Deceive thee to thy harm." To him my guide: "Wherefore exclaimest? Hinder not his way By destiny appointed; so 'tis will'd,
Where will and power are one. Ask thou no more." Now 'gin the rueful wailings to be heard. Now am I come where many a plaining voice Smites on mine ear. Into a place I came
Where light was silent all. Bellowing there groan'd A noise, as of a sea in tempest torn
By warring winds. The stormy blast of Hell With restless fury drives the spirits on,
Whirl'd round and dash'd amain with sore annoy. When they arrive before the ruinous sweep,
There shrieks are heard, there lamentations, moans, And blasphemies 'gainst the good Power in Heaven. I understood, that to this torment sad
The carnal sinners are condemn'd, in whom Reason by lust is sway'd. As, in large troops And multitudinous, when winter reigns,
The starlings on their wings are borne abroad; So bears the tyrannous gust those evil souls. On this side and on that, above, below,
It drives them: hope of rest to solace them Is none, nor e'en of milder pang. As cranes, Chanting their dolorous notes, traverse the sky, Stretch'd out in long array; so I beheld Spirits, who came loud wailing, hurried on By their dire doom. Then I: "Instructor! who Are these, by the black air so scourged?" "The first 'Mong those, of whom thou question'st," he replied,
"O'er many tongues was empress. She in vice
Of luxury was so shameless, that she made Liking be lawful by promulged decree, To clear the blame she had herself incurr'd.
This is Semiramis, of whom 'tis writ, That she succeeded Ninus her espoused;
And held the land, which now the Soldan rules.
The next in amorous fury slew herself,
And to Sichæus' ashes broke her faith:
Then follows Cleopatra, lustful queen.”
There mark'd I Helen, for whose sake so long The time was fraught with evil; there the great Achilles, who with love fought to the end. Paris I saw, and Tristan; and beside,
A thousand more he show'd me, and by name Pointed them out, whom love bereaved of life. When I had heard my sage instructor name Those dames and knights of antique days, o'erpower'd By pity, well-nigh in amaze my mind
Was lost; and I began: "Bard! willingly
I would address those two together coming, Which seem so light before the wind." He thus: "Note thou, when nearer they to us approach. Then by that love which carries them along, Entreat; and they will come." Soon as the wind Sway'd them toward us, I thus framed my speech: "O wearied spirits! come, and hold discourse With us, if by none else restrain'd." As doves By fond desire invited, on wide wings
And firm, to their sweet nest returning home, Cleave the air, wafted by their will along; Thus issued, from that troop where Dido ranks, They, through the ill air speeding: with such force My cry prevail'd, by strong affection urged.
"O gracious creature and benign! who go'st Visiting, through this element obscure, Us, who the world with bloody stain imbrued; If, for a friend, the King of all, we own'd, Our prayer to him should for thy peace arise, Since thou hast pity on our evil plight. Of whatsoe'er to hear or to discourse It pleases thee, that will we hear, of that Freely with thee discourse, while e'er the wind, As now, is mute. The land,1 that gave me birth, Is situate on the coast, where Po descends To rest in ocean with his sequent streams. "Love, that in gentle heart is quickly learnt, Entangled him by that fair form, from me Ta'en in such cruel sort, as grieves me still:
Love, that denial takes from none beloved, Caught me with pleasing him so passing well, That, as thou seest, he yet deserts me not. Love brought us to one death: Caïna waits The soul, who spilt our life." Such were their words; At hearing which, downward I bent my looks, And held them there so long, that the bard cried: "What art thou pondering?" I in answer thus: "Alas! by what sweet thoughts, what fond desire Must they at length to that ill pass have reach'd!" Then turning, I to them my speech address'd, And thus began: Francesca! 3 your sad fate Even to tears my grief and pity moves. But tell me; in the time of your sweet sighs, By what, and how Love granted, that ye knew Your yet uncertain wishes?" She replied: "No greater grief than to remember days Of joy, when misery is at hand. That kens Thy learn'd instructor. Yet so eagerly If thou art bent to know the primal root, From whence our love gat being, I will do As one, who weeps and tells his tale. One day, For our delight we read of Lancelot,* How him love thrall'd. Alone we were, and no Suspicion near us. Ofttimes by that reading Our eyes were drawn together, and the hue Fled from our alter'd cheek. But at one point Alone we fell. When of that smile we read, The wished smile so rapturously kiss'd By one so deep in love, then he, who ne'er From me shall separate, at once my lips All trembling kiss'd. The book and writer both Were love's purveyors. In its leaves that day
2" Caina." The place to which murderers are doomed."
"Francesca." Francesca, the daughter of Guido da Polenta, Lord of Ravenna, was given by her father in marriage to Lanciotto, son of Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, a man of extraordinary courage, but deformed in his person. His brother Paolo, who unhappily pos sessed those graces which the husband of Francesca wanted, engaged her af
fections; and being taken in adultery, they were both put to death by the enraged Lanciotto.
"Lancelot." One of the Knights of the Round Table, and the lover of Ginevra, or Guinever, celebrated in romance. The incident alluded to seems to have made a strong impression on the imagination of Dante, who introduces it again, in the Paradise, Canto xvi.
FAMOUS PAINTINGS FROM THE PARIS SALON.
DEATH OF FRANCESCA DA RIMINI AND OF PAOLO MALATESTA
Photogravure from the original painting by Alexandre Cabanel, exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1870.
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