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hast not courage there And noble daring? Since three maids so blest Thy safety plan, eā€™en in the court of heaven; And so much certain good my words forebode.ā€

As florets, by the frosty air of night Bent down and closā€™d, when day has blanchā€™d their leaves, Rise all unfolded on their spiry stems; So was my fainting vigour new restorā€™d, And to my heart such kindly courage ran, That I as one undaunted soon replied: ā€œO full of pity she, who undertook My succour! and thou kind who didst perform So soon her true behest! With such desire Thou hast disposā€™d me to renew my voyage, That my first purpose fully is resumā€™d.

Lead on: one only will is in us both.

Thou art my guide, my master thou, and lord.ā€

So spake I; and when he had onward movā€™d, I enterā€™d on the deep and woody way.

 

CANTO III

 

ā€œTHROUGH me you pass into the city of woe: Through me you pass into eternal pain: Through me among the people lost for aye.

Justice the founder of my fabric movā€™d: To rear me was the task of power divine, Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.

Before me things create were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I endure.

All hope abandon ye who enter here.ā€

Such characters in colour dim I markā€™d Over a portalā€™s lofty arch inscribā€™d: Whereat I thus: ā€œMaster, these words import Hard meaning.ā€ He as one preparā€™d replied: ā€œHere thou must all distrust behind thee leave; Here be vile fear extinguishā€™d. We are come Where I have told thee we shall see the souls To misery doomā€™d, who intellectual good Have lost.ā€ And when his hand he had stretchā€™d forth To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheerā€™d, Into that secret place he led me on.

Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans Resounded through the air piercā€™d by no star, That eā€™en I wept at entering. Various tongues, Horrible languages, outcries of woe, Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse, With hands together smote that swellā€™d the sounds, Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls Round through that air with solid darkness stainā€™d, Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.

I then, with error yet encompassā€™d, cried: ā€œO master! What is this I hear? What race Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?ā€

He thus to me: ā€œThis miserable fate Suffer the wretched souls of those, who livā€™d Without or praise or blame, with that ill band Of angels mixā€™d, who nor rebellious provā€™d Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves Were only. From his bounds Heaven drove them forth, Not to impair his lustre, nor the depth Of Hell receives them, lest thā€™ accursed tribe Should glory thence with exultation vain.ā€

I then: ā€œMaster! what doth aggrieve them thus, That they lament so loud?ā€ He straight replied: ā€œThat will I tell thee briefly. These of death No hope may entertain: and their blind life So meanly passes, that all other lots They envy. Fame of them the world hath none, Nor suffers; mercy and justice scorn them both.

Speak not of them, but look, and pass them by.ā€

And I, who straightway lookā€™d, beheld a flag, Which whirling ran around so rapidly, That it no pause obtainā€™d: and following came Such a long train of spirits, I should neā€™er Have thought, that death so many had despoilā€™d.

When some of these I recognizā€™d, I saw And knew the shade of him, who to base fear Yielding, abjurā€™d his high estate. Forthwith I understood for certain this the tribe Of those ill spirits both to God displeasing And to his foes. These wretches, who neā€™er lived, Went on in nakedness, and sorely stung By wasps and hornets, which bedewā€™d their cheeks With blood, that mixā€™d with tears droppā€™d to their feet, And by disgustful worms was gatherā€™d there.

Then looking farther onwards I beheld A throng upon the shore of a great stream: Whereat I thus: ā€œSir! grant me now to know Whom here we view, and whence impellā€™d they seem So eager to pass oā€™er, as I discern Through the blear light?ā€ He thus to me in few: ā€œThis shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive Beside the woeful tide of Acheron.ā€

Then with eyes downward cast and fillā€™d with shame, Fearing my words offensive to his ear, Till we had reachā€™d the river, I from speech Abstainā€™d. And lo! toward us in a bark Comes on an old man hoary white with eld, Crying, ā€œWoe to you wicked spirits! hope not Ever to see the sky again. I come To take you to the other shore across, Into eternal darkness, there to dwell In fierce heat and in ice. And thou, who there Standest, live spirit! get thee hence, and leave These who are dead.ā€ But soon as he beheld I left them not, ā€œBy other way,ā€ said he, ā€œBy other haven shalt thou come to shore, Not by this passage; thee a nimbler boat Must carry.ā€ Then to him thus spake my guide: ā€œCharon! thyself torment not: so ā€˜t is willā€™d, Where will and power are one: ask thou no more.ā€

Straightway in silence fell the shaggy cheeks Of him the boatman oā€™er the livid lake, Around whose eyes glarā€™d wheeling flames. Meanwhile Those spirits, faint and naked, color changā€™d, And gnashā€™d their teeth, soon as the cruel words They heard. God and their parents they blasphemā€™d, The human kind, the place, the time, and seed That did engender them and give them birth.

Then all together sorely wailing drew To the cursā€™d strand, that every man must pass Who fears not God. Charon, demoniac form, With eyes of burning coal, collects them all, Beckā€™ning, and each, that lingers, with his oar Strikes. As fall off the light autumnal leaves, One still another following, till the bough Strews all its honours on the earth beneath; Eā€™en in like manner Adamā€™s evil brood Cast themselves one by one down from the shore, Each at a beck, as falcon at his call.

Thus go they over through the umberā€™d wave, And ever they on the opposing bank Be landed, on this side another throng Still gathers. ā€œSon,ā€ thus spake the courteous guide, ā€œThose, who die subject to the wrath of God, All here together come from every clime, And to oā€™erpass the river are not loth: For so heavenā€™s justice goads them on, that fear Is turnā€™d into desire. Hence neā€™er hath past Good spirit. If of thee Charon complain, Now mayst thou know the import of his words.ā€

This said, the gloomy region trembling shook So terribly, that yet with clammy dews Fear chills my brow. The sad earth gave a blast, That, lightening, shot forth a vermilion flame, Which all my senses conquerā€™d quite, and I Down droppā€™d, as one with sudden slumber seizā€™d.

 

CANTO IV

 

BROKE the deep slumber in my brain a crash Of heavy thunder, that I shook myself, As one by main force rousā€™d. Risen upright, My rested eyes I movā€™d around, and searchā€™d With fixed ken to know what place it was, Wherein I stood. For certain on the brink I found me of the lamentable vale, The dread abyss, that joins a thundā€™rous sound Of plaints innumerable. Dark and deep, And thick with clouds oā€™erspread, mine eye in vain Explorā€™d its bottom, nor could aught discern.

ā€œNow let us to the blind world there beneath Descend;ā€ the bard began all pale of look: ā€œI go the first, and thou shalt follow next.ā€

Then I his alterā€™d hue perceiving, thus: ā€œHow may I speed, if thou yieldest to dread, Who still art wont to comfort me in doubt?ā€

He then: ā€œThe anguish of that race below With pity stains my cheek, which thou for fear Mistakest. Let us on. Our length of way Urges to haste.ā€ Onward, this said, he movā€™d; And entā€™ring led me with him on the bounds Of the first circle, that surrounds thā€™ abyss.

Here, as mine ear could note, no plaint was heard Except of sighs, that made thā€™ eternal air Tremble, not causā€™d by tortures, but from grief Felt by those multitudes, many and vast, Of men, women, and infants. Then to me The gentle guide: ā€œInquirā€™st thou not what spirits Are these, which thou beholdest? Ere thou pass Farther, I would thou know, that these of sin Were blameless; and if aught they merited, It profits not, since baptism was not theirs, The portal to thy faith. If they before The Gospel livā€™d, they servā€™d not God aright; And among such am I. For these defects, And for no other evil, we are lost; Only so far afflicted, that we live Desiring without hope.ā€ So grief assailā€™d My heart at hearing this, for well I knew Suspended in that Limbo many a soul Of mighty worth. ā€œO tell me, sire reverā€™d!

Tell me, my master!ā€ I began through wish Of full assurance in that holy faith, Which vanquishes all error; ā€œsay, did eā€™er Any, or through his own or otherā€™s merit, Come forth from thence, whom afterward was blest?ā€

Piercing the secret purport of my speech, He answerā€™d: ā€œI was new to that estate, When I beheld a puissant one arrive Amongst us, with victorious trophy crownā€™d.

He forth the shade of our first parent drew, Abel his child, and Noah righteous man, Of Moses lawgiver for faith approvā€™d, Of patriarch Abraham, and David king, Israel with his sire and with his sons, Nor without Rachel whom so hard he won, And others many more, whom he to bliss Exalted. Before these, be thou assurā€™d, No spirit of human kind was ever savā€™d.ā€

We, while he spake, ceasā€™d not our onward road, Still passing through the wood; for so I name Those spirits thick beset. We were not far On this side from the summit, when I kennā€™d A flame, that oā€™er the darkenā€™d hemisphere Prevailing shinā€™d. Yet we a little space Were distant, not so far but I in part Discoverā€™d, that a tribe in honour high That place possessā€™d. ā€œO thou, who every art And science valuā€™st! who are these, that boast Such honour, separate from all the rest?ā€

He answerā€™d: ā€œThe renown of their great names That echoes through your world above, acquires Favour in heaven, which holds them thus advancā€™d.ā€

Meantime a voice I heard: ā€œHonour the bard Sublime! his shade returns that left us late!ā€

No sooner ceasā€™d the sound, than I beheld Four mighty spirits toward us bend their steps, Of semblance neither sorrowful nor glad.

When thus my master kind began: ā€œMark him, Who in his right hand bears that falchion keen, The other three preceding, as their lord.

This is that Homer, of all bards supreme: Flaccus the next in satireā€™s vein excelling; The third is Naso; Lucan is the last.

Because they all that appellation own, With which the voice singly accosted me, Honouring they greet me thus, and well they judge.ā€

So I beheld united the bright school Of him the monarch of sublimest song, That oā€™er the others like an eagle soars.

When they together short discourse had held, They turnā€™d to me, with salutation kind Beckā€™ning me; at the which my master smilā€™d: Nor was this all; but greater honour still They gave me, for they made me of their tribe; And I was sixth amid so learnā€™d a band.

Far as the luminous beacon on we passā€™d Speaking of matters, then befitting well To speak, now fitter left untold. At foot Of a magnificent castle we arrivā€™d, Seven times with lofty walls begirt, and round Defended by a pleasant stream. Oā€™er this As oā€™er dry land we passā€™d. Next through seven gates I with those sages enterā€™d, and we came Into a mead with lively verdure fresh.

There dwelt a race, who slow their eyes around Majestically movā€™d, and in their port

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