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, Maketh the falconer say, "Ah me, thou stoopest," Descendeth weary, whence he started swiftly, 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. 125 130 135 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, 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, Even as the Romans, for the mighty host, The year of Jubilee, upon the bridge, Their faces have, and go unto St. Peter's; On the other side they go towards the Mountain. Beheld I horned demons with great scourges, While I was going on, mine eyes by one Encountered were; and straight I said: "Already And with me the sweet Guide came to a stand, But what doth bring thee to such pungent sauces?" 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 Guide said: "Wait, and see that on thee strike 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, And which the scourges in like manner smite. And the good Master, without my inquiring, Said to me: "See that tall one who is coming, And for his pain seems not to shed a tear; Still what a royal aspect he retains! That Jason is, who by his heart and cunning The Colchians of the Ram made destitute. He by the isle of Lemnos passed along After the daring women pitiless Had unto death devoted all their males. And this sufficient be of the first valley Crosses athwart the second dike, and forms In the next Bolgia, snorting with their muzzles, By exhalation from below, that sticks there, The bottom is so deep, no place suffices 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 120 125 130 Great gratitude from thee?'-'Nay, marvellous ;' 135 And herewith let our sight be satisfied." CANTO XIX. 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. In heaven, in earth, and in the evil world, The livid stone with perforations filled, I broke for some one, who was drowning in it; Out of the mouth of each one there protruded Wherefore the joints so violently quivered, To move upon the outer surface only, So likewise was it there from heel to point. Thou art my Lord, and knowest that I depart not 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," I stood even as the friar who is confessing 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.' And I replied as was imposed on me. Whereat the spirit writhed with both his feet, Then, sighing, with a voice of lamentation |