btained an easy victory over the Guelfs at Mont' Aperti. See anto x. 85, and note.

Page 282. (Line 89.) This division is called Antenora from ntenor, who, according to Dictys Cretensis, betrayed Troy to he Greeks. (106.) See line 80, and note.

Page 283. (Line 116.) "Buosso of Cremona, of the family f Duera, was bribed by Guy de Montfort to leave a pass etween Piedmont and Parma, with the defence of which he ad been entrusted by the Ghibellines, open to the army of harles of Anjou, A.D., 1265; at which the people of Cremona were so enraged that they extirpated the whole family.”—Vilani, vii. 4, quoted by Cary. (119.) "Beccaria was Abbot of Valombrosa, and the Pope's legate at Florence, where his intrigues n favour of the Ghibellines being discovered, he was beheaded." -Daniello. (121.) Soldanier was a Ghibelline who treachrously went over to the side of the Guelfs. (122.) “Acording to the romantic history of Charlemagne, Gano or tanellon, betrayed the Christian army at the battle of Ronesvalles, where Orlando and the peers of France were slain." -Walter Scott, Note to Dryden's Trans. of Chaucer, vol xi. p. 43. Tebaldello de' Manfredi betrayed the city of Faenza uring the night, to the French. (130.) Tydeus, being morally wounded at the siege of Thebes, is said to have exercised is revenge upon the head of Menalippus his enemy, whom he aused to be slain. See Statius, Thebais. B. viii.

ARGUMENT.

COUNT Ugolino relates the cruel manner in which he and his sons were starved to death in the tower at Pisa, by the command of the Archbishop Ruggieri. In the third round of this ninth circle, called Ptolemea, are punished those who have betrayed their friends. Friar Alberigo, &c.

His mouth uplifting from the fell repast,

That vengeful sinner wiped it on the hair

Torn from that head all gnaw'd behind :—at last
He thus began; "Thou bidst me to renew

A grief that overwhelms me with despair,
E'en at the thought, ere I the tale pursue.
But if my words may, haply, prove the seed,
Whence infamy shall spring to him I rend,
Then will I speak, though tears my voice impede.

I know not who thou art, nor can divine

How to this nether world thou didst descend ;

But from thy speech I judge thee Florentine.

1

7

How by his treacherous designs it fell,

Know then-Count Ugolino was my name;
Archbishop Ruggier this: now will I say
Why, such close fellowship with him I claim.-

That, trusting in him, I was borne away,

Witho

And put to death-there is no need to tell:

And i

But that which ne'er could have been heard by thee-
How cruel was my death-will I relate;

They we

20

Whic

And

When f

The

Then shalt thou know if he hath injured me.

Through a small loophole in that dismal cell,

The cell of hunger' call'd from my sad fate,

(And where another yet is doom'd to dwell)
Full many moons had shed their broken light,
When o'er me came that evil omen'd sleep,
Which all unveil'd the future to my sight.
This traitor seem'd, as huntsman, to pursue
The He-wolf and his young ones to that steep
Which shuts out Lucca from the Pisan's view.

25

Lean hounds, well train'd, and eager for the chase- 31
The Gualands, with the Sismonds and Lanfrancs,
Before him he let slip-in little space

The father and his sons, as though forespent,

Lagg'd in the course; and then their heaving flanks

Methought by those infuriate tusks were rent.

When I awoke, ere morn its rays had shed,

37

I heard my sons, who with me were confined,
Sob in their slumbers, and cry out for bread.
Full cruel art thou, if thou canst conceive,
Without a tear, what then came o'er my mind!
And if thou grieve not, what can make thee grieve?
They were awake; and now the hour drew near,

Which had been wont to bring their scant repast,
And each was pondering o'er his dream of fear,-
When from within the dreadful tower I heard
The entrance underneath with nails made fast ;-
I gazed upon my boys-nor spake a word.
I wept not, for my
heart was turn'd to stone ;-

My children wept ;-and little Anselm cried :

43

4.9

'What ails thee Father? strange thy looks are grown.' Yet still I wept not-still made no reply

Throughout that day, and all the night beside;

Until another sun lit up the sky.

But, when a faint and broken ray was thrown
Within that dismal dungeon, and I view'd
In their four looks the image of my own,—
Then both my hands through anguish did I bite;
And they, supposing that from want of food

I did so sudden raised themselves upright,

U

55

I saw the three fall one by one, before

nd said: 'O Father, less will be our pain,

If thou wilt feed on us: thou gav'st us birth
Be thine to take this wretched flesh again.'
hen was I calm, lest they the more should grieve.
Two days we all were silent.-Cruel earth!

O wherefore didst thou not beneath us cleave?
the fourth day had been prolong'd our woe,
When at my feet sank Gaddo on the floor,
And said: 'O Father; why no aid bestow?'
e died; and, as distinct as here I stand,

And

h Pisa! the disgrace of that fair land

sought each wretched corse, for sight had fail'd;
Two days I call'd on those who were no more;
Then hunger-stronger e'en than grief-prevail'd."
his said-aside his vengeful eyes were thrown,
And with his teeth the skull again he tore,
Fierce as a dog to gnaw the very bone.

The sixth day closed;-then, groping with my hand,

Turn

79

Still as

dam the mouth of Arno's rolling tide,
Capraia and Gorgona, raise a mound,
That all may perish in the waters wide!

Take vengeance on thee with such tardy hand-

Where "Si" is spoken ;-since thy neighbours round

Wh

Met

Soon

The

An