True is it, that upon the verge I found me That gathers thunder of infinite ululations. So that by fixing on its depths my sight Nothing whatever I discerned therein. "Let us descend now into the blind world," Began the Poet, pallid utterly; "I will be first, and thou shalt second be." And I, who of his colour was aware, Said: "How shall I come, if thou art afraid, Thus he went in, and thus he made me enter Were lamentations none, but only sighs, Which the crowds had, that many were and great, In the right manner they adored not God; For such defects, and not for other guilt, Lost are we, and are only so far punished, Great grief seized on my heart when this I heard, Of that Faith which o'ercometh every error, "Came any one by his own merit hence, Or by another's, who was blessed thereafter?" Replied: "I was a novice in this state, When I saw hitlier come a Mighty One, Hence he drew forth the shade of the First Parent, Israel with his father and his children, And Rachel, for whose sake he did so much, And thou must know, that earlier than these But still were passing onward through the forest, This side the summit, when I saw a fire We were a little distant from it still, But not so far that I in part discerned not "O thou who honourest every art and science, Who may these be, which such great honour have, And he to me: "The honourable name, That sounds of them above there in thy life, Wins grace in Heaven, that so advances them." In the mean time a voice was heard by me: "All honour be to the pre-eminent Poet; His shade returns again, that was departed." After the voice had ceased and quiet was, Four mighty shades I saw approaching us; "Him with that falchion in his hand behold, That one is Homer, Poet sovereign; He who comes next is Horace, the satirist ; The third is Ovid, and the last is Lucan. Because to each of these with me applies The name that solitary voice proclaimed, Of that lord of the song pre-eminent, When they together had discoursed somewhat, Things saying 'tis becoming to keep silent, We came unto a noble castle's foot, Seven times encompassed with lofty walls, This we passed over even as firm ground; Through portals seven I entered with these Sages; People were there with solemn eyes and slow, Were pointed out to me the mighty spirits, I saw Electra with companions many, 'Mongst whom I knew both Hector and Æneas, I saw Camilla and Penthesilea On the other side, and saw the King Latinus, I saw that Brutus who drove Tarquin forth, The Master I beheld of those who know, There I beheld both Socrates and Plato, ΤΖΟ 126 125 132 Euclid, geometrician, and Ptolemy, Galen, Hippocrates, and Avicenna, Averroes, who the great Comment made. I cannot all of them pourtray in full, Because so drives me onward the long theme, That many times the word comes short of fact. The sixfold company in two divides; Another way my sapient Guide conducts me Forth from the quiet to the air that trembles ; And to a place I come where nothing shines. ཡ CANTO V. THUS I descended out of the first circle Down to the second, that less space begirds, Examines the transgressions at the entrance; I say, that when the spirit evil-bom Cometh before him, wholly it confesses Seeth what place in Hell is meet for it; ; Girds himself with his tail as many times As grades he wishes it should be thrust down. Always before him many of them stand ; They go by turns each one unto the judgment; They speak, and hear, and then are downward huiled. "O thou, that to this dolorous hostelry Comest," said Minos to me, when he saw me, "Look how thou enterest, and in whom thou trustest; Do not impede his journey fate-ordained ; It is so willed there where is power to do That which is willed; and ask no further question." 29 And now begin the dolesome notes to grow Audible unto me; now am I come There where much lamentation strikes upon me. I came into a place mute of all light, Which bellows as the sea does in a tempest, If by opposing winds 't is combated. The infernal hurricane that never rests Hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine; Whirling them round, and smiting, it molests them. When they arrive before the precipice, There are the shrieks, the plaints, and the laments, I understood that unto such a torment The carnal malefactors were condemned, And as the wings of starlings bear them on In the cold season in large band and full, It hither, thither, downward, upward, drives them; Thou fain wouldst have," then said he unto me, To sensual vices she was so abandoned, To remove the blame to which she had been led. She is Semiramis, of whom we read That she succeeded Ninus, and was his spouse; And broke faith with the ashes of Sichæus ; Helen I saw, for whom so many ruthless Seasons revolved; and saw the great Achilles, After that I had listened to my Teacher, Naming the dames of eld and cavaliers, And I began: "O Poet, willingly Speak would I to those two, who go together, |