thrust their teeth, and rent him piece by piece; then carried off his miserable limbs. My Guide now took me by the hand, and led me to the bush, which was lamenting through the bleeding fractures, in vain. "O Jacopo da Sant' Andréa !?? 28 it cried, "what hast thou gained by making me thy screen? What blame have I of thy sinful life?” When the Master had stopped beside it, he said: "Who wast thou, who, through so many wounds, blowest forth with blood thy dolorous speech?" 1 And he to us: "Ye spirits, who are come to see the ignominious mangling which has thus disjoined my leaves from me, O gather them to the foot of the dismal shrub! I was of the city that changed its first patron for the Baptist,29 on which account he E quel dilaceraro a brano a brano; E menommi al cespuglio che piangea V Che t'è giovató di me fare schermo? Che colpa ho io della tua vita rea? Disse: Chi fusti, che per tante punte 130 135 E quegli a noi: O anime, che giunte Siete a veder lo strazio disonesto, 140 Che le mie frondi ha sì da me disgiunte, Raccoglietele al piè del tristo cesto : Io fui della città, che nel Battista Cangiò 'l primo padrone: ond' ei per questo 28 A Paduan, "who had more who have done violence to their subwealth than any of his countrymen," stance (canto xi. 41); and the helland wasted it in the insanest fashion. See Benv. da Imola, Com. Lano and he represent the class of sinners | hounds are to them what the Harpies are to the self-murderers. 29 Florence, according to the old And with his art will always make it sorrowful. were it not that at the passage of the Arno there yet remains some semblance of him, those citizens, who afterward rebuilt it on the ashes left by Attila, would have labored in vain. "I made a gibbet for myself of my own dwelling."30 Sempre con l'arte sua la farà trista. Sovra il cener che d' Attila rimase, 145 150 traditions given by Malespini, Vil-self in his own house, remains un lani, &c., was founded by the Romans, known. Rocco de' Mozzi and Lotto who chose Mars for their patron or degli Agli, both of noble families in protector; was destroyed by Attila, Florence, are mentioned by the oldand then rebuilt by Charlemagne, est commentators, as having been with St. John the Baptist for its driven by the despair and poverty patron. Hence the vengeance of ("hell-hounds") which they had Mars, "with his art;" and the super- brought upon themselves, to seek stitious veneration (often mentioned death in this way. Bocaccio says: by the old chroniclers) for the rem-"In those times, as if it had been a nant of his statue, which stood at the end of the bridge over the Arno, and was at last swept away by a flood in 1333. See Villani, xi. 1. "Who this was, that hung him curse sent by God upon our city, many hanged themselves;" so that every one can apply the words to whomsoever he pleases. ARGUMENT. DANTE can not go on till he has collected the scattered leaves, and restored them to that wretched shrub in which the soul of his countryman is imprisoned. He is then led by Virgil, across the remainder of the wood, to the edge of the Third Round, or ring, of the Seventh Circle. It is a naked plain of burning Sand; the place appointed for the punishment of those who have done violence against God, against Nature, and against Nature and Art. Canto xi. 46, &c. The violent against God, the least numerous class, are lying supine upon the sand, and in greater torment than the rest. The violent against Nature and Art are sitting all crouched up; and the violent against Nature are moving about, in large troops, with a speed proportioned to their guilt. A slow eternal Shower of Fire is falling upon them all. Capaneus is among the supine, unsubdued by the flames, blaspheming with his old decisiveness and fury. After speaking with him, the Poets go on, between the burning sand and the wood of self-murderers, and soon come to a crimson streamlet that gushes forth from the wood and crosses the sandy plain. Virgil here explains the origin of all the rivers and marshes of Hell. G CANTO XIV. THE love of my native place constraining me, I gathered up the scattered leaves; and gave them back to him, who was already hoarse. Then we came to the limit, where the second round is separated from the third, and where is seen the fearful art of justice. To make the new things clear, I say we reached a plain which from its bed repels all plants. The dolorous wood is a garland to it round about, as to the wood the dismal foss. Here we stayed our feet close to its very edge. The ground was a sand, dry and thick, not different in its fashion from that which once was trodden by the feet of Cato.2 1 O vengeance of God! how shouldst thou be feared POICHÈ la carità del natio loco Mi strinse, raunai le fronde sparte, Lo secondo giron dal terzo, e dove 5 A ben manifestar le cose nuove, Lo spazzo era una rena arida e spessa, Non d'altra foggia fatta che colei, 1 The wood of the suicides goes all round the burning plain, as the river of blood goes round the wood. See canto xi. 15 2 The Libyan desert, over which Cato conducted the remains of Pompey's army. See Lucan. ix. 375, &c. by every one who reads what was revealed to my eyes! I saw many herds of naked souls, who were all lamenting very miserably; and there seemed imposed upon them a diverse law: Some were lying supine upon the ground; some sitting all crouched up; and others roaming incessantly. Those that moved about were much more numerous; and those that were lying in the torment were fewer, but uttered louder cries of pain.3 Over all the great sand, falling slowly, rained dilated flakes of fire, like those of snow in Alps without a wind. As the flames which Alexander, in the hot regions of India, saw fall upon his host, entire to the ground; whereat he with his legions took care Esser temuta da ciascun, che legge Che piangean tutte assai miseramente, Ed altra andava continuamente. E quella men, che giaceva al tormento, Piovean di fuoco dilatate falde, D' India vide sovra lo suo stuolo 20 25 30 Lit.: "Had the tongue more let ground. This tradition about Alexloose for the pain" were in greater torment, and had to cry louder. "Whole," unchanged to the ander is said to be taken from some supposed letter of his to Aristotle. See Landino, Com. |