And seeing us, he bit himself in spleen,

Like one whose breast with inward rage is heaved.
Him in these words my sapient guide addressed:
"The Duke of Athens here thou thinkest, I ween,
Who erst on earth thy violence laid to rest:
Begone foul beast-for he before thy sight

Doth to thy sister no instruction owe,
But hither wends to view thy wretched plight."
Even as a bull springs up in wild despair

The instant he receives the mortal blow,—

19

Nor yet moves on, but staggers here and there;

So did the Minotaur impetuous leap.

25

My guide aware, cried: "To the pass retreat;
And while he storms, do thou descend the steep."
Thus we proceeded down the rocks that lay
In broken fragments, and beneath my feet
At such unwonted burden oft gave way.
Musing I went; then said he: " Haply thou

Art pondering on the steep and rugged road,
Guarded by that brute fury vanquished now.
Know, that when heretofore I made descent

Down to dark Pluto's more profound abode,
This rock was not from its foundation rent.

It fell, if right I judge, but just before

His coming dread, who from the round above,
Despoiling Dis, the mighty plunder bore;

Then through each part the infernal valley heaved
With such commotion, I suppose with love
The universe was seized, which, 'tis believed,
Hath oftentimes to chaos turned the world:
Then was this aged rock with that turmoil,
Both here and elsewhere, into ruins hurled.
But look where through the vale beneath doth run
Yon stream of blood, in which those spirits boil

31

37

13

20. By the instructions of Ariadne, the sister of the Minotaur, Theseus was enabled to destroy him, and escape from the labyrinth. 38. See Canto iv. line 33. Our Saviour, according to Dante, when he arose from Hades, carried with him the souls of the Patriarchs. 41. It was believed by Empedocles that the elements of the world were animate, and at certain periods were affected with love towards each other, while at other times they produced a chaos. 45. And the earth did quake and the rocks rent." Matt. xxvii. 51.

Who harm to others have by violence done."
O blind desire! O foolish wrath, tuat so

Dost spur us onward in our short-lived race,
And then for ever plungest us in woe!
An ample trench before me I descried,

Curved, as though all the plain it would embrace,-
Thus answering the description of my guide.
Betwixt the bank and it (a narrow space)

Ran Centaurs, one by one, with shafts in hand,
As erst on earth they issued to the chase.
Perceiving us, they all their course restrained,
While three advanced, dividing from the band,
With bows and winged arrows first obtained.
And one cried from afar: "Ye who descend-
What penance come ye hither to receive?
Tell me, but stir not, or the bow I bend."
My master said: "The answer you desire,

From whence we are, to Chiron will we give :
Your mind was ever ready to take fire."
Then touching me :-" See Nessus there below,
Who for the fair Deianira died,

And in his death took vengeance on his foe.
He in the centre, looking on his breast,
Is Chiron, of Achilles' youth the guide;
The other Pholus, by deep wrath possessed.
Thousands by thousands round the foss they flit,
And dart their arrows at each soul they watch
Emerging higher than his crimes admit."
When to those rapid beasts we nearer drew,
Chiron an arrow took, and with the notch
His shaggy beard behind the cheekbone threw ;
And, opening his enormous mouth anon,

?

"Are ye aware," his comrades he addressed, "That he behind moves what he treads upon Not this the case, I ween, with spirit's feet." Then said my faithful guide (who at his breast Was standing now, where both the natures meet):

71. Chiron is desig

69. On Hercules by the envenomed robe. nated by Euripides as a most pious man (Iph. in Aul. 926); but is placed by Dante in hell as being the tutor of Achilles, whose anger he is supposed to have encouraged. 84. i. c. Whence the form of the horse

was joined to that of a man, which is the reported figure of the Centaur.

CANTO XIT.

"He lives indeed, but in such lonely plight,
I needs must lead him through the valley blind;
Necessity compels him-not delight.
She ceased awhile her hallowed songs on high,
Who to my care this new employ consigned :
No robber he-no felon soul am I.
But by that virtue, at whose high command

I make my journey o'er so rough a track-
Assign, I pray thee, one from out thy band
To show the ford across this bloody tide,

And carry o'er my comrade on his back :—
No spirit he upon the air to ride."
Then Chiron wheeling round upon the right

Exclaimed to Nessus: "Turn and lead them o'er ;
And any who molest them put to flight."
Led by the trusty guide, we took our way

Beside that purple stream; whence rent the shore
Their cries who in the boiling current lay.
Here shades immersed up to the eyebrow stood.
"These," said the mighty Centaur, "tyrants were,
Who gave themselves to plunder and to blood.
Here they bewail the cruelty they wrought;
Here Ålexander,-Dionysius there,
Who on Sicilia years of sorrow brought.
That forehead covered with so black a hair
Is Ezzelino; and that other shade
Obizzo d'Este, with flaxen locks and fair,
Whom (truth to say) his cruel step-son slew."
Then to the bard I turned, and thus he said:
"Let him go first to guide us-I pursue."

A little way beyond, the Centaur stood,

Viewing a tribe, who, downward from the throat
Were wholly sunk within the boiling flood.

He pointed to a lonely spirit aside,

103

109

115

90. i. e. He is not come, like Theseus and Hercules to carry any one away from hell by violence.

94. Virgil alludes to Nessus, who is presently appointed to the office he had been accustomed to. "Nessus adit. membrisque valens, scitusque vadorum." Ovid. Met. ix. 108. 110. Ezzelino da Romano, Tyrant of Verona. His government was the most cruel and sanguinary ever heard of. See Villani vi. 72, and Hallum, Middle Ages. chap. iii. pt. 1. 111. Having assigned to punishment a violent Ghibelline tyrant, Dante now adds a Guelph of the

I