Page 270. (Line 17.) At Roncesvalles, "where Charlemagne with all his peerage fell by Fontarabia."-Par. Lost. i. 586. "According to the fictitious Chronicle of Turpin, of which Ariosto has made so much use, the terrible horn of Orlando, with which he blew a blast at Roncesvalles to obtain assistance, was heard as far as St. Jean Pied-de-Pont, (four miles off,) where Charlemagne was lying with his army; but the traitor Ganellon prevented the king coming to his aid."Sismondi, Lit. Hist. See Morgante Mag. xxvii. 69: also notes to Panizzi's Edit. of Bojardo. vol. viii. p. 345.

Page 271. (Line 41.) Monterreggion is a castle near Siena. (55.) This appears to be taken from Aristotle:-" Ωσπερ γὰρ τελεωθὲν, βέλτισον των ζώων ἂνθρωπὸς ἐςιν, ὕτω καὶ χωρισθὲν νόμε καὶ δίκης, χέιρισον παντων: χαλεπωτατη γαρ ἀδικία έχεσα οπλα. ὁ δ' άνθρωπος όπλα εχων φύεται φρονησει καὶ ἀρετα, οἷς ἐπὶ τἀναντία ἐςὶ χρῆσθαι μάλιςα. Διὸ ἀνοσιώτατον καὶ ἀγριώτατον ἄνευ apers."-Aristotle. Politics. The giant here spoken of is Nimrod, by whom the tower of Babel is said to have been built. (59.) "The large pine of bronze, which once ornamented the mole of Adrian, was afterwards employed to decorate the top of the belfry of St. Peter's; and having (according to Buti) been thrown down by lightning, after lying some time on the steps of the palace, it was transported to the place where it now is, in the Pope's garden, by the side of the great corridor of the Belvidere. In the time of our poet, the pine was either on the belfry or on the steps of St. Peter's."-Lombardi.

Page 272. (Line 68.) These unmeaning sounds are uttered by Nimrod, as still confounded by the confusion of languages at the building of Babel. They are interpreted by Lanzi, Professor of Arabic at Rome, "My splendour shines forth in hell as it shone in the world."

Pag

warre

endea

See al

a. 403

Pag ræis

Milto (124.)

Pas

na, ha

assim

under

cloud

direct

Da

becor

with

diffic

Charle

Lost. i. pin, of

horn of

obtain t, (four y; but

aid."

o notes

Siena.

τερ γὰρ

ἐν νόμο πλα.

τἀναν. αν ἄνευ

s Nimbuilt.

ed the

The top Buti) on the ere it ridor

-ither

tered

ages anzi,

th in

Page 273. (Line 94.) Ephialtes is one of the giants who warred against Jove, and is represented by Homer as having endeavoured to place Mount Pelion on Ossa.- Odyss. xi. 307. See also Virg. Georg. i. 281; Æn. vi. 580. (98.) See Homer. Il. a. 403.

Page 274. (Line 119.) " Coloque pepercit, Quod non Phlegræis Antæum sustulit arvis."-Lucan, Phars. iv. See also Milton. Par. Reg. b. iv., “As when earth's son Antæus," &c. (124.) "Necnon et Tityon," &c.—Virgil. Æn. vi. 595.

Page 275. (Line 136.) Carisenda is a leaning tower at Bologna, having an inclination of seven feet; "cadentique Imminet assimilis."-Æn. vi. 602. The meaning is that if one goes under that part which bends towards the earth, and looks at a cloud that may happen to be driven in a directly opposite direction, the cloud seems standing and the tower falling. "Dante's Carisenda (for whatever the Divine Poet once names becomes Dante's) is a coarse brick tower, which if really built with its present inclination, was but deformed for the sake of difficulty."—Forsyth's Italy. p. 355.

THE ninth circle is divided into four rounds, of which two, viz. Caina and Antenora, are here mentioned. In a lake of ice formed by the stagnant waters of Cocytus, are fixed the sinners, consisting, first, of traitors to their own families, and secondly, traitors to their country.

HAD I a rhyme so rugged, rough, and hoarse,
As would become the sorrowful abyss,

1

Not

B

O'er which the rocky circles wind their course,Then with a more appropriate form I might

Endow my vast conceptions ;-wanting this,

Not without fear I bring myself to write.

For no light enterprize it is, I deem,
To represent the lowest depth of all;

Nor should a childish tongue attempt the theme.

But may the heavenly Nine their aid afford,

By whom Amphion rear'd Thebes' lofty wall;
So that
my words may with the fact accord.

vo, viz.

e of ice he sines, and

1

Ill-fated dwellers in this sink forlorn!

Surpassing all in misery and woe,—

Far better had ye sheep or goats been born!
Down in the gulf of darkness, black as night,

13

20

We stood, far sunk the giants' feet below ;-
Upon the lofty wall still fix'd my sight:
When came a voice: "Look where your steps are led,
And cautiously proceed, lest, as you pass,
On our unhappy brethren's heads you tread."
Wherefore I turn'd around, and saw before
And underneath my feet a lake like glass;
For not of ice the semblance that it bore.
Not Austrian Danube, in the winter driven

By bitter winds, so thick a crust might wear;

25

Nor Tanais chill'd beneath the inclement heaven: For Tambernicchi falling down below,

7

Or Pietrepana hurl'd in ruin there,

Had not e'en crack'd its margin with the blow.
As stands a frog-his mouth above the stream—
Croaking-in summer, when the village maid
(Her labour o'er) doth oft of gleaning dream :
So, wedged in ice, the wretched souls complain ;-
A livid hue their haggard looks betray'd:

31

Like storks, their teeth sent forth a chattering strain.

Downcast their looks ;-how pinching was the cold 37
Their mouths bore ample proof; and from each eye
Might the dire anguish of their hearts be told.
When I had somewhat turn'd my sight around,

Two shades beneath so closely link'd I spy,

Not he,

Were

Focc

Obstruc

And

Their very locks together fast were bound.

If th

O ye united breast to breast," I said,

43

And th

"Tell who ye are : "-whereat the neck they bent;
And when on me their looks were riveted,-
Their eyes, erst moisten'd with the liquid tear,
O'erflow'd the lids: then did the frost cement

Kno

Wh

I saw

Wh

And one, who from intensity of cold

Say, wherefore us so earnestly behold?

The falling drops, and so detain them there.
Ne'er plank to plank could iron cramp unite

So closely-like two mountain goats they plied,
And smote each other from excess of spite.

Had lost both ears, his face still stooping, cried :

66

Who are these two, would'st thou discover,-know, 55
Their father Albert own'd that valley sweet,

Through which Bisenzio's murmuring waters flow.

One mother bore them both ;-thou may'st explore
Caina through, nor with a spirit meet,

Who fix'd in icy bonds, deserves them more.

Wee

U

0

Ther

T

N

Wh