T 86 T "'Mid blacker souls," he said, "they're doom'd to dwell; If thou descend, for crime of different dye Thou wilt behold them buried deep in hell. But when to the sweet world thou shalt return, I pray thee to revive my memory: No more I say;-no more seek thou to learn." 97 103 More sharp, when sentence hath been past by heaven, Or lessen'd, or remain thus fierce ?" He said: "Remember, that the nearer each attains A perfect state, a finer sense is given To thrill with pleasures, or to throb with pains. Though true perfection never can be their's, Yet for this race accurst, in misery bound, Heav'n, after judgment, worthier doom prepares." Then speaking more than to repeat I care, We made a circuit that sad coast around; 109 And at the point, whence downward leads the stair, Plutus, the mighty enemy we found. 11. NOTES. Page 53. (Line 13.) Cerberus was a dog with three heads feigned by the poets to keep watch at the gate of hell. Hi business here is, to punish the Gluttons. The Demons wh are placed at the head of the several circles are for the mos part symbols of the vices punished therein. Page 54. (Line 49.) Envy was the peculiar vice of Florence and the cause of the continual changes there taking place See Canto xv. 68. (53.) Ciacco is a nick-name, signifying hog, and here applied to a Florentine gentleman, who accord ing to Boccaccio, possessed many good qualities, but wa addicted to gluttony. Page 55. (Line 61,) Florence. The supposed date of th poem being 1300, the future history is introduced in a prophet ical manner. The factions of the Guelfs and Ghibellins ha long desolated Italy;—the former, partisans of the Pope-th latter, of the Emperor. Into these two parties almost every cit was divided. At Florence the Guelfs had prevailed, and ba nished the Ghibellins; who, however defeated, still maintained themselves as a party, opposed to the Pope and his temporal power. At this time (1300) the Guelfs quarrelled among themselves, and divided into the factions of the Bianchi and Neri, in consequence of a family dispute at Pistoia, which spread to Florence. See Canto xxiv. 143. The two parties soon came to blows, and the city was threatened with destruction. By the advice of Dante, who was consulted in this emergency, the Priors or chief magistrates banished the heads of both parties. A new set, however, coming into office, most of the Bianchi were recalled, and established themselves in power for three years, line 67, while the Neri continued under sentence of exile. They had recourse to Pope Boniface VIII, of whom, see notes, Cantos iii. 60; xix. 77; xxvii. 70. 101. By his intrigues, Charles of Valois, brother of the King of France, was induced to undertake an expedition against Florence, which was represented to him as a fountain of gold. Making the most solemn promises to the government not to change the laws and customs, and to act solely as mediator, he was admitted into the city. By flattery and deceit, he cajoled either party, line 69, till he had acquired power; and then threw the leaders of the Bianchi into prison, and permitted the Neri, who returned with him, to commit the most atrocious outrages on their property. Their houses were pillaged and burnt, to gratify the avarice of Charles; and sentence of exile and confiscation was passed on 600. Among these was the poet Dante -at that time ambassador from Florence at Rome, whose only crime seems to have been his opposition to the French prince. Gradually the Neri became identified with the Guelfs-the Bianchi with the Ghibellins; and thus it happened that Dante, on his siding with the Bianchi to oppose the inter maintained and Neri, n came to - By the ency, the parties. Bianchi for three tence of I whom, his ince, was - which Eng the age the vas ad either ew the = Neri, trages rnt, to d conDante e only rince. that nter ference of Boniface, and the introduction of foreigners in Florence, became necessarily attached to the Ghibellins. (65 That is, the Bianchi (called the Woodland party, from the leaders the Cerchi, a new family who came from the country shall prevail against the Neri; but within three years will r cover their power by the aid of Charles of Valois. (73.) Th is an answer to the second question, line 62. Who the tv are (the only two just men in Florence) is not known. Dan and his friend Guido Cavalcante are by some supposed to intended. (79.) See Canto xvi. 41-44; x. 32—86; and note These men he praises for their behaviour as patriotic citizen but places them in hell for their irreligion. 66 Page 56. (Line 106.) "They which die in the Lord rest fro their labours, and are blessed, waiting for a still more perfe happiness at the resurrection of the last day." Abp. Secke And of the wicked he says: 'Though the worst of their su ferings shall not begin till the day of judgment, yet they a represented by our Saviour as being instantly after death in place where they are tormented :-and certainly remorse f their past follies and crimes, and the fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the cannot but make their intermediate state intensely miserabl Page 57. (Line 115.) Plutus-the god of riches, and therefo the great enemy of mankind; -for "the love of money is t root of all evil." As CANTO VII. ARGUMENT. Ar the entrance of the fourth circle, Plutus endeavours to terrify Dante, but is silenced by Virgil. The punishment of the Avaricious and Prodigal,-whence Virgil takes occasion to speak of Fortune, and the fickleness of earthly possessions. They enter the fifth circle, where the wrathful and gloomy are punished in the lake of Styx. "PAPE Satan, Satan Aleppe," cried The voice of Plutus, thundering loud and hoarse; Whereat, apprized of all, my sapient guide Exclaim'd to comfort me: "Let not dismay Confound thy senses; for his utmost force 1 Το Ju A Shall nought avail to check thy downward way." Then turning round: "Be silent, Wolf accurst," 7 R He sternly said to that swoll'n lip abhorr'd; "And let thy furious rage within thee burst. Not without sanction we descend below ; For thus 'tis will'd on high, where Michael's sword M |