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illud Italiae, qua sinus
Adriatici maris incipit et Siciliam."
v. 82. Capraia and Gorgona.] Small islands near the mouth of the Arno.
v. 94. There very weeping suffers not to weep,]
Lo pianto stesso li pianger non lascia.
So Giusto de'Conti, Bella Mano. Son. "Quanto il ciel."
Che il troppo pianto a me pianger non lassa.
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v. 116. The friar Albigero.] Alberigo de'Manfredi, of Faenza, one of the Frati Godenti, Joyons Friars who
having quarrelled with some of his brotherhood, under pretence of wishing to be reconciled, invited them to a
banquet, at the conclusion of which he called for the fruit, a signal for the assassins to rush in and dispatch
those whom he had marked for destruction. Hence, adds Landino, it is said proverbially of one who has been
stabbed, that he has had some of the friar Alberigo's fruit. Thus Pulci, Morg. Magg. c. xxv.
Le frutte amare di frate Alberico.
v. 123. Ptolomea.] This circle is named Ptolomea from Ptolemy, the son of Abubus, by whom Simon and his
sons were murdered, at a great banquet he had made for them. See Maccabees, ch xvi.
v. 126. The glazed tear-drops.]
-sorrow's eye, glazed with blinding tears.
Shakspeare, Rich. II. a. 2. s. 2.
v. 136. Branca Doria.] The family of Doria was possessed of great influence in Genoa. Branca is said to have
murdered his father-in-law, Michel Zanche, introduced in Canto XXII.
v. 162 Romagna's darkest spirit.] The friar Alberigo.
Canto XXXIV.
v. 6. A wind-mill.] The author of the Caliph Vathek, in the notes to that tale, justly observes, that it is more
than
probable that Don Quixote's mistake of the wind-mills for giants was suggested to Cervantes by this simile.
v. 37. Three faces.] It can scarcely be doubted but that Milton derived his description of Satan in those lines,
Each passion dimm'd his face
Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and despair.
P. L. b. iv. 114.
from this passage, coupled with the remark of Vellutello upon it:
"The first of these sins is anger which he signifies by the red face; the second, represented by that between
pale and yellow is envy and not, as others have said, avarice; and the third,
denoted by the black, is a melancholy humour that causes a man's thoughts to be dark and evil, and averse
from all joy and
tranquillity."
v. 44. Sails.]
--His sail-broad vans
He spreads for flight.
Milton, P. L. b. ii. 927.
Compare Spenser, F. Q. b. i. c. xi. st. 10; Ben Jonson's Every Man out of his humour, v. 7; and Fletcher's
Prophetess, a. 2. s. 3.
v. 46. Like a bat.] The description of an imaginary being, who is called Typhurgo, in the Zodiacus Vitae, has
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some touches very like this of Dante's Lucifer.
Ingentem vidi regem ingentique sedentem
In solio, crines flammanti stemmate cinctum
---utrinque patentes
Alae humeris magnae, quales vespertilionum
Membranis contextae amplis--
Nudus erat longis sed opertus corpora villis.
M. Palingenii, Zod. Vit. l. ix.
A mighty king I might discerne,
Plac'd hie on lofty chaire,
His haire with fyry garland deckt
Puft up in fiendish wise.
x x x x x x
Large wings on him did grow
Framde like the wings of flinder mice, &c.
Googe's Translation
v. 61. Brutus.] Landino struggles, but I fear in vain, to
extricate Brutus from the unworthy lot which is here assigned him. He maintains, that by Brutus and Cassius
are not meant the individuals known by those names, but any who put a lawful
monarch to death. Yet if Caesar was such, the conspirators might be regarded as deserving of their doom.
v. 89. Within one hour and half of noon.] The poet uses the Hebrew manner of computing the day, according
to which the third hour answers to our twelve o'clock at noon.
v. 120. By what of firm land on this side appears.] The
mountain of Purgatory.
v.123. The vaulted tomb.] "La tomba." This word is used to express the whole depth of the infernal region.
PURGATORY
CANTO I
O'er better waves to speed her rapid course
The light bark of my genius lifts the sail,
Well pleas'd to leave so cruel sea behind;
And of that second region will I sing,
In which the human spirit from sinful blot
Is purg'd, and for ascent to Heaven prepares.
Here, O ye hallow'd Nine! for in your train
I follow, here the deadened strain revive;
Nor let Calliope refuse to sound
A somewhat higher song, of that loud tone,
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Which when the wretched birds of chattering note
Had heard, they of forgiveness lost all hope.
Sweet hue of eastern sapphire, that was spread
O'er the serene aspect of the pure air,
High up as the first circle, to mine eyes
Unwonted joy renew'd, soon as I 'scap'd
Forth from the atmosphere of deadly gloom,
That had mine eyes and bosom fill'd with grief.
The radiant planet, that to love invites,
Made all the orient laugh, and veil'd beneath
The Pisces' light, that in his escort came.
To the right hand I turn'd, and fix'd my mind
On the' other pole attentive, where I saw
Four stars ne'er seen before save by the ken
Of our first parents. Heaven of their rays
Seem'd joyous. O thou northern site, bereft
Indeed, and widow'd, since of these depriv'd!
As from this view I had desisted, straight
Turning a little tow'rds the other pole,
There from whence now the wain had disappear'd,
I saw an old man standing by my side
Alone, so worthy of rev'rence in his look,
That ne'er from son to father more was ow'd.
Low down his beard and mix'd with hoary white
Descended, like his locks, which parting fell
Upon his breast in double fold. The beams
Of those four luminaries on his face
So brightly shone, and with such radiance clear
Deck'd it, that I beheld him as the sun.
"Say who are ye, that stemming the blind stream,
Forth from th' eternal prison-house have fled?"
He spoke and moved those venerable plumes.
"Who hath conducted, or with lantern sure
Lights you emerging from the depth of night,
That makes the infernal valley ever black?
Are the firm statutes of the dread abyss
Broken, or in high heaven new laws ordain'd,
That thus, condemn'd, ye to my caves approach?"
My guide, then laying hold on me, by words
And intimations given with hand and head,
Made my bent knees and eye submissive pay
Due reverence; then thus to him replied.
"Not of myself I come; a Dame from heaven
Descending, had besought me in my charge
To bring. But since thy will implies, that more
Our true condition I unfold at large,
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Mine is not to deny thee thy request.
This mortal ne'er hath seen the farthest gloom.
But erring by his folly had approach'd
So near, that little space was left to turn.
Then, as before I told, I was dispatch'd
To work his rescue, and no way remain'd
Save this which I have ta'en. I have display'd
Before him all the regions of the bad;
And purpose now those spirits to display,
That under thy command are purg'd from sin.
How I have brought him would be long to say.
From high descends the virtue, by whose aid
I to thy sight and hearing him have led.
Now may our coming please thee. In the search
Of liberty he journeys: that how dear
They know, who for her sake have life refus'd.
Thou knowest, to whom death for her was sweet
In Utica, where thou didst leave those weeds,
That in the last great day will shine so bright.
For us the' eternal edicts are unmov'd:
He breathes, and I am free of Minos' power,
Abiding in that circle where the eyes
Of thy chaste Marcia beam, who still in look
Prays thee, O hallow'd spirit! to own her shine.
Then by her love we' implore thee, let us pass
Through thy sev'n regions; for which best thanks
I for thy favour will to her return,
If mention there below thou not disdain."
"Marcia so pleasing in my sight was found,"
He then to him rejoin'd, "while I was there,
That all she ask'd me I was fain to grant.
Now that beyond the' accursed stream she dwells,
She may no longer move me, by that law,
Which was ordain'd me, when I issued thence.
Not so, if Dame from heaven, as thou sayst,
Moves and directs thee; then no flattery needs.
Enough for me that in her name thou ask.
Go therefore now: and with a slender reed
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