I saw him, as to earth he bent at last,

109

Weigh'd down in death by the o'erpowering blows;

But stedfast still to heaven his eyes he cast, In that dread conflict, to the Lord above Praying for pardon on his ruthless foes, With gentle look that doth to pity move. When to itself my mind return'd again,

And on substantial things its aim could keep, I found my wanderings were not wholly vain. My guide, who witness'd my uncertain gait,

115

Like his who tries to rouse himself from sleep, Cried: "What's the matter? canst thou not walk straight? Above a mile hast thou thy journey made

With eyes half shut, and reeling to and fro, Like to a man by wine or slumber sway'd." "Loved sire," I said, "if thou wilt hear my tale, The dream I witness'd will I strive to show, What time my tottering limbs appear'd to fail.” "Hadst thou a hundred masks upon thy face,"

He answer'd me, "yet should I never cease Thy most minute and secret thoughts to trace. What thou hast seen did gracious Heav'n bestow, Thy heart to open to the streams of

peace

Which from the eternal fountain ever flow,

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127

I ask'd not 'what's the matter,' with the intent
Of one whose faculty of sight is gone,
Soon as the soul is from the body rent;
But I enquired, to urge thee to proceed :

Thus it behoves to spur slow loiterers on,

That when the watch returneth they may speed." Then tow'rds the west we still pursued our way,

Extending as we went our ravish'd sight Against the splendour of the evening ray; When lo! approaching us, came gradually

A

vapour dense and dark as blackest night;

Nor was there shelter whither we could fly: Our eyes were dimm'd, and all obscured the light.

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139

NOTES.

Page 136. (Line 1.) In Purgatory it wanted three hours of sunset. On earth, where the poet was writing, it was night or nearly dawn. According to the Ptolemaic system, the sphere or heavens are in a perpetual whirl, and ever restless like a child: an allusion to Horace, Art. Poet, 160, “mutatur in horas." (12.) The Angel appears,-by whom the brand of

envy is removed. Man, subject to sin, cannot sustain his brightness. See Inf. vi. 166.

Page 137. (Line 16.) From Virgil Æn. viii. 22. "Sicut aquæ tremulum labris ubi lumen ahenis Sole repercussum, aut radiantis imagine lunæ Omnia pervolitat late loca, jamque sub auras Erigitur, summique ferit laquearia tecti." See also Lucretius. iv. 212. (23.) The light was reflected upon Dante by the Angel, who was illuminated from God himself.

Page 138. (Line 38.) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."-Matt. v. 7. (39.) This exclamation is made by the Angel after he has cleansed Dante from the sin of envy. (45.) This is in reference to the last canto, where Guido del Duca, confessing that envy was his besetting sin, made an exclamation, warning mankind in general against the vice: "O race of man," &c., xiv. 86, where see note. "Vestræ vero divitiæ, nisi comminutæ, in plures transire non possunt. Quod si factum est, pauperes, necesse est, faciant quos relinquant."― Boethius. "He who desires to rid himself of the torch of envy, let him seek that possession which is not narrowed by the number of participants.'-St. Gregory. Thus Milton. Par. Lost. v. 71.

"Since good the more

Communicated, more abundant grows,

The Author not impair'd, but honour'd more."

Page 139. (Line 80.) i. e." As of the seven wounds inscribed in your forehead by the Angel, ix. 112, two are healed, viz. pride and envy, so do you now take care to heal the remaining five." (83.) Here we enter the third circle, in which Anger is punished. "Examples of forbearance and moderation are given in a series of visions, which form a beautiful contrast to

the sculptures and other representations in the foregoing cantos. The first is the address of the Virgin Mary to her Son in the temple, after the alarm and anxiety he had occasioned." -Boyd.

Page 140. (Line 90.) "Son, why hast thou dealt thus with us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing."-St. Luke ii. 48. (98.) The city of Athens-named after Minerva, Aonyn. In the fabulous contest between her and Neptune, which should give name to the city, she produced in the olive, a gift of more value than the horse of her rival. See Virgil, Georg. i. 12-18. (101.) The wife of Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens, urged her husband to put to death a youth, who, in love with their daughter, had kissed her in public. (106.) “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."Acts vii. 59, 60.

Page 141. (Line 117.) Dante had been wrapt up in his vision; and awakening from it, says it was not a mere passing dream, but was so far real that the contemplation of these instances of charity had wrought their effect upon him, and opened his eyes to a more enlarged benevolence.

Page 142. (Line 143.) This dense vapour is that of the next circle in which the wrathful are punished-anger having the effect of blinding the intellect.

CANTO XVI.

ARGUMENT.

PASSING through the dark smoke in which angry souls are wrapt, Dante hears voices praying to the Lamb for mercy. He reasons with one of these spirits, who explains the doctrine of free-will, and attributes the great depravity of the world to the union of temporal and spiritual authority in the person of the Pope.

NOR gloom of Hell, nor shade of blackest night,

When not a star illumes the barren heaven,
And clouds of massy darkness block the light,
My face e'er covered with a veil so dense
As did that murky smoke, around us driven,----
And to the touch, of sharpness so intense.
In vain I strove to keep my eyes unclos'd;
Whereat, my faithful escort, drawing near,
His shoulder to assist my steps disposed.
As one bereft of sight behind his guide

Walks, lest he stray and meet some shock severe,
Or aught whence greater evils may betide;

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