Harvard Classics Volume 20. Golden Deer Classics

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СКАЧАТЬ chase the other^[40] with much injury forth.

      Then it behooves that this must fall,^[41] within

      Three solar circles;^[42] and the other rise

      By borrow’d force of one, who under shore

      Now rests.^[43] It shall a long space hold aloof

      Its forehead, keeping under heavy weight

      The other opprest, indignant at the load,

      And grieving sore. The just are two in number.^[44]

      But they neglected. Avarice, envy, pride,

      Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all

      On fire.” Here ceased the lamentable sound;

      And I continued thus: “Still would I learn

      More from thee, further parley still entreat.

      Of Farinata and Tegghiaio^[45] say,

      They who so well deserved; of Giacopo,^[46]

      Arrigo, Mosca,^[47] and the rest, who bent

      Their minds on working good. Oh! tell me where

      They bide, and to their knowledge let me come.

      For I am prest with keen desire to hear

      If Heaven’s sweet cup, or poisonous drug of Hell,

      Be to their lip assign’d.” He answer’d straight:

      “These are yet blacker spirits. Various crimes

      Have sunk them deeper in the dark abyss.

      If thou so far descendest, thou mayst see them.

      But to the pleasant world, when thou return’st,

      Of me make mention, I entreat thee, there.

      No more I tell thee, answer thee no more.”

      This said, his fixed eyes he turn’d askance,

      A little eyed me, then bent down his head,

      And ’midst his blind companions with it fell.

      When thus my guide: “No more his bed he leaves,

      Ere the last angel-trumpet blow. The Power

      Adverse to these shall then in glory come,

      Each one forthwith to his sad tomb repair,

      Resume his fleshly vesture and his form,

      And hear the eternal doom re-echoing rend

      The vault.” So pass’d we through that mixture foul

      Of spirits and rain, with tardy steps; meanwhile

      Touching, though slightly, on the life to come.

      For thus I question’d: “Shall these tortures, Sir!

      When the great sentence passes, be increased,

      Or mitigated, or as now severe?”

      He then: “Consult thy knowledge; that decides,

      That, as each thing to more perfection grows,

      It feels more sensibly both good and pain.

      Though ne’er to true perfection may arrive

      This race accurst, yet nearer then, than now,

      They shall approach it.” Compassing that path,

      Circuitous we journey’d; and discourse,

      Much more than I relate, between us pass’d:

      Till at the point, whence the steps led below,

      Arrived, there Plutus, the great foe, we found.

Canto VII

      Argument.—In the present Canto, Dante describes his descent into the fourth circle, at the beginning of which he sees Plutus stationed. Here one like doom awaits the prodigal and the avaricious; which is, to meet in direful conflict, rolling great weights against each other with mutual upbraidings. From hence Virgil takes occasion to show how vain the goods that are committed into the charge of Fortune; and this moves our author to inquire what being that Fortune is, of whom he speaks: which question being resolved, they go down into the fifth circle, where they find the wrathful and gloomy tormented in the Stygian lake. Having made a compass round great part of this lake, they come at last to the base of a lofty tower.

      “Ah me! O Satan! Satan!”^[48] loud exclaim’d

      Plutus, in accent hoarse of wild alarm:

      And the kind sage, whom no event surprised,

      To comfort me thus spake: “Let not thy fear

      Harm thee, for power in him, be sure, is none

      To hinder down this rock thy safe descent.”

      Then to that swoln lip turning, “Peace!” he cried,

      “Curst wolf! thy fury inward on thyself

      Prey, and consume thee! Through the dark profound,

      Not without cause, he passes. So ’tis will’d

      On high, there where the great Archangel pour’d

      Heaven’s vengeance on the first adulterer proud.”

      As sails, full spread and bellying with the wind,

      Drop suddenly collapsed, if the mast split;

      So to the ground down dropp’d the cruel fiend.

      Thus we, descending to the fourth steep ledge,

      Gain’d on the dismal shore, that all the woe

      Hems in of all the universe. Ah me!

      Almighty Justice! in what store thou heap’st

      New pains, new troubles, as I here beheld.

      Wherefore doth fault of ours bring us to this?

      E’en as a billow, on Charybdis rising,

      Against encounter’d billow dashing breaks;

      Such is the dance this wretched race must lead,

      Whom СКАЧАТЬ