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CANTO XXI.

ARGUMENT.

In the fifth partition are punished Barterers and Peculators. They are plunged into a lake of boiling pitch, and guarded by Demons, who thrust them back whenever they appear above. These Demons prepare to attack Virgil, who calms them by his undaunted manner, and prevails upon their leader to give them an escort on their way.

CONVERSING, as we went from bridge to bridge,
Of things my Comedy cares not to tell,
We reached at last the summit of the ridge,—
There paused, to view the souls that idly wailed
In Malebolgè's next unhappy cell;-

And wondrous was the darkness that prevailed.
As in the arsenal of Venice boils

Tenacious pitch in winter, to repair
The bark disabled by long watery toils;
For since to venture forth they are afraid,
One here a vessel builds, another there
Calks that which many voyages hath made;-
One strikes the prow-one hammers at the poop,
One mends a main-and one a mizen sail,
One shapes an oar-another twists a rope ;-
So, not by fire beneath, but art divine,

Boiled up thick pitch throughout the gloomy vale,
Whose viscous spatterings all the margin line.
Nought on the surface of the boiling tide

I saw, save bubbles rise, and now and then The whole swell up-then settle and subside While I was looking down with stedfast gaze, Back on the instant was I forced again,

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Look, look!" my guide exclaiming.—In amaze,
I turned around, like one who longs to see

That which, beheld, compels him to draw back-
By panic fear unnerved so suddenly,

That e'en to look, he may not check his flight:

And in our rear I saw a Demon black Swiftly advancing o'er the rocky height. Alas, how fierce and savage was his face!

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How frightful too the gestures he displayed!

Stretched were his wings, and rapid was his pace.

His shoulder, proudly rising and acute,
Was laden with a miserable shade;

And hard he grasped the sinew of his foot.
"Ye Malebranchè of our bridge," quoth he,
"Lo one of Santa Zita's Elders! haul
The wretch beneath; while I full speedily
Regain that land which plenty more doth hold:
There, save Bonturo, barterers are they all;
And 'No' is quickly turned to 'Yes' for gold."
His load cast down-so swiftly he turned back
O'er the hard rock, that never mastiff fleet
Sprang with such haste a flying thief to track.
The sinner sank, then rose with upward face,

Whilst from beneath the bridge the fiends repeat
"Here hath the Holy Countenance no place;

Here swim you not as erst in Serchio's tide;
And if you relish not our hooks—take care
That in the boiling pitch your back you hide."
Then with a hundred prongs the wretch they maul,
And cry: "To dance in secret now prepare,
And pilfer, if you can, unseen by all."
So to the centre of the pot do cooks

Their scullions teach to thrust the floating stew,
And keep it under with their iron hooks.
To me the master: "Lest it should be seen
That thou art here, conceal thyself from view;
Some rock will haply serve thee for a screen;
And let no insult fill thee with dismay
That may
be offered me-prepared I
Aforetime have I been in like affray."
Beyond the bridge's head he then proceeded;
And when he reached the sixth embankment—lo!

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A calm and dauntless countenance he needed :

For with such anger and tempestuous roar,
As dogs rush forth on one of squalid looks,
Who begs a pittance at some rich man's door;

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37. i. e. "O Demons of the evil arms, who have the care of our bridge behold one of the Elders of Lucca." Santa Zita was held in reverence there. 41. Bonturo de' Dati,—the greatest peculator in Lucca 48 The "Santo Volto" is an image of our Saviour at Lucca, near which runs the river Serchio.

So from beneath the bridge-enraged and hot--
Rushed on my guide the demons with their hooks ;
But he exclaimed: "I charge you, touch me not:
Before
your hooks my flesh to tear,

ye cast
Come some one forth to hear what I shall say,

And then consider if to strike ye dare."

"Go, Malacoda go"-exclaimed they all;

Whereat one moved, (meanwhile the rest did stay.) And coming to him said; "What means your call?" "Believest thou, Malacoda, I had made

My way so far," to him my master said,
"Safe from the hellish wrath ye have displayed,
Unless the Will Divine had sanction given?
That this my comrade should by me be led
Through this dark region is ordained in heaven."
Then in a moment fell his crest of pride,—
Down dropt the grappling iron at his feet;
And to the others: "Strike him not," he cried.
To me my lord: "Thou who art crouching there,
Beneath the broken bridge,-quit thy retreat,
For safely now to me mayest thou repair."
Him then with speed I strove to overtake;

When came the fiends with such precipitation,

I trembled lest their compact they should break.

So once I saw the infantry alarmed,

Who left Caprona on capitulation,

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Seeing so many foes around them armed.

Close to my guide attaching me, I stood

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Much terrified-nor from their faces black Turned I mine eyes,-they boded nothing good. Lowering their hooks, one to the other said,

"What think you if I touch him on the back ?" "Be sure you hit him," was the answer made. But that chief fiend who had addressed my guide, All in an instant turned himself around:And said; Scarmiglion, be thou pacified;" Then spake to us: "Ye travellers-be it known

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76. i. e. Fiend of the evil tail.

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95. The Castle of Caprona, be

longing to the Pisans, surrendered to the Guelf forces of Florence and Lucca, in 1289, on condition that the garrison should march out in safety. Dante is believed to have served at the siege.

No further road may o'er this bridge be found;
The sixth arch hence is wholly overthrown.
But if it please you onward to proceed,

Along this rock securely may ye hie;
Another bridge that's near will serve your need.
Just five hours later yesterday than this,

Twelve hundred three score years and six gone by,
The road was broken which leads down the abyss;
And thither will I send some scouts of mine

To watch if any show themselves above:
Depart with them-they will not prove maligu.
Come, Alichino-come!" exclaimed he then,
"Cagnazzo, Calcabrina, quickly move;
And Barbarriccia, thou conduct the ten.
Come Libicocco, Draghignazzo fell,

Ciriatto with thy tusks, and Graffiacan,
Thou furious Rubicant, and Farfarell,

Make good your search around the boiling pitch,
And lead these safely to that bridge, whose span
Unbroken runs o'er all the adjoining ditch.'
Master," I said, "O what is this I see?
Our way without an escort let us find;

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Thou knowest it well-I ask no guide but thee:

If, as is wont, thou art quick-sighted now,

Canst thou not see how fierce their teeth they grind,
And scowl upon us with a threatening brow ?"

And he to me: "I charge thee not to fear;

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E'en let them grind their savage teeth accurst,—
They do it at the scalded sufferers here."

O'er the left bank their steps they then incline,
But to their Captain every demon first,

With tongue between his teeth had made a sign,— When from behind, the sound of trumpet burst.

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See

111. This falsehood is an instance of Malacoda's treachery. canto xxiii. 133. 112. To 1266 add 34 (the age of our Saviour at the time of his death) and it gives 1300, the date of Dante's vision. He supposes the convulsion at our Saviour's death was felt even in the depths of hell. 138. They believe that Virgil and Dante are taken

in:-hence this sign.

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HIS SHOULDER PROUDLY RISING AND ACUTE
WAS LADEN WITH A MISERABLE SHADE:

luf XXI 34

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