I saw then, for before I had not seen it, The turning and descending, by great horrors As falcon who has long been on the wing, Who, without seeing either lure or bird, Thorough a hundred circles, and alights Far from his master, sullen and disdainful; Even thus did Geryon place us on the bottom, Close to the bases of the rough-hewn rock, And being disencumbered of our persons, He sped away as arrow from the string. CANTO XVIII. THERE is a place in Hell called Malebolge, There yawns a well exceeding wide and deep, Between the well and foot of the high, hard bank, As where for the protection of the walls Many and many moats surround the castles, Just such an image those presented there; And as about such strongholds from their gates So from the precipice's base did crags Project, which intersected dikes and moats, New torments, and new wielders of the lash, This side the middle came they facing us, 125 135 TC 15 25 Even as the Romans, for the mighty host, The year of Jubilee, upon the bridge, For all upon one side towards the Castle Their faces have, and go unto St. Peter's; On the other side they go towards the Mountain. This side and that, along the livid stone Beheld I hornëd demons with great scourges, Ah me! how they did make them lift their legs While I was going on, mine eyes by one Encountered were; and straight I said: "Already Therefore I stayed my feet to make him out, And with me the sweet Guide came to a stand, If false are not the features which thou bearest, But what doth bring thee to such pungent sauces?" And he to me: "Unwillingly I tell it; But forces me thine utterance distinct, Which makes me recollect the ancient world. I was the one who the fair Ghisola Induced to grant the wishes of the Marquis, Howe'er the shameless story may be told. Not the sole Bolognese am I who weeps here; Nay, rather is this place so full of them, That not so many tongues to-day are taught "Twixt Reno and Savena to say sipa; And if thereof thou wishest pledge or proof, A demon smote him, and said: "Get thee gone, I joined myself again unto mine Escort; Thereafterward with footsteps few we came This very easily did we ascend, And turning to the right along its ridge, When we were there, where it is hollowed out Beneath, to give a passage to the scourged, The vision of those others evil-born, Of whom thou hast not yet beheld the faces, Because together with us they have gone." From the old bridge we looked upon the train Which tow'rds us came upon the other border, Said to me: "See that tall one who is coming, That Jason is, who by his heart and cunning He by the isle of Lemnos passed along After the daring women pitiless Had unto death devoted all their males. Such sin unto such punishment condemns him, Crosses athwart the second dike, and forms In the next Bolgia, snorting with their muzzles, By exhalation from below, that sticks there, To give us sight of it, without ascending That out of human privies seemed to flow; He screamed to me: "Wherefore art thou so eager I have already seen thee with dry hair, And thou'rt Alessio Interminei of Lucca ; "The flatteries have submerged me here below, Who there doth scratch herself with filthy nails, Thais the harlot is it, who replied Unto her paramour, when he said, 'Have I Great gratitude from thee?'-Nay, marvellous ;' And herewith let our sight be satisfied." CANTO XIX. S O SIMON MAGUS, O forlorn disciples, Ye who the things of God, which ought to be For silver and for gold do prostitute, Now it behoves for you the trumpet sound, We had already on the following tomb Ascended to that portion of the crag Which o er the middle of the moat hangs plumb. Wisdom supreme, O how great art thou showest In heaven, in earth, and in the evil world, And with what justice doth thy power distribute ! I saw upon the sides and on the bottom The livid stone with perforations filled, And one of which, not many years ago, I broke for some one, who was drowning in it; 25 30 35 40 45 Out of the mouth of each one there protruded Wherefore the joints so violently quivered, They would have snapped asunder withes and bands. Even as the flame of unctuous things is wont So likewise was it there from heel to point. More than his other comrades quivering." I said, "and whom a redder flame is sucking?" And he to me: "If thou wilt have me bear thee Down there along that bank which lowest lies, From him thou'lt know his errors and himself." And I: "What pleases thee, to me is pleasing; Thou art my Lord, and knowest that I depart not From thy desire, and knowest what is not spoken." Straightway upon the fourth dike we arrived; We turned, and on the left-hand side descended Down to the bottom full of holes and narrow. And the good Master yet from off his haunch Deposed me not, till to the hole he brought me O doleful soul, implanted like a stake," The false assassin, who, when he is fixed, Art thou so early satiate with that wealth, For which thou didst not fear to take by fraud Not comprehending what is answered them, 'I am not he, I am not he thou thinkest.' Said to me: "Then what wantest thou of me? |