He who sits lower, but who looks above,

Is Marquis William, who occasion lent

To Alexandria, that fell war to move The Canavese and Montferrat lament.

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NOTES.

Page 60. (Line 4.) Virgil answers, he died in the reign of Augustus, before the souls deemed worthy to ascend to God were directed towards this mountain of Purgatory: i.e. before our Saviour opened "a new and living way," by means of faith, to those men whom God had decreed to save. See Inf. iv. 53.

Page 61. (Line 25.) See Inf. iv. 37. (28.) The "place below" is Limbo. See Inf. iv. 25.

Page 62. (Line 38.) "They had been conversing, in the outskirts of Purgatory, with the souls of negligent or excommunicated persons, who were not yet admitted to complete their purification."-Venturi. (40.) Thus Virgil, Æn. vi. 673 : "Nulli certa domus :-lucis habitamus opacis." (44.) "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you," &c.— John xii. 35.

Page 64. (Line 88.) From Virgil, lib. vi. 754.

"Et tumulum capit, unde omnes longo ordine possit

Adversos legere, et venientum discere vultus." (94.) Rodolph was the father of Albert, canto vi. line 103. (98.) The Molta is a river of Bohemia, which runs into the Elbe. (103.) Philip III. of France, father of Philip the Fair.-In an expedition against the King of Arragon, he lost his fleet and his army;—thus disgracing the lilies—and died of grief at Per

pignan, in 1285. Hence his attitude of distress-his face resting on his hand. (97.) The "other" is Henry, King of Navarre -father-in-law to Philip the Fair. They are introduced as lamenting the wickedness of their son and son-in-law.

Page 65. (Line 112.) "He large of limb" is Peter III. of Arragon :-his companion, Charles I. king of Apulia. (115.) The "youth behind Peter" is either his eldest son, Alphonso, or his youngest, Peter. (119.) His two other sons who succeeded to his dominions-James to Arragon, and Frederick to Sicily-inherited not, says Dante, the virtues of their father. (121.) Imitated by Chaucer. Wife of Bath.

"Full selde upriseth by his branches small
Prowesse of man; for God of his goodnesse
Woll that we claim of Him our gentilesse."

(124.) Charles and Peter are the same before mentioned, lines 112, 113. They are said to be respectively superior to their children; and hence the distress caused by Charles's successors through bad government in Provence and Apulia. (128.) Costanza was wife of Peter III. of Arragon, before mentioned. -Beatrice and Margeret, daughters of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, married, one St. Louis of France-the other, his brother Charles of Anjou. (130.) Henry III. of England is called by Villani, "un semplice uom di buon fede." (132.) He was more happy in his offspring than Peter III.alluding to Edward I. of famous memory.

Page 66. (Line 133.) "He who sits lower," as not of royal blood, and "looks above," to denote his virtue, is William, Marquis of Montferrat. Being killed by his nobles for curbing their tyranny over the people, a war ensued between them and

his sons.

CANTO VIII.

ARGUMENT.

A HYMN is sung by one of the spirits. Two Angels descend from Heaven, as guardians of the valley against the serpent. Conversation with Nino di Gallura and Conrad Malespina.

It was the hour that wakes regret anew

In men at sea, and melts the heart to tears,

The day whereon they bade sweet friends adieu ;And thrills the youthful pilgrim on his way

With thoughts of love, if from afar he hears

The Vesper bell, that mourns the dying day ;What time no more the holy strain I caught,

And saw one soul uprisen among the rest,

Who with her hand outstretch'd a hearing sought.

She clasp'd, and raised both palms, with placid brow, Fixing her eyes intently tow'rds the east,

As saying-"God! my only care art Thou!"

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7.

"Te lucis ante," with such deep devotion

Forth issued from her lips in notes so soft,

My soul was ravish'd with intense emotion.
Meanwhile the others, sweetly and devout,
Keeping their eyes upon the wheels aloft,
Accompanied her voice the hymn throughout.

Reader! here sharpen to the truth thy sight;
For thou with ease may'st penetrate the veil,
So finely woven, and of texture slight.
Silently gazing upward then I view'd

That amiable band, all meek and pale,

As though in expectation lost they stood:

Two Angels also saw I, from on high

Descending down, each with a flaming brand,
Pointless and broken as it met mine eye.

Green, like to new-born leaves, their garments were,
Which from behind by verdant pinions fann'd,
Were struck anon, and floated in the air.
Somewhat above us, one a station gain'd;
While to the opposing bank the other cross'd;
So that between the two the shades remain'd.
The fairness of their hair I plainly view'd,
But in their faces was mine eyesight lost,
As by excess of brilliancy subdued.

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"Against the serpent, who will presently

Arrive, to guard the vale," Sordello said,

"From Mary's bosom they proceed :”—then I, Not knowing whence the foe might come, aside

Turn'd in alarm, and all congeal'd with dread,
Clung to the trusted shoulder of my guide.

"To those exalted shades within the vale

Let us descend," Sordello now renew'd;

"The sight of you they will with pleasure hail." Three steps sufficed to bring me down below,

When one intently eyeing me I view'd, As though my features he desired to know. It was the hour when night was gathering round, Though not so dark as to exclude from sight What late was shrouded in that verdant ground :To me he came, and I to him drew near;

O Nino, noble Judge! with what delight,
Safe from the abode of guilt, I saw thee here!
No greetings kind were spared on either side.

Then ask'd he: "To the foot of this fair hill
When didst thou come, from o'er the distant tide?"

I answer'd him: "From out the realms of woe,

This morn I came, the first life breathing still,
Though striving for the second as I go."

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