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"If rightly I thy meaning understand,"
The poet of exalted soul replied,

"By coward fear thy spirit is unmanned,-
Fear-that oft-times doth so weigh down the heart,
It makes man turn from nobler deeds aside,
Like beasts that at some fancied object start.
From this alarm that thou may'st be relieved,
The reason of my coming I declare,

And what I heard when first for thee I grieved.

'Mid those in Limbo was I dwelling still,

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When I was called by one so blest and fair,
That I entreated her to speak her will.

Her eyes shone brighter than the star on high;
And on mine ear in her own accents fell
Tones soft and sweet of angel harmony:

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'O Mantuan poet! kind and courteous soul!

Whose honoured memory yet on earth doth dwell,
And shall endure till ages cease to roll ;-

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A friend I have (by cruel fortune spurned)
So hindered, journeying up the lone ascent,
That in despair his footsteps he hath turned;
And so bewildered is he, that I fear

My tardy succour will in vain be lent,-
If I may judge from what in heaven I hear.
Now rise-and with thy polished words unfold
All that to rescue him may needful be,
And aid him So, that I may be consoled.
Know-I am Beatrice who bid thee go;
The place I left I long again to see:

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Love brought me here, Love makes these words to flow. Oft-times, when in the presence of my Lord, My voice shall rise to celebrate thy praise.' Then I resumed, as ceased the angelic word · 'O virtuous Lady, whose excelling worth Alone hath influence mortal man to raise O'er all the creatures that inhabit earth,

52. Literally, "Among those who are suspended," i. e. in a place of neither pleasure nor pain. This Limbo is described in canto iv. Virgil was summoned thence by Beatrice. See canto i. 122. Wisdom is incited by Charity to the rescue of Dante. "Contained within the heaven which has the smallest circles," i. e. within

72. Heavenly 78. Literally,

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Such my delight thy mandate to fulfil,

That were it done, there still would seem delay;
Seek then no further to disclose thy will:
But tell the cause-why, fearless and unmoved,
To this low centre thou hast won thy way
From those high realms by thee so well beloved.'
'Since of my nature thou so much would'st know,
To thee I briefly will reveal,' she said,

Why undismay'd I venture here below.-
Those things alone should we regard with fear,
Which bring misfortune on another's head;
All else are harmless, nor deserve our care.
Such thanks to God, by Him have I been made,
That your calamities assail me not,
Nor do these flaming realms my peace invade.
In heaven there dwells a generous Maid, who sees
With such concern this wanderer's hapless lot,
That Justice yields to her its stern decrees.
She called on Lucia in her prayer: 'Thy friend-
Thy faithful friend, of thee now stands in need;
Him to thy grateful care do I commend.'
Lucia, to deeds of mercy ever given,

Rose at her gentle words, and came with speed
Where I with ancient Rachel sate in heaven.
'O Beatrice! she said, 'true praise of God!
Wherefore not succour him who loved thee so,
That for thy sake he fled the vulgar crowd?
Dost thou not hear his piteous cry-nor see

The death he combats on the flood below,
Which not by ocean's rage surpassed can be ?'
Not with such haste on earth do men arise

To shun misfortune, or to compass gains,
As I, acquainted with his miseries,
Descended from the blest angelic choir,
Confiding in thy sweet persuasive strains,
Which honour thee, and all who thee admire.'

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84. The

the Moon. See "Material Heavens," prefixed to the Paradiso. empyreal Heaven-in which Beatrice was enjoying the vision of God. 94. Divine Mercy. 97. Illuminating grace,-personified in St. Lucia the Martyr. (See Purg. ix. 55. Par. xxxii. 137.) She, having been herself prevailed upon by Mercy, interceded with Wisdom. 102. Heavenly contemplation. (See Purg. xxvii. 104 so Convito, Trat. iv. 22.)

This said her eyes, all glistening in her tears,
Beauteous-she turned; whereat my zeal increased
To speed me hither, and relieve thy fears.
Thus, at her wish I hastened to thine aid,

And snatched thee from the fury of the beast,
Which up the mount thy shorter road forbade.
Then wherefore linger? wherefore this delay?

Why harbour in thy breast this coward fear? Why o'er thy soul hath courage lost its sway, Since three blest damsels in the court of heaven Watch o'er thy safety with such tender care, And in my words such promised help is given ?" As flow'rets, bent and closed by chilling night,

Soon as the sun his radiance hath bestowed, Rise on their stems, and opening hail the light; Thus to my wearied breast fresh vigour ran;

And o'er my heart such goodly courage flowed, Like one restored to freedom, I began. "O how compassionate the heavenly Maid

Who lent me succour! and thyself how kind,
Who hast so soon her words of truth obeyed!
Such strong desire my journey to pursue

Thy cheering speech hath kindled in my mind,
That I with joy my first design renew.
Lead on ;-one impulse doth our bosoms sway;
Thou art my guide-my master-and lord."
my
I spake ;-and soon as he resumed the way,
That deep and savage pathway I explored.

CANTO III.

ARGUMENT.

115

121

127

133

139

Inscription over the gate of Hell. Dante enters, and in the outskirts, called Limbo, sees spirits, who, having lived in a state of indifference

116. Heavenly Wisdom weeps at the infirmity of human nature. 119. The She-wolf. See canto i. 49. 124. Mercy, Grace, 136. Dante is confirmed in the and Wisdom, as mentioned above. design of executing his mission in spite of the Court of Rome and all earthly opposition. He accordingly proceeds towards the gate of Hell 139. Human Will submits to Human Wisdom. When the human will shall have submitted to a higher instructor the full object of the Pilgrim will be accomplished; and his will identified with the will of God. Par. xxxiii.

143.

both to good and evil, are assigned the same portion as the neutral angels. They are ferried over the river Acheron.-A blast of lightning stuns Dante, and he falls into a swoon.

"TпROUGH me ye enter the abode of woe:
Through me to endless sorrow are ye brought:
Through me amid the souls accurst ye go.
Justice did first my lofty Maker move;

By Power Almighty was my fabric wrought,
By highest Wisdom, and by Primal Love.
Ere I was form'd, no things created were,

Save those eternal-I eternal last :
All hope abandon-ye who enter here."
These words, inscribed in colour dark, I saw
'High on the summit of a portal vast;
Whereat I cried: "O master! with deep awe
Their sense I mark." Like one prepared, he said,
"Here from thy soul must doubt be cast away;
Here must each thought of cowardice be dead.—
Now, at that place whereof I spake, arrived,
The melancholy shades shalt thou survey,
Of God-the mind's supremest good-deprived."
Then, as he clasped my hand with cheerful mien,
That comfort gave, and bade me cease to fear,
.He led me down into the world unseen.
There sobs and wailings, and heart-rending cries
Resounded through the starless atmosphere;
Whence tears began to gather in mine eyes.
Harsh tongues discordant-horrible discourse-
Words of despair-fierce accents of despite-
Striking of hands-with curses deep and hoarse
Raised a loud tumult, that unceasing whirled
Throughout that gloom of everlasting night,
Like to the sand in circling eddies hurled.

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1. This inscription is supposed to be written over the gate of hell. 4, &c. The attributes of the Trinity are here described,―the Power of the Father-the Wisdom of the Son-the Love of the Holy Ghost.-These Three Persons are moved by "Justice" to construct Hell. 8. i. e. The rebellious angels who were driven down into Hell, before the creation of 15. Dante has before declared the necessity of steeling his heart to pity. Canto ii. 4. 24. Dante breaks the rule laid dow or himself. He weeps at first sight of the sufferings of the wicked.

man.

Then (horror compassing my head around)
I cried: "O master, what is this I hear?
And who are these so plunged in grief profound ?"
He answered me:
"The groans which thou hast heard,
Proceed from those, who, when on earth they were,
Nor praise deserved, nor infamy incurred.
Here with those caitiff angels they abide,

Who stood aloof in heaven-to God untrue,
Yet wanting courage with his foes to side.

Heaven drove them forth, its beauty not to stain ;
And Hell refuses to receive them too :-
From them no glory could the damned obtain."

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"O master, what infliction do they bear,"

31.

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I said, "which makes them raise such shricks of woe ?"
He answered: "That I will in brief declare.

No hope of death have this unhappy crew;
And their degraded life is sunk so low,
With envy every other state they view.
Fame is on earth denied this wretched class,
Alike by Justice and by Pity spurned:
Speak we no more of them-but look-and
I looked beyond,-and lo! a banner rose,
That, whirling round and round, so swiftly turned,
Its rapid motion seemed to scorn repose.

So large a troop of spirits came behind,

pass."

I ne'er forsooth could have believed it true, That Death had slain such myriads of mankind. And when I had examined many a shade,

Behold! that abject one appeared in view,

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31. The reading of "orror" instead of "error" is found in various MSS. and also in several editions. That of the Editio princeps in the British Museum has been altered in writing into "error.' "Orror" is adopted by Boccaccio in his Comment, and by Panizzi in his edition of Bojardo. Rogers, the first translator of Dante, whose scarce work is to be found in the British Museum, has "horror," and Cary mentions it with approbation. Authorities are given in this instance, because an influential critic some years ago misled the public as to the true reading, declaring that the translator (whose authorities were unnoticed) had "blundered error into orror." 37. These despicable wretches are placed in the outskirts of hell as unworthy alike of punishment or happiness. 42. Of" niuna" in the sense of "alcuna," see Monti, Proposta. (vol. i. page 2.) An emblem of mankind busied in one continued round of cares and plea

sures.

52.

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