Upon the side on which the little valley No barrier hath, a serpent was; perchance The same which gave to Eve the bitter food. 'Twixt grass and flowers came on the evil streak, Turning at times its head about, and licking Its back like to a beast that smoothes itself. I did not see, and therefore cannot say How the celestial falcons 'gan to move, But well I saw that they were both in motion. The serpent fled, and round the Angels wheeled, The shade that to the Judge had near approached When he had called, throughout that whole assault "So may the light that leadeth thee on high Began it, "if some true intelligence Of Valdimagra or its neighbourhood Thou knowest, tell it me, who once was great there. Currado Malaspina was I called; I'm not the elder, but from him descended; To mine I bore the love which here refineth." “O,” said I unto him, " through your domains I never passed, but where is there a dwelling Throughout all Europe, where they are not known? That fame, which doeth honour to your house, Proclaims its Signors and proclaims its land, So that he knows of them who ne'er was there. And, as I hope for heaven, I swear to you Your honoured family in naught abates The glory of the purse and of the sword. It is so privileged by use and nature, That though a guilty head misguide the world, Sole it goes right, and scorns the evil way." And he: "Now go; for the sun shall not lie Seven times upon the pillow which the Ram With all his four feet covers and bestrides, Before that such a courteous opinion Shall in the middle of thy head be nailed With greater nails than of another's speech, Unless the course of justice standeth still." 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 CANTO IX. THE Concubine of old Tithonus now Gleamed white upon the eastern balcony, With gems her forehead all relucent was, Set in the shape of that cold animal Which with its tail doth smite amain the nations, Vanquished by sleep, upon the grass reclined, Just at the hour when her sad lay begins The little swallow, near unto the morning, And when the mind of man, a wanderer More from the flesh, and less by thought imprisoned, In dreams it seemed to me I saw suspended An eagle in the sky, with plumes of gold, By Ganymede his kith and kin abandoned, From habit only here, and from elsewhere Not otherwise Achilles started up, Around him turning his awakened eyes, And knowing not the place in which he was, Carried him sleeping in her arms to Scyros, 5 ΙΟ 15 20 25 30 35 Than I upstarted, when from off my face Sleep fled away; and pallid I became, And now the sun was more than two hours high, And turned towards the sea-shore was my face. "Be not intimidated," said my Lord, "Be reassured, for all is well with us; Do not restrain, but put forth all thy strength. See there the cliff that closes it around; Upon the flowers that deck the land below, Remained; she took thee, and, as day grew bright, She laid thee here; and first her beauteous eyes And who to confidence his fear doth change, My Leader saw me, up along the cliff He moved, and I behind him, tow'rd the height. My theme, and therefore if with greater art Nearer approached we, and were in such place, I saw a portal, and three stairs beneath, eyes, I saw him seated on the highest stair, And in his hand he had a naked sword, Which so reflected back the sunbeams tow'rds us, 80 75 70 65 60 “Tell it from where you are, what is't you wish ?” "Come forward then unto these stairs of ours." Thither did we approach; and the first stair Was marble white, so polished and so smooth, Porphyry seemed to me, as flaming red The Angel of God, upon the threshold seated, Did my Conductor draw me, saying: “Ask For mercy's sake besought that he would open, Seven P's upon my forehead he described With the sword's point, and, “Take heed that thou wash Ashes, or earth that dry is excavated, Of the same colour were with his attire, One was of gold, and the other was of silver; First with the white, and after with the yellow, “Whenever faileth either of these keys So that it turn not rightly in the lock,” More art and intellect ere it unlock, Then pushed the portals of the sacred door, Exclaiming: "Enter; but I give you warning Tarpeia, when was ta'en from it the good And "Te Deum laudamus" seemed to hear In voices mingled with sweet melody. Exactly such an image rendered me That which I heard, as we are wont to catch, When people singing with the organ stand; For now we hear, and now hear not, the words. 130 135 140 145 CANTO X. WHEN we had crossed the threshold of the door And if I had turned back mine eyes upon it, Began my Leader, "to adapt ourselves That sooner had the moon's decreasing disk I wearied out, and both of us uncertain About our way, we stopped upon a plain From where its margin borders on the void, A human body three times told would measure; |