And thou 'rt Alessio Interminei of Lucca ; Therefore I eye thee more than all the others." And he thereon, belaboring his pumpkin : 126 "The flatteries have submerged me here below, Wherewith my tongue was never surfeited.” Then said to me the Guide: “See that thou thrust Thy visage somewhat farther in advance, That with thine eyes thou well the face attain Of that uncleanly and dishevelled drab, 130 Who there doth scratch herself with filthy nails, And crouches now, and now on foot is standing. Thais the harlot is it, who replied Unto her paramour, when he said, 'Have I Great gratitude from thee?'-'Nay, marvel lous'; And herewith let our sight be satisfied." 136 CANTO XIX. O Simon Magus, O forlorn disciples, Ye who the things of God, which ought to be The brides of holiness, rapaciously For silver and for gold do prostitute, Now it behoves for you the trumpet sound, We had already on the following tomb 5 Which o'er the middle of the moat hangs plumb. Wisdom supreme, O how great art thou showest 10 In heaven, in earth, and in the evil world, And with what justice doth thy power distribute! I saw upon the sides and on the bottom The livid stone with perforations filled, 15 I broke for some one, who was drowning in it; 20 Out of the mouth of each one there protruded Even as the flame of unctuous things is wont To move upon the outer surface only, 25 30 I said, "and whom a redder flame is sucking?" And he to me: "If thou wilt have me bear thee Down there along that bank which lowest lies, 35 From him thou 'lt know his errors and himself." And I: "What pleases thee, to me is pleasing; Thou art my Lord, and knowest that I depart not From thy desire, and knowest what is not spoken." 40 Straightway upon the fourth dike we arrived; Deposed me not, till to the hole he brought me Of him who so lamented with his shanks. "Whoe'er thou art, that standest upside down, O doleful soul, implanted like a stake," To say began I, "if thou canst, speak out." I stood even as the friar who is confessing 45 50 The false assassin, who, when he is fixed, Recalls him, so that death may be delayed. And he cried out: "Dost thou stand there already, Dost thou stand there already, Boniface? By many years the record lied to me. Art thou so early satiate with that wealth, For which thou didst not fear to take by fraud The beautiful Lady, and then work her woe ?" Such I became, as people are who stand, 55 Not comprehending what is answered them, As if bemocked, and know not how to answer. 60 Then said Virgilius: "Say to him straightway, I am not he, I am not he thou thinkest." And I replied as was imposed on me. Whereat the spirit writhed with both his feet, Then, sighing, with a voice of lamentation Said to me: "Then what wantest thou of me? If who I am thou carest so much to know, 65 That thou on that account hast crossed the bank, Know that I vested was with the great mantle ; And truly was I son of the She-bear, So eager to advance the cubs, that wealth Beneath my head the others are dragged down Flattened along the fissure of the rock. 70 75 That one shall come who I believed thou wast, What time the sudden question I proposed. But longer I my feet already toast, And here have been in this way upside down, 80 Than he will planted stay with reddened feet For after him shall come of fouler deed From tow'rds the west a Pastor without law, t; 85 New Jason will he be, of whom we read I do not know if I were here too bold, That him I answered only in this metre: "I pray thee tell me now how great a treasure 90 Our Lord demanded of Saint Peter first, 95 Before he put the keys into his keeping? Truly he nothing asked but Follow me.' Nor Peter nor the rest asked of Matthias Silver or gold, when he by lot was chosen Unto the place the guilty soul had lost. Therefore stay here, for thou art justly punished, And keep safe guard o'er the ill-gotten money, Which caused thee to be valiant against Charles. And were it not that still forbids it me The reverence for the keys superlative Thou hadst in keeping in the gladsome life, I would make use of words more grievous still; Because your avarice afflicts the world, Trampling the good and lifting the depraved. The Evangelist you Pastors had in mind, When she who sitteth upon many waters To fornicate with kings by him was seen; The same who with the seven heads was born, 100 106 And power and strength from the ten horns re ceived, 110 So long as virtue to her spouse was pleasing. Ye have made yourselves a god of gold and silver; And from the idolater how differ ye, Save that he one, and ye a hundred worship? Ah, Constantine! of how much ill was mother, 115 Not thy conversion, but that marriage-dower Which the first wealthy Father took from thee!" And while I sang to him such notes as these, Either that anger or that conscience stung him, He struggled violently with both his feet. I think in sooth that it my Leader pleased, With such contented lip he listened ever Unto the sound of the true words expressed. Therefore with both his arms he took me up, And when he had me all upon his breast, Remounted by the way where he descended. Nor did he tire to have me clasped to him; 120 125 But bore me to the summit of the arch sage. There tenderly he laid his burden down, Tenderly on the crag uneven and steep, 130 That would have been hard passage for the goats: Thence was unveiled to me another valley. CANTO XX. Of a new pain behoves me to make verses |