creasing from below, and lying on or near the earth's surface. It is properly the cloud of night, and first appears about sunset, usually in autumn; it comprehends creeping mists and fogs which ascend from the bottom of valleys, and from the surface of lakes and rivers, in consequence of air colder than that of the surface descending and mingling with it, and from the air over the adjacent land cooling down more rapidly than that over the water, from which increased evaporation is taking place." 118. Milton, Parad. Lost, IV. 500:

"As Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds

That bring May-flowers."

126. His arms crossed upon his breast.

134. Ampère, Voyage Dantesque, 255: "Who was this unhappy and perhaps guilty woman? The commentators say that she was of the family of Tolomei, illustrious at Siena. Among the different versions of her story there is one truly terrible. The outraged husband led his wife to an isolated castle in the Maremma of Siena, and there shut himself up with his victim, waiting his vengeance from the poisoned atmosphere of this solitude. Breathing with her the air which was killing her, he saw her slowly perish. This funeral tête-à-tête found him always impassive, until, according to the expression of Dante, the Maremma had unmade what he had once loved. This melancholy story might well have no other foundation than the enigma of Dante's lines, and the terror with which this enigma may have struck the imaginations of his contemporaries.

"However this may be, one cannot prevent an involuntary shudder, when, showing you a pretty little brick palace [at Siena], they say, "That is the house of the Pia.'

Benvenuto da Imola gives a different version of the story, and says that by command of the husband she was thrown from the window of her palace into the street, and died of the fall.

Bandello, the Italian Novelist, Pt. I. Nov. 12, says that the narrative is true, and gives minutely the story of the

lovers, with such embellishments as his imagination suggested.

Ugo Foscolo, Edinb. Review, XXIX. 458, speaks thus :

66

Shakespeare unfolds the character of his persons, and presents them under all the variety of forms which they can naturally assume. He surrounds them with all the splendour of his imagination, and bestows on them that full and minute reality which his creative genius could alone confer. Of all tragic poets, he most amply developes character. On the other hand, Dante, if compared not only to Virgil, the most sober of poets, but even to Tacitus, will be found never to employ more than a stroke or two of his pencil, which he aims at imprinting almost insensibly on the hearts of his readers. Virgil has related the story of Eurydice in two hundred verses; Dante, in sixty verses, has fmished his masterpiece,-the tale of Francesca da Rimini. The history of Desdemona has a parallel in the following passage of Dante. Nello della Pietra had espoused a lady of noble family at Siena, named Madonna Pia. Her beauty was the admiration of Tuscany, and excited in the heart of her husband a jealousy, which, exasperated by false reports and groundless suspicions, at length drove him to the desperate resolution of Othello. It is difficult to decide whether the lady was quite innocent; but so Dante represents her. Her husband brought her into the Maremma, which, then as now, was a district destructive to health. told his unfortunate wife the reason of her banishment to SO dangerous a country. He did not deign to utter complaint or accusation. He lived with her alone, in cold silence, without answering her questions, or listening to her remonstrances. He patiently waited till the pestilential air should destroy the health of this young lady. In a few months she died. Some chroniclers, indeed, tell us, that Nello used the dagger to hasten her death. It is certain that he survived her, plunged in sadness and perpetual silence. Dante had, in this incident, all the materials of an ample and very poetical narrative. But he bestows on it only four verses,

He never

Benvenuto is evidently dazzled and fascinated by him, and has to throw two Romans into the scale to do him justice.ingly; when, without the loss of a man, His account is as follows:

passion, that he had nothing to do with ing, when he brought him as much Ghino, but that his resolution was to go bread and wine as before, and in the on, and he would see who dared to stop same manner. And thus he continued him. My Lord,' quoth the man, with a during many days, till he found the Abgreat deal of humility, 'you are now in bot had eaten some dried beans, which a place where all excommunications are he had left purposely in the chamber, kicked out of doors; then please to when he inquired of him, as from oblige my master in this thing; it will Ghino, how he found his stomach? be your best way.' Whilst they were The Abbot replied, 'I should be well talking together, the place was sur- enough were I out of this man's clutches. rounded with highwaymen, and the There is nothing I want now so much Abbot, seeing himself a prisoner, went as to eat, for his medicines have had with a great deal of ill-will with the such an effect upon me, that I am fit fellow to the castle, followed by his to die with hunger.' Ghino, then, whole retinue, where he dismounted, having furnished a room with the Aband was lodged, by Ghino's appoint- bot's own goods, and provided an element, in a poor, dark little room, whilst gant entertainment, to which many every other person was well accom- people of the town were invited, as modated according to his respective well as the Abbot's own domestics, station, and the carriages and all the went the next morning to him, and horses taken exact care of. This being said, 'My Lord, now you find yourself done, Ghino went to the Abbot, and recovered, it is time for you to quit said, 'My Lord, Ghino, whose guest you this infirmary.' So he took him by are, requests the favour of you to let him the hand, and led him into the chamknow whither you are going, and upon ber, leaving him there with his own what account?" The Abbot was wise people; and as he went out to give enough to lay all his haughtiness aside orders about the feast, the Abbot was for the present, and satisfied him with giving an account how he had led his regard to both. Ghino went away at life in that place, whilst they declared hearing this, and, resolving to cure him that they had been used by Ghino with without a bath, he ordered a great fire all possible respect. When the time to be kept constantly in his room, came, they sat down and were nobly coming to him no more till next morn- entertained, but still without Ghino's ing, when he brought him two slices of making himself known. But after the toasted bread, in a fine napkin, and a Abbot had continued some days in that large glass of his own rich white wine, manner, Ghino had all the goods and saying to him, 'My Lord, when Ghino furniture brought into a large room, was young, he studied physic, and he and the horses were likewise led into declares that the very best medicine for a the court-yard which was under it, pain in the stomach is what he has now when he inquired how his Lordship provided for you, of which these things now found himself, or whether he was are to be the beginning. Then take yet able to ride. The Abbot made anthem, and have a good heart.' The swer that he was strong enough, and Abbot, whose hunger was much greater his stomach perfectly well, and that he than was his will to joke, ate the bread, only wanted to quit this man. Ghino though with a great deal of indignation, then brought him into the room where and drank the glass of wine; after all his goods were, showing him also which he began to talk a little arro- to the window, that he might take a gantly, asking many questions, and demanding more particularly to see this Ghino. But Ghino passed over part of what he said as vain, and the rest he answered very courteously, declaring that Ghino meant to make him a visit very soon, and then left him. He saw him no more till next morn

view of his horses, when he said, 'My Lord, you must understand it was no evil disposition, but his being driven a poor exile from his own house, and persecuted with many enemies, that forced Ghino di Tacco, whom I am, to be a robber upon the highways, and an enemy to the court of Rome. You

to do so, if he was such a person as he reported, and, in the mean time, gave letters of safe-conduct for his coming thither. Upon that assurance, Ghino came to court, when the Pope was soon convinced of his worth, and reconciled to him, giving him the priory of an hospital, and creating him a knight. And there he continued as a friend and loyal servant to the Holy Church, and to the Abbot of Cligni, as long as he lived."

17. Federigo Novello, son of Ser Guido Novello of Casentino, slain by one of the Bostoli. "A good youth," says Benvenuto, "and therefore Dante makes mention of him."

seem, however, to be a person of honour; as, therefore, I have cured you of your pain in your stomach, I do not mean to treat you as I would do another person that should fall into my hands, that is, to take what I please, but I would have you consider my necessity, and then give me what you will yourself. Here is all that belongs to you; the horses you may see out of the window: take either part or the whole, just as you are disposed, and go or stay, as is most agreeable to 15. Cione de' Tarlati of Pietramala, you.' The Abbot was surprised to hear who, according to the Ottimo, after the a highwayman talk in so courteous a fight at Bibbiena, being pursued by the manner, which did not a little please enemy, endeavoured to ford the Arno, him; so, turning all his former passion and was drowned. Others interpret the and resentment into kindness and good-line differently, making him the pursuing will, he ran with a heart full of friend-party. But as he was an Aretine, and ship to embrace him: 'I protest sol- the Aretines were routed in this battle, emnly, that to procure the friendship of the other rendering is doubtless the true such an one as I take you to be, I would one. undergo more than what you have already made me suffer. Cursed be that evil fortune which has thrown you into this way of life!' So, taking only a few of his most necessary things, and also of his horses, and leaving all the rest, he came back to Rome. The Pope had heard of the Abbot's being a prisoner, and though he was much concerned at it, yet, upon seeing him, he inquired what benefit he had received from the baths? The Abbot replied, with a smile, 'Holy Father, I found a physician much nearer, who has cured me excellently well;' and he told him the manner of it, which made the Pope laugh heartily, when, going on with his story, and moved with a truly generous spirit, he requested of his Holiness one, favour. The Pope, imagining he would ask something else, freely consented to grant it. Then said the Abbot, Holy 19. Count Orso was a son of NapoFather, what I mean to require is, that leone d'Acerbaja, and was slain by his you would bestow a free pardon on brother-in-law (or uncle) Alberto. Ghino di Tacco, my doctor, because, of all people of worth that I ever met with, he certainly is most to be esteemed, and the damage he does is more the fault of fortune than himself. Change but his condition, and give him something to live upon, according to his rank and station, and I dare say you will have the same opinion of him that I have.' The Pope, being of a noble spirit, and a great encourager of merit, promised

The Pisan who gave occasion to Marzucco to show his fortitude was Marzucco's own son, Farinata degli Scoringiani. He was slain by Beccio da Caproni, or, as Benvenuto asserts, declaring that Boccaccio told him so, by Count Ugolino. His father, Marzucco, who had become a Franciscan friar, showed no resentment at the murder, but went with the other friars to his son's funeral, and in humility kissed the hand of the murderer, extorting from him the exclamation, "Thy patience overcomes my obduracy." This was an example of Christian forgiveness which even that vindictive age applauded.

22. Pierre de la Brosse was the secretary of Philip le Bel of France, and suffered at his hands a fate similar to that which befell Pier de la Vigna at the court of Frederick the Second. See Inf. XIII. Note 58. Being accused by Marie de Brabant, the wife of Philip, of having written love-letters to her, he was condemned to death by the king in 1276. Benvenuto thinks that during his residence in Paris Dante learned the