Encountering, they dash together; and then Each one forthwith wheels round, and backward rolls, Crying aloud; 'Why hoard ye?' and 'Why d'ye spend?' 30 Thus they return along the gloomy ring, Each in his place to the opposing point, Crying always in their opprobrious strain. Then each one, after shock, wheels round again, I, all my heart thrill'd thro' with anguish keen, What spirits are these, and if they all were priests— And he replied; 'All these in their first lives When to those two points of the ring they come, Where the conflicting faults drive them apart. These without covering of hair upon Their crowns were priests and Popes and Cardinals, In whom the excess of avarice was found.' Then I; 'O Master, surely amongst all these 35 40 45 50 E Made answer thus; 'Vainly thou dost surmise: Their lineaments. They will for ever come To the two shocks: these from the tomb will rise The beauteous world, and set them in this strife. 55 60 For all the gold beneath the moon, and all That ever was, for these poor weary souls 65 Could never gain one moment of repose.' 'Master,' I said, 'be pleased also to unfold To me this Fortune—who she is, by whom The good things of the world are thus controlled?' And he replied; 'O foolish creatures! how 70 Great is that ignorance which doth enfold Your minds! now to my words give heed.—He whose 2 The clenched fist denotes avarice; cropt hair prodigality, which squanders everything, 'fino ai capelli,' i.e., 'even to the hair,' as the Italians say. Omniscience all else transcends, who made The heavens, and gave them Angels ministrant— So that each part to each part glory lends— Distributing with equal hand the light; So for the glories of this world He hath 75 To shift from time to time earth's fleeting toys 80 Following the guidance of her hand, which works Events foreseeing orders each, and rules 85 Her work no rest or intermission knows ; Necessity compels her to be swift: So many are they whom sudden change o'erthrows. 90 'Tis she who is so often put to shame Even by those who ought to give her praise, Giving wrongful reproach, and evil fame. But she hears not, and in the realms of bliss, 95 Descend we now to lower depths of woe. Now falls each star that rose when we began Our course: nor may we linger here.'—Across Hard by a fountain, which springs there, and pours And, as I stood to view the scene, I saw These in their rage not with their hands alone The spirits of those whom anger overcame : Beneath this water there are souls whose sighing Makes heave the bubbling surface, as thou seest, 100 105 110 115 Where'er the eye roves round.' And thus they sung→ 120 Those spirits mire-ingulf'd; 'All gloom were we Stifling our souls within with slothful fumes; Their throats, but words complete can utter none. Thus long way round that loathsome pool, between The dry bank and the waves, in haste we wound Our course, with eyes down cast on those who filth Ingorged: we came to a tower's base at last. 125 130 |