Skip to main content

Full text of "Readings on the Purgatorio, chiefly based on the Commentary of Benvenuto da Imola"

See other formats


SEEM  BY 
PRESeaVAftON 

SERViCcS 


DATE 


2  6..:£.:M 


\ 


1 


^^ 


READINGS 

ON 

THE   PURGATORIO  OF  DANTE 


READINGS 

ON   THE 

PURGATORIO  OF  DANTE 

CHIEFLY    BASED   ON 

THE  COMMENTARY  OF  BENVENUTO 
DA  IMOLA 


\f9  THE  fF 


HON^LE-   WILLIAM^WARREN. VERNON    M.A. 

Mitb  an  ^ntroDuctton 

BY  THE 

VERY   REV.   THE   DEAN   OF   ST.   PAUL'S 

IN  TWO  VOLUMES 
VOL  II 


XonDon 

MACMILLAN   AND    CO. 

AND  NEW  YORK 
1889 

The  Right  of  Translation  and  Reproduction  is  Reserved. 


DRYDEN   PRESS: 
J-   DAVY  AND  SONS,    137,    LONG  ACRE,    LONDON. 


ERRATA. 

Vol.  II. 

Page  34  {line  i6).     Transfer  marginal  number  35  to  line  17. 
„    35.    For^^mansuetudogue"re.2idL^^mansuetoque.^^ 
»     50  (footnote).    For  "  Marcello  Malaspini "  read  "  Moroello 

Malaspina." 
„    67  {line  I ).     For  "  like  "  add  "  like  as." 
„     90  {line  1 8).     Transfer  marginal  number  55/^  line  1 7. 
„    99  (/itVz^  5).    i^9r  "  Dantes  "  read  "  Dante." 
„  118  {line  11).    Delete  "(from  Helicon)," 
„  127  {line  14).     For  "Deiphyle"  read  "Deipyle."    And  in 
note,  for  "daughters  of  Deidamia"  r^a^? " daughters 
of  Lycomedes,.' 
„  143  {line  8).     For  "  a  hungered  "  read  "  starved." 
„  idi,  {footnote).     For  "nelP  alto'  Olimpo"  read  "nelP  alto 

Olimpo." 
„  169  {line  7).    For  "  Bemardini  da  Podenta  "  read  "  Bemar- 

dini  da  Polenta." 
„  186  {line  16).    For  "ad  esso"  read  "adesso,"  also  in  foot- 
note. 
„  i^<)  {footnote).    For  "King  of  Calydon  and  Althaea"  read 

"  King  of  Calydon,  and  Althaea." 
„  213  {footnote).    For  "  Boetius  "  read  "  Boethius." 
„  21^  {footnote).  ditto  ditto 

„  226  {footnote,  line  12).     For  "prossimo"  r^a^  "  pessi mo." 
„  359  {line  12).    For  "  stemfre  "  read  "  stempre." 
„  429  {line  26).    For  "  Cangrande  "  read  "  Can  Grande." 
„  430.     Ditto  ditto.  The  same  correction  thrice. 

„  431  {footnote).     Instead  of  ^^Na\kde  for  Laikde"  rm^  "Nai- 
ades for  Laiades." 


THE    PURGATORIO 


VOL.    II. 


CANTO     XVIII. 


The  Fourth  Cornice. 
Spiritual  Sloth  (Accidia). 

S  in  the  last  Canto  Dante  demonstrated  how 
all  sins  have  their  origin  in  some  kind  of 
"Tove,"^in  the  present  one  he  describes  the 
purgation  of  Accidia  or  Spiritual  Sloth, 
which  comes  from  remissness  in  love  for  the  Only 
True  Good. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  Five  Divisions. 
In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i   to  v.  39,  Dante 
defines  Love. 

In  the  Scco7id  Division,  from  v.  40  to  v.  75,  he 
puts  forward  a  doubt  which  is  the  consequence  of  this 
definition. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  ^6  to  v.  105, 
he  speaks  of  the  punishment  and  purgation  of  the 
slothful  in  general. 

In  the  Fourth  Divisioft,  from  v.  106  to  v.  129,  he 
introduces  the  shade  of  the  Abbot  of  St.  Zeno  at  Verona. 

I  I 


2  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

In  the  Fifth  Division,  from  v.  130  to  v.  145,  he 
shows  how  the  sin  of  sloth  is  to  be  rooted  out. 

Division  I.    The  mental  questionings  of  the  Poet 
have  been  partly  quieted,  partly  roused.     What  is  that 
Love,  the  right  or  wrong  direction   of  which  is   the 
cause,  on  the  one  hand,  of  all  holiness ;  on  the  other,  of 
all  evil  ?    Virgil  accordingly  once  more  appears  as  an 
expounder  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  : — 
Posto  avea  fine  al  suo  ragionamento 
L'  alto  Dottore,  ed  attento  guardava 
Nella  mia  vista,  s'  io  parea  contento : 

The  lofty  teacher  had  brought  his  reasoning  to  a 
close  ;  and  was  looking  attentively  into  my  face,  to 
see  if  I  appeared  satisfied. 

Then  Dante  relates  that  he  had  still  certain  doubts. 
Ed  io,  cui  nuova  sete  ancor  frugava, 

Di  fuor  taceva,  e  dentro  dicea  : — "  Forse  5 

Lo  troppo  dimandar  ch'  io  fo  gli  grava." — 

And  I,  whom  a  new  thirst  was  yet  goading  on,  did 
not  utter  any  words,  but  kept  saying  to  myself: 
"  Perhaps  this  excessive  questioning  of  mine  may  be 
an  annoyance  to  him." — 

He  leaves  it  to  be  inferred,  that  he  had  reasoned 
within  himself  whether  enough  had  been  said  in  the 
matter  of  "  Love,"  and  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  had  not.  He  adds  that  Virgil  restored  his  confi- 
dence by  saying  to  him,  in  words  which  he  does  not' 
quote,  that  he  need  not  be  afraid  of  telling  of  the 
doubts  that  he  felt. 

Ma  quel  padre  verace,  che  s'  accorse 
Del  timido  voler  che  non  s'  apriva, 
Parlando,  di  parlare  ardire  mi  porse. 

But  that  true  Father  (Virgil)  who  comprehended  my 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  3 

timid  wish  that  kept  itself  concealed,  by  speaking, 
gave  me  hardihood  to  speak.* 

He  must  have  spoken  words  like  thoseof  Beatrice  that 
we  just  read  (in  note).  Dante,  with  renewed  confidence, 
proceeds  to  unburden  himself  of  his  doubts,  but  before 
doing  so,  he  breaks  out  into  an  exclamation  of  affec- 
tion and  gratitude  to  Virgil.  Benvenuto  says  that  he 
does  him  honour  by  a  cumulative  process.  First  he 
speaks  of  him  as  alto  Dottore,  then  padre  verace,  and 
now  calls  him  Maestro. 

Ond'  io  : — "  Maestro,  il  mio  veder  s'  avviva  lo 

SI  nel  tuo  lume,  ch'  io  discemo  chiarot 
Quanto  la  tua  ragion  X  porti  o  descriva  :  § 

*  Virgil  had  read  his  thoughts,  as  we  found  him  doing,  in 
Canto  XV,  127: — 

"  Se  tu  avessi  cento  larve 
Sopra  la  faccia,  non  mi  sarieno  chiuse 
Le  tue  cogitazion',  quantunque  parve." 
In  Par.  Canto  XVII,  7,  during  Dante's  interview  with  his 
great  grandfather  Cacciaguida,  Beatrice  observing  in  Dante's 
face  a  wish  to  ask  further  questions,  and  his  hesitation  to  do  so, 
says  in  words  equivalent  to  "  Come,  out  with  it,'' 

Per  che  mia  Donna  : — "  manda  fuor  la  vampa 
Del  tuo  disio,"  —mi  disse, — "  si  ch'  ella  esca 
Segnata  bene  della  interna  stampa  ; 
Non  perche  nostra  conoscenza  cresca 
Per  tuo  parlare,  ma  perche  t'  aiisi 
A  dir  la  sete,  si  che  1'  uom  ti  mesca." — 
t  Benvenuto  interprets  discerno  chiaro,  I  see  now  without 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

+  La  tua  ragion,  by  natural  and  moral  science. 
§  This  is  very  like  his  affectionate  outburst  to  Cacciaguida  in 
Par.  XVI,  16-21. 

Io  cominciai : — "  Voi  siete  il  padre  mio  ; 
Voi  mi  date  a  parlar  tutta  baldezza, 
Voi  mi  levate  si,  ch'  io  son  piu  ch'  io." 
I  I  2 


4  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

Whereupon  I :  "  Master,  my  sight  is  so  vivified  in  thy 
light,  that  I  clearly  discern  all  that  thy  reason  imports 
or  describes, 

Dante  explains  to  Virgil  that  he  had  been  telling  him 
what  Love  did,  and  in  what  it  was  the  cause  either  of 
good  or  of  evil,  but  he  says  :  Thou  hast  not  yet  told  me 
to  begin  with  what  Love  is  !  Define  it  for  me  !  Thou 
hast  told  me  the  conclusions  without  having  even  stated 
the  terms  of  thy  proposition. 

Pero  ti  prego,  dolce  padre  caro, 

Che  mi  dimostri  amore,  a  cui  riduci 

Ogni  buono  operare  e  il  suo  contraro." —  15 

Therefore,  I  beg  of  thee,  dear  gentle  Father,  to 
define  for  me  the  Love,  which  thou  makest  responsible 
for  every  good  action,  and  its  contrary." 

Virgil  answers  Dante's  petition,  but  first  points  out 
to  him  the  difficulty  of  the  subject. 

— "  Drizza  (disse)  ver  me  le  acute  luci 

Dello  intelletto  ;  e  fieti  manifesto 
L'  error  de'  ciechi  che  si  fanno  duci. 

"  Fix  on  me,"  said  he,  "  the  penetrating  eyes  of  in- 
tellect, and  then  will  be  clear  to  thee  the  error  of  the 
blind,  who  style  themselves  leaders. 

The  error  of  the  blind  leaders  of  the  blind  is  that  of 
the  Epicurean  philosophers,  who  contended  that,  as  a 
man's  desires  naturally  turned  to  good,  every  such 
desire  must,  by  that  fact  alone,  be  worthy  of  praise, 
and  ought  therefore  to  be  gratified.  Benvenuto  puts 
it  that  such  teachers,  in  saying  that  all  love  is  praise- 
worthy, are  guilty  of  a  fallacy. 

In  the  lines  that  follow  here  we  are  reminded  of  the 
beautiful  figure  in  the  last  Canto  but  one  (XVI,  86). 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  5 

L'  animo,  ch'  e  create  ad  amar  presto, 

Ad  ogni  cosa  h  mobile  che  piace,  20 

Tosto  che  dal  piacere  in  atto  h  desto. 

The  soul,  which  is  created  disposed  to  love,  is  easily- 
moved  towards  everything  that  pleases  it,  so  soon  as 
it  is,  by  pleasure,  awakened  to  action. 

Benvenuto  reminds  us  that  we  read  in  the  last  Canto 
that  neither  Creator  nor  created  thing  was  ever  with- 
out some  kind  of  love,  and  that  therefore  the  soul  is 
naturally  inclined  towards  everything  that,  at  first 
sight,  seems  pleasing  to  it,  as  soon  as  it  is  awakened, 
and  set  in  motion  from  the  delectation  born  within  it. 
For  Benvenuto  reads  piacer  hmato,  instead  of  piacere 
in  atto  ;  just  as  when  you  see  a  beautiful  woman,  her 
form  enters  through  the  windows  of  your  eyes  into  the 
chamber  of  your  mind,  and  moves  it  to  love  her, 
although  she  is  absent  and  the  mind  will  never 
behold  her. 

Vostra  apprensiva  da  esser  verace* 

Tragge  intenzione,  e  dentro  a  voi  la  spiega, 
Si  che  I'  animo  ad  essa  volger  face. 

Virgil    explains    this   by  saying : 

Your  power  of  apprehension  draws  the  imagef 
from  a  thing  that  really  exists,  and  spreads  it  out 
within  you  so  that  it  makes  the  mind  turn  to  it  (that 
image). 

There  is  nothing  in  the  intellect  which  was  not  in 
the  senses,  and  which  afterwards  entered  into  the 
intellect  by  seeing  or  hearing. 

*  da  esser  verace.  Pascal  says,  "  Les  apprehensions  des 
sens  sont  toujours  vraies." 

t  The  scholastic  philosophers  called  images,  or  likenesses  of 
things,  by  the  names  "  species  "  or  "  intentions." 


6  Readings  on  tlie  Ptirgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

E  se,  rivolto,  inver  di  lei  si  piega,  25 

Quel  piegare  h  amor  ;*  quelle  h  natura, 
Che  per  piacer  di  nuovo  in  voi  si  lega.+ 
And  if  it  does  turn  back  towards  such  image  and 
bends  itself  to  it,  that  incHnation  is  love.J  it  is  nature, 
which  by  pleasure  is  united  to  you  by  a  new  tie. 

*  ilamor:  Biagioli  says  that  the  following  words  of  the  C<?«z///^ 
(tr.  Ill,  ch.  2),  admirably  explain  this  passage  : — "  Amore,  vera- 
mente  pigliando  e  sottilmente  considerando,  non  h  altro,  che 
unimento  spirituale  dell'  anima  e  della  cosa  amata ;  nel  quale 
unimento  di  propria  sua  natura  1'  anima  corre  tosto  o  tardi, 

secondoche   h  libera  o  impedita E   perocchfe   il  sue 

essere  dipende  da  Dio,  e  per  quello  si  conserva  ;  naturalmente 
disia  e  vuole  a  Dio  essere  unita  per  lo  suo  essere  fortificare. 
E  perocch^  nelle  bontadi  della  natura  umana  la  ragione  si  mostra 
della  divina,  viene  che  naturalmente  1'  anima  umana  con  quelle 
per  via  spirituale  si  unisce  tanto  piu  tosto  e  piu  forte,  quanto 
quelle  piu  appaiono  perfette  ;  lo  quale  apparimento  h  fatto  secon- 
doche la  conoscenza  dell'  anima  h  chiara  o  impedita.  E  questo 
unire  h.  quello  che  noi  dicemo  amore." 

Therefore,  Biagioli  adds,  as  it  is  natural  to  the  soul  to  desire 
to  unite  itself  to  God,  as  a  support  to  its  existence,  so,  by  like 
motive,  is  it  natural  for  it  to  unite  itself  to  the  goodnesses  of 
nature,  which  is  a  radiance  of  the  chief  good. 

t  Si  lega,  is  binding  itself  anew  within  you ;  or,  is  striking  a 
fresh  root. 

J  The  faculty  of  apprehending,  perceiving,  and  comprehend- 
ing, is  set  in  motion  by  the  reality  of  external  things  round  us, 
and  this  develops  in  us  the  wish  to  show  it  worthy  of  love. 

"Apprehension  or  conception  consists  in  the  power  which 
the  mind  has  of  forming  an  image  of  attributes.  Images  so 
formed  are  first  intentions  (€?8„,  species  intelligibiles)  as  when 
we  regard  the  individual  Socrates  as  man,  white,  &c.  Second 
mtentions  are  obtained  by  abstracting  the  relations  of  first 
mtentions  to  one  another,  as  humanity,  whiteness,  &c.  First 
intentions  are  predicable,  second  not."-Mansel  (^r//^  Z^p-,V^ 
Rudtmenta.) 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  7 

"  Therefore,"  says  Benvenuto,  "  Love  is  shown  to  be 
the  inclination  of  the  soul  towards  a  thing  agreeable 
to  itself  offered  to  it  by  the  external  senses." 

And  now  Virgil,  having  given  the  definition  of  Love 
shows  by  a  comparison  its  power  and  efficacy. 
Poi  come  il  fuoco  muovesi  in  altura, 
Per  la  sua  forma,  ch'  e  nata  a  sail  re 
Lk  dove  piii  in  sua  materia  dura  ;  30 

Cosi  1'  animo  preso  entra  in  disire, 

Ch'  h  moto  spiritale  ;  e  mai  non  posa 
Fin  che  la  cosa  amata  il  fa  gioire. 
Afterwards  as  the  fire  moves  on  high,  by  virtue  of 
its  form  which  is  made  for  rising  to  where  it  dwells 
more  in  its  element ;  *  so  the  captive  soul  enters  into 
a  longing  which  is  a  motion  of  the  spirit,  and  never 
rests  until  the  thing  it  loves  causes  it  joy. 

Virgil,  having  shown  what  love  is  and  how  it  is  born 
in  men,  exposes  the  error  of  the  blind  teachers,  of 
whom  he  had  previously  spoken. 

Or  ti  puote  apparer  quant'  h.  nascosa 

La  veritade  alia  gente  ch'  avvera  35 

Ciascuno  amore  in  s^  laudabil  cosa  ; 
Now  canst  thou  see  how  much  the  truth  is  hid  from 
those  people  who  maintain  that  each  love  is  in  itself  a 
praiseworthy  thing. 

*  That  is  to  say  the  sphere  of  the  moon  which  the  ancients 
thought  was  the  sphere  of  fire  : 

"  Tutta  la  sfera  varcano  del  fuoco." — {Ariostd). 

The  ancients  did  not  know  that  the  air,  by  its  specific  gravity, 
drives  fire  upwards,  and  thought  it  was  made  to  rise  naturally. 
Dante  says,  in  the  Convito  (tr.  Ill,  3),  "Onde  e  da  sapere  che 
ciascuna  cosa  ....  ha  il  suo  speciale  amore.  E  pero 
il  fuoco  ascende  alia  circonferenza  di  sopra,  lungo  il  cielo  della 
luna,  e  pero  sempre  quello." 

Tasso  has  :  "  Come  va  fuoco  al  ciel  per  sua  natura." 


8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

And  he  points  out  to  Dante  what  is  the  cause  of 
the  error  of  those  who  consider  the  substance  of  love 
must  be  good,  whereas  nothing  is  really  loveable  but 
what  is  good  ;  for  they  did  not  consider  that  anything 
may  appear  good,  which,  in  itself,  is  evil,  but  yet  is 
loved  because  it  appears  good. 

Pero  che  forse  appar  la  sua  matera 

Sempre  esser  buona  ;  ma  non  ciascun  segno 
E  buono,  ancor  che  buona  sia  la  cera." — 

Because  its  matter  perchance  may  always  appear  to 
be  good ;  but  it  is  not  everysignet  that  is  good,  although 
the  (impression  on  the)  wax  may  be  admirable." 

And  thus  love,  however  good  in  itself,  may  become 
evil,  if  it  takes  its  impress  from  an  unlawful  object ; 
if  it  turns  itself  to  anything  that  is  wrong. 


Division  II.  Benvenuto  tells  us  that  we  shall  find 
this  Division  much  more  difficult  than  the  first,  and  in 
it  Dante  puts  forth  a  question  which  arises  from 
Virgil's  answer,  to  clear  up  this  doubt :'  If  love  comes 
to  you  from  without,  that  is,  from  the  attractiveness  of 
the  thing  offered,  in  what  can  the  mind  be  deserving 
either  of  blame  or  praise,  when  the  cause  is  from 
without } 

In  the  following  dialogue  we  have  a  type  of  the 
scholastic  disputation  between  master  and  scholar  of  a 
mediaeval  university,  such  as  Dante  may  himself  have 
taken  part  in.* 


*  Compare  Par.  XXIV,  XXV,  and  XXVI,  wherein  Dante 
relates  his  successive  examinations,  by  St.  Peter  on  Faith  St 
James  on  Hope,  and  St.  John  on  Love.  ' 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgaiorio.  9 

— "  Le  tue  parole,  e  il  mio  seguace  ingegno  " —  40 

Risposi  lui, — "  m'  hanno  amor  discoverto  ; 
Ma  cio  m'  ha  fatto  di  dubbiar  piu  pregno  : 

"  Thy  words,"  I  answered  him,  "  and  the  attention 
my  mind  gave  to  them,  have  discovered  love  to  me, 
but  that  has  left  me  more  pregnant  with  doubt. 

All  operations,  therefore,  whether  good  or  bad,  pro- 
ceed from  love,  and  love  is  generated  from  some 
pleasing  object,  which  is  presented  to  us  from  without, 
to  which  pleasing  quality  the  soul  feels  irresistibly 
drawn ;  therefore  it  would  seem  to  me  neither  to 
deserve  merit  nor  censure.  But  if  ^ie_mind_  has 
received  from  its  Maker  the  attribute  of  peing  bom 
to  take  pleasure  in  external  objects  presented  to  it, 
and  through  such  disposition  loves  ;  if  it^oyes  badly 
it  is  not  its  fault,  and  if  it  loves  well  it  is  not  its 

merit. 

Ch^  se  amore  h  di  fuori  a  noi  offerto, 
E  1'  anima  non  va  con  altro  piede, 
Se  dritta  o  torta  va,  non  ^  sue  merto." —  45 

For  if  love  be  offered  us  from  without,  and  the  soul 
goes  not  with  other  foot,  then  it  can  neither  be  praised 
if  it  goes  right,  nor  blamed  if  crooked. 

As  representing  human  wisdom,  Virgil  offers  but  a 
partial  solution  of  the  problem  of  free  will.  The  full 
explanation  must  come  from  Beatrice,  as  Theology, 
the  Scientia  Scientiarum. 

Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  Quanto  ragion  qui  vede 
Dir  ti  poss'  io  ;  da  indi  in  Ik  t"  aspetta 
Pure  a  Beatrice  ;  ch'  h  opra  di  fede. 

And  he  to  me :  "  As  far  as  reason  sees  here,  I 
can  tell  thee  ;  beyond  that  look  only  to  Beatrice,  for 
it  is  a  work  of  faith. 


10  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 


M 


Virgil  now  begins  to  solve  Dante's  problem,  but  first 
assumes  a  general  principle  to  be  necessary  for  his 
purpose.  And  the  better  to  understand  this  very  stiff 
passage  (says  Benvenuto),  you  must  first  know  that 
the  vegetative  and  sensitive  soul  is  evolved  out  of  the 
power  of  substance,  and  is  born  with  it  and  dies  with 
it,  as  we  see  in  plants  and  in  animals  ;  but  the  rational 
soul  is  not  evolved  out  of  the  power  of  substance,  nor 
does  it  come  into  life  with  a  body,  but  is  infused  into 
it  by  God,  and  given  instead  of  a  form.  Now  here 
Dante  wishes  to  say  that  each  rational  soul  has  a 
certain  power  innate  in  itself,  which  cannot  be 
recognised  unless  it  is  brought  into  outward  action  ; 
therefore,  if  natural  science  sees  that  the  soul  has  a 
delight  in  what  is  good,  it  judges  it  to  be  good,  and  if 
•  it  sees  the  contrary,  it  judges  the  contrary. 
Ogni  forma  sustanzial,*  che  setta 

E  da  materia,  ed  h  con  lei  unita,  50 

*  On  V.  49,  Dean  Plumptre  says  : — 

"The  soul  is,  in  scholastic  terminology,  the  'substantial 
form,'  i.e.^  the  essence,  of  man's  nature.  Without  it  the  man  is 
not.  As  such,  it  has  its  own  specific  virtue,  i.e.^  its  own  ideas, 
tendencies  and  capacities.  These  are  known  in  their  effects,  as 
the  nature  of  the  plant  is  known  by  its  leaves  and  flowers  and 
fruits,  as  the  instinct  of  the  bee  is  seen  in  its  making  honey ;  but 
what  is  the  source  either  of  the  primal  conceptions  or  the  primal 
desires,  whether  innate,  inspired,  or  determined  by  stellar 
influences  or  a  law  of  heredity,  Dante  will  not  say.  The  first 
desires,  even  if  directed  to  counterfeits  of  good,  are  simply 
neutral,  deserving  neither  praise  nor  blame  ;  but  with  them 
there  is  innate  in  the  soul  (here  Dante  is  not  doubtful,  for  with 
him  it  was  a  primary  fact  of  consciousness)  a  power  that  judges, 
warns,  advises,— what  we  know  as  conscience.  This  stands  as 
warder  at  the  gate  through  which  desire  passes  into  act,  brings 
with  It  the  sense  of  merit  or  demerit,  is  the  foundation  of  human 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  II 

Specifica  virtude*  ha  in  s^  coUetta, 
La  qual  senza  operar  non  e  sentita, 

N^  si  dimostra  ma'  chef  per  effetto, 
Come  per  verdi  fronde  in  pianta  vita. 

Every  substantial  form  that  is  separate  from  matter, 
and  which  is  united  with  it  (that  is,  the  body),  has  a 
specific  power  collected  in  itself,  which  cannot  be 
recognised  or  known  until  it  is  brought  into  operation, 
nor  is  it  made  manifest  except  by  effects,  as  life  is  in 
plants  by  green  leaves. 

We  do  not  think  of  primal  motive  powers,  and  it  is 
only  by  their  being  brought  into  operation  that  we  can 
perceive  them,  or  when  we  put  into  action  the  special 
power  given  to  us — and  so  by  them  we  have  no  special 
merit,  or  demerit. 

Pero  Ik  onde  vegna  lo  intelletto  55 

Delle  prime  notizie,  uomo  non  sape, 
N^  de'  primi  appetibili  1'  affetto, 
Che  sono  in  voi,  si  come  studio  in  ape 

Di  far  lo  mele  ;  e  questa  prima  voglia 

Merto  di  lode  o  di  biasmo  non  cape.  60 

liberty,  and  therefore  of  all  systems  of  ethics  which  are  worthy 
of  the  name,  chiefly  that  of  '  il  maestro  di  color  che  sanno.' 
Inf.  IV,  131.  Hence,  if  we  allow  that  every  desire  in  men  may 
be  traced  to  a  law  of  cause  and  effect,  and  admit  so  far  the 
postulates  of  Determinism,  there  is  yet  a  '  noble  virtue '  in 
man,  which  theology,  embodied  in  Beatrice,  recognises  as  keep- 
ing man  from  being  bound  hand  and  foot  in  the  iron  chain  of 
necessity."     Compare  Par.  V,  19. 

Forma  substanziale  was,  in  the  schools,  the  name  for  that 
form,  which,  united  to  primal  matter,  common  to  all  bodies, 
forms  the  different  species  of  them. 

*  Virtu  speciale  is,  according  to  Dante  in  the  Convito,  the 
natural  appetite  of  the  soul. 

t  Ma  che  =  magis  quam  =  more  than. 


12  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

Therefore,  man  does  not  know  whence  comes  the 
understanding  of  the  primal  conceptions,  nor  the  bent 
of  the  first  appetites,  which  are  in  you,  just  as  there 
is  in  the  bee  the  instinct  to  make  honey  ;  and  this 
primal  desire  is  not   capable  in  itself  of   praise   or 

censure. 

Or,  perch^  a  questa  ogni  altra  si  raccoglia, 
Innata  v'  h  la  virtu  che  consiglia, 
E  deir  assenso  de'  tener  la  soglia. 
Now,  in  order  that  every  other  will*  may  cluster 
round  this  first  will  (may  come  into  harmony  with  it), 
there  is  innate  in  you  a  power  that  you  receive  from 
nature,  which  counsels,  and  this  power  ought  to  guard 
the  threshold  of  assent.f 

There  are  several  explanations  of  this  terzina.     I 
•  have  in  my  translation   followed   Benvenuto,  whose 
interpretation  is  practically  the  same  as  that  of  Witte 
and  Philalethes. 

Quest'  h  '1  principio  Ik  onde  si  piglia 

Cagion  di  meritare  in  voi,  secondo  65 

Che  buoni  e  rei  amori  accoglie  e  viglia. 

This  is  the  principle  whence  emanate  the  grounds 
of  your  deserts,  according  as  it  receives  or  winnows 
out  good  and  bad  loves. 

Benvenuto  considers  principio  to  be  Free  Will, 
which  is  the  intrinsic  principle  of  volition.  He 
translates  viglia,  "  receives  and  expels,"  and  says  it  is 
a  word  used  by  rustics,  when  they  are  purging  corn  in 

*  And  this,  according  to  Benvenuto,  is  Free  Will ;  or,  as  in 
verse  68,  innate  liberty. 

t  Lamennais  translates  :  "  Or  afin  qu'k  elle  viennent  s'unir 
toutes  les  autres,  innee  en  vous  est  la  vertu  qui  conseille,  et  qui 
doit  garder  le  seuil  du  consentement." 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  1 3 

a  threshing  floor,  and  drive  out  all  that  is  superfluous 
to  good  grain. 

Virgil  states  that  Aristotle  and  Plato,  and  others  of 
the  wisest  of  men,  have  been  the  inventors  of  moral 
doctrine  by  means  of  which  men  may  go  through  life 
with  prudence. 

Color  che  ragionando  andaro  al  fondo, 

S'  accorser  d'  esta  innata  libertate, 

Pero  moralitk*  lasciaro  al  mondo. 
They  who  penetrated  to  the  inmost  depths  of  reason- 
ing, took  note  of  that  innate  freedom  and  therefore 
they  left  morality  to  the  world. 

Onde  pognam  che  di  necessitate  70 

Surga  ogni  amor  che  dentro  a  voi  s'  accende  ; 

Di  ritenerlo  h  in  voi  la  potestate. 
Allowing,  then,  that  every  love  which  is  kindled  in 
you  arises  of  necessity,  there  is  still  implanted  in  you 
a  power  to  control  it. 

On  this  passage  Benvenuto  says :  "  Now  mark  here, 
reader,  that  if  this  reasoning  be  well  considered,  it 
ought  to  convince  everyone.  For  what  medical  man 
would  agree  that  it  is  no  use  curing  a  sick  person  ? 
But  that  would  be  true,  if  everything  happened  by 
necessity.  What  astrologer  would  be  willing  for  his 
art  to  be  condemned,  when  he  maintains  that  one  can 
avert  coming  misfortunes,  if  they  be  foretold  by  his 
lore  .''  What  judge  would  not  be  indignant,  were  he 
told  that  he  punishes  evildoers  unjustly  ?  What 
merchant  would  not  say  that  negligence  is  very 
prejudicial  to  trade?     What  wise  man  does  not  prove 

*  By  inoralita  understand  moral  philosophy,  which  would 
have  been  of  no  avail  without  the  principle  of  freedom  of  the 
will.  Benvenuto  says  they  left  it  to  the  world,  by  putting  a  check 
on  liberty  to  prevent  its  declining  to  evil. 


14  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

that  much  wisdom  [multa  concilia)  is  necessary  for  the 
world  ?  What  husbandman  does  not  know  that  agri- 
culture is  profitable  for  fertilising  crops  ?  But  all  men 
try  to  make  excuse,  throwing  the  responsibility  for  all 
their  vices  and  sins  upon  Heaven,  upon  destiny,  upon 
fortune,  saying  like  the  philosopher,  Cleantes  : 
"  Volentem  fata  ducunt,  nolentem  trahunt." 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  Virgil  refers  Dante  to 
theology,  and  says  briefly  that  he  himself  by  his  human 
knowledge  or  science  cannot  rise  to  any  more  elevated 
interpretation  of  the  question,  for  he  can  only  judge  of 
cause  by  effect;  but  Beatrice  understands  that  the 
noble  virtue,  the  most  excellent  that  there  is  in  man, 
is  Free  Will,  for  by  it  we  deserve  either  eternal  life, 
or  everlasting  punishment. 

La  nobile  virtu  Beatrice  intende 

Per  lo  libero  arbitrio  ;  e  pero  guarda 

Che  r  abbi  a  mente,  se  a  parla  ten  prende." —    75 

The  noble  faculty,  Beatrice  understands  by  Free 
Will  ;  and  therefore  look  that  thou  bear  it  in  mind, 
should  she  take  in  hand  to  speak  to  thee  of  it." 

Benvenuto  says :  Beatrice  spoke  of  it  to  Dante  in 
Par.  V,  19 :  "  Lo  maggior  don  che  Dio,  ^-c."  And 
again  Par.  I,  109,  where  he  says  that  the  order  God 
has  given  to  nature  causes  in  us  the  first  impulses. 


Division  III.  In  this  Third  Division  of  the  Canto 
Dante  describes  the  penance  of  the  slothful,  but  he 
first  gives  a  very  exact  description  of  the  position  of 
the  moon. 

La  Luna,  quasi  a  mezza  notte  tarda, 
Facea  la  stelle  a  noi  parer  piu  rade, 
Fatta  com'  un  secchione  che  tutto  arda. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Pur gatorio.  15 

The  moon,  as  it  were  towards  midnight  late,  shaped 
like  a  pitcher  all  afire,  was  making  the  stars  appear 
to  us  more  rare. 

I  follow  Benvenuto  in  the  xq^l^xw^  secchione  "  pitcher- 
shaped,"  which  I  must  prefer  to  scJieggione,  a  log  all  jn 
a  blaze.* 

On  this  particular  passage,  Dr.  Moore  ( Time  Refer- 
ences,^.  loi)  says  "The  majority  of  Commentators  have 
assumed  (as  it  appears  to  me  quite  needlessly),  that 
this  must  refer  to  the  actual  hour  of  Moon-rise,  which 
would  certainly  be,  according  to  the  principle  we  have 
been  advocating,  about  10  P.M.,  or  perhaps  10.30.,  since 
the  Moon  is  already  well  up,  and  producing  a  sensible 
effect  in  quenching  the  lesser  stars.-f  Philalethes  says 
the  Moon  rose  Etwa  um  10  Ukr,  also  sc/ion  ziemlicli 
gegen  Mitternacht.  ...  I  do  not  think  it  at  all  certain 
that  Dante  intends  to  speak  of  the  hour  of  Moon-rise 
at  all.  .  .  .  The  effect  here  indicated  of  the  quenching 
of  the  lesser  stars  by  the  light  of  the  gibbous  or  pitcher- 
shaped  moon  {secchione)  as  it  is  graphically  described, 
would  be  much  more  striking  if  it  were  some  little 
time  above  the  horizon  than  if  it  were  just  rising.  I 
think  it  probable  the  whole  passage  is  only  a  poetical 
and  slightly  elaborate  way  of  saying  the  hour  was 

*  Benvenuto  explains  secchione  as  half  round  and  red,  like 
fire,  in  a  lighthouse,  which  bums  all  night  to  direct  mariners 
into  port ;  scheggione  is  like  a  pine  torch  burning  naturally  and 
emitting  fire. 

t  Lubin  thinks  that  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  (when  referring 
to  the  moon)  Dante  should  have  followed  the  Calendar  of  the 
Church  ;  and,  in  other  words,  all  his  allusions  are  to  be  con- 
nectedly and  consistently  explained  as  referring  to  the  calendar 
moon  and  not  the  real  moon. 


i6  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

approaching  midnight,  described,  as  usual,  by  some 
striking  visible  aspect  of  the  fact.  It  is  not  half  so 
elaborate  or  artificial  a  way  of  describing  a  simple 
fact  or  phenomenon  as  many  other  passages  that 
might  be  cited.  It  was  surely  quite  a  natural  (poetical) 
description  of  such  an  hour  (it  being  allowed  that  the 
Moon  was  up,  as  a  fact)  to  translate  :  '  And  now  the 
moon,  as  it  were,  towards  midnight  late,  shaped  like  a 
pitcher  all  afire,  was  making  the  stars  appear  to  us 
more  rare.' " 

E  correa  contra  il  ciel  *  per  quelle  strade 

Che  il  sole  infiamma  allor,  che  quel  da  Roma      80 
Tra  i  Sardi  e  i  Corsi  il  vede  quando  cade  ; 

And  it  (the  moon)  was  moving  in  the  contrary  di- 
rection to  the  heavens  through  those  paths  which  the 
sun  sets  aflame,  when  the  man  at  Rome  sees  it  going 
down  at  a  point  between  Sardinia  and  Corsica. 

*  Dr.  Moore  {Time  References,  p.  104):  "  The  words  which 
follow  in  V.  79  describe  evidently  the  backing  of  the  moon 
through  the  signs  from  west  to  east  (as  in  Par.  IX,  85,  contra 
'1  sole,  and  again,  in  Par.  VI,  2,  the  removal  by  Constantine  of 
the  seat  of  Empire  from  Rome  to  Constantinople  is  described  as 
contro  il  corso  del  ciel.) 

"  This  causes  the  daily  retardation  to  which  we  have  so  often 
referred  ;  and  more  particularly  he  says  she  was  in  that  path  of 
the  Zodiac  which  is  illuminated  by  the  sun,  when  the  people  of 
Rome  see  him  setting  between  Sardinia  and  Corsica.  This  is 
stated  by  Mr.  Butler,  no  doubt  correctly,  to  be  towards  the  end 
of  November,  when  the  Sun  sets  west  by  south.  If  so,  the  Sun 
would  then  be  in  Sagittarius,  and  that  is  precisely  where  the 
Moon's  Right  Ascension  would  bring  her  on  this  night,  as  is 
pointed  out  by  Delia  Valle.  Dante's  indication  of  the  Sun's 
position  here,  as  seen  from  Rome,  is  curious.  These  islands 
being  invisible  from  Rome,  the  Sun  can  only  be  said  to  be  seen 
setting  between  them,  from  a  knowledge  of  their  position  on  the 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  1 7 

E  quell'  ombra  gentil,  per  cui  si  noma 
Pietola  piu  che  villa  Mantovana, 
Del  mio  carcar  deposto  avea  la  soma  : 

And  that  noble  shade  (of  Virgil),  from  whom  the 
little  village  of  Pietola  (his  birthplace)  is  better  known 
to  fame  even  than  the  city  of  Mantua,  had  laid  aside 
the  burden  of  my  lading. 

Perch'  io,  che  la  ragione  aperta  e  piana  85 

Sovra  le  mie  questioni  avea  ricolta, 
Stava  com'  uom  che  sonnolento  vana. 

Whereupon  I,  who  had  received  a  manifest  and  plain 
answer  to  my  questions,  stood  like  a  man  who  wanders 
through  drowsiness. 

The  drowsiness  reminds  us  of  Canto  IX,  1 1  ;  and 
XXVII,  92,  and  may  be  connected  with  the  sin  of 
accidia  from  which  the  pilgrim  is  now  to  be  purified  ; 
perhaps  with  the  weariness  of  the  natural  man  after 
the  tension  of  the  brain  occupied  with  profound  mys- 
teries. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
slothful,  fatigued  with  but  slight  labour,  was  giving 
himself  up  to  sleep — but  before  he  could  do  so,  he  was 

map,  compared  with  the  observed  direction  of  the  Sun. 
(Compare  statement  of  moon  setting  beneath  Seville  in  Inf. 
XX,  126).  In  this  sense  only  can  it  be  true  that  (as  some  of  the  old 
commentators  say)  Dante  observed  this  himself  when  at  Rome; 
and  in  this  sense  it  is  very  likely  indeed  to  have  been  true,  since 
he  was  actually  at  Rome  at  the  moment  of  the  disastrous  entry 
of  Charles  of  Valois  into  Florence  on  November  ist,  1301,  and 
for  some  time  afterwards,  i.e.,  at  the  very  time  of  year  here 
described." 

Benvenuto  thinks  this  happened  in  the  middle  of  October 
about  midnight,  and  when  the  sun  was  in  Scorpio. 

K  K 


1 8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

suddenly  roused  by  a  band  of  penitents,  who  to  purge 
themselves  of  sloth,  were  running  so  rapidly,  that  they 
had  already  gone  completely  round  the  cornice,  and 
were  coming  up  behind  the  Poets. 

Ma  questa  sonnolenza  mi  fu  tolta 
Subitamente  da  gente  che,  dopo 
Le  nostre  spalle,  a  noi  era  gik  volta.  9° 

But  this  drowsiness  was  suddenly  taken  from  me  by 
persons,  who  had  already  come  round  upon  us  behind 
our  backs. 

These  are  the  slothful  whose  penalty  is  unceasing 
activity  and  display  of  energy  in  running,  talking,  me- 
ditating and  whatever  else  is  contrary  to  their  mortal 
natures. 

Benvenuto  says  the  slothful  man  sins  in  a  threefold 
way.  {a)  In  his  heart:  by  not  thinking  of  God,  his 
own  and  his  neighbour's  salvation,  and  not  sorrowing 
for  his  sins,  {b)  With  his  lips  :  by  not  praising  God, 
and  praying  to  him,  not  instructing  his  neighbour 
by  exhortation,  reproof,  and  such  like,  (c)  In  his 
actions  :  by  not  giving  alms,  not  going  to  church,  and 
so  on. 

E  quale  Ismeno  gik  vide  ed  Asopo, 
Lungo  di  se  di  notte  furia  e  calca, 
Pur  che  i  Teban  di  Bacco  avesser  uopo  ; 

Tale  per  quel  giron  suo  passo  falca,* 

Per  quel  ch'  io  vidi  di  color,  venendo,  95 

Cui  buon  volere  e  giusto  amor  cavalca. 

*  The  word  falcare,  in  French  faucher,  here  translated 
"  curve,"  is  a  term  of  equitation,  describing  the  motion  of  the 
outer  fore-leg  of  a  horse  in  going  round  a  circle.  It  is  the 
sweep  of  the  mower^s  scythe. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  19 

And  as  of  old  {gia)  Ismenus  and  Asopus  saw  the 
rush  and  throng  at  night  along  their  banks,  provided 
that  the  Thebans  were  in  need  of  Bacchus,  so  these 
along  that  cornice  curve  their  steps  running  round  and 
round  it,  as  much  as  I  could  see  of  those  advancing, 
who  by  good  will  and  righteous  love  are  ridden.* 
Tosto  fur  sovra  noi ;  perch^  correndo, 
Si  movea  tutta  quella  turba  magna  ; 
E  duo  dinanzi  gridavan  piangendo  : 
Maria  corse  confretta  alia  montagna  ;  t  lOO 

E  :  Cesare,  per  soggiogare  Ilerda, 
Punse  Marstlta,  e  poi  corse  in  Ispagna. 
— "  Ratto,  ratto  !  che  '1  tempo  non  si  perda 

Per  poco  amor," — gridavan  gli  altri  appresso  ; 
— **  Ch^  studio  di  ben  far  grazia  rinverda." —  105 

Soon  they  were  upon  us,  for  the  whole  of  that  great 
band  came  up  running  ;  and  two  in  front  cried  out, 
weeping :  "  Mary  in  haste  went  to  the  mountain." 
And  "  Caesar,  to  subdue  Ilerda,  stung  Marseilles,  and 
then  hastened  into  Spain."  "  Haste,  haste !  so  as  not 
to  waste  time  through  lack  of  love ! "  cried  out  all 
those  that  came  after  ;  "  that  zeal  of  doing  right  may 
cause  grace  to  bud  again." 

*  Ismenus  and  Asopus  were  rivers  of  Bceotia,  on  whose  banks 
the  Thebans  ran  at  night  with  lighted  torches  to  invoke  the  aid 
of  Bacchus — to  give  them  rain  for  their  vineyards — which  is 
what  Dante  means  by  '"'■  Purche  avesser  uopo"  The  comparison 
comes  from  Statins  [Theb.  IX,  434). 

Benvenuto  draws  a  moral  from  this  simile.     He  says  if  the 
Thebans  were  in  the  habit  of  arising  at  night  to  chant  the  praises  ', 
of  the  heathen  Bacchus,  who  was  the  god  of  wine  and  triumph, 
how  much  the  more  ought  not  Christians  to  arise  and  hasten 
to  sing  the  praises  of  the  One  True  God. 

t  vv.  100-105.  The  examples  here  given  are,  as  usual,  drawn 
both   from  sacred  and   profane  history.      As   before,  the  first 

K  K  2 


20  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

Division  IV.  Dante  now  introduces  one  of  the 
shades  of  the  slothful,  but  before  doing  so  he  tells  us 
that  Virgil  asks  the  spirits  to  point  out  the  opening  of 
the  stairway  to  the  next  Cornice. 

— "  O  gente,  in  cui  fervore  acuto  adesso 

Ricompie  forse  negligenza  e  indugio, 
Da  vol  per  tiepidezza  in  ben  far  messo, 
Questi  che  vive  (e  certo  io  non  vi  bugio) 

Vuole  andar  su,  pur  che  il  sol  ne  riluca  ;  I  lo 

Pero  ne  dite  ond'  h  presso  il  pertugio." — 
"  O  ye  in  whom  the  present  fervid  zeal  perchance 
redeems  neglect  and  procrastination  shown  by  you  in 
lukewarmness  to  do  good,  this  man  who  lives  (Dante), 
and  indeed  I  am  telling  you  the  real  truth,  wishes  to 
go  up  as  soon  as  ever  the  sun  shines  forth  again  upon 
us  ;  therefore  pray  tell  us  where  the  passage  is  near." 
Parole  furon  queste  del  mio  duca  : 

Ed  un  di  quegli  spirti  disse  : — "  Vieni 
Diretro  a  noi,  e  troverai  la  buca. 

reference  is  to  an  incident  in  the  life  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
Si.  Luke,  I,  39  :  "And  Mary  arose  in  those  days,  and  went  into 
the  hill  country  with  haste." 

These  facts  about  Caesar  are  related  by  Lucan  (Pharsalia) 
in  books  III  and  IV.  Caesar,  who  was  on  his  way  to  subdue 
Ilerda,  now  Lerida  in  Spain,  besieged  Marseilles,  leaving  there 
a  part  of  his  army  under  Brutus  to  complete  the  work. 

Benvenuto  says  :  No  example  could  be  more  appropriate,  for 
no  man  alive  was  ever  a  greater  enemy  to  sloth  than  Julius 
Caesar— not  only  for  his  wonderful  endurance,  but  also  for  the 
incredible  rapidity  of  his  marches. 

Dean  Plumptre  thinks  that,  in  v.  105,  Dante  seems  to  teach 
the  scholastic  doctrine  of  "  Grace  of  Congruity  ; "  i.e.  that  the 
efforts  of  men  to  do  good  are  effective  in  making  them  meet  to 
receive  grace  for  doing  it.  The  doctrine  is  condemned  by  the 
Church  of  England  in  Article  XIII,  which  teaches  to  recognise 
God's  grace  even  in  those  efforts. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  21 

These  words  were  spoken  by  my  guide,  and  one  of 
those  spirits  said  :  "  Come  close  after  us,  and  thou 
wilt  find  the  opening." 

The  answer  had  come  from  the  Veronese  Abbot  of 
Zeno,  and  we  may  note,  Benvenuto  tells  us,  that  his 
whole  demeanour  shows  how  actively  he  is  purifying 
himself  from  sloth.  He  was  running  fast,  without 
his  long  robe,  he  did  not  delay  his  rapid  course  to 
answer,  he  did  not  involve  his  speech  with  a  tedious 
exordium,  but  answered  briefly,  sharply,  and  to  the 
point.  He  then  goes  on  to  excuse  himself  to  Dante 
for  not  stopping,  lest  the  latter  should  think  his  haste 
ill  bred.* 

*  Benvenuto  wishes  us  to  take  note  that  Dante  has  depicted 
this  refusal  of  the  Abbot  to  stop  and  talk,  with  an  express 
purpose  ;  for  he  remarks  how  often  one  sees  people,  when 
engaged  in  honest  useful  business,  stop  on  their  way  to  gossip 
so  that  they  may  please  men,  and  engage  m  delightful  conver- 
sation. That  hard  working  man,  Cato  the  Censor,  remarked 
that  an  account  must  be  rendered  to  God  for  all  our  hours  of 
ease,  not  only  of  our  actions  during  that  time,  but  even  of 
our  words  ;  and  in  another  place  he  wrote  this  graceful  idea  : 
Human  life  resembles  a  sword,  or  piece  of  iron ;  if  a  sword  be 
but  little  used,  it  is  consumed  by  rust  ;  but  if  continuously  used 
day  by  day  it  becomes  more  bright  and  shining. 

The  beautiful  lines  of  Miss  Proctor  apply  well  to  Accidia  : 
One  by  one  thy  duties  wait  thee, 

Let  thy  whole  strength  go  to  each. 
Let  no  future  dreams  elate  thee, 

Learn  thou  first  what  these  can  teach. 
***** 

Every  hour  that  fleets  so  slowly 

Has  its  task  to  do  or  bear  ; 
Luminous  the  crown,  and  holy. 

When  each  gem  is  set  with  care. 


22  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

Noi  siam  di  voglia  a  muoverci  si  pieni,  115 

Che  ristar  non  potem  ;  pero  perdona, 
Se  villania  nostra  giustizia  tieni. 
We  are  so  full  of  desire  to  keep  ourselves  in  move- 
ment, that  we  cannot  rest.     Pray  excuse  us  then,  if 
thou  shouldst  hold  as  want  of  courtesy   that  which 
is  our  (obligation  to  satisfy  divine)  justice. 

After  his  few  words  of  apology  for  his  haste  the 
spirit  continues  :* 

*  Benvenuto  says  :  For  the  better  understanding  of  this  text, 
one  must  know  that  this  spirit  says  that  he  Hved  in  the  time  of 
the  Emperor  Frederick  I  Barbarossa,  of  Suabia,  who  reigned 
37  years.  Frederick  was  at  first  a  friend  of  the  Church,  but 
later  on  had  a  quarrel  with  Pope  Alexander  III,  who  excom- 
municated him.  About  that  time  he  had  many  wars  in  Italy 
with  the  Lombard  allies  of  the  Pope.  He  conquered  them  all 
— destroyed  Spoleto  and  Tortona,  Lodia  transmutavit ;  he 
built  Crema,  and  Cremona  was  given  up  to  him  ;  he  assaulted 
and  took  Milan  in  1163,  pulled  down  its  walls,  burnt,  ploughed 
it  up,  and  sowed  the  site  with  salt.  He  slaughtered  the  Romans 
horribly.  Alexander,  fearing  his  power,  took  refuge  at  Venice, 
where  he  was  received  with  great  reverence.  By  his  favour  the 
Milanese  rebuilt  their  city  in  1168. 

The  leader  of  the  Venetian  fleet  in  a  naval  action,  took 
prisoner  Henry,  the  Emperor's  son,  and  brought  him  to  Venice. 
Frederick  Barbarossa,  seeing  his  fortune  was  deserting  him, 
and  that  Pope  Alexander  was  being  strengthened  by  the  support 
of  Louis  VII,  King  of  France,  Henry  II  of  England,  and 
William,  the  excellent  King  of  Sicily,  and  the  allied  Venetians 
and  Lombards,  asked  for  peace  and  pardon  by  ambassadors, 
and  came  to  Venice  and  fell  on  his  knees  before  the  Pope. 
Pope  Alexander  placed  his  foot  on  the  Emperor's  neck,  saying  : 
«  Thou  Shalt  go  upon  the  serpent  and  basilisk,  and  tread  the 
lion  and  dragon  under  thy  feet."  The  Emperor  said,  "  I  kneel 
to  Peter ;  not  to  you."  And  the  Pope  answered,  "  I  am  the 
Vicar  of  Peter."  Frederick  went  afterwards  to  the  Holy  Land 
on  a  crusade  in  1 190,  and  was  drowned  in  the  Salef  in  Armenia. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  23 

lo  fui  Abate  in  San  Zeno  a  Verona, 

Sotto  lo  imperio  del  buon  Barbarossa, 
Di  cui  dolente  ancor  Melan  rag^ona.  120 

I  was  Abbot  of  San  Zeno  at  Verona,  when  the  good 
Barbarossa  was  Emperor,  of  whom  Milan  still  speaks 
with  sorrow. 

This  was  a  former  Abbot  of  San  Zeno,  of  a  life 
blameless  except  for  sloth,  which  he  is  purifying  in 
this  Cornice.  Benvenuto  says :  He  calls  Frederick 
good,  because  he  was  brave,  virtuous,  energetic,  a 
most  successful  general,  and  of  a  very  handsome 
person,  and  called  Barbarossa  from  the  colour  of  his 
beard.  During  the  sack  of  Milan  82,000  men  were 
scattered  abroad,  and  the  ruins  remained  deserted  for 
five  years. 

E  tale  ha  gik  1'  un  pi^  dentro  la  fossa, 
Che  tosto  piang^rk  quel  monistero, 
E  tristo  fia  d'  aveme  avuto  possa  ; 
Perch^  suo  figlio,  mal  del  corpo  intero, 

E  della  mente  peggio,  e  che  mal  nacque,  125 

Ha  posto  in  luogo  di  suo  pastor  vero." — 

[Before  translating  these  lines,  it  is  well  to  mention 

that  the  speaker,  formerly  Abbot  of  San  Zeno,  had 

ruled  it  admirably.     He  now  complains  of  the  present 

Abbot  Giuseppe,  a  son  of  Alberto  della  Scala,  who 

being  deformed,  and  of  less  honourable  origin  than 

his  half  brothers  Bartolomeo,  Alboino  and  the  famous 

Can  Grande,  ought  to  have  been  disqualified  from  so 

great   a   distinction    as   Abbot   of  San    Zeno.      His 

character  moreover  ought  to  have  been  an  insuperable 

bar  to  his  appointment,  but  his  father  Alberto,  in  his 

old  age,  forced  him  upon  the  unwilling  inmates  of  the 

monastery.     So  the  Abbot  in  Purgatory  proceeds  :] 

And  there  is   one  (Alberto   della    Scala),   already 


24  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

with  a  foot  in  the  grave,  who  soon  will  weep  for  that 
Monastery,  and  will  lament  that  he  ever  held  the 
mastery  over  it,*  because  he  has  placed  his  son  (Giu- 
seppe), a  man  of  deformity,  of  a  worse  mind,  and  base- 
born,  in  the  room  of  its  true  pastor."f 

Dante  concludes  his  narration  of  the  interview,  by 
saying — 

lo  non  so  s'  ei  piu  disse,  o  s'  ei  si  tacque, 

Tant'  era  gik  di  Ik  da  noi  trascorso  ; 

Ma  questo  intesi,  e  ritener  mi  piacque. 

I  know  not  whether  he  said  more,  or  whether  he 
was  silent,  for  he  had  already  run  so  far  beyond  us  ; 
but  I  did  hear  that  much,  and  was  glad  to  retain  it  in 
my  memory. 

Benvenuto  thinks  Dante  means  that  he  noted  this 
one  circumstance,  that  he  must  remember  to  severely 
censure  the  violators  of  sacred  things. 


*  Dante  is  here  reproving  the  lay  lords  who  have  unjustly 
taken  possession  of  the  goods  of  the  Church. 

t  Benvenuto  tells  us  :  Zeno  was  the  eighth  Bishop  of  Verona, 
in  A.D.  165,  during  the  papacy  of  Dionysius.  He  was  a  man  of 
deep  sanctity,  learning,  and  eloquence.  Three  churches  are 
named  after  San  Zeno  at  Verona  :  one  on  the  hill,  another  by 
the  Adige,  which  is  only  a  small  oratory  or  chapel,  and  I  think 
it  is  this  San  Zeno  of  which  St.  Gregory  writes  in  the  Dialogues 
that  on  one  occasion  the  Adige  had  inundated  Verona,  but  did 
not  enter  the  windows  of  the  Church  of  San  Zeno.  The  third 
Church  is  about  a  javelin  cast  from  the  river,  and  there  is  no 
fairer  Church  that  I  have  seen  in  all  Verona.  And  it  is  of 
this  Church  in  particular  that  Dante  is  speaking  here,  because 
it  has  monks,  and  also  the  spirit  speaking  Abbot,  Albert,  was 
Abbot  there. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  t/te  Purgatorio.  25 

Divisioft  V.  This  is  the  last  Division,  in  which 
Dante  teaches  how  sloth  is  to  be  avoided,  by  showing 
its  unfortunate  effects. 

The  examples  are  followed  by  warnings.  The 
Israelites  who  came  out  of  Egypt  (compare  Canto  II, 
46)  perished  through  their  coward  sloth,  and  did  not 
enter  on  the  inheritance  of  Canaan  {Numb.  XIV, 
Deut.  I,  26-36,  Heb.  Ill,  13-19).  Many  of  the  com- 
panions of  ^neas  chose  to  remain  in  Sicily  with 
Acestes  {^neid,  V,  746-761),  and  so  forfeited  their 
share  in  the  inheritance  of  Italy.  Theyj:hose  safety 
rather  than  glory,  and  that  was  the  evidence  of  the 
sin  of  accidia.  Benvenuto  begs  us  to  admire  how 
gracefully  Dante  makes  Virgil  introduce  two  spirits 
who  are  both  showing  their  detestation  of  sloth. 

E  quei,  che  m'  era  ad  ogni  uopo  soccorso,  130 

Disse  : — "  Volgiti  in  qua,  vedine  due 
Venire,  dando  all'  accidia  di  morso." — 

And  he,  who  was  always  at  hand  to  assist  me  in 
need,  said,  "  Turn  round,  and  look  at  those  two  spirits 
coming  up  behind  you,  uttering  reproaches  against 
sloth. 

Benvenuto  thinks  Dante  shows  great  skill  in  re- 
presenting the  two  first  spirits  singing  the  praises  of 
the  energetic,  such  as  the  Virgin  Mary  and  Julius 
Caesar,  while  the  two  now  arriving,  walk,  on  the  other 
hand,  singing  the  bad  examples  offered  by  the  slothful. 

Dante  next  describes  the  song  of  the  new  arrivals, 
and  tells  us  how  they  first  sang  of  the  disastrous 
effects  of  sloth  on  the  children  of  Israel. 

Diretro  a  tutti  dicean  :  Prima  fue 

Morta  la  gente,  a  cut  il  mar  ^  aperse, 

Che  vedesse  Giordan  le  rede  sue;  135 


26  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XVIII. 

Coming  behind  all  the  others  they  shouted  :  "  That 
nation  to  whom  the  sea  opened  its  waters  were  all 
dead  before  that  the  Jordan  saw  their  heirs."  [It  will 
be  remembered  that  Joshua  and  Caleb  were  the  only 
Israelites  who  witnessed  both  these  miracles.] 
E  :  Quella  che  P  affanno  non  "offerse, 

Fino  alia  fine  col  figliuol  (P  Anchise, 
S^  stessa  a  vita  sanza  gloria  offerse. 

And:  "That  folk  that  would  not  endure  fatigue  unto 
the  end  with  the  son  of  Anchises  offered  itself  up  to 
a  life  without  glory."* 

The  glory  would  have  been  to  share  in  founding 
the  great  Roman  Empire.  Benvenuto  says  that 
Dante  now  brings  to  a  conclusion  what  he  has  to  say 
about  sloth,  and  with  it  this  noble  Canto,  by  pre- 
paring for  what  has  to  be  described  in  the  Canto  that 
follows,  which  contains  his  account  of  a  wonderful 

dream. 

Poi  quando  fur  da  noi  tanto  divise 

Quell'  ombre,  che  veder  piu  non  pot^rsi,  140 

NuGvo  pensier  dentro  da  me  si  mise, 

Del  qual  piu  altri  nacquero  e  diversi ; 
E  tanto  d'  uno  in  altro  vaneggiai, 
Che  gli  occhi  per  vaghezza  ricopersi, 

E  il  pensamento  in  sogno  trasmutai.  145 

Then  when  those  spirits  had  passed  so  far  away 

*  Benvenuto  says  that  this  episode  relates  an  effect  of  dis- 
graceful sloth  among  the  Trojans  who  followed  -^neas,  and 
when  in  Sicily  he  was  celebrating  funeral  games  by  the  tomb  of 
his  father  Anchises,  certain  persons,  both  old  men,  young  men 
and  women,  wearied  out  by  their  long  voyage  and  hard  toils, 
burnt  y^neas's  ships,  so  that  they  might  not  have  to  leave 
Sicily  and  confront  new  dangers,  ^neas  constituted  them  as 
a  colony,  and  left  the  whole  unwarlike  crowd  in  contempt. 


Canto  XVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  27 

from  us,  that  we  could  no  longer  see  them,  a  new 
thought  arose  within  me,  from  which  in  turn  were 
born  other  thoughts  many  and  varying  ;  and  so  from 
one  to  the  other  I  rambled  on,  I  closed  my  eyes,  and 
transformed  my  thoughts  into  a  dream. 

It  is  noticeable  that  in  this  circle  alone  there  is  no 
request  for  the  intercessory  prayers  of  others.  Is 
there  an  implied  retribution  in  the  omission  ?  Were 
they,  who  had  been  so  negligent  and  apathetic  on 
earth,  now  to  undergo  their  fate  unaided  by  the 
sympathy  of  others  .'* 


End  of  Canto  XVIII. 


28  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 


CANTO  XIX. 


The  Fifth  Cornice. 
Avarice. 

As  in  the  last  Canto  Dante  treated  of  the  sin  of  sloth, 
so  he  follows  on  in  this  Nineteenth  Canto  to  speak  of 
avarice,  which  is  atoned  for  in  the  Fifth  Cornice  of 
Purgatory. 

Benvenuto  divides  it  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division^  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  Dante 
tells  of  his  dream. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  69,  he 
describes  his  entrance  into  the  Fifth  Cornice,  and  the 
appearance  of  an  angel  who  points  out  the  way  to  him, 
and  purifies  him  from  the  sin  of  Sloth. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  70  to  v.  126,  he 
speaks  of  the  penance  of  the  avaricious  in  the  person 
of  the  spirit  of  Pope  Adrian  V. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  127  to  v.  145,  he 
clears  up  a  doubt  respecting  the  above  named  spirit, 
namely,  whether  temporal  dignity  ends  with  life. 

Division  I.  Dante  relates  his  dream,  and  premises 
his  account  by  telling  us  that  it  was  the  hour  before 
dawn  ;  by  that  implying  that  it  was  a  dream  that  was 
to  be  fulfilled  as  he  had  already  shown  us  in  Canto 
IX,  13,  and  Z;?/ XXVI,  7.* 

*  Dr.  Moore  {Time  References,  p.  105)  says:  «  In  this  passage 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  ofi  the  Purgatorio.  29 

Neir  ora  che  non  puo  il  calor  diumo 
Intiepidar  piu  il  freddo  della  luna, 
Vinto  da  Terra,  e  talor  da  Satumo  ; 

At  the  hour,  when  the  heat  of  the  day,  vanquished 
by  the  earth,  and  sometimes  by  Saturn,  can  no  longer 
warm  the  cold  caused  by  the  moon  ; 

Quando  i  geomanti*  lor  maggior  fortunat 

Veggiono  in  oriente,  innanzi  all'  alba,  5 

Surger  per  via  che  poco  le  sta  bruna  ; 

When  the  geomancers  see,  before  dawn,  their 
Fortuna  Major  rise  in  the  east,  by  a  path  which  will 
not  long  remain  dim  ; 

we  have  the  hour  before  dawn  on  Tuesday,  April  12th,  described 
by  two  indications  (or,  as  Benvenuto  says  :  duplidter  =  doubly.) 
I.  It  was  the  coldest  hour  of  the  twenty-four.  2.  The  later  stars 
of  Aquarius  and  the  foremost  ones  of  Pisces  were  on  the  horizon. 
This,  perhaps,  we  may  be  allowed  to  take  for  granted  is  the 
meaning  of  the  maggior  fortu7ta  of  the  wizards,  v,  4.  It 
was  a  peculiar  arrangement  of  dots,  corresponding  to  one 
that  can  be  formed  out  of  certain  stars  on  the  confines  of 
these  two  constellations.  These  were  now  in  the  east  before 
the  dawn." 

*  Compare  Chaucer,  Troilus  and  Cressida,  III,  1415. 
"  And  whan  the  cock,  commune  astrologer, 
Gan  on  his  brest  to  beate  and  after  crowe. 
And  Lucifer,  the  daies  messenger, 
Gan  to  rise  and  out  his  beames  throwe. 
And  estward  rose,  to  him  that  could  it  know 
Fortuna  Major." 
Benvenuto  says,  that  geomantia  is  called  astrologia  minor, 
and  it  is  said  to  be  a  common  refuge  for  astrologers,  and  ought 
never  to  be  entirely  despised,  as  it  has  some  of  its  principles  in 
astrology.     But  he  adds  :  "  They  may  say  what  they  will,  I  do 
not  believe  at  all  in  geomancy,  any  more  than  I  believe  in 
astrology." 

t  Benvenuto  says  that  geomancers  use  many  figures  made  of 


20  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

And  now  Dante,  having  stated  what  time  it  was, 
proceeds  to  relate  a  wonderful  vision.  And  Benvenuto 
says  that  by  the  dream  he  wishes  to  foreshadow  the 
subject  he  is  going  to  treat  of,  for,  as  he  has  already 
discussed  the  first  four  deadly  sins,  which  are  sins 
of  the  mind,  viz.,  pride,  envy,  anger,  and  sloth,  so 
now,  being  about  to  discuss  the  three  remaining,  viz., 
avarice,  gluttony,  and  self-indulgence,  which  are  of  the 
body  and  are  sins  that  are  ever  seeking  pleasures,  he 
pictures  them  to  be  represented  by  the  Siren.  The 
vision  seems  in  part  a  reproduction  of  Prov.  VII, 
10-12  ;  the  distorted  eyes,  the  bent  form,  the  crippled 
hands,  the  extreme  pallor  corresponding  to  the 
physiognomic  signs  of  those  evil  passions. 

Benvenuto  supports  this  view,  as  it  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  the  Siren  represented  avarice  alone. 

Mi  venne  in  sogno  una  femmina  balba,* 

Negli  occhi  guercia,  e  sovra  i  pi^  distorta. 
Con  le  man  monche,  e  di  colore  scialba. 

There  appeared  to  me  in  a  dream  a  stammering 

dots,  but  one  especially,  which  they  call  Fortuna  Major,  which 
was  taken  from  six  stars  happening  to  be  seen  in  an  exactly 
identical  position  to  the  six  dots,  as  in  the  annexed  figure : 

^      * 

* 
* 

These  stars  rise  in  the  East,  and  are  said  to  be  at  the  end 
of  the  Constellation  Aquarius  and  at  the  beginning  of  Pisces. 
He  says  the  Indians  and  Saracens  used  to  go  to  the  sea-shore 
at  sunrise,  and  mark  their  dots,  either  odd  or  even,  on  the  sand. 

*  Benvenuto  says  that  the  stammering  tongue  means  avarice, 
which  never  speaks  openly  and  clearly  but  deceitfully  ;  it  means 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  3 1 

woman,  with  squinting  eyes,  and  distorted  feet,  with 
her  hands  cut  off,  and  of  a  pallid  hue. 

In  the  person  of  this  woman,  who  is  presently 
described  as  a  Siren,  Dante  sees  the  three  deadly  sins 
of  avarice,  gluttony,  and  luxury. 

lo  la  mirava  ;  e  come  il  sol  conforta  10 

Le  fredde  membra  che  la  notte  aggrava, 
Cosl  lo  sguardo  mio  le  facea  scorta 
La  lingua,  e  poscia  tutta  la  drizzava 
In  poco  d'  ora,  e  lo  smarrito  volto, 
Come  amor  vuol,  cosl  lo  colorava.  1 5 

I  looked  at  her  ;  and,  as  the  sun  revives  the  chilled 
limbs  which  night  benumbs,  so  my  gaze  restored 
liberty  to  her  tongue,  and  then  caused  her  whole  body 
to  become  straight  in  a  short  space  of  time,  and 
brought  into  her  pallid  cheeks  that  warm  colour  which 
pleases  a  lover. 

And  now  Dante  describes  the  soft  seductive  strains 
that  issued  from  the  mouth  of  her  who  had  assumed 
beauty  which  was  a  mockery  and  deceit. 
Pol  ch'  ella  avea  il  parlar  cosl  disciolto, 
Cominciava  a  cantar  si,  che  con  pena 
Da  lei  avrei  mio  intento  rivolto. 

After  that  she  had  thus  unloosed  her  speech,  she 

gluttony  because  drunkenness  makes  a  man  speak  thick,  and 
luxury  because  it  makes  him  a  liar  and  a  flatterer.  The  squintifig 
eye  denotes  avarice,  because  the  miser  is  blind  from  the  craving 
of  acquisitiveness  and  of  hoarding  ;  it  denotes  both  gluttony  and 
luxury,  because  over  indulgence  destroys  the  eyes  both  bodily 
and  mentally.  //  is  lame  because  in  those  three  sins  man  never 
walks  in  the  right  paths.  //  is  maimed  because  the  miser  never 
uses  his  hands  to  give,  and  the  gluttonous  and  luxurious  never 
work,  but  are  idle  and  slothful.  All  three,  the  miser,  the  glutton, 
and  the  voluptuary,  have  pallid  faces. 


32  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XIX. 

began  singing  so  sweetly,  that  it  would  have  been 
hard  indeed  for  me  to  have  turned  my  attention  from 

her 

'  _"  lo  son  (cantava),  io  son  la  dolce  Sirena, 

Che  i  marinari  in  mezzo  il  mar  dismago  ;  20 

Tanto  son  di  piacere  a  sentir  plena. 
« I  am,"  she  sang,  "  I  am  the  sweet  Siren  who  be- 
wilders the  sailors  amid  the  ocean,  so  full  am   I  of 
pleasantness  to  hear. 

Benvenuto  explains  that  the  sirens  were  marme 
monsters  who  used  to  bewitch  mariners  by  their  sweet 
song,  lull  them  to  sleep,  drown  them  and  then  spoil 
their' ships  ;  so  here  Dante  appropriately  comes  with 
pleasure  to  the  Siren,  who  not  only  ensnares  the 
incautious,  but  even  the  most  wary.     In  proof  of  which 

she  says  : 

Io  volsi  Ulisse  del  suo  cammin  vago 
Al  canto  mio  ;  e  qual  meco  si  ausa, 
Rado  sen  parte,  si  tutto  1'  appago."*— 
I  drew  Ulysses   from  his  wandering  path  to   my 
song,  and  whoever  accustoms  himself  to  me  rarely 
departs  from  me,  so  abundantly  do  I  satisfy  him." 

*  Pope  unconsciously  reproduced  Dante  when  he  wrote,  in 
his  Essay  on  Man,  II,  219  : 

Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien 
As,  to  be  hated,  needs  but  to  be  seen  ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. 
Benvenuto  notices  Dante's  mistake  in  making  out  Ulysses  as 
having  been  fascinated  by  the  Siren,  for  he  remarks  (erroneously) 
that  in  the  Odyssey  Homer  tells  us  that  Ulysses  avoided  the 
Sirens  and  filled  his  ears  with  wax  so  as  not  to  hear  their  song. 
He  thinks  Dante  must  have  meant  Circe,  who  detained  Ulysses 
for  one  year,  or  Calypso,  who  kept  him  a  prisoner  for  several 
years. 


Canto  XIX,     Readings  on  tJu  Purgatorio.  33 

Dante  then  introduces  a  lady  in  his  dream,  typifying 
Wisdom,  who  puts  to  shame  the  false  one,  the  type 
of  pleasure. 

Ancor  non  era  sua  bocca  richiusa,  25 

Quando  una  donna  apparve  santa  e  presta 
Lunghesso  me,  per  far  colei  confiisa. 

Her  mouth  was  hardly  closed  again,  when  swiftly 
there  appeared  at  my  side  a  saintly  Lady  to  put  that 
one  to  confusion. 

Benvenuto  points  out  that  whereas  Dante  had  called 
the  Siren  fetnmina,  a  female,  he  styles  this  one  dofma, 
a  far  more  honourable  term.  Benvenuto's  words  are : 
"  Bene  vocat  istani  dominam,  tibi  illam  vocaverat  famu- 
lam,  quia  ratio  debet  dotninariy  et passio  fanmlariy 

Scartazzini  says  that  the  commentators  have  differed 
very  considerably  as  to  what  this  lady  symbolises,  and 
that  he  does  not  agree  with  those  who  think  she  is 
the  symbol  of  wisdom,  or  of  Lucia  (symbol  of  truth), 
or  of  the  Church,  but  he  thinks  with  the  older  com- 
mentators that  she  represents  reason,  or  temperance, 
or  philosophy,  or  intellectual  virtue. 

Whoever  she  is  supposed  to  be,  we  now  read  that 
she  addresses  Virgil  in  a  tone  of  indignant  remon- 
strance for  allowing  Dante,  their  joint  pupil,  to  gaze 
on  the  deceitful  pleasures  of  the  world. 

— "  O  Virgilio,  Virgilio,  chi  h  questa  ?  " — 
Fieramente  diceva  ;  ed  ei  venia 
Con  gli  occhi  fitti  pure  in  quella  onesta.  30 

L'  altra  prendeva,  e  dinanzi  1'  apria 

Fendendo  i  drappi,  e  mostravami  il  ventre ; 
Quel  mi  sveglio  col  puzzo  che  n'  uscia. 

"  O  Virgil,  Virgil,  who  is  this  } "  said  she,  sternly  ; 
and  he  advanced  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  that  honour- 

L  L 


34  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

able  one  only.  She*  seized  the  other  one,  laid  her 
bare  in  front,  rending  her  drapery,  and  showed  me  her 
belly;  this  woke  me  with  the  stench  that  came  from  it. 
Benvenuto  praises  the  words  of  the  Poet  with  much 
enthusiasm  ;  and  asks  if  the  filth  of  the  miser  does 
not  befoul  everything  beautiful  and  honourable  with 
its  misery,  just  like  the  harpies  befouled  the  feast. 
How  great  the  filth  of  the  glutton.  Into  what  mire 
does  not  the  drunkard  fall  from  his  drunkenness.  And 
of  the  filth  of  sensuality  Benvenuto  prefers  not  to 
speak. 

Division  II.  Dante  now  tells  us  of  his  entrance 
into  the  Fifth  Cornice  and  his  purgation  by  the  Angel. 

Virgil  roused  him,  and  on  waking  he  found  it  was 
broad  daylight. 

lo  voisi  gli  occhi,  e  il  buon  Virgilio  : — "  Almen  tre     35 
Voci  t'  ho  messe  (dicea),  surgi  e  vieni  ; 
Troviam  la  porta  per  la  qual  tu  entre." — 
I  turned  my  eyes,  and  the  good  Virgil  said  :  "  I  have 
called  thee  at  least  three  times  ;  arise,  and  come.    Let 
us  find  the  opening  through  which  thou  mayest  enter." 
Su  mi  levai.     E  tutti  eran  gik  pieni 

Dell'  alto  di  i  giron  del  sacro  monte, 
Ed  andavam  col  sol  nuovo  alle  reni. 
I  rose,  and  already  were  all  the  cornices  of  the  holy 
mountain  beaming  with  the  light  of  broad  day ;  and 

*  Z'  ultra  prendeva.  Scartazzini  says  that  the  holy  lady 
seized  the  stammering  one,  and  he  says  that  is  the  view  of  the 
commentators,  the  Ottimo,  Benvenuto,  Buti,  Danielli,  Venturi, 
Biagioli,  Witte,  Ozanam,  and  others ;  but  some  think  that  it 
was  Virgil  who  took  the  Siren:  among  these  are  Landino, 
Vellutello,  Cesari,  Brunone  Bianchi,  and  Philalethes. 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  35 

we  were  walking  towards  the  west  with  the  newly 
risen  sun  right  at  our  backs.* 

It  is  now  full  daylight  of  the  morning  of  Easter 
Tuesday,  1300,  Dante's  third  day  in  Purgatory. 

Seguendo  lui,  portava  la  mia  fronte  40 

Come  colui  che  1'  ha  di  pensier  carca, 
Che  fa  di  s6  un  mezzo  arco  di  ponte  ; 
As  I  followed  him  I  carried  my  head  as  one  who 
has  it  full  of  thought,  and  makes  himself  look  like 
half  the  arch  of  a  bridge. 

In  two  lives  of  Dante  we  find  that  this  was  his  habit, 
Boccaccio  (Vita  di  Dante)  says :  A  ndb  alquanto  cur- 
vetto  ;  and  Filippo  Villani  ( Vita  Dantis)  says:  "Is  dum 
an7iis  maturiiisset,  ciirvatis  aliqiianttilum  renibus  itice- 
debat,  incessu  tanien  gravis  mansuetudoque  aspectur 
He  was  thinking  about  his  wonderful  dream. 
Quando  io  udi'  :    Ventte,  qui  si  varca, 
Parlare  in  mbdo  soave  e  benigno, 
Qual  non  si  sente  in  questa  mortal  marca.t         45 

*  Dr.  Moore  {Tirne  References,  p.  106).  "  In  lines  37-9  it  was 
now  full  daylight,  with  the  sun  on  their  backs,  so  that  they  were 
still  journeying  towards  the  west,  when  they  enter  the  Fifth  Cor- 
nice, where  Avarice  and  Prodigality  are  punished.  Observe  here 
also  the  admirable  fitness  with  which  Dante  times  his  progress 
so  that  the  time  spent  in  the  Cornice  where  Accidia,  or  Spiritual 
Sloth,  is  punished  is  exactly  coincident  with  the  hours  of  the 
night — '  the  night  in  which  no  man  can  work.'  He  enters  it 
as  darkness  comes  on  (as  we  read  in  XVII,  70-80)  and  leaves  it 
next  morning,  as  soon  as  he  awakes  \vith  the  nuovo  sol  {XIX, 
38),  being  mildly  chided  by  Virgil  for  the  length  of  his  slumbers 
(XIX,  34).  I  might,  perhaps,  mention  here  that  it  will  be  found 
that  in  each  of  the  other  Cornici  he  spends  from  three  to  five 
hours." 

t  Marca,  march,  is  used  in  the  same  sense  as  it  is  in  Marca 
Trevigiana,  the  region  or  district  of  Treviso.  The  word  is 
found  in  the  Gothic  Marca,  a  border  country  (see  Skeat's  Ety- 

L  L  2 


36  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

When  I  heard  :  "  Come,  one  can  pass  here,"  uttered 
in  so  sweet  and  gentle  a  tone  as  one  never  hears  in  this 
regioti  of  mortals. 

Con  r  ale  aperte  che  parean  di  cigno, 
Volseci  in  su  colui  che  si  parlonne, 
Tra  i  duo  pareti  del  duro  macigno. 
With  outspread  wings,  as  those  of  a  swan,  did  he 
who  thus  spoke  to  us  make  us  turn  upwards  through 
walls  on  either  side  of  hard  rock. 

Benvenuto  says  macigno  is  that  kind  of  stone  from 
which  are  cut  macincB,  mill-stones. 

Another  P  is  now  erased  from  Dante's  brow  by  the 

Angel. 

Mosse  le  penne  pel  e  ventilonne, 

Q,ui  lugent  affermando  esser  beati,  50 

Ch'  avran  di  consolar  1'  anime  donne. 

He  moved  his  pinions,  and  then  fanned  us,  (with 
the  words)  "  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,"  affirming 
that  they  that  mourn  on  earth  will  in  heaven  have 
their  souls  as  ladies  of  consolation. 

In  the  last  line  I  follow  Benvenuto ;  not  one  other 
translator   or   commentator    that  I  have    looked .  at, 
except  Fraticelli,  seems  to  give  the  true  meaning.  We 
are  supposed  to  understand  that  the  angel  had,  with 
one  stroke  of  "his  wings,  effaced  from  Dante's  forehead 
the  fourth  P,  so  that  there  are  still  three  remaining. 
Virgil  now  asks  Dante  what  is  the  matter  with  him. 
— "  Che  hai,  che  pure  inver  la  terra  guati  ?  " — 
La  guida  mia  incomincio  a  dirmi, 
Poco  ambedue  dall'  Angel  sormontati. 

mological  Dictionary  of  the  English  Language),  and  also  in  the 
Icelandic  Mark,  border-land.  Vigfusson  {Icelandic  Dictionary) 
says  it  is  a  word  common  to  all  Teutonic  languages,  and  the 
original  sense  is  outline,  border. 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  37 

"  What  ails  thee  that  thou  gazest  only  on  the  earth  ?" 
My  guide  began  to  say  to  me,  when  we  had  both  as- 
cended a  little  above  the  Angel.* 

Ed  io  : — "  Con  tanta  suspizion  fa  irmi  55 

Novella  vision  che  a  s^  mi  piega, 
Si  ch'  io  non  posso  dal  pensar  partirmi." — 

And  I :  "  A  sight  so  new,  and  which  draws  my  mind 
to  ponder  over  it  so  much,  that  I  cannot  dissever  it 
from  my  thought." 

Virgil  briefly  explains  : 

— "  Vedesti  (disse)  quella  antica  Strega, 

Che  sola  sovra  noi  omai  si  piagne  ; 

Vedesti  come  1'  uom  da  lei  si  slega.  60 

"  Hast  thou  seen,  (said  he),  that  ancient  sorceress, 
whose  wicked  work  has  to  be  wept  for  only  in  the 
three  cornices  above  us  .-*  f  Hast  thou  seen  how  man 
is  delivered  from  her  .-' 

Virgil  admonishes  Dante  respecting  this  vision,  that 
a  man  shall  let  each  of  his  members  do  its  own  office, 
that  he  shall,  with  his  feet,  walk  upon  the  earth,  and, 
with  his  eyes,  look  up  to  heaven. 

Bastiti,  e  batti  a  terra  le  calcagne, 

Gli  occhi  rivolgi  al  logoro,  che  gira 
Lo  Rege  etemo  con  le  ruote  magna." — 

Let  that  suffice,  and  strike  the  earth  with  thy  heels 
(?>.,  quicken  thy  steps),  and  turn  thine  eyes  upward  to 

*  Sormontati.  This  passage  can  be  translated  m  two  ways, 
and  commentators  interpret  it,  either,  "  When  we  had  ascended 
a  little  above  the  point  where  the  Angel  stood  "  ;  or,  "  Being, 
where  we  both  stood,  surmounted  by  the  Angel,"  that  is,  the 
angel  being  still  a  little  above  the  point  we  had  reached. 

t  Benvenuto  gives  this  interpretation,  but  with  the  choice  of 
another,  viz.,  '  who  is  weeping  alone  because  we  have  departed 
from  her,  and  she  was  not  able  to  turn  us  out  of  our  way.' 


38  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

the   lure,  which  the   Eternal  King  whirls  with  vast 
revolutions."* 

Virgil  noticed  Dante's  eyes  bent  upon  the  ground. 
The  Almighty  is  compared  to  a  falconer;  meaning 
that  man  must  use  this  world's  goods,  such  as  wealth, 
food  and  luxuries,  only  so  far  as  are  necessary  to  sus- 
tain life,  and  treat  them  as  things  to  be  trodden  under 
foot,  as  little  and  vile,  but  let  his  mental  contemplation 
be  towards  heaven,  eternal  and  immortal.  And  then 
Dante  shows,  by  a  noble  comparison,  how  eagerly  he 
proceeded  to  follow  Virgil's  advice. 

Quale  il  falcon,  che  prima  a'  pi^  si  mira, 

Indi  si  volge  al  grido,  e  si  protende  65 

Per  lo  disio  del  pasto  che  Ik  il  tira: 

Like  as  the  hawk,  which  first  looks  down  towards 
its  feet,  then  turns  him  to  the  call  and  darts  forward, 
through  strong  desire  for  food  which  draws  him  there. 

Benvenuto  notices  how  appropriate  is  this  compari- 
son. As  the  hawk,  which  is  by  its  nature  light,  flies 
in  a  spirited  manner  on  high  by  a  number  of  great 
wheels,  so  did  our  Poet  fly  by  the  wings  of  his  mind 
wheeling  round  and  round  the  cornices  of  the  high 
mountain.  And  as  the  falcon  first  looks  down  at  its 
feet,  so  was  Dante  doing  now ;  and  as  the  falcon, 
raising  its  head,  stretches  itself  forward  to  fly  for  its 
food,  so  now  Dante,  raising  his  head,  stretches  himself 
forward  with  the  hopes  of  heaven,  at  the  call  of  Virgil, 

*  Comp.  Ovid's  Metamorph.  i,  Dryden's  Trans.: 

Thus,  while  the  mute  creation  downward  bend 
Their  sight,  and  to  their  earthly  mother  tend 
Man  looks  aloft ;  and  with  erected  eyes 
Beholds  his  own  hereditary  skies. 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  39 

who,  like  a  noble  falconer,  was  leading  him  in  search 
of  his  quarry.*  And  he  concludes  the  Second  Division 
by  telling  us  how  he  ascended. 

Tal  mi  fee'  io  ;  e  tal,  quanto  si  fende 
La  roccia  per  dar  via  a  chi  va  suso, 
N'  andai  infino  ove  il  cerchiar  si  prende. 

And  so  did  I  act,  and  I  went  on  as  far  as  the  rock 
cleaves  to  give  a  passage  to  him  who  would  mount  up 
to  where  one  begins  again  to  circle. 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  stairways  always  mounted 
straight  up,  and  all  the  cornices  were  circular  through- 
out the  Purgatorio. 


Division  III.  In  the  person  of  a  modern  spirit,  the 
penance  and  purgation  of  the  avaricious  are  described. 
Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  purges  the  avaricious  in 
the  most  perfect  manner.  He  represents  them  all 
lying  on  the  ground  with  their  faces  to  the  earth  and 
their  backs  turned  towards  heaven,  and  with  their 
hands  and  feet  tied,  and  weeping  and  lamenting. 
What  Dante  represents  is  explained  a  little  further 
on.  One  must  imagine  that  he  who  wishes  to 
purge  himself  from  the  sin  of  avarice  has  to  recollect 
and  mourn  over  the  life  that  he  has  wasted  on  earth. 
For  if  the  slothful  man  abstains  from  doing  good 
through  laziness,  the  avaricious  man  does  all  manner 
of  evil  from  wickedness  ;  he  turns  his  back  on  heaven 
and  worships  the  world  ;  he  keeps  his  hands  and  feet 

*  This  is  another  of  Dante's  favourite  illustrations  from  the 
sport  of  falconry.  See  also  Inf.  XVII,  127;  Inf.  XXII,  130, 
and  Par.  XIX,  34. 


40  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

bound,  for  he  gives  to  no  one,  nor  goes  to  any  one's 
assistance,  and  is  the  most  miserable  of  men.  He  is 
just  like  some  animals  who  will  sacrifice,  of  their  own 
accord,  some  part  of  their  body  to  save  their  lives — 
the  fox,  for  instance,  has  been  known  to  bite  off,  with 
its  teeth,  its  own  foot  when  caught  in  a  trap — as  Pliny 
tells  us.  So  does  the  avaricious  man  expose  his  soul 
to  manifest  death,  for  the  sake  of  acquiring  or  pro- 
tecting a  small  modicum  of  money. 

Com'  io  nel  quinto  giro  fui  dischiuso,  70 

Vidi  gente  per  esso  che  piangea, 
Giacendo  a  terra  tutta  volta  in  giuso. 

As  soon  as  I  came  forth  into  the  fifth  circle  (from 
the  stairway  wherein  I  had  been,  as  it  were,  shut  up), 
I  saw  persons  upon  it  that  lay  upon  the  ground  weep- 
ing, with  their  faces  turned  downwards. 
AdhcBsit  pavimento  anima  mea^ 
Senti'  dir  lor  con  si  alti  sospiri, 
Che  la  parola  appena  s'  intendea.  75 


*  Dean  Plumptre  observes  :  "  As  in  Inf.  VII,  25-66,  the  misers 
and  prodigals  are  grouped  together  as  exhibiting  different  aspects 
of  the  same  evil,  on  earth  their  looks,  like  those  of  Milton's 
Mammon  {Par.  Lost,  I,  681)  have  been  ever  "  downward  bent," 
and  their  penance  is  to  lie  prostrate  on  the  earth,  uttering  the 
words  of  Psalm  CXIX,  25.  These  words  form  part  of  the  service 
of  Prime  in  the  Roman  Breviary,  and  it  was  at  this  hour  that 
Dante  hears  them  in  Purgatory.  ...  We  may  also  call  to 
mind  the  concluding  words  of  the  verse  which  begins  : 

"My  soul  cleaveth  unto  the  dust :  quicken  Thou  me  accord- 
ing to  Thy  word." 

Dean  Plumptre  also  notices  the  courteousness  of  the  address 
to  the  spirits  in  v.  76  :  «  Such  should  be  the  tone  of  every  soul 
seeking  its  own  purification  towards  others  who  are  under  a  like 
discipline  for  like  sins." 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgaiorio.  41 

I  heard  them  say :  "  My  soul  cleaveth  unto  the 
dust"  {Psalm  CXIX,  25),  with  such  deep  sighs  that 
one  could  hardly  distinguish  the  words. 

Virgil  then  addresses  the  spirits  ; 

— "O  eletti  di  Dio,  gli  cui  soffriri 

E  giustizia  e  speranza  fan  men  duri, 
Drizzate  noi  verso  gli  alti  saliri." — 

"  O  ye  elect  of  God  for  salvation,  whose  sufferings 
are  rendered  less  hard  by  justice  and  hope,  direct  us 
towards  the  high  ascents."  This  means  :  Show  us  the 
way  to  the  next  stainvay  that  we  may  ascend  to  the 
cornices  above. 

And  now  one  of  the  spirits  answers,  being  evidently 
in  doubt  whether  Virgil  and  Dante  have  gone  through 
their  course  of  penance,  or  whether  they  have  come 
into  Purgatory  by  the  special  grace  of  God  : 

— "  Se  vol  venite  dal  giacer  securi, 

E  volete  trovar  la  via  piu  tosto,  80 

Le  vostre  destre  sien  sempre  di  furi." — 

"  If  you  come,  being  exempted  from  lying  prostrate, 
and  wish  to  find  the  path  soonest,  see  that  your  right 
hands  are  always  outward." 

Cosi  prego  il  Poeta,  e  si  risposto, 

Poco  dinanzi  a  noi  ne  fu  ;  per  ch'  io 
Nel  parlare  awisai  1'  altro  nascosto; 

Thus  did  Virgil  make  his  request,  and  thus  did 
answer  come  from  a  little  beyond  us,  and  therefore  by 
the  speech  I  was  able  to  make  out  where  that  other 
(spirit)  was  concealed. 

To  really  appreciate  the  next  terzina  one  must  have 
lived  in  Italy,  and  know  Italian  ways  of  sign-language. 
Dante  heard  the  voice,  turned  his  head  to  Virgil,  gazed 


42  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

at  him  straight  in  the  eyes,  turned  his  head  again 
towards  the  recumbent  spirit,  and  then  again  looked 
Virgil  full  in  the  face,  the  triple  gesture  signifying : 
"  That  is  the  person  who  spoke,  can  I  go  and  speak  to 
him  ? "  Virgil  probably  answered  with  a  graceful 
wave  of  the  hand,  meaning,  "  Do  so." 

E  volsi  gli  occhi  allora  al  signer  mio  :  85 

Ond'  egli  m'  assent!  con  lieto  cenno 
Cio  che  chiedea  la  vista  del  disio. 
And  I  turned  my  eyes  then  to  my  Master,  on  v/hich 
he,  with  a  pleasant  gesture,  signified  consent  to  what 
his  sight  of  my  wish  expressed. 

Poi  ch'  io  potei  di  me  fare  a  mio  senno, 
Trassimi  sovra  quella  creatura, 
Le  cui  parole  pria  notar  mi  fenno,  90 

Dicendo  : — "  Spirto,  in  cui  pianger  matura 

Quel  senza  il  quale  a  Dio  tornar  non  puossi, 
Sosta  un  poco  per  me  tua  maggior  cura. 

So  soon  as  I  was  enabled  to  do  according  to  my  will, 
I  moved  on  until  I  was  leaning  over  that  being  whose 
words  had  first  made  me  notice  him,  saying  :  "  Spirit 
whose  weeping  is  bringing  to  perfection  that,  without 
which  one  cannot  turn  to  God,  lay  aside  for  awhile 
thy  greater  care,  for  my  sake. 

Dante  asks  the  spirit  three  questions  : 
Chi  fosti,  e  perch^  volti  avete  i  dossi 

Al  su,  mi  di',  e  se  vuoi  ch'  io  t'  impetri  95 

Cosa  di  Ik  ond'  io  vivendo  mossi." — 

Tell  me  who  thou  wast,  and  why  you  have  your 
backs  uppermost,  and  if  there  is  anything  that  thou 
wishest  to  be  asked  for  in  prayer  by  me  on  thy  behalf 
over  there  whence  I  came  alive  ?" 

Benvenuto  points  out  that  by  this  last  verse  Dante 
shows  in  which  of  the  two  ways  he  is  sicuro  dal  giacer, 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  43 

viz.,  because  he  is  alive.     The  commentator  points  out 
how  different  the  whole  scene  is  from   Dante's  inter- 
view with  the  wicked  Pope  Niccola  degli   Orsini  in 
'inf.  XIX. 

The  spirit  now  tells  Dante  that  he  will  answer  the 
two  questions  in  turn. 

Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  Perch^  i  nostri  diretri 
Rivolga  il  cielo  a  s^,  saprai :  ma  prima 
Scias  quod  ego  fui  successor  Petri. 
And  he  to  me  :  "  Thou  wilt  learn  why  heaven  wishes 
our  backs  turned  towards  it ;  but  first  know  that  I  was 
a  successor  of  Peter. 

This  reminds  one  of  the  scene  in  Inf.  XIX.  Dante 
having  been  carried  by  Virgil  to  the  place  where 
Pope  Nicholas  Orsini  is  being  punished,  has  to  stoop 
down  to  the  ground  to  converse  with  him.* 

The  speaker  is  Ottobuoni  Fieschi,  who  was  elected 
Pope  as  Adrian  V,  July  12,  1276.  He  died  at  Viterbo 
on  the  3rd  of   August  the  same  year.     Sestri  and 

*  See  V.  49  of  Inf.  XIX. 

lo  stava  come  il  frate  che  confessa 
Lo  perfido  assassin,  &c. 
So,  too,  here  has  he  to  stoop  to  converse  with  this  Pope.     In 
Inf.  XIX,  Nicholas  tells  him  (v.  69): 

Sappi  ch'  io  fui  vestito  del  gran  manto. 
At  the  end  of  his  conversation  with  Pope  Nicholas,  Dante 
breaks   forth   into    a    reproach    against    the    avarice    of   the 
Pastors  of  the  Church.     At  the  end  of  his  interview  with  this 
Pope,  also  doing  penance  for  avarice,  he  humbly  bends  the 
knee  to  do  homage  to  his  high  dignity.    And  even  in  Inf.  XIX, 
V.  100,  while  using  words  that  were  somewhat  forcible,  he  says  : 
E  se  non  fosse  ch'  ancor  lo  mi  vieta, 
La  riverenza  delle  somme  chiavi 
Che  tu  tenesti  nella  vita  lieta, 
lo  userei  parole  ancor  piii  gravi,  &c- 


44  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

Chiavari  are  two  towns  of  the  Eastern  Riviera,  which 
were  subject  to  Genoa.  The  river  is  the  Lavagna, 
whence  the  Fieschi  family  took  their  title.  Adrian 
died  before  his  admission  to  the  priesthood,  and  was 
therefore  neither  consecrated  nor  crowned  as  Pope. 
He  had  been  sent  by  Innocent  IV  in  1268  as  a  legate 
to  reconcile  Henry  III,  King  of  England,  and  his 
barons,  and  to  reform  abuses  in  the  church.  Adrian 
was,  Benvenuto  tells  us,  a  nephew  of  Innocent  IV, 
and  when  his  friends  and  relations  came  to  congratu- 
late him  on  his  election,  he  is  reported  to  have  said  : 
"  It  was  better  for  you  to  have  a  live  Cardinal  than  a 
dead  Pope."  He  only  sat  on  the  throne  of  St.  Peter 
one  month  and  eight  days,  Benvenuto  gives  the  date 
as  1273.  Pope  Adrian's  speech  is  one  of  the  fine 
passages  in  the  Purgatorio  : 

Intra  Siestri  e  Chiaveri  si  adima  100 

Una  fiumana  bella,  e  del  suo  nome 
Lo  titol  del  mio  sangue  fa  sua  cima. 

Between  Sestri  and  Chiavari  a  beautiful  river  flows 
down,  and  from  its  name,  the  Lavagna,  the  title  of  my 
race  takes  its  origin. 

Un  mese  e  poco  piu  provai  io  come 

Pesa  il  gran  manto  a  chi  dal  fango  il  guarda  ; 
Che  piuma  sembran  tutte  1'  altre  some.*  105 

For  one  month  and  a  little  more  I  experienced  how 
weighs  the  grand  cope  on  him  who  keeps  it  from  the 
mire,  so  that  all  other  burdens  seem  but  feathers. 


*  Compare  Purg.  XVI,  127,  129  : 

La  Chiesa  di  Roma 
Per  confondere  in  s^  duo  reggimenti, 
Cade  nel  fango,  e  s^  brutta  e  la  soma. 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  45 

La  mia  conversione,  ome  !  fu  tarda  ; 
Ma,  come  fatto  fui  Roman  Pastore, 
Cosi  scopersi  la  vita  bugiarda. 

My  conversion,  alas !  was  delayed :  but  when  I 
became  Pope  of  Rome  then  I  discovered  how  false 

was  life. 

Vidi  che  li  non  si  quetava  il  core, 

N^  piu  salir  poteasi  in  quella  vita  ;  no 

Per  che  di  questa  in  me  s'  accese  amore. 

I  saw  that  the  heart  had  no  rest  there,  nor  in  that 
life  was  any  further  advancement  possible,  wherefore 
the  desire  of  this  (eternal  life)  was  kindled  in  me.* 

Fino  a  quel  punto  misera  e  partita 

Da  Dio  anima  fui,  del  tutto  avara  : 
Or,  come  vedi,  qui  ne  son  punita. 

Up  to  that  time  I  was  a  wretched  soul,  and  severed 
from  God,  the  prey  of  avarice  ;  novy,  as  thou  seest, 
here  I  am  punished  for  it. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Adrian  speaks  true,  for  the 
followers  of  avarice  are  cut  off  from  communion  with 
God  ;  nor,  indeed,  is  the  avaricious  man  satisfied  by 
the  gratification  of  his  desires,  as  happened  once  to 
a  kinsman  of  this  same  Adrian.  For  the  head  of 
the  Fieschi,  who  was  the   richest  of  all  churchmen, 

*  Benvenuto  considers  this  is  very  good  reasoning,  for  what 
sovereign  has  such  dignity  and  power  as  the  Pope  ?  Others 
have  to  rule  over  mortal  affairs  ;  but  he  over  spiritual  matters. 
Others  get  their  pre-eminence  from  man  ;  but  he  from  the 
eternal  wisdom  of  God.  Others  have  power  over  earthly  mat- 
ters ;  he  has  the  freedom  of  eternal  ones,  and  indeed,  as  they 
say,  he  is  the  ruler  over  both  living  and  the  dead.  There- 
fore there  neither  is,  nor  can  be  anything  greater  in  the  whole 
Christian  world,  although  now-a-days  it  does  not  seem  to  be 
greatly  esteemed. 


46  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

obtained  from  the  Emperor  Rudolph  to  be  Vicar 
of  the  Empire,  and  the  expense  utterly  ruined 
him. 

The  avaricious  man  seeks  immoderately  what  is  not 
his  own,  and  tenaciously  holds  what  is  his  own — as 
did  Adrian. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Christian  Church  the 
dignity  of  the  Papacy  was  not  one  at  all  to  be  coveted, 
as  nearly  all  the  early  Pontiffs  were  dragged  off  to 
execution  and  martyrdom  ;  but  now  the  dignity  is 
sought  after  with  such  ambition,  that  fraud,  bribes, 
and  promises  have  a  large  share  in  influencing  the 
election.  That  is  the  probable  explanation  of  Adrian 
saying,  in  vv.  103-4,  that  now-a-days  the  oflfice 
is  not  greatly  esteemed  ;  it  is  coveted  and  intrigued 
for  by  churchmen  ;  and  laymen,  in  consequence,  hold 
the  office  in  less  respect  from  the  election  not  being 
merely  the  result,  as  it  used  formerly  to  be,  of  the 
free  choice  of  holy-minded  men,  who  had  prayed  to 
God  to  direct  their  selection  without  any  thought  of 
personal  ambition  for  themselves. 

And  then  Adrian  answers  Dante's  other  question  as 
to  why  he  and  other  spirits  are  lying  in  that  posture. 
Quel  ch'  avarizia  fa,  qui  si  dichiara  1 15 

In  purgazion  dell'  anime  converse, 
E  nulla  pena  il  monte  ha  piu  amara. 

The  effects  of   avarice  are  here  displayed  in  the 
purgation  of  converted  souls  ;  and  the  mountain  con- 
tains^more  bitter  punishment  than  this. 
SI  come  r  occhio  nostro  non  s'  aderse 
In  alto,  fisso  alle  cose  terrene, 
Cosi  giustizia  qui  a  terra  il  merse.  120 

As  our  eyes  were  not  uplifted  on  high,  but  fixed  on 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.  47 

earthly  things,  so  justice  here  has  sunk  them  to  the 
ground. 

Come  avarizia  spense  a  ciascun  bene 

Lo  nostro  amore,  onde  operar  perd^si, 
Cosi  giustizia  qui  stretti  ne  tiene 
Ne'  piedi  e  nelle  mani  legati  e  presi  ; 

E  quanto  fia  placer  del  giusto  Sire,  125 

Tanto  staremo  immobili  e  distesi." — 

Even  as  avarice  extinguished  in  us  the  love  of  all 
good,  which  caused  all  our  work  to  be  in  vain,  so 
justice  now  confines  us  here  in  restraint,  fast  bound 
and  fettered  by  the  hands  and  feet ;  and,  for  so  long 
as  the  righteous  Lord  wills  it,  so  long  shall  we  remain 
stretched  and  motionless." 


Division  IV.  In  this  concluding  division  of  the 
Canto,  Dante  solves  a  point  which  was  always  a 
doubtful  one  to  him,  viz.  :  whether  temporal  dignity 
ceases  with  temporal  death.  He  pictures  himself  as 
having  knelt  down  with  the  intention  of  doing  homage 
to  the  Pope's  high  office  : 

lo  m'  era  inginocchiato,  e  volea  dire  ; 

Ma  com'  io  cominciai,  ed  ei  s'  accorse, 
Solo  ascoltando,  del  mio  riverire, 
— "  Qual  cagion  (disse),  in  giu  cosi  ti  torse  ?  " —  130 

Ed  io  a  lui : — "  Per  vostra  dignitate, 
Mia  coscienza  dritto  mi  rimorse." 

I  had  knelt  down  and  was  about  to  speak  ;  but,  as 
I  began,  he  perceived  my  act  of  reverence  solely  by 
hearing.  "  What  cause,"  said  he,  "  has  bent  thee 
downward  there  ? "     And  I  to  him  :    "  By  reason  of 


48  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

your  rank  my  conscience  gave  me  compunction*  (or 
my  conscience  stimulated  me  to  kneel)." 

We  now  have  Adrian's  answer,  proving  that  after 
death  no  demonstrations  of  respect  are  due  or  even 
decorous. 

— "  Drizza  le  gambe,  levati  su,  frate," — 

Rispose:  "non  errar,  conserve  sono 

Teco  e  con  gli  altri  ad  una  potestate.  135 

"  Straighten  thy  legs,  rise  up,  my  brother,"  said  he 
in  answer,  "  Err  not ;  I  am  a  fellow-servant  with 
thee  and  others  to  one  Power.f 

*  Benvenuto  wishes  us  to  take  note  that  to  no  living  person 
among  Christians  is  any  greater  reverence  paid,  than  to  the 
Pope,  even  though  he  may  be  the  vilest  and  most  vicious  of 
men,  and  many  think  this  is  almost  a  miracle.  Dante  himself 
touched  elegantly  on  this  once  at  Verona,  when,  supping  with 
some  distinguished  persons,  someone  asked  out  of  curiosity: 
"Why  is  it,  most  learned  Dante,  that  a  sailor  who  has  suffered 
shipwreck  ever  goes  to  sea  again  :  that  a  woman  who  has  once 
borne  a  child  ever  wishes  to  conceive  again  :  and  that  such 
thousands  of  poor  do  not  swallow  up  the  few  rich  ?  "  To  which 
the  very  prudent  Dante,  fearing  to  furnish  error  to  the  least 
intelligent  guests,  evading  the  question,  replied  :  "Add  a  fourth 
question.  Why  do  all  the  kings  and  princes  of  the  earth  rever- 
ently kiss  the  foot  of  the  son  of  a  barber  and  washerwoman 
when  he  is  made  Pope  ?  " 

t  Benvenuto  says  :  "  These  words  are  taken  out  of  the 
XVIIIth  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse  (XlXth  in  A.  V.),  where, 
when  St.  John  had  cast  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  angel,  it  was 
said  to  him  :  '  See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fellow-servant  and 
of  thy  brethren  who  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus:  worship  God.' 
And  notice  how  Adrian  brings  forward  an  excellent  example  from 
a  most  excellent  book  of  Holy  Scripture  ;  for  if  it  be  lawful  to 
make  a  comparison  of  such  a  nature,  Dante,  a  man  of  a  highly 
speculative  nature,  can  be  compared  to  St.  John,  who  was 
of  a  most   contemplative  nature,  each  of  whom,  although  in 


Canto  XIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  49 

Adrian  had  learnt  the  lesson  of  Acts  X,  26 — Rev. 
XIX,  10— XXII,  9. 

Another  token  of  humility  is  that  instead  of  using 
the  usual  formula  of  a  Pope,  who  addresses  others  as 
"  my  son,"  he  speaks  to  Dante  as  a  brother.  And 
Adrian  confirms  his  words  by  adding  testimony  from 
Holy  Scripture. 

Se  mai  quel  santo  evangelico  suono, 
Che  dice  Neque  nubetit  intendesti, 
Ben  puoi  veder  perch'  io  cosi  ragiono. 

If  thou  hast  ever  heard  those  words  from  the  Holy 
Gospel,  "Nor  are  given  in  marriage,"*  thou  canst  well 
perceive  why  I  speak  as  I  do. 

Vattene  omai  ;  non  vo'  che  piu  t'  arresti, 

Ch^  la  tua  stanza  mio  pianger  disagia,  140 

Col  qua!  mature  cio  che  tu  dicesti. 

Now  go  thy  way,  I  will  not  have  thee  linger  more  ; 
because  thy  stay  here  inconveniences  my  weeping, 
with  which  I  bring  to  perfection  that  which  thou  hast 
said. 

And  then  Adrian  answers  the  third  question  that 
Dante  had  asked  him,  as  to  whether  he  could  make 
any  prayers  for  him  on  earth. 

different  manners,  while  in  rapt  ecstacy  of  the  mind,  saw  won- 
derful and  various  imageries.  As  then  St.  John  had  knelt  at 
the  feet  of  the  angel,  so  did  Dante  kneel  at  the  feet  of  the  great 
High  Priest ;  and  as  the  angel  did  not  accept  this  honour, 
calling  himself  the  fellow-servant  of  St.  John,  and  of  all  them 
that  had  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  so  did  Pope  Adrian  now, 
calling  himself  the  fellow-servant  of  Dante,  and  all  other  Chris- 
tian men." 

*  "  For  in  the  resurrection  they  neither  many^,  nor  are  given 
in  marriage,  but  are  as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven." — St.  Matt. 
XXII,  30.     Dante  uses  these  words  in  an  allegorical  sense. 

M  M 


50  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XIX. 

Nepote  ho  io  di  Ik  ch'  ha  nome  Alagia, 
Buona  da  s^,  pur  che  la  nostra  casa 
Non  faccia  lei  per  esemplo  malvagia 

E  questa  sola  di  Ik  m'  h  rimasa." —  145 

On  earth  I  have  a  granddaughter  named  Alagia, 
good  in  herself,  unless,  indeed,  our  house  does  not 
corrupt  her  by  its  evil  example,  and  she  alone  remains 
to  me  yonder."* 

The  Pope  is  the  spiritual  bridegroom  of  the  Church.     Compare 
Purg.  XXII,  20-22 : 

e  quella  faccia 

Di  Ik  da  lui,  piii  che  1'  altre  trapunta 

Ebbe  la  santa  chiesa  in  le  sue  braccia  : 
But  in  the  other  world  there  is  no  marriage,  and  there  no  longer 
exist  there  those  prerogatives  of  the  spiritual  union  contracted 
between  the  Pope  and  the  Church.     Therefore  Adrian  was  not 
any  more  to  be  revered  as  the  Head  of  the  Church. 

*  Madonna  Alagia  was  the  wife  of  Marcello  Malespini,  that 
friend  of  Dante,  with  whom,  during  his  wanderings,  he  took 
refuge  in  the  Lunigiana  in  1307.— See  Purg.  VIII,  1 15-139. 


End  of  Canto  XIX. 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  5 1 


CANTO  XX. 


The  Fifth  Cornice. 
Avarice  {continued). 

As  in  the  preceding  Canto  Dante  defined  the  general 
penance  and  purgation  of  the  avaricious,  he  now 
teaches  us  to  avoid  that  common  evil  of  the  human 
race  in  two  ways.  First,  by  considering  the  good  effects 
of  liberality  and  voluntary  poverty,  and  secondly,  by 
considering  the  evil  effects  of  avarice  and  cupidity. 
This  Canto  is  divided  by  Benvenuto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  Dante  ex- 
presses his  hatred  of  avarice  and  commends  liberality. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  96,  he 
introduces  the  spirit  of  a  noble,  himself  avaricious, 
and  the  head  of  a  long  line  of  avaricious  persons. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  97  to  v.  123,  the 
spirit  runs  through  the  hideous  sins  of  many  avari- 
cious men  with  marked  brevity. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  124  to  v.  151, 
Dante  describes  a  wonderful  phenomenon  that  took 
place,  viz. :  the  shaking  of  the  mountain  of  Purgatory 
and  a  simultaneous  outburst  of  all  the  spirits  into  a 
song  of  Gloria  in  Excelsis  Deo. 

Division  I.  The  first  division  of  the  Canto  opens 
with  a  short  continuation  of  the  closing  scene  of  the 
last  Canto,  in  which  Dante  tells  us  that,  although  he 
was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  will  of  Adrian  that  he 

M  M  2 


k 


52  Readings  on  the  Pur  gator  io. .     Canto  XX. 

should  pass  on  his  way,  yet  he  did  so  unsatisfied,  as 
there  were  many  things  he  would  have  liked  to  have 
asked  him,  but  could  not. 

Contra  miglior  voler,  voler  mal  pugna  ; 

Onde  contra  il  piacer  mio,  per  piacerii, 
Trassi  dell'  acqua  non  sazia  la  spugna. 
The  will  (of  man,  however  good)  strives  ill  against 
a  will  that  is  better.*  Therefore,  although  it  was 
not  what  best  pleased  me,  to  please  him  (Adrian),  I 
withdrew  from  the  water  my  sponge  ii.  e.  my  desire  for 
information)  not  filled. 

Mossimi;  e  il  duca  mio  si  mosse  per  li 

Luoghi  spediti,  per  lungo  la  roccia,  5 

Come  si  va  per  murot  stretto  ai  merli ; 
Ch^  la  gente  che  fonde  a  goccia  a  goccia 

Per  gli  occhi  il  mal  che  tutto  il  mondo  occiipa, 
Dall'  altra  parte  in  fuor  troppo  s'  approccia. 

I  moved  onwards,  and  my  guide  went  along  the 
spaces  left  vacant  underneath  the  cliff ;  as  happens 
when  one  walks  along  the  top  of  the  wall  close  up  to 
the  battlements,  because  those  people  (the  spirits),  who 
with  tears  pour  drop  by  drop  from  their  eyes  the  ill 
which  occupies  the  world  {i.  e.  avarice  or  cupidity), 
approached  too  near  to  the  other  side  {i.e.,  were 
lying  so  close  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  that  we 
were  obliged  to  pass  between  them  and  the  cliff). 

Benvenuto  quotes  Euripides  as  affirming  that  avarice 
carries  its  own  punishment  with  it,  costing  avast  amount 

*  Dante  desired  further  information.  Adrian  wished  to  re- 
turn to  his  penance,  which  was  a  holier  and  better  desire,  and 
Dante's  will  could  ill  strive  against  it. 

t  By  7nnro  is  meant  the  wall  of  a  city,  on  the  top  of  which, 
in  the  middle  ages,  a  footway  ran,  so  that  one  walked  close  up 
to  the  battlements. 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  tJie  PiLrgatorio.  53 

of  toil  and  of  tears  ;  and  so  unhappy  is  the  covetous 
man,  that,  whatever  he  fails  to  get  hold  of  he  esteems 
a  great  calamity. 

Dante  now  inveighs  against  avarice. 

Maledetta  sie  tu,  antica  lupa,*  10 

Che  pill  che  tutte  1'  altre  bestie  hai  preda, 
Per  la  tua  fame  senza  fine  cupa  ! 
Accursed  be  thou,  old  she-wolf,  that  gettest  more 
prey  than  all  the  other  beasts  on  account  of  thy  in- 
satiable greed  of  unfathomable  depth. 

He  implores  Heaven  for  aid  against  so  ferocious  a 

wild  beast. 

O  ciel,  nel  cui  girar  par  che  si  creda 

Le  condizion'  di  quaggiu  trasmutarsi, 
Quando  verr^  per  cui  questa  diSceda?  15 

O  Heaven,  in  whose  revolving  couises  some  appear 
to  think  the  conditions  of  the  eai  in  are  correspond- 
ingly changed,  when  will  He  come,  before  whom  she 
(the  wolf,  avarice)  will  retreat  ? 

Benvenuto  takes  this  mysterious  personage  to  be 

*  Antica  lupa:  Scartazzini  says  that  this  passage  is  most 
important,  nay,  even  decisive  for  the  true  understanding  of  the 
fundamental  idea  of  the  Divina  Commedia.  For  if  the  lupa  of 
which  Dante  speaks  here  is  the  same  that  he  spoke  of  in  Inf.  I, 
and  if  the  wolf  that  he  curses  here  is  Avarice,  it  follows  of 
necessity  that  the  wolf  in  Inf.  I  can  only  be  a  symbol  of  avarice. 
And  if  there  the  wolf  is  the  symbol  of  a  vice,  it  also  follows  of 
necessity  that  the  other  two  wild  beasts,  the  lonza  and  the 
leone,  must  each  also  symbolize  a  vice,  and  not  some  political 
power.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  wolf  here  cursed  by 
Dante  is  the  identical  one  that  opposed  him  at  the  commence- 
ment of  his  journey.  In  this  passage  the  wolf  is  styled  antica; 
in  Inf.  I,  III,  it  is  Xh^ prima  invidia,  which  at  the  beginning  of 
the  world  Satan  called  forth  from  Hell,  and  therefore  it  is  as 
ancient  as  the  world.  In  Inf.  I,  51,  the  vroMfo'gid  viver graine 
molte  genti ;  the  poet  curses  the  one  here  because  ha  preda  piii 


54  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.      Canto  XX, 

the  Veltro,  the  greyhound,  mentioned  before  in  Inf.  I, 

99-101. 

Now  Dante,  having  uttered  his  curse  against  avarice, 
sings  the  praises  of  voluntary  poverty  and  liberaHty. 
Noi  andavam  co'  passi  lenti  e  scarsi, 
Ed  io  attento  all'  ombre  ch'  io  sentia 
Pietosamente  piangere  e  lagnarsi  : 
E  per  Ventura  udi'  :  Dolce  Maria,  * 

Dinanzi  a  noi  chiamar  cosi  nel  pianto,  20 

Come  fa  donna  che  in  partorir  sia  ; 

With  slow  and  scarce  steps  we  picked  our  way,  I 
listening  to  the  spirits  whom  I  heard  lamenting  and 
bewailing  piteously;  and  by  chance  I  heard  "O 
gentle  Mary "  cried  out  in  front  of  us,  as  a  woman 
does  in  the  hour  of  delivery. 

It  was  the  spirit  of  Hugh  Capet*  who  had  uttered 
this  exclamation,  as  we  shall  see  further  on, 

cAe  tutte  P  altre  bestie,  and  because  it  makes  the  penitents  in 
this  cornice  viver  gram  who  are  inolte  gcnti.  In  both  passages 
is  its  ravenous  hunger  mentioned.  Finally,  Dante  concludes  his 
malediction  of  the  wolf  by  exclaiming:  Quando  verrd,  per  cut 
questa  disceda  f  And  what  other  motive  can  he  have  had  for 
thus  expressing  his  impatience,  but  that  Virgil  had  prophesied 
to  him  {Inf.  I,  loi),  che  il  veltro  verrd.,  che  la  far d.  ntorir  di 
doglia  ?  Dante  makes  use  of  the  same  word,  verrd,  for  both. 
Therefore  the  two  wolves  are  one  and  the  same.  The  wolf  in 
this  cornice  is  cursed  by  Dante  for  being  the  cause  of  the  tor- 
ments of  the  avaricious,  and  therefore  the  wolf  is  Avarice,  and 
consequently  the  wolf  in  Inf.  I  is  also  certainly  a  figure  of 
Avarice. 

*  The  spirit  that  speaks  is  not  that  of  King  Hugh  Capet,  but 
that  of  his  father,  Hugh  Capet,  Duke  of  France  and  Count  of 
Paris,  better  known  as  Hugh  the  Great.  Pasquier,  in  his  Re- 
cherches  de  la  France,  describes  him  as  both  valiant  and 
prudent,  and  says  that  although  he  was  never  king,  yet  was  he 
a  maker  and  unmaker  of  kings.     He  died  in  956.     His  name 


Canto  XX,      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  55 

E  seguitar :  povera  fosti  ianto, 

Quanta  veder  si  pub  per  quelP  osptzio, 
Ove  sponesti  il  tuo  portato  santo. 
And  following :  How  poor  thou  wast  can  well  be 
seen  by  that  humble  cot  (at  Bethlehem)  in  which  thou 
didst  deposit  thy  sacred  charge. 

And  for  fear,  says  Benvenuto,  that  anyone  might 
*  say :  Ah  !  but  it  is  not  everyone  who  could  endure 
the  inconveniences  of  poverty  like  the  Virgin  Mary, 
he  brings  forward  another  example  of  sober  poverty 
in  a  virtuous  heathen,  Fabricius  Caius  Luscivius, 
whose  whole  life  was  a  protest  against  greed  of  gain. 
When  he  was  censor  he  had  banished  P.  Cornelius 
Rufinus  for  his  luxury  and  prodigality.  He  refused 
the  gifts  offered  him  by  the  Samnites,  and  the  bribes 
of  Pyrrhus,  and  died  so  poor  that  he  had  to  be 
buried  at  the  public  expense,  and  the  Romans  were 
obliged  to  give  a  dowry  to  his  daughters.  Virgil, 
in  jEneid  VI,  844,  calls  him  "  powerful  in  poverty." 
Dante  extols  him  in  the  Convito. 

Segxientemente  intesi :  O  buon  Fabbrtzto,  25 

Con  poverty  volesti  anzi  virtute, 
Che  gran  ricchezza  posseder  con  vizio. 
Thereafter  I  heard  :  O  good  Fabricius,  thou  didst 
prefer  virtue  with  poverty  to  the  possession  of  great 
wealth  with  vice. 

Queste  parole  m'  eran  si  piaciute, 

Ch'  io  mi  trassi  oltre  per  aver  contezza 

Di  quello  spirt o,  onde  parean  venule.  30 

is  said  to  have  been  more  accurately  Huon  Chapet,  some  say, 
because  when  at  school  he  was  always  pulling  off  other  little 
boys'  caps.  Ducange,  Gloss,  under  Capetus,  repeats  this  story 
from  an  old  chronicle,  but  ascribes  the  name,  with  more  pro- 
bability, to  the  hood  or  cowl  which  Hugh  was  in  the  habit  of 
wearing. 


56  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

These  words  were  so  pleasing  to  me  that  I  walked 
a  little  further  on,  to  get  knowledge  of  that  spirit  from 
whom  they  seemed  to  come. 

The  allusions  to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  Fabricius 
seemed  so  appropriate,  that  Dante  had  reason  to  hope 
that  he  might  enter  into  a  profitable  conversation  with 
him,  which  might  not  be  so  abruptly  broken  off  as  the 
last  one  had  been.  He  felt  inclined  to  talk,  and  he 
seems  to  have  been  fortunate  in  meeting  with  a  kin- 
dred spirit  in  Hugh  Capet  who  at  once  proceeded  to 
tell  him  a  story  of  the  noble  liberality  of  St.  Nicholas, 
Bishop  of  Myra  in  Lycia.* 

Esso  parlava  ancor  della  larghezza 
Che  fece  Niccolao  alle  pulcelle. 
Per  condurre  ad  onor  lor  giovinezza. 

He  furthermore  began  to  speak  to  me  of  the 
liberality  that  Nicholas  used  to  the  three  damsels  to 
conduct  their  young  life  to  honour. 


*  Benvenuto  tells  us  :  Here  the  Poet  brings  forward  an 
example  of  noble  generosity  in  a  few  short  clear  words  ;  how 
the  holy  Nicholas,  having  lost  his  parents,  wished  to  spend  his 
money  on  the  poor.  There  was  a  nobleman  with  three  grown- 
up daughters,  who  was  reduced  to  such  extreme  poverty  that  he 
had  determined  to  send  them  out  to  beg  for  the  support  of  the 
family.  One  night  St.  Nicholas,  passing  the  house,  took  a  bag 
of  gold  from  under  his  cloak  and  threw  it  in  at  the  window,  the 
eldest  girl  was  thus  dowered  and,  as  all  three  were  beautiful 
girls,  was  at  once  married  ;  St.  Nicholas  repeated  this  a  second 
and  a  third  time,  with  short  intervals  between,  and  thus  secured 
for  all  three  daughters  honourable  marriages.  Not  long  after 
the  marriage  of  the  youngest  girl  the  father  ascertained  who  was 
their  benefactor,  and  kissed  his  hands  and  feet,  but  Nicholas 
made  him  promise  to  tell  no  man. 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  57 

Division  II.  Hugh  Capet  talks  to  Dante  at  length 
about  the  avarice  of  the  Kings  of  France,  his  de- 
scendants. 

— "  O  anima,  che  tanto  ben  favelle, 

Dimmi  chi  fosti  (dissi)  e  perch^  sola  35 

Tu  queste  degne  lode  rinnovelle  ? 
Non  fia  senza  merce  la  tua  parola, 

S'  io  ritomo  a  compier  lo  cammin  corto 
Di  quella  vita,  che  al  termine  vola." — 
"  O  soul,"  said  I,  "  who  speakest  such  good  words, 
tell  me  who  thou  wast,  and  why  thou  art  the  only  one 
who  seemest  to  care  to  renew  these  well  deserved 
praises  (that  is  to  bring  back  to  one's  recollection  these 
beautiful  instances  from  sacred  and  profane  history  of 
voluntary  poverty  and  open-handed  liberality)  ;  and 
if  thou  dost  tell  me  what  I  want,  thy  words  shall  not 
be  without  a  requital,  if  I  return  to  finish  the  short 
journey  of  that  life  which  is  speeding  on  to  its  end." 

The  requital  being,  that  he  would  convey  to  any  of 
his  surviving  descendants  a  message  that  prayer  might 
be  offered  up  for  his  early  deliverance  from  Purgatory, 
or,  that  Dante  might  confortare  la  sua  ^nemoria,  (Inf. 
XIII)  speak  a  good  word  for  his  reputation. 

Hugh  Capet  answers,  and  declines  Dante's  proffered 
good  offices : 

Ed  egli : — "  Io  ti  diro,  non  per  conforto  40 

Ch'  io  attenda  di  Ik,  ma  perche  tanta 
Grazia  in  te  luce  prima  che  sie  morto. 
And  he  :  "I  will  tell  thee,  not  for  any  ease  that  I  can 
expect  from  the  world  yonder  (from  my  descendants), 
but  because  so  large  a  measure  of  divine  grace  shines 
forth  in  thee  before  thou  art  dead. 

Benvenuto  says  that  it  is  either  that  he  wishes  to 
say  that  he  has  no  more  care  for  the  empty  fame  of 


58  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

the  world,  or  because  his  descendants  are  too  much 
given  up  to  avarice  to  think  much  about  him. 
Hugh  continues  : 

lo  fui  radice  della  mala  pianta  * 

Che  la  terra  cristiana  tutta  aduggia, 
Si  che  buon  frutto  rado  se  ne  schianta.  45 

I  was  the  root  of  that  malignant  tree  (the  Capets) 
which  casts  its  evil  shadow  over  the  whole  Christian 
world,  so  that  good  fruit  is  seldom  gathered  from  it. 

"  And  yet,"  says  Benvenuto,  "  there  were  some 
illustrious  kings  of  that  line,  such  as  St.  Louis,  and 
Charles  of  Anjou,  his  brother,  and  this  family  down 
to  the  present  time  (Benvenuto  wrote  about  1375)  is 
most  powerful  in  our  west,  where  there  are  such  men  as 
the  King  of  France,  Charles  V.  the  Wise,  1 364-80  ;  the 
King  of  Navarre  (probably  Charles  the  Bad) ;  the  King 
of  Hungary,  Louis  the  Great,  1370;  theQueen  of  Apulia 
(probably  daughter  of  the  Emperor  Charles  IV)." 

Hugh  proves  what  he  said  by  alluding  to  the 
reigning  prince,  Philip  the  Fair. 

Ma,  se  Doagio,  Guanto,  Lilla  e  Bruggia 
Potesser,  tosto  ne  saria  vendetta  ; 
Ed  io  la  cheggio  a  Lui  che  tutto  giuggia. 

But  if  Douai,  Ghent,  Lille  and  Bruges  had  the 
power,  they  would  soon  take  vengeance  (on  Philip), 
and  I  invoke  it  from  Him  who  judges  all  things.-j* 

*  Longfellow  says  of  v.  43  :  "  If  we  knew  from  what  old 
chronicle,  or  from  what  Professor  of  the  Rue  de  Fouarre,  Dante 
derived  his  knowledge  of  French  history  we  might  possibly 
make  plain  the  rather  difficult  passage."  The  malignant  plant 
is  Philip  the  Fair. 

t  Milman  tells  us  :  "  In  Philip  the  Fair  the  gallantry  of  the 
French  temperament  broke  out  on  rare  occasions  ;  his  first  Fle- 
mish campaigns  were  conducted  with  bravery  and  skill,  but  Philip 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  59 

This  passage  shows  the  hatred  which  Dante  felt  for 
the  Kings  of  France. 

Chiamato  fui  di  la  Ugo  Ciapetta  : 

Di  me  son  nati  i  Filippi  e  i  Luig^,  50 

Per  cui  novellamente  h  Francia  retta. 
Figliuol  fui  d'  un  beccajo  di  Parigi. 

I  was  called  Hugh  Capet  there  (on  earth) :  from  me 
the  Philips  and  the  Louises  sprang,  by  whom  in  recent 
times  France  has  been  ruled.*  I  was  the  son  of  a 
butcher  of  Paris. 

ever  preferred  the  subtle  negotiation,  the  slow  and  wily  encroach- 
ment ;  till  his  enemies  were,  if  not  in  his  power,  at  least  at 
great  disadvantage,  he  did  not  venture  on  the  usurpation  or 
invasion.  In  the  slow  systematic  pursuit  of  his  object,  he  was 
utterly  without  scruple,  without  remorse.  He  was  not  so  much 
cruel  as  altogether  obtuse  to  human  suffering,  if  necessarj'  to  the 
prosecution  of  his  schemes  ;  not  so  much  rapacious,  as  finding 
money  indispensable  to  his  aggrandizement,  seeking  money  by 
means  of  which  he  hardly  seemed  to  discern  the  injustice  or  the 
folly.  Never  was  man  or  monarch  so  intensely  selfish  as  Philip 
the  Fair  :  his  own  power  was  his  ultimate  scope  ;  he  extended 
so  enormously  the  royal  prerogative,  the  influence  of  France, 
because  he  was  King  of  France.  His  rapacity,  which  persecuted 
the  Templars,  his  vindictiveness,  which  warred  on  Boniface 
after  death  as  through  life,  was  this  selfishness  in  other  forms." 
Milman's  Latin  Christianity,  XI,  ch.  8.  He  was  defeated  at  the 
battle  of  Courtrai,  1302,  known  in  histor)'  as  the  battle  of  the 
Spurs  of  Gold,  from  the  great  number  found  on  the  field  after 
the  battle.  This  is  the  vengeance  imprecated  on  him  by  Dante, 
and,  as  Benvenuto  says,  had  already  taken  place  when  Dante 
wrote  these  lines. 

*  For  two  centuries  and  a  half,  that  is,  from  1060  to  1316, 
there  was  either  a  Louis  or  a  Philip  on  the  throne  of  France. 
The  succession  was  as  follows  : 

Philip  I.  L'Amoureux,      1059. 

Louis  VI.  the  Fat,  1108. 

Louis  VII.  the  Young,     11 37. 


6o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

Benvenuto  tells  us  that  France  is  a  small  province 
in  Gaul  which  has  several  subject  provinces  such  as 
Provence,  Burgundy,  Normandy,  Piccardy,  Aquitaine, 
Vascony  {sic.\  &c.  He  says  Dante  was  a  most  curious 
investigator  of  things  worth  remembering,  and  while 
studying  at  Paris,  he  found  out  the  real  facts,  and 
treats  all  that  is  said  to  the  contrary,  as  said  for  the 
sake  of  covering  Hugh  Capet's  low  birth.  Villani 
says  the  father  was  a  great  and  rich  burgher  of  Paris, 
of  a  race  of  butchers  or  dealers  in  cattle.  Hugh 
Capet  is  now  considered  to  have  descended  from  a 
noble  line  of  Counts  of  Paris  and  Dukes  of  France. 
Possibly  the  legend  arose  out  of  the  fact  that  his 
father,  or  he  himself,  had  been  described  as  a  butcher 
on  account  of  the  severity  of  his  punishments.  The 
French  commentators  vigorously  deny  the  truth  of 
this  statement  of  Dante.*  •    . 

Philip  II.  Augustus,         1180. 

Louis  VIII.  the  Lion,      1223. 

Louis  IX.  the  Saint,         1226. 

PhiHp  III.  the  Bold,        1270. 

Philip  IV.  the  Fair,  1285. 

Louis  X.,  1 3 14' 

*  Pasquier  {RecJierches  de  la  France  I-iv.  VI.  ch,  i),  thinking  it 

is  King  Hugh  Capet  that  speaks,  protests :  "  Et  au  surplus  combien 

Dante  Poete  Italien  fut  ignorant,  quand  au  livre  par  luy  intitule 

le  Purgatoire,  il  dit  que  nostre  Hugues  Capet  avoit  estd  fils  d'un 

Boucher Et  depuis  Agrippa  Alleman  en  son  livre 

de  la  Vanity  des  sciences,  chap,  de  la  Noblesse,  sur  ceste 
premiere  ignorance  declame  impudemment  contre  la  genealogie 
de  nostre  Capet.  Si  Dante  estima  Hugues  le  Grand,  du  quel 
Capet  estoit  fils,  avoir  este  un  boucher,  il  estoit  mal  habile 
homme.  Que  s'il  usa  de  ce  mot  par  metaphore,  ainsi  que  je  le 
veux  croire,  ceux  qui  se  sont  attachez  k  I'escorce  de  ceste  parole 
sont  encore  de  plus  grands  lourdauts." 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  6i 

I  think  we  may,  with  confidence,  take  it  for  granted 
that  the  consensus  of  the  best  modern  historical  critics 
treat  the  story  as  a  fable,  and  that  Hugh  the  Great  was 
really  descended  from  illustrious  ancestors, 

Quando  li  regi  antichi  venner  meno 
Tutti,  fuor  ch'  un,  renduto  in  panni  bigi, 

When  the  ancient  kings  (the  Carlovingians)  had  all 
passed  away,  save  one  who  had  taken  the  grey  frock. 

The  Ottiino  thinks  this  unnamed  king  was  Rudolph, 
who  became  a  monk  and  afterwards  Archbishop  of 
Rheims.  Benvenuto  gives  no  name,  but  says  "  only  a 
monk  in  poor  coarse  garments."  Francesco  da  Buti 
states  the  same.  Daniello  thinks  it  was  "  some  Francis- 
can, perhaps  St.  Louis"  !  forgetting  that  St.  Louis  did 
not  see  the  light  for  some  two  centuries  afterwards — 
nor  did  the  Order  of  St.  Francis  exist  then.  Some  say 
Charles  of  Lorraine.  Biagioli  decides  that  it  must  be 
either  Charles  the  Simple,  who  died  a  prisoner  in  the 
Castle  of  Peronne  in  922  ;  or  Louis  d'Outre-Mer,  who 
was  carried  to  England  by  Hugh  the  Great  in  936. 
The  Man  in  Cloth  of  Grey,  says  Longfellow,  remains 
as  great  a  mystery  as  the  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask. 

Trovdmi  stretto  nelle  mani  il  freno  55 

Del  govemo  del  regno,  e  tanta  possa 
Di  nuovo  acquisto,  e  si  d'  amici  pieno, 

Ch'  alia  corona  vedova  promossa 

La  testa  di  mio  figlio  fu,  dal  quale 

Comincikr  di  costor  le  sacrate  ossa.  60 

I  found  fast  in  my  hands  the  reins  of  government 
of  the  kingdom,  and  so  great  power  of  new  ac- 
quisitions, and  such  an  array  of  friends,  that  the 
head  of  my  son  was  promoted  to  the  widowed  {i.e. 


62  Readings  on  the  Purgatovio.      Canto  XX. 

vacant)  crown  :  from  whom  the  consecrated  bones 
{i£.  the  anointed  line  of  the  Capets),  took  their 
descent. 

Hugh  Capet,  son  of  the  speaker  Hugh  le  Grand, 
was  crowned  King  at  Rheims  in  987.  The  above 
terzina  makes  it  perfectly  clear  that  it  is  Hugh  the 
Great  who  speaks.  Benvenuto  tries  to  make  out  that 
the  son  who  was  crowned  was  Robert. 

Now  Hugh  goes  on  to  tell  Dante  the  evil  deeds 
wrought  by  his  descendants  through  avarice.*  Ben- 
venuto says  that  up  to  that  time  the  descendants  of 
Hugh  had  been  somewhat  avaricious,  but  not  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  usurp  unjustly  what  belonged  to 
another. 

.  Mentre  che  la  gran  dote  Provenzale 

Al  sangue  mio  non  tolse  la  vergogna, 
Poco  valea,  ma  pur  non  facea  male. 

Until  the  great  appanage  of  Provence  deprived  my 
posterity  of  shame,  their  power  was  small,  but  still  it 
did  no  harm. 


*  Hugh  begins  by  speaking  of  their  first  avaricious  annexation. 
He  tells  us,  says  Benvenuto,  that  Louis  IX.  (St.  Louis)  and 
Charles  of  Anjou,  his  brother,  who  was  afterwards  King  of 
Sicily,  married  the  two  daughters  of  Raymond  Berenger  of 
Toulouse,  and  under  the  pretext  of  claiming  their  dowries,  they 
usurped  the  province  of  Narbonne,  of  which,  Provence  fell  to  the 
share  of  Charles  of  Anjou.  Raymond  Berenger  had  two  other 
daughters,  married  to  our  Henry  III  of  England  and  his  brother 
Prince  Richard. 

Louis  IX  married  Margaret  the  eldest  daughter,  and  Charles 
d'Anjou  married  Beatrice,  a  younger  daughter.  In  the  increased 
wealth  and  power,  which  they  brought  to  the  Royal  house  of 
France,  Dante  saw  the  source  of  all  the  miseries  of  Italy,  and 
the  failure  of  the  Empire,  which  was  to  him  the  ideal  polity. 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  63 

Observe  in  the  two  next  terzine  the  thrice-repeated 
ironical /^r  ammenda  (for  compensation);  to  atone  for 
the  preceding  fault,  they  committed  a  succession  of 
others  always  worse  and  worse. 

Li  comincio  con  forza  e  con  menzogna 

La  sua  rapina  ;  e  poscia,  per  ammenda,  65 

Ponti  e  Normandia  prese,  e  Guascogna. 

Carlo  venne  in  Italia,  e  per  ammenda, 
Vittima  fe'  di  Curradino  ;  e  poi 
Ripinse  al  ciel  Tommaso,  per  ammenda. 

Then  it  began  by  violence  and  fraud  its  plunder- 
ing; and  afterwards  to  make  amends  took  Ponthieu, 
Normandy  and  Gascony.  Charles  came  to  Italy, 
and  to  make  amends  made  a  victim  of  Conradin  ; 
and  then  again  to  make  amends  sent  Thomas  back 
to  Heaven.* 

*  Three  Charleses  are  mentioned  in  this  Canto  :  i.  Charles 
d'Anjou,  brother  of  St.  Louis,  who  had  Conradin  beheaded, 
and  possibly  poisoned  Thomas  Aquinas.  2.  Charles  de  Valois, 
brother  of  Philippe  le  Bel,  who  used  the  lancta  con  la  qual 
giostrb  Giuda.  3.  Charles  II  of  Naples  and  Apulia,  son  of 
Charles  d'Anjou.  He  was  taken  prisoner  in  a  naval  action  off 
Naples,  in  1284,  by  Ruggieri  di  Lauria,  Admiral  of  Pedro  of 
Arragon.  He  was  imprisoned  four  years,  and  was  not  restored 
to  his  throne  till  1288,  three  years  after  his  father  Charles  of 
Anjou  had  died.  It  was  he  who  accepted  a  large  bribe  to  give 
his  daughter  in  marriage  to  Azzo  d'  Este. 

Normandy  had  been  taken  from  King  John  in  1202,  Gascony, 
Guienne  and  Ponthieu  had  been  formally  ceded  by  Edward  I 
to  Philip  the  Fair,  1295,  with  a  secret  understanding,  afterwards 
repudiated,  that  it  was  to  be  formal  only.  Guienne  was  recovered 
1298.  Conradin,  son  of  the  Emperor  Conrad  IV,  when  only  16, 
was  beheaded  in  the  square  of  Naples  by  order  of  Charles  of 
Anjou  in  1268.  He  was  captured  after  his  defeat  at  Tagliacozzo 
and  imprisoned  in  the  Castel  dell'  Uovo  at  Naples.     A  graphic 


64  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

Benvenuto  says  that  all  Charles's  best  friends  and 
counsellors  repudiated  the  act.  Did  not  this  Charles 
receive  unpunished  Guy  de  Montfort,  who  had  slain 
a  kinsman  of  the  King  of  England,  even  "  in  the  bosom 
of  God  ?"  (in  sanctuary).  Did  he  not  condemn  to 
perpetual  imprisonment  Henry,  brother  of  the  King 
of  Spain,  his  own  kinsman,  for  some  sum  of  money 
that  he  would  not  pay  to  him  ?  He  adds  that  a  just 
Judge  inflicted  heavy  adversity  on  Charles  before  his 
death,  for  just  when  he  seemed  at  the  zenith  of  his 
success  in  arms,  he  saw  the  rebellion  in  Sicily  and  the 
captivity  of  his  son,  whom  his  victorious  adversary 
Pedro  of  Aragon  might  well  have  slain,  to  revenge 
Conradin,  had  he  chosen  to  so  abuse  his  victory,  1284. 
And  Charles  died  of  grief,  while  his  son  was  still  in 
prison.  And  now  we  pass  on  to  another  Charles, 
only  too  well  known  in  Florerice  in  the  time  of 
Dante. 


account   of   his   end  may  be  read    in   Milman,   Lat.    Christ. 
XI,  3- 

Dean  Plumptre  says  that  the  story  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
having  been  poisoned  by  order  of  Charles  of  Anjou,  1274,  has 
fallen  into  such  discredit,  that  it  is  not  even  mentioned  in  the 
current  biographies  of  the  great  Dominican  Doctor.  In  Dante's 
time,  however,  it  was  currently  believed  throughout  Italy,  and 
is  mentioned  by  Villani,  and  by  all  the  early  commentators. 
Thomas  had  lived  some  years  at  Naples,  and  had  been  much 
respected  by  the  King,  at  all  events  outwardly.  On  his  depar- 
ture to  attend  Gregory  X  at  a  Council  at  Lyons,  the  King 
asked  him  what  he  should  report  of  him.  "  I  shall  tell  the 
truth,"  was  the  answer.  This  alarmed  Charles,  and  he  com- 
missioned a  physician  to  follow  and  poison  him  at  the  Cister- 
cian Monastery  of  Fossa  Nuova,  near  Terracina,  when  he  was 
47  years  old. 


Canto  XX,      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  65 

Tempo  \^%^  io,  non  molto  dopo  ancoi,  70 

Che  tragge  un  altro  Carlo  fuor  di  Francia, 
Per  far  conoscer  meglio  e  s^  e  i  suoi. 

I  see  a  time,  not  long  after  this,  which  brings  another 
Charles  forth  from  France,  to  make  him  and  his  race 
still  better  known. 

This  is  Charles  de  Valois,  surnamed  "  Sans  Terre," 
brother  of  Philip  the  Fair,  who  was  summoned  into 
Italy  to  settle  the  disorders  of  Florence  by  Boniface 
VIII,  as  pacificator,  and  was  guilty  of  many  acts  of 
treachery.  Dante's  opposition  to  his  intervention  led 
to  his  own  banishment  and  that  of  the  other  Bianchi. 
Senz'  arme  n'  esce  solo,  e  con  la  lancia 

Con  la  qual  giostro  Giuda  ;  e  quella  ponta 

Si  che  a  Fiorenza  fa  scoppiar  la  pancia.  75 

He  comes  forth  without  other  arms  than  the  lance 
that  Judas  tilted  with  ;  and  with  that  thrusts  in  such 
fashion  as  to  rend  the  paunch  of  Florence. 

Let  us  paraphrase  this :  He  comes  without  any 
exhibition  of  open  strength,  but  only  with  the  weapon 
of  Judas,  that  is,  treachery  bought  by  corruption  ;  for 
as  Judas  betrayed  our  Lord  to  the  Chief  Priests  for 
money,  so  is  Charles  de  Valois  bribed  by  Boniface 
VIII  to  carry  out  his  policy  at  Florence ;  and  with 
such  malignant  dexterity  does  he  use  these  weapons 
of  deceit,  that  he  tears  out  from  overgrown  Florence 
its  very  vitals,  in  the  persons  of  its  chiefest  citizens, 
and  among  them  Dante  himself 

Ouindi  non  terra,  ma  peccato  ed  onta 
Guadagnerk,  per  se  tanto  piu  grave, 
Quanto  piu  lieve  simil  danno  conta. 

And  from  that  (treachery)  he  will  gain  for  him- 
self no  territory,  but  reproach  and  shame,  so  much  the 

N  N 


66  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

more  grievous  to  himself,  as  the  more  light  such 
damage  counts  in  his  eyes. 

An  old  writer  says  of  him—"  Cario  venne  in  Tos- 
cana  per  pace,  e  lasciovvi  gran  guerra ;  passo  in  Sicilia 
per  guerra,  e  riportonne  ignominiosa  pace." 

We  now  turn  to  the  third  Charles,  the  son  of  Charles 
of  Anjou,  II  of  Naples  and  Apulia. 

L'  altro,  che  gik  usci  preso  di  nave, 

Veggio  vender  sua  figlia,  e  pateggiarne,  80 

Come  fanno  i  corsar'  dell'  altre  schiave. 

The  other,  who  but  lately  went  forth  from  his  ship 
a  prisoner,  I  see  selling  his  own  daughter,  haggling 
for  the  price  to  be  paid,  just  as  corsairs  do  with 
other  female  slaves. 

We  must  remember  that  at  that  time  the  whole 
coast  of  Italy  was  subject  to  the  depredations  of 
Saracen  corsairs,  who  used  to  seize  maidens  and  sell 
them  for  slaves  in  the  East.  Benvenuto  tells  us, 
that  in  1284,  while  Charles  d' Anjou  had  gone  into 
Provence,  to  collect  troops  to  revenge  the  massacre  of 
the  French  at  the  Sicilian  Vespers,  he  had  particularly 
charged  his  son  Charles,  who  is  mentioned  in  these 
lines  (79-81)  not  on  any  account  to  be  drawn  into 
any  action  by  sea  or  by  land  during  his  absence. 
Ruggeri  d'  Oria,  a  most  distinguished  naval  com- 
mander of  Pedro,  King  of  Aragon,  knowing  this, 
came  with  a  great  fleet  to  Naples,  and  even  entered 
the  port,  shooting  missiles  into  the  city,  and  luring 
Charles  the  younger  to  come  out.  Ruggieri  well 
knew  that  Charles  d' Anjou  was  already  off  Pisa  with 
a  great  fleet  on  his  way  back  from  Provence. 

Charles  the  younger  fell  into  the  trap,  and  embarked 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  6y 

with  all  his  chief  officers  and  engaged  d'Oria.  Like 
the  King  of  Syria,  in  battle  with  Ahab,  said  to  his 
chief  captains,  "  Fight  neither  with  great  nor  small, 
but  only  with  the  King  of  Israel,"  so  did  d'Oria  order 
his  captains  that  their  chief  duty  was  to  capture  young 
Charles,  and  only  to  attack  that  galley  which  bore  the 
royal  standard.  The  result  satisfied  his  expectations. 
The  youth  was  captured  with  nine  long  ships,  and  all 
his  great  officers  of  state,  who  were  utterly  useless  in  a 
naval  action.  He  was  taken  to  Messina.  Two  hundred 
of  his  nobles  were  slain  with  the  sword  to  requite  the 
death  of  Conradin,  but  young  Charles  was  reserved 
with  a  few  of  his  companions,  and  Benvenuto  says  he 
would  certainly  have  been  slain,  had  not  Queen 
Constance  (wife  of  King  Pedro,  and  daughter  of 
Manfred,  who  alludes  to  her,  Canto  III,  115),  ordered 
his  life  to  be  spared.  The  following  day  his  father, 
Charles  of  Anjou,  touched  at  Gaeta,  and  hearing  the 
disastrous  news,  broke  out  into  a  great  explosion  of 
wrath  against  his  son  and  said  :  "  I  wish  he  had  died, 
rather  than  disobey  my  distinct  orders."  After  four 
years'  imprisonment,  during  which  Charles  the  Elder 
had  died,  the  younger  Charles  made  peace  with  Pedro, 
and  was  restored  to  his  kingdom  in  1288.  It  was 
then  he  gave  his  beautiful  daughter  Beatrice  in  mar- 
riage to  Azzo,  Marquis  of  Este,  either  for  30,000  or 
100,000  florins,  according  to  two  different  authorities, 
Azzo  being  much  older  than  Beatrice,  and  of  evil 
reputation. 

Then  Hugh  continues : 

O  avarizia,  che  puoi  tu  piu  fame, 

Poi  ch'  hai  il  sangue  mio  a  te  si  tratto, 
Che  non  si  cura  della  propria  came  ? 

N  N  2 


68  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

O  avarice,  what  canst  thou  do  more  with  us,  since 
thou  hast  so  drawn  my  race  to  thyself,  that  it  loves 
not  its  own  flesh. 

But  now  Hugh  comes  to  speak  of  what  he  evidently 
thinks  a  crime  which  leaves  all  the  above  mentioned 
ones  in  the  shade. 

Perche  men  paia  il  mal  future  e  11  fatto,*  85 

Veggiot  in  Alagna  entrar  lo  fiordaliso, 
E  nel  Vicario  suo  Cristo  esser  catto. 

In  order  that  evil,  both  past  and  future,  may  appear 
less,  (I  will  tell  thee  that)  I  see  the  fleur-de-lys  enter 
into  Anagni  (the  home  of  Pope  Boniface  VIII  in 
1303),  and  Christ  Himself  taken  captive  in  the  person 
of  his  vicar. 

Veggiolo  un'  altra  volta  esser  deriso  ; 
Veggio  rinnovellar  1'  aceto  e  il  fele, 
E  tra  vivi  ladroni  esser  anciso.  90 

*  This  line  is  very  obscure,  and  the  explanation  of  Jacopo 
della  Lana  seems  much  the  most  clear.  He  says  that  Dante 
wishes  to  feign  that  Hugh  was  prophesying  to  him  what  was 
going  to  happen,  though  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  had  already  taken 
place,  and  he  says  to  Dante  :  "  In  order  that  the  horror  of  what 
is  going  to  happen  may  seem  to  you  somewhat  less,  when  it 
does  take  place,  I  will  foretell  it  to  you." 

t  Veggio.  Dante  means,  '  I  see  with  the  eyes  of  a  Catholic' 
He  is  alluding  to  the  indignities  to  which  Pope  Boniface  VIII 
was  subjected  at  Alagna  (now  Anagni)  by  Nogaret  and  Sciarra 
Colonna  by  order  of  Philip  the  Fair  in  1 303,  and  from  the 
mortification  of  which  he  died  shortly  afterwards  at  Rome. 
The  event  is  related  by  Milman  {Lat.  Christ.  Book  XI,  ch.  9). 
Although  Dante  entertained  feelings  of  bitter  hostility  towards 
Boniface,  he  viewed  with  the  utmost  abhorrence  his  treat- 
ment by  the  emissaries  of  Philip.  No  personal  enmity  could 
make  him  forget  that,  as  Pope,  he  was  the  vicar  of  Christ.     See 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  6g 

I  see  Him  mocked  a  second  time:  I  see  renewed  the 
vinegar  and  gall ;  and  Him  again  slain  between  living 
thieves  (i.e.  Sciarra  and  Colonna). 

Veggio  il  nuovo  Pilato  si  crudele, 

Che  cio  nol  sazia,  ma,  senza  decreto, 
Porta  nel  tempio  le  cupide  vele. 

I  see  the  new  Pilate  (i.e.  King  Philip  the  Fair,  by 
whose  orders  these  outrages  were  perpetrated),  so 
relentless,  that  even  this  does  not  sate  him,  but 
without  decree  he  sets  his  covetous  sails  towards  the 
Temple.* 

Hugh  concludes  by  calling  God's  vengeance  upon 
such  infamy. 

O  Signer  mio,  quando  saro  io  lieto 

A  veder  la  vendetta  che,  nascosa,  95 

Fa  dolce  V  ira  tua  nel  tuo  segreto  ? 

Oh  !  my  Lord,  when  shall  I  be  made  joyful  by 
seeing  the  vengeance,  which,  concealed  in  Thy  secret, 
makes  Thine  anger  sweet  ? 

Benvenuto  points  out  that  this  means  that  when  a 

Inf.  XIX,  loo. 

"  E  se  non  fosse  che  ancor  lo  mi  vieta 
La  riverenza  delle  somme  chiavi 
Che  tu  tenesti  nella  vita  lieta, 
Io  userei  parole  ancor  piu  gravi." 

*  In  1 3 14  Philip  suppressed  the  Order  of  the  Templars  on  a 
number  of  trumped-up  charges.  He  seized  on  their  Preceptories, 
their  property  and  their  persons,  and  after  putting  them  to  the 
most  inhuman  tortures  obtained  from  Pope  Clement  V  a  re- 
luctant assent  to  these  illegal  proceedings.  Dante  especially 
censures  in  these  lines  the  absence  of  a  fair  trial,  and  the  real 
motive  of  Philip's  zeal  against  the  Templars,  which  was  his 
covetousness  of  their  possessions. 


70  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

man  who  has  suffered  an  injury  knows  that  speedy 
vengeance  will  fall  on  the  offender,  he  secretly  rejoices 
in  his  heart— and  he  says  the  same  thing  will  happen 
here  with  the  anger  of  God,  which  in  brief  space  will 
fall  on  Philip  and  his  descendants. 


Division  III.  Several  flagrant  instances  are  now 
given  of  avarice  as  exhibited  in  persons,  both  of  sacred 
and  profane  history,  and  Hugh  the  Great  answers  the 
second  of  the  questions  which  Dante  had  put  to  him* 
as  to  why  he  alone  of  all  the  spirits  in  the  Cornice 
seemed  to  care  to  renew  these  well  deserved  praises. 
That,  we  may  remember,  was  the  recalling  to  notice 
certain  instances  of  voluntary  poverty  and  great 
liberality. 

Cio  ch'  io  dicea  di  quella  unica  sposa 
Dello  Spirito  Santo,  e  che  ti  fece 
Verso  me  volger  per  alcuna  chiosa, 

Tanto  h  disposto  a  tutte  nostre  prece,  , 

Quanto  il  di  dura  ;  ma'  quand'  e'  s'  annotta, 
Contrario  suon  prendemo  in  quella  vece. 

What  I  was  saying  of  that  one  only  Spouse  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  (the  Blessed  Virgin),  and  which  occa- 
sioned thee  to  turn  to  me  for  some  commentary,  that 
invocation  has  been  ordained  for  all  our  orisons  only 
for  so  long  as  the  day  lasts,  but  when  night  comes, 
then  we  sing  a  contrary  strain. 

In  the  daylight  they  sing  of  virtuous  persons  con- 


*  See  V.  35  «  Perch^  sola 

Tu  queste  degne  lode  rinnovelle  ?" 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  71 

spicuous  for  their  voluntary  poverty,  and  liberality, 
but  at  night  only  of  those  who  were  friends  of  avarice 
and  cupidity.  Liberality  makes  men  shine.  Avarice 
makes  them  obscure. 

Hugh  next  runs  rapidly  over  several  examples  of  the 
hateful  sins  of  avaricious  and  covetous  persons.  First 
he  mentions  Pygmalion,  the  brother  of  Dido  who, 
through  blind  greed  of  gold,  murdered  her  husband, 
Sichaeus,  King  of  Tyre,  and  drove  his  sister  an  exile 
to  Carthage. 

Noi  ripetiam  Pigmalione  allotta,* 
Cui  traditore  e  ladro  e  patricida 
Fece  la  voglia  sua,  dell'  oro  ghiotta  ;  105 

We  commemorate  Pygmalion  then,  whom  his  insa- 
tiable desire  for  gold  made  a  traitor,  a  thief,  and  a 
parricide. 

He  was  a  traitor,  because  when  bound  to  Sichaeus 
by  an  oath  of  faith,  he  killed  him  unawares  while 
sacrificing  at  the  altar  of  Hercules,  in  whose  temple 
he  was  priest.  A  thief,  because  he  took  his  brother- 
in-law's  gold  ;  and  a  parricide,  because  Sichaeus  was 
not  only  his  brother-in-law,  but  also  his  kinsman. 
Parricide,  Benvenuto  tells  us,  is  commonly  used  as  a 
term  for  the  murderer  of  any  kinsman. 

The  next  example  of  avarice  is  that  of  Midas,  King 
of  Lydia,  who  tied  the  famous  Gordian  knot,  and  who 
was  supposed  to  have  obtained  from  Bacchus  the 
faculty   that    everything  he  touched  should  become 

gold. 

E  la  miseria  dell'  avaro  Mida, 

Che  segui  alia  sua  domanda  ingorda, 
Per  la  qual  sempre  convien  che  si  rida. 

♦  Allotta  for  Allora.  At  that  time,  that  is  quando  s'  annotta, 
when  it  is  night 


72  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XX. 

And  the  distress  of  the  miser,  Midas,  that  followed 
his  covetous  request,  at  which  one  always  needs  must 

laugh.* 

Benvenuto  says  he  feels  sure  Dante  must  have  been 
laughing  when  he  wrote  this.  He  next  turns  to  Sacred 

History. 

Del  foUe  Acdm  ciascun  poi  si  ricorda, 

Come  furo  le  spoglie,  si  che  1'  ira  no 

Di  Josu^  qui  par  ch'  ancor  lo  morda. 

And  then  again  each  of  us  remembers   the  story 

of  the  foolish  Achan,  how  he  stole  the  plunder,  so 

that  the  wrath  of  Joshua  seems  still  to  chastise  him.f 

Indi  accusiam  col  marito  Safira  : 

Lodiamo  i  calci  ch'  ebbe  Eliodoro  ;t 
Ed  in  infamia  tutto  il  monte  gira 
Polinest6r§  ch'  ancise  Polidoro.  115 

*  "  Pan  tuned  the  pipe,  and  with  his  rural  song 
Pleased  the  low  taste  of  all  the  vulgar  throng  ; 
Such  songs  a  vulgar  judgment  mostly  please  : 
Midas  was  there,  and  Midas  judged  with  these." 

—Ovid,  Met.  XI. 
t  Achan  said  :  "  When  I  saw  among  the  spoils  a  goodly 
Babylonish  garment,  and  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and  a 
wedge  of  gold  of  fifty  shekels  weight,  then  I  coveted  them,  and 
took  them  ;  and  behold,  they  are  hid  in  the  earth  in  the  midst 
of  my  tent,  and  the  silver  under  xV^Joshua  VII,  21. 

X  This  refers  to  the  miraculous  horse  that  appeared  in  the 
Temple  of  Jerusalem,  when  Heliodorus,  the  treasurer  of  King 
Seleucus,  went  there  to  remove  the  treasure.  We  read  of  it  in 
II  Maccabees,  III,  25  :  "  For  there  appeared  unto  them  an  horse 
with  a  terrible  rider  upon  him,  and  adorned  with  a  very  fair 
covering,  and  he  ran  fiercely,  and  smote  at  Heliodorus  with  his 
forefeet,  and  it  seemed  that  he  that  sat  upon  the  horse  had 
complete  harness  of  gold."  This  subject  is  one  of  the  chief 
ornaments  of  Raphael's  Stanze  in  the  Vatican. 

§  Polydorus,  the  youngest  son  of  Priam,  King  of  Troy,  being 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  73 

Ultimamente  ci  si  grida  :  Crasso* 
Died,  che  il  sai,  di  che  sapore  i  P  oro  ? 
Then  we  accuse  Sapphira  with  her  husband :  we 
laud  the  kicks  that  HeHodorus  received  ;  and  (the 
name  of)  Polymnestor,  who  murdered  Polydorus,  goes 
round  the  mount  in  infamy.  And  last  we  hear  shouted 
out:  "Crassus,  tell  us,  for  thou  knowest,  of  what 
taste  is  gold  ?" 

Hugh  finishes  by  explaining  that  the  reason  Dante 
only  heard  him  singing  the  praises  of  the  non- 
covetous  and  virtuous  persons  was,  that  they  vary  the 

too  young  to  take  part  in  the  defence  of  Troy,  was  placed  under 
the  care  of  his  father's  friend,  Polymnestor,  King  of  Thrace. 
The  latter  murdered  him  for  the  sake  of  the  treasure  which  he 
had  brought  with  him. 

See  Virgil,  ^neid  III,  49.     Conington's  Translation. 
"  This  Polydore  awhile  by  stealth 
With  store  of  delegated  wealth 
Unhappy  Priam  in  despair 
Sent  to  the  Thracian  monarch's  care 
When  first  Troy  felt  her  prowess  fail. 
Encompassed  by  the  leaguering  pale. 
There  when  our  star  its  light  withdraws, 
False  to  divine  and  human  laws. 
The  traitor  joins  the  conqueror's  cause, 
Lays  impious  hands  on  Polydore, 
And  grasps  by  force  the  golden  store. 
Fell  lust  of  gold  I  abhorred,  accurst  ! 
What  will  not  men  to  slake  such  thirst  ?  " 
*  Crassus,  who,  with  Caesar  and  Pompey,  was  one  of  the 
three   Triumvirs   of   Rome,   was   defeated   and  killed  by  the 
Parthians,  B.C.  59.     On  account  of  the  reputation  of  Crassus  for 
avarice  and  cupidity-,  their  king  is  said  to  have  cast  his  head 
into  a  vessel  full  of  molten  gold,  with  the  words  : 
"  Aurum  sitisti,  aurum  bibe." 
"  Thou  didst  thirst  for  gold,  drink  gold." 


74  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.      Canto  XX. 

modulation  of  their  strains,  and  he  happened  to  be  the 
only  one  in  that  place  at  that  time  who  was  singing 

aloud. 

Talor  parla  1'  un  alto,  e  1'  altro  basso, 

Secondo  1'  affezion  ch'  ad  ir*  ci  sprona, 
Ora  a  maggiore,  ed  ora  a  minor  passo  ;  120 

Pero  al  ben  che  il  di  ci  si  ragiona, 

Dianzi  non  er'  io  sol  ;  ma  qui  da  presso 
Non  alzava  la  voce  altra  persona." — 
Sometimes  we  speak,  one  loud,  the  other  low, 
according  to  the  impulse  that  urges  our  steps,  at  one 
time  at  a  greater,  at  another  at  a  lesser  pace ;  all  the 
same,  as  regards  the  good  (examples)  which  are  cited 
by  us  during  the  day,  I  was  not  alone  (as  thou  didst 
imagine)  in  uttering  them,  but  it  so  happened  that  no 
other  person  was  uplifting  his  voice  just  near  here." 


Division  IV.  In  the  Division  on  which  we  now 
enter,  Dante  describes  the  occurrence  of  a  wonderful 
phenomenon,  viz.  the  shaking  of  the  entire  mountain, 
and  an  outburst,  from  the  spirits,  in  all  quarters,  of 
Gloria  in  Excelsis. 

Noi  eravam  partiti  gik  da  esso, 

E  brigavam  di  soverchiar  la  strada  125 

Tanto,  quanto  al  poter  n'  era  permesso  ; 
Quand'  io  senti',  come  cosa  che  cada, 

Tremar  Io  monte  :  onde  mi  prese  un  gelo, 
Qual  prender  suol  colui  che  a  morte  vada. 

*  Most  editions  read  che  a  dir,  but  Fanfani  {Studi  ed  Osserv. 
p.  11)  observes  that  whoever  adopts  so  strained  a  metaphor 
must  have  thought  Dante  was  asleep  !  In  the  Codices  the 
readings  are  che  adir,  cheadir,  or  chadir,  which  ought,  from  the 
sense,  to  be  divided  as  che  ad  ir,  or  c^  ad  ir. 


Canto  XX.      Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  75 

We  had  already  departed  from  him*  and  were 
endeavouring  to  overcome  the  way  as  much  as  was 
permitted  to  our  power,  when  I  felt  the  mountain 
trembling  like  a  thing  that  falls,t  at  which  a  chill 
seized  me,  as  that  which  seizes  a  man  who  is  about 

to  die. 

Certo  non  si  scotea  si  forte  Delo,  130 

Pria  che  Latona  in  lei  facesse  il  nido, 
A  partorir  li  due  occhi  del  cielo. 

Certainly  Delos  did  not  quake  so  violently  before 
that  Latona  made  her  nest  there  to  give  birth  to  the 
twin-eyes  of  Heaven  (Apollo  and  Diana,  the  Sun  and 
the  Moon). 

The  Island  of  Delos,  in  the  Archipelago  or  ^gean 
Sea,  was  thrown  up  by  an  earthquake  by  order  of 
Jupiter  in  order  to  receive  Latona,  one  of  his  wives, 
when  she  gave  birth  to  Apollo  and  Diana.  Other 
accounts  say  it  was  left  floating  about  after  the  sepa- 
ration of  land  and  sea,  and  Jupiter  made  it  stand 
still.  Herodotus  and  Thucydides  both  mention  its 
constant  earthquakes.  Benvenuto  says  that  the  com- 
parison is  very  apt,  for,  as  Delos  sent  forth  two  shining 
lights,  the  sun  and  moon  to  Heaven,  so  now  was  the 
Mountain  of  Purgatory  sending  forth  Dante  and 
Statins,  two  eminent  poets.  Benvenuto  does  not 
mention  Virgil,  who  did  not  go  to  Heaven. 

Dante  now  describes  a  loud  cry  that  followed  the 

*  Benvenuto  says  that,  if  Hugh  Capet  was  a  miser  or  covetous 
as  regards  money  in  his  life,  he  certainly  cannot  be  accused  of 
want  of  liberality  in  his  words,  judging  from  this  long  speech. 

t  We  shall  hear  in  the  next  Canto  (XXI,  70)  that  this  earth- 
quake was  occasioned  by  Statius  having  completed  his  term  in 
Purgatory. 


76  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XX. 

earthquake.     It  was  the  jubilant  shout  of  the  spirits 

in  Purgatory  at  the  liberation  of  Statius. 
Poi  comincio  da  tutte  parti  un  grido 

Tal  che  il  maestro  inver  di  me  si  feo, 

Dicendo  :— "non  dubbiar,  mentr'  io  ti  guido."—  135 

Then  there  arose  on  every  side  a  cry  so  great,  that 
my  Master  drew  nearer  to  me  and  said  :    "  Doubt 
nothing  while  I  am  guiding  thee." 
Gloria  in  excelsis,  tutti,  Deo 

Dicean,  per  quel  ch'  io  da'  vicin  compresi, 
Onde  intender  Io  grido  si  poteo. 

Gloria  in  Excelsis  Deo  was  the  cry  of  them  all,  by 
what  I  could  make  out  from  those  near,  wherefore 
their  cry  was  more  easily  distinguishable. 

Benvenuto  thinks  Dante  deserves  much  commenda- 
tion on  account  of  this  beautiful  idea.  For,  as  the 
Angel  Host  sang  with  joy  the  hymn  Gloria  in  Excelsis 
Deo  on  the  evening  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Redeemer  of 
the  World,  so  now  the  spirits  in  Purgatory  do  so  when 
a  soul  is  set  free  to  go  to  heaven. 
Noi  stavamo  immobili  e  sospesi, 

Come  i  pastor'  che  prima  udir  quel  canto,  140 

Fin  che  il  tremar  cess6,  ed  ei  compi^si. 

We  remained  unmoved,  and  in  rapt  attention,  as 

were  the  shepherds  who  first  heard  that  song,  until 

the  trembling  ceased,  and  it  (the  hymn)  had  come  to  a 

conclusion. 

Virgil  calls  poets  shepherds  in  his  Bucolics,  whence 
Benvenuto  discovers  an  appropriateness  in  the  shep- 
herds' hymn. 

Poi  ripigliammo  nostro  cammin  santo  : 

Guardando  1'  ombre  che  giacean  per  terra, 
Tornate  gik  in  su  1'  usato  pianto. 
We  then  resumed  again  our  holy  path,  watching  the 


Canto  XX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  'J^ 

shades  that  lay  on  the  ground,  already  returned  to 
their  customary  wailing. 

Some  read  tomate  giu  alluding  to  the  posture  of  the 
spirits.  And  then  Dante  adds  that  this  wonderful 
phenomenon  had  excited  his  intense  curiosity  to  know 
the  cause  of  it. 

Nulla  ignoranza  mai  con  tanta  guerra  145 

Mi  fe'  desideroso  di  sapere, 
Se  la  memoria  mia  in  cio  non  erra, 
Quanta  paremi  allor  pensando  avere  : 

If  my  memory  about  this  is  not  at  fault,  no  matter, 
of  which  I  was  ignorant,  ever  gave  me  so  great  a  desire 
of  knowing  it  (and  the  desire  was  striven  against 
with  all  my  might),  as  I  seemed  to  have  about  this 
matter  then  when  I  thought  it  over. 

N^  per  la  fretta  dimandam'  er'  oso, 
Ne  per  me  li  potea  cosa  vedere.  150 

Cosi  m'  andava  timido  e  pensoso. 

Nor  did  I  dare  to  ask,  on  account  of  our  haste,  nor 
of  myself  could  I  perceive  anything  there,  so  I  walked 
on  timorous  and  thoughtful. 

Benvenuto  adds,  by  way  of  a  corollary,  "  And  there 
really  was  not  time  for  talking  any  more  in  this  XXth 
Canto,  which  contains  in  itself  so  many  noble  histories, 
fictions  and  opinions." 


End  of  Canto  XX. 


78  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

CANTO  XXI. 


The  Fifth  Cornice  {continued). 
Appearance  of  Statius. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that,  whereas  in  the  preceding 
Canto  Dante  taught  his  readers  in  many  ways  {multi- 
pliciter)  how  to  avoid  the  sin  of  avarice,  so  in  this  one 
he  treats  of  prodigaHty,  which  is  chastised  with  the  same 
punishment  and  in  the  same  cornice  as  avarice. 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  a  spirit 
is  introduced,  who  has  just  completed  his  purgation  of 
the  vice  of  prodigality,  to  whom  Virgil  explains  the 
respective  conditions  of  himself  and  Dante. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  75,  the 
spirit,  in  compliance  with  Virgil's  request,  tells  the 
poets  the  reason  of  the  quaking  of  the  mountain,  and 
of  the  universal  chant  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
Canto. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  'jG  to  v.  102,  the 
spirit  declares  himself  to  be  the  poet  Statius. 

In  the  Fourth  Divisiott,  from  v.  103  to  v.  136, 
Dante  reveals  to  Statius  who  Virgil  was. 

Division  I.  Dante  opens  the  Canto  by  describing 
the  intense  desire  that  he  had  for  more  knowledge. 
His  first  words  are  spoken  in  confirmation  and 
reiteration  of  the  last  few  lines  of  the  preceding  Canto, 
in  which  he  ill-concealed  his  disappointment  at  not 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  8 1 

have    placed    Statius,  who  was    not   a  Christian,  in 
Purgatory,  and  do  not  see  the  reason  for  it ;  but  I 
declare,  to  begin  with,  that  Dante  might  imagine,  from 
many  signs  that  Statius  was  a  Christian.     For  if  Virgil, 
who  lived  before  Christ,  had  some  foreknowledge  of 
Him,  from  the    songs    of    the    sibyl,  as    Augustine 
testifies,  how  much  more  might  not  Statius  have  had, 
who  saw  the  Christians  ever  increasing,  although  he 
had  seen  them    nearly  exterminated   by   cruel    and 
unheard  of  persecutions,  even  before  the  time  that 
Titus  dealt,  as  he  did  with  the  Jews  ;  and  besides  this, 
he  had  seen    so    many   miracles   performed    by   the 
martyrs   whom    Domitian,  the  brother  of   Titus,  so 
cruelly   persecuted,    when    the   Christian    name    was 
continually  waxing.    .    .    .    Statius  was  most  high- 
minded  and  moral  in  his  writings ;  but  as  to  whether 
or  no  he  was  a  Christian  I  do  not  attach  much  im- 
portance, for  Dante  has  probably  with  much  ingenuity 
pretended  that  he  was,  because  many  subjects  have  to 
be  treated  by  him,  as  we  see  in  the  XXVth  Canto 
and  in  other  passages,  which  could  only  be  treated  by 
a  Christian.    But  our  Poet  rather  introduces  him  here, 
because  it  is   known    that    he  lived  in  the    greatest 
poverty  and  want ;  which  one  would  not  think  would 
happen  to  a  man  of   such   distinction    in    the    city 
(Naples)  in  which  he  taught  rhetoric,  unless  he  had 
fallen  into  the  fault  of  great  extravagance." 
Ed  ecco,  SI  come  ne  scrive  Luca,* 

Che  Cristo  apparve  a'  duo,  ch'  erano  in  via, 

Gik  surto  fuor  de  la  sepulcral  buca, 

*  See  St.  Luke  XXIV,  13  :  "And,  behold,  two  of  them  went 
that  same  day  to  a  village  called  Emmaus,  which  was  from 
Jerusalem  about  three-score  furlongs.    And  they  talked  together 

GO 


82  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

Ci  apparve  un'  ombra,  e  dietro  a  noi  venia  lo 

Dappi^  guardando  la  turba  che  giace  ; 
N^  ci  addemmo*  di  lei,"  si  parlo  pria, 

Dicendo  :— "  Frati  miei,  Dio  vi  dea  pace."— 
Noi  ci  volgemmo  subito,  e  Virgilio 
Rende'  gli  il  cenno  ch'  a  cio  si  conface.  1 5 

And  lo  !  in  the  same  way"  that  St.  Luke  tells  us 
{lit.  writes  to  us)  that  Christ,  lately  risen  from  the 
sepulchral  cave,  appeared  unto  the  two  that  were  in 
the  way,  so  did  a  shade  appear  unto  us ;  and  came 
behind  us,  looking  down  on  the  recumbent  throng  ;• 
nor  were  we  aware  of  him,  so  (the  shade)  w^s  the 
first  to  speak,  saying :  "  My  brothers,  may  God  give 
you  peace."  We  turned  round  suddenly,  and  Virgil 
rendered  him  the  countersign  that  corresponds. 

Benvenuto  interprets  this  last  line  as  only  meaning 
that  Virgil  courteously  returned  the  greeting  of  Statius, 
but  Longfellow  says  that  among  the  monks  of  the 
Middle  Ages  there  were  certain  salutations,  which  had 
their  customary  replies  or  countersigns.  Thus  one 
would  say  :  "  Peace  be  with  thee,"  and  the  answer 
would  be  :  "  And  with  thy  spirit !  "  Or,  "  Praised 
be  the  Lord  ! "  and  the  answer,  "  World  without 
end!" 

Virgil  then  goes  on  to  reply  to  the  words,  ''May 
God  give  you  peace ! "  for  he  perceived  that  Statius 
was  under  an  erroneous  impression  that  both  he  and 


of  all  these  things  which  had  happened.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  while  they  communed  together  and  reasoned,  Jesus  himself 
drew  near,  and  went  with  them." 

*  Ne  ci  addemmo.  Blanc  {Vocabulario  Dantesco)  refers  to 
this  word,  which  Dante  on  y  uses  m  this  one  place.  It  comes 
from  addarsi,  "  di  origine  incerta,  accorgersi,  avvedersi." 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.  83 

Dante  were  bound  for  Paradise  after  completing  their 
purgation,  and  so  in  his  answer  he  shows  Statius  that 
he  (Virgil)  is  not  destined  to  enjoy  that  peace  which 
he  had  augured  them. 

Poi  comincio  : — "  Nel  beato  concilio 
Ti  ponga  in  pace  la  verace  corte, 
Che  me  rilega  nell'  etemo  esilio." — 

He  then  began  :  "  May  the  tribunal  of  truth,  which 
relegates  me  into  eternal  exile,  establish  thee  in  peace 
within  the  blessed  council." 

"  See,"  says  Benvenuto,  "how  Virgil  enlists  the  good- 
will of  Statius  by  wishing  for  him  what  he  (Virgil)  can 
never  hope  to  obtain  himself." 

Statius  is  greatly  astonished  at  this  intelligence. 

—  "  Come  !  (diss'  egli,  e  parte*  andavam  forte), 

Se  voi  siete  ombre  che  Dio  su  non  degni,  20 

Chi  v'  ha  per  la  sua  scala  tanto  scorte  ?  " — t 

"How!"  (said  he,  and  meanwhile  we  stepped  quickly 
onwards),  "  if  ye  are  shades  whom  God  does  not  deign 
to  admit  above,  who  has  escorted  you  so  far  up  His 
staircase  } " 

Virgil  replies. 

*  Parte  andavam  forte,  is  the  reading  of  all  the  best  com- 
mentators. Some  read  "  e  perch^  andate  forte  ?  "  But  Ben- 
venuto expressly  points  out  that  parte,  as  used  here,  is  not  a 
noun,  but  an  adverb  and  has  the  sense  meanwhile  {interim). 
"  Interim  ibamus  velociter,  nee  tardabamus  illis  loquentibus,  ita 
quod  parte  non  denotat  portionem,  nee  est  nomen,  imo 
adverbium,  et  tantum  valet  quantum  in  isto  medio,  et  est 
vulgare  florentinum  (is  used  in  the  popular  speech  at  Florence)." 

t  Scorte  is  the  past  participle  of  the  verb  scorgere,  to  be  an 
escort  to  anyone,  and  it  is  in  the  feminine  plural  to  agree  with 
ombre,  understood. 

00  2 


§4  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

E  il  dottor  mio  :— "  Se  tu  riguardi  i  segni 
Che  questi  porta  e  che  1'  angel  profila, 
Ben  vedrai  che  coi  buon  convien  ch'  ei  regni  * 

And  my  teacher :  "  If  thou  wilt  look  at  the  signs 
that  this  one  (Dante)  bears,  and  which  the  angel 
traces  (on  the  brow  of  every  shade  that  enters  Purga- 
tory), thou  mayest  well  perceive  that  he  must  (in  due 
course)  reign  among  the  good. 

Virgil  then  goes  on  to  answer  a  doubt  unspoken,  but 
none  the  less  felt,  in  the  mind  of  Statins  ;  such  as  this  : 
"  I  (Statins)  understand  from  what  thou  tellest  me 
how  it  happens  that  Dante  is  here,  but  what  hast 
thou  to  do  here,  who  art  not  alive  } " 
So  Virgil  says: 

Ma  perch^  lei  che  di  e  notte  fila,  25 

Non  gli  avea  tratta  ancora  la  conocchia, 
Che  Cloto  imponef  a  ciascuno  e  compila, 
L'  anima  sua,  ch'  h  tua  e  mia  sirocchia, 
Venendo  su,  non  potea  venir  sola  ; 
Pero  che  al  nostro  mode  non  adocchia.  30 

But  because  she  who  spins  day  and  night  (Lachesis) 
had  not  yet  for  him  (Dante)  wound  off  the  full  yarn 
which  Clotho  puts  on  (the  distaff)  for  each,  and  packs 


*  Scartazzini  observes  that  as  Dante  has  been  admitted  by 
the  angel  warder  to  the  seven  cornices,  he  will,  as  a  natural 
consequence,  be  admitted  to  pass  on  into  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Blessed  in  Paradise. 

+  Compila.  Lombardi  tells  us  that  two  operations  take  place 
in  putting  the  wool  on  the  distaff:  the  first  is  to  lay  on  a  great 
mass  of  it  twisting  the  distaff  round  till  it  gets  attached,  this 
operation  Dante  calls  imporre  ;  the  second  is  to  run  the  palm  of 
the  hand  over  the  wool  to  unite  and  compress  it,  this  he  calls 
compilare,  which  Mr.  Butler  very  aptly  translates  "packs 
together." 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  85 

together,  his  soul,  which  is  sister  to  thine  and  mine, 
could  not  come  alone  in  its  upward  ascent,  for  the 
reason  that  it  does  not  behold  in  our  manner. 

The  meaning  of  this  is  that,  as  Dante  had  not 
exhausted  the  full  span  of  life  and  was  yet  alive,  his 
soul  joined  to  the  body  could  not  see  after  the  fashion 
of  spirits. 

Ond'  io  fui  tratto  fuor  dell'  ampia  gola* 

D'  inferno,  par  mostrargli,  e  mostrerolli 
Oltre,  quanto  il  potrk  menar  mia  scuola.t 

On  this  account  was  I  drawn  forth  from  the  wide 
throat  of  Hell  to  guide  him,  and  I  will  direct  him 
further  still,  so  far  as  my  teaching  {lit.  school)  has 
power  to  conduct  him. 

The  meaning  of  this  is,  that  Virgil  will  guide  Dante 
as  far  as  mere  human  science  can  be  efficacious  ;  after 
that  he  must  expect  Beatrice,  type  of  Divine  science, 
to  lead  him  on. 


Division  II.  In  this  division  we  have  an  explana- 
tion by  Statius  of  the  causes  of  the  earthquake  and 

*  ampia  gola.  Scartazzini  says  that  by  the  throat  of  hell  is 
meant  Limbo,  because  it  was  situated  at  the  beginning  of  Hell, 
and  it  was  wide,  because  Hell,  according  to  Dante,  was  funnel- 
shaped,  and  the  circles  diminished  in  size  as  one  went  lower 
down.     Limbo  being  the  uppermost,  was  the  widest. 

t  mia  scuola.     Compare  Purg.  XVIII,  46  : 

— "  Quanto  ragion  qui  vede 
Dir  ti  poss'  io  ;  da  indi  in  la  t'  aspetta 
Pure  a  Beatrice  ;  ch'  e  opra  di  fede. 


86  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxi. 

the  Gloria  in  Excelsis  of  which  we  read  in  the  last 
Canto.     Virgil  asks  him : 

Ma  dinne,  se  tu  sai,  perchfe  tai  croUi 

Dife  dianzi  il  monte,  e  perch^  tutti  ad  una  35 

Parver  gridare  infino  ai  suoi  pi^  moUi  ?" — 

But  tell  us,  if  thou  knowest,  why  the  mountain  gave 

such  shakes  just  now,    and   wherefore,   down  to  its 

watery  base,  all  seemed  with  one  voice  to  send  forth 

a  shout." 

Benvenuto  says  that  pi^  molli  are  the  roots  of  the 
mountain  where  the  rushes  grow  in  the  soft  mud.* 

Dante  exclaims  that  the  mere  fact  of  Virgil  asking 
this  question  quieted  his  mind,  as  he  could  now  form 
a  hope  of  knowing  what  he  wanted. 

Si  mi  di^  dimandando  per  la  crunaf 

Dei  mio  disio,  che  pur  con  la  speranza 
Si  fece  la  mia  sete  men  digiuna. 

In  asking  this  question,  he  (Virgil)  so  hit  the  very 
eye  of  my  desire,  that  with  the  hope  alone  my  thirst 
became  less  violent. 
^Statins  replies  that  the  earthquake  cannot  be  as- 

*  See  Canto  1, 100,  where  Cato  informs  the  poets  that  no  other 
plant  than  the  humble  reed  could  stand  the  shocks  of  the  surf : 
Questa  isoletta  intorno  ad  imo  ad  imo, 
Laggiu  cola  dove  la  batte  1'  onda. 
Porta  de'  giunchi  sovra  il  molle  limo. 
Null'  altra  pianta  che  facesse  fronda, 
O  indurasse,  vi  puote  aver  vita, 
Pero  che  alle  percosse  non  seconda. 
t  Cruna  is  properly  the  eye  of  a  needle.     Blanc  ( Vocabolario 
Dantesco),  interprets   this  passage  :    "  tocco   propriamente  ci6 
ch'  io  desiderava."     Others  read:  "cuna  del  mio  disio";  cuna 
being  a  cradle,  and  Benvenuto,  who  adopts  this  reading,  speaks 
of  it  as  the  desire  of  a  child  in  the  cradle  for  its  food,     Cruna 
seems  much  the  more  intelligible  reading. 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  87 

cribed  to  any  natural  causes,  but  only  to  the  Will  of 
God. 

Quei  comincio  : — "  Cosa  non  h  che  sanza  .         40 

Ordine  senta  la  religione* 
Delia  montagna,  o  che  sia  fuor  d'  usanza. 
He  began :    "  There  is    nothing  which    the  usage 
of  the  mountain  observes  without  its  due  order,  nor 
which  is  unwonted. 

This  is  one  of  the  many  passages  in  the  Divina 
Comedia  that  has  caused  much  dispute  among  the 
commentators.  Benvenuto  says  that  religio  is  the 
same  thing  towards  God  as  reverentia  towards  parents 
or  elder  persons.  He  interprets :  *'  Nothing  here  in 
Purgatory  happens  by  chance,  but  yet  what  does 
happen  does  not  occur  from  natural  causes,  as  is  the 
course  in  the  world." 

Others    translate :    "  This    earthquake   is    a    thing 
which   does   not,  without   divine   ordinance,  observe 
the  rule  of  the  mountain,  nor  is  it  unusual." 
Statius  adds  : 

Libero  h  qui  da  ogni  alterazione  ; 

Di  quel  che  il  ciel  da  s^  in  s^  ricevet 

Esserci  puote,  e  non  d'  altro,  cagione  45 

*  Compare  Par.  XI,  93,  where  the  word  religione  is  used  to 
signify  the  monastic  order  (of  St.  Francis)  : 

"  e  da  lui  ebbe 
Primo  sigillo  a  sua  religione." 

t  Before  reading  the  translation  it  will  be  well  to  consult 
Scartazzini's  explanation  of  this  difficult  passage.  He  says  : 
"  Let  us  interpret  it  by  the  context.  Virgil  has  asked  Statius 
the  reason  of  the  earthquake  and  of  the  universal  song  that  had 
occurred  shortly  before.  Statius  commences  his  answer  by 
telling  the  two  wayfarers  that  what  they  heard  was  neither 
extraordinary  nor  contrary  to  the  regulations  of  the  mountain. 


88  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

Perch^  non  pioggia,  non  grando,  non  neve, 
Non  rugiada,  non  brina  piu  su  cade, 
Che  la  scaletta  dei  tre  gradi  breve. 
This  place  is  free  from  every  permutation  :  in  what 
Heaven  receives  into  itself  from  itself  may  be  found 

V.  40-42.  He  goes  on  to  say  that  the  mountain  of  Purgatory 
from  its  entrance-gate  up  to  its  summit  is  free  from  all  those 
alterations  to  which  the  earth  inhabited  by  man  is  subject,  and 
that  therefore  the  cause  of  the  marvels  that  occur  upon  it  (the 
mountain),  cannot  be  from  other  than  what  Heaven  receives 
into  itself  from  itself,  v.  43-45-  This  terzina  already  contains 
in  nuce  the  answer  to  Virgil's  question.  But  Statins  develops 
two  conceptions  that  are  expressed  in  it  more  fully.  First  he 
explains  to  him  why  the  mountain  is  free  from  every  permu- 
tation, 46-57  ;  next  the  cause  of  the  wonderful  phenomena  that 
take  place  upon  it,  58-60.  After  having  explained  when  such  a 
cause  generally  occurs,  61-66  ;  and  why  it  had  just  occurred 
then,  67-69  ;  he  draws  the  conclusion  that  for  that  very  reason 
the  two  wayfarers  heard  the  earthquake  and  the  chant.  Verses 
43-45  are  therefore,  so  to  speak,  the  theme  of  all  that  Statins 
goes  on  to  explain  in  the  lines  that  follow.  And  as  verses  46-57 
unfold  the  idea  of  verse  42,  so  do  verses  58-69  unfold  the  idea  of 
verses  43-44.  Now,  if  the  mountain  quakes  when  a  soul  rises  to 
ascend  to  Heaven,  the  cause  of  this  quaking  is  that  Heaven 
receives  that  soul  into  itself  (z7  cielo  riceve  essa  anima  in  se). 
But  the  soul  originally  issued  from  the  hand  of  that  God  whose 
throne  is  in  Heaven,  and  therefore  when  it  ascends  to  Heaven 
it  returns  to  God  :  ("  siccome  a  quello  porto,  ond'  ella  si  partio 
quando  venne  a  entrare  nell'  mare  di  questa  vita." — Conv.  IV,  28). 
When,  therefore,  a  soul  ascends  to  Heaven,  that  Heaven  does 
not  receive  a  being  strange  to  itself,  but  one  that  takes  its  origin 
in  Heaven  ;  riceve  dunque  in  se  quel  che  ^  da  se.  Statins  means 
then  that  nothing  of  what  happens  up  there  can  be  caused  by 
anything  which  Heaven  may  receive  from  elsewhere  (as  is  the 
case  lower  down,  where  the  sky  receives  the  vapours  that  rise  from 
earth  and  cause  its  permutations),  but  only  from  what  it  receives 
into  itself  from  itself,  as  in  fact  is  the  case  with  that  soul  which 
returns  to  the  Heaven  from  which  it  originally  issued." 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  89 

the  reason  why  neither  rain,  nor  hail,  nor  snow,  nor  dew, 
nor  hoar-frost  fall  higher  up  than  the  short  staircase  of 
the  three  steps  {i.e.  at  the  entrance-gate  of  Purgatory). 

According  to  Lubin  it  must  be  understood  that  the 
atmosphere  is  supposed  barely  to  reach  the  three  steps 
at  the  Gate  of  Purgatory,  and  above  the  uppermost 
one  there  are  no  rains,  winds,  earthquakes,  &c.  There- 
fore in  that  elevated  region,  as  Statius  says,  there  can 
only  be  those  influences  that  Heaven  undergoes  {il 
Cielo  in  s^  riceve),  caused  and  produced  by  the  heavens 
(^prodotto  da  se,  cioh  dai  cieli). 

We  afterwards  see  Dante  in  the  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise {Purg.  XXVIII,  85-120),  wondering,  after  this 
explanation  from  Statius,  that  there  should  be  a  light 
wind  in  the  thick  forest.  Dante  remarks  to  Matelda 
that  the  phenomenon  appears  to  be  at  variance  with 
the  principles  that  Statius  had  laid  down.  Matelda 
confirms  the  doctrine  of  Statius,  and  makes  it  clear  to 
Dante  that  the  uniform  current,  which  he  then  feels, 
comes  (according  to  the  Ptolemaic  system)  from  the 
revolution  of  the  air,  caused  by  that  of  the  Primum 
Mobile,  which  communicates  its  motion  to  all  the 
other  spheres. 

I  am  surprised  to  see  that  all  the  translators  pass  over 

the  difficulty  of  this  passage.     Pollock,   Longfellow, 

Plumptre,  Lamennais,  simply  translate  "  from  itself  to 

itself,"  whereas  the  commentators  write  pages  about  it. 

Nuvole  spesse  non  paion,  ne  rade, 

N^  corruscar,  n^  figlia  di  Taumante,*  5° 

Che  di  Ik  cangia  sovente  contrade. 

*  figlia  di  Taumante.  According  to  heathen  mythology, 
Iris  was  the  daughter  of  the  Centaur  Thaumas,  and  of  Electra. 
Her  sisters  were  the  Harpies.     She  was  the  goddess  of  the  rain- 


90  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

Neither  dense  nor  rarified  clouds  appear,  nor  flashes 
of  lightning,  nor  the  daughter  of  Thaumas  (the  rain- 
bow), who  yonder  (on  earth)  often  changes  place. 

Statius  now  touches  upon  the  natural  causes  of 
winds  and  earthquakes,  for  wind  (says  Benvenuto)  is 
a  dry  and  impalpable  vapour  raised  by  the  sun  ;  and 
an  earthquake  takes  place  when  the  wind  enters  into 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  being  imprisoned  {incar- 
ceratus)  cannot  come  forth  :  therefore  it  causes  a  vio- 
lent disturbance  in  the  earth  and  makes  it  tremble. 

Secco  vapor  non  surge  piu  avante 

Che  al  sommo  del  tre  gradi  ch'  io  parlai, 
Ov'  ha  il  vicario  di  Pietro  le  piante. 
No  dry  vapour  ascends  any  higher  than  the  summit 
of  the  three  steps  I  mentioned,  on  which  the  (Angel) 
vicar  of  St.  Peter,  sets  his  feet.* 

Trema  forse  piu  giu  poco  od  assai  ; 

Ma,  per  vento  che  in  terra  si  nasconda,  55 

Non  so  come,  quassii  non  tremo  mai : 

It  may  perchance  tremble  more  or  less  lower  down 
{i.e.  below  the  top  step  at  the  Gate  of  Purgatory)  ;  but, 
by  reason  of  wind  that  is  hidden  in  the  earth,  how  I 
know  not,  it  never  quaked  up  here. 

Statius  finally  assigns  the  real  spiritual  and  moral 
cause  of  the  recent  earthquake. 

Tremaci  quando  alcuna  anima  monda 
Sentesi,  si  che  surga,  o  che  si  mova 
Per  sahr  su  ;  e  tal  grido  seconda.  6o 

bow,  the  joiner  or  conciUator,  the  messenger  of  heaven,  restoring 
peace  in  nature. 

*  Aristotle  {Metaph.  II)  says  that  from  humid  vapours  are 
derived  rain,  snow,  hail,  dew,  and  hoarfrost ;  from  dry  vapour,  if  it 
be  light,  is  produced  wind ;  but  if  it  be  strong  then  the  earthquake. 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  91 

It  trembles  in  this  place  (a,  i.e.  above  the  three 
steps)  whenever  any  soul  feels  itself  so  purified  that 
it  rises,  or  that  moves  to  ascend  ;  and  this  cry  accom- 
panies it. 

As  soon  as  every  one  of  the  spirits  within  the  gate 
of  Purgatory  proper  has  completed  its  purgation,  and 
if  its  penance  was  on  the  ground  rises  up  from  it,  or, 
if  not  lying  down,  sets  itself  in  motion  to  ascend  up  to 
Heaven,  immediately  the  mountain  quakes  down  to 
its  lowest  base,  and  all  the  spirits  upon  it  break  out 
simultaneously  into  a  song  of  Gloria  in  Excelsis. 

But  in  case  Virgil  should  ask  :  "  In  what  manner, 
or  by  what  token  canst  thou  become  aware  of  the  fact 
that  a  spirit  has  completed  its  term  of  purgation  ?" 
Statius  anticipates  the  question  by  saying  : 

Delia  mondizia  il  sol  voler  fa  prova, 
Che,  tutta  libera  a  mutar  convento, 
L'  alma  sorprende,  e  di  voler  le  giova. 

The  sole  volition  (Free  Will)  gives  proof  of  its  puril 
fication,  which,  while  wholly  free  to  change  its  abode 
(///.  convent),  suddenly  lays  hold  on  the  soul ;  and 
the  soul  rejoices  at  having  such  a  will. 

Some  read  ed  il  voler  le  giova,  which  would  be 
translated :  "  and  that  will  turns  to  its  advantage." 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Statius  keeps  on  anticipating 
possible  questions  or  objections  of  Virgil ;  and  now  he 
seems  to  say  :  But  thou  wilt  ask  if  the  soul  does  not 
always  desire  to  escape  from  punishment  .■'  and  Statius 
answers  that,  however  desirous  the  soul  is  to  ascend 
forthwith  to  Heaven,  yet  God  instils  into  it  the 
will  to  continue  in  penance,  so  as  to  satisfy  Divine 
justice. 


92  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

Prima  vuol  ben  ;  ma  non  lascia  il  talento* 

Che  divina  giustizia  contra  voglia,  65 

Come  fu  al  peccar,  pone  al  tormento. 

At  first  (before  it  is  purified)  it  has  indeed  the  wish 
(to  ascend  to  Heaven),  but  that  inclination  {talento) 
does  not  allow  it,  which  (inclination  to  be  purified) 
Divine  Justice  imposes  as  a  chastisement  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  wish  (to  ascend)  just  as,  (in  life,  there  was 
in  it  the  desire  to  ascend)  contrary  to  the  inclination 

to  sin.i" 

And  now  Statins  cites  his  own  case  as  an  example  in 


*  Talento.     The  modern  meaning  of  "  talent "  is  compara- 
tively recent.     By  Dante  it  is  nearly  always  used  to  express  an 
impulse  or  desire.     Compare  Inf.  V,  38  : 
"  I  peccator  carnali, 
Che  la  ragion  sommettono  al  talento." 

And  Inf.  X,  55  : 

"  D'  intorno  mi  guardo,  come  talento 

Avesse  di  veder  s'  altri  era  meco." 

+  The  following  passage  from  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Sunim. 
Theol.  p.  Ill,  Suppl.  Append,  qu.  II,  art.  2)  elucidates  better 
than  any  commentary  what  is  Dante's  idea  of  there  being  an 
absolute  and  conditional  will  :  "  Aliquid  dicitur  voluntarium 
dupliciter.  Uno  modo  voluntate  absoluta ;  et  sic  nulla  poena 
est  voluntaria,  quia  ex  hoc  est  ratio  pcenfe  quod  voluntati 
contrariatur.  Alio  modo  dicitur  aliquid  voluntarium  voluntate 
conditionata ;  sicut  ustio  est  voluntaria  propter  sanitatem 
consequendam.  Et  sic  aliqua  poena  potest  esse  voluntaria 
dupliciter.  Uno  modo  quia  per  poenam  aliquod  bonum  acquiri- 
mus  ;  et  sic  ipsa  voluntas  assumit  poenam  aliquam,  ut  patet  in 
satisfactione  :  vel  etiam  quia  ille  libenter  earn  accipit,  et  non 
vellet  earn  non  esse,  sicut  accidit  in  martyrio.  Alio  modo  quia 
quamvis  per  poenam  nullum  bonum  nobis  accrescat,  tamen  sine 
poena  ad  bonum  pervenire  non  possumus,  sicut  patet  de  morte 
naturali ;  et  tunc  voluntas  non  assumit  poenam,  et  vellet  ab  ea 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgaiorio.  93 

confirmation  of  what  he  has  said,  and  tells  Virgil  that 
the  earthquake  and  the  chant  were  on  account  of  him. 
Ed  io  che  son  giaciuto  a  questa  doglia 

Cinquecento  anni  e  piu,*  pur  mo'f  sentii 
Libera  volontk  di  miglior  soglia.t 
Pero  sentisti  il  tremoto,  e  li  pii  70 

Spirit!  per  lo  monte  render  lode 
A  quel  Signor,  che  tosto  su  gP  invii." — 
And  I,  who  for  five  hundred  years  and  more  have 


liberari  :    sed   earn  supportat,  et  quantum   ad  hoc  voluntaria 
dicitur." 

Jacopo  della  Lana  says  of  this  passage  :  "  The  will  ever 
desires  the  ultimate  and  perfect  end,  but  the  justice  of  God  wills 
to  be  fully  and  entirely  satisfied,  that,  as  the  sinner  had  the  will 
to  sin  and  sinned,  so  he  may  have  the  impulse  to  stay,  and  may 
stay  for  his  subjugation  and  purgation  ;  so  that  lo  talento  is  the 
will  secundum  quidP 

*  Statius  had  been  undergoing  penance  in  the  cornice  of  the 
avaricious,  but  for  prodigality,  not  for  avarice,  as  we  shall  read 
in  the  next  Canto,  where  we  shall  also  find  (XXII,  92)  that 
before  passing  his  500  years  in  the  cornice  of  avarice,  he  had 
had  to  pass  400  in  the  cornice  of  sloth,  900  years  in  all. 

Statius  died  96  A.D.  Dante  supposes  his  vision  to  take  place 
in  1300.  Counting  500  years  in  the  cornice  of  avarice,  400  years 
in  the  cornice  of  sloth,  96  the  year  A.D.  that  Statius  died,  gives 
996,  which,  deducted  from  1300,  leaves  304  years  unaccounted 
for,  and  these  he  may  be  supposed  to  have  passed  in  the  Anti- 
purgatorio. 

t  pur  md.     Compare  Inf.  X,  2 1  : 

E  tu  m'  hai  non  pur  mo  a  ciu  disposto. 

And /«/ XXVII,  20: 

E  che  parlavi  mo  lombardo. 

X  soglia  is  the  name  given  to  the  different  degrees  or  spheres 
of  heaven,  as  Cornice  is  for  those  of  Purgatory,  and  Girone  or 
Cerchio  for  those  in  hell.     Compare  Par.  Ill,  82  : 
Si  che,  come  noi  sem  di  soglia  in  soglia 

Per  questo  regno,  a  tutto  il  regno  place. 


Q4  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

lain  in  this  pain,  but  now  have  felt  in  me  the  free 
will  for  a  better  sphere.  On  that  account  thou  didst 
feel  the  earthquake,  and  hear  the  devout  spirits  all 
over  the  mount  render  praise  to  that  Lord,  Who  will 
(I  trust)  soon  send  them  up  (to  Heaven)." 

Dante's  unceasing  desire  to  know  the  causes  of  these 
phenomena  is  completely  satisfied  by  these  words 
of  Statius. 

Cosi  ne  disse  ;  e  pero  ch'  ei  si  gode 

Tanto  del  ber  quant'  h  grande  la  sete, 

Non  saprei  dir  quant'  ei  mi  face  prode.  75 

Thus  he  spoke  to  us  ;  and,  seeing  that  one's  delight 
in  drinking  is  in  proportion  to  how  great  is  one's  thirst, 
I  could  hardly  describe  how  much  good  he  did  me. 

Benvenuto  says  :  "And  here  note  that  a  drink  is 
agreeable,  not  so  much  from  the  quality  of  the  wine,  as 
from  the  disposition  of  the  drinker  ;  as  for  example, 
when  Xerxes,  the  mighty  Persian  king,  had  been  ig- 
nominiously  defeated,  and  was  timidly  flying,  he  saw, 
by  the  side  of  the  way,  some  muddy  dirty  water,  and 
immediately  stooped  down  and  began  to  drink  greedily; 
on  his  soldiers  expostulating  with  him  for  doing  so,  he 
said  he  had  never  in  his  life  drunk  better,  for  he  had 
never,  till  then,  known  what  thirst  was." 


Division  III.  In  this  Division  Virgil  asks  Statius 
who  he  was  in  life  ;  but,  before  doing  so,  he  tells  him 
that  his  explanation  had  cleared  away  all  difficulty  of 
understanding  the  matters  in  doubt. 


Canto  XXI.     Readmgs  on  the  Purgatorio.  95 

E  il  savio  duca  : — "  Omai  vegg^o  la  rete 
Che  qui  vi  piglia,  e  come  si  scalappia,* 
Per  che  ci  trema,  e  di  che  congaudete. 
Ora  chi  fosti  piacciati  ch'  io  sappia, 

E,  perch^  tanti  secoli  giaciuto  80 

Qui  sei,  nelle  parole  tue  mi  cappia." — t 
And  my  wise  leader :  "  Now  I  perceive  the  net 
that  encloses  you  here,  and  how  one  may  escape  {lit. 
get  disentangled)  from  it ;  why  it  (the  mountain)  here 
trembles,  and  whereof  you  all  rejoice  together.  Now 
may  it  please  thee  that  I  should  know  who  thou  wast, 
and  I  pray  thee  to  let  it  also  be  contained  in  thy  words 
to  me,  why  thou  hast  lain  here  for  so  many  ages." 

Statius  begins  by  answering  Virgil's  first  question  | 
as  to  who  he  was,  and  he  does  so  in  precisely  the  same  ' 
fashion  as  Virgil  in  the  first  Canto  of  the  Inferno  had 
replied   to  a  similar   question    from    Dante.     Virgil   ' 
answered   Dante  "  Nacqui  sub  Juliol'  and  only  ten 
lines  lower  down  is  the  name  of  Virgil  mentioned. 
Here  the  same  order  is  followed.    Statius  first  says 
that  he  lived  in  the  reign  of  Titus,  and  he  discloses 
his  name  just  ten  lines  after. 

— "  Nel  tempo  che  il  buon  TitoJ  con  1'  aiuto 
Del  sommo  Rege  vendico  le  fora, 
Ond'  usci  il  sangue  per  Giuda  venduto, 

*  Scalapptare  is  from  the  "  s  "  privative,  and  the  German,  and 
has  the  sense  "  to  unloose,  disentangle  oneself  from  a  calappio,  a 
trap,  a  snare." 

t  Cappia.  Scartazzini  says  that  nearly  all  the  commentators 
are  agreed  that  this  word  is  derived  from  the  verb  cdpere,  to 
contain,  and  distinctly  not  with  the  meaning  of  capire  to  under- 
stand. 

X  II  buon  Tito.  The  siege  of  Jerusalem  under  the  Emperor 
Titus,  sumamed  "  The  Delight  of  Mankind,"  took  place  in  the 
year  70  a.D.      Statius  was  bom   at    Naples   in   the   reign   of 


96  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

Col  nome  che  piu  dura  e  piu  onora  85 

Era  io  di  Ik  (rispose  quelle  spirto) 
Famoso  assai,  ma  non  con  fede  ancora. 

"  In  the  days  when  the  good  Titus,"  answered  that 
spirit,  "  with  the  aid  of  the  Supreme  King,  took  ven- 
geance for  the  wounds,  from  which  gushed  the  blood 
sold  by  Judas,  was  I  in  the  world  yonder,  famous 
enough  for  that  name  which  most  endures  and  most 
honours,  but  not  as  yet  with  faith  (of  Christianity)  * 

Statins  continues : 

Tanto  fu  dolce  mio  vocale  spirto, 

Che,  Tolosano,t  a  s^  mi  trasse  Roma, 

Dove  mertai  le  temple  omar  di  mirto.  90 

Claudius,  and  had  already  become  famous  as  a  poet  before  that 
of  Titus.     His  works  are  the  Silver,  or  miscellaneous  poems  ; 
the  Thebaid,  an  epic  in  twelve  books  ;    and  the  Achilletd,  of 
which  he  speaks  in  verse  92  as  being  unfinished  at  the  time  of 
his  death.     He  also  wrote  a  tragedy,  Agave,  which  is  lost. 
Juvenal  says  {Satire  VII,  Dryden's  translation) : 
"  All  Rome  is  pleased  when  Statius  will  rehearse, 
And  longing  crowds  expect  the  promised  verse  ; 
His  lofty  numbers  with  so  great  a  gust 
They  hear,  and  swallow  with  such  eager  lust  : 
But  while  the  common  suffrage  crowned  his  cause. 
And  broke  the  benches  with  their  loud  applause, 
His  Muse  had  starved,  had  not  a  piece  unread, 
And  by  a  player  bought,  supplied  her  bread." 
*  Dante  seems  to  have  ranked   Statius  as   a   poet  next  to 
Virgil.     The  epics  of  Statius  were  extremely  popular  in   the 
middle  ages. 

t  Tolosano.  Dante  has  evidently  confused  Statius  the  poet, 
who  was  born  at  Naples,  with  Statius  the  rhetorician,  of  Tou- 
louse, Statius  himself  speaks  of  Naples  as  his  birthplace,  but  he 
does  so  in  the  Sylvce,  one  of  his  books  which  was  not  discovered 
until  after  Dante's  death. 


Canto  XXI.       Readings  on  the  Purgatorio. 

So  sweet  was  my  genius  in  song,  that,  although 
I  was  a  native  of  Toulouse,  Rome  drew  me  to  herself, 
and  there  I  was  thought  deserving  to  have  my  brows 
decked  with  myrtle. 

He  now  tells  his  name. 

Stazio  la  gente  ancor  di  Ik  mi  noma: 

Cantai  di  Tebe,  e  poi  del  grande  Achille, 
Ma  caddi  in  via  con  la  secondajsom^ 

Yonder  (in  the  world)  people  still  call  me  Statius: 
I  sang  of  Thebes,  and  then  of  the  great  Achilles  ;  but 
I  fell  on  the  way  with  the  second  load. 

This  means  that  he  died  before  he  had  completed  the 
Achilleid,  the  second  of  his  works.  Benvenuto  relates 
that  Statius,  seeing  the  great  disagreement  that  existed 
between  the  two  brothers  Titus  and  Domitian,  took  as 
his  subject  for  their  instruction  the  history  of  the  two 
brothers  Eteocles  and  Polynices  (the  rival  kings  of 
Thebes). 

Benvenuto  sees  two  interpretations  in  the  six  lines 
that  follow,  according  to  the  first  of  which  Statius,  un- 
aware of  who  is  standing  by  him,  would  show  that 
Virgil  was  the  model  from  whom  he  became  a  poet : 
or  secondly,  that  he  became  a  Christian  from  reading 
Virgil's  poems.  We  will  adopt  the  former,  which  is 
preferred  by  Benvenuto,  as  we  have  no  evidence  what- 
ever that  either  Virgil  or  Statius  had  any  pretence  to 
be  Christians. 

Al  mio  ardor  fur  seme  le  faville, 

Che  mi  scaldar,  della  divina  fiamma,  95 

Onde  sono  allumati  piu  di  mille  ; 
Dell'  Eneida  dico,  la  qual  mamma 

Fummi,  e  fummi  nutrice  poetando  : 

Senz'  essa  non  fermai  peso  di  dramma. 
P  P 


98  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.       Canto  XXI. 

The  sparks  of  the  divine  flame  from  which  more 
than  a  thousand  (poets  of  the  Latin  race)  have  been 
illumined,  were  the  seed  which  kindled  me  to  my  fire  ;  I 
speak  of  the  ^neid,  which  was  to  me  a  mother  and  a 
nurse  in  poesy :  without  it  I  did  not  balance  the  weight 
of  a  drachm,* 

Benvenuto  says  that  Statius  tried  to  imitate  Virgil 
in  the  Thebaid,  not  only  in  the  number  of  books, 
twelve,  as  in  the  yEneid,  but  also  in  everything  {in 
omnibus),  so  that  he  was  not  undeservedly  called 
Virgil's  monkey   {simia  Virgilii). 

He  concludes  by  showing  the  immensity  of  his  love 
for  Virgil. 

E,  per  esser  vivuto  di  Ik,  quando  100 

Visse  Virgilio,  assentirei  un  solef 
Pill  che  non  deggio  al  mio  uscir  di  bando." — 

And,  to  have  lived  yonder,  when  Virgil  lived,  I 


*  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Thebaid  (8 11 -8 17)  Statius  shows  in 
what  honour  he  held  the  -^neid.  Addressing  his  own  poem,  he 
says  : 

"  O  mihi  bissextos  multum  vigilata  per  annos 
Thebai  !  jam  certe  praesens  tibi  fama  benignum         "^ 
Stravit  iter,  ccepitque  novam  monstrare  futuris. 
Jam  te  magnanimus  dicatur  noscere  Csesar, 
Itala  jam  studio  discit,  memoratque  juventus. 
Vive,  precor  :  nee  tu  divinam  yEneida  tenta, 
Sed  longe  sequere,  et  vestigia  semper  adora." 

t  un  sole.  The  word  is  similarly  used  to  express  a  year  in 
Inf.  VI,  64-68. 

"  Dopo  lunga  tenzone 
Verranno  al  sangue,  e  la  parte  selvaggia 
Caccerk  1'  altra  con  molta  offensione. 
Poi  appresso  convien  che  questa  caggia 
Infra  tre  soli.  .  .  ." 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  99 

would  consent  to  do  penance  for  a  year  {lit.  a  sun) 
more  than  I  need  do  before  my  going  forth  from 
bondage."* 


Division  IV.  In  this  concluding  Division  of  the 
Canto,  Dantes  describes  how  Virgil  made  himself 
known  to  Statius,  who  was  quite  unaware  that  the 
subject  of  his  encomium  was  standing  by  his  side. 
Virgil,  by  a  rapid  contraction  of  his  eyes  {col  viso), 
imposes  silence  on  Dante,  who  cannot  all  the  same 
restrain  himself  from  giving  a  smile,  for  which  Statius 
in  his  turn,  is  quick  to  ask  the  reason.  The  whole 
scene  is  thoroughly  Italian,  and  would  not  occupy 
more  than  five  seconds. 

Volser  Virgilio  a  me  queste  parole 

Con  viso  che,  tacendo,  disse  :  Taa. 

Ma  non  pub  tutto  la  virtu  che  vuole  ;  105 

Che  riso  e  pianto  son  tanto  seguaci 

Alia  passion  da  che  ciascun  si  spicca, 
Che  men  seguon  voler  nei  piu  veraci. 

These  words  (of  Statius)  made  Virgil  turn  round 
(to  me)  with  a  visage  that,  though  speechless,  said  : 
"  Be  silent !"  but  our  will  cannot  always  perform 
all  that  it  desires  ;  for  laughter  and  weeping  follow 
so    promptly   the    passion    from   which   each   takes 

*  Scartazzini  points  out  how  well  Francis  Bacon  illustrates 
this  passage  (De  dignitate  et  augrnentis  Scientice,  I,  VII,  c.  i)  : 

"  Legimus,  nonnullos  ex  Electis  et  Sanctis  viris  optasse  se 
potius  erasos  e  libro  Vitae,  quam  ut  salus  ad  fratres  suos  non 
perveniret,  ecstasi  quadam  charitatis  et  impotenti  desiderio 
boni  communis  incitatos." 

p  P  2 


100  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxi. 

its  origin,  that  in  the  most  truthful  men  they  least 
obey  the  will. 

It  is  only  the  most  sincere  and  ingenuous  people 
who  are  unable  to  disguise  their  emotions.  If  they  feel 
a  desire  to  laugh,  the  laugh  shows  itself  on  their  coun- 
tenance, and  the  same  with  weeping.  It  is  only  the 
deceitful  man  who  feigns  a  smile  while  rage  is  in 
his  heart.  It  is  only  the  hypocrite  who  can  simulate 
grief  for  some  misfortune  at  which  he  really  secretly 
rejoices. 

Dante  now  shows  exactly  how  this  difficulty  of  con- 
cealing his  thoughts  happened  to  him,  for  though  he 
uttered  not  a  word,  he  spoke  by  his  expression,  and 
Statius  detected  his  thought. 

lo  pur  sorrisi  come  P  uom  ch'  ammicca  ;* 

Perch^  r  ombra  si  tacque,  e  riguardommi  no 

Negli  occhi,  ove  il  sembiante  piu  si  ficca.t 

Notwithstanding,  I  smiled,  like  one  who  gives  a 
wink  ;  on  which  the  spirit  stopped  speaking,  and 
looked  me  in  the  eyes,  wherein  the  expression  is  best 
marked  {lit.  fixed). 

*  atnmicca.  Blanc  {Vocabulario  Dantescd)  derives  the  word 
from  the  Latin  micare,  to  make  a  sign  with  the  eyes.  Others 
derive  it  from  the  Latin  nictare,  adnidare.  Tommasdo  {Dizion- 
ario  dei  Sinoninit)  says  :  "  Ammiccare,  sebbene  riguardi  segna- 
tamente  1'  occhio,  comprende  un  po'  1'  atto  di  tutta  la  faccia  .  .  . 
Si  accenna  e  con  gli  occhi  e  col  capo  e  con  le  mani.  Si  pu6 
accennare  senza  ammiccare,  ma  non  vice  versa." 

t  In  Convito^  tr.  Ill,  c.  8,  Dante  lays  down  that  the  eyes  are 
the  window  of  the  soul,  in  which  all  the  passions  can  be  ob- 
served, and  says  it  has  even  happened  to  some  to  put  out  their 
own  eyes  in  order  that  their  shame  from  within  should  not  be 
seen  without  (perch^  la  vergogna  d'  entro  non  paresse  di 
fuori). 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  lOl 

Statius  makes  his  petition. 

E  : — "  Se*  tanto  lavoro  in  bene  assommi," — t 
Disse, — "  perch^  la  tua  faccia  testeso+ 
Un  lampeggiar  di  riso  dimostrommi  ?" — 

And  :  "  As,"  said  he  (I  pray  that)  "  thou  mayest 
bring  to  a  happy  conclusion  so  great  a  work  (as  thy 
journey),  so  do  I  pray  thee  to  tell  me,  why  just 
now  did  thy  face  reveal  to  me  a  flash  of  merri- 
ment ?" 

Dante  is  fairly  perplexed. 

Or  son  io  d'  una  parte  e  d'  altra  preso  ;  1 1 5 

L'  una  mi  fa  tacer,  1'  altra  scongiura 
Ch'  io  dica  :  ond'  io  sospiro  e  son  inteso 

Dal  mio  maestro,  e  : — "  Non  aver  paura," — 
Mi  disse, — "  di  parlar  ;  ma  parla,  e  digli 
Quel  ch'  ei  dimanda  con  cotanta  cura." —  120 

Now  am  I  caught  both  on  one  side  and  the  other ; 
the  one  (Virgil)  makes  me  silent,  and  the  other 
(Statius)  entreats  me  to  speak  :  on  which  I  heave  a 
sigh,  and  am  understood  by  my  Master,  and  said  he  to 
me:  "Fear  not  to  speak,  but  say  on,  and  tell  him  that 
which  he  asks  with  so  much  anxiety." 

Francesco  da  Buti  says  that  Virgil  had  stopped 
Dante  speaking  before,  so  as  not  to  interrupt  what 
Statius  was  saying  :  but  when  he  saw  Statius  look  per- 
plexed, he  thought  it  would  be  kinder  to  tell  him  what 
it  was,  about  which  they  were  making  signs. 

*  ^^  is  a  deprecative  particle. 

t  assommi:  from  assomare,  from  the  Latin  sujn7na,  to  bring 
to  an  end,  terminate,  finish. 

X  testeso  :  an  ancient  form  of  Usie^  which  means  "  now  ;"  and 
also  "just  now,"  "  lately." 


102  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxi. 

Ond'  io  :— "  Forse  che  tu  ti  maravigli, 
Antico*  spirto,  del  rider  ch'  io  fei  ; 
Ma  piu  d'  ammirazion  vo'  che  ti  pigli.t 

On  which  I  :  "  Perchance  thou  marvellest,  spirit  of 
days  gone  by,  at  the  smile  I  gave ;  but  I  will  that  even 
greater  wonderment  seize  upon  thee. 

Questi  che  guida  in  alto  gli  occhi  miei, 

E  quel  Virgilio  dal  qual  tu  togliesti  125 

Forza  a  cantar  degli  uomini  e  de'  Dei. 

This  one,  who  is  guiding  my  eyes  up  on  high,  is  that 
Virgil  from  whom  thou  didst  gain  strength  to  sing  of 
men  and  of  Gods.  J 

Scartazzini  points  out  that  in  alto  means  as  far  as 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  beyond  which  Virgil, 
representing  Reason,  would  have  no  power  to  go,  and 
not  as  Benvenuto  interprets  it,  as  meaning  to  Heaven. 

He  now  adds : 

Se  cagione  altra  al  mio  rider  credesti, 
Lasciala  per  non  vera  esser,  e  credi 
Quelle  parole  che  di  lui  dicesti." — 

*  Antico  spirto.  Benvenuto  remarks  that  Statius  may  well  be 
called  ancient,  since  he  wrote  poems  more  than  a  thousand  years 
before  the  scene  here  described  is  supposed  to  occur. 

t  piil  d?  ammirazion  vd  che  ti  pigli.  This  almost  reminds  one 
of  Mark  Anthony,  who  first  shows  the  mob  Caesar's  mantle 
stabbed  all  over,  and  then,  suddenly  plucking  it  aside,  shows 
them  the  body. 

"  Kind  souls,  what  weep  you,  when  you  but  behold 
Our  Caesar's  vesture  wounded  !  Look  you  here. 
Here  is  himself,  marred,  as  you  see,  by  traitors." 

— Shakespeare  (Julius  CcEsar\  Act  III,  Sc.  II. 
X  In  the  Thebaid,  Statius  introduces  both  Gods  and  men  as 
performing  feats  of  arms,  and  therein  imitated  Virgil,  who  in  his 
turn  had  imitated  Homer.  ■ 


Canto  XXI,     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  103 

And  if  thou  didst  believe  in  any  other  cause  for  my 
smiling,  abandon  it  as  not  true,  and  believe  those 
words  that  thou  didst  speak  of  him  ?" 

Statius  is  dumbfoundered,  and,  with  the  utmost 
reverence,  bends  down  to  do  obeisance  to  Virgil. 

Gik  si  chinava  ad  abbracciar  li  piedi  1 30 

Al  mio  dottor  ;  ma  e'  gli  disse  :— "  Fratg^ 
Non  far,  che  tu  se'  ombra,  ed  ombra  vedi." — 

Already  was  he  stooping  to  embrace  my  Teacher's 
feet :  but  he  (Virgil)  said  to  him  :  "  Brother,  do  not  so, 
for  thou  art  a  shade,  and  a  shade  thou  seest !" 

Statius  makes  a  courteous  excuse  for  having  for- 
gotten their  want  of  substance,  and  says  that  it  arose 
from  his  intense  delight  at  seeing  so  unexpectedly 
before  him  the  spirit  of  one  .for  whom  he  felt  such 
deep  reverence. 

Ed  ei  surgendo  : — "  Or  puoi  la  quantitate 

Comprender  dell'  amor  che  a  te  mi  scalda, 
Quando  dismento  nostra  vanitate,  135 

Trattando  1'  ombre  come  cosa  salda." — 

And  he  (Statius)  rising:  "Now  canst  thou  com- 
prehend the  sum  of  the  love  which  burns  in  me 
towards  thee,  when  I  am  able  to  forget  our  emptiness, 
treating  shades  as  substantial  things." 


End  of  Canto  XXI. 


104  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 


CANTO  XXII. 

Ascent  to  the  Sixth  Cornice. 
Statius  {continued). 
The  Gluttonous. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  last  Canto,  Benvenuto  stated 
that  in  it  would  be  treated  the  purgation  of  prodi- 
gality, but  it  is  an  error  on  his  part,  for  the  subject  is 
not  mentioned  at  all  until  the  present  Canto.  Here 
again,  in  his  opening  words,  Benvenuto  continues  his 
error,  saying  :  "  As  in  the  preceding  chapter,  our  poet 
treated  of  the  vice  of  prodigality  in  the  person  of 
Statius,  so  now  in  this  chapter  XXII,  he  concludes  the 
subject  of  prodigality  in  the  same  spirit,  and  enters 
upon  the  subject  of  gluttony,  which  is  punished  in  the 
sixth  circle." 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  54,  Dante 
tells  how  he  found  that  his  purgation  from  Avarice 
had  already  taken  place,  and  how  he  learns  that  it 
was  for  prodigality  and  not  for  avarice  that  Statius 
had  to  suffer. 

In  the  Second  Division,  irom.  v.  55  to  v.  93,  Statius 
informs  Virgil,  in  answer  to  a  question,  that  it  was  from 
Virgil's  writings  that  he  had  learnt  the  Christian  faith. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  94  to  v.  114, 
Statius  asks  Virgil  what  has  become  of  certain  illus- 
trious writers  of  antiquity. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  105 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  11 5  to  v.  1 54,  the 
poets  reach  the  sixth  cornice,  and  the  purgation  of  the 
sin  of  gluttony  is  described. 

Division  I.  It  would  seem  that  between  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  last,  and  the  commencement  of  the  present 
Canto,  Dante  had  passed  before  the  Angel  of  the  Fifth 
Cornice,  who  had  erased  another  P  from  his  brow,  so 
that  two  only  now  remain  upon  it,  the  P  of  Gluttony, 
and  the  P  of  Luxury,  which  will  be  erased  in  the  Sixth 
and  Seventh  Cornices  above. 

The  three  poets,  Dante,  Virgil,  and  Statius,  appear 
to  have  already  entered  upon  the  stairway  leading  up 
to  the  Sixth  Cornice,  and  Dante  tells  us  that  they 
have  left  the  Angel  behind  them  at  the  foot  of  the 

steps. 

Gik  era  F  Angel  dietro  a  noi  rimaso, 

L'  Angel  che  n'  avea  volti  al  sesto  giro, 
Avendomi  dal  viso  un  colpo  raso. 

The  angel  was  by  this  time  left  behind  us,  the  angel 
who  had  made  us  turn  to  the  sixth  circle,  and  who  had 
(before  doing  so)  erased  from  my  brow  one  mark  {lit. 
stroke  of  the  sword  of  the  Angel  Warder). 

Benvenuto  remarks  that,  although  nothing  has  been 
said  about  the  Angel,  he  is  here  introduced  by  an  arti- 
ficial abbreviation.  With  the  erasure  had  come  the 
appropriate  Beatitude. 

E  quei  ch^  hanno  a  giustizia  lor  disiro^ 

Detto  n'  avea,*  Beati^  e  le  sue  voci  5 

*  N^  avea.  Scartazzini  says  that  this  is  one  of  the  passages 
that  have  been  terribly  tortured,  first,  by  the  amanuenses,  and 
then  by  the  commentators.  The  variations  in  the  reading  are 
many,  but  the  most  common  alternative  reading  is  ri  aveany 


io6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

Con  sitiunt^  senz'  altro,  cio  forniro. 

And  he  (the  Angel)  had  said  to  us,  "  Blessed  are 
they  that  have  their  craving  for  righteousness;"  and  his 
words  completed  the  sentence  {cio  forniro)  with  sitiimt 
(they  who  thirst),  not  adding  more. 

Scartazzini  says  that  these  last  words  imply  that  as 
there  are  seven  Angels,  into  whose  mouths  Dante 
wishes  to  put  a  Beatitude,  he  finds  himself  obliged  to 

which  would  imply  that  it  was  not  the  Angel,  but  the  spirits  of 
the  fifth  cornice,  who  pronounced  the  words,  "  Beati  quei  ch' 
hanno  a  giuztizia  lor  disiro."  But  such  an  interpretation  would 
simply  destroy  the  beautiful  symmetry  of  the  poem.  While 
everywhere  else  it  is  the  angel  guarding  the  exit  who,  when  dis- 
missing the  purified  souls,  chants  the  appropriate  Beatitude 
according  to  the  reading  n'  avean,  the  angel  in  this  cornice 
would  be  made  to  act  differently,  and  to  allow  the  travellers  to 
depart  unnoticed  by  him.  Dr.  Moore,  in  his  recent  valuable 
work  {Textual  Criticism  of  the  Divina  Commedia,  Cambridge 
University  Press,  1889)  says  at  page  405  :  "the  right  reading 
7z'  avea  (unless  I  am  mistaken)  is  not  found  in  any  of  the  earlier 
Commentators,   yet   it  has    considerable    support   among  the 

MSS.,  being  found  in  about  half  those  examined 

on  fuller  and  wider  consideration,  both  of  context  and  parallel 
passages,  avea  will,  I  think,  prove  to  be  decidedly  more 
appropriate." 

*  sitiunt.  The  same  process  of  reasoning  can  guide  one  in 
preferring  this  reading  to  sitio,  which  occurs  in  by  far  the  greater 
numberofMSS.  Everywhereelsetheangelguarding  the  stairway 
chants  one  of  the  Beatitudes,  Purg.  XII,  no;  XV,  38; 
XVII,  68  ;  XIX,  50;  XXIV,  151  ;  XXVII,  8  ;  and  the  analogy 
requires  that  in  the  case  of  the  Fifth  Cornice  also  he  should  dis- 
miss the  poets  with  a  Beatitude.  The  words  in  this  passage  are 
taken  from  St.  Matt.  V,  6,  and  are  "Beati  qui  esuriunt  et  sitiunt 
justitiam,"  not  sitio.  Therefore  sitiunt  must  be  the  right  reading. 
It  is  adopted  by  Scartazzini,  Fraticelli,  Lubin,  Pollock,  Moore, 
and  Butler. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  107 

leave  out  from  this  text  the  words,  "  Blessed  are  they 
that  hunger,"  "  Beati  qui  esuriimtl'  which  comes  in 
very  appropriately  in  the  next  Cornice,  where  gluttony 
is  chastised. 

Dante,  having  been  disburdened  of  five  out  of  the 
seven  mortal  sins,  of  which  the  emblems,  the  seven  P's, 
had  been  traced  on  his  brow,  tells  us  how  relieved  he 

feels. 

Ed  io,  piu  lieve*  che  per  1'  altre  foci, 

M'  andava,  si  che  senza  alcun  laboret 
Seguiva  in  su  gli  spiriti  veloci. 

And  I  was  walking  on,  lighter  than  when  passing 
through  the  other  entrances,  so  much  so,  that  I  could 
follow  those  two  quickly  moving  spirits  (Virgil  and 
Statins)  without  any  distress. 

Benvenuto  tells  us  that  Virgil  now  addresses  Statins 
in  a  few  noble  words,  and,  to  win  his  good  graces,  pre- 
faces his  remarks  with  a  noteworthy  opinion  about 
honourable  love. 

Quando  Virgilio  comincio  : — "Amore  10 

Acceso  da  virtu,  sempre  altro  accese, 
Pur  che  la  fiamma  sua  paresse  fuore. 

*  Compare  Purg.  IV,  88,  where  Virgil,  in  answer  to  Dante's 
inquiries  as  to  the  ascent,  replies  : 

"  Questa  montagna  h  tale, 
Che  sempre  al  cominciar  di  sotto  h  grave, 
E  quanto  uom  piu  va  su,  e  men  fa  male." 
and  Purg.  XII,   112,  where  Dante  compares  the  cornices  of 
Purgatory  to  those  of  the  circles  of  Hell. 

"  Ahi  !  quanto  son  diverse  quelle  foci 

Dalle  infemali  ;  ch^  quivi  per  canti 
S'  entra,  e  laggiu  per  lamenti  feroci." 
t  labore.     A  primitive  word  from  the  Latin,  used  instead  of 
lavoro^  and  has  the  signification  of  fatigue.    Dante  makes  use  of 
it  in  the  Convito. 


108  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

When  Virgil  began:  "Love,  kindled  by  virtue, 
always  causes  another  to  burn  {i.e.  is  reciprocated),  if 
only  its  flame  appear  outwardly. 

Francesco  da  Buti  says :  "  Purche  sappia  1'  amato 
esser  amato  incontanente  ama."  "  Provided  that  the 
person  loved  is  aware  of  being  loved,  immediately  he 

loves  ?" 

And  Benvenuto  :  "  From  this  we  see  that  we  often 
love  a  virtuous  man,  even  though  we  have  never  seen 
or  known  him,  just  as  I,  Benvenuto,  love  Dante." 

Virgil  states  this  proposition  in  order  to  show  that 
on  hearing  of  the  writings  of  Statius,  in  which  admira- 
tion for  himself  is  expressed,  he  too  had  felt  a  sympa- 
thetic touch  of  love  for  Statius. 

After  laying  down  this  opinion  on  the  reciprocity 
of  love,  Virgil  proceeds  to  tell  Statius  that,  though 
only  knowing  him  by  hearsay  from  Juvenal,  whom  he 
had  met  in  Limbo,  he  had  loved  him  for  many 
centuries. 

Onde,  dair  ora  che  tra  noi  discese 

Nel  limbo  dello  inferno  Giovenale, 
Che  la  tua  afifezion  mi  fe'  palese,  15 

Mia  benvoglienza  inverse  te  in  quale 
Pill  strinse  mai  di  non  vista  persona, 
Si  ch'  or  mi  parran  corte  queste  scale. 

Wherefore,  from  the  hour  that  Juvenal,  who  made  me 
acquainted  with  thy  affection  for  me,  descended  into 
the  Limbo  of  Hell,  my  good  will  towards  thee  has 
been  as  great  as  ever  bound  me  to  an  unseen  person, 
so  that  now  these  stairs  will  appear  short  to  me.* 

*  Virgil  does  not  appear  to  mean  that  he  had  hitherto  found 
the  ascent  toilsome,  but  only  wishes  to  express  his  regret  that  he 
will  not  be  able  to  go  beyond  the  summit  of  the  staircase  of  the 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  109 

Benvenuto  says  that,  having  addressed  the  above 
graceful  words  to  Statius  as  an  exordium,  Virgil  asks 
him  how  it  is  possible  that  he  can  have  been  guilty  of 
the  sin  of  avarice. 

Ma  dimmi  (e  come  amico  mi  perdona 

Se  troppa  sicurtk  m'  allarga  il  freno,  20 

E  come  amico  omai  meco  ragiona) 
Come  poteo  trovar  dentro  al  tuo  seno 
Luogo  avarizia,  tra  cotanto  senno* 
Di  quanto  per  tua  cura  fosti  pieno  ?  " — 

But  tell  me  (and  forgive  me  as  a  friend  if  too  much 
freedom  loosens  the  rein  of  my  speech,  and  henceforth 
converse  with  me  as  a  friend)  how  could  avarice  find 
a  place  within  thy  breast,  amid  wisdom  so  great  as 
thou  wast  filled  with  by  thy  care  ?  "f 

Statius  cannot  help  smiling  at  this  misapprehension 
on  the  part  of  Virgil,  just  as  Dante  had  previously 
laughed  at  that  of  Statius. 

Queste  parole  Stazio  muover  fenno  25 

Un  poco  a  riso  pria  ;  poscia  rispose  : 
— "  Ogni  tuo  dir  d'  amor  m'  e  caro  cenno. 
These  words  made  Statius  somewhat  inclined  to 
laugh  at  first ;  then  he  answered  :  "  Every  speech  of 
thine  is  to  me  a  dear  token  of  love. 


cornice  above,  and  will  have  so  short  a  time  to  pass  in  the  com- 
pany of  Statius. 

*  tra  cotanto  senno.     The  same  words  occur  in  Inf.  IV,  102  : 
"  Si  ch'  io  fui  sesto  tra  cotanto  senno." 

t  Scartazzini  thinks  that  Virgil's  mistake  was  very  natural. 
The  poets  had  heard  from  Adrian  V  that  in  the  fifth  cornice 
was  punished  the  sin  of  avarice,  Purg.  XIX,  115.  Moreover, 
Statius,  in  Purg.  XXI,  67,  has  told  them  that  he  had  lain  in  that 
cornice  for  five  centuries.  Nothing  had  been  said  about  prodi- 
gality being  punished  there,  and  Virgil  consequently  took  it  for 
granted  that  avarice  had  been  one  of  the  sins  of  Statius. 


I  lo  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

Statius  says  this  because  Virgil  had  asked  him  for 
pardon,  if  he  used  too  much  freedom  in  speaking 
about  his  supposed  sin  of  avarice. 

Benvenuto   observes   that,  after    this    preliminary- 
remark,  Statius  commences  his  speech,  and  does  so  in 
a  manner  which  one  cannot  sufficiently  admire,  both 
from  its  artistic  merit,  worthy  of  so  great  an  orator, 
and  also  as  being  quite  after  Virgil's  manner.     He 
introduces,  as  the  basis  on  which  he  forms  his  speech, 
a  noteworthy  expression  of  opinion. 
Veramente  piu  volte  appajon  cose, 
Che  dknno  a  dubitar  falsa  matera, 
Per  le  vere  ragion  che  son  nascose.  30 

In  truth,  oftentimes  appear  things  which  afford  false 
material  for  doubt,  because  of  the  real  causes  which 
are  hidden. 

Benvenuto  says  it  often  happens  that  things  which 
are  perfectly  true  are  not  believed,  from  ignorance  of 
causes.  It  seems  incredible  that,  under  a  clear  sky  and 
on  a  tranquil  sea,  a  ship  should  suddenly  go  to  the 
bottom  and  not  be  seen  again,  if  you  do  not  know 
that  a  hidden  rock  was  the  cause  ;  or,  the  statement 
in  the  last  Canto,  that  Titus  attacked  Jerusalem  to 
avenge  the  death  of  Christ,  which  Benvenuto  says  is 
false,  as  Titus  made  war  against  the  Jews  on  his  own 
account. 

Statius  next  deals  with  Virgil's  misapprehension. 
La  tua  dimanda  tuo  creder  m'  avvera 

Esser,  ch'  io  fossi  avaro  in  1'  altra  vita, 
Forse  per  quella  cerchio  dov'  io  era. 

Thy  question  convinces  me  that  it  is  thy  belief, 
that  I  was  avaricious  in  the  other  life,  possibly  on 
account  of  (seeing  me  in)  that  cornice  where  I  was. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  1 1 1 

And  he  immediately  shows  where  the  mistake  lies. 
Or  sappi  che  avarizia  fu  partita 

Troppo  da  me,  e  questa  dismisura  35 

Migliaia  di  lunari*  hanno  punita. 

Now  learn  that  avarice  was  too  far  removed  from 
me  ;  and  this  disproportion  thousands  of  moons  have 
chastised. 

Francesco  da  Buti  remarks  that,  instead  of  hoarding 
the  things  he  ought  to  give  away  or  reserve,  he  gave 
away  both  the  things  he  ought  to  have  given  away, 
and  also  the  things  he  ought  to  have  reserved. 

Statius  now  goes  on  to  relate  that  it  was  a  passage 
in  Virgil's  writings  that  had  wrought  an  amendment 
in  him.-f* 

E  se  non  fosse  ch'  io  drizzai  mia  cura, 
Quand'  io  intesi  Ik  dove  tu  esclame, 
Crucciato  quasi  all'  umana  natura  : 
Per  che  non  reggi  tu,  o  sacra  fame  40 

Deir  oro,  P  afipetito  dei  mortali  ? 
Voltando  sentirei  le  giostre  grame. 
And  had  it  not  been  that  I  turned  my  solicitude 
aright,    when    I  understood   the   passage  {Id)  where  \ 
thou,  almost   indignant    against    human  nature,  ex- 

*  Statius  had  spent  altogether  14,448  months  in  Purgatory. 
He  died  A.D.  96  which,  deducted  from  A.D.  1300,  leaves  1204 
years,  of  which,  as  we  noticed  before,  he  had  spent  500  in  the 
cornice  of  avarice  ;  400  in  the  cornice  of  sloth  ;  304  in  the  Anti- 
purgatorio.     Total,  1,204  years  =  14,448  months. 

t  There  is  a  graceful  courtesy  in  Statius  quoting  a  passage 
from  Virgil's  own  writings,  and  telling  him  the  influence  it  had 
upon  his  Hfe.  It  reminds  one  of  Casella  the  musician,  mentioned 
in  the  second  Canto,  who,  when  asked  by  Dante  to  comfort  his 
soul  with  song,  after  the  bodily  and  mental  prostration  he  felt 
fromhis  passage  through  Hell,  commenced  singing  one  of  Dante's 
own  sonnets  set  to  music  of  his  own. 


112  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

claimest :  "  Through  what  (crooked  channels)  dost  not 
thou,  accursed  hunger  of  gold,  drive  the  appetite  of 
mortals  ? "  I  should  now  be  experiencing  the  dismal 
jousts,  rolling  (the  weight  among  the  misers  and 
prodigals  in  Hell  *     See  Inf.  VII,  25-26.) 

*  Some  read  perche  and  translate :  Why  dost  thou  not  regulate 
and  confine  within  due  bounds  the  appetite  of  mortals  ?  Others, 
limit  a  che ;  translating  :  To  what  pitch  dost  thou  not  drive. 
Some  take  sacra  in  a  good  sense,  as  though  the  words  meant 
"Why  dost  not  thou,  O  holy  hunger  of  gold,  restrain  the  desire 
of  mortals  : 

Scartazzini  says  that  it  is  clear,  before  everything  else,  that 
Dante  intends  here  either  to  translate  or  to  imitate  the  well- 
known  verses  of  Virgil  {/En.  Ill,  56)  : 

"  Quid  non  mortalia  pectora  cogis, 
Auri  sacra  fames  ?  " 
This  is  evidently  the  opinion  too  of  Benvenuto,  who  trans- 
lates it  : 

"  O  execrabilis  cupiditas  auri." 

Scartazzini  says  that,  of  four  different  ways  of  interpreting  the 
passage,  he  prefers  the  last  :  "  Per  che  distorte  vie,  per  che 
malvagitk,  non  conduci  e  guidi  tu,  o  esecranda  fame  dell'  oro,  1' 
appetito  degli  uomini  ? "  (Through  what  crooked  ways,  and 
through  what  wickedness,  dost  thou  not  conduct,  &c.)  He  also 
cites  a  number  of  commentators  who  say  that  rightly  to  under- 
stand how  Virgil's  severe  censure  of  the  hunger  of  gold  serves 
to  condemn  prodigality  (for  both  the  miser  and  the  prodigal 
have  the  sinful  love  of  money),  the  following  passage  from 
Aristotle  {Ethics,  book  IV,  ch.  i,  R.  W.  Browne's  translation) 
may  be  quoted  :  "  But  the  majority  of  prodigals,  as  has  been 
stated,  also  receive  from  improper  sources,  and  are  in  this 
respect  illiberal  [in  the  Italian  version  aveKevOepoi  is  translated, 
"guilty  of  the  sin  of  avarice."]  Now  they  become  fond  of 
receiving  because  they  wish  to  spend,  and  are  not  able  do  it 
easily,  for  their  means  soon  fail  them  ;  they  are  therefore  com- 
pelled to  get  supplies  from  some  other  quarter,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  owing  to  their  not  caring  for  the  honourable,  they  receive 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  tJte  Purgatorio.  113 

Statius,  having  quoted  the  words  of  Virgil,  tells 

him  how  reflection  on  those  weighty  lines  influenced 

his  life,  for  he  then  began  to  understand  that  both 

misers    and  prodigals  have  a  sinful  thirst  for  gold, 

though  with  the  intent  of  using  it  in  opposite  ways ; 

and  that  they  often  seek  it  by  sinful  fraud,  or  violence. 

Allor  m'  accorsi  che  troppo  aprir  1'  all* 

Potean  le  mani  a  spendere,  e  pentdmi 

Cosi  di  quel  come  degli  altri  mali.  45 

Then  did  I  perceive  that  the  hands  could  spread 
their  wings  too  widely  in  spending ;  and  I  repented 
me  both  of  this  as  of  other  sins. 

Statius   next    condemns  prodigality  in  men,  who 

without  scruple  from  any  person  they  can  ;  for  they  are  anxious 
to  give,  and  the  how  or  the  whence  they  get  the  money  matters 
not  to  them." 

BiagioH  has  the  following  note :  "  Sacra,  esecrabile.  Fame,  per 
desiderio  smoderato.  It  is  used  by  Petrarch  :  Quella  percK  to 
ho  di  morirtalfame.  Every  one  can  see  that  this  is  the  Virgilian 
Quidnon  mortalia  pectora  cogis,  Auri  sacra  fames  ?  When  I  read 
for  the  first  time  this  perche,  written  thus  as  one  entire  word,  I 
confess  that  I  did  not  succeed  in  understanding  the  construction 
of  it,  although  the  sentiment  of  it  can  be  so  clearly  seen.  ...  I 
returned  to  my  house  and  commenced  the  analysis,  separating 
the  preposition /^r  from  the  adjective  che,  knowing  that,  in  what- 
ever aspect  it  presents  itself,  che  is  nothing  but  an  adjective, 
and  therefore  connected  with  a  noun  either  expressed  or  under- 
stood, and  I  quickly  found  that  I  could  fill  the  void,  by  writing 
per  che  (per  quali)  scelleraggini  non  reggi,  &^c.  (through  what 
crimes  dost  thou  not  conduct,  &c.)  and  in  this  way  the  con- 
struction becomes  quite  simple." 

*  In  Purg.  X,  25,  Dante  gives  wings  to  the  eyes,  as  here  to 
the  hands  : 

"  E  quanto  1'  occhio  mio  potea  trar  d'  ale 

Or  dal  sinistro  ed  or  dal  destro  fiance,  &c." 
QQ 


114  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

seem  to  be  ignorant  of  how  great  a  sin  it  is,  and  of 
such  had  been  Statins  himself. 

Quanti  risurgeran  coi  crini  scemi  * 

Per  ignoranza,t  che  di  questo  pecca 
Toglie  il  pent^r  vivendo,  e  negli  estremi ! 
How  many  shall  rise   again    with   shorn   hair,  for 
ignorance   which   bars    repentance  for  this  sin,  both 
in  life,  and  at  the  extreme  hour. 

Benvenuto  has  a  fanciful  interpretation  for  estremi, 
"  the  extremes,"  for  such  are  avarice  and  prodigality. 
He  supposes  that  Statiusnow  anticipates  the  possibility 

*  Crini  scemi.  Compare  Inf.  VII,  46,  where  Virgil  in 
describing  to  Dante  the  punishment  in  hell  of  the  avaricious 
and  the  prodigal,  says  of  the  former  : 

"  Questi  fur  cherci  che  non  han  coperchio 
Piloso  al  capo,  e  papi  e  cardinali, 
In  cui  usa  avarizia  il  suo  soperchio." 
And  at  verse  55: 

"In  eterno  veranno  agli  due  cozzi. 

Questi  risurgeranno  del  sepulcro 
Col  pugno  chiuso,  e  questi  co'  crin  mozzi." 
t  Scartazzini  explains  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  ignorance  : 
the  one  sinful,  and  the  other  not.  That  ignorance  is  sinful  which 
could  be  overcome  by  exercising  and  perfecting  reason. 

See  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ.  Theol.  P.  I,  2*^,  qu.  LXXVI, 
art.  2)  :  "  Quicumque  negligit  habere  vel  facere  id  quod  tenetur 
habere  vel  facere,  peccat  peccato  omissionis.  Unde  propter 
negligentiam  ignorantia  eorum  quae  aliquis  scire  tenetur  est 
peccatum  ;  non  autem  imputatur  homini  ad  negligentiam  si 
nesciat  ea  quae  scire  non  potest.  Unde  horum  ignorantia 
invincibilis  dicitur,  quia  studio  superari  non  potest.  Et  propter 
hoc  talis  ignorantia,  cum  non  sit  voluntaria,  eo  quod  non  est  in 
potestate  nostra  eam  repellere,  non  est  peccatum.  Ex  quo  patet 
quod  nulla  ignorantia  invincibilis  est  peccatum ;  ignorantia 
autem  vincibilis  est  peccatum  si  sit  eorum  quae  aliquis  scire 
tenetur,  non  autem  si  sit  eorum  quae  quis  scire  non  tenetur." 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  115 

of  Virgil  asking  him  :  "  Why  then  didst  thou  remain 
so  long  doing  penance  among  the  misers  ? "  and 
makes  him  answer  that  the  two  sins  of  avarice  and 
prodigality,  opposed  to  each  other,  are  rightly  punished 
in  the  same  cornice. 

E  sappi  che  la  colpa  che  rimbecca* 

Per  dritta  opposizione  alcun  peccato,  50 

Con  esso  insieme  qui  suo  verde  secca. 

And  know  that  the  fault  which  offers  itself  in  direct 
opposition  to  any  sin,  here  (in  the  fifth  cornice  they 
have  just  left)  together  with  it  dries  up  its  green.-f 

The  first  of  the  two  faults  undergoes  the  same 
purgation,  and  is  punished  in  the  same  place  in  Purga- 
tory, as  the  fault  which  is  the  direct  opposite  to  it. 
Benvenuto  says  of  la  colpa  che  rhnbecca  "  idest, 
adversatur  et  occurrit  a  becco  a  becco,"  and  of  qui 
secca  suo  verde,  "  id  est  luit  pcenam  aequalem." 

"  And  mark  here,  reader,"  adds  Benvenuto,  "  that 
our  poet  rightly  assigns  the  same  penalty  to  both 
those  sins,  for  although  avarice  is  always  the  most 
detested  of  the  two,  yet  in  real  truth  prodigality  is  a 
damnable  pest,  and  hostile  to  the  public  weal.  For 
the  prodigal,  who  spends  more  than  nature  requires, 
and  more  than  fortune  supplies,  soon  replaces  plenty 

*  rimbecca.  Blanc  ( Vocbulario  Dantescd)  says  that  rimbeccare 
is  a  word  of  uncertain  origin,  and  that  Dante  uses  it  in  the  sense 
of  being  directly  opposed  to  anything.  It  properly  signifies  to 
strike  the  ball  backwards  and  forwards  from  one  player  to 
another.  The  word  is  used  in  Corsica  as  the  title  of  a  kind  of 
song  to  incite  the  backward  when  unwilling  to  carry  on  a 
vendetta. 

t  Compare  Ezekiel  XX,  47  :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God ; 
Behold,  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  thee,  and  it  shall  devour  every 
green  tree  in  thee,  and  every  dry  tree." 

QQ  2 


1 1 6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

with  emptiness,  sweet  with  bitter,  light  with  darkness, 
praise  with  derision,  much  with  nothing.  The  prodigal 
soon  renders  himself  contemptible  in  the  eyes  of  those, 
by  whom,  but  shortly  before,  he  was  held  in  respect 
.  .  .  O  how  many  worthy  and  great  men  has  this 
sin  cast  down  into  rage  and  despair !  " 
And  Statins  concludes  : 

Pero,  s'  io  son  tra  quella  gente  stato 

Che  piange  1'  avarizia,  per  purgarmi, 
Per  lo  contrario  suo  m'  h  incontrato.*  "— 
Wherefore,  if  I  have  been  for  my  purgation  among 
that  folk,  that  bewail  their  avarice,  it  has  happened  to 
me  by  reason  of  its  contrary,"  {i.e.  the  sin  for  which  I 
have  had  to  suffer  was  prodigality,  the  contrary  of 
avarice.) 


Division  II.  In  the  Second  and  principal  Division 
of  the  Canto,  Statins  relates  to  Virgil  the  cause  of  his 
conversion  to  the  Christian  faith,  of  which  Virgil  had 
expressed  some  doubt,  thinking  rather  that  in  his 
books  Statius  seemed  to  speak  like  a  heathen. 
Virgil  begins  : 

— "  Or  quando  tu  cantasti  le  crude  armi  55 

Delia  doppia  tristizia  di  Jocasta, 
(Disse  il  Cantor  de'  bucolici  carmi) 
Per  quelle  che  Clio  teco  li  tasta, 

Non  par  che  ti  facesse  an  cor  fedele 

La  ffe,  senza  la  qual  ben  far  non  basta.  6o 

*  nC  e  incontrato  is  here  used  as  an  impersonal  verb,  with  the 
sense :  "  it  has  happened  to  me."  Scartazzini  observes  that  the 
prodigality  of  Statius  is  a  mere  poetic  fiction  of  Dante,  as  what- 
ever is  recorded  of  Statius  in  history  would  show  him  not  to 
be  possessed  of  sufficient  means  to  be  very  extravagant. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  wj 

"  Now  when  thou  (in  the  Thebaid)  didst  sing  of  the 
cruel  war  of  (Eteocles  and  Polynices)  the  twofold 
sorrow  of  Jocasta  "  (their  mother),  said  the  Singer  of 
the  Bucolic  Poems,  "from  the  matters  about  which 
with  thee  in  that  poem  {li)  Clio  touches,  it  would 
not  seem  to  me  that  the  (Christian)  faith  had  as  yet 
made  thee  a  believer,  without  which  good  works  do 
not  suffice."  * 

Virgil  means  to  say  :  I  do  not  find  in  the  Thebaid 
any  evidence  whatever  that  thou  hadst  acquired  the 
Christian  faith.     And  he  further  asks : 

Se  cosi  hy  qual  sole  o  quai  candele 
Ti  stenebraron  si,  che  tu  drizzasti 
Poscia  diretro  al  Pescatort  le  vele  ?  " — 


*  Statius  begins  the  Thebaid  with  an  invocation  to  Clio,  the 
Muse  of  History,  whose  office  it  was  to  record  the  heroic  actions 
of  brave  men.     See  Thebaid  I,  55  : 

"  What  first,  O  Clio,  shall  adorn  thy  page, 
The  expiring  prophet,  or  ^Etolian's  rage  ? 
Say,  wilt  thou  sing  how,  g^m  with  dismal  blood, 
Hippomedon  repelled  the  rushing  flood. 
Lament  the  Arcadian  youth's  untimely  fate, 
Or  Jove,  opposed  by  Capaneus,  relate  ?" 
Eteocles  and  Polynices,  sons  of  CEdipus  and  Jocasta,  having 
succeeded  their  father  as  Kings  of  Thebes,  had  agreed  to  rule  in 
alternate  years,  and  that  the  non-reigning  brother  should  pass 
the  year  in  voluntary  exile.    Eteocles  reigned  first,  but,  when  at 
the  end  of  the  year,  Polynices  came  to   claim  the   sceptre, 
Eteocles  refused  to  give  it  up,  and  thence  arose  the  celebrated 
war  of  the  Seven  Kings  against  Thebes  so  magnificently  des- 
cribed by  ^schylus. 

t  Pescator.  According  to  Dean  Plumptre  the  image  had 
become  familiar  through  the  Sigillum  Pescatoris  used  by  the 
Roman  Pontiffs,  on  which  there  was  a  representation  of  Christ 


ii8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

If  it  is  so,  what  sun  {i.e.,  light  from  heaven),  or  what 
candles  {i.e.,  light  from  earth),  so  took  thee  out  of  the 
darkness,  that  after  the  time  I  speak  of  {poscia)  thou 
turnedst  thy  sails  into  the  wake  of  the  Fisherman  (St. 
Peter)." 

Statius  replies. 

Ed  egli  a  lui  : — "  Tu  prima  m'  inviasti 

Verso  Parnaso  a  ber  nelle  sue  grotte,  65 

E  poi,  appresso  Dio,  m'  alluminasti. 

And  he  to  him  :  "  Thou  first  didst  lead  me  towards 
Parnassus  to  drink  (from  Helicon)  in  its  grottoes,  and 
then  didst  illumine  me  on  the  road  to  God. 

Facesti  come  quel  che  va  di  notte,* 

Che  porta  il  lume  dietro,  e  s^  non  giova, 
Ma  dopo  s^  fa  le  persone  dotte, 

Quando  dicesti  :  Secol  si  rinnuova ;  70 

Torna  giustizia,  e  prima  tempo  umano, 
E  progenie  discende  dal  del  nuova. 

Thou  didst,  like  him  who  walks  at  night,  who  bears 

fishing  with  a  line,  and  St.  Peter  with  a  net.  The  first  mention 
of  this  seal  occurs  in  a  letter  of  Clement  IV  in  1265,  the  year  of 
Dante's  birth. 

*  quei  che  va  di  notte.    An  allusion  to  the  attendant  who  at 
night  walks  in  front  of  his  master,  carrying  a  lantern  behind 
him,  so  that,  while  giving  light,  he  himself  remains  in  the  dark. 
A  passage  nearly  identical  is  found  in  a  sonnet  of  Messer  Polo 
da  Reggio  in  Lombardy  who  flourished  about  1230  : 
**  Si  come  quel  che  porta  la  lumiera 
La  notte  quando  passa  per  la  via, 
Alluma  assai  piu  gente  della  spera, 
Che  s^  medesmo  che  1'  ha  in  balia." 
According  to  Dante,  Virgil  walking  in  the  darkness  of  ignor- 
ance, but  bearing  the  light  of  wisdom,  gave  to  Statius,  who  came 
after  him,  the  knowledge  of  the  true  faith. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  1 19 

a  light  behind  him,  and  profits  not  himself,  but  makes 
wise  {i.e.,  gives  knowledge  of  their  way  to)  the  persons 
behind  him,  when  thou  saidst :  "  The  ages  are  begin- 
ning anew  ;  Justice  is  returning,  and  man's  primeval 
time;  and  a  new  progeny  descends  from  heaven  ?"* 

Scartazzini,  drawing  his  information  chiefly  from 
Comparetti  {Virgilio  nel  medio  evo,  Livorno,  1871, 
vol.  I,  p.  128,  &c.)  says  that  this  prophecy  of  the 
Cumaean  Sibyll  is  applied  by  Virgil,  who  was  a 
courtier,  to  the  birth  of  the  son  of  Asinius  Pollio, 
but  that  Dante  sees  in  the  words  an  announce- 
ment of  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer.  Nor  was  Dante 
the  first  so  to  understand  it.  The  presentiment 
that  breathes  through  the  whole  Eclogue  of  a  speedy 
renewal  of  the  world,  in  an  age  of  happiness,  justice, 
love,  and  peace,  and  the  way  that  such  expectation 
is  linked  on  to  the  birth  of  an  infant,  were  things 
too  seductive  for  Christians  to  read,  and  not  to  con- 
nect them  with  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  the  renewal 
of  the  world  in  the  new  and  gentle  doctrines  which 
He  offered  to  it.  In  fact  the  Christian  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Fourth  Eclogue  is  seen  to  have  been 
exceedingly  in  vogue  among  the  Christian  writers  of 
the  Fourth  Century.  The  fullest  interpretation  of  it 
in  this  sense  is  to  be  found  in  an  allocution  delivered 
(according  to  Eusebius,  Vita  Const.  IV,  32),  by  the 
Emperor  Constantine  before  an  ecclesiastical  as- 
sembly.    The  Emperor,  examining  that  composition 

*  The  passage  referred  to  is  from  Ed.  IV,  5  : 

"  Magnus  ab  integro  saeculorum  nascitur  ordo 
Jam  redit  et  virgo,  redeunt  Satumia  regna  ; 
Jam  nova  progenies  cselo  demittitur  alto ; " 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  Dante  translates  it  almost  literally. 


120  Readings  on  the  Pur gatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

of  Virgil  in  its  various  parts,  sees  in  it  the  prediction 
of  the  Advent  of  Christ,  shown  forth  very  circum- 
stantially ;  the  virgin  that  returns  is  Mary ;  the  new 
progeny  sent  down  from  Heaven  is  Jesus  ;  the  serpent 
that  shall  be  no  more  is  the  ancient  tempter  of  our 
fathers ;  the  amomum  that  will  be  born  everywhere 
is  the  Christian  race,  cleansed  from  sin  ;  and  he  goes 
on  interpreting  after  this  wise  other  details  in  the 
Eclogue.  He  maintains  that  Virgil  wrote  with  the 
clear  intention  of  predicting  the  birth  of  Christ,  but 
that  he  expressed  himself  in  veiled  language,  mixing 
up  with  the  words  even  the  names  of  heathen  divini- 
ties, so  as  not  too  openly  to  shock  the  beliefs  of  that 
time,  and  not  to  draw  upon  himself  the  displeasure 
of  the  spiritual  authorities.  Lactantius  also,  who  lived 
in  the  same  century  as  Constantine,  interprets  this, 
Eclogue  in  the  Christian  sense,  referring  it  however 
not  to  the  first,  but  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
(Lactantius,  Div.  institut.  lib.  VH,  ch.  24.).  St.  Augus- 
tine, while  admitting  the  existence  among  the  heathen 
of  prophets  who  foretold  the  coming  of  Christ,  also 
cites  the  Fourth  Eclogue,  and  curiously  enough  takes 
up  verses  13  and  14,  which  he  refers  to  the  remission 
of  sins  through  the  merits  of  the  Saviour.  (August. 
Epist.  137  ad  Volus.  ch.  12.  Epist.  258,  ch.  5.  De  Civ, 
Dei,  lib.  X,  ch.  27).  In  vain  did  St.  Jerome  inveigh 
against  such  ideas,  ridiculing  those  who  could  believe 
that  Virgil  could  be  a  Christian  without  a  Christ. 
(Hieron.  Epist.  53,  ad  Paulin,  ch.  7).  Christian  theo- 
logians continued  to  interpret  the  famous  Eclogue  in 
their  own  way,  and  even  those  who  did  not  believe 
that  Virgil  had  himself  understood  his  own  words  in 
the  sense  which  they  attributed  to  them,  still  main- 


Canto  XXII.    Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  121 

tained,  that  though  personally  unconscious  of  the 
fact,  he  offered  a  testimony  and  an  argument  for  the 
true  faith.  The  pretended  irresistibility  of  that 
argument  also  gave  rise  to  ecclesiastical  legends  of 
conversions  due  to  the  verses  of  the  Fourth  Eclogue, 
as  that  of  Statins,  and  that  of  the  three  heathens 
Secundianus,  Marcellianus,  and  Verianus,  who  being 
suddenly  enlightened  by  Virgil's  lines,  from  being 
persecutors  of  Christians  became  martyrs  for  Christ. 
Pope  Innocent  III  quotes  the  lines  in  confirmation 
of  the  Christian  faith  in  a  Christmas  sermon  {Serm.  II, 
infest.  Nativ.  Doni.),  and  they  were  understood  in  the 
Christian  sense  during  the  middle  ages  and  afterwards. 
We  may  conclude  then  that  Dante  is  here  following 
the  exegesis  of  a  tradition  generally  accepted  in  his 
time,  that  made  Virgil  a  prophet  of  Christ. 

Benvenuto,  without  going  so  far  as  to  deny  that 
the  lines  refer  to  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  far  more 
inclined  to  think  that  they  allude  to  that  of  Augustus 
Caesar.     Statins  continues. 

Per  te  poeta  fui,  per  te  cristiano. 

Ma,  perch^  veggi  me'  cio  ch'  io  disegno, 

A  colorare*  stendero  la  mano.  75 

Through  thee  was  I  poet,  through  thee  a  Christian. 
But  that  thou  mayest  discern  what  I  outline,  I  will 
put  forth  my  hand,  to  fill  in  the  colours. 

That  is  to  say,  I  will  now  explain  in  detail  what  I 
merely  hinted  at  before.  This  Statins  proceeds 
to  do. 

*  Blanc  {Vocabulario  Dantesco)  says  that  colorare  is  here 
used  in  the  figurative  sense,  and  thus  signifies :  "  to  explain 
anything  in  detail." 


122  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

Gik  era  il  mondo  tutto  quanto  pregno 
Delia  vera  credenza,  seminata 
Per  li  messaggi  dell'  eterno  regno ; 
E  la  parola  tua  sopra  toccata 

Si  consonava  ai  nuovi  predicanti,  80 

Ond'  io  a  visitarli  presi  usata.* 
Already  was  the  whole  world  teeming  with  the 
true  faith,  sown  abroad  by  the  (Apostles)  messengers 
of  the  Eternal  Kingdom  ;  and  thy  words  which  I 
touched  upon  above,  harmonized  with  (the  teaching 
of)  the  new  preachers,  whereupon  I  took  the  custom 
of  visiting  them. 

He  then  relates  his  sympathy  for  the  Christians 
under  their  persecutions. 

Vennermi  poi  parendo  tanto  santi, 

Che,  quando  Domizian  li  perseguette, 
Senza  mio  lagrimar  non  fur  lor  pianti. 
Afterwards  they  got  to  appear  so  holy  to  me,  that, 
when  Domitian  persecuted  them,  their  lamentations 
were  not  unaccompanied  by  my  tears. 
But  he  did  more  than  merely  pity  them. 

E  mentre  che  di  Ik  per  me  si  stette,  85 

Io  gli  sovvenni,  e  lor  dritti  costumi 
Fer  dispregiare  a  me  tutte  altre  sette. 
And  while  I  remained  yonder  (in  the  world),  I  gave 
them  assistance,  and  their  upright  fashions  made  me 
despise  all  other  sects. 

And  then  he  shows  how  he  became  a  Christian. 
E  pria  ch'  io  conducessi  i  Greci  ai  fiumit 
Di  Tebe  poetando,  ebb'  io  battesmo  ; 

*  usata  for  usanza.  Scartazzini  says  that  the  past  participles 
were  anciently  used  as  nouns  ;  il  destinato  for  il  destino ;  la 
disposta  for  la  disposizione ;  il  cogitato  for  la  cogitazione. 

t  There  are  twelve  books  in  the  Thebaid.  In  the  ninth  book 
Statius  describes  how  the  Greeks,  under  Adrastus,  their  king. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgati 

Ma  per  paura  chiuso  cristian  fiimi,^ 
Lungamente  mostrando  paganesmo ; 
E  questa  tepidezza  il  quarto  cerchio 
Cerchiar  mi  fe'  piu  ch'  al  quarto  centesmo. 

And  before  that,  in  my  poem  on  Thebes,  I  had 
taken  the  Greeks  as  far  as  the  rivers  (Ismenus  and 
Asopus),  I  had  received  baptism  ;  but  from  fear  I  re- 
mained a  concealed  Christian,  for  a  long  while  pro- 
fessing Paganism  :  and  this  lukewarmness  made  me 
encircle  the  fourth  cornice  (where  spiritual  sloth  is 
punished)  for  more  than  four  centuries. 


Division  III.  In  the  Third  Division  Statins  asks 
Virgil  what  has  become  of  certain  of  the  Latin 
writers  whom  he  had  most  honoured.  Virgil  in  reply, 
gives  him  the  information,  and  also  tells  him  about 
many  other  Greek  and  Latin  writers, 
Statius  begins : 

Tu  dunque,  che  levato  hai  il  coperchio 

Che  m'  ascondeva  quanto  bene  io  dice  95 

Mentre  che  del  salire  avem  soverchio, 
Dimmi  dov'  h  Terenzio  nostro  antico,* 

came  to  the  assistance  of  Polynices,  and  how  they  reached  the 
Ismenus  and  Asopus,  rivers  of  the  Thebais.  Statius  then  is  made 
to  say  that  he  was  baptized  before  he  had  completed  his  poem, 
and  his  lukewarmness  would  be  shown  by  there  being  no  pro- 
fession of  his  faith,  or  praise  of  the  Christian  religion,  in  the 
three  last  books. 

*  The  readings  vary  between  "  Terenzio  nostro  antico  "  and 
''nostro  amico.'  I  prefer  the  reading  "antico,"  for  "nostro" 
distinctly  implies  friendship. 

See  Dr.  Moore's  Textual  Criticism,  pages  410-414,  on  this 
passage. 


124  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

Cecilio  *  Plauto  e  Varro,t  se  lo  sai, 
Dimmi  se  son  dannati,  ed  in  qual  vico." — 

Thou  then,  who  didst  Hft  for  me  the  veil  which  was 
tiiding  that  good  which  I  now  proclaim  {i.e.  the 
knowledge  of  the  Christian  faith),  while  in  our  ascent 
we  have  time  to  spare,  pray  tell  me,  where  is  our  old 

*  Statius  Caecilius  was  a  dramatic  author,  and  died  B.C. 
i68. 

t  Scartazzini  says  that,  in  the  history  of  Roman  literature, 
two  poets  of  this  name  are  recorded.  The  most  renowned  was 
Marcus  Terentius  Varro  Reatinus,  born  at  Reate,  B.C.  Ii6.  He 
filled  various  public  offices  with  great  credit.  During  the  civil 
wars  he  at  first  followed  Pompey,  but  promptly  abandoned  him 
to  go  to  Rome  with  Julius  Caesar,  who  intended  employing  him 
to  collect  the  public  library  which  he  wished  to  form  at  Rome. 
After  Cassar's  death  he  was  included  in  the  proscription  of  the 
Triumvirs,  but  concealed  himself  until  he  was  taken  under  the 
protection  of  Augustus.  He  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in 
studies  and  died  at  the  age  of  89,  B.C.  27.  He  was  the  friend  of 
Cicero,  who  {Brut.  XV,  60)  styled  him  Diligentissimus  inves- 
tigator antiquitatis.  Seneca  (Consol.  ad  Helv.  ch.  8)  calls  him 
"  the  most  learned  of  the  Romans,"  Quintilian  X,  I,  95,  "  Vir 
Romanorum  eruditissimus."  Lactantius  {Institu.  I,  ch.  6)  styles 
him  the  most  learned  man  among  the  Latins  and  Greeks.  Far 
less  distinguished  was  the  other  Varro,  Publius  Terentius  Varro 
Atacinus,  born  at  Atace  in  Gallia  Narbonensis,  B.C.  82.  There 
has  been  much  controversy  as  to  which  of  the  two  Dante  is 
speaking  here. 

Witte  was  the  first  to  suggest  that  the  reading  ought  to  be 
Vario^  and  that  the  person  spoken  of  is  Lucius  Varius,  a  dra- 
matic poet,  friend  of  both  Virgil  and  Horace.  But  Scartazzini 
concludes  a  long  and  very  close  argument  by  saying  that,  as 
both  Varros  were  poets,  either  can  well  be  mentioned  by  Dante 
with  the  others  he  names  in  this  passage.  And  when  one  re- 
members that  all  the  old  MSS.  and  all  the  old  editions  read 
Varro  or  Varo^  not  Vario^  and  that  M.  Terentius  Varro,  as 
being  much  the  more  renowned,  would  have  been  so  much  the 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  125 

friend  Terence.     Tell  me  where  are  Cecilius,  Plautus 
and  Varro,   if  thou    knowest  ;    tell    me    if  they  are 
damned,  and  in  what  circle  {lit.  street)." 
Virgil  answers  : 
—  "  Costoro,  e  Persio,  ed  io,  ed  altri  assai," —  100 

Rispose  il  duca  mio, — "siam  con  quel  Greco 
Che  le  Muse  lattir  piu  ch'  altro  mai, 
Nel  primo  cinghio  del  carcere  cieco.*  ,■ 

Spesse  fiate  ragioniam  del  monte, 
Che  sempre  ha  le  nutrici  nostre  seco.  105 

"  They,"  my  leader  replied,  "  and  Persius,  and  I, 
and  many  others,  are  with  that  Greek  (Homer),  whom 
the  Muses  suckled  more  than  they  ever  did  another 
in  the  first  zone  of  the  dark  prison  {i.  e.  Limbo,  the 
first  circle  of  Hell).  Often  do  we  converse  about 
that  mountain  (Parnassus),  which  always  has  on  it 
our  nurses  {i.e.  the  Muses). 

Benvenuto  says  that  Virgil,  having  named  Homer 
as  the  prince  of  Greek  poets,  under  whose  care  are 
all  poets,  now  proceeds  to  mention  certain  other 
Greek  poets. 

better  knowii  to  Dante  than  Varius,  one  must  come  to  the 
resolution  of  rejecting  the  ingenious  conjecture,  and  admit  with 
the  many  that  Dante  intended  to  speak  of  Varro,  though  it  is 
not  impossible  that  he  may  have  made  the  two  Varros  into  one 
person. 

*  carcere  cieco.     Compare  Inf.  X,   58-9,  where    Cavalcante 
Cavalcanti  uses  the  same  expression,  when  asking  Dante  for 
news  about  his  son  Guido,  Dante's  great  friend  : 
— "  Se  per  questo  cieco 
Carcere  vai  per  altezza  d'  ingegno, 
Mio  figlio  ov'  ^  ?    E  perch^  non  h  teco  ?  " — 
Compare  also  I  St.  Peter  III,   19  :  "by  which  also  he  went 
and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison." 


126  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII, 

Euripide  v'  e  nosco,  ed  Antifonte  * 

Simonide,t  Agatone,!  ed  altri  piiie 
Greci,  che  gik  di  lauro  ornar  la  fronte. 
Euripides  is  there  among  us,  and  Antiphon,  Simo- 
nides,  Agathon  and  many  other  Greeks,  who  in  days 
gone  by  {gia)  decked  their  brows  with  laurel. 

Benvenuto  says  of  ed  altri  piue  Greci,  that  Dante 
means  Greek  poets  not  less  famous,  such  as  Pindar 

*  Antiphon,  also  a  tragic  poet,  lived  first  at  Athens  and  after- 
wards at  Syracuse  at  the  court  of  the  tyrant  Dionysius,  who  had 
him  put  to  death  for  being  too  frank  in  his  speech  (see  Arist. 
Rhet.  11,76).  Aristotle  praises  him  as  a  poet,  and  Plutarch 
speaks  particularly  of  him  as  one  of  the  best  tragic  writers. 
The  reading  Antifone  is  adopted  by  all  the  best  codices,  and 
the  first  four  editions,  and  many  of  the  best  commentators,  in- 
cluding Benvenuto,  Buti,  Lana,  Pietro,  Dante,  Witte,  &c.  ;  but 
others  read  Anacreone,  the  lyric  poet.  Scartazzini  points  out 
the  improbability  of  Dante,  a  grave,  serious  poet,  making 
mention  of  one  who  was  all  softness  and  effeminacy,  and  placing 
him  among  the  greatest  representatives  of  the  drama,  and  the 
epic  and  lyric  poets.  Especially  does  this  argument  gain  force 
when  one  notices  that  Dante  neither  mentions  Catullus  nor 
Propertius,  nor  Tibullus,  nor  Ovid,  with  whose  names  he  would 
be  far  more  familiar  than  with  that  of  Anacreon.  Moreover,  it 
would  not  be  in  the  least  probable,  that  amanuenses  would 
change  the  well-known  name  of  Anacreon  into  the  much  less 
known  name  of  Antiphon,  but  an  amanuensis,  who  had  never 
heard  of  Antiphon,  might  quite  well  be  supposed  to  yield  to  the 
temptation  of  altering  the  word  into  Anacreon. 

t  Simonides  was  a  distinguished  Greek  lyric  poet,  born  B.C. 
559.  He  was  brought  to  Athens  by  Hipparchus.  He  beat 
yEschylus  in  a  competition  for  a  prize  offered  by  the  Athenians 
for  the  best  elegy  upon  the  warriors  who  fell  at  Marathon.  He 
also  wrote  celebrated  compositions  upon  Thermopylae,  Arte- 
misium,  Salamis  and  Platea.     He  died  at  Syracuse  B.C.  469. 

%  Agathon  was  a  Greek  tragic  poet,  a  disciple  of  Socrates, 
born  at  Athens,  B.C.  448,  and  died  about  401. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  127 

the  Theban,  Sophocles,  ^schylus,  Alcaeus,  all  tragic 
poets,  Aristophanes,  Philemon,  and  many  others,  from 
all  of  whom  Virgil  took  many  ideas. 

And  having  now  spoken  of  certain  Greek  poets,  he 
goes  on  to  mention  some  Greek  women  well  known  to 
Statius. 

Quivi  si  veggion,  delle  genti  tue 

Antigone,*  Deifile,  ed  Argia,  no 

Ed  Ismene  si  trista  come  fue. 
Vedesi  quella  che  mostro  Langia  ; 
Ewi  la  figlia  di  Tiresia  e  Teti, 
E  con  le  suore  sue  Deidamia. 

There  are  to  be  seen  of  thy  personages,  Antigone, 
Deiphile  and  Argia,  and  Ismene  still  sad  as  ever. 
There  is  seen  she  (Hypsipyle)  who  showed  (the  way 
to  the  river)  Langia  ;  there  is  (Daphne)  the  daughter 
of  Tiresias,  and  Thetis,  and  Deidamia  with  her  sisters, 

Scartazzini  points  out  what  a  difficulty  it  has  been 
to  many  commentators  the  apparent  contradiction  of 
Dante  making  Virgil  say  that  the  daughter  of  Tiresias 
is   quivi,   which  is   usually   understood   to    mean    in 

♦  Antigone  was  daughter  of  CEdipus  and  Jocasta,  and  sister 
of  Eteocles,  Polynices  and  Ismene. 

Ismene,  her  sister,  is  here  represented  as  still  mourning  for 
the  death  of  her  betrothed. 

Deipyle  wife  of  Tydeus,  and  daughter  of  Adrastus,  King  of 
the  Argives. 

Argia,  her  sister,  wife  of  Polynices. 

Hypsipyle,  who  conducted  Adrastus  to  the  river  Langia,  when 
his  soldiers  were  perishing  with  thirst  on  their  march  through 
Boeotia  to  Thebes. 

Thetis,  the  mother  of  Achilles. 

Deidamia,  beloved  by  Achilles,  one  of  the  daughters  of  Dei- 
damia, King  of  Scyros. 


128  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

the  primo  cinghio  of  Hell,  which  is  Limbo,  whereas 
the  only  daughter  of  Tiresias,  mentioned  by  Dante,  is 
Manto  (who  is  also  introduced  in  the  Thebaid),  and 
her  Dante  has  placed  in  Hell  among  the  soothsayers 
in  the  fourth  pit  of  the  Malebolge.     It  has  generally 
been  taken  for  granted  that  this  was  a  slip  made  by 
Dante,  and  that  he  had  taken  a  nap  {dormitat).     But 
Scartazzini  asks,  Is  it  so?  was  he  asleep  or  awake? 
He  suggests  a  way  of  interpretation  which  would  solve 
the  difficulty,  and  that  is  by  referring  quivi  (verse  109), 
vedesi  (112)  and  evvi  (113),  not  to  Limbo  {il  primo 
cinghio),  but   to    Hell    {carcere  deed).     According  to 
which  interpretation,  Virgil  would  say  that  all  the 
personages  named  by  him,  and  by  Statins  introduced 
into  the  Thebaid,  are  in  Hell,  leaving  it  uncertain  in 
what  circle  [in  qual  vico)  their  fate  is  laid,  and  the 
contradiction   disappears.     Scartazzini   adds  :  "  I  do 
not  say  that  one  must,  but  only  that  one  might  under- 
stand it  so." 


Division  IV.  Benvenuto  says  that  the  Fourth  and 
concluding  Division  of  this  noble  Canto  is  not  less 
curious  and  copious  than  the  other  three.  In  it  the 
poets  are  made  to  reach  the  sixth  cornice,  in  which 
gluttony  is  punished. 

Tacevansi  ambedue  gik  li  poeti,  I15 

Di  nuovo  attenti  a  riguardare  intomo, 
Liberi  dal  salire  e  da'  pareti  ; 

Both  the  poets  had  now  become  silent ;  being  free 
from  the  ascent  and  the  walls,  their  attention  was 
awakened  anew  to  look  around. 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  129 

Dante  means  that  they  had  emerged  from  the  stair- 
way on  to  the  sixth  cornice.  He  then,  according  to 
custom,  tells  us  what  time  it  was. 

E  gik  le  quattro  ancelle  eran  del  giomo 

Rimase  addietro,  e  la  quinta  era  al  temo, 
Drizzando  pure  in  su  I'  ardente  como  :*  120 

And  by  this  time  four  of  the  handmaidens  (hours) 
of  the  day  were  left  behind,  and  the  fifth  was  at  the 
pole  of  the  car  [Benvenuto  says,  at  the  tiller],  still 
directing  upwards  its  blazing  point 

Dante  now  describes  how,  by  the  advice  of  Virgil, 
and  the  assent  of  Statins,  they  turned  as  usual  to  the 
right  on  emerging  from  the  stairway. 

Quando  il  mio  duca  : — "  lo  credo  ch'  alio  estremo 
Le  destre  spalle  volger  ci  convegna, 
Girando  il  monte  come  far  solemo." — t 

*  r  ardente  corno.  Scartazzini  quotes  from  Antonelli  on  this 
passage:  "Arrived  at  the  summit  of  the  stairway  which  led 
into  the  sixth  cornice  we  are  informed  what  the  time  was,  which 
would  be  one  hour  before  noon.  Dante  had  already,  in  Canto 
XII,  made  us  understand  that  the  handmaidens  of  the  day 
were  the  hours,  and  allowing  the  hypothesis  to  be  correct  that 
the  sun  rose  at  6.30,  if  four  of  the  handmaidens  had  remained 
behind,  and  the  fifth  was  at  the  pole,  directing  her  blazing  point 
upwards  (that  is,  not  yet  having  reached  the  half  of  her  course) 
....  it  follows  that  four  and  a  half  hours  since  sunrise  were 
nearly  accomplished,  and  therefore  it  was  not  far  from  being 
eleven  o'clock." 

The  fifth  hour  is  called  ardente^  because  it  was  the  nearest  to 
midday. 

Compare  Purg.  XII,  79-81  : 

"  Vedi  colk  un  Angel  che  s'  appresta 

Per  venir  verso  noi  :  vedi  che  torna 
Dal  servigio  del  di  1'  ancella  sesta." 

t  Compare  Purg.  XIX,  81  : 

"  Le  vostre  destre  sien  sempre  di  furi." 

R  R 


130  Readitigs  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIL 

When  my  Leader :  "  I  think  we  shall  have  to 
turn  our  right  shoulders  to  the  outer  edge,  encircling 
the  mountain  as  we  are  wont  to  do." 

By  turning  their  right  shoulders  to  the  outer  edge 
of  the  mountain,  they  would  of  course  turn  to  the  right. 
In  the  present  cornice  they  do  so  without  asking  their 
way,  as  previously. 

Cosi  r  usanza  fu  li  nostra  insegna, 

E  prendemmo  la  via  con  men  sospetto  125 

Per  r  assentir  di  quell'  anima  degna. 

Thus  here  custom  was  our  guide,  and  we  took  the 
way  with  less  doubt,  from  having  the  assent  of  that 
noble  soul.* 

Dante  next  tells  us  in  what  order  they  walked. 
EUi  givan  dinanzi,  ed  io  soletto 

Diretro,  ed  ascoltava  i  lor  sermonit 
Ch'  a  poetar  mi  davano  intelletto. 

■  They  (Virgil  and  Statius)  walked  on  in  front,  and  I 
by  myself  after  them  ;  and  I  listened  to  their  dis- 
course, which  gave  me  inspiration  for  poesy. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante,  having  studied  Virgil 
and  Statius  constantly,  and  learned  a  great  deal  from 

In  Hell,  on  entering  a  circle,  they  had  always  turned  to  the 
left.     See  Inf.  X,  133  : 

"  Appresso  volse  a  man  sinistra  il  piede." 

*  Statius  having  been  liberated  from  further  penance  in  Pur- 
gatory, was  duly  qualified  to  ascend  to  Heaven,  and  might 
therefore  be  supposed  to  be  guided  by  divine  inspiration  in  his 
way  upwards. 

t  Compare  Ps.  CXIX,  130:  "The  entrance  of  thy  words 
giveth  light  ;  it  giveth  understanding  unto  the  simple,"  which, 
in  the  Vulgate,  is  :  "  Declaratio  sermonum  tuorum  illuminat : 
et  intellectum  dat  parvulis." 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  131 

both  of  them,  takes  this  opportunity  of  expressing  his 
gratitude. 

Dante  next  gives  a  detailed  description  of  the 
punishment  of  the  gluttonous  in  this  cornice. 

Ma  tosto  ruppe  le  dolci  ragioni  130 

Un  arbor  che  trovammo  in  mezza  strada, 
Con  pomi  ad  odorar  soavi  e  buoni. 

But  soon  was  the  pleasant  converse  interrupted  by 
(the  sight  of)  a  tree  that  we  found  midway  in  the 
path,  with  apples  sweet  and  grateful  to  the  smell. 

Benvenuto  admires  the  comparison  in  which  Dante 
describes  the  shape  of  the  tree. 

E  come  abete  in  alto  si  digrada 

Di  ramo  in  ramo,  cosi  quello  in  giuso, 

Cred'  io  perch^  persona  su  non  vada.  135 

And  like  as  a  fir  tree  tapers  upwards  from  branch 
to  branch,  so  did  this  tree  (taper)  downwards,  I  think 
in  order  that  no  one  might  climb  up  it.* 

Dante  having  described  the  forbidden  fruit,  next 
mentions  how  the  spirits  had  before  their  eyes  a 
refreshing  drink,  but  beyond  their  reach. 

*  Lubin  is  amused  at  the  idea  of  the  branches  being  too 
weak  to  support  the  weight  of  spirits. 

Benvenuto  explains  the  tree  in  a  natural  way,  namely,  that 
the  foliage  was  abundant  at  the  top,  but  that  the  branches 
diminished  in  the  lower  parts  so  as  to  offer  no  opportunity  of 
access.  But  many  of  the  old  commentators,  such  as  Lana, 
Landino,  Petr.  Dante,  Vellutello,  and  others,  actually  believed 
that  the  tree  was  upside  down  with  its  roots  in  the  air  !  and  the 
commentaries  of  Landino  and  Vellutello  each  contain  an  en- 
graving so  representing  it.  The  illustration  by  Dor^  in  the 
edition  of  Camerini  shows  an  ordinary  forest  tree,  of  which  the 
upper  branches  spread  out  widely,  but  are  fewer  as  the  tree 
tapers  downwards. 

R  R  2 


132  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII. 

Dal  lato,  onde  il  cammin  nostro  era  chiuso, 
Cadea  dell'  alta  roccia  un  liquor  chiaro, 
E  si  spandeva  per  le  foglie  suso. 

From  the  side,  on  which  our  path  was  closed,  a 
Hmpid  water  fell  from  the  high  cliff,  and  was  thence 
distributed  all  over  the  foliage. 

In  order  to  show  in  what  way  gluttony  is  to  be 
avoided,  Dante  then  tells  us  how  they  heard  a  voice 
proceeding  from  the  tree,  forbidding  them  to  eat  of 
the  fruit. 

Li  duo  poeti  all'  arbor  s'  appressaro  ; 

Ed  una  voce  per  entro  le  fronde  140 

Grido  : — "  Di  questo  cibo  avrete  caro." — * 
The  two  poets  drew  near  to  the  tree,  and  a  voice 
from  the  midst  of  the  leaves  cried  out :  "  Of  this  food 
you  will  have  scarcity." 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  superabundance  of  food 
which  these  spirits  had  formerly  enjoyed,  is  now  to  be 
atoned  for  by  starvation.  Gluttony  is  ever  solicitous 
to  revive  the  sated  appetite,  that  it  may  soften  the 
palate,  dilate  the  stomach,  and  make  the  body  the 
abode  of  diseases  and  the  receptacle  of  filth. 

The  voice  in  the  tree  continues,  commending  mode- 
ration as  the  contrast  to  gluttony  and  insobriety. 
Poi  disse  : — "  Piii  pensava  Maria,t  onde 
Fosser  le  nozze  orrevoli  ed  intere, 
Ch'  alia  sua  bocca,  ch'  or  per  voi  risponde. 
Then  it  said  :  "  Mary  thought  more  how  to  make 


*  Caro.     Blanc  ( Vocabulario  Dantescd)  says  the  word  is  used 
for  carestia. 

t  Compare  Purg.  XIII,  28-30  : 

"  La  prima  voce  che  passo  volando, 

Vinum  non  habent^  altamente  disse, 
E  dietro  a  noi  1'  ando  reiterando." 


Canto  XXII.     Readifigs  on  the  Pur  gator  io.  133 

the  marriage  festivities  honourable  and  complete,  than 
upon  her  own  mouth,  which  answers  now  for  you 
(that  is  to  say,  from  her  mouth  proceed  prayers  to 
God  on  your  behalf). 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  here,  for  fear  that  some 
might  object  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  being  full  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  her  example  would  not  apply  to  women 
with  ordinary  feelings  and  appetites,  an  instance  is 
given,  not  of  one,  but  of  many  abstemious  women  in 
heathen  times.  For  the  Roman  ladies,  as  Valerius 
\Factoruni  Dictorutnque  viemorabil.  lib.  II,  c.  i,  §  5] 
relates,  used  not  to  drink  wine,  lest  they  might  be  led 
into  any  breach  of  good  manners.  But  in  later  days, 
in  the  time  of  the  Emperors,  things  were  changed,  and 
Seneca  complains  that  women  now  do  not  drink  less 
than  men,  and  also  incite  men  to  drink  ;  and  that 
formerly  baldness  and  gout  were  not  prevalent  among 
the  Roman  ladies,  as  is  now  the  case.  And  therefore 
the  voice  from  the  tree  spoke  these  words  in  addition. 
E  le  Romane  antiche,*  per  lor  here  I45 

Contente  furon  d'  acqua  ;  e  Daniellot 
Dispregio  cibo,  ed  acquisto  savere. 

*  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ.  Theol.  p.  II,  2*  qu. 
CXLIX,  art.  4)  :  "  Sobrietas  maxime  requiritur  in  juvenibus  et 
mulieribus,  quia  in  juvenibus  viget  concupiscentia  delectabilis 
propter  fervorem  astatis  ;  in  mulieribus  autem  non  est  sufficiens 
robur  mentis  ad  hoc  quod  concupiscentiis  resistant.  Unde 
secundum  Valerium  Maximum  mulieres  apud  Romanes  anti- 
quitus  non  bibebant  vinum." 

t  See  Daniel  1,8:  "  But  Daniel  purposed  in  his  heart  that 
he  would  not  defile  himself  with  the  portion  of  the  King's  meat, 
nor  with  the  wine  which  he  drank  :  therefore  he  requested  of 
the  prince  of  the  eunuchs  that  he  might  not  defile  himself."  .  .  . 
V.  II.    "Then  said  Daniel  to  Melzar,  whom  the  prince  of  the 


134  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXII 

And  the  Roman  women  of  old  time  for  their  drink 
were  satisfied  with  water  ;  and  Daniel  despised  food, 
and  acquired  wisdom. 

Benvenuto  says  :  "  Would  that  the  Florentine  ladies 
nowadays  were  satisfied  with  one  kind  of  wine ! " 
Daniel  was  an  example  of  rigorous  abstinence  in  the 
midst  of  the  luxuries  of  the  Chaldees. 

The  voice  then  alludes  to  the  Golden  Age  which 
the  ancients  believed  to  have  been  while  Saturn 
reigned  over  Crete  ;  when  men  lived  soberly,  with- 
out war,  and  without  any  artificially  prepared 
food. 

Lo  secol  primo,  quant'  oro  fu  bello  ;* 
Fe'  savorose  con  fame  le  ghiande, 
E  ndttare  con  sete  ogni  ruscello.  150 

eunuchs  had  set  over  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah, 
Prove  thy  servants,  I  beseech  thee,  ten  days  ;  and  let  them  give 
us  pulse  to  eat,  and  water  to  drink."  ...  v.  17.  "As  for  these 
four  children,  God  gave  them  knowledge  and  skill  in  all  learning 
and  wisdom  :  and  Daniel  had  understanding  in  all  visions  and 
dreams."  ...  v.  20.  "  And  in  all  matters  of  wisdom  and  under- 
standing, that  the  King  enquired  of  them,  he  found  them  ten 
times  better  than  all  the  magicians  and  astrologers  that  were  in 
all  his  realm." 

*  Compare /"ar^.  XXVIII,  139-144  : 
"  Quelli  che  anticamente  poetaro 

L'  etk  deir  oro  e  suo  stato  felice, 
Forse  in  Parnaso  esto  loco  sognaro. 
Qui  fu  innocente  1'  umana  radice  ; 

Qui  primavera  sempre,  e  ogni  frutto  ; 
Nettare  e  questo  di  che  ciascun  dice." 
And  Ovid,  Met.  I,  89-91  : 

"  The  golden  age  was  first ;  when  man  yet  new. 
No  rule  but  uncorrupted  reason  knew, 
And  with  a  native  bent,  did  good  pursue." 


Canto  XXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  79 

being  allowed  to  gain  all  the  information  he  sought,  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  earthquake,  and  the  outburst  of 
song  from  the  whole  of  the  spirits  in  Purgatory.  He 
begins  by  showing  that  his  thirst  for  knowledge  was 
only  capable  of  being  quenched  by  that  water  of  Life, 
of  which  our  Lord  told  the  Samaritan  woman  by 
Jacob's  Well* 

La  sete  natural!  che  mai  non  sazia, 

Se  non  con  1'  acqua  onde  la  femminetta 
Sammaritana  dimando  la  grazia, 
Mi  travagliava,:}:  e  pungeami  la  fretta 

Per  la  impacciata  via  dietro  al  mio  duca,  5 

E  condoleami  alia  giusta  vendetta. 
The  natural  thirst  (for  knowledge),  which  never  is 

*  St.  John  IV,  14,  15  :  "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that 
I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst.  ;  .  .  .  The  woman  saith  unto 
him,  Sir,  give  me  this  water,  that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  hither 
to  draw." 

Compare  Par.  XXX,  73  : 

"  Ma  di  quest'  acqua  convien  che  tu  bei, 
Prima  che  tanta  sete  in  te  si  sazii." 

t  La  sete  natural.  Compare  Convito  I,  i  :  "Siccome  dice  il 
Filosofo,  nel  principio  della  prima  filosofi  :  tutti  gli  uomini 
naturalmente  desiderano  di  sapere.  La  ragione  di  che  puote 
essere,  che  ciascuna  cosa,  da  provvidenza  di  propria  natura 
impinta,  h  inclinabile  alia  sua  perfezione ;  onde,  acciocch^  la 
scienza  h  1'  ultima  perfezione  della  nostra  anima,  nella  quale  sta 
la  nostra  ultima  felicitk,  tutti  naturalmente  al  suo  desiderio 
siamo  suggetti." 

X  Mi  travagliava.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ. 
Theol.  p.  I,  2"  qu.  Ill,  art.  8  :  "  Homo  non  est  perfecte  beatus 
quamdiu  restat  ei  aliquid  desiderandum  et  quaerendum.  ...  In 
tantum  procedit  perfectio  intellectus,  in  quantum  cognoscit 
essentiam  alicujus  rei.  Si  ergo  intellectus  aliquis  cognoscat 
essentiam  alicujus  effectus,  per  quam  non  possit  cognosci 
essentia  causae,  ut  scilicet  sciatur  de  causa  quid  est,  non 
dicitur  intellectus   attingere  ad  causam   simpliciter:    quamvis 


8o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXI. 

satisfied,  except  with  that  water  for  which  the  Samari- 
tan woman  requested  the  grace,  was  working  upon 
me,  and  the  speed  at  which  I  had  to  walk  behind 
my  leader  over  the  pathway  encumbered  (with  the 
reclining  forms  of  the  avaricious),  was  sorely  trying 
me  ;  and  I  wept  for  pity  for  (those  who  were  experi- 
encing) the  just  vengeance  (of  God). 

Benvenuto  observes  that  in  truth  the  penalty  of 
these  shades  was  a  very  bitter  one,  deprived  as  they 
were  of  the  greatest  benefits  ;  of  light,  for  they  could 
only  see  the  earth,  and  of  freedom  in  all  their  limbs. 
And  Dante  had  three  causes  of  trouble,  first,  his  eager 
desire  for  knowledge ;  secondly,  the  pace  at  which 
they  were  walking ;  and,  thirdly,  compassion  for  the 
sufferers. 

Dante  now  describes  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Statius.  Benvenuto  says  :  "  Many  wonder  that  the 
intensely   Christian    {christianissimus)  Dante    should 

per  effectum  cognoscere  possit  de  causa  an  sit.  Et  ideo 
remanet  naturaliter  homini  desiderium,  cum  cognoscit  effectum, 
et  scit  cum  habere  causam,  ut  etiam  sciat  de  causa  quid  est : 
et  illud  desiderium  est  admirationis,  et  causat  inquisitionem, 
puta  si  aliquis  cognoscens  eclipsim  solis  considerat  quod  ex 
aliqua  causa  procedit,  de  qua,  quia  nescit  quid  sit,  admiratur, 
et  admirando  inquirit  ;  ex  ista  inquisitio  quiescit,  quousque 
perveniat  ad  cognoscendum  essentiam  causae.  Siigiturintellectus 
humanus  cognoscens  essentiam  alicujus  effectus  creati  non 
cognoscat  de  Deo  nisi  an  est,  nondum  perfectio  ejus  attingit 
simpliciter  ad  causam  primam,  sed  remanet  ei  adhuc  naturale 
desiderium  inquirendi  causam ;  unde  nondum  est  perfecte  beatus. 
Ad  perfectam  igitur  beatitudinem  requiritur  quod  intellectus 
pertingat  ad  ipsam  essentiam  primse  causae.  Et  sic  perfectionem 
^uam  habebit  per  unionem  ad  Deum  sicut  ad  objectum,  in  quo 
s^o  beatitudo  hominis  consistit." 


^ 


Canto  XXII.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.  135 

Mele  e  locuste  furon  le  vivande, 

Che  nudriro  il  Batista*  nel  diserto  ; 
Perch'  egli  h  glorioso,  e  tanto  grande 

Quanto  per  1'  Evangelic  v"  h  aperto." —  154 

The  primal  age  was  beautiful  as  gold  ;  it  seasoned 
its  acorns  with  hunger,  and  made  every  stream  into 
nectar  with  thirst.  Honey  and  locusts  were  the 
nourishment  that  fed  the  Baptist  in  the  wilderness ; 
and  that  is  why  he  is  so  glorious  and  great,  as  is  by 
the  Gospel  revealed  unto  you. 

And  V.  101-106 : 

"  The  teeming  earth  yet  guihiess  of  the  plough, 
And  unprovoked,  did  fruitful  stores  allow  : 
Content  with  food  which  nature  freely  bred. 
On  wildings  and  on  strawberries  they  fed  ; 
Cornels  and  bramble-berries  gave  the  rest, 
And  falling  acorns  furnished  forth  a  feast." 
And  Booethius,  Consol.  P kilos.  II,  Metr.  V  : 
"  Felix  nimium  prior  aetas, 
Contenta  fidelibus  arvis, 
Nee  inert!  perdita  luxu  ; 
Facili  quae  sera  solebat 
Jejunia  solvere  glande  : 
Nee  Bacchica  munera  norat 
Liquido  fundere  melle, 
Nee  lucida  vellera  serum 
Tyrio  miscere  veneno." 
+  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  Baptist  is  the  patron 
saint  of  Florence. 

Compare  Inf.  XIII,  143  : 

"  lo  fui  della  cittk  che  nel  Batista 
Muto  il  primo  patrone." 

End  of  Canto  XX IL 


136  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 


CANTO   XXIII. 


The  Sixth  Cornice  {continued.) 
Purgation  of  Gluttony, 
forese  donati. 
The  Women  of  Florence. 

Dante  having,  at  the  latter  end  of  the  previous 
Canto,  described  the  penance  and  purgation  of  the 
gluttonous  in  general,  in  the  present  one  treats  the 
same  subject  more  in  particular. 

Benvenuto  says  that  this  Canto  can  be  divided  into 
four  parts,  at  the  least. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  36,  Dante 
gives  an  account  of  the  spirits  that  are  being  purged 
for  gluttony. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  37  to  v.  75,  he 
introduces  the  spirit  of  Forese  Donati,  well  known  in 
life  as  gluttonous,  and  from  him  he  gets  an  explana- 
tion of  the  punishment  inflicted  in  this  Cornice,  which, 
in  the  last  Canto,  was  left  somewhat  obscure. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  76  to  v.  iii,  Dante 
asks  Forese  a  certain  question. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  112  to  v.  133, 
Dante  informs  Forese  who  he  is,  and  who  are  his 
guides. 

Division  I.  Before  beginning  his  description  of 
the  chastisement  of  gluttony,  Dante  first  tells  us  that 
he  is  mildly  reproved  by  Virgil  for  having  been  led, 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  137 

from  curiosity,  to  peer  through  the  branches  of  the 
tree,  in  hopes  of  seeing  from  whom  proceeded  the 
mysterious  voice. 

Mentre  che  gli  occhi  per  la  fronda  verde 
Ficcava  io  cosi,  come  far  suole 
Chi  dietro  all'  uccellin  sua  vita  perde, 
Lo  piu  che  padre  mi  dicea  : — "  Figliuole  * 

Vienne  oramai  ;  ch^  il  tempo  che  c'  h  imposto     5 
Piu  utilmente  compartir  si  vuole." — 

While  I  was  rivetting  my  eyes  among  the  green 
leaves,  as  one  is  wont  to  do  who  wastes  his  time  in 
looking  after  a  little  bird,  he  who  was  more  than  a 
father  (Virgil)  said  to  me :  "  My  son,  come  on  now, 
for  the  time  that  is  allotted  to  us  must  be  more  use- 
fully apportioned.""!* 

Scartazzini  observes  that  the  word  perde  denotes 
censure,  and  shows  the  severe  character  of  Dante's 
mind,  to   which  bird-catching  was  a  waste  of  time, 
Buti  says  that  the   life  of  a   bird-catcher  is  of  no 
purpose   except   for   gluttony,   and   therefore   Dante 
deservedly  censures  it.     On  hearing  this  admonition 
Dante  leaves  the  tree,  and  joins  Virgil  and  Statius. 
Io  volsi  il  viso  e  il  passo  non  men  tosto 
Appresso  ai  savi,  che  parlavan  sie, 
Che  1'  andar  mi  facean  di  nuUo  costo.  J 

*  Figliuole  is  the  Italianized  form  oifiliole,  the  vocative  case 
oijiliolus.     The  literal  sense  here  would  be  :  "  O  my  little  son." 
We  also  find  scolare  for  scolaro  ;  pensiere  ior  pensiero^  &c 
t  Compare  Shakespeare  {As  You  Like  It,  act  II,  sc.  7)  : 
"  Under  the  shade  of  melancholy  boughs 
Lose  and  neglect  the  creeping  hours  of  time." 
t  Lombardi  quotes  from  the  fragments  of  Publius  Sirus  {De 
amicitia  et  Concordia) :  "  Comes  fecundus  in  via  pro  vehiculo 
est." 


138  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

I  turned  my  eyes  and  my  steps  not  less  quickly 
towards  the  Sages,  who  discoursed  so  well  that  they 
made  my  progress  to  be  without  fatigue. 

As  Dante  approached  this  cornice  he  heard  voices. 

Ed  ecco  piangere  e  cantar  s'  udie  :  10 

Labia  mea,  Domine,*  per  modo  t 
Tal  che  diletto  e  doglia  parturie. 

And  lo  !  a  lament  and  a  chant  were  heard  :  ''Labia 
mea,  Domine,"  sung  in  such  a  fashion  as  gave  birth 
both  to  joy  and  sorrow. 

Delight  at  hearing  such  devotion,  and  grief  out  of 
compassion  for  those  spirits  suffering  from  hunger 
and  thirst.  The  mouths  that  in  life  had  ever  been 
agape  to  eat  and  drink  to  excess,  were  only  opened 
now  to  sing  the  praises  of  God,  and  penitential 
litanies  for  forgiveness. 

Dante,  according  to  his  wont,  asks  Virgil  for  infor- 
mation. 

— "  O  dolce  padre,  che  h  quel  ch'  i'  odo  ?  " — 

Comincia'  io.     Ed  egli : — "  Ombre  che  vanno, 
Forse  di  lor  dover  solvendo  il  nodo." — %  15 

*  Psalm  LI,  15,  "  O  Lord,  open  thou  my  lips  ;  and  my  mouth 
shall  shew  forth  thy  praise."  This  Psalm  forms  part  of  the 
service  of  Lauds  for  Tuesday,  the  day  the  present  scene  was 
supposed  to  be  taking  place. 

t  Compare  Purg.  VIII,  13-15  : 

"  Te  lucis  ante  si  devotamente 

Le  usci  di  bocca,  e  con  si  dolci  note, 
Che  fece  me  a  me  uscir  di  mente." 

X  solvendo  il  nodo.     Compare  Purg.  XVI,  22-24  : 
— "  Quei  son  spirti,  maestro,  ch'  i'  odo  ?  " — 

Diss'  io.    Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  Tu  vero  apprendi ; 
E  d'  iracondia  van  solvendo  il  nodo." — 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Pur  gator  io.  139 

"  O  gentle  Father,"  I  began :  "  What  is  that  which  I 
hear  ?  "  And  he  :  "  These  are  shades  that  go,  per- 
chance to  unloose  the  knot  of  their  debt."  That  is  to 
say,  to  perform  the  due  expiation  of  their  sins,  tor- 
mented by  the  pangs  of  hunger  and  thirst. 

Dante  now  relates  how  the  spirits  passed  them. 
Si  come  i  peregrin  pensosi  fanno, 

Giugnendo  per  cammin  gente  non  nota, 
Che  si  volgono  ad  essa  e  non  ristanno ; 
Cos!  diretro  a  noi,  piu  tosto  mota, 

Venendo  e  trapassando,  ci  ammirava  20 

D'  anime  turba  tacita*  e  devota. 

As  pilgrims,  who,  rapt  in  thought,  overtake  on  their 
way  people  unknown,  do  turn  round  to  them  but 
stay  not ;  even  so  a  crowd  of  spirits,  silent  and 
devout,  came  behind  us  at  a  more  rapid  pace  (than 
we),  and  passing  by,  gazed  upon  us  with  attention. 

Benvenuto  points  out  that  the  actions  and  de- 
meanour of  the  shades  of  the  gluttonous  exactly 
correspond  with  those  of  the  pilgrims  in  his  time, 
who,  if  they  passed  other  pilgrims  whom  they  did 
not  know,  would  just  glance  back  at  them,  but 
would  not  interrupt  their  meditations  by  addressing 
them. 

Dante  now  describes  the  peculiar  appearance  of 
the  spirits. 

*  Tacita,  It  has  been  observed  by  Vellutello,  but  by  no 
commentator  before  him,  that  this  word  implies  a  contradiction 
of  V.  10,  in  which  it  says  that  the  spirits  were  lamenting  and 
singing.  But  Lombardi  justly  points  out  that  Dante  never  said 
that  they  wept  and  sang  unceasingly,  but  only  when  in  their 
circuit  they  approached  the  mysterious  trees.  But  the  Poets  had 
already  passed  the  first  tree,  but  not  so  far  but  what  they  could 
hear  the  utterances  of  the  spirits  near  it. 


I40  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

Negli  occhi  era  ciascuna  oscura  e  cava, 
Pallida  nella  faccia,  e  tanto  scema, 
Che  dair  ossa  la  pelle  s'  informava. 
Each  in  the  eyes  was  dark  and  cavernous,  pallid  in 
the  face,  and  so  emaciated,  that  the  skin  took   its 
outline  from  the  bones. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante,  by  a  very  appropriate 
comparison,  relates  their  extreme  emaciation. 

Non  credo  che  cosi  a  buccia  estrema  25 

Eresitone*  fosse  fatto  secco, 
Per  digiunar,  quando  piu  n'  ebbe  tema. 
I  do  not  believe  that  Erysichthon,  from  starvation, 

*  Erysichthon   (^Y.pvaiKQ<i>v)  was  supposed   to  be   the   son  of 
Triopas,   King  of  Thessaly.     Out  of  derision  of  Ceres,  he  cut 
down  an  oak  in  a  forest  sacred  to  the  goddess.     She  punished 
him  by  perpetual  hunger,  and  he  at  last  gnawed  his  own  flesh. 
"  Straight  he  requires,  impatient  in  demand. 

Provisions  from  the  air,  the  seas,  the  land  ; 

But  though  the  land,  air,  seas,  provisions  grant, 

Starves  at  full  tables,  and  complains  of  want. 

What  to  a  people  might  in  dole  be  paid. 

Or  victual  cities  for  a  long  blockade, 

Could  not  one  wolfish  appetite  assuage  ; 

For  glutting  nourishment  increased  its  rage. 

As  rivers  poured  from  every  distant  shore 

The  sea  insatiate  drinks,  and  thirsts  for  more  ; 

Or  as  the  fire,  which  all  materials  burns. 

And  wasted  forests  into  ashes  turns. 

Grows  more  voracious  as  the  more  it  preys, 

Recruits  dilate  the  flame,  and  spread  the  blaze  : 

So  impious  Erysichthon's  hunger  raves. 

Receives  refreshments,  and  refreshment  craves. 

Food  raises  a  desire  for  food,  and  meat 

Is  but  a  new  provocative  to  eat. 

He  grows  more  empty  as  the  more  supplied, 

And  endless  cramming  but  extends  the  void." 

—Ovid,  Met.  VIII.    Vernon's  Translation. 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  141 

could  have  been  withered  up  to  such  an  extremity  of 
mere  skin,  at  the  time  that  he  had  the  most  fear  of  it 
(starvation). 

Dante  having  cited  an  instance  of  the  hunger  of 
one  person  goes  on  to  relate  that  of  many,  and  takes 
as  his  example  the  famine  at  Jerusalem  when  be- 
sieged by  Titus. 

lo  dicea  fra  me  stesso  pensando  : — "  Ecco 
La  gente  che  perd^  Jerusalemme, 
Quando  Maria*  nel  figlio  die'  di  becco." —  30 

Thinking  within  myself,  I  said  :  "  Behold  the  people 
who  lost  Jerusalem,  when  Mary  thrust  her  beak  into 
her  own  son." 

Parean  1'  occhiaje  anellat  senza  gemme. 
Chi  nel  viso  degli  uomini  legge  omo^ 
Ben  avria  quivi  conosciuto  1'  emme. 

The  orbits  appeared  like  gemless  rings  ;  whoever 
in  the  faces  of  men  can  read  0,  m,  0,  could  here  with- 
out difficulty  have  distinguished  the  m  (for  the  nose 
and  cheekbones  were  conspicuously  prominent). 

It  was  a  popular  belief  in  olden  times  that  the 

*  Josephus  {De  Bello  Jud.  lib.  VI,  cap.  3),  in  his  account  of 
the  horrors  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  relates  how  a  noble  lady, 
Mary,  the  daughter  of  Eleazar,  maddened  with  hunger,  killed 
her  owTi  little  son  and  cooked  and  ate  half  of  his  body.  Some 
robbers,  attracted  by  the  smell  of  cooked  flesh,  burst  into  the 
house  and  demanded  the  remainder  of  the  meat,  but  on  seeing 
the  limbs  of  the  child,  and  hearing  the  mother  confess  herself 
as  his  murderess,  they  fled  in  horror. 

t  Compare  Shakespeare  {King  Lear,  act  V,  sc.  3) : 
"  And  in  this  habit 
Met  I  my  father  with  his  bleeding  rings, 
Their  precious  stones  new  lost." 


142  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

letters  °M°  could  be  traced  in  the  human  face*  The 
ds  are  the  two  eyes ;  the  m  is  formed  by  the  nose 
and  eyebrows  ;  and  omo  is  spelt. 


'    And  Dante  adds,  we  are  told  by  Benvenuto,  that 
he  could  not  understand  from  what  cause  this  extra- 
ordinary emaciation  proceeded,  for  he  could  not  have 
imagined  that  it  was  caused  by  the  tree. 
Chi  crederebbe  che  1'  odor  d'  un  pomo 

Si  governasse,  generando  brama,  35 

E  quel  d'  un  acqua  :  non  sappiendo  como  ?t 

Who  could  believe  that  the  smell  of  an  apple,  and 
the  (trickling)  of  a  spring,  could  have  such  influence, 
begetting  craving,  if  they  did  not  know  why  ? 


Division  II.  In  this  Division  Dante  introduces 
the  spirit  of  Forese  de'  Donati,  brother  of  his  wife 
Gemma,  and  his  intimate  friend,  though  certain 
vituperative  sonnets  addressed  to  Dante,  and  attri- 
buted to  Forese,  if  authentic,  would  show  that  their 
friendship  was  not  uninterrupted.  The  brother  of 
Forese,  Corso  de'  Donati,  the  celebrated  Guelph 
leader,  was  Dante's  bitter  foe.     He  was  the  head  of 

*  Brother  Bertholdt,  a  Franciscan  monk  of  Ratisbon  in  1275, 
alludes  to  this  fancy  in  one  of  his  sermons. 

+  Como,  derived  from  the  Latin  quomodo,  like  mo,  from  modo. 
Nannucci  {Anal.  Crit.  page  80,  note  3)  says  it  was  of  very 
frequent  use  among  old  Italian  writers. 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  143 

the  Neri,  by  whom  Dante  was  driven  into  banishment. 
According  to  Francesco  da  Buti,  Forese  had  an  un- 
enviable reputation  for  gluttony. 

Dante  now  tells  us  how  Forese  recognised  him. 
Gia  era*  in  ammirar  che  si  gli  affama, 
Per  la  cagione  ancor  non  manifesta 
Di  lor  magrezza  e  di  lor  trista  squama  ;t 

I  was  still  full  of  wonder  at  what  so  ahungered 
them,  by  reason  of  there  being  no  evident  cause  for 
their  emaciation  and  their  miserable  desquamation. 

Ed  ecco  del  profondo  della  testa+  40 

Volse  a  me  gli  occhi  un'  ombra,  e  guardo  fiso, 
Poi  grido  forte  : — "  Qual  grazia  m'  h.  questa  ?  " — 

And  lo !  a  shade  turned  towards  me  his  eyes  (so 
sunk  in  their  sockets  that  they  seemed  to  come)  from 
the  innermost  recesses  of  his  head,  and  looked  at  me 
attentively  ;  after  which  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  : 

"  What  grace  to  me  is  this  ?  " 

*  In  Purg.  XXV,  20-21,  we  find  Dante  asking  Virgfil  to  solve 
this  doubt  for  him,  which  Virgil  does.     He  asks  : 
"  Come  si  puo  far  magro 
Lk  dove  1'  uopo  di  nutrir  non  tocca?" 
He  could  not  understand  how  impalpable  spirits,  who  have 
no  need  of  food,  could  grow  thin  from  the  lack  of  it.     Virgil's 
answer  is  the  leading  feature  in  Canto   XXV,  showing  how 
bodily  feelings  are  given  to  souls  in  Hell  and  Purgatory  in  order 
that  they  may  undergo  their  punishment. 

t  Blanc  ( Vocabulario  Dantesco)  says  that  squama  only  occurs 
in  this  passage,  and  means  dried-up  skin  {;pelle  inaridita). 

X  In  verse  22  we  read  that — 

"  Negli  occhi  era  ciascuna  oscura  e  cava," 
and  now  when  he  speaks  of  one  of  the  shades  moving  his  eyes 
from  the  innermost  cavities  of  his  head,  he  paints  with  terrible 
emphasis  the  hollowness  of  the  eyes. 


144  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

Dante  had  some  difficulty  in  identifying  his  former 
friend,  for  he  adds  : 

Mai  non  1'  avrei  riconosciuto  al  viso  ; 
Ma  nella  voce  sua  mi  fu  palese 
Cio  che  r  aspetto  in  s^  avea  conquiso.  45 

Never  should  I  have  recognised  him  by  his  face  ; 
but  that,  which  his  aspect  had  suppressed  within  it, 
was  made  manifest  to  me  by  his  voice. 

Benvenuto,  pointing  out  that  Dante  never  would 
have  known  by  the  face  that  he  was  looking  at 
Forese,  observes  that  a  prolonged  indulgence  in 
gluttony  so  changes  a  man's  appearance,  that  Dom- 
itian,  who  had  been  a  beautiful  youth,  grew  ugly, 
bald,  and  fat,  and  in  a  letter  told  a  friend  that  nothing 
was  more  short  lived  than  beauty. 

Dante  had  only  recognised  Forese's  voice,  and 
therefore  adds  : 

Questa  favilla*  tutta  mi  raccese 

Mia  conoscenza  alia  cambiata  labbia, 
E  ravvisai  la  faccia  di  Forese. 

This  spark  rekindled  my  recognition  of  his  changed 
face  {lit.  lip)  and  I  recalled  the  features  of  Forese. 

Forese  begs  Dante  not  to  heed  the  wreck  of  his 
face,  but  to  tell  him  who  he  is,  and  who  are  his  com- 
panions. 

— "  Deh  non  contenderef  all'  asciutta  scabbia, 

Che  mi  scolora  (pregava)  la  pelle,  50 

N^  a  difetto  di  carne  ch'  io  abbia  ; 


*  Others  read  favella^  the  voice,  but  Dante  has  just  said 
voce  in  verse  44  ;  and  favilla  means  that  the  voice  acted  like  a 
spark. 

t  Scartazzini  has  an  elaborate  note  on  non  contendere,  the 
meaning  of  which  he  says  the  commentators  find  obscure  in  this 
passage.  Some,  including  Benvenuto,  read  attendere,  and  others 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  145 

Ma  dimmi  il  ver  di  te,  e  chi  son  quelle 
Due  anime  che  Ik  ti  fanno  scorta  : 
Non  rimaner  che  tu  non  mi  favelle." — 

"  Ah  do  not  refuse  (to  recognise  me),"  was  his 
prayer,  "  because  of  my  face  dried  up  as  with  leprosy, 
which  makes  my  skin  so  pallid,  nor  at  the  want  of 
flesh  that  I  have,  but  tell  me  the  truth  about  thyself, 
and  who  are  those  two  souls  yonder  who  are  guiding 
thee :  do  not  remain  longer  without  speaking  to  me." 

As  we  shall  see  by  Dante's  reply,  he  had  been  look- 
ing fixedly  at  Forese's  altered  countenance,  hardly 
being  able  to  recognise  the  once  familiar  features. 

— "  La  faccia  tua,  ch'  io  lagrimai  gik  morta,  55 

Mi  dk  di  pianger  mo  non  minor  doglia,* 

tntendere,  but  these  readings  he  considers  to  be  transcribers' 
corrections.  Some  again  explain  contendere  in  the  sense  of 
attendere.  "  Do  not  give  heed  to,  &c."  But  the  passage  is 
quite  clear  to  him.  Contendere  simply  means,  to  deny,  to  forbid. 
Forese  was  entreating  that  Dante  should  not  refuse,  or  be  too 
disgusted  to  satisfy  his  demands,  on  account  of  any  disdain  that 
his  deformed  features  might  have  generated.  He  says  :  Do  not 
deny  me  the  truth  on  account  of  my  discoloured  skin.  Do  not 
refuse  to  my  appearance  the  fulfilment  of  my  prayer.     Witte 

translates  :  "  Versage  nicht  dent  diirren  Aussatz Deine 

Antwort." 

Scartazzini  thinks  there  are  only  two  interpretations  ;  either 
to  explain  contendere  as  attendere  in  the  sense  of  giving  heed,  or 
in  the  sense  of  denying,  refusing. 

*  I  have  followed  a  different  reading  from  that  in  Scartazzini's 
text,  for  although,  as  he  says,  he  gives  the  common  reading 
non  minor  doglia  in  his  text,  yet  he  would  naturally  from  the 
authority  of  the  codices  have  preferred  minor  la  doglia,  in 
favour  of  which  he  argues  at  length.  The  celebrated  Vatican 
MS.,  and  others,  give  the  latter  reading,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
Chigi  codices,  and  the  ancient  commentator  Jacopo  della  Lana 
certainly  did  so,  for  he  interprets  :  "  I  wept  for  thee  in  the  first 

S  S 


146  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII, 

(Risposi  lui),  veggendola  si  torta.* 
Pero  mi  di',  per  Dio,  che  si  vi  sfoglia  ; 

Non  mi  far  dir  mentr'  io  mi  maraviglio, 

Ch^  mal  puo  dir  chi  h  pien  d'  altra  voglia." —     60 

"  Thy  face,"  I  answered  him,  "  makes  me  now  weep 
less  bitterly,  than  when  I  bewailed  it  dead,  though 
seeing  it  as  I  do  so  changed.  Tell  me  then,  for 
God's  sake,  what  so  denudes  you ;  make  me  not 
speak  while  I  am  marvelling,  for  ill  can  he  speak 
who  is  full  of  other  longing." 

Benvenuto  remarks  it  is  as  though  he  would  say  :  I 
am  full  of  the  desire  to  make  thee  speak  thyself  to 
gratify  my  curiosity,  but  am  really  not  capable  of 
answering  thy  questions  rationally  at  this  moment. 

Forese  concisely  answers  Dante's  question  as  to  his 
emaciation. 

life  when  thou  didst  die,  but  now  I  do  not  grieve  for  thee  thus, 
for  I  see  thee  not  among  the  lost,  but  on  the  way  to  reach  Hfe 
eternal."  The  reading  mo  minor  doglia  is  also  found  in  a  Riccardi 
MS.,  in  the  Falso  Boccaccio,  and  in  the  early  Mantua  edition,  and 
comes  to  the  same  signification. 

*  In  Hell  {Inf.  XV,  82)  Dante  gave  way  to  unbounded  grief  at 
seeing  his  old  instructor  Brunetto  Latini  among  the  lost,  and  with 
a  face  that  was  scorched  icotto)  nearly  beyond  recognition.  But 
there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  condition  of  a  soul  supposed  to 
be  in  Hell,  from  one  in  Purgatory.  It  is  the  contrast  between 
eternal  damnation  and  sure  and  certain  hope  of  salvation. 
Brunetto's  countenance  would  remain  scorched  to  all  eternity, 
but  Forese's  case  is  quite  different.  When  Dante  wept  over  his 
dead  friend  he  knew  not  what  was  to  be  his  future  destiny.  But 
now  seeing  him  in  Purgatory,  he  has  full  assurance  that  his 
sufferings  are  but  for  a  while,  and  therefore  tells  him  that  his 
altered  features  {faccia  torta)  give  him  less  cause  for  bitter 
weeping  than  when  he  mourned  for  him  at  his  death. 

Benvenuto  interprets  torta  tantum  transmutatum  ab  ilia. 


Canto  XXIII.     Readifigs  ofi  the  Ptirgatorio.  147 

Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  Dall'  etemo  consiglio 
Cade  virtu  nell'  acqua,  e  nella  pianta 
Rimasa  a  dietro,  ond'  io  si  m'  assottiglio. 

And  he  to  me  :  "  By  the  Eternal  Will  there  descends 
into  the  water,  as  well  as  into  the  tree  that  is  left 
behind  us,  a  power  whereby  I  become  so  extenuated. 
The  poets  had  evidently  walked  some  distance 
beyond  the  tree.  L'  Ottimo  says  that  the  sight  of  the 
water  and  of  the  fruit  sharpened  the  desire  of  the 
spirits,  and  the  desire  dried  up  their  limbs. 

Forese  adds  that  not  only  he  but  all  the  others  are 
similarly  punished. 

Tutta  esta  gente  che  piangendo  canta, 

Per  seguitar  la  gola  oltra  misura,*  65 

In  fame  e  in  sete  qui  si  rSk  santa.f 

All  this  multitude  who  while  they  lament  sing, 
because  they  followed  their  appetite  beyond  measure, 
in  hunger  and  thirst  here  are  renewing  their  sanctifi- 
cation. 

Benvenuto  explains  that  oltra  viisiira  implies  eating 
more  than  is  necessary  for  the  support  of  life,  accord- 

*  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Swum.  TJteol.  p.  II,  2% 
qu.  CXLVIII,  art.  i)  :  "  Gula  non  nominat  {Gregorius)  quemlibet 
appetitum  edendi  et  bibendi,  sed  inordinatum.  Dicitur  autem 
appetitus  inordinatus  ex  eo  quod  recedit  ab  ordine  rationis,  in 

quo  bonum  virtutis  moralis  consistit Vitium  gulae  non 

consistit  in  substantia  cibi,  sed  in  concupiscentia  non  regulata 

ratione Hoc    solum    pertinet    ad    gulam    quod    aliquis 

propter  concupiscentiam  cibi  dilectabilis  excedat  mensuram  in 
edendo." 

t  sirifd,  santa.      Compare  Purg.  II,  75  : 

"  Quasi  obbliando  d'  ire  a  farsi  belle." 

hxi^Purg.  XVI,  31  : 

"  O  creatura  che  ti  mondi, 

Per  tornar  bella  a  Colui  che  ti  fece.  .  .  ." 

S  S  2 


148  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

ing  to  complexion,  age,  place,  climate,  the  amount  of 
work  done,  the  part  of  the  world  lived  in  ;  for  what 
might  be  but  a  small  quantity  for  one  man,  might  be 
too  much  for  another,  like  Milo,  who  used  to  kill  a 
bull  with  a  blow  of  his  fist,  and  cook  and  eat  it  all  up 
without  feeling  overloaded  ;  "  whereas,"  says  Benve- 
nuto,  "  the  foot  of  that  bull  would  have  done  for  me." 
Forese  now  tells  Dante  the  cause  of  their  hunger 
and  thirst. 

Di  bere  e  di  mangiar  n'  accende  cura 

L'  odor  ch'  esce  del  porno,*  e  dello  sprazzo 

Che  si  distende  su  per  la  verdura. 

The  odour  that  issues  from  the  fruit,  and  from  the 
spray  which  is  diffused  all  over  the  verdure,  enkindles 
in  us  the  desire  to  eat  and  drink. 

E  non  pure  una  volta,  questo  spazzo  7° 

Girando,  si  rinfresca  nostra  pena  ; 
lo  dico^^;^^;,  e  dovrei  dir  sollazzo;\ 

*  Dante  uses  porno  as  a  symbol  of  the  highest  good. 
In  Inf.  XVI,  61,  he  says  to  the  three  Florentines  "  Lascio  lo 
fele,  e  vo  per  dolci  pomi."     And  as  Virgil  is  taking  leave  of 
Dante   at   the  entrance  into  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  {Purg. 
XXVII,  1 1 5-1 1 7)  he  says  to  him  : 

— "  Quel  dolce  pome,  che  per  tanti  rami 
Cercando  va  la  cura  dei  mortali, 
Oggi  porrk  in  pace  le  tue  fami." — 
And  in  Purg.  XXXII,  73-74,  Christ  Himself  is  called  : 

.  .  .  "  il  melo, 
Che  del  suo  pomo  gli  Angeli  fa  ghibtti." 
On  the  smell  of  the  water,  stQjob.  XIV,  9  : 

"  Yet  through  the  scent  of  water  it  will  bud, 
And  bring  forth  boughs  like  a  plant." 

t  sollazzo.     Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Sutnm.  Theol.  p. 
Ill,  Supplem.  Append,  qu.  II,  art  2)  :  "  Videtur  quod  ilia  poena 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  149 

And  not  once  only,  as  we  encircle  this  path,  is  our 
penalty  renewed  :  I  say  penalty  and  I  ought  to  say 
solace. 

Some  commentators  understand  the  renewal  of  tor- 
ment to  come  from  the  return  to  the  same  tree  again 
and  again.  Others  think  that,  as  the  shades  go  round 
the  cornice,  they  meet  with  similar  trees  at  different 
intervals. 

And  now,  by  way  of  testifying  to  their  complete 
submission  to  the  penance  imposed  upon  them  by  God, 
Forese  adds : 

Ch^  quella  voglia  all'  arbore  ci  mena, 
Che  meno  Cristo  lieto  a  dire  :  Ell, 
Quando  ne  libero  con  la  sua  vena." —  75 

For  that  same  Will  leads  us  to  the  tree,  as  led  Christ 
rejoicing  to  say,  Eli,  when  He  freed  us  with  His  blood." 
{lit.  vein). 


Division  III.  In  the  Third  Division,  which  we 
now  commence,  Dante  asks  Forese  a  certain  question. 
He  had  been  told  by  Belacqua  [Purg.  IV,  130)  that 
the  souls  of  those  who  delayed  their  repentance  till 

sit  voluntaria,  quia  illi  qui  sunt  in  purgatorio,  rectum  habent  cor. 
Sed  haec  est  rectitudo  cordis,  ut  quis  voluntatem  suam  divin^e 
voluntati  conformet,  ut  Augustinus  dicit,  cone.  I,  in  psal.  32  a 
princ.  Ergo  cum  Deus  velit  eos  puniri,  ipsi  illam  pcenam 
voluntarie  sustinent.  Prasterea,  omnis  sapiens  vult  illud  sine  quo 
non  potest  pervenire  ad  finem  intentum.  Sed  illi  qui  sunt  in 
purgatorio,  sciunt  se  non  posse  pervenire  ad  gloriam,  nisi  prius 
puniantur.     Ergo  volunt  puniri." 

And  Rom.  v.  3  :  "  And  not  only  so,  but  we  glory  in  tribulations 
also." 


1 50  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

death,  had  to  remain  in  the  Anti-Purgatorio  for  a 
term  equal  in  duration  to  the  length  of  their  lives  on 
earth,  and  as  Dante  knew  that  his  friend  Forese  had 
only  died  five  years  before,  and  probably  knew  also 
that  he  had  delayed  his  repentance  until  the  very 
end  of  his  life,  he  is  surprised  to  find  him  already  in 
one  of  the  cornices  of  Purgatory  proper.  He  asks 
him  the  reason. 

Ed  io  a  lui  : — "  Forese,  da  quel  di 

Nel  qual  mutasti  mondo  a  miglior  vita, 
Cinqu'  anni  non  son  volti  infino  a  qui. 
And  I  to  him  :  "  Forese,  from  that  day  when  thou 
didst  change  the  world  for  a  better  life,  five  years  have 
not  yet  elapsed. 

Lombardi  remarks  that  they  who  are  lost  change 
the  world  for  a  worse  life. 

Se  prima  fu  la  possa  in  te  finita 

Di  peccar  piii,  che  sorvenisse  1'  ora  80 

Del  buon  dolor  che  a  Dio  ne  rimarita, 
Come  se'  tu  quassia  venuto  ?     Ancora 
Io  ti  credea  trovar  laggiii  di  sotto, 
Dove  tempo  per  tempo  si  ristora." — 
If  the  power  of  sinning  any  more  was  ended  in  thee, 
before  the  hour  surprised  thee  of  the  goodly  sorrow 
(repentance)  which  reweds  us  to  God  ;  how  is  it  that 
thou  art  arrived  up  here  ?     I   thought  to  find   thee 
still  down  there  below  (at  the  Gate  of  Purgatory), 
where  time  (of  penance)  makes  restitution  for  time 
(wasted)." 

Dante  evidently  knew  that  Forese  had  made  some 
sort  of  repentance,  or  else  he  would  not  have  expected 
to  find  him  even  in  the  Anti-Purgatorio,  but  in  Hell 
with  Ciacco  and  the  other  gluttons. 

Forese  answers  Dante,  telling  him  that  the  inter- 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  151 

cession  of  his  wife  Nella,*  and  her  virtuous  devout 
life,  have  been  efficacious  in  helping  him  to  ascend 
more  speedily. 

Ond'  egli  a  me  : — "  Si  tosto  m'  ha  condotto  85 

A  ber  lo  dolce  assenziof  de'  martiri 
La  Nella  mia  col  suo  pianger  dirotto. 
Whereupon  he  to  me  :  "  It  is  my  Nella  with  her 
overflowing  tears,  who  has  brought  me  thus  speedily 
to  drink  the  sweet  wormwood  of  these  torments. 
Con  suo'  prieghil  devoti  e  con  sospiri 

Tratto  m'  ha  della  costa  ove  s'  aspetta, 
E  liberato  m'  ha  degli  altri  giri.  90 

Tant'  ^  a  Dio  piu  cara,  e  piu  diletta 
La  vedovella  mia,  che  tanto  amai, 
Quanto  in  bene  operare  h  piu  soletta  ;  || 

*  La  Nella  is  the  Florentine  contraction  of  Giovanna, 
Giovanella.  It  is  a  custom  at  Florence  to  attach  the  definite 
article  to  the  names  of  women — La  Nella,  L'Assunta,  La  Carla, 
La  Concetta. 

It  seems  that  Nella  did  all  in  her  power  to  check  Forese  in 
his  excessive  gluttony,  and  though  she  had  to  prepare  the  dishes 
likely  to  tickle  his  fastidious  palate,  she  never  herself  gave  way 
to  excess,  and  after  his  death  gave  herself  up  to  prayers  for  the 
peace  of  his  soul,  and  as  we  know  from  Canto  IV,  134,  that  that 
intercession  would  be  listened  to  in  heaven, 

"  Che  surga  su  di  cor  che  in  grazia  viva," 
we  may  infer  that,  from  her  prayers  having  been  heard,  she  was 
known  by  Dante  as  a  saintly  woman. 

t  assetizio,  from  the  Latin  absinthium,  wormwood.  It  is  here 
supposed  to  be  bitter  to  the  taste,  but  sweet  to  the  intellect. 
Likewise  the  torments  of  Purgatory  are  supposed  to  be  bitter  to 
endure,  but  sweet  to  the  soul,  as  they  prepare  it  to  enter  into 
life  eternal. 

t  Compare  Rom.  VIII,  26:  "For  we  know  not  what  we 
should  pray  for  as  we  ought  :  but  the  spirit  itself  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered." 

II  soletta.     Scartazzini  remarks  that  this  word  is  the  diminu- 


152  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

By  her  pious  orisons  and  by  sighs,  she  has  with- 
drawn me  from  the  hill-side  where  one  tarries  (?>., 
Anti -Purgatorio),  and  has  set  me  free  from  the  other 
circles  {i.e.,  of  pride,  envy,  &c.).  So  much  the  more 
pleasing  to  God,  the  more  beloved,  is  my  widow,  whom 
I  tenderly  loved,  in  proportion  as  she  is  the  more  single 
in  good  deeds. 

Forese  now  draws  an  unpleasing  picture  of  the  dress 
and  demeanour  of  the  women  of  Florence,  comparing 
that  city  to  the  district  of  Barbagia,  in  the  Island  of 
Sardinia,  where  the  women  had  an  evil  reputation, 
both  for  the  immodesty  of  their  attire,  and  for  their 
licentious  morals. 

Che  la  Barbagia*  di  Sardigna  assai 

Nelle  femmine  sue  h  piu  pudica,  95 

Che  la  Barbagia  dov'  io  la  lasciai. 

tive  of  sola,  and  is  used  with  a  certain  tenderness  to  express  the 
solitude  of  a  beloved  and  modest  woman.  Some  have  tried  to 
make  out  that  Dante,  by  saying  that  Nella  was  soletta  in  bene 
operare  just  before  attacking  the  women  of  Florence,  meant  to 
cast  a  reproach  on  his  own  wife  Gemma.  But  it  is  not  at  all 
certain  that  Gemma  was  not  already  dead  at  the  time  these  lines 
were  written. 

*  Barbagia  was  a  mountainous  region  of  Sardinia,  and  took 
its  name  from  the  ancient  Barbaricini,  celebrated  in  the  history 
of  the  Island  for  their  idolatry  and  independent  ways.  It  lies  in 
the  heart  of  the  principal  chain  of  mountains,  and  is  divided 
into  Barbagia  Superiore,  Barbagia  Centrale,  and  Barbagia 
Inferiore.  The  Barbaricini  are  said  to  have  been  landed  in 
Sardinia  by  the  Vandals,  and  forthwith  they  took  possession  of 
the  neighbouring  mountains,  and  lived  by  robbery  and  plunder. 
St.  Gregory  {Ep.  Ill,  26)  says  of  them  :  oinnes  ut  insensata 
animalia  vivunt.  The  Codice  Cassinese  says  that  in  the  Bar- 
bagia mulieres  vadunt  seminude.  Petr.  Dante  makes  them 
worse  :  ttbi  vadimt  nudce  mulieres.  The  Codice  Caetani :  "  In 
insula  Sardinia  est  montana  alta,  quae  dicitur  La  Barbagia;  et 


Canto  XXIII.      Readmgs  on  the  Purgatorio.  153 

For  the  Barbagia  of  Sardinia  is  by  far  more 
modest  in  its  women  than  the  Barbagia  where  I 
left  her. 

He  means  that  Florence  was  a  second  Barbagia. 
Then  Forese  tells  Dante  that  he  foresees  a  day  of 
retribution  on  the  Florentine  women,  when  laws  will 
have  to  be  made  to  check  the  immodesty  of  their 
dress. 

O  dolce  frate,  che  vuoi  tu  ch'  io  dica  ? 
Tempo  future  m'  h  gik  nel  cospetto, 
Cui  non  sark  quest'  ora  molto  antica, 

Nel  qual  sark  in  pergamo*  interdetto  100 

Alia  sfacciate  donne  fiorentine 
L'  andar  mostrando  con  le  poppe  il  petto. 

quando  Januenses  (the  Genoese)  retraxerunt  dictam  insulam  de 
manibus  Infidelium,  nunquam  potuerunt  retrahere  dictam 
montanam,  in  qua  habitat  gens  barbara  et  sine  civilitate,  et 
foeminae  suse  vadunt  indutae  subtiH  pirgolato,  ita  quod  omnia 
membra  ostendunt  inhoneste  ;  nam  est  ibi  magnus  calor." 

Benvenuto  confirms  this  statement  :  "  Nam  pro  calore  et 
prava  consuetudine  vadunt  indutae  panno  lineo  albo,  excollatae 
ita,  ut  ostendant  pectus  et  ubera."  It  is  said  that  even  at  the 
present  day  the  costume  of  these  women  is  somewhat  scanty, 
but  that  although  they  are  "  sans  peur,"  they  are  also  "  sans 
reproche." 

*  pergatno,  a  pulpit,  is  not  to  be  confused,  as  some  commenta- 
tors have  done,  with  pergamena,  parchment.  Pulpito  is  a  desk, 
not  pulpit.  The  words  in  pergamo  interdetto  may  either  mean  the 
sermons  that  were  preached  against  the  gross  immodesty  of  the 
women's  dress,  or  better  perhaps,  the  episcopal  decrees,  and 
canonical  penalties  which  were  proclaimed  from  the  pulpit 
against  such  disgraceful  habits.  Scartazzini  says  that  it  is 
evident  from  verses  103-5  that  Dante  uses  interdetto  in  the 
latter  sense.  Sacchetti  {Novelle,  115  and  17 Z)  speaks  at  length  on 
this  subject.    See  also  Napier,  Florentine  History,  vol.  II,  p.  538. 


154  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

O  gentle  brother,  what  wouldst  thou  have  me  say  ? 
A  future  time  is  already  in  my  view,  to  which  the 
present  hour  will  not  be  very  old,  when  from  the  pul- 
pit it  shall  be  interdicted  to  the  unblushing  Floren- 
tine dames  to  go  about  displaying  the  breast  with  the 
paps. 

Quai  Barbara  fur  mai,  quai  Saracine, 
Cui  bisognasse,  per  farle  ir  coverte, 
O  spiritali  o  altre  discipline  ?  *  105 

What  women  of  Barbary,  what  Saracens  ever  lived, 
for  whom  either  spiritual  or  other  discipline  was  needed 
to  enforce  their  going  about  covered  ? 

*  G.  Villani  {Lib.  IX,  c.  245)  relates  that  in  April,  1324, 
"  arbitri  furono  fatti  in  Firenze,  i  quali  feciono  molti  capitoli  e 
forti  ordini  contra  i  disordinati  ornamenti  delle  donne  di  Firenze." 
He  further  relates  {Lib.  X,  c.  11)  that  in  December,  1326,  Carlo, 
Duke  of  Calabria,  "  a  priego  che  le  donne  di  Firenze  aveano 
fatto  alia  duchessa  sua  moglie,  si  rend^  alle  dette  donne  uno 
loro  spiacevole  e  disonesto  ornan>ento  di  trecce  grosse  di  seta 
bianca  e  gialla,  le  quali  portavano  in  luogo  di  trecce  di  capelli 
dinanzi  al  viso,  lo  quale  ornamento  perch^  spiacea  ai  Fiorentini, 
perchfe  era  disonesto  e  trasnaturato,  aveano  tolto  alle  donne,  e 
fatti  capitoli  contro  a  cio  e  altri  disordinati  ornamenti." 

Benvenuto  speaks  of  this  matter  at  great  length,  and  thinks 
the  poet  has  most  deservedly  uttered  his  reproach  against  these 
women.  No  artificers  in  the  world  possess  such  varied  ma- 
chinery, divers  instruments,  or  subtle  contrivances  for  the 
exercise  of  their  handicraft,  as  the  women  of  Florence  for  the 
decoration  of  their  persons.  For  not  content  with  natural 
beauty,  they  ever  strive  to  add  to  it,  and  are  always  arming 
themselves  against  all  defects  with  incredible  art  and  sagacity. 
They  assist  shortness  of  stature  with  a  high  patten  {cum  planula 
alto) ;  they  whiten  a  dark  skin  ;  they  rouge  a  pallid  face  ;  they 
make  their  hair  yellow,  and  their  teeth  like  ivory ;  "  Mamillas 
breves  et  duras  :  et  ut  breviter  dicam  omnia  membra  artificiose 
■componunt." 


Canto  XXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  155 

In  the  middle  ages  all  unbaptised  persons  except 
Jews  were  called  Saracens. 

Dante  now  puts  into  the  mouth  of  Forese  a  predic- 
tion of  the  disasters  that  actually  took  place  in 
Florence  between  1300  and  13 16. 

Ma  se  le  svergognate  fosser  certe 

Di  quel  che  il  ciel  veloce  loro  ammanna, 
Gik  per  urlare  avrian  le  bocche  aperte. 
Ch^  se  I'  antiveder  qui  non  m'  inganna, 

Prima  fien  triste,  che  le  guance  impeli  1 10 

Colui  che  mo  si  consola  con  nanna.* 

But  if  the  shameless  creatures  only  knew  for  certain 
of  what  swift  Heaven  has  in  store  for  them,  they 
would  already  have  their  mouths  wide  open  to  howl. 
For,  if  my  foresight  here  does  not  deceive  me,  they 
will  become  sad  before  that  he  who  now  is  hushed  with 
lullabies  {i.e.,  the  infant)  shall  have  put  forth  beard 
upon  his  cheeks. 

Benvenuto  says  on  this  passage  :  "  And  note  here, 
reader,  that  I  have  heard  some  say  rashly,  that  this 
prognostication  is  a  discredit  to  Dante  (vituperium 
poetae)  since  such  a  long  time  had  elapsed,  without 
those  things  taking  place,  which  he  seems  to  foretell 
as  happening  in  so  brief  a  space  of  time.  To  which 
I  reply,  that  the  author  speaks  here  of  things  that  are 
past,  and  accomplished  facts,  and  not  merely  of  events 
about  to  take  place.  But  he  appears  to  prophesy, 
because  he  looks  at  the  supposed  time  of   his  vision, 

*Jacopo  della  Lana  comments  :  "  He  wishes  here  to  mark  the 
time  that  will  elapse  before  such  vengeance  can  take  place  ;  and 
says  that  before  the  male  child  that  is  still  in  the  cradle,  and 
who  is  hushed  to  sleep  with  the  (Italian  nurse's  lullaby)  Ninna 
Nanna,  shall  have  put  forth  a  beard,  this  vengeance  will  have 
come  to  pass — i.e.,  within  the  space  of  20  years." 


156  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

which  was  in  MCCC,  as  has  already  been  so  often 
said.  For  great  misfortunes  did  follow  after  that  date, 
such  as  intestine  discords,  civil  wars,  and  the  expulsion 
of  the  factions,  which  things  took  place  in  the  second 
and  third  year  following ;  and  in  the  fourth  year  the 
Bianchi  and  Neri  came  again  to  arms  against  each 
other.  And  while  the  fury  of  war  was  raging,  a  fire 
broke  out,  whether  kindled  by  accident,  or,  as  many 
have  said,  the  intentional  work  of  a  certain  priest,  Neri 
degli  Abati,  who  first  set  it  going  in  his  own  house  : 
and  in  a  short  time  the  greater  part  of  the  city  was 
burned,  more  than  two  thousand  houses  being  des- 
troyed, with  a  damage  beyond  all  estimation.  Nor 
did  they  meanwhile  cease  from  strife,  but  all  the  time 
great  pillage  went  on.  And  in  the  fifteenth  year 
(13 15)  they  (the  Florentines)  suffered  a  terrible 
slaughter  at  Monte  Catini  at  the  hands  of  Uguccione 
della  Faggiuola."* 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  Dante  here  alludes  in  the  form  of  a 
prophecy  to  all  the  calamities  that  befel  Florence  immediately 
after  the  entry  of  Charles  de  Valois  in  November,  1302  (G. 
Villani,  Lib.  VIII,  c.  49)  ;  and  in  the  following  year  the 
massacres  of  which  Fulcieri  da  Calboli  was  the  author  (G. 
Villani,  Lib.  VIII,  c.  59.)  See  also  Vol.  I,  p.  361, of  this  work, 
on  Canto  XIV,  58-66. 

"  lo  veggio  tuo  nipote,  che  diventa 

Cacciator  di  quel  lupi,  in  su  la  riva 
Del  fiero  fiume,  e  tutti  gli  sgomenta. 
Vendela  carne  loro,  essendo  viva  ; 

Poscia  gli  ancide  come  antica  belva  : 
Molti  di  vita,  e  se  di  pregiopriva. 
Sanguinoso  esce  della  trista  selva  ; 

Lasciala  tal,  che  di  qui  a  mill'  anni 
Nello  stato  primaio  non  si  rinselva." 
In  this  same  year  a  great  famine  took  place;    in  the  following 


Canto  XXIII.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  157 

Division  IV.  In  this  concluding  division  of  the 
Canto  Dante  informs  Forese  how  it  happens  that  he, 
being  alive,  has  entered  Purgatory,  and  tells  him  who 
are  the  spirits  with  him. 

Forese  concludes  his  speech  by  asking  Dante  : 
Deh,  frate,  or  fa  che  piii  non  mi  ti  cell ; 
Vedi  che  non  pur  io,  ma  questa  gente 
Tutta  rimira  Ik  dove  il  sol  veli." — * 

O  brother,  now  see  that  thou  dost  not  any  longer 
conceal  thyself  from  me  ;  see  that  not  I  alone,  but  all 
this  folk  are  gazing  at  that  spot  from  which  thou  art 
screening  the  sun." 

Dante  reminds  Forese  that  during  the  time  of  their 
friendship  on  earth,  neither  of  them  can  have  pleasing 
recollections  of  their  past  sins. 

Perch'  io  a  hii :  — "  Se  ti  riduci  a  mente  1 1 5 

Qual  fosti  meco,  e  quale  io  teco  fui, 
Ancor  fia  grave  il  memorar  presente. 

Whereupon  I  to  him :  "  If  thou  recall  to  thy  mind 
what  thou  wast  in  my  company,  and  what  I  was  in 
thine,  the  present  memory  of  it  will  be  grievous  still. 

year  the  city  was  excommunicated  by  Cardinal  da  Prato  (G. 
Villani.  Lib.  VIII,  c.  67),  and  the  Pontealla  Carraja  fell  caus- 
ing the  death  of  a  vast  number  of  persons  con  grande  pianto 
e  dolore  a  tutta  la  cittade.  Villani  says  over  and  over  again  that 
these  misfortunes  were  sent  as  a  punishment  for  the  wickedness 
of  the  citizens. 

*  dove  il  sol  veli.     Compare  Canto  III,  88-93. 
"  Come  color  dinanzi  vider  rotta 

La  luce  in  terra  dal  mio  destro  canto. 
Si  che  r  ombra  era  da  me  alia  grotta, 
Restaro,  e  trasser  se  indietro  alquanto, 
E  tutti  gli  altri  che  venieno  appresso, 
Non  sapendo  il  perche  fenno  altrettanto." 


158  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIII. 

He  then  answers  Forese's  question  : 
Di  quella  vita  mi  volse  cestui 

Che  mi  va  innanzi,  1'  altr'  ier',*  quando  tondat 
Vi  si  mostrb  la  suoraj  di  colui  ;  120 

(E  il  sol  mostrai).     Costui  per  la  profonda 
Notte  menato  m'  ha  da'  veri  morti, 
Con  questa  vera  carne§  che  ilseconda.|| 

From  that  Hfe  he  who  goes  in  front  of  me  (Virgil) 
turned  me  the  other  day,  when  the  sister  (the  moon) 
of  him  up  there,  "  and  I  pointed  to  the  sun,"  showed 
herself  to  you  at  the  full.  He  has  guided  me  through 
the  profound  darkness  of  those  dead  indeed  (2>.  through 
Hell)  with  this  real  flesh  {i.e.  my  body)  which  is  follow- 
ing him. 

Having  told  how  Virgil  had  led  him  down  to  Hell, 
he  next  describes  how  he  had  conducted  him  up  to 
Purgatory. 

Indi  m'  han  tratto  su  li  suoi  conforti, 

Salendo  e  rigirando  la  montagna  125 

Che  drizza  voi  che  il  mondo  fece  torti. 

From  thence  (Hell)  his  assistance  has  led  me  upwards, 

*  P  altr'  ier'.  L'  altro  ieri  is  properly  speaking,  "the  day  before 
yesterday "  ;  but  all  the  commentators  interpret  it  here,  "  the 
other  day,"  "  a  few  days  ago." 

t  Dante  and  Virgil  had  commenced  their  journey  at  the  full 
moon  before  Easter,  1300. 

X  suora.  The  ancients  thought  that  the  sun  (Apollo)  and  the 
moon  (Diana  or  Luna)  were  the  children  of  Jupiter  and  Latona. 
§  vera  came.     Compare  Pwr^;  II,  109,  when  Dante  asking 
Casella  to  sing,  says  to  him  : 

"  Di  cio  ti  piaccia  consolare  alquanto 

L'  anima  mia,  che  con  la  sua  persona 
Venendo  qui  h  affannata  tanto." 
II  Che  il  seconda.     Compare  Inf.  IV. 


Canto  XXIII.     Readitigs  on  the  Purgatorio.  159 

ascending  and  encircling  the  mountain  which  makes 

straight  (z>.  purges)  you  whom  the  world  made  crooked. 

And  he  then  speaks  of  the  better  hope  he  has  to 

look  to. 

Tanto  dice  di  farmi  sua  compagna, 
Ch'  io  saro  Ik  dove  fia  Beatrice  ; 
Quivi  convien  che  senza  lui  rimagna. 

So  far  he  says  he  will  afford  me  his  company  until 
I  am  there  beyond  (these  cornices),  where  Beatrice 
will  be  ;  and  there  must  I  remain  without  him. 

In  conclusion, he  tells  Forese  who  are  his  two  guides. 
Virgilio  h  questi,  che  cosi  mi  dice,  130 

(E  additdlo).     E  quest'  altro  h  quell'  ombra 
Per  cui  scosse  dianzi  ogni  pendice 
Lo  vostro  regno  che  da  se  lo  sgombra." — 

It  is  Virgil  here  who  tells  me  so,"  and  I  pointed  to 
him.  "And  this  other  (Statins)  is  that  shade  for  whom 
your  kingdom  (Purgatory),  which  is  discharging  him 
from   itself,  just  now  agitated  all  its  slopes." 

This  refers  to  the  last  lines  of  Canto  XX. 


End  of  Canto  XXIII. 


i6o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 


CANTO  XXIV. 


The  Sixth  Cornice  {continued), 

FORESE  DONATI. 
PiCCARDA  DONATI. 

bonagiunta  of  lucca. 
Death  of  Corso  Donati  foretold. 
Examples  of  Intemperance. 
Ascent  to  the  Seventh  Cornice. 

In  this  Canto  Dante  continues  the  description  of  the 
penance  and  purgation  of  the  gluttonous,  introducing 
the  spirits  of  many  persons  of  modern  times  ;  he  also 
mentions  wine-bibbers. 

This  Canto,  says  Benvenuto,  cannot  be  divided  into 
less  than  five  parts. 

Li  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  Dante, 
continuing  the  conversation  with  Forese,  that  was 
broken  off  at  the  end  of  the  last  Canto,  asks  him 
about  his  sister  Piccarda  de'  Donati,  and  about  some 
persons  notorious  for  gluttony. 
^  In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  69, 
Bonagiunta  of  Lucca  is  introduced,  who  pays  a  grace- 
ful tribute  of  admiration  to  Dante's  eloquence. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  70  to  v.  99,  Dante's 
conversation  with  Forese  is  resumed,  and  the  latter 
predicts  to  Dante  certain  events  that  will  befall  him. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  100  to  v.  129,  an 
account  is  given  of  another  tree,  and  a  description 
follows  of  the  checks  that  are  used  against  gluttony. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  l6l 

In  the  Fifth  Division,  from  v.  130  to  v.  154,  an 
Angel  appears,  who  purifies  Dante  from  the  sin  of 
gluttony,  and  points  out  to  him  the  ascent  to  the 
seventh  cornice. 

Division  I.  Benvenuto  says  that  some  people, 
when  in  conversation  out  walking,  are  in  the  habit  of 
stopping  their  companion  every  time  they  speak ;  and 
other  persons,  from  the  haste  at  which  they  are 
walking,  either  shorten  their  conversation,  or  omit 
parts  of  it. 

Dante  tells  us  how  he  and  Forese  neither  slackened 
their  speed,  nor  shortened  their  conversation.* 
Ne  il  dirt  1'  andar,  n^  1'  andar  lui  piu  lento 
Facea  ;  ma  ragionando  andavam  forte, 
Si  come  nave  pinta  da  buon  vento. 

Neither  did  our  speech  make  our  advance  slower, 
nor  did  our  advance  shorten  it  (our  speech) ;  but  as 
we  talked  we  walked  apace,  like  a  ship  impelled  by  a 
fair  wind. 

*  It  will  be  noticed  however,  in  v.  91,  that  Forese  did 
after  all  find  Dante's  speed  too  slow,  and  apologizes  for 
leaving  him  behind.  Dante  estimates  the  rate  of  their  pro- 
gress by  what  is  given  to  man's  powers.  The  spirits  not 
being  burdened  with  quel  d'  Adamo  {Purg.  IX,  10),  can 
naturally  move  much  more  rapidly.  It  may  be  remembered 
that  the  fact  of  Dante  being  a  bad  walker  was  noticed  in 
Vol.  I,  p.  267,  in  the  note  on  Canto  XI,  43-45>  where  Virgil 

says  of  him  : 

"  Che  questi  che  vien  meco,  per  1'  incarco 

Delia  came  d'  Adamo,  ond'  ei  si  veste, 

Al  montar  su,  contra  sua  voglia,  h  parco." 

t  Compare  Ariosto  {Orl.  Fur.  c.  XXXI,  st.  34) : 

"  Non,  per  andar,  di  ragionar  lasciando, 

Non,  di  seguir,  per  ragionar,  lor  via." 

T  T 


1 62  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Benvenuto  compares  Virgil  and  Statius  walking  in 
front  to  good  pilots,  who  guide  the  ship  in  safety. 

E  1'  ombre,  che  parean  cose  rimorte, 

Per  le  fosse  degli  occhi  ammirazione  5 

Traean  di  me,  di  mio  vivere  accorte. 

And  the  shades,  that  seemed  to  be  things  twice 
dead,  kept  drawing  in  astonishment  at  me  through 
the  caverns  of  their  eyes,  having  become  aware  of  my 
living. 

The  spirits  knew  Dante  was  alive,  both  from  seeing 
his  shadow,  and  from  his  unstarved  appearance. 

Dante  now  resumes  the  sentence,  which  was  broken 
off  at  the  conclusion  of  the  last  canto.  He  had  told 
Forese  who  Virgil  was,  and  had  said  of  Statius  :  quest' 
altro  I  quell'  ombra  Per  cut  scosse  dianzi  ogni pendice 
Lo  vostro  regno. 

Ed  io,  continuando  il  mio  sermone, 

Dissi : — "  Ella  sen  va  su  forse  piu  tarda 
Che  non  farebbe,  per  1'  altrui*  cagione. 

And  I,  continuing  my  speech,  said  :  "  It  (that  spirit) 
perchance  walks  on  more  slowly  upwards  than  it 
would,  for  the  sake  of  others. 


*  per  r  altrui  cagione.  Scartazzini  thinks  this  was  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  talking  with  Virgil ;  but  Benvenuto  explains  it 
to  be  for  the  sake  both  of  Virgil  and  Dante,  adding,  that  other- 
wise Statius  would  already  have  soared  up  to  Heaven,  "and 
thus  see,"  observes  Benvenuto,  "  how  a  real  friend  will  for  a  while 
postpone  his  own  comfort  for  a  friend,  as  says  the  philosopher 
in  the  IXth  book  of  the  Ethics,  and  it  is  as  though  he  (Dante) 
would  say  tacitly:  'I  must  hasten  away  from  thee,  lest  we 
retard  Statius  who  is  going  to  Heaven,  therefore  tell  me,  I 
beseech  thee,  where  is  thy  sister  ? ' " 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  tJu  Purgatorio.  163 

Virgil  had  adapted  his  speed  to  Dante's  powers, 
and  Statius  his  to  Virgil's. 

Dante  then  asks  Forese  if  he  can  give  him 
any  information  about  his  sister  Piccarda,  who  was 
also  a  relation  of  Dante's  wife,  his  interview  with 
whom  (Piccarda)  in  Heaven  is  described  in  Par.  III., 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  Cantos  in  the  Divina  Corn- 
media. 

Ma  dimmi,  se  tu  sai,  dov'  h  Piccarda* ;  10 

Dimmi  s'  io  veggio  da  notar  persona 
Tra  questa  gente  che  si  mi  riguarda." — 

But  tell  me,  if  thou  knowest,  where  is  Piccarda; 
tell  me  if,  among  all  these  people  who  thus  gaze  at 
me,  I  see  anyone  to  note." 

Forese  speaks  in  affectionate  admiration  of  his 
sister's  beauty  and  goodness. 


*  Piccarda,  was  the  daughter  of  Simone  de'  Donati,  and 
sister  to  Corso  and  Forese.  She  took  the  vows  of  the  order  of 
St.  Clare,  but  was  forcibly  abducted  from  the  cloister  against  her 
will,  by  order  of  Messer  Corso  her  brother,  and  married  to 
Rosellino  della  Tosa.  She  tells  the  tale  herself  in  Par.  1 1 1,  97- 
108. 

"(Perfetta  vita  ed  alto  merto  inciela 

Donna  piu  su  (mi  disse),  alia  cui  norma 
Nel  vostro  mondo  giu  si  veste  e  vela, 
Perche  in  fino  al  morir  si  vegghi  e  dorma 
Con  quello  spozo  ch'  ogni  voto  accetta, 
Che  caritate  a  suo  piacer  conforma. 
Dal  mondo,  per  seguirla,  giovinetta 

Fuggi'  mi,  e  nel  suo  abito  mi  chiusi, 
E  promisi  la  via  della  sua  setta. 
Uomini  poi,  a  mal  piii  ch'  a  bene  usi, 

Fuor  mi  rapiron  della  dolce  chiostra  ; 
E  Dio  si  sa  qual  poi  mia  vita  fiisi." 
T  T  2 


164  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXIV. 

— "  La  mia  sorella,  che  tra  bella  e  buona,* 
Non  so  qual  fosse  piu,  trionfa  lieta 
Nell'  alto  Olimpot  gi^  di  sua  corona." —  15 

Si  disse  prima,  e  poi  : — "  Qui  non  si  vieta 
Di  nominar  ciascun,  da  ch'  h  si  munta, 
Nostra  sembianza  via  per  la  dieta. 

"  My  sister,  who  betwixt  beautiful  and  good  I  know 
not  which  was  most,  already  triumphs  rejoicing  in  her 
crown  in  high  Olympus "  {i.e.  in  Heaven).  [Forese 
now  answers  Dante's  question  as  to  whether  there 
were  any  notabilities  among  his  companions.]  Thus 
said  he  first,  and  then  :  "  Here  there  is  no  prohibition 
to  name  each  one,  since  by  our  diet  our  countenances 
are  so  effaced  {lit.  milked  away). 

Forese  means  that,  as  the  whole  of  the  spirits 
present  are  equally  miserable  in  appearance,  there  can 
be  nothing  invidious  in  naming  any  one  specially,  and 
the  more  so,  that  otherwise,  any  recognition  by  a 
stranger  would  be  impossible.  Dante  had  named 
Piccarda,   and  Forese  had  in  his   answer  said    "my 

*  Petrarch  (Part  II,  Sonnet  LXXII)  says  of  Laura  : 
"  N^  vivrei  g\\  se  chi  tra  bella  e  onesta, 
Qual  fu  piu,  lascio  in  dubbio." 
t  NelV  altd  Olimpo.     Scartazzini  remarks  that,  according  to 
Dante,  the  heathen  poets  had  a  presentiment  of  the  truth,  and 
their  fancies  are  not  mere  fictions. 

Piccarda  was  in  the  lowest  sphere  of  Heaven,  as  she  says 
herself  (/'«r.  Ill,  49-51). 

"  Ma  riconoscerai  ch'  io  son  Piccarda, 

Che,  posta  qui  con  questi  altri  beati, 
Beata  sono  in  la  spera  piu  tarda." 
Benvenuto  notices  that  Dante  places  the  sister  in  Paradise, 
the  one  brother,   Forese,  in  Purgatory,   and  Corso,  the  other 
brother,  in  Hell. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  165 

sister,"  and  lest  Dante  should  think  that  he  wished  to 
reprove  him,  he  hastens  to  reassure  him,  and  names 
several  of  his  fellow  penitents. 

Questi  (e  mostro  col  dito)  h  Bonagiunta,* 

Bonagiunta  da  Lucca  ;  e  quella  facciat  20 

Di  Ik  da  lui,  piu  che  P  altre  trapunta, 

*  Bonagiunta  degli  Urbiciani  of  Lucca,  a  notary  and  minor 
poet,  flourished  about  1250.  "  He  was  a  reciter  of  rhymes,  and 
very  corrupt  in  the  vice  of  gluttony,"  says  Jacopo  della  Lana  ; 
and  Benvenuto remarks  :  '■'■fuit maximus magister gulositatum" 
....  and  further  on  :  "  he  was  an  honourable  man,  of  the  city 
of  Lucca,  a  splendid  orator  in  his  mother  tongue,  with  much 
facility  in  the  matter  of  rhymes,  but  of  greater  facility  in  that  of 
wines." 

+  quella  faccia  :  the  idea  of  the  intensity  of  the  emaciation  is 
impressed  on  us  by  Dante  saying  "that  face  beyond  him" 
instead  of  "  that  spirit  beyond  him."  He  wishes  his  readers  to 
understand,  that  the  sight  of  those  cavernous  eyes  and  hollow 
cheeks  so  seized  upon  the  attention  of  the  beholder,  that  for  the 
time  he  would  be  unable  to  see  anything  but  the  faces.  The 
spirit  in  question  is  that  of  Pope  Martin  IV.,  a  Frenchman,  by 
name  Simon  de  Brion  of  Tours,  who  succeeded  Nicholas  III. 
in  1281.  G.  Villani  (lib.  VII,  ch.  58)  says  of  him  :  "Di  vile 
nazione,  ma  molto  fu  magnanimo  e  di  gran  cuore  ne'  fatti  della 
Chiesa,  ma  per  s^  proprio  per  suoi  parenti  nulla  cuvidigia  ebbe  : 
e  quand  il  fratello  il  venne  a  vedere  papa,  incontanente  il 
rimando  in  Francia  con  piccoli  doni  e  coUe  spese,  dicendo 
ch'  e'  beni  erano  della  Chiesa  e  non  suoi."  He  was  a  strong 
partizan  of  Charles  of  Anjou,  and  an  enemy  of  the  Ghibellines. 
He  retired  to  Orvieto,  where  the  rich  wines  of  Orvieto  and 
Montefiascone,  combined  with  the  eels  here  mentioned,  may 
have  given  him  the  surfeit  from  which  he  is  said  to  have  died. 
The  Postillatore  Cassinense  tells  us  that,  owing  to  his  predi- 
lection for  eels,  the  following  verses  are  said  to  have  been  written 
on  his  tomb  : 

"  Gaudent  anguillae,  quia  mortuus  hie  jacet  ille 
Qui  quasi  morte  reas  excoriabat  eas." 


1 66  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Ebbe  la  santa  Chiesa  in  le  sue  braccia  : 
Dal  Torso  fu,  e  purga  per  digiuno 
Le  anguille  di  Bolsena*  e  la  vernaccia."+ — 
"This  one  here,"   and  he  pointed  with  his  finger, 
"  is  Bonagiunta,  Bonagiunta  of  Lucca,  and  that  face 
beyond  him,  more  extenuated  than  the  others,  once 
held  the  Holy  Church  in  his  embrace :  from  Tours 
was  he  (Pope  Martin  IV.) ;  and  he  is  expiating  by 
abstinence  the  eels  of  Bolsena  and  the  Vernaccia." 
And  he  adds  : 

Molti  altri  mi  nomo  ad  uno  ad  uno  ;  25 

E  del  nomar  parean  tutti  contenti,! 
Si  ch'  io  pero  non  vidi  un  atto  bruno. 

*  Lake  Bolsena  is  near  Viterbo,  and  said  to  abound  in  fish. 
It  is  in  a  most  fertile  district,  but  has  an  evil  reputation  for 
malaria. 

t  Vernaccia :  from  the  Latin  vinaciola,  was  produced  from  a 
thick  skinned  grape  that  imparted  a  sweet  rough  flavour  to  the 
wine,  which  Benvenuto  says  is  excellent,  and  comes  from  the 
mountains  near  Genoa.     He  adds  that  he  considers  it  to  have 
been  of  special  utility  to  that  High  Priest  (meaning  Martin  IV) 
to  have  drunk  of  the  wine  in  which  eels  had  been  slain ;  for 
whoever  drinks  of  wine  so  prepared  straightway  takes  a  disgust 
to  all  wine,  as  Albertus  Magnus  says,  and  Benvenuto  himself 
saw  the  experiment  succeed  with  a  great  bishop, 
Chaucer  mentions  the  wine  in  the  Merchant's  Tale  : 
"  He  drinketh  Ipocras,  clarre,  and  vernage 
Of  spices  hot,  to  encresen  his  corage," 
Longfellow  quotes  from  Redi  {Bacchus  in  Tuscany\  Leigh 
Hunt's  Trans,  p.  30, 

"  If  anybody  doesn't  like  Vernaccia, 
I  mean  that  sort  that's  made  in  Pietrafitta, 
Let  him  fly 
My  violent  eye ; 
I  curse  him  clean,  through  all  the  Alphabeta." 
X  contenti:    Scartazzini    says    that  the   context   shows   that 
these  spirits  did  not  seek  for  renown  in  the  world,  and  were  not 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  167 

Many  others  did  he  name  to  me  one  by  one,  and 
all  seemed  contented  on  hearing  themselves  mentioned, 
so  that   I   did  not  for  this    {perb)    see  one  sombre 

gesture. 

Vidi  per  fame  a  v6to  usar  li  denti* 
Ubaldin  dalla  Pila,t  e  Bonifazio^: 
Che  pasture  col  rocco  molte  genti.  30 

I  saw  Ubaldino  dalla  Pila  in  vain  grinding  his  teeth 

unduly  elated,  only  not  displeased  at  being  mentioned  by  name. 
All  they  desired  from  the  world  was  the  prayers  of  the  living. 

*  The  phrase  usar  li  denti  is  said  to  be  derived  from  Ovid 
{Metam.  VIII,  824-827)  : 

"  Petit  ille  dapes  sub  imagine  somni : 
Oraque  vana  movet,  dentemque  in  dente  fatigat ; 
Exercetque  cibo  delusum  guttur  inani : 
Proque  epulis  tenues  nequicquam  devorat  auras." 
t  Ubaldin  della  Pila  :  Benvenuto  says  he  was  a  knight  of  the 
illustrious  family  of  the  Ubaldini,   which  gave  birth  to  many 
other  valiant  men  ;  he  was   liberal   and   cultivated,    and   was 
brother  of  the  Cardinal  Ottaviano  the  magnificent,   who  once 
conducted  the  Pope,  with  his  whole  court,  to  enjoy  his  brother's 
hospitality  at  his  castle  on  the  mountains  near  Florence,  and 
the  Pope  continued  his  guest  for  several  months.     Dante  has 
the  Cardinal  placed  in  Hell  among  the  Epicureans.     It  is  he 
whom  Farinata  Degli  Uberti  mentions  as  a  fellow  sufferer  in 
his  fiery  tomb  i^Inf.  X.  1 18-120). 

"  Dissemi  :  '  Qui  con  piii  di  mille  giaccio  : 
Quk  dentro  h  lo  second©  Federico, 
E  il  cardinale.' " 
X  Bonifazio :    This  was  the  Archbishop  of  Ravenna,  of  the 
noble  family  of  the  Fieschi,  Counts  of  Lavagna,  in  the  Genoese 
territory  ;   he  was  nephew   of  Pope    Innocent   IV.      He    was 
appointed  Archbishop  by  Gregory  X  at  the  time  of  the  Council 
of  Lyons  in  1274.     Honorius  IV   sent  him  as  Nunzio   to  the 
Court  of  Philippe  le  Hardi,  and  afterwards  to  Philippe  le  Bel. 
The  commentators  speak  of  his  gluttony,  but  this  passage  of 
Dante's  is  the  only  record  of  it. 


1 68  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

for  hunger,  and  Boniface  too,  who  with  his  crozier 
governed  many  peoples. 

Benvenuto  explains  this  by  saying  that  Dante 
describes  Boniface  by  one  of  the  chief  insignia  of  his 
great  dignity.  The  Archbishop  of  Ravenna  is  a  great 
shepherd,  who  has  under  him  many  suffragan  bishops 
from  Rimini  as  far  as  Parma :  and  he  says  col  rocco ; 
for  while  the  other  shepherds  (bishops)  have  the 
crooked  pastoral  staff,  he  (the  archbishop)  has  the 
whole  staff  straight  and  round  at  the  top  like  a  castle 
at  chess  (ad  modum  calculi,  sive  rocchi).  This  word 
has  been  the  cause  of  much  disagreement.  Some 
have  tried  to  make  out  that  rocco  means  a  belfry, 
others  a  rochet,  but  Scartazzini  asks :  "  How  can  an 
Archbishop  rule  with  a  part  of  his  dress  ?"  Scar- 
tazzini says  :  "  It  is  derived,  like  roque  in  Spanish  and 
Portuguese,  and  roc,  Provencal  and  French,  from  the 
Persian  rokh,  and  means  neither  more  nor  less  than 
the  castle  in  the  game  of  chess.  Now  the  ancient 
commentators  have  told  us,  that  the  crozier  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Ravenna  has  on  the  top  a  piece  shaped 
like  a  castle  at  chess.  Col  rocco  therefore  signifies 
'with  his  crozier,'  and  all  the  other  interpretations  are 
but  dreams." 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  Division  concludes  with 
the  mention  of  another  powerful  man  ;  and  Dante 
passes  from  Ravenna  to  Forli,  where  there  are  stouter 
drinkers  and  better  wines. 

Vidi  messer  Marchese,  ch'  ebbe  spazio 

Gik  di  bere  a  Forli  con  men  secchezza, 
E  si  fu  tal  che  non  si  senti  sazio. 

I  saw  Messer  Marchese,  who  once  had  leisure  for 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  169 

drinking  at  Forli  with  less  thirst,  and  he  was  one  who 
never  felt  sated. 

Benvenuto  is  the  only  one  of  the  commentators 
who  gives  trustworthy  information  about  this  per- 
sonage, who  was  of  the  family  of  the  Argugliosi  of 
Forli,  et  pater  domincB  Letce,  quce  fuit  mater  domini 
Bernardini  de  Podenta,  qui  fuit  dominus  Ravennatum. 
He  is  said  one  day  to  have  asked  his  secretary  what 
was  talked  of  him  in  the  city.  The  secretary  answered 
trembling :  "  My  Lord,  over  the  whole  territory 
nothing  else  is  said  of  you,  than  that  you  do  nothing 
but  drink ; "  to  which  the  Marchese  replied  laughing  : 
"  And  why  do  they  not  also  say  that  it  is  because  I 
am  always  thirsty  ?  " 


Division  II.  In  this  second  division  of  the  Canto, 
Dante  relates  how  he  felt  a  strong  inclination  to  con- 
verse with  Bonagiunta  of  Lucca,  whom  Forese  had 
pointed  out  to  him  before,  as  we  read  in  v.  19-20. 
Bonagiunta  addresses  Dante,  predicting  that  before 
long  he  will    have  reason  to  feel   some   interest   in 

Lucca. 

Ma  come  fa  chi  guarda,  e  poi  fa  prezza 

Piu  d'  un  che  d'  altro,  fe'  io  a  quel  da  Lucca,       35 
Che  piu  parea  di  me  aver  contezza. 

But  as  he  does,  who  looks  about,  [Benvenuto  sug- 
gests, on  entering  a  room,  or  an  assemblage  of 
people,]  and  then  takes  more  special  count  of  one  than 
another,  so  did  I  to  that  (spirit)  from  Lucca,  who 
most  seemed  to  have  knowledge  of  me. 

Some  read  :  di  me  voter  contezza,  i.  e.  seemed  more 


I70  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

than  the  others  to  desire  to  make  acquaintance  with  me. 
Scartazzini  says  this  last  is  by  far  the  more  intelligible 
reading,  and  is  confirmed  by  Dante  telling  Bona- 
giunta  (v.  40)  that  he  sees  he  wishes  to  speak  with 
him ;  but  the  great  weight  of  MS.  authority  is  in 
favour  of  the  reading  aver  contezza. 

Bonagiunta  murmurs  some  words  to  himself. 
Ei  mormorava,  e  non  so  che  Gentucca 
Sentiva  io  Ik  ov'  ei  sentia  la  piaga 
Delia  giustizia  che  si  li  pilucca.* 
He  was  muttering  ;  and  I  know  not  what  methought 
I  heard  (about)  "  Gentucca  "  from  that  place  where  he 
was  feeling  the  wound  of  the  justice  that  so  consumes 
them. 

The  word  of  course  issued  from  his  mouth,  between 
his  teeth,  where  he  was  most  feeling  the  pangs  of 
starvation.  Although  Benvenuto  interprets  la  ove  as 
above,  he  thinks  it  might  also  refer  to  the  vicinity  of 
the  tree  and  the  sight  of  its  fruit. 

The  above  passage  about  Gentucca  is,  says  Scar- 
tazzini, like  many  in  the  Divina  Commedia,  one  that, 
obscure  in  itself,  has  been  rendered  much  more  so  by 
the  commentators.  Out  of  seventy  interpretations  of 
the  word  more  than  fifty  take  it  to  be  a  proper  name. 
Francesco  da  Buti  says:  "He formed  an  attachment  to 
a  gentle  lady  called  Madonna  Gentucca,  of  Rossimpelo, 
on  account  of  her  great  virtue  and  modesty,  and  not 
from  any  other  love.  Fraticelli  says  it  was  "  A  lady  of 
Lucca  with  whom  Dante  is  supposed  to  have  fallen  in 
love,  when  in  13 14  he  went  to  stay  with  his  friend 

*  U  pilucca:  piluccare  is  akin  to  the  German 
pull  grapes  ofT  a  bunch  one  by  one,  whence  it  mSi. 
sume  by  slow  degrees. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  171 

Uguccione  della  Fagiuola.  Benvenuto  and  the  Ot- 
timo  interpret  the  passage  differently,  making  gen- 
tucca  a  common  noun,  and  meaning  gente  bassa,  low 
people. 

Scartazzini  explains  it  categorically.  Dante  heard 
Bonagiunta  mutter  something,  and  the  only  word  he 
caught  was  Gentucca.  He  thereupon  begs  him  to 
speak  clearly,  so  that  he  can  understand  him. 
Bonagiunta  does  so,  telling  him  that  a  certain  lady  is 
already  born  who  will  make  him  find  Lucca  pleasant, 
though  he  had  before  uttered  great  abuse  against  it. 
The  inference  then  is,  that  Bonagiunta's  statement 
about  the  woman  of  Lucca  is  to  explain  what  he  had 
muttered,  when  Dante  had  only  heard  Gentucca.  If 
so,  Gentucca  is  the  name  of  the  woman.  Some  com- 
mentators contend  however  that  it  never  was  a 
woman's  name.  But  Troya  (  Veltro  di  Dante,  p.  142) 
tells  us  that,  at  that  time,  there  really  was  living  at 
Lucca  a  lady  so-called,  wife  of  Bernardo  Morla  degli 
Antelminelli  Allucinghi.  Carlo  Minutoli  {Dante  e  il 
suo  secolo,  p.  228)  says  that  it  is  proved  by  incon- 
testible  documents  that,  at  the  same  time,  there  was 
living  in  Lucca  another  lady  of  gentle  blood,  also 
called  Gentucca,  much  younger  than  the  other  one,  to 
whom  she  was  related.  This  last  Gentucca  was  the 
wife  of  Buonaccorso  di  Lazzaro  di  Fondora,  surnamed 
after  the  fashion  of  those  times  Coscio  or  Cosciorino. 
Scartazzini  then  says  :  "  Let  it  be  sufficient  for  us  to 
establish  the  following  points  :  i.  Gentucca  for  gen- 
tuccia,  gente  bassa,  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  works  of 
any  writer.  2.  It  is  proved  by  documents  that,  in  the 
time  of  Dante,  there  were  living  in  Lucca  two  women, 
not  of  low  birth,  of  the  name  of  Gentucca.    3.  If  Gen- 


172  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

tucca  was  a  proper  name  among  the  people  of  Lucca, 
then  the  assertion  of  some  commentators,  that  the 
Lucchesi  used  the  word  gentucca  to  mean  gente  bassa, 
is  most  improbable.  And  therefore  we  may  conclude 
that  Gentucca  is  the  name  of  a  woman,  who  gained 
the  affection  of  Dante  when  he  was  at  Lucca  in  13 14." 
Scartazzini  lays  great  stress  on  having  purposely  said 
affection  and  not  love,  for  he  is  convinced  that  Dante's 
love  for  Gentucca  was  in  no  sense  sinful,  but  a  love 
that  was  platonic,  pure,  holy,  and  removed  from  even 
a  thought  that  was  not  chaste  and  modest. 
.^   Dante  now  accosts  Bonagiunta  : 

"  O  anima  (diss'  io)  che  par  si  vaga*  40 

Di  parlar  meco,  fa  si  ch'  io  t'  intenda, 
E  te  e  me  col  tuo  parlare  appaga." — 

"  O  soul,"  said  I,  "  that  seemest  so  desirous  to  talk 
with  me,  do  so  that  I  can  understand  thee,  and 
thereby  make  both  thyself  and  me  content." 

Dante  leaves  one  to  suppose  that  Bonagiunta 
desired  to  speak  with  him  to  defend  Lucca,  his  native 
place,  from  the  bad  repute  in  which  Dante  held  it. 
Dante  now  says  to  him  in  so  many  words  :  "  It  may 
content  thee  to  mutter  through  thy  teeth,  but  I  pray 
thee  to  content  me  also  by  speaking  distinctly." 
Bonagiunta  answers  him  : 

"  Femmina  h  nata,  e  non  porta  ancor  benda, 
(Commincio  ei),  che  ti  fark  piacere 
La  mia  cittk,  come  ch'  uom  la  riprenda.  45 

"  A  woman  is  born,  and  wears  not  yet  the  wimple," 
{i.  e.,    is    unwedded)    he    began,    "  who    shall    make 

*  si  vaga  di  parlar  meco  :  compare  Par.  Ill,  34-5. 
"  Ed  io  air  ombra,  che  parea  piu  vaga 

Di  ragionar,  drizza'  mi,  e  comminciai." 


Canto  XXTV.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  173 

my  city  (Lucca)  please   thee,  howsoever  men   may 
blame  it. 

Some  have  thought  that  this  is  meant  as  a  side  hit  at 
Dante,  who  had  asserted  that  every  man  in  Lucca  was 
a  fraudulent  trafficker  in  public  offices,*  but  Scartaz- 
zini  says  that  in  the  year  1300,  in  which  Dante  pre- 
tends that  his  interview  with  Bonagiunta  took  place, 
he  could  not  have  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  latter 
words  referring  to  the  twenty-first  Canto  of  the  In- 
ferno, for  no  one  believes  that  that  Canto  had  then 
been  written.  Buti  thinks  it  is  simply  a  censure 
spoken  generally  of  the  evil  habits  and  words  of  the 
Lucchesi.  And  for  fear  his  words  should  have  been 
obscure  he  adds : 

Tu  te  n'  andrai  con  questo  antivedere  ; 

Se  nel  mio  mormorar  prendesti  errore, 
Dichiareranti  ancor  le  cose  vere. 

Thou  wilt  now  depart  with  this  prediction  ;  if  by 
my  muttering  thou  wast  led  into  error,  the  plain  facts 
will  hereafter  make  it  clear  to  thee. 

Benvenuto  notices  that,  whereas  Bonagiunta  had 
first  mentioned  Dante's  future  love,  he  now  speaks  to 
him  of  his  former  love,  for  he  knew  that  Dante  had 
been  wonderfully  in  love  {mirahiliter  inamoratus),  and 
had  composed  noble  love-songs. 

Ma  di'  s'  io  veggio  qui  colui  che  fuore 


*  See  Inf.  XXI,  38  :— 

"  Ecco  un  degli  anzian,  di  Santa  Zita  ; 
Mettetel  sotto,  ch'  io  tomo  per  anche 
A  quella  terra  ch'  io  n'  ho  ben  fomita  ; 

Ognun  v"  e  barratier,  fuor  che  Bonturo, 
Del  no  per  li  denar  vi  si  fa  ita." 


174  Readings  on  tlie  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Trasse  le  nuove  rime,*  cominciando  :  50 

Donne  che  avete  intelletto  d'  AmoreP — 

But  tell  me  if  I  here  see  him  who  produced  those 
new  fashioned  rhymes,  which  begin  : 

*  Ladies,  who  of  Love  have  knowledge,'  " 
Ed  io  a  lui : — "  lo  mi  son  un  che,  quando 
Amor  mi  spira,  noto,  ed  a  quel  modo 
Che  detta  dentro,  vo  significando." — t 

And  I  to  him  :  "  I  am  one  who,  whenever  Love  in- 
spires me,  note,  and,  in  that  fashion  that  he  (Love) 
dictates  within,  set  it  forth." 

Bonagiunta  replies. 

— "  O  frate,  issaj  veggio  (disse)  il  node  55 

*  le  nuove  rime:  Dante  was  the  first  to  write  sonnets  in 
which,  instead  of  the  conventional  love  of  which  other  poets 
had  sung,  he  elevated  love  as  one  of  the  most  noble,  pure  and 
lofty  feelings  of  the  soul.  The  line  quoted  here  is  the  first 
verse  of  a  canzone  in  the  Vita  Nuova.  Dante  evidently  con- 
sidered this  to  be  one  of  his  best  canzoni,  for  he  not  only 
quotes  it  here,  but  again  in  his  De  Vulg.  Eloq.  lib.  II, 
ch.  12. 

t  Compare  Balaam's  answer   to    Balak  {Numb.  XXII,  38). 
"  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Lo,  I  am  come  unto  thee  : 
have  I  now  any  power  at  all  to  say  anything';  the  word  that 
God  putteth  in  my  mouth,  that  shall  I  speak." 
Also  Chaucer,  Complaint  of  the  Blacke  Knight^  194. 
"  But  even  like  as  doth  a  scrivenere. 
That  can  no  more  tell  what  that  he  shall  write, 
But  as  his  master  beside  dothe  indite." 

X  issa  stands  for  adesso,  and  is  contracted  from  the  Latin  in 
ipsd  hord.     Compare  Inf.  XXIII,  7  : 

"  Che  piu  non  si  pareggia  mo  ed  ma." 
and  Inf  XXVII,  20-21  :— 

*'  che  parlavi  mo  lombardo 
Dicendo  :  Issa  ten  va,  piu  non  f  adizzoJ^ 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  175 

Che  il  Notaro,*  e  Guittone,t  e  me  ritenne 
Di  quk  dal  dolce  stil  nuovo  ch'  i'  odo. 

"  O  brother,"  said  he,  "  now  {issd)  do  I  see  the  im- 
pediment {lit,  knot)  that  held  back  the  notary,  and 
Guittone  and  myself  so  far  behind  [di  qua)  that  sweet 
new  style  which  I  hear. 

lo  veggio  ben  come  le  vostre  pennej 
Diretro  al  dittator  sen  vanno  strette, 
Che  delle  nostre  certo  non  avvenne.  60 

I  see  well  how  your  pens  follow  closely  after  him 
(Love)  who  dictates ;  and  this  certainly  was  not  so 
with  ours. 

E  qual  piu  a  riguardar  oltre  si  mette, 

Non  vede  piu  dall'  uno  all'  altro  stilo." — 
E  quasi  contentato  si  tacette. 

And  he  who  sets  himself  to  look  beyond  this  can 
no  longer  discern  the  slightest  comparison  between 
the  one  style  and  the  other."  And,  as  if  satisfied,  he 
held  his  peace. 

*  il  Notaro :  This  is  Jacopo  da  Lentino,  known  as  il  Notajo. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  a  Sicilian  poet.  Although  Dante  seems 
here  to  censure  his  school,  as  antiquated,  he  did  not  the  less 
give  him  the  credit  of  being  one  of  the  most  elegant  poets  of 
his  time,  and  in  De  Vulg.  Eloq.  lib.  I,  ch.  12,  he  quotes  a 
sonnet  by  Jacopo  beginning  :  " Madonna  dir  vi  voglto" 

t  Fra  Guittone  d'  Arezzo  was  one  of  the  Frati  Gaudenti 
mentioned  in  Inf.  XXIII.  He  first  brought  the  Italian  sonnet 
into  the  perfect  form  that  it  has  since  preserved,  and  he  left 
behind  him  the  earliest  specimens  of  Italian  letter  writing. 

:|:  le  vostre  penne :  Bonagiunta  means  the  pens  of  the  more 
modern  sonneteers,  such  as  Dante,  Guido  Cavalcanti,  Cino  da 
Pistoja  and  others,  compared  with  whose  style  he  felt  that  of 
himself  and  his  contemporaries  was  indeed  cold.  No  one  can 
write  love-sonnets  with  any  poetic  fire,  without  experience  of 
the  passion. 


1/6  Readmgs  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Bonagiunta  means  that  the  later  style  adopted  by- 
Dante,  Guido  Cavajcanti,  and  the  others  was  so  vastly 
superior.  Or  the  passage  may  be  translated  ac- 
cording to  Buti  :  "  cannot  see  any  further  difference 
between  thy  mode  of  writing  and  ours  than  this, 
namely,  that  thou  followest  closely  the  inspiration  of 
the  mind,  and  we  take  a  much  wider  range." 

Others  read  a  gradire  oltre :  "  Whoever  sets  him- 
self to  give  greater  pleasure  in  the  world,  in  fact,  to  try 
and  please  everybody,"  but  Scartazzini  says  that,  which- 
ever of  the  two  readings  one  takes,  the  meaning  must 
always  remain  doubtful  and  obscure.  For  the  reading 
a  riguardar  oltre,  there  is  the  MS.  authority  of  the 
Santa  Croce,  Berlin,  Caetani,  and  Cassinese  and  other 
Codices,  and  the  early  editions  of  Foligno,  Jesi,  and 
Naples,  of  the  commentaries  of  Lana,  Buti,  Landino, 
Vellutello,  Brunone  Bianchi,  and  Witte.  For  the  read- 
ing a  gradire  there  is  the  MS.  authority  of  the  Vatican 
and  Vienna  Codices,  the  printed  editions  of  Mantua, 
Aldine,  Crusca,  and  others,  and  of  the  commentators 
Anonimo  Fiorentino,  Daniello,  Venturi,  Lombardi, 
Costa,  Camerini,  and  others.  Benvenuto  reads  a 
guardare.  Scartazzini  says  he  hazards  a  conjecture 
that  both  readings  may  have  been  altered  from  a 
reading  for  which  there  is  no  authority,  but  which 
would  remove  all  difficulty : 

E  qiial  piu  a  gradire  altri  si  mette 
"  And  whoever  any  longer  sets  about  pleasing  others." 
He  comments  on  this  supposed  reading  by  saying 
that  the  school  of  poets,  previous  to  Guinicelli,  was 
servilely  Provengalesque,  obeying  the  conventional, 
and  being  a  perfect  slave  to  the  fashion.  Dante 
has  just  told  Bonagiunta  that  he,  for  his  part,  does 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  ott  the  Piirgatorio.  177 

not  care  for  conventional  poetry,  but  writes  his 
poetry  according  to  the  inspiration  of  his  heart, 
according  to  what  Love  dictates  within  it.  And 
Bonagiunta  would  answer  :  "  Now  can  I  perceive  the 
difference  between  your  modern  school  and  our 
ancient  school.  I  see  how  far  behind  we  were. 
Your  pens  followed  the  inspiration  of  Love,  ours  the 
fashion  or  tradition.  And  whoever  any  longer,  after 
that  you  have  entered  upon  this  new  way,  sets  about 
pleasing  anyone  else  than  Love  who  dictates,  that  is, 
whoever  would  continue  to  follow  our  older  school, 
would  prove  himself  a  fool,  who  did  not  know  how  to 
discern  the  differences  between  the  one  style  and  the 
other." 

The  alteration  of  altri  into  oltre  in  the  Codices 
would  have  been  quite  easy. 

Benvenuto  thinks  that  Bonagiunta  looked  so 
pleased  with  himself,  because  he  had  so  well  explained 
the  true  state  of  the  case.  Dante,  having  now  ended  his 
conversation  with  Bonagiunta,  describes  the  departure 
of  the  band  of  spirits,  by  one  of  his  beautiful  similes. 

Come  gli  augei*  che  veman  lungo  il  Nilo 

Alcuna  volta  di  lor  fanno  schiera  65 

Poi  volan  piu  in  fretta  e  vanno  in  filo  ; 


*4  Compare  Inf.  V,  40-47: — 

"  E  come  gli  stomei  ne  portan  1'  all 

Nel  freddo  tempo,  a  schiera  larga  e  plena  ; 
Cosi  quel  fiato  gli  spiriti  mali 
Di  quk,  di  \\  di  giii,  di  su  gli  mena  ; 
Nulla  speranza  gli  conforta  mai, 
Non  che  di  posa,  ma  di  minor  pena. 
E  come  i  gru  van  cantando  lor  lai, 

Facendo  in  aer  di  s^  lunga  riga,  &c. 
u  u 


1/8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Cos!  tutta  la  gente  che  li  era, 

Volgendo  il  viso,  raffretto  suo  passo, 
E  per  magrezza  e  per  voler  leggiera. 

As  the  birds  (cranes),  that  winter  along  the  Nile, 
at  one  time  will  form  themselves  into  a  flock,  then 
will  fly  more  in  haste  and  go  in  file  ;  so  did  all 
the  folk  that  were  there  turn  their  heads  round,  and 
hurry  on  their  steps,  light  both  by  leanness  and  by 
will. 


Division  III.  In  this  division  Dante  resumes  the 
conversation  with  Forese,  which  his  interview  with 
Bonagiunta  had  interrupted.  Forese  predicts  the 
death  of  his  own  brother,  Corso  de'  Donati. 

Dante  begins  by  telling  us  that  Forese  did  not  go 
on  with  the  other  shades,  because  he  had  been  running 
for  a  long  time  before,   and  was  tired.     Benvenuto 
thinks  he  may  have  been  out  of  breath  with  talking. 
E  come  1'  uom  che  di  trottare  h  lasso  70 

Lascia  andar  li  compagni,  e  si  passeggia 
Fin  che  si  sfoghi  1'  afFoUar  del  casso  ;* 

Compare  also  in  Purg.  II,  124-132,  the  obedient  departure 
of  the  spirits  on  the  rebuke  of  Cato. 

"  Come  quando,  cogliendo  biada  o  loglio, 
Gli  colombi  adunati  alia  pastura, 
Queti  senza  mostrar  1'  usato  orgoglio, 
Se  cosa  appare  ond'  egli  abbian  paura, 
Subitamente  lasciano  star  1'  esca, 
Perch^  assaliti  son  di  maggior  cura." 
*  r  affollar  del  casso :  affollare  is  derived  iroxa.  folio,  a  bellows  ; 
and  the  verb  refers  to  the  act  of  drawing  in,  and  expelling  the 
air  from  the  lungs.     Casso  comes  from  the  Latin  capsus  a  recep- 
tacle, and  here  has  the  sense  of  the  chest,  thorax. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readitigs  on  the  Purgatorio.  179 

Si  lascio  trapassar  la  santa  greggia 
Forese,  e  dietro  meco  sen  veniva, 
Dicendo  : — "  Quando  fia  ch'  io  ti  riveggia  ?" —    75 
And  as  a  man  who  is  wearied  with  running  lets  his 
companions  pass  on,  and  so  walks  until  the  heaving  of 
his  chest  is  allayed  ;  so  did  Forese  allow  that  holy 
throng  to  pass  before,   and  walked  behind  with  me 
and  said  :  "  When  shall  I  ever  see  thee  again  ? " 

Dante  tells  Forese  that  the  sooner  the  time  comes 
for  him  to  die,  and  pass  into  Purgatory,  the  better  he 
will  be  pleased,  foreseeing,  as  he  does,  the  misfortunes 
that  are  hanging  over  Florence. 

— "  Non  so  (rispos'  io  lui)  quant'  io  mi  viva  ; 

Ma  gik  non  fia  il  tomar  mio  tanto  tosto, 
Ch'  io  non  sia  col  voler  prima  alia  riva. 
"  I  know  not,"  answered  I  him,  "  how  long  I  may 
live ;   but  anyhow  my  return  here    (after  my  death) 
cannot  be  so  quick  but  that  I  shall  reach  the  shore  (of 
Purgatory)  by  my  will  still  sooner." 

He  means  that  his  desire  to  quit  the  world  of  vexa- 
tion and  sorrow  was  probably  far  in  advance  of  the 
mandate  of  God  for  his  departure,  "  And  I  said.  Oh 
that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove !  for  then  would  I  fly 
away  and  be  at  rest."  {Ps.  LV,  6) 

Pero  che  il  luogo,  u'  fui  a  viver  posto, 

Di  giomo  in  giomo  piu  di  ben  si  spolpa,  80 

E  a  trista  ruina  par  disposto." — 
Because    the    place,     where    I    was    set    to    live 
(i.e.,  Florence)  is  day  by  day  more  deprived  of  good, 
and  seems  prepared  for  sad  ruin." 
.      By  way  of  consoling  Dante,  Forese  now  tells  him 
\that  the  swift  retribution  of  God  will  soon  fall  on  him, 
^  who  is  the  chief  cause  of  this  evil  at  Florence,  meaning 
/  his  own  brother  Corso  de'  Donati.     Benvenuto  says 
L_  UU2 


l8o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

that,  as  the  next  few  lines  will  appear  to  many  very 
obscure,  it  must  be  understood  that  Corso,  a  soldier 
tried  in  arms,  in  skill  and  in  bravery,  had  been 
restored  to  power  in  Florence,  as  chief  of  the  Neri,  by 
Charles  de  Valois  (Sans  Terre,  Carolum  sine  terra). 
He  had  annihilated  the  Bianchi,  at  a  time  when  they 
were  at  the  zenith  of  their  power  and  prosperity. 
His  arrogance,  however,  and  the  state  he  kept,  made 
him  an  object  of  suspicion  to  his  colleagues  in  the 
Signorla,  and  he  fell  into  bad  odour  even  among  his 
own  adherents,  partly  because  they  felt  that  he  seemed 
more  their  lord  than  their  comrade.  Benvenuto  has 
here  an  inconsistency,  leaving  it  doubtful  whether 
Corso  was  father-in-law  or  son-in-law  of  Uguccione 
della  Faggiuola.  First  he  says  of  Corso  "  sed precipiie 
odiosus  populo,  quia  f actus  fuerat  socer  Ugucionis  de 
fagiola  domini  Pisarum  potentissimi  hostis  Jlorenti- 
norum."  Lower  down,  speaking  of  Corso's  despair  at 
the  expected  reinforcements  from  Uguccione  not  arriv- 
ing, he  says :  "  tandem  destitutus  sperato  auxilio  soceri, 
deseruit  domos,  etc."  Benvenuto  goes  on  to  say  that 
being  captured  and  on  his  way  back  to  Florence,  he 
tried  to  escape  by  setting  spurs  to  his  horse,  but  that 
either  by  accident  or  design  he  let  himself  fall  from 
the  saddle,  and  was  dragged  a  long  way,  till  at  last 
a  soldier  struck  him  on  the  head  and  killed  him. 

Giovanni  Villani  {lib.  VHI,  c.  96)  tells  the  story 
somewhat  differently  from  the  account  given  by  Dante. 
He  says  that,  "  being  accused  of  treason,  in  less  than 
an  hour,  without  giving  a  longer  time  for  the  trial, 
Messer  Corso  was  condemned  as  a  rebel  and  traitor 
to  the  commonwealth,  and  the  priori  at  once  carried 
the  standard  of  justice  with  the  Podesta,  the  captain. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  i8i 

and  the  executioner,  ....  to  go  to  the  houses 
inhabited  by  Messer  Corso  to  carry  out  the  execution." 
Corso  defended  himself  all  day  like  the  gallant  knight 
that  he  was,  confiding  in  succour  from  Uguccione 
della  Faggiuola,  "and  the  battle  lasted  most  of  the 
day,  and  was  so  fierce  that,  notwithstanding  all  the 
power  of  the  people,  if  the  reinforcements  expected 
from  Uguccione  and  other  friends  in  the  district  had 
arrived  in  time,  the  people  of  Florence  would  have 
had  enough  to  do  that  day."  But  the  succours  did 
not  arrive,  and  Corso  was  obliged  to  take  to  flight. 
"  Messer  Corso,  departing  quite  alone,  was  overtaken 
and  captured  near  Rovezzano  by  certain  Catalonian 
troopers,  and  as  they  led  him  to  Florence,  when  they 

drew  near  to  San  Salvi Messer  Corso,  for 

fear  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  being 
put  to  death  by  the  people,  suffering  terribly  as  he 
was  from  gout  in  his  hands  and  feet,  let  himself  fall 
from  his  horse.  The  Catalonians  seeing  him  on  the 
ground,  one  of  them  thrust  his  lance  through  his  throat, 
wounding  him  mortally  and  left  him  for  dead:  the 
monks  of  the  said  Monastery  carried  him  into  the 
Abbey,  and  some  say  that  before  dying  he  gave  him- 
self up  to  them  in  penitence,  while  others  maintain 
that  they  found  him  dead,  and  the  next  day  he  was 
buried  at  San  Salvi,  with  little  honour  and  small 
attendance,  as  people  were  afraid  of  getting  into  bad 
odour  with  the  authorities." 

Scartazzini  says  that  it  is  impossible  to  deny  cre- 
dence to  the  account  of  Villani,  who,  on  the  15th 
September,  when  this  occurred,  was  actually  in 
Florence,  and  was  to  a  certain  extent  an  eye-witness 
of  these  events.     Dante,  on  the  other  hand,  was  far 


1 82  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

away  in  exile,  one  does  not  know  for  certain  where, 
and  would  receive  the  intelligence  at  second  or  third 
hand.  It  is  quite  easy  to  suppose  that  the  account  of 
the  simple  fall  of  Corso  from  his  horse,  as  related  by 
Villani,  would  be  magnified  little  by  little  into  his 
having  been  dragged  by  the  stirrup.  Dante  must  have 
written  in  perfect  good  faith,  but  from  erroneous 
information. 

"  Or  va  (diss'  ei),  ch^  quei  che  piii  n'  ha  colpa 
Vegg'  io  a  coda  d'  una  bestia*  tratto 
In  ver  la  valle,t  ove  mai  non  si  scolpa. 

"Go  thy  way  now,"  said  he,  "for  I  can  see  him, 
(Corso)  who  is  most  to  blame  for  it  {i.e.  the  misfortunes 
of  Florence),  dragged  at  the  tail  of  a  beast  towards  the 
valley,  where  never  more  can  sins  be  forgiven. 

The  full  meaning  of  this  passage  is  :  "I  see  the  horse 
dragging  Corso  to  his  death,  after  which  his  soul  will 
have  to  go  to  Hell,  whence  there  is  no  redemption." 
The  horse  is  dragging  him  to  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow 
of  Death. 

*  Benvenuto  gives  the  following  double  interpretation:  ^^Vegg'io 
quel  che  piii  vcC  ha  colpa,  scilicet,  fratrem  meum,  tratto  a  coda 
(f  una  bestia,  scilicet,  ab  equo,  deinde  a  daemone,  invir  la  valle, 
primo  Arnalem,  deinde  infernalem." 

Francesco  da  Buti  also  says  that  bestia  must  be  understood  in 
a  double  sense,  literal  and  allegorical,  bestia  meaning  the 
devil ;  but  Scartazzini  takes  bestia  in  the  literal  sense  as  the 
horse. 

+  In  ver  la  valle:  This  is  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death, 
or  Hell. 

See  Inf.  IV,  7-8: —       "in  su  la  proda  mi  trovai 

Delia  valle  d'  abisso  dolorosa." 
andPar.  XVII,  137:—  , 

"  Nel  monte,  e  nella  valle  dolordsa." 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  tite  Purgatorio.  183 

The  description  is  continued  : — 

La  bestia  ad  ogni  passo  va  piu  ratto,  85 

Crescendo  sempre,  infin  ch'  ella  il  percuote, 
E  lascia  il  corpo  vilmente  disfatto. 

The  beast  at  every  bound  goes  faster  and  faster, 
increasing  his  speed  [understand  nel  moto  after  cres- 
cendo]  until  it  tramples  on  him,  and  leaves  the  body 
hideously  mutilated. 

And  he  adds  that  this  will  soon  take  place. 

Non  hanno  molto  a  volger  quelle  ruote, 

(E  drizzo  gli  occhi  al  ciel)  che  ti  fia  chiaro 

Cio  che  il  mio  dir  piu  dichiarar  non  puote.  90 

Those  spheres  have  not  much  to  revolve,"  and  he 
turned  his  eyes  to  the  heaven,  "  before  that  which  my 
speech  no  farther  may  explain  will  be  made  quite  clear 
to  you. 

He  means  that  many  years  will  not  elapse  from 
1300,  the  date  of  their  supposed  interview,  and  1308, 
l/when  Corso  did  actually  die.  Forese  then  explains 
to  Dante  that  he  can  no  longer  accommodate  his  pace 
to  Dante's,  but  must  resume  his  penance  of  rapid 
running,  which  his  conversation  was  interrupting. 

Tu  ti  rimani  omai,  che  il  tempo  e  caro 
In  questo  regno  si  ch'  io  perdo  troppo 
Venendo  teco  si  a  pare  a  pare." — 

Now  stay  thou  behind,  for  in  this  kingdom  (Pur- 
gatory) time  is  so  precious  that  I  lose  too  much  in 
going  side  by  side  with  thee." 

Forese's  departure  is  described  by  a  beautiful 
simile, 

Qual  esce  alcuna  volta  di  galoppo 

Lo  cavalier  di  schiera  che  cavalchi,  95 

E  va  per  farsi  onor  del  prime  intoppo, 


1 84  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Tal  si  parti  da  noi  con  maggior  valchi  ;* 
Ed  io  rimasi  in  via  con  esso  i  due,t 
Che  fur  del  mondo  si  gran  maliscalchi^ 

Like  a  cavalier  sometimes  issues  at  a  gallop 
from  a  troop  of  horsemen,  and  goes  to  do  himself 
honour  at  the  first  encounter,  so  did  he  (Forese)  depart 
from  us  with  greater  strides :  and  I  was  left  in  the 
path  with  those  two  (Virgil  and  Statins),  who  were 
such  mighty  marshals  of  the  world. 


Division  IV.  In  this  Division  of  the  Canto  Dante 
describes  a  second  tree,  under  which  the  gluttonous 
have  to  suffer  further  pangs  of  hunger  and  thirst,  but 
first  he  tells  us  how  Forese  passed  on  out  of  sight. 

E  quando  innanzi  a  noi  entrato||  fue  loo 

Che  gli  occhi  miei  si  fero  a  lui  seguaci, 
Come  la  mente  alle  parole  sue, 

*  valchi:  from  valco  or  T/«r<r^  derived  from  varcare,  varicare, 
valcare,  valicare.  Akin  to  the  English  "  walk  "  and  the  German 
"  wallen."     Valco  means  a  step,  a  pace. 

t  con  esso  i  due :  Blanc  {  Voc.  Dant.)  says  "  Sometimes  this 
pronoun  (esso)  seems  to  have  no  other  duty  than  that  of  giving 
greater  precision  to  the  image,  and  then  it  is  always  placed 
between  the  preposition  and  the  substantive  without  taking  the 
gender  of  the  latter." 

X  gran  maliscalchi:  Great  Masters,  first  in  the  matter  of 
knowledge.     Marescalco  means  the  governor  of  a  province. 

Blanc  explains  the  word  as  magister  equorum,  from  tndhre  a 
mare  and  schalk  a  servant.  In  Danish  and  Norwegian  too  we 
find  7ncer  a  mare,  and  skalk  a  rogue. 

II  Entrare  innanzi  is  the  same  as  passare  oltre,  and  is  used 
in  that  sense  by  Boccaccio,  in  the  Decameron,  g.  V,  nov.  7  : 
"  Pietro  che  giovane  era,  e  la  fanciulla  similemente  avanzavano 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.  185 

Parvermi  i  rami  gravidi  e  vivaci 

D'  un  altro  pomo,  e  non  molto  lontani, 

Per  esser  pure  allora  volto  in  Ikci.  105 

And  when  he  (Forese)  had  passed  on  so  far  in  front 
of  us,  that  my  eyes  had  to  go  in  pursuit  of  him  as  my 
mind  did  of  his  words,  there  appeared  to  me  the  laden 
and  luxuriant  boughs  of  another  fruit  tree,  and  not 
very  far  off,  for  I  had  only  just  then  turned  in  that 
direction. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  poets  were  walking 
in  circles  round  the  cornices,  so  that,  as  they  rounded 
the  base  of  the  cliff,  they  found  this  new  tree  quite 
close  to  them. 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  shades  of  the  gluttonous 
are  punished  between  these  two  trees,  but  the  second 
tree  seems  to  give  more  torment  than  the  other, 
perhaps  because  the  first  tormented  them  as  to 
quantity,  and  the  second  as  to  the  quality  of  the  food 
and  water  that  tempted  their  appetites  (forte  quia 
prima  punit  in  quanto,  secunda  in  quali) ;  or,  because 
the  first  punished  the  eaters,  and  the  second  the 
drinkers,  who,  being  the  greater  sinners,  have  the 
greater  torment,  as  will  now  be  seen. 
Vidi  gente  sott'  esso  alzar  le  mani, 

E  gridar  non  so  che  verso  le  fronde, 
Quasi  bramosi  fantolini*  e  vani, 

nello  andare  la  madre  di  lei  e  1'  altre  compagne  assai  .  .  .  .  et 
essendo  gik  tanto  entrati  innanzi  alia  donna  et  agli  altri  che 
appena  si  vedevano,"  &c. 

*  fantolini:  compare  Purg.  XXX,  43-5  : — 
"  Volsimi  alia  sinistra  col  respitto 

Col  quale  il  fantolin  corre  alia  mamma, 
Quando  ha  paura  o  quando  egli  h  afflitto." 


lS6  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Che  pregano,  e  il  pregato  non  risponde  ; 

Ma  per  fare  esser  ben  la  voglia  acuta,  i  lo 

Tien  alto  lor  disio  e  nol  nasconde. 
Beneath  it  I  saw  folk  raising  their  hands,  and  crying 
I  know  not  what  towards  the  branches,  just  as  little 
children  are  wont  to  beg  eagerly  and  in  vain,  and  he  to 
whom  they  pray  answers  not ;  but,  in  order  to  sharpen 
the  edge  of  their  wish,  he  holds  on  high  (the  object  of) 
their  desire,  and  conceals  it  not. 

Benvenuto  says  that  gluttonous  people  are  like 
children  in  their  senseless  eagerness  for  some  new 
food,  and  if  they  do  not  get  what  they  want,  they  at 
once  suffer  acutely,  and  indeed  appear  to  suffocate  and 
die  like  pregnant  women. 

Poi  si  parti  si  come  ricreduta  ; 

E  noi  venimmo  al  grande  arbore  ad  esso,* 
Che  tanti  prieghi  e  lagrime  rifiuta. 
Then   they   departed    as    if  undeceived ;    and   we 
straightway  came  up  to  the  great  tree,  which  is  deaf  to 
so  many  prayers  and  tears. 

From  this  tree  also  a  voice  is  heard. 

Trapassate  oltre  senza  farvi  pressoj  1 1 5 

Legno  e  pUi  su  che  fu  morso  da  Eva^ 
E  questa  pianta  si  levb  da  esso. 

^\ 
*  ad^sso :  from  the  Latin  ad  ipsum  scilicet  tempus.      Scar- 

tazzini  remarks  that  some,  being  ignorant  of  the  true  force  of 
this  word  among  old  writers,  altered  it  into  ad  esso.  But  Rosa 
Morando  {Div.  Com.  Venez.  1757,  vol.  Ill,  Append,  p.  34), 
shows  this  to  be  a  false  reading,  and  remarks  that  were  it  to  be 
adopted  the  word  esso  would  be  used  twice  as  a  rhyme,  and 
adds  that  the  same  words  cannot  be  repeated  in  rhyme  when 
bearing  the  same  sense  except  in  cases  like  that  in  Purg. 
XX,  65,  where  the  repetition,  three  times  over,  of  the  sen- 
tence per  ainmenda  gives  much  greater  force  and  fiery  elo- 
quence to  the  irony. 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  1 87 

Si  tra  le  frasche  non  so  chi  diceva  ; 

Per  che  Virgilio  e  Stazio  ed  io  ristretti, 

Oltre  andavam  dal  lato  che  si  leva.  1 20 

"  Pass  on  your  way  without  approaching ;  higher 
up  (in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise)  there  is  the  tree  that 
was  eaten  of  by  Eve*  and  this  plant  was  reared 
from  it."  Thus  spoke,  I  know  not  who,  among  the 
boughs  :  whereupon  Virgil  and  Statins,  and  I,  draw- 
ing close  together,  went  further  on  the  side  that 
rises. 

They  passed  to  the  left  of  the  tree,  on  that  side  of 
the  way  where  was  the  perpendicular  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  voice  continues  to  give  further  instances 
of  gluttony. 

— "  Ricordivi  (dicea)  del  maledetti 

Nei  nuvoli  formati,  che  satoUi 
T^seo  combatter  coi  doppi  petti ; 
E  degli  Ebrei  ch'  al  ber  si  mostrar  molli, 

Per  che  non  gli  ebbe  Gedeon  compagni,  125 

Quando  inver  Madidn  discese  i  colli." — 

"  Bethink  ye,"  said  (the  voice),   "  of  the  accursed 

*  It  was  in  the  original  Terrestrial  Paradise  that  the  first  law 
of  abstinence  was  placed,  and  it  was  broken.  These  examples 
are  uttered  here  as  checks  upon  gluttony ;  of  which  the  first 
example  is  that  of  Eve,  who,  from  the  desire  of  eating  an  apple, 
brought  death  upon  the  human  race.  The  first  tree  announced 
the  example  of  the  temperance  of  Mary  {Purg.  XXII,  142)  ; 
this  second  tree  cites  the  intemperance  of  Eve.  Compare 
Purg.  XXIX,  23-27  :— 

"  onde  buon  zelo 
Mi  fe'  riprender  1'  ardimento  d'  Eva, 
.  Che,  Ik  dove  ubbidia  la  terra  e  il  cielo, 
Femmina  sola,  e  pur  test^  formata, 
Non  sofferse  di  star  sotto  alcun  velo." 


1 88  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

ones  (the  Centaurs),  formed  in  the  clouds,  who  inebriate 
fought  against  Theseus  with  their  double  breasts  * 

[Having  given  an  example  of  the  evil  effects  of 
immoderate  drinking,  Dante  introduces  a  story  from 
Jewish  History  of  the  men  who  drank  immoderately 
of  water,  as  a  lesson  that  moderation  is  to  be  practised 
even  in  those  things  that  are  not  of  themselves 
hurtful] 

And  (bethink  ye)  of  the  Hebrews  who  showed 
themselves  luxurious  in  drinking  {i.e.,  lay  flat  down  to 

*  The  Centaurs  are  said  to  have  been  the  progeny  of  Ixion 
and  the  cloud  Nephele,  to  whom  Jupiter  had  given  the  ap- 
pearance  of  Juno,  beloved   by    Ixion.     They   were  half  men 
and  half  horses,  for  which    reason    Dante    speaks   of  their 
double  breasts.    Being  invited  by  their  neighbours,  the  Lapithae, 
to  the  nuptials  of  Pirithous  and  Hippodamia,  and  becoming 
drunk,  they  attempted  to  carry  off  the   bride,  and   the  other 
women.     They  were  opposed  by  Theseus    and   the    Lapithae, 
who  defeated  them  and  slew  a  great  number  of  them.     The 
battle  is  described  by  Ovid  {Met.  XII,  219-229),  Dryden's  trans. 
"  For  one,  most  brutal  of  the  brutal  brood, 
Or  whether  wine  or  beauty  fired  his  blood, 
Or  both  at  once,  beheld  with  lustful  eyes 
The  bride  ;  at  once  resolved  to  make  his  prize 
Down  went  the  board  ;  and  fastening  on  her  hair. 
He  seized  with  sudden  force  the  frighted  fair. 
'Twas  Eurytus  began  :  his  bestial  kind 
His  crime  pursued  ;  and  each,  as  pleased  his  mind, 
Or  her  whom  chance  presented,  took  :  the  feast 
An  image  of  a  taken  town  expressed. 

The  cave  resounds  with  female  shrieks  ;  we  rise, 
Mad  with  revenge,  to  make  a  swift  reprise  : 
And  Theseus  first,  '  What  frenzy  has  possessed, 
O  Eurytus,'  he  cried,  '  thy  brutal  breast. 
To  wrong  Pirithous,  and  not  him  alone. 
But,  while  I  live,  two  friends  conjoined  in  one .'' '  " 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  189 

drink),  on  which  account  Gideon*  would  not  have 
them  for  companions,  when  he  descended  the  hills 
towards  Midian." 

Si,  accostati  all'  un  de'  due  vivagni, 

Passammo,  udendo  colpe  della  gola, 

Seguite  gik  da  miseri  guadagni. 

Thus  closely  skirting  one  of  the  two  edges  {i.e.,  the 
inside  one),  we  passed  on,  hearing  of  the  faults  of 
gluttony,  which  are  already  followed  by  a  woeful 
retribution  {lit.  wretched  gains). 


Division  V.  In  the  Fifth  and  concluding  Division 
of  the  Canto,  Dante  relates  how  an  Angel  purified  him 
from  the  sin  of  gluttony. 

The  three  poets  are  walking  on  side  by  side,  but 
apart,  in  profound  meditation  and  silence. 

Poi,  rallargatit  per  la  strada  sola,  130 

Ben  mille  passi  e  piu  ci  portar  oltre, 
Contemplando  ciascun  senza  parola. 

*  Gedeon.  S&t  Judges  VII,  5-6  :  "  So  he  brought  the  people 
down  unto  the  water  :  and  the  Lord  said  unto  Gideon,  Every 
one  that  lappeth  water  with  his  tongue,  as  a  dog  lappeth,  him 
shalt  thou  set  by  himself;  likewise  every  one  that  boweth  down 
upon  his  knees  to  drink.  And  the  number  of  them  that  lapped, 
putting  their  hand  to  their  mouth,  were  three  hundred  men  : 
but  all  the  rest  of  the  people  bowed  down  upon  their  knees  to 
drink  water." 

Scartazzini  denies  this  to  be  a  happy  example  of  immoderate 
drinking,  and  says  he  does  not  think  that  his  profound  rever- 
ence for  the  lofty  Bard  forbids  him  making  such  a  criticism. 

t  rallargati:  Blanc  {Voc.  Dant.)  says  of  this  word,  that  it  is 
only  used  as  a  participle  in  this  one  passage  in  the  Divina 


190  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Then,  spreading  out  along  the  lonely  road,  we 
advanced  a  good  thousand  and  more  paces  further, 
each  in  contemplation,  without  a  word. 

Benvenuto  thinks  that  their  meditations  were  to 
prepare  their  minds  for  the  subject  they  were  about 
to  discuss  in  Canto  XXV,  which  is  very  profound,  so 
that  to  elucidate  it,  the  three  worked  together,  Virgil 
representing  the  natural,  Statius  the  moral,  and  Dante 
the  divine  intelligence.  Benvenuto  adds :  "  In  the 
whole  Commedia  you  will  find  but  few  cantos  more 
difficult  to  understand  (than  Canto  XXV)." 

Their  contemplations  are  interrupted  by  a  new 
voice.  ■  ' 

— "  Che  andate  pensando  si  vol  sol  tre  ? " — 
Subita  voce  disse  ;  ond'  io  mi  scossi, 
Come  fan  bestie  spaventate  e  poltre.*  135 

"What  go  ye  three  alone  thus  thinking  about?" 

Commedia,  and  it  means  :  "  One  who  finds  himself  at  large  on 
a  road  not  restrained  by  any  obstacle."  Benvenuto  explains  the 
full  force  of  the  word  by  showing  that,  before,  they  had  been 
obliged  to  walk  close  along  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  but,  now  that 
they  had  left  the  tree  behind  them,  they  could  again  walk  freely 
in  the  middle  of  the  cornice.  Fraticelli  says  that  rallargati 
means  "walking  with  a  certain  space  between  each  pair  of 
them,"  and  that  they  were  no  longer  ristretti  insieme. 

*  Benvenuto  takes  poltre  to  be  for  polledre  {idest,  pullce), 
and  translates  "  Hke  fools,"  adding  that  the  comparison  is  ex- 
ceedingly appropriate,  for  it  is  as  though  Dante  would  avow  him- 
self to  be  young  and  inexperienced,  whereas  his  companions 
were  men  of  years  {antiqut)  and  of  vast  experience.  Most  com- 
mentators, however,  take  poltre  in  the  sense  that  poltro  is  the 
positive  of  the  comparative  poltrone,  lazy,  sleepy,  torpid,  and 
the  passage  would  imply  that  animals  are  suddenly  startled, 
mentre  poltriscono,  while  in  a  torpid  state.     Compare  the  fol- 


Canto  XXIV.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  191 

said  a  voice  suddenly  ;  whereat  I  started,  as  do  terrified 
and  timid  beasts, 

Dante  looks  up  and  sees  that  it  is  an  Angel  who 
has  addressed  them. 

Drizzai  la  testa  per  veder  chi  fossi  ;* 
E  giammai  non  si  videro  in  fomace 
Vetri  o  metalli  si  lucenti  e  rossi, 
Com'  io  vidi  un  che  dicea  : — "  Se  a  vol  place 

Montare  in  su,  qui  si  convien  dar  volta  ;  140 

Quinci  si  va  chi  vuole  andar  per  pace." — 

I  raised  my  head  to  see  who  this  might  be  ;  and 
never  in  a  furnace  were  there  seen  glass  or  metals  so 
glowing  and  so  ruddy,  as  one  I  beheld,  who  said :  "  If 
it  is  your  pleasure  to  mount  upward,  it  is  here  that  one 
must  turn  ;  this  way  passes  he  who  would  go  after 
peace." 

They  have  now  come   to   the  end   of  the   Sixth 

lowing  two  passages  from   Ariosto.      In  the  first  {Orl.  Fur. 
XXIII,  St.  90),  he  Xakts  poltra  in  the  sense  of  polledra. 
"  La  bestia  ch'  era  spaventosa  e  poltra, 

Senza  guardarsi  ai  pi^,  corre  a  traverse." 
In  the  second  {Sat.  IV,  ad  Annibale  Malaguzzo,  v.  49,  &c.)  he 
gives  the  sense  oi poltrone. 

"  E  piu  mi  piace  di  posar  le  poltre 
Membra,  che  di  vantarle  che  a  gli  Sciti 
Sian  state,  a  gl'  Indi,  a  gU  Etiopi,  ed  oltre." 

*  Fossi:  In  early  times  the  third  person  singular  of  the  im- 
perfect subjunctive,  which  ends  in  e  ended  in  i.     Comp.  Inf. 

IV,  64  :- 

"  Non  lasciavdm  1'  andar  perch'  ei  dtcessi." 

and  IX,  60 :  — 

"  Che  con  le  sue  ancor  non  mi  chiudessi." 
and   Vita  di  Cola  di  Renzo,  Cap.  XXXVII  :  "Vestiva  panni 
com^fussi  un  asinino  tiranno."    Therefore  Scartazzini  maintains 
that  it  is  not  a  poetical  license  taken  by  Dante  to  suit  the 
rhyme,  but  a  regular  termination  of  the  time,  now  obsolete. 


192  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIV. 

Cornice,  and  this  shining  one  is  the  Angel  pointing 
out  to  them  the  stairway  leading  to  the  Seventh. 
Dante  is  so  dazzled  by  the  radiance  of  the  Angel, 
that  his  eyes  refuse  their  office,  and  he  is  obliged  to 
have  recourse  to  his  guides. 

L'  aspetto  suo  m'  avea  la  vista  tolta  : 

Per  ch'  io  mi  volsi  retro  a'  miei  dottori, 
Com'  uom  che  va  secondo  ch'  egli  ascolta. 
His  aspect  had  bereft  me  of  my  sight :  wherefore  I 
turned  round  behind  to  my  Teachers,  as  does  a  (blind) 
man,  that  goes  according  as  he  hears  {i.e.  guides  him- 
self by  sound). 

Dante  now  describes  his  purification  by  the  Angel. 
E  quale,  annunziatrice  degli  albori,*  145 

L'  aura  di  maggio  muovesi,  ed  olezza  : 
Tutta  impregnata  dall'  erba  e  dai  fiori ; 
Tal  mi  sentii  un  vento  dar  per  mezza 

La  fronte,  e  ben  sentir  muover  la  piuma, 
Che  fe'  sentir  d'  ambrosia  1'  orezza.t  150 

And  as,  a  herald  of  the  dawn,  the  breeze  of  May 
moves,  and  breathes  out  a  fragrance  all  impregnated 
by  the  herbage  and  by  the  flowers ;  so  did  I  feel  a 
wind  on  the  middle  of  my  forehead,  and  I  distinctly 
felt  the  movement  of  the  pinions  that  made  me  aware 
of  the  odour  of  ambrosia. 

*  degli  albori:  The  Anonimo  Fiorentino  interprets  this: 
"  Vuol  dire  che,  innanzi  che  si  lievi  1'  alba,  comincia  a  trarre 
uno  venticello,  che  si  chiama  aura,  et  questa  aura,  c\6h  questo 
vinticello,  che  si  lieva  da'  fiori  et  dall'  erbe  odorifere,  rende 
odore  et  soavitk." 

t  Dante's  notions  of  ambrosia  were  derived  from  Virgil.  See 
Georg.  IV,  415  : — 

"  Haec  ait  et  liquidum  ambrosiae  diffundit  odorem." 
and  ^n.  I,  403  : — 

"Ambrosiaeque  comas  divinum  vertice  odorem 
Spiravere." 


Canto  XXIV.     Readings  on  the  Purgaiorio.  193 

Dante  concludes  the  Canto  by  adding  : 

E  sentii  dir  :  Beati  cut  allunia 

Tanto  dt  grazia,  eke  V  amor  del  gusto 
Nel petto  lor  troppo  disir  non  fuma, 

Esuriendo  senipre  quanto  i  giusto. 

And  I  heard  (the  Angel)  say:  "Blessed  are  they 
whom  so  large  a  measure  of  grace  doth  illuminate, 
that  the  love  of  taste  does  not  make  too  great  desire 
to  smoke  in  their  breasts,  (but)  hungering  always  so 
far  as  is  just." 


End  of  Canto  XXIV. 


X  X 


194  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  xxv. 


CANTO  XXV. 


The  Seventh  Cornice. 

The  Mysteries  of  Man's  First  and  Second 
Births. 

The  Corporeal  Shapes  of  Souls  in  Pur- 
gatory. 

Punishment  of  the  Luxurious  in  IP'ire. 

Examples  of  Chastity. 

In  the  last  Canto  Dante  completed  his  description 
of  the  purgation  of  Gluttony  in  the  sixth  cornice.  In 
this  one  he  treats  a  very  perplexing  subject  which  had 
arisen  out  of  the  previous  conversation. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  fourprincipal  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  30,  Dante 
proposes  to  Virgil  a  question  of  much  difficulty,  and 
Virgil  answers  him  in  general  terms. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  3 1  to  v.  60,  Statins 
at  the  request  of  Virgil  proceeds  to  explain  at  length 
how  it  is  that  the  soul,  when  separated  from  the  body, 
is  able  to  suffer  physical  punishment,  and  he  describes 
the  generation  of  the  embryo. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  61  to  v.  108, 
Statins  describes  how  the  soul  is  developed  in  the 
embryo;  how  it  gets  separated  from  the  body;  and  its 
sensitive  powers. 

In  the  Fourth  Divisiofi,  from  v.  109  to  v.  139, 
Dante  enters  upon  the  subject  of  Luxury,  and  describes 
its  punishment  in  the  seventh  cornice. 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  195 

Division  I.  When  the  canto  opens,  the  three  poets 
are  still  in  the  sixth  cornice,  but  are  standing  at  the 
entrance  to  the  new  stairway,  just  where  Dante  had 
felt  the  angel's  wing  erase  the  last  P  but  one  from  his 
brow. 

He  first  tells  what  time  it  was. 

Ora  era  onde  il  salir  non  volea  storpio, 

Ch^  il  sole  aveva  il  cerchio  di  merigge* 
Lasciato  al  Tauro  e  la  notte  alio  Scorpio. 

It  was  an  hour  in  which  the  ascent  brooked  no 
delay,  because  the  Sun  had  left  its  meridian  circle  to 
Taurus,  and  night  to  the  Scorpion. 

Dr.  Moore  {Time  References,  107),  says:  "This  is 
one  of  the  passages  on  which  I  think  some  superfluous 
astronomical  ingenuity  has  been  expended,  the  point 
being  whether  we  are  to  make  allowance  for  the  retro- 
cession of  the  Equinox  and  the  error  in  the  Calendar, 
and  so  take  the  Sun's  true  astronomical  position,  or 
whether  we  are  to  be  guided  by  the  ordinary  popular 
notion  that  the  Sun  is  in  Aries  for  a  month  from 
March  21st  onwards.  The  difference  of  the  result  is 
absolutely  immaterial,  as  it  is  only  a  question  between 
about  12.30  and  2  p.m.,  either  hour  here  being  quite 
arbitrary  and  fictitious.  Here  again  I  think  it  is  more 
probable  that  Dante  adopts  the  sense  in  which  ordin- 
ary people  would  be  most  likely  to  understand  his 

*  Compare  Purg.  II,  i  : — 

"  Gik  era  il  sole  all'  orizzonte  giunto, 

Lo  cui  meridian  cerchio  coverchia 
Jerusalem  col  suo  piu  alto  punto  : 
E  la  notte  che  opposita  a  lui  cerchia, 
Uscia  di  Gange  fuor  colle  bilance, 
Che  le  caggion  di  man  quando  soverchia." 
XX  2 


196  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

words,  just  as  we  popularly  refer  to  the  indications  of 
the  compass  as  it  stands,  without  allowing  for  the 
magnetic  variation,  though  we  are  quite  aware  that  in 
England  it  amounts  to  a  no  less  serious  difference  than 
about  23  degrees.  If  this  be  the  way  to  interpret  the 
passage,  the  Sun  being  now  rather  backward  in  Aries, 
the  time  when  Taurus  is  on  the  meridian  of  Noon,  and 
the  opposite  sign  of  Scorpio  on  that  of  midnight,  as 
here  described,  would  be  generally  understood  to  be 
about  2  p.m.,  though,  as  each  constellation  covers 
many  degrees  of  space,  the  indication  is  only  an 
approximate  one." 

We  may  therefore  proceed  on  the  assumption  that 
in  Purgatory  it  was  about  2  p.m.,  and  in  Europe  about 
2  a.m. 

Dante  now  describes  their  progress  by  an  appro- 
priate simile. 

Per  che,  come  fa  1'  uom  che  non  s'  affigge,* 

Ma  vassi  alia  via  sua,  checch^  gli  appaja,  5 

Se  di  bisogno  stimolo  il  trafigge  ; 
Cosi  entrammo  noi  per  la  callaja,t 

Uno  innanzi  altro,  prendendo  la  scala 

Che  per  artezza  i  salitor  dispaja. 

Wherefore,  as  does  the  man  who  does  not  stop,  but 
goes  his  way,  no  matter  what  presents  itself  to  him,  if 
the  goad  of  necessity  transfixes  him;  thus  did  we 
enter  through  the  gap,  one  before  the  other  taking  the 

*  ^  ^ffigg^  '•  siferma,  stands  still.    Compare  Purg.  XXX,  7:— 

"  Fermo  si  affisse." 
and  XXXIII,  106-7:— 

"  Quando  s'  affisser,  si  come  s'  affigge 

Chi  va  dinanzi  a  gente  per  iscorta." 
t  Blanc  says  that  callaja  is  the  opening  in  a  hedge. 


Canto  XXV,    Readings  o?i  the  Piirgatorio.  197 

stairway,  which  by  its  narrowness  divides  {lit.  dispairs) 
climbers. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Virgil  was  walking  first, 
Statius  second,  and  Dante  third,  and  now,  by  a  very 
intelligible  comparison,  Dante  shows  what  an  intense 
desire  there  was  in  his  mind  to  put  a  certain  question 
to  his  leaders,  but  that  he  lacked  the  courage  to  begin 
speaking.  He  is  burning  to  know  how  it  is  possible 
for  aerial  forms,  which  have  no  need  of  food,  to  suffer 
from  emaciation. 

E  quale  il  cigognin  che  leva  1'  ala  10 

Per  voglia  di  volare,  e  non  s'  attenta 
D'  abbandonar  lo  nido,  e  giu  la  cala  ; 
Tal  era  10,  con  voglia  accesa  e  spenta 
Di  dimandar,  venendo  infino  all'  atto 
Che  fa  colui  ch'  a  dicer  s'  argomenta.*  15 

And  like  the  young  stork,  that  spreads  its  wing 
with  the  will  to  fly,  and  yet  does  not  venture  to  leave 
the  nest,  but  lets  it  (the  wing)  droop  again ;  such  was 
I,  with  my  desire  of  asking  kindled,  and  (at  the  same 
time)  quenched  (for  fear  of  saying  anything  displeas- 
ing), getting  as  far  as  the  movement  (of  the  lips)  which 
he  makes  who  prepares  himself  to  speak. 

Benvenuto  says  the  comparison  is  appropriate  in  all 
its  parts ;  for  the  great  tragic  poets,  Virgil  and  Statius, 
may  be  compared  to  storks  building  their  nests  on  the 
lofty  roofs  of  houses,  and  Dante,  as  a  junior  poet,  may 
well  be  likened  to  the  fledgeling.  And  as  the  young 
stork  desires  to  spread  its  wings  before  the  fitting  time, 

*  Compare  Shakespeare (//a;«/^/,  Act  I,Sc.  II, near  the  end): — 
"  Answer  it  made  none  :  yet  once  methought 
It  lifted  up  its  head  and  did  address 
Itself  to  motion,  like  as  it  would  speak." 


198  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

but,  feeling  itself  powerless  to  fly,  lets  them  droop 
again,  so  did  Dante,  after  walking  for  a  mile  in  silence, 
feel  keenly  desirous  of  moving  his  tongue  to  propound 
a  question  on  a  very  elevated  subject;  but,  doubting 
whether  he  ought  to  fly  before  the  fitting  season,  he 
repressed  his  desire  until  he  had  obtained  the  leave  of 
his  elders. 

He  did  not  have  to  wait  long,  for,  just  as  Beatrice* 
on  a  subsequent  occasion  saw  through  his  thirst  for  in- 
formation, and  ordered  him  to  send  forth  the  flame  of 
his  desire,  so  here  does  Virgil  intuitively  divine  what  is 
in  his  mind,  and  commands  him  to  come  out  with  it. 
Non  lascio,  per  1'  andar  che  fosse  ratto, 

Lo  dolce  padre  mio,  ma  disse  : — "  Scocca 

L'  arco  del  dir  che  insino  al  ferro  hai  tratto." — 

•  My  gentle  father  (Virgil)  did  not  abstain  (from 
speaking)  for  all  that  our  pace  was  rapid,  but  said : 
"Let  fly  the  bow  of  speech  which  thou  hast  drawn  up 
to  the  barb." 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  speech  flies  as  lightly  and 
irrevocably  as  an  arrow,  and  penetrates  into  the  depth 
of  the  heart. 

Virgil's  words  encourage  Dante. 
AUor  sicuramente  aprii  la  bocca, 

E  cominciai  : — "  Come  si  puo  far  magro  20 

Lk  dove  1'  uopo  di  nutrir  non  tocca  ?  " — 
Then   I  opened  my  mouth  in  all  confidence,  and 

*  See  Pan  XVII,  7-12:— 

"  Per  che  mia  donna  : — '  Manda  fuor  la  vampa 
Del  tuo  disio ' — mi  disse, — '  si  ch'  ella  esca 
Segnata  bene  della  interna  stampa  ; 
Non  perch^  nostra  conoscenza  cresca 
Per  tuo  parlare,  ma  perch^  t'  ausi 
A  dir  la  sete,  si  che  1'  uom  ti  mesca.' " 


Canto  XXV.   Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  199 

began :  "  How  can  one  grow  lean  there,  where  the  need 
of  nourishment  applies  not?" 

Benvenuto  observes  that  it  was  high  time  that 
Dante  put  this  question,  for  all,  that  had  been  said  in 
Hell  and  Purgatory  of  such  wonderful  varieties  of 
punishment,  would  seem  to  be  worth  nothing,  unless 
it  were  in  some  way  made  clear  that  the  soul,  when 
separated  from  the  body,  could  by  natural  means  be 
affected  by  hunger,  thirst,  or  any  other  liability  to 
suffering. 

Virgil,  in  answer  to  Dante,  tries  to  give  him  some 
sort  of  idea  of  the  subject  in  question,  by  an  example 
taken  from  mythology,  and  with  a  natural  simile ;  he 
then  turns  to  Statins,  and  begs  him  to  solve  the 
problem  fully,  and  so  satisfy  Dante's  craving  for 
explanation. 

"  Se  f  ammentassi  come  Meleagro* 

*  Meleagro :  Meleager  was  said  to  have  been  the  son  of^neus, 
king  of  Calydon  and  Althaea.  At  his  birth  the  Fates  predicted: 
Clotho,  that  he  would  be  brave  ;  Lachesis  that  he  would  be 
strong ;  and  Atropos  that  his  Hfe  would  last  as  long  as  a  log, 
thrown  upon  the  fire  at  the  moment  of  his  birth,  remained  uncon- 
sumed.  As  soon  as  the  fates  had  departed  Althaea  snatched 
the  brand  from  the  fire,  and  preser\  ed  it  carefully.  See  Ovid 
.1/^/.  VIII. 

"  There  lay  a  log  unlighted  on  the  hearth, 
When  she  was  labouring  in  the  throes  of  birth 
For  the  unborn  chief  :  the  fatal  sisters  came, 
And  raised  it  up,  and  tossed  it  on  the  flame  ; 
Then  on  the  rock  a  scanty  measure  place 
Of  vital  flax,  and  turned  the  wheel  apace  ; 
And  turning  sung,  '  To  this  red  brand  and  thee, 
O  new  bom  babe,  we  give  an  equal  destiny  ; ' 
So  vanished  out  of  view.     The  frighted  dame 
Sprung  hasty  from  her  bed,  and  quenched  the  flame. 


200  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

Si  consum6  al  consumar  d'  un  stizzo,* 
Non  forat  (disse)  questo  a  te  si  agro. 

"  If  thou  wouldst  call  to  mind,"  said  he,  "how  Melea- 
ger  wasted  away  during  the  consuming  of  a  firebrand, 
this  would  not  be  so  difficult  {lit.  sour)  to  thee  (to 
understand.) 

Benvenuto  says  that  Althaea  is  put  figuratively  for 
every  mother  who  bears  a  child,  at  whose  birth  the 
planets,  according  to  the  astrologers,  at  once  prescribe 
the  allotted  period  of  life.  The  firebrand  is  a  figure 
for  the  natural  caloric  of  the  body,  and,  as  long  as  it 
lasts,  life  endures.  Benvenuto  adds  that  niany  persons 
had  often  asked  him  what  possible  connection  there 
was  between  the  history  of  Meleager,  and  the  proposi- 
tion we  are  considering  ;  and  that  he  had  always 
replied  that  no  history  could  be  more  to  the  purpose ; 

The  log,  in  secret  locked,  she  kept  with  care, 
And  that,  whilst  thus  preserved,  preserved  her  heir." 
Meleager  distinguished  himself  in  the  Argonautic  expedition, 
and  afterwards  slew  the  wild  boar  of  Calydon  ;  but  a  dispute 
having  arisen  between  himself  and  his  two  uncles,  Plexippus 
and  Toxeus,  Althaea's  brothers,  for  the  possession  of  it,  he  slew 
them  both.  Althaea,  enraged  at  the  slaughter  of  her  brothers, 
threw  the  fatal  log  on  the  fire,  and  Meleager  perished  as  it 
consumed. 

*  stizzo  :  compare  Inf.  XIII,  40-42  : — 

"  Come  d'  un  stizzo  verde,  che  arso  sia 

Dair  un  de'  capi,  che  dall'  altro  geme, 
E  cigola  per  vento  che  va  via." 
t  fora:  for  saredde,  compare  Purg.  VI,  90  :^ 

"  Senz'  esso  fora  la  vergogna  meno." 
3.nd  Far.  Ill,  73-75  : — 

"  Se  disiassimo  esser  piu  superne 
Foran  discordi  gli  nostri  disiri 
Dal  voler  di  colui  che  qui  ne  cerne." 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  07i  the  Ptcrgatorio.  201 

for,  as  Meleager  gradually  wasted  away  according  to 
the  wasting  of  the  firebrand,  so  here  did  the  spirits  in 
the  sixth  cornice  become  lean  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  perfume  from  the  fruit-tree,  and  the  water 
trickling  over  its  branches.  And,  as  Meleager  was 
consumed  from  an  extrinsic  cause,  that  is,  the  influence 
of  the  planets,  so  here  do  the  spirits  become  emaciated 
from  an  extrinsic  cause,  namely,  by  the  will  of  God. 
Some  however  have  argued  that  the  death  of  Meleager 
was  brought  about  by  magic  art ;  and  this  would  be 
much  to  the  purpose,  for  then  he  argues  a  minori,  as 
Augustine  rightly  does  in  his  book  De  Civitate  Dei, 
where  he  says,  that  if  necromancers  are  able  to 
imprison  the  spirit  in  an  aerial  body,  how  much  more 
can  the  Power  of  God  confine  the  soul  in  corporeal 
fire. 

And  now  Virgil  brings  forward  a  second  example 
applicable  to  his  proposition,  and  this  is  the  reflected 
image,  which  moves  in  accordance  with  the  body,  as 
the  body  is  reflected  in  the  mirror. 

E  se  pensassi  come  al  vostro  guizzo  25 

Guizza  dentro  alio  specchio  vostra  image, 
Cio  che  par  duro  ti  parrebbe  vizzc* 

And  if  thou  wouldst  think  how,  at  every  movement 
{lit.  quivering)  on  your  part,  your  image  moves  within 
the  mirror,  that  which  seems  hard  would  appear  to 
thee  easy. 

"And  now  mark,"  says  Ben  venuto,  "that  this  compari- 
son seems  to  be  very  much  to  the  point;  for,  as  an  image 
without  substance  moves  in  a  mirror  which  has  sub- 
stance, so  the  unsubstantial  soul  is  tormented  in  sub- 

*  vizzo  according  to  Blanc  is  of  uncertain  origin,  but  implies 
whatever  is  the  opposite  of  hard. 


202  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  xxv. 

stantial  air ;  and  as  the  reflection  comes  from  without, 
so  suffering  or  power  of  feeling  comes  into  the  soul 
from  without."     As  there  is  need  for  discussing  the 
subject  more  closely,  Virgil  refers  Dante  to  Statius. 
Ma  perch^  dentro  a  tuo  voler  t'  adage, 

Ecco  qui  Stazio,  ed  io  lui  chiamo  e  prego, 

Che  sia  or  sanator  delle  tue  piage." — *  30 

But  in  order  that  thou  mayest  get  to  the  very  depth 
of  the  subject,  to  the  full  measure  of  thy  desire,  behold 
here  is  Statius,  and  I  call  on  him,  and  pray  him,  to  be 
now  the  healer  of  thy  wounds." 

Benvenuto  says  that  it  has  puzzled  many  why  Virgil 
should  leave  this  question  to  be  solved  by  Statius. 
He  thinks  it  is  because  Virgil  was  a  follower  of  Plato, 
anH  held  that  souls  were  created  from  Eternity,  and 
descended  from  the  planets  into  mortal  bodies,  and 
after  death  returned  to  those  planets  :  but  that,  as  such 
ideas  were  repugnant  to  Christianity,  Dante  makes 
Virgil  call  upon  Statius  who  was  a  Christian  poet,  and 
who  touches  on  these  subjects  in  accordance  with 
philosophy  and  faith.  Besides,  Statius  is  at  this  time 
qualified  for  heaven,  having  completed  his  purgation, 
and  may  be  supposed  to  know  more  of  these  matters 
than  Virgil,  who  will  soon  have  to  return  to  Limbo. 


Division  II.  In  this  second  division  Dante  tells 
us  how  Statius  makes  a  graceful  admission,  that  he 
cannot  refuse  any  request  from  Virgil,  although  it  is  a 
rash  and  hazardous  thing  to  speak  in  his  presence,  and 
he  then  answers  and  explains,  at  considerable  length, 
*  piage:  iox piaghe,  \a.\\Xi plages. 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  203 

the  difficult  question  that  Dante  had  put,  describing 

the  generation  of  the  human  embryo. 
"  Se  la  veduta*  etema  gli  dislego, 
(Rispose  Stazio)  Ik  dove  tu  sie, 
Discolpi  me  non  potert'  io  far  niego." — 

"  If  I  unfold  to  him,"  replied  Statius,  "  the  insight 
into  these  eternal  matters  there  where  thou  art 
(present),  let  my  not  being  able  to  deny  thee  anything 
be  my  exculpation." 

Benvenuto  says  that  it  is  as  though  Statius  said  to 
Virgil :  "  I  am  so  much  in  the  habit  of  taking  every 
word  of  thine  as  a  precept,  that  I  must  perforce  do 
whatever  thou  askest  me," 

Statius  now  turns  to  Dante  and,  with  much  kind- 
ness of  manner,  tells  him   that,  if  he  will  give  him 
his  attention,  he  will  clear  away  his  doubts. 
Poi  comincio  :  "  Se  le  parole  mie 

FigliOjt  la  mente  tua  guarda  e  riceve,J  35 

Lume  ti  fieno  al  come  che  tu  die.|| 

He  then  began  :  "  My  son,  if  thy  mind  will  contem- 

*  veduta  is  the  reading  of  the  large  majority  of  the  MSS.,  but 
vendetta  is  not  an  uncommon  reading,  and,  if  adopted,  the 
passage  would  signify  :  "  If  I  unfold  to  him  the  penalty  imposed 
by  the  Eternal  God  on  the  souls  that  are  being  purged." 

t  figlio :  Benvenuto  remarks  that  Statius  would  say  :  "  O  Son, 
who  hast  two  fathers  here  present,  Virgil  and  myself. 

+  guarda  e  riceve:  compare  Prov.  II,  1-5  : — 

"  My  Son,  if  thou  wilt  receive  my  words,  and  hide  thy  com- 
mandments with  thee then  shalt  thou  understand   the 

fear  of  the  Lord,  and  the  knowledge  of  God." 

II  die:  for  diet,  from  which  when  the  c  was  omitted  was 
obtained  dii^  and  Nannucci  {Anal,  crit.)  says  that  by  the  ter- 
mination in  e,  which  was  formerly  given  to  the  second  person 
singular  of  the  indicative  present,  the  word  dit  was  altered  in  die. 


204  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  xxv. 

plate  and  receive  my  words,  they  will  be  to  thee  a 
light  for  the  '  How '  that  thou  sayest." 

My  words  fully  explain  thy  difficulty,  and  answer 
thy  question  :  "  How  can  one  grow  lean  there  where 
the  need  of  nourishment  applies  not  ? "  Statius  now 
proceeds  to  develop  the  theory  of  generation  and  the 
formation  of  the  body  with  the  vegetative  and  sensi- 
tive soul.  And  the  words  which  Dante  here  puts  into 
his  mouth,  may  be  found  also  in  the  Convito  IV.  ch.  2 1  .* 

*  It  will  be  well  before  studying  the  speech  of  Statius,  to  read 
the  whole  of  chapter  21  of  Convito  IV,  and  compare  Dante's 
own  words  there  with  what  he  says  here  :  "  In  prima  h  da  sapere 
che  1'  uomo  h.  composto  d'  anima  e  di  corpo  ;  ma  dell'  anima  h 
quella,  siccome  detto  h  che  h  a  guisa  di  semente  della  vertu 

divina E  pero  dico  che  quando  1'  umano  seme  cade 

nel  suo  recettacolo,  cio^  nella  matrice,  esso  porta  seco  la  vertu 
deir  anima  generativa  e  la  vertu  del  cielo,  e  la  vertu  degli 
alimenti  legata,  cioe  la  complessione  del  seme.  Esso  matura  e 
dispone  la  materia  alia  vertu  formativa,  la  quale  diede  1'  anima 
generante  ;  e  la  vertii  formativa  prepara  gli  organi  alia  vertu 
celestiale,  che  produce  della  potenzia  del  seme  1'  anima  in  vita  ; 
la  quale  incontanente  produtta,  riceve  dalla  vertu  del  motore  del 
cielo  lo  intelletto  possibile ;  il  quale  potenzial  mente  in  se  adduce 
tutte  le  forme  universali,  secondoche  sono  nel  suo  produttore  e 
tanto  meno  quando  piu  h  dilungato  dalla  prima  Intelligenzia. 
Non  si  maravigli  alcuno,  s'  io  parlo  si,  che  pare  forte  ad  intend- 
ere ;  chfe  a  me  medesimo  pare  maraviglia,  come  cotale  produzione 
si  puo  pur  conchiudere  e  collo  intelletto  vedere  :  e  non  h  cosa  da 

manifestare  a  lingua,  lingua  dico  veramente  volgare E 

perocche  la  complessione  del  seme  puo  essere  migliore  e  men 
buona;  e  la  disposizione  del  seminato  puo  essere  migliore  e  men 
buona  ;  e  la  disposizione  del  cielo  a  questo  effetto  puote  essere 
buona  e  migliore  e  ottima,  la  quale  si  varia  nelle  costellazioni, 
che  continovamente  si  trasmutano  ;  incontra  che  dell'  umano 
seme  e  di  queste  vertii  piu  e  men  pura  anima  si  produce  :  e 
seconda  la  sua  puritk  discende  in  esso  la  vertii  intellettuale 
possibile,  che  detta  ^  e  come  detto  h.    E  s'  elli  avviene  che  per  la 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  205 

Sangue  perfetto,  che  mai  mon  si  beve 

Dalla  assetate  vene,  e  si  rimane* 

Quasi  alimento  che  di  mensa  leve, 
Prende  nel  cuore  a  tutte  membra  umane  40 

Virtute  informativa,  come  quelle 

Che  a  farsi  quelle  per  le  vene  vkne. 

puritk  dell'  anima  ricevente,  la  intellettuale  vertii  sia  bene 
astratta  e  assoluta  da  ogni  ombra  corporea,  la  divina  bontk  in 
lei  multiplica,  siccome  in  cosa  sufficiente  a  ricevere  quella  :  e 
quindi  si  multiplica  nell'  anima  di  questa  intelligenzia,  secondoch^ 

ricever  puo Poiche  la  somma  deitk,  ciofe  Iddio,  vede 

apparecchiata  la  sua  creatura  a  ricevere  del  suo  beneficio,  tanto 
largamente  in  quella  ne  mette,  quanto  apparecchiata  h  a 
riceverne." 

According  to  Longfellow,  Varchi  {Lezioni  sul  Dante ^  Firenze, 
1841)  admires  the  dissertation  in  this  Canto  so  much,  that  he 
says  it  is  sufficient  to  prove  Dante  to  have  been  a  physician, 
philosopher  and  theologian,  of  the  highest  order :  "  I  not  only 
confess,  but  I  swear,  that  as  many  times  as  I  have  read  it,  which 
day  and  night  are  more  than  a  thousand,  my  wonder  and  aston- 
ishment have  always  increased,  seeming  every  time  to  find 
therein  new  beauties  and  new  instruction,  and  consequently  new 
difficulties."  The  subject  is  also  discussed  by  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  Sutn.  Theol.  I,  quaest.  c.  XIX,  art.  2.,  De  propagatione 
hominis  quantum  ad  corpus ;  but  Scartazzini  says  that  above  all 
the  treatise  of  Aristotle  {De.  Gen.  Animal.  Lib.  L  ch.  19)  should 
be  studied,  and  the  appendix  of  Tommaseo  added  to  his  com- 
mentary of  this  Canto. 

*  Varchi  writes  :  "  When  the  veins  have  sucked  up  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  nourishment  to  restore  the  waste  of  the  body,  they 
do  not  suck  up  any  more,  just  as  a  modest  and  temperate  man, 
after  eating  what  is  necessary,  leaves  the  remainder  of  his  food, 
and  therefore  the  expression  e  si  rimane  quasi  alimento.,  that  is, 
remains  over  and  above  just  like  food The  idea  con- 
veyed in  Dante's  words  seems  to  me  something  like  this,  that 
like  as  the  blood,  that  has  not  become  semen,  receives  from  the 
heart  the  power  of  becoming  all  the  diffisrent  members  respect- 
ively, as  is  the  case  in  nourishment ;  for  the  bones  change  the 


2o6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

Blood  in  its  perfect  state,  which  never  is  drunk  up 
by  the  thirsty  veins,  and  remains  like  food  that  thou 
removest  from  the  table,  receives  in  the  heart  a  virtue 
informative  {i.e.  creative  power)  for  all  the  human 
members,  like  that  (blood)  which  to  be  changed  into 
these  members  runs  through  the  veins. 

Benvenuto  remarks  upon  the  appropriateness  of  this 
comparison  ;  for  as,  from  that  food  set  before  a  king  or 
lord,  that  which  remains,  and  is  carried  from  the  table, 
is  as  good  as  that  which  has  been  eaten,  for  it  is  of  the 
same  composition,  so  it  is  with  the  blood  given  to  the 
heart ;  for  that  which  remains  after  a  meal  has  been 
eaten,  and  the  blood  distributed  through  the  veins,  is  as 
good  as  that  which  becomes  nutrition  {in  alimentnm). 

Statius  continues  his  physiological  description. 
Ancor  digesto,  scende  ov'  h  piu  bello 

Tacer  che  dire  ;  e  quindi  poscia  geme 

Sovr'  altrui  sangue  in  natural  vasello.*  45 

Digested  yet  again,  it  descends  (to  those  vessels) 
whereof  it  is  better  to  be  silent  than  to  speak  ;  and 
from  these  afterwards  it  trickles  upon  another's  blood 
in  nature's  vase. 

blood  into  bones,  the  veins  into  veins,  the  flesh  into  flesh,  and  so 
on  with  all  the  others  after  the  same  fashion  ;  now  just  in  the 
same  way,  after  the  perfect  blood  has  been  converted  into  semen, 
it  has  the  power  of  forming  all  the  members,  operating  upon  the 
powers  of  the  soul . " 

*  natural  vasello :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Sum.  Theol. 
P.  Ill,  qu.  XXXII,  art.  4.,  "Foemina  ad  conceptionem  prolis 
materiam  ministrat  (quae  est  sanguis  menstruus),  ex  qua  natura- 
liter  corpus   prolis   formatur."      And  Sum.   Theol.  P.  Ill,  qu. 

XXXIII,  art.  I,  "Ad  formationem  corporis requireba- 

tur  motus  localis  quo  sanguines ad  locum  generation! 

congruum  pervenirent." 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  207 

Ivi  s'  accoglie  1'  uno  e  1'  altro  insieme, 

L'  un  disposto  a  patire  e  1'  altro  a  fare,* 
Per  lo  perfetto  luogo  onde  si  preme  ;  t 

E,  giunto  lui,  X  comincia  ad  operare, 

Coagulando  prima,  e  poi  s'  avviva  50 

Cio  che  per  sua  materia  fe'  constare.|| 

Therein  the  (blood  of  the)  one  and  the  other  mingle 
together,  the  one  (the  female)  prepared  to  be  passive, 

*  V  un  disposto  a  patire  e  P  altro  a  fare. 

Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Sum.TheoL  P.  III,qu.  XXXII, 
art.  4  :  "In  generatione  distinguitur  operatic  agentis  et 
patientis.  Unde  relinquitur  quod  tota  virtus  activa  sit  ex  parte 
maris,  passio  autem  ex  parte  foeminae." 

t  si  preme :  Scartazzini  explains  this  :  "  the  blood  of  the  male, 
disposed  to  give  form  to  the  human  members,  issues  as  if 
expressed  from  the  heart." 

X  giunto  lui  :  Scartazzini  has  no  doubt  of  lui  meaning  a  lui, 
and  having  the  signification  :  the  blood  of  the  male  being  con- 
joined to  (mingled  with)  the  blood  of  the  female,  &c. 

II  J^  cotistare :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Sum.  Theol.  P. 
Ill,  qu.  XXXIII,  art.  i:  "  Formatio  corporis  fit  per  potentiam 
generativam,  non  ejus  qui  generatur,  sed  ipsius  generantis  ex 
semine,  in  quo  operatur  vis  formativa  ab  anima  patris  derivata." 
And  P.  Ill,  qu.  XXXII,  art.  4:  "Potentia  generativa  in 
foemina  est  imperfecta  respectu  potentiae  generativas  quae  est  in 
mare.  Et  ideo  sicut  in  artibus  ars  inferior  disponit  materiam, 
ars  autem  superior  inducit  formam,  ita  etiam  virtus  generativa 
foeminae  prasparat  materiam,  virtus  autem  activa  maris  format 
materiam  praeparatam." 

Benvenuto  says  of  f^  constare  :  "  id  est,  remanere,  per  sua 
matera,  scilicet  sanguinem  menstruum  quod  fecit  consistere  ibi 
pro  sua  materia,  in  quam  imprimit  suam  formam  :  et  bene  dicit ; 
nam  communiter  non  fluit  sanguis  hie  a  muliere  post  impreg^a- 
tionem  ;  unde  habent  istud  commune  signum  conceptionis  :  et 
non  vult  aliud  dicere  nisi  quod  generatur  anima  vegetativa  in 
faetu  qualis  est  in  arboribus." 


2o8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

and  the  other  (the  male)  to  be  active,  by  reason  of  the 
perfect  source  (the  heart)  from  which  each  respectively 
flowed;  and  (the  male  blood)  being  conjoined  to  it 
(the  female  blood)  begins  to  operate,  first  by  coagula- 
ting, and  then  gives  life  to  that  which,  as  substance 
necessary  for  its  operation,  it  has  made  to  take  consis- 
tence. 

And  now  Statins  touches  upon  the  generation  of 
the  sensitive  soul,  after  the  generation  of  the  vegeta- 
tive soul,  each  of  which  is  evolved  out  of  the  poten- 
tiality of  substance,  and  is  not  brought  in  from 
without,  as  is  the  rational  soul,  about  which  he  speaks 
farther  on. 

Anima  fatta  la  virtute  attiva,* 

*  Virtute  attiva :  compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  I.e.  P.  I.  qu. 
CXVIII,  art.  i:— 

"  Quia  generans  est  simile  generato,  necesse  est  quod  natura- 
liter  tarn  anima  sensitiva,  quam  aliae  hujusmodi  formae  produ- 
cantur  in  esse  ab  aliquibus  corporalibus  agentibus  transmutanti- 
bus   materiam   de    potentia   in    actum    per  aliquam  virtutem 

corpoream  quae  est  in  eis Ex  anima  generantis  derivatur 

quaedam  virtus  activa  ad  ipsum  semen  animalis,  vel  plantae  .  . 
...  In  animalibus  peifectis,  quae  generantur  ex  coitu,  virtus 
activa  est  in  semine  maris  ;  materia  autem  foetus  est  illud,  quod 
ministratur  a  foemina  :  in  qua  quidem  materia  statim  a  principio 
est  anima  vegetabilis,  non  quidem  secundum  actum  secundum, 
sed  secundum  actum  primum,  sicut  anima  sensitiva  est  in 
dormientibus  ;  cum  autem  incipit  attrahere  alimentum,  tunc  jam 
actu  operatur.  Hujusmodi  igitur  materia  transmutatur  a  virtute 
quae  est  in  semine  maris,  quousque  perducatur  in  actum  animae 

sensitivas Postquam  autem  per  virtutem  principii  activi 

quod  erat  in  semine,  producta  est  anima  sensitiva  in  generato 
quantum  ad  aliquam  partem  principalem,  tunc  jam  ilia  anima 
sensitiva  prolis  incipit  operari  ad  complementum  proprii  cor- 
poris per  modum  nutritionis  et  augmenti." 


Canto  XXV.     Readi?tgs  on  the  Piirgatorio.  209 

Qual  d'  una  pianta,*  in  tanto  differente, 
Che  quest'  h  in  via,  e  quella  ^  gik  a  riva, 
Tanto  ovra  poi  che  gik  si  muove  e  sente,  55 

Come  fungo  marino  ;t  ed  indi  imprende 
Ad  organar  le  posse  ond'  h  semente. 


*  Qual  d'  una  pianta :  Scartazzini  says  that  it  is  needless  to 
point  out  that  Dante  in  this  passage  conforms  to  the  doctrines 
of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  and  that  it  will  be  well  to  refer  to  what 
he  says  on  the  succession  of  the  souls — the  vegetative,  the  sen- 
sitive, and  the  intellectual,  in  the  formation  of  man. 

See  I.e.  P.I.  qu.  CXVIII,  art  2.  "Anima  praeexistit  in 
embryone,  k  principio  quidem  nutritiva,  postmodum  autem 
sensitiva,  et  tandem  intellectiva.  Dicunt  ergo  quidam,  quod 
supra  animam  vegetabilem  quas  primo  inerat,  supervenit  alia 
anima,  quae  est  sensitiva  :  supra  illam  iterum  alia,  quae  est 
intellectiva.  Et  sic  sunt  in  homine  tres  animae,  quarum  una  est 
in  potentia  ad  aliam,  quod  supra  improbatum  est.  (Compare 
Purg.  IV,  I  et  seq.).  Et  ideo  alii  dicunt  quod  ilia  eadem  anima, 
quae  primo  fuit  vegetativa  tantum,  postmodum  per  actionem 
virtutis  quae  est  in  semine,  perducitur  ad  hoc  ut  ipsa  eadem  fiat 
sensitiva,  et  tandem  ad  hoc  ut  ipsa  eadem  fiat  intellectiva,  non 
quidem  per  virtutem  activam  seminis,  sed  per  virtutem  superi- 

oris  agentis,  scilicet  Dei  deforis  illustrantis Sed  hoc 

stare  non  potest Et  ideo  dicendum  est  quod  cum  gene- 
ratio  unius  semper  sit  corruptio  alterius,  necesse  est  dicere,  quod 
tarn  in  homine,  quam  in  animalibus  aliis,  quando  perfectior  forma 
advenit,  fit  corruptio  prioris ;  ita  tamen  quod  sequens  forma 
habet  quidquid  habebat  prima,  et  adhuc  amplius:  et  sic  per 
multas  generationes  et  corruptiones  pervenitur  ad  ultimam 
formam  substantialem  tarn  in  homine  quam  in  aliis  animalibus. 
Et  hoc  ad  sensum  apparet  in  animalibus  ex  putrefactione  gene- 
ratis.  Sic  igitur  dicendum  est,  quod  anima  intellectiva  creatur 
a  Deo  in  fine  generationis  humanae,  quae  simul  est  et  sensitiva 
et  nutritiva,  corruptis  formis  praeexistentibus." 

t  si  muove  e  sente  come  fungo  marino :  spontaneous  move- 
ment and  feeling  are  essential  characteristics  of  animal  life,  to 
which  Statius  says  the  foetus  arrives. 

Compare  Ozanam  {Dante  et  la  philos.  cathol.  p.  iii) :  "  Cette 

Y  y 


2IO  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  XXV. 

The  active  virtue  (the  male)  having  become  a  soul,  as 
that  of  a  plant,  but  in  this  much  differing  from  it,  that 
this  one  (the  human  life)  is  only  on  the  way  {i.e.  has 
only  reached  the  first  stage),  and  that  one  (the  plant) 
has  already  arrived  {i.e.  has  reached  perfection),  it  then 
works  so  much  that  already  it  moves  and  feels,  as 
does  a  sea-fungus  ;  and  after  that  it  undertakes  to 
organize  the  powers  of  which  it  is  the  germ. 

And  Statius  concludes  this  portion  of  his  disserta- 
tion by  saying  to  Dante. 

Or  si  spiega,  figliuolo,  or  si  distende 

La  virtu  ch'  h  dal  cuor  del  generante, 

Dove  natura  a  tutte  membra  intende  :  60 

Now,  my  son,  the  power  which  is  (derived)  from  the 
heart  of  him  who  generates,  at  one  time  dilates,  and  at 
another  time  extends  itself,  in  which  (heart)  nature  is 
intent  on  (forming)  all  the  members. 

Both  Benvenuto  and  Talice  da  Ricaldone  translate 
the  passage  : 

"  Now  it  is  explained  to  thee,  now  it  is  declared  or 
made  clear  to  thee,  my  son,  from  what  has  been  said 
before,  that  nature  has  given  so  much  power  to  the 
heart,  that  it  is  able  to  give  forth  that  blood  from 
which  all  the  members  are  formed." 


Division  III.  In  this  third  division  of  the  Canto, 
Statius  explains  how  the  embryo,  from  being  a  mere 
animal,  becomes  endowed  with  a  rational  soul. 

vie,  veg^tale  d'abord,  mais  progressive,  se  ddveloppe  par  son 
propre  exercice  ;  elle  fait  passer  I'organisme  de  I'dtat  de 
plante  k  celui  de  zoophyte,  pour  parvenir  ensuite  k  la  complete 
animalitd." 


Canto  XXV.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  211 

In  treating  this  difficult  subject,  Dante  shows  that 
he  rejected  the  theory  of  Traducianisni  as  taught  by 
Averrhoes,  TertuUian  and  others,  who  maintained 
that  the  human  soul  is  generated  at  the  same  time  as 
the  body.  Dante  evidently  adopted  the  theory  of 
Creationism,  and  closely  followed  the  teaching  of  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas  and  the  mediaeval  theologians,  who 
held  that  the  rational  soul  comes  directly  from  God, 
Who,  as  soon  as  the  organism  of  the  brain  has  reached 
its  full  development,  breathes  into  it  a  divine  afflatus, 
and  this  attracts  to  it  the  principle  of  activity,  with 
which  it  in  its  turn  is  brought  in  contact,  when  it 
unites  with  the  embryo,  and  thus  becomes  a  living 
soul,  by  the  three  acts  of  plant  life,  animal  life,  and 
rational  life. 

Ma,  cqjne  d'  animal  divenga  fante, 

Non  vedi  tu  ancor  :  quest'  h  tal  punto 
Che  pill  savio  di  te  fe'  gik  errante  ; 
Si  che,  per  sua  dottrina,  fe'  disgiunto 

Dall'  anima  il  possibile  intelletto,*  65 

Perche  da  lui  non  vide  organo  assunto. 

But,  how  from  animal  it  becomes  rational  {lit.  en- 
dowed with  speech)   thou  canst  not  yet  discern,  for 

*  intelletto  possibile.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summ. 
Theol  P.  I.  qu.  LXXIX,  art.  10  :  "  Quandoque  enim  ponunt 
quatuor  intellectus,  scilicet  intellectum  agentem,  possibilem,  et 
in  habitu,  et  adeptum  ;  quorum  quatuor  intellectus  agens  et 
possibilis  sunt  diverse  potentiae,  sicut  et  in  omnibus  est  alia 
potentia  activa  et  alia  passiva ;  alia  vero  tria  distinguuntur 
secundum  tres  status  intellectus  possibilis ;  qui  quandoque  est  in 
potentia  tantum,  et  sic  dicitur  possibilis ;  quandoque  autem  in 
actu  primo,  qui  est  scientia,  et  sic  dicitur  intellectus  in  habitu  ; 
quandoque  autem  in  actu  secundo  qui  est  considerare,  et  sic 
dicitur  intellectus  in  actu,  sive  intellectus  adeptus." 

Y  Y  2 


212  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

this  is  the  point — that  it  has  already  made  one  (Aver- 
rhoes),  more  learned  than  thou,  to  err  so  that  in  his 
teaching  he  separated  the  possible  intellect  from  the 
soul,  because  he  could  see  no  organ  appropriated  by- 
it  {i.e.  the  possible  intellect). 

Averrhoes  did  not  see  in  the  human  body  any  organ 
specially  assigned  to  the  intellect,  as  are  the  ears  for 
hearing,  the  eyes  for  seeing,  and  so  on  with  the  other 
senses. 

Ozanam  {Le  Purgatoire  de  Dante,  page  418),  writes  : 
"  Averrhoes,  en  commentant  Aristote  s'efforce  d'etablir 
que  I'intellect  qu'Aristote  appelle  possible  est  une 
substance  separee  du  corps  quant  a  I'etre,  et  qui  lui 
est  unie  quant  a  la  forme,  et  de  plus  que  I'intellect 
possible  est  unique  pour  tous.  Or,  ^tant  d^truite  la 
diversite  d'intellect  possible  qui  est  seul  immortel,  il 
s'ensuit  qu'apr^s  la  mort  il  ne  reste  rien  des  ames 
humaines  que  I'unite  de  I'intellect,  et  ainsi  on  sup- 
prime  les  peines  et  les  recompenses,  Albert  le  Grand 
ajoute  que,  distinguant  Fame  sensible  de  I'^me  intel- 
lectuelle,  les  peripateticiens  font  naitre  la  premiere  du 
sang  du  p^re ;  mais  I'ame  intellectuelle,  ils  la  con9oi- 
vent  separee  et  rayonnant  sur  I'ame  sensible  comme 
le  soleil  sur  le  milieu  transparent,  et  de  mdme  que  si 
Ton  6te  les  objets  illumines  il  ne  reste  que  la  lumi^re 
du  soleil,  de  meme,  les  hommes  perissant,  il  ne  reste 
qu'une  seule  intelligence  perpetuelle  et  imperissable." 

In  the  language  of  the  Schools,  the  potential  intel- 
lect, is  the  faculty  which  receives  impressions  through 
the  senses,  and  forms  from  them  pictures  or  phantasmata 
in  the  mind.  The  active  intellect  draws  from  these 
pictures  various  ideas,  notions,  and  conclusions.  The 
two  represent  the  Understanding  and   the   Reason. 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  213 

Statius  is  very  anxious  that  Dante  should  be  fully 
aware  of  the  great  difficulty  of  the  above  passage  to 
render  him  forearmed  against  any  incorrect  explana- 
tions of  it,  Benvenuto  says  that  after  having  thus  con- 
demned the  opinions  of  Averrhoes  about  the  rational 
soul,  he  goes  on  to  give  the  true  opinion  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  namely,  that  the  soul  is  given  by  the  First 
Giver,  God,  and  he  begs  Dante  to  take  in  fully  and  to 
retain  the  true  doctrine. 

Apri  alia  veritk  che  viene  il  petto, 

E  sappi  che,  si  tosto  come  al  feto 

L'  articolar  nel  cerebro  ^  perfetto, 
Lo  Motor  primo  a  lui  si  volge  lieto*  .  70 

Sovra  tanta  arte  di  natura,  e  spira 

Spirito  nuovo  di  virtu  repleto, 
Che  cio  che  trova  attivo  quivi  tira 

In  sua  sustanzia,  e  fassi  un'  alma  sola,t 

Che  vive  e  sente,  e  s^  in  sfe  rigira.t  75 

*  lieto  :  compare  Purg.  XVI,  88-90 : — 
"  L'  anima  semplicetta,  che  sa  nulla, 

Salvo  che,  mossa  da  lieto  fattore, 
Volontier  toma  a  cio  che  la  trastulla," 
and  Psalm  CIV,  31  :  "The  Lord  shall  rejoice  in  His  works." 

t  sola  :  see  Purg.  IV,  5-6  : — 

"  E  questo  h  contra  quello  error,  che  crede 
Che  un'  anima  sovr'  altra  in  noi  s'  accenda." 
Scartazzini  quotes  from  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  on  this  {Summ. 
Theol.  P.  I,  qu.  LXXVI,  art.  3)  :— 
"  Sic  ergo  dicendum  quod  eadem  numero  est  anima  in  homine, 

sensitiva  at  intellectiva  et  nutritiva Prius  embrio 

habet  animam  quae  est  sensitiva  tantum  :  qua  ablata,  advenit 
perfectior  anima,  quae  est  simul  sensitiva  et  intellectiva." 

X  se  in  se  rigira  :  reflecting  within  itself  it  acquires  the  con- 
science of  its  own  existence.  Compare  Boetius  {Phil.  Cons.  lib. 
IW.Poes.  IX,  15  etc.):— 


214  Readings  on  the  Purgaiorio.     Canto  XXV. 

Open  thy  breast  to  the  truth  which  comes  to  thee, 
and  know  that  as  soon  as  the  articulation  of  the  brain 
is  perfected  in  the  embryo,  the  primal  Mover  turns  to 
it,  rejoicing  at  such  great  skill  in  nature,  and  breathes 
into  it  a  new-born  spirit  replete  with  power,  which 
draws  into  its  own  substance  whatever  it  finds  active 
in  it  (the  embryo),  and  forms  itself  into  one  single 
soul,  which  lives,  and  feels,  and  revolves  within  itself. 

The  new-born  rational  soul  draws  in  the  vegetative 
and  sensitive  souls,  and  identifies  them  with  its  own 
substance  and  with  itself  and  then  forms  one  single 
soul  having  three  powers,  the  vegetative,  the  sensitive, 
and  the  intellectual. 

Benvenuto  remarks  on  si  in  si  rigira,  that  perhaps 
the  meaning  is  that  the  movement  of  reason  proceeds 
from  the  Creator,  to  the  created  thing;  and  thence 
from  the  created  thing  to  the  Creator  as  it  were  in  a 
circle  {circidariter). 

"  Quas  {animd)  cum  secta  duos  motum  glomeravit  in  orbes, 
In  semet  reditura  meat  mentemque  profundam 
Circuit  et  simili  convertit  imagine  caelum." 

Scartazzini  says  that,  although  Boetius  is  here  speaking  of  the 
universal  soul — the  soul  of  the  world,  yet  the  expression  in  semet 
reditura  meat  might  equally  apply  to  the  human  and  rational 
soul,  inasmuch  as  the  latter  has,  according- to  the  Platonists,  a 
double  conversion,  to  intellectual  matters  and  to  sensitive 
matters,  i.e.,  that  it  resolves  itself  into  two  circles,  one  the  ex- 
ternal and  greater,  formed  of  the  intelligible  powers  of  the  soul, 
the  other  internal  and  lesser,  and  contrary  to  the  first,  formed 
from  the  knowledge  that  the  senses  infuse  into  it,  by  means  of 
which  the  soul  revolves  to  the  things  of  the  world.  And,  because 
this  movement  forms  a  double  circle  of  conversion,  therefore 
the  soul  returns  into  itself;  it  being  the  property  of  the  circle  to 
revolve  upon  itself,  or,  as  Aristotle  {Phys.  book  VIII)  says,  to 
unite  both  beginning  and  end. 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  215 

E  perch^  meno  ammiri  la  parola, 

Guarda  il  calor  del  sol  che  si  fa  vino,* 
Giunto  air  umor  che  dalla  vite  cola. 

And  that  thou  mayest  the  less  wonder  at  my  speech, 
look  at  the  heat  of  the  sun,  which  gets  turned  into 
wine  when  combined  with  the  juice  that  distils  from 
the  vine. 

Benvenuto  remarks  upon  the  beauty  and  appropri- 
ateness of  this  comparison  ;  for,  as  the  sun  by  its  heat 
makes  the  wine,  whose  results  are  either  the  best  or 
the  worst,  and  to  such  an  extent  that  some  compare 
the  nature  of  wine  to  the  power  of  the  gods,  in  like 
manner  the  Sun  Eternal,  in  His  beneficence,  creates 
the  rational  soul,  whose  deeds  will  be  either  the  best 
or  the  worst.  So  that  the  nature  of  the  soul  is  almost 
divine,  for  it  is  as  the  result  of  the  eternal  light,  and  is 
indeed,  as  Themistocles  says,  nearly  all  things. 

Statius,  having  established  the  production  of  the 
rational  soul,  now  explains  its  mode  of  existence  after 
the  death  of  the  body,  and  how  it  is  that  aerial  bodies 
can  suffer  from  leanness.  He  first  describes,  by  a 
poetical  figure,  the  separation  of  the  soul  from  the 
body. 

E  quando  Lachesis  non  ha  piu  lino, 

Solvesi  dalla  came,  ed  in  virtute  80 

Ne  porta  seco  e  1'  umano  e  il  divino. 

And  when  Lachesis  has  no  more  thread  {i.e.,  when 
man's  life  is  run),  it  loosens  itself  from  the  flesh,  and 
by  its  innate  power  {in  virtute)  bears  away  with  itselt 

*  Compare  Redi  {Bacco  in  Toscana,  v.  15-16)  : — 
"  Si  bel  sangue  e  un  raggio  acceso 
Di  quel  sol  che  in  ciel  vedete." 


2i6  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

both  the  human  (or  corporeal)  and  the  divine  (intel- 
lectual faculties). 

Statius  next  shows  what  the  separated  soul  casts  off 
and  what  it  retains. 

L'  altre  potenzie  tutte  quante  mute  ; 

Memoria,  intelligenza,  e  volontade,* 
In  atto  molto  piu  che  prima  acute. 

All  the  other  faculties  (that  are  not  intellectual 
faculties  from  their  representative  organs  being 
destroyed)  are  mute  {i.e.  inoperative);  memory,  in- 
telligence, and  will  (which  are  spiritual  faculties),  are, 
in  action  more  acute  than  before. 

Being  inorganic,  these  can  be  better  exercised 
without  the  impediment  of  the  body. 

Benvenuto  says  that  just  as  a  sailor  is  not  necessarily 
•  destroyed  by  the  destruction  or  wearing  out  of  his 
ship,  so  the  soul,  liberated  from  the  body,  has  its  own 
powers,  and  although  it  may  not  use  them  mechanically, 
it  still  retains  its  intellectual  powers  in  greater  perfec- 
tion than  before. 

*  Compare  St.  August.  {De  Trinit.  lib.  X,  ch.  i8) :  "Haec 
igitur  tria,  memoria,  intelligentia,  voluntas,  quoniam  non  sunt 
tres  vitas,  sed  una  vita  :  non  tres  mentes,  sed  una  mens  :  conse- 
quenter  utique  nee  tres  substantiae  sunt  sed  una  substantia." 

And  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Sumin.  TheoL  P.  I,  qu.  LXXVII, 
art.  8):  "  Omnes  potentiae  animas  comparantur  ad  animam  solam 
sicut  ad  principium.  Sed  quaedam  potentiae  comparantur  ad 
animam  solam  sicut  ad  subjectum,  ut  intellectus  et  voluntas  ;  et 
hujusmodi  potential  necesse  est  quod  maneant  in  anima,  corpora 
destructo.  Quasdam  vero  potentiae  sunt  in  conjunct©  sicut  in 
subjecto,  sicut  omnes  potentiae  sensitivae  partis  et  nutritivae. 
Destructo  autem  subjecto,  non  potest  accidens  remanere.  Unde 
corrupto  conjunct©,  non  manent  hujusmodi  potentiae  actu,  sed 
virtute  tantum  manent  in  anima  sicut  in  principio  vel  radice." 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  217 

Statius  next  tells  Dante  whither  goes  the  soul,  thus 
separated  from  the  body,  and  states  that  it  immediately 
passes  either  into  Hell  or  into  Purgatory. 

Senza  arrestarsi,  per  s^  stessa  cade  85 

Mirabilmente  all'  una  delle  rive  ;* 
Quivi  conosce  prima  le  sue  strade.t 

Without  delay,  it  falls  spontaneously  and  in 
wondrous  fashion  upon  one  of  the  two  shores  ;  here 
for  the  first  time  it  learns  its  (allotted)  path. 

This  means  that  the  soul  immediately  after  the 
death  of  the  body,  in  obedience  to  divine  impulse, 
instinctively  wings  its  way  to  the  bank  of  Acheron,  if 
doomed  to  Hell,  or  to  the  bank  of  the  Tiber,  if  to  be 
transported  to  Purgatory,  and  not  until  it  reaches  one 
of  these  shores  does  it  know  on  which  of  the  two  roads 
it  will  have  to  travel. 

*  aW  una  delle  rive  :  compare  Purg.  II,  100-105  : — 
"  Ond'  io  che  era  era  alia  marina  volte, 
Dove  r  acqua  di  Tevere  s'  insala, 
Benignamente  fui  da  lui  ricolto 
A  quella  foce,  ov'  egli  ha  dritta  1'  ala  : 
Pero  che  sempre  quivi  si  ricoglie, 
Qual  verso  d'  Acheronte  non  si  cala." 
In  SI.  Luke  XVI,  22-3,  we  read  :  "  the  rich  man  also  died,  and 
was  buried  ;  and  in  Hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments, 
and  seeth  Abraham  afar  oflf,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom." 

t  Scartazzini  points  out  that  no  one  seems  to  have  noticed 
that  Dante  here  contradicts  what  he  has  said  elsewhere,  that  a 
Devil  came  to  take  the  soul  of  Guido  da  Montefeltro  as  soon  as 
ever  it  was  loosed  from  the  body  {Inf.  XXVII,  112  et  seg.\  and 
an  Angel  for  that  of  Buonconte  da  Montefeltro,  likewise  at  the 
instant  of  his  death  {Purg.  v.  104  et  seq^.  So  both  of  these 
souls  knew  their  allotted  paths  before  falling  upon  one  of  the 
two  shores. 


2i8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  in  either  case  the  soul  has 
to  go  by  water. 

Statius  then  describes  how  the  soul,  when  it 
reaches  its  appointed  shore,  is  turned  to  its  allotted 
punishment. 

Tosto  che  luogo  li*  la  circonscrive, 
La  virtu  formativa  raggia  intorno, 
Cos!  e  quanto  nelle  membra  vive  ;  90 

So  soon  as  the  place  (either  Purgatory  or  Hell) 
circumscribes  it,  the  formative  virtue  radiates  around 
it  in  the  same  manner  and  measure  as  upon  the  living 
members  (of  the  body  to  which  it  formerly  was 
united). 

Scartazzini  prefers  referring  cosi  to  the  form  and 
features,  and  quanto  to  the  measurement,  so  that  the 
poet  would  mean  to  tell  us  that  the  soul  shedding 

*  li :  Dante  means  that  the  soul  puts  on  an  aerial  body  as 
soon  as  ever  it  has  lighted  on  one  of  the  shores  and  is  contained 
by  the  spot.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (6"z^;«;«.  TheoL  P.  1 1 1, 
Suppl.  qu,  LXIX,  art.  i): — 

"  Quamvis  substantiae  spirituales  secundum  esse  suum  a 
corpore  non  dependeant,  corporalia  tamen  a  Deo  mediantibus 
spiritualibus  gubernantur,  ut  dicit  Augustinus  .  .  .  .  et 
Gregorius  .  .  .  .  et  ideo  est  quaedum  convenentia  spiritualium 
substantiarum  ad  corporales  substantias  per  congruentiam 
quamdam,  ut  scilicet  dignioribus  substantiis  digniora  corpora 
adaptentur  ....  Quamvis  autem  animabus  post  mortem  non 
assignentur  aliqua  corpora,  quorum  sint  formas,  vel  determinati 
motores,  determinantur  tamen  eis  quaedam  corporalia  loca  per 
congruentiam  quamdam  secundum  gradum  dignitatis  earum,  in 
quibus  sint  quasi  in  loco,  eo  modo  quo  incorporalia  esse  possunt 
in  loco  ....  Incorporalia  non  sunt  in  loco  modo  aliquo  nobis 
noto,  et  consueto,  secundum  quod  dicimus  corpora  proprie  in 
loco  esse ;  sunt  tamen  in  loco  modo  substantiis  spiritualibus 
convenient!,  qui  nobis  plene  manifestus  esse  non  potest." 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  071  tJie  Purgatorio.  219 

forth  its  active  power  into  the  air,  forms  itself  into  a 
body,  identical  in  form  and  features,  and  in  the 
measurement  or  size  of  the  human  body  that  it  ani- 
mated in  the  world. 

Statius  next  shows  the  new  disposition  which  the 
soul  acquires. 

E  come  1'  acre,  quando  e  ben  piorno, 

Per  1'  altrui  raggio  che  in  se  si  riflette,* 
Di  diversi  color  diventa  adomo, 
Cosi  1'  aer  vicin  quivi  si  mette 

In  quella  forma  che  in  lui  suggella,  95 

Virtualmente,  I'  alma  che  ristette.t 

And  as  the  air,  when  full  of  watery  vapours  from 
the  effect  of  the  rays  of  another  (the  Sun)  which  are 
reflected  in  it,  becomes  adorned  with  divers  colours 
(of  the  rainbow),  thus  here  does  the  air  near  (the  place) 
shape  itself  into  that  form  on  the  soul  that  has 
lighted  there,  gives  its  impress  by  innate  power. 

Benvenuto  translates  virtualmente :  "  quae  habet 
potentiam  imprimendi  talem  formam."  Scartazzini 
explains  it  "  imprime  in  esso  per  propria  virtu  opera- 

*  St  riflette :  Scartazzini  quotes  from  Antonelli  that  though  rt- 
fiette  now  means  "reflect,"  in  the  time  of  Dante  it  also  meant  "re- 
fract," and  thus  one  may  see  that  Dante  was  in  a  fair  way 
towards  understanding  the  nature  of  the  rainbow. 

t  ristette :  The  soul  has  the  power  of  operating  on  matter, 
and  impressing  upon  the  surrounding  air  the  shape  which  it 
animated  in  life,  forms  for  itself  an  aerial  vesture.  Ozanam 
{Purg.  p.  423)  says  :  "  Dante  se  fait  une  opinion  moyenne.  II 
emprunte  k  St. Thomas  la  notion  de  I'ame  sdparde  qui  recueille 
ses  puissances  intellectuelles  plus  actives  que  jamais,  sa  sen- 
sibilite  comme  endormie  ;  k  St.  Augustin,  k  Origene,  la  notion 
de  I'ombre  ou  du  corps  subtil."  See  also  Dante,  Conv.  tr. 
II,  c.  9. 


220  Readings  ott  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

trice,"  or  "per   effetto  della  conservata  virtu  infor- 
mativa" 

Statius  then  shows  what  is  the  power  of  the  soul  in 
its  new  garb.  Benvenuto  remarks  that  the  compari- 
son of  the  incorporeal  soul  to  fire,  which  is  a  subtile 
spiritual  body,  is  very  appropriate,  for  indeed  some 
have  thought  the  soul  to  be  fire. 

E  simigliante  poi  alia  fiammella 

Che  segue  il  fuoco  Ik  'vunque  si  muta, 
Segue  alio  spirto  sua  forma  novella. 

And  thenceforth,  after  the  manner  of  a  little  flame 
which  follows  the  fire  wheresoever  it  shifts,  so  does 
the  new  shape  accompany  the  spirit. 
The  soul  acquires  a  new  name. 

Pero  che  quindi  ha  poscia  sua  paruta,  loo 

E  chiamata  ombra  ;  e  quindi  organa  poi 
Ciascun  sentire  infino  alia  veduta. 

And  because  from  this  (aerial  form)  it  (the  soul) 
has  hereafter  its  appearance  [i.e.,  becomes  visible),  it 
is  called  a  shade  ;  and  from  this  it  supplies  an  organ 
to  every  one  of  the  senses,  even  to  sight. 

Benvenuto  says  that  some  persons  will  have  it  that 
the  passions  and  feelings  of  the  body  do  not  remain 
in  the  soul  after  its  separation  from  the  body,  but 
rather  something  else  that  resembles  them,  like  as  a 
mechanic,  who  lacks  both  tools  and  materials,  still 
has  their  shapes  and  forms  before  him.  For,  since  the 
soul  is  naturally  the  perfection  of  the  body,  there  re- 
mains in  it,  and  in  its  powers  of  action,  habits  and 
passions  which  follow  the  movements  of  the  body, 
just  as  in  the  mind  of  the  sailor  there  remain  the 
thoughts  and  imaginations  of  his  ship,  after  he  has 
been  separated  from  it. 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  221 

At  last  Statius  brings  his  long  discourse  to  a  con- 
clusion by  establishing  his  principal  proposition, 
namely,  that  by  these  arguments  the  soul  is  shown  to 
be  able  to  suffer  in  different  ways,  as  though  it  had 
been  seated  in  a  body. 

Quindi  parliamo,  e  quindi  ridiam  noi, 
Quindi  facciam  le  lagrime  e  i  sospiri 
Che  per  lo  monte  aver  sentiti  puoi.  105 

from  this  (form)  we  speak,  from  it  we  laugh,  from 
it  we  produce  the  tears  and  the  sighs  which  thou 
may  est  have  heard  in  traversing  the  mountain. 
Secondo  che  ci  affiggon  li  disiri 

E  gli  altri  affetti,  1'  ombra  si  figura, 
E  questa  h.  la  cagion  di  che  tu  miri." — 

According  as  the  desires  and  other  passions  make 
an  impression  upon  us,  so  does  the  shade  figure  itself, 
and  this  is  the  cause  of  what  thou  wonderest  at." 

That  is  the  reason  why  the  soul,  when  separated 
from  the  body,  can  endure  suffering,  about  which  Dante 
was  enquiring  from  Virgil,  before  he  asked  Statius  to 
explain  it.* 

*  Virgil's  own  ideas  on  the  subject  are  very  clearly  expressed 
in  ^n.  VI,  723,  et  seq.  (Conington's  Transl.) : — 
"  Know  first,  the  heaven,  the  earth,  the  main, 
The  moon's  pale  orb,  the  starry  train, 

Are  nourished  by  a  soul, 
A  bright  intelligence,  which  darts 
Its  influence  through  the  several  parts, 

And  animates  the  whole. 
Thence  souls  of  men  and  cattle  spring. 
And  the  gay  people  of  the  wing. 
And  those  strange  shapes  that  ocean  hides 
Beneath  the  smoothness  of  his  tides. 
A  fiery  strength  inspires  their  lives. 
An  essence  that  from  heaven  derives 


222  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

Division  IV.     Here  begins  the  fourth  division  of 
the  Canto. 

While  holding    their   profound    conversation,   the 

Though  clogged  in  part  by  limbs  of  clay, 

And  the  dull  '  vesture  of  decay.' 

Hence  wild  desires  and  grovelling  fears, 

And  human  laughter,  human  tears  : 

Immured  in  dungeon-seeming  night, 

They  look  abroad,  yet  see  no  light. 

Nay  when  at  last  the  light  has  fled, 

And  left  the  body  cold  and  dead, 

E'en  then  there  passes  not  away 

The  painful  heritage  of  clay  ; 

Full  many  a  long  contracted  stain 

Perforce  must  linger  deep  in  grain. 

So  penal  sufferings  they  endure 

For  ancient  crime,  to  make  them  pure  : 

Some  hang  aloft  in  open  view 

For  winds  to  pierce  them  through  and  through, 

While  others  purge  their  guilt  deep-dyed 

In  burning  fire  or  whelming  tide. 

Each  for  himself,  we  all  sustain 

The  durance  of  our  ghostly  pain  ; 

Then  to  Elysium  we  repair  ; 

The  few,  and  breathe  this  blissful  air  : 

Till,  many  a  length  of  ages  past. 

The  inherent  taint  is  cleansed  at  last. 

And  nought  rernains  but  ether  bright, 

The  quintessence  of  heavenly  light. 

All  these,  when  centuries  ten  times  told 

The  wheel  of  destiny  have  rolled. 

The  voice  divine  from  far  and  wide 

Calls  up  to  Lethe's  river  side. 

That  earthward  they  may  pass  once  more 

Remembering  not  the  things  before. 

And  with  a  blind  propension  yearn 

To  fleshly  bodies  to  return." 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  223 

three  poets  have  been  ascending  the  staircase  from 
the  sixth  Cornice  to  the  one  above,  and,  as  Statius 
uttered  the  concluding  words  of  his  long  discourse, 
they  seem  to  have  stepped  on  to  the  seventh  Cornice, 
the  last  one  of  all  in  Purgatory,  wherein  the  sins  of 
Lust  or  Luxury  are  being  purged. 
E  gik  venuto  all'  ultima  tortura* 

S'  era  per  noi,t  e  volto  alia  man  destra,t  no 

Ed  eravamo  attenti  ad  altra  cura. 

And  now  we  had  arrived  at  the  last  turning,  and 
had  bent  to  the  right  hand,  and  were  intent  on 
another  care. 

They  had  been  in  deep  speculation  as  to  how 
spirits  can  grow  thin,  but  now  they  will  have  to  turn 
to  the  more  practical  question  of  how  to  avoid  the 
flames  on  this  new  Cornice. 

*  tortura:  this  word  is  interpreted  by  Jacopo  della  Lana, 
Anonimo  Fiorentino,  Benvenuto,  Post.  Cassinese,  Danielli,  and 
others  of  the  older  commentators  in  the  sense  of  "  turning " 
{torcimento),  and  that  interpretation  has  been  adopted  by  the 
Accademici  della  Crusca,  but  a  great  number  of  commenta- 
tors have  preferred  to  attach  to  it  the  sense  of  "torture." 
Scartazzini,  however,  points  out  that  tortura  in  the  sense  of 
"torment"  did  not  enter  into  the  Italian  language  till  much 
later.  In  Conv.  tr,  IV,  c.  7,  Dante  writes  :  "  Per  suo  difetto 
il  cammino,  che  altri  senza  scorta  ha  saputo  tenere,  questo 
scorto  erra,  e  tortisce  per  li  pruni  e  per  le  mine."         ' 

t  i>er  not :  the  expression  venuto  s'  era  per  not  is  the  ren- 
dering of  the  Latin  ventum  erat  ad  =^  -we,  had  come  to  ;  comp. 
Virg.  ^n.  VI,  45  :  Ventum  erat  ad  limen.  And  Georg.  Ill, 
98  :  Ad  praslia  ventum  est. 

X  alia  man  destra:   as  usual  they  turned  to    the   right   on 
entering  a  new  cornice.     Comp.  Purg.  XIX,  80-81  : — 
"  E  volete  trovar  la  via  pivi  tosto, 
Le  vostre  destre  sien  sempre  di  fiiri." 


224  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxv. 

A  short  explanation  of  what  follows  may  not  be 
out  of  place.  As  in  the  other  cornices,  so  in  this  one, 
the  pathway,  from  about  12  to  15  feet  broad,  runs  right 
round  the  mountain  between  the  high  rocky  cliff  {la 
ripa)  and  the  edge  of  the  precipice  below.  The  spirits 
who  are  being  punished  for  incontinence  stand  against 
the  rock,  from  which  issue  flames  to  torment  them,  but 
a  wind,  blowing  from  the  contrary  direction,  that  is, 
from  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  blows  back  the  flames, 
and  keeps  them  against  the  rock,  so  that  a  narrow 
pathway  remains  between  the  edge  of  the  flames,  and 
the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  on  this  alone  can  the 
Poets  walk  without  being  burned. 

Quivi  la  ripa  fiamma  in  fuor  balestra, 
E  la  cornice  spira  fiato  in  suso, 
Che  la  riflette,  e  via  da  lei  sequestra. 

Here  the  cliff  darts  forth  a  flame  outwards,  and  the 
cornice  sends  a  blast  upward,  which  turns  it  (the  flame) 
back,  and  drives  it  away  from  it  (the  cornice). 

Benvenuto  interprets  sequestra  as  separating  the 
flame  in  two,  so  as  to  leave  a  narrow  footway,  as  it 
were,  between  two  walls  of  fire,  but  the  interpretation 
I  have  followed,  which  is  that  of  Fraticelli  and  Scar- 
tazzini,  seems  preferable,,  for  the  next  three  verses  show 
very  distinctly  that  the  fire  is  on  one  side  and  the 
precipice  on  the  other. 

Onde  ir  ne  convenia  dal  lato  schiuso  115 

Ad  uno  ad  uno,  ed  io  temeva  il  fuoco 
Quinci,  e  quindi  temeva  cadere  giuso. 

On  this  account  we  had  to  walk  one  by  one  on  the 
open  side  (i.e.  on  the  unprotected  edge  of  the  preci- 
pice), and  I  was  in  fear  of  the  fire  on  the  one  side,  and 
on  the  other  of  falling  headlong. 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  225 

Virgil  now  gives  Dante  some  timely  warning. 

Lo  duca  mio  dicea  : — "  Per  questo  loco 

Si  vuol  tenere  agli  occhi  stretto  il  freno, 
Perocch'  errar  potrebbesi  per  poco." —  120 

My  leader  said  :  "  Along  this  place  one  will  have  to 
keep  a  tight  rein  on  the  eyes ;  for  one  might  easily 
make  a  false  step." 

Benvenuto  and  others  tell  us  that  the  allegorical 
meaning  of  this  passage  is  that  the  eyes  ought  to  be 
curbed,  for  otherwise  one  may  easily  fall  into  the 
sin  of  concupiscence.* 

And  as  in  each  of  the  other  cornices  they  have 
heard  the  voices  of  the  penitents  chanting  the  praise 
of  the  virtue  opposed  to  the  particular  sin  they  are 
purging,  so  now  do  they  hear  the  spirits  of  the  sinners 
in  lust  chanting  a  hymn  in  praise  of  chastity. 

SummcB  D'eus  cletnentice^i  nel  seno 

Al  grande  ardore  allora  udii  cantando, 
Che  di  volger  mi  fe'  caler  non  meno. 

*  Compare  Propertius  (II,  xv,  16)  : — 

"  Oculi  sunt  in  amore  duces." 
and  Psalm  CXIX,  37  :  "  Turn  away  mine  eyes  from  beholding 
vanity  ;   and  quicken  thou  me  in  thy  way." 

t  Summce  Deus  clementicB :  the  opening  words  of  the  hymn 
that  the  spirits  in  the  flames  were  singing.  There  is  only 
one  hymn  in  the  Breviarium  Romanum  that  begins  with  these 
words,  and  that  is  in  the  service  of  Lauds  on  the  Festival  of 
our  Lady  of  the  Seven  Sorrows  ;  but  the  words  of  that  hymn 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  sins  purged  in  the  Seventh  Cornice. 
The  principal  commentators  explain,  however,  that  Dante  was 
quoting  from  the  hymn  sung  at  the  service  of  Matins  on  Satur- 
day, which  we  are  told  was  in  Dante's  time  somewhat  differently 
worded,  and  was  remodelled  at  a  later  period.  It  runs  as 
follows  : — 

zz  * 


226  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

"  SummcBDeMs  clementicel'  I  then  heard  them  singing 
in  the  bosom  of  that  great  burning,  which  made  me 
give  my  thoughts  to  turning  round  (towards  them)  not 
less  (than  taking  heed  to  my  footing). 

Benvenuto  explains  it  is  as  though  Dante  would 
say :  "  I  had  at  first  turned  my  eyes  to  look  after  my 
footing,  as  Virgil  had  enjoined  me,  but  now  I  turned 
them  with  no  less  care  towards  the  fire,  when  I  heard 
the  sacred  chant." 

Dante  now  directs  his  attention  to  the  shades  whom 
up  till  now  he  had  not  remarked. 

E  vidi  spirti  per  la  fiamma  andando  ; 

Perch'  io  guardav'  a'  loro,  ed  a'  miei  passi,        125 
Compartendo  la  vista  a  quando  a  quando. 

And  I  saw  spirits  going  through  the  flame ;  where- 

"  Summae  Parens  dementias, 
Mundi  regis  qui  machinam, 
Unius  et  substantiae, 
Trinusque  personis  Deus 

Nostros  pius  cum  canticis 
Fletus  benigne  suscipe  : 
Ut  corde  puro  sordium 
Te  perfruamur  largius. 

Lumbos,  jecurque  morbidum 
Flammis  adure  congruis, 
Accincti  ut  artus  excubent 
Luxu  remote  prossimo. 

Quicumque  ut  horas  noctium 
Nunc  concinendo  rumpimus, 
Ditemur  omnes  affatim 
Donis  beatae  patriae. 

Praesta  pater  piissime, 
Patrique  compar  Unice. 
Cum  Spiritu  Paraclito 
Regnans  per  omne  sseculum. 
Amen." 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  oji  the  Purgatorio.  227 

upon  I  looked  at  them  from  time  to  time  dividing  my 
gaze  with  my  footsteps. 

Dante  next  tells  how  he  heard  the  spirits  crying 
aloud  the  words  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  the  Archangel 
Gabriel,  "  I  know  not  a  man  "  {St.  Luke  I,  34).  As  we 
have  seen  in  the  other  cornices,  so  we  find  here  an 
example  from  the  life  of  the  Virgin  contrasted  with  the 
sin  being  purged. 

Appresso  il  fine  ch'  a  quell'  inno  fassi, 

Gridavano  alto  :   Virum  non  cognosco; 
Indi  ricominciavan  1'  inno  bassi. 

After  the  conclusion  which  is  made  to  that  hymn, 
they  cried  with  a  loud  voice :  Virum  non  cognosco ; 
then  they  recommenced  the  hymn  in  low  tones. 

They  are  recording  examples  of  the  virtue  of  chas- 
tity, the  opposite  to  sins  of  lust.  They  proclaim  the 
examples  aloud,  as  if  to  remind  themselves  of  the 
reproof  to  their  own  sins  given  by  these  holy  incidents, 
but  when  they  recommence  singing  the  other  stanzas 
of  the  hymn  "  Summae  Deus  clementiae,"  they  do  so 
with  bated  breath,  because  they  are  uttering  a  humble 
prayer  to  God. 

The  next  example  given  is  that  of  Helice.* 

*  Helice,  sometimes  called  Callisto,  was  supposed  to  have 
been  the  daughter  of  Lycaon,  King  of  Arcadia.     She  was  one  of 
the  attendant  nymphs  of  Diana,  who  discarded  her  on  account  of 
an  amour  with  Jupiter,  and  Juno  turned  her  and  her  child  Areas 
into  bears.     Jupiter  then  changed  them  again  into  the  constel- 
lations of  the  Great  and  Little  Bear.     The  tale  is  told  in  Ovid, 
Met.  II  (Addison's  translation).   After  Callisto  had  been  changed 
into  a  bear  her  son,  not  yet  transformed,  finds  her. 
"  But  now  her  son  had  fifteen  summers  told. 
Fierce  at  the  chase,  and  in  the  forest  bold  ; 
When,  as  he  beat  the  woods  in  search  of  prey, 
He  chanced  to  rouse  his  mother  where  she  lay. 
z  z  2 


228  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXV. 

Finitolo,  anche  gridavano  :  Al  bosco  130 

Si  tenne  Diana,  ed  Elice  caccionne 
Che  di  Venere  avea  sentito  il  tosco. 

This  done,  they  cry  out  anew :  "  Diana  stayed  in, 
the  wood  and  drove  from  it  Helice  who  had  felt  the 
poison  of  Venus." 

Benvenuto  says  that  Diana,  the  moon,  whose  influ- 
ence was  thought  to  be  favourable  to  maidenhood,  is 
supposed  to  go  forth  with  her  virgin  nymphs  to  the 
chase  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  wild  beasts,  that 
is,  to  promote  the  mortification  of  the  lusts  of  concu- 
piscence, which  lacerate  and  wound  the  soul  and  body 
worse  than  any  wild  beast. 

In  conclusion  Dante  describes  another  song  in 
praise  of  chaste  men  and  women. 

Indi  al  cantar  tornavano  ;  indi  donne 
Gridavano,  e  mariti  che  fur  casti, 
Come  virtute  e  matrimonio  imponne.  135 

Then  they  turned  to  their  singing ;  then  they  pro- 
claimed wives  and  husbands  who  were  chaste,  accord- 
ing as  virtue  and  wedlock  ordain. 

Benvenuto  and  Buti  read  "  indi  donne  gridavano  i 
mariti  che  fur  casti,"  which  would  be  translated :  "after 
this,  women  took  up  the  cry,  and  proclaimed  the  virtues 
of  husbands  who  were  chaste."     But  if  this  were  the 

She  knew  her  son,  and  kept  him  in  her  sight, 
And  fondly  gazed  :  the  boy  was  in  a  fright, 
And  aimed  a  pointed  arrow  at  her  breast, 
And  would  have  slain  his  mother  in  the  beast ; 
But  Jove  forbad,  and  snatched  them  through  the  air 
In  whirlwinds  up  to  heaven,  and  fixed  them  there  ; 
Where  the  new  constellations  nightly  rise, 
And  add  a  lustre  to  the  northern  skies." 


Canto  XXV.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  229 

correct  reading  we  should  not  have  been  told  what  the 
men  were  proclaiming.    We  may  also  take  for  granted 
that  all  the  spirits  in  the  cornice  of  either  sex  must  have 
■  been  guilty  of  the  sin  of  lust,  and  would  have  enough 
to  do  in  purging  their  own  sins,  without  thinking  of 
what  was  profitable  for  the  souls  of  the  other  sex. 
Dante  concludes  the  Canto  by  saying  : 
E  questo  modo  credo  che  lor  basti 

Per  tutto  il  tempo  che  11  fuoco  gli  abbrucia ; 
Con  tal  cura  convien,  con  cotai  pasti 
Che  la  piaga  dasezzo*  si  ricucia.  139 

And  this  habit,  I  believe,  suffices  them  for  the 
whole  of  the  time  that  the  fire  burns  them  ;  with  such 
a  cure,  with  such  a  diet,  is  it  necessary  that  the  last 
wound  {ix.y  the  last  of  the  seven  P's)  should  be  healed, 
{lit.,  sewn  up). 

Benvenuto  says  this  is  a  beautiful  and  appropriate 
metaphor ;  for,  as  the  physician  sews  up  an  extensive 
wound,  and  sometimes  burns  it  with  fire  that  it  may 
not  putrefy,  so  does  the  Eternal  Physician  here  purge 
away  the  sin  of  Luxury  by  fire,  that  it  may  not 
introduce  poisonous  matter  into  the  soul. 

*  La  piaga  dasezzo  :  Blanc  interprets  "  Da  sezzo  "  or  "  das- 
sezzo  "  as  "  alia  fine,  finalmente,  da  ultimo." 


End  of  Canto  XXV. 


230  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxvi. 


CANTO   XXVI. 

The  Seventh  Cornice. 

Purgation  of  Incontinence  {continued). 

This  Canto  is  so  exceptional  as  to  the  subjects  treated 
in  it,  that  I  think  it  desirable  to  abstain  from  the  close 
explanation  that  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  elsewhere. 
I  am  compelled  to  translate  the  text  as  written  by- 
Dante,  whose  meanings  and  intentions  (often  greatly- 
misinterpreted  and  misunderstood)  can  be  studied  in 
Scartazzini's  notes. 

We  read  in  the  concluding  division  of  the  preceding 
Canto,  the  description  of  the  penance  of  those  who 
have  yielded  to  the  sin  of  incontinence.  In  this 
Canto  Dante  continues  the  subject. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  three  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  51,  Dante 
introduces  two  bands  of  penitents,  and  one  of  the 
shades  in  the  first  band  addresses  a  certain  question 
to  Dante. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  52  to  v.  102,  Dante 
answers  the  question,  tells  the  spirits  who  he  is,  and 
desires  those  in  both  bands  to  tell  him  their  names. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  103  to  v.  148,  he 
speaks  with  great  praise  of  a  shade  who  in  life  had 
been  famed  for  writing  verses,  both  in  the  Provengal  as 
well  as  in  the  mother-tongue,  and  he  also  names  other 
authors  and  troubadours,  both  in  France  and  Italy,  who 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  231 

were  celebrated  at  the  time,  and  among  them  Arnauld 
Daniel,  a  Provengal  poet  and  troubadour. 

Division  I.  Virgil  again  warns  Dante  to  beware 
how  he  walks. 

Mentre  che  si  per  1'  orlo,  uno  innanzi  altro, 
Ce  n'  andavamo,  e  spesso  il  buon  maestro 
Diceva  : — "  Guarda  ;  giovi  ch'  io  ti  scaltro,"* — 

While  we  thus  wended  our  way  along  the  edge  (of 
the  cornice),  one  before  the  other,  the  good  master 
(Virgil)  kept  saying  often  to  me :  "  Take  heed,  and 
let  my  warning  profit  thee." 

We  learn  from  verses  16  and  17  that  Dante  was 
walking  behind  Virgil  and  Statius.  Benvenuto  has  a 
long  digression  here  showing  that  Virgil  was  warning 
Dante  against  the  sin  of  incontinence,  when  he  used 
the  above  words. 

Dante  now  tells  us  what  was  the  hour. 
Feriami  il  Sole  in  su  1'  omero  destro, 

Che  gik,  raggiando,  tutto  1'  occidente  5 

Mutava  in  bianco  aspetto  di  cilestro  ; 

Striking  me  on  the  right  shoulder  was  the  sun,  who, 
darting  forth  his  rays,  was  already  changing  the  whole 
west  from  its  azure  colour  into  white. 

On  this  passage  let  us  again  turn  to  Dr.  Moore 
{Time  References,  108)  : — 

"  In  XXVI,  4-6,  they  are  on  the  7th  and  last  cornice, 
where  lust  is  punished,  and  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  light, 

*  ti  scaltro :  Blanc  says  of  scaltrire,  that  it  is  from  the  Latin 
callere,  to  instruct,  to  draw  attention  to  anything. 


232  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxvi. 

and  (2)  his  rays  strike  them  on  the  shoulder,  which 
indicates  a  low  altitude.  Note  the  continuation  of 
this  beautiful  passage.  Dante's  body  does  not  cast  a 
shadow  here,  as  so  often  elsewhere  in  his  passage 
through  Purgatory,  falling  as  it  does  on  the  burning 
flame  in  which  those  spirits  are  being  purified.  The 
only  effect  produced  by  it  is  that  the  flames  appear 
more  ruddy  where  it  intercepts  the  sun's  rays.  Ob- 
serve the  words  ^pure  a  tanto  indiziol  v.  8.  Some  of 
my  readers  rri^ty  remember  that  these  few  lines  are 
quoted  by  Mr.  Ruskin  {Mod.  Painters  II,  p.  259),  as 
probably  the  finest  description  in  literature  of  intense 
heat.  !^e  maintains  that  in  these  few  very  simple, 
and  i/l  some  sense  common-place,  touches,  Dante 
no  help  from  smoke  or  cinders^  has  produced  a 
vivid  effect  than  Milton  has  secured  in  ten  lines 
f  elaborate  description  and  varied  imagery.  Dante's 
few  words  suggest,  as  Ruskin  says,  '  lambent  annihila- 
tion' I  wish  I  had  space  to  illustrate  further  this 
splendid  and  unequalled  power  in  Dante,  of  piercing  at 
once  to  the  very  heart  of  things,  and  revealing,  as  it  were, 
a  whole  world  of  scenery,  or  of  emotion,  or  of  passion  at 
a  flash,  and  as  often  as  not  by  a  flash  of  silence,  that 
is  more  eloquent  than  any  words." 

Dante  now  describes  the  first  band  of  the  spirits  of 
the  incontinent ;  but  first  shows  how  they  pondered 
over  his  having  a  living  body,  which  cast  a  shadow  to 
his  left. 

Ed  io  facea  con  P  ombra  piu  rovente 

Parer  la  fiamma  ;  e  pure  a  tanto  indizio 
Vidi  molt'  ombre,  andando,  poner  mente. 

And  I  with  my  shadow  caused  the  flames  to  appear 
more  ruddy;  and  even  to  this  sign  (of  my  being  alive) 


Canto  XXVI.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  .235 

I  perceived  that  many  of  the  shades,  as  they  passed, 
gave  heed. 

The  only  way  that  on  this  occasion  Dante  could  be 
seen  to  have  a  shadow  was,  that  where  it  was  projected 
on  the  flames  they  showed  redder,  which  fire  always 
does  when  seen  in  the  shade. 

Questa  fu  la  cagion  che  diede  inizio  10 

Loro  a  parlar  di  me  ;  e  cominciirsi 
A  dir  : — "  Colui  non  par  corpo  fittizio."  — * 

This  was  the  occasion  that  gave  them  an  opening 
to  speak  about  me  ;  and  they  began  saying  one  to 
the  other:  "That  does  not  seem  to  be  a  fictitious 
body  (like  ours)." 

On  hearing  this  wonderful  intelligence  the  other 
spirits  all  flocked  towards  Dante.-f* 

Pol  verso  me,  quanto  potevan  farsi,t 
Certi  si  feron,  sempre  con  riguardo 
Di  non  uscir  dove  non  fossero  arsi.  15 

*  Blanc  {Voc.  Dant.)  says  thaX  Jittisio  is  the  opposite  of  r^a^, 
real. 

t  Compare  Purg.  II,  67-75  • — 

"  L'  anime  che  si  fur  di  me  accorte, 

Per  lo  spirar,  ch'  io  era  ancor  vivo, 
Maravigliando  diventaro  smorte  ; 
E  come  a  messaggier,  che  porta  olivo, 
Tragge  la  gente  per  udir  novelle, 
E  di  calcar  nessun  si  mostra  schivo ; 
Cosi  al  viso  mio  s'  affisar  quelle 
Anime  fortunate  tutte  quante, 
Quasi  obbliando  d'  ire  a  farsi  belle."    • 

X  farsi  avanti  is  a  well-known  Tuscan  idiom,  meaning  to 
step  forward.  Farsi  verso  uno :  to  approach  any  one.  Compare 
Purg.  WW,  52: 

"  Ver  me  si  fece,  ed  io  ver  lui  mi  fei :" 


232  Readings  o?i  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

'  Then  certain  of  them  came  towards  me,  as  near  as 
they  could,  always  with  heed  not  to  come  forth  to 
where  they  would  not  be  burned. 

They  would  not  for  one  single  instant  interrupt 
their  penance.  It  must  be  noticed  that  in  Purgatory 
the  spirits  not  only  submit  willingly  to  the  chastise- 
ment imposed  upon  them,  but  they  actually  love  it. 
In  Purg.  XI,  73,  Oderisi  begs  Dante  to  walk  stooping 
beside  him  ;  in  XIV,  124,  Guido  del  Duca  begs  him 
to  depart  as  he  is  more  desirous  of  weeping  than  of 
talking  ;  in  XVI,  142,  Marco  Lombardo  will  not  listen 
any  more  to  him  for  fear  of  leaving  the  pitchy  smoke  ; 
in  XVIII,  115,  the  penitents  beg  him  not  to  ascribe  it 
to  any  discourtesy  if  they  leave  him,  but  only  to  their 
wish  to  move  on;  in  XIX,  139,  Pope  Adrian  begs 
Dante  to  pass  on  and  not  retard  his  penitent  weep- 
ing;  in  XXIV,  91,  Forese  leaves  him  because  he 
says  that  in  that  kingdom  the  time  is  too  precious ; 
and  here  the  penitents  take  heed  to  keep  within  the 
flames. 

One  of  the  spirits  now  addresses  Dante.  We  shall 
see  that  it  was  Guido  Guinicelli. 

— "  O  tu  che  vai,  non  per  esser  piii  tardo, 

Ma  force  reverente,  agli  altri  dopo, 
Rispondi  a  me  che  in  sete  e  in  fuoco  ardo  :* 

"O  thou,  who  goest  behind  the  others,  not  from 
being  slower,  but  perchance  out  of  reverence  (for  thy 
companions),  answer  me,  who  am  burning  in  thirst 
and  fire. 

*  Compare  Inf.  XXVII,  22-24  '• — 

"  Perch'  io  sia  giunto  forse  alquanto  tardo, 
Non  t'  incresca  restare  a  parlar  meco. 
Vedi  che  non  incresce  a  me,  ed  ardo." 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  235 

And  he  confirms  his  words  by  an  appropriate  com- 
parison. 

N^  solo  a  me  la  tua  risposta  ^  uopo  ; 

Ch^  tutti  questi  n'  hanno  maggior  sete  20 

Che  d'  acqua  fredda  Indo  o  Etiopo. 
Nor  is  it  by  me  alone  that  thine  answer  is  needed  ; 
for  all  of  these  (the  penitent)  have   a  thirst  for  it 
gfreater  than  an  Indian  or  an  Ethiop  for  cold  water. 

He  supposes  that  dwellers  in  the  hottest  parts  of 
the  earth  are  those,  who  would  most  suffer  from  thirst. 
Dinne  com'  h.  che  fai  di  te  parete 

Al  sol,  come  se  tu  non  fossi  ancora 
Di  morte  entrato  dentro  dalla  rete  ?  " — 
Tell  us  how  it  is  that  thou  makest  thyself  a  wall 
to    the   sun,  as   though   thou  hadst  not  yet  entered 
into  the  net  of  death  ?  " 

Benvenuto  says  the  simile  is  very  appropriate,  for 
death  casts  its  net  into  the  great  sea  of  mortals,  and 
lays  hold  of  every  species  of  living  being. 

Si  mi  parlava  un  d'  essi  ;  ed  io  mi  fora  25 

Gik  manifesto,  s'  io  non  fossi  atteso 
Ad  altra  novitk  ch'  apparse  allora  ; 
Thus  did  one  of  them  address  me ;  and   I  should 
straightway  have  made  myself  known,  had  I  not  given 
my  attention  to  another  new  thing,  which  then  ap- 
peared. 

We  learn  from  v.  92  that  the  speaker  was  Guido 
Guinicelli,  of  whom  Benvenuto  relates  that  he  was  a 
knight  of  a  very  illustrious  family  of  Bologna,  banished 
for  their  imperialist  sympathies  by  a  civil  sedition. 
Guido  himself  was  a  prudent,  eloquent  man,  who  com- 
posed beautiful  sonnets  in  his  mother  tongue,  and  was 
not  only  of  a  mercurial  temperament  in  his  genius  and 
his  speech,  but  also  in  his  amorous  susceptibilities. 


236  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

Benvenuto  expresses  his  regret  to  think  of  how  many- 
men,  virtuous  in  other  ways,  have  been  marred  by  a 
disposition  to  licentiousness. 

Dante  now  tells  us  that  the  new  thing  that  caught 
his  attention  was  the  arrival  of  a  fresh  band  of  spirits. 
Chfe  per  lo  mezzo  del  cammino  acceso 

Venne  gente,  col  viso  incontro  a  questa, 

La  qual  mi  fece  a  rimirar  sospeso.  30 

For,  through  the  middle  of  the  fiery  path,  there  came 

a  people  with  their  faces  turned  the  opposite  way  to 

those  (of  the  first  company),  which  (people)  made  me 

stop  to  gaze. 

Li  veggio  d'  ogni  parte  farsi  presta 

Ciascun'  ombra,  e  baciarsi  una  con  una 
Senza  restar,  contente  a  breve  festa. 
There  (where  they  met)  I  saw  every  shade  advance 
from  either  side,  and   one   by  one   kiss    each   other 
without  staying,  content  with  a  brief  exhibition  of 
affection. 

Dante  compares  thetwocompanies  to  a  swarm  of  ants. 
Cosi  per  entro  loro  schiera  bruna 

S'  ammusa  1'  una  con  1'  altra  formica,*  35 

Forse  ad  espiart  lor  via  e  lor  fortuna. 

*  formica :  compare  Virg.  ^neid,  IV,  404  (Conington's  trans.) 
"  E'en  as  when  ants  industrious  toil 
Some  mighty  heap  of  com  to  spoil, 
And  mindful  of  the  cold  to  come 
Convey  their  new  worn  beauty  home  : 
There  moves  the  column  long  and  black, 
And  threads  the  grass  with  one  thin  track  : 
Some  labouring  with  their  shoulders  strong 
Heave  huge  and  heavy  grains  along  : 
Some  force  the  stragglers  into  file  : 
The  pathway  seethes  and  glows  the  while." 

t  espiar:   Blanc  says  that  spiare  is  akin   to  the   German 
spdhen,  to  investigate. 


Canto  XXVI.     Readmgs  on  t/ie  Purgatorio.  237 

Thus  within  their  dusky  battalions  one  ant  meets 
another  muzzle  to  muzzle,  perchance  to  espy  their 
path  and  their  luck. 

The  ants  give  each  other  information,  as  to  the  path 
to  be  pursued,  and  as  to  the  good  or  bad  fortune  they 
have  had  in  finding  food. 

Dante  now  tells  us  what  the  spirits  said  to  one 
another. 

Tosto  che  parton  1'  accoglienza  arnica, 
Prima  che  il  primo  passo  li  trascorra, 
,  Sopragridar  ciascuna  s'  affatica  ; 
*  La  nuova  gente  :  Soddoma  e  Gomorra;   z-  scX<>t^o 
E  1'  altra  :  Nelle  vacca  entra  Pasi/e,    ,  ^  -xjiiiAM^ 
Perch^  il  torello  a  sua  lussuria  corra. 

As  soon  as  they  terminate  their  friendly  greeting, 
before  ever  the  first  footstep  passes  away  from  that 
spot,  each  (spirit)  vies  with  the  other  in  crying  the 
loudest ;  the  newly  (arrived)  company  :  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah ;  and  the  other :  Into  the  {^^^  of  the) 
cow  PasipJiae  enters^  in  order  that  tJie  bull  may  rtm  to 
her  lust. 

Dante  then,  by  a  simile,  describes  the  departure  of 
the  spirits. 

Pol  come  gru,*  ch'  alle  montagne  Rife 
Volasser  parte,  e  parte  inver  le  arene, 
Queste  del  giel,  quelle  del  sole  schife  :  45 

Then,  like  the  cranes,  of  which  one  flock  should  fly 
towards  the  Rhiphaean  mountains,t  and  the  other  flock 

*  It  is  remarkable  that  the  word  ''''gru '''  only  occurs  twice  in 
the  Divina  Commedia,  and  both  times  as  a  simile  connected  with 
those  punished  for  incontinence.  The  other  instance  is  mlnf.v.^6. 

+  The  Rhiphaean  mountains  were  supposed  to  be  situated  in 
the  North  of  Scythia,  but  the  name  was  applied  to  any  cold 
mountain  in  a  northern  country. 


238  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

towards  the  sands  (the  Libyan  deserts),  the  one 
portion  fighting  shy  of  the  ice,  and  the  other  of  the 
(heat  of  the)  sun. 

L'  una  gente  sen  va,  1'  altra  sen  viene, 
E  tornan  lagrimando  a'  primi  canti, 
Ed  al  gridar  che  piu  lor  si  conviene. 

The  one  company  goes,  the  other  comes,  and  with 
tears  they  return  to  the  chants  they  were  singing 
before,  and  to  the  cry  which  is  most  adapted  to  them. 

Their  chant  was  Summce  Deus  clementice,  their  cry 
was  one  of  the  examples  of  chastity  which  best  con- 
veyed the  lesson  of  the  contrary  to  their  special  sin. 
Benvenuto  says  that  it  is  more  honourable  to  chant 
and  cry  out  the  names  of  the  All  Merciful  God  and 
the  Virgin  Mary,  than  to  cry  out  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah and  the  like. 

Dante  next  tells  us  that  the  shades  turned  to  the 
edge  of  the  flame  awaiting  his  answer. 
E  raccostarsi  a  me,  come  davanti, 

Essi  medesmi  che  m'  avean  pregato,  50 

Attenti  ad  ascoltar  ne'  lor  sembianti. 

And  those  same  (spirits),  who  had  entreated  me  (to 
speak)  drew  near  to  me,  as  (they  had  done)  before 
(the  other  band  interrupted  them),  showing  in  their 
countenances  great  attention  to  listen. 


Division  II.  We  here  commence  the  second  division 
of  the  Canto,  in  which  Dante,  in  answer  to  the 
questions  put  to  him,  states  his  own  identity,  and  gets 
from  both  bands  of  spirits  information  as  to  them- 
selves. 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  239 

lo,  che  due  volte  avea  visto  lor  grato, 
Incominciai : — "  O  anime  sicure 
D'  aver  quando  che  sia  di  pace  stato, 

Non  son  rimase  acerbe  n^  mature  55 

Le  membra  mie  di  Ik,  ma  son  qui  meco 
Col  sangue  suo  e  con  le  sue  giunture. 

I,  who  had  twice  perceived  what  they  desired  {lor 
grato)  began :  "  O  souls,  sure  of  attaining  a  state  of 
peace,  whenever  it  may  be,  (know  that)  my  limbs  have 
not  remained  yonder  (on  earth)  either  tender  or  ripe, 
but  are  here  with  me  now  with  their  blood  and  all 
articulations.* 

He  means  that  he  had  neither  died  when  young  nor 
when  old,  but  that  his  body  was  present  as  well  as  his 
soul.  Benvenuto  explains  that  this  means  that  Dante 
was  not  only  alive,  but  of  middle  age. 

And  now,  because  with  the  petition  the  spirits  had 
made  to  Dante,  they  had  at  the  same  time  assured 
him  that  they  did  not  think  that  it  was  from  any 
slothful  lack  of  zeal  that  he  was  walking  last  of  the 
three  poets,  he  therefore,  who,  as  Benvenuto  points 

*  Aristotle  taught  that  man  was  the  body  unformed  by  the 
soul.  Plato  held  man  to  be  the  soul  alone  disjoined  from  the 
body.  Dante  here  follows  the  doctrine  of  his  master  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  that  man  is  neither  the  body  alone,  nor  the  soul  alone, 
but  the  two  together.  See  Suimn.  Theol.  P.  I,  qu.  LXXV,  art.  4. : 
"  Nam  ad  naturam  specie!  pertinet  id  quod  significat  definitio. 
Definitio  autem  in  rebus  naturalibus  non  significat  formam 
tantum,  sed  formam  et  materiem.  Unde  materia  est  pars  speciei 
in  rebus  naturalibus,  non  quidem  materia  signata,  quae  est  prin- 
cipium  individuationis,  sed  materia  communis.  Sicut  enim  de 
ratione  hujus  hominis  est  quod  sit  ex  anima,  et  camibus,  et 
ossibus ;  oportet  enim  de  substantia  speciei  esse  quidquid  est 
communiter  de  substantia  omnium  individuorum  sub  specie 
contentonmi." 


240  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

out,  sought  not  praise,  but  purgation  of  his  sins, 
answers  humbly,  confessing  his  negligence  and  ignor- 
ance. 

Quinci  su*  vo  per  non  esser  piu  cieco  : 

Donna  h  di  sopra  che  n'  acquista  grazia,t 

Per  che  il  mortal  pel  vostro  mondo  reco.  60 

Up  here  (on  this  mountain)  am  I  going,  so  as  to  be 
no  longer  blind  (to  God's  grace) :  there  is  above  (in 
Heaven)  a  Lady  (the  Blessed  Virgin)  who  wins  grace 
for  us  {ne\  in  virtue  of  which  (grace)  I  bear  the 
mortal  part  of  me  through  your  world. 

He  then  begs  both  these  shades,  as  well  as  those  in 
the  other  band,  to  tell  him  their  names. 
Ma,  se  la  vostra  maggior  voglia  sazia 

Tosto  divenga,  si  che  il  ciel  v'  alberghi, 
Ch'  h  pien  d'  amore  e  piu  ampio  si  spazia, 
Ditemi,  accib  che  ancor  carte  ne  verghi 

Chi  siete  voi,  e  chi  h  quella  turba  65 

'  Che  se  ne  va  diretro  a'  vostri  terghi  ?  " — 

But  as  I  pray  that  your  greater  longing  may  soon 
become  satisfied,  so  that  that  Heaven  may  house  you, 

*  quinci  su :  Scartazzini  is  very  positive  that  this  means 
quassil,  "here,"  but  not  "to  heaven,"  only  "on  this  mountain." 
t  Donna  i  di  sopra  che  ti  acquista  grazia :  Some  com- 
mentators pass  over  this  passage,  others  take  it  for  granted 
that  Beatrice  is  the  lady  meant,  but  Scartazzini  contends  very 
reasonably  that  it  refers  to  the  lady  in  heaven  who  sent  Lucia 
to  Virgil ;  see  Inf.  II,  94-96  : — 

"  Donna  h  gentil  nel  ciel,  che  si  compiange 

Di  questo  impedimento  ov'  io  ti  man  do, 
Si  che  duro  giudicio  lassu  frange." 
He  lays  great  stress  on  n'  acquista  grazia,  who  wins  grace _/&r 
us  men,  and   says   that  even  conceding  that  it  was  Beatrice 
who  won  grace  for  Dante,  no  one  can   make   out  that  Dante 
would  mean  that  she  acquires  grace  for  all  men. 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  241 

which  is  full  of  love  and  is  of  widest  extent  {i.e.  the 
Empyrean,  which  encircles  all  the  other  heavens)  ; 
tell  me,  in  order  that  I  may  hereafter  record  it  on 
paper,  who  are  ye,  and  who  are  that  multitude  that 
go  thus  behind  your  backs." 

Dante  describes  the  effect  of  his  answer,  and  relates 
how  the  spirits,  when  they  heard  of  his  being  alive, 
were  struck  dumb  with  astonishment. 
Non  altrimenti  stupido  si  turba 

Lo  montanaro,  e  rimirando  ammuta, 
Quando  rozzo  e  salvatico  s'  inurba, 
Che  ciascun'  ombra  fece  in  sua  paruta  ;  70 

Ma  poi  che  furon  di  stupore  scarche, 
Lo  qual  negli  alti  cuor  tosto  s'  attuta, 
— *'  Beato  te,  che  delle  nostre  marche," — 

Ricomincio  colei  che  pria  m'  inchiese, 
— "  Per_viygr  meglio  esperienza  imbarche  !  75 

Not  Otherwise  is  the  mountaineer  stupidly  bewil- 
dered, and  is  speechless  as  he  looks  around,  when 
rough  and  rustic  he  comes  into  the  town,  than  each 
one  of  the  shades  became  in  its  appearance ;  but  when 
they  had  got  over  {lit.  were  disburdened)  their  amaze- 
ment, which  in  elevated  minds  is  quickly  subdued  : 
"Blessed  art  thou,"  began  again  the  same  one  who 
first  had  made  his  request  to  me,  "  who  art  em- 
barking experience  (which  will  enable  thee)  to  live 
better. 

Some  read  per  morir  meglio,  but  viver  seems  to  be 
the  reading  generally  preferred.  Scartazzini  in  his 
note  criticizes  Benvenuto,  but  makes  it  evident  that 
he  must  have  taken  Benvenuto's  opinion  from  the 
unfaithful  translation  byTamburini  in  1830.  Scartaz- 
zini says  that  Benvenuto  most  inaptly  reads  Per  morte 
meglio,  quoting  Benvenuto  in  Italian.     In  the  original 

AAA 


242  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

Latin,  however,  Benvenuto's  words  are :  "  'per  viver 
meglio'  Nee  dubito  quod poeta  melius  vixit,  et  melius 
mortuus  est  per  compilationem  hujus  operis^  "  Nor  do 
I  doubt  that  the  poet  did  live  a  better  life,  and 
qualified  himself  for  a  better  death  by  the  compilation 
of  this  work."  So  that  Benvenuto  may  have  known 
both  readings,  and  while  preferring  the  one  may  have 
made  his  remarks  deal  with  both. 

Guido  Guinicelli  now  gives  Dante  the  information 
he  asks  about  both  bands  of  spirits,  and  tells  him  of 
the  sin  of  the  other  company  with  much  plainness  of 
speech. 

La  gente  che  non  vien  con  noi,  offese 

Di  cio  per  che  g'lk  Cesar,  trionfando, 

Regina^  contra  s^,  chiamar  s'  intese  ; 
Pero  si  parton  Soddonia,  gridando, 

Rimproverando  a  s^,  com'  hai  udito,  80 

Ed  ajutan  1'  arsura  vergognando. 

The  people  that  come  not  with  us  {Le.  those  that 
walk  in  the  opposite  way),  were  guilty  of  that,  on 
account  of  which  in  former  days  (Julius)  Caesar,  at 
one  of  his  triumphs,  heard  himself  called  "  Queen,"  as 
a  term  of  reproach.  That  is  why  they  part  from  us 
crying  "Sodom"  in  self  vituperation,  as  thou  hast 
heard,  and  by  (the  glow  of)  their  shame  assist  the 
burning. 

Nostro  peccato  fu  ermafrodito  ;* 

Ma  perch^  non  servammo  umana  legge, 

Seguendo  come  bestie  1'  appetito, 

*  I  do  not  offer  any  opinion  on  this  much  disputed  pas- 
sage, further  than  this,  that  whereas  the  company  that  cried 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  turned  to  the  left,  that  in  which  Guido 
GuinicelH  was  turned  to  the  right— a  very  marked  indication 
that  Dante  impHed  that  they  had  been  less  sinful  than  the  others. 


Canto  XXVI.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  243 

In  obbrobrio  di  noi,  per  noi  si  legge,  85 

Quando  partiamci,  il  nome  di  colei 
Che  s'  imbestio  nell'  imbestiate  schegge. 

Our  sin  was  hermaphrodite  {i.e.  we  were  guilty  of 
perfectly  unbridled  depravity)  ;  but  because  we  vio- 
lated the  laws  of  humanity,  following  our  appetites 
like  brute  beasts,  therefore,  to  our  own  shame,  is  cried 
out  by  us  {si  legge),  when  we  part  company,  the  name 
of  her  that  wore  a  brute's  form  in  the  wickerwork 
beast. 

And  now  Guido  excuses  himself  from  naming  any 
one  but  himself. 

Or  sai  nostri  atti,  e  di  che  fummo  rei  : 
Se  forse  a  nome  vuoi  saper  chi  semo, 
Tempo  non  h  da  dire,  e  non  saprei.  90 

Farotti  ben  di  me  volere  scemo  ; 

Son  Guido  Guinicelli,*  e  gik  mi  purgo 
Per  ben  dolermi  prima  ch'  alio  stremo." — 

Now  thou  knowest  our  deeds,  and  of  what  we  were 
guilty :  if  perchance  thou  desirest  to  know  by  name 
who  we  are,  there  is  no  time  to  tell  (for  it  was  near 
evening),  nor  should  I  know  (among  so  many).  I  will 
indeed  satisfy  thy  wish  [lit.  make  thee  desire  less)  as 
regards  myself;  I  am  Guido  Guinicelli,  and  I  am 
already  purging  myself,  because  I  deeply  repented 
before  my  extreme  hour." 

*  Guido  Guinicelli,  the  best  of  the  Italian  poets  before 
Dante,  flourished  in  the  first  half  of  the  thirteenth  century.  He 
was  a  native  of  Bologna,  but  of  his  life  nothing  is  known.  His 
most  celebrated  work  is  a  canzone  on  the  nature  of  Love,  which 
goes  far,  says  Longfellow,  to  justify  the  warmth  and  tenderness 
of  Dante's  praise.  Dante  speaks  of  him  in  the  De  Volgari  Elo- 
quio  as  the  greatest  of  the  Bolognese  poets,  and  in  one  of  his 
canzoni  says  : — 

"  Al  cor  gentil  ripara  sempre  Amore." 
A  A  A  2 


244  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

Dante's  delight  on  finding  that  the  speaker  was 
Guido  Guinicelli  is  so  great,  that  he  compares  it  to 
that  of  the  twin  brothers  Thoas  and  Eunius,  on  recog- 
nizing their  mother  Hypsipyle. 

Quali  nella  tristizia  di  Licurgo* 

Si  fer  duo  figli  a  riveder  la  madre,  95 

Tal  mi  fee'  io  (ma  non  a  tanto  insurgo) 
Quand'  i'  odo  nomar  s^  stesso  il  padret 

Mio,  e  degli  altri  miei  miglior,  che  mait 
Rime  d'  amore  us^r  dolci  e  leggiadre  :  1| 
E  senza  udire  e  dir  pensoso  andai,     ,  100 

Lunga  fiata  rimirando  lui, 
N^  per  lo  fuoco  in  Ik  piu  m'  appressai. 

Such  as  the  two  sons  became  when  they  again  saw 
their  mother,  during  the  grief  of  Lycurgus,  such 
became  I,  but  without  going  so  far  (as  to  rush  forward 

*  Lycurgus,  King  of  Nemea,  was  about  to  put  to  death 
Hypsipyle,  to  whose  negligence  he  attributed  the  death  of 
his  infant  son  Opheltes,  who  had  died  by  the  bite  of  a  serpent.  As 
she  was  being  led  to  execution  she  was  recognised  by  her  twin 
sons,  Thoas  and  Eunius,  who  rushed  forward  and  delivered  her. 
See  Statius,  ThebaidY,  721  et  seq. 
t  il  padre  mio  :  compare  Inf.  XV,  82-85  • — 

"  Ch^  in  la  mente  m'  e  fitta,  ed  or  mi  accora. 
La  cara  e  buona  imagine  paterna 
Di  voi,  quando  nel  mondo  ad  ora  ad  ora 
M'  insegnevate  come  1'  uom  s'  etema." 
These  words  are  addressed  to  Brunetto  Latini,  his  former 
master  in  science,  as  Guido  Guinicelli  was  in  poetry.     Curiously 
enough  both  are  undergoing  chastisement  for  the  same  offence. 
X  miei  miglior :  Contrast  with /"wr^.  XI,  97-99: —  ~~      ^ 

"  Cosi  ha  tolto  r  uno  all'  altro  Guido 

La  gloria  della  lingua  ;  e  forse  h  nato 
Chi  r  uno  e  1'  altro  caccerk  di  nido." 
II  dolci  e  leggiadre  :  compare  Horace,  Ars.  Poet.  99  : — • 
"  Non  satis  est  pulchra  esse  poemata  ;  dulcia  sunto." 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  245 

as  they  did),  when  I  heard  him  (Guido  Guinicelli) 
name  himself,  who  was  the  father  (in  poesy)  to  me, 
and  to  the  others,  my  betters,  who  have  ever  turned 
sweet  and  graceful  rhymes  of  love ;  and  I  walked  on 
in  thought  for  a  long  time  without  hearing  or  speaking, 
gazing  on  him  the  while,  yet  on  account  of  the  flames 
I  did  not  approach  him  nearer. 


Division  III.  Here  commences  the  third  and  con- 
cluding division  of  the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  speaks 
in  warm  praise  of  Guido  Guinicelli  for  his  noble 
poetry,  and  also  mentions  incidentally  several  French 
and  Italian  troubadours  and  poets. 

Poi  che  di  riguardar  pasciuto  fui, 

Tutto  m'  offersi  pronto  al  suo  servigio, 

Con  1'  affermar  che  fa  credere  altrui.  105 

As  soon  as  I  was  satiated  with  gazing,  I  offered 
myself  as  quite  ready  for  his  service,  with  that  affir- 
mation that  makes  others  believe. 

He  invoked  God  to  witness  the  promise  that  he 
would  speak  up  for  Guido's  good  name,  and  would 
have  prayers  offered  up  for  him.  Verse  109  shows 
that  Dante  swore  to  do  so. 

Guido,  in  reply,  tells  Dante  that  he  has  already 

done  him  service  in  perpetuating  his  fame. 

Ed  egli  a  me  : — "  Tu  lasci  tal  vestigio, 

Per  quel  ch'  i'  odo,  in  me,  e  tanto  chiaro, 
Che  Lete  nol  puo  torre  ne  far  bigio. 

And  he  to  me  :  "  Thou  leavest  such  a  trace,  and  so 


246  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

distinct  in  me,  from  what  I  hear,  as  Lethe  cannot 
efface,  nor  make  obscure. 

We  shall  see  in  Canto  XXXI,  91-104,  that  souls 
before  passing  from  Purgatory  into  Paradise  are  im- 
mersed in  Lethe.  Guido  means,  by  his  words,  that 
as  long  as  Dante's  books  are  renowned  so  will  be  his 
(Guido's)  fame. 

He  then  asks  Dante  the  reason  of  his  affection  for 
him. 

Ma,  se  le  tue  parole  or  ver  giuraro, 

Dimmi  che  e  cagion  per  che  dimostri  I  lo 

Nel  dire  e  nel  guardare  avermi  caro  ? " — 

But,  if  thy  words  just  now  sware  the  truth,  tell  me 
the  reason  why  both  in  thy  speech  and  in  thy  looks 
thou  showest  that  I  am  dear  to  thee  ?  " 

Dante  tells  him  why,  addressing  him  in  the  plural. 
Ed  io  a  lui :— "  Li  dolci  detti  vostri 

Che,  quanto  durerk  1'  use  moderno, 
Faranno  carl  ancora  i  lore  inchiostri." — 

And  I  to  him  :  "  Those  sweet  lays  of  yours  which, 
as  long  as  the  modern  use  (of  writing  poetry  in  the 
vulgar  tongue)  shall  endure,  will  make  ever  dear  to 
me  their  very  ink." 

Like  Oderisi  d'  Agobbio,*  Guido  at  once  gives  the 
greater  honour  to  another. 

— "O  frate  (disse),  questi  ch'  io  ti  scerno  II5 

Col  dito  (e  addito  uno  spirto  innanzi), 
Fu  miglior  fabbro  del  parlar  materno. 

"  O  my  brother,"  said  he,  "  this  one  that  I  indicate 


« ( 


*  See  Purg.  XI,  82-84  :— 

'  Frate'  "—diss'  egli,  — "  *  piCi  ridon  le  carte 
Che  pennelleggia  Franco  Bolognese  : 
L'  onore  h  tutto  or  suo,  e  mio  in  parte. 


Canto  XXVI.     Readi?tgs  on  the  Purgatorio.  247 

to  thee  with  my  finger  " — and  he  pointed  out  a  spirit 
in  front — "  was  a  more  skilful  composer  (than  I)  in  the 
mother  tongue. 

The  shade  that  he  thus  introduces  is  that  of  Arnaud 
Daniel,  a  Provencal  poet.* 

Guido  confirms  what  he  said  by  adding : 
Versi  d'  amore  e  prose  di  romanzi 

Soverchio  tutti ;  e  lascia  dir  gli  stolti 

Che  quel  di  Lemoslt  credon  ch'  avanzi.  120 

(Of  those  who  wrote)  songs  of  love  and  prose  of 
romance  he  surpassed  allj;  and  let  the  idiots  talk  who 
believe  that  he  of  Limoges  (Giraud  de  Borneil)  excels 
him. 

Benvenuto  observes  that  in  his  days  there  have 
come    from    Limoges   many   Popes,   Cardinals,   and 

*  Arnaud  Daniel  flourished  between  1180  and  1200.  Very 
little  is  recorded  of  him  by  the  earHer  commentators,  but 
Petrarch  speaks  of  him  as  one  of  the  foremost  poets  of  his  time. 
He  lived  in  Provence  in  the  time  of  Raymond  Berenger  (the 
Good)  Count  of  Provence.  He  is  said  to  have  died  about  11 89 
according  to  Nostradamus.  He  was  the  inventor  of  the 
Sestina,  a  song  of  six  stanzas  of  six  lines  each,  with  the  same 
rhymes  repeated  in  all,  arranged  in  intricate  order. 

Benvenuto  says  that,  although  the  Provengal  tongue  is  not 
beautiful,  yet  it  is  difficult,  and  Amaud's  thoughts  were  so  well 
expressed,  that  Dante  might  have  said  of  them  what  Virgil  is 
supposed  to  have  said  of  Ennius  : 

"  Lego  aurum  in  stercore  Ennii." 

t  quel  di  Lemost:  this  is  Giraud  de  Borneil.  He  was  bom  at 
Excideul  near  Limoges.  Dante,  in  the  De  Volgari  Eloquio,  lib. 
II,  c.  2,  speaks  of  him  as  "a  poet  of  righteousness." 

Arnaud  was  a  poet  of  love,  and  of  higher  merit  in  the  estima- 
tion of  Dante. 

X  See  interesting  letter  by  Mr.  Paget  Toynbee  in  Academyy 
April  13th,  1889. 


248  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

Bishops,  whose  morals  were  unworthy  of  the  Church 
of  Christ,  and  it  is  well  for  them  to  be  purged  in  that 

fire. 

Guido  goes  on  to  say,  that  it  is  only  from  the  accla- 
mations of  the  vulgar,  that  there  could  arise  any 
question  of  comparing  Giraud  de  Borneil  to  Arnaud 

Daniel. 

A  voce  piu  ch'  al  ver  drizzan  li  volti, 
E  cosi  ferman  sua  opinione 
Prima  ch'  arte  o  ragion  per  lor  s'  ascolti. 

They  (the  idiots)  turn  their  countenances  to  common 
report  more  than  to  the  truth,  and  so  establish  their 
opinion,  before  art  or  reason  is  heard  by  them. 

Benvenuto  remarks  on  the  above  :  "  And  note  well 
here  the  most  true  opinion  of  our  Poet,  who  so  justly 
satirises  the  insane  vulgar  herd.  For  in  every  pro- 
fession we  have  seen  it  occur,  that  many  men  make 
false  and  vain  assertions  :  and  when  examined  by 
persons  of  experience,  as  to  whether  they  be  acquainted 
with  such  an  art,  or  if  they  really  have  any  opinion  on 
the  subject  about  which  they  speak  so  positively,  they 
do  not  know  what  else  to  say  than,  '  Everybody  says 
so ;'  and  thus  they  make  use  of  the  judgment  of  the 
ignorant  multitude  as  their  shield." 

And  now  Dante,  having  censured  rumour  for  pre- 
ferring the  French  to  the  ProvenQal  poet,  proceeds  to 
exclude  from  the  first  place  an  Italian  one,  Fra  Guit- 
tone  d'  Arezzo,  who  had  a  great  popular  reputation, 
and  quotes  him  as  an  instance  of  misplaced  praise. 
What  he  says  in  effect  is  that,  just  as  public  opinion 
in  Provence  was  fallacious  in  the  matter  of  Giraud  de 
Borneil  of  Limoges,  so  did  public  opinion  at  Florence 
go  astray  about  Fra  Guittone  d'  Arezzo,  until,  through 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  ofi  the  Purgatorio.  249 

the  opinions  of  experts,  the  real  truth  was  arrived  at. 
Guittone  expressed  beautiful  thoughts,  but  his  style 
was  not  happy. 

Cosi  fer  molti  antichi  di  Guittone, 

Di  grido  in  grido  pur  lui  dando  pregio,  125 

Fin  che  l'  ha  vinto  il  ver  con  piu  persone. 

Thus  did  many  in  olden  time  with  Guittone,  giving 
applause  to  him  alone  from  mouth  to  mouth,  until  the 
truth  gained  the  day  with  more  persons. 

Dante  now  briefly  tells  us  that  Guido  Guinicelli, 
while  gratefully  declining  to  avail  himself  of  Dante's 
offer  to  celebrate  his  fame  beyond  what  he  had  already 
done,  asks  him  all  the  same  to  utter  a  short  prayer 
for  him. 

Or  se  tu  hai  si  ampio  privilegio, 

Che  licito  ti  sia  1'  andare  al  chiostro, 
Nel  quale  h  Cristo  abate  del  collegio, 

Fkgli  per  me  un  dir  di  patemostro,  130 

Quanto  bisogna  a  noi  di  questo  mondo, 
Dove  poter  peccar  non  e  piu  nostro." — 

Now  if  thou  hast  such  ample  privilege,  that  it  is 
granted  to  thee  to  enter  that  cloister  {i.e.  Paradise),  in 
which  Christ  is  the  Abbot  of  the  college,  repeat  to 
Him  a  Paternoster  on  my  behalf,  as  far  as  is  needful 
for  us  in  this  world  (of  spirits),  where  the  power  to  sin 
is  no  longer  ours." 

We  may  remember  in  Canto  XI,  23,  the  shades  of 
the  proud  are  described  as  not  omitting  from  the 
Lord's  Prayer  the  sentence  about  leading  into  tempta- 
tion, but  explaining  that  they  use  it  for  the  sake  of 
those  who  remain  behind  them  in  the  world. 

Dante  now  relates  how  Guido  Guinicelli  disap- 
peared. 


250  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVI. 

Poi,  forse  per  dar  luogo  altrui,  secondo 

Che  presso  avea,  disparve  per  lo  fuoco, 

Come  per  1'  acqua*  pesce  andando  al  fondo.      135 

Then,  perchance  to  give  place  to  the  other  who  was 
just  behind  him,  he  disappeared  through  the  flame,  like 
a  fish  going  to  the  bottom  through  the  water. 
Dante  now  draws  near  to  Arnaud. 

lo  mi  feci  al  mostrato  innanzi  un  poco, 
E  dissi  ch'  al  suo  nome  il  mio  desire 
Apparecchiava  grazioso  loco. 

I  moved  a  little  towards  him  who  had  been  pointed 
out,  and  said  that  my  desire  was  preparing  an  honour- 
able place  for  his  name. 

Scartazzini  explains  this  :  I  told  him  that  my  desire 
to  know  him  was  so  great,  that  I  should  receive  his 
name  with  especial  affection. 

Arnaud  replies  in  the  Provencal  tongue. 
Ei  comincio  liberamente  a  dire  : 

Tan  ;«'  abelis  vostre  cortes  deman,  140 

Que  ieu  no-m  puesc  ni-in  vueil  a  vos  cobrire. 
leu  sui  Arnaut,  que  pi  or  e  vau  cant  an : 
Car,  sitot  vei  la  passada  folor^ 
Eu  vetjausen  lo  jorn,  qu^  esper,  denan. 
Ara  vos  prec per  aquella  valor,  145 

Que  us  guida  al  sotn  de  P  escalina 
Sovegna  vos  a  temps  de  ma  dolor. 
Poi  s'  ascose  nel  fuoco  che  gli  affina.  148 

He  began  freely  to  say :  "  Your  courteous  demand 
so  pleases  me,  that  I  neither  can  nor  will  hide  myself 
from  you.     I  am  Arnaud,  who  weep  and  go  singing  ; 

*  Come  per  V  acqua  pesce :  compare  the  disappearance  into 
the  mist  of  Piccarda  de  Donati,  Par.  I//,  121 : — 
"  Cosi  parlommi ;  e  poi  comincio  :  Ave, 
Maria,  cantando  ;  e  cantando  vanio; 
Come  per  acqua  cupa  cosa  grave." 


Canto  XXVI.     Readings  on  tlu  Purgatorio.  251 

for  when  I  see  the  folly  of  my  past  life,  I  can  still 
behold  in  exultation  the  hoped-for  day  (of  salvation) 
before  me.  Now,  I  implore  you  by  that  power,  which 
is  guiding  you  up  to  the  summit  of  the  stairs,  be 
mindful  in  due  time  of  my  suffering."  He  then  hid 
himself  in  the  fire  that  purifies. 

Arnaud  was  anxious  that  Dante  should  repeat  a 
Paternoster  for  him  also,  when  he  fulfilled  his  promise 
of  doing  so  for  Guido. 


End  of  Canto  XXVI. 


252  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 


CANTO  XXVII. 


The  Seventh  Cornice  {continued). 
The  Passage  through  the  Fire. 
The  Last  Ascent. 
Farewell  of  Virgil. 

From  the  ninth  Canto,  until  the  close  of  the  scene 
last  described,  Dante  has  been  describing  Purgatory- 
proper,  divided  into  seven  Cornices,  in  which  the 
seven  capital  sins  are  purged  in  different  ways.  From 
now  to  the  end  of  the  Cantica,  we  shall  have  the 
description  of  the  Post  Purgatorio,  wherein  is  situated 
the  Paradise  of  Delights,  figurative  of  the  Church 
Militant. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  Parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  45,  Dante 
describes  the  appearance  of  an  Angel,  who  purges 
him  from  the  seventh  and  last  sin,  of  Lust,  and  invites 
him,  with  the  assistance  of  Virgil,  to  pass  through  the 
fire  into  the  Terrestrial  Paradise. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  46  to  v.  Zj,  he 
describes  his  passage  through  the  fire. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  88  to  v.  108,  he 
relates  how  night  came  upon  the  poets,  how  they  slept 
on  the  stairway,  and  Dante's  dream. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v,  109  to  v.  142,  is 
contained  Virgil's  farewell  exhortation  to  Dante. 

Division  I.     Before  speaking  of  the  Angel,  Dante 
describes  the  hour  of  the  day  by  the  position  of  the 


Canto  XXVII,     Readijtgs  on  the  Purgatorio.  253 

Sun.  According  to  the  Cosmography  of  the  time, 
when  the  sun  is  first  dawning  on  Mount  Sion,  it  is 
midday  (the  beginning  of  the  Nones)  at  the  Ganges ; 
and  consequently  at  Purgatory,  which  is  the  Antipodes 
to  Jerusalem,  the  sun  is  about  to  set.  If  the  sun  is  at 
the  Ganges  in  Aries  at  midday,  the  night  would  natu- 
rally be  at  the  Ebro  in  Libra  at  midnight. 
Si  come  quando  i  primi  raggi  vibra 

Lk  dove  il  suo  Fattore  il  sangue  sparse, 
Cadendo  Ibero  *  sotto  1'  alta  Libra, 
E  1'  onde  in  Gange  da  nona  riarse  ; 

Si  stava  il  sole  ;  onde  il  giorno  sen  giva,  5 

Quando  1'  Angel  di  Dio  lieto  ci  apparse. 

As  when  he  (the  sun)  throws  his  earliest  rays  on 
that  place  where  his  Maker  shed  His  blood,  while 
Ebro  is  sinking  under  the  lofty  Libra,  and  the  waters 
of  the  Ganges  have  been  scorched  since  noon  ;  so 
stood  the  sun  ;  wherefore  the.  day  was  departing,  when 
God's  Angel,  joyful,  appeared  to  us. 

This  means  that  Dante,  towards  sunset,  saw  the 
Angel  of  God  appear  to  him,  rejoicing  that  Dante  had 

*  In  the  time  of  Dante,  to  use  the  expression  "  from  the  Ebro 
to  the  Ganges,"  was  equivalent  to  saying  "  from  one  end  to  the 
other  of  the  inhabited  world."     Compare  Juvenal  {Sat.  X,  i): — 
"  Omnibus  in  terris,  quae  sunt  a  Gadibus  usque 
Auroram  et  Gangem." 
Compare  also  a  passage,  nearly  identically  similar  to  these 
opening  lines  of  the  Canto,  in  Purg.  II,  1-6: — 
"  Gik  era  il  Sole  all'  orizzonte  g^unto, 

Lo  cui  meridian  cerchio  coverchia 
Jerusalem  col  suo  piii  alto  punto  : 
E  la  notte,  che  opposita  a  lui  cerchia, 
Uscia  di  Gange  fuor  colle  bilance, 
Che  le  caggion  di  man  quando  soverchia." 


254  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxvii. 

accomplished  his  last  purification,  that  is,  from  the 
vice  of  lust  * 

The  Angel  showed  in  his  face  the  joy  that  there  is 
among  the  Angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,  and  possibly  (Scartazzini  thinks)  in  order 
that  his  countenance  might  cheer  the  wayfarers  on- 
wards. 

Fuor  della  fiamma  stava  in  su  la  riva, 
E  cantava  :  Beati  mundo  corde. 
In  voce  assai  piu  che  la  nostra  viva. 

He  was  standing  outside  the  flame  on  the  edge  (of 
the  cornice),  and  chanted :  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,"  in  a  voice  (that  seemed)  far  more  living  than 
ours. 

These  are  the  words  of  the  Beatitude  {St.  Matt.  V,  8) 
especially  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  for  Dante  and 
"  Statius,  not  Virgil  alas  !  having  now  been  purged 
from  the  seven  mortal  sins,  have  qualified  themselves 
to  ascend  to  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  where  they  will 
have  a  vision  of  Christ,  and  thence  ascend  still  higher. 

The  Angel  now  invites  them  to  pass  on,  but  says 
that  they  must  first  go  through  the  flames. 

Poscia  : — "  Piu  non  si  va,  se  pria  non  morde,  lo 

Anime  sante,  il  fuoco.     Entrate  in  esso, 
Ed  al  cantar  di  Ik  non  siate  sorde." — 

*  In  this  circle  alone  are  there  two  Angels,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  flames;  this  one  is  the  usual  guardian  of  the  Cornice— the 
Angel  of  Purity.  Scartazzini  thinks  the  other  must  be  the 
Angel  warder  of  the  Terrestrial  Paradise.  See  Pietro  Dante  on 
this  passage  :  "  In  principio  noctis  quando  ut  plurimum  com- 
mittitur  et  incalescit  vitium  et  crimen  luxuriosi  ignis,  fingit  se 
mitti  et  duci  ab  Angelo,  id  est  ab  judicio  conscientias,  et  a 
Virgiho,  id  est  ab  judicio  rationis,  codem  tempore  in  flammam 
et  incendium  conscientiee  et  reprehensionis  talis  vitii." 


Canto  XXVII.    Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  255 

Then  (the  Angel  added) :  "  No  one  can  advance 
farther,  O  sanctified  souls,  if  first  the  fire  does  not 
bite  (/,  e.  torment)  ;  enter  into  it,  and  be  not  deaf  to 
the  chant  beyond." 

Si  disse  come  noi  gli  fummo  presso  : 

Perch'  io  divenni  tal,  quando  lo  intesi, 

Quale  e  colui  che  nella  fossa  h  messo.  15 

Thus  said  he  when  we  had  drawn  near  to  him  ; 
whereat  I  became,  when  I  heard  it,  as  one  who  is  placed 
in  the  grave  (or,  Scartazzini  prefers,  like  him  who  is 
buried  alive  head  downwards).* 

Dante  is  paralysed  with  fear ;  and  all  the  terrible 
scenes  he  has  witnessed,  of  sufferers  executed  at  the 
stake,  recur  to  his  mind  with  horror  in  all  their  hideous 

details. 

In  su  le  man  commesse  mi  protesi, 

Guardando  il  fuoco,  e  imaginando  forte 
Umani  corpi  gik  veduti  accesi. 

I  extended  my  clasped  hands  turning  them  upwards, 
and,  as  I  looked  at  the  flames,  I  vividly  recalled  the 
human  bodies  of  yore  seen  perishing  at  the  stake. 

It  may  be  noticed,  moreover,  that  Dante  had  himself 
been  condemned  by  contumacy  to  be  burnt  alive. 
Virgil  and  Statins  turn  to  him  in  kindness  and  sym- 
pathy, and  Virgil  reminds  him  how  he  escorted  him 
through  all  kinds  of  danger  in  Hell,  and  urges  Dante 
to  trust  to  him  now. 

*  Scartazzini  thinks  it  is  evident  that  Dante  here  describes 
his  fear  as  being  fear  of  death,  but  of  present  death,  such  as 
that  of  malefactors  buried  alive  head  downwards  in  the  trench. 
Compare  Inf.  XIX,  49  : — 

"  Io  stava  come  il  frate  che  confessa 

Lo  perfido  assassin  che,  poi  che  h  fitto, 
Richiama  lui  perch^  la  morte  cessa." 


256  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

Volsersi  verso  me  le  buone  scorte, 

E  Virgilio  mi  disse  :— "  Figliuol  mio,  20 

Qui  pub  esser  tormento  ma  non  morte.* 
Ricordati,  ricordati  .  .  .  e,  se  io 

Sovr'  esso  Gerion  t  ti  guidai  salvo, 

Che  faro  ora  presso  piu  a  Dio  ? 

The  good  conductors  turned  them  towards  me,  and 
Virgil  said  to  me  :  "  My  Son,  here  there  may  be  tor- 
ment, but  not  death.  Remember,  remember  .  .  .  and 
if  I  was  able  to  guide  thee  safely  even  on  Geryon, 
what  will  I  (not)  do  now  so  much  nearer  to  (the  Para- 
dise of)  God  ? 

He  further  encourages  him  by  demonstrating  to 
him  that  the  fire  will  only  burn,  but  not  consume  him. 
Let  him  try  it  with  his  hands,  and  on  his  clothes. 
He  will  emerge  from  it  like  the  three  Hebrew  youths, 
who  yielded  their  bodies  to  the  fiery  furnace. 


*  non  morte.  The  fire  of  Purgatory  is  quite  different  from 
that  in  our  world,  for  it  burns  without  consuming.  The  fire  on 
this  cornice  signifies  the  chastisement  of  the  flesh,  abstinence 
and  prayer,  by  means  of  which  our  flesh  is  mortified  and  con- 
sumes, as  it  were,  on  the  altar  of  God.  As,  therefore,  the 
abstinence  on  earth  afflicts  and  mortifies  the  flesh,  but  does  not 
destroy,  so  does  the  fire  of  purification  burn  without  consuming. 
See  St.  Gregory  {Mar.  lib.  XXVII,  c.  3)  :  "  Dum  carnaUs  vita 
corrigitur,  et  usque  ad  abstinentias  atque  orationis  studium  a 
perficientibus  perveniretur,  quasi  jam  in  altari  care  incenditur  : 
ut  inde  omnipotentis  Dei  sacrificium  redoleat,  unde  prius  culpa 
displicebat." 

t  Sovr'  esso  Gerion.     Scartazzini  renders  it  thus  : — 
"  persino  sul  dosso  di  Gerione." 
It  must  be  remembered  that  sovy  esso  has  a  much  more  em- 
phatic signification  than  merely  upon.     For  Geryon,  see  Inf. 
XVII,  91,  et  seq. 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  257 

Credi  per  certo  che,  se  dentro  all'  alvo  25 

Di  questa  fiamma  stessi  ben  mill'  anni, 
Non  ti  potrebbe  far  d'  un  capel  calvo. 

Believe  for  certain  that,  if  thou  wert  even  to  remain 
within  the  bosom  of  this  flame  for  full  a  thousand 
years,  it  could  not  make  thee  bald  of  a  single  hair. 

Benvenuto  says  baldness  is  caused  by  natural  heat, 
but  the  power  of  spiritual  fire  only  has  influence  upon 
spiritual  substance. 

E  se  tu  credi  forse  ch'  io  t'  inganni, 

Fktti  ver  lei,  e  fktti  far  credenza  * 

Con  le  tue  mani  al  lembo  de'  tuoi  panni.  30 

And  if  thou  thinkest  perchance  that  I  am  deceiving 

thee,  step  forward  towards  it,  and  bring  conviction  to 

thy  mind  with  thine  own  hands  on  the  hem  of  thy 

garments. 

Pon  gill  omai,  pon  g^u  ogni  temenza, 

Volgiti  in  qua,  e  vieni  oltre  secure." — 
Ed  io  pur  fermo,  e  contra  coscienza. 
Put  away  now,  put  away  all  terror;  turn  this  way, 
and  come  further  on  in  all  security."      And  still   I 
stood  motionless,  in  spite  of  conscience. 

His  conscience  was  telling  him  to  perform  what  his 
Leader  prescribed  for  him, 

Virgil  now,  with  knowledge  of  the  soft  side  of 
Dante's  nature,  has  recourse  to  an  artifice  to  get  round 
him  and  urge  him  forward. 

Quando  mi  vide  star  pur  fermo  e  duro,t 

Turbato  un  poco,  disse  : — "  Or  vedi,  figlio  !         35 
Tra  Beatrice  e  te  ^  questo  muro." — 

*  Brunone  Bianchi  says  XhdXfar  la  credenza  was  an  expression 
used  in  former  days  about  one  who  tasted  the  victuals  at  the 
table  of  a  prince,  to  insure  their  not  being  poisoned. 

+  duro.  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Su7nm.  Theol.  p.  Ill, 
Suppl.  qu.  I,  art.  i)  :  "  lUe  qui  in  suo  sensu  perseverat,  rigidus 

B  B  B 


258  Readings  on  the  Purgatovio.     Canto  XXV II. 

When  he  saw  me  still  standing  fast  and  stubborn, 
in  some  vexation,  he  said :  "  Now  look,  my  son, 
between  Beatrice  and  thee  is  this  wall." 

Dante  shows  how  Virgil's  reasoning  overcame 
him. 

Come  al  nome  di  Tisbe  *  aperse  il  ciglio 
Piramo,  in  su  la  morte,  e  riguardoUa, 
Allor  che  il  gelso  t  divento  vermiglio  ; 

et  durusper  similitudinem  vocatur  ;  sicut  durum  in  materialibus 
dicitur  quod  non  cedit  tactui ;  unde  et  frangi  dicitur  aliquis 
quando  a  suo  sensu  divellitur." 

*  Tisbe.  This  alludes  to  the  well  known  story  of  Pyramus 
and  Thisbe,  two  lovers  in  Babylon,  whose  tragic  death  at  the 
foot  of  the  mulberry  tree,  which  up  to  that  time  had  borne  white 
fruit,  caused  it  thereafter  for  evermore  to  bear  purple  fruit.  See 
Ovid,  Met.  IV,  145-6  :— 

"  Ad  nomen  Thisbes  oculos  jam  morte  gravatos 
Pyramus  erexit,  visaque  recondidit  ilia." 

Benvenuto  sees  close  analogy  between  the  loves  of  Pyramus 
and  Thisbe,  and  those  of  Dante  and  Beatrice.  Both  couples 
loved  each  other  (according  to  Benvenuto)  from  early  childhood. 

Dante  says  in  Canto  XXX,  41-42  : — 

"  L'  alta  virtu  che  gik  m'  avea  trafitto 
Prima  ch'  io  fuor  di  puerizia  fosse." 

Both  couples  were  separated  by  death.  If  Thisbe  wished  to 
follow  her  beloved  Pyramus  into  death,  so  did  Dante  wish  to 
follow  his  beloved  Beatrice  when  she  died,  and  become  blessed 
in  her  company. 

t  il  gelso  divento  vermiglio.  This  is  described  in  Ovid 
{Met.  IV.)  Eusden's  translation: — 

"  The  Pray'r,  which  dying  Thisbe  had  preferr'd, 
Both  Gods,  and  Parents,  with  compassion  heard. 
The  Whiteness  of  the  Mulberry  soon  fled, 
And  rip'ning,  saddened  in  a  dusky  Red  ; 
While  both  their  Parents  their  lost  Children  mourn, 
And  mix  their  Ashes  in  one  golden  Urn." 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  259 

Cosi,  la  mia  durezza  fatta  soUa,*  40 

Mi  volsi  al  savio  duca,  udendo  il  nome 
Che  nella  mente  sempre  mi  rampolla. 

As,  at  the  name  of  Thisbe,  Pyramus,  at  the  point  of 
death,  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  upon  her,  at  the 
time  when  the  mulberry  was  changed  into  purple  ;  so, 
all  my  stubbornness  being  softened,  I  turned  to  my 
wise  guide,  when  I  heard  that  name  {i.e.  Beatrice) 
which  is  ever  sprouting  up  in  my  mind. 

Ond'  ei  crollo  la  fronte,  e  disse  : — "  Come  ! 
Volemci  star  di  qua  ?" — Indi  sorrise, 
Come  al  fanciul  si  fa  ch'  h  vinto  al  pome.  45 

On  which  he  shook  his  head,  and  said  :  "  Well !  are 
we  going  to  remain  on  this  side  ?  "  Then  he  smiled, 
as  one  does  to  a  child  who  has  been  conquered  at  the 
(promise  of  an)  apple. 


■^Divison  II.  Dante  now  relates  his  successful  pas- 
sage through  the  dreaded  flames.  He  first  tells  us 
how  Virgil,  to  obviate  the  possibility  of  any  further 
want  of  decision  on  his  part,  walked  into  the  fire  in 
front  of  him,  and  begged  Statins  to  bring  up  the  rear. 
Up  to  that  moment  Virgil  had  been  walking  first, 
Statins  second,  and  Dante  third.     As  soon  however 

*  solla,  the  same  as  cedevole  (yielding) ;  or  arrendevole 
(flexible,  supple). 

Compare  Inf.  XVI,  28  :  Esto  loco  sollo,  this  yielding  sandy 
spot. 
And  Purg.  V,  18  :— 

"  Perch^  la  foga  1'  un  dell'  altro  insoUa." 
B  BB  2 


26o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

as  they  enter  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  it  is  Dante  who 
leads  the  way. 

Poi  dentro  al  fuoco  innanzi  mi  si  mise, 
Pregando  Stazio  che  venisse  retro, 
Che  pria  per  lunga  strada  ci  divise. 
He  then  entered  into  the  fire  in  front  of  me,  begging 
Statins  that  he  would  come  behind,  who  for  a  long 
way  before  had  been  between  us  {lit.  divided  us). 
Dante  describes  his  terror  and  his  suffering. 
Come  fui  dentro,  in  un  bogliente  vetroj 

Gittato  mi  sarei  per  rinfrescarmi,  50 

Tant'  era  ivi  lo  incendio  senza  metro. 
As  soon  as  I  was  in  it  (the  fire),  I  would  (willingly) 
have  cast  myself  into  molten  glass  to  cool   me,  so 
immeasurable  was  the  burning  there. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  has  well  imagined  so 
intense  a  fire  being  necessary  to  purge  out  so  much 
wickedness.  Glass  at  white  heat  was  supposed  to  be 
the  greatest  heat  imaginable,'  and  that,  says  Scar- 
tazzini,  was  in  Dante's  estimation  as  cold  water  com- 
pared to  that  of  the  fire  in  Purgatory. 

Virgil  endeavours  to  distract  his  attention  from  the 
flames  by  speaking  to  him  of  Beatrice. 
Lo  dolce  padre  mio,  per  confortarmi, 
Pur  di  Beatrice  ragionando  andava, 
Dicendo  : — "  Gli  occhi  suoi  *  gik  veder  parmi." — 

*  gli  occhi  suoi.  Francesco  da  Buti  says  :  "  Li  occhi  di 
Beatrice  sono  le  ragioni  sottilissime  et  efficacissime  e  1'  intelletti 
sottilissimi,  che  anno  avuto  li  Teologi  in  considerare  e  con- 
templare  Iddio  et  insegnare  a  considerarlo  e  contemplarlo." 

In  Canto  XXXI,  109,  the  four  Maidens  who  represent  the 
Cardinal  Virtues  say  to  Dante  : — 

"  Merrenti  agli  occhi  suoi  ;  ma  nel  giocondo 
Lume  ch'  h  dentro  aguzzeranno  i  tuoi 
Le  tre  di  Ik,  che  miran  piu  profondo." 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  261 

My  gentle  Father  (Virgil),  to  encourage  me,  spoke 
of  nothing  but  Beatrice  as  we  walked  along,  saying  : 
"  Already  I  almost  fancy  I  see  her  eyes." 

As  Beatrice  represents  Theology,  the  observation 
may  remind  one  of  the  supplication  in  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  that  "  in  all  our  sufferings  here  upon 
earth,  we  may  steadfastly  look  up  to  Heaven."  Virgil, 
symbol  of  human  science,  tacitly  acknowledges  the 
insufficiency  of  earthly  means  to  comfort  and  sustain 
man  in  times  of  great  sorrow  and  suffering. 

The  poets  are  now  so  enveloped  in  flames,  that 
they  cannot  see  their  way,  but  an  angelic  song  guides 
their  steps. 

Guidavaci  una  voce  che  cantava  55 

Di  Ik  ;  e  noi,  attenti  pure  a  lei, 
Venimmo  fiior,  Ik  ove  si  montava.  - 

A  voice  that  was  singing*  on  the  far  side  (of  the 

In  Convito,  tr.  II,  cap.  16,  Dante  says  :  "  Gli  occhi  di  questa 
donna  sono  le  sue  dimostrazioni,  le  quali  dritte  negli  occhi  dello 
intelletto,  inamorano  1'  anima." 

On  the  power  of  her  eyes,  see  Par.  XV,  32-36. 

"  Poscia  rivolsi  alia  mia  donna  il  viso, 
E  quinci  e  quindi  stupefatto  fui  ; 
Ch^  dentro  agli  occhi  suoi  ardeva  un  riso 

Tal,  ch'  io  pensai  co'  miei  toccar  lo  fondo 
Delia  mia  grazia  e  del  mio  paradiso." 
*  Cesari  compares  this  distant  chant  guiding  the  penitents 
through  the  flame  to  boats  on  the  Lago  di  Garda,  which,  during 
the  fogs  that  are  prevalent  there,  have  bells  on  their  prows, 
to  help  them  to  avoid  collisions. 

Scartazzini  observes  that  whereas  in  the  other  cornices  it  had 
always  been  an  angel  who  effaced  one  of  the  seven  P's  from 
Dante's  brow,  in  this  cornice  there  is  no  such  mention,  and  we 
are  left  to  infer  that  the  last  P,  signifying  the  sin  of  Lust,  is 
burnt  out  while  he  is  in  the  fire.     This  is  commented  on  by 


262  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxvil. 

fire)  guided  us  ;  and  we,  intent  only  to  it,  issued  forth 
where  the  ascent  began. 

The  Angel  had  enjoined  them  in  v.  12,  al  cantar  di 
la  non  siate  sorde,  meaning  that  when  in  the  fire  they 
were  to  listen  to  the  chant  on  the  far  side  of  it.  The 
voice  is,  as  we  shall  gather  from  v.  58-63,  that  of 
another  Angel,  who  is  doubtless  the  Guardian  of  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise.  Unlike  the  two  with  flaming 
swords  placed  there  by  God  to  drive  away  whoever 
should  approach,  this  one,  the  Angel  of  Purity,  invites 
all  the  pure  in  heart  to  enter. 

They  now  approach  a  light  of  such  dazzling  radiance 
that  Dante  says  that  he  could  not  gaze  upon  it. 
Venite,  benedicti  patris  met, 

Sono  dentro  ad  un  lume,  che  li  era, 

Tal  che  mi  vinse,  e  guardar  nol  potei.  60 

"  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,"  sounded  from 
the  interior  of  a  light  that  was  there,  so  (brilliant)  that 
it  overcame  me,  and  I  could  not  gaze  upon  it* 

The  Angel  though  invisible,  addresses  them. 

Pietro  di  Dante  :  "  Et  nota  auctorem  in  hoc  vitio  fuisse  multum 
implicitum,  ut  nunc  ostendit  de  incendio  quod  habuit  in  dicta 
flamma  in  reminiscentia  conscientias."  In  none  of  the  cornices 
of  Purgatory,  and  not  even  in  Hell,  has  Dante  had  to  suffer 
so  much  as  in  this  cornice  of  the  Lustful.  In  Purg.  XIII, 
133-138,  he  says  that  he  fears  he  will  have  after  death  to  do 
penance  among  the  proud  and  envious,  but  he  now  finds  that 
for  a  few  moments  he  has  to  suffer  the  torments  of  the  lustful 
even  before  his  death. 

*  Scartazzini  points  out  that,  as  the  Angel  Warder  at  the 
entrance  of  Purgatory  takes  the  functions  of  St.  Peter,  so  does 
the  Angel  at  the  exit  from  Purgatory  take  the  functions  of  Jesus 
Christ,  pronouncing  the  great  sentence  that  will  be  repeated  on 
the  Day  of  Judgment. 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  263 

— "  Lo  sol  sen  va  (soggiunse),  e  vien  la  sera  ; 
Non  v'  arrestate,  ma  studiate  il  passo, 
Mentre  che  1'  occidente  non  s'  annera." — 

"  The  sun  is  sinking  fast,"  added  (the  voice),  "  and 
the  night  cometh  ;  tarry  not,  but  press  on  your  steps 
before  the  West  shall  become  darkened  by  night." 

We  learnt  from  Canto  VII,  ^2,  that,  as  soon  as 
the  night  falls  in  Purgatory,  all  progress  is  arrested. 
And  therefore  the  Angel  advises  their  not  delaying 
on  the  very  threshold  of  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  as 
though  he  would  say,  "  Life  is  short,  Death  is  at  hand." 

Benvenuto  draws  attention  to  the  fact  that  up  to 
this  point  the  road  had  been  winding  round  the  circuit 
of  the  mount ;  but  here,  as  in  the  Anti-Purgatorio,  it 
diverges  and  ascends  through  a  hollow  way  straight 
up  to  the  summit.  This  path  Dante  now  proceeds  to 
describe,  and  Benvenuto  thinks  he  wishes,  by  an  alle- 
gory, to  speak  of  the  path  of  virtue. 
Dritta  salia  la  via  per  entro  il  sasso 

Verso  tal  parte,  ch'  io  toglieva  i  raggi  65 

Dinanzi  a  me*  del  sol  ch'  era  gik  basso.f 

*  Benvenuto  interprets  dinanzi  a  me  zs>  reverberantes  in 
faciein  meam,  and  verso  tal  parte  towards  the  west ;  but  Jacopo 
della  Lana,  Francesco  da  Buti,  Scartazzini,  Fraticelli  and  others, 
are  very  positive  that  it  means  towards  the  east,  and  Scartazzini 
quotes  from  Antonelli  expressing  the  opinion  that  this  last  stair- 
way was  lighted  by  the  rays  of  the  sun  just  setting  ;  and  that 
the  Poet  as  he  ascended  it  would  have  before  him  the  shadow 
of  his  own  body.  The  stairway  then  was  seen  from  the  west, 
and  led  towards  the  east.  Buti  adds  to  this  that  it  is  an  ap- 
propriate and  allegorical  fiction,  to  describe  the  ascending  to 
Paradise  as  ascending  towards  the  east,  whence  the  Sun  is  first 
manifested  to  the  world,  the  Sun,  which  signifies  the  Salvation 
of  God. 

t  Some  read  lasso^  wear)'  of  his  long  course- 


264  Readings  on  the  Pnvgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

The  passage  ascended  straight  up  through  the  rock, 
in  such  wise,  that  before  me  I  impeded  the  rays  of 
the  Sun,  which   was  already  low. 
He  next  describes  the  sunset. 

E  di  pochi  scaglion'  levammo  i  saggi, 

Che  il  sol  corcar,  per  1'  ombra  che  si  spense, 
Sentimmo  dietro  ed  io  e  li  miei  saggi. 

And  we  had  made  essay  of  but  few  steps,  before 
both  I  and  my  wise  (Leaders)  perceived  that  the  sun 
was  set  behind  us,  by  reason  of  the  shadow  (of  me) 
disappearing  in  front  of  us. 

As  it  was  now  night,  they  could  ascend  no  higher. 
E  pria  che  in  tutte  le  sue  parti  immense  70 

Fosse  orizzonte  *  fatto  d'  un  aspetto, 
E  notte  avesse  tutte  sue  dispense, 
Ciascun  di  noi  d'  un  grado  fece  letto  ; 
Ch^  la  natura  del  monte  ci  affranse 
La  possa  del  salir,  piii  che  il  diletto.t  75 

■*  Tommaseo  says  that  Dante  almost  personifies  the  horizon  by 
giving  it  without  the  definite  article. 

Dr.  Moore  {Time  References^  p.  no)  tells  us  that  in  this  pas- 
sage we  have  the  coming  on  of  darkness,  in  lines  89-90  the 
shining  out  of  the  stars  clearer  and  larger  than  their  wont. 
This  brings  us  to  the  end  of  the  third  day,  Tuesday,  April  12th, 
and  the  poets  have  now  reached  the  end  of  Purgatory  proper. 
The  dawn  of  the  fourth  day  is  beautifully  described  in  lines  109, 
etc. ;  the  Earthly  Paradise  is  entered,  and  Virgil  takes  his  leave 
in  the  splendid  passage  with  which  this  Canto  ends,  in  the 
course  of  which  (in  line  135)  he  points  to  the  now  fully  risen  sun. 

Longfellow  quotes  here  from  Dr.  Furness's  Hymn  : — 
"  Slowly  by  God's  hand  unfurled, 
Down  around  the  weary  world 
Falls  the  darkness." 

t  /■/  diletto.  Giuliani  is  quoted  by  Scartazzini  as  saying,  that 
Virgil  had  to  enter  the  fire  of  purification  to  render  himself 
worthy  of  passing  the  threshold  of  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  ;  and 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  265 

And  ere  that  the  horizon  was  become  of  one  un- 
varied hue  in  all  its  boundless  parts,  and  night  had 
equally  diffused  its  darkness  all  over  it,  each  of  us 
made  a  bed  of  a  stair,  for  the  nature  of  the  mountain 
took  away  from  the  power  of  ascending  more  than 
the  desire. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  probably  means  that 
he  gave  himself  up  to  nocturnal  meditation  with 
Statius,  a  poet  of  moral  science,  and  with  Virgil,  a  poet 
of  natural  science,  before  proceeding  to  describe  the 
elevated  matter  that  is  to  follow. 

Dante  next  describes  their  respective  positions. 

Quali  si  fanno  ruminando  manse 
Le  capre,  state  rapide  e  proterve 
Sopra  le  cime,  avanti  che  sien  pranse, 

Tacite  all'  ombra,  mentre  che  11  sol  ferve, 

Guardate  dal  pastor  che  in  su  la  verga  80 

Poggiato  s'  h,  e  lor  poggiato  serve  ;* 


Statius,  because  he  would  naturally  do  so  before  ascending  to 
God.  Dante  had  to  go  through  that  trial  and  torment  as  though 
to  mortify  the  spirit  of  the  flesh  as  a  holocaust  to  God. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  Virgil  and  Statius  had  to  pass  through 
the  flames,  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  was  no  other  way  to 
ascend.  They  lay  themselves  down  on  a  step  to  obey  the  law 
of  the  holy  mountain,  which  cannot  be  ascended  by  night. 
They  do  not  sleep,  not  being  subject  to  the  imperfections  of  the 
flesh,  but,  like  the  shepherds,  watch  all  night,  while  Dante  alone, 
from  having  the  flesh  of  Adam  {quel  cP  Adamo)  was  overcome 
by  sleep. 

*  Boccaccio,  in  his  Vita  di  Dante,  relates  that  he  wrote  two 
very  beautiful  Eclogues,  in  answer  to  some  verses  sent  to  him 
by  his  friend  Maestro  Giovanni  del  Virgilio,  a  poet  of  Bologna 
(Bolognese  allora  famosissimo  e  gran  Poeta,  e  di  Dante  singo- 
larissimo  amico),  who  himself  wrote  an  epitaph  on  Dante  after 


266  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

Just  as  the  goats  become  quiet  while  ruminating, 
which  had  been  agile  and  venturesome  upon  the  moun- 
tain tops  before  they  took  their  meal,  resting  hushed 
in  the  shade,  while  the  sun  is  hot,  watched  by  their 
shepherd  who  leans  upon  his  staff,  and  leaning  watches 
them. 

Others  read  "  e lor  di posa serve''  ''and  resting  while 
they  rest  causes  them  to  rest  also,"  but  the  former 
reading  has  an  overwhelming  weight  of  MS.  authority. 

Benvenuto  says  :  Like  as  the  goats  ascend  the  high 
hill  tops,  and  gather  the  most  succulent  branches, 
shrubs  and  leaves,  and,  when  satiated,  are  led  by  the 
shepherd  to  ruminate  in  the  shade,  so  Dante's  spirit 
soars  to  more  lofty  themes,  to  feed  on  more  elevated 
thoughts,  which  he  can  think  out  and  discuss  with  his 
guides,  at  a  time  well  fitted  for  contemplation  of  the  new 
and  sublime  matter  of  which  he  will  now  have  to  treat. 
E  quale  il  mandrian  *  che  fuori  alberga, 
Lungo  il  peculiot  suo  queto  pernotta, 

his  death.     In  the  second  Eclogue  (verses  7-15)  there  is  a  pas- 
sage resembling  this  one  of  the  goats:— 

"  Tityrus  haec  propter  confugit  et  Alphesibceus 
Ad  silvam,  pecudumque  suique  misertus  uterque, 
Fraxineam  silvam,  tiliis  platanisque  frequentem  : 
Et  dum  silvestri  pecudes  mistasque  capellas 
Insidunt  herbae,  dum  naribus  aera  captant, 
Tityrus  heic  annosus  enim,  defensus  acerna 
Fronde,  soporifero  gravis  incumbebat  odori, 
Nodosoque  piri  vulso  de  stirpe  bacillo 
Stabat  subnixus,  ut  diceret  Alphesibceus." 
*  mandriano  is  a  herdsman  rather  than  a  shepherd,  pastore, 
and  has  charge  rather  of  large  animals  than  of  sheep. 

t  Peculio  is  said  to  be  a  mixed  flock  of  sheep  and  goats.  Com- 
pare Virgil  {Georg.  IV,  433-436)  :— 

"  Ipse  velut  stabuli  custos  in  montibus  olim, 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  267 

Guardando  perche  fiera  non  lo  sperga  ; 
Tali  eravamo  tutti  e  tre  allotta,  85 

lo  come  capra,  ed  ei  come  pastori 
Fasciati  quinci  e  quindi  d'  aha  grotta. 
And  as  the  herdsman,  who  lives  in  the  open,  watches 
by  night  beside  his  resting  flock,  keeping  guard  that 
no  wild  beast  scatter  it  ;  such,  at  that  hour,  were  we 
three,  I  like  a  goat,  and  they  like  shepherds,  hedged 
in  on  either  side  by  lofty  rock* 

Benvenuto  explains  that  while  ascending  the  wind- 
ing road,  like  those  striving  after  virtue,  they  might 
have  slipped  over  the  edge  of  the  cornice,  but  having 
once  arrived  at  an  abode  of  bliss,  there  is  no  more 
falling  away. 


Division  III.     We    now    enter    upon    the    Third 

Division  of  the   Canto,  in  which  Dante  describes  a 

dream,  but  first  he  indicates  the  hour  in  which  he  fell 

asleep. 

Poco  potea  parer  li  del  di  fuori ; 

Vesper  ubi  e  pastu  vitulos  ad  tecta  reducit 
Auditisque  lupos  acuunt  balatibus  agni, 
Considit  scopulo  medius  numerumque  recenset." 
In  Dryden's  translation  : — 

"  Himself,  their  herdsman,  on  the  middle  mount, 
Takes  of  his  mustered  flocks  a  just  account. 
So,  seated  on  a  rock,  a  shepherd's  groom 
Surveys  his  evening  flocks  returning  home, 
When  loving  calves  and  bleating  lambs,  from  far, 
Provoke  the  prowling  wolf  to  nightly  war." 
*  Scartazzini  misquotes  Benvenuto  here  as  reading  d'  alta 
instead  of  dalla^  which  is  the  reading  Benvenuto  adopts.     I 
have  more  than  once  noticed  inaccuracies  as  to  Benvenuto  in 
Scartazzini,  who  has  probably  made  use  of  Tamburini's  spurious 
translation. 


268  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

Ma  per  quel  poco  vedev'  io  le  stelle, 
Di  lor  solere  e  piu  chiare  e  maggiori.*  90 

(Of  the  sky)  outside  but  little  could  be  seen  ;  but 
in  that  little  I  beheld  the  stars  more  brilliant  and 
larger  than  their  wont. 

They  were  reposing  on  the  steps  in  a  deep  hollow 
way  or  cutting,  and  consequently  could  see  but  little 
on  either  side  of  them,  as  one  in  a  well  can  only  see 
a  small  portion  of  the  sky. 

Si  ruminando,  e  si  mirando  in  quelle, 

Mi  prese  il  sonno  ;  il  sonno  che  sovente, 
Anzi  che  il  fatto  sia,  sa  le  novelle.t 

*  Antonelli  says  that  the  increased  brilliancy  of  the  stars 
would  be  due  to  the  intensely  pure  and  rarefied  air  of  that 
elevated  region  ;  and,  as  regards  their  appearing  larger,  it  is 
probable  that  Dante  wished  to  convey  to  his  readers  that  he 
had  reached  such  an  altitude,  as  to  be  appreciably  nearer  to  the 
starry  sphere,  so  that  the  stars  would  actually  seem  larger;  and, 
according  to  the  theories  prevailing  at  that  time  as  to  the 
distance  of  the  stars,  there  would  be  nothing  absurd  in  such  an 
idea.  Benvenuto  quite  confirms  this  conception  in  these  words  : 
"  Stellas  videbantur  clariores  sibi  et  majores  solito,  quia  erat 
vicinior  coelo  et  in  loco  puro  a  nubibus  :  distantia  enim  loci  facit 
Stellas  videri  minimas,  quae  sunt  in  se  maximae." 

t  Dreams  propheticof  things  really  about  to  happen  were  sup- 
posed to  be  those  dreamt  in  the  morning  before  waking.     Comp. 
Inf.  XXVI,  7  :   "  Ma  se  presso  al  mattin  del  ver  si  sogna, 
Tu  sentirai  di  qua  da  picciol  tempo 
Di  quel  che  Prato,  non  ch'  altri  t'  agogna." 
and  Purg.  IX,  13  : 

"  Neir  ora,  che  comincia  i  tristi  lai 

La  rondinella  presso  alia  mattina, 
Forse  a  memoria  de'  suoi  primi  guai, 
E  che  la  mente  nostra,  peregrina 

Piu  dalla  came,  e  men  da  pensier  presa, 
AUe  sue  vision  quasi  e  divina  ; 
In  sogno  mi  parea,  &c." 


Canto  XXVII.    Readings  07i  the  Piirgatorio.  269 

So  ruminating,  and  so  gazing  upon  them  (the  stars), 
sleep  came  over  me,  the  sleep  that,  oftentimes  before 
the  fact  occurs,  has  intelligence  of  it. 

Dante  dreamt  what  he  had  thought  out,  ruminating 
while  he  rested  in  the  dark,  like  a  goat  plucking  the 
choicest  shoots  in  the  shade.  These  thoughts  now 
formed  the  subject  of  his  dream,  which  he  now  relates, 
and  which  we  may  infer  took  place  a  couple  of  hours 
before  the  dawn. 

Neir  ora  credo,  che  dell'  oriente 

Prima  raggio  nel  monte  Citerea,*  95 

Che  di  fuoco  d'  amor  par  sempre  ardente, 

Giovanet  e  bella  in  sogno  mi  parea 

Donna  vedere  andar  per  una  landa 
Cogliendo  fiori.     E  cantando  dicea  : 
— "Sappia,  qualunque  il  mio  nome  dimanda,  100 


*  The  Planet  Venus  has  a  peculiar  lustrous  twinkling,  which 
was  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  throbbing  of  the  fire  of  love. 
Compare  Purg.  I,  19  : — 

"  Lo  bel  pianeta  che  ad  amar  conforta, 
Faceva  tutto  rider  1'  oriente." 

t  Leah  did  not  die  young,  but  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ. 
Theol.  p.  Ill,  qu.  XLVI,  art.  9)  states  that  "  Omnes  resurgent 
in  aetate  juvenili,"  and  she  therefore  is  seen  by  Dante,  as  it  were 
in  the  prime  of  life,  in  the  form  in  which  she  would  be  supposed 
to  rise  again.  Benvenuto  has  a  very  long  note  upon  Leah,  and 
says  that  this  noble  fiction  is  usually  explained  all  wrong,  and 
that  Dante  here  wishes  to  speak  of  the  Countess  Matelda  of 
Canossa,  in  the  State  of  Reggio.  I  cannot  follow  his  views  of 
the  matter  and  prefer  to  take  those  of  Scartazzini,  to  which  I 
will  refer  in  the  next  Canto,  when  we  are  brought  into  contact 
with  the  real  Matelda,  of  whom  Leah  is  but  the  symbol  seen  in  a 
dream. 


270  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

Ch'  io  mi  son  Lia,  e  vo  movendo  intorao 
Le  belle  mani  a  farmi  una  ghirlanda. 

About  the  hour,  I  think,  when  first  Venus  beamed 
from  the  East  upon  the  mountain  (of  Purgatory),  who 
ever  seems  to  burn  with  the  fire  of  love,  in  a  dream 
methought  I  saw  a  young  and  beautiful  Lady  walking 
over  a  plain,  gathering  flowers.  And  in  song  she  was 
saying,  "  Let  whoever  may  demand  my  name  know 
that  I  am  Leah,  and  I  go  moving  round  my  fair  hands 
to  make  myself  a  garland. 

Per  piacermi  alio  specchio  qui  m'  adorno  ; 

Ma  mia  suora  Rachel  mai  non  si  smaga 

Dal  suo  miraglio,  e  siede  tutto  giorno.  105 

Eir  e  de'  suoi  begli  occhi  veder  vaga, 

Com'  io  deir  adornarmi  con  le  mani  ; 

Lei  Io  vedere,  e  me  1'  ovrare  appaga." — 

To  please  myself  at  the  mirror  {i.  e.  God)  I  here 
adorn  myself;  but  my  sister  Rachel  never  departs 
from  her  looking-glass,  and  sits  at  it  all  day.  She  is 
as  eager  to  gaze  upon  her  beauteous  eyes,  as  I  to 
adorn  myself  with  my  hands  ;  contemplation  satisfies 
her,  and  work  satisfies  me." 

Scartazzini  says  that,  to  understand  better  the  diffi- 
culties in  the  lines  from  94  to  108,  it  will  be  well  to 
consult  passages  from  St.  Thomas  Aquinas. 

In  Summ.  Theol.  p.  II,  2,  qu.  CLXXIX,  art.  i, 
"Quia  quidam  homines  precipue  intendunt  contem- 
platione  veritatis,  quidam  vero  intendunt  principaliter 
exterioribus  actionibus,  inde  est  quod  vita  hominis 
convenienter  dividitur  per  activam  et  contemplativam." 
Again,  Summ.  Theol.  p.  II,  2,  qu.  CLXXIX,  art.  2, 
"  Istae  duae  vitae  significantur  per  duas  uxores  Jacob  : 
activa    quidem    per    Liam,  contemplativa    vero    per 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  271 

Rachelem  ;  et  per  duas  mulieres  quae  Dominum  hos- 
pitio  receperunt :  contemplativa  quidem  per  Mariam, 
activa  vero  per  Martham.  .  .  Divisio  ista  datur  de 
vita  humana  ;  quae  quidem  attenditur  secundum  intel- 
lectum.  Intellectus  autem  dividitur  per  activum  et 
contemplativum,  quia  finis  intellectivae  cognitionis  vel 
est  ipsa  cognitio  veritatis,  quod  pertinet  ad  intellectum 
contemplativum  ;  vel  est  aliqua  exterior  actio,  quod 
pertinet  ad  intellectum  practicum  sive  activum." 
Again,  Summ.  Theol.  qu.  CLXXXII,art.  2  :  "Deum 
diligere  secundum  se  est  magis  meritorium  quam  dili- 
gere  proximum.  Vita  autem  contemplativa  directe 
et  immediate  pertinet  ad  dilectionem  Dei ;  vita  autem 
activa  directius  ordinatur  ad  dilectionem  proximi. 
Et  ideo  ex  suo  genere  contemplativa  vita  est  majoris 
meriti  quam  activa."  In  Coftvito  tr.  II,  cap.  5,  Dante, 
in  accordance  with  the  teaching  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas, 
contends  that  the  contemplative  life  is  the  one  which 
most  resembles  God,  and  is  more  loved  by  Him./_The 
Terrestrial  Paradise,  into  which  Dante  is  just  entering, 
is  a  figure  of  the  happiness  of  this  contemplative  life  ; 
the  Celestial  Paradise  symbolizes  the_ blessedness  of 
Life  Eternal.  At  the  entrance  of  the  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise, Dante  in  a  dream  sees  Leah,  -xvlio  represents  the 
perfection  of  the  active  life  that  must  follow  after 
expiation  of  sins,  and  is  but  a  step  to  the  contempla- 
tive life,  a  link  between  Purgatory  and  Heaven, between 
politics  and  religion,  between  Virgil  and  Beatrice. 
Leah  speaks  to  Dante  of  her  sister  Rachel,  who  fore- 
casts to  him  the  sight  of  Beatrice,  the  two  latter  both 
symbolizing  the  contemplative  life. 

Dante's  dream  therefore  is  intended  to  show  him 
the  double  life  of  man  when  purified,  and  at  the  same 


2^2  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

time  shows  him  by  anticipation  what  he  will  see  when 
in  Paradise.  Longfellow  remarks  that  his  vision  is  a 
foreshadowing  of  Matelda  and  Beatrice  in  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise.  In  the  Old  Testament  Leah  is  the 
symbol  of  the  Active  Life,  and  Rachel  of  the  Contem- 
plative :  as  Martha  and  Mary  are  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, and  Matelda  and  Beatrice  in  the  Divine 
Comedy. 

Ruskin  {Mod.  Painters  III,  221,)  says,  "This  inter- 
pretation appears  at  first  straightforward  and  certain  ; 
but  it  has  missed  count  of  exactly  the  most  important 
fact  in  the  two  passages  which  we  have  to  explain. 
Observe  :  Leah  gathers  the  flowers  to  decorate  herself ^ 
and  delights  in  Her  Own  Labour.  Rachel  sits  silent, 
contemplating  herself,  and  delights  in  Her  Own  Image. 
These  are  the  types  of  the  Unglorified  Active  and 
Contemplative  powers  of  Man.  But  Beatrice  and 
Matilda  are  the  same  powers,  Glorified.  And  how  are 
they  Glorified.''  Leah  took  delight  in  her  own  Labour; 
but  Matilda,  in  operibus  manuum  Tuarum — in  God's 
Labour :  Rachel,  in  the  sight  of  her  own  face  ;  Beatrice, 
in  the  sight  of  God's  face." 


Division  IV.  Here  we  commence  the  Fourth  and 
concluding  Division  of  the  Canto,  in  which,  after 
Dante  awakes  from  his  dream,  Virgil  takes  leave 
of  him,  giving  him  much  comfort,  and  wholesome 
advice. 

The  dawn  of  the  fourth  day  in  Purgatory,  Wednes- 
^^^''ay,  April  13th,  1300,  is  beautifully  described. 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  tlie  Ptirgatorio.  273 

E  gik  per  gli  splendori  antelucani, 

Che  tanto  ai  peregrin'  surgon  piu  grati,  no 

Quanto  tomando  albergan  men  lontani,* 

Le  tenebre  fuggian  da  tutti  i  lati,t 

E  il  sonno  mio  con  esse  ;  ond'  io  levdmi, 
Veggendo  i  gran  maestri  gik  levati. 

And  already  through  the  brightness  that  precedes 
the  dawn,  which  arises  to  wayfarers  all  the  sweeter, 
the  less  distant  they  lodge  as  they  return,  the  darkness 
was  flying  away  on  every  side,  and  my  slumbers  with 
it ;  whereupon  I  arose,  seeing  the  great  Masters  already 
risen. 

Dante  now  shows  how  Virgil  kindles  his  desire  to 
get  fonvard,  by  showing  him  the  reward  he  had  been 
in  quest  of  through  so  many  toils. 

*  men  lontani  ox  pin  lontani:  Of  these  two  much  disputed 
readings  the  one  most  commonly  adopted  is  men  lontani,  which 
's  that  found  in  the  early  editions  of  Jesi  and  Mantua,  and  is 
also  followed  by  Benvenuto,  Buti  and  all  succeeding  commenta- 
tors. Even  Scartazzini,  who  accepts  the  reading  piii  on  account 
of  its  MS.  authority,  says  he  prefers  men,  besides  which  he  says 
the  idea  of  men  lontani  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  Dante's  own 
works.  In  Convito,  tr.  Ill,  c.  10,  Dante  writes:  "  Quanto  la 
cosa  desiderata  piu  s'  appropinqua  al  desiderante,  tanto  il 
desiderio  e  maggiore."  And  De  Mon.  lib.  I,  c.  11  :  "Omne 
diligibile  tanto  magis  diligitur,  quanto  propinquius  est  diligenti." 
Dante  is  comparing  himself  to  a  returning  wayfarer  who  beholds 
the  dawn  with  increasing  delight,  as  day  by  day  he  gets  nearer 
and  nearer  to  his  longed-for  home.  The  sense  of  the  reading 
piu  lontani  is  that,  the  farther  off  one  is  from  the  desired  object, 
the  more  eagerly  does  one  gird  oneself  to  the  daily  task  of 
diminishing  the  distance. 

t  Le  tenebre  fuggian.     Compare  Purg.  II,  55-57  : — 
"  Da  tutte  parti  saettava  il  giomo 

Lo  sol,  ch'  avea  coUe  saette  conte 
Di  mezzo  il  ciel  cacciato  il  Capricomo." 
C  C  C 


274  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

— "  Quel  dolce  pome  che  per  tanti  rami  115 

Cercando  va  la  cura  dei  mortali, 
Oggi  porrk  in  pace  le  tue  fami." — 
Virgilio  inverse  me  queste  cotali 

Parole  uso,  e  mai  non  furo  strenne 

Che  fosser  di  piacere  a  queste  eguali.  120 

"  That  sweet  fruit  {i.  e.  The  Supreme  Good),  of  which 
the  care  of  mortals  goes  in  pursuit  in  so  many  ways 
{lit.  through  so  many  branches),  will  this  very  day 
appease  thy  hungerings."  Virgil  used  these  words  to 
me,  and  never  were  there  guerdons  which  were,  for 
pleasure,  equal  to  these. 

Virgil  says  in  effect,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  do 
hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness,"  and  then  he 
would  add,  "  To-day  thou  wilt  see  Beatrice  and  the 
whole  Church  Militant ;  to-morrow  thou  wilt  ascend 
into  Paradise." 

Benvenuto  notices  the  great  change  that  these  words 
of  Virgil  produced- in  Dante,  who  thereupon  became 
more  happy  and  more  bold. 

Tanto  voler  sovra  voler  mi  venne 

Deir  esser  su,  che  ad  ogni  passo  poi 
Al  volo  mi  sentia  crescer  le  penne.* 

Such  longing  upon  longing  came  upon  me  to  be 
above,  that  at  every  step  thereafter  I  felt  wings  grow- 
ing upon  me. 

*  From  the  intensity  of  his  joy  Dante  felt  so  light  that  he 
could  almost  fly.    See  Par.  XV,  71-72  :— 

"  •  .  .  ed  arrisemi  un  cenno 
Che  fece  crescer  1'  ale  al  voler  mio." 
And  lines  79-81  : — 

"  Ma  voglia  ed  argomento  nei  mortali, 

Per  la  cagion  che  a  voi  h  manifesta, 
Diversamente  son  pennuti  in  ali." 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  275 

And  now  we  reach  the  time  when  Virgil,  knowing 
that  Dante  is  about  to  enter  into  the  presence  of 
Beatrice,  Divine  Science,  and  that  the  companionship 
of  himself,  Human  Science,  will  no  longer  be  necessary, 
addresses  his  last  farewell  to  Dante,  in  noble  and 
touching  words.  We  may  infer  that  these  words  are 
spoken  on  the  very  threshold  of  the  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise, and  although  we  see  him  continue  to  be  Dante's 
silent  companion  over  the  Debateable  Land,  yet  as 
soon  as  Beatrice  appears  he  vanishes  for  ever.* 
Come  la  scala  tutta  sotto  noi 

Fu  corsa,  e  fummo  in  su  il  grado  supemo,         125 

In  me  ficco  Virgilio  gli  occhi  suoi, 
E  disse  : — "  II  temporal  fuoco  e  T  etemo 

Veduto  hai,  figlio,  e  sei  venuto  in  parte 

Dov'  io  per  me  piu  oltre  non  discemo.t 

When  the  whole  of  the  stairway  had  been  passed 
over  (and  was  left)  below  us,  and  we  were  on  the  top- 
most step,  Virgil  fastened  his  eyes  upon  me,  and  said, 
"  My  Son,  thou  hast  beheld  both  the  temporal  fire  (of 
Purgatory),  and   the  eternal  fire  (of  Hell),  and  art 

*  Benvenuto  thinks  that  Virgil  vanished  after  concluding  his 
address,  but  that  is  manifestly  an  error,  for  Virgil  is  twice  spoken 
of  afterwards.     See  Purg.  XXVIII,  145-7  : — 
"  Io  mi  rivolsi  addietro  allora  tutto 

A'  miei  poeti,  e  vidi  che  con  riso 
Udito  avevan  1'  ultimo  costrutto." 
And  again  Purg.  XXIX,  55-57  : — 

"  Io  mi  rivolsi  d'  ammirazion  pieno 

Al  buon  Virgilio,  ed  esso  mi  rispose 
Con  vista  carca  di  stupor  non  meno." 
t  Compare  Purg.  XVIII,  48  :— 

"  Ed  egli  a  me  : — '  Quanto  ragion  qui  vede 
Dir  ti  poss'  io  ;  da  indi  in  Ik  t'  aspetta 
Pure  a  Beatrice  ;  ch'  e  opra  di  fede.' " 
c  c  c  2 


2/6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVII. 

come  to  a  place  where  I  can  no  longer  see  clearly  of 
myself. 

He  means  that  purer  eyes  than  his  are  required  to 
guide  Dante  through  the  mysterious  beauties  of  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise. 

Tratto  t'  ho  qui  con  ingegno  e  con  arte  ;  *  130 

Lo  tuo  piacere  omai  prendi  per  duce  : 
Fuor  sei  dell'  erte  vie,  fuor  sei  dell'  arte. 

I  have  led  thee  thus  far  with  intellect  and  with  art ; 
henceforth  take  for  thy  guide  thine  own  pleasure; 
thou  art  now  beyond  the  steep  paths,  beyond  the 
narrow  ones. 

Before  bringing  his  words  to  a  conclusion,  Virgil 
points  out  the  way  to  Dante. 

Vedi  Ik  il  sol  che  in  fronte  ti  riluce  ; 

Vedi  1'  erbetta,  i  fiori  e  gli  arbuscelli, 

Che  qui  la  terra  sol  da  s^t  produce.  135 

Behold  there  the  sun  which  is  shining  on  thy  browj  ; 

behold  the  soft  grass,  the  flowers,  and  the  shrubs,  which 

yonder  region  (the  Terrestrial  Paradise)  of  itself  alone 

produces. 

*  Francesco  da  Buti  says  of  ingegno  e  con  arte  :  "  Ingegno 
chiamano  11  autori  lo  naturale  intendimento  che  1'  uomo  ha  ; 
et  arte  h  quella  che  ammaestra  1'  uomo  con  regole  e  con  am- 
maestramenti  ;  sicch^  vuol  dire  :  lo  t'  abbo  tirato  infin  qui  tra 
per  lo  ingegno  che  hai  avuto  sottile  e  buono  e  disciplinevile,  e 
tra  per  1'  arte  che  t'  ha  ammaestrato." 

t  ta  terra  sol  da  se  produce.  Virgil  here  wishes  Dante  to 
understand  that,  where  the  soil  is  not  in  need  of  man's  labour, 
man  will  not  need  the  guidance  of  another  man. 

X  Dante's  brow  is  now  healed  from  the  seven  wounds  traced 
on  it  by  the  Angel's  sword,  and  is  therefore  fitted  more  worthily 
to  receive  the  light  of  God,  which  Virgil  implies  will  now  shine 
upon  Dante  and  be  his  guide. 


Canto  XXVII.     Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.  277 

Mentre  che  vegnan  lieti  gli  occhi  belli, 
Che  lagrimando  a  te  venir  mi  fenno, 
Seder  ti  puoi  e  puoi  andar  tra  elli. 

Until  in  joy  come  to  thee  the  beauteous  eyes  (of  Bea- 
trice), which  in  sorrow  caused  me  to  come  to  thee, 
thou  canst  sit  down  (on  the  grass),  and  canst  walk 
among  them  (the  flowers  and  shrubs). 

Non  aspettar  mio  dir  piu,  n^  mio  cenno, 

Libero,*  dritto  e  sano  h  tuo  arbitrio,  140 

E  fallo  fora  non  fare  a  suo  senno  ; 

Perch'  io  te  sovra  te  corono  e  mitrio."  — 

Expect  no  further  speech  or  sign  from  me,  thy  will 
is  released,  upright,  and  sound,  and  thou  wouldst  err 
greatly  not  to  act  upon  its  impulses  ;  I  therefore  crown 
and  mitre  thee  (as  sovereign)  over  thyself" 

Dean  Plumptre  says;  "  The  most  natural  interpre- 
tation is  that  Dante  now  takes  his  place  among  those 
who  are  kings  and  priests  unto  God  (i  Pet.  II,  9  ; 
Rev.  I,  6 ;  Rev.  V,  10).  Difficulties  have  been  raised 
on  the  ground  that  the  mitre  was  used  in  the  Roman 
ritual  for  the  coronation  of  an  emperor.  Otho  is  de- 
scribed as  both  coro7iatU5  et  mitratus,  and  hence  Scar- 
tazzini  urges  that  both  words  refer  to  civil  and  not  to 
ecclesiastical  functions.     On  the  other  hand  this  may 


*  Libera.  Dante  writes  in  the  De  Monarchia,  lib.  I,  c.  12  : 
"  Primum  principium  nostrae  libertatis  est  libertas  arbitrii,  quam 
multi  habent  in  ore,  in  intellectu  vero  pauci.  Veniunt  namque 
usque  ad  hoc,  ut  dicant  liberum   arbitrium  esse,  liberum  de 

voluntate  judicium.    Et  verum  dicunt Si  judicium  moveat 

omnino  appetitum,  et  nullo  modo  prasveniatur  ab  eo,  liberum 
est ;  si  vero  ab  appetitu,  quocumque  modo  prasveniente,  judi- 
cium moveatur,  liberum  esse  non  potest." 


lyS  Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.     Canto  xxvil. 

be  traversed  by  the  fact  that  the  word  corona  was  used 
as  an  equivalent  to  mitra,  so  that  both  the  words  might 
refer  to  the  Episcopate." 

Benvenuto  does  not  seem  to  attach  any  ecclesiastical 
sense  to  the  words,  but  translates  :  "  Fafcio  te  super  te 
regem  et  dominum." 


End  of  Canto  XXVI I. 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  279 


CANTO  XXVIII. 


The  Earthly  Paradise. 
The  River  Lethe. 
Matelda. 

The  Wind  and  the  Water  in  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise. 

In  the  last  Canto  Dante  described  how  he  and  his 
companions  had  at  length  reached  the  summit  of  the 
Mountain  of  Purgatory,  where  they  find  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise,  of  which  the  present  Canto  is  a  des- 
cription. 

Benvenuto  divides  it  into  four  principal  parts. 

/;/  the  First  Divison,  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  he  de- 
scribes the  freshness  and  luxuriance  of  the  herbage 
and  trees  ;  the  wind,  the  water,  and  the  birds. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  84,  he 
speaks  of  meeting  a  beautiful  and  illustrious  Lady. 

/;/  tlie  Third  Divisiofi,  from  v.  85  to  v.  120,  Dante 
puts  a  question  to  the  beautiful  Lady  as  to  the  reason 
of  water  and  wind  existing  in  a  region  placed  higher 
than  the  Gate  of  Purgatory,  and  she  answers  him 
respecting  the  wind. 

Ift  tlie  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  121  to  v.  148,  the 
beautiful  Lady  completes  her  answer  to  Dante's  ques- 
tion, by  explaining  to  him  whence  comes  the  water 
which  irrigates  this  holy  spot. 

Benvenuto  adds  that  the  whole  of  this  Canto  is 
figurative  and  allegorical.     Were  we  not  to  look  at  it 


28o  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  xxvill. 

under  this  aspect,  it  would  lack  any  real  meaning  or 
import. 

Division  I.  Dante  wishes  to  describe  the  happy 
condition  of  man,  so  far  as  is  compatible  with  the 
misfortunes  of  human  life,  in  a  state  of  perfect  virtue. 
He  accordingly  figures  him  to  be  in  an  extremely 
elevated  spot,  secure  from  all  changes,  where  no  evil 
can  befall  him,  and  living  in  the  midst  of  bliss.* 

Fraticelli  says  that,  in  order  to  understand  the 
description  that  follows,  the  reader  should  recall  to 
his  mind  a  few  leading  particulars  about  the  Mountain 
of  Purgatory.  Dante  has  pictured  it  at  a  great  alti- 
tude above  the  Earth.  The  lower  part  alone,  which 
the  Commentators  have  styled  the  Antipurgatorio, 
rose  so  high  above  it,  that  it  was  supposed  to  reach 
up  to  the  highest  level  of  the  atmosphere,  and  it  is  at 

*  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  teaches  that  the  Terrestrial  Paradise 
is  situated  in  the  Eastern  parts  of  the  earth,  which  are  the  more 
noble.  See  Smmn.  Theol.  p.  1,  qu.  CI  I,  art.  i  :  "Cum  autem 
Oriens  sit  dextera  coeh  .  .  .  dextera  autem  est  nobilior  quam 
sinistra :  conveniens  fuit  ut  in  orientali  parte  paradisus  terrenus 
institueretur  a  Deo  .  .  .  Quidam  autem  dicunt,  quod  paradisus 
pertingebat  usque  ad  lunarem  globum,"  and  "  locus  ille  seclusus 
est  a  nostra  habitatione  aliquibus  impedimentis  vel  montium, 
vel  marium,  vel  alicujus  asstuosae  regionis,  quae  pertransiri  non 
potest." 

St.  Isidore,  Etym.  lib.  XIV,  c.  3,  writes  :  "  Paradisus  est  locus 
m  Orientis  partibus  constitutus,  cujus  vocabulum  ex  Graeco  in 
Latinum  vertitur  hortus :  porro  Hebraice  Eden  dicitur,  quod  in 
nostra  Imgua  delicicc  interpretatur.  Quod  utrumque  junctum 
facit  hortum  deliciaruin;  est  enim  omni  genere  ligni  et  pomi- 
ferarum  arborum  consitus,  habens  etiam  lignum  vitae  ;  non  ibi 
frigus,  non  aestus,  sed  perpetua  veris  temperies." 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  281 

this  point  that  Dante  places  the  Gate  of  Purgatory, 
which  he  supposes  to  be  placed  on  the  very  lowest 
edge  of  the  Sphere  of  Fire.  The  Antipurgatorio  was 
subject  to  rain,  heat  and  cold,  earthquakes  and  other 
convulsions  of  nature  ;  not  so  the  Purgatorio  proper. 
Landino  calls  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  the  Post  Pur- 
gatorio. It  was  situated,  according  to  Dante,  above  the 
uppermost  cornice  or  circle  of  Purgatory  proper  ;  and 
no  spirit  could  enter  therein  until  purged  of  all  its  sins. 
Dante  paints  the  Paradise  of  Delights  in  the  most 
glowing  colours.* 

Vago  gik  di  cercar  dentro  e  dintomo 
La  divina  foresta  spessa  e  viva, 
Che  agli  occhi  temperava  il  nuovo  giomo, 
Senza  piu  aspettar  lasciai  la  riva,t 

Prendendo  la  campagna  lento  lentot  5 

Su  per  lo  suol  che  d'  ogni  parte  oliva.|| 

*  Among  the  best  known  descriptions  of  ideal  landscapes 
may  be  mentioned  the  following  : — 

Homer,  Odyssey,  V,  description  of  the  visit  of  Mercury  to  the 
Island  of  Calypso. 

Sophocles,  CEdipus  Coloneus,  description  of  the  wood  of 
Colonos. 

Tasso,  Gerusalemfne  Ltberata,  XVI,  Garden  of  Armida. 

Spenser,  Faerie  Queen,  VI,  X,  6,  Mount  Acidale. 

Milton,  Par.  Lost,  IV,  214-270,  The  Terrestrial  Paradise. 

+  la  riva  :  Dante  and  his  guides  have  just  surmounted  the 
last  step  of  the  stairway  and  are  standing  on  the  edge  of  the 
plateau  or  table  land  at  the  summit.  Dante  now  quits  this  edge 
and  walks  inland. 

Scartazzini  explains  riva,  "  1'  estremitk  di  quel  piano." 

X  Benvenuto  says  of  lento  lento  that  Dante  was  entering  upon 
a  sacred  and,  to  him,  unknown  country  with  fear  and  trembling  ; 
and  he  also  wished  to  show  the  difficulty  of  the  new  and  lofty 
matter  upon  which  he  was  entering. 

II  oliva  is  derived  from  the  Latin  olebat.     Contrast  the  soft 


282  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.    Canto  xxviii. 

(By  Virgil's  words  rendered)  eager  already  to  ex- 
plore within  and  about  the  heavenly  wilderness,  which, 
luxuriant  and  evergreen,  made  the  new-born  day  tem- 
pered to  my  eyes,  without  longer  waiting,  I  left  the 
edge  (of  the  mountain)  and  very  slowly  roamed  across 
the  plain,  over  the  soil  that  everywhere  breathes  fra- 
grance. 

Dante's  delight  in  this  beautiful  region  is  such  that 
he  cannot  hurry  over  any  part  of  it.     He  goes  on  to 
describe  the  soft  wind  wafted  through  the  forest. 
Un  aura  dolce,  senza  mutamento 

Avere  in  s&,  mi  feria  per  la  fronte 
Non  di  piu  colpo  che  soave  vento  ; 
Per  cui  le  fronde,  tremolando  pronte,  lO 

Tutte  quante  piegavano  alia  parte 
U'  la  prim'  ombra  gitta  il  santo  monte  : 

A  fragrant  breeze,  subject  to  no  variations  in  itself, 
smote  me  on  the  brow,  with  no  heavier  stroke  than 
that  of  a  light  wind  ;  by  which  the  boughs,  in  tremu- 
lous accord,  one  and  all  were  bent  down  towards  that 
quarter  (the  West)  whereon  the  holy  mountain  (of 
Purgatory)  casts  its  first  shadow. 

Benvenuto  says,  that  the  moral  Dante  wishes  us  to 
deduce  from  this  passage  is  that,  However  much  man, 
in  a  state  of  virtue,  may  find  light  winds,  i.e.,  slight 

beauty  here  related,  and  the  aromatic  perfume  of  the  soil  with 
the  ghastly  description  of  the  City  of  Dis,  and  the  fetid  atmos- 
phere there.     See  Inf.  X,  133-6  :— 

"  Appresso  volse  a  man  sinistra  il  piede  : 

Lasciammo  il  muro,  e  gimmo  in  v^r  lo  mezzo 
Per  un  sentier  che  ad  una  valle  fiede 
Che  in  fin  lassu  facea  spiacer  suo  lezzo." 
Here,  too,  Dante  quitted  the  wall  of  circumference  and  walked 
inland. 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  283 

troubles,  come  upon  him,  yet  they  do  not  hinder  him 
from  performing  his  allotted  duties  any  more  than,  in 
the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  they  crush  or  overthrow  the 
trees  that  are  in  it.  Although  the  branches  bend  where 
the  wind  strikes  upon  them,  yet  he  tells  us  that  the 
little  birds  are  not  prevented  from  resting  upon  them, 
and  filling  the  wood  with  their  songs. 

Non  pero  dal  lor  esser  dritto  sparte 

Tanto,  che  gli  augelletti  per  le  cime 

Lasciasser  d'  operare  ogni  lor  arte  ;  15 

Ma  con  plena  letizia  1'  ore  prime,* 

Cantando,  ricevieno  intra  le  foglie, 
Che  tenevan  bordonet  alle  sue  rime, 

Tal,  qual  di  ramo  in  ramo  si  raccoglie 

Per  la  pineta  in  sul  lito  di  Chiassi,t  20 

*  r  ore  pritne :  Scartazzini  censures  those  commentators  who 
have  interpreted  ore  here  as  "  hours,"  whereas  he  agrees  with 
others  who  hold  that  the  word  stands  for  aure.  He  quotes  from 
Petrarch,  sonnet  143  : — 

"  Parmi  d'  udirla,  udendo  i  rami,  e  I'  ore 
E  le  fronde,  e  gli  augei  lagnarsi,  &c." 
Benvenuto  says    that,   by  the  birds,  Dante  here  means  to 
express  wise  and  virtuous  men,  who  soar  to  the  summits  of  the 
virtues,  and  sing  the  praises  of  God  with  joy. 

t  bordone  in  its  literal  sense  is  the  large  cord  of  a  violin,  or 
other  stringed  instrument. 

X  Chiassi,  now  Classe.  Scartazzini  feels  certain  that,  although 
in  ancient  times  the  name  was  Classis,  and  in  modem  times 
Classe,  yet  in  Dante's  time  it  must  have  been  called  Chiassi,  for 
both  Buti  and  Landino  speak  of  it  by  that  name  without  explain- 
ing that  it  stood  for  Classe.  In  the  middle  ages  it  was  on  the 
sea  shore,  though  in  modem  times  the  sea  has  receded,  and 
left  it  far  inland,  and  now  it  is  a  dreary,  pestilential,  marshy 
plain,  untenanted  save  by  the  magnificent  early  Christian  Church 
of  Sant'  Apollinare  in  Classe,  which  Benvenuto  informs  us  was 


284  Readings  on  the  Puvgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Quand'  Eolo  Scirocco  fuor  discioglie.* 
Yet  not,  however,  so  far  diverted  from  their  upright 
position,  but  what  the  little  birds  upon  their  tops  can 
continue  the  practice  of  every  art  of  theirs  ;  but,  with 
holy  exultation  singing  their  matin  song,  they  received 
the  first  breezes  of  the  day  amid  the  leaves,  which 
kept  up  such  an  accompaniment  {bordone)  to  their 
warbling,  such  as  one  may  hear  gathering  up,  and 
running  from  branch  to  branch  through  the  pine  wood 
on  the  shore  of  Chiassi  (Classe),  when  Eolus  unlooses 
the  Scirocco. 

Dante  now  describes  the  water  that  irrigated  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise. 


built  by  Justinian,  but  much  damaged  by  Luitprand,  King  of  the 
Lombards.  It  was  the  port  of  Ravenna,  and  was  called  Classis 
because  Augustus  used  to  keep  his  fleet  there  for  the  protection 
of  the  Adriatic.  One  can  well  imagine  Dante,  during  his  exile 
at  Ravenna,  often  walking  on  the  sea  shore  of  Classe,  roaming 
in  deep  thought  through  the  lovely  woods,  and  treading  on  the 
soft  carpet  of  verdure,  amid  the  twittering  of  the  birds,  in  the 
once  far  famed,  but  now,  alas,  extinct  Pineta. 

*  Eolo.  yEolus  was  king  of  the  Lipari  Isles,  and  resided  at 
Stromboli.  The  inhabitants  of  those  isles  used  to  imagine  that 
they  could,  by  the  nature  of  the  flames  sent  forth  by  the  volcano, 
foretell  the  kind  of  winds  that  might  be  expected.  Eolus  was 
supposed  to  have  kept  the  winds  imprisoned  in  bags  of  skin. 
The  Scirocco  is  the  S.E.  wind. 

See  Virgil's  description  {J£.n.  I,  52,  &c.)  of  the  cave  of  ^olus, 
and  his  loosing  the  winds  from  it  : — 

"  ^oliam  venit.     Hie  vasto  rex  ^olus  antro 
Luctantis  ventos  tempestatesque  sonoras 
Imperio  premit  ac  vinclis  et  carcere  frenat." 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  285 

Gik  m'  avean  trasportato  i  lenti  passi 

Dentro  alia  selva  antica*  tanto,  ch'  io 
Non  potea  rivedere  ond'  io  m'  entrassi  :t 

Ed  ecco  piu  andar  mi  tolse  un  rio,  25 

Che  inver  sinistra  con  sue  picciole  onde 
Piegava  1'  erba  che  in  sua  ripa  uscio. 

Already  had  the  slow  pace  (I  was  walking)  carried 
me  so  far  into  the  ancient  wood,  that  I  could  no  longer 
see  (when  I  turned  back)  the  place  where  I  had 
entered :  and  behold  a  little  stream  checked  my 
further  progress,  which,  with  its  light  ripple,  bent  the 
herbage  that  sprouted  on  its  bank  towards  the  left 
hand. 

This  is  the  river  of  Lethe,  which  is  supposed  to  gird 
the  Terrestrial  Paradise  on  the  one  side,  while  the 
river  Eunoe  girds  it  on  the  other,  just  as  the  Garden 
of  Eden  was  bounded  by  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates. 
Lethe  is  the  water  of  Oblivion,  which  implies  that  the 
soul,  which  desires  to  attain  to  a  state  of  innocence, 
must  forget  and  cast  behind  it  all  those  sins  and  fail- 
ings that  it  has  either  committed  or  known,  in  order 
to  attain  to  simplicity  of  mind,  and  to  remove  every 
incentive  to  sin.  The  waters  of  Oblivion  flow  towards 
the  left,  because  they  carry  away  the  memory  of  evil, 
which  is  always  figured  as  on  the  left  hand.  The 
sheep  on  the  right,  the  goats  on  the  left.  Eunoe  (from 
cwvoos,  favourable,)  is  the  contrast  to  Lethe,  and  im- 

*  antica.  The  Garden  of  Paradise  is  one  of  the  oldest 
things  in  man's  history,  seeing  that  our  first  parents  were  placed 
there. 

+  ond!  io  tn'  entrassi.     Compare  Inf.  XV,  13-15  : — 
"  Gik  eravam  dalla  selva  rimossi 

Tanto,  ch'  io  non  avrei  visto  dov'  era 
Perch'  io  indietro  rivolto  mi  fossi." 


286  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

plies  the  memory  of  all  the  good  that  the  soul  has 
effected  or  known,  that  it  may  have  good  knowledge 
of  all  virtue, 

Dante  now  describes  the  purity  of  the  water. 
Tutte  r  acque  che  son  di  qua  piu  monde, 
Parrieno  avere  in  s^  mistura  alcuna, 
Verso  di  quella  che  nulla  nasconde.  30 

Avvegna  che  si  muova  bruna  bruna 
Sotto  1'  ombra  perpetua,  che  mai 
Raggiar  non  lascia  sole  ivi  n^  luna.* 

All  the  waters,  that  are  the  most  limpid  here  (in  the 
world),  would  seem  to  have  in  themselves  some  im- 
purity compared  with  these,  which  conceal  nought, 
though  the  current  moves  of  a  deep  brown  colour 
beneath  the  everlasting  shade,  that  never  allows  a 
single  ray  of  sun  or  of  moon  to  penetrate  it. 


*  Scartazzini  does  not  share  the  opinion  of  Buti  and  some 
other  commentators,  that  there  is  a  deep  allegory  concealed  in 
the  above  six  lines.  He  thinks  that  Dante,  in  describing  the 
holy  forest,  had  in  his  mind  some  of  the  passages  in  Scripture 
that  describe  the  New  Jerusalem.  See  /?,?t/.  XXI,  23  :  "And 
the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in 
it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  Hght 
thereof." 

Tasso  has  a  passage  in  the  Gerusalemme  Liberata  (Canto 
XV,  St.  56)  which  is  almost  copied  from  the  one  here  : — 
"  Ma  tutta  insieme  poi  tra  verdi  sponde 

In  profondo  canal  1'  acqua  s'  aduna  ; 

E  sotto  r  ombra  di  perpetue  fronde 

Mormorando  sen  va  gelida  e  bruna  ; 

Ma  trasparente  si  che  non  asconde 

Dell'  imo  letto  suo  vaghezza  alcuna  : 

E  sovra  le  sue  rive  alta  si  estolle 

L'  erbetta,  e  vi  fa  seggio  fresco  e  molle." 


Canto  xxviii.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  287 

Division  II.  In  this  division  Dante  describes  meet- 
ing a  beautiful  Lady  by  the  side  of  the  stream,  who  is 
gathering  flowers  and  singing. 

Benvenuto  wishes  us  to  mark  that  Dante  now  be- 
holds in  reality  the  same  lady  whom,  in  the  last  Canto, 
he  fancied  he  saw  in  a  dream,  in  the  same  dress,  and 
employed  in  the  same  occupation,  Benvenuto  thinks 
she  is  figured  as  being  here  to  warn  the  purified  souls 
that  they  cannot  ascend  to  Heaven,  without  having 
passed  through  the  hosts  of  the  Church  Militant,  or 
without  having  been  previously  washed  in  the  waters 
of  Lethe  * 

Dante  now  speaks  of  her  first  appearance. 
Coi  pi^  ristetti  e  con  gli  occhi  passai 

Di  Ik  dal  fiumicello,  per  mirare  35 

La  gran  variazion  dei  freschi  mai  :t 
E  Ik  m'  apparvet  (si  com'  egli  appare 
Subitamente  cosa  che  disvia 
Per  maraviglia  tutt'  altro  pensare) 

*  We  see  Matelda  thus  engaged,  just  as,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Antipurgatorio,  we  saw  Cato  preparing  the  souls  by  a  preHminary 
washing  of  the  face  to  ascend  the  mountain  of  Purgatory. 

t  Maio  properly  signifies  a  branch,  covered  with  leaves, 
which  peasants  plant  on  the  ist  of  May  before  the  houses  of 
their  sweethearts,  hanging  upon  it  cakes,  fruit,  &c.  It  is  thus 
described  by  AUegri  {Prose  e  Rime,  160)  : — 

"  E  voglio 

Dinanzi  all'  uscio  un  di  ficcarti  il  majo, 
II  qual  di  berricuocoli  e  ciambelle, 
Di  melarance  dolci  e  confortini 
Faro  gremito,  e  d'  altre  cose  belle." 
but  Scartazzini  thinks  that  here  Majo  simply  means  any  branch 
of  a  tree  loaded  with  blossoms. 

X  E  let  ifi  apparve  ....  donna  soletta.  Only  in  Purg. 
XXXIII,  119,  do  we  learn  that  this  beautiful  Lady  is  Matelda. 


288  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Una  donna  soletta,  che  si  gia  40 

Cantando,  ed  iscegliendo  fior  da  fiore, 
Ond'  era  pinta  tutta  la  sua  via. 
I  Stood  still  with  my  feet  on  the  bank  of  the  little 
stream,  but  with  my  eyes  I  passed  beyond  it,  to  gaze 
with  wondering  delight  on  the  great  variety  of  the 
fragrant  shrubs.  And  there  (on  the  opposite  bank) 
there  appeared  to  me,  even  as  there  appears  quite 
suddenly,  something  which  from  -very  wonder  drives 
all  other  thoughts  aside,  a  Lady  all  alone,  who  went 
along  singing,  and  selecting  flower  from  flower  with 
which  her  path  was  all  enamelled. 

What  Matelda  she  was,  seems  to  afford  room  for  much  difference 
of  opinion.  Benvenuto  is  very  positive  that  she  is  the  celebrated 
Countess  of  Canossa,  and,  in  commenting  on  Dante's  dream  in 
Canto  XXVII,  in  a  very  lengthy  paragraph  attempts  to  prove 
that  Leah  is  identical  with  her.  Fraticelli,  however,  disagrees 
with  Benvenuto,  and  thinks  it  highly  improbable  that  Dante,  a 
Ghibelline  Poet,  would  have  so  much  extolled  a  woman  who  was 
the  ally  of  the  Popes,  and  was  always  warring  against  the 
Empire.  Scartazzini  has  a  special  digression  devoted  to  the 
subject.  He  considers  that  the  Matelda  of  Dante  was  some 
Florentine  lady,  probably  the  donna  gentile  mentioned  in  the 
Vita  Nuova,  a  friend  of  Beatrice,  and  also  of  Dante.  He 
concludes  by  saying  "  Suppose  that  the  Matelda  in  the  holy 
forest  is  historically  the  gentil  donna  who  was  the  shelter  of 
Dante's  love— and  suppose  her  allegorically  to  figure  the  ecclesi- 
astical ministry  (of  the  Church)  and  then  the  donna  soletta  is  no 
longer  a  mysterious  personage,  but  she  is  Matelda  disclosed  {La 
Matelda  svelata.)"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Dante  is  now 
supposed  to  see  the  verification  of  his  dream,  though  the  person 
is  different.  In  the  dream  it  was  Leah,  now  it  is  Matelda.  It 
is  like  Dante's  dream  related  in  Purg.  IX,  19,  et  seq.,  when  the 
eagle  was  seen  in  the  dream  instead  of  Lucia.  Dante  here  has 
been  dreaming  of  Leah  and  Rachel,  when  he  awakes  he  finds 
neither  of  them,  but  Matelda  and  Beatrice. 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  289 

Dante  felt  like  one,  who,  having  a  thought  in  his 
head,  is  on  a  sudden  struck  by  something  wonderful, 
which  causes  him  to  forget  it  entirely.  In  the  next 
six  terzine  Dante  represents  how  he  addressed  himself 
to  Matelda,  and  how  she,  to  converse  with  him,  drew 
near  to  the  margin  of  the  rill.  Being  now  purified, 
Dante  has  an  intense  longing  to  be  brought  nearer  to 
the  works  of  virtue  that  are  represented  by  Matelda, 
so  he  says  : 

— "  Deb,  bella  donna,  ch'  ai  raggi  d'  amore 

Ti  scaldi,  s'  io  vo'  credere  ai  sembianti,* 
Che  soglion  esser  testimon'  del  core,  45 

Vegnati  voglia  di  trarreti  avanti 

(Diss'  io  a  lei)  verso  questa  riviera, 
Tanto  ch'  io  possa  intender  che  tu  canti. 

"  Ah  beautiful  Lady,  who  dost  warm  thyself  in  the 
rays  of  love,  if  I  may  trust  to  the  look  of  thy  features, 
which  are  usually  the  witnesses  of  the  heart,  let  the 
will  come  to  thee,"  I  said  to  her,  "  to  draw  so  far  for- 
ward towards  this  bank  of  the  stream,  that  I  may 
understand  what  thou  sayest. 

*  sembianti :  Blanc  says  the  word  sembiante  means  features, 
and  especially  here  so  because  in  the  plural.  Compare  Inf. 
XXIII,  145-6  :— 

"  Appresso  il  duca  a  gran  passi  sen  gi 

Turbato  un  poco  d'  ira  nel  sembiante." 
Scartazzini  says  of  sembianti  that  the  principal  features  are 
the  eyes  and  the  smile,  and  quotes  Dante's  o\vn  words  in  the 
Canzone  that  begins,  "Amor  che  nella   mente  mi  ragiona." 
Sir.  IV,  V.  \,et  seq. 

"  Cose  appariscon  nello  suo  aspetto, 
Che  mostran  de'  piacer  del  paradiso  ; 
Dico  negli  occhi  e  nel  suo  dolce  riso  ; 
Che  le  vi  reca  amor  com'  a  suo  loco." 

D  D  D 


290  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Tu  mi  fai  rimembrar,  dove  e  qual  era 

Proserpina  nel  tempo,  che  perdette  50 

La  madre  lei,  ed  ella  primavera."  * — 

Thou  makest  me  remember  where  and  what  was 
Proserpine,  at  the  time  her  mother  lost  her,  and  she 
(Proserpine  lost)  the  flowers  of  Spring  {lit.  lost  the 
spring)." 

Dante  means  that  Matelda  looked  as  did  Proser- 

*  Dr.  Moore  feels  very  strongly  that  primavera  here  means 
the  flowers  of  Spring  that  Proserpine  had  been  gathering,  chiefly 
on  the  ground  that  the  imitation  of  Ovid,  Met.  V,  by  Dante 
seems  conclusive.  The  following  is  from  Maynwaring's  trans- 
lation : — 

"  Here,  while  young  Proserpine,  among  the  maids, 

Diverts  herself  in  these  delicious  shades  ; 

While  like  a  child  with  busy  speed  and  care 

She  gathers  lilies  here  and  violets  there  ; 

While  first  to  fill  her  little  lap  she  strives, 

Hell's  grisly  monarch  at  the  shade  arrives  ; 

Sees  her  thus  sporting  on  the  flowery  green, 

And  loves  the  blooming  maid,  as  soon  as  seen. 

His  urgent  flame  impatient  of  delay. 

Swift  as  his  thought  he  seized  the  beauteous  prey, 

And  bore  her  in  his  sooty  car  away. 

The  frighted  goddess  to  her  mother  cries, 

But  all  in  vain,  for  now  far  off"  she  flies. 

Far  she  behind  her  leaves  her  virgin  train  ; 

To  them  too  cries,  and  cries  to  them  in  vain. 

And  while  with  passion  she  repeats  her  call. 

The  violets  from  her  lap,  and  lilies  fall  : 

She  misses  them,  poor  heart  !  and  makes  new  moan  ; 

Her  lilies,  ah  !  are  lost,  her  violets  gone." 
Scartazzini  notices  that  in  Tuscany  that  flower  which  is  one 
of  the  first  to  show  in  Spring,  a  kind  of  daisy,  is  cd\\&&  prima- 
vera.    Dante,  in  Par.  XXX,  62-3,  says  : 

"...  intra  due  rive 
Dipinte  di  mirabil  primavera." 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  291 

pine,  when  Pluto  first  saw  her  gathering  flowers  in 
Sicily,  at  the  time  Ceres,  her  mother,  lost  her,  and 
Proserpine  lost  the  bright  world,  and  the  joy  of  the 
Spring  flowers. 

Benvenuto  considers  that  Dante  wished  to  express 
to  Matelda :  "  Thou  seemest  to  me  like  a  goddess, 
beautiful  and  modest  as  Diana  the  goddess  of  chas- 
tity." Diana  was  called  Luna  on  earth,  and  Hecate 
or  Proserpine  in  Hell  ;  Diana  being  properly  her 
name  in  Olympus. 

Dante  next  tells  us  how  Matelda  complied  with  his 

request. 

Come  si  volge,  con  le  piante  strette 

A  terra  ed  intra  s^,  donna  che  balli, 
E  piede  innanzi  piede  appena  met^e, 

Volsesi  in  sui  vermigli  ed  in  sui  gialli  55 

Fioretti  verso  me,  non  altrimenti 
Che  vergine,  che  gli  occhi  onesti  awalli ; 

E  fece  i  preghi  miei  esser  content!. 

Si  appressando  s^,  che  il  dolce  suono 

Veniva  a  me  co'  suoi  intendimenti.  60 

Like  as  a  dame  who,  when  dancing,  turns  herself 
with  feet  together  pressed  and  just  grazing  the 
ground,  and  hardly  puts  one  foot  before  the  other,  so 
she  (the  beautiful  Lady)  turned  towards  me,  (moving) 
over  the  vermilion  and  yellow  flowers,  not  otherwise 
than  a  maiden  who  casts  down  her  modest  eyes  ;  and 
made  my  entreaties  to  be  content  by  approaching  me 
so  near,  that  the  sweet  song  came  to  me,  and  with  it 
its  meaning. 

Not  only  did  the  sound  of  her  voice  now  reach  Dante, 

but  he  could  also  plainly  distinguish  her  words.     As 

soon  as  Matelda's  feet  touch  the  spot,  where  the  grass 

is    washed    by   the    waters   of    Lethe,   she   gladdens 

D  D  D  2 


292  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVlli, 

Dante's  heart  by  raising  her  beauteous  eyes  to  his. 
This  seems  to  have  made  a  deep  impression  upon 
him,  notwithstanding  his  earnest  longing  to  behold 

Beatrice. 

Tosto  che  fu  Ik  dove  I'  erbe  sono 

Bagnate  gik*  dall'  onde  del  bel  fiume, 
Di  levar  gli  occhi  suoi  mi  fece  dono. 

Non  credo  che  splendesse  tanto  lume 

Sotto  le  ciglia  a  Venere  trafitta  65 

Dal  figliojt  fuor  di  tutto  sue  CQStume. 

As  soon  as  she  had  reached  even  to'  i^gia)  where 
the  grass  is  bathed  by  the  waters  of  the  fair  stream, 
she  did  me  the  grace  to  raise  her  eyes.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  such  a  radiance  shone  under  the  eye-lids  of 
Venus  when  transfixed  by  her  own  son,  quite  contrary 
to  his  wont  (for  he  wounded  her  accidentally). 

*  Giuliani  says  that  gid,  here  serves  to  denote  a  determined 

distance  of  place  {detenninato  spazio  di  luogd). 

t   Venere  trafitta  dal  figlio  :   The  fable  here  alluded  to  is 

taken  from  Ovid,  Met.  X,  v.  525,  et  seq.,  Eusden's  translation  :— 
"  For  Cytherea's  lips  while  Cupid  press'd, 
He  with  a  heedless  arrow  razed  her  breast. 
The  goddess  felt  it,  and  with  fury  stung, 
The  wanton  mischief  from  her  bosom  flung  : 
Yet  thought  at  first  the  danger  slight,  but  found 
The  dart  too  faithful,  and  too  deep  the  wound. 
Fired  with  a  mortal  beauty,  she  disdains 
To  haunt  the  Idalian  mount,  or  Phrygian  plains. 
She  seeks  not  Cnidos,  nor  her  Paphian  shrines, 
Nor  Amathus,  that  teems  with  brazen  mines  : 
Even  Heaven  itself  with  all  its  sweets  unsought, 
Adonis  far  a  sweeter  Heaven  is  thought." 
The  simile  means  to  show  that  in  Matelda,  emblem  of  the 

active  life,  and  whose  eyes  are  full  of  Divine  Love,  reason  and 

intellect  are  brighter  than  in  the  eyes  of  Venus,  who  was  the  type 

of  pleasure  in  the  things  of  this  world. 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  293 

Ella  ridea  dall'  altra  riva  dritta, 

Traendo  piu.  color'  con  le  sue  mani, 
Che  r  alta  terra  senza  seme  gitta. 

Standing  upright  upon  the  opposite  bank  she 
smiled,  gathering  into  her  hands  (flowers  of)  many 
hues  which  that  elevated  spot,  throws  up  without  seed. 
Benvenuto  says  that  this  was  the  highest  place  in 
the  world.  Dante  now  tells  us  that  his  desire  of 
passing  across  the  stream  to  join  the  unknown  Lady 
was  so  great,  that,  although  the  rill  was  only  three 
paces  wide;  he  took  as  great  a  dislike  to  it  as  Leander 
did  to  the  Hellespont,  which  separated  him  from  his 
beloved  Hero. 

Tre  passi*  ci  facea  11  fiume  lontani ;  70 

Ma  Ellesponto,  Ik  've  passo  Serse, 
Ancora  freno  a  tutti  orgogli  umani, 
Piu  odio  da  Leandro  non  sofferse, 

Per  mareggiare  intra  Sesto  ed  Abido, 

Che  quel  da  me,  perch^  allor  non  s'  aperse.        75 

The  stream  kept  us  three  paces  apart;  but  the  Hel- 

*  Tre  passi.  Scartazzini  says  that  these  three  paces,  which 
separate  Dante  from  Matelda,  remind  one  of  the  three  steps  at 
the  threshold  of  Purgatory.  (See  Purg.  IX,  94,  et  seg.)  Dante 
will  surmount  these  three  obstacles  by  three  acts  of  confession, 
repenting  of  his  former  aberrations  from  the  faith.  Scartazzini 
feels  sure  that  it  is  only  for  shortcomings  as  to  faith  that 
Dante's  purgation  is  not  otherwise  completed.  He  thinks  that 
between  the  top  of  the  stairway  and  Lethe  is  the  Ante-Terrestrial 
Paradise,  which  Virgil  may  enter  but  not  go  on  further.  The 
Terrestrial  Paradise  on  the  side  of  the  earth  is  bounded  by 
Lethe,  which  takes  away  from  the  soul  every  memory  that  is 
only  earthly,  and  unfitted  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  ;  on  the 
side  of  Paradise  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  is  bounded  by  Eunoe, 
which  restores  to  the  soul  the  memory  of  any  good  deeds  that 
it  wrought,  which  may  have  made  for  it  treasures  in  Heaven. 


294  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

lespont,  there  where  passed  Xerxes,  still  (remembered 
as)  a  check  to  human  pride,  did  not  endure  greater 
hatred  from  Leander,  because  its  waters  flowed  between 
Sestos  and  Abydos,  than  this  (little  stream)  was  hated 
by  me,  because  it  did  not  at  once  cleave  asunder. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  compares  himself  to 
Leander,  Matelda  to  Hero,  and  the  little  stream  to 
the  Hellespont.  Leander  hates  the  sea,  Dante  hates 
the  rill. 

And  now  Dante  describes  how  Matelda,  at  length, 
addressed  him  and  his  companions,  and  it  would  seem 
by  her  words,  that  the  three  were  greatly  astonished 
that  she  should  be  laughing  in  so  sacred  a  spot. 
— "  Voi  siete  nuovi,  e  forse  perch'  io  rido," — 

Comincio  ella, — "  in  questo  luogo  eletto 
AH'  umana  natura  per  suo  nido, 
Maravigliando  tienvi  alcun  sospetto  ; 

Ma  luce  rende  il  salmo  Delectasti*  80 

Che  puote  disnebbiar  vostro  intelletto. 

She  began  (addressing  Dante,  Virgil,  and  Statius) : 
"  Ye  are  new  comers  :  and  perchance  some  doubts 
may  keep  you  marvelling  as  to  why  I  smile  in  this 
place,  elected  to  the  human  race  to  be  its  nest ;  but  the 
Psalm  Delectasti  affords  a  light  that  may  clear  your 
intellect  of  all  haze. 

Matelda  tells  the  poets  how  the  words  of  the  Psalm 

^  .will  make  them  understand  that,  in  this  sacred  place, 

she  can  be  glad  and  rejoice.     Her  laughter  is  pure  and 

holy,  because  inspired  by  the  sweet  loveliness  around 

*  Psalm  XCII,  4:  "For  Thou,  Lord,  hast  made  me  glad 
through  thy  work  :  I  will  triumph  in  the  works  of  thy  hands. 
O  Lord,  how  great  are  thy  works  !  and  thy  thoughts  are  very 
deep." 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  295 

her  ;  nor  can  sin,  that  was  first  committed  here,  and 
which  caused  humanity  to  be  driven  forth  from  it, 
disturb  it  in  any  way. 

Matelda    addresses   herself    to    Dante   personally, 
having  noticed  that  he  is  now  in  front  of  the  group, 
whereas  before  he  was  walking  behind. 
E  tu,  che  sei  dinanzi,  e  mi  pregasti, 

Di'  s'  altro  vuoi  udir  ;  ch'  io  venni  presta 
Ad  ogni  tua  question,  tanto  che  basti." — 
And  thou  (Dante)  that  standest  foremost,  and  didst 
entreat  me  to  approach  thee,  if  thou  wouldst  hear 
more,  tell  me  what  thou  dost  require  ;  as  I  have  come 
ready  (to  answer)  every  one  of  thy  questions,  so  far 
as  may  suffice." 


Divisiofi  III.  In  the  Third  Division  of  the  Canto 
Dante  puts  to  Matelda  a  question  about  the  wind  and 
the  water,  the  existence  of  which  seems  to  him  almost 
impossible  in  a  place  which  is  situated  at  a  higher  ele- 
vation than  the  Gate  of  Purgatory. 

— "  L'  acqua  (diss'  io)  e  il  suon  della  foresta,  85 

Impugna  dentro  a  me  novella  fede 
Di  cosa,  ch'  io  udii  contraria  a  questa." — 
"  The  water,"  said  I,  "  and  the  sound  of  (the  rustling 
of)  the  forest,  militate  within  me  against  the  new  belief 
of  a  thing  that  I  heard  (totally)  opposed  to  this." 

Statius  had  told  him  that,  on  the  Mountain  of  Pur- 
gatory, there  was  neither  wind,  nor  rain,  nor  frost,  nor 
dew,  nor  snow,  nor  clouds,  nor  lightning.* 

*  He  refers  to  the  words  of  Statius  in  Canto  XXI,  40-57 : — 
"...  Cosa  non  h  che  sanza 
Ordine  senta  la  religione 
Delia  montagna,  o  che  sia  fuor  d'  usanza. 


296  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Matelda  promises  to  solve  his  doubts. 
Ond'  ella  :— "  lo  dicer6  come  precede 

Per  sua  cagion  cio  ch'  ammirar  ti  face, 

E  purghero  la  nebbia  che  ti  fiede.  90 

Whereupon  she :  "  I  will  tell  thee  how  by  its  cause 
proceeds  that  which  makes  thee  to  wonder  {i.e.  the 
wind  and  the  water),  and  I  will  clear  away  the  mist 
which  strikes  upon  thee. 

Lo  sommo  Ben,*  che  solo  esso  a  s^  place, 

Fece  1'  uom  buono,  e  a  bene,  e  questo  loco 
Diede  per  arra  a  lui  d'  eterna  pace. 

The  Supreme  Good  {i.e.  God),  only  delighting  in 
Himself,  created  man  good  and  destined  him  for  a 
good  (end) ;  and  bestowed  on  him  (the  joys  of)  this 

Libero  e  qui  da  ogni  alterazione  ; 

Di  quel  che  il  ciel  da  s^  in  s^  riceve 
Esserci  puote,  e  non  d'  altro,  cagione 
Perch^  non  pioggia,  non  grando,  non  neve, 
Non  rugiada,  non  brina  piu  su  cade, 
Che  la  scaletta  dei  tre  gradi  breve. 
Nuvole  spesse  non  paion,  n^  rade, 

N^  corruscar,  n^  figlia  di  Taumante, 
Che  di  Ik  cangia  sovente  contrade. 
Secco  vapor  non  surge  piu  avante 

Che  al  sommo  dei  tre  gradi  ch'  io  parlai, 
Ov'  ha  il  vicario  di  Pietro  le  piante. 
Trema  forse  piii  giu  poco  od  assai ; 

Ma,  per  vento  che  in  terra  si  nasconda, 
Non  so  come,  quassii  non  tremo  mai." 
+  Lo  sommo  Ben.  See  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Su7nm.  Theol. 
p.  I,  qu.  VI,  art.  2  :  "  Deus  est  summum  bonum  simpliciter,  et 
non  solum  in  aliquo  genere  vel  ordine  rerum.  .  .  .  Oportet  quod 
cum  bonum  sit  in  Deo  sicut  in  prima  causa  omnium  non  univoca, 
quod  sit  in  eo  excellentissimo  modo  ;  et  propter  hoc  dicitur  sum- 
mum  bonum." 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  297 

spot  [i.e.  the  Terrestrial  Paradise)  as  an  earnest  of 
eternal  peace. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  our  first  parents  had  quiet 
rest  without  toil,  safety  without  fear,  peace  without 
war,  health  without  fatigue,  freedom  without  slavery, 
and,  more  than  all,  life  without  death  :  but  the  more 
happy  they  were  before  their  fall,  the  more  unhappy 
were  they  after  it. 

Per  sua  diffalta  qui  dimoro  poco  ; 

Per  sua  diffalta  in  pianto  ed  in  affanno  95 

Cambio  onesto  riso  e  dolce  giuoco. 

On  account  of  his  own  default  he  dwelt  here  but  a 

short  time  ;  on  account  of  his  own  default  he  changed 

innocent  joys  and  gentle  pastimes  into  weeping  and 

trouble. 

According  to  Francesco  da  Buti,  the  theologians 
supposed  Adam  and  Eve  to  have  only  remained  in  a 
state  of  innocence  for  five  hours,  and  in  Paradise  itself 
only  for  seven  hours.*  God  was  thought  to  have 
placed  Adam  in  Paradise  at  the  third  hour,  and  gave 
him  His  commandments,  and  presented  the  animals 
to  him,  for  Adam  to  give  them  names ;  He  then 
caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  him,  and  formed 
Eve  out  of  his  rib,  the  serpent  then  came  and  tempted 
Eve,  and  after  the  ninth  hour  they  ate  of  the  forbidden 
fruit,  and  were  driven  out  of  Paradise. 

Perche  il  turbar,  che  sotto  da  s^  fanno 
L'  esalazion  dell'  acqua  e  della  terra, 
Che,  quanto  posson,  dietro  al  calor  vanno, 

*  See  Par.  XXVI,  139,  where  Adam  says  : — 
"  Nel  monte,  che  si  leva  piii  dall'  onda, 
Fu'  io,  con  vita  pura,  e  disonesta, 
Dalla  prim'  ora  a  quella  che  seconda, 
Come  il  sol  muta  quadra,  1'  ora  sesta," 


298  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Air  uomo  non  facesse  alcuna  guerra,  100 

Questo  monte  salio  ver  lo  ciel  tanto  ; 
E  libero  n'  h  d'  indi,  ove  si  serra. 

In  order  that  the  disturbance,  which  the  exhala- 
tion of  sea  and  land  cause  below  the  level  (of  the  Gate 
of  Purgatory),  and  which,  as  far  as  possible,  go  after 
the  heat,  in  order  that  this  should  not  give  any  an- 
noyance to  man,  this  mountain  was  made  to  ascend 
to  so  great  an  elevation  towards  heaven  ;  and  is  free 
from  them  {i.e.  from  those  disturbing  influences)  from 
that  spot  where  (the  entrance)  is  closed  (by  the 
Angel). 

The  meaning  is  that,  from  the  Gate  of  Purgatory  up 
to  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  all  atmospheric  influences 
are  inoperative.  Fraticelli  says  the  ancients  were 
ignorant  of  the  gravity  of  the  air  which  causes  the 
lightest  vapours  to  ascend  upwards,  and  they  believed 
that  these  had  a  natural  tendency  to  go  to  the  Sun. 

Up  to  this  point  Matelda  has  confirmed  what  Dante 
had  already  heard  from  Statins,  and  she  now  proceeds 
to  explain  to  him  the  origin  of  the  breeze  that  moves 
the  foliage,  and  of  the  water  of  the  river  Lethe. 

Benvenuto  thinks  that  Dante  practically  says  :  "  O 
beautiful  Lady,  thou  hast  sufficiently  explained  to  me 
why  our  winds  from  Earth  do  not  extend  as  far  as 
these  altitudes,  but  that  is  not  what  I  ask,  I  want  to 
know  the  origin  of  this  wind  up  here  that  causes  the 
leaves  to  rustle." 

Matelda  answers  Dante — 

Or,  perch^  in  circuito*  tutto  quanto 

*  Scartazzini  writes  that,  according  to  the  astronomical 
notions  that  prevailed  in  the  time  of  Dante,  the  earth  remains 
fixed  in  the  centre  of  the  universe.    The  air  revolves  with  la 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  299 

L'  aer  si  volge  con  la  prima  volta, 
Se  non  gli  h  rotto  il  cerchio  d'  alcun  canto  ;        105 
In  questa  altezza,  che  tutta  e  disciolta 
Nell'  aer  vivo,  tal  moto  percote, 
E  fa  sonar  la  selva  jierch'  h  folta ; 

Now  seeing  that  the  whole  atmosphere  revolves 
round  in  a  circle,  together  with  the  first  (Heaven)  that 
revolves,  if  the  gyration  meets  with  no  interruption  at 
any  point;  on  this  height,  that  is  altogether  disengaged 
in  the  pure  air,  such  motion  strikes,  and  makes  the 
forest  resound  because  it  is  thick  set. 

He  means  that  this  elevated  plateau,  on  which  the 
forest  is  situated,  is  open  and  not  locked  in  by  other 
mountains,  and  the  wind  which  exists  here,  is  nothing 
else  than  a  movement  of  the  air. 

Matelda  next  shows  him  how  fruits  are  generated 
by  means  of  the  wind. 

prima  vdlta^  i.e.  with  the  Primo  Mobile^  and  with  all  the  heavens 
beneath  it  from  East  to  West,  for  the  revolution  of  the  Primo 
Mobile  causes  the  air  below  it  to  revolve  also.  The  vapours 
that  form  the  wind  often  impart  to  the  air  down  here  a  different 
motion  than  from  East  to  West.  Up  there  vapours  do  not  rise : 
therefore  the  air  up  there  is  always  gyrating  in  accordance  with 
the  Primo  Mobile^  unless  it  be  intercepted  anywhere  by  any 
extraneous  force.  Therefore  the  air  moving  from  East  to  West 
finds  resistance  up  there  in  the  density  of  the  forest,  and  that 
produces  the  sound  of  which  Dante  begged  Matelda  to  tell  him 
the  cause.  Scartazzini  says  that  all  the  many  commentators  he 
has  consulted  interpret  la  pritna  volta  as  the  Pritno  Mobile. 
Antonelli  alone  thinks  it  means  the  Sphere  of  Fire,  but  Scartazzini 
observes  that  Dante  adheres  to  the  Ptolemaic  system,  according 
to  which  the  ninth  sphere,  or  the  Primo  Mobile,  revolves  with 
the  greatest  velocity  round  the  earth  in  twenty-four  hours,  and 
communicates  its  motion  to  the  eight  other  lower  spheres  con- 
tained within  it. 


300  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

E  la  percossa  pianta  tanto  puote, 

Che  della  sua  virtute  r  aura  impregna,  no 

E  quella  poi  girando  intorno  scuote  : 
E  r  altra  terra,  secondo  ch'  e  degna 

Per  se  e  per  suo  ciel,  concepe  e  figlia 

Di  diverse  virtu  diverse  legna. 

And  the  forest*  when  struck  has  such  power  that 
with  its  properties  it  impregnates  the  air,  and  that 
again,  in  its  revolution  around,  shakes  them  (the  pro- 
perties or  seeds)  off:  and  the  other  earth  {i.e.  that  in- 
habited by  man),  according  as  it  is  fit,  either  by  itself 
or  by  its  climate  (lit.  sky),  conceives  and  produces  dif- 
ferent trees  possessing  different  properties. 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  same  thing  is  to  be  seen  in 
Nature  constantly ;  for  some  odoriferous  trees  impreg- 
nate the  surrounding  air  with  their  aroma,  and  some 
winds  can  convey  that  aromatized  air  to  some  country 
fit  to  conceive  such  a  tree,  and  there  it  spontaneously 
shoots  forth,  and  sometimes  the  wind  will  carry  the 
seed  of  the  tree  to  some  far  distant  land,  like  as  we 
may  find  at  times  a  purely  domestic  tree  growing  in 
the  forest,  or  a  sylvan  tree  growing  in  a  garden. 

Non  parrebbe  di  Ik  poi  maraviglia,  .  115 

Udito  questo,  quando  alcuna  pianta 
Senza  seme  palese  vi  s'  appiglia. 

It  would  not  then  on  earth  appear  a  marvel,  if  this 
were  known,  whenever  any  plant  takes  a  root  there 
without  any  manifest  seed. 

Benvenuto  comments  on  this  by  saying  that,  when 
men  see  a  phenomenon,  they  marvel  if  they  know  not 
the  cause  ;  but  when  they  know  the  cause,  they  cease 
to  do  so :  and  therefore  Dante  need  no  longer  marvel, 

*  I  follow  Benvenuto  in  taking  ^/««/a  to  mean  the  forest. 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  301 

now  that  he  knows  that  the  movement  of  the   air 
causes  the  generation  of  the  trees. 

E  saper  dei  che  la  campagna  santa, 

Ove  tu  sei,  d'  ogni  semenza*  h  piena, 
E  frutto  ha  in  s^,  che  di  Ik  non  si  schianta.t      120 
And  thou  must  know  that  the  holy  country  where 
thou  now  art,  is  full  of  every  seed,  and  has  within 
itself  fruit  that  is  never  gathered  yonder  (on  earth). 

Benvenuto  takes  ogni  semenza  to  be  virtues  and 
virtuous  works. 


Division  IV.  Matelda,  having  enlightened  Dante  as 
to  the  origin  of  the  wind  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise, 
proceeds  to  tell  him  about  the  water. 
L'  acqua  che  vedi  non  surge  di  vena 
Che  ristori  vapor,  che  giel  converta. 
Come  fiume  ch'  acquista  e  perde  lena  ; 
Ma  esce  di  fontana  salda  e  certa, 

Che  tanto  dal  voler  di  Dio  riprende,  125 

Quant'  ella  versa  da  due  parti  aperta. 
The  water  which  thou  seest  does  not  well  up  from 
any  spring  {lit.  vein),  that  the  vapour  condensed  by 
cold  can  replenish,  as  rivers  which  wax  and  wane  ;  but 
(this  water)  issues  from  a  sure  and  unfailing  source 
which  receives  back  again,  by  the  will  of  God,  as  much 
as  it  pours  away  when  divided  into  two  streams. 

*  Scartazzini  says  it  is  evident  that  by  semenza  Dante  meant 
trees,  since  they  have  frutto  in  se  and  the  fruit  is  gathered  {si 
schiantd)  from  the  tree,  and  not  from  the  seed. 

t  non  si  schianta :  Not  only  fruits  known  on  earth  can  be 
gathered  there,  but  also  those  unknown.  Some  think  that 
Matelda  means  to  allude  to  the  Tree  of  Life,  which  remained  in 
Paradise,  and  was  not  allowed  to  bear  fruit  on  Earth  as  long 
as  Death  exists  there. 


302  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxviil. 

Matelda  then  describes  how  the  two  diverging 
streams  have  different  names,  and  different  operations, 
which  tend  however  to  one  and  the  same  end.  The 
water  of  Lethe,  when  drunk,  causes  the  obHvion  of 
past  sin  ;  while  that  of  Eunoe  commemorates  what  is 
good  and  strengthens  virtue. 

Da  questa  parte  con  virtu  discende, 

Che  toglie  altrui  memoria  del  peccato  ; 
Dair  altra,  d'  ogni  ben  fatto  la  rende. 

On  this  side  (the  left)  it  descends  with  the  faculty 
which  takes  away  from  a  man  the  memory  of  sin  ;  on 
the  other  (the  right)  it  restores  that  of  every  good 
deed. 

And  observe,  says  Benvenuto,  that  two  things  are 
necessary  to  the  man  who  aims  at  happiness  ;  in  the 
first  place,  forgetfulness  of  what  is  evil,  so  that  it  may 
no  longer  come  into  his  mind  to  sin  :  and  secondly, 
remembrance  of  what  is  good,  which  will  not  allow 
him  to  sin  any  more. 

Matelda  then  tells  Dante  the  names  of  the  two 
streams. 

Quinci  Lete,  cosi  dall'  altro  lato  130 

Eunoe  si  chiama,  e  non  adopra, 
Se  quinci  e  quindi  pria  non  h  gustato. 

Here  (on  the  left)  Lethe,  so  upon  the  other  (the 
right)  side  it  is  called  Eunoe ;  and  it  is  not  ope- 
rative {i.e.  does  not  produce  its  beneficial  effect), 
if  it  is  not  first  tasted  on  this  side  and  then  on 
that. 

It  is  not  only  necessary  to  forget  past  sins  and 
abstain  from  present  ones,  but  also  is  it  necessary  to 
work  active  good. 

A  tutt'  altri  sapori  esto  h  di  sopra  ; 


Canto  XXVIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  303 

Ed  avvegna  ch'  assai  possa  esser  sazia 
La  sete  tua,*  perch'  io  piu  non  ti  scuopra,  135 

Darotti  un  corollariot  ancor  per  grazia, 

N^  credo  che  il  mio  dir  ti  sia  men  caro, 
Se  oltre  promissionj  teco  si  spazia. 

This  (water)  has  a  savour  above  all  others ;  and 
although  perchance  thy  thirst  is  sufficiently  slaked 
without  my  making  any  further  revelations  to  thee,  I 
will  in  addition  in  token  of  favour  give  thee  a  corol- 
lary ;  nor  do  I  think  my  speech  will  be  less  prized  by 
thee,  if  it  extends  beyond  the  explanation  which  I 
promised  to  give  thee. 

Matelda,  in  explaining  her  corollary,  relates  how 
the  ancient  poets  imagined  the  Golden  Age,  possibly 
divining  this  realm. 

Quelli  che  anticamente  poetaro 

L'  etk  deir  oro  e  suo  stato  felice,  140 

Forse  in  Parnaso  esto  loco  sognaro. 

Those  who  in  ancient  times  celebrated  in  song  the 

*  La  sete  tua:  compare  Purg.  XXI,  i  : — 

"  La  sete  natural  che  mai  non  sazia,"  &c. 

t  Corollario:  compare  Boethius,  Phil.  Consol.  lib.  Ill,  Pros.  X. 
"  Super  haec,  inquit,  igitur,  veluti  geometrae  solent,  demon- 
stratis  propositis,  aliquid  inferre,  qua;  iropiV/uaro  ipsi  vocant,  ita 
ego  quoque  tibi  veluti  coroUarium  dabo 

Et  pulchrum,  inquam,  hoc,  atque  pretiosum,  sive  irSpiafia,  sive 
coroUarium  vocari  mavis." 

Benvenuto  says  that  a  corollario  is  the  final  conclusion,  which 
is  given  after  others  as  the  conclusion  of  conclusions.  The 
word  is  derived  from  corolla,  a  little  crown,  which,  in  dispu- 
tations was  given  to  the  victor. 

+  Oltre  promission :  Matelda  had  only  promised  Dante  to 
explain  to  him  the  origin  of  the  wind  and  the  water  in  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise. 


304  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXVIII. 

Golden  Age  and  its  happy  state,  perchance  dreamed 
of  this  place  on  Parnassus. 

In  conclusion,  she  speaks  of  the  happiness  of  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise. 

Qui  fu  innocente  1'  umana  radice  ; 

Qui  primavera  sempre,  ed  ogni  frutto  ; 
Nettare*  h  questo  di  che  ciascun  dice." — 

Here  (Adam  and  Eve),  the  root  of  mankind,  lived 
in  innocence  ;  here  there  is  perpetual  spring,  and 
every  fruit ;  this  (rill)  is  the  nectar  of  which  every  one 
speaks." 

Dante  evidently  thought  that  Matelda's  corollary 
rather  applied  to  Virgil  and  Statius,  who  more  than 
himself  poetaron  dell'  eta  delV  orOy  and  he  looks 
round  to  see  what  impression  the  last  words  had  made 
upon  them. 

lo  mi  rivolsi  addietro  allora  tutto  145 

A'  miei  poeti,  e  vidi  che  con  riso 
Udito  avevan  1'  ultimo  costrutto  : 
Poi  alia  bella  donna  tornai  il  vise.  148 

I  thereupon  turned  quite  round  towards  my  poets, 
and  I  noticed  that  they  had  heard  (Matelda's)  con- 
cluding words  with  a  smile  :  I  then  turned  my  eyes 
back  to  gaze  on  the  beautiful  Lady. 

This  is  the  last  time  but  one  that  Dante  sees  Virgil's 
face.  He  only  looks  upon  it  once  more.  See  Canto 
XXIX,  55  et  seq. 

*  Benvenuto  gravely  explains  that  nectar  was  wine  flavoured 
with  spices. 

End  of  Canto  XXVIII. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.  305 


CANTO   XXIX. 

The  Church  Militant. 

In  the  last  Canto  Dante  described  the  beauties  of  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise,  which  Matelda  pointed  out  to 
him,  explaining  at  the  same  time  the  phenomena 
peculiar  to  it.  He  now  tells  us  how  a  Mystic  Proces- 
sion passes  before  him,  which  we  find  is  figurative  of 
the  whole  of  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  30,  Dante  re- 
lates how  Matelda  moved  on,  bidding  him  to  follow 
her,  and  how  she  drew  his  attention  to  a  great  light 
that  suddenly  shone  in  the  forest. 

/;/  the  Second  Divisio7i,  from  v.  31  to  v.  60,  he 
describes  the  Seven  Golden  Candlesticks,  the  standards 
of  the  approaching  Church  Militant. 

In  tlie  Third  Division,  from  v.  61  to  v.  105,  he 
describes  the  glorious  Army  of  the  Church  Militant 
with  its  Leaders. 

/;/  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  106  to  v.  154,  he 
tells  us  of  the  Triumphal  chariot,  of  the  Gryphon  who 
drew  it,  and  of  those  that  accompanied  it. 

Division  I.  Matelda,  having  given  Dante  the  ex- 
planation he  sought,  as  to  the  causes  of  the  wind  and 
the  water  in  this  sacred  region,  recommences  her  sing- 
ing. In  v^  80  of  the  last  Canto  we  read  that  she  was 
singing  the  Psalm  Delectasti,  and  broke  off  to  listen  to 
Dante's  doubts.    She  now  resumes  with  another  psalm. 

E  E  £ 


3o6  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

Cantando  come  donna  innamorata,* 
Continue  col  fin  di  sue  parole  : 
Beati,  quorum  tecta  sunt peccata.\ 

Singing  like  a  lady  in  love,  at  the  end  of  her  words 
(recorded  in  the  last  Canto)  she  went  on  with,  Blessed 
are  they  whose  sins  are  covered. 

Matelda,  who  is  emblematical  of  the  doctrine  of 
Holy  Scripture,  enamoured  of  virtuous  deeds,  rejoices 
in  the  purification  of  Dante,  and  having  said  at  the 
end  of  the  preceding  Canto,  the  words  qui  fn  innocente 
Ptimana  radice,  she  continues  by  singing  Beati  quorum 
tecta  sunt peccata,  words  most  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion, as  Dante  is  about  to  pass  through  the  river  that 

*  donna  innamorata :  I  find  in  a  note  of  Scartazzini  that 
Dante,  in  the  description  of  his  meeting  with  Matelda,  has 
imitated  a  sonnet  of  his  friend  Guido  Cavalcanti  addressed  to  a 
shepherdess : — 

"  In  un  boschetto  trovai  pastorella, 
Piu  che  Stella — bella  al  mio  parere. 
Capegli  avea  biondetti  e  ricciutelli, 

E  gli  occhi  pien  d'  amor  cera  rosata  : 
Con  sua  verghetta  pasturava  agnelli ; 
E  scalza.,  e  di  rugiada  era  bagnata  : 
Cantava  come  fosse  inamorata, 
Era  adornata — di  tutto  piacere. 
D'  amor  la  salutai  immantinente, 

E  domandai  se  avesse  compagnia  : 
Ed  ella  mi  rispose  dolcemente 
Che  sola  sola  per  lo  bosco  gia,"  &c. 
t  "  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgression  is  forgiven,  whose  sin 
is  covered."    This  is  verse  i  of  the  Penitential  Psalm  XXXI, 
which  is  one  of  the  Psalms  for  Matins  in  the  Roman  Breviary. 
It  may  well  follow  on  to  Delectasti  (which  is  in  verse  5  of  Psalm 
XCI  in  the  Vulgate),  as  rightly  indicating  the  joy  of  which  the 
latter  Psalm  is  the  utterance.     "  Quia  delectasti  me,  Domine,  in 
factura  tua  :  et  in  operibus  manuum  tuarum  exsultabo." 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  307 

takes  away  the  memory  of  sin.     It  is  as  though  she 
would  say  to  him  :    "  O  happy  thou  who  hast  been 
found  worthy  to  behold  this  state  of  blessedness," 
Dante  now  describes  Matelda's  mode  of  walking 

away. 

E  come  ninfe  che  si  givan  sole 

Per  le  selvatiche  ombre,  disiando  5 

Qual  di  veder,  qual  di  fuggir  lo  sole, 

Allor  si  mosse  contra  il  fiume,  andando 
Su  per  la  riva,  ed  io  pari  di  lei, 
Picciol  passo  con  picciol  seguitando. 

And  like  unto  the  Nymphs,  who  were  wont  to  roam 
in  solitude  through  the  forest  shades,  some  desirous  to 
avoid,  others  to  behold  the  sun,  so  did  she  (Matelda) 
then  begin  to  move  up  the  stream  going  along  the 
bank,  and  I  (moved)  evenly  with  her,  following  her 
short  steps  with  short  steps. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  the  poets,  by  the  Nymphs 
or  water-goddesses,  wished  to  portray  the  various 
wonderful  powers  of  God  over  the  waters,  shown  in  so 
many  ways,  as  we  are  taught  by  science  and  by  ex- 
perience, while,  according  to  other  authors,  they  repre- 
sent figuratively  wise  and  good  men,  and  are  thus  a 
fair  type  of  Matelda  and  Dante  advancing  with  slow 
and  dignified  steps  up  the  course  of  the  stream,  under 
the  shadow  of  the  lofty  trees. 

Dante  next  tells  us  how  the  rill  took  a  sudden 
bend,  so  that  he  found  himself  facing  the  East. 

Non  eran  cento  tra  i  suo'  passi  e  i  miei,  10 

Quando  le  ripe  igualmente  dier  volta, 
Per  modo  ch'  a  levante  mi  rendei.* 

*  Antonelli  observes  that  Dante,  when  he  reached  the  top  of 
the  stairway,  had  the  East  facing  him.  Being  vago  di  cercar 
dentro  e  dintorno,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that,  as  he  penetrated 

EE  E  2 


3o8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

There  were  not  a  hundred  steps  between  her's 
and  mine  {i.e.,  we  had  not  walked  more  than  fifty 
paces  each),  when  both  the  banks  took  a  sudden  turn 
{i.e.  remained  equally  distant)  in  such  a  manner  that 
I  found  me  turned  towards  the  East. 

In  the  next  eighteen  verses  Dante  imagines  that 
Matelda,  now  that  he  is  turned  to  the  East,  causes 
him  to  see  and  comprehend  the  wonderful  things  be- 
longing to  God. 

N^  anco  fu  cosi  nostra  via  molta, 

Quando  la  donna*  tutta  a  me  si  torse, 

Dicendo  : — "  Frate  mio,  guarda  ed  ascolta." —     15 

Nor  had  our  way  (the  distance  we  had  walked)  been 
even  so  much  (as  fifty  paces),  when  the  Lady  turned 
completely  round  to  me,  saying,  "  My  brother,  look 
and  listen." 

Benvenuto  explains  this  to  mean  that  they  had  not 
yet  walked  far  beyond  the  bend  the  river  had  taken. 

He  says  also  that  Dante  now  begins  to  describe 
the  Church  Militant,  and  points  out  that  theologians 

into  the  depths  of  the  holy  forest,  he  should  turn  in  different 
directions.  He  walked  upstream  along  the  bank  of  Lethe, 
which  flowed  from  its  source  towards  the  West,  but  with  many 
bends  ;  the  part  up  which  he  had  last  been  walking  had  a  bend 
towards  the  North,  and  Dante  had  been  therefore  facing  the 
South,  and  now  a  sudden  turn  to  the  left  brings  him  back  to 
face  the  East. 

*  Nearly  all  the  best  authorities  read  la  donna  tutta  a  me  si 
torse.  Some  read  Quando  la  donna  mia  a  me  si  torse;  but  this 
does  not  seem  nearly  so  good  a  reading  as  the  first,  as  Dante 
has  never  elsewhere  called  Matelda  "/a  donna  mia,"  but  "/a 
dojtna,"  or  "  la  bella  donna."  "  La  donna  mia  "  could  only  refer 
to  Beatrice,  just  as  in  Inf.  v.  123  :  "  Cio  sa  il  tuo  dottore  "  refers 
to  Virgil  and  not  to  Boethius. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  309 

always  distinguish  between  the  Church  Militant,  which 
is  ever  fighting  against  the  Church's  enemies,  and  the 
Church  Triumphant,  which  rejoices  in  Heaven  over 
the  victories  obtained. 

Ed  ecco  un  lustro  subito  trascorse 
Da  tutte  parti  per  la  gran  foresta, 
Tal  che  di  balenar  mi  mise  in  forse.* 

And  behold  a  bright  lustre  suddenly  ran  through 
the  great  forest  on  every  side,  so  brilliant  that  it  set 
me  to  doubt  of  (whether  it  were)  lightning. 

Dante  thought  it  might  be  a  flash  of  lightning,  until 
he  perceived  that  it  was  not  followed  by  thunder. 

Ma  perch^  il  balenar,  come  vien,  resta, 

E  quel,  durando,  piu  e  piu  splendeva,  20 

Nel  mio  pensar  dicea  :  Che  cosa  e  questa? 

But  since  lightning  disappears  as  quickly  as  it 
comes,  and  this  kept  getting  more  and  more  bril- 
liant, within  my  thought  I  said,  "  What  thing  is 
this .? " 

The  light  Dante  saw  proceeded  from  the  seven 
candlesticks,  carried  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  and 
emblematical  of  the  Sevenfold  Holy  Spirit.  A  soft 
sweet  strain  fell  on  his  ear,  the  song  of  the  Prophets, 
Apostles,  Martyrs,  Confessors,  Doctors,  and  Saints, 
who,  filled  with  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  were 
chanting  their  prophecies,  prayers,  psalms,  and  ora- 
tions. The  scene,  with  its  glorious  accessories,  so  en- 
chanted Dante,  that  he  could  not  repress  an  outburst 

*  mi  mise  in  forse :  compare  Inf.  VIII,  109-111  : — 

"  e  quivi  m'  abbandona 
Lo  dolce  padre,  ed  io  rimango  in  forse  ; 
Che  il  si  e  il  no  nel  capo  mi  tenzona." 


3IO  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

of  indignation  against  Eve,  on  thinking  of  the  fatal 

effects  to  man  of  her  fall. 

Ed  una  melodia  dolce  correva 

Per  r  aer  luminoso  ;  onde  buon  zelo 
Mi  fe'  riprender  1'  ardimento  d'  Eva,* 


*  Scartazzini  notices  that,  whereas  in  this  passage  Dante  cen- 
sures Eve,  in  Purg.  XXXII,  37,  we  read  that  the  Mystic  Pro- 
cession censures  Adam,  But  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ.  Theol. 
P.  II,  2==,  qu.  CLXIII,  art.  4)  demonstrates  that  the  sin  of  the 
woman  was  greater  than  that  of  the  man. 

"  Videtur  quod  peccatum  Adae  fuerit  gravius  quam  peccatum 
Evae.  Dicitur  enim  i  ad.  Tim.  II,  14,  quod  Adam  non  est 
seductus,  mulier  autem  seducta  in  prcBvaricatione  fuit ;  et  sic 
videtur  quod  peccatum  mulieris  fuerit  ex  ignorantii,  peccatum 
viri  ex  certi  scientia.  .  .  .  Si  consideremus  conditionem  personse 
utriusque,  scilicet  muHeris  et  viri,  peccatum  viri  est  gravius,  quia 
erat  perfectior  muliere.  Sed  quantum  ad  ipsum  genus  peccati 
utriusque  peccatum  aequaUtur  dicitur,  quia  utriusque  peccatum 
fuit  superbia.  .  .  .  Sed  quantum  ad  speciem  superbiae  gravius 
peccavit  mulier,  triplici  ratione.  Primo  quidem  quia  major  ela- 
tio  fuit  mulieris  quam  viri  :  mulier  enim  credidit  verum  esse 
quod  serpens  suasit,  scilicet  quod  Deus  prohibuerit  ligni  esum, 
ne  ad  ejus  similitudinem  pervenirent ;  et  ita  dum  per  esum  ligni 
vetiti  Dei  similitudinem  consequi  voluit,  superbia  ejus  ad  hoc  se 
erexit  quod  contra  Dei  voluntatem  aliquid  voluit  obtinere.  Sed 
vir  non  credidit  hoc  esse  verum  :  unde  non  voluit  consequi  divi- 
nam  similitudinem  contra  Dei  voluntatem  ;  sed  in  hoc  super- 
bivit,  quod  voluit  eam  consequi  per  seipsum.  Secundo,  quia 
mulier  non  solum  ipsa  peccavit,  sed  etiam  viro  peccatum  sug- 
gessit  :  unde  peccavit  et  in  Deum  et  in  proximum.  Tertio,  in 
hoc  quod  peccatum  viri  diminutum  est  ex  hoc  quod  in  peccatum 
consensit  amicabili  quadam  benevolentia,  qua  plerumque  fit  ut 
offendatur  Deus,  ne  homo  ex  amico  fiat  inimicus,  quod  eum  fa- 
cere  non  debuisse  divinas  sententiae  Justus  exitus  indicavit,  ut 
Augustinus  dicit  (II  Super.  Gen.  ad.  litt.,  cap.  ult.,  k  med).  Et 
sic  patet  quod  peccatum  mulieris  fuit  gravius  quam  peccatum 
viri." 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  311 

Che,  Ik  dove  ubbidia  la  terra  e  il  cielo,  25 

Femmina  sola,t  e  pur  teste  formata, 
Non  sofferse  di  star  sotto  alcun  velo  ; 
Sotto  il  qual,  se  divota  fosse  stata, 
Avrei  quelle  ineffabili  delizie 

Semite  prima,  e  piii  lunga  fiata.  30 

And  a  sweet  melody  was  borne  along  through  the 
illumined  air,  whereat  a  righteous  indignation  made 
niej;ebiikeRv^Vtemerrt>^  there,  where  Earth  and 
Heaven  were  obedient  (to  the  Divine  Will),  she,  a 
woman,  and  alone,  but  newly  formed,  could  not  endure 
to  remain  under  any  veil  {i.e.,  in  ignorance),  under  the 
which,  if  she  had  devoutly  stayed,  I  should  sooner 
have  enjoyed  those  unspeakable  delights  {i.e.,  from  my 
birth),  and  afterwards  for  a  long  time  {i.e.,  eternally). 

Dante  was  full  of  anger  at  Eve  not  having  had  the 
patience  and  submission  to  have  her  understanding 
overshadowed  by  the  slightest  secret,  or  that  any 
fact  should  be  concealed  from  her.  Dante  makes 
out  Eve's  fault  to  be  greater  because  she  was  a  woman, 
and  as  such  ought  to  have  been  less  bold,  because  as 
yet  she  was  the  only  woman,  and  rashness  comes  more 
from  consultation  and  connivance  with  other  com- 
panions, and,  being  newly  formed,  she  could  not  lay 
claim  to  any  experience. 


Division  IL  Here  begins  the  Second  Division  of 
the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  describes  the  approach  of 
the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  the  standards  of  the 

t  Femmina  sola:  Scartazzini  explains  this  by  saying  that 
being  alone,  the  only  woman,  she  could  not  have  the  excuse  of 
being  tempted  by  emulation,  or  the  desire  to  excel  over  other 
women. 


312  Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

Church  Militant,  and  emblematical  of  the  Sevenfold 
Holy  Spirit,  or,  according  to  others,  of  the  Seven 
Sacraments  of  the  Roman  Church. 

Mentr'  io  m'  andava  tra  tante  primizie 
Deir  eterno  placer,  tutto  sospeso, 
E  disioso*  ancor  a  piii  letizie, 
Dinanzi  a  noi,  tal,  quale  un  fuoco  acceso, 

Ci  si  fe'  r  aer,  sotto  1  verdi  rami,  35 

E  11  dolce  suon  per  canto  era  glk  Inteso  : 
While  I  was  walking  along  among  such  (wonderful) 
first-fruitsf  of  the  eternal  happiness,  all  enrapt,  and 
eager  for  (the  sight  of)  still  more  bliss,  the  air  glowed 
before  us  like  an  enkindled  fire  under  the  green 
branches,  and  the  sweet  sound  could  now  be  heard  to 
be  a  chant. 

And  now  Dante,  before  attempting  to  describe  a 
lofty  and  important  theme,  invokes  the  favour  and  aid 
•of  the  Muses. 

O  sacrosante  Vergini,  se  fami,t 

*  Dante  had  heard  frequently  from  VlrgU  that,  as  soon  as  he 
reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  he  should  behold  Beatrice  (see 
Purg.  VI,  46,  et  seq.).  Therefore  his  suspense  may  be  under- 
stood, expecting,  as  he  does,  to  see  her  appear  at  any  moment. 

t  The  Terrestrial  Paradise  is  a  foretaste  of  the  Celestial. 
The  blessedness  of  this  life  Is  a  first-fruit  of  the  blessedness  of 
Life  Eternal. 

X  sefanii,  Qr'c:  In  Fillppo  VlUanl's  Vz'ia  Dan f is  the  following 
passage  occurs  :  "  Tanto  pernoscendae  poesls  amore  flagravlt, 
ut  dies  noctesque  nil  allud  cogltaret." 

In  Convzto,  tr.  III,c.  i,  Dante  writes  himself,  "O  quante  notti 
furono,  che  gli  occhl  dell'  altre  persone  chlusl  dormendo  si  po- 
savano,  che  11  miel  nell'  abltacolo  del  mlo  amore  fisamente  mlra- 
vano." 

And  Boccaccio  ( Vi/a  di  Dante)  writes  :  "  Non  curando  n^ 
caldo,  nfe  freddo,  n^  vlgUie,  nh  dlglunl,  n^  nluno  altro  corporale 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  313 

Freddi  o  vigilie  mai  per  voi  soffersi, 
Cagion  mi  sprona,  ch'  io  merc^  ne  chiami. 
Or  convien  ch'  Elicona*  per  me  versi,  40 

Ed  Uraniat  m'  aiuti  col  suo  coro, 
Forti  cose  a  pensar,  mettere  in  versi. 

O  most  holy  Virgins  (divine  Muses),  if  for  you  I 
have  ever  suffered  hunger,  cold,  or  vigils,  necessit}' 
constrains  me  to  claim  my  reward  for  them  from  you. 
Now  it  is  fitting  that  Helicon  should  pour  forth  (its 
waters)  for  me,  and  that  Urania  aid  me  with  her  choir, 
to  put  into  verse  things  of  great  concept. 

Dante,  having  now  uttered  this  invocation  to  the 

disagio,  con  assiduo  studio  divenne  a  conoscere  della  divina 
essenzia  e  delle  altre  separate  intelligenze  quello  che  per  umano 
ingegno  qui  se  ne  puo  comprendere." 

*  Helicon  was  a  spur  of  Mount  Parnassus,  whereon  theory 
and  science  were  studied,  and  here  was  the  fount  Castalia  ;  but 
Dante  here  takes  Helicon  as  the  fountain  of  the  Muses.  The 
waters  of  Helicon  were  supposed  to  give  poetical  inspiration. 

Compare  the  invocation  to  the  Muses  with  that  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Purgatorio,  and  Inf.  II,  7. 

t  Urania,  the  Muse  of  Astronomy,  or  things  celestial,  is  re- 
presented as  crowned  with  stars  and  robed  in  azure.  See  Milton, 
Par.  Lost,  VII,  i  :— 

"  Descend  from  Heaven  Urania,  by  that  name 
If  rightly  thou  art  called,  whose  voice  divine 
Following,  above  the  Olympian  hill  I  soar, 
Above  the  flight  of  Pegasean  wing  I 
The  meaning,  not  the  name  I  call :  for  thou 
Nor  of  the  Muses  nine,  nor  on  the  top 
Of  old  Olympus  dwell'st ;  but,  heavenly-bom, 
Before  the  hills  appeared,  or  fountain  flowed 
Thou  with  Eternal  Wisdom  didst  converse, 
Wisdom  thy  sister,  and  with  her  didst  play 
In  presence  of  the  Almighty  Father,  pleased 
With  thy  celestial  song." 


314  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

Muses,  at  once  enters  upon  the  divine  subjects  he  has 
to  describe.  In  the  next  fifteen  lines,  from  v.  43  to 
V.  57,  he  explains  what  it  was  that  caused  the  light 
to  shine  forth  so  brilliantly,  and  what  were  the  voices 
heard  singing. 

Poco  piu  oltre*  sette  alberi  d'  orot 

Falsava  nel  parere  11  lungo  tratto 

Del  mezzo,  ch'  era  ancor  tra  noi  e  loro  ;  45 

*  Scartazzini  explains  that  Dante's  vision  of  the  Mystic  Pro- 
cession in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  may  be  divided  into  two 
principal  parts.  The  first  (XXIX-XXX,  33)  shows  how  the 
Church,  as  a  divine  institution,  or  the  ideal  of  the  Church, 
comes  to  meet  the  penitent  sinner,  who  is  earnestly  seeking 
salvation,  and  does  so  as  the  depositary  of  divine  mysteries  and 
means  of  grace. 

In  the  second  part  (from  XXXIl,  16,  to  XXXIII,  12)  Dante 
beholds  in  the  vision  the  vicissitudes  of  the  Church  from  its  origin 
up  to  the  time  of  the  transfer  of  the  seat  of  the  Papacy  to  Avignon, 
and  he  endeavours  further  (XXXIII,  34-78),  through  the  mouth 
of  Beatrice,  to  predict  the  future  destiny  of  the  Church.  Mid- 
way in  the  vision  there  occurs  a  great  scene  of  a  personal 
character ;  namely,  Dante's  final  penitence  and  his  reconciliation 
with  Beatrice.  In  that  part  of  the  great  vision  Dante  shows 
what  must  be  done  by  the  man  who  desires  to  obtain  salvation. 
The  Church  comes  to  meet  the  sinner,  seeks  for  him  so  to 
speak,  as  the  good  Shepherd  for  the  lost  sheep,  gathers  him 
into  her  bosom,  and  administers  to  him  the  means  of  grace  : 
the  sinner  in  his  turn  goes  to  meet  the  Church,  and  submits 
himself  voluntarily  to  perform  whatever  she  may  require  from 
him  ;  repentance  of  sins,  XXX,  78,  XXXI,  64 ;  regeneration, 
XXXI,  91  et  seq. ;  practice  of  virtue,  XXXI,  103  et  seq. 

t  Sette  alberi  d^  oro :  Seven  was  a  sacred  number.  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  {Sunim.  Theol.  p.  I,  2««,  qu.  CII,  art.  5)  writes,  "  Sep- 
tenarius  numerus  universatem  significat."  Seven  is  composed 
of  three,  the  number  of  the  Trinity,  and  four,  which  is  the 
number  of  the  world.  The  union  of  three  and  four  into  the 
single  number  seven  is  a  figure  of  the  union  of  God  and  the 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  315 

Ma  quando  fui  si  presso  di  lor  fatto, 

Che  r  obbietto  comun,  che  il  senso  inganna, 
Non  perdea  per  distanza  alcun  suo  atto  ; 

La  virtu  che  a  ragion  discorso  ammanna, 

Si  com'  elli  eran  candelabri  apprese,  50 

E  nelle  voci  del  cantare,  Osanna. 

A  little  further  on,  the  wide  space  which  intervened 
between  us  and  them  gave  a  false  illusion  of  their 
being  seven  golden  trees ;  but  when  I  had  drawn  so 
near  to  them  that  the  general  form,  that  deceives  the 
sense  of  vision,  lost  none  of  its  features  by  distance 
{i.e.  when  we  were  near  enough  to  distinguish  details) 
the  (discerning)  faculty,  which  prepares  for  reason  its 
powers  of  judgment,  began  to  apprehend  that  they 
were  candlesticks,  and  in  the  words  of  the  chant  (it 
distinguished)  the  word  "  Hosannah  !" 

He  had  at  first,  before  getting  near  enough  to  the 

world  in  general  concord  and  harmony.  Scartazzini  thinks 
Dante  certainly  took  the  idea  of  the  seven  candlesticks  from 
Rev.  I,  12,  and  Rev.  IV,  5  ;  the  name  from  the  first,  and  the 
signification  from  the  second.  The  seven  candlesticks  signify 
therefore  the  Sevenfold  Holy  Spirit,  Who  is  Sevenfold,  not  for 
what  He  is  in  God,  but  as  He  exists  in  the  world  as  an  instru- 
ment of  divine  government.  Like  as  the  Sevenfold  Spirit  of 
God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters,  after  a  fashion  preceding 
the  work  of  the  creation,  so  that  same  Spirit,  in  the  vision  of 
Dante,  precedes  the  Mystic  Procession  which  represents  the 
work  of  Salvation.  These  seven  candlesticks  being  the  Seven- 
fold Spirit  of  God,  we  must  not  take  them,  as  many  commen- 
tators have  done,  for  the  Seven  Gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  gift 
and  giver  are  not  the  same  thing. 

Dante  tells  us  that  the  twenty-four  Elders  followed  these 
lights  come  a  lor  duct.  The  writers  of  the  Books  of  the  Old 
Testament  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  guided  by  the  Gifts  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  by  that  Sevenfold  Spirit  Itself.  The  Gifts 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  rather  the  sette  liste  mentioned  in  v.  'JT. 


5l6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

objects  advancing  to  meet  him,  been  deceived  by  that 
confusing  similitude  of  things  to  one  another  which 
objects  acquire  by  distance,  and  which  deludes  the 
sense  of  sight.  Here  it  was  a  certain  resemblance 
between  a  tree  with  branches  and  a  candlestick  with 
branches.  The  seven  candlesticks  were  very  large, 
and  appeared  like  small  trees. 

And  now  Dante,  having  shown  how  he  had  been 
able  to  discern  that  the  seven  objects  were  candle- 
sticks, tells  us  how  he  recognized  that  light  pro- 
ceeded from  them. 

Di  sopra  fiammeggiava  il  bello  arnese* 
Piu  chiaro  assai,  che  luna  per  sereno 
Di  mezza  notte  nel  suo  mezzo  mese. 

On  the  summit  (of  the  candlesticks)  flamed  the  fair 
equipment  (of  lamps)  more  brilliant  than  the  moon, 
in  clear  weather  at  midnight,  in  the  middle  of  her 
month. 

The  moon  is  lighted  by  the  sun,  and  the  candle- 
sticks receive  their  light  from  God,  the  Eternal  Sun, 
and  shine  in  the  clear  air  of  this  pure  region,  like  the 
moon  in  a  clear  sky. 

Dante  turns  round  full  of  wonder  and,  for  the  last 
time,  looks  at  Virgil,  but  finds  that  the  latter  (the 
symbol  of  human  knowledge)  is  as  much  awed  as 
himself. 


*  Scartazzini  calls  special  attention  to  arnese  being  in  the 
singular,  as  showing  that  the  seven  lamps  were  on  one  candle- 
stick, and  says  it  shows  that,  without  doubt,  Dante  wished  his 
readers  to  understand  that  the  seven  candlesticks  symbolize  a 
sevenfold  unity,  which  also  demonstrates  the  accuracy  of  his 
(Scartazzini's)  interpretation. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  317 

lo  mi  rivolsi*  d'  ammirazion  pieno  55 

Al  buon  Virgilio,  ed  esso  mi  rispose 
Con  vista  carca  di  stupor  non  meno. 

I  turned  me  round  full  of  admiration  to  the  good 
Virgil :  and  he  replied  to  me  with  a  look  not  less 
charged  with  stupor. 

Benvenuto  thinks  he  gave  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders, 
as  all  Italians  do  when  a  thing  is  beyond  their  com- 
prehension. Virgil's  look  of  awe  signified  to  Dante 
that  these  divine  mysteries  were  beyond  the  pene- 
tration of  human  science. 

Dante  then  turns  round  again  to  gaze  at  the  candle- 
sticks that  are  advancing  towards  him,  so  slowly,  that 
their  forward  movement  is  even  slower  than  that  of  a 
bashful  maid  approaching  the  Altar. 

Indi  rendei  1'  aspetto  all'  alte  cose, 

Che  si  movieno  incontro  a  noi  si  tardi, 

Che  foran  vinte  da  novelle  spose.  60 

I  then  turned  back  my  gaze  to  those  lofty  things, 

*  A  few  minutes  afterwards  Dante  turns  round  again  to  look 
at  Virgil,  when  Beatrice  first  appears,  but  finds  him  no  longer 
behind  him.     See  Purg.  XXX,  40-51  : — 
"  Tosto  che  nella  vista  mi  percosse 

L'  alta  virtu,  che  gik  m'  avea  trafitto 
Prima  ch'  io  fuor  di  puerizia  fosse, 
Volsimi  alia  sinistra  col  rispitto 

Col  quale  il  fantolin  corre  alia  mamma, 
Quando  ha  paura  o  quando  egli  e  afflitto, 
Per  dicere  a  Virgilio  : — '  Men  che  dramma 
Di  sangue  m'  h  rimaso  che  non  tremi ; 
Conosco  i  segni  dell'  antica  fiamma.' 
Ma  Virgilio  n'  avea  lasciati  scemi 

Di  s^,  Virgilio,  dolcissimo  padre  ; 
Virgilio  a  cui  per  mia  salute  diemi." 


3i8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

which  were  moving  towards  us  at  a  pace  so  slow,  that 
they  would  not  be  surpassed  by  (the  hesitating  advance 
of)  young  brides. 

Division  III.  We  now  commence  the  Third  Divi- 
sion of  the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  gives  a  magnificent 
description  of  the  Army  of  the  Church  Militant, 
which,  with  its  leaders,  was  following  after  the  golden 
candlesticks,  like  a  host  follows  after  the  standards. 

Matelda  reproves  Dante  for  confining  his  attention 
to  the  candlesticks,  and  for  not  seeing  what  comes 
after  them.     She  reminds  him  that  his  mind  must  take 
a  bold  wide  grasp  of  the  whole  scene,  and  not  fritter 
itself  away  on  any  single  detail,  however  important. 
La  donna  mi  sgrido  :* — "  Perch^  pur  ardi 
Si  nell'  affetto  delle  vive  luci, 
E  cio  che  vien  diretro  a  lor  non  guardi  ?" — 

The  Lady  reproved  me :  "  Why  art  thou  so  ardent 
in  thine  affection  for  these  brilliant  lights,  and  regardest 
not  what  comes  behind  them  .?" 

*  Compare  Purg.  XXXII,  1-9: — 

"  Tanto  eran  gli  occhi  miei  fissi  ed  attenti 
A  disbramarsi  la  decenne  sete, 
Che  gli  altri  sensi  m'  eran  tutti  spenti. 
Ed  essi  quinci  e  quindi  avean  parete 
Di  non  caler,  cosi  lo  santo  riso 
A  sfe  tra^li  con  1'  antica  rete  ; 
Quando  per  forza  mi  fu  volto  il  viso 
Ver  la  sinistra  mia  da  quelle  Dee, 
Perch'  io  udia  da  loro  un  :   Troppo  fiso.'^ 
Beatrice  herself  makes  a  similar  reproof  to  Dante  in  Par. 
XXIII,  70-72:— 

"  Perch^  la  faccia  mia  si  t'  innamora, 

Che  tu  non  ti  rivolgi  al  bel  giardino 
Che  sotto  i  raggi  di  Cristo  s'  infiora." 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  o?i  the  Purgatorio.  319 

Dante  obeys  Matelda. 

Genti  vid'  io  allor,  come  a  lor  duci, 

Venire  appresso,  vestite  de  bianco  ;  *  65 

E  tal  candor  di  qua  giammai  non  fuci. 

I  then  beheld  a  company  approaching  behind  (the 
candlesticks)  as  though  after  their  leaders,  clothed  in 
white,  and  of  such  whiteness  as  never  existed  in  our 
world. 

This  purity  is  a  symbol  of  their  faith  :  such  faith  as 
has  never  been  found  since. 

He  next  describes,  as  a  sight  of  increasing  per- 
fection, the  purity  of  the  water,  when  struck  by  so 
heavenly  a  light. 

L'  acqua  splendeva  dal  sinistro  fianco, 
E  rendea  a  me  la  mia  sinistra  costa, 
S'  io  riguardava  in  lei,  come  specchio  anco. 

The  water  was  glittering  (from  the  light  of  the 
candlesticks)  upon  my  left  hand,  and  moreover  re- 
flected back  to  me  my  left  side  even  as  a  mirror. 

As  Dante  was  going  to  the  right,  his  left  side  was 
of  course  nearest  to  the  rill.  This  was  the  side  of  his 
heart,  and  Francesco  da  Buti  thinks  that  the  alle- 
gorical sense  would  show  that  Lethe  is  the  emblem  of 
the  purity  and  innocence  that  causes  oblivion  of  sin, 
and  makes  the  heart  known  to  one's  self-perception,  if 
we  seek  to  see  ourselves  as  we  are. 

*  Genii:  the  company  were  the  four-and-twenty  elders.  See 
Rev.  IV,  4: — "And  round  about  the  throne  were  four-and-twenty 
seats  :  and  upon  the  seats  I  saw  four-and-twenty  elders  sitting, 
clothed  in  white  raiment. 

And  Rev.  VII,  14.  "  These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 


320  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

He  places  himself  so  that  he  can  the  better  con- 
template the  vision. 

Quand'  io  dalla  mia  riva  ebbi  tal  posta,  7° 

Che  solo  il  fiume  mi  facea  distante, 
Per  veder  meglio  ai  passi  diedi  sosta, 
When  I  had  (gained)  such  a  position  on  the  bank 
on    my  side,  that   the  stream    alone  kept  me  apart 
(from  the  procession),  in  order  to  see  better,  I  gave  a 
halt  to  my  steps. 

As    he  stops,   the   candlesticks   pass    on    beyond 

him. 

E  vidi  le  fiammelle  andar  davante, 

Lasciando  dietro  a  s^  1'  aer  dipinto, 

E  di  tratti  pennelli  avean  sembiante  ;  75 

Si  che  li  sopra  rimanea  distinto 

Di  sette  liste,*  tutte  in  quei  colori, 

Onde  fa  1'  arco  il  sole,  e  Delia  il  cinto. 

And  I  saw  the  flamelets  pass  on  in  front,  leaving 
behind  them  the  air  streaked  with  colour  [lit.  painted)  ; 
and  they  had  the  semblance  of  strokes  of  a  painter's 
brush  ;  so  that  there  (the  air)  overhead,  remained  dis- 
tinct with  seven  bands,  all  of  the  colours  of  which  the 

*  The  seven  long  streaks  of  light,  which  stream  behind  the 
seven  golden  candlesticks,  are,  as  we  take  the  latter  to  be,  the 
Sevenfold  Spirit  of  God,  undoubtedly  the  effects  of  that  Holy 
Spirit,  His  Sevenfold  Gift  to  man  of  the  Virtues  which  are  often 
called  the  Seven  Gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  These  are  said  to  be  : 
Piety,  as  opposed  to  Envy. 


Fear  of  God      „ 

Pride. 

Knowledge         , 

Anger. 

Fortitude            , 

Sloth. 

Counsel              , 

,        Avarice. 

Intellect              , 

,         Luxury. 

Wisdom              , 

,        Gluttony 

Some  read  SicM  di  sopra,  and  others,  S\  ch!  egli  sopra. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  321 

sun   forms   the    rainbow,  and  Delia   (the  moon)  her 
girdle  {i.  e.  halo). 

He  then  defines  the  dimensions  of  the  bands  of 

light. 

Questi  ostendali  dietro  eran  maggiori, 

Che  la  mia  vista  ;  e,  quanto  al  mio  awiso,  80 

Dieci  passi*  distavan  quel  di  fuori. 

These  standards  to  the  rearward  were  extended 
beyond  where  my  eye  could  reach  ;  and,  as  far  as  I 
could  estimate,  the  two  on  the  outer  sides  were  but 
ten  paces  apart. 

Dante  now  describes  in  detail  the  chiefs  or  leaders 
of  the  Mystic  Army.  He  tells  us  that  they  were 
twenty-four  in  number,  representing  the  twenty-four 
Elders  mentioned  in  Rev.  IV,  4,  who  symbolize  the 
twenty- four  books  of  the  Old  Testament.-f" 

*  Died  passi.  Many  interpretations  are  given  to  these  words, 
most  commentators  taking  the  ten  paces  to  be  the  ten  command- 
ments. Scartazzini  however  says  :  "  A  much  better  interpreta- 
tion than  this  can  be  obtained  if  we  remember  that  the  number 
ten  is  a  symbolic  number,  and  that,  just  for  the  fact  of  the 
symbolism  of  that  number,  the  commandments  also  are  ten. 
As  it  concludes  the  series  of  radical  numbers,  and  contains  them 
all  within  itself,  the  number  ten  represents  a  complete  and  per- 
fect being,  and  is  a  symbol  of  completeness  and  perfection. 
The  number  ten  in  this  passage  appears  to  have  the  same 
allegorical  sense,  so  that  the  meaning  of  the  passage  would  be, 
that  the  Sevenfold  Virtue  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  extends  over 
the  Church,  illumines  and  sanctifies  it  completely  and  perfectly." 

See  also  Vita  Nuova,  XXX.     Ten,  the  Perfect  Number. 

Francesco  da  Buti  reads  :  Dieci  passi  distavan  quei  dai  fiori, 
meaning  that  the  height  of  the  candlesticks  above  the  flowery 
turf  was  only  ten  paces. 

t  The  twenty-four  books  are  accounted  for  by  counting  the 
two  books  of  Samuel,  the  two  books  of  Kings,  and  the  two  books 

F  F  F 


322  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

Sotto  cosi  bel  ciel  com'  io  diviso, 

Ventiquattro  seniori,  a  due  a  due, 
Coronati  venian  de  fiordaliso.* 

Under  so  beautiful  a  sky  as  I  describe,  came  four- 
and-twenty  Elders,  two  and  two,  all  crowned  with 
flower-de-luce. 

Benvenuto  seems  to  use  diviso  in  the  sense  of 
divide,  quale  ego  distinguo  in  septem  listas  mirabiles, 
which  one  might  translate :  "  Under  so  beautiful  a 
heaven,  divided,  as  I  have  described,  into  seven  won- 
drous bands  or  streaks  of  rainbow  hues." 

Dante  adds  that  the  Elders  are  singing  a  hymn 
of  praise  to  the  glory  of  Beatrice,  symbol  of  divine 
wisdom,  who  is  shortly  expected  to  descend  in 
triumph, 

Tutti  cantavan  :  Benedetta  tue  t  85 

Nellefiglie  d'  Adamo  !  e.  benedette 
Sieno  in  eterno  le  bellezze  tue  ! 

of  Chronicles  as  one  book  each.  Some  think  the  four-and-twenty 
Elders  are  composed  of  the  twelve  Patriarchs  and  the  twelve 
Apostles. 

*  The  four-and-twenty  Elders  are  crowned  with  lilies  to 
signify  the  purity  of  Holy  Writ. 

t  Benedetta  tiie,  etc.  The  words  of  the  salutation  of  the 
Angel  Gabriel  to  the  Virgin  Mary  (Luke  I,  28)  :  "  Blessed  art 
thou  among  women."  Scartazzini  seems  in  great  doubt  as  to 
whether  the  person  saluted  here  is  Beatrice  or  the  Virgin  Mary. 
He  says,  however,  that  if  one  considers  that  in  the  following 
Canto  (XXX,  11)  Beatrice  is  hailed  in  the  words  "  Veni  sfionsa 
de  Libano  cantando,"  and  (XXX,  19),  '■'■  Benedictus  qui  venis^^ 
and  if  one  considers  that  it  is  Beatrice  and  not  Mary,  who  will 
shortly  appear  and  will  sit  upon  the  Car  of  the  Church,  one  may 
believe  that  Beatrice  is  the  person  referred  to  here,  the  more 
so  that,  in  the  Vita  Nuova^  §  43,  Dante  distinctly  states  that  he 
will  say  of  Beatrice  what  was  never  yet  said  of  woman  before. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  tfie  Purgatorio.  323 

All  were  singing :  "  Blessed  art  thou  (Beatrice) 
among  the  daughters  of  Adam ;  and  blessed  for 
evermore  be  thy  beauties." 

Having  now  described  the  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  the  persons  of  the  four-and-twenty  Elders, 
Dante  passes  on  to  the  New  Testament. 

Poscia  che  i  fiori  e  I'  altre  fresche  erbette, 
A  rimpetto  di  me  dall'  altra  sponda, 
Libere  fur  da  quelle  genti  elette,  90 

Si  come  luce  luce  in  ciel  seconda, 

Vennero  appresso  lor  quattro  animali, 
Coronati  ciascun  di  verde  fronda. 

As  soon  as  the  flowers  and  other  tender  herbage  on 
the  other  bank  opposite  to  me  had  been  left  clear  by 
that  band  of  the  elect;  even  as  in  the  heavens  one 
star  rises  immediately  after  another  star,  so  there 
followed  after  them  (the  Elders)  four  Living  Beings, 
each  of  them  crowned  with  verdant  foliage.* 
He  then  describes  how  they  were  fashioned. 
Ognuno  era  pennuto  di  sei  ali, 

Le  penne  piene  d'  occhi ;  e  gli  occhi  d'  Argo,     95 
Se  fosser  vivi,  sarebber  cotali. 

Each  one  was  plumed  with  six  wings  ;  the  feathers 
were  full  of  eyes  ;  and  the  eyes  of  Argus,  were  they 
living,  would  be  such. 

The  six  wings  were  to  enable  them  to  soar  up  to 

*  Benvenuto  remarks  upon  the  great  appropriateness  of  this 
simile,  for  as  in  the  heavens  by  night  one  star  follows  hard 
upon  another,  so  did  the  ancient  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
appear  in  a  time  of  spiritual  darkness,  and  were  followed  during 
a  period  of  grace  by  the  greater  books  of  the  New  Testament. 

The  four  Living  Beings  are  generally  interpreted  as  the  Four 
Evangelists,  of  whom  the  four  mysterious  animals  in  Ezekiel 
are  regarded  as  symbols. 

F  F  F  2 


324  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxix. 

high  heaven,  and  symbolized  the  rapid  spread  of  the 
Gospel ;  and  the  eyes  in  their  wings,  which  looked 
all  ways,  were  to  show  their  knowledge  alike  of  the 
past  and  the  present,  and  to  exercise  untiring  vigi- 
lance to  maintain  the  Church  doctrines  pure  in  the 
future. 

Dante  excuses  himself  for  not  more  fully  describing 
these  wondrous  beings. 

A  descriver  lor  forme  piu  non  spargo 

Rime,  lettor  ;  ch'  altra  spesa  mi  strigne 
Tanto,  che  a  questa  non  posso  esser  largo. 

To  describe  their  forms,  reader,  no  more  of  my  poesy 
do  I  waste  ;  as  another  debt  engrosses  me  so  much, 
that  in  this  I  cannot  be  diffuse. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante  has  to  describe  the 
leader  of  this  army,  and  he  does  not  wish  to  dwell  too 
long  over  the  followers,  lest  it  should  diminish  the  im- 
portance of  the  Lord  and  Master.  The  account  of  the 
coming  of  the  four  living  creatures  from  the  cold  north 
may  be  read  in  Ezekiel,  who  gives  a  more  lengthened 
description  of  them  than  does  St.  John. 

Ma  leggi  Ezechiel,*  che  li  dipigne  lOO 

Come  li  vide  dalla  fredda  parte 
Venir  con  vento,  con  nube  e  con  igne  ; 

*  Ezekiel^  1, 4-7.  "And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  whirlwind  came 
out  of  the  north,  a  great  cloud,  and  a  fire  infolding  itself,  and  a 
brightness  was  about  it,  and  out  of  the  midst  thereof,  as  the  colour 
of  amber,  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire.  Also  out  of  the  midst 
thereof  came  the  likeness  of  four  living  creatures.  And  this  was 
their  appearance  ;  they  had  the  likeness  of  a  man.  And  every 
one  had  four  faces,  and  every  one  had  four  wings.  And  their 
feet  were  straight  feet ;  and  the  sole  of  their  feet  was  like  the 
sole  of  a  calfs  foot ;  and  they  sparkled  like  the  colour  of  bur- 
nished brass." 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  325 

E  quai  li  troverai  nelle  sue  carte, 

Tali  eran  quivi,  salvo  ch'  alle  penne 
Giovanni  h  meco,*  e  da  lui  si  diparte.  105 

But  read  Ezekiel,  who  depicts  them  as  he  saw  them 
come  from  the  cold  quarter  with  whirlwind,  with 
cloud  and  with  fire ;  and  such  as  thou  shalt  find  them 
in  his  pages,  such  were  they  here,  save  that  in  the 
matter  of  wings  the  account  of  John  tallies  with  mine, 
and  differs  from  him  (Ezekiel). 

St.  John's  description  of  the  four  beasts  with  six 
wings  agrees  better  with  what  Dante  saw,  than  the 
account  of  Ezekiel,  who  only  speaks  of  four  wings. 


Division  IV.  And  now  we  reach  the  Fourth  and 
last  Division  of  the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  describes 
the  triumphal  chariot  with  the  leader  of  the  Church 
militant.  A^^-..j,pW- c^^WaX 

He  tells  us  how  he  sees  a  chariot  on  two  wheels,  by 
which  he  means  to  express  the  Church  (or,  according 
to  some,  the  Pontifical  Court),  resting  on  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments,  and  drawn  by  a  fabulous  animal, 
called  a  Gryphon,  of  a  twofold  nature,  typifying  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  God  and  Man.    The  Gryphon  was 
supposed  to  be  partly  man,  and  partly  eagle  or  lion. 
Lo  spazio  dentro  a  lor  quattro  contenne 
Un  carro,  in  su  due  ruote,t  trionfale, 
Ch'  al  collo  d'  un  grifon  tirato  venne. 

*  St.  John  says  in  Rev.  IV,  8  :  "  And  the  four  beasts  had 
each  of  them  six  wings  about  him  ;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes 
within." 

t  The  triumphal  chariot  is  the  Church  Universal.  Scartaz- 
zini  points  out  that  Dante,  in  his  other  works,  speaks  of  the 
chariot  as  the  Church  Universal,  and  not  the  Papal  seat.     In 


326  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

Ed  esso  tendea  in  su  1'  una  e  1'  altr'  ale  * 

Tra  la  mezzana  e  le  tre  e  tre  liste,  no 

Si  ch'  a  nulla  fendendo  facea  male. 

The  space  intervening  between  those  four  (living 
beings)  contained  a  triumphal  chariot  on  two  wheels, 
which  came  on,  drawn  by  the  neck  of  a  Gryphon. 
And  he  extended  both  his  wings  aloft  between  the 
middle  band  and  the  three  and  three  (bands  of  light 

De  Monarch,  lib.  Ill,  c.  3,  Dante  writes:  '■'•  Ecdesia  didt, 
loqnens  ad  Sponsum :  Trahe  me  post  te  !  "  The  Gryphon  draws 
the  chariot  behind  him  ;  therefore  he  is  the  bridegroom  and  the 
chariot  is  the  Church.  In  Convito,  tr.  II,  ch.  6,  Dante  expressly 
says  that  "the  bride"  of  the  Canticles  is  the  Church.  But 
Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  following  passage  is  quite  decisive, 
from  the  letter  Dante  wrote  to  the  Italian  Cardinals  a  short 
time  before  he  wrote  the  Purgatorio.  (§  4)  "Vos  equidem, 
Ecclesice  militantis  veluti  primi  praepositi  pili,  per  manifestam 
orbitam  Crucifix!  currum  Sponsse  regere  negligentes,  non  aliter 
quam  falsus  auriga  Phseton  exorbitastis,  et,  quorum,  sequentem 
gregem  per  saltus  peregrinationis  hujus  illustrare,  intererat, 
ipsum  una  vobiscum  ad  praecipitium  traduxistis.  Nee  ad 
imitandum  recensio  vobis  exempla  quum  dorsa,  non  vultus,  ad 
Sponsae  vehiculum  habe."  That  the  two  wheels  have  an  alle- 
gorical signification  is  proved  by  the  passage  in  Canto  XXXII, 
I3i-i39>  but,  as  to  what  they  symbolize,  has  been  much  disputed 
by  the  commentators.  Some  think  they  signify  the  active  and 
the  contemplative  life  ;  some  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  the 
New  on  the  right  and  the  Old  on  the  left,  and  this  is  the  inter- 
pretation more  generally  accepted.  Some  have  tried  to  prove 
them  to  be  the  Greek  and  Latin  Churches.  Some  Justice  and 
Mercy  ;  but  Justice  already  has  its  place  as  one  of  the  four 
Cardinal  Virtues.  Others  interpret  them  as  the  clergy  and  the 
laity.  Witte  thinks  they  are  the  conventual  and  secular  orders 
of  the  clergy,  and  Scartazzini  inclines  most  to  this  view. 

*  Note  that  ale  is  here  in  the  singular.  Ale  singular,  alt 
plural ;  or  ala  singular,  ale  plural. 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  327 

from  the  candlesticks),  so  that  he  did  harm  to  none 
by  cleaving  it. 

The  Gryphon  was  moving  partly  behind  the  candle- 
sticks and  partly  among  them,  he  had  three  on  either 
side  of  him,  and  extended  his  wings  so  as  not  to 
cleave  any  of  the  bands  of  prismatic  light. 

Dante  then  speaks  of  the  twofold  nature  of  Christ 

in  one  body. 

Tanto  salivan,  che  non  eran  viste  ; 

Le  membra  d'  oro  avea,  quanto  era  uccello, 
E  bianche  1'  altre  di  vermiglio  miste.* 
So  high  did  they  (the  wings)  reach,  that  they  were 
lost  to  sight :  (the  Gryphon,  i.e.^  Christ)  had  His  limbs 
of  gold  in  so  much  of  Him  as  was  bird,  and  the  rest 
white  mixed  with  vermilion. 

The  wings  of  gold  indicate  His  incorruptibility,  and 
the  white  mingled  with  red,  the  purity  of  His  human 
nature,  yet  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  Passion. 
He  then  dilates  on  the  splendour  of  the  chariot. 

Non  che  Roma  di  carro  cosi  bello  115 

Rallegrasse  Affricano,t  o  vero  Augusto  ; 
Ma  quel  del  Sol  saria  pover  con  ello  ; 
Quel  del  Sol,  che  sviando  fu  combusto, 
Per  1'  orazion  della  Terra  devota, 
Quando  fu  Giove  arcanamente  g^usto.  120 

Not  only  did  Rome  never  honour  Africanus  or 
(Caesar)  Augustus  with  so  splendid  a  chariot,  but  even 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  the  colours  are  suggested  by  Canticle  V, 
lo-ii:  "  My  beloved  is  white  and  ruddy;  the  chiefest  among 
ten  thousand.  His  head  is  as  the  most  fine  gold  ;  his  locks  are 
bushy,  and  black  as  a  raven." 

t  Publius  Cornelius  Scipio  Africanus,  the  conqueror  of 
Hannibal,  was  honoured  by  the  Romans  after  his  victory  at 
Zama,  RC  202,  with  the  surname  of  Africanus  and  a  magni- 
ficent triumph. 


^28  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

that  of  the  Sun  would  be  poor  beside  it ;  that  of  the 
Sun,  which,  when  driven  awry,  was  burned  in  answer 
to  the  prayer  of  suppliant  earth,  when  Jove  was  just 
in  his  mysterious  purpose.* 

Dante  now  describes  seven  maidens  who  accom- 
pany the  car,  and  who  represent  the  four  cardinal  and 
the  three  theological  virtues,  and  Benvenuto  says  that, 
after  describing  the  seven  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
the  seven  Sacraments,  it  is  very  appropriate  to  de- 
scribe the  seven  virtues. 

Tre  donne  in  giro,  dalla  destra  ruota, 

Venian  danzando  ;  1'  una  tanto  rossa,t 
Ch'  a  pena  fora  dentro  al  fuoco  nota  : 

*  Ovid  {Met.   II,   107)   describes   the  magnificence  of  the 
chariot  of  the  sun  : — 

"  A  golden  axle  did  the  work  uphold. 
Gold  was  the  beam,  the  wheels  were  orbed  with  gold  ; 
The  spokes  in  rows  of  silver  pleased  the  sight, 
The  seat  with  party-coloured  gems  was  bright ; 
Apollo  shined  amid  the  glare  of  light." 
and  further  on,  verse  304  : — 

"  Jove  called  to  witness  every  power  above. 
And  e'en  the  god  whose  son  the  chariot  drove. 
That  what  he  acts  he  is  compelled  to  do, 
Or  universal  ruin  must  ensue. 
Straight  he  ascends  the  high  ethereal  throne. 
From  whence  he  used  to  dart  his  thunder  down, 
From  whence  his  showers  and  storms  he  used  to  pour, 
And  now  could  meet  with  neither  storm  nor  shower : 
Then  aiming  at  the  youth,  with  lifted  hand. 
Full  at  his  head  he  hurl'd  the  forky  brand, 
In  dreadful  thunderings.    Thus  th'  almighty  sire 
Suppressed  the  raging  of  the  fires  with  fire." 
t  Charity  is  represented  red  to  denote  burning  love. 
"  Hope  ever  fresh  and  green. 
Faith  ever  pure,  like  newly  fallen  snow." 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  tlie  Purgatorio.  329 

L'  altra  era  come  se  le  cami  e  1'  ossa 

Fossero  state  di  smeraldo  fatte  ;  125 

La  terza  parea  neve  test^  mossa  : 

Three  ladies  (Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity  or  Love) 
came  onward  dancing  in  a  circle  at  the  right  wheel  of 
the  chariot  (the  New  Testament)  ;  one  so  ruddy,  that 
within  the  flames  scarce  could  she  have  been  per- 
ceived ;  the  second  was  as  if  her  flesh  and  bones  had 
all  been  fashioned  out  of  emerald  ;  the  third  appeared 
as  new  driven  snow, 

Ed  or  parevan  dalla  bianca  tratte, 

Or  dalla  rossa  ;  e  dal  canto  di  questa 
L'  altre  toglidn  1'  andare  e  tarde  e  ratte. 

And  now  they  seemed  as  led  by  her  in  white,  and 
now  by  her  in  red:  and  to  the  melody  of  her  who  was 
in  advance,  the  other  two  timed  their  movement  quick 
or  slow. 

It  must  be  either  Love  or  Faith  who  leads  ;  Hope 
can  only  follow. 

He  next  describes  the  four  maidens  who  represent 
the  four  cardinal  or  moral  virtues. 

Dalla  sinistra  quattro  facean  festa,  130 

In  porpora  vestite,  dietro  al  modo 
D'  una  di  lor,  che  avea  tre  occhi  in  testa. 

On  the  left  side  {i.e.,  on  that  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment) there  were  four  (maidens)  who  were  rejoicing 
in  purple  vestments  {i.e..  Justice,  Prudence,  Fortitude, 
Temperance) :  following  the  measure  of  one  of  them 
with  three  eyes  in  her  head. 

Prudence  is  represented  with  three  eyes,  as  look- 
ing at  the  past,  the  present  and  the  future,  and  is 
therefore  the  leader  of  the  group.  One  cannot  have 
any  virtue,  says    Benvenuto,  without   prudence,  but 


330  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxix. 

one  may  well  have  prudence  without  the  other  three 
virtues.* 

He  then  depicts  two  old  men  as  coming  next,  whom 
nearly  all  the  commentators  agree  in  taking  for  St. 
Luke  and  St.  Paul,  the  former  as  representing  the 
book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  latter  the 
books  of  his  Epistles.f  Benvenuto  thinks  the  former 
is  St.  Peter,  but  Jacopo  della  Lana,  Francesco  da 
Buti,  Fraticelli,  Philalethes,  Lubin,  Longfellow,  Pol- 
lock and  Lamennais,  all  agree  that  the  former  is  in- 
tended to  represent  St.  Luke. 

One  of  these,  St.  Luke,  is  dressed  as  a  physician  ; 
the  other,  St.  Paul,  has  a  sword  in  his  hand. 
Appresso  tutto  il  pertrattato  nodo, 
Vidi  due  vecchi  in  abito  dispari, 
Ma  pari  in  atto,  ed  onesto  e  sodo.  135 

L'  un  si  mostrava  alcun  de'  famigliari 

Di  quel  sommo  Ippocrate,  che  natura 
Agli  animalij  fe'  ch'  ella  ha  piu  cari. 

Behind  all  this  group  that  I  have  treated  of,  I 
beheld  two  old  men,  unlike  in  habit,  but  alike  in  de- 

*  Pietro  Dante  says,  on  this  passage :  "  Quatuor  a  sinistra, 
id  est  circa  peginam  veteris  testamenti,  sunt  quatuor  virtutes 
cardinales,  Justitia,  Fortitude,  Temperantia,  et  Prudentia.  Et 
quia,  ut  ait  Seneca  de  formula  honestatis  :  '  si  prudeus  est 
animus  tuus,  tribus  temporibus  dispensetur  :  praesentia  ordina, 
et  futura  praevide,  et  praeterita  recordare '  ;  et  alibi  : — 

'  Judico  prudentem,  prius,  et  nunc,  postque  videntum ' ;  ideo 
ipsam  justitiam  nunc  fingit  auctor  cum  tribus  occulis." 

t  This  seems  the  more  evident,  in  that  all  the  other  per- 
sonages in  this  procession  represent  not  men,  but  the  different 
books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

X  In  Convito,  tr.  Ill,  c.  2,  Dante  says  :  "  L'  uomo  h  divino 
animale  da'  filosofi  chiamato." 


Canto  XXIX,     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  331 

meanour,  dignified  and  grave.  The  one  (St.  Luke) 
showed  himself  as  one  of  the  familiars  of  that  sublime 
Hippocrates,  whom  Nature  made  for  those  living 
creatures  whom  she  holds  most  dear  {i.e.^  the  human 
race). 

Mostrava  1'  altro  la  contraria  cura 

Con  una  spada*  lucida  ed  acuta,  140 

Tal  che  di  qua  dal  rio  mi  fe'  paura.t 

The  other  (St.  Paul)  showed  an  opposite  intent, 
with  a  sword  so  shining  and  sharp  that,  even  on  this 
hither  side  of  the  river,  it  caused  me  fear. 

St.  Luke,  as  a  physician,  had  the  thought  of  saving 
men's  lives ;  St.  Paul  is  represented  with  a  sword  in 
his  hand  to  show  how  he  persecuted  Christians  before 
the  time  of  his  conversion.  He  next  describes  four  of 
a  humble  aspect,  and  after  them  an  aged  solitary. 

Poi  vidi  quattro+  in  umile  paruta, 
E  diretro  da  tutti  un  veglio  solo 
Venir  dormendo,  con  la  faccia  arguta. 

*  Mrs.  Jameson  {Sacred  and  Legendary  Art ^  vol.  I,  page  188) 
states  that  the  sword  was  not  attributed  to  St.  Paul  before  the 
end  of  the  eleventh  century.  "  When  St.  Paul  is  leaning  on  his 
sword,  it  expresses  his  martyrdom  ;  when  he  holds  it  aloft,  it 
expresses  also  his  warfare  in  the  cause  of  Christ ;  when  two 
swords  are  given  to  him,  one  is  the  attribute,  the  other  the 
emblem  ;  but  this  double  allusion  does  not  occur  in  any  of  the 
old  representations." 

t  We  may  here  again  notice  how  Dante,  who  had  fought  as  a 
brave  soldier  at  the  battle  of  Campaldino  when  he  was  24  years 
old,  never  fails  to  depict  himself  as  totally  devoid  of  courage, 
when  in  presence  either  of  the  horrors  of  Hell,  or  the  exalted 
supernatural  mysteries  of  Purgatory. 

X  Benvenuto  thinks  the  four  are  St.  Augustine,  St.  Jerome, 
St.  Ambrose,  and  St.  Gregory  ;  and  that  the  aged  Solitary  is 


332  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXIX. 

After  that  I  saw  four  in  humble  apparel,  and  in  the 
rear  of  all  an  aged  man  alone,  walking  asleep  with  his 
face  inspired. 

By  this  is  meant  St.  John,  as  representing  the 
Apocalypse.  He  appears  to  be  asleep,  as  if  he  were 
in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  Day,  and  heard  behind 
him  the  great  voice  as  of  a  trumpet.  Or  perhaps  the 
allusion  may  be  to  the  belief  of  the  early  Christians 
that  St.  John  did  not  die,  but  tarries  in  sleep  till  his 
Lord's  reappearance.  Anyhow  it  is  a  fact  that  St. 
John  survived  all  his  contemporaries,  and  lived  on 
into  a  generation  which  had  not  known  them,  and  it 
is  said,  that  it  was  to  supply  this  new  generation  with 
additional  information  concerning  the  incidents  of  our 
Lord's  life  and  ministry  on  earth,  that  St.  John 
wrote  his  Gospel.  It  is  therefore  a  beautiful  and  most 
appropriate  idea  of  Dante  to  depict  him  as  an  old 
man,  of  very  great  age,  walking  all  alone,  the  sole  sur- 
vivor of  the  brethren  whom  he  had  known  in  his 
youth. 

Dante  next  points  out  wherein  their  attire  was 
identical  with  that  cf  the  patriarchs  who  passed  first, 
and  wherein  it  was  different. 

E  questi  sette  col  primaio  stuolo  145 

Erano  abituati ;  ma  di  gigli 
Dintorno  al  capo  non  facevan  brolo,* 

Bernard,  but  I  certainly  prefer  the  view  of  nearly  all  the  other 
Commentators  that  these  five  are  the  natural  concluding 
sequence  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament. 

*  Brolo  is  the  Lombard  for  a  garden  in  which  there  is  verdure. 
In  the  Romagnole  dialect  there  occurs  the  word  '■^  Broi"  a 
nursery  ground  :  and  as  the  Romagnoles  habitually  clip  their 
terminations,  we  may  suppose  it  to  be  an  abbreviation. 

See  Ainsworth's  Latin  Dictionary  under  the  heading  "  Vocabula 


Canto  XXIX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  333 

Anzi  di  rose  e  d'  altri  fior"  vermigli : 
Giurato  avria  poco  lontano  aspetto, 
Che  tutti  ardesser  di  sopra  dai  cigli.*  150 

And  these  seven  (viz.,  the  two  in  v.  134,  the  four  in 
mean  attire  in  v.  142,  and  the  veglio  solo  in  v.  143) 
\vere  apparelled  like  those  in  the  first  group  (in  white 
raiment) ;  but  they  did  not  wear  thick  coronals  of 
lilies  about  their  heads,  but  rather  of  roses  and  other 
vermilion  flowers :  only,  to  look  at  them  from  a  short 
distance,  one  might  have  sworn  that  they  were  all  on 
fire  above  their  brows. 

He  finally  tells  us  how  the  whole  army,  having  dis- 
played itself  before  him,  was  brought  to  a  halt. 


in  Jure  Anglicano  municipali  occurrentia"  where  one  finds 
''^  Bruilletus :"  a  small  coppice  or  wood.  Dr.  Moore  calls  it  a 
most  curious  and  difficult  word,  and  believes  it  means  thicket, 
so  that  the  idea  is  not  so  much  that  of  a  brilliant  garden-like 
look  of  the  flowers,  but  a  thicket  or  bush,  referring  to  their 
quantity.  And  the  best  translation  is  to  say  that  the  seven  who 
came  last  "  did  not,  like  those  in  the  first  rank,  wear  a  forest 
(or  rather  a  thicket)  of  lilies  on  their  heads,"  the  idea  being  an 
unlimited  mass,  and  luxuriant  amount. 

There  are  two  places  named  Broill  near  Chichester.  Also 
Brailsford  in  Derbyshire,  perhaps  from  the  same  root.  Brill 
near  Oxford.  The  two  Broills  in  Sussex  are  respectively  named 
in  the  old  charters  "  Bruillum  Regis "  and  "  Bruillum  Depe- 
marsh." 

*  Ardesser  di  sopra  dai  cigli:  Biagioli  says  the  red  crowns 
were  signs  of  their  martyrdom,  but  if  we  take  all  these  per- 
sonages as  representing  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, which  I  much  prefer,  we  may  well  take  the  view  that  the 
red,  flame-coloured  garlands,  on  the  heads  of  the  later  writers  of 
the  New  Testament,  showed  that  they  were  more  burning  with 
the  fire  of  Christian  Love  than  their  predecessors. 


334  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxix. 

E  quando  il  carro  a  me  fu  a  rimpetto, 
Un  tuon  s'  udi ;  e  quelle  genti  degne 
Parvero  aver  1'  andar  piu  interdetto, 

Formandos'  ivi  con  le  prime  insegne.  154 

And  as  soon  as  the  chariot  was  opposite  to  me  a 
clap  of  thunder  was  heard  ;  and  all  that  divine  throng 
appeared  to  have  their  progress  interdicted,  halting 
there  behind  their  leading  standards  {i.e.,  the  candle- 
sticks). 

Benvenuto  thinks  that  Dante  would  show,  that  God 
had  done  him  the  wondrous  favour  of  letting  him  see 
these  things  himself,  so  that  he  might  in  turn  describe 
them  to  others. 


End  of  Canto  XXIX. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  335 


CANTO  XXX. 


Appearance  of  Beatrice. 

Disappearance  of  Virgil. 

Dante  severely  censured  by  Beatrice. 

Whereas,  in  the  last  Canto,  Dante  gave  a  figurative 
description  of  the  Militant  Church  of  God,  so,  in  the 
present  one,  he  introduces  Beatrice,  who  represents 
Divine  Theology,  and  who  teaches  and  instructs  both 
churches,  in  order  that  she  may,  by  first  showing 
Dante  the  Church  Militant,  prepare  his  mind  for 
gazing,  later  on,  upon  the  Church  Triumphant. 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  I  to  v.  21,  Dante 
relates  how  the  army  of  the  Church  Militant  came  to 
a  halt. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  22  to  v.  57,  the 
appearance  of  Beatrice,  her  attire  and  demeanour,  are 
minutely  described,  while  Virgil  is  found  to  have  dis- 
appeared. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  58  to  v.  99,  Dante 
tells  how  Beatrice  sharply  reproves  him  for  not  having 
remained  faithful  to  her  after  her  death,  and  he  also 
tells  us  the  effect  upon  himself  that  her  censure 
produced. 

/;/  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.  100  to  v.  145, 
she  begins  by  praising  his  early  life  of  promise, 
and   goes  on  to  show  how  great  was   his  fall  from 


336  Readings  on  the  Pitrgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

it,  and  the  necessity  that  had  arisen  for  her  inter- 
position.* 

Division  I.  The  seven  candlesticks  having  come 
to  a  halt,  and,  consequently,  the  whole  procession  as 
well,  the  four-and-twenty  elders  turn  themselves  round 
so  as  to  face  the  chariot ;  and  one  of  them,  Solomon, 
as  though  he  had  been  specially  deputed  to  do  so  by 
divine  command,  cries  three  times  aloud  to  Beatrice 
to  appear ;  and  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  a  hundred 
angels,  who  are  mentioned  as  ministers  and  mes- 
sengers of  Life  Eternal,  rise  up  upon  the  chariot,  all 
of  them  chanting  and  strewing  flowers  on  and  around 

it. 

Quando  il  settentrion  del  primo  cielo, 
Che  n^  occaso  mai  seppe  ne  orto, 
N^  d'  altra  nebbia,  che  di  colpa,  velo, 

E  che  faceva  li  ciascuno  accorto 

Di  suo  dover,  come  il  piu  basso  face  5 

Qual  timon  gira  per  venire  a  porto, 

Fermo  si  affise,  la  gente  verace,t 

Veaata  prima  tra  jl  ^rjlone  ed_.esSP. 
AI  carro  volse  s^,  come  a  sua  pace.J 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  those,  who  desire  to  grasp  the  full 
meaning  of  this  Canto  and  the  succeeding  one,  had  better  begin 
to  read  the  Vita  Nuova  of  Dante  over  again  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end. 

t  la  gente  verace :  the  truthful  company,  are  supposed  to  re- 
present or  personify  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  in  which 
the  deepest  truth  is  contained. 

X  As  the  four  and  twenty  Elders  had  been  walking  they  had 
the  chariot  directly  behind  them,  but  as  they  stopped  they  turned 
themselves  round  and  faced  it,  as  though  the  goal  and  object  of 
all  their  desires  was  before  them,  in  the  form  of  the  Gryphon 
(Jesus  Christ)  and  the  chariot  (His  Church). 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  337 

When  the  Septentrion  of  the  Highest  Heaven, — 
which  never  knew  setting  or  rising,  or  any  other 
clouding  than  the  veil  of  sin,  and  which  was  making 
each  person  there  (in  the  Earthly  Paradise)  acquainted 
with  his  duty,  just  as  that  lower  one  (the  Constella- 
tion of  the  Great  Bear)  makes  whoever  turns  the  helm, 
to  come  into  port, — halted,  then  all  that  truthful  XCvo^ 
company  (the  Elders)  turned  towards  the  chariot,  as 
to  their  peace. 

The  word  Septentrion  in  its  literal  sense  means  the 
sevenfold  group  of  stars  in  the  Constellation  of  the 
Great  Bear.  The  Septentrion  of  the  Highest  Heaven 
here  implies  the  Sevenfold  Holy  Spirit,  which,  with 
Its  sevenfold  benefits,  is  ever  ready,  as  It  has  ever 
been,  to  receive  all  who  make  themselves  worthy. 

Dante  now  describes  the  holy  festival  that  took 
place  round  the  chariot,  but  before  doing  so  he  intro- 
duces one  of  the  Elders. 

Ed  un  di  loro,  quasi  da  ciel  messp,*  lo 

Veni,  sponsa,  de  Ltbano,  cantando, 
Grido  tre  volte  ;  e  tutti  gli  altri  appresso. 

And  one  of  them  (the  four  and  twenty  Elders), 
as  though  sent  from  Heaven,  cried  out  three  times  in 
song"  Veni,  sponsa,  de  Libano!"-\  <\~J^ 

Benvenuto  tells  us  that  Dante,  after  relating  the 
manner  in  which  (the  so-called)  Solomon  and  the 
other  Elders  had  sung  the  praises  of  the  Church,  now 

*  un  di  loro,  etc.:  Scartazzini  says  that  this  does  not  mean 
Solomon,  as  most  of  the  Commentators  explain,  but  the  book  of 
the  Canticles  personified  by  one  of  the  four  and  twenty  Elders. 

+  Veni  de  Libano,  sponsa  mea,  veni  de  Libano  "  (Vulgate). 
"  Come  with  me  from  Lebanon,  my  spouse,  with  me  from  Leba- 
non."    Canticles,  IV,  8. 

G  G  G 


238  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxx. 

introduces  a  multitude  of  the  Heavenly  Host,  singing- 
the  praises  of  the  Bridegroom,  and  he  says  that  these 
angels  suddenly  rose  from  the  chariot,  just  as  the 
Blessed  will  rise  from  their  sepulchres  at  the  sound  of 
the  last  trump. 

Quali  i  beati  al  novissimo  bando* 

Surgeran  presti  ognun  di  sua  caverna, 
La  rivestita  voce  alleluiando,t  15 

Cotali,  in  su  la  divina  basterna,t 

Si  levar  cento,  ad  vocetn  tanti  senis, 
Ministri  e  messaggier'  di  vita  eterna. 

*  Blanc  says  that  bando,  akin  to  the  German  Bann,  and  ban 
in  English,  has  two  meanings  : — 

(i)  The  extension  of  the  jurisdiction,  the  district  (hence  "  ab- 
bandonare  ")  whence  comes  also  exile  from  the  district  ;  uscir 
di  bando,  Purg.  XXI,  102,  means  to  return  from  exile,  and  (2) 
the  publication,  the  edict,  proclamation,  and  here  il  novissimo 
bando,  the  summons  to  the  Universal  Judgment. 

t  Rivestita  voce :  Compare  St.  Paul,  1 1  Cor.  v.  2  : — 
"  Earnestly  desiring  to  be  clothed  upon  with  our  house  which  is 
from  Heaven."  Francesco  da  Buti  puts  it  very  well  :  "  Reas- 
sumptis  organis  corporalibus  ; "'  the  body  in  which  the  voice 
once  resided  is  again  restored  to  it.  The  voice  reclothed  with 
its  body.  Compare  Inf.  XIII,  103-105,  where  poor  Pier  delle 
Vigne  tells  Dante  what  will  be  the  ultimate  fate  of  himself  and 
his  companions  in  doom. 

"  Come  1'  altre  verrem  per  nostre  spoglie, 
Ma  non  pero  ch'  alcuna  sen  rinvesta  ; 
Ch^  non  h  giusto  aver  cio  ch'  uom  si  toglie." 

Others  read  La  rivestita  came  alleviando,  making  light  and 
active  {levia)  through  immortality  the  bodies  which  they  have 
again  assumed,  but  the  reading  alleluiando  is  much  to  be  pre- 
ferred. There  has,  however,  been  much  controversy  about 
the  two  readings. 

X  Basterna :  Benvenuto  says  that  basterna  is  a  vehicle  for 
travelling,  so  called  from  vesterna,  because  it  was  spread  over 


Canto  XXX.     Readiiigs  on  the  Purgatorio.  339 

As  the  Blessed,  at  the  last  summons,  will  rise  ready, 
each  from  his  sepulchre,  singing  Hallelujah  with  the 
voice  again  clothed  (with  the  body),  in  like  manner  at 
the  voice  of  that  old  man  of  so  great  wisdom,  there 
rose  up  upon  the  heavenly  litter  a  hundred  ministers 
and  messengers  of  eternal  life.* 

It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  Dante  meant 
angels,  for  in  verse  82  he  says :  Ella  si  tacque.  E  gli 
angeli  cantarOy  etc.,  clearly  showing  that  he  was  speak- 
ing of  the  angels  having  been  previously  introduced  as 
having  appeared.  Otherwise  he  would  not  have  said 
Gli  A  ngeli. 

The  song,  which  was  now  taken  up  by  the  Heavenly 
Choir,  was  from  the  words  of  the  Canticle  for  Palm 
Sunday,  and,  as  they  scattered  flowers  over  and  around 
the  chariot,  they  also  sang  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
lines  of  Virgil's  ^neid. 

Tutti  dicean  :  Benedictus  qui  vents, 

E,  fior  gittando  di  sopra  e  d'  intomo  :  20 

Manibus  o  date  lilia  plenis. 

They  all  exclaimed  " Blessed  Thou  that  contest"  and 

with  soft  garments,  and  drawn  by  two  beasts,  being  used  for 
carrying  noble  ladies.  He  thinks  the  metaphor  appropriate,  for 
the  chariot  here  is  drawn  by  an  animal  of  a  twofold  nature,  and 
in  it  a  most  noble  lady,  Beatrice,  is  carried. 

*  Compare  Hebrews,  1,7  :  "  And  of  the  angels  he  saith.  Who 
maketh  his  angels  spirits  and  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire,"  and 
in  V.  14  :  "  Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to 
minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  ?  "  Scartazzini 
imagines  that  the  angels  were  in  the  chariot,  but  only  sprang 
into  view  at  the  call  of  Solomon,  just  as  the  chariots  and  horses 
of  fire,  which  surrounded  the  town  of  Dothan,  were  invisible  to 
mortal  eyes,  until  Elisha  prayed  that  the  eyes  of  his  servant 
might  be  opened  to  behold  them.     II  Kings,  vi,  17. 

G  G  G  2 


340  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

casting  flowers  from  above  and  round  (the  chariot,  they 
added)  "  Bring  lilies  here,  in  handfiUs  bring'.' 

It  was  as  if  they  wished  their  praise  not  only  to  be 
in  laudation  of  saints,  but  also  to  take  in  the  praise  of 
mortal  man, 

I  venture  to  offer  the  opinion  that  this  is  the 
moment  when  Virgil  vanishes,  just  when  Beatrice  is 
about  to  come  into  view,  and  that,  as  he  himself 
wrote  of  scattering  lilies  over  the  glorious  tomb  of 
the  young  Marcellus,  so  Dante  quotes  the  choicest  line 
in  the  choicest  passage  of  Virgil's  great  work,  by  way 
of  figuratively  throwing  flowers  in  sorrow  and  regret 
over  the  grave  that  is  to  separate  them  for  ever. 
Anyhow  it  is  singular  that,  immediately  before  he 
misses  Virgil  from  his  side,  the  words  that  he  hears 
sung  are  words,  written  by  Virgil  himself,  to  honour 
the  tomb  of  a  deeply-mourned  young  warrior  of  the 
Augustan  family.* 


Division  II.  Here  commences  the  Second  Division 
of  the  Canto,  in  which 'Dante  describes  how  Beatrice 
first  appeared  to  him. 

*  We  read  in  the  Sixth  book  of  the  ALneid  that  ^neas,  con- 
ducted by  the  Sybil  into  the  Infernal  Regions,  finds  his  father 
Anchises  in  a  beautiful  spot,  and  surrounded  by  the  shades  of 
illustrious  men  whom  he  points  out  to  his  son.  He  also  shows 
him  the  great  Romans  who  were  to  descend  from  his  stock, 
among  whom  was  the  young  Marcellus.  When  Virgil  read  the 
magnificent  lines  which  compose  this  passage,  Augustus  could 
not  restrain  his  tears  ;  Octavia,  the  mother  of  Marcellus,  swooned 
away  at  the  words  Tu  Marcellus  eris,  but  afterwards  presented 
Virgil  with  ten  sesterces  for  every  verse  in  praise  of  her  son, 
the  whole  equivalent  to  ;^2ooo  English. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  341 

lo  vidi  gik,  nel  cominciar  del  giomo, 

La  parte  oriental  tutta  rosata,* 

E  1'  altro  ciel  di  bel  sereno  adorilo  ; 
E  la  faccia  del  sol  nascere  ombrata,  25 

Si  che  per  temperanza  di  vapori, 

L'  occhio  la  sostenea  lunga  fiata. 

I  have  seen  ere  now,  at  break  of  day,  the  East  all 

of  one  rosy  tint,  and  the  other  parts  of  the  heavens 
decked  in  tranquil  beauty  ;  and  the  face  of  the  sun 
rising  clouded,  so  much  so  that,  through  being  tem- 
pered by  vapours,  the  eye  could  bear  to  gaze  upon  it 
for  a  long  time. 

^Benvenuto  remarks  on  the  appropriateness  of  this 
simile  :  for  Beatrice  is  as  the  sun  that  illumines  the 
chariot,  and  like  as  the  human  eye  cannot  endure  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  except  through  the  medium  of 
vapours,  so  the  human  intellect  cannot  contemplate 
the  glory  of  Beatrice,  except  through  the  showers  of 
flowers  falling  over  the  chariot. 

*  rosata :  Scartazzini  gives  the  following  illustrations  :  Ovid 
Metam.  VI,  47-48: — 

"  Ut  solet  aer 
Purpureas  fieri,  cum  primum  aurora  movetur." 
And  Petrarch  {Rime  in  Morte  di  Laura.  Son.  XXIII.) 
"  Quand'  io  veggio  dal  ciel  scender  1'  Aurora 
Con  la  fronte  di  rose,  e  co'  crin  d'  oro." 

And  Tasso  {Ger.  Lib.  VIII,  st.  i) 

"  E  r  Alba  uscia  della  mag^on  celeste 
Con  la  fronte  di  rose,  e  co'  pi^  d'  oro." 
And  Ariosto  {Orl.  Fur.  XLIII,  st.  54) 

" e  gik  il  color  cilestro 

Si  vedea  in  Oriente  venir  manco, 
Che,  votando  di  fior  tutto  il  canestro, 
L'  Aurora  vi  faceva  vermiglio  e  bianco." 


342  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

Cosi  d'  entro  una  nuvola  di  fiori, 

Che  dalle  mani  angeliche  saliva, 

E  ricadea  in  giii  dentro  e  di  fuori,  30 

Sovra  candido  vel*  cinta  d'  oliva 

Donna  m'  apparve,  sotto  verde  manto, 

Vestita  di  color  di  fiamma  viva. 

So  within  a  cloud  of  flowers,  which  were  thrown 
upwards  from  the  hands  of  the  angels,  and  fell  down 
again  both  within  and  around  (the  chariot),  crowned 
with  olive  (leaves)  over  a  white  veil,  there  appeared  to 
me  a  Lady,  vestured  in  colour  of  living  flame  under  a 
green  mantle. 

The  white  represents  Faith  ;  the  green,  Hope  ;  and 
the  crimson.  Love.  The  Olive  is  a  symbol  of  wisdom 
(see  V.  6%),  and  perhaps  also  of  peace. 

Benvenuto  says  that  the  cloud  of  flowers  figures  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  coming  from  the  hands 
of  learned  writers  who  had  angelic  intellects,  and  that 

*  velata:  compare  Milton,  Par.  Lost,  IX,  424-5. 

" Eve  separate  he  spies, 

Veiled  in  a  cloud  of  fragrance,  where  she  stood." 
And  Thomson's  Spring,  1.  4. 

" veil'd  in  a  shower 

Of  shadowing  roses,  on  our  plains  descend." 
Beatrice  appears  to  Dante  veiled,  as  he  is  not  as  yet  suffi- 
ciently purified  and  reconciled  to  her  to  be  thought  worthy  of 
looking  upon  her  face. 

In  the  Vita  Nuova,  §  2,  Dante  says :  "  She  (Beatrice)  appeared 
clothed  in  a  most  noble  colour,  a  modest  and  becoming  crimson, 
garlanded  and  adorned  in  such  wise  as  befitted  her  very  youth- 
ful age." 

And  in  §  3  :    "  This  admirable  lady  appeared  before  me 

clothed  in  purest  white She  seemed  to  me  to  be  wrapped 

lightly  in  a  blood  red  cloth." 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  343 

it  is  a  beautiful  idea  to  make  Beatrice,  Divine  Theology, 
to  appear  through  the  midst  of  such  flowers. 

Dante  now  tells  us  how  an  instinct  within  him  made 
him  recognize  Beatrice  (who  had  been  dead  ten  years), 
though  he  could  not  see  her  face. 

E  lo  spirito  mio,  che  gik  cotanto 

Tempo  era  stato  che  alia  sua  presenza  35 

Non  era  di  stupor,  tremando,  affranto, 
Senza  degli  occhi  aver  piu  conoscenza, 
Per  occulta  virtu  che  da  lei  mosse, 
D'  antico  amor  senti  la  gran  potenza.* 

And  my  spirit,  that  had  already  now  been  so 
long  a  time  without  having  been  broken  down,  trem- 
bling with  awe,  in  her  presence,  without  having  any 
more  knowledge  of  her  by  my  eyes,  yet,  from  the 

*  Fully  to  understand  and  feel  what  is  expressed  in  these 
lines,  we  ought  to  read  the  Second  Section  of  the  Vita  Nuova^ 
and  also  Sections  11,  14,  24.  Benvenuto,  at  this  point,  quotes 
from  the  Vita  Nuova  the  episode  of  Dante's  first  meeting  with 
Beatrice,  and  says  that  from  the  facts  there  mentioned  one  can 
understand  that  Dante,  in  speaking  of  his  Beatrice,  mentions 
some  circumstances  in  their  literal  sense,  as  they  actually 
occurred,  while  others  are  to  be  taken  in  an  allegorical  sense. 

The  last  paragraph  in  the  Vita  Nuova  (Section  XLIII)  shows 
how  Beatrice's  influence  made  Dante  write  the  DivinaContniedia. 

"After  this  sonnet,  a  wonderful  vision  appeared  to  me,  in 
which  I  saw  things  which  made  me  resolve  to  speak  no  more  of 
this  blessed  one,  until  I  could  more  worthily  treat  of  her.  And 
to  attain  to  this,  I  study  to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  as  she  truly 
knoweth.  So  that,  if  it  shall  please  Him  through  whom  all 
things  live  that  my  life  shall  be  prolonged  for  some  years,  I 
hope  to  say  of  her  what  was  never  said  of  any  woman.  And 
then  may  it  please  Him,  who  is  the  Lord  of  Grace,  that  my  soul 
may  go  to  behold  the  glory  of  its  lady,  namely,  of  that  blessed 
Beatrice,  who  in  glory  looketh  upon  the  face  of  Him  qui  est  per 
omnia  scecula  benedictus." 


344  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

occult  virtue  that  emanated  from  her,  I  felt  the  mighty 
influence  of  bygone  love. 

Dante  now  says  that,  finding  himself  in  sore  per- 
plexity, his  first  impulse  prompted  him  to  turn  to 
Virgil,  as  he  had  been  wont  to  do  during  the  whole  of 
his  passage  through  Hell  and  Purgatory. 

Tosto  che  nella  vista  mi  percosse  40 

L'  altra  virtu,*  che  gik  m'  avea  trafitto 
Prima  ch'  io  fuor  di  puerizia  fosse, 

Volsimi  alia  sinistra  col  rispittot 

Col  quale  il  fantolin  corre  alia  mamma, 

Quando  ha  paura  o  quando  egli  h  afflitto,  45 


*  nella  vista  mi  percosse  V  altra  virtil :  There  appears  to  be 
some  difficulty  in  explaining  how  a  vivid  impression,  a  sublime 
influence,  could  strike  upon  Dante's  vision,  but  Dante  did  not 
recognise  Beatrice  at  first  through  her  veil ;  he  only  says  that 
the  appearance  of  the  veiled  Lady  made  the  same  impression 
upon  him  as  that  of  Beatrice  had  done  in  his  early  youth. 

t  rispitto :  Scartazzini  quotes  all  the  different  interpretations 
given  of  this  word  by  commentators,  but  thinks  the  best  is  to 
understand  that  Dante  turned  to  his  left  hand  to  get  comfort 
and  help  from  Virgil.  He  thinks  rispitto  is  derived  from  the 
Provencal  word  rispicit,  which  means  trust,  confidence,  hope  ; 
and  he  says  that  Nannucci  gives  that  interpretation  in  his  book 
( Voci  e  locuzioni  italiane  derivate  dalla  lingua  provenzale). 
We  may  note  here  that  the  very  last  words  in  the  poem,  which 
Dante  addresses  to  Virgil,  are  words  of  Virgil's  own  in  /En.  IV, 
23,  where  Dido  says  to  Anna:  "Agnosco  veteris  vestigia 
flammse." 

"  E'  en  in  these  ashen  embers  cold, 
I  feel  the  spark  I  felt  of  old." 
Scartazzini  remarks  upon  the  inconsistency  of  Beatrice  visit- 
ing the  gates  of  death  to  induce  Virgil  to  go  and  succour  Dante, 
and  yet,  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  Virgil  vanishes  on  Beatrice's 
appearance  without  their  exchanging  a  word. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  o?i  the  Purgatorio.  345 

Per  dicere  a  Virgilio : — "  Men  che  dramma 
Di  sangue  m'  h  rimaso,  che  non  tremi ; 
Conosco  i  segni  dell'  antica  fiamma." — 

So  soon  as  on  my  vision  smote  that  sublime  influ- 
ence, which  had  already  pierced  me  before  I  had  ceased 
to  be  a  boy,  I  turned  round  towards  my  left,  with  that 
trust  with  which  a  little  child  runs  towards  its  mother 
when  he  is  in  fear,  or  when  he  is  in  grief,  to  say  to 
Virgil,  "  I  have  less  than  a  single  drop  {lit.  drachm)  of 
blood  remaining  in  me  which  is  not  in  tremor  ;  I  re- 
cognize the  symptoms  of  the  ancient  flame  (of  love)," 
Dante's  hopes  of  aid  and  counsel  from  Virgil  are 
disappointed,  he  turns  round,  but  his  father  in  poetry 
has  vanished  from  his  sight  for  ever. 
Ma  Virgilio  n'  avea  lasciati  scemi 

Di  s^,  Virgilio,  dolcissimo*  padre  ;  50 

Virgilio  a  cui  per  mia  salute  didmi : 

But  Virgil  had  left  us  deprived  of  his  company, 
Virgil,  my  most  beloved  father  (in  poesy),  Virgil,  to 
whom  I  gave  myself  up  for  my  salvation. 

Overflowing  with  affection  Dante  repeats  in  three 
consecutive  verses  the  name  of  Virgil,-f-  and  then,  not- 
withstanding the  bliss  of  that  sacred  spot,  he  cannot 
restrain  his  tears. 

*  Scartazzini  remarks  that  Dante  always  called  Virgil  dolce 
padre,  but,  now  that  he  finds  he  has  lost  him,  he  calls  him 
dolcissimo.  The  words  dolcissimo  amico  are  a  common  expres- 
sion in  Italy,  and  occur  frequently  in  Leopardi's  and  Giusti's 
letters. 

t  Here  Dante  imitates  a  passage  in  the  Georgics,  Book  IV, 
525-527,  where  the  name  of  Eurydice  is  three  times  repeated. 

" Eurydicen  vox  ipsa  et  frigida  lingua, 

Ah,  miseram  Eurydicen,  anima  fugiente  vocabat  : 
Eurydicen  toto  referebant  flumine  ripae." 


346  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

N^  quantunque  perdeo  1'  antica  madre, 
Valse  alle  guance  nette  di  rugiada,* 
Che  lagrimando  non  tornassero  adre.t 

Nor  did  all  that  our  ancient  mother  Eve  lost  {i.  e., 
the  Terrestrial  Paradise)  avail  my  cheeks  (that  had 
been  by  Virgil)  cleansed  with  dew,  to  prevent  their 
again  becoming  soiled  from  weeping. 

Beatrice  on  coming  forward  is  indignant  at  Dante's 
tears,  and  shows  him  in  her  first  words  that  he  will 
soon  have  to  undergo  greater  grief  than  for  the  depar- 
ture of  Virgil. 

— "  Dante,t  perch^  Virgilio  se  ne  vada,  55 

Non  pianger  anco  ;  non  pianger  ancora  ; 
Ch^  pianger  ti  convien  per  altra  spada." — 

"  Dante,  because  Virgil  is  gone,  weep  not  any  longer 

*  guance  nette  di  rugiada:  "  cheeks  free  from  the  moisture  of 
tears  "  ;  or,  "  cheeks  that  had  been  washed  in  the  morning  dew 
on  the  shores  of  the  Antipurgatorio." — Ptcrg.  I,  124-129. 

Benvenuto  says  Dante's  grief  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  He 
had  loved  Virgil  in  his  writings  even  from  a  child. 

t  adre  is  the  same  as  atre^  oscure^fosche. 

X  Dante:  This  is  the  only  mention  of  Dante  by  name 
throughout  the  Divina  Commedia^  though  some  Commentators 
have  tried  to  prove  that  the  words  Da  te^  in  Par.  XXVI,  104, 
ought  to  be  Dante.,  but  Scartazzini  says  that  their  arguments 
have  not  much  weight,  whereas  in  verses  62-63  of  the  present 
Canto  he  says  : 

" ....  mi  volsi  al  suon  del  nome  mio, 
Che  di  necessitk  qui  si  registra." 
showing  the  exceptional  circumstance  under  which  he  mentions 
his  name,  and  modestly  apologizing  for  doing  so. 

In  the  Convito,  Tr.  I.  Cap.  II,  Dante  says  :  "  Non  si  concede 
per  li  rettorici,  alcuno  di  s^  medesimo  sanza  necessaria  cagione 
parlare." 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  347 

(at  all  events),  weep  not  yet,  for  thou  wilt  soon  have 
to  weep  for  another  wound  {lit.  sword)." 

He  will  have  to  weep  for  the  follies  of  which 
Beatrice  is  about  to  remind  him,  namely,  for  not  only 
having  loved  Virgil  too  much,  but  also  for  having 
been  guilty  of  forgetting  Beatrice  for  others  after  her 
death. 


Division  III.  We  now  enter  upon  the  Third  Divi- 
sion of  the  Canto,  and  Dante  compares  Beatrice  to  an 
admiral  who  goes  round  to  inspect  the  ships  under  his 
flag. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  dignity  of  the  office  of 
admiral  in  the  simile  strongly  marks  the  dignified 
nobility  of  Beatrice. 

Quasi  ammiraglio,  che  n  poppa  e  in  prora 
Viene  a  veder  la  gente  che  ministra 
Per  gli  altri  legni,  ed  a  ben  far  la  incuora,  60 

In  su  la  sponda  del  carro  sinistra, 

Quando  mi  volsi  al  suon  del  nome  mio, 
Che  di  necessity  qui  si  registra, 
Vidi  la  donna,  che  pria  m'  appario 

Velata,  sotto  1'  angelica  festa,  65 

Drizzar  gli  occhi  ver  me  di  qua  dal  rio. 

Even  as  an  admiral  that  on  poop  and  prow  comes 
to  inspect  the  people  that  are  serving  throughout  the 
other  ships,  and  encourages  them  to  be  smart,  (in  like 
dignified  manner,)  when  I  turned  at  the  sound  of  my 
own  name,  which  of  necessity  is  recorded  here,  I  saw, 
on  the  left  hand  edge  of  the  chariot,  the  Lady  who 
had  first  appeared  to  me  veiled,  under  that  angelic 
festival  (of  flowers),  direct  her  eyes  towards  me  on  my 
side  of  the  stream. 


348  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

He  sees  Beatrice,  who,  on  her  first  appearance,  was 
only  to  be  discerned  with  some  difficulty,  amid  the 
clouds  of  flowers  that  fell  upon  her  from  the  minister- 
ing angels,  standing  on  the  left  hand  border  of  the 
chariot,  i.  e.,  on  the  side  of  the  Old  Testament.  She 
looks  steadily  at  him,  as  he  is  standing  on  the  Purga- 
tory side  of  Lethe.  Dante  shows  great  ingenuity  in 
the  modest  way  he  introduces  his  own  name,  making 
Beatrice  only  utter  it  for  purposes  of  disparagement. 
His  description  of  her  demeanour  is  fully  in  keeping 
with  the  dignity  of  the  subject. 

Tutto  che  il  vel  che  le  scendea  di  testa, 

Cerchiato  dalla  fronde  di  Minerva, 

Non  la  lasciasse  parer  manifesta  ; 
Regalmente,  nell'  atto  ancor  proterva  70 

Continue,  come  colui  che  dice, 

E  il  piu  caldo  parlar  dietro  si  serva  : 
— "  Guardaci  ben  :  ben  sem,  ben  sem  Beatrice  ! 

Come  degnasti  d'  accedere  al  monte  ? 

Non  sapei  tu,  che  qui  h.  V  uom  felice  ?" —  75 

Although  the  veil  that  descended  from  her  head, 
which  was  wreathed  with  the  leaf  of  Minerva,  did  not 
let  her  be  seen  distinctly,  yet,  standing  in  an  attitude 
that  was  royally  majestic,  she  continued  as  one  who 
speaks,  and  keeps  his  strongest  argument  in  reserve  : 
"  Look  well  upon  us  ;  we  are,  we  are  in  sooth  Beatrice  ! 
How  condescendedst  thou  to  climb  up  the  mountain } 
Didst  thou  not  know  perchance  that  here  (alone)  man 
is  happy  ? " 

I  follow  Scartazzini's  reading  in  making  Beatrice 
speak  in  the  royal  plural.* 

*  The  whole  speech,  when  disconnected  from  Dante's  descrip- 
tion of  the  scene,  runs  thus  :  "  Dante,  because  Virgil  has  disap- 
peared, do  not  weep  any  longer,  or  at  all  events  not  just  at 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  349 

Dante  then  relates  the  burning  shame  that  he  felt 
at  her  words  of  reproof. 

Gli  occhi  mi  cadder  giu  nel  chiaro  fonte  ; 

Ma  veggendomi  in  esso,  i*  trassi  all'  erba, 
Tanta  vergogna  mi  gravo  la  fronte. 

My  eyes  fell  down  into  the  limpid  stream,  but  seeing 
myself  reflected  in  it,  I  turned  them  (my  eyes)  on  to 
the  grass,  such  shame  was  weighing  on  my  brow. 

Scartazzini  asks  the  question  very  appropriately : 
*'  Shame  for  what  ?  "  It  couM~Trot-Jae  for  any  of  the 
sins  of  the  Antipurgatorio,  or  of  the  sbven  circles  of 
the  Purgatorio  itself,  because  as  each  of  th^s^ven  P's 
was  erased  from  Dante's  brow,  so  he  was  p^fectly 
absolved,  and  would  no  longer  have  occasion  for  being 
in  sin.  Therefore  we  must  conclude  that  he  felt  shame 
for  some  sin  or  error,  not  yet  remitted  to  hlmj  And, 
Scartazzini  says,  that  pride  of  philosophic  doubt  of 
things  concerning  the  faith  is  not  actually  atoned  for 
in  any  of  the  circles  of  Purgatory. 

present,  but  thou  wilt  soon  have  to  weep  to  some  purpose  for  a 
very  different  kind  of  wound.  Look  well  at  me,  look,  I  a?n,  yes, 
I  am  Beatrice  I  How  camest  thou  to  deign  to  ascend  this  moun- 
tain ?  Didst  thou  not  know  that  here  alone  man  is  truly  happy  ?  " 

Scartazzini  has  a  long  note  on  the  line  Come  degnasti^  etc., 
which  he  says  must  be  interpreted  very  differently  from  the 
description  of  Benvenuto.  He  says  the  verse  is,  "  oscuro  e  di 
difficile  interpretazione,"  and  that  the  question  asked  by  Beatrice 
reminds  him  of  that  of  the  Psalmist,  "  Who  shall  ascend  into 
the  hill  of  the  Lord  ?  "  to  which  the  answer  is  :  "  Even  he  that 
hath  clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart,  that  hath  not  lift  up  his 
mind  unto  vanity,"  as  Dante  himself  confesses  to  Beatrice  in 
XXXI,  34-36. 

*  /  trassi  alP  erba :  i  means  gli  occhi^  "  ?  "  being  the  Provengal 
for  "^//." 


350  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  xxx. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Dante  shows  in  the  next 
three  lines  how  profitable  for  him  was  the  wrath  of 
Beatrice,  because  it  sprung,  not  from  hate,  but  from 

love. 

Cosi  la  madre  al  figlio  par  superba, 

Com'  ella  parve  a  me  ;  per  che  d'  amaro  80 

Sente  il  sapor  della  pietate  acerba. 
So  to  her  son  the  mother  seems  haughty,  as  she 
appeared  to  me,  because  the  savour  of  stern  pity  has 
a  somewhat  bitter  taste. 

Dante  knew  that  Beatrice  loved  him,  and,  from  the 
fact  of  her  loving  him,  her  displeasure,  expressed  in 
ironical  words,  cut  him  to  the  very  quick.  The  angels, 
sweet  ministers  of  comfort  to  the  mourning  sinner, 
suddenly  burst  out  into  song. 

Ella  si  tacque.     E  gli  Angeli  cantaro 
Di  subito  :  In  te,  Domine,  speravi ; 
Ma  oltre  pedes  meos  non  passaro.* 

She  ceased,  and  the  angels  suddenly  sang  :  "  In  te 
Domine,  speravi"  but  they  did  not  go  beyond  (the 
words),  ^^ pedes  meos." 

He  tells  us  that  their  gentle  intercessions  so  touched 
his  heart  that  he  burst  into  tears. 

Si  come  neve,  tra  le  vive  travi,t  85 

*  The  words  are  taken  from  Psalm  XXXI,  i,  et  seq.  "  In 
thee,  O  Lord,  do  I  put  my  trust;  let  me  never  be  ashamed." 
They  sang  this,  in  order  that  Dante  should  not  despair,  but  ceased 
at  the  words  in  v.  8,  "  Thou  hast  set  my  feet  in  a  large  room." 

t   Vive  travi:  compare  Virgil,  ^n.  VI,  181  : — 
"  Fraxineseque  trabes,  cuneis  et  fissile  robur 
Scinditur." 

Per  lo  dosso:  The  Apennines  are  almost  like  the  spine  of 
Italy. 

Dennistoun  {Mem.  of  the  Duke  of  Urbino  7,  4,)  says  :  "  On  the 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgaiorio.  351 

Per  lo  dosso  d'  Italia  si  congela 
Soffiata  e  stretta  dalli  venti  schiavi, 

Poi  liquefatta  in  s^  stessa  trapela, 

Pur  che  la  terra,  che  perde  ombra,*  spiri, 

Si  che  par  fuoco  fonder  la  candela  ;  90 

Cosi  flii  senza  lagrime  e  sospiri 

Anzi  il  cantar  di  que'  che  notan  sempre 
Dietro  alle  note  degli  eterni  giri. 

Like  unto  snow  that,  on  the  leafless  trees  {lit.  living 
beams)  on  the  backbone  of  Italy  {i.e.  the  Apennines), 
congeals  when  blown  upon  and  bound  up  by  the 
Sclavonian  winds,  and  afterwards  dissolving  filters 
through  itself  (?>.  through  the  snow  below,  which  thaw 
only  takes  place),  provided  that  the  land  which  loses 
shadow  breathes,  so  that  it  seems  a  fire  that  melts  a 
taper  :  thus  was  I  deprived  of  tears  and  sighs  before 
(I  heard)  the  song  of  those,  who  always  tune  their 
notes  after  (the  harmony)  of  the  eternal  spheres. 

He  means  the  singing  of  the  angels. 

summit  grew  those  magnificent  pines,  which  gave  to  the  district 

of  Massa  the  epithet  of  Trabaria,  from  the  beams  which  were 
carried  thence  for  the  palaces  of  Rome,  and  which  Dante  calls 
* .  .  .  .  the  living  rafters 
On  the  back  of  Italy.' " 

The  Mount  of  Purgatory  is  compared  to  the  beautiful  Apen- 
nines. The  trees  of  the  Apennines  are  compared  to  Dante  born 
among  the  Apennines.  The  snow  like  the  purified  soul.  The 
fierce  North  Wind,  the  Bora,  is  compared  to  Beatrice,  harsh, 
but  penetrating  the  heart  for  Dante's  good.  The  hot  South 
Wind,  which  brings  rain,  is  compared  to  the  song  of  the  angels 
which  melts  Dante's  heart  into  tears. 

*  la  terra,  che  perde  oitibra :  This  means  Africa,  or  the  tropics, 
where,  at  midday,  the  Sun  is  so  exactly  overhead  that  it  sends 
down  its  rays  quite  perpendicularly  ;  and  is  therefore  a  land 
that  loses  its  shadows. 


352  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxx. 

Ma  poi  che  intesi  nelle  dolci  tempre 

Lor  compatire*  a  me,  piu  che  se  detto  95 

Avesser  : — "  Donna,  perch^  si  lo  stempre  ? " — 

Lo  giel  che  m'  era  intorno  al  cor  ristretto, 
Spirito  ed  acqua  fessi,  e  con  angoscia 
Per  la  bocca  e  per  gU  occhi  usci  del  petto. 

But  when  I  heard  in  the  sweet  melodies  (of  the 
Angels)  their  sympathy  for  me,  more  (expressive) 
than  if  they  had  said  :  "  Lady,  why  dost  thou  so  mor- 
tify him  ? "  then,  the  ice  that  had  congealed  round  my 
heart,  dissolved  itself  into  sighs  and  tears  (///.  air  and 
water),  and  issued  from  my  heart  through  my  mouth 
and  through  my  eyes. 


Division  IV.  We  now  enter  upon  the  Fourth  Di- 
vision of  the  Canto,  in  which  Beatrice,  after  highly 
commending  Dante's  early  life  of  promise,  reproves 
him  for  his  fall  from  it,  and  points  out  the  necessity 
that  had  arisen  for  her  interposition. 

Ella,  pur  ferma  in  su  la  detta*  coscia  100 

*  Lor  compatire  a  w.e :  Compare  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ. 
Theol.  P.  Ill,  Suppl.  qu.  XCIV,  art.  2):— 

"  Peccatores  ....  quamdiu  sunt  in  hoc  mundo,  in  tali  statu 
sunt,  quod  sine  praejudicio  divinae  justitias  possunt  in  beatitu- 
dinem  transferri  de  statu  miserise  et  peccati.  Et  ideo  compassio 
ad  eos  locum  habet  et  secundum  electionem  voluntatis  (prout 
Deus,  angeli  et  beati  eis  compati  dicuntur,  eorum  salutem  vo- 
lendo),  et  secundum  passionem,  sicut  compatiuntur  eis  homines 
boni  in  statu  viae  existentes." 

*  In  su  la  delta  coscia : — 

We  have  here  a  very  important  difference  of  reading,  about 
which  the  principal  authorities  are  pretty  equally  divided. 
"  Ella,  pur  ferma  in  su  la  della  coscia 
Del  carro,"  etc. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  07i  the  Purgatorio.  353 

Del  carro  stando,  alle  sustanzie  pie 
Volse  le  sue  parole  cosi  poscia  : 

She,  still  standing  unmoved  on  the  afore-mentioned 
side  of  the  chariot,  thereafter  addressed  her  words  to 
the  holy  beings  {i.e.  the  angels)  thus : 
— "  Vol  vigilate  nell'  etemo  die, 

Si  che  notte  rih.  sonno  a  voi  non  fura 
Passo,*  che  faccia  il  secol  per  sue  vie  ;  105 

"  Ye  watch  in  the  eternal  day,  so  that  neither  the 
night  nor  sleep  robs  from  you  a  step  which  time  may 
make  in  its  revolutions. 

These  celestial  intelligences  can  see  all  things  in 
the  Divine  Light  of  God,  nothing  that  Time  can  ope- 
rate in  its  revolutions  can  escape  them.  All  is  mani- 
fest to  them,  for  they  see  all  in  God. 

Onde  la  mia  risposta  h  con  piu  cura, 

Che  m'  intenda  colui  che  di  Ik  piagne, 
Perch^  sia  colpa  e  duol  d'  una  misura. 

Wherefore  my  reply  is  (i.e.^  shall  be  given)  with 
greater  care,  that  he,  who  is  weeping  yonder  (on  the 
farther  bank)  may  hear  me,  in  order  that  his  fault  and 
his  remorse  (for  it)  may  be  of  equal  measure. 

which  reading  I  take  here  ;  or 

"  Ella,  pur  ferma  in  su  la  destra  coscia 
Del  carro,"  etc. 
which  Benvenuto  adopts  ;  and  which  would  imply  that  Beatrice 
had  changed  her  position,  and  passed  over  to  the  right,  or  New 
Testament  side  of  the  car.  The  word  pur  speaks  in  favour  of 
the  former  reading.  Beatrice  was  still  standing  on  the  afore- 
mentioned side  of  the  car. 

*  non  fura  passo:  Compare  St,  Thomas  Aquinas  {Summ. 
Theol.  P.  I,  qu.  LVII,  art.  i):— 

"Sicut  Deus  per  suam  essentiam  materialia  cognoscit,  ita 
Angeli  ea  cognoscunt  per  hoc  quod  sunt  in  eis  per  suas  intelli- 
gibiles  species." 

H  H  H 


354  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

Dante's  penitence  must  be  proportioned  to  his  errors. 
Beatrice  now  enlarges    on    the    early    promise    of 
Dante's  young  life. 

Non  pur  per  ovra  delle  ruote  magne, 

Che  drizzan  ciascun  seme  ad  alcun  fine,  no 

Secondo  che  le  stelle  son  compagne  ; 
Ma  per  larghezza  di  grazie  divine, 

Che  si  alti  vapori  hanno  a  lor  piova, 
Che  nostre  viste  Ik  non  van  vicine, 
Questi  fu  tal  nella  sua  vita  nuova*  115 

Virtualmente,  ch'  ogni  abito  destro 
Fatto  averebbe  in  lui  mirabil  pruova. 

Not  only  by  the  working  of  the  mighty  spheres, 
which  mark  each  seed  to  some  end,  according  as  the 
stars  accompany  {i.e.  influence  it),  but  through  the  gift 
of  the  Divine  Graces  which  fall  in  showers  from  such 
lofty  clouds  {Jit.  which  have  such  lofty  vapours  for 
their  rain),  that  our  (human)  sight  comes  not  near 
them,  this  man  was  in  his  early  youth  potentially 
such  {i.e.  of  such  great  promise)  that  every  good  quality 
would  have  had  in  him  a  marvellous  example. 

From  this  Beatrice  concludes  that,  from  Dante 
having  made  a  bad  use  of  Divine  Grace,  it  turned  to 
his  injury. 

Ma  tanto  piu  maligno  e  piu  silvestro 

Si  fa  il  terren  col  mal  seme  e  non  colto, 

Quant'  egli  ha  piu  del  buon  vigor  terrestro.        120 

But  all  the  more  unprofitable  and  rank  does  soil 
become,  with  bad  seed,  and  (when)  untilled,  the  more 
it  (the  soil)  has  of  good  earthly  vigour. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  only  a  just  measure  of  re- 
proof should  be  understood  here.     The  meaning  is, 

*  Some  interpret  this  as  referring  to  Dante's  Vita  Nuova, 
which  he  wrote  in  his  youth,  and  regretted  in  middle  age. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  07i  tiie  Purgatorio.  355 

that  a  nature  with  great  powers  of  good  is  just  the 
one  to  be  the  greatest  for  evil,  if  not  guided  and 
governed  by 'religion.  There  is  no  idea  here  of  ac- 
cusing Dante  of  profligate  habits,  but  only  of  want  of 
faith. 

Beatrice  now  speaks  historically  and  allegorically 
of  their  early  acquaintance. 

Alcun  tempo  il  sostenni  col  mio  volto*  ; 
Mostrando  gli  occhi  giovinetti  a  lui, 
Meco  il  menava  in  dritta  parte  volto. 

*  Scartazzini  points  out  that  the  Commentaries  of  Jacopo 
della  Lana  and  the  Anonimo  Fiorentino  fully  confirm  his  opinion, 
that  Beatrice  is  only  reproving  Dante  for  his  philosophical 
aberrations.  Witte  (JJeber  das  Missverstdndniss  Dantes  re- 
printed in  Dante-Forschungen)  also  holds  the  same  view.  Witte 
says  that,  even  in  childhood,  the  innocent  heart  of  Dante  was 
inflamed  with  love,  so  pure  that  it  is  impossible  to  say  whether 
it  was  caused  by  one  of  the  daughters  of  earth,  or  whether  the 
youth  did  not  typify  his  affection  for  a  Heavenly  Father  in  his 
Beloved  Beatrice.  "The  Vita  Nuova  is  the  book  of  a  boyish 
love  and  of  piety  undisturbed  by  doubt,  that  knew  no  wish  save 
for  a  perpetual  and  beatifying  contemplation  of  the  wonders  in 
which  the  grace  of  God  beams  and  is  reflected ;  and  the  fulness 
of  the  tender  secret  was  guarded  deeply  in  his  breast  as  one 
which  a  single  strange  glance  would  profane.  Certain  Rime 
are  joined  to  it.  When,  in  the  meanwhile,  Dante  had  reached 
complete  manhood  Beatrice  was  snatched  away  from  him. 
Long  he  lamented  for  her  as  for  lost  innocence,  but  at  last  he 
was  enticed  away  by  new  charms.  In  the  glance  of  a  gracious 
maiden  he  thought  he  found  again  the  love  and  commiseration 
of  Beatrice ;  she  promised  him  consolation,  and  soon  the  light 
of  her  eyes  dispossessed  the  memory  of  the  departed,  and  she 
took  his  whole  heart.  She  is  Philosophy.  The  Amoroso  con- 
vivio  is  devoted  to  this  sorrow-laden  love.  Unquiet  is  it  and 
full  of  torment,  since  the  peace  of  childish  resignation  has  for- 
saken his  breast.  More  impetuously  desired  he  ever  a  new 
grace  from  the  beloved  one,  who  often  turned  herself  unwillingly 

H  H  H  2 


356  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX. 

For  some  time  {i.e.  for  sixteen  years)  I  sustained 
him  with  my  countenance,  showing  him  my  young 
eyes,  I  led  him  with  me  turned  in  the  right  way. 

In  the  Vita  Nuova,  Dante  relates  that  the  mere 
sight  of  Beatrice  was  sufficient  to  extinguish  in  him 
every  depraved  appetite,  and  to  nourish  in  his  breast 
a  flame  of  love  and  humility. 

Si  tosto  come  in  su  la  soglia  fui 

Di  mia  seconda  etade,*  e  mutai  vita,  125 

Questi  si  tolse  a  me,  e  diessi  altrui. 

So  soon  as  I  was  on  the  threshold  of  my  second  age 
{i.e.  about  25  years  old),  and  changed  life  (for  death), 
then  he  left  me,  and  gave  himself  to  others. 

from  him,  and  then  he  gave  himself  up  to  loud  lament ;  at  times 
also  he  felt  that  his  affection  could  never  bring  lasting  comfort 
into  his  heart.  Thus  was  Dante  led  to  speculate  on  everything 
that  came  linder  his  view.  He  explored  the  nature  of  justice, 
valour,  magnanimity ;  he  developed  his  principles  of  state- 
administration  ;  explored  the  signification  of  the  great  events 
of  his  time  ;  and  devoted  his  life  to  the  bringing  into  practice 
of  all  he  held  to  be  true.  During  this  epoch  of  his  life  fell  the 
portion  that  he  gave  up  to  public  life  in  the  city  of  his  birth, 
and  when  most  probably  he  perfected  his  views  on  language  and 
poetry"  (I,  58,  &c.).  Troubled,  however,  by  earthly  cares  he 
turned  to  philosophy,  which  unveiled  to  him  that  side  of  her 
usually  unseen  by  mortals.  He  attempted  to  ascend  the  steepest 
paths  of  speculation  by  the  aid  of  natural  reason,  and,  bewil- 
dered by  philosophic  pride,  was  for  a  time  drawn  away  from  the 
religion  of  Christ.  At  last,  however,  divine  grace  was  rekindled 
in  his  heart,  and  he  returned  to  his  first  love  for  Beatrice. 

*  In  the  Convtto,  Tr.  IV,  c.  24,  Dante  divides  human  life 
into  four  ages,  the  first  age  ending  at  25  years;  so  he  rightly 
speaks  of  Beatrice  as  just  about  to  enter  upon  her  second  age 
when  she  died,  which  she  did  in  1290,  at  the  age  of  24  years 
.and  3  months. 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  357 

Benvenuto  takes  this  passage  in  its  literal  sense, 
implying  that,  when  Beatrice  married,  Dante  forgot 
her  and  thought  of  others,  and  eventually,  at  the 
solicitation  of  his  friends,  took  a  wife,  but  he  adds 
that  many  explain  it  allegorical ly,  \.h.dX  gli  occhi  giovi- 
netti  would  be  the  first  elements  of  Theology,  that  si 
tolse  a  tne  e  diessi  altrui  would  be  that  he  took  to 
other  and  secular  sciences,  and  that,  when  Beatrice 
died,  his  wife  made  him  enter  into  public,  municipal, 
and  diplomatic  affairs.  Scartazzini  thinks  that  altrui, 
taken  in  its  literal  sense,  refers  to  la  dontia  gentile 
mentioned  in  the  Vita  Nuova,  30-39,  and,  allegorically, 
the  philosophic  speculation  to  which  he  gave  himself 
up,  after  abandoning  his  faith,  but  that,  whoever  la 
donna  gentile  may  have  been,  she  was  in  no  way  un- 
worthy, either  morally  or  socially,  of  the  pure  affection 
and  holy  love  of  a  great  mind  like  that  of  Dante. 
Beatrice  continues  her  narrative. 

Quando  di  came  a  spirto  era  salita, 

E  bellezza  e  virtii  cresciuta*  m'  era, 
Fu'  io  a  lui  men  cara  e  men  gradita  ;t 
E  volse  i  passi  suoi  per  via  non  vera,  130 

Imagini  di  ben  seguendo  false, 
Che  nulla  promission  rendono  intera.* 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  the  soul  of  the  just  is  beautiful  and 
vigorous,  but  when  confined  in  the  body  is  not  able  to  manifest 
all  its  beauty  and  vigour ;  in  Paradise  it  is  full  of  beauty  and 
life. 

t  Beatrice  does  not  say  that  Dante  altogether  ceased  to  love 
her,  but  that  his  love  for  her  grew  lukewarm,  and  that,  moreover, 
just  when  he  ought  to  have  loved  her  most. 

+  Cfie  nulla  promission  rendono  inter  a  :  compare  Boet.  Phil. 
Cons.  lib.  Ill,  pr.  8  :  "Nihil  igitur  dubium  est,  quin  hae  ad  beati- 
tudinem  viae  devia  quaedam  sint,  nee  perducere  quemquam  eo 


358  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxx. 

When  I  was  risen  up  from  flesh  into  spirit,  and 
beauty  and  virtue  had  increased  in  me,  I  became  to 
him  less  precious  and  less  dear ;  and  he  turned  his 
steps  into  a  way  that  was  untrue  {i.e.  philosophic 
speculations),  following  after  deceptive  semblances  of 
good,  that  never  fulfil  what  they  seem  to  promise. 

And  then  Beatrice,  by  way  of  censuring  Dante  still 
more  severely,  points  out  his  obstinate  persistence  in 
these  paths  of  error. 

Nfe  1'  injpetrare  spirazion  mi  valse, 

Con  le  quali  ed  in  sogno  ed  altrimenti 

Lo  rivocai ;  si  poco  a  lui  ne  calse.  135 

Nor  did  it  avail  me  to  obtain  inspirations,  with 
which,  both  by  means  of  dreams  and  in  other  ways, 
I  recalled  him  (Dante  into  the  right  path)  ;  so  little 
recked  he. 

Dante  doubtless  alludes  here  to  the  visions  related 
by  him  in  the  Vita  Nuova,  §§  40  and  43.  Scartazzini 
thinks  that  his  confessions  in  the  last  Cantos  of  the 
Purgatorio  are  a  supplement  or  complement  of  what 
he  related  in  the  Vita  Nuova. 
/Beatrice  goes  on. 

I  Tan  to  giu  cadde,  che  tutti  argomenti 

Alia  salute  sua  eran  gik  corti, 
Fuor  che  mostrargli  le  perdute  genti. 

He  fell  so  low  (in  the  condition  of  his  soul)  that 
all  means  would  have  been  insufficient  for  his  salva- 
tion, except  by  showing  him  the  lost  (in  Hell). 

valeant,  ad  quod  se  perducturas  esse  promittunt."  And  lib.  Ill, 
pr.  9  :  "  Hsc  igitur  vel  imagines  veri  boni  vel  imperfecta 
quasdam  bona  dare  mortalibus  videntur  :  verum  autem  atque 
perfectum  bonum  conferre  non  possunt." 


Canto  XXX.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  359 

Per  questo  visitai  P  uscio  dei  morti, 

Ed  a  colui  che  1'  ha  quassu  condotto,  140 

Li  prieghi  miei,  piangendo,*  furon  porti. 

For  this  purpose  I  (Beatrice)  visited  the  gate  of  the 
dead,  and  to  him  (Virgil),  who  has  brought  him  up 
hither,  my  prayers  with  tears  were  addressed. 

The  whole  of  this  episode  is  recounted  in  the 
Second  Canto  of  the  Inferno,  and  is  often  referred  to 
in  other  passages. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Beatrice's  concluding  words 
are  addressed  as  an  answer  to  the  question  of  the 
angels.  Donna,  percM  si  lo  stem/re  ? 

Beatrice  concludes  : 

Alto  fatot  di  Dio  sarebbe  rotto, 

*  Piangendo :  Compare  Inf.  II,  11 5-1 17  : — 
"  Poscia  che  m'  ebbe  ragionato  questo, 
Gli  occhi  lucenti  lagrimando  volse, 
Perche  mi  fece  del  venir  piii  presto." 
Morti  :   Dead  in  the  second  death. 
Inf.  I,  117  :  "  Che  la  seconda  morte  ciascun  grida." 
Fraticelli  thinks  that  uscio  de'  morti  means  Limbo,  placed  just 
above  the  boundary  of  Hell. 

In  Purg.  XXIII,  121-123,  Dante  says  : — 
"...  Costui  per  la  profonda 

Notte  menato  m'  ha  de'  veri  morti. 
Con  questa  vera  came  che  il  seconda." 
t  Alto  fato :  Scartazzini  says  that  I  alto  fato  di  Dio  is  God's 
justice,  and  he  refers  to  Boet.  Phil.  Cons.  lib.  IV,  pr.  6  : — 

"  Nam  providentia  est  ipsa  ilia  divina  ratio  in  summo  omnium 
principi  constituta  quae  cuncta  disponit  :  fatum  vero  inhaerens 
rebus  mobilibus  dispositio  per  quam  providentia  suis  quaeque 
nectit  ordinibus.  Providentia  namque  cuncta  pariter  quamvis 
diversa  quamvis  infinita  complectitur,  fatum  vero  singula  digerit 
in  motum  locis  formis  ac  temporibus  distributa  :  ut  haec  tempo- 
ralis ordinis  explicatio  in  divinae  mentis  adunata  prospectum 


360  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxx, 

Se  Lete  si  passasse,  e  tal  vivanda 
Fosse  gustata  senza  alcuno  scottot 
Di  pentimento  che  lagrime  spanda." —  145 

The  lofty  decrees  of  God  would  be  infringed,  if 
Lethe  were  passed  (by  Dante),  and  such  living  water 
were  tasted  without  some  sort  of  penitence  which 
may  (cause  him  to)  pour  forth  tears." 

providentia  sit,  eadem  vero  adunatio  digesta  atque  explicata 
temporibus  fatum  vocetur." 

And  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  {Sumjn.  Theol.  P.  I,  qu.  CXVI,  art.  2) : 
"  Causaliter  Dei  potestas  vel  voluntas  dici  potest  fatum." 

t  scotto :  {^Angl.  scot)  is  properly  the  food  one  consumes 
in  taverns,  and  also  the  reckoning  that  is  paid  for  such  food. 


End  of  Canto  XXX. 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.  361 


CANTO  XXXI. 


Terrestrial  Paradise  {continued) 
Beatrice  reproves  Dante, 
His  Penitence  and  Forgiveness. 
The  Passage  of  Lethe. 
Beatrice  unveils  Herself. 

In  the  last  Canto  we  read  of  the  severe  reprehension 
of  Dante  by  Beatrice  in  general  terms.    In  the  present 
Canto  her  reproaches  go  more  into  particulars. 
Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Divison,  from  v.  i  to  v.  42,  Beatrice 
compels  Dante  to  confess  his  past  errors,  and  their 
causes. 

In  tlie  Second  Division,  from  v.  43  to  v.  75,  she  con- 
vinces him  that  he  had  no  valid  excuse  to  offer  for 
straying  from  the  right  path. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  76  to  v.  iii ,  after 
Dante's  manifestation  of  sincere  repentance,  he  is 
immersed  by  Matelda  in  the  waters  of  Lethe,  and  led 
up  to  the  four  Nymphs. 

/;/  tJie  FoiirtJi  Division,  iroTa  v.  112  to  v.  145, 
Beatrice,  at  the  request  of  the  four  Nymphs,  unveils 
herself,  and  allows  Dante  at  last  to  contemplate  her 
features. 

Divisio7i  I.  We  left  Dante  in  the  preceding  Canto, 
after  lamenting  the  departure  of  Virgil,  being  reproved 
by  Beatrice  for  doing  so,  with  the  warning  that  he 


362  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

would  soon  have  to  weep  for  a  more  serious  cause 
{piangere  .  .  .  convien  per  ultra  spada,  v.  57).  In 
her  reply  to  the  Angels,  beginning  with  the  words 
"  Voi  vigilate  nelV  eterno  die,"  (v.  103)  she  made  good 
her  words,  though  as  yet  only  assailing  Dante  with 
the  edge  of  her  sword ;  but  now  in  this  Canto  she  be- 
gins at  once  to  attack  him  with  the  point;  that  is 
much  more  vigorously,  making  her  words  go  home, 
forcing  him  fully  and  freely  to  avow  his  faults,  and  to 
confirm  by  his  own  admission  the  justice  of  her 
censure. 

— "  O  tu,  che  sei  di  Ik  dal  fiume  sacro," — 

Volgendo  suo  parlare  a  me  per  punta, 
Che  pur  per  taglio  m'  era  paruto  aero, 
Ricomincio  seguendo  senza  cunta,* 
— "  Di',  di',t  se  questo  h  vero.    A  tanta  accusa  5 

Tua  confession  conviene  esser  congiunta." — 

"  O  thou  that  art  standing  on  the  far  side  of  the 
sacred  stream  (of  Lethe) "  she  recommenced,  con- 
tinuing without  a  pause,  turning  on  me  the  point  of 
her  discourse,  which  even  with  its  side  blow  had 
seemed  to  me  so  keen,  "  Say,  say,  if  this  be  true.  To 
such  a  charge  thine  own  confession  must  be  joined 
(if  thou  wouldst  merit  absolution)." 

Beatrice's  remarks  in  the  last  Canto  had  been  ad- 
dressed to  the  attendant  handmaidens  around  her 
chariot,  but  now  she  addresses  her  discourse  directly 
to  Dante  {per  pimta). 

Dante  is  suffocated  with  shame.  For  a  moment 
he  is  unable  to  utter  a  word. 

*  cunta :  from  the  Latin  cunctarz,  to  delay. 
t  Dz^,  di' :  This  is  a  conduplication  expressing  vehemence  of 
speech. 


Canto  XXXI,     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  363 

Era  la  mia  virtu  tanto  confusa, 

Che  la  voce  si  mosse  e  pria  si  spense, 
Che  dagli  organi  suoi  fosse  dischiusa. 

My  faculties  were  so  confounded,  that  my  voice 
started  (as  if  to  speak)  and  then  died  away  before  it 
had  been  unlocked  from  its  organs. 

Beatrice  follows  up  her  attack. 

Poco  sofferse,  poi  disse  : — "  Che  pense  ?*  10 

Rispondi  a  me  ;  ch^  le  memorie  triste 
In  te  non  sono  ancor  dall'  acqua  offense." — t 

She  suffered  (my  silence)  awhile,  then  said:  "What 
thinkest  thou }  Answer  me  :  for  the  unhappy  re- 
collections (of  thy  sins)  have  not  as  yet  been  effaced 
by  the  water  (of  Lethe)." 

Dante  admits  his  errors  by  a  monosyllabic  con- 
fession. 

Confusione  e  paura  insieme  miste 

Mi  pinsero  un  tal  si  fuor  della  bocca, 

Al  quale  intender  fiir  mestier  le  viste.  15 

Confusion  and  terror  mingled  together  forced  out  of 
my  mouth  such  a  (low-toned)  "  yes,"  that  eye-sight 
was  requisite  for  it  to  be  understood. 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Dante's  answer  was  like 
that  of  a  bride,  when  asked  by  the  priest  if  she  will 
take  the  bridegroom  to  be  her  husband,  her  words 
can  only  be  read  from  the  lips,  but  rarely  heard  by 
the  ear. 

Dante  now  gives  way  to  an  outburst  of  grief 

*  "  Che  pense  f^^  Virgil  roused  Dante  from  his  compassionate 
meditation  on  the  sorrows  of  Francesca  da  Rimini  and  Paolo 
Malatesta  with  the  same  words. — See  Inf.  V,  in. 

t  offense  is  for  offese  =  spente,  scancellate. 


364  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXL 

Come  balestro  frange,  quando  scocca 

Da  troppa  tesa,  la  sua  corda  e  1'  arco, 
E  con  men  foga  1'  asta  il  segno  tocca  ; 

Si  scoppia'  io  sott'  esso  grave  carco, 

Fuori  sgorgando  lagrime  e  sospiri,  2a 

E  la  voce  allentb*  per  lo  suo  varco. 

Like  as  a  crossbow,  when  it  is  discharged  after  too 
much  tension,  shivers  both  its  string  and  the  bow, 
and  the  arrow  in  consequence  strikes  the  mark  with 
diminished  force ;  so  did  I  burst  forth  under  this 
heavy  burden  (of  confusion  and  fear)  pouring  out 
tears  and  sighs,  and  my  voice  flagged  upon  its  pas- 
sage. 

Scartazzini  explains  that  the  voice  nearly  died  on 
the  lips,  which  are  the  passage  of  the  voice. 

Beatrice  continues  her  reproaches,  and  presses  Dante 
to  show,  if  he  can,  any  just  cause  or  excuse  for  his 
having  gone  astray. 

Ond'  ella  a  me  : — "  Per  entro  i  miei  disiri, 
Che  ti  menavano  ad  amar  lo  Bene, 
Di  Ik  dal  qual  non  h  a  chef  si  aspiri, 

*  allentb:  compare  Virgil,  jiEneid,  XI,  150: — 

".    .    .    haeret  lacrimansque  gemensque 
Et  via  vix  tandem  voci  laxata  dolorest." 

t  a  che:  In  Convito,  tr.  IV,  c.  22,  Dante  writes  :  "  Dio  e 
nostra  beatitudine  somma."  See  also  Boet.,  Phil.  Cons..,  lib.  Ill, 
pros.  10 :  "  Deum  rerum  omnium  principem  bonum  esse  com- 
munis humanorum  conceptio  probat  animorum  ;  nam  cum  nihil 
Deo  melius  excogitari  queat,  id  quo  melius  nihil  est  bonum  esse 
quis  dubitet  ?  Ita  vero  bonum  esse  Deum  ratio  demonstrat,  ut 
perfectum  quoque  in  eo  bonum  esse  convincat.  Nam  ni  tale  sit 
rerum  omnium  princeps  esse  non  poterit :  erit  enim  eo  praestan- 
tius  aliquid  perfectum  possidens  bonum,  quod  hoc  prius  atque 
antiquius  esse  videatur  :  omnia  namque  perfecta  minus  integris 
priora  esse  claruerunt.     Quare  ne  in  infinitum  ratio  prodeat, 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  365 

Quai  fosse  attraversate  o  quai  catene  25 

Trovasti,  per  che  del  passare  innanzi 
Dovessiti  cosi  spogliar  la  spene  ?* 
E  quali  agevolezze  o  quali  avanzi 

Nella  fronte  degli  altri  si  mostraro, 
Per  che  dovessi  lor  passeggiare  anzi  ?" —  30 

Whereupon  she  to  me :  "  Amidst  thy  love  for  me, 
which  led  thee  on  to  love  that  Good  {i.e.,  God),  than 
to  attain  Whom  man  cannot  have  any  higher  aspira- 
tion, what  trenches  across  thy  path,  or  what  chains  (to 
impede  thy  bark)  didst  thou  find,  that  thou  shouldest 
thus  strip  thyself  of  the  hope  of  passing  onward  ? 
And  what  attractions  {lit.  facilities)  or  what  advan- 
tages showed  themselves  on  the  forehead  of  the  others 
{i.e.  temporal  goods),  that  thou  shouldest  have  walked 
(astray)  towards  them  ? " 

Benvenuto  remarks  that  Beatrice's  argument  here  is 
most  subtle  and  ingenious,  and  may  be  taken  in  the 
allegorical  sense  that,  however  difficult  the  study  of 
holy  things  may  be,  as  it  requires  faith  in  matters  that 
cannot  be  known  to  our  natural  reason,  yet,  when  the 
Supreme  Good  was  the  Instructor  of  Dante,  leading 
him  on  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  every  fatigue  in  ac- 
quiring experience  of  holy  things  ought  to  have  seemed 
easy  to  him.  Although  the  secular  sciences  have  the 
greatest  charm  outwardly,  yet  they  are  in  substance 
vain  and  hurtful,  because  they  tend  to  vain  glory,  and 
often  lead  to  covetousness. 

confitendum  est  summum  Deum  summi  perfectique  boni  esse 
plenissimum  :  sed  perfecturri  bonum  veram  esse  beatitudinem 
constituimus  :  veram  igitur  beatitudinem  in  summo  Deo  sitam 
esse  necesse  est." 

*  spene :  Blanc  ( Voc.  Dant.\  derives  the  word  from  the  Latin 
spe,  and  says  it  is  an  ancient  poetic  form  of  speranza. 


366  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

In  the  twelve  verses  that  follow,  we  learn  how  Dante 
replied  to  Beatrice's  questions  by  a  full  confession  of 
his  weakness,  and  how  she  commended  him  for  his 
complete  admission  of  his  sin,  and  gave  him  hopes  of 
forgiveness  after  he  shall  have  heard  from  her  what 
his  conduct  ought  to  have  been. 

Dopo  la  tratta  d'  un  sospiro  amaro, 
A  pena  ebbi  la  voce  che  rispose, 
E  le  labbra  a  fatica  la  formaro. 
Piangendo  dissi : — "  Le  presenti  cose 

Col  falso  lor  piacer  volser  miei  passi,  35 

Tosto  che  il  vostro  yiso  si  nascose." — * 

After  the  heaving  of  a  bitter  sigh,  I  scarcely  had  the 
voice  to  make  an  answer,  and  my  lips  only  with  effort 
framed  it  (into  words).  Weeping,  I  said  :  "  Things 
that  were  present  with  their  false  pleasures  diverted 
my  steps  (from  the  right  path)  so  soon  as  thy  coun- 
tenance hid  itself  from  me." 

By  the  false  pleasures  Dante  means  the  honours, 

*  Scartazzini,  in  a  long  note,  criticizes  those  commentators 
who  seek  to  put  an  allegorical  interpretation  on  Beatrice's  words 
in  verses  22-30.  He  does  not  admit  that  Dante,  who  was  twenty- 
five  years  old  when  Beatrice  died,  had,  before  that  time,  been  so 
given  up  to  the  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  or  of  Theology,  and 
abandoned  it  afterwards.  Is  not  the  Divina  Commedia  itself  a 
convincing  proof  that  he  continued  that  study  ?  The  word  tosto 
must  not  be  taken  literally.  The  "  donna  gentile "  with  whom 
Dante  fell  in  love,  and  in  consequence  became  unfaithful  to  the 
memory  of  Beatrice,  first  appeared  to  him,  he  relates  in  the  Vita 
Nuova,  §  XXXV  (Norton's  Translation),  "  on  that  day  on  which 
the  year  was  complete  since  this  lady  (Beatrice)  was  made  one 
of  the  denizens  of  life  eternal."  In  §  XXXVI  of  Vita  Nuova 
he  says  :  "  I  saw  'a  gentle  lady,  young  and  very  beautiful,  who 
was  looking  at  me  from  a  window  with  a  face  full  of  compassion, 
so  that  all  pity  seemed  assembled  in  her." 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  oji  the  Purgatorio.  367 

dignities,  glories,  liberal  arts  and  poetry,  which,  with 
their  ensnaring  flatteries,  absorb  the  thoughts  in  the 
present,  and  obstruct  the  contemplation  of  what  is 
invisible  in  the  future. 

Beatrice,  seeing  Dante's  confusion  and  evident  con- 
trition, somewhat  relents,  and  tells  him  why  his  con- 
fession had  benefited  him. 

Ed  ella  : — "  Se  tacessi  o  se  negassi 

Cio  che  confessi,  non  fora  men  nota 
La  colpa  tua :  da  tal  giudice  sdssi. 

Ma  quando  scoppia  dalla  propria  gota  40 

L'  accusa  del  peccato,  in  nostra  corte 
Rivolge  sfe  contra  il  taglio  la  ruota. 

And  she  :  "  Hadst  thou  suppressed  or  denied  what 
thou  confessest,  thy  fault  would  not  be  the  less  mani- 
fest, by  such  a  Judge  is  it  known.  But  when  the 
accusation  of  sin  bursts  forth  from  the  sinner's  own 
mouth,  then,  in  our  tribunal  (before  the  Judgment 
Seat  of  God),  the  grindstone  revolves  against  the 
edge. 

The  grindstone  is  usually  turned  (sotto  il  taglio)  with 
the  edge  of  the  Sword  of  Justice  so  as  to  sharpen  it. 
Beatrice  means  that,  after  the  confession  of  the  peni- 
tent, it  would  be  made  to  revolve  in  the  opposite 
direction  {contra  il  taglio),  so  as  to  blunt  the  edge. 
Divine  mercy  disarms  Divine  justice. 


Divisio7i  II.  In  this  Second  Division  of  the  Canto, 
Beatrice  proves  to  Dante  that  he  had  no  valid  excuse 
to  offer  for  straying  from  the  right  path. 


368  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

Tuttavia,  perch^  me'  vergogna  porte 
Del  tuo  errore,  e  perche  altra  volta 
Udendo  le  Sirene  sie  piu  forte,  45 

Pon  giu  il  seme  del  piangere,  ed  ascolta  ; 
Si  udirai  come  in  contraria  parte 
Mover  doveati  mia  came  sepolta. 

But  still,  that  thou  mayest  the  better  carry  shame 
for  thy  transgression,  and  that  thou  mayest  be  more 
strong  another  time  if  thou  shouldst  hear  the  Sirens 
(j,.e.  when  the  temptations  of  pleasure  allure  thee),  lay 
aside  the  seed  of  weeping  and  listen  ;  so  wilt  thou 
hear  how  my  buried  body  ought  to  have  led  thee  in  a 
course  directly  opposite  {i.e.  to  the  course  Dante  pur- 
sued after  her  death). 

Scartazzini  explains  that  by  the  seed  of  weeping  is 
meant  the  grave  carco  (v.  19),  di  confusione  e  paura 
insieme  miste  (v.  13).  Beatrice  wanted  Dante's  full 
attention  to  the  words  she  was  about  to  address  to 
him.  One  who  is  oppressed  by  confusion  and  fear  is 
not  in  the  best  condition  of  mind  to  follow  attentively 
the  grave  discourse  of  another. 

Benvenuto  says  that  by  the  Sirens  are  to  be  under- 
stood the  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  and  poetry.  He 
adds  that  St.  Jerome  called  finely  written  words  the 
Devil's  bait,  and  said  that  he  was  once  himself 
ensnared  by  them,  at  which  time  the  Holy  Scriptures 
seemed  to  be  rough  and  uncultivated  writing  ;  but 
that  when  he  abandoned  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences, 
and  turned  his  thoughts  wholly  to  religion,  the  words 
of  the  Scriptures  seemed  the  food  of  the  Angels. 

Beatrice  now  argues  that  love  for  her  was  to  be 
preferred  to  love  for  others,  by  reason  of  her  excel- 
lence. 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  oti  the  Purgatorio.  369 

Mai  non  t'  appresento  natura  o  arte 

Piacer,  quanto  le  belle  membra  in  ch'  io  50 

Rinchiusa  fui,  e  sono  in  terra  sparte  : 
E  se  il  sommo  piacer  si  ti  fallfo 

Per  la  mia  morte,  qual  cosa  mortale 

Dovea  poi  trarre  te  nel  suo  disio  ? 

Never  did  nature  or  art  set  before  thee  such  delight 
as  the  fair  members  wherein  I  was  enclosed,  and  they 
are  now  crumbled  into  dust.  And  if  the  chiefest 
pleasure  thus  failed  thee  through  my  death,  what 
(other)  mortal  thing  ought  afterwards  to  have  drawn 
thee  into  loving  it  ? 

Benvenuto  says  that,  as  Beatrice  seemed  to  Dante 
more  beautiful  than  any  other  woman,  so  in  an  alle- 
gorical sense  the  science  of  Theology  is  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  sciences  ;  and  le  belle  membra,  from  this 
point  of  view,  would  mean  all  the  Theological  writings 
dispersed  throughout  the  world.  In  the  same  way, 
qual  cosa  mortale  may  signify  "what  mortal  science." 

Beatrice  continues  her  reproaches,  telling  Dante 
that  having  been  once  deceived,  he  ought  never  to 
have  been  led  astray  a  second  time. 

Ben  ti  dovevi,  per  lo  primo  strale  55 

Delle  cose  fallaci,  levar  suso 
Diretro  a  me,  che  non  era  piu  tale. 

It  was  certainly  thy  duty,  (after  being  wounded)  by 
the  first  shaft  of  delusive  things,  to  have  soared  aloft 
after  me,  who  (having  ceased  to  be  mortal)  was  no 
longer  capable  (of  being  led  away  by  fallacies). 
Non  ti  dovea  gravar  le  penne  in  giuso, 
Ad  aspettar  piu  colpi,  o  pargoletta,* 
O  altra  vanitk  con  si  breve  uso.  60 

*  o  pargoletta :  Dante  uses  parvoletti  for  bambini  in  Par. 
XXVII,  128.     One  of  his  canzoni  begins  "  Io  mi  son  pargoletta 

I  I  I 


370  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

Neither  (the  attractions  of)  a  young  girl,  or  other 
vain  things  (such  as  dignities,  or  sciences),  of  which 
the  enjoyment  is  so  brief,  should  have  weighed  thy 
wings  downwards. 

Nuovo  augelletto  due  o  tre*  aspetta  ; 
Ma  dinanzi  dagli  occhi  dei  pennutit 
Rete  si  spiega  indarno  o  si  saetta." — 

The  young  bird  awaits  two  or  three  (blows),  but 
before  the  eyes  of  the  full  fledged  is  the  net  in  vain 
spread,  or  the  arrow  shot." 

Dante  is  unable  to  utter  a  word  in  self-defence. 
Quale  i  fanciulli  vergognando  muti, 

Con  gli  occhi  a  terra,  stannosi  ascoltando,  65 

E  s6  riconoscendo,  e  ripentuti, 
Tal  mi  stava  io.     Ed  ella  disse  : — "  Quando 
Per  udir  sei  dolente,  alza  la  barba, 
E  prenderai  piii  doglia  riguardando." — 

bella  e  nuova."    Scartazzini  says  that  the  general  consensus  of 
opinions  agrees  that  Beatrice  here  alludes  to  a  girl. 

Benvenuto  and  others  rather  think  that  it  is  Gentucca  of 
Lucca  who  is  meant.  But  Beatrice  is  reproving  Dante  for  past 
loves,  not  for  what  are  in  the  future.  Dante  had  not,  at  the 
time  of  his  supposed  mystical  journey,  even  seen  Gentucca. 
Scartazzini  says  that  one  need  not  go  deeply  into  all  the  opinions 
that  are  held  as  to  pargoletta :  but  from  the  context  two  things 
seem  pretty  clear  to  him.  ist,  that  Beatrice  is  not  speaking  of 
abstractions,  but  of  real  persons  ;  2ndly,  that  she  is  not  speaking 
of  any  one  special  person,  but  of  young  women  generally. 

*  due  0  tre :  Benvenuto  reads  otte.     Otta  is  an  ancient  form 
of  ora.,  and  he  explains  it  "  aspetta  due  otte,  scilicet,  percussiones 
antequam  fugiat  vel  evadat."     Compare  Inf.  XXI,  112-114  : — 
"  Jer,  pill  oltre  cinqu'  ore  che  quest'  otta 
Mille  dugento  con  sessantasei 
Anni  compi^  che  qui  la  via  fu  rotta." 

t  Compare  Prov.  I,  17  (Vulgate)  "  Frustra  autem  jacitur  rete 
ante  oculos  pennatorum." 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  yj\ 

Even  as  children  silent  in  shame  stand  listening 
with  their  eyes  upon  the  ground,  both  avowing  their 
fault  and  repentant,  so  was  I  standing.  And  she 
said  :  "  Since  thou  art  distressed  from  hearing,  raise 
up  thy  beard,  and  thou  wilt  feel  more  grief  from 
looking  (at  me)." 

Beatrice  commands  Dante  to  raise  his  beard,  in- 
stead of  his  face,  by  way  of  reminding  him  that  he  is 
a  full-grown  man,  and  cannot  plead  the  extenuating 
circumstances  of  youth,  knowing  moreover  that  to 
look  her  in  the  face  will  disconcert  him  still  more. 

Dante  obeys,  but  relates  that  his  chin  had  got  such 
a  strong  downward  bend  towards  his  chest,  that  he 
scarcely  could  do  so. 

Con  men  di  resistenza  si  dibarba  7° 

Robusto  cerro,  o  vero  al  nostral*  vento, 
O  vero  a  quel  della  terra  di  Iarba,t 
Ch'  io  non  levai  al  suo  comando  il  mento  ; 
E  quando  per  la  barba  il  viso  chiese, 
Ben  conobbi  il  velen  dell'  argomento.  75 

With  less  resistance  is  a  stout  oak  uprooted,  either 
by  a  northern  gale  or  by  one  from  the  land  of  Jarbas 
{i.e.  from  the  south-east),  than  I  raised  my  chin  at  her 
command  ;  and  when  by  *  beard  '  she  asked  for  my 
face,  I  fully  understood  the  venom  of  the  argument. 


Division  III.     Here  commences  the  third  division 
of  the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  relates  how,  after  his 

*  nostral  vento  means  the  Tramontana  or  north  wind,  and 
coming  from  Europe  was  called  by  the  Italians  Nostrale. 

t  larbas  or  Hiarbas  was  King  of  Gcetulia  in  Libya,  and  from 
him  Dido  bought  the  land  for  building  Carthage. 

I  I  I  2 


372  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

penitence  and  confession,  he  was  washed  in  Lethe, 
and  conducted  to  the  Four  Nymphs  who  represent  the 
Four  Cardinal  Virtues.  But  we  are  first  told  how  the 
Angels,  by  ceasing  from  casting  clouds  of  flowers 
round  the  car,  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
Beatrice. 

E  come  la  mia  faccia  si  distese, 
Posarsi  quelle  prime  creature 
Da  loro  aspersion  1'  occhio  comprese  : 
E  le  mie  luci,  ancor  poco  sicure, 

Vider  Beatrice  volta  in  su  la  fiera,  80 

Ch'  e  sola  una  persona  in  diio  nature. 
And  as  my  countenance  turned  itself  upwards,  my 
sight  took  in  that  those  primal  creatures  {i.e.  the 
Angels)  had  desisted  from  their  scattering  (of  flowers) ; 
and  my  eyes,  as  yet  little  confident,  beheld  Beatrice 
turned  round  towards  the  animal  (the  Gryphon),  that 
is  One  Person  only  (Jesus  Christ)  in  twofold  nature 
(God  and  Man). 

Scartazzini  says  that  Beatrice,  after  concluding  her 
argument,  turns  her  eyes  round  to  the  Gryphon,  and 
does  not  seem  to  pay  further  attention  to  her  faithless 
lover. 

Dante,  however,  rivets  his  eyes  on  her,  and  sees 
how  superhuman  is  her  beauty. 

Sotto  suo  velo,  ed  oltre  la  riviera 

Vincer*  pareami  piu  s^  stessa  antica, 
Vincer,  che  1'  altre  qui,  quand'  alia  c'  era. 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  the  reading  with  vincer  in  both  lines 
makes  the  sense  difficult,  but  the  reading  has  the  authority  of 
all  the  older  Codices.   Witte  has  an  excellent  alternative  reading, 
but  unfortunately  lacking  good  authority  : — 
"  Sotto  suo  velo,  ed  oltre  la  riviera 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Ptirgaiorio.  373 

(Even)  under  her  veil,  and  (as  far  off  as)  the  other 
side  of  the  stream,  she  seemed  to  me  to  surpass  her 
ancient  self,  to  surpass  it  more  than  (she  surpassed) 
all  others  when  she  was  here  (on  earth). 

Di  penter  si  mi  punse  ivi  1'  ortica,  85 

Che  di  tutt'  altre  cose,  qual  mi  torse 
Piu  nel  sue  amor,  piu  mi  si  fe'  nimica. 

The  sting  (///.  nettle)  of  repentance  so  pricked  my 
heart  {lit.  me)  there  (on  the  far  side  of  the  stream), 
that  of  all  other  things,  whatever  had  most  turned 
me  to  its  love  (in  the  past)  now  became  the  object 
most  hated  by  me. 

The  sight  of  Beatrice's  celestial  beauty  was  to 
Dante  the  decisive  moment ;  it  completed,  by  resusci- 
tating his  love,  what  fear,  confusion,  and  shame  had 
been  preparing  in  his  mind. 

Lubin  remarks  that,  now  that  he  feels  so  much 
penitence  for  his  past  life,  he  will  soon  pass  through 
Lethe. 

Dante  falls  prostrate  on  the  ground. 

Tanta  riconoscenza  il  cuor  mi  morse, 

Ch'  io  caddi  vinto.*     E  quale  allora  femmi, 
Sdlsi  colei  che  la  cagion  mi  porse.  90 

Such  keen  remorse  was  gnawing  my  heart,  that  I 

Vincer  pareami  piu  s^  stessa  antica, 
Che  vincea  1'  altre  qui,  quand'  ella  c'  era," 

Dr.  Moore  remarks,  as  to  disputed  readings  in  Dante,  that  it 
is  usually  safer  to  prefer  the  one  which  presents  the  greatest 
difficulty,  for  the  copyists,  who  were  not  always  highly  educated 
men,  were  very  apt,  on  coming  across  a  hard  passage,  to  put  in 
words  of  their  own  to  majce  the  sense  easy. 

*  Scartazzini  draws  attention  to  Dante  falling  down  in  a 
swoon,  and  says  it  is  a  symbol  of  dying  to  sin  to  rise  again  to 
grace.     It  is  the  second  time  that  Dante  has  so  fallen.     The 


374  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX I, 

sank  down  overcome,  and  what  I  then  became,  she 
(Beatrice)  knows,  who  furnished  me  the  cause. 

When  Dante  recovers  consciousness,  he  finds  him- 
self in  the  waters  of  Lethe. 

Poi,  quando  il  cuor  di  fuor  virtu  rendemmi, 
La  donna  ch'  io  avea  trovata  sola, 
Sopra  me  vidi,  e  dicea  : — "  Tiemmi,  tiemmi." — 
Tratto  m'  avea  nel  fiume  infino  a  gola, 

E  tirandosi  me  dietro,  sen  giva  95 

Sovr'  esso*  1'  acqua  lieve  come  spola. 

Then,  when  the  heart  restored  to  me  my  outward 
sense,  I  saw  right  above  me  the  lady  (Matelda)  whom 
I  had  found  wandering  alone  {Purg.  XXVIII,  40), 
and  she  was  saying,  "  Hold  me,  hold  me."  She  had 
drawn  me  into  the  stream  up  to  my  throat,  and 
dragging  me  after  her,  was  speeding  over  the  water 
as  lightly  as  a  shuttle. 

Instead  of  spola,  Benvenuto  reads  scola,  which  he 
says  is  a  kind  of  long  light  vessel,  suitable  for  naval 

first  occasion  is  told  in  Inf.  V,  140-142,  when,  after  witnessing 
the  anguish  of  Francesca  da  Rimini,  he  says  of  himself 
"  Si  che  di  pietade 
Io  venni  men  cosi  com'  io  morisse  ; 
E  caddi  come  corpo  morto  cade." 
He  is,  perhaps,  not  only  struck  with  compassion,  but  also 
with  compunction  at  the  sight  of  the  penalty  for  a  sin  of  which 
he  is  himself  not  altogether  innocent.      Here  in  this  Canto, 
Beatrice  reproves  him  for  these  same  faults,  and  her  censure 
has  the  same  effect  on  him  as  had  the  sufferings  and  tears  of 
Francesca. 

*  Sovt"  esso:  Blanc  says  {Vocab.  Dant.)  that  esso  in  this  com- 
pound word  is  an  indeclinable  pronoun,  and  when  placed  between 
the  preposition  and  the  noun  has  no  other  function  than  that  of 
makmg  the  phrase  more  precise,  so  that  here  sovr'  esso  would 
have  the  signification, /^-^^/rzo  sopra,  right  over,  right  above. 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  375 

warfare  and   for  war.     Buti  and  nearly  all  the  old 
commentators  read  spola. 

Dante,  while  in  the  water,  hears  the  soft  cadences 
of  a  chant.* 

Quando  fui  presso  alia  beata  riva, 
Asfierges  me  si  dolcemente  udissi, 
Ch'  io  nol  so  rimembrar,  non  ch'  io  lo  scriva. 

When  I  was  near  the  blessed  shore,  there  fell  upon 
my  ear  (the  words)  Asperges  me,  so  sweetly  chanted, 
that  (now  that  I  am  returned  to  the  world)  I  cannot 
recall  it  to  mind,  much  less  write  it. 

The  sweet  notes  of  Casella's  song  are  still  sounding 
within  him,  "  la  dolcezza  ancor  dentro  mi  suofta"  but 
the  song  of  the  Angels  is  too  much  for  the  human 
mind  to  retain. 

He  is  now  made  to  swallow  the  water  of  Lethe. 

La  bella  donna  nelle  braccia  aprissi,  100 

Abbracciommi  la  testa,  e  mi  sommerse, 
Ove  convenne  ch'  io  1'  acqua  inghiotissi ; 
Indi  mi  tolse,  e  bagnato  m'  offerse 

Dentro  alia  danza  delle  quattro  belle, 

E  ciascuna  del  braccio  mi  coperse.  105 

The  beautiful  Lady  opened  her  arms,  embraced  my 
head,  and  immersed  me  (as  far  as  my  mouth)  where  I 
had  perforce  to  swallow  the  water  ;  then  she  drew  me 
forth,  and  presented  me  dripping  into  the  midst  of  the 
dance  of  the  four  beauteous  ones,  and  each  covered 
me  with  her  arm. 

*  The  words  are  from  Psalm  LI,  7,  "  Purge  me  with  hyssop, 
&c."  in  the  Vulgate,  Psalm  L,  9,  "Asperges  me  hyssopo,  et 
mundabor  ;  lavabis  me,  et  super  nivem  dealbabor."  The  words 
Asperges  vie  are  used  in  the  Roman  Church,  when  the  priest 
sprinkles  the  penitent  with  holy  water  after  confession,  and 
before  absolution. 


3/6  Readmgs  on  the  Purgatorno.     Canto  XXXI. 

The  four  cardinal  virtues,  in  the  form  of  four 
maidens,  were  dancing  by  the  left  wheel  of  the  chariot. 
The  above  passage  may  be  taken  to  mean  that,  when 
a  man  by  sacerdotal  confession  and  absolution  has 
been  removed  from  the  act  and  guilt  of  sin,  he  is 
passed  on  into  the  company  of  the  cardinal  virtues,  in 
order  that  he  may  behold  the  happiness  of  practising 
the  virtues,  and  may  be  the  better  prepared  for  the 
three  higher  virtues,  the  handmaidens  of  sacred  The- 
ology. And  when  each  of  the  four  maidens  covered 
Dante  with  her  arms,  it  was,  as  it  were,  a  promise 
that  that  particular  virtue  would,  from  that  moment, 
protect   him    from    the   sin   to  which   that  virtue  is 

opposed  ;  namely, 

Justice  against  Injustice. 
Prudence  against  Folly. 
Fortitude  against  Frailty. 
Temperance  against  Intemperance. 
The  four  Damsels  now  address  Dante. 
— "  Noi  sem  qui  ninfe,  e  nel  ciel  semo  stelle  ;* 

Pria  che  Beatrice  discendesse  al  mondo, 
Fummo  ordinate  a  lei  per  suo  ancelle. 

*  Scartazzini  says,  that  it  is  evident  from  these  words,  that  the 
four  maidens  make  Dante  to  understand  that  they  are  "  le 
quattro  chiare  stelle^''  which  guided  Dante's  steps,  as  he  tells 
us  in  Purg.  VIII,  91,  and  whose  rays  illumined  the  face  of  Cato 
{Purg.  I,  23).  Beside  this  we  gather  that  the  four  cardinal 
virtues  are  both  in  Heaven  and  on  Earth,  but  do  not  wear  the 
same  forms  in  both  places ;  for  on  earth  they  are  nymphs,  of 
learned  counsel ;  in  Heaven  they  are  stars,  radiant  beings, 
whose  light  is  neither  for  themselves,  nor  for  the  Heaven  where 
they  dwell,  but  for  the  Earth.  Scartazzini  thinks  the  summa- 
rized meaning  of  the  passage  is,  that  the  cardinal  virtues  shine 
in  Heaven  as  lights  to  illumine  the  world,  and  at  the  same  time 
are  the  counsellors  of  mankind. 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.  377 

Merrenti  agli  occhi  suoi ;  ma  nel  giocondo 

Lume  ch'  h  dentro  aguzzeranno  i  tuoi  no 

Le  tre  di  Ik,  che  miran  piii  profondo." — 

"  Here  we  are  nymphs,  and  in  Heaven  we  are  stars  ; 
before  that  Beatrice  descended  to  the  Earth,  we  were 
appointed  to  be  her  handmaidens.  We  will  lead  thee 
before  her  eyes,  but  for  the  pleasant  light  that  is  within 
(them),  the  three  on  the  other  side  (of  the  chariot)  will 
sharpen  thy  sight  for  they  look  more  profoundly." 

Before  Beatrice,  who  is  Sacred  Theology,  descended 
into  the  world,  which  she  only  did  after  the  Incarna- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  the  four  cardinal  virtues  were  ap- 
pointed as  her  satellites,  preparing  men's  minds,  by 
disposing  them  to  virtuous  and  holy  lives,  in  order 
that  the  seeds  of  Theology  might  the  more  readily 
bear  fruit  in  them, 

Scartazzini  says  :  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever 
that  there  is  an  allegory  in  these  lines.  But  Beatrice, 
as  we  have  noticed  before,  does  not  symbolize  The- 
ology in  the  abstract,  but  rather  ecclesiastical  autho- 
rity, personified  by  the  Supreme  Pontiff,  the  Pope, 
The  business  of  that  authority  is,  like  that  of  Beatrice 
in  the  Divina  Commedia,  to  direct  man  to  Heaven,  or 
.to  the  blessedness  of  Life  Eternal.  Now  the  cardinal 
virtues  are  those  which  formerly,  in  the  Gentile  world, 
prepared  the  way  for  Christianity,  of  which  Ecclesias- 
tical authority  is  the  head.  They  had  then  been  ap- 
pointed handmaidens  to  ecclesiastical  authority  of  old, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  Church. 

The  cardinal  virtues  prepare  man,  and  render  him 
fit  to  recognize  the  demonstrations  of  Truth,  driving 
away  from  his  mind  the  passions  which  obfuscate  his 
intellect.     To  arrive  afterwards  at  a  full  knowledge  of 


378  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

celestial  and  divine  truths,  the  Theological  virtues  are 
requisite,  which  refine  the  mind,  and  fit  it  to  contem- 
plate divine  things,  because  God  opens  His  secrets,  as 
Landino  says,  to  whoever  has  sincere  faith,  firm  hope, 
and  burning  Love." 


Division  IV.  In  this  Fourth  and  Concluding  Divi- 
sion of  the  Canto,  Dante  describes  how  he  attained  a 
more  complete  cognizance  of  Beatrice  ;  and  he  first 
relates  how  the  four  handmaidens  led  him  forward  and 
invited  him  to  look  at  her. 

Cosi  cantando  cominciaro  ;  e  poi 

Al  petto  del  grifon  seco  menirmi, 
Ove  Beatrice  volta  stava  a  noi. 

Singing  thus  [Noi  sem  qui  Ninfe)  they  commenced ; 
and  then  they  led  me  with  them  to  the  breast  {i.  e.  in 
front)  of  the  Gryphon,  where  Beatrice  stood  turned 
towards  us. 

Beatrice  was  standing  upon  the  left  hand  edge  of 
the  chariot,  still  covered  by  her  veil  (see  XXX,  61-69), 
and  we  have  just  read,  in  v.  80  of  this  Canto,  that  she 
had  turned  round  to  look  at  the  Gryphon.  If  there- 
fore Dante  was  right  in  front  of  it,  Beatrice  was  turned 
to  him  also. 

The  Nymphs  continue. 

Disser  : — "  Fa  che  le  viste  non  risparmi ;  115 

Posto  t'  avem  dinanzi  agli  smeraldi,* 
Onde  Amor  gik  ti  trasse  le  sue  armi." — 

*  Lami  {Annotaztoni)  says  that  Beatrice's  eyes  were  of  a 
greenish  hue,  like  the  colour  of  the  sea. 

The  Ottimo  comments  thus  on  this  passage  : — "  Dante  very 
happily  introduces  this  precious  stone,  considering  its  proper- 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  379 

"  See  that  thou  spare  not  thy  gaze,"  said  they ;  "we 
have  placed  thee  in  front  of  those  emeralds,  out  of 
which,  in  days  gone  by,  Love  drew  forth  his  darts  to 
attack  thee." 

By  emeralds  Dante  means  either  to  express  the 
brightness  or  the  colour  of  Beatrice's  eyes. 
Dante  at  once  obeys. 

Mille  disiri  piu  che  fiamma  caldi 

Strinsermi  gli  occhi  agli  occhi  rilucenti, 

Che  pur  sovra  il  grifone  stavano  saldi.  120 

A  thousand  longings,  more  burning  than  fire, 
(made  me)  fasten  my  eyes  upon  the  radiant  eyes 
(of  Beatrice),  that  still  rested  steadfastly  upon  the 
Gryphon. 

Francesco  da  Buti  says  that  Theology,  or   rather 

ties,  and  considering  that  griffins  watch  over  emeralds.  The 
emerald  is  the  prince  of  all  green  stones  ;  no  gem  nor  herb  has 
greater  greenness  ;  it  reflects  an  image  like  a  mirror  ;  increases 
wealth  ;  is  useful  in  litigation  and  to  orators  ;  is  good  for  con- 
vulsions and  epilepsy  ;  preserves  and  strengthens  the  sight ; 
restrains  lust ;  restores  memory  ;  is  powerful  against  phantoms 
and  demons  ;  calms  tempests  ;  staunches  blood  ;  and  is  useful 
to  soothsayers." 

Longfellow  remarks  that  the  beauty  of  green  eyes,  "  Ojuelos 
verdes,"  is  extolled  by  Spanish  poets  ;  and  is  not  left  unsung 
by  poets  of  other  countries.  Compare  Shakespeare  {Romeo  and 
Jtcliet,  act  iii,  sc.  v)  : — 

"  Oh,  he's  a  lovely  gentleman  ! 
Romeo's  a  dishclout  to  him  :  an  eagle,  madam, 
Hath  not  so  green,  so  quick,  so  fair  an  eye 
As  Paris  hath." 
In  one  of  the  old  French  Mysteries  {Hist.  Theat.  Frang.  I, 
176),  Joseph  describes  the  child  Jesus  as  having 

"  Les  yeux  vers,  la  chaire  blanche  et  tendre, 
Les  cheveulx  blonds." 


380  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

Ecclesiastical  Authority,  both  in  its  opinions,  and  in 
its  purposes,  ever  stands  fast  on  the  Divine  Word 
made  Man. 

Dante  now  describes  what  he  saw  reflected  in 
Beatrice's  eyes. 

Come  in  lo  specchio  il  sol,  non  altrimenti 
La  doppia  fiera  dentro  vi  raggiava, 
Or  con  uni,  or  con  altri  reggimenti. 

As  the  sun  in  a  mirror,  not  otherwise,  was  that 
animal  of  two-fold  nature  beaming  therein  i^.e.  was 
being  reflected  in  Beatrice's  eyes),  now  with  one  kind 
of  attribute,  now  with  another. 

At  one  moment  displaying  His  human  nature, 
at  another  His  Divine:  at  one  moment  bearing  a 
literal,  at  another  an  allegorical  sense.  Sometimes  as 
the  Lamb,  and  sometimes  as  the  Lion.  Many  com- 
mentators think  that  Dante  wished  to  show  that 
Theology  ought  to  consider  Christ  at  one  time  as  God, 
and  at  another  as  Man,  so  as  not  to  confound  His  two 
natures. 

Dante  invokes  his  readers  to  realize  his  wonder. 

Pensa,  lettor,  s'  io  mi  maravigliava, 

Quando  vedea  la  cosa  in  sfe  star  queta  125 

E  neir  idolo  suo  si  trasmutava. 

Think,  reader,  if  I  marvelled,  when  I  saw  the  thing 
stand  motionless  itself,  and  yet  in  its  image  (reflected 
in  the  eyes  of  Beatrice),  undergoing  transformations 
(from  one  attribute  to  another). 

The  other  three  maidens  now  come  forward. 

Mentre  che,  plena  di  stupore  e  lieta, 
L'  anima  mia  gustava  di  quel  cibo, 
Che,  saziando  di  s^,  di  s^  asseta  ; 


Canto  XXXI.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  381 

S^  dimostrando  del  piu  alto  tribo  130 

Negli  atti,  1'  altre  tre  si  fero  avanti, 
Danzando  al  loro  angelico  caribo.* 

While  my  soul,  full  of  awe  and  delight,  was  feasting 
on  that  (heavenly)  food,  which,  while  satiating,  creates 
a  longing,  the  other  three  (the  Theological  Virtues) 
stepped  forward  in  front  (of  Beatrice),  showing  them- 
selves to  be  of  the  higher  race  in  their  deportment, 
dancing  in  their  heavenly  saraband. 

Benvenuto  says  that  Dante's  insatiable  longing  was 
well  to  be  understood,  for  the  delight  of  seeing  the 
nine  muses  is  as  nothing  compared  with  that  of 
beholding  the  nine  dames,  who  were  doing  honour  to 
the  triumphal  car. 

The  nine  consisted  of  the  four  Cardinal  and  three 
Theological  virtues,  Matelda,  and  Beatrice. 

The  Three  unite  their  voices  in  a  song  of  intercession 
on  behalf  of  Dante,  beseeching  Beatrice  to  reward  his 

*  Danzando  al  loro  angelico  caribo :  Scartazzini  says  that 
this  is  one  of  those  passages  which  still  remain  obscure,  and 
have  not  yet  found  an  CEdipus  to  interpret  them.  Some  read 
cantando  instead  of  danzando.  The  reading  depends  on  the 
word  caribo^  which  is  obscure  in  its  meaning  and  origin.  It 
would  seem  that  the  word  was  generally  understood  in  the 
time  of  Dante,  as  the  oldest  commentators  never  took  the 
trouble  to  explain  it,  until  Benvenuto,  whose  idea  seems  to  be  a 
mixture  of  dancing  and  song,  interpreted  it  '■'■canzone  da  ballo." 
Francesco  da  Buti  reads  garibo,  which  he  derives  from  garbo, 
"  cio^,  al  loro  angelico  modo."  Scartazzini  says  that  the  silence 
of  the  oldest  expositors  proves  that,  in  their  time,  the  word 
was  not  unknown.  It  is  hardly  possible  that  they  would  pass 
it  over  from  not  themselves  understanding  it. 

There  are  numberless  other  explanations  and  readings,  but 
the  one  I  have  given  here  seems  to  be  that  most  generally 
adopted. 


382  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

return  to  fidelity,  after  his  humble  repentance  and 
purification,  in  consideration  of  the  long  distance  he 
has  travelled,  and  the  many  hardships  he  has  under- 
gone, in  order  to  get  a  sight  of  her  eyes,  which  she  is 
still  keeping  fixed  upon  the  Gryphon. 

— "  Volgi,  Beatrice,  volgi  gli  occhi  santi," — 

Era  la  sua  canzone,* — "  al  tuo  fedelet 
Che,  per  vederti,  ha  mossi  passi  tanti.J  135 

Per  grazia  fa  noi  grazia  che  disvele 
A  lui  la  bocca  tua,  si  che  discerna 
La  seconda  bellezza  che  tu  cele." — 
"  Turn,  Beatrice,  turn  thy  holy  eyes,"  was  their  song, 
"  to  thy  faithful  one,  who,  to  get  sight  of  thee  has  taken 
so  many  steps.     Of  thy  grace  grant   us   the   favour 

*  Era  la  sua  canzone  instead  of  era  la  lor  canzone^  as  many 
others  read.  The  former  reading  is  that  adopted  by  most  of  the 
old  commentators.  Scartazzini  says  that  Dante  often  used  suo 
and  sua  for  loro,  and  that  the  practice  prevailed  largely  among 
the  older  writers. 

t  al  tuo  fedele :  The  Three  call  Dante  Beatrice's  faithful  one, 
for  as  a  Christian  poet  he  had  battled  for  the  faith,  as  no  other 
poet  had  done.     Beatrice  herself,  in  Inf.  II,  61,  calls  him  her 
friend,  though  he  was  still  lost  in  the  paths  of  error. 
"  L'  amico  mio  e  non  della  ventura, 

Nella  diserta  piaggia  h  impedito 
Si  nel  cammin,  che  volto  h.  per  paura." 
%  ha  mossi  passi  tanti :  Benvenuto  points  out  that  this  is  the 
fact  both  historically  and  allegorically,  for  when  Dante  turned 
to  the  task  of  ascending  to  the  glory  wherein  Beatrice  was ;  that 
is,  to  undertake  this  glorious  poem,  feeling  that  he  had  learned 
enough  of  philosophy  and  poetry,  he  travelled  to  Paris,  poor, 
and  as  an  exile ;  and  there,  with  the  greatest  zeal  and  perse- 
verance, studied  and  mastered  theology.  He  then  passed 
through  Hell,  next  through  the  gradual  ascent  of  the  moun- 
tain of  Purgatory,  and  now,  at  last,  after  tanti  passi,  he  has 
found  his  long-lost  Beatrice  in  the  Paradise  of  Delights. 


Canto  XXXI.     Readuigs  on  the  Purgatorio.  385 


Digression  on  Dante's  Penitence  upon  the 

LEFT   BANK   OF   LeTHE. 

Scartazzini  says  the  problem  before  us  is  :  "  What  are  the 
sins  which  are  reproved  and  censured  in  Dante,  when  he  had 
passed  beyond  the  boundaries  of  that  second  kingdom  where 
the  human  spirit  is  purged  ?  What  are  the  sins  to  which  he 
confesses,  for  which  he  feels  shame,  and  repents  of,  in  that 
region  which  the  spirits  can  only  enter  when  they  have  com- 
pleted their  purgation  ?  And  secondly,  Why  does  this  peni- 
tence of  Dante  not  take  place  in  Purgatory,  the  place  ap- 
pointed for  the  purgation  of  souls,  rather  than  in  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise,  wherein  none  are  wont  to  enter  until  after  their 
sins  are  covered  ?  A  double  problem,  which,  as  far  as  we  can 
see,  none  have  as  yet  even  attempted  to  solve. 

The  relations  between  Dante  and  Beatrice  on  earth  were  of 
far  too  slight  a  nature  for  her  seriously  to  have  intended  to 
reproach  Dante  with  infidelity  to  her  as  a  woman,  except, 
perhaps,  as  indicating  a  censure,  under  an  allegorical  veil,  for 
some  aberrations  of  Dante  after  her  death,  and  we  know  from 
Dante  himself  in  the  Vita  Nuova,  that  they  did  actually  occur  ; 
but  what  was  the  extent  of  the  relations  between  them  on 
earth  ?  A  look,  full  of  a  timid,  pure,  child-like  love,  a  graceful 
salutation,  and  nothing  else  !  Dante  was  bound  to  Beatrice 
by  no  promise  to  keep  for  her  alone  a  love  which  seems 
never  to  have  been  proffered,  and,  perhaps,  never  would  have 
been  accepted.  The  wife  of  Simone  de'  Bardi  would  have  had 
no  right  to  reprove  Dante  for  having  fallen  in  love  with 
another  maiden.  Therefore  we  may  conclude  that,  in  the  scene 
that  takes  place  in  the  thirty-first  Canto  between  Dante  and 
Beatrice,  this  infidelity  to  the  real  Beatrice  is  only  of  secondary 
importance,  and  that  the  reproofs  made  to  him  and  his  con- 
fession of  sin  and  error  refer  principally  to  his  infidelity  to 
the  symbolic  and  allegorical  Beatrice.  In  Canto  XXX,  121, 
she  says  : — 

K  K  K 


386  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXI. 

'  Alcun  tempo  il  sostenni  col  mio  volto ; 
Mostrando  gli  occhi  giovinetti  a  lui, 
Meco  il  menava  in  dritta  parte  volto.' 
by  which  she  means  that  Dante  walked  in  the  way  of  eternal 
happiness,  under  the  escort  and  guidance  of  revealed  doctrine, 
as  taught  by  the  ideal  Papal  authority   which  Beatrice   sym- 
bohzes.      In  Canto  XXX,  124-132,  she  goes  on  to  accuse  him 
of  having  withdrawn    himself,    shortly   after  her  death,   from 
the  guidance  of  revelation  in  order  to  trust  to  guides,  who  do 
not  lead  Man  to  real  happiness,  nor  can  they  perform  what  they 
promise. 
Dante's  sin,  then,  is  Aberration  from  the  Faith,  Doubt  of  its 

Truth,  and  Unbelief 
This  would  explain  Beatrice  saying  : — 

'  Tanto  giu  cadde  che  tutti  argomenti 
Alia  salute  sua  eran  gik  corti, 
Fuor  che  mostrargli  le  perdute  genti.' 
But  these  words  would  be  inexplicable  if  Dante  had  nothing 
more  to  reproach  himself  with  than  the  crime  of  having  loved 
another  woman  after  the  death  of  Beatrice." 

Scartazzini  comes  also  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  censure 
passed  upon  Dante  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  is  for  sins  con- 
cerning faith,  from  another  discovery  that  he  has  made.    Virgil, 
Dante's  master  and  guide,  says  in  Purg.  VII,  7-8 : — 
"  lo  son  Virgilio  ;  e  per  null'  altro  rio 

Lo  ciel  perdei,  che  per  non  aver  fe." 
That  is  why  Virgil  is  able  to  walk  in  complete  security 
through  the  regions  of  eternal  and  temporal  torment,  there- 
fore is  it  granted  to  him  to  conduct  his  disciple  as  far  as  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise,  as  far  as  the  left  bank  of  Lethe.  But 
not  one  step  beyond  that.  In  like  manner  it  is  not  permitted 
to  Dante  to  reach  the  right  bank  of  Lethe,  as  we  saw  in  the  last 
lines  of  Canto  XXX  : — 

"  senza  alcuno  scotto 
Di  pentimento  che  lagrime  spanda." 
The  sin,  then,  which  prevents  Dante  from  crossing  Lethe  must 
be  the  same  as  that  rio  which  excludes  Virgil  not  only  from 
Heaven,  but  also  from  the  Terrestrial  Paradise.     Therefore  a 
sin  concerning  his  faith. 


Canto  XXXI,     Readi?igs  on  the  Purgatorio.  387 

In  Canto  XXXIII,  82,  Dante  asks  Beatrice  how  it  is  that  her 
words  surpass  his  power  of  understanding  them.  She  tells  him 
that  it  is  for  the  express  purpose  of  making  him  fully  compre- 
hend that  the  school  {scuola)  he  has  followed  is  as  far  removed 
from  the  divine  way  as  is  the  Earth  from  the  Sphere  of  Heaven 
called  the  Prima  Mobile. 

Therefore  Scartazzini  claims  to  have  established  that  the  sin 
for  which  Dante  has  to  do  penance  on  the  left  bank  of  Lethe  is 
one  concerning  the  faith,  infidelity  towards  her  who  represents 
those  who  ought  to  guide  Man  in  accordance  with  the  doctrines 
of  revelation.  It  cannot  be  a  sin  of  Heresy,  for  Dante  shows 
by  his  works  that  he  never  was  an  unbeliever.  Therefore  the 
school  followed  by  him  was  a  philosophical  school ;  what 
seduced  and  allured  him  were  philosophical  speculations,  and 
his  sin  was  one  of  doubt,  and  of  vacillation  in  his  Faith. 


K  K  K  2 


388  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 


CANTO  XXXII. 


Terrestrial  Paradise  {continued). 
The  Tree  of  Knowledge. 
Ascent  of  the  Gryphon. 
Transformation  of  the  Chariot. 
The  Giant  and  the  Harlot. 

In  the  last  Canto  Dante  gave  a  description  of  the 
beauty  of  Beatrice,  In  the  present  Canto  he  relates 
how  the  procession  of  the  Church  Militant  turned 
about  and  retraced  its  way ;  how  he  followed  the 
chariot  with  Beatrice  and  her  handmaidens  ;  how  an 
eagle  struck  the  Chariot,  and  divers  other  strange 
events, 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v,  i  to  v.  33,  Dante  is 
warned  not  to  look  too  fixedly  at  Beatrice.  The  pro- 
cession returns  through  the  forest,  Dante  and  Statius 
following. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v,  60,  they 
stop  at  the  Tree  of  Knowledge,  to  which  the  Gryphon 
fastens  the  Chariot. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  6 1  to  v.  99,  Dante 
falls  asleep,  and,  on  awaking,  finds  Beatrice,  Matelda, 
and  the  seven  handmaidens  alone  by  the  tree. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v,  100  to  v.  160, 
Dante  describes  in  figurative  language,  the  more 
notable  persecutions  which  the  Church  Militant  had 
suffered. 


Canto  XXXII,     Readings  oti  the  Piirgatorio.  389 

Division  I.     At  the  conclusion  of  the   last  Canto 
Dante  had  at  length  been  accorded  the  privilege  of 
beholding  Beatrice's  countenance  in  its  glorified  state. 
He  gazes  upon  it  with  such  ardent  rapture  that  all 
other  objects  around  him  are  forgotten. 
Tanto  eran  gli  occhi  miei  fissi  ed  attenti 
A  disbramarsi  la  decenne  sete, 
Che  gli  altri  sensi  m'  eran  tutti  spenti. 
Ed  essi  quinci  e  quindi  avean  parete 

Di  non  caler,  cosi  lo  santo  riso  5 

A  se  traeli  con  1'  antica  rete;* 
So  fixed  and  riveted  were  my  eyes  in  satisfying  the 
ten  years'  thirst,  that  all  my  other  senses  were  extin- 
guished. And  upon  either  hand,  both  to  the  right  and 
left,  they  {ix.  my  eyes)  had  a  screen  of  indifference, 
and  thus  the  saintly  smile  (of  Beatrice)  drew  them 
towards  it  with  its  ancient  net. 

Beatrice  had  died  in  1290,  ten  years  before  1300, 
the  year  in  which  the  scene  is  supposed  to  take  place, 
and,  therefore,  Dante's  ten  years'  thirst  means  the 
longing  that  he  had  had  to  behold  her  again.  And 
now  that  his  eyes  see  the  beloved  object,  his  other 
senses  are  in  abeyance.  His  concentrated  gaze  is 
interrupted. 

Quando  per  forza  mi  fu  volto  il  viso 
Ver  la  sinistra  mia  da  quelle  Dee, 
Perch'  io  udia  da  loro  un  :   Troppo  Jiso. 
When  perforce  my  face  was  turned  away  towards 
my  left  hand  by  those  goddesses  (the  three  divine 
maidens),  because  I  heard  from  them  a  (sound  of) 
"  Too  intently." 

*  By  /*  antica  rete  he  means  : — 

"L'  antico  amor  che  gik  m'  avea  traffitto 
Prima  che  io  fuor  di  puerizia  fosse." 


390  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxii. 

In  verse  Ii6  of  the  previous  Canto,  we  saw  that 
Dante  had  been  placed  in  front  of  the  emerald  eyes 
of  Beatrice,  who  was  still  standing  upon  the  mystic 
Chariot,  and  turned  towards  the  Gryphon.  Dante 
was,  therefore,  standing  in  front  of  the  Chariot,  and 
had  on  his  right  hand  the  four  nymphs  dressed  in 
purple  (XXIX,  130),  i.e.  the  cardinal  virtues,  and  on 
his  /eft  the  three  others  (XXIX,  121),  i.e.  the  theolo- 
gical virtues.  The  latter  are,  therefore,  the  goddesses 
who  speak  to  him  the  words  :  "  Troppo  fiso"  They 
invite  him  to  look  at  other  things  that  are  passing 
around  him,  and  notably  they  would  seem  to  be  draw- 
ing his  attention  to  the  procession  of  the  Church 
Militant  now  about  to  retrace  its  steps.  Benvenuto 
thinks  that  they  wish  to  modify  the  admonition  of 
the  other  four  damsels,  who  (in  XXXI,  115)  told  him 
Fa  che  le  viste  non  risparmi. 

Dante  now  explains  how  impossible  it  was  for  him 
to  see  anything  at  all,  so  soon  as  he  withdrew  his 
gaze  from  Beatrice's  eyes,  which  had  completely 
dazzled  him. 

E  la  disposizion  ch'  a  veder  it.  10 

Negli  occhi  pur  test^  dal  sol  percossi, 
Senza  la  vista  alquanto  esser  mi  fee.* 

And  that  condition  of  the  sight  which  exists  in  eyes 
that  have  only  recently  been  struck  by  (the  rays  of) 
the  sun  bereft  me,  for  some  moments,  of  my  sight. 

*  Fee :  =  mz/ece,  mife.  Scartazzini  says  that  the  second  "  e  " 
was  not  added  for  any  poetical  license,  but  because  it  was  the 
old  rule  for  the  third  person  singular  of  the  perfect  tense.  It 
was  used  as  much  in  prose  as  in  poetry. 

"  Con  sola  la  parola  gli  rendee  la  salute." 

Dial.  S.  Greg.,  I,  4. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  391 

Ma  poi  che  al  poco  il  viso  riformossi, 

(lo  dico  al  poco,  per  rispetto  al  molto 

Sensibile,  onde  a  forza  mi  rimossi),  15 

Vidi  in  sul  braccio  destro  esser  rivolto 
Lo  glorioso  esercito,  e  tomarsi 
Col  sole  e  con  le  sette  fiamme  al  volto. 

But  when  my  vision  gradually  readapted  itself  to 
the  less — I  say  the  less,  out  of  respect  to  the  greater 
splendour  {i.e.  the  intense  radiance  of  Beatrice),  from 
which  perforce  I  had  turned  away — I  saw  that  the 
glorious  host  had  wheeled  on  its  right  flank,  and  was 
returning  with  the  sun,  and  the  seven  flames  (of  the 
candlesticks)  in  its  face. 

The  right  wheel  of  the  Chariot  (that  of  the  New 
Testament)  was  the  first  to  move.  Up  to  this  time 
the  procession  had  been  marching  towards  the  West, 
meeting  Dante,  who  had  been  walking  towards  the 
East,  as  we  gather  from  Cantos  XXVII  and  XXVIII. 
The  Chariot  now  wheels  about,  and  they  all  proceed 
together  towards  the  East. 

Scartazzini  here  quotes  from  Benvenuto  and  Buti 
to  show  that  torjiarsi  does  not  mean  volgersi,  but  tor- 
nare  mdieiro,  return  back  again.  Antonelli  says  that 
if  we  reflect  upon  the  facts  narrated  during  this  day, 
from  the  ascent  of  the  stairway  up  to  this  point,  we 
shall  be  led  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  now  about 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Therefore,  the  majestic 
procession,  in  wheeling  upon  its  right  flank,  described 
a  semicircle  from  west  to  east,  by  the  north,  and  thus 
the  personages  composing  it  were  struck  full  in  the 
face  by  the  rays  of  the  sun  as  they  wended  their  way 
up  the  stream  along  its  right  bank.  Jacopo  della 
Lana  remarks  on  what  follows  and  says  that,  as  when 


392  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

hosts  are  about  to  change  their  camp,  all  await  the 
standards,  and  do  not  march  in  a  straight,  but  in  a 
circular  line,  and  in  such  wise  that  the  shields  shall 
always  be  on  the  outside,  so  this  mystic  host  set  itself 
in  motion  behind  its  first  standards,  and  the  Chariot 
did  not  move  until  the  whole  of  the  procession  had 
passed  Dante. 

Come  sotto  gli  scudi  per  salvarsi 

Volgesi  schiera,  e  sh  gira  col  segno,*  20 

Prima  che  possa  tutta  in  s^  mutarsi : 

Quella  milizia  del  celeste  regno, 

Che  precedeva,  tutta  trapassonne 

Pria  che  piegasse  il  carro  il  primo  legno.t 

Like  a  battalion  wheels  round  under  (the  protection 
of)  its  shields  for  safety,  and  moves  round  with  the 
standard,  before  the  whole  body  can  change  its  front : 
(so)  that  soldiery  of  the  celestial  kingdom,  which  were 

*  Compare  Tasso  {Ger.  lib.  XI,  st.  33)  : — 
"  La  gente  Franca  impetuosa  e  ratta 
Allor  quanto  piu  puote  affretta  i  passi  : 
E  parte  scudo  a  scudo  insieme  adatta, 
E  di  quegli  un  coperchio  al  capo  fassi." 
Scartazzini  says  the  simile  is  quite  exact  in  all  its  parts.     A 
long  column  must  wheel  many  times  before  the  whole  of  it  has 
changed  its  front.     First  the  van  with  the  standard ;  then  the 
main  body  by  degrees,  and  last  of  all  the  rear-guard.     In  like 
manner  here,  first  the  candlesticks  go  in  front,  then  the  band  of 
the  saints,  and  last  of  all  the  Chariot. 

t  il  primo  legno :  There  are  two  interpretations  of  this  line  : 
Jirst^  that  the  pole  bent  the  Chariot  round  to  the  right ;  second^ 
that  carro  governs  the  construction,  and  must  be  understood 
that  the  chariot,  as  if  animated,  turned  its  own  pole.  Scartazzini 
says  that  the  first  of  these  interpretations,  as  the  more  simple 
and  natural,  deserves  the  preference. 


Canto  XXXIT.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  393 

in  the  van,  had  all  of  them  passed  us,  before  the  pole 
had  turned  the  Chariot. 

When  the  line  of  the  elders  had  passed  by,  the 
Chariot  also  began  to  turn  round  to  follow  them. 

Indi  alle  ruote  si  tornar  le  donne,*  25 

E  il  grifon  mosse  il  benedetto  carco, 
Si  che  pero  nulla  penna  crollonne. 

Then  did  the  ladies  return  to  the  wheels  {i.e.  the 
four  to  the  left  wheel,  and  the  three  to  the  right),  and 
the  Gryphon  set  his  holy  burden  in  motion,  but  in 
such  wise  {i.e.  so  easily)  that  not  one  of  his  feathers 
was  disturbed. 

The  operations  of  Divine  Power  are  set  in  motion 
by  the  sole  exercise  of  the  Divine  Will,  No  other 
external  means  or  instruments  are  necessary  for 
Christ  to  guide  His  Church,  than  His  Word  alone, 
and  His  Holy  Spirit. 

Dante  himself,  with  Matelda  and  Statins,  close  the 
procession.     It   may  be  noticed  that,  from  the  time 
that  Statius  enters  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  he  never 
utters  a  word,  but  becomes  perfectly  passive. 
La  bella  donna  che  mi  trasse  al  varco, 
E  Staziot  ed  io  seguitavam  la  ruota 
Che  fe'  r  orbita  sua  con  minore  arco.  30 

*  le  donne :  The  four  damsels  had  left  their  appointed  post 
for  the  purpose  of  conducting  Dante  towards  Beatrice's  eyes 
(XXXI,  109)  ;  while  the  other  three  had  come  forward,  danzando 
al  loro  angelica  caribo,  to  entreat  Beatrice  to  display  her  features 
(XXXI,  132). 

t  Stazio  :  Scartazzini  says  that  there  is  no  means  of  conjec- 
turing what  part  Statius  is  now  made  to  serve  in  the  great 
vision.  As  a  soul  purified  from  every  sin,  he  might  have 
ascended  direct  up  to  Heaven,  without  waiting  to  behold  the 
mysteries  which  are  shown  to  Dante  in  order  that  he  may  relate 


394  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxil. 

The  fair  lady  (Matelda),  who  drew  me  through  the 
ford,  and  Statius  and  I  were  following  that  wheel 
which  made  its  orbit  with  the  lesser  arc. 

As  the  procession  wheeled  on  its  right  hand,  the 
left  wheel  had  to  make  the  longest  turn,  and  the  right 
wheel,  consequently,  a  much  shorter  one. 

Dante  now  finds  himself  on  the  side  of  the  three 
theological  virtues  between  the  Chariot  and  the  bank 
of  Lethe.  And  he  adds  that  the  holy  strains  of  angels 
singing  kept  time  with  their  footsteps. 
Si  passeggiando  1'  alta  selva,  vota, 

Colpa  di  quella  ch'  al  serpente  crese,* 
Temprava  i  passi  un'  angelica  nota. 

Thus  passing  through  the  lofty  forest,  empty  (of 
inhabitants)  from  the  fault  of  her  (Eve)  who  put  her 
trust  in  the  serpent,  an  angelic  strain  (of  music)  regu- 
lated the  paces  (of  the  glorious  host).*)"     > 


Division  II.  Here  begins  the  Second  Division  of 
the  Canto,  and  in  it  we  read  how  the  mystic  proces- 
sion, followed  by  Dante  and  Statius,  comes  to  a  stop 

them  to  the  living  (XXXIII,  52  et  seg.).  Dante  certainly  must 
have  had  some  reasons  for  mentioning  Statius  up  to  the  end  of 
the  Purgatorio  (XXXIII,  134),  but  Scartazzini  confesses  that  he 
cannot  guess  what  the  reasons  were. 

*  Crese :  for  crede.  In  the  middle  ages  cresi,  crese,  cresero, 
were  freely  used  both  in  prose  and  in  verse. 

t  Dante  here  repeats  the  censure  which  he  first  passed  on  Eve 
in  XXIX,  23-30.  In  the  De  Monarchia,  III,  16,  Dante  says  that 
by  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  is  figured  the  happiness  of  this  life. 
By  saying  that  the  forest  is  empty  of  inhabitants,  through  the 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  395 

at  a  tree  denuded  of  its  foliage.  This  is  the  Tree  of 
Knowledge,  and  to  it  the  Gryphon  fastens  the 
Chariot. 

Forse  in  tre  voli  tanto  spazio  prese 

Disfrenata  saetta,  quanto  erdmo  35 

Rimossi,  quando  Beatrice  scese.* 

Perchance  an  arrow  loosened  from  the  string  had 
in  three  flights  traversed  as  great  a  space  as  we  had 
moved  onward,  when  Beatrice  alighted  (from  the 
Chariot). 

She  alights  when  the  company  has  reached  the  Tree, 
which,  as  we  shall  see,  is  the  symbol  of  obedience,  and 
she  goes  and  sits  down  on  its  roots  under  the  boughs. 
The  act  of  alighting  is  essentially  one  of  homage  to 
Obedience.  But  more  than  that,  the  Tree  is  also  sym- 
bolic of  the  empire,  and  thus  Beatrice's  descent  from 
the  Chariot  will  signify  the  deference_^ndsubmission , 
of  the  ecclesiastical  to  the  civil  authority,  in  accordance 
with  St.  Paul's  injunction  {Rom.  xiii,  i),  "Let  every 

fault  of  Eve,  Dante  means  to  express  that  by  reason  of  sin  no 
one  occupies  himself  in  the  practice  of  virtue,  as  in  the  words  of 
the  Psalmist  {Ps.  LIII,  3),  "There  is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one."  Dante  implies,  in  the  literal  sense,  that,  owing  to 
the  fault  of  our  first  mother,  the  Terrestrial  Paradise  is  unin- 
habited, man  having  been  excluded  therefrom  on  account  of  sin  ; 
and,  in  the  allegorical  sense,  that,  from  the  faults  of  bad  govern- 
ment, there  is  no  one  in  the  world  who  practises  virtue,  and 
follows  out  his  own  real  happiness  in  this  life. 

*  Scartazzini  says  :  "  What  is  the  allegorical  meaning  of  this 
descent  of  Beatrice  from  the  mystical  Chariot,  the  symbol  of  the 
Church?"  It  is,  he  thinks,  a  sign  of  humility,  and  he  quotes 
Gen.  XXIV,  64-65,  showing  how  Rebekah  alighted  off  her  camel, 
and  covered  herself  with  her  veil,  when  she  saw  Isaac  approach- 
ing, and  had  ascertained  who  he  was. 


}^(^6  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  xxxii. 

soul  be  subject  unto  the  higher  powers."  And  these 
two  interpretations  of  the  Tree  being  symbolic  both  of 
obedience  and  of  the  empire  are  not  antagonistic  to 
each  other,  because  deference  paid  to  imperial  authority 
is  precisely  homage  rendered  to  obedience. 
lo  sentii  mormorare  a  tutti  :  Adamo  ! 

Poi  cerchiaro  una  pianta,*  dispogliata 
Di  fiori  e  d'  altra  fronda  in  ciascun  ramo. 

*  una  pianta:  Scartazzini  says  that,  to  explain  and  examine 
accurately  all  the  divergent  opinions  as  to  the  allegorical  meaning 
of  una  pianta,  even  a  long  dissertation  would  not  suffice.  First 
and  foremost  he  says  that  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  la  pianta 
in  its  literal  sense  is  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil, 
planted  by  God  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  or  Terrestrial  Paradise. 
In  describing  the  tree  the  Poet  had  also  under  his  eye  that  tree 
(mentioned  in  Daniel  IV,  20-22),  that  was  great  and  strong, 
whose  height  reached  unto  the  heaven,  and  which  King  Nebu- 
chadnezzar saw  in  "  the  visions  of  his  head  in  his  bed  "  {Dan. 
IV,  10).  In  many  passages  in  Holy  Scripture  the  tree  is  intro- 
duced as  an  emblem  of  power  and  royal  majesty.  As  a  tree 
stretches  up  above  all  other  plants,  so  the  supreme  power  is 
elevated  above  its  subjects,  and  just  as  a  tree  gives  shade  so  the 
supreme  power  protects  its  subjects.  Many  commentators  think 
that  the  tree  of  the  Dantesque  vision  is  a  symbol  of  obedience, 
but  that  is  only  part  of  the  full  sense.  Two  figures  stand  out  pro- 
minently in  the  great  vision,  namely,  the  Tree  and  the  Chariot. 
The  Chariot  is  the  emblem  of  the  Church.  The  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise is  a  figure  of  the  happiness  of  this  life.  But  in  this  life  we 
can  have  no  happiness  without  well-being  {ben  essere).  And  to 
secure  well-being  in  this  world  temporal  monarchy  is  necessary, 
as  Dante  maintains  in  the  first  Book  of  his  De  Monarchia,  ch.  5. 
If  Empire  be  necessary  to  the  well-being  of  the  world,  and  if  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise  be  a  figure  of  the  world  in  a  state  of  well- 
being  where  man  is  happy  {Purg.  XXX,  75),  it  follows  of  neces- 
sity that  Dante,  true  to  his  system,  was  bound  to  introduce  the 
symbol  of  the  Empire  into  his  vision  with  the  others.  The  only 
symbol  of  the  Empire  admissible  is  the  Mystic  Tree.     Besides 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  397 

I  heard  all  murmur  (in  a  tone  of  censure),  "-Adam!" 
then  they  encircled  a  Tree  that  was  despoiled  of 
blossoms  and  leaves  on  each  of  its  boughs. 

The  whole  company  murmur  against  Adam,  through 
whose  disobedience  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  by 
sin  death  {Rom,  v,  1 2).  This  murmuring  involves  cen- 
sure on  any  one,  even  a  pope,  who  is  guilty  of  dis- 
obedience. Brunone  Bianchi  says  that  we  have  here 
a  tacit  comparison  between  the  sin  of  Adam,  who, 
having  been  placed  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  touched 
the  tree  forbidden  by  God,  the  Supreme  Emperor,  on 
the  one  hand ;  and  on  the  other,  we  have  the  pope, 
who,  placed  in  Rome,  and  under  the  protection  of  the 
imperial  throne,  withdraws  himself  from  obedience  to 
the  emperor,  whose  authority  derives  from  God,  and 
lays  his  hands  upon  the  secular  jurisdiction  belonging 
to  the  emperor,  and  that  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
express  commands  of  Christ. 

La  coma  sua,  che  tanto  si  dilata*  40 

this,  it  is  not  at  all  rare  to  find  a  tree,  amongst  the  poets,  used  as 
a  symbol  of  the  Empire,  or  of  a  reigning  house.  Hence  Dante 
could  with  reason  take  the  Tree  as  the  symbol  either  of  the 
monarchy  or  the  Roman  empire.  And  in  truth  all  that  Dante 
says  of  the  Tree  fits  in  very  well  with  the  empire. 

*  This  Tree  would  seem  to  be  similar  in  form  to  the  one  de- 
scribed on  the  sixth  cornice  {Purg.  XXII,  130-135).  Dante 
there  explains  the  shape,  saying  of  it : — 

"  crecP  to  perche  persona  su  nan  vadaP 
In  Purg.  XXXIII,  58,  Beatrice  says  that  whosoever  robs  or 
injures  the  Tree  sins  against  God  ;  and  then,  after  mentioning 
the  punishment  of  Adam,  who  ate  of  its  fruit,  she  adds  (v.  64): — 
"  Dorme  lo  ingegno  tuo,  se  non  istima 

Per  singular  cagione  essere  eccelsa 
Lei  tanto,  e  si  travolta  nella  cima." 


398  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

Piu,  quanto  piu  h  su,  fora  dagl'  Indi* 
Ne'  boschi  lor,  per  altezza,t  ammirata. 

Its  crowning  boughs,  which  widen  out  the  more  as 
they  are  higher  up,  would  have  been  wondered  at  for 
height  even  by  Indians  in  their  woods. 

Scartazzini  says  that  this  passage  (40-42)  is  intended 
above  all  things  to  symbolize  the  inviolability  of  the 
Empire,  which,  according  to  the  Will  of  God,  must 
not  be  touched.  In  De  Monarchia  III,  ch.  10,  Dante 
says  that  it  is  not  even  lawful  for  the  Emperor  himself 
"  scindere  imperiumJ' 

Dante,  having  shown  how  all  the  company  censured 
the  disobedience  of  Adam,  now  shows  how  they  com- 
mend the  obedience  of  Christ,  Who  restored  the  Tree 
which  Adam  had  despoiled. 

— "  Beato  se',  grifon,  che  non  discindit 

Col  becco  d'  esto  legno  dolce  al  gusto, 

Poscia  che  mal  si  torce  il  ventre  quindi." —         45 

The  words  travolta  nella  cima  describe  how  that  the  tree  was 
inverted  on  its  summit  to  render  it  more  difficult  of  access. 
Coma  is  a  Latinism  for  chioma. 

*  dagli  Indi:    Compare  Virg.  Georg.  II,  122  : — 

" gerit  India  lucos, 

Extremi  sinus  orbis,  ubi  aera  vincere  summum 
Arboris  baud  ullae  jactu  potuere  sagittas." 

t  Per  altezza :  Scartazzini  says  there  is  a  complete  parallelism 
between  the  two  trees  as  described  by  Daniel  (IV,  7-19),  and  this 
tree  described  by  Dante.  With  Daniel  the  tree  is  an  emblem 
of  the  Babylonian  Empire,  with  Dante,  of  the  Roman  Empire. 

t  The  Gryphon  (z.  e.  Jesus  Christ)  is  praised  because  he  does 
not  rend  the  Tree,  meaning  the  Empire,  to  which  our  Lord  willed 
that  due  homage  should  be  rendered.  He  gave  the  command : 
"Render,  therefore,  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's, 
and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's."— 5/.  MaU.  XXII,  21. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  399 

Cosi  d'  intomo  all'  arbore  robusto 

Gridaron  gli  altri  ;  e  1'  animal  binato  : 
— "  Si  si  conserva  il  seme  d'  ogni  giusto." — 
"  Blessed  art  thou,  Gryphon,  who  dost  not  rend  with 
thy  beak  this  Tree,  whose  fruit  is  sweet  to  the  taste  (as 
Eve  found  it),  since  by  that  taste  {gnindi)  the  belly 
(of  mankind)  was  contorted  with  anguish  {i.  e.  Man 
tasted  thereof  to  his  own  hurt.) "  Thus  cried  the 
others  (/'.  e.  the  members  of  the  Church  Militant) 
round  the  mighty  Tree  ;  and  the  animal  of  twofold 
nature  (the  Gryphon,  answered):  "  Thus  is  preserved 
the  seed  of  all  the  just." 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  these  words,  put  into  the 
mouth  of  the  Gryphon,  are  a  paraphrase  of  those 
spoken  by  Christ  to  St.  John  the  Baptist :  "  For  thus 
it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness,"  (in  the 
WnXgdle Justice):' — St.  Matt.  Ill,  15. 

The  Gryphon  now  draws  the  Chariot  up  and  binds 
it  to  the  tree ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  Tree 
throws  out  fresh  blossoms. 

E  volto  al  temo  ch'  egli  avea  tirato, 

Trasselo  al  pi^  della  vedova  frasca  ;  50 

E  quel  di  lei  a  lei  lascio  legato. 

And  (the  Gryphon),  turning  to  the  pole  which  he 

had  dragged,  drew  it  to  the  foot  of  the  widowed  stem 

{i.  e.  bare  tree),  and  left  bound  to  it  that  which  was 

(made)  of  it  {i.  e.  the  wooden  pole.) 

According  to  Dante  He  recognized  and  confirmed  the  authority 
of  the  Empire,  first  in  submitting  Himself  to  the  Census  ordained 
in  the  reign  of  Caesar  Augustus,  thereby  registering  Himself  as  a 
subject  of  the  Empire.  At  His  condemnation  He  said  to  Pilate: 
"  Thou  couldest  have  no  power  at  all  against  me,  except  it  were 
given  thee  from  above,"'  thereby  recognizing  his  power  as 
legitimate. — St.JohnX\X,i\. 


400  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  by  the  pole  is  meant  the 
sacred  seat  of  the  Church,  and  that  as  the  Gryphon 
drags  the  Chariot  by  the  pole,  so  Christ  guides  His 
Church  by  means  of  the  Sacred  Seat.  The  tree  then 
is,  literally  :  The  Tree  of  Knowledge  of  Good  and 
Evil ;  allegorically  :  The  Empire. 

The  Cross  of  Christ  derived  from  the  Tree  of 
Knowledge  is  the  origin  of  the  Papal  Seat.  If  the 
Cross  is  made  from  a  branch  of  the  Tree  of  Know- 
ledge, and  the  Papal  Seat  originates  in  the  Cross,  it 
can  well  be  said  that  the  Papal  Seat  was  formed  from 
a  branch  of  that  Tree.  Christ  joins  the  Papal  Seat, 
Roman  in  its  origin,  to  the  Roman  Empire ;  and  that 
not  only  in  externals,  as  shown  by  both  Papacy  and 
Empire  having  their  central  abode  at  Rome ;  but  also 
inwardly,  in  that,  according  to  Dante,  both  Pope  and 
Emperor  ought  to  go  hand  in  hand  in  guiding  the 
human  race  to  its  two-fold  object  and  end. 

Now  Dante  describes  the  marvellous  change  that 
came  over  the  Tree  after  the  Gryphon  had  bound  to  it 
the  pole  of  the  Chariot. 

Come  le  nostra  piante,  quando  casca 

Giu  la  gran  luce  mischiata  con  quella 
Che  raggia  dietro  alia  celeste  lasca,* 

Turgidet  fansi,  e  poi  si  rinnovella  55 


*  lasca,  which  properly  means  a  roach  or  mullet,  here  signi- 
fies the  Constellation  of  the  Fish.  Aries  follows  after  Pisces, 
and  when  the  sun  is  in  Aries  we  are  in  spring. 

t  turgide  fansi :  swell  with  sap.  Compare  Virg.  Eclog.  VII, 
48:- 

"  Jam  laeto  turgent  in  palmite  gemmae." 
and  Georg.  I,  315  : — 

"  Frumenta  in  viridi  stipula  lactentia  turgent." 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  tJie  Purgatorio.  401 

Di  suo  color*  ciascuna,  pria  che  il  sole 
Giunga  li  suoi  corsier  sott'  altra  Stella  ; 
Men  che  di  rose,  e  piii  che  di  viole 

Colore  aprendo,  s'  innovo  la  pianta, 

Che  prima  avea  le  ramorat  si  sole.  60 

As  our  plants  {i.e.  those  in  our  world)  when  (in  Spring) 
the  great  light  (the  Sun)  falls  downwards,  mingled 
with  that  (of  Aries)  which  beams  behind  the  Celestial 
Fish  {lit.  roach),  begin  to  swell,  and  then  each  is  re- 
newed in  its  own  colour,  before  that  the  Sun  harnesses 
his  steeds  beneath  another  star  (the  constellation  of 
Taurus) ;  in  like  manner  did  the  Tree,  which  before 
had  had  its  boughs  so  desolate,  renew  itself,  disclosing 
a  hue  less  (vivid)  than  that  of  roses,  but  more  than 
that  of  violets.J 

*  di  suo  color.     Compare  Petrarch,  Rim.  P.  I.  son.  9  : — 
"  Quando  '1  pianeta  che  distingue  1'  ore 
Ad  albergar  col  Tauro  si  ritoma. 
Cade  virtu  dall'  infiammate  coma, 
Che  veste  il  mondo  di  novel  colore." 
t  ramora,  an  ancient  form  of  the  plural  rami ;  so  campora 
for  campi.     See  Nannucci,  Teoria  dei  Kami,  page  360. 

X  Ruskin  {Mod.  Painters^  III,  226)  says:  "Some  three 
arrow-flights  farther  up  into  the  wood  we  come  to  a  tall  tree, 
which  is  at  first  barren,  but,  after  some  little  time,  visibly 
opens  into  flowers,  of  a  colour  '  less  than  that  of  roses,  but 
more  than  that  of  violets.'  It  certainly  would  not  be  possible, 
in  words,  to  come  nearer  to  the  definition  of  the  exact  hue 
which  Dante  meant — that  of  the  apple  blossom.  Had  he  em- 
ployed any  simple  colour  phrase,  as  a  '  pale  pink,'  or  '  violet 
pink,'  or  any  other  such  combined  expression,  he  still  could 
not  have  completely  got  at  the  delicacy  of  the  hue  ;  he  might, 
perhaps,  have  indicated  its  kind,  but  not  its  tenderness  ;  but  by 
taking  the  rose-leaf  as  the  type  of  the  delicate  red,  and  then 
enfeebling  this  with  the  violet  grey,  he  gets,  as  closely  as  lan- 

L  L  L 


402  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxii. 

Scartazzini  remarks  that  here  again  we  have  one  of 
those  passages,  which  have  not  yet  found  their 
CEdipus  to  interpret  them.  Speaking  generally,  he 
has  no  doubt  that  the  allegorical  sense  of  this  passage 
is,  that  the  virtue  infused  by  the  mystic  Chariot  into 
this  Tree,  that  is,  by  the  Church  into  the  Empire,  was 
so  great,  that  the  Tree  was  seen  in  a  short  time  to 
renovate  itself  entirely,  and  to  clothe  itself  with 
foliage  and  fruits  ;  implying  thereby  that  the  Empire, 
when  converted  to  Christianity,  was  endowed  with 
new  life.  As  soon  as  the  Church  was  joined  to  the 
Empire,  the  latter  began  at  once,  at  least  potentially, 
to  prosper. 


Division  III.  Here  begins  the  Third  Division  of 
the  Canto,  in  which  Dante  relates  how  he  falls  asleep, 
and  on  awaking  finds  Beatrice,  Matelda,  and  the 
seven  damsels  alone  by  the  Tree,  and  learns  that  the 
glorious  Procession  of  the  Church  Militant,  and  the 
Gryphon,  have  ascended  to  Heaven. 

Dante  first   tells   how  the  whole  of  the  celestial 
beings  present  before  him  chanted  a  hymn  so  sweet, 
that  overwhelmed  with  emotion  he  fell  asleep, 
lo  non  lo  intesi,  e  qui  non  si  canta 

L'  inno  che  quella  gente  allor  cantaro, 
N^  la  nota  soffersi  tutta  quanta. 

guage  can  carry  him,  to  the  complete  rendering  of  the  vision, 
though  it  is  evidently  felt  by  him  to  be  in  its  perfect  beauty 
ineffable ;  and  rightly  so  felt,  for  of  all  lovely  things  which 
grace  the  spring-time  in  our  fair  temperate  zone,  I  am  not 
sure  but  this  blossoming  of  the  apple-tree  is  the  fairest." 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  403 

I  did  not  understand  it,  nor  here  (on  earth)  is  sung 
the  hymn  which  that  company  then  sang,  nor  could  I 
bear  (to  hear)  the  whole  melody  throughout, 

S'  io  potessi  ritrar  come  assonnaro 

Gli  occhi  spietati,  udendo  di  Siringa,*  65 

Gli  occhi  a  cui  piu  vegghiar  costo  si  caro  ; 
Come  pintor  che  con  esemplo  pinga 

Disegnerei  com'  io  m'  addormentai  ; 

Ma  qual  vuol  sia  che  P  assonnar  ben  finga. 

If  I  could  portray  how  the  unrelenting  eyes  (of 
Argus)  sank  into  slumber,  on  hearing  (tell)  of  Syrinx, 
the  eyes  to  which  more  watching  cost  so  dear ;  like 
an  artist  who  paints  from  a  model,  I  would  delineate 
the  way  that  I  fell  asleep  ;  but  whosoever  wishes 
(to  do  so),  let  him  be  one  who  can  well  depict 
slumber. 

Dante  implies  that  he  is  not,  himself,  able  to  do  it, 
and  he  only  will  describe  what  he  saw  when  he 
awoke. 

*  Juno,  having  cause  to  be  jealous  of  Io,  had  placed  her 
under  the  guardianship  of  Argus,  whose  hundred  eyes  watched 
without  intermission.  Jupiter,  having  ordered  Mercury  to 
carry  off  the  young  nymph,  Mercury  slew  Argus,  after  lulling 
him  to  sleep  by  telling  him  the  stoiy  of  Syrinx,  the  nymph 
of  Arcadia,  who  was  changed  into  a  reed.  See  Ovid,  Met.  I 
(Dryden's  translation). 

"  While  Hermes  piped,  and  sung,  and  told  his  tale, 
The  keeper's  winking  eyes  began  to  fail. 
And  drowsy  slumber  on  the  eyes  to  creep  ; 
Till  all  the  watchman  was  at  length  asleep. 
Then  soon  the  god  his  voice  and  song  supprest, 
And  with  his  powerful  rod  confirmed  his  rest  ; 
Without  delay  his  crooked  falchion  drew, 
And  at  one  fatal  stroke  the  keeper  slew." 
L  L  L  2 


404  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

Pero  trascorro  a  quando  mi  svegliai,  70 

E  dico  ch'  un  splendor  mi  squarcio*  il  velo 
Del  sonno,  ed  un  chiamar  :  Surgi,  chefai? 
Therefore  I  pass  on  to  when"  I  awoke,  and  I  say 
that  a  dazzling  light  tore  aside  the  veil  of  my  sleep, 
and  (also)  a  crying  out,  "  Arise,  what  doest  thou  ? " 

The  dazzling  light  is  the  now  distant  glory  of  the 
Gryphon,  the  Elders  and  the  Angels  reascending  to 
Heaven.-f"  It  would  seem  to  be  Matelda  who  spoke 
the  words,  and  Dante  finds  her  standing  over  him 
after  his  sleep,  like  as  we  read  in  Canto  XXXI,  91-96, 
that  she  had  hovered  over  him  after  his  swoon. 

Dante  then  goes  on  to  compare  himself  to  the 
disciples  at  the  Transfiguration. 

Quale  a  veder  dei  fioretti  del  melo,!t 

Che  del  suo  porno  gli  Angeli  fa  ghiotti, 
E  perpetue  nozze  fa  nel  cielo,  75 

Pietro  e  Giovanni  e  Jacopo  condotti 
E  vinti  ritornaro  alia  parola, 
Dalla  qual  furon  maggior'  sonni  rotti, 

*  mi  squarcio  il  velo  del  sonno.  Compare  Inf.  XXXIII,  26  : — 
"  quand'  io  feci  il  mal  sonno 
Che  del  future  mi  squarcio  il  velame." 

t  The  description  of  the  dazzling  light  has  a  close  analogy  to 
that  of  the  Transfiguration.  The  three  disciples  fell  asleep 
(St.  Luke,  IX,  32)  :  "  But  Peter  and  they  that  were  with  him 
were  heavy  with  sleep,  and  when  they  were  awake  they  saw 
his  glory,  and  the  two  men  that  stood  with  him."  And  in 
the  description  by  St.  Matthew,  XVII,  7,  we  find  the  resem- 
blance to  "  Surgi,  che  fai  ?  "  "  And  Jesus  came  and  touched 
them,  and  said  :  Arise,  and  be  not  afraid." 

%  melo.  Compare  Song  of  Solomon,  II,  3  :  "As  the  apple- 
tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wood,  so  is  my  beloved  among 
the  sons."  This  passage  is  interpreted  as  referring  to  Christ, 
and  Dante  here  calls  the  Transfiguration  the  blossoming  of 
that  tree. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  07i  the  Ptirgatorio.  405 

E  videro  scemata  loro  scuola, 

Cosi  di  Moisfe  come  d'  Elia,  80 

Ed  al  maestro  suo  cangiata  stola : 
Tal  torna'  io,  e  vidi  quella  pia 

Sovra  me  starsi,  che  conducitrice 

Fu  de'  miei  passi  lungo  il  fiume  pria. 

As,  to  behold  the  blossoms  of  that  apple-tree  which 
makes  the  Angels  eager  for  its  fruit,  and  keeps  per- 
petual bridals  in  Heaven  {i.e.  the  glory  of  Christ,  of 
which  the  Transfiguration  was  but  a  glimpse),  Peter 
and  John  and  James  were  led  (apart),  and  (having 
been)  overcome  (by  sleep)  recovered  at  the  word  (of 
Christ)  by  which  more  profound  slumbers  have  been 
broken  {i.e.  those  of  the  dead)  and  they  (the  three 
disciples)  beheld  their  company  diminished  by  (the 
loss  of)  both  Moses,  as  also  of  Elias,  and  (found)  that 
the  raiment  of  their  Master  changed  :  so  I  revived, 
and  beheld  that  saintly  one  (Matelda)  standing  over 
me,  she  who  before  had  been  the  conductress  of  my 
steps  along  the  (bank  of  the)  stream. 
He  now  misses  Beatrice. 

E  tutto  in  dobbio  dissi :— "  Ov'  h  Beatrice  ?  "—  85 

Ond'  ella — "  Vedi  lei  sotto  la  fronda 

Nuova  sedere  in  su  la  sua  radice.* 
Vedi  la  compagnia  che  la  circonda  ; 

Gli  altri  dope  il  grifon  sen  vanno  suso, 

Con  piu  dolce  canzone  e  piu  profonda." —  90 

And  all  in  doubt  I  said  :  "Where  is  Beatrice  ?"    And 

*  Scartazzini  says  that  Beatrice  is  sitting  beneath  the  foliage 
and  upon  the  roots  of  the  mystic  tree.  We  have  seen  that 
the  tree  is  a  symbol  of  the  Empire.  Therefore,  its  roots, 
speaking  allegorically,  can  only  signify  the  spot  on  which  the 
Empire  itself  was  situated,  and  from  which  it  stretched  forth 
its  branches,  and  that  spot  is  Rome. 


4o6  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

she:  "Behold  her  under  the  new  foliage,  sitting 
upon  its  roots.  Behold  the  company  that  surrounds 
her :  the  others  are  ascending  with  the  Gryphon,  with 
sweeter  song  and  of  deeper  import." 

Tommaseo  thinks  that  the  Angels  and  the  seven 
Virtues  were  round  Beatrice,  but  Scartazzini  points 
out  that  as  the  Angels  were  mentioned  before,  and  not 
now,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  were  in- 
cluded in  the  glorious  host  that  was  following  the 
Gryphon  up  to  Heaven. 

Dante  now  relates  how  he  concentrated  his  gaze  on 
Beatrice. 

E  se  pill  fu  lo  suo  parlar  diffuse 

Non  so,  pero  che  gik  negli  occhi  m'  era 
Quella  ch'  ad  altro  intender  m'  avea  chiuso. 

Sola  sedeasi  in  su  la  terra  vera. 

Come  guardia  lasciata  li  del  plaustro,  95 

Che  legar  vidi  alia  biforme  fiera. 

And  whether  her  speech  was  further  poured  forth,  I 
know  not,  because  already  she  (Beatrice)  was  before 
my  eyes,  who  had  distracted  my  attention  from  hear- 
ing more.  She  was  sitting  alone  upon  the  bare  earth, 
left  there  as  guardian  of  the  Chariot,  which  I  had  seen 
bound  to  the  Tree  by  the  animal  of  twofold  nature 
(the  Gryphon). 

Most  of  the  commentators  take  la  terra  vera  to 
mean  the  soil  of  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  that  pure 
soil,  uncontaminated  by  original  sin.  Scartazzini 
argues  that  Beatrice  was  sitting  on  the  roots  of  the 
Tree,  which  (v.  86)  was  supposed  to  signify,  that  spiri- 
tual authority  has  its  seat  in  Rome,  the  root  of  the 
Empire.  Here  we  find  two  things  said  of  Beatrice. 
She  is   sitting  alone,   and    sitting  on  la  terra  vera. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  407 

Vera  must  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  niida.  Beatrice 
sits  alone ;  she  has  no  other  court  than  the  seven 
Virtues.  She  sits  on  la  terra  vera;  she  has  no 
other  throne  than  the  bare  earth,  thereby  imitating 
Him,  who  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head.  Beatrice 
symbolizes  the  spiritual  authority,  the  ideal  Papacy  of 
Dante's  aspirations.  The  Bishops  of  the  Primitive 
Church  sat  alone  in  the  Imperial  City,  without  any 
retinue  of  cardinals,  courtiers,  or  servants.  They  were 
poor  ;  the  papal  throne  had  not  as  yet  been  set  up ; 
the  temporal  wealth  of  the  Church  had  not  yet  been 
heaped  up  ;  they  assembled  their  flocks  in  the  Cata- 
combs ;  therefore  they  sat  upon  the  bare  earth.  In 
describing  Beatrice  as  alone,  and  sitting  on  the  bare 
earth,  Dante  portrays  the  humility  and  poverty  of  the 
primitive  Vicars  of  Christ,  and  satirizes  the  splendour 
and  worldly  pomp  of  the  later  Popes,  besides  those  of 
his  own  time.  Therefore  Beatrice  may  be  considered 
to  figure  either  the  primitive  successors  of  St.  Peter, 
or  ideal  Pope,  imagined  by  Dante. 

Dante  now  describes  Beatrice's  retinue  of  hand- 
maidens. 

In  cerchio  le  facevan  di  s^  claustro 

Le  sette  ninfe,  con  que'  lumi  in  mano 
Che  son  sicuri  d'  Aquilone  e  d'  Austro. 

The  seven  nymphs  were  making  of  themselves  an 
enclosure  that  encircled  her,  with  those  lamps  in  their 
hands  which  are  secure  from  Aquilo  and  Auster  {i.e. 
cannot  be  extinguished  either  by  the  north  or  south 
wind). 

The  Virtues  formed  the  sole  escort  and  ornament  of 
the  first  successors  of  St.  Peter,  and  the  ideal  Vicar  of 
Christ  should  be  surrounded  by  them  alone. 


4o8  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxil. 

It  may  be  inferred  that  when  the  Gryphon  and  the 
Elders  had  departed,  the  seven  lamps  of  gold,  which 
had  before  that  time  been  preceding  the  procession, 
were  taken  in  charge  by  the  nymphs  representing  the 
Virtues.  AUegorically  it  may  mean  that  subsequently 
to  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  the  disciples 
of  Christ  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  the  Virtues  were 
no  longer  to  be  separated  from  the  Sevenfold  Spirit 
of  God. 


Division  IV.  In  the  Fourth  and  concluding  Divi- 
sion of  the  Canto,  Dante  gives  a  description,  in  figu- 
rative language,  of  the  more  notable  of  the  tribu- 
lations through  which  the  Church  Militant  had  to 
pass. 

— "  Qui  sarai  tu  poco  tempo  silvano,  lOO 

E  sarai  meco,  senza  fine,  cive 
Di  quella  Roma  onde  Cristo  h  Romano. 

"  Thou  shalt  be  but  for  a  short  time  a  forester  here, 
and  shalt  be  with  me  for  evermore  a  citizen  of  that 
Rome  where  Christ  is  a  Roman. 

Beatrice  means  that  his  sojourn  in  the  Terrestrial 
Paradise  will  be  but  short,  and  that  when,  after  his 
return  to  earth,  his  life  ends,  he  shall  be  with  her  an 
inhabitant  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  where  Christ, 
as  man,  is  a  citizen,  and  where  God  reigns  as  Em- 
peror. 

"  She  now  exhorts  him  to  watch  the  Chariot  atten- 
tively, and  that  for  the  good  of  the  world,  he  should, 
after  his  return  there,  write  what  he  has  seen. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  409 

Pero,  in  pro  del  mondo  che  mal  vive, 

Al  carro  tieni  or  gli  occhi  ;  e  quel  che  vedi, 
Ritornato  di  Ik,  fa  che  tu  scrive," — *  105 

Therefore,  for  the  good  of  the  world,  which  lives 
ill,  keep  thine  eyes  fixed  upon  the  Chariot,  and  that 
which  thou  seest,  when  thou  art  returned  (to  the  earth) 
yonder,  take  heed  that  thou  write." 

The  world  was  living  ill  both  socially  and  morally, 
because  neither  of  the  two  leaders  assigned  to  it  by 
Heaven,  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor,  was  performing 
his  proper  functions. 

Dante  relates  how  he  at  once  obeyed  Beatrice's 
injunction. 

Cosi  Beatrice  ;  ed  io,  che  tutto  a'  piedi  t 
De'  suoi  comandamenti  era  devoto. 
La  mente  e  gli  occhi,  ov"  ella  voile,  diedi.J 

Thus  (said)  Beatrice  ;  and  I,  who  at  the  feet  of  her 
commandments  was  all  devoted,  directed  my  mind 
and  my  eyes  where  she  willed,  {i.e.  I  fixed  my  eyes 
and  turned  my  thoughts  upon  the  Chariot). 

Dante  now  begins  to  describe  the  persecutions  of  the 
Church ;  the  first  that  he  mentions  are  those  of  the 
early  Roman  Emperors :  Nero,  Domitian,  Diocletian 
and  others.  These  persecutions  are  figured  by  an 
Eagle  swooping  down  on  the  Chariot  with  such  great 
force  as  to  make  it  totter. 

*  fa  che  tu  scrive.  Compare  Rev.  I,  11  :  "What  thou  seest, 
write  in  a  book,  and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in 
Asia." 

t  c^  piedi  cie'  suoi  comandantenti  is  like  le  ginocchia  della 
mente,  in  Petrarch  ;  and  alle  mani  della  sua  grazia,  in  Boccaccio. 

X  diedi  la  mente  e  gli  occhi :  I  turned,  rivolsi ;  compare 
Purg  III,  14  :- 

"  E  diedi  il  vise  mio  incontro  al  poggio." 


410  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

Non  scese  mai  con  si  veloce  moto 

Fuoco  di  spessa  nube,  quando  piove  no 

Da  quel  confine  che  piu  va  remote,* 

Com'  io  vidi  calar  I'  uccel  di  Giove 

Per  1'  arbor  giu,  rompendo  della  scorza, 
Non  che  dei  fiori  e  delle  foglie  nuove  ; 

E  feri  il  carro  di  tutta  sua  forza,  115 

Ond'  ei  piego,  come  nave  in  fortuna, 
Vinta  dair  onda,  or  da  poggia  or  da  orza. 

Never  descended  with  such  swift  motion  fire  {i.e. 
lightning)  from  a  thick  cloud,  when  it  is  raining  from 
that  confine  {i.e.  of  Heaven,  the  sphere  of  fire)  which 
moves  the  most  remote  (from  the  earth),  as  I  beheld 
the  bird  of  Jove  swoop  down  through  the  Tree, 
rending  off  the  bark,  not  less  the  flowers  and  the 
new  foliage ;  and  he  smote  the  Chariot  with  all  his 
might,  at  which  it  reeled  like  a  ship  in  a  tempest, 
driven  by  the  waves,  now  to  starboard  now  to 
port. 

Scartazzini  says  that  the  eagle  not  only  smites  the 
mystic  Chariot, but  likewise  seriously  damages  themys- 
tic  Tree.  The  persecutions  of  the  emperors  against  the 
Christians  not  only  injured  the  young  church,  but  the 
empire  itself,  depriving  it,  in  part,  of  that  new  life 
which  it  had  acquired  by  its  union  with  the  Church ; 
depriving  it,  moreover,  of  many  of  the  most  loyal  and 
faithful  because  the  most  virtuous  and  holy  minded 
of  its  subjects.  The  next  tribulation  of  the  Church  is 
that  which  it  sustained  from  false  prophets  and  heret- 

X  quel  confine  che  piu  va  remoto.  Scartazzini  thinks  that  in 
this  passage  Dante  most  probably  follows  the  teaching  of 
Aristotle,  who,  in  his  second  book  of  the  Meteors,  teaches  that 
lightning  is  generated  by  fire  being  confined  in  the  clouds,  when 
the  latter  rise  to  the  level  of  the  sphere  of  fire. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  41 1 

ical  teachers,  and  these  are  symboHzed  here  by  a  fox, 

hungry  and  lean,  who   leaps   into  the  body  of  the 

Chariot. 

Poscia  vidi  avventarsi  nella  cuna 

Del  trionfal  veiculo  una  volpe, 

Che  d'  ogni  pasto  buon  parea  digiuna.  120 

Ma,  riprendendo  lei  di  laide  colpe, 

La  donna  mia  la  volse  in  tanta  futa,* 

Quanto  sofferson  1'  ossa  senza  polpe. 
Next  I  saw  leap  into  the  body  of  the  triumphal 
Chariot  a  fox,  that  appeared  (from  excessive  leanness) 
to  be  fasting  from  all  wholesome  food.  But,  upbraiding 
it  for  its  hideous  crimes,  my  Lady  (Beatrice)  put  it  to 
as  swift  a  flight,  as  its  fleshless  bones  would  bear. 

Scartazzini  observes  that  the  fox  leaped  into  the 
Chariot  from  without,  and  therefore  signifies  a  heresy 
that  did  not  take  its  origin  within  the  body  of  the 
church,  but  from  the  outside.  He  says  that  Dante,  in 
this  part  of  his  vision,  seems  to  follow  a  chronological 
order,  and  that  if  in  verse  124  there  is  an  allusion  to 
the  gifts  of  Constantine  to  the  Church,  it  is  evident 
that  he  here  refers  to  a  heresy  which  took  place 
before  that  time.  It  can  neither  be  the  heresy  of 
Arius,  of  Mahomet,  of  Anastasius  II,  nor  of  Nova- 
tian.  He  is  convinced  that  the  heresy  here  alluded 
to  is  that  of  the  Gnostics.  Gnosticism  did  not  spring 
up  within  the  Church,  but  had  its  origin  in  Oriental 
philosophy.  The  fox  is  put  to  flight  by  Beatrice  ;  and 
Gnosticism  was  victoriously  combated  by  the  Fathers 
of  the  church. 

*  futa :  the  same  as  fuga,  was  formerly  in  common  use.  A 
mountain  on  the  road  between  Bologna  and  Florence  is  said  to 
have  been  called  Montagna  della  Futa  on  account  of  lafuga 
the  rout  and  flight  of  the  Ghibellines  at  that  place. 


412  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxii. 

Dante  now  goes  on  to  describe  the  Third  Tribula- 
tion of  the  Church,  which  is  the  rich  endowment  of  it 
by  the  Roman  Emperors. 

Poscia,  per  indi  ond'  era  prima  venuta, 

L'  aquila  vidi  scender  giu  nell'  area  125 

Del  carro,  e  lasciar  lei  di  s^  pennuta.* 
E  qual  esce  di  cuor  che  si  rammarca, 

Tal  voce  usci  del  cielo,  e  cotal  disse  : 
—  "  Oh  navicella  mia,  com'  mal  se'  carca  ! " — 

Next,  from  the  same  direction  whence  it  came  be- 
fore {i.e.  through  the  tree),  I  saw  the  eagle  descend 
into  the  body  of  the  Chariot,  and  leave  it  covered  with 
its  plumes  {lit.  feathered  from  itself).  And  like  as 
issues  from  a  heart  that  is  mourning,  so  there  issued 
such  a  voice  from  Heaven,  and  thus  spoke :  "  O  my 
little  bark,  how  evil  thou  art  freighted!" 

Scartazzini  says  that  all  the  commentators  agree 
that  Dante  is  here  making  allusion  to  the  riches  and 
luxuries  bestowed  on  the  Apostolic  Seat  by  the  Roman 
Emperors,  and  more  especially  to  the  "  Donatio  Con- 
stantini."  He  adds  that  whereas  the  Church  had  come 
victorious  out  of  all  its  previous  tribulations  and  trials, 
this  last  was  far  more  insidious  and  fatal,  and  the 
Church  was  put  to  the  same  temptation  which  Satan 
attempted  with  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  showed  Him  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  Earth,  and  the  glory  of  them. 
With  our  Lord  he  failed,  but  with  the  Church  he  was 

*  lasciar  lei  di  si  pennuta.     This  is  generally  understood  to 
mean  that  the  Emperor  Constantine  impoverished  himself  to 
bestow  rich  endowments  on  the  Church  when  he  moved  the 
seat  of  Empire  to  Constantinople.     Compare  Inf.  XIX,  115  : — 
"  Ahi,  Constantin,  di  quanto  mal  fu  matre, 
Non  la  tua  conversion,  ma  quella  dote, 
Che  da  te  prese  il  primo  ricco  patre  ! " 


Canto  XXXII.     Readi7igs  on  the  Purgatorio.  413 

successful.  Gold,  power  and  earthly  glory,  became 
the  god  adored  by  the  so-called  ministers  and  servants 
of  the  Living  God. 

We  shall  now  see  how  the  mystic  Chariot  gradually 
deteriorates.  A  dragon  rises  from  the  earth  between 
the  wheels,  strikes  the  Chariot  with  his  tail,  and  carries 
off  the  floor  of  it. 

Poi  parve  a  me  che  la  terra  s'  aprisse  130 

Tr^  ambo  le  ruote,  e  vidi  uscirne  un  drago, 

Che  per  lo  carro  su  la  coda  fisse  : 
E,  come  vespa  che  ritragge  1'  ago, 

A  s^  traendo  la  coda  maligna, 

Trasse  del  fondo,  e  gissen  vago  vago.  135 

Then  methought  that  the  earth  opened  itself  be- 
tv/een  the  two  wheels,  and  I  saw  issue  from  it  a  dragon, 
who  thrust  his  tail  upward  through  the  Chariot :  and 
like  a  wasp  that  draws  back  his  sting,  (the  dragon) 
drawing  back  to  himself  his  envenomed  tail,  dragged 
(part)  of  the  bottom  forth,  and  went  his  way  in 
malignant  eagerness  (to  work  further  evil). 

Some  commentators  interpret  vago  as  rejoicing, 
exulting,  but  Scartazzini  does  not  agree  with  them, 
and  thinks  Dante  nearly  always  uses  the  word  to 
mean  eager  (see  Piirg.  XXVIII,  i,  and  many  other 
passages).  The  dragon  was  far  from  going  away  satis- 
fied, but  like  the  wolf  {Inf.  I,  99)  who  dopo  il  pas  to  ha 
piufame  che pria,  it  departed  as  departs  the  devil,  who 
having  worked  one  evil,  is  eager  to  work  another 
worse  one. 

Now  what  is  this  dragon  }  The  figure  is  most 
probably  taken  from  Rev.  XII,  3-4,  "  And  behold  a 
great  red  dragon  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads.     And  his  tail  drew 


414  Readings  on  the  Pitrgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  Heaven,  and  did  cast  them 
to  the  earth."  In  the  dragon  of  the  Apocalypse, 
Scartazzini  says  that  modern  Biblical  exegesis  sees 
figured  the  Roman  Empire,  antichristian,  the  enemy 
and  persecutor  of  the  church.  Its  seven  heads  are  the 
seven  hills  of  Rome  ;  the  ten  horns  are  the  Roman 
Emperors  from  Augustus  down  to  Nero  :  the  tail  that 
drags  away  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  Heaven 
figures  the  oppression  and  desolation  of  the  church. 
The  dragon  is  "  that  old  serpent,  the  Devil  and  Satan," 
as  in  the  Apocalypse.  The  dragon  issues  from  the 
earth,  whereas  the  Gryphon,  or  Christ,  descended  from 
Heaven  ;  and  consequently  the  dragon  is  the  infernal 
antithesis  to  the  celestial  Gryphon.  Up  to  the  time  of 
the  appearance  of  the  dragon,  the  body  of  the  Chariot 
had  escaped  injury ;  but  from  this  point  it  begins 
to  degenerate.  The  dragon  in  attacking  it  with  his 
envenomed  tail,  typifies  the  Devil,  who  instilled 
corruption  into  the  Church,  and  despoiled  it  of  all  its 
virtues.  And  the  dragon  coming  forth  between  the 
two  wheels  of  the  Chariot  is  thought  to  imply  that  the 
demon  of  cupidity  of  worldly  possessions  arose  in  the 
hearts  of  the  clergy,  the  two  wheels  typifying  the  two 
orders,  the  secular  and  the  monastic  clergy. 

In  the  next  six  lines,  Dante  relates  how  the 
plumage  of  the  eagle  covered  every  part  of  the  Chariot 
in  an  instant  of  time. 

Quel  che  rimase,  come  di  gramigna 
Vivace  terra,  della  piuma  ofFerta, 
Forse  con  intenzion  sana  e  benigna, 

Si  ricoperse  ;  e  funne  ricoperta 

E  r  una  e  1'  altra  ruota  e  il  temo,  in  tanto  140 

Che  piu  tiene  un  sospir  la  bocca  aperta. 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  415 

What  remained  (of  the  Chariot),  even  as  fertile  earth 
with  grass,  reclothed  itself  with  the  plumage  offered 
perchance  with  pure  and  benign  intention  ;  and  both 
of  the  wheels,  as  also  the  pole,  were  covered  with  it 
as  quickly  as  a  sigh  doth  longest  keep  the  lips 
apart. 

This  evidently  alludes  to  the  rich  endowments  of  the 
Church.  Up  to  this  point  the  mystic  Chariot  has 
had  the  symbolical  meaning  of  the  Church  universal, 
inasmuch  as  it  owns  the  Pope  for  its  head,  but  thencefor- 
ward it  seems  to  have  signified  the  Papal  throne.  It  is 
now  transformed  into  a  monster  of  terrible  appearance. 

Trasformato  cosi  il  dificio  santo 

Mise  fuor  teste  per  le  parti  sue, 

Tre  sovra  il  temo,  ed  una  in  ciascun  canto. 
Le  prime  eran  cornute  come  bue  ;  145 

Ma  le  quattro  un  sol  corno  avean  per  fronte. 

Simile  mostro  visto  ancor  non  fue. 

Thus  transfigured,  the  holy  edifice  {i.e.  the  Chariot) 
put  forth  heads  from  its  (different)  parts,  three  above 
the  pole,  and  one  at  each  corner.  The  first  were  horned 
like  oxen  {i.e.  each  of  the  three  heads  had  two  horns) ; 
but  the  four  (at  the  corners)  had  (each)  a  single  horn 
upon  the  forehead.  A  monster  such  as  this  was  never 
seen  before. 

Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  monster  with  the  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns  in  this  passage  is  a  symbol  of  the 
degeneracy  of  the  Church,  and  more  especially  of  the 
corruption  of  the  Papal  throne.  This  monster  is  the 
triumphal  Chariot,  that  is,  the  Church  as  it  ought  to  be. 
In  the  same  way  the  seven  heads  may  be  taken  as  the 
antitypes  of  the  seven  candlesticks  with  the  seven 
bands  of  light,  and  the  ten  horns  as  antitypes  of  the 


4i6  Readings  on  the  Ptirgatorio.     Canto  xxxii. 

ten  paces  {Purg.  XXIX,  8i),  which  Scartazzini 
believes  to  imply  perfection  or  excellence,  as  the 
number  ten  symbolizes  perfection.  Some  think  the 
seven  heads  are  the  antitypes  of  the  seven  damsels 
who  had  surrounded  the  Chariot.  Jacopo  della  Lana 
is  of  opinion  that  the  seven  heads  imply  the  seven 
capital  sins  which  entered  into  the  Church  as  soon 
as  it  became  possessed  of  worldly  riches. 

Pride         ^ 
A        '         (which  offend    against    God    and    against 

»    ^  .  '       (      one's  neighbour,  are  two  horned  sins. 
Avarice,    )  ^  ' 

Envy,        \ 

Luxury,    (which   only  offend  one's    neighbour,   are 

Sloth,        r     one  horned  sins. 

Gluttony,  j 

Most  of  the  principal  commentators  give  this 
interpretation, 

Dante,  having  now  passed  rapidly  over  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  Church  from  the  earliest  epoch  of  its  ex- 
istence, proceeds  to  notice  its  condition  in  his  own 
times.  He  carries  on  the  allegory  by  relating  how  he 
beheld  upon  the  Chariot,  now  transformed  into  a  mon- 
ster, a  bold  shameless  woman,  and  beside  her  a  giant, 
who  appeared  to  guard  her  and  at  times  they  exchanged 
caresses.  But  when  she  turned  her  eyes  upon  Dante, 
the  giant  scourged  her,  loosed  the  Chariot  froni  the 
Tree  to  which  the  Gryphon  had  bound  it,  and  dragged 
it  and  the  woman  so  far  into  the  forest,  that  they  were 
lost  to  Dante's  sight. 


ts' 


Sicura,  quasi  rocca  in  alto  monte, 

Seder  sovr'  esso  una  puttana  sciolta 

M'  apparve,  con  le  ciglia  intorno  pronte.  1 50 

Firm,    as    a    castle-keep    on     a    high    mountain, 


/ 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  417 

methought  there  sat  upon  it  (i.e.  the  Chariot  trans- 
formed into  a  monster)  a  dishevelled  harlot  rolling 
her  eyes  with  ready  glances. 

E,  come  perche  non  gli  fosse  tolta, 

Vidi  di  costa  a  lei  dritto  un  gigante, 

E  baciavansi  insieme  alcuna  volta. 

And,  as  if  in  order  that  she  should  not  be  taken 
from  him,  I  beheld  upright  beside  her  a  giant,  and  ever 
and  anon  they  kissed  one  another. 

Ma,  perche  1'  occhio  cupido  e  vagante  '^'v*- 

A  me  rivolse,  quel  feroce  drudo  155 

La  flagell6  dal  capo  insin  le  piante. 

But,  because  she  turned  on  me  her  wanton  and 
roving  eye,  that  savage  paramour  scourged  her  from 
her  head  unto  her  feet.* 

Poi,  di  sospetto  pieno  e  d'  ira  crudo, 

Disciolse  il  mostro,  e  trassel  per  la  selva 
Tanto,  che  sol  di  lei  mi  fece  scudo 
Alia  puttana  ed  alia  nuova  belva.  160 

Then,  full  of  jealousy  and  cruel  rage,  he  unloosed 
the  monster  (from  the  Tree  to  which  the  Gryphon  had 
bound  the  Chariot  before  its  transformation),  and 
dragged  it  off  through  the  forest,  so  far,  that  he  made 
of  that  alone  a  shield  unto  the  harlot  and  the  newly- 
formed  beast  {i.e.  he  made  the  forest  an  impediment 
to  my  being  able  to  see  them  any  longer). 

Dante  has  here  been  giving,  in  allegorical  language, 
a  sketch  of  the  events  that  happened  in  his  own  time, 
which  Scartazzini  considers  to  be  perfectly  clear. 
There  are  two  personages  :  the  harlot  and  the  giant. 

*  Tommaseo  says  that  the  woman  with  the  wanton  glance 
reminds  one  of  la  hipa  .  .  .  di  tutte  brame.  Inf.  I,  49  ;  and  her 
roving  eye  of  la  bestia  senza  pace,  Inf.  I,  58. 

M  M  M 


41 8  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXII. 

The  harlot,  styled  fuja  in  XXXIII,  44,  is  that  harlot 
of  Rev.  XVII,  1-2,  "that  sitteth  upon  many  waters: 
with  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed 
fornication,"  and  is  also  "that  great  city  {Rev.  XVII, 
18),  which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth  ; "  evi- 
dently meaning  Rome.  In  the  allegory  of  this  Canto 
there  is  a  symmetrical  arrangement,  which  makes  each 
personage  and  component  part  have  its  antitype  or 
antithesis.  Now  Dante  has  taken  Beatrice  as  the 
ideal  type  and  symbol  of  the  spiritual  and  papal 
authority,  and  therefore  the  harlot  must  be  the  anti- 
type of  Beatrice,  and  thus  signify  the  papal  authority 
degenerate,  corrupt,  and  transformed  into  the  con- 
trary of  what  it  ought  to  be,  and  therefore  deserving 
of  all  censure.  Such  were  in  Dante's  eyes  the  Popes 
of  his  time,  and  notably  so  Boniface  VIII,  who,  in 
Par.  XXVII,  22,  is  called  by  St.  Peter  '' qnegli  ch' 
nsurpa  in  terra  il  luogo  mio."  The  harlot  is  therefore 
the  Papal  Curia  degenerate  and  corrupt,  and  is  the 
symbol  of  the  two  Popes  contemporary  with  Dante, 
Boniface  VIII  and  Clement  V. 

Nearly  all  the  commentators  are  agreed  that  the 
giant,  who  appears  to  be  an  imitator  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth,  that  have  committed  fornication  with  the 
great  Whore,  symbolizes  the  Royal  House  of  France, 
and  especially  Philippe  le  Bel,  whose  contests  with 
Boniface  VIII  are  well  known. 

Scartazzini  sums  up  the  interpretation  of  the  allegory 
as  follows  : — 

IThe  Monster  is  the  antitype  of  the  Triumphal 
Chariot. 

The  Seven  Heads  form  the  antitype  of  the  Ten 
Paces  (see  Purg.  XXIX,  81,  note). 


Canto  XXXII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  419 

The  Harlot  is  the  antitype  of  Beatrice. 

The  Monster  being  loosed  from  the  Tree,  and 
dragged  through  the  Forest,  is  the  antitype  of  the 
Chariot  being  led  to  the  Tree  and  bound  to  it. 

The  Giant,  as  Paramour  of  the  Church,  is  the  anti- 
type of  the  Gryphon,  who,  as  the  symbol  of  Christ,  is 
the  Bridegroom. 

In  the  Gospel  History,  Pontius  Pilate  is  taken  as  an 
antitype  of  Christ.  But  in  Purg.  XX,  91,  Dante  calls 
Philippe  le  Bel  "  //  niiovo  Pilator 

This  argument  speaks  in  favour  of  the  common 
interpretation,  and  Scartazzini  does  not  for  one 
moment  hesitate  to  accept  it,  and  he  explains  the 
episode  of  the  giant  dragging  the  transformed  Chariot 
through  the  forest  out  of  sight,  to  be  an  imaginary 
prophecy  of  Dante  relatmg  to  the  translation  of  the 
Apostolic  Seat  from  Rome  to  Avignon  in  1305,  Dante 
supposing  himself  to  be  looking  five  years  in  advance 
of  1300,  when  the  vision  is  supposed  to  have  occurred. 

Pietro  di  Dante  comments  on  the  passage  thus : 
"  Et  hoc  est  quod  dicit,  scilicet,  quomodo  traxit  eam 
secum  per  silvam,  idest  quod  fecit  ut  Curia  romana 
tracta  est  ultra  montes  in  suo  territorio  de  Roma." 

"And  this  is  what  he  says,  namely,  how  he  dragged 
her  through  the  forest,  that  is,  what  he  did  in  getting 
the  Curia  Romana  dragged  over  the  mountains  (the 
Alps)  into  his  own  dominions,  away  from  Rome." 


End  of  Canto  XXXH. 


M  M  M   2 


420  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxili* 


CANTO   XXXIII. 

The  Prophecy  of  Beatrice. 

The  Three  Hundred  and  Ten  and  Five. 

The  River  Eunoe. 

As  in  the  last  Canto  Dante  described  at  very  great 
length  the  persecutions  of  the  Church  Militant,  he 
now  relates  how  Beatrice  and  her  attendant  ladies 
mourned  over  the  indignities  that  the  Church  was 
suffering  from  the  Kings  of  France. 

Benvenuto  divides  the  Canto  into  four  parts. 

In  the  First  Division,  from  v.  i  to  v.  33,  Dante 
relates  the  plaintive  dirge  over  the  Church,  sung  by 
the  seven  nymphs. 

In  the  Second  Division,  from  v.  34  to  v.  63,  Beatrice 
foretells,  for  his  consolation,  the  swift  retribution  that 
is  coming,  in  the  person  of  one  who  will  set  the  Church 
free  from  its  persecutors. 

In  the  Third  Division,  from  v.  64  to  v.  102, 
Beatrice  enjoins  Dante  not  to  be  careless  about  the 
Vision  he  had  witnessed,  and  remonstrates  with  him 
on  his  ignorance  as  to  the  things  he  has  seen  connected 
with  the  Tree. 

In  the  Fourth  Division,  from  v.   103  to  v.   145.  ' 
Dante  relates  how  he  is  led  by  Matelda  to  drink  of 
the  water  of  Eunoe,  after  which  he  is  made  fit  to 
ascend  to  Heaven. 

Division  I.     The  sweet  nymphs  break  forth  into  a 
plaintive  strain  of  psalmody,  of  which  the  responsive 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  42 1 

verses  are  sung  alternately  by  the  three  Evangelical 
and  by  the  four  Cardinal  Virtues.  Beatrice  listens 
with  deep  emotion. 

Deus,  venerunt  gentes,  altemando, 

Or  tre  or  quattro,  dolce  salmodia 

Le  donne  incominciaro,  e  lagrimando  ; 
E  Beatrice  sospirosa  e  pia 

Quelle  ascoltava  si  fatta,  che  poco  5 

Pill  alia  croce  si  cambio  Maria. 

"  Dens,  venerunt  gentes,''  (this)  sweet  psalmody  the 
ladies  commenced  singing,  in  alternate  choirs,  now 
of  three,  now  of  four,  weeping  the  while  ;  and  Bea- 
trice listened  to  them  with  sighs  of  compassion, 
(and)  with  such  an  aspect  (of  woe),  that  Mary  at 
the  cross  was  but  little  more  changed  (in  appear- 
ance), 

Dante,  in  the  above  passage,  uses  the  words  of  the 
Psalmist  lamenting  over  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  Assyrians,  and  applies  them  to  the  tribulations 
of  the  Church  which  he  described  under  an  allegory 
in  the  last  Canto.  Beatrice  had  been  standing  on  the 
Chariot  of  the  Church,  when  the  Gryphon,  Jesus  Christ, 
bound  it  to  the  Tree,  i.e.  the  Empire.  The  scene  has 
now  entirely  changed.  The  place  of  Beatrice,  the 
representative  of  the  ideal  ecclesiastical  authority,  has 
been  usurped  by  the  shameless  harlot  that  typifies 
corrupted  ecclesiastical  authority,  and,  as  such,  is  the 
antitype  to  Beatrice.  The  brutal  giant  has  dragged 
his  wanton  paramour  out  of  sight,  that  is  to  say, 
Philippe  de  Bel  has  transferred  the  Papal  Seat  to 
Avignon.  The  ideal  authority  can  only  rule  in  Romej'Sv 
and  therefore  Beatrice,  its  representative,  is  pictured  y 
here  as  standing  by  in  desolation  and  woe. 


422  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXlii. 

Having  described  Beatrice's  appearance,  Dante  tells 
how  she  at  length  broke  silence. 

Ma  poi  che  1'  altre  vergini  dier  loco 
A  lei  di  dir,  levata  dritta  in  pi&, 
Rispose,  colorata  come  fuoco  : 
— Modicum,  et  non  videbitis  me.  lo 

Et  tterum,  sorelle  mie  dilette, 
Modicu?n,  et  vos  videbitis  me. — 

But  after  that  the  other  maidens  had  given  place 
for  her  to  speak,  she,  rising  up  upon  her  feet,  answered 
with  a  countenance  as  red  as  fire  :  "  'A  little  while,  and 
ye  shall  not  see  me.  And  again  a  little  while,'  my 
beloved  sisters,  '  and  ye  shall  see  me.' " 

These  words  of  our  Lord  (St.  John  XVI,  i6)  are 
jspoken  by  Beatrice,  partly  as  a  prophecy,  partly  as  an 
v/ aspiration  for  the  speedy  restoration  of  the  Papal  Seat 
to  Rome.  Her  face  is  burning  with  indignation  at 
the  wrongs  suffered  by  the  Church  of  which  she  is  the 
guardian. 

The  company  now  moves  on.  The  seven  nymphs 
walk  in  front ;  then  Beatrice,  while  Matelda,  Dante 
and  Statius,  bring  up  the  rear. 

Poi  le  si  mise  innanzi  tutte  e  sette, 

E  dopo  se,  solo  accennando,  mosse 

Me  e  la  Donna,  e  il  Savio  che  ristette.  IS 

She  then  placed  all  the  seven  in  front  of  her,  and, 
by  a  mere  sign,  motioned  me  and  the  Lady  (Matelda) 
and  the  Sage  who  (still)  remained  to  walk  after  her. 

In  this  new  procession,  diminished  in  numbers,  the 
same  kind  of  order  is  observed  as  in  the  greater  proces- 
sion that  had  proceeded  to  the  tree.  The  candlesticks 
are  born  aloft  in  the  front  by  the  seven  damsels,  next 
walks  Beatrice,  and  then  Matelda  and  the  two  poets. 


Canto  xxxill.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  423 

Beatrice  now  invites  Dante  to  step  nearer,  and  walk 

with  her. 

Cosi  sen  giva,  e  non  credo  die  fosse 

Lo  decimo  suo  passo  in  terra  posto, 
Quando  con  gli  occhi  gli  occhi  mi  percosse  ; 
E  con  tranquillo  aspetto  : — "  Vien  piu  tosto," — 

Mi  disse, — "  tanto  che  s'  io  parlo  teco,  20 

Ad  ascoltarmi  tu  sie  ben  disposto." — 
Thus  she  (Beatrice)  moved  on,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  she  had  planted  her  tenth  step  on  the  ground 
{i.e.  had  walked  as  much  as  ten  paces),  when  with  her 
eyes  she  encountered  my  eyes  ;  and  with  a  tranquil 
aspect :  "  Come  on  more  quickly,"  she  said  to  me,  "  so 
much  that  if  I  speak  with  thee,  thou  mayest  be  well 
placed  for  listening  to  me." 

Scartazzini  says  that  he  does  not  agree  with  Tom- 
maseo,  in  thinking  that  Dante  speaks  of  these  ten 
paces  merely  from  love  of  mathematical  exactness, 
but  believes  that,  in  this  number,  Dante  has  again 
concealed  some  allegory,  which  we  do  not  know  how 
to  unravel.  These  ten  paces  of  Beatrice  remind  us  of 
the  ten  paces'  distance,  by  which  the  candlesticks  were 
separated  from  the  mystic  procession,  of  which  they 
were  the  standards. 

Dante  obeys  the  commands  of  Beatrice,  and  draws 
nearer  to  her.  She  encourages  him  to  take  heart  and 
converse  with  her. 

Si  com'  io  ftii,  com'  io  doveva,  seco, 

Dissemi  : — "  Frate,  perche  non  ti  attenti 
A  domandarmi  omai  venendo  meco?" — 

So  soon  as  I  was,  as  in  duty  bound,  by  her  side,  she 
said  to  me  :  "  Brother,  why  dost  thou  not  venture  to 
question  me  now  that  thou  art  walking  with  me  .-'" 

Benvenuto  says  that  she  implies  that  she  knows 


424  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

Dante  wishes  to  ask  her  whether  so  many  offences, 
committed  against  God  in  the  person  of  His  Vicar  on 
earth,  will  be  allowed  to  remain  long  unpunished. 

Dante  feels  encouraged  to  ask  her  what  is  in  his 
heart,  but  does  so  with  much  timidity. 

Come  a  color  che  troppo  reverenti,*  25 

Dinanzi  a'  suoi  maggior'  parlando  sono, 
Che  non  traggon  la  voce  viva  ai  denti, 
Avvenne  a  me,  che  senza  intero  suonot 

Incominciai  : — "  Madonna,  mia  bisogna 

Vol  conoscete,  e  cio  che  ad  essa  k.  buono." —       30 

As  happens  to  those  who  are  so  over  reverent  when 
speaking  to  their  superiors,  that  they  fail  to  drag 
any  living  utterance  to  their  teeth,  so  it  befell  me,  for 
I  began  to  speak  without  any  perfect  sound  :  "  My 
Lady,  thou  knowest  my  necessity,  and  that  which  is 
good  for  it," 

He  means  that  Beatrice  knows  how  much  informa- 
tion it  is  good  for  him  to  have.J 

*  Reverenti  dinanzi  oH  suoi  maggior^  Sr'c.      Compare   the 
answer  of  Telemachus  to  Mentor,  when  exhorted  to  pay  a  visit 
to  Nestor,  Odyss,  III,  27,  Lord  Carnarvon's  Translation  : — 
"  Nay,  Mentor,  how  may  I  before  him  come. 
Or  greet  him — I  who  have  no  skill  in  speech  ? 
It  ill  beseemeth  youth  to  question  eld." 
t  senza    intero    suono:    Compare    Ariosto,    Or  land.    Fur., 
XLII,  98  :— 

"  Spesso  la  voce  dal  desio  cacciata 
Viene  a  Rinaldo  sin  presso  alia  bocca 
Per  domandarlo  ;  e  quivi,  raffrenata 
Da  cortese  modestia,  fuor  non  scocca." 
X  It  has  been  well  said  that  Dante  must  be  commented  by 
Dante.    We  have  in  Convito  IV,  cap.  8,  Dante's  definition  of 
reverence,  which  we  will  take  in  his  own  words  :  "  Lo  piu  bello 
ramo  che  dalla  radice  razionale  consurga  si  h  la  discrezione  .  .  . 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.  425 

Beatrice  commands  Dante  to  put  aside  all  timidity. 
Ed  ella  a  me  : — "  Da  tema  e  da  vergogna* 
Voglio  che  tu  omai  ti  disviluppe, 
Si  che  non  parli  piu  com'  uom  che  sogna.t 

And  she  to  me :  "  It  is  my  will  that  henceforward 
thou  disentangle  thyself  of  all  timidity  and  shame,  so 
that  thou  mayest  no  longer  speak  like  one  who 
dreams  {i.e.  like  one  who  stammers  out  his  words  as  if 
he  were  asleep). 

Fear  and  shame  together  entangle  the  feelings  and 
thoughts  as  well  as  the  speech. 


Division  II.     In  the  Second  Division,  Beatrice  fore- 
tells the  swift  retribution  that  is  about  to  befall  the 

Uno  dei  piu  belli  e  dolci  frutti  di  questo  ramo  h.  la  reverenza  che 
debbe  al  maggiore  il  minore  .  .  .  Reverenza  non  h  altro  che  con- 
fessione  di  debita  suggezione  per  manifesto  segno." 

*  Da  tema  .  .  .  ti  disviluppe.     Compare  Inf.  Ill,  14,  where 
Virgil  says  to  Dante  : — 

"  Qui  si  convien  lasciare  ogni  sospetto, 
Ogni  viltk  convien  che  qui  sia  morta." 
And  Par.  XV,  67  :— 

"  La  voce  tua  sicura,  balda  e  lieta 
Suoni  la  volontk,  suoni  il  disio, 
A  che  la  mia  risposta  h  gik  decreta." 
And /'ar  XVII,  7  :— 

"  '  Manda  fuor  la  vampa 
Del  tuo  desio,'  mi  disse,  '  si  ch'  ell'  esca 
Segnata  bene  della  etema  stampa.' " 
+  com^  uom  chesogna :  Compare  Petrarch,  Rime,  P.  I,  Son.  41 : 
"  Se  parole  fai, 
Sono  imperfette,  e  quasi  d'  uom  che  sogna." 
And  Tasso,  Ger.  Lib.  XIII,  30  : — 

"  Gli  ragiona  in  guisa  d'  uom  che  sogna." 


426  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

persecutors  of  the  Church  from  the  hand  of  one  who 
will  set  her  free.     She  says  that  the  eagle  will,  in  its 
turn,  have  an  heir,  for  a  messenger  of  God  will,  before 
long,  slay  the  harlot  and  her  paramour,  the  giant. 
Sappi  che  il  vaso  che  il  serpente  ruppe, 

Fu,  e  non  h  ;*  ma  chi  n'  ha  colpa,  creda  35 

Che  vendetta  di  Dio  non  teme  suppe. 

Know  that  the  vessel,  which  the  serpent  {i.e.  the 
dragon)  broke  (with  his  tail,  XXXII,  130-135),  was  and 
is  not ;  but  let  him  who  is  guilty  be  assured  that  the 
vengeance  of  God  is  not  to  be  scared  away  with  sops. 

Let  not  him,  Philippe  le  Bel,  who  has  occasioned 
the  destruction  of  the  Church,  the  vessel  which  the 
serpent  broke,  hope  to  appease  the  anger  of  the 
Deity  by  any  outward  acts  of  religious,  or  rather 
superstitious,  ceremony  ;  such  as  that,  in  Dante's  time, 
performed  by  a  murderer  in  Florence,  who  imagined 


*  Fu.,  e  non  e :  Scartazzini  says  that  these  words,  compared 
with  ^^  Modicum  ei  videbitis  me^''  £y*c.^  prove,  yfr^-/,  that  the  Papal 
seat,  corrupted  by  wealth,  and  alienated  from  the  knowledge  of 
God,  is  no  longer  as  holy,  as  perfect  as  it  was  in  its  early  days, 
or  so  efficacious  in  the  sanctification  of  Christians  ;  second,  that 
before  long  would  be  literally  fulfilled,  what  was  shown  in 
allegory,  of  the  carrying  off  of  the  Chariot.  But  all  this  degra- 
dation of  the  Church  was  but  for  a  little  while.  Et  iterum 
modicum  et  videbitis  me.  Hence  we  must  understand/?^,  e  non  c 
in  two  senses  -.first.,  II  vaso/«  e  non  e  santo  quanto  Dio  lo  fece,z>. 
the  Church  no  longer  has  that  holiness  which  it  had  when  God 
first  created  it ;  second,  II  vaso  fu  e  non  i  congiunto  alia  pianta 
dove  Dio  lo  pose,  /.  e.  the  Church  no  longer  remains  connected  to 
that  tree  to  which  God  attached  it,  namely,  the  seat  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  I  use  the  word  "  Church  "  here  in  the  sense  that  Scar- 
tazzini takes  it  to  have  gradually  acquired  towards  the  end  of 
the  last  Canto,  namely,  no  longer  the  Church  Universal,  but 
the  Papal  Seat. 


Canto  XXXIII,     Readings  07i  the  Purgatorio.  427 

himself  secure  from  vengeance,  if  he  ate  a  sop  of 
bread  in  wine  upon  the  grave  of  the  murdered  within 
nine  days.  Corso  Donati,  Benvenuto  tells  us,  acted 
on  this  belief,  and  Falso  Boccaccio  says  that,  when 
Charles  Sansterre  defeated  and  captured  the  youthful 
Conradin,  son  of  the  Emperor  Conrad  IV,  with  young 
Frederick  of  Austria,  and  the  two  Lancias,  and  had 
them  beheaded  at  Naples,  it  was  reported  that  Charles 
and  his  barons  caused  sops  to  be  prepared,  and  they 
ate  them  over  the  dead  bodies,  saying  that  thence- 
forward there  could  be  no  vengeance  carried  out 
against  them.  Scartazzini  states  that,  out  of  sixty- 
four  commentators  whom  he  has  quoted,  forty-nine 
are  agreed  in  referring  this  passage  to  the  popular 
superstition  of  the  times,  and  some  mention  it  as 
actually  occurring  in  their  days. 

Emilio  Giudici  {Storia  della  lett.  ital.,  Vol.  I,  215) 
observes  that  the  present  passage  is  one  of  the  most 
sublime  touches  of  the  Dantesque  pencil,  a  mode  of 
speech  mysterious  to  us,  which,  while  it  bears  in  our 
eyes  the  obscurity  of  the  answer  of  an  oracle,  must 
have  been  perfectly  clear  and  intelligible  to  Dante's 
contemporaries,  but  to  the  Anjous  must  have  con- 
tained a  bitter  sarcasm,  deriding  their  superstitions 
and  threatening  vengeance  for  their  crimes.  Scar- 
tazzini says  that  we  have  here  one  of  the  many  buried 
treasures,  with  which  the  whole  poem  would  glitter, 
were  it  to  be  illustrated  by  a  commentary  that  was 
rigidly  historical. 

Beatrice  now  shows  how  vain  is  such  fancied  secu- 
rity on  the  part  of  Philippe  le  Bel,  for  the  outrage  on 
the  Church  will  be  speedily  avenged  by  a  special 
emissary  of  God. 


428  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

Non  sark  tutto  tempo  senza  reda* 

L'  aquila  che  lascio  le  penne  al  carro, 
Per  che  divenne  mostro  e  poscia  preda  ; 

Ch'  io  veggio  certamente,  e  pero  il  narro,  40 

A  darne  tempo,  gik  stelle  propinque, 
Sicure  d'  ogni  intoppo  e  d'  ogni  sbarro  ; 

Nel  quale  un  cinquecento  diece  e  cinque, 
Messo  di  Dio,  anciderk  la  fuja 
Con  quel  gigante  che  con  lei  delinque.  45 

Not  for  ever  shall  remain  without  an  heir  the  eagle 
that  left  his  plumes  in  the  Chariot,  from  which  cause  it 
became  (transformed  into)  a  monster,  and  afterwards 
the  prey  (of  the  giant) ;  for  I  can  assuredly  discern, 
and  therefore  I  announce  it,  that  already  there  are  at 
hand  (certain  combinations  of)  stars,  secure  from  any 
impediment  or  hindrance  {i.  e.,  no  power  can  avert 
•  such  a  conjunction  of  planets),  that  will  give  us  a  time 
in  which  a  five  hundred,  and  ten  and  five,  sent  from 
God,  shall  slay  the  abandoned  woman,  together  with 
the  giant,  the  accomplice  of  her  guilt. 

Scartazzini  remarks  that  the  above  passage  is  one 
of  the  most  obscure  and  disputed  in  the  whole  of  the 
Divina  Commedia.  In  the  first  place,  Dante  has  again 
imitated  the  mystic  style  of  the  7?^^/^/^//^?;/^  (XIII,  18), 
"  Here  is  wisdom.     Let  him  that  hath  understanding 

*  Laquila  senza  reda  is  the  vacant  imperial  throne.  The 
vision  is  supposed  to  have  taken  place  in  1300,  in  which  year 
the  imperial  throne  was  not  really  vacant,  but  only  so  in 
Dante's  eyes.  In  the  Co7ivito  he  speaks  of  Frederick  II  as 
the  last  Emperor  and  King  of  the  Romans.  Dante  evidently 
hoped  that,  in  a  short  time,  an  Emperor  after  his  ideal  would 
be  elected.  Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  Purgatorio  was  written 
subsequently  to  the  death  of  Henry  of  Luxembourg,  in  131 3, 
and  that,  therefore,  he  cannot  be  the  monarch  on  whom  Dante 
founded  his  hopes. 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Piwgatorio.  429 

count  the  number  of  the  beast  :  for  it  is  the  number 
of  a  man  ;  and  his  number  is  Six  hundred  three  score 
and  six."  Scartazzini  says  that  this  last  is  not  a  diffi- 
cult enigma,  as  St.  John  was  a  Jew,  and,  written  in 
Hebrew  letters,  the  number  666  exactly  makes 

NERON   C^SAR. 

To  decipher  the  number  given  by  Dante,  one  ought  to 
know  whether  he  was  thinking  of  the  symbolic  value 
of  the  Latin  letters,  or  only  thinking  of  the  letters 
themselves,  D.X.V,,  which  transposed,  give  the  word 
D.V.X.,  i.  e.  a  leader  or  captain.  Whichever  way  one 
takes  it,  the  passage  evidently  implies  the  hope  that  a 
personage  would  shortly  appear,  who  would  reform 
the  Church,  and  re-establish  the  imperial  authority. 
It  is  also  clear  from  the  context  that  Dante  is  pointing 
to  some  well-known  contemporary  personage,  on  whom 
he  could  found  his  hopes.  Scartazzini  feels  assured, 
moreover,  that  if  this  passage  is  compared  with  the 
prophecy  of  the  Veltro  {Inf.  I,  100-102),  it  will  be 
distinctly  proved  by  evidence  that  the  D.X.V.  and  the 
Veltro  are  one  and  the  same  person.  Again,  the 
context  proves  that  the  person  foretold  by  Dante  can 
only  be  a  captain,  or  secular  leader,  and  not  by  any 
means  a  Pope  or  a  churchman. 

Let  us  look  at  history.  On  the  i6th  December, 
1 3 18,  Cangrande  della  Scala,  Lord  of  Verona,  was 
elected  by  the  congregation  of  Ghibelline  Chiefs,  as 
Captain  of  the  League  against  the  power  of  the 
Guelfs.  It  was  thei\  he  actually  received  the  standard 
of  the  Eagle,  as  the  Leader  in  Italy  of  all  the  followers 
of  the  Empire.  And  (according  to  Scartazzini),  it 
was  just  at  the  end  of  13 18  and  at  the  beginning  of 


430  Readmgs  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxill. 

13 19,  that  Dante  was  putting  the  last  finishing  touches 
to  the  Cantica  of  the  Purgatorio .  Hence  Scartazzini 
feels  quite  clear  that  it  was  Cangrande  della  Scala 
who  is  the  D.V.X.  foretold  by  Dante.  Giuseppe 
Picci  (/  luoghi  piu  oscuri  e  controversi  della  Divina 
Commedia,  page  \^Z  et  seq^,  observes:  "  If  we  write 
down  the  name  and  qualification  of  Cangrande  as 
"  Kan  Grande  de  Scala  Signore  de  Verona,"  and 
compute  numerically  the  initials  and  propositions,  we 
have  the  following  result : — 


K 
G 
d 

=  10 
=  7 
=      4 

e 
S 
S 
d 

=  5 
=  90 
=    90 

=      4 

e 

=      5 

V 

=  300 

515 

All  things  therefore  concur  in  making  it  intelligible 
and  probable  that  the  D.X.V.  is  Cangrande  della 
Scala — an  opinion  adopted  by  the  majority  of  ancient 
commentators. 

Beatrice  now  explains  that,  if  her  description  appears 
obscure,  it  will  soon  be  made  clear  by  facts. 
E  forse  che  la  mia  narrazion,  buja 

Qual  Temi  e  Sfinge,  men  ti  persuade, 
Perch'  a  lor  modo  lo  intelletto  attuja  ;* 

*  attuja :  This  word  only  occurs  in  this  one  passage  of 
Dante.  The  older  commentators  never  noticed  it.  Benvenuto 
translates  "  obscures  the  intellect,"  but  he  reads  "  otiura," 
which  spoils  the  rhyme.  I  think  it  best  to  take  attuiare  as 
signifying  offuscare,  which  is  the  sense  given  to  the  word  by 
the  Accademia  della  Crusca. 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  431 

Ma  tosto  fien  li  fatti  le  Naidde, 

Che  solveranno  questo  enigma  forte,  50 

Senza  danno  di  pecore  o  di  biade. 

And  peradventure  my  utterance,  obscure  as  (the 
oracle  of)  Themis*  (to  Deucalion),  or  (the  riddles  of) 
the  Sphinx  (to  the  Thebans),  may  persuade  thee  less, 
because  it  clouds  the  intellect  after  their  fashion  (of 
speaking  ambiguously)  ;  but  before  long  will  the  facts 
(that  will  occur)  be  the  Lalades-f*  [not  Naiades  but 
Lai'ades,  i.  e.  CEdipus  the  son  of  Laius],  which  will 
solve  this  difficult  enigma  without  the  destruction  of 
flocks  or  of  harvests  (like  as  was  wrought  by  the 
Sphinx  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Thebes). 

*  Themis  was  celebrated  for  her  ambiguous  oracles.  Homer 
personifies  in  her  the  order  of  things  sanctioned  by  law  and 
custom. 

t  It  will  be  observed  that,  whereas  in  the  text  the  word 
Naidde  occurs,  I  have  translated  it  as  if  it  were  Laiade.  It 
is  a  very  curious  episode  in  the  Divina  Commedia,  and  I  take 
this  opportunity  of  thanking  my  friend  Dr.  Moore,  who  fore- 
warned me  of  the  passage.  The  idea  of  Naiades,  or  Laiades, 
was  evidently  suggested  to  Dante  by  these  lines  from  Ovid, 
Met.  VII,  759-761  : — 

"  Carmina  Laiades  non  intellecta  priorum 
Solverat  ingeniis,  et  precipitata  jacebat 
Immemor  ambagum  vates  obscura  suorum." 
In  Dante's  time  a  clerical  error  in  all  the  MSS.  of  Ovid  had 
substituted  Naikde  for  Laikde.     Heinsius  was  the  first  to  dis- 
cover the  error.     It  seems  quite  clear  that  Dante  had  Oldipus 
Laiades  and  the   Sphinx    in   his   mind,  for   the   line    "  Senza 
danno  di  pecore  o  di  biade,"  evidently  comes  from  the  lines 
in  Ovid  immediately  following  those  quoted  above  : — 
"  Protinus  Aoniis  immittitur  altera  Thebis 
Pestis,  et  exitio  multi  pecorumque  suoque 
Rurigen^e  pavere  feram." 
"  Forthwith  a  second  plague  is  sent  to  Thebes   in  Boeotia, 


432  Readings  ori  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

Beatrice  now  exhorts  Dante  to  relate  what  he  had 
observed  when  he  returns  to  the  world,  and  especially 
not  to  omit  to  mention  the  condition  in  which  he  saw 
the  Tree  in  the  Terrestrial  Paradise. 

Tu  nota  ;  e,  si  come  da  me  son  porte, 
Cosl  queste  parole  segna  ai  vivi 
Del  viver  ch'  h  un  correre  alia  morte  ; 
Ed  dggi  a  mente,  quando  tu  le  scrivi,  55 

Di  non  celar  qual  hai  vista  la  pianta, 
Ch'  e  or  due  volte  dirubata  quivi. 

Mark  thou  ;  and,  even  as  these  words  are  uttered  by 
me,  so  do  thou  teach  them  to  those,  who  are  living 
that  life  which  is  a  hastening  unto  death  ;  and  bear  in 
mind,  when  thou  writest  them,  not  to  conceal  in  what 
plight  thou  hast  seen  the  Tree,  which  has  already,  in 
this  place  (theTerrestrial  Paradise)  been  twice  pillaged. 

All  the  ancient  commentators  agree  that  the  first 
time  the  Tree  was  despoiled  by  Adam ;  and  the 
second  time  by  the  giant. 

Scartazzini  says  that  the  passage  in  XXXII,  39, 
as  to  the  tree  being  denuded  of  flowers  and  other 
foliage  on  every  branch,  and  the  murmuring  of  the 
name  of  Adam  by  the  glorious  company,  leave  the 
first  beyond  any  possible  dispute.  Besides  which,  in 
V.  61  of  this  Canto,  Beatrice  mentions  what  a  long 
penalty  had  befallen  Adam  for  having  "  bitten  at " 
the  Tree.     None  of  the  attacks  either  by  the  eagle, 

and  many  rustics  supplied  food  to  the  monster,  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  flocks,  and  of  their  own  persons ; "  while  the  line  : — 

"  precipitata  jacebat 
Immemor  ambagum  vates  obscura  suorum." 
Meaning  that  the  prophetess  of  obscure  utterances  forgot  her 
riddles,  and  hurled  herself  down  from  a  high  cliff,  can  only  refer 
to  the  Sphinx,  and  not  to  the  Naiades. 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  tJie  Ptir gator io.  433 

the  wolf,  or  the  dragon,  robbed  the  Tree,  they  only- 
injured  either  it,  or  the  Chariot  But  the  giant,  by  de- 
taching the  Chariot,  and  carrying  it  away  from  the  Tree, 
of  the  wood  of  which  it  was  formed,  did  rob  the  Tree. 
Therefore  Scartazzini  thinks  that  the  interpretations 
of  the  old  commentators  are  the  best.  Adam  despoiled 
the  Tree  the  first  time,  the  giant  the  second  time. 

Beatrice  now  draws  a  general  conclusion  by  affirm- 
ing, that  not  only  Adam,  but  every  other  violator  of 
the  Tree,  incurs  the  wrath  of  God. 

Qualunque  ruba  quella,  o  quella  schianta, 
Con  bestemmia  di  fatto  offende  a  Dio, 
Che  solo  air  uso  suo  la  cre6  santa.  60 

Whosoever  plunders  that,  or  rends  that  (the  Tree), 
offends  with  blasphemy  of  deed  against  God,  Who 
created  it  holy  for  His  use  alone. 

Per  morder  quella,  in  pena  ed  in  disio* 
Cinquemir  anni  e  piu,t  1'  anima  prima 
Bramo  Colui  che  il  morso  in  s^  punio. 

*  La  pena  refers  to  the  years  that  Adam  lived  on  earth  ;  // 
disio  to  the  time  he  passed  in  Limbo,  where  the  souls  have  only 
this  torment,  that  they  abide  for  ever  longing  and  without  hope. 
(See  Inf.  IV,  41-42.) 

t  cinquemir  anni  e  piii:  In  Paradiso,  XXVI,  118,  Dante 
makes  Adam  to  say  that  he  passed  4302  years  in  Limbo,  and 
930  years  on  earth  ;  for  Adam's  age  see  Gen.  V,  5.  According 
to  Eusebius,  Jesus  Christ  was  bom  5200  years  after  the  creation 
of  the  world.  The  other  chronologists  differ  greatly  as  to  this 
date,  but  Dante  has  evidently  followed  that  given  by  Eusebius. 
If  Christ  was  born  in  the  year  5200  from  the  Creation,  and  died 
in  the  thirty-third  year  of  his  age,  the  date  of  His  descent  into 
Limbo  would  be  5232,  which  is  the  exact  date  given  by  Dante. 

See /'^r.  XXVI,  118:— 

N  N  N 


434  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXX III. 

For  biting  that  {i.  e.  for  having  eaten  of  its  fruit), 
the  first-born  soul  (Adam)  in  pain  and  in  desire,  for 
five  thousand  years  and  upwards,  had  to  long  for  the 
coming  of  Him  who  punished  on  His  own  Self  the  sin 
of  that  bite. 


Division  III.  The  Third  Division  of  the  Canto  is 
taken  up  by  a  conversation,  which  Beatrice  begins  by 
remonstrating  with  Dante  on  his  ignorance,  as  to  the 
things  he  has  seen  connected  with  the  Tree. 

Dorme  lo  ingegno  tuo,  se  non  istima 

Per  singular  cagione  essere  eccelsa  65 

Lei  tanto,  e  si  travolta  nella  cima. 

Thy  intelligence  must  be  asleep,  if  it  does  not  com- 
prehend that  it  is  for  a  special  reason  that  it  (the 
Tree)  is  so  lofty  and  so  spreading  at  the  top. 

Graziani  {Interpret.  delV  allegoria  delta  Divina  Corn- 
media,  p.  348)  says  :  "The  prodigious  height  of  the  Tree 
gives  an  exact  image  of  the  vast  size  of  the  Empire,  and 
the  inversion  of  it  at  the  top,  that  is,  tapering  down- 
wards in  the  contrary  way  to  what  pine  and  fir  trees 
do,  is  perhaps  stated  for  many  reasons,  but  we  will 
confine  ourselves  to  Dante's  description  of  another 
and  similar  Tree  {Purg.  XX H,  135),  alike  too  in  its 

"  Quindi,  onde  mosse  tua  Donna  Virgilio, 
Quattromila  trecento  e  due  volumi 
Di  Sol  desiderai  questo  concilio." 
If  to  the  figures  4302  we  add  the  930  years  that  Adam  lived  on 
earth,  we  obtain  5232,  which  is  the  date  of  our  Lord's  death, 
according  to  the  calculations  of  Eusebius. 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  435 

significance  :    '  Cred'  io  percM  persona  su  non  vada' 
and  symbolizing,  in  the  passage  now  before  us,  God's 
intention  that  the  Empire  should  be  inviolate." 
E,  se  stati  non  fossero  acqua  d'  Elsa  * 

Li  pensier'  vani  intorno  alia  tua  mente, 
E  il  piacer  loro  un  Piramo  alia  gelsa, 
Per  tante  circostanze  solamente  70 

La  giustizia  di  Dio  nello  interdetto, 
Conosceresti  all'  arbor  moralmente.t 
And  if  thy  vain  thoughts  had  not  been  as  the  (petri- 
fying) waters  of  the  Elsa  round  thy  mind,  and  if  thy 
delight  in  them  as  Pyramus  to  the  mulberry  {i.e. 
stained  with  the  blood  of  Pyramus),  by  so  many  cir- 
cumstances alone  thou  wouldst  have  recognized  the 
justice  of  God,  in  the  moral  signification  of  the  prohi- 
bition of  the  Tree. 

*  acqua  cP  Elsa :  The  Elsa  is  a  river  in  Tuscany,  rising  in 
the  mountains  near  Colle,  and  flowing  northward  into  the  Amo 
between  Florence  and  Pisa.  Its  waters  have  the  power  of 
incrusting  or  petrifying  anything  left  in  them. 

t  morahnente :  In  Convito  II,  cap.  i,  Dante  says  that  the 
Scriptures  can  be  understood,  and  must  be  expounded  chiefly,  in 
four  meanings  or  senses. 

The  first  is  called  the  literal  sense. 

The  second  the  allegorical  sense ;  and  this  is  the  sense  which 
conceals  itself  under  the  mantle  of  these  fables,  and  is  a  truth 
concealed  under  a  beautiful  falsehood. 

The  third  is  called  the  moral  sense ;  and  it  is  the  one  which 
readers  of  Holy  Scripture  must  intently  and  continually  apply 
to  it,  for  their  own  profit  and  for  that  of  their  pupils. 

The  fourth  is  called  the  anagogical  sense;  that  is,  above 
sense  ;  and  this  is  when  one  expounds  a  passage  in  Scripture 
in  a  spiritual  sense,  which  passage,  although  it  be  historical  in 
its  literal  sense,  or  in  its  narration  of  events  that  happened  on 
earth,  by  the  things  signified  signifies  things  of  eternal  glory. 

N  N  N    2 


436  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxili. 

Scartazzini  says  that  Beatrice  means  that  if  Dante 
had  not  lost  himself  in  vain  thoughts,  and  become  as 
hard  as  stone,  after  all  that  had  been  shown  to  him  in 
so  many  figures  and  allegories,  he  would  assuredly 
have  understood  the  moral  signification  of  the  justice 
of  God  in  the  precept  given  by  Him  to  our  first 
parents,  almost  as  if  it  had  borne  the  identical  mean- 
ing of  what  was  His  Will  as  to  the  inviolability  of  the 
empire. 

Beatrice,  in  reproving  Dante  for  the  vain  thoughts 
that  obfuscate  his  mind,  is  evidently  speaking  of  his 
past  life,  and  that  his  purification  can  only  be  com- 
plete and  perfect  after  that  he  shall  have  tasted  of 
the  waters  of  Eunoe,  which  will  render  him,  as  we 
read  in  the  concluding  words  of  the  Ptirgatorio, 
"  renewed  as  are  young  trees  with  new  foliage, 
pure,  and  disposed  to  mount  up  to  the  stars."  He 
had  been  absolved  and  made  free  from  sin,  he  had 
drunk  forgetfulness  of  it  in  the  waters  of  Lethe, 
but  the  consequences  of  his  sin,  an  obfuscation  of  his 
mind,  still  remained.  Scartazzini  says  that  the  waters 
of  Lethe  take  away  sin,  while  those  of  Eunoe  waft 
away  the  darkness  that,  after  sin,  overclouds  the 
soul. 

Beatrice  now  tells  Dante  that  she  wishes  him,  at  all 
events,  to  take  back  to  the  world  what  she  has  just 
said,  and,  as  she  sees  his  mind  is  too  hardened  and 
impenetrable  for  her  words  to  be  clearly  engraved  in 
it,  she  desires  that  he  should  carry  away  a  rough  out- 
line of  the  general  sense  of  what  she  has  said. 
Ma,  perch'  io  veggio  te  nello  intelletto 
Fatto  di  pietra  ed,  impietrato,  tinto, 
Si  che  t'  abbaglia  il  lume  del  mio  detto,  75 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.  437 

Voglio  anco,  e  se  non  scritto,  almen  dipinto, 
Che  il  te  ne  porti  dentro  a  te,  per  quelle 
Che  si  reca  il  bordoh  di  palma  cinto." — * 

But  because  I  see  thee  with  thine  intellect  (har- 
dened) into  stone,  and  dyed  with  the  colour  of  stone, 
so  much  so,  that  the  light  of  my  discourse  dazes  thee, 
it  is  furthermore  my  wish,  that  thou  shouldest  bear  it 
away  with  thee  (i.e.  within  thee),  if  not  written  down,  at 
least  sketched  in  outline,  for  the  same  reason  that  the 
pilgrim  carries  with  him  his  staff  wreathed  with  palm  . 
leaves. 

A  conversation  now  ensues  between  Dante  and 
Beatrice  somewhat  to  this  effect.  He  assures  her  that 
her  words  are  profoundly  impressed  in  his  mind. 
He  then  asks  her  why  her  discourse  soars  so  far  above 
the  height  of  his  intelligence.  She  tells  him  that  it  is 
in  order  that  he  may  understand  how  little  the  school 
followed  by  him  is  of  a  character,  that  can  rise  to  the 
level  of  her  lofty  conceptions.  "  But,"  says  Dante, "  I  do 
not  remember  that  I  ever  was  estranged  from  thee." 
"Naturally,"  replies  Beatrice,  "because  only  this  day 
hast  thou  drunk  oblivion  in  the  waters  of  Lethe." 

Ed  io  : — "  Si  come  cera  da  suggello, 

Che  la  figura  impressa  non  trasmuta,  80 

Segnato  h  or  da  voi  lo  mio  cervello. 

*  bordon  di  palma  cinto:    Pilgrims   were   in   the  habit   of 
carrying  their  staff  wreathed  with  palm  leaves,  the  cockle  shell 
in  their  hats,  and  sandals,  to  show  that  they  had  been  in  the 
Holy  Land.  See  the  Old  Ballad  of  "The  Friar  of  Orders  Grey":— 
"  And  how  should  I  your  truelove  know 
From  many  another  one  ? 
O  by  his  cockle  shell  and  staff, 
And  by  his  sandal  shoon." 


438  Readings  on  the  Pnrgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

Ma  perch^  tanto  sovra  mia  veduta 
Vostra  parola  disiata  vola, 
Che  piu  la  perde  quanto  piu  s'  aiuta  ? " — 

And  I  :  "  As  is  wax  (impressed)  by  a  seal,  which 
changes  not  the  figure  stamped  upon  it,  so  is  my 
brain  {i.e.  my  memory)  now  imprinted  by  you.  But 
why  is  it  that  your  longed-for  discourse  ranges  so  far 
above  my  sight  {i.e.  my  comprehension),  that  the  more 
it  (my  intellect)  looks  for  aid,  the  more  it  loses  it 
{i.e.  the  more  my  faculties  strive  to  grasp  the  sense  of 
your  discourse,  the  less  they  succeed  in  doing  so)." 

— "  Perch^  conoschi  (disse)  quella  scuola  85 

Ch'  hai  seguitata,  e  veggi  sua  dottrina 
Come  puo  seguitar  la  mia  parola  ; 
E  veggi  vostra  via  dalla  divina 

Distar  cotanto,  quanto  si  discorda 

Da  terra  il  ciel  che  piu  alto  festina." —  90 

"  In  order  that  thou  mayest  know,"  said  she,  "  that 
school  (of  philosophy)  which  thou  hast  followed,  and 
that  thou  mayest  see  how  (little)  its  teaching  is  able 
to  accord  with  my  discourse  {i.e.  how  incapable  it  is  of 
elevating  itself  so  far  as  to  comprehend  the  mysteries 
of  revelation) ;  and  that  thou  mayest  see  that  the  way 
of  you  (philosophers)  is  as  widely  removed  from  the 
way  of  God,  as  is  distant  from  the  earth  the  heaven 
that  speeds  round  highest  of  all." 

She  means  the  Primum  Mobile,  the  farthest  off  and 
the  highest  of  the  moveable  heavens,  beyond  which 
was  supposed  to  be  the  Empyrean,  which  was  still. 

The  conception  of  this  passage  is  taken  from  Isaiah 
LV,  8-9,  "  For  my  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts, 
neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith  the  Lord.  For 
as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  my 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  439 

ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than 
your  thoughts." 

Dante  tries  to  deny  what  Benvenuto  says  he  had 
however  already  confessed  to,  namely,  that  he  had 
ever  deserted  Beatrice,  and  turned  his  footsteps  into  a 
false  way. 

Ond'  io  risposi  lei : — "  Non  mi  ricorda 
Ch'  io  straniassi  me  giammai  da  voi, 
N^  honne  coscienza  che  rimorda." — 

Whereupon  I  answered  her  :  "  I  cannot  recollect 
that  I  ever  estranged  myself  from  you,  nor  have  I  any 
conscience  that  reproves  me  (for  having  deserted 
you)." 

Beatrice  reminds  him  with  a  smile  that  his  want  of 
recollection  of  his  faults  is  no  proof  of  his  innocence, 
for  the  water  of  Lethe  which  he  had  drunk  would  take 
away  all  memory  of  his  past  sins. 

— "  E,  se  tu  ricordar  non  te  ne  puoi 

(Sorridendo  rispose),  or  ti  rammenta  95 

Come  bevesti  di  Let^  ancoi ; 
E  se  dal  fummo  fuoco  s'  argomenta, 
Cotesta  oblivion  chiaro  conchiude 
Colpa  nella  tua  voglia  altrove  attenta. 

"  And  if  thou  art  not  able  to  remember  anything 
about  it,"  she  replied  with  a  smile,  "recollect  how  that 
only  to-day  (<2«^tf2=:ancora  oggi)  thou  hast  drunk  of 
Lethe ;  and  if  from  the  smoke  a  fire  may  be  inferred, 
this  forgetfulness  (of  thine)  clearly  proves  blame 
(against  thee),  in  thy  will  being  turned  elsewhere  (than 
to  me). 

In  the  above  words  Beatrice  has  replied  to  Dante's 
excuse  in  verse  93  :  N^  honne  coscienza  cJie  rimorda. 
She  now  promises  that  from  thenceforward  she  will 


440  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxill. 

confirm  him  in  good  hope,  only  speak  to  him  in  clear 
words,  and  no  longer  in  enigmatical  language. 

Veramente  oramai  saranno  nude  lOO 

Le  mie  parole,  quando  converrassi 
Quelle  scovrire  alia  tua  vista  rude." — 

But  in  good  sooth,  from  this  time  forward,  my  words 
shall  be  as  much  denuded  (of  figurative  language)  as 
is  befitting,  for  the  purpose  of  uncovering  them  (my 
words)  to  thy  crude  vision." 

By  drinking  of  Lethe,  Dante  has  lost  all  memory  of 
sin  committed,  but  his  mind  is  still  obfuscated.  The 
water  of  Eunoe  will  clear  up  and  illuminate  his 
intellect. 


Division  IV.  We  now  enter  upon  the  Fourth  and 
concluding  Division  of  this  last  Canto  of  the  Purga- 
torio. In  it  Dante  relates  how  he  is  led  by  Matelda 
to  drink  of  the  water  of  Eunoe,  thereby  acquiring  the 
blessing  of  perfect  virtue. 

He  begins  by  relating  that  it  was  mid-day. 

E  piu  corrusco,  e  con  piu  lenti  passi, 

Teneva  il  sole  il  cerchio  di  merigge,* 

Che  qua  e  Ik,  come  gli  aspetti,  fassi,  105 

*  Dr.  Moore  has  a  note  on  this  passage,  in  which  he  alludes 
to  two  others,  namely,  Par.  XXII,  151,  and  Par.  XXVII,  85, 
which  some  commentators  have  strained  to  prove  to  be  allu- 
sions to  time,  still  subsequent  to  Easter  Wednesday.  "  I  do 
not  consider,  therefore,  that  the  discussion  of  these  passages 
falls  within  the  scope  of  our  present  subject.  At  the  same  time 
I  admit  (as  I  have  already  said)  that  Dante  intends  to  give  us 
generally  to  understand  that,  though  himself  beyond  the  limits 
and  conditions  of  time,  still  the  time  passing  meanwhile  on  this 
earth  was  such  that,  when  he  returned  to  it  after  his  ecstatic 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Pitrgatorio.  441 

Quando  s'  affisser,  si  come  s'  affigge 
Chi  va  dinanzi  a  gente  per  iscorta, 
Se  trova  novitate  in  sue  vestigge, 

Le  sette  donne  al  fin  d'  un  ombra  smorta, 

Qual  sotto  foglie  verdi  e  rami  nigri  no 

Sovra  suoi  freddi  rivi  1'  Alpe  porta.* 

And  (now)  the  sun,  more  resplendent,  and  with  a 
more  retarded  course  {lit.  paces)  was  holding  the 
meridian  circle  {i.e.  was  at  noon),  which  (noon)  takes 
place  here  (in  our  hemisphere)  and  yonder  (in  the 
other  hemisphere)  according  to  the  aspects  (of  the 
heavenly  bodies),  when,  just  like  one  who  goes  before 
a  company  by  way  of  escort,  if  he  encounters  any- 
thing new  upon  his  way,  comes  to  a  halt,  so  did  the 
seven  ladies  come  to  a  stand-still  at  the  edge  of  a  pale 
shadow,  of  the  same  kind  as  the  Alps  bear  upon  the 
icy  banks  (of  their  torrents)  beneath  their  dark  green 
foliage  and  gloomy  branches. 

The  above  allusion  to  the  time  of  day  is  the  last 
that  occurs  in  the  Divina  Commedia,  and  is  intended 
to  refer  to  noon  on  Easter  Wednesday,  13  April,  1300. 
Dr.  Moore  (Time  References,  p.  127)  says  that  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  add  that  Dante  gives  us  no  such 
marks  of  time  in  the  Paradiso,  since  there  he  has 
passed  from  time  to  eternity  {Par.  XXXI,  38).     Also 

vision  of  Paradise,  it  would  be  found  to  be  the  evening   of 
Thursday,  April  14th." — Time  References,  pp.  126-27. 

*  r  Alpe :  The  word  is  used  here  as  a  general  term  for  a  high 
mountain.  Benvenuto  remarks  that,  though  Dante  had  doubt- 
less witnessed  nature,  as  here  described,  in  many  places  on 
the  Alps,  he  had  especially  done  so  on  the  Apennines  near 
Florence,  in  the  upper  Val  d'  Arno,  where,  between  Fiesole  and 
Arezzo,  there  is  a  most  fertile  territory,  through  which  Hannibal 
marched. 


442  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  XXXIII. 

there  they  have  "  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
moon  to  shine  in  it,  for  there  is  no  night  there." 

Dante  now  sees  two  rivers,  which  are  Lethe  and 
Eunoe,  issuing  from  one  source,  and,  remembering  the 
rivers  of  Eden  recorded  in  Genesis,  thinks  he  sees 
Euphrates  and  Tigris. 

Dinanzi  ad  esse  Eufrates  e  Tigri 

Veder  mi  parve  uscir  d'  una  fontana, 
E  quasi  amici  dipartirsi  pigri. 

Methought  I  saw  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris 
issue  forth  from  one  spring  in  front  of  them  (the  seven 
ladies)  and  like  friends  (about  to  part)  linger  lazily  in 
their  separation. 

In  Inf.  II,  76,  Dante  had  told  Beatrice  that,  through 
her  alone,  the  human  race  surpassed  all  within  that 
heaven  which  has  the  smallest  circles,  meaning  the 
sphere  of  the  Moon,  which  most  immediately  contains 
the  earth.  He  now  calls  her  the  light  of  the  human 
race. 

— "  O  luce,  o  gloria  della  gente  umana,  115 

Che  acqua  e  questa  che  qui  si  dispiega 
Da  un  principio,  e  s^  da  s^  lontana  ?" — 

"  O  Light,  O  glory  of  the  human  race,  what  water 
is  this  which  gushes  forth  from  one  source,  and  then 
separates  itself  far  apart  from  itself?" 

One  part,  Lethe,  flows  from  East  to  West,  and  the 
other  part  Eunoe,  from  West  to  East.  Scartazzini  says 
this  would  be  quite  exaggerated  language,  if  Dante 
only  intended  to  speak  of  the  daughter  of  Folco 
Portinari.  But  Beatrice  is,  in  this  Canto,  an  emi- 
nently symbolic  and  allegorical  personage.  La  Ince 
della  gente  umana  is  the  word  of  God,  Divine 
Revelation.     "  Thy   Word  is  a  light  unto   my   feet 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  443 

and  a  lantern  unto  my  path  "  [Ps.  CXIX,  105).  As 
she  symbolizes  the  authority  that  is  in  possession 
of  Divine  Revelation,  and  who,  according  to  the 
doctrines  of  that  Revelation,  ought  to  guide  the 
human  race  to  the  highest  felicity,  Beatrice  is  really 
the  light  of  the  human  race,  she  who  walks  before, 
with  the  light  of  Revelation,  with  the  lamp  of  the 
word  of  God  in  her  hand,  and  gives  light  unto  who- 
ever follows  it.  Jesus  Christ  said  :  "  I  am  the  Light 
of  the  World"  {St.  John,  VIII,  12).  So  that  the 
person  called  here  luce  della  getite  umana  must  be 
either  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  or  His  vicarious  representa- 
tive on  earth.  Now  the  Vicar  of  Jesus  Christ  on 
earth,  according  to  the  teaching  of  the  Church  to 
which  Dante  belonged,  was  the  Pope.  Therefore,  in 
this  passage,  as  in  others,  it  is  made  clear  that  the 
Beatrice  of  the  Divina  Commedia  symbolizes  supreme 
ecclesiastical  authority,  that  is,  the  Pope,  who  repre- 
sents on  earth  Him  Who  is  the  Light  of  the  World. 

Beatrice  tells  Dante  to  ask  Matelda,  who  now  for 
the  first  time  is  spoken  of  by  name,  to  answer  his 
question.  Fraticelli  thinks  Matelda  is  the  symbol  of 
devotion  to  the  Holy  Catholic  Church.* 

Per  cotal  prego  detto  mi  fu  : — "  Prega 

Matelda  che  il  ti  dica." — E  qui  rispose, 

Come  fa  chi  da  colpa  si  dislega,  120 

La  bella  donna  : — "  Questo,  ed  altre  cose 
Dette  gli  son  per  me  ;  e  son  sicura 
Che  r  acqua  di  Lete  non  gliel  nascose." — 

And  to  such  a  prayer  (of  mine)  answer  was  made 
to  me  (by  Beatrice)  thus :  "  Ask  Matelda  to  tell  it 

*  Scartazzini  thinks  that,  in  her  allegorical  sense,  Matelda  is 
the  symbol  of  ecclesiastical  ministry. 


444  Readings  on  the  Piirgatorio.     Canto  xxxiii. 

thee."  And  hereupon  the  beautiful  Lady  answered 
like  one  who  defends  himself  from  a  fault  (imputed  to 
him)  :  "  This,  as  well  as  other  matters,  have  been  told 
him  by  me  ;  and  I  am  certain  that  the  water  of  Lethe 
has  not  hidden  them  from  him." 

Matelda  had  not  only  given  him  the  information 
he  desired  {Purg.  XXVIII,  88-144)  about  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise,  but  likewise  about  the  wind  of  that 
elevated  region,  and  the  various  conditions  of  it,  and 
finally  had  given  him  un  corollario  ajicor  per  grazia. 
She  felt  quite  assured  that  the  waters  of  Lethe  had 
not  effaced  from  Dante's  memory  the  information  she 
had  supplied  him  about  the  wind  and  the  water, 
because  the  only  thing  that  they  are  capable  of 
effacing  is  the  recollection  of  past  sins  ;  and  as  we 
read  in  Canto  XXX,  142,  Lethe  cannot  be  passed 
until  the  sins  in  question  have  been  repented  of  and 
atoned  for.  All  the  information  she  had  given  him 
would  remain  in  his  memory. 

Beatrice  now  tells  Matelda  that  Dante's  mind  and 
memory  have  undergone  a  great  strain,  considering 
the  whole  of  the  great  vision  which  he  has  seen,  the 
weight  of  Beatrice's  own  reproofs  to  him,  and  finally 
the  great  enigma  of  the  DXV,  and  that  these  things 
are  a  greater  care  on  his  mind,  which  may  well  account 
for  his  forgetting  what  he  saw  and  heard  when  he  first 
entered  into  the  Terrestrial  Paradise.  She  accord- 
ingly directs  Matelda  to  lead  him  to  Eunoe. 
E  Beatrice  : — "  Forse  maggior  cura, 

Che  spesse  volte  la  memoria  priva,  125 

Fatta  ha  la  mente  sua  negli  occhi  oscura. 
Ma  vedi  Euno^  che  Ik  deriva  : 

Menalo  ad  esso,  e,  come  tu  sei  usa, 
La  tramortita  sua  virtu  ravviva." — 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.  445 

And  Beatrice :  "  Perchance  thoughts  of  much  greater 
importance  {lit.  greater  care),  which  oftentimes  take 
away  memory,  have  darkened  the  eyes  of  his  mind  so. 
But  behold  there  Eunoe, which  takes  its  source  yonder: 
lead  him  unto  it,  and,  as  thou  art  wont,  revive  again  in 
him  his  languishing  powers." 

Scartazzini,  who  has  written  so  fully  about  Matelda, 
thinks  that  the  words  come  tu  sei  iisa  allude  to  former 
friendship  in  life  between  Dante  and  Matelda,  whom 
he  takes  to  be  some  Florentine  lady,  a  friend  of 
Beatrice,  and  Dante's  confidante  about  his  love  for  her, 
and  who  is  probably  mentioned,  though  not  by  name, 
in  the  Vita  Niiova.  He  thinks  that,  in  her  life-time, 
she  must  often  have  restored  Dante's  virth,  tramortita. 

Matelda  hastens  to  perform  Beatrice's  behest,  with 
every  loving  proof  of  good  will. 

Com'  anima  gentil  che  non  fa  scusa,  130 

Ma,  fa  sua  voglia  della  voglia  altrui, 
Tosto  ch'  ell'  e  per  segno  fuor  dischiusa  ; 

Cosi,  poi  che  da  essa  preso  fui, 

La  bella  donna  mossesi,  ed  a  Stazio 
Donnescamente  disse  : — "  Vien  con  lui." —       135 

Like  unto  a  gentle  soul  that  makes  no  excuse,  but 
makes  its  own  of  the  will  of  another  {i.e.  conforms  its 
will  to  another's  wishes),  so  soon  as  that  (other  one's 
will)  has  been  manifested  (only)  by  a  sign  ;  thus,  after 
that  I  had  been  taken  hold  of  by  her,  the  beautiful 
Lady  moved  on,  and  said  courteously  to  Statins : 
"  Come  thou  with  him." 

This  is  the  last  time  that  Statins  is  mentioned.  All 
through  the  great  vision,  and  the  passage  through  the 
Terrestrial  Paradise,  he  has  borne  but  a  passive  and 


44^  Readings  on  the  Purgatorio.     Canto  xxxill. 

secondary  part,  and  even  here  Matelda  shows  a  marked 
difference  between  Dante,  whom  she  takes  by  the  hand, 
and  Statins,  whom  she  bids  follow  after.  Scartazzini 
thinks  that  Statins  is  only  an  allegorical  personage  in 
this  Canto,  without  much  reality.  Most  of  the  old 
commentators  take  it  for  granted  that  he  too  drank  of 
the  water  of  Eunoe,  and  was  bathed  in  it,  but  Dante 
does  not  mention  the  fact. 

Dante  now  brings  the  Cantica  of  the  Purgatorio  to 
a  conclusion,  relating  how  he  was  taken  to  Eunoe,  and 
how  he  returned  from  it  regenerate,  and  fitted  to 
ascend  to  Paradise. 

S'  io  avessi,  letter,  piii  lungo  spazio 

Da  scrivere,  io  pur  canterei  in  parte 

Lo  dolce  ber  che  mai  non  m'  avria  sazio  ; 

Ma  perch^  piene  son  tutte  le  carte 

Ordite  a  questa  Cantica  seconda,  140 

Non  mi  lascia  piu  ir  lo  fren  dell'  arte. 

If,  Reader,  I  possessed  a  greater  space  for  writing, 
I  would,  in  part  at  least,  relate  in  song  that  sweet 
draught  which  never  would  have  satiated  me ;  but, 
inasmuch  as  all  the  sheets  that  have  been  prepared 
for  this  second  Canticle  are  now  full,  the  curb  of  art 
allows  of  my  going  no  further  {i.e.,  I  may  no  longer 
give  the  rein  to  art). 

Scartazzini  says  of  pietie  and  ordite,  that  the  thirty- 
three  cantos  destined  for  this  second  Canticle  have 
now  been  completed.  In  the  division  of  his  poem, 
Dante  scrupulously  observes  the  laws  of  symmetry. 
Each  of  the  three  Canticles  has  thirty-three  cantos, 
inasmuch  as  the  first  Canto  of  the  Inferno  must  be 
regarded  as  the  Introduction  or  Preface  to  the  whole 
poem.     And  in  fact,  in  the  Inferno^  the  Invocation  to 


Canto  XXXIII.     Readijigs  on  the  Purgatorio.  447 

the  Muses  is  not  in  the  first  Canto,  as  it  is  in  the 
Purgatorio  and  Paradiso,  but  in  the  second, 
lo  ritomai  dalla  santissim'  onda 
Rifatto  si,  come  piante  novelle 
Rinnovellate  di  novella  fronda, 
Puro,  e  disposto  a  salire  alle  stelle.*  145 

From  this  most  holy  water  I  returned  (to  where 
Beatrice  was  awaiting  me)  renewed  as  are  young 
trees  with  new  foliage,  pure,  and  disposed  to  mount 
up  to  the  stars. 

Each  of  the  three  Cantiche  ends  with  the  word 
*^  stelle."  "  Perhaps,"  says  Scartazzini,  "  Dante  does  so 
to  indicate  to  his  readers  what  is  the  ultimate  end  of  his 
Poem,  and  to  what  point  ought  to  be  directed  the  eye 
of  every  one  who  does  not  ignore  its  lofty  origin  and 
its  exalted  purpose  and  aim.  With  the  word  ''stelle^' 
as  the  concluding  word  of  his  Poem,  Dante  practically 
points  his  finger  upwards,  and  exclaims  :  'To  Heaven ! 
To  Heaven!    To  Heaven!'" 

*  stelle:  Dante,  after  drinking  the  water  of  Eunoe,  is  so 
renewed  and  refreshed  that  he  feels  himself  fit  to  ascend  to  the 
stars.  Compare  St.  John  IV,  14  :  "  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life."  Compare  also  Virg.  .^n.  XII,  788  (Conington's  Trans- 
lation) : — 

"  Again  the  haughty  chiefs  advance, 

Their  strength  repaired,  their  arms  restored." 

Come  piante :  Scartazzini  says  this  is  not  unlike  an  ode  of  Pin- 
dar's {^Nem.  VIII)  :  "  Virtue  increases  in  wise  and  just  men;  like 
as  the  tree,  by  vivifj'ing  dews,  grows  up  towards  the  humid  air." 

Rinnovellate :  Compare  Eph.  IV,  23  :  "  And  be  ye  renewed 
in  the  spirit  of  your  minds."  And  Hebrews  VI,  6  :  "to  renew 
themselves  unto  repentance." 

End  of  the  Purgatorio. 


INDEX. 


Abel  and  Cain,  i,  378 
Abinadab,  i,  297 
Absinthium,  wormwood,  ii,  151 
Abydos,  ii,  293,  294 
Abstinence,  angel  of,  ii,  190,  191 
Accademici  della  Crusca,  ii,  223 
Acciajuoli,  Niccolo,  i,  311 
Accidia   (spiritual   sloth),    i,   439, 

441,451,452,455,457,458;  ii,  I, 

17,  21,  25,  35 
Achan,  ii,  72 
Acheron,  i,  19,  37 
Achiileid,  of  Statins,  ii,  96 
Achilles,  i,  209,  210;  ii,  97,  127 
Adam,  i,  204,  205  ;  ii,  432,  433 
Adam  and  Eve,  ii,  297 
AdJuxsit  pavitnento  anima  mea, 

ii,  40 
Adige,  river,  i,  432 
Adrastus,  ii,  122,  127 
Adrian,  Emperor,  i,  463 
Adrian  V.,  Pope,  i,  xxv,  109,  431; 

ii,  28,43,46,  49,  51,  52,  234 
/Eneas,  i,  446;  ii,  26,  340 
vEneid,  i,  8;  ii,  339,  340 
^schylus,   ii,  117,  126,  127;    his 

Sepfem  contra  Thebas,  i,  300 
Affollar  del  Casso,  ii,  178 
Agapitus,  Pope,  i,  431 
Agathon,  ii,  126 
Age,  the  Golden,  ii,  134 
Aglauros,  i,  327,  379 
Agnus  Dei,  i,  410,  413 
Aguglione,  Baldo  d',  i,  311 


Ahasuerus,  King,  i,  445 

Aix-la-Chapelle,  i,  165 

Alagia,wife  of  Moroello  Malespina, 
ii,  50 

Alagna,  ii,  68 

Albert  of  Hapsburg,  Emperor,  i, 
xxii,  136 

Alberto  della  Scala,  ii,  23 

Albertus  Magnus  of  Cologne,  1,387 

Alcaeus,  ii,  127 

Alcmaeon,  i,  300 

Aldighiero,  Dante's  great  grand- 
father, i,  249,  263 

Aldobrandeschi,  Omberto,  i,  253, 
265,  268,  269,  271,  272 

Alessandria,  town  of,  i,  173 

Alexander  the  Great,  i,  275 

Alexander  III,  Pope,  ii,  22 

Alfonso,  son  of  Pedro  III  of  Ara- 
gon,  i,  70,  169 

Alphonso  X,  i,  126 

Allegorical  Cantos,  i,  xxv 

Allucinghi,  Bernardo,  ii,  171 

Alpestro,  i,  353 

Alps,  i,  xvi;  see  also  Apennines 

Althaea,  mother  of  Meleager,  ii, 
199,  200 

Amata,  wife  of  king   Latinus,  i, 

445 
Ambrose,  Saint,  hymn  of,  i,  177 
Ampere,  Voyage  Dantesgue,  i,  351 
Amphiaraus,  the  soothsayer,  i,  300 
Amphion,  i,  296 
Anagni,  ii,  68 
00 


450 


INDEX. 


Ananias  and  Sapphira,  ii,  72,  T^) 

Anastagi,  the,  i,  371 

Anchises,  i,  43;  ii,  26,  340 

Ancisa,  fortress  of,  i,  350 

Angel,  i,  21,  235,  382,  388;  first 
approach  of,  i,  xxiv,  "^^y,  opening 
gate  of  Dis,  i,  xxv ;  of  gate  of 
Purgatory,  i,  xxviii,  21,  215;  first 
seen  by  Dante,  i,  21;  of  God, 
i,  94, 112;  ii,  253;  of  the  cornice  of 
anger,  i,  438, 447,  448,  449 ;  bril- 
liancy of, i, 35 ;  singing,  1,295, 390; 
ii,  254,  261;  pointed  out  by  Vir- 
gil, i,  306;  the  stroke  of  his  wings, 
i,  309;  wing  fanning  Dante's 
brow,  i,  313;  symbol  of  purga- 
tion, i,  389;  Dante's  purgation 
by,  ii,  34;  effacing  fourth  P  from 
Dante's  brow,  ii,  36;  his  position, 
ii,  37;  purifies  Dante  from  glut- 
tony, ii,  161,  189;  of  abstinence, 
ii,  190,  191;  guardian  of  terres- 
trial paradise,  ii,  262;  of  humi- 
lity, i,  286;  of  purity,  ii,  252, 
254,  255,  262,  263;  guardian,  i, 
180,  221,  224,  307;  vicar  of  St> 
Peter,  ii,  90 

Angel,  the  messenger,  i,  324;  the 
pilot,  i,  30,  ZZ,  40,  46,  47,  307; 
the  warder,  i,  94,  202,  213-220; 
3095315;  11584,  262;  his  raiment, 
i,  221;  his  keys,  i,  221-223 

Angeli  tuoi,  i,  259 

Angels,  i,  189,  258;  their  appear- 
ance, i,  174;  many  appearances 
of,  i,  xxv;  with  flaming  sword,  i, 
180,  181;  their  raiment,  i,  180; 
taking  their  appointed  positions, 
i,  181 ;  their  special  duties,  i, 
182;  their  defence  of  the  flowery 
valley,  i,  194;  special  graces,  i, 
388;  seven  in  number,  ii,  106; 
their  hymn,  ii,  350;  the  holy 
ones,  i,  307;  the  evil  ones,  i,  307 

Angels  of  the  Cornices,  i,  xxviii, 
221,  223,  224,  305,  306,  307,  308, 
312,  385,  386,  389,  447,  449; 
11,  34,  105,  189,  191,  254 


Angelus,  i,  175,  176 

Anger,  disciphne   of,  i,  409-414; 

vice  of,  i,  391-451 
Antarctic  Pole,  i,  7,  9,  189 
Antenor  of  Troy,  i,  106 
Anthem,  Commune  Sanctorum,  i, 

390 
Anticlea,  i,  446 
Antigone,  ii,  127 
Antiphon,  ii,  126 
Antipodes,  i,  27,  84,  86,  87,  88 
Anti-Purgatorio,  i,  xxvii,  xxix,  156 
Ante-Terrestrial  Paradise,  ii,  293 
Antonelli,  commentator,  i,  22,  112; 

ii,  268 
Ants,  company  of,  i,  236,  237 
Apennines,  i,  xvi,  1 10, 1 1 5,  354, 44 1 
Apollo,  i,  87,  293,  294,  296 
Apollo  and  Diana,  ii,  75 
Apollonius  Rhodius,  i,  176 
Apple-tree,  ii,  404,  405 
April  1 2th,  ii,  29 

Aquinas,  St.  Thomas,  i,  424,  et  seg. 
Aquilo,  ii,  407 

Arachne,  story  of,  i,  297-299 
Areas,  child  of  Helice,  ii,  227 
Archiano,  river,  i,  "j-^,  no,  116 
Archimedes,  i,  140 
Archytas,  i,  412 
Arctic  Pole,  i,  9 

Ardesser  di  sopra  dai  cigli^  ii,  333 
Arezzo,  battle  of,  i,   109;  ii,  441; 

territory  of,  i,   114;  town  of,  i, 

350,  359 
Argia,  wife  of  Polynices,  i,  300; 

ii,  127 
Argenti,  i,  44 

Argonautic  expedition,  ii,  200 
Argugliosi  family,  ii,  169 
Argus,  ii,  403 

Aries,  constellation  of,  i,  200 
Aristophanes,  ii,  127 
Aristotle,  i,  59,  60,  93,  102,  275, 

386;  ii,  90,  126,  239,410 
Army  of  the  Church  Militant,  ii, 

Arno,  the  river,  i,  xvii,  115,  350-361 
Arrigo  Manardi,  i,  368 


INDEX. 


451 


Ascent,  the  first,  in  cornices,  i,  230 
Asopus,  river,  ii,  19,  123 
Asperges  me,  ii,  375 
Athens,  ii,  126 
Athens,  city  of,  i,  401 
Atmosphere  of  Purgatory,  i,  xxix; 

ii,  89,  295,  298 
Atropos,  ii,  199 
Attitude  in  prayer,  i,  177 
August  clouds,  i,  102 
Augustine,  Saint,  i,  27  et  seq. 
Augustus,   the   Emperor,   i,    151; 

ii,  121,  340 
Aurora,  i,  204 
Auster,  ii,  407 

Avarice,  vice  of,  i,  398;  ii,  39-105 
Ave-Maria  bell,  i,  175 
Averrhoes,  ii,  21 1-2 13 
Avignon,  translation  of  Apostolic 

seat  to,  ii,  419 
Azzo,  Marquis  of  Este,  ii,  67 
Azzone  VIII,  Marquis  of  Ferrara, 

i,  105 

Babel,  tower  of,  i,  295,  296 

Bacchus,  ii,  19,  71 

Bacon,  Francis,  i,  xi;  ii,  99 

Bagnacavallo,  i,  374 

Balbo,  Cesare,  i,  xxii 

Baltd,  Cato's  jurisdiction,  i,  14 

Balzi,  i,  83,  164,  211,  213,  233 

Baptist,  the,  patron  saint  of  Flor- 
ence, ii,  135 

Barbarossa,  Frederick,  ii,  23 

Barbary,  ii,  154 

Barbagia,  ii,  152,  153 

Bardi,  Simone  de',  ii,  385 

Barlow   {Study  of  Dante),   i,    12 
et  seq. 

Bas-reliefs,  i,  234-245 

Basterna,  ii,  338 

Bear,  constellation  of  the,  i,  85 

Beard,  Dante's,  ii,  371 

Beatitudes,  the, 
the  first,  Beati  pauperes  spiritu, 

i,  3ii>  312; 

the  second,  Beatt  misencordes, 

1,390; 

00 


Beatitudes,  the, — cont. 
the  third,  Beatt  pacifici,  che  son 
sens  a  ira  mala,  i,  45 1 ; 
the  fourth,  Qui  lugent,  ii,  36; 
the    fifth,    Beatt    qui    sitiunt, 
ii,  105-107; 
the  sixth,  Beatt  cut  alluma,  dr*c. 

ii,  193; 

the  seventh,  Beati  tnundo  corde, 

ii,  254; 
Beatrice,  i,  xvi,  129,  130;  ii,  292, 
312,  341-445;  first  mention  of, 
i,  13;  summoned  to  appear,  ii, 
336;  her  first  appearance,  and 
her  raiment,  ii,  342,  343;  recog- 
nized by  Dante,  ii,  343;  as 
theology,  i,  398;  ii,  9,  14,  260, 
261,  343  ;  as  type  of  divine 
science,  ii,  85,  275;  as  philo- 
sophy, ii,  355;  where  she  is  to 
be  found,  ii,  159;  her  prescience, 
ii,  198;  in  the  Terrestrial  Para- 
dise, ii,  272;  her  influence  upon 
Dante,  ii,  343;  her  dignified  no- 
bility, ii,  347,  348;  a  description 
of  her  beauty,  ii,  383;  her  death, 

ii,  389 
Beatrice,  wife  of  Charles  of  Anjou, 

i,  171 
Beatrice  da  Este,  i,  188 
Beatrice,    daug.    of    Charles    of 

Anjou,  ii,  67 
Beaumont  and  Fletcher,  i,  381 
Beggars,  the  blind,  in  Italy,  i,  330 
Belacqua,  i,  xxiv,  91-95,  97,  265, 

283;  ii,  149 
Bembo,  Bernardo,  i,  373 
Benedictus  qui  vents,  ii,  339 
Benevento,  battle  of,  i,  71 
Benincasa  da  Laterina,  i,  124 
Benvenuto  da  Imola,  i,  viii,  xvii 
et  passim;   as  professor  at  Bo- 
logna, i,  396 
Berenger,  Raymond,  ii,  62,  247 
Berlan,  i,  45  et  passiin 
Bemardin  di  Fosco,  i,  370 
Bertholdt,  Franciscan  monk,ii,  142 
Bertinoro,  i,  365,  373 
O  2 


452 


INDEX. 


Biagioli,  commentator,  i,  447,  455 
Bianchi,  party  of,  i,  xxii,  144,  361; 

ii,  180 
Bianchi,  Brunone,  i,   165   et  seq.\ 

ii,  257 
Bibiena,  town  of,  i,  109 
Bigozzi,  family  of,  i,  336 
Birthplaces  of  famous  men,  i,  153 
Bismantova,  i,  xvii;  hill  of,  i,  80 
Blackbird,  proverb  about  the,  i, 

339 
Blanc,   Voc.  Dant.,  i,   136,  161  et 

passim 
Blind  beggars,  i,  330 
Bocca  degli  Abati,  i,  44 
Boccaccio,  G.  i,  xviii;  Decameron, 

i,  32  ei  seq. ;  Life  of  Dante,  i,  48 

et  seq. 
Boethius,  i,  357  et  seq. 
Bohemia,  i,  166 
^Sologna,  i,  viii,  273;  ii,  411 
Bolsena,  Lake  of,  ii,  166 
Bonagiunta  of  Lucca,  ii,  160,  165, 

169-178 
Bondone  da  Vespignano,  i,  276 
Boniface  VIII,i,  124,  137,429;  ii, 

65,  68,  418 
Boniface,  Archbishop  of  Ravenna, 

ii,  167,  168 
Bordon  di  palma  cinto,  ii,  437 
Borneil,  Giraud  de,  ii,  247,  248 
Brabant,  wife  of  the  Duke,  i,  125, 

126 
Brettinoro,  town  of,  i,  368 
Breviarium  Romanum,  ii,  225 
Briareus,  i,  292-294 
Broill,  village  of,  ii,  333 
Brosse,  Pierre  de  la,  i,  126 
Brolo,  ii,  332 

Brundusium,  town  of,  i,  56 
Brunetto  Latini,  i,  26,  208,  356, 

360;  Dante's  master  in  science, 

ii,  244 
Buonaventura,  i,  313 
Buonconte  da  Montefeltro,  i,  xxiv, 

72,  96,  loi,  108,  116,  118 
Buonuomini,  Council  of  fourteen, 

i,  146 


Butterfly,  the  angelic,  i,  249 
Buti,  commentator,  i,  20  et  seq. 
Butler,  A.  J.,  i,  ix  et  seq. 
Byron,  Lord,  i,  176 

Cacciaguida,  Dante's  great  great 

grandfather,  i,  xxvii,   102,  249, 

263,  285,  311,  369,  394 
Csecilius,  ii,  125 
Caesar,  Julius,  i,  225  ;  ii,  19,  20 
Caina,  i,  125 

Cain,  i,  327;  and  Abel,  i,  378 
Calliope,  i,  3,  4 
Callisto  {vel  Helice),  ii,  227 
Calydon,  the  wild  boar  of,  ii,  200 
Calypso,  ii,  32 
Calboli  Fulcieri  da,  his  crueltj',  i, 

362 
Calboli,  Rinieri  da,  i,  367  " 
Camaldoli,  Convent  of,  i,  no,  115 
Camerini,  i,  20,  et  seq. 
Campagnatico,  castle  of,  i,  270 
Campaldino,  battle  of,  i,  96,  109, 

no,  n5,  124 
Canavese,  i,  173 
Candlesticks,  seven  golden,  ii,  305- 

336,  423 
Ca}t  Grande  della   Scala,  1,  xxv, 

xxvi,  39,  137;  ii,  23,  429,  430 
Canticle  for  Palm  Sunday,  n,  339 
Cantos,  number  and  length,  i,  xxx 
Capet  (Hugh  the  great),  i,  xxv;  ii, 

54,  57,  62,  70 
Cappelletti,  i,  138. 
Capulets,  i,  137 
Carpigna,  Guido  di,  368,  369 
Cary,  Henry  Francis,  i,  ix,  y.etseq. 
Caryatides,  allusion  to,  i,  251 

Casella,i, 30,44-491  134;";."^  375 
Casentino,  valley  of,  i,  xvii;  moun- 
tain of,  i,  no,  358 
Cassero,  Jacopo  del,  i,  105 
Cassinese,  the  Postillatore,  (Com- 
mentator), ii,  165  et  seq. 
Cassioli,  Professor,  i,  280 
Castalia,  the  fountain,  ii,  313 
Castel  deir  Uovo  at  Naples,  ii,  63 
Castello,  Guido  da,  i,  434 


INDEX. 


453 


Castor  and  Pollux,  i,  85 

Castrocaro,  town  of,  i,  374 

Cato  of  Utica,  i,  8-25,  48,  50;  em- 
blem of  heathen  morality,  i,  191 

Cato  the  Censor,  ii,  21 

Catullus,  ii,  126 

Cavalcanti,  Guide,  i,  xxxi,  271,  277, 
ii,  175,  306 

Centaurs,  the,  ii,  188;  Chiron,  i, 
209;  Thaumas,  ii,  89 

Ceres,  ii,  140,  291 

Chariot,  the,  ii,  305,  325-433 

Charity,  i,  323;  ii,  328;  Emblem 
of  the  Church,  396 

Charity,  Faith,  Hope  and,  i,  155; 

ii,  329 
Charlemagne,  i,  431 
Charles  of  Anjou,  i,  67,  106,  165, 

168,  169,  171,  280;  ii,  62,  63;  his 

son  Charles,  ii,  66,  67 
Charles  of  Valois,  i,  362;  ii,  63,65, 

180,  427 
Charon,  i,  12,  39,  312 
Chastity,  praise  of,  ii,  228 
Chaucer,  i,  xi,  170,  237;  ii,  29 
Chevy  Chase,  i,  434 
Chiaramontesi,  i,  311 
Chiassi,  town  of,  ii,  283,  284 
Chiavari,  town  of,  i,  xvii;  ii,  44 
Chiron,  the  centaur,  i,  209,  210 
Christ,  ii,  433 

Christians,  i,  359;  ii,  1 16-123 
Chrysostom,  St.,   i,   259,    451    et 

passim 
Church,  Dean,  Introd.  i,  xi-xx 
Church  Militant,  ii,  308,  388;  Tri- 
umphant, ii,  309 
Ciacco,  i,  327;  ii,  150 
Cianghella,  i,  340 
Cicero,  i,  153,  420,  451;  ii,  124 
Cimabue,  painter,  i,  271,  276 
Cinghio,  word  only  once  used  to 

express  one  of  the  cornices,  i, 

326 
Cino  da  Pistoja,  ii,  175 
Cione  de'  Tarlati,  i,  124 
Circe,  i,  357,  35^;  ii,  32 
Cleanthes,  i,  421 


Clement,  IV,  i,  68,  71,  72 

Clement,  V,  i,  xxi;  ii,  69 

Clio,  ii,  117 

Clotho,  ii,  84,  199 

Cloud  of  Flowers,  ii,  339,  342,  347, 
348 

Clymene,  mother  of  Phaethon,  i,  87 

Coelius,  Roman  senator,  i,  463 

Colle,  battle  of,  i,  280;  a  Florentine 
fortress,  i,  338,  339 

Colonna,  living  thief,  ii,  69 

Compagni,  Dino,  i,  311  et  passim 

Compline    Hymn,    i,    xxiv,    163, 
174-178 

Commune  Sanctorum^  i,  390 

Commentators. 
Ampere,  i,  351;  Anonimo  Fio- 
rentino,  i,  128  et  seq.;  Antonelli, 
i,  22  et  seq.;  ii,  129;  Barlow,  Dr., 
i,  12;  Bembo,  i,  35;  Benvenuto 
da  Imola,  i,  i  et  seq.;  Berlan,  i, 
45;  Blanc, i, 53^/" j^^.y  Biagioli, i, 
53  et  seq.,  354;  Boccaccio,  Falso, 
ii,  146;  Boccaccio,  G.,  i,  32^/ 
seq.;  Buti,  i,  20  et  seq.;  Bru- 
netto  Latini,  i,  208;  Brunone 
Bianchi,  i,  354;  Butler,  i,  ix  et 
seq.;  Camerini,  i,  20  et  seq.; 
Cary,  i,  32  et  seq.;  Cesari,  i, 
354;  Costa,  i,  20  et  seq.;  Da- 
nielli,  ii,  34;  Duke  of  Sermo- 
neta,  '■''Tavole  Dantesche"  i,  280; 
Fanfani,  i,  418  ^/  seq.;  Fraticelli, 
i,  1 5  ^/  seq. ;  Giuliani,  i,  20  et  seq.; 
Gioberti,  i,  133  et  seq.;  Hazel- 
foot,  i,  171  et  seq.;  Lamennais, 
i,  32  et  seq.;  Lana,  Jacopo  della, 
i,  23  et  seq.;  Landino,  i,  20  et 
seq.;  hanzi,  \,  2y^et  seq.;  Lom- 
bardi,  ii,  176;  Longfellow,  i,  357 
et  seq.;  Lubin,  ii,  15;  Mansel,  ii, 
6;  Moore,  Dr.,  i,  6;  Morando,  ii, 
186;  Nannucci,  ii,  203;  Ottimo, 
i,  53  et  seq.;  Ozanam,  i,  53  et  seq.; 
Petrarch,  i,  353  ;  Philalethes 
(King  of  Saxony),  i,  7  et  seq.; 
Plumptre,  i,  5  et  seq.;  Pollock, 
Sir  F.,  ii,  106;  Scartazzini,  i,  7 


454 


INDEX. 


Commentators — cont. 
et  seq.;  Talice  da  Ricaldone,  i, 
39  et  seq.;  ii,  210  ;  Tommaseo, 
i,  53  et  seq.;  Delia  Valle,  i,  41 
et  seq. ;  Varchi,  ii,  205 ;  Venturi, 
ii,  24;  Vellutello,  i,  20  et  seq.; 
Volpi,  i,  354;  Witte,  i,  39^/  seq. 
Editions. 

The  Aldine,  i,  39 ;  the  La 
Crusca,  ii,  176;  the  Foligno,  i, 
35  et  seq.;  the  jesi,  i,  35  et  seq.; 
the  Mantuan,  i,  35  et  seq. ;  ii, 
146;  the  edn.  of  Naples,  i,  35 
et  seq. ;  Vernon,  Lord  (Quat- 
tro  Edizioni,  i,  35 
Manuscripts. 

The  Berlin,  ii,  176;  the  Chigi, 
ii,   145  ;  the  Santa  Croce,  ii, 
176;  the   Cassinese,   ii,    152, 
176;  the  Caetani,  ii,  176;  the 
•     Riccardi,  ii,  146;  the  Vatican, 
ii,  145 
Conington,  John,  i,  23  et  seq. 
Conio,  town  of,  i,  374 
Conrad,  IV,  ii,  63,  427 
Conradin,  i,  280;  ii,  427 
Constantine,  i,  431;  ii,  411,  412 
Constance,   Empress,    i,   68,   70; 
daughter  of  Manfred  and  wife 
of  Pedro,  i,  118,  169,  171;  ii,  67 
Constellations,   Great   and   Little 

Bear,  ii,  227,  337 
Conti  Guidi,  i,  358 
Cornices  of  Purgatory,  i,  83,  233, 
235,  306,  324,  385,  388,  389,  391, 
452,  454;    11,  39,  84,   93,   224; 
the  first,  i,  228,  233,  306;   the 
second,  i,  286,  316,  317,  318;  the 
third,  i,  399;  the  fourth,  i,  457; 
the  fifth,  ii,  28,  34,  40;  the  sixth, 
ii,  104,  128,  129,  136,  160;  the 
seventh,  ii,  160,  161,  223,  224, 
254 
Corso  Donati,  ii,  142, 164,  179-183, 

427 
Cosenza,  Archbishop,  i,  68,  71,  72 
Countess  of  Canossa,  ii,  288 
Cranes,  ii,  237,  238 


Crassus,  ii,  72 

Creatwm'sm,  theory  of,  ii,  211 

Crete,  ii,  134 

Cross  of  Christ,  ii,  400 

Cross  of  Mars,  i,  102 

Cross,  the  Fiery,  i,  263 

Cross,  the  Southern,  i,  xxiv,  6,  7,  9 

Cruna,  meaning  of,  i,  232 

Cunizza,  i,  132 

Cyrus,  i,  302,  303 

Cytherea,  ii,  269 

Daniel,  Arnauld,  ii,  231,  247,  248 
Daniel,  the  prophet,  ii,  133 
Daniel,  Thesaurus  Hyvinologicus, 

i,  56 
Danish,  words  in  text  similar  to, 

ii,  184 
Dante,  i,  viii;  constellation  at  his 
birth,  i,  85;  his  birth-place,  Flo- 
rence, i,  376;  birth  in  1265,  ii, 
118;  his  education,  i,  332;  his 
studies,  i,  467;  an  early  son- 
neteer, ii,  174;  school  of  teach- 
ing followed  by  him,  ii,  387;  his 
Convito,  i,  \$  et  seq.;  his  Vita 
Nuova,  i,  XXX,  33  et  seq. ;  his 
Epistle  to  Henry  VII,  i,  141, 
410,  446;  his  De  Monarchia,  i, 
129;  his  letter  to  the  Floren- 
tines, i,  346  ;  his  letter  to 
Can  Grande,  i,  39;  his  Eclogues, 
ii,  265;  his  age,  ii,  239;  age 
at  which  he  composed  the  work, 
i,  xxxi;  his  admiration  for  Cato, 
i,  8 ;  his  character,  i,  48,  342 ; 
his  delight  in  songs,  i,  48;  his 
Canzone  set  to  music  by  Casella, 
i,  49;  his  shadow,  i,  65,  66;  at 
the  battle  of  Campaldino,  i,  109; 
his  visit  to  Paris,  i,  126;  his 
family  pride,  i,  248,  249,  260,  282; 
his  politics,  i,  165;  his  exile,  i, 
201,  311;  ii,  65,  143,  284;  con- 
demned to  be  burnt,  ii,  255 ;  resi- 
dence at  Rome,  ii,  17;  state  of 
Rome  in  his  lifetime,  i,  138;  Ra- 
venna his  burial  place,  i,  373; 


INDEX. 


455 


Dante — cont. 
meets  Beatrice,  i,  xxv;  his  age 
when  she  died,  ii,  356,  366;  his 
vision,  i,  205;  date  of  his  vision, 
i,  200;  ii,  155,  389;  his  dream,  i, 
211;  his  passage  into  Purgatory, 
i,  214,  227;  date  of  writing  the 
Purgatorio,  i,  xxxii;  ii,  428;  his 
ignorance  of  Greek,  i,  250;  his 
use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  i,  254; 
a  tradition  of  him,  i,  257;  his 
scholarship,  i,  261;  his  walking, 
i,  267;  ii,  35,  161;  theory  as  to 
earthly  possessions,  i,  366;  the  ar- 
chaeological element  of  his  mind, 
i,  369;  his  abstraction,  i,  403, 
442;  his  anger,  i,  406;  his  genius 
compared  to  a  bark,  i,  453;  anec- 
dote of,  ii,  48;  his  wanderings 
in  the  Lunigiana,  ii,  50 ;  his 
opinions,  ii,  68;  his  Christianity, 
ii,  80,  382;  similes,  ii,  178,  184, 
197;  his  beard,  ii,  370;  a  coward 
in  the  face  of  the  supernatural, 
ii,  331;  his  name  mentioned,  ii, 
346;  his  swoon,  ii,  373;  his  de- 
finition of  reverence,  ii,  424 

Dante,  Pietro,  i,  72  et  seq.;  ii,  254 

Dates,  table  of,  i,  146 

David,  i,  238,  239,  240 

Delia  Valle,  G.,  i,  41  et  seq. 

Deidamia,  ii,  127 

Deipyle,  ii,  127 

Delectasti,  Psalm,  ii,  294 

Delights,  Paradise  of,  ii,  252 

Delos,  Island  of,  ii,  75 

Detnomo,   nick-name    applied   to 
Mainardo  Pagani,  i,  375 

De  volgari  Eloquto,  ii,  243 

Deucalion,  ii,  431 

Deusvenerunt  gentes,  ii,  421 

Diana,  i,  293, 296;  ii,  228 

Diana,  the  river,  i,  343,  344 

Dino  Compagni,  i,  311  et  passim 

Diocletian,  Emperor,  ii,  409 

Diomed,  i,  210 

Dionysius,  i,  332 

Direction  through  Purgatory,  i,  66 


Dis,  City  of,  ii,  282 

Divine  Essence,  i,  108 

Divine  Love,  i,  208 

Division  of  the  Poem,  ii,  446-447 

Dolente  regno.,  i,  1 54 

Domitian,  ii,  97,  122,  144,  409 

Donati,  Corso,  ii,  142,   164,   179- 

183,  427 
Donati,  Forese,  i,  xxv;  ii,  136,  142- 

169,  183-185,  234 
Donati,  Piccarda,  i,  258;  ii,  160, 

163,  164,  250 
Donati,  Simone,  ii,  163 
Donato  Alberti,  i,  362 
Door,  i,  233 

Dragon,  ii,  413,  414,  433 
Dreams,  i,  202-209;  ii,  30 
Duns  Scotus,  i,  466,  467 
Dura,  river,  i,  173 
DXV  or  DVX,  i,  xxv;  ii,  428-430 

Eagle,  the,  i,  xxviii,  207-209;  ii, 
409,  412,  432;  with  feathers  of 
gold,  i,  206;  its  resemblance  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,  i,  209;  prefigures 
Dante's  ascent  to  Paradiso,  i, 
209 
Eagles,  the  Roman,  i,  242 
Earthquake,  the,  ii,  74,  75,  86-93 
Easter  Sunday,  i,  xxxii,  6,  201 
Easter  Monday,  i,  xxxii,  206 
Easter  Tuesday,  i,  xxxii;  ii,  35 
Easter  Wednesday,  i,  xxxii 
Ebro,  "  from  the  Ebro  to  the  Gan- 
ges," (proverbial  expression),  ii, 

253 
Ecce  ancilla  Det,  i,  236 
Edward  I   (of  England),  i,    172; 

ii,  63 
Eli,  ejaculation  by  Christ,  ii,  149 
Elbe,  the  river,  i,  166 
Elders,   the   twenty-four,   ii,  315, 

319,  322,  336 
Electra,  ii,  89 
Elias,  present  at  Transfigxiration, 

ii,  405 
Elijah,  i,  260 
Elsa,  the  river,  ii,  435 


456 


INDEX. 


Embryology,  theory  of,  ii,  194-215 

Emeralds,  ii,  379 

Empyrean,  ii,  438 

Envy,  vice  of,  i,  313  to  389,  398 

Eolus,  ii,  284 

Equator,  i,  88 

Equinox,  i,  66 

Eriphyle,  i,  300,  301 

Ermo,  i,  no 

Erysichthon,  ii,  140 

Este,  Azzone  VIII  of,  i,  107;  his 

family,  i,  107 
Este,  Beatrice  d',  i,  188 
Esther,  i,  445 

Eteocles  and  Polynices,  ii,  117 
Ethiop,  ii,  235 
Eunoe,  the  river,  i,  xxix;  ii,  285, 

293,  302,  420,  436,  440,  442,  444, 

445  >  447 
Eunaeus,  ii,  244 
Euphrates,  the  river,  i,  7;  ii,  285, 

442 
Euripides,  ii,  52,  126 
Europe,  i,  198 
Eusebius,  ii,  433 
Eve,  i,  270;  ii,  187,  304,  310,  311, 

346,  394 
Ezzelino  da  Romano,  i,  132 

Fabbro  de'  Lambertazzi,  i,  369. 
Fabricius,  ii,  55 
Faenza,  i,  370,  374,  375 
Faggiuola,  Uguccione  della,  i,  xxi; 

ii,  156 
Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity,  i,  155; 

ii,  329 
Falcon,  li,  38,  39 
Falconry,  i,  331;  ii,  38 
Falterona,  Monte,  i,  350,  351,  352, 

354,  355 
Fame,  its  emptiness,  i,  278 
Fancy,  the  power  of,  i,  442 

¥a.xi^a.m,Dtztonario,\,j2etseq.,2)SZ 
Fano,  i,  118 

Fantoli,  Ugolin  de',  i,  376 
Farinata  degli  Scornigiani,  i,  124 
Farinata  degli  Uberti,  i,  12,  '^'^;i, 
334,  364 


Faro,  the,  of  Messina,  i,  354 

Farsi  avanti^  ii,  233 

Fieschi,    Ottobuono     de'     (Pope 

Adrian  V),  li,  43 
Fiesole,  ii,  441 

Filicaia's  sonnet  to  Italy,  i,  148 
Filippeschi,  i,  138 
Fire  of  Purgatory,  ii,  256 
Fishes,  the  constellation  of,  ii,  400 
"  Five  Wounds  "  (sins),  i,  398 
Flamelets  of  light,  ii,  320 
Flaminia,  i,  376 
Fleur-de-lys,  ii,  68,  322 
Florence,  i,  xviii,  140-147  et  seq.; 

ii,  65  et  seq.;  its  chronology,  i, 

148  to  150;  its  women,  ii,  153- 

155;  its  proverbs,  i,  142 
Florentines,  i,  359 
Flowers,  Cloud  of,  ii,  339,  342,  347, 

348 
Flowery  Valley,  i,  160-196 
Fondora,    Buonaccorso    di     Laz- 

zaro  di,  ii,  171 
Forese,  de  Donati,  ii,  142  et  seq. 
Forli,  city   of,   i,   347,   365,   368; 

ii,  168,  169 
Fortitude,  ii,  329 
Fortuna  major.,  ii,  29,  30 
Fosco,  Bernardino,  di,  i,  369,  370 
Foscolo,  Ugo,  i,  118 
Four  damsels,  ii,  328  et  seq. 
Fox,  the,  ii,  411 
France,  the  kings  of,  ii,  59,  60 
Francis,  St.,  i,  21,  in 
Francesca  da  Rimini,  i,  118 
Franco  Bolognese,  i,  271,  273,  274 
Fraticelli,  Pietro,  i,  ix,  15  et  seq. 
Frederick  II,  Emperor,  i,  52,  67, 

68,  126,  331,  432;  his  De  Arte 

Venattca,  i,  331 
Frederick  of  Austria,  ii,  427 
Frederick  Barbarossa,  ii,  22 
Frederick,  king  of  Sicily,  i,  70, 169 
Fulcieri  da  Calboli,  i,  361-363;  ii, 

156 

Gabriel,  ii,  227 

Gaja,  daughter  of  Gherardo,  i,  436 


INDEX. 


457 


Gallura,  the  cock  of,  i,  i88 
Gallura,  Nino  Visconti  di,  i,  184- 

189,  212 
Ganges,  the  river,  i,  95 
Ganymede,  i,  207 
Garden  of  Eden,  i,  xxix 
Garden  of  Paradise,  ii,  285 
Gascony,  ii,  63 
Gate  of  Purgatory,  i,  xxiv,  21 1-227, 

229,  312;  ii,  295,  298 
Gemma,  wife  of  Dante,  ii,  142,  152 
Gemini,  sign  of  the  Zodiac,  i,  34,  85 
Genius,  i,  2 
Gente  verace,  ii,  336 
Gentucca  di  Lucca,  i,  xxi;  ii,  170, 

171,370 
Geomancy,  ii,  29 
Geryon,  i,  21;  ii,  256 
Ghent,  ii,  58 
Gherardo,  i,  434-436 
Ghibellines,  i,  137, 269,  361 ;  ii,4i  i ; 

their  leader,  i,  52. 
Ghino  di  Tacco,  i,  124 
Giacomo,  King  of  Arragon,  i,  169- 

Giano  della  Bella,  i,  146 
Giant,  ii,  416-433 
Gideon,  ii,  189 
Gilboah,  Slount,  i,  297 
Gioberti,  commentator,  i,  134,  214 
Giotto,  painter,  i,  271,  276 
Giovanna,  Countess  of  Gallura,  i, 

187 
Giovanna  da  Montefeltro,  i,  108, 

109,  118 
Giraud  de  Bomeil,  ii,  247 
Girdle  of  rushes,  i,  20-25 
Girone^  or  Cerchio,  spheres  of  hell, 

.ii,  93 
Giudici,  Emilio,  ii,  427 
Giuliani,  commentator,  i,  20^/  seq. 
Giusti,  i,  345 
Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo,  ii,  51,  74, 

76,  86,  91 
Gluttony,  i,  398;  ii,  105  et  seq. 
Gnosticism,  ii,  411 
Goats,  ii,  265 
Golden  Age,  the,  ii,  303 


Gomorrah,  ii,  237 

Gonfaloniere,  i,  146 

Gordian  knot,  ii,  71 

Gray,  Thomas,  i,  176,  291 

Graziani,  commentator,  ii,  434 

Green,  colour  of  hope,  i,  181 

Gregory  IX,  i,  433 

Gregory  X,  ii,  167 

Gregory,  Saint,  i,  292 

Grembo  di  Maria,  i,  182 

Gru,  word  only  occurring  twice  in 

the  Divina  Cofnmedia,  ii,  237 
Gryphon,    ii,   305-404;    as    Jesus 

Christ,  ii,  421 
Guardian  of  the  Gate  of  Purgatory, 

i,  21,  213-312 
Gubbio  or  Agobbio,  Oderisi  da,  i, 

272,  273 
Guelphs,  the,  i,  no,  137;  their  seat 

at  Rome,  i,  199 
Guidi,  Conti,  i,  350 
Guido  da  Castello,  i,  434 
Guido  da  Montefeltro,  i,  364,  365, 

368 
Guido  da  Prata,  i,  371 
Guido  di  Carpigna,  i,  368,  369 
Guido  Cavalcanti,  i,  277 
Guido  del  Duca,  i,  xxiv,  318,  346, 

363-366,372-377,  392,418;  ii,234 
Guienne,  ii,  63 
Guinicelli,  Guido,  poet,  i,  271,  277; 

ii,  176,  234,  235,  242,  243,  245 
Guittone  d'  Arezzo,  Fra,  poet,  ii, 

175,  248 

Hades,  i,  151 

Haman,  i,  444 

Hannibal,  i,  355;  ii,  441 

Harlot,  the,  ii,  416-419 

Harpies,  the,  ii,  89 

Hazard,  the  game  of,  i,  122,  123 

Hazelfoot,  F.  K.  H.,  i,  viii,  77 

Heber,  Bishop,  i,  402 

Hebrews,  the,  i,  88;  ii,  187,  188 

Hecate,  ii,  291 

Helice,  ii,  227,  228 

Helicon,  ii,  313 

Heliodorus,  ii,  72 


458 


INDEX. 


Hell,  its  shape,  ii,  85 
Hellespont,  ii,  293,  294 
Hemisphere,  the  northern,  i,  xxvii, 
84;  the  southern,  i,  xxvi,  54,  75, 

83-85 
Henry  VII,  Emperor,  i,  xxii,  xxvi, 

n7,  165;  ii,  428 
Henry  III  of  England,  i,  172 
Henry  of  Navarre,  i,  167 
Heraclitus  of  Ephesus,  i,  xv 
Hero,  ii,  293,  294 
Herod,  i,  282 
Herodotus,  i,  303;  ii,  75 
Hierarchy,  the  Roman,  i,  71 
Hipparchus,  ii,  126 
Hippocrates,  ii,  331 
Hippodamia,  ii,  188 
Holofernes,  i,  303 
Holy  Spirit,  ii,  312 
Homer,  i,  315,  404;   ii,   125;  his 
.  Iliad,  i,  237,  287,  296,  441;  his 

Odyssey,  i,  293 
Honorius  III,  i,  433 
Honorius  IV,  ii,  167 
Hope,  of  a  green  colour,  i,  181 
Hope,  Faith  and  Charity,  i,  155; 

ii,  329 . 
Horace,  i,  315  et  seq. 
Hortensius  i,  18 
Hosannah,  ii,  315 
Hugh  Capet  "the  great,"  i,  xxv; 

ii,  54,  57,  62,  70 
Hume,  historian,  i,  172 
Hymn  by  Angels,  ii,  350 
Hymn  of  St.  Ambrose,  i,  177 
Hypsipyle,  ii,  127,  244 

larbas,  king,  ii,  371 
Ida,  the  mount,  i,  207 
Ilerda  in  Spain,  ii,  19 
I  lion,  I,  304 
Imola,  town,  i,  374 
Indian,  ii,  235 
Indications  of  time,  i,  xxxii 
In  exitu  Israel  da  A£gypto,  i,  39 
In  te,  Dotnine^  speravi^  ii,  350 
Inferno,  the,  i,  xiii,  xvi,  xvii,  xxiii, 
XXX,  xxxi  et  seq. 


Innocent  IV,  i,  67 

lo,  ii,  403 

lolanthe  of  Hungary,  i,  169 

Iris,  ii,  89 

Ismenus,  river  of  Boeotia,  ii,  19, 

123 
Ismene,  ii,  127 

Italy,  i,  134,  165,336;  ii,  63,  351 
Ixion,  ii,  188 

Jacomo,  king  of  Arragon,  i,  170 
Jacopo  da  Lentino,  ii,  175 
Jacopo  del  Cassero,  i,  96,  loi,  105- 

108,  116,  118 
Jacopo  della  Lana,  i,  23  et  passim 
James,  king  of  Arragon,  i,  169 
James,  Saint,  the  apostle,  ii,  404- 

405 
Jerome,  Saint,  ii,  331,  368 
Jerusalem,  i,  xxvi ;    the  "  Green- 
wich" of  Dante,  i,  27;  its  siege, 
ii,  95,  141 
Jocasta,  ii,  117,  127 
John,  the  Conqueror,  i,  169 
John,  king  of  England,  ii,  63 
John,    St.,   the    Apostle,   ii,   404- 

405 
John,  St.,  the  Baptist,  patron  saint 

of  Florence,  ii,  135 
Jonathan,  i,  297 
Josephus,  ii,  141 
Joshua,  ii,  72 

Jove,  used  for  Jehovah,  i,  139 
Jove,  Jupiter,  i,  294;  ii,  327,  410 
Jubilee  of  Boniface  VIII,  i,  xxxi, 

46,  47 
Judas  Iscariot,  ii,  65,  95 
Judith  and  Holofernes,  i,  303,  304 
Julius  Caesar,  i,  406;  ii,  242 
Juno,  ii,  188,  403 
Jupiter,  i,  87,  293,  294;  ii,  188,  327, 

403,  410 
Justice,  Prudence,  Fortitude,  &c., 

ii,  329 
Justinian,    the    Emperor,   i,   135, 

431 
Juvenal,  ii,  io8j  his  seventh  satire, 
ii,  96 


INDEX. 


459 


Keys,  the  two,  their  description, 

i,  222 

Koran,  i,  93 

Labia  mea,  Domtne,  ii,  138 

Lacaita,  Sir  James,  i,  xviii,  195 

Lacca,  a  circle  of  hell,  i,  161 

Lacedaemon,  i,  144 

Lachesis,  ii,  84,  199,  215 

Lactantius,  ii,  124 

Lago  di  Garda,  ii,  261 

Laikde,  ii,  431 

Laius,  ii,  431 

Lamb,  Charles,  i,  xi 

Lambertazzi,  Fabbro  de',  i,  369 

Lamennais,  i,  ix,  32  et  seq. 

Lancia,  of  Lombardy,  i,  68 

Lancias,  the  two,  ii,  427 

Landino,  i,  20  et  seq. 

Landscapes,  best  descriptions  of 
ideal,  ii,  281 

Lanzi,  i,  273 

Lapithae,  ii,  188 

Latini,  Brunetto,  i,  208  et  seq. 

Latinus,  king,  i,  445 

Latona,  i,  293,  296;  ii,  75 

Lavagna,  river,  ii,  44 

Lavinia,  betrothed  to  Tumus,  i, 
445,  446 

Leah,  symbol  in  a  dream  of  the 
real  Matelda,  ii,  269,  270;  sym- 
bol of  the  active  life,  ii,  272 

Leander,  ii,  293,  294 

Lemmo  di  Pistoja,  i,  44 

Lentino,  Jacopo,  ii,  175 

Leopoldo  II,  i,  345 

Lerici,  near  Spezia,  i,  61 

Lethe,  the  river,  i,  xxix;  ii,  246, 
285,  291,  302,  308,  319,  361,  372- 

375,  385-387,  436,  437,  439,  44o, 

442,444 
Levi,  i,  435 

Libra,  constellation  of,  ii,  253 
Libya,  deserts  of,  ii,  238 
Lightning,  summer,  i,  102 
Limbo,  i,  8,  17,  19,20,48,  131,  151; 

ii,  108,  202,  433;  an  explanation 

of,  i,  155,  315;  the  throat  of  hell. 


Limbo — cont. 

ii,  85 ;  //  prima  cinghio  of  hell, 

ii,  128 
Limoges,  Giraud  de  Bomeil  of,  ii, 

247 
Litany  of  the  Saints,  i,  329 
Living  beings,  the  four,  ii,  323, 324, 

325 
Livy,  1,  413 

Lizio,  Lord  of  Ravenna,  i,  368,  369 
Locusts  and  honey,  ii,  135 
Lombardi,  Baldassarre,  commen- 
tator, i,  182  et  seq. 
Lombardo,  il  setnplice,  i,  434,  435 
Longfellow,  i,  ix,  113  et  seq.,  267 
Lord's  Prayer,  i,  xxiv,  254-262;  a 
charm  against  Pride,  i,  262;  ii, 
249 
Louis  IX  (Saint),  King  of  France, 
i,  1 71-172;  ii,  62;  the  royal  line 
of,  ii,  59 
Lubin,  commentator,  i,  ix;  ii,  89 
Lucca,  town  of,  i,  xxi;  ii,  169-173 
Lucan,  i,  3 1 5 ;  a  quotation  from,  i, 
1%  et  seq.;  his  P/iarsalia,  i,  225 
Luce  della  gente  umana.,  ii,  443 
Lucia,  ii,  240;  first  mention  of,  i, 
156;  a  representative  of  divine 
grace,  i,  205,  207,  210-213;  the 
same  as  the  eagle,  i,  205 ;  trans- 
ports Dante  in  a  dream  to  Pur- 
gator)^,  i,  21 1 ;  a  tradition  about, 
i,  212,  213;  symbol  of  truth,  ii, 

33  .  . 

Lucifer,  i,  xxvi,  5,  10;  his  fall,  1, 

291-293 
Luke,  St.,  ii,  81 
Luna,  ii,  291 

Lunigiana,  territory  of,  i,  195-198 
Luxur}',  vice  of,  i,  398;  ii,  194,  262 
Lycaon,  king  of  Arcadia,  ii,  227 
Lycomedes,  i,  209 
Lycurgus,  ii,  244 

M,  the  letter,  ii,  142 

Macigno,  stone  for  millstones,  ii, 

36 
Macince,  millstones,  ii,  36 


46o 


INDEX. 


Maghinardo,  i,  374 

Magra,  valley  of  the,  i,  197 

Mainardo  Pagani,  i,  375 

Maio,  ii,  287 

Malaspina,   Conrad,  i,  xxiv,   174, 

175, 189, 194-201,205;  his  family, 

i,  195,  196;  his  conversation  with 

Dante,  i,  194 
Malaspina,  Moroello,  i,  201 
Malebolge,  i,  21,  301;   fourth  pit 

of,  ii,  128 
Man  in  cloth  of  grey,  ii,  61 
Manardi,  Arrigo,  i,  369 
Manfred,  i,  xxiv,  xxvii,  52,  65,  67- 

76,  79,  103,  118,  169,  171,  280, 

283,  376 

M ambus  0  date  hlia  plenis,  ii,  339 

Manna,  i,  258,  259 

Mansel,  Dean,  ii,  6 

Mantle,  Beatrice's,  green,  ii,  342 

Mantles,  livid  colour,  i,  329 

Manto,  daughter  of  Tiresias,  ii, 
128 

Mantua,  i,  56,  133,  153 

Marathon,  Battle  of,  ii,  126 

Marca  d'  Ancona,  i,  105 

Marcellus,  i,  140;  ii,  340 

Marcia,  wife  of  Cato,  i,  8,  12,  48 

Marchese,  ii,  168 

Marco  Lombardo,  i,  xxiv,  409,  414, 
417-438;  ii,  234 

Marco  Polo,  i,  7 

Margaret,  daughter  of  Raimond 
Berenger,  i,  171 

Maremma,  region  of  the,  i,  118 

Mars,  the  god,  i,  294,  295;  the 
planet,  i,  33,  34,  308 

Marseilles,  ii,  19,  20 

Martin  IV,  Pope,  ii,  165,  166 

Mary,  the  temperance  of,  ii,  187 

Marzucco,  i,  125 

Massa,  ii,  351 

Mass  of  St.  Paul,  i,  56 

Massimo  d'Azeglio,  i,  455 

Matelda,  i,  44;  ii,  89,  287-319,  361, 
374,  381,  388,  393,  394,  402,  404, 
405,  422,  443-446;  in  the  Terres- 
trial Paradise,  ii,  272;  her  ap- 


Matelda — cont. 

pearance,  ii,  287-308;    M.  and 

Dante,   ii,   307;    a  reproof  by, 

ii,  318 
Matelda  of  Canossa,  ii,  269 
Melchishuah,  son  of  Saul,  i,  297 
Meleager,  ii,  199,  200 
Meloria  (naval  action  at),  i,  360 
Mercury,  i,  295 ;  ii,  403 
Messina,  ii,  67 
Metellus,  i,  224-225 
Michael,  the  Archangel,  i,  329 
Michal,  wife  of  David,  i,  240-242 
Midas,  ii,  71 
Midian,  ii,  189 
Milan,  ii,  22 

Milman,  Latiii  Christianity^  ii,  59 
Milo,  ii,  148 
Milton,  i,  33  et  seg.,  102,  193,  219; 

his  Co7nus,  i,  372 ;  his  Paradise 

Lost,  i,  219,  224,  291,  421,  448 
Minerva,  i,  294,  295,  298,  299;  her 

contest  with  Neptune,  i,  401 
Minos,  i,  17 
Minutoli,  Dante  e  il  suo  secolo,  ii, 

171 
Mira,  the  town,  i,  107,  108 
Miserere,  i,  100 
Mitre,  ii,  277 
Modicum,  et  non  videbitis  >ne,  ii, 

422 
Moldau,  the  river,  i,  166 
Mole,  the  bhnd,  i,  440 
Monaldi,  family  of,  i,  137,  138 
Monferrato,    Marquis    of,    i,    172, 

173 
Monferrato,  in  Piedmont,  i,  173 
Monks,  their  customs,  ii,  82 
Monster,  ii,  415-418 
Montagna  della  Futa,  ii,  411 
Montagus,  i,  137 
Montaperti,  battle  of,  i,  280,  281 
Monte  alle  Croci,  i,  310 
Montecatini,  i,  269;  ii,  156 
Monte  Corvo,  i,  257 
Montecchi,  i,  137-138 
Montefeltro,  Buonconte  da,  i,  xxiv, 

loi,  108-112,  116;  ii,  217 


INDEX. 


461 


Montefeltro,    Guido    da,    i,    iii, 

360;  ii,  217 
Monte,  I  Ritratti  dei  quattro  Poett, 

i,  206 
Moon,  ii,  442;  mistress  of  Titho- 

nus,  i,  204;  the  calendar,  ii,  15, 

16 
Moore,  Dr.  E.,  i,  ix,  6  ei  seq. 
Moore,  Thomas,  i,  448 
Mordecai,  i,  445 
Morning  sun,  i,  66 
Morocco,  i,  95 

Moses,  the  body  of,  i,  112;  pre- 
sent at  Transfiguration,  ii,  405 
Mountain  of  Cleansing,  i,  19 
Mountain  of  Purgatory,  i,  xxvi,  28; 

ii,  280,  295,  351 
Muro,  ii,  52 
Museo  Malvezzi,  i,  273 
Muses,  the,  ii,  125 
Mystic    Procession,  The,  ii,  314, 

32>(i,  388-394,  423 

Naidde,  ii,  431 

Napier,  Florentine  History,  ii,  153 

Naples,  ii,  81 

Needle's  Eye,  the,  i,  232,  233 

Nella,  wife  of  Forese,  ii,  151 

Nephele,  the  cloud,  ii,  188 

Neptune,  his  contest  with  Minerva, 

i,  401 
Neque  nubent,  ii,  49 
Neri,  the  political  party,  i,  144, 361 ; 

ii,  142,  143 
Neri  degli  Abati,  ii,  156 
Nero,  ii,  409 
Neron  Caesar,  ii,  429 
Newton,  Sir  Isaac,  i,  413 
Niccolb  de'  Lafii,  a  novel,  i,  455 
Nicholas,  St.,  Bishop,  ii,  56 
Nile,  the  river,  ii,  177-178 
Nimrod,  i,  295 
Ninna  tianna,  Italian  lullaby,  ii, 

.^55 
Nino,  Visconti  di  Gallura,  i,  xxiv, 

174,  177-188,  205,  212,  341 
Niobe,  the  story  of,  i,  296-297 
Noli,  small  township,  i,  xvii,  80 


Normandy,  ii,  63 

Norton,  Charles  Eliot,  i,  xxx 

Norwegian,  similar  word  to  text, 

ii,  184 
Nostral  vento,  ii,  371 
Notary,  the,  Jacopo  da  Lentino, 

ii,  175 
Novello,  Federico,  i,  124 
November,  i,  144 
Number,  odd  and  even,  i,  151 
Nymphs,  ii,  307;  the  four,  ii,  361; 

the  seven,  ii,  420-422 

Occam,  William  of,  i,  466 

Occhi  suoi  belli,  gli,  \,i\i 

Octavia,  mother  of  Marcellus,  ii, 
340 

Octavianus,  the  Emperor  Augus- 
tus, i,  151 

October,  i,  144 

(Edipus,  ii,  117,  127,  402,  431 

CEolus,  ii,  284 

Oderisi  d'  Agobbio,  i,  xxiv,  253, 
271-276,  280-289;  ii,  234,  246 

Olive  leaves,  the,  ii,  342 

Olympus,  ii,  291 

Ombra,  i,  317,  318 

Omnipotence  of  God,  i,  57 

Opheltes,  son  of  Lycurgus,  ii,  244 

Orbetello,  i,  344 

Orestes,  i,  323-325 

Orpheus  and  his  wife,  i,  230 

Oriaco,  village  in  Venetia,  i,  105, 
107,  108 

Orsini,  Niccola  degli,  Pope,  ii,  43 

Orso,  Count,  i,  125 

Ostia,  town,  i,  47 

Ottacar  I,  king  of  Bohemia,  i,  165, 
166 

Ottacar  II,  i,  166 

Ottimo,  the,  i,  45  et  seq. 

Ovid,  i,  4  et  seq. 

Ozanam,  A.  J.,  i,  ix,  55  et  seq. 

P's,  the  seven,  i,  xxviii,  220,  305, 
308,  309,  313-315,  389,  391,  398, 
451;  ii,  36,  84,  105,  107,  161, 189, 
192,  195,  229,  254,  261,  276 


462 


INDEX. 


Paces,  the  ten,  ii,  321,  423 

Padua,  i,  106 

Pagani,    family   of,    i,    374,    375; 

Maghinardo,  i,  374,  375 
Pallas,  or  Minerva,  i,  295,  298,  299 
Pappo  e  dindi^  i,  278 
Paradiso,  the,  i,  xiii-xvi,  xvii 
Paradise,  ii,  297;  the  Terrestrial, 

i,  130;  ii,  187,  281,  304 
Parnassus,  ii,  125,  304 
Pascal,  ii,  5 
Pasiphae,  ii,  237 
Pasquier,  ii,  60 
Passt,  fre,  i,  184;  ii,  293 
Passt  Died,  ii,  321,  423 
Pass  of  Pardon,  stairway  so  called, 

i,  327 
Pargole^gia,  i,  427 
Pargoletta,  ii,  369,  370 
Paris,  the  city,  i,  272;  ii,  59 
Paternoster,  i,  254,  262 
Path  through  Purgatory,  i,  231 
Patron  saint  of  Florence,  ii,  135 
Pavia,  Council  of,  i,  195 
Pedagogo,  i,  287 
Pedro  III  of  Aragon,  i,  70,  165, 

167,  169,  171 
Pelorus,  i,  355 

Perdoni,  word  used  here  to  ex- 
press churches,  i,  330,  331 
Peripatetics,  doctrine  of,  i,  427 
Persius,  ii,  125 

Peter,  Saint,  i,  223;  ii,  118,  330 
Petrarch,  i,  16,  139;   Cazone  /F, 

147;  intimate  friend  of  Benve- 

nuto  da  Imola,  i,  292 
Phaethon,  i,  87 

Phalaris,  tyrant  of  Sicily,  i,  332 
Phidias,  i,  235 
Philalethes,  king  of  Saxony,  i,  7, 

106,  215 
Philemon,  poet,  ii,  127 
Philippe  le  Bel  of  France,  i,  xxi, 

167,  168;  ii,  58,  69,  167,  418,  426, 

427 
Philippe  le  Hardi,  i,  126,  167,  168; 

ii,  167 
Philomela,  i,  444 


Phlegra,  town  of,  i,  294 

Pia  de'Tolomei,  i,  xxiv,  96, 1 17,  1 18 

Picae,  i,  3 

Piccarda  de'  Donati,  i,  364,  366;  ii, 

160,  163,  164 
Picci,  Guiseppe,  commentator,  ii, 

430 
Pie  molli,  roots  of  the  mountain, 

ii,  86 
Pierre  de  la  Brosse,  i,  125-126 
Pietola,  birthplace  of  Virgil,  ii,  17 
Piero  Pettignano,  i,  340 
Pietro  da  Abano,  i,  425 
Pietro  Damiano,  San,  i,  372 
Pigeons,  flock  of,  i,  5 1 
Pignatello,  Cardinal,  i,  71 
Pila,  Ubaldino  della,  ii,  167 
Pillars  of  Hercules,  i,  28 
Pindar,  ii,  126,  127 
Pirithous,  ii,  188 
Pisa,  i,  138,  350,  360;  ii,  66 
Pisans,  i,  359,  360 
Pisces,  a  sign  of  the  Zodiac,  i,  203 
Pisistratus,  i,  400,  401 
Planets,  the,  i,  424 
Plautus,  ii,  125 
Plato,  i,  50,  51,  59,  60,  77,  275,  412; 

ii,  202,  239 
Plexippus,  uncle  to  Meleager,  ii, 

200 
Pliny,  i,  234,  250,  305,  373,  461 
Plotinus,  i,  421 

Plumptre,  Dean,  i,  ix,  xxii,  5  et  seq. 
Plutarch,  ii,  126 
Pluto,  ii,  291 
Pcena  danini  and  pcena  sensus,  i, 

^55 

Pollock,  Sir  F.,  1,  ix  et  seq. 

Po,  the  river,  i,  367,  432 

Polo  da  Reggio,  poet  and  sonnet- 
eer, ii,  118 

Polo,  Marco,  i,  417 

Polycletus,  i,  234 

Polydorus,  ii,  72-73 

Polymnestor,  king  of  Thrace,  ii,  7;^ 

Polynices,  i,  300;  ii,  123,  127 

Ponthieu,  ii,  63 

Ponte  alia  Carraja,  Florence,  ii,  157 


INDEX. 


463 


Ponte  alle  Grazie,  Florence,  i,  310 

Pontius  Pilate,  ii,  419 

Pope,  the,  ii,  443 

Pope,  Alex.,  Temple  of  Fame^  i,  206 

Portinari,  Folco,  ii,  442 

Porciano,  i,  358 

Posilipo,  Promontory  of,  i,  56 

Post-Purgatorio,  see  Purgatory 

Poverty,  examples  of  holy,  ii,  54-56 

Pratomagno,  town  of,  i,  1 14 

Praxiteles,  i,  235 

Prayer,  position  in,  i,  177;  in  4th 
cornice  no  request  for  the  in- 
tercessory prayer  of  others,  ii, 
27 

Pride,  the  sin  of,  i,  270;  chief  angel 
of,  i,  291 ;  cornice  of,  i,  228;  vice 

of,  i,  309,  398 
Primavera,  ii,  290 
Pritnutn  mobile,  i,  xxix;  ii,  89,  299, 

438 
Procession,  the  mystic,  ii,  305-310, 

314,  315,  392,  394,402-423 

Procne,  i,  206,  444 

Proctor,  Miss  A.  A.,  ii,  21 

Propertius,  ii,  126 

Proserpine,  ii,  290 

Provenzano  Salvani,  of  Siena,  i, 
253,  280-284,  338,  339 

Prudence,  ii,  329 

Psalms,  the  Penitential,  i,  100; 
ii,  306,  375 

Ptolemaic  system,  i,  278;  ii,  89, 
299 

Ptolemy,  a  saying  of,  i,  425 

Purgatorio  (the  book),  i,  xiii;  date 
of  composition,  i,  xxii,  xxxi;  time 
spent  in  composition,  i,  xxii;  its 
close,  i,  xxv 

Pttrgatorio  (the  place),  i,  xxix; 
Post-Purgatorio,  ide7n 

Purgatory,  i,  151,  321,  322;  de- 
scription of,  i,  156;  peculiarities 
of,  i,  xxviii,  xxix;  characteristic 
of,  i,  414;  ii,  234;  occupation  in, 
ii,  70;  gate,  i,  156,  202,  211,  213, 
214,  281;  the  mountain,  i,  160, 
161;   ii,   280,  351;   first  day  in 


Purgatory — cont. 

Purgatory,  i,  201;  nightfall,  ii, 
263;  progress  in  Purgator)',  ii, 
263;  the  sculptures  in,  i,  234-244 

Purification,  ii,  192 

Purity,  ii,  319 

Pygmalion,  ii,  71 

Pylades,  i,  323,  325 

Pyramus,  ii,  435;  and  Thisbe,  ii, 
258 

QuelV  entrata  aperta,  i,  212 
Quorum  tecta  sunt  peccata,  ii,  306 

Rachel,  symbol  of  the  contem- 
plative life,  ii,  270-272 

Ramier,  a  pilgrim,  i,  263 

Ramogna,  i,  263 

Raphael's  stanze,  ii,  72 

Ravenna,  i,  358,  372,  yjy,  Dante's 
burial  place,  i,  373;  church  of 
the  Frati  Minori,  i,  373;  the 
archbishop  of,  ii,  167-168 

Reate,  city  of,  ii,  124 

Reggio,  i,  80,  434 

Rehoboam,  king  of  Israel,  i,  299, 
300 

Religione,  monastic  order  of  St. 
Francis,  ii,  87 

Reno,  the  river,  i,  367 

Rhiphjean  mountains,  ii,  237 

Riccardo  di  Camino,  i,  437 

Rimbecca,  ii,  115 

Rimini,  i,  376 

Rinieri  da  Calboli,  i,  346-348,  352, 
353,  361,  363,  367,  377 

Rtpiani,  ledges  of  rock,  i,  %2> 

Riviera,  the,  i,  61,  80 

Roger,  king  of  Sicily,  i,  70 

Roman  dames,  ancient,  ii,  133 

Romagna,  i,  105,  346,  347,  363 

Romagnoles,  i,  346-377 

Rome,  i,  138;  ii,  96,  327,  406,  408 

Romeo  and  Juliet,  i,  137 

Romualdo  da  Ravenna,  i,  1 10 

Rose,  the  mystic,  i,  182 

Rovezzano,  ii,  181 

Rubaconte,  the  bridge  of,  i,  310 


464 


INDEX. 


Rudolph  of  Hapsburg,  Emperor, 

i,  137,  165,  167 
Ruggiero,  Lauria,  i,  167 
Rules  of  Symmetry,  i,  xxx 
Rush,  the,   Emblem  of  humility, 

i,  21,  25 
Rushes,  ii,  86 
Ruskin,  Modern  Painters^  i,  267; 

ii,  232,  272,  401 

Sacchetti,  Novelli,  i,  339;  ii,  153 
Sacraments  of  the  Roman  church, 

ii,  312 
St.  Ambrose,  i,  227,  247;  ii,  331 
St.  Apollinare  in  Classe,  i,  yjy,  ii, 

283-284 
St.  Augustine,  i,  187,  255,  256,  258, 

263;  ii,  201,  331 
St.  Bernard,  ii,  331,  332 
St.  Francis,  i,  21,  iii 
St.  Gregory,  Pope,  i,  241;  ii,  331 
St.  Isidore,  ii,  280 
St.  Jerome,  ii,  331,  368 
St.  John,  ii,  332 
St.  Luke,  ii,  330,  331 
St.  Paul,  ii,  330,  331 
St.  Peter,  i,  372 
St.  Stephen,  i,  401 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  i,  14  et  seq. 

467;  ii,  64,  239 
Saladin,  i,  131 
Salvani,  Provenzano,  i,  253,  280- 

284,  338,  339 
Salve  Regifta,  compline  hymn,  i, 

163,176 
Samaritan  woman,  ii,  79 
San  L^o,  town,  i,  80 
San  Romualdo,  i,  372 
San  Salvi,  ii,  181 
Santafiora,  i,  138,  268 
Santa  Flora,  Conti  di,  i,  138 
Sapik  of  Siena,  i,  xxiv,  316,  333, 

336-343,  347-349 
Sapphira,  ii,  73;  and  Ananias,  ii, 

72    .  . 

Sapphire,  oriental,  i,  xxiv,  4,  5 
Saracens,  ii,  154,  155 
Sardinia,  ii,  152,  153 


Saturn,  reigning  over  Crete,  ii,  134 

Saul,  death  of,  i,  297 

Saxony,  King  of  (see  also  Phila- 

lethes),  i,  7  et  seq. 
Scales  or  Balances,  the  zodiacal 

sign  of,  i,  31 
Scartazzini  (commentator),  i,  viii, 

xxvi,  7  et  seq.  \J7 
Sciarra,  living  thief,  ii,  69 
Scholastic  philosophy,  i,  466 
Scholastic  disputation,  ii,  8 
Scipio  Africanus,  i,  273;  ii,  327 
Scirocco,  the,  i,  279;  ii,  284 
Scorpion,  the  zodiacal  sign,  i,  203, 

204,  205;  ii,  195 
Scotists,  i,  467 
Scotus  Erigena,  i,  466 
Sculptures  in  Purgatory,  i,  xxiv, 

234,  237-245 
Scylla  and  Charybdis,  i,  355 
Scyros,  i,  209,  210;  ii,  127 
Scythia,  ii,  237 
Self-love,  i,  459 

Seneca,  i,  421,  451;  ii,  124,  133 
Sennacherib,  death  of,  i,  301,  302 
Septentrion,  ii,  337 
Sermoneta,  Duke  of,  i,  xxv,  208 
Serpent,  the,  i,  xxiv,  174,  182,  189; 

his  attack  on  the  valley,  i,  191- 

194 
Sestos  and  Abydos,  ii,  293,  294 
Sestri,  town  of,  i,  xvii;  ii,  44 
Settentrion  del  prima  cielo,  i,  191; 

ii,  336 
Sette  alberi  d  oro,  ii,  314 
Seven,  the  sacred  number,  ii,  314 
Seven  choirs,  the,  i,  239 
Seven  cornices,  the,  i,  xxviii,  11, 

18;   ii,  349  .. 
Seven  heads,  ii,  418 
Seven  maidens,  ii,  328, 388, 402,407 
Seven  P's,  ii,  229,  349;  see  P's. 
Seven  vices,  ii,  416 
Shadow,  i,  55-57,  97,  186 
Shakespeare,  i,  137,278;  h.\s  Henry 

VIII,  i,   2^2;  Julius  Ccesar,  ii, 

102;  li^'ing  Lear,  i,  426;  ii,  141; 

Macbeth,  i,  446 


INDEX. 


465 


Shinar,  the  plain  of,  i,  295 

Sibyll,  the,  i,  127 

Sichsus,  King  of  Tyre,  ii,  71 

Sicily,  i,  67 

Siena,  i,  117,  138,  270,  280 

Siennese,  the,  i,  270 

Sigilluin  Pescatoris,  ii,  117,  118 

Sign  language,  ii,  41,  42,  99 

SilvcE^  by  Statius,  ii,  96 

Simonides,  ii,  126 

Sion,  Mount,  i,  87 

Siren,  the,  ii,  30-34 

Sirens,  the,  ii,  368 

Six    hundred    and    sixty-six,   the 

symbolic  value  of  the  number, 

ii,  429 
Skeat,   Etymological  Dictionary^ 

ii,  35-36 
Slaves,  galley,  i,  455 
Sloth,  i,  90,  97,  398,  451;  ii,  I,  35; 

fourth  cornice  in  Purgatory,  i, 

439 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  ii,  237,  242 
Soglia,  or  spheres  of  heaven,  ii, 

Solomon,   the   Canticles,   ii,   336, 

337 
"  Song  of  the  Bow,"  by  David, 

i,  297 
Sophocles,  ii,  127 
Sorceress,  ii,  37 
Sordello,  i,  44,  121,  131-134,  149- 

176,  182,  183,  186,  192,  205,  210, 

212 
Soul,  its  knowledge  after  death,  ii, 

217 
Souls  of  the  great,  i,  xxiv;  souls, 

vegetative,    sensitive,    intellec- 
tual, i,  76,  77 
Southern  Cross,  i,  xxiv,  6,  7,  9, 

10 
Spada  nuda,  i,  2 1 5 
Spenser,  Edmund,  i,  xi 
Spider,  or  Arachne,  i,  297-299 
Sphinx,  the,  ii,  432 
Spirits,  of  the  first  cornice,  i,  252; 

their  condition  in  the  flowery 

valley,  i,  196-197 

p 


Spola,  explanation  of,  ii,  374 

Sguilla,  i,  175 

Stairs  into  Purgatory,  i,  100 

Stairway,  i,  389-391,  397,  447;  ii, 
89,  263,  267,  275,  307,  391;  of 
the  second  cornice,  i,  308,  311, 
317;  of  fourth  cornice,  i,  451; 
of  sixth  cornice,  ii,  105,  129; 
they  mount  straight  up,  ii,  39 

Stars,  the  seven,  i,  190,  191 

Stars,  shooting,  i,  102 

Statius,  Poet,  i,  xxv,  ii,  75-445,  446; 
his  birth,  ii,  95 ;  his  appearance, 
i,  xxv;  ii,  78,  80:  his  nickname, 
ii,  98;  converted  to  Christianity, 
ii,  116;  time  spent  in  Purgatory, 
ii,  93,  III;  Dante's  guide,  ii, 
159;  his  nature  as  a  shadow,  i, 
43  et  seq.\  his  Tkebaid,  i,  301; 
his  silence  on  reaching  Terres- 
trial Paradise,  ii,  393;  last  men- 
tion of,  ii,  445 

Statius  Caecilius,  dramatic  author, 
ii,  124 

Stelle,  ii,  447 

Stelle,  le  quattro  chiare,  ii,  376 

Stelo,  i,  189 

Stephen,  King  of  Hungary,  i,  368 

Steps,  the  three,  i,  214,  215,  217; 
ii,  89 

Storks,  the  young,  ii,  197 

Styx,  i,  46 

Su7nmcE  D'eus  cletnentice,  ii,  225, 
226,  238 

Suns,  the  two  lights  of  Christen- 
dom, i,  431 

Sun,  position  at  time  of  Dante's 
supposed  vision,  i,  200 ;  a  de- 
scription by  Homer,  i,  421 

Sunrise  in  Purgatory,  i,  xxiv,  4, 
22 

Swallow,  the,  i,  206 

Sword  of  the  Angel  Warder,  i, 
215,  220;  ii,  105;  of  justice,  ii, 

367 
Sylvester,  Pope,  i,  431 
Syracuse,  i,  140 
Syrinx,  ii,  403 
PP 


466 


INDEX. 


Table  of  Dates,  from  Scartazzini, 

i,  146,  147 
Tagliacozzo,  battle  of,  ii,  63 
Talamone,  fortress  of,  i,  343,  344 
Tamburini,his  untrustworthy  tran- 
slation of  Benvenuto  da  Imola, 

ii,  241 
Tantalus,  i,  296 
Tarpeia,  i,  225 
Tarpeian  Rock,  i,  224 
Tasso,  i,  102  e^  seq. 
Taurus,  the  zodiacal  sign,  ii,  195 
Tavole  Dantesche,  i,  208 
Te  lucis  ante  terminutn,  hymn,  i, 

177,  178,  191 
Te  Deum  laudamus  (hymn),  i,  226, 

227-312 
Tedder,  H.  R.,  i,  ix 
Temperance,  ii,  329 
Templars,  order  of,  ii,  69 
Terence,  ii,  125 
Temple  of  Jerusalem,  ii,  72 
Tfen  Paces,  ii,  321,  423 
Tereus,  husband  of  Procne,  i,  206 
Terraces  or  cornices,  their  width, 

i,  233;  see  also  Cornices 
Terrestrial  Paradise  (or  Post  Pur- 

gatorid),  i,  xxv,  xxix;  ii,  275-447 
Thaumas,  ii,  89 
Thebaid,  of  Statins,  ii,  96,  122 
Thebais,  ii,  123 
Thebes,  city  of,  ii,  97 
Themis,  ii,  431 
Theodosius,  Emperor,  i,  247 
Theology,  ii,  14,  369,  376,  379, 380; 

exemplified  by  Beatrice,  ii,  261, 

377 
Thetis,  i,  209,  210;  ii,  127 
Theseus,  ii,  188 
Thisbe  and  Pyramus,  ii,  258 
Thoas,  ii,  244 
Thomists,  followers  of  St.  Thomas 

Aquinas,  i,  467 
Three  Theological  Virtues,  ii,  328- 

330,  381,  394 
Thucydides,  ii,  75 
Thymbraeus  Apollo,  i,  294 
Tiber,  the  river,  i,  37, 47,  350 


TibuUus,  ii,  126 

Tigris,  the  river,  ii,  285,  442 

Tignoso,  Federigo,  i,  371 

Time,  indications  of  and  references 
to  in  the  Purgatorio,  i,  xxxii,  5, 
6,  9,  22,  23,  26,  30-32,40,  41,66, 
78,  95,  130,  157,  163,  175,  201, 
203-206,  211,  231,  306,  382,  385, 
408,414,438,441,451;  ii,  15-17, 
28,29,  34,  35,  129,  195,  196,231, 
252,  253,  263,  264,  272,  440,  441 

Tiresias,  ii,  127 

Tithonus,  i,  203-205 

Titus,  Emperor,  ii,  95-97,  no,  141 

Tityus,  i,  293 

Tomyris,  Queen,  i,  303 

Tommaseo,  commentator,  i,  188 
et  seq.,  318 

Toulouse,  city  of,  ii,  96,  97 

Tours,  city  of,  ii,  166 

Toynbee,  Paget,  ii,  247 

Toxeus,  brother  to  Althseus,  ii, 
200 

Trabaria,  epithet  applied  to  Massa, 

Traducianism,  theory  of,  ii,  211 
Trajan,  Emperor,  i,  xxiv,  240-243 
Tramontana,  the  north  wind,  ii. 

Transfiguration,  the,  ii,  404 
Travel,  reminiscences  of,  i,  6r,  80, 

175;  ii,  347 

Traversara,  la  casa,  i,  371 

Traversaro,  Pier,  i,  368,  369 

Tre  Passi,  i,  184;  ii,  293 

Trees  in  Purgatory,  ii,  1 31-133, 
137,  147,  149,  160,  307;  the 
second  tree,  ii,  184-187;  the  tree 
of  knowledge,  ii,  388,  395-402; 
the  renovated  tree,  ii,  401,  402, 

432-435 
Triopas,  king  of  Thessaly,  ii,  140 
Troy,  i,  209,  304 
Troya,  i,  195;  his  Veltro  di  Dante, 

ii,  171 
Turbia,  i,  xvii,  61 
Turkish  proverb,  i,  425 
Turnus,  i,  445 


INDEX. 


467 


Tuscan,  a  great,  Guglielmo  Aldo- 

brandeschi,  i,  269 
Tydeus,  ii,  127 

Ug^ccione    della    Faggiuola,    i, 

xxvi;  ii,  171,  180-181 
Ugolino,  Count,  i,  125 
Ugolino  d'  Azzo,  i,  371 
Ugolino  de'  Fantoli,  i,  376 
Ulysses,  i,  25,  209,  210,  446;  ii,  32 
Urania,  ii,  313 

Val  d'  Amo,  i,  353,  356;  ii,  441 
Val  di  Magra,  i,  194-197 
Valerius,  remark  from,  ii,  133 
Valle,  Delia,  commentator,  i,  86 

et  seq. 
Valley,  the  flower)',  i,  xxiv,   149, 

156,  162,  163.  191,  262 
Valley  of  the  shadow  of  Death, 

ii,  182 
Varchi,  commentator,  ii,  205 
Varius,  ii,  124 
Varro,  ii,  124 
Vasari,  historian,  i,  272 
Vellutello,  commentator,  i,  20,  311 

et  seq. 
Veltro,  same  as  the  DXV,  ii,  429 
Vendetta.,  anger,  i,  410 
Venice,  i,  7,  106,  107 
Veni  sponsa  de  Ubano,  ii,  337 
Venite  benedicti  Patris  met.,  ii,  262 
Venus,  the  goddess,  ii,  292;  the 

planet,  i,  5,  308;  ii,  269 
Verde,  the  river,  i,  72 
Vernaccia,  ii,  166 
Vernon,  Lord,   Quattro   Edizioni, 

i,  35  ^/  seq. 
Verona,  the  city  of,  ii,  24 
Vicar  of  St.  Peter,  ii,  90 
Vices,  the : 

Anger,  i,   391-451;    Avarice,   i, 

398;  ii,  39-105;  Env>',  1,316-389; 

Gluttony,    ii,    105-193;    Luxury, 

ii,    194-262;    Pride,  i,   228-309; 

Sloth,  i,  451-ii,  36 
Vigfiisson,    Icelandic   Dictionary, 


Villani,  G.,  the  historian,  i,  168; 

ii,  181,  182 
Vinea,  friend  of  Provenzano  Sal- 

vani,  i,  280,  284 
Vinee,  Pier  delle,  i,  8,  126 
Viper,   crest   of  the  Visconti   of 

Milan,  i,  188 
Virum  non  cognosco,  ii,  227 
Vt'rum  non  habent,  i,  323,  324 
Virgil,  i,  1  et  seq.,  24,  151-153;  ii, 
197,  202,  304;  his  birthplace,  i, 
150;  ii,  17;  his  death  and  burial, 
i,  151;  his  tomb,  i,  56;  his  look 
of  awe,  ii,  317;  time  of  his  dis- 
appearance,  ii,  340;   vanished, 
ii,  345;  his  Bucolics,  ii,  76;  his 
^neid,  i,  355;  style  of  writing, 
i,  153;  represents  human  reason, 
i,  213;  science,  ii,  275;  know- 
ledge, ii,  316 
Virgin  Mary,  the,  i,  235,  324,  399- 

401;  ii,  19,  20,  70,  133,  240 
Vita  Niiova,  construction  of,  i,  xxx 
Voice,  ii,  190;  in  the  trees,  ii,  132, 

134,  186,  187 
Voices,  in  the  Second  Cornice,  i, 

324-327 
Virtues,  the  Four  Cardinal,  ii,  376, 

421;    the  three   theological,  ii, 

381,  421 
Visconti,  Nino,  Judge  of  Gallura, 

i,  174,  183-188 
Volpi,  commentator,  i,  354  et  seq. 
Vulcan,  the  golden  necklace  made 

by  him,  i,  300 

Warder  of  Purgatory,  i,  8 
Wenceslaus  IV,  the  Pious,  i,  166 
William  of  Occam,  i,  466 
Wisdom,  typified  by  a  lady,  ii,  33 
Witte,  Karl,  commentator,  i,  xxii 
Wolf,  the,  ii,  433 
Wright,  translator,  i,  ix 

Xenophon,  i,  303 
Xerxes,  ii,  94,  294 

Year   1300,  i,  xxxi,  xxxii;  ii,  35, 
173,  183,  428 


468 


INDEX. 


Year  1308,  ii,  183  Zanni,  Berthaldo,  i,  280 

Years    1318-19,    composition    of    Zara,  game  of,  i,  122 
Purgatorio,  ii,  430  Zeno,  Abbot  of  St.,  ii,  21-24 

Zion,  i,  87 
Zama,  battle  of,  ii,  327  Zodiac,  i,  84-86 


iBenevenutt  be  IRambalMs  be  Jmola 


COMENTUM 

SUPER 

DANTIS    ALDIGHERIJ 

COMCEDIAM 

NUNC  PRIMUM  INTEGRE  IN  LUCEM  EDITUM 

SUMPTIBUS   GUILIELMI    WARREN    VERNON 
CURANTE  JACOBO   PHILIPPO   LACAITA. 


FlorentuB,  iypis  G.  Barbera,  1887,  5  vols,  large  Svo.,  75  Iz're 
{£s).    {£>.  Nutt,  270,  Strand,  London,  IV.  C.) 

*#*  A  limited  number  of  copies  on  large  paper  were  issued,  at 
1 50  lire  (;^6).     Only  eight  of  these  remain  for  sale. 


"As  a  matter  of  interest  in  the  history  of  the  Society  should 
be  mentioned  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  Benvenuto  da 
Imola's  'Comment  on  the  Divine  Comedy.'" — Sixth  Annual 
Report  of  the  [American']  Dante  Society,  May  17,  1887. 

"  All  students  of  Dante  are  familiar  with  the  name  of  Lord  Ver- 
non, and  with  all  that  he  has  done  for  the  honour  of  the  poet  and 
for  the  illustration  of  his  work.  He  has  used  wealth  with  lavish 
munificence  in  printing  splendid  and  valuable  editions  of  the  text, 
which  not  the  most  enterprising  publisher  would  venture  to  under- 
take as  a  matter  of  business.  And  he  has  added  to  this  a  number 
of  unedited  ancient  commentaries,  which  will  all  have  one  day  to 
be  critically  examined,  and  has  opened  a  path  which  Italian  literary 
societies  are  following.     He  had  intended  to  do  more,  he  had 


470 

purposed  to  print  the  copious  and  important  Latin  Commentary 
of  Benvenuto  da  Imola,  a  design  which  was  interrupted  by  his 
death.  Meanwhile  the  Dante  Society  of  the  American  Cam- 
bridge, under  the  impulse  of  Mr.  Charles  Elliot  Norton,  resolved 
to  edit  and  publish  the  commentary  ;  but  they  gave  up  their 
plan  when  they  found,  through  Sir  James  Lacaita,  that  Lord 
Vernon's  son,  Augustus  Lord  Vernon,  was  bent  on  carrying  out 
his  father's  wish.  The  preparation  of  the  text  of  Benvenuto  was 
begun,  under  the  superintendence  of  Sir  James  Lacaita,  when 
Lord  Vernon  (Augustus)  died  in  1883.  But  the  family  enthusiasm 
in  a  noble  work  was  still  alive.  The  work  was  taken  up  by  Lord 
Vernon's  brother,  the  Hon.  William  Warren  Vernon,  and  finished 
at  his  expense.  Readers  of  Dante  have  to  thank  him  for  accom 
plishing  his  father's  design,  and  for  giving  them  at  length  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  in  its  integrity  a  work  the  value  and  interest 
of  which  are  in  their  way  unique.  The  book  is  handsomely 
printed  in  five  large  volumes  at  the  Barbara  Press,  with  intro- 
ductory notices  by  Sir  James  Lacaita  ;  [whose]  notices 

are  a  model  of  what  such  things  ought  to  be,  succinct  and  clear." 
— The  Guardian,  July  27,  1887. 

"  It  is  not  inopportune  that  the  publication  of  the  important  old 
Latin  Commentary  of  Benvenuto  da  Imola  upon  the  great  poem  of 
Dante  should  occur  in  the  present  year  of  Jubilee  in  England,  for 
it  will  be  remembered  that  the  action  of  the  Divine  Comedy  is 
supposed  to  have  taken  place  in  the  year  of  the  famous  Roman 
Jubilee  of  1300.  Benvenuto  was  writing  his  commentary  in  1375, 
as  is  indicated  in  one  of  the  historical  and  biographical  extracts 
quoted  by  Muratori  in  his  Antiquitates  ItalicE,  and  it  must  con- 
tain the  substance  of  the  lectures  delivered  by  him  at  Bologna 
during  a  period  of  ten  years.  Its  subsequent  history  is  interest- 
ing. Other  early  commentators  made  large  use  of  Benvenuto's 
work  in  MS.,  especially  Landino  and  Talice  da  Ricaldone,  whose 
own  Latin  Commentary,  completed  in  1474,  has  recently  been 
edited  at  the  expense  of  the  King  of  Italy.  Castelvetro  proposed 
to  print  Benvenuto  da  Imola  in  the  sixteenth  century,  but  was 
unable  to  execute  his  design  in  consequence  of  his  own  banish- 
ment from  Italy.  In  1855  the  stupid  blunder  was  made  of 
pnnting  at  Imola  a  so-called  translation  in  Italian  from   the 


471 

quaint  and  racy  Latin  of  Benvenuto,  a  proceeding  which  did  no 
credit  to  the  faithless  and  ignorant  translator,  or  to  the  birth- 
place of  the  old  citizen  of  the  town  whom  it  was  intended  to 
honour.  Lord  Vernon,  the  grandfather  of  the  present  Baron, 
desired  to  add  an  edition  of  the  Commentary  of  Benvenuto  to 
his  many  other  valuable  and  liberal  contributions  to  the  study 
of  Dante.  It  was  announced  in  1846  by  Colomb  de  Batines,  in 
his  Bibliografia  Dantesca,  that  the  editorship  of  the  intended 
work  had  been  confided  to  the  well-known  Italian  critic  and 
scholar,  Nannucci,  and  that  he  had  selected  for  his  text  a  manu- 
script in  the  Laurentian  Library,  collating  it  also  with  the  well- 
known  Estense  MS.  at  Modena,  from  which  Muratori's  extracts 
were  obtained.  The  further  progress  of  Lord  Vernon's  project 
was  unfortunately  stopped  by  his  death  in  1866." — The  Saturday 
Review,  June  25,  1887. 

"  Fortune  was  not  propitious  to  Benvenuto  Rambaldi,  of 
Imola,  for,  if  his  name  did  not  actually  fall,  as  happened  to  so 
many  of  his  contemporaries,  into  absolute  oblivion,  the  details 
of  his  life  remained  almost  entirely  unknown  to  posterity,  his 
writings  were  either  ignored,  or  very  little  known,  and  his 
greatest  work  was  either  issued  in  fragments,  or  so  clumsily 
remanipulated  as  to  lose  its  true  character.  To  refresh  the 
fame  of  Benvenuto,  and  to  satisfy,  at  the  same  time,  a  long-felt 
want  among  Italian  students,  provision  has  been  made  by  an 
English  gentleman,  in  whose  family  the  study  of  Dante  is  a 
tradition,  and  he  has  confided  the  publication  of  the  entire 
commentary  of  the  Imolese  to  the  care  of  Senator  James  Philip 
Lacaita ;  and  thus  the  work  of  Benvenuto,  reintegrated  from 
the  excisions  of  Muratori,  and  liberated  from  the  interpolations 
of  Tamburini,  at  last  takes  again  its  fitting  place  among  the 
commentaries  of  the  sacred  poem,  and  presents  itself  as  an 
assistance,  and  an  instrument  of  great  value  for  the  interpret- 
ing of  the  Commedia,  at  a  moment  in  which  Italy  is  setting 
up  at  Rome  a  chair  of  Dantesque  literature  ....  That  of 
Benvenuto  belongs  to  the  second  series  of  Dantesque  com- 
mentaries, to  the  series  of  official  lectures  that  began  with 
those  at  Florence,  given  by  Boccaccio  in  1373,  and  which 
finished  in  the  fourteenth  century  with  those  at  Pisa  by  Buti 


472 

about  1390.  It  (Benvenuto's)  was  delivered  in  Latin,  for  thiat 
probably  appeared  to  the  Imolese  to  be  the  only  language 
worthy  of  science,  and  it  may  boast  of  superiority  over  the 
exposition  of  the  Italian  novelist  in  its  completeness,  extend- 
ing as  it  does  over  the  whole  Commedia,  and  over  tl^  it  of 
the    Pisan    lecturer  in  its   greater  value   of  more  \  aried.  and 

richer  classical  culture But  however  solicitous  penve- 

nuto  has  been  in  adapting  his  commentary  to  the  minds  of 
the  many,  his  work  will  for  ever  remain  scholastic  ;  scholastic, 
in  its  mediaeval  sense  we  inean,  full  of  varied  erudition,  nor  are 
wanting  mythological  dissertation  and  doctrinal  digression.  At 
the  same  time  what  is  noteworthy  in  this  fourteenth  centur>' 
commentator  of  our  greatest  poet  is  the  unity  of  method  that  js 
constantly  preserved  ;  whence  his  work  does  not  bear  the 
slightest  trace  of  weariness  in  any  place,  nor  does  it  present 
those  disproportions  that  are  to  be  seen  in  the  dififerekvt  parts  ^ 
of  other  Dantesque  commentaries  :  nor  is  this  beautilul  uni- 
formity obtained  by  the  sacrifice  of  anything  that  is  necessary, 
as  one  may  perceive  in  the  commentary  of  Jacopo  dcUa  Lana, 
but  (it  is  obtained)  by  the  matured  preparation  of  a  plan  from 
which  the  author  never  turns  aside  his  thought."' — Rivista 
Critica  della  Letteratura  Italiana.     January,  1 888. 

"The  Latin  Commentary  of  Benvenuto  Rambaldi  da  Imola  is 
to  be  found  in  a  considerable  number  of  manuscripts,  of  wjii  h 
the  one  held  in  the  highest  repute  is  the  Estensis  (1408),  at 
Modena.  In  the  Eighteeth  Century  Muratori  made  it  appre- 
ciated by  the  lovers  of  historical  studies,  through  the  fragments 
which  he  gave  in  his  Antiquitates  italicce.  The  Avvocato 
Tamburini  published  a  translation  of  it  in  1855,  which  he  in 
vain  attempted  to  pass  off  as  complete  and  faithful.  Tlie 
illustrious  and  generous  English  Dantophilist,  George  Lord 
Vernon,  had  resolved  once  more  to  take  on  himself  'he  expense 
of  its  publication,  the  editing  of  which  was  to  be  entrusted 
to  Professor  Nannucci.  The  death  of  Lord  Vernon  interrupted 
the  execution  of  this  project,  but  his  son,  William  Warren 
Vernon,  has  magnificently  honoured  the  engagement  which  his 
noble  father  had  contracted  with  the  lovers  of  Dame.  It  is,  in 
fact,  some  little  while  since  that  the  edition  of  the  complete 


473 

commentary  has  come  out  at  the  expense  of  the  Honble. 
William  Warren  Vernon,  and  under  the  direction  of  the  learned 
Sir  James  Philip  Lacaita.  The  Vernon  family  has  not  deserved 
less  well  of  Dantesque  science  than  those  of  the  Trivulzio  or  the 
Caetani.  of  which  the  Italian  nobility  can  well  be  proud. 

Benvenuto  da  Imola  (Rambaldi,  from  the  name  of  his  family) 
is  also  known  by  the  Liber  Augustalis,  an  abridgement  of  the 
history  of  the  Emperors,  by  his  intercourse  with  Petrarch,  who 
names  him  in  his  letters,  and  also  by  inedited  writings  on 
Valerius  Maximus  and  the  Pfiarsalia.  In  his  commentary  he 
speaks  of  his  birthplace,  Imola,  where  his  father,  Magnus 
CompagTius,  gave  a  course  of  lectures ;  he  speaks  too  of  his 
residence  at  Bologna,  with  the  language  and  customs  of  which 
he  is  well  acquainted,  says  he,  quia  fui  ibi  per  decenniujn,  by 
which  one  may  understand  that  he  was  no  longer  there  when  he 
wrote  his  \  ook  dedicated  to  the  Marchese  Nicholas  II  of  Este 
(1388),  fc  whom  also  he  made  the  Liber  Atcgustalis.  He 
celebrates  his  masters  Petrarch  and  Boccaccio,  both  already 
dead. 

His  political  judgments  bear  the  impress  of  great  indepen- 
dance :  he  gives  a  severe  estimate  both  of  Popes  and  Emperors, 
as  also  of  the  epoch  in  which  he  writes,  compared  with  which 
he  finds  that  of  Dante  almost  a  time  of  tranquillity.  He 
naturally  makes  use  of  Boccaccio,  but  without  naming  him, 
unless  it  be  to  report  some  anecdote  which  he  has  had  from  him ; 
as,  for  instance,  that  of  Dante's  reputed  residence  at  Monte 
Cassino.  He  borrows  from  him  his  dissertations  on  the  different 
kinds  of  tragedy,  comedy,  and  satire,  and  on  the  idea  that 
Dante  seems  to  have  had  of  composing  his  poem  in  latin ;  and 
he  reproduces  Petrarch's  opinion  on  this  subject,  that  the  experi- 
ment might  quite  well  have  been  a  success.  He  borrows  again 
from  Boccaccio  the  anecdote  of  the  first  seven  cantos  lost  and 
then  found;  and  from  (Jacopo  della)  Lana  some  details;  as  for 
example  the  combat  between  the  Christians  and  the  pagans  at 
Aries,  where  the  bodies  of  the  former  were  said  to  have  been 
distinguishable  by  a  scroll  that  had  fallen  from  heaven.  All  the 
same  he  maintains  entire  freedom  as  to  interpretation. 

But  it  is  from  the  historical  side  that  the  commentary  of 
Benvenuto  da  Imola  is  of  incomparable  value :  it  is,  from  this 


474 

point  of  view,  the  source  from  which  all  the  other  commentators 
have  come  to  draw.  Benvenuto  is,  among  the  scholiasts  of 
Dante,  specially  the  historian  {Vhistorienpar  excellence)  as  Pietro 
Dante  is  the  scholiast.  Separated  as  he  was,  by  a  considerable 
interval  of  time,  from  the  author  of  the  Divina  Commedia,  and 
living  besides  far  from  Florence,  he  has  only  been  able  to  have 
recourse  to  written  and  not  to  local  traditions :  the  historian 
that  he  oftenest  consults  is  Villani.  To  make  up  for  this,  he 
is  intimately  acquainted  with  the  history  of  Bologna  and  the 
Romagna  in  general.  If  he  accepts  the  popular  legend  of  the 
journey  of  Saladin  to  France,  or  of  the  outrage  committed 
against  the  Princess  of  Antioch  by  Frederick  II,  on  the  other 
hand  he  repudiates  the  fabulous  histories  about  the  foundation 
of  the  Italian  cities  to  which  national  pride  had  given  credence." 
— '"'' Les  Anciens  Commentateurs  de  la  Divine  Come'die"  by 
Professeur  Maxime  Formont,  in  L Instruction  Publique,  i"  Sep- 
tembre,  1888. 


Dryden  Press  :  J.  Davy  &  Sons,  137,  Ix>ng  Acre,  London 


U' 


PNDING  SECT.    MAY  3  f  iJBB 


>i 


I 


I 

on 
u 
o 


FOR  USE  IN 
USRARY  ONiY 


SEEN  BY 
PRCSL'RVATfON 

DATF   5  /C  -   R    -  *  6