work will be more read with the original than without; for besides the general disadvantage of its prosaic form, there is something in its language or style that reminds us more of the writer's celebrated brother, the author of Sartor Resartus, than of the style of Dante, so that many phrases of wonderful precision and efficiency when we compare the Italian, appear too uncouth and knotty for reading alone, presuming we wish to conceive the smooth organic development of thoughts in the Florentine intellect. Furthermore many passages have required, under Mr. J. Carlyle's treatment, to be doubly rendered, that is literally in the text, and more perspicuously in the notes, or vice versâ ; which process hinders us in reading the text continuously; whereas a decided literary version should require no notes that are merely exegetic, and its text should be "in seipso totus, teres atque rotundus,”—in itself whole, round, and handy. On the same principle all the allegorical proper names in the poem, which are of Italian formation, should be replaced by English, or,

if need be, by Greek or Latin equivalents intelligible in a classical day-school; which substitution has never, I think, been thoroughly made but in the present version; see Canto xxii. I may note here that I have in a few cases modified the orthography of other proper names, in pronouncing which an Englishman might make disagreeable mistakes: thus I have Fûtchi for Fucci, &c. I have now discussed my predecessors in this field, so far as is requisite to illustrate the principles on which I have written, and I must waive such a minute examination of them, as would imply a relative criticism of my own execution. For on this subject who shall judge me but the "ermine-robed great world," for whose approval I am but provisionally encouraged to hope by the kind criticisms of our modern "Averrois che '1 gran Comento feo," that is the well known "Comento Analitico sopra Dante Alighieri" of Signor Rossetti, and by other gentlemen of known literary attainments and no shallow acquaintance with this subject.

CONTENTS.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

CANTO I.

The wild Wood.-Vision of Three

Beasts.-Shade of Virgil.—“ For thy Weal I counsel thee to

follow me"

Page 1

CANTO II.

Introduction to the Vision of Hell.-Dante, fearing to behold
Hell and Purgatory, is encouraged by the Shade of Virgil,
who declares his Mission from Three Ladies in the Courts of
Heaven. Descent of Avernus

8

CANTO III.

Gate of Hell.-Frontier Land of Livers without Praise or In-
famy, in torment by Vermin and by rapid Motion. — Pope
Celestine? - Banks of Acheron frequent with New-comers.
Charon refuses Passage.- Swoon of Dante

CANTO IV.

15

First abysmal Circle of the Sinless before Christendom. How
Christ "harryed Hell."— Accession of Four glorious Poets. —
Castle of honourable Praise.- Commemoration of Heroes,
Matrons, Philosophers, and Discoverers

a

22

CANTO V.

Tribunal of Minos.-Second Circle of the Lascivious, under
torment by Wind, being the First Class of Incontinent Sinners.
-Knights and Ladies of Old.-Francesca da Rimini with
Gianciotto

Page 30

CANTO VI.

Third Circle of the Gluttonous, under torment by Rain.
Cerberus.-The Parasite Ciacco predicts the Expulsion of the
White Party from Florence.-Question on the post-judicial
State of Spirits. Encounter with Plutus -

CANTO VII.

- 37

Fourth Circle of the Avaricious and Prodigal, under torment by
heavy Burdens.Declaration of the Functions of Lady For-
tune.- The boiling Mud-river of Styx, forming the Fifth
Circle of the Irascible

-

43

-

CANTO VIII.

-

Signals. Phlegyas, Pilot of Styx. - Philip Argenti. Nether
Hell of Presumptuous Sinners, whereof the Entrance is con-
tested by Demons

CANTO IX.

-

50

Declaration of Virgil's previous Descent through Hell. — Three
Furies. Advent of a rebuking Angel, who clears the Road
for Dante and his Guide.-City of Dis, forming the Sixth
Circle of the Misbelievers, or Bestial Sinners, tormented in
fiery Tombs like Mosques

- 57

-

CANTO X.

Cemetery of Epicures.- Farinata degli Uberti, and Cavalcante
Cavalcanti. Prediction of Dante's Exile.-Virgil declares

what Knowledge is in the Damned

Page 64

CANTO XI.

Monument of Anastasius.- Virgil declares the Divisions and
Arrangements of Hell, the Doctrine of many Stripes and few
Stripes, and the Offence that is in Usury

CANTO XII.

- 71

Minotaurus.-Seventh Circle of the Violent, being the First Class
of Malicious Sinners.-The River Phlegethon, forming the
First Belt of the Violent against their Neighbours, i. e. against
their Persons or Property, immersed in seething Blood.- Cen-
taurs with Chiron, Nessus, and Pholus. - Divers Tyrants and
Robbers

- 77

CANTO XIII.

The dolorous Wood, forming the Second Belt of the Violent
against their own Persons or Property.-Suicides, transformed
into Trees, the Pasture of Harpies.— Pier delle Vigne. —
Questions on Suicides. -Spendthrifts pursued by Hell-hounds.
- A Florentine Suicide alludes to the Traditions of his native
City
84

CANTO XIV.

The Place of Sand, or Third Belt of the Violent against God's
Person and Property, or against God, Nature, and Art, under