The Divine Comedy Of Dante Alighieri Part 25

[560] _The dazzling marbles_: Aruns, a Tuscan diviner, is introduced by Lucan as prophesying great events to come to pa.s.s in Rome--the Civil War and the victories of Caesar. His haunt was the deserted city of Luna, situated on the Gulf of Spezia, and under the Carrara mountains (_Phars._ i. 586).

[561] _Manto_: A prophetess, a native of Thebes the city of Bacchus, and daughter of Tiresias.--Here begins a digression on the early history of Mantua, the native city of Virgil. In his account of the foundation of it Dante does not agree with Virgil, attributing to a Greek Manto what his master attributes to an Italian one (_aen._ x. 199).

[562] _Benacus_: The ancient Benacus, now known as the Lake of Garda.

[563] _The Pastors, etc._: About half-way down the western side of the lake a stream falls into it, one of whose banks, at its mouth, is in the diocese of Trent, and the other in that of Brescia, while the waters of the lake are in that of Verona. The three Bishops, standing together, could give a blessing each to his own diocese.

[564] _Peschiera_: Where the lake drains into the Mincio. It is still a great fortress.

[565] _Without casting lot_; Without consulting the omens, as was usual when a city was to be named.

[566] _Casalodi_: Some time in the second half of the thirteenth century Alberto Casalodi was befooled out of the lordship of Mantua by Pinamonte Buonacolsi. Benvenuto tells the tale as follows:--Pinamonte was a bold, ambitious man, with a great troop of armed followers; and, the n.o.bility being at that time in bad odour with the people at large, he persuaded the Count Albert that it would be a popular measure to banish the suspected n.o.bles for a time. Hardly was this done when he usurped the lordship; and by expelling some of the citizens and putting others of them to death he greatly thinned the population of the city.

[567] _All my thoughts, etc._: The reader's patience is certainly abused by this digression of Virgil's, and Dante himself seems conscious that it is somewhat ill-timed.

[568] _The land of Greece, etc._: All the Greeks able to bear arms being engaged in the Trojan expedition.

[569] _An augur_: Eurypylus, mentioned in the Second _aeneid_ as being employed by the Greeks to consult the oracle of Apollo regarding their return to Greece. From the auspices Calchas had found at what hour they should set sail for Troy. Eurypylus can be said only figuratively to have had to do with cutting the cable.

[570] _Tragedy_: The _aeneid_. Dante defines Comedy as being written in a style inferior to that of Tragedy, and as having a sad beginning and a happy ending (Epistle to Can Grande, 10). Elsewhere he allows the comic poet great licence in the use of common language (_Vulg. El._ ii. 4). By calling his own poem a Comedy he, as it were, disarms criticism.

[571] _Michael Scott_: Of Balwearie in Scotland, familiar to English readers through the _Lay of the Last Minstrel_. He flourished in the course of the thirteenth century, and made contributions to the sciences, as they were then deemed, of astrology, alchemy, and physiognomy. He acted for some time as astrologer to the Emperor Frederick II., and the tradition of his accomplishments powerfully affected the Italian imagination for a century after his death. It was remembered that the terrible Frederick, after being warned by him to beware of Florence, had died at a place called Firenzuola; and more than one Italian city preserved with fear and trembling his dark sayings regarding their fate. Villani frequently quotes his prophecies; and Boccaccio speaks of him as a great necromancer who had been in Florence.

A commentary of his on Aristotle was printed at Venice in 1496. The thinness of his flanks may refer to a belief that he could make himself invisible at will.

[572] _Guido Bonatti_: Was a Florentine, a tiler by trade, and was living in 1282. When banished from his own city he took refuge at Forl and became astrologer to Guido of Montefeltro (_Inf._ xxvii.), and was credited with helping his master to a great victory.--_Asdente_: A cobbler of Parma, whose prophecies were long renowned, lived in the twelfth century. He is given in the _Convito_ (iv. 16) as an instance that a man may be very notorious without being truly n.o.ble.

[573] _Herb and image_: Part of the witch's stock in trade. All that was done to a waxen image of him was suffered by the witch's victim.

[574] _Cain and the Thorns_: The moon. The belief that the spots in the moon are caused by Cain standing in it with a bundle of thorns is referred to at _Parad._ ii. 51. Although it is now the morning of the Sat.u.r.day, the 'yesternight' refers to the night of Thursday, when Dante found some use of the moon in the Forest. The moon is now setting on the line dividing the hemisphere of Jerusalem, in which they are, from that of the Mount of Purgatory. According to Dante's scheme of the world, Purgatory is the true opposite of Jerusalem; and Seville is ninety degrees from Jerusalem. As it was full moon the night before last, and the moon is now setting, it is now fully an hour after sunrise. But, as has already been said, it is not possible to reconcile the astronomical indications thoroughly with one another.--Virgil serves as clock to Dante, for they can see nothing of the skies.

CANTO XXI.

Conversing still from bridge to bridge[575] we went; But what our words I in my Comedy Care not to tell. The top of the ascent Holding, we halted the next pit to spy Of Malebolge, with plaints bootless all: There, darkness[576] full of wonder met the eye.

As the Venetians[577] in their a.r.s.enal Boil the tenacious pitch at winter-tide, To caulk the ships with for repairs that call; For then they cannot sail; and so, instead, 10 One builds his bark afresh, one stops with tow His vessel's ribs, by many a voyage tried; One hammers at the p.o.o.p, one at the prow; Some fashion oars, and others cables twine, And others at the jib and main sails sew: So, not by fire, but by an art Divine, Pitch of thick substance boiled in that low h.e.l.l, And all the banks did as with plaster line.

I saw it, but distinguished nothing well Except the bubbles by the boiling raised, 20 Now swelling up and ceasing now to swell.

While down upon it fixedly I gazed, 'Beware, beware!' my Leader to me said, And drew me thence close to him. I, amazed, Turned sharply round, like him who has delayed, Fain to behold the thing he ought to flee, Then, losing nerve, grows suddenly afraid, Nor lingers longer what there is to see; For a black devil I beheld advance Over the cliff behind us rapidly. 30 Ah me, how fierce was he of countenance!

What bitterness he in his gesture put, As with spread wings he o'er the ground did dance!

Upon his shoulders, prominent and acute, Was perched a sinner[578] fast by either hip; And him he held by tendon of the foot.

He from our bridge: 'Ho, Malebranche![579] Grip An Elder brought from Santa Zita's town:[580]

Stuff him below; myself once more I slip Back to the place where lack of such is none. 40 There, save Bonturo, barrates[581] every man, And No grows Yes that money may be won.'

He shot him down, and o'er the cliff began To run; nor unchained mastiff o'er the ground, Chasing a robber, swifter ever ran.

The other sank, then rose with back bent round; But from beneath the bridge the devils cried: 'Not here the Sacred Countenance[582] is found, One swims not here as on the Serchio's[583] tide; So if thou wouldst not with our grapplers deal 50 Do not on surface of the pitch abide.'

Then he a hundred hooks[584] was made to feel.

'Best dance down there,' they said the while to him, 'Where, if thou canst, thou on the sly mayst steal.'

So scullions by the cooks are set to trim The caldrons and with forks the pieces steep Down in the water, that they may not swim.

And the good Master said to me: 'Now creep Behind a rocky splinter for a screen; So from their knowledge thou thyself shalt keep. 60 And fear not thou although with outrage keen I be opposed, for I am well prepared, And formerly[585] have in like contest been.'

Then pa.s.sing from the bridge's crown he fared To the sixth bank,[586] and when thereon he stood He needed courage doing what he dared.

In the same furious and tempestuous mood In which the dogs upon the beggar leap, Who, halting suddenly, seeks alms or food, They issued forth from underneath the deep 70 Vault of the bridge, with grapplers 'gainst him stretched; But he exclaimed: 'Aloof, and harmless keep!

Ere I by any of your hooks be touched, Come one of you and to my words give ear; And then advise you if I should be clutched.'

All cried: 'Let Malacoda then go near;'

On which one moved, the others standing still.

He coming said: 'What will this[587] help him here?'

'O Malacoda, is it credible That I am come,' my Master then replied, 80 'Secure your opposition to repel, Without Heaven's will, and fate, upon my side?

Let me advance, for 'tis by Heaven's behest That I on this rough road another guide.'

Then was his haughty spirit so depressed, He let his hook drop sudden to his feet, And, 'Strike him not!' commanded all the rest My Leader charged me thus: 'Thou, from thy seat Where 'mid the bridge's ribs thou crouchest low, Rejoin me now in confidence complete.' 90 Whereon I to rejoin him was not slow; And then the devils, crowding, came so near, I feared they to their paction false might show.

So at Cap.r.o.na[588] saw I footmen fear, Spite of their treaty, when a mult.i.tude Of foes received them, crowding front and rear.

With all my body braced I closer stood To him, my Leader, and intently eyed The aspect of them, which was far from good.

Lowering their grapplers, 'mong themselves they cried: 'Shall I now tickle him upon the thigh?' 101 'Yea, see thou clip him deftly,' one replied.

The demon who in parley had drawn nigh Unto my Leader, upon this turned round; 'Scarmiglione, lay thy weapon by!'

He said; and then to us: 'No way is found Further along this cliff, because, undone, All the sixth arch lies ruined on the ground.

But if it please you further to pa.s.s on, Over this rocky ridge advancing climb 110 To the next rib,[589] where pa.s.sage may be won.

Yestreen,[590] but five hours later than this time, Twelve hundred sixty-six years reached an end, Since the way lost the wholeness of its prime.

Thither I some of mine will straightway send To see that none peer forth to breathe the air: Go on with them; you they will not offend.

You, Alichin[591] and Calcabrin, prepare To move,' he bade; 'Cagnazzo, thou as well; Guiding the ten, thou, Barbariccia, fare. 120 With Draghignazzo, Libicocco fell, Fanged Ciriatto, Graffiacane too, Set on, mad Rubicant and Farfarel: Search on all quarters round the boiling glue.

Let these go safe, till at the bridge they be, Which doth unbroken[592] o'er the caverns go.'

'Alas, my Master, what is this I see?'

Said I, 'Unguided, let us forward set, If thou know'st how. I wish no company.

If former caution thou dost not forget, 130 Dost thou not mark how each his teeth doth grind, The while toward us their brows are full of threat?'

And he: 'I would not fear should fill thy mind; Let them grin all they will, and all they can; 'Tis at the wretches in the pitch confined.'

They wheeled and down the left hand bank began To march, but first each bit his tongue,[593] and pa.s.sed The signal on to him who led the van.

He answered grossly as with trumpet blast.

FOOTNOTES:

[575] _From bridge to bridge_: They cross the barrier separating the Fourth from the Fifth Bolgia, and follow the bridge which spans the Fifth until they have reached the crown of it. We may infer that the conversation of Virgil and Dante turned on foreknowledge of the future.

[576] _Darkness, etc._: The pitch with which the trench of the Bolgia is filled absorbs most of the scanty light accorded to Malebolge.

[577] _The Venetians_: But for this picturesque description of the old a.r.s.enal, and a pa.s.sing mention of the Rialto in one pa.s.sage of the _Paradiso_, and of the Venetian coinage in another, it could not be gathered from the _Comedy_, with all its wealth of historical and geographical references, that there was such a place as Venice in the Italy of Dante. Unlike the statue of Time (_Inf._ xiv.), the Queen of the Adriatic had her face set eastwards. Her back was turned and her ears closed as in a proud indifference to the noise of party conflicts which filled the rest of Italy.

[578] _A sinner_: This is the only instance in the _Inferno_ of the arrival of a sinner at his special place of punishment. See _Inf._ v.

15, _note_.

[579] _Malebranche_: Evil Claws, the name of the devils who have the sinners of this Bolgia in charge.

[580] _Santa Zita's town_: Zita was a holy serving-woman of Lucca, who died some time between 1270 and 1280, and whose miracle-working body is still preserved in the church of San Frediano. Most probably, although venerated as a saint, she was not yet canonized at the time Dante writes of, and there may be a Florentine sneer hidden in the description of Lucca as her town. Even in Lucca there was some difference of opinion as to her merits, and a certain unlucky Ciappaconi was pitched into the Serchio for making fun of the popular enthusiasm about her. See Philalethes, _Gott. Com._ In Lucca the officials that were called Priors in Florence, were named Elders. The commentators give a name to this sinner, but it is only guesswork.

[581] _Save Bonturo_, _barrates, etc._: It is the barrators, those who trafficked in offices and sold justice, that are punished in this Bolgia. The greatest barrator of all in Lucca, say the commentators, was this Bonturo; but there seems no proof of it, though there is of his arrogance. He was still living in 1314.

[582] _The Sacred Countenance_: An image in cedar wood, of Byzantine workmanship, still preserved and venerated in the cathedral of Lucca.

According to the legend, it was carved from memory by Nicodemus, and after being a long time lost was found again in the eighth century by an Italian bishop travelling in Palestine. He brought it to the coast at Joppa, where it was received by a vessel without sail or oar, which, with its sacred freight, floated westwards and was next seen at the port of Luna. All efforts to approach the bark were vain, till the Bishop of Lucca descended to the seash.o.r.e, and to him the vessel resigned itself and suffered him to take the image into his keeping. 'Believe what you like of all this,' says Benvenuto; 'it is no article of faith.'--The sinner has come to the surface, bent as if in an att.i.tude of prayer, when he is met by this taunt.

[583] _The Serchio_: The stream which flows past Lucca.