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Page 15. (Lines 37-47.) A similar passage is found Purgatorio, v. 16, "He in whose breast springs thoug thought succeeding, of his intent is ever frustrated—the of one, the other's force impeding:" and in Shakspeare: "Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn aside,
And lose the name of action."-Hamlet.

(60.) "It is probable," says Ugo Foscolo, "that the two
ings here "moto" and "mondo" both came from the I
Dante."

Page 17. (Line 94.) Divine Mercy. (97.) Heavenly supposed to have been St. Lucia the Martyr. (107.) sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ur men made me afraid."-Psalm xviii. 4, From this p Milton has taken his description of the abyss-"Outra as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild."-Paradise Lost, vii. 212.

Page 18. (Line 115.) "Lacrymis oculos suffusa niten En. i. 228. (121.) These words are used by Ananias dressing St. Paul. "And now why tarriest thou ?”—Act: (125.) Mercy, Grace, and Wisdom.

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CANTO III.

ARGUMENT.

INSCRIPTION upon the gate of Hell. Dante enters-beholds spirits, who, having lived in a state of indifference both to good and evil, are assigned the same portion as the neutral angels. The river Acheron-A blast of lightning-Dante falls into a swoon.

"THROUGH 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

1.

7

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 I told thee of, arrived,

The melancholy shades shalt thou survey,
Of God-the mind's supremest good-deprived
Then, as he clasp'd my hand with joyful 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, which unceasing whirl'd
Throughout that gloom of everlasting night,
Like to the sand in circling eddies hurl'd.
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 1

Proceed from those, who, when on earth they w
Nor praise deserved, nor infamy incurr'd.

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 damn'd obtain." "O master, what infliction do they bear,"

37

43

I said, "which makes them raise such shrieks 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.

No record hath the world of this vile class,
Alike by Justice and by Pity spurn'd:

Speak we no more of them-but look-and pass."

And as I look'd, a banner I beheld,

That seem'd incapable of rest, and turn'd,
In one unvaried round for aye impell'd;
While shades were following in so long a train,

49

55

I ne'er forsooth could have believed it true,

That Death such myriads of mankind had slain.
And when I had examined many a shade,
Behold! that abject one appear'd in view,
Who, mean of soul, the grand refusal made.

Straight I perceived, and instant recognized
In that vast concourse the assembly vile
Of those by God and by his foes despised.
These wretched ones, who never were alive,

All naked stood, full sorely stung the while
By wasps and hornets that around them drive.
The cruel swarm bedew'd their cheeks with blood,
Which trickled to their feet with many a tear,
While worms disgusting drank the mingled flood.
Then, onward as I stretch'd mine eye, I saw

A mighty stream, with numbers standing near;
Whereat I said: "O master! by what law

6

6

Do these sad souls, whose state I fain would learn, '7
So eagerly to cross the river haste,

As by the doubtful twilight I discern?”

"These things," he answer'd me,

“shall all be told,

Soon as our feet upon the bank are placed

Of Acheron, that mournful river old."

Mine eyes cast down, my looks o'erwhelm'd with sham
Fearing my questions had oppress'd the sage,

I spake not till beside the stream we came.

Lo! in a vessel o'er the gloomy tide

8

An old man comes-his locks all white with age :"Woe, woe to you, ye guilty souls!" he cried;