1 Which whirling ran around so rapidly, By wasps and hornets, which bedew'd their cheeks Then looking further onwards, I beheld A throng upon the shore of a great stream: Through the blear light?" 2 He thus to me in few: Then with eyes downward cast, and fill'd with shame, Fearing my words offensive to his ear, Till we had reach'd the river, I from speech Abstain'd. And lo! toward us in a bark Comes on an old man, hoary white with eld, Crying, "Woe to you, wicked spirits! hope not This is commonly understood of Celestine the Fifth, who abdicated the papal power in 1294. Venturi mentions a work written by Innocenzio Barcellini, of the Celestine order, and printed at Milan in 1701, in which an attempt is made to put a different interpretation on this passage. Lombardi would apply it to some one of Dante's fellow-citizens, who, refusing, through avarice or want of spirit, to support the party of the Bianchi at Florence, had been the main occasion of the miseries that befel them. But the testimony of Fazio degli Uberti, who lived so near the time of our author, seems almost decisive on this point. He expressly speaks of the Pope Celestine as being in hell. See the Dittamondo, lib. 4. cap. xxi. The usual interpretation is further confirmed in a passage in Canto xxvii. v. 101. Petrarch, while he passes a high encomium on Celestine for his abdication of the papal power, gives us to understand that there were others who thought it à disgraceful act. See the De Vita Solit. b. 2. sec. iii. c. 18. 2 Through the blear light.] Lo fioco lume. So Filicaja, canz. vi. st. 12: Qual fioco lume. 3 An old man.] Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat Virg. Æn. lib. 6. 298. To take you to the other shore across, In fierce heat and in ice. And thou, who there Of him, the boatman o'er the livid lake,3 Around whose eyes glared wheeling flames. Meanwhile And gnash'd their teeth, soon as the cruel words They heard. God and their parents they blasphemed, In fierce heat and in ice.] -The bitter change Of fierce extremes, extremes by change more fierce, -The delighted spirit To bathe in fiery floods, or to reside Shakspeare, Measure for Measure, act iii. sc. 1. The livid lake.] Milton, P. L. b. 2. 601. See note to c. xxxii. 23. 2 A nimbler boat.] He perhaps alludes to the bark "swift and light," in which the angel conducts the spirits to Purgatory. See Purg. c. ii. 40. Vada livida. Virg. Æn. lib. 6. 320. -Totius ut lacus putidæque paludis Lividissima, maximeque est profunda vorago. 4 With eyes of burning coal.] His looks were dreadful, and his fiery eyes, Catullus, xviii. 10. Spenser, F. Q. b. 6. c. vii. st. 42. 5 As fall of the light autumnal leaves.] Virg. En. lib. 6. 209. Thick as autumnal leaves, that strew the brooks Compare Apoll. Rhol. lib. 4. p. 214. Milton, P. L. b. 1. 301. One still another following, till the bough Cast themselves, one by one, down from the shore, Thus go they over through the umber'd wave; Be landed, on this side another throng Still gathers. "Son," thus spake the courteous guide For so heaven's justice goads them on, that fear Fear chills my brow. The sad earth gave a blast, CANTO IV. Argument. The Poet, being roused by a clap of thunder, and following his guide onwards descends into Limbo, which is the first circle of Hell, where he finds the souls of those, who, although they have lived virtuously and have not to suffer for great sins, nevertheless, through lack of baptism, merit not the bliss of Paradise. Hence he is led on by Virgil to descend into the second circle. BROKE the deep slumber in my brain a crash 1 As falcon at his call.] This is Vellutello's explanation, and seems preferable to that commonly given: "as a bird that is enticed to the cage by the call of another." B The dread abyss, that joins a thundrous sound1 "Now let us to the blind world there beneath He then "The anguish of that race below Here, as mine ear could note, no plaint was heard Of men, women, and infants. Then to me The gentle guide: "Inquirest thou not what spirits Only so far afflicted, that we live Desiring without hope." Sore grief assail'd Which vanquishes all error; "say, did e'er Come forth from thence, who afterward was blest?" 1 A thundrous sound.] Imitated, as Mr. Thyer has remarked, by Milton, P. L. b. 8. 242: -But long, ere our approaching, heard Noise, other than the sound of dance or song, 2 Portal.] "Porta della fede." This was an alteration made in the text by the Academicians della Crusca, on the authority, as it would appear, of only two MSS. The other reading is "parte della fede;" "part of the faith." 3 Desiring without hope.] And with desire to languish without hope. Milton, P. L. b. 10. 995. Piercing the secret purport 1 of my speech, We, while he spake, ceased not our onward road, He answer'd: "The renown of their great names, 1 Secret purport.] Lombardi well observes, that Dante seems to have been restrained by awe and reverence from uttering the name of Christ in this place of torment; and that for the same cause, probably, it does not occur once throughout the whole of this first part of the poem. 2 A puissant one.] Our Saviour. 3 He forth.] The author of the Quadriregio has introduced a sublime description into his imitation of this passage : Pose le reni là dove si serra; Ma Cristo lui e 'l catarcion d' acciajo Satan hung writhing round the bolt; but him, The huge portcullis, and those gates of brass, Lib. 2. cap. iii. Christ threw to earth. As down the cavern stream'd The radiance: "Light," said Adam, "this, that breathed First on me. Thou art come, expected Lord!" Much that follows is closely copied by Frezzi from our Poet. 4 Honour the bard-Sublime.] Onorate l'altissimo poeta. So Chiabrera, Canz. Erioche. 32. Onorando l'altissimo poeta. |