. cose, &c. : 'high themes, which it is as becoming not
to mention now, as it was becoming to discuss them there.' The
high themes, we may suppose, were the principles of the poetic art ;
to discuss them in that company was delightful, to retail them now
would be out of place.
106-10. nobile castello, &c. : the Castle of Limbo and
everything connected with it are regarded as allegorical. The
castle itself is philosophy, and its seven walls, by which the eminent
heathen arc marked off from the rest, are the seven virtues. The
seven gates by which it is entered are the seven subjects of learned
study, which form the Trivium and Quadrivium of the Schools, and
22
IV. III-29] INFERNO
which Dante elsewhere compares to the seven Heavens of the
Planets {Conv. ii. 14, 11. 55-8). The river is oratory (cp. /argo
Jiume d'l parlar in Inf. i. 79, 80) ; and this the wise pass over
dry shod, because they are not dependent on the influence of
persuasion.
III. prato, &c. : this feature is taken from Virg. Aen. vi. 638,
' Devenere locos laetos et amoena vireta.'
115. dair un de' canti : 'on one side of the meadow ' ; cp.
Inf. ix. 46, dal stnistro canto,
118-20. diritto : 'in front of us.' Che, &c. : * so that my
spirit is exalted at having seen them.' For the sentiment cp.
Par. xvi. 18, 'Voi mi levate si, ch' io son piCl ch' io.' ne is
resumptive of del vederli, and esalto is used as if reflexive.
1 2 1-3. Elettra : not the Greek heroine, but the mother of
Dardanus the founder of Troy; cp. De Mon. ii. 3, 11. 68-76,
where Dante quotes Virg. Aen. viii. 134, 135 ; 'Dardanus, Iliacae
primus pater urbis et auctor, Electra, ut Graii perhibent, Atlantide
cretus.' compag^i : these are personages connected with Troy
and its offspring Rome, especially Hector, the defender of Troy,
Aeneas, who transferred the kingdom to Italy, and Caesar the
founder of the Roman empire, occhi grifagni : ' falcon eyes ' ;
Suetonius {Vita Caesaris,, § 45) speaks of his black and lively eyes —
* nigris vegetisque oculis.' Possibly Dante got the idea from some
traditional description.
124-6. The characters in this tercet are from the Aeneid.
Camilla has already been mentioned as one of the martyrs of Italy
(Inf. i. 107); Latinus is introduced because of his alliance with
Aeneas, Lavinia because she became Aeneas' wife. Penthesilea
forms a pendant to Camilla, because she died fighting for the Trojans,
while Camilla fought against them ; but her name seems to have
been suggested to Dante by its occurring in a simile about Camilla
{Aen. xi. 662), who like her was an Amazon (ibid. 648 ; cp. i. 490).
128. Julia is the daughter of Julius Caesar, who married
Pompey. Marcia is introduced as being the wife of Cato ; cp. Purg.
i. 78 foil. : Cornelia as being 'the mother of the Gracchi.*
129. solo in parte : ' by himself apart ' ; in parte ^ like a parte ^
bears this meaning. This solitary position is assigned to Saladin
because he is of a remote race and country ; see note on Inf. xii.
118. He is mentioned here as a specimen of an exalted character
23
INFERNO [IV. 131-48
because of his magnanimity, to which reference is again made in
Conv. iv. II, 1. 126.
131. il Maestro, &c. : Aristotle, who in the middle ages was
called ' the Philosopher ' par excellence.
134-8. In these lines the leading Greek philosophers are
enumerated.
136. a case : the reference is to the atomic view of the origin
of the world which Democritus held. Cicero, who here is Dante's
authority, explains this as if Democritus maintained that the world
had come into existence by chance — ' concursu quodam fortuito,'
De Nat. Deor. i. 24. In reality this was not Democritus' opinion.
139. accoglitor del quale: collector of information on the
qualities of plants. Dioscorides wrote a work on plants, chiefly
from the point of view of their medical qualities.
140-4. The characters whom Dante presents to us in the
course of his poem are wont to be introduced in a somewhat be-
wildering fashion, but something of method may usually be found
in the grouping. Thus here, in consequence of the rhythmical
connexion between music and oratory, Cicero (Tullio) is placed
between the fabled musicians Orpheus and Linus ; and after Seneca,
who represents Moral Philosophy (Seneca morale), and the
mathematicians Euclid and Ptolemy, come. the writers on medicine,
Hippocrates, Galen, Avicenna (Cent, x), and Averroes (Cent. xii).
morale : the special reason why this epithet is introduced here, is
to distinguish Seneca the philosopher from Seneca the writer of
tragedies. Strange as it now appears, the view was commonly held
in the middle ages that the works on these two subjects which bear
the name of Seneca were produced by two separate persons ; and
this is Boccaccio's opinion in his note on this passage.
144. Averrois : he wrote a commentary on Aristotle's works,
and both he and Avicenna were famous in the West from their study
of the Aristotelian philosophy.
145-7. ritrar di : 'give an account of.' al fatto, &c. :
* my tale falls short of the reality,' i. e. much is omitted. In other
parts of his poem also Dante speaks of the omissions necessitated
by the limits which he had assigned to himself. See Purg. xxxiii.
136-41 ; Par. xxxii. 139-41.
148. La sesta, &c. : 'the company of six (i.e. the six poets) is
reduced to two,' viz. Dante and Virgil.
24
IV. 150— V. 4] INFERNO
150, 151. che trema: sc. through the influence of the hufera
infernaU which prevails in the next Circle (Inf. v. 31). This is
contrasted with the aura queta of this Circle, which is only moved
by sighs, non e che luca : ' there is nothing to give light.'
CANTO V
Argument. — In the second Circle the sin of unchastity is
punished, the sinners being borne hither and thither in a great
tempest, and bufFetted by it. At the entrance Minos, the judge
of the dead, is stationed, by whom the spirits, when they have
confessed their sins, are dismissed to their appointed place in Hell.
Minos warns Dante against proceeding farther, but Virgil explains
to him that his journey is ordained by Heaven. Among the most
conspicuous instances of incontinency which are seen in this Circle,
Semiramis, Dido, Cleopatra, and Achilles are pointed out to Dante.
His attention is especially attracted by two spirits moving in
company, and these at his request approach to converse with him.
They are Francesca da Rimini and her lover Paolo Malatesta, and
the former of these relates to him the story of their passion and
their fall.
Lines 2, 3. men loco : as the Circles of the Inferno are con-
centric, they become narrower as they descend, pugne a guaio :
* goads (the sufferers) to lamentation.'
4. Minos : Minos is the judge of the dead, as he is in Virg.
Aen. vi. 432, 433. Like Charon and other personages who will
be met with below, he is a figure borrowed from classical mythology.
One or more such personages are attached to each of the Circles
of Hell, and these are either Guardians of those Circles, or
Representative Figures ; and a symbolical resemblance is usually,
though not always, traceable between the Figure and the sin punished
in the Circle over which he presides. In the present instance there
is no such resemblance, because the character of Minos is determined
by his function of judge. The grotesqueness of these figures, as
they are introduced into the D'li). Com.^ seems to have been largely
due to Dante's regarding the heathen gods as devils, following, no
doubt, the statement of St. Paul to that effect in i Cor. x. 20. It
25
INFERNO [v. 6--^2
was resened for Milton to infuse an element of dignity into the
portraiture of devils ; in Dante the majesty (so to speak) of guilt
is found in the powerful, but peiTerted, human characters who occur
here and tliere in his Inferno.
6. manda, &c. : he dispatches the criminal to his appointed
place of punishment according to the number of the folds he ties ; this
is explained in the following lines, awinghia is used absolutely.
7. mal nata: 'bom in an evil hour'; cp. Inf. xviii. 76, and
Ifen nail in Purg. v. 60.
II, 12. Cignesi, &c. : the process is again described in Inf.
xxvii. 124, 125. gradi: Circles of the Inferno.
18. r atto, &c. : 'the performance of that dread function.'
21. pur: as this word is often used with verbs in the sense of
' to do nothing else than,' perhaps here it means, ' why persist in
clamouring ? '
22, 23. fatale : Mestined,' i.e. appointed by Providence.
Vuolsi, &c. : cp. Inf. iii. 95, 96, where Virgil addresses the
same words to Charon.
25. incomincian. In the vestibule of Hell lamentations and
fierce exclamations were heard (Inf. iii. 22 foil.), but Limbo had
intenened, where there were only sighs ; here first the acute cries
of woe caused by the pains of Hell resound.
28. d' ogni luce muto : for the form of expression cp. Inf. i. 60,
' dove il Sol tace.'
3 1 . che mai non resta. It should be remarked that throughout
the scheme of the Inferno a correspondence, either real or symbolical,
is traceable — sometimes more, sometimes less clearly — between the
sins which are expiated and the retributory punishments which are
inflicted. This idea is found also in the De Imitaiione Christi, i.
24. 3, 4, where it is said, ' In quibus homo peccavit, in illis
gravius punietur. . . . Nullum vitium erit, quod suum proprium
cruciatum non habebit.' In the present instance, where the corre-
spondence is symbolical, the wild and ceaseless movement to which
the unchaste are exposed represents the violent, uncontrolled passion,
the rcsdess want of self-command, which they displayed in theiV
lifetime. The darkness, also (aura nera, 1. 51), symbolizes the
darkening, blinding influence of carnal sin.
32. rapina : its 'furious rush' which sweeps them along; cp.
Conv. ii. 6, 11. 149, 150, 'la rapina del Primo Mobile.'
26
V. 34-<5o] INFERNO
34. alia ruina : the definite article la seems to imply that niina
is something with which the reader is already acquainted. This
is in favour of the explanation which takes ruina to mean, like
raptna above, the ' headlong rush ' of the storm. In this case what
is said here must be intended to refer to the spirits when they first
reach their place of torment. ' As soon as they find themselves
face to face with the fury of the tempest, thereupon (Quivi)
arise,' &c.
37-9. Intesi : 'I conceived*; Dante does not tell us how he
came to this conclusion, but implies that it was * borne in upon
him' by what he saw. Enno: archaic for sono\ cp. Par. xiii. 97.
talento : ' the desires.'
40 foil. E come, &c. Both the similes which follow express
rapid, rushing, continuous motion, but the two represent different
features — the starlings the restless movement of the spirits, the
migratory cranes the cries uttered by them. Of the latter Bewick
says {British Birds ^ vol. ii. p. 31), 'The course of their flight is
discovered by the loud noise they make, for they soar to such a height
as to be hardly visible to the naked eye.' Probably Dante had in
his mind Virg. Aen. x. 264—6, 'quales sub nubibus atris Strymoniae
dant signa grues, atque aethera tranant Cum sonitu, fugiuntque Notos
clamore secundo.'
46. lai : 'dirges'; cp. tr'isti la't in Purg. ix. 13. It is the
Proven9al lais^ 'a lay.' For the crane as typical of sorrowful
laments cp. Is. xxxviii. 14, 'Like a crane or a swallow so did
I chatter.'
49. briga : 'harassing movement,' 'whirl.'
54. favelle: 'tongues,' i.e. 'nations' or 'races,' in which sense
the word is often used in Scripture.
56, 57. libito fe* licito, &c. : this is from Orosius, i. 4. 7, 8,
where it is said of Semiramis, ' Tandem filio flagitiose concepto, impie
exposito, inceste cognito, privatam ignominiam publico scelere obtexit.
Praecepit enim, ut inter parentes ac filios nulla delata reverentia
naturae de coniugiis adpetendis ut cui libitum esset liberum fieret.'
Orosius was a leading authority in ancient history and geography
with Dante and his contemporaries.
59, 60. succedette, &c. : Oros. i. 4. 4, ' Huic [Nino] mortuo
Samiramis uxor successit.' This is a sufficient disproof of the
conjecture siigger dette (' gave suck '), the only argument of weight
27
INFERNO [v. 61-81
in favour of which is, that it avoids the inverted form of statement
involved in fu sua sposa following succedette. la terra, &c. :
the country here meant must be Egypt, for ' the Sultan,' of whom
Dante speaks as governing it in his time, can hardly be other than
one of the Mameluke Sultans in that country. Hence it has been
supposed that Dante has confused the kingdom of Babylonia (or
Assyria) with the Roman fortress of Babylon (Old Cairo) in Egypt,
and believed that the latter was the seat of Semiramis' empire. This
however is hardly credible, when we consider the amount of ignorance
which it implies on Dante's part both of the Scriptural references
to Babylon, and of Orosius' statements concerning the Assyrian
monarchy. There is more to be said for Benvenuto's explanation,
that Dante believed that Semiramis extended her kingdom so as to
include Egypt.
61. colei: Dido; her faithlessness to her dead husband Sichaeus
was involved in her subsequent passion for Aeneas.
63. Cleopatras: the form is peculiar; in Par. vi. 76 the name
is Cleopatra. The rhythm of the line seems to show that it is to
be pronounced Cleopatras.
66. Che con amore, &c. : ' whose final (and fatal) antagonist
was love ' ; Achilles, after engaging many combatants, at last met
love as his match. The reference is to the story of Achilles having
been killed by Paris, after making an assignation with Polyxena,
to which he went unarmed. Dante got this from Dictys, Bell.
Trot. iv. II.
67. Paris: this is not Paris, the hero of mediaeval romance,
but the Trojan Paris, who is often coupled with Tristan in poems
of the middle ages, when instances of the sufferings caused by love
are mentioned; see Toynbee, Z)/V/., p. 419. Tristano : Tristan,
the nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, fell in love with Iseult,
whom he was commissioned to escort from her home in Ireland
to be the bride of his uncle. By him Tristan was slain, after his
meetings with Iseult were discovered.
69. Che . . . dipartille : Che is ' whom,' and le a pleonastic
repetition; cp. Inf. xxviii. 113, 114, ' cosa ch' io avrei paura . . . di
contarA? solo.'
75. al vento . . . leggieri : this trait is symboHcal of their
Hghtmindedness.
81. parlar : for the omission of a here in consequence of this
28
V. 82-IOO] INFERNO
preposition occurring just before with noi, see note on Purg. xi. 51.
altri : God, whose name may not be pronounced in Hell ; see note
on Inf. iv. 53.
82. Quali, &c. : this simile is taken from Virg. j4en. v. 213—17,
where Qualis . . . columha corresponds to Quali colombe, dulces . . .
nidi to dolce nido, and celeres neque commovet alas to Con 1' ali . . .
ferme.
85. della schiera, &c. : it is inferred from this that the condemned
souls in this Circle were divided into two groups, viz. ( i ) those who
were mastered, like Dido, by one sinful passion ; (2) those who,
like Serairamis, abandoned themselves to carnal sin.
88-90. animal : ' being.' perso : ' dark ' ; lit. ' purple black ' ;
cp. Con'v. iv. 20, 11. 14, 15, 'II perso e un colore misto di purpureo
e di nero, ma vince il nero.' tignemmo, &c. : the meaning is, that
adultery is a primary cause of bloodshed in the world.
93. mal perverse : ' distracting suffering ' ; mal here can hardly
be 'sin,' for its nature had not been mentioned so that Dante should
be able to compassionate it.
94, 95. Di quel, &c. This pathetic story is one of the best-
known passages in the D'lv. Com. The pathos, it is true, consists in
the mode of telling, and in the present circumstances of the lovers —
not in the story itself, which is a rather commonplace tale of adultery
and revenge in the higher walks of life. According to the version
of it which Dante has adopted here, Francesca was married for
reasons of state to Giovanni Malatesta of Rimini, a man of ill-
favoured appearance, but was in love with his brother Paolo; and
some time after his marriage Giovanni surprised his wife and his
brother together, and slew them both, vui : archaic for voi.
97-9. la terra : Ravenna, which is on the coast of the Adriatic
(la marina), southward of the mouths of the Po. She was known
as Francesca da Rimini because her husband was of that place,
seguaci sui : its tributaries.
100. Amor: notice how this word, which is the theme of Fran-
cesca's discourse, is repeated at the beginning of three tercets. It
may here be remarked with a view to future reference, that all the
instances that are found in the poem of the recurrence of initial words
at the commencement of tercets may be classed in respect of what
they denote under two heads, viz. (i) a succession of forcible ex-
amples of something which is to be illustrated; Purg. xii. 25 foil. ;
29
INFERNO [v. 102-26
Par. xix. 115 foil.; xx. 40 foil. ; in the last instance the words
recur in alternate tercets : (2) emphasis or rhetorical repetition ; Inf.
V. 100 foil. ; Purg. vi. 106 foil. ; Par. xiii. 94 foil. ; xv. 100 foil.
In Inf. iii. 1-3; Par. i. 115-7; xxvii. 7-9 the repetition is in
consecutive initial lines, s' apprende : ' is lighted ' ; the metaphor
is from flame. The flame of love catches ' at the heart ' (al cor).
102. tolta: by death, il mode, &c. ; the meaning is : — 'The
suddenness of my death, which left no time for repentance, still
distresses me.'
103-5. a nullo, &c. : 'never exempts from love the object
of love.' non mi abbandona : ' it does not desert me.' That
* it ' and not ' he ' is right, is shown by the two preceding lines, where
her love for him is spoken of.
107, 108. Caino, &c. : Cain, the first fratricide, awaits our
murderer in the portion of the ninth Circle in which those who have
violated the bond of relationship are punished. This was called
from him la Caina: Inf. xxxii. 58. Instead of Caino some
read Caina, in which case the meaning is, that their murderer was
doomed to that place in Hell ; but we should rather expect to find
la Caina, as in the passage just referred to. da lor: Francesca
speaks for both, porte: 'uttered,' from por^ere; cp. porse, Inf.
1 09-1 1, oflfense: 'suffering'; cp. offesi, Inf. iv. 41. tanto
. . . Finche : * so long . . . until,' i. e. ' until at last.'
114. doloroso passo : 'the woful strait,' i. e. their death and
their punishment.
117. pio : ' compassionate,' ' sympathetic*
119, 120. A che e come, &c. : 'by what token, and in what
way, did Love grant that you should realize your unconfessed desires ? '
conoscesti : conosceste is also read.
123. il tuo dottore: Virgil, who looks back regretfully from
Limbo on the pleasures of his life on earth. As Dante calls Virgil
il mio dottore in this very Canto (1. 70), it is difficult to think that
any one else is meant ; but the sentiment may be from Boethius, De
Cons. Phil., Lib. ii. Prosa iv, 'In omni adversitate fortunae
infelicissimum genus est infortunii fuisse felicem.'
124-6. Ma se, &c. : there seems to be a reminiscence here of
Virg. ylen. ii. 10-13, ' '^*^*^5 si tantus amor casus cognoscere nostros,
. . . Quamquam animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit, Incipiam.'
30
V. 128-41] INFERNO
128. Di Lancelotto. The romance of ' Lancelot of the Lake,'
who became enamoured of Queen Guinevere at the court of King
Arthur, was a favourite one in Dante's time. The passage which
is referred to below (11. 133—7) is that where Gallehault, a knight
who was intimate with Lancelot, arranged a secret meeting between
him and Guinevere, and in the course of this urged the queen to
give Lancelot a kiss, which was the commencement of their guilty
love. Dante recurs to this episode . in Par. xvi. 1 3—5, where
mention is made of the Lady of Malehault, one of Guinevere's ladies-
in-waiting, having coughed, when at an earlier stage of the interview
she noticed the familiarity between them. As this incident is not
found in the printed editions of ' Lancelot,* it was supposed until
recently that no copy of the version of the story as known to Dante
was in existence, but a MS. of the British Museum in the original
old French of Cent, xiii, an extract from which has recently been
printed by Mr. Paget Toynbee, contains this feature of the narrative.
See his Z)/V/., pp. 257, 258, where the passage is given.
129. sospetto : 'fear of discovery'; sospetto means 'fear' in
Inf. iii. 14.
1 30. sospinse : ' impelled our eyes ' to meet.
137. Galeotto, &c.: 'the book and its author played the part of
Gallehault,' viz. that of agent or intermediary.
141. morisse : arch, for morissi.
CANTO VI
Argument. — In the third Circle the gluttonous are lashed by
torrents of filthy rain and hail, and are tormented by Cerberus.
When this monster shows signs of wishing to attack and devour
the Poets, Virgil satisfies him by flinging earth down his three
throats. Dante is here recognized by Ciacco, a Florentine bon
vivani; and, as the spirits in Hell possess the gift of prophetic
foresight, Dante obtains from him information about the prospective
fortunes of the Black and White Guelf parties at Florence. He
also inquires as to the position in the world of spirits of Farinata
and other eminent Florentines who had lately died, and is told that
they are among the worst spirits in the lower portion of the Inferno.
Dante and Virgil now descend into the fourth Circle.
31
INFERNO [VI. 1-36
Line i. A1 tomar, &c. The passage into the third, as into the
first Circle, is made while Dante is in a state of unconsciousness ;
and here, as on the former occasion, we are not told how the transit
was made.
2. Dinanzi: 'in the presence of,' 'at the sight of.' pietil :
'piteous lot.' cognati : cognato (subst.) means 'brother-in-law';
this represents the relationship of the two lovers.
7. terzo cerchio, &c. : 'the third Circle, which is that of the
rain,' &c. The punishment of the gluttonous, like their sin, is foul
and material ; the three throats and vast belly of Cerberus are
emblems of voracity, and their own bestial condition is shown by
their howling like dogs.
9. Regola : ' measure.' non 1* e nuova : this implies that
there is no relief, as there would be if it fell in showers ; its
uniformity is an additional element in its oppressiveness.
13-5. Cerbero : the description here of Cerberus barking
through three throats, and that of Virgil pacifying his hunger in
11. 22 foil., are from Virg. Aen. vi. 417 foil, diversa : 'portentous';
see note on Inf. iii. 25. sommersa : not 'submerged' in the
literal sense, for they were lying a terra (1. 37); but 'plunged in
Hell ' ; cp. Inf. xx. 3.
18. ingoia: 'mumbles them in his jaws,' lit. 'swallows,'
' devours.' Another reading is scuoia^ ' flays.'
21. profani : the word is from Heb. xii. 16, ^zprofane person,
as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.' Their
God is their belly.
22-4. vermo : the meaning here is 'loathsome reptile'; cp.
Inf. xxxiv. 108, where it is similarly used of Lucifer. In both
these passages it is sometimes interpreted as ' sequent,' but verme^
vermo does not bear that meaning in Italian, as ' worm ' does in Old
English. Non avea, &c. ; this was caused by his eagerness to
seize and devour them.
27. canne: 'gullet.*
28-30. Q.%ugnQ. =. agogna, * ravens with hunger.' pugna :
* struggles ' ; he devours it fiercely.
34-6. adona : 'beats down/ 'prostrates*; cp. j' adona^ 'is
subdued' in Purg. xi. 19: the word is obsolete, vanity : 'unreal
semblance'; cp. ombre vane^ Purg. ii. 79; nostra vanitate^ Purg.
xxi. 135.
3»
VI. 43-69] INFERNO
42. Tu fosti, &c. Dante was bom in 1265; Ciacco, who is
here speaking, died in 1286.
47. messa : the fern, is used, because an ombra is addressed;
cp. una in 1. 38.
50. invidia : jealous rivalry, which gave birth to factions.
52. Ciacco: this name is said to be a corruption of Giacomo ;
the words Voi mi chiamaste seem to imply that it was a nickname.
Boccaccio speaks of him as a man of good manners and breeding,
but a great glutton.
56. stanno : ' are exposed.' Stare sometimes signifies simply
position ; the sinners hei-e were lying on the ground (1. 37). Cp.
stanno frescht, Inf. xxxii. 117, where the persons spoken of were
lying face downward in the ice.
61. partita: divided between the factions of the Bianchi and
Neri, the former of whom were headed by the Cerchi, the latter by
the Donati.
65, 66. Verranno, &c. The point of view here is that of the
date of Dante's Vision, viz. Easter, 1300 a. D., and consequently
the events mentioned, since they happened after that date, are stated
in the form of a prophecy; see note on Inf. ii. i. The souls in
Hell are supposed by Dante to have knowledge of the past and the
future, but not of what is happening in the world at the present
time; this is clearly stated in Inf. x. 97-105. al sangue : this
was a scuffle which took place on May i, 1300, between members
of the Cerchi and Donati families ; Villani, who describes it, regards
it as the commencement of the party dissensions at Florence (Cron.
viii. 39). la parte selvaggia : the Bianchi, who are so called
because their leaders, the Cerchi, who had recently come from the
country into the city, were boorish and ungracious ('salvatichi e
ingrati,' Villani, Hid.). Caccer^ 1' altra : the Neri were expelled
in May, 1301. OfFensione : 'contumely.'
68. Infra tre soli : ' within three years ' from the time at which
Ciacco is speaking, viz. Friday, April 8, 1300. As the Bianchi
were expelled by Charles of Valois on April 4, 1302 (Villani, viii.
^9), it would have been more accurate to say 'within two years,'
but perhaps Dante thought that the greater stringency of statement
which this involves would hardly have been suitable to a prophecy,
and that a round number was preferable.
69. Con la forza, &c. : * with the support of one who just now
TOZER 33 D
. INFERNO [VI. 70-93
is trimming.' Piaggiare usually means 'to coast,' and so is used
of steering between two views or parties, as being between the land
ai)d the open sea. The word bears this sense in Villani, viii. 69,
' quelli che piaggiavano col cardinale.' The person intended in the
present passage is Boniface VIII, who in 1300 professed to be
a neutral as between the Bianchi and Neri, and in 1302 supported
Charles of Valois.
70. terrk . . . le fronti : the sing, verb terr^ is used of the
party, the plur. le fronti of the individuals that compose it. For
a similar use cp. Inf. xxxii. 13-15 and note.
73. Giusti, &c. : as Boccaccio does not know who these were,
we may be content to remain in ignorance about them, intesi :
' listened to.'
78. facci dono : 'grant me the favour'; cp. Purg. xxviii. 63.
79, 80. The persons mentioned in these lines, with the exception
of Arrigo, are introduced later in the Inferno — Farinata in x. 32,
Tegghiaio and Rusticucci in xvi. 41 and 44, Mosca in xxviii. 106.
Of Arrigo nothing certain is known. Tegghiaio : the last four
vowels of this word metrically form one syllable ; cp. migliaio, Purg.
xiii. 22, and generally for the synizesis of aio, oio cp. primato^
Purg. xiv. 66; beccaio, Purg. xx. 52; gennaioj Par. xxvii. 142;
Uccellatoio, Par. xv. no.
85, 86. tra le anime piu nere. It is a strong proof of Dante's
abhorrence of sin, that he places men of whom he speaks in such
terms of respect and regard as these and Brunetto Latini (Canto XV)
in torment. Diversa colpa : ' various forms of sin.'
89. Pregoti, &c. Dante attributes the longing to be remembered
on earth to all the souls in Hell, with the exception of a certain
number, who desire their flagrant crimes, especially those against
their fellow men, to be concealed — e. g. Caccianimico, a seducer,
Inf. xviii. 46, 52 ; Guido da Montefeltro, a giver of malevolent
counsel, xxvii. 61-6 ; and, above all, the traitors in the pit of Hell.
In Purgatory and Paradise, on the other hand, there is no such wish
that their memory should be perpetuated among the living, except in
the case of those in Purgatory who desire that others should intercede
for them.
91-3. Gli diritti, &c. : 'his fixed eyes he then turned askance*;
the cause of this was anguish at the thought of all that he had lost.
ciechi : i. e. spiritually blind ; cp. Inf. iv. 1 3 and note,
34
VI. 96-115] INFERNO
96. la nimica podesta : the power hostile to evil is Christ ;
His name, as elsewhere in the Inferno, is not uttered.
99. quel che, &c. : 'the doom which resounds for eternity.'
106-8. tua scienza : the Aristotelian philosophy; cp. la tua
Etica, Inf. xi. 80, la tua Fisica, 1. loi, where the treatises of
Aristotle are meant. Piu senta il bene: the application of this
principle to the condition of the blessed in heaven is stated in
Par. xiv. 43 foil.
III. Di 1^, piu che di qua: Di Ih is 'after,' as di qua is
'before' the trump of doom {dal suon delV angelica tromba^ 1. 95).
piu : ' more perfect.' It will be so, because it will then possess both
its component elements, body and soul, through this perfection cannot
be moral perfection, which is the only true one (vera perfezion).
115. Pluto il gran nemico. Pluto here is, to all intents and
purposes, Plutus the god of wealth, and he is called ' the great enemy,'
because the love of money is the root of all evil (i Tim. vi. 10).
This view is confirmed by Pluto being addressed as lupo in the next
Canto (1. 8), the wolf being Dante's usual emblem of avarice and
covetousness, and the subject of that Canto, in which Pluto is
introduced as the guardian and representative mythological figure
of the fourth Circle, is the misuse of wealth. Certainly il gran
nemico cannot mean that he was the leading spirit in Hell, for
that position was occupied by Lucifer, while Pluto holds a quite
subordinate place. As a matter of fact, owing to a supposed
(perhaps true) derivation of the name UXovtihv from TrXoOro? 'wealth,'
the attributes of Plutus were attached to Pluto even by Greek
writers, and Pluto was regarded as the giver of wealth. Thus
Plato says {Crat, 403 a), to Se IlXovrwvo? [wo/xa] . . . on Ik t^?
yrj<: koltwOgv avUrat 6 rrXovros: and Strabo (iii. 2. 9, speaking of
the Spanish mines). Trap' cKctVois rov V7ro)(06viov tottov ov^^ 6 "AiSt;?
aXX 6 UXovTijiiv KaroLKeZ The name Plutus is of so rare occurrence
in Latin authors that the mediaevals can hardly have been acquainted
with it, but they were aware that Pluto was associated with wealth —
perhaps through Fulgentius, whom Boccaccio quotes in this con>
nexion — ' iuxta Fulgentium Pluto latine sonat divitias,' De Genealogia
Deorum, viii. 6. The passage in Fulgentius is, ' Quartum etiam
Plutonem dicunt terrarum praesulem — ttAovtos enim Graece divitiae
dicuntur — solis terris credentes divitias deputari.'
35 D 2
INFERNO [vii. 1-13
CANTO VII
Argument. — At the entrance to the fourth Circle they find Pluto,
its guardian. This circle contains those who sinned by the misuse
of money, or worldly possessions ; and, as money can be misused in
two opposite ways, viz. by parsimony and by prodigality, the sinners
are formed into two opposing bands, who take part in one another's
punishment. They roll forward with their breasts huge weights
until they come into collision, after which they return along the same
course, and meet in a similar manner at the opposite point of the
circle. Virgil here explains to Dante the nature of Fortune, as the
Intelligence appointed by God to dispense temporal advantages and
dignities among men. They now pass into the fifth Circle,
descending above the fountain of the Styx, which here flows down
and forms a marsh. In the foul water of this are immersed the
wrathful and the gloomy. After making the circuit of a great part
of the Stygian marsh they reach the foot of a tower.
Lines i, 2. Pape, &c. : Pluto's words are unintelligible gibberish,
but they seem from what follows to be addressed in a threatening
manner to Dante. Many commentators, however, think that they
are a cry of warning addressed to Lucifer (Satan) below, chioccia :
'harsh,' ' grating.'
5. poter ch' egli abbia: abbreviated iox per poter^ &c., 'for all
the power he may possess.' For a somewhat similar elliptical use
cp. Inf. xix. 119.
7, 8. enfiata labbia : ' arrogant visage ' ; for labbia cp. Inf.
xiv. 67. It is only in the plur. le lahhta (= lahhra) that the word
bears the meaning ' lip ' ; see Vocab. Tramater. lupo : the symbol of
avarice; cp. Purg. xx. 10.
12. del superbo strupo : ' for the proud deed of whoredom,' i. e.
the revolt of the rebellious angels against God. In the Hebrew
prophets ' whoredom ' and similar words are often used of alienation
from God ; e.g. Is. i. 21 ; Ez. xvi. 22. strupo = stupro.
13-5. Quali, &c. The collapse of Pluto after his threatening
address is compared to the bellying sails of a vessel, which fall in
36
VII. i6-3c] INFERNO
a heap when the wind breaks the mast, awolte : lit. ' wrapped
together.' fiacca : as this verb is not elsewhere used intrans.,
il vento is prob. the subject.
i6. lacca: ' hollow,' i. e. the fouith Circle; cp. Inf. xii. ii;
also Purg. vii. 71, where it is used of the Valletta del Principi. The
word appears to be of Greek origin. In ancient Greek Xolkko^ was
used for a 'pond' and a 'pit.' In Mod. Greek both Xo-kkos and
XaKKa signify a ' ditch ' (see Byzantius' Lex.), and Xukkos is used
for a ' valley,' e. g. for the upper plain of Messenia. This word
probably passed into S. Italy during the Byzantine occupation,
which introduced numerous Greek words into the dialects of that
part, and /acco is used for a ' ditch ' at the present time there
(Ramage, Nooks and Byiuays of Italy, p. 270).
17, 18. Pigliando piu, &c : 'advancing along the doleful bank
(i. e. the slope of the Inferno), which contains the wickedness of the
whole universe' ; for pigliando piu in the sense of 'advancing along'
cp. Purg. xi. 109, 'del cammin si poco piglia.' universo implies
that the evil anjels are included.
19—21. chi stipa : this is half a question, half an exclamation;
' can it be that any power accumulates ? ' viddi : arch, for v'ldi. ne
scipa : ' consumes us.'
22—4. Come, &c. What is here described is the meeting of the
waves of two opposing eddies or cun-ents, such as compose the real,
not the fabulous, Charybdis. 1^ sovra Cariddi : this almost
pleonastic use of la occurs frequently in the Inf., as xvi. 100,
' la sovra San Benedetto ' ; xvii. 21, ' fa tra li Tedeschi lurchi ' ; and
xxvii. 29 ; xxviii. 17 ; xxxii. 27. In the Purg. and Par. it seems not
to be found. It is of course distinct from the use with a relative clause
following, as in 1. 11, 'la dove Michele,' &c. riddi : 'dance in
a ring ' ; this describes the movement of each of the two bands
half-way round the Circle (11. 34, 35).
25 foil. In this punishment the weights symbolize amassed
wealth — ' argenti pondus et auri ' ; while the fruitlessness of the
sinners' toil signifies the vain pursuit of riches.
28. pur li : 'there on the spot,' lit. 'just there'; li for // is
a poetic licence, the accent being removed in order that the word may
become enclitic to pur.
30. * Perche tieni,' &c. : the prodigals say to the misers, ' Why
dost hold?' the misers to the prodigals, 'Why dost squander?'
37
INFERNO [VII. 31-57
For burlare In the sense of * throw away ' Casini quotes the Lettera
del prete lann'i^ ' quando lo vento da per questi fiumi, burla di questa
polvere di fuori ' ; but as the regular meaning of the word is 'to jest,*
and burla is ' a jest,' the more probable signification here is ' to trifle
away,' ' to squander.'
31-3. cerchio : this is the complete circle of the Inferno, each
of the two companies passing through half the circle, and meeting the
other at opposite points (11. 35, 44). In order to allow for the great
number who are said to be punished here (1. 25), we must suppose that
these bands came up in successive relays. Da ogni mano : ' on either
hand'; for this sense of ogni cp. Inf. xxii. 56; Purg. ii. 22.
anche : ' as before.' metro : ' refrain,' i. e. ' Perche tieni,' &c.
38, 39. cherci : for cherici and chercuti for chericut'i.
40-2. tutti e quanti: these words include both the opposing
bands, neither of whom observed moderation in the use of money.
Avarice and prodigality are similarly expiated together in the fifth
Cornice of Purgatory, Purg. xxii. 52-4. ferci : ci, 'here,' means
' in life.'
45. dispaia : ' disjoins,' i. e. causes them to separate.
46-8. Questi, &c. : these three lines give the answer to Dante's
second question, ' se tutti fur cherci,' &c. (11. 38, 39); and by
comparing the two passages we learn that the avaricious were on the
left hand, and consequently the prodigal on the right hand, of the
Poets, che non han, &c. : who are tonsured. In cui usa, &c. :
' over whom avarice exercises its supremacy.'
52. aduni : 'conceive'; the idea is that of thoughts grouping
themselves to form a judgement.
53? 54* sconoscente: 'purblind,' lit, 'undisccrning,' and cono-
scenza is 'discernment,' 'recognition.' The result of their
ignoring the object with which wealth was given, and consequently
the true purpose of life, in that their individuality of character —
i.e. all distinctive traits by which they might be recognized — is lost.
The same eflr*ect proceeding from this cause is seen in the case
of the usurers in Inf. xvii. 54 ; cp. the punishment of the avaricious
in Purgatory, whose faces are hidden, Purg. xix. 72, 118—20.
bruni : ' dim,' ' indistinct.'
56? 57- Questi: the misers, as being close-fisted, mozzi :
*cut short'; Blanc {Fersuch, p. 78) quotes the Italian proverbial
description of a prodigal as one who has * dissipate fino a' capelli.'
38
VII. 58-87] INFERNO
58-60. lo mondo pulcro : Paradise. Qual, &c. : ' to describe
it, I seek for no graceful (complimentary) words.' ci : 'here,'
i. e. in their case.
61-3. corta bufFa : 'transient farce.' Perche, &c. : 'for the
sake of which mankind hustle one another.'
66. fame: ne is a pleonastic repetition of di queste anime
stanche.
68. di che, &c. : 'to which thou dost refer in speaking to me.'
tocche : arch, for tocch'i.
72. imbocche : 'hear and mark' (Gary), lit. 'take into thy
mouth ' ; cp. Ez. ii. 8, of the roll of a book, ' open thy mouth, and
eat that I give thee.'
73—96. Dante's view of Fortune which is given in this passage
is, that she is an Intelligence appointed by God, which orders the
course of events in the world in the same way as the other
Intelligences — i. e. the angelic Orders — determine the motions and
influences of the planetary spheres (for the spheres see Par. ii.
112 foil.; and for the Intelhgences Par. xxviii. 25 foil.). This
view of Fortune — indeed the whole of the present episode — is
borrowed by Dante from Boethius De Consolatione Philosophiae,
ii. Metr. i, ii and Pros, i, ii. This is proved, not only by
numerous points of correspondence, but also by the fact that Dante
quotes a passage from this part of the De Cons., giving Boethius'
name, in Conv. iv. 12, 11. 73—8, where he is speaking of the same
subject, viz. of the Power which dispenses wealth to mankind
(see Moore, Studies, i. pp. 285, 286).
74-6. chi conduce : the Orders of Intelligences which guide
them. Si che, &c. : so that each of the nine angelic Orders shines
on one of the nine celestial spheres, communicating their light to
them in proportions corresponding to the light which they possess.
This is explained in Par. xxviii. 73-8.
77. splendor mondani : ' forms of human grandeur.'
79-81. a tempo: 'at the fitting time'; cp. Par. viii. 60.
Ii ben vani : ' the unreal advantages.' Oltre, &c. : in such
a way that human wisdom cannot prevent it ; ' beyond prevention
of man's wisest care ' (Gary).
82. Perche : ' for which reason.'
85-7. non ha contrasto a lei : ' has no power to oppose
her.' Persegue Suo regno : ' carries on her reign,' i. e. provides
39
INFERNO [VII. 88-114
for the continuance of the domain entrusted to her. Dei : Intelli-
gences; cp. Par. xxviii. 121, where Dee has the same force.
88-90. Le sue, &c. : cp. Boethius ii. Pros, i, * Tu vero
volventis rotae impetum retinere conaris ? At ... si manere
incipit, fors esse desistit.' Si spesso, &c. : lit. 'thus one often
comes who wins his turn ' ; i. e. in consequence of her speed of
movement the succession of fortunate competitors for her favour
is rapid.
91, 92. posta in croce: 'persecuted/ 'vilified.' Pur da
color : ' by those very persons ' ; cp. the use of pur in pur come,
'just as.'
94-6. Ma ella, &c. : cp. Boeth. ii. Metr. i. 11. 5-7, ' Non
ilia miseros audit, haud curat fletus ; Ultroque gemitus dura quos
fecit ridet. Sic ilia ludit, sic suas probat vires.' 1* altre prime
creature : the angelic Orders. sua spera : the Wheel of
Fortune, the vohens rota of Boethius, quoted above.
97. Pieta : 'suffering'; see note on Inf. i. 21.
98. ogni Stella cade, &c. : ' every star is descending,' i. e. has
passed the meridian. It was now past midnight, and Dante and
Virgil had entered Hell at nightfall of the preceding day ; see
Inf. ii. I.
100-2. Noi ricedemmo, &c. : they crossed the fourth Circle
to its further bank, which separated it from the fifth Circle ; and
the bank here was above the fountain of the Styx, the water from
which flowed down from that bank through a dyke into the fifth
Circle. boUe : 'jets forth'; the water was not hot, like that
of Phlegethon in Inf. xiv. 134. riversa : neut., 'pours down.'
da lei deriva : ' draws its waters from it.'
103-5. persa: see note on Inf. v. 89. diversa : 'strange,'
' weird ' ; cp. Inf. vi. 1 3.
106. palude : the 'Stygiam paludem ' of Virg. Aen. vi. 323.
109-14. In the fifth Circle, which Dante has now entered, the
jjin of anger is punished by the victim being immersed in a filthy
swamp formed by the waters of the Styx. Their attacks on one
another show that their ungoverned passion still tormented them.
The filthy water represents the debasing influence of anger; but
the chief symbolism turns on the derivation of the Greek '%tv^ from
€Trvyiiv 'to hate.' Dante, who himself knew no Greek, may
have obtained this from Servius (on Virg. j^en. vi. 134) or Isidore
40
VII. III-30] INFERNO
(Origines^ xiv. 9), both of whom were among his authorities.
Isidore says, ' Styx airo rfys orTvyi/oTr/To?, i. e. a tristi/ia dicta ' ;
this corresponds to tristo ruscel in 1. 107.
111. sembiante ofFeso : ' look of suffering ' ; cp. Inf. iv. 41.
112. si percotean : ' were smiting one another.'
118. ha: used impers. for vi e, like avea for vi era in
Inf. iv. 26.
120. u' che : u', Lat. ubi^ is used poet, for o've; cp. Inf. ii. 24 :
hence u' che = ovunque ; ' wherever it (your eye) turns.'
1 2 1-3. The class of sinners who are here associated in punish-
ment with the wrathful are the sullenly despondent (tristi, 1. 121;
ci attristiam, 1. 124); and their state of mind is described as
'cloudy apathy' (accidioso fummo, 1. 123). That accidioso
means 'apathetic' we know from the use of accldia for 'spiritual
sloth' in Purg. xviii. 132; see also note on Purg. xvii. 82. The
relation in which accldia stands to tristi%ia is thus explained by
Aquinas : — ' Accidia ... est quaedam tristitia aggravans ; quae
scilicet ita deprimit mentem hominis, ut nihil ei agere libeat ' ;
Summa, II. 2^*6. Q. 3^^ Art. I.
127. pozza : 'pool,' 'pond'; it is connected with Span, ^ox^,
'pool,' and both are connected with \jAt. puteus (Korting, Latein.-
roman. W'drterhuch^ No. 6488).
128. mezzo: 'swamp,' lit. 'soft substance.' This word is
distinguished from mexzo, 'middle' (Lat. medius) by being pro-
nounced with e sharp and %% hard. It is an adj., and where it
is found in other authors (it does not occur again in Dante) signifies
" soft,' ' flabby,' and is especially used of ripe or over-ripe fruit.
This is in favour of the derivation from Lat. mitis (Diez), which
regularly bears that meaning. The hard zz points in the same
direction, being more naturally formed from the / of mitis (cp.
pala%%o from palatium, piazza from platea^ &c.) than from the d of
madidus^ which word has also been suggested as its etymology.
130. al dassezzo : 'at last'; cp. Purg. xxv. 139.
41
INFERNO [VIII. i-ii
CANTO VIII
Argument. — In answer to a signal sent from the tower to the
opposite shore Phlegyas, the guardian and ferryman of the Stygian
marsh, appears in his boat, and takes the two Poets on board.
While they are crossing the muddy water, Dante is recognized by
Filippo Argenti, a Florentine noted for his unrestrained passion,
the punishment of which he is here undergoing. The walls and
buildings of the City of Dis — the innermost fortress of the Inferno,
and the abode of the worst criminals — now appear in view ; and as
the Poets approach, they find the gate crowded with evil spirits
prepared to defend the entrance. Virgil goes forward alone to parley
with them, but they close the gate in his face, and he returns to
Dante discomfited.
Line I. seguitando : 'in continuation,' i.e. continuing the
subject of the previous Canto. Perhaps this remark is introduced
because the subject of the fifth Circle is treated of at the end of one
Canto and the beginning of another, and the Poet wishes to mark
the connexion of the two parts. It seems to have given rise to the
story which is mentioned by Boccaccio and others, to the eifect that
Dante resumed the poem at this point after a long interval of time.
Satisfactory arguments in confutation of this story are given by Blanc,
Versuch^ pp. 8i, 82.
4-6. due fiammette : the tower is the signalling station for the
city of Dis, and the two cressets are signals addressed to the
watchers in that city, the number two probably denoting the number
of the passengers approaching. The signal in reply is sent from the
city, and signifies that the intimation has been understood, i' : for
t-v't^ Lat. ihi ; cp. u' for Lat. uli in Inf. vii. 120. cenno : such
fortress-signals {cenn'i d'l castelld) are referred to again in Inf. xxii. 8.
Tanto : take with da lungi. torre : ' catch.*
II. Gi^ puoi scorger : puoi, which elsewhere is always a mono-
syllable in scansion, except at the end of a line, is here pronounced
as a disyllabic, puo|i. The justification of this exceptional use is
found in the initial sc of scorger^ which, like other combinations of s
with another consonant, is sometimes allowed to have this influence
on the preceding word. The following are instances : — with sc^
42
Vlil. 16-24] INFERNO
Inf. iii. II, Vid^ i\o scritte\ viii. 93, ha\i scorta\ xxviii. 12, Zm|o
scrhe; with j-^, Par. xxxi. 53, mi\o sguardo\ — with sp, Par. xxiv.
56, perch' i\o spandessi ; with st, Purg. xx. 139, no\i stavamo ;
Purg. xxix. 145, col primai\o stuolo {-aio elsewhere is a mono-
syllable) ; Par. xxvi. 37, intelletto mi\o sterne. A similar effect of
these combinations is seen in the prefixing of a vowel, as in iscegliendo
for scegliendo, Purg. xxviii. 41 ; the retention of a vowel, as in
Ispagna^ which is the form when a consonant precedes, while Spagna
is used when a vowel precedes ; and the regular use of dello strale^
quello stra%io, &c. quello che s' aspetta : ' the object which is
expected ' as the result of the signalling.
16-8. in quella : understand ora. anima fella : the sing, is
probably used because he addressed Dante and Virgil individually.
19. Flegias : Phlegyas is the Guardian of the fifth Circle, as is
implied in 1. 21, where Virgil says that they would not be under his
charge except while crossing the marsh, thereby intimating that others
were so. At the same time, he is the guardian of the approach to
the city of Dis, a function which is assigned to him because Virgil
mentions him in ^en. vi. 618-20 as the type of those who had
violated the laws of justice, in consequence of which he uttered the
warning, ' Discite iustitiam moniti et non temnere divos ' ; he is
thus a suitable figure to guard the approach to the lower part of
Hell, because there injustice in all its forms is punished (see the note
in Butler's Translation, p. 90). According to the classical story
Phlegyas was condemned to punishment in Hell because he set fire
to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. His boat, which is not men-
tioned in any of the ancient legends concerning him, must be an
invention of Dante's own, and was probably suggested by the need
of some agency by which the Poets might be transported across the
Stygian marsh. The occasions for its use must have been of very
rare occurrence, for the condemned souls are spoken of as being
dispatched by Minos straight to their appointed place of torment {giu
volte, Inf. V. 15 ; cp. cade, xiii. 97 ; caduto, xxvii. 26 ; piowi, xxiv.
122 and xxx. 95). Virgil, however, passed this way, when sent
by force of witchcraft from the first Circle to the pit of Hell (ix.
25-27)-
21. loto : the muddy water of the marsh.
23, 24. se ne rammarca : 'is indignant thereat ' ; rammarca
for rammarica. ira accolta : ' concentrated fury.'
43
INFERNO [viii, 28-78
28-30. fui : the verb here agrees with the latter of two subjects ;
cp. Par. i. 27 ; xvi- 40. Dell' acqua piu, &c. : cp. Virg. Aen. vi.
413 'gemult sub pondere cymba,' &c. altrui : either Phlegyas
himself may be meant, or any other spirit, like Virgil on the former
occasion, who had followed this route.
31-3. corravam : for corre'vam, 'we were traversing'; the
form corravam, like salavam in Purg. iv. 31, is a peculiarity of the
Florentine dialect. morta gora : ' deathly channel ' ; morta
perhaps refers to the deadly stillness of its surface, anzi ora :
' before thy time,' i. e. while still alive.
36. Vedi, &c. : this is intended as an evasive reply, his object
being to avoid recognition.
38, 39. Spirito maledetto. Filippo Argenti, who is here intro-
duced (cp. 1. 61), was one of the Adimari family at Florence, who
were among Dante's strongest opponents. Boccaccio in the Decam.
(ix. 8) tells a story which illustrates his passionate disposition.
ancor : for ancorchh
45. Benedetta, &c. : ' Blessed is the womb that bare thee,'
Luke xi. 27 ; lit. 'she who became pregnant with thee.'
47, 48. Bonta non e, &c. : 'there is no kindliness to adorn his
memory.' cosi : ' in like manner ' ; what he was in the world, he
is here.
49. si tengon : ' are reputed.'
59. alle : for the use of a ^her fare signifying ' by ' cp. Inf. xvii.
129; xxi. 55.
64-6. che: 'so that.' sbarro : 'unbar,' 'open wide.'
68. la citta, &c. The idea of the city of Dis — or, as it is here
called, the city named Dis — with its walls of iron, and a river
encircling them, is taken from the description of the abode of the
malefactors in Hell in Virg. ^en. vi. 548 foil. The city of Dis
comprises the whole of the remainder of Hell, for Dis is another
name for Lucifer (cp. Inf. xi. 65 ; xxxiv. 20), and he is placed at
the lowest extremity of that realm.
70. meschite: 'mosques' ; the word is intended to suggest the
city of unbelief.
75. in questo basso inferno: this is added to explain that
they stood out visible in the darkness of the nether hell.
76-8. pur : ' nevertheless,' i. e. despite the terrific sight, terra :
'city,' see note to 1. 130. fosse: obs. the grammatical irregularity
44
VIII. 79-120] INFERNO
of the verb agreeing In number with the predicate, and cp. Purg. x.
112, 113, 'quel ch' io veggio . . . non mi sembran persone.'
79. far grande aggirata : this took place in following the
windings of the fosse, which formed a succession of moats (fosse,
1. 76), which were intended to render the approach more difficult.
82, 83. in suUe porte : probably this means ' on the threshold of
the gates.' Many take it as 'upon the gates,* but from 1. 115 it
appears that the gates were open. Da' ciel piovuti : these are the
fallen angels.
93. Che gli hai scorta : ' who hast made plain to him.* The
very exceptional scansion of hai as a disyllable here is explained by
sc following; see notes on 1. 11 above, and on Inf. xv. 26.
97-9. piii di setter probably a general number, though it is
possible to enumerate seven such occasions, as Philalethes has done.
alto periglio : ' extremity of danger ' ; alto gives a superlative
force; see note on Inf. ii. 12.
105. da tal : by God; but the Holy Name is not mentioned in
Hell.
1 10, III. in forse : ' in doubt * ; cp. Purg. xxix. i8, 'mi mise in
forse.' Che 1 si e '1 no, &c. : ' so that yes and no (the conviction
that he will return, and that he will not return) contend within my
brain.' Others read Che.
1 1 2-4. si porse :' was addressed ' by Virgil, a prova : 'vied
with one another in ' : ' pell-mell rushed back within,' Gary, who
gives cerfaiim, a Penvi as equivalents.
117. rivolsesi a me : the repulse of Virgil, followed by the arrival
of an angel from heaven who secures Dante's admittance to the city
of Dis, is probably intended to teach, allegorically, that at the greatest
crises of our moral life our ordinary means of support fail us, and
a special intervention of spiritual aid on our behalf is necessary.
Another explanation is, that the sixth Circle, which lies immediately
within the walls of the city of Dis, is that in which heresy is
punished, and in order to enter it the aid of a heavenly champion is
required, since the question of religious belief is involved, and with
this human reason (Virgil) is incapable of dealing. This view,
however, is hardly satisfactory, for the question here is that of
admittance, not to the sixth Circle in particular, but to the city of
Dis at large.
118-20. le ciglia, &c. : this describes one who is 'crestfallen.'
45
INFERNO [viii. iai-30
dicea ne* sospiri : ' sighed as if he said,' lit. * said in his sighs ' ;
cp. aspettava in vista, 'wore an expectant look,' Purg. xiii. 100. le
dolenti case : ' the abodes of woe,' i. e. the lower Circles of the
Inferno.
1 2 1-3. perch* io m' adiri : 'for all my anger'; cp. Inf. iv. 64.
Qual che, &c. : ' whatever force may muster within to repel me ' ;
difension, lit. 'warding off'; cp. difese in Inf. xv. 27.
125. men segreta porta: the gate of Hell itself, where,
according to an ancient tradition, the devils opposed the entrance
of Christ when He descended into Hell, but He broke the gate open.
Cp. the Church Office for Easter Eve, Lect. iv, ' Hodie portas
mortis et seras pariter Salvator noster disrupit.'
127. Sopr' essa, &c. : the meaning is: — 'the gate I speak of
is that over which thou sawest the deathly inscription' ('characters
of death,' Vernon); cp. Inf. iii. i. vedestu for vedesti tu.
128-30. E gik, &c. : ' and already on the hither side of the gate
one (an angel from heaven ; see Inf. ix. 85) is descending the steep,
... of such might that (Tal che) by his aid the city shall be opened to
us.' Virgil says this in the confidence of faith : that he did not knonv
it is shown by his subsequent attitude; see Inf. ix. 7-12. senza
scorta : i. e. defended by his own purity, and guided by his own
intuition, terra : for the use of this word in the sense of ' city '
cp. Inf. ix. 104 ; x. 2 ; and 1. 77 above. This meaning, which is
found in Boccaccio and other writers, seems to have arisen from
terra being used at first of a city and its territory in conjunction,
without any marked distinction being made between them.
CANTO IX
Argument. — Dante, terrified by the prospect of their further
journey, inquires indirectly of Virgil whether he had ever entered
the city of Dis, and learns from him that he had once been com-
pelled by the witch Erichtho to descend to the lowest pit of Hell.
Suddenly the tliree Furies appear on the tower of the city, and
threaten to turn Dante to stone by displaying to him the head of
Medusa. But an angel from heaven is now seen crossing the marsh,
46
IX. 1-23] INFERNO
and by him the rebel angels are rebuked, after which Dante and
Virgil pass through the gate without opposition. The space of
ground immediately within the wall, which they now enter, forms the
sixth Circle, in which the heretics are punished by being placed in
fiery tombs.
Lines 1-3. Quel color, &c. : the sight of Dante's pale face
caused Virgil to check his own fears, il suo nuovo : ' his own
unwonted pallor.'
5. nol potea, &c. : ' could not lead him far,' i. e. enable him to
see far. a lunga : understand distanza, or possibly parte, as in
Vita Nuova, § 24, 11. 67, 68, ' da lunga parte.'
7-9. In these lines Virgil is swaying between hope and fear.
Pure: 'yet,' 'still,' despite this check, punga : arch, for pugna.
se non (' unless . . .') expresses a doubt, but this he suppresses
by saying tal ne s' oiferse, ' No ; we must win, when so great a
power offered to aid us.' tal is probably Beatrice ; see Inf. ii. 70.
quanto tarda a me : ' how long it seems to me to wait ' ; for the
phrase cp. Inf. xxi. 25, cui tarda, 'to whom it seems long.'
10. ricoperse: 'overlaid.'
13-5. dienne : 'caused me'; ne, which elsewhere stands for
a not, here represents a me ; and thus dienne has the force of mi
diede (Blanc, Vocah., s. v. ' ne '). Diez {Gram., vol. ii. p. 80)
distinguishes between ne, 'us,' ' to us ' (Lat. nos, nobis), and ne, the
particle (Lat. /W^). eh' ei non tenne : ' than he meant.'
16-8. conca : 'cavity'; possibly ' spiral cavity': the Inferno.
Discende mai, &c. : ' does any spirit ever descend from the first
Circle (Limbo), the punishment of which consists merely in ineffectual
.hope ? ' The expression of doubt which had escaped from Virgil's
lips in the parola tronca of his former speech {se non . . ., 1. 8)
suggested to Dante that his conductor had not previously visited the
lower regions of Hell ; so, in order to satisfy himself on this point,
he covertly inquires whether he had done so (alcun puts the
question in a general form).
23. Eriton : Erichthon is the witch who according to Lucan
{Phars. vi. 419 foil., 507 foil.) was consulted by Sextus Pompeius
before Pharsalia as to the result of that battle, and who summoned
up for that purpose the shade of a Pompeian soldier. Dante's
reason for introducing her here seems to have been that she was,
47
INFERNO [IX. 27-54
roughly speaking, a contemporary of Virgil, though, as a matter of
fact, Virgil did not die until thirty years after Pharsalia was fought.
But it is quite possible that among the many stories which were
current in the middle ages concerning Virgil, who was himself
regarded as a magician (see Prefatory Note to Canto II), the present
one concerning his treatment by Erichthon may have found a place.
27. cerchio di Giuda : the ninth Circle of Hell, where Judas
was.
29. dal ciel che tutto gira : 'from the heaven which moves
the whole universe round.' This is the ninth Heaven, or Primum
Mobile, of which it is said in Par. xxviii. 70, ' che tutto quanto
rape L'altro universo seco.'
31-3. Questa palude : the marsh of the Styx. Virgil mentions
this in order to prove to Dante his acquaintance with the features of
this neighbourhood, senz* ira : 'without awakening wrath,' sc.
in the denizens of Hell.
37,38. furon dritte: ' upreared themselves.' Tre furie:
Megaera, Alecto, and Tisiphone (11. 46-8). In the passage of
Virgil already referred to Tisiphone alone appears, Aen, vi. 555.
The description which follows is from Statius, Theh. i. 103 foil.
41. Serpentelli ceraste: 'small horned snakes'; both the
words are substantives, and they are in apposition to one another ;
cerasta (Gk. K€pdcrTy]<s) is a horned serpent. Others read serpentelli
e ceraste, ' small snakes and horned serpents,' which is regarded as
equivalent to ' snakes small and large ' ; but the corresponding
passage in Statius, ' centum illi stantes umbrabant ora cerastae *
(1. 103), does not suggest that large serpents are intended.
43, 44. le meschine, &c. : the handmaids of Proserpine ; for
meschine in the sense of 'minions' cp. meschini in Inf. xxvii. 115.
Proserpine or Hecate (for Dante identifies them) is again spoken of
in Inf. x. 80, as queen in Hell, but these classical titles are so
vague as hardly to be more than rhetorical expressions.
48. a tanto : ' thereupon ' ; cp. dt tanio, ' thereat,' in Inf. iv. 99.
51. sospetto : 'timidity'; see note on Inf. iii. 14.
52. Venga Medusa : i. e. let Medusa's head be brought. This
is // Gorgon of 1. 56, where the masc. gender is consequently used.
si '1 farem di smalto : ' so we will turn him into adamant.'
54. Mai non vengiammo, &c. : ' to our bane we did not take
vengeance on Theseus for his assault ' ; i. e. had we punished
48
IX. 57-7^] INFERNO
Theseus for attempting to carry off Proserpine (1* assalto), others
would not have followed his example and descended hither. Theseus
went down to Hades with the object of abducting Proserpine, but
was seized and detained there as a prisoner. Virgil represents him
as being permanently imprisoned there {^en. vi. 617), but Dante
has adopted the other version of the story, which says that he was
liberated by Hercules. For mal in the sense of ' unfortunately for
ourselves,' ' to our bane,' cp. Inf. xii. 66 ; Purg. iv. 72.
57. nulla: 'no chance of.'
58-60. stessi : arch, for siesso; cp. Par. v. 133. non si
tenne, &c. : ' was not content with my covering my face with my
own hands.' chiudessi : arch, for chiudesse.
61-3. O voi, &c. By making this appeal to his readers Dante
desires to intimate that the allegory is one to which he attaches
especial importance. Cp. Purg. viii. 19-21. The passage to which
attention is thus drawn is that which precedes these three lines — not
that which follows, for E gia at the commencement of 1. 64 clearly
marks the resumption of the narrative after an interval. Accordingly
the allegory turns on the obstacles that here oppose Dante's progress,
by which are signified the hindrances which impede the advance of
the soul towards repentance and conversion. The Furies represent
the recollection of past sins, and the Gorgon's head which turns
men to stone is the despair produced by that recollection, which per-
manently hardens the heart. Virgil's causing Dante to turn round
and hide his face means that human reason can resist for a while
the temptation to despair by refusing to contemplate it (see the notes
to Butler's Translation, pp. 102, 104).
68. Impetuoso, &c. : ' violent owing to the heat in the opposite
quarter of the heavens ' ; a rough description of the wind rushing in
to fill up a vacuum caused by heat.
70. porta fuori: 'carries away'; Dante probably had in his
mind Virg. Georg. ii. 440, 441, ' silvae, Quas animosi Euri
assidue franguntque feruntque.' Witte's re2iding ^ortajiori has little
to be said in its defence.
75. perindi: 'in that direction'; cp. indi, 'by that way,' in
Purg. xvi. 118. acerbo : ' painful to the sense,' and so presenting
an impediment to the power of sight; cp. Par. xxx. 79.
78. s' abbica : 'crouches,' lit. 'huddles itself together ' (der.
from bica, a ' heap ' or ' stack ').
TOZBK 49 £
INFERNO [ix. 79-112
79,80. distrutte: 'ruined/ 'lost/ al passo : 'at the
crossing,' i. e. the place of transit between the tower and the gate of
the city of Dis, where the boat of Phlegyas passed.
83, 84. la sinistra : this is mentioned because in his right hand
he held a wand, 1. 89 ; but also, perhaps, the movement of the left
hand implies a protest against sin. angoscia : ' fatigue.'
85. del ciel messo : this angelic 'messenger from heaven,' who
crosses the Styx dryshod, resembles the angel of Purg. ii. 29 foil.,
who conducts the souls in his boat across the sea to the Mountain
of Purgatory.
93. in vol s' alletta : ' finds entrance into your hearts ' ; on
allettare see note on Inf. ii. 122.
95. A cui, &c. : ' whose purpose can never be brought to naught,*
lit. ' cut off.'
97. nelle fata: 'against the decrees of God': fata is an
obsolete plur. fem. o^ fato^ in the sense of an ordinance of God's
Providence; cp. Purg. xxx. 142. The plur. of Fata (' one of the
Fates ') is always Fate ; see Vocah. Tramater. dar di cozzo :
' conflict with,' lit. 'butt against.'
98, 99. Cerbero, &c. : the reference is to Hercules having
chained Cerberus and dragged him to the upper world ; Virg. Aen.
vi. 395, 396, ' Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit, Ipsius
a solio regis, traxitque trementem.' il mento e il gozzo describes
the parts lacerated by the chain, vi ricorda : the verb is here
used impers. ; ' it recurs (recalls itself) to your minds ' : cp. Purg.
xxxiii. 91 ; Par. xxxiii. 79 ; also // rimembra in Inf. xi. 79.
102. altra cura, &c. : i. e. as if he were preoccupied by thoughts
of Heaven.
104, 105. la terra: 'the city'; cp. Inf. viii. 130. appresso :
* after having heard.'
108. La condizion, &c. : 'the state of those enclosed within a
fortress of such aspect.' Dante now enters the sixth Circle, where
the heretics are punished.
112. Arli, ove Rodano stagna : this describes the position of
Aries, at which place the Rhone divides, and begins to form the
marshy delta of the Camargue. The cemetery at Aries, which is
here referred to, was called Aly scamps {Elys'ti Camp'i). It has
been allowed to fall into decay, and the sarcophagi which remain are
arranged near the road leading to a chapel of St. Honorat on the
50
IX. 113-3^] INFERNO
east side of the town. There is a view of it in Macgibbon's
^Architecture of Provence, ?• 5^*
113, 114. Quamaro : the gulf of Quarnero or Quarnaro (both
forms of the name are in use at the present day ; Jackson, Dalmatia,
vol. iii. p. 81). Che Italia chiude: the province of Istria, in
which Pola lies, and which is bounded on the east by the gulf of
Quarnero, is spoken of by Dante as forming part of Italy in De
Fulg. Eloq. i. 10, 1. 55.
115. varo : 'uneven.' This word, which is unique, is probably
another form of 'vario, this change of termination being common ;
the meaning then is 'varied,' 'irregular.' Others derive it from
Lat. varus, ' bent,' ' distorted ' ; but this word, is not given by
Ducange as occurring in mediaeval Latin.
120. Che ferro, &c. ; 'that no handicraft (of iron-founders,
blacksmiths, &c.) requires iron to be more so.'
123. ofFesi : 'sufferers'; cp. Inf. vii. iii.
127. Qui son gli eresiarche. The correspondence between
the punishment and the sin punished in this Circle is found in the
tombs being appropriate to sinners who, like the Epicureans, repre-
sented the soul as dying with the body. This, no doubt, applies
to one only among the various classes of heretics, but in Dante's
account of these the Epicureans are far the most conspicuous.
Similarly in the third ring of Circle VII, where several classes of
sinners are punished, the form of punishment of all of them is
suggested by that of the sin of Sodom, though only one class was
guilty of that sin; see note on Inf. xv. 16. It is also noticeable
that no separate mythological figure is assigned to the sixth Circle,
this office, apparently, as well as that of guardians of the entrance of
the city of Dis, being discharged by the Furies. In like manner,
Charon and Minos in the first two Circles perform a twofold function.
131. piii, e men: i.e. according to the heinousness of the sin.
132. alia man destra. It has already been remarked (Pref.
Note to Canto I) that the course followed by Dante and Virgil
through Hell is to leftward throughout. The proof of this will be
found in the following passages of the Inferno — xiv. 126; xviii.
21; xix. 41; xxi. 136; xxiii. 68; xxix. 53; xxxi. 83. Its
allegorical significance is that the forms of sin which present
themselves to one who descends through the Circles of Hell proceed
from worse to worse. To the rule thus established there are two
51 E 2
INFERNO [x. I, 2
exceptions, in which it is stated that the Poets* course was towards
the right; viz. (i) that which occurs in the present passage, (2)
that in Inf. xvii. 31, where they are first approaching Geryon,
before descending into Malebolge. The probable explanation of
the deviation from the leftward course towards the right is in both
these cases the same — that it was a declaration of adhesion to the
way of right, in protest against certain special forms of sin which
presented themselves on these occasions. In the former instance
this sin is heresy, or perverted belief; in the latter it is fraud, or
peiTerted justice, of which Geryon is the representative.
CANTO X
Argument. — Dante follows Virgil along a path between the
wall and the tombs. In this part of the sixth Circle are found
those heretics who maintained the doctrine of Epicurus that the soul
dies with the body. From one of the tombs Dante is addressed by
Farinata degli Uberti, the Florentine leader, who recognizes him
by his pronunciation as a native of Tuscany. While they are con-
versing together, another figure partly emerges from the same tomb,
who proves to be Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti, the father of Dante*s
friend Guido Cavalcanti ; and when from some remarks of the Poet
he concludes that his son is dead, he falls backwards in grief and
disappears. Farinata predicts to Dante impending misfortunes, and
explains to him the nature and amount of the knowledge possessed
by the spirits in Hell. The Poets now cross the sixth Circle.
Line i. secreto calle: 'a concealed path'; cp. Virg. Aen.
vi. 443, ' Secreti celant calles.*
2. Tra il muro, &c. : ' between the wall of the city of Dis and
the torments.' The question has been much debated, why the
heretics occupy this position immediately within the wall of the city
of Dis. The best answer to this seems to be that, owing to the
nature of Dante's scheme of punishments, which is set forth in
Canto XI, it was difficult to find an appropriate place for them,
and that under the circumstances this suggested itself as the most
suitable. For Dante's classification of sins was based on a moral
code, in accordance with which violence and fraud are punished
within the city of Dis (Inf. xi. 22 foil.), and the various forms
52
X. 5-27] INFERNO
of incontinence outside it (Inf. xi. 70 foil.) ; whereas heresy is a sin
of the intellect, and therefore finds no place among them. But,
as it was necessary to introduce it somewhere, it was classed with
the worse order of offences in the lower j)art of Hell, because heresy
is a sin especially abhorrent to God ; and it was placed near to
the entrance of the city of Dis, in order that it might be kept
separate from the sins of violence and fraud.
5. Mi volvi : ' dost lead me round.' This passage shows that
the Poets' course was curved or spiral, as it naturally would be,
since the Inferno was funnel-shaped, and they descended continually
in the same (leftward) direction.
II. Josaffat: 'the valley of judgement.' Jehoshaphat means
'the Lord judgeth '; and since the prophet Joel (iii. 2, 12) speaks
of the Valley of Jehoshaphat at Jerusalem as the place where God
will hold judgement, it came to be regarded as the scene of the final
judgement, and it is so still among the Mahometans.
15. morta fanno : 'represent as dying.' During the thirteenth
century the denial of the immortality of the soul was imputed by
the Papal Curia to many of the Ghibellines, such as Farinata (1. 32)
and Cardinal Ubaldini (1. 120), who in consequence of this were
known as ' Epicureans.'
18. che tu mi taci: Virgil elsewhere (e.g. Inf. xxiii. 25-7)
describes himself as being a mirror to Dante's thoughts. The
desire here spoken of is probably that of seeing some Florentine
heretics, since scepticism was rife at this time in Florence.
21. non pur mo: 'not on the present occasion only.' mo is
Lat. modo. The ref. is to Inf. iii. 76-81, where Dante's fear
of vexing Virgil by his questions is described.
23. parlando onesto : as in Inf. ii. 113, this expression
implies ' skill in speech,' but here it refers specially to the use of
refined language (the volgare illustre).
25. La tua loquela: here, as in Inf. xxxiii. 11, 12 and Purg.
xvi. 137, some peculiarity of the lingua Toscana is meant, probably the
pronunciation ; hardly the dialect, which was anything but ]-efined.
27. troppo molesto: Farinata, who is here speaking, was in
the middle of Cent, xiii the head of the family of the Uberti, who
were the leaders of the Ghibelline party in Florence. The occasion
on which he was ' too injurious ' in his treatment of Florence was
when, after his expulsion from the city in 1258, he retired to Siena,
63
INFERNO [X. 29-63
where he and his fellow exiles concerted the measures which led
to the great defeat of the Florentine Guelfs at Montaperti.
29. arche: 'coffers'; i.e. the tombs or sarcophagi in which
the spirits were confined.
35. ergea : syncopated form of ^r/g-^^7.
39. conte: 'well-considered,' since he was dealing with a man
of position and a political opponent. Conto, from meaning 'known,'
' clear,' readily passes into the sense of ' well thought out.'
43. ubbidir : to comply with Virgil's admonition.
47,48. primi: 'forefathers.' parte: the Ghibellines. duefiate:
in 1248 and 1260.
50. r una e 1' altra fiata: the first time in 1251, after the
death of Frederic II; the second in 1266, after the battle of
Benevento.
51. vostri : here, and in 1. 63, where Cavalcante is addressed,
vostro is used for tuo as a mark of respect to the dignity of the
person spoken to ; cp. the use of the plural verb in 11. 1 10, 1 14. For
the other instances in the poem in which this occurs see note on
Purg. xxxiii. 92. quell' arte: the art of returning home. In
1280, when a reconciliation of the Guelf and Ghibelline parties took
place at Florence, the family of the Uberti were excepted, and were
not permitted to return.
52. 53. Allor, &c. : the order of the words is — 'allora un'
ombra surse lungo questa, scoperchiata alia vista infino al mento.'
Others take alia vista scoperchiata as ' at the uncovered mouth
of the tomb,' comparing Purg. x. 67, where vista means 'a window.*
Un' ombra : this is Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti, father of Dante's
friend the poet Guido Cavalcanti, who married Farinata's daughter.
Boccaccio says that Cavalcante did not believe in a future life. In
several places in the Vita Nuova Dante speaks of Guido as his
most intimate friend, e. g. V. N. § 3, 11. 98, 99.
56, 57. altri: his son Guido. suspicar : 'questioning'; the
word expresses mingled doubt and hope.
63. Forse, &c. : the meaning of this line has not been clearly
explained. As the statement is qualified by forse, perhaps it
signifies that contempt of Virgil might be inferred from Guido's
writings. By some it is supposed — on the strength of Dante's
saying in the Vita Nuova (§ 31, 11. 21-4) that Guido desired
that he should write that work throughout in Italian — that he de-
64
X. 64-87] INFERNO
predated the Latin language; and that this would cause him to
neglect Virgil as being a Latin author.
64, 65. Le sue, &c. : Dante had discovered who Cavalcante
was from his implying that his son was Dante's friend, and from
his being punished as a sceptic.
68, 69. " egli abbe " : the past tense seemed to imply that he did
so no longer, ancora : ' still.' lome : arch, for lume.
73, 74. a cui posta : 'at whose desire'; cp. Inf. xvi. 81,
a tua posta. Farinata's request that Dante should stop is mentioned
in 1. 24. non muto aspetto : Farinata's self-command was
shown by his not wincing or betraying emotion, while the fate of
his son-in-law was the topic of conversation.
79. cinquanta volte: the period meant is four years and two
months, i.e. from April, 1300, the supposed date of the Vision,
to June, 1304. It was about that time that the attempts of the
White Guelfs to secure their restoration to Florence finally failed,
and that Dante separated himself from his party. If a more exact
date than this is required, it may be that of the departure of Cardinal
Niccolo da Prato from Florence on June 4, 1304, which marked
the failure of the embassy of reconciliation between the rival factions
on which he was sent by Benedict XI.
80. delta donna che qui regge : this is Hecate, who is identi-
fied by Dante with Proserpine as the goddess who rules in Hell.
Here she represents the moon, according to the view of ancient
mythology. Other classical names of the moon which are found
in the Div. Com. are Delia \ Purg. xxix. 78; Trivia, Par. xxiii.
26 ; laJigUa di Latona, Par. x. 67.
8 1. quanto . . . pesa : ' the difficulty of.'
82. mai : 'hereafter'; see on 1. 94. regge: arch, for reggi,
which stands for riedi, 2nd pers. subj. pres. from riedere, ' to return ' ;
' so may'st thou return.' For another instance of se with the subj.
expressing a wish or prayer cp. 1. 94. When this particle is thus
used, it is derived, not, as might appear at first sight, from Lat.
sic, but from si, and has a conditional force ( = ' if you wish that,'
&c.) ; see Diez, Gram., vol. iii. pp. 328, 329.
84. a' miei : ' against my relations,' the Uberti ; see note on
1.51-
85-7. Lo strazio : the battle of Montaperti, which was fought
on the banks of the Arbia, Sept. 4, 1260. scempio : 'massacre';
55
INFERNO [x. 89-109
cp. Purg. xii. 55. It Is derived from Lat. exemplum^ and gets this
meaning from that of ' exemplary punishment ' ; Korting, W'ort.^
No. 2941. Tale orazion, &c. : 'causes such addi-esses (i.e.
deliberations and decrees against the Uberti) to be made in our
temple.' The ' temple ' is the church of San Giovanni, where
popular assemblies were held. Or the meaning may be, ' causes
such prayers to be offered up in our church for deliverance from the
machinations of the Uberti.'
89, 90. A cio : at the battle of Montaperti. He sighs (so-
spirando) at the thought of having fought against Florence at all.
Senza cagion : his justification was his unjust banishment, mosso :
' set forth.'
91-3. fu' io sol: take with Colui below; 'I and I only was
the man.' cola : at Empoli, where the Ghibellines in council
proposed the destruction of Florence, and Farinata opposed it single-
handed. In recognition of this his statue now stands in front of
the Ufizi among those of the heroes of Florence, a viso aperto :
' openly,' ' boldly.'
94-6. Se riposi mai, &c. : on Se see note to 1. 82 ; 'so may
your descendants hereafter find repose,' i. e. may they be restored to
Florence, ha inviluppata, &c. : ' has entangled my judgement.'
The difficulty (nodo) which puzzles Dante is that, whereas Farinata
is able to predict future events (11. 79-81), Cavalcante is unaware of
his son's present condition (1. 60).
97-9. se ben odo : i. e. if I understand aright what I have
heard, tenete altro modo : 'take a different course,' i.e. are in
ignorance.
100—2. mala luce: 'imperfect sight,' i.e. longsightedness,
technically called presbyopy, when near objects are seen indistinctly,
but distant ones plainly, lontano : adv. Cotanto, &c. : ' so much
light is still vouchsafed to us by God.'
104. non ci apporta : 'does not bring us news.'
107, 108. da quel punto, &c. : after the judgement eternity will
commence, and then there will be no more future time. By cono-
scenza, then, is meant the knowledge of present and future events,
as distinguished from the memory of the past, which would remain
with them.
109. mia colpa: his remissness, in not at once answering
Cavalcante's question.
56
X. 113-35] INFERNO
1 13, 1 14. ei : both this form and / are used for gli. Translate —
' inform him that I did not answer because my thoughts were even
then occupied by the perplexing question (error) which you have
solved for me.'
116. piii avaccio : 'with more eager haste.' avaccio is an
obsolete adv. ; cp. Inf. xxxiii. 106.
119, 120. Federico : Frederic II, to whom Dante on other
grounds awards high praise in the De Vulg. Eloq. (i. 12, 11. 20 foil.),
was regarded by his contemporaries as a heretic, il Cardinale :
Ottaviano degli Ubaldini. The evidence of his scepticism was,
according to Benvenuto, that on one occasion he said, ' Si anima est,
ego perdidi ipsam miljies pro Ghibelinis.'
123. quel parlar: viz. Farinata's prophetic intimation in 11.
79-81.
127-32. La mente tua, &c. The general meaning of this
passage is as follows : ' Store up in your mind what you have heard
to your disadvantage, but for the present occupy yourself with what
lies before you ; afterwards Beatrice will reveal to you your coming
fortunes.' Drizzo il dito : he pointed with his finger to the scene
before them, thus enforcing his injunction to Dante that he should
give his attention to the sights and warnings of Hell (attend!
qui).
131. quell a : Beatrice is meant, but hers is one of the sacred
names which are not mentioned in Hell. In reality, when the time
arrives, she does not herself reveal Dante's fortunes to him, but
refers him to his ancestor Cacciaguida (Par. xvii. 7).
133. a man sinistra: hitherto they had been keeping the wall
on their right hand (see Inf. ix. 132, 133) ; hence, in order to cross
the circle, they had to turn to the left.
135. unavalle: the seventh Circle, fiede : ' strikes,' 'leads.'
CANTO XI
Argument. — In this Canto Virgil communicates to Dante a
classification of the sins which are punished in the lower part of
Hell. All wrong dealing {malizia) takes the form either of violence
or of fraud. Violence, which is punished in the seventh Circle, is
of three kinds, according as it is used against God, or against oneself,
57
INFERNO [XI. 1-8
or against one's neighbour; and the three classes of sinners thus
constituted are tormented in three different rings or compartments of
this Circle. Violence may be done in two ways under either
of these three heads, according as It is offered to the person himself
or to that which belongs to him : hence in the first ring are placed
those who wrong their fellow men by murder or by robbery ; in the
second those who take their own lives or waste their own posses-
sions ; in the third those who blaspheme God or violate Nature's
laws. Fraud is of two kinds, according as it violates or does not
violate, some special bond of confidence, such as the ties of friendship
or country. Those persons who practise ordinary fraud are placed
in the eighth Circle ; while those who violate a special tie, i. e.
traitors, are in the ninth. Sins of incontinence, which are less
heinous than sins of violence and fraud, are punished in the part
of Hell which is above the city of Dis. Virgil further explains
to Dante why usury is an offence against God.
Lines 1-3. ripa: thisbankof rocks forms the boundary between
the sixth and seventh Circles, piii crudele stipa : ' throng of
more woful sufferers ' ; for stipa cp. Inf. xxiv. 82, ' Terribile
stipa di serpenti.'
4, 5. r orribile soperchio Del puzzo. In defence of the
introduction of this feature Burke may be quoted, who says {Essay
on the Sublime and Beautiful)^ ' No smells or tastes can produce a grand
sensation, except excessive bitters and intolerable stenches ' ; in
illustration of the latter point he quotes Virg. jien. vi. 239-41 and
vii. 83, 84.
8. Anastasio papa : this is Anastasius II, who was Pope
in 496-8 A. D. The story relating to him is this. During the
fourteen years preceding his election serious differences had existed
between the Eastern and Western Churches in connexion with the
subject of the Monophysite heresy, which had been condemned
at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 ; and because of a supposed
proclivity towards that heresy the name of Acacius the Patriarch of
Constantinople was struck off the roll of Patriarchs by the heads
of the Roman Church. Anastasius, when he became Pope, was in
favour of reconciliation, and accorded a favourable reception to
Photinus, a deacon of Thessalonica, who had been sent to him
from Constantinople with the view of obtaining the restoration
58
XI. 13-36] INFERNO
of the name of Acacius to the roll. This action on his part
gave offence to the Roman clergy, and afterwards (on the authority
of Gratian) the story arose that Anastasius was persuaded to heresy
by Photinus.
13. compenso : the classification of the sins punished in Hell
which follows finds its counterpart in the account of those expiated
in Purgatory, which is given in Purg. xvii. 82 foil., and there, as here,
the subject is introduced in answer to an appeal on Dante's part for
the employment of a period of delay.
16-8. cotesti sassi : the alta r'lpa^ formed by the gran pietre
rotte in cerchio. cerchietti : the seventh, eighth, and ninth Circles,
being much smaller in circuit than the first six, are here called ' little
circles.' Di grade, &c. : ' descending in steps, like the Circles
already passed.' lassi : for lasci ; cp. lassa^ Inf. iii. 49.
20, 21. basti: i.e. without further inquiry. Hitherto Dante
has frequently questioned Virgil about the classes of sinners punished
in the different Circles ; from this time he does so no longer.
come, e perche, &c. : ' the system and the reason of their durance ' ;
i. e. the arrangement of the punishments, and the classes of sins for
which the punishments are inflicted.
22-4. For a resume of the classification which follows see the
Argument; this should be consulted throughout. Dante's system
is that of Aristotle, to whom he refers in 1. 80, but in the present
passage his immediate authority seems to be Cicero, De Off. i. 13.
41, ' Cum autem duobus modis, id est aut vi aut fraude, fiat iniuria,
fraus quasi vulpeculae, vis leonis videtur ; utrumque homine alienis-
simum, sed fraus odio digna maiore.' See Moore, Studies^ i.
p. 259. malizia : ' wrong dealing,' il fine : ' the object aimed at.'
25. deir uom proprio : because it involves the use of reason,
whereas violence is common to the irrational animals.
28. il prime cerchio : the seventh Circle, which is the first of
the three here spoken of.
31-3. puone : a Tuscan form of pub ; cp. fene, Inf. xviii. 87.
Casini says that in that dialect ne was attached to verbal forms
without having a distinctive meaning, in lor cose : this applies to
all three, the cose di Dio being natura e sua boniade^ 1. 48. con
aperta ragione : ' by clear argument.'
36. toilette dannose : ' wrongful exactions ' ; the two words
are equivalent to mal iolletto in Par. v. 33, the maktollettum of
59
INFERNO [XI. 37-63
mediaeval Lat., which signifies ' extortions ' ; cp. also maltolta moneta
in Inf. xix. 98.
37. omicide : arch, iox omicidi.
42. senza pro: 'without avail'; in Purgatory the repentance
would be availing, in Hell it is renwrse.
44, 45. Biscazza, &c. : the principle which connects prodigality
and suicide is derived from Ar. Eth. iv. i . 5 SoKct 8' aTrwAeta rts
avrov ctvat koX rj tt}? ovcria<i cfiOopd, ws rov t,rjv 8ta. rovroiv ovroq.
Hence the suicides and prodigals are punished together, piange,
&c. : by doing so the man wastes the good things which have been
given him to enjoy.
47, 48. Col cor : Ps. xiv. i, 'The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God'; cp. 1. 51. sua: God's.
49-51. suggella Del segno sue : 'stamps with its seal,' i.e.
sets its mark upon, claims as its own. Sodoma : those who do
violence to nature. Gen. xix. 5. Caorsa : those who do violence
to the gifts of nature, or wealth, by practising usury. Cahors in the
south of France was one of the most noted seats of usury in the
middle ages. E chi, &c. : ' and those who speak in their heart in
contempt of God.'
52. end' ogni, &c. : i.e. 'every one who commits fraud is
conscious of his sin ' ; the fraudulent man is not carried away
by passion, like many of the violent, but calculates his crime
beforehand. But others say — ' all mankind are conscious of being
guilty of deceit,' comparing Rom. iii. 11— 3, 'there is none righteous,
no, not one ; . . . with their tongues they have used deceit.'
54. fidanza non imborsa : ' does not repose confidence in
him.'
55? 56. Questo mode di retro : 'this latter mode.' Pur lo
vinco, &c. : ' only the natural bond of love.'
57. cerchio secondo : the eighth Circle, which is the second
of those now under consideration. The sins here enumerated are
punished in various compartments or bolge of that Circle.
58. afFattura : ' deals in witchcraft.' Ducange give affciciurator
as ' a sorcerer ' in mediaeval Lat. The derivation is obscure.
62, 63. quel oh* e, &c. : i. e. where there is not only the
universal bond which links man to man, but a special bond in addition
to this, arising from such causes as relationship, benefits conferred,
friendship, &c, cria : for crea,
60
XI. 64-94] INFERNO
64, 65. cerchio minore : the ninth Circle, which is the smallest,
il punto : 'the centre'; cp. Inf. xxxii. 73. Dite : i.e. Lucifer;
cp. Inf. xii. 39.
68. ragione : 'reasoning' ; for rag'wnamento^ as in 1. 33.
70. Quel, &c. : this clause and the three following describe
respectively the occupants of the fifth, the second, the third, and the
fourth Circles ; in the latter clauses quel is to be supplied before che.
73—5. roggia : 'fiery-red'; cp. Inf. viii. 70-4. a tal fog-
gia: 'in such a case'; foggia, lit. 'fashion,' 'condition.'
76—8. Perche, &c. : ' why does thy mind wander so far
from its accustomed good sense ? or on what object in another
direction are thy thoughts fixed ? '
79. ti rimembra : the vb. is impersonal; cp. 'vi r'tcorda^ Inf.
ix. 98.
80. la tua Etica : Ar. Eth. vii. i. i, where the three states
mentioned are aKpao-ta, KaKta, and OrjpioTr]'; : these correspond
respectively to incontinenza, malizia (fraud), and bestialitade
(violence). In the Latin translation of Aristotle the three Aristo-
telian terms are rendered by incontinentia, malltla, and bestlalltas.
(Hence it appears that malizia in the present passage is used in
a different sense from what it is in 1. 22, where it means 'wrong
dealing ' generally, and includes violence.) It may here be noticed
that Dante's knowledge of Aristotle's works — his familiarity with
which is implied by such expressions as la tua Etlca, la tua Flslca
(1. loi) — was derived from two classes of Latin translations, viz.
the Old, which were made from Arabic versions, and the New,
which were of more recent date, and were made directly from the
Greek. See Moore, Studies, i. pp. 307 foil.
82-4. la matta Bestialitade: ' unreasoning bestiality.' men
biasimo accatta : ' receives less blame ' ; cp. Ar. Eth. vii. 7. 7
cXttTTov 8e 67)pL6Tr]<; /caKtas. accatta : lit. ' gets.' accattare, like
Fr. acheter, is derived from med. Lat. accapltare {adcaptare) ;
Diez, Wort., p. 5.
87. su di fuor : in the upper part of Hell, outside the city
of Dis.
94. indietro : 1. 50, where Caorsa is mentioned as a seat of
usury. The view of money-lending which Dante here sets forth is
that of Aristotle, Pol. i. 10. 5 6 8c to/cos ytVcrat v6fXL(r/xa
vo/xicr/JLaros' uxrre kol /aoAtora Trapa <fiV(nv ovtos twv ■^(p'ltjfx.aTLcrixtiv
61
INFERNO [XI. 96-108
l(Triv. Usury was also forbidden by the Mosaic law, but only in the
case of Hebrews; Deut. xxiii. 19, 20.
96. groppo : ' knot/ It is the same as our ' group ' (Skeat) ;
and so is used for ' heap * in Inf. xiii. 123, and for ' cluster ' in Inf.
xxxiii. 97.
97— III. Filosofia, &c. Virgil's answer is to this effect,
' We learn from philosophy that the operations of nature proceed
directly from God, and those of art indirectly, because art consists
in the imitation of nature (11. 97—105). Again, the Bible teaches
us, that it is by these two principles, nature and art, that the system
of man's life should be ordered (11. 106-8). But usury, or making
money out of money, is a process which is regulated neither by nature
nor by art, and therefore it is not in accordance with God's laws *
(11. 109-11). By art — as we learn from 1. 108 (where see note) —
is meant the artificial production of things, which is derived by
imitation from nature.
98. non pure, &c. : ' in more than one branch of the subject.'
100. sua arte : i. e. God's scheme of creation and the laws He
appointed for it.
roi, 102. la tua Fisica : the P/^jj/Vj of Aristotle, non dope
molte carte : near the beginning of the treatise; Ar. Phys. ii. 2. 7
104. come, &c. : ' as the scholar does his master.* fa here, like
our ' does,' repeats the meaning of another and transitive verb.
When, as in this instance, it is followed by a case, the use is
somewhat rare ; cp. Inf. xxv. 132; xxxii. 132.
105. nipote : human art is the immediate descendant of nature,
nature of the Divine intelligence.
107. Lo Genesi dal principio : here in quoting from the Bible,
as in ' non dopo molte carte ' (1. 102) when quoting from Aristotle,
Dante gives an approximate reference. It need hardly be remarked
that, whether a work is subdivided or not, a poet cannot quote
by chapter and verse. Cp. Inf. xx. 113, where Virgil, in quoting
a passage from the yleneid, says, ' L' alta mia Tragedia in alcun
loco.'
108. Prender, &c. : 'that mankind should gain their Hvelihood
and prosper.' The passages in Genesis here referred to are (i)
Gen. ii. 1 5, which mentions the Divine appointment in the Garden of
Eden that men should get their livelihood from nature, i. e. natural
62
XI. no— XII. 3] INFERNO
fruits; and (2) Gen. Hi. 19, * In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread,' which implies that they should get their livelihood by
artificial means. These commands were given to Adam and Eve,
in whom mankind (la gente) potentially existed.
no, III. Per se, &c. : 'the usurer depreciates nature, both in
herself, and in her imitator,' viz. art. in altro : in the unnatural
process of money making money.
1 13. i Pesci : the Fishes are the sign of the Zodiac that precedes
Aries, in which the sun now was ; consequently the time intended
is some time before sunrise (perhaps 3 a.m.) on Easter Eve.
114. il Carro, &c. : 'the Great Bear (Charles's Wain) lies
right over the north-west point ' ; this is the case at the time of the
rising of Pisces in the latitude of Jerusalem. Coro (Lat. Caurus)
from meaning the north-west wind is here used for that quarter.
115. E il balzo, &c. : ' and onward there a space (via la oltra)
the ridge of rock is descended.'
CANTO XII
Argument. — A steep descent now leads into the first ring of the
seventh Circle, which contains those who sinned by violence against
their neighbour ; they are plunged in Phlegethon, a river of boiling
blood, more or less deeply according to the degree of their guilt.
The approach to this ring is guarded by the Minotaur, and in the
neighbourhood of Phlegethon are numerous Centaurs, whose function
it is to watch the spirits, and ensure their receiving their due measure
of suffering. Chiron, their leader, at Virgil's request appoints
Nessus, his subordinate, as their guide to the ford by which the
river can be passed; and as they proceed, Nessus points out to
them the most conspicuous of the guilty souls, among whom are
tyrants like Dionysius of Syracuse, assassins like Guy of Montfort,
and notorious highwaymen. At the point where the stream is
lowest Dante crosses it, riding on the back of Nessus.
Lines 2, 3. per quel, &c. : ' owing to the object (the Minotaur)
which withal was there, the spot was such as every eye would shun.'
If the comma is omitted after anco, it runs thus — ' and withal (i. e.
independently of its Alpine wildness) owing to the object,' &c.
63
INFERNO [XII. 4-17
4, 5. quella ruina, &c. : the ' rock-fall ' here is the Slavini di
Marco near Roveredo, about fifteen miles below Trent. The local
traditions of that place— according to which Dante became acquainted
with the rock-fall when residing at the neighbouring castle of
Lizzana, where he was entertained by its owner, the lord of Castel-
barco, at the time when he was at the court of the Scaligers — are
given by Barlow {The Vernon Dante, &c., p. 75). Taken by
themselves they are not of great value, but they receive some
confirmation from Dante's description, which implies that he had
seen the spot ; and the friendship which existed between the
Scaligers and the lord of Castelbarco suggests that a visit to his
castle would have been the most likely opportunity for him to
do so. percosse : take with nel fianco, ' struck the Adige in flank.*
6. sostegno manco : the cause of the rock- fall here given —
which, as Benvenuto mentions, is that assigned to it by Albertus
Magnus in his De Meteoris — is the true one. It was ' occasioned
by the fall of the oolitic and clay strata of the mountains ' ; Murray,
Handbook for S. Germany, p. 339. Most landslips arise in this
way, e. g. the well-known one of the Rossberg near Goldau in
Switzerland.
8, 9. discoscesa, &c. : ' the rock is so shattered, that it would
afford a possible track ' ; the meaning is that, whereas the mountain-
side was precipitous before, the landslip had made it possible, though
not easy, to descend. The meaning of discoscesa is determined
by that of the corresponding verb scoscendere, which in Inf. xxiv.
42; Purg. xiv. 135; Par. xxi. 12 means 'to break' or 'rend.'
For its etymology see note on Inf. xvii. 121.
10. burrato : 'chasm'; cp. Inf. xvi. 114.
1 1-3. punta : ' edge,' ' rim ' ; cp. testa for ' ridge ' in Inf. xvii.
43. lacca: 'hollow,' i.e. the Circle; see note on Inf. vii. 16.
L' infamia, &c. : this is the Minotaur, who is the guardian of this
Circle, and symbolically represents force and fury. He is called
' the infamy of Crete ' because of his origin from a bull and Pasiphae,
who with a view to that criminal connexion entered the figure of
a wooden cow (la falsa vacca). The story is from Virg. Aen.
vi. 24-6. Creti: for Creta, as in Cowo. iv. 27, 1. 160.
15. fiacca: ' overpowers,' lit. ' breaks.'
17. il duca d' Atene: Theseus, who killed the Minotaur.
Shakespeare by a similar anachronism makes him Duke of Athens
64
XII. 20-45] INFERNO
in the Midsummer Night^s Dream. In both cases the title was
suggested by that of the Frankish rulers of that place subsequently
to the fourth Crusade.
20. Ammaestrato, &c. : tutored by Ariadne, who was child
of Paslphae by Minos, and therefore sister to the Minotaur, and
who instructed Theseus in killing that prodigy.
22. si slaccia: 'breaks his tether'; probably at the altar, the
idea being suggested by Virg. Jlen. ii. 223, 224, 'fugit cum
saucius aram Taurus,' &c. in quella : understand ora\ cp. Inf.
viii. 16.
26, 27. varco : the passage, which had previously been occupied
by the Minotaur, ti cale : ' descend,' the track being precipitous.
28-30. lo scarce, &c. : 'that fallen mass of stones'; scarco
for scarico^ lit. ' unlading.' nuovo : ' unwonted,' as in Inf. ix. 3 ;
the weight of Dante's material body is referred to.
34. vuo' : for voglio. V altra fiata : the occasion mentioned
in Inf. ix. 22.
37, 38. poco pria, &c. : the reference in what follows (11. 40-5)
is to the earthquake at the time of the Crucifixion, when ' the rocks
were rent ' ; this took place shortly before the Descent into Hell.
The rending of the rocks on that occasion has given birth to various
legends, e. g. that relating to Monserrat (Mons Serratus) in Spain,
the jagged peaks of which are said to have been then formed, la
gran preda : the souls of the Patriarchs, who were delivered from
Limbo (11 cerchio superno).
42, 43. e chi creda: imitated from the Lat. 'est qui credat.'
The doctrine here referred to is that of Empedocles, that periodically ,
(Fill volte) the universe was organized and disorganized by hate
and love. Dante was acquainted with it through Aristotle, who
mentions and criticizes Empedocles' views in Met. ii. 4. 15 fo^l*
In the present passage it is implied that love was the disorganizing
element. The explanation of this would be, that the universe was
organized by the union of unlike elements ; but love caused like things
to combine with like, and thus dissolved this union, and with it the
organization, thereby producing chaos, mondo in : the metrical
hiatus between these words is strange, and has given rise to several
various readings.
45. altrove : a similar ruined place is mentioned in Inf. xxi.
106-8, but it is clear from that passage that Virgil was not yet
TOZER 65 F
INFERNO [xii. 46-79
aware of its existence. Hence it is probable that altrove here
is used generally, without reference to any particular spot known
to him.
46, 47. a valle: 'downwards'; cp. Inf. xx. 35. La riviera
del sangue : the name of this river is not given here, but it is seen
to be Phlegethon from Inf. xiv. 130—5.
49-51. e ria e folle: ira folk is also read, immolle:
' steeps,' i. e. in the blood.
52—4. fossa, &c. : 'a moat bent into an arc, corresponding to
that which according to my guide's account encloses the whole level.'
Secondo, &c. : the information which Virgil had given on this
point is contained in two passages, viz. 1. 47, where the river
(= fossa here) is mentioned, and xi. 39, where the 'ring' (= in
arco torta) is spoken of.
55, 56. in traccia : ' on the trail,' i. e. in pursuit of those
sinners who try to escape their punishment; cp. 1. 74. Centauri :
the Centaurs, like the Minotaur, being half beast, represent the
bestial {Or)pi(i)8r)s) nature of ' brute ' violence.
66. Mai: 'to your hurt'; cp. Inf. ix. 54. tosta : 'hasty';
referring to the attempt of Nessus to carry off Deianeira, the wife
of Hercules. The story, which Dante knew from Ovid, Mel. ix.
1 01 foil., was that when he seized her he was shot by Hercules,
and before dying, to avenge himself, gave her a garment imbmed
with his own blood, telling her that it was a charm by which to
retain her husband's love. When Deianeira used it for this purpose
on a subsequent occasion, the poison from the arrow which had
mixed with the blood caused Hercules' death.
67-9. tento: 'touched,' calling his attention, egli stesso :
i. e. he did not leave it to another to exact vengeance for him, but
provided for it himself.
70-2. che al petto si mira : ' whose eyes are fixed on his
breast'; perhaps this thoughtful attitude signifies that Chiron was
a sage, which was his character in Greek mythology. si pien
d' ira : cp. Virg. Georg. ii. 456, ' furentes Centauros . . . Rhoetum-
que Pholumque.'
75. sua colpa: they were immersed more or less in proportion
to the heinousness of their sin.
77. la cocca: the notch end of the arrow.
79. scoperta : ' uncovered,' ' exposed to view.'
66
XII. 83-107] INFERNO
83, 84. gli era al petto, &c. : ' was over against his breast,
where the two natures (the human and equine parts of his body)
join.'
85-7. soletto : without other company. Dante lays stress on
the soHtude of his journey in Inf. ii. 3, to sol uno. Necessity,
&c. : this journey was his only hope of restoration to a godly life ;
cp. Purg. XXX. 136-8.
88. Tal: Beatrice; cp. Inf. ii. 70, 71.
90. ladron : i. e. one who might be condemned to this Circle.
anima fuia : ' a fraudulent spirit,' whose place would be in the eighth
or ninth Circle. For the meaning of fuia cp. Par. ix. 75, where
futa dise means ' concealing (lit. stealing away) itself.' It is probably
derived from L at. jTwr; Diez, Wort., p. 373.
91-3. per quella virtii : 'I pray thee by that divine power.*
a pruovo : 'near,' 'in company'; Lat. ad prope\ Diez, Gram.,
vol. ii. p. 435.
97. destra : the three Centaurs were drawn up in front of them,
Chiron in the middle, Nessus on his right, Pholus on his left.
But the reason why Chiron's turning to the right is mentioned
probably is, that here he is doing a good and serviceable act, of which
this movement was emblematic.
98, 99. Nesso : he is chosen to guide them to the ford (1. 94)
because Ovid in the passage already mentioned calls him ' scitus
vadorum,' Met. ix. 108. Toma : 'return'; they had come to
meet Virgil and Dante, 1. 59. si : as Virgil had requested, 1. 94.
fa cansar: 'cause the other band to withdraw.' cansar for
cansarsl.
105. dier . . . di piglio : with sangue this means 'imbrued
their hands in.' There is a xeugma here (the verbal expression
being used in different senses with the two substantives sangue and
aver), for dar dt piglio means ' to lay hands on.'
106. danni : the wrongs they have inflicted.
107. Alessandro : this is supposed by some to be Alexander
of Pherae, who was notorious for his ferocity; and this view is
supported by a passage in Cicero {De Of. ii. 7. 25), where he is
mentioned, as he is here, in connexion with Dionysius of Syracuse
as a typical tyrant. But it would be strange if the name of
Alexander should be used without further explanation of any other
than Alexander the Great; and, in reality, Orosius, who was
67 F 2
INFERNO [XII. 110-18
Dante's chief authority for the facts of ancient history, speaks in
the strongest language of the bloodthirstiness and cruelty of that
conqueror (see the passages quoted in Toynbee's Diet., p. 23).
Lucan also denounces him in similar language (Phars. x. 20 foil.).
No doubt Dante speaks of Alexander the Great in high terms of
praise in Conv. iv. 11, 11. 123-5, on account of his liberality; but we
have already seen in the case of Frederic II (see note on Inf. x. 119)
that he was able to appreciate the two sides of a historical character.
Dionisio : Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse.
no. Azzolino: Ezzelino da Romano (i 194-1259), lord of
the March of Treviso, whose atrocities are again referred to in Par.
ix. 29, 30. Symonds says of him (^Renaissance in Itafy^ i. p. 42),
' His one passion was the greed of power, heightened by the lust
for blood.'
Ill, 112. Opizzo : Obizzo, marquis of Ferrara (1264-93).
Benvenuto applies the epithet ' violentus ' to him. figliastro : ' step-
son.' His son and successor Azzo is meant, by whom he was said
to have been murdered. The form of assertion which Dante uses
(per vero) implies that this was doubted. Benvenuto says that he
got the story from the chronicler Ricobaldo of Ferrara. The
expression ' step-son ' is a term of reproach, referring either to
the unnatural character of his crime, or to the supposed unfaith-
fulness of his mother.
114. Questi, &c. : Dante turned to Virgil to inquire whether
he confirmed these statements, and Virgil said, ' Take Nessus now
as your prime authority, and regard me as only second to him.'
117. bulicame: 'boiling stream.' This line and 1. 128 are
the only two places in the Div. Com. where this word occurs
besides Inf. xiv. 79, where it is the proper name of the hot spring
near Viterbo. Hence it seems probable that the word in its more
general meaning was derived from the name of that spring (so
Buti, Blanc, Vocab. Tramater). It is noticeable, as suggesting an
association of ideas between the two in Dante's mind, that Viterbo
was the scene of the murder which is mentioned in the next three
lines.
118. dair un canto sola: the reason of his solitary position
was that, as an Englishman, he belonged to a remote race and
country. Cp. the case of Henry III of England in Purg. vii. 131,
and that of Saladin in Inf. iv. 129.
68
XII. 119-37] INFERNO
119, 120. Colui : Guy de Monfort, son of Simon de Monfort,
who in 1270 slew Henry, son of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, in
a church in Vitcrbo during the celebration of mass (in grembo a
Dio). For the use of grembo of a place cp. Purg. v. 75, 'in
grembo agli Antenori.' Lo cor, &c. : the story here referred to, of
Henry's heart being preserved in a pillar on a bridge over the
Thames in London, was believed at that time in Italy, but is
almost certainly fabulous, for it is not mentioned by any English
chronicler. Henry was buried in the Cistercian Abbey at Hayles
in Gloucestershire.
127. da questa parte: on the side from which they came.
131. si raggiunge : i. e. after having completed the circle.
133-6. di qua: on the farther side, flagello : as being 'the
Scourge of God.' Pirro e Sesto : Pyrrhus is placed here because
he ravaged Italy ; Sextus Pompeius on account of his piratical
campaigns, in etemo, «fec. : ' causes to flow (lit. milks) eternally
the tears, which by its boiling heat it extorts from,' &c.
137. Rinier : the two persons of that name here mentioned were
famous highwaymen.
CANTO XIII
Argument. — The second ring of the seventh Circle, which is
next entered, contains the souls of the violent against themselves
and their possessions — i. e. the suicides and the spendthrifts. The
scene is a pathless wood, where the souls are imprisoned in the
trunks of trees of forbidding aspect, and are haunted and tormented
by the Hai-pies. Here the Poets meet with Pier delle Vigne, the
secretary of Frederic II, who relates to them the story of his fall
from power and his suicide. He also explains to them the nature
of the punishment which is inflicted here. As he ceases speaking,
there suddenly appear two of the class of spendthrifts — Lano da
Siena and Jacomo da sant' Andrea of Padua — who are being pursued
and torn by wild black dogs. Finally, a nameless suicide from
Florence descants on the malign influence of the ancient statue of
Mars in that city.
The symbolism in this Canto is more than usually elaborate.
69
INFERNO [xili. 5-25
The gloomy surroundings are emblematical of the hopelessness and
despair which characterize the crime of suicide. The Harpies
which tear off the leaves of the trees that contain the sinful souls
(1. loi) are essentially melancholy in character (11. 12, 15), and
represent brooding thoughts which prey on the mind. The pro-
hibition which prevents the suicides from reassuming their bodies
after the Judgement (11. 103—8), and the partial loss of individuality
involved in the vegetable growth with which they are identified,
correspond to the nature of their sin. Similarly in the case of the
spendthrifts, the dogs which rend them limb from limb (1. 128)
recall the manner in which they had squandered their property.
Line 5. schietti : ' straight and smooth.'
7-9. Non han, &c. : ' not so rough and tangled are the thickets,
which those wild beasts inhabit (han), which shun the cultivated
lands (i. e. inhabit the waste lands) between Cecina and Corneto.'
The meaning is clear, though the mode of expression is perplexing.
Tra Cecina e Corneto : as the river Cecina enters the sea to the
southward of Leghorn, and the town of Corneto lies northward of
Civit^ Vecchia, the district here meant is the marshy and unhealthy
country between the mountains of Tuscany and the sea, which is
known as the Maremma.
10-5. le bnitte Arpie, &c. : the story here referred to and
the description of the Harpies are from Virg. ^en. iii. 209 foil.
When Aeneas and his companions landed on the Strophades — two
small islands off the west coast of the Peloponnese — they were
driven away by the Harpies, who predicted to them impending
misfortunes.
18, 19. mentre Che: 'until.' sabbione : the scene of the
punishment of the sinners in the third ring.
21. torrien fede, &c. : 'would discredit tale of mine,' i.e.
would appear incredible, if I were to describe them.
25. The present Canto affords a number of instances of Dante's
fondness for the repetition of words, either in the same or in a
similar form, which device he uses for the sake of (i) antithesis, as
in 1. 72, ingiusto, giusto; (2) emphasis, as in 11. 67, 68, infiammb
&c. ; (3) mere fancifulness, as in the present line. Disdegnoso,
disdegno in 11. 70, 71 is another instance. For additional examples
see Inf. iv. 72-6, 0//0W; xxvi. 65, 66, prego\ xxx. 136, 137, sogna ;
70
XIII. 3C-58] INFERNO
Purg. XX. I, 2, voler. piacer, and II. 65 foil., per ammenda ; xxiv.
148-51, sentii\ Par. xiv. 136, 137, escusar \ xx. 98, 99, 'vince.
30. monchi: 'maimed/ ' defective,' 'vain ' ; 'you will discover
that your ideas are all at fault.'
31. porsi la mano, &c. : the incident described in what follows
was derived from Virg. Aen. iii. 22 foil., where the story is told,
how Aeneas plucked a branch from a tree, whereupon blood issued,
and a voice was heard declaring that the shade of Polydorus, who had
been murdered by Polymestor king of Thrace, was imprisoned there.
38. pia : ' compassionate.'
40, 41. un stizzo verde, &c. : 'a green brand, lighted at one
end, which at the other drips ' : the relative is somewhat awkwardly
repeated, geme : for this meaning of gemere cp. Purg. xxv. 44.
It is similarly used as a Latin word in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 4,
II. 59, 60, ' ut [aer] aquam gemat.' In the present passage it will be
seen that geme corresponds to sangue (1. 44), while cigola corre-
sponds to parole.
43, 44. scheggia : ' splinter,' i. e. the torn bough, usciva :
a marked instance of the use of a sing, verb with two subjects,
because the first of the two is plur. As the verb precedes, it is
probably a quasi-absolute use (= 'there issued '), like that of soper-
chiava in Inf. xix. 22. la cima : the tip of the twig, by which he
was holding it.
48. Cio ch* ha, &c. : ' what he has hitherto realized only by
means of my poetry,' i. e. that a human life can be imprisoned within
a tree, as described in the case of Polydorus.
50, 51. la cosa incredibile : 'the incredibility of the thing';
my object, Virgil says, was to persuade him of a thing so hard to
believe, a me stesso pesa : ' weighs on my conscience.'
57. Perche: here used simply for che^ 'that' ; cp. Purg. vi. 88.
a ragionar m' inveschi : ' am tempted (lit. ensnared) to discourse.'
Elsewhere in the Div. Com. the form is inviscare ; der. from Lat.
viscum, ' birdlime.'
58. lo son colui : this is Pier delle Vigne, the secretary and
confidante of Frederic II, who was ultimately disgraced on a charge
of treachery and blinded, and died in 1249. Various accounts are
given of the manner of his suicide, and Villani (vi. 22) even doubts
whether he killed himself at all. ambo le chiavi : the keys of
good-will and ill-will.
71
INFERNO [XIII. 61-108
61. dal secreto, &c. : 'I removed almost every one from his
confidence.'
63. i sonni e i polsi : le vene e i polsi is also read, but i sonni
has far greater MS. authority (Moore, Text. Crit., p. 304) ; and
besides, le vene, &c., would mean ' it drained my life-blood,' and it is
not his death which is here referred to. The plur. sonni is found
in Italian, though it is rare. Purg. xxxii. 78, where it occurs, is
not a case in point, for it used there of the sleep of several persons.
64. La meretrice : 'envy'; cp. 1. 78.
67, 68. Infiammo : the repetition of the word in these two
lines is emphatic, expressing the spreading of the feeling. Augusto :
the emperor Frederic.
70-2. per disdegnoso gusto : 'prompted by disdainful feeling,'
lit. ' owing to my experience (taste) of the feeling of disdain.' It
is often interpreted as meaning ' owing to having tasted of the
disdain of others' ; but to take disdegnoso ('disdainful') in this
sense seems to be doing violence to the meaning of the adjective.
The disdain of others is expressed by disdegno in the following
line. Ingiustoy &c. : ' when I was just in my dealings with others,
my feelings caused me to treat myself unjustly.'
73. nuove: ' newly stmck' ; only fifty years had elapsed since
his death.
76, 77. di voi alcun : ' one of you two.' Conforti : 'let him
reinstate.'
85. Se : 'so may ' ; cp. Inf. x. 82, 94.
89, 90. nocchi : 'gnarled trunks.' si spiega : ' frees himself.*
94—6. feroce : 'in passionate mood,' that being the condition
of mind which is attributed to the suicide, foce : ' circle ' ; lit.
'opening,' 'gulf.'
98, 99. fortiina : the circumstance that the place in which they
spring up is determined by chance corresponds to the haphazard
way in which they have cast away their lives, gran di spelta :
this stands for any common quick-growing plant.
102. finestra : ' an outlet.' The rent made by the Harpies
became an outlet for the cries of pain ; cp. 11. 131, 132.
103, 104. spoglie : i. e. their bodies, which they would reclaim at
the Judgement. Ma non pero che : ' yet not so that any may,' &c.
108. prun : 'thorn-bush.' molesta : 'injurious,' because it had
wronged the body.
72
XIII. 115-45] INFERNO
115. Ed ecco duo: these are souls of spendthrifts, a class of
sinners who, as we have seen (cp. Inf. xi. 40—4), were associated
with the suicides because they wasted their goods.
117. ogni rosta : 'all the tangled branches.' The primary
meaning of rosta, which has been much disputed, is ' a bough
with branches ' ; see Vocah. Tramater.
118, 119. accorri: ' hasten to my aid.' morte: as a spirit of
the dead is speaking, this must mean annihilation ; cp. Inf. iii. 46.
a cui, &c. : ' who thought his own pace too slow.'
120, 121. accorte: 'alert'; the • meaning of the passage is,
' You did not run away like this, otherwise you would have escaped.'
The story of the time was, that Lano da Siena was a youthful
spendthrift, who when his fortunes were desperate, exposed himself
to certain death instead of running away at the battle of Pieve del
Toppo, when fighting against the people of Arezzo in 1288.
123. Di se, &c. : ' he flung himself into a bush so as to form
one heap with it,' his object being to hide himself. In this bush,
as we learn from 11. 131 foil., the soul of a suicide was imprisoned.
127. quel : Jacopo da sant' Andrea, a spendthrift of Padua, who
was put to death, it was said, by Ezzelino in 1239.
131, 132. piangea . . . invano : 'was uttering vain laments':
the dogs had torn him at the same time as the spirit who had taken
refuge under him.
134. Che t' e giovato : 'what hath it profited thee?' when
thou hast been lacerated notwithstanding.
136, 137. fermo : iox fermato. punte : these were the wounds,
which became al dolor Jinestra (1. 102).
143. lo fui, &c. : he does not tell his name, nor is it known
who he was. Benvenuto remarks that, as there were many suicides in
Florence at this time, Dante leaves the application open, so that it
might apply to any of them.
144. il primo padrone : Mars, to whom, according to the story-
then current, a temple was erected in the time of Augustus ; but
this was converted into a church of St. John the Baptist, i. e. the
old Cathedral of Florence, which is now the Baptistery (Villani, i.
42, 60).
145. r arte sua: i. e. in this case the propagation of domestic
strife. There is no great need to discuss the question whether
Dante himself in any degree shared the superstitious belief here
73
INFERNO [xiii. 146-51
referred to. It was widely spread and very famous at this time,
and it is on this ground that he introduces it. In any case he
does not affirm it himself, but puts it into the mouth of another
Florentine.
146, 147. in sul passo d' Amo : 'on the crossing of the
Arno/ i. e. on the Ponte Vecchio, where the statue of Mars was
afterwards set up ; cp. Par. xvi. 47. The story was that when the
temple of Mars was converted into a church, the statue was set up
in a tower near the Arno, where it remained until the siege of the
city by Attila (or Totila), when it fell into the river. Subsequently
it was recovered and set up again on a pillar on the river-bank at the
point where the Ponte Vecchio was afterwards built (Villani, ii. 1 ;
iii. i). Rimane . . . alcuna vista ; ' there are some visible
remains.'
148-50. Quei cittadin, &c. : 'those citizens, who subsequently
rebuilt it on the ashes which remained from Attila's siege, would
have caused the work (of rebuilding) to be done in vain.' The
question is, who are meant by ' those citizens.' According to
Villani (iii. i) the city was rebuilt by Charles the Great and the
Romans, and they recovered and replaced the statue of Mars ; but
they were not cittadini, and il cener che d' Attila rimase would
be a strange way of describing a place that had been deserted for
several centuries. Another chronicler, Sanzanome, who lived at
the end of the twelfth and beginning of the thirteenth century, makes
no mention of Charles and the Romans, but says [Gesta Florenti-
norum^ p. 3) that Florence was rebuilt by the leading citizens (' per
proceres '), and implies that this was done immediately after its
destruction — both which statements are suitable to the present
passage. On the other hand he makes no mention of the statue
of Mars. From this it appears as if Dante had mixed up a number
of traditions on this subject which were current among the people.
Attila : Dante has here confused Attila with Totila, king of
the Ostrogoths — a mistake which is found In some other writers of
his time. Attila never came near Florence ; Totila besieged that
city, and according to the common tradition destroyed it, though in
reality he did not do so.
151. lo fei, &c. : the meaning is, ' I hung myself at home ' ; or
perhaps, ' I slung the fatal noose from my own roof ' (Cary).
74
XIV. i-2i] INFERNO
CANTO XIV
Argument. — The third ring of the seventh Circle is that of the
violent against God, who occupy a sandy waste, and are tormented
by falHng flakes of fire. This form of sin — as has been explained
in Inf. xi. 46-51 — is of three kinds, according as it is directed
against God Himself, when it is blasphemy ; against nature, when
it is Sodomy ; and against the gifts of nature, i. e. wealth, when it
is usury. In the present Canto the punishment of the first of these,
blasphemy, is described. The most conspicuous representative of
this sin is Capaneus, one of the Seven against Thebes, who in the
midst of his suffering defies the Deity. The Poets now reach
the stream of Phlegethon, which issues from the wood of the
suicides, and crosses the waste of sand; the bank of this stream
they follow, because in its neighbourhood the falling fire is ex-
tinguished. The sight of it suggests to Virgil that he should explain
to Dante the origin of the infernal rivers.
Lines 1-3. Poiche, &c. : Dante here complies with the request
of the spirit who had last spoken (Inf. xiii. 139-42), in consideration
of his being a Florentine, ch' era gik fioco : ' who was by this
time faint ' ; the faintness must have been apparent in his voice,
which was the only evidence that could show it.
7,8. nuove : ' strange.' una landa : ' a waste ' ; the name of
the Grandes Landes, as the uncultivated district between Bordeaux
and Bayonne is called, illustrates the meaning of the word.
II, 12. il fosso tristo : Phlegethon ; cp. Inf. xii. 52. a randa
a randa : ' on the very edge ' ; the repetition of the word in this
and similar idioms adds precision and force to the statement.
randa is from the Germ, rand, ' edge ' ; Korting, JVorterbuch,
No. 6646.
13-5. Lo spazzo : ^the ground.' This word is derived, like
spa%io, from Lat. spatium, but bears a different meaning. Caton ;
the reference is to Lucan, Phars. ix. 411 foil., where Cato leads
to Juba the remains of Pompey's army. The description of the
barren soil in the neighbourhood of the Syrtis, which is here
intended, is given in 11. 431-7.
2 1 . E parea, &c. : ' it appeared that they were subject to
75
INFERNO [XIV. 23-36
different ordinances,' i. e. the punishment of each of the three classes
who occupy this ring (see the Argument) differed in the mode of
its infliction and in the degree of its severity. The three Hnes
that follow (11. 22—4) represent respectively the condition of the
blasphemers, the usurers, and the Sodomites. The symbolical
meaning of their different positions is thought to be, that the defiant
now lie impotent^ the usurers, who sat at their tables instead of
honestly working, occupy the same position still, and the Sodomites,
like the incontinent of the second Circle, hurry restlessly^ as they had
been carried away by want of self-command on earth.
23. raccolta : 'drawn in,' 'hunched up,' their object being to
expose the smallest possible surface to the falling flames.
27. Ma pm, &c. : i. e. their cries of pain were louder.
30. alpe : this word, whether it is used for ' the Alps,' or, as
here, for ' mountains ' generally, is always singular in the Div. Com, ;
cp. Purg. xvii. i ; xxxiii. ill.
3 1 . Quali Alessandro, &c. : the primary source of the story
here given was the apocryphal letter of Alexander to Aristotle,
which describes how in the course of one of his marches a great
snowfall occurred, whereupon Alexander ordered his soldiers to
tread down the snow ; this was followed by flaming clouds descending
to the ground ' tanquam faces.' It will be seen that Dante has
represented the soldiers as trampling, not the snow, but the flames ;
this confusion however did not originate with him, but with
Albertus Magnus, who says in his De Meteoris (i. 4. 8), a book
with which Dante was acquainted, ' Admirabilem autem impressionem
scribit Alexander ad Aristotilem in epistola de mirabilibus Indiae
dicens quemadmodum nivis nubes ignitae de aere cadebant, quas ipse
militibus calcare praecepit ' ; see Toynbee, Diet., pp. 23, 24.
quelle parti calde D* India : ' that hot region of the world,
India ' ; this seems better than ' that hot district of India through
which Alexander's march lay,' for the mediaevals regarded the
whole of India as a hot region. Cp. Purg. xxvi. 21, where ' Indo
o Etiopo ' is used as equivalent to ' inhabitants of hot countries.'
35, 36. acciocche, &c. : ' seeing that the flame was more easily
extinguished.' When acciocche is used with the indie, (a some-
what rare use) it means ' inasmuch as,' ' seeing that ' ; cp. Fita
Nuova, § 22 1. 54; § 42. 1. 20. It cannot possibly mean 'in
order that,* but the variants perciocchh for acciocche and stinguesse
76
XIV. 38-77] INFERNO
for stingeva show that the use with the Indie, was felt at an early
date to present a difficuhy. mentre ch' era solo : i. e. before the
fire caught and spread.
38, 39. esca Sotto focile : ' tinder under the influence of the
steel,' i. e. of the flint and steel used for lighting.
40—2. Senza riposo mai = sen%a mat riposarsi. tresca :
* play ' of the hands. It was the name of a dance In which the
hands took a prominent part, fresca : ' ever renewed.'
44, 45. i Demon : those at the gate of the city of Dis ; cp.
Inf. vlii. 82. uscinci: for ci uscinno, which = ci uscirono. The
form in -inno for -irono occurs again In Par. xlv. 121, apparinno\
cp. terminonno for terminarono^ Par. xxviii. 105.
46-8. quel grande: Capaneus, who when mounting the walls
of Thebes defied Jupiter, and was smitten with a thunderbolt by
him. The story is from Statius, Theb. x. 897 foil., several points
In which passage have been adapted by Dante, torto : ' frowning.'
maturi : ' tames,' lit. ' mellows,' ' softens.'
51-4. Qual io fui vivo: Stat., Theb. HI. 602, [Capaneus]
' superum contemptor.' il suo fabbro : Vulcan. crucciato :
' Incensed ' by Capaneus' menaces. 1' ultimo dl : ' the day of my
death,' cp. Inf. xv. 47.
55. gli altri : sc. fabbri^ I. e. the Cyclopes, whose forge was
fabled to be under Etna, the mediaeval and modern name of which
mountain is Monglbello.
58-60. alia pugna di Flegra : the reference is to the attempt
of the Giants to scale Olympus, on which occasion they were defeated
by Jupiter ; this Is called by Statius {J'heb. x. 909) 'praelia Phlegrae.'
The Phlegraean plains are generally identified with the peninsula of
Pallene in Chalcidice, which faces Olympus, vendetta allegra :
' welcome revenge ' ; i. e. he would not be able to humiliate me or
make me yield.
67-9. miglior labbia: 'calmer aspect'; for labbia cp. Inf.
vll. 7 ; xlx. 122. Ch' assiser Tebe : this was the siege of that city
by the EpigonI, who supported Eteocles against his brother Polynlces.
72. assai debiti fregi : 'an amply meet garniture': fregio,
which means the ' border ' of embroidery, is here used Ironically for
' accompaniment.'
74. Ancor : 'hereafter'; cp. Par. xvli. 86.
76, 77. divenimmo Ik: 'we reached the spot'; cp. Inf. xvlli.
77
INFERNO [xiv. 79-ioa
68. This somewhat rare use of diventre seems to be derived from
that of the Lat. devenire, * to arrive.' fiumicello : this, as we
learn from 11. 130 foil., is Phlegethon, i.e. the stream by which
the waters of that river escape from the first ring, where the violent
against their fellow men are immersed in it (Inf. xii. 47). Emerging
from the wood of the suicides (Fuor della selva), it here crosses
the burning sand at right angles.
79-81. Bulicame: this is the name of the hot mineral spring,
which rises about two miles W. of Viterbo. It issues from the
top of a low hillock, and the steam which proceeds from it can
be seen from some distance off. The water boils up from a number
of sources, and forms a pool of irregular shape some eighty feet in
circumference, from which it is now conducted in different directions
by five channels. In Dante's time the prostitutes who lived in its
neighbourhood (le peccatrici) were forbidden to use the baths to
which the other women resorted, and had the water from the stream
conducted to their houses. The points of comparison in the simile
here are the heat and the rush of the water.
83, 84. Fatt' eran pietra : *had been turned to stone,' i.e.
the water produced petrifactions, margini : the edges, which
formed a causeway, 1. 141 ; the pendici are the banks, il passo :
the way across the ring, lici : arch, for // ; cp. Purg. vii. 64.
87. sogliare = soglia, 'threshold.' The gate here meant is the
outer gate of Hell, as contrasted with that of the city of Dis, which
ivas 'denied' to Virgil, as Dante had reminded him in 1. 45.
90. ammorta: 'extinguishes'; cp. 1. 142. The flames were
quenched by the steam rising from it. Inf. xv. 2, 3.
94-120. In this passage Virgil describes the origin of the rivers
of Hell. They are formed by the tears which issue from the figure
of an old man, which stands within a cavern in Mount Ida in Crete.
94-96. guasto : here and in 1. 99 Dante is referring to the
miserable condition to which Crete had been reduced by the Venetian
domination. Sotto il cui rege: in the golden age, when Saturn
was king, casto : ' innocent.'
97-99. Una montagna, &c. : the mention of Mount Ida was
suggested by Virgil's introducing it in his account of Crete in
^en. iii. 104-13, where ' Idaeum nemus' (1. 112) corresponds to
fronde here, vieta : ' outworn,' lit. ' musty.'
100-2. Rea: from what is here said of Rhea we gather that
78
XIV. 103-14] INFERNO
Dante had in his mind Ovid, Fast. iv. 197-214, where the story is
given of Saturn having eaten her former children by him, and how
Rhea on the birth of Jupiter concealed his infant cries from his
father by the clashing of metal, le grida : i. e. the sounds which
are famous in story.
103. Dentro dal monte : i. e. in a cavern within the mountain;
cp. grotta in 1. 114. un gran veglio : the figure of the Old Man
of Crete was suggested by the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in
Dan. ii. 32, by which the successive monarchies of the ancient
world were symbolized. Dante's figure, however, has a wider
application, and typifies the history of the human race in its successive
stages, as it passed through the golden, the silver, the iron age, &c.
The reason why Crete was chosen as the locality is, that Mount Ida
was the scene of the golden age, though probably Dante was also
influenced in his choice by the position of that island on the confines
of the three continents in which the history of mankind was enacted.
The tears which proceed from this figure are the sorrows of mankind
arising from their sins in all ages, and by these the rivers of Hell
are formed.
104, 105. Che tien, &c. The figure which represents the
human race stands with its back to Damietta, i. e. the East, because
the great ancient monarchies existed in that quarter, and looks
towards Rome, because that was now the seat of the imperial authority.
Damiata : Damietta is selected to represent Egypt, and so the
East generally, because it was well known at this time from having
been twice captured by the Crusaders.
108. alia forcata : at this point the dual power of the Church
and the Empire commences.
109-11. eletto : 'choice.' salvo che, &c. : the right foot
is the Church, the left foot the Empire ; and what is said of the
right foot, viz. that it is of baked clay, but that the figure rests
especially upon it, signifies that the Church, though it is the more
fragile of the two, has been the stronger support to the human
race.
1 12-14. fuor che 1' oro : no tears were shed in the golden age,
which was the age of innocence, fessura : this is the corruption
and consequent suffering of the world since the Fall, which cause
men's tears to flow, foran quella grotta : ' force a passage
through that cavern '; quella refers to 1. 103, Dentro dal monte.
79
INFERNO [xiv. 115-34
115. questa valle : the Inferno, si diroccia : * falls in cascades.*
116. Acheron te, &c. It is natural to suppose that Dante had
a clear conception in his own mind of the relation which the courses
of these three rivers bore to one another, but it is not easy to
determine what that conception was. The most common view is
that they are the same stream, appearing at various points under
different names and different aspects. If the difficulties involved in
that view — e. g. those resulting from the changes in the colour and
the temperature of the water — are regarded as being too great, it may
be supposed that, when the stream formed by the combined tears
(1. 114) had passed through the surface of the earth, it divided and
formed three separate rivers. But in that case they must have joined
again before reaching the channel at which Dante has now arrived,
for it is distinctly stated in 1. 117 that the waters which form them
pass through it. Flegetonta : the form here is that of the Greek
accus. Dante may have got it from the Culex (1. 271), which in
his time was regarded as a work of Virgil's, or from Servius*
Commentary on jien. vi. 265.
117—20. sen va : Lor cor so (1. 115) is the subject. 1^, &c. :
the lowest pit of Hell, where the water of Cocytus is found.
stagno : the 'Cocyti stagna alta' of Virg. Aen, vi. 323. non si
conta : * I give no account of it.'
1 2 1-3. Ed io, &c. Dante expresses surprise that he had not
seen this streamlet before. Virgil replies (11. 124-9) that this was
no matter for astonishment, because he had not yet made the entire
circuit of the Inferno, and therefore there must be many objects
in it which had not met his view, a questo vivagno : ' at this
edge (lit. selvage) ' of the wood.
126. Pur a sinistra: 'constantly to the left'; cp. Inf.
xxix. 53. This passage is an important one as bearing on the
leftward course of the Poets through Hell; see note on Inf.
ix. 132.
129. addur, &c. : 'cause a look of wonder to appear in
thy face.'
132. r altro : Phlegethon, of which it is said in 11. 115, 116
that it was formed by the fall of tears (esta piova).
134. 11 bollor, &c. : the explanation which Virgil suggests turns
on the derivation of the name Phlegethon from Gr. <^A.€y€tv, ' to
burn.' Dante was not himself acquainted with Greek, but he had
80
XIV. i36~xv. 2] INFERNO
learnt this from Virg. u4en. vi. 550, 551 and Servius on 1. 265;
see Toynbee, Z)/V/., p. 243.
136, 137. questa fossa: the Inferno. LS, : in the Earthly-
Paradise ^Purg. xxviii. 130), where the soul which has passed
through Purgatory is delivered from the recollection of past sins.
142. vapor: 'flame/ as in 1. 35. si spegne: cp. 1. 90.
CANTO XV
Argument. — As they pursue their way along the embankment
of Phlegethon, they meet a troop of spirits traversing the sandy plain
in the midst of the falling fire. These are the Sodomites, who are
punished for violating the law of nature. One of them, by whom
Dante is recognized, is the famous Florentine statesman and man
of letters, Brunetto Latini. He predicts misfortunes and ill-treat-
ment at the hands of his fellow citizens as awaiting Dante, and at
the same time encourages him to pursue a bold and independent
course. At Dante's request Brunetto furnished him with the names
of some of the best-known persons in his troop, which consists of
ecclesiastics and men of learning. Another band, composed of sinners
of a different class in life, but condemned for having committed the
same sin, now approaches ; and as it is forbidden to these groups
of spirits to communicate one with the other, Brunetto is compelled
to quit Dante's company. As he does so, he recommends to him
his principal literary work, the Tresor.
Line i. margini. This line and 1. 3 which rhymes with it are
two of the very few twelve-syllable lines that are found in the poem.
The excuse for this metrical irregularity is the weakness of the last
two syllables, which are unaccented, and belong to the inflexional
part of the word. The exceptional use is more marked here and in
Inf. xxviii. 80, CattoUca, than in the remaining four instances, viz.
Inf. xxiii. 32, scendere\ xxiv. 62, malagevole \ Par. xxvi. 125,
inconsutnabile ', xxviii. 125, girano^ because in these latter the final
vowel is one which could be omitted in the middle of a line.
2. aduggia : ' casts a misty shade ' ; cp. Purg. xx. 44. The
primary meaning of uggia^ from which aduggiare is derived, is 'shade *
or 'blight.'
T02ER 8 1 G
INFERNO [XV. 4-18
4-6. Quale : agreeing with schermo, ' such as is the defence
"which the Flemings make.' Guizzante : Wissant, a town between
Calais and Cape Gris Nez ; it was known in the middle ages as
the starting-point for the crossing to England. This place and
Bruges mark the western and eastern limits of the coast of Flanders,
as known to Dante ; so the general meaning is ' on the Flemish
coast.' Bruges is used roughly here for the coast in its neighbour-
hood, since it lies inland from Ostend. s' awenta : ' rushes,'
frequentative from avvenire. perche, &c. : 'to force the sea to retire.'
7-9. la Brenta : the river which descends from the Alps to
Padua. Anzi che, &c. : the meaning is : — ' providing against
the floods caused by the melting of the snows in the neighbouring
Alps.' As anzi che literally means 'before that,' it seems that
what Dante is referring to is rather the annual repair than the
original making of the embankments. Chiarentana : Carinthia,
which district in Dante's time included the head-waters of the Brenta.
II, 12. Tutto che, &c. The exactness here introduced into
the description is a marked instance of Dante's realism ; cp. Inf.
xix. 16, and Ruskin, Modern Painters, vol. iii. p. 216. Qual che,
&c. : ' their designer, whoever he was.' In Inf. iii. 5, 6, we are
told that Hell was made by God, but whether simply by the Jiat of
His will, or whether its details were the work of an intermediate
agency, angels or devils, is not said. Our ignorance on this point
is probably what is meant here. In contrast with this, the life-like
sculptures on the wall of the first Cornice in Purgatory are said to
be from the hand of God Himself; Purg. x. 94t6.
13-15. selva : the wood of the suicides; cp. Inf. xiv. 77.
Perche : ' however much.'
16, 17. anime: the Sodomites. It should be noticed that the
punishment of the falling flames, which is inflicted throughout
the whole of the third ring of Circle VII, was suggested to Dante
by the fate of the city of Sodom, which is described in Gen. xix. 24,
when ' the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone
and fire.' lungo : 'beside'; not 'along,' for in that case they
would have been sheltered from the flames.
18. come suol, &c. : the graphic comparisons which follow
imply that this class of sinners had a peculiar difficulty in seeing.
Benvenuto remarks that this is intended to signify that their sin is
one which especially shuns the light.
82
XV. 20-53] INFERNO
20. aguzzavan, &c. : * puckered (lit. pointed) their eyebrows,' i. e.
peered, as persons do in a faint light.
22-4. famiglia : 'company.' Per lo lembo : the sand, on
\vhich Brunette was walking, was on a much lower level than the
embankment ; hence he catches the hem of Dante's garment.
26. Ficcai gli occhi : the metre shows that Ficcai is here
a trisyllable. There seem to be only two other instances in the
poem of the use of -at as a disyllabic at the end of a word (except,
of course, at the end of a line), viz. Inf. viii. 93, ha\i scorta, where
it is explained by sc following, and Par. xxv. 38, Ieva\i gli occhi.
Possibly both in the present passage and in that in the Paradiso the
exceptional use may be due to the influence of ^/ following.
27. non difese : lit. 'did not ward off.'
29, 30. chinando, &c. : Dante, being on a higher level, stooped
towards the level of Brunetto's face, voi : the plural is used out
of respect for a man of dignity; see note on Inf. x. 51. ser
Brunette: Brunetto Latini (d. 1294) played a prominent part in
public affairs in Florence, and encouraged Dante in his studies.
The title ' ser ' was given to him as being a notary.
33. la traccia : ' his troop.'
39. arrostarsi : 'waving his arms' (lit. 'fanning himself),
to keep off the flames. The subst. rosta, which originally meant
' a bough with branches ' (Inf. xiii. 117), came to be used for ' a fan,'
because branches were used by the country people for fanning, keeping
off flies, &c. ; hence arrostarsi means ' to fan oneself.' feggia :
fromy^nV^.
40. a' panni : 'at thy skirts'; cp. 1. 24.
47. r ultimo di : 'the end of thy life,' as in Inf. xiv. 54.
51. Avanti, &c. : ' before the tale of my days was fully told.'
52. Pur ier mattina, &c. : Dante turned his back on the
seha oscura (= 'valle ; cp. Inf. i. 14) in ascending the dilettoso monte
(i. 13, 29). This took place on the morning of Good Friday,
and it was now the morning of Easter Eve.
53. Questi : Virgil's name is not given, notwithstanding that
Brunetto had inquired who he was. Possibly it is treated as one
of the sacred names, the mention of which is avoided in Hell,
since as Dante's guide he was employed in God's service. It is
certainly remarkable that, while it occurs twenty-five times in the
Purgatorio, it is only found five times in the Inferno, and these
83 G 2
INFERNO [XV. 54-65
five are in the narrative, and not in speeches, so that they do not
imply that the name was uttered in Hell.
54. a ca : this is sometimes taken of the ' heavenly home ' ;
but more probably it means ' the world above,' ' the earth.' Though
Virgil was not to bring him thither, he was guiding him on his way to it.
57. Se ben, &c. : this means that Brunetto perceived that Dante
showed good promise; and stella in 1. 55 is to be taken in
a metaphorical sense, rather than as referring to the constellation
under which he was born.
58. per tempo : not ' before my time,' for Brunetto was about
eighty years of age at the time of his death, but ' too early ' to be
of service to Dante. As Brunetto had ample time before his death
in 1294 to help Dante in his early studies, we must suppose that
opera in 1. 60 refers to the work of his maturer years.
61. popolo : by this word the commons of Florence are meant,
while the 'Romans' in 1. 77 are the nobles. According to the
Florentine tradition, when the city of Florence was founded by the
Romans, its population was composed partly of colonists from Rome,
and partly of immigrants from the neighbouring town of Faesulae
(Fiesole) ; and from these two elements the nobles and the commons
respectively were descended. The discord arising from this cause
is regarded by Dante as the chief source of the factious spirit that
prevailed there.
62. ab antico : this is the Lat. ab antlquo, and is so rendered
by Villani (xii. 44), where he quotes this passage. Dante, however,
has used the Italian termination in antico for the sake of the rhyme.
For an instance of a similar, though inverse, change cp. Purg. xxiii. 4,
where for the same purpose j%-//«o/o, the Italian vocative, is changed
into Jigliuole, the Latin form. The reason why Latin is used in
ab antico is probably the same as in sub Julio (Inf. i. 70), viz.
that it describes a date or period in Roman history.
63. E tiene, &c. : i. e. it still retains the element of roughness
and hardness in its nature. Fiesole is situated on a hill (monte),
and Villani (i. 38) speaks of its inhabitants as ' ruddi e aspri di guerra.'
64. 65. per tuo ben far: because he opposed the entry of
Charles of Valois into Florence. Dante was banished in 1302, and
this opposition was one of the ostensible causes of his banishment.
lazzi sorbi: 'acid service-berries,' the 'acidis sorbis ' of Virg.
Georg. iii. 380.
84
XV. 67-93] INFERNO
67-9. orbi ; Villani (ii. 1) says that this epithet was appHcd to
the Florentines because they put confidence in the promises of Totila.
forbi : ' wipe clean,' * keep clean.'
71, 72. r una parte e 1' altra : the Black and the White
Guelfs. avranno fame Di te : ' will desire to get thee into
their power.' lungi fia, &c. : * they will not be able to satisfy
their craving.' becco ; 'mouth,' lit. 'beak.'
73-5. Faccian . . . strame : ' let them make litter of (i. e. rend
and tear) themselves.' S' alcuna, &c. : the statement is purposely
obscure, but Dante seems to be hinting at being himself descended
from one of the original Roman families, probably the Frangipani.
76, 77. santa : a special epithet of ancient Rome and its citizens,
witli reference to their being set apart from the first by God as the
source from which should proceed the temporal power which was
to govern the world, vi rimaser, &c. : the occasion here referred
to does not seem to be that of the original foundation of the city, for
rimaser would naturally be used of a previously existing population.
It is better, therefore, to understand it of a subsequent period, when,
after the destruction of Fiesole by the Florentines in 1010, the
citizens of that town migrated to Florence (Villani, iv. 6).
79-81. Se fosse, &c. : the meaning is — ' if my prayers had been
fully heard, thou wouldest be still alive.'
82. mi accora : ' goes to my heart,' in the sense of paining. It
was the sight of Brunetto's ' cotto aspetto ' which suggested this.
85. s' eterna : 'wins immortality,' i. e. literary fame.
87. Convien, &c. : 'it behoves that my tongue should declare' ;
nella mia lingua : lit. 'in what I say,' i.e. his grateful commemora-
tion of Brunetto.
88—90. scrivo : 'I note,' i.e. in my memory; cp. Inf. ii. 8.
a chiosar : ' for comment,' i. e. for Beatrice to comment on and
explain, altro testo : viz. what he had heard from Ciacco (Inf.
vi. 64) and from Farinata (Inf. x. 79). The 'comment' is ultimately
furnished by Cacciaguida, to whom Beatrice refers him (Par. xvii.
46 foil.).
91—3. Tanto : ' this much,' viz. ' that I am prepared for fortune '
(1. 93). Pur che, &c. : 'provided that my conscience does not
chide me ' (garra for garnsca) : ' as long as I have nothing for
which to blame myself, I am prepared to bear whatever is in store
for me.'
85
INFERNO [XV. 94-118
94-6. arra : this word, like the more usual caparra, means
a deposit paid on making an agreement ; here, according to Buti,
for the agreement itself. ' I am familiar with the agreement that
exists between man and fortune,* viz. that man must be content with
the changes of fortune, e il villan, &c. : ' even as the countryman
turns his mattock.' This is depreciatory of the power of fortune ;
' the one is no more to me than the other.'
97, 98. in sulla gota, &c. : Virgil, who is in advance, turns
round to address Dante, and he turns by the right, in order to
express approval of a well-omened speech.
99. Bene ascplta, &c. : ' he listens well who pays heed thereto.'
la, ' it,' stands for la cos a or la sentenza. Such elliptical uses of la
are common in Italian, e. g. ' farla da signore,' 'to act the gentleman.'
Cp. the use oi accoccarla ad uno in Inf. xxi. 102.
100. Ne per tan to di men : ' yet not the less for all that ' ; i. e.
notwithstanding that Virgil had interposed.
105. tanto suono : ' so long a recital.'
109, no. Priscian : the grammarian of the sixth century. No
such sin is attributed to him in history, but probably there was
a tradition to that effect in Dante's time. It has been suggested
that he is here taken as the type of grammar-school masters, who
beyond others had opportunities for this form of wickedness ; but
it is not like Dante to brand a character without reason. Francesco
d' Accorso : law lecturer in Oxford in 1273 ^^^ ^^"^ some years
after that date.
III. tigna : 'scurf; cp. the use oilordura as a term of contempt
in Inf. xi. 60.
1 1 2-4. potei : for pote'vt : on the irregularity of sequence of
the indie, after S' avessi avuto see note on Inf. xxix. 38. servo
de' servi : one of the titles of the Pope is ' servus servorum Dei.*
Boniface VIII is meant. Bacchiglione : the river of Vicenza.
Andrea de' Mozzi was translated from the bishopric of Florence
to that of Vicenza in 1295 on account of his unseemly living. Dove
lasclo, &c. : 'where he left (in death) his body exhausted by vice.'
117. fummo : 'dust,* raised from the sandy soil by the feet of
a multitude.
118. con la quale, &c. : these sinners, according to their station
and occupation in life, were partitioned in groups, which might not
communicate with one another.
86
XV. 119— XVI. i8] INFERNO
119. il mio Tesoro : this is the Italian name of Brunette's
encyclopaedic work, the Livre dou Tresor, which was written by
him in French. It is largely a compilation from ancient writers,
but it was a popular work at that time, and was used by Dante as
one of his authorities.
122. Che corrono, &c. : ' who run the race for the green cloth.*
A piece of green cloth was the prize for a foot-race held outside the
city of Verona on the first Sunday in Lent of every year. A marked
point in the comparison is that the competitors ran naked.
CANTO XVI
Argument. — Continuing their route in the same direction, they
are met by another band of sinners of the same class, but differing
from the preceding group by being composed of men who had held
military or civil offices. Three of these, who were Florentines,
concluding from Dante's dress that he was a countryman of theirs,
hasten to meet him; and one of them, who gives his name as
Jacopo Rusticucci, inquires eagerly from him about the social
condition of Florence, whereupon Dante explains the causes of its
decay. Passing on, the Poets hear a loud sound of falling water
close at hand, which intimates to them their approach to the descent
into the eighth Circle. When they reach the precipice, Virgil
borrows the cord with which Dante was girt, and throws it down
into the abyss to summon Geryon, that he may convey them into
the lower regions of Hell. In answer to this summons, a weird
figure is seen after a time to rise from below towards them.
Line 2. altro giro : the eighth Circle, or Malebolge, into
which there was a precipitous descent. The water which falls
here is that of Phlegethon.
8. abito : the dignified costume which distinguished the
ancient Florentines. Most Italian cities at that time had a special
dress.
1 2. pur che : ' if only ' ; * at the mere recollection of it.'
15. si vuole: 'it is fitting.' esser cortese : because on earth
they had been men of great position.
16-8. se non fosse il foco : 'were it not for the fire.'
87
INFERNO [XVI. 20-38
meglio stesse, &c. : ' it would be more suitable for you to hurry
to them, than for them to hurry to you.*
20, 21. verso: 'chant,' i.e. lamentation, rota: they worked
round and round, each in turn trying to get a near view of
Dante, who was on the ledge above. But a further reason for their
keeping in movement was, that they might escape the penalty of
stopping, which is mentioned in Inf. xv. 37-9.
22—4. Qual soleano i campion : the title campione was applied
to the hired combatants who took part in the 'judicial duels,' as the
pugilistic encounters were called, by which suits were from time
to time determined in various cities of Italy during the thirteenth
and the early part of the fourteenth century ; and it seems to be
this custom which Dante is referring to in the present passage.
Clear documentary evidence of the existence and the nature of these
* duels,' derived from the archives of several of the leading cities,
is given by Mr. R. Davidsohn in the Bull. Soc. Dant.^ N. S.
vii. pp. 39-43. For soleano some read sogliono, and tliough there
is but little MS. authority for this, yet the difficulty of reconciling
grammatically the past tense in soleano with the present sien in
the subject clause, and the fact that the practice here alluded to was
in existence in Dante's time, are strong arguments in its favour.
The point of the comparison is the wrestlers' moving about in the
same spot, and turning their heads round, first in one direction and
then in the other, lor presa e lor vantaggio : a favourable
opportunity of gripping their adversary. Prima che, &c. : i.e.
before the real tussle has commenced, punti : * struck.'
26, 27. in contrario, &c. : as they moved round, they were
continually turning their heads backwards or sideways, in order to
get a full view of Dante.
28-30. sollo : 'unstable,' referring to the yielding sand, brollo:
' nude,' here probably ' bald and hairless ' ; cp. dipelato in 1. 35.
31—3. La fama nostra, &c. : this is a most impressive passage
in respect of the contrast drawn between greatness in the present
world and abject misery hereafter. Virgil's remarks in 11. 15—8
are intended to give point to this, freghi : ' dost plod thy way,'
lit. 'trail thy feet,' 'LdX. frlcare 'y cp. Purg. vii. 52, 'frego il dito,'
' drew along his finger.'
38. Guido Guerra : a distinguished Guelf leader at Florence.
He took a prominent part against Manfred in the battle of Benevento
88
XVI. 41-7^] INFERNO
in 1265. His grandmother Gualdrada was daughter of Bellincione
Beiti, who is mentioned in Par. xv. 112.
41, 42. Tegghiaio : Dante had already expressed his desire to
learn his fate, and that of Rusticucci, the present speaker, and
described them as j/ degni^ Inf. vi. 79, 80. la cui voce, &c. :
* whose fame ought to be acceptable,' his 'fame' being the reputa-
tion attaching to him for having tried to dissuade the Florentines
from marching against Siena before the disastrous battle of Montaperti
in 1260. For voce in this sense cp. Inf. xxxiii. 85.
43. posto ... in croce : 'tormented'; cp. Inf. xxxiii. 87,
' porre a tal croce.'
45. La fiera moglie, &c. : ' my passionate wife is the chief
source of my bane,' i. e. she was the cause of the sin which brings
me here. He is said to have been separated from her on account
of her temper.
52-5. Non dispetto, &c. : this is in answer to Rusticucci's
words in 11. 28, 29 ; ' 'Twas not contempt, but grief, that your sad
state imprinted on my heart — and that so deeply, that it will be long
before it is wholly obliterated — as soon as,* &c. si dispoglia :
pres. for future, ' is likely to be obliterated.'
58-60. sempre mai : mai here only strengthens sempre.
ritrassi ed ascoltai : ' recounted myself and heard others recount.'
For r'ltrarre in this sense cp. Inf. iv. 145.
61-3. Lascio, &c. : this is in answer to the question about
himself and his journey in 11. 32, 33. fele is sin, dolci pomi
virtue, tomi : ' plunge downward,' implying a steep descent.
64, 65. Se lungamente, &c. : i. e. ' so mayst thou hve long ' ;
for se cp. note on Inf. x. 82.
67. Cortesia e valor . . . dimora : cp. Purg. xvi. 116, where
iialore e cortesia are used, as here, with a singular verb. In the
jDresent passage there is the further peculiarity that the participle
gita agrees with the one of the two substantives which is fem.
The reason of this seems to be that cortesia is especially referred
to, as we see from Dante's answer.
70-2. Guglielmo Borsiere : a person of no importance;
Boccaccio introduces him in the Decameron. per poco : ' for
a short time past ' ; he had consequently brought recent news from
the world above, cruccia : ' provokes ' : the reading crucia^ ' dis-
tresses,' suits the context better, but there is little authority for it.
89
INFERNO [XVI. 78-102
78. come al ver, &c.: 'as men look [at one another] on hearing
the truth,' i.e. implying by their looks that they accept the inevitable.
81. a tua posta : 'to your liking/ i.e. 'as pleases you,'
without reference to other people; cp. a cut posta, Inf. x. 73.
The meaning of 11. 79—81 is, 'If on other occasions you use
so little reserve in answering questions, you will be well off if you
do not suffer more from it than you do now.'
84. dicere " lo fui " : 'to retrace the past.' Gary compares
Tasso, Ger. Lib. xv. 38. 7, 8, ' Quando mi giovera narrar altrui Le
novitk vedute, e dire : io fui.'
90. parve : ' it seemed good ' ; Lat. 'visum est.
92, 93. Che: 'when,' the meaning being explained by poco,
' a short time,' preceding : cp. Inf. xxxi. 19. per parlar : ' for all
our speaking'; cp. Inf. iv. 11, 'per ficcar lo viso al fondo ' ;
xxi. 28, 'per veder.'
94-6. quel fiume : the Montone, which flows into the sea to
the southward of Ravenna. ch' ha proprio cammmo, &c. :
* which is the first river that from Monte Viso eastwards on the left
flank of the Apennines has an independent course.' The rivers here
referred to are spoken of as being on the left flank of the Apennines,
because we are supposed to be following the succession of streams,
and the corresponding mountain chain, from west to east. With
the exception of the Montone, all the streams that in Dante's
time flowed from the northern side of the Apennines in this part
.were tributaries of the Po, and that river rises in Monte Viso.
At the present day, owing to changes in the course of the Po, the
Lamone, which lies to the westward of the Montone, flows into
the sea.
97-9. Acquaqueta: Dante here says that this was the name of
the Montone above Forli. At the present day the name Montone
is found as high up as the monastery of San Benedetto, near which
place a torrent called the Acquacheta joins it. si divalli : ' pre-
cipitates itself ; der. from the Lat. vallis : cp. the use of a valle,
' downwards,' in Inf. xii. 46 ; xx. 35. di quel nome e vacante:
' loses that name,' i. e. changes it for that of Montone.
100-2. san Benedetto Dell' alpe : 'St. Benedict of the
upland ' ; this was the name of the monastery, in the neighbourhood
of which was the waterfall here described. Ove dovea, &c. ;
' where there should have been (i. e. where it was intended that
90
XVI. 103-20] INFERNO
there should be) a settlement for a thousand.* Boccaccio tells us
that when he was staying in the monastery he was informed by the
abbot, that the Conti Guidi, to whom the neighbouring lands
belonged, had proposed to bring together there into a settlement
the inhabitants of that district, but that this scheme had fallen
through. Another explanation of the passage is that the number
of monks was small as compared with the revenues ; but tiie
monastery does not appear to have been a rich one.
103. discoscesa : 'shattered* (see note on Inf. xii. 8), and so
' precipitous.'
106-8. lo aveva, &c. : the 'panther with the spotted skin* —
the 'fera alia gaietta pelle ' of Inf. i. 42 — signifies lust, and the
cord by which Dante had proposed to master it signifies the
restrictions of the ascetic life. According to Buti, Dante was
at one time a member of the Third Order of the Franciscans,
whose emblem was the cord, from which they received the name of
Cordiglieri (cp. Inf. xxvii. 67, 68). As this statement is not
confirmed by any other authority, it may not be true ; but since the
meaning of this emblem was, as St. Francis intended it to be, that
the body is a beast which requires to be checked by a halter, Dante
in any case may be referring to it here as symbolizing asceticism.
But when Virgil uses this cord as a signal to summon Geryon,
who is the personification of fraud, a different form of symbolism
is introduced. Here it seems to be the emblem of truth or
righteousness, in accordance with such Scriptural expressions as
'having your loins girt about with truth,' Eph. vi. 14 ; ' righteous-
ness shall be the girdle of his loins,' Is. xi. 5 ; and it is used here,
because it is by truth that fraud is forced to come to the light and
show itself.
111. aggroppata : ' knotted,' with a view to throwing.
112. inver lo destro lato : the object of this was that he
might have his right hand free for throwing ; but here again there
is an underlying symbolism, for he turned to the right as a protest
against sin.
1 15-7. E pur convien che : 'assuredly it must be that.*
nuovo : ' unwonted.' seconda : ' follows.* Virgil was watching
to see whether any response was returned to his signal.
120. per entro, &c. : Virgil had already said that he read
Dante's secret thoughts, Inf. x. i8.
91
INFERNO [xvi. 122— XVII. i
12 2. che: quellois understood before this, sogna : 'is vainly
fancying.'
124—9. Sempre, &c. This passage is a marked instance of
Dante's method of preparing the reader for an astonishing spectacle
by saying that what he is going to tell is half incredible. For other
instances cp. Inf. xxv. 46-8; xxviii. 11 3-7.
126. Pero che, &c. : the meaning is : — 'because it produces the
impression of discreditable misstatement, though such is not the
case.'
127-9. note: ' verses/ lit. 'strains.' commedia : Dante tells
us in his Letter to Can Grande (§ 10, 11. 218-25), that he gives
this name to his poem because it ends happily, and because it is
composed in the vulgar tongue. He accents both this word and
traged)a (Inf. xx. 113) paroxytone. S' elle, &c. : 'so may they
not be doomed to short-lived favour.'
132. ad ogni cor sicuro : ' to every heart, steadfast though it be.'
136. Che in su, &c. : 'who, upward springing, close draws in
his feet ' (Gary). This describes the action of swimmers in rising.
CANTO XVII
Argument. — Geryon, who takes up his position on the brink of
the precipice, is now described. While Virgil is negotiating with
him about their descent into the. eighth Circle, Dante is directed
to visit the third class of sinners who are punished in this ring, viz.
the usurers, who have done violence to art by causing money to
generate money in defiance of the recognized laws of production
by labour. These are seated not far off on the burning sand, with
the flames of fire falling on them ; and among them are several scions
of noble Florentine families, who made their money by usury. Re-
turning to Virgil, Dante finds him already mounted on Geryon's
back, and by his orders takes his place in front of him. They
descend in wide circles, until at last they are deposited at the foot of
the precipice.
Line i. la fiera: Geryon, who is the mythological representa-
tive of the eighth Circle. He can hardly be said to correspond
except in name to the Geryon of antiquity — a monster with three
92
XVII. 6-aa] INFERNO
bodies, who was king in Spain, and whose oxen were can ied off by-
Hercules. A reason — in default of any better — for his representing
fraud may be found in a legend given by Boccaccio, to the effect
that Geryon was a king of the Balearic Isles, who used to entice
strangers into his dwelling, and afterwards kill them ; Geneal,
Deor. i. 21.
6. passeggiati marmi : ' the stone causeway which we had
traversed,' i.e. the bank of Phlegethon ; cp. Inf. xiv. 83, 141 ; xv. i.
8. sen venne: ' came on.' arrivo : here used active, ' brought
up to the bank'; in Purg. xvii. 78 it is used neut. in this sense;
der. from r'lva. Similarly in Engl. ' to arrive ' is originally ' to
come to shore ' ; Skeat, Etym. Diet.
10—5. La faccia, &c. : the symbolism of Geryon's appearance
is, that the face signifies hypocrisy, the serpent figure deceit and
malice, the talons rapacity, the knots and shields which appear on
his body snares and subterfuges. Tan to benign a, &c. : ' so
benevolent was its exterior semblance.' 1' altro fusto : ' the rest
of its figure.' branche : ' talons,' i. e. here ' arms provided with
claws.' rotelle : the ' small bucklers ' represent the subterfuges
under which fraud shields itself.
16, 17. Con piu color, &c. : 'with more colours, whether as
groundwork or pattern, never did Tartars or Turks make a cloth.'
The words sommesse e soprapposts are in apposition to color.
The construction would be easier if we could read in before drappo,
'never did Tartai-s or Turks make the groundwork or pattern on
a cloth with more colours ' ; and as the n of /'«, which would be
written over (T), would easily disappear, and the i would be lost after
the final vowel of mai, this reading would have much in its favour
if there were any trace of it in the MSS. ; but there seems to be
none. Tartar! : the cloths manufactured by the Tartars were
famous in the middle ages.
18. Ne fur, &c. : ' nor were webs so rich placed on the loom by
Arachne.' Arachne was the typical weaver or embroiderer, who
challenged Minerva to a contest in that art, and was changed by her
into a spider. See Ovid, Met, vi. 1-145.
19. burchi : 'punts,' for river navigation.
22. Lo bevero, &c. : ' the beaver seats himself for his campaign '
against the fishes. The beaver has a habit of sitting on a river bank
with his tail in the water, and from this arose a fable that he used
93
INFERNO [xvii. 27-54
his tail for fishing purposes, attracting the fish by the oil which
dropped from it. As the beaver does not feed on fish, the story is
evidently mythical, and is to be classed with the other ' tail-fishing '
myths, in which that habit is attributed in various parts of the world to
the bear, the jackal, the racoon, the monkey, and the jaguar. See
Tylor's Early History of Mankind^ pp. 364-7.
27. a guisa di sctorpion : the image of the scorpion's tail is
from Rev. ix. 10. The points of comparison are that the scorpion's
tail contains poison, and that it can curve it over the back and move
it in every direction.
30. si corca : for cor'tca^ ' is couching.'
31, 32. scendemmo : the reason why they went down is, that
the banks of Phlegethon were higher than the edge of the precipice.
destra : the meaning in this case of their deviation towards the right
from their usual leftward course through Hell is that, when ap-
proaching the embodiment of fraud, they intended thus to express
their formal adhesion to the way of right in protest against perverted
justice. See note on Inf. ix. 132. In like manner dieci passi
probably refers to the Ten Commandments as the rule of right.
33. cessar: 'avoid'; cp. Par. xxv. 133, ' cessar fatica.' Per
ben cessar, &c., is intended to explain in sullo stremo, it being
implied that the causeway at the edge of the precipice, like that of
Phlegethon, was free from the action of the flames of fire.
36. loco scemo : as scemo means ' diminished,' this signifies 'the
place where the ground falls away,' i. e. the precipice. Similarly the
Mountain of Purgatojy is said to be scemo, where the Valletta dei
Pr'tncip'i is formed ; Purg. vii. 65.
38, 39. esto giron : the third ring of the seventh Circle, mena :
' condition.'
43-5. ancor : ' once more,' i. e. continuing his course, la
strema testa : ' the outermost ridge,' i. e. the causeway, la gente
mesta : ' the usurers.' On them and their punishment see notes on
Inf. xi. 97 and xiv. 21.
47, 48. soccorrien : ' defended themselves,' lit. ' came to the
rescue.' a' vapori : ' against the flames ' ; cp. Inf. xiv. 142.
54. Non ne conobbi alcun : here in the case of the usurers, as
with the avaricious in Inf. vii. 53, 54, the moral blindness involved
in ignoring the purpose with which wealth was given destroys in-
dividuality of character, and obliterates distinctive traits.
94
xvii. 55-93] INFERNO
55, 56. tasca : ' money-bag.' On this they were condemned
to feast their eyes, as they had done in life, only it is now empty ; and
as they were men of good families, their arms are depicted on these
bags, and by these alone they can be recognized, certo colore, &c. :
the colour and pattern (segno) are those of the coats of arms.
59. azzurro : i. e. a blue object. Of the arms mentioned in
what follows, the lion (1. 60) represented the Florentine family of
the Gianfigliazzi, the white goose (1. 63) the Florentine Ubriachi,
the sow (1. 64) the Paduan Scrovigni, the three kites' beaks (1. 73)
Giovanni Buiamonti. All the persons intended were men of noble
families, who were usurers.
61. curro : 'course,' 'forward movement'; the phrases essere
sul curro, ' to be on the way to,' mettere al curro, ' to instigate,' show
that this is the meaning ; see Vocah. Tramater. The der. seems to
be from Lat. currus, ' chariot,' which passes into the meaning of
' course.'
64-6. grossa : * pregnant.' questa fossa : the Inferno gene-
rally is meant.; cp. Inf. xiv. 136.
68, 69. Vitaliano : he was still alive, but as to who he was
there are conflicting views, sinistro : as being the worse of the two.
72. il cavalier soprano : i. e. the prince of usurers, Giovanni
Buiamonti.
74, 75. distorse la bocca : he made a wry mouth in contempt.
La lingua : cp. Is. Ivii. 4, ' against whom draw ye out the tongue ? '
76. temendo, &c. : 'fearing lest by delaying I should move
to wrath,' &c. nol for no il. For temendo no cp. Inf. Hi. 80.
85—7. riprezzo = ribrez%o, 'shivering fit.' rezzo : 'chill';
here ' a shady place ' ; ' the man trembles all over at the mere sight
of a shady place,' at the mere suggestion of chill. Rezzo is again
used for 'chill' in Inf. xxxii. 75. Both this word and orez%a
(Purg. xxiv. 150) are derived from Lat. aura, 'breeze,' through
a hypothetical form auritium; Diez, Wort., p. 31.
88, 89. porte : 'uttered,' from porgere \ cp. Inf. v. 108. mi-
nacce : Virgil's ' dread commands,' 11. 81-3.
91-3. spallacce : 'huge shoulders.' * Si ' : this is part of
Dante's speech ; take with fa ; fa si che, ' be sure that.' Some,
however, take it with volli dir, ' in sooth I wished to say " Embrace
me," but,' &c. Com' io credetti : ' as I intended,' lit. ' as I
thought they (the words) would ' ; fear checked his utterance.
95
INFERNO [xvii. 95-125
95. Ad altro forse : ' in meeting other hazards/
98, 99. Le rote, &c. : Virgil desires Geryon to descend gently
in wide circles, la nuova soma : ' the unwonted burden ' of
Dante's material body; cp. Inf. viii. 28-30; xii. 30.
102. a giuoco : ' at liberty.'
105. con le branche : Geryon had no wings, but paddled in the
air with his paws.
107, 108. Feton : Phaethon, son of Apollo, by whom he was
permitted to drive the chariot of the sun for one day. In doing
so, Phaethon approached too near the heavens, which were thereby
scorched (il ciel si cosse), and this was supposed to have been the
origin of the Milky Way (come pare ancor). The story is told in
Ovid, Met. ii. 200 foil.
109. Icaro : Icarus, when flying through the air in company with
his father Daedalus, approached too near the sun, which melted the
waxen fastenings of his wings ; Ovid, Met. viii. 188 foil.
116, 117. non me n' accorgo, &c. : ' I am unconscious of the
motion, except that I feel the wind in my face and from below.*
Dante perceives that he is going forward because the wind comes in
his face, and that he is descending because it comes from below,
venta : impers. use, ' it blows ' ; cp. Purg. xvii. 68.
118, 119. dalla man destra : Geryon was circling round in
the neighbourhood of the precipice from which he started ; and, as
the progress of the Poets through the Inferno is regularly towards
the left hand, we may assume that Geryon started in that direction.
Consequently, he had the precipice, and the water of Phlegethon
that fell over it, on his right, when he had accomplished a half-circle,
and was at the furthest point from it. il gorge : ' the abyss *
('gorge'), from which the sound of the failing water came up.
Others take it in the less usual sense of ' eddying stream,' Lat. gurges^
i. e. the waterfall itself, stroscio : ' plashing,' 'boom.'
121. scoscio : 'precipice,' lit. 'broken place.' The word can
hardly be dissociated from scoscenclere^ ' to break,' d'tscosceso,
' shattered' ; see note on Inf. xii. 8. They seem all to be derived
from Lat. excutere^ excussto ; and the dts- of d'lscosceso may have been
suggested by the analogy of words where initial s stands for dts.
123. mi raccoscio : ' crouch my limbs ' ; cp. j' accoscta in Inf.
xviii. 132. Others say ' grip with the thighs,' 'cling closer.'
125. li gran mali : the sight of torments.
96
XVII. 128— XVIII. 6] INFERNO
128. senza veder, &c. : i.e. though neither being recalled nor
in pursuit of prey, logoro, ' lure/ means in falconry a figure of
a bird, represented by two bird's wings tied to a stick, by means
of which the falcon was recalled.
134. A pie a pie : ' at the very foot ' ; cp. Inf. xiv. 12, a randa
a randa, ' at the very edge.' stagliata : ' precipitous,' lit. ' cut
away,' 'cut sheer.'
136. cocoa : the notch of the arrow, used for the arrow itself;
cp. the use of Lat. cuspis, ' point,' for ' spear.'
CANTO XVIII
Argument. — The eighth Circle, which is called Malebolge,
contains those classes of the fraudulent who have violated no special
tie or bond. These are ten in number, and corresponding to them
there are ten bolge, or deep trench-like valleys, into which the whole
area is divided. They lie one within the other in concentric circles,
separated by walls of rock, and the passage across them is made by
means of bridges. The basement of the entire area of Malebolge
slopes gradually towards the centre, where is the ninth Circle, which
is the pit of Hell. In the first holgia, to which we are now intro-
duced, are the panders and seducers of women, who are scourged
by demons. After seeing these, Dante crosses the bridge that
spans this valley, and passing the intermediate rock-ridge looks
down upon the second bolgia, which contains the flatterers, who are
immersed in filth.
Lines 1-3. Malebolge: 'Evil-pits.' The word bolgia (Lat.
bulga) means ' a wallet,' and so ' a hollow place.' For a description
of Malebolge see the Argument, la cerchia : ' the encircling
rock,' i. e. the precipice by the side of which they have descended.
che d' intomo il volge : ' which runs round it,' lit. ' which turns
it around.'
4-6. dritto mezzo : ' the very middle.' campo : ' area.'
Vaneggia : ' opens wide,' ' yawns,' lit. ' forms a void (vano).*
pozzo : the pit of Hell, sue loco : this Latin phrase is probably
borrowed from scholastic Latin, ordigno : ' structure.'
TozER 97 H
INFERNO [xviii. 7-30
7. adunque = dunque, 'then.' The meaning is inferential,
marking the result of the position of Malebolge.
10-2. Quale, &c. : Quale agrees with iigura, which is the
predicate to rende. La parte dov' ei son means *the ground
which they occupy,' and Quale figura la parte dov' ei son rende
signifies ' such as is their ground-plan.' The concentric valleys of
Malebolge are compared to the moats which, one within the other,
run round a fortress.
13, 14. quelli: understand yoj-j-/. sogli: 'thresholds of the
gates.'
16-8. Cosi, &c. ; 'so from the foot of the precipice started
(movien) bridges of rock, which intersected the embankments and
the ravines, until they reached the pit, where they end and meet.'
There were bridges at intervals, which may be said to meet at the
circle of the inner pit, in the same way as the spokes of a wheel
meet at the nave, scogli : observe that throughout the account of
Malebolge the word scoglio is used for ' a bridge of rock ' ; e. g. infra^
1. Ill; xix. 8. raccogli : for raccoglieli ; cp. accolo for accoglilo
in Purg. xiv. 6.
22, 23. nuova pieta : 'a strange form of woe.' frustatori :
'wielders of the lash' (Longf.) : in Lev. xix. 20 (Vulg.) scourging
is the penalty of seduction.
25. ignudi: this does not imply that the sinners in other parts
of Hell were clothed, but draws attention to the condition of the
present class, which exposed them defenceless to their punishment.
26, 27. Dal mezzo in qua: 'on the nearer side of the valley.'
The sinners formed two lines, one on either side, and moved in op-
posite directions ; those on the nearer side advancing towards the
Poets, those on the farther side following the same direction as they
were taking (con noi), only at greater speed (con passi maggiori),
because they were driven by the demons. The former of these
were the procurers, the latter the seducers. Dante and Virgil
were walking leftwards (1. 21) along the ridge which bounded the
dike or valley on the outer side.
28-30. Come i Roman: the simile is derived from what took
place at the Ponte Sant' Angelo at Rome during the Jubilee of
1300. The rule of right and left for pedestrians on bridges is
not unknown at the present day, for instance at Dresden, where
it is enforced by the police, esercito : 'host of worshippers.'
98
XVIII. 3^-6i] INFERNO
Hanno» &c. : * devised a plan to let the people pass.* Pass are
is used trans, elsewhere in Italian, e. g. for ' to put a person across
a river/ &c. ; see Vocah. Tramater.
32, 33. il castello : the Castle of St. Angelo, as the Mausoleum
of Hadrian was then and is still called. This faces one who
crosses to the right bank of the Tiber, il monte : the Capitoline
Hill, which is the most important point to attract passengers in that
direction, as St. Peter's is in the other.
35. cornuti : wearing horns, the emblem of adultery.
37. levar le berze : ' quicken their steps,' lit. ' lift their shanks.'
42. digiuno : here used, as in Inf. xxvifl. 87 and Par. ii. 75,
in the sense of ' lacking ' ; * I have not failed erewhile to see this
one ' : ' with sight of this one I am not unfed ' (Longf.).
43-5. a figurarlo : ' to scrutinize his looks.' indietro : the
person spoken of, being a procurer, had come from the opposite
direction and was passing them; see note on 11. 26, 27. Dante
retraces his steps in order to look at him.
49-51. le fazion che porti : 'the features that thou wearest.'
Venedico : this person was head of the Guelf party in Bologna in
the latter half of the thirteenth century, pungent! Salse: 'pungent
brine,' i. e. acute pain. As the sinner whom Dante addresses was
from Bologna, there is a reference here to a valley called Salse
in the neighbourhood of that city, where the bodies of criminals
were thrown.
53. chiara favella : 'accurate address'; it was Dante's pre-
cise mention of him which recalled his former life and inclined
him to reply.
55-7. Ghisolabella : she was sister of Caccianimico, and was
persuaded by him to become the mistress of the Marquis of Este.
The reading Ghisola bella, which the old commentators give, is now
proved to be incorrect, for her will, which has lately been found,
gives her name as Ghislabella; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 271. Come
che, &c. : ' in whatever form the scandalous story may be told.'
This implies that Dante thought there was more than one version
of the affair, and Benvenuto speaks to the same effect.
60, 61. Che tante, &c. : the meaning is: — 'there are more
natives of Bologna here than there are at present in the world
above.' apprese : ' taught.' sipa : Bolognese for sta. Ben-
venuto, who resided in Bologna, asserts this ; and Casini adds
99 H 2
INFERNO [xviii. 63-91
that the modern Bolognese say sepa for s'la. Hence a dicer sipa
means * to use the Bolognese dialect.' Savena e Reno : the two
rivers which flow down from the Apennines on either side of Bologna.
63. Recati a mente, &c. : i. e. ' you will find the proof of it
in the avarice of our hearts.' Benvenuto confirms the charge of
covetousness.
66. da conio : 'for hire.'
68, 69. divenimmo L^ : 'we arrived at the point ' ; cp. Inf.
xiv. 76.
71, 72. a destra : as the Poets had followed the embankment
a sinistra (1. 21), to cross the bridge they turn a destra. scheggia:
the ' craggy mass ' of the rock which formed the bridge, cerchie :
' encircling walls.' The precipices surrounding Malebolge are
meant, which are called 'la gran cerchia ' in Inf. xxiii. 134. The
epithet eterne, as applied to these 'walls,' probably signifies that
they were a place of everlasting imprisonment.
73, 74. dov' ei vaneggia Di sotto : ei is the bridge {scoglio^
1. 69) ; ' where it opens wide below ' ; i. e. the bridge of rock
forms an arch, so that the souls may pass through. For vaneggia
see note on 1. 5.
75, 76. che feggia Lo viso in te: lit. 'that the sight may
strike on thee'; feggia from ferirc, cp. Inf. xv. 39. mal nati :
'born in an evil hour'; cp. Inf. v. 7. The persons here spoken of
are the seducers.
78. con noi insieme: see note on 1. 26.
79, 80. guardavam la traccia : 'we were watching the file.'
The Poets are looking down over the right-hand side of the bridge,
towards which the sinners are approaching, dall' altra banda :
'on the other side' of the valley; cp. Purg. xiii. 79.
84. per dolor : ' for all his pain ' ; cp. Inf. xvi. 93, per parlar\
xxi. 28, per veder. non par . . . spanda : che is understood after
par, as it often is in modern Italian. Jason, like Capaneus (Inf.
xiv. 46-8), refuses to show outward signs of pain.
86, 87. core: 'courage.' monton : i.e. the Golden Fleece,
fene: a Tuscan form, for/}; c]). puone^ Inf. xi. 31.
89. Poi che, &c. ; when the Argonauts landed at Lemnos, they
found it inhabited only by women, who had murdered by agreement
all the males in the island.
91. segni: 'love-tokens.' There is much to be said in favour
IQO
XVIII. 92-133] INFERNO
of the reading senno here; see Moore, Tcxfj €rti.^' ipi '^2x,
parole ornate: 'skilful speech'; cp. Inf. ii. 67.
92, 93. Isifile : Hypsipyle, whom Jason seduced and then
deserted. Dante has taken the story in the main from Statius,
Theb. V. 403 foil. Che prima, &c. : she saved from death her
father Thoas, contrary to her agreement with the other women.
96. di Medea : Jason first won her love, and then deserted and
wronged her, after she had accompanied him to Greece.
97-9. da tal parte: 'after this fashion.' in se assanna :
' holds in its grip.'
100-2. lo stretto calle : the path which leads across Malebolge
crosses one bolgia after another by means of the bridges, and cuts
at right angles the embankments which intervene between them.
At the point now reached it intersects (incrocicchia) the embank-
ment between the first and second bolge^ and starts from the farther
side of that to form the bridge across the second bolgia. fa di
quello, &c. : lit. ' makes it a buttress to another arch.'
103, 104. Quindi, &c. : in the second bolgia, which Dante here
overlooks, the flatterers suffer an offensive punishment, suitable to
their contemptible sin. si nicchia : ' whines.' isbuffa : ' snorts.'
108. facea zuffa : 'made war upon,' 'was offensive to.'
117. non parea, &c. : i. e. it could not be seen whether he had
a tonsure or not.
121, 122. asciutti : in their natural state, without their covering
of filth. Alessio Interminei : nothing is known of this man except
that he was a flatterer, and that he was alive in 1295, as appears
from a document dated in that year; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 24.
124. zucca : 'pate'; lit. 'gourd.'
130-2. scapigliata fante : 'wench with dishevelled hair.'
s' accoscia : ' sits crouching' ; cp. mi raccoscio in Inf. xvii. 123.
133. Taide : Thais, the courtesan in the Eunuchus of Terence.
The passage in that play which is here referred to is Eunuch, iii.
I.I, where Thraso (the soldier) says ' Magnas vero agere gratias
Thais mihi ? ' and Gnatho (the parasite) replies ' Ingentes.' It will
be seen that Dante has made the mistake of putting Gnatho's reply
into the mouth of Thais. The origin of this error is to be found
in his not having taken the words direct from Terence, but from
Cicero, who quotes the passage in De Amicit. xxvi. § 98 ; ' " Magnas
vero agere gratias Thais mihi ? " Satis erat respondere, " Magnas":
lOI
INFERNO [xviii. 136— XIX. 4
"ingentes" inquiu, . Semper auget assentator id, quod is, cuius ad
v'oluntatem' dicitur, viilfesse magnum.' This explanation is strongly-
corroborated by the fact that Cicero introduces this as an instance
of flattery ; and since it is not definitely stated there by whom the
word ' Ingentes ' is spoken, it was easy for Dante to suppose that it
was uttered by Thais herself. It may be added that Dante does not
elsewhere give any evidence of being acquainted with Terence. See
Moore, Studies, i* PP* 261, 262.
136. quinci: 'herewith.' This line suggests Dante's reason
for giving such a brief account of this bolgia, viz. the contemptible
character of its occupants.
CANTO XIX
Argument. — The third bolgia contains those who had committed
the sin of simony, or trafficking in the things of God for money.
They are placed head downwards in fissures of the rocks, only
their legs being visible, and on the soles of their feet are flames of fire.
Dante is carried by Virgil to the bottom of the gulf, in order that
he may converse with a spirit, who from the violent movement of
his feet appears to be undergoing severe punishment. This is Pope
Nicholas III, who intimates to Dante that his successors in the Holy
See, Boniface VIII and Clement V, are destined to undergo the
same torment. The Poet then takes the opportunity of inveighing
against the rapacity of the higher clergy. After this Virgil retraces
his steps, bearing Dante in his arms, and deposits him at a point
whence the fourth gulf is visible.
Lines 1-4. O Simon mago, &c. : ' Ah ! Simon Magus ; ah !
ye worthless followers of his ! (I denounce you) because, while the
things of God ought to be devoted to good works, yet in your greed
you prostitute them for gold and silver.' L. i is a denunciation of
the Simoniacs, or those who followed in the steps of Simon Magus,
the first traflRcker in spiritual things. Acts viii. 9 foil. ; and Che in
1. 2 gives the reason for this denunciation. The diflSculty of the
passage lies in the reading in 1. 3, where the MS. authority is nearly
equally divided between e voi rapaci and voi rapaci (Moore, Text.
Crit., p. 323). With the latter of these the construction and the sense
are clear, which is not the case with the former. But, considering
102
XIX. 5-3i] INFERNO
that the tendency of copyists is to alter what is unintelHgible to
them into what is intelHgible, and not vice versa, it seems impossible
that, if voi rapaci were the original reading, it could have been
altered by so many scribes into e voi rapaci. In this case e has
to be explained as expressing contrast to a previous clause, a use of
which there are other instances in the Div. Com. ; cp. Inf. xxx.
115; Purg. iv. 90. This seem to be an extension of the use of e
in the sense of 'then,* ' thereupon,' where it is equally outside the
grammatical construction of the sentence; see note on Inf. xxv.
34. Deono : for Devono. spose : lit. ' brides of,* ' espoused to.'
5. suoni la tromba : ' that proclamation should be made ' ; i. e.
that your misdeeds should be announced to all.
7-9. tomba : * receptacle of the dead,' lit. ' tomb,' meaning the
bolgia. scoglio : the bridge; cp. Inf. xviii. 16, in. piomba :
* falls perpendicularly,' like a plumb-line.
12. quanto giusto : giusto is subst. ; 'how great justice does
thy power dispense.'
1 3. lo vidi, &c. : the symbolism in what follows may be thus
explained. Their being placed head downwards signifies their
perversion of holy things ; their being enclosed in a hollow of the
rock corresponds — as explained in 1. 72 — to putting money in their
purses ; and the tongues of flame on their feet recall the fiery tongues
of Pentecost — the gift of the Spirit, which they have profaned.
16-8. Non mi parean, &c.: in illustration of the exact realism
of this passage cp. Inf. xv. 11. San Giovanni : the Baptistery of
Florence, which at that time was the Cathedral, per loco, &c. :
' as places in which the baptizing priests might stand.' In the old
font (now destroyed) in the Baptistery there were circular cavities at
the four angles for the priests to stand in, so as to escape the
pressure of the crowd, which was caused by baptisms only taking
place on specified days. The existing Baptistery at Pisa is arranged
in this manner; see the plan of it in Blanc, Versuch, p. 171, and
the view in Vernon, Readings, ii. p. 65. On the occasion to which
Dante refers, a boy had crept into one of these (presumably head
downwards, as Mr. Butler remarks), and got stuck and was being
suffocated, when in order to rescue him Dante, who was one of the
priors, broke the marble.
19—21. ancor non e, &c. : the date of Dante's priorate was
1300. annegava : ' was losing his life.' Annegare usually means
103
INFERNO [XIX. 22-S4
* to be drowned,' but it is also used in the more general sense of the
Lat. enecare, from which it is derived ; see Kbrting, Wort., No. 2817.
suggel : ' guarantee ' ; this statement of Dante's is to be taken as a
guarantee (he ' sets his seal ' to it) that this is the true account, so as
to disabuse others of an interpretation unfavourable to him, as if it
was done from mischief.
22-4. soperchiava: the use of the singular verb with two
subjects, the former of which is plural, is explained by its preceding
them, so that it is quasi-absolute, ' there protruded.' grosso : ' the
calf.'
29. pur su per 1' estrema buccia : *over the outer surface
only.' buccia: lit. 'rind,' 'peel.'
31-3. si cruccia : 'shows such fury' (or 'excitement').
rozza : ' rude,' ' fierce ' ; there is some authority for rossa here.
succia : ' licks ' ; ' over whom plays a fiercer lambent flame.'
35. per quella ripa che piii giace : 'by the lower of the two
embankments.' This is the one on the inner side of the bolgia,
which is consequently the fourth [argine quarto, 1. 40), being between
the third and fourth bolge. It is the lower, because Malebolge
slopes towards the centre, and therefore each embankment, according
as it is nearer to the centre, rises from a lower level. Hence the
descent from the inner embankment is the shorter of the two, and
for that reason Virgil prefers it. All this is more fully explained
in Inf. xxiv. 34-40.
41. mano stanca : ' left hand ' ; cp. man manca, Inf. xxiii. 68.
43-5. anca : the same word as Engl, 'haunch.' Virgil was
carrying Dante; cp. 1. 34. si: for s'lno, 'until,* as in 1. 128.
rotto : the fracture in the cliff, piangeva con la zanca : ' was
showing his pain by the movement of his leg.'
46, 47. O qual che se' : this is Nicholas III, who held the
Papacy from 1277 to 1280. Villani says of him (vii. 54) — 'fu de'
primi, o il primo papa, nella cui corte s' usasse palese simonia per gli
suoi parenti.' come pal commessa : ' being set like a stake.'
50, 51. fitto : i.e. ' set head downward in the earth.' Plantat'io,
or planting head downwards, was a common punishment in Florence
at this time, perche la morte cessa : ' because by so doing he
delays his death ' ; if ^^r che is read, it means ' whereby.'
52-4. costl ritto : ' standing there.' Bonifazio : Pope Boni-
face VIII, whom Nicholas was expecting to join him here, but at a
104
XIX. 56-84] INFERNO
later period. As Boniface died in 1303, he was still alive in
1 300, the supposed date of Dante's Vision, lo scritto : the record
of the future. We have already seen (Inf. x. 100—5) ^^^^ ^^e dead
could foresee the future, though they were ignorant of present events.
56, 57. torre a inganno, &c. : 'to carry off by fraud the
beauteous dame,' i. e. the Church. The reference is to his having
brought about the abdication of his predecessor, Celestine V, with
a view to his own advancement, fame strazio : by simoniacal
practices. Villani (viii. 64) gives numerous instances.
64. tutti : ' in every muscle ' ; for tutti in the sense of ' wholly '
cp. Inf. xxxi. 1 5, ' Dirizzo gli occhi miei tutti ad un loco.'
70-2. figliuol dell* orsa : a member of the Orsini family, and
as greedy as a bear. The cubs (orsatti) are the young Orsini. Che
su, &c. : ' that in the world above I pocketed wealth, and here
1 have pocketed myself,' with reference to the hollow in the rock
vhere he was fixed.
73-5. tratti : 'dragged down.' piatti : ' squeezed within the
fiisures ' ; piatto means both ' flattened ' and ' hidden,' and may be
used in either sense here.
79. piii e il tempo, &c. : in 1300, when Nicholas III is sup-
posed to be speaking, twenty years had elapsed since his death in
1 2?o ; between the death of Boniface in 1 303 and that of Clement V
in 1314, which is referred to in the form of a prediction in 11. 82-4,
onl3 eleven years elapsed. Scartazzini, in his Companion to Dante
(p. J 7 7), infers from this passage that, in order for Dante to make
Niclolas III affirm that Clement V would be Pope for less than
twerty years, he must have known the year of his death ; and hence
he ccncludes that this part of the poem was written subsequently to
1314^ Mr. Butler, however, the translator of Scartazzini's work,
well remarks, that this does not absolutely follow ; for the number
of Pojes who ruled for that length of time was so inconsiderable,
that it night safely be conjectured that Clement would not do so.
On oth^r grounds so late a date as 13 14 for the composition of the
Inferno s highly improbable.
83, 8<. un pastor senza legge : Clement V, who is spoken of
as being 5i ver ponente, as being a French Pope. He was elected
in 1 305 through the influence of Philip the Fair, and played into his
hands ; b) him the Papal See was removed from Rome to Avignon.
Villani (ix 59) mentions his simoniacal practices and his incon-
105
INFERNO [XIX. 86-1 1 1
tinence. Dante again denounces him in Par. xxx. 142-8. ricopra :
'lie above,' in the fessura della pietra,
86. Ne* Maccabei : 2 Mace. iv. 7 foil. Jason, by a promise
of money, obtained the high priesthood {circ, 175 B.C.) from
Antiochus Epiphanes, and introduced Greek customs among the
Jews, molle : ' indulgent,' in furthering his interests.
89. a questo metro : ' in this strain,' ' to this effect.'
91, 92. in prima . . . Che, &c. : 'before entrusting the keys to
his keeping.' in prima che is again used for prima che in Par.
xxx. 138, ' Verra in prima che ella sia disposta.'
98, 99. guarda ben : 'see that thou keep,' iron, lamal tolta
moneta : ' the money raised by extortions.' The expression here
is equivalent to the toilette dannose of Inf. xi. 36, and both of them
represent the maletollettum, 'extortions,' of mediaeval Latin. It
French maltote (O. F. maltolte) has the same meaning. What is
here referred to is the confiscation of tithes, &c., by Nicholas, and
it was the money thus obtained which encouraged him to oppose
Charles of Anjou.
1 06-1 1. Di voi pastor, &c. : the passage here intended is tie
description of the 'great harlot' in Rev. xvii. This, which in
reality refers to imperial Rome, is regarded by Dante — as it ias
often been by others since his time — as referring to papal Rone.
Dante however — probably owing to confused recollection — interprets
the passage quite differently from what the author of the Booc of
Revelation himself did. In that book the woman who sits or the
waters and commits fornication with the kings of the earti, is
seated on the beast with seven heads and ten horns (v. 3), and the
seven heads are explained as being both seven mountains and seven
kings (vv. 9, 10), and the ten horns are ten kings (v. 12), anl both
the heads and the horns are worldly powers. In Dante, Jn the
contrary, the woman herself is born with seven heads, and he' course
is ordered by the ten horns ; and these are good influences, because
(1. Ill) they prevailed so long as virtue was in the ascendant.
Hence it is probable that by the seven heads he meant the )evenfold
graces of the Holy Spirit, and by the ten horns the Ten Command-
ments, ebbe argomento : according to the interpretaton given
above this means ' took her rule of life from ' ; others say ' obtained
the evidence of her truth from the Ten Commandmens ' ; others
again ' took her emblem from.' Fin che, &c. : ' so bng as her
106
XIX. 1 13-31] INFERNO
husband (the Pope) took pleasure in virtue ' ; it cannot mean ' so long
as her virtue was acceptable to her spouse ' (Christ), because virtute
by itself does not signify ' her virtue.'
113, 114. che altro e da, &c. : 'what difference is there
between?' cp. Purg. xxiv. 62; Par. xxxii. 57. The explanation
of the idiom is, that ' from . . .to * implies an interval hetnueen.
idolatre : plur. of idolaira. Se non, &c. : the meaning is : —
' Your idolatry is a hundredfold greater than theirs, for every piece
of money is an object of worship to you ' ; ' where they worship
one, you worship a hundred.' egli for eglino.
11 6, 117. quella dote : the Donation of Constantine of the States
of the Church, and at the same time of the whole temporal power of
the West, to Pope Sylvester I. In the present passage it is rather
the former gift which is referred to, as appears from the epithet ricco ;
in Par. xx. 55—7 it is rather the latter. This donation, which is
new known to be fictitious, was believed to be a fact in Dante's
time.
119, 120. O ira o: 'whether it were anger or.' This is an
elliptical use; Diez {Gram. iii. p. 335) compares Boccaccio, Decam.
ii. T, 'o vero o non vero che si fosse.' spingava : 'kicked
about ' ; others read springava with the same meaning.
122. labbia : 'aspect'; cp. Inf. xiv. 67.
127, 128. distretto : ' closely clasped.' Si: for stno, 'until';
cp. 1. 44. Virgil now carries Dante up the inner side of the third
bo/gia and then across the intervening embankment, and as far as the
centre of the bridge which spans the fourth bolgia.
131- soaveper: ' gently because of.'
CANTO XX
Argument. — In the fourth bolgia are seen the Necromancers,
who walk backwards, their faces being reversed on their bodies, in
punishmen; for their having pretended during their lifetime to look
forward in.o the future. Among them are the Theban prophet
Teiresias aid his daughter Manto. In connexion with her, Virgil
relates the jegend of the foundation of his native city Mantua, to
which she give her name; and, in order to describe its site more
107
INFERNO [XX. 3-31
fully, he traces the course of the Mincio on which it stands, together
with the streams that feed that river, and the lake of Garda through
which they flow. Michael Scott and other diviners are also
noticed.
Line 3. ch' e de' sommersi: 'which canzone (or Cantka)
treats of those who are plunged in Hell ' ; for sommersi cp. Inf.
vi. 15.
5. scoperto : ' disclosed to view ' ; the two Poets were now on
the highest point of the bridge above; Inf. xix. 128.
8, 9. al passo, &c. : at the slow pace of a religious procession.
13, 14. dalle reni: 'towards the reins'; for da meaning 'in
the direction of cp. Inf. xxii. 146; Purg. ii. 55. gli : for loro.
16. parlasia: old form by contraction lox paralisia 'palsy.'
19. Se Die ti lasci : ' so may God grant thee.'
22. la nostra imagine: the human form.
28. piet^ : here used in the two senses of 'piety' and 'pity.'
' Here piety lives when pity is wholly dead.'
30. passion porta: 'introduces feeling where God's judgements
are concerned,' lit. ' brings feeling to bear on God's judgement.'
There is greater MS. authority for passion comporta, and for :om-
passion porta (see Moore, Text. Crit.^ p. 326), but passion porta,
being a less familiar expression, is more likely to have been altered
into these than 'uice 'versa. The reading here is not affected ty the
question of metre, for Dante elsewhere uses passion both as a di-
syllabic and a trisyllable; cp. Purg. xxi. 107 ; Inf. xxxi. 72. The
meaning of the passage in any case is not very different. As jegards
the feeling displayed by Dante — he had shown compassion to Fran-
cesca and others in the upper Circles of Hell, but since entering
Malebolge he had ceased to do so; and even here the feeling he
expresses is rather for a class of persons, and for the disDrtion of
the human frame, than for individuals. The same is true in Inf.
xxix. 1—3, where he is again overpowered by grief.
31. a cui: this is the soothsayer Amphiaraus, one of the Seven
against Thebes, who in the course of that expedition was swallowed
up by the earth. Dante obtained the story from StatiuJ, Theb. vii.
690 foil. ; viii. i foil. ; and the words " Dove rui," &c., which are
here put into the mouth of the Thebans, were suggested by those
which Statius attributes to Pluto, viz. viii. 84, 85, ' At tibi quos,
108
XX. 35-59] INFERNO
inquit, Manes, qui limlte praeceps Non licito per inane ruis ? ' See
Moore, Studies, i. p. 246.
35. ruinare a valle : * plunge downwards '; for a valle cp. Inf.
xii. 46.
40. Tiresia : Teiresias, the Theban soothsayer, who according
to the story was changed into a woman in consequence of his having
separated two serpents with his staff, and recovered his sex after
seven years, when he met the same serpents and struck them again.
The story is from Ovid, Met. iii. 320 foil.
45. le maschili penne: *his manly plumes,' i.e. his beard,
the sign of the male sex ; cp. the use of plume for ' beard ' in Purg.
i. 42.
46-9. Aronta : Amns, the Etruscan soothsayer, who foretold
the civil war between Pompey and Caesar. Lucan, who tells his story
{Phars. i. 584 foil.), speaks of him as an inhabitant of Luna — 1. 586,
' Aruns incoluit desertae moenia Lunae.' The monti di Luni are
the Carrara group to the eastward of Spezia, on the sea-face of which
are the Carrara marble quarries (bianchi marmi, 1. 49) and the
town of the same name, al ventre gli s* atterga : ' turns his
back to Teiresias' front.'
55? 56. Manto : daughter of Teiresias. It is noticeable that
in Purg. xxii. 1 1 3, Dante, by a slip of memory, has placed her in
Limbo. Moreover, in the present passage he has put into Virgil's
mouth an account of the foundation of the city of Mantua, which is
different from that which Virgil himself gives in uien. x. 198-200 ;
and, from what he says in 11. 97—9, it would appear that (for what
reason we know not) he desired to correct the Virgilian legend. In
the Aene'id we are told that Mantua was founded by Ocnus, the son
of Manto and of the river Tiber — ' Fatidicae Mantus et Tusci filius
amnis, Qui muros matrisque dedit tibi, Mantua, nomen.' But in
Dante's corrected version Virgil is made to say that Manto was
unmarried (yergtne, 1. 82), and that she herself chose the site. The
latter of these statements Dante may have obtained from Isidore,
who says {Orig. xv. i. 59), 'Manto Tiresiae iilia post interitum
Thebanorum dicitur delata in Italiam Mantuam condidisse.' See
Moore, Studies, i. pp. 173-5, 304. cerco : intrans., 'made search,'
i. e. went in quest of a resting-place, dove nacqu' io : Mantua
was Virgil's birthplace.
59. venne serva, &c. : 'Thebes (of which Bacchus was the
109
INFERNO [XX. 61-6
presiding deity) fell into servitude * ; the reference is to its capture
by the Epigoni. venne for elivenne; cp. Par. xxxiii. 52.
61—78. This passage is the most conspicuous illustration which
the poem affords of Dante's delight in physical geography, and
especially in the study of the courses of rivers. His object is to
lead up to the site of Mantua ; and in doing so he introduces a digres-
sion, in which the basin of the Lago di Garda is described, from
the headwaters of its tributaries towards the north, to its southern
end, where the Mincio, the river of Mantua, issues from it near
Peschiera.
61-3. Suso : 'in the upper world.' Apple dell' alpe, &c. :
' at the foot of the Alpine chain, which forms the boundary of
Germany above Tyrol ' ; the mountains here intended are those which
rise above Meran due N. of the basin of the Lago di Garda. alpe,
in whatever sense it is used, is always sing, in the Div. Com.
Lamagna : u4lamagna is also read ; both are forms of the Italian
name of Germany. Tiralli : this name was applied both to the
country of Tyrol and to the Schloss Tirol near Meran, the
hereditary seat of the Counts who ruled it; here the latter is
probably meant, because a definite locality is pointed to. Benaco :
Benacus was the Latin name of the Lago di Garda.
64-6. mille fonti : these are the tributaries which feed the lake ;
and as the town of Garda is situated on its eastern side, and the
Val Camonica lies away to the north-westward of it, the district
here described must be the upland region of the Giudicaria to the
northward of it, which has to be traversed in passing from one of
these to the other, and which contains the principal tributaries of the
lake. Apennino : a few MSS. read Pennino ; in reality, as the
preceding word Camonica ends in «, the corruption either way is
easy, especially as they are proper names, and the MS. evidence does
not decide much between them. By Apennino the chain of the
Apennines cannot be meant ; and though some of the commentators
speak of a mountain of that name in the neighbourhood here referred
to, there is no evidence of its existence. Dante probably wrote
Pennino ; for though the Pennine Alps in the ordinary acceptation
of that name — i. e. the range of which the Great St. Bernard is the
centre — would be out of place here, yet Orosius assigns to them just
the required position, viz. to the south-west of Rhaetia, as the Tyrol
was called in antiquity ; Oros. i. 2. 60, * Pannonia Noricus et
no
XX. 67-96] INFERNO
Rhaetia habent . . . ab Africo (i. e. to the S. W.) Alpes Poeninas.'
Dante was probably following Oroslus, who was one of his leading
authorities in geography.
67—9. nel mezzo : in the middle of the region thus described.
segnar potria: 'would be able to give his blessing,* as bishop of
the diocese ; by this it is implied that the three dioceses met at this
point. The place intended probably is the mouth of the river
Tignalga near Campione on the western shore of the lake, which
until 1785 was the meeting-point of the three dioceses (see Casini
ad ioc).
70-2. siede: take with Ove, 1. 72 ; *is situated where the level
of the surrounding country is lowest.' arnese : ' fortress,' lit.
* harness.' Da fronteggiar : ' to face.' The fortress of Peschiera
at the southern end of the lake, which lies between Verona
on the one side and Brescia and Bergamo on the other, belonged
at this time to the Scaligers, and was thus a frontier stronghold of
Verona.
74. pud : this line and those which rhyme with it are ten-syllable
lines. For the justification of this exceptional metncal usage see
note on Inf. iv. 56.
76-8. mette co : 'starts'; co for capo, cp. Inf. xxi. 64.
Govemo : now Govemolo.
79. lama : ' plain ' ; cp. Inf. xxxii. 96 ; Purg. vii. 90.
82. cruda: 'unmarried'; Statius (Theb. iv. 463) calls her
' innuba Manto.'
87. vano : ' tenantless.'
93. senz' altra sorter 'without further appealing to augury,'
Lat. sortes.
94-6. Gi^ fur, &c. : ' formerly its inhabitants were more
numerous ' than now. la mattia da Casalodi : di is sometimes
read for da ; ' before the senseless counts of Casalodi (lit. the
folly of Casalodi) were led into a trap by Pinamonte.' Casalodi
was a fortress in the territory of Brescia, from which the family of
that name, who were the leading house in Mantua, were called.
Pinamonte, a citizen of Mantua, put himself forward as a popular
leader towards the end of the thirteenth century, and after persuading
the head of the Casalodi to remove a number of the foremost aristo-
crats in that city in order to appease the people, succeeded in expelling
or massacring the Casalodi themselves. Dante puts this remark into
III
INFERNO [XX. 97-123
Virgil's mouth merely in order to narrate the recent history of
Mantua.
97. t' assenno : ' I counsel thee ' ; on Virgil's remark here see
note on 1. 55.
105. rifiede: 'reverts to,' lit. 'strikes upon afresh '; from
rifedire.
108-10. quando : the time of the Trojan war is meant. SI
che, &c. : ' so that hardly enough men remained to beget children,'
lit. ' for the cradles ' (Lat. curiae), i. e. for the supply of children.
diede il punto : ' announced the moment.'
112. cosi il canta: Virg. ^en. ii. 114-9. I" ^^^^ passage
we are told that Eurypylus was sent to consult the oracle of Apollo
concerning the return of the Greeks from Troy, but nothing is
said about his having given the signal for starting from Aulis.
Dante seems by a slip of memory to have confused the two
occasions.
113. Tragedia: the Aeneid is called a tragedy, because of its
elevated subject and style; cp. De Vulg. Eloq. ii. 4. 11. 38, 39,
' per tragoediam superiorem stilum induimus.' The word Tragedia,
Vike commed)a in Inf. xvi. 128, is accented on the penultima contrary
to the modern Italian usage, alcun loco : ' a certain passage ' ;
for alcuno in this sense, where the thing meant is not named, cp.
Purg. iv. 80, alcun arte. The indefinite manner of reference is
here used in default of any more exact mode of quotation which
a poet can employ.
115, 116. ne' fianchi, &c. : unless this is a description which
was current at the time, we must suppose that it refers to the ema-
ciated appearance of a recluse student. Michele Scotto : Michael
Scott {circ. 1 1 90— 1250), who was reputed to be a wizard, was a
native of Scotland, and studied in Oxford and Paris, and lived for
some time at the court of Frederic II. He translated several of
Aristotle's works into Latin from the Arabic.
118, 119. Guido Bonatti : an astrologer of Forll patronized
by Count Guido da Montefeltro. Asdente : a shoemaker of Parma
who professed himself a prophet, avere inteso, «&:c. : ' to have
given his attention to his leather and his thread,' instead of meddling
with prophecy.
123. imago: an effigy of the person who was intended to be
influenced by charms; cp. Virg. EcL viii. 75.
112
XX. I'ZA-S^] INFERNO
124-6. tiene, &c. : the general meaning of the passage is — 'the
moon is setting,' and this is used in place of 'the sun is rising,' because
the mention of the name of that luminary is avoided in Hell. The
time intended is about 6 a.m. on Easter Eve. il confine, &c. : the
boundary line of the two hemispheres, of which Jerusalem and the
Mountain of Purgatoiy were the two central points, and the Ganges
and the west of Spain — here represented by Seville — the extremities ;
see note on Purg. ii. i. Sotto : by 'below' is here meant 'beyond,'
' on the further side of Seville.' The moon was now setting in the
northern hemisphere. Caino e le spine : the Man in the Moon,
here used for the moon itself. The bundle of thorns, which,
according to the story, Cain was condemned to carry, probably repre-
sents his offering of the fruit of the ground which was not accepted.
127. iernotte: 'yesternight,' i. e. the night before last, it being
now early morning. The moon was full on the night which Dante
had passed in the Seha, as is implied in the next two lines, and
that was the night between Holy Thursday and Good Friday ; see
note on Inf. ii. i.
129. Alcuna volta : ' on a certain occasion,' i. e. on an occasion
which I do not name, but which you may remember ; cp. alcun loco
above, 1. 113. fonda : abbreviated for ^ro/b«^«.
130. introcque: 'meanwhile,' an archaic word = intanto.
CANTO XXI
Argument. — After crossing another embankment of rock, the
Poets mount to the highest point of the next bridge, from which they
look down Into the fifth bolgia, In which jobbery is punished. Here
the sinners are immersed in boiling pitch, and are tormented by
artful and malicious devils. A company of these evil spirits now
appears, and prepares to attack the Poets ; but Virgil persuades their
leader to allow them to proceed with an escort selected from his
troop.
The contempt which Dante felt for jobbers — in Inf. xi. 60
he speaks of them as ' baratti e simile lordura ' — allowed him to
TOZER 113 I
INFERNO [XXI. 2-38
introduce into this part of the poem an element of grim buffoonery,
which is seen, for instance, in the names of the devils — Malebranche
('Ugly claws'), Malacoda ('Ugly tail'), Scarmiglione ('Rough-
and-tumble '), &c. — but especially in the device of the jobber to
evade the devils which is described in Canto XXII. Perhaps this
is also intended to lighten the strain on the reader's feelings in the
midst of the horrors of the lower part of Hell.
Line 2. commedia: see note on Inf. xvi. 128.
7. Arzana : the Arsenal of Venice is situated towards the
eastern extremity of that city.
10. in quella vece: 'instead thereof,' i.e. of voyaging; cp.
Purg. xvi. 36.
14. volgesarte: ' twists cordage.'
17. pegola : in accordance with the saying, 'Those who handle
pitch shall be defiled therewith,' the pitch here symbolizes the dirty
work of jobbery, and the money that sticks to the jobber's fingers.
20. Ma' che : ' aught else than,' Lat. magis quam.
25. cui tarda : ' who is impatient,' lit. ' to whom it seems long' ;
cp. Inf. ix. 9. The person here described is influenced at once by
curiosity and fear.
28. per veder: 'for all his looking'; cp. Inf. xvi. 93, per
parlor,
30. lo scoglio : the bridge of rock.
32. neir atto acerbo : ' cruel in his aspect.
34-6. acuto e superbo : ' pointed and high.' carcava : ' en-
cumbered ' ; the guilty soul was carried on the shoulders of the
devil, who held him fast at the ankles by the tendons.
37. Del nostro pontedisse: 'from our bridge he exclaimed.*
Some editors make Del nostro ponte part of the speech ; in this
case the meaning is, 'O ye Malebranche who guard our bridge,' it
being implied that there was a band of them at each of the bridges
which spanned at intervals this bolgla. Malebranche: this is a
collective name for these demons; cp. Inf. xxxiii. 142: for this
reason Mettete (I. 39) is plural.
38. anzian di santa Zita : Elders of Lucca : the city is here
called by the name of the local saint who was its patron. ' Elders '
was the title of its chief magistrates, as ' Priors ' was for those of
Florence.
114
XXI. 39-78] INFERNO
39, 40. per anche : ' once more.' ch* i' n' ho, &c. : ' which
I have well provided with such characters.'
41. fuor che Bonturo ; ironical, Bonturo having been notorious
for jobbery.
42. ita : 'yes'; this is the Latin word, which is used in that
language in this sense. As regards the meaning of the line, Lana
says that, when votes were taken in the public council at Lucca,
two ballot-boxes were carried round, one for the Ayes, the other
for the Noes ; and that sometimes, when the interest of the state
required that they should vote ' No,' they voted 'Aye ' for a bribe.
44, 45. mai non fu, &c. : 'never was mastiff, when its leash
was slipped, in such a hurry,' &c.
46-8. convolto : 'doubled up,' i. e. arching his back above the
surface for the sake of relief, while he concealed the rest of his
person. This action on his part is illustrated by the comparison of
the porpoises in Inf xxii. 19-24. avean coperchio : they were
lying in wait under the arch. Qui non, &c. : ' It's no use invoking
the Holy Face here.' The ' Holy Face ' of Lucca was an ancient
crucifix, and the Lucchesi used to invoke it in time of need.
49. Serchio : the river which flows near Lucca ; formerly it
joined the Arno below Pisa, now it enters the sea by a separate
channel. Its stream was a favourite bathing-resort of the people
of Lucca.
52-4. addentar: 'pronged.' accaffi : 'pilfer.'
57. galli : used, like the modern galkggiare, for 'to float.'
60. che alcun, &c. : ' that you may have some screen for your-
self; haia for ahbia, as in Par. xvii. 140.
62, 63. ch' io ho, &c. : 'for I am conversant with the matter';
for conte cp. Inf. iii. 76. altra volta : the occasion referred to
is that mentioned in Inf ix. 22-7, where Virgil says that he was
forced by the enchantress Erichtho to bring up a lost soul from the
pit of Hell, baratta : ' bargaining,' i. e. negotiations with the
demons.
64, 65. CO : for capo; cp. Inf xx. 76. la ripa sesta : the
embankment which separates the fifth from the sixth bolgia.
69. chiede ove s' arrest a : ' begs at the place where he stops.'
76. Malacoda : the leader of the devils in this bolgia; in 1. 115
he speaks of the others as questl mtei.
78. dicendo : *Che gli approda?': 'saying (to himself),
115 12
INFERNO [XXL 81-114
what good will it do him ? ' lit. ' what does it benefit him ? * Virgil's
next remark is an answer to this, approda : der. from pro^ prode^
* advantage.'
81. schermi: 'hindrances,' lit. ' means of defence.'
84. silvestro : 'wild'; cp. Inf. ii. 142.
89. quatto : 'crouching,' from Lat. coactus \ Diez, Wort.,
p. 260. It is the same word as Engl. ' squat,' which was originally
'quat'; Skeat, Etym. Diet., s.v. 'squat.'
93. temetti : fortemei; cp. Inf. xxxi. 109. ch' ei tenesser :
' that they would not keep ' ; the construction corresponds to that of
the Lat. vereor ut, while temer no or che non means ' to fear that,'
Lat. vereor ne\ cp. Inf. ii. 35, 64 ; iii. 80. Others read temetti non
tenesser here, but the MS. authority is strongly in favour of ch* ei
tenesser (see Moore, Text. Crit., p. 330), and non arose from a
misunderstanding of the idiom.
94-6. E cosi, &c. : what is here referred to is the evacuation
of Caprona, a fort in the Pisan territory, by the Pisans in 1289,
when it was captured by the people of Lucca and the Florentines.
The words vid' io imply that Dante was present on the occasion.
102. fa che gliele accocchi: 'mind you poke at him.' The
phrase here used is accoccarla ad uno, which means ' to play a person
a trick ' ; and gliele — which is an indeclinable form, standing for
glielo, gliela, glieli (cp. Inf. xxxiii. 149) — here represents gUela.
For the use of /a in such phrases see note on Inf. xv. 99.
106, 107. per questo Iscoglio : 'along this rocky ridge.'
Iscoglio here, as in Inf. xviii. 16, is the transverse ridge which forms
a line of bridges across Malebolge. The Poets were now on the
embankment which separates the fifth from the sixth bolgia (I. 65),
and Malacoda tells them that they cannot continue their course
along the transverse ridge, because the next bridge was broken ; so
he recommends them to follow the embankment till they reached the
next transverse ridge, saying that they could cross by the bridge there,
which was unbroken (tutto intero, 1. 126). In this last statement
he was deceiving them, as they discover later (Inf. xxiii. 136 foil.),
for there also the bridge was broken.
110. grotta : ' rock,' i. e. the embankment.
1 1 2-4. ler, &c. : ' yesterday, five hours before the present time,
completed 1266 years from the time when the way was broken.' ler
is the subject to compid. piii oltre . . . che signifies ' before.' otta
116
XXI. II6-37] INFERNO
means the same as ora^ just as allotta means the same as allora ; its
etymology is uncertain, but it is not connected with ora. This
passage is of especial importance among the Time- References in
the Dm. Com.^ because it serves as a starting-point, from which
other computations of time in the poem may be made. The follow-
ing is the explanation of it. Malacoda, in order to inspire Virgil
with greater confidence in his statement, gives the exact date, com-
puted from the moment at which he is speaking, of the destruction
of the bridges, which took place at the time of our Lord's death,
when the rocks were rent. This, he says, was 1266 years and a
day (it was ier), all but five hours, before the present time. Now
as Dante believed that Christ died in the thirty-fourth year of His
age {Conv. iv. 23, 11. 95-8; 'il nostro Salvatore Cristo, il quale
voile morire nel trentaquattresimo anno della sua etade'), the year
here meant must be 1300 a. D. (1266-^34). The day of the
Church's year, being that which followed the day of our Lord's
death or Good Friday, is Easter Eve. And, as Dante held that
Christ died at mid-day {Conv. iv. 23, 11. 105-7 5 'onde dice Luca,
che era quasi ora sesta quando mono '), by deducting five hours we
find the present time of day to be 7 a.m. To sum up, we have now
reached 7 a.m. on Easter Eve of 1300 a. d.
116. se ne sciorina : 'is airing himself; 'if any of those in
torment in the pitch is exposing his body to the air.'
120. la decina : the company of ten devils.
124-6. pane: ior panie, plur. oi pania, 'birdlime,' here used
for 'tar.' scheggio : 'line of rock-bridges,' like scoglio in 1. iii.
intero : ' unbroken.' tane ; ' dens,' i. e. the bolge.
135. lessi : ' boiled meat,' ' stews,' i. e. the sinners who are stewing
in the pitch.
136. sinistro : the usual direction through the Inferno.
137. stretta; 'pressed the tongue with the teeth,' i.e. thrust
the tongue between the teeth.
117
INFERNO [xxii. I-I2
CANTO XXII
Argument. — As the next in succession of the bridges had been
broken down, Malacoda, the leader of the devils, instructs the
escort which accompanies the Poets to conduct them towards
another line of bridges along the embankment which separated the
fifth from the sixth bolgia. As they pass, one of the devils
catches a sinner emerging from the pitch, and Dante takes the
opportunity of inquiring about him and others who are tormented
with him. Meanwhile the jobber outwits and escapes from his
captors, two of whom proceed to fight with one another.
Lines i, 2. mover campo : 'start on the march': campo,
which usually in the Italian of this period meant ' battlefield,' like
Lat. campus^ is here used for ' place of encampment.* stormo : ' an
attack,' Germ. Sturm, cp. Diez, Wort., p. 309. far lor mostra :
' set themselves in array ' ; others say ' be reviewed.' mostra is
the same word as Engl, muster (= 'display,' 'review'), Skeat,
Etym. Diet. ; but as the other expressions in this tercet refer to a
force in the field, it means here rather ' array ' than ' review.'
4-6. Corridor : ' reconnoitring parties.' Aretini : as Dante
is said to have been present at the battle of Campaldino, in which
the people of Arezzo engaged the Florentines, he is probably
referring to that occasion, gualdane : ' raiding bands.' Ferir, &c. :
' clashing tournaments and tilting jousts ' (Cary). Ferir tornea-
mento is the regular expression for ' to engage in a tournament ' ;
the verbs, however, here are neuter, ' I have seen tournaments
engaged in,' &c.
7,8. con campane : ' to the sound of the bell.' The reference
is to the great bell, called the Martinella, which was carried on
a car in a wooden tower, and accompanied the Florentine armies.
Together with it went another car, the Carroccio, on which the
great standard of the commonwealth was borne; Villani, vi. 75, 78.
cenni di castella : these ' fortress signals ' were fire-beacons and
the like. They are mentioned in the approach to the city of Dis,
Inf. viii. 5.
10—2. con SI diversa cennamella : 'to fife so strange.'
cennamella is derived from Lat. calamus, through mediaeval Lat.
118
XXII. 14-65] INFERNO
calamella, ' reed pipe,' O. Fr. chalemelle and canemelle^ to the last of
which cennamella closely corresponds. segno, &c. : ' signal
from the land or sight of star ' ; there is a %eugma here, segno
being used in different senses with the two words.
14, 15. nella chiesa, &c. : i. e. adapt yourself to your company;
the proverb corresponds to the Engl, saying 'When you're in
Rome, do as the Romans do.'
16, 17. era la mia intesa: 'my looks were fixed'; intesa
is subst. contegno : ' feature ' ; cp. Inf. xvii. 60.
19, 20. fanno segno, &c. : on our own coasts at the present
day porpoises, when they come near shore, are regarded by sailors
as a sign of bad weather coming. Brunetto Latini {Tesoro, bk. iv.
ch. 5) refers to the dolphins in this connexion, and says that
the signal of bad weather approaching was their moving to windward
of a storm ; but perhaps Dante's knowledge of the subject was not
derived from book learning, but from his own observation. The
arco della schiena (which Brunetto does not notice) is the crooked
form which these animals assume in order to spring forward with
greater force. Every one who has seen a shoal of porpoises will
have observed this.
21. Che s' argomentin, &c. : 'that they should take thought
for saving their vessel ' ; for s' argomentin cp. Purg. xxv. 15.
34. d' incontra : ' over against him.'
39. E poi, &c. : ' and when they were called by name, I noticed
what names were given to them.'
48. To fui, &c. : the early commentators say that this person's
name was Ciampolo. nato : ' a native of; Dante uses nato fui
for nacqui in Inf. v. 97 and xxiii. 94, and similarly here it means
' was sprung from,' and so ' was a native of.'
50. ribaldo: 'knave,' 'low fellow'; it is the same word as
Engl, 'ribald.'
52. Tebaldo : Thibaut (Theobald) II, who became king of
Navarre in 1253.
56. D' ogni parte : ' on either side ' ; cp. Da ogni mano^
Inf. vii. 32.
60. inforco : ' bestride,' ' grip.'
63. disfaccia : ' rend,' lit. ' unmake.'
65. Latino : Italian ; cp. Inf. xxvii. 33 ; Purg. xi. 58; Conv. iv.
28, II. 61, 62, 'II nobilissimo nostro Latino Guido Montefeltrano.*
119
INFERNO [xxii. 67-joo
67. fu di Ih. vicino: Mived in the neighbourhood of that
country,' i. e. Italy, the person being from Sardinia, as we learn
from I. 82.
72. lacerto : here 'a piece of flesh ' ; or * a sinew.'
73-5. i: for^//; cp. Inf. li. 17. decurio : the captain of the
decina, or band often devils, Inf. xxi. 120. mal piglio : 'frown-
ing aspect'; c^. piglio dolce^ Inf. xxiv. 20.
79, 80. mala partita . . . facesti : 'thou didst separate in an
evil hour ' ; see 11. 66-9.
81. frate Gomita: of Gallura in Sardinia. Sardinia at this
time belonged to the Pisans, who had taken it from the Saracens
in 10 1 7. It was divided by them into four provinces or jurisdictions,
which were administered by Pisan nobles. Gallura, the north-eastern
of these, was governed in the latter part of the thirteenth century
by Nino Visconti (the ' Giudice Nin gentil' of Purg. viii. 53), and
Frate Gomita acted as his administrator during his absence. This
man, in whom Nino placed entire confidence, released from prison
for a sum of money a number of his superior's enemies, and when
this crime was brought home to him he was hanged.
83. donno : the use of this word is accounted for by its having
been at that period a title in Sardinia, in which way it is introduced
in 1. 88, ' donno Michel Zanche.'
84. fe' SI lor, &c. : ' treated them so (in letting them escape),
that they express their satisfaction therewith, one and all of them.'
The phrase lodarsi di signifies ' to express satisfaction with ' ;
cp. Inf. ii. 74.
85. di piano : ' quietly,' i. e. without formal trial. It is the
legal Lat. term de piano ^ which from meaning * on the level ' came
to be used for 'below the bench,' 'out of court,' and so 'extra-
judicially ' ; see Lewis and Short's Z)/V/., s. v. planus,
88. usa : ' consorts.' Michel Zanche : he was administrator of
Logodoro, the north-west province of Sardinia, under the governor
Enzio, a natural son of Frederic II ; and after his death in 1 2 7 1
he married his widow.
93. a grattarmi la tigna : ' to scratch my scurf ; a low
expression like this is suited to those punished in this bolgia.
94. il gran proposto : Barbariccia, the praefect in command.
100. in cesso : 'in retirement,' 'aside,' so that they might not
be seen by the spirits emerging from the pitch.
120
xxn. 107-32] INFERNO
107. malizia : * knavery,' in the sense of 'deceitful cunning,*
while malizioso in 1. no is 'malicious' in conspiring to injure
others.
109-11. lacciuoli: 'artifices'; the artifice in this case con-
sisted in diverting attention from the ma/izia imputed to him by
putting another construction on the word, a' miei : ' to my
friends,' i. e. his companions in punishment.
112. non si tenne : ' could not refrain ' ; i. e. could not resist
this proposal for alluring others of the sinners out of the pitch.
di rintoppo Agli altri : ' in opposition to the others.'
1 13-5. Se tu ti cali, &c. : Alichino means that Ciampolo had no
chance of escape, because he had only feet, while he himself had
wings. ' If you cast yourself down in hopes of escape, I shall not
follow you with speed of foot (i. e. running along the bank), but
I shall hover over the pitch, so as to be sure of seizing you.'
116, 117. Lascisi, &c. : on either side of the lake of pitch there
was a bank (ripa), running along above the level of the pitch ; at
the back of this a precipice rose, and at the highest point of this
(il coUe) the devils and their victim were stationed. The ' bank '
here mentioned was on the opposite side, as we learn from 1. 119,
where the devils, following Alichino's indications, turn their eyes
dair altra costa. The meaning of the passage is — ' Let us leave
the summit, and let the bank serve as a screen (to conceal us from
those sinners whom it is proposed to call up from the pitch), that
we may see whether' — addressing Ciampolo — 'your devices for
escaping are cleverer than ours for preventing you.'
119, 120. dair altra costa: 'towards the opposite side';
cp. 1. 146. They looked that way to see what Alichino meant,
and their attention being distracted, Ciampolo took the opportunity
to escape. For da meaning 'in the direction of cp. Inf. xx. 13 ;
Purg. ii. 55. cnido : ' indisposed ' ; Cagnazzo is meant, 11. 106-8.
123. dal proposto lor : ' from their design ' of further torment-
ing him.
126. Tu se* giunto : 'I'm down upon you,' lit. 'you are
overtaken.'
127-9. i» for gli; cp. 1. 73. 1' ali, &c. : 'the speed of wings
could not outstrip the speed of fear.' suso : because he was
making for the crest of the embankment.
132. rotto : ' broken in spirit.'
121
INFERNO [xxii. 134— XXIII. 4
134? 135' invaghito, &c. : 'delighted that the other (Ciampolo)
should escape, that he might have the tussle.'
139. sparvier grifagno : 'a full-grown sparrow-hawk'; gri-
fagno was the name given to the bird when it had reached
maturity.
142. Lo caldo, &c. : 'the heat quickly separated the com-
batants.' sghermitor : ' intermediary,' one who separates those
who are quarrelling.
146. dair altra costa: ' towards the opposite side ' ; cp. 1. 119.
148-51. alia posta: 'to their respective posts.' gl' im-
paniati : ' those sticking in the pitch,' lit. ' in the birdlime.'
crosta : ' surface.' cosi impacciati : ' in this predicament.'
CANTO XXIII
Argument. — Virgil, in order to rescue Dante from the malice
of the enraged devils, takes him in his arms, and slides down the
slope of the embankment which bounds the outer side of the sixth
bolgia ; in this way they pass the limits assigned to those evil spirits.
At the bottom of this gulf they find the hypocrites, who wear cowled
cloaks of lead, gilded externally, the weight of which causes them
to walk slowly and with great pain. Among these sinners they
meet with two who had belonged to the so-called 'Jolly Friars,'
and at one point they behold Caiaphas, who is extended on the earth
in the form of a cross. When they reach the next line of bridges,
Virgil discovers that Malacoda has deceived him, and that here also
the bridge across the valley is broken.
Line 2. N' andavam : they were still following in a leftward
direction (Inf. xxi. 136) the ridge of the embankment which separates
the fifth from the sixth holgia (Inf. xxi. 65).
3. frati minor : Minor Friars, i. e. Franciscans. The Anonimo
Fiorentino says that it was their custom to walk in single file, the
brother of higher position going first.
4. favola d' Isopo : the story of the Frog and the Mouse which
is here referred to is not one of Aesop's Fables, but it is found in
some of the various collections of tales which passed current under
122
XXIII. y-42] INFERNO
that name in the middle ages. It appears in somewhat different
forms, but as the point of Dante's comparison is that a person who
was conspiring against another (Alichino against Ciampolo) brought
disaster upon himself, the following seems to be the nearest of the
versions which have come down to us to that which Dante had in
his mind. A mouse and a frog came together to a river which they
had to cross, and as the mouse could not swim, the frog proposed
to convey her across by tying her to his leg. During their passage
the frog tried to drown the mouse, but at this moment a kite swooped
down and carried off the frog, setting the mouse at liberty. This
is found in the collection translated by Marie de France in the twelfth
century. See Toynbee, Z)/V/., p. 219.
7. mo ed issa : both these words mean 'now,' mo being Lat.
moc/o, issa Lat. ipsa (understand kora). They were both in common
use in Dante's time ; Blanc, F'ersuch, p. 208.
16. s'aggueflFa: 'is added.' The original meaning of ^^^«£^r<?
is 'to weave on to,' the latter part of the compound being from
O. Germ, luifan (Mod. Germ. iveheri)\ Diez, Wort.^ p. 351, who
compares the use oi attexere for (i) 'to weave on to,' (2) 'to add,'
in Latin.
23. Malebranche : a general name for these devils, as in
Inf. xxi. 37.
25-7. S' io fossi, &c. : 'if I were a mirror, I should not more
immediately assimilate your outward form, than I now receive the
image of your thoughts ' (la tua imagine d' entro). For impiom-
bato vetro in the sense of ' a mirror ' cp. Par. ii. 89, 90. impetro :
' receive,' ' obtain ' ; impetrare, from meaning ' to obtain by asking,'
here signifies 'to become possessed of.'
30. d' intrambi, &c. : ' from the two corresponding thoughts
I evolved a single purpose,' viz. that of flight.
31—3. la destra costa : i.e. the descent to the sixth bolg'ia^
which would be on their right, since they were proceeding leftwards
along the embankment, giaccia : 'slopes'; cp. I. 138, and Purg.
iii. 76. scendere : on this line and those which rhyme with it as
being twelve-syllable lines, see note on Inf. xv. I . immaginata :
' which we have been picturing to ourselves.'
38. al romore : ' at the cries ' of the neighbours.
42. Tanto che, &c. : take with s* arresta above; 'does not
wait long enough to put on even an under-garment.'
123
INFERNO [xxiii. 44-64
44, 45. Supin, &c. : 'in a reclining posture slid down (lit.
committed himself to) the sloping rock ' ; Virgil makes a sort of
glissade, tura : ' encloses,' lit. ' stops up.'
47—9. molin terragno : 'a mill on land,' where the water is
brought to the wheel by a sloping channel (doccia), as distinguished
from mills in rivers, where the water flows below. Benvenuto
distinguishes between molendinum terrestre^ which means a mill with
over-shot wheel, and molendinum positum in aqua magna, which latter
he illustrates by the mills in the Po. Quand' ella, &c. : the fall
of water in such a channel is steeper as it approaches the mill-wheel.
pale : the paddles of the wheel, vivagno : ' bank,' lit. ' selvage.'
54. Sopresso : 'just over'; see note on Inf. xxxiv. 41. gli :
' there,' = t;/j as in Purg. viii. 69; xiii. 7. sospetto : 'cause
for fear.'
58. dipinta : this epithet refers to the gilding of their capes,
1. 64. The spirits here met with are the hypocrites.
61. cappe, &c. : ' capes with low cowls coming down in front of
their eyes.'
63. Cologna: Witte reads Clugrii. The MS. authority is
considerably stronger for Cologna, but it is against this reading (i)
that Cologna, being the more familiar name, would be less likely to
be changed into Clugnt than vice versa ; (2) that the line Chi in
Cojlogna I p^r li | m6na|ci fas|si violates the stringent metrical
rule, that there must be an accent either on the fourth or the sixth
syllable of the verse. Consciousness of this rule may have produced
the important variant, which is found in two of Witte's four test
MSS., Che per li monaci in Cologna fas si 'f but this can hardly have
been the original reading, being evidently lectio facilior. With the
reading Che in Clugni there is a certain irregularity in the non-elision
of Che, but this, though unusual, is found in a fair number of lines
in the poem. By Clugnt the Benedictine abbey of Cluny, twelve
miles from Macon in Burgundy, would be meant. Nothing is known
about the cowls worn either in Cologne or at Cluny.
64. Di fuor dorate : the bright external appearance of the cloaks,
contrasting with the dull leaden colour within, symbolizes the double-
faced character of hypocrisy. This idea, and with it the mode of
punishment of the hypocrites, seems to have been suggested to Dante's
mind by a false etymology of hypocrita, which was current in the
middle ages, from yper (Gk. virep), ' above,' and crisis (Gk. ;(/)vo-os),
124
XXIII. 66-I03] INFERNO
'gold* — as Ugucclone da Pisa, the grammarian of the twelfth century,
who gives this derivation, says, ' quasi superauratus, quia in superficie
et extrinsecus videtur esse bonus, cum interius sit malus.' See
Toynbee's Z)/V/., pp. 545, 546. egli abbaglia : 'it dazzles,' egli
meaning ' the gilding,' implied in derate son. Perhaps this irregular
use of egli is an extension of the impersonal use, which is seen in
1. 3 1 above, egli e ; Par. xiii. 118, egli incontra^ and not infrequently
elsewhere ; see Blanc, Versuch^ p. 211.
dd. Che Federico, &c. : 'that the capes which the emperor
Frederic II used to place on criminals were light as straw in
comparison of them.' According to the commentators, in the
punishment here referred to the victims were placed in these leaden
capes in a boiler over a fire, and were killed by the melting of the
lead. In any case, however, what Dante is referring to is the weight
of the capes.
71, 72. che noi, &c. : 'that every step brought us abreast of
fresh companions.'
75. SI andando, &c. : 'as we walk, cast thine eyes around.'
76. la parola Tosca : here, as in Inf. x. 25-7, the pronunciation
is probably what is referred to.
79. Forse oh* avrai : ' maybe you will have '; for forse used
with a verbal force and followed by che cp. Purg. iv. 98 ; xxi. 121.
84. la via stretta : ' the crowded way ' ; stretta means ' con-
fined,' but it was so because of the multitude that crowded it.
88. air atto della gola: 'from the movement of his throat'
in speaking. »
91. coUegio : 'assembly,' 'company.'
97-9. distilla: in the form of tears, sfavilla : ' sparkles,' i. e.
clearly reveals itself.
100-2. ranee: 'orange'; from a Lat. form aurantius. Fan
cosi, &c. : ' make their balances (scales) thus creak ' ; i. e. make
those who support the weights emit these cries.
103. Frati Godenti : their proper name was Cavalieri di Santa
Maria, an Order of Knighthood established under the sanction of
Urban IV in 1 261, with the object of reconciling feuds and protecting
the weak ; they obtained the nickname of Frati Gaudenti or ' Jolly
Friars ' because of their easy manner of life. The two members
of the Order here named, Loderingo d' Andalo and Catalano de'
Catalani, who were respectively a Guelf and a Ghibelline, were invited
125
INFERNO [xxiii. 106-36
to Florence to exercise the office of Podesta conjointly, but by their
hypocrisy and peculation they forfeited all public confidence.
106-8. un uom solingo : i. e. the man who usually exercised
m his single person the office of Podest^. Gardingo : a quarter of
Florence near the Palazzo Vecchio, where was the palace of the
Uberti, which was sacked and burnt by the populace during a rising
against the Ghibellines in the time of the two Podestas. This was
an evidence of the condition of the city under the administration of
these miscreants.
109. O frati, i vostri mail . . . : 'ye friars, your misdeeds . . .'
111. tre pali: these stakes ran through the two hands and the
feet, and were used instead of nails, because they were fixed in the
earth, there being no cross.
112. si distorse : through indignation at being seen in this
position by a living person.
115. Quel confitto : Caiaphas, whose hypocrisy was shown by
his giving his advice that it was expedient that one man should die
for the sins of the people ; John xi. 50. He is crucified in requital
for Christ's death on the cross.
118-20. Attraversato : 'laid across.' ch' ei senta, &c. :
' that he should first feel the weight of every one who passes * ; ' first,'
i. e. before he has passed.
1 2 1-3. il suGcero : Annas, si stenta : 'is tormented'; the
der. is from Lat. ahstinere through a form astentare ; hence from
the meaning of 'to abstain,' stent ars'i in Ital. signifies (i) 'to be in
need,' (2) 'to be in suffering'; Diez, Wort., p. 403. mala
sementa : ' the source of woes,' lit. ' evil seed.'
124, 125. maravigliar; as a heathen, he would know nothing
of the story of Christ's passion, disteso in croce : stretched in
the form of a cross ' ; see note on 1. 1 1 1.
129. alia man destra : they were going to the left along the
bolgia (I. 68), consequently the embankment between the sixth and
seventh bolge was on their right hand, foce : ' passage.'
130, 131. uscirci: for the use of ci for di qui cp. Inf. iv. 49,
uicicci. Senza costringer, &c. : 'without compelling the black
angels to come to deliver us.' Virgil could require this on the
strength of the divine command which authorized him to pass through
Hell, Inf. xxi. 83, 84.
^35) ^3^' Si move: ' starts,' cp. Inf. xviii. 16, 17; the sasso
126
XXIII. i38~xxiv. 15] INFERNO
here is one of the scogU or ' rock-bridges ' mentioned in that passage,
while the gran cerchia is the precipice which encircles Malebolge.
a questo : sub. vallon^ * at this bolgiaJ
138. giace : this word and soperchia are contrasted, 'which
slopes at the side and rises at the bottom.' This is what would
happen with a fall of rock, the great mass of which would slide down
into the valley. For giace meaning 'slopes' cp. 1. 31.
140. contava la bisogna : ' explained the matter.' Malacoda
had told them that this bridge was standing, Inf. xxi. 1 1 1 .
142-4. Bologna: the speaker's native place, 1. 103. It is
specially mentioned here because of its School of Theology, bu-
giardo, &c. : cp. John viii. 44.
145. sen gi : the introduction of the ten-syllable lines here,
which involves the loss of the weak eleventh syllable, is perhaps due
to the desire of expressing a sudden movement ; see on this the note
to Inf. xxxi. 145.
147. incarcati : burdened with the leaden capes.
CANTO XXIV
Argument. — Dante, with the assistance of Virgil, climbs up the
embankment over the mins of the broken bridge, after which they
pass onward to the seventh bolg'ia, where the thieves are tormented
by serpents. As they watch the scene, one of these sinners, being
bitten, is reduced to ashes, and then returns again to his human
form. Being questioned by Virgil, he declares himself to be Vanni
Fucci, who was a violent adherent of the Black Guelf party,
and notorious on account of a sacrilegious robbery. When he
discovers that Dante is one of his political opponents, he prophesies
to him the evils impending over the White faction.
Lines 1-15. This beautiful simile — in which the effect on Dante
of Virgil's clouded looks and of his recovery of serenity is compared
to the change of feeling in the rustic, when he first sees the country
white with hoarfrost, and shortly afterwards finds it green again —
is, for Dante, unusually long and elaborate in its details. Dante
127
INFERNO [xxiv. 1-13
has produced a similar effect of contrast by introducing a quiet
rural scene in the midst of the horrors of Malebolge in the simile
of the fireflies in Inf. xxvi. 25, and the description of the runlets
of water in Inf. xxx. 64. This mode of poetic treatment is one
for which he may have been indebted to Virgil, who introduces
similes drawn from rural life into his battlepieces, e. g. Aen. x. 803,
of a labourer taking refuge during a storm; xii. 473, of a swallow
flying round a house; xii. 587, of smoking out bees.
I, 2. quella parte: the latter part of January and the beginning
of February, when the sun is in Aquarius, i crin . . . tempra :
'tempers his locks,' i.e. warms his rays. That tempra means
' warms ' is shown by the next line, which implies that it was after
the turn of the year ; ' cools his rays ' would rather apply to autumn.
3. E gi^, &c. : 'and now the nights retire towards the south,'
i. e. as the days lengthen and the sun advances towards the north,
the nights shorten and retreat southwards. The night is regarded
as occupying the part of the heavens opposite the sun (cp. Purg. ii.
4) ; therefore, when the sun approaches the tropic of Cancer, the
night approaches that of Capricorn — in other words, retires towards
the south. Others say — ' the nights are progressing towards half
the day,' i. e. the equinox is approaching.
4—6. Quando, &c. : ' when the hoarfrost portrays on the ground
the likeness of her white sister, but the fine point of her pen (with
which she portrays the snow) does not last long.' The general
meaning is : — ' when the hoarfrost produces the effect of snow,
but easily melts in the sun.' The words here used — imagine,
penna, tempra — show that the metaphors are drawn from the
art of calligraphy, tempra, in particular, meaning the ' point ' of
a pen, just as temper are is ' to make or mend ' a pen. assempra ;
lit. 'copies'; cp. Vita Nuova^ § i, 1. 6 ; der. from Lat. exemplum^
which is found in O. Ital. as assemplo and assempro ; Kbrting,
W'drt.^ No. 2941.
7-9. a cui, &c. : 'poverty-stricken'; cp. Purg. xiii. 61, a cut
la rohafalla. si batte 1' anca : ' smites his thigh ' in despair.
10. qua e 1^ si lagna: 'goes complaining to and fro,' 'rest-
lessly bewails him.'
12. ringavagna: 'regains.' The latter part of this obsolete
word is, according to Diez, p. 175, from O. Fr. gaagner (Mod. Fr.
gagner, Ital. guadagnare). Others derive it from the dialectic Iial.
128
XXIV. 18-45] INFERNO
gavagno^ cavagna, ^basket,' with the meaning ' stores up,' in support
' of which Blanc compares Inf. xi. 54, ' fidanza non imborsa.'
18. al mal, &c. : 'the remedy (lit. plaster) was applied to
the wound.'
19—30. This passage, with its careful description of a rock-climb,
has been cited to prove that Dante, however unwillingly, had had
some experience of mountaineering. Thus Mr. Douglas Freshfield
says, that it reads ' like a modern description of an Aimer or
Devouassoud at work' [Alpine Journal, vol. x. p. 404). The
point is one of some interest, because, if true, it tends to show
that in other passages of the Div. Com. where mountain climbing
is referred to, the Poet is drawing on his experience rather than
his imagination.
20, 21. piglio : 'aspect,' 'look'; cp. mal pigUo, Inf. xxii. 75.
a pie del monte : at the foot of the Mountain of Salvation
(Inf. i. 1 3), where Virgil first met him.
24. diedemi di piglio: Virgil now takes hold of Dante, and
partly lifts him {levando, 1. 27), partly pushes him (sospinto, !• 32)
upwards.
25. che adopera, &c. : i. e. who, while he works, is deliberating
on the next step.
31-3. da vestito di cappa : for the hypocrites with their
capes of lead, sospinto : ' with the help of his pushing.' di
chiappa in chiappa : ' from one point of rock to another.'
34-6. da quel precinto : ' towards that enclosure,' i. e. the
inner embankment of this holg'ia. The reason why this embankment
was lower than the outer one is given in the lines which follow.
See note on Inf. xix. 35, in which passage, as here, the inner
embankment is spoken of. sarei : for sarei stato ; for other
instances of the omission of stato after sarei ox fora cp. Par. xxvii.
85 ; xxxiii. 77.
37-40. porta : ' opening,' ' mouth.' pende : ' slopes down-
ward.' Lo sito, &c. : ' the position of each bolgia brings it to pass
that one side is higher and the other lower,' lit. 'rises ' and ' sinks.'
42. Onde, &c. : 'from which the last stone (of the broken
bridge) splits off' ; for scoscende see note on Inf. xvii. 121.
43-5. munta : 'exhausted,' lit. 'milked out,' 'forced out';
the word is similarly used of gushing tears in Inf. xii. 135. nella
prima giunta : ' as soon as I arrived.'
TozER 129 K
INFERNO [xxiv. 52-90
52-4. ambascia : here 'weariness.' Se col suo, &c. : 'if he
does not give way through infirmity of the flesh.'
55—7. Piii lunga scala : the ascent of the Mountain of
Purgatory, da costoro, ^c. : ' to have escaped from these,*
i. e. the occupants of Hell. The symboHcal meaning is, that it is
not sufficient to escape from sin, but one must proceed to practise
virtue, fa si, &c. : ' see that you profit by my admonition.'
61-3. Su per lo scoglio : 'over the rocky bridge ' : scoglio
here is the same as the sasso of Inf. xxlii. 134, and is one of the
lines of bridges which cross the bolge^ Inf. xviii. 16-8. quel di
pria : the line of bridges which they had previously followed.
65, 66. altro fosso : the seventh bolg'ta, into which they now
look down. A parole, &c. : ' ill-suited to form articulate words.'
70. vivi : i. e. of one still in the body.
73. Dair altro cinghio : 'at the next (circular) embankment,'
i.e. the one which separates the seventh from the eighth bolgia.
lo muro : the bridge.
78. Si dee seguir, &c. : ' should be followed by its performance.'
81. la bolgia: it should be observed that the class of thieves
who are punished in this bolgia does not include the highwaymen,
who are placed in the Circle of the violent (Inf. xii. 137, 138).
The symbolism in what follows is not easy to interpret, but
probably the sei-pent, as the enemy of the human race, represents
the thief, as the foe of society at large, while its stealthy movements
and sudden attack signify the secrecy of the thiePs proceedings.
The change of form and temporary loss of identity have been
regarded as corresponding to the thief's ignoring the difference
between meum and tuum ; in any case this feature of the punishment
resembles the shiftiness of the malefactor's proceedings.
83, 84. mena : 'kind,' 'species.' scipa : ' pines my blood.'
85—7. Fill non, &c. : Dante is here referring to Lucan, ix.
706 foil., where the serpents of Libya are enumerated, including
the names which are here given. Libia con sua rena : ' Libya
and its sands,' i. e. the deserts of Libya. By Libya here is meant
the Roman province of Africa, which lay to the W. of Egypt;
this name is assigned to that district by Dante's geographical
authorities, Solinus and Orosius, and by the Hereford map, which
represents the mediaeval views on that subject.
88-90. Nd taute, &c. : ' nor did Libya, with the addition of
130
XXIV. 93-I20] INFERNO
all Ethiopia, and of the region which borders on the Red Sea,
display plagues (of serpents) so many and so dire/ By Ethiopia
the country to the S. of Egypt is intended, while 'the region
which borders on the Red Sea ' is the eastern coast of Egypt, the
lito rubro of Par. vi. 79. ee : cp. Purg. xxxii. 10.
93. pertugio : a hole to hide themselves in. elitropia : the
stone called heliotrope, which had the power of rendering the wearer
invisible.
94-6. Con serpi, &c. : the snakes were knotted in front, and
twisted round the arms behind, and the head and tail were fixed in
the loins.
97. da nostra proda : 'by our bank,' i. e. near the side of the
embankment where we were.
100-2. Ne O, &c. : the point here is, that O and I can be
written with one stroke of the pen. Convenne che, &c. : ' he must
needs become.'
105. di butto : for di botto^ ' suddenly.'
106-8. per li gran savi, &c. : 'it is declared by the most
famous sages.' Among the authorities with whom Dante was
acquainted, Solinus (xxxiii. 1 2) gives the Hfe of the phoenix as
540 years ; Isidore {Orig. xii. 7) says ' quingentis ultra annis ' ;
Brunetto Latini {Tesoro^ bk. v. ch. xxvi), ' Li piii dicono ch' egli
invecchia in cinquecento anni.' Ovid, whom Dante is here following,
says [Met. xv. 395), ' Haec ubi quinque suae complevit saecula vitae.'
109-11. Ov. Met. XV. 393, 394, 398-400; 'Non fruge
neque herbis, Sed turis lacrimis et suco vivit amomi. . . . Quo simul
ac casias et nardi lenis aristas, Quassaque cum fulva substravit
cinnama myrrha, Se superimponit, finitque in odoribus aevum.'
son r ultime fasce : ' are its winding-sheet at last.'
113, 114. ch'a terra il tira : like the man described in Luke
ix. 42, who was 'thrown down' by the devil that possessed him.
oppilazion : ' obstruction,' i. e. an influence which prevents an
organ from working.
119, 120. quant' e sever a : 'how strict it is.' Another
reading is quanta se' vera^ ' how just art thou ' ; this deserves
serious consideration, because it is far the harder of explanation of
the two, and therefore more likely to have been altered into quant'
e severa than 'vice 'versa. The objection to it is, that it involves
a change from the second to the third person in croscia ; but
131 K 2
INFERNO [xxiv. 1^3-48
this perhaps is not so great as might at first sight appear, because
quanta se* n)era is rather a reflexion on the poet's part ( = ' how-
great is thy justice ') than a real address, cotai colpi . . . croscia :
' rains down such blows.'
122, 123. piowi: this word is used again of the descent
of a condemned soul to its 'own place' in Inf. xxx. 95. In
Inf. V. 15 the souls, after the sentence of Minos, are said to be
giu volte, gola : ' gorge,' the bolgia.
125. mul : here used in the sense of ' bastard.' Vanni Fucci :
a violent partisan of the Black Guelfs in Pistoia. In 1293 he
broke into the sacristy of St. James in the church of San Zeno
in that city, and for this crime another man was hanged.
127. che non mucci : 'not to shirk'; that he was a likely
person to do so is implied in non s* infinse, 1. 130.
133. Pill mi duol, &c. : his pain arose from the satisfaction
which his punishment would cause to a political opponent ; cp. 1. 140.
He afterwards avenges himself by predicting the misfortunes which
were about to befall the White Guelfs, 11. 144 foil.
138. de' belli arredi : take with la sacrestia, 'the sacristy
of the beauteous ornaments.' On account of the richness of its
decoration this sacristy was called ' il tesoro di S. Jacopo.'
143, 144. di Negri si dimagra : 'is depopulated (lit. thinned)
of Black Guelfs.' In May, 1301, the Black Guelfs were driven out
of Pistoia. rinnuova, &c. : ' changes her families and her fashions.'
In Nov., 1 30 1, the White Guelfs were driven out of Florence by
Charles of Valois. The ' fashions ' were the government, which
passed into the hands of the Blacks.
145, 146. Tragge, &c. : the mist which Mars draws from
Val di Magra is Moroello Malaspina, lord of the Lunigiana in the
north-west of Tuscany, through which the river Macra (Magra)
flowed. He was captain of the Florentine Black Guelfs, when
in company with the Lucchesi in 1302 they attacked Pistoia, which
was then occupied by the Whites, torbidi nuvoli : the thunder-
clouds of war.
148. campo Pi can : a district in the neighbourhood of Pistoia.
As there is no record of a battle having taken place there on this
occasion, the allusion seems to be to the capture by Moroello of the
stronghold of Serravalle, which was near the Campo Piceno, in
the course of the attack upon Pistoia; Villani, viii. 52.
132
XXIV. 149 — x^v. 17] INFERNO
149. ei : the vapor, i.e. Moroello, who is symbolized by it.
His bursting the cloud is his charging the foe.
151. perche doler ti debbia : 'that you may have whereat to
grieve,' as being of the White party.
CANTO XXV
Argument. — The seventh bolgta is further treated of, two other
kinds of torment inflicted by serpents being described. In the former
of these the serpent and the man who is bitten by it are changed into
a single form, so that they are identified. In the latter there is an
interchange of forms, the man assuming the serpent's shape, and
the serpent the man's. Among the malefactors who suffer these
punishments several descendants of noble Florentine families are
found.
Lines 2, 3. fiche : this insulting gesture consists in thrusting
the thumb between the first and middle fingers. Togli : ' take that.*
squadro : ' level,' ' point.'
4. Da indi in qua, &c. : ' from that time forth the serpents were
endeared to me.'
9. un or olio : ' a jerk,' referring to the movement of the thumbs.
This sei^pent hindered him from his blasphemous gestures, as the
other had from his blasphemous words.
10, II. che non stanzi, &c. : ' why dost thou hesitate (lit. ' dost
thou not settle,' 'determine') to reduce thyself to ashes f" with
reference to what had just happened to Vanni Fucci, who was
a citizen of Pistoia; Inf. xxiv. 100-2, 126.
12. lo seme tuo avanzi : ' thou surpassest the seed from which
thou didst spring,' i. e. the gang of Catiline. It was believed at
that time that Pistoia was founded by the remains of Catiline's army ;
Villani, i. 32. For seme meaning 'progenitors' cp. Par. vii. 86.
15. quel che, &c. : Capaneus, Inf. xiv. 46, where see note.
17. un Centauro : we learn from 1. 25 that this is the monstrous
giant Cacus, who lived in a cave on the Aventine Hill, and stole
the cattle of Hercules when he passed by that way; Virg. ylen.
viii. 193 foil. The epithet 'half-human' (= half-savage), which
133
INFERNO [XXV. 19-35
Virgil applies to him (' Semihominis Caci,' 1. 194), seems to have
misled Dante into the idea that he was a Centaur.
19-21. Maremma : the marshy and uncultivated district between
the mountains of Tuscany and the sea ; see note on Inf. xiii. 9.
nostra labbia : ' the human form,' i. e. the fore-part of the Centaur,
in contrast with groppa, which is the hind-quarters. labbia,
which elsewhere in the Div. Com. signifies the look of the face,
from meaning 'aspect' comes here to be used for ' form.'
24. afifoca : in Virgil it is Cacus himself who is described as
^Orevomens ignes,' jlen. viii. 199.
26, 27. il sasso: i.e. his cave. Di sangue, &c. : Virg. j4en.
viii. 11. 195, 196, ' semperque recenti Caede tepebat humus.' laco :
lago for a 'pool' of blood is found in Purg. v. 84.
28-30. CO* suoi fratei : the other Centaurs were in the Circle
of the violent, Inf. xii. 55 foil, lo furar che frodolente fece :
this is Cacus' deceitful stratagem of dragging the oxen backwards
that their footprints might convey a false idea of the direction they
were following, Virg. Aen. viii. 1. 210. frodolente is here an adv. ;
others read lo furar frodolente che fece ^ in which case it is an adj.
ch* egli ebbe a vicino : ' which were in his (Cacus') neighbour-
hood.' Virgil describes (1. 204) how Hercules' drove occupied
a valley near the Aventine.
31-3. biece: 'sly,' 'wily.' e non, &c. : 'though he (Cacus)
did not feel ten of them,' because he was dead first. Virgil on the
other hand makes Hercules strangle Cacus. le diece : sub. percosse.
34. ed ei trascorse : 'he then passed by.' The use of ed here
and in 1. 50 below (cp. also Purg. viii. 94), which at first sight
seems pleonastic, is explained by Diez (Gram. iii. p. 317), who
gives numerous examples of et, ed., e used in this manner in Ital. and
Old French. He says that it has the force of 'then,' and is used
with the latter of two clauses which have different subjects, and that
it serves to make the latter of the two subjects the more prominent.
The use of e in the sense of ' yet ' seems to be an extension of this ;
see note on Inf. xix. 3.
35. tre spiriti : these are three Florentine thieves, Agnello
Brunelleschi, Buoso degli Abati, and Puccio Sciancato. Their
names are mentioned below in 11. 68, 140, and 148. sotto noi:
Dante and Virgil were on the side of the embankment below the
bridge; Inf. xxiv. 79, 80.
XXV. 38-79] INFERNO
38. novella: 'discourse/ This meaning seems to be derived
from that of 'narrative,' 'talk,' Inf. xviii. 57.
40-2. ma ei seguette, &c. : ' but it came to pass, as by some
accident a thing doth happen, that one had occasion to name another.'
43. Cianfa : one of the Donati family, who was a housebreaker.
He was missing at this time, as the question here implies, because
he had been transformed into the serpent with six feet, 1. 50.
45. dal men to al naso : i. e. on my lips, enjoining silence.
From hearing Cianfa's name Dante recognized that the others were
Florentines.
46-8. Se tu, &c. : this form of apology or protest on Dante's
part is one of his devices for drawing attention to something especially
man'ellous; cp. Inf. xxviii. 113-7. The passage which follows is
one of the most remarkable in the poem for its skill in giving reality
to things which pass human experience, viz. loss of individuality, and
interchange of personality.
49-78. The change which is here described consists in the man
and the serpent being blended into one form.
50. ed : ' then ' ; see note on 1. 34.
63. Ne r un ne 1' altro : understand colore.
64-6. Come : the simile here is intended to illustrate misch'iar lor
colore in 1. 62. The indeterminate colour assumed by the two bodies,
which had now become one, is compared to the brown tint which
steals over a piece of white paper, as it burns, before it turns black.
' As there spreads over (suso per) the paper in front of the flame
a brown hue, which is not yet black, though the white tint is
disappearing.' papiro : ' paper.' Paper made of cotton was in use
in Dante's time.
73. Fersi, &c. : 'from being four strips (of flesh) the arms
became two.'
77. Due e nessun, &c. : 'the unnatural figure appeared both,
yet neither of the two,' i. e. the likeness both of the man and of the
serpent was there, yet it was not the real likeness of either of them.
Dante here had in his mind Ovid's description of the formation
of Hermaphroditus, where it is said i^Met. iv. 378, 379), 'Nee duo
sunt et forma duplex, nee femina dici Nee puer ut possint; neutrumque
et utrumque videntur': see Moore, Studies^ i. p. 213.
79. Come, &c. : Dante now proceeds to describe the third effect
of a serpent's bite, viz. that the man changes into a serpent's shape,
135
INFERNO [xxv. 83-112
the serpent into that of a man. fersa : ' heat ' ; it is probably
another form o^ ferza^ Mash,' which also bears this sense; thus
Villani (viii. 72) uses 'alia ferza del sole' for 'in the heat of
the sun.'
83. un serpen tello : from the reference in 1. 151 to the person
concealed in this form we learn that he was Francesco Guercio de'
Cavalcanti. acceso : ' infuriated.'
85, 86. quella parte : the navel, un di lor : Buoso degli
Abati.
94, 95. 1^, &c. : in Phars. ix. 761 foil. Sabellus and Nassidius
were two soldiers of Cato's army, who were bitten by serpents in
Libya. The body of Sabellus putrefied from the bite of one kind
of serpent (ix. 763-82), while Nassidius died from the swelling of
his body owing to the bite of another (ix. 790-7).
96. or si scocca : ' is about to be revealed ' ; si scocca, lit.
Msletfly.'
97. Ovidio : the change of Cadmus into a snake is described in Ov.
Met. iv. 563 foil., that of Arethusa into a fountain in v. 572 foil.
98-102. Dante maintains that his description is more wonderful
than those of Ovid, because Ovid only narrated the change of a human
being into something else, whereas he himself relates a double change,
viz. that of a man into a serpent and that of a serpent into a man.
1 01, 102. forme: this word may here be rendered by 'persons,'
materia by ' substance.' In the language of the Schoolmen forma
is the essential element which distinguishes a species ; hence it is
used of the essence or personality of living beings (cp. Par. iv. 54),
while materia signifies the bodies in which they reside.
103-5. Insieme, &c. : 'they corresponded one to other (insieme)
in such fashion ' ; what is intended is that they made a mutual change.
ristrinse, &c. : ' drew his feet together into one.'
106, 107. Le gambe, &c. : 'the legs (of the man), thighs and
all, of themselves adhered so to each other.' seco stesse : ' of
themselves,' i. e. simply from contact. The description here is taken
from Ov. Met. iv. 578, 579, of Cadmus, 'commissaque in unum
Paulatim tereti sinuantur acumine crura.'
1 09-1 1. Togliea, &c. : ' the forked tail (of the serpent) assumed
the form,' &c. quella di 1^ dura: the man's skin became hard
and scaly, like that of a serpent.
112. entrar: the man's arms closed in at the armpits; but the
136
XXV. 1 15-40] INFERNO
use of accorciavan, * shortened ' (1. 1 1 4), implies that they did not
disappear altogether, but that sufficient length was left to form tlie
serpent's fore-legs.
1 1 5-7. li pie : i. e. those of the serpent, n* avea due porti :
' had put forth two such (feet)/ thus forming the feet of the serpent.
porti fiom porgere.
118. il fummo, &c. : the smoke gives the man the colour of
a serpent, and the serpent that of a man.
119, 120. genera, &c. : 'causes the hair to grow on the surface
(suso) on the one figure (the serpent become a man), and removes
it from the other (the man become a serpent).'
122, 123. Non torcendo pero, &c. : 'yet not for all that
withdrawing from one another their malign eyes.' From 1. 91
it is seen that they were looking fixedly at one another, muso :
' muzzle,' i. e. the lower part of the face.
124-34. The next six lines describe the transformation of the
serpent's face into that of the man; the five that follow describe
the converse change.
124-6. Quel che, &c. : 'the one that was upright drew it
(sc. muso^ the snake's projecting face) in the direction of the temples.'
The fore part of the snake's face had to be drawn inwards and
upwards, in order to form that of the man. scempie : ' flat,' lit.
' simple.'
127, 128. Cio che, &c. : ' the matter which did not run backward
but stayed, formed with that superfluity a nose for the face.'
133. This and the following line, together with 1. 137, are from
Ovid, Met. iv. 585-8, of Cadmus, 'lingua repente In partes est
fissa duas, nee verba volenti Sufficiunt; quotiesque aliquos parat
edere questus, Sibilat.'
1345 135- la forcuta, &c. : 'the forked tongue of the other
(the snake) closes up.' il fummo rest a : the smoke, which had
marked the commencement of the transformation (11. 92, 93), ceases
when it is completed. For resta cp. Purg. xxix. 19.
138. parlando sputa : ' sputters as he speaks.' This describes
the process of imperfect speech, before the habit is formed.
139, 140. Poscia, &c. : 'afterwards he (the serpent in human
form) turned on him (Buoso in his serpent form) his newly assumed
back, and said to the other (Puccio), 'I desire that Buoso should
run,' &c.
137
INFERNO [xxv. 142— xxvi. 7
142. zavorra: 'vile gang,' Lat. saburra, 'ballast'; from this
meaning it gets the sense of 'rubbish,' 'refuse,' and so 'a worthless
company.' In Modern Greek at the present day o-a^ovpa, which
is also derived from Lat. saburra, is used as a term of contempt
for ' a good-for-nothing person.' The change from initial s into z,
which is found in %avorra from saburra, appears also in zolfo from
sulphur. La settima zavorra means the occupants of the seventh
bolgia.
144. se fior la penna abborra : 'if my pen (style of writing)
is somewhat at fault.' For the origin of the adverbial use of fior
in the sense of 'slightly,' 'a little,' see note on Inf. xxxiv. 26.
abborra: Lat. aberrate 'wanders,' 'bungles'; cp. Inf. xxxi. 24.
146, 147. smagato : 'bewildered'; see note on Purg. x. 106.
chiusi: ' secretly,' Ht. 'hidden.'
151. L* altro : the serpentello of 1. 83. Guercio was killed by
some people of Gaville in the upper Valdarno, and in consequence
of this his relations slew many of the inhabitants of that place.
CANTO XXVI
Argument. — The two Poets now cross into the eighth bolgia,
where the givers of fraudulent counsel are punished by being wrapped,
each of them, in an enveloping flame. As they look down on these
moving lights from the bridge above, Dante inquires from Virgil
the meaning of one of the flames which has a double crest ; and
being informed by him that the spirits of Ulysses and Diomede
are contained within it, earnestly begs his guide to await their
approach. Ulysses, at Virgil's request, relates to them the story
of his last voyage and the manner of his death.
Lines 1-6. Dante with bitter irony, before leaving the company
of the thieves, congratulates Florence on the fame of her infamy
in Hell.
4-6. cotali : referring to their being men of noble birth. E tu,
&c. : ' and thou thereby dost rise to no great honour.'
7. presso al mattin : the idea that morning dreams are true is
of frequent occurrence in poetry ; Dante may have obtained it from
138
XXVI. 8-24] INFERNO
Ovid, Heroid. xlx. 1 95, 196, ' sub auroram, iam dormitante lucerna,
Somnia quo cerni tempore vera solent.' This point is further
treated of in Purg. ix. 16-8. In the present passage Dante is
predicting misfortunes which were about to fall on Florence, and —
in default of any other kind of prophetic power that he could
claim — he professes to have had a dream to that effect.
8, 9. Tu sentirai, &c. : ' within no long time thou wilt be
aware of that which Prato, not to say others, covets for thee.'
The connexion between this remark and what precedes (11. 1—6)
is that Dante regards the misfortunes which are impending over
Florence as a judgement for the immorality of her citizens. The
misfortunes here pointed to seem to have been the great fire of
1304, and the fall of a wooden bridge over the Arno, involving
the loss of many lives, in the same year. As these disasters were
associated in the popular mind with the interdict, under which
the city shortly before this was laid by Cardinal Niccolo da Prato,
in consequence of the failure of the mission on which he had
been sent thither by Benedict XI, this may perhaps account for
Prato being mentioned among the enemies of Florence, whereas
she was generally on friendly terms with her neighbour.
II, 12. Cosi, &c. : 'would that it were already, since it must
even come, for it will lie heavier upon me, the more I advance
in years.'
13, 14. le scalee, &c. : ' the stairs, which the projections
of the rock had made for us.' borni : hornio is the same as the
Fr. horne^ a ' spur-stone ' projecting from the angle of a house just
above the ground, to ward off blows of wheels, &c. ; Diez, p. 528.
a scender pria : cp. Inf. xxiv. 79.
17. scoglio : the line of rock, which crosses the embankments
and forms the bridges. They were now crossing the embankment
between the seventh and eighth holge.
19-24. In these lines Dante says that he was distressed by what
he saw in this bolgia, viz. the punishment of men who were gifted
with great ability and had misused it; and that his distress is
renewed whenever circumstances arise which recall it to his mind ;
and that at such times he keeps guard over his talents to prevent
them from going astray, lest he should thus forfeit what Providence
has bestowed upon him. Ora here is sometimes interpreted to
mean 'at this moment,' and lo ingegno affreno is also regarded
139
INFERNO [xxvi. 26-54
as referring to what the Poet is now writing, as if for the time being
he checked his power of expression ; but this view can hardly be
reconciled with what follows, for in the two stories of Ulysses and
Guido da Montefeltro his treatment of the subject is singularly
effective, and in the similes and other features of style his poetic
art is conspicuously seen. Ora rather means 'now, since I have
returned from Hell to earth,' and Quando is used in a general
sense for ' whenever.' Translate thus : — ' At that time I was pained,
and now (since my return to earth) my pain is renewed, whenever
1 reflect on what I then beheld ; and (on such occasions) I curb
my genius more than is my wont, that it may not pursue a course
which is not under the guidance of virtue ; so that, if a favouring
star, or a Higher Power, has vouchsafed to me that good gift
(of genius), I may not by my own doing cause myself to forfeit it
(lit. grudge it to myself).'
26, 27. Nel tempo, &c. : in the summer season, when the sun
is longest above the horizon.
28. Come, &c. : in the late evening, when the flies disappear and
the gnats come out.
34-6. E qual, &c. : the point of this simile is, that the flame
alone, and not the person or object within it, was seen, colui, &c. :
Elisha, who caused the bears to tear the children who mocked him ;
2 Kings ii. 23, 24. levorsi : for si levarono.
40-2. The symbolism involved in those who abused the tongue
by giving evil counsel being wrapped in flame is derived from the
words of St. James, iii. 6, 'the tongue is a fire,' which ' setteth on
fire the course of nature ; and it is set on fire of hell.' Also, the
words furto in 1. 41, ziA foco furo in xxvii. 127, suggest that
the concealment of the person was symbolical of the fraudulent crime.
41, 42. che : 'for,' explaining the appHcation of the simile.
il furto : ' the person whom it conceals.' invola : ' keeps in
hiding,' lit. ' steals away.'
48. quel ch' egli e inceso : ' that with which he is on fire.'
50. m' era avviso : ' it was my view ' ; awiso is subst.
52. diviso : forming two horns of flame, lYiQ Jiamma cornuta
of 1. 68.
53, 54. che par, &c. : the bodies of the twin brothers, Eteocles
and Polynices — the sons of Oedipus, who contended for the
sovereignty of Thebes, and ultimately killed one another in single
140
XXVI. 55-84] INFERNO
combat — when placed on the same pyre, refused to commingle
their ashes, so that two separate flames went up from them ; see .
Statius, Theb. xii. 431, 'exundant diviso vertice flammae.'
55. si martira : observe the quasi-absolute use of the verb sing,
preceding the two subjects, while vanno (1. 57), which follows
them, is plur.
56, 57. insieme, &c. : 'they go in company to meet their
punishment, as they did to vent their fury ' on the Trojans. The
reference is to their deeds of violence when they carried off the
Palladium, or tutelary statue of Athena ; Virg. j4en. ii. 166,
'caesis summae custodibus arcis.'
59. fe' la porta, &c. : the ' ambush of the wooden horse,'
through which Troy was taken, was the cause of the departure of
Aeneas from that place, and of his founding the Roman state in Italy.
61, 62. r arte, &c. : when Achilles was left by his mother
Thetis in Scyros, that he might not take part in the Trojan war,
Deidamia, the daughter of Lycomedes king of Scyros, fell in
love with him, but lost him owing to Ulysses, who, in company
with Diomede, artfully persuaded Achilles to come to the war,
after which she died of grief; Statius, Ach'tll. i. 538 foil. ; ii. 15 foil.
ancor : with reference to morta, ' though dead, still grieves.'
65, 66. assai, &c. : 'with all my heart I pray thee once and
again, so that my prayer may have the force of a thousand prayers.'
67. nego : ' refusal,' for niego.
72. si sostegna : ' check itself ; i. e. keep silence.
74, 75. ei sarebbero, &c. : 'since they were Greeks, perhaps
they would be shy of your address,' i. e. of being addressed by you.
No explanation of this remark has been suggested which is wholly
satisfactory ; but perhaps the best is that which connects it with the
rule that is observed throughout this part of the poem, that Virgil
converses with the ancient, and Dante with the modern characters.
The souls in Hell may be supposed to recognize the fitness of this ;
and in that case what is here referred to would be Dante's ignorance
of the Greek language, which, if he spoke, would be a sufficient
evidence to Ulysses and Diomede that he was not an ' ancient.'
82-4. gli alti versi : the Aeneid, in which he had com-
memorated them, r un di voi : Ulysses. Dove, &c. : ' where,
after he had lost his way, he went to die.' gissi is for si gt used
impersonally, so that per lui gissi is ' it was gone by him.'
141
INFERNO [xxvi. 8^-12.6
85, 86. Lo maggior como : that which represents Ulysses,
who is the more eminent of the two. croUarsi ; this is the result
of the voice struggling for utterance.
90 foil. The story of Ulysses' last voyage and death is a
digression, like that of the foundation of Mantua in Inf. xx, for it
bears no relation to the subject of the Inferno. Both of these serve,
however, to give variety, and to lighten the uniformity of gloom.
The story here given is quite different from the enigmatical descrip-
tion of Ulysses' peaceful end in the Odyssey (xi. 134-7), and,
as far as we can learn, was Dante's own invention. The idea
of it may have been suggested to him by the Genoese voyages of
discovery in search of a western continent, which were made in
his time; one of these expeditions started in 1291, and was never
heard of again; Moore, Studies, 1. p. 264 note. The story of
Tennyson's ' Ulysses ' is based on Dante's version.
91-3. sottrasse: 'withdrew me from the company of men.'
piu d' un anno : suggested by Ov. Met. xiv. 308, ' Annua nos
illic tenuit mora.' la presso a Gaeta : the place meant is
Circeii. la nominasse : after Caieta, his nurse ; Virg. ^en.
vii. 1-4.
94. la pieta, &c. : * the sorrow felt by my aged sire.'
98. del mondo esperto : this is the traditional character of
Ulysses as he is described in the Odyssey. Dante may perhaps
have got it from Horace, y^rs Poet., 1. 142, 'Qui mores hominum
multorum vidit et urbes.'
108. segno: 'set up to view,' lit. 'marked.' riguardi:
' boundary-marks,' the Pillars of Hercules, Calpe and Abyla.
According to Perticari (quoted by Blanc, Versuch, p. 240),
rlguardo is regularly used in this sense in the Romagna.
III. gi^ : ' already,' for Ceuta (Setta) is opposite Gibraltar, and
some distance E. of Seville.
114, 115. vigilia : ' waking-time,' before 'the night cometh in
which no man can work.' ch' e del rimanente : ' which still
remains,' lit. ' which is of what remains.'
117. Diretro al sol: 'following the sun,' i. e. in a westward
course, del mondo senza gente : the whole world except the
Old Continent was then supposed to be uninhabited.
124-6. volta . . . mattino: this is equivalent to 'turning
our prow to the west'; but the stern is mentioned, because they
142
XXVI. 1 28— XXVII. I a] INFERNO
were leaving behind them the lands towards the east. Sempre, &c. :
' ever trending more and more towards the left.' Their course,
from being westward, became south-westward. If, as is usually
thought, the mountain which Ulysses at last sights is the mountain
of Purgatory, which according to Dante was the antipodes of
Jerusalem, this direction would just lead to it.
128. Vedea la notte: 'the night beheld.' Blanc quotes
Petrarch, ' Non vide tante stelle alcuna notte.'
131, 132. di sotto, &c. : 'on the under side of the moon,'
i. e. that which is turned towards the earth. alto passo :
'perilous passage'; see note on Inf. ii. 12.
133, 134. bruna, &c. : 'dim owing to the distance.'
139. Tre volte, &c. : cp. Virg. Aen. i. 116, 117, ' ast illam ter
fluctus ibidem Torquet agens circum, et rapidus vorat aequore vertex.'
con tutte r acque : ' with a rush of waters.' Mr. Beazeley
remarks [Prince Henry the Navigator, p. 14) that the Arabs said
that whirlpools always destroy the adventurer who sails into the
Atlantic.
141. altrui: God, whose name is not uttered in Hell, except
in blasphemy by Vanni Fucci, Inf. xxv. 3
CANTO XXVII
Argument. — After Ulysses and Diomede have passed on,
a voice is heard to issue from another flame, asking for news
concerning the present state of Romagna. When Dante has
satisfied his request, the imprisoned spirit informs them, though
without mentioning his name, that he is Guido da Montefeltro, and
proceeds to explain how he was persuaded by Boniface VIII to give
fraudulent counsel, and what befell him after death.
Line 3. licenza : 'permission'; see 1. 21, where the words
with which Virgil dismissed him are given.
7-12. il bue Cicilian : the brazen bull made by Perillus for
Phalaris, tyrant of Agrigentum in Sicily, in which the human
victim could be burnt, so that his cries produced the effect of
143
INFERNO [XXVII. 13-21
bellowing on the part of the bull. Perillus was the first victim
who met this fate. Cp. Ovid, Ars Amat. i. 653-6, where 'neque
enim lex aequior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire sua ' suggested
e cio fu dritto. temperate : ' shaped.'
13. Cosi : the application of the simile consists in the sound
which proceeded from the bull in the one case and from the flame
in the other being made by the voice of the person concealed
within it.
14, 15. Dal principio del foco : others read nel foco, but
del foco has a great preponderance of MS. authority ; see Witte,
Quattro Testi, p. 179; Moore, Text. Crit., p. 195. With del foco
the meaning is : — ' the melancholy words were converted by the
element of fire into its language,' i. e. into a rushing sound. It
must be confessed that il principio del foco, in the sense of
' the element of fire,' is a more stilted expression than we should
expect to find in Dante's poetry. With nel foco the interpretation
is easier, and Dal principio means ' at first.' ' Similarly, from
having at first no passage or opening in the flame, the woful words
were converted into the language of flame,' i. e. a dull murmur.
Dal principio is thus contrasted with posc'ia in 1. 16.
18. in lor passaggio : i.e. in pronouncing them; ^giving it
(the tip of the flame) that vibration, which the tongue had given
them (the words) in their passage through the mouth.'
20. mo: 'just now,' Lat. modo. Lombardo : i.e. using, as
a Mantuan, the Lombardic dialect.
21. Dicendo, &c. : 'when thou didst say, "Now go thy way,
1 urge thee no more to speak " ' ; these are the words used by Virgil
in parting from Ulysses, which are implied in licen%a^ 1. 3. The
Lombard element which the spirit discovered in what Virgil said
is probably to be referred to the pronunciation rather than to any
of the words used, for issa was not peculiar to that dialect (see
note on Inf. xxiii. 7), and of the obsolete adizzo, 'I excite,'
' urge ' (or, as some read, with the same meaning, aizzo), we know
nothing certain, issa : the vast majority of MSS. read htra, a
word of no meaning, which seems to have been introduced through
an early blunder on the part of copyists, for the greater number
of the Commentators support issa, which is found in the sense of
'now' in Inf. xxiii. 7 and Purg. xxiv. 55; Moore, Text. Crit.,
PP- 338, 339-
144
XXVII. 37-48] INFERNO
27. Latina : of Italy; cp. Inf. xxii. 65. ond' io, &c. : 'which
is the origin of all my sin,' referring to his political career there.
28. i Romagnuoli : Romagna was the countiy between the Po
and the Apennines in one direction, and Bologna and the Adriatic
in the other; cp. Purg. xiv. 92.
29. 30. io fui, &c. : the speaker is Guido da Montefeltro, the
leader of the Ghibellines in Romagna, and one of the ablest
military commanders of his rime. In the latter part of his life he
was reconciled to the Church, and he joined the Franciscan Order
in 1296. intra: the hiatus between this word and Urbino is
very unusual ; sopra is similarly unelided in Par. xxvi. 45.
il giogo : the main chain of the Apennines, ' il gran giogo *
of Purg. V. 116. si disserra: 'issues,' lit. 'is unlocked.'
Montefeltro, which is described in this and the preceding line,
was a mountainous district on the northern side of the Apennines
towards Urbino and San Marino.
31-3. ingiuso : towards the lolgia below. Latino: Italian,
cp. 1. 27. Perhaps the point here is that he is a 'modern,' in
contrast to Ulysses and Diomede, who were ' ancients ' ; see note
on Inf. xxvi. 75.
38, 39. suoi tiranni : these are the great families, between
whom there were feuds in every important city of Romagna, though
in 1300 there was no open war (in palese).
41, 42. L' aquila, &c. : the counts of Polenta, whose arms
were an eagle, were now lords of Ravenna. One of these,
Guido Novello, was subsequently Dante's host at that place.
1^ si cova : ' there doth brood.' If la si cova is read, it = se la
cova, ' broods over it,' ' covers it with its wings.' Cervia : a town
on the coast S. of Ravenna.
43-5. La terra: 'the city'; Forli is meant, which in 1282
endured a long siege (la lunga prova) by the French troops sent
against it by Pope Martin IV, until they were finally defeated by
Guido da Montefeltro. le branche verdi : ' the green paws ' ;
a green lion was the arms of the Ordelaffi, who were lords of
Forli in 1300.
46-8. II Mastin, &c. : the old Mastiff is Malatesta da
Verrucchio, lord of Rimini, and the young Mastiff is his son,
Malatestino. The castle of Verrucchio was presented to the
Malatesta family by the city of Rimini for their services, da
TozER 145 L
INFERNO [xxvii. 49-75
Vemicchio goes with both vecchio and nuovo. Che fecer, &c. :
* who disposed ill of Montagna ' ; for governo meaning ' treatment *
cp. Purg. V. ic8. Montagna de' Parcitati, a Ghibelline chieftain,
was treacherously taken prisoner by Malatesta, and murdered in
prison by Malatestino. La dove, &c. : ' make augers of their
teeth (i. e. seize and rend the population) there where such is their
wont ' (i. e. in their subject lands).
49-51. Le citta, &c. : Faenza on the Lamone, and Imola on
the Santerno. Conduce: 'governs.' il leoncel, &c. : Maghinardo
Pagani, whose arms were a lion azure on a white field. He had
gained possession of those two cities, muta parte, &c. : ' changes
sides with the seasons ' (or ' from south to north ') ; the meaning
is, that he was a Guelf in Tuscany and a Ghibelline in Romagna.
52, 53. quella : Cesena, on the Savio. sie' : for s'lede.
56, 57. Non esser, &c. : 'be not more unyielding than other
spirits in the Inferno have been, so may thy name maintain itself in
the world above.'
61. S' io credessi, &c. : the souls In Hell, as a rule, are
anxious that their memories should be recalled to men's minds
on earth ; but those who have committed crimes at once flagrant and
mean against their fellow men desire not to be named : see note on
Inf. vi. 89.
67, 6§. Io fui, &c. : Guido now tells the story of his yielding
to the specious arguments ' of Boniface VIII, and giving him
fraudulent counsel concerning his mode of dealing with his enemies,
the Colonna family; and then reveals what happened after his
death, cordelliero : a Franciscan friar. They were so called
from the cord with which they were girt (si cinto).
69. veniva intero : ' was on its way to fulfilment.' For
nyenire used with an adj. in the sense of dlvenlre cp. Par. xxvi. 102,
veniagata; xxxiii. 52, venendo sincera.
70. il gran Prete : Pope Boniface VIII. a cui mal prenda :
' on whom may ruin seize.'
75. Non furon, &c. : Dante here is clearly referring to the
passage in the De OJiciis (i. 13. 41), which he has used for the
distinction of sins of violence and fraud (Inf. xi. 22-4, where see
note), where Cicero says, ' fraus quasi vulpeculae, vis leonis videtur.'
The character here attributed to Guido is not that which he bears
in history, for he is spoken of as being a distinguished soldier.
146
XXVII. 76-97] INFERNO
See Villani, vii. 44, and the Forli chronicler quoted by Philalethes,
p. 198.
76. accorgimenti : ' shrewd plans.'
83, 84. pentuto, &c. : 'after repentance and confession I
became a monk.' Rendersi is a regular expression for becoming
a monk; cp. Purg. xx. 54, ' renduto in panni bigi.' Both this
and calar le vele (1. 81) are used in Conv. iv. 28, 11. 62-4, where
Guido is mentioned in company with Lancelot: 'questi nobili
calaron le vele delle mondane operazioni, che nella loro lunga et^
a religione si render©.' sarebbe : here used irregularly for avrebbe.
85, 86. Lo Principe, &c. : Pope Bonifiice, to whom Dante
gives this title as being the leader of the worldly clergy of his time.
guerra : with the Colonna family, who dwelt near St. John
Lateran; his struggle with them culminated in 1297.
89, 90. E nessuno, &c. : ' and none of his enemies were in the
number of the Saracens who conquered Acre, or of the Jews who
trafficked within the dominions of the Soldan.' Acre, the last
possession that remained to the Christians in Palestine, was captured
by the Saracens in 1291. The traffic here referred to was confined
to the Jews after the capture of Acre, for the Pope then forbade
all Christians to trade with Alexandria and Egypt (Villani, vii. 145
ad Jin.) ; before that time a considerable trade, including that in
material of war, had been carried on in those parts by the Genoese
and Venetians, as well as the Jews.
91. ordini sacri : ' Holy Orders ' in our sense of the term.
92, 93. quel capestro : the cord of St. Francis, which is
called /' umile capestro in Par. xi. 87. solea : the past tense
implies the neglect of the rule of poverty by the Franciscans.
94, 95. come Constantin, &c. : ' as Constantine sought out
Sylvester in the recesses of Soracte to cure him of his leprosy.*
According to the mediaeval story, when Constantine before his
conversion was suffering from a leprosy, which resulted from
his persecution of the Christians, he was recovered from it by
Pope Sylvester in his retreat in a cave on Mt. Soracte (Siratti).
Similarly Guido was in retirement in the Franciscan convent at
Assisi, when Boniface applied to him.
96, 97. maestro: 'director,' with the further implication of
' physician,' which sense also the word bears, superba febbre :
'fever of pride,' i. e. feverish eagerness to ruin the Colonna.
147 L a
INFERNO [xxvii. 98-127
98. tacetti: for facqui; cp. Inf. ii. 75.
101,102. Finer; ' from this time forth.' Penestrino : Pales-
trina, formerly Praeneste. This was at this time a fortress of the
Colonna, which the Pope was anxious to get into his power. It
was surrendered by them under promise of an amnesty, after which
Boniface razed it to the ground.
105. il mio antecessor: Celestine V, who abdicated the
Papacy ; see note on Inf. iii. 60. non ebbe care : ' valued little.*
107. L^ Ve, &c. : 'to the point where (i.e. to the conclusion
that) to hold my peace was the worse counsel,' i. e. was more
ill-advised than to speak. He considered that the Pope's authority
outweighed the sin of giving evil advice, awiso : subst., as in
Inf. xxvi. 50.
no, III. Lunga, &c. : 'promising much and fulfilling little.'
Atiendere la promessa means ' to keep one's word.' alto seggio :
the papal throne.
112, 113. Francesco, &c. : the description of the contest
between St. Francis and the devil for the possession of Guido's
soul is the counterpart of, though in strong contrast with, the
struggle for the soul of his son Buonconte, which is related in
Purg. V. 104 foil. Cherubini : perhaps the devil who is here
introduced is called by this title because of the power of argument
which he displays (11. 118-20), for the Cherubim were the Order
of angels in Heaven whose special gift was knowledge.
1 1 5-7. meschini : 'minions'; so in Inf. ix. 43 the Furies are
called the meschine of Proserpine. Dal quale, &c. : ' since which
up to the present time I have been waiting to seize him.'
119, 120. pentere e volere: 'to repent and to desire to
commit the crime.' nol consente : ' does not admit of it.'
Repentance and the desire to commit sin are contradictory to one
another, and two contradictories cannot be held together. It is the
logical form into which this statement is put which the devil refers
to in 1. 123. .
1 2 1-3. mi riscossi : 'I shuddered.' loico, for logico^ 'a
logician'; 'that I coyld argue so cogently.'
125. Otto volte: as a token that he was assigned to the
eighth Circle; cp. Inf. v. 11, 12.
127. furo : 'thievish,' i.e. which hides its prey; c^. furto in
Inf. xxvi. 41.
148
XXVII. 134— XXVIII. 9] INFERNO
134-6. lo scoglio : see note on Inf. xxvi. 17. il fosso : the
ninth bolgia. in che, &c. : ' in which the penalty is paid by those
who by sowing discord lay on themselves (lit. win for themselves)
a burden.' For si paga il fio in this sense cp. Purg. xi. 88.
scommettendo : scommettere is the opposite of commettere, ' to
unite.'
CANTO xxvm
Argument. — The ninth lolgia contains the schismatics and
propagators of discord, who are rent and gashed with a sword by
a devil, in recompense for their having caused disunion among
mankind. The first of these lacerated figures which attracts
Dante's attention is Mahomet, who is here presented as the type
of religious schismatics. Others, who follow him, were persons
conspicuous in their lifetime as fomenters of social and political
discord ; conspicuous among whom are Pier da Medicina, who stirred
up strife between families in the Romagna ; Curio, who urged Caesar
to make war on the senate of Rome ; Mosca Lamberti, through whom
the Guelf and Ghibelline factions at Florence arose; and the
troubadour Bertrand de Born.
Lines 1-3. con parole sciolte: 'with untrammelled words,'
i. e. in prose, per narrar piii volte : ' even if he repeated the
tale,' lit. 'for all his repeating'; for this use oi per cp. Inf. iv.
II ; xxi. 28.
5, 6. Per lo, &c. : owing to the inability of human language to
express it, and of human intellect to grasp it. seno : lit. ' bosom ' ;
taken with a comprender it means ' capacity for embracing.'
7. s' adunasse ancor : these two words can hardly be taken
together as forming a single expression ; ' were recalled to life
(ancor) and assembled.'
8,9. fortunata : 'fateful,' i.e. doomed to disaster. Dante
now enumerates in their historical order five scenes of bloodshed
which had occurred in Apulia (Puglia), using that name, as it was
often used in the middle ages, in a wide sense, so as to embrace
a large part of Southern Italy ; cp. De Vulg. Eloq. i. 10. 11. 49-52,
where Apulia is said to be divided in two parts by the Apennines.
The carnage produced by these battles, he says, would not equal what
149
INFERNO [xxviii. 10-23
was displayed to view in this holgia. fu del suo sangue dolente :
* suffered from their wounds.'
10-2. Per 11 Troiani: in the wars following Aeneas' landing
in Italy, la lunga guerra; the Second Punic War, including
the battle of Cannae, dell' anella : referring to the bushels of
rings taken by the Carthaginians from the fingers of the slain
Roman knights after Cannae, alte : ' high-heaped,' representing
the acervus of Livy xxiii. 12. Livio : his account of the battle
is in xxii. 47 foil.
13, 14. Con quella : understand ^^w/^ ; the Greeks and Saracens
are meant, who were slain in their wars with the Norman Robert
Guiscard during the eleventh century. Per contrastare : 'owing to
their making head against.'
15, 16. il cui, &c. : 'whose bones are still heaped ' ; ossame
(lit. ' pile of bones ') favours this translation, while s' accoglie is
better suited to the other, 'whose bones are still picked up.'
Ceperan : on the Liris near Monte Cassino. This point the
Apulians were to have defended against Charles of Anjou, but
they deserted their post (bugiardo, 'faithless'). The massacre
which is implied in ossame was the battle of Benevento (a. d.
1266), where Manfred was defeated; Dante's words imply that
there was an action at Ceperano, but this was not the case.
17, 18. 1^: see note on Inf. vii. 22. da Tagliacozzo : 'at
Tagllacozzo ' in the Abruzzi, where Manfred's nephew, Conradin,
the last of the Hohenstaufen, was defeated by Charles of Anjou
in 1268. senz' arme: by his advice, not by fighting. Erard
(Alardo) de Valery persuaded Charles to keep a third of his
forces in reserve, and when Conradin's troops thought they had
won the day and were pursuing their opponents, these attacked
and defeated them; Villani, vii. 27.
19-21. E qual, &c. ; se is here to be supplied from 1. 7, and
qual — qual refer to la gente^ ibid. ' And if some of these victims
showed how their limbs were pierced, others how they were cut
off, that would be nothing to compare with what was seen,' &c.
22, 23. Gik veggia, &c. : 'a cask was never so rifted from
the loss of centre-piece or side-piece, as one whom I saw.' The
position of the clauses here is curiously inverted; for a similar
instance cp. Inf. xxix. 16, 17. mezzul is the middle piece,
luUa one of the side pieces of the bottom of a cask.
150
XXVIII. 25-55] INFERNO
25, 26. minugia: 'entrails.* 'corata': 'vitals.' sacco :
'pouch,' the stomach.
30. mi dilacco : ' I rend myself,' lit. ' dismember.'
31. Maometto : Mahomet's new departure in religion caused
him to be regarded as a schismatic.
32. All: the two great Mahometan sects — the Shiites, who
are now represented by the Persians, and the Sunnites, who are
represented by the Turks — are divided on the question whether
Ali was or was not the rightful successor to Mahomet in the
Caliphate, the Shiites maintaining the former view, the Sunnites
the latter. Thus Ali came to be regarded as a source of schism,
though he did not himself found a sect. For the ten-syllable
line here and in the rhyming lines see note on Inf. iv. 56.
33. nel volto : i. e. in the part of his person which in Mahomet's
case was sound, the meaning being that Ali caused a schism in
Mahometanism.
35. scandalo : ' dissension.'
37-40. accisma : this seems to be the same word as O. Fr.
acesmer, 'to set in order,' 'adorn'; here 'makes us such a sight.'
For a similar ironical use cp. conciando in Inf. xxx. 33. al
taglio, &c. : ' putting anew to the sword's edge.' risma : ' gang,'
lit. ' bundle,' the word being used as a term of contempt for the
occupants of the bolgia^ like %avorra in Inf. xxv. 142. Both in
origin and meaning it is the same as Engl. ' ream ' of paper, the
der. being from Arab, rismaf, ' bundle,' which word was imported
into Europe along with the introduction of cotton by the Moors ;
Skeat, Etym. D'lct.^ s. v. ' ream.' Quando, &c. : i. e. when we
have completed the circle of the bolgia.
42. Prima, &c. : ' before any of us reappears in his presence.'
altri for 'any one' is rare; the Vocah. Crusca compares Tasso,
xiii. 34, 'Non mai la vita, ove cagion onesta Del comun pro la
chieda, altri risparmi' ('let not any one spare').
43-5. muse : ' musest ' ; musare is der. from muso, O. Fr.
muse, 'mouth,' 'snout.' Skeat (s. v. 'muse') says, 'the image is
that of a dog snuffing idly about.' tue accuse : ' your confession
of crimes,' with reference to the self-accusation, when the soul
confesses its sins to Minos, Inf. v. 8; cp. also Purg. xxxi.
40, 41.
55. Or di' : Mahomet is speaking ; cp. 1. 62. Fra Dolcin : the
151
INFERNO [xxviii. 58-84
leader of a sect of fanatical religious reformers called the Apostolic
Brothers at the end of the thirteenth century. He is said (though
it was probably a calumny) to have advocated community of wives,
and this may account for the interest which Mahomet is here
represented as taking in him. The circumstances referred to in
what follows were these. When Clement V issued a Bull for
the extirpation of the sect, he and his followers withdrew to the
hills between Novara and Vercelli, where they occupied a strong
position ; but they were ultimately forced to surrender owing to
failure of provisions and a great fall of snow. Fra Dolcino was
burnt alive at Vercelli in 1307. Dante regards him as a schismatic.
s' armi : take with di vivanda in 1. 58.
58, 59. stretta di neve : 'a deep snow-fall ' ; the first meaning
of stretta is ' a compact mass.* Noarese : the people of Novara,
who led a crusade against him.
61-3. Poi che, &c. : if what is said here is merely a description
of starting to walk, it is strangely elaborate, but there is something
like it in Purg. xiii. 14, 15. Casini takes it as referring to the
brief interval occupied by Mahomet's speech, as if he were hurrying
his departure. Possibly it may describe his difficulty in walking
owing to his body being cleft.
• 64 foil. The persons who are now introduced were promoters
of political discord.
7 1 . Latina : Italian.
73. Pier da Medicina : he was so called from the town of
Medicina near Bologna. He kept alive the strife between the
families of Polenta and Malatesta.
75. dichina : 'slopes,' i.e. with the fall of the river. The
plain is that of Lombardy, Vercelli lying in the western part towards
its head, Marcabo near the mouths of the Po.
77. Guido : he and Angiolello were two leading men of Fano,
whom Malatestino of Rimini — the 'young Mastiff' of Inf. xxvii.
46 — shortly after 131 2 invited to a conference at La Cattolica,
a coast-town between Rimini and Pesaro, and caused to be drowned
by the sailors when they were on their way thither.
80. mazzerati : ' thrown overboard ' ; maz%erare is to throw
a man into the sea tied up in a sack. Cattolica : for the twelve-
syllable lines here and in 11. 82, 84 see note on Inf. xv. i.
82-4. Tra r isola, &c. : Cyprus and Majorca are here taken as
XXVIII. 85-106] INFERNO
marking the eastern and western limits of the Mediterranean, fallo :
' outrage.' Argolica : the early Greek settlers in Italy and Sicily
were regarded, not without reason, as brigands.
85. Quel traditor, &c. : Malatestino, who had lost an eye.
86, 87. la terra, &c. : 'the city (Rimini), which one in my
company here would be glad never to have seen.' This is explained
below (1. 102) to be Curio, who there advocated the civil strife for
which he is now punished. There is a suppressed relative after the
clause tal e qui meco. For digiuno meaning ' lacking of cp.
Inf. xviii. 42.
89, 90. al vento, &c. : 'neither vows nor prayers against the
wind of Focara will be needed for them.' Focara was a headland
near La Cattolica, which was dangerous on account of its storms ;
but they would have no need to invoke the protection of Heaven,
because they would be drowned before reaching it. Fa mestiere
is a phrase for ' it is necessary.'
93. dalla veduta amara : to whom it is painful to have seen
Rimini, 11. 86, 87.
96. non favella : because his tongue was severed, 1. 10 1.
97. scacciato : 'being banished.' After Caesar was declared
a public enemy by the Senate, Curio fled to him from Rome, and
urged him to commence the civil war without delay. According
to the facts of history he reached him at Ravenna before he crossed
the Rubicon, but Dante represents him as having given this advice
at Rimini (see note on 11. 86, 87), and therefore after he had crossed
the Rubicon. He is here following Lucan, who says that after
Caesar had crossed the Rubicon (i. 223, 224) he attacked Ariminum
(1. 231), and was there joined by Curio (11. 266-9); and when he
was hesitating whether he should advance (1. 272), Curio used the
words 'Tolle moras; semper nocuit differre paratis ' (1. 281).
98. 99. il fomito, &c. : ' one who is prepared always loses if
he endures to wait'; this is a paraphrase of 'semper nocuit,' &c.
These words of Lucan are quoted by Dante in his letter to Henry
of Luxemburg, Ep'ist. vii. 4, 11. 81-4.
102. a dire . . . ardito : Lucan speaks of Curio as 'audax
venali lingua,' 1. 269.
106. del Mosca : Mosca Lamberti, concerning whom Dante
had already made inquiries in Inf. vi. 80. His story is as follows.
Buondelmonte, a young Florentine nobleman, was betrothed to
153
INFERNO [xxviii. 108-35
a lady of the Amidel family, but married Instead a daughter of
the Donati (see Par. xvi. 140). When the Amidei were con-
sulting how they could best avenge themselves for the Insult, and
various counter-Insults were proposed, Mosca exclaimed, 'Cosa
fatta capo ha,' meaning that 'Death settles a matter once for all';
and accordingly Buondelmonte was murdered.
108. il mal seme: In consequence of this quarrel, the leading
nobles of Florence ranged themselves on the side of one or other
of these families, and ultimately the BuondelmontI took the lead of
the Guelf, the Amidel of the Ghlbelline faction. Hence Mosca Is
placed among the propagators of discord.
109. E morte, &c. : 'It was death withal to thy race.' After
1266 the LambertI are not heard of.
114. contarla: the use of la after che preceding Is pleonastic;
cp. Inf. V. 69.
117. osbergo : 'hauberk,' 'breastplate.'
119. SI come, &c. : walking onwards, like the rest of the sowers
of discord, though he was without his head and could not see.
124-6. lucerna : his head, thus suspended from his hand,
enabled him to see his way. govema : ' ordains.'
128. con tutta la testa: 'and the head along with it.'
Casini quotes Boccaccio, Decam. x. 9, ' il letto con tutto messer
Torello fu toko via.'
134. Bertram dal Bornio : Bertrand de Born, a troubadour and
warrior of the latter half of the twelfth century, was distinguished
by his wild love of fighting, which caused him to propagate strife
among his neighbours. With this object he supported the younger
Henry, eldest son of Henry II of England, against his father.
He is thus a type of another form of sowing discord.
135. diedi . . . i mai conforti: 'gave the wrongful encourage-
ment.' re giovane : ' the Young King ' was the title by which
the younger Henry was called, because he was crowned during his
father's lifetime ; Vlllani (v. 4) speaks of him by that name, when
he mentions his having been at war with his father. The MS.
authority is extremely strong in favour of the reading Giovanni^
but this appears to have arisen from a mistake on the part of the
copyists, who confused the young Henry with his younger brother,
John Lackland. It seems almost impossible that Dante should
have been in error on this point, because the title of ' the Young
154
XXVIII. 136—XXIX.9] INFERNO
King,' as applied to the eldest son of Henry II, was well known at
that time in Italy, and is also frequently introduced into the poems
of Bertrand de Born. See Moore, Text. Cr'it.^ pp. 344 foil. ;
Toynbee in The Academy^ vol. xxxiii. p. 274.
136-8. ribelli : 'hostile.' Achitofel : 2 Sam. xv. 12 foil.
non fe' piu d' : 'did not more so with,' i. e. 'did not stir up more
ill-will between.'
141,142. sue principio : the spinal marrow, lo contrapasso:
the law of retaliation.
CANTO XXIX
Argument. — While they are crossing the next embankment, the
Poets converse about Geri del Bello, a relation of Dante, whom he
believes he saw among the sowers of discord. In the tenth and
last holgia of the eighth Circle falsifiers are punished by being
afflicted with loathsome diseases, owing to which they lie helplessly
in various positions on the ground. In the present Canto alchemists,
or falsifiers of metals, are introduced; and among them Dante
parleys with two Italians, Griffolino and Capocchio, who had
committed that crime.
Lines 4, 5. Che pur guate ? ' why art thou absorbed in
gazing ? ' pur here, and in the following line, from meaning ' only '
comes to be used with a verb for 'to do nothing else than.'
si soffolge: 'is riveted,' lit, 'propped,' 'stayed,' Lat. suffulcire \
cp. Par. xxiil. 1 30, where the form is soffolce.
8. se tu, &c. : ' if thou thinkest to take count of them,' i. e. of
the number of souls in this holgia.
9. miglia ventidue : the ' valley ' here, which has the circuit
of twenty-two miles, is the ninth holgia^ and in Inf. xxx. 86
we are told that the tenth holgia is eleven miles in circuit, or half
that of the preceding one. Dante seems to have introduced the
number twenty-two for a double purpose: — first, to give an idea
of the size of the holgia itself and of the number of souls which
it contained ; and secondly, to suggest incidentally the size of the
155
INFERNO [xxix. 10-23
part of Hell which still remained to be visited. For 22 : 7 was
understood in Dante's time to be the ratio of the circumference to
the diameter of a circle (cp. Brunetto Latini, Tesoro^ Bk. ii. Ch. xl :
Mr. Butler refers also to Dante's contemporary, Cecco d' Ascoli,
in his Treatise on the Sphere) ; and by the mention of twenty-two
miles as the circumference it is implied that the diameter was seven
miles ; consequently the diameter of the circle formed by the tenth
bolgia, which was half that size, was three and a half miles. The
line thus measured crossed both the tenth bolgia and the Pit of
Hell which was enclosed within it. The numbers given in the
present passage and in Inf. xxx. 86 have been taken by Philalethes
(p. 234) as the basis of a calculation of the size of Malebolge ;
starting from the assumption that all the bolge are to be reckoned
on the same scale, he estimates the circumference of that area
as 115^ miles. Agnelli, in his Topo-cronografia del Viaggio
Dantesco^ pp. 15 foil., has gone still farther, and extended this
calculation so as to apply to the size of the Inferno itself. Such
inferences as these, however, are doubtfully justifiable. When
Dante introduces numbers into his poem, they are usually intended
to serve the purpose of enabling his readers to realize more distinctly
the scenes or objects which are presented to them, and it is
dangerous to argue from them to larger measurements. These
he prefers to leave to the imagination.
10-2. E gii., &c. : the time which is thus indicated is between
I and 2 p.m. Here, as elsewhere in the Inferno, time is
measured by the moon instead of the sun ; see note on Inf. xx. 124.
poco : about five hours, the whole amount allowed for the Inferno
being between twenty-four and twenty-five hours. Ed altro, &c. :
' and there is more to be seen besides what thou seest.'
15. m' avresti, &c. : 'thou wouldest have allowed me to stay
even longer.'
16, 17. Parte: 'meanwhile'; cp. Purg. xxi. 19. The order
of the words here is confused by Lo Duca, the subject to gia, being
introduced out of place, and so separating facendo from io, to which
it refers. For a similar inversion cp. Inf. xxviii. 23.
18, 19. quella cava : the holgta. a posta : ' attentively.'
22, 23. Non si franga, &c. : i.e. 'trouble not thyself further
about him.' The phrase resembles the Engl. ' to break one's head '
over a matter.
156
XXIX. 27-53] INFERNO
27. udl '1 nominar : 'I heard him named.' This Geri del
Bello was a distant relation of Dante. He was a worthless
character, and a turbulent person, in consequence of which he is
placed among the propagators of discord. He was murdered by
one of the Sacchetti, and afterwards, but not till later than 1300,
his death was avenged.
28-30. impedito : 'engrossed.' Altaforte : Hautefort, the
name of Bertrand de Bom's castle, si : 'so,' marking the con-
sequence. If a comma is substituted for the semicolon before si,
the meaning is ' until,' si being for sino, as in Inf. xix. 44.
32, 33. vendicata: the right of vendetta (private vengeance)
was legally recognized in Florence at this time, the whole family
being affected by the indignity (dell' onta consorte) ; and from
this passage it appears that Dante approved of it.
36. pio ; ' compassionate.'
38, 39. dello scoglio : ' from the ridge ' ; see note on Inf.
xxvi. 17. mostra : for mostrarebbe. The irregular sequence of
the indie, after fosse is the same idiom which is found in Lat.,
e.g. in Hor. Od. ii. 17. 27, 'Me truncus illapsus cerebro Sustulerat,
nisi Faunus ictum Dextra levasset.' The literal meaning is : —
' which displays a complete view of the next bolgia to its lowest
depths ; that is, it would do so if there were more light there.'
For other instances in Dante cp. Inf. xv. in, ' S' avessi avuto . . .
potei' ; Purg. iii. 39, 'se aveste . . . non era' ; and Purg. vii. 117;
Par. vii. 118; viii. 56. The present instance differs from the
others in using the pres. indie.
41. conversi : 'lay-brethren'; these are the inmates of the
' chiostra.'
47. Valdichiana : in consequence of the sluggish character of
the stream of the Chiana in Tuscany (cp. Par. xiii. 23), the valley
in which it flowed was a marshy and unhealthy district. There
were hospitals at that time in various parts of it, dependent on the
convent of Altopascio. The river has now been diverted and
the valley drained.
48. Maremma, &c. : Sardinia and the Maremma on the coast of
Tuscany are still notorious for malarial fevers, mali : ' diseases,'
plur. from male.
52, 53. ultima riva : the last embankment, which was on the
further side of the tenth bolgia, separating it from the pit of Hell.
157
INFERNO [xxix. 54-109
Del, &c. : * from the long bridge.' pur da man sinistra :
' keeping constantly to the left.'
54. f u . . . piu viva : ' had more power to penetrate.'
57. che qui registrar 'whom it assigns here,' lit. 'enters in
the book of doom as belonging here.'
58, 59. Non credo, &c. : the order of the words here and
in 11. 65, 66 is — 'Non credo che il popol tutto infermo fosse
maggior tristizia a veder, che era a vedcr gli spirti languir,' &c.
in Egina: the story is told in Ov. Met. vii. 523 foil. After the
whole population of Aegina had been destroyed by a pestilence,
Jupiter in response to the prayers of Aeacus repeopled it by
changing ants into men, whence arose the name Myrmidons (from
69. Si trasmutava : ' shifted his place.'
74. Come, &c. : 'as platter in heating leans against platter.'
76-8. E non vidi, &c. : ' never saw I groom for whom his
master is waiting, or who is anxious for his night's rest (lit. ' is
kept awake against his will'), use a currycomb to a horse so
hurriedly.' signorso : for s'tgnor suo ; similarly patremo for patre
mio^ mogUama for mia moglie^ &c., are found, and mammata for
mamma tua is still in use in the Neapolitan dialect ; Blanc, Gram.,
pp. 278, 279.
8 1 . non ha piii soccorso : ' is irremediable ' ; others say ' can
find no other relief.'
83. scardova : ' carp,' or ' bream.'
85. disraaglie : 'scale,' 'flay'; from maglia, ' coat of mail.'
88, 89. Latino: Italian, se : 'so may'; the sarcasm here
implied is merciless and repulsive.
95. balzo : rampart or terrace of rocks ; cp. Inf. xi. 115.
97-9. si ruppe, &c. : 'they ceased their mutual support ' ; i. e.
they started asunder, ceasing to rest against one another; cp. 1. 73.
di rimbalzo : ' indirectly,' since it was not addressed to them.
100-2. a me tutto s' accolse : 'turned all his attention to
me.' poscia, &c. : ' since such was his pleasure ' ; volse for voile.
103, 104. s' imboli : for / //2W/, ' disappear.' primomondo:
the world of the living.
109. lo fui, &c. : the speaker is a certain GrifFolino, an alchemist
of Arezzo, who practised on the credulity of Albero or Alberto,
a natural son of the Bishop of Siena. For this he was burnt.
158
XXIX. 114-39] INFERNO
114. vaghezza : 'curiosity' or 'fondness for novelties'; the
meaning of the word here is intermediate between that of vago<f
' eager for,' and that of vago^ 'wandering.'
116, 117. nol feci Dedalo : 'did not enable him to fly,'
refening to Daedalus' flight on artificial wings, a tal, &c. : ' by one
(the bishop) who regarded him as his son,' though he was illegitimate.
a is regularly used for ' by ' after y^r<? preceding.
122. vana : 'frivolous,' with reference to the 'vaghezza e senno
poco ' of Albert of Siena, who is taken as a representative of the
character of his countrymen. Dante, who seldom misses an op-
portunity of inveighing against the Sienese, the traditional opponents
of Florence, repeats this charge in Purg. xiii. 151.
125, 126. Trammene Stricca : ' prithee except Stricca.' For
the irony of this cp. 'fuor che Bonturo ' in Inf. xxi. 41. Stricca
and the rest who are mentioned here were extravagant votaries of
fashion at Siena, me in Trammene is the dative case, like the
ethic dative in Greek, expressing the speaker's interest in what he
says; cp. Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrenv^ i. 2. 11, 'Villain,
I say, knock me at this gate.' le temperate spese : ' such
modest outlays.'
128, 129. Del garofano : he is said to have seasoned pheasants
and partridges with cloves, orto : the class of epicures is meant.
Others take it as referring to Siena.
130-2. la brigata: the Irigata spender eccia^ or Prodigal Club,
of Siena, composed of twelve young men, whose aim was to run
through the greatest possible amount of money in riotous living in
a short time, la vigna, &c. : the vineyards and forest-lands were
his patrimony. 1' Abbagliato : a nickname of Bartolommeo de'
Folcacchieri, a man who held high offices of state at Siena.
133-5. ti seconda: 'supports your views' of the fatuity of the
Sienese. ti responda : 'may answer the question you asked,' viz.
' Who are you ? ' 1. 106.
136. Capocchio : an alchemist, who was burnt at Siena in 1 293.
138, 139. se ben t' adocchio : 'if I scan thee aright,' i.e. if
I am not mistaken in recognizing thee, scimia : ' ape,' ' imitator.'
Capocchio was an artist and a clever mimic, and is said to have
been a fellow student of Dante. His power of mimicry is probably
referred to here, for scimia would hardly be used of imitation
in art.
159
INFERNO [XXX. 1-18
CANTO XXX
Argumknt. — The tenth bolgia continued. The falsifiers treated
of in this Canto are (i) counterfeiters of others' persons, (2) false
coiners, and (3) perjurers. They are afflicted, respectively, with
madness, dropsy, and fever. The first of these three classes is
represented by two mad spirits, who rush hither and thither,
lacerating those whom they meet ; among the false coiners is seen
Master Adam of Brescia, who counterfeited the money of Florence ;
and among the perjurers Sinon, whose false statements were the
cause of the capture of Troy by the Greeks. The interest which
Dante shows in an unseemly wrangle between the two last-named
malefactors calls down Virgil's censure upon him.
Lines 1-2 i. To illustrate the madness with which two counter-
feiters of others' persons are afflicted, the insanity of two classical
personages, Athamas and Hecuba, is described.
2, 3. Per Semele : because of Jupiter's amour with Semele,
daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes, una ed altra fiata : another
instance, besides that which Dante proceeds to give, is the murder
of Pentheus by his mother Agave, Semele's sister, which Juno caused;
Ov. Met. iii. adfn.
4. Ataman te, &c. : Athamas, king of Thebes, was struck with
madness by Juno, because his wife Ino brought up Bacchus, Semele's
son by Jupiter. The story, including the deaths of his wife and
children, is taken from Ov. Met. iv. 511 foil., and the resemblance
between the two passages is very close, extending even to some of
the expressions used ; see Moore, Studies^ i. p. 212.
8. al varco : ' at the passage,' i. e. where they have to pass ; in
Ovid it is, 'his retia tendite silvis,' 1. 512.
12. r altro carco : the other child's name was MeHcertes.
16-8. Ecuba : the story of Hecuba is given in Ov. Met. xiii.
403 foil., where ' Troia simul Priamusque cadunt,' 1. 404, corre-
sponds to 1. 15 here, cattiva : ' captive.' Polissena : Polyxena,
daughter of Hecuba, was offered in sacrifice to appease the shade of
Achilles. Polidoro : Polidonis, son of Hecuba, was murdered by
Polymestor, king of Thrace, to whose keeping Priam had entrusted
160
XXX. 2o-6i] INFERNO
him, after which his body was found by Hecuba on the shore. Poly-
dorus has already been referred to in connexion with Inf. xiii. 31.
20. latro : cp. Ov. Met. xiii. 569, * Latravit conata loqui.'
2 2-4. furie : ^ bursts of frenzy.' in alcun : ' in the heart of
any one * ; that this is the meaning is shown by in due ombre, !• 25.
Non punger bestie : take with tan to crude ; ' so cruel in goading
beasts ' ; Non is resumptive fiom ne . . . ne above.
27. si schiude : ' is let out.'
28. node Del collo : ' nape of the neck.'
31-3. r Aretin : GrifFolino ; cp. Inf. xxix. 109. foUetto :
* sprite.' Gianni Schicchi : this person was an extraordinary
mimic, and when the thief Buoso Donati (cp. Inf. xxv. 140) died,
and his son Simone was afraid that he might have left his money in
such a way as to make amends to persons whom he had robbed,
Schicchi personated him as if he was on his deathbed, and dictated to
a notary a will in favour of Simone and himself, conciando :
' harrying,' lit. ' trimming,' ' giving a dressing to.'
34-6. se, &c. : ' so may not the other of these two spirits gore
thee,' as Gianni Schicchi has gored Capocchio. si spicchi : ^ darts
off,' lit. 'detaches himself.' The word expresses . the movement
of the mad spirits ; so spice are un salto is ' to turn a summerset.'
38. Mirra : Ov. Met. x. 298 foil. She professed to be
another girl ; ' Nomine mentito veros exponit amores,' 1. 439.
42-5. r altro : Gianni Schicchi. sostenne : take with Falsi-
ficare, 1. 44, ' persevered in counterfeiting ' ; the word implies that
it was an elaborate process, la donna della torma : ' the queen of
the herd ' ; this was a handsome mule belonging to Buoso Donati,
which Schicchi claimed as part of the price of his roguery, norma :
' legal form.'
48. mal nati : 'born in an evil hour ' : cp. Inf. v. 7.
49—51. lo vidi, &c. : the person who is now described is an
example of a false coiner, a guisa di liuto, &c. : ' so that he
would have resembled a lute, if his legs had been cut off at the groin,'
lit. ' if he had had the groin cut off towards the forked part of man.'
52—4. dispaia : ' disproportions,' by making the face lean and the
belly distended, 1. 54. che mal converte : ' which assimilates
(neut.) amiss.'
55. a: used after /^rf ; cp. Inf. xxix. 117.
61. maestro Adamo : Master Adam of Brescia, a coiner of
TOZER 161 M
INFERNO [xxx. 65-90
counterfeit money, was instigated by Count Guido II of Romena,
and his brothers Alessandro and Aginolfo, to issue adulterated
coins, counterfeiting the golden florin of Florence. For this he
was burnt by the Florentines in 1281.
65. Casentin : Romena, the scene of his crime, was a village
in the Casentino in the upper valley of the Arno.
70-2. fruga : 'chastises,' lit. 'goads.' A metter, &c. ; 'to
give wings to my sighs,' i. e. to cause me to vent them.
74. La lega, &c. : 'the currency stamped with the Baptist';
the Florentine gold coins bore the figure of St. John the Baptist,
the patron saint of Florence. The first meaning of lega is ' legal
standard of coinage' (Diez, Wort., p. 191); hence it signifies
' currency.' Later it is used for ' alloy,' as in Par. ii. 139.
78. Per fonte Branda, «fec. : the meaning is: — 'I would not
exchange the pleasure of seeing them enduring the same torment as
I am for that of drinking at an ample fountain.' As they were the
cause of his ruin, he desired to enjoy his vengeance, fonte Branda
is the great fountain at Siena, which is enclosed within a large and
deep marble basin, and supplied with water by four channels. By
some it is supposed to be a fountain of that name, now dried up,
near Romena, and there is said to be some documentary evidence to
show that this spring existed at an early time (see Casini). It is not,
however, mentioned by the early commentators, and the fountain at
Siena from its volume of water would be a typical instance of a
copious source, such as a thirsty man would have in his mind.
79, 80. Dentro c' e 1' una : ' within this bolgia is one of them.'
Probably Guido is meant, but the dates of their deaths are not
certainly known. Ombre : those of Schicchi and Mirra.
84. sarei messo : ' would have started ' ; the full phrase is
metter si in cammino.
86, 87. ella volge, Szc. : ' its circuit is eleven miles,' i.e. that
of the gente sconcia, and consequently of the bolgia which contains
them. On this line see note to Inf. xxix. 9. men d' un mezzo,
&c. : ' it is not less than half a mile across.'
90. Che avean : as avean is metrically a disyllabic, in order
to make this line scan Che must be unelided. Witte, Casini, and
Toynbee read Che avean ben, Scartazzini Che avevan. mondiglia :
' base metal,' lit. ' refuse.' The legal standard was 24 carats of
gold ; those which he struck had only 2 1 .
162
XXX. 92-131] INFERNO
92, 93. come man bagnate : 'like hands which steam after
having been dipped in water.' stretti, &c. : * close together just
on your right hand/
95. piowi : 'was flung down,' cp. Inf. xxiv. 122. greppo :
* chasm.'
97, 98. la falsa: Potiphar's wife; Gen. xxxix. 7 foil. She
and Sinon represent the class of perjurers. Sinon : the treacherous
Greek, who by his false tale persuaded the Trojans to admit the
wooden horse within their walls.
100-2. The cross-fire of coarse repartee between Sinon and Master
Adam which follows, like the scene in Canto XXII between the
devil and the jobber, is probably intended to lighten the strain on
the feelings in this part of the poem, si reco a noia : ' became
annoyed.' oscuro : ' darkly,' i. e. with discredit, being called y^/r<?.
croia : ' hard.'
no. cosi presto : ' so ready for use ' ; the criminal at the stake
had his arms bound. The reference is to his death by burning ; see
note on 1. 61.
114. del ver, &c. : ' you were asked about the truth ' ; cp. Virg.
j4en. ii. 149, where Priam says to him, ' mihique haec edissere vera
roganti.' Troia : this word must be scanned as a monosyllable.
115. e tu : 'yet thou ' ; e here expresses contrast: cp. Inf. xix.
3 and note ; Purg. iv. 90.
118-20. cavallo : the wooden horse, siati reo che : 'be it
rueful to thee, that.'
1 2 1-3. te : this word is to be regarded as a repetition of //' in
siati preceding ; this explains the omission of a before it. A few
MSS. read A te. Che il ventre, &c. : ' which thus raises thy
belly like a hedge in front of thine eyes,' i. e. causes it to obstruct
thy sight.
124, 125. Cosi, &c. : 'by saying that, thou openest thy lips to
thy own detriment ' ; the meaning is, that he gives an opportunity
for retort: this explains Che in 1. 126. si squarcia : 'opens
wide,' lit. 'rends itself.'
128. lo specchio di Narcisso : a pool of water, with reference
to the fable of Narcissus having pined away for love of his own face
reflected in water ; Ov. Met. iii. 407 foil.
131. Or pur mira: 'aye, look your fill,' lit. 'now do nothing
but look ' ; see note on Inf. xxix. 4.
163 M 2
INFERNO [xxx. 335— xxxi. 4
135. si gira : ' it eddies through my memory.'
136. quale e quei, &c. : the point of the comparison here is,
that the person has attained what he desires without being conscious
of it. The man who has a painful dream, longs in his dream that
it may be a dream and not a reality ; and this is the case, though
he is unaware of it. Dante, while feeling unable through lack of
words to excuse himself, longs to be able to do so, and un-
consciously effects his object by his shame and silence. This is
a conspicuous instance of an interesting class of similes — viz. those
drawn from mental experiences — of which there are as many as
thirty in the Div. Com.
145-7. fa ragion : 'consider'; cp. Par. xxvi. 8. che fort una
t' accoglia : ' that chance finds (lit. greets) thee,' i. e. ' that thou
chancest to be.' piato : 'dispute,' lit. 'law-suit.' This word,
like Engl, 'plea' (Skeat), is the Low Lat. placitum^ as used in the
law-courts. Ducange gives as one of the meanings oi placitum^ ' lis
intentata,' and o^ placltare, ' lite contendere.'
CANTO XXXI
Argument. — From the tenth bolgia of the eighth Circle the
Poets pass to the ninth Circle, which is the Pit of Hell, This is
surrounded by a precipitous bank of rock, on the inner side of which
appear at intervals the forms of giants, who stand on the floor of the
Pit below, so that their lower half is concealed from the view of one
approaching from the outer side, while the upper part towers aloft.
Nimrod, who is one of their number, here pays the penalty of having
erected the Tower of Babel and thereby caused the Confusion of
Tongues, by his inability to speak intelligibly. Another giant,
Antaeus, deposits Dante and Virgil in the ninth Circle.
Line 4. la lancia, &c. : the classical fable here referred to is,
that a wound inflicted by the spear of Achilles could only be healed
by applying to it rust taken from the spear. In the mediaeval form
of the story it is not the rust, but the application of the spear itself,
which effects the cure. An additional point of interest is found in
the mention by Dante of the father of Achilles, i. e. Peleus, as
having first possessed the spear. This feature is found in Homer,
164
XXXI. 6-2^] INFERNO
//. xvi. 143, HrfXidBa fxeXLrjv, T7)v irarpi (filXio Trope Xctpwv HrjXiov Ik
Kopvcfirjs : but Dante was unacquainted with Homer, and as it is
not given by any Latin writer he could not have obtained it from
a classical source. The story, however, including this point, is of
frequent occurrence in the early mediaeval poets (see the quotations in
Toynbee, Diet., p. 422), and from them Dante obtained it. There
can be little doubt that the idea that the spear first belonged to Peleus
was suggested to their minds by a mistranslation of ' Pelias hasta '
in Ovid's line, 'Vulneris auxilium Pelias hasta tulit' {Rem. Amor.,
1. 48), where the meaning is not, as they supposed, 'the spear of
Peleus,' but ' the spear from Mount Pelion ' (IlT^/WSa fxeXtrjv).
6. mancia : ' gift,' the two gifts here were the wound and the
remedy.
12. como : this horn, as we subsequently learn (1. 71), was
sounded by Nimrod, who is reckoned among the giants.
14, 15. seguitando : ' as my eyes followed the course of the sound
in an opposite direction to it.' The gerund seguitando here is used
as equivalent to a participle, tutti : ' wholly ' ; cp. Inf. xix. 64.
ad un loco : i. e. to the point from which it seemed to come.
16. rotta : the defeat and destruction at Roncesvalles on the
Spanish side of the Pyrenees in 778 of the rear-guard of Charle-
magne's army, commanded by his nephew Roland (Orlando), at
the conclusion of Charlemagne's expedition into Spain against the
Saracens. This disaster, which is related by Eginhard {Fi/a
Caroli, § 9), was the work of the Gascon mountaineers, who over-
whelmed and plundered that part of his forces ; but in Dante's time
it was attributed to the Saracens.
17. la santa gesta : 'the sacred host'; sacred, because of
the crusade on which they had been engaged, gesta is here used
in the same way as O. Fr. gesie, which often signifies ' host ' in the
early romances.
18. Orlando : Orlando's horn, the sound of which is frequently
referred to in poetiy, on this occasion is said to have been heard by
Charlemagne at a distance of eight miles from Roncesvalles; Turpin,
Chronicle, § 23.
19-21. Poco : take with Che in I. 20, 'Not long . . . when ' ;
cp. Inf. xvi. 91, 92. terra: 'city.'
22, 23. Pero che, &c. : 'because thou peerest (lit. penetratest)
through the darkness from too far off.' The form dalla lungi
165
INFERNO [xxxi. 24-57
seems to be intermediate between da lungi, Inf. viii. 5, and a lunga,
Inf. ix. 5 : the fern, gender is used because distan%a or parte is
understood.
24. nel 'maginare aborri : 'thou wanderest in thy fancies.'
aborri : from Lat. aberrare\ cp. abborra in Inf. xxv. 144.
25-7. 1^ ti congiungi : 'approach that place,' lit. 'bring
thyself near there.' alquanto, &c. : ' press on (lit. spur thyself
on) a little more.'
3 1 . giganti : these giants are the mythological figures of the
ninth Circle. The reason why Dante places them in the Pit of Hell
is to be found in Virg. Aen. vi. 580, 581, 'Hie genus antiquum
terrae, Titania pubes, Fulmine deiecti fundo volvuntur in imo.'
The description of the giants as resembling towers when first seen
through the murky air is an example of Dante's method of introducing
an unusually impressive sight by the aid of an intermediate stage, in
order to render its realization more easy. Similarly, in Canto XXX
of the Paradiso, the Heavenly Host, before it is finally revealed to
Dante's sight, is presented to him in the figure of a river of light with
sparks issuing from it.
36. che r aere stipa : ' which thickens the air.'
41. Montereggion : the castle of Montereggione stands about
eight miles to the N. of Siena on the road to Empoli. Its
resemblance to Dante's description is very remarkable. It is round
in shape, and the walls (la cerchia tonda) remain to the height of
50 or 60 feet, with twelve towers in them, which rise at intervals
above the line of circuit. At the present day, the space thus
enclosed is partly occupied by a village of 200 inhabitants.
43, 44. Torreggiavan : 'crowned as with towers.' minaccia :
as Jupiter subdued the giants, when they made war on the Gods,
by his thunderbolts (see Inf. xiv. 58), the sound of thunder is
a perpetual reminder to them of what they have to fear if they
attempt to revolt.
48. per le coste giii : 'down along their sides.'
49~5i' quando, &c. : 'when she ceased from the craft of
producing creatures like these.' Per torre, &c. : 'to deprive Mars
(the god of destruction) of such ministers.'
52-7. Dante is here answering a supposed objection, that if
Nature was right in ceasing to create giants, she ought also to cease
from creating other monsters, such as elephants and whales. He
i66
XXXI. 53-7^] INFERNO
replies that it is the possession of reason by the former which renders
them especially dangerous.
53. Non si pente : ' does not repent of (and therefore cease from)
creating.'
55. r argomento della mente: 'the equipment of the mind,'
i. e. the reasoning faculties ; for this use of argomento cp. Purg.
ii. 31 ; XXX. 136. Dante here had in his mind Aristotle, Pol. i. 2.
16, ^aXeTTwrarTy yap aSiKta e^ovaa OTrXa, k.t.A.
59. la pina : the bronze pine-cone, which is believed to have
originally stood on the summit of the Mausoleum of Hadrian, and
in Dante's time was in a portico in front of the old basilica of
St. Peter at Rome. It is now in one of the gardens of the Vatican
at the back of St. Peter's. Its height is 1 1 feet.
61. era perizoma : 'served him for a skirt,' lit. 'apron';
perizoma, which is properly a Greek word, is taken from the Vulg.
of Gen. iii. 7, of Adam and Eve, ' fecerunt sibi perizomata.' The
meaning is, that the lower half of the giant's body was concealed by
the rock; cp. 11. 32, 33.
63. chioma : the part of the body here intended by 'the hair'
seems to be the collar-bone, thus corresponding to ' the place where
a man buckles his cloak,' 1. 66.
64. F risen : the Frieslanders were noted for their great stature.
65. gran palmi : ' ample spans.' Casini estimates the palmo
at 24 centimetres, and on this computation y^ palmi — the measure of
the giant from his collar-bone to his waist — would correspond to 2 1 ^
ft. : adding 1 1 feet for the head and something for the neck, the
upper half of the giant would be about 35 feet, and his total stature
about 70 feet.
67. Rafel, &c. : these words are the incoherent utterances of
a wild and fierce being : they are shown to be unintelligible by 1. 81.
Observe that the metre of this line is imperfect, there being only ten
syllables ; and the lost syllable is not, as in other ten-syllable lines,
the final one or hypermeter — for dlmi is accented on the first syllable,
as is shown by the rhyming vjoxds palmi and salmi — and consequently
it is omitted from the body of the verse. Probably the Poet intended
in this way to make the incoherency still more conspicuous.
7 1 . Tienti col corno : ' keep to your horn ' ; tenersi con is here
used in the sense of altenersi a. The horn is no doubt assigned
to Nimrod because he was ' a mighty hunter,' Gen. x. 9.
167
INFERNO [xxxi. 73-114
73-5. soga : * cord * ; it is the Low Lat. word for ' rope ' ;
Diez, p. 297. doga : 'crosses'; dogare is 'to fix the staves of
a barrel ' (doghe).
76. s' accusa : i.e. his confusion of mind and unintelligible speech
mark him out as the author of the Confusion of Tongues.
77. Nembrotto : the idea that Nimrod was a giant and built the
Tower of Babel is not found in the Bible. Dante, who repeats
these statements in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 7, 11. 24-31, probably found
them in St. Augustine, De Civ. Dei, xvi. 3, 4, where both occur.
coto : 'thought,' Lat. cogifaium; see note on Par. iii. 26.
84. r altro : ' the next.'
85-7. A cinger, &c. : ' who it was that had the power to bind
him I cannot say, but he (Ephialtes, 1. 94) was holding his left hand
pinioned in front,' &c.
89, 90. SI che, &c. : ' so that on the part of his body that was
visible (above the bank) it wound round to the number of five coils.*
94. Fialte : the only place in the classical writers with whom
Dante was acquainted, where the giant Ephialtes is mentioned, is
Virg. Culex, 1. 234, but he may have found his name also in
Servius on Virg. Georg. i. 280 ; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 234.
98. Briareo : Briareus, the hundred-handed giant; Stat. Theb.
ii. 595 foil., where immensus, 1. 596, is the original of ismisurato
here.
100-2. Anteo : Antaeus, who is best known for his combat
with Hercules, by whom he was slain, was not present at the battle
with the Gods (11. 1 19-21), and it is probably for that reason that
he is not chained (disciolto). parla : speaks intelligibly, not like
Nimrod. nel fondo, &c. : 'in the lowest depth of guilt,' i.e. in
the Pit of Hell.
106-8. Non fu, &c. : 'never was earthquake of such violence,
as to shake a tower so mightily as Ephialtes in a moment shook
himself.' This movement was an indication of Ephialtes' wrath
at being described as less fierce than Briareus.
109, no. temetti : for temei\ cp. Inf. xxi. 93. E non, «fec. :
' and to cause death nothing beyond the apprehension was needed.*
dotta is connected with dubitare.
1 1 2-4. allotta : for aUora\ cp. Inf. v. 53. alle : 'ells.'
The old commentators are not agreed what measure of length is
here intended, but it was evidently more than the English ell.
168
XXXI. 115-38] INFERNO
uscia, &c. : 'stood out above the rock,' which formed the bank
between the eighth and ninth Circles.
115. fortiinata : 'fateful'; cp. Inf xxviii. 8. The valley of
Bagrada near Zama — the scene of Hannibal's defeat by Scipio — is
meant, where, according to Lucan, iv. 587 foil., Antaeus had his
abode.
118. Recasti, &c. : Lucan says of him (iv. 601, 602), ' latuisse
sub alta Rupe ferunt, epulas raptos habuisse leones.' This com-
pliment on Virgil's part, and still more the suggestion that with his
aid the giants might have conquered the Gods (which is also from
Lucan, 11. 596, 597), are intended to propitiate Antaeus. The
Poet for once becomes 'all things to all men,' following the maxim
which Dante quotes, ' nella chiesa Coi santi, ed in taverna coi
ghiottoni,' Inf. xxii. 14.
119. che: this refers to /« in 1. 115; unless it is redundant, it
must be taken as ' concerning whom ' with e' si creda.
122, 123. schifo : subst., 'disdain.' Dove, &c. : 'where the
cold congeals (lit. locks up) Cocytus.' Cocytus is formed by
the waters that descend from the upper part of Hell ; cp. Inf. xiv.
112 foil.
124. Non ci far, &c. : ' force us not to betake ourselves to your
brother giants, Tityus or Typhon ' ; this is an appeal to Antaeus'
jealousy. Here again the names are borrowed from Lucan, 11. 595,
596.
125, 126. quel che, &c. : viz. to be remembered on earth, as
we see from 1. 127. torcer lo grifo : 'make a wry mouth' to
display unwillingness.
132. Ond' Ercole, &c. : ' the hands, of which Hercules erst felt
the mighty grip,' lit. ' from which Hercules once felt great pressure.'
The contest between Hercules and Antaeus was suggested to Dante
in this connexion through its being narrated by Lucan in iv. 609 foil.
136. la Carisenda : the lower of the two leaning towers of
Bologna, which are out of the perpendicular owing to a settlement
of the foundations. This one, which got its name from having been
built by members of the Garisendi family, is 163 ft. in height, and
I o ft. out of the perpendicular.
^37) 138' Sotto il chinato : i.e. to one looking from beneath
its incline, quando, &c. : ' when a cloud passes over it in such
a manner that the tower inclines towards it.' What is here de-
169
INFERNO [xxxi. 139-45
scribed is an optical illusion, when a cloud passing through the sky-
in the opposite direction to the incline appears to stand still, and the
tower seems to be falling. This exactly illustrates 11. 139, 140,
where Antaeus bends over the two Poets as he deposits them below
him.
139, 140. stava a bada : 'was on the watch.' fu tal ora,
&c. : ' it was so dread a moment that,' &c.
142, 143. divora: 'engulfs.' sposo : 'set us down'; from
sposare {j=^ posare).
145. albero : the mast here intended is one that could be raised
or lowered, resting on a crutch, levo : the ten-syllable line with its
abrupt termination, especially as it concludes the Canto, is probably an
adaptation of sound to sense, being intended to express the sudden-
ness of the rebound. Possibly the three other instances in the poem
of ten-syllable lines which cannot otherwise be accounted for, may be
explained in this manner, for in each case one of the rhyming lines
expresses something sudden or abrupt ; viz. Inf. xxiii. 1 45, ' Ap-
presso il Duca a gran passi sen gi ' ; Purg. vii. 10, ' Qual e colui
che cosa innanzi se Subita vede '; Par. xxv. 100, ' Poscia tra esse
un lume si schiari.' For explanations of the other ten-syllable lines
see notes on Inf. iv. 56 and Purg. xxiii. 74.
CANTO XXXII
Argump:nt. — The ninth Circle contains those classes of the
fraudulent who have violated some special tie or bond. The
malefactors here are immersed in ice, which forms the floor of
the Pit of Hell, gradually sloping towards the centre. The area
is divided into four concentric rings, which are distinguished, not
by any definite barriers, but by the increasing severity of the
punishment inflicted in them. They are called respectively Caina,
Antenora, Tolomea, and Giudecca. The first two of these are
treated of in the present Canto. In Caina those who have violated
the bond of relationship are fixed in ice up to the neck ; in Antenora
those who have betrayed their country have only part of their head
emerging. In the latter ring Dante discovers Bocca degli Abati,
the traitor on the Florentine side at the battle of Montaperti.
170
xxxTi. 1-23] INFERNO
Lines i-i 2. In order to impress on his readers the extraordinary
character of what he now saw, Dante first dwells on his own want
of power to describe it, and then invokes the aid of the Muses.
I. rime: 'verses'; in Conv. iv. 2, 11. 101-8, Dante explains
that he uses rima both in the sense of ' rhyme ' and as ' metrical
rhythm,' i.e. * verse.' chiocce : 'grating.' In the only other
passage in the Div. Com. where ch'ioccla occurs, viz. Inf. vii. 2,
it is a disyllabic, and therefore it probably is so here. If so, this
line, as it stands, is unmetrical, being one syllable short. As the
conjunction e is easily lost after a final -e preceding, it seems likely
that rime e aspre e chiocce should be read. Witte's B has rime
ed aspre.
3. Sopra, &c. : ' upon which is the thrust of all the other
rocks ' ; the pressure of the rocky walls and declivities of the
other Circles converges towards the Pit of Hell.
4. lo premerei, &c. : 'I would distil the essence of my
imaginings,' i. e. express what is in my mind.
7-9. da pigliare a gabbo ; ' to take in jest,' ' to make light
of.' fondo, &c. : the Pit of Hell is at the exact centre of the
earth, and that, according to the Ptolemaic system, in the centre of
the universe, where is the centre of gravity ; cp. 11. 73, 74 ^"^^ I"^^-
xxxiv. 1 10, III. chiami, &c. : ' uses childish prattle ' ; cp. pappo,
d'lndi^ Purg. xi. 1 05.
10, II. quelle Donne : the Muses, a chiuder : ' in enclosing ' ;
the walls of Thebes were fabled to have been raised by the
music of Amphion's lyre with the aid of the Muses.
13-5. mal creata: 'created in an evil hour'; cp. mal nati,
Inf. XXX. 48. stai : the sing, here shows that plebe is regarded
as a noun of multitude, while in foste (1. 15) the individuals
composing it are regarded. For an analogous use cp. Inf. vi.
70. onde : 'of which.' qui: in the world above, zebe : 'she-
goats.'
17, 18. assai piu bassi : this was because of the downward
slope in the ice-floor, alto muro : the precipitous bank of rock
which surrounds the ninth Circle; see Argument to Canto XXXI.
21. fratei: these are the two brothers of whom we hear more
in 11. 55-7.
23. gelo : the ice symbolizes the cold-heartedness of the traitor.
In what follows this trait of character is revealed in their willingness
171
INFERNO [xxxii. 26-54
to reveal the identity of their neighbours, while they try to conceal
their own.
26, 27. la Danoia in Osteric : 'the Danube in Austria
(Oesterreich).' Tanai : the Don, Lat. Tanais. Ik : for the use
see note on Inf. vii. 22.
28-30. Tambernic : this mountain has not been identified.
Pietrapana : the group of mountains called Pania or Alpe Apuana
(Lat. Petra Apuana) in the north-west of Tuscany, to which the
Carrara mountains belong, pur dall' crlo : ' even at the edge,'
where the ice breaks most easily, eric : the sound of cracking.
32. quando, &c. : the summer-time is meant.
34-6. la dove, &c. : the face, on which blushes are seen.
This is shown to be the meaning by col muso, &c., in the simile,
1. 32. Mettendo, &c. : 'setting their teeth to the note of the
stork,' i. e. chattering like a stork. Mettendo in nota is used
like metier e in music a^ ' to set to music'
37. in giii : from shame, not wishing to be recognized.
38, 39. Da bocca, &c. : ' among them (i. e. for all of them)
the cold procures for itself evidence from the mouth, the sadness of
the heart from the eyes.' The chattering of the teeth proves the
cold, the tears their agony.
41. Volsimi a' piedi : ' I turned my looks (downward) to my
feet.'
45—51. E poi, &c. : what is here described is this: — When
the two spirits turned their heads backwards to look at Dante, this
movement caused the tears to drop from their eyes, so that they
saw one another; and this sight so infuriated them that, when
they were once more blinded by the tears freezing, they struck
their heads violently together. Translate: — 'And when they had
lifted up their faces towards me, their eyes, which ere this were
only moist within (i. e. no tears had yet fallen), brimmed over
(lit. overflowed at the brims; M^ro = 'edge,' 'brim'), and the
cold congealed the tears within them, and closed them fast again ;
never did clamp fasten two logs together so firmly : whereupon
they butted against one another like two he-goats, such fury mastered
them.'
52-4. un : Camicione de' Pazzi, 1. 68; he reveals who the
other two are. pur: 'just as he was,' without lifting his head.
Perchd, &c. : ' why dost thou gaze so fixedly at us ? ' lit. ' look
172
XXXII. 5^-68] INFERNO
at us as if looking at a mirror.* Though he did not see Dante, he
knew he was gazing at them from his remarks in 1. 43.
56. Bisenzio : the Bisenzio flows near Prato, and joins the
Arno below Florence. In the valley through which it passes
were the castles of Vernia and Cerbaia, the property of the Conti
Albeiti of Mangona. The two sons here mentioned, who were
called Napoleone and Alessandro, quarrelled about the inheritance,
and at last killed one another.
58. Caina : this first ring of the ninth Circle was so called
from Cain, the first fratricide.
60. gelatina : 'jelly,' i.e. the ice. The somewhat vapid irony
which this word implies does not stand alone in the Dh. Com.
A similar instance will be found in Inf. viii. 53, where 'attuffare in
questa broda ' is used of a spirit in the filthy water of the Stygian
marsh.
61. quelli : Modred, son of king Arthur, who tried to kill his
father treacherously, but was discovered and slain by him. 1' ombra :
according to the romance of Lancelot of the Lake the wound
inflicted by Arthur's sword was so wide that the sunlight appeared
through it.
62. con esse tin colpo : * with a single blow'; here, as
in Purg. iv. 27 ; xxiv. 98, where esso (Lat. ipse) is used indeclin.
with con^ it means ' only.' This use of esso is slightly different
from that with other prepositions ; see note on Inf. xxxiv. 41.
63. Focaccia : of Pistoia, who according to the early com-
mentators slew an uncle of his. che m' ingombra, &c. : ' whose
head is in my way.'
65, 66. Sassol Mascheroni : he murdered his nephew to obtain
his inheritance. Being convicted of this, he was first dragged through
the streets of Florence in a cask with nails, and then beheaded.
ben sai : because the mode of bis punishment caused his crime to
be widely known.
67,68. metti, &c. : 'involve me in further conversation.'
Camicion de' Pazzi : he killed one of his kinsmen ; but, as is
explained in the next line, he looks forward to being exculpated
by comparison with the darker guilt of another member of his family,
Carlino de' Pazzi, who betrayed for money to the Black Guelfs
a castle which he was defending. For this crime he would be
placed in the second ring, Antenora; but, as it was committed
173
INFERNO [xxxii. 70-120
in 1302, it was still in the future at the supposed time of Dante's
Vision, whence the expression aspetto is used.
70-2. Poscia: at this point Antenora, the ring of traitors to
their country, begins. It was so called from the Trojan chief
Antenor, who according to Dictys Cretensis {Bell. Trot. iv. 22 ;
V. 8—10), from whom Dante obtained the story, conspired to
betray first the Palladium and afterwards Troy itself into the hands
of the Greeks, cagnazzi : ' grinning like a dog ' ; but the
meaning is not certain, riprezzo = rihrcz^o, ' shivering.' de'
gelati guazzi : ' at the sight of frozen pools.'
74, 75. Al quale, &c. : which is the centre of gravity; cp. Inf.
xxxiv. no. rezzo : 'chill'; cp. Inf. xvii. 87.
76. voler : the will of Heaven.
81. Mont* Aperti : the speaker, as we learn from 1. 106, is
Bocca degli Abati, whose treason caused the defeat of the Florentine
Guelfs at Montaperti, six miles to the E. of Siena, in 1260.
He cut off the hand of the standard-bearer, after which the rest
took to flight. The vendetta (1. 80) is his punishment in Antenora.
83. un dubbio : perhaps this is the question, who was the real
traitor at Montaperti.
91-3. care: ' of advantage ' ; cp. Purg. v. 36. 1* altrenote:
' my other reminiscences.'
96. lusingar : ' to flatter,' i. e. to extract his name by fair
promises. lama: 'plain,' 'level,' as in Inf. xx. 79; Purg.
vii. 90.
97. cuticagna : the hair at the back of the head towards the
nape of the neck.
100-2. Perche : ' even if,' ' however much.' in sul capo, &c. :
' stumble on my head,' as he had done at the first, I. 78.
105. in giu raccolti : so as not to be recognized.
107. sonar: i.e. 'chatter' from the cold; cp. 1. 36.
116, 117. quel da Duera : Buoso da Duera in 1265 was
posted with a considerable Ghibelline force in the neighbourhood
of Parma to oppose the advance of Charles of Anjou, but being
bribed by the French withdrew without offering any resistance.
stanno freschi : ' are in the cool,' iron, for ' cold ' ; probably
there is a reference to the colloquial expression s to fresco, ' I am in
a pretty pickle.'
119, 120. quel di Beccheria : Tesauro di Beccheria, abbot of
174
XXXII. 121-39] INFERNO
Vallombrosa. He was beheaded at Florence in 1258 on a charge
of having traitorously intrigued with the exiled Ghibellines.
Villani however (vi. 65) believed him to be innocent, gorgiera :
* gorget/ ' collar,' here for ' throat.'
121. Gianni de' Soldanier : a Ghibelhne leader in Florence,
who at a time of civic commotion in 1266 deserted his side, and
put himself at the head of the popular faction.
122. Piu Ih: 'farther in that direction.' Ganellone : in the
legends of Charlemagne Ganelon was the traitor, who having
been bribed by the Moors persuaded Charles to withdraw the main
body of his troops from the Pyrenees, and thus caused the defeat
of Roncesvalles. See note on Inf. xxxi. 16. Tribaldello :
he betrayed his native city Faenza in 1280 to the Bolognese.
126. era cappello : i.e. overhung, fitted closely over, the other.
130. Tideo : the story is from Statius, Theb. viii. 761, 762,
where Tydeus, one of the Seven against Thebes, being mortally
wounded by the Theban Menalippus, gets possession of his enemy's
head, and gnaws it furiously.
T32. faceva : ' did,' resumptive of the preceding verb ; see note
on Inf. xi. 104. 1' altre cose: 'its purtenance,' skin, sinews, &c.
138, 139. te ne cangi: 'I may requite thee for it,' i.e. for
telling me the tale. Se quella, &c. : understand lingua, implied in
con ch' io parlo ; ' if my tongue is not dried up ' by death, i. e.
if I live to recount it.
CANTO XXXIII
Argument. — Count Ugolino relates to Dante how he and his
sons were starved to death in prison by the orders of the
Archbishop Ruggieri. The Poets then pass into the third ring,
or Tolomea, which contains those sinners who have betrayed their
friends or companions ; they lie in the ice with the face upwards, so
that the tears congeal before they escape from their eyes. One
of their number, Frate Alberigo, explains that in the case of some
of the condemned souls in Tolomea, the body still lives and moves
on earth, being occupied by a demon.
175
INFERNO [XXXIII. 3-14
Line 3. gitasto : for guas/ato.
4. Tu vuoi : the expressions here and in 1. 9 are taken from
Virg. j^en. ii. 3, 12 ; see note on Inf. v. 124 (story of Francesca
da Rimini), where the same is the case.
II, 12. Fiorentino : the point of this seems to be that, as being
a Florentine, he would probably be a Guelf, and so would be likely
to publish abroad the crime of the Ghibelline Archbishop, quand'
io t' odo : his pronunciation is probibly referred to ; see note on
Inf. X. 25.
13-75. The story of the death of Count Ugolino, which is
here given, is probably the most famous passage in the Div. Com.
The circumstances which led up to it are these. Count Ugolino
della Gherardesca had succeeded in 1284 in securing for himself
the office of Podesta in Pisa, and in order to concentrate the Guelf
party, of which he was the head, in that city, he associated with
himself his nephew, Nino Visconti, judge of Gallura in Sardinia
(Purg. viii. 53), who had an important Guelf following. They
did not however agree, and in order to get rid of his nephew,
Ugolino in 1288 allied himself with Abp. Ruggieri degli Ubaldini,
the leader of the Pisan Ghibellines, and by his assistance Nino was
driven from the town. But in giving this aid the Archbishop's
object had been to weaken his opponent's faction ; and before long
he turned against him, with the result that Ugolino with his sons
and grandsons were forced to surrender, and were imprisoned in
a tower, where after eight months they were starved to death.
The reason why Dante has placed Ugolino and Ruggieri in
Antenora, where political traitors are found, is that they were
both factious persons, who made the interests of the state sub-
servient to their private ambitions. This was especially seen in
their combining to expel Nino Visconti, in doing which Ugolino's
aim was to secure for himself the sole authority in Pisa, while
that of Ruggieri was to divide the Guelf faction, and so secure the
triumph of his own party.
13, 14. fui : the past tense is used because of the title Conte,
in accordance with Dante's rule in treating of the world of spirits,
that, while permanent conditions, such as a man's name and
personality, are spoken of in the present tense, for those which
have passed away, such as his title and dwelling-place, the past
tense is used. The passages which most forcibly illustrate this
176
XXXIII. 15-33] INFERNO
contrast are Purg. v. 88, * lofu'i di Montefeltro, io son Buonconte,*
and Par. vi. lO, ' Cesare yM/, e jo« Giustiniano.' In the present
passage this is a reason for omitting e after questi in 1. 14, though
it is found in the great majority of the MSS.
15. tal vicino : i.e. so hostile a neighbour, having my teeth
fixed in his scull.
22-4. muda: * cage,' Engl. 'mew.* della fame : a tower which
subsequently bore the name of ' la Torre della Fame ' in the
Piazza degli Anziani — now called Piazza dei Cavalieri — at Pisa.
It has since been destroyed. altri : ' others.* As there is no
evidence to show that any special person was afterwards im-
prisoned in the tower, this seems to be merely an anticipation
on Ugolino's part that his political opponents would be incarcerated
there.
26. lune : the MS. authority for this and lume is almost equally
balanced (Moore, Text. Crit., p. 357), but the meaning is strongly
in favour of lune.
28. maestro e donno : ' huntsman-in-chief and leader.'
29, 30. il lupo : in a dream of starvation the 'famished' wolf
was a natural image to present itself to the mind. It has often
been maintained that Ugolino is here represented by the wolf,
because that animal was an emblem of the Guelf party to which
he belonged ; and this interpretation of the symbolism would no
doubt be suitable to the passage, because the struggle between
Ugolino and Abp. Ruggieri was conspicuously one between Guelf
and Ghibelline. But in all the other passages in the Div. Com.
where IuJ)o and lupa occur, the reference is, not to the Guelfs, but
to elements of character, such as greed and avarice. Moreover,
there does not seem to be any evidence that the wolf was used
as a Guelf symbol in Italy, or that Dante and his contemporaries
thought that the name Guelf was derived from Germ. IVu/f; and
in default of such evidence there appears to be hardly any ground
for explaining lupo here in this manner, al monte, &c. : the
Monte San Giuliano, which is interposed between Pisa and Lucca,
to the N.E. of the former city.
31—3. Con cagne, &c. : 'the Archbishop had set in front of
himself (suborned as his agents) Gualandi, &c. (three of the chief
Ghibelline families in Pisa), accompanied by lean hounds (their
attendants and retainers), eager and well-trained.'
TozER 177 N
INFERNO [xxxiii. s^-y^
35. scane : notwithstanding the correspondence in meaning to
sanna, which is from the Latin, this word is probably derived from
Germ. zahn.
37-9. innanzi la dimane : sub. ora, ' before the morrow morn.*
figliuoli : by this are meant his sons Gaddo and Uguccione,
and his grandsons, Anselmo and II Brigata, who were sons of
his eldest son, Guelfo. domandar del pane : from this and
what is said in 1. 45 we gather that the sons and grandsons also had
had a dream of starvation.
46. chiavar : 'nailed up'; not 'locked,' for chiavare is used
everywhere else in the Div. Com. of nailing, and the sound of the
locking of the door would not have been sufficiently unfamiliar
to cause their terror. The mistake arose from the misinterpretation
of the story in Dante by Villani, who says (vii. 128), 'feciono
chiavare la porta della detta torre e le chiavi gittare in Arno.'
In Dante's description the sudden sound from without breaking
in upon the tense stillness within recalls the ' knocking ' in Macbeth,
the effect of which De Quincey in a well-known paper has analyzed
with much subtlety.
49. lo non piangeva : this is a fine instance of the ' grief too
deep for tears.'
60. manicar : for mangtare ; the corresponding form manucar
is spoken of by Dante in the De Vulg. Eloq., i. 13, 11. 17-9,
as a Florentinism which had become antiquated, levorsi : for
si levarono ; cp. Inf. xxvi. 36.
70. come tu mi vedi : ' as surely as thou dost see me.'
75. piu che, &c. : 'hunger did what sorrow could not do,'
i. e. killed me. By others, however, this line is taken to mean that
Ugolino ate his sons, and a passage in a chronicle of Cent. xiii.
(printed by Villari, in his / Primt due Secoli della Storm F'lorent'tna,,
ii. p. 250) proves that some persons at the time believed that he did
so. It is there said (under the year 1287), 'e cosi morirono
d' inopia fame {sic) tutti e cinque, cio fue il conte Ugolino, Uguic-
cione, Brigata, Anselmuccio e Guelfo ; e quivi si trovo che 11' uno
mangio de le carni all' altro.' Notwithstanding this, it is highly
improbable that such was the case. In the first place, after
eight days' fasting eating flesh is an impossibility, as a com-
petent medical authority has definitely stated. Besides this, Buti,
himself a Pisan, relates that after eight days — i.e. at the expiration
178
XXXIII. 76-105] INFERNO
of the time mentioned by Dante — the bodies were taken out dead, and
he gives no hint of any of them having been mutilated.
76. torti : ' askance,' the effect of hatred.
79, 80. Pisa : Villani {Joe. cit.) regards the Pisans generally as
having been guilty of the crime. Del bel paese, &c. : Italy is
meant; in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 8, 11. 40 foil., Dante distinguishes
the districts where or, o/7, and st were used.
82. Caprara: now Capraia. This island and Gorgona lie off
the coast of Tuscany to the southward of the mouth (foce) of
the Arno.
85-7. aveva voce, &c. : * was reputed to have deprived thee
of thy castles by treachery.' Ugolino surrendered several Pisan
castles to the Florentines and the people of Lucca ; not however
by treachery, but in order to save his country, which was then
threatened by a league formed by those two peoples and the
Genoese. By using the words aveva voce Dante avoids com-
mitting himself to a condemnation of him on this ground, though
he regarded him as a traitor to his country on other grounds, as
already explained, porre a tal croce : ' expose to such suffering';
cp. Inf. xvi. 43.
88-90. r et^ novella : there is something of poetic exaggera-
tion here, for Anselmo was the only one of them who was
under age. Tebe : the stories of Oedipus, Antigone, Eteocles
and Polynices, and others associated with Thebes, furnish a long
catalogue of horrors, gli altri due : Gaddo, 1. 68, and Anselmo,
1.50. appella : 'names.'
91. Ik Ve : this is the ring called Tolomea (see 1. 124), where
those who betrayed their friends and companions are placed. These
lie on their backs in the ice, facing upwards.
94. Lo pianto, &c. : ' their very tears prevent their shedding
tears,' pianto being the frozen tears ; the meaning is further
explained in the following line, where duol ('grief') signifies the
rising tears, and in sugli occhi rintoppo (' the obstacle on the
surface of the eyes ') are the frozen tears.
100-2. come d* un callo: 'as from a callous spot of flesh.*
stallo : lit. ' abode ' ; take with cessato, ' had ceased to abide
in,' 'had quitted my face ' ; cp. s^ astalla in Purg. vi. 39.
105. vapore: 'exhalation'; as wind was caused by exhala-
tions raised by heat, and in Hell there was no sun to produce
179 N 2
INFERNO [xxxiii. 106-26
exhalations, Dante is surprised at wind being found there. Dante
derived this view of the origin of wind, as Mr. Butler has pointed
out, from Aristotle, MeteoroL, ii. 4. 1-4, where it is stated that
the sun draws up two kinds of exhalations — the moist, which is
the source of rain, and the dry, which is the cause of winds.
106-8. Avaccio sarai, dove: 'soon wilt thou reach a point,
where'; for Avaccio cp. Inf. x. 116. piove : ' showers forth,'
' emits.' The cause was the motion of the wings of Lucifer, Inf.
xxxiv. 46-51.
no. crudeli : 'wildly criminal'; he supposes that they are
on their way to the final ring (1' ultima posta) or Giudecca.
117. ir mi convegna : 'may I be bound to go.' Dante
desires to make with this person a compact which does not bind
him. As he was going in any case to the bottom of the Pit of
Hell, he considers that in using these words he lays himself under
no obligation ; see 11. 149, 150.
118. Frate Alberigo : one of the Frati Gaodenti (Inf. xxiii.
103). He invited to a banquet his brother and his nephew, with
whom he had quarrelled, pretending to be reconciled to them;
but he had ordered assassins to be in waiting, and towards the
end of the entertainment gave them the signal, 'Bring in the fruit,'
on which they entered and murdered the victims. This took
place in 1285. Dante implies in what follows that Frate Alberigo
was still alive in 1300, the date of his Vision.
119. 120. quel delle frutta, &c. : 'the dealer in the fruits
of the evil garden ' of treachery ; with reference to the signal already
mentioned. dattero per figo : ' a Roland for an Oliver *
(Longf.).
1 2 1-3. ancor: 'already.' nulla scienza porto : it should
be remembered that the dead, though they are acquainted with the
past and the future, have no knowledge of the present; see Inf.
X. 100-5.
124. Tolomea: the ring of those who have violated the ties
of friendship and hospitality is so called from Ptolemaeus the son
of Abubus, who slew Simon the Maccabee and his sons at a banquet
under circumstances not unlike those of Frate Alberigo ; i Mace.
xvi. 1 1-7.
126. Innanzi, &c. : 'before Atropos — the third of the three
Fates, who severs the thread of life with " the abhorred shears " —
180
XXXIII. 13^-5^] INFERNO
sets it on its way,' lit. ' gives it motion ' (mossa). The strange
form of punishment which is here described seems to have been
suggested to Dante by Ps. Iv. i6, where it is said of traitorous
friends, ' Let them go down quick (while they are still alive)
into Hell.'
132. Mentre che, &c. : * until its appointed time has fulfilled its
course,' lit. ' has completed its orbit.'
133-5. si fatta cisterna : the Pit of Hell, di qua retro, &c. :
* winters here behind me ' ; verna refers to the chilling ice, retro
to Branca d' Oria's position behind him upon it.
136. se tu, &c. : * if thou hast but just now come down.'
137. Branca d' Oria: a member of the famous Doria family
of Genoa. He caused his father-in-law, Michael Zanche, to be
murdered in 1290 at a feast to which he had invited him. Both
he and Frate Alberigo might have been in Caina, because they
dealt treacherously with relations, but they are placed in Tolomea
because the violation of the laws of hospitality was the greater
crime.
142-7. fosso . . . di Malebranche : the fifth bolgia, or that
of the jobbers, the devils that presided over which were called by
the collective name of Malebranche, Inf. xxi. 37. Michel Zanche:
cp. Inf. xxii. 88 ; the meaning here is, that before Michael Zanche
reached the fifth bolgia, Branca d' Oria and a relative of his who
was his accomplice reached this spot, and their bodies were occupied
by devils.
149, 150. gliele: on this indeclinable form see note on Inf.
xxi. 102. cortesia, &c. : ' 'Twas courtesy to be churlish in dealing
with him.' Courtesy changed its nature, when the subject of it
was so base. It has already been noticed in note on 1. 11 7, that
Dante, by what appears rather like juggling with words, had
avoided committing himself to any promise.
151, 152. Genovesi : the hiatus after this word is modified
by the comma, diversi D' ogni costume : ' alien to all right
conduct.'
154-6. spirto di Romagna: Frate Alberigo, who was one
of the Manfredi family of Faenza in that district. Cocito : i. e.
the frozen lake formed by its waters ; cp. Inf. xxxi. 123.
iSi
INFERNO [xxxiv. 1-18
CANTO XXXIV
Argument. — The fourth ring of the ninth Circle is called
Giudecca from Judas Iscariot, the arch-traitor. In it those who
betrayed their benefactors are totally submerged in the ice. In the
centre rises Lucifer, the traitorous rebel angel, whose body is half
above, half below the ice ; he has three faces, and his three mouths
contain respectively the three greatest traitors whom in Dante's
estimation the world had known — Judas, the betrayer of our Lord,
and Brutus and Cassius, the betrayers of Julius Caesar, the founder
of the divinely appointed system of the Empire. The Poets now
pass the centre of the earth's gravity, which is at the middle of
Lucifer's person, and, ascending in a direction opposite to that of
their descent, ultimately regain the upper air.
Line i. Vexilla, &c. : this is an adaptation of the Passion
Hymn of Fortunatus, Bp. of Poitiers in Cent, vi, which commences,
* Vexilla regis prodeunt, Fulget crucis mysterium.'
7. un tal 'dificio-: here, as in the case of the Giants (see note
on Inf. xxxi. 31), an unusually surprising object is introduced by the
aid of an intermediate stage in description.
9. grotta : 'hiding-place,' 'shelter'; whether this meaning is
derived from that of ' cave ' or that of ' rock ' is not certain.
II. tutte : 'altogether'; cp. Inf. xix. 64; xxxi. 15.
13-5. sono a giacere: 'are lying.' Quella . . . quella: the
clauses marked by these words are connected in meaning with erte ;
' others are in a perpendicular position, one with his head, one with
his soles upward.' The meaning of the four positions given in these
lines is thus explained. Those who lie flat are such as have betrayed
benefactors who were on the same level in society with them. Those
who are in a perpendicular position, if they stand head upwards, have
been, traitors to benefactors inferior to them in station, if head down-
wards, to such as were superior to them. Those who have betrayed
benefactors both inferior and superior to them, have both their head
and their feet downward, so that they assume the form of an arc.
18. ebbe : i. e. before his fall ; cp. 1. 34.
182
XXXIV. 19-45] INFERNO
19, 20. Dinanzi, &c. : 'he moved from before me ' ; Dante had
sheltered himself behind Virgil, 1. 8. Dite : this name is the
classical equivalent of Lucifer, inasmuch as he is ' Lo imperador
del doloroso regno,' 1. 28. Dis, it should be remembered, is the
proper Latin name of this divinity, that of Pluto having been borrowed
from the Greek.
22. fioco : 'weak.'
26. fior d' ingegno : ' aught of wit.' The origin of this mean-
ing of fior is, that in early Italian ^or^, 'a flower,' is used for
' a slight thing.' Fior is sometimes a substantive, as here and in
Purg. iii. 135, 'fior del verde ' ; sometimes an adverb, as in Inf.
XXV. 144, 'se fior la penna abborra.'
27. d' uno e d' altro : ' both of Hfe and death.'
30, 31. io mi convegno : ' I correspond to/ ' reach the measure
of; 'I approach nearer to the stature of a giant, than the giants
reach the measure of his arms.'
33. parte : the arms.
34-6. S' ei fu, &c. : the meaning is — ' If he was once exceed-
ing fair, and then defied his Maker, well may he be the primary
source of woe to men.' Corruptio optimi pessima : the same gifts
which were resplendent in him before his fall, would produce intense
malice and injuriousness after it.
38. tre facce : the three faces form a sort of antitype to the
three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. The most probable view of
their allegorical meaning is, that the pale sallow face denotes im-
potence^ the black face ignorance^ the red face ivrathjul hatred^ these
three qualities being the antithesis of those represented by the Persons
of the Trinity, viz. power, tuisdom, and love, as set forth by Dante
in Inf. iii. 5, 6, where see note.
41. Sopr' esso il mezzo : 'just over the middle.' Esso, Lat.
ipse, when it is used indeclinable, as here, and placed between the
prep, and its case, adds precision to the statement ; cp. Inf. xxiii.
54, ' Sopresso noi ' ; Purg. xxxi. 96, ' Sopr' esso 1' acqua ' ; Purg.
ii. 10, 'lunghesso il mare.'
42. si giungieno, &c. : 'the three faces met at the crown,' lit.
' the place where the crest is ' in birds.
45. la : Ethiopia. The Ethiopians are the typical black race.
s' awalla : ' flows down,' der. from Lat. ad, vaUis ; cp. avvalliamOf
'let us descend,' in Purg. viii. 43.
183
INFERNO [xxxiv. 56-87
56. maciulla : * a brake/ or instrument for breaking hemp or flax.
59, 60. Verso il graffiar : ' in comparison of the clawing.*
Judas thus had the severest punishment, being torn by Lucifer's
claws as well as by his teeth, brulla : ' bare ' ; in Inf. xvi. 30 the
form is brol/o.
66. non fa motto : as being defiant of pain, like Capaneus in
Inf. xiv. 46.
67. membruto : 'large of limb.' It has been suggested that
Dante derived this view of C. Cassius, Caesar's murderer, by
mistake from what Cicero says (Cat. iii. 7. 16) of L. Cassius,
' L. Cassii adipes ' ; but the expressions do not very closely
correspond. Plutarch — with whose writings Dante was not ac-
quainted — implies that he was pale and somewhat weakly; Caes.,
§ 62 ; Brut., § 29.
68. la notte risurge : in like manner when the Poets entered
the Inferno we are told, ' Lo giorno se n' andava,' Inf. ii. i ;
consequently twenty-four hours had now been spent there. The
present time is nightfall of Easter Eve, whereas they entered at
nightfall on Good Friday.
70-85. The process which is now described is this. Dante
puts his arms round Virgil's neck, and Virgil lets himself down by
the shocks of hair on Lucifer's body until he reaches his waist,
where is the centre of gravity of the earth ; there he turns round, so
that his head is where his feet had been, and then he climbs up in
the opposite direction, holding on to Lucifer as before, until he
reaches a passage through the rocks which here close in.
71. poster 'points of vantage,' i.e. the right moment and the
right part of Lucifer's body, as is explained in the two following
lines.
74. Di vello in vello : ' from one shock of hair to another.*
76, 77. Ik dove, &c. : 'by the thigh-joint (dove la coscia Si
volge) just where the haunch is thickest.'
81. anche : 'once more.' Having passed the centre of gravity,
and having turned round, they were now ascending in the opposite
direction : of this Dante was not yet aware.
82. Attienti ben : ' hold fast by me.'
87. Appresso, &c. : 'thereupon he advanced towards me his
wary step.' After first depositing Dante, Virgil lets go of Lucifer's
hair, and reaches a safe foothold on the rock.
184
XXXIV. 90-T 15] INFERNO
90. vidili : li is here used for lo.
91-3. s' io divenni, &c. : the meaning is — * those will best
understand my perplexity, who, like the uneducated masses, are
ignorant of the centre of gravity ' ; lit. * let the dull folk, who know
nothing of the point which I had passed, conceive whether I now
became perplexed.' travagliato : this word is derived from Lat.
trabs^ 'a beam,' through the (hypothetical) Low Lat. travare, 'to
build with beams,' ' pen in,' ' embarrass ' ; Skeat, Etym. Diet., s. v.
' travail.'
96. il sole : the sun, whose name has been avoided during their
passage through Hell, is now once more mentioned, since they have
escaped from that place, a mezza terza riede : ' returns halfway
to the third hour ' ; terza was the name of the first of the four
divisions of the twelve hours of the day, computed from sunrise ;
consequently, if we reckon sunrise as 6. a.m., mezza terza will be
7.30 a.m. There is no contradiction between this and 1. 68,
where the time is given as nightfall, because here we are supposed
to be in the southern hemisphere, where consequently it is morning,
11. 105, 118. The time has gone back (cp. riede) twelve hours,
and Easter Eve is now beginning for the southern hemisphere ; see
Moore, Time- References, p. 55.
97-9. camminata: 'chamber'; strictly the word means 'a
room with a hearth in it (camera caminata) ' ; cp. the Consulte
Fiorentine for Feb. 22, 1279, ' congregatis dominis xiici°i ....
in pallatio Comunis in caminata Potestatis.' In the present passage
the antithesis is between a palace-chamber and a dungeon (burella).
disagio : ' deficiency.' •
104. poc' ora : ' short time ' ; cp. Purg. ii. 93, tanta ora, ' so
long time.'
108. vermo : 'worm,' i.e. loathsome reptile; cp. Inf. vi. 22,
of Cerberus, fora : 'pierces,' i.e. passes from one part to the
other, being partly in both hemispheres.
109. cotanto quant' io scesi : 'for so long as I was de-
scending.'
no. III. il pun to, &c. : the centre of gravity; cp. Conv. iii.
3. 11. 10, II, 'la terra sempre discende al centro.' The authority
for this doctrine was Aristotle, De Caelo, iv. i. 7.
1 1 2-5. r emisperio : by this is meant the southern hemisphere,
while that to which it is contrapposto is the northern hemisphere.
185
INFERNO [xxxiv. 116-28
* The great continent ' (la gran secca) which covers the latter of
these is the dry land on its surface ; and in Dante's time all the
dry land on the face of the globe was supposed to be confined to
that hemisphere. The colmo or 'culminating point' of the
northern hemisphere is the zenith of Jerusalem, the scene of our
Lord's death, for that place was regarded as the centre of the
habitable world. This last idea seems to have been derived from
Ezek. V. 5, *This is Jerusalem: I have set her in the midst of
the nations, and countries are round about her.'
116— 21. Virgil here answers more specifically Dante's three
questions (11. 103-5) about (i) the position of the ice, (2) the
sudden change from evening to morning, (3) the position of
Lucifer.
116, 117. Tu hai, &c. : the answer to the first question is, that
the ice of the ring of the Giudecca forms a small circle on the one
side of the centre, and the rock on which Dante now is (11. 85,
86) forms a small circular space corresponding to this on the other
(Che r altra faccia fa).
118. da man : see note on Inf. i. 37.
121, 122. Da questa parte: on the side of the southern
hemisphere, si sporse : * rose out of the sea.' According to the
story here given, which appears to have been Dante's own invention,
there was originally land in the southern hemisphere, and when
Lucifer fell there, this sank through fear of him, and reappeared
in the northern hemisphere.
125, 126. Per fuggir, &c. : 'to escape from him, the earth
which is seen on this side of the globe (i. e. that which forms the
Mountain of Purgatory) left its place void, and mshed upwards.'
This is suggested to explain the formation of the chasm through
which the Poets now ascend to the upper air, and at the same
time that of the Mountain of Purgatory, which rises above, and
which is supposed to have been formed by the earth thus
thrown up.
127, 128. Loco e, &c. : these two lines are a description of
the cavity by which the ascent is made. ' In the heart of the earth
there is a place, which reaches away as far from Lucifer (Belzebti)
in one direction as Hell extends in the other ' ; both of them reach
from the centre to the circumference of the earth. laggiii :
' below ' ; Dante speaks from the point of view of one on the
186
XXXIV. 129-39] INFERNO
earth's surface, la tomba : the Inferno generally, which is called
fossa in Inf. xiv. 136.
129. non per vista : it is invisible in the darkness.
1 30. un ruscelletto : this rivulet is generally regarded as being
formed by the water of Lethe, which flows from the summit of the
mountain of Purgatory ; and the idea that the sins that are washed
away from the memory by Lethe should pass into Hell is a natural
one. But there is no evidence in the poem to show that the two
streams are connected with one another; indeed, in Inf. xiv. 136,
137 Virgil clearly intimates that Dante would not see Lethe before
he reached the Earthly Paradise.
132. Col corse ch' egli avvolge : 'in its tortuous course.'
poco pende : ' has not a steep fall ' ; the subject is che in 1. 130.
137. Tanto che: 'until.' delle cose belle: 'some of the
beauteous objects,' i. e. some of the stars ; afterwards they see the
whole array of stars.
139. le stelle: from Purg. i. 13-21 we learn that these were
the stars of early morning, so that the time might be about 5 a. m. ;
and as it was 7.30 a. m. on the previous morning when they
commenced the ascent {supra^ 1. 96), the ascent would have occupied
about 21 hours; see Moore, Time-Ref.^ p. 53. On the force of
the word stelle, with which each of the three Cantiche of the poem
ends, see note on Par. xxxiii. 1 45.
187
PURGATORIO
PURGATORIO
CANTO I
Prefatory Note on Dante*s Conception of the
Mountain of Purgatory.
THE Mountain of Purgatory, as conceived by Dante, is a cone-
shaped mountain of great elevation, truncated at the summit, and
surrounded by the sea, between which and its base a strip of gently
sloping ground intervenes. The lower part of its steep declivities
forms the Ante-Purgatory, within which at various intervals are
stationed different classes of the Negligent, or those whose admission
into Purgatory is delayed for a time, because they deferred their
repentance until the end of their life. The upper part, which forms
Purgatory proper, is encircled by a succession of Cornices, seven
in number, rising one above the other, in each of which the souls
who are admitted into Purgatory are cleansed by suffering from the
effects of one of the seven deadly sins. These Cornices are
connected with one another by steep and narrow stairways. On
the truncated summit is the Terrestrial Paradise, which was the
original Garden of Eden. As regards the position of this mountain
on the face of the globe, Dante conceived of it as rising from the sea
which covered the whole of the southern hemisphere, and as forming
the exact antipodes of Jerusalem, which was the central point of
the northern hemisphere. In the whole of this scheme he has
departed from the traditional view of the middle ages on this subject,
according to which Purgatory was situated beneath the earth in the
191
PURGATORIO [I. 7-12
neighbourhood of Hell, and the Earthly Paradise was generally
supposed to be in the eastern part of Asia. He was probably
constrained to do this by the demands of poetic treatment, which
required that the scene of his second realm should be in daylight, so
as to afford a contrast to the gloom of the Inferno.
The course which Dante followed in ascending the Mountain
of Purgatory was from left to right, by which is symbolized a
progressive advance in virtue. In passing through the Inferno,
as we have already seen, the direction which he pursued was
leftward throughout. He starts from the foot of the mountain
on its eastern side, and reaches the summit on its western side
(Purg. xxvii. 64-6), and his course between these two points is
confined to the northern half of the mountain.
j_ The time spent by Dante in Purgatory is four days — one in
Ante-Purgatory, two in Purgatory proper, and one in the Earthly
Paradise.
Argument. — Dante and Virgil find themselves about daybreak
on the sea-girt slope which surrounds the base of the Mountain
of Purgatory. Here their eyes are first attracted by a constellation
of four stars, which had never before been seen by inhabitants of
the northern hemisphere; and afterwards they meet Cato, the
guardian of Purgatory, who questions them about their right to
enter his domain. When Virgil has satisfied him on this point,
he gives them injunctions as to the preliminaries which they are
bound to observe ; in accordance with which Virgil conducts Dante
to the seashore, where he cleanses his face from the murk of Hell,
and girds him with a reed.
Lines 7-9. la morta, &c. : ' let my dead poetry awake to life
again ' ; i. e. from singing of the gloom of Hell let it take a brighter
tone, poesl : arch, for poesia, O sante Muse : this invocation
corresponds to that of the Muses in Inf. ii. 7, and that of Apollo
in Par. i. 13. Calliope, &c. : Met Calliope (the Muse of epic
poetry) take a somewhat higher strain.'
10-2. Seguitando : 'accompanying.' Di cui, &c. : 'which
smote the ill-fated Magpies with such force that they felt their
doom was sealed.' The story here referred to, which is given by
Ovid, Met, V. 294 foil., is that of the nine daughters of Pierus,
192
A
I. 13-21] PURGATORIO
king of Macedonia, who challenged the nine Muses to a contest
in singing, on which occasion the latter were represented by Calliope
as their champion. The challengers after they were defeated were
changed into magpies.
13. oriental: 'oriental,' because that gem was brought from
the east.
14, 15. Che s' accoglieva, &c. : 'which was diffused over
(lit. contained in) the tranquil scene (lit. the serene aspect of things)
from the mid-point of the clear sky even to the primal circle,'
i. e. from the zenith to the horizon. According to this interpreta-
tion il puro is used as a substantive with mezzo agreeing with it ;
cp. in Latin Hor. Od. I. 34. 7, ^ -per purum tonantes Eglt equos ' ;
VIrg. Georg. li. 364, ' laxis per purum Immissus habenis.' In
Dante sereno or il sereno is used in this manner ; cp. Purg. v. 38,
' fender sereno ' ; Par. xlx. 64, ' dal sereno.' prime giro is the
first or fundamental circle on the sphere, which at any given place
determines the position of the other circles, I. e. the horizon. The
majority of the MSS. hitherto examined (so Dr. Moore informs
me) are in favour of the reading Dal mezzo, and certainly it is
lectio difficilior^ but there is good authority, including three of
Witte's test MSS., for DelV aer. With the latter reading the
meaning of the passage is, ' in the tranquil aspect of the atmosphere,
which was clear (of mists) down to the horizon.'
16. ricomincio diletto : 'renewed the (lost) sense of joy.'
19. conforta : 'encourages,' 'incites'; the 'planet' is Venus.
The morning which Is now commencing is that of Easter Day,
April 10, 1300, and the time is about an hour before sunrise.
Dante had entered Hell on the evening of Good Friday, and the
intervening time had been spent in that region and in the ascent
from It to Purgatory (see notes on Inf. 11. i and xxi. 112). The
appropriateness of Easter Eve as the period spent in 'the lower
parts of the earth,' and of Easter morning as the time of the return
of hope, will at once be perceived.
2 1 . Velando, &c. : ' obscuring (by her light) the Fishes which
were in her train.' Venus, as the morning star, would be In the
constellation of Pisces, because the sun was in the following constel-
lation of Aries ; this the sun enters at the vernal equinox, which
was approximately the season of the year of Dante's Vision. See
note on Inf. i. 38.
TozER 193 O
PURGATORIO [i. 22-31
22. a man destra : i. e. towards the south, because just before
he was facing east, 1. 20.
23. quattro stelle : these four stars signify, allegorically, the
four cardinal virtues of Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, and Temperance ;
in Purg. xxxi. 106 these virtues are made to say 'nel ciel siamo stelle.'
It has often been maintained that, independently of this meaning,
Dante intends by them to describe the constellation of the Southern
Cross. The stars which compose this are mentioned by Ptolemy
in the Almagest \ not however as a separate constellation, but as
forming part of Centaurus, and the name of ' the Cross ' does not
seem to have been attached to them before 15 17 A. D. It is
possible that Dante may have heard of them through travellers
who went far enough south to see them ; but in reality there is little
to show that the views of the Poet and his contemporaries were
modified by such discoveries. Brunetto Latini, at all events
{Tesoro^ Bk. iii. Ch. 2), says that the only large star visible in
India is Canopus. It is strongly against this identification that
the three stars which represent the three theological virtues, and
thus correspond to this group of four (Purg. viii. 89—93), are
confessedly imaginary. Moreover, in the present passage Dante
goes out of his way to say that the four stars had not been seen
since the Fall of man.
24. Non viste mai : allegorically this means that the cardinal
virtues had not been openly revealed to the eyes of men since the age
of innocence, when Adam and Eve were in the Terrestrial Paradise.
27. Poiche, &c. : this explains vedovo ; ' clime of the North,
how great thy loss, for that the sight of these is denied thee ! '
30. Lk onde, &c. : ' on which side the Wain, or Great Bear,
was now out of sight.' Being below the horizon, it would be
invisible in that part of the southern hemisphere, in which Dante
supposed the Mountain of Purgatory to be.
31. un veglio solo: this is Cato the Younger, the rigid Stoic
moralist, and the determined defender of republican liberty at Rome.
Much difficulty has been felt as to Dante's choice of one who was
a pagan and a suicide to occupy the position of Guardian of
Purgatoiy, but the explanation of this is to be found in the estimate
that was formed of Cato in the middle ages. Like Virgil he
was idealized ; and in the process of idealization such points in his
character and life as might have been prejudicial to him passed
194
I- 35-72] PURGATORIO
out of view. Dante himself says of him in the Convito (iv. 28.
II. 1 2 1-3), 'Quale uomo terreno pii) degno fu di significare Iddio,
che Catone ? Certo nullo.' But the primary cause of his selection
for this particular office is to be found in a line of Virgil [Aen. viii.
670), where he is describing Elysium, ' Secretosque pios; his
dantem iura Catonem.' The reason why he is spoken of as an old
man (veglio) and gray-haired (11. 34, 35), notwithstanding that
he was only 49 years of age at the time of his death, is, that
Lucan says of him, ' Ut primum tolli feralia viderat arma, Intonsos
rigidam in frontem descendere canos Passus erat, maestamque genis
increscere barbam,' Phars, ii. 374-6.
35. simigliante : here an adverb, 'in like manner.' 1^ ai is
read in place of e i, it is an adj. agreeing with barba.
37-9. Li raggi, &c. : the four stars being the four cardinal
virtues, this means that the highest moral virtue was conspicuously
seen in Cato's character, fosse davante : ' were before me.'
40-2. contro al cieco fiume : 'against the course of the
darkling stream,' i. e. the ruscelletto, which the Poets had followed
upward from the centre of the earth. Inf. xxxiv. 1 30. piume :
his beard ; cp. the use oi penne for the beard in Inf. xx. 45.
46-8. abisso : for the omission of the article with this word
where Hell is specially referred to cp. Inf. iv. 8, valle d^ abisso i
similarly orizzonte in Purg. xxvii. 7 1 . mutato : ' initiated ' ; but
the word has a pregnant force, implying ' to the subversion of former
counsels.' grotte : the ' rocks ' of the Mountain of Purgatory ;
cp. Purg. iii. 90.
51. Riverenti, &c. : 'caused me to bend my knees and incline
my brow.'
53. Donna: Beatrice; cp. Inf. ii. 52 foil.
56. Di nostra . . . vera : ' of the real nature of our condition,'
i. e. whether we are lost souls (dannati), and, if not, what we are.
59, 60. le : to death ; but here spiritual death is meant, not the
death of the body, in which sense F ultima sera is used in the previous
line, a volger : ' for retracing his steps.'
62, 63. Per lui campare: 'to save him'; campare is trans.,
and lui accus. Che questa, &c. : i. e. than to teach him the
lessons to be learnt from Hell and Purgatory; cp. Inf. i. 11 2-20;
Purg. XXX. 136-8.
71, 72. Liberty : in Dante's case this was spiritual liberty, in
195 o 2
PURGATORIO [I. 74-103
Cato's political liberty, che e si cara, &c. : ' the value of which
he knows, who for its sake forfeits life ' ; here the case is put
generally, in 1. 73 Cato is appealed to as the typical instance —
' Thou dost know it/
74, 75. In Utica: Cato committed suicide at Utica in Africa
rather than live under Caesar^s despotism. La vesta, &c. : ' the
robe of flesh, which at the resurrection will shine so bright.'
77. Minos, &c. : Virgil's place in the Inferno was in the first
Circle, or Limbo : the realm of Minos commenced with the second
Circle; Inf. v. 1-4.
79. in vista : ' in her looks,' i. e. to judge from her looks ; cp.
Purg. vii. 97. Marcia is mentioned as being in Limbo in Inf. iv.
1 28. ancor : ' still,' as she had already done in life. Cato's wife,
Marcia, after bearing him children, was ceded by him to Hortensius,
and after the death of the latter requested Cato to take her back
again. Lucan in his account of this represents Marcia as saying,
' da tantum nomen inane Connubii ; liceat tumulo scripsisse, Catonis
Marcia'; Phars. ii. 342-4. Dante refers to this passage in Conv.
iv. 28. 11. 97 foil.
82,83. sette regni : the seven Cornices of Purgatory. Grazie,
&c. : perhaps, ' I shall return her thanks for thy favours ' ; but the
meaning is uncertain.
88-90. mal fiume : the Acheron, the stream of which encircled
the whole of the Inferno, including the first Circle, quella legge :
the law which forbade community of feeling between the saved
and the lost, quando, &c. : this was at the time of our Lord's
descent into Hell, when He delivered the souls of the Patriarchs and
certain others; Inf. iv. 55-61.
92,93. lusinghe: ' persuasive words.' Bastiti, &c. : 'suffice
it that thou askest me for her sake.' richegge : arch, for richeggi,
96. Si che, &c. : ' so that thou mayest cause all grime to disappear
from it.' sucidume is the deposit formed on the face by the murk
of Hell.
97-9. r occhio sorpriso, &c. : absolute construction; 'with
his eye dimmed (lit. overpowered) by any mist.' primo Ministro :
the angel who guards the entrance of Purgatory proper.
ioc-2. ad imo ad imo : 'at its lowest verge.' The repetition
of the expression increases its force; cp. Inf. xiv. 12^ a randa
a randa^ ' on the very edge.' giunchi : just as in Scripture
196
1. 103-23] PURGATORIO
*a bruised reed' is used to signify repentant humility (Is. xlii. 3),
so here the rush, which bends before the beating of the waves,
suitably represents the attitude of the soul entering Purgatory, where
it submits itself to correction.
103-5. In these three lines the emblematical character of the rush
is still further developed. ' No other growths, such as put forth
leaves or harden into stems, can exist there, because they do not
yield to the smiting of the waves.' The words facesse fronda
refer to the proud display of foliage on the part of such shrubs as
have a stem and branches, as compared with the simplicity of the
undeveloped rush. The verbs facesse, indurasse are in the subj.
mood because che is indef., and signifies the nature of the plants or
trees spoken of. seconda : from the idea of ' following the move-
ment of the word here gets the meaning of 'yield,* 'bend.'
107. Lo sol, &c. : 'the rising sun will indicate to you the easiest
point of ascent,' i. e. the easiest ascent is on the eastern side.
109. su mi levai : Dante had been kneeling, 1. 51.
1 15-7. L' alba, &c. : 'the dawn was chasing (lit. conquering)
the breeze of morn, which was flying before it,' i. e. as the dawn
came on the breeze rose ; by this the surface of the sea was ruffled
(il tremolar della marina), ora, 'breeze' {=. aura), is found
again in Conv. ii. I. 11. 5-7, ' dirizzato 1' artimone della ragione all'
ora del mio desiderio.' Others read ora, and translate, 'the dawn
was mastering the morning hour,' i. e. the twilight ; in this case
conobbi implies that the tremulous surface of the sea was thus
revealed to view.
119, 120. This is one of many passages in which Dante's
experiences as a traveller appear. It expresses the weary sense of
wasted trouble in searching for a lost track.
121— 3. Quando, &c. : 'when we reached a place where the
dew holds its own against the sun, and from being in a chilly
region, evaporates slowly.' By ' the sun ' here is meant the warmth
of the approaching sun, for, as we see from the commencement
of the next Canto, the sun itself had not yet risen. The ' place
where the dew holds its own against the sun' is the lower slopes
towards the coast, for there the sun's warmth would be less soon
felt than on the higher ground, adorezza is from a verb adore%%are,
which does not occur elsewhere. Like ore%za (Purg. xxiv. 150)
and re%%o (Inf. xvii. 87, where see note) it is regarded as being
197
PURGATORIO [I. 126— II. 9
derived from aura; and, as re%%o means 'chill* or 'chill air,'
adore%%are may perhaps mean 'to be chilly.' Scartazzini omits
e after sole in 1. 122, and reads Ove, ad ore%%a^ in 1. 123; he
translates, ' When we were in a place where the dew holds its own
against the sun owing to its being in a region where it evaporates
slowly from being exposed to the breeze ' (ad ore%%d), Longfellow
however remarks, ' the blowing of the wind would produce an effect
exactly opposite to that here described.'
126. che fui, &c. : 'who comprehended his design.*
128, 129. mi fece, &c. : the meaning is : — 'he brought to sight
once more my natural hue.'
133. altnii : Cato, whom he did not wish to name.
135. si rinacque : cp. Virg. Aen, vi. 143, ' primo avulso non
deficit alter,' of the golden branch plucked by Aeneas. The
allegorical meaning is, that divine grace, which is the source of
humility, is not lessened by being communicated.
CANTO II
Argument. — When the sun has risen, a boat is seen approaching
over the sea, on which an angel is standing, while within it are
a band of spirits who are in his charge. Having left them on the
shore, he starts on his return voyage to the mouth of the Tiber,
which is the assembling-place for the souls who are destined for
Purgatory. Among those who have newly arrived Dante recognizes
his friend the musician Casella. At the Poet's request he sings
to them ; but while they are absorbed in listening to him, Cato
appears among them, and rebukes them for loitering on their way
to the Mountain.
Lines 1-9. In these lines Dante intends to signify, though by
a long periphrasis, that it was sunrise in Purgatory. In order to
understand this it is necessary to get an elementary idea of his
views of mathematical geography. According to him the habitable
earth extends from E. to W. over half the circuit of the globe ;
at its eastern extremity is the mouth of the Ganges, at its western
extremity Gades ; Jerusalem is midway between these two points ;
198
11. I-I3] PURGATORIO
the Mountain of Purgatory is the antipodes of Jerusalem, and
consequently midway between Gades and the Ganges on the opposite
side of the globe (see Purg. iv. 67-71). Hence — to take the
circumstances described in the present passage — when it is sunset
at Jerusalem, it will be midday at Gades, midnight at the mouth
of the Ganges, and sunrise at the Mountain of Purgatory. The
whole passage should be compared with Purg. xxvii. 1-5, which
is very similar to it as a description of the time of day.
1—3. orizzonte : by this is intended the horizon line on which
Gades lay, and which was the common horizon of Jerusalem and
the Mountain of Purgatory. Lo cui, &c. : i.e.* the highest point
of the meridian circle of which lies over Jerusalem.' In plain
English the three lines mean — ' The sun had now reached the
horizon at the meridian of Jerusalem'; in other words, 'it was
sunset at Jerusalem.' The explanation of the expression 'the
meridian circle of the horizon ' is this. The meridian, or meridian
circle, of a place is a great circle of the heavens, which passes
through its zenith (il suo piii alto punto) and through the poles,
and is crossed by the sun when it is noonday at that place. And
as the meridian circle of a place crosses the horizon of that place
at two points, and divides it into two equal parts, it can be spoken
of as the meridian circle of that horizon, and this is what Dante
does in the present passage.
4. la notte, &c. : Night, which is here personified, is identified
with its central point, i. e. midnight, and so is spoken of in terms
of place as being opposite to the sun.
5. colle bilance : the sun being in Aries, the point opposite
to it was Libra, the sign of the zodiac opposite to Aries.
6. Che le caggion, &c. : 'which fall from the hand of night
when she wins the mastery.' Night wins the mastery over the
sun when it extends over more than half the 24 hours, i.e. after
the autumnal equinox. The Scales (Libra) 'fall from her hand'
at that time, because the sun is then in that constellation, so that
night has no power over them.
8, 9. Lk dove io era : at the foot of the Mountain of Purgatory.
Per troppa etate : ' from advanced age,' i. e. from the near approach
of sunrise.
II. Come gente, &c. : i. e. in a lingering frame of mind.
13. sill presso del mattino: 'at the approach of morn';
199
PURGATORIO [II. 14-46
presso is a prep., and sul presso is formed on the analogy of
alF tncirca and similar phrases. Another reading is sorpreso dal
mattino (' surprised by the morn '), but the meaning here is far-
fetched.
14. Per li grossi vapor: 'owing to its dense vapours.' Mars
was supposed to generate vapours; cp. Inf. xxiv. 145, 'Tragge
Marte vapor di val di Magra' ; Con'v. ii. 14. 11. 164-7, 'esso [i. e.
Marte] appare affocato di colore, quando piil e quando meno, secondo
la spessezza e rarita delli vapori che '1 seguono.'
16. s' io, &c. : 'so may I once more behold it!' This is
Dante's prayer for his own salvation, the first condition of which
would be his own admittance to Purgatory after his death.
22-4. d' ogni lato : ' on either side ' ; for ogni cp. Inf. vii. 32 ;
xxii. 56. Un non, &c. : 'an indistinct white object'; this was
the wings of the angel, while un altro, which was di sotto, was
his garment.
26. Mentre che, &c. : 'until the first white objects revealed
themselves as wings.'
30. di SI fatti, &c. : ' such like ministers of God.'
31-3. argomenti: 'means,' 'instruments' ; cp. Purg. xxx. 136,
where it signifies ' expedients.' liti si lontani : the mouth of
the Tiber, where the souls that were destined for Purgatory assembled
(see 11. 100-5), ^"d the Mountain of Purgatory.
35, 36. Trattando: 'moving.' mortal pelo ; ' the feathers of
mortal birds.'
40-2. sen venne: 'came on.' Tanto che, &c. : 'so light
that no part of it was submerged,' lit. 'the water engulfed no
part of it.'
44. Tal che parea beato per iscripto : ' so glorious that he
looked as though he were blessed by a sure title,' lit. ' by a written
warrant.' This reading has the authority of 123 MSS., as against
31 for Tal che farm beato pur descritto (Moore, Text. Crit.,
p. 372), which is also the easier reading. The latter should be
translated, 'so glorious that the mere description of him would
enchant the mind.'
46. In exitu, &c. : the spirits are celebrating their deliverance
from the world of sin and sorrow by singing Ps. cxiv, the subject
of which, the exodus of the Israelites from Hgypt, is a familiar type
of the redemption of mankind.
200
II. 52-90] PURGATORIO
52-4. selvaggia, &c. : ' strange to the place/ nuove cose, &c. :
* makes trial of a new experience/
55. Da tutte parti : ' in every direction ' ; for da cp. Inf.
XX. 13 ; xxii. 146.
56. colle saette conte: 'with its clear shafts': conto (I.at.
cognitus) is used of what is 'clearly known' in Inf. iii. 76, and
here, according to this interpretation, is applied to 'clear' light;
but such a transference of meaning from a mental to a material
application is altogether unusual. Possibly conto might be derived
from Lat. comptus^ and in that case it might mean ' polished ' here.
57. Di mezzo, &c. : 'the sun had chased Capricorn beyond
the meridian ' ; the succession of the heavenly bodies is imagined
as a pursuit. What is implied here is that the sun was above the
horizon. The interval between Aries (in which the sun was) and
Capricorn is a quarter of the zodiac ; consequently, if Capricorn
had cleared the meridian, Aries (and with it the sun) would be
above the horizon. The expression saettava il giorno in 1. 55,
however, suggests that the time was only just after sunrise, and
this is confirmed by the words Jiammeggiava roggio in iii. 16, which
would hardly be used of the sun if it had risen more than a short
time.
70—2. olivo : the olive branch, which in ancient times was the
token of peace, was used in Dante's time as a sign of good news
in general ; cp. Villani, xii. 105, ' E mandonne lettere e messi con
olivo al nostro comune significando la sua gran vittoria.' calcar :
'treading on others.' The meaning of 'to throng,' which calcare
bears (Purg. x. 79), is derived from this.
75. d' ire, &c. : i. e. to go on their way to Purgatory proper,
where they would be purified from sin. In saying a farsi belle
Dante refers to the consolatoiy view of Purgatory, as he usually
does elsewhere; cp. Purg. iii. 73, ' gia spiriti eletti.'
80, 81. Tre volte, &c. : cp. Virg. ^en. vi. 700, 701, 'Ter
conatus ibi collo dare brachia circum ; Ter frustra comprensa manus
effugit imago.'
82. Di maraviglia, &c. : i. e. I expressed my surprise in my
countenance.
89, 90. sciolta : the fem. is used because he is speaking of
himself as a spirit {anima) ; in 1. 100, where there is no such
special reference, he uses the masc. tu : ' you,' who are still aHve.
201
PURGATORIO [II. 91-103
91. Casella : a musician and friend of Dante; in 1. 93 it is
implied that he had been dead some time. per tornare, &c. :
' the object of my present journey is, that I may return to this
place at a future time.' The lessons of Hell and Purgatory were
necessary, in order to recall Dante to the way of salvation, and so
to enable him after death to reach Purgatory, and through it
Paradise.
93. a te, &c. : 'how comes it that so long a time has been
lost to you ? ' i. e. ' Why this long delay ' between the time of your
death and your arrival here ? For tanta ora ( = ' so long time ')
cip. poc* ora, ' short time,' in Inf. xxxiv. 104. There is considerable
authority here for tanta terra (meaning 'this great realm of Purgatory')
in place of tanta ora ; but the words can hardly bear this sense.
95. leva: 'takes on board'; like Engl, 'takes up passengers,'
cp. tolto in 1. 98. The idea expressed in this passage was suggested
by Virg. Aen. vi. 315, 316.
97. di giusto voler, &c. : the angel's will is determined by the
will of God.
98, 99. Veramente ; ' nevertheless ' ; cp. Purg. vi. 43. da
tre mesi : as the date of the present action of the poem is April 10,
1300, the three months here spoken of are the first three months
of that year : and as this was the great year of Jubilee, in which
pardons and indulgences were freely dispensed^ it is here implied
that during this period a corresponding freedom had been allowed
to the souls of the dead in respect of the transit to Purgatory.
con tutta pace : take with tolto, ' has taken on board with full
acquiescence ' ; for pace in this sense cp. con tua pace, ' with your
permission,' and similar uses.
100, 10 1, era ora . . . volto : 'had just at that time betaken
myself to.' s' insala : 'becomes salt'; or, 'enters the sea.*
According to Dante, the souls who die in peace with God assemble
at the mouth of the Tiber, and are transported thence by the angel.
The idea of the shore as the starting-point, like that of the ferry-boat,
is of classical origin ; but the selection of this place in the immediate
neighbourhood of Rome can hardly fail to mean that they are under
the protection of the Church.
103. A quella foce : 'to that river-mouth.' The angel who
had just left them had betaken himself thither to fetch a fresh band
of souls.
202
II. J04-3a] PURGATORIO
104, 105. si ricoglie : both this point and the souls being
ferried across form a counterpart to the assembHng of the condemned
souls on the shore of Acheron and their passage in Charon's boat
in Inf. iii. 82 foil. Qual, &c. : i. e. all who are not doomed to
descend to Hell.
106. nuova legge : the idea that laws unknown on earth may
prevail in Purgatory seems to have been suggested by quella legge of
Purg. i. 89, by which Cato was forbidden to retain his love for
Marcia.
1 10. la sua persona : the corruptible body which presseth down
the soul, Wisdom ix. 15.
112. Amor, &c. : 'Love that within my mind doth hold
discourse ' ; this is the first line of the Canzone with which Bk. Ill
of the Convito commences.
117. Come: for come se\ 'as if they were all absorbed by this
alone.'
119. il veglio : Cato.
122. scoglio: 'slough,' 'husk,* 'skin,' in which senses scoglia
is more commonly used. Here it means a ' film ' over the eyes
which dims the sight.
130-2. fresca: 'newly arrived.' la costa : 'the mountain-
side.' ne sa, &c. : this describes the headlong flight of the
spirits.
CANTO III
Prefatory Note on the Spirits in Ante-Purgatory.
The spirits who are detained for a time in Ante-Purgatory are
the Negligent, or those who deferred their repentance until the end
of their lives. They are divided into four classes. (i) Those
who, while they repented at the last moment, died under the ban
of the Church; example Manfred (Canto III). (2) Those who
delayed their repentance through indolence ; example Belacqua
(Canto IV). (3) Those who repented at the moment of a violent
death ; examples Buonconte da Montefeltro, Sordello, &c. (Cantos
. V, VI). (4) Kings and Princes, who deferred their repentance
owing to the cares of state; numerous examples (Canto VII).
The first of these classes is precluded from entering Purgatory /
203
PURGATORIO [III. i-ii
for a period thirty times the length of the duration of their
contumacy (Purg. iii. 136-9). The other three classes are detained
for a period equal to that of their life on earth (Purg. iv. 1 30-2 ;
xi. 127-31). But in every case the term of waiting may be
shortened by means of the intercessions of friends on earth. ^
Dante meets with the groups of spirits who represent these four
classes at different stages in the ascent of the mountain. Group I
is found at the foot of the precipice which runs round the base
of the mountain (Purg. iii. 46 foil.). Group II is at some distance
above the precipice on the open mountain side (Purg. iv. 46 foil,
and 97 foil.). Group III is higher up again in the same direction
(Purg. iv. 136 and v. 22, 23). Group IV occupies a flowery
valley, which forms a recess in the slope of the hill nearer to the
gate of Purgatory (Purg. vii. 64 foil.).
Argument. — As they proceed, Dante, perceiving no other shadow
than that thrown by his own body, supposes that Virgil has left him,
until the reason of this is explained to him. When they reach the
foot of the mountain they find it precipitous ; and seeing a troop
of spirits approaching, they inquire of them at what point the ascent
is easiest. The spirits are amazed at the sight of Dante's shadow,
until they learn that he is a living man. Manfred, king of Naples,
who is one of them, informs Dante that he repented of his sins
before he died ; but that, in consequence of his delay in doing so,
and of his dying excommunicate, he is precluded for a period from
entering Purgatory.
1-3. Avvegnache : ' although ' ; Dante here contrasts the
conduct of the spirits with his own. ove ragion ne fruga :
'towards which reason impels (lit. goads) us.' The meaning is,
that our human judgement — i. e. our sense of right and wrong, and
our feeling of God's justice — impels us towards Purgatory, in order
to satisfy the demands of justice and to obtain purification.
4. compagna: for compagnia, the abstract 'company' being
here used for the concrete ' companion ' ; cp. the use of guUa (fem.)
for 'guide,' and scoria for 'escort.'
7. da se stesso rimorso : ' self-reproached,' i. e. on account of
his delay.
10, II. la fretta : Virgil had hurried after the other spirits.
r onestade, &c. : ' deprives every movement of dignity ' ; for the
204
III. 12-30] PURGATORIO
sentiment cp. Purg. vi. 63, * onesta e tarda.' dismaga : lit. ' takes
away ' ; on dismagare or smagare, which is used in different senses
in the Dlv. Com.^ see note on Purg. x. 106.
12,13. ristretta: 'circumscribed'; his attention was confined,
first to Casella's music, and afterwards to Cato's reproofs. Lo in-
tento, &c. : 'widened its field of vision.' vaga : ' eager to inquire.'
15. piu alto si dislaga : 'rises highest above the waters';
dislagarsi is derived from Lat. lacus, and here means ' to withdraw
itself from the waters.' This interpretation is confirmed by Par.
XX vi. 139, where the Mountain of Purgatory is called ' il monte,
che si leva pid dall' onda.'
16-8. Lo sol : i. e. the sun's rays, alia figura, &c. : 'tracing
the shape formed by his rays falling upon me,' lit. ' to the figure
which the resting-place of his rays on me had.' appoggio is here
used of that which intercepts the light.
21. Solo, &c. : in the darkness of the Inferno Dante had no
opportunity of observing that Virgil cast no shadow ; he now
discovers it for the first time.
22, 23. pur: take with difiidi ; 'why do you still mistrust me
after all that I have done for you ? ' tutto rivolto : ' turning full
towards me,' to dispel my doubts.
25, 26. Vespero, &c. : the meaning is: — 'My body is in
Italy, where it is now evening.' It was at this time about 6.30 a. m.
in Purgatory, and consequently 6.30 p.m. at Jerusalem, which was
its antipodes ; and as Italy was reckoned as being halfway between
Jerusalem and Gades, and therefore 45° to the westward of the former
place, the equivalent of which in time is three hours, the time of day
here intended by Vespero is about 3.30 p.m. Vespero is used by
Dante to signify the part of the day from 3 to 6 p.m. Cp. note
on Purg. XV. 6.
27. Napoli : Virgil died at Brundisium in 19 B.C., and his
remains were transferred to Naples and buried there. Brandizio :
Branditz is the Proven9al form of Brindisi.
28-30. nulla s' adombra : ' nothing is cast in shade,' i. e. no
shadow falls. Che 1' uno, &c. : the point of the comparison is the
diaphanous nature of tlie spheres ; ' which (heavens) do not obstruct
the passage of a ray from one to another.' Che means ' of which,'
and r uno is subject of ingombra ; lit. ' of which heavens the
one does not impede the passage of a ray to the other.' The
205
PURGATORIO [III. 31-44
heavens, according to Dante, formed a system of concentric spheres
of which the earth was the centre, and these spheres were material,
but permeable to light.
31-3. A soflFerir, &c. : the question naturally arises — 'If
spiritual bodies, like Virgil's, are permeable to light, how can they
suffer pain ? ' Virgil answers — ' They do so, but how this comes
to pass is a mystery, of which God has not vouchsafed the
explanation.' Translate: — 'The Supreme Goodness (la virtii)
disposes bodies of the same substance as mine (simili corpi) to
suffer torments arising from heat and cold, but he wills not that his
mode of working (come fa) should be revealed to us.' tormenti
caldi e gieli : the torments of Hell are spoken of in these terms
in Inf. iii. 87.
35, 36. Pcssa trascorrer, &c. : 'Can traverse the illimitable
way. Which the one Substance in three Persons follows* (Longf.).
The doctrine of the Trinity is here introduced as being the highest
mystery of the Godhead ; the mysterious God moves in a mysterious
way. The ' way ' is the path of God's counsels.
37. al quia: 'with the fact'; 'be contented with knowing
the fact, without inquiring the reason.' quia is used for 'that'
in mediaeval Latin.
38, 39. se potuto, &c. : if human reason had been able to
comprehend the whole scheme of God's counsels, Adam would
not have sinned, because he would have understood the reason of
God's prohibition; and so the Incarnation would not have been
necessary, era : for sarehhe stato ; see note on Inf. xxix. 38.
40-2. E disiar, kz. : a further proof is here given of the
inability of the human intellect to fathom God's counsels ; had this
been possible, the great philosophers of old would have accomplished
it, whereas they have failed to do so, and thus have lost everything.
' And ye (mankind) have been cognizant of the fruitless longings
of men of such force of intellect (Tai) that (had they possessed
the knowledge of divine things) those desires on their part would
have been fulfilled, which now are assigned to them as their eternal
bane.' vedeste, like State and anyeste above, refers to umana gente.
lutto : cp. Inf. iv. 42, ' senza speme vivemo in disio.'
44. molti altri : the eminent and virtuous heathens who were
in Limbo, among whom was Virgil himself. This is the source of
his distress.
206
III. 48-90] PURGATORIO
48. indarno, &c. : i. e. legs, however active, could not scale it.
49. Tra Lerici e Turbia : as Lerici is on the gulf of Spezia,
and Turbia stands on the heights above Monaco, the district here
intended is the mountainous coast of the Riviera, the eastern and
western extremities of which are marked by those two places.
Under the Roman empire this region was traversed by good roads,
as it is at the present day, but during the middle ages difficult tracks
afforded the only means of communication. This is referred to
again in Purg. iv. 25, where the descent to the town of Noli on
the western Riviera is mentioned as a specimen of a bad road.
52. cala : 'has a gradual descent,' lit. ' slopes.'
56. del cammin la mente : 'the character of the path.'
58-60. una gente : these were the spirits who formed the first
class of the Negligent, i. e. those who died excommunicate, though
they had made their peace with God at the last (see Prefatory Note
to this Canto), lente : the slowness of their movements corresponds
to the tardiness of their repentance.
64. libero piglio: 'cheerful look'; for piglio cp. Inf. xxiv. 20.
67-9. Ancora, &c. : ' that band of souls was still distant a good
stone's cast from us (still distant, I mean, after we had advanced
a thousand paces towards them).' Dico explains ancora di
lontano.
7 2 . Come, &c. : ' as one pauses to look who advances hesitatingly.*
The cause of their perplexity and fear was that Dante and Virgil
were walking towards the left, whereas the rule in Purgatory was
that a right hand course should be followed. Hence the spirits
are seen approaching from the left (1. 58), and they cause the Poets
to turn with them (1. loi). It was not Dante's being in the
body that surprised them, for that they had not yet discovered
(see 1. 88).
73-5. ben finiti : 'happy in your death.' si aspetti : 'is
waited for by you,' meaning 'is in waiting for you.'
76-8. giace: 'slopes'; cp. Inf. xxiii. 31. perder tempo,
&c. : a sort of proverbial expression ; ' the man of experience
especially dreads waste of time.'
83. Addcssandosi a lei: 'crowding on to her.'
85. la testa : ' the foremost.'
88-90. color dinanzi : ' those in front.' Si che, &c. : ' so
that my shadow was thrown towards the rock.' The Poets now
207
PURGATORIO [III. 101-24
had the mountain on their right hand and the sun on their left;
consequently Dante's shadow was thrown towards his right in the
direction of the precipice.
1 01. Tornate, &c. : 'turn round and pass on in front of us.'
intrate : lit. ' enter on the road,' ' advance.'
104, 105. cosi andando : 'as you proceed,' without stopping.
di 1^ : ' in the other world.' vedesti : as Manfred, who is here
speaking, died in 1266, it was impossible that Dante, who was born
in 1265, should have seen him.
107. Biondo, &c. : one of the old chroniclers describes Manfred
as 'homo flavus, amoena facie'; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 359.
112, 113. Manfredi : Manfred, illegitimate son of the emperor
Frederic II, was crowned king of Sicily in 1258, but was
excommunicated by successive Popes, and by them Charles of
Anjou was summoned to oppose him. Their armies met in 1266
at Benevento, where Manfred was defeated and slain. There is
no historical evidence of his penitence, which Dante implies in this
passage; see 11. 12 1-3. Nepote : he avoids mentioning his father,
because he was illegitimate. Costanza : wife of the emperor
Henry VI, and mother of Frederic II. She is introduced in
the Paradiso in the Heaven of the Moon.
115, 116. figlia: Constance, who married Peter III of Aragon,
and was mother of Frederic king of Sicily and James king of
Aragon. Dell' oner, &c. : i. e. the two princes just mentioned.
As Dante speaks of them elsewhere in unfavourable terms (Par.
xix. 130-8 ; Conv. iv. 6. 11. 180-3 5 ^^ ^^k- ^loq. i. 12. 11. 36,
37), it is necessary to regard this favourable estimate as that of
their grandfather who is speaking.
117. il veto : i. e. that he is in the number of the saved. His
object in saying this is to intimate that her prayers can avail for him ;
see 11. 142-5. He does not desire to rehabilitate his character,
for the spirits in Purgatory, unlike those in Hell, do not desire
to be favourably remembered by the living; see note on Purg.
xiii. 150.
119. due: those mentioned in 11. 108 and m.
121. peccati: Villani (vi. 46) describes him as dissolute and
irreligious.
124 foil. Villani (vii. 9) says that Manfred's body was buried
under a heap of stones at the foot of the bridge of Benevento;
208
III. 126-45] PURGATORIO
and that by some it was reported (though he would not himself
affirm it), that by the orders of Clement IV the bishop of Cosenza
removed it from that spot, because it was ground belonging to the
Church, after which it was buried on the banks of the Verde.
126. Avesse, &c. : ' had read aright this page in God's word,'
i. e. the passages which speak of God's infinite mercy to the penitent
sinner. quest a refers to 11. 122, 123. faccia : ior facciata,
' page.'
128, 129. go: for capo; cp. Inf. xx. 76. mora: 'cairn,'
the heap of stones piled over him by Charles of Anjou's soldiers :
moriccia in Ital. is 'a pile of rubbish.' Diez (p. 217) compares
moraine.
131, 132. regno: the kingdom of Naples. quasi lungo :
' near the banks of.' il Verde : now the Garigliano, on the confines
of the kingdom of Naples and the Campagna, which was papal
territory, a lume spento : lights were extinguished at the funeral
of an excommunicate person.
1 33-5. Per lor, &c. : ' souls are not so utterly lost through their
malediction (i. e. that of the rulers of the Church), that the eternal
love (the mercy of God) cannot be regained, so long as hope has
aught of green,' i. e. while there is a particle of hope — in other
words, while a man has still time for repentance. On fior used
in this sense see note on Inf. xxxiv. 26.
138. da questa ripa in fuore : ' without this bank,' i. e. outside
this steep rock which bounds the precincts of Purgatory.
139, 140. Per ogni . . . presunzion : 'thirtyfold the time
which he has lived in a state of defiance.'
142. far lieto : 'advance my happiness,' by aiding to shorten
the time of my exclusion.
145. Che qui, &c. : 'since we who are in Purgatory can be
greatly benefited by the prayers of those on earth.'
209
PURGATORIO [IV. i-6
CANTO IV
Argument. — The Poets climb by a steep and narrow passage
through the cliffs, and then pursue their way upwards, until they
find a resting-place on the open mountain side. Here, as they
are facing eastwards, Dante is surprised at finding that the sun is
on his left hand ; but Virgil explains to him that this is only
natural, because the Mountain of Purgatory is in the southern
hemisphere. They now discover in their neighbourhood a company
of spirits in indolent attitudes, one of whom, Belacqua, a former
acquaintance of Dante, informs him that his own entry into Purgatory
is delayed in consequence of his having deferred his repentance until
the close of his life.
Lines 1-12. Dante was so engrossed in Manfred's story and
his conversation, that he paid no heed to the lapse of time until
he reached the point where the precipice could be ascended. In
these lines he introduces his reflexions on the psychical phenomenon,
that absorption in one subject excludes all observation of others.
1-4. Quando, &c. : ' when through delight, or maybe through
pain, which one of our energies conceives, the soul concentrates
itself wholly upon that energy, it seems that it pays no heed to
any other of its faculties besides this.' The difference which is
here intended to be made between potenza and virtu is more
fully drawn out by Dante in Conv. iii. 2, where he distinguishes
between the three faculties of the soul {^potenze^ 11. 85, 86) — viz.
Life, Sensation, and Reason — and these same faculties in activity, or
energies {virtu, 11. 122, 123). These terms correspond respectively
to the 8wa/At? and ivipyeta of Aristotle.
5, 6. E questo, &c. : ' and this confutes the erroneous view, that
more than one soul is generated (lit. kindled) within us.' The unity
of the soul is proved by its inability to concentrate itself on more
than one thing at a time. The erroneous view here referred to
is that of Plato in the Timaeus (p. 69, C. foil.), who held that there
was in man an immortal and a mortal soul, the latter being again
subdivided into two parts. Dante was acquainted with the Timaeus,
210
IV. 7-27] PURGATORIO
that dialogue of Plato having been translated into Latin. His
argument here is that of Aquinas on the same subject — 'una operatic
animae, cum fuerit intensa, impedit aliam ; quod nullo modo contingeret,
nisi principium actionum esset per essentiam unum ' ; Summa, i . Q.
76, Art. 3. Cp. Aristotle, Eth. Nic x. 5. 3, 4.
7-9. E pero, &c. : the general observation just made is here
applied to the particular instance in point : ' and so it comes to pass
that, when any thing is heard or seen, which keeps the soul engrossed
upon it (forte a se volta), time passes by without one's being
aware of it.*
10-2. Ch' altra, &c. : 'for the faculty which listens to what
is heard (the sense of hearing) is one, and that which dominates
the soul as a whole (the reason) is another (they are separate
faculties) : the latter is as it were bound (i. e. is prevented from
working), the former is in free exercise.' Two of the faculties
of the soul, viz. sensation and reason, are here mentioned, and
when one of these is in active exercise (Dante says) the other is
in abeyance.
15. cinquanta gradi : the time would be about 9 a.m.
18. vostro domando : ' what you inquired for.'
19-21. aperta : for apertura. impruna : lit. 'fills with
brambles ' ; ' wider is oftentimes the gap which the villager hedges
up with a small forkful of his thorns.' imbruna : ' is gathering
colour ' ; this clause is added, because the object of the husbandman
in closing the gap in his hedge is to prevent his grapes from being
stolen.
22. calla: this word, both here and in Purg. ix. 123, means
' an entrance,' ' an opening ' ; similarly callaia in Purg. xxv. 7.
Both these words seem to be other forms of calle^ with a slight
variation of meaning, onde : ' by which.' saline : for the use
of ne here and in partine (1. 24) cp. vane for se ne va in
Purg. xxv. 42.
25-7. Vassi, &c. : the difficult ascent here is compared to
the staircase paths which lead up to the towns of Sanleo near San
Marino, and Bismantova near Reggio in the Modenese, and to that
which descends the mountain side to Noli between San Remo and
Savona. ' A man may make his way to Sanleo, or descend to Noli,
or mount to the summit of Bismantova, by the help of the feet alone.'
su Bismantova in cacume : lit. ' to the height at the top of
211 p 2
PURGATORIO [IV. 29-75
Bismantova.* con esso i pie : i. e. without further aid than the
feet. When esso indecl. is used with con, it bears this meaning of
'only'; cp. Inf. xxxii. 62; Purg. xxiv. 98. uom: 'one'; see
note on Purg. xv. 30.
29. condotto : ' guidance/ sc. that of Virgil, condotto is used
elsewhere in the sense of condotta ; see Vocah. Tramater.
31, 32. salavam : a Florentine dialectic form o£ salivam; the
MS. authority for it here is very strong, d' ogni lato, &c. : * on
either hand the wall of rock hemmed us in.' For ogni in the sense
of 'either' cp. Purg. ii. 22.
34. orlo supremo : ' upper rim ' ; they had now come out from
the passage through the rock on to the open hill side.
37, 38. Nessun, &c. : 'see that your footsteps slip not,' i.e.
* look well to your foothold ' — sensible advice, when the incline was
45° (1. 42). acquista : 'advance,' lit. 'gain ground'; the word
is used in a somewhat similar sense in Inf. xxvi. 126, ' Sempre
acquistando dal lato mancino.'
41, 42. superba: 'steep.' da mezzo, &c. : 'a line which
marks an angle of 45°.' As the circle consists of 360°, the fourth
part of that (quadrante) is 90°, and the half of that again (mezzo
quadrante) is 45°; and an angle of 45" is a steep gradient for
walking. From 1. 50 we learn that they went up on all fours
(carpando).
47, 48. balzo : ' ridge of rock.' il poggio, &c. : 'runs round
the entire mountain.'
51. Tanto che, &c. : 'until the whole of the encircling ledge
was beneath my feet.'
54. Che suole, &c. : ' for a man is wont to find pleasure in
looking back,' i. e. over the ground which he has ascended, altrui :
used in a general sense, for ' a person ' ; cp. Purg. xiii. 3 ;
xxviii. 128.
57. da sinistra : they were on the eastern side of the mountain,
facing outwards, and, as is subsequently explained, the sun was in
the north at this time of day (towards mid-day, 11. 137, 138), since
they were in the southern hemisphere.
60. tra noi . . . intrava : ' was passing (lit. entering on its way)
between,' &c. ; cp. intrate, Purg. iii. loi.
61-75. The speech of Virgil which follows amounts to this: —
* You are surprised at seeing the sun in the north ; the case is even
212
IV. 61-75] PURGATORIO
stranger than you think : if you were here in the month of June, the
path of the sun in the heavens would appear still nearer to the northern
horizon (11. 61-6). The explanation of this phenomenon is, that
the Mountain of Purgatory is in the southern hemisphere, and forms
the antipodes to Jerusalem in the northern hemisphere (11. 67-71).
In the former the sun is seen in the northern part of the sky, just as
in the latter it is seen in the southern part (11. 71-5).'
6r-6. Se Castore, «fec. : 'If the sun — the luminary which
enlightens both hemispheres — were in Gemini (as it is in the month
of June), you would see the part of the zodiac which is illuminated
by the sun (in other words, the sun's course) revolve still nearer to
the north pole than it does now, supposing always that it (the sun)
kept to its appointed track.' Castore e Polluce : the constellation
of Gemini, in which the sun is in part of May and June, specchio :
the sun is called a ' mirror,' because it reflects the rays which emanate
from God. Che su, &c. : ' which causes its light to shine (lit.
bears the gift of its light) both in the upper and the lower hemisphere.'
rubecchio : ' blazing,' because of the sun's presence in it. Se non,
&c. : i. e. unless the impossible were to happen, viz. that the sun
should desert his ordinary course. At the same time there is
a further reference to Phaethon's mishap.
67-71. Come, &c. : 'If you desire to understand how this can
be, concentrate your thoughts (Dentro raccolto) and realize to
yourself that the relative position of Jerusalem and the Mountain
of Purgatory on the face of the globe is such, that they have
a common horizon and are in opposite hemispheres.' Sion : on
this line, and those which rhyme with it, as being ten-syllable lines,
see note on Inf. iv. 56.
71-5. onde, &c. : 'consequently you will see, if you give good
heed (1. 75), that it necessarily follows (come convien) that the
path from which to his misfortune Phaethon strayed (i. e. the sun's
course through the heavens, or ecliptic) must pass on the one side
at this place (a cestui), when it passes on the other side at that
place (a colui) ' ; in other words — ' at the Mountain of Purgatory
the sun is seen towards the N., when at Jerusalem it is seen towards
the S.' mal : unfortunately for himself, because it caused his death ;
for mal in this sense cp. Inf. ix. 54 ; xii. 66. Feton : see note
on Inf. xvii. 107. ben chiaro bada : 'is clear and gives good
heed.'
213
PURGATORIO [IV. 77-106
77, 78. Non vidi, &c. : 'never did I see any matter as clearly
as now I understand — with regard to the point which my intellect
seemed not to grasp — that/ &c.
79. ' The highest heaven that moves ' (il moto supemo) is the
Primum Mobile^ or Crystalline Heaven ; and its ' middle circle ' is its
equator ; cp. Conv. ii. 4. 11. 48-58.
80. alcun' arte : * a certain science,' viz. astronomy ; alcuna
is used of something referred to but not named; cp. Inf. xx. 113,
alcun loco.
81. che sempre, &c. : this means, that when it is winter with
us, the sun is on the further side of the equator, and when it is
winter in the southern hemisphere, the sun is on the hither side
of the equator.
82-4. quinci, &c. : 'at the Mountain of Purgatory the equator
lies away as far towards the north as it appeared to the Jews
to lie towards the south ' (or what we call ' the hot region ').
The Mountain of Purgatory and Jerusalem are the centres of
two hemispheres, of which the equator is the common horizon.
Vedevan is in the past tense, because the time at which the Jews
possessed Jerusalem is spoken of.
88-90. Questa montagna, &c. : this is an allegorical description
of the progress of repentance, which in its earlier stages is hard,
but in time becomes more and more easy, e men fa male : ' it is
less distressing for all that ' ; for this use of e, expressing contrast,
cp. Inf. xix. 3 (where see note); xxx. 115.
93. a seconda, &c. : ' sailing downward with the stream.'
95. di riposar 1* a£fanno : 'to rest your weariness.'
98, 99. Una voce : the spirits whom we here meet with form
the second class of those in Ante-Purgatory, viz. those who delayed
their repentance until the last through indolence, forse Che : ' may
be that'; cp. Inf. xxiii. 79. distretta : 'need' ; 'before arriving
at the summit you will need to sit down.'
105. Com' uom ... a star si pone : ' in the position a person
assumes'; both star here and si stavano in 1. 104 signify simply
position.
106. un di lor: this person, as we learn from I. 123, was
Belacqua, who is said to have been a maker of musical instruments
in Florence, and an acquaintance of Dante, whose chief characteristic
was his indolence.
214
IV. 113-38] PURGATORIO
113. Movendo, &c. : 'just moving his face along his thigh*;
he does not raise it until 1. 118. His overpowering indolence
prevents him from exerting himself further.
116. avacciava: 'quickened.' Both this word and the adv.
avaccio (Inf. x. 116) are obsolete. Diez (p. 353) derives them
from Lat. abigere, abactus^ ahact'iare.
119, 120. Hai ben, &c. : ' are you quite satisfied about the sun
driving his chariot on your left hand ? ' This implies a mild contempt
on the lazy man's part for one who troubles himself about superfluous
questions, as Dante had done in 11. 56 foil.
123. a me non duole, &c. : ' I am no longer distressed on your
account,' seeing that you are not among the lost.
125, 126. Quiritta: 'just here,' ' in this particular spot ' ; ritta
or r/V/o, when attached to qui^ gives additional definiteness ; cp.
Purg. xvii. 86, 'quiritta si ristora.' O pur, &c. : 'or is it merely
that your wonted habit of indolence has once more mastered you ? '
127-9. che porta: 'what avails?' L' uccel di Dio : the
angel, who sits at the gate at the entrance of Purgatory proper,
Purg. ix. 80.
1 30-2. m' aggiri : ' should revolve round me ' ; cp. Inf. vi. 112,
' Noi aggirammo a tondo quella strada.' The meaning is ' that so
long time should pass for me.' The class of the Negligent to which
Belacqua belonged was detained in Ante-Purgatory for a period equal
to that of their life on earth ; see Pref. Note to Canto III. Di
fuor da essa : ' while I am still outside the gate.' fece : ' it did
so.' buon sospiri : ' pious sighs of repentance.'
135. L' altra : the prayers of ungodly persons.
137. tocco : iox toccato.
138. dalla riva : ' from the bank of the Ganges ' ; see note on
Purg. ii. 1-9. ' Night, starting from the bank of the Ganges, is
now falling on Morocco with her advancing foot.' As it was
midday in Purgatory, it would be midnight in Jerusalem, which was
its antipodes ; and the hemisphere of which Jerusalem was the centre,
extending from the mouth of the Ganges towards the E. to Morocco
in the W., would be in darkness. The name Morocco — like Spain,
Gades, and the Pillars of Hercules — is used by Dante to denote the
western limit of the habitable globe, which extended over 180° of
longitude.
215
PURGATORIO [v. 4-36
CANTO V
Argument. — As they advance up the mountain side, they meet
with other spirits, who had suffered a violent death, but had been
allowed time for repentance. Dante is accosted by three of them :
by Jacopo del Cassero, who describes the circumstances of his
murder ; by Buonconte da Montefeltro, who tells him of his death
after the battle of Campaldino, and of what subsequently befell his
soul and body; and by La Pia, a lady of Siena.
Lines 4, 5. Non par, &c. ; ' the sun's rays do not seem to
shine on the left-hand side of the lower of the two figures.' Dante
was following Virgil up the steep ascent, and therefore was below
him. As they were on the east side of the mountain (Purg. iv. 53),
and were facing towards the mountain in ascending, and it was
midday (Purg. iv. 137, 138), the sun was on their right hand, and
Dante's shadow fell towards the left.
6. come vivo, &c. : ' his demeanour resembles that of a living
person ' ; si conduca, lit. ' bears himself.'
10. Perche, &c. : ' why is thy mind so occupied ? '
16-8. Che sempre, &c. : Virgil gives this as the reason, why
Dante should not pay attention to the comments which others make
upon him, viz. that they are liable to make him change his views,
and so divert him from his purpose. ' The man in whose mind
one view springs up in succession to a former view puts out of sight
his aim, because the one weakens the force of the other.'
20. color : the blush of shame.
23, 24. genti : these were the spirits of those who had deferred
their repentance until late, and had met a violent death; see 11. 52,
53. Miserere: Ps. li., the specially penitential Psalm, 'Have
mercy upon me, O God,' &c. a verso a verso : ' in alternate
verses ' ; this implies that they were divided into two companies.
26. Per lo mio corpo : 'owing to my body'; because it was
interposed.
34-6. per veder, &c. : ' owing to the sight of his shadow.'
esser puo lor caro : ' that may be to their advantage ' ; because he
can urge their friends on earth to pray for them, and thus shorten
their time of waiting. For caro in this sense cp. Inf. xxxii. 91.
216
V. 37-69] PURGATORIO
37-9. Vapori accesi, &c. : the rapid return of the two spirits
is compared to the movement of shooting stars and summer lightning.
Both these phenomena are included by Dante under 'ignited vapours/
that being Aristotle's view of their origin, Meteorol. ii. 9. i. The
shooting stars are those which ' cleave the clear sky/ 1. 38 ; the
summer lightning those which ' cleave the clouds,' 1. 39. Di prima
notte : Albertus Magnus — who is one of Dante's authorities — in
his Meteor a^ i. 3. 5, quotes Alfraganus as saying that falling stars
occur especially ' in crepusculo vespertine ' ; see Moore, Studies^
i. p. 132. nuvole d' agosto : the construction is, ne vidi vapori
accesi si tosto fender* nuvole d' agosto.
42. schiera, &c. : 'a troop of horse that comes on at full
gallop.'
44, 45. a pregar: * to ask a favour of you.' pur va: 'go
on without stopping.*
46. per esser lieta: 'to reach the realm of bliss.'
50. di 1^ : to the land of the living. His desire is to obtain
intercessory prayer ; cp. 11. 70-2.
54. Quivi: ' at that moment.' ne fece acccrti : 'admonished
us ' ; this was their ' call ' from God.
57. Che del disio, &c. : ' who stirs our hearts with the
desire,' &c.
58. Perche: ' however much ' ; cp. Inf. iv. 64; viii. 121.
60. ben nati : 'born in a happy hour,' because destined to
salvation ; similarly ' anima mal nata ' is used of a condemned soul,
Inf. V. 7.
61-3. per quella pace, &c. : ' I swear to you by the bliss of
heaven, which causes me to go in quest of it,' &c. si fatta guida :
' the guide whom you behold,' i. e. Virgil. Di mondo in mondo :
' from one realm to another of the world of spirits.'
64. uno : this is Jacopo del Cassero of Fano, who had been
podesta of Bologna, and was appointed podesta of Milan by Maffeo
Visconti in 1298. When journeying thither, he was secretly
attacked and slain at Oriago in the neighbourhood of Padua by
assassins in the service of Azzo VIII of Este, who had a grudge
of long standing against him.
66. Pur che, &c. : ' provided that inability on your part cancels
not your goodwill.'
68, 69. quel paese, &c. : the March of Ancona, in which
217
PURGATORIO • [v. 70-88
Fano was situated. It lay between the Romagna to the NW.
and the kingdom of Naples to the S., the latter of which was
ruled at this time by Charles II of Anjou (quel di Carlo).
70-2. Che tu, &c. : 'that thou wilt graciously make request
for me, so that pious prayers may be offered on my behalf, that
I may be permitted to cleanse away my grievous sins,' i. e. to enter
Purgatory proper, in Fano : after his death his body was conveyed
to Fano, his birthplace.
74. in sul qual, &c. : ' which was the seat of my life,' of me
the soul ; cp. Gen. ix. 4, ' the life, which is the blood ' ; Levit.
xvii. II. *
75. in grembo agli Antenori : 'in the bosom (the very midst)
of the sons of Antenor,' i.e. the people of Padua. The spot was
traditionally well suited for such a deed, since Padua was said
to have been founded by the traitor Antenor : see note on Inf.
xxxii. 70. For the use of in grembo a, when a place is spoken
of, cp. Inf. xii. 119, 'in grembo a Dio,' of a church at Viterbo.
The expressions here introduced suggest that Dante believed the
Paduans to have been in league with Azzo.
76. piu sicuro : because it was outside the territory of Este.
78. pill 1^ che, &c. : ' beyond the limits of what justice
demanded.' This implies that Azzo had some just claims against
him ; in fact, Jacopo, when he was podesth of Bologna, had accused
Azzo of treachery.
79. la Mira : this village was on the high road between Oriago
and Venice. Had Jacopo followed this road, instead of diverging
into the fen country {al palude, 1. 82), he would have still been in the
land of the living (di Ik dove si spira).
82. al palude : cj^. Par. ix. 46, v/here palude is again used
masc.
85. un altro : this is Buonconte da Montefeltro, son of that
Guido di Montefeltro who is introduced in Inf. xxvii. among the
fraudulent counsellors. He fought on the side of the Ghibellines
of Arezzo, and was wounded, at the battle of Campaldino in 1289,
in which Dante was engaged on the Guelf side. He here describes
the manner of his death and what followed. His body was never
found, se, &c. : ' so may that desire of thine be fulfilled.'
88. fui : the past tense is used, because his title was a thing of
the past ; his personal name remains to him, and therefore is spoken
218
V. 89-114] PURGATORIO
of in the present tense (son); cp. Par. vi. lo, 'Cesare fui, e son
Giustiniano.*
89. Giovanna : his wife. Neither she nor any of his friends,
he says, prayed for him that he might be allowed to enter Purgatory
sooner. Here and in what follows Dante lays stress on every point \y
which enhances the feeling of desolation in Buonconte's story.
92. Campaldino : the battlefield of Campaldino is a small plain
on the left bank of the Arno, in the district of the Casentino, which
forms part of the upper valley of that river above Arezzo.
95, 96. r Archiano : this stream descends from the main chain
of the Apennines, and joins the Arno on its left bank, forming the
limit of the Casentino in that direction. Ermo : i.e. Eremo or
Hermitage, the name of the upper monastery of Camaldoli.
97. Dove, «&c. 'where its name of Archiano is lost in that
of Arno,' i. e. where it joins that stream. The distance of this
point from Campaldino is two miles and a half.
100. parola : lit. ' power of speech' ; 'the last word I uttered
was an invocation of Mary.*
103. tu il ridi* : his object in making this request was, that it
might be known that he was saved, and that thus he might obtain
the prayers of his friends; cp. 11. 87, 89.
104. L' Angel, &c. : the rival claims of the angel and the
devil for Buonconte's soul, as described in this passage, are the
counterpart of, but in strong contrast with, the contest between
St. Francis and the devil for the soul of his father Guido, as related
in Inf. xxvii. 112 foil.
106-8. r eterno : 'the immortal part.' io faro, &c. : 'with
the other (the mortal part) I will deal in other wise ' ; for govemo
meaning 'treatment' cp. Inf. xxvii. 47.
109— II. Ben sal, &c. : as Dante was on the spot during the
battle, he experienced this rain-storm and its effects, which he here
so elaborately describes. The account of the formation of rain is
from Aristotle, Meteor ol. i. 9. 3, crwiVrarat 7raA.1v r] arfjus ij/vxo/Jievrf
Bid re T7]v aTToAeti/^tv rov Oepixov kol tov tottov (the region of the air),
Kttt ytVerat vSwp c^ dipo^i^ yevo/xcvov Se ^eperat 7raA.tv Trpos
Tr]v yrjv.
1 1 2-4. Giunse, &c. : ' the devil (quel d' inferno, 1. 104) combined
the malign will, which desires naught but evil, with intelligence.'
This combination of malice and cunning is the most fruitful source
219
PURGATORIO [v. 113-36
of mischief, as Dante says — 'Che dove V argomento della mente
Si giunge al mal volere ed alia possa, Nessun riparo vi pud far la
gente,' Inf. xxxi. 55-7.
113, 114. fummo : 'vapour/ Per la virtu, &c. : 'by the
power (= /a possa of Inf. xxxi. 56) which his nature furnished.'
115, 116. la valle, &c. : the upper valley of the Arno is
bounded on the NE. by the main chain of the Apennines (al gran
giogo), and on the SW. by the parallel range of Prato Magno.
117, 118. e il ciel, &c. : 'and caused the sky above to be
so compressed, that the charged air turned to water.* Aristotle
explains in MeteoroL ii. 4. 14, that it was the compression exercised
by cold on the contents of the clouds which caused them to be too
dense for the clouds to hold them, so that they burst in torrents
of rain; see Moore, Studies, i. p. 301.
119, 120. fossati : 'watercourses.' non sofferse : 'did not
absorb.'
121, 122. E come, &c. : 'and when it met the great streams ' :
by ' it ' is meant the surplus water (cio che la terra non sofferse),
and the ' great streams ' are the Archiano and other tributaries of
the Arno, which are great in comparison of the 'watercourses.'
lo fiume real : the Arno ; so Villani says, when speaking of the
rivers of Tuscany (i. 43) — 'intra gh altri reale e maggiore si e il
nostro fiume d' Arno.'
124. in sulla foce : 'at its mouth,' i.e. where it joined the
Arno; cp. 11. 97, 98.
127-9. Ch' io fei di me : i. e. by crossing his arras, il dolor:
the agony of death, sua preda : ' its spoil,' i. e. the dSris which
its stream was hurrying along.
132. Seguito, &c. : 'so spake the third after the second spirit.'
133. la Pia : La Pia was a lady of Siena, and a member of
the Tolomei family. She was married to Nello dei Pannocchieschi,
and was put to death by him in 1295, but of the manner of her
death nothing is certainly known.
134. disfecemi Maremma : ' Maremma unmade me,' i.e. was
the scene of my death. The Maremma is the district which borders
the coast of Tuscany.
I35i 136. Salsi : for se lo sa^ 'he is privy to it,' i. e. to my
death, che innanellata pria, &c. : ' who previously (i. e. before
putting me to death) had placed his ring on my finger in matrimony
220
VI. 1-3] PURGATORIO
(disposando),* i. e. her husband Nello. There is good MS.
authority for the reading disposata (or disposato) in place of dis-
posando ; and the passage has then been translated — ' He knows
it who had wedded me with his ring after I had been previously-
married (innanellata pria)/ In support of this interpretation,
and of the reading which renders it necessary, it has been maintained
that La Pia's maiden name was Pia Guastelloni, and that she was
first married to Baldo dei Tolomei, and after his death became
the wife of Nello : but this account has been proved false by the
recent discovery in the Sienese archives of documents which show
that Pia Guastelloni was still alive, as the widow of Baldo, in 1 3 1 8 ;
see Toynbee, Dict.^ p. 428.
CANTO VI
Argument. — Dante is importuned by other spirits to request their
friends on earth to pray for them, that their time of waiting in Ante-
Purgatory may be shortened. Virgil now solves a doubt which had
arisen in Dante's mind concerning the efficacy of intercessory prayer,
but refers him to Beatrice for further instruction on that subject.
They next meet Sordello the troubadour, who, like Virgil, was
a native of Mantua ; and when the two spirits discover that they are
fellow-countrymen, they embrace affectionately. This display of
sympathy furnishes Dante with an opportunity of inveighing against
the want of patriotism in the Italian cities, and of dwelling on the
need of the exercise of the Imperial power to remedy their disorders.
Lines i— 12. Dante compares his position in the midst of the
spirits, who throng about him to solicit his good offices in obtaining
for them the intercession of their friends on earth, to that of the
winner in a game of dice, who is the object of the importunity
of the bystanders.
1-3. Quando, &c. : 'when the game of " hazard " breaks up,'
i. e. when the players disperse, zara : a game of chance, played
with three dice. The word is connected with Span. a%ar, Fr. hasard,
Engl. ha%ard, which signify ' chance ' or * risk,' and originally meant
* a die.' They are all derived from %dr or al %dr, which in Persian,
221
PURGATORIO [VI. 5-22
Turkish, and vulgar Arabic means 'a die.' Ripetendo, &c. : ' going
over the throws again, and moodily learns to profit by his experience.'
5. il prende : 'plucks at his robe.'
7-9. questo, &c. : ' gives heed first to one and then to another,'
so as to put them off. A cui, &c. : ' those to whom he proffers
a gift cease to crowd round him.' calca : ' throng ' ; cp, Purg.
xviii. 92.
13-5. All the persons who are now mentioned met violent or
sudden deaths, but repented of their sins at the last moment.
r Aretin : Benincasa of Arezzo, who in the capacity of judge
passed sentence of death on one or more relations of Ghino di
Tacco, a famous highwayman of that time. In revenge for this,
Ghino attacked and murdered Benincasa in open court at Rome,
where he was acting as Papal assessor. 1' altro : Guccio dei
Tarlati of Arezzo, a young man who was drowned in the Arno,
when in pursuit of some adherents of another Aretine family, the
Bostoli, with whom the Tarlati were at feud.
17. Federico Novello : he belonged to the family of the Conti
Guidi of Romena, and was killed by one of the Bostoli. quel da
Pisa : Farinata, son of Marzucco degli Scornigiani, a gentleman of Pisa
who was murdered. According to the most probable version of the
story here referred to, the courage of Marzucco consisted in his
self-control. He had before this joined the Franciscan Order, and
on the occasion of his son's death, instead of calling for vengeance
on his murderer, he expressed his willingness to be reconciled with
him. The epithet buon agrees with this.
19-21. Cent' Orso : his death was due to his relation Count
Alberto di Mangona. astio : 'hate.' inveggia : 'envy,' for
invUia ; the form here is derived from Provencal enveja : cp. inveg-
g'lare for invidiare^ Par. xii. 142. commisa : for commessa.
22. Pier dalla Broccia: Pierre de la Brosse, chamberlain of
Philip III of France. He was put to death in 1278 on a charge
of treason brought against him by his enemies, one of whom was
Philip's queen, Mary of Brabant, whom Pierre had previously
accused of having poisoned Philip's son by his first wife. On the
strength of Pierre's own statement (Come dicea, 1. 21) Dante
acquits him of the charge of treason (colpa commisa), as is shown
by his remarks on the queen which follow, provveggia : ' take
heed,' by repenting in time.
222
VI. 24-39] PURGATORIO
24. pero : ' because of (i. e. in retribution for) this.' di peggior
greggia : ' in a worse company/ i. e. among the perjurors in the
tenth holgia of Malebolgc.
26, 27. che pregar, &c. : 'whose only prayer was that another
should pray for them.' s' avacci : see note on Purg. iv. 116.
28. lo cominciai : Dante here begs Virgil to solve for him a
question which had arisen in his mind with regard to the efficacy
of prayer.
29. espresso: 'expressly/ 'in so many words.' in alcun
testo : ' in a certain passage ' ; this is one of Dante's methods of
quotation, as in Inf. xx. 113, ' L' alta mia Tragedia in alcun loco.'
When alcuno is thus used, it signifies something referred to but not
named. The passage here intended is Aen. vi. 376, ' Desine fata
deum flecti sperare precando.' It is not clear at first sight how the
question of the efficacy of prayer suggested itself to Dante's mind
in the present connexion, for there is nothing in what precedes
which directly leads up to it. It seems probable, however, that it
originated in two points of resemblance between the case of Palinurus,
which is about to be noticed, and those of the spirits in this group —
viz. (i) that he met a violent death, and (2) that owing to his being
unburied he had to wait for a period before crossing the Styx (Aen.
vi. 329), just as these spirits were delayed in entering Purgatory.
The story of Palinurus, which is thus suggested, leads him to reflect
on the sentiment, 'Desine fata,' &c., which occurs in the passage of
Virgil relating to it.
33. O non, &c. : it is noticeable that Dante does not even hint
at the possibility of Virgil having been himself in error. In a matter
of this sort he would regard him as having been to a certain extent
inspired.
37-9. Che cima, &c. : 'for the height of God's judgement is
not lowered (i. e. the strictness of God's judgement is not abated),
since the fervent love which is expressed by intercessory prayer
fulfils in a moment the satisfaction required from those who have
their abode here.' The question raised is — 'If God's justice is
absolute, how can it be tempered by pj-ayer ? ' The answer is —
' The absolute satisfaction which God's justice requires is given ;
for the love which is involved in the intercessory prayers is an
equivalent for the postponement of the soul's purgation which is
ordained by God's justice.
223
PURGATORIO [VI. 40-58
40-2. E 1^, &c. : 'and in that instance (i.e. the case of
Palinurus) where I laid down that principle (viz. ' Desine fata,' &c.),
that which was lacking was not made up for by means of prayer,
because the prayer could not reach the ears of God (being made
by one who, as a heathen, was not in covenant with God).*
Palinurus was helmsman to the ship of Aeneas, and was thrown
into the sea by the God of Sleep (Virg. Aen. v. 859) ; and when
he had swum to the shore of Italy he was murdered there by the
natives, and his body was left unburied {^en. vi. 359-62). When
Aeneas visited the infernal regions, he met the shade of Palinurus,
who entreated his aid to enable him to cross the Styx.
43-5. Veramente: 'nevertheless'; cp. Purg. ii. 98; Par. i.
10. a COS! alto, &c. : ' on so profound a question do not make
up your mind.' lume : Theology, which is represented in the
person of Beatrice, is the science which makes clear the highest
tmths to the intellect.
47, 48. in sulla vetta, &c. : i. e. in the Terrestrial Paradise,
which occupied the summit of the Mountain of Purgatory. It was
there that Beatrice revealed herself to Dante, Purg. xxx. 32.
ridere e felice: 'thou wilt see her smile, thou wilt see her
blissful ' ; there is a double construction of the infin. and the adj.
after vedrai.
49. a maggior fretta : the prospect of seeing Beatrice causes
Dante to lose his sense of fatigue, just as in Purg. xxvii. 40 foil, it
induces him to pass through the lire.
51. r ombra: the time is now afternoon, for in Purg. iv. 138
it was noon, and in vii. 43 evening is approaching ; consequently,
as they are on the eastern side, and the sun is declining toward the
west, the northern part of the mountain begins to be interposed
between them and the sun (1. 56), and for the same reason Dante's
body casts no shadow (1. 57).
54. il fatto, &c. : ' the state of the case is different from what you
imagine.' Dante underrated the amount of time required for the ascent.
55-7. Prima che, &c. : ' before you reach the summit, the sun
will have risen again.' romper : here used intrans.
58. un' anima : this is Sordello, the troubadour poet of Cent,
xiii. Of his life but little is known, except that he was at different
times a guest at the courts of many of the potentates of that period.
Since we find him in the part of the Ante-Purgatory which is
224
VI. 61-96] PURGATORIO
assigned to those who met a violent death, it seems probable that
this happened in his case ; and there was a tradition to that effect,
though the fact is not mentioned in history.
61—3. Lombarda : he is called so, because his birthplace was
Goito in the Mantuan territory, so that he was a native of Lombardy.
Come, &c. : ' how proud and disdainful was thy attitude.' tarda :
the characteristics here attributed to Sordello are very much those
of the Magnanimous man in Aristotle, Eth. Nic. iv. 3. 34.
72. tutta in se romita : ' breaking its reserve,' lit. 'from being
all recluse in itself.' This description of Sordello's attitude is
intended to give point by contrast to his eagerness to welcome
a countryman.
76. Ahi serva Italia : the love of their native place which is
displayed by Virgil and Sordello is employed by Dante as an occasion
(i) for denouncing the bitter and selfish party spirit which prevailed
in the Italian cities, and the insubordination and want of unity which
was found throughout the peninsula; and (2) for proclaiming the
recognition of the sovereign power of the Empire as the remedy
for these.
81. festa: ' glad welcome.'
82. non stanno, &c. : 'are not free from war.'
86. seno : as contrasted with the prode marine, this signifies the
interior of the country.
88-90. Che val, &c. : the meaning is : — ' What avails it that
Justinian by compiling his Code of law should have recast the
principles of right government, if there is no one at the head
of affairs to enforce those principles ? ' The question is further
discussed in Purg. xvi. 94 foil, perche: for this word used in
the sense of che, 'that,' cp. Inf. xiii. 57. Senz' esse: i.e. if
Justinian had not reformed the legislation.
91-3. Ahi gente, &c. : the persons here addressed are the same
as in Guarda (1. 94) and ponesti (1. 96), viz. the ecclesiastics,
whereas esta fiera (1. 94) means the people of Italy. It was the
duty of the ecclesiastics to attend to matters of religion (esser
devota), and to leave the direction of politics to the emperor
(lasciar seder, &c.). cio che, &c. : 'the appointment of God,*
viz. ' Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,' Mark xii. 17.
94-6. com' esta, &c. : ' how vicious this beast (the people) has
become.' Poi che, &c. : ' since ye ecclesiastics have put your hand
T02ER 225 Q
PURGATORTO [vi. 97-115
to the headstall,' i. e. have assumed the temporal power, predella
is the same word as Engl, 'bridle,' and is here used of the headstall
by which a horse is led; Blanc, Versuch^ ii. p. i8.
97. Alberto : son of Rudolf (// tuo padre ^ 1. 103), of the
Hapsburg family, emperor from 1298 to 1308; in the latter year
he was murdered. He paid no attention to the affairs of Italy.
loi, 102. il tuo sangue: 'thy Hfe'; a prediction of his
murder, from the point of view of 1300 a.d., the supposed date
of Dante's Vision, nuovo ed aperto : 'strange and manifest.'
il tuo successor : Henry of Luxemburg. The reference to
Albert's death shows that these lines were written after 1308,
while the warning addressed to Henry VII proves that they were
written before his death in 1 3 1 3 ; in fact, we might go further,
and say that, since 1. 102 implies that Henry was still hesitating
about coming into Italy, they were earlier than 13 10, when he
arrived. These inferences are of importance, as determining within
certain limits the date of composition of this part of the poem.
103-5. Che, &c. : 'for thou and thy father, diverted by your
greed of those transalpine lands (i. e. eagerness to acquire possessions
in Germany), have allowed that,' &c.
106, 107. Vieni: this word is repeated four times, at the
commencement of this and the following tercets, for the sake of
emphasis; see note on Inf. v. 100. Montecchi, &c. : the
Montagues and Capulets (to use the Shakespearian forms of the
names) were rival families in Verona ; the Monaldi and Filippeschi
were rival families, Guelf and Ghibelline respectively, in Orvieto.
Dante hoped that the feuds between them might be healed by the
coming of the Emperor.
108. tristi: 'in low estate,' owing to their feuds, con so-
spetti : ' mistrusting one another.'
109, no. pressura: 'distress'; cp. Luke xxi. 25 (Vulg.),
' pressura gentium,' ' distress of nations.' gentili : ' nobility.' lor
magagne : ' the wrongs which afflict them.'
III. Santafior : Santafiora was a district in the territory of
Siena, sicura : this is ironical. The misfortunes of the Counts
of Santafiora are alluded to. Oscura is also read here, but has less
MS. authority ; it would mean ' darkened by calamity.'
115. quanto s' ama : iron. ; 'how much love is lost between
them.'
226
VI. 117-44] PURGATORIO
117. A vergognar, &c. : ' come that you may feel ashamed for
your reputation,' i. e. by seeing and hearing the real state of the case.
118. Giove : Christ is meant; cp. Petrarch, In Vita, &c.,
Son. 188, 'o vivo Giove,' of God.
1 2 1-3. O e, &c. : * or is it a design of providence ... to serve
some good end, which is wholly excluded (lit. detached) from our
range of vision ? '
125, 126. un Marcel : i. e. a prominent demagogue in opposition
to the Empire. As the question of the Empire is here in Dante's
mind, he probably means the ' Marcellus loquax ' of Lucan, Phars.
i. 313, where Caesar mentions him as one of his bitterest opponents.
This M. Claudius Marcellus was consul in 5 1 b. c. Ogni villan,
&c. : * each peasant churl who plays the partisan ' (Longf.).
127-9. Fiorenza : the Poet here turns with bitter irony on his
native city, which, he says, was distinguished from the rest of Italy,
not by any superiority in practice, but by the loudness of her
professions, and by the fickleness with which she was continually
making changes in her administration, si argomenta : ' is so
very ready with pleas,' never wants an excuse.
130-2. Molti, &c. : the meaning is: — * Other peoples have
justice at heart, but they do not readily utter its name, lest it should
rise to their lips unadvisedly ; not so the Florentines.' The metaphor
from shooting in scocca and arco refers to letting fly 'winged
words.'
133-5. lo comune incarco : 'the burden of the common
weal,' i.e. public offices, &c. Senza chiamare: 'unbidden.'
lo mi sobbarco : ' I am girding myself for the task.' Benvenuto
says ' subarco idem est quod subcingo ' ; in Span, sohaco means
' armpit,' and soharcar is ' to draw the clothes up to the armpits ' ;
probably all these words are derived from a Low Lat. suhbrachium,
' armpit.'
138. S* io dico, &c. : ' the result proves clearly whether I speak
the truth or not ' : lo in nol is resumptive of S' io dico '1 ver.
140, 141. leggi : those of Solon and Lycurgus. civili:
* well-governed.' Fecero, &c. : ' gave but a feeble hint of good
administration.'
142-4. sottili : 'fine-spun.' a mezzo, &c. : 'the threads
you spin (i. e. the laws you establish) in October do not reach to
(do not continue in force till) the middle of November.'
227 Q 2
PURGATORIO [VI. 145— vii. 10
145-7. ^®1 tempo che rimembre : i. e. within the memory
of man. moneta : Philalethes suggests that this may refer to the
depreciation of the silver currency at Florence during Cent. xiii.
rinnovato membre: this signifies the alternate banishment and
recall of the members of different factions, membre for membra ;
cp. Inf. xxix. 51.
148. vedi lume : ' canst perceive the truth.'
151. scherma : lit. 'wards off'; 'tries to rid herself of pain
by shifting her position.'
CANTO VII
Argument. — Sordello discovers that the Mantuan whom he has
embraced is Virgil, and accordingly pays him respectful homage.
As the evening is drawing in, so that further ascent is impossible,
he conducts the Poets to a point overlooking a flowery valley, which
is occupied by the spirits of Princes, who owing to the cares of
government deferred their repentance until the end of their lives.
Among these are seen the emperor Rudolf, Philip III of France,
Peter III of Aragon, Charles I of Anjou, and Henry III of
England.
Line 3. si trasse: 'withdrew' from the embrace of Virgil.
4, 5. Prima che, &c. : 'before Purgatory existed,' i.e. before
the death of Christ, by which the way to eternal life was opened ;
until that happened there was no place for Purgatory, which was
preparatory for admission into heaven.
6. per Ottavian: 'by order of Octavianus (Augustus).' Dante's
authority for this statement seems to be Donatus' ' Life of Virgil,'
in which he is said to have been buried at Naples ' iussu Augusti.'
There are two versions of Donatus' ' Life,' one interpolated, the
other uninterpolated. Dante must have used the former, in which
these words occur, whereas they are not found in the uninterpolated
version. See Nettleship's y^n«V«/ Lives of Vergil^ pp. i, 17.
10. innanzi se : the introduction of the ten-syllable line here
and in the rhyming verses may possibly be explained as an adaptation
of sound to sense, the abrupt termination corresponding to the sudden
movement expressed by Sub'tta, 1. 11. See note on Inf. xxxi. 145.
228
vii. 15-51] PURGATORIO
15. ove, &c. : ' where an inferior clasps his superior ' : the feet
are meant ; cp. Purg. xxi. 1 30, where it is said of Statius, ' Gi^ si
chinava ad abbracciar li piedi Al mio Dottor/ In Latin ' vestigia
prensare ' is similarly used ; cp. also Matt, xxviii. 9, ' they came
and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.'
18. loco : Mantua.
21. d' inferno : this is suggested by Virgil's having said that
he had forfeited heaven, 11. 7, 8. chiostra : ' circle ' ; the word
is used in like manner of the bolge in Malebolge, Inf. xxix. 40.
24. Virtii del ciel : ' a heaven-sent influence,' viz. that of
Beatrice, the ' donna di virtii ' of Inf. ii. 76.
25, 26. per non far: i. e. ' per non aver fe,' 1. 8 ; cp. Inf. iv.
37, 38. L' alto Sol : the face of God.
28-30. Loco: Limbo. tenebre : Virgil is describing the
character of Limbo generally, not that of the part inhabited by the
illustrious spirits, which was bright. sospiri : cp. Inf. iv. 26,
' Non avea pianto, ma' che di sospiri.' The description here given
corresponds throughout to that passage.
33. esenti : freed from original sin by receiving baptism ;
Inf. iv. 35.
34. le tre, &c. : the Christian graces of faith, hope, and charity.
39. dritto inizio : 'its proper commencement,' i.e. the entrance
to Purgatory proper.
40. Loco certo, &c. : Sordello probably means, that he and
the rest of the class of spirits who were assigned to this part
of Ante-Purgatory might go where they liked within the limits
of that part. But there is also an imitation of Virg. ^en. vi. 673,
' Nulli certa domus.'
42. Per quanto, &c. : ' as far as I am allowed to go,' i. e. as
far as the gate of Purgatory, for as he was one of the Negligent
he was not allowed to enter.
46, 47. rimote: 'withdrawn ' ; the separate position allotted to
them is a tribute to their dignity, merro : for menero.
51. o non sarria, &c. : 'or would he not ascend, because
he would have no power to do so ? ' sarria is for saliria ; the
forms sarrb, sarrei from salire are also found, but sarria was
sufficiently unusual to be misunderstood, and from this arose the
reading non saria, which has about equal authority with that
in the text ; Moore, Text. Crii., p. 382.
229
PURGATORIO [VII. 52-74
52. frego : Mrew along,' so as to mark a line; it is the Lat.
fricare. Similarly in Inf. xvi. '^'^fregare means 'to trail.'
55-7. briga: 'impediment.' col non peter, &c. : 'hampers
the will by want of power.'
58-60. con lei : ' during the dark hours.' The allegorical
meaning of the passage is, that when the soul of man is not illuminated
by heavenly grace it cannot rise, but it may fall back or spend itself
in wandering. Mentre che, &c. : ' while the horizon excludes the
day,' i. e. while the sun is below the horizon: allegorically, 'until
the Sun of Righteousness once more arises.'
65, 66. scemo : ' hollowed.' quici : in the world of the living.
68. grembo : lit. ' lap,' ' hollow ' ; ' where the hillside retires ' ;
cp. seno, 1. 76, and Lat. sinus in the same sense.
70, 71. Tra erto e piano: 'between steep and level,' i.e.
neither quite steep nor quite level, sghembo : ' winding ' ; perhaps
from Lat. scambus, ' bow-legged.' in fianco della lacca : ' to
the side of the dell.' For lacca = ' hollow ' see note on Inf. vii. 16.
72. L^ dove, &c. : ' where the rim (of the valley) is diminished
to less than half its (average) depth.' The lembo is the slope
between the path and the place where the princes were seated ; and
this, as we learn from Purg. viii. 46, was here only three paces
downwards. This was the reason why they stopped at this point.
From the expression 'la picciola vallea' in Purg. viii. 98 we may
infer that the place was a mere nook in the hillside.
73 foil. The Flowery Valley or Valletta del Pr'incipi is, occupied
by the fourth class of spirits in Ante-Purgatory, viz. those of Princes
who had been negligent during their lifetime owing to the pressure of
public cares in governing their kingdoms. The description of the
Valley, together with the approach to it, and the mighty shades who
occupy it, was probably suggested by Virg. Aen. vi. 675—81 ; but
as the flowers and other agreeable surroundings are nowhere spoken
of by Dante as being a source of present enjoyment to the Princes,
we may infer that they are intended to have an allegorical significance —
which is, to symbolize the splendour and worldly enjoyments of the
life of monarchs. See further on this subject in note on Purg. viii. 25.
73. cocco : ' cochineal,' the material used for producing a scarlet
colour, biacca : ' white lead ' ; the colour here intended is 'pearly-
white,* as distinguished from the brilliant white of argento fino.
74. Indico legno, &c. : ' Indian wood with clear harmonious
230
VII. 75-91] PURGATORIO
tints ' ; what is meant is probably some brown wood which took
a fine polish. No evidence seems to be forthcoming of such a wood
having been imported into Italy from India at that time, but this
does not necessarily disprove it. There is much, however, to be
said for punctuating Indico, legno lucido e serene, in which case
Indico will mean indigo, and legno lucido e sereno a polished
brown wood ; the introduction of blue through the mention of indigo
makes the enumeration of colours more complete.
75. Fresco: 'clear,' 'undimmed,' as the emerald is 'at the
moment when it is broken or flaked ' ; it becomes dull in colour
from exposure.
76. Dair erba : ' in contrast with (lit. by the side of) the grass.'
79-81. pur : take with dipinto : ' Nature had not merely used
colour, but fragrance also/ un incognito, &c. : ' a perfume all
unknown and subtly blended.'
82. Salve Regina: this is the beginning of the Compline
Hymn to the Virgin, which is suitable here, both because of its
being sung towards nightfall, and because of the reference made in it
to the soul being in exile in the Valley of Tears, as the occupants
of the Valletta were excluded from Purgatory. In the hymn
beginning 'Salve nobilis regina,' which is known as 'Salve Regina'
(Mone, Hymni Latini Medii Jlcvi^ vol. 2. No. 489), are the lines —
' In hac valle lacrimarum Nos gementes dirige' (11. 33, 34).
84. per la valle : ' owing to the concavity of the valley.'
86. volti: 'directed,' 'conducted'; cp. Purg. xxii. 2.
88-90. balzo : 'ridge'; cp. Purg. iv. 47. Che nella lama,
&c. : ' than if you were received among them in the level below ' ;
for lama cp. Inf. xx. 79.
91 foil. It has already been mentioned in note to Purg. vi. 58,
that Sordello had been an inmate of numerous European courts ;
and it is probably for this reason, as Benvenuto suggests, that Dante
has assigned to him the office of pointing out and naming the
potentates who are here seated in the Flowery Valley. This vtew
is confirmed by the mention in one of Sordello's most famous poems
— the lament on the death of Blacatz (No. 5 in De Lollis, Vita e
poesie dr Sordello) — of several of those whom Dante here introduces.
As regards the remarks on the looks and attitudes of the Princes,
which Dante puts into his mouth, it is noticeable that they are
represented as showing regret rather for their faults in administra-
231
PURGATORIO [VII. 91-105
tion, or for the shortcomings of their successors, than for their own
neglect of religion. In doing this, Dante was availing himself of an
opportunity for criticizing the politics of the time.
91. pit! sied' alto : this was his right in the character of emperor.
fa sembianti : ' has the look.'
94, 95. Ridolfo : the emperor Rudolf, father of the emperor
Albert ('il tuo padre,' Purg. vi. 103); they were 'Per cupidigia di
costa distretti,' ibid. 1. 104. hanno . . . morta : 'have slain';
cp. Par. xvi. 137.
96. Si che tardi, &c. : ' so that its recovery by another tarries
long,' i. e. is late in coming, altri is sing., and refers to Henry
of Luxemburg, whose possible advent is here anticipated by Dante.
That the meaning of tardi is that here given — and not ' too late,'
with reference to the failure of that Emperor's attempt to establish
the imperial power in Italy in consequence of his death — is proved
by Purg. vi. 102, in which passage it is implied that this part of the
poem was written during Henry's lifetime.
97-9. nella vista : i. e. to judge from his look of sympathy,
lit. 'as you may see in his looks'; cp. Purg. i. 79. la terra:
Bohemia. The clauses which follow afford an instance of Dante's
fondness for geographical detail, especially in respect of rivers.
Instead of naming Bohemia, he mentions the Moldau (Molta),
which rises in it, and then traces the course of that stream, and that
of the Elbe (Albia), of which it is a tributary.
100-2. Ottacchero : Ottocar II, king of Bohemia. He was
killed in battle, when fighting against the emperor Rudolf in 1278.
nelle fasce : ' he in the swaddling clothes was superior to his son
when a grown man (barbuto).' Vincislao : Wenceslaus IV ;
he was no warrior, and was at once devout and licentious. Dante
attributes the same character to him in Par. xix. 125.
103-5. quel Nasetto : 'he of the small nose'; this describes
Philip the Bold of France (reigned 1 270-1 285): Witte (Notes
to Germ. Trans., p. 155) remarks on this feature as appearing on
his effigy at Narbonne. He invaded Catalonia in a war with
Peter III of Aragon, but was forced to retreat, and died at
Perpignan. stretto a consiglio : ' earnestly conversing.' • colui :
Henry the Fat of Navarre ; his character in history seems not to
have corresponded to his benigno aspetto. disfiorando il giglio :
' dishonouring t\\ejlcur-de-lys ' on the banner of France.
232
VII. 109-29] PURGATORIO
109. mal di Francia : Philip the Fair, son of Philip the Bold,
who married the daughter of Henry of Navarre. In Dante's eyes
his greatest offences were the transference of the seat of the Papacy
to Avignon (Purg. xxxiii. 45), and his sacrilegious treatment of
Boniface VIII (Purg. xx. 86, 91).
1 1 2-4. membruto : 'large of limb'; this is Peter III of
Aragon, who after the Sicilian Vespers won the kingdom of Sicily
from Charles I of Anjou (colui del maschio naso). S' accorda,
&c. : * sings (the " Salve Regina ") in harmony with ' ; this is
introduced to show that after death those who before were enemies
are perfectly reconciled. The case was the same as regards
Rudolf and Ottocar above. maschio naso : Villani (vii. i )
describes Charles of Anjou as ' con grande naso.' D* ogni, &c. :
' wore round his loins the girdle of all worth ' ; the metaphor is a
common one in Scripture, e.g. Ps. Ixv. 6, 'girded about with
power.'
116, 117. Lo giovinetto : Alfonso, eldest son and successor
of Peter III, who died early, andava : ' would have passed ' ; on
the irregular sequence of the indie, after se fosse see note on Inf. xxix.
38. valor: 'worth,' 'good qualities.' vaso : 'possessor,' lit.
' vessel,' ' receptacle.'
118. erede: in O. Ital. the sing, ereda and plur. erede are found,
and they are fem., the word being regarded as an abstract subst.,
Y\\ie guida, scorta^ &c. ; cp. Par. xi. 112.
1 19, 1 20. Jacomo e Federico : James succeeded on his father's
death to the throne of Sicily ; when he became king of Aragon on
the death of Alfonso in 1 291, he ceded the government of Sicily
to his brother Frederic. Del retaggio, &c. : ' neither of them
possesses aught of the better heritage,' i. e. of their father's virtues.
1 2 1-3. risurge per li rami: 'passes from father to son.'
perche, &c. : ' in order that it may be regarded as His gift.'
124-6. Anche, &c. : 'my remarks on the degeneracy of sons
apply also in the case of Charles of Anjou {colui del maschio naso,
1. 113), as well as to Peter of Aragon, who is singing with him.'
Onde, &c. : i. e. in consequence of the misgovernment of his son,
Charles II of Anjou, who was king of Naples and Count of
Provence, those countries suffer.
127-9. Tant' e, &c. : 'the plant (Charles II) is as inferior to
the seed from which it sprang (i. e. his father, Charles I), as
233
PURGATORIO [vii. 130-35
Constance (wife of Peter of Aragon) more than Beatrice and
Margaret (the wives of Charles I of Anjou and his brother
Louis IX of France), still prides herself on her husband.* The
meaning of the passage is : — Charles II is as inferior to Charles I,
as Charles I and his brother Louis are to Peter III. The deprecia-
tion of St. Louis which this implies is of a part with Dante's silence
with regard to him throughout the whole poem, especially in the
Paradiso, where we should certainly have expected him to be
mentioned. The Beatrice and Margaret who are here spoken of
were sisters, being the daughters of Raymond Berenger. ancor :
this means, that she still cherished his memory, though he had been
dead fifteen years — since 1285. She did not die herself till 1302,
and consequently was alive at the time which Dante assigns to his
Vision.
130-2. semplice: Villani also (v. 4) says of Henry III, 'fu
semplice uomo e di buona fe.* solo : as being of a remote race and
country; the same thing is said of Saladin (Inf. iv. 129) and of.
Guy of Montfort (Inf. xii. 1 1 8). migliore uscita : Edward I.
133. piii basso: 'in a lower place than the others'; this was
on account of his inferior dignity, just as the emperor Rudolf occupies
the highest position in virtue of his office.
134. in suso : probably in devotion. Guglielmo Marchese :
William, surnamed Spadalunga, marquis of Monferrat and Canavese,
districts of what is now Piedmont. In 1290 he marched against
Alessandria, the people of which place had risen against him, but he
was made prisoner by them and died in captivity.
135. Per cui : ' on whose account.' His son Giovanni advanced
against Alessandria to avenge his death, but ended by losing part of
his dominions. Hence Monferrat and Canavese are here spoken
of as lamenting their losses in the war with Alessandria.
CANTO VIII
Argument. — As nightfall approaches, the spirits show signs of
suspense and fear, and two angels, who descend from above, station
themselves on commanding points on either side of the valley.
Sordello conducts the Poets into the company of the Princes, among
whom Dante finds his friend Nino Visconti, and converses with
234
VIII. i-2i] PURGATORIO
him. A serpent is now seen to enter the valley with the view of
assailing its occupants, but is repulsed by the angels, whose office
it is to guard them. At the close of this incident Dante is
addressed by Conrad Malaspina, who intimates to him in veiled
language that ere long he will avail himself of the hospitality for
which the Malaspina family is famous.
Line i. 1' ora: the evening hour, just after sunset. It is the
evening of Easter Sunday, April lo. volge : 'turns homeward.'
4, 5. lo nuovo peregrin : the pleasure felt by the traveller in
returning homeward, which is the converse feeling to that which is
expressed here, is described by Dante in Purg. xxvii. 109-11, and
is there assigned to the morning hour, squilla : the Angelus bell
sounding for the jive Maria at the Compline Office. The word
squilla was specially applied to the Ave Maria bell, both morning
and evening ; see Vocab. Tramater.
7, 8. a render vano L* udire : ' to hear no longer ' ; render
vano is 'to bring to an end,' as 'diventa vano' (Purg. v. 97) is
' comes to an end.' He ceased to listen to Sordello speaking or to
any other sound, all his senses being absorbed in the sight which
presented itself.
12. non calme: for non mi cale: cp. Purg. xxx. 135, 'a lui ne
calse.' The feeling implied in these words is that expressed in
Ps. Ixxiii. 25, 'Whom have I in heaven but thee,' &c.
13-5. Te lucis ante: the Compline hymn, ' Te lucis ante
terminum, Rerum Creator, poscimus, Ut pro tua dementia Sis
praesul et custodia ' ; this is familiar in English as the evening hymn,
'Before the ending of the day,' &c. uscir di mente : the state
of feeling here described is that expressed by our word ' rapture.'
1 8. supemerote: ' celestial spheres.'
19. Aguzza, &c. : 'look keenly here. Reader, to perceive the
truth.* When Dante appeals in this manner to his readers, hei
intends to intimate that the allegory is one to which he attaches
especial importance; cp. Inf. ix. 61-3.
20. 2 1. il velo, &c. : 'verily the veil of allegory in this case is
so fine-spun, that it is easy to penetrate the mystery.' Dante
intends to say, that this is a typical instance of clear allegorical
meaning. ' Know ye not this parable ? and how then will ye know
all parables?' These lines have often been interpreted to mean,
235
PURGATORIO [viii. 24-29
that attention was required because of the difficulty of the allegory,
which rendered it an easy matter to miss the true meaning; but
Philalethes well remarks that the words velo sottile and tra-
passar dentro are hard to reconcile with such a view.
24. pallido : from the expectation of an object of fear, umile:
pronounced umile. Dante elsewhere admits this pronunciation of
the word in rhyme; cp. Canzoniere; Ballata, No. 8, 1. 7, ' Un
angiolel d' amore tutto umile'; No. 10, 1. 13, 'Par ch' ella dica :
lo non sard umile*; Vita Nuo'va, § 21, 1. 17 ; § 22, 1. 68.
25 foil. Two angels bearing drawn swords now descend, and
take up their position at points overlooking the valley on either side
(11. 25-42). Presently a serpent enters the valley from its outer
slope, and approaches the spirits, but is put to flight by the angels
(II. 94—108). Allegorically interpreted, the serpent represents
temptation (cp. 1. 99, 'the serpent that tempted Eve'), and the
angels are the heavenly influences which succour the tempted ; the
place (the Flowery Valley) signifies the splendour of kingly courts,
and the time (nightfall) suggests a special time of temptation, in
which way night is regarded in Scripture and in the services of the
Church, e. g. in the prayer ' Lighten our darkness,' &c. Thus the
whole occurrence becomes a periodical rehearsal before the Princes
of their experiences in life — the grandeur of their state, the tempta-
tions to which they were exposed, and their deliverances from them.
It is an acted parable, resembling a scene in a drama, only much
more vivid and real. The fear which the spirits feel while it passes
before them does not arise from any actual di*ead of temptation, but
is like the shudder which comes over us at the recollection of
a terrible experience. There is no reason for supposing that in
Ante-Purgatory, any more than in Purgatory itself, there was any
liability to temptation ; throughout the whole poem the power to
commit sins, and consequently probation, is regarded as coming
to an end with death. The ideas introduced — a paradise, a tempter
in the form of a serpent, and angels armed with flaming swords —
are, no doubt, borrowed and adapted from the history of the Fall.
27. Tronche: probably to show that they were not to be used
for attack, but only for defence.
28, 29. Verdi: the colour of hope, che: percosse shows that
this is plur., and consequently its antecedent veste must be plur.
from vesta.
236
VIII. 34-72] PURGATORIO
34-6. la testa bionda, &c. : the description of the angels
corresponds to that of our Lord in Rev. i. 14, 16, * His head and
his hairs were white like wool . . . and his countenance was as
the sun shineth in his strength.' Come virtu, &c. : * like a faculty
overpowered.'
37-9. del grembo di Maria: the Blessed Virgin represents
God's prevenient grace ; cp. Inf. ii. 94 ; Purg. xxvi. 59. via
via : ' instantly.'
40-2. per qual calle: 'by what route the serpent would come.'
spalle : of Virgil.
43. anco : ' recommencing.'
51. Non dichiarisse : 'that the atmosphere failed to reveal
what previously (owing to the distance) it concealed.'
53. Giudice Nin : Nino Visconti of Pisa, nephew of Count
Ugolino (Inf. xxxiii. 13), was governor or judge of Gallura in
Sardinia, the north-eastern of the four provinces into which that
island was divided when it belonged to the Pisans. His nefarious
vice-gerent, Frate Gomita, is mentioned in Inf. xxii. 81.
55. si tacque : ' was left unsaid.'
57. le lontane acque: i.e. those which intervened between the
mouth of the Tiber and the Mountain of Purgatory ; cp. Purg. ii.
100-3. Nino supposes Dante to be a spirit.
58-60. per entro, &c. : ' by way of the abodes of woe I arrived
this morning.' Ancor che, &c. : ' though by this journey I am
winning the other (the future) life'; cp. Purg. i. 61—3.
62. Sordello : as Dante had not been in sunlight since Sordello
had joined them (Purg. vi. 57), he had not cast a shadow, which was
the evidence by which his mortal body was discovered in Purgatory.
65, 66. Corrado : see note on 1. 118. volse : for voile \ cp.
Inf. ii. 118.
67-9. Per quel, &c. : 'I pray thee by that special gratitude
which thou owest.' grado from Lat. gratus. prime perche:
'primary motive,' 'first cause of action.' non gli ^ guado : 'it
cannot be forded,' lit. ' there is no ford there ' ; it is too profound
for the human intellect to divine it. gli = 1;/ ; cp. Purg. xiii. 7.
70-2. larghe onde : the space of sea between the Mountain of
Purgatory and the habitable earth. Giovanna : his daughter. She
was still a girl ; this explains innocenti. chiami : 'make supplica-
tions in that quarter (L^),' i.e. to heaven.
237
PURGATORIO [viii. 73-97
73, 74. la sua madre: her maiden name was Beatrice d' Este,
and after Nino's death she married Galeazzo Visconti of Milan.
As her second marriage took place on June 24, 1300, it has been
thought that Dante here fails to observe the date which he assigns
to his Vision, viz. Easter, 1300, because the event mentioned was
subsequent to this, and therefore could only be introduced in the
form of a prophecy. But when Dante speaks of her ' putting off
her widow's weeds' (trasmuto le bianche bende), he is pro-
bably referring, not to the time of her marriage, but to that of her
betrothal ; and this would have taken place some little time before.
75. miser a : Galeazzo, two years after he married her, was ex-
pelled from Milan, and forced to live in Tuscany as a refugee.
ancor : 'hereafter'; cp. Par. xiv. 107.
79-81. Non le fara, &c. : the meaning is : — ' The viper on the
escutcheon of the Visconti of Milan will not show so well on her
tomb (lit. will not make for her so fair a burial-place) as the cock
on the escutcheon of the Visconti of Pisa would have done.' ac-
campa : ' brings into the field,' ' marshals ' ; and so, * under which
they serve.' il gallo di Gallura : this describes the crest of the
Pisan Visconti, because Gallura in Sardinia was said to have derived
its name from it.
83, 84. dritto : ' righteous,' because not in excess (misurata-
mente).
86, 87. 1^ dove, &c. : 'where the stars revolve more slowly,'
i. e. near the pole ; here the south pole is meant (// J>oIo di qua,
1. 90). stelo : 'the axle.'
89. tre facelle : these stars symbolize the three Christian or
theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, just as the four stars
of 1. 91 are the four cardinal virtues; see note on Purg. i. 23.
These three stars are not identified with any constellation, and
therefore there is the less reason for identifying the four stars with
one.
92. di 1^ : 'yonder,' i.e. beyond the meridian; in the West.
The three stars now become more conspicuous than the four, because
we are approaching Purgatory proper, where the theological virtues
are more prominent than the cardinal.
94. e : 'thereupon' ; see note on Inf. xxv. 34.
97. onde : ' on which.' riparo : ' defence ' ; it is the Engl,
word ' rampart.' The valley was open on the lower side towards
238
VIII. I03-35] PURGATORIO
the slope of the hill. The allegorical meaning here is, that tempta-
tion assails us on the undefended side ; and also, worldly pomp, as
symbolized by the flowers (1. lOo), is its natural field of operation.
103-5. lo non vidi, &c. : allegorically — the first motions of
God's helping grace in our souls are not perceived ; we only discover
its influence when it is working within us.
106. alle : a is used because the infin. is preceded by a verb of
perception; cp. Par. xviii. 108.
109, no. L' ombra, &c. : 'the shade of Conrad, which had
approached Nino, when he called to him' ; see 11. 64-6.
1 1 2-4. Se la lucema, &c. : * so may the lamp (the illumina-
tive grace of God) which leadeth thee on high find in thy free will so
much wax (so much material to feed its flame) as is required for thee
to reach the enamelled summit.' smalto, ' enamel,' is here used of
the flowery meads of the Terrestrial Paradise, which occupied the
summit of the Mountain of Purgatory; cp. Inf. iv. n8, where
iierde smalto is used for the verdure of the abode of the heroic souls
in Limbo.
116. Valdimacra : a district of the Lunigiana (at the foot of
the Apennines behind Spezia), which was ruled by the Malaspina
family; cp. Inf. xxiv. 145.
118, 119. Corrado Malaspina: he was grandson of Conrad I,
the founder of the family (1' antico).
1 20. A' miei, &c. : ' I expended on my family that love, which
here in Purgatoiy is purified and devoted to God.'
122. Giammai non fui : Dante is speaking from the point of
view of 1300 A. D. He was in Lunigiana under the patronage of
the Malaspina in 1306, and their hospitable treatment of him no
doubt prompted the panegyric which follows.
125. grida : 'proclaims,' ' celebrates.'
127-9. s* ^o» <^c. : ' so may I reach the Terrestrial Paradise' ;
for di sopra in this meaning cp. Purg. vi. 47. non si sfregia, &c. :
' forfeits not the meed of honour for generosity and valour ' ; si
sfregia, lit. ' deprives itself of ornament.'
130, 131. privilegia : both here and in 1. 62 above there is a
sing, verb with two subjects, perche, &c. : ' notwithstanding that
the world is misguided by its guilty head ' ; the worldly popes and
Boniface VIII in particular are here meant; cp. Purg. xvi. 100-5.
133-5. il sol, &c. : 'the sun shall not rest seven times on the
239
PURGATORIO [viii. 136— ix. i
bed which the Ram covers and bestrides with all his four feet ' : —
in other words, ' The sun shall not be seven times in Aries, in
which it is now ' (it being the vernal equinox) ; i. e. seven years
shall not pass from the present time. The reference is to Dante's
residence among them in 1306. letto, &c. : the space of the
heavens covered by the constellation of Aries.
136-8. Che cotesta, &c. : * ere this favourable view will be
imprinted on your mind, not as now by the testimony of others, but
by the force of your own personal experience.'
139. Se corso, &c. : 'if God arrests not the course of his
judgements ' ; i. e. ' if He carries out what in His providence He
has decreed.'
CANTO IX
Argument. — Dante falls asleep, and while he is still unconscious
and dreaming, is carried by St. Lucy, his patron saint, to the
neighbourhood of the entrance of Purgatory proper. In front
of the gate of this are three stone steps of different colours, and
above the highest of them an angel is seated, who, when he hears
that the Poets have come under heavenly guidance, first inscribes the
letter P seven times on Dante's forehead, and then opens the gate
with two keys, one golden and the other silver, and gives him and
Virgil admittance.
Line i. La concubina, &c. : ' The concubine of Tithonus old '
is the Lunar Aurora, i. e. the lightening of the eastern sky which
precedes the rising of the moon. Dante has transferred Tithonus
from the period before sunrise, with which he is usually associated
in fable, to the period before moonrise ; and, while regarding the
Solar Aurora as his true wife, he treats the Lunar Aurora, since
she occupies an inferior position, as his concubine. The time
which is thus described is about 8.45 p.m., for the moon three
nights after the full, which it was now supposed to be, would rise
about 9. p.m. ; see Moore, Time-Re/.^ p. 86. Titone : this form
instead of Titono is used also by Petrarch, Trionfo della Morte, ii. 5 ;
and may be paralleled in Dante by such forms as pome for porno,
Purg. xxvii. 45.
240
IX. 2-9] PURGATORIO
2. s* imbiancava : * was gathering light ' ; the Lunar Aurora
was beginning to appear, balco : ' balcony ' ; from this she was
supposed to be looking forth; cp. Tasso, Ger. Lib. ix. 74. i, 2,
* L' Aurora intanto il bel purpureo volto Gia dimostrava dal sovran
balcone.' Others read (not so well) baho, giving that word the
sense of ' terrace.*
3. Fuor dalle braccia : * leaving the embraces ' of Tithonus.
4. Di gemme, &c. : i. e. a bright constellation was shining just
above where the light appeared.
5. 6. freddo animale : the constellation of Scorpio. That the
animal here intended is the scorpion is shown by the next line, for
that reptile strikes with its tail, which cannot be said of any other
animal represented among the constellations. Dante was probably
thinking of Ovid, Met. xv. 371, * Scorpius exibit caudaque minabitur
unca.' The epithet freddo is applied elsewhere in Italian poetry
to the scorpion ; see the instances given by Moore, op. cit., p. 83 ;
it probably refers to the effect of the poison, as Brunetto Latini says
{Tesoro, Bk. v. Ch. i), when speaking of serpents, 'Tutti i veneni
sono freddi.' The determination of this point is of the first importance
for the interpretation of the passage, for the moon would be within
the sign of the Scorpion at the time of night given above ; and this
corroborates the view that La concubina, &c., is the Lunar Aurora ;
Moore, p. 86.
7. de' passi, &c. ; ^ the steps by which night rises ' can hardly
be anything else than the hours between sunset and midnight ; sale
naturally refers to the first half of the night. If passi is taken, as
it is by some, of the four tvatches of the night, the force of sale
is lost, because in that case it must apply to the whole night.
8. nel loco ov' eravamo : i. e. in Purgatory ; cp. Purg. ii. 8,
* L^ dove io era.'
9. E il terzo, &c. : i. e. the third hour had passed its middle ; it
was more than two hours and a half after sunset. This at the equinox
would correspond to 8.45 p.m. The view here maintained, that the
time which Dante intends in the whole of the above passage is
early night, and that 11. 1—3 describe the approach of moonrise,
is that which has been generally adopted from the earliest times ;
Moore, p. 85. The other view, which also finds its advocates,
that dawn in the ordinary acceptation of the word is meant, seems
to be excluded from consideration by the interpretation of the freddo
TOZBR 241 R
PURGATORIO [IX. 10-27
animale and the passi which has just been given. Scartazzini's
reading Titan for Titone has very little in its favour.
10-2. quel d' Adamo : the burden of the flesh; cp. Purg. xi.
44. This is said in contrast to the condition of the spirits, who
could feel no fatigue, cinque : viz. Nino and Conrad, in addition
to Dante, Virgil, and Sordello.
15. primi guai : * its early sorrows'; the allusion is to the
tragic story of Tereus, Philomela, and Procne. According to
the version of the legend which is commonly found in the Latin
poets, Philomela was changed into a nightingale and Procne into
a swallow, while according to that which prevailed among Greek
writers, Philomela became a swallow and Procne a nightingale.
Dante follows the latter of these, for the sorrows of the swallow
which are here spoken of are the sufferings of Philomela, and in
Purg. xvii. 19, 20 he identifies Procne with the nightingale.
17, 18. e men, &c. : 'and less captive to its (worldly) imagina-
tions.' Alle sue, &c. : lit. ' is almost gifted with the power of
divination (i. e. is almost prophetic) in respect of its visions.' The
idea that morning dreams are true is a familiar one ; cp. Inf. xxvi. 7,
' presso al mattin il ver si sogna.'
1 9. In sogno : Dante has a dream on each of the three nights
which he sj^ent on the Mountain of Purgatory ; the second is that
of the Siren in xix. 1—33, the third that of Leah in xxvii. 94—108.
Each takes place immediately before dawn ; and each begins with
the words ' Nell' ora,' and in connexion with this some feature
of the morning hour is noticed. In every case, also, the dream
is symbolical of something that follows in the narrative : the present
dream symbolizes Dante's being transported to the gate of Purgatory
by the aid of Lucia.
22-4. Ed esser, &c. : 'and methought I was at the place
where,' &c., i. e. on the summit of the Trojan Ida, where Ganymede,
son of one of the kings of Troy, was carried off by the eagle
of Zeus, when he was hunting there: see Virg. jieti. v. 252-7;
Ov. Met. x. 155-61. sommo consistoro : the 'supreme con-
sistory ' was the conclave of the Gods, where Ganymede became
cupbearer.
25-7. Forse, &c. : Dante thus explains to himself in his dream
how it came to pass that Ida was the scene of what happened to
him. ' Maybe the eagle strikes its prey only in this place front
242
IX. 2S-62] PURGATORIO
habit (or association),' because it had done so before in the case
of Ganymede, in piede : ' in its olaws.'
28-30. roteata: 'after wheeling.' foco : the region of fire,
which according to Dante's system intervened between our atmo-
sphere and the moon ; Par. i. 79 foil.
33. convenne che, &c. : * my slumber of necessity was broken.'
34. Achille : the story of Achilles awaking in the island of
Scyros, whither his mother Thetis had carried him from his tutor
Chiron on Mount Pelion, is taken from Statius, ylchill. i. 247 foil.
39. li Greci : Ulysses and Diomede, who on behalf of the
Greeks — since it was fated that Troy could not be taken without
the help of Achilles — went to Scyros, and persuaded him to leave
the island; cp. Inf. xxvi. 61, 62.
40-2. si come : 'just as,' ' at the moment when.' spaventato :
the cause of Dante's fear was the changed circumstances in the
midst of which he woke. These changes were (i) the absence of
three of his escort (1. 43) ; (2) the time that had elapsed (1. 44) ;
(3) the place in which he was (1. 45).
43, 44. solo : the three other spirits, since they could not yet
enter Purgatory, had remained behind, il sole, &c. : the time is
now about 8 a.m.
48. Non stringer, &c. : ' do not draw in, but put out, all your
force.'
50, 51. balzo: 'rampart of rocks.' 1^, &c. : 'at the point
where there seems to be a break in the encircling rocks.'
52-4. Dianzi: 'just now.' dentro : ' within thee.' eadomo:
' the place is adorned ' ; for the omission of the subst. cp. Purg. x.
79; xiv. 94.
55. Lucia : his patron saint, who comes to his aid here, as she
had done at the former great crisis of his life ; see notes on Inf. ii.
97, 98. The illuminative grace of God, which she represents,
enables Dante to approach Purgatory and read its lessons aright.
58, 59. I'altre: Nino and Conrad, forme: 'spirits'; this is
the Scholastic use of the word, the spirit being the ' form ' or essential
part of man ; cp. Par. iv. 54. come : ' as soon as.' chiaro :
even Lucia is bound by the rule of Purgatory, that nothing can be
done during the night.
62. Gli occhi suoi belli : the story of St. Lucy having plucked
out her eyes lest they should cause the ruin of a young man who was
243 R a
PURGATORIO [IX. 68-99
enamoured of them, and of their being miraculously restored to her,
is given in Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art^ vol. 2, pp. 615—7.
entrata : the passage through the cliff leading to the gate ; cp. 1. 51.
68. lo balzo : cp. 1. 50.
70-2. innalzo, &c. : the description of the steps which lead to
the gate of Purgatory, and of everything connected with Dante's
reception there, is highly symbolical, and is expressed in corre-
spondingly elaborate ideas and language. rincalzo : 'fortify,* lit.
' prop.'
73-6. eravamo, &c. : 'our position (point of view) was such
that I saw.' fesso, &c. : ' a rift broken through a wall ' ; the con-
fined passage corresponds to the ' strait gate ' and ' narrow way
which leadeth unto life.'
78. un portier: the angel who is thus described is the
Guardian of the gate of Purgatory. He symbolizes the power of
absolution possessed by the Church (1. 117), and by implication the
office of the priest-confessor, whose functions are dwelt on in
11. 1 2 1-9.
86. la scorta : ' your escort ' ; the angel implies, by asking this
question, that he knew that Dante and Virgil were not spirits destined
for Purgatory, and that therefore he expected them to be under some
special guidance.
88. Donna: Lucia, 11. 61, 62.
94-102. The three steps in front of the gate of Purgatory re-
present the three stages of penitence. The interpretation of their
symbolism which best corresponds to the features that Dante assigns
to them is, that the first, with its white colour and mirror-like
surface, signifies candour and sincerity of spirit in confession ; the
second, with its dark rough surface broken across, is the hard heart,
darkened by grief and contrite ; while the third, with its bright red
colour, symbolizes ardent love. The characters in the Gospel history
which have been regarded by Christian writers as representative of
these three stages are — of the first (candid confession) the penitent
thief on the cross ; of the second (contrition) Peter in the judgement
hall ; of the third (ardent love) Mary Magdalene at the banquet.
96. quale io paio : i. e. ' my very image ' ; ' I saw my image
reflected in it.'
97~9* perso : 'purple-black'; see note on Inf. v. 89.
crepata, &c. : it is tempting to adopt Miss Rossetti's suggestion
244
IX. IOO-23] PURGATORIO
(see Butler, p. 107), that what is here Intended is two transverse
cracks in the stone, figuring the cross, at the thought of which the
heart is contrite. Perhaps, however, the meaning rather is, that the
stone was cracked throughout its whole length and breadth.
100. s' ammassiccia : ' rests ponderously.'
105. diamante : it is hard to say whether ' adamant * or
^ diamond ' is meant here, for the word was used in both senses.
Perhaps the former is preferable, in which case the allegorical mean-
ing will be the firm foundation on which the Church, which has the
power of binding and loosing, is established — ' on this rock I will
build my Church.'
106. di buona voglia: 'with my good will,* i.e. I willingly
followed his drawing.
no, III. Misericordia, &c. : 'I besought his mercy that he
should open to me.' nel petto, &c. : ' I smote myself thrice on
the breast,' in token of contrition.
112, 113. Sette P : the seven P's, which the angel inscribes on
Dante's forehead, signify the seven deadly sins, P being the initial
letter of Peccato. The sword is the emblem of the divine justice.
lavi : ' cleanse away by passing through Purgatory.' In Dante's case
both the inscription of the letters and their removal are only sym-
bolical, and do not imply that he was at this time suffering any
Purgatorial penance ; this is shown by his recognizing that he will
have to undergo the pains of Purgatory after death, Purg. xiii. 133-8.
115. che secca si cavi : ' which is dug dry from the ground.'
Ashes and dust (dry earth) are the familiar emblems of penitence.
117. due chiavi : these are the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
The golden key is the power of absolution, the silver key the know-
ledge possessed by the confessor, which enables him to judge of the
condition of the penitent. Hence in opening the gate the silver key
is used first, the golden afterwards. On this subject Aquinas says —
* distinguuntur duae claves, quarum una pertinet ad iudicium de
idoneitate eius qui absolvendus est, et alia ad ipsam absolutionem ' ;
Summa, P. 3. Suppl. Q. 17. Art. 3.
120. Fece, &c. ; 'he plied (lit. dealt with) the gate in such
a manner as to satisfy me,' i. e. he opened it.
1 2 1-3. r una: 'one,' i.e. either; if either of the confessor's
functions is exercised amiss, the absolution is not valid, calla :
'opening,' 'entrance'; see note on Purg. iv. 22.
245
PURGATORIO [IX. 124-38
124-6. Piti caxa, &c. : the golden key is the more precious,
because its power is derived from the precious blood of Christ ;
but the silver key demands exceedingly great skill in him who uses
it. troppa : for troppo ; Dante has allowed himself, for the sake
of the rhyme, to introduce an irregular grammatical constmction in
making troppa agree with arte, il nodo disgroppa : ' dis-
entangles the knot,' i. e. clears the conscience and enlightens the
mind.
127-9. Pier: St. Peter, to whom Christ committed them. Pur
che, &c. : a humble request for pardon is the indispensable condition
of obtaining it.
130-2. r uscio, &c. : 'the door of entrance to the sacred gate-
way.' di fuor torna : i. e. will have to return and quit Purgatory.
The spiritual sense is — ' The man who after repentance returns to
his former sins forfeits God's favour.'
133, 134. quando, &c. : 'when the pivots of that sacred gate
turned in their sockets.' regge is regularly used of church doors ;
see Vocah. Tramater.
136-8. Non rugghio, &c. : ' Tarpeia roared not so loudly, nor
showed itself so discordant ' ; the grating of the pivots, which is
compared to this, is intended to imply the infrequency of the open-
ing of the gate of Purgatory ; cp. Purg. x. 2, disusa. This view is
in accordance with Dante's own sternness, notwithstanding his
mention of the merciful commission given by St. Peter to the angel
in 11. 127, 128. The classical story here alluded to, which is taken
from Lucan, iii. 114-68, describes how Julius Caesar, when he
reached Rome after passing the Rubicon, proceeded to the temple of
Saturn, which served as an aerarium or state treasury, in order to
make himself master of its contents, but was opposed by the tribune
L. Caecilius Metellus, who was ultimately removed by force. The
lines in Lucan referring to this are — ' Protenus abducto patuerunt
templa Metello. Tunc rupes Tarpeia sonat, magnoque reclusas
Testatur stridore fores,' 11. 153-5. 'The Tarpeian rock' is here
taken for the Capitoline Hill, on one side of which it was situated,
and which is described as echoing the grating of the hinges of the
temple of Saturn, which lay at its foot. Dante has rendered an
elaborate allusion still more intricate by using Tarpeia to signify the
temple also, for le and macra (11. 137, 138), which refer to the
temple, agree with Tarpeia. come, &c. : ' when the good Mar-
246
IX. 139-45] PURGATORIO
cellus was removed from it, from which cause it thereafter remained
impoverished.' tolto : * was removed from the temple which he
was defending/ per che, &c. : cp. Lucan, loc. cit., II. 167, 168,
'Tristi spoHantur templa rapina, Pauperiorque fuit tunc primum
Caesare Roma.'
139. mi rivolsi : *I turned aside/ i. e. away from the gate to-
wards the sound within, primo tuono : ' the commencement of a
burst of sound,' i. e. the first words of the Te Deum. With this
the spirits within were wont to celebrate the admission of those
newly arrived. In like manner, when a soul is freed from Purgatory
the Gloria in excehis is sung; cp. Purg. xx. 133-8, where it is
noticeable, as illustrating primo tuono here, that Dante is at first
overpowered by the sound.
141. dolce suono : this is the same as the tuono ; at first there
is a deafening, though harmonious (dolce), burst of sound ; from
this the words seem gradually to emerge.
142-5. Tale imagine appunto : 'just such an impression.'
The efl^ect thus produced on the listener is compared to that of a
musical performance, in which the words are only intermittently
heard owing to the loudness of the accompaniment. organi :
' musical instruments.'
CANTO X
Prefatory Note on the Method employed by Dante
IN describing Purgatory proper.
This is the most elaborately symmetrical part of the whole poem,
a corresponding mode of treatment being introduced in each Cornice.
(These Cornices, seven in number, in which the seven deadly sins
are punished, rise one above another on the mountain side, which they
encircle, and every Cornice is presided over by an angel.) As Dante
enters a Cornice, examples of the virtue opposed to the vice which
is punished there are presented to him for admiration ; and before he
leaves the same Cornice examples of the vice are presented to him
247
/.
PURGATORIO . [x. 1-9
for avoidance. The two sets of examples are presented either in the
same, or at least in a similar manner ; and the examples of the vice
that are given, as a rule, correspond in number to those of the virtue.
Usually, also, the examples are drawn alternately from Scripture and
from classical sources ; and the first example of the virtue is in every
case an incident in the life of the Blessed Virgin. Further, at one
period of Dante's passage through a Cornice a portion of one of the
Offices of the Church is recited by the spirits who are undergoing
purgation there ; and as he leaves the Cornice he is sped on his way
by the utterance of one of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the
Mount, the voice which pronounces it being in most cases — probably
in every case — that of the presiding angel. In the notes these points
will be mentioned for each Cornice at the place where that Cornice
is entered.
It should further be noticed that in Purgatory the most heinous
sins are found in the lower Cornices, and they decrease in criminality
as they ascend. But the punishments are not arranged in a fixed
order of severity; thus in Purg. xix. 117 we are told that no
J punishment is more severe than that of avarice, which vice is expiated
in the fifth Cornice.
Argument. — Having entered Purgatory, they ascend by a winding
passage through the rocks, until a narrow level Cornice is reached,
which runs round the entire circuit of the mountain. The white
marble cliff, which flanks the inner side of this Cornice, is ornamented
with exquisite sculptures, representing typical examples of the virtue
of humility. While they are contemplating these, they are approached
by a company of souls, who are expiating the sin of pride by being
bowed down under the weight of heavy stones.
Lines 1-3. Poi : for Poiche, 'after that.' Che,&c. : * which (gate)
the perverted affection of men's souls, by making them mistake wrong
for right, causes to be disused ' ; i. e. few souls reach Purgatory, the
preparatory stage for heaven, because they are led astray by the idea
that the satisfaction of their sinful desires is true happiness.
4. Sonando : ' by the sound,' i. e. not by the sight ; the two
following lines are a comment on this.
7-9. salavam : a Florentine dialectic form for salivam ; cp.
Purg. iv. 31. si moveva : ' undulated ' ; no real movement is
intended, but only the relative position of the rocks on either hand
248
y
X. II-30] PURGATORIO
as the passage wound through them. Similarly in Inf. xviii. 1 7 ;
xxiii. 135 mover, moversi are used of rocks starting forward or
projecting, without the sense of motion, che fugge, &c. : ' which
now retires and now approaches.'
II, 12. in accostarsi, &c. : *in keeping close, now in this
direction, now in that, to the side of the rock which retires ' ; in
other words, ' in following the zigzags.'
13-6. E cio fece, &c. ; ' and this caused our footsteps to be so
infrequent.' lo scemo della luna : ' the moon's decreasing disk.'
The moon was full on Maunday Thursday, April 7 ; it was now
Easter Monday, April 1 1 . The time of day intended is from 9 to
9.30 a.m. cruna : ' needle's eye,' ' narrow passage.'
18. indietro si rauna : 'shrinks inward' (Shadwell), lit.
' gathers itself backward,' so as to leave space for the Cornice. Some
such meaning as those here given for raunare is required, in order to
connect it with that of ' to assemble ' in the corresponding words
ragunare, radunare.
20. un piano : this is the first Cornice. Here (i) the sin
punished is pride ; (2) the mode of punishment is being depressed by
a heavy weight ; (3) the examples of the opposite virtue are the
Blessed Virgin, David and Trajan ; (4) the examples of the vice
are Lucifer and Briareus ; the Giants and Nimrod ; Niobe and Saul ;
Arachne and Rehoboam ; Eriphyle and Sennacherib ; Cyrus and
Holophemes ; (5) the mode of presentation is by sculptured figures ;
(6) the passage of a Church Office recited is the Lord's Prayer;
(7) the Beatitude pronounced is Beat'i pauper es spiritu.
22-4. confina il vano : ' borders on the void,' at the edge of
the precipice, ripa ; 'the wall of rock,' on the inner side, pur
sale: 'rises sheer' (Shadwell), lit. 'merely,' 'absolutely.' Misur-
rebbe : contracted for misurarehhe. in tre volte, &c. : lit. ' a human
body, estimated three times, would measure.' The width of the
Cornice would thus be about 17 ft. For the mode of measurement
cp. Inf. xxxi. 64, of the Frisians.
25. quanto, &c. ; only a portion of the Cornice was in view,
because it ran round the mountain, trar d' ale : ' wing its flight.'
28-30. Lassu : upon the Cornice. Che, dritta, di, &c. :' which,
being perpendicular, did not admit of being ascended.' If dritto
is read (it has the greatest weight of MS. authority), the meaning is,
' which interdicted (lit. had lacking) the right of ascent.'
249
PURGATORIO [x. 32-57
32, 33. intagli : * carvings'; these are instances of humility.
Policreto : the Greek sculptor Polycletus. The interchange of
/ and r is a feature of the Tuscan dialect ; see Moore, Text. Crit.,
PP' 525, 534' Dante was acquainted with the eminence of
Polycletus as a sculptor through Aristotle, who mentions him
in several passages in his writings, li avrebbe scomo : ' would
be put to shame in its presence.'
34-6. L' angel : Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation. The
first example of humility is the demeanour of the Virgin on that
occasion, lagrimata : ' longed for with tears.' Che, &c. : ' which
peace (i.e. reconciliation) opened to mankind heaven which had so
long been denied to them,' lit. ' from its long interdict.'
41,42. immaginata : 'imaged.' quella, Che ad aprir, &c. :
the Blessed Virgin, by whose instrumentality our redemption was
initiated.
43-5. in atto impressa : ' expressed in (lit. impressed on) her
mien.' propriamente, &c. : ' as clearly as the figure on a seal is
stamped on wax.'
48. Da quella parte, &c. : they were advancing along the
Cornice towards the right, which is their direction throughout
Purgatory: at the present moment they were facing the mountain
side with their backs to the precipice, Dante being on Virgil's left,
and the next subject in relief was further on, i. e. beyond where
Virgil was standing ; hence Dante in order to get a nearer view
passes Virgil (varcai, 1. 53). onde: 'on which (side).'
49-51. mi mossi col vise : ' I turned my eyes ' ; for the form
of expression cp. Purg. xxxi. lOO, 'nelle braccia aprissi.' Diretro :
'behind,' from the point of view of one advancing along the Cornice;
and so, ' on the further side of.' da quella costa, &c. : ' on that
side of me on which my conductor was standing.'
54. Acciocche, &c. : ' that I might see it {la storia) from a good
point of view.'
55-7. The second example is David dancing before the ark.
marmo stesso : ' the very marble.' si teme, &c. : the reference
is to the death of Uzzah (2 Sam. vi. 7), in consequence of which
David left the ark three months at the house of Obed-edom ; at the
expiration of that time he removed it to Jerusalem and danced before
it, as here described. Dante has in one point slightly confused the
two occasions, for it was on the former that it was drawn by oxen,
250
X. 59-8i] PURGATORIO
as he describes it in 1. 56 ; when David danced before it, it was
carried by Levites; 2 Sam. vi. 13 ; cp. i Chron. xv. 26.
59, 60. sette cori : this is from the Vulgate of 2 Sam. vi. 12,
* erant cum David septem chori ' ; the words are not found in the
Engl, version, a' due, &c. : the two senses are those of hearing
and sight; 'the bands of singers were so naturally represented as
chanting, that while my ears told me they were not doing so, my
eyes assured me that they were.' As regards the syntax, 1' un and
r altro are in partitive apposition to sensi ; ' they caused the one
of my two senses to say "they are not singing," the other ''they
are."'
61-3. al fummo, &c. : 'at the smoke of the incense (i.e. as
regards its reality) the eyes and nose contradicted one another.*
64-6. vaso : the Ark. Faso is used by Dante of any receptacle
or depository, e. g. of the triumphal car in Purg. xxxiii. 34. Tres-
cando : ' bounding in the dance ' ; 2 Sam vi. 1 6, ' leaping and
dancing before the Lord.' Trescare signifies dancing wildly. Al-
zato : ' high-gilt ' ; the Vocah. Tramater quotes from Fra Giordano,
of the Israelites at the Paschal feast, ' stando alzati,' i. e. with their
loins girt, piu e men, &c. : ' more than king,' because he was
performing a priestly function (he was wearing the ephod, 2 Sam.
vi. 14) ; 'less than king,' because he seemed to be debasing himself,
as David himself says, ' I will be base in mine own sight,' ib. v. 22.
67. vista: 'window,' lit. 'point of view'; ' Michal, Saul's
daughter, looked through a window,' ib. v. 16.
72. mi biancheggiava : ' beamed white upon me.'
73-5. The third example is that of the emperor Trajan and the
widow woman. 1* alta gloria, &c. : ' the noble deed of renown
of the Roman emperor ' ; principato for prmcipe^ abstract for con-
crete. Dante probably derived the story, which was widely spread
in the middle ages, from the F'tore di Filosqfi, a work which has
been wrongly attributed to Brunetto Latini. valore : ' worth.'
vittoria : ' triumph ' ; Pope Gregory the Great was believed to
have rescued the soul of Trajan from Hell. In Par. xx. 44, 45,
he is found in Heaven among the just rulers.
78. Di lagrime, &c. : 'in attitude of weeping.'
79-8 1 . Intomo, &c. : ' the space around him appeared thronged.'
For the absence of a proper subject to parea cp. Purg. ix. 54.
calcato : see note on Purg. ii. 72. 1* aquile, &c. : 'the eagles on
251
PURGATORIO [x. 87-120
their golden ground seemed (in vista) to be waving in the wind
over his head.' The eagles, which are here described as worked
on banners, are a mediaeval adaptation of the Roman military eagles.
87. s'afFretta: * shows impatience.'
88-90. Chi fia dov' io : 'he that takes my place'; my suc-
cessor. L* altrui, &c. : ' what will another's good deeds avail (to
exculpate) thee, if thou dost neglect thine own.'
92. mova : ' start on my expedition.'
94-6. Colui, &c. : God, in the depth of whose counsels every-
thing, whether created or uncreated, exists, visibile parlare :
'visible converse,' i. e. language which appeals to the eye, not to
the ear. qui : on earth.
99. per lo fabbro, &c. : 'precious to behold for the sake of
God their artificer.'
100-2. Ecco : there are now seen approaching along the Cor-
nice a band of spirits, who are expiating the sin of pride by bearing
heavy weights, by the burden of which they are depressed, di qua :
i. e. on the left side, as is shown by 1. 105, where Dante, who is on
VirgiFs right (see note on 1. 48), turns towards him in order to see
them, ne invieranno, &c. : ' will direct us to the upper Cornices.'
103-5. amirar: 'on examining the sculptures.' The clauses
which follow run thus — non fur on lenti, volgendosi ver lui per
veder, &c.
106-8. pero : i. e. notwithstanding what I am about to tell you.
ti smaghi, &c. : ' fail of good resolution ' to repent. Smagare is
Span, desmayar, Engl. ' dismay.' Skeat (s. v. ' Dismay ') says it
is from O. H. G. magan (Mod. Germ, m'dgen), 'to be able,' 'to
have power ' : thus smagarsi is hterally ' to be deprived of strength.*
il debito : the expiation of sin.
109, no. la forma: 'the nature,' i.e. the terrible character.
la succession : the glory which is to follow, a peggio : ' at
worst.'
113, 114. sembran : for a similar attraction of number cp. Inf.
viii. 78. vaneggio : 'am confused'; cp. Purg. xviii. 143.
116, 117. li rannicchia: 'makes them crouch.' i miei occhi,
&c. : ' my eyes too at first had a hard struggle to distinguish them.'
118-20. disviticchia : 'disentangle,' i.e. make out clearly.
Viticchlo is the tendril of a vine or creeping plant ; hence avvitic-
ch'tarsi is used of such growths twining themselves round a thing,
252
X. 123-391 PURGATORIO
and disviticchtare of clearing away these growths, si picchia :
* beats his breast' ; cp. Inf. xviii. 105. This action, as well as the
attitude of the spirits, corresponds to the description of the humility
of the Publican in the parable, who ' would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast' ; Luke xviii. 13.
123. ritrosi: 'backsliding.' The proud, while they persuade
themselves that they are advancing towards the forefront, are really
falling into the rear.
124-6. vermi : here used for caterpillars. The argument against
men being proud in this life is, that here they are imperfect creatures
(cp. 11. 128, 129), the only object of whose existence is the develop-
ment of the immortal soul, which is destined to appear unveiled
before its just Judge, farfalla : the symbolism here implied in the
comparison of the soul to a butterfly is so natural, that xlrv^q seems
to have been the only word for a butterfly in Greek.
127-9. i^ 3-lto galla: 'exalts itself'; gallare is properly used
of floating on the surface, as in Inf. xxi. 57. Poi : for Poiche^
' since.' entomata in difetto : ' imperfect insects.' The word
entoma, from which entomata comes, is the Greek tvroixa (sc.
^(3a), which is common in Aristotle for 'insects.' In Low Lat.,
however, it seems to have been regarded as neut. sing., for in the
example given by Ducange ' nullum entoma ' is found. It was
natural that from this a plur. entomata should be formed on the
analogy o{ poema po'emata^ dogma dogmata^ &c. in cui, &c. : ' which
is undeveloped.'
131. Per mensola : ' to serve as a corbel ' ; such brackets are
frequently used to support the roofs of mediaeval churches.
133, 134. La qual, &c. : the meaning is : — 'the pain expressed
in which, though imaginary, causes real distress to arise in the mind
of him who sees it.'
138, 139. E qual, &c. : 'the most patient in his mien seemed in
his lamentation to say, " I can endure it no longer." '
253
PURGATORIO
CANTO XI
Prefatory Note on Dante's View of the Purpose of
Purgatorial Suffering, and of the Effect of Inter-
cessory Prayer in lessening its Duration.
Dante holds a twofold view of the purpose and operation of Pur-
gatorial suffering, viz. (i) as being a corrective or remedial agency;
(2) as being punitive or penal. According to the former of these,
the suffering purifies the soul from the stain of sin, so as to render it
lit to appear in the presence of God, and brings the will into har-
mony with the Divine will. Thus the souls in the first Cornice are
spoken of as ' Purgando le caligini del mondo ' (Purg. xi. 30) ; this
aspect of Purgatory presents itself so constantly in this part of the
poem that it hardly needs farther illustration. According to the
second view, the suffering is a satisfaction due to God's justice as
being the payment of the temporal penalty incurred by sin. This
temporal penalty is not to be regarded as forming any part of the
eternal penalty of sin, for that is already remitted through the mercy
of God, but as the temporal penal consequences of sin working
themselves out, in the same way as the violation of any of the laws
of Nature produces inevitable results. This view is found in such
passages as Purg. xi. 70-2, ' E qui convien ch' io questo peso porti
Per lei, tanto che a Dio si satisfaccia, Poi ch' io nol fei tra' vivi,
qui tra' morti ' ; xi. 125, 126, ' cotal moneta rende A satisfar^ \
xix. 114, 'Or, come vedi, qui ne son punita.* There can, how-
ever, l>e no question that the remedial or purificatory view held by a
long way the first place in Dante's mind.
Dante's views of the effect of intercessory prayer offered in behalf
of those in Purgatory correspond to these. First, he regards it as
quickening the effect of suffering in cleansing the soul; this is
clearly stated in Purg. xi. 34-6, ' Ben si dee loro aitar lavar le note,
Che portar quinci, si che mondi e lievi Possano uscire alle stellate
rote.' In this way it resembles prayer offered for the living that
they may profit by the experience of sorrow and other trials. From
this it can result that the time spent in Purgatory may be shortened,
because the disposition of the sufferer may be affected by Divine
influence in answer to intercessory prayer, and thus its purgation
254
XL 1-14] PURGATORIO
may be more speedily perfected. Secondly, he attributes to it the
power of bringing about the remission of what is due to God's justice
in Purgatory, because the love and devotion which prayer involves
make up for what is due in expiation of the sin. This latter prin-
ciple is expressed in Purg. vi. 37, 'cima di giudizio non s' avvalla,
Perche foco d' amor compie in un punto Cio che dee satisfar chi qui
s' astalla ' ; here the reference is to the shortening of the delay in
Ante-Purgatory, but it applies equally well to the duration of Pur-
gatorial suffering. Instances of this view of intercessory prayer are
Purg. xxiii. 90, where Forese says that his wife's prayers have freed
him from, or shortened the term of his punishment in, the lower
circles of Purgatory, and xxvi. 147, where Arnaut Daniel desires
that prayer may be offered for his deliverance from pain. Dante
indeed nowhere formulates his view of the effect of the prayers of
the living on the condition of those in Purgatory in such a way as to
exclude either of these two views, and most of the passages in
which this subject is referred to are reconcilable with either of them ;
but that which is connected with the remedial aspect of suffering
would naturally be the one on which he would chiefly desire to
dwell.
Argument. — The spirits who are undergoing their punishment
recite a paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer. When Virgil inquires from
them the nearest ascent toward the higher part of the Mountain, the
spirit who replies to him gives his name as Omberto Aldobrandesco.
Dante now recognizes Oderisi of Gubbio, the illuminator, who
moralizes on the transitoriness of human fame, and points out to him
the shade of Provenzano Salvani of Siena.
Line i. O Padre, &c. : in this paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer,
which is uttered by the spirits, a tercet is assigned to each clause.
2, 3. Non circonscritto : ' not as being finite.' primi eflfetti
di lassu : God's ' first creations on high ' are the angels.
6. vapore: 'breath,' ' efHuence,' i.e. Wisdom. Cp. Wisdom,
vii. 25, ' For she is the breath (Vulg. nyapor) of the power of God,
and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty.'
13, 14. manna : the grace of God, which is the support of our
spiritual life, diserto : the word ' manna ' causes the spirits to
liken Purgatory to the Wilderness of the Wanderings.
255
PURGATORIO [XL 19-66
19-21. virtu: ^ power of wilP — not 'virtue,' as is shown by
che SI la sprona, I. 21. s' adona : ' is subdued,' ' gives way ' ;
in Inf. vi. 34 adona is 'subdues,' 'beats down.' awersaro : the
Evil One. Dante follows the same interpretation of the passage
which is adopted in our Revised Version, sprona : ' incites to
evil.'
23. non bisogna: because the spirits in Purgatory were beyond
the reach of temptation.
25-7. buona ramogna : 'good speed.' talvolta, &c. : when
a nightmare causes a feeling of oppressive weight.
28. Disparmente: 'in different degrees ' ; cp. Purg. x. 136.
a tondo : ' in a circular course,' because the Cornice was
round.
32, 33. che dire, &c. : 'what adequate return can be made in
word or deed?' ch' hanno, &c. : this is added, because the
prayers of the wicked are not heard; cp. Purg. iv. 133-5.
36. rote : ' spheres ' ; cp. Purg. viii. 18.
37. giustizia e piet^: i.e. God, who is at once just and
merciful ; hence the verb is sing.
40. la scala : the stairway leading upward to the next Cornice.
45. parco : ' chary.'
48. Non fur, &c. : this was because their heads were low and
their faces downwards.
49. A man destra : the regular direction through Purgatory.
The point of view from which this is estimated is that of one facing
towards the mountain-side.
51. persona: the prep, a is omitted before this word, the rule
being that, when a preposition occurs twice in the same clause, it
may be understood once ; cp. Inf. v. 81, ' Venite a noi parlar.' See
Blanc, Gram.^ p. 554.
58-60. Latino : Italian ; cp. Inf. xxii. 65. The speaker is
Omberto Aldobrandesco ; little is known of him beyond what
is mentioned here. The form of pride which he is expiating is pride
of family. The Aldobrandeschi were counts of Santafiora in the
Maremma of Siena, and were frequently at war with the Sienese.
fu vosco : ' was known to you.'
61-3. leggiadre: 'gallant.' comune madre : Eve, from whom
all are equally descended; cp. Figliuoli d* Eva in Purg. xii. 71.
64-6. tanto avante : ' to such a degree.' mori : he was
256
XI. 68-87] PURGATORIO
murdered in his castle of Campagnatico by emissaries of the Sienese
in 1259. ogni fante : 'every child* ; it is so widely known that
every child is acquainted with the story. For fante see note on
Purg. XXV. 61.
68. consorti : ' members of my family.'
72. nol fei : 'did not bear the burden/ i.e. show a submissive
spirit.
73. chinai in giii, &c. : both these words and tutto chin (1. 78)
signify that Dante was stooping as he walked in order to listen to
the words of one of the crouching spirits (ascoltando). This is
mentioned here in order to explain how it came to pass that he was
recognized by another of the crouching spirits (1. 76). There is no
reason for thinking that Dante himself in any sense partook of the
punishment. This is true also of those cases where he is affected
by the Purgatorial pains — as in Cornice III, where he is blinded
by the smoke (Purg. xvi. 1-7), and in Cornice VII, where he
passes through the fire (Purg. xxvii. 10, 11) — for on both these
occasions this is unavoidable. Again, though he says that he
expects to have to expiate the sin of envy (Purg. xiii. 133-5), yet
in Cornice II, where that offence is purged, there is no sign of his
experiencing any anticipatory punishment.
79. Oderisi : Oderisi d' Agobbio (or Gubbio) was a famous
miniature painter of the latter half of Cent, xiii, who was employed
both at Bologna and Rome. The form of pride which he was here
expiating is pride of artistic skill.
81. alluminare : in modern French enluminer ; in Italian miniare.
Paris and the French name of the art are here mentioned, because
that city was the great centre for the production of illuminated MSS.
at this time.
84. L' onore, &c. : ' he enjoys men's admiration in full measure,
I only in partial measure.' The explanation of e mio in parte,
which would make it mean, ' yet still I have some claim to praise,'
is inconsistent with the humility which we should expect from one
who was expiating the sin of pride. Oderisi's object is to depreciate
himself — * Franco holds the first place, I an inferior one.' This
agrees with what follows. Franco Bolognese was a contemporary
of Oderisi, but survived him. Vasari, when comparing the two
artists, gave a decided preference to the former.
87. eccellenza, &c. : ' pre-eminence, for which my heart yearned.'
TozER 257 S
PURGATORIO [XI. 89-108
89, 90. Ed ancor, &c. : ' and I should not yet be here (i. e.
I should be among the Negligent in Ante-Purgatory), were it not
that, while still possessing the (full) power to sin, I turned to God ' ;
he means that he repented while still in his full strength, before his
end was near. Similarly Guido Guinicelli says — ' gik mi purgo Per
ben dolermi prima ch' all' estremo ' ; Purg. xxvi. 92, 93.
92, 93. Com' poco, &c. : ' how short a time verdure remains
on its summit, if it be not succeeded (lit. overtaken) by an age of
dulness,' i. e. unless the following generation contrasts unfavourably
with it.
94. Cimabue : Oderisi here illustrates his own fortune by that
of the great painter Cimabue (i 240-1 302), who adapted the
Byzantine style of art, and was the founder of the Italian schools,
but in the latter part of his life was surpassed by his pupil Giotto
(1266-1337).
97. Cosi, &c. : the same thing is true in poetry. The two
Guidi who are here mentioned are most probably Guido Guinicelli
(1230-1276) and Guido Cavalcanti (1255-1300); some however
would substitute Guittone d' Arezzo (circ. 1 230-1 294) for Guido
Cavalcanti.
99. caccer^ di nido : 'shall supplant.' Dante probably means
himself here, and the addition of the qualifying forse favours this
supposition. It is to be remembered that in Inf. iv. 102 he places
himself among the six great poets of the world.
102. muta nome, &c. : i.e. is sometimes called North wind,
sometimes East wind, &c., because it changes its direction.
103-6. Che voce, &c. : the meaning is: — 'Even before the
expiration of a thousand years, what difference will it make to thy
reputation, if thou put off thy robe of flesh in old age instead of
dying in infancy ? ' voce : iorfama ; cp. Inf. xvi. 41 ; Purg. xxvi.
121. scindi: 'separate from thee,' 'put off.' il pappo e il
dindi: 'childish interests'; pappo is a child's word for 'food,'
Lat. papa; dindi for denari. For similar infantile words cp.
mamma, hahho, Inf. xxxii. 9.
106-8. ch' e piu corto, &c. : ' and a thousand years is a shorter
period compared with eternity, than is (the time occupied by) the
movement of an eyelid, compared with (that occupied by the
movement of) that circle which makes its revolution in heaven most
slowly.' (Observe that the comparison of the eyelid and the heavens
XI. I09-24] PURGATORIO
is in respect of the time occupied by their movement, not the rapidity
of it.) The 'circle' here intended is the Heaven of the Fixed
Stars, which, according to Dante [Conv. ii. 15. Ih 102-4),
progresses one degree in 100 years, and consequently makes its
complete revolution of 360 degrees in 36,000 years. The motion
which he thus regarded as peculiar to this Heaven was its 'pre-
cessional' movement from W. to E., which it had in addition to the
diurnal movement from E. to W., of which it partook along with
the other Heavens. (Precessional movement. When the zodiac was
divided into twelve equal parts, with twelve signs or constellations
corresponding to them, it was so arranged that the time at which the
sun entered Aries should correspond to the vernal equinox. In
the course of time, however, it was discovered that the sun was
no longer at the first point of Aries at that time, but some way to
the westward of it in Pisces; and further, that this change took
place at the rate of 1° in 100 years. This is called the 'precession
of the equinoxes.')
109-11. Colui, &c. : 'the name of him, who progresses so
slowly on his way in front of me, all Tuscany proclaimed.' si poco
piglia : cp. Inf. vii. 17. sono : cp. Inf. iv. 92 ; Purg. xvi. 59.
sen pispiglia : ' do men whisper his name.' The person intended
here, as we learn from 1. 121, is Provenzan Salvani, an eminent
Ghibelline leader in Siena at the time when the Florentines were
defeated by the Sienese in the battle of Montaperti in 1260;
cp. Inf. X. 85, 86. His form of pride was personal ambition,
11. 122, 123.
1 1 2—4. Ond' era sire : ' of which he was lord.' putta : ' base,'
Mow.'
1 1 5-7. La vostra, &c. : 'the fame of men is Hke the colour
of the grass'; the idea here is from Is. xl. 6, 7, 'All flesh is
grass,' &c. e quel, &c. : ' and he (the sun) doth cause it to fade,
by whose agency it springs green from the earth.' acerba : first
'unripe' (cp. Par. xi. 103), and thence 'fresh and green.' The
meaning of the comparison in these lines is this — ' as the sun first
gives colour to the grass, and then withers it by its heat, so "the
process of the suns " (i. e. the lapse of time which the sun marks)
first ripens human fame, and then causes it to fade.'
119. appiani : 'thou dost bring low.'
124. Ito e cosi: 'he has gone on his way in this fashion,' i.e.
259 s 2
PURGATORIO [XI. 125-4;^
bowed down by the weight on his neck. Ito for andato ; cp. Inf.
xvi. 91 ; Purg. xiii. 23.
125, 126. cotal, &c. : ' such payment has he to make in com-
I^ensation, who in the other hfe has been too daring.*
129. Laggiu: in the Ante- Purgatory.
131. quanto visse : cp. what Belacqua says, Purg. iv. 130-2.
134? 135' Liberamente, &c. : 'of his own free will, laying
aside all shame (fear of ridicule) he took his place in the great square
at Siena.' The story is this. Vinea or Vigna, a personal friend
of Salvani, was taken prisoner by Charles of Anjou at the battle of
Tagliacozzo, and required by him to pay a large sum of money
within a month as the price of his life. In order to obtain this
for him, Salvani seated himself in the piazza at Siena, and humbly
begged contributions for this purpose from the citizens, by which
means the money was obtained and the captive regained his liberty.
campo di Siena : the great piazza of that city, or Piazza del
Campo, now called the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
138. Si condusse, &c. : 'he brought himself to manifest the
agitation arising from the humiliation caused by begging from others.'
139-41. scuro, &c. : i.e. such a show of feeling is hardly
credible, poco tempo, &c. : ' but a short time will pass ere your
countrymen (i tuoi vicini) will treat you so, that you will be able
from your own experience to illustrate (lit. comment on) the feeling
of humiliation in begging from others.' The reference is to Dante's
experiences as an outcast; his banishment took place in 1302,
and therefore less than two years from the supposed date of his
Vision.
142. Quest' opera, &c. ; ' it was this act on Provenzano's part,*
Oderisi says, 'that saved him from that place of durance,' viz. the
Ante-Purgatory. The plur. confini is regularly used of 'a place
of confinement.'
260
XII. 1-34] PURGATORIO
CANTO XII
Argument. — Dante at Virgil's bidding studies the sculptures
which adorn the footway of the Cornice, giving examples of the
vice of pride and of its fatal results. An angel now appears, who
shows them the passage by which to ascend, and then by the move-
ment of his wings obliterates one of the P's on Dante's forehead,
after which they hear the Beatitude uttered, Beati pauper es sp'iritu. In
mounting the stairway Dante is surprised at finding that his sense
of fatigue is lessened, and Virgil explains to him that this is due to
the absence of the letter which the angel has removed.
Lines 1-3. Di pari : Dante was walking side by side with
Oderisi, and bowed down like him ; cp. Purg. xi. 78. pedagogo :
' preceptor ' ; probably this, and not ' guide,' is the meaning. The
source from which Dante got the word seems to have been Gal.
iii. 24, where the Engl. Trans., 'the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ,' would favour the latter signification, but the
Vulgate, which Dante used, gives ' lex paedagogus noster fuit in
Christo,' which supports the former.
4. varca : ' proceed.'
7-9. Dritto, &c. : ' upright, as one is wont in walking.' vuolsi :
lit. ' it is natural ' ; this meaning is derived from that of ' it is fitting,'
Inf. xvi. 15. chinati: 'depressed,' by the sense of humiliation
which remained on the mind after seeing the punishment of pride ;
cp. Purg. xiii. 138. scemi : 'lowly.'
12. leggieri : i.e. in contrast to the burdened souls whom they
were leaving.
1 5. lo letto : ' the resting-place.' The examples of pride and
its punishment are so placed, that the spirits undergoing Purgatory
tread them under their feet, and are also compelled to see them.
17. tombe terragne: tombs beneath the pavement, as dis-
tinguished from those built into the walls of churches, or raised
above the ground.
21. solo ai pii : 'to the compassionate alone.'
22-4. Si vid' io, &c. : 'with such figures, but of more perfect
261
PURGATORIO [XII. 25-63
aspect corresponding to the craftsmanship, I saw there the whole
space covered, which projects from the mountain-side to form
a road.' di miglior . . . artificio signifies that these sculptures,
like those on the walls which are described in Purg. x. 28 foil.,
were of divine workmanship {ibid. 11. 94-6), and consequently sur-
passed all human works of art.
25-63. These lines, in which the examples of pride are described,
are the most striking passage in respect of symmetrical arrangement
that occurs in the Div, Com. A similar, though less highly
wrought, artificial system, is found in Par. xix. 11 5-41; and in
both cases the object aimed at is the same, viz. to draw attention
to a number of forcible examples by which something is to be
illustrated. The symmetry in the present passage is traceable (i)
in the initial words of the tercets; (2) in the arrangement of the
examples. As regards the former of these points it will be observed,
that each example is described in a single tercet ; and that these
tercets are marked off into groups of four by the correspondence
of their initial words, those of the first group commencing with
Fedea (II. 25-36), those of the second with (11. 37-48), and
those of the third with Mostrava (11. 49-60). Finally, in the last
tercet — which contains the most comprehensive and typical example
of the overthrow of pride, viz. the fall of Troy — these three words
are brought together, and form the initial words of the three lines
which compose it (11. 61-3). Mr. Toynbee has further suggested
that the initial letters in these groups, viz. V, O, and M, have them-
selves a significance, because they stand for UOM, i. e. uomo,
' Man,' whose root-sin, the special cause of his Fall, was pride.
They may thus have been intended to emphasize the lesson which is
inculcated, by the instances of pride which are here symmetrically
arranged. See Moore, Studies, ii. p. 268. As regards the second
point; the examples throughout are arranged in pairs, one of them
being taken in each case from Scripture, the other from heathen
sources, as the following enumeration will show — Pair i. Lucifer
and Briareus ; 2. The Giants and Nimrod ; 3. Niobe and Saul ;
4. Arachne and Rehoboam ; 5. Eriphyle and Sennacherib ; 6. Cyrus
and Holofernes. Also, in most, though not in all, of these pairs
there is a well-marked point of resemblance between the two
examples. Thus, Lucifer and Briareus were cast down by lightning;
the Giants and Nimrod attempted to scale heaven ; Eriphyle and
262
XII. 25-36] PURGATORIO
Sennacherib were killed by their sons ; Cyms and Holofernes were
slain by a woman's hand.
25-7. colui: Lucifer. Folgoreggiando : Luke x. 18, *I
beheld Satan as lightning (Vulg. sicut fu/gur) fall from heaven.'
da un lato : take with Vedea, ' I saw on one side of the Cornice ' ;
to this c/air alh'a parte corresponds in 1. 29.
28—30. Vedea: both here and in 1. 61 Witte reads Vedevw,
and this is probably right, because (i) all Witte's test MSS. give
Vedeva'y (2) if Vedea is read, the termination -ea in these two lines
must be a disyllable ; and this is a metrical solecism, for elsewhere
it is always used as a monosyllable for purposes of scansion, except
at the end of a line. It is objected to Vedeva that it breaks the
uniformity of the commencement of the corresponding tercets. This
is the case ; but the same objection applies, though in a lesser degree,
to Vedea, because with it also the symmetry is marred by its
having to be pronounced, and scanned in these two lines as a tri-
syllable, while in II. 25, 31, and 34 it is a disyllable. Briareo :
Dante here places Briareus, one of the Giants who assaulted heaven,
apart from the other Giants, who are mentioned in the next tercet ;
in this he is following Statius, Theb. i\. 595 foil. Grave, &c. : 'an
oppressive weight to the earth from being lifeless.'
31—3. Timbreo : Apollo, who was called 'Thymbraeus' as
being worshipped at Thymbra in the Troad. He bears that name
in Virg. uien. iii. 85 and Stat. Theb. i. 643. le membra, &c. :
*■ the carnage of the Giants.' The example of pride abased which
is here given is the slaughter of the Giants after their attempt to
scale heaven, and in the sculpture the triumphant divinities are repre-
sented as contemplating their remains. Apollo, Pallas, and Mars
are introduced by Statius in connexion with Briareus in Theb. ii.
597-9, and they were evidently suggested to Dante by that passage,
though he has transferred them to the story of the Giants.
34—6. Nembrot : Dante regarded Nimrod as being a giant (Inf.
xxxi. 58-66), so that in this point he would correspond to the
classical giants. He also believed that Nimrod built the Tower of
Babel (il gran lavoro); for his authority on these points see
note on Inf. xxxi. 77. smarrito : 'bewildered'; this word and
riguardar express the helplessness produced by the Confusion of
Tongues; cp. Inf. xxxi. 76 foil. Sennaar : the tower of Babel,
as we learn from Gen. x. 10, was erected in the land of Shinar
263
PURGATORIO [XII. 37-57
(Vulg. Sennaar). superbi : Gen. xi. 4 ; the builders of the tower
said one to another, 'Let us build us a city and a tower, whose
top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name {cekbremus
nomen nostrum)^
37-9. Niobe : Niobe boasted herself against Latona as having
many children, while Latona had only Apollo and Diana ; whereupon
those deities in revenge slew all her sons and daughters. The story
is from Ovid, Met. vi. 146 foil., where the numbers of the children
are given, 'hue natas adiice septem, Et totidem iuvenes,' 11. 182,
183 (settee sette).
40-2. Saul: cp. I Sam. xxxi. 1-6. Gelboe: on the ten-
syllable lines here see note on Inf. iv. 56. non senti, &c. : 2 Sam.
i. 21, 'Ye mountains of Gilboa,' David exclaims, 'let there be no
dew, neither let there be rain, upon you.'
43-5. Aragne : Arachne challenged Minerva to compete with
her in weaving, but when she had completed her work Minerva tore
it in pieces. Thereupon Arachne hanged herself in despair, but
Minerva saved her life, and changed her into a spider. Ovid,
Met. vi. 5 foil. Both this story and that of Niobe are mentioned
by Ovid as a warning against pride, stracci : ' shreds ' ; those of
Arachne's web, which Pallas had rent; Ovid, Met. vi. 131. mal
per te : 'in an evil hour for thee.'
46-8. Roboam : the story here referred to is that of Rehoboam's
defiant answer to the remonstrances of the people, followed by his
hurried flight when he heard of his agent Adoram being stoned ;
I Kings xii. 14, 18. Quivi : on the Cornice, il tuo segno:
'thy sculptured form.'
50, 51. Almeon, &c. : ' Alcmaeon caused the luckless ornament
to appear to his mother too costly a gift.' Eriphyle for the bribe of
a necklace revealed the hiding-place of her husband Amphiaraus,
and thus caused his death ; but before he died he charged his son
Alcmaeon to ^venge him, and by him Eriphyle was slain. Her
pride arose from the possession of the necklace; Statius, Theh. ii.
265 foil.
52-4. i figli, &c. : 2 Kings xix. 37. Sennacherib's pride
consisted in his defying the God of Israel, v. 22. quivi il
lasciaro : v. 37, 'they escaped into the land of Armenia.'
55-7. ruina: 'overthrow,' 'rout of the army.' scempio :
' slaughter * ; see note on Inf. x. 85. Cyrus attacked the Massagetae,
264
XII. 58-8i] PURGATORIO
and slew the son of their queen Tomyris, but afterwards was
defeated with great slaughter, and himself lost his life. Tomyris
then ordered his head to be cut off and thrust into a vessel full of
blood. Dante obtained the story from Orosius, ii. 7, where the
words which he puts into the mouth of Tomyris occur, ' Satia te
sanguine quem sitisti.'
58-60. in rotta, &c. : Judith xiii-xv. Holofernes, whose
head was cut off by Judith, is described as ' the chief captain of
Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians,' Judith ii. 4. le reliquie
del martiro : the headless trunk of Holofernes ; cp. Jud. xiv. 1 8,
' Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head.'
61. Troia : the fall of Troy is the crowning instance of the
overthrow of pride. The pride of Troy is referred to in Inf. i. 75 ;
XXX. 14. caverne: 'gaping spaces,' i.e. intervals between piles
of ruin.
62, 63. Ilion : probably the citadel of Troy is meant, for Dante
seems to be imitating Virg. ylen. iii. 2, 3, ' ceciditque superbum
Ilium (Ilion basso e vile), et omnis humi fumat Neptunia
Troia (Troia in cenere).' Segno: 'portraiture'; cp. 1. 47.
64-6. Qual, &c. : the meaning is: — 'What human artist
could have portrayed the shades and outlines of these designs ? '
For the use of qual cp. Inf. xxxii. 87. stile: this word properly
means a metal pencil for outline drawing, ogn' ingegno sottile :
i. e. every one who possessed the power of fine appreciation.
68, 69. il vero : 'the reality,' the actual objects represented.
Quant' io, &c. : ' of all that was beneath my feet as far as
I advanced in a stooping posture,' i. e. bending to examine them.
72. Si che, &c. : ' so as to see in these instances to what ruin
your pride may lead.'
73—5. volto : this word implies the circular form of the Cornice.
del cammin, &c. : ' the day was further advanced than I was aware,
being engrossed in the examination of these objects.'
76-8. atteso: 'watchful.' sospeso : 'preoccupied'; cp.
Purg. xiii. 136.
79-81. un Angel: this angel is the guardian of the stairway
leading to the second Cornice, toma, &c. : ' the sixth handmaiden
(of the day, i. e. the sixth hour) is returning from the service of the
day ' ; in other words, ' noon has just past ' ; for the expression
ancella del di signifying one of the hours, cp. Purg. xxii. 118.
265
PURGATORIO [XII. 83-108
83. i: for g/i; cp. Inf. xxli. 73: Jilefiare is sometimes, though
very rarely, used with the dat. ; see Vocab, Tramater.
84. Pensa, &c. : from 1. 86 we learn that this means, 'make the
best use of the present time.'
85-7. tiso : for usato, ' familiar with.' chiuso : ' darkly,' so
that I should fail to understand; cp. Par. xi. 73.
93. omai : now that the weight of pride has been removed.
94-6. A questo, &c. : some editors regard this and the two
following lines, not as the words of the angel, but as the Poet's own
remark ; and it is true that they correspond to the comments which
he makes elsewhere ; cp. 11. 70-2 ; Purg. x. 12 1-9. Perche, &c. :
this continues the metaphor contained in 'volar su : ' why, instead
of pursuing your upward flight, do you fall to the earth when assailed
by a slight blast of temptation to pride ? '
97, 98. ove, &c. : ' where there was a rift in the rock.' batteo,
&c. : it is thus that the first of the P's inscribed on Dante's forehead
is removed, as he presently discovers, 1. 116.
1 00. Come, &c. : the steep ascent is compared to the steps by
which the church of San Miniato at Florence is reached from the
city. These ascended the hill to the right hand (a man destra)
of the ordinary and easier way, which led from the gate of the city
to the church.
loi, 102. soggioga : 'dominates,' rising high above it. La
ben guidata : iron. ; Florence, ' the city of good government.'
Rubaconte: the easternmost of the bridges of Florence, which
lies under the hill of San Miniato ; it was so called from Rubaconte
da Mandello, who, as Podesta, laid the foundation stone in 1237 ;
Villani, vi. 26. Its modern name is Ponte alle Grazie.
103-5. del montar, &c. : 'the bold abruptness of the ascent.'
ad etade, &c. : i. e. in the good old times when honesty prevailed.
il quaderno e la doga : ' the ledger and the stave ' ; the reference
is to two acts of official dishonesty — the former of which consisted
in abstracting a page containing compromising entries from the public
ledger (cp. Par. xvi. 56), the latter in the diminution of the standard
bushel measure by an officer of customs by means of withdrawing
a stave (cp. Par. xvi. 105).
106-8. cosl : i. e. by steps, la ripa : 'the steep slope.' Ma :
in contrast to the openness of the steps leading to San Miniato.
rade : ' presses close ' on the path and those who pass along it.
266
xiL 109-35] PURGATORIO
1 09-1 1. Noi volgendo ivi : ' as we turned thitherward ' ; this
is probably the meaning, for they are first described as ascending in
1. 115. voci, &c. : ' was sung in words (lit. words sang), the
effect of which language could not express ' ; for the use of voci
cp. Purg. xxii. 5. If the word is to be taken in its natural sense as
' voices,' the Beatitude must be supposed to have been uttered by
more than one person — perhaps by some of the spirits in the first
Cornice. But it is against this, that in five out of the other six
Cornices — and probably in the remaining one also, viz. Cornice V
(cp. Purg. xxii. 4) — it seems to be the Angel who recites the
Beatitudes.
112,113. foci: 'entrances, "approaches.' canti: 'strains of joy.'
116, 117. troppo piu lieve: 'ever so much lighter'; for
troppo in this sense cp. Purg. ix. 124 ; xiv. 125. per lo pian :
on the level Cornice below. Dante in ascending feels that a weight
has been taken off him, and learns from Virgil that this is due to the
removal of the first of the P's from his forehead.
122. presso ch' estinti : pride being the original root of sin,
when it is removed the other sins tend to disappear.
126. pinti : ' impelled ' by the force of the will.
127. AUor, &c. : Dante puts his hand to his forehead to discover
what Virgil is referring to : this is compared to the action of one
who perceives from the glances of the passers-by that he has some
object on his head of which he is unaware.
1 30. ad accertar s' aiuta : ' applies itself to ascertain the
truth ' ; cp. Purg. xxxiii. 84.
133-5. scemipie : 'outspread,' lit. 'single,' i.e. not forming, as
we say ' a bunch of fives.' Quel dalle chiavi : the Angel who
had the keys of the gate of Purgatory ; Purg. ix. 112.
CANTO XIII
Argument. — The Poets now reach the second Cornice, where
the sin of envy is purged. As they pass along it, they hear the
voices of invisible spirits flying through the air, which proclaim con-
spicuous instances of the virtue of charity. They then j^erceive the
souls of the envious, clothed in sackcloth and seated on the ground,
with their eyes sewed up by an iron thread. Dante converses with
267
PURGATORIO [xiii. 1-23
Sapia, a Sienese lady, who describes to him the malignant feelings by
which she had been possessed during her lifetime.
Line i. In the second Cornice (i) the sin which is expiated is
envy ; (2) the punishment is the sewing up of the eyelids ; (3) the
examples of the opposite virtue are the Blessed Virgin and Pylades ;
(4) those of the vice are Cain and Aglauros ; (5) the mode of their
presentation is by voices in the air ; (6) the Church Office is the
Litany of Saints ; (7) the Beatitude is Beati misericordcs,
2, 3. Ove, &c. : ' where the mountain is cut away for the second
time,* i. e. so as to form the second Cornice, salendo : ' as it
ascends,' i. e. in its successive stages, or Cornices, altrui : ' men ' ;
cp. Purg. iv. 54; xxviii. 128. dismala : 'frees from sin,*
' shrives.*
6. r arco, &c. : ' its arc curves more quickly,' because it forms
an inner circle.
7-9. Ombra : this word is used, as in Purg. xii. 65, of the
shadows in the intaglios of the preceding Cornice ; and segno refers,
as in Purg. xii. 47, 63, to the sculptured figures in them. In like
manner la ripa and la via in 1. 8 correspond to the positions of the
two sets of sculptured figures in that Cornice — the one to the wall
of rock {ripa, x. 23, 29), the other to the level footway {yia, xii.
24). In contrast to those the wall of rock and the footway in the
present Cornice look blank and bare (schietta, lit. ' plain ') from the
livid colour of the rock, gli = 1;/, as in Purg. viii. 69. livido :
the colour of envy (livore).
10-2. Se qui, &c. : 'if we wait here for persons of whom to
inquire our way, I fear our choice of the direction to be followed
will haply be long delayed.'
13-5. al sole : it was now past midday (Purg. xii. 81), and the
Poets were on the northern side of the Mountain ; consequently the
sun was on their right hand. Virgil first looks towards the sun,
and then ' faces right about ' towards it. The military precision
with which this movement is made is perhaps a sort of homage to
the great luminary, which he then proceeds to address.
18. come, &c. : ' as one requires to be conducted.'
21. duci : the result of this is that, following the course of the
sun, they move forward along the Cornice towards the right.
2 2; 23. di qua: 'here on earth.' migliaio : the last four
268
XIII. 27-52] PURGATORIO
vowels of this word form metrically one syllable ; cp. Teggh'iaio^ Inf.
vi. 79. dilk: 'onwards.' iti : for andati; cp. Purg. xi. 124.
27. cortesi inviti : the 'courteous invitations to the feast of
love ' are exhortations to large-heartedness or charity, the virtue that
is the opposite of the vice of envy, which is here expiated. These
are uttered by spirits passing through the air, but who the spirits are
we are not told. They consist of the usual examples of the virtue —
in this case two in number — together with our Lord's command to
love our enemies. These three utterances represent three forms of
charity, viz. (i) consideration of the wants of others; (2) self-
sacrifice for the sake of others ; (3) forgiveness of injuries done by
others.
29. Vinum non habent: this is what the Virgin said at the
marriage feast at Cana in Galilee (John ii. 3), showing her thought-
ful care for others.
31—3. del tutto, &c. : 'had ceased entirely to be heard owing to
the distance.' lo sono Oreste : this was the exclamation of
Pylades, when he desired to personate Orestes, and to be put to
death in his stead. Dante's authority for the story was probably
Cicero, De Am'tcit. vii. 24, for he was well acquainted with that
work, anco, &c. : ' this voice also stayed not its course.'
36. Amate, &c. : from the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. v. 44.
39. Tratte,&c. : 'the lashes of the scourge are derived from love';
i. e. the heinousness of their sin is brought home to the envious
by the examples and precepts which enforce the opposite virtue.
40. Lo fren : the bridle, or, as we say, the deterrent from sin,
is found in the examples of the ruin which envy entails on the envious
(Purg. xiv. 133-9). These are del contrario suono because
their moral is not love but fear.
42. passo del perdono : the Pass of Pardon is the passage
through the rock, which leads from this Cornice to the next. It is
at the entrance to this that they meet the Angel (Purg. xv. 34-6),
who, as we infer from what happened in Cornice I, removes the
second P from Dante's forehead.
45. lungo la grotta : * against the face of the cliff.'
48. color : the livid colour of envy; cp. 1. 9.
50. Maria, &c. : the Church Office which is used in this Cornice
is the Litany of the Saints.
52. ancoi : ' at the present time ' ; for anche oggu
269
PURGATORIO [XIII. 57-87
57. Per gli occhi, &c. : 'my load of grief found a vent through
my eyes ' ; Ht. ' I was drained of my grief through the passage of
my eyes'; for munto cp. Inf. xii. 135.
59. sofferia : ' supported.' They were in pairs, with their backs
against the rock, and propped up by one another's shoulders. The
mutual help which this implies was an antidote to envy.
61-3. a cui la roba falla: 'poverty-stricken'; cp. Inf.
xxiv. 7. Stanno, &c. : ' station themselves at places where in-
dulgences are granted,' i. e. at pilgrimage churches and similar holy
places, a walla : ' reclines,' lit. ' lowers.'
66. agogna : ' craves help.'
67, 68. approda : if this word is derived from pro, prode,
' advantage ' (Lat. prodesse), the meaning is ' does not benefit,' cp.
Inf. xxi. 78 ; if, on the other hand, it is derived from proda,
' shore,' it means ' arrives at ' ; ' the sun does not reach their eyes.'
1^ V io, &c. : ' in the place of which I was just speaking.'
7 1 . cuce : in the punishment of the envious by sewing up their
eyes the retribution corresponds to the sin, because envy arises from
looking in a malignant spirit at the prosperity of others; cp. 1. 135,
' occhi con invidia volti.' At the same time there is an allusion
to the etymology of invidia, as being derived from in and video,
come a sparvier : Philalethes (p. 119) refers to the emperor
Frederic II as mentioning in his treatise on Falconry that this
practice was in use in taming' hawks ; the technical name for the
operation was cileare,
73, 74. A me, &c. : ' I seemed to myself as I passed along to
be committing an act of outrage in seeing others without being seen
myself.' This feeling impels Dante to reveal himself to the spirits.
76-8. lo muto: 'though I had not opened my lips.' arguto :
' to the point.'
79-81. Virgilio, &c. : to protect Dante from the risk of falling
over, since there was no parapet encircling the Cornice, Virgil places
himself on his outer side, da quella banda : ' towards that side ' ;
for banda cp. Inf. xviii. 80.
82—4. devote : ' devout,' as being engaged in chanting the Litany.
che per, &c. : ' who were pressing out the tears through the grievous
stitching of the eyelids.'
85-7. sicura, &c. : here, as elsewhere in Purgatory, Dante shows
his sympathy with the souls in pain by referring, not so much to
270
XIII. 88-120] PURGATORIO
their present suffering, as to the certainty of their future blessedness ;
and in this instance he introduces the aspect of that blessedness which
appealed most forcibly to them in their sightless condition, viz. the
sight of God. Che, &c. : ' which is the sole object of your longings.*
88. Se : 'so may,' the usual form of appeal, le schiume, &c. :
a limpid stream is a natural image to represent the current of pure
thoughts ; the conscience is the channel through which they flow ;
the schiume are the accretions of sinful feelings, like envy, which
impede their passage through that channel ; these accretions are
removed by divine grace by means of the sufferings of Purgatory.
91—3. che mi fia, &c. : 'for the news will be acceptable and
welcome to me.' latina : Italian ; cp. Purg. xi. 58. sark buon :
because Dante might persuade his friends on earth to pray for him.
r apparo : 'learn his name.'
95, 96. una vera citt^ : the city of God. tu vuoi, &c. :
' you mean, a spirit that lived in Italy during its pilgrimage on earth.'
99. mi feci, &c. : ' I made myself heard (by raising my voice)
still farther on.'
100, 1 01. aspettava, &c. : 'wore an expectant look'; cp.
Purg. vii. 97. se volesse, &c. : 'if you ask how expectancy
was expressed in its looks.'
103. che per salir, &c. : ' who dost subdue thyself (by penance)
that thou mayest rise ' ; the underlying idea is — ' he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted.'
106-8. r fui Sanese: this is Sapia of Siena; her story is
sufficiently given in what follows. Lagrimando, &c. : ' praying him
with tears to vouchsafe himself to us,' i. e. to grant us his presence.
114. discendendo, &c. : Sapia means that she was past middle
age; cp. Conv. iv. 24. 11. 30, 31, ' il colmo del nostro arco e nelli
trentacinque.'
1 15-7. Colle : a town of Tuscany near Volterra, in the neigh-
bourhood of which the Sienese, commanded by Provenzan Salvani (on
whom see note on Purg. xi. 109), were defeated by the Florentines.
Sapia, who was in exile there, watched the battle from a tower.
di quel ch* ei voile : her request (^that they might be discomfited)
coincided with what God had ordained. She obtained her wish,
but not in answer to her prayer.
119,120. Passi: ' straits,' 'difficulties' ; cp. Par, iv. 91 ; xxx.
22. a tutte, &c. : ' surpassing every other joy.'
271
PURGATORIO [xiii. ii53-5o
123. Come, &c. : 'as the blackbird does when there is a short
spell of fair weather.' The story to which Dante is referring is,
that the blackbird, when a succession of fine days occurs in winter
time, exclaims, ' I fear thee no more, O Lord, for the winter is
over.' It is said also that in Lombardy the warm days at the end
of January are called 'i giorni della merla.'
125, 126. ancor, &c. : 'my debt would not yet be reduced by
penance,' i. e. 'I should not yet be in the way of expiating my sin ' ;
in other words, 'I should still be in Ante-Purgatory,' having deferred
repentance to the end of my life.
128, 129. Pier Pettinagno : a hermit who lived in the neigh-
bourhood of Siena. A cui, &c. : 'who was distressed for me,'
' felt compassion for me.'
132. come io credo : the blind are naturally observant, and so
Sapia infers that Dante is not blind from his moving about, and
from his speaking as if he was not undergoing the punishment of
this Cornice.
133-5. Gli occhi, &c. : 'I shall be deprived of my eyesight
here ' by the ' orribile costura.' ancor : ' hereafter,' i. e. when he
would have to undergo Purgatory. 1' offesa, &c. : ' the sin that
they have committed by envious glances.'
136-8. sospesa: 'preoccupied'; cp. Purg. xii. 78. Che gia,
&c. : ' for the weight which presses on the necks of the spirits in
the lower (first) Cornice already weighs me down.' Dante confesses
that pride is his besetting sin.
140. giti: 'to the Cornice below,' with reference to laggiit^ I. 138.
142-4. richiedi: 'proffer thy request.' mova, &c. : 'exert
myself among the living (lit. move my mortal feet in the world
beyond) hereafter for thee,' i. e. endeavour to obtain for thee the
intercessions of others.
148-50. per quel, &c. : ' by thy dearest object of desire,' i. e. by
thy hope of eternal life, mi rinfami : by assuring them that I am
not in Hell but in Purgatory, and consequently that their prayers
will avail for me. The hope of obtaining intercessory prayer, it
will be observed, is what both Dante (11. 143, 144) and Sapia
herself (1. 147) have been referring to. It is not meant that she
desired to be favourably remembered by the living, for the spirits in
Purgatory do not long for this, as those in Hell do (see note on
Inf. vi. 89).
272
XIII. 151— XIV. 6] PURGATORIO
151. vana : for this as an epithet of the Sienese cp. Inf.
xxix. 122. Here, as elsewhere in the Div. Com., the traditional
hostility of the Florentines to the Sienese is apparent in Dante's
remarks.
152. Talamone: a port of the Sienese on the coast of the
Maremma, on which they spent much money, but failed to make it
serviceable owing to the unhealthiness of the spot, perderagli :
gli is for W, as in 1. 7.
153. la Diana: a subterranean stream, which the Sienese spent
much money in searching for, in order to supplement their water
supply. Subsequently to Dante's time they found such a stream ;
and a well called the po%%o Diana is now shown in the convent of
S. Maria del Carmine there.
154. Ma piu, &c. : 'but the officers in command there will
expend more upon it than their hopes,' viz. their lives. For the
use of mettere here cp. Villani, vii. 8, ' la parte gbibellina, ch' io ho
cotanto servita e messo in loro cotanto tesoro.'
CANTO XIV
Argument. — Dante is recognized as being a living man by two
spirits, Guido del Duca and Rinieri da Calboli, who were natives
of Romagna. When they discover that his birthplace was in the
valley of the Arno, the former of them first denounces the vices
which characterized the peoples who dwelt along the course of that
stream, and afterwards proclaims the degeneracy of the great families
in the cities of Romagna. Dante and Virgil, as they proceed, hear
other voices in the air, resembling the former ones but loud as
thunder, which recall examples of the disastrous effects of envy.
Line i. Chi e, &c. : the two spirits who are here introduced as
conversing with one another — Guido del Duca and Rinieri da
Calboli — have overheard part of Dante's conversation with Sapia,
and consequently are aware that he is alive and in the body, and
that he has a companion; cp. Purg. xiii. 141, 142.
5, 6. che piu, &c. : ' who art nearer to him than I am.' acco'
lo : iox accoglilo\ cp. raccogli iox raccoglieli^ Inf. xviii. i8.
TOZER 273 T
PURGATORIO [XIV. 7-31
7-9. chini : resting against one another with their shoulders,
as described in Purg. xiii. 59. a man dritta : as Dante was
facing the rock when talking to Sapia, and these spirits were further
on, they would be on his right, supini : ' upturned * ; cp. Purg.
xiii. 102, ' Lo mento, a guisa d' orbo, in su levava.'
10—2. r uno : Guido del Duca. ditta : here used for d?.
14. tua grazia. : 'the grace conceded to thee.'
17, 18. Un fiumicel : the Arno, which is here called 'a small
stream,' probably because its source is mentioned in the words which
follow. Falterona : this is the name of the ridge of the Apennines
which rises to the NE. of Florence, sazia : the use of the sing,
here with a plur. subject is a construction according to sense, cento
miglia di corso being equivalent to un corso di cento miglia.
19. Di sopr' esso : from its banks, i. e. from Florence.
22. accarno : the first sense of accarnare is 'to penetrate the
flesh,' of a tooth or a weapon ; hence metaphorically it signifies
' to penetrate the meaning of.'
25. r altro : Rinieri da Calboli.
29. Si sdebito : 'delivered itself,' 'expressed its sentiments.'
In what follows Guido del Duca traces the course of the Arno
from its source to its mouth, and denounces the vices of those who
dwelt on its banks, designating the inhabitants of the Casentino
as hogs on account of their brutishness (11. 43—5), the people of
Arezzo as curs because of their mean and quarrelsome temper
(11. 46—8), the Florentines as wolves for their rapacity (11. 49—51),
and the Pisans as foxes for their cunning (11. 52-4).
30. valle : both here and in 1. 41 valle means the Val d' Arno ;
but notwithstanding this the river itself is implied, for it is this
which is referred to m princip'to suo (1. 31) and si rende (1. 34).
31. dov' e, &c. : the description which Dante here gives of the
Apennines as 'the rugged mountain from which Pelorum is torn
away ' illustrates his love of pliysical geography ; for, whereas the
feature of which he is here speaking is the Monte Falterona in the
northern part of the chain, he carries us to the other extremity of
Italy to remind us that the chain had been broken through by a con-
vulsion of nature at the Straits of Messina, in accordance with the
view that prevailed on that subject among Greek and Roman poets
and geographers, pregno : this epithet is best explained of the
* prolific ' character of this part of the chain, since at this point the
374
XIV. 32-4«] PURGATORIO
Apennines form a knot, from which several branches diverge.
Others refer it to the abundance of water, of which pregno is used in
Purg. V. ii8 ; Par. x. 68 ; and this view they support by the fact
that both the Arno and the Tiber have their sources in this neigh-
bourhood. Others again take it as signifying elevation, and in
illustration of this quote Lucan's description of the Apennines
{Phars. ii. 396—438), where intumutt (1. 398) is thought to corre-
spond to pregno here. The mountains, however, of which Lucan
is speaking in that passage, are those at the back of Capua ; and
Dante must have been well aware that the Monte Falterona is far
from being the highest point of the Apennines.
32, 33. Peloro : the disruption of Sicily from Italy at this
point is referred to by Lucan in the passage just mentioned (11. 437,
438), and is more fully described in Virg. j^en. iii. 414—9. passa,
&c. : ' it exceeds that measure (lit. mark) ' ; the meaning of this
will depend on the interpretation oi pregno above.
34-6. Infin, &c. : ' as far as the point (the mouth of the Arno)
where it yields itself up in compensation for those particles of the
sea which the heat of the atmosphere absorbs, and which provide
the rivers with their train of waters.'
37. per nimica si fuga : ' is driven out as an enemy.'
38, 39. o per sventura, &c. : ' either from ill fortune attaching
to the spot, or from bad habit which goads them on.' The two
influences which are here intended are divine appointment and human
freewill ; the sventura Del loco, according to Dante's view of the
scheme of Providence, would be caused by planetary influences ; see
note on Purg. xvi. 63.
42. par che, &c. : 'one might think they had been bred in
Circe's sty ' ; avere in pastura means ' to feed.' The reference
is to Circe's changing human beings into the forms of various beasts,
Virg. jien. vii. 17-20.
43-5. brutti porci : the rude inhabitants of the Casentino
in the upper valley of the Arno. povero calle : ' feeble course,'
with reference to the scanty supply of water in this part ; cp. Purg.
xvi. 2, ' pover cielo.'
46-8. Botoli : ' curs ' ; by these the people of Arezzo are meant.
Ringhiosi, &c. : ' disposed to snarl more than their force requires,'
i. e. there is more bark than bite in them. Ed a lor, &c. : ' and
contemptuously makes a wry face (lit. twists its muzzle) at them.'
275 T 2
, PURGATORIO [XIV. 50-66
What is here described is the course of the Amo in this part, for,
whereas before it approaches Arezzo it flows towards the SE., in
the neighbourhood of that city it bends sharp round towards the
NW. This being the case, it seems perhaps preferable to read
(with Casini) E da lor, ' it contemptuously turns away its muzzle
from them/ disdegnosa : this agrees with valle supplied from
above, and signifying the river ; see note on 1. 30.
50, 51. di can farsi lupi : the dogs of Arezzo are replaced by
the wolves of Florence ; thus the river passes from bad to worse.
The wolf is the emblem of rapacity, fossa : ' dike,' a contemptuous
term for ' river.'
52—4. piii pelaghi cupi : 'many a deep abyss'; this refers to
the gorges through which the river passes above Empoli. volpi :
the Pisans are so designated on account of their fraudulent cunning.
ingegno, &c.: 'any form of cleverness that can master them.'
55. perch' altri m' oda : 'because I speak in the presence of
others.' The statement is put in a general form, but refers to
Rinieri, who might be distressed at the mention of the misdeeds of
a member of his family, and to Dante, who might be ashamed at
hearing the terms which are applied to Florence.
56, 57. costui : Dante ; it will be good for him, because he will
learn what disasters await his party, so that he may himself be fore-
warned, se ancor, &c. : ' if hereafter (i. e. when he has returned
to the world of the living) he remembers that which a truthful
inspiration unravels (i. e. clearly reveals) to me.'
58—60. tuo nipote : Fulcieri da Calboli, grandson of Rinieri,
who was made Podesta of Florence in 1302, and fiercely persecuted
the White Guelfs, whom Dante, notwithstanding that they were
of his party, classes among the lupi on account of their greed.
fiero : ' the cruel river,' even the name of which should be concealed
(11. 25—30) on account of the malignity of those who dwelt on its
banks.
61-3. Vende, &c. : this seem to mean — 'violates their persons
for gain,' the reference being to his torturing his victims, on the
strength of which he was continued in his office for six months longer.
come antica belva : 'hke ancient beeves' (Longf.). pregio :
' good repute.'
64-6. trista selva : Florence. Fulcieri is spoken of as leaving
Florence (esce) because, not being a Florentine, he only resided
276
XIV. 69-108] PURGATORIO
there during his term of office, primaio : the last three vowels of
this word form metrically one syllable ; cp. heccato^ Pu^'g- xx. 52 ;
gennaio, Par. xxvii. 142. non si rinselva : 'does not regain its
foliage.'
69. qualche : for qualunque. assanni ; ' grips.'
71, 72. Stava : here, as often elsewhere, stare merely signilies
position. The spirits were seated on the ground, a se raccolta :
'laid to heart,' 'fully comprehended.'
77, 78. mi deduca : ' should condescend.' che tu, &c. : cp. 1. 20.
81. Guide del Duca : little is known of his history.
84. di livore sparso : ' tinged with a livid hue.'
87. Lk V e, &c. : ' where interdict of partnership must be '
(Longf.), i. e. on objects which do not admit of being shared by
others ; temporal, as distinguished from spiritual, goods are meant.
The Poet recurs to these words in Purg. xv. 44. The construction
is — ove divieto di ccnsorto e mestieri.
91-3. E non pur, &c. : Dante proceeds by the mouth of Guido
to lament over the demoralization of the Romagna. bruUo, &c. :
' destitute of the good qualities (del ben) required for righteous
dealing (il vero) and gentle living (il trastuUo, lit. amusement),'
in other words, 'for well-ordered society.' Tra il Po, &c. : the
country intended in this line is the Romagna, which is described by its
boundaries, viz. to the N. the Po, to the S. the Apennines (il monte),
to the E. the Adriatic (la marina), to the W. the river Reno which
flows near Bologna.
94-6. e ripieno : the subject of the sentence is ' the land ' under-
stood ; cp. Purg. ix. 54 ; x. 79. tardi, &c. : ' it would be long
before they could be reduced by cultivation ' : the sterpi are the
demoralized families.
97. Lizio : this name, and the others which follow, are those of
the virtuous gentlemen of the Romagna of former times : little is
known of their history.
100-2. si ralligna : 'takes root again.' Verga gentil, &c. :
i. e. a man of noble character, though of humble extraction.
105, 106. vivette : for v'tsse. brigata : 'company,' 'as-
sociates'; cp. Inf. xxix. 130.
108. diretata : ' devoid of heirs ' ; from Low Lat. dehaeritare :
in mod. Italian it would be d'tredata. The two families here spoken
of belonged to Ravenna.
277
PURGATORIO [XIV. 109-39
109, no. gli affanni, &c. : 'the toils and the repose, which
inspired our souls with love and courtesy.*
112. Brettinoro : now Bertinoro, a small town between Forli
and Cesena ; it was Guido del Duca's own birthplace. The family
which is spoken of in 1. 113 is probably that of the Mainardi.
115, 116. Bagnacaval : this place and the two following were
castles belonging to powerful families.
1 18-20. i Pagan : the Pagani were lords of Faenza and Imola ;
the head of the family was Maghinardo, surnamed ' the Devil.'
' They will conduct themselves aright from the time when their Devil
departs ; but, for all that (pero), not so that their record can ever
be untarnished,' because Maghinardo had permanently compromised
the reputation of the family. Maghinardo is the ' leoncel dal nido
bianco ' of Inf. xxvii. 50.
121. sicuro : he died without heirs, so that there was no longer
any fear of his name being compromised.
125, 126. Troppo : 'far'; cp. Purg. xii. 116. ragion : for
ragionamento, cp. Purg. xxii. 1 30 ; 'so much has our discourse dis-
tressed my mind.'
128. pero, &c. : ' as they knew in which direction we were going,
and said nothing to the contrary, we concluded that we were right.'
130, 131. Poi : for Poiche. The voices in the air which are
now heard proclaim examples of the punishment of envy, viz. Cain
and Aglauros. Folgore : ' thunder.'
133. Anciderammi, &c. : Cain's exclamation in Gen. iv. 14,
' every one that findeth me shall slay me ' ; Cain's envy is noticed in
I John iii. 12.
134? 135* sidilegua: 'dies away.' scoscende : 'it rends the
cloud ' ; for the etymology of the word see note on Inf. xvii. 121.
136-8. ebbe tregua : 'had truce from it'; when it ceased to
strike the ear. ed : ' thereupon ' ; see note on Inf. xxv. 34.
tuonar, &c. : ' a thunder-clap following quickly on another,' i. e. on
that mentioned in 1. 134.
139. Aglauro : the story of Aglauros is told in different ways ;
but the version of it to which Dante is alluding is that found in
Ovid, Met. ii. 708 foil., in which alone envy is a prominent feature.
Aglauros, finding that Hermes was in love with her sister Herse,
attempted to prevent him from entering Herse's house ; on which
she was changed by him into a stone.
278
XIV. I40— XV. 3] PURGATORIO
140. ristringermi : from fear of the terrible voices.
143, 144. camo : 'the bit' here, like lo fren in Purg. xiii. 40,
expresses the deterrent force of these examples. The word camo
is taken from Ps. xxxi. 9 (Vulg.), 'in camo et freno maxillas eorum
constringe.' sua meta ; the bounds of duty.
I45~7* 1* esca; the devil's bait is the temptation to sin.
richiamo : the metaphor here is changed ; the richiamo is the
' recall ' of a falcon ; cp. Inf. iii. 117. The nature of the ' recall *
is explained in the lines that follow.
151. vi batte, &c. : 'the all-seeing God punishes you.'
CANTO XV
Argument. — An angel of dazzling brightness points out to them
the passage leading upwards. As they ascend, Virgil solves a doubt
which had arisen in Dante's mind from an expression in Guido del
Duca's speech, concerning the participation with others of temporal
and spiritual blessings. When the third Cornice is reached, in which
the sin of anger is expiated, Dante sees an ecstatic vision, in
which three examples of gentleness are presented to him.
Line i. Quanto, &c. : the first five lines of the Canto are
intended to express — though they do so with great circumlocution —
that it was now about 3 p.m. in Purgatory. Paraphrase thus — 'As
much as is seen (par) of the sun's path (of the movement of the
sphere in which the sun is fixed) between the end of the third hour
(9 a.m.) and the beginning of the day' (i.e. inverting the form
of statement, ' between 6 and 9 a.m.'), 'so much of his course
towards nightfall (i. e. about three hours) seemed at this moment to
remain ' ; that is, it was about 3 p.m.
2, 3. par: 'is seen,' i. e. along which the sun is seen to pass.
della spera, &c. : ' the sphere which is ever in restless motion like
a child ' is the celestial sphere in which the sun is fixed, and which
contains the ecliptic, or the path of the sun through the heavens.
It is said to be in restless motion (scherza does not here mean
luayivard motion), because it is revolving unceasingly in company
with the sun round the earth.
279
PURGATORIO [XV. 6-20
6. Vespero la, &c. : this line expresses in a different way the
same thing as has been expressed in the preceding Hnes. Vespero
is used by Dante of the last of the four divisions of the day, viz.
from 3 to 6 p.m. {Conv. iv. 23. 11. 129-33). 'It was 3 o'clock
in Purgatory (1^), and consequently in Italy, where the Poet is
writing (qui), it was midnight.' The latter of these statements
becomes clear, if we understand that, as it was 3 p.m. in Purgatory,
it would be 3 a.m. in Jerusalem, which was antipodal to it ; and it
would be three hours earlier, i. e. midnight, in Italy, for according
to Dante's mathematical geography Italy was 45° westward of
Jerusalem, and 45' of distance = three hours of time. (45°, being
|- of 360*^ — the circumference of the earth — corresponds to three
hours, which are | of 24 hours, or the time occupied by a revolu-
tion of the sun.)
7, 8. per mezzo il naso : directly in front, si: 'so far'; as
they started from the east, and at this point began to face westwards,
they had now completed one-fourth of the circuit of the Mountain.
10-2. io senti', &c. : Dante here describes the dazzling
appearance of the Angel of the second Cornice, who was now
in front of him. ' I perceived that my brows (my eyesight) were
overpowered by the brilliant light far more than at the first, and
something — I knew not what — dazed me.'
13-5. Ond' io, &c. : Dante here shades his eyes with his hands.
Che, &c. : ' which diminishes (lit. files away a part of) the excessive
brightness of an object.' il visibile here is a subst. (cp. il sensibih^
Purg. xxxii. 15), and soperchio is an adj. agreeing with it;
lit. 'the excessive visible object.' The expression is from Ar.
De An. ii. 12. 3, twv alaOrjTtjjv at VTrep^okat.
1 6. Come, &c. : the light which emanates from the angel is
reflected into Dante's eyes from the surface of the Cornice in front
of him. This he compares to the reflexion of a sunbeam from
water or from a mirror.
18, 19. per Io modo, &c. : i.e. at a corresponding angle to
that at which it falls.
20. Dal cader della pietra: 'fom the perpendicular'; as
we say, ^ from the plummet line.' in egual tratta : this is an
expansion of the meaning contained in tanto ; ' deviates as far
as the descending ray does, at an equal distance from it (the
perpendicular).'
280
XV. 23 57] PURGATORIO
23, 24. percosso : ' that the ground in front of me was smitten * ;
the subst. is understood, as in Purg. xiv. 94. a fuggir, &c. :
i. e. 'I quickly turned my eyes away.'
26. tanto, &c. : ' so much that it (my sight) may avail me ' ;
i. e. sufficiently to enable me to see.
30. ch' uom saglia : ' that we (lit. one) should ascend ' ; uomo
in this use corresponds to Fr. on ; cp. Purg. iv. 27.
33. Quanto, &c. : 'even to the utmost capacity of thy nature.'
34-6. Poi : for Poiche. vie men, &c. : the ascents from
cornice to cornice become less steep in proportion as they are higher
up the Mountain.
39. retro: 'in our rear'; this Beatitude salutes Dante on his
leaving the Cornice where envy is punished.
42. Prode: 'advantage,' from Lat. prodesse. The word is
shown to be of the neut. gender by Par. vii. 26, 'a suo prode.'
44, 45. lo spirto, &c. : Guido del Duca. " divieto " e " con-
sorto " : ' interdict and partnership ' ; in Purg. xiv. 87 Guido blames
the human race for setting their affections on temporal goods, which
do not admit of being shared by others [consorto di'vieto) ; in what
follows, Virgil is made to explain the difference between spiritual and
temporal goods in respect of their beings or not being, participated in
by many persons.
46-8. Di sua, &c. : ' the detriment arising from his greatest
failing (envy) ' ; by the detriment he means his punishment, non
s' ammiri, &c. : ' it is not surprising (lit. let no one wonder) if he
reproves men {gente umana, Purg. xiv. 86) for it, in order that they
may rue it the less.'
49— 51. Perche, &c. : ' it is because your desires are pointed at
things, a portion of which is lost (lit. deducted) when they are
shared, that envy plies the bellows to excite your regrets ' ; in other
words — ' The reason why men's hearts are inflamed by envy is,
that the objects which they desire are temporal advantages, which
are diminished by being shared with others.'
54. quella tema : the fear of your advantages being lessened.
55—7. per quanti, &c. : 'in heaven (li) the increase in the
number of those who share its blessings multiplies proportionately
the blessings enjoyed by each individually, and enhances the love
that bums in that mansion.' si dice . . . nostro : 'the word
"ours" is used.' chiostro : cp. Purg. xxvi. 128.
281
PURGATORIO [XV. 58-87
58-60. lo son, &c. : 'I lack satisfaction more* ; for this use of
digiuno cp. Inf. xviii. 42. aduno : 'I gather'; *more doubt
arises in my mind'; cp. Inf. vii. 52.
63. Di se : take with ricchi, ' rich in the enjoyment of it.'
66. Di vera, &c. : 'thou pluckest darkness from the very light'
(Longf.), i. e. the clearness of my explanations only produces
perplexity in thy mind.
67-9. bene: God, the fountain of love, is meant. 'The love
which emanates from God is communicated to men in proportion to
their power of receiving it, just as the rays of the sun cause objects
to be brilliant in proportion to their luminous nature.'
70—2. ardore : the fire of love. 'God communicates his love
in proportion to the love he finds in men.' Cresce, &c. : ' the
might of God's love increases so as to magnify it,' lit. 'over it,*
sc. carit^.
73-5. quanta gente, &c. : ' in proportion as the number of the
inhabitants of heaven who have this fellow-feeling (s* intende, ' are
in accord ') is increased, there are more to feel pure love, and
consequently more love is felt there, and this is reflected from one
to the other.'
76, 77. ragion: for ragionamento^ 'argument.' Beatrice: as
the question is strictly a theological one, Virgil rightly refers him
to Beatrice, who represents theology.
79-81. Procaccia: 'use diligence'; cp. Purg. xvii. 62. che
teste, &c. : ' that the remaining five of the seven P's may be soon
erased from your forehead.' si richiudon, &c. : ' are healed up by
means of contrition.'
82-4. appaghe : for appaghi. This word contains the answer
to Virgil's doubt in 1. 76. le luci vaghe : 'my eager eyes,' i.e.
desirous of seeing new objects ; cp. Purg. x. 104.
85. Ivi: in this, the third Cornice, (i) the sin punished is
anger ; (2) the mode of punishment is by being enveloped in a dense
atmosphere of smoke ; (3) the examples of the opposite virtue, viz.
gentleness, are the Blessed Virgin, Pisistratus, and St. Stephen ;
(4) the examples of the vice are Procne, Haman, and Amata ; (5)
the manner of their presentation is by an ecstatic vision ; (6) the
Church Office is the Agnus Dei; (7) the Beatitude is Beati pacifici.
87. piu persone : the Jewish doctors, in the midst of whom in
the temple our Lord was found by his Mother; Luke ii. 46. The
282
XV. 93-1^7] PURGATORIO
mildness of the Virgin's remonstrance to her Son is the first example
of gentleness.
93. Cid che pareva prima : the first scene in the vision.
94. un' altra : the story which follows is this. A young
man who was in love with Pisistratus' daughter kissed her in public,
whereupon her mother begged of her husband that the offender
should be punished ; but Pisistratus replied, 'If we put to death
those who show love towards us, what shall we do to those who
hate us ? ' The authority for the incident is Valerius Maximus,
V. I. Ext. 2, where it is mentioned as an example of ' Humanitas
et dementia.'
96. dispetto in : ' indignation against.'
98. Del cui nome, &c. : from Ovid, Met. vi. 71, 'antiquam
de terrae nomine litem.' In the lines which follow this Ovid
describes the contest between Neptune and Minerva for the privilege
of giving their name to Athens.
107, 108. un giovinetto : the third example is St. Stephen
praying for his murderers, Acts vii. 54 foil. There is nothing in the
Scripture narrative which implies that St. Stephen was a young man,
but an idea to that effect seems to have prevailed, and has found its
expression in art. Mrs. Jameson says of him {Sacred and Legendary
Art^ vol. ii. p. 532), 'he is generally represented young.' a se :
' one to another.'
109-14. chinarsi : 'he kneeled down,' v, 60. degli occhi,
&c. : ' he looked up steadfastly into heaven,' v. 55. guerra :
' painful struggle ' ; cp. Inf. ii. 4, ' la guerra del cammino.' piet^
disserra : ' calls forth (lit. unlocks) the compassion of others.'
1 15-7. torno, &c. : 'returned to the outer world (from its
previous condition of rapture) to those realities which are external
to it,' i. e. to the objects of sense. lo riconobbi, &c. : ' I recognized
the vanity of my imaginations, which yet had a true significance.'
They were non falsi, because they represented real events, and
conveyed a true moral.
119, 120. dal sonno si slega: 'is shaking off sleep.' non
ti ptioi ten ere : ' canst not stand upright,' lit. ' hold thyself up.'
122, 123. Velando, &c. : 'with eyes half closed and with
unsteady gait.' piega : ' overpowers,' lit. ' bends.*
127. Se tu avessi, &c. : cp. Inf. xxiii. 25-7, where Virgil had
already assured Dante of his power of reading his inmost thoughts.
283
PURGATORIO [XV. 130-44
1 30, 131. Cio che, &c. ; ' the object of the vision was, that you
may not excuse yourself from,' &c. ; scuse for //' scusi. acque
della pace, &c. ; the waters of divine peace are the spirit of gentle-
ness, which is the antidote to anger, and of which Dante is to learn
the lessons in passing through this Cornice.
133-6. Non domandai, &c. : Virgil, having just assured Dante
that he is acquainted with his inmost thoughts, now proceeds to
explain to him what was his object in asking him the question,
'What ails thee, that thou canst not stand upright?' 1. 120. The
general purport of what he says is — ' I asked this, not in order to
learn your condition, as one gifted only with mortal sight would
do — I have no need to do this, because I know already what was
occupying your thoughts, and so caused you to reel in walking — but
I did so in order to stimulate you to exertion.' per quel che, &c. :
lit. ' with the object with which a person would ask the question,
who looks only with the eye which ceases to see when the body
lies deserted by the soul (in death),' i. e. with a mortal eye.
138. vigilia : 'wakefulness'; the present clause describes
Dante's condition, viz. that having regained consciousness he failed
to exert himself.
139-41. per lo vespero : 'during the evening hour.' attenti
Oltre : ' gazing onward.' raggi serotini : ' rays of evening,'
which consequently shone straight in their faces.
144. da cansarsi : 'to escape from it'; the smoke occupied
the whole width of the Cornice.
CANTO XVI
Argument. — Dante finds himself enveloped in a dense smoke,
in the midst of which are heard voices singing the Agnus Dei ;
these proceed from spirits who are being purged from the sin of
anger. One of them, Marqo,JUombardo, explains to Dante that,
though the life of man is affected by planetary influences, yet he is
in no sense enslaved by them, because his will remains free ; and
that what is most needed for his welfare is a central governing
power by which the laws may be enforced. Such an agency, how-
284
XVI. 1-36] PURGATORIO
ever, Is rendered impossible by the present attitude of the Papacy,
which claims for itself the temporal as well as the spiritual power.
Lines 1-3. Buio : here used as a subst. ; ' darkness of Hell, or
of night, when night is bereft of every planet beneath a barren sky
(lit. a sky impoverished of stars), overcast to the utmost by clouds.'
The symbolism seems to be, that anger, which is 'a brief madness,'
clouds the judgement and obscures the conscience, in the same way
as smoke takes away the power of sight. Smoke, moreover, like
anger, is harsh and irritating.
6. Ne a sentir, &c. : ' nor did the darkness ever make to my
sight a veil of so hard texture to feel.'
8. saputa : ' sagacious,' like savio, ' sage,' the familiar epithet of
Virgil, only saputa has the sense of practical wisdom.
15. mezzo: 'separated'; lit. 'cutoff.'
17. per pace, &c. : in the Agnus Dei, which these spirits were
singing, the bestowal of peace and mercy is the burden of the
prayer — 'Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, da nobis pacem.' The
English of these words is familiar in our Litany.
20, 21. Una parola, &c. : ' all used the same words and the same
tone ' ; the ' concord ' thus produced is contrasted with the discord
arising from anger.
24. solvendo 11 nodo : ' untying the knot ' ; freeing themselves
from the bondage of the sin of anger, which keeps them from
ascending to heaven.
25-7. fendi: 'passest through.' pur, come se, &c. : 'just as
if thou wert not one of us, but wert in the number of the living ' ;
lit. 'as if thou didst still divide (measure) time by calends,' as men
do on earth. The Roman calends, as being the first day of every
month, are here taken as a specimen division of time — 'by such
time-marks as calends.' The form calendi for calende is found
also in Boccaccio and other writers.
30. si va sue : ' is the passage upward ' to the next Cornice.
34-6. quanto mi lece : we see from Purg. xv. 142 that the
smoke did not extend over the entire Cornice; consequently the
spirits who were undergoing penance were confined within certain
limits, in quella vece : 'instead thereof,' I.e. of seeing; cp.
Inf. xxl. 10.
285
PURGATORIO [XVI. 37-63
37-9. fascia : ^ swathing band ' (Longf.), i. e. the body or outer
man, which enwraps the soul, la infemale ambascia : ' the
anguish of Hell ' ; this is shown to be the meaning by the use of
the same expression in this sense in Par. xxvi. 133.
40—2. se: 'inasmuch as*; but the conditional particle puts the
statement more modestly, richiuso : 'enfolded,' 'embraced me in
his grace'; cp. Par. ix. 102. fuor, &c. : 'unwonted in these
latter days ' ; subsequently to St. Paul no living person had been
carried up to heaven.
44, 45. varco : 'passage.' tue parole, &c. : i.e. the sound of
your voice will guide us through the darkness of the smoke.
46. Lombardo : ' a Lombard.' Benvenuto says that he was
called a Lombard because he was intimate with the leading men of
his time in lyombardy. Little is known of this Marco, but he is
said to have been a Venetian nobleman of the second half of Cent,
xiii, who was learned and courteous.
47, 48. valore: 'worth,' 'nobility of character.' disteso :
' unbent ' ; 'at which men now neglect to aim.'
51. su: in Heaven.
55-7. Prima, &c. : the question (dubbio) in Dante's mind was
concerning the cause of the deep-seated corruption of his age. This
question first suggested itself when Guido del Duca affirmed the
existence of that corruption (Purg. xiv. 37, 38, 'Virtil cosj per
nemica si fuga Da tutti '), and so far it had only a single or simple
force (era scempio), because it started from the statement of a
single person ; but its force was doubled (fatto doppio), when the
existence of that corruption was asserted by Marco also (Nella
sentenza tua), for the repetition of the statement caused Dante
to feel certain of the fact from which the question originated in his
mind (quelle ov' io 1' accoppio). Qui ed altrove : ' comparing
the present with the former statement' (Marco's with Guido del
Duca's). quelle, &c. : lit. ' that to which I attach the question.'
59, 60. suone : for suoni^ 'dost declare'; cp. 11. 47, 48. di
malizia, &c. : ' big with malice and overshadowed by it.'
63. nel ciel, &c. : Guido del Duca had already suggested that
in the formation of men's characters two powers were at work,
viz. divine appointment and human freewill, when he said that the
corruption of the inhabitants of the Arno valley was caused ' o per
sventura Del loco, o per mal uso che li fruga,' Purg. xiv. 38, 39.
286
XVI. 64-86] PURGATORIO
In the present passage the same thing is affimied, but it is more
definitely stated that the agency through which the divine appoint-
ment works is the influence of the planetary spheres (il cielo). By
these the order of nature is determined, and the characters and
fortunes of men are variously affected. This doctrine is concisely
declared in Purg. xxx. 109-11, and is more fully set forth, together
with an account of the Angels or Intelligences who direct these
spheres, in Par. ii. 112 foil. The point in connexion with it which
is now insisted on is, that notwithstanding these influences the will
of man is free, and he is a responsible agent.
64. strinse in * hui ' : ' forced into a cry.'
68. cosicomese: 'just as if.'
71, 72. non fora, &c. : i.e. in that case there would be no
justice in a system of rewards and punishments.
73-5. Lo cielo, &c. : 'the planets originate in the soul some at
least of the impulses which move it.' Lume, &c. : * light is given
you (in reason and conscience, independent of planetary influences)
to teach you right and wrong.'
76-8. se fatica, &c. : 'though it has to endure fatigue in its
first encounters with the planetary influences (i. e. the conditions
imposed by them), in the end wins a complete victory.' For the
construction in vince tutto cp. Inf. viii. 122, 'vincero la prova.'
79-81. A maggior, &c. : 'it is to a higher power and a better
nature than that of the spheres (i. e. to the power and nature of
God) that ye are subject, though still free; and this it is which
creates the mind in you, which the spheres do not control.'
82-4. disvia : 'goes astray'; this is in answer to Dante's
question in 11. 58 foil, si cheggia : ' let the cause be sought.'
vera spia : ' a faithful pioneer,' to explain the matter.
85 foil. Marco, having combated the view that the planetary
influences destroy man's freewill and his responsibility, proceeds to
show the real cause of the prevailing corruption. The soul, he says,
when it leaves its Creator's hands, naturally seeks after what pleases
it, and is liable to be misled unless it is guided and restrained ;
hence arises the need of laws, and of one to administer them. But
at the present time the laws are in abeyance owing to the paralysis
of government arising from the spiritual power having appropriated
the temporal power, and itself showing a bad example.
85, 86. la vagheggia, &c. : ' contemplates it lovingly before it
287
PURGATORIO [XVI. 91-101
is created ' ; the idea of it has existed from the first in the Creator's
mind. The view of the origin of the soul which is here given is
that of Creationism — according to which it proceeds directly from
God — as against that of Traducianism, which regards it as being
inherited from the parents.
91. picciol bene: paltry enjoyments.
96. Delia vera cittade : i. e. of the city of God ; cp. Purg.
xiii. 95. la torre : the bulwark or tower of defence which the
ruler is to have in view is justice; cp. De Mon, i. 13. 11. 54—7,
where Dante says of the Monarch, ' ipse vel omnino, vel maxime
bene dispositus ad regendum esse potest, quia inter caeteros iudicium
et iustitiam potissime habere potest.'
97, 98. pon mano ad esse: 'administers them.' precede:
* goes before the flock.'
99. Ruminar, &c. : the terms here used refer to the tests by
which beasts were determined to be clean under the Mosaic law, viz.
that they should chew the cud and divide the hoof (Lev. xi. 3).
As applied to the Heads of the Church, the allegorical meaning of
* chewing the cud' seems to be the acquisition of wisdom by
pondering on sources of knowledge ; but in respect of ' dividing the
hoof the symbolism is twofold, as is shown by the use which the
Poet makes of it in two separate passages. First, it signifies
the practice of good morals, in accordance with what St. Augustine
says — ' Fissa enim ungula ad mores, ruminatio vero ad sapientiam
pertinet. Quare ad mores fissa ungula? Quia difficile labitur'
\Serm. cxlix. 3. 4); and it is applied in this sense in 11. 100-5,
where it is explained that it was the unprincipled conduct of the
Roman Court which had demoralized the world. Secondly, the
dividing of the hoof represents the separation of the temporal and
spiritual powers, which principle the popes had ignored. This
interpretation is found in 11. 127-9, where the Church of Rome
is spoken of as a beast of burden, which falls in the mud in
consequence of its not distinguishing between these two spheres
of government, the reference obviously being to the support given
to such animals in slippery ground by the divided hoof (see note
on 11. 127-9). The two allegorical applications are not wholly
unconnected with one another, because it was greed of worldly gains
which led to the appropriation of the temporal power by the Papacy.
10 1. Pure a quel ben ferire: 'aim only at that advantage.*
288
XVI. 103-25] PURGATORIO
103. mala condottal ' evil guidance.'
106, 107. il buon mondo feo : 'created the world of good
order,' i. e. originated the good government of the world. Due
Soli : these are the source of temporal guidance in the Empire,
and that of spiritual guidance in the Papacy. The principle laid
down in this passage is the text of Dante's De Monarchia. Dante
here identifies Christian Rome, which soleva due Soli aver, with
Pagan Rome, che il buon mondo feo ; this is due to his belief
in the continuity of the Roman power.
1 09-1 1. L* un, &c. : 'the spiritual power has extinguished the
temporal,' by appropriating it to itself. Per viva forza : take
with convien, ' must of necessity ' ; this use is illustrated by the
corresponding phrase ' per viva necessity.'
112. Perocche, &c. : while the two powers were in separate
hands, they were restrained from transgression by fear of one
another ; now that they are in the same hands, that fear has ceased.
113, 114. pon mente, &c. : ' consider the ear of corn, for the
plant is known by its fruits (lo seme) ' ; in other words — ' look at
the corruption which has arisen from it.' To illustrate this, Marco
now adduces the condition of his own country, Lombardy.
1 15-7. In sul paese, &c. : 'the country irrigated by the Adige
and the Po ' is Lombardy in its widest acceptation, i. e. the entire
plain of Upper Italy. Observe that both in this line and the next
there is a singular verb with two subjects, avesse briga : ' was
involved in strife.' The evil arising from the Popes taking up the
sword is shown by the ruin that had befallen Lombardy owing to
the conflict between Frederic II and Honorius III, Gregory IX,
and Innocent IV.
118-20. Or puo, &c. : the meaning is: — 'at the present time
so few good characters are left there, that a man, who from sense
of shame at his own criminality wished to avoid holding communication
with respectable persons, could pass through the country without
fear of doing so (sicuramente).' indi : ' by that way.* lasciasse :
'has ceased to' ; cp. Purg. xiv. 55.
121-3. en : for enno (= son6)\ cp. Par. xiii. 97. in cui, &c. ;
' in whose persons the ancient age reproves the modern.' par lor
tardo, &c. : ' they think it long, ere God remove them to a better life.'
124, 125. The three noblemen here mentioned were of Brescia,
Treviso, and Reggio respectively. Little is known of them.
TOZER 289. U
PURGATORIO [XVI. 125-40
126. Francescamente : 'as the French are wont to do'; he
is said to have been hospitable and helpful to the French who passed
through his country. il semplice Lombardo : ' the guileless
Lombard,' in contrast to the Lombard usurers, from whom the
Rue des Lombards in Paris and Lombard Street in London obtained
their names. This contrast gives its point to Francescamente.
127-9. oggimai : 'henceforward.' la Chiesa, &c. : the Church
of Rome is here likened to a beast of burden slipping in the mud in
consequence of its not dividing the hoof. The purpose served by
the cloven hoof in the animals that possess it is to steady their footsteps
in yielding or slippery ground by the additional support which is thus
given to them. This is what St. Augustine means in the passage
quoted in note to 1. 99, when he says, ' Fissa ungula .... difficile
labitur.' The separation of the temporal from the spiritual government
of the world, and the assignment of them to the Emperor and the
Pope respectively, is compared to the cloven hoof in respect of the
safety which it affords ; but the Church of Rome (the Poet says)
by combining in its own hands these two spheres of government
destroyed this safeguard, and so broke down, and brought disgrace
both on itself and on the office which it discharged, la soma :
'the burden which it carries,' i.e. the work of government which
it has taken upon it.
131, 132. perche, &c. : cp. Deut. xviii. 2, 'They (the tribe
of Levi) shall have no inheritance among their brethren ' ; the reason
for this injunction, which Dante now perceives, was that they might
not be entangled in the care of temporalities ; cp. De Mon. iii. 14.
11. 29-35.
133, 134. quel clie, &c. : 'he who, you say, has remained as
a specimen,' &c.
136—8. O tuo, &c. : ' you must be either mocking me or drawing
me on to some further statement,' for it is impossible that you have
not heard of him, as you come from Tuscany. This implies that
Gherardo was well known in that country. The peculiarity of the
lingua Toscana which Marco recognizes in Dante's speech was
probably in the pronunciation; cp. Inf. x. 25 ; xxxiii. 11, 12.
139, 140. Per altro, &c. : from these lines it appears that, when
in 1. 133 Dante professes ignorance about Gherardo, he must have
done so with a definite purpose, viz. in order that his daughter Gaia
might be mentioned as a conspicuous person. The question then
290
XVI. 142— XVII. 9] PURGATORIO
arises, for what was she conspicuous ? and to this there are two
opposite answers, for whereas both accounts represent her as being
beautiful, one says that she was distinguished for her virtues, the
other for her vices. The latter of these is antecedently the more
probable, for as Dante is here inveighing against the corruption
of the age, it would be to his purpose to mention a descendant
of a paragon of virtue who became notorious for vice.
142. 1' albor: this white light proceeds from the Angel who
guards the passage to the next Cornice ; see Purg. xvii. 47.
144. L* Angelo e ivi : this is a parenthesis.
CANTO XVII
Argument. — The sun is setting as Dante emerges from the
smoke, and he now falls into another ecstatic trance, in which he
sees examples of the evil results of anger. After this they mount /'
to the fourth Cornice, where the sin of sloth or lukewarmness is
expiated ; this they reach at nightfall. To compensate for the
delay caused by the darkness, Virgil explains to Dante the origin
and character of the vices from which the souls are cleansed by
Purgatory, and the corresponding arrangement of the Cornices.
Line i. aipe: here for 'high mountains' generally; cp. Inf.
xiv. 30. In the Div. Com. the word is always singular.
3. per pelle talpe: cp. Virg. Georg. i. 183, 'oculis capti . . .
talpae.' The ancients believed that the mole had no power of sight,
its eyes being covered by a membrane ; Ar. Hist. AnlmaL i. 9. 3 ;
De An. iii. i. 5; cp. Brun. Lat. Tesoro, Bk. v. Ch. 64, 'la talpa
non vede lume, ch^ natura non voile adoperare in lei d* aprire le pelli
de' suoi occhi, si che non valgono niente, perche non sono apeiti.'
This idea arose from the mole's eyes being extremely small, and
usually being completely hidden in its fur.
4. Come: this depends on Rtcorditi. Dante's gradually seeing
the sun's rays as he passes out of the smoke is compared to what
happens when a cloud disperses in the mountains.
7-9. imagine: 'imagination'; cp. Par. i. 53. leggiera :
'ready/ lit. 'nimble.' in pria : 'at first,' i.e. when it began
291 V 2
PURGATORIO [XVII. 13-34
to appear, nel corcare : this was towards the end of the first day
in Purgatory proper.
12. mortigia: ' which had already disappeared ' ; on the lower
level they would disappear earlier.
13-5. Dante here intimates that he fell into a trance, and saw
another ecstatic vision, corresponding to that which he beheld on
entering the Cornice,, only here examples of the vice of anger are
presented to him. ne rube . . . di fuor : ' dost transport us,'
lit. 'take us out of ourselves.' Perche : 'however much,' 'even
though.'
16. se il sense, &c. : 'if the senses present no objects to you.'
17, 18. s' informa : 'takes form,' i.e. the form of the object
or scene to be presented to the mind. Per se, &c. : 'either from
power inherent in the light itself (i. e. from the planetary influences),
or from the will of God, which sends (lit. conducts) it down to
earth.'
19. The first example of anger, which is derived from the
classics, is that of Procne, who in revenge for the faithlessness
of her husband Tereus killed her son Itys, and served up his flesh
to be eaten by his father ; for this she was changed into a night-
ingale : as to this last point see note on Purg. ix. 15. The story is
from Ovid, Met. vi. 412 foil. ; the murder of Itys is related
in 11. 639-41.
21. imagine: see note on 1. 7. orma : 'representation,'
lit. 'footprint,' 'impression.'
23, 24. di fuor, &c. : 'no external object was admitted by
it,' lit. 'no object came from without that was then received
by it.'
25. piovve, &c. : 'there rained within (i. e. descended from
on high and entered) my exalted fantasy the figure of one crucified.'
P'wvere is used in a similar manner of spiritual influence descending
from heaven, Par. iii. 90.
26. Un crocifisso : the second example of anger and its disastrous
consequences, which is taken from Scripture, is Haman in the book
of Esther, whose rage against Mordecai resulted in his being himself
crucified in the place of his intended victim ; Esther iii. 5 ; vii. 10.
The word in Esther v. 14, which in Engl. Vers, apj^ears as
'gallows,' in the Vulg. is rendered by crucem.
34. Surse, &c. : the third example of anger is Amata, wife
292
XVII. 36-69] PURGATORIO
of king Latinus, who hanged herself in anger, because she believed
that Turnus, to whom her daughter Lavinia was betrothed, had been
slain by Aeneas, which however was not the case ; Virg. j4en. xii.
595-607. The figure introduced in the vision is that of Lavinia,
whose frantic distress at her mother's death is described by Virgil,
and expressed in words by Dante.
36. esser nulla : ' to destroy thyself.'
37-9. per non perder : if she lived, she would lose Lavinia,
because she would become the bride of Aeneas, io son, &c. :
Lavinia means to say — 'Your grief. Mother, was for Turnus; now
it is my turn to grieve, but not as yet for Turnus' (altrui) death,
but for yours,' lit. ' at your death, before I have to grieve at that of
Turnus.'
40-2. di butto : for di hotto^ ' suddenly.' Che fratto, &c. :
' which (sleep), being broken, quivers (i. e. comes and goes, is
intermittent) ere it ceases entirely.'
45. Maggiore, &c. : ' far more powerful than that to which
we are accustomed,' i. e. the light of the sun. The light here
proceeds from the Angel.
48. intento : ' thought ' ; cp. Par. xxi. 3.
51. Che mai, &c. : the statement here becomes general, and
therefore the present tense is used ; ' so eager that [in such a case]
the wish can find no rest, until it meets the object of its desire.'
52, 53- grava : 'oppresses'; cp. Purg. xv. 10. per soper-
chio, &c. : ' veils his form from us through excess of light.'
58-60. Si fa, &c. : this is a comment on ne drizza senza prego,
and embodies the principle of ' Love thy neighbour as thyself.'
' No man in providing for his own needs waits for another to ask
him ; and in like manner the angel forestalls our request by offering
of his own accord to guide us.' Che quale, &c. : ' for he who
waits to be entreated, when he sees the need, is already setting
himself in a grudging spirit to refuse.'
61—3. accordiamo . . . il piede : 'let us make our footsteps
correspond to,' i.e. 'move forward in accordance with.' Pro-
cacciam: 'let us use diligence'; cp. Purg. xv. 79. non si
poria : because the Mountain of Purgatory could not be ascended
by night ; cp. Purg. vii. 44.
67-9. Senti' mi, &c. : 'I was conscious in my neighbourhood
of what seemed like the movement of a wing, and of fanning in the
293
PURGATORIO [xvii. 70-84
face, and of a voice which said,* &c. The subject is purposely
suppressed before the infinitives ventar and dir, because the Poet
wishes to intimate that the angel was invisible to him, being con-
cealed by his brilliancy. He only describes his own sensations.
mala: 'unrighteous,* for there is such a thing as righteous
indignation.
70, 71. Gi^ eran, &c. : the meaning is, that the rays of the
setting sun were only seen where they illuminated the summit of
the Mountain.
73-5. ti dilegue: 'dost thou fail me,* lit. 'melt away,' Lat.
deltquescere. Nightfall having arrived, Dante finds himself unable
to proceed. Now commences the first night spent in Purgatory
proper, posta in tregue : ' suspended,* lit. ' put in truce ' ; cp.
Purg. xiv. 136.
76. Noi eravam, &c. : in the fourth Cornice, which they had
now reached, (i) the sin punished is spiritual sloth or lukewarmness ;
(2) the mode of punishment is rushing round the Cornice with
impetuous speed ; (3) the examples of the opposite virtue of zeal
are the Blessed Virgin and Julius Caesar ; (4) the examples of the
vice are the Israelites in the Wilderness and the companions of
Aeneas ; (5) the examples are presented by two spirits rushing past ;
(6) the passage from a Church Office is wanting, probably because
the rapid movement of the spirits does not admit of its being
recited ; (7) the Beatitude is Beafi qui lugent. The hours of night,
which Dante passes in the Cornice where sloth is expiated, have
a symbolical fitness, because during them ' no man can work ' ; he
leaves that Cornice with the sol nuovo^ Purg. xix. 39. Its
occupants are passed over with slight notice owing to the con-
temptible character of sloth ; only one of its inmates speaks to the
Poets, viz. the Abbot of San Zeno.
78. arriva: 'brings up to the shore*; der. from rtva\ cp.
Inf. xvii. 8.
82. quale offensione: the sin of spiritual sloth is called in
Purg. xviii. 132 accidia; this word only occurs in that passage of
the poem, but the adj. accidioso is found in Inf. vii. 123. ylcctdia
is derived from the Greek aK-qhta^ ' indifference,* ' torpor,* which
passed into Lat. as acedia^ and in that form is used by Aquinas.
84. Se i pid, &c. : the account which Virgil gives in Inf. xi.
of the principle according to which the sins that are punished in the
294
XVII. 85-95] PURGATORIO
Inferno are classified, corresponds in method to that which is given
in the present passage ; and it is similarly introduced by an appeal
to him on the part of Dante to improve the time which would other-
wise be wasted — '"Alcun compenso," Dissi lui, "trova, che il
tempo non passi Perduto,'" Inf. xi. 13-5.
85— y. scemo, &c. : 'which falls short of what it ought to be/
i. e. ' is in defect.' quiritta : 'just here/ ' in this particular spot * ;
see note on Purg. iv. 125. si ribatte : 'is plied anew'; former
apathy is made up for.
90. dimora : the delay caused by the arrival of night.
9 1 foil. The system of classification here given of the sins which
are expiated in Purgatory is as follows. Sin arises from faulty
desire; and desire may be faulty, first, when it takes the form
of wishing evil to one's neighbour, in which case the sinful feeling
which prompts it may be either (i) Pride, or (2) Envy, or (3)
Anger: accordingly these three are expiated in the first three Cornices.
Secondly, desire may be faulty from being in defect in seeking after
what is truly good; this is Spiritual Sloth, which is expiated in
the fourth Cornice. Thirdly, desire may be faulty from being in
excess in seeking after temporal goods ; and this, according to the
nature of that on which it is exercised, will take the form of either
(i) Avarice, or (2) Gluttony, or (3) Lust. These are expiated in
the last three Cornices.
91-6. Ne creator, &c. : paraphrase thus: — 'All beings — both
God and his creatures — are affected by love (by which term all
forms of desire and longing are here intended) ; and in created
beings this feeling is either instinctive (naturale) — in which case
it is rightly directed, 1. 94 (since it is im] lanted in them by God
himself) — or it is the result of reason and reflexion (d' animo), and
in this case it is liable to err, 1. 95 (because it is subject to the
operation of free-will). There are three ways in which love or
desire may err : (i) it may be directed towards what is evil ; (2) it
may be in defect ; (3) it may be in excess.' -;
93. tu il sai : Dante has treated of this subject of love or desire
in Conv. iii. 3.
95. male obbietto : this, it should be observed — and similarly
il male in 1. 100 — does not mean a wrong or dangerous object of
desire, like illicit pleasure, for the pursuit of that would be regarded
by Dante as desiring in excess ; it means something which is desired
295
CV
PURGATORIO [xvii. 97-114
because it is harmful. It is for this reason that no man can desire
such a thing for himself (11. 106-8).
\^ 97-102. These lines are a comment on the two preceding ones.
' The second form of desire — that which proceeds from reason, and
so from choice — does not cause sinful pleasure, so long as it is fixed
on spiritual things, and is moderate in the pursuit of temporal
blessings ; but when it turns away from God and seeks what is
evil, or either pursues spiritual goods too little or worldly goods too
much, then it falls into sin, because it is acting in opposition to the
will of God.' ^■-■^
97, 98. ne' primi ben: 'towards the highest goods,' i.e. God
and spiritual blessings ; ' the secondary goods ' (i secondi) are
temporal advantages. There is, however, good authority for the
reading nel primo in place of ne' primi ; with this the meaning is —
'when it is directed aright (ben diretto) in respect of the first
(i. e. the object), and is temperate (lit. moderates itself) in respect
of the other two (i. e. defect and excess).'
102. Contra, &c. : 'God's handiwork (man) acts in opposition
to its Maker.'
104. Amor: 'love' in the sense of 'desire'; cp. Aquinas,
Summa^ i. Q. 20, Alt. i, 'Primus motus voluntatis et cuiuslibet
appetitivae virtutis est amor.'
106-13. Paraphrase: — 'To take the first of these forms of
faulty desire : — when a man desires evil (i. e. desires that some
evil may happen), he cannot desire it for himself, for that is unnatural
(11. 106-8); nor can he desire it for God, because man exists in
God, and in hating him he would be hating himself (11. 109-11);
it remains then that he must desire it for his neighbour (11. 112,
"3)-'
106-8. non puo, &c. : 'love (i.e. the feeling of desire) cannot
but regard the welfare of its subject (the person who feels the
desire).' Dall' odio, &c. : ' no beings (and therefore no man) can
hate themselves.'
109-11. in tender, &c. : 'no one can be regarded as existing
independently of the source of being,' i. e. God. deciso : ' cut oflF
from,' 'prevented from.'
1 1 2-4. se dividend©, &c. : ' if I judge aright in the distinctions
which I draw.' vostro limo : ' your clay,' i. e. your earthly
nature.
296
XVII. 115-39] PURGATORIO
115-23. There are three motives for wishing evil to one's
neighbour, viz. Pride, which makes us think that we shall be
exalted by another's depression (11. 115-7); Envy, which fears
to be depressed by another's exaltation (11. 118-20); and Anger,
which desires to avenge an injury received (11. 121— 3).
1 1 5-7. soppresso : 'kept down.' di sua, &c. : 'abased from
his high estate.'
120. il contrario : the abasement of his neighbour, which is
' the contrary ' of sormontare.
123. il male, &c. : 'should devise another's harm.' Improntare
(from impronta = imprenta) is 'to strike an impression,' and so 'to
imagine to oneself.'
124-6. quaggiu: in the first three Cornices. con ordine
corrotto : 'in an ill-regulated manner,' i. e. too much or too little.
127-37. The remaining sins arise from faulty appreciation of
what is truly good (11. 127-9) — ^'^^' Spiritual Sloth, which is caused
by want of earnestness in the pursuit of the highest good (11. 130—2) ;
Avarice, Gluttony, and Lust, by following with too great eagerness
the lower and imperfect forms of good (11. 133-7).
127, 128. confusamente, &c. : 'has a vague conception of
a good, in which the mind may find repose ' ; the ' good ' here
meant is the Divine Being.
130—2. Se lento, &c. : 'if the love which draws you either
towards the contemplation of him, or towards winning him for
yourselves, is defective.' penter : repentance is the condition of
being admitted to Purgatory at all.
133, 134. Altro ben: temporal goods, la buona Essenza :
the good essence is God himself.
138, 139. come, &c. : ' in what way it is spoken of as tripartite,
I say not.' Virgil states the fact of there being three divisions, but
declines to give an account of them, because Dante will have the
opportunity of investigating them for himself.
/
297
PURGATORIO [xviii. 10-27
CANTO XVIII
Argument. — Virgil proceeds to instruct Dante, first in the
nature of love or desire, and afterwards in the doctrine of free-will.
They then become aware of a company of the spirits who occupy
this Cornice rushing past them at full speed, this restless movement
being assigned to them in expiation of their former sloth. Two of
their number, who precede the rest, proclaim conspicuous examples
of the virtue of zeal. The Poets are addressed by one of the band,
who declares himself to have been Abbot of San Zeno at Verona.
After this, two other spirits follow, naming instances of lukewarm-
ness. When they have departed, Dante is overpowered with sleep. '
Lines 10-2. s* awiva: 'is quickened.' Quanto, &c. : 'all
the points which thy reasoning introduces or describes ' ; ragion
for ragionamento.
14, 15. dimostri: 'explain,' 'define.' a cui riduci, &c. : see
Purg. xvii. 103-5.
1 8. ciechi : these are the Epicureans, as appears from the
statement of their tenets in 11. 34-6.
19-33. Virgil here sets forth the nature of love or desire, which,
he shows, has three stages of development : — (i) It exists J)OtentiaIIy
as an instinct in the soul (11. 19-21); (2) It becomes actual desire^
when the attractive object^is presented to it (11. 22-7) ; (3) It exists
in fruition (II. 28-33).
19-21. presto: 'ready,' 'disposed to love'; cp. Inf. xv. 93.
in atto e desto : ' it is aroused to activity.'
22-4. Vostra apprensiva, &c. : 'your power of apprehension
derives the image which it presents to you from some real object,
and sets it forth to view within you, so that it causes the soul to
turn towards it.' An image derived from some real object is
presented to the mind through the medium of the senses, and this
image, being developed by the operation of fancy, attracts the notice
of the soul, intenzione : this word is here used in the Scholastic
sense of ' image.*
25-7. E se, &c. : 'and if the soul, when it has so turned,
inclines towards it, that inclination is love — it is the natural instinct
298
XVIII. 28-45] PURGATORIO
(natura) getting a fresh hold on the soul by reason of the pleasure.'
si lega : ' attaches itself/ ' gets hold.'
28-30. movesi in altura : ' tends upwards.' forma: 'essential
nature ' ; form^ as distinguished from matter^ is that which constitutes
the essence of a thing. So the adj. formale means ' essential,' cp.
Par. ii. 71, principti formali. L§l dove, &c. : 'to the sphere of fire,
where it abides most in kindred matter.' Fire abides most in
kindred matter in that sphere, because it is the proper home of the
element of fire; cp. Par. i. 79-81 ; Conv, iii. 3. 11. 5—13. This
sphere intervened between our atmosphere and the Heaven of the
Moon.
31-3. Cosi: the comparison here is between the upward move-
ment of fire towards its natural resting-place, and the striving of the
soul to reach the desired object. I' animo, &c. : ' the soul, thus
captured, is thereupon moved by desire — which is a spiritual move-
ment — and it cannot rest until it has the satisfaction of possessing
the desired object.' spiritale : the movement of the soul is
' spiritual ' — not material, like that of fire which movesi in altura.
35. gente : the Epicureans, who are the ciechi of 1. 18.
37-9. Perocche, &c. : the argument is : — The desire of pleasure
is not, as the Epicureans affirm, in all cases good, because, though
it is good potentially — man being creato ad amar^ 1. 19 — it is not
always so when it becomes actual desire ; just as wax may be beautiful
in itself, before a stamp has been impressed upon it, but if the stamp
is ugly the impression in wax becomes ugly, sua matera : this
is shown to mean desire in general by comparing sua materia in
1. 30, which means the element of fire in general : ' desire in general
is to be regarded as (appar) always good.'
43-5. Che, &c. : ' for, since desire is excited in the soul by
external objects being presented to it (cp. 11. 22—6), and desire is
the cause of all the movements of the soul, whether towards good
or evil (cp. Purg. xvii. 103-5), it follows that the man does not
deserve reward or punishment for acting rightly or wrongly ' — in
other words, he takes no part in determining his own actions, and
therefore is not responsible for them. Dante's objection takes
the form of what is now called Determinism, non va con altro
piede : ' is not impelled by any other motive power than desire ' ;
piede is used in this metaphorical sense because it is the foot which
causes the forward movement of the body.
299
PURGATORIO [xviii. 46-53
46-8. Quanto, &c. : as Virgil represents human reason, his
explanations are limited to points of which human reason is cognizant ;
that which lies without its sphere, and belongs to the domain of
faith, must be left to Beatrice, who represents theology, t' aspetta :
'place your hopes in '; cp. Par. xvii. 88, 'A lui t' aspetta.'
// 49-72. Virgil here expounds the relation which desire bears to
free-will ; the general argument is to the following effect. The human
soul possesses by nature a desire for what is good (11. 49-51),
which desire is seen in its effects, though its origin is unknown to
us (11. 52-7); but as this feeling is Instinctive, its workings are not
controlled by the soul, and therefore are not a subject for praise
or blame (11. 58-60). But, in order that the desires which sub-
sequently arise in the soul may be assimilated to this instinctive
desire, and may, like it, be directed to what is good, there is
implanted in man the power of judgement, which distinguishes good
from evil, and is intended to direct the soul aright, when it is
preparing to give effect to Its desires (11. 61-3). It is from this
power of judgement that the merit of right actions proceeds, because
the soul is thus enabled to accept the good and reject the evil
(11. 64-6) : and reflexion on this process involves the belief In the
freedom of the will, because It Implies that man possesses the power
of preferring right to wrong (11. 67-72). ■'
49—51. Ogni, &c. : 'eveiy soul of man, which Is distinct from
matter (being immaterial or spiritual), and at the same time united
with it (because It exists in a body), has a distinctive power gathered
into Itself.' forma sustanzial : by ' substantial form ' is meant
' constituent element ' or ' essence,' I. e. when speaking of man, the
soul. Thus Aquinas says {Summa^ i. Q. 76. Art 4), 'nulla alia
forma substantlalis est in homine nisi sola anima intellectiva.' The
term 'substantial' Is here distinguished from 'accidental,' or that
which does not belong to the essence, setta : ' distinct from,' lit.
' cut off from,' Lat. secta. Specifica virtu : the 'distinctive power '
which the soul possesses 'gathered into itself,' Is that from which
individual traits of character In men proceed. It includes, as we see
from 11. 55-7, the knowledge of the primary Ideas and the liking
for the primary objects of desire ; but In the present passage Dante
is treating more particularly of the latter of these.
52, 53. La qual, &c. : the only evidence of the existence of
this power is Its working, and the effects which it produces ; it
300
XVIII. 55-7^] PURGATORIO
cannot be known in itself, ma* che: * except,' Lat. magis quani;
cp. Inf. iv. 26.
55-7. Pero, &c. : ' consequently (since the power is only known
through its effects) we are in ignorance as to the origin of our
knowledge of primary ideas (i. e. whether they are innate, and so
forth), and as to the origin of our liking for the primal objects of
desire.' The latter of these is the natural tendency towards what
is good, true, pleasant, &c.
58-60. Che sono, &c. : ' which (viz. lo intelletto and /' ajetto)
exist in you, just as the instinct (studio) for making honey exists
in the bee ; and this original desire (prima voglia) does not admit
of the recompense of praise or blame.'
61. perche, &c.: ' in order that every other desire may harmonize
with (lit. gather round, unite itself with) this instinctive desire.'
The reason why it is to be wished that the other desires should
follow the lead of the instinctive desire is, that it by its nature
cannot err ; cp. Purg. xvii. 94.
62. Innata, &c.: ' the power which counsels is innate within you.'
This is reason, or the power of judgement in the mind, which dis-
tinguishes good from evil; cp. Conn), iv. 26. 11. 41-3, 'Veramente
questo appetito conviene essere cavalcato dalla ragione.'
63. E, &c. : 'and should hold the threshold of assent,' i.e.
should determine to which side (right or wrong) assent should be
given, assenso is the act of directing the desire towards the
object.
64-6. Quest' e, &c. : ' this (viz. reason) is the source from
whence is derived the cause of merit in you, according as it receives
and winnows out (i. e. distinguishes between) good and evil desires.'
The merit of actions depends on the judgement, because it accepts
the good and rejects the evil.
67, 68. Color, &c. : 'those (i.e. the philosophers) who in the
process of argument sounded the matter, became aware of the innate
freedom of the will which this involved (esta).' The judgement is
the guiding power, but the motive power resides in the assent, which
proceeds from the will.
69. Pero, &c. : ' and consequently (because they recognized
human responsibility) they left behind a system of moral teaching
(i. e. Ethics) to the world.'
70-2. Onde, &c. : ' so it may be laid down, that every desire
301
PURGATORIO [xviii. 73-90
which is kindled within you arises of necessity (i. e. independently
of your will), but you possess the power of controlling it.'
Y3-5. La nobile virtu, &c. : 'Beatrice regards the freedom of
the will as being this supreme power,' which guides the soul, a
parlar : Beatrice does this in Par. v. 19-24, where she speaks of
free-will as being the greatest gift of the Creator to his creatures.
76. La luna, &c. : the passage which follows merely signifies,
though in an elaborate manner, that the hour was approaching mid-
night. ' The moon, belated nigh to midnight (in other words, ' at
that late hour nigh to midnight '), was causing the stars to appear to
us less numerous.' tarda agrees with luna, not with notte. The
brightness of the moon, which is implied by the statement that its
light was causing the lesser stars to disappear, is against the view
that moonrise is intended, and that tarda signifies that it was rising
late.
78. Fatta, &c. : 'in sight like to a bucket all a-fire'; this
represents the gibbous moon, when it is some days after the full.
79-81. correa contra il ciel : this describes the 'backing' of
the moon relatively to the movement of the heavens, which causes
its daily retardation, per quelle strade, &c. : ' along that course,
which the sun enkindles then, when he of Rome (i. e. an inhabitant
of Rome) sees him set between Sardinia and Corsica ' ; that is,
along that part of the zodiac, viz. the sign of Sagittarius, in which
the sun is towards the end of November, when he sets west by
south from Rome, il vede : as Corsica and Sardinia are not visible
from Rome, this must mean that he sees the sun set, not actually
between those islands, but in the direction in which he knows the
Straits of Bonifacio which separate them to be.
82, 83. per cui, &c. : 'by reason of whom Pietola is more
famous than any other Mantuan village.' The village of Pietola,
situated about two miles from Mantua, is generally identified with
Andes, Virgil's birthplace.
84. Del mio, &c. : ' had removed the burden (of doubt) by
which I was oppressed.' carcar for caricar,
85-7. che la ragione, &c. : 'who had received (lit. gleaned)
a clear argument on the subject of my questions.' vana : ' wanders
in mind,' ' is in a reverie ' ; this word, like vaneggiare^ is der. from
l^at. vanus.
89, 90. gente: these are the slothful, who, to atone for their
302
XVIII. 91-105] PURGATORIO
inertness, unceasingly both by night and day run round the Cornice.
che dope, &c. : ' who, approaching us from behind, were at this
moment coming round to us.' When the Poets had reached the
top of the stairway and found themselves on the Cornice (Purg. xvii.
76, 77), we must suppose that they faced to the right — as they
usually did — so that the mountain-side would be on their left, and
they would be prepared to walk onward when daylight came. Hence
the spirits, since they also moved towards the right, would come
from behind them (dope Le nostre spalle) ; and they are described
as ' coming round ' (volta) because of the circling course which they
followed round the Mountain.
91-3. E quale, &c. : the rush of the band of spirits is compared
to that of the Theban revellers who invoked their patron god Bacchus
to the aid of their city. Dante here had in his mind Statius, Theb.
ix. 434, where the Bacchic revelry is mentioned, and 1. 449, where
the Ismenus is associated with ' frater Asopos * as rivers of Thebes ;
probably also Virg. Aen. iv. 301-3. furia e calca : this is a
hendiadys, ' a furious throng ' ; for calca cp. Purg. vi. 9. Pur
che: * if haply.'
94—6. sue passo falca : ' goes circling round,' lit. ' turns his
steps round,' following the circular Cornice; falcare (^^rova falce^ 'a
sickle') means 'to shape like a sickle,' 'to form into a curve.' Per
quel che, &c. : this implies that they were dimly seen in the dark-
ness. Cui, &c. : 'whoever is ridden (influenced) by,' &c.
97. correndo : take with Si movea ; 'came on at full speed.'
99-102. gridavan, &c. : here are introduced the examples of
zeal, the virtue which is the opposite of the vice expiated in this
Cornice — viz. (i) the Blessed Virgin, of whom it is written, 'Mary
arose in these days and went into the hill country iv'tth haste^^ Luke
^* 39 > (2) Julius Caesar, who, when on his way to subdue Ilerda
(Lerida) in Spain, attacked Marseilles, but refused to be turned
aside from his primary object by waiting to besiege that city, and,
entrusting that work to Brutus, continued his march with all speed.
Lucan, who is Dante's authority here, describes Caesar's attitude
at Marseilles by the words, 'impatiens haesuri ad moenla Mart is,'
Phars. iii. 453. punse : 'made a passing attack upon,' lit. 'made
a thrust at.'
105. Che, &c. : 'so that zeal in well-doing may quicken God's
grace within us.'
303
PURGATORIO [xviii. 108-44
108. Da vol, &c. : 'which through lukewarmness you have
introduced into well-doing.*
no, III. purche : 'provided that,' and so 'as soon as.' per-
tugio : the opening of the passage leading to the next Cornice.
114. Diretro a noi : i. e. ' in the same direction with us * ; the
Poets could not follow them at once, because it was night.
117. Se, &c. : 'if thou regardest our desire to make amends
(giustizia) as discourtesy.'
118-20. lo fui: this person was called Gherardo II, and died
in 1187 ; nothing more is known of him. dolente : because that
city was destroyed by him in 1 162.
1 2 1-3. tale: this is Alberto della Scala, the father of Can
Grande of Verona, who made his son Giuseppe abbot of San Zeno.
Alberto died in 1301, and at the date of the Vision (in 1300) had
' already one foot in the grave.' quel monastero : i. e. the wrong
which he had done to that monastery, possa : the power of ap-
pointing its abbot.
124, 125. suo figlio, &c. : Giuseppe was lame (mal intero
del corpo) and illegitimate (che mal nacque).
132. dando, &c. : 'expressing their repugnance to (lit. gnawing)
sloth ' ; this they do by mentioning two lamentable examples of it,
viz. (i) the children of Israel who died in the Wilderness without
seeing the Promised Land ; (2) those companions of Aeneas, who
preferred being left behind in Sicily to following their leader to the
last, accidia : for this word see note on Purg. xvii. 82.
133. Prima, &c. : the lukewarmness of the IsraeHtes in the
Wilderness was shown by the discouragement which they felt at
the report brought by the spies, Numb. xiv. i foil. ; in consequence
of this they were excluded from the Promised Land, vv. 22, 23.
138. senza gloria: Virgil characterizes them as 'animos nil
magnae laudis egentes,' j4en. v. 751.
143, 144. vaneggiai: 'I passed confusedly.' vaghezza:
'wandering of the mind.*
304
XIX. 1-6] PURGATORIO
CANTO XIX
Argument. — Dante dreams a dream, in which the deceptiveness
of worldly objects of attraction is allegorically represented to him.
They then ascend to the fifth Cornice, in which the sin of avarice
or covetousness is purged ; there they find the spirits uttering lamen-
tations as they lie face downwards on the ground. One of these,
of whom they inquire their way, proves to be Pope Adrian V, who
tells them that he was converted to God after he had attained
the highest office. When Dante kneels by his side in token of
reverence, he forbids him to do so, on the ground that after death
all earthly distinctions cease.
Line i. ora : we have now reached the hour before dawn on
Tuesday, April 12, the third day on the Mountain of Purgatory.
That this hour is meant, is shown (i) by its being the coldest of
the twenty-four, 11. 1-3 ; (2) by the later stars of Aquarius and the
foremost ones of Pisces being on the horizon (11. 4-6), for these
stars would now be rising shortly before daybreak, since the sun
was in Aries, the next sign of the zodiac, non puo, &c. : what
is implied is, that the heat of the day continues to temper the cold
of night until the last hour before dawn.
2. della luna : ' caused by the moon ' ; the moon is generally
regarded as producing cold. The origin of this belief is, that clear
bright nights are the coldest because then the radiation is greater.
3. da terra : ' by the chilliness of the earth.' da Saturno :
Saturn was known as the cold planet; cp. Gon'v. ii. 14. 1. 201,
'la freddura di Saturno'; Virg. Georg. i. 336, ' frigida Saturni . , .
Stella.' talor, ' sometimes,' is added, because Saturn is not always
above the horizon.
4. i geomanti, &c. : Geomancy is divination by spots on the
ground, one arrangement of which, viz. : : • • , was called Fortuna
maior. The stars which were supposed to resemble this group, viz.
the later stars of Aquarius and the foremost ones of Pisces, were
now just above the eastern horizon.
6. per via, &c. : ' by a path which remains but a short time
dusk for it,' i. e. for the magglor fortuna, or rather, for the stars
TozER 305 X
PURGATORIO [XIX. 7-29
which form it. The ' path ' is the eastern sky, which will soon be
illuminated by the rising sun, so that these stars will disappear.
7—9. in sogno : the figure of a woman which is introduced in
the dream is explained in 11. 58, 59 as representing the vices of
avarice, gluttony, and lust, which are expiated in the three remaining
Cornices, and which may be classified together as cupidity. The
dream is an allegory of the deceitfulness of the things which attract
worldly and carnal men. (On the subject of Dante's three dreams
in Purgatory see note on Purg. ix. 19.) femmina : the woman is
first seen as she is in reality — a hideous object, with stammering lips,
squinting eyes, deformed feet, maimed hands, and pallid complexion.
The allegorical interpretation of these traits is, that worldly and
carnal pleasures are destructive of clear reasoning, straightforward
judgement, active movement, and useful employment, and produce
an unhealthy tone of mind.
10-5. This repulsive figure is idealized by the imagination of one
who gazes long upon it, so that its defects pass out of sight, and it
exercises a powerful attraction upon him. Similarly, the pleasures
of the world and of sense dazzle the man who falls under their
influence, so that their true nature is concealed from him. facea
scorta La lingua : ' gave fluency to her tongue ' ; scorta, ' apt '
to speak; cp. Villani, viii. 10, 'scorti in ben parlare.' la driz-
zava : ' straightened her distorted limbs.' lo smarrito, &c. :
' invested her ghastly face with the proper hue of love,' i. e.
rosy tints.
20. dismago : 'cause to be distraught in mind,' lit. 'deprive of
power.' The more usual form of the word is smagare; for the
etymology see note on Purg. x. 106.
22, 23. lo volSi, &c. : 'I turned aside Ulysses from his
wandering course.' Homer makes Ulysses successfully resist the
Sirens, but Dante, who was unacquainted with Homer, may have
got the story from Cicero, who in De Fin. v. 18. 49 adapts the
Homeric version of it, and speaks of Ulysses as being ' ensnared '
(irretitus). See Moore, Studies, i. pp. 264, 265. meco si ausa :
' shares my intimacy.'
26. una donna : this is co-operative grace, which sets in motion
human reason (Virgil) to reveal the deceptions of sensuality.
29. Fieramente : she says these words 'in indignation' at the
false character of the Siren.
306
XIX. 31-66] PURGATORIO
31. prendeva : the subject of this is Virgil, who carries out the
behests of the ' lady ' ; allegorically — human reason, aroused by
grace, strips off the false show which conceals the repulsiveness of
vice. If the ' lady ' were the subject, as some take it, there would
be no reason for introducing Virgil at all.
36. la porta : the entrance to the stairway. Others read /' aperta,
for which word in the sense oi apertura cp. Purg. iv. 19.
39. andavam, &c. : as the sun was behind them (alle reni),
and had risen some little while, their direction was now south-west-
ward.
42. fa di se, &c. : i.e. stoops in walking.
43-5. Venite, &c. : ' come ye ; here is the passage ' ; these
words proceed from the Angel of the fourth Cornice, marca :
'region'; der. from Germ. Marh^ 'frontier,' Engl, 'march.'
47. Volseci in su : 'directed us upward.'
49-5 1 . ventilonne : ' fanned us ' ; here the fourth P is removed
from Dante's forehead; cp. Purg. xvii. 68, ' ventarmi nel viso.'
Qui lugent : this is the Beatitude which is used in this Cornice.
It is not easy to discover any special appropriateness in its use, the
nearest approach to this being the circumstance that the inmates of
the Cornice pass piangendo^ Purg. xviii. 99. avran, &c. : ' they
shall be comforted,' lit. ' they shall have their souls possessed of
(i. e. in possession of) consolation.'
54. sormontati : a pendent participle ; ' we two having mounted
somewhat above the Angel,' lit. ' from where the Angel was.'
55. suspizion : ' misgiving.'
58-60. quella antica strega, &c. : 'that ancient witch
(Cupidity), who is the sole cause of the sufferings that remain for us
to see in the three Cornices above us ' ; see note on 1. 7. omai :
' from this point onward.' si piagne : Ht. ' is lamented for.' si
slega : 'can liberate himself; cp. Purg. xv. 119.
61-3. Bastiti: 'enough!' no further teaching is needed.
batti, &c. : ' press vigorously forward,' lit. 'let thy footsteps strike
the earth.' logoro : the ' lure ' is the attraction of the celestial
spheres, which God himself causes to move before men's eyes ; cp.
Purg. xiv. 148, 149. The metaphor is derived from falconry, and
suggests the simile which follows; see note on Inf. xvii. 128.
64-6. ai pie si mira : i. e. is looking downwards ; this describes
the posture of the bird in repose, before it is aroused by the cry of
307 X 2
PURGATORIO [xix. 67-93
its prey (si volge al grido) ; it thus corresponds to Dante's ab-
sorbed condition and downward looks, 1. 52. pasto : the falcon
was always allowed his share of the prey, la : towards the prey,
which is implied in grido.
67-9. e tal : 'and in such a spirit,' i. e. as one aroused from
inertness to action, eve il cerchiar, &c. : ' where one commences
to move round ' along the curve of the Cornice.
70. quinto giro : in this Cornice (i) the sin punished is avarice
or covetousness ; (2) the mode of punishment is by being extended
face downwards on the earth ; (3) the examples of the virtues which
are opposed to this sin, viz. poverty and liberality, are the Blessed
Virgin, Fabricius, St. Nicolas ; (4) the examples of the vice are
Pygmalion and Midas ; Achan, Ananias and Sapphira, and Helio-
dorus ; Polymestor and Crassus ; (5) the mode of presentation of
these is by one spirit speaking ; (6) the passage from a Church Office
is Ps. cxix. 25; (7) the Beatitude is Beatl qui sitiunt. fui
dischiuso : ' I had come forth clear.'
72. Giacendo, &c. : the position is symbolical of the grovelling
nature of avarice.
73. Adhaesit, &c. : Ps. cxix. 25.
77, 78. giustizia : the sense of God's justice, which caused
them to be resigned, saliri r ' ascents ' of the mountain. Both in
this word and in soffriri above the infin. has become so completely
substantival as to be used in the plur.
79-81. dal giacer : i.e. from the punishment of this Cornice.
furi : iov fuori. If they advanced in this manner, i. e. keeping the
precipice on their right hand, they would be taking the usual direction
along the mountain-side.
83, 84. ne : ' from (one of) them.' Nel parlare, &c. : ' by
his words I became aware of what else of him was hidden from
me ' ; i. e. though I could not distinguish him as he lay face down-
wards on the ground, I discovered his presence from his speaking ;
cp. 1. 90.
87. la vista del disio : * my eager looks.'
88—90. potei, &c. : i. e. as having obtained Virgil's assent, notar
mi fenno : ' attracted my attention.'
92, 93. Quel, &c. : the purification of the soul is meant, tua
maggior cura : ' the work on which thou art intent,' i. e. the
expression of penitence.
308
XIX. 94-135] PURGATORIO
94-6. avete : the plur. number implies ' you and your associates.*
se vuoi, &c. : what Dante means is — ' tell me whether you wish
me to obtain for you the prayers of the living.' di la, &c. : ' in the
world which I left while still alive.'
97, 98. Perche, &c. : this is another way of saying, 'Thou
shalt know why heaven causes us to turn our eyes away from it.'
The explanation is given in 11. 118-20.
99. Scias, &c. : 'be it known to you that,' &c. The speaker is
Pope Adrian V, who was elected in 1276 and was pope only 39
days. There is nothing in history to confirm the imputation of
avarice which is here brought against him. The declaration which
he here makes is in Latin, because that was the official language of
the Papacy ; similarly, Dante employs it as the language of the
Church or of Canon Law in Par. xii. 93, and as the language of
dignity in Par. xv. 28-30.
100-2. Intra, &c. : the river here spoken of is the Lavagna,
which flows down (si adima) between the towns of Sestri and
Chiavari on the eastern Riviera, del sue nome, &c. : ' the title of
my family glories (fa sua cima) in its name.' Adrian's family,
the Fieschi of Genoa, were Counts of Lavagna.
109. li : in the position of highest Pontiff.
115, 116. Quel che, &c. : ' the effect of avarice (i. e. the debased
character which it produces) is shown by the nature of the punish-
ment by which it is purged ' ; see 11. 118-20. converse: 'which
repented ' before death.
118-20. aderse: 'uplifted,' from adergere, Lat. aderigere.
merse : ' sank.'
122. onde, &c.: 'in consequence of which the power of working
was lost,' because the love of good is the mainspring of right action.
127-9. inginocchiato : Dante knelt to show reverence for
the Papal office, and Adrian becomes aware of his position from the
sound of his voice.
131, 132. vostra : the plural is used to express respect for his
dignity; before he was aware of this Dante had used tua, !• 93 ;
see note on Purg. xxxili. 92. dritto, &c. : 'stung me with
remorse for standing upright.'
135. con gli altri : 'with thy brethren'; the passage here is
imitated from Rev. xix. 10, ' I am a fellow-servant with thee and
with thy brethren,' &c.
309
PURGATORIO [xix. 136— xx. 3
136, 137. evangelico suono: 'utterance of the gospel/ Neque
nubent : this is our Lord's answer to the Sadducees concerning the
souls after the resurrection, Matt. xxii. 30. What is there said with
regard to the relation of married persons, is applied here by Adrian
in a more general sense; 'after death,' he would say, 'all earthly
distinctions cease.* Perhaps, however, there is an additional and
more special meaning, referring to the pope being the spouse of the
Church, as in Purg. xxiv. 22; so that he means to say that his
sacred office was now at an end.
140, 141. la tua stanza: 'thy staying here.' cio che tu
dicesti: cp. 11. 91, 92.
142. Alagia: this Alagia de' Fieschi married Moroello Mala-
spina, on whom see note on Inf. xxiv. 145. She is mentioned in
answer to Dante's question in 11. 95, 96, which is an offer to obtain
for Adrian the intercession of those on earth.
145. questa sola, &c. : this means, not that she was his only
surviving relation, but that, the rest being wicked, she was the only
one whose prayers would avail for him.
CANTO XX
Argument. — The spirits who are punished in this Cornice are so
numerous, that Dante in passing onward is forced to keep close
to the inner wall of rock. The examples of the virtues of poverty
and liberality are presented by a single voice, which proceeds from
the spirit of Hugh Capet. By him the vices of his descendants
who had occupied the throne of France are loudly denounced.
After he has recited the examples of avarice which he and his
fellow-sufferers are accustomed to proclaim during the night, the
Mountain is suddenly shaken, and from every part of Purgatory
the words ' Glory to God in the Highest ' are heard to arise.
Lines 1-3. Contra, &c. : ' ill strives the will against a better
will ' ; this refers to Adrian's dismissal of Dante at the end of the
preceding Canto, which the latter was forced to accept. Trassi,
310
XX. 4-25] PURGATORIO
&c. ; i. e. though only half satisfied by the answers he had received,
he forbore from asking further questions.
4-6. il Duca mio, &c. : 'my Guide advanced through the
unoccupied spots on the Cornice close to the wall of rock.' It
is explained in 11. 7-9 that this line of passage through the prostrate
spirits, though narrow, was preferable to that on the outer side
towards the precipice, which was still narrower on account of the
spirits being more numerous in that direction, per muio, &c. :
this describes the 'aliu-e,' as the footway is called, which runs
along near the top of the wall inside the battlements in mediaeval
fortifications.
7-9. che fonde, &c. : * who distil through their eyes drop by
drop the all-pervading vice of avarice.' Dall' altra, &c. : ' in the
opposite direction (to the wall of rock) approaches too near to the
outside.'
10—2. Maledetta, &c. : the sight of the crowds of victims which
are found in this Cornice calls forth this imprecation on Dante's
part, lupa : the wolf from its insatiable hunger is symbolical of
avarice or covetousness ; cp. Inf. i. 49, 50. cupa : 'ravenous,'
lit. ' hollow,' ' deep ' ; it here expresses the ' void' of hunger.
^3-5* par che si creda : 'men, as we know, believe'; par
does not here imply doubt on Dante's part ; he has already affirmed
in Purg. xvi. 73 that human affairs are affected by celestial or
planetary influences; cp. also Conv. ii. 14. 11. 25-30. Quando,
&c. : ' when will the man arise by whom this beast is to be expelled? '
This is the 'coming man' of Dante's anticipations, who is fore-
shadowed in the Feltro of Inf. i. loi, where his campaign against
avarice is spoken of in similar terms.
17. Ed io : understand andava.
19. udi' : the voice, as we afterwards learn (1. 49), is that of
Hugh Capet ; by him the examples of the virtue appropriate to this
Cornice are recited — viz. the Blessed Virgin, Fabricius, and
St. Nicolas. These are rehearsed by day, while the examples
of the vice are given by night (11. 100—2).
23. queir ospizio : the stable at Bethlehem.
25. Fabbrizio : Fabricius, the Roman consul, who rejected the
bribes of Pyrrhus, and died so poor that he was buried at the public
expense ; Dante refers to him in a similar manner in De Mon. ii. 5.
11. 90-9.
3»i
PURGATORIO [XX. 28-54
28. piaciute : here used for ^/^rf«//.
32. Niccolao : the two former examples represented virtuous
poverty ; this one represents liberality. St. Nicolas of Myra portioned
three sisters in order to save them from a life of infamy.
37-9. Non fia, &c. : because Dante would obtain the intercessions
of the living in his behalf, quella vita, &c. : ' that (mortal) life
which hastens to its close ' ; cp. Purg. xxxiii. 54, where human
life is called ' un correre alia morte.'
40-2. non per conforto, &c. : this probably means, that he
had no virtuous descendants whose prayers would avail him. grazia :
cp. Purg. xiv. 79, 80 ; in both passages the reference is to Dante*s
passing in the body through the world of spirits.
43, 44. mala pianta : the Capetian dynasty, aduggia : 'casts
a blighting shade over ' ; see note on Inf. xv. 2. As this family
in 1 300 A. D. ruled in France and Naples, they might be said to
overshadow the Christian world.
46-8. Doagio, &c. : the reference is to the cruel treatment
of Flanders (the chief towns of which were Douai, Lille, Ghent,
and Bruges) by Philip the Fair in 1299. The 'vengeance' which
is here imprecated arrived in 1302, when the French were defeated
with tremendous loss in the battle at Courtrai. giuggia : for giudica;
from giuggiare, Fr. juger.
49. Ugo Ciappetta : Dante seems here to have fallen into
a confusion between Hugh Capet and his father Hugh the Great,
who was duke of France and count of Paris. It was the latter to
whom the (fictitious) story was attached that he was the son of
a butcher (1. 52) ; and it was he who secured the reins of power
(11. 55, 56); and it was due to the influence which he obtained
that, thirty years after his death in 956, his son became king and
founded the Capetian dynasty (11. 57-60).
50. i Filippi e i Luigi : for two centuries and a half — that
is, from 1060 to 131 6 — there was either a Philip or a Louis on the
throne of France.
52. beccaio : the last three vowels of this word are pronounced
as one syllable ; cp. primaio, Purg. xiv. 66.
54. renduto : rendersi was the expression for ' becoming a monk';
cp. Inf. xxvii. 83. Dante seems here to have fallen into a further
confusion between the Carlovingians, who immediately preceded the
Capets and must be the regi antichi here mentioned, and the
312
XX. 55-68] PURGATORIO
Merovingians, the last of whom, Childeric III, became a monk,
whereas Charles of Lorraine, the last representative of the Carlo vingian
line, certainly did not do so.
55-7. Trovaimi, &c. : 'I found that I had a tight grip of the
reins of government of the kingdom.* Di nuovo acquisto : * newly
acquired.' e si, &c. : ' and I found myself so well provided with
friends ' ; Trovaimi is repeated here, mi being accus., not dat. as
in I 55.
58—60. vedova : ' bereaved of its former sovereigns.' dal quale,
(fee: the meaning is: — 'who founded the line of kings just men-
tioned (1. 50), whose persons (lit. bones) were consecrated by
unction.*
61-3. Mentre che, &c. : Hugh Capet proceeds to trace the
history of his descendants, and shows that greed of gain was their
dominant motive. The meaning here is — ' So long as the sense of
shame was not lost to my race, as it was through the great dower
of Provence, though it (my race) possessed small power, yet it did
no wrong.' The ' great dower of Provence ' was the accession of
that important province to the kingdom of France through the
marriage of Charles of Anjou with the daughter of Raymond
Berenger, count of Provence.
64-6. LI: 'at that point'; the seizure of the neighbouring
provinces commenced in the reign of Philip the Bold (1270-85),
who obtained possession of Poitou and the kingdom of Navarre;
his successor (poscia) Philip the Fair (128 5- 131 4) annexed
Gascony and Ponthieu in Picardy, which were ceded to him by
Edward I in 1294, with a secret understanding, afterwards re-
pudiated, that the cession was to be formal only ; Normandy was
taken from John as early as 1203, but the English claim on it was
not renounced until the time of Philip the Fair, so that Dante may
perhaps be excused for relegating its acquisition by the French
monarchy to the later period, per ammenda : the kings of France
made amends for crime by committing greater crimes. The three-
fold repetition of the phrase in the rhyming lines adds force to the
irony; cp. the emphasis given by the triple repetition of vidi'in rhyme
in Par. xxx. 95-9. Ponti : the final vowel of this word is accented,
and therefore unelided, because it stands for the French Ponthieu.
67, 68. Carlo : Charles of Anjou defeated Conradin, the last
of the Hohenstaufen, at Tagliacozzo in 1268, and afterwards
313
PURGATORIO [XX. 69-93
executed him. As this took place before the reign of Philip the
Fair, per ammenda here must be taken as signifying ' in amends
for ' previous acts of aggrandizement, not those for which Philip was
1 esponsible.
69. Tommaso : the story (now discredited) that St. Thomas
Aquinas was poisoned by Charles's orders was currently believed in
Dante^s time.
70, 71. non molto dopo ancoi : 'not far off at this moment';
the time intended is the year 1301 ; see below, ancoi ■=.anche oggi\
cp. Purg. xiii. 52. Che tragge, &c. : 'when another Charles
advances ' ; for tragge intrans. cp. Purg. ii. 71. This Charles is
Charles of Valois, who in 1301 came into Italy on the invitation of
Boniface VIII to settle the disorders of Florence. By his aid the
party of the Black Guelfs triumphed, and the Whites, including
Dante, were banished.
73, 74. la lancia, &c. : treachery is meant.
76-8. terra: his nickname was Sans-terre. piu grave, &c. :
' his doom in Hell will be the more grievous, because he makes light
of such crimes,' and therefore will not repent of them.
79-81. L' altro : Charles II, king of Apulia, son of Charles I
of Anjou. che gi^, &c. : ' who lately was set free (gi^ usci),
after having been taken as a prisoner from his vessel (preso di
nave).' He was taken prisoner by Roger di Lauria, admiral of
Peter of Aragon, in an engagement in the Bay of Naples in 1284,
and was released in 1288. vender, &c. : ' sell his daughter under
a bargain,' lit. ' and make a bargain for her.' He gave his young
daughter in marriage to the aged Marquis of Este, Azzo VIII, on
consideration of receiving a large sum of money, dell' altre
schiave : ' with other female slaves '; ' other,' because the daughter
was thus treated as a slave.
85-7. Perchd, &c. : 'as if to cast into shade by contrast the
crimes, past and future, of my descendants.' Veggio, &c. : Hugh
Capet here prophesies the ignominious treatment of Boniface VIII
by the agents of Philip the Fair at Anagni in 1303. lo fiordaliso :
thcjleur-de-lys on the banner of France, catto : ' made captive.'
90. vivi ladroni : the ' living malefactors ' who insulted the
Pope as contrasted with those who died in company with Christ.
They were Sciarra Colonna and William of Nogaret.
91-3. il nuovo Pilato : Philip the Fair. Porta, «fec. : 'he
314
XX. 95-115] PURGATORIO
directs the sails of his cupidity against the Temple.' Philip pro-
ceeded against the Order of the Templars in 1307.
95, 96. che nascosa, &c. : 'which, while it is hidden from us,
causes thine anger to repose peacefully in the heart of thy secret
counsels ' ; the certainty with which God foreknows the coming of
the vengeance causes him to suppress all immediate tokens of his
wrath: for the sentiment cp. Par. xxii. 16.
97-9. Cid eh', &c. : this was Hugh Capet's mention of the
poverty of the Virgin in 11. 19-24 ; Dante's request for an explana-
tion (chiosa, lit. ' comment ') was in 11. 34-6.
100-2. e risposta, &c. : 'this trait in the Virgin's character is
the answer to our prayers which presents itself to us.' prece : for
preci, poet, for preghi. Contrario suon : the repetition of examples
of the vice and its results ; thus the virtue and the vice are fittingly
associated with day and night respectively; cp. I. 121. in quella
vece : 'instead thereof ' ; cp. Purg. xvi. 36.
103 foil. The arrangement of the examples of the vice of avarice
which are here given is, that three derived from Scripture — viz.
Achan, Ananias and Sapphira, and Heliodorus — are placed between
two sets of two from the classics, viz. (i) Pygmalion and Midas,
(2) Polymestor and Crassus. Scartazzini remarks that these seven
correspond to the seven results of avarice as given by Aquinas.
103-5. Noi, &c. : ' we repeat the story of Pygmalion.' He was
Dido's brother, who killed her husband Sychaeus for the sake of
his possessions; cp. Virg. Aen. i. 346-52, where the titles of
traitor, robber, and parricide, which Dante assigns to him, find their
justification. Obs. that patricida or parr'icida is sometimes used in
Ital., as here, of kindred murder in general.
106. la miseria, &c. : the disastrous results of his turning
whatever he touched into gold, as described by Ovid, Met. xi.
106-130.
109-11. Acan: Josh. vii. 16-25. si che, &c. : 'so that he
seems (to the imagination) to be still suffering the results of Joshua's
sentence.'
113. i calci, &c. : 'the hoof-beats which Heliodorus received.'
When Heliodorus attempted to rob the treasury of Jeiusalem, there
appeared ' a horse with a terrible rider upon him .... and smote at
Hehodorus with his fore-feet,' 2 Mace. iii. 25.
114, 115. in infaraia, &c. : i.e. his infamy is proclaimed
315
PURGATORIO [XX. 116-34
throughout the circuit of the Mountain. Polinestor : Polymestor,
king of Thrace, the murderer of Priam's son Polidorus, who had
been entrusted to his keeping ; his was the ' auri sacra fames ' ; cp.
Virg. jien. iii. 49-57 ; Ov. Met. xiii. 429-38.
116, 117. Crasso, &c. : the story is, that after the defeat and
death of Crassus in Parthia, Orodes, the king of that country,
caused molten gold to be poured into his mouth in contempt of his
rapacity. It is not clear from what source Dante obtained this ;
the Latin author in whom it occurs is Florus (Epit. iii. 11), and
Dante does not seem otherwise to have been acquainted with his
writings. Perhaps he found it in some mediaeval collection of
stories.
120. Ora a maggiore, &c. : take with dir; 'to speak, now
with stronger, now with weaker tones'; passo, lit. 'pace,' but it
cannot imply movement, because the spirits here are restricted
to one spot.
121-3. ^1 ^6^1 &c. : this is said in answer to Dante's inquiry
in 11. 35, 36, why Hugh Capet's voice was heard alone : ' in
proclaiming the virtuous examples, which are spoken of here in the
daytime, I was not alone just now (though you thought so) ; but no
other person in this neighbourhood spoke in tones sufficiently loud
for you to hear him.'
126. quanto, &c. : this probably refers to the narrowness of the
track they had to follow ; cp. 1. 5.
130-2. non si sec tea, &c. : the movement of the Mountain is
compared (not very appositely) to that of Delos, which was shaken
by the waves when it was a wandering island, before Latona took
up her abode there, and brought forth her twin offspring. Dante
had in his mind the lines in which Ovid describes this — ' Insta-
bilemque locum Delos dedit. Ilia duobus Facta parens,' Met. vi.
191, 192. Virgil relates how Apollo subsequently made it fast;
Aen. iii. 75-7. li due occhi, &c. : Apollo and Diana — the Sun
and the Moon.
133, 134. un grido : this burst of praise proceeds from all the
souls throughout the whole Mountain; cp. Purg. xxi. 35, 36.
Both it and the quaking of the Mountain celebrate the completion
by a soul of its time of purgation, as is explained in Purg. xxi.
58-60. inver di me, &c. : Virgil's object was to calm Dante's
fears arising from the overpowering sound.
316
XX. 136— XXI. 6] PURGATORIO
136. Gloria: this word is here metrically a trisyllable, which
it is not elsewhere in the Div. Com., and its final vowel is not
elided before that which commences the following word. This is
due to its forming part of a Latin quotation, for in Dante as a rule
every syllable of Latin words is pronounced separately, and their final
vowels are not cut off. For instances of the former use cp. Purg.
xxiii. 11; Par. xv. 29; xviii. 91 : of the latter Purg. ii. 46;
X. 44.
138. Onde, &c. : ' from whose mouths one could distinguish the
words of the cry.*
139. Noi stavamo : the i of Noi forms metrically a separate
syllable owing to the st of stavamo following ; for similar instances
see note on Inf. viii. 11.
140. 141. i pastor: the shepherds of Bethlehem, ed ei, &c. :
* and it (the hymn of praise) was concluded.*
145-8. Nulla, &c. : ' no ignorance ever caused me to be desirous
to know with so great anxiety ... as that which methought I then
felt, when I reflected on the circumstances (the earthquake and the
thanksgiving).* guerra means ' struggle or strain of the feelings.'
sapere : ' to know the explanation.*
149, 150. la fretta : the speed of Virgil's progress. Ne per
me, &c. : ' nor of myself could I discover aught in the matter (li).*
CANTO XXI
Argument. — Dante and Virgil are joined by a spirit, who
explains to them that the movement of the Mountain which they
had felt did not proceed from natural causes, but announced the
completion by him of his appointed term in Purgatory, and that
the song of praise had reference to the same event. He then
manifests himself to them as the poet Statius, and adds that the
primary source of his poetical inspiration was the Jieneid of Virgil.
The smile which rises on Dante's face on hearing this statement
leads to the revelation that he is in the presence of that Great
Master ; whereupon Statius does obeisance to him.
Lines 1-6. La sete natural : the desire of knowledge is
meant; cp. Conv. i. i. 1. 66. In the present instance it was
317
PURGATORIO [XXI. 7-27
Dante's desire to know the significance of the earthquake and the
burst of praise ; cp. Purg. xx. 145-8. sazia : here used intrans.,
' is quenched.' 1' acqua : the Hving water, i. e. the revelation of
spiritual truth; John iv. 14, 15. onde : take with la grazia,
' the boon of which.' la fretta : Virgil's rapid progress, referred
to already in Purg. xx. 149. impacciata : obstructed by the
prostrate spirits, condoleami : ' felt compassion.'
7. Luca: Luke xxiv. 13 foil.
10. un' ombra: this, as we shall see (1. 91), was the poet
Statius. It seems probable that he is intended to represent allego-
rically philosophy as enlightened by Christianity; hence in Canto
XXV Aquinas' view of the generation of man is put into his
mouth. All the statements which Dante introduces with regard
to Statius' life — his conversion, his prodigality, &c. — appear to be
his own invention.
1 2. ci addemmo di lei : ' did we become aware of his presence ' ;
addemmo is from addare, a verb of unknown origin, perf. addiedi :
the Vocah. Tramater gives other instances of its use. si : for sino^
' until ' ; cp. Inf. xix. 44 : others take it as marking the consequence,
*so he spoke first.'
15. il cenno, &c. : 'the corresponding greeting,' viz. 'And to
thy spirit.' The Latin forms are ' Pax vobiscum ' and ' Et cum
spiritu tuo.'
17. la verace corte : the tribunal of God.
19-21. e parte, &c. : 'and meanwhile (while he was speaking)
we were speeding on our way ' ; for parte in this sense cp. Inf.
xxix. 16. che Die, &c. : 'whom God does not approve as
denizens of heaven.' la sua scala : the stairway of penitence,
i.e. the Mountain of Purgatory.
22—4. i segni : the P's on Dante's forehead, profila : 'is
wont to trace,' lit. ' outlines ' ; the present tense here puts the
statement generally, not as applying to Dante's case only, vedrai,
&c. : his being allowed to pass through the stage of purification
in Purgatory, which is preparatory to being received into Heaven,
shows that he is destined for the company of the Blessed.
25-7. lei: Lachesis. Of the three Fates, Clotho placed the
flax (i. e. the allotted span of life) on the distaff (impone) and
packed it together (compila), while Lachesis spun the thread of
life (fila). Ncn gli avea, &c. : ' had not yet drawn off all the
318
XXI. 29-48] PURGATORIO
flax for him,' i. e. had not brought his life to an end. The word
conocchia means first the distaff, and then the flax on the distaflP.
29, 30. sola: without a guide, al nostro, &c. : 'does not
look at things as we disembodied spirits do,' who see things im-
mediately without the intervention of the senses.
33. mia scuola : ' my principles of knowledge,' i. e. the teaching
of human reason, of which Virgil is the representative ; cp. Purg.
xviii. 46, 47.
36. suoi pie molli : ' its wave- washed base.'
37. SI mi die*, &c. : 'by his question he hit so exactly the
needle's eye of my desire.'
40-57. Statius prefaces his explanation by saying that the move-
ment of the Mountain was not, like an ordinary earthquake, the
result of natural causes,, which operate irregularly. In Purgatory
proper everything is regulated immediately by divine appointment, the
working of which is uniform.
40-2. Cosa non e, &c. : 'nothing here is affected Irregularly by
(sanza Ordine senta) the divinely appointed system (la religione)
of the Mountain, or is exceptional (fuor d' usanza).'
43. Libero, &c. : 'here all is free from variations of whatsoever
kind.' For the omission of the substantive where 'the place' is
meant cp. Purg. ix. 54 ; x. 79 ; xiv. 94.
44, 45. Di quel che, &c. : in these two lines Statius gives the
reason for the movement of the Mountain, which seems to be an
exceptional occurrence, and so to contradict the statement just made.
He says that this takes place only when a purified soul is passing
from Purgatory to Heaven, and that its movement heavenward is
brought about by the direct agency of Heaven. 'The cause [of
what appears an unusual occurrence] can proceed here (Esserci
puote cagione) from a soul being received by Heaven (Di quel che
il ciel riceve) into itself (in se) by its own agency (da se), but
from naught else (e non d' altro).' Da se means propria motu^
independently of influences proceeding from the natural world ; it is
the attraction exercised by Heaven upon the soul which causes it to
rise. Others interpret thus — ' that which, having originally proceeded
from Heaven (da se), the Heaven receives into itself; but the bra-
chylogy which this involves seems extravagant even in the Dm. Com.
46-8. Perche: ' wherefore,' i. e. because there is no variation.
la scaletta : the three steps in front of the gate of Purgatory.
319
PURGATORIO [xxi. 50-66
50, 51. figlia di Taumante : in mythology Iris or the rainbow
is said to be the daughter of Thaumas. Che di Ih, &c. : ' who on
earth often shifts her region.'
52—4. Secco vapor : this ' dry vapour * is the ava6v/xLa(Ti<s irjpd
of Aristotle, Meteorol. ii. 9. 20, which i$ there stated to be the
common cause of wind, lightning, thunder, and earthquakes, ch' io
parlai : 'of which I spoke'; for the use of che cp. Par. i. 27.
11 vicario, &c. : the Angel who guards the gate ; see Purg. ix.
78, 127.
55? 56- piu gm : in the Ante-Purgatory, per vento, &c. :
Aristotle's theory of the origin of earthquakes, which after his time
was generally accepted, was that they were due to the action of
winds, which were confined beneath the surface of the earth, and
were endeavouring to find a vent ; Meteorol. ii. 8.
59, 60. surga : ' rises from the ground ' ; this applies to the
prostrate spirits in this Cornice, while si mova refers to those in
the other Cornices, tal grido : the singing of the Gloria in excelsis.
seconda : ' accompanies the spirit.'
y; 61-6. Statius now explains what is the evidence of a soul being
^ freed from the stain of sin, its purgation being accomplished. In
order to understand his meaning, we must observe that there are two
forms of will in man — the higher (voler, voglia), which is always
aiming at the highest good, i. e. God and heavenly things ; and the
lower (il talento), wjiich is fixed on inferior objects, and thus pre-
cludes the exercise of the higher will. This lower will during man's
life on earth tends towards sin ; in Purgatory by a special dispensation
of God it is fixed on the punishment, and the desire of undergoing
this restrains the action of the higher will. When the purgation is
completed, the function of the lower will ceases, and the higher will
immediately exerts itself, so that the soul tends upwards towards
^ Heaven.
/^ 62, 63. Che, &c. : 'which (higher will) seizes the soul, when it
is wholly free to change its company, and it (the soul) rejoices in
exercising that will.' For convento cp. Par. xxii. 90.
64-6. Prima vuol ben : ' before that (i. e. before it has accom-
plished its purification) it has the right desire to rise, but it is
prevented from doing so by the lower will, which the justice of God
fixes on (i. e. causes to long for) the purgatorial suffering, just as it
was previously fixed on the sin, in opposition to the higher will.'
320
y'
XXI. 68-90] PURGATORIO
Thus the longing for Heaven is suspended, being excluded by the
craving for purgatorial suffering.
68. Cinquecento, &c. : in Purg. xxii. 92, 93 Statius says that
he passed more than 400 years in the fourth Cornice, where the
spiritually slothful are purified. As he died about 96 a. d., this
would leave about 300 years to be accounted for to bring up the
date to 1 300 A. D. This period, we may suppose, was spent in
Ante-Purgatory.
69. Libera, &c. : ' unimpeded desire of a better abode.'
72. che tosto, &c.: this is a prayer on Statius* part; ' may he
soon, I pray, send them on high.'
73-5. ei si gode: 'one enjoys'; this is the impersonal use of
the verb with ei, egU. quant' ei, &c. : ' how much he benefited
me ' ; for prode see note on Purg. xv. 42.
76. la rete: the net which holds the souls in Purgatory is the
desire of expiatory suffering; cp. 1. 64.
81. mi cappia: 'that I may understand by your words, why,'
&c. cappia is subjunct. from the neut. verb capere, which means
'to have sufficient room'; cp. Par. iii. 76; xvii. 15. The full form
of the phrase here used would be 'questo mi cape nell' animo,'
' there is room for this (lit. this has room) in my mind,' and che
mi cappia, which is an abbreviated expression, signifies ' that I may
understand ' ; see Vocab. Tramater, s. v. ' capere.'
82. Nel tempo, &c. : the dates of the birth and death of Statius
are not certainly known, but they were about 45 and 96 a.d.
(Teuffel, Hist, of Rom. Lit. i. p. 123, Engl. Trans.). Thus the
capture of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 a.d. would fall in the middle of
his lifetime.
83. le fora: ' the wounds '; /on is used in the same sense in
Purg. v. 73. Statius speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
as an act of retribution for the crucifixion of Christ. Dante derived
this view from Orosius, who says of Titus that ' ad vindicandum
Domini lesu Christi sanguinem iudicio Dei fuerat ordinatus,' Hist,
vii. 3. 8.
85-7. piu onora : ' bestows most honour ' ; the name here meant
is that of poet, con fede : i. e. a Christian.
88-90. vocale spirto : ' gift of song.' Tolosano : in reality
Statius was a native of Naples. Dante's error as to his having been
born at Toulouse was derived from Lactantius, who in his com-
T02ER 321 Y
PURGATORIO [XXI. 92-135
mentary on the Thebaid confounds him with a rhetorician of Toulouse
of the same name, mirto : the meed of success in poetiy. Dante
here puts into Statius' mouth his own estimate of that poet ; in
De Vulg. Eloq. ii. 6. II. 79-81 he mentions under the title of
standard poets Virgil, Ovid, Statius, and Lucan.
92, 93. Cantai, &c. : the works of Statius which were known
to Dante were his Thebaid and Achilleid, His Silvae were unknown
at that time in Italy, caddi in via, &c. : Statius died before he
had completed the Achilleid.
94. ardor: 'poetic fervour.'
97-9. Eneida : at the conclusion of the Thebaid Statius says,
apostrophizing his work — ' nee tu divinam Aeneida tenta, Sed longe
sequere, et vestigia semper adora,' Theb. xii. 816, 817. mamma:
' mother.' fermai : ' weighed ' ; lit. ' made stationary in the scale,'
i. e. balanced.
10 1, 102. assentirei, &c. : 'I would agree to remain a year
more than I am bound to do with a view to (i. e. as the condition of)
my escape from my place of exile.' Purgatory is regarded as the
place of exile for those who are destined to be denizens of Heaven.
105. non pud tutto, &c. : ' the power that wills is limited in its
influence.*
1 06-8. Che rise, &c. : ' for smiles and tears follow so directly on
the feelings from which they respectively arise, that in the most
truthful spirits they follow less the will,' i. e. the more candid a man
is, the less they are under his control.
111. ove, &c. : 'where expression mostly dwells.'
112. se tanto, &c. : ' so mayest thou accomplish well thy great
task ' ; i. e. the task of visiting the world of spirits.
121. Forse che: 'maybe that'; for che attached to /orse cp.
Purg. iv. 98 ; xxxiii. 46.
128. e credi : 'and believe that the cause was.'
133-5. quantitate: 'intensity.' vanitate: 'unreality,' 'in-
corporeal state.'
322
XXII. 1-6] PURGATORIO
CANTO XXII
Argument. — Dante and Virgil, accompanied by Statius, ascend
to the sixth Cornice, where the sin of gluttony is punished. On
the way, Statius explains to Virgil that prodigality, the vice of
which he was himself guilty, is expiated along with avarice, which
is its opposite, in the Cornice which they had just left. He also
declares that his conversion to Christianity was due in the first
instance to Virgil's prophetic utterances in his fourth Eclogue.
They now perceive a spreading tree, rich with fruit, over which
a fountain falls in showers; from it a voice proceeds, which pro-
claims examples of the virtue of temperance.
Line i. Gik: they had now entered the passage which leads
up from the fifth to the sixth Cornice, passing the Angel who
guards the approach to it.
2, 3. volti: 'directed'; cp. Purg. vii. 86. un colpo : one
of the ' strokes ' or marks formed by the P's on Dante's forehead.
4-6. E quel, &c. : ' and the Angel had pronounced for us those
to be blessed whose desires are fixed on righteousness, and his words
completed that saying with the expression "who thirst," adding
nothing thereto.' Here, as in other Cornices, as the travellers pass
out, the Angel of the Cornice recites an appropriate Beatitude to
speed them on their way. In this instance the complete Beatitude
is ' Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam,' Matt. v. 6 ; but as the
expression which relates to hunger, viz. 'qui esuriunt,' is reserved
for use in the sixth Cornice where gluttony is expiated (Purg. xxiv.
1 5 1-4), 'qui sitiunt' alone (senz' altro) is used here. The motto
' Beati qui sitiunt iustitiam ' is appropriate to the Cornice in which
avarice is expiated, because the thirst for justice is the opposite or
antidote to the thirst for wealth. As regards the text of this
passage, the readings of the Oxford Text, viz. avea in I. 5 and
sitiunt in 1. 6, have been unhesitatingly followed here, though
aiyean has about the same support from the MSS. as avea, and
sit'io predominates enormously over sitiunt ; in fact, sitiunt is almost
destitute of MS. authority. (On these points, and on the passage
323 y 2
PURGATORIO [xxn. 7-34
generally, see Moore, Text. Crh., pp. 405 foil.) With avean and
sitio the meaning of the passage is taken to be — 'and those who
have their desires fixed on justice (i. e. the spirits within this Cornice)
had recited for us the text " Beati quorum tecta sunt peccata" (Ps.
xxxii. i), and their voices added thereto " I thirst," but no further
word.' On this interpretation sitio may either represent the cry
of our Lord on the cross, or may express a feeling on the part of
the spirits themselves. But the objections to this explanation of
the passage, and consequently to the reading, are insuperable, (i)
Beati, as it is used to introduce a Beatitude in all the corresponding
passages (Purg. xii. no; xv. 38; xvii. 68 ; xix. 50; xxiv. 151 ;
xxvii. 8), can hardly be used otherwise here. (2) This Cornice
alone would be without a Beatitude. (3) In five cases out of the six
besides the present one it is either distinctly stated, or fairly implied,
that the Beatitude was recited by the Angel : as to the sixth instance
see note on Purg. xii. no. (4) sitio has very little force, while
sitiunt gives exactly the meaning which is needed.
7. piu lieve : in consequence of the removal of another P.
10—8. Virgil here declares that he had ere this time reciprocated
Statins* good will.
12. Pur che, &c. : 'provided that its flame appear outwardly,'
i.e. if there is outward evidence of the feeling.
14. Juvenale: Juvenal's date is circ. 47-130 a. D. (Teuflfel) ;
consequently he was a contemporary of Statins.
16, 17. quale, &c. : ' as great as ever held a man for one whom
he had not seen.'
20. sicurt^: 'confidence.'
24. per tua cura : ' by thy diligence,' i. e. long continued study.
28-30. Veramente, &c. : 'Verily things often present them-
selves to us, which furnish subjects for doubt which are untrue
owing to the true causes being concealed.' His being found in the
company of the avaricious suggested the erroneous idea that he had
committed that sin, whereas the real explanation of his being there
was that he had erred by prodigality, and that these two sins were
punished together.
31. tuo creder, &c. : 'proves to me that it is your belief.'
34. fu partita, &c. : 'was removed too far from me,' i.e. that
he erred in the opposite extreme of prodigality. From the example
of Statius we learn, that in Purgatory the vices of avarice and
324
XXII. 36-48] PURGATORIO
prodigality are punished together, as they are in the fourth Circle
of the Inferno. As has already been intimated in the note to Purg.
xxi. 10, there appears to be no historical groundwork to the story
of Statius' prodigality; in fact Juvenal (vii. 86, 87) implies that
he was a needy man, so that he could not have had much money
to spend.
36. Migliaia, &c. : 'thousands of revolutions of the moon';
as Statius has said in Purg. xxi. 68 that he had been 500 years
in Cornice V, the exact number here intended is 6,000 months.
37-9. drizzai mia cura : 'rectified my views of life.' intesi
I^ : ' pondered on that passage.' Crucciato : ' indignant.'
40, 41. Per che, &c. : the passage in Virgil which these lines
are intended to represent is Aen. iii. 56, 57, 'Quid non moitalia
pectora cogis, Auri sacra fames ?' (' To what crimes dost thou not
compel the hearts of men, accursed lust of gold ? ') No explanation
of Dante's rendering of this which is wholly satisfactory has yet
been given. Perhaps the following is the best: — 'Through what
a course of wickedness dost thou not lead the desires of men,
accursed lust of gold ? ' Sacra in this case must be regarded as
the Latin word borrowed from Virgil's original, for sacro does not
bear the sense of 'accursed' in Italian. It is 2, prima facie objection
to this interpretation — in fact to the introduction of the passage of
Virgil in its proper sense at all — that it denounces avarice, while
Statius is denouncing prodigality; but to this it may perhaps be
replied, that the desire of wealth is an accompaniment of prodigality
as well as of avarice. Others think that Dante misunderstood
Virgil's meaning, and take reggi in the sense of 'restrain,' and
sacra as signifying 'holy,' 'righteous,' 'temperate'; so that the
passage is to be understood, not as denouncing greed of wealth, but
as advocating moderation in its use — 'Why dost thou not restrain
the desires of mortals, O temperate hunger for gold ? '
42. Voltando, &c. : 'rolling the weights I should be experi-
encing the dismal jousts ' : the reference is to the punishment of the
avaricious and the prodigal in Hell, who roll forward heavy weights,
with which they charge against one another. The words voltando
pesi and giostra occur in that connexion in Inf. vii. 27, 35.
46-8. scemi: 'shorn'; cp. mo%%i in Inf. vii. 57. The
reference is to the Italian proverb concerning spendthrifts, ' Egli ha
dissipate lino a' capegli.' Per ignoranza, &c. : ' from ignorance
325
PURGATORIO [XXII. 49-82
(of the sinfulness of prodigality), which prevents repentance for this
sin during men's lifetime and at their last hour.'
49-51. che rimbecca, &c. : 'which rebuts by direct opposition,'
i. e. is the direct opposite of. sue verde secca : ' dries its green
rankness/ i. e. reduces its superfluity, and so returns to the mean.
54. Per lo, &c. : ' this has befallen me owing to its opposite.'
55-7. cantasti, &c. : Statius in his Thebaid related the story of
' the merciless war of the twofold affliction of Jocasta,' i. e. the war
between Polynices and Eteocles, the twin sons of Jocasta, who are
called her ' affliction ' on account of their incestuous birth, buco-
lici : Virgil is here spoken of as the 'singer of the bucolic strains,'
because reference is about to be made in 1. 70 to his fourth Bucolic
or Eclogue.
58, 59. Per quelle, &c. : ' from the evidence furnished by the
matter of your poem,' lit. ' to judge from that which you by Clio's
aid deal with there.' Tastare means ' to touch,' ' treat of,' ' deal
with.* fedele : ' a true believer.'
61-3. qual sole o quai candele : 'what light from heaven or
earth.' diretro, &c. : ' in the wake of the fisherman,' i. e. St.
Peter — ' the pilot of the Galilean lake.'
65, 66. grotte : ' grots,' ' caves,' which are frequently associated
with sacred sources. Probably in this instance Dante was thinking
of Castalia, though that spring does not issue from a cavern,
appresso Dio : ' next after God.'
67. quel : the servant, who walks before his master and lights
him on his way.
70-2. dicesti, &c. : Virg. Ed. iv. 5-7, 'Magnus ab integro
saeclorum nascitur ordo. lam redit et Virgo, redeunt Satumia
regna ; lam nova progenies caelo demittitur alto.' The fourth
Eclogue was generally regarded during the middle ages as a prophecy
of the birth of Christ.
73-5. cristiano : see note on Purg. xxi. 10. mei : for meglio;
more commonly written me\ disegno : ' sketch,' in contrast with
colorare, ' to fill in in colour.'
80. Si consonava : ' in sooth was in harmony with ' ; Si
consonava is also read.
82. Vennermi, &c. : lit. 'they came to appear to me'; when
used in this way with the gerund, 'venire is almost redundant, but
it usually implies duration : cp. Par. xxiii. 1 8, ' venir rischiarando.'
326
XXII. 85-105] PURGATORIO
85-7. mentre, &c. : ' throughout the time that I remained on
earth.' sette : ' schools,' of philosophy or religion.
88, 89. pria, &c. : 'before I described in poetry the arrival of
the Argives (i Greci), who came to support Polynices, at Thebes ' ;
i. e. before I reached the latter part of the poem (Book IX), in
which their arrival is narrated, fiumi : by these Dante probably
means the Ismenus and the Asopus ; see note on Purg. xviii. 91-3.
90-3. chiuso : ' concealed.' mostrando : ' professing.' il
quarto cerchio : the Circle or Cornice in which lukewarmness
or spiritual sloth was expiated, al quarto centesmo : * for 400
years.'
94, 95. che levato, &c. : * who (by thy prophetic verses) hast
lifted the veil, which hid from me all that great blessing of which
I speak,' i. e. the Christian faith.
96. Mentre che, &c. : 'during the remainder of our ascent';
soperchio means ' that which remains over.' This clause is to be
taken with what follows.
97-9. nostro antico : 'our early poet.' Cecilio : Caecilius,
the writer of comedies, is mentioned among popular Roman poets in
two passages of Horace, viz. Epist. ii. i. 58, 59, and Ars Poet.
54) 55 > ^^ ^^ former in conjunction with Plautus and Terence, in
the latter with Plautus, Virgil, and Varius. Dante seems to have
had one or both of these passages in his mind. Varro : it is not
certain whether Dante here means Varro Reatinus, who was famous
in antiquity for his great learning, or Varro Atacinus the poet.
As the other writers who are here mentioned were poets, we should
expect the latter to be meant, but it is doubtful whether Dante had
heard of him. His name occurs in Horace, Sat, i. 10. 46, but
Dante does not seem to have been acquainted with the Satires.
On the other hand, he must have known Varro Reatinus, because
that author is spoken of at some length and with high praise by
St. Augustine {fie Civ. Dei, vi. 2 foil.) ; at the same time, though
he wrote satires, he was comparatively little known as a poet. Some
would prefer to read Vario here, but there is hardly any MS.
authority for the reading, vico : 'region,' lit. 'alley,' 'quarter';
the word is used for the sake of the rhyme as an equivalent
of cerchio.
1 01. quel Greco : Homer.
104, 105. monte : both Parnassus and Helicon were sacred to
327
PURGATORIO [xxii. 106-20
the Muses (le nutrici nostre), but since in Purg. xxix. 37-42
Helicon is introduced in connexion with them, it is probably the
mountain which Dante means here.
1065 107. Antifonte : both Antiphon and Agathon were tragic
poets.
109-11. genti tue: 'thy folk,' i.e. the personages who are
introduced in your poems. For the use of genti plur. in the sense
of ' people * cp. ' le perdute genti ' of Purg. xxx. 138, which is the
equivalent of ' la perduta gente ' of Inf. iii. 3. Deifile, &c. :
Deiphile and Argea were daughters of Adrastus, the former of
whom was married to Tydeus, one of the Seven against Thebes,
the latter to Polynices. si trista : the life of Ismene was one of
almost unbroken sorrow.
1 1 2-4. quella, &c. : Hypsipyle, who is mentioned by Statius
{l^heb. iv. 716 foil.) as having shown the spring of Langia near
Nemea to Adrastus and his army, when they were on their way to
Thebes, and were distressed by want of water, la figlia di
Tiresia: Manto (Stat., Theb. iv. 463 foil.), whom Dante in Inf.
XX. 55 places among the soothsayers in Malebolge. This is an
oversight on the Poet's part. Teti, &c. : Thetis, the mother
of Achilles, and Deidamia, the object of his early love, are often
mentioned in the Achilleid. The description of the latter in the
company of her sisters (con le suore sue) occurs in Achill. i.
285-96.
117. Liber i, &c. : they were now emerging from the passage
on to the sixth Cornice. Here (i) the sin punished is gluttony;
(2) the punishment is the sight of trees laden with fruit and sprinkled
with fresh water, of which the sinners may not partake ; (3) the
examples of the virtue of temperance are the Blessed Virgin ;
ancient Roman women ; Daniel ; the Golden Age ; St. John the
Baptist ; (4) the examples of the vice are the Centaurs ; the
companions of Gideon ; (5) they are presented by a voice from
the branches of the mystic trees ; (6) the passage from a Church
Office is Labia mea^ Domine ; (7) the Beatitude is Beati qui esuriunt.
118-20. ancelle del giorno : for the use of this expression in
the sense of ' hours ' cp. Purg. xii. 81; ' four hours of the day had
now passed.' la quinta, &c. : ' the fifth hour was at the pole of
the sun's car (i. e. was leading on the day), directing ever upwards its
blazing point.' As the sun was regarded as mounting the sky until
328
XXII. 1 31-50] PURGATORIO
noon, the pole of its chariot would be conceived of as pointing
upwards. Since the day commenced at 6 a. m., the time here
intended would be between lo and ii a.m. The day was Easter
Tuesday, the 12th of April.
1 2 1-3. alio estremo, &c. : 'towards the outer side of the
Cornice.' By turning their right side towards this, and then
walking on, they would be taking the direction to the right hand
along the Mountain, which they had hitherto followed.
130,131. ragioni: 'discourse'; cp. Purg. xiv. 126. un arbor:
this tree is regarded as having spmng from the Tree of Life, in the
same way as the corresponding tree which is mentioned below (Purg.
xxiv. 116, 117) sprang from the Tree of Knowledge, in the Garden
of Eden (Gen. ii. 9). The trees in this Cornice torment the souls
which look at them from beneath by holding their fruit beyond their
reach.
133. si digrada : 'tapers'; the fir-tree is broad below and
narrows upwards, while this tree is broad at the top and narrows
downwards.
136. Dal lato, &c. : 'on the side towards which our road was
enclosed,' i. e. the side towards the Mountain ; while that towards
the precipice was open.
141. caro : for carestia, 'dearth,' 'lack.'
142—4. disse : the voice from the mystic tree here proclaims
the examples of the virtue of temperance, which is the opposite of
the vice of gluttony. As in the other Cornices, so here, the
Scriptural and classical examples alternate with one another. Maria :
at the marriage at Cana of Galilee, when she said ' they have no
wine,' John ii. 3. risponde : 'intercedes.'
145-7. 1® Romane, &c. : this statement is found in Val. Max.
ii. 1 . 5, who says ' Vini usus olim Romanis feminis ignotus fuit ' ;
but probably Dante got it from Aquinas, Summa, ii. 2dae Q, j^^.
Art. iv, ' Secundum Valerium Maximum mulieres apud Romanos
antiquitus non bibebant vinum.' Daniello : see Dan. i. 11, 12,
' Daniel said to the steward ... let them give us pulse to eat and
water to drink,' and God gave him 'knowledge and skill in all
learning and wisdom,' v. 17.
148-50. quant' oro, &c. : 'was as fair as gold,' i.e. it was
the Golden Age. le ghiande, &c. : probably Dante was thinking
of Ovid, Met. i. 104, 106, Arbuteos fetus montanaque fraga legebant
329
PURGATORIO [XXII. 1 54— XXIII. 20
. . . Et quae deciderant patula lovis arbore glandes,* and 1. iir,
* iam flumina nectaris ibant.'
154. r Evangelic: Matt. xi. 11, 'Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist.*
CANTO XXIII
Argument. — As they pass along the Cornice they are overtaken
by a company of spirits, whose emaciated faces testify to the pangs of
hunger and thirst with which they are afflicted through the sight of
the fruit of the tree and of the dripping water. Dante is recognized
by a friend of his youth, Forese Donati, who explains to him that,
though he had repented late in life, yet he had escaped delay in Ante-
Purgatory through the intercessions of his wife ; and the mention of
her saintly character leads him to denounce the want of modesty
which prevailed among the women of Florence. Dante expresses
regret for his and Foresees relations to one another In their former
life.
Line 3. Chi retro, &c. : the bird-catcher, ' who wastes his time
in pursuing little birds.'
4-6. Figliuole : Dante has here attached the termination of the
Latin vocative to an Italian word for the sake of the rhyme, im*
posto : ' ordained,' ' assigned.' compartir : ' apportion.'
8. sie : for st, ' In such sort ' ; I. e. on such lofty topics.
1 1 . Labia, &c. : this is the portion of a Church Office which is
recited in this Cornice ; ' O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth
shall show forth thy praise,' Ps. II. 15. The lips which had been
devoted to gluttony here express a wish to be devoted to the praise
of God.
15. di lor dover, &c. : 'untying the knot of their debt'; i.e.
freeing themselves by Purgatorial suffering from the debt of sin which
binds them : for dovere in the sense of ' indebtedness * cp. Purg.
xiii. 126.
17. Giugnendo : 'coming up with,' ' overtaking.'
19, 20. diretro, &c. : 'coming on behind us with more rapid
steps and passing us.'
330
XXIII. :i4-48] PURGATORIO
24. dair ossa, &c. : 'the skin took the form of the bones,'
owing to the absence of flesh.
25-7. Non credo, &c. : 'I do not conceive that Erysichthon
was so dried up to merest (lit. outermost) rind.' Erysichthon was
a ThessaHan, who cut down trees in a grove sacred to Demeter, and
was punished by her with insatiable hunger ; his pangs are described
by Ovid, Met. viii. 738 foil, quando, &c. : 'when he most feared
starvation.'
30. die' di becco : 'preyed on,' lit. 'pecked.' The story of the
woman who ate her own child from extremity of hunger during the
final siege of Jerusalem is told by Josephus, Bell. lud. vi. 3. 4.
Dante probably obtained it from the Speculum Histor'iale of Vincent
de Beauvais (x. 5), which work is one of his historical authorities ;
see Toynbee, Diet., p. 368.
32, 33. omo : mediaeval preachers were fond of the conceit, that
the title ' man ' {omo, Lat. homo) was written in the human face,
the eyes being the two o's, the nose with the eyebrows and the
cheekbones the m — thus VR. See the exposition of this in a sermon
by the Franciscan monk, Berthold of Regensburg, given by Long-
fellow, p. 428. Ben avria, &c. : ' he would have clearly recognized
the M in these faces,' because the hollows of the eyes made more
conspicuous the bones which enclosed them.
35, 36. Si governasse: 'should have ordained things so,'
' brought this to pass.' non sapendo como : i. e. if it were not
explained to him how the result was produced. The explanation is
furnished in 11. 6 1 foil.
38, 39. Per la cagione, &c. : this follows ammirar, 'because
the reason was not yet clear.' squama : ' withered flesh ' ; both
here and in scabbia (1. 49) this, rather than 'scales' or 'scabs,'
seems to be the meaning.
45. Cio che, &c. : ' that which his aspect had suppressed within
it,' i. e. his identity, conquiso : from conquidere ; the meaning ' to
subdue,' ' suppress,' is poetical.
46, 47. raccese, &c. : 'quickened anew my knowledge of (alia,
lit. respecting) the altered face' ; for labbia cp. Inf. xiv. 67.
48. Forese : this is Forese Donati, an early friend of Dante,
and a relation of Dante's wife. Gemma Donati, and brother of
Corso Donati, the head of the Black Guelfs. Four sonnets exist,
which passed between Dante and Forese in their younger days, and
331
PURGATORIO [xxiii. 49-84
in the first of these Dante reproaches Forese with his gluttony.
The original of the two by Dante will be found in Fraticelli's Opere
M'tnort di Dante^ vol. i. pp. 291, 292, and all four are given in an
English translation by Rossetti in his Dante and his Circle, p. 243.
The authenticity of these poems, which are vituperative and in-
delicate, has sometimes been doubted, but at the present day is
generally admitted.
49. contendere: used in the sense of attendere, 'pay attention
to * ; the Vocab. Tramater (s. v.) gives other instances.
54. Non rimaner, &c. : ' delay not to speak to me.'
57. torta: 'disfigured.'
58. sfoglia : ' dries up,' ' withers ' ; cp. note on squama in 1. 39.
59. 60. Non mi far, &c. : ' force me not to speak when full of
wonderment, for when the mind is preoccupied a man cannot rightly
express himself.'
63. Rimasa retro : 'which we have left behind'; cp. 11. 1-7.
64. piangendo canta : cp. 1. 10.
68, 69. dello sprazzo ; the scent of water is noticed in Job
xiv. 9, ' Through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth
boughs like a plant.' su per, &c. : ' over the foliage of the tree.'
70, 71. non pure una volta : another tree of the same kind is
mentioned in Purg. xxiv. 113. spazzo : the area of the Cornice.
si rinfresca : ' is renewed.'
73-5. quella voglia : the desire to conform our wills to the will
of God. a dire : Eli : this should be taken as referring rather to
Christ's offering himself to the Father upon the cross, which was
consummated in the words, ' My God ! my God ! why hast thou
forsaken me ? ' than to the actual words, for lieto could hardly be
used in such a connexion. Obs. that this is a ten-syllable line, the
irregularity being justified by its ending with a Hebrew word accented
on the last syllable ; cp. Par. vii. i, ' Osanna sanctus Deus Sabaoth.'
la sua vena : i. e. his blood.
77. mutasti mondo, &c. : 'didst migrate (lit. change worlds)
to a better life.'
79-84. Se prima, &c. : Forese's was a case of what we should
call 'a deathbed repentance.' His power of committing sin had
come to an end before his repentance (1* ora Del buon dolor ch' a
Dio ne rimarita). Hence Dante expects to find him in the Ante-
Purgatory (laggiu di sotto, 1. 83), but he learns that he had been
332
XXIII. 86-103] PURGATORIO
freed from the delay by his wife's prayers. Ancora : take with
laggiu di sotto, ' still below ' in Ante-Purgatory. Some editors
prefer to put the question-mark after ancora, and to connect that
word with venuto ; in this case ancora means ' already,' as in Inf.
xxxiii. 121. Dove tempo, &c. : 'where loss of time is com-
pensated by delay.'
86, 87. dolce. assenzio : 'sweet wormwood'; the explanation
of the oxymoron involved in this expression will be found in 11. 7 2-5.
assenzio is the Fr. absinthe. Nella : Forese's widow. As Dante
had made offensive remarks about her in the second of his two
sonnets to Forese, it has been thought that he is making amends in
the present passage. Nella is an abbreviation of Giovanella.
pianger dirotto : ' bursts of tears.'
90. liberator this perhaps does not mean 'delivered,' as if he
was excused the punishment of the lower Cornices, but may signify
' set free ' after a term of punishment. This term in any case was
short, since Forese had recently died.
91-3. Tant' e, &c. : 'my widow is the more beloved of God,
in proportion as she stands alone in her good works.'
94-6. la Barbagia di Sardigna : a district of Sardinia inhabited
by a wild race, called Barbaricini, who had been originally transplanted
thither from Africa by the Vandals. The dissoluteness of their life
was notorious at this time. dov* io, &c. : Florence is referred to.
100. in pergamo, &c. ; 'it shall be forbidden from the pulpit.'
From Forese's words in 1. 98, 'm' e gi^ nel cospetto,' a definite
occasion would seem to be referred to ; and from ' discipline ' in
1. 105 the prohibition appears to have taken the form of an edict,
and was not merely a denunciation ; but no mention exists of such
an occurrence having taken place during Dante's lifetime. There is
ample evidence of the extravagance and immodesty of the Florentine
women of this period.
103. Quai Barbare, &c. : the name of Barbary for northern
Africa dates from the Arab geographers, and therefore was in
existence in Dante's time, and Barbari signified the natives of that
region. Again, ' Saracens ' was used in the middle ages as an
appellation of unbaptized persons generally, and conversely in Ariosto
the Saracens are constantly called ' Pagani.' Thus the expression
' Berbers and Saracens ' is equivalent to 'godless folk,' much in the
same way as we speak of ' heathen ' practices.
333
PURGATORIO [xxiii. 107-33
107. ammanna: 'is preparing/ lit. 'is binding in a sheaf
{manna) J
1 09-1 1, r antiveder: 'my knowledge of coming events.'
Prima, «&c. : ' they shall be sad, ere he who now is quieted with
lullaby has bearded cheeks.' The intimation of time here given
describes vaguely the period between 1300 a. D. and the date at
which Dante was writing. The disasters alluded tp are the numerous
misfortunes which befell Florence in the early years of the fourteenth
century, owing to the struggles between the Black and White Guelfs.
114. dove il sol veli : 'where thou dost intercept the sun's
rays,' i. e. ' dost cast a shadow.'
1 16. Qual, &c. : 'what were our relations to one another.' The
relations here meant seem to have been (i) their ribald attacks on
one another in the Sonnets mentioned in note to 1. 48 ; (2) their
boon companionship and careless living, the latter of which is implied
in 11. 118, 119, for it is this mode of life which was symbolized by
the selva oscura which is there referred to.
119, 120. r altr' ier : 'the other day'; the moon was full
(tonda) live days before this, viz. on the night of Maundy Thursday
(see note on Inf. xx. 127), whereas it was now Easter Tuesday.
vi : 'to you.'
121— 3. Costui : Dante now replies to Forese's question in
11. 52, 53, with regard to his two companions, seconda : 'accom-
panies.'
126. drizza : 'straightens*; a proverb says, 'bent timbers are
straightened by the lire.'
127. dice, &c. : 'he speaks of accompanying me'; dice is
similarly used in 1. 130.
131— 3. queir ombra : Statius. ogni pendice: 'all its de-
clivities.' sgombra : ' discharges.'
CANTO XXIV
Argument. — Forese points out other spirits of note in this
Cornice, and among them the poet Bonagiunta of Lucca, who
converses with Dante on the difference between the earlier and the
newer style of lyric poetry in Italy. Forese then predicts the violent
death of his own brother, Corso Donati, Dante's political enemy.
334
XXIV. 1-29] PURGATORIO
Farther on, another tree like to the former one appears, and from
the branches of this a voice proceeds, proclaiming examples of the
vice of gluttony and its evil results. The passage leading to the next
Cornice is now reached, and Dante is blinded by the effulgence of
the Angel who guards it.
Line i. lui: the conversation.
4-6. rimer te ; ' twice dead * ; this word, which seems not to be
found elsewhere, may have been suggested to Dante by ' arbores . . .
bis mortuae' in Jude 12. Traean : 'expressed,' lit. 'drew forth.'
8, 9. Ella : the spirit (amrna) of Statius, of whom Dante was
speaking at the end of the previous Canto, altrui : primarily Dante is
meant, on account of his burden of human flesh ; but also Virgil, be-
cause Statius desired to enjoy his conversation ; cp. Purg. xxii. 96-9.
10, II. Piccarda : sister of Forese and Corso Donati, who was
a nun of Santa Clara, and is placed by Dante in the first sphere of
Paradise — the a/to Olimpo of 1. 15 ; see Par. iii. 46-9. da notar :
' worthy of note.'
16-8. non si vieta : 'there is nothing to prevent,' i. e. no offence
can be taken; cp. 11. 26, 27. munta via: 'effaced,' lit. 'milked
out' ; cp. the use of munta in Inf. xxiv. 43. In this Cornice fasting
had rendered the spirits unrecognizable.
19. Bonagiunta : a minor poet, of whom Dante speaks un-
favourably in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 13. 1. 8 as composing verses in the
dialect of Lucca. He is said to have been a bon vi'vant.
20—4. quella faccia : this is Pope Martin IV, who had previously
been Canon of Tours (Torso, 1. 23) ; he used to have the eels from
the lake of Bolsena cooked in wine for his table, and is reported
to have died in consequence of a surfeit of them, trapunta : for
trapuntata^ from trapuntare^ ' to work embroidery ' ; here it means
'rough and punctured,' from the resemblance of the perished skin
in these respects to the surface of a piece of embroidery. Ebbe, &c. ;
as Pope he was Spouse of the Church, vernaccia : a red wine,
which was known in Engl, as 'vernage.'
27. pero: 'thereat.' atto bruno : 'dark look.'
29. Ubaldin : he was father of Abp. Roger, the murderer of
Count Ugolino, Inf. xxxiii. 14. Bonifazio : Abp. of Ravenna
from 1274-94 ; he was of the family of the Fieschi of Genoa, and
nephew of Pope Innocent IV.
335
PURGATORIO [xxiv. 30-6
30. Che pasture, &c. : ' who shepherded a large flock with his
rook.' Rocco is the name of the castle or ' rook ' at chess, and
Lana, who takes the word in that sense, says in explanation that the
pastoral staff of the archbishops of Ravenna was not curved like
those of other archbishops, but was shaped in its upper part like the
'rook' at chess. This, if true, would determine the meaning of
the passage ; but there is no further evidence to support L ana's
statement, nor is it confirmed by anything that is found on the
monuments of archbishops at Ravenna, or by any traditions now
existing there. The natural inference therefore is, that this was an
ex post facto explanation on that commentator's part. Recently,
however, a pastoral staff of mediaeval workmanship, with a head-
piece of the shape of a castle at chess, has come to light, which was
preserved in the Camaldolese monastery of Classe, and now exists in
the public library of Ravenna. (See Toynbee's Z)/V/., s. v. ' Ravenna.')
The resemblance between so unusual an object as this and that which
Dante appears to be here describing is a thing so remarkable that it
is not easy to ascribe it to chance ; and it has been suggested — since
Lana's statement about the archbishops of Ravenna generally, as we
have seen, is unconfirmed — that this is the original staff to which
Dante is referring, and that it was a special possession of Bonifazio,
and is here mentioned in connexion with him on account of its
peculiarity of form. This is quite possible ; but as the origin and
history of the existing staff are unknown, it is difficult to determine
the question satisfactorily, molte genti: this refers to the great
extent of the diocese, which included the whole of the Romagna,
and part of the Emilia.
31-3. Marchese: one of a noble family at Forli. Little is
known of him, except his answer to those who said he was always
drinking, ' Why do they not say that I am always thirsty ? ' eh' ebbe
spazio, &c. : ' who of yore had leisure at Forli for drinking with
less thirst than he feels here in Purgatory, and even so was such
a toper that he never felt satisfied.'
34-6. come fa, &c. : 'as he does, who scans a number of men,
and after doing so rates one more highly than another, so did
I to Bonagiunta of Lucca, who seemed more than the others to
desire information concerning me.' s' apprezza : fa pre%%a is
also read, with the same meaning, fe' io a ; the final vowel of
fel and both vowels of io are lost in scansion; cp. Purg. iv. 132.
336
XXIV. ^^-^^] PURGATORIO
voler contezza : cp. 1. 49 ; aver conte%%a^ ' to be acquainted with,'
is also read.
37-9. non so che, &c. : 'I was conscious of a sound like
Gentucca there where he was conscious of the wound of justice which
macerates them so.' mormorava and non so che imply that
Bonagiunta spoke indistinctly from his lips being parched with
hunger and thirst. Gentucca : this is generally regarded as the
name of a lady of Lucca, to whom Dante became attached, though
not necessarily otherwise than in an honourable way — the femmtna
of 1. 43. 1^ ove, &c. : in his mouth, where he felt the craving
for food, pilucca : this word is derived from Lat. pilare, ' to pull
off the hair,' 'denude'; Diez, Wort., p. 247. In Italian it is
first used of stripping off grapes ; here it refers to the wasted
flesh, like sfogl'm in Purg. xxiii. 58.
43-5. non porta, &c. : i.e. 'is still unmarried'; the veil
(benda) was the headdress of married women and widows, come
che, &c. : ' however men may blame it ' ; this refers to an evil name
which was popularly attached to Lucca, rather than to Dante's own
vituperation in Inf. xxi. 41, 42.
48. Dichiareranti, &c. : 'the facts (le cose vere) will make
the matter clear to thee.'
49-51. che fuore, &c. : 'who evoked (i.e. brought into
prominence) the verses in the new style,' the dolce st'il nuovo of
1. 57. Donne, &c. ; this is the first line in the first Canzone in
Dante's Vita Nuova.
52-4. To mi son, &c. : 'I am one who, when Love inspires
me, attend, and express in words the thoughts which he suggests
to the mind,' lit. ' express his meaning in words, in the same way
as he dictates it in the form of thoughts (dentro).' mi spira :
cp. spirarmi, Par. vi. 23. vo : andare with the gerund is here
almost redundant; cp. the use oi venire in Purg. xxii. 82.
55—7. issa: 'now'; see note on Inf. xxiii. 7. ¥ or t\\Q hiatus
before issa, modified by the stop, cp. Purg. xxix. 135. 'Now
I perceive the impediment (lit. knot, restraint), which prevented the
Notary and Guittone and me from adopting (lit. detained us on the
hither side of) the sweet new style.' The impediment was their
not understanding the principle on which the ' new style ' was based,
viz. that the words should be inspired directly by the thoughts and
feelings, and should correspond to them. This is what is set forth
TozER 337 Z
PURGATORIO [XXIV. 58-91
by Dante in 11. 5 2-4, and is expressed in other words by Bonagiunta
in 11. 58, 59. The schools of poetry which preceded the ' new
style' were (i) the Sicilian school, under Proven9al influence, to
which the Notary (Jacopo da Lentini, in the first half of Cent, xiii)
belonged ; and (2) the scuola dottrinale^ which theorized and philo-
sophized on love, to which Guittone d' Arezzo (second half of Cent,
xiii) and Bonagiunta belonged. The writers of the new school,
to which Dante belonged, were distinguished from these by being
natural, while they were conventional.
58, 59. le vostre penne, &c. : ' your pens follow closely the
inspiration of Love (il dittator, him who dictates).'
61, 62. E qual, &c. : 'and he who sets himself to look more
closely into the matter finds no further distinction than this between
the two styles'; i. e. this is the essential point of difference. For
the force of the prepositions in 1. 62, and the explanation of the
idiom, cp. Inf. xix. 113, 'E che altro e da voi all' idolatre,' 'what
difference is there between,' &c.
64. gli augei : the cranes. The flight of these birds has already
furnished Dante with a simile in Inf. v. 46, 47, and probably they
are also meant in Par. xviii. 73-5.
72. Fin che, &c. : 'until his heavy breathing is assuaged,' lit.
' exhaled.' 1' affollar : ' the panting,' lit. ' pressure,' from folla^
' crowd,' 'press.'
75. riveggia : i. e. here in Purgatory.
80, 8 r. si spolpa: 'is depleted.' disposto : 'ordained,'
'doomed'; cp. Par. viii. 104.
82-4. quei : Corso Donati, Forese's brother, leader of the
Black Guelfs. According to Villani (viii. 96) he met his death at
the hands of certain Catalans, after he had thrown himself from his
horse to escape from being given up to the citizens. Dante's
account of the occurrence is diflPerent, and possibly various versions of
it existed ; but it looks as if the Poet had given it a colouring of his
own, so as to make it appear miraculous, la valle, &c. : the abyss
of the Inferno, ' where there is never forgiveness.'
86,87. Crescendo: 'increasing in speed.' vilmente disfatto :
' hideously mutilated.'
88. molto : the time was eight years, for the date of Corso
Donati's death was Oct. 6, 1308.
91. ti rimani : in other words, ' I must leave thee.*
338
XXIV. 95-1 26] PURGATORIO
95-7. che cavalchi : ' which Is riding to meet the enemy.' del
primo intoppo : 'of being the first to engage the foe.' valchi :
'steps,' an archaic word.
98, 99. con esse i due : ' with those two only * ; for the use of
esso with con cp. Inf. xxxii. 62; Purg. iv. 27. maliscalchi :
' leaders,' lit. ' marshals ' ; Virgil and Statius are meant.
100-2. entrato : entrare innanzi is used for ' to pass on in front';
cp. Purg. iii. loi. 'And when he had passed on in front of us so
far, that my eyes went in pursuit of his person, as my mind did of
his words ' ; i. e. I was straining my eyes to keep him in view,
as my mind was straining after the meaning of what he had said.
105. Per esser, &c. : 'because I had only just then turned
(round the curve of the Cornice) in that direction.' laci : cp. //V/,
Purg. vii. 64.
no, III. per fare, &c. : 'in order to render their longing
exceedingly keen, he (il pregato) holds on high the object of their
desire.'
116. Legno : the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, which
grows in the Terrestrial Paradise on the summit of the Mountain
(piu su) ; cp. Purg. xxxii. 38.
119, 120. ristretti, &c. : 'drawing close together, we passed
onward on the side which rises,' i. e. on the side towards the
Mountain. They passed between the tree and the flank of the
Mountain, and the narrowness of the space forced them to draw
close together.
1 2 1-3. dicea : in like manner as the voice in the former tree
had recited the examples of temperance (Purg. xxii. 142 foil.), so
the voice in this tree proclaims the examples of gluttony. These
are (i) the Centaurs ; (2) the companions of Gideon — one from the
classics, the other from Scripture, maledetti : the Centaurs, who
were born of Ixion and the Cloud (Nei nuvoli formati), and whose
two natures, of man and horse, were joined at the breast (doppi
petti). When they were drunk with wine (satoUi) at the marriage
feast of Hippodamia and Pirithous, they strove to carry off the bride
and the other women, but were resisted and overcome by Theseus
and the Lapithae. The story is told in Ovid, Met. xii. 210 foil.,
which was Dante's authority, as we see from the epithet nuh'igenae
(1. 211), and the expression duo pectora (1. 377).
124-6. molli : *weak,' i.e. unrestrained. These were the
339 z a
PURGATORIO [xxiv. 127-54
people in Gideon's company who ' bowed down on their knees to
drink water/ in contrast with the three hundred who 'lapped, putting
their hand to their mouth ' ; in consequence of which Gideon ' sent
all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three
hundred men ' (Judges vii. 6, 8). non v' ebbe : read non ri ehhe ;
' had none of them in his company.' discese i colli : ' the camp
of Midian was beneath him in the valley,' v. 8.
127-9. ^^' ^^» ^^' • '^o 0^^ (^^^ inner) of the two edges' of
the Cornice; cp. 1. 120. vivagni : lit. 'selvages'; cp. Inf. xiv.
123. udendo, &c. : 'listening to examples of the sin of gluttony,
which were followed erewhile by a disastrous recompense ' ; ' ere-
while,' because they were stories of old days.
130-2. rallargati: 'once more at large' (Gary); this is in
contrast with ristretti of 1. 119. sola: from which the spirits
had departed. Contemplando ciascun : ' each of us rapt in
thought.'
135. poltre: 'sluggish'; cp. spoltrare^ 'to get rid of sluggish-
ness,' in Inf. xxiv. 46 : our word 'poltroon' is connected with this
(Skeat).
136. fossi: archaic form of 3 sing, imperf. subj., {ox fosse \ cp.
Inf. iv. 64, dicessi ; ix. 60, chiudessi.
139-41. un : the Angel of the sixth Cornice, dar volta : to
turn towards the entrance of the passage, per pace : to seek the
repose of the Blessed.
143, 144. mi volsi, &c. : ' I turned round and went behind my
instructors, like one who in walking guides himself by sounds ' (of
words or footsteps).
149, 150. la piuma : the Angel's wing. By the movement of
this the sixth P is obliterated from Dante's forehead, ambrosia :
i. e. heavenly dainties, in contrast to those which tempt human
appetite, orezza : ' breath,' ' fragrance ' ; der. from Lat. aura^
see note on Inf. xvii. 87. Dante appears here to have had in
his mind Virg. Georg. iv. 415, ' liquidum ambrosiae difFundit
odorem.'
1 5 1-4. Beati : the Beatitude for this Cornice is 'Blessed are
they that hunger for righteousness,' but it is adapted here, so as to
mean, ' Blessed are they who hunger in accordance with right,* i. e.
who observe the just mean in respect of diet. The part of this
Beatitude which refers to thirst has been already used in the fifth
340
XXV. i-i6] PURGATORIO
Cornice, non fuma : ' does not excite ' ; the transitions of meaning
through which this sense q,{ fumare is arrived at seem to be ' smoke/
'exhale,' 'excite.' Esuriendo : 'hungering for'; take with
r amor del gusto : the word is from the Lat. esurire, which
occurs in the Beatitude.
CANTO XXV
Argument. — As they mount the ascent Dante propounds the
question, How can disembodied spirits, which have no need of
nutriment, grow lean? At Virgil's request, Statius in answer to
this explains the origin and development of the body, and of both
the lower and the higher soul, in man. He further declares that
after death the formative power which resides in the soul impresses
itself on the air in such a manner as to reproduce the likeness of the
living man ; and the result is what is called a shade. This figure is
affected by impressions communicated through the desires and feelings ;
and thus it is that a spirit can grow lean by contemplating objects
which excite hunger. They now reach the seventh Cornice, where
the spirits of the lustful are purified in the fire.
Line i. Ora era onde, &c. : 'the hour was such that the
ascent did not admit of delay ' ; lit. ' it was an hour in consequence
of which (i. e. so advanced that) the ascent did not brook hindrance.'
2, 3. Che il sole, &c. : 'for the sun had left the meridian circle
to the Bull, and night (i. e. the point of midnight) to the Scorpion.'
The sun being now in Aries, the time when Taurus is on the
meridian of noon would be about 2 p.m. Scorpio is only mentioned
because it is the sign opposite Taurus, whence it is at this time on
the meridian of midnight.
7-9. callaia : ' opening,' ' passage' ; lit. ' a gap in a hedge.'
dispaia : ' forces to walk singly,' lit. ' uncouples.'
14, 15. venendo, &c. : 'arriving at last at the movement of the
lips which he makes who is preparing to speak.' For atto cp. Inf.
xxiii. 88, 'atto della gola'; and for s' argomenta Inf. xxii. 21.
16. Non lascio : ' did not forbear speaking ' ; cp. Purg. xiv. 55,
' Ne lascero di dir.' per 1' andar, &c. : ' owing to the swiftness of
341
•>
PURGATORIO [XXV. 17-108
our pace ' ; the subjunct. fosse shows that che is not a pronoun but
a conjunction ; it is not ' owing to our pace, which was swift/ but
* owing to our pace, that it was swift.' ratto : it will be remarked
that, as Dante had now only one P remaining on his forehead, he
makes no mention of fatigue, as he had done in the lower Cornices of
Purgatory.
17, 18. Scocca, &c. : the form of expression involves an
apparent confusion between the bow and the arrow ; ' let fly the bow
of speech, which thou hast drawn even to the head of the arrow.'
21. non tocca : ' does not affect the person.'
22-4. Meleagro : shortly after Meleager's birth the Fates
appeared, and declared that he would die as soon as a piece of wood
which was burning on the hearth should be consumed. His mother
Althaea, on hearing this, extinguished the brand and concealed it in
a chest. In consequence of this he wore a charmed life ; but at last,
when he had slain his mother's brothers, she in revenge lighted the
brand, and he died. The story is given in Ovid, Met. viii. 260 foil.
The point of the comparison is, that as Meleager was wasted away
by the secret working of the burning brand, so the spiritual body is
pined by the occult influence of the sight of food, agro : ' difficult,'
lit. 'sour'; cp. acerbe, Par. xxx. 79.
25—7. The point here is that, as the likeness in the mirror
follows the changes of the face reflected in it, so the shade is affected
by changes of feeling in the soul to which it belongs, vizzo':
'easy,' lit. 'flaccid,' 'yielding.'
28. per che : 'in order that you may master (lit. be at your ease
in) the heart of the subject (dentro) according to your wishes.'
31, 32. la veduta eterna : 'the eternal view' is the aspect of
the matter as it appears to God. As Statius represents philosophy
enlightened by Christianity, Virgil, being a heathen, rightly deputes
him to deal with such a subject, dislego : 'explain,' lit. 'untie.'
dove tu sie : ' in thy (Virgil's) presence.'
36. al come, &c. : 'the "how" that thou sayest'='thy
question ' ; see 1. 20.
37-108. In order to answer the question, ' How can one grow
lean there, where there is no need of nourishment (i. e. where the
persons affected are spirits) ? ' Statius explains first the theory of the
formation of the body with the vegetative and sensitive soul (11. 37-
60) J next the infusion into this of the rational soul (11. 61-78);
342
XXV. 37-45] PURGATORIO
then the mode of existence of the soul, after it is separated from the
body by death (11. 79-87) ; and finally, the formation of the ' shade '
and its nature (II. 88-108). The account of the origin and develop-
ment of the human body and soul which is here given, is due in the
first instance to Aristotle, who discussed the subject in his De
Generatione Animalium^ i. 19, &c. (see the passages in Butler's
Translation of the Purgatorio, p. 319); his view was aftei*wards
elaborated and interpreted by Aquinas in his Summa, i. Q. 118, 119 ;
and Dante, who follows these authorities, has treated of the question
in Conv. iv. 21. 11. 32 foil.
37-9. Sangue, &c. : 'perfect (i.e. highly refined) blood, which
in no case is drawn from the thirsty veins, and which remains behind,
like food that you remove from table.' By ' perfect blood ' is meant
the semen, che mai, &c. : this remark is inserted to exclude the
idea, which Aquinas condemns as erroneous, that the semen is an
excretion of the blood which passes through the veins, assetate :
* thirsty,' because the veins are continually supplying the nutriment
to the limbs, and consequently require to be replenished. si
rimane : this is the origin of the semen, which is that part of the
digested food which remains, after the rest has been carried off
through the veins, alimento, &c. : the remains of a meal, which
is cleared away after the guests (i. e. here the veins) are satisfied.
leve : archaic for levi.
* 40-2. Prende, &c. : 'receives in the heart informing power for
all the members of the human body, just like the other blood which
takes its course through the veins in order to be converted into those
members ' ; i. e. just as the ordinary blood supports the parts of the
body in the grown man, so the ' perfect blood ' after passing through
the heart possesses the power of forming the various members in
the embryo, nel core : the heart, according to Aristotle, is the
source of life in the embryo, Z)e Gen. Animal, ii. 4. 15, oipxi 7^P
Trj<s cfiV(T€iD<s 7] Kaphia. vane : for se ne va.
43-5. Ancor, &c. : ' after the second process of digestion it
descends to the part of which it is more becoming to keep silence
than to speak, and afterwards it drops thence upon another's blood
in the natural receptacle,' i. e. the matrix. Ancor digesto : the
first process of digestion is the ordinary one of food, the second
that which takes place in the heart, geme: for the meaning 'drops'
cp. Inf. xiii. 41.
343
PURGATORIO [xxv. 46-61
46-8. Ivi, &c. : ' there the one blood and the other mingle ; —
the one (that of the female) appointed to be passive, the other (that
of the male) to be active owing to the perfect place (the heart) from
which it proceeds.' Per lo, &c. : this refers to 1* altro a fare
only. Aristotle distinctly maintains that the female does not con-
tribute semen; Z)e Gen. Animal, i. 19. 155 to OtjXv ov o-u/x^aXAcrat
cnripixa els rrjv yivediv.
49—51. E giunto lui, &c. : this, as far as the construction is
concerned, is continued from 1. 45, the intermediate lines forming
a parenthesis. ' And being united with it (i. e. with the blood of
the female) it commences to operate, first by amalgamating with it,
and afterwards it vivifies that to which it gave consistency that it
might serve as the material for it to work upon.'
52-7. These lines describe the formation of the sensitive soul,
as the part of the argument which precedes describes that of the
vegetative soul. ' The active power (i. e. that which proceeds from
the male) having become a soul (i. e. a vegetative soul), like that
of a plant — only differing from it in this, that the soul in the human
embryo is in an elementary stage (lit. in progress), while the life of
the plant has reached its ultimate development (riva, its destina-
tion) — thereafter works so much that it now moves and feels, like
a zoophyte (which has a sensitive soul, but in the lowest stage of
development) ; and, as the next stage, it takes in hand to provide
with organs the faculties which spring from it (lit. of which it is
the seed).' organar : for the meaning cp. 1. loi. le posse:
the faculties of seeing, hearing, &c.
58-60. Or si spiega, &c. : ' at this point, my son, is expanded
and developed the power which proceeds from the heart of the
begetter, in which nature is intent on forming all the members.*
ove, &c. : the statement here is a repetition of that in 11. 40, 41.
61. fante : ' a child,' and by inference ' a rational being.' Fante^
fantol'ino are used elsewhere in Dante for 'infant,' 'young child';
cp. Par. xxxiii. 107 ; Purg. xxiv. 108 : they are abbreviated from
infante. This is corroborated by the fact that fanti in the sense
of 'foot-soldiers' — which is found both in Dante and Villani, and
therefore at an early period of the language, and which originally
signified ' young men attendant on knights ' (see Skeat, Etym. Dict.^
s. v. 'Infantry') — is abbreviated from infanti. In the present
passage yiz«/f is taken by most commentators as meaning 'one gifted
344
XXV. 63-71] PURGATORIO
with speech ' (from Lat. far'i), and by inference ' one who has
reason ' ; but no other instance ol fante in the sense of ' a speaking
being ' seems to be found in Italian.
63. piu savio di te : Averroes is meant, who deals with this
subject in his Commentary on Aristotle (the gran comento of Inf. iv.
144). Dante however, like Aquinas whom he is here following,
misunderstood Averroes, for the view which is here attributed to
him with regard to the intellecius possihUis, was really held by him
concerning the intellectus agens. For the explanation of these terms
see next note.
64-6. Si che, &c. : 'so that in his teaching he separated from
the soul the "possible intellect," because he did not see any organ
appropriated by it ' ; i. e. he found that every function of the soul
has its corresponding organ — eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, &c. —
but there was no organ corresponding to the higher soul at large ;
hence he concluded that the rational element in man does not form
part of the individual soul, but belongs to the universal intellect,
which is one and indivisible for all men. From this it would follow
that there would be no separate personal existence after death, il
possibile intelletto : the ' possible intellect ' is the Scholastic name
for the higher intellectual power in man, which deals with abstract
ideas ; the ' active intellect ' gathers the abstract ideas from sensible
objects, and communicates them to the 'possible intellect.' Ac-
cording to Averroes the element in men, which exists independently
of them and is indivisible, though they partake of it, is the ' active
intellect'; see Renan, Averroes et I' A'verro'isme^ p. 123.
67. Apri, &c. : Statius here proceeds to expound the origin of
the rational soul, on which subject two views existed in the middle
ages, viz. (i) Creationism, which maintained that this element in
every case came direct from God; (2) Traducianism, which regarded
it as being inherited from the parent. Statius adheres to the former,
which was that of Aquinas.
68, 69. feto : t\iQ fetus is the young when perfectly formed in
the womb ; before that it is the embryo. L* articular ; by ' arti-
culation ' is meant the organization of the parts.
70, 71. Lo Motor primo : God, who is here represented as
rejoicing (lieto) in the work of creation ; cp. Purg. xvi. 89, ' lieto
fattore.' arte : ' display of skill,' viz. the art or skill of nature
shown in the structure oi tht fetus.
345
PURGATORIO [XXV. 73-84
73, 74. Che cio, &c. : the rational soul, which is infused by the
Creator, appropriates to itself the active element, which it finds in
the fetus^ i. e. the vegetative and sensitive soul, sola : this word
provides against the view that there can be more than one soul in
man ; this opinion has been noticed in Purg. iv. 5, 6.
75. se in se rigira: 'turns itself in upon itself,* i.e. is con-
scious of its own existence, which power distinguishes the rational
being from all other animals. These words explain the function
of the higher part of the soul, as distinguished from that which vive
e sente.
77, 78. Guarda, &c. : as the heat of the sun passes into the
juice of the grape and forms wine, so the rational soul, which
proceeds from God, entering into the vegetative and sensitive soul,
forms the perfect human soul, cola : 'percolates,' ' distils.'
79. E quando, &c. : ' and when the thread of life has run out * ;
for Lachesis see note on Purg. xxi. 27. Statius here proceeds to
describe what happens to the soul after death, and how it forms
a ' shade,' the appearance of which can be affected by external
objects, such as those which excite hunger; he thus solves the
difficulty which Dante had originally suggested. The reason why
Dante elaborated the theory of the formation of the ' shade ' or
aerial body which he here describes probably is, that for the purpose
of his poem it was necessary to represent the souls as visible and
capable of being recognized, just as the twilight of the Inferno was
indispensable for the exigences of his treatment of that part of his
subject. His views on this point are at variance with those of
Aquinas, who says 'anima separata a corpore non habet aliquod
corpus' (Summa, iii. Suppl. Q. 69, Art. i).
80-4. Solvesi, &c. : ' the soul separates from the flesh, and
carries with it potentially (in virtute) both its human and its divine
element.* The human element is the powers of the vegetative and
sensitive soul, the divine element those of the rational soul ; and
' potentially ' is added, because the former set of powers — L' altre
potenze of 1. 82 — are inoperative (mute) ; that is to say, the
powers which depend on the body exist in the soul after death, but
cannot act without the body, in virtute : Aquinas {Summa^ i. Q.
77, Art. 8) says of the powers of the vegetative and sensitive soul
after death — 'virtute tantum manent in anima'; the expression is
equivalent to tlie Scholastic term virtualiter, which, like ' virtually '
346
xxv. 86-108] PURGATORIO
in Engl., is opposed to * actually.* L' altre potenze : this is
governed by porta seco, and represents 1' umano, while Memoria,
intelligenza, e voluntade stand for il divino. in atto, &c. :
*far more keen in their working than before,' since they are no
longer impeded by the burden of the flesh.
86, 87. air una, &c. : the lost souls to the shore of the
Acheron (Inf. iii. 71), those destined for Purgatory to the shore at
the mouth of the Tiber (Purg. ii. 100-5). 1® sue strade : the
direction it is to take, whether to Hell or Purgatory.
88-90. Tosto che, &c. : ' as soon as it is circumscribed there
by place,' i. e. has reached a definite spot, one of the two rive.
la virtii formativa : this ' formative power ' works in the same
way as the virtute informatiiia of 1. 41, but is not the same with it,
for that belongs to the vegetative soul, which is now inoperative.
raggia intorno : 'radiates (i.e. disperses its influence) around.'
Cosl, &c. : ' in the same manner and the same measure as it did in
the limbs during life.'
92. Per r altrui, &c. : * owing to another's (the sun's) ray
which is refracted in it (the air).*
94-6. Cosi r aer, &c. : ' so here the neighbouring air takes the
form which the soul that alighted there impresses on it by its innate
power.' The formation of the 'shade' or aerial body by the
influence of the formative power of the soul on the neighbouring
air is compared in the simile to the colouring of the atmosphere by
the sun's rays when a rainbow is formed. Virtualmente refers to
the virtu formativa of 1. 89.
100-2. Perocche, &c. : 'the soul, inasmuch as it afterwards
becomes visible (lit. has its visibility) by means of this aerial body,
is called a shade.* The stress of the sentence is not so much on
quindi as on ha sua paruta. The point which is in common
between the soul seen in this aerial form and a shadow is, that both
are visible and both are impalpable. Hence the name of ' shade '
came to be used, as it was by the ancients, for this condition of the
soul, organa, &c. : ' it provides organs for every sense, even in-
cluding sight' ; for the meaning of organa cp. 1. 57.
106-8. affiggono : 'impress'; the other uses of this verb —
e. g. / piedi ajissi, Inf. xviii. 43 ; j* ajisse, ' stopped,' Inf. xii.
115 — suggest that it is from the Lat. affigere. si figura : ' shapes
itself,* i. e. takes this or that aspect, di che tu ammiri : ' of that
347
PURGATORIO [xxv. 109-32
which causes thy wonder,* viz. the shades in this Cornice appealing
wasted with hunger.
109 foil. E gia : in the seventh Cornice, which is now reached,
(i) the sin expiated is lust; (2) the punishment is passing through
the fire ; ( 3) the examples of the virtue of chastity are the Blessed
Virgin and Diana ; (4) the examples of the vice are Sodom and
Gomorrah, and Pasiphae ; (5) the manner of their presentation is
by the voices of spirits in the fire ; (6) the passage from a Church
Office is Summae Deus clementiae; (7) the Beatitude pronounced is
Beaii mundo corde.
109. ultima tortura : the last turn or winding of the ascent;
such windings are described in Purg. x. 7-9.
III. cura : 'source of anxiety'; this is explained by what
follows.
1 1 2-4. Quivi, &c. : the meaning is : — flames burst out from
the wall of rock, and a wind blows upward from the edge of the
Cornice, which wind turns back the flame, and removes it to a
distance from the edge. In this way a passage clear of the flames
was formed along the edge. The fire here corresponds symbolically
to the burning passion of lust.
119, 120. tenere, &c. : 'to curb the eyes tightly,' i.e. to
prevent them from wandering to either side, per poco : ' easily.'
121. Summae, &c. : this is the first line of the Matins hymn
for Saturday. In modern Breviaries it appears as ' Summae Parens
clementiae,' but in Dante's time the form in use was that which he
has given here ; see Moore, Studies^ i. p. 38. The following verses
of this hymn are specially suitable to those who are punished in this
Cornice:- — 'Nostros pius cum canticis Fletus benigne suscipe, Ut
corde puro sordium Te perfruamur largius. Lumbos iecurque
morbidum Flammis adure congruis: Accincti ut artus excubent
Luxu remoto pessimo.'
123. Che di volger, &c. : 'which caused me to be not less
anxious to turn towards the sound than to keep my eyes on the path.'
128. Virum, &c. : this is the first example of chastity, viz. the
Blessed Virgin, who said to the Angel, ' How shall this be, seeing
I know not a man ? ' Luke i. 34.
130-2. Al bosco, &c. : the second example, which is from the
classics, is that of the chaste indignation of Diana against Helice ;
' Diana stayed in the wood, and expelled Helice from it.' Helice
348
XXV. 134— XXVI. 6] PURGATORIO
or Callisto, one of the attendant nymphs of Diana, was seduced by
Jupiter ; and having been discovered by Diana in a wood to which
the goddess and her companions had retired to bathe, and her
unchastity having been revealed, she was banished by her from
her company. Dante took the story from Ovid, Met. ii. 401 foil.,
where 'nemus gelidum' (1. 455) corresponds to bosco, and 'I
procul hinc, dixit' (1. 464) to Elice caccionne. As to si tenne —
it is implied by Ovid that Diana kept within the wood, and this is
interpreted by Dante as being a proof of her modesty and chastity.
134, 135. Gridavano : 'they proclaimed the names of.' im-
ponne : for ne impone^ ' enjoins upon us.'
136. questo modo : the alternation of the hymn and the
examples.
138, 139. Con tal, &c. : 'by such treatment and by such diet
must the wound (of sin) at last be closed (lit. sewn up).' The
treatment is the fiery purgation, the diet the hymn and the examples.
For dassezzo cp. Inf. vii. 130.
CANTO XXVI
Argument. — Dante and his companions, as they proceed along
the Cornice, keep close to the outer edge, the remaining part being
covered by the flames. The spirits in the fire discover that Dante
is a living man from the shadow which he casts ; and one of them
questions him concerning this. When Dante perceives that the
speaker is Guido Guinicelli, he expresses profound admiration for
his verses; but Guido points out to him another shade, whom he
considers to be superior to all his contemporaries as a writer of
lyrics. This is Arnaut Daniel, the Proven9al poet, with whom
Dante afterwards converses.
Line 3. giovi, &c. : ' profit by my warnings,' lit. ' let it profit
thee that I call thy attention.'
4-6. Feriami, &c. : the time is apparently about 4 or 5 p.m.,
since the sun is getting low in the west. This is indicated by two
circumstances ; (i) the blue of the western sky is turned pale by his
349
PURGATORIO [XXVI. 7-36
light ; and (2) his rays strike Dante on the shoulder, which indicates
a low altitude; see Moore, Time-Ref.^ p. 108. Mutava, «fec. :
' was turning all the western sky from a blue to a white hue,' lit.
' into a white tint from being blue.'
7-9. pill rovente : the red hue of fire is deepened when seen in
shade, pure a tanto indizio . . . poner mente : ' notice merely
so slight a token ' of my being more than a shade.
II, 12. cominciarsi, &c. : 'they began to say to one another,
"that does not look like an unreal body." ' By fittizio the aerial
body of the shades is intended.
14, 15. con riguardo, &c. : they were anxious not to delay
their purification even for a moment.
16-8. O tu : the speaker here is Guido Guinicelli. sete : i. e.
the desire to know Dante's condition ; cp. the use of the word in
I. 20.
21. fredda Indo : the metrical hiatus between these words is
exceptional. Etiopo : the geographical authorities whom Dante
followed placed the Ethiopians in the extreme south of Africa, and
therefore, according to them, in the Tropics ; cp. Oros. i. 2. 88 ;
Brun. Lat. Tesoro, Bk. iii. Ch. 4.
25, 26. fora, &c. : ' I should have revealed myself ; fora is
for sarei, manifesto for manifestato.
29. Venia gente, &c. : the first of these two bands is composed
of the incontinent who have not violated the laws of nature, the
second of those who have done so ; this distinction is explained in
II. 76-87.
31, 32. farsi presta: 'hasten.' baciarsi : the kiss of
brotherly love in Purgatory takes the place of the kiss of sensual
indulgence in the former life.
34-6. Cosi, &c. : in this simile of -the ants Dante is thought
to have borrowed his information from a passage in Pliny's Natural
History (xi. 109, iio), where the habit of that insect which is
here mentioned is described in a veiy similar manner. Dante,
however, does not elsewhere betray any knowledge of Pliny's work,
though he mentions him among famous prose writers (see Moore,
Studies, i. p. 7). It seems more probable that the remarks which
he introduces here are the result of personal observation. Any one
who watches two lines of ants meeting, and notices how they nose
one another in passing, will understand what he means by his simile.
350
XXVI. 37-6o] PURGATORIO
Forse, &c. : ' perchance to inquire about their road and the prospects
of their journey.'
37-9. Tosto che, &c. : 'soon as they break off the friendly
greeting, and ere they move a footstep from their meeting-place/ lit.
' before the first footstep passes on there.' Sopragridar : ' to
outcry (cry louder than) the other.'
40-2. The examples of the vice, two in number, are here recited
by the spirits ; the former of them, which is taken from Scripture,
is that of Sodom and Gomorrah ; the latter, which is taken from
the classics, that of Pasiphae. Soddoma : Gen. xix. 5. Pasife :
Pasiphae, in order to have intercourse with a bull, entered the figure
of a wooden cow, the ' falsa vacca '* of Inf. xii. 13: cp. Virg. Aen.
vi. 24, 25 ; Ov. Ars Amat. i. 325. Pasiphae represents the brutish-
ness of unrestrained indulgence ; see note on 1. 83.
43-5. Rife : the Rhipaean mountains were an imaginary chain of
mountains in northern Europe, in the existence of which, however,
both the Greeks and the Romans believed. Among Dante's
geographical authorities they are mentioned by Solinus, xvii. i,
by Orosius, i. 2. 52, and by Isidore, Ortg. xiv. 8, who says,
' Riphaei montes in capite Germaniae sunt, a perpetuo ventorum
flatu nominati (ptc^yy).' Volasser : ' might fly.' The mood shows
that the description of the flight of the cranes is hypothetical, and
this lessens the difficulty involved in the Poet's seeming to describe
flights of cranes going northwards and southwards at the same
season, whereas they fly in one direction in spring, in the other
direction in autumn. That the same season is not intended is clear
from 1. 45 ; but some awkwardness remains, for the point of the
passage is the two bands separating, and this is accentuated by
parte . . . parte. V arene : the parched country of the south.
47, 48. primi canti : the hymn mentioned in Purg. xxv. 121,
while il gridar is the recitation of the examples, ih'id. 11. 128-32.
che piii, &c. : ' which suits best their particular case.'
52. lor grato : 'their desire,' lit. 'that which was pleasing
to them.'
55. acerbe: from meaning 'unripe' (Purg. xi. 117) acerho
comes to mean ' in an early stage ' ; hence acerbe ne mature
signifies ' neither in youth nor in age.'
58-60. per non, &c. : that my eyes may be enlightened by the
sights of the spiritual world. Donna : the Blessed Virgin ; cp.
351
PURGATORIO [xxvi. 61-84
Inf. ii. 94. ne : ' for us,' i. e. for men in general, il mortal :
cp. 'this mortal' of i Cor. xv. 53 (Engl. Trans.).
61-3. se, &c. : 'so may your highest longing (the desire of the
higher life) soon be satisfied.' piu ampio, &c. : ' extends most
amply.' The heaven here meant is the Empyrean, where all the
souls of the Blessed abide, though they revealed themselves to Dante
in the lower spheres; see Par. iv. 28 foil, and note there. This
heaven encircles all the other heavens.
64. acciocche, &c. : 'that hereafter I may commit your answer
to writing ' ; lit. ' may mark paper with it.' Since among the spirits
in Purgatory there was no desire to be remembered on earth, as
there was among those in Hell, the appeal here must be to their
desire to obtain the prayers of the living on their behalf.
72. s* attuta : 'is quieted' ; the word is probably derived from
Lat. tutus.
73. marche : 'marches,' 'domains'; cp. Purg. xix. 45.
76-8. La gente: this is the band composed of those who in
their incontinency had violated the laws of nature. Di cio, &c. :
Dante appears to have here combined two stories which are told by
Suetonius {Vita lul. Caes. c. 49) with regard to Caesar's youthful
debaucheries with Nicomedes king of Bithynia — one to the effect
that his soldiers on the occasion of a triumph sang a ribald song
about them, the other that on another occasion a person named
Octavius addressed him as 'Queen.' Dante's authority, however,
was probably not Suetonius, with whose writings he appears not
to have been acquainted, but Uguccione da Pisa, in whose Magnae
Derivationes the incident is narrated in the same manner as in Dante,
the two original stories being similarly amalgamated. See Toynbee,
Diet.., p. 149.
81. aiutan, &c. : the meaning is, that the sense of shame by its
moral influence acts coincidently with the physical punishment in
producing the purgatorial purification.
82-4. ermafrodito : the mythical figure Hermaphroditus, being
a compound of both sexes, is taken by Dante as a type of unlimited
indulgence in sensuality between the two sexes ; hence the use of
the adjective ' hermaphrodite ' here, umana legge : the law of
reason and conscience, which assigns the due limits to such inter-
course, whereas animals are led by appetite only. This passage
has sometimes been interpreted as referring to the baser form of
352
XXVI. 85-98] PURGATORIO
unnatural crime, viz. intercourse with the lower animals ; but it is
to be observed that in the corresponding part of the Inferno (Cantos
XV, XVI) this vice is not mentioned. This being so, it would
be strange to find it introduced in Purgatory, especially in the
cases of men like Guido Guinicelli and Arnaut Daniel, for whom
Dante had so great respect.
85-7. si legge; 'is recited.' schegge : the planks which
formed Pasiphae's wooden cow.
90. Tempo, &c. : ' it is not a fitting time to tell their names,'
because the sun is getting low. non saprei : i. e. non saprei dire,,
* I could not tell them, because they are so numerous that I do not
know them all.'
91. Farotti, &c. : 'I will satisfy in sooth (ben for hensi) thy
desire of knowing me ' : the construction is, ti faro scemo di voler
saper ch'i sono to,, lit. ' I will make thee void of the wish to know
who I am ' ; cp. 'ouo'i saper ch'i semo in 1. 89.
92. 93. Guido: Guido Guinicelli of Bologna, the best of the
Italian poets before Dante, and the originator of the 'dolce stil
nuovo' (on which see Purg. xxiv. 55-7 and note); born circ.
1230 ; from the present passage we learn that he died before 1300,
the date of Dante's Vision. He is referred to also in Purg. xi. 97.
e gi^, &c. : ' and I am already purging myself (without having to
delay in the Ante-Purgator)') because I fully repented before arriving
at the end of my life ' ; i. e. he had not deferred his repentance, like
the Negligent.
94, 95. Quali, &c. : when Hypsipyle was about to be put to
death by Lycurgus king of Nemea, who believed that she had
caused by her negligence the death of his son Opheltes (la tristizia
di Licurgo), she was recognized and saved by her two sons, Euneus
and Thoas. Statins {lloeb. v. 720-2) says of the recognition —
' per tela manusque Irruerunt, matremque avidis complexibus ambo
Diripiunt flentes.' It is to this that Dante compares the impetuosity of
his feelings on finding himself in the presence of Guido Guinicelli.
96. non a tanto, &c. : ' I do not rise to such a height of
feeling,' i. e. 'I am not so carried away,' for fear of the flames ;
cp. 1. I02.
98. miei miglior : ' my masters ' ; notwithstanding the unusual
self-depreciation on Dante's part which this involves, this seems to
be the right rendering.
TozER 353 A a
PURGATORIO [xxvi. 105-23
105. r aflFermar: 'the form of assurance/ viz. an oath; cp.
giuraro, 1. 109.
106-8. Tu lasci, &c. : 'thou art leaving so marked and clear
an imprint on my memory by reason of the words I hear, that the
waters of Lethe cannot obliterate or obscure it.' The impression
of which Guido speaks is Dante's declaration in 11. 55-60 that he
is still in the body, and his explanation of the object of his journey.
112— 4. detti; 'lays.' vostri : Dante here uses the dignified
vostri for tuoi, as addressing his master ; just as he uses voi fgr tu
in addressing Brunetto Latini in Inf. xv. 30 : see note on Purg.
xxxiii. 92. r USD moderno : the use of the vulgar tongue in
writing of Love, i lore inchiostri : ' the very ink with which
they were written.'
1 15-7. questi: Arnaut Daniel, the Provenfal poet of the latter
half of Cent, xii., who, like Giraut de Borneuil mentioned below,
is often referred to by Dante in the De Vulg. Eloq. It was from
him that Dante got the sestina; cp. De V. EL ii. 10. 11. 24-8.
Fu miglior, &c. : ' was a better craftsman of his mother tongue,'
i. e. of the Provencal dialect.
1 18, 1 19. Versi, &c. : the meaning is : — ' he surpassed in literary
skill all writers of his time, whether they composed in verse or in
prose ' ; and this is equivalent to saying that he was superior to all
Provenfal and all French writers, for Dante tells us in the De Vulg.
Eloq. (i. 10. 11. 12—20) that everything in vernacular prose was
written in the langue cPo'i'l, i. e. French. The expressions Versi d*
amore and prose di romanze are used to signify writers in those
two forms of composition. At first sight, indeed, the words seem
to imply that he surpassed all other writers in romances in prose ;
but Dante cannot have meant this, for Arnaut Daniel never wrote
any prose romances. The high estimate of his poetry which is here
given was shared by Petrarch (cp. Trionfo (V Amore^ iv. 40-2), but
modern writers take a different view. See Toynbee, Z)/V/., pp. 50, 51.
.120. quel di Lemosl : Giraut de Borneuil of Limoges, a con-
temporary of Arnaut Daniel. He introduced into the Proven9al
lyrical poetry a more popular element, and this may have been the
reason why Dante did not appreciate him. The general opinion has
been that he is superior to Arnaut Daniel.
1 2 1-3. voce: 'a popular cry.' Prima, &c. : 'before the
principles of art or right judgement get a hearing from them.'
354
XXVI. 12^471 PURGATORIO
2f-47]
124-6. Guittone : Guittone d' Arezzo ; see Purg. xxiv. 56
and note, and cp. De Vulg. Eloq. ii. 6. 11. 85-9, where Dante again
depreciates Guittone. Di grido, &c. : ' passing on in loud tones
from mouth to mouth his praise and his only (pur lui), until in
most men's minds the truth has mastered him ' ; i. e. until a true
judgement has declared against him.
128. chiostro : Paradise.
131. Quanto, &c. : i. e. omitting the last petition, ' Lead us not
into temptation,' ^c, which is not applicable to those in Purgatory;
cp. Purg. xi. 22-4.
1335 134' P^r ^^^» <^c.: 'to make room for others who chanced
to be near him,' lit. ' according as (secondo Che) he had them near.'
If a comma is read after secondo, that word should be taken with
loco ; but in any case altrui cannot refer to Arnaut, because he is
said to have been in front, 11. 116, 136.
136-8. lo mi feci, &c. : ' I advanced a little towards the person
designated'; cp. 11. 115, 116. E dissi, &c. : 'and I said that my
desire of knowing him prepared me beforehand to welcome his
name.'
139. liberamente : 'frankly,' i.e. without waiting for further
solicitation.
140-7. Tan m' abelis, &c. : these lines, in which Arnaut
Daniel addresses Dante, are in the Proven9al language. The
following is Longfellow's literal verse translation of them, altered in
some points so as to suit the Oxford Text. ' So pleases me your
courteous demand, I cannot and I will not hide me from you. I am
Arnaut, who weep and singing go ; Contrite I see the folly of the
past, and blissful see the hoped-for joy before me. Now do I
supplicate you, by that power Which guides you to the summit of
the stairs. Be mindful in due season of my pain.' Consiros : lit.
' thoughtful,' connected with Lat. consider are. iauzen : Lat.
gaudens. A^a = ora. Sovenha vos, &c. : i. e. pray when the
occasion offers that my time in Purgatory may be shortened.
355 A a 2
PURGATORIO [xxvii. 1-5
CANTO XXVII
Argument. — The angel who presides over this Cornice announces
to Dante that in order to advance further he must pass through the
fire ; and the fear by which he Is seized in consequence of this Is
only overcome by Virgil's reminding him that on the farther side
he will behold Beatrice. On emerging from the flames they are
directed by another angel to the last of the stairways on the
Mountain ; and here, as night is approaching, they make for them-
selves a resting-place until the morning. Dante now dreams a dream,
In which his meeting with Matelda and Beatrice in the Terrestrial
Paradise is foreshadowed. At daybreak they continue the ascent,
and when they have reached the summit of the stairs Virgil formally
declares that his office as Dante's guide and instructor is at an end.
Lines 1-5. Si come, &c. : the general meaning is: — 'the
position of the sun as seen from the Mountain of Purgatory cor-
responded to (Si stava il sole . . . come) sunrise at Jerusalem,
midnight in Spain, and noon on the Ganges.' In the notes to Purg.
ii. 1-9 and iv. 138 it is pointed out that according to Dante the
Mountain of Purgatory was the antipodes of Jerusalem, and the
habitable world extended over half the circumference of the globe
from E. to W., the extreme limits being respectively the mouth of
the Ganges and Spain. Here we are told that the sun is rising at
Jerusalem, and It is midnight on the Ebro in Spain, and midday
on the Ganges ; consequently It Is sunset in Purgatory. Sunset
here Is spoken of approximately, for the actual disappearance of
the sun is not mentioned until 1. 61. vibra : 'scatters.' hk: at
Jerusalem. Cadendo : the English equivalent, when the position
of a place relatively to the heavenly bodies is spoken of, is ' lying.'
Ibero : the Ebro, Seville, Gades, the Straits, and Morocco are used
indiscriminately to represent the western limit of the wq^ld. 1' alta
Libra : ' Libra on high,' I. e. on the meridian. As the sun was
now in Aries, it being the vernal equinox, the middle point of night,
which was directly opposite to the sun, was In Libra, the constella-
tion opposite to Aries ; cp. Purg. Ii. 4, 5. Thus to say that the
Ebro was under Libra Is equivalent to saying that it was midnight in
Spain, nona : ' noon.' Skeat remarks {Etym. Did., s. v. ' Noon ')
that * noon ' meant originally the ninth hour of the day, or 3 p.m.,
356
XXVII. 6-2g] PURGATORIO
but afterwards the time of the Church service called nones was altered,
and the term came to be applied to midday. In ordinary Italian
nona is only used for ' nones/ riarse ; an absolute participle,
corresponding to cadendo, ' the waves of the Ganges being heated
by the noon-tide.' Translate the whole passage thus: — 'As when
the sun scatters its first rays at the place where its Creator shed his
blood, while the Ebro lies beneath Libra on high, and the waves of
the Ganges are heated by the noon-tide, such was its position now.'
6. r Angel di Dio : the angel here resembles the former ones
in saying the Beatitude, but differs from them in not being stationed
at the foot of the next stairway. His office is to guard the Cornice,
while the angel at the stairway is the guardian of the approach to
the Terrestrial Paradise (cp. 11. 58-60). It is also to be remarked
that neither of these angels removes the last P from Dante's forehead ;
and it has been suggested that this takes place when he passes through
the fire.
8. Beati, &c. : ' blessed are the pure in heart ' ; this is the
Beatitude for those who have expiated the sin of Lust.
10-2. se pria, &c. : 'without first feeling the burning (lit. grip)
of the fire.* It is to be observed that Dante passes through the fire
unavoidably ; therefore nothing can be deduced from it concerning
his having committed the sin expiated in this Cornice, di 1^ : on
the further side of the flames. The ' chant ' was that of the angel,
which is mentioned in I. 58. They are bidden to give ear to this,
because its sound was to guide them through the fire.
15. fossa : ' pit,' referring to the punishment of malefactors who
were set head downwards in the earth ; cp. Inf. xix. 50.
16-8. In sulle man, &c. : the description of the attitude of fear
is very vivid. Dante clasps his hands, and bends forward over them,
peering at the flames, gih veduti : ' which I erewhile had seen.'
Burning was a mode of punishment at Florence at this period, and
Dante himself had been condemned to be burnt alive at the time of
his banishment.
23. esso : this pronoun, when placed between a prep, and its case,
gives precision and is indeclinable ; cp. Purg. xxxi. 96, ' Sopr' esso V
acqua'; Inf. xxxiv. 41 and note. Gerion : cp. Inf. xvii. 81 foil.
29, 30. fatti far, &c. : 'put it to the test thyself with thy own
hands on the hem of thy garments.' Dante is here adapting the
phrase 'far la credenza,' which was used of 'tasters,' who secured
357
PURGATORIO [xxvii. ^^-y^
their masters against poisoned food : see the instances in Vocah.
Tramater.
33. Ed io pur, &c. : *and, notwithstanding, I stood immovable.'
37-9. Tisbe : the Babylonian lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, were
wont to meet under a mulberry tree ; and one day Pyramus found
Thisbe's veil on this spot covered with blood, and thinking that
she had been killed slew himself. When Thisbe appeared, and
addressing her lover assured him that she was his Thisbe, he looked
up at her and then died. Thisbe then took her own life. In
consequence of this, in accordance with Thisbe's dying prayer, the
colour of the fruit of the mulberry changed from white to dark.
Cp. Ov. Met. iv. 145, 146, * Ad nomen Thisbes oculos iam morte
gravatos Pyramus erexit, visaque recondidit ilia ' : — Thisbe says to
the tree — 1. 160, ' Signa tene caedis, pullosque et luctibus aptos
Semper habe foetus, gemini monumenta cruoris ' : — finally we are
told that her prayer was heard — 1. 165, 'Nam color in pomo est,
ubi permaturuit, ater.*
48. per lunga strada : i. e. while we had been traversing a
length of road.
57. la dove, &c. : at the point where the ascent of the final
passage commenced.
58. Venite, &c. : Matt. xxv. 34 ; the words are uttered by the
Angel who guards the approach to the Terrestrial Paradise.
62. studiate il passo : 'hasten your steps.'
64-6. Dritta : not winding, like the previous ones. tal
parte : the east, because the sun, which was nearly setting, threw
Dante's shadow in front of him as he faced the Mountain. Thus
Dante emerges from the last Cornice on the western side of the
Mountain after having started from the eastern side.
67-9. levammo i saggi : 'we made trial.' il sol corcar ;
this marks the end of the third day on the Mountain of Purgatory,
and the second spent in Purgatory proper ; it was Easter Tuesday.
r ombra, &c. : ' my shadow which had disappeared.'
70-2. pria che, &c. : the meaning is : — before the daylight and
the tints of sunset had faded out of the sky. For the omission of
the article before orizzonte cp. Par. xiv. 69 ; see also ahisso in
Purg. i. 46. dispense: lit. 'distributions'; ' ere night had spread
through all its wide domain.'
74, 75. la natura, &c. : cp. Purg. vii. 49-57. aflfranse :
358
XXVII. 76-IOO] PURGATORIO
'broke down,' 'exhausted.' il diletto : 'the pleasure ' ; by this is
meant, not the pleasure of mountain climbing for its own sake, but
that of ascending. That Dante had some experience of mountains
is suggested by his descriptions of the wide spaces of sky as seen
from the mountain side (1. 70), of camping out on the rocks (I. 73),
and of the increased size and brightness of the stars (1. 90). See
also the note on Inf. xxiv. 19.
76-87. In the two similes which follow the position of the three
companions is described, first from the point of view of Dante, and
next from that of Virgil and Statius.
80, 81. in sulla verga, &c. : 'leans on his staff, and tends
them as he leans.' Instead of lor poggiato serve, Witte and
others read lor di posa serve^ i. e. ' ministers repose to them ' ; but
the repetition of the word poggiato is quite in Dante's manner ;
see note on Inf. xiii. 25.
87. Fasciati, &c. : 'begirt on either hand by lofty rocks.'
88, 89. del di fuori : ' of the world without.' per quel poco :
' in that small space of sky.'
93. le novelle : ' the intimation of it.'
94, 95. Nell' ora, credo, &c. : the planet Venus, as we see from
Purg. i. 19, 20, was now in the eastern sky on the Mountain of
Purgatory in early morning; the time is mentioned here, because
'morning dreams are true'; cp. Purg. ix. 16-8. credo is added,
because Dante was asleep at the time.
97, 98. sogno : this dream, like those of the two previous
nights which Dante spent on the Mountain of Purgatory, is sym-
bolical of something which is about to occur in the narrative ; see
note on Purg. ix. 19. Here the figures of Leah and Rachel
foreshadow those of Matelda and Beatrice in the Earthly Paradise.
landa: 'plain,' ' meadow.'
100. Sappia, &c. : Leah and Rachel, according to the alle-
gorical interpretation of the mediaeval theologians (see Toynbee,
Diet., pp. 334, 335), stand in the same relation to one another as
Martha and Mary in the New Test., Leah representing the active,
Rachel the contemplative life; cp. 1. 108. Both find their ultimate
bliss in the glorified spiritual life — or, as it is here expressed, in
seeing themselves reflected, as in a mirror, in the face of God — but
Leah attains it by means of good works, Rachel by means of
contemplation.
359
PURGATORIO [xxvii. 101-32
1 01, 102. vo movendo, &c. : the words movendo intomo
le belle mani express the process of gathering the flowers;
' I gather as I go the flowers with my fair hands to make me
a garland.' The gathering represents the practice of active virtue,
the garland the grace and merit which accrue from it.
103, 104. Per piacermi, &c. : ' to give me pleasure when
I look in my mirror/ i. e. that I may see myself reflected more
brightly in the face of God owing to good works, si smaga :
'withdraws her eyes from,' lit. 'falls away from'; see note on
Purg. X. 106.
106. veder: the construction of the passage is irregular; if
fully expressed, it would be niaga de' suo't hegli occh'i^ di vederli. The
meaning is that she desires to see herself reflected in God.
109-11. splendor! antelucani : 'the brightness that precedes
the dawn.' men lontani : the MS. authority and the early
Commentators are about equally divided between this and plu
lontani. The latter reading probably arose from piii in the line
above catching the scribe's eye (see Butler's note), and also perhaps
from the desire of making the antithesis of the two clauses complete.
\i piu is read, the explanation is, that the farther one is from home,
the more grateful it is to turn one's face homeward ; but this is
very forced, while men lontani gives a natural and poetical
meaning, and one that suited Dante's present circumstances as he
was drawing near to the Earthly Paradise.
115. Quel dolce pome: the highest good, i.e. God. per
tanti rami : i. e. in so many different ways. Men seek for the
highest good in many diflferent forms, and often mistakenly, as when
they suppose it to be power or pleasure; but it is found in the
knowledge of God only.
119. strenne: 'guerdons.'
129. Dov' io, &c. : as Virgil represents human reason, his
knowledge, and consequently his power of guiding others, comes to
an end at the approach to the realm of faith," i. e. the region of
beatified spirits and the presence of God : cp. Purg. xviii. 46-8.
per me : 'by myself.'
130-2. ingegno : 'wit,' while arte is 'skill.' erte : the
* steep ways' represent the descent of the Poets through Hell,
the ' narrow (arte) ways * the passages between the Cornices in
Purgatory.
360
XXVII. 133-42] PURGATORIO
133-5. il sol : on the level summit of the Mountain, which they
had now reached, the sun, which was fully risen, but had hitherto
been concealed by the Mountain interposing, became visible, sol
da se : cp. sen%a seme, Purg. xxviii. 69 ; the explanation is given
in Purg. xxviii. 1 1 2—7.
136-8. gliocchi: of Beatrice ; cp. Inf. ii. 116. Seder: this
represents the contemplative, andar the active life. We have now
reached a region of allegory, and must expect to find recondite
meanings at every turn.
141. non fare, &c. : ' not to do its bidding,' i. e. that of the arhitrio.
142. Perch' io, &c. : 'wherefore I confer on thee plenary
jurisdiction over thyself.* The two words corono and niitrio are
used to strengthen by repetition the force of the expression. No
doubt they contain a reference to the imperial and papal crowns
as being emblems of the two supreme powers which governed the
world ; but they must not be regarded as implying that Virgil
conferred on Dante self-government in spiritual as well as temporal
matters ; to do this would be beyond his powers, and a usurpation
of the function of Beatrice, who was Dante's spiritual guide.
Consequently all reference to religious belief, and even to religious
life, in mitrio must be excluded; and if anything is intended by
the passage beyond the simple meaning which has been given above,
it can hardly be more than that corono should refer to conduct^ and
mitrio to conscience \ and even this seems doubtful. N.B. Virgil
after this does not speak again, though he accompanies Dante until
Beatrice appears.
CANTO xxvm
Argument. — Dante now enters the Terrestrial Paradise, where
is a delightful forest, in which a pleasant breeze is blowing and birds
sing on the branches. On the farther side of a stream which flows
through it he beholds a beautiful lady, Matelda, gathering the flowers
with which the ground is carpeted ; and by her certain doubts are
solved, which had arisen in his mind on meeting with wind and
mnning water in a region where the ordinary causes which produce
such phenomena are wanting. She tells him also that the stream is
361
PURGATORIO [xxviii. 4-26
that of Lethe, and that the forest was the abode of man during his
state of innocency, and was the scene of the golden age of the poets.
Line 4. la riva : the ' bank ' is the outer edge of the Terrestrial
Paradise, which they had reached on mounting the topmost step of
the stairway; Purg. xxvii. 125.
7. senza, &c. : it came steadily from the same quarter and with
equal force. '
10-2. pronte : ' responsively,' the leaves being ready to follow
the movement of the wind, piegavano : here used intrans. alia
parte, &c. : towards the west ; as the wind which swayed them
blew in Dante's face (1. 8), and he was facing eastward (Purg. xxvii.
133), it must have come from the east. The cause of the direction
of the wind is given in 11. 1 03 foil.
13—5. Non pero, &c. : 'yet they were not swayed so far from
their upright position, that the birds on their summits must fain cease
from fulfilling any of their tasks,' i. e. from song and joyful
movement.
16—9. r ore prime . . . ricevieno : 'breathed the morning
breeze'; ore for aure^ cp. Purg. i. 115. It is better however to
read ore (' welcomed the hours of morn '), because the breeze of
morn, as such, would not be found in the Terrestrial Paradise, since
the movement of the wind there was always even, tenevan bordone,
&c. : ' were chanting a refrain ' (i. e. making an accompaniment) to
their lays, like that of the whispering pine-forest (Tal qual, &c.).'
The word bordone means originally a droning sound, and the bass
in music : see Skeat, s. v. ' burden.'
20, 21. Chiassi : the famous pine-forest of Classe lies on the
coast of the Adriatic to the southward of Ravenna. Quand' £olo,
&c. : 'when Aeolus (the guardian of the winds; cp. Vug.Aen. i. 52)
sets free the south-east wind.' The winds, according to classical
mythology, were imprisoned in a cavern in the Aeolian islands.
25, 26. un rio : this is Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, which
extinguishes in the mind the memory of past sin; cp. 1. 128. In
Inf. xiv. Virgil, when describing to Dante the courses of the rivers
in Hell, informs him (11. 136-8) that Lethe, which Dante knew by
means of the classical writers as one of the infernal rivers, would be
met with on the Mountain of Purgatory, inver sinistra : as the
course of the Poets was towards the east, the river which here
362
XXVIII. 30-63] PURGATORIO
interposed must have been running in this part from south to north.
The words inver sinistra may possibly have an allegorical force,
with reference to the memory of evil being carried away by Lethe ;
but this view rests on somewhat slippery ground, because we are
told in Purg. xxix. 11, 12 that the stream had previously flowed at
right angles to this.
30. nulla nasconde: 'hides nothing,' i.e. is perfectly transparent.
36. mai : 'green branches ' ; strictly maio is the laburnum tree.
40. Una Donna : this lady's name, as we learn from Purg.
xxxiii. 119, is Matelda ; she represents the active life, as Leah had
done in Dante's dream. She is generally regarded as being Matilda,
the ' Great Countess' of Tuscany (1046-1115), who was a strong
upholder of her own rights, and also of those of the Papacy, having
been the ally of Pope Gregory VII in his warfare with the Empire.
She would thus be a fitting person to represent the life of action.
The function discharged by Matelda in the Div. Com. is that of
guiding and instructing Dante from the time when Virgil ceases to
perform that office until Beatrice undertakes it. She thus leads
Dante to Beatrice, as the active life leads up to the contemplative.
41. iscegliendo, &c. : ' making choice among the flowers.'
43-5. amore : the love of God is meant. Ti scaldi : ' dost
bask.' testimon : for testimone, 'a witness,' which word is found
in Petrarch, Boccaccio, and elsewhere ; see Vocab. Tramater.
49-51. dove, &c. : Proserpine, the daughter of Ceres (Demeter),
was gathering flowers in the valley of Enna in Sicily, when she
was carried off by Pluto, primavera : the flowers which she had
gathered ; primavera is used again in the sense of ' flowers ' in Par.
XXX. 63, 'Dipinte di mirabil primavera.' That this is the meaning
here Is rendered almost certain by the passage in Ovid, which Dante
evidently had in his mind when writing t\\is— Met. v. 397-9,
' Matrem saepius ore Clamat ; et, ut summa vestem laniarat ab ora,
Collect! flores tunlcis cecldere remlssis.'
52, 53. strette, &c. : 'close to the ground and close to one
another.'
59, 60. Si appressando se, &c. : at first he heard only the
melody, but as she came near he distinguished the words also.
61-3. 1^ dove, &c. : ' where the grass is now laved ' ; gi^ marks
the point where a person approaching reaches the edge, mi fece
done : ' granted me the boon ' ; cp. Inf. vi. 78.
363
PURGATORIO [xxviii. 54-87
64-6. Non credo, &c. : the story of Venus being accidentally
wounded by one of Cupid's arrows, and fired by passionate love for
Adonis in consequence, is found in Ovid, Met. x. 525, 526, ' Nam-
que pharetratus dum dat puer oscula matri, Inscius exstanti destrinxit
arundine pectus.' fuor, &c. : 'by no means with his wonted aim,'
lit. ' differently from what he was ever wont ' ; he did it inadvertently
(this Ovid expresses by Inscius), whereas Cupid's darts were not
wont to fly astray.
67—9. dritta : take with riva, 'from the farther bank, which
was the right bank'; if dritta is taken as agreeing with Ella,
meaning 'erect,' then for Traendo in the next line Trattando,
' handling ' (i. e. twining), must be read, for in gathering flowers
Matelda could not be upright. Three of Witte's test MSS. read
Trattando. Traendo piu color : ' continuing to gather flowers ' ;
piu means 'additional to what she had gathered before,' cp. 1. 41.
With Trattando it must mean 'many,' as in Par. xxv. 3, 'per piii
anni.' Che, &c. : ' which that high land produces without seed ' ;
this is explained in 11. 1 1 2-4 ; at the same time Dante probably had
in his mind Ov. Met. i. 108, ' natos sine semine flores,' for Ovid's
description of the golden age in which this occurs was familiar to him.
72. Freno : the Hellespont is a ' curb ' to human pride, because
it witnessed both the passage of Xerxes* army and his own miserable
flight. Dante refers to this again in De Mon. ii. 9. 11. 49-60, where
he quotes Lucan, Phars. ii. 672, 673, which was probably his
authority for the story.
73, 74. da Leandro : because it interposed between him and
Hero ; Ov. Hero'id. xviii. 173, 174. Per mareggiare : 'by reason
of its current.'
78-80. nido : ' home,' the Garden of Eden having been the
abode of our first parents, sospetto : ' questioning ' ; in the follow-
ing line Matelda explains the reason of her smiles by referring to
Ps. xcii. 4, ' Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work :
I will triumph in the works of thy hands.' Her joy was in the
forest and the flowers.
82-4. dinanzi : from the time that Virgil had withdrawn from
his office as guide (Purg. xxvii. 139) Dante had walked in front
of the other two poets, tanto che basti : ' to your satisfaction.'
87. cosa : this is the statement of Statius in Purg. xxi. 43 and
52-4, to the efl^ect that there was no change, atmospheric or other-
364
XXVIII. 88-1 1 1] PURGATORIO
wise, above the gate at the entrance to Purgatory proper. This
would seem to exclude the movement of the wind which sways
the trees, and the flow of the water.
88-90. come procede, &c. : Ht. ' how that comes to pass in
respect of its cause,' i. e. what is the cause of that, la nebbia, &c. :
' the cloud of doubt that assails thee.'
91. esso: here used in the proper sense of the Lat. ipse^ 'himself.'
97-100. il turbar, &c. : ' the disturbances (arising from winds),
which below the entrance to Purgatory proper (sotto) are caused by
exhalations from the water and the earth through their natural force
(da se).' This is from Ar. MeteoroL ii. 4. 13 ; see Moore, Studies,
i. p. 131. Che, quanto posson, &c. : 'which (exhalations) follow
the heat (upwards) as far as they can.' Aristotle in the passage
just mentioned speaks of the heat ascending and leaving the moisture
behind (Moore, ibid.) : quanto posson refers to the ascent of the
vapours being checked, either by reaching a colder stratum of air or
by some other influence, like that which excludes them from
Purgatory. AH' uomo, &c. : ' might not in any wise disquiet man,'
i. e. man in his innocence, when he inhabited the Terrestrial Paradise.
102. libero, &c. : 'it is free from such disturbance from the
point where it is locked,' i. e. from the gate of Purgatory.
103-8. Or, &c. : Matelda now proceeds to explain the existence
of the wind which moves the trees in the Terrestrial Paradise. This
she attributes to the movement of the atmosphere, which revolves
(si volge in circuito), following the motion initiated by the Pr'imum
Mobile or first sphere of movement (la prima volta), and imparted
by it to the whole universe. As the earth is stationary, this move-
ment causes a steady breeze to be felt in an elevated region like the
Terrestrial Paradise, which is not affected by the currents of air
which move irregularly below.
105. Se non, &c. : 'unless its rotatory movement is interfered
with at some point.'
106-8. disciolta, &c. : ' disengaged in the clear air.' percote :
take with la selva below.
109-20. These lines explain the propagation of various kinds of
trees on the face of the earth from those planted by God in the
Terrestrial Paradise.
III. girando, &c. : 'scatters it (sua virtute) as it revolves
round the globe.'
365
PURGATORIO [xxviii. 112-41
1 1 2-4. r altra terra : the earth at large, as distinguished from
the Terrestrial Paradise, degna, &c. : ' fitted to receive these
germinal forces in respect of soil (per se) and climate (per suo ciel).'
concepe, &c. 'conceives and bears from divers germinal forces
divers trees.'
115. di la: 'in yonder earth.'
1 20. si schianta : ' is plucked,' ' gathered.'
121. L' acqua, &c. : Matelda now turns to Dante's other
difficulty, the existence of a river where there was no rain to feed it.
122. 123. Che ristori, &c. : this seems to refer both to the
formation of rain by condensation, which has already been described
in Purg. V. 1 09-11, and to Aristotle's theory of the formation of
springs by the condensation of subterranean moisture, Meteorol. i. 13.
9 : enrcp Ka/cet [i. e. in the air] Sia ij/vxpoTrjTa avvLa-raTat 6 dr/xt^wv
arjp €is vSiop, Koi vtto rrjs iv rrj yrj i}rv)(p6Tr)Tos rb avrb tovto Set
vo/xt^eiv a-vix^atveiv. See Moore, Studies, i. p. 134. lena ;
'volume,' lit. 'breath,' 'force.'
124-6. fontana: the idea here is derived from Gen. ii. 6,
where the Vulg. gives ' fons ascendebat e terra,' while the Engl.
Vers, is ' there went up a mist from the earth.' salda : ' steady.'
Che tanto, &c. : ' which by the agency of God's will is supplied
afresh with the same quantity which it pours forth opening in two
directions.'
128, 129. altrui : ' from men ' ; cp. Purg. iv. 54 ; xiii. 3. la :
i. e. la memoria.
131, 132. Eunoe : the stream of 'kindly thoughts,' Gk. €vvov<s.
chiama : this word seems here to be metrically a trisyllable, though
it is not used so elsewhere in the Div. Com. non adopra : ' it
does not produce its effect ' ; the subject of the verb is acqua, 1. 121,
and the meaning is, that it does not render the soul fit to ascend to
Heaven until the conscience of past sins has been removed, and the
memory of good deeds has been revived.
135. perche : 'supposing that,' 'even if.'
136-8. coroUario : 'corollary,' i.e. a deduction, or supple-
mentary statement, per grazia : ' of grace ' ; it is really equivalent
to oltre promission below, Matelda having fulfilled her agreement
by answering Dante's questions, si spazia : * widens its field ' ;
cp. Purg. xxvi. 63.
141. in Parnaso : ' to dream on Parnassus ' means in prose ' to
366
XXVIII. 142— XXIX. i9j PURGATORIO
conceive poetical imaginations.' Dante does not appear to have been
acquainted with Persius' writings, otherwise we might suppose that
he was thinking of his Hne [ProL 2), 'Nee in bicipiti somniasse
Parnasso.'
142-4. Qui fu, &c. : this description of the Golden Age is
chiefly derived from Ov. Met. i. 89-112, where there is mention in
particular of ' ver aeternum ' and ' flumina nectaris.'
146, 147. con riso : because they were in the number of the
* ancient poets,' and were pleased by this interpretation. 1' ultimo
costrutto : ' the last sentence.'
CANTO XXIX
Argument. — Heralded by a brilliant light and sweet music, there
now appears a mystic procession on the opposite side of the river to
that on which Dante is standing, the central feature in which is a car,
as yet unoccupied, drawn by a gryphon.
Line 3. Beati, &c. : Ps. xxxii. i, ' Blessed are they whose
sins are covered.' Matelda sings these words in anticipation of
Dante's immersion in the waters of Lethe, by which his sins were
hidden from his memory.
7. contra il fiume : the direction would be towards the south,
from which quarter the stream was here flowing ; see note on Purg.
xxviii. 26. Consequently, when Dante shortly afterwards finds that
he is going eastward, the stream must have turned at a right angle
(II. II, 12).
10. Non eran, &c. : the meaning is, ' we had advanced less than
fifty paces each ' ; lit. ' the number of paces was not a hundred,
what with hers and mine.' For a somewhat similar use of tra cp.
Par. xxxi. 41, 'tra esso e il gaudio.'
16-8. lustre: the lustre and the melody (1. 22) are found to
proceed from the Procession of the Church (11. 49-54). di balenar,
&c. : ' it made me doubt (i. e. wonder) if it were lightning ' ; cp. Inf.
viii. no, ' io rimango in forse.'
19. come, &c. : 'ceases as suddenly as it comes.' For this
sense oi restate cp. Inf. xxv. 135.
367
PURGATORIO [xxix. 23-34
23-30. buon zelo, &c. : Dante's holy zeal, or righteous
indignation against Eve, arose from his feeling that owing to her
sin, which caused the human race to be excluded from Paradise,
he had been prevented from inhabiting it hitherto, and had not
enjoyed the delights here described, as would otherwise have
been the case.
25. Che, &c. : ' who, where all creation was obedient, being
a woman (and therefore naturally timid) — alone (without accomplices
to encourage her) — and but just created (and therefore inexperienced
in sin) — would not endure to stay beneath any veil,' i. e. ' would not
be content that anything (and in particular the knowledge of good and
evil) should be hidden from her.'
30. prima, &c. : i. e. from the time of my birth and throughout
my life.
34 foil. The mystic procession which now approaches represents
the triumph of the Church as the supporter of Theology — 'the
Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth,'
I Tim. iii. 15. The car on which Beatrice (Theology) stands
represents the Church. It is drawn (i. e. the Church is moved and
guided) by the Gryphon (our Blessed Lord). By its right wheel
are stationed three female figures (the theological virtues), by the left
wheel four (the cardinal virtues). In front of it are twenty-four
figures (the books of the O. T., which preceded the revelation of the
gospel in Christ), and at the head of the procession are seven
candlesticks (the seven Spirits of God, which lead men to the
Truth). The car is flanked by four figures, two on either side,
representing the four Gospels, which embody the revelation of
Divine Truth. Behind the car are seven figures, representing the
remaining books of the N. T. From this it will be seen that
the central point in the symbolical representation is not the Church
in and for itself, but Divine Truth as supported by the Churcli.
The predominance in it of figures emblematic of the Scriptures
points to this, and so does the position of Beatrice as its central
personality : it is not until she arrives on the scene that the pageant
is complete ; and again, it is not until she has left the car (Purg.
xxxii. 36) — in other words, until the glorification of Theology or
Revelation is concluded — that the Church and its fortunes become
the subject of the allegory. The purpose which the procession
serves in the poem is that of introducing Beatrice, who is to be
368
XXIX. 36-48] PURGATORIO
Dante's guide through Paradise, and who, as representing Theology,
is the interpreter of all the heavenly mysteries which are there
presented to his view. The object of the latter part of the vision,
which concerns the history of the Church, is that Dante may
communicate it to his contemporaries, in order that they may
learn the lessons which it teaches, as we are definitely told in
Purg. xxxii. 103-5.
36. per canto, &c. : ' was now perceived to be singing.'
37. Vergini : the Muses, whom Dante invokes because of the
difficulty of the task which now lies before him.
40—2. versi : 'pour forth its streams.' The fountains on
Helicon, whose waters caused poetic inspiration, were Aganippe and
Hippocrene. Urania : the Muse of astronomy, and so of heavenly
subjects, coro : the rest of the Muses. Forti, &c. : ' to express
in verse things hard to conceive in thought.' For the omission of
the prep, a before mettere see note on Purg. xi. 51.
43-5. Poco, &c. : ' A little farther on, seven trees of gold In
semblance the long space still intervening Between ourselves and
them did counterfeit ' (Longf.). The objects which are here said
to resemble trees, as seen from a distance, prove to be seven candle-
sticks (1. 50).
46-8. Ma quando, &c. : ' but when I was so near to them,
that the ' common object ' which deceives the sense, did not lose
owing to distance any of its features ' ; i. e. when they were near
enough for their size and shape to be clearly visible, obbietto
comun : cp. Conn}, iv. 8. 11. 49, 50, ' sensibili comuni, la dove
il senso spesse volte e ingannato.' The technical term obbietto
comune or sensibile comune is derived from Aristotle, De An. ii. 6.
1—4, where the distinction is drawn between the general and the
particular object of sense (the kolvov ala-Orjrov and the lSlov ala-Orp-ov),
the latter of which terms is applied to qualities perceived by one
only of the senses — e. g. colour by the eye, and sound by the ear —
the former to qualities perceived by all the senses alike, e. g. motion,
rest, number, form and size. In the case of the latter, he says, there
can be deception, in the case of the former there cannot. The
expression obbietto com.un, as used in this passage, is liable to
cause confusion, because it appears at first sight to signify the object
in which certain qualities are inherent ; but Dante uses it as a technical
term, and as the equivalent of sensibile comune^ which clearly refers
T02ER 369 B b
PURGATORIO [xxix. 49-66
to the qualities themselves. In the present instance, as has already
been intimated, tlie qualities intended are size and shape. per
distanza : this also is from Aristotle, who says (^De An. iii. 3.
20) — taking motion as his example of the koivov alorOrjTov — that
error is especially liable to arise when the object of sense is distant
(orav TToppo) to alaOrjTov rj).
49-51. La virtu, &c. : 'the faculty which furnishes reason with
the materials for argument ' ; this is the faculty of apprehension,
which communicates the images of external objects to the mind,
as has been described in Purg. xviii. 22—4. animanna : lit.
'prepares'; cp. Purg. xxiii. 107. siccome, &c. : 'discovered
that they were candlesticks, and in the words of the chant dis-
tinguished Hosanna.' candelabri ; these represent allegorically
the seven Spirits of God ; Rev. iv. 5, ' There were seven lamps
of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God/
Two other passages seem to have contributed to form the image in
Dante's mind, but only in a subsidiary manner, since neither of them
is exactly suitable ; viz. (i) the description of the golden candlestick
in the Jewish Temple (Ex. xxv. 31 foil.), where however the
object is a single candlestick with seven branches; (2) the seven
golden candlesticks of Rev. i. 12; but these signify the Seven
Churches of Asia (v. 20).
52-4. Di sopra : 'in its upper part.' amese : 'equipment,'
i. e. the seven candlesticks. suo mezzo mese : the middle of
the lunar month, when the moon is full.
57. Con vista, &c. : as what is here revealed relates to spiritual
truth, Virgil, who represents human reason, is as much at fault as
Dante in interpreting it.
60. foran vinte, &c. : 'they would have been distanced by
a newly married bride ' ; the reference is to the timid gait of a bride,
when leaving her father's house for that of her husband.
61, 62. Perche, &c. : ' why look you with such eagerness only
at the spectacle,'* &c. If affetto is read for aspetto, it must be
taken with ardi ; ' why are you so eager in your desire for ? '
64—6. Genti : these are the four and twenty elders of I. 83, the
originals of whom are found in Rev. iv. 4, where they are described
as * arrayed in white garments.' di qua : ' on this earth ' ; Dante's
point of view is that of the place from which he writes, fuci :
for c'lfu.
370
XXIX. 67-93] PURGATORIO
67-9. dal sinistro fianco : 'on its left side,' i.e. in that part
of the stream which was near the left bank, la mia sinistra
costa : Dante was still walking upwards along the bank of the
stream, and had the stream on his left hand, anco : take with
rendea, ' reflected back again.'
70, 71. Quand' io, &c. : what is implied in these two lines is,
' when I was directly opposite the procession and close to it.'
75. tratti pennelli : 'strokes of the painter's brush'; others
say 'trailing pennons,' and this is supported by ostmdali in 1. 79.
avean : Jlammelle (understood) is the subject to this, signifying the
lights and the bands which streamed from them.
76-8. rimanea : sc. V aer^ supplied from 1. 74. sette liste :
as these bands of light emanate from the candlesticks, which represent
the seven Spirits of God, it is natural to regard them as the seven
gifts of the Spirit, which are enumerated in Isa. xi. 2 (Vulg.) as
wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, piety, and fear
of the Lord. (N. B. The Engl. Vers, does not include piety.)
Delia: Diana, i.e. the moon, il cinto : 'her girdle,' the
lunar halo.
79-81. ostendali: 'standards.' eran maggiori, &c. : 'stretched
further than I could see.' Dieci passi, &c. : ' the outermost ones
were ten paces apart.'
82-4. diviso : 'describe.' Ventiquattro : though the idea of
the four and twenty elders, as has already been remarked, is taken
from Rev. iv. 4, Dante here employs them to represent the books
of the O. T., which were twenty-four in number, as computed by
St. Jerome, fiordaliso : the lily is here the emblem of purity in
faith and doctrine.
85, 86. Benedetta, &c. : the salutation of Elizabeth to Mary,
Luke i. 42. It is here addressed to Beatrice; and this need cause
us the less surprise, when we find that in Purg. xxx. 19 the saluta-
tion with which Christ was hailed on His triumphal entry is offered
to her also.
90. Libere fur : ' were no longer trodden by.'
91-3. Si come, &c. : 'as one star in passing across the heavens
follows and replaces another star.' quattro animali : the four
living creatures represent the Four Gospels — not here the four
Evangelists, though that is their usual symbolism, verde : the
colour of hope.
371 B b 2
PURGATORIO [xxi^. 94-114
94-6. Ognuno, &c. : Rev. iv. 8 ; ' the four living creatures,
having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about
and within.' Perhaps the best interpretation of the allegory intended
by Dante here is, that the wings (representing motion) signify the
all-pervading power, the eyes the spiritual insight, of the Gospels.
gli occhi d' Argo, &c. : ' the eyes of Argus, when they were
alert, would have resembled them.' The keenness of sight of
Argus the guardian of lo is proverbial. Dante in this passage
had in his mind the story of Argus in Ov. Met. i. 568 foil, vivi :
in full activity — not asleep, as Ovid describes them to have been
in 11. 713, 714, where Mercuiy charms the eyes of Argus, 'vidit
Cyllenius omnes Succubuisse oculos adopertaque lumina somno ' ;
see Moore, Studies., i. p. 223. sarebber : for sarebbero stati; cp.
sarei for sarei stato in Inf. xxiv. 36.
98. spesa : 'outlay'; i.e. demands upon my available space.
For other passages in which Dante refers to his limited space cp.
Purg. xxxiii. 136—41 ; Par. xxxii. 139-41.
100-2. Ezechiel: Ez. i. 4-6, * Behold, a stormy wind came
out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself. . . . And
out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures . . .
and every one of them had four wings.'
104, 105. salvo, &c. : the number of wings according to St.
John and Dante was six, according to Ezekiel four.
107, io8. Un carro, &c. : the chariot is the Church, which
supports the Divine Truth, i.e. Theology, in the person of Beatrice:
the gryphon by which it is drawn is our Lord, whose two natures,
human and divine, correspond to the two elements of the lion and
the eagle which are found in the gryphon; cp. Purg. xxxi. 80, 81.
Of the numerous explanations of the two wheels perhaps that
which best suits the function of the Church here given is that of
Philalethes, that they are Scripture and Tradition.
1 09-1 1, ale: this form of the sing, is not found elsewhere in
Dante, but the plural which is derived fiom it, alt., is common,
e. g. in 1. 94. Tra, &c. : between the middle one of the seven
bands and the three on either side of it. fendendo : ' by cleaving
(i. e. passing through) it.'
1 1 2-4. Tanto, &c. : the wings rose until they were out of
sight. This signifies that the Divine Nature of our Lord is incom-
prehensible. Le membra, &c. : the description in this and the
XXIX. 115-35] PURGATORIO
next line is derived from that of the Bridegroom in the Canticles,
V. lo, II — 'My beloved is white and ruddy. . . . His head (i.e.
here the part like a bird) is as the most line gold.'
115, 116. Non che, &c. : 'not only did not Rome gladden
Scipio Africanus or Augustus with so magnificent a triumphal
chariot.'
118-20. Quel del Sol, &c. ; the reference is to the story of
Phaethon driving the chariot of the sun, as related in Ovid, Met,
Bk. ii. The splendour of the chariot, which is the point of the
comparison here, is described by Ovid in 11. 107-10 ; its swerving
from its course (sviando) in 1. 205 ; the intercession of the Earth
in order to save the world from conflagration in 11. 272 foil. ; the
destruction of the chariot by Jove's lightning in 11. 316-8. devota:
' prayerful ' ; the speech of the Earth in Ovid is one long prayer.
Quando, &c. : ' when Jupiter in his secret counsels was just.'
It would be more natural to understand the words to mean, ' when
the justice of Jove moved in a mysterious way,' implying that there
was something in his treatment of Phaethon which is hard to recon-
cile with our ideas of justice ; but there is nothing in the story to
support this explanation.
121. Tre donne : the three theological virtues — Love, Hope,
and Faith, who are here distinguished by their appropriate colours.
126. mossa: 'shed,' 'fallen.'
127-9. Ed or, &c. : faith leads hope and love, because until it
arises they cannot exist ; love leads faith and hope, because they
iind their perfection in love, dal canto, &c. : it is the inspiration
of love which regulates the movement of faith and hope.
130-2. quattro : the four cardinal virtues — Justice, Prudence,
Fortitude, and Temperance. They are dressed in purple, the
imperial colour, because they regulate human conduct. facean
festa : 'were making holiday,' i.e. were dancing, una di lor:
Prudence, which forms the groundwork of the other cardinal virtues.
Her three eyes look at the past, the present, and the future; cp.
Conv. iv. 27. 11. 42-6.
133-5. il pertrattato nodo : ' the group here treated of.' due
vecchi : St. Luke, representing the Acts of the Apostles, and
St. Paul, representing his Epistles. The figures which follow
these stand for the remaining books of the N. T., so that the entire
canon of Scripture has its place in the procession, in abito, &c. :
• 373
PURGATORIO [xxix. 136-54
* unlike in dress, but like in carriage, which was dignified and com-
posed.' The difference in dress seems to have been that St. Luke
wore the garb of a physician, St. Paul, to judge from his sword,
that of a soldier, atto, ed : the metrical hiatus between these words
is somewhat modified by the pause; cp. Purg. xxiv. 55.
136-8. L' un : 'Luke, the beloved physician,' Coloss. iv. 14.
de' famigliari, <^"c. : ' one of the disciples of that supreme Hippo-
crates ' ; the great physician of antiquity is here regarded as the
representative of the medical profession, che natura, &c. : ' whom
nature made for the benefit of her favourite creature,' viz. man.
139. la contraria cura: that of wounding. St. Paul, whose
emblem is a sword, smites the conscience with the sword of the
spirit.
142-4. quattro : St. James, St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude,
representing their Epistles. They are ' in humble guise,' because
their Epistles were of less importance. un veglio : St. John,
representing the Apocalypse ; he is asleep, as being in a trance, but
his looks are keen, because he is listening in spirit to that which is
being revealed to him.
145. col, &c. : 'were dressed in white to correspond to the
company which preceded the car'; cp. 1. 65. primaio : the
termination in aio is elsewhere in Dante a monosyllable for metrical
purposes, as in primaio, Purg. xiv. 66; beccaio, Purg. xx. 52 : here
the final is pronounced separate in consequence of st following ;
see note on Inf. viii. 11.
148. Anzi, &c. : as the writings of the O. T. are characterized
by purity of faith and doctrine, which is symbolized by the lily, so
those of the N. T. are characterized by the warmth of Christian
love, which is symbolized by crimson flowers.
149. Giurato, &c. : 'one looking from a little distance (lit.
a look from no great distance) would have sworn.'
152-4. Un tuon: this was a sign from Heaven, insegne :
the golden candlesticks with the bands of light proceeding fiom
them.
374
XXX. i>6] PURGATORIO
CANTO XXX
Argument. — The figures who form the procession invoke Beatrice,
and in the midst of a cloud of flowers scattered by a company of
angels, she appears and takes up her position in the car. Dante
overpowered at the sight turns to Virgil for aid, but finds that he
has disappeared. Beatrice now addresses him reproachfully, and
then, turning to the angels, describes her good influence over him
during her lifetime, and his alienation from her after her death, not-
withstanding which she had watched over him, and at the last had
summoned Virgil to her assistance to save him from ruin.
Line i. il settentrion del primo cielo : the first or highest
heaven is the Empyrean, where is the presence of God; and the
Septentrion or constellation of seven stars of the highest heaven
signifies the seven Spirits of God, and so in the present connexion
the seven candlesticks by which the Seven Spirits are represented in
the mystic procession, il settentrion is the subject to Fermo si
affisse in 1. 7, and the meaning is, 'when the seven candlesticks stood
still.' There is much difference of opinion whether by il setten-
trion the Great or the Little Bear is intended. It is in favour of
the latter that it was by the Pole-star that men steered (1. 6, Qtml
timon giro) ; in Lat. also the Little Bear was called Septentrio Minor ^
e.g. Cic. De Nat. Dtor. ii. 43. iii ; and it has seven stars. On
the other hand, Septentrio is much more commonly used of the Great
Bear ; and Dante has the latter in his mind in Par. xiii. 7-9 ; xxxi.
32 ; and in Can%. xv. 29.
2—6. Che ne, &c. : ' which (like the Bear) never rises or sets,
and which is never obscured by cloud, except that of sin which hides
it from men's eyes.' Thus far the seven Spirits of God are spoken
of; what follows refers to the seven candlesticks which represent
them. ' And which at that spot (li) was intimating to each member
of the procession his proper movement,' i. e. was guiding those who
followed, come il piii basso, &c. : ' as the Bear guides him who
turns the rudder to come to port,' i. e. the mariner. The Bear is
called ' the lower constellation of seven stars ' in contrast with ' the
Septentrion of the highest heaven,' because according to Dante's
3V5
PURGATORIO [XXX. 7-36
scheme it is two spheres below the Empyrean in the eighth heaven,
or that of the fixed stars.
7-9. la gente, &c. : the four and twenty elders, who are verace,
because they represent the inspired books of the O. T. Venuta,
&c. : who up to this time had been between the gryphon, who drew
the chariot, and the candlesticks. Al carro, &c. : ' turned towards
the chariot (the Church), as to their repose ' ; their repose was their
fulfilment in the establishment of the Church.
10, II. un di loro : the one of the twenty-four elders by whom
the book of Canticles is represented. We cannot say Solomon,
because according to the arrangement here introduced (see note on
Purg. xxix. 83) the three books which were attributed to him —
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles — were represented by three
separate elders. Veni, &c. : Cant. iv. 8 ; on the present occasion
this is used as an invocation addressed to Beatrice.
13-5. Quali, &c. : the sudden appearance around the chariot of
a company of angels heralding the approach of Beatrice, is compared
to the dead rising from their graves at the Judgement. They are
shown to be angels by 11. 29, 82. bando : 'proclamation,' 'the
final summons.' alleluiando : this is an absolute construction;
' the voice of their renewed humanity raising alleluia.'
16, 17. basterna : ' car' ; it is a Lat. word signifying 'a litter.'
Dante may have obtained it from Isidore, Orig. xx. 12. 5, or from
the Catholicon of Giovanni da Genova. ad vocem, &c. : ' at the
sound of that elder's voice.' The Lat. words here were probably
introduced to furnish a rhyme for vents and plenis.
19-21. Benedictus, &c. : the salutation addressed to our Lord
on the occasion of His triumphal entry. Matt. xxi. 9. It is now
addressed to Beatrice. Manibus, &c. : from the lament for Mar-
cellus in Virg. Aen. vi. 884. We have here an illustration of Dante's
fondness for combining a Scriptural and a classical allusion.
26, temperanza: 'tempering influence.'
32. Donna: Beatrice, who represents Divine Wisdom or
Theology. Dante here redeems the promise which he had made at
the end of the Vita Nuova (§ 43, 11. 10, 11), that he hoped to say
of Beatrice what had never been said of any other woman. She
appears dressed in the colours of Faith, Hope, and Charity (cp.
Purg. xxix. 1 2 1-6), and wears a crown of olive in token of peace.
34-6. cotanto, &c. ; Beatrice had been dead ten years in 1300.
376
XXX. '>,i-^^'\ PURGATORIO
che alia, &c. : 'since it was overpowered with awe at her presence.'
Dante describes the impression made upon him by his first meeting
with Beatrice in the following words : — ' In quel punto dico verace-
mente che lo spirito della vita, lo quale dimora nella segretissima
camera del core, comincio a tremare si fortemente, che apparia ne'
menomi polsi orribilmente ; e tremando disse queste parole : Ecce
Deus forttor me, qui veniens dominabitur mihV {F'ifa Nuova, § 2.
11. 19-25).
37. degliocchi: 'by my eyes.'
40—2. Tosto che, &c. : Dante here describes the effect produced
on him by the sight of Beatrice's person ; he could not see her face,
which was still hidden by her veil ; cp. 11. 67-9. puerizia : Dante
tells us in Fila Nuova, § 2. 11. 14, 15, that he was nine years old
when he first saw Beatrice.
43. rispitto : ' confidence ' ; it is from a Provencal word respleit,
which signifies ' expectation ' ; from this is deduced the meaning of
' confident expectation,' and so ' confidence.'
48. Conosco, &c. : a translation of Virgil's words in Aen. iv. 23,
' Agnosco veteris vestigia flammae.'
49-51. Virgilio : by the arrival of Beatrice, or Divine Wisdom,
as Dante's guide, Virgil, or Human Reason, is superseded in that
ofHce, and consequently he has disappeared. Notice the threefold
repetition of Virgil's name, which is probably in imitation of the
similar repetition of that of Eurydice in Virg. Georg. iv. 525-7. die'
mi: 'I surrendered myself; cp. Inf. ii. 139, 140.
52—4. Ne quantunque, &c. : 'nor did all (the joys of the
Terrestrial Paradise) which our first mother (Eve) lost, avail to
prevent my cheeks which had been cleansed with dew (by Virgil,
Purg. i. 124-9) f^o"^ being once more stained with tears.' atre :
'dark,' the Lat. ater', cp. Inf. vi. 16.
55-7. Dante: this is the only passage in the poem in which the
Poet's name occurs ; and, as he tells us inl. 63, it is only introduced
here because it is unavoidable, perche : ' notwithstanding that.'
altra spada : a wound inflicted by another sword, i. e. Beatrice's
reproaches.
61. sinistra: this would be the side opposite Dante.
65. r angelica festa : the cloud of flowers, 1. 28.
68. fronde di Minerva : olive leaves. ^
70-2. ancor proterva: 'still haughty in demeanour.' che
377
PURGATORIO [XXX. 73-96
dice, &c. : ' who, while he speaks, keeps in reserve his severest
utterance.'
73-5. sem : for stamo: both this and ci of guardaci are the plural
of dignity; see note on Purg. xxxiii. 92. Come degnasti, &c. :
' how wast thou able to approach the Mountain ?' Beatrice was aware
that Dante had been conducted to the Mountain of Purgatory by
divine grace, but this she puts out of sight in order to reproach him
with his sinfulness, which rendered him unfit to enter the Terrestrial
Paradise. Casini remarks that degnare^ like the Provencal denhar^
in the language of poetry signified ' to be able.' degnasti is re-
garded by some as being used ironically here in the modern sense of
' deign ' ; but irony seems out of place in this connexion, felice :
Beatrice implies that the sinful man cannot be happy, and therefore
has no place there.
80, 81. per che, &c. : 'from which cause (i.e. owing to the
display of haughtiness) the flavour of severe compassion has a taste
of bitterness.' This is a general sentiment.
83, 84. In te, &c. : Ps. xxxi. i, 'In thee, O Lord, do I put
my trust,' to v. 8, ' Thou hast set my feet in a large room.' The
passage implies the absolute confidence of the soul in God's power
to save, and the angels by singing it interpret Dante's feeling at the
moment. The remainder of the Psalm does not refer to this feeling,
and is therefore omitted.
85-7. vive travi: 'living rafters,* i.e. trees: the Lat. trabs is
often used thus in poetry, lo dosso d' Italia : the ridge of the
Apennines, soffiata : ' breathed on.' venti schiavi : north-east
winds from the Dalmatian mountains. The country called Slavonia
in Cent. xiv. lay between the Dalmatian coast and the Drave.
88-90. in se, &c. : 'filters into itself,' the upper layer trickling
through into those below. Pur che, &c. : ' if haply a warm wind
comes from the land where shadows are lost,' i. e. from the tropics,
where the sun is vertical, and consequently casts no shadow, at
certain times of the year. SI che, &c. : ' even as wax is melted at
the fire,' lit. ' so that fire seems to be melting a candle.'
92, 93. che notan, &c. : 'who ever make melody, following the
music of the eternal spheres.' For the music of the spheres see
note on Par. i. 78.
94-6. tempre : 'harmonies'; cp. Par. x. 146. stempre :
* unnerve,' ' unman,' lit. ' dilute.'
378
XXX. IOO-26] PURGATORIO
100, 1 01. la detta coscia : the left side, 1. 6i. sustanzie
pie : ' compassionate beings.'
T04-7. ^ "^o^ ^o^ fura, &c. : 'cannot conceal from you one
step which the ages make in their course.' ' Ye know everything
that passes in the world, and therefore ye know the history of
Dante's life ; consequently my reply is made (not for your sakes,
but) rather in order that he may hear,' &c.
109-11. rote magne : the celestial spheres. These determine
the bias of each man's character and life in a certain direction,
according to the character of the planet under which he was born.
The system here referred to is fully set forth in Par. ii. 112 foil.
113, 114. Che SI alti, &c. ; ' which (divine graces) are showered
down upon us from a region so elevated (lit. which have such lofty
clouds to furnish their rain) that our sight cannot approach thereto.'
The elevated region is the profundity of God's counsels, nostre :
that of all finite beings ; Beatrice includes herself.
1 1 5-7. sua vita nuova : 'his early life,' i.e. the first period
of man's life, reaching to 25 years of age; see note on 1. 125.
Virtualmente : ' potentially.' Fatto, &c. : ' would have produced
wondrous results in him.'
119, 120. col mal seme, &c. : ' by harmful plants and want of
cultivation ' ; when there are weeds in the soil and there is no tillage,
the land is soon overrun with noxious growths, and the more so in
proportion to its natural fertility.
125, 126. seconda etade : in Conv. iv. 24. 11. 1-13 Dante
divides human life into four ages or periods ; the first of these is
Adolescence, the second Youth ; and Youth commences at 25 years.
Beatrice was in her twenty-fifth year at the time of her death in
1290, and consequently was on the threshold of her second age
when she passed to another life (mutai vita). diessi altrui :
the person — or at least the chief person — here intended by altrui,
is the same as the donna gentile, or 'lady of the window,' in Vita
Nuova, §§ 35-7, who for a time usuqjed Dante's affections ; but
who that lady was is a disputed question. Her significance, when
allegorically interpreted, is given in Conv. iii. 11. i\. 2-4, 'questa
Donna e quella Donna dello intelletto che Filosofia si chiama ' ; and
the reference in diessi altrui is to Dante having for a time allowed
himself to be absorbed in the study of philosophy to the neglect of
theology.
379 .
PURGATORIO [xxx. J31— XXXI. 1^
131, 132. Imagini, &c. : 'false images of good* are such
enjoyments as seem to be good but are not really so. Che nulla,
&c. : * which fulfil (rendono intera) no promises.*
I33~5* Ne impetrare, &c. : 'nor did it avail me to obtain for
him by prayer communications from Heaven.' in sogno, &c. : ' in
dreams and visions (altrimenti),' such as those mentioned towards
the end of the Vita Nuova (§ 40. 11. 1-8 ; § 43. 11. 1-6). calse :
the verb is impersonal ; ne calse a lui, ' he cared for them ' ; cp.
calme in Purg. viii. 12.
136, 137. argomenti : ' means/ ' expedients ' ; cp. Purg. ii. 31.
corti : ' insufficient.*
139-41. visitai : cp. Inf. ii. 52 foil, morti : the lost souls,
the ver'i morti of Purg. xxiii. 122. porti : ' uttered,' from porgere :
cp. Inf. V. 108; xvii. 88.
142—4. fato : 'appointment.' tal vivanda : ' the food which
is in prospect,' i. e. the joy of seeing Beatrice's eyes, the cibo of Purg.
xxxi. 128. scotto : ' payment ' ; the word is the same in deriva-
tion and meaning as Engl. ' scot ' in ' scot-free,' ' to pay one's
shot,' &c.
CANTO XXXI
Argument. — Beatrice, once more addressing Dante, accuses him
directly of unfaithfulness to her; whereupon Dante confesses his
sin, and after expressing his repentance falls into a swoon. When
he recovers consciousness, he finds that Matelda has plunged him in
the stream of Lethe, and when he reaches the farther bank, he is
conducted to a position in front of the car. Here he is privileged
to gaze into the eyes of Beatrice unveiled and to enjoy her smile.
Lines 2, 3. punta: the 'thrust' is the direct appeal, the 'cut,'
which strikes ' edgewise ' (per taglio), the indirect charge, as set
forth in her address to the angels.
4. cunta : ' delay ' ; an archaic word, der. from Lat. cunctari.
9. dischiusa : ' had been emitted from the organs of speech.'
10-2. Poco sofFerse: 'she paused a while.' dall' acqua
offense : ' impaired by the water of Forgetfulness.'
380
XXXI. 15-30] PURGATORIO
15. le viste : the eyes were needed to see the movement of the
lips.
17, 18. tesa : 'tension'; 'when it goes off from being too
tightly drawn.' asta : ' shaft,' ' arrow.'
19-21. esso : 'that'; the word is here used as an adjectival
pronoun; cp. Par. viii. 19, ' essa luce.' allento, &c. : 'flagged in
its passage.'
22 foil. Ond' ella, &c. : throughout this address Beatrice is
speaking in the twofold character of a lady who has been slighted
for another lady, and (allegorically) of a higher study (Theology)
which has been neglected for a lower one (Human Philosophy) ;
see note on Purg. xxx. 126. The view that what Beatrice imputes
to Dante in this part of the poem is of purely allegorical significance,
referring to philosophy only, and not to any moral (or sentimental)
aberration on his part, is hardly reconcilable with such expressions
as ' Le presenti cose, Col falso lor piacer,' 11. 34, 35, and 'pargo-
letta, O altra vanita con si breve uso,' 11. 59, 60.
22-4. Per entro, &c. ; 'in the midst of (i.e. when thou wast
under the influence of) the love that I inspired.' lo bene, &c. :
' the highest good (God himself), beyond which there is no further
object of aspiration.'
25-7. Quai fossi, &c. : 'what trenches lying across thy path,
or what chains (closing a gate) didst thou find ? ' (' What bar of
thwarting foss or linked chain,' Gary); i.e. 'what hindrances of
various kinds didst thou meet with, that owing to them (per che)
thou shouldst thus have deprived thyself of the hope of a further
advance ? '
28-30. agevolezze : ' affability ' and so ' attractions.' avanzi :
' profit.' degli altri : these words agree with bent understood,
which is to be supplied from ad amar lo bene in 1. 23. They mean
the lower objects of desire as compared with the highest good. The
terms used in this passage are partly literal, partly allegorical ; thus,
while agevolezze and fronte apply rather to Beatrice's rival, altri
is used in the allegorical sense for the attractions of human wisdom
which led Dante away from the divine wisdom, passeggiare
anzi : ' pay court to ' ; if this is the right meaning, it is derived
from that of 'to promenade in front of a lady's window, and so
'to serenade,' 'to court.' According to Blanc, Vocab.^ the ex-
pression refers to a servant walking before his master, and means
381
PURGATORIO [XXXI. 39-75
' to play the servant/ ' be subservient to ' ; but the former explanation
is preferable.
39. tal giudice ; God.
42. Rivolge se, &c. : ' the wheel (of the whetstone) turns against
(and so blunts) the edge (of the weapon).'
46. Pon giii, &c. : ' cease from sowing tears ' ; Dante perhaps
had in his mind Ps. cxxvi. 5, ' They that sow in tears shall reap
in joy/ though sowing tears and sowing in tears are two different
things.
51. e sono : cJje is to be supplied before sono from in che of the
previous hne. in terra sparte : ' resolved into earth.' This seems
to be the right reading, notwithstanding that the great majority
of the MSS. give j-o«o terra sparte \ see Moore, Text. Crit., pp. 433,
434. This passage, it may be observed, is strongly in favour of
Beatrice having been a living woman, and not merely an allegorical
Hgure.
52-4. ti fallio : 'failed thee,' 'was lost to thee.' trarre, &c. :
' to have induced thee to desire it.'
55~7- per lo prime, &c. : 'at the first assault (lit. dart) of the
delusive attractions of the world.' tale : i. e. cosafallace.
58—60. Non ti dovea, &c. : ' no mere girl, nor other vain
object of so brief enjoyment, should have depressed thy wings, so
that thou shouldst be exposed to more attacks of temptation.'
61—3. due o tre : understand colp'i^ i.e. assaults; si saetta in
I. 63 corresponds in meaning to this, dinanzi, &c. : Prov. i. 17,
' In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird ' — in the Vulg.
• ante oculos pennatorum ' (dei pennuti, ' of full-fledged birds ').
66. se riconoscendo : ' realizing their fault.'
69. riguardando : i. e. from the sight of my perfections which
you have neglected.
70-2. Con men, &c. : Dante here describes his reluctance to
face the reproving gaze of Beatrice, nostral vento : the tra-
montana, or violent north wind of Italy, quel, &c. : the south or
south-west wind, which was called by the Romans Africus. larbas
was king of the Gaetulians in Africa, and one of Dido's suitors ;
Virg. Aen. iv. 196 foil.
74? 75' quando, &c. : 'when, in asking me to Uft my face, she
said "your beard," I clearly perceived the sting which that implied,*
viz. that he was no infant, but a grown man.
382
XXXI. 76-9^] PURGATORIO
76-8. si distese: 'uplifted itself,' lit. 'opened itself out to
view.' Posarsi, &c. : ' I saw that the angels had ceased to scatter
flowers'; cp. Purg. xxx. 28-30.
79-81. sicure: 'confident in themselves.' volta : from standing
sideways in the car to face Dante, she had turned towards the front
of the car. fiera : the gryphon, the two elements in which, the
eagle and the lion, represent the two natures in our Lord ; cp. Purg.
xxix. 108.
84. Vincer che, &c. : Vincer is here repeated from the
preceding line, and 'v'lncea is understood after Che ; ' to surpass,
I say, her former self more than she surpassed other women,' &c.
The form of expression is awkward, and Che vincer or Che viricea
would be preferable readings, but the MS. authority is strongly in
its favour.
86, 87. di tutt' altre, &c. : ' of all other things, that which most
turned me aside (from Beatrice) in my love of it, became most repulsive
to me.'
88-90. riconoscenza : ' self-conviction ' ; cp. se riconoscendo^
1. 66. e quale, &c. : ' and what was my state, when in that swoon
(allora), she (Beatrice) alone knows, who was the cause of my
fainting.' Salsi : ^or se lo sa', cp. Purg. v. 135.
91—3. quando, &c. : 'when my heart restored power to my
outward senses,' i. e. when I recovered from fainting. La Donna,
&c. : Matelda, the Donna soletta of Purg. xxviii. 40. dicea, &c. :
' she was saying, " Hold fast to me." ' Matelda, who represents
the active life of good works, which leads up to the contemplative
life (Beatrice), plunges Dante in Lethe, and causes him to drink of
its waters, thus taking away from him the recollection of past sin,
after which he is allowed to see Beatrice unveiled. In this part of
the poem the interest of the story is so concentrated on Dante that
we hear nothing of Statius having drunk of the water of Lethe,
though in Purg. xxxiii. 134, 135 it is implied that he drank of that
of Eunoe. But we may infer that he did so, for it appears from Inf.
xiv. 136-8 that all the souls which passed out of Purgatory partook
of Lethe.
96. Sopr* esse : 'just over,' 'over the surface of; for esse
see note on Inf. xxxiv. 4 1 . spola : a weaver's shuttle, which is
here taken as the emblem of light and swift movement.
98. Asperges me : Ps. li. 7, ' Thou shalt purge me with hyssop,
383
PURGATORIO [xxxi. ioo-25
and I shall be clean ; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow.' This is sung by the angels, who here, as in Purg. xxx. 82,
represent the element of compassion.
100-2. nelle braccia aprissi : 'opened her arms'; for the
form of expression cp. Purg. x. 49, ' mi mossi col viso.' mi
sommerse, Ove : ' plunged me to a depth at v/hich.'
104, 105. quattro belle: the four cardinal virtues; see Purg.
xxix. 130, where they are described as dancing {^facean festa).
coperse : in token of protection, signifying that he was thenceforth
secure against vice.
106-8. stelle : these are the same four stars, which are mentioned
in Purg. i. 23. As has been remarked in the note to that passage,
they are probably allegorical, and real stars are not referred to. Pria
che, &c. : allegorically — before the knowledge of the Divine Wisdom
was revealed to men, the cardinal virtues were ordained to prepare
the way for it.
1 09-1 1. Menrenti : for // meneremo. nel giocondo, &c. : ' the
three theological virtues, which are on the other side of the car, as
they have greater intuition in spiritual things, will help your eyes
to see more clearly in the glad light which shines in those of
Beatrice.' Faith, Hope, and Love are the true preparation for the
study of divine truth.
114. volt a a noi : when Dante stood facing the Gryphon which
drew the car, Beatrice who was standing on the front of the car
would be opposite to him.
115. Fa che, &c. : ' be not chary of thy looks.'
120. Che pur, &c. : 'which were steadfastly fixed on the
Gryphon alone.'
123. Or con uni, &c. : 'now with the one, now with the other
function.' This is explained by doppia in the preceding line. Christ
was reflected in the eyes of Beatrice (was revealed in theological
truth), at one time in the semblance of an eagle (as God), at another
time in that of a lion (as Man).
125, 126. Quando vedea, &c. : 'when I saw that the thing
(the Gryphon), while it was in itself unchanged (the two elements,
the eagle and the lion forming one creature), yet, as seen in its image
(as reflected in the eyes of Beatrice), took more than one form (was
seen sometimes as an eagle, sometimes as a lion).' Allegorically
this means — Christ in himself is one Person, with two natures
384
XXXI. 129-45] PURGATORIO
inseparably and indivlsibly united in that Person ; yet in theology he
may be regarded sometimes as God, sometimes as Man.
129. saziando, &c. : cp. Ecclus. xxiv. 21, where Wisdom
says — ' They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink
me shall yet be thirsty.' The ' food ' is the eyes of Beatiice.
130-2. tribo : 'rank,' Lat. tribus: 'showing by their bearing
that they were of the higher rank,' i. e. higher than the cardinal
virtues. 1' altre tre : the theological virtues, caribo : a song to
accompany dancing, like lallata : Casini refers to D' Ancona, Antiche
Rime Volgari^ vol. i. p. 388, where the word is used in this sense
by Giacomo Pugliese, a poet anterior to Dante.
135. ha mossi, &c. : ' has journeyed so far.'
136-8. Per grazia, &c. : 'of thy grace do us the favour.' La
seconda bellezza : this is Beatrice's smile, her former charm being
her eyes : the eyes represent demonstration, i. e. the statement of the
truth; the smile persuasion. Cp. Conv. iii. 15. II. 13-6, ' Gli
occhi della Sapienza sono le sue dimostrazioni, . . . . e '1 suo riso
sono le sue persuasioni.'
140-2. pallido: pale with study. 'Who ever studied so
assiduously beneath the shades (i. e. groves) of Parnassus, or drank
such inspiration from its fountain (Castalia), as not to feel his mind
oppressed.'
144, 145. La, dove, &c. : ' in the Terrestrial Paradise, where the
Heaven envelops (lit. overshadows) thee In its harmonies ' ; the
meaning apparently is, that the revelation of Beatrice's face calls down
the music of the spheres ; but it is a very obscure passage. Quando,
&c. : ' when thou didst unveil thyself in the open air.'
CANTO XXXII
Argument. — The procession moves away from the neighbour-
hood of the stream, and halts at the foot of a lofty tree, to the
trunk of which the Gryphon attaches the pole of the car. Dante
now falls asleep, and on waking finds that Beatrice has left the car,
and is seated on the ground beneath the tree surrounded by the
Virtues, while the Gryphon has ascended into Heaven, accompanied
by the remaining figures that formed the procession. In the scene
TOZER 385 C C
PURGATORIO [xxxii. 2-21
which follows the principal crises in the history of the Church are
allegorically described.
Lines 2, 3. la decenne sete : Dante's longing for the sight of
Beatrice, which had lasted from her death in 1290 until the date
of the Vision in 1300. spenti : 'extinguished/ i. e. in abeyance.
4-6. Ed essi, &c. : ' and my eyes were restrained by a wall of
indifference on either hand,' being concentrated on what was before
them. The form of expression was probably suggested by Ex. xiv.
22, 'The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on
their left.' 1' antica rete : the attractiveness which won Dante's
love on earth.
8, 9. quelle Dee : the three theological virtues, which had just
invoked Beatrice (Purg. xxxi. 131). As they were stationed on
the right of the car (Purg. xxix. 121), they were on the left of
Dante, who was facing it. Troppo fiso : ' you are contemplating
Beatrice's face too attentively ' ; allegorically — ' Do not pry into the
mysteries of Revelation.'
10. a veder : take with disposizion, 'condition of the sight,'
lit. ' disposition towards seeing.'
I3~5* ^1 poco : 'my sight adapted itself once more to the
inferior splendour — inferior, I mean, compared with that superior
object, from which perforce I turned my eyes.' The inferior
splendour is the car and its accompanying pageant, the superior the
eyes of Beatrice. Sensibile ; lit. ' object of the sense of sight ' ;
for the substantival use cp. visibile, Purg. xv. 1 5.
16-8. Vidi, &c. : ' I saw that the glorious army (the procession)
had wheeled to the right, and were retracing their steps with the
sun and the seven flames (the candlesticks) in front of them.' The
sun, which was in the east, would now be in front of (opposite to)
the procession, because the procession had previously been moving
westwards, as is shown from Dante having met it when he was
going east ('a levante mi rendei,' Purg. xxix. 12).
19-21. Come, &c. : the movement of the procession in turning
gradually round is compared to that of a squadron retiring from
the field in a similar manner, the fore part of the column with
its standard (col segno) drawing off, before the centre begins
to move. In this movement by the right a letreating force would
have the shield-arm towards the enemy (sotto gli scudi).
386
XXXII. 22-39] PURGATORIO
22-4. Quella milizia, &c. : the twenty-four elders, il primo
legTio : the pole.
25-7. alle rote, &c. : the two bands composed of the theolo-
gical and cardinal virtues, which had come forward to conduct
Dante to Beatrice and present him to her (Purg. xxxi. 109, 131),
now return to their original position by the right and left wheels
respectively. il grifon, &c. : ' the Gryphon drew the car with
its sacred burden (Beatrice) onward, yet so that not one of his
feathers was thereby moved.' Allegorically — Christ, though He
moves the Church, is in Himself immutable.
29, 30. la rota, &c. : the right wheel, on which the car was
turning, and which consequently described a smaller arc than the other.
31-3. vota, &c. : 'uninhabited in consequence of Eve's sin.'
crese : for credeite. temprava, &c. : ' regulated our steps.'
34-6. prese : ' is wont to measure.* scese : the descent of
Beatrice from the car marks a change in that which is represented :
whereas hitherto the glorification of Theology (Beatrice) has been
the purpose of the divine pageant, now the main subject is the
fortunes of the Church (the car). We learn from 11. 103-5 that
the scenes which follow were introduced in order that Dante might
record them for the instruction of mankind.
37-9. Adamo : the mention of the name is a protest against
Adam's sin, as they approach the Tree of Knowledge of good and
evil, cerchiaro : ' encircled,' in the sense of ' formed a circle
round,' cp. 1. 46. pianta : this tree has already been referred
to in Purg. xxiv. 1 1 6 as growing on the summit of the Mountain
of Purgatory. But we enter here on another system of allegory,
for the tree is also symbolical of the Empire. The connexion
between these two allegorical interpretations is traceable in two
points, viz. (i) that the tree is the symbol of submission to authority;
(2) that it cannot be violated with impunity. The former of these
applies to the Tree of Knowledge as representing the prohibitive
commandment of God, to the Empire as being the institution which
embodies the idea of temporal authority. The latter is true of the
Tree of Knowledge because its fruit was forbidden to be plucked,
of the Empire because it was an ordinance existing under divine
sanctions ; cp. Purg. xxxiii. 55-63. The views of the Empire
here mentioned are everywhere conspicuous in Dante's De Mon-
arch'ta. dispogliata : the tree is spoken of as being stripped of
387 c c 2
PURGATORIO [xxxii. 40-60
its flowers and leaves, because the Roman Empire before the coming of
Christ was destitute of those virtues which are the ornament of a state.
40-2. coma : this must mean the branches and twigs, since
there were no leaves, si dilata : this feature has been already
found in the trees in the Circle of the gluttonous (Purg. xxii.
133-5), one of which was derived from the tree spoken of in the
present passage (Purg. xxiv. 115-7). In the case of those trees
its object is to prevent the branches from being reached ; and here
in like manner it is intended to signify that no man may lay hands
on or tamper with the Empire; cp. Purg. xxxiii. 65, 66, and note.
Indi : Virgil {Georg. ii. 122-4) speaks of the height of the trees
in India — 'ubi aera vincere summum Arboris baud ullae iactu
potuere sagittae.'
43-5. non discindi, &c. : 'dost not pluck aught of this tree,'
i. e. dost not appropriate the temporal advantages of the Empire.
Christ renounced all temporal power ; He said, ' My kingdom is
not of this world.' dolce al gusto, &c. : cp. Rev. x. 10, where
it is said of the little book, ' It was in my mouth sweet as honey,
and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter.' si torce il
ventre : this intimates allegorically the result of the spiritual power
interfering with the temporal.
46-8. robust D : cp. Dan. iv. 20 (Vulg. iv. 17), 'Arborem,
quam vidisti sublimem atque rohustam^^ in which passage the kingly
power is spoken of, as here the imperial. binato : ' of two
natures'; cp. Purg. xxxi. 81. Si, &c. : by abstention on the part
of the Church from things temporal. The words are adapted from
Matt. iii. 15, 'Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.*
49-51. volto al temo, &c. : this implies that the Gryphon
turned round and faced the pole of the car. The pole with its
cross-piece represents the Cross, by which Christ draws His Church.
His attaching this to the stem of the Tree of Knowledge denotes
the connexion which exists between the Church and the Empire,
though the two act independently, vedova frasca : ' leafless tree.'
quel di lei, &c. : ' left bound to the tree that which proceeded from
the tree,' viz. the Cross. Buti gives the story, that when Adam was
dying the angel who guarded the gate of Paradise gave to his son
Seth a branch from the Tree of Knowledge ; this was planted, and
from it was taken the wood of which the Cross was made.
52-60. In these lines Dante describes, by the symbolism of the
388
XXXII. 5^-74] PURGATORIO
bare tree bursting into flower, the vivifying effect on the Empire of
its contact with the Chui-ch.
52-4. quando, &c. : in the early spring, when the sun is in
Aries ; ' when the light of the great luminary descends to earth in
combination with that light which beams in the wake of the heavenly
Roach,' i. e. with Aries, the sign of the zodiac which comes next to
Pisces.
56, 57. pria che, &c. : before the sun enters another constella-
tion of the zodiac.
58-60. Men che, &c. : * disclosing a hue intermediate between
rose and violet ' ; this probably means the colour of the imperial
purple, ramora ; archaic plur. from ramo. sole : ' bare.'
61-3. qui: on earth, soffersi : 'endured to Hsten to.'
64-6. assonnaro : intrans. ' sank asleep ' : the reference here,
as in Purg. xxix. 95, is to the story of Argus, whom Mercury lulled
to sleep by relating to him the history of the nymph Syrinx, and
afterwards slew ; Ov. Met. i. 689-719. spietati : ' merciless ' in
their watchfulness in guarding lo. a cui, &c. : ' whose too great
watchfulness cost them so dear,' i. e. caused the death of Argus.
67-9. che con, &c. : ' who has an original picture from which to
copy.' qual vuol, &c. : ' he that would describe the process of
falling asleep must look to it that he do it well ' ; lit. ' let it be
that (sia che) whosoever wishes to attempt it (qual vuol) should
describe well the falling asleep.' The meaning is, that it is no easy
matter to represent the transition state between consciousness and
unconsciousness. Philalethes remarks that Dante has been singularly
successful in doing this in Purg. xviii. 141 foil.
71. un splendor : this arose from the mystic procession depart-
ing to Heaven.
73-81. Dante's losing and recovering consciousness is compared
to the change which passed over the three Apostles at the time of
our Lord's Transfiguration.
73, 74. a veder : take with condotti, 1. 76. del fioretti, &c. :
' some few flowers of the apple-tree,' &c. The apple-tree is Christ,
the glory of whose presence was enjoyed in foretaste (as flowers,
fioretti) by the three Apostles, but is partaken of in its fulness (as
fruit, porno) in Heaven. The apple-tree is specially chosen because
of Cant. ii. 3, ' As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is
my beloved among the sons.'
389
PURGATORIO [xxxii. 76-160
76-8. condotti: 'led' by Christ; cp. Matt. xvll. i, 'Jesus
bringeth them up into a high mountain apart.* E vinti, &c. : ' and
having been overpowered by the sight, recovered themselves on hearing
the word by which Christ raised the dead.* The word meant is
Surgi^ 1. 72. After the Transfiguration Jesus said, ' Arise, and be not
afraid,' Matt. xvii. 7.
79-81. E videro, &c. : 'and saw their company diminished by
(the loss of) both Moses and Elias.' cangiata : ' changed,* because
it had lost its brightness.
87. in sulla sua radice : as the tree is the Empire, and the
roots of that are Rome, this means that Christian truth (Beatrice)
resides in Rome under the protection of the Empire.
88, 89. la compagnia : the Virtues ; see 11. 97-9. senvanno
suso : ' are ascending to Heaven ' ; the figure of our Lord (the
Gryphon), and the whole of the procession, except the car and the
seven candlesticks and the seven Virtues, have disappeared. In other
words — the Church no longer enjoys the visible presence of Christ and
of those who testified to His truth (the representatives of the Books
of the Old and New Testament), but is left to the guidance of the
Holy Spirit (the Seven Candlesticks), and is quickened by the practice
of virtue (the seven Nymphs). Beatrice (the true Faith) is also
present there.
93. Quella, &c. : ' Beatrice, the sight of whom had excluded all
other thoughts from my mind.*
94-6. Sola : this means that Christian truth is self-sufficing, and
needs no extraneous support, terra vera : ' the very, bare earth.'
Allegorically, this is an amplification of what is signified by sola,
viz. that Theology is absolutely detached from other aids, alia :
a is used here in the sense of ' by ' of the agent after a verb of
perception ; cp. Purg. viii. 106.
100-2. silvano : 'a forest-dweller* ; Dante would be so while
he remained in the Terrestrial Paradise, quella Roma, &c. : the
kingdom of Heaven, of which Christ himself is a citizen.
1 09-60. The part of the allegorical vision which here commences
relates the principal crises in the history of the Church. The historical
sequence of the events referred to affords some help towards the
interpretation. The following is a summary of them, according to
the explanation which is given below, (i) The persecution of the
Church by the Roman emperors, 11. 109-1 7. (2) The early heresies,
390
XXXII. 109-26] PURGATORIO
and especially that of Arius, 11. 118-23. (3) The Donation of
Constantine, 11. 124-9. (4) '^^^ "^^ of Mahometanism, 11. 130-5.
(5) The gifts of land bestowed on the Church by Pepin and Charles
the Great, and their effects, 11. 136-47. (6) The relations of the
Papacy and the French Monarchy, especially in the time of Boniface
VIII, 11. 148-56. (7) The removal of the Papal See to Avignon,
11. 157-60.
109-11. Non scese, &c. : the expressions used in this simile
are best explained by a reference to Ar. Meteorol. ii. 9. 2-4, from
which passage Dante has taken his theory of the formation of lightning.
This, Aristotle says, is generated in the higher regions of the air
(cp. quel confine che piu va remoto), because, the cold there
being most extreme, the clouds are the most dense (cp. spessa
nube). Lightning, being squeezed out by the density of the cloud,
falls downwards (cp. piove) instead of ascending, as fire usually
does. See Moore, Studies, i. p. 130. For piove in the sense
of ' falls ' cp. Inf. xxiv. 122; xxx. 95. piu va remoto ; 'stretches
farthest into the distance.*
1 1 2—5. 1' uccel di Giove, &c. : the eagle is the Imperial symbol,
and its striking the car (1. 115) signifies the persecutions of the
Church by the heathen emperors. And as the flowers and leaves
which the bare tree had put forth (11. 58-60) signify the graces and
virtues which contact with the Church had produced in the Empire,
the rending of them signifies the diminution of those graces, and the
tearing of the bark of the tree the consequent injury to the Empire
itself. The description of the eagle rending the tree is from
Ezek. xvii. 3, 4.
116, 117. fortuna: *a storm.' or da poggia, &c. : 'now to
starboard, now to larboard.' Poggia is the rope which is attached
to the right hand side, orza that attached to the left hand side, of
the yard.
1 18-20. cuna : ' the body of the car,' lit. ' cradle.' volpe : this
is Heresy, which treacherously creeps into the bosom of the Church,
but is expelled by Theology or sound doctrine, pasto buon, &c. :
'starving from wholesome food,' i. e. refusing sound doctrine.
122. futa: 'flight,' an archaic word. 'My Lady put him to as
swift a flight As such a fleshless skeleton could bear ' (Longf.).
Dante regarded heresy as unhealthy and contemptible.
125,126. area: ' the interior of the car.' disepennuta: the
391
PURGATORIO [xxxii. 128-45
feathers left by the eagle In the car signify the (fictitious) Donation
of the States of the Church by the emperor Constantine to Pope
Sylvester. This commencement of temporalities Dante denounced
in Inf. xlx. 115-7 as the origin of the corruption of the Church.
128, 129. cotal disse, &c. : the early commentators refer to
a legend, that after the Donation of Constantine a voice from Heaven
was heard saying — ' Hodle diffusum est venenum in Ecclesia Dei.'
131. un drago : the figure is suggested by the dragon of Rev.
xli. 3, 4, whose tall drew the third part of the stars of heaven. In
the present passage it probably signifies Mahometanism, which robbed
the Church of a large portion of the world. Some think it is the
Iconoclastic controversy ; but that was not specially important from
a Western point of view, and, moreover, it was a breach within the
Church, whereas in what is described here the attack comes from
without, and from the powers of Hell. This last objection applies
also to the view that the Great Schism is intended ; and this too
does not suit the historical order, because that event occurred after
the time of Pepin and Charles the Great, whereas here they are
Introduced later.
135. del fondo : part of the floor of the car. vago vago :
' in devious course ' ; the original meaning of the word, ' wandering,'
suits the irregular, tortuous movement of the serpent. Allegorically
this Implies the unstable character of a false religion.
136-9. Quel che rimase, &c. : 'the remaining part of the car
covered itself anew with the feathers, which were presented to it,
maybe, with a sound and generous motive.' The feathers, as before,
are donations of the emperors, and those here meant are the gifts of
land bestowed on the Church by Pepin and Charles the Great.
140, 141. El* una, &c. : by the two wheels and the pole the
remaining part of the car Is intended, in tanto, &c. : ' in less time
than it takes for a sigh to pass the lips.'
142-6. Trasformato cosi : 'owing to the change thus wrought,'
i. e. under the pernicious influence of temporal possessions. il
dificio santo : the car. teste : in what follows the seven heads
and ten horns are evidently taken from Rev. xiii. i. The meaning,
as they are here introduced, has been variously interpreted, but the
most probable view is that of Phllalethes, that the heads are the seven
deadly sins ; and that, as the horn is the symbol of strength, the
first three of these, Pride, Envy, and Anger, being sins of the spirit,
392
XXXII. 148-60] PURGATORIO
have two horns each, while the remaining four, Sloth, Avarice,
Gluttony, and Lust, being sins of the flesh, have one each.
148-50. rocca : ' fortress.' Seder, &c. : ' sitting upon the car
I beheld an abandoned harlot, with eyes quick to glance around.'
The figure of the harlot is from Rev. xvii. 3 ; here it represents the
Papacy in the hands of Boniface VIII and Clement V, while the
giant (1. 152) is the French monarchy represented by Philip
the Fair.
1 5 1-3. come, &c. : this explains the position and attitude of the
giant ; ' as if to prevent her from being taken from him, I saw upright
beside her a giant.' baciavansi, &c. : this is adapted from Rev.
xvii. 2, ' with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication.'
The sympathy which existed between the Popes and Philip the Fair
in opposition to the Emperors is here referred to.
^55) ^5^' A me: Dante introduces himself, because he is
supposed to be present at this scene, and the presence of any man
is sufficient to excite the desires of the harlot and the jealousy of
her lover. The rapprochements here intended are those between
Boniface and Albert of Austria. La flagello : this means the
shameful treatment of Boniface by the agents of Philip at Anagni,
which resulted in his death.
158-60. il mostro : this expression, and also the ' strange beast '
of 1. 160, mean the Church in its corrupt and perverted state
(Trasformato, 1. 142). Disciolse signifies the removal of the
Papal See to Avignon by Clement V, who was the creature of Philip ;
by this proceeding the Church was detached from the Empire (the
tree), and removed to a distance from Rome. The ' wood ' is the
world with its unprincipled and entangled politics. Observe that both
this event and the ill treatment of Boniface were subsequent to 1 300,
and consequently are mentioned in the form of prophecies from the
point of view of that date, sol di lei, &c. : ' he made a screen
(lit. shield) of it (the wood) alone between me and the harlot with
her transformed car ' ; the interposing trees sufficed to hide these
objects from my sight. Dante here speaks in the character of an
ordinary pious Catholic of the period, to whom the removal of the
Papacy from Rome was an obscuration of the idea of the true
Church. At the same time he rejoices that that calamity was partly
shrouded from his view by the political complications which ac-
companied it.
393
PURGATORIO [XXXIII. 1-24
CANTO XXXIII
Argument. — Beatrice leaves the tree, accompanied by the seven
Virtues, and by Matelda, Statius, and Dante. After bidding Dante
to walk beside her, she foretells to him that the troubles which the
Church was then passing through would be compensated by the
punishment of those who caused them, and orders him to publish
this announcement to mankind. At last they reach a fountain,
from which the streams of Lethe and Eunoe issue, and flow in
different directions ; here Matelda, following Beatrice's injunctions,
conducts Dante to the water of Eunoe, and causes him to drink of it.
Lines 1-3. Deus, &c. : Ps. Ixxix. i, 'O God, the heathen
are come into thine inheritance ' ; this is here applied to the havoc
wrought in the Church by hostile powers, such as the French
monarchs. Le donne : the three theological and the four cardinal
virtues, singing the psalm antiphonally (alternando).
4-6. pia : 'compassionate.' si fatta : 'in aspect such.' si
cambio : ' changed countenance.'
9. colorata, &c. : i. e. blushing with indignation and zeal.
10-2. Modicum, &c. : the words are our Lord's, John xvi. 16.
The reference in non videbitis me is to the removal of the Papal
See to Avignon, which from the point of view of that time was
a subversal of true Church principles ; and that in vos videbitis me
is to the subsequent restoration of the Papal See to Rome, ac-
companied by a moral reformation in the Church. Beatrice, who
represents true doctrine in general, is here regarded as signifying the
right view of God's government in the Church, which would be
temporarily obscured and afterwards reaffirmed. The ten -syllable
lines here and in 11. 8 and 1 2 are justified by the rhyming words in
two of them being in Latin ; the same metrical peculiarity is found
in Purg. xxiii. 74 and Par. vii. i, where the rhyming words, or
one of them, are in Hebrew.
15. il Savio, &c. : Statius, who remained when Virgil departed.
21. ben disposto : ' in a favourable position.'
22-4. Si come, &c. : 'as soon as I was by her side, as was
394
XXXIII. 34-43] PURGATORIO
my duty ' — from obedience to her commands, perche non, &c. :
' why dost thou not venture to ask me for explanations ? '
34-6. il vase : the car, i. e. the Church, is meant ; cp. Purg.
xxxii. 131, 132. Vaso is similarly used of the Ark in Purg. x. 64 ;
its primary meaning in this metaphorical sense is that of ' receptacle.'
Fu, e non e : from Rev. xvii. 8. The meaning is, that in the eyes
of God the Papacy, which represents the Church, ceased to exist
when its seat was transferred to Avignon, ma chi, &c. : ' but let
him who is responsible for the deed (Philip the Fair, who was the
chief agent in bringing about this change) lay this to heart, that the
vengeance of God fears not (is not liable to be hindered by) any
sop.* The reference in suppe is to a certain limitation which existed
to the practice of the vendetta, viz. that if the murderer could eat a sop
of bread and wine at the grave of his victim within nine days from
the time of death, he was free from the vengeance of the family.
The relations of the murdered man kept watch to prevent this.
Beatrice's meaning then is — there are no limitations to hinder the
execution of divine vengeance.
37-9. Non sar^, &c. : ' the eagle (the Imperial line) which left
its feathers on the car (cp. Purg. xxxii. 125, 126) will not be for
ever without an heir.' According to Dante there had been no real
Emperor since Frederic II (see Conv. iv. 3. 11. 38-43), because his
successors had neglected the affairs of Italy, which Dante regarded
as the most important function of the Emperor, as he says in his
appeal to the emperor Albert in Purg. vi. 97-105. Per che, &c. :
' owing to which (the dotations) it became first a prodigy (Purg.
xxxii. 136 foil.) and afterwards a prey {ibid. 1. 158).'
40, 41. io veggio, &c. : ' I see stars (stellar influences by which
the fortunes of men are regulated) even now drawing nigh, to assign
us the time, at which (Nel quale, 1. 43).'
43. un cinquecento diece e cinque : the idea of describing
a person by a number is derived from the number of the Beast in
Rev. xiii. 18. The great majority of expositors regard the number
here, which in Roman letters is DXV, as equivalent to DUX by
transposition of the last two letters. If we accept this view, we can
hardly interpret its significance apart from that of the Veltro in Inf.
i. 1 01. It seems probable that in both cases a 'coming man' is
intended, to whom Dante looked forward as the regenerator of Italy,
and the restorer of the Church and the Papacy to their rightful
395
PURGATORIO [xxxiii. 45-8
position. In the Inferno the person who is darkly hinted at as
destined to fulfil this office is Can Grande della Scala, while here
men's hopes are turned towards a member of the Imperial line, who
is soon to arise (11. 37, 38). His primary function is to exact
vengeance for the iniquitous alliance between the Papacy and the court
of France {anddera,&c., 11. 44, 45). According to another explanation,
which has been proposed by Dr. Moore in a pamphlet entitled ' The
"DXV" Prophecy in the Divina Commedia' (printed for private
circulation), the person here intended is definitely the emperor Henry
VII. This conclusion he deduces primarily from a careful con-
sideration of the language of the context preceding ; but he also
thinks that the same result may be obtained by estimating the
numerical values assigned to the letters which form his name in
the Hebrew alphabet. He has proved that there is a very large
amount of mediaeval Kabbalistic literature, in which this method
of interpretation by the numerical value assigned to the Hebrew
letters is practised ; and also, that some of the writers of this class,
and certainly the mystical system of interpretation itself, can hardly
fail to have been well known to Dante. Now the name Arrico —
which is a legitimate form of the name of Henry of Luxemburg —
when the numerical value of the letters which compose it is estimated
according to the Hebrew computation, is equivalent to 511 (^ = i,
r = 200, r = 200, / = 10, c = 100), without taking into account
the value of the final letter 0. This vowel does not appear (like
the rest) to have had, at least in mediaeval times, any definitely
recognized equivalent in the Hebrew alphabet, and therefore its
numerical value requires to be assigned on independent lines ; this,
according to Dr. Moore, might probably have been taken by Dante
as 4, inasmuch as it is the fourth vowel. Thus the total becomes
515, the number which Dante gives.
45. fuia : ' robber' ; see note on Inf. xii. 90.
46-8. forse che, &c. : ' maybe that my dark utterance persuades
thee less'; for the use of forse che cp. Purg. iv. 98; xxi. 121.
Qual Temi, &c. : ' Hke (that of) Themis and the Sphinx.' The
riddles of the Sphinx are well known. The enigmatical response of
Themis, which is here referred to, is that which she gave to
Deucalion and Pyrrha after the Flood, Ov. Mei. i. 379-89.
attuia : ' obscures * ; the etymology of the word is doubtful ; some
connect it with Lat. obiurare^ 'to close up.'
396
XXXIII. 49-72] PURGATORIO
49-51. Ma tosto, &c. : ' but soon events will be the interpreters*;
coming events will furnish the explanation. The history of the
meaning here attached to Naiade is a curious one. Though it is
now known from MSS. discovered since Dante's time that Ovid in
the passage here referred to {Met. vii. 759, 760) wrote ' Carmina
Laiades non intellecta priorum Solverat ingeniis ' — where ' Laiades '
means Oedipus, who solved the riddle of the Sphinx — yet all the
MSS. of Ovid that were known in the middle ages read 'Naiades
. . . solvunt'; hence Dante, following his text of Ovid, regarded the
Naiads as the interpreters of enigmas. Senza, &c. : ' without (as
in the case of Thebes) its causing ruin to the flocks ' ; cp. Ovid,
1. 764, 'exitio pecorum.*
52-4. porte: 'uttered'; cp. Purg. xxx. 141. Del viver, &c.:
take with ai vivi ; ' the Hving (I mean) who live that life which
is a race towards death.' The real life is the eternal life which
Beatrice herself enjoys.
565 57' qiial hai, &c. : 'in what condition thou hast seen the
tree.' due volte : very different views exist as to the two occasions
which are here referred to ; but the special mention of Adam's sin
in 1. 61 seems to point to that as one of them ; and Beatrice's in-
tention that a lesson should be drawn by Dante's readers (1. 55)
suggests that the separation of the car from the tree (i. e. of the
Church from the Empire), which was effected by the' giant (Purg.
xxxii. 158), is the other.
59. bestemmia di fatto : sacrilege.
62, 63. Cinquemili' anni e piii : in Par. xxvi. 118-23 Adam
is made to say that he spent 930 years on earth and 4,302 in Limbo,
i. e. 5,232 years in all. Colui : Christ, who paid in His own person
the penalty for Adam's sin in eating of the apple.
65, 66. Per singular, &c. : i. e. that the grandeur and inviola-
bility of the Empire is ordained by Providence, travolta : ' in-
verted,' because it widened as it ascended, so that its branches might
be out of reach of the hands of spoilers ; cp. Purg. xxxii. 40, 41.
67-9. E se, &c. : 'and, had not your mind been hardened by
worldly thoughts, and stained by the pleasure derived from them.'
Elsa : a tributary of the Arno with petrifying powers. Piramo :
the death of Pyramus was the cause of the mulberry changing from
white to a dark colour ; cp. Purg. xxvii. 39.
70-2. Per tante, &c. : ' by all these incidents (of the vision)
397
PURGATORIO [xxxiii. 74-99
without further aid thou wouldst recognize the justice of God in the
prohibition not to touch the tree, in its moral interpretation/ In
other words — the moral of the symbolical occurrences which you
have seen is, that no one should put forth his hand to attack the
Empire, just as our First Parents were forbidden to pluck the fruit
of the Tree of Knowledge, moralmente : Dante explains in Conv.
ii. I. 11. 42-51, that the moral, as distinguished from the literal and
the allegorical sense of a statement, is that in which it is regarded
in its application to life and practice.
74. ed, impietrato, tinto : 'and, in addition to being hardened,
stained.'
76-8. se non, &c. : 'if not in words, at least in outline.' per
quello, &c. : 'for the same reason, for which a pilgrim (' palmer ')
carries his staff girt with palm-leaves,' viz. as a memorial token — in
Dante's case, as a remembrance of his visit to the Terrestrial
Paradise.
84. s' aiuta : ' it applies itself to understand it ' ; cp. Purg.
xii. 130.
85-7. Perche, &c. : 'in order that you may estimate the worth
of that school which you have followed, and may see how little its
teaching is capable of following in the wake of my discourse.' By
the ' school ' are meant the disciples of human philosophy, which
study Dante had cultivated to the disregard of theology.
88-90. vostra: the plural here signifies 'of you and your school.'
si discorda : ' is separated ' ; cp. Is. Iv. 9, ' as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.' piii
alto festina : the highest or outermost of the moving spheres,
which consequently revolves the most rapidly, is the Frimum Mobile;
cp. Conv. ii. 4. 11. 19—21.
91. mi ricorda: for this impersonal use see note to Inf. ix. 98,
' se ben vi ricorda.'
92. voi : this is the plural of dignity. The other personages in
the poem whom Dante addresses in this manner are Farinata (Inf.
X. 51), Cavalcante (Inf. x. 63), Brunetto Latini (Inf. xv. 30),
Adrian V (Purg. xix. 131), Guido Guinicelli (Purg. xxvi. 112),
and Cacciaguida (Par. xvi. 10).
96. ancoi : 'but now,' for anche oggi.
97-9. se dal fummo, &c. : 'just as, when we see smoke, we
infer the presence of fire, so your having turned your thoughts to
398
XXXIII. 100-12] PURGATORIO
another than me (tua voglia altrove attenta) is shown to have
been culpable by your having forgotten it in the water of Lethe,' for
it is only of sins that Lethe causes forgetfulness.
IOO-2. oramai, &c. : 'henceforward what I say will be clear, so
far as it will be suitable to reveal it to your unpractised view.'
103-5. E piu, &c. : the time is now midday of the fourth day on
the Mountain of Purgatory. At noon the sun is brightest (piii cor-
rusco), and the imagination naturally conceives that it pauses or
slackens its speed (con piti lenti passi) when it reaches the highest
point of its course : thus Shelley in his Hymn of Apollo makes the Sun
to say, ' I stand at noon upon the peak of heaven,' and Sophocles
says {Ant. 415, 416), ev aWipt fxicni} KaTeamr) XafXTrpos rjXlov kvkXos.
Dante repeats the idea in Par. xxiii. 11, 12, where he describes the
meridian as 'la plaga, Sotto la quale il sol mostra men fretta.' Che,
&c. : ' which, with the point of view, shifts here and there' (Longf.) ;
i. e. the meridian circle, which is crossed by the sun at midday, varies
at each place according to its longitude.
108. novitate a sue vestigge : 'some strange object in his
track.'
109-11. al fin, &c. : i. e. where the shadow of the forest came
to an end. The reason why the darkness of the forest is noticed
especially at this point is the contrast with the light into which they
emerge. Sopra, &c. : ' above their cold brooks the Alps wear ' ;
Alpe, in whatever sense it is used, is always sing, in the Div. Com. ;
cp. Purg. xvii. i.
112. Eufrates e Tigri : Dante could hardly have failed here to
be thinking of the description in Gen. ii. 10, 14 of the common
source of the four rivers of Paradise, of which the Tigris (Hiddekel)
and the Euphrates were two. But the idea of a common source for
these two rivers independently of the other two he derived from the
classics. It is mentioned by three authors with whom Dante was
familiar. Thus Lucan says [Phars. iii. 256-9), ' Quaque caput
rapido tollit cum Tigride magnus Euphrates, quos non diversis
fontibus edit Persis, et incertum, tellus si misceat amnes, quod potius
sit nomen aquis.' Boethius {De Cons. v. Metr. i) writes 'Tigris et
Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt, et mox abiunctis dissociantur
aquis.' Isidore {Orig. xiii. 21. 10) quotes Sallust to the same
effect : ' Sallustius, auctor certissimus, ita asserit Tigrim et Euphra-
tem uno fonte manare in Armenia.' For a possible explanation of
399
PURGATORIO [xxxiii. 113-45
the origin of the fable see H. F. Tozer's History of Ancient
Geography, pp. 270—2.
113, 114. Veder mi parve : ' methought I saw ' ; he saw what
resembled the descriptions of the two rivers. E quasi amici, &c. :
'and lingeringly part, like friends, from one another.'
116, 117. Che acqua, &c. : 'what stream is this, which here
diffuses itself from a single source, and withdraws one portion of its
waters from the other ? '
119. Matelda : Beatrice commissions Matelda to answer this
question, because this is her suitable function as being a regular
occupant of the Terrestrial Paradise. N.B. This is the only place
in which the name of Matelda is given.
121. Questo : the source of the two rivers was described by
Matelda in Purg. xxviii. 121 foil.
124-6. maggior curat the sights which had been presented to
him in the Terrestrial Paradise, priva : 'takes away.' negli
occhi OS cur a : ' dull of vision.'
127-9. vedi Eunoe : the non-elision of the vowel before
Eunoe, and the similar use before Euf rates in 1. 112, seem to show
that Dante admitted hiatus before the diphthong eu. usa : for
usata ; cp. Purg. xii. 85. ' As thou art wont ' seems to imply that
this was Matelda's office in behalf of all the souls that had passed
through Purgatory.
132. per segno : ' by some intimation.'
133. preso : 'taken by the hand.'
137, 138. pur, &c. : ' I would sing at least in part.' LfO dolce
ber : the water of Eunoe restores the recollection of every good
deed; cp. Purg. xxviii. 127-32.
139, 140. piene, &c. : we have here a strong evidence of the
symmetry of the plan of the poem. The total number of verses in
the Div. Com. is 14,233, and of these 4,720 are in the Inf.,
4,755 in the Purg., and 4,758 in the Par., so that the number
assigned to each part is approximately equal. See Mariotti, Dante
e la Statistical p. 25. Ordite : ' planned,' lit. ' warped ' ; the proper
meaning of the verb or dire is ' to begin a web.'
143-5. piante novelle, &c. : 'young trees renewed with fresh
foliage.' For the fanciful repetition in novelle, Rinnovellate,
novella cp. Inf. xxx. 136, 137, and the note on Inf. xiii. 25.
stelle: see note on Par. xxxiii. 145.
400
PARADISO
401 D d
PARADISO
CANTO I
Prefatory Note on Dante's Conception of Heaven.
ACCORDING to Dante's system there are ten Heavens, forming
-^"^ concentric spheres, all of which, with the exception of the
tenth or outermost, revolve round the earth, which is at the centre
and is stationary. Between the earth and the first of these Heavens
the spheres of air and of fire intervene. The velocity of the move-
ment of the spheres increases in proportion to their distance from
the earth. This system is based in the main on that of Ptolemy,
whose astronomical views were known to Dante through the Elementa
Astronomica of Alfraganus (Alfergan), the Arabian astronomer of
Cent, ix., which is an epitome of Ptolemy's work. Further, in
accordance with the views of mediaeval theology, Dante represents
each of the first nine Heavens as being regulated by one of the
Angelic Orders, and as exercising under their guidance a special'
influence on the earth and its inhabitants. In the first Heaven, that
of the Moon, which is directed by Angels, are seen the spirits of
those who failed to keep their monastic vows. In the second, that
of Mercury, which is directed by Archangels, are the spirits of those
who were incited to noble deeds by the desire of fame. In the
third, that of Venus, which is directed by Principalities, are the
spirits of lovers. In the fourth, that of the Sun, which is directed
by Powers, are the spirits of the theologians. In the fifth, that of
Mars, which is directed by Virtues, are the spirits of martyrs and
of warrior saints. In the sixth, that of Jupiter, which is directed
403 D d 2
PARADISO [I. 1-36
by Dominions, are the spirits of those who were pre-eminent in justice.
In the seventh, that of Saturn, which is directed by Thrones, are
the spirits of the contemplative. The eighth, that of the Fixed
Stars, which is directed by Cherubim, has no special occupants, but
in it the Triumph of Christ is revealed to Dante. The ninth Heaven,
which is called the Crystalline, or Primum Mobile^ and is directed by
Seraphim, is the source of the general motion of the Heavens from
east to west. The tenth is the Empyrean Heaven, in which is the
visible presence of God ; here there is neither motion, nor time, nor
place. It is the permanent abode of the Blessed, who only reveal
themselves in the lower spheres in order to intimate to Dante their
various degrees of felicity, and the celestial influences by which they
were affected during their life on earth.
The subject of the Paradiso is one which tasked Dante's poetic
skill to the utmost, not only on account of its sublimity and its
transcendental character, but because of the uniformity of treatment
which it involved. In contrast with the exciting incidents of the
Inferno, and the frequent change of scene in the Purgatorio, the
accompaniments — the atmosphere, we might almost say — of this part
of the poem are light, music and rhythmic movement. The regular
recurrence of these, and the absence of variety which results from it,
required to be counterbalanced by the introduction of other elements,
such as imagination and art can furnish ; and of devices of this
nature the Poet has largely availed himself. In illustration of this it
may be remarked, that the number of the similes which are found
in the Paradiso is very large, so that they exceed by one-third those
that occur in either of the other two parts of the poem.
Argument. — This part of the Divina Commedia commences with
a Prologue, in which the Poet invokes the aid of Apollo to help him
in accomplishing this, the most arduous portion of his task. Dante
and Beatrice are suddenly caught up from the summit of the Earthly
Paradise to the sphere of fire, which intervenes between our atmosphere
and the Heaven of the Moon. When Dante is bewildered at
finding that he has ascended contrary to the laws of gravitation,
Beatrice, in order to explain how this has come to pass, reveals to
him the order of the universe.
Lines 1-36. These lines are to be regarded as a Prologue or
404
I. 2-18] PARADISO
Introduction, as Dante tells us in his letter to Can Grande, Epist,
X. § 17. 11. 287-92.
2. e risplende: 'yet it shines'; though the glory of God
pervades the universe, yet it is manifested in different degrees in
different parts of that universe. Dante himself explains this so
in Letter to Can Grande, § 20. 11. 349-52.
4-6. Nel ciel che piu, &c. : this is the highest Heaven, or
Empyrean, where was the immediate presence of God. Fu' io :
this is almost equivalent to ' I have been.' Dante is apologizing here
for the inadequacy of his account of Paradise, and in doing so he
says that in one part of his journey through that realm he was in the
abode of God's presence, which no mortal can describe. Ne sa,
ne puo : he has not the knoivledge^ because he does not recollect
them; he has not the^ow^r, because human language cannot express
them: cp. Letter to Can Grande, § 29. 11. 573-5. chi, &c. : one
who, like Dante, or like St. Paul (cp. 2 Cor. xii. 2-4), had been
in Heaven and had returned to earth,
7-9. Perche, &c. : ' because our intellect, in drawing near to the
object of its desire (God), reaches such depths, that the memory
cannot follow it,' so as to bring away an account of what it saw;
Letter to Can Grande, § 28. 1. 530, 'memoria sequi non potest.'
10, II. Veramente : 'nevertheless'; cp. Purg. ii. 98; vi. 43.
far tesoro : ' store up,' 'treasure up.'
13-5. Apollo : in the two other Cantiche Dante had invoked
the Muses (Inf. ii. 7 ; Purg. i. 8) ; here he invokes Apollo himself.
si fatto vaso, &c. : ' a fit receptacle of thy power, such as thou
dost require for the gift of thy loved bay,' i. e. as a condition of
bestowing on the Poet the crown of bay-leaves, amato refers to
Apollo's love for Daphne ; cp. diletto^ 1. 25. According to the
story which is given in Ov. Met. i. 543-52, Daphne, who was
a daughter of the river Peneius, was metamorphosed on its banks
into the bay-tree, in order to save her from Apollo who was
pursuing her. In consequence of this the bay is called by Dante
fronda Pene'ta, !• 32.
16-8. Infino, &c. : the general meaning of the passage seems to
be: — 'Hitherto I have been content with the ordinary measure of
poetic inspiration ; for the more exalted subject which remains
I require a twofold measure.' It is well to notice the origin of
the idea concerning the summits of Parnassus, from which Dante's
405
PARADISO [i. 19-21
metaphorical language is drawn. That mountain rises to a single
conspicuous summit ; and when the Greek poets speak of its two
summits (Soph. Ant. 11 26; Eurip. Bacch. 307; cp. Ion. 86-8)
they mean, not the real summit of the mountain, but the two peaks
that rise above Delphi, which are several thousand feet lower.
These expressions were misunderstood by the Roman poets, who
regularly describe Parnassus as rising to two summits ; e. g. Ov.
Met. i. 316, ' Mons ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duobus. Nomine
Parnassus'; Lucan, v. 72, 'Parnassus gemino petit aethera colle.'
Dante followed them, and naturally fell into the same mistake.
Then, as Parnassus is the representative of poetic inspiration, he
quaintly regards the two summits as a double portion of that inspira-
tion. There is no sufficient ground for saying, as some commentators
do, that one peak was sacred to Apollo, the other to Bacchus and
the Muses ; and that when the two peaks are named it is implied
that Dante, who hitherto has invoked the Muses, now invokes Apollo
also. Great confusion existed in the minds of post-classical writers
about these two (supposed) peaks of Parnassus, and by some — e. g.
Servius (on Aen. vii. 641 and x. 163) and Isidore (Or/g-. xiv. 8) —
they were identified with Helicon and Cithaeron. But the two
divinities to whom they were regarded as being sacred were Apollo
and Bacchus ; and no writer, so far as we know, with whom Dante
was acquainted, regarded one peak as dedicated to Apollo and the
other to the Muses. In fact, the only passage which may be taken
to imply this is found in the Scholia in Bucolica et Georgtca attributed
to Probus the Grammarian (Georg. iii. 43), and there is no reason to
suppose that Dante knew that work.
19-21. spira tue, &c. : the meaning is: — 'Grant me that in-
spiration which thou didst thyself feel, when thou didst vanquish
and flay Marsyas.' Marsyas challenged Apollo to a contest of skill
in -music, and the god, after he had vanquished him, flayed him alive.
spira refers to the inspiration of Apollo's music, not to his breathing
into the flute, for the instrument which he employed in this contest
was the lyre, traesti, &c. : the act of flaying is somewhat extra-
vagantly described as drawing the victim forth from the scabbard
which encased his limbs. As Dante has borrowed the story from
Ov. Met. vi. 382 foil., this expression was probably in part suggested
by Marsyas' exclamation which occurs in that passage, ' Quid me
mihi detrahis ? ' 1. 385.
406
I. 22-42] PARADISO
22-4. O divina, &c. : ' O divine inspiration (of Apollo), if thou
dost vouchsafe me thyself in such measure, that I may express in
words that shadowy image of the blessed realm which is stamped on
my brain.'
25-7. diletto legno: the bay-tree, as in 1. 15. Che: 'of
which'; cp. Purg. xxi. 53, ' dei tre gradi ch' io parlai.' Instances
of the omission of the prep, with the relative, as here, are most
commonly found when the same prep, occurs with the antecedent.
la materia e tu : 'the subject and thy aid.' farai : the verb here
agrees with the latter of the two subjects; cp. Inf. viii. 28.
29. Per trionfar, &c. : ' for (in honour of) the triumph either of
an emperor or a poet.' This is an imitation of Statius, Ach'ill. i. 15,
' geminae florent vatumque ducumque Certatim laurus.'
31-3. Che partorir, &c. : 'that the foliage of the Peneius (the
bay-tree) must gladden the heart of the gladsome god of Delphi,
when it inspires any one with longing for it.' The epithet lieta
here expresses the character of Apollo as the god of brightness and
joy.
34-6. Poca, &c. : ' a tiny spark is followed by a burst of flame ' ;
similarly, Dante implies, greater poets may be inspired by his example.
Si pregher^, &c. : ' prayer will be made, to evoke a favourable
reply from Delphi.' Cirra : the name of Cirrha, the port of
Delphi, is here used for the oracle itself, as it is by Statius, Theh.
iii. 106, 455, 474.
37-45. The Prologue having been concluded with the preced-
ing line, the Paradiso proper here commences. Dante begins by
stating the time of year, and the time of day, at which his ascent
from the Terrestrial Paradise to Heaven took place. The time of
year was the Vernal Equinox, which is regarded as the most
propitious season because it ushers in the spring. The time of day
was noon (see note on 11. 43-5), which is the culminating point of
the twenty-four hours. Thus the moment of his ascent was
a peculiarly auspicious one.
37, 38. Surge, &c. : the meaning is: — 'The sun rises at
different points of the horizon ' according to the time of year.
foci : lit. ' entrances,' as we speak of the ' gates ' of day.
38-42. ma da quella, &c. : 'but when he comes forth from
that point, which joins four circles with three crosses, his course is
most propitious, and he is in combination with the most beneficent
407
PARADISO [1. 43-6
constellation, and modifies and moulds the mass of the earth most
after his own fashion/ che quattro cerchi, &c. : the point on
the horizon (foce) here intended is that at which the sun rises at
the vernal equinox. At that time the ecliptic, the equator, and the
equinoctial colure intersect one another and the horizon, and the
intersections of the three former of these circles with the horizon
form three crosses. Stella : the constellation of Aries, in which
the sun is at the beginning of spring, when he brings bright weather
in his train (miglior corso). suggella : the formative influence
of the sun on the surface of the earth in bringing on vegetation and
crops, drying marshes, forming streams, &c., is compared to the
impress of a seal on wax.
43-5. Fatto avea, &c. : the difficulty of this passage arises
from the Poet having introduced into one sentence two times of day,
viz. sunrise — which is mentioned in connexion with the preceding
six lines in order to determine the season of the year — and midday,
which is the time intended in the narrative. This difficulty
disappears, if we give due weight to the tenses of the verbs,
pluperfect and imperfect respectively. Paraphrase thus : — ' It was
near this point on the horizon that the sun had risen, making
morning there (in the southern hemisphere, where the Mountain of
Purgatory was), and consequently evening here (in our hemisphere) ;
and the whole of the southern hemisphere ivas nonv (at midday) in
light, and the whole of the opposite hemisphere in darkness.' Tal
foce quasi : lit. ' this* point of sunrise or nearly this point ' ; the
qualifying adverb quasi is added to tal foce, because it was now
April 1 3, and the vernal equinox was on March 2 1 . tutto, &c. :
from what is here said, viz. that the whole of the southern
hemisphere was in light, it follows that it was midday at the
Mountain of Purgatory, which was its central point, as Jerusalem
was that of the northern hemisphere. Consequently Dante's ascent
from the summit of the Terrestrial Paradise must have taken place
at that hour, and not at sunrise, as many interpreters maintain. To
this latter view it is a further objection, that in that case he would
without any reason have passed 1 8 hours on that summit, which he
would have reached at noon on the previous day (Purg. xxxiii. 104).
46. sinistro : Dante's course from his entrance into the
Terrestrial Paradise until he reached its highest point (and
consequently that of Beatrice after she joined him) was from W. to
408
I. 49-72] PARADISO
E. ; cp. Purg. xxvili. 7-12; xxix. 12. Consequently, in order
to face the sun — which at midday was in the N., since they were
in the southern hemisphere — she had to turn to the left.
49-51. SI come, &c. : Dante compares his action in imitating
Beatrice by looking full at the orb of the sun, to the reflexion of
a ray of sunlight from a bright surface. Pur come, &c. : the ray
of light naturally returning to the heaven from which it came is
further compared to a pilgrim longing to return when he has reached
the term of his journey. For another instance of a simile within
a simile cp. Par. iii. 10-5.
52, 53. Cosi, &c. : ' so from her action (of looking at the sun),
which passed through the medium of my eyes into my imagination,
did my action arise' ; cp. 11. 46, 47, where Dante is represented as
looking at Beatrice, while she looks at the sun.
56. loco : the Terrestrial Paradise; cp. Purg. xxviii. 92, 93.
58-60. ne si poco, &c. : ' yet not for so short a space of time
that I failed to see the orb of the sun sparkle all round.' bogliente :
' molten.*
61-3. parve, &c. : 'the light of day appeared to be increased
twofold, as if God, who has the power to do so, had adorned the
heaven with another sun.' The increase of light was due to Dante's
ascent towards heaven, of which at the time he was unconscious.
64-6. rote : the spheres of Heaven, di lassu remote : ' with-
drawing them from above,' i. e. from the sun.
67-9. Nel suo, &c. : 'by looking at her I became inwardly such
as Glaucus became by tasting of the herb, which made him a peer
of the marine divinities.' The story of Glaucus — a fisherman, who
in consequence of eating a divine herb which grew near the seashore
was changed into a sea-god — is given by Ov. Met. xiii. 904 foil.
Glaucus there says of himself (11. 949-51), ' Di maris exceptum
socio dignantur honore, Utque mihi quaecumque feram mortalia
demant Oceanum Tethymque rogant'; and again (11. 958, 959),
' alium me corpore toto Ac fueram nuper, nee eundem mente recepi.'
Similarly, the effect on Dante of contemplating the eyes of Beatrice,
who represents the Divine Wisdom, was to raise him above the
level of his humanity.
70-2. Trasumanar, &c. : 'to express in words the change
from an earthly to a heavenly nature is impossible ; wherefore (as an
aid to realizing it) let the example (of Glaucus) suffice to him, for
409
PARADISO [i. 73-8
whom the grace of God has the experience of it in store (in the
future life).'
73~5' S' io era, &:c. : the meaning is: — 'whether I was at
this time in the spirit only, or in the body also, God only knows.'
This is an adaptation of St. Paul's words concerning his having
been caught up to Heaven — ' whether in the body, I know not ; or
whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth ' (2 Cor. xii.
2). Lit. 'whether I was only that part of me which thou didst
last create (i. e. the spirit), thou knowest.' According to the
Creationist view of the origin of the rational soul which Dante
maintained (see note on Purg. xxv. 67-75), when the fetus was
formed in the womb, the rational soul was infused by God himself,
and consequently came last in the order of creation, novellamente :
this word properly signifies ' recently ' ; here it means ' recently as
compared with my body,' and so 'last in order of creation.'
Amor, &c. : God is meant. The expression is from Boethius,
De Cons. ii. Metr. 8, ' caelo imperitans Amor.'
76, 77. la rota, &c. : 'the motion of the spheres, which thou
dost cause to be etei-nal through their longing for thee,' lit. ' being
longed for by them.' The ninth sphere, or Prinium Mobile, which
originated the rotatory movement of the other spheres, was itself set
in motion by its longing to approach to the presence of God ; hence
God is ' colui che tutto move,' supra, 1. i. This idea was
derived in the first instance from Aristotle, who says i^Metaph. xi.
7. 2) that the divinity, by being the object of desire, attracts, and
thus sets in motion, the universe.' Cp. Coni). ii. 4. 11.. 19— 30.
78. r armonia : this is the 'ninefold harmony' of the 'crystal
s])heres ' in Milton's Ode on the Nativity ; Dante refers to it also in
Purg. xxx. 93. It was supposed to be produced by the spheres
of Heaven in their revolution. The idea was of Pythagorean origin,
and Dante was acquainted with it through Cicero, Somnium Scipionis,
§ 5. che temper! e discerni : ' which thou dost modulate and
distinguish.' In order for harmony to be produced, there must be
a number of different sounds, and these must be made to accord
with one another. The former of these conditions is implied in
discerni, 'dost distinguish,' because God assigns different sounds
to the various spheres ; the latter is implied in temperi, ' dost
modulate,' because God regulates or harmonizes these sounds.
Cp. Somn. Scip., ' Hie [dulcis sonus] est, qui intervallis coniunctus
410
I.79-I4T] PARADISO
imparibus, sed tamen pro rata parte ratione dtstlnctls^ impulsu et
motu ipsorum orbium conficitur, et, acuta cum gravibus temperans^
varios aequabiliter concentus efficit/
79. Parvemi, &c. : Dante has now been transported, though
unconscious of the change, into the region of fire, which intervenes
between our atmosphere and the sphere of the moon ; the vast
extent of this, as it appears to him, he can only compare to
a broad lake.
83, 84. Di lor cagion, &c. : ' kindled in me a desire to learn
their cause, more keen than 1 had ever felt before.'
85-7. vedea me, &c. : ' read my thoughts, even as I did
myself.' A similar power of insight has been frequently attributed
to Virgil in the earlier portions of the poem, e. g. Inf. xxiii. 25-30.
Pria ch' io, &c. : ' before I opened my lips to ask the question.'
88-90. Tu stesso, &c. : the meaning is: — 'Thou art thyself
in fault, through obscuring thy mind by the false notion that thou
art still on earth.' se 1' avessi scosso : ' if thou hadst shaken
thyself clear (disabused thyself) of that notion.'
92, 93. Ma folgore, &c. : Beatrice here informs Dante of the
transit which he has made, and of its rapidity, proprio site :
lightning descends from the sphere of fire, which is its natural
home; Dante is returning to Heaven, the home from which,
according to the views of Creationism, his soul originally proceeded.
95. sorrise : ' expressed with smiles.'
97-9. Gia, &c. : 'a moment ago I was satisfied, and i^ad truce
from great wonderment ; but now I am marvelling how it comes
to pass that I rise above these light substances.' The 'light
substances ' are air and fire, and when Dante rises above them
he violates the law of gravitation. In what follows Beatrice
proceeds to solve this fresh difficulty in Dante's mind by explaining
to him the order of the universe, requievi : Lat. form.
100. pic : ' compassionate.'
103-41. Beatrice's explanation may be thus summarized. The
order of the universe is appointed by God, so that every part of
it has its proper function, and is impelled towards the discharge
of this function by an instinct implanted in it (11. 103-14). This
principle applies alike to inanimate nature, to the brute creation, and
to rational beings (11. 115—20). The instinct of the last-named
class impels them upward towards the presence of God, but this
411
PARADISO [l. 104-23
influence may be interfered with by man's possession of free will,
which allows of his being drawn in another direction by lower
attractions (11. 121-35). But when, as in Dante's case, the counter-
influence of sin has been removed, the higher instinct reasserts itself,
and impels him upward towards Heaven (11. 136—41).
104, 105. questo e forma, &c. : 'this order is the formative
principle, which causes the universe to resemble God ' ; for forma
in this sense cp. Par. xxxiii. 91.
106-8. Qui veggion, &c. : 'in this (the orderly working of the
universe) the angels and other higher intelligences trace the footstep
(find the evidence) of God's excellence, which is the end, or final
object, to correspond to which the system just mentioned is or-
dained.'
1 09-1 1. Neir ordine, &c. : ' in the order of which I am speak-
ing all natures gravitate (towards the divine essence).' per diverse
sorti : ' variously allotted,' i. e. assigned to different positions, higher
and lower, and exercising different functions, in the scheme of the
universe. Piu, &c. : ' some nearer to, some more remote from, him
from whom they are derived.'
1 1 2-4. Onde, &c. : 'hence it is that they shape their course
over the ocean of existence to various havens (i.e. their rightful
places), each of them impelled by the instinct given it to bear it
thither.'
1 15-7. Questi ne porta, &c. : 'this instinct it is which causes
the element of fire to rise towards the moon.' The region of fire
extended upwards to the limits of the sphere of the moon, cor
mortal! : i.e. all living creatures; in 11. 118-20 Beatrice goes on
to say that men as well as brutes are included, in s^ stringe, &c. :
' this instinct it is, which binds together and unifies the earth.' The
instinct in this case is the force of gravitation towards the centre,
which causes the earth to perform its appointed function in the
scheme of the universe.
119. quest' arco saetta : ' does this bow shoot forth,' i.e. ' does
this motive power impel and direct.'
1 2 1-3. cotanto assetta : ' regulates this mighty frame.' From
Inf. xvii. 22, 91 it appears that the first meaning of assettare is 'to
seat,' ' settle ' ; and so it is probably derived from Lat. seder e. del
suo lume, &c. : ' causes by his light that Heaven to be ever tranquil,
within which revolves that which moves most rapidly.' il ciel,
412
I. 124-41] PARADISO
&c. : the Empyrean, which does not move, quel, &c. : the Pr'imum
Mobile^ which is immediately within the Empyrean. As this is the
highest (outermost) of all the spheres which move, it has the most
extensive, and therefore the most rapid, revolution.
1 24-6. n : to the Empyrean, a sito decreto : ' to an appointed
resting-place/ quella corda, &c. : ' the string of that bow (the in-
stinct), which directs to a joyous mark the arrows which it shoots.'
127-9. Ver' e, &c. : the failure of human nature to attain to that
towards which its higher instinct impels it, is here compared to the
failure of human art to realize the conception which it desires to
represent, owing to the imperfection of the material which it has to
employ, forma, &c. : ' the form produced does not correspond
to what the artist intends to represent.' e sorda : ' is dull in re-
sponding to what he demands of it.'
130—2. questo corso : its upward course, ha potere, &c. :
' has the power (owing to free will), after it has received this
(upward) impulse (cosl pinta), to swerve in another direction.'
133. E SI come, &c. : this deflection of the soul from its upward
course is compared to lightning, which instead of rising, which it is
the nature of fire to do (cp. Purg. xviii. 28-30), falls downward.
134, 135. se r impeto, &c. : ' if its original (instinctive) impulse,
having been diverted from its course by false pleasure, biings it to
the ground.' The instinct to attain the highest good continues to
be the moving force, but it is misdirected by a wrong conception of
what the highest good is. In 1. 135 there is another reading^ terra
e torto^ but it has hardly any MS. authority ; see Moore, Text. Crit.,
P- 437.
136-8. Non dei, &c. : Beatrice here finally solves Dante's
difficulty. ' There is nothing more surprising in your rising upward
than in a stream flowing downward ' ; it is the natural tendency in
both cases, se non come : ' any more than ' ; cp. Par. x. 90 ;
xxxii. 54.
139-41. privo, &c. : the impediment which would have prevented
Dante from rising was the power of sin, and this had been annulled
by the water of Lethe, assiso : this word implies permanent
abode, come a terra, &c. : 'just as repose on earth would be
strange in a living flame.' ' On earth ' is used here in contrast to
'in its own sphere, that of fire,' where it would naturally be at rest.
413
PARADISO [II. 1-12
CANTO II
Argument. — Dante and his spiritual guide now pass from the
sphere of fire into the Heaven of the Moon, in which are seen
the spirits of those who having taken monastic vows were forced
to violate them. Dante inquires from Beatrice the nature and cause
of the spots on the moon's surface ; and she in reply first confutes
Dante's erroneous view on the subject, and then explains the
operation of the heavenly spheres, and the superintendence which
is exercised over them by the Intelligences or Angelic Orders, and
shows that it is in these influences that the explanation of the spots
is to be found.
Lines 1-9. Before commencing his description of the first
objects which he saw in Paradise, Dante in these lines warns off
those of his readers who had paid no attention to philosophy and
theology ; in 11. 10—5 he encourages those who had done so.
I, 2. barca : the voyager in the 'little boat,' which follows in
the wake of the larger vessel, is the uninitiated but inquisitive reader,
to whom the mysteries which Dante is about to reveal would be
unintelligible. The metaphor in barca is the same as in the
' navicella del mio ingegno ' of Purg. i. 2 ; cp. Par. xxiii. 67—9.
seguiti : take with siete, ' have followed (thus far).'
6. Perdendo me, &c. : divested of metaphor this means — ' if
you fail to follow my guidance in philosophical and theological
questions, you may lose your way in those subjects.'
8, 9. Minerva, &c. : ' the goddess of wisdom wafts me on my
course, the god of song is my pilot, and new Muses (a new source
of poetical inspiration) give me my bearings.' nova : this epithet
is introduced because of the unwonted character of the task
(r acqua che giammai non si corse). The word is also explained
as meaning ' nine,' but it seems unpoetical to give the number of
the Muses, even if the object of doing so be to express their
collective force. 1* Orse : the polar stars, by which mariners steer.
10-2. drizzaste il collo : i. e. 'have upHfted your minds.' pan
degli Angeli : the heavenly manna, i. e. the knowledge of higher
subjects, and especially of theology ; cp. Conv. i. i. 11. 52, 53.
414
"• 15-45] PARADISO
non sen vien satollo : ' does not leave the board sated,* ' ever
craves for more/
15. Dinanzi, &c. : lit. 'in front of the water which resumes
its calm surface ' ; in other words, ' following closely to make sure
that the track is not obliterated.'
16-8. Quel gloriosi, &c. : the Argonauts, bifolco : 'plough-
man,' Lat. bubulcus. One of the labours imposed on Jason by
Aeetes, king of Colchis, was to plough the ground with fire-
breathing bulls. Dante knew the story from Ov. Met. vii. 104-21,
but he remembered the passage imperfectly, for, as Mr. Butler has
pointed out, Ovid represents the Colchians, and not the Argonauts,
as wondering; 1. 120, ' Mirantur Colchi; Minyae clamoribus
implent, Adiiciuntque animos.'
19-21. La concreata, &c. : ' the innate and unquenchable thirst
for (i. e. the instinct which impels the soul towards) the Empyrean.'
This latter is called il deiforme regno, because it exists only in
the mind of God; cp. Conv. ii. 4. 11. 37-9, 'esso non k. in luogo,
ma formato fu solo nella prima Mente.' come il ciel, &c. : 'as
swiftly as ye see the heaven move.' The heaven here is the
Heaven of the Fixed Stars, the movement of which we see from
the earth ; its velocity is the greatest of all after the Primum Mobile^
to which it is the nearest.
23, 24. in tanto, &c. : Dante here describes the rapidity of his
passage to the Heaven of the Moon, posa, &c. : ' reaches its
mark, flies through the air, and is discharged from the peg of the
crossbow.' Observe the inverted form of the statement, which is
intended to imply that the stages of the process here given were
almost simultaneous, noce : this ' nut ' was a peg or button on the
crossbow, to which the cord was attached before shooting ; it was
so called from its shape. It is erroneously rendered by ' notch.'
27. mia opra : 'what was passing in my mind.'
30. la prima stella : the Moon, which according to the
Ptolemaic astronomy was one of the planets.
33. adamante: here used for ' diamond.'
37-45. The reflexions which follow are suggested by the words
permanendo unita. When Dante's body entered the orb of the
moon, it did not displace any of the matter of which that orb is
composed; but since the laws of nature do not admit of two
bodies occupying the same space, this occurrence was supernatural
415
PARADISO [II. 37-60
or miraculous ; hence Dante regards it as a fitting introduction
to the cognate, though higher, miracle of the co-existence of two
natures, perfect God and perfect Man, in the Person of our Lord.
37—40. S' io era corpo, Sec. : ' if I was a material body, and
here on earth it is impossible to conceive how one corporeal substance
could admit the presence of another such — and this must be the
case when one body passes (lit. creeps) within another body — we
ought to be more than ever fired by the desire,' &c. The doubt
on Dante's part whether he was in the body or out of the body,
which is expressed by S' io era corpo, has already occurred in
Par. i. 73. qui: 'here on earth'; this is contrasted with D
in 1. 43, which means ' in Heaven.' dimension : a Scholastic term
for ' corporeal substance.'
42. s' unio : the singular verb with two subjects expresses the
perfect union of the two Natures in one Person in Christ. Cp.
Par. xxxiii. 116, ' Parvemi tre giri,' where the Trinity in Unity
is spoken of.
43-5. Li si vedr^, &c. : 'there (in Heaven, where Christ is
present in His two Natures) that verity which we hold by faith will
be seen, not by means of a process of reasoning, but will be self-
evident, like the primary truths which man believes.' per se, &c. :
it will be known by intuition, like such primary tmths as the sense
of personality, of right and wrong, &c., which come to us without
any conscious process of reasoning. Our knowledge will then be
immediate, not mediate.
49 foil. Dante now proceeds to inquire concerning the nature of
the spots on the Moon's surface, a question which was much
discussed during the middle ages.
51. Cain : cp. Inf. xx. 126, ' Caino e le spine,' and note there.
altrui : 'men,' 'persons'; cp. Purg. xxviii. 128.
52-7. S' egli erra, &c. : 'you have good reason now not to be
surprised if men's views are at fault in matters which the senses are
unable to explain, because you see that reason, even where it has
the guidance of the senses, can fly but feebly.' In other words —
' If men are in error about a thing which they can see with their
eyes, like the spots on the moon, how much more must this happen
in spiritual matters, where the senses cannot help them.' poi in
1. 56 is for poiche.
59, 60. quassu diverso : i. e. light and dark on the face of
416
II. 61-72] PARADISO
the moon, i corpi rari e densi : ' the rarity and density of the
materials which compose it.* This explanation was originally given
by Averroes, De Substantia Or bis, Ch. ii., and was adopted by
Dante in Conv. ii. 14. 11. 69-76; he now proceeds to retract it
by the mouth of Beatrice.
61 foil. The remainder of the Canto is taken up with (i) the
refutation of Dante's view (11. 61-105), and (2) the statement of
the tme view (11. 106-48). The refutation takes the form of two
arguments — one proceeding on abstract principles, the other derived
from observation — viz. (a) that the explanation of the markings on
the moon's face by variations of rarity and density is irreconcilable with
what we know of God's government of the universe (11. 64-72);
(b) that, if the darkness of certain portions of the moon's orb is due to
the rarity of its substance, and consequently inferior power in reflecting
the sun's rays, in those parts, this must imply either (a) that the
rarity extends right through the orb, or (ft) that the denser stratum
lies further back in these parts of the orb, and consequently the
sun's light is less brightly reflected (11. 73-8). But both these
alternatives are shown by observation to be inadmissible (11. 79-105).
64-72. These lines contain Beatrice's first argument in answer
to Dante's explanation of the spots on the moon. In order to
understand it we must remember that in mediaeval theology the
fixed stars were regarded as the primary medium through which
the celestial influences (virtii) were dispensed in various forms
to the planetary spheres and the earth ; and these influences were
regarded as the constituent principles (principii formali), which
determined the nature both of the different fixed stars and of the
planets. This system is explained below in 11. 112 foil. In the
present passage Beatrice argues from the analogy of the fixed stars
to the case of the moon, assuming that what applies to the one will
apply to the other. The fixed stars, she says, are seen to difl^er
from one another in colour and in brightness (11. 64-6). If in
their case the diflference were solely due to rarity and density,
all of them would exercise the same influence (virtii) though in
different degrees (11. 67-9). But where there is a variety of
influences (and in the fixed stars this variety is acknowledged
to exist), these must proceed from a number of constituent prin-
ciples (principii formali), and not from one only. Consequently,
rarity and density are not the sole cause of the difference in
TOZER 417 EC
PARADISO [II. 64-105
luminousness between the various fixed stars ; and In the analogous
case of the moon Dante is wrong in assuming this as the cause of
the difference of hght and dark on its surface (11. 70-2).
64-6. La spera ottava : the sphere of the fixed stars, quale :
by ' quality ' is here meant the colour, by ' quantity ' the amount,
i. e. intensity, of their light. Notar, &c. : ' can be seen to differ
in appearance.*
67-9. cio facesser tanto : 'were the only cause of this*;
tanto here=:Lat. tantum] cp. Par. xviii. 13. Piii e men, &c. : 'in
some cases more, in some less, in some equally with one another.'
70-2. convengon : here used for the impers. conviene — a rare
use. principii formali: ' formal' is here contrasted with 'material,'
the formal or formative principle being that which differentiates a
thing from other things, and makes it what it is. N.B. principii
formali here means ' a number of formal principles,' this meaning
being given by the plural, e quei, &c. : ' according to your line of
argument it would follow that all but one of these principles (viz.
that of rarity and density) would be annulled.' Seguiterieno :
' would consequently be.' ragion : for ragionamento,
73-8. Ancor, &c. : here commences the second argument in
refutation. " Further, if rarity were the cause you are trying to
discover of this dimness (i. e. of the spots,) then either this planet
would be in certain portions (in parte) thus defective in its matter
right through (oltre), or — in the same manner as the fat and the
lean are apportioned in a body — it (the planet) would interchange
the leaves in its volume,' i. e. would have alternating strata of rare
and dense, like leaves in a book.
79-81. Se il primo, &c. : 'now, if the rarity passed right
through the moon's orb, this would be apparent in an eclipse of the
sun, because (the sun being behind the moon) its light would be visible
through it, as when light is allowed to pass through (lit. introduced
into) any other thin material.* ingesto is the Lat. ingestus
adapted.
83, 84. cassi : ' quash,* ' disprove.' Falsificato, &c. : ' then
your view (your explanation of the spots on the moon) will have
been proved to be wrong,' because both alternatives will have been
disposed of.
85-105. The argument is: — If the rarity does not pass right
through, there must be a certain point where the density intervenes,
418
II. 86-T48] PARADISO
and this dense stratum will reflect the sun*s light like a mirror
(11. 85-90). It may be suggested in answer, that the reason of the
dimness where the spots are is, that the point at which the sun's
light is reflected lies farther back (II. 91-3); but this can be
disproved by the experiment of placing two mirrors at an equal
distance from you, and a third between them but farther off.
Then place a light behind you as you face them, and you will find
that, though the reflexion from the third is smaller in size, it will
be equally bright with the others, thus showing that brightness of
reflected light is not affected by the distance of the reflecting object
(11. 94-105).
86, 87. un termine, &c. : 'a limit, beyond which the dense
does not suffer anything to pass.'
88-90. altrui : the sun. come color, &c. : ' as colours are
reflected by a mirror ' ; the expression implomlato vetro is used for
a mirror in Inf. xxiii. 25.
91. tetro: 'dull,' Mark.'
94-6. instanzia : ' objection ' ; it is a Scholastic word, corre-
sponding to the Greek cvo-Tacrt?. Ch' esser, &:c. : ' experiment,
which is the usual source from which human arts are derived.'
97-9. e due, &c. : ' and place two of them at the same distance
from you.' ritrovi : 'meet your eyes.'
loi. accenda : 'illuminate.'
103—5. Benche, &c. : 'though the more distant image (i.e.
object of sight) does not present as wide a surface as the other two,
yet you will see there (in the instance which it furnishes) that of
necessity it shines as brightly as they do.'
106-48. Beatrice, having confuted Dante's erroneous view of the
origin of the spots on the moon, proceeds to expound the true view.
In order to do this, she explains (i) the operation of the stellar influences
which affect the various Heavens or spheres (11. 1 1 2-23), and (2) the
functions of the Intelligences or Angelic Orders, by whom those
influences are dispensed (11. 127-38). She then proceeds to prove
that the brightness or dimness of the stars is caused by the purity
or alloyage of the influence which proceeds from God and is
communicated to them by the Intelligences ; and that the brightness
or dimness of portions of the moon's surface are to be explained in
the same manner (11. 139-48). This is an a priori argument, such
as the Scholastic philosophy aflfected.
419 £62
PARADISO [II. 106-23
106-8. come ai colpi, &c. : the effect of Beatrice's arguments
in clearing Dante's mind from a false view is compared to the sun's
rays causing the snow to disappear from the face of the earth.
Delia neve, &c. : ' that which lay beneath the snow (i. e. the face
of the earth) remains clear both of the whiteness and the cold which
it had before.'
no, III. luce SI vivace: the illuminative power of her ex-
position, ti tremolera, &c.: 'it will appear to you to sparkle,'
lit. ' it will sparkle in the aspect which it presents to you.'
112-23. Summary: — The celestial or stellar influences originate
in the ninth Heaven or Primum Mobile (11. 11 2-4); thence they
pass into the eighth Heaven, where they are partitioned among the
fixed stars (11. 1 15-7) ; the lower spheres possess distinctive charac-
teristics of their own (11. 118-20); the celestial influences are
transmitted downwards from one sphere to another (11. 12 1-3). To
this we may add, though Dante does not here state it : — these celestial
influences combine with the independent influences of the several
spheres, as Aquinas says (Summa, i. Q. 115. Art. 3), 'Actiones cor-
porum caelestium diversimode recipiuntur in inferioribus coi^poribus
secundum diversam materiae dispositionem.'
1 1 2-4. ciel, &c. : the Empyrean, un corpo, &c. : the Primum
Mobile, ' on the beneficent influence of which depends the being or
essence of all that is contained within it,' i. e. of the whole universe
in its different spheres. The movement which is originated by the
Primum Mobile, and communicated by it to the other spheres, is to
them the source of order and life and distinctions of time ; this is
explained in Par. xxvii. 106-20; cp. Conv. ii. 15. 11. 132-8 and
152—7. Observe that the use of the word corpo here shows that
Dante regarded the spheres of Heaven as material ; cp. cerchi corporai
in Par. xxviii. 64.
1 15-7. Lo ciel seguente: that of the fixed stars, vedute :
'bright lights,' lit. 'objects of sight'; cp. the use of vista in Par.
xxiii. 30 ; xxx. 9. diverse essenze, &c. : the fixed stars, which
are ' contained in that heaven, but distinct from it.'
1 18-20. Gli altri, &c. : ' the other spheres dispose their different
inborn characteristics so as to produce the purposes for which they
were intended (lor fini) and the eflPects which they are designed to
cause (lor semenze).'
1 2 1-3. Questi, &c. : 'these instruments by which the world is
420
II. i24-3«] PARADISO
regulated (organi del mondo), as thou dost now perceive, proceed
in regular gradation in such a manner, that they receive power from
above, and exercise it (lit. operate) below,' i. e. communicate it to
the lower spheres.
124-6. Riguarda, &c. : 'give good heed to me, as I. advance
by way of this point (viz. the order of the spheres and their influences)
to the truth which thou desirest (the solution of the question of the
spots on the moon).' sol tener lo guado : ' by yourself to hold
the passage,' lit. ' ford ' ; i. e. to explain the matter without my help.
guado is used of an explanation in Purg. viii. 69.
127-48. Summary: — Having described the working of the
spheres, Beatrice now proceeds to speak of the spiritual agencies
which regulate them. The spheres, being inanimate, have no active
power of their own ; the power which they possess proceeds from
the Intelligence or Angelic Order which presides over each sphere
(11. 127-9). In particular, the Intelligence of the eighth Heaven
communicates its influence to that Heaven (11. 130-2), partitioning
it there among the fixed stars (11. 133-8). This influence is
modified in each star by its peculiar characteristics (11. 139-41), and
it is this mixed or modified influence which causes the brightness
of the heavenly bodies, because in the first instance it proceeded
from God (11. 142-4). The greater or less brightness of the
stars arises from the greater or less purity in which they possess
this influence (11. 145, 146), and the light and dark portions
of the moon's surface are to be explained in the same manner
(11. 147, 148).
127-9. •^o moto, &c. : 'just as in the craft of the hammer the
moving power proceeds from the artisan, so the motion and power of
the spheres must proceed, not from themselves, but from the Intelli-
gences which move them.' For the Intelligences which preside
over the several spheres see Canto XXVIII.
130-2. il ciel, &c. : the Heaven of the fixed stars, mente :
the mind of the Intelligence which presides over that sphere, fassene
suggello : ' makes itself its seal,' i. e. in turn imprints it upon the
separate stars.
133-5. E come, &c. : 'and as the soul within your dust (bodies)
diflPuses itself through different members, adapted to various faculties
(sight, feeling, «&c.).'
136-8. r intelligenza, &c. : the Intelligence of the eighth
421
PARADISO [ii. 139— III. 10
Heaven is meant, as in 1. 131 ; the influence of this passes into the
stars, but it remains one itself, and revolves with its sphere.
139-41. Virtii, &c. : 'each different power forms a different
alloy with the precious body (i. e. star) that it quickens, with which
it combines, as life does with your bodies.'
142-4. Per la natura,&c.: 'owing to the glad nature (of God)
from which it is derived, this mingled power shines through the
body (i. e. the star), as joy beams through the pupil when the eye
kindles.* lieta : cp. lieto fattor in Purg. xvi. 89, of God rejoicing
in His works.
145. cio che, &c. : 'the difference in brightness between one
star and another star.'
147, 148. Essa e, &c. : 'this is the formative principle, which,
conformably to its goodness, produces the dull part and the bright
part ' in the moon.
CANTO III
Argument. — Certain of the spirits in this sphere now reveal
themselves to Dante ; and one of them, Piccarda Donati, converses
with him, and satisfies his mind concerning their perfect content-
ment with the inferior degree of beatitude which they enjoy. She
then refers to her own life, and also points out to him the spirit of
the empress Constance, who, like herself, had been forced to renounce
her vow of chastity.
Lines 1-3. Quel sol, &c. : 'that sun (Beatrice), who erewhile
(during her lifetime) inflamed my heart with love, had revealed to me
the sweet aspect of fair truth (concerning the spots in the moon),
proving the tme view and refuting my erroneous view.'
4—6. corretto e certo : ' corrected in my error and confident in
the truth.' tanto : take with Levai ; ' I lifted my head more erect
in fitting measure to express myself,' i. e. not over boldly.
7-9. che ritenne, &c. : 'which kept my eyes so fixed in
contemplation of it.' per vedersi : lit. ' that it might be seen by
me.' mi sovvenne : here used impersonal.
10. Quali : in the similes which are here introduced a special
point is made of the reflexions being faint {deb'ili^ 1. 14), and vetri
trasparenti means a pane of glass or other transparent surface of
422
III. 12-33] PARADISO
that material by which objects are faintly reflected, in contrast to
a mirror, per : ' through ' ; in reality the reflexion comes from
the surface of the glass or the water, but the face thus seen seems to
be on the farther side of it, and therefore can be described as
appearing through it.
12. Non SI, &c. : 'not so deep that the bottom is lost to view.'
This is another way of saying that the water is not very deep ; and
the remark is introduced in order to lay stress on the faintness of the
reflexions, for reflexions in water are strong in proportion to the depth
of the water, persi {or perduti, though it is not found elsewhere in
the Div. Com., is not uncommon in other writers, and the perfect
perse is used by Dante, persi is taken by some as meaning ' dark ' ;
but since the adj. perso properly signifies 'blue-black* or 'purple-
black' (see Conv. iv. 20. 11. 14, 15), and is used elsewhere in Dante
of a very pronounced hue, it may be doubted whether it would be
suitable here.
13-5. postille : 'lineaments,' lit. 'marginal notes,' 'jottings,'
and so metaphorically 'sketches,' 'traits.' non vien, &c. : ' is not
more difficult for our eyes to distinguish.'
17. error, &c. : the reference is to the story of Narcissus (Ov.
Met. iii. 407 foil.), who fell in love with his own face reflected in
a fountain. Dante's error was the opposite of this, for, while
Narcissus mistook his reflexion for a real person (1. 417, 'corpus
putat esse quod umbra est '), Dante mistook these real persons for
reflexions.
2 1 . gli occhi torsi : as the supposed reflexions were in front of
him, Dante fancied that the real objects were behind him.
26-8. appresso, &c. : 'after (noticing) thy puerile conceit.'
coto : Lat. cogitatum; see Diez, Wort., p. 103, where cot tare,
O. Ital. for cogitare, is also given. Poi : ior poiche ; ' because it (thy
thought) does not yet take its stand on the truth, but, as is its wont,
causes thee to turn back ineffectively,' lit. ' in vain.' The meaning
is, that Dante was trying to explain the sights which he saw in
Heaven by physical causes, such as reflexions, forgetting that these did
not apply there, il vero is spiritual, and therefore supernatural, truth.
30. Qui rilegate : ' assigned to this sphere.' per manco di
voto : ' on account of broken vows ' ; hence the ' inconstant ' moon
is a suitable habitation for them.
32, 33. Che: this gives the reason for ^:r^^/ ; they are safe guides,
423
PARADISO [III. 36-60
because the light of God's presence, which gives them contentment,
leads them infallibly in the way of truth.
36. ismaga : ' confuses,' ' overpowers ' ; cp. Inf. xxv. 146, and
note on Purg. x. 106. Dante was * overpowered by excess of
longing ' to hold converse with the spirit.
37-9. ben create : 'born in a favouring hour' ; cp. ' mal creata
plebe,' Inf. xxxii. 13. a* rai, &c. : 'in the beams of eternal life
dost feel that sweetness, which is inconceivable without being tasted.'
41. vostra : of yourself and your companions.
43-5. non serra porte : 'does not refuse the request of,' lit.
' deny entrance to.' se non come, &c. : ' any more than that Love
(God, who is love) does, who desires that all the denizens of Heaven
should resemble him in showing love to others.' For se non come
cp. Par. i. 137.
47, 48. ben si riguarda : 'doth well reflect.' Non mi ti
celera, &c. : it is to be noticed that in the three lowest spheres of
Paradise, to which the spirits which occupy them are relegated on
account of some defect of virtue, they are visible in their human
aspect. In the remaining spheres their faces and figures are concealed
by the light which envelops them. For sphere II cp. Par. v. 107,
108; for sphere III Par. viii. 52, 53, and the notes to both
passages.
49. Piccarda : sister of Forese and Corso Donati, who, having
become a nun of the Order of St. Clare, was taken by violence from
her convent by Corso, and forced to marry a Florentine noble called
Rossellino della Tosa ; in a short time after this she was taken ill
and died.
51. piu tarda: the sphere of the Moon, being nearest to the
earth, had the smallest revolution, and consequently the slowest
movement.
52-4. aflfetti: 'desires.' Letizian, &c. : ' find their blessedness
in being disposed according to his order.' The whole universe is
constituted according to the design of the Holy Spirit, and the
pleasure of each member of it consists in having its appointed place
in that order; cp. Par. i. 103-5.
57. voti, &c. : 'in some point im]:>erfect.' In Piccarda's case
this arose from her having lost her virginity.
60. primi concetti : ' our previous conceptions of you,' i. e.
Dante's recollection of Piccarda's appearance.
424
III. 63-90] PARADISO
63. latino: 'clear and easy'; cp. Conv. li. 3. 1. i, 'A piti
latinamente vedere la sentenza litterale.' According to Diez, Wbrt.^
p. 189, since Latin was regarded as the mother tongue of Italian,
Latino came to signify any mother tongue ; and, since a man's mother
tongue is easy to him, it thence obtained the meaning of ' clear and
easy,' as in this passage.
66. Per piu, &c. : ' in order to have a fuller sight of God, or to
become more familiar with Him.' Others take it as Per vedere p'lu
amid, per farvi p'lu, 'to see more of the friends whom you have
known, or to make fresh friends.'
68, 69. Da indi : ' thereupon.' primo foco : ' the primal fire
of love,' i. e. the immediate and nearest presence of God. The
Blessed in the Empyrean partook in different degrees of God's
prei^ence ; cp. Par. iv. 34-6.
70-2. la nostra, &c. : ' our wishes are tranquillized by the virtue
of love.' d' altro, &c. : ' does not cause us to long (thirst) for aught
beyond.'
75. ne cerne : ' gives us our appointed place,' lit. ' separates us ';
cp. Par. xxxii. 34.
76-8. non capere : 'finds no place,' ' is inadmissible ' ; for this
use of capere see note on Purg. xxi. 8 1 . necesse : a word derived
from Scholastic Latin ; cp. Par. xiii. 98. sua natura : the nature
of love, which consists in the conformity of wills.
79-81. formale : 'essential'; 'it is of the essence of this our
blessed state.' Per che : ' from which cause our very wills (God's
will and our wills) become one.'
82-4. di soglia in soglia : 'station above station.' The word
is used of the grades of Paradise in Par. xviii. 28 ; xxx. 113. ne
invoglia : ' identifies our will with his.'
86, 87. quel mare : the open sea is one of the finest emblems
that nature offers of the infinity of God. tutto si move : this is
the principle of the aspiration and attraction of the whole universe
towards God, which is described in Par. i. 103 foil. Cio che, &c. :
God created immediately the angels and intellectual powers, while
the rest of creation, which consisted of matter as well as spirit, is
attributed to Nature, which is the handmaid of God. The term
'Nature,' when used thus of an intermediate agency, is only another
name for the planetary influences ; see note on Par. viii. 1 12-4.
88-90. dove: here a subst., 'place'; cp. Par. xii. 30, 'al suo
425
PARADISO [III. 91-114
dove.* e SI : ' and even so,* ' granting that.' d* un modo, &c. :
*is not dispensed there in one measure only.'
91-3. Ma SI, &c. : Dante, having obtained an answer to his
question about the contentment of the spirits in this sphere, proceeds
to inquire in what way Piccarda's vows in life had been imperfectly
observed ; cp. 11. 55-7. gola : ' appetite.' quel si chiede, &c. :
' we ask for the latter, and decline with thanks the former.'
94-6. atto : 'look'; cp. Purg. xxiv. 27. la tela: in the
metaphorical language which Dante here uses ' the web ' signifies
Piccarda's religious life, and by her ' not having passed the shuttle
through the web to the end ' is intended her having failed to observe
her religious vows until the end of her life, co : for capo.
97-9. Perfetta, &c. : ' a perfect life and exalted merit place in
a higher Heaven a lady, according to whose rule in your world below
they wear the habit and the veil.' Donna : Santa Clara of Assisi,
who founded her Order in 12 12 under the direction of St. Francis.
100-2. Perche, &c. : 'in order that till death they may be,
waking or sleeping, in the company of that spouse (Christ), who
accepts every vow which love renders conformable to His pleasure,'
i. e. which is pleasing to Him from being made through love, and not
from any lower motive.
104, 105. chiusi : 'wrapped me in her habit' ; the word gives
the force of clothing and concealing, promisi, &c. : ' undertook
the rule of her Order ' ; setta, Lat. secta^ is used of a philosophical
or religious school in Inf. ix. 128 ; Purg. xxii. 87.
106-8. Uomini : Corso Donati and his followers; see note on
1. 49. usi : for usat'i. fusi : for si fu.
1 09-1 1, quest* altro splendor: the empress Constance, wife
of the emperor Henry VI (mar. 11 85), and mother of Frederic II.
It was believed in Dante's day, though the story is now known to be
fabulous, that she was once a nun, and was taken from the convent
in order to be married to Henry VI ; as this was done against her
will, she was regarded as having remained faithful in heart to her vow.
tutto il lume, &c. : i. e. the highest degree of brightness that our
sphere can give.
1 1 2-4. di se intende : 'recognizes as applicable to herself.'
cosl : ' similarly.' 1' ombra, &c. : ' the shadow (covering, conceal-
ment) of the holy veil * ; bende is similarly used of widow's weeds
in Purg. viii. 74.
426
III. 1 15— IV. 9] PARADISO
1 1 5-7. pur: the word here has a concessive force, * indeed,'
* 'tis tme ' ; * she was indeed brought back, yet against her will * ;
cp. Par. xvii. 126. Non fu, &c. : i. e. she remained in heart a nun.
119, 120. vento di Soave : the three 'winds of Suabia' are
the three great Emperors of the house of Suabia, Frederic Barbarossa,
Henry VI, and Frederic II ; their impetuous careers are effectively
likened to the rushing wind, e 1' ultima possanza : ' who was
the last imperial ruler.' Dante regards Frederic IPs successors as
not being Roman emperors, because they had not visited Italy ; cp.
Conv. iv. 3. 11. 38-43, ' Federico di Soave, ultimo Imperadore de'
Romani {ultimo dico per rispetto al tempo presente, non ostante che
Ridolfo e Adolfo e Alberto poi eletti sieno appresso la sua morte
e de' suoi discendenti).*
122. vanio : the sjnrits which thus appear to Dante in the various
spheres, when their interview with him is finished resume their
accustomed places in the Empyrean ; cp. Par. iv. 34-9.
126. segno, &c. : Beatrice, who was the object (lit. mark) of
Dante's highest longing.
129, 130. non sofFerse : this was due, not to any change in
Beatrice's appearance, but to the contrast in respect of brightness
which her face presented to the faces of those whom Dante had
lately been regarding, a domandar : to ask the questions which
are answered in the next Canto.
CANTO IV
Argument. — Beatrice now solves two difficulties which have
arisen in Dante's mind. The first of these, which is suggested
by the sight of the spirits in the Moon, relates to Plato's view,
that the soul of each man after death returns to the star from which
it originally proceeded. The other is suggested by an inferior
position in Heaven being assigned to those who had been forced
by others to violate their vows — an appointment which seems at
first sight not to be reconcilable with the justice of God.
Lines 1-9. In consequence of what he has heard from Piccarda
Dante is anxious to propound to Beatrice two questions which have
arisen in his mind ; but the desire to do so is so equally balanced
between the two that he is unable to propound either of them.
427
PARADISO [IV. 1-18
This influence of the equipoise of motives in paralysing the will
he illustrates by three similar instances, where the same thing applies
to appetite, to fear of danger, and to an animal's desire of seizing
its prey.
1-3. Intra, &c. : 'between two kinds of food, at an equal
distance from him, and equally appetizing (lit. exciting to the
appetite), a man, though possessing free will, would die of hunger
before he could bring either of them within range of his teeth.'
This is taken almost literally from Aquinas, Summa^ i. 2^^^. Q. 13.
Art. 6, ' Si aliqua duo sunt penitus aequalia, non magis movetur
homo ad unum quam ad aliud; sicut famelicus si habet cibum
aequaliter appetibilem in diversis partibus, et secundum aequalem
distantiam, non magis movetur ad unum quam ad alterum ' ; and
this again is derived from Aristotle, to whom Aquinas there refers ;
De Caelo, ii. 13. 28, [6 Trept] rov Tretvwvro? /cat 8ti/^covT09 [Xdyos]
(TcjioSpa /x€v ofxoiMS 8e kol twv iBioStfxwv kol ttotcov lctov d7re;(OVT09
(xat yap tovtov rjp^fxeiv avayKcdov).
4-6. Si, &c. : ' similarly a lamb would stand still (without
trying to escape) between two fierce and ravening wolves, from
being equally afraid of the one and the other : similarly, again,
a hound would stand still between two does (without attempting
to attack either of them).'
7-9. Per che, &c. : 'wherefore, impelled as I was in an equal
degree by my two questions, I neither praise nor blame myself for
holding my peace, for it was unavoidable.'
10—2. lo, &c. : ' I held my peace, but my longing was expressed
in my looks, and, accompanying it, my inquiry, which was far more
eager than if uttered in articulate speech.'
13-5. Fe' SI, &c. : 'Beatrice acted in the same manner as
Daniel did, when he freed Nebuchadnezzar from the wrath which
had made him unjustly cruel.' The reference is to Dan. ii., where
Nebuchadnezzar orders the Chaldaeans to declare to him the dream
that he had forgotten, and to interpret it (v. 5), and when they
professed their inability to do so commanded that they should be
put to death (v. 12): Daniel appeased him by telling him the dream
and the interpretation (vv. 31 foil.). Similarly Beatrice comes to
Dante's aid, and calms his excitement, by divining his thoughts and
expressing in words what he could not express.
16-8. tira: 'forces,' 'impels.' si che, &c. : 'so that your
428
IV. 19-3^] PARADISO
anxiety (to propound both questions) hampers itself to such a degree,
that it cannot declare itself in words.'
19-21. Tu argomenti, &c. : Dante's first question is — Why
should those whose vows have been broken be assigned to a lower
place in Heaven, if this was forced upon them against their will ?
' If I continue to desire to observe my vow, on what principle is
the estimate of my deserts lowered because others force me to
violate it?' Dante, by being represented as using the first person,
is supposed to put the case as if it were his own.
22-4. Ancor, &c. : Dante's second question is suggested by
his meeting this class of spirits in the Moon. He is desirous to
know whether the same system prevails in Heaven which is described
in the Timaeus of Plato, where it is said that the soul of each man
proceeds from one of the stars, and that, if his life on earth is
virtuous, it returns to that star after death, and spends a blessed exist-
ence there; Tim. xli., xlii. Dante was acquainted with the Timaeus,
alone of Plato's works, through a Latin translation. Parer, &c. :
this infinitival clause is really the subject to d^; cp. 1. 67.
25—7. velle : 'will'; this Lat. infin., and similarly (fj-j*? in the
sense of 'existence,' 'being' (cp. Par. iii. 79), are frequently used
substantively in Dante's prose works. Pontano : 'press,' ' weigh
upon ' ; the word is here used, as in Inf. xxxii. 3, in the architectural
sense ' thrust.' felle : ' gall,' ' poison,' i. e. dangerous qualities ; cp.
the similar use of velen, malizia in 1. 65. The dangerous quality
is unorthodoxy (cp. 11. 64-6), the risk of which is involved in this
question, because it touches on the origin and nature of the soul.
28-32. In the important passage which follows Beatrice explains
that all the Blessed have their abode equally in the empyrean Heaven
in the presence of God, but that they manifest themselves to Dante
in the different spheres in order to enable him to understand more
clearly their various degrees of blessedness. From this it is at once
seen, that the doctrine propounded in the Timaeus of the return
of the soul to its proper star from which it originally proceeded
is inapplicable to Paradise. Dei Serafin, &c. : the negative of
1. 31 applies to the whole of this sentence, and is repeated with
Maria in 1. 30. ' Not that one of the Seraphs who is nearest to
the presence of God, not Moses, Samuel, or either John (lit. that
John whom you prefer to take), I say, nor even Mary (i. e. none
of the most exalted spirits), have their seats in any other Heaven
429
PARADISO [iv. 33-60
than those spirits have, who but now appeared to you.' s' India :
lit. ' exists in God ' ; similar verbs compounded with in are of frequent
occurrence in the Paradise, e.g. intuassi, tmmii in ix. 81. quel
Giovanni, &c. : either the Baptist or the Evangelist, io dico :
this applies to the whole sentence ; ' be it known to you,* lit. ' I tell
you,' ' understand this.'
33. Ne hanno, &c. : i. e. nor do they differ from one another in
respect of their immortality.
34-6. il prime giro : the Empyrean. V eterno spire : the
divine effluence.
38, 39. per far segno, &c. : 'to indicate that sphere in the
Empyrean [spera celestial) which is least exalted.' The Blessed in
the Empyrean are conceived of as seated in successive circular tiers
rising one above the other.
40—2. Cesl, &c. : i. e. this mode of manifestation on the part of
the spirits is an adaptation to human conceptions. Perocche, &c. :
' because your mind apprehends only from what is perceived by the
senses that which afterwards it renders a fit subject for the intellect.'
This is in other words the principle, ' Nihil in intellectu quod non
prius in sensu.'
45. ed altre intende: 'while it means something different,'
viz. the divine powers, which are symbolized by these limbs.
48. r altre : Raphael, who cured Tobit of his blindness, Tob.
xii. 14. Tobia : Tobias is the Vulgate form of the name Tobit.
49-51. Timeo : the character in the Platonic dialogue of that
name, come dice, &c. : ' he seems to mean what he says ' ; i. e.
his meaning is literal, not allegorical.
53, 54. Credendo, &c. : 'believing that the soul was taken (lit.
severed) from the star, when nature gave it (the soul) to be the
essential part (forma) of the man.' Dante refers to this subject
again in Conv. iv. 21. 11. 17—9.
55-7. E forse, &c. : ' and haply his opinion is different from
what his words seem to signify, and it may embody a meaning which
does not deserve to be lightly treated.'
58-60. S' egl' intende, &c. : Beatrice here refers only to that
part of the doctrine propounded in the Timaeus which relates to the
return of the souls to their native stars, because that was the question
which Dante originally asked (1. 23); but what she says applies
with even greater force to the soul having proceeded from its star
430
IV. 61-72] PARADISO
(I. 53). * If Plato's meaning is, that what returns to these revolving
spheres is (not the souls themselves, but) the honour attaching to the
good influences, and the blame attaching to the evil influences (which
proceeded from the stars and helped to shape the lives of those souls
on earth), then haply the arrow from his bow hits an element of
truth.* The element of truth here meant is the doctrine of the
influence of the planets in directing the destinies and afl^ecting the
characters of men on earth, which Dante affirms elsewhere ; see
Purg. xvi. 73.
61-3. Questo, &c. : 'a misunderstanding of this principle (of
the influence of the stars) in former days led nearly the whole world
astray, so that it erred so far as to call certain stars Jupiter, Mercury,
and Mars.' In other words : — The heathen perversely assigned to
certain planets the names of certain divinities, whose characteristics
corresponded to the influences which, owing to their appearance,
were supposed to attach to those stars ; e. g. that of Jupiter, the
highest god, to the brightest planet ; that of Mars, the god of war,
to the red planet, &c. In Par. viii. 1-12 Dante shows that this
took place in the case of Venus.
64-90. Dante's second question, which Beatrice now proceeds
to answer, relates to the justice of lessening the reward of those who
have been forced against their will to violate their vows. The
answer is, that these spirits, though they were the victims of
violence, still were not whole-hearted in resisting that violence, as
they proved by not returning to the monastic life when they might
have done so.
65, 66. velen: 'noxious force'; cp. felle^ 1. 27. da me
altrove : as Beatrice represents Theology or Divine Truth, this
means : — This question is not, like the former one, dangerous to
your acceptance of Revealed Truth, for it can at once be remedied
by the exercise of faith. How this is so, is explained in the next
three lines.
67-72. Parere, &c. : 'if divine justice (nostra, as it appears
to us in Heaven) seems to men to be unjust, this is an argument in
favour, not of unbelief, but of belief (because it shows that God's
judgements are incomprehensible, and therefore should be accepted
without questioning); but in the present case, since the matter is
one within the scope of your reasoning powers, I will explain it
to you.'
431
PARADISO [IV. 73-105
73-8. Se, &c. : 'if violence is when the person who suffers
violence does not co-operate in the least degree with the person who
offers it, these souls (Piccarda and her companions) were not
excusable on the ground of being victims of violence, since the
power of will cannot be extinguished without its consent, but acts
as nature acts in the case of fire, (which finds its way upward) even
if it be violently forced out of its natural direction a thousand times.'
torza : for torc'ta, from torc'mre, an old form corresponding to torcere.
79-81. Perche, &c. : 'because, if the will yields in any degree,
it follows along with the force ; and that is what these souls did,
when it was in their power to return to the scene of their religious
life.' They accommodated themselves after a while to the life
which had been forced upon them, and so were involved in com-
plicity with the force.
82-4. intero : 'sound,' 'firm of purpose.' Come, &c. : 'as
his will held St. Laurence on the gridiron, and made Mucius
Scaevola unsparing to his hand.'
85, 86. Cosi, &c. : ' so their will would have forced these spirits
to return along the way to the place whence they were dragged,
as soon as they were at liberty to do so.'
89, 90. e 1' argomento, &c. : ' the argument is refuted, which
would have given you trouble from time to time in the future.' The
argument here meant is that in 11. 19-21.
91. Ma or, &c. : Beatrice now replies to a supposed objection
on Dante's part, that, whereas Piccarda had spoken of Constance
as having always in heart remained a nun (Par. iii. 117), this appears
irreconcilable with her having continued to live with her husband in
the world, passo : ' difficulty ' ; this meaning is derived from that
of ' a difficult passage.'
94. nella mente messo : Beatrice had done this in Par. iii. 3 1-3.
100-14. The answer to the objection is, that though Constance,
as Piccarda said, throughout her life preferred and longed for the
life of the convent, yet she was prevented from returning to it by
the fear of worse suffering. Much of what follows, including the
example of Alcmaeon, is taken from Ar. Eth, Nic. iii. i. 6.
102. Si fe' di quel: 'a man has done a thing,' lit. 'there has
been done of that.'
103-5. Almeone : Alcmaeon, in accordance with the injunctions
of his father Amphiaraus, slew his mother Eriphyle who had
432
IV. 106-29] PARADISO
betrayed his father; cp. Purg. xii. 50, 51. Being influenced by
the pressure of counterbalancing motives, he chose the alternative
which seemed likely to bring upon him the less severe Nemesis.
Per non, &c. : ' that he might not fail in filial affection he became
merciless.' piet^, which refers to Alcmaeon's behaviour towards
his father, is used in the sense of the Lat. pietas, while spietato,
'cruel,' 'merciless,' applies to his treatment of his mother. In
Ovid's account of the story, which Dante here had in his mind, the
passage occurs, ' Ultusque parente parentem, Natus erit facto pius et
sceleratus eodem,' Met. ix. 407, 408 ; the epithets />/z/j' and sceleratus
here appear to have suggested pietk and spietato.
io6-8. A questo punto : 'in reference to this point.' si
mischia : the combination of force and the will, so that the two
act together, produces 'mixed action,' which is partly involuntary,
partly voluntary, fanno Si, &c. : ' they act in such a manner,' &c.
109-14. Voglia assoluta, &c. : assoluta here means 'absolute'
as contrasted with 'relative.' Independently of the circumstances
(i. e. of the pressure of fear) the will does not consent to the wrong
forced upon it ; but when affected by fear of worse suffering in case
of withdrawing itself from the pressure of that force, so far it does
consent. So Piccarda, when she speaks of Constance's life, does
not take into account her yielding to fear, while Beatrice does take
it into account, and therefore regards her as defective in the
observance of her vows. Thus both their statements are true.
115-7. ondeggiar: 'rippling'; the gentle onward movement
of Beatrice's argument, del fonte, &c. : from God. uno ed
altro : both the questions mentioned in 11. 19—24.
118. amanza, &c. : 'beloved of the primal Lover.'
122, 123. voi : dative case, for a vol. grazia per grazia :
' thanks for favour.' Ma quei, &c. : ' but may He who sees (the
greatness of the favour) and can (make a return) render you an
adequate recompense.'
125, 126. il ver, &c. : Divine Truth, which comprehends all
other truth, si spazia : lit. ' extends.'
127-9. Posasi, &c. : 'our intellect reposes in the Divine
Verity, like a beast reposing in its lair, as soon as it reaches it.'
Se non, &c. : this is an application of the doctrine of final causes ;
the existence of the desire proves the possibility of obtaining the
object of desire.
TozER 433 F f
PARADISO [IV. i3o~v. 12
130-2. Nasce, Szc: 'owing to this desire of knowing the
Divine Verity, doubt arises at the foot of truth, as saplings rise from
the foot of a tree.' Apple del vero : this is another way of saying
that it springs from the root of truth, that idea being suggested
by the metaphor : the doubt is a germ of truth, e natura, &c. :
'it is a natural process, which impels us from height to height unto
the summit.' By the questions which arise from learning a truth,
we are led on to the apprehension of a higher truth, and so onwards
till the highest is reached.
133. Questo : this desire of knowing the truth.
136-8. puo satisfarvi, &c. : ' may make satisfaction to Heaven
for broken vows with other good deeds, which may be equivalent in
your scales.' satisfarvi: vi here means 'to you,' i.e. to the
heavenly powers, in which sense vostra is also used in 1. 138.
statera : the Lat. form of the Ital. stadera, ' balance.'
141. diede le reni : ' failed me,' lit. ' took to flight.'
CANTO V
Argument. — Beatrice proceeds to explain that in the case of
a broken vow no adequate compensation can be made, but that
under certain conditions other services can be substituted for those
undertaken in connexion with it. Dante and Beatrice then ascend
to the second Heaven, that of Mercury, where the spirits of the
ambitious are found; here the Poet is accosted by the spirit of
the emperor Justinian.
Lines i, 2. S' io, &c. : 'if I blaze on thee with the heat of
love in excess of the measure which is seen on earth.*
5, 6. Da perfetto veder : 'from perfect vision,' i. e. the power
of seeing the divine light in all its intensity, come apprende, &c. :
* in proportion as it perceives the light, makes corresponding advance
in respect of the good which it has perceived,' i. e. is itself more
illuminated by that light.
9. vista sola : ' merely through being seen.'
10-2. E s' altra, &c. ; 'and if aught else leads men's
434
V. 13-63] PARADISO
(vostro, plur.) desires astray, this is nothing but a faint trace of
that eternal light, misunderstood, which makes itself seen in the
object of desire.' The view here stated is the same which is
found in Purg. xvii. 103-5 and 127—9, viz. that both virtue and
vice in man proceed from love, or the desire of what is good,
only in the case of vice the desire is misled by a false appearance
of good.
13—5. Tu vuoi, &c. : Beatrice here proceeds to answer Dante's
question in Par. iv. 136-8. se, &c. : 'whether by other good
deeds one can compensate for broken vows sufficiently to secure
one's soul from any further claim.' litigio is a claim at the bar
of God's judgement.
16-8. Si comincio, &c. : these three lines are introduced to
explain that 11. 1-15 are a sort of prologue to the argument which
follows, questo canto : ' this Canto ' ; cp. 1. 1 39. non spezza :
* does not interrupt.' processo : ' train of argument.'
19-33. Beatrice's reply is, that it is impossible to make adequate
compensation in this case, because the vow implies the surrender
of free-will, which is the greatest gift that man can make to God.
24. furo e son : were at the time of their creation, and are so
still, even subsequently to the Fall.
27. Che Dio, &c. : 'that, when man makes the vow, God
approves it.'
29, 30. Vittima, &c. : ' a sacrifice is made of this treasure (of
the gift of free-will), the value of which I have mentioned {Lo
maggior don of 1. 19), and is made voluntarily,' lit. 'by the act of
free-will.'
32, 33. Se credi, &c. : the meaning is: — 'If, after making an
offering of your free-will, you recall it, and then think to use it
in God's service, what is this but doing good deeds with ill-gotten
gains ? ' mal tolletto is the mediaeval Lat. maletollettum^ ' ex-
tortions.' Some editors read maltolletto in one word, but mal is
here used in contrast with buon, and the analogy of toilette dannose
in the same sense in Inf. xi. 36 suggests that the subst. tolletto
can also be used separately.
34-63. Having settled the main point, viz. that no equivalent
can be given for broken vows, Beatrice proceeds to the question of
the substitution of other meritorious deeds under the dispensation
of the Church for the service undertaken in accordance with the
435 Ff2
PARADISO [v. 35-60
vow. Such substitution, she says, is allowable, provided that it is
sanctioned by ecclesiastical authority, and that the thing substituted
is half as great again as that for which it is substituted.
35. in cio dispensa: 'exercises a dispensing power in that
matter.'
37-9. Convienti, &c. : ''tis well that thou shouldst sit yet a
while at table, because the solid food which thou hast taken requires
further aid for thee to digest it.' The ' solid food ' is the difficult
question under consideration, and ' remaining at table ' is waiting for
further explanation.
4 1 . fermalvi entro : ' store it in your memory.' non fa
scienza : ' does not constitute knowledge.'
43-5. Due cose, &c. : 'two things combine to form,' &c. :
the two things are (i) the vow itself (la convenenza), involving
the sacrifice of free-will; and (2) the things undertaken under the
vow (quella Di che si fa), such as fasting.
46-8. non si cancella, &c. : ' cannot be cancelled except by
being observed.' Si preciso, &c. : ' I have stated the rule so
strictly above,' in 11. 31-3.
49-51. Pero, &c.: this is an analogous instance from the Mosaic
Law. ' For this reason to the Jews the offering in any case (Pur)
was indispensable, though some kinds of offerings might be com-
muted ' ; see Lev. xxvii., where vows are being spoken of. offerere :
arch, for offrirc, cp. Par. xiii. 140.
52-4. che per, &c. : 'which is known to you as the matter of
the vow,' i. e. the things undertaken under the vow. Puote, &c. :
' may easily be such, that it is not amiss if it be commuted with
other matter.'
55-60. Ma non, &c. : here follow the two conditions under
which substitution is permissible, viz. (i) that it should be authorized
by the priest; (2) that the thing substituted should exceed in a
definite proportion that for which it is substituted, della chiave,
&c. : for the golden and the silver key as representing the powers of
the priest-confessor see note on Purg. ix. 117. Se la cosa, &c. :
' if the thing relinquished is not contained in that which is under-
taken, as 4 is in 6 ' ; i. e. that which is substituted must be half
as great again. The numbers here are sometimes taken as meaning
nothing more than an increase generally, but, since in Levit. xxvii.,
which is here referred to, one-fifth was added in case of commutation
436
V. 61-72] PARADISO
(vv. 13, 15, 19, 31), it is probable that Dante intended to signify
a ddinite proportion.
61-3. Pero, &c. : the meaning is: — As it is an indispensable
condition of commutation that what is substituted should be greater
than that for which it is substituted, it follows that no substitution
could be made in the case of the vow of perpetual virginity which the
spirits in this Heaven had undertaken and had forfeited, because no
equivalent could be found for it. tragga ogni bilancia : 'out-
weighs everything that can be placed in the other scale.' con altra
spesa : ' by means of other outlay ' of meritorious actions.
64. a ciancia: 'in a spirit of trifling,' lit. 'banter.'
65. Siate, &c. : the meaning is : — Be faithful in observing your
vows, and at the same time in doing so avoid adopting perverse
views of duty (bieci, lit. 'squinting'). The point of the two
examples which follow consists in the perverted views of duty which
were adopted in consequence of a vow, and to this Beatrice draws
attention in 11. 67, 68. The connexion of the whole passage with
what precedes and follows is found in its incidentally pointing out
how much is involved in taking a vow, and consequently how great
caution is required in doing so. 'If you take a vow,' she says,
'you are bound to keep it; but in some cases there is a danger
in doing so of running into worse sin, and this you must avoid';
and then, considering the risks involved, she repeats in 1. 73 the
warning which she had given in 1. 64, ' Think well before you bind
yourself.'
66. prima mancia : the offering (lit. gift) of the first object
which met him coming out of his house. The story of Jephthah's
vow is given in Judges xi. 30, 31, and 34. Observe that in the
Vulg., from which Dante quoted, the words are ' quicunque primus
egressus fuerit,' where ' primus ' has no equivalent in the Engl. Vers.
69. lo gran duca : Agamemnon. Dante derived the story of
his voiv from Cic. De Off. iii. 25. 95, where it is said that he
promised to sacrifice to Diana the most beautiful thing that was
born in that year, and found none more beautiful than his daughter.
This explains. Dante's mention of Iphigenia's beauty as the cause
of her death in 1. 70. See Moore, Studies^ i. p. 263.
70-2. Onde, &c. : 'in consequence of which (Agamemnon's
folly) Iphigenia lamented the beauty of her face, and (by her death)
caused all men, whether wise or simple, who heard the tale of so
437
PARADISO [v. 73-105
monstrous a rite, to shed tears for her.' Ifigenia : the metre shows
that this was pronounced Ifig/n'ta.
73-5. Siate, &c, : 'be more considerate in proceeding to under-
take such vows ; be not impulsive in approaching them, like a feather
moved by eveiy wind ; do not suppose that you can easily obtain
dispensation from them/
76-8. Avete, &c. : 'there is no need of vows to insure your
salvation ; you have sufficient guidance in the Old and New Testament,
and in the Pope as the representative of the Church.'
79-81. se, &c. : 'if unrighteous covetousness suggests to you
a different course, then behave like men and not like silly sheep * ; in
other words : — 'if the hope of gain which the religious life holds
out tempts you to take the vows, quit you like men in resisting
the temptation, and thus avoid the risk of afterwards breaking your
vows.' Si che, &c. : ' so that the Jew who lives in your midst
may not have the laugh of you.' The Jews (who are here intro-
duced because of the mention of the vows under the Mosaic Law
in 1. 49) observe their vows, and therefore have a right to despise
those Christians who break theirs.
82-4. Non fate, &c. : the meaning is: — Do not by mshing
unadvisedly into new engagements ignore the guidance of the Bible
and the Church which has hitherto supported you. e semplice,
&c. : ' and in innocent sportive mood, following its bent, brings
itself to harm.'
87. quella parte, &c. : the Empyrean is probably meant, because
Beatrice was preparing to ascend to the next Heaven, and therefore
would be looking upward.
90. davante : ' presenting themselves to it.'
92. sia . . . queta : 'ceases to vibrate.'
93. secondo regno : the second realm is the Heaven of Mercury,
in which Dante meets the spirits of the ambitious, i. e. those who
had high aims in life for the sake of fame. In consequence of their
being influenced by this lower motive they occupy the lowest sphere
but one.
98, 99. che pur, &c. : ' who merely from being a mortal man
am liable to every phase of change.'
102. Per modo che: take with vien ; 'which comes in such
sort that they deem it to be their food.'
105. chi crescerk, &c. : Dante is referred to; 'one who will
43B
V. 107-38] PARADISO
augment in us the feeling of love.' The spirits anticipate an increase
of their love, because they know that Dante has a favour to ask
of them, and rejoice in the prospect of granting it; cp. 11. 115 foil.
107, 108. Vedeasi, &c. : 'the spirit was seen to be full of joy
by the brightness which proceeded from it.' This statement implies
that the spirit was visible, notwithstanding the light which emanated
from it; cp. II. 136, 137. On this characteristic of the three
lowest spheres of Paradise see note on Par. iii. 48. But whereas
in sphere I no light emanates from the spirits, this takes place here,
and still more markedly in the third sphere, Par. viii. 52.
III. carizia : archaic for carestia, 'dearth,' 'unsatisfied craving.'
1 15-7. bene nato : ' born in a happy hour ' ; cp. ben creato^ Par.
iii. 37. Prima che, &c. : 'before the warfare of life is concluded.'
120. Da noi, &c. : 'to be enlightened by (receive information
from) us.'
121— 3. un : this was the emperor Justinian. credi, &c. :
'trust them as if they were divinities.'
124, 125. t' annidi : 'art enveloped'; for the metaphor cp.
Par. iv. 127, 'come fiera in lustra.' traggi : ' that the light pro-
ceeds (lit. that thou dost draw it forth) from thine eyes.'
129. altrui ; the sun, owing to its nearness to which Mercury
is seldom visible to the naked eye; cp. Conv. ii. 14. 11. 99, 100,
where Dante says of Mercury, ' piil va velata de' raggi del sole che
null' altra Stella.'
130. diritto : ' facing,' ' turning myself towards.'
133-5. stessi: archaic form of stesso^ used only as a personal
pronoun ; cp. Inf. ix. 58. come il caldo, &c. : ' when the heat
has consumed the tempering influence of the dense vapours.'
138. chiusa chiusa : ' completely enveloped.'
CANTO VI
Argument. — Justinian first reveals his own identity, and then
from the mention of the Imperial office which he held proceeds to
sketch the history of the development of the power and majesty of
Rome, with the object of incriminating the Guelf and Ghibelline
factions, which were now, though in different ways, impairing the
439
PARADTSO [VI. 1-12
authority of the Empire. Afterwards he relates the story of one of
the spirits in this sphere, Romeo, the seneschal of Raymond
Berenger, describing the services which he rendered and the
ingratitude with which he was repaid.
Lines 1-27. Justinian here answers the first of Dante's two
questions (cp. Par. v. 127), viz. who he was. But before mention-
ing his name he explains that he became emperor of Rome more
than 200 years after the transference of the chief seat of the
government to Constantinople (11. 1-9).
1-3. Posciache, &c. : the removal of the administrative centre
of the Roman empire by Constantine from Rome to Constantinople
is described as his having turned the flight of the eagle (the symbol
of Roman dominion) against the course of Heaven, i. e. from W. to
E., whereas it had previously flown from E. to W., when Aeneas
brought it from Troy to Italy. Dietro, &c. : ' following the
ancient hero (Aeneas), who took Lavinia to wife ' ; tor moglie means
' to marry.'
4-6. Cento, &c. : ' two hundred years and more the bird of God
maintained its position at the extremity of Europe.' The accepted
date for the foundation of Constantinople, as distinguished from its
subsequent dedication, is a. D. 324, and that of Justinian's accession
is 527, so that the interval would be 203 years. But there is good
reason for thinking that Dante's authority here is Brunetto Latini,
and he in his Trhor (i. 2. 87) gives the dates as 333 and 539
respectively, in which case the interval would be 206 years. 1'
uccel di Dio : the eagle, which is called ' T uccel di Giove ' in
Purg. xxxii. 112; here ' the bird of God,' because the Roman
empire according to Dante was a divine institution. Vicino, &c. :
as Troy was regarded as the birthplace of the Roman empire, ' the
mountains from which the eagle first came forth ' signify Mt. Ida,
which lies behind the plain of Troy. As this is situated at one end
of the Sea of Marmora, and Constantinople at the other end, they
are relatively near to one another.
7, 8. delle sacre penne v ' of its sacred wings.' di mano in
mano : ' passing from hand to hand,' from one emperor to another.
1 0-2. fui, e son : this is a marked instance of Dante's rule of
using the past tense when giving the title of the dignities or offices of
his characters, the present when the personal name only is used ; see
440
VI. J4-3^] PARADISO
note on Inf. xxxiii. 13, 14. per voler, &c. : 'Inspired by the
primal Love (the Holy Spirit) whose power I feel/ Justinian's
inspiration in this matter is again referred to in 1. 23. For ' primo
amore ' as a title of the Holy Ghost, cp. Inf. iii. 6 and note there.
D' entro, &c. : ' removed from the body of the laws what tvas
redundant and what was useless.' The reform and codifying of the
Roman Law was the great work of Justinian's reign.
14. Una natura, &c. : this is the doctrine of the Monophysites,
which was condemned by the Fourth General Council in 451. In
reality Justinian himself was orthodox in this matter, though his wife,
the empress Theodora, inclined towards that heresy. Probably
Dante got the view unfavourable to Justinian from Brunetto Latini,
who says (Tesoro, ii. 25) — ' Tutto ch' ei fosse al cominciamento
negli errori degli eretici, al fine riconobbe lo suo errore per lo
consiglio di Agabito.'
16. Agapito : Agapetus, bishop of Rome, was sent in the year
5 1 5 by Theodatus, king of the Goths, on an embassy to Justinian
at Constantinople ; and during his stay there he convicted the
Patriarch Anthimus of Monophysite views in the emperor's presence.
Dante regards Justinian as having been converted to the orthodox
belief on this occasion. Perhaps his reason for introducing this
episode in Justinian's history was, that he wished to illustrate his
own view of the rightful functions of the Emperor and the Pope
as being respectively the temporal and spiritual governors, by showing
that it was accepted in Justinian's time.
19-21. cio che, &c. : 'his article of faith (the two Natures in
Christ) I now see clearly, in the same way as you see that of two
contradictories one must be false, the other true ' ; i. e. not as
a matter of opinion or inference, but with absolute certainty.
22—4. con la chiesa, &c. : ' I walked in accordance with the
Church's teaching.' di spirarmi : ' to inspire me with ' ; for
spirare in this sense cp. Purg. xxiv. 53, 'Amor mi spira.' 1' alto
lavoro : the reform of the laws.
25-7. BelHsar : Belisarius, who overthrew the Vandal Kingdom
in Africa, and reconquered Italy from the Goths, commendai :
' entrusted.' dovessi posarmi : ' should rest ' from military
occupations.
28-30. Or qui, &c. : ' here then ends my answer to your first
question ; but the nature of my reply constrains me to pursue
441
PARADISO [VI. 31-50
a sequel to it ' ; i. e. I cannot leave the subject of the Roman empii-e,
to which I have referred, without adding some further remarks.
31-3. Perche, &c. : ' that you may see with how much (meaning
' how little ') justification men proceed against the sacred emblem.'
chi '1 s' appropria : the Ghibellines. chi a lui s' oppone : the
Guelfs and their supporters ; cp. 11. 100-8.
35, 36. E comincio : ' and Justinian commenced.' Justinian
now sketches in outline the rise and history of the Roman empire ;
on this compare De Mon. ii. 11, and Conv. iv. 5. Observe that the
power which is spoken of from here to 1. 82 — ' ij segno che parlar
mi face ' — and is frequently the subject of the verb, is the Roman
eagle. Pallanta, &c. : Pallas, who was fighting on the side of
Aeneas, was slain by Turnus. His death led to that of Turnus,
because Aeneas would have spared the latter's life, had he not seen
the belt of Pallas which he was wearing (Aen. xii. 940-50). By
Turnus' death Aeneas became possessed of Lavinia, and of the
kingdom of Latinus. Thus the death of Pallas ultimately caused
the eagle to obtain the sovereignty.
37-9. che fece, &c. ; ' that the Roman eagle made its abode in
Alba Longa for 300 years and upwards, until at last (lit. until the end
when) once more the Horatii and Curiatii contended for it.' The
victory of the three Roman Horatii over the three Alban Curiatii
finally determined the end of the Alban sovereignty and the
commencement of the sovereignty of Rome ; up to that time the
Albans held the first place, as being the elder branch of the Trojan
stock (Liv. i. 2'^ ad init.). Dante's authority for the period of ' 300
years and upwards ' was probably Virg. Jlen. i. 267-74, where the
interval between the foundation of Alba by Ascanius and the birth
of Romulus and Remus is computed at 300 years.
40, 41. dal mal, &c. : the rape of the Sabines in the time of
Romulus and the wrong done to Lucretia by Tarquinius Superbus
mark the beginning and the end of the period of the kings.
45. collegi : for collegali^ ' confederates.'
46-8. dal cirro Negletto : Cincinnatus. This word, which
properly signifies ' curly-haired,' is here taken to mean * with unkempt
locks.' mirro : ' embalm,' from mtrra^ ' myrrh.'
49, 50. Arabi : an anachronism for ' Carthaginians.' L' al-
pestre, &c. : the chain of the Alps between Piedmont and France ;
the Po rises in Monte Viso.
442
VI. 5^-69] PARADISO
52-4. giovinetti : Scipio was 24 years old when he commenced
his successful campaign against the Carthaginians in Spain, and
32 when he defeated Hannibal at the battle of Zama. Pompey,
while quite a young man, was one of Sulla's most distinguished
generals in the war against Marius. a quel colle, &c. : ' the
Roman eagle showed itself harsh towards that hill beneath which
thou wast born.' The hill is that of Fiesole, which looks down
on Florence. According to the tradition to which Dante here
refers, and which is given by Villani (i. 37), Faesulae was destroyed
by the Romans after the defeat of Catiline.
55—7. presso, &c. : ' when the time was nigh, at which it was
the will of Heaven to bring the whole world to its serene mood,' i. e.
when the time of Christ's coming approached. The modo sereno
here recalls ' No war nor battle's sound Was heard the world around,'
«&c., mM.Wtovi's Ode on the Nativity. toUe: for ioglie, 'assumes it,'
viz. the Roman eagle.
58-60. E quel, &c. : these three lines describe the scene of
Caesar's campaigns (or, more accurately, the exploits of the Roman
eagle in Caesar's hands) in Gaul by an enumeration of the principal
rivers of that country — viz. the Var and the Rhine, which were its
boundaries on the side of Italy and Germany respectively, and, in
the interior, the Isere, the Saone (Lat. Arar, whence Era), the
Seine, and the Rhone and its tributaries. These river-names are
borrowed from Lucan, i. 399 foil., but the mention of them here is
a marked instance of Dante's geographical interest in rivers, ogni
valle, &c. : by ' every valley from which the Rhone is filled ' is
meant the ' basins ' drained by the rivers which feed it.
61, 62. Ravenna : this was Caesar's starting-point when he
advanced on Rome, tal volo : ' so rapid flight ' on the eagle's
part.
64-6. In ver, &c. : 'it wheeled round its host toward Spain.'
Caesar's rapid march into Spain, in the course of which he attacked
Massilia, has been already noticed as an instance of energetic action
in Purg. xviii. 10 1, 102. Durazzo : the ancient Dyrrhachium on
the eastern coast of the Adriatic, to which Caesar crossed from
Brundisium in pursuit of Pompey. al Nil, &c. : because Pompey
fled to Egypt and was slain there. The epithet caldo is transferred
from the country to the river.
67-9. Antandro, &c. : the eagle revisited its starting-place, the
443
PARADISO [vi. 70-87
neighbourhood of Troy. Antandros is mentioned as being the place
from which Aeneas set sail ; cp. Virg. Aen. iii. 6. Ettore, &c. :
Hector's tomb is mentioned in ylen. v. .371; but probably Dante
was rather thinking of Lucan, ix. 976-8, because in the Hnes that
precede that passage Caesar's visit to Troy is described, mal, &c. :
' roused itself in an evil hour for Ptolemy.' Caesar took part with
Cleopatra against Ptolemy in the matter of the kingdom of Egypt.
70-2. Juba: in consequence of Juba, king of Numidia, having
protected the Pompeians and Cato and Scipio, Caesar reduced his
kingdom to a Roman province, vostro occidente : ' the West
of your world below.' Spain is meant, where the battle of Munda
was fought against the sons of Pompey.
73—5. baiulo : 'standard-bearer'; L.at. haiulus, 'bearer.' 'The
standard-bearer next in succession ' is the emperor Augustus, latra :
take with Di quel ; ' to that which the eagle did in company with
Augustus, Brutus and Cassius direfully testify in Hell.' Brutus
and Cassius are in the mouth of Lucifer in the pit of Hell (Inf.
xxxiv. 64—7) ; and, as it is said of Brutus in that passage that he
does not utter a word {non fa motto), latra can hardly be taken
here in the sense of ' howls in pain.' It is their sufferings in Hell
which bear witness to their overthrow by Augustus, when they were
defeated at Philippi. E Modena, &c. : ' the eagle caused Modena
and Perugia to mourn.' Dante was here thinking of Lucan, i. 41,
' Perusina fames Mutinaeque labores ' ; and from this we see that
what he is referring to is the murderous battle in which Augustus
defeated Antony before Mutina, and the straits endured by the
inhabitants of Perusia during the siege of that city, when it was
defended by Lucius Antonius against Augustus.
78. atra: 'dire.'
79. Con costui, &c. : the meaning is : — ' In Augustus' hands the
eagle conquered all Egypt as far as the Red Sea shore.' lito rubro
is a reminiscence of ' litore rubro ' in Virg. j4en. viii. 686.
82-4. il segno, &c. : 'the Roman eagle, which is the subject of
my speech.' lo regno mortal : the Roman empire is meant.
86, 87. Se, &c. : 'if we fully and fairly regard the Roman
authority (the eagle) as wielded by Tiberius,' in whose reign Christ
was put to death. The superior position here attributed to the
Roman empire under Tiberius arose from this — that it was then
recognized by divine sanction as the power which should govern
444
VI. 88-96] PARADISO
the world. It was so recognized in the following manner, as Dante
argues in De Mon. ii. 13. 11. 29-49. The object of Christ's death
was that it should be a vicarious punishment for the sins of the
whole world ; in other words, the whole human race was punished
in the person of Christ. But punishment, in order to be rightly so
called (as distinguished from vengeance or arbitrary punishment),
must be inflicted by one who has lawful authority over those who
are punished. Therefore it was necessary that Christ should be
condemned to death by one who had lawful authority over the whole
human race. Hence, when God willed that Christ should be
condemned by Pilate, the vice-gerent of Tiberius, who in turn
represented the Roman empire, it was recognized by Him that the
empire was de iure the governing power in the world.
88-90. la viva, &c. : ' the living justice (i. e. the justice of
God) which inspires me'; for spira cp. 1. 23. Gloria, &c. :
' the glory of avenging the wrath of God,' i. e. of pacifying God's
anger against the sins of men by putting Christ to death who made
atonement for those sins. The glory arose from the position thus
attributed to the Roman empire, as explained in note to 11. 86, 87.
91—3. Or qui, &c. : 'now mark the strangeness of (lit. regard
with wonder) my repetition.' The repetition is that of the word
vendetta in two different applications, corresponding to the twofold
mission of the eagle ; first it avenged God's wrath against Adam's
sin (vendetta del peccato antico) by putting Christ to death;
then it took vengeance on the Jews for bringing about Christ's death
by the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. This point is more fully
treated in Par. vii. 19 foil. On Titus as the avenger of Christ see
Purg. xxi. 82-4.
94-6. E quando, &c. : when Desiderius, king of the Lombards,
persecuted the Church, Pope Adrian I called in Charles the Great
to its defence, vincendo : by his victory over Desiderius. The
date of this was 774, and Charles was not crowned emperor of the
West until 800, so that at the time when it took place he was not
under the protection of the Roman eagle (sotto alle sue ali).
Dante's error here is of a part with his more serious mistake in
De Mon. iii. 11. 11. 1-7, where he says that Charles was crowned
emperor by Adrian I while the emperor Michael was on the throne
of Constantinople — whereas in reality he was crowned by Leo IH
during the reign of Irene.
445
PARADISO [VI. 97-117
97-9. Omai, &:c. : Justinian's object in extolling the greatness
of the Roman empire was, as he stated before beginning to do so
(II. 29-33), to show the sinfulness of those who in Dante's time
were endeavouring to lower its position, quel cotali : ' those
classes of men.'
100-2. L* uno, &c. : 'the one (the Guelfs) opposes to the
world-embracing standard (the eagle) the yellow lilies (the Jieur-
de-lys of France, i. e. the Angevins) ; the other (the Ghibellines)
appropriates it to a party (treats it as their special emblem).' This
passage shows how independent Dante was at this period of his life
of both parties in Italy ; cp. Par. xvii. 68, 69.
103-5. faccian lor arte: 'practise their devices (play their
game).' sempre : take with segue, la giustizia, &c. : ' alienates
it from justice.'
106-8. Carlo novello: Charles II of Apulia, son of Charles
of Anjou, now leader of the Guelf party, piu alto leon, &c. ;
the statement is probably general ; ' have despoiled greater chieftains
than him.'
109— II. li figli : it is difficult to think that this is only a general
statement. Possibly there is an allusion to the misfortunes of Charles
Martel, son of Charles II, whom Dante introduces in Par. viii.
31 foil, non si creda, &c. : ' let no man think that God purposes
to change his own bearings (the divinely appointed eagle) for his
(Charles's) lilies,' i. e. that he intends the Angevin emblem to
supersede that of the empire.
II 2-4. Justinian now proceeds to answer Dante's second
question (Par. v. 127-9), ^i^* ^^y he was found in the sphere of
Mercury. This, he says, is the place assigned to those who had
pursued high aims in life for the sake of honour, picciola : cp.
Conv. ii. 14. 1. 92, 'Mercurio e la piil piccola Stella del cielo.'
Mercury is sixteen times smaller than the earth, si correda : ' is
adorned,' lit. 'equipped,' 'furnished.' li succeda : 'may accrue
to them.' li is dat. case, archaic for gli, which latter is used for
loro, as in Inf. xx. 14.
115-7. poggian quivi : 'rise thither,' i.e. towards fame.
Poggiare is der. from pogg'w^ ' a hill.' disviando : ' deviating
from the right course,' not aiming at the glory of God, which is
the true motive, pur convien, &c. : ' the rays of the true love
(their love for God) must ever (pur) rise upwards with less ardour.'
446
VI. II8-42] PARADISO
This is the reason why a lower place is assigned to them in the
court of Heaven.
1 1 8, 119. nel commensurar, <fec. : 'our joy in part consists
in balancing our rewards against our deserts.' gaggi is the same
word as Engl, 'wages.'
1 2 1-3. Quindi, &c. : 'hence doth the living justice (God, the
fountain-head of justice) so tranquillize our feelings (the desire of
a higher place) within us, that they can never be perverted to any
unrighteousness ' ; i. e. to discontent with their lot, or envy of
others. For the sentiment here cp. Par. iii. 70-2.
124-6. Diverse, &c. : 'as on earth (giii) voices of different
tone form sweet concord, so in our life in Heaven the different
grades (lit. tiers of seats) give forth sweet harmony among these
spheres.'
127-9. margarita: here used of Mercury; similarly of the
moon in Par. ii. 34. Romeo : chief minister of Raymond
Berenger IV, count of Provence, to whom his services w^ere of
great advantage. According to Dante, he became the object of
jealousy and misrepresentation on the part of the courtiers, and
was banished and died in poverty. This story, which is found
also in Villani (vi. 90), is purely legendary, mal gradita: 'ill
recompensed.'
131, 132. Non hanno riso : they suffered at the hands of
Charles of Anjou, son-in-law of Raymond Berenger, into whose
hands Provence passed by inheritance — 'la gran dote Provenzale'
of Purg. XX. 61. e pero, &c. : ' and so it is, that he who (through
jealousy) regards others' good deeds as an injury to himself, is
following the road to ruin.'
I33~5' Quattro figlie, &c. : these were Margaret, wife of
Louis IX of France; Eleanor, wife of Henry III of England;
Sancia, wife of Richard earl of Cornwall, king of the Romans ;
and Beatrice, wife of Charles I of Anjou. peregrina : ' pilgrim ' ;
the story of his having come to the court of Raymond Berenger
when returning from a pilgrimage to Compostella arose from his
name Romeo (= pilgrim).
136-8. le parole biece : the calumnies of the courtiers.
ragione : ' an account.' assegno, &c. : ' paid over to him
12 for 10 ' — his own with interest.
140-2. il cor, &c. : 'the courage which he showed.' Justinian
447
PARADISO [VII. i-i:z
speaks as one who knew this in Heaven : the world, as Dante
impHes, and as Villani states {Joe. cit.), knew nothing of his
subsequent life. Assai, &c. : ' much as it praises him, would
praise him more.'
CANTO VII
Argument. — Justinian and the spirits in his company now with-
draw, and Beatrice, in order to relieve Dante's mind from certain
doubts which had been suggested by Justinian's speech, explains to
him the mystery of Redemption. After this she discusses the
nature of created things, distinguishing those which are incorruptible
from those which are corruptible.
Lines 1-3. Osanna, &c. : ' Hosanna, holy God of hosts, who
by Thy brightness dost illuminate from above the happy fires of these
realms.' These verses appear to have been Dante's own, not a
hymn of the Church ; but they are in Latin, to correspond to other
mediaeval hymns, malachoth : as Dante required a rhyme for
Sabaoth — no easy thing to find — he availed himself of the word
malachoth, which he met with in St. Jerome's Preface to the Vulgate,
where it is translated by regnorum. The proper form of this, which
is read in modern edd. of the Vulgate, is mamlachot, but in Dante's
time malachoth was the accepted reading.
4—6. Co SI, &c. : * these words, as it returned to its singing, it
appeared to me that spirit chanted.' The singing has not been
mentioned before in this connexion ; it is here implied that it was
the habitual occupation of these spirits, sustanza : the 'spirit,'
which is the essential part of man ; cp. ' forma sustanzial ' in Purg.
xviii. 49. Sopra, &c. : ' on whose head two forms of glory
equally rest,' lit. ' over whom a double splendour pairs itself.' The
meaning is : — Justinian is dignified in an equal degree by the two
glorious titles of emperor and of lawgiver.
7. danza : this is the first instance which we meet with in the
Paradiso of the rapid and intricate movement, which together with
light and music form the most marked characteristics of the spirits
in Heaven.
10-2. lo dubitava, &c. : ' I was possessed by a doubt, and was
448
'vii. 13-29] PARADISO
saying to myself, "Tell it to her, tell it to my lady, who quenches
my thirst with her sweet drops of wisdom " ' ; the drops are
Beatrice's arguments.
13-5. s' indonna, &c.t 'masters me entirely.' pur, &c. :
* merely at the sound of BE and ICE.' Some think that ' Bice,'
the abbreviation of Beatrice, is meant; cp. 'monna Bice' in Vita
Nuova^ § 24. 1. 58 ; in this case it is better to read B than BE.
If, however, the name ' Bice ' seems somewhat too familiar under
the circumstances, then ' BE and ICE ' may mean 'a part (i. e. the
mere suggestion) of the name of Beatrice.' Mi richinava, &c. :
' caused me to droop my head like one falling asleep.'
19-21. Secondo, &c. : 'I am aware, through the guidance of
my infallible judgement, that the question, how a just vengeance
could be justly punished, has set thee thinking.' The subject of ha
miso is the clause Come . . . fosse. In 11. 20, 21 Beatrice is
referring to Justinian's remarks in Par. vi. 88-93 on the sacrifice of
Christ by the Jews, and the retributive punishment inflicted on them
in consequence. Dante's difficulty is — If Christ was justly put to
death, how could it be just to punish those who put Him to death ?
The answer is — that He was justly punished in His human nature
(11. 40-2), but unjustly as God (43-5). It was from the latter
point of view that the Jews justly incurred the punishment which
was inflicted on them. This argument is highly Scholastic in its
over-subtlety ; and moreover it ignores the unity of the Person of
Christ.
24. Di gran, &c. : 'will give thee largess of (present thee with)
a profound doctrine.' The doctrine is that of Redemption, pre-
sente, as a subst., meaning 'gift,' 'offering' (Engl, 'present'), is
from Low hcit. praesentia, which is used in the same sense, and
is der. from Lat. praesentare, ' to exhibit,' ' offer ' ; Diez, Wort.,
p. 256.
25-7. Per non, &c. : 'owing to his not enduring that a restric-
tion, which was to his advantage, should be imposed on his power
of will (la virtu che vuole), Adam by bringing damnation on
himself brought it also on all his descendants.' The restriction was
the command not to eat of the forbidden fruit, prode : der. from
l^at. prodesse ; cp. Purg. xv. 42.
28, 29. infer ma: take with in grande err ore; 'lay sick in
estrangement from God.' giu : in the world below.
TozsR 449 G g
PARADISO [vii. 31-120
31-3. U*: for Lat. ubi; 'to the place (the earth) where he
united in one person with himself human nature, which had estranged
itself from its Creator, by the sole agency of the Holy Spirit,* who
caused the Virgin to conceive. For amore as a title of the Holy
Spirit cp. Par. vi. 11.
35. Questa, &c. : ' as long as human nature was in unison with
(not estranged from) its Creator.'
39. sua vita : the life of innocence and happiness in Paradise.
40-2. La pena, &c. : 'consequently, if the penalty which the
cross provided be estimated in reference to the (human) nature which
Christ took upon Him, no punishment was ever so justly inflicted.'
nulla is an adj. agreeing with pena understood.
43-5. cosi: 'correspondingly,' 'on the same principle.' per-
sona : the divine Person, with which that nature was combined
(contratta).
47, 48. Ch* a Dio, &c. : the same death was a satisfaction to
God and to the Jews, but in different ways — to God as an atone-
ment for the sins of mankind, to the Jews as gratifying their malice.
tremo la terra: the earthquake is mentioned as an evidence of
God's displeasure with the Jews.
49-51. parer piii forte: 'to appear any longer a difficulty.'
Quando, &c. : see note on 11. 19-21. giusta corte: the emperor
Titus, who is spoken of as the agent of God's vengeance in Par.
vi. 92.
52-4. ristretta, &c. : 'entangled by a succession of thoughts
within a knot,' i. e. a difficulty ; the thoughts are here regarded as
the threads which go to form the knot, solver s' aspetta : ' it is
waiting for deliverance,' i. e. for the solution of the difficulty. The
infin. solver is here used substantively.
55-7. Tu dici, &c. : Beatrice proceeds to explain the mystery of
Redemption in answer to Dante's difficulty. The question is — why
did God prefer that mankind should be saved by means of the death
of Christ rather than in any other way ?
59, 60. il cui, &c. : ' whose nature has not reached maturity in
ardent love.'
61. Veramente: 'yet'; cp. Par. i. lo. questo segno: 'this
question,' lit. 'point.'
64-120. Argument: — Man, inasmuch as his soul proceeded
direct from God, possessed the gifts of immortality, free-will, and
450
VII. 64-7^] PARADISO
likeness to God, and on these depended his high position (11. 64-78).
By the Fall the freedom of his will and his likeness to God were
impaired, and his position was lost (11. 79-81). There were only
two ways by which he could recover this, viz. either (i) that he
should make satisfaction himself for his sin, or (2) that God in His
mercy should pardon him freely (11. 82-93). ^^^ former of these
it was impossible for man to do, because he could not render any
adequate recompense ; it remained therefore for God to guarantee
his pardon (11. 94-105). This God did in a manner at once most
consonant with His own nature, as being perfect Goodness, and most
advantageous to man, and most in accordance with the demands of
justice. He followed both the way of mercy and the way of justice.
By the Incarnation and death of Christ He enabled man to regain
his lost position, and at the same time made the satisfaction for his
sins which justice required (11. 106—20).
64-6. La divina, &c. : ^the divine Goodness, which is un-
grudging in its nature, while in itself it burns with the fire of love,
sparkles so (is so bright), that it manifests in its creatures its eternal
beauties.' da se, &c. : * removes far from itself (is utterly alien to)
all envy (grudging spirit).' It is part of the divine nature to com-
municate itself to other beings. Cp. Boeth. De Cons. Bk. iii. Metr.
9. 11. 4-6, of God creating the universe — ' Quem non externae
pepulerunt fingere causae Materiae fluitantis opus, verum insita summi
Forma boni, livore car ens,*
67-9. Cio che, &c. : ' whatever emanates directly from God is
eternal, because wherever God sets His seal the impression is in-
delible.'
70-2. Cio che da, &c. : ' that which proceeds directly from Him
is wholly free, because it is not subject to the power of things of later
birth.' By 'things of later birth' are meant second causes, as
distinguished from God, who is the great First Cause. Others
interpret the cose nuove as being the planetary and other influences.
73-5. Piu r e, &c. : * that which proceeds immediately from
God resembles Him more closely than other beings do, and
therefore is more pleasing in His sight ; for the fire of divine love,
which irradiates all things, shines more brightly in that which most
resembles it.'
76. queste cose: they are (i) immortality, (2) freedom of the
will, (3) resemblance to God.
451 G g 2
PARADISO [vii. 79-103
7-9-81. disfranca: 'deprives man of his liberty* by impairing
the freedom of his will. Perche, &c. : 'in consequence of which
he is but little irradiated by God's light ' : for imbianca cp. Inf.
ii. 128.
82-4. Ed in, &c. : 'nor can he ever regain his high position,
unless by suffering the penalty due to him he makes up the amount
which is reduced by sin (lit. unless he fills up where transgression
empties), thus counterbalancing his criminal enjoyments.'
85, 86. tota : the Lat. word is used for tutta for the sake of the
rhyme, seme suo : ' the seed from which it sprang/ Adam. For
the use of seme in the sense of ' progenitor * cp. Inf. xxv. 1 2 ; Purg,
vii. 127. dignitadi : the plural is used to signify the three original
privileges mentioned above.
90. Senza, &c. : ' without passing one or other of the two
following fords.' For guadd in the sense of ' a means of escaping
from a difficulty,' cp. Par. ii. 126, where the solution of a difficulty
in argument is spoken of.
91-3. O che, &c. : 'either that God of His benignity alone should
have granted pardon, or that man of himself should have made
satisfaction for his folly.* isso : Lat. ipsum ; cp. issa for ipsa
(sub. hora)^ 'now,' in Inf. xxiii. 7^ Purg. xxiv. 55.
96. distrettamente : 'attentively*; the meaning 0^ distretto is
the same as that of stretto.
97-100. nei termini suoi : 'within his limitations,' i.e. as
a finite being, per non poter, &c. : ' because it was impossible for
him to descend so low in humility by subsequent obedience, as he had
aimed at ascending high by his disobedience.' The reference is to
Gen. iii. 5, where the temptation which Satan presents to Eve is,
that by eating of the forbidden fruit they should become as
gods ; now there is no depth of self-abasement which man can
reach equivalent to his sinful aspiration to partake of the divine
nature.
102. Da poter, &c. : 'rendered incapable of (lit. excluded from
the power of) making satisfaction of himself.'
103. con le vie sue : ' by the two ways open to him — I mean
(Dico, &c., 1. 105), either by one only, or by both together.* The
two ways were, (i) the way of mercy, by granting a free pardon;
(2) the way of justice, by requiring satisfaction. God might either
have pardoned man without requiring satisfaction, or have pardoned
45^
VII. 106-29] PARADISO
him and obtained satisfaction at the same time. The latter mode of
proceeding was adopted in the vicarious sacrifice of Christ.
106— II. The general meaning is: — It was God's desire to
display in the Redemption of man the grandest instance of His
goodness by the combined agency of mercy and justice. Ma perche,
&c. : ' but because the work of him who works approves itself as
more excellent (e piii gradita, lit. ' is more acceptable ') in pro-
portion as it sets forth in larger measure the goodness of the heart
whence it proceeds, the divine Goodness — that same attribute which
is seen imprinted on the face of the world — was pleased to set on
foot your restitution to your high estate by both his methods at once
(per tutte le sue vie).'
1 12-4. Ne, &c. : ' nor throughout the whole history of the world
has there been or will there be any other proceeding equally sublime
and magnificent, either through the agency of mercy or of justice.'
1 1 5-7. piii largo, &c. : the sentiment expressed in these lines is
that of Aquinas, where he says of Christ's Atonement (Summa, iii.
Q. 46. Art. i), 'hoc fuit abundantioris misericordiae, quam si peccata
absque satisfactione dimisisset.' A far, &c. : by taking our nature
Christ enabled us to recover from the effects of the Fall, dimes so :
'excused,' 'pardoned.'
118-20. erano scarsi, &c. : 'would have failed (lit. fell short)
to satisfy justice.' erano scarsi . . . se non fosse is an irregular
sequence ; for other instances see note on Inf. xxix. 38.
121 foil. Beatrice now returns, to her remark (11. 67-9) that what
is created immediately by God is in itself eternal ; this might seem
to imply that the lower material creation is eternal. She explains
that the lower material creation was not created by God immediately,
but through the intervention of other agencies. The lower material
creation is here distinguished from the heavens, which are composed
of pure matter.
122, 123. Ritorno, &c. : 'I go back to furnish an explanation
with regard to a certain point, in order that in that matter (li) you
may see as clearly as I do.'
125. lor misture ; combinations of the four elements which have
just been mentioned.
127-9. creature: i.e. created by God. Perche, &c. : 'and
consequently, if what I said (11. 67-9) is true, they should be
incorruptible.'
453
PARADISO [vii. 130-48
130-2. il paese sincero : ' the region of pure matter,' i. e. the
heavens, dir si posson, &c. : ' may (rightly) be spoken of as
created (by God) in the perfect state in which they (now) are.'
135. Da creata, &c. : 'are infomied by (receive th^ir forma or
essential part from) a power which was itself created.' The power
or influence here meant is that of the stars, and this was a mediate
influence between God and the lower material creation, so that the
latter was not created immediately by God, and therefore is not
incorruptible.
136-8. Creata fu, &c. : these three lines are a fuller statement of
what precedes. These elements (fire, water, &c.) are derived from
what was already created, in respect both of their material and
formal constituents, i. e. the matter of which they were made, and
the stellar influences which gave them their essence, che intorno,
&c. : ' which revolve around them.'
139-41. L' anima, &c. : from speaking of things without life
Beatrice passes to those which possess the sensitive or the vegetative
life without the rational soul. These also are not incorruptible,
because their life is produced mediately by the influence of the stars,
acting on those elements of their nature (i. e. of the matter of which
they are composed) which are capable of being aflPected by them.
' The brightness and the motion of the holy lights (the stars) draws
forth the life of brutes and plants from the combination of elements
(complession) in them, which is endued with power (potenziata)
thereto,' i. e. to be so affected, complession in its technical use
means ' a combination of elements,' e. g. of humours of the body, or
properties of matter.
142, 143. Ma vostra, &c. : in contrast with the preceding, the
rational soul of man proceeds directly from God, and therefore is
incorruptible. ' But your life is breathed into you immediately by
the highest Benevolence * ; cp. Purg. xxv. 70-3.
145-8. E quinci, &c. : the meaning is : — The resurrection of
the body may be inferred from what has been said above (11. 67 foil.)
concerning the immortality of that which has been created immediately
by God, for this was the case with the human body when God made
Adam and Eve; and consequently our bodies must be immortal.
ancora : ' further.' Come, &c. : ' how the human body was then
made, when both our first parents were created.' intrambo : cp.
Inf. xix. 25.
454
VIII. I-I2] PARADISO
CANTO VIII
Argument. — Dante ascends with Beatrice to the third Heaven,
that of Venus, in which the souls of lovers are found. Here he sees
the spirit of his former friend Carlo Martello, son of Charles II king
of Naples, who after referring to the countries, of which, had he
lived, he would have been the sovereign, explains the origin of
varieties of disposition and character in men, and the reason why
sons differ in these respects from their fathers.
Lines i— 12. In these lines it is said that the name of the planet
Venus was derived from that of the heathen goddess, and that she
was supposed to send forth from it the influences of sensual love.
Dante himself believed that love was imparted to men by this planet,
but through the agency of angels.
1-3. in suo periclo : ' to its peril,' because the sin which
proceeded from this cause endangered the soul. Others say ' in its
time of peril,' i. e. in the time of heathenism, when there was no hope
of salvation. With this latter interpretation nelF antico errore in 1. 6
is a repetition of the same idea. Ciprigna : Venus, the goddess of
Cyprus, whose temple was at Paphos in that island, il folle, &c. :
' beamed forth delirious love.' For raggiasse cp. Conn), ii. 7.
11. 90-2, ' li raggi di ciascuno cielo sono la via, per la quale discende
la loro virtii in queste cose di quaggiu.' volta, &c. : ' revolving in
the third epicycle.' The term * epicycle ' means a circle, the centre
of which is carried round upon another circle ; cp. Con'v. ii. 4.
11. 78-88. To account for the apparent irregularities in the orbits
of the heavenly bodies which resulted from the vi .w that they revolved
round the earth which was stationary, Ptolemy suggested that each
planet moved in such a circle of its own in addition to the revolution
of the sphere to which it belonged. In the case of Venus this is
called the third epicycle, because the sphere of Venus is the third
in order in the heavens.
6. antico errore : the errors of heathenism.
9. ei sedette : Virg. Aen. i. 715-9; Dido's passion is intro-
duced as a typical instance of Cupid's supposed influence.
10-2. costei, &c. : Venus, with whom the Canto commences.
Pigliavano, &c. : ' they derived the name of the star that courts
the sun, now following, now in front ' ; i. e, is in attendance on the
455
PARADISO [viii. 15-37
sun, sometimes as the evening star, sometimes as the morning star.
coppa : ' back of the head.'
15. ch' io vidi far: *whom I saw become,* far ^ox fars't.
16-8. E come, &c. : in both these similes the point is the rapid
movement of one object within the other which is at rest, e ferma :
* holds the note.'
19-21. essa luce: the planet Venus. Al modo, &c. : 'in
proportion to (according to the measure of) their eternal powers of
vision.' eteme : ' eternal,' as distinguished from temporal. If
interne is read, it means ' inner,' i. e. spiritual.
23. O visibili o no : this means ' either in the form of lightning
or in that of hurricane.' Dante's authority here is Aristotle, who
held lightning to be simply wind rendered visible by ignition ; cp.
Meteorol. iii. i. 6, in which passage cold as the origin of these
phenomena, and their downward movement from the cloud from
which they proceed, are noticed ; cp. Di fredda nuhe and disceser in
1. 22. See Moore, Studies^ i. p. 133.
26, 27. il giro, &c. : 'the dance, which they had previously
commenced in the company of the exalted Seraphim.' The giro is
that which is mentioned in 1. 20. The spirits, before they descended
to the Heaven of Venus to speak with Dante, were engaged in this
dance together with the Seraphim in the Empyrean ; cp. Par. ix.
76-8, where their singing in harmony with the Seraphim is spoken of.
28, 29. E dentro, &c. : 'and among the foremost who revealed
themselves Hosanna was heard in such tones,' &c.
33. perche, &c. : ' that you may win joy from us.'
34, 35. principi : these are the Principalities, as the Order of
angels is called, who preside over the Heaven of Venus as Motors
(cp. Par. ii. 129) or Intelligences. In Conv. ii. 6. 1. 109 Dante
makes the Thrones the Motors of this Heaven, but this view he now
alters. For the succession of the angelic hierarchies, and their
correspondence to the nine spheres of Heaven, see Prefatory Note
to Canto I. D' un giro, &c. : the movement of the spirits
corresponds to that of the Intelligences which guide them, (i) in
respect of its circular form (D' un giro); (2) in respect of its
eternity (d' un girare) ; (3) in respect of its intensity, which is
caused by its longing (sete) for the presence of God.
36, 37. del mondo : 'when on earth,' 'as a citizen of earth.*
Voi che, &c. ; ' Ye who by your intelligence move the third Heaven.*
456
Vlll. 39-60] PARADISO
This is the first line of the first Canzone of the Convito; Dante
explains its meaning in Conv. ii. 6. 11. 1 51-61.
39. un poco di quiete : ' a brief repose from our movement.'
42. di se, &c. : 'satisfied and confident of her approbation.' It
is to be observed that, whenever any theological truths are communi-
cated to Dante by other spirits, the permission of Beatrice as
representing Theology is required.
43-5. promessa, &c. : see II. 32, 33. chi siete: *who you,
the occupants of this sphere, are.' La voce mia, &c. : 'the words
I uttered, bearing the stamp of deep feeling ' ; this feeling was
caused by the spirit having shown that he was acquainted with him
by quoting from one of his poems.
46. E quanta, &c. : the light of joy which emanated from the
spirit (see 11. 52, 53) caused it to increase (far piiie) in size (quanta)
and in brightness (quale), far {orfarsi, as in 1. 15.
49. Cosi fatta : ' in such semblance.' mi disse : the speaker
is Carlo Martello, eldest son of Charles II of Anjou, king of Naples.
He married Clemence, daughter of Rudolf of Hapsburg. In 1294
he visited Florence, and he probably met Dante on that occasion.
He died in 1295, aged 24.
51. Molto, &c. : this stands for Molto di mal che sara non sarehhe
stato. The evils here referred to are the disastrous state of the
kingdom of Naples under his younger brother Robert.
52-4. celato : the brightness which conceals this spirit from
Dante, it should be observed, was temporary, for it was caused by
its pleasure ; under other circumstances it would have been seen in its
human form, like those in the two lower spheres ; see notes on Par.
iii. 47-9 ; V. 107, 108. animal, &c. : the silkworm in its cocoon.
55-7. Assai, &c. : the position, character, and prospects of
Carlo Martello seem to have made a great impression on Dante,
and caused him to regard him as an ideal personage. This view
is confirmed by Carlo saying in what follows that, had he lived, he
would have justified Dante's hopes in him. mostrava : irregular
sequence of the indie, after s' io fossi ; cp. Par. vii. 1 18—20: strictly
the meaning is — ' I was intending to show you — and should have
shown you, had I remained on earth below.' piii oltre, &c. : ' not
merely the promise of fruit, but the fruits themselves.'
58-60. The passage that follows, down to 1. 70, which describes
the countries which Carlo Martello either ruled or had the prospect
457
PARADISO [viii. 61-70
of ruling, illustrates Dante^s love of descriptive and political geo-
graphy, i. e. the features and boundaries of countries. Quella,
&c. : the country on the left or eastern bank of the Rhone, below
the junction of the Sorgue with that river above Avignon, was the
* gran dote Provenzale' of Purg. xx. 61 — embracing Avignon,
Aries, Marseilles, and Aix — which Charles of Anjou obtained by
his marriage with the daughter of Raymond Berenger, and to which
Carlo Martello would have succeeded on the death of Charles II
in 1309. a tempo : 'at the fitting time.'
61-3. quel corno, &c. : 'that horn (i.e. projecting part) of
Italy, which embraces the towns of,' &c. The kingdom of Apulia,
which Carlo would have inherited from his father, is here accurately
described, for Bari lies on the Adriatic coast, Gaeta on the western
shore, and the small town of Catona on the Straits of Messina to
the northward of Reggio ; while the Tronto, which flows into the
Adriatic below Ascoli, forms the northern limit on one side, and
the Verde — i. e. the Garigliano under a different name — on the other.
64-6. Fulgeami, &c. : Carlo inherited the kingdom of Hungary
through his mother, and was crowned king in 1290, but he never
was more than a titular sovereign. Poi che, &c. : this means that
Hungary was lower down the course of the Danube than Germany.
67-70. Trinacria: one of the classical names of Sicily. The
reason of its use here is, that ' king of Trinacria ' was the recognized
title of Frederic II, the present ruler of that island (i 296-1337),
because ' king of Sicily ' would have implied sovereignty over the
two Sicilies ; see Toynbee, D'lct.^ P* 537* che caliga, &c. : ' which
is darkened (overshadowed with clouds) . . . not (as the fable tells)
by the agency of the giant Typhoeus, but by that of nascent sulphur.*
The reference is to the clouds of sulphureous vapour which hang about
the summit of Etna, under which mountain the giant Typhoeus was
said to have been placed by Jupiter; cp. Ov. Met. v. 346-55, from
which passage the names here given are taken. There is something
unusual in Dante's thus refuting an old fable by assigning a natural cause
to the phenomenon. The explanation of this may perhaps be found
in a passage of Isidore, one of Dante's authorities {Orig. xiv. 8),
where the volcanic fires of Etna are attributed to sulphur which
is ignited by currents of air driven by the force of the waves
through caves in the side of the mountain. See Toynbee, Z)/V/.,
p. 525. Tra Pachino, &c. : this and the following line describe
468
VIII. 71-84] PARADISO
the eastern coast of Sicily, with its slightly concave outline (il
golfo), and the headlands of Pachynus and Pelorum at its southern
and northern extremities. Che riceve, &c. : ' which is most exposed
to the onset of Eurus (the east wind).'
71, 72. Attesi, &c. : 'would still have been looking forward
to her succession of kings, descended through me from Charles of
Anjou (my father) and from Rudolf of Hapsburg (my father-in-law).'
73-5. Se mala, &c. : 'had not tyranny (lit. bad government),
which ever rouses to fury subject peoples, moved the Palermitans
to cry " Do them to death." ' The massacre of the French at
the time of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282 is meant.
76-8. E se, &c. : 'and if my brother could foresee this (viz.
the fatal results of tyranny in his own case), he would at the present
time (in 1300) shrink from employing the greedy poverty of the
Catalans (the needy and grasping followers whom he had brought
with him from Catalonia), that it might not injure his cause.' The
brother here mentioned is Robert, who with two others was left in
Spain as hostages for Charles II from 1288-95 (cp. Purg. xx. 79) ;
and L' avara poverty, &c., refers to the associates whom he brought
from that country in 1295, and the Catalan mercenaries employed
by him, whose greed and violence exasperated the subject population
of the kingdom of Naples. Se questo antivedesse is a prophetic
anticipation on Carlo Martello's part, since Robert did not come to
the throne till 1309.
79-81. Che veramente, &c. : 'for verily there is good need
that he should make provision, either himself or by the aid of others,
so that an additional freight may not be placed on his bark which
is already heavily freighted.' sua barca means the kingdom of
Naples, and the clause si che, &c., must be taken as referring
entirely to the future ; ' so that, when at a later time he enters
on his kingdom already overtaxed, a still heavier burden may not
be laid upon it.' For iarca in the sense of the ' vessel * of the state
or commonwealth cp. Par. xvi. 96.
82-4. che di larga, &c. : 'which, being itself avaricious,
descended from one that was liberal.' In Par. xix. 128 Dante
implies that his father, Charles II, possessed the one virtue of
generosity, avria mestier, &c. : ' would need such officials as
would not be anxious to hoard,' i. e. being avaricious himself he
should not make matters worse by employing avaricious subordinates.
459
PARADISO [viii. 85-105
milizia perhaps has a special reference to the Catalan soldiers who
were in his service.
85-90. These lines are intended to signify Dante's inability fully
to express his thanks in words. In default of this, he declares his
pleasure at feeling that Carlo — who, like the other spirits in Paradise,
can read the thoughts of others in the face of God — is aware both
of his sentiments themselves, and of Dante's knowledge that he
(Carlo) is cognizant of them. ' Inasmuch as I believe that thou
seest in the face of God, who is the source and aim of all good,
as fully as I myself am conscious of it, the joy which thy words
communicate to me, my lord, my joy is increased; and this also
delights me, that thou seest in God that I believe it ' (il = cJ) to
credo^ &c.). For the use of Perche meaning ' that ' cp. Purg. vi. 88.
93. Come, &c. : the question how it comes to pass that a bad
son can be born of a good father is started in Dante's mind by the
remark concerning Robert in 11. 82, 83, ' di larga parca Discese.'
94—6. S' io posse, &c. : ' if I can make clear to thee a certain
truth, thou wilt see the solution of thy difficulty as manifestly as
now it is hidden from thee.' The 'truth' is the operation of
God's providence through the influences of the stars in directing and
modifying the order of nature. This having been established. Carlo
proceeds to show how by this means variety is introduced into the
characters and lives of men, which variety is the basis of social life.
97-1 1 1. The argument is as follows: — God, in creating the
universe, provided not only for the existence of things, but for their
working in the most perfect manner ; and the instnimentality which
He appointed for that purpose was the stellar influences, which are
directed by the angels or Intelligences who preside over them.
Were it not for these, chaos and not order would prevail.
98, 99. Volge e contenta : ' causes to revolve and to be satis-
fied.' fa esser, &c. : ' makes his providence to be an active power
in these mighty (i. e. heavenly) bodies,' the planets.
100-2. E non pur, &c. : 'and not only are the things in them-
selves (le nature) provided in the mind of God, but along with
them all that is necessary to their performing their functions rightly '
(la lor salute, lit. ' that which safeguards them ').
103-5. Perche, &c. : 'wherefore everything that is discharged
from this bow (from the stellar influences) descends ordained to
(accomplish) a foreseen purpose, like a thing (a shaft) directed to its
460
VIII. io6-a6] PARADISO
mark/ quantunque is used here and elsewhere in the Paradiso
for ' all that/ Lat. quantumcunque.
106-8. Se cio, &c. : 'were it not that a divine purpose runs
through all creation, the effect of the working of the spheres (lit. of
the Heaven through which you are journeying) would be to produce,
not a perfect scheme, but a chaos.'
1 09-1 1. E cio, &c. : 'and that cannot be, unless we are to
suppose (that which is impossible) that the Intelligences which
direct these spheres are defective, and also the great First Cause,
who (on that supposition) has not created them perfect.' perfetti :
for perfe%ionati^ being adapted from the Lat. particip. perfectus.
1 1 2-4. s' imbianchi : ' should be rendered clear.' Che la
natura, &c. : ' that nature should tire (fall short) in providing all
that is necessary ' for the order and perfect working of the universe ;
cp. De Mon. i. lo. 11. 4, 5, ' quum Deus et natura in necessariis
non deficiat.' By natura Dante generally means the working of
the stellar influences ; cp. De Mon. ii. 2. 11. 36—8, ' a caelo, quod
organum est artis divinae, quam Naturam communiter appellant.'
115-35. Ond* egli, &c. : having established his primary proposi-
tion. Carlo goes on to say that man is a social being, and in order for
society to exist it is necessary that various functions should be
performed; and for this purpose men of diflferent characters and
abilities are required. These differences could not be produced
by the ordinary process of generation of son from father, but are
introduced by the stellar influences.
118-20. E puo, &c. : ' can men exist in society, unless on earth
there are various modes of life in various functions ? ' il maestro :
Aristotle, 'il Maestro di color che sanno,' Inf. iv. 131. The
passage here referred to is Pol. ii. 2. 3, ov fxovov 8' e/c ttAciovcov
ayOpwTTOiv iaTLV r) ttoAis, d\Xa kol i^ et8et Sta^epovrwv • ov yap
ytv€Tat TToAis i$ ofjLOLwv. The remarks also in the preceding verses
(11. 113-7) are from Aristotle, for ovSev /jLdryjv y (ftva-L^ Trotct and
^v(T€L TToXtTLKos ttv^pooTTog arc commottpkces of that writer.
1 2 1-3. venne deducendo : 'he proceeded by inference.' Dun-
que, &c. : ' consequently the roots from which your operations arise
(i. e. the elements of character) must needs be diverse.'
124-6. Per che, &c. : ' for this reason one is born to be a law-
giver, another to be a warrior, another a priest, another a craftsman.'
quello, &c. : Daedalus, the typical artificer. The story of the
461
PARADISO [viii, 127-48
flight of Daedalus and his son Icarus is referred to in Inf. xvii.
109-11.
127-9. L^ circular natura, &c. : *the nature of the revolving
spheres, which, like a seal on wax, imprints itself on mankind, exer-
cises its art well, but does not distinguish one house from another.'
In other words: — The stellar influences produce individuality of
character in men, but do not favour one family more than another by
perpetuating excellence in it. Dante is returning to the question,
How can a bad son proceed from a good father ?
130-2. Quinci, &c. : 'hence, as these influences operate in-
dependently of such limitations, two brothers, like Esau and Jacob,
may differ in character, and a great king, like Romulus, may be
sprung from a mean father.' Per seme: 'by birth,' i.e. in his
inborn character, si rende, &c. : ' he is attributed to Mars ' ;
his successors, to conceal the meanness of his origin, said that
Mars was his father: cp. Virg. jien. i. 273, 'regina sacerdos Marte
gravis,' &c.
133-5. Natura, &c. : ' were it not for the interposition of divine
providence (operating through the stars), the nature (i. e. character
and ability) of the son would always follow the same course as that
of the parents.'
136-8. retro: cp. 11. 95, 96. mi giova: here used impers. ;
'that I have pleasure in thee'; cp. Par. ix. 24. corollario :
'corollary' or supplementary statement; cp. Purg. xxviii. 136. t'
ammanti : ' take to thyself,' lit. ' invest thyself with.'
139-41. Sempre, &c. : the corollary here is a practical lesson,
to the effect that persons should not be forced into professions for
which they are by nature ill-suited. ' Ever doth nature, when placed
in circumstances unsuitable to it, fail to prosper, like any other seed,
when out of its habitual soil and climate.'
143. Al fondamento, &c. : 'to the foundation laid by nature,'
i. e. the gifts and character implanted in men.
145-8. torcete, &c. : 'ye pervert from its natural bent to the
service of religion.' da sermone : ' suited to the pulpit.' Carlo is
thought to be here alluding to his two brothers — Louis, who became
a Franciscan and was made Bishop of Toulouse ; and Robert, king
of Naples, who took pleasure in composing sermons ; some of these
have been preserved and published (by D' Ancona). la traccia,
&c. : ' your course misses the right road.'
462
IX. I-I2] PARADISO
CANTO IX
Argument. — Dante is next addressed by Cunizza da Romano,
who discourses of the crimes of the inhabitants of the Marca Trivi-
giana, the land of her birth ; and afterwards by Folco da Marsiglia,
the troubadour poet, who, after speaking of his own life on earth,
points out the soul of Rahab as one of the denizens of the Heaven
of Venus.
Line i. Clemenza: it has been much debated whether Carlo
Martello's wife, Clemence of Hapsburg, or his daughter, Clemence
the wife of Louis X of France, is here meant. The expression
Carlo tuo is more suitable if addressed to the wife ; but a difficulty
arises from Clemence the elder having died in 1295, and con-
sequently long before the Paradiso was written. This can only
be met by the supposition that the address is a rhetorical one, and
this use is rarely employed by Dante. In the case of Clemence the
younger, Carlo's daughter, there is no such difficulty, for she was
living when Dante wrote; so that it seems probable that she is
intended.
2. inganni : * treacherous treatment.' Carlo Martello's son,
Carlo Roberto, the rightful heir to the throne of Naples and Sicily,
was dispossessed by his uncle Robert.
5, 6. non posso, &c. : ' I can reveal no more of the prophecy
than that righteous punishment (lit. suffering) will follow in the wake
of your wrongs.' This appears to be an anticipation in general
terms of misfortunes about to fall on the usurper Robert and his
family, vostri : ' of yourself and your family ' ; as Clemence the
younger was daughter of the eldest son of Charles II, she had
herself presumptive claims to the throne of Naples, and her brother.
Carlo Roberto, was at the present time unjustly excluded from that
throne.
7-9. la vita, &c. : the spirit within that light, al sol, &c. :
to God, the fountain of light, ad ogni, &c. : ' sufficient to furnish
light to everything.'
10-2. fatture : 'creatures.' si fatto : 'such.' temple:
here used for ' heads,' ' thoughts.'
463
PARADISO [IX. 15-35
15. nel chiarir, &c. : 'by brightening outwardly'; cp. Par. v.
106-8.
16-8. fermi, &c. : 'fastened on me.' certificato fermi:
' assured me.'
19-21. compenso: 'satisfaction.' fammi, &c. : the meaning
is : — ' Prove to me (by answering my unspoken question) that thou
canst read my thoughts.*
22-4. nuova : 'unknown.' suo profondo, &c. : 'the depths
of its Hght, from which its chant before proceeded.' a cui, &c. :
for the construction cp. Par. viii. 137.
25-8. In quella, «fec. : the place of which Dante speaks in
1. 28 as situated on a low hill is the castle of Romano, the patrimony
of the Ezzelini. The exact position of this spot is not known, but
the part of Italy which is here described as situated between Rialto
and the fountains of the Brenta and the Piave is the Marca Trivi-
giana, which lay between Venice (here represented by the island
of Rialto) and the neighbouring part of the Alps, in which those
two rivers rise. See also note on 11. 43, 44 below, prava : here,
as in Purg. vi. 76, Dante includes the whole of Italy in his
condemnation.
29, 30. una facella, &c. : 'a brand, which fiercely assailed that
neighbourhood.' This is Ezzelino or Azzolino III, whom Dante
places among the tyrants in the river of boiling blood in Hell
(Inf. xii. no). A story was current, that at the time of his birth
his mother dreamt that she was giving birth to a brand, which burnt
the whole of the Marca Trivigiana.
32. Cunizza: this is Azzolino's sister, Cunizza da Romano.
Nothing sufficiently favourable to her character is known, to explain
Dante's placing her in Heaven. She was three times married, and
carried on various amours, among which was one with the troubadour
Sordello.
34-6. lietamente, &c. : the meaning is: — 'In a glad spirit
I look kindly on (lit. pardon to myself) those sins of mine which
cause my lot to be in the Heaven of Venus.' The spirits in this
Heaven were placed in this lower sphere, like those in the two
previous spheres, because of their failings — in this case their
proneness to sensual love. Che, &c. : ' though this might haply
appear a hard saying to your common folk.' The justification of it
is given below, 11. 103-5, where see note.
464
IX. 37-48] PARADISO
37-40. questa, &c. : the spirit by her side which Cunizza here
refers to is Folco da Marsigha (Fulk of Marseilles) ; see note on
I. 67. In what follows she contrasts the duration of his fame
on earth with the neglect of the good opinion of posterity which
characterized the inhabitants of the Marca Trivigiana. pria che
muoia, &c. : ' before his fame expires, the century which is now
ending (viz. in 1300) will be increased fivefold,' i.e. his fame
will last five centuries longer. ' Five centuries ' is here used for an
indefinitely long time.
41, 42. Vedi, &c. : ' consider whether a man ought not to aim
at excellence, so that, when his life on earth has passed away, another
life (his good name) may remain behind,' lit. ' so that his first life
may leave behind another.'
43-5. cio : on leaving a good name behind them, la turba
presente : ' the present rabble ' ; the inhabitants of the Marca
Trivigiana, which is here said to be bounded by the Tagliamento
and the Adige. Its true boundaries at that period were the Livenza
towards the NE., and a line drawn between the Adige and the
Mincio to the S. (see Spruner-Menke, Handatlas, No. 23), so
that it nearly corresponded to the modern province of Venetia ;
but the description which Dante gives is approximately accurate,
for the line of the Tagliamento is at no very great distance beyond
that of the Livenza, and the Adige might roughly be regarded
as the limit in the opposite direction. This district included the
cities of Padua, Vicenza, Treviso, and Feltro ; of their shortcomings
Dante now proceeds to speak, battuta : ' scourged by tyrants.'
46-8. Ma tosto, &c. : 'but soon it will come to pass that the
Paduans will discolour with their blood at the marsh the water
which laves Vicenza, because the people are stubborn in refusing
that which is their duty.' This refers to the resistance of the
Paduans to the emperor Henry VII. They were defeated with
great slaughter by Can Grande in 1 3 1 2 near the Bacchiglione, the
river of Vicenza and Padua, which there formed a marsh. Others
think that the reference is to what happened in a district near the
stream of the Bacchiglione called // Palude, where the Paduans,
finding that the waters of that river had been cut off by the
Vicentines, who were at war with them, diverted into it a portion of
the Brenta. This interpretation, however, seems to miss the point
of the passage, which is to declare that in a number of instances, of
TOZER 46^ H h
PARADISO [ix. 49-66
which this is the first, misfortune will follow on the misdeeds of the
cities of the Marca Trivigiana. al palude : for palude masc. cp.
Purg. V. 82.
49-51. E dove, &c. : *and where the rivers Sile and Cagnano
unite,' lit. 'join company'; the place where they join is Treviso.
Tal signoreggia, &c. : * one of such a character lords it and
carries his head high, that already the web to catch him is being
formed.' This is Riccardo da Camino, son of the * good Gherardo '
of Purg. xvi. 124, and brother of Gaja, ibid. 140. He succeeded
his father as lord of Treviso, but was murdered by an assassin,
in consequence of his adulteries.
52-4. diflfalta: * treachery.' A Bishop of Feltro in 13 14
surrendered to the Guelf governor of Ferrara a number of citizens
of Ferrara of the Ghibelline faction, who had sought refuge with
him; and they were put to death. Pianger^ refers to Feltro
having subsequently passed under the dominion of the family of
Camino just mentioned, sconcia, &c. : 'disgraceful beyond any
for which criminals have been imprisoned in Malta.* Of several
places which bore this name the one which Cunizza, who is speaking,
would be most likely to mention was a prison built in the castle
of Cittadella by Ezzelino III — ' mortalis career nominatus la Malta '
(Muratori, Ant. ltd. iv. 1139, quoted by Casini).
55-60. Troppo, &c. : what follows is added to show the
enormity of the crime of the Bishop of Feltro. ' The vat which
could contain the blood of the Ferrarese refugees shed on that
occasion must needs be exceedingly ample, and weary would he
be who should weigh it ounce by ounce; which blood this
courteous priest (the Bishop of Feltro) will offer as a boon to prove
himself a good partisan of the Guelfs ; and such Hke gifts will be in
conformity with the usual treacherous conduct of the people of Feltro.'
61-3. Su sono, &c. : 'in the Empyrean there are mirrors — ye
call them Thrones — by which God's judgements are directly revealed
to us.' Cunizza adds this, to assure Dante of the certainty of her
prediction. The Thrones are the third Order in dignity of the
Intelligences. Aquinas (Summa, i. Q. 106. Art. 6) says, 'Throni
dicuntur secundum Gregorium per quos Deus sua iudicia exercet.'
SI che, «&c. : ' so that these utterances (i. e. predictions) of mine
seem to us to be true.'
65, 66. Che fosse, &c. : ' that she had turned to other thoughts,
466
IX. 67-93] PARADISO
judging from the circular movement which she followed, as she had
done before/ The circular movement is the rotatory dance of the
spirits in this sphere, the giro of Par. viii. 20.
67-9. L' altra, &c. : Foico da Marsiglia (1180-1231). He
was a gay troubadour, and a favourite at the courts of many princes.
Later in life he became a monk, and was made bishop of Toulouse,
and was a fierce persecutor of the Albigenses — as Longfellow says,
*The nightingale became a bird of prey.' As in the case of
Cunizza^ it is hard to say why Dante assigned to him a conspicuous
place in Heaven, che m' era, &c. : ' which was already known to
me as an object of admiration ' ; this was from what Cunizza had said
in 1. 37. balascio: a kind of ruby of especially brilliant hue.
70-2. Per letiziar, &c. : 'in Heaven (lassu) joy produces
additional brightness, just as on earth (qui) it produces a smile;
while in Hell (giii) the outward semblance of the shades is darkened
when the thoughts are sad.'
73-5. tuo veder, &c. : * thy sight is in Him ' ; inluiarst is a verb
created by Dante from in and lui. nulla, &c. : ' no wish can be
concealed from thee.' Dante implies that Folco was aware of the
question which he desired to ask him, puote esser fuia di se
means ' can hide (lit. steal, withdraw) itself ; for other instances in
which yw/o occurs cp. Inf. xii. 90; Purg. xxxiii. 44.
77, 78. col canto, &c. : * in harmony with the songs of those
saintly ardours (the Seraphim) which covered themselves with six
wings'; cp. Par. viii. 25-30. Dante's description of the Seraphim
is derived from Isa. vi. 2, ' Above him stood the seraphim : each
one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and with twain
he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.' cuculla (Lat.
cucullus) is a monastic robe ; Dante uses the form cocolla with the
same meaning in Par. xxii. 77. Instead of facean la cuculla
many editors read fannosi cuculla. The imperf. facean refers to
the occasion mentioned by Isaiah.
80, 81. Gik non, &c. : *I should not now be waiting for you
to question me, if I could read your thoughts as you read mine ' ;
in other words — 'If I were in your place, I should answer without
being questioned.' For the formation of the verbs intuassi, immii
cp. inluia in I. 73.
82-93. These lines, in which Folco tells Dante that he was
a native of Marseilles, are a typical instance of the Poet's periphrastic
467 H h 2
PARADISO [IX. S2-7
method of description. Here his birthplace is denoted ; but instead
of giving its name, Dante first describes the Mediterranean Sea, on
the shore of which it lay ; then he fixes on a point on its northern
coast intermediate between a given point in Spain and another given
point in Italy; but he is not content with this, but goes on to
determine the longitude of that point relatively to a place on the
coast of Africa. The result is — Marseilles.
83-4. La maggior valle, &c. : the basin of the Mediterranean;
valle here = ' depression.' Fuor di, &c. ; ' issuing from (an inlet
from) the ocean which surrounds the earth.' This was the view
which prevailed in ancient and mediaeval times ; cp. Brunetto Latini,
Tesoro, Bk. iii. Ch. i., 'il grande mare, il quale e chiamato mare
Oceano, dal qual sono istratti tutti gli altri mari, che sono sopra la
terra in diverse parti, e sono tutti quasi come bracci di quello.' The
Mediterranean was the largest of these inlets.
85-7. The Mediterranean is here described as stretching east-
ward for 90° between the coasts of Europe and Africa. Trai
disccrdanti liti: * between the contrasted shores.' This was
probably suggested by Virg. u^en. iv. 628, ' Litora litoribus con-
traria,' &c., which is said of the Romans and Carthaginians; but
the application is different here, the reference being to the contrasts
which Europe and Africa present in their temperature, the colour
of their inhabitants, and their religion, their populations being
Christian and Mahometan respectively, contra il sole, &c. : ' it
extends so far from W. to E., that it has the sun on the meridian
at the place (L^) which at its starting-point (pria) it regards as its
horizon ' (i. e. its astronomical horizon). The starting-point from
which the Mediterranean 'sen va' is Gades or the Straits, and
the place intimated by L^ is Jemsalem at its eastern extremity;
at the latter it would be midday, when it was sunrise at the former.
The distance corresponding to this interval of time, or six hours,
would be 90°, or J of 360°, the entire circumference of the globe ;
and this according to Dante's computation was the distance between
Gades and Jerusalem, for he regarded the habitable earth as ex-
tending from E. to W. over half the circuit of the globe, or 180°,
and of this Gades and the mouth of the Ganges were the extreme
limits, and Jerusalem was midway between them, or 90° from
both. The word pria must not be taken as referring to time,
but as marking the starting-point in the survey, which is supposed
468
IX. 88-99] PARADISO
to be instantaneous; for, in order to give any measurement from
the position of the sun, the points where it is sunrise and midday
must be regarded at the same moment. To put the same thing in
another form : — If one could be suddenly transported from one end
of the Mediterranean to the other, the sun which was on the horizon
at the one point would be on the meridian at the other : so that,
if the sun were rising at Gades, it would be noon at Jerusalem, at
the other end of the same inland sea.
88-90. littorano : ' born on the shores of,' at Marseilles.
Tra Ebro, &c. : the longitude of Marseilles is just equidistant from
that of the mouth of the Ebro and that of the mouth of the Macra.
The latter of these streams, though it has a short course (cammin
corto), was of some importance in Dante's time, because it was
the political boundary of the two peoples whom he names.
91, 92. Ad un, &c. : Buggea is mentioned by Brunetto Latini,
Tesoro^ Bk. iii. Ch. 4., in his description of N. Africa as one of the
towns there; Bougie, as it is now called, is situated on the coast
east of Algiers. By saying that sunset and sunrise nearly corre-
spond there and at Marseilles, Dante means, that the two places
were almost on the same meridian of longitude. It is true that they
are so, but it is surprising at first sight that the Poet should have
been aware of it. This difficulty however disappears, when we
remember that an extensive commerce existed at that time between
Buggea and Marseilles (Reclus, Geogr. Unhers. vol. xi. p. 440),
and that the compass was already employed for purposes of navigation
in European seas (see note on Par. xii. 29). Under these circum-
stances the fact might have been then ascertained, and might have
come to Dante's knowledge.
93. Che fe', &c. : the reference is to the defeat of the adherents
of Pompey, aided by the people of Massilia, off that city in 49 B.C.
by D. Brutus, who commanded Caesar's fleet. The carnage on
that occasion is referred to in exaggerated terms by Lucan, Phars,
iii. 572, 573, *cruor altus in undis Spumat, et obducto concrescunt
sanguine fluctus.'
96. Di me, &c. : 'is influenced (lit. stamped) by me, as I was
by it.' The influences of Venus affected him on earth, and he now
contributes to the brightness of the planet.
97-9. la figlia, &c. : Dido, in her passion for Aeneas. Noi-
ando, &c. : ' offending thereby both Sichaeus, Dido's former
469
PARADISO [IX. 100-17
husband, and Creusa, Aeneas' former wife.' infin che, &c. : ' so
long as It beseemed my hair,' i. e. before my hair grew grey.
100-2. Rodopeia: Phyllis, who lived in Thrace near Mt.
Rhodope; she killed herself, after having been deserted by her
lover Demophoon: Ov. Hero'td. ii. i, 2, ' Hospita, Demophoon,
tua te, Rhodopeia Phyllis, Ultra promissum tempus abesse queror.'
Alcide : Hercules, who plied the distaff for love of lole. richi-
usa : ' enfolded.'
103-5. Kon pero, &c. : the consciousness of committed sin,
and with it the feeling of repentance, had been removed by the
water of Lethe in the Earthly Paradise ; what is felt by the souls
in Heaven is admiration of the scheme of Providence, which had
ordained the influences that had affected their lives and had brought
them safe to the goal, valore : the Power.
106-8. Qui si rimira, &c. : ' here (in Heaven), in contemplating
the skill by which our souls are perfected (nell' arte che adoma),
we consider the greatness of the result (si rimira Cotanto effetto),
and we recognize the highest Good, for the sake of which (i. e. in
order to obtain which) the world below returns to that above.'
Folco, instead of lamenting the influence of the planet Venus,
glorifies it, as being in God's providence a means of bringing men
to Him at last. For Cotanto effetto others read Con tanto
qffetto^ and translate thus — ' In Heaven we contemplate profoundly
(si rimira in) the skill which beautifies the world with so great
love.' Also, for al mondo some read // mondo^ and translate —
* and we are conscious of the benevolent power (the stellar influences)
by means of which the world above guides that below.' It is in
favour of this reading as against al mondo, that with the latter
toma is used in the same sense as the rhyming word torna in 1. 104,
which is contrary to Dante's practice, whereas tl mondo is not open
to this objection.
no. che son nate: 'the wishes which have arisen in your
heart' ; this is explained in 1. 112.
1 1 5-7. si tranquilla : 'enjoys perfect peace.' Raab : for the
story of Rahab see Josh. ii. ; for the high position assigned to her,
Heb. xi. 31. congiunta : 'and being associated with our order
(the grade or rank of the spirits in Venus) she contributes in the
highest degree to its glory (lit. it receives an impress from her) ' ;
cp. ' Di me s* imprenta ' in 1. 96. The inversion of syntax which
470
IX. II8-35] PARADISO
this Involves is awkward. Di lui is also read, with the meaning
* she has its seal set upon her ' ; but lui xsfacitior lectio.
118-20. s' appunta: the apex of the shadow of the earth
was believed to be in the sphere of Venus. Dante's statement to
this effect is based on what Alfraganus says in his chapter on the
eclipse of the moon, Element. Astronom.^ cap. 28 ; but it is intended
to have also an allegorical significance, viz. that mundane influences,
the effects of which were shown in broken vows, ambition, and
unchastity, affected the position of the spirits as far as this sphere.
pria che, &c. : ' she was taken up and received by this Heaven
first of all the souls in Christ's triumph.'
1 2 1-3. Ben, &c. : 'verily it was meet to leave her in one of
the spheres of Heaven as a palm (i. e. trophy) of the mighty victory-
won by Christ's two palms extended on the cross.' In illustration
of the description here given of the Crucifixion by the mention
of Christ's hands, cp. the similar one in Par. xx. 105 by the mention
of His feet, and that in Par. xxxii. 129 by the spear and the nails.
In vittoria there is a reference to the trionfo di Crista in 1. 120.
124-6. Perche, &c. : as Rahab lent effective aid towards the first
triumph of the Chosen People in the Holy Land, the capture of
Jericho, she fitly represented the crowning triumph of the sacrifice
of Christ, papa : Boniface VIII, who took no thought for
a Crusade with the object of recovering the Holy Land. Of him
Dante says in Inf. xxvii. 85-7, ' Avendo guerra presso a Laterano,
E non con Saracin, ne con Giudei.'
127-9. Dante here takes the opportunity of Inveighing against the
covetousness both of the Florentines and of the Papal court, colui:
the Devil. Florence is spoken of as 'an offspring of the Devil' on
account of the avarice and envy that prevailed there. Che pria, &c. :
' who first turned his back on (rebelled against) his Maker.' For
the use of pria cp. Par. iv. 26. E di cui, &c. : ' and whose envy
is so much lamented ' ; the envy felt by the Devil at God's supremacy
was the cause of the Fall of man and the miseries which resulted
from it.
130-2. fiore : the golden florin of Florence, on which the emblem
of the lily was stamped, le pecore e gli agni : ' the flock, both
great and small.' lupo : ' it has converted the shepherds (the clergy)
into wolves.' The wolf is the emblem of avarice ; cp. Inf. I. 49.
133-5. per questo : for the sake of the golden florin. Dottor
471
PARADISO [IX. 138— X. 3
magni: the Fathers of the Church. Decretali : the Decretals, or
books of Ecclesiastical Law. It was through the study of these that
money was to be got. vivagni : * edges,' ' margins ' ; cp. Purg.
xxiv. 127 ; the margins of the Decretals were well annotated.
138. L^ dove, &c. : ' the place towards which Gabriel directed
his flight ' at the time of the Annunciation. Nazareth was one of
the Holy Places, which should have been recovered by a Crasade.
139-42. parti elette : the Holy Places of Rome, sanctified by
the deaths of martyrs, milizia : the noble army of martyrs, who
followed St. Peter's footsteps. adulterio : ' prostitution ' ; the
quest of money on the part of God's ministers is regarded as traffic
in what is sacred ; cp. adulterate. Inf. xix. 4. The impending
deliverance from this (libere fien) has been explained as referring to
the death of Boniface VIII, or the transference of the Papal seat to
Avignon in 1305, or to the coming of an unknown deliverer, such as
is anticipated elsewhere in the Div. Com.
CANTO X
Argument. — Dante and Beatrice ascend to the fourth Heaven,
that of the Sun, in which are seen the spirits of the Theologians.
Twelve of the most conspicuous of these form a circle round the
Poet and his guide, and one of them, St. Thomas Aquinas, points out
to Dante and mentions by name one after another of his companions.
In their number are Solomon, Boethius, Isidore, Bede, Peter Lombard,
and Albert the Great.
Lines 1-6. Before proceeding to urge the reader, as he does in
11. 7—27, to pursue the study of the movement of the heavenly bodies
as an evidence of the wisdom and love of God, Dante here dwells
on the delight of contemplating the system of the universe, which was
ordained by the operation of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.
All these introductory remarks (11. 1-27) are suggested by Dante's
ascent to the Heaven of the Sun, and his entering it at the season
of the equinox, at which time the Vision took place (11. 28—36).
1-3. r amore, &c. : by ' the Love which eternally proceeds from
the Father and the Son ' is meant the Holy Spirit, who is called ' il
primo amore * in Inf. iii. 6. For this, and for the co-operation of all
472
X. 4-2i] PARADISO
three Persons of the Trinity in the work of creation, cp. Aquinas,
Summa, i. Q. 45. Art. 6, ' Creare non est proprium alicui personae,
sed commune toti Trinitati. . . . Deus Pater operatus est creaturam
per suum Verbum, quod est filius, et per suum amorem, qui est
Spiritus sanctus.' Lo primo, &c. : God the Father.
4-6. permenteo per loco: whether in the spiritual or the material
world, gustar di lui : ' participation in the enjoyment of Him.'
7-9. alte rote : ' the spheres on high.' a quella parte, &c. :
' to that point in the sky where the equator and the ecliptic intersect
one another.' This intersection takes place at the equinox, at or
just after which the sun is now supposed to be. The term moto is
applied to the equator and the ecliptic, because the motion of the
fixed stars from E. to W. corresponds to the former, and that of
the planets from W. to E. to the latter.
10-2. a vagheggiar nell' arte : 'to contemplate with joy the
art.' dentro a se 1* ama : ' loves this art as it exists within his
mind.' non parte : God's love for the universe which He has
created causes His providence to watch over it constantly.
13—5. Da indi : 'from that point,' viz. the point of intersection,
queila parte of 1. 8. si dirama : ' branches off.' L' obbliquo
cerchio : the zodiac, within which, according to the Ptolemaic
system, the planets performed their annual revolutions. Per satis-
far, &c. : ' to minister to the needs of the world which invokes
(i. e. requires) their aid.' The planetary influences are referred to,
and also the formative influences which the sun exercises on the
face of the earth, as is explained in the following lines.
16-8. E se la strada, &c. : 'and if their path (the zodiac)
were not inflected (i. e. oblique), much influence in Heaven would
be fruitless, and almost every agency on earth below would fail.'
It is the obliquity of the zodiac which causes the changes of the
seasons ; without it the sun could not produce the effect for which
it was designed, and such agencies as those which originate life and
growth in plants and animals, movement in winds and streams,
changes of temperature, and the like, would no longer exist.
19-21. E se dal dritto, &c. : 'and if the zodiac deviated more
or less from (i. e. formed a greater or a smaller angle with) the
equator (il dritto, lit. the right line, as opposed to the oblique),
much would be imperfect in the order of the world, both in the
southern and the northern hemisphere.' If the sun's path through
473
PARADISO [x. 22-45
the heavens were other than what it now is, heat and cold, and
similar factors, would be differently, and less beneficially distributed
than they are at present. For the use of giii e su cp. Purg. iv. 63.
22-4. Or ti riman, &c. : 'now keep your seat at the feast
of reason, and reflect on the subject of which I have given you
a foretaste, if you desire to have your fill of enjoyment before your
mind is weary.'
26, 27. a se torce, &c. : i.e. 'I can pursue this subject no
farther ; I must devote myself to that which I have undertaken.'
28, 29. Lo ministro, &c. : the sun. Che del valor, &c. :
' which stamps on the world the impress of the influence which
it (the sun) has received from on high.'
31-3. Con quella, &c. : ' being in contact with the point above
mentioned (in 1. 8),' viz. the point of intersection of the ecliptic and
the equator ; in other words — the sun being in Aries, si girava, &c. :
' was revolving in the spirals, in which day by day he shows his
face earlier ' ; i. e. it was the vernal equinox, when the days were
lengthening. The spiral upward motion of the sun according to
the Ptolemaic system is mentioned by Dante in still more definite
terms in Conv. iii. 5. 11. 148-50, where he speaks of the sun rising
higher and higher day by day ' like the screw of a press ' (' a guisa
d' una vite d' un torchio ').
34-6. del salire: Dante now ascends to the fourth Heaven,
that of the Sun. se non, &c. : ' any more than a man is conscious
of a first thought before it comes ' ; the meaning is that the process
was instantaneous. For se non come cp. 1. 90.
37-40. O Beatrice, &c. : ' O Beatrice — she who is seen (si
scorge) to pass from good to better (i. e. to increase in brilliancy)
so suddenly, that her change of appearance (1* atto suo) does not
reveal itself in time — how bright must she have been in herself (i. e.
when wholly revealed).' In 1. 37 both E and E are read in place
of O, but the MS. authority for O is much greater.
41, 42. Quel ch' era, &c. : i.e. the spirits which were seen
within the sun. Non per, &c. : ' distinguishable, not by difference
of colour, but by additional brilliancy.'
43-5. Perch' io, &c. : 'however much I may call to my aid
genius, art, and practice.' SI, &c. : ' true, I would not say ' ; // in
this use has a concessive force, di veder, &c. : ' let a man desire
to see it.*
474
X. 48-75] PARADISO
48. sopra, &c. : ' never could eye conceive a light superior to
that of the sun.'
49-51. la quarta famiglia : the band of spirits in the fourth
Heaven ; these are the Theologians, che sempre, &c. : ' who
evermore contents them by revealing to them His relation to the
Spirit and the Son.' God causes the Theologians to rejoice
especially in the manifestation of the relation of the Persons of the
Blessed Trinity, as being the profoundest Christian mystery.
53, 54. a questo Sensibil : understand sole ; ' to this sun which
is perceived by sense,' as contrasted with the Sol degli Angeli.
55-7. digesto : 'disposed.' tutto il suo gradir: 'full
satisfaction of heart.'
59, 60. in lui si mise : 'was fixed on God.' eclisso, &c. :
' was eclipsed in oblivion,' passed out of my mind ; for ecltssare neut.
cp. Par. XXV. 119.
63. Mia mente, &c. : ' caused my mind, which was occupied
with one thing, to contemplate many things.' From an attitude
of concentration on one object (the thought of God) Dante's mind
was diverted and disposed towards the observation of many (the
spirits which now presented themselves).
64, 65. vincenti : 'overpowering' to the sight, corona:
' circumference of the circle.'
67-9. cinger: neut. 'girdled.' The halo round the moon is
referred to, the luminous circle of spirits being compared to it;
cp. Par. xxviii. 22-4. la figlia di Latona: Diana or the Moon;
for the other names of the moon in the D'l'v. Com. see note on Inf.
X. 80. quando, &c. : ' when the air is so charged with vapour,
that it retains the thread which forms her zone.' The thread is the
light of the moon, which, being retained by the vaporous atmosphere,
forms the halo. This is called a thread, because it is the material
out of which the zone is woven.
70-3. rivegno : ' I have returned,' lit. ' I am one who has
returned.' trar del regno : ' be transported from their rightful
seat ' ; this music is one of those things which cannot be described
so as to be intelligible on earth.
74) 75* Chi non, &c. : 'the man who does not take to himself
wings to fly to Heaven, must expect to learn no more of what passes
there than if he were questioning the dumb ' ; in other words —
' without going to Heaven oneself one cannot learn aught of it.'
475
PARADISO [x. 76-104
76—8. Poi : for Po'tche, vicine, &c. : the stars in the neigh-
bourhood of the poles seem to revolve round the poles. The epithet
' steadfast ' (fermi) is added, because Dante and Beatrice, round
whom these spirits moved, were still.
79-81. non da ballo, &c. : 'who have not ceased from the
dance, but pause in silence, listening till they catch the recommence-
ment of the music' In the hallata of Dante's time there were
pauses both in the singing and the dancing between the stanzas
(see Casini's note). The spirits now suspend their dancing that
they may accost Dante.
82. Quando : 'since.' The speaker is St. Thomas Aquinas
(1225—74); he was the greatest theologian of the middle ages, and
bore the name of Doctor Angelicus,
85-7. Multiplicato : take with cresce amando, 'through
loving makes manifold increase.' senza risalir : ' without mounting
thither again' ; this implies Dante's ultimate salvation.
88-90. il vin, &c. : 'the wine from his vial,' i. e. an answer to
your questions, in liberta, &c. : i. e. must be the victim of con-
straint, contrary to his natural impulse, as when water is prevented
from running downwards. Se non come means ' any more than ' ;
cp. Par. i. 137 ; xxxii. 54.
91-3. di quai, &c. : 'of what plants this garland is composed,
which contemplates with joy (cp. 1. 10) on every side the fair lady
who empowers thee to mount to Heaven.' Beatrice, who represents
theology, is naturally a subject of joyful contemplation to the
theologians.
94-6. lo fui, &c. : St. Thomas belonged to the Dominican
Order. U' ben, &c. : ' where one thrives (lit. fattens, i. e. makes
progress in virtue) well, if he does not give himself up to vanity.'
98. Alberto: Albertus Magnus (i 193-1280), surnamed Z)<7r/or
Universalis on account of his extensive learning ; he taught at
Cologne, where Aquinas was one of his pupils.
loi, 102. Diretro, &c. : 'following my words (as I name them)
pass your eyes round over the blessed garland.' su per here, as
often elsewhere, simply means motion over, without any sense of
' upwards.'
104. Grazian : Gratian, the canonist of Cent, xii., who in his
Decretum brought into agreement the secular and the ecclesiastical law.
These are the two courts here mentioned (1* uno e 1' altro fore).
476
X. I07-26] PARADISO
iC/, io8. Pietro : Peter Lombard (middle of Cent, xii.), the
'Master of the Sentences,' so called from his Smtentiarum Libri, an
elaborate system of dogmatic theology. He says in the Preface to
that work, that he desired, like the poor widow in the Gospel (la
poverella) to contribute his mite to the Lord's treasury.
1 09-1 1. La quinta: Solomon, the question of whose ultimate
salvation was much discussed during the middle ages. Hence the
craving for information about him which is here mentioned, tale
amor : the reference is to Solomon's Song.
113, 114. se il vero, &c. : 'if the Ti-uth be true'; i.e. as we
know on the authority of God's word: cp. i Kings iii, 12, 'I have
given thee a wise and understanding heart ; so that there was none
like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto
thee.' A veder tanto, &c. : 'in power of sight (grasp of thought)
his equal has not arisen.'
1 1 5-7. quel cero:. the 'taper' is Dionysius the Areopagite,
the convert of St. Paul at Athens, Acts xvii. 34. He was
erroneously supposed to be the author of the De Caelesti Hierarchia^
a work which exercised a wide influence on the systematic beliefs of
the middle ages, and in particular on the scheme of the Paradiso ;
see note on Par. xxviii. 130. piu addentro vide: 'possessed
a profound insight into.'
119-20. Queir avvocato : Orosius, whose historical com-
pendium, entitled Historiae adversus Paganos, was written in Cent, v.,
at the suggestion of St. Augustine, as an answer to those who
asserted that Christianity had done more harm than good to the
world. St. Augustine made use of it in writing his De Civitate Dei,
and it is frequently employed by Dante for his historical references.
tempi cristiani : ' the Christian ages.' Orosius repeatedly uses the
phrase tempora Christiana in this sense. Del cui, &c. : ' of whose
studied work Augustine availed himself.' latino here signifies
'careful composition,' just as it is used in Par. xii. 144 for 'a
studied address,' and in Par. xvii. 35 for ' style.'
1 2 1-3. trani: for traini, 'trail,' 'pass on': trainare is Fr.
trainer^ and they are der. from Lat. trahere ; cp. Diez, Wort.,
p. 324. con sete rimani: the meaning is: — 'you have now
reached in your inquiry the eighth figure.'
124-6. Per vedere, &c. : ' within it doth rejoice in the sight of
the Highest Good that saintly soul, who demonstrates the vanity of
477
PARADISO [x. 128-38
the world to those who listen aright to him.* This is Boethius, the
author of the De Consolatione Philosoph'iae^ which was a favourite
book with Dante. He lived in the latter part of Cent. v. and the
beginning of Cent. vi. a.d., and held the office of consul at Rome,
but fell under the displeasure of Theodoric, and was imprisoned at
Pavia, and finally put to death by torture. By 'those who listen
aright to him ' are meant those who learn the lesson contained in
his book.
128. Cieldauro : the church of San Pietro in Cieldauro in Pavia,
which now is partly ruined. Philalethes describes the tomb as
existing in his time — ' a marble urn supported on four columns/
131, 132. Isidoro : Isidore, bishop of Seville at the commence-
ment of Cent, vii., a man of extraordinary learning for his age. His
Origines are one of Dante's authorities on geography and scientific
subjects. Beda : the Venerable Bede, the ecclesiastical historian of
Britain, who lived at the end of Cent. vii. and beginning of Cent. viii.
Riccardo : Richard of St. Victor ; he and his master Hugo of St.
Victor (for whom see Par. xii. 133), were mystical theologians of
the early part of Cent, xii., and lived in the monastery of St. Victor
near Paris. Dante in his letter to Can Grande {^Ep. x. 28.
II. 552-4), when justifying himself for dealing with transcendental
subjects in the Paradiso, appeals to Richard's work De Contemplatione.
a considerar : * in contemplation.'
133-5. onde, &c. : 'from whom your eyes come back to me.*
The meaning is : — ' after whom I shall be the next object that meets
your eyes, now that you have made the round of the circle of spirits.'
Sigier was next to Aquinas on his left hand, uno spirto, che, &c. :
che here stands for tal che, 'such that,' as in Par. xxiii. 47;
' a spirit so lofty, that in his grave meditations death seemed to him
to come all too slowly,* lit. ' it seemed to him a long delay (tardo)
to come to die ' (or, ' it seemed to him that he came slowly to death ').
For the expression venir a morir cp. Inf. xxvi. 84, ' a morir gissi.*
136-8. Sigieri : philosopher and theologian of Cent. xiii.
leggendo, &c. : ' when lecturing in the Street of Straw.* This
is the Rue du Fouarre at Paris, which was the centre of the famous
University. Sillogizzo, &c. : * drew tRie conclusions which
brought odium upon him.* He was prosecuted for heretical teaching,
and met his death at the hand of a mad clerk at Orvieto between
1277 and 1284.
478
X. 139— XI. 5] PARADISO
139-41. Indi, &c. : in what follows the rhythmical movement of
the dancing spirits is compared to the working of the striking apparatus
of a clock which served to call the brethren in a monastery to prayers ;
and their harmonious singing is compared to the sound of the notes.
'Then, even as a clock, which summons us at the hour when the
bride of God (the Church) arises to serenade her bridegroom that
she may win his love,' lit. ' in order that he may love her.' The
word mattinar bears the two meanings of * to say matins ' and ' to
serenade a person at daybreak.'
142. Che, &c. : 'in which one part pulls and impels the other.'
The words tira and urge express two different movements, and —
as far as our imperfect knowledge of the striking clocks of Dante's
time allows us to speak on the subject — they mean, that the
mechanism first pulls back the hammer (tira), and then impels it
(urge) against the bell. Or, possibly, tira refers to the action of
the weight or spring in moving the wheel, and urge to that of the
wheel in starting the hammer. The point of the comparison is the
regularity of the movement and the interdependence of the parts — not
the circulation of wheels or any such detail.
146-8. intempra: ' in harmony ' ; cp. Par. xiv. 118. dove,
&c. : ' where joy becomes eternal.'
CANTO XI
Argument. — St. Thomas discourses in rapturous language on
e life of St. Fr " ' - - -
Franciscan Order.
the life of St. Francis of Assisi, and on the foundation of the
Lines 1-12. The revelation of the joys and the glory of the
life of spirits in Heaven which has just been presented to Dante,
causes him to turn his thoughts downwards to earth, and to reflect
on the paltriness of men's occupations there.
2, 3. Quanto, &c. : 'how weak are the reasons (lit. arguments)
which make thee wing thy course downwards,' i.e. 'pursue low
aims.' For sillogismi cp. sillogi%%o in Par. x. 138.
4, 5. aforismi : the study of Medicine is meant, the ' Aphorisms '
(medical precepts) of Hippocrates being taken to represent it. In
this and the foUowing line the three learned professions of Law,
479
PARADISO [XI. 6-27
Medicine, and the Church are described. The Ministry of the
Church (sacerdozio) is here regarded, like the other professions,
as a means of worldly advancement.
6—9. E chi regnar, &c. : the construction of the remainder of
the sentence is not clear. It is possible, with Scartazzini, to make
regnar and rubare depend on S' afifaticava, but then there is
no government for civil negozio ; and, moreover, Chi in 1. 8, not
being introduced by a conjunction, appears to be the commencement
of a separate statement. It seems preferable to understand sen giva
a (supplied from what precedes) with the three clauses in 11. 6, 7
(E chi sen giva a regnare, &c.), and to start afresh in 1. 8.
sofismi : ' false claims,' as a Pretender, nel diletto, &c. : ' was
wearying himself by being absorbed in the pleasures of the flesh.'
15. come, &c. : the point of the comparison is, that a candle in
a candlestick, unlike a swinging lamp or a taper carried in a pro-
cession, is fixed.
16. senti': the suppression of the predicate after this verb,
notwithstanding that sorridendo and facendosi refer to it, aptly
suggests that the spirit concealed within its own light was invisible.
19-21. suo raggio: that of the luce eterna, God. 'My
own brightness is derived from the face of God; and, in like
manner, when I look into His face, I read there the origin of what
is passing in your mind,' lit. 'your thoughts, whence you derive
(cause) them.' For the statement that the Blessed in Heaven read
the thoughts of others in the mind of God, cp. Par. viii. 85-9 ;
XV. 61-3.
22-6. hai voler, &c. : 'you desire that my words, where
I said above U' ben s' impingua, &c., should be sifted anew
in language so clear and so explicit, that they may be brought down
to the level of your perception.' U' ben, &c. : Par. x. 96. Non
nacque, &c. : Par. x. 114. nacque here has a great preponderance
of MS. authority over surse^ which is often read. The latter was
probably introduced because it is the actual word used in x. 11 4.
27. che ben, &c. : 'that we should make the points under
discussion quite clear.' St. Thomas now addresses himself to
Dante's first difficulty, which relates to the two great Orders of the
Franciscans and the Dominicans. The other difficulty, which
relates to the wisdom of Solomon, he recurs to in Par. xiii.
31 foil.
480
XI. 31-45] PARADISO
31-4. Perocche, &c. : ' in order that the spouse of Him who
to the sound of a loud cry espoused her with His precious blood
(the Church), might follow the path which leads to her Beloved
One (might make progress in the Christian life), confident in herself,
and withal more faithful to Him.' ad alte grida : ' uttering loud
cries,' Matt, xxvii. 46, 50.
35, 36. Due Principi : St. Francis and St. Domenic. Observe
how, to exclude the idea of rivalry between the founders of the two
Monastic Orders, and between their followers, St. Thomas, a
Dominican, here sings the praises of St. Francis, while in Canto
Xn St. Bonaventura, a Franciscan, celebrates St. Domenic. quinci
e quindi : ' on either side * ; quinci, meaning the latter, refers
to a lui piu Jida^ love being the bond of conjugal faithfulness ;
quindi, meaning the former, to In se sicura, orthodoxy being the
guarantee of the Church's safety : the applicability of this to the
Due Principi is explained in the next three lines.
37-9. L' un, &c. : St. Francis was distinguished by the intensity
of his love and devotion both to God and to his fellow men, while
St. Domenic (L' altro) was conspicuous as a champion of orthodoxy
in doctrine. The Seraphim were regarded as embodying love, the
Cherubim knowledge ; hence the application of the epithets serafico
and cherubico to these two saints.
40 foil. St. Francis (1182-1226), who is here spoken of, was
the son of Pietro Bernardone, a wool merchant of Asslsi. At
2 4 years of age he devoted himself to a religious life, and took upon
him vows of poverty, which also he established as the rule of
the Order which he founded. This Order received the sanction,
first of Innocent III, and afterwards of Honorius III. In 12 19
he went to Egypt with the object of converting the Sultan of that
country, but his preaching was unsuccessful. Towards the end
of his life he retired to the monastery of Alvernia in the Apennines,
where he is said to have received the ' stigmata ' or marks of our
Lord's crucifixion in his hands and feet and side.
43-5. Intra, &c. : Asslsi, which is here described, is situated
on the lower slopes of the Monte Subasio (alto monte), an outlier
of the Apennines, with the river Tupino flowing on its southern
side, and the Chiascio on the western. These join their waters
at some distance below the town, and then flow into the Tiber.
The Chiascio rises near Gubblo, of which place St. Ubaldo was
TOZER 481 I i
PARADISO [XI. 46-57
bishop, and where he had his hermitage ; it is rather this latter
point which is referred to in eletto del beato Ubaldo.
46. Perugia : this city is situated on high ground fourteen
miles to the westward of Assisi, and separated from it by the valley
of the Tiber. It can with truth be said to get its cold — especially
on its eastern side, on which the gate of Perugia called the porta
Sole stands — from the Monte Subasio, because the cold winds
blow off the Apennines from that quarter. What is meant by
its getting its heat from thence, it is not so easy to say, for the
distance is too great for Perugia to be affected by the reflexion
of heat from those mountains (though possibly Dante thought that
this was the case). Perhaps it means that the sun rises in that
quarter.
47, 48. diretro, &c. : the towns of Nocera and Gualdo lie
on the opposite side of the Monte Subasio to Assisi. They
are said to ' groan under a heavy yoke ' because they were oppressed
by the people of Perugia.
50, 51. un sole: St. Francis. Come fa, &c. : 'as the sun in
which we are (questo) rises at times from the Ganges,' i. e. from
the east, the mouth of the Ganges being to Dante the limit of the
habitable world in that direction; cp. Purg. ii. 4, 5. Tal volta
(' at times ') means in the summer season, and thus enhances
St. Francis' meed of praise, since it implies that it is only when
the sun is brightest that it can be compared to him. For the use of
tal volta here cp. Par. xii. 51.
52-4. Pero, &c. : 'wherefore let him who speaks of that place
not call it Ascesi ("I rose"), which would give an inadequate
meaning, but Oriente ("the East"), if he would give it a suitable
name.' Ascesi was in Dante's time the popular name of Assisi ;
playing on this, St. Thomas says that ' I rose ' insufficiently
expressed its dignity, and that ' the East ' should be substituted for
it, since it was the place where a Sun (un sole, 1. 50, i. e. St. Francis)
had risen.
55-7. Non era, &c. : 'this Sun was not far distant from his
rising,' i. e. St. Francis was not far advanced in years. He was
24 years old, when he was seized with the desire of renouncing the
world. Ch' ei, &c. : ' when he began to cause the earth to feel
some comfort from his mighty influence'; terra is here used
instead of mondo, because the metaphor of the sun is still maintained.
482
XL 58-72] PARADISO
58-60. Chd, &c. : * since while yet a youth he incurred his
father's wrath for a lady's sake, to whom, even as to death, no one
doth unlock the gate of pleasure.' The lady is Poverty (see 1. 74),
who, like death, is an unwelcome guest where pleasure dwells.
The biographers of St. Francis dwell on his father's strong opposi-
tion to his desire of embracing a life of poverty.
61, 62. Ed innanzi, &c. : St. Francis renounced all right to his
inheritance in the presence of his father and of the Bishop of Assisi,
even giving up his clothes, and putting on those of an artisan which
the Bishop gave him; see Milman, Lai. Christianity^ iv. pp. 172,
173. sua spirital corte : the court of the bishop of his native
city. Et coram patre : the words are in Lat. as being a legal
form, the marriage between St. Francis and Poverty being regarded
as a formal contract, unito : 'joined in marriage'; this is
represented in a fresco by Giotto in the church at Assisi.
64-6. primo marito : Christ, who lived a life of poverty.
mille cent' anni e piii : this represents the interval between
the death of Christ and the vow of St. Francis. The date of the
latter was 1207, and consequently more than 11 00 years after
the death of Christ. The round number is used, as in Par. vi.
4 and 38, because exact dates are inadmissible in poetry, senza
invito : ' without courtship,' ' without a suitor.'
67-9. Ne valse, &c. : 'nor did it avail aught (in her behalf)
that men heard (lit. for men to hear) how that Caesar, who inspired
the whole world with terror, found her, in company with the fisher-
man Amyclas, unmoved at the sound of his voice.' In describing
two typical instances of the moral grandeur of poverty, which
nevertheless the world had ignored, Dante follows the method
which he has observed elsewhere, of taking one instance from
the classics, the other from Scripture. The story of the poor
fisherman Amyclas, whom Caesar visited by night in order that
he (Amyclas) might convey him across the Adriatic, is given
by Lucan, v. 504 foil. The moral of this, relating to the indepen-
dence and confidence of poverty, which Lucan draws, is as follows : —
' O vitae tuta facultas Pauperis angustique lares ! O munera nondum
Intellecta deum ! Quibus hoc contingere templis Aut potuit muris,
nullo trepidare tumultu, Caesarea pulsante manu ? (11. 527—31).'
These lines are translated by Dante in Coni). iv. 13. 11. 1 10-21.
70-2. Ne valse esser, &c. : 'nor did it avail her (Poverty)
483 I i 3
PARADISO [XI. 73-93
that she was enduring and courageous — so much so, that where
Mary remained at the foot of the cross, Poverty was elevated on
the cross itself with Christ.' Thus Poverty was more closely
associated with Christ in His dying hour even than His Mother.
Christ hanging naked and destitute on the cross is the instance
taken from Scripture of the moral grandeur of poverty, feroce :
the word is here used in the proper classical meaning of Lat. ferox,
viz. ' high-spirited,' ' courageous.' salse : others read p'lanse.
73-5. troppo chiuso : ' in too obscure terms.' parlar diflfuso:
* prolonged discourse.'
76-8. La lor, &c. : 'their unanimity and the gladness of their
looks (i. e. the perfect resignation and cheerfulness with which
St. Francis led a life of poverty) brought it to pass that the love
and admiration and sympathy (which they excited in men's minds)
produced thoughts of saintliness ; — to such a degree that (Tanto
che),' &c. The sight of St. Francis' self-sacrifice caused others
to follow his example.
79-81. Bernardo: Bernard of Quintavalle, a wealthy man,
who was the first follower of St. Francis. Si scalzo : ' went
barefoot,' according to St. Francis' example, which was adopted
by his Order.
82-4. ferace: 'productive,' because of the rapid increase of
disciples. Egidio : another wealthy man, who became St. Francis'
third disciple. Silvestro : a priest at Assisi. si la sposa place :
' such are the charms of the bride,' i. e. the attractions of poverty.
85-7. sen va : 'goes on his way,' to Rome; this is seen to be
the meaning from 11. 91, 92. legava, &c. : 'was girding on the
humble cord ' ; it was from this cord that the Franciscans obtained
the name of Cordiglieri.
88-93. N® &1^ gravo, &c. : 'nor was he depressed (lit. forced
to cast down his eyes) with shame, either at being the son (fi' for
Jiglio) of Pietro Bernardone, or at being an object of unutterable
contempt.' This must be taken in connexion with II. 91, 92,
where he is spoken of as presenting himself before the Pope. On
that occasion he was not shamefaced on account of the meanness
of his origin or his contemptible appearance, but 'like a prince
declared to Innocent his stern intention ' of founding his Order.
It is a little difficult to reconcile the statement about the meanness
of his origin with the fact that his father was a well-to-do merchant ;
484
XL 96-117J PARADISO
but this appears to be the meaning, for St. Bonaventura in his Life
of St. Francis says that, when the epithets ' boorish ' and ' mercenary '
were appHed to him, the Saint was wont to reply, that such re-
proaches were suitably addressed to Pietro Bernardone's son (' Talia
enim licet audire filium Petri de Bernardone'). "Innocenzio :
Pope Innocent III, who signified to him in 1214 his approval of
the Order, sigillo, &c. : ' seal of approval of his monastic rule.'
96. Meglio, &c. ; 'better in high Heaven' than by unworthy
Franciscan fnars on earth. That this is the meaning is rendered
probable by the following passage in an early life of St. Francis by
Prudenzano, which Dante may well have seen : — ' Dai Serafini
(tanta era stata la virtil del Santo) le Salmodie in onore di lui meglio
e piit degnamente sarehhersi cantate nella gloria del cielo, anziche da'
suoi frati degeneri in coro.' See Moore, Studies^ i. p. 86, where
the authority is the Studi Danteschi of da Carbonara.
98, 99. per Oncrio, &c. : 'by the eternal Spirit speaking
through the mouth of Honorius.' Pope Honorius III approved
the Order in 1223. archimandrita : this title, which is in use
in the Greek Church, originally signified the Head of a monastery
i/xdvSpa, ' sheepfold ') ; hence it is suitably employed here of the
founder of a monastic Order. In De Mon. iii. 9. 1. 123 Dante
applies it to St. Peter.
loi, 102. Soldan : the Sultan of Egypt in his camp before
Damietta ; see note on 1. 40. gli altri : the lives of his apostles
and saints.
103-5. acerba: 'unripe'; cp. Purg. xi. 117. per non, &c. :
' that he might not tarry unavailingly.' Reddissi : from reddire,
arch, form of riedere, here used as a reflexive verb, al frutto, &c. :
' to the harvest of the Italian crop ' (Butler) ; i. e. to minister to the
faithful in Italy.
106-8. sasso : the Monte Alvernia in the Casentino, between
the upper waters of the Tiber and the Arno, where St. Francis
founded his monastery, and where he is said to have received the
stigmata. These were the ultimo sigillo, or ' final seal of approval,'
in which expression ultimo is used in reference to the primo sigillo
of 1. 93, and the seconda corona of 1. 97. portamo : iov portarono,
112. erede: 'heirs'; see note on Purg. vii. 118.
115-7. ^^^ s^o grembo : 'from her (Poverty's) bosom.' Ed
al, &c. : ' and for his body desired no other bier ' than the bosom
485
PARADISO [XI. 118-39
of Poverty, i. e. than the bare ground on which he lay. When he
felt his end approaching, he desired that he should be conveyed to
his chapel of the Portiuncula (Santa Maria degli Angeli) near Assisi,
and should be laid on the ground ; and there he died.
118-20. Pensa, &c. : St. Thomas now returns to the point
from which he originally started, the solution of Dante's difficulty
raised by the words ' U' ben s' impingua se non si vaneggia ' (1. 25 ;
cp. Par. X. 96), which refer to the original excellence and subsequent
corruption of the Dominican Order. Having described the life of
St. Francis, he turns to his compeer St. Domenic, and remarks on
the degenerate condition of his followers, a mantener, &c. : ' to
keep the bark of Peter (the Church) safe in the open sea (where
storms prevail) by directing it to its proper destination (the kingdom
of Heaven).' segno : lit. ' a mark for which to steer.'
1 2 1-3. nostro : St. Thomas being a Dominican, qual segue,
&c. ; ' when a man follows faithfully in his wake, you can be sure
that he is freighted with good merchandize.' carca : for carica.
126. salti : ' mountain pastures ' ; the eagerness of the Domini-
cans to obtain high offices in the Church is here censured.
128, 129. esso : their leader, St. Domenic. latte: spiritual
nutriment for others.
130-2. Ben, &c. : 'true it is that there are some among them.'
le cappe, &c. : * it requires little cloth to make their cowls.'
133. fioche : ' weak,' ' vague in meaning.'
136, 137. In parte: because one of your two difficulties will
have been explained, la pianta, &c. : ' the tree from which the
splinter is broken,' i. e. the fact from which the deduction is made ;
the fact being the corruption of the Dominican Order, the deduction
St. Thomas's remark upon it in Par. x. 96, ' U' ben,' &c. Other
interpreters say ' the plant that is chipped away,' i. e. the Dominican
Order that is being corrupted.
138, 139. E vedrai, &c. : coreggier here is taken to mean
* the wearer of a strap or thong {coreggia\^ a title invented by Dante
for the Dominicans, to correspond to Cord'tgliero^ the name of the
Franciscans. ' And you will see what the Dominican friar means,
when he uses the words, "where one thrives well, if he does not
give himself up to vanity." ' The Dominican friar here is St. Thomas
himself, and the meaning is — 'you will understand what I as
a Dominican friar meant by what I said above (in Par. x. 96).'
486
XII. 1-9] PARADISO
Corregger is sometimes read in place of coreggier, and it is
impossible from the MSS. to decide between them. With regard
to this point Dr. Moore writes to me: — ' "I" is so often inserted
in MSS. between "g" and "e" (e.g. '' scorgier," " ieggie,"
^' reggie,^^ &c.), and also the double consonant is so habitually-
neglected, that unless one were dealing with a MS. which was
quite unusually careful in its orthography, one could never feel very-
confident in respect of such evidence.' With this reading the
passage is best translated thus : — ' you will see the reproof (/'/
corregger) implied in the words,' &c.
CANTO XII
Argument. — The band of spirits which has hitherto appeared to
Dante in this Heaven is now joined by another band, who form
a second circle round them. One of these, St. Bonaventura, a
Franciscan, sings the praises of St. Domenic. After this he
enumerates the names of those who form his own company, among
whom are found St. Chrysostom, St. Anselm, and Hugo of
St. Victor.
Lines 1-3. 1* ultima, &c. : ' the saintly flame took up the final
word to give it utterance.' mola : the circle of saints is compared
to the millstone in respect of its rotatory motion ; perhaps also it
indicates that the movement was not vertical but horizontal ; cp.
Conv. iii. 5. 1. 176, where the motion of the sun is said to be ^non
a modo di mola, ma di rota.'
4-6. nel suo giro, &c. : ' had not completely described its
circle.' un' altra : from 1. 96 we learn that the two circles were
composed of twenty-four spirits in all. E moto, &c. : ' and danced
and sang in corresponding measure ' ; lit. ' took up its movement by
the other's movement, and its singing by the other's singing.'
8, 9. Sirene : ' sweet singers.' tube : ' instruments,' i. e. the
spirits who sang, quel ch* ei refuse : ' the light which it gives
by reflexion ' ; 'as much as the original ray surpasses in brightness
the reflected ray.'
487
PARADISO [xii. 10-32
10-2. Come, &c. : * as through a filmy cloud two arcs are
described, corresponding in Hnes and colours.' per tenera nube
means, that the rainbow is formed by the sunlight passing through
a fine cloud dissolving in rain. Note the three similes, one within
the other : ( i ) the two circles of saints are like the double rainbow ;
(2) the formation of the second rainbow is like that of the echo;
(3) the death of the nymph Echo through pining for love is like
vapours being dried up by the sun. sua ancella : Iris, the rainbow,
was the handmaid of Juno.
14, 15. quella vaga : ' that wandering sprite.' Ch' amor, &c. :
Echo wasted away through love of Narcissus until only her bones
and her voice remained. The story is given in Ov. Met. iii.
356 foil., where her death is thus described — 'Attenuant vigiles
corpus miserabile curae, Adducitque cutem macies, et in aera sucus
Corporis omnis abit ; vox tantum atque ossa supersunt (11. 396-8).'
16-8. E fanno, &c. : 'and (the rainbows) cause mankind to
augur . . . that the world will not henceforth be destroyed by a
flood'; cp. Gen. ix. 12-5.
2 1 . estrema : the outermost, ultima : the innermost.
22-4. tripudio : 'dance,' Lat. tripudium. Luce, &c. : this is
a pendent clause, though perhaps the words may be in apposition to
tripudio and festa ('consisting of lights,' &c.). Scartazzini
removes the comma after fiammeggiarsi, and brings the clause
under its construction.
25, 26. Insieme, &c. : 'paused correspondingly in time and in
accord ' ; at the same moment and unanimously, al piacer, &c. :
' in accordance with the volition which moves them.'
28-30. una: St. Bonaventura; on him see note on 1. 127.
che r ago, &c. : ' which caused me in turning towards its position
to resemble the magnetic needle turning towards the pole-star.' For
the substantival use of dove cp. ogni dove in Par. iii. 88. The
point of comparison is the instantaneousness of the responsive move-
ment. The magnetic needle is shown to have been used before this
time to indicate the pole-star by the mention of it in Brunetto Latini's
Tesoro, Bk. ii. Ch. 49 ; and other evidence to the same effect has
been collected by Humboldt in his Cosmos, vol. ii. pp. 629, 630,
Otto's trans.
32. altro duca: St. Domenic (1170-1221). He was born at
Calahorra in Old Castile in Spain, and was noted from an early
488
XII. 33-5'^] PARADISO
period of his life for his self-denial and charity. In his maturer
years he was distinguished as a champion of orthodoxy, and he took
an active part in combating the doctrines of the Albigenses. The
preaching Order of the Dominicans, which he founded, received the
formal sanction of Pope Honorius III in 1217.
33. Per cui, &c. : ' by reason of whom such praise is accorded
to my leader,' St. Francis. Cp. Par. xi. 118-20, where it is seen
that the praise of St. Francis was intended to lead up to that of his
compeer, St. Domenic.
35. ad una; 'together,' i.e. in the same service; cp. Purg.
ix. 63.
38, 39. riarmar: *to arm afresh' against the assaults of the
Devil ; this was effected by Christ's death. Man at his creation
wore the armour of innocence ; he lost this at the Fall, but was
regenerated by Christ's death, and so was provided with fresh
armour. Si movea : * was moving ' ; this refers to the period
preceding the establishment of the two Orders, suspiccioso :
' without confidence.'
41. alia milizia, &c. : 'for his soldiers who were wavering.'
For other instances of in forse in the sense of ' in doubt ' cp. Inf.
viii. 1 10; Purg. xxix. 18.
43-5. com' e detto : cp. Par. xi. 31-6. sua sposa : the
Church, si raccorse : from raccorgersi, ' bethought them of their
errors.'
46. quella parte : Spain, the land from which the West wind
comes.
49-52. Non molto, &c. : 'not far removed from the beating of
the waves, behind which, to repose from (lit. because of) his long
impetuous course (la lunga foga), the sun at times hides him from
men, lies Calahorra the fortunate.' By la lunga foga is meant the
sun's course in summer, when it is longest ; tal volta ( ' at times ')
signifies * in the summer season ' ; and by onde the Bay of Biscay
is intended, because in the summer the sun sets to the W. of N.,
which is the direction of that bay from the point of view of Italy.
This interpretation suits the position of Calahorra (Calaroga), which
lies near the upper waters of the Ebro, and is ' not far removed from '
the Bay of Biscay, whereas it is at a great distance from the Atlantic.
For the use of tal volta cp. Par. xi. 51. fortunata: as being
St. Domenic's birthplace.
489
PARADISO [XII. 53-78
53, 54. scudo, &c. : * shield,' ^ coat of arms.' In one of the
quarterings of the arms of Spain the Lion is above the Castle, in
another beneath it. These emblems represent the kingdoms of Leon
and Castile.
55-7. r amoroso drudo : ' the passionate lover.' cnido :
* harsh,' ' severe,' as being a strong opponent of heretics. It is not
certain whether he encouraged the persecution of the Albigenses, but
he undoubtedly took part against them.
58-60. come : ' as soon as ' ; cp. Par. xv. 74. * His spirit, as
soon as it was created, was so replete with living power, that while
he was in his mother's womb it caused her to be prophetic' Before
the birth of St. Domenic his mother dreamed that she had brought
forth a dog, spotted black and white, which bore a lighted torch in
its mouth. The figure of the spotted dog was emblematic of the
black and white dress of the Dominican Order, and in that con-
nexion was frequently at a later time introduced in art with a play on
Domini canes, the Dominicans being regarded as the Lord's watchdogs.
61. le sponsalizie: 'the espousals' are his baptism, when he
plighted himself to the Christian faith.
64-6. La donna, &c. : his godmother dreamed that he bore
a star on his forehead, which illumined the world, erede : his
followers ; cp. Par. xi. 112.
67-9. perche, &c. : *that he might be in name what he was
in reality.' costrutto : ' the form of his name ' ; similarly in
Purg. xxviii. 147 costrutto means ' a form of words ' or * sentence ' ;
and in Par. xxiii. 24 sen%a costrutto is 'without putting it into
words.' Quinci, &c. : the meaning is: — 'An inspiration from
Heaven (Quinci) was communicated to his parents to name him
by the possessive adjective (viz. Dominicus) derived from the name
of the Lord (Dominus) who possessed him entirely.'
71. Cristo : observe that here and elsewhere no other word
is allowed to rhyme with the name of Christ.
75. primo consiglio: 'prime counsel,' i.e. counsel of per-
fection; Matt. xix. 21, 'If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that
thou hast, and give to the poor,' &c. For St. Domenic's observance
of this rule see note on 1. 32.
76-8. Spesse fiate, &c. : these are instances of his early
renunciation of everything temporal for Christ. He was found
by his nurse awake and kneeling on the earth in silent prayer. lo
490
XII. 79-99] PARADISO
son, &c. : ' I have come into the world for this,' viz. to watch and
pray and renounce enjoyments.
79-81. veramente: ' rightly named.' Giovanna: ^favoured
by God/ according to its meaning in Hebrew. In the next line
Dante confesses his ignorance of that language. He may have got
the interpretation from Isidore, Orlg. vii. 9 ; or from the Magnae
Derivationes of Uguccione da Pisa; see Toynbee, Diet,, p. 277.
83. Ostiense: Henry of Susa, Cardinal, and Bishop of Ostia,
d. 1 271. He wrote a commentary on the Decretals. For the
study of these as a worldly pursuit cp. Par. ix. 134, 135. Taddeo :
Taddeo Alderotti of Bologna, a celebrated physician, d. 1303. In
this line and 1. 92 the pursuit of preferment or gain in the three
learned professions is referred to, as above in Par. xi. 4, 5.
86, 87. la vigna: the Church, imbianca: 'is bleached,' i.e.
fades and withers.
88-90. alia sedia, &c. : governed by Addomandh (1. 94) ; ' he
requested of the Holy See . . . not opportunities of enriching himself
{Non dispensare, &c., \\. 91-3), but,' &c. gii, fa, &c. : ' aforetimes
was kinder,' i. e. is now less kind than of old. non per lei, &c. :
this is a comment on the preceding clause ; ' not by its own doing,
but by his who occupies it, who goes astray ' ; the Pope is meant,
and Boniface VIII in particular.
91-3. dispensare, &c. : 'the power of giving away (lit. dis-
tributing) one-third or one-half (of moneys bequeathed for benevolent
purposes),' and keeping back the rest, la fortuna, &c. : ' the
opening oifered by the first vacant benefice ' ; prima probably agrees
with eccksia understood. The reference is to the expectationes, or
nominations to posts not yet vacant, which the Popes of that time
used to make, decimas, &c. : ' the tithes which rightly belong to
God's poor ' ; the words are in Latin, because that is the language
of the Church or of Canon law.
94-6. contro, &c. : St. Domenic visited Rome in 1205, and in
1207 commenced preaching against the Albigenses. lo seme, &c. :
' the seed from which are sprung the twenty-four plants which
encircle thee,' i. e. the Faith, by which the theologians who form
two circles round thee were nurtured.
97-9. volere: i. e. zeal. 1* offizio apostolico : ' his apostolic
office,' i. e. the authority conferred upon him by Innocent III. ch*
alta, &c. : 'bursting from an elevated source.' As a 'torrent' is
491
PARADISO [xii. 101-20
being spoken of, and its impetus is the point of the comparison,
alta seems to mean ' elevated ' rather than ' deep-seated,* as some
explain it. Moreover Aristotle, who on points like this is Dante's
usual authority, remarks on the high position of the sources of
rivers; Meteor ol. i. 13. Il, at Kpr\va.i oX TrAetorai o/oecn Kat tottois
Vlj/r]\oLS yeLTVLWCTLV.
1 01. quivi : in the neighbourhood of Toulouse, which was the
chief centre of the Albigenses.
103. diversi rivi: the followers of St. Domenic. They were
the streams, which proceeded from the torrent, and fertilized the
garden of the Church (1' orto cattolico).
106-8. biga: Lat. for 'two-horsed car'; here used by Dante
for ' two- wheeled car.' The Church has already been represented
by this emblem in the triumphal procession in Purg. xxix. 107.
In the present passage the two wheels are the founders of the two
great Orders, civil briga : ' civil war,' i. e. the contest with
heresy, which was a struggle within the Church itself.
no, III. deir altra, &c. : of St. Francis, who was lauded by
St. Thomas Aquinas in the preceding Canto.
1 1 2-4. St. Bonaventura now proceeds to denounce the degeneracy
of his own Order, the Franciscans, as in Par. xi. 124 foil. Aquinas
had denounced that of the Dominicans, orbita : Lat. for ' wheel-
track.' la parte somma, &c. : ' the topmost part of the circum-
ference of the wheel ' ; by this expression St. Francis himself is
meant. His followers had forsaken his track, la muffa, &c. :
the metaphor is taken from a cask of wine ; ' where once the crust
was, there is now the mould.'
117. quel dinanzi, &c. : 'his family (the Franciscan Order)
sets (gitta) the point of the foot (quel dinanzi, the forepart) upon
the heel (quel diretro, the hinder part); i.e. they follow their
leader's footsteps in the exactly opposite direction.
1 18-20. E tosto, &c. : ' and soon there will be evidence of the
harvest (i. e. result) of this bad husbandry, when the tares complain
that they are excluded from the granary,' i. e. when the unprofitable
brethren complain that they are excluded from the Church. The
reference is to the sect of the Spiritualists, or rigid maintainers of
the Franciscan rule, who separated from that Order and from the
Church; see note on 11. 124-6. This schism, St. Bonaventura
says, was the result of previous corruption in the Order. Another
492
XII. 121-35] PARADISO
and simpler interpretation of the passage would make it refer to the
Judgement, when the tares shall be burnt and the wheat gathered
into the barn (Matt. xiii. 30) ; but this is hardly admissible, for
in that case tosto would imply that Dante believed the end of the
world to be close at hand.
1 2 1-3. Ben dico, &c. : the Saint guards against too sweeping
a condemnation by saying that there are exceptions. 'Doubtless
I would affirm that, should one examine our volume leaf by leaf,
he would still find pages where he could read the words " I am as
I am wont." ' Some members of the Order maintain their profession
still unchanged.
124-6. Ma non, &c. : 'but such an instance will not be derived
from Casale, nor from Acquasparta, the representatives of which
places so interpret the rule of the Order (la scrittura), that while
the latter shirks it, the former makes it more stringent.' In 1289
Matteo d' Acquasparta, general of the Franciscans, relaxed the
rule ; but, in reaction from this, Ubaldino di Casale insisted on
a stricter interpretation, and headed the sect of the Spiritualists.
127-9. vita: 'spirit.' Bonaventura : he was called the
Doctor Seraphicus, and was born in 1221 at Bagnoregio (now
Bagnorea, near the lake of Bolsena), and became general of the
Franciscan Order. His views were Platonist and mystical, and
in this respect he formed a strong contrast to Aquinas, who was
Aristotelian and logical. Dr. Liddon has suggested, that the fact
that the two died within four months of one another may have had
much to do with the position assigned to . Bonaventura in the
Paradiso {Essays and Addresses^ p. 199). la sinistra cura ; the
desire of temporal advantages ; cp. Aquinas, Summa, i. 2^^^. Q. 102.
Art. 4, ' Sapientia pertinet ad dextram, sicut et caetera spiritualia
bona ; temporale autem nutrimentum ad sinistram, secundum illud
Prov. iii. 1 6, in sinistra illius divitiae et gloria.'
130—2. St. Bonaventura now proceeds to name the spirits who
form the outer circle, as St. Thomas had named those of the inner
circle. Illuminato ed Augustin : two early followers of
St. Francis, scalzi : ' barefooted friars ' ; cp. Par. xi. 80.
capestro : Ibid. 1. 87.
I33~5* Ugo, &c. : Hugo of St. Victor, a mystic and theologian ;
see note on Par. x. 131. Pietro Mangiadore: Petrus Comestor
(Cent, xii.), so called as being a devourer of books. Pietro Ispano :
493
PARADISO [xii. 136-45
Petrus Hispanus; he became Pope John XXI in 1276. The
libelli here mentioned are his Summulae Logkales. gid : in the
world below.
136-8. Natan : Nathan, who rebuked David; 2 Sam. xii.
7 foil. He is supposed to be introduced here as a companion to
St. Chrysostom, because both rebuked kings. Chrysostom opposed
the emperor Arcadius. il metropolitano : he was Patriarch of
Constantinople. By his homilies he deserved a place among the
theologians. Anselmo : St. Anselm (Cent, xii.) ; Archbishop of
Canterbury ; author of the Cur Deus homo. Donato : Donatus,
the grammarian of Cent, iv., and author of the Latin grammar.
St. Jerome was one of his pupils, prim' arte : Grammar, which
was the first in order of the seven sciences of the Trivium and
Quadrivium; see Conv. ii. 14. 11. 55-7.
139-41. Rabano : Rabanus Maurus (Cent. viii. and ix.), theo-
logian, and Bishop of Mainz. Gioacchino : the Abbot Joachim
of Calabria (Cent, xii.), mystic and theologian. After his death he
was credited with numerous visions and prophecies.
142-5. Ad inveggiar, &c. : ' to celebrate this mighty champion
of the Faith.' St. Domenic, of whom Bonaventura has been
speaking, must here be meant, and this determines the meaning of
inveggiar. From signifying ' to envy ' it seems to be used in the
favourable sense of ' to hold up to wondering admiration.' cortesia :
this was shown by St. Thomas, a Dominican, singing the praises
of St. Francis, il discrete latino : ' his discreet address ' ; for
latino see note on Par. x. 120. mosse, &c. : the outer circle
danced and sang at the conclusion of St. Thomas's address, as
described in 11. 5, 6.
CANTO XIII
Argument. — After the two circles of spirits have sung and
danced round Dante and Beatrice, St. Thomas resumes the office
of speaker, and solves the difficulty which had arisen in Dante's
mind in consequence of his saying that Solomon had no equal in
wisdom. In conclusion, he enters a warning against hasty judge-
ments, in respect of theological and philosophical doctrines, and of
the characters and future prospects of men.
494
XIII. 1-24] PARADISO
Lines 1-24. In these lines the Poet compares the appearance
of the twenty-four spirits of the Theologians, as they dance around
him, to that of twenty-four of the brightest of the fixed stars, if
grouped into two concentric circles. The construction of 11. i— 13
is as follows : — Immagini . . . Qu'mdici stelle . . . [^] quel carro . . .
[^] la bocca di quel corno . . . averfatto di se due segni in cielo.
I. cupe : from Lat. cupere; 'desires.*
4-6. Quindici: the 24 required stars are made up of 15 taken
from various parts of the sky, 7 from the Great Bear, and 2 from
the Little Bear, plage : from Lat. plaga ; ' regions ' of the sky.
sereno : here used substantively ; ' serenity,' ' clear light ' ; cp.
Purg. XXX. 24. compage: hat. compages ; 'density'; 'lights©
clear that it overpowers all density of the atmosphere.'
7-9. quel Carro : our ' Charles's Wain.' a cui, &c. : ' to
which suffices (i. e. which never goes beyond) the vault (lit. bosom)
of our (the northern) heaven both by day and night, so that no
part of it disappears (beneath the horizon) as its pole (the pole
of the car) turns.' The meaning is, that the Great Bear never
sets to us.
10-2. quel corno, &c. : the Little Bear is here compared to
a horn, the mouth of which is formed by the two stars most distant
from the pole-star, while the orifice to which the lips are applied is
the pole-star itself, punta dello stelo : the pole-star is described
as ' the point of the axle round which revolves the first circle of the
heavens.' The first circle of the heavens is the Primum Mobile;
and this revolves round the earth's axis, of which the pole-star in
the heavens is the extreme point.
13-5. segni: 'constellations'; the comparison that follows
shows that circles of stars are meant, la figliuola, &c. : Ariadne,
from whose head at the time of her death Bacchus took the garland
which she wore, and placed it among the stars, where it is known as
Ariadne's Crown, or Corona Borealis ; Ov. Met. viii. 174-82.
16-8. E r un, &c. : the meaning is, that the two circles were
concentric, and moved in opposite directions to one another, al
prima : ' towards the front,' while al poi is ' towards the rear,'
i. e. one forwards, the other backwards.
22-4. e tanto, &c. : 'surpasses the range of our experience as
far, as the motion of the heaven which exceeds in speed all the
others (the Primum Mobile) surpasses the movement of the Chiana.'
495
PARADISO [xiil. 25^51
In other words : — ' Our conceptions of speed no more bear com-
parison to the rapid movement of the circling spirits, than the
motion of the sluggish stream of the Chiana does to that of the
swiftest of the heavenly spheres/ For the Chiana see note on Inf.
xxix. 47.
25-7. Peana: the hymn which was sung in honour of Apollo.
Ed in, &c. : ' and it (the divine nature) joined with the human
nature in one person ' (the Person of our Lord).
28-30. sua misura : 'their measure,' i.e. their appointed
duration, attesersi : ' gave heed to us.' Felicitando se, &c. ;
'joyfully passing (lit. making themselves happy in passing) from
one employment to the other,' i. e. from singing and dancing to
answering my question.
31-3. numi : ' divinities,' i. e. blessed saints, in cui : ' by the
spirit within which light ' ; St. Thomas Aquinas is meant, who had
related the life of St. Francis (il poverel di Dio).
34-6. Quando, &c. : ' now that one ear of corn has been
threshed; now that the grain from it has been garnered, kind
love induces me to thresh the other.' St. Thomas, having fully
discussed (threshed out) one of Dante's difficulties — viz. that sug-
gested by the words, ' U' ben s' impingua ' (Par. x. 96) — now
proceeds to discuss the other — viz. that arising from the statement,
that Solomon had had no equal in wisdom (Par. x. 114). It
had occurred to Dante's mind that Adam and Christ ought to be
preferred before him in that respect.
37-9. nel petto, &c. : 'in Adam's breast, whence the rib was
taken to form Eve's fair cheek, whose palate (taste) costs all the
world so dear,' i. e. whose eating of the apple caused the Fall
of man.
40-2. in quel, &c. : ' in Christ's breast, which, when transfixed
by the spear, made so full satisfaction for all sins, past and future,
that it outweighs in the scale the transgressions of all mankind.'
45. Da quel valor, &c. : 'by that Power, which created both
Adam and Christ's human body.'
48. Lo ben, «fec. : Solomon; cp. Par. x. 109-14.
50, 5 1 . vedrai, &c. : ' you will see that what you think and
what I said correspond as exactly in stating the truth as the centre
(is the meeting-point of the radii) in a circle.' The meeting of the
radii in the centre of a circle is taken as an illustration of exact
496
XIII. 5^-^^] PARADISO
correspondence. Dante has here expressed himself — to say the
least — very succinctly.
52-87. The general argument is : — What is created directly by
God is perfect, whereas that which is created indirectly by Him
through intermediate agencies and materials is imperfect ; and there-
fore Dante is right in thinking that Adam, and Christ in His human
nature, who belong to the former class, must have been superior in
wisdom to all men, and therefore to Solomon.
52-4. Cio che, &c. : 'all things, whether incorruptible or cor-
ruptible, emanate like a bright ray from the thought of God, which
is generated by His love.'
55-7. quella viva luce, &c. : the work of creation is here
asserted to be the work of all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.
' That living light (the Son), which proceeds from its source of light
(the Father) in such a manner that it cannot but be in Unity both
with Him and with the Love (the Holy Spirit) which forms with
them a Trinity.' s' intrea : for the compound with in cp. immiarsi^
Par. ix. 81 ; inluiarsi, Par. ix. 73.
58, 59. Per sua, &c. : ' out of his good will (i. e. of free grace)
focuses his rays, as in a mirror, in nine subsistences,' i. e. the nine
Intelligences that preside over the nine Heavens ; see Prefatory Note
to Canto I. These are called ' subsistences,' because this is the
Scholastic term for that which exists by itself, and not in anything
else; cp. Aquinas, Summa^ i. Q. 29, Art. 2, 'Ilia enim subsistere
dicimus, quae non in alio sed in se existunt.'
61—3. Quindi, &c. : 'from these the creative energy (/7 raggiar
delta viva luce) passes downwards to its last stage of working,
descending so far (Giu tanto divenendo) through successive phases
of action, that at last it only produces imperfect and perishable
results.' 'Contingency' is the Scholastic term for that which
may be and may not be, and therefore is not incorruptible ; cp.
Aquinas, Summa, i. Q. 86, Art. 3, ' Contingens est quod potest
esse et non esse.'
64-6. E queste, &c. : 'and by these "perishable results" are
meant things generated (animals, plants, &c.), such as the heaven
by its rotation produces either with or without seed.' Some plants
and animals were believed to grow without seed: for plants cp.
Purg. xxviii. 109-17; for animals the bees in Virg. Georg. iv.
197-201 ; see also Ar. Metaph. vi. 7. 4.
TozER 497 K k.
PARADISO [XIII. 67-89
67-9. La cera, &c. : 'both the matter (lit. wax) of which the
things generated are formed, and the stellar influences which affect
it, are variable, and consequently, when the wax has received the
imprint of the divine idea (il segno Ideale), it has varying degrees
of brilliancy.' In traluce the force of the preposition is lost ; cp.
Par. xxi. 28.
70—2. Onde, &c. : ' hence arise the differences in quality between
the fruits produced by trees of the same kind (un medesimo legno
Secondo specie), and between the characters of individual men.'
On these effects proceeding from the stellar influences cp. Par. viii.
97-105, 127-35.
73-5. Se fosse, &c. : 'if the wax were moulded in perfection,
and the stellar influences were in complete activity, the brilliancy
derived from the seal would appear in full.'
76-8. Ma la natura, &c. : 'but nature ever supplies this
brilliancy in diminished measure, thus resembling in (the imper-
fection of) her work the artist, who, while he possesses experience
in his art, has an unsteady hand' ; cp. Par. i. 127-9.
79-81. Pero, &c. : 'yet, if the fervent Love (the Holy Spirit)
disposes and seals the clear Vision (the Son) of the primal Power
(the Father), in that case the greatest possible perfection is the
result ' J in other words — ' when all the Persons of the Trinity
combine to operate immediately, there can be no imperfection.' The
terms in which the Trinity is here described correspond to those in
11. 55-7. Pero expresses the contrast between the perfection here
mentioned and the imperfection spoken of in the previous tercet.
For pero = 'yet' cp. Inf. xxii. 143 ; xxxiii. 19.
82-4. The meaning of the three lines is — ' It was by the im-
mediate action of the Blessed Trinity that Adam and Christ's
human body were formed.' la terra : the earth from which
Adam's body was made ; ' thus once the " dust of the ground "
was made worthy to form a living being in all respects perfect.'
88-1 1 1. St. Thomas now explains, that in thus affirming that
Adam and Christ were superior to Solomon in respect of wisdom,
he does not contradict his previous statement that Solomon had no
equal in wisdom, for that was made in reference to his wisdom in
discharging the kingly oflfice, and not in respect of knowledge in
general.
89. cestui: Solomon; cp. 11. 46-8.
498
XIII. 9^-105] PARADISO
92, 93. che il mosse, &c. : * which moved him to make his
request, when it was said to hira, "Ask."' See i Kings iii. 5,
' God said, Ask what I shall give thee.*
94-6. Non ho, &c. : ' I have not spoken so vaguely that you
should fail to see clearly that he was a king, who asked for wisdom
in order that he might be a competent king.' Solomon said (v. 9),
* Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,* &c.
posse: archaic for ^oj-j-a.
97—102. In these lines four branches of speculative knowledge are
mentioned; viz. (i) speculative theology ; (2) dialectic; (3) meta-
physic ; (4) geometry. Solomon did not desire speculative, but
practical wisdom, which is necessary for kings that they may rule
aright.
97-9. enno : for sono, as in Inf. v. 38 ; cp. <?«, the abbreviated
form in Purg. xvi. 121. Li motor, &c. : the celestial Intelligences,
who move the spheres. Dante himself discusses the question of
their number in Conv. ii. 6. se necesse, &c. : whether from two
premisses, one of which is necessary, the other contingent, the con--
elusion can be necessary. This question is discussed by Aristotle
in Analyt. Pr. i. 16.
100-2. si est dare, &c. : 'whether we must grant that motion
had a beginning,' the alternative being to go back ad infinitum in
seeking for the origin of motion ; see Ar. Phys. Bk. viii., ad init.
The words si est dare, &c., and necesse in the two preceding lines,
are borrowed from Scholastic Latin. O se, &c. : ' or whether it is
possible to inscribe in a semicircle a triangle which should not have
a right angle.' This is impossible.
103—5. Onde, &c. : 'whence, if you give heed to what I said
before (Par. x. 114, 'A veder tanto non surse il secondo') and
what I have just said (viz. that Solomon desired practical wisdom),
that unrivalled insight (i. e. grasp of thought) to which I desire to
refer (lit. on which the shaft of my intention strikes) is kingly
prudence (i. e. the prudence which a king requires).' impari here
means 'that which has no equal,' 'unrivalled,' and thus corresponds
to senza pare in 1. 89. If, however, e be read instead of e after
prudenza, impari must be a verb, and the passage must be
rendered, * You come to understand kingly prudence and that insight
to which I desire to refer,' i. e. you learn that they correspond one
to the other. The meaning is the same in either case.
499 K k 2
PARADISO [xiii. 106-30
106. Surss : here taken in the sense of 'rose above others.*
St. Thomas further justifies his original statement, because, he says,
this word impHes that kings are being spoken of.
1 09-1 1. Con questa, &c. : 'if you accept my remark about
Solomon with this Hmitation (i. e. that he is spoken of as a king),
then it is reconcilable with your view about (the superiority in
wisdom of) the first father (Adam) and our Joy (Christ).'
112 foil. In the remainder of the Canto Dante warns his readers
through the mouth of St. Thomas against hasty and over-confident
judgements. Dr. Liddon remarks in this connexion on the
intellectual caution which Aquinas himself displays in his opinions
and writings {Essays, &c., p. 125).
114. Ed al si, &c. : 'whether in the direction of affirmation or
of negation, concerning which you are not clear.'
117. Neir un, &c. : 'as well in the one case as in the other*;
as well in affirming as in denying.
118-20. egr incontra, &c. : 'it is the case that an opinion
hastily formed commonly inclines to the wrong side, and subsequently
personal feeling hampers the judgement.' corrente here is used to
contrast with mover lento in I. 113. The 'personal feeling' is the
amour propre which makes a man unwilling to renounce an opinion
which he has already expressed.
1 2 1-3. Vie piu, &c. : the meaning is : — ' The man who speculates
without adequate preparation not only gains nothing by loosing his
moorings, but suffers from being involved in strange and erroneous
opinions.'
125. Parmenide: Parmenides, the founder of the Eleatic school
of philosophy ; Melissus was one of his disciples. Mr. Butler
remarks (p. 178) that these two are constantly coupled by Aristotle
as examples of bad reasoners. Brisso : Bryson attempted to square
the circle ; Aristotle {Sophist. Elench. xi. 3.) condemns his method
of proof as sophistical.
127-9. Sabellio ed Arrio : Sabellius maintained that the Father
himself became man in Christ. Arius denied the divinity of our
Lord. quegli stolti : i. e. other heretics. Che furon, &c. :
* who in their treatment of the Scriptures resembled the blade of
a sword, which distorts the natural face ' which is reflected in it.
diritti: lit. 'with the features straight.'
130 foil. From the hasty formation of opinions St. Thomas turns
500
XIII. 131— XIV. 14] PARADISO
to hasty and premature judgements of our fellow men In respect of
their final acceptance or rejection by God.
131. stima : 'estimates,' 'puts a value on.'
134. Ilprun: 'the brier.' rigido e feroce : 'stiff and rude.'
138. foce: 'harbour.'
139-41. donna Berta o ser Martino : ordinary persons.
Per vedere, &c. : ' let them not think that, when they see one
man steal and another make offerings, they read their lives as God
reads them.' oiferere : for offrire ; cp. Par. v. 50.
CANTO XIV
Argument. — Solomon explains to Dante certain points relating
to man's glorified body after the resurrection. Other spirits now
appear, and form a third luminous circle of lights around the other
two. Dante and Beatrice then pass upwards to the fifth Heaven,
that of Mars, in which are the souls of Warrior Saints and Martyrs ;
these are arranged in the form of a cross, in token of the Faith for
which they died.
Lines 1-3. Dal centre, &c. : after St. Thomas is silent Beatrice
commences speaking ; and as she is with Dante at the centre of the
circle of spirits among whom is St. Thomas, the movement of their
voices in opposite directions is compared to the waving motion of
water in a bowl, which moves outward or inward according as it
receives an impulse from within or from without.
4-6. case : for caduta ; ' of a sudden dropped into my mind.'
vita : ' spirit.'
7, 8. Per la, &c. : ' owing to the resemblance to which his and
Beatrice's discourse gave birth.'
10-2. e nol, &c. : ' though he tells it not to you.' ne pensando
ancora : Beatrice perceives the thought, which was forming, but
Jiad not yet come to the birth, in Dante's mind. The thought
related to the nature of the glorified body after the resurrection,
concerning which the questions arose, (i) Would the bodies of the
saints be luminous? (2) If so, could their eyes endure so brilliant
a light ?
13, 14. onde, &c. : 'which emanates from your substance,' lit.
501
PARADISO [xiv. 18-51
' with which your substance blossoms ' : the ' substance ' or ' essence '
is the spirit.
18. ch' al veder, c^c. : *that the sight of it should not harm
you/ lit. ' that it should not harm you at the sight of it.'
19-21. pinti e tratti : these words describe how, in moving
round in a ring, each dancer impels the one before him, and draws
the one that follows him. Alia fiata : ' all at once,' ' all together ' ;
Fr. h la fois. vanno a rota: 'are dancing in a round'; rota,
like ' round ' in Engl., was a kind of dance ; Benvenuto says,
' faciunt tripudium, quod appellatur rota more romano.'
25-7. Qual, &c. : 'he that laments because death in this world
is the condition of living in the world above (lit. because one must
die here, in order to, &c.), has not seen there (quive for quivi^ in
Heaven) the refreshment of the eternal rain,' i. e. the quickening
influence of the love which proceeds from God. Otherwise
expressed, the meaning is : — ' No one who has been a spectator
of the joys of Heaven could lament that death is the condition,' &c.
28. Queir lino, &c. : their song is of the Trinity in Unity.
due signifies the Father and the Son, from whom the Holy Spirit
proceeds ; from this point of view they are regarded apart from him.
33. giusto muno : ' full recompense' ; muno is Lat. munus.
34-6. luce piu dia : the spirit of Solomon; cp. Par. x. 109,
where it is called ' luce piii bella.' This was in the inner ring of
spirits (minor cerchio), which first appeared to Dante, fu: at
the Annunciation.
39. cotal vesta : the envelopment of light : ' our love will
radiate around us such a vesture.'
40-2. La sua, &c. : 'the brightness of our garb of Hght will
correspond to the fervour of our love, and that to our power of
seeing God, and that power is in proportion to the free grace which
is bestowed on each in addition to his natural gifts.' For seguirit.
some read seguita. Quanta is for Quanta, attracted to the gender
of grazia.
43-5. Come : ' when.' Piii grata : ' more acceptable to God.'
tutta e quanta : ' complete.'
46-51. Per che, &c. : the order of statement which is followed
in 11. 40-2 is here inverted. 'Owing to this (viz. to our persons
being more acceptable to God) God's gift of free grace (gratuito
lume), which renders us capable of seeing Him, will be increased ;
502
XIV. 52-84] PARADISO
and consequently our vision of Him must increase, and with it the
fervour of love which is kindled by it, and the brightness of our
enveloping light which proceeds from that fervour.'
52-4. Ma si, &c. : 'but, just as is the case with (a live) coal
which sends forth flame, yet through the intensity of its brightness
so far overpowers it, that It maintains its own appearance,' i. e. is
clearly visible In the midst of the flame.
56, 57. in apparenza: 'in the clearness of its aspect,' lit.
' visibility.' Che tutto di, &c. : ' which (now) the earth doth
ever hide.'
59, 60. saran forti, &c. : ' will avail for (i. e. will be strong
enough to bear) every object that can give us pleasure.' This Is
the answer to the second question, which is stated in 11. 16—8.
62, 63. r uno e r altro core : the two circles of saints.
Amme : ' Amen.' disio : ' desire to regain.'
64-6. per le mamme, &c. : for their relations and friends, that
they also might win the full measure of heavenly bliss. Anzl
che, &c. : ' before they (the spirits In this Heaven) became eternal
flames.'
67, 68. di chiarezza pari: 'equal in brightness to what was
already seen.' If any difficulty is found In reconciling this with
what Dante says in 11. 76-8 of his eyes being overpowered by this
new apparition, which had not been the case with the former ones,
pari may be explained as 'equally brilliant In all its parts.' sopra :
* in addition to.'
71, 72. Comincian, &c. : 'new objects begin to appear in the
sky, so that the sight seems real, and yet unreal.* The stars peep
out, disappearing and reappearing.
73, 74. Parvemi, &c. : 'methought I began to see': for this
impersonal use of parere with the infin. cp. Purg. xv. 85, 'mi parve
esser tratto.' sussistenze : ' spirits ' ; see note on Par. xlii. 59.
The revelation of numerous other spirits, which form a third ring
outside the other two, seems to be intended to show that the 24
saints who have hitherto appeared are only the more conspicuous
occupants of this Heaven.
80, 81. tra quelle, &c. : ' her appearance must be left undescribed
as one of those sights which have passed out of my mind'; cp.
Par. I. 9. seguir : for segutrono.
82-4. Quindi: from the sight of Beatrice, salute: 'blessedness.'
503
PARADISO [XIV. 86-105
86, 87. Stella : the fiery planet, Mars, which Dante and Beatrice
now enter, che 1* usato : 'than its wont,' i.e. than what we on
earth are wont to see it to be.
88. quella favella, &c. : the language of the heart, not expressed
in words, which is common to all mankind.
93. £sso litare: 'this offering of mine'; litare is Lat. for
' to sacrifice.'
94-6. Che con tanto, &c. : ' for splendours appeared to me so
luminous (con tanto lucore) and so ruddy within two rays.' The
spirits are grouped in two luminous stripes or bands, which are
placed transversely to one another, so as to form a cross, robbi :
from adj. robblo (Lat. rubeus\ ' ruddy.' O £lios, &c. : * O Sun,
who dost thus adorn them.' The name of the sun in Greek
(Helios), and its fancied derivation from the Hebrew Eli^ which
would justify Dante in using it in addressing God, may have been
known to him from the Magnae Derivationes of Uguccione da Pisa,
where it is said, ' Ab ely, quod est deus, dictus est sol elyos, quod
pro deo olim reputabatur.' See Toynbee, Z)/V/., p. 213.
97-9. Come, &c. : the points in respect of which the Milky
Way is compared to the cross in Mars are, that the stars which
compose it form a band of light, and (especially) that they vary in
magnitude, distinta, &c. : * variegated by greater and lesser lights.'
che fa, &c. : ' that it causes men exceedingly wise to doubt.' The
doubts here referred to relate to the nature of the Milky Way ;
cp. Conv. ii. 15. 11. 45-7, ' Perche e da sapere che di quella
Galassia li filosofi hanno avuto diverse opinioni ' ; see also Ar.
Meteor ol. i. 8.
100-2. Si costellati, &c. : 'with lights thus grouped (the
greater with the lesser) did those two rays (bands) form in the
depths of Mars the venerable sign (the Cross), which quadrants
joining in a circle make.' The quadrants are the four equal parts
into which the area enclosed by a circle can be divided ; and the
giunture are the meeting-points of these — or, in other words, two
diameters of the circle, intersecting one another at right angles.
The cross in this case is the Greek cross, the limbs of which
are equal.
I03~5' Qui vince, &c. : 'here my memory overcomes my
genius (i. e. I remember what I saw, but it defies my power of
description) ; for that cross beamed forth Christ in such a manner,
504
XIV. IC6-23] PARADISO
that I can find nothing adequate to illustrate it.* CRISTO : for
the uniform rhyme cp. Par. xii. 71-5.
106-8. Ma chi, &c. : 'but the man who takes up his cross and
follows Christ will hereafter (in the future life) pardon me for my
omission, when he sees Christ shine forth in the brightness of that
cross (in quell' albor).' In the figure of the cross in Mars Christ
crucified is shown forth and reproduced in the lives of Crusaders
(i. e. those who bore the badge of the Cross), and of martyrs and
others, who in the metaphorical sense conspicuously bore the cross
after Him. Dante, being incapable of describing this figure himself,
holds out to his readers the hope of seeing Christ crucified thus
revealed in it, if they in like manner observe Christ's injunction to
take up their cross and follow Him, and thus win eternal life. For
ancor in the sense of 'hereafter' cp. Purg. viii. 75 ; Par. xvii. 86.
lasso : for lascio.
1 09-1 1 1. Di corno, &c. : 'from one arm of the cross to the
other, and from the summit to the base.' lumi : the spirits within
the cross, nel congiungersi, &c. : ' as they met and passed one
another ' ; they then ' sparkled ' from mutual love.
112— 7. Cosi, &c. : the movement of these spirits within the
limbs of the cross is compared to that of motes in a sunbeam seen in
a darkened room. ' In like manner here on earth motes of all sizes
(lit. the particles of bodies, long and short) are seen to move — level
and aslant, swiftly and slowly,, changing their appearance — within
a ray of light, wherewith at times the shade is streaked, which to
ward off the sun men contrive for themselves with cunning art,'
i. e. by blinds, shutters, &c. The correspondence between these
lines and the description of the same objects which is given in
Lucretius, ii. 113 foil. — especially in the words Le minuzie dei
corpi when compared with 11. 116, 117, ' Multa minuta modis
multis per inane videbis Corpora misceri radiorum lumine in ipso ' —
is too strongly marked to be the result of accident. Since, however,
Dante appears to have been otherwise unacquainted with Lucretius'
poem, it seems likely that he got this passage at second hand. See
Moore, Studies^ i. p. 295.
118-20. giga: 'violin'; Germ. Geige. in tempra, &c. :
' tuned in harmony with many strings.' tintinno : ' tinkling,' i. e.
an indefinite melodious sound, la nota : ' the tune.'
121— 3. apparinno ; for apparirono\ cp. uscinc't for ct usctnno
505
PARADISO [xiv. 125-39
{=usdrono) in Inf. xiv. 45. S' accogliea : 'there gathered,' the
sounds combining, rapiva : ' enraptured.'
125, 126. Risurgi e vitici : these words are addressed to
Christ, whom the warrior spirits in Mars are specially represented
as celebrating as a conqueror. They appear to be a fragment of a
hymn, che non, &c. : ' who, though he hears, does not understand.'
129. vinci: ' bonds,' for wW^/.
131. Posponendo, «fec. : 'because I account less even the joy
of seeing Beatrice's eyes.'
133-9. Ma chi, &c. : 'but he who bethinks him that the
quickening seals of every form of beauty (the planetary spheres)
work with greater force as they ascend (i. e. cause more delight
according as they are higher), and that I had not there (in the
Heaven of Mars) turned towards them (the eyes of Beatrice, 1. 131),
may excuse me for that whereof I accuse myself in order to excul-
pate myself, and may see that I speak the truth, because the holy
joy (of Beatrice's eyes) is not ignored (dischiuso) in what I say
(qui), since their beauty is intensified (si fa piu sincere) as she
rises from sphere to sphere.' Dante here justifies himself for having
said that the melody which he had just heard delighted him more
than anything he had hitherto met with in Paradise, by doing which
he had assigned the second place to the joy of seeing Beatrice's
eyes. In order to justify himself (Per escusarmi), he accuses
himself of not having looked at Beatrice's eyes since his arrival
in the Heaven of Mars (1. 135) ; and his excuse for this (Escusar
puommi) is that he was attracted by the delights of that Heaven,
which surpassed those of the previous Heavens, according to the
system of Paradise, in which the beauty and joy increase in ascend-
ing from sphere to sphere (11. 133, 134). Consequently, what
he had said about the delight of the melody of this Heaven sur-
passing all previous delights was true, inasmuch as it is reconcilable
with the superior attractions of Beatrice's eyes, for their beauty had
increased since the Heaven of Mars had been reached, but Dante
was not aware of this because he had not seen them (11. 138, 139);
cp. Par. XV. 32, 33. i vivi suggelli, &c. : the planetary spheres
are called ' the quickening seals of every form of beauty,' because it
is by their impress, as exercised by the Intelligences, that the order
of Nature is regulated, dischiuso : lit. ' excluded ' ; for this
meaning of the word cp. Par. vii. 102.
$06
XV. 1-24] PARADISO
CANTO XV
Argument. — Dante's ancestor Cacciaguida, who had been a
Crusader, descends from his station in the right Hmb of the Cross,
and welcomes Dante on his arrival in this Heaven. He then
contrasts the simplicity and morality of Florentine society during
his lifetime with the display and immodesty which now prevailed.
Lines 1-4. The spirits, perceiving that Dante is desirous of
expressing a wish, cease from their singing. Benigna, &c. : * a
benevolent will (on the part of the spirits) into which the love which
inspires righteous feelings resolves itself (lit. is liquefied), in like
manner as cupidity resolves itself into an unjust will, caused that
sweet harmony to cease.' The desires or feelings are here described
as passing into, taking form in, the action of the will, si liqua is
from Lat. liquare.
5, 6. corde : the spirits, who combine to produce the harmony,
which is expressed by lira. Che la destra, &c. : ' which are
pulled and slackened (i. e. caused to sing and to cease from singing)
by the right hand of Heaven,' i. e. by the will of God.
7—12. Dante takes the opportunity of enforcing the duty of
invoking the intercession of saints, whose willingness to listen was
thus exhibited ; and of justifying the eternal punishment of those
who for the sake of temporal and transitory pleasures fail to attain
to the love which the saints display, per darmi voglia: 'to
encourage me.' Ben e : ' 'tis right.'
13-5. seren : here used for 'the clear sky' in the plur., as it is
in Purg. V. 38 and xxix. 53 in the sing. In the former of these
passages he explains, what he only implies here (cp. j' accende, 1. 17),
that he regards shooting stars as ignited vapours ; see note there.
movendo, &c. : ' causing the eyes which before were fixed to move,'
in following it.
19. como : the limb of the cross.
22-4. la gemma! the 'jewel' is the spirit, the 'ribbon' the
figure of the cross ; the spirit in its movement kept within the outline
of the cross, per la lista radial : ' along the brilliant stripe.'
Che, &c. : ' so that it resembled a flame seen through alabaster.'
The point of the comparison is, that the star was visible as it passed
507
PARADISO [XV. 25-54
along the bright cross, in the same way as a moving light is seen
behind transparent alabaster, though the alabaster itself is illuminated
by it.
25, 26. Si pia, &c. : ' so affectionately did the shade of Anchises
reach out towards Aeneas,* when he met him in the Elysian Fields ;
cp. Virg. Aen. vi. 684-6, ' Isque ubi tendentem adversum per
gramina vidit Aenean, alacris palmas utrasque tetendit, Effusaeque
genis lacrimae.' nostra maggior Musa : Virgil.
28-30. O sanguis meus, &c. : the Latin language is used
in these three lines as a sign of dignity in the speaker. At the
same time, the expression sanguis meus is borrowed from Virg.
j4en. vi. 836, where Anchises says to Julius Caesar, ' Proiice tela
manu, sanguis meus.' The speaker is Cacciaguida, Dante's great-
great-grandfather. His existence is attested by documentary evi-
dence; see Toynbee's Diet., p. 107: beyond this nothing more is
known of him than what we learn from this and the following Cantos.
' O my offspring ! O grace of God shed over thee ! to whom, as
to thee, has the gate of Heaven ever been twice opened ? ' ' Twice,'
because he would be admitted to Heaven again after death.
33. quinci e quindi : both at the increased beauty of Beatrice,
and at being addressed by the unknown spirit as being his descendant.
35, 36. io pensai, &c. : ' methought with my own eyes 1 had
fathomed the depths both of the grace allotted to me and of my
blessedness.' For Paradise in this sense cp. Par. xviii. 21,
' Che non pur ne' miei occhi e Paradiso.'
38. al sue principio : 'to his opening words.'
40-2. Ne per, &c. : 'nor was it from choice that he concealed
his meaning from me.' Al segno, &c. : ' rose above the mark of
mortal men ' ; in the spirit he spoke mysteries.
43, 44. E quando, &c. : ' and when the impulse (lit. bow) of his
burning love was so far moderated (lit. cooled).' The metaphor in
sfocato is suggested by ardente. If sfogato is read, the meaning
is 'discharged,' 'slackened,' referring to arco.
48. nel: ' towards,' lit. 'in dealing with.'
49-51. lontan digiuno : ' desire of long standing * to see Dante,
lontan, lit. ' dating from far back.' Tratto, &c. : ' contracted by
reading in the book of God's foreknowledge, in which the record of
men's deeds, whether good or evil, is never erased.'
52-4. Soluto, &c. : ' thou hast (by thy coming) appeased in me,
508
XV. 55-75] PARADISO
robed as I am In this light.' ti vesti le piume : ' hath invested
thee with wings.'
55—69. Cacciaguida tells Dante that he understands the reason
why he does not inquire his name and the cause of his interest in
him, which is, that he (Dante) is aware that the denizens of Heaven
see the thoughts of others through the medium of the mind of God,
which reflects them in every detail ; and consequently that it is
unnecessary for him to state in words what he wishes to be told him,
because his wishes are already fully known to Cacciaguida. Still,
he encourages Dante to speak, because his (Cacciaguida's) love will
be increased by complying with his request.
55—7. che : the hiatus after this word, which elsewhere is
infrequent when it is used as a relative, is found both here and
in 1. 60, Che \ alcun, and in 1. 64, Che | to. mei : 'passes'; from
Lat. meare. Da quel, &c. : ' from Him who is the first Existence,'
i. e. God. cosi come, &c. : ' just as in arithmetic the unit, when
it is once known, is the starting-point from which all other numbers
are calculated.' raia : lit. ' radiate.'
60. Che : take with piii gaudioso.
61-3. minori e grandi, &c. : 'all, whether great or small, in
the life in Heaven look into that mirror (the mind of God), in which
your thought is made manifest even before It is formed in your mind.'
64, 65. in che io veglio, &c. : ' in which I watch, perpetually
gazing ' ; veglio expresses the unchanging nature of the rapturous
love in Heaven.
69. a che, &c. : ' which I am already prepared to answer.'
7 1 . arrosemi : ' bestowed on me ' ; from the archaic arrogere^
'to add.' Witte's MSS. strongly favour this reading, but many
edd. read arrise, ' smiled me an approval.'
73-84. Dante here excuses himself for being unable to thank
Cacciaguida as he would wish to do for his benevolence. The
ground of his excuse is that, whereas in Heaven a feeling (aflfetto)
is accompanied by an equivalent power of thought (senno), through
which that feeling can find expression, this is not the case with
mortal men, for in them the means (argomento) of expressing
feeling fall short of the wish to do so (voglia).
74, 75. Come: 'as soon as,' 'from the time when'; cp. Par.
xii. 58. ' From the time when the first Equality was revealed to
you,' i. e. from the time when you entered the Kingdom of Heaven.
509
PARADISO [XV. 76-93
God is called * the first Equality ' because all attributes equally exist
in Him. D' un peso, &c. : ' feeling and power of thought were
balanced/ i. e. existed side by side and in equal force.
76-8. Perocche, &c. : the reason why the spirits in Heaven
possess a power of expression equal to their feeling is, that they
draw their inspiration from God, in whom all such powers are equal.
v' allumo, &c. : ' enlightened your minds with His wisdom and
kindled your hearts with His love.' e si iguali, &c. : ' is so equally
balanced in His attributes, that all human comparisons fail to describe
it.' iguali is arch, for eguale. Others for e read en (abbreviated
for enno = sono\ and al for il in the preceding line : the meaning
then is — * in the presence of the divine Sun {al sol) they (i. e. your
feeling and your thought) are so equally balanced, that,' &c. This
however is little more than a repetition of what has been said in
11- 73-5-
79-81. Ma voglia, &c. : ' but in mortal men the wish and the
means of giving effect to tliat wish are developed (lit. are feathered
into wings, i. e. have their wings grow) in different degrees.* The
power of expressing the feelings (through the medium of thought
and language) lags behind the wish to do so. For argomento in
the sense of ' means ' cp. Purg. ii. 31. la cagion : the cause which
is here intimated seems to be the limited nature of the human faculties.
a voi : because you know all things.
82-4. in questa Disagguaglianza : ' in this disparity of
powers.' non ringrazio, &c. : ' I cannot return thanks for your
paternal welcome except by the (unexpressed) feeling of my heart.'
86. Che questa, &c. : ' that dost adorn as a gem this precious
jewellery.' gioia (lit. * jewel ') is here used of the whole cross ;
* art one of the gems that form the cross.'
88, 89. compiacemmi : for mi compiacei ( = compiacqui), ' I
delighted.' Pure aspettando : *even in waiting for thee.'
91-3. Quel da cui, &c. : * he from whom thy family takes
its name.' This was Cacciaguida's son, Aldighiero, from whom
the Alighieri obtained their name. What is here said of him
implies that he died before 1200; but as there is documentary
evidence to show that he was alive in 1201 (see Casini ad loc.\
Dante must have been inexact in his date, la prima cornice :
the first Cornice of the Mountain of Purgatory, • in which the sin of
pride was expiated.
610
XV. 95-1 1 1] PARADISO
95, 96. fatica : the weariness of bearing the heavy weight which
formed the punishment of that Cornice, opere : ' good offices,' i. e.
intercessions in his behalf. This passage is a clear proof that Dante
believed that the duration of purgatorial sufferings might be shortened
by means of the prayers of the livings
97-129. Cacciaguida now describes the society and life of
Florence, as it was during his lifetime, i. e. in the first half of
Cent. xii.
97—9. cerchia antica: the old line of walls dated from 1078 a. d.
(Villani, iv. 8) ; it was now ' old,' because the wall of Dante's time
was commenced in i 284. Onde : ' from which she still takes both
tierce and nones.' The Badia, the chimes of which are here referred
to, stood just within the ancient walls ; the Florentines took their
time from these, terza = 9 a.m. ; nona = midday, on which see
note on Purg. xxvii. 4. in pace : the factions and civil dissensions
in Florence did not commence until 1177. For the society of
Florence previous to that date read Villani, vi. 69.
100-2. Non avea, &c. : ' Florence had not the spectacle of fine
chains or coronets, no ladies gaily sandalled, no belt that attracted
the eye more than the figure did.' contigiate : Buti says that
contigie were shoes ornamented in patterns with leather soles.
104, 105. il tempo : the age at which marriages were contracted.
This and the amount of the dowry did not transgress the suitable
limits (as they did at a later period), the former in respect of defect
(quinci), the latter of excess (quindi). Buti and Benvenuto speak
of girls as being married as early as nine or ten years of age.
106-8. Non avea, &c. : the subject is Florence, resumed from
1. 100. There were then no childless families in Florence,
childlessness being the result of corrupt living. Sardanapalo :
Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, was the typical representative of
effeminacy and luxury. His character is described by Orosius,
i. 19. I ; but Dante's authority here was probably Aegidius Romanus,
De Regimine Principum, who in his account of Sardanapalus uses
the same phrase ' in cameris ' which Dante does here ; see Toynbee,
Z)/V/., p. 482.
1 09-1 1. Montemalo : now Monte Mario, the hill from which
Rome is first seen in coming from Viterbo on the northern side, as
Uccellatoio is that from which Florence is seen in coming from
Bologna. The points of view are here taken to represent the aspect
511
PARADISO [XV. 112-35
of the two cities, and the meaning is — 'then Rome was not yet
surpassed in splendour by Florence/ Uccellatoio : observe that
the last three vowels form metrically one syllable; see note on
Inf. vi. 79. nel calo : 'in its decadence'; the downfall of
Florence will exceed that of Rome.
112, 113. Bellincion Berti : this personage is here mentioned
as a type of the worthy citizen of Florence in the good old time.
Villani (iv. i) speaks of him in similar terms. He was father of the
'good Gualdrada' of Inf. xvi. 37. Di cuoio e d* osso : 'with
leather belt and clasp of bone.'
1 1 5-7. quel de' Nerli, &c. : the heads of the noble Florentine
families of the Nerli and the Vecchietti. pelle scoperta : ' undraped
suits of buff' (Longf.), i. e. leathern jerkins without any drapery.
al fuse ed al pennecchio : ' with the spindle and the flax on the
distaff,' lit. distaff-full.
1 18-20. ciascuna, &c. : this refers to the wives in Dante's age
being taken abroad with their husbands when they were driven into
exile, and dying in foreign parts, per Francia : the Florentine
merchants betook themselves to France for purposes of trade.
122, 123. E consolando, &c. : 'and in her lullaby used the
language that first delights fathers and mothers.'
124-6. la chioma: 'the tresses,' i.e. the thread on the distaflT.
De* Troiani, &c. : stories relating to the three cities from which
Florence was descended. The population of Florence was regarded
as having been originally composed of a Roman colony (whence the
descent from the Trojans comes in) with an admixture of people
from Fiesole; see note on Inf. xv. 61.
127-9. Saria: for saria stata; cp. Inf. xxiv. 36 ; Par. xxxiii.
77. Cianghella : she and Lapo Salterello were persons of
dissipated habits, who were contemporaries of Dante in Florence.
Cincinnato : he and Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, are
mentioned as Romans conspicuous for virtue.
132, 133. ostello : 'abode.' chiamata, &c. : 'when invoked
in the pangs of childbirth ' ; cp. Purg. xx. 19—21.
^34) 135' Batisteo : the baptistery is the same building which
now bears that name, and was the cathedral of Florence (San
Giovanni), before the present cathedral was erected; cp. Inf. xix.
16-8. Insieme, &c. : i.e. 'I was at once baptized and named.'
Here Cacciaguida for the first time mentions his name.
512
XV. 137— XVI. ii] PARADISO
137? ^3^' val di Pado : the place meant is probably Ferrara,
where there was a family of Aldighieri or Alighieri. Cacclaguida's
son (11. 91-4) received the name of his mother's family.
139, 140. Corrado : the emperor Conrad III of Swabia. He
undertook the Second Crusade in 1 147 in conjunction with Louis VII
of France, mi cinse, &c. : ' made me one of his belted knights'
milizia is 'knighthood'; cp. Par. xvi. 130.
143, 144. quella legge : 'that rule'; the Mahometan religion.
dei pastor : of the Popes, who neglected to preach a Crusade ;
cp. Par. ix. 126. giustizia : 'just rights'; the possession of the
Holy Land, which rightfully belonged to the Christians.
146. Disviluppato : 'freed from the trammels of.'
CANTO XVI
Argument. — In compliance with a request on Dante's part
Cacciaguida discourses, first concerning his own date and ancestry,
and afterwards about the population of the city of Florence, and the
leading families who inhabited it, during his lifetime.
Lines 1-6. Dante recognizes that the pride of ancestry which he
feels in his relationship to Cacciaguida is unsuitable to Heaven ; yet,
not being himself a beatified spirit, he does feel it, and thus can
understand how it affects men on earth even more strongly. O poca,
&c. : ' alas, our noble birth, unworthy possession ! ' The topic of
the valuelessness of noble birth is further pursued in 11. 7-9. dove
r afiFetto, &c. : ' where our longing for what is truly good is faint.'
dove appetito, &c. : 'where desire is not directed to false objects.'
7-9. raccorce : 'shrinks.' Si che, &c. : 'so that, unless
something is added to thee day by day, thou art constantly being
diminished by time,' lit. ' time goes about thee with his shears.'
Family dignity is constantly on the wane, unless it is maintained
by successive generations.
10, II. Voi: the plural of dignity; see note on Purg. xxxiii.
92 : previously to this Dante had addressed Cacciaguida as 'tu,'
Par. XV. 85. sofiferie : 'permitted,' 'allowed to be used.' The
use of nyos and vesier instead of tu and tuus in addressing persons of
TOZER 513 L 1
PARADISO [xvi. 13-33
high rank arose at a late period of the Roman Empire. In the
Relationes of Symmachus (Cent, iv.) the emperor is regularly
addressed in this manner ; and in the Letters of Apollinaris Sidonius
(Cent. V.) the following may serve as instances — Lib. ii. Ep. 7 ;
Lib. iii. Epp. 5, 6, 7. In che, &c. : Landino (circ. 1500) says
that the Romans of his time universally used iu.
13—5. scevra : * apart,' 'at a distance from us.' Ridendo :
Beatrice intimated by her smile that she was noticing Dante's pride
in his ancestor, parve quella, &c. : ' resembled that lady,' &c.
This is the Lady of Malehault, Guinevere's lady-in-waiting in the
story of Lancelot of the Lake, who coughed when she first
perceived the familiarity between her and Lancelot; see note on
Inf. V. 128, and Toynbee's Diet, there referred to. The comparison
is hardly a happy one ; it is put in the most favourable light by
Mr. Gardner, who says (^Dantes Ten Heavens^ p. 118), 'Theology
in the person of Beatrice stands apart, since matters are to be
discussed which do not come within her province, and smiles in
kindly superiority at this little exhibition of human weakness.'
18. io son piu ch' io : ' I rise above myself ; cp. Inf. iv. 120,
' in me stesso n' esalto.'
20, 21. di se, &c. : 'it takes pleasure in itself at being able
uninjured to contain so much joy,' lit. ' to endure so much joy
without bursting.'
23, 24. quai fur gli anni, &c. : 'what years were marked
in your boyhood ? ' Dante asks of Cacciaguida in general terms,
' What was about your date ? ' Cacciaguida replies in 11. 34—9
by giving the exact date.
25-7. deir ovil, &c. : 'what was the size of the sheepfold
of St. John,' i. e. what was the number of the inhabitants of
Florence, which city was under the protection of the Baptist.
The answer (11. 46 foil.) shows that the number of inhabitants
is meant, piii alti scanni : the highest dignities.
33. Ma non, &c. : some take this as implying that Cacciaguida
spoke in Latin, and refer to his use of that language in ' sanguis
meus^^ &c., in Par. xv. 28-30. Others think that it is meant that
he used the old Florentine dialect. The latter of these appears more
suitable than the former; but perhaps it is still better to interpret
it of his ' mode of speech,' i. e. pronunciation, which was archaic,
and for that reason dignified.
XVI. 34-48] PARADISO
34 foil. In what follows Cacciaguida, in answer to the four
questions which Dante has put to him in 11. 23-7, speaks of (i)
the date of his birth (11. 34-9); (2) his ancestors (11. 40-5); (3)
the number of the inhabitants of Florence in his time (11. 46-8) ;
and (4) its principal families (II. 49-154). It will be observed
that he answers Dante's second question first.
34. quel di : the day of the Annunciation ; hence Da quel di,
&€., means 'from the Christian era.'
37-9. Al sue Leon, &c. : 'this planet (Mars) came 580 times
to the Lion, its proper sign of the zodiac, to renew its fires beneath
his paw.' sue, because in mediaeval astrology Mars was one of
the Lords of the Lion, sotto la sua pianta : for the form of
expression here cp. Purg. viii. 133-5 of the Sun under the feet
of Aries. According to Ptolemy (as interpreted by Alfraganus,
cap. 17), the revolution of Mars occupied about 687 days; 580
such revolutions, calculated from the Christian era, would give the
year 1090 or 109 1 for the date of Cacciaguida's birth.
40-2. Gli antichi, &c. : 'my ancestors and I were bom in the
place, where the last ward is first reached (lit. found) by him who
runs in your annual sports.' In order to explain this we must
understand that the sesti were the Wards into which the city of
Florence was divided, and that the annual races, which took place
on June 24th, the festival of St. John the Baptist, were run
through the city from west to east. Hence the last ward which
was reached in the race (1* ultimo sesto, &c.) was the easternmost,
that of San Piero, and the part of this which was first reached
(Dove si trova pria, &c.) was its western limit. Here was
situated the Mercato Vecchio, where Cacciaguida's ancestors dwelt.
As this was one of the oldest parts of the city, it is intended to be
inferred that Dante's family was old. nacqui : a marked instance
of a sing, verb agreeing with the latter of two subjects.
43-5. udirne : ' for us to hear.' Piii e tacer, &c. : this means,
not that they were unworthy of mention, but that modesty forbids
speaking of them.
46-8. Cacciaguida now proceeds to speak of the number of the
population of Florence, and of the chief families. Da peter arme :
' capable of bearing arms.' Tra Marte e il Batista : between
the Ponte Vecchio, where stood the statue of Mars, and the church
of St. John the Baptist, which is now the Baptistery. These
515 LI2
PARADISO [xvi. 49-65
formed the northern and southern limits of the city. The Ponte
Vecchio was just outside the Porta S. Maria, il quinto, &c. :
in Dante's time the population of Florence who could bear arms
amounted to 30,000 ; hence in Cacciaguida's days they were 6,000.
49-51. e or mista, &c. : 'is now mixed with families from
Campi,' &c. These three places lay at some distance from Florence,
Campi in the direction of Prato, Certaldo towards Siena, and
Fighine in the valley of the Arno above Florence towards Arezzo.
The immigrants from the country districts are the ' gente nuova '
of Inf. xvi. 73. neir ultimo artista : 'even to the lowest
artisan.'
52-4. vicine : neighbours, not citizens. Galluzzo : this and
Trespiano were villages within a few miles of Florence, the former
on the road to Siena, the latter on the road to Bologna.
55-7. lo puzzo, &c. : ' the offensiveness of the churl of Agu-
glione.' This was Baldo d' Aguglione, who took part in the decree
of perpetual banishment against Dante in 1 3 1 1 . It is his act of
dishonesty in tampering with the public ledger, which is referred to
in Purg. xii. 105. quel da Signa : perhaps Bonifazio da Signa,
a lawyer, who went over from the White to the Black Guelfs.
Aguglione and Signa were places in the neighbourhood of Florence.
58. la gente, &c. : the clergy; cp. Purg. vi. 91. The meaning
of what follows apparently is : — If the clergy had not set themselves
in opposition to the Imperial power, there would not have been those
feuds between the small Italian towns, which ruined them, and
caused their inhabitants to take refuge in Florence, where they
became traders.
61-3. Tal, &c. : the construction in this line and the next is
inverted. ' Some who have turned Florentines and discount and
trade, would have returned to Simifonti.' Simifonti : a castle in
the Val d' Elsa. alia cerca : ' a-begging.'
64-6. Conti : the Conti Guidi, who sold the castle of Monte-
murlo to the Florentines, because they could not hold it against the
people of Pistoia. nel pivier d' Acone : 'in the parish of Acone';
this was in the valley of the Sieve, one of the affluents of the Arno.
When the castle of Monte di Croce in that neighbourhood was taken
by the Florentines in 11 53, the family of the Cerchi migrated to
Florence, where they became leaders of the White Guelfs. Buondel-
monti : from a similar cause to the Cerchi this family left their
516
XVI. 67-92] PARADISO
possessions in the valley of the Greve to the S. of Florence, and
came to live in that city.
67-9. la confusion, &c. : 'the intermingling of persons.' il
cibo che s' appone: 'superfluity of food,' lit. 'food eaten in
addition to what has been taken before,' and which consequently
does not assimilate.
70-2. The meaning of the two comparisons here introduced, as
applied to a city, is (i) that increase in size is a source of danger;
(2) that increase in numbers is an impediment to action. The prin-
ciple involved is very nearly that of Ar. PoL vii. 4. 13, 14, that
the city-state should be of such a size that the citizens might be
acquainted with one another, cieco tore : the blind bull here repre-
sents the force of numbers without reason, avaccio: 'suddenly';
cp. Inf. X. 116. cinque: this number is selected because of
what Dante had said in 1. 48 of the number of citizens bearing arms
having been multiplied fivefold.
73-5. Luni : this city and Chiusi were in Tuscany, Urbisaglia
and Sinigaglia in the March of Ancona. son ite : ' have passed
away ' ; all the four places here mentioned were in a state of
decadence in Dante's time.
76, 77. le schiatte: 'families.' forte: 'strange'; cp. Par.
ix. 36.
80, 81. celasi, &c. : in some instances — e.g. in some great
cities which have a long existence — the downfall is not seen, and
men's lives are short, so that the cities outlive them.
82-4. E come, &c. : the ebb and flow of the tide, to which the
changing fortunes of Florence are here compared, and the influence
of the moon in producing it, were well known to Dante and his
contemporaries, though there are no tides, except locally, in the
Mediterranean ; cp. the Quaestio de Aqua et Terra^ § 7, 11. 1—3 ;
Brun. Lat. Tesoro^ Bk. ii. Ch. 47. Cos! fa, &c. : 'so does
Fortune deal with Florence.'
87. Onde: 'of whom.'
88-90. Ughi : these and the names which follow are mentioned
among the old Florentine families by Villani, who notices both their
former grandeur and their fallen estate (iv. 10-4). Gia nel calare,
&c. : ' I saw them already in their decline, illustrious citizens.'
92. quel della Sannella : 'him of (the representative of the
family of) la Sannella.'
517
PARADISO [XVI. 94-1 14
94-6. la porta: the Porta San Piero, where the Cerchi now
lived, whose treacherous dealing is the fellonia here mentioned.
di tanto, &c. : ' of so great burden, that soon it will cause the
loss of the vessel (Florence).' As the Cerchi were the heads of
the White faction when the feud between the White and Black
Guelfs commenced, Cacciaguida regards them as the originators
of the evils, which, he foresaw, would ere long be the cause of the
ruin of Florence. The metaphor derived from the overloading of
a vessel is the same which is found in Par. viii. 80, 81, 'si ch'
a sua barca Carcata piii di carco non si pogna.'
97-9. end' e disceso, &c. ; Bellincion Berti (cp. Par. xv. 112)
was of the family of the Ravignani, and through his daughter
Gualdrada was progenitor of the Conti Guidi. qualunque : the
descendants of Ubertino Donati, son-in-law of Bellincione, took his
name.
100-2. Quel della Pressa, &c. : 'he of the family of La
Pressa already understood the art of ruling.' 1* elsa e il pome :
' the hilt and the pommel ' ; these were the insignia of knight-
hood.
103-5. la colonna del vaio : ' the column vair.' vaio (Engl.
' vair ') is from Lat. varius, ' variegated,' and was used of ermine
spotted with the fur of the grey weasel. In heraldry the term was
used of a variegated decoration of this character. See Skeat, Etym.
Diet. s. vv. 'Vair,' 'Meniver.' The family of the Pigli bore on
their shield a column thus ornamented, quel che arrossan, &c. :
' those who blush by reason of the bushel ' ; the Chiaramontesi, one
of whose members had brought disgrace on the family by falsifying
the bushel measure ; cp. Purg. xii. 105.
108. curule: 'the highest offices,' the ' curule chairs' of the
ancient Romans.
109-11. quel che son, &c. : the Uberti, of whose pride
Farinata (Inf. x. 35, 36) was a characteristic example. They were
expelled from Florence together with the rest of the Ghibellines.
palle : the Lamberti had balls of gold on their arms. Fiorian,
&c. : ' embellished Florence in all their mighty deeds.'
1 1 2-4. coloro : the Visdomini and Tosinghi, who were
custodians of the bishopric of Florence. The present representa-
tives of the family, unlike their noble ancestors, when a vacancy
occurred in the office of bishop, appropriated the episcopal revenues
618
XVI. 115-32] PARADISO
until the successor was appointed, stando, &c. : ' abiding in their
assembly.'
115. L' oltracotata schiatta : the Adimari. One reason of
Dante's bitterness against them was, that a member of this family,
Boccaccio Adimari, got possession of his property at the time of his
exile, and always strongly opposed his return. Filippo Argenti,
the ungoverned spirit of Inf. viii. 61, was another of them.
s' indraca : lit. ' takes the form of a dragon,' the verb being
compounded in the same way as immiarsi, inluiarsi^ &c., in Par. ix.
73, 81 ; 'which pursues with the ferocity of a dragon one who flies.'
119, 120. non piacque, &c. : ' Ubertin Donato was ill-pleased
by his father-in-law afterwards making him their relation.' Ubertin
Donato, who had married a daughter of Bellincion Berti, was
displeased by his giving another of his daughters to one of the
Adimari, because by that means he himself became a connexion
of theirs.
121. nel mercato : the Caponsacchi, whose origin was from
Fiesole, took up their abode in the Mercato Vecchio.
124-6. cosa incredibile: the thing so hard to believe was the
fact that the Peruzzi, who were now forgotten, should ever have
been sufficiently important to give their name to one of the gates.
picciol cerchio : the narrow area of the older city.
127—30. Ciascun, &c. : 'every one who shares the honour
of bearing the fair ensign (arms) of the Great Baron.' di in della
is partitive. The Great Baron is the Marquis Hugo of Brandenburg,
viceroy of the emperor Otho III in Tuscany. Five Florentine
families bore his arms, as having received their nobility from him.
il cui nome, &c. : ' whose name and honour the festival of Thomas
renews'; he died on St. Thomas' day looi a.d., and was buried
in the Badia of Florence, where the monks kept the anniversary
of his death. milizia : 'knighthood'; cp. Par. xv. 140.
privilegio : the privileges of nobility.
132. colui : Giano della Bella, a member of one of the five
families referred to above; he espoused the popular side, and
ultimately went into voluntary exile in 1 294. la fascia col fregio :
' binds it with a fringe,' i. e. surrounds it with a border. The arms
of the Delia Bella were the same as those of Hugo of Brandenburg
with the addition of a border of gold. This may be seen in
the figures of the arms given by Philalethes, p. 216.
PARADISO [xvi. 134-47
134, 135. Borgo: the Borgo Santi Apostoli, where these two
families lived. This would have remained more tranquil, if these old
inhabitants had lacked new neighbours ; i. e. if the Buondelmonti, who
previously lived in the Oltrarno, had not migrated into this quarter.
136-9. La casa, &c. : 'the house which gave birth to your
lamentation ' ; the family of the Amidei, whose quarrel with the
Buondelmonti was the origin of the Guelf and Ghibelline factions
in Florence, and of the subsequent unhappiness which they caused.
giusto disdegno : the cause of the quarrel was, that one of the
Buondelmonti deserted a lady of the Amidei, whom he had promised
to marry ; hence the indignation of the Amidei is spoken of as just.
morti : ' slain ' ; cp. Purg. vii. 95. consorti : the families allied
to it.
140, 141. quanto mal, &c. : 'in what an evil hour didst thou
flee thy nuptials with that house at another's instigation.' The
instigator was Gualdrada Donati, who persuaded young Buondelmonte
to break his faith in order to marry her daughter ; in consequence
of this he was murdered by the Amidei. mal : cp. Par. vi. 69.
per gli altrui conforti : it seems probable that the reading here
should be ' per gli altrui ret conforti,' for the line as it stands is
unmetrical, since, in order to scan it, either sue must be a disyllabic
or altrui a trisyllable, and neither of these alternatives is metrically
admissible except at the end of a line. Rei is read in two of Witte's
test MSS., viz. A'^ and C ; and in other MSS. it might easily have
been omitted after -rut in altrui preceding. It is noticeable also
that in the only other passage in the Div. Com., where Dante uses
conforto in an unfavourable sense — viz. Inf. xxviii. 135, 'Che diedi
al re giovane i mai conforti' — he expresses this sense by an
accompanying adjective.
143. Se Die, &c. : ' if God had surrendered thee to (i. e. caused
thee to be drowned in) the Ema.' This stream, which joins the
Greve a few miles from Florence, was crossed by the first Buondel-
monte, when he left his home to emigrate to that city. The Poet
here speaks (hypothetically) of the descendant having perished in the
person of his progenitor.
145-7. ^3" conveniasi, &c. : 'but it was suitable to that
mutilated stone which guards the bridge, that Florence should offer
a victim in the last days of her peace,' i. e. at the commencement of
her civil war. The ' mutilated stone ' is the broken statue of Mars,
520
XVI. 152^— XVII. 6] PARADISO
which stood at the head of the Ponte Vecchio, and guarded it, as
being the patron of the city; cp. 1. 47 of this Canto, and Inf. xiii.
144 foil. A sacrifice of life, the Poet says, would be a suitable
offering to Mars. The victim was young Buondelmonte, who was
killed on the bridge. It was on that occasion that Mosca Lamberti
uttered the saying, ' Cosa fatta capo ha,' Inf. xxviii. 106—8.
152-4. il giglio, &c. : ' the lily (on the banner of Florence) was
never reversed on the lance.' It was the custom in Italy at this
time for the victors in an engagement to reverse the lance that carried
a banner, when captured from the enemy, and to drag the banner
along the ground. Ne per, &c. : ' nor made vermilion by party
feuds.' The original emblem on the banner of Florence was a white
lily on a red ground; but after the war with Pistoia in 1251 the
Florentine Guelfs changed this into a red lily on a white ground,
while the Ghibellines retained the former emblem ; Villani, vi. 43.
CANTO XVII
Argument. — Dante now inquires from Cacciaguida concerning
the fortunes which are in store for him; and his ancestor, when
he has satisfied him on this point, encourages him to publish fear-
lessly to the world all that has been revealed to him in the realm
of spirits.
Lines 1-6. Dante makes inquiry from his forefather about
the circumstances of the remainder of his own life on earth. In
this respect he compares himself to Phaethon, who, when Epaphus
denied that he was the son of Phoebus, questioned his mother
Clymene on this subject. The story is told in Ov. Met, i.
748 foil.
3. a' figli scarsi : ' chary towards their sons,' i. e. unwilling to
grant their requests. This was the moral of the story of Phaethon,
who persuaded his father, the Sun, to allow him to drive his chariot,
the results of which proceeding were disastrous.
4-6. era sentito : ' I was perceived to be.' mutato sito :
521
PARADISO [xvii. 7-38
Cacciaguida had descended from his proper station in the Cross in
Mars; cp. Par. xv. 19-21.
7. Manda fuor, &c. : ' give vent to the eagerness.'
12. ti mesca: 'may mingle the cup (i.e. prepare the reply)
for thee.'
13—8. piota : lit. 'turf/ 'sod'; 'plot of ground from which
I sprang,' cp. radice in Par. xv. 89. Some read pianta^ 'tree,'
' stock,' but this is evidently fac'ilior lectio, si t' insusi, &c. : ' art
so exalted, that thou dost see contingent things (the occurrences of
human life) even before they actually happen, with absolute mathe-
matical certainty.' Non capere : ' are inadmissible ' ; cp. Purg.
xxi. 81 and note; Par. iii. 76 : 'that it is impossible for a triangle
to have two obtuse angles.' il pun to : the face of God.
19-21. Mentre, &c. : Dante's anxiety concerning his future
fortunes had been aroused by intimations made to him both in Purga-
tory and in Hell ; in the former by Corrado Malaspina (Purg. viii.
133-9) and Oderisi d' Agobbio (Purg. xi. 140, 141) ; in the latter
by Farinata (Inf. x. 79-81) and Brunetto Latini (Inf. xv. 61-4).
24. tetragono, &c. : 'foursquare to meet the strokes of fate,'
the reference being to the solidity of a square figure. The word
tetragono is from Ar. Eth. Nic. i. 11. 11, Terpaywi/os aviv ij/oyov,
where it is used, as here, of a person bearing good and evil fortune ;
it is reproduced in the Lat. version of Aristotle, and from this
Dante obtained it.
27. piii lenta: 'with less sudden blow.'
29, 30. come voile, &c. : cp. 1. 7. After Dante's interview
with Farinata, Virgil had intimated to him that Beatrice would give
him information as to what was to befall him (Inf. x. 130-2); and
Dante himself declared to Brunetto Latini that he was looking
forward to this (Inf. xv. 88-90). When it comes to the point,
Beatrice allows Cacciaguida to make the revelation.
31, 32. ambage, &c. : 'ambiguous oracles, in which the foolish
folk (the heathen) in days of yore ensnared themselves.'
35, 36. Latin: 'style,' 'language'; cp. Par. x. 120; xii. 144.
Chiuso, &c. : ' concealed (by the enveloping light) and revealing
himself by (the brightness of) his own smile.'
37, 38. La contingenza, &c. : ' contingency (i. e. casual occur-
rences), which does not extend beyond the volume of your material
world.' By ' volume ' here is meant the combined total of the objects
522
XVII. 40-66] PARADISO
which make up the universe. For a similar form of expression cp.
Par. xxxiii. 85-7.
40—2. Necessity, &c. : this is intended to guard the freedom of
the human will, which is not affected by the foreknowledge of God.
' Yet contingent events are not rendered necessary by God's pre-
science, any more than the movement of a ship down stream is
determined by the eye in which it is reflected.' The illustration
is singularly felicitous. For Se non come cp. Par. i. 137.
43, 44. Da indi : from the cospetto eterno. come viene, &c. :
the comparison is intended to express harmonious impression gradu-
ally stealing over the soul.
46. Ippolito : the point of the comparison is that, as Hippolytus
was driven from Athens by the false accusations of his step-mother
Phaedra, so would Dante be from Florence. The story of Hippo-
lytus is from Ov. Met. xv. 497-505.
50, 51. a chi, &c. : 'by him who is devising it, in that place
where Christ is daily bought and sold.' The place is Rome, where
there is a traffic in Church dignities ; and the person referred to is
Boniface VIII, with whom the Black Guelfs intrigued with the
view of introducing Charles of Valois into Florence, and who was
strongly inimical to Dante on account of his opposition to Charles
during his Priorate in 1300.
52-4. La colpa, &c. : 'the blame will be attributed by the
popular cry, as usual, to the wronged party,' i. e. to the White
Guelfs, who were expelled with Dante from Florence, la ven-
detta, &c. : ' the punishment that shall follow will give evidence
that it is God's unerring judgement (il vero) which dispenses it.'
It will do this by falling on the guilty parties. The subsequent
misfortunes in which Florence was involved are here referred to.
55. ogni cosa diletta : i. e. family, friends, and country.
58, 59. come sa, &c. : 'how bitter is the taste of another's
bread.' Dante is referring to his dependence on the hospitality of
others during his exile.
62, 63. la compagnia, &c. : the company of his fellow-exiles,
such as Lapo Salterello, of whom Benvenuto (on Par. xv. 128)
says that he was very annoying to Dante during his exile, valle :
the Vale of Misery.
66. n' avr^, &c. : ' shall blush with shame for it.' la tempia
is here used in the sing, for the ordinary le tempie,
523
PARADISO [XVII. 67-96
67-9. il suo processor 'their proceedings.' per te stesso :
on Dante's independence of party cp. Par. vi. 97—108.
71, 72. del gran Lombardo, &c. : Bartolommeo della Scala,
of Verona. The arms of the Scahgers were a golden ladder in
a red field, surmounted by a black eagle, which was the imperial
ensign.
74, 75. del fare, &c. : 'in the matter of conferring favours and
asking them, between you two that will come first which between
others comes later,' viz. conferring favours.
76-8. colui : Can Grande, Bartolommeo's younger brother, who
became Lord of Verona in 131 1. As is well known, he was the
chief of Dante's patrons, impresso, &c. : ' received the impress
of this star (Mars),' i. e. was a warrior born. 1' opere sue : his
exertions in behalf of the Empire.
80, 81. nove anni : Can Grande was born on March 9, 1291,
and Cacciaguida is speaking from the point of view of 1300. rote :
the heavenly spheres in their annual revolution.
82—4. il Guasco : Pope Clement V, who was a native of
Gascony. He supported Henry of Luxemburg, when he came
to Italy in 13 10, but afterwards went over to the side of his
enemies, argento : freedom from avarice is one of the character-
istics of the Veltro in Inf. i. 103, which figure, in part at least,
is identified with Can Grande, affanni : his labours in Henry VII's
interest.
86. ancora: 'hereafter'; cp. Par. xiv. 107.
88—90. a lui t' aspetta : ' place thy hopes in him ' ; cp. Purg.
xviii. 47. Per lui, &c. : as what is said in these two lines is
evidently laudatory, the meaning seems to be that Can Grande will
take the side of the oppressed poor against their wealthy oppressors ;
but it need not imply, as has sometimes been supposed, that any
political movement is referred to.
91-3. E porteraine, &c. : ' and thou shalt bear away with thee
in thy mind a record concerning him, but shalt not divulge it.'
che fien, &c. : ' who will be on the spot when the time arrives.'
presenter other examples of this form, where we should expect
presently are given in the Vocab. Tramater \ these seem to prove
that it is an adverbial use.
94-6. le chiose, &c. : ' the explanations of (lit. comments on)
the intimations thou hast received ' in Hell and Purgatory, che
524
XVII. 98-132] PARADISO
dietro, &c. : ' which are excluded from view by (lit. hidden behind)
a few revolving years.' Dante was exiled in 1302.
98. s' infutura : ' is destined to prolong itself.' His fame with
posterity is probably here intended ; cp. 1. 119.
100-2. Poi che, &c. : 'When by its silence showed that sainted
soul That it had finished putting in the woof Into that web which
I had given it warped ' (Longf.). As regards the expressions here
used: — tela is a 'web' or 'texture,' and ordire is 'to warp'
or ' begin a web,' the warp being the threads which are first extended
in the loom, and are crossed by the woof (la trama). The web
here signifies the subject treated of, the warp the questions, the woof
the answers. Similar metaphors derived from weaving will be found
in Purg. xxxiii. 140; Par. iii. 95.
105. vuol dirittamente : ' is upright in will.'
106-8. sprona : ' spurs,' ' hastens on.' s' abbandona : ' goes
heedless on his way,' lit. 'lets himself go'; for the use of
abbandonarsi cp. Inf. ii. 34; Purg. xvii. 136; Par. xxxi. 75.
no, III. Si che, &c. : 'so that, if I lose my native land,
I may not also lose other places of refuge through (too plain
speaking in) my poetry.'
1 1 2-4. lo mondo, &c. : Hell, lo monte : the Mountain
of Purgatory, mi levaro : cp. Par. i. 64-9, where the effect of
Beatrice's eyes in transporting Dante into Heaven is described.
115. di lume, &c. : ' from one sphere of light to another.'
118-20. E s' io, &c. : 'and, on the other hand, if I shrink
from speaking the truth plainly, I fear the loss of reputation with
posterity.' viver : others read 'vita, but viver is supported by
the MSS. The infin. is used substantively.
121. il mio tesoro : Cacciaguida.
124-6. fusca, &c. : 'darkened either by its own or by others'
shame.' altrui : of their relations and associates. Pur : ' 'tis
true,' a concessive use with reference to Ma nondimen following ;
cp. Par. iii. 115.
128, 129. fa manifesta: 'publish abroad.' E lascia pur,
&c. : 'and just let them scratch who feel the itch,' i. e. let those
feel annoyance at your words who have reason to be annoyed.
Longf. compares Hamlet, iii. 2, 'let the galled jade wince.'
131, 132. vital nutrimento, &c. : i.e. the lessons which it
teaches will be profitable when they have been laid to heart.
525
PARADISO [xvii. 135— XVIII. 1 1
135. non fa, &c. : 'gives no slight proof of worth/
139-42. Che r animo, &c. : ' for the mind of the hearer does
not rest satisfied or feel confidence on the strength of an example
drawn from what is insignificant, or other proof which is not clear
to view.' haia for abbia ; cp. Inf. xxi. 60.
CANTO XVIII
Argument. — Dante sees a number of distinguished champions of
the true faith, among whom are Joshua, Judas Maccabeus, Charle-
magne, and Godfrey of Bouillon. He then ascends in company
with Beatrice to the sixth Heaven, that of Jupiter, where are found
the spirits of those who had excelled in the maintenance of justice.
These group themselves so as to represent the figure of an eagle,
that being the emblem of the Empire, by which institution justice
was maintained in the world ; and Dante takes the opportunity of
denouncing the worldliness of the higher clergy, by which the
beneficial influence of the Empire was neutralized.
Lines 1-3. Gik si godeva, &c. : ' now was that blessed mirror
(of God's countenance) enjoying by himself (i. e. in the solitude of
silence) his own thought, while I was tasting (i. e. ruminating on)
mine,' i. e. that which I had heard concerning myself. According
to this interpretation, verbo is to be taken in the Scholastic sense
of the term — as Aquinas says, ' Primo et principaliter interior mentis
conceptus verbum dicitur ' (Summa, i. Q. 34. Art. i). The
' thought ' here is the contemplation of the Divine mind, and this
suits the expression specchio which is used of Cacciaguida. Others
take verbo in its ordinary sense, the meaning being that Cacciaguida
was rejoicing in what he had said to Dante. But it is harsh to
represent the Poet's ancestor as rejoicing in his predictions of im-
pending sorrow, so that the former interpretation presents the lesser
difficulty.
5, 6. ch' io sono, &c. : ' that I (who am thy representative)
stand in the presence of God, who lightens the burden of every
wrong.'
9. abbandono : ' I relinquish the task of describing.'
10, II. pur: 'merely.' reddire : archaic form of rW^fr^ ; cp.
526
XVIII. 13-45] PARADISO
Par. xi. 105; 'return upon itself,' i.e. recall its impressions; cp.
Par. i. 9, ' retro la memoria non pud ire.*
13. Tanto : 'only this'; cp. Par. ii. 67.
16-8. Fin che : 'while.' (N. B. Some editors remove the full
stop from the end of the preceding line, and introduce it after
aspetto^ 1. 18.) col secondo aspetto : 'with its reflected aspect.'
The eternal pleasure (the light of God's countenance), which shone
immediately on Beatrice, was reflected from her face into Dante's
eyes.
20, 21. Volgiti : towards Cacciaguida, who was about to speak
again, non pur, &c. : the symbolical meaning is, that theological
contemplation is not sufficient to produce heavenly joy without the
study of heroic deeds, which are represented by Cacciaguida and the
other occupants of this sphere.
24. tolta : ' absorbed.'
28-30. Ei comincio : Cacciaguida now proceeds to point out to
Dante some of the most illustrious spirits in Mars, quinta soglia,
&c. : the planet Mars, the fifth grade in the system of the Heavens
in Paradise, the life of which proceeds from its highest point (che
vive della cima), the presence of God in the Empyrean. For
soglia cp. Par. xxxii. 13. frutta, &c. : i.e. is always receiving
accessions to its numbers, and never loses any.
32, 33. di gran voce, &c. : 'of great fame, such as would
furnish a noble subject for the greatest poet.'
34-6. nei corni, &c. : the spirits, as they are named, flash
across from one arm of the cross to the other, fara 1' atto : lit.
' will perform the action ' ; ' will do what lightning does in the
cloud from which it proceeds.'
38. com' ei si feo : ' even as it was done,' i. e. as soon as the
name was pronounced, ei = il nomar.
40-2. Maccabeo : Judas Maccabeus, era ferza del paleo :
' was the whip to the top,' i. e. was the impulse which caused the
rotation. The homely simile is borrowed from Virg. uien. vii.
378-84, where it is applied to Amata's wild excitement when under
the influence of the Fury.
43-5. Cosi, &c. : ' similarly my watchful look followed two
such lights, corresponding to Charlemagne and Roland, even as the
hunter's eye follows his falcon in its flight.' volando : here used
for volante,
527
PARADISO [xviii. 46-64
46-8. Guglielmo : William, Count of Orange in Provence,
who lived in the age of Charlemagne; he fought against the
Saracens, when they made inroads into the South of France.
Rinoardo : Renouard was a Saracen by birth, who became a com-
panion in arms of William : both died as monks. Gottifredi :
Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the First Crusade. Roberto
Guiscardo : the leader of the Normans in South Italy in Cent, xi.,
who founded the kingdom of Naples, and became Duke of Apulia
and Calabria. He is mentioned because he expelled the Saracens
from Italy.
49-51. Indi, &c. : the spirit of Cacciaguida now resumes its
place among the other spirits in the Cross, and takes part in their
singing. ' Then, departing and taking its station among the other
luminaries, the spirit that had spoken to me displayed to me his
skill among the heavenly choir.'
52 foil. Dante and Beatrice now ascend to the sixth Heaven, or
Heaven of Jupiter. In this are found the spirits of those who were
pre-eminent in justice ; and the Empire, which was to Dante the
embodiment of the spint of justice, is here glorified by the spirits
grouping themselves in the form of the Imperial eagle.
53, 54. il mio dovere : ' what I ought to do.' atto : ' gesture.'
57. Vinceva, &c. : ' surpassed its former, and even its latest
wont,' i.e. her appearance when I last saw her. gli altri agrees
with so/eri understood, that being the plural of the infin. solere used
substantively, ultimo refers to what is described in 11. 7—12.
58-60. E come, &c. : the point of the comparison is, that in
both cases the change to a higher condition is not traceable in itself,
but is revealed by other signs, per sentir, &c. : ' through increased
sense of pleasure in good works.'
61—3. che il mio, &c. : the meaning is : — 'that I had reached a
sphere of wider revolution,' i. e. a higher sphere, because in ascend-
ing each sphere described a larger circle than the preceding one :
lit. ' that my circular movement, as I was borne along with the
heavens, had increased its circumference.' veggendo, &c. : ' by
seeing that marvel of beauty more glorious still.'
64. E quale, &c. : the sudden change from the ruddy light of
the planet Mars to the clear whiteness of Jupiter is compared to the
rapid disappearance of the blush of shame on a lady's face when it
resumes its natural colour.
528
XVIII. 67-93] PARADISO
67, 68. Tal fu : understand il trasmutare : * such was the change
which I beheld (negli occhi miei), when I had turned away *
from Beatrice to regard it. temprata : both this characteristic of
Jupiter and the whiteness of its Hght are noticed by Dante in Conv.
ii. 14. 11. 198—204, ' Tolommeo dice .... che Giove e Stella di
temperata complessione, in mezzo della freddura di Saturno e del
calore di Marte . . . Intra tutte le stelle bianca si mostra, quasi
argentata.'
70-2. lo vidi, &c. : ' I saw within that torch of Jove (i. e. in
the bright planet) the sparkling of the love that it contained (i. e.
the glad spirits) delineate before my eyes our letters.' This is
explained in 11. 77, 78. favella stands for the alphabet, by which
language is represented.
73, 74. E come, &c. : for the comparison see Lucan, v. 71 1-6,
where it is said of the cranes, ' Effingunt varias . . . figuras.* Ob-
serve how the natural motion of the birds in the simile modifies the
impression of mechanical movement, which might otherwise attach to
the formation of the letters by the spirits, congratulando : for
congratulandosi, 'expressing their mutual pleasure in,' &c.
76-8. dentro ai lumi : ' enveloped in those lights.' Or D, or
I, or L : cp. 1. 91, from which we see that these are the first three
letters of the word Diligite.
79. a sua not a moviensi : ' they followed their music in their
movements.'
82-4. O diva Pegasea : the Pegasean goddess is the Muse, so
called because the Muses were associated with the fountain of
Hippocrene, which rose when the rock was smitten by the hoof of
Pegasus, the winged horse of Bellerophon. Ed essi, &c. : ' while
they (gl' ingegni) by thy aid (dignify and immortalize) cities and
realms.'
85-7. rilevi : * describe,' lit. ' represent in relief.' brevi :
* scant,' i. e. inadequate to the task.
88-90. Mostrarsi, «&c. : ' the saintly beings (1. 76) displayed
themselves in thirty-five vowels and consonants.' This is the
number of the letters in the Latin sentence which follows, parti :
i. e. letters, syllables, and words, si come, &c. : ' even as they
seemed to me to be denoted.'
91-3. Diligite iustitiam : these are the first words of the Book
of Wisdom, ' Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth.'
TozKR 529 Mm
PARADISO [xvili. 94-111
primai, «&c. : ' were the first verb and noun of all that was depicted.'
sezzai : ' last ' ; archaic word, from Lat. secius, Diez, p. 400 ;
cp. al dassezzo, 'at last,' Inf. vii. 130.
94-6. M : pronounced emme. The band of spirits group them-
selves into the form of the letters, representing them successively,
one by one; when they have formed the last letter of all, they
retain its form for a while. Mr. Gardner suggests as a reason for
this {Danle's Ten Heavens, p. 132), that the M of terram stands for
the initial letter of Monarchia. argento, &c. : ' a pattern of gold
on a field of silver.'
99. il ben, &c. : the Divine Justice, embodied in this planet, to
which they are now attracted from their place in the empyrean
Heaven.
102. gli stolti : ' simple folk.' There was an old superstition,
according to which the country people were wont to divine from the
sparks which proceeded from two burning sticks struck together, such
things as th.e number of years they had to live, the number of pieces
of gold which were in prospect for them, &c.
103-5. quindi : from the summit of the M. SI come, &c. :
'even as the Sun who kindles them (God) ordained for them,'
i. e. according to the height of glory which God appointed for
them.
107, 108. aquila : there are two stages in the transformation by
which the eagle is portrayed. First, the newly arrived band of
spirits, which had rested on the top of the M, group themselves
anew in that position, so as to form the eagle's head and neck ;
afterwards, the former band, which had represented the M, transforms
itself into the body and wings of that bird (cp. 11. 1 1 2-4). Rap-
presentare, &c. : ' represented by that inlaid fire ' ; for the meaning
of distinto cp. 11. 95, 96. On the use of the prep, a see note on
Purg. viii. 106.
109-11. These three lines are intended to answer the question
which arises in the reader's mind, What was the agency which
grouped these spirits into the figure of the eagle ? The answer is —
the immediate action of the Mind of God, who is also the Author
of Nature. Quel, &c. : paraphrase thus: — God, by whom this
figure is formed, has no need, like human artists, to follow nature,
but himself guides nature; this He does by the agency of His
creative and formative power, which manifests itself in the processes
530
XVIII. ii2-!Z9] PARADISO
of life, e. g. in birds building their nests, e da lui, &c. : ' and we
recognize (si rammenta) as proceeding from Him (da lui) that
power which is the formative instinct (forma) by which birds build
their nests.'
1 1 2-4. beatitude: 'saintly band,' the abstract being used for
the concrete ; the word is from the Latin, ingigliarsi all' emme :
' to take the shape of the lily {jleur-de-lys) in forming the M.' The
Gothic M closely resembles that flower ; see the figures in Toynbee,
Dlct.^ p. 42. Con poco moto, &c. : ' with slight change of position
followed out the figure,' i. e. completed the shape of the eagle by
forming the body and wings. The resemblance of thiQ Jleur-de-lys to
the body and wings of the eagle enabled them to do this with slight
movement.
115-36. The sight of the eagle as the emblem of justice affords
Dante an opportunity of glorifying the Empire, of which it was the
symbol, and of denouncing the conniptions of the Papacy, which
were the greatest obstacles in the way of justice.
1 1 5-7. Stella: Jupiter, che nostra, &c. : 'that our justice
(on earth) is derived from that Heaven (i. e. the sixth Heaven) of
which thou art the jewel (i. e. which thou dost adorn).' The
Imperial eagle, which to Dante was the representative of justice on
earth, is figured in that sphere of Heaven in which the glory of
justice is set forth.
120. Ond' esce, &c. : ' What is the source of the smoke which
dulls thy ray,' i. e. ' whence arise the impediments which oppose the
administration of justice.' These, he goes on to say, proceed from
the corruptions of the Papal court.
1 2 1-3. un' altra fiata : as Christ had done before, when he
drove the money-changers out of the Temple, temple : here the
Church, si muro : ' was built up,' ' founded on.' di sangue e di
martiri may be either ' on the deaths and sufferings of martyrs,' or
' on the blood of Christ and the sufferings of martyrs.' If segni is
read, for which there is much MS. evidence, it means ' miracles.'
124-6. milizia del ciel : 'heavenly host'; the saints in the
Heaven of Jupiter, cu' io contemplo : ' on whom my thoughts
are fixed.' Dante is writing on earth, and addresses the saints from
that point of view, male esemplo : that of the pastors of the
Church.
128, 129. togliendo : by excommunications, which 'deprive
531 M m 2
PARADISO [xviii. 130— XIX. 12
sometimes one, sometimes another, of the spiritual nutriment which
God, the mei-ciful Father, denies to none.'
130. tu : as Dante here speaks from the point of view of the
time at which he was writing, this must refer to John XXII (Pope
from 1316—34), who was continually making and revoking ex-
communications.
134-6. colui : St. John the Baptist, the dweller in the wilder-
ness, whose death was caused by the dancing of Herodias' daughter
(per salti). By the Baptist is here meant his figure on the golden
florins ; the object of the Pope's desire was lucre. As it was on
the Florentine coins that the figure of the Baptist was stamped, and
John XXII was Pope at Avignon, the remark here does not at first
sight seem applicable to him; but Villani tells us (ix. 171) that this
Pope coined gold florins in imitation of those of Florence, il
Pescator ne Polo : ' neither Peter (the fisherman) nor Paul.' The
familiarity implied in the term il Pescator and the form Polo is
intended to be depreciative.
CANTO XIX
Argument. — The voice of the associated spirits makes itself
heard through the beak of the eagle ; and by it is furnished the
solution of a difficulty which had arisen in Dante's mind concerning
the justice of the exclusion of the virtuous heathen from Heaven.
After justifying God's decrees in this matter, the eagle adds, that
the virtuous heathen will rise up in the judgement against unfaithful
Christians, and especially against unrighteous sovereigns, of whom
it names numerous living examples.
Lines 2, 3. che, &c. : ' which the banded spirits, rejoicing in their
sweet fruition, composed.' faceva is also read instead of facevan,
in which case the meaning is, ' which caused the banded spirits
to rejoice in its sweet fruition.' frui is the Lat. infin. used
substantively.
6. Che ne' miei, &c. : ' that it (the ruby) refracted the sun's
ray into my eyes.'
7, 8. testeso : archaic for /^j/^, 'now.' porto : 'communicated.*
10-2. lo rostro : tlie beak of the eagle, which becomes the
532
XIX. 15-63] PARADISO
mouthpiece of the associated spirits. lo e Mio, &c. : the eagle
speaks in the singular number, whereas the thought expressed
proceeds from all the spirits.
15. Che non, &c. : 'which cannot be exceeded by desire,'
i. e. which surpasses all that can be desired. Others say — ' which
cannot be obtained by wishing alone without earnest endeavour.'
16-8. Ed in terra, &c. : 'and the record which I left behind
me on earth is such, that the wicked folk there praise it, though
they do not imitate the example furnished by its story.'
19-21. Cosi, &c. : the single voice (solo un suon) expressing
the combined sentiment of all the spirits, is compared to the single
heat which proceeds from many burning embers.
23, 24. Che pur uno, &c. : ' who cause all your odours to
appear to me but one,' i. e. whose individual sentiments all find vent
in one voice. The metaphor of the flowers is carried on in odori,
the thoughts which proceed from the spirits, and in spirando {1. 25),
* breathing forth the odours,' i. e. emitting the thoughts.
25. digiuno : Dante's 'hunger' is his desire of obtaining the
solution of a difficulty, which the inhabitants of the sixth Heaven
are specially qualified to explain. The question is : — How is it
reconcilable with God's justice, that virtuous heathen, who have
not heard the name of Christ, nor had an opportunity of receiving
baptism, should be excluded from Paradise ? The answer which is
ultimately arrived at is, that this is an inscrutable mystery, hidden
in the depths of God's justice, which it is impossible for the human
intellect to fathom.
28—30. altro reame : this refers to the Order of the Thrones
in the Heaven of Saturn, of which it is said in Par. ix. 62,
' Onde rifulge a noi Dio giudicante.' Che in 1. 30 is resumptive
after an intervening clause.
33. digiun cotanto vecchio : ' a craving of so long standing.'
34-6. ch' esce del cappello : 'when its hood is removed.' si
plaude: 'claps its wings.' facendosi belle : ' preening itself.'
37-9. di laude, &c. : 'was composed (lit. woven) of beings in
whom the glory of the divine grace is seen'; cp. Inf. ii. 103,
where Beatrice is called 'loda di Dio vera.' laude is plur. of
lauda. Con canti, &c. : ' uttering songs, the delight (lit. nature)
of which he only knows, who has the fruition of it in Heaven above.'
40—63. The argument in these lines is as follows : — God, who
533
PARADISO [xix. 40-51
created all things, infinitely surpasses in Himself the wisdom which
appears in His creation (11. 40-5). Lucifer, the highest of created
beings, fell, because he lacked as yet the light which would have
enabled him to see God perfectly (11. 46-8). How much more
feeble must be the vision of beings inferior to him ! (11. 49-51).
Hence our minds cannot have any true conception of God's
attributes (11. 52-7), and, in particular, of His justice (11. 58-63).
40-2. Colui, &c. : ' he who turned round his compasses at the
outer verge (i. e. the circumference) of the world.' The idea is
derived from Job xxxviii. 5, ' Who hath laid the measures thereof
(i. e. of the earth), if thou knowest ? or who hath stretched the line
upon it?' Cp. Milton, Par. Lost, vii. 224-7, 'and in his hand
He took the golden compasses, prepared In God's eternal store, to
circumscribe This universe and all created things.' e dentro, &c.:
' and within it wrought such various effects (Distinse tanto), some
dark to us, some clear.'
43-5. Non pote, &c. : ' could not (in the process of creation)
leave the impress of His power on the whole universe to such
a degree, that His wisdom (verbo) should fail to be infinitely in
excess of it.' verbo is here used of the thought in the creative
mind of God in a similar way to that in which the name of ' the
Word ' is applied to our Lord.
46-8. E cio, &c. : ' hence we can clearly see that the first proud
spirit (Lucifer), who was the highest of all created beings, fell
while still in an imperfect state (acerbo, lit. unripe, immature),
because he would not wait for light.' The explanation of this will
be found in Par. xxix. 55-63, where it is implied that there were
two stages in the creation of the angels, and that it was not until
the latter of these was reached that their will became so perfectly in
accord with the will of God that it was impossible for them to fall ;
hence the rebellious angel's, who refused to wait for that stage, fell
through the imperfection of their wills. Cp. De Vulg. Eloq., i. 2.
11. 26, 27, 'Divinam curam perversi expectare noluerunt'; also
Hooker, Eccl. Pol. i. 4. 3.
49-51. quinci : i.e. from the imperfection of Lucifer's nature
as originally created. The argument is this : — If the highest created
lieing was imperfect in its power of seeing God without an additional
infusion of God's light, much more must this be the case with
natures inferior to his. ^ corto, &c. : ' has scant power ot
534
XIX. 52-8;] PARADISO
comprehending the infinite and incomparable God.' se con se
misura : there is nothing beyond God to which he can compare
himself; cp. Is. xl. 25, 'to whom will ye liken me, or shall
I be equal ? saith the Holy One.'
52-7. Dunque, &c. : 'consequently man's power of vision —
which, as we see, is one and but one (alcun) of the rays that
emanate from the Divine Mind which irradiates the universe —
from its very nature is incapacitated from even approximating to the
understanding of God (lit. cannot possess so great power, as not to
be aware that the source from which it proceeds (suo principio)
is altogether beyond its range of vision).'
58-60. Pero, &c. : ' wherefore the power of sight with which
your world is endowed penetrates just so far into the depths of the
eternal justice, as the eye does into the sea.'
64-6. Lume, &c. : there is no light, but what proceeds from
the serene Heaven which is never overcast ; all other (seeming) light
is darkness, being either the shadow of the flesh (which obscures the
mind) or poison of the flesh (which corrupts the character).' ombra
della carne is the influence of 'the earthy tabernacle' which
'weigheth down the mind' (Wisdom ix. 15), while suo veleno
is sensuality; in these two forms the light which is in men is
darkness, serene : cp. Par. xv. 13.
67-9. Assai, &c. : 'the covert is now laid fully open to thy
view.' The hiding-place which concealed from Dante the truth
concerning God's justice, is the inability of the mind of man to
fathom the question, crebra : ' frequent.'
79-81. scranna : ' the bench,' ' the judgement seat.' da lungi,
&c. : ' a thousand miles away,' i. e. when the matter in question is
far beyond your power of sight.
82-4. Certo, &c. : 'verily, if the matter were not determined
for you by the Scripture (which says that none can be saved without
faith in Christ and baptism), the man who adduces subtle arguments
in answer to me would have surprisingly good reason for doubting.'
Dante regards the question as settled by the authority of Scripture,
which is the word of God.
86, 87. La prima, &c. : 'the primal Will (from which God's
dealings with mankind proceed), being in itself good (independently
of any goodness in other beings), can never be other than what it is,
viz. God himself, the Highest Good.' The conclusion which
535
PARADISO [XIX. 88-113
is implied is : — As the will of God is identical with God himself,
who is perfect goodness, and that will excludes the heathen from
salvation, such exclusion must be just.
88. cotanto, &c. : ' that, and that only is just, which is
consonant with the divine will.'
89, 90. Nullo, &c. : this is added with reference to what is said
in 11. 73-5 about the virtue of the Indian in the supposed case. It
is not the virtue, and consequent merit, of the person, which causes
God to reveal the Gospel of salvation to him ; nay, it is God's
grace which has endued him with that virtue. The view here set
forth is that of St. Paul in Rom. ix. 1 5, ' For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,' &c. radiando :
' by diffusing the rays of His grace.'
91. sopr' esso, &c. : 'just above the nest'; see note on
Inf. xxxiv. 41.
94. (e si levai li cigli) : the insertion of this clause — which is
put in a parenthesis as being outside the syntax of the sentence — is
due to the twofold application of the preceding simile, the circling
movement of the eagle {Roteando^ !• 97) being compared to that of
the mother stork above her nest (I. 91), while Dante's look, as he
watches it, resembles that of the young stork, which after having
been fed gazes upwards towards its mother.
96. sospinta, &c. : ' impelled by the force of so many wills.'
The combined agency of all the spirits is the source of the movement
of the figure in which they are united.
99. tal : ' so incomprehensible.'
100-2. Poi : for Po'iche. ancor, &c. : i.e. still forming the
figure of the Roman eagle.
106 foil. The eagle proclaims the worthlessness of Christian faith,
if it is not accompanied by good works, and proceeds to denounce
the ill-doing of the Christian princes of Dante's age, and to predict
the judgements which would fall upon them.
107. prope: the I^atin word is introduced for the sake of the
rhyme.
109, no. r Etiope: here used for heathens generally, i due
collegi : the two companies of the saved and the lost ; for coUegto in
this sense cp. Par. xxii. 98.
112, 113. Che potran, &c. : the Engl, idiom is, 'What will
not the Persians be able,' &c. By the Persians, as by the Ethiopians,
536
XIX. 115-23] PARADISO
any heathen peoples are meant, quel volume : the book of God's
judgement, in which the deeds of men are recorded.
1 1 5-4 1. In these lines we have the most marked instance of
symmetrical arrangement that is found in the poem, with the exception
of that which occurs in Purg. xii. 25-63 ; and in both of these the
object aimed at is the same, viz. to draw attention to a number of
forcible examples by which something is to be illustrated. Another,
though less striking, instance is found in Par. xx. 40—72. In the
present passage there are three sets of three tercets, the first of which
commences with L\ si vedra, the second with Vedrassi, the third
with E ; and the examples enumerated are intended to illustrate the
misdeeds of the Christian princes of Dante's age.
1 1 5-7. Li: 'in that volume.' Alberto: the emperor Albert
( 1 298-1308), the same whom Dante denounces in Purg. vi. 97 for
his neglect of Italy. Quella, &c. : ' that deed which soon shall set
in motion the pen of the recording Angel.' Per che, &c. : ' by
reason of which the realm of Prague (Bohemia) shall be laid waste.'
In 1304 Albert invaded and devastated Bohemia.
118-20. sopra Senna: 'oh the banks of the Seine,' i.e. at
Paris, where Philip the Fair (128 5- 131 4) adulterated the coinage,
thereby causing great distress to his subjects. Villani, who gives an
account of this proceeding, adds, ' ma guasto e diserto il paese '
(viii. 58). cotenna : ' a boar,' lit. ' boar's hide.' Philip died in
13 14 in consequence of a fall from his horse, caused by the charge
of a boar ; Villani, ix. 66.
1 2 1-3. la superbia, &c. : ' the pride that causes thirst,' i. e. the
thirst for dominion. The reference is to the border wars between
the English and Scotch in the reign of Edward I (1272— 1307),
who is the Inghilese here mentioned. It is hard to say who is
meant by lo Scotto, for there was no king on the throne of Scotland
in 1300, at which date the eagle is supposed to be speaking.
Possibly it may be John Baliol (i 292-1 296), who waged war against
Edward I; but more probably it is Robert Bruce (1306-1329).
The latter of these in reality fought against Edward II, but as
Villani (viii. 90) represents him as the Scottish leader in Edward I's
reign, it is not unnatural to suppose that Dante may have fallen
into the same error. It should be remarked that lo Scotto e 1*
Inghilese cannot mean the Scottish and English peoples^ for
throughout this passage kings are being referred to ; cp. vostri regi^
537
PARADISO [xix. 134-41
1. 112. non pud soffrir, &c. : 'they cannot restrain themselves
within their borders.'
124-6. quel di Spagna : Ferdinand IV of Castile (1295-13 12).
quel di Buemme : WenceslauslV (i 2 70-1 305). The same character
as here is given to him in Purg. vii. 102, ' cuilussuria edozio pasce.'
127-9. ^1 Ciotto, &c. : 'against the name of the Cripple of
Jerusalem.' This was Charles II, king of Apulia and Naples
(1285— 1309), who claimed the title of king of Jerusalem. He
was lame. Con un I, &c. : ' his virtues will be seen marked by
a unit (I), his vices by an M ' (for Lat. mille^ 'a thousand'). The
one virtue here intended was liberality, which Dante attributes to
him in Par. viii. 82.
131, 132. quel che guarda, &c. : ' him who rules,' &c.
Frederic II is meant, who was son of Peter of Aragon (see
Purg. vii. 119), and king of Sicily (i 272-1337). 1' isola del
foco : Sicily is so called from Mt. Etna. Anchise : the death
of Anchises at Drepanum on its western extremity is mentioned
in Virg. ylen. iii. 707-10.
133-5. a dare, &c. : 'in order to let men know how paltry he is,
that which is written against him will take the form of abbreviations,
which will enumerate many vices within a small space.' Abbreviations
were commonly used in MSS. to save space ; so they would be used
in God's record of Frederic, because he was too insignificant for
a large space to be allotted to him.
137? ^3^' barba : archaic for 'uncle.' Diez (p. 355) gives
harhas as the Low Latin form. The word is found in some
Italian dialects, and is familiarly used in colloquial Modern Greek,
having no doubt been introduced into Greece by the Venetians and
Genoese. In the Genoese dialect it is regularly employed instead
of z/o at the present day. Frederic's uncle, who is here referred to,
is James, king of the Balearic Islands. He lost his crown in
consequence of having joined Philip the Bold of France in his
disastrous invasion of Catalonia. fratel : James of Aragon (see
Purg. vii. 119), who gave up Sicily, which his father had acquired.
Nazione : here used in the sense of 'race,' 'family.' bozze :
'dishonoured,' lit. 'cuckold.' By these acts they dishonoured their
family and the crowns they wore.
139-41. quel di Portogallo : Dionysius, king of Portugal
(1279-1325); he is said to have been devoted to the acquisition
538
XIX. 142-48] PARADISO
of wealth, di Norvegia : Hakon Longshanks (i 299-1 319) ; he
carried on a long and barbarous war with Denmark. quel di
Rascia : Stephen Ouros, king of Rascia, the modern Illyria and
Dalmatia. He struck coins of debased metal in imitation of the
Venetian ducat ; the resemblance of the two is seen in the figures
given by Philalethes, p. 259. Che mal, &c. : 'who in an evil
hour saw the coin of Venice ' ; for this use of mal cp. Inf. ix. 54.
It was ' in an evil hour ' for him, because he was doomed to the
punishment of the falsifiers of metals in Hell ; cp. Inf. xxx. 46 foil.
For mal ha visto many edd. read male aggiustb with the sense of
' falsified,' but as the accent in agg'msto is on the final syllable, the
line with this reading will hardly scan. For its probable origin see
Blanc, Vocah. s. v. aggiustare.
142-4. beata Ungaria : Hungary had been governed by corrupt
princes until the time of Andrea III (1290-1301), who was a good
sovereign, beata Navarra : ' happy Navarre, if she should defend
herself with the mountain that girds her,' the Pyrenees. Joan of
Navarre had married Philip the Fair in 1284, but governed her
kingdom independently. On her death in 1305 it passed to her
son Louis Hutin, and when he succeeded to the throne of France
as Louis X in 13 14, it was annexed to the French crown.
145-7- creder dee, &c. : 'men will do well to reflect, that even
now — in proof of what I have just said (viz. that Navarre should
keep the French at bay) — Nicosia and Famagosta are lamenting
and complaining aloud by reason of their inhuman lord.' Cyprus,
of which Nicosia and Famagosta were the chief cities, was badly
governed in 1300 by Henry II of Lusignan, who was a man of
corrupt life, arra : the same as caparra, 'deposit,' 'guarantee';
per arra is, ' for a guarantee of the truth of this.'
148. dal fiance, &c. : 'walks hand in hand with (lit. does not
withdraw himself from the side of) the afore- named wicked princes
(deir altre bestie).'
CANTO XX
Argument. — The eagle names the six spirits, who on account of
their pre-eminence in justice form the pupil of its eye and its eyebrow.
Dante is surprised at finding two of these, the emperor Trajan and
the Trojan Rhipeus, whom he regarded as heathen, in the number
539
PARADISO [XX. 1-27
of the Blessed ; and the eagle explains to him the conditions under
which they were admitted into Heaven.
Lines i— 12. The singing of the spirits, which commences when
the eagle ceases to speak, is here compared to the stars coming out
when the sun has disappeared.
2. s 1 : 'so far beneath our hemisphere.'
4-6. prima : ' ere that,' i. e. during the daytime ; ' which before
is lighted by him alone.' una : the light of the sun. According
to the astronomy of this time all the stars derived their light from
the sun; cp. Conv. iii. 12. 11. 54-6, ' il sole, lo quale di sensibile
luce se prima e poi tutti i corpi celestiali ed elementali allumina ' ;
also Conv. ii. 14. 11. 125, 126.
7-9. atto del ciel : ' change which passes over the sky ' ; atto
is lit. 'act,' 'proceeding,' 'phenomenon.' come, &c. : 'as soon as
the ensign of the world and of its leaders (the Imperial eagle) kept
silence in its sacred beak.'
12. Da mia, &c. : 'which have slipped and passed away from
my memory.'
13, 14. amor : divine love. ' Sweet love that dost vest thyself
in smiles.' flailli : ' flutes,' i. e. melodious voices. This word,
which is not found elsewhere, is der. from Y,2X..jlare^ flatus^ through
the Low Lat. Jlauta^ ' flute,' from which came the diminutives
Jlautol^ Jlaujol \n Provenfal, ^Lndjlajol in O. Fr., to w\\\ch Jlaillo closely
approximates ; oi Jlajol jlageolet is a further diminutive : Butler, note
ad loc. ; Diez, p. 142 ; Skeat, s. vv. ' Flute,' ' Flageolet.'
18. Poser, &c. : 'imposed silence on their angelic chime' (Butler).
21. cacume: 'mountain source,' lit. 'summit.' The 'wealth
of waters ' (ubertk) which forms the stream represents the power of
the body of voice which proceeds from the spirits and is emitted
through the eagle's mouth.
22-4. E come, &c. : 'and as at the neck of the guitar a sound
takes form,' i. e. becomes a musical note. The neck is where the
strings are fingered by the left hand, and the distinctive sound is
thus produced, al pertugio, &c. : ' and as at the vent of a reed-
pipe wind that enters it (forms a note).' The vent is the orifice
which the player opens and closes with his finger.
25~7' Cosi : the comparison, in the case of both the instruments
just mentioned, is between the formation of a definite musical note
540
XX. 30-51] PARADISO
in a certain part of the instrument and the indistinct sound of voices
within the eagle forming a single sound as it passes through its
throat, and finally articulate words as it issues from its beak.
rimosso, &c. : ' all delay in waiting being at an end ' — in other
words, ' without further delay.' bugio : ' hollow,' ' perforated.'
30. Quail, &c. : ' of such words as my heart (memory) on
which I inscribed them was awaiting ' ; or (to put the same thing
otherwise), ' such words as I inscribed on my expectant memory.*
31—72. The eagle now enumerates and describes the six highest
of the beatified spirits in this sphere, who form the eye and eyebrow
of the bird. Of these, David is the pupil, and Trajan, Hezekiah,
Constantine, William the Good, and Rhipeus are the brow.
31—3. La parte, &c. : the eagle's eye, which can endure to look
at the sun. Only one eye is mentioned, because the eagle is seen in
profile. The Imperial eagle was regularly represented with the head
in profile to the left. A good example (contemporary with Dante)
is the eagle many times repeated on the recumbent figure of the
Emperor Henry VII on his tomb in the Campo Santo at Pisa. Or
fisamente, &c. : ' you ought now to regard steadfastly.*
35) 36. onde 1' occhio, &c. : ' with which my eye sparkles in
my head.' E' : i. e. ei, for eglino, resumptive from Quelll : ' they
are the highest of all the orders of their sphere.'
38, 39. 11 cantor, &c. : David, who brought the ark from
Kirjath-jearim to the house of Obed-Edom, and thence to Jerusalem ;
see 2 Sam. vi. The story is told at greater length in Purg.
X. 55-69-
40-2. Ora conosce: note the repetition of these words at the
commencement of the next five alternate tercets, and see note on
Par. xix. 1 1 4-5 1 . ' Now he is aware of the merit of his song . . .
through the equivalent remuneration.* In quanto, &c. : so far as
that song proceeded from his own free-will, and was not the effect of
inspiration, in which latter case it could not claim reward.
43-5. fan cerchlo, &c. : ' form a curve to represent my eyebrow.'
La vedovella, &c. : the story of the emperor Trajan and the poor
widow is given in Purg. x. 73—93.
47. Non segulr Crlsto : ' not to be one of Christ's disciples.*
Trajan, having been a heathen, was in Hell until he was delivered
by St. Gregory's prayers; cp. 11. 106-8.
49-5 1 • q^el che segue, &c. : Hezekiah is meant; 'he who
541
PARADISO [XX. ^^-6s
comes next in the curve of which I speak, on the ascending arc'
Similarly the fourth in order of these five spirits (William the Good)
is said to be on the descending arc (1. 6i); and consequently the
third (Constantine) must be at the summit of the arc between them.
Morte, &c. : Hezekiah prayed to God when he was sick unto
death, and God added fifteen years to his life; 2 Kings xx. i, 6.
The mention of his penitence in this connexion is an error on
Dante's part, for that occurred on another occasion, which is recorded
in 2 Chron. xxxii. 26.
53? 54* quando, &c. : ' when a worthy prayer causes that which
was ordained for the present time to be postponed to a future time ' ;
this was what happened in Hezekiah's case through the postpone-
ment of his death. The meaning of the entire passage here is, that
what God has ordained is not changed in answer to prayer, because
God has already provided for it; cp. Aquinas, Summa, ii. 2*1^^.
Q. 83. Art. 2, ' Oratio nostra non ordinatur ad immutationem divinae
dispositionis, sed ut obtineatur nostris precibus quod Deus disposuit.'
55-7. L' altro : Constantine, who betook himself to Byzantium
(si fece Greco), transferring thither at the same time the civil and
military centre (con le leggi e meco), that he might leave Rome to
the care of the Pope (Per cedere al pastor). Dante is not very
happy in his criticism of Constantine's policy, meco : ' bearing me,
the Imperial eagle, with him '; cp. Par. vi. i, 2. fe' mal frutto :
Dante, to whom Rome was the rightful centre of the temporal as
well as the spiritual administration of the world, regarded the
foundation of the Eastern Empire as a false step, because it
eventually threw a part of the temporal government into the hands
of the Pope.
59, 60. non gli e nocivo : i. e. is not imputed by God to him,
and does not diminish his glory in Paradise, indi : ' thereby,' i. e.
by the evil results of his well-intentioned policy, especially in respect
of the Papacy.
61-3. arco declivo : the downward slope of the arc; cp. an:o
superno, 1. 50. Guglielmo : William the Good, king of Apulia
and Sicily (1166—89). ^i^ just and peaceful reign was a time of
great prosperity to his subjects, quella terra : Apulia and Sicily ;
'whom that country laments, which is suffering from the living
(i.e. present) rule of Charles and Frederic' Charles the Lame,
king of Apulia, and Frederic of Aragon, king of Sicily, are meant.
642
XX. 65-90] PARADISO
Their misdeeds are recounted in Par. xix. 127—35. vivo : observe
tlie sing. adj. with two substantives.
65, 66. al sembiante, &c. : ' in the aspect of his efRilgence he
reveals it still/ i. e. shows that he is aware of the approval of Heaven.
67, 68. errante: 'misguided in its views.' Rifeo : cp. Virg.
Aen. ii. 426, 427, ' Rhipeus, iustissimus unus Qui fuit in Teucris
et servantissimus aequi.' This mention of him is the sole ground
which Dante had for introducing him here, tondo : the arc of the
eyebrow.
70—2. assai di quel, &c. : enough of the profundity of God's
grace, shown in the conversion of a pious heathen before the coming
of Christ, though even he cannot fathom it. The story of his
supposed conversion is given in 11. 118-29.
76-8. Tal mi sembio : the point of correspondence with the
simile is the satisfaction of the eagle with its discourse. 1' imago,
&c. : ' the image of the imprint of the divine pleasure (God),
according to whose will (lit. desire) everything assumes its proper
nature.' The imprint of the divine pleasure is the Imperial eagle, which,
as the symbol of the divinely appointed Monarchy, was stamped, so
to say, by God's providence on the face of the world. The figure of
the eagle which was presented to Dante's eyes is the image of this.
79-81. awegna che, &c. : the meaning is: — 'though I knew
the spirits could read the doubt which was in my mind.' ' Though
my doubting were as manifest, As is through glass the hue that
mantles it ' (Gary). The metaphor is from coloured glass, the refe-
rence being to * coated ' glass, i. e. white glass coated with a coloured
film on one side only. As this colour could be clearly seen through
the glass, so the spirits could look through Dante's mind, and see
the doubt within it. dubbiar mio : this related to the salvation of
heathens, like Trajan and Rhipeus, which in Par. xix. 103—5 was
declared impossible. Tempo, &c. : the subject of patio is il dubbiar ;
' my doubt would not endure to bide in silence a fitting time.' For
tempo in this sense cp. Inf. xxvi. 77.
82-4. della bocca, &c. : ' the pressure of my doubt forced from
my lips the words, " How can these things be ? " ' The subject of
pinse is il dubbiar. di corruscar : take with feste, 'joy of
coruscation ' ; for feste cp. Par. xxx. 94.
87. ammirar : 'wonderment,' caused by the doubt in my mind.
89, 90. come ; ' how they can be,' i. e. the reason or explanation
543
PARADISO [XX. 92-108
of them, se son, &c. : ' though you believe them, you do not
understand them.'
92,93. quiditate : 'essence,' 'real nature'; 'quiddity* is
a Scholastic term, signifying ' that which makes a thing what it is.*
prome : from Lat. promo, ' set forth,' ' explain.'
94. Regnum, &c. : from Matt. xi. 12, ' the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.' Our Lord is
there speaking of believers pressing into His kingdom ; here, in like
manner, the reference is to the breaking down of the barriers, which
would exclude from Heaven the persons spoken of. In the case of
Trajan this was effected by the hope which animated St. Gregory
(viva speranza) ; in that of Rhipeus by his own love (caldo amore).
97-9. Non a guisa, &c. : this was no struggle for pre-eminence,
but a rivalry in benevolence, in which both parties were victors. Ma
vince lei : vince is repeated from 1. 96, and in both places the sing,
number is used, notwithstanding that there are two subjects, amore
and speranza. ' Love and hope overpower the divine will, because
it desires to be conquered, and by being conquered wins a victory
with its benevolence.' Note the antithetical repetition of vince and
vinta here, and see note on Inf. xiii. 25.
100—2. La prima, &c. : 'the first of the spirits in the eyebrow
and the fifth cause you surprise, because you see the region of the
angels (i. e. Heaven) adorned with them.' In other words : — ' You
are surprised at seeing that Trajan and Rhipeus, who were heathens,
are among the ornaments of Heaven, forming part of the figure of
the eagle.'
104, 105. in ferma fede, &c. : lit. 'in steadfast faith, the one
in Christ's feet about to suffer, the other in them after they had
suffered'; in other words: — 'in steadfast faith in the sacrifice of
Christ on the cross, the one (Rhipeus) before the event took place,
the other (Trajan) after.' For the description of the Crucifixion
by the mention of Christ's feet, compare the similar description by
the mention of His hands, ' 1' una e 1' altra palma,' in Par. ix. 123.
passuri and passi are Lat. forms.
106-8. r una: Trajan. The legend concerning him was that,
after he had been in Hell four hundred years from the time of his
death, he was recalled to life through the prayers of St. Gregory,
and that having repented and believed in Christ he was baptized ;
after which he once more died, and was then received into Paradise.
544
XX. I09-33] PARADISO
u' non, &c. : ' where no one ever returns to good will/ i. e. repents.
speme : the hope felt by St. Gregory that his prayers for Trajan
would be heard.
109-1 1, mise la possa, &c. : * infused efficacy into St. Gregory's
prayers to God for his restoration to life, so that his (Trajan's) will
(which in Hell could not turn to repentance and faith) might (after
his restoration to life) be capable of being stirred in that direction.*
113. fu poco : ' he abode but a short time.'
116, 117. alia morte seconda : ' when he died a second time.'
gioco : the ' festivity ' of Heaven.
1 1 8-2 1. L' altra : Rhipcas. The story of his belief in Christ
and consequent salvation is Dante's own. grazia : the grace of
God. prim' onda : ' the first movement of its waters ' ; i. e. the
initiatory movement of God's will, the primo perche of Purg. viii. 68,
69. Tutto, &c. : ' set his affections entirely on righteousness ' ;
see note on 1. 68.
122. Perche : 'wherefore.' di grazia, &c. : 'as Rhipeus
advanced from grace to grace.'
126. riprendiene : for ne riprendia (= r'tprendeva) \ see Blanc,
Gram., p. 348.
127-9. tre donne : the Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope, and
Charity, which Dante had seen by the right-hand wheel of the Car
in the procession in the Earthly Paradise; Purg. xxix. 12 1-6.
fur per battesmo : ' the possession of these three virtues stood in
stead of Baptism to him, more than a thousand years before the
sacrament of Baptism was instituted.' The view here propounded
is the theory of the baptism of penitence ; cp. Aquinas, Summa^
iii. Q. 66. Art. 11, 'Aliquis per virtutem Spiritus sancti consequitur
effectum baptismi, non solum sine baptismo aquae, sed etiam sine
baptismo sanguinis, in quantum scilicet alicuius cor per Spiritum
sanctum movetur ad credendum et diligendum Deum, et paenitendum
de peccatis ; unde etiam dicitur baptismus paenitentiae.'
130—2. O predestinazion : the strangeness of the salvation of
Trajan and Rhipeus suggests remarks on the inscrutable character
of God's predestination, aspetti : ' views ' ; the minds of those
who cannot fathom the mind of God, who is the First Cause, are
unable to understand the hidden things of His predestination ; cp.
11. 70-2.
133. stretti: ' within bounds.'
TOZER 545 N n
PARADISO [XX. 136— XXI. 6
136—8. enne : for ne e ; ' such lack of knowledge is pleasing to
us ' ; scemo is here a subst., ' defect ' : for cosi fatto in the sense
of 'such' cp. Inf. V. 37, 'cosi fatto tormento.' Perche, &c. :
' because our good is perfected in this good, viz. that/ &c.
143. Fa seguitar, &c. : 'accompanies the singer with the
vibration of his strings.'
145-8. Si: the flashing of their light, by which the spirits of
Trajan and Rhipeus declare their assent to what the eagle has said,
is compared to the instrumental accompaniment to a song (11. 142—4);
while the correspondence in movement between the two spirits is
described as resembling the simultaneous opening and closing of the
two eyes (1. 147). The latter of the two similes has already been
introduced in Par. xii. 26, 27. mi ricorda : impers. use, as in
Purg. xxxiii. 91, and elsewhere.
CANTO XXI
Argument. — The seventh Heaven, that of Saturn, is now
entered, in which are the spirits of the Contemplative. Here
Dante beholds a luminous stairway, along which the souls descend ;
and one of them, St. Peter Damian, explains to him that they
abstain for the time from singing, lest his mortal faculties should
be overpowered. After further assuring Dante that it was not his
own individual choice, but God's appointment, which caused him
rather than any other spirit to address him, the Saint proceeds to
relate the circumstances of his own life on earth.
Line 3. E da, &c. : ' and my mind had withdrawn itself from
every other thought ' ; for intento in this sense cp. Purg. xvii. 48.
4. quella non ridea : the reason why Beatrice does not at first
smile in this Heaven, and why the spirits contained in it do not sing
there (11. 61-3), is that Dante's faculties would be overpowered if
they did so. The increase in spiritual elevation which is thus
attributed to the seventh Heaven is due to its occupants being
contemplative saints, and for contemplation a far higher gift of grace
is required than that which is needed by those in the other spheres.
5, 6. tu ti faresti, &c. : ' thou wouldest become like Semele
when she was turned to ashes.' Semele, when according to her
546
XXI. 7-32] PARADISO
request she was visited by Jupiter in his full majesty, was consumed
by his presence ; see Ov. Met. iii. 287-309.
7. per le scale, &c. : 'in passing from stair to stair of the
eternal palace,' i. e. from one sphere of Heaven to another.
13—5. settimo splendore : the seventh Heaven, that of Saturn.
Leone : at the time which Dante assigns to his Vision, the spring
of 1300 A.D., the planet Saturn was in the sign of Leo. Raggia,
&c. : ' now radiates (i. e. sends its influence) downwards, to the earth
mingled with the Lion's power.' Saturn was regarded by astrologers
as a cold planet, Leo as a hot constellation ; whence the influence of
the two, when combined, as here, was temperate.
16-8. Ficca, &c. : 'observe attentively as you look, and let
your eyes mirror (i. e. receive the impression of) that figure, which
will reveal itself to you in this mirror.' The mirror is the planet,
which is so called because it shone by the sun's reflected light ; see
note on Par. xx. 6. The figure is the stairway, which is described
in 11. 28-30.
19-24. Chi sapesse, &c. : the general meaning of these lines
is : — ' The man who could conceive the greatness of my joy in
feasting my eyes on Beatrice's face, would also be able to understand
that I felt still greater delight in obeying her injunctions, when
I looked away from her to the object which she indicated.' ml
trasmutai, &c. : ' turned my attention to another interest,' viz. the
stairway. Contrappesando, &c. : ' balancing the one scale against
the other,' and finding that the pleasure of obeying her was the
greater.
25—7. Dentro, &c. : 'within the crystal sphere, which, as it
revolves round the world, bears the name of its illustrious sovereign,
in whose reign all malice was extinguished.' According to the
poets, the reign of Saturn was the golden age ; Ov. Met. i. 89 foil. ;
Virg. Eel. iv. 6.
28-30. inche, &c. : ' on which the sunshine gleams.' scaleo :
this stairway, as we are informed in Par. xxii. 70-2, is the same as
Jacob's 'Ladder' (Gen. xxviii. 12), on which the angels ascended
and descended, like the spirits on the stairway here, and the top
of which was out of sight, because 'it reached to Heaven.'
Symbolically, it signifies the contemplative life, by which the soul
ascends to God. luce : ' eye.'
32. o3^ni lume: 'every star.'
547 N n 2
PARADISO [XXI. 34-68
34-42. E come, &c. : the bright spirits descend the stairway
in company (compare together 'per H gradi scender giuso,' 1. 31,
and 'insieme venne,' 1. 41), and when they reach a certain stair
(1. 42) disperse hither and thither, or move round and round.
These movements are compared to those of the rooks at daybreak,
which first rise in company and then move in different directions.
37-9. Poi altre, &c. : the meaning is: — 'Some go off to
a distance (in search of food, &c.), some return to their starting-
places (i. e. the branches where they had roosted), and some
continue to wheel about.' onde son mosse: 'to the place from
which they started.' roteando fan sog^jiorno : ' wheel round
where they were before,' lit. ' abide wheeling round.'
40—2. Tal modo, &c. : ' this, as it seemed to me, was what
took place with those bright spirits which arrived in company, as
soon as they lighted on a certain .stair.'
43-5. quel : St. Peter Damian. This saint was born at
Ravenna towards the end of Cent. x. ; he retired to the monastery
of Fonte Avellana, but was made Bishop of Ostia and Cardinal
in 1058, and died in 1072. che presso, &c. : 'which stayed
its movement the nearest to us.' pensando : in thought, not
in words, m' accenne : ' dost indicate to me,' by thy increased
brightness ; accenne for accenni.
46-8. il come e il quando : ' the manner and the time.*
fo ben, &c. : ' do well in not asking my question.'
50, 51. Nel veder, &c. : in the face of God. Solvi : 'appease,*
'satisfy'; cp. Par. xv. 52; xix. 25.
57. si presso, &c. : 'has caused thee to approach so near to
me ' ; Dante supposes that this spirit is affected towards him by
some special feeling which does not influence the others.
61-3. Tu hai, &c. : St. Peter Damian answers Dante's second
question first. The spirits had ceased from their singing, because
Dante's mortal powers would have been paralysed by it, as Beatrice
had told him that he would be by her smile in this sphere
(II. 4-12).
65. per farti festa : ' to greet thee.*
67, 68. Ne pill, &c. : the answer to Dante's first question is,
that it was not personal affection, but divine appointment, which
caused him to come to converse with Dante, presta : the feminine
is used to correspond to nascosta 2Si6. posta (11. 55, 57), which Dante
548
XXI. 72-105] PARADISO
puts into that gender because he addresses St. Peter Damian as
vita heata. For the same reason in 1. 70 serve is used fern, of
the spirits generally. In 11. 114, 125, where there is no such
cause, the saint speaks of himself in the masc. piu e tanto, &c. :
' love equal to mine or greater is felt for thee by other spirits on the
upper grades of the stairway.'
72. Sorteggia qui: 'God, who is love (1' alta carit^),
appoints to each one his office here.'
74, 75. libero amore, &c. : 'the influence of the divine love is
a sufficient motive power, without an express command (libero),
to cause you to execute the designs of God's providence.'
76. a cerner, &c. : 'appears to me hard to discern.'
8 1 . Girando se : the rapid rotatory movement, here as elsewhere,
expresses excess of joy. The joy consists in the pleasure of
answering the question. mola : the comparison to a millstone
is the same as in Par. xii. 3.
82-4. Poi rispose, &c. : the answer to Dante's question is,
that God's foreordained appointments are inscrutable. This is the
same view of God's predestination which has been given in Par. xx.
130-2. s' appunta : 'reaches its aim,' 'rests on me.' per
questa, &c. : ' through this light (the enveloping light) by which I
am embosomed.'
85-7. congiunta: ' acting in combination with.' della quale,
&c. : 'from which it (the divine light) emanates,' lit. 'is milked.'
89, 90. Perche, &c. : 'because the brightness of my flame is in
proportion to the clearness of my vision of God.'
91-3. si schiara : 'is illuminated.' satisfara : ^or satisfaria;
see Nannucci, ylnalisi Critica, p. 324, where other instances of this
form are given. In one of these the accent is on the penultima, as here.
94-6. si s' inoltra: 'lies so deep.' scisso : 'far removed,'
lit. ' cut oflT.'
99. A tanto, &c. : ' to move its feet toward so high a goal,' i. e.
to attempt to fathom so great a mystery.
100-2. fuma : ' is obscured by smoke.' riguarda, &c. : 'con-
sider, how can it do below, what it cannot do even if the Heaven
receives it ? ' i. e. even when it is in Heaven. For this use of perche
cp. Inf. xxxii. 100.
103-5. mi prescrisser: 'restrained me,' lit. 'marked out my
limits.' domandarla: for la fem. see note on 1. 67.
649
PARADISO [XXI. 1C6-23
106. Tra due liti, &c. : with his usual fondness for geographical
detail, Dante describes the Apennines as interposed between the
Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian sea, and then mentions the Monte
Catria as a high point in the chain in the neighbourhood of Tuscany.
This passage is illustrated by De Vulg. Eloq. i. 10. 11. 40 foil.,
where the watershed formed by the Apennines is more fully de-
scribed ; Dante there refers to Lucan's account of the same range in
Phars. ii. 392-438.
108. Tanto : take with surgon ; 'rise to such a height, that
the sound of the thunder is heard far beneath.'
109-11. un gibbo: 'a height,' lit. 'hump.' Catria: this
mountain rises to the eastward of Arezzo. ermo : for eremo
(Gr. €p7]fxos:\ properly a ' solitude ' or ' desert ' ; hence a ' hermitage.'
In Purg. V. 96 the word is used as a proper name to signify the
monastery of Camaldoli. In the present passage the monastery of
Fonte Avellana is meant, which lies on the slope of Monte Catria
in the neighbourhood of Gubbio. suol : ' was wont ' ; cp. 11. 118,
119. The pres. tense of solere is occasionally used with the force of
the imperf. ; cp. Inf. xvi. 68 ; Petrarch, Rime in Morie, Son. Ixxxiii.
1. I, 'Morte ha spento quel Sol ch' abbaghar suolmi.' latria :
Gk. Aarpeta, ' divine worship ' ; this Greek word was known to
Dante from Aquinas, Summa, ii. 2dae. Q. 81. Art. I.
1 1 2-4. Cosi, &c. : 'thus he commenced anew to me his third
address.' The saint had spoken twice before, mi fei si fermo :
' I devoted myself so completely.'
118-20. Render, &c. : 'used to supply a rich harvest of souls.*
vano : 'unproductive.' tosto, &c. : ' its true character must soon
be revealed.'
121— 3. In quel loco, &c. : this is a very perplexing passage;
but a considerable advance has been made toward the interpretation
of it by the determination of what is meant by ' the house of Our
Lady on the Adriatic shore (11. 122, 123).' Mercati has proved
that St. Peter Damian resided for two years of the early part of his
life in the monastery of Santa Maria in Pomposa, which is situated
on a small island at the mouths of the Po, near Comacchio ; and
the Saint himself in his writings refers to it as ' Monasterium
Sanctae Mariae in Pomposia.' This monastery was an important
place in those days. With the punctuation which is found in Witte
and in the Oxford text — i. e. with a semicolon after Damiano and
560
XXI. 124-4^] PARADISO
no stop after peccator — the meaning is, that he was known as
Peter Damian at Fonte Avellana, and had previously borne the
name (which he gave to himself) of ' Peter the Sinner ' in the
monastery just mentioned. The objection to this is, that he used
the name of Petrus Peccator, not only at an early period, but also
throughout the latter part of his life, and it appears frequently in
his letters. If, on the other hand, the semicolon be removed from
the end of 1. I2i, and placed after peccator, the passage will
run — 'At Fonte Avellana was I, Peter Damian, known as Peter
the Sinner; I resided also at the monastery of Santa Maria in
Pomposa on the Adriatic coast.' The omission of the conjunction
'also* with/wi nella casa^ &c., and the consequent abruptness of the
commencement of the sentence, are somewhat serious objections to
this interpretation. See Toynbee, D'lct.^ pp. 187, 188.
124-6. Poca vita: fourteen years, from 1058 to 1072; see
note on 1. 43. chiesto e tratto : ' sought out and forced ' ; both
words express his unwillingness. quel cappello : the cardinal's
hat. si travasa : lit. ' passes from vessel to vessel ' : ' which, as
it passes from one holder of the office to another, only goes from
bad to worse.' The increasing corruption of the College of
Cardinals is referred to, and in what follows the opportunity is
taken of inveighing against it.
127-9. Venne Cephas, &c. : 'when Peter and Paul came, they
were lean and barefoot, and got their food from any chance hostelry.'
The reference is to Luke x. 7, ' In the same house remain, eating
and drinking such things as they give.' il gran vasello : the
Lord said of St. Paul to Ananias, ' Go thy way : for he is a chosen
vessel unto me,' Acts ix. 15.
130-2. rincalzi : 'to support them,' by giving them their arms.
meni : ' show them the way,' to prevent their stumbling, gli alzi :
' hold up their trains.'
134, 135. due bestie : the horse and his rider, pazienza:
' longsuflering of God.'
137. girarsi : the joy signified by this rotatory movement is
caused by their satisfaction at the indignation expressed in 1. 135.
This also accounts for the loud exclamation which follows.
141. non potrebbe, &c. : 'no parallel or comparison could be
found for it on earth.'
142. intesi : ' comprehend the meaning of the words.*
551
PARADISO [XXII. 9-33
CANTO XXII
Argument. — St. Benedict next addresses Dante, and after
mentioning the circumstances of the foundation of his monastery on
Monte Cassino, bewails the corruption of the Benedictine Order.
Dante is now caught up the luminous stairway, and translated into
the eighth Heaven, that of the Fixed Stars, where he finds himself
in the constellation of the Twins. From this point, at Beatrice's
command, he looks downward through the seven spheres which he
has traversed, and on seeing the earth far beneath him, expresses
his feeling of contempt for its insignificance.
Line 9. da buon zelo : ' from righteous zeal.' Beatrice is
referring to the cry which Dante had just heard ; this, she says,
does not proceed from anger or despair, like the appalling bursts of
sound which had assailed his ears in Hell, but from elevated feeling.
10, II. il canto, &c. : 'the song of the spirits in this sphere
and my smile'; cp. Par. xxi. 58-63.
13, 14. i preghi suoi : 'its prayers,' i.e. the prayers which
combined to form the cry. la vendetta : the death of Boniface
VIII is probably referred to.
17, 18. ma' che : ' except'; cp. Inf. iv. 26 ; Purg. xviii. 53.
It is the Lat. magis quam, in the sense of ' otherwise than.' al
parer, &c. : * as it seems to him,' lit. ' according to his view.'
The man who desires God's retribution thinks it tarries, the man
who fears it thinks it comes all too soon.
21. r aspetto ridui : *you turn your face round.' ridui is for
r'lduct. The form in French corresponding to riducere is reduire,
23. sperule : 'little globes of light.' insieme: 'correspond-
ingly.'
26, 27. La punta, &c. : 'the urgency of his desire.' del
troppo : ' to exceed.'
30. Per far, &c. : ' to satisfy my wish concerning himself,' i. e.
to answer the question that was in my mind, viz. who he was.
31-3. dentro a lei : within the enveloping light, which has
just been compared to a pearl. Li tuoi, &c. : ' you would express
your thoughts.'
662
XXII. 34-751 PARADISO
34-6. perche, &c. : 'that you may not delay (tarde for tardi)
in reaching the lofty goal of your journey,' i. e. the presence of God.
pure, &c. : ' merely to the thought,' i. e. to the thought unexpressed
in words, si ti riguarde : ' art so scrupulous (lit. thoughtful) of
uttering.'
37. Quel monte: Monte Cassino, on the slope of which the
town of the same name lies. It stands about halfway between Rome
and Naples. The speaker is St. Benedict (480-543), the founder
of the Benedictine Order, who after spending some years in retreat
at Subiaco, migrated to Monte Cassino, and established the monastery,
which has been the parent of all the Benedictine monasteries. What
is here said about St. Benedict (11. 37-45) is founded on a passage
in the Dialogues of St. Gregory (ii. 2) ; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 77.
38, 39. Fu frequentato, &c. : St. Benedict found paganism
still existing on Monte Cassino, and a temple of Apollo at which
the people offered sacrifices. This he persuaded them to destroy.
ingannata e mal disposta : ' misguided and perverse.'
41. Colui : Christ.
47. quel caldo : the heat of divine love.
49-51. Maccario : St. Macarius, the Egyptian anchorite of
Cent, iv., who established the monastic rule of the East. Romoaldo :
St. Romuald, who founded in 1012 the monastery of Camaldoli in
the upper valley of the Arno for the Order of the Reformed Bene-
dictines (Camaldolesi) which he established. Fermar li piedi :
' abode steadfastly.'
60. con imagine scoperta : 'with unveiled form,'i. e. without
the enveloping light.
62, 63. ultima spera : the Empyrean, where the Blessed appear
unveiled, and where Dante sees St. Benedict ; cp. Par. xxxii. 35.
e il mio : ' including my desire of satisfying you.' If a comma be
read before these words (Witte, Scartazzini), they must be taken
with J-' adempiera understood, ' and my desire of revealing myself
plainly to you shall be fulfilled.'
66. E ogni parte, &c. : ' every part is immutable and eternal.'
67-9. in loco : ' in space ' ; cp. Coni). ii. 4. 11. 37-9, ' Esso non
e in luogo, ma formato fu solo nella prima Mente.' non s* impola :
' does not turn on poles.' s' invola : ' it is hidden ' ; cp. Par. xxi.
29, 30.
73-5. per salirla, &c. : ' lifts his feet from off the earth to
553
PARADISO [xxii. 77-96
mount the stairway of heavenly contemplation.' la regola mia, &c. :
* my Rule remains (on earth) only to cause waste of paper.' The
rules of the Order are copied out but not observed. Rimasa e :
the hiatus between these words is extraordinary; both the metre
and the sense would be improved if Rimasa v* e were read, but
there does not seem to be any authority for this.
77, 78. spelonche : 'dens of thieves,' with reference to Matt.
xxi. 13, ' speluncam latronum * (Vulg.) ; cp. Jer. vii. 11, which our
Lord is there quoting, cocolle : ' monks' dresses ' ; cp. cuculla in
Par. ix. 78. Sacca, &c. : 'are sacks filled with worthless flour,'
i. e. are unprofitable for good works. For the fem. plur. sacca
from sacco cp. le uova, le dita, &c.
79-84. si tolle, &c. : 'rises up as an offence against God.'
quel frutto, &c. : covetousness in misappropriating the revenues of
the Church, which rightfully belong to God's poor (la gente che
per Dio domanda), to the purposes of nepotism and licentiousness.
This in the sight of God is a worse sin than usury, though the
usurers are found in the seventh Circle of the Inferno ; cp. Inf.
xvii. 34 foil.
85-7. blanda : ' soft,' ' yielding,' ' weak.' gm non basta,
&c. : ' on earth a good commencement does not maintain its efficacy
from the springing (lit. birth) of the oak till its acorns are formed.'
The reference is to the degeneration of religious institutions, which,
starting originally (Dal nascer dell a querela) from good beginnings,
lose their vitality before their fruits are matured. Basta is here
used in the sense of ' hold out,' ' maintain itself.'
88-93. Pier, '&c. : the principle just laid down is illustrated in
the lines which follow. St. Peter founded his society (the Church),
and St. Benedict and St. Francis their Orders, in poverty and
humility ; but in the course of time all these have lost their original
fair character. For St. Peter cp. Acts iii. 6, ' Silver and gold have
I none.' convento : ' society,' as in Purg. xxi. 62.
94-6. Veramente ; ' nevertheless ' ; cp. Par. i. 10. The
saint concludes by adding that the case is not desperate ; to reform
these institutions may require miraculous interposition, but God
worked greater miracles than this when he brought the Israelites
into the Promised Land. ' Nevertheless the turning back of Jordan's
stream, and the retreating of the Red Sea, when God so willed,
were greater miracles to behold than relief in the present case would
554
XXII. 98-132] PARADISO
be.' The mention of the Jordan and the Red Sea is from Ps. cxiii. 3
(Vulg.), ' Mare vidit, et fugit ; Jordanis conversus est retrorsum.'
98, 99. collegio : ^company'; cp. Par. xix. 1 10. si strinse :
* closed together.' come turbo : with a rushing, whirling move-
ment.
1 04, 105. Naturalmente : ' by natural law.' ala : 'flight.'
106, 107. S' io torni, &c. : 'so may I sometime return to the
triumph of the saints.' Se introduces the usual form of affirmation.
per lo quale : ' for the sake of which,' ' to attain to which.'
109-11. tratto e messo : for the inversion of the order in
these words, the latter being put first in order to express the
instantaneous character of the act, cp. Par. ii. 23, 24. The
instantaneous nature of the ascent from sphere to sphere has already
been frequently noticed. il segno : the constellation of Gemini.
Dante has now ascended from the Heaven of Saturn to that of the
Fixed Stars. In the lines which follow (11. 112-20) he explains
that Gemini was appointed as the constellation which he should
enter, because it corresponded to his birth.
113, 114. dal quale, &c. : 'from which I recognize that all
my genius proceeds.' In astrology persons who were born when
the sun was in Gemini were endowed with genius and literary
ability.
1x5-7. Con voi, &c. : ' the sun rose and set in your company,'
i. e. the sun was in Gemini. As the sun entered Gemini in the
middle of May and left it in the middle of June, Dante's birthday
fell within that period. Quegli, &c. : on the periphrasis here used
to describe the sun see note on Par. xxvii. 137, 138.
119, 120. rota: the sphere of the Fixed Stars. La vostra,
&c. : it was ordained for me that I should be in that part of the
heavens which is occupied by the Twins.
123. Al passo, &c. : 'to the difficult task which demands its
attention,' viz. that of describing the remaining scenes in Heaven.
For passo in the sense of 'difficulty' cp. Par. iv. 91.
124. ultima salute: God; cp. Par. xxxiii. 27.
127-9. t' iiilei : ' dost approach to it,' i. e. to the ultima salute,
cp. imm'iare, intuare in Par. ix. 81. quanto mondo, &c. : ' how
great a part of the universe I have (by conducting thee hither)
caused to lie beneath thy feet.'
132. Che lieta vien, &c. : 'that comes rejoicing through this
555
PARADISO [xxii. 133-47
rounded ether.' The ' throng ' is the Triumph of Christ, which is
described in the next Canto.
133. Col vise, &c. : the whole of this passage which follows
is derived from Cicero, Somnium Scipionis, §§ 3-6 (in De Re
Pulf/ica, lib. vi.), where the successive heavenly spheres with their
accompanying planets are described as seen from above. There it
is said of the earth — 'lam ipsa terra ita mihi parva visa est, ut
me imperii nostri, quo quasi punctum eius attingimus, paeniteret'
(§ 3). And again — ' Tum Africanus, Sentio, inquit, te sedem
etiam nunc hominum ac domum contemplari : quae si tibi parva,
ut est, ita videtur, haec caelestia semper spectato, ilia humana
contemnito' (§ 6).
137. ad altro pensa : i.e. removes his thoughts from it, and
fixes them on heavenly things.
139—41. Vidi, &c. : 'I saw the moon illuminated by the sun.'
queir ombra : the spots on the moon's face. Dante supposes
himself to be looking at the face of the moon which is opposite to
that which is seen from the earth, and consequently the spots are
hidden from him. gik : Dante's view that the spots were caused
by the rarity of parts of the moon's surface was first advanced
in Conv. ii. 14. 11. 69—76. It is repeated in Par. ii. 59, 60,
but is there refuted by Beatrice.
142-4. tuo nato, &c. : the Sun; cp. Ov. Met. iv. 192, 241,
where the Sun is spoken of as ' Hyperione natus.' e vidi, &c. :
' and I saw how Mercury and Venus make their revolutions in the
neighbourhood of the sun.' a lui is to be taken with vicino, but
not with circa. Dante is here thinking of Somn. Scip. § 4, where
Africanus, who is speaking, looks from the Heaven of the Fixed
Stars, and says — ' Hunc (i. e. solem) ut comites consequuntur
Veneris alter, alter Mercurii cursus.' The use of the sing, verb
(si move) with two subjects (Maia e Dione) is the same which
is found in many passages of the Div. Com. Maia e Dione : the
name of Dione is used for that of her daughter Venus in Ov. Fast.
ii. 461, and elsewhere in the classics; and it seems to be on the
analogy of this that Maia is here used for the name of her son
Mercury.
I45~7' Qtiindi, &c. : 'from this point I beheld the tempering
influence of Jupiter between his father and his son.' Jupiter is
spoken of in Par. xviii. 68 as the temprata stella, whereas Mars was
556
XXII. 148-53] PARADISO
fiery and Saturn cold. Tra here bears a double meaning, referring
both to the position of these planets in the heavens and to their
natures. II variar, &c. : ' the changes in their position,' as they
appear sometimes nearer to the sun, sometimes farther from it.
For dove used substantively cp. suo dove in Par. xii. 30.
148-50. sette : the five planets, together with the sun and
moon, riparo : lit. ' place of refuge,' * shelter ' ; hence ' abode.'
' How distant from each other are their abodes,' i. e. their places in
the sky.
151. aiuola : ' little plot of ground ' ; here the word is applied
in contempt to the earth, feroci : ' proud,' like ferox in Lat. ;
this meaning corresponds to the sentiments expressed in the Somnium
Scipionis, where the pride of man is derided. On the other hand,
the resemblance of the use of the word areola for the earth in De
Mon. iii. 16. 1. 90 — where the importance of the Empire in pre-
venting wars between the inhabitants of the earth is being spoken
of — to that of aiuola here, is in favour of rendering feroci by
* fierce,' with reference to stmggles for the possession of the earth.
153. Tutta m' apparve : taken in connexion with dai colli
alle foci ('from the hills to the river-mouths'), this means 'was
seen in all its details.' This rendering avoids the difficulty which
arises from supposing that Dante intends to say that he saw the
whole of the habitable globe. As far as his position was concerned,
indeed, it was possible for him to do so, if — as seems to be implied
in Par. xxvii. 79-81 — he was on the meridian of Jerusalem, because
that place lay midway between Gades and the mouth of the Ganges,
the western and eastern extremities of the habitable globe, and that
area extended over half the circumference of the earth. But as
Dante was now in Gemini, and the sun was in Aries, and therefore
two signs of the zodiac to the westward of him, the easternmost
part of the habitable globe would from this point of view be in
shadow and invisible.
557
PARADISO [xxiii. 1-24
CANTO XXIII
Argument. — The Tnumph of Christ is revealed to Dante, in
which first Christ himself appears, and afterwards, in the midst of
an innumerable company of saints, the Blessed Virgin, round whom
the archangel Gabriel revolves, producing by his rapid movement the
effect of a coronal of light.
Lines 1—3. Come 1' augello : supply si sta from si stava in
1. 10. Beatrice waiting in anxious expectation of the Triumph of
Christ is compared to the bird that waits longingly for the dawn of
day. Posato, &c. : ' who during the night has rested on the nest.'
7—9. Previene, &c. : ' anticipates the time upon an open spray,'
i. e. perches on a spray before daybreak, which would be the natural
time for her to leave her nest, aperta : because she would thus
most readily see the daylight. Fiso, &c. : ' watching intently for
the breaking of the dawn,' lit. 'if haply the dawn may break.'
II. la plaga, &c. : the meridian, towards which Beatrice now
lifted her eyes. For the idea that the sun paused when he reached
the meridian see note on Purg. xxxiii. 103.
13-5. sospesa e vaga : ' distraught and wistful.' Altro, &c. :
'is possessed by a vague longing (Ht. would fain get something
else than what he has), and contents himself with the hope (of
obtaining it).'
16-8. Ma poco, &c. : 'but the interval was short between the
one and the other time — the time of my waiting, I mean, and that
when I saw,' &c. venir : this word, used with the gemnd, gives
the force of progress or continuance ; cp. venner parendo in Purg.
xxii. 82.
20. il frutto, &c. : ' the fruit (i. e. the saints) harvested from
the revolutions of these spheres.' The celestial spheres, by the
influences of which, according to the views of Dante and his
contemporaries, the characters and lives of men were modified
(cp. Purg. XXX. 109-11 ; Par. xvii. 76-8; xxii. 11 2-4), are here
regarded as the field from which the saintliness of Heaven was
gathered in.
24. senza costrutto : 'without expressing it in words'; cp.
r ultimo costrutto in Purg. xxviii. 147.
658
XXIII. 26-54] PARADISO
26, 27. Trivia: one of the classical names of Diana or the
Moon ; this goddess was so called because her temples were often
erected where three roads met. The ninfe eterne are the stars.
i seni : ' its depths.'
29, 30. Un Sol: Christ, le viste superne: 'the sights
above ' ; for vista in the sense of ' an object of sight ' cp. Par.
ii. 104. In Dante's time the light of the stars was supposed to be
derived from the sun ; see note on Par. xx. 6.
32. sustanzia : our Lord's human nature.
34. O Beatrice, &c. : the insertion of this exclamation between
the mention of Dante's sudden loss of sight and Beatrice's ex-
planation of it seems to imply that it was suggested by the recollection
of her constant care for him ; ' how happy was I in having so gentle
and loving a guide.'
35, 36. Quel che, &c. : 'that which overmasters thy sight is
a power which no eye can bear,' lit. 'from which no object can
defend itself.'
39. Onde : ' of which,' i. e. of the opening of the thoroughfares
between Heaven and earth.
40-2. Come, &c. : the ecstasy resulting from the mind being
overcharged with impressions is here compared to lightning bursting
from a cloud owing to its expansive force. Per dilatarsi, &c. :
' owing to its expanding so, that there is no room for it there.' On
capere in the sense of ' to be contained ' see note on Purg. xxi. 8 1 .
Dante's theory of the formation of lightning has been explained in
note on Purg. xxxii. no. fuor di sua natura : because fire had
naturally an upward tendency towards the region of fire ; cp. Par.
i. 115.
45. che si fesse : ' what it became,' ' what happened to it.'
46-8. Apri : Beatrice is speaking, cose, &c. : 'such things,
that thou hast gained the power,' &c. For the omission of tale
before a subst. with che following cp. Par. x. 134.
49, 50. si risente, &c. : ' recalls the impression of a forgotten
vision.' That which here corresponds to the ' forgotten vision ' is
the Triumph of Christ, of which Dante had had a momentary view
(11. 28-33), and to which Beatrice refers in 1. 47, 'Tu hai vedute
cose,' &c. obblita : for obbliata, apparently in imitation of Lat.
obiitus.
53? 54' grado : 'gratitude.' libro, &c. : 'the book which
559
PAR AD I SO [xxiii . 56-95
I registers the past,' i. e. the tablets of memory ; cp. Fita Nuova, § i.
11. I, 2, 'iJ libro della mia memorial
' 56, 57. Polinnia : Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred song, le
Sucre : the other Muses, pingue : ' lubrical ' (Longf.).
60. E quanto, &c. : ' and how it illuminated the sacred counte-
nance.' Others read il facea mero^ and translate, ' How the sacred
face (of Christ) increased its brightness.'
61-3. E cosi, &c. : 'and in like manner (elsewhere) in my
description of Paradise, the sacred poem is forced to skip over
(i. e. make omissions), like one who finds an interruption to his road.'
67. pileggio : 'passage.' The Fi?^^^. 7><3w^/<?r gives a variety
of instances of the use of this word in the sense of ' a passage by
sea.' For the sentiment here cp. Par. ii. 1-6.
7 1 . giardino : the assembled spirits which form the Triumph of
Christ.
73-5. larosa: the Blessed Virgin ; so Christ is called 'Fruit
of the mystic Rose.' li gigli, &c. : the Apostles and Martyrs, by
I whose ' odour of sanctity ' the faithful have been guided in the way
of holiness.
78. battaglia, &c. : the ' struggle of the feeble eyelids ' is Dante's
attempt to distinguish the dazzling objects which formed the Triumph.
79-84. Come, &c. : ' as erewhile my eyes, themselves in shadow,
have seen a flowery mead in a ray of sunlight, which passes un-
dimmed through the break in a cloud, so,' &c. The company
of saints, illuminated by the light that emanates from Christ, who
has now ascended, so that He is hidden from Dante's eyes, is
compared to a flowery meadow, on which the sunlight falls through
the opening in a cloud, while the beholder himself is in shadow.
85, 86. gl' imprenti: 'dost impress thy influence upon them.'
loco : ' scope,' i. e. capacity for using my eyes. non eran
possenti : ' were unable to see,' while Christ himself was present.
88-90. Ilnome, &c. : the mention of the Rose, 1. 73. lo mag-
gior foco : ' the greatest of these lights,' i. e. the Blessed Virgin.
91-3. E come, &c. : 'and as soon as the brilliancy (quality) and
the greatness (quantity) of the living star (the figure of the Virgin),
who excels in Heaven above, as she did excel on earth beneath, was
depicted on both my eyes.'
94-6. Perentro : ' from the depths of,' lit. ' within.' facella :
the archangel Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation, as is seen
560
XXIII. 99-1^3] PARADISO
from 1. 103 ; cp. also Par. xxxii. 94. Formata in cerchio, &c. :
'with a circling movement resembling a crown, and cinctured her
(i.e. the Virgin), and revolved around her.' The rapidity of the
archangel's movement produces the appearance of a coronal of light.
cinse expresses the form, girossi the movement, of this coronal. /
99. Parrebbe, &c. : ' would resemble thunder bursting from
a cloud,' i. e. a rude inharmonious sound.
100-2. lira: the archangel singing. Onde, &c. : 'by which
was encircled (i. e. which moved around) the fair sapphire, which
forms a jewel in the brightest Heaven,' the Empyrean. Philalethes
suggests that the sapphire is attributed to the Virgin because of .
the blue robe which mediaeval painters give her. For tti'z.affirare
signifying ' to adorn as a sapphire ' cp. ingemmare in Par. xv. 86 ;
xviii. 117.
104, 105. L' alta letizia, &c. : the expression is inverted;
' the womb from which sublime joy proceeds.' nostro disiro :
Christ, 'the desire of all nations,' Haggai ii. 7.
106-8. mentre, &c. : ' until thou followest thy Son,' i. e.
ascendest into the Empyrean Heaven, to which Christ had already
departed, perche gli entre : ' by entering there.' gli = mi ;
cp. Par. XXV. 124; Purg. viii. 69.
no. si sigillava : ' set to its seal,' i. e. came to an end.
1 1 2-4. Lo real manto : this is the Crystalline Heaven or
Primum Mobile^ which lies outside, and so envelops, all the other
spheres, volumi : 'revolving spheres,' lit. 'revolutions,' in which !
latter sense it is used in Par. xxvi. 119. che piii ferve : 'which
is most ardent.' The Primum Mobile is the nearest sphere to the
Empyrean, and communicates the divine influences to the other
spheres, costumi : ' his works and ways ' (Longf.).
115, 116. r interna riva : 'its inner surface.' The Primum
Mobile is the next Heaven above that of the Fixed Stars, la sua
parvenza : ' the sight, semblance of it.'
119, 120. la coronata fiamma: the Virgin with the archangel
circling round her. appresso, &c. : ' following close on her
offspring (Christ).'
1 2 1-3. in ver, &c. : 'reaches out towards its mother' in token
of aifection. Per 1' animo, &c. : *• through the impulse which
kindles into outward show.' in fin di fuor : ' until it shows itself
outwardly.'
TOZER 561
PARADISO [xxin.128— XXIV. II
128. Regina caeli: this is the commencement of the Easter
! antiphon to the Virgin.
130-2. quanta, &c. : ' how great is the abundance (of happiness)
which is stored in those most wealthy coffers.' si sofFolce : the
two forms soffhlcersi and soffolgersi are both derived from Lat.
siiffulcire^ ' to support ' ; the former of these is here used in the
sense of ' to be contained ' through the intermediate meaning ' to
be piled up ' ; the latter is found in Inf. xxix. 5 for ' to be
stayed/ ' to rest.* a seminar, &c. : ' good acres for sowing here
below.' Bobolca is apparently another form of huhulca or bubulcata
(sub. terra)^ which words mean the amount of land that can be
ploughed by a yoke of oxen in one day; see Vocah. Tramater.
Others take buone bobolce as meaning 'good husbandmen for
sowing,' and regard bobolce as a fem. form from loholco (Lat.
huhulcus^ ' ploughman '), which is adapted so as to correspond to
arche.
133-5. tesoro, &c. : 'the treasure of eternal happiness, which
was won through tears in the Babylonian exile of mortal life, where
these spirits neglected worldly treasure.'
138, 139. r antico, &c. : the assembly of the saints of the Old
and New Testaments. Colui : St. Peter.
CANTO XXIV
Argument. — St. Peter examines Dante on the subject of Faith.
Line r. sodalizio: ' company,' 'brotherhood.' These are the
souls which ' are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb,'
Rev. xix. 9.
6. tempo : ' his appointed time.'
7-9. afiFezione : ' desire ' of receiving your instruction, quel
ch' ei pensa : ' the subject of his thought,' ' the questions which are
passing through his mind.' These proceed from the mind of God,
which is the fountain-head of knowledge.
II. Si fero, &c. : 'formed themselves into circles revolving on
fixed poles.' These circles of spirits, which revolved round Dante
and Beatrice, were concentric, as we see from what follows.
562
XXIV. 13-33] PARADISO
13—5. in tempra d* oriuoli : 'in the mechanism of clocks ' ;
tempra, lit. ' arrangement ' ; the corresponding verb temperare is used
for 'to moderate,' 'regulate.' A simile of the same kind, derived
from the works of clocks, is found in Par. x. 139-42, only there
it is the striking apparatus which is spoken of. il primo : the
innermost, while 1' ultimo is the outermost. In comparison of the
rapid motion of the outer wheel the inner wheel appears to be at
rest.
16-8. Carole: 'bands of dancers'; carola in Ital., like carole
in Fr. and 'carol' in Engl., signified originally 'dance,' and from
this the meaning ' song ' was derived. See Skeat, s. v. ' carol,' who
shows that the word is of Celtic origin. Diiferente-Mente :
a similar instance of the separate use of this adverbial termination is
given by Scartazzini from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. xxviii. 41, 'Ancor ch'
egli conosce che diritta-Mente a sua maest^ danno si faccia.' The
adverbial form -mente was originally a substantive, as may be seen in
such expressions in Lat. as ' bona mente factum ' ; and in the
derivative languages it has had a tendency to retain something of its
separate character. Thus Max Miiller remarks {Science of Language^
i. p. 47), that in Spanish, instead of saying ' claramente, concisamente
y elegantemente,' it is more elegant to say ' clara, concisa y elegante
mente.' della sua ricchezza, &c. : ' caused me to estimate the
amplitude of their joy and of the grace given to them according as
they were swift or slow.'
1 9-2 1 . quella : understand carola. un foco : St. Peter, vi :
in the company from which he came.
22. tre fiate : see note on 1. 152 inf.
25-7. salta: 'skips'; cp. Par. xxiii. 62. pieghe : lit. 'folds'
of a drapery ; hence, as the colours of the folds are in shadow, and
therefore subdued, it is here used of delicately modulated sounds.
' Our imagination— not to say our language — is of a tint too glaring
to represent such cadences.' imagine : cp. Par. i. 53.
28. O santa, &c. : St. Peter here addresses Beatrice.
31—3. Poscia : i. e. after having revolved round Beatrice (11. 22,
23). The three preceding lines (11. 28-30) are practically out of
place, and are referred to afterwards in 1. 33. Gary translates : —
* Such were the accents towards my lady breathed From that blest
ardour, soon as it was stayed.' Scartazzini punctuates, Poscia fermato^
with no comma after Benedetto, spiro : ' breath,' here used for 'voice.'
563 002
PARADISO [xxiv. 35-1 1 1
35, 36. le chiavi, &c. : ' the keys of this wondrous abode of joy
(Heaven), which he bore down from Heaven to earth.' Christ opened
the kingdom of Heaven to men, and left to St. Peter the keys of it.
39. Per la qual, &c. : 'in the strength of which thou didst
walk upon the sea.'
41. quivi, &c. : 'fixed on the face of God, where all things
are visibly portrayed'; cp. Par. xv. 61—3 ; xvii. 37—9.
43-5. perche, &c. : ' since it is through the true faith that this
kingdom has obtained its inmates (lit. citizens), it is well, in order
to promote its glory, that he (Dante) should have the opportunity
of speaking of it.' The impersonal use of arrivare with the mean-
ing here given corresponds to that of the Fr. arriver ; in Ital. it is
rare, but another instance will be found in Vocah. Tramater.
46-8. SI come, &c. : ' as the Bachelor in silence equips himself
with arguments, while the Master is propounding the question, to
adduce the proofs, not to determine it.' The allusion here is to
what took place in the mediaeval Universities. The ' Master ' is
a duly licensed teacher, and the Bachelor a student who is preparing
for the office of teacher. The Bachelor at one stage of his pre-
paratory course was required to pass through a form of examination,
which was called 'Disputatio tentativa,' before a Master, who
propounded the subject of this (la question). Usually in such
cases a number of opponents were appointed to combat the candidate's
arguments (see Rashdall, The Universities of Europe in the Middle
Ages^ vol. i. p. 466). In the present instance, however, this is not
supposed to happen, and the proofs advanced lead up to a conclusion
which is recognized as well established, so that the candidate has no
need terminar la questione. Similarly, St. Peter propounds the
question, and Dante adduces what he considers to be the fitting
arguments, but the conclusion is determined beforehand. The title
' disputatio tentativa ' is probably referred to in the word tenia in
1. 37. If it is true, as Boccaccio states in some detail in his Life
of Dante (p. 49, ed. Firenze, 1833), that Dante himself underwent
a disputation at Paris, he had personal experience of this.
51. A tal, &c. : 'to answer such a questioner, and to make such
a profession (of faith).'
52-1 1 1. The subjects of the questions and answers in what
follows are : — (i) what faith is (11. 52-66) ; (2) how Dante under-
stands St. Paul's definition of faith (11. 67-82) ; (3) whether Dante
564
XXIV. 54-75] PARADISO
possesses faith (11. 83-7) ; (4) whence he derived his faith (11. 88-96);
(5) what is the evidence of the inspiration of Scripture, on which he
bases his faith (11. 97-1 11).
54. In : * toward.'
55-7. mi volsi, &c. : here, as elsewhere, Dante before answer-
ing a question appeals for leave to Beatrice as representing Theology :
cp. Par. xxi. 46, 47. ed essa, &c. : ' and she promptly made
signal to me, that I should give vent to the thought which was in
my mind.'
58-60. che mi dk, &c. : ' which grants me the privilege of
making my confession of faith.' dall' alto primipilo : ' in the
presence of the great centurion of the Church.' Primipilaris or
prirmpilus was the term for the centurion of the first maniple of the
Triarii, and consequently the head centurion of the legion, in the
Roman army. Hence this title is here given to St. Peter. Dante
may have been acquainted with the title primipilus through Vegetius,
De Re Miliiari, whom he quotes in jDe Mon. ii. 10. 1. 23. bene
espressi : ' to be well expressed.* Others read esser espress'i^
in which case espressi means ' explicit.'
61—3. stilo : here used for 'pen'; it is the Lat. stilus^ which
was the name of the Roman implement for writing, frate, &c. :
St. Paul, who was associated with St. Peter in founding the Church
in Rome ; ' our beloved brother Paul ' is St. Peter's own expression
in 2 Pet. iii. 15. nel buon filo : 'in the right way'; filo is
'thread,' 'line,' 'track.'
64-6. Fede, &c. : from Heb. xi. i (Vulg.), ' Est autem fides
sperandarum substantia rerum, argumentum non apparentium.' The
Epistle to the Hebrews was attributed to St. Paul in Dante's time.
quiditate : 'essence'; see note on Par. xx. 9 a.
68, 69. per che, &c. : 'why Paul classed faith, first among the
substances, and secondly among the arguments (proofs).'
70—8. Dante's answer is ; — 'Heavenly mysteries cannot be known
on earth by sight, but are discerned by faith only; and as hope is
founded on this, faith is the substance, or foundation, of things
hoped for. It is also the proof of things unseen, because we are
justified in arguing from faith in matters where sight is unavailing.'
75. di sustanzia, &c. : 'it receives the name of substance.'
The word substantia in the passage in Hebrews is understood by
Dante to mean ' foundation ' {td quod substat) ; and this signification
565
PARADISO [xxiv. 77-90
is also attributed by many commentators (though hardly rightly) to
the word vTrocrraais, which represents substantia in the original
Greek (see Alford's note ad loc). Hence Dante intends to say,
that faith is called the substance or foundation of things hoped for,
because hope is founded (si fonda) upon it. This interpretation is
supported by a passage from Peter Lombard, from whom several of
Dante's statements in this part of the poem are derived — 'Proprie
autem fides dicitur substantia rerum sperandarum, quia sperandis
substat, et Q^\?i fundamentum est bonorum, quod nemo mutare potest'
{Sentent. lib. iii. c. 23). intenza : this word gets the meaning of
' name ' from that of ' signification.'
77, 78. Sillogizzar : 'to draw a conclusion,' 'to reason*:
' faith is a proper groundwork from which to reason without the aid
of sight.* altra means ' without seeing anything beyond.^ Pero, &c. :
' in this way it comes to be called a proof ' ; cp. Aquinas, Summa^
ii. 2^86. Q. ^. Art. I (where Heb. xi. i is being spoken of) : —
' Sumitur argumentum pro argumenti efFectu. Per argumentum enim
intellectus inducitur ad inhaerendum alicui vero : unde ipsa firma
adliaesio intellectus ad veritatem fidei non apparentem vocatur hie
argumentum.'
79-81. Se quantunque, &c. : ' if whatever is learnt by teaching
on earth were as clearly understood as this, there would be no room
there for sophistry.' gli : for vi; cp. Par. xxiii. 108.
82-4. Cosi spiro : ' such was the utterance,' lit. ' so it breathed
forth'; cp. 1. 54, ' spirava questo.' trascorsa : 'gone over,'
' dealt with.' D' esta moneta, &c. : ' the alloy and the weight of
this coin.' The coin is Faith ; the alloy is its component elements,
the weight is its amount. The right alloy and the right weight
constitute a good coin. Dropping the metaphor, the meaning is —
the characteristics of a right faith have been discussed.
85-7. se tu r hai, &c. : 'whether you yourself possess faith.*
si lucida, &c. : the metaphor of the coin is continued; 'so shining
and so round. That in its stamp there is no perad venture ' (Longf.) ;
that is, ' my belief is so clear and perfect, that there is no article of
the faith about which any doubt arises in my mind.' s' inforsa :
inforsarsi, derived from forse, ' perhaps,' means ' to take the form of
doubt.'
89, 90. questa cara gioia, &c. : faith, which is the basis of
every Christian virtue.
566
XXIV. 9I-II7] PARADISO
91-3. ploia : L.?it. p/uvia ; here used iov ploggia. The 'rain*
or ' infusion ' of the Holy Spirit is inspiration. Dante's answer to
St. Peter's question is : — ' I deduced it from the plenary inspiration
of Scripture, which appears to me to furnish an irrefragable argu-
ment.' cuoia: 'pages' of the Old and New Testament; lit.
'skins,' * parchment.'
94-6. sillogismo : ' an argument.' la : agreeing with gioia (the
Faith), while ella in the next line agrees with ploia (inspiration).
ottusa : ' blunt,' 'pointless,' in contrast to acutamente.
98. Proposizion : this word, from meaning ' a logical premiss,'
is here used in the sense of ' Testament,' because the books of the
Bible are a ' statement ' or ' affirmation ' of the word of God. ti
conchiude : ' draws the conclusion for thee.'
100-2. Ed io : Dante answers: — 'The proof of the inspiration
of Scripture is found in the miracles which accompanied the revelation
which is there recorded.' 1' opere seguite, &c. : ' the works which
followed on this revelation (i. e. the miracles), which were not the
product of natural agencies.'
104, 105. Quel medesmo, &c. : ' your only evidence of the
miracles having taken place is found in the very book, the divine
origin of which you regard as proved by the miracles ' ; you seem
to be arguing in a circle.
106-10. Dante answers: — 'The reply to such an objection is,
that the conversion of the world to Christianity without miracles by
men of no position like the Apostles would be incomparably the
greatest of all miracles, and would be in itself a sufficient proof of the
divine origin of Christianity.' This argument is from St. Augustine,
De Civ. Dei, xxii. 5, ' Si per Apostolos Christi, ut eis crederetur
resurrectionem atque ascensionem praedicantibus Christi, etiam ista
miracula facta esse non credunt, hoc nobis unum grande miraculum
sufficit, quod eis terrarum orbis sine ullis miraculis credidit.' povero
e digiuno : i. e. devoid of all human aids and appliances.
III. prtmo : 'a bramble,' i.e. an unprofitable tree which
produces no good fruit; Luke vi. 44, 'Of thorns men do not
gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.* The corrup-
tions of the Church in Dante's time are referred to.
1 1 5-7. quel Baron: St. Peter. St. James also is called by
this title in Par. xxv. 1 7, and other eminent saints are described as
' Counts in God's imperial court ' in Par. xxv. 40-2. fronde : in
567
PARADISO [xxiv. 118-47
the metaphor here introduced the tree is the subject of examination,
the branches are the various subdivisions of it, and the outer leaves the
points which are last dealt with.
118. donnea, &c. : ' dallies with your mind.' Donneare is from
Provencal domnear^ and that from Lat. domina ; it expresses the
chivalrous treatment of a lady by her cavalier. Here it is used of
the grace of God gently operating on the mind of man.
122, 123. quel che credi : the articles of your faith, onde :
' on what grounds ' ; this is shown to be the meaning by the answer
given in 1. 133.
124—6. che vedi, &c. : 'who dost see (now in Heaven) the
risen body of Christ, in which thou didst so firmly believe, that
thou didst anticipate the steps of a younger man in approaching the
sepulchre.* See John xx. 4—6, where we are told that St. John
came first to the sepulchre of our Lord, but St. Peter was the first to
enter; and cp. De Mon. iii. 9. 11. 11 1-4, 'Dicit enim Joannes
ipsum [Petrum] introivisse subito, quum venit in monumentum,
videns alium discipulum cunctantem ad ostium.'
128, 129. forma: i.e. in the Scholastic sense of the word,
the ' essence ' or ' constituent elements.' pronto : ' ready.'
cagion : ' grounds ' ; cp. onde in 1. 123.
131, 132. move, &c. : cp. Par. i. 76, and note there.
134, 135. dalmi: for me lo da. quinci piove : ' is outpoured
from hence (i. e. from Heaven) through Moses,' &c.
137? 138. vol, &c. : St. Peter and the other apostles, who
derived the inspiration of their writings from the descent of the
Holy Ghost at Pentecost, almi : ' fostering ' ; cp. Inf. ii. 20,
' alma Roma ' ; ' gave you fostering power.'
141. soffera, &c. : ' it admits in grammatical concordance
(congiunto) of the use of "are" (plur.) and "is" (sing.).'
Sqfferare is an archaic form of soffr'ire or sqffcrire. este is Lat. est.
142-4. Delia profonda, «&c. : 'the teaching of the Gospel in
many passages (Piii volte) stamps my mind (la mente mi sigilla)
with the mystery of the divine nature (condizion), which I now
mention ' (Ch' io tocco mo). Others read CIj to locco, nella
mente^ &c.
^45~7' Quest' e, «fec. : the meaning is : — ' This is the cardinal
doctrine ; this is the article of faith, from which is developed, like
the fire from a spark, a living system of belief ; this forms a bright
568
XXIV. 148— XXV. 9] PARADISO
central point in my spiritual life, as a star forms a bright point in
the sky.'
148-50. i: £or gli; cp. Inf. xxii. 73. gratulando, &c. ; 'in
his satisfaction (lit. congratulating himself, rejoicing) at the news.'
151, 152. cantando : 'in his song'; he sang words of benedic-
tion, cinse me : ' he circled round me.' The triple gyration
represents the doctrine of the Trinity.
CANTO XXV
Argument. — St. James questions Dante on the subject of Hope.
At the conclusion of his examination St. John the Evangelist
appears, and Dante is blinded through looking too intently at him,
in order to discover whether he was still in the body ; whereupon
St. John assures him that his body has remained on earth.
Lines 1-12. When his first examination, on the subject of
faith, is concluded, Dante's thoughts revert for the moment to
Florence, where through baptism he had been initiated into the
Christian Faith, and he cherishes the hope that, on the strength
of his Commedia, he may sometime be restored to his native city.
2. Al quale, &c. : i. e. 'for the treatment of which both Heaven
and earth (both theological and mundane subjects) have contributed
materials.'
5, 6. ovil : Florence, agnello : the metaphor being derived
from ovile, this simply means ' in youth,' and lupi, in like manner,
means ' the natural enemies of the sheepfold,' i.e. the turbulent leaders
of the Florentine factions. There is no need to intei-pret the former
as implying Dante's peaceful character, or the latter as meaning the
rapacity of the Florentines.
7-9. altra voce : ' other song,' the serious poetry of his mature
years being contrasted with the love-poetry of his youth, altro
vello : 'other locks,' his hair having turned grey (lit. 'fleece,' with
reference to agnello). This interpretation is supported by a passage
in Dante's First Eclogue, which is addressed to Joannes de Virgilio,
who had invited him to Bologna to receive the poet's crown there.
In that poem he says (11. 42-4) — 'Nonne triumphales melius
569
PARADISO [XXV. 10-30
pexare capillos, Et, patrio redeam si quando, abscondere canos
Fronde sub inserta solitum flavescere, Sarno ?' According to another
interpretation, voce means 'fame' (cp. Par. xviii. 32), and altro
vello Dante's new character as Poet and Theologian, fonte, &c. :
Dante proposes that the font in the Baptistery of Florence, which
was the scene of his initiation into the Christian faith, should
be the place where he might receive the laurel crown (il cappello),
because St. Peter had now on the strength of his confession of
that faith crowned him by encircling him with light.
10—2. conte : 'known'; the faith causes God to recognize
souls as His own. mi giro la fronte : this means nothing more
than ' circled round me, forming a coronal of light about my head.'
The correspondence with his being crowned in the Baptistery only
extends thus far ; it is not implied that St. Peter placed a crown
on Dante's head; cp. Par. xxiv. 152.
14, 15. la primizia, &c. : St. Peter, Christ's first vicar or
vicegerent on earth. The ' sphere ' from which he came forth
is the circle of spirits which is mentioned in Par. xxiv. 19, 20.
17, 18. il Barone, &c. : St. James the Greater, whose shrine
at Compostella in Galicia was one of the chief places of pilgrimage
during the middle ages. On the title il Barone see note on
Par. xxiv. 115.
24. li prande: 'feeds them'; si prande is also read. The
fare of which the saints in Heaven partake is that which is provided
at 'the marriage supper of the Lamb,' Par. xxiv. 1-3.
25, 26. poi che, &c. : 'as soon as their mutual congratulations
on their felicity were completed.' coram me : ' facing me.' For
the Lat. formula cp. 'coram patre ' in Par. xi. 62, where the use is
derived from the law courts.
29, 30. vita: 'spirit'; cp. Par. ix. 7. per cui, &c. : 'by
whom the bounteousness of our celestial court (or ' our temple ') was
recorded.' The 'celestial court' is Heaven. The passages in
St. James' epistle which are here referred to are i. 5, 'If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally and upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him ' ; and i. 1 7,
' Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.' It is to
be remarked that Dante has here and in 11. 76, 77 by a strange
error attributed this epistle, which was written by St. James the
Less, to St. James the Greater; the same mistake is found
570
XXV. 31-36] • PARADISO
in Brunetto Latini [Tesoro, Bk. ii. Ch. 8). la larghezza : I' alle-
gre'z.'z.a is also read here, and has good authority ; but it is in
favour of la larghezza, that Dante in De Mon. i. i. 1. 38, when
quoting James i. 5, speaks of God as '• Largiioris illius, qui dat
omnibus affluenter,' &c. basilica : it is not certain whether this
word is here used in the sense of 'royal court' or of 'temple.'
In Greek ^aa-iXiK-rj bears the former meaning, while in classical
Latin basilica signifies ' a law court' or 'a portico,' and in mediaeval
Lat. it is always an ecclesiastical name for certain churches (see
Ducange, s.v.), whence it may be used in the sense of ' temple.'
The meaning ' court ' is the more suitable to the present passage,
for the same metaphor is found in aitla, corte in 11. 42, 43 ; and
Dante may have learnt the signification of the word in Greek from
the Catholicon of Giovanni da Genova, whose definition of basilica
is — ' domus regia, seu palatium regis vel imperatoris : sed modo per
translationem dicitur basilica ecclesia, quia est palatium sum mi regis
regum, et dicitur a basileus' (Toynbee). The only doubt is,
whether Dante would use the word so, when his contemporaries
would understand it in the other sense. If basilica is taken in the
ecclesiastical sense, this may be illustrated by the use of ' temple *
for Heaven as the abode of God and the saints in Rev. vii. 15,
' They are before the throne of God ; and they serve Him day and
night in His temple.'
31. Fa risonar, &c. : 'proclaim aloud the virtue of hope here
on high.'
32, 33. tante fiate, &c. : ' thou dost represent the virtue of hope
on all the occasions on which Jesus distinguished the three Apostles
(Peter, James, and John) above the rest.' The occasions were the
Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter, and the Agony in
the Garden. The personification of the three theological virtues
by these Apostles was a notion developed by mystical theology.
In the case of the first and last of the three the symbolism is
appropriate, but it could have been only from a desire of completeness
that St. James was regarded as representing hope.
34—6. t' assicuri : ' feel confidence.' The grounds of these
words of encouragement {Questo conforto, 1. 37) are given in 11. 35,
36, viz. that the radiancy of these sublime spirits (1. 27) was of a
nature to develop and perfect the human soul, not to overwhelm it,
though that had been its immediate effect on Dante's mind (1. 39).
571
PARADISO [xxv. 37-69
37—9. foco secondo : St. James, levai: the scansion here
requires that the two vowels which form the termination of this
word should be pronounced separately. On this very exceptional
use see note on Inf. xv. 26. monti : 'the hills from whence
Cometh help,' Ps. cxxi. i ; the two Apostles are here meant.
incurvaron : ' depressed,' ' overpowered.'
40-2. t' affronti, &c. : 'should meet his nobles face to face
in the innermost chamber of his palace.' Conti is used of the most
eminent saints, as Barone of the Apostles (1. 17). The term is
a natural one, when the court of Heaven is being spoken of.
44, 45. La speme, &c. : ' you may encourage therewith (di cio,
i. e. through your sight of the court of Heaven) in yourself and
in others the hope which on earth rightfully enamours mankind,'
i. e. which causes men to desire the heavenly life.
46, 47. The three questions here propounded are — (i) what
is the nature of Hope; (2) to what degree was Dante affected
by Hope; (3) what grounds he had for entertaining it. se ne
infiora : ' blossoms (is decked) with it.'
49. quella pia : 'that compassionate one.' Beatrice answers
the second of St. James' questions, leaving Dante to answer the
first and the third. The reason for her undertaking to answer
this one is, that she wishes to enable Dante to avoid self-praise;
see 1. 62.
54. sol : the face or mind of God.
55-7. Egitto : the world ; cp. Purg. ii. 46, where the spirits
celebrate their deliverance from the world of sin by singing, ' In
exitu Israel de Egypto.' Similarly, Jerusalemme is the City
of God in Heaven. Anzi che, &c. : ' before his (Christian) war-
fare is terminated.' prescritto : prescrivere means ' to prescribe,*
'limit,' 'terminate.'
58, 59. per sapere : ' with the object of knowing his views
on the subject.' perche rapporti : ' that he may report to men.'
62, 63. Ne di jattanza : 'nor a subject for self-praise,' as
would have been the case with the answer to the second question.
cio gli comporti : 'grant (allow) him this.'
64-6. seconda: 'follows the lead of; and so here 'answers.'
in quel, &c. : ' on a subject with which he is well acquainted,
in order that his proficiency may be displayed.'
67-9. Speme, &c. : this definition of Hope, which contains
672
XXV. 7o-«7] PARADISO
the reply to St. James' first question, is from Peter Lombard,
Sentent. lib. ili. c. 26, ' Est enim spes certa expectatio futurae
beatitudinis veniens ex Dei gratia et meritis praecedentibus.*
70-2. stelle: 'sources of illumination,' i.e. Sacred Writers.
Dante here (11. 70-8) answers St. James' third question, viz.
What were his grounds for entertaining hope, sommo cantor,
&c. : David, who was God's Psalmist.
73—5. teodia: the 'Book of Sacred Song' is the Psalms, and
the passage here quoted is Ps. ix. i o, ' and they that know Thy
name will put their tmst in Thee,' which in the Vulgate is, ' Sperent
in te qui noverunt nomen tuum.' As the word OewSia is not found
in Greek lexicons, perhaps teodia was an invention of Dante's own.
For the two parts of this compound he had analogies in ' Uologia. '
and ' salmoJ/« ' ; the latter of these he uses in Purg. xxxiii. 2.
la fede mia : Dante in his confession of faith (Par. xxiv. 130—
47) declares that the cardinal doctrine is that of the Trinity in
Unity, and this involves the knowledge of the name of God.
76-8. Tu mi stillasti, &c. : 'thou didst afterwards in thy
Epistle bedew me with his bedewing,' i. e. with the doctrine which
David first enunciated. The teaching of Hope in St. James' Epistle
must be looked for rather in general references to God's promises
to his faithful servants than in any special treatment of the subject.
in altrui, &c. : 'I shower afresh on others the rain which first
proceeded from you two ' ; in other words — ' I communicate to
other men the doctrine of Hope.' repluo is the Latin verb.
79-81. seno, &c. : 'the core of that blaze of light.' The
cause of the sudden emanation of brilliancy is the satisfaction of the
Saint on hearing Dante's reply, spesso : ' frequent.'
83, 84. la virtu, &c. : Hope. St. James is still (ancor)
kindled with love for the virtue of Hope, though the Blessed
can no longer feel hope themselves, because they have fruition, la
palma : the palm of martyrdom. 1' uscir del campo : his quitting
the field of battle was his death. St. James was put to death
by Herod Agrippa the Elder, Acts xii. i, 2.
85, 86. respiri : ' reply,' as spirare (1. 82) is used for ' to speak.'
emmi : for mi e.
87. Quello, &c. : St. James' fourth and final question relates
to the object of Hope ; this, Dante replies, is the felicity of the
saints both in soul and body in Heaven.
573
PARADISO [XXV. 88-108
88, 89. Le nuove, &c. : 'the writings of the New and of
the Old Testament set forth the emblem (Pongono il segno ; i. e.
declare the truth figuratively); and this emblem (this figurative
language) indicates to me that which hope promises/ The Poet
then proceeds to mention the figurative expressions here referred to,
by which the life of the saints in Heaven, after their souls have been
reunited to their bodies, is described.
91-3. Dice Isaia, &c. : Is. Ixi. 7, 'Therefore in their land
they shall possess the double ; everlasting joy shall be unto them.'
Dante interprets ' the double ' as meaning the blessedness of soul
and body ; cp. doppia vesta here with due stole in 1. 127.
94-6. il tuo fratello : St. John in Rev. vii. 9, 'After this
I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude,' &c. digesta : 'explicitly,'
' in detail.'
97-9. prima: in contrast to Poscia, 1. 100. Sperent in te :
these words seem to have been uttered by one of the circles of
spirits, while all the others repeated them. Scartazzini remarks,
that whereas in 1. 73 Dante had quoted these words in his own
language (' Sperino in te '), the Saints sing it in the language of the
Church, which is used in Heaven, s' udi : this verse and those
which rhyme with it are ten-syllable lines. This irregularity may
possibly be explained here, as in some other instances, as an
adaptation of sound to sense, the abrupt termination in si schiari
(1. 100) being intended to express the sudden appearance of the
brilliant light. See note on Inf. xxxi. 145. carole : the bands of
singing and dancing spirits ; cp. Par. xxiv. 1 6.
10 1, 102. Si che, &c. : in mid- winter, from the middle of
December to the middle of January, the constellation of Cancer
is in the sky the whole night from sunset to sunrise. Dante says
that, if this constellation possessed a star equal in brightness to
the luminary which now appeared, it would turn night into day,
and so there would be a month of continuous daylight (un mese d'
un sol dl). The result, then, of the comparison implied in Si che,
&c., is, that this luminary had the brightness of the sun.
105. novizia: 'young bride'; Beatrice is here meant, as we
see from sposa in 1. in. fallo : 'failing,' such as vanity or
forwardness.
107, 108. si volgeano, &c. : the rotatory motion, here as
elsewhere, signifies eager sympathy.
574
XXV. 109-32] PARADISO
109. Misesi : 'joined in.' nota : the tune, as distinguished
from the words sung (canto).
1 1 2-4. Questi : St. John the Evangelist. PelUcano : the
pelican was taken as an emblem of our Saviour, because of the fable
in which it was said to feed its young with blood from its own
breast. D' in sulla croce : lit. ' from upon the cross,* i. e. by our
Lord hanging on the cross, offizio : that of taking charge of the
Blessed Virgin.
1 15-7. ne pero, &c. : 'nor, for all that, did her words cause
her eyes to withdraw their rapt attention (from the three saints)
afterwards more than before.'
118. adocchia : 'fixes his eyes,' 'gazes.' s' argomenta :
' endeavours.'
122. detto fu : St. John is the speaker. The reason why Dante
had gazed so eagerly to see St. John's person was his anxiety to
discover whether he had his earthly body in Heaven. A legend
to that effect was current, owing to a misunderstanding of our Lord's
saying concerning him (John xxi. 22), 'If I will that he tarry till
I come, what is that to thee ? ' This, as we are told in that passage,
was interpreted by some of the disciples as meaning that he should
not die ; and in mediaeval times this view was further misinterpreted,
so that it was believed that St. John had been received up into
Heaven while still in the body. The Apostle now himself corrects
this error.
124-6. saragli : for vi sara; cp. Par. xxiv. 81. 'Will remain
there along with the bodies of the rest of mankind till the number
of the elect corresponds to that determined in God's eternal purpose.'
Dante is here thinking of Rev. vi. 11, 'It was said unto them that
they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also,
which should be killed even as they were, should be fulfilled.'
127-9. 1® ^^® stole: body and soul ; cp. doppia vesta in 1. 92.
' The only spirits in the blessed cloister who wear both their robes
(body as well as soul) are the two luminaries who ascended,' i. e.
Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Dante has ignored Enoch and
Elijah, of whom the Scripture aflRrms this, questo : this truth.
130—2. giro: this is the circling movement of the dancing spirits,
which are described as forming themselves into circles in Par. xxiv.
II, and are called carole in Par. xxiv. 16 and xxv. 99. When
the three Apostles (il trino spiro) cease to sing, and St. John begins
575
PARADISO [xxv. 133 — XXVI. 12
to speak, their movement also ceases, con esse : ' even with * ;
here esse joined with con gives additional precision of meaning, as
it does with other prepositions, e. g. sott^ esso^ sovr* esso. mischio :
' blending of sound,' ' harmony.'
133—5. Si come, &c. : the pause which takes place as soon as
St. John's voice is heard is compared with the cessation from rowing
on the part of the crew, which follows on the sound of the
helmsman's whistle, cessar : 'to avoid'; cp. Inf. xvii. 33. The
simile is from Statius, Theb.y'i. 799-801, 'Sic ubi longa vagos lassarunt
aequora nautas, Et signo de puppe dato posuere parumper Brachia.'
138. Per non peter, &c. : take with mi commossi. His loss
of sight was due to regarding too steadfastly the figure of St. John ;
cp. 11. 1 1 8-2 1.
CANTO XXVI
Argument. — St. John examines Dante on the subject of Love.
At the conclusion of his examination the three Apostles are joined
by the spirit of Adam, who in answer to the Poet's unexpressed
wishes informs him, what was the true cause of the Fall of Man ;
how many years had elapsed since he was created ; what language
he spoke ; and how long time he passed in the Earthly Paradise.
Line 3. spiro : 'voice'; cp. Par. xxiv. 32. St. John is
speaking.
4-6. ti risense : ' regain the sense.' risense for rtsensi. che
hai, &c. : ' which thou hast extinguished by looking at me.' Ben
e, &c. : ' it is well that by conversing with me thou shouldst
compensate (make up to thyself) for the loss of sight.'
7, 8. s' appunta : * aims.' St. John here commences his
examination of Dante on the subject of Love, and asks him the
question, ' On what object is the desire of thy soul fixed ? ' Dante
replies, 'On God.' fa ragion : 'be sure,' lit. 'consider'; cp.
Inf. xxx. 145.
12. La virtu, &c. : the power of restoring sight, which Ananias
exercised in curing St. Paul's blindness; Acts ix. 17, 18. Alle-
gorically : — When the mind has been dazzled, as Dante's had been
(see note on Par. xxv. 122) by investigating too deeply a theological
576
XXVI. 15-^7] PARADISO
question, relief is to be found in the teaching of true theology, as
represented by Beatrice.
15. foco : Dante's love for Beatrice.
16-8. Lo ben, &c. : Dante's answer to the question, 'What is
the chief desire of thy soul ? ' is, ' God is the beginning and the end
of every precept (scrittura) that love teaches me, whether gently
or forcibly,' i. e. of all the lessons of love, whether in its lighter or
its deeper forms. But di quanta scrittura, &c., may equally well
be taken as ' of all my impressions (of love), which Love recalls
(lit. recites to me) in loud or low tones.' With the latter interpreta-
tion, scrittura is the record of love impressed on Dante's heart or
memory ; Love reciting it to him means his feelings recalling it ;
and ' in loud or low tones ' implies the varying force of the emotion
excited. Alfa ed O : cp. Rev. xxii. 13, ' I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last.' Alfa ed Omega
is also read, but this reading seems to have arisen from the desire to
avoid the metrical hiatus after Alfa, and from the apparent strange-
ness of the use of the letter O in conjunction with the full form
Alfa. In mediaeval Latin hymns, however, Alpha et is not
uncommonly found; thus in Mone's Hymni Latini medii aevi the
following instances occur, the MSS. in which they are found being
of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries: — (i) 'Alpha et O quern
dicimus' (vol. i. p. 10); (2) 'Alpha et O, magne Deus, | Heli heli
Deus meus' (vol. i. p. 14); (3) 'Alpha et O suum | Misit archan-
gelum ' (vol. ii. p. 68) ; (4) ' Alpha et Q nominate ' (vol. ii. p. 449).
The hiatus after Alfa is allowable because it is a Greek word ; for
similar non-elisions of final vowels of Latin words cp. Purg. ii. 46 ;
X. 44 ; XX. 136.
21. mi mise in cura : 'inspired me with the desire.'
22—4. a piu, &c. : 'to explain thy views by the use of a finer
sieve,' i. e. by entering into greater detail. Chi drizzo, &c. :
'who caused thee to aim at such a target,' i. e. to fix thy affections
on God.
25-7. Ed io, &c. : Dante's proofs that God is the highest aim
and object of love are derived (i) from the deductions of human
Reason, (2) from the authority of Revelation. The former of
these proofs is treated of in 11. 28-39, the latter in 11. 40—5.
Cotale amor, &c. : ' the love of God must needs impress itself on
me,' i. e. make its claims felt.
TozER 577 P p
PARADISO [xxvi. 28-45
28-36. The argument derived from Reason is this: — That
which is good awakens love in the soul of him who understands its
nature, and the love increases in proportion as the goodness is greater.
Consequently the Being who is perfect goodness must attract more
love than any other object.
28. in quanto ben : ' inasmuch as it is good/ and not by means
of any other attribute, come s' intende : ' as soon as its nature is
perceived.'
31-6. Dunque, &c. : ' consequently the mind of every one who
perceives the truth on which this proof is based (viz. the principle
that God is the highest good) cannot fail to be moved in love towards
the essence, in which there is such supreme perfection, that every
good which is external to it is naught else than a reflexion of its
light, rather than towards any other essence.'
37-9. Tal vero, &c. : 'this truth (viz. that God is the highest
good) is set forth (lit. laid down) to my intellect by him, who shows
me what is the primal object of love to all the eternal substances.'
Aristotle is meant, who taught that God is the power which attracts
all things to itself by their desire for it, and thus causes the movement
of the universe; cp. Ar. Metaph. xi. 7. 2 : lo-rt rt o ov xtvov/xcvov
/ctvet, axhwv kol ovcrca kol ivepycia ov(ra. Ktvct 8k wSc' to optKTov
Koi TO voffTov KiveX ov KLvovfievov. The ' eternal substances ' which
Aristotle there refers to are the planets, of which he says — 17 . . .
Tail/ aa-Tp(DV ^vo-ts dt'Stos ovcrta T15 ovaa {^Metaph. xi. 8. 5).
40-2. As proofs from Revelation Dante adduces two passages,
one from the Old and one from the New Testament, verace
autore : the ' truthful Author ' is God himself, who says to Moses
(Exod. xxxiii. 19), ' I will make all my goodness pass before thee* ;
in the Vulgate this is — ' Ego ostendam omne bonum tibi,' where
' omne bonum ' corresponds to Dante's ogni valore, and is taken
to imply that all good is summed up in God.
43-5. Stemilmi, &c. : 'thou too dost 'set it forth, at the
beginning of thy sublime announcement, which beyond every other
proclamation declares on earth the secret of Heaven.' St. John's
' announcement of the secret of Heaven ' is the Book of Revelation,
of the very name of which these words seem almost to be a para-
phrase ; and the passage at its commencement which is here referred
to can only be Rev. i. 8, ' I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which
578
XXVI. 4^-72] PARADISO
is to come, the Almighty.* Since, however, this passage, as it
stands, makes no reference to God as the highest goodness, or as
the object of love, we must suppose that one or both of these aspects
is to be understood as implied in the character of God as the
supreme Deity, bando : for the use of this word in the sense of
'proclamation' cp. ' novissimo bando,' Purg. xxx. 13, of the
summons to the Last Judgement.
46-8. Per intelletto, &c. : ' in accordance with the arguments
which you have mentioned, viz. those derived from Reason, and
those from Revelation which accord with Reason, the highest of
your affections is directed (lit. looks) towards God.' This sentence
conveys St. John's approbation of Dante's answer.
49-51. corde: 'inducements'; these, as we see from Dante's
answer (11. 58 foil.), are the evidences of God's love, che tu
suone, &c. : ' that thou mayest declare how many reasons compel
thee to love God.'
53. aquila : St. John, whose emblem is the eagle.
55-7. morsi: here used for 'impulses,' 'urgent reasons'; cp.
morde in 1. 5 1 . Alia mia, &c. : 'have co-operated to produce my love.'
58-61. r essere, &c. ; ' the existence of the world '; in other
words, its creation, quel che spera, &c. : the Christian's hope of
future reward, conoscenza : the knowledge of God as the highest
good, predetta; cp. 11. 28 foil.
64-6. Le fronde : mankind. They are mentioned, because the
love of them necessarily follows on the love of God. cotanto, &c. :
' in proportion to the good gifts which he has bestowed upon them.'
porto : part, from porgere.
70—7. E come, &c. : Beatrice now exercises the power which
St. John had attributed to her (11. 10-2) of restoring Dante's sight
by a look, after he had been blinded by gazing at that Saint. In the
simile Dante's condition is compared to that of a man who is dazed
through being awakened from sleep by a brilliant light falling on his
eyes ; and his recovery by Beatrice is likened to the restoration of
such a man to clear consciousness by the power of reflexion, which
explains to him what has happened.
71, 72. Per lo spirto, &c. : 'owing to the visual power turning
towards the bright light which passes from one to another of the
coats (i.e. membranes) of the eye.' By spirto visivo — or, as
Dante elsewhere calls it, spiriti wjm (Par. xxx. 47), spiriti del vis
579 P P 2
PARADISO [xxvi. 73-99
{F'tta Nuova, § 14. 1. 39) — is meant the current that passes from
the eye to the brain.
73-5. abborre : 'shrinks from ' ; this is the effect of being dazed
by the sudden Hght. Si nescia, &c. : ' so unconscious is he, when
thus suddenly awakened, so long as his power of reflexion fails to
come to his aid.'
76-8. ogni quisquilia : ' every mote,' lit. ' impurity.' da piu,
&c. : the meaning is, that the light of Beatrice's eyes shone to a great
distance.
83, 84. Vagheggia, &c. : 'the first soul (Adam) which the
primal Virtue (God) ever created, gazes on its Maker.'
87. la sublima : ' inclines it upward.'
89. Stupendo : gerund from j-/«^/V<?, ' through amazement.' mi
rifece sicuro : ' restored my confidence.'
91-3. mature : 'mature,' in the sense of ' full-grown.' A cui,
&c. : this is another way of saying that every woman and every man
is a descendant of Adam.
95, 96. mia voglia : i. e. my desire of an answer to certain
questions; these questions are stated in 11. 109-14. per udirti, &c. :
Dante desires to avoid delaying the answers by asking the questions.
97-102. Adam's joy in answering Dante's questions is manifested
by the increased brightness of his envelope of light. This is
compared to the motions by which an animal expresses its feelings
being traceable in the movement of a cloth which is wrapped round
it. The simile is quaint, to say the least, especially when we con-
sider the connexion in which it occurs ; but it does not stand alone
in this respect in this part of the poem, since Dante, for reasons
of his own, has introduced into the Paradiso some of the homeliest
of his comparisons. Such are (i) the sound proceeding from the
wind-hole of a reed-pipe (Par. xx. 23, 24), which is used to describe
the voice emitted by the eagle in the Heaven of Jupiter ; (2) rowers
stopping their oars at the sound of the boatswain's whistle (Par. xxv.
133-5), to illustrate the cessation from singing on the part of the
chorus of spirits when they hear the voice of St. John ; and (3) the
prudent tailor, who cuts his coat according to his cloth (Par. xxxii.
139-41), to whose example St. Bernard appeals, when he cuts short
his enumeration of the saints in the Empyrean because the time
allotted to Dante for his Vision is drawing to a close.
97-9. coperto : ' within a wrapping.' broglia : ' moves about,'
680
XXVI. 102-8] PARADISO
' wriggles.' The word is connected with Fr. brouiller, and is the
origin of Engl, imbroglio. Per lo seguir, &c. : ' because the
covering follows its movements.'
1 02. venia gaia : 'was gladdened,' lit. 'became glad.' For
the use of venire with adjectives in the sense of divenire cp. Par.
xxxiii. 52, ' venendo sincera.'
104. Date: Witte reads Dante, but we may confidently say
that this reading is inadmissible, because the Poet implies in Purg.
XXX. 62, 63 that he never introduces his name except where this
is unavoidable, which is not the case here.
106-8. Perch' io, &c. : this difficult passage is rendered more
perplexing by a variety of readings in 1. 107. Among these the
reading of the Oxford text, Che fa di se pareglio all* altre cose,
seems to be the best suited to the context. Adam has just told
Dante, that he is aware of his wishes with a certainty beyond what
his (Dante's) mind is capable of attaining to. In explanation of
this he adds : — ' I see those wishes depicted in the mind of God,
in which, as in a faithful mirror, the thoughts of His creatures are
reflected ; whereas their minds (and therefore your mind) cannot
know what is passing in the mind of God, so that you cannot reach
the same certainty.' According to this interpretation pareglio is
a substantive, meaning a ' parhelion ' or mock-sun ; from which
sense — as a parhelion is a reflected or refracted image of the sun — it
is taken to signify simply a ' reflexion.' The literal translation, then,
of 11. 107, 108 will be — ' who makes himself the reflexion of (i. e.
in him are reflected) the other things (and, in particular, men's minds),
while none of them makes itself a reflexion of him (his thoughts are
not reflected in their minds).' Lui here stands for a hi, as else-
where in Dante, e. g. Inf. xxviii. 48. The introduction of the
parhelion as an object of comparison need not excite surprise, for
Dante was a curious observer of meteorological phenomena, as his
similes, especially in the Paradiso, show ; and he would be acquainted
with parhelia through Aristotle, who mentions them in his Meteoro-
logica (iii. 2. 6 ; 6. i foil.). Another reading — between which and
that just mentioned there does not seem to be much to choose
as regards the authority of the MSS. — is pareglio V altre cose. The
interpretation here is easier, though the meaning obtained is less
apposite. Longfellow, who adopts this, translates thus: — 'For
I behold it in the truthful mirror, That of Himself all things
581
PARADISO [xxvi. 109-23
parhelion makes, And none makes Him parhelion of itself/ (Lui
here is accus.) In his note he says — 'Parhelion is an imperfect
image of the sun, formed by reflexion in the clouds. All things
are such faint reflexions of the Creator ; but He is the reflexion of
none of them.* A third reading is pareglie V altre cose. Here
pareglie is taken as an adj. agreeing with cose^ and meaning 'equal,'
' like ' ; and di se depends upon it. ' Who makes the other things
to resemble himself, while none of them makes him to resemble
itself.* But this reading is evidently a lectio facilior, and it is hard
to see how the other readings could have arisen from it.
1 09-1 1, quant' e che: 'how long a time it is since.' giardino:
the Earthly Paradise, ove costei, &c. : ' where Beatrice prepared
thee for the long ascent through the spheres of Heaven.*
112, 113. E quanto, &c. : 'and how long it (the Earthly
Paradise) was a delight to my eyes ' ; quanto is for quanto tempo,
as in 1. 109. gran disdegno : God's wrath against Adam's
transgression ; this is another way of saying ' the Fall of Man.'
115-42. Of Dante's four questions which have just been stated,
Adam answers first No. 3 — 'What was the real cause of the Fall
of Man?' (11. 1 15-7); next No. i — ' How long time had elapsed
from the Creation to the present moment?' (11. 118-23); ^^^"
No. 4 — 'What language did Adam speak?' (11. 124-38); and
finally No. 2 — ' How long time did he spend in the Earthly
Paradise?' (11. 139-42).
117. il trapassar del segno: 'overstepping the appointed
bounds,' lit. 'passing the mark.' This means, not merely the
transgression of God's commandment, but the desire of our first
parents to be as gods in knowing good and evil (Gen. iii. 5). So
Aquinas says (Summa, ii. 2dae. Q. 16^. Art. i), ' Primum peccatum
hominis fuit in hoc, quod appetiit quoddam spirituale bonum supra
suam mensuram ' ; and again in Art. 2, ' Primus homo peccavit
principaliter appetendo similitudinem Dei quantum ad scientiam
boni et mali.'
118-23. Adam here says that he lived on earth 930 years (cp.
Gen. V. 5), and was in Limbo, until he was released by Christ,
4302 years, which periods together make 5232 years. In order
to answer Dante's question completely — i. e. to compute the time
up to the date of Dante's Vision — it would be necessary to add
the period which intervened between the death of Christ in 34 a.d.
582
XXVI. 1x8-35] PARADISO
(at which time He descended into Hell, and delivered Adam) and
1300 A.D., viz. 1266 years. Thus the total would be 6498 years.
Our authority for the duration of our Lord's life having been
according to Dante 34 years is Cowv. iv. 23. 11. 95-8, ' II nostro
Salvatore Cristo, il quale voile morire nel trentaquattresimo anno della
sua etade.'
1 18-20. Quindi, &c. : ' from that place, whence thy Lady urged
Virgil to come, for four thousand three hundred and two revolutions
of the sun I longed for this assembly,' i. e. the assembly of the saints
in Heaven. The place here meant is Limbo; cp. Inf. ii. 52 foil.
Quindi is to be taken with desiderai.
121, 122. i lumi, &c. ; 'the lights of the sun's highway' are
the constellations of the zodiac ; and the sun's returning to all those
lights marks the period of a year.
124—6. La lingua, &c. : on the subject of the language which
Adam used, Dante in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 6. 11. 59-61 had enunciated
the view that it was Hebrew. Further reflexion on the constant
change which is taking place in language had led him to a contrary
view (inf. 11. 137, 138) ; and he here states his belief that Adam's
language had ceased to exist even before the Confusion of Tongues.
inconsumabile : ' which could not be completed ' ; the Tower of
Babel was intended to reach up to Heaven. Nembrot : for the
idea on Dante's part that the Tower of Babel was built by Nimrod,
see note on Inf. xxxi. 77.
127—9. Che nullo, &c. : 'for, owing to the changes in men's
inclinations under the influence of the stars, no product of human
reason (such as language) ever remained permanently the same.' rin-
novella here = si cangia.
130—2. Opera, &c. : ' human language is an operation of nature ;
but nature leaves it to you to determine according to your pleasuie
the particular form it takes.' This point is treated by Dante in
connexion with the Italian dialects in De Vulg. Eloq. i. 9. 44-60.
abbella : ' it seems fair,' ' pleases ' : the word seems to be derived
from the Provencal ; cp. ' Tan m' abelis ' in Purg. xxvi. 140.
^33~5' To illustrate the natural change of language the change
in the name for God is introduced, infernale ambascia : ' the
anguish of Heir ; cp. Purg. xvi. 39. I: this probably stands for
Jah or Jehovah, onde, &c. : ' from whom proceeds the joy which
enwraps me,' i. e. the enveloping robe of light.
583
PARADISO [xxvi. 136-4^1
136-8. El si chiamo da poi : the passage of Scripture which
Dante seems to have had in his mind in this connexion is Ex. vi. 2,
3, ' And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah :
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God
Almighty {El Shaddai)^ but by my name Jehovah I was not known
to them.' Dante supposes that Adam in the state of innocence
would know God by His true and highest name, whereas afterwards
this was replaced by the lower name. Here again he is correcting a
statement of his own in the De Vulg. Eloq. (i. 4. 11. 26—9), where
he had said that the first word which man uttered was El. cio
conviene : ' that is meet,' viz. the change from / to El. V uso,
&c. : Horace, j4rs Poet. 60-2, ' Ut silvae foHis pronos mutantur
in annos. Prima cadunt : ita verborum vetus interit aetas, Et iuvenum
ritu florent modo nata vigentque.'
139-42. monte: the Mountain of Purgatory, on the summit of
which was the Earthly Paradise, si leva piu : cp. Purg. iii. 14,
15. pura e disonesta : i.e. both before and at the time of the
Fall. Dalla prim' ora, &c. : ' from the first hour to the seventh
(that which follows the sixth).' Adam here answers the second
question by saying that the duration of his stay in the Earthly
Paradise was seven hours; to this effect there was a mediaeval
tradition. Come, &c. : ' when the sun changes from one quadrant
to another.' As a quadrant represents a fourth part of the sun's
daily course, the sun changes quadrants every sixth hour; hence
the meaning is, ' when the sun has completed a quarter of its revolu-
tion.' At that time the sixth hour is succeeded by the seventh.
CANTO XXVII
Argument. — St. Peter denounces the crimes of the Roman
Pontiffs ; and the company of the Blessed, as they hear him, assume
a ruddy hue of indignation. After this they return to the Empyrean,
and Dante, when he has once more looked down upon the earth far
beneath him, ascends with his guide to the ninth or Crystalline
Heaven, which is the Primum Mobile. Beatrice now explains to
Dante the nature of this sphere, and is led by the contemplation
of its marvels to declaim against the decadence of human nature,
which had become blind to their sublimity.
584
XXVII. 5-45] PARADISO
Lines 5, 6. per che, &c. : the meaning is : — ' so that my mind
was affected by ecstasy through what I saw as well as through what
I heard.'
10, II. le quattro face: St. Peter, St. James, St. John, and
Adam ; of these ' the one who came first ' is St. Peter.
13-5. E tal, &c. : St. Peter's indignation, which expresses
itself in the speech that follows, is manifested by the robe of light
which envelops him assuming a red hue ; this change is illustrated
by the supposition that the white planet Jupiter should assume the
plumage, so to speak, of the red planet Mars. The plumage in this
comparison corresponds to the robe of light.
16, 17. che quivi, &c. : 'which in Heaven assigns to each his
fitting time and part.' vice is the occasion when this or that person
is to act, offizio the function which he is to perform. For the
general principle which is here expressed cp. Par. xxi. 67—72.
22-4. Quegli, &c. : Boniface VIII, who owing to his crimes
unrighteously occupied the see of St. Peter, which consequently
in the sight of Christ was vacant. It seems better to attribute this
meaning to usurpa and vaca, than to regard them as implying that
the see was ipso facto vacant because Celestine V, the predecessor of
Boniface, was still alive. Nella presenza, &c. : in the sight
of Christ, the head of the Church in Heaven, Boniface was an
apostate, though on earth he was to be recognized as Pope. It
is from the latter point of view that the ignominious treatment of
him by the agents of Philip the Fair at Anagni is regarded by Dante
as sacrilegious ; Purg. xx. 85-7.
25—7. cimitero mio : Rome, which was the reputed burial-
place of St. Peter, cloaca : it is so called on account of its
defilement by murder and corruption. il perverse : Lucifer,
laggiu si placa : ' rejoices in Hell.'
28, 29. quel color, &c. : ' that (red) hue, which tints the clouds
at morn and eve from the sun being in the opposite quarter.'
32, 33. per r altrui fallanza : 'for shame at another's mis-
doing.' fane: iov tie fa.
35. eclissi: 'eclipse,' 'darkness,' like that which covered the
earth at the time of the Crucifixion.
41. Lin : Linus is regarded as St. Peter's successor as Bishop of
Rome, and Cletus as having followed Linus.
43-5. esto viver lieto : the joys of Heaven. Sisto, &c. : of
585
P AR ADISO [xxvii. 46-7 1
the four Bishops of Rome here mentioned the first two lived in
Cent, ii., the last two in Cent. iii. fleto : ' suffering/ lit. ' weeping ';
the reference is to the persecution which culminated in their deaths.
46-8. ch' a destra mano, &c. : the meaning is : — ' that the
Guelf party should be favoured by the Popes, and the Ghibellines
persecuted.'
50, 5 1 . segnacolo, &c. : the keys of St. Peter were the emblem
on the Papal banner. Che contra, &c. : ' to be used in combat
against Christians,' and not in a Crusade against the enemies of the
Cross ; cp. Inf. xxvii. 85—90.
52—4. figura, &c. : the figure of St. Peter on the seal which
was attached to bulls and other Papal documents. The sale of
indulgences is here referred to. disfavillo : ' flash with fire.'
57. difesa di Dio : ' weapons (lit. defence) of God's armoury.'
58, 59. Caorsini e Guaschi ; John XXII, a native of Cahors
(Pope 1 31 6-1 334), and Clement V (1305-13 14), a native of
Gascony (// Guasco of Par. xvii. 82), together with their adherents.
The dates hei-e given sliow that these remarks of St. Peter must be
regarded as prophetic from the point of view of 1300 a.d. The
mention of John XXII as Pope here and in Par. xviii. 130 proves
that this part of the poem was written after 1316, the date of his
election, principio : i. e. Church of the early ages.
61-3. che con Scipio, &c. : 'which by the hands of Scipio
maintained for Rome the empire of the world.' Scipio Africanus
the younger, the conqueror of Hannibal, is meant; cp. Conv. iv.
5. 11. 164-71. Soccorr^ tosto : Dante here, as elsewhere, is
anticipating the coming of a hoped-for regenerator of the world.
64. per lo mortal pondo : 'because you still bear the burden
of the flesh.'
67-9. Si come, &c. : the spirits which formed the Triumph of
Christ now ascend to the Empyrean. Their appearance, as they
float upwards, is compared to that of flakes of snow falling in
a snowstorm. Similarly in the Vita Nuova, § 23. 1. 185, the
ascent of a glory of Angels is described as 'pioggia di manna.'
Translate: — 'As with congealed vapours our atmosphere falls
in flakes (fiocca In giuso).* quando, &c. : in mid-winter (from
the middle of December to the middle of January), when the sun is
in Capricorn.
71. fioccar, &c. ; 'flaked with triumphant vapours,' i. e. spirits.
586
XXVII. 74-8i] PARADISO
74, 75. in fin che, &c. : * until the vastness of the intervening
space prevented my eyes from ^penetrating beyond.'
76-8. assolto : 'freed,' lit. 'absolved,' 'excused.' come, &c. :
' how far thou hast gone round.' The object of Beatrice here, and
of Dante's remarks which follow, seems to be to draw attention
to the rapidity of their movement.
79-81. Dair ora, &c. : 'reckoning from the time when I had
looked before (cp. Par. xxii. 134, 151-3), I saw that I had passed
along the whole of the arc which the first clime forms from its
middle point to its end.' This means that Dante had moved through
90° of longitude, from the meridian of Jerusalem — which place was
the central point of the habitable world of 180° in length reckoned
from E. to W. — to that of Gades, which marked its western limit.
In order to understand the terms in which Dante has expressed this,
we must first examine the meaning of the word clima. The cHmata
of the Greek geographers were belts or spaces of the earth's sur-
face which intervened between two parallels of latitude ; and by
Hipparchus, who first invented the term, these inter\'als were
measured by degrees of latitude ; but Ptolemy, who subsequently
adopted it, determined them by the increase of the length of the
longest day, proceeding northwards from the equator to the parallel
of Thule, and dividing the intervening space into 21 climata.
Alfraganus, who is Dante's authority in this matter, adapted the
scheme of Ptolemy to his own purposes, and reduced the number of
climata to seven, commencing the computation, not from the equator,
but from Lat. 12° 45' N., which was to him the limit of the habitable
globe to the south (Alfr. Element, Astronom. cap. x.). The first
of these climata^ the central parallel of which passed through Meroe,
was the only one which lay wholly within the tropics, and this is the
reason why it is mentioned here, because the position of Dante at
this time was immediately over the northern half of the torrid zone.
For Gemini, in which he now was, is one of the signs of the
zodiac ; and as the sun never passes to the northward of the tropic
of Cancer, the signs of the zodiac, through which his course lies,
must fall within the same limit. Hence Dante, in describing himself
as passing, while he was in Gemini, from the meridian of Jerusalem
to that of Gades, says that he moved along the arc formed by the
prime clima. The interval between those two points is represented
as reaching from the middle to the end of the first clima^ because to
587
PARADISO [xxvii. 82-7
Alfraganus the climata were divisions, not of the entire globe, but
of the habitable globe (thus he says, ' Loca quadrantis habit abilis dlvl-
duntur in septem climata '), and he regarded their extension from
E. to W. as corresponding to twelve hours in time (' longltudo
omnium climatum ab orlente in occasum spatio 12 horarum a revolu-
tione caelesti conficitur '), which represent 180° in space. Conse-
quently the half of this extension (dal mezzo al fine) would be six
hours in time, or 90° In space, thus corresponding to the difference
between Jerusalem and Gades. Fine Is appropriately used of the
western extremity of the clima, because the movement of the sun,
and that of Dante himself in the zodiac, which are here regarded,
are from E. to W. It is hardly necessary to add that, when it
is said that Dante was on the meridian of Jerusalem or of Gades,
it does not follow that he was over those places, but only that
he was in the same longitude with them.
82-4. varco : 'passage,' 'track,' as in Inf. xlx. 132. The
varco Folle d' Ulisse Is the same as the foUe 'volo of Inf. xxvi.
125, I. e. the voyage of Ulysses through the Atlantic; here. In other
words, it means the Atlantic Ocean which Ulysses navigated, di
qua, &c. : ' on this side I almost saw the shore, on which Europa
became a sweet burden/ I. e. the coast of Phoenicia, from which
Jupiter in the form of a bull carried oif Europa ; see Ov. Met. 11.
833 foil. The Phoenician coast is here used as a geographical
equivalent of Jerusalem. The reason why presso (' almost ') is added
Is that, whereas the earth's hemisphere, as seen by Dante from the
meridian of Gades in the Heaven of the Fixed Stars, would reach
as far east as Jerusalem — because, as we have seen, that place
according to Dante's mathematical geography was 90°, or half the
earth's hemisphere, distant from Gades — yet the eastern part of that
area would be in shadow and invisible, because the sun, which was
in Aries, was some distance to the west of Gemini. This is ex-
plained in 11. 85—7. (A difficulty, however, remains in the use of
the word presso, because, as Dante says in 1. 87, the sun was a sign
of the zodiac and more in advance of Gemini, and consequently the
greater part of the eastern half of the Mediterranean, and not only —
as ' I almost saw ' would seem to imply — that in the neighbourhood
of Phoenicia, would be Invisible.)
85-7. E pill, &c. : the meaning is : — ' I should have seen more
of the habitable world, but this was hidden from me, because the
588
XXVII. 88-I08] PARADISO
sun was passing on towards the west, and consequently the eastern
part was in shadow.* This is a comment on presso in 1. 83,
explaining that the view would have extended, not nearly, but quite,
as far as the Phoenician coast (in other words, to Jerusalem), had it
not been that the sun was some distance to the west of Gemini.
Observe that piu cannot imply any ground to the eastward of
Jerusalem, for that would in any case be invisible, since Jerusalem
was the limit of the view in that direction, as has been explained
in the preceding note, fora : for sarehhe stato ; for other instances
of the use of the present for the past conditional cp. Par. xv. 127 ;
xxxiii. 77. aiuola : 'plot of earth ' ; cp. Par. xxii. 151. un
segno, &c. : ' separated from me by a sign of the zodiac and more.'
As Dante was in Gemini, and the sun was in Aries, the whole of
Taurus and parts of those two constellations were between them.
88, 89. donnea : ' dallies ' ; cp. Par. xxiv. 118. ridure : this
is an earlier form of riducere than ridurre ; c^.fare iiomfacere^ dire
from d'tcere.
91-3. fe' pasture, &c. : 'prepared a banquet of delight to
captivate the eyes, and so to (lit. so as to) possess the mind * : for
pasture cp. Par. xxi. 19. In carne, &c. : ' whether in the form of
human flesh (which is the work of nature\ or in pictures of it
(which are the work of art).^
97-9. la virtu, &c. : ' the power which her look bestowed
upon me.' nido di Leda : the constellation of Gemini is called
' the nest of Leda,' because Leda, the mother of the Twins, Castor
and Pollux, was visited by Jupiter, their father, in the form of a
swan, and she brought forth an egg, ciel velocissimo : the
Crystalline Heaven, or Primum Mobile, which being the outermost
of the spheres was also the swiftest in its revolution. To this ninth
sphere Dante and Beatrice now rise.
100-2. vivissime: 'exceeding full of life,* i.e. of motion.
uniform! : i. e. not distinguished by constellations, like the eighth
sphere. Hence there was nothing in it like the sign of Gemini to
determine Dante's position.
106—20. Beatrice here describes the character of the Primum
Mobile, as being the source of motion — and through motion of the
computation of time — to the rest of the universe, and deriving its
motion immediately from God.
106-8. che quieta, &c. : ' which causes the central point (i.e.
589
PARADISO [xxvii. 109-26
the earth) to be at rest, and communicates motion to the spheres
around.' meta : ' starting-point.'
1 09-1 1, dove : ' place ' ; cp. Par. xxii. 147. It is not intended
here that the Primum Mobile is not a material circle, for it is the
Crystalline sphere : it is one of the cerchi corporai in Par. xxviii. 64,
and is called maggior corpo in Par. xxx. 39. What is meant is,
that that which is beyond it and determines its position is nothing
else than the Divine Mind. L' amor, &c. : the Primum Mobile is
set in motion by its longing to approach to God, and the other spheres
by their longing to approach to it; see note on Par. i. 76. la
virtii, &c. : the influence which it (the Primum Mobile) communi-
cates to the other spheres ; see note on Par. ii. 1 1 2-4.
1 1 2-4. Luce, &c. : 'light and love form a sphere encircling it
(lit. 'embrace it with a sphere'), even as this sphere (the Primum
Mobile) encircles the other spheres.' By Might and love' the
Empyrean is meant; cp. Par. xxviii. 53, 54. precinto : 'circuit,'
'circle': this again is the Empyrean. 'Over that circle He alone
who embraces it presides.' Each of the nine lower circles has its
own presiding angelic Intelligences, but the Intelligence which
presides over the tenth Heaven is God only. For intende in this
sense cp. intendendo in Par. viii. 37.
1 15-7. Non e, &c. : 'the motion of the Primum Mobile is not
determined by any other,' i. e. by the motion of any other sphere.
SI come, &c. : this is a specimen of exact or perfect measurement.
The half of ten, i. e. five, and its fifth part, i. e. two, when multiplied
together make ten.
118, 119. E come, &c. : the Primum Mobile^ in which dis-
tinctions of time originate, but are not apparent, is compared to
a flower-pot, which contains the roots of a plant concealed within
it : the other spheres, which derive their measurements of time from
this, are described as containing the leaves of the plant, which are
the visible products of the root, because time is measured by the
visible motion of the sun and the planets.
121,122. O cupidigia, &c. : from the exposition of the mystery
of the divine government of the universe Beatrice turns to denounce
the degradation of men owing to their mean interests, which blind
them to the sublime verities, affonde, &c. : ' dost so submerge
mankind beneath thy waters.'
126. bozzacchioni : 'blasted fruit'; strictly the word means
590
XXVII. 127-44] PARADISO
' plums (susine) which are damaged by continuous rainfall.' The
' unceasing rain ' here signifies the corrupting influences by which
men are surrounded.
127-9. Fede : the metrical hiatus after this word is altogether
exceptional, coperte : ' covered with a beard.'
130-2. Tale, &c. : 'one, who already while still a lisping child
observes the fasts, when he can speak plainly (i. e. has reached years
of discretion) eats any kind of food in any season (lit. month) ' ;
i. e. he observes neither fixed times nor prescribed forms of fasting.
136-8. Cosi, &c. : 'so grows dark, as soon as seen (i.e. from
the very first), the fair skin of the beauteous daughter of him who
brings morning and leaves evening (i. e. of the sun).' The
'beauteous daughter of the sun' is human nature; and the idea
which is thus expressed was derived by Dante from Aristotle,
Phys. ii. 2. II, av^pooTTOS avOpwirov ycvva kol yXio<5, his familiarity
with which passage is shown by his referring to it in De Mon.
i. 9. 4-7, ' Humanum genus filius est caeli . . . generat enim homo
hominem et sol, iuxta secundum de Naturali auditu.' The same
idea is introduced by Dante in Par. xxii. 116, where the sun is
described as 'Quegli ch* e padre d' ogni mortal vita.' The meaning of
the present lines then is — 'Human nature degenerates from the first.'
' 140. Pensa, &c. : here, as elsewhere (cp. Purg. xvi. 103 foil.),
Dante attributes the corruption of the world to neglect on the part
of the ruling powers, both spiritual and temporal.
142-4. gennaio : the last three vowels are pronounced for
metrical pui-poses as one syllable; cp. beccaio, Purg. xx. 52. si
sverni : ' passes (in reckoning) out of winter into spring.* The
reckoning of the Julian calendar involved a yearly error in excess of
somewhat less than a hundredth part of a day (la centesma), and
this in Dante's time amounted to an error of about nine days, so that
January was advanced by so much towards the end of winter and
beginning of spring. It was this which was corrected by the
Gregorian calendar two centuries and a half later. The general
meaning, then, of prima che, &c., is ' before a very long time has
passed'; but it is intended to be understood ironically as meaning
' before long,' ' soon,' somewhat in the same way as when we say
' not a hundred miles off' for ' near.' ch' e laggiii negletta :
' to the correction of which no attention is paid on earth.' Ruggiran,
&c. : ' the indignation of Heaven will be so great.'
591
PARADISO [xxviT. 145— XXVIII. 15
145-8. la fortuna: 'the good fortune/ i.e. the coming of
a regenerator of society, such as had been foreshadowed in the
Veltro of Inf. i. loi and the DUX of Purg. xxxiii. 43. Le
poppe, &c. ; ' shall reverse the present iniquitous condition of the
world.' la classe : by ' the fleet ' mankind are meant, veto
frutto : not bozzacchtoni (1. 126).
CANTO xxvm
Argument. — In the Crystalline Heaven Dante beholds an
intensely brilliant point of light, representing the Deity, round which
move in nine concentric circles the nine Orders of Angels. Beatrice
explains to him the nature of these, and their correspondence to the
nine celestial spheres, together with their division into hierarchies ;
and mentions Dionysius the Areopagite as the authority through
whom these mysteries were known.
Line 3. imparadisa : ' doth imparadise,' i. e. blesses with the
joys of Paradise ; cp. Par. xviii. 21.
4, 5. Come, &c. : before Dante receives a fresh revelation
of the glories of Heaven, he perceives this by anticipation in the
increased brilliancy of the eyes of Beatrice. This is compared to
a person seeing in a mirror the reflexion of a light behind him that
is as yet invisible to him, which light, on turning round, he finds to
correspond exactly to the reflexion, doppiero : ' flambeau,' ' taper ' ;
der. from Lat. duplus'. so called, according to Diez, p. 368, because of
its double wick, se n'alluma retro: 'is lighted by it from behind.'
9. come nota, &c. : ' as a tune corresponds to the metre of the
verse to which it is set,' i. e. exactly.
II, 12. Ch' io feci : Dante saw a bright light reflected in the
eyes of Beatrice, corda : ' noose,' ' snare.'
13-5. tocchi : abbreviated for toccati, as in Purg. iv. 137. cio
che pare, &c. : ' that which may be perceived in that Heaven,
whenever (as in the present case) it is rightly regarded in respect of
its rotation.' volume from meaning ' revolution ' comes to signify
'revolving heaven'; cp. Par. xxiii. 112. The 'Heaven' which
is here intended is the Primum Mobile, and of this we are told in
Conv. ii. 4. 11. 9, 10, that it is imperceptible to sense save for its
692
XXVIII. 16-33] PARADISO
motion. In the present case Dante's eyes are supposed to be
furnished with a superhuman power of sight, which enabled him to
perceive it visibly passing before him : this is implied in the words
* is rightly regarded.* cio che pare, &c., cannot mean the move-
ment of the lower and visible Heavens regarded as an evidence of
the existence of the Primum Mobile from which that movement
proceeds, because Dante was now looking upwards, and therefore
away from the lower Heavens.
1 6, 17. Un pun to : as a point is indivisible, it is here taken to
represent the Unity of the Godhead. It is in order to lay stress on
the indivisibility, that the minuteness of this point of light is
illustrated in 11. 19-21. affoca : ' enkindles * ; ' illuminates.*
19-21. quale stella, &c. : 'the star which, when seen from
earth, appears the smallest of all, would seem a moon, if placed
beside this point of light in the same way as one star is placed by
another star in the sky.'
22—39. Dante now describes how nine concentric circles of
light, which are the nine angelic Orders, revolve round the point
which represents the Divine Unity, as their centre ; and that their
brightness and the rapidity of their movement are in proportion to
their nearness to that point. The following are the angelic Orders
represented by the successive circles: i. Seraphim; 2. Cherubim;
3. Thrones ; 4. Dominions ; 5. Virtues ; 6. Powers ; 7. Prin-
cipalities ; 8. Archangels ; 9. Angels. These are the beati motort
of the various spheres, who are mentioned in Par. ii. 127-9. The
reason why the angelic Orders are revealed to Dante in this Heaven
is, that the Primum Mobile is the sphere from which proceed the
stellar influences, and these are dispensed by those Orders in the
various spheres.
22—4. cotanto : take with distante (1. 25); 'at the distance at
which the halo seems closely to surround (i. e. as closely as the halo
seems to surround) the luminary (sun or moon), which furnishes its
light, when the vapour on which it is formed is densest.' When
the atmosphere is densest, the halo is nearest to the sun or moon.
27. Quel moto, &c. : that of the Primum Mobile.
31-3. Sopra : 'without,' i.e. outside the sixth circle, sparto
. . . di larghezza ; ' ample (lit. spread out) in width.' il messo
di Juno : Iris, i. e. the rainbow. Intero : ' were it complete,' i. e.
if it formed a perfect circle.
TOZER 593 Q q
PARADISO [xxviii. 36-78
36. dair uno : ' from the point of Unity.'
38, 39. la favilla : the point of light, di lei s' invera : ' is
imbued with its truth ' ; ' partakes of its perfection.'
40-2. in cura, &c. : ' in anxious suspense.' This was due to his
eagerness to learn the meaning of this sight. Da quel punto, &c. :
this is from Ar. Metaph. xi. 7. 5, 'ETret S' corrt rt kivovv avro
OLKLVrp-OV 6V, TOVTO OVK €vB€)(eTaL aAAcDS ^X^^^ OvSa/XWg . . . . CK
TOLavTr)<s apa o-p^s rjpTiqTai 6 ovpavos kol rj </)i;o-ts. punto Stands
both for the punto of 1. 16, and for the apxy ('first cause') of
Aristotle.
45. onde, &c. : 'by which it is impelled.'
46-57. Dante here states the difficulty which he feels, viz. that,
whereas in the world of sense the spheres move more swiftly in
proportion to their distance from the centre, i. e. the earth, the
celestial circles which he is now contemplating move more swiftly
in proportion to their nearness to the centre, i. e. God. As the
latter of these systems is the pattern of the former, it would be
natural that they should correspond.
48. Sazio : participle, for j<22i/dr/o ; cp. Purg. xxxiii. 138. 'The
food that is set before me (i. e. the description of the nature and
movement of these circles that has been given me) would have
satisfied me.'
50. volte : ' spheres' ; cp. Purg. xxviii. 104, where the Prlmum
Mobile is called ' la prima volta.' divine : ' under the influence of
God,' as shown by the rapidity of their motion.
52-4. il mio disio : 'my anxiety for an explanation.' templo,
&c. : the Primum Mobile, beyond which there is nothing but light
and love, i. e. the Empyrean Heaven ; see Par. xxvii. 112.
55, 56. come, &c. : see note on 11. 46-57.
58-60. a tal node : ' to disentangle such a knot,' i. e. to solve
so great a difficulty, sodo : 'tight,' lit. 'solid,' 'firm': 'so tight
it has become from no one having tried to untie it.'
63. t' assottiglia : ' exercise your subtlety.'
64-78. The argument is as follows: — In the material universe
the size of the spheres corresponds to the amount of divinely infused
power (virtute) which they possess, and which is diffiised by them
throughout their whole range (per tutte lor parti), i. e. from sphere
to sphere and to the earth (11. 64-6). A larger amount of the
benefits thus communicated and received below (maggior bontil)
594
XXVIII. 64-8i] PARADISO
is the result of a larger amount of salutary influence (maggior
salute), and the larger amount of salutary influence Is contained
in a larger body — supposing always that that body has complete
receptive power throughout (11. 67-9). Consequently, the ninth
sphere, or Primum Mobile, which is the largest, is also the highest
in its nature of all the spheres ; and thus it corresponds to the first
and highest circle of the angels, that of the Seraphim (11. 70—2).
Hence, if you estimate the angelic circles, not by their size, as you
see them, but by the rank and relative power of the spirits which
compose them, you will perceive that each material Heaven corresponds
exactly to the Order of Intelligences that guides it, the wider sphere
to the superior, the narrower to the inferior power (11. 73-8).
64. corporal: 'corporal,' 'material.' This passage affords clear
evidence of Dante's belief in the spheres of Heaven as being material.
67-9. bonta : in the interpretation of the passage which is given
above this word is taken as the predicate, and salute as the subject,
of the sentence, compiute : ' perfect.' In the case of the Primum
Mobile there can be no question of the perfection of the receptive
power throughout, though there is in the case of the lower spheres.
70-2. cestui, &c. : the Primum Mobile, which is the source
of motion, cerchio, &c. : the first circle of the Intelligences is
that of the Seraphim, che pm sape : it may seem surprising at
first sight that, whereas the Seraphim are usually spoken of as
representing love, and the Cherubim knowledge, the highest degree
of the latter of these powers as well as of the former should here
be attributed to the Seraphim. The explanation is, that the Seraphim
enjoy the most intimate vision of God (cp. Conv. ii. 6. 11. 79-81,
' li Serafini veggiono piii della prima Cagione, che alcun' altra angelica
natura'), and consequently they possess the highest knowledge as
well as the highest love, though they only represent the latter. See
Gardner, Dante's Ten Heavens, pp. 203, 204.
73-5. Perche, &c. : 'wherefore, if you apply your measure
(estimate) to the virtue (rank, influence) of these circles, not to
the circular form in which the angelic natures (sustanzie) are
revealed to you,' &c.
76-8. conseguenza : ' correspondence.' di maggio a piii :
' of the wider sphere to the higher Intelligence.' intelligenza :
the Order of heavenly beings which guides it.
81. da quella, &c. : 'on that side (lit. from that cheek) on
595 Q q 2
PARADISO [xxviii. 82-97
which he is mildest.' The NE. wind is meant, of which Brunetto
Latini {Tesoro, Bk. ii. Ch. 37) says, that it keeps off rain and
clouds ('restringe pioggia e nuvole '), whereas the N. and NW.
winds are inclement.
82-4. roffia : 'dense vapours,' 'rack.' parofifia : a word of
unknown origin, and somewhat doubtful signification ; but it probably
means ' retinue,' and here ' pageantry ' ; so that what is intended to
be expressed by it is the brilliant display of sunlight.
88, 89. restaro : 'stayed their course,' 'ceased to be uttered.'
ferro, &c. : Dante employs the same comparison in Par. i. 60.
91-3. Lo incendio, &c. : 'every spark (angel) accompanied
(flew about in the neighbourhood of) their burning train (the
coruscating circles to which they belonged).' s' immilla : ' runs
into thousands ' ; ' their number runs into more thousands than the
doubling of the chess,' i. e. an infinite number. The story here
referred to is as follows. ' The inventor of the game of chess
brought it to a Persian king, who was so delighted with it, that he
offered him in return whatever reward he might ask. The inventor
said he wished only a grain of wheat, doubled as many times as
there were squares on the chess-board ; that is, one grain for the
first square, two for the second, four for the third, and so on to
sixty-four. This the king readily granted ; but when the amount
was reckoned up, he had not wheat enough in his whole kingdom to
pay it ' (Longfellow).
94-6. lo sentiva, &c. : ' I heard them sing hosanna choir by
choir to the fixed point (cp. 11. 16, 41) which holds and will for
ever hold them to the place in which they ever were.' The latter
of these points is explained below (11. 10D-2). The attraction
exercised by the Presence of God causes each circle of spirits to
approach as near to Him as they can, and their power of doing so
is in proportion to their ability to see Him.
97. i pensier dubi : these questionings related to the different
angelic circles. The order of these has been given in note to 11.
22-39. "The nine circles were divided into three Hierarchies.
The scheme of these was derived by Dante from the De Caelestl
Hierarch'ia of Dionysius. According to that work (cap. 7~9) ^^
first Hierarchy comprised the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones ; the
second the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers ; the third the Prin-
cipalities, Archangels, and Angels. See also note below on 1. 130.
596
XXVIII. IOO-29] PARADISO
IOO-2. Cosi, &c. : 'they follow their bonds with the speed
which you behold.' vimi : 'withs,' 'bonds,' Lat. vimen. The
' bonds ' are the attraction of love, which holds them fast to the
central point. Per simigliarsi, &c. : the meaning is, that they
desire to be united with God, and to partake of His nature, quanto,
&c. : ' in proportion as they have a higher power of spiritual
insight.'
103-5. vonno : [or vanno. del divino aspetto : the explana-
tion of this will be found in Par. ix. 61, 62, where the Thrones
are said to be ' mirrors by which God's judgements are directly
revealed to us.' Perche, &c. : ' and thus they completed (lit.
whereby they concluded) the first group of three.' terminonno
for terminarono ; cp. apparinno for appar'irono^ Par. xiv. 121. The
past tense is used because the period of their creation is referred to.
1 08. Nel vero, &c. : in God.
110, III. neir atto, &c. : ' in the act of seeing, not in that of
loving, which is subsequent.' This is the view of Aquinas, who
opposes the opinion of Duns Scotus, that loving is the higher act.
112, 113. mercede, &c. : 'meritorious works, which are the
result of the combined action of the grace of God and of good will
in the recipient of that grace.'
1 15-7. germoglia : 'buds,' i.e. is ever putting forth fresh
graces, che notturno, &c. : ' which no autumn season strips of
its leaves.' As the sun is in Aries at the vernal equinox, in the
autumn that constellation is seen at night ; hence ' nocturnal Aries '
stands for ' autumn,' the season of falling leaves.
118-20. sverna : 'warbles.' 5" wrw^r^ is used of birds ' chirp-
ing out winter ' on the arrival of spring. For other passages where
it signifies ' warbling ' see Vocah. Tramater. onde s' interna :
' of which its triple nature (as a ternaro) is composed.'
121— 3. Dee: 'divinities,' i.e. divine Orders of Intelligences.
These are similarly called Dei in Inf. vii. 87. In Purg. xxxii. 8
the Theological Virtues are called Dee. ee : for the form cp.
Purg. xxxii. 10.
124, 125. tripudi : ' dances.' Here, as in Par. xii. 22, the word
is used of the joyous movement of the inhabitants of Heaven.
girano : this line and^ those which rhyme with it are twelve-
syllable lines; see note on Inf. xv. i.
127-9. Questi ordini, &c. : 'these Orders all look upwards
597
PARADISO [xxviii. 130-9
(towards God), and downwards they so prevail (exercise so
powerful influence), that they all are drawn towards God, and all
draw those beneath them.'
130. Dionisio : Dionysius the Areopagite, the convert of St. Paul
at Athens (Acts xvii. 34), was the reputed author of the De CaelesU
Hierarch'ta.) which has already been mentioned. In reality that work
seems to have been written in the fifth or sixth centuiy. It was
translated from the original Greek into Latin by John Scotus Erigena
(Cent, ix.), and became the text-book of angelic lore in the middle
ages. The names of the Orders were derived from Scripture, for
five of them, viz. Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers and
Principalities, occur in St. Paul's Epistles (cp. Rom. viii. 38 (Vulg.);
Eph. i. 2 1 ; Col. i. 1 6), and the remaining four, viz. Seraphim,
Cherubim, Archangels and Angels, in other parts of the Bible;
but the system which Dante here gives was due to the work just
mentioned.
132. com' io : i.e. 'rightly,' because Beatrice, who is speaking,
had perfect knowledge. Dante here by implication recants the view
which he had propounded in Conv. ii. 6. 11. 43-55, for he there places
the Powers in the first Hierarchy, the Principalities in the second,
and the Thrones in the third. This arrangement he seems to have
borrowed from Brunetto Latini, Tesoro, Bk. i. Ch. 12.
133-5. Gregorio : St. Gregory (Pope Gregory the Great;
Cent, vi.) differed (si divise) from St. Dionysius in placing the
Principalities in the second Hierarchy, and the Virtues in the third
{Homil'iae in Evangelia\ No. 34, § 7). di se medesmo : 'at his
mistake.'
136-9. E se, &c. : the explanation of St. Dionysius being able,
while still living on earth, to reveal to men the nature of the angelic
Hierarchies is, that it was communicated to him by St. Paul,
who learnt it when he was caught up to the third Heaven; cp.
2 Cor. xii. 2.
598
XXIX. 1-9] PARADISO
CANTO XXIX
Argument. — Beatrice enlightens Dante on the subject of the
angels — their creation ; the Fall of those who rebelled against God ;
the nature and faculties of the angels ; their number ; and their
participation in the light of God's presence. In one part of this
discourse she digresses from her subject, in order to inveigh against
those vain preachers, who to amuse their hearers were wont to
speculate on matters beyond their cognizance.
Lines 1-9. Beatrice now ceases for an instant from speaking,
fixing her eyes on the point of light which represents the Divine
Unity. The instantaneous character of this pause is illustrated by
comparing it to a momentary astronomical phenomenon, viz. the
correspondence in position of the setting sun and the rising full
moon at the equinox, when they are opposite one another at the
same time on the horizon. As the sun and moon are continually in
motion, this correspondence can only last an instant.
1-3. i figli, &c. : Apollo and Diana, i.e. the Sun and Moon.
Coperti, &c. : ' surmounted by the Ram and by the Scales,' i. e.
the sun being in Aries (il Montone), as it is at the vernal equinox,
and the moon in the opposite sign of Libra. Fanno, &c. : ' are
girdled by (i. e. are on) the horizon at the same time.'
4-6. Quant* e, &c. : ' as long a time as elapses from the
moment when the zenith makes an equipoise between them, until
they respectively escape from (dilibra for diTihera) that girdle (their
common horizon), changing their hemispheres (the one from the
northern to the southern, the other iiice versa).' The length of
time, as remarked above, is an instant only, inlibra : ' strikes an
equilibrium ' between the sun and moon ; the verb is used absolutely.
They are supposed to be in the scales of an invisible balance sus-
pended from the zenith. Another reading here in place of il zenit
inlibra is // tiene in libra, in which case the passage must be trans-
lated — ' from the moment which holds them balanced.' The MS.
authority for the two is about equal, but the unusual character of the
words zenit inlibra is in favour of the former ; see Moore, Text.
Crit., p. 496.
9. vinto : cp. Par. xxviii. 16-8.
699
PARADISO [xxix. 10-27
10-84. The subjects about which Dante desires information are
( I ) The creation of the angels — why, when, where and how they
were created (11. 13-48) ; (2) The fall of the rebellious angels, and
the position of the faithful angels (11. 49-66) ; (3) The faculties of
the angels (11. 70-84).
12. Dove, &c. : in God, to whom all time and every place are
present. The Latin words in this line, and subststo below, are
Scholastic terms.
13—5. Non per, &c. : 'not with a view to the acquisition of
good for Himself,' i. e. not to add to His own perfections, ma
perche, &c. : ' but in order that His glory by being manifested in
other beings might be able to say " I exist." ' The answer to the
question. Why were the angels created ? is : — In doing so God
desired to show forth His love by endowing His creatures with the
glad consciousness of their separate existence.
16-8. These lines contain the answers to the questions. When
and Where the angels, were created. It was in eternity, and
before limitations of place (comprender) existed. Since it was
simultaneous with that of the material universe, as Beatrice presently
explains, neither time nor space were already in existence when they
were created, altro : beyond God himself, i : for gli ; cp.
Inf. ii. 17.
1 9-2 1 . Ne prima, &c. : ' not that God before the creation lay
as it were inactive, for the moving of the Spirit of God on the face
of these waters (i. e. the act of creation. Gen. i. 2) took place
neither before nor after aught else.' Time began with the creation ;
before that there were no distinctions of time: consequently it is
inadmissible to speak of God as being inactive before the creation.
22-4. Forma, &c. : 'form and matter, both in combination and
uncombined, came forth into perfect being.' ' Form ' in .Scholastic
language is intellect; and pure form, or the purely intellectual
creation, is the angels. Pure matter is the material universe. Form
and matter combined is the human race. The creation is spoken of
as ' perfect,' because ' God saw everything that He had made, and
behold it was very good' (Gen. i. 31). Come d' arco, &c. : 'all
these three results of creation came forth together, like three arrows
shot from a three-stringed bow.' The three strings here represent
the three Persons of the Trinity, who participated in the Creation.
25-7. E come, &c. : the illustration is intended to signify that
600
XXIX. a8-4i] PARADISO
the creation was instantaneous, and also simultaneous in respect of
the three results just mentioned, dal venire, &c. : the ray of light
no sooner falls upon them than it illuminates them throughout.
esser tutto : lit. ' being in them completely.'
28-30. Cosl, &c. : 'so did the threefold result beam forth
simultaneously from its Lord in completeness of its being without
any distinction of time in their commencement.'
31-3. Concreato, &c. : 'the order of these three substances —
viz. pure form, pure matter, and the combination of them — was
created and ordained (costrutto) along with them.' quelle : the
angels, puro atto : in Scholastic language actus purus means the
same 2iS forma tantum ; and that, as we have seen, is a description of
the purely intellectual creation, the angels.
34-6. Purapotenza: potentiality is the capacity of being acted
upon, or receptivity ; hence ' pure potentiality ' means the material
creation, which is simply receptive, nel mezzo, &c. : 'inter-
mediate between these was receptivity combined with intellect
(i. e. the human race), which two elements were held together
by a bond so powerful that it can never be unbound.' giammai,
&c., must be understood in a qualified sense as meaning that the
two elements can never be permanently separated ' ; for the bond is
suspended by death, but it will be resumed again at the resurrection,
and will then continue for ever. The order of things created which
is described in 11. 31-6 is based on Aristotle, De An. ii. 2. 15 ; see
Moore, Studies^ i. p. 109.
37-9. Jeronimo, &c. : 'in Jerome's writings you will find it
said of the angels that they were created long ages before the rest
of the universe was made,' lit. ' Jerome wrote for you about the
angels as being created a long period of ages before,' &c. The
reference is to Jerome on Titus i. 2, ' Sex millia necdum nostri
orbis implentur anni, et quantas prius aeternitates, quanta tempora,
quantas saeculorum origines fuisse arbitrandum est ; in quibus Angeli,
Throni, Dominationes caeteraeque virtutes servierint Deo.' In
connexion with this passage Aquinas says (Summa, i. Q. 61.
Art. 3) : — ' Circa hoc invenitur duplex sanctorum doctorum sen-
tentia ; ilia tamen probabilior videtur quod angeli simul cum creatura
corporea sunt creati.'
40, 41. questo vero : the simultaneous creation of the angels
and the rest of the universe; see 11. 28-30. lati : 'passages.'
601
PARADISO [xxTX. 43-63
Instances of such passages are Ecclus. xviii, i, * Qui vivit in aeter-
num creavit omnia simuP (Vulg.), and Gen. i. i, * In the beginning,*
which words, according to one interpretation (see Aquinas, loc. cit.\
were regarded as implying that nothing had been created before.
43-5. la ragione, &c. : the argument is, that as the office of
the angehc Intelligences was to move and guide the Heavens, it was
unsuitable that they should be created long before the Heavens were
in existence, sua perfezion : that which was the object or final
cause of their existence was the ' complement ' of their being.
46-8. questi amori : the angels, come : ' in what fashion ' ;
this is explained in 11. 32, 33, where it is said that the angels were
by their nature puro atto. ardori : ' fires,' i. e. questions by which
your desire of knowledge is kindled.
49-51. Ne giugneriesi, &c. : Beatrice now turns to the Fall
of the rebellious angels. This took place immediately after their
creation, 'before one could count twenty' ; cp. Cowv. ii. 6. 11. 95-7,
' Dico che di tutti questi Ordini si perderono alcuni tosto che furono
creati.* Turbo, &c. : ' disturbed the nethermost of your elements.*
The earth is the nethermost of these, because air, fire, and water rise
above it; for il suggetto in this sense cp. Par. ii. 107. The
'disturbance' of the earth caused by Lucifer's fall is described
in Inf. xxxiv. 121-6.
52. L' altra, &c. : ' the other part (the faithful angels) remained
in Heaven.' quest' arte : that of revolving round the Divine
Unity.
57. costretto : ' compressed,' ' crushed.' Lucifer occupied the
centre of the earth, which was also the centre of gravity ; cp. Inf.
xxxiv. no, III, Ml punto Al qual si traggon d' ogni parte i
pesi.'
58-60. furon modesti, &c. : ' were humble in recognizing that
they proceeded from the goodness, which had created them fit for
so great intelligence,' i. e. capable of enjoying the Presence of God.
61-3. Perche: 'wherefore.' con lor merto, &c. : the merit
of the faithful angels consisted, as we learn from 1. 65, in their
acceptance, by the exercise of their free-will, of God's illuminative
grace; the result of this was, that their wills became immutably
fixed on God and on His service, so that they could never fall away.
It was through lack of this that the rebellious angels fell ; cp. Par.
xix. 48, ' per non aspettar lume.'
602
XXIX. 64-84] PARADISO
64-6. dubbi : the doubt which is here implied turned on the
question, whether the faithful angels had done anything to deserve
their blessedness, Secondo che, &c. : ' in proportion to the
receptivity of the affection/ gli : for /?, referring to grazia.
67-9. Omai, &c. : 'now thou mayst devote thy thoughts to the
full without further aid to the subject of this angelic assembly, if
thou hast laid to heart my words/
70-84. Beatrice now speaks of the nature and faculties of the
angels. She affirms that they possess intelligence and will, but
denies them the power of memory. Aquinas {Summa, i. Q. 54.
Art. 5) within certain limits allows them memory.
71. Si legge : ' it is taught (in lectures) in your schools.*
74, 75. La verity, &c. : 'the truth which on earth men
confound, equivocating in such prelections.' By 'equivocating'
is meant 'using words in more than one meaning.' The particular
word referred to is ' memory,' which sometimes means the know-
ledge of what is past, sometimes the recalling of what has been — at
least for the time — forgotten. In the latter meaning of the term,
which is the usual one, angels have no memory, because they forget
nothing, since everything is present to them in the face of God.
The knowledge of the past, no doubt, they possess.
76-81. Queste, &c. : 'the angels, from the time when they
were blessed with God's countenance, kept their eyes steadfastly
fixed on it ; and as God sees all things, they see all past events
reflected there, and no object which has presented itself to them
at an earlier time can be intercepted by a subsequent one ; con-
sequently, there is no need of the process of recollection to recall
a forgotten impression.' vedere : ' sight ' ; ' their vision is not
intercepted by a fresh object presenting itself.' per concetto
diviso : lit. ' owing to a thought having been separated from them
(put out of sight).'
82-4. Si che, &c. : 'so that on earth, when men make such
statements as that the angels possess the power of memory, they
dream with their eyes open, some believing that they speak the truth,
others not believing ; but the latter incur more blame and more
disgrace.' non dormendo si sogna : this means: — 'They talk
vaguely on questions involving established truth.' The truth is
plain before them, yet they prefer to speculate. Credendo, &c. :
' some think that these statements which they extemporize are true,
603
PARADISO [xxix. 85-105
while others make them only in order to gratify their hearers ;
the latter class deserve severer condemnation.'
85-126. Beatrice, taking for her text the fanciful teaching that
prevailed on the subject of the nature of angels, denounces the
devices that were in vogue among the popular preachers of the day
to win the favour of their audiences.
85—7. Voi non, &c. : the meaning is: — 'There is one right
way, the way of truth ; you on earth in your philosophizing follow
a variety of devious tracks instead of it.' L' amor, &c. : ' the love
of display (apparenza, lit. the appearance of cleverness) and the
gratifying reflexions which that display suggests (il sue pensiero).'
88-90. Ed ancor, &c. : ' yet even this is borne in Heaven
with less indignation than the neglect or the perversion of Holy
Writ.'
91-3. Non vi, &c. : 'on earth men do not reflect on all the
blood of the martyrs which has been the price of disseminating
it throughout the world, or how acceptable to God is he who
in humility holds fast by it.' Seminarla : la is the Christian faith,
implied in La divina scrittura.
94-6. Per apparer, &c. : ' display is what each one aims at,
inventing new views of his own, and these are the themes of the
preachers, while about the Gospel not a word is said.'
97. Un dice, &c. : as an instance of a subject unsuited for
treatment in the pulpit, which nevertheless was a popular one in
the hands of preachers, Beatrice mentions the various theories
concerning the cause of the darkness at the time of our Lord's
crucifixion. These are from Aquinas, Summa, iii. Q. 44. Art. 2.
Dante only mentions them, without raising the question whether
they are right or wrong, si ritorse : ' returned on its course.'
1 01, 102. Da se : without being eclipsed by any other body.
pero, &c. : ' in consequence of this disappearance of the light,
the darkness (according to them) afl^ected the whole world from
farthest West to farthest East.' rispose : ' corresponded to,'
'equally affected.'
103-5. Lapi e Bindi: 'common men.' These were popular
abbreviations of familiar names in Dante's time — Lapo for Jacopo,
Bindo for Aldobrando. per anno : ' in the course of the year.'
quinci e quindi : ' now from one side, now from the other,' i. e.
giving now one, now another explanation.
604
XXIX. 108-32] PARADISO
108. non le scusa, &c. : 'unconsciousness of the harm they
suffer is no excuse for them,' because they should not confide in
such worthless pastors.
109-11. convento : 'band of followers ' ; the Apostles are
meant, verace fondamento : the truth as it is in Jesus.
112. quel tanto, &c. : 'only that was heard on their lips,' lit.
' in their cheeks, mouths.' For tanto in the sense of Lat. tantum
cp. Par. ii. 67 ; xviii. 13.
1 15-7. con motti e con iscede: 'with witticisms and
buffooneries.' iscede is for scede\ cp. iscegliendo for scegliendo
in Purg. xxviii. 41. pur che, &c. : 'if only the congregation
laugh well, the preacher's cowl is puffed up (with vanity), and
that is all he desires.'
118—20. tale uccel, Sic: 'such a winged monster (the devil)
nestles in its angle.' The becchetto is the point of the cowl.
vederebbe, &c. : ' they would discover the true value of the pardon
(indulgences) in which they put their trust.'
121— 3. Per cui, &c. : 'by reason of which (indulgences) such
folly prevails on earth, that without any evidence of authorization
(testimonio) on the part of him who makes the offer, men are
ready to rush together at every promise of them.'
124-6. Di questo, &c. : 'on this (credulity) St. Antony fattens
his pig.' The hog which appears in pictures at the feet of
St. Antony, the Egyptian hermit, represents the demon of sensuality
which he conquered. In the middle ages the swine of the Monks
of St. Antony were allowed to feed in the streets of cities, and
were fed by devout persons (Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art^
pp. 750, 751); this is what Dante refers to. altri : concubines,
and other hangers-on of the monasteries, moneta senza conio :
'money without the true stamp,' i. e. unauthorized indulgences.
127-45. Beatrice now returns to the subject of the angels, and
speaks of their number, of the degrees in which they partake of the
divine effluence, and of the glory of God as manifested in them.
128, 129. la dritta strada : the course of the statement which
I was pursuing. Si che, &c. : ' so that, as our allotted time draws
to an end, we may make corresponding progress with our subject,'
lit. ' that our way also may be shortened.'
130-2. Questa natura: the nature of the angels, si oltre,
&c. : ' is so beyond measure multiplied in number (s' ingrada, lit.
605
PARADISO [xxix. 134— XXX. 13
increases step by step) as to exceed all power of expression and
mortal thought.'
134, 1 35. in sue migliaia, &c. : ' when he speaks of thousands,
no fixed number is expressed/ The passage referred to is Dan.
vii. 10, ' Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before Him.' This only means an
indefinitely great number.
136-8. La prima, &c. : 'the primal light (God), which ir-
radiates the whole angelic nature, is received into it in as many
modes as are the bright beings with which it is mated.' This
means, in other words, that in things incorruptible there is only
one individual in each species. The principle which is here
enunciated is based on Aquinas, Summa^ i. Q. 50. Art. 4 ;
' Perfectio naturae angelicae requirit multiplicationem specierum, non
autem multiplicationem individuorum in una specie.' See Gardner,
Daniels Ten Heavens, p. 213.
139-41. Onde, &c. : 'whence, inasmuch as the affection is in
proportion 'to the conceptive act (i. e. to the assimilation of the divine
light), the sweetness of love is more or less warm in it in different
degrees.'
144. Speculi ... in che si spezza: the angels are mirrors,
each of which receives its portion of the divine light.
CANTO XXX
Argument. — Dante in company with Beatrice rises to the
highest or Empyrean Heaven. This is first revealed to him
under the figure of a river of light, from which bright sparks emerge,
and settle on the flowers which adorn its banks. When Dante's
mind has been sufficiently prepared by this symbolical imagery, the
reality is presented to his view ; and he beholds a sea of light, from
the circular margin of which rises in the form of a rose the abode of
the Angels and the Blessed. Here Beatrice points out to him the
appointed seat which awaits the emperor Henry VII.
Lines 1-13. The nine angelic circles now gradually fade from
Dante's sight; this is compared to the gradual disappearance of
the stars at dawn.
606
XXX. i-i8] PARADISO
I . Forse, &c. : the dawn, instead of being mentioned by name,
is here described, by an elaborate periphrasis, as the time when it
is about midday 6,000 miles off from us on the earth's surface.
This calculation is arrived at in the following manner. Seven hours
are approximately tlie period of time which the sun takes to pass
over 6,000 miles of the earth's surface; for, according to the
computation of Alfraganus (cap. viii.) which Dante accepted (Conv.
iii. 5. 11. 80-107; see Toynbee, Diet., p. 522, s. v. Terra), the
entire circumference of the earth was 20,400 miles, and consequently
the amount of that circumference corresponding to seven hours out
of the complete revolution of twenty-four hours was 5,950 miles
(20,400 X /x ~ 5' 950)? or in round numbers 6,000 miles. Hence,
when Dante says that the sixth hour is 6,000 miles distant from us,
he means that with us it is seven hours befoie noon, or an hour
before sunrise, the sun being regarded as rising at 6 a.m. The
word Forse intimates that the calculation is made in round numbers.
2,3. ferve : * is glowing,' ' the glowing hour of noon is distant
from us,' &c. China, &c. : ' inclines its shadow almost to a level
(al letto piano).' At sunrise the shadow of the earth (i. e. the
cone of shadow which it casts opposite the sun) falls exactly in
a line with the plane of the horizon ; but at the time here intended,
which is before sunrise, it is only approaching that position : this
accounts for the qualifying word quasi.
4-6. Quando, &c. : ' when the mid-heaven, which appears so
deep when we gaze at it, begins to assume such an aspect (i. e.
gathers light so much), that here and there a star ceases to be
visible as far below as our earth.'
7-9. ancella: 'the brightest handmaid of the sun' is the dawn.
il ciel, &c. : ' the Heaven closes, light after light, even to the most
beautiful ' : star after star disappears, and at last even the brightest. For
vista (lit. 'an object of sight') used of the stars, cp. Par. xxiii. 30.
10-2. il trionfo, &c. : the circles of angels, which revolve
round the point of light which represents the Divine Unity, mi
vinse: see Par. xxviii. 16-8. Parendo, &c. : the point of light
appears to be embraced by the circles, but in reality the Godhead
embraces all.
15. Nulla vedere: i.e. the disappearance of the objects on
which I had been gazing.
18. a fomir, &c. : ' to furnish forth this occasion.'
607
PARADISO [XXX. 19-48
19, 20. si trasmoda ... di la da noi : 'passes the limits of
our conception.'
22, 23. passo : ' difficult task ' ; cp. Par. iv. 91. 'By this hard
task I confess that I am vanquished.' punto, &c. : ' the acme of
his subject.'
27. di se, &c. : ' paralyses,' lit. ' deprives of itself.'
30. Non m' e, &c. : ' my song has not been hindered from
pursuing the theme.' On several previous occasions (see Par. xiv.
79-81 ; xviii. 8-12 ; xxiii. 22-4) Dante had professed his inability
to give an adequate description of Beatrice's beauty, but now he feels
himself obliged to desist from even attempting to do so.
33. ultimo sue: 'his ideal'; cp. Cic. Mur. xxxi. 65, 'cum
ad ultimum animo contendissemus.'
34-6. a maggior bando : 'to be extolled in higher strains,' lit.
' to a loftier proclamation.' deduce : this with terminando means
' is bringing to a close.'
37-9. espedito : 'who has accomplished his task'; cp. Par.
xvii. 100. Del maggior corpo, &c. : from the Primum Mobile or
Crystalline Heaven, which is the greatest in extent of the material
Heavens, to the Empyrean, which is immaterial.
40. Luce : observe the ' linkage ' in this and the two following
lines, the first word of each being repeated from the last of the pre-
ceding line. This is the only example of this poetical device in the
Div. Com. ; but it is occasionally found in the troubadour poets ;
for an instance see Raynouard, Cho'ix des poesies des Troubadours^
vol. V. p. 219. In the present passage the words thus linked represent
in each case an element of the blessedness of the Empyrean, which
the Poet has just entered, viz. light, love, and joy. The corre-
spondence here found between the elevation of the style and that of the
subject treated of resembles what is found in the description of the
Gate of Purgatory in Purg. ix. 70-2, where Dante himself draws
attention to this feature.
43-5. milizia: the two 'hosts' are the company of the Angels
and the company of the Blessed. 1' una : the Blessed, who in the
Empyrean would be seen by Dante in their real form, not concealed,
as they had been hitherto, by an enveloping light. This haM
already been announced to Dante by St. Benedict ; Par. xxii. 58-63.
46-8. discetti: 'scatters,' L at. J/Wf/Z^r^ : ' which paralyses the
power of sight.' For the explanation of spiriti visivi see note
608
XXX. 52-^7] PARADISO
on Par. xxvi. 71. si che, &c. : *so that it prevents still more
brilliant objects from making an impression on the eye.' Atto is
'act,' 'operation/ 'impression.'
52-4. Beatrice is speaking. 1' amor, &c. : 'the Love (God)
which causes this Heaven to repose.' ' This Heaven ' is the
Empyrean, which is at rest, in contrast with the other Heavens,
which are in motion. Accoglie, &c. : 'receives a soul into its
presence with a salutation of this nature.' salute for saluto, cp.
Fita Nuova, § xi. 1. 3. Per far, &c. : ' to render the taper fit to
be kindled by its flame,' i. e. to fit the soul for the beatific vision.
This is the result of the initiatory display of brilliant light.
58-60. vista: 'power of sight.' non si fosser, &c. : 'could
not have endured it.'
6 1 . lume : the nver of light symbolizes the illuminative grace
of God, and the flowers on the banks the souls of the Blessed,
while the sparks which issue from the river and settle on the
flowers are the angels, who communicate to the saints the grace
which they derive immediately from God.
63. primavera : ' spring,' i. e. profusion of flowers ; cp. Purg.
xxviii. 51.
65, 66. d' ogni parte : * on either side ' ; cp. Inf. xxii. 56.
Quasi, &c. : ' resembling rubies set in gold.'
71. vei : for vedi.
73, 74. bei : drinking with the eyes is meant; see 1. 88. tanta
sete : ' thy great longing ' for information.
76-8. li topazii, &c. : the bright sparks which pass in and out
of the stream, il rider dell* erbe : ' the smiling flowers.' di lor
vero, &c. : ' shadowy anticipations of their reality,' i. e. of the real
objects which they represent. A similar instance of the introduction
of an unusually impressive sight by the means of an intermediate stage,
in order to render it more easy to realize, is the description of the
Giants as resembling towers in Inf. xxxi. 20, 31.
79-81. acerbe : 'hard to understand'; cp. the use o£ agro in
Purg. xxv. 24. The things which are here spoken of as hard to
understand are the realities of which these symbols are the anticipa-
tions, viste, &c. : ' powers of sight so exalted.'
85-7. per far, &c. : 'to increase stillfurther my power of sight.'
Che si deriva, &c. : ' which issues forth, that men may therein be
perfected.'
TOZER 609 R r
PARADISO [XXX. 88-117
88-90. si come : 'even as' ; both this and cosi ('thereupon/)
below are used of time, di lei : of the wave, i. e. the river of
light. la gronda, &c. : ' the rim (lit. eaves) of my eyelids.'
mi parve, &c. : from having been long, like a river, it changed its
appearance into that of a circular sea of light.
93. La sembianza, &c. ; ' the alien semblance (of the mask)
beneath which they (la gente) were concealed.'
94-6. maggior feste : ' more radiant sights of joy ' ; cp. Par.
XX. 84. le corti : these are the two hosts (/' una e V altra milizia)
of]. 43-
97. vidi : notice the emphatic statement implied by the triple
repetition of this word in the rhyme; cp. J>er ammenda, Purg.
XX. 65.
100-2. Lume : this is the illuminative grace, which is represented
by the river of light in 1. 61. a quella creatura, &c. : 'to every
being, which,' &c.
103. circular figura: this is the sea of light.
106-8. Fassi, &c. : ' the whole of what is thus displayed (tutta
sua parvenza) is formed of a ray which is reflected on the outer
surface of the Primum Mobile.' vivere : ' vitality,' i. e. power of
movement, potenza : the influence which is communicated by the
Primum Mobile to the lower spheres.
III. Quando : Quanta is also read, in which case the meaning
is — ' to see how rich it is.'
1 1 2-4. Si, &c. : ' so saw I reflected in that sea of light, as they
rose above it all round in more than a thousand tiers, all the souls
that have returned from earth to Heaven.' ritorno : according
to the Creationist view of the origin of the rational soul, which
Dante accepted (see Purg. xvi. 85-8), the soul proceeded directly
from God, and consequently it is here spoken of as returning after
death to God who gave it.
1 1 5-7. E se, &c. : the circular sea of light is surrounded by the
lowest tier of the blessed spirits, and from this the other tiers rise
ever higher, and expand ever wider, in the form of a rose, while
above all is the Presence of the Blessed Trinity. Speaking of the
extent of this Empyrean Heaven Dante says — ' If the lowest tier
bounds the sea of light, the circumference of which (as we are told
in 11. 104, 105) is greater than that of the sun, how vast must be
the circuit of the highest and outermost tier ! '
610
XXX. 120-48] PARADISO
120. II quanto, &c. : 'the intensity and the quality of that
blessedness.'
1 2 1-3. Presso, &c. : the meaning is, that in the Empyrean no
object is obscured or lessened by distance, because the laws of sight
or perspective (la legge natural) do not apply in Heaven.
Translate : — ' there nothing is added by nearness or taken away
by distance, for where God immediately rules, the (intermediate)
agency of natural law has no force.' nulla rileva : ' avails nothing.*
Similarly in Fr. and Engl, 'relevant' is used in the sense of
'assisting,' 'helpful' (Skeat).
124, 125. Nel giallo, &c. : 'Beatrice drew me (1. 128) into
the yellow centre of the everlasting rose.' The sea of light, which
is the reflexion of God's glory (see 11. 100-8), is compared to the
yellow centre formed by the stamens of the rose, digrada :
'descends in steps, grades.'
127-9. Qual e, &c. : Dante compares himself to one who is
silent though he would fain speak, il convento, &c. : ' the
assembly of the white robes ' ; cp. Rev. vii. 9, ' I saw, and behold,
a great multitude . . . arrayed in white robes.'
136-8. che fia, &c. : 'that on earth shall bear the imperial
dignity ' ; Augustus was the standing title of the Roman emperors.
Enrico : Henry of Luxemburg, who became emperor in 1308, and
died in 131 3, consequently eight years before Dante {Prima che tu,
&c., 1. 135). From the point of view of Dante's Vision, which
was supposed to have taken place in 1300, his death was regarded
as still future (Sedera), but Beatrice refers prophetically to the
failure of his expedition into Italy (11. 137, 138). in prima che:
for the use of this phrase instead of prima che cp. Inf. xix. 91, 92.
139-41. cupidigia : cp. Par. xxvii. 121, where Dante treats
covetousness as the chief source of the evils of the time. Simili,
&c. : because the Italians were always crying out for a deliverer, and
refused him when he appeared.
142—4. prefetto, &c. ; 'president in the divine Court,' i.e.
Pope, foro divino means the Church, tal : Clement V (1305-
1314) ; on his double dealing with Henry of Luxemburg see Par.
xvii. 82. palese, &c. : 'both openly and covertly he will follow
a different road from him,' i. e. he will oppose Henry.
145-8. poco : Clement outlived Henry only by eight months.
detruso : the punishment of Clement for simony by being thrust
611 R r 2
PARADISO [xxxi. 3-15
head downwards in a hole in the rock in the third bolgia of Malebolge
had already been announced beforehand in Inf. xix. 82-4, where
it is also mentioned that his arrival would be the occasion of
Boniface VIII being forced still further down in the same hole.
quel d' Anagna : Boniface was a native of Anagni.
CANTO XXXI
Argument. — While Dante continues to contemplate the company
of the Blessed, Beatrice leaves him, and resumes her place in the
third highest tier of seats within the Celestial Rose. St. Bernard
is sent by her to act as Dante's guide, and he directs the Poet
to lift up his eyes and behold the glory of the Blessed Virgin, who
is surrounded by a multitude of angels.
Line 3. sposa : the bride of Christ is the company of the
redeemed, whom He purchased with His own blood.
4. r altra : the angels.
7-9. s' infiora : ' descends into the flowers.' si ritoma, &c. :
* returns to the place where its labour is turned to sweetness,' i. e. to
the hive, where the pollen which the bees have gathered is converted
into honey.
12. La dove, &c. : to the presence of God. That this is
meant, is clearly shown by the word risaliva here, and by lo
tnterporsi tra il disopra e il Jiore in 1. 19, both of which imply
that the place between which and the Rose the angels pass and
repass is the higher region where God himself is present. It is
well to observe this, because in the allegorical vision by which
the revelation of the Empyrean is anticipated, the sparks, which
represent the angels, pass between the flowers (the saints) and the
river of light (Par. xxx. 61-9); and this has suggested to some
the erroneous view, that in the present passage the angels go to and
fro between the petals of the rose and the sea of light, though that
sea was on a lower level, and was a reflexion of the glory of God,
and not his very Presence.
13-5. fiamma : perhaps the three colours here given represent
respectively love, wisdom, and purity, termine : ' degree (lit.
limit, measure) of whiteness.'
612
XXXI. 16-33] PARADISO
16-8. banco: this corresponds in meaning to soglie^ grado of
Par. XXX. 113, 115. ventilando il fianco : 'by waving their
wings/ ht. 'by fanning their flanks.' What is here implied is,
that the angels acquired this peace and love when flying upwards
to God, i. e. in their aspiration towards Him. If a comma is
introduced after acquistavan, the meaning is; — 'They distributed
(imparted) by the waving of their wings the peace and love which
they won from the sight of God.*
19-21. Ne lo interporsi, &c. : 'nor did the interposition
of so great a multitude of flying creatures between the flower and
that which was above it (the Godhead) impede the sight of the
splendour.' la vista e lo splendore : this seems to be a
hendiadys.
23, 24. secondo ch' e degno : 'according to the fitness of its
parts to receive it ' ; the principle here is the same as that stated in
Par. i. 1-3. In the present connexion the words seem to be
introduced in order to imply, that in Heaven, since all its inhabitants
are worthy, though in different degrees, to receive God's light,
it must penetrate everywhere, nulla, &c. : ' no object can impede
it,' and therefore here the angels cannot.
26, 27. Frequente, &c. : ' peopled by folk of the Old and the
New Dispensation.' The grouping of the saints who belong to
these two respectively is given in Par. xxxii. 22-7. ad un segno :
' fixed on one object.'
28-30. unica stella : this is used metaphorically to represent
the Divine Unity, appaga : there is a change here from the
second to the third person-: ' O Trinal light — the light that so
contents them.' Guarda, &c. : this is a prayer for God's mercy :
' Look down (with compassion) on our tempestuous life on earth.'
Compare the appeal to the saints in the sixth Heaven for their
intercession in behalf of struggling humanity; Par. xviii. 124—6.
31—3. tal plaga, &c. : the North, where the Great Bear is
always high in the Heavens. It does not mean 'the region where
the Great Bear never sets,' for that would apply to the whole of
Europe, as Dante was aware; cp. Can%. xv. 28, 29, 'Dal paese d'
Europa, che non perde Le sette stelle gelide unquemai.' Elice :
the nymph, otherwise called Callisto, who was seduced by Jupiter,
and after having been metamorphosed into a she-bear through the
jealousy of Juno, was placed by him in Heaven as the constellation
613
PARADISO [xxxi. 34-60
of the Great Bear, while her son whom she bore to him was made
the constellation of Bootes. Dante obtained the story from Ov.
Met. ii. 466-530. The seduction of Helice is alluded to in
Purg. XXV. 130-2.
34-6. ardua sua opra: 'her lofty edifices.' quando, &c. :
the period here referred to is probably that of the barbarian invasions
of Rome, when the Lateran palace, which was given by Constantine
to Pope Sylvester, had become the Papal residence, and the basilica
of St. John Lateran was the grandest existing Christian church.
In this case the words Alle cose, &c. ('surpassed all mortal
things') have a double application, referring both to the dignity
of the Papal see, and to the subHmity of the building. Others
think that the reference is to the Jubilee of 1300, at which time the
Lateran was the dwelling-place of the Popes, and that Barbari are
the 'outlandish foreigners,' who, as Villani tells us (viii. 36), visited
Rome on that occasion.
37. lo, che al : the scansion here is unusual, lo being pro-
nounced as a disyllable, and che being unelided. In the case of
lo the peculiar use is to be explained by its being emphatic and
having a pause after it. In 1. 47 also the scansion is exceptional,
the final a of Menava being unelided and io being a disyllable.
41, 42. tra esso, &c. : 'what with the stupefaction and the joy
it caused me pleasure to hear nothing and to remain speechless.'
libito is used substantively ; cp. Inf. v. 56.
43-5. si ricrea .... riguardando : 'takes pleasure in gazing.'
gik : ' ere long.' This word is occasionally used of future time,
especially of the immediate future ; see Vocab. Tramater.
49-51. suadi : 'persuasive'; the word is adapted from the
Latin, atti : 'bearing,' 'mien.'
53. mio : this is metrically a disyllable owing to the influence of
j-^ following ; see note on Inf. viii. 1 1 .
58-60. Uno, &c. : ' I had one object in my mind, and another
met my glance ' ; i. e. what I did see was different from what
I expected to see. Beatrice : Beatrice had now quitted Dante,
and resumed her place among the most exalted saints, un Sene :
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153). The qualities which
caused Dante to select this saint as a person specially fitted to
introduce him to the highest mysteries of Heaven, were his intense
spirituality, his rare force of character, through which he exercised
614
XXXI. 61-87] PARADISO
an extraordinary influence over his age, his position as a champion
of orthodoxy, and his conspicuous devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
He is regarded as symbolizing contemplation; cp. 11. no, iii;
Par. xxxii. i. He takes the place of Beatrice in this part of
the poem in the same way as Matelda in the Terrestrial Paradise
takes the place of Virgil. Vestito con: 'robed like,' i. e. in
white robes. For the use of con meaning ' corresponding to '
cp. Purg. xxix. 145.
61, 62. Diflfuso era, &c. : ' his eyes and cheeks were overspread
(lit. he was overspread, &c.) with benign joy.' gene : Lat. genae.
in atto pio : ' affectionate in look * ; for atto in this sense cp.
Purg. xxiv. 27.
65. A terminar, &c. : ' to conduct you to the desired end of
your journey' ; cp. 11. 94, 95.
67, 68. terzo giro, &c. : 'the third circle starting from the
highest tier'; cp. Par. xxxii. 7-9.
71, 72. si facea, &c. : 'was wearing a crown of light formed
by the rays which proceeded from God being reflected from her
head,' lit. ' formed for herself a crown by reflecting,' &c. At this
point, even more than elsewhere in the poem, we must bear in mind
that Beatrice represents Theology.
73-5. Da quella, &c. : 'from that part of the sky where the
highest thunders roll.' In order to give an idea of the inconceivable
extent of the court of Heaven, and at the same time of the exalted
position of Beatrice, Dante says that the space which intervened
between him and her exceeded the distance from the depths of the
sea to the highest region of our atmosphere. Qualunque, &c. :
' the eye of him who suffers himself to sink into the lowest depths
of the sea.' For s' abbandona see note on Par. xvii. 108.
77, 78. nulla mi facea : ' this affected me not,' i. e. made no
difference to me. per mezzo mista : 'obscured by any medium,'
such as our atmosphere.
81. In Inferno, &c. : cp. Inf. ii. 52 foil. 'To leave thy foot-
prints in ' means no more than ' to visit.'
82-4. Di tante, &c. : ' I acknowledge as due to thy might and
goodness the grace and power, which have enabled me to see all the
objects which I have beheld.'
85-7. di servo, &c. : i. e. from the bondage of sin to the glorious
liberty of the children of God. Dante's conversion and ultimate
615
PARADISO [XXXI. 88-126
salvation were the primary object of his journey through the three
realms of the spiritual world. Che di cio, &c. : 'of which thou
couldst avail thyself for that purpose.'
88. La tua, &c. : 'continue the bounty of thy goodness toward me.'
92, 93. come parea: take with si lontana ; 'distant in
appearance/ not in reality, because in the Empyrean space does
not exist, fontana : God.
96. prego : on the part of Beatrice.
98, 99. t' acconcer^, &c. : ' will qualify thy sight to mount
higher along the divine ray/ i. e. to approach nearer to its source,
the presence of God.
104. Veronica: the likeness of our Lord's face, which accord-
ing to the story was impressed on a napkin or handkerchief, which
was presented to Him that He might wipe the sweat from His face,
when He was on His way to crucifixion : cp. Vita Nuova^ § xli.
^^' 3-5? ' quella imagine benedetta, la quale Gesii Cristo lascio a noi
per esempio della sua bellissima figura.' This sudario, which is now
preserved in St. Peter's at Rome, was exhibited at the Jubilee in
1300 (Villani, viii. 36); and this is no doubt the occasion here
referred to. Veronica is another form of Berenice, the name of
the woman who was supposed to have presented the handkerchief
to Christ.
106. fin che, &c. : 'so long as it is being exhibited' ; for fin
che in this sense cp. Purg. xii. 3.
111. quella pace : the peace of Heaven.
112. questo esser : the life of the saints in Paradise.
116. la Regina : the Blessed Virgin.
1 2 1-3. di valle, &c. ; i.e. raising my eyes from the lower to
the higher circles, vidi parte, &c. : ' I saw a portion of Heaven
on the utmost verge (i. e. in the highest and outermost leaves of the
Rose) surpassing in brightness all else that faced me.'
1 24-6. E come, &c. : ' and as in that part of the sky where we
are looking for the sun to rise the brilliancy increases, while on either
side of this the light diminishes,' i. e. shades off, as is seen from
11. 128, 129, the point of which is illustrated by this comparison.
il temo, &c. : ' the car (lit. pole) of the sun, which Phaethon
guided amiss.* The story of Phaethon is often referred to by Dante
in the course of the poem; cp. Inf. xvii. 107 ; Purg. iv. 72 ; xxix.
118; Par. xvii. 3.
616
XXXI. 127— xxxir.4«] PARADISO
127-9. pacifica oriafiamma : ' oriflamme of peace/ in contrast
with the warUke banner of the French kings which bore that name.
' So did that oriflamme of peace display a brighter light at its mid-
point, and on either side (of that point) the brilliancy diminished in
an equal degree.' The ' oriflamme ' is the part of Heaven in which
the Virgin was — the parte of 1. 122 ; and the 'mid-point* is the
person of the Virgin herself.
130—2. a quel mezzo : ' at that mid-point,' i. e. in the presence
of the Virgin. Ciascun, &c. : ' each differing from the other both
in brightness and in forms of joy.' arte has been explained in
a variety of ways, but perhaps festanti above gives the clue to the
interpretation, so that the meaning is arte cl'i far festa^ lit. 'skill in
expressing their joy.' The difl'erences which exist between angels
are mentioned in Par. xxix. 136-41.
1 33, 134. Vidi, &c. : ' I beheld smiling on their sports and songs
a loveliness ' ; the beauty of the Virgin is meant.
136-8. s* io avessi: 'even if I had.' tentar: 'to try to express.'
140. caldo suo calor : 'the object of his burning love'; cp.
11. 100, lOI.
CANTO XXXII
Argument. — St. Bernard explains to Dante the system according
to which the spirits of the Blessed are arranged in the Celestial
Rose, and points out to him the most conspicuous among them,
inviting him especially to contemplate the Blessed Virgin, to whom
the archangel Gabriel is singing the Ame Maria.
Lines 1-48. The description which Dante here gives of the
grouping of the saints in the Celestial Rose is as follows. The tiers
of seats which compose it are divided vertically into two halves by two
lines running downward opposite to one another from the highest tier
to the sea of light. These lines are formed by the most eminent
saints, who are seated one below the other, those on one side being
female, those on the other male saints. The two portions of the
entire area which are thus divided from one another are occupied
in their upper part by the saints of the Old and of the New
617
PARADISO [xxxii. 1-23
Testament respectively ; but the lower part is devoted to the
innocent children who were beatified.
I, 2. Affetto, &c. : 'while still absorbed in the object of his
love (the Blessed Virgin ; cp. Par. xxxi. 140), that contemplative
spirit assumed spontaneously the office of instructor.' St. Bernard
now enumerates the most conspicuous of the female saints, and
afterwards (11. 28-36) the most conspicuous of the male saints,
who form the lines of partition mentioned in the preceding note.
4-6. La piaga, &c. : i. e. the curse, which fell on the human
race through Adam's transgression, and was removed by the birth of
Christ from the Virgin, colei : Eve, who is seated immediately
below the Virgin, che 1' aperse, &c. : * who inflicted and
aggravated it (punse, lit. pricked).' The Fall of man was
caused by Eve's first transgressing God's command herself, and
then tempting Adam to do so.
7-9. sedi : from sedio for seggio. Rachel : she symbolizes the
contemplative life; cp. Purg. xxvii. 104. Beatrice has already
been spoken of as sitting by her side in Inf. ii. 102.
10-2. Judit : she is introduced as being a typical Hebrew
heroine, bisava : Ruth ; for the relationship between her and
David cp. Ruth iv. 13, 17. per doglia, &c. : the penitential
Ps. li., which commences ' Have mercy upon me, O God,' is
headed ' A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto
him.' fallo is David's sin with Bathsheba.
14, 15. Giii digradar: 'descend in gradation,* i.e. sit one
beneath the other, com' io, &c. : 'as I do, who go down along
the rose from leaf to leaf, giving each her rightful name.'
16-8. SI come, &c. : 'as above it,' lit. 'until reaching it.'
succedono Ebree : ' Hebrew women follow in order.' Diri-
mendo, &c. : ' dividing all the tresses of the flower,' i. e. dividing
the one company of the Blessed from the other, the saints of the
Old Testament from those of the New. ' The tresses of the flower '
are the leaves of the Rose.
19-21. Perche, &c. : 'because these women form the partition
which divides from one another the rows of saints according to the
direction in which men's faith in Christ looked,' i. e. forward before
Christ's coming, and backward after that event, fee \s iovfece.
23. tutte: because the number of the saints of the Old
Dispensation was complete.
618
XXXII. 25-51] PARADISO
25-7. Dair altra, &c. : 'on the other side, on which the
semicircular tiers are interrupted by vacant places, are seated those,
whose eyes were turned to Christ after His coming/ In place of
Di voti i semicircoli some read Di voti, in semicircoli ; in this
case intercisi refers to Quei below, and signifies ' are separated
from one another/ si stanno : for other instances of stare^ starsi
in the sense of * to be,' 'to abide,' cp. Inf. x. 117 ; Purg. xxii. 85.
30. cotanta cema : ' so marked a division ' ; cerna is formed
from the Lat. cernere, which is used four lines below in the sense of
' to form a division.'
31-3. Cosi : understand y^z r^/-«<2. di contra : on the opposite
side of the rose. Giovanni : St. John the Baptist. He occupies
this position because of our Lord's words, ' Among them that are
born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist ' ;
Matt. xi. II. due anni : as two years elapsed between the death
of St. John and that of Christ, that period was passed by him in
Limbo.
34-6. cerner sortiro : ' were appointed to mark the division.'
quaggiu : St. Bernard and Dante were standing in the sea of
light.
38. r uno e r altro aspetto : the saints of the two Dispensa-
tions ; for aspetto cp. sguardo in 1. 19.
40, 41. dal grado, &c. : 'downward from the tier of seats
which cuts across the two dividing lines in the middle of the area.'
The Rose is divided horizontally into two equal parts by a row
of seats, which intersects the two vertical lines of division that
run downwards opposite to one another from the Virgin and from
St. John the Baptist. The part of the area below this row of seats
is assigned to the infant saints.
42, 43. Per nullo, &c. : ' those who sit there do so through no
merit of their own, but through the faith of others, under certain
conditions.' It is explained in 11. 76-84 that at different periods
in the history of mankind infants could be saved (i) through the
faith of their parents, (2) by circumcision, (3) by baptism.
44, 45. assolti : ' freed from the flesh,' ' dead.' vere elezioni :
' true power of choice,' i. e. the rational exercise of free-will.
46. Ben te ne, &c. : 'thou canst clearly perceive that they are
infants.'
49-51. dubbi : the doubt in Dante's mind is this: — If these
619
PARADISO [xxxii. 53-72
infants were saved by no merit of their own, how comes it that they
have different degrees of blessedness ? The answer is, that this
is not a question of merit, but of God's free gift (11. 52-75).
legame, &c. : ' the bonds of doubt, within which thy perplexing
thoughts constrain thee.'
535 54* Casual, &c. : * chance can have no place, any more
than,' &c. Casual punto means 'a thing of chance,' 'anything
accidental.' Se non come: cp. Par. i. 137.
56, 57. SI che, &c. : 'so that here the ring exactly fits the
finger ' ; i. e. everything that is found in Heaven must be in perfect
correspondence with the will of God. The idiom da ... a is the
same which is found in Inf. xix. 113 ; Purg. xxiv. 62.
58-60. E pero, &c. : ' and therefore this folk, who are called
before their time to that life which is the true life, are not without
reason in higher and lower grades relatively to one another.' sine
causa : a phrase borrowed from Scholastic Latin.
61-3. pausa : ' reposes.' ausa : a Lat. form, for osa^ ' venture-
some'; cp. Par. xiv. 130; hence di piu ausa means 'eager for
more ' ; 'no desire of man can aspire towards aught greater.'
66. qui basti, &c. : ' in this matter let the fact suflice,' without
inquiring into the reason. The ' fact ' is the difference in the
measure of grace with which God has endowed His creatures.
68, 69. quei gemelli : Esau and Jacob, who struggled together
in their mother Rebekah's womb (Gen. xxv. 22). The preference
in their case of the younger to the elder, which was announced
before they were born (v. 23), is quoted by St. Paul (Rom. ix.
10—2) in proof of the absolute freedom exercised by God in the
bestowal of His gifts ; ' the children being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.'
70-2. il color, &c. : in the case of Esau and Jacob the difference
in the colour of their hair formed a marked point of contrast in their
personal appearance, the former being distinguished from the latter
by his red hair (Gen. xxv. 25). This difference in natural
characteristics is here regarded by St. Bernard as emblematical of
the difference in the spiritual gifts which were bestowed on the
infants now spoken of. Hence 'the colour of the hair of such
grace ' is equivalent to ' the diflferent measure in which such grace
was originally given.' Translate : — 'It is fit and proper that the
620
XXXII. 73-114] PARADISO
supreme light should crown their heads (i. e. that their beatitude
in Heaven should be) in proportion to the grace bestowed on them
at their birth/ s' incappelli : lit. ' should be placed as a crown
upon them.'
73-5. Dunque, &c. : 'consequently, though they have no merit
such as proceeds from a godly life, they are placed in different tiers
(higher and lower) solely on the ground of their difference in the
innate power of beholding the face of God.' di lor costume : lit.
' arising from their mode of life ' ; had they lived and performed
meritorious actions, they would have had claims to reward pro-
portionate to them, and therefore different from one another, acume :
' keenness of sight.'
76-8. Bastava, &c. : ' verily in the early ages of the world the
faith of their parents, combined with their own innocence, sufficed by
itself for their salvation.' The early ages were the period from
Adam to Abraham.
80, 81. air innocenti penne, «fec. : 'to acquire power for their
innocence to fly to Heaven by means of circumcision.'
83, 84. perfetto : this epithet is added, because circumcision
was in a sense an imperfect form of baptism, laggiu : in Limbo.
85. faccia: the face of the Blessed Virgin.
89. menti : the angels. For their office in communicating God's
grace cp. Par. xxxi. 17.
94-6. queir amor : the archangel Gabriel, che primo, &c. :
' who first (i. e. before any other) descended on Mary ' ; the occasion
referred to was during the revelation of the Triumph of Christ in
the Heaven of the Fixed Stars, Par. xxiii. 94. Cantando : take
with distese.
97-9. cantilena: the salutation of the archangel, ogni vista:
the countenance of every saint.
106, 107. ricorsi, &c. : ' I had recourse once more to the in-
struction of him (St. Bernard), who was gathering beauty (becoming
more beautiful) from the face of Mary.'
109. Baldezza e leggiadria: 'confidence and grace of move-
ment.'
1 1 2-4. la palma : in pictures of the Annunciation Gabriel is
frequently represented as bearing a palm-branch in his hand, salma :
'burden,' i.e. the flesh. This word, like the mod. Ital. soma^ is
derived from the late Lat. sagma, about which Isidore remarks {Ortg.
621
PARADISO [xxxii. 115-42
XX. 16. 5), * sagma, quae corrupte vulgo dicitur salma.' The
original is the Gk. ady/xa, ' saddle,' ' pack.'
115, 116. si com' io, &c. : * following my words.' patrici :
* patricians,' i. e. dignitaries ; the highest Saints.
119, 120. Augusta: the Blessed Virgin, who is Reg'ma Caeli.
due radici : Adam and St. Peter, who are here intended, may be
regarded as roots from which the Celestial Rose, or company of the
Blessed, sprang — the former as being the head of the family of those
who believed in Christ before His coming, the latter of those who
believed in Him after His coming.
1 2 1-3. s' aggiusta: 'is next' ; it is derived from Lat. iuxta.
amaro : the bitter consequences of Adam's eating the forbidden fruit.
127-9. quel, &c. : St. John the Evangelist, who before his
death had the vision (the Apocalypse) of the persecutions and
disasters which were in store for the Church, sposa, &c. : the
bride whom Christ won by means of His Crucifixion. For a similar
method of describing the Crucifixion to that here used cp. Par. ix.
123. chiavi : 'nails,' from chiavo, Lat. c/avus ; from this again
is formed the verb chiavare. The word is archaic.
131. Quel Duca : Moses.
135. per cant are, &c. ; ' notwithstanding that (lit. for all that)
she sings Hosanna.'
136-8. Padre: Adam. Lucia: St. Lucy represents illu-
minative grace ; on this, and on her appealing to Beatrice to rescue
Dante, cp. Inf. ii. 97 and note, chinavi, &c. : ' didst droop thine
eyelids,' through despondency; this corresponds to 'io perdei la
speranza dell' altezza ' of Inf. i. 54. a ruinar : ' on thy hasty
downward way ' ; cp. rovinava in Inf. i. 61.
139-41. che t' assonna : i.e. during which thy Vision lasts.
farem punto : ' we will bring our enumeration to an end.' St. Ber-
nard's reference to the limited time assigned to Dante's Vision as
restricting his opportunities of observing the denizens of Heaven is
of the same nature as other passages of the poem in which Dante
himself speaks of the space at his command being limited ; cp. Purg.
xxix. 97-9; xxxiii. 136-41. sartore : the tailor who 'cuts his
coat according to his cloth ' is a typical instance of the homely similes
which are found in the Paradiso. See note on Par. xxvi. 97-9.
1 42 . primo amore : this term is here used of God, not, as in
most other passages, of the Holy Spirit.
622
xxxii. 145— XXXIII. 32] PARADISO
145, 146. Veramente : 'nevertheless'; cp. Par. i. 10; vii. 61.
ne forse: 'lest haply'; the Lat. ne forte; 'lest haply by moving
thy wings (i. e. by trusting to thy own powers) thou shouldst recede
farther from the presence of God, while thou thinkest that thou art
advancing towards it.'
148, 149. quella: the Virgin, afifezione: 'feeling,' not words.
CANTO XXXIII
Argument. — St. Bernard offers a prayer to the Virgin, beseeching
her to empower Dante to see the face of God himself. His request
is granted, and the Poet is enabled to behold in faint outline the
mysteiy of the Trinity in Unity, and that of the union of the Divine
and the Human Nature in the Person of Christ. At this point his
Vision concludes.
Lines 1—3. The first eighteen lines of this Canto have been
paraphrased by Chaucer in his Second Nonnes Tale, figlia, &c. :
because all things were created by Christ ; this is further explained
in 11. 5, 6. Termine fisso : ' predestined object.'
5. il suo Fattore, &c. : ' the Creator of human nature did not
disdain to become its creature,' i. e. to be born of a woman.
7. si raccese 1' amore : ' God's love was rekindled,' after it
had been quenched by man's transgression.
10. meridiana face : ' a noonday beam ' ; ' noonday ' signifying
the highest degree of brightness.
14. qual : 'whosoever.'
18. Liberamente, &c. : 'spontaneously anticipates the asking.'
22. infima lacuna : the pit of Hell.
27. r ultima salute: God; cp. Par. xxii. 124.
28-30. non arsi, &c. : 'never desired the sight of God for
myself more eagerly than I do for him.' scar si : ' insufficient,'
' lacking in efficacy.'
31, 32. Perche: 'that'; cp. Par. xxvi. 95. nube, &c. : Dante
was thinking of Virg. ylen. ii. 604-6, ' Aspice, namque omnem, quae
nunc obducta tuenti Mortales hebetat visus tibi et umida circum
Caligat, nubem eripiam.'
623
PARADISO [xxxiii. 35-78
35. sani : ' unimpaired,' ' untainted by corrupt inclinations *
(/ movimenti uman't^ 1. 37).
385 39. Vedi, &c. : ' behold Beatrice and all the saints, who
clasp their hands to thee in advocacy of my prayers/ The expression
is inverted for quanti Beati con Beatrice.
40, 41. da Dio, &c. : ' beloved by Christ as God, and venerated
by Him as Man.' dimostraro : by their smile.
44, 45. Nel qual, &c. : 'into the essence of which, we must
believe, no eye of created being can penetrate with equal clearness/
s* jnii : iniarsi is formed from to on the analogy of immiarsi (Par.
ix. 81), inluiarsi (Par. ix. 73), and means ' to enter into the " I am." '
If/ invii is read here, the meaning is ' can be directed,' ' can enter ';
but, if this were the original, it seems hardly possible that a reading
so difficult as s' inii should have been substituted for it.
47, 48. si com' io, &c. : ' even as was natural, I felt the eagerness
of desire cease within me.' As he approaches the presence of God,
desire is replaced by fruition and tranquillity.
51. tal qual ei volea : i. e. gazing upwards.
52. venendo sincera: 'becoming perfectly clear.' ¥ or venire
with an adj. in the sense of divenire cp. Par. xxvi. 102, ' venia gaia.'
57. oltraggio : ' immensity,' lit. 'excess.' This is the original
(though now obsolete) meaning of the word, which is derived from
Lat. ultra. The same sentiment as here is expressed in Par. i. 7-9.
58-60. sognando vede : ' sees objects in a dream.' Somniando,
which is found in Witte's A, should probably be read, for it is hard
to think that Dante would venture on such a solecism as to make
colui a trisyllable, except at the end of a line, la passione
impressa : ' the feeling which it has produced.' 1' altro : the
dream itself.
61. cessa: ' is obliterated.'
64-6. sidisigilla: 'dissolves,' lit. 'is unsealed.' la sentenza,
&c. ; the oracles of the Sibyl, which she inscribed on the leaves
of trees, but which were afterwards scattered by the wind ; cp. Virg.
Jten. iii. 444-51.
73~5- per tomare . . . Piii si, &c. : ' through its returning . . .
a higher conception will be formed of thy surpassing greatness.'
76-8. Io credo, &c. : ' so great was the keenness of the living
ray which I endured, that methinks I should have been dazed if
I had removed my eyes from it.' Dante felt that his hope of seeing
624
XXXIII. 79-96] PARADISO
the face of God depended on his continuing to look steadfastly.
sarei : for saret stato ; cp. Inf. xxiv. 36. aversi : particip. from
Lat. avertere.
79-81. mi ricorda : for this impersonal use cp. Inf. ix. 98.
Per questo : because I knew that everything depended on my not
averting my eyes, sostener : used absolutely, ' to endure.' tanto,
che : take with fui piu ardito ; ' I was the more emboldened . . .,
to such a degree that I fixed my eyes on the infinite Majesty.'
84. la veduta, &c. : 'I saw to the full (lit. consumed, exhausted)
all that was visible there.' It is clear from what follows that Dante
does not mean that his organs of sight were overpowered.
85-7. Nel suo profondo, &c. : Dante here means that all
created things and the order of Nature exist in God, and that he
was now empowered to see them in the light of His presence.
' I saw that within its depths is stored, bound together in one
volume by the force of love, all that throughout the universe forms
separate leaves.' As the separate leaves are bound up in one volume,
so all created things exist in God. squadema means lit. 'is
divided into leaves'; cp. Par. xvii. 37, where 'il quaderno (the
volume) della vostra materia ' means ' the total of all the objects
in the material world.'
88-90. Sustanzia, &c. : this clause is in apposition to Cio che
above. ' Substance (the things which exist) and accidents (the
forms which they take) and their mode (their manner of operation).'
Quasi conflati, &c. : ' seeming to be combined together in such
sort, that what I speak of is one simple light.' Others interpret
per tal modo, &c., as meaning *so wondrously, that my words
are a mere glimmer of it.'
91-3. La forma, &c. : 'the all-pervading formative principle
of this combination'; for forma in this sense cp. Par. i. 104.
Credo, &c. : as Dante had said in 11. 61-3, the vision itself had
disappeared from his memory, and the evidence of it that remained
behind was the consciousness of the joy which he felt, piu di
largo : ' more abundantly.'
94—6. Un pun to, &c. : ' one single moment is greater oblivion
to me (letargo, lit. lethargy, dulness), than twenty-five centuries
have been to the enterprise which caused Neptune to marvel at
the shadow of Argo.' In other words : — 'I forgot in a single
moment more of what I saw in the face of God, than men have
T02ER 625 S S
PARADISO [XXXIII. 99-117
forgotten in twenty-five centuries of the Argonautic expedition.'
The reason why this expedition is mentioned is, that it was the
earliest important event recorded in history. Scartazzini, on the
other hand, takes letargo as meaning ' absorbing admiration,' and
explains the passage thus : — ' A single moment produces in me
more absorbing admiration than twenty-five centuries have aroused
for the Argonautic expedition.' The meaning thus attached to
letargo agrees well with what is added in 11. 97-9 ; but the other
interpretation, which connects 11. 94-6 with what precedes, gives
a more natural sense to the words. In this case Cosi in 1. 97 refers
to what is said in 11. 85-90 of Dante's beholding the light of God's
presence. It is to be observed that Lat. leihargus and Ital. letargo
are almost always used in a distinctly unfavourable sense, am-
mirar : because it was the first vessel which crossed the sea.
99. di mirar, &c. : '• became enkindled by gazing.'
101. per altro aspetto: 'to look at aught else.'
103-5. Perocche, &c. : the meaning, in connexion with what
precedes, is : — ' Since all wishes aim at some good (see Purg. xvii.
103-5, 127-9), and all that is good is summed up in God, so that
what exists in perfection in Him is only found in an imperfect and
fragmentary form elsewhere, it follows that the attraction which He
presents must overpower every other attraction.'
107. Pure, &c. : 'even in regard to (in describing) what I
remember.'
109-14. Before proceeding to describe how the mystery of the
Trinity was gradually presented to him, Dante guards himself
against seeming to suggest that any change took place in the
countenance of God, who is immutable; the change was in
himself. 'Not because there was a variety of aspects in the
living light which I was regarding — for that is ever the same
as it was before — but because my power of sight gained strength
as I gazed, that which had but one appearance presented itself
differently to me as I myself changed.' si travagliava : it is
generally agreed that this signifies ' was changed,' but how this
meaning is arrived at has not been explained.
116, 117. parvemi, &c. : the combination of a plural subject
with a singular verb is a])parently intended to signify the Trinity
in Unity; cp. Par. ii. 42, 'Come nostra natura e Dio s' unio,'
to express the union of the two natures in Christ, tre colori,
626
XXXIII. ii8-4i] PARADISO
&c. : the three colours represent the special attributes of the three
Persons, the one dimension (continenza) the Unity.
118—20. r un: the Son, who is the express image of the
Father (1' altro), while the Holy Spirit (il terzo) proceeds from
the Father and the Son.
1 2 1-3. corto : 'deficient,* 'inadequate.' questo, &c. : 'my
conceit (my idea of what it was), compared with what I saw. Is so
slight, that "little " is too weak a word.'
124-6. O luce, &c. : addressing the Blessed Trinity, the Poet
proceeds to describe how the mystery of the Incarnation was presented
to him. sidi : from Lat. sidere ; ' abidest.' t' intend! : ' com-
prehendest (i. e. understandest) thyself.' The expressions sola in
te sidi and Sola t* intendi are used of the Divine Unity ; da te
intelletta of the Son, who is understanded of the Father ; in-
tendente te of the Father, who understands the Son (cp. Matt.
xi. 27); and ami ed arridi of the Holy Spirit, who loves and
smiles on them both. For the Holy Ghost as representing Love
cp. Par. X. I ; xiii. 57.
127, 128. Quella circulazion, &c. : the circle which repre-
sents God the Son; cp. 11. 118, 119. concetta : 'generated/
' begotten.'
130-2. del sue, &c. : 'painted of its own very colour with our
likeness,' i.e. with the human form. Colori in 1. 117 represents
the attributes of the Persons of the Godhead ; and similarly here,
when it is said that the circle which represents the Son bears our
likeness in its own colour, the perfect union of the human nature
with the divine in the Person of Christ is signified. messo :
' fixed.'
^33~5' Qual e, &c. : Dante compares his inability to penetrate
by his own unaided power the mystery of the Incarnation to that of
the geometrician who attempts to square the circle, s' afifige : ' is
intent.' principio : the principle from which to start in the
investigation.
137? 138* si convenne: 'conformed itself.' vi s' indova :
' finds its place there ' ; i. e. how Christ's Humanity can be united
with his Divinity.
139-41. non eran, &c. : 'my own unaided wings were not
capable of so high a flight, had it not been that my mind was
smitten by a bright beam, which contained the object of its desire.'
627
PARADISO [xxxiii. 142-5
The grace of God revealed to the Poet the mystery which he could
not of himself comprehend.
142-5. Ma gih, &c. : the meaning is: — 'Though my mind
could not penetrate farther into the heavenly mysteries, yet God,
whose love rules the universe, infused into me a sense of beatitude
which tranquillized my desires and my will/ In default of the
power of comprehension, his other powers (viz. his desires and his
will) were moved and regulated by God ; and it is in this perfect
conformity to His will that the happiness of the soul consists. Si
come rota, &c. : the uniformity of motion in the wheel symbolizes
the condition of a soul which is wholly guided by the divine love.
145. stelle: the Paradiso, like the two former Cantiche, ends
with this word, the Poet's object in thus introducing it being to lead
his readers' thoughts upwards to Heaven. The entire poem, from
this point of view, may be described in Milton's words as a ' star-
ypointing pyramid.'
628
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