51. Chaucer's "sclandre of his dif fame."

61. Of Philippo Argenti little is known, and nothing to his credit. Dante seems to have an especial personal hatred of him, as if in memory of some disagreeable passage between them in the streets of Florence. Boccaccio says of him in his Comento: "This Philippo Argenti, as Coppo di Borghese Domenichi de' Cavicciuli was wont to say, was a very rich gentleman, so rich that he had the horse he used to ride shod with silver, and from this he had his surname ; he was in person large, swarthy, muscular, of marvellous strength, and at the slightest provocation the most irascible of men; nor are any more known of his qualities than these two, each in itself very blamecom-worthy." He was of the Adimari family, and of the Neri faction; while Dante was of the Bianchi party, and in banishment. Perhaps this fact may explain the bitterness of his invective.

ons inclosed with a triple wall, which Tartarean Phlegethon's rapid flood environs with torrents of flame, and whirls 10aring rocks along. Fronting is a huge gate, with columns of solid adamant, that no strength of men, nor the gods themselves, can with steel demolish. An iron tower rises aloft; and there wakeful Tisiphone, with her bloody robe tucked up around her, sits to watch the vestible both night and day.'

magne and their ten thousand men at arms. Archbishop Turpin, in his famous History of Charles the Great, XXX., Rodd's Translation, I. 52, says:

"After this the King and his army proceeded by the way of Gascony and Thoulouse, and came to Arles, where we found the army of Burgundy, which had left us in the hostile valley, bringing their dead by the way of Morbihan and Thoulouse, to bury them in the outre-plain of Arles. Here we performed the rites of Estolfo, Count of Champagne; of Solomon; Sampson, Duke of Burgundy; Arnold of Berlanda; Alberic of Burgundy; Gumard, Esturinite, Hato, Juonius, Berard, Berengaire, and Naaman, Duke of Bourbon, and of ten thousand of their soldiers.

124. This arrogance of theirs; tracotanza, oltracotanza; Brantome's cuidance; and Spenser's surquedrie.

125. The gate of the Inferno. 130. The coming of the Angel, whose approach is described in the next canto, beginning at line 64.

CANTO IX.

\ I. The flush of anger passes from Virgil's cheek on seeing the pallor of Dante's, and he tries to encourage him with assurances of success; but betrays his own apprehensions in the broken phrase," If not," which he immediately covers with words of cheer.

8. Such, or so great a one, is Beatrice, the "fair and saintly Lady" of Canto II. 53.

9. The Angel who will open the gates of the City of Dis.

16. Dante seems to think that he has already reached the bottom of the infernal conch, with its many convolutions.

52. Gower, Confessio Amantis, I. :"Cast not thin eye upon Meduse

That thou be turned into stone."

Boccaccio comments upon these tombs as follows:

"At Arles, somewhat out of the city, are many tombs of stone, made of old for sepulchres, and some are large, and some are small, and some are better sculptured, and some not so well, peradventure according to the means of those who had them m de; and upon some of them appear inscriptions after the ancient custom, I suppose in indication of those who are buried within. The inhabitants of the country repeat a tradition of them, affirming that in that place there was once a great battle between William of Orange, or some other Christian prince, with his forces on one side, and infidel barbarians from Africa [on the other]; and that many Christians were slain in it; and that on the following night, by divine miracle, those tombs were brought there for the burial of the Christians, and so on the following morning all the dead Christians were buried in them."

113;

Pola is a city in Istria. "Near Pola," says Benvenuto da Imola, "are seen many tombs, about seven hundred, and of various forms."

Quarnaro is a gulf of 'the northern extremity of the Adriatic.

CANTO X.

I In this Canto is described the punishment of Heretics.

Brunetto Latini, Tesoretto, XIII. :

"Or va mastro Brunetto

Per lo cammino stretto."

..

not become a Ghibelline till after his banishment. Boccaccio in his Life of Dante makes the following remarks upon his party spirit. I take the passage as given in Mrs. Bunbury's translation of Balbo's Life and Times of Dante, II. 227.

"He was,"

14. Sir Thomas Browne, Urn Burial, Chap. IV., says: They may sit in the orchestra and noblest seats of heaven who have held up shaking hands in the fire, and humanly contended for glory. Meanwhile Epicurus lies deep in Dante's says Boccaccio, "a most hell, wherein we meet with tombs en- excellent man, and most resolute in adclosing souls, which denied their im- versity. It was only on one subject mortalities. But whether the virtuous that he showed himself, I do not know heathen, who lived better than he spake, whether I ought to call it impatient, or or, erring in the principles of himself, spirited, it was regarding anything reyet lived above philosophers of more lating to Party; since in his exile he was specious maxims, lie so deep as he is more violent in this respect than suited placed, at least so low as not to rise his circumstances, and more than he was against Christians, who, believing or willing that others should believe. And knowing that truth, have lastingly de- in order that it may be seen for what nied it in their practice and conversa- party he was thus violent and pertination, were a query too sad to insist on." cious, it appears to me I must go further Also Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, back in my story. I believe that it was Part II. Sec. 2. Mem. 6. Subs. I, thus the just anger of God that permitted, it vindicates the memory of Epicurus: "A is a long time ago, almost all Tuscany quiet mind is that voluptas, or summum bonum of Epicurus; non dolere, curis vacareanimo tranquillo esse, not to grieve, but to want cares, and have a quiet soul, is the only pleasure of the world, as Seneca truly recites his opinion, not that of eating and drinking, which injurious Aristotle maliciously puts upon him, and from which he is still mistaken, mala audit et vapulat, slandered without a cause, and lashed by all posterity.'

32. Farinata degli Uberti was the most valiant and renowned leader of the Ghibellines in Florence. Boccaccio, Comento, says: "He was of the opinion of Epicurus, that the soul dies with the body, and consequently maintained that human happiness consisted in temporal pleasures; but he did not follow these in the way that Epicurus did, that is by making long fasts to have afterwards pleasure in eating dry bread: but was fond of good and delicate viands, and ate them without waiting to be hungry; and for this sin he is damned as a Heretic in this place."

Farinata led the Ghibellines at the famous battle of Monte Aperto in 1260, where the Guelfs were routed, and driven out of Florence. He died in 1264.

46. The ancestors of Dante, and Dante himself, were Guelfs. He did

and Lombardy to be divided into two parties; I do not know how they acquired those names, but one party was called Guelf and the other party Ghibelline. And these two names wer so revered, and had such an effect on the folly of many minds, that, for the sake of defending the side any one had chosen for his own against the opposite party, it was not considered hard to lose property, and even life, if it were necessary. And under these names the Italian cities many times suffered serious grievances and changes; and among the rest our city, which was sometimes at the head of one party, and sometimes of the other, according to the citizens in power; so much so that Dante's ancestors, being Guelfs, were twice expelled by the Ghibellines from their home, and he likewise under the title of Guelf held the reins of the Florentine Republic, from which he was expelled, as we have shown, not by the Ghibellines, but by the Guelfs; and seeing that he could not return, he so much altered his mind that there never was a fiercer Ghibelline, or a bitterer enemy to the Guelfs, than he was. And that which I feel most ashamed at for the sake of his memory is, that it was a well-known thing in Romagna, that if any boy or girl, talking to him on party matters, condemned

the Ghibelline side, he would become frantic, so that if they did not be silent he would have been induced to throw stones at them; and with this violence of party feeling he lived until his death. I am certainly ashamed to tarnish with any fault the fame of such a man; but the order of my subject in some degree demands it, because if I were silent in those things in which he was to blame, I should not be believed in those things I have already related in his praise. Therefore I excuse myself to himself, who perhaps looks down from heaven with a disdainful eye on me writing."

51. The following account of the Guelfs and Ghibellines is from the Pecorone of Giovanni Fiorentino, a writer of the fourteenth century. It forms the first Novella of the Eighth Day, and will be found in Roscoe's Italian Novelists, I. 322.

Guelfs, the Emperor having already embraced that of the Ghibellines. It is thus that the apostolic see became connected with the former, and the empire with the latter faction; and it was thus that a vile hound became the origin of a deadly hatred between the two noble families. Now it happened that in the year of our dear Lord and Redeemer 1215, the same pestiferous spirit spread itself into parts of Italy, in the following manner. Messer Guido Orlando being at that time chief magistrate of Florence, there likewise resided in that city a noble and valiant cavalier of the family of Buondelmonti, one of the most distinguished houses in the state. Our young Buondelmonte having already plighted his troth to a lady of the Amidei family, the lovers were considered as betrothed, with all the solemnity usually observed on such occasions. But this unfortu "There formerly resided in Germany nate young man, chancing one day to two wealthy and well-born individuals, pass by the house of the Donati, was whose names were Guelfo and Ghibel-stopped and accosted by a lady of the lino, very near neighbours, and greatly name of Lapaccia, who moved to him attached to each other. But returning from her door as he went along, say. together one day from the chase, there ing: 'I am surprised that a gentleman unfortunately arose some difference of of your appearance, Signor, should think opinion as to the merits of one of their of taking for his wife a woman scarcely hounds, which was maintained on both worthy of handing him his boots. There sides so very warmly, that, from being is a child of my own, whom, to speak almost inseparable friends and com- sincerely, I have long intended for you, panions, they became each other's dead- and whom I wish you would just venture liest enemies. This unlucky division to see.' And on this she called out for between them still increasing, they on her daughter, whose name was Ciulla, either side collected parties of their one of the prettiest and most enchanting followers, in order more effectually to girls in all Florence. Introducing her to annoy each other. Soon extending its Messer Buondelmonte, she whispered, malignant influence among the neigh-This is she whom I have reserved for bouring lords and barons of Germany, who divided, according to their motives, either with the Guelf or the Ghibelline, it not only produced many serious affrays, but several persons fell victims to its rage. Ghibellino, finding himself hard pressed by his enemy, and unable longer to keep the field against him, resolved to apply for assistance to Frederick the First, the reigning Emperor. Upon this, Guelfo, perceiving that his adversary sought the alliance of this monarch, applied on his side to Pope Honorius II., who being at variance with the former, and hearing how the affair stood, immediately joined the cause of the

you'; and the young Florentine, suddenly becoming enamoured of her, thus replied to her mother, 'I am quite ready, Madonna, to meet your wishes'; and before stirring from the spot he placed a ring upon her finger, and, wedding her, received her there as his wife.

"The Amidei, hearing that young Buondelmonte had thus espoused another, immediately met together, and took counsel with other friends and relations, how they might best avenge themselves for such an insult offered to their house. There were present amo ng the rest Lambertuccio Amidei, Schiatta