The Divine Comedy. Dante Alighieri

thy pure eloquence, which thee, and all

      Who well have mark'd it, into honour brings."

      "When she had ended, her bright beaming eyes

      Tearful she turn'd aside; whereat I felt

      Redoubled zeal to serve thee. As she will'd,

      Thus am I come: I sav'd thee from the beast,

      Who thy near way across the goodly mount

      Prevented. What is this comes o'er thee then?

      Why, why dost thou hang back? why in thy breast

      Harbour vile fear? why hast not courage there

      And noble daring? Since three maids so blest

      Thy safety plan, e'en in the court of heaven;

      And so much certain good my words forebode."

      As florets, by the frosty air of night

      Bent down and clos'd, when day has blanch'd their leaves,

      Rise all unfolded on their spiry stems;

      So was my fainting vigour new restor'd,

      And to my heart such kindly courage ran,

      That I as one undaunted soon replied:

      "O full of pity she, who undertook

      My succour! and thou kind who didst perform

      So soon her true behest! With such desire

      Thou hast dispos'd me to renew my voyage,

      That my first purpose fully is resum'd.

      Lead on: one only will is in us both.

      Thou art my guide, my master thou, and lord."

      So spake I; and when he had onward mov'd,

      I enter'd on the deep and woody way.

      CANTO III

      "THROUGH me you pass into the city of woe:

      Through me you pass into eternal pain:

      Through me among the people lost for aye.

      Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:

      To rear me was the task of power divine,

      Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.

      Before me things create were none, save things

      Eternal, and eternal I endure.

      "All hope abandon ye who enter here."

      Such characters in colour dim I mark'd

      Over a portal's lofty arch inscrib'd:

      Whereat I thus: "Master, these words import

      Hard meaning." He as one prepar'd replied:

      "Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;

      Here be vile fear extinguish'd. We are come

      Where I have told thee we shall see the souls

      To misery doom'd, who intellectual good

      Have lost." And when his hand he had stretch'd forth

      To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer'd,

      Into that secret place he led me on.

      Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans

      Resounded through the air pierc'd by no star,

      That e'en I wept at entering. Various tongues,

      Horrible languages, outcries of woe,

      Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,

      With hands together smote that swell'd the sounds,

      Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls

      Round through that air with solid darkness stain'd,

      Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.

      I then, with error yet encompass'd, cried:

      "O master! What is this I hear? What race

      Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?"

      He thus to me: "This miserable fate

      Suffer the wretched souls of those, who liv'd

      Without or praise or blame, with that ill band

      Of angels mix'd, who nor rebellious prov'd

      Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves

      Were only. From his bounds Heaven drove them forth,

      Not to impair his lustre, nor the depth

      Of Hell receives them, lest th' accursed tribe

      Should glory thence with exultation vain."

      I then: "Master! what doth aggrieve them thus,

      That they lament so loud?" He straight replied:

      "That will I tell thee briefly. These of death

      No hope may entertain: and their blind life

      So meanly passes, that all other lots

      They envy. Fame of them the world hath none,

      Nor suffers; mercy and justice scorn them both.

      Speak not of them, but look, and pass them by."

      And I, who straightway look'd, beheld a flag,

      Which whirling ran around so rapidly,

      That it no pause obtain'd: and following came

      Such a long train of spirits, I should ne'er

      Have thought, that death so many had despoil'd.

      When some of these I recogniz'd, I saw

      And knew the shade of him, who to base fear

      Yielding, abjur'd his high estate. Forthwith

      I understood for certain this the tribe

      Of those ill spirits both to God displeasing

      And to his foes. These wretches, who ne'er lived,

      Went on in nakedness, and sorely stung

      By wasps and hornets, which bedew'd their cheeks

      With blood, that mix'd with tears dropp'd to their feet,

      And by disgustful worms was gather'd there.

      Then looking farther onwards I beheld

      A throng upon the shore of a great stream:

      Whereat I thus: "Sir! grant me now to know

      Whom here we view, and whence impell'd they seem

      So eager to pass o'er, as I discern

      Through the blear light?" He thus to me in few:

      "This shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive

      Beside the woeful tide of Acheron."

      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

      Ever to see the sky again. I come

      To take you to the other shore across,

      Into eternal darkness, there to dwell

      In