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 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, All of one size, and every one was round. To me less ample seemed they not, nor greater Than those that in my beautiful Saint John Are fashioned for the place of the baptizers, 5 10 15 And one of which, not many years ago, I broke for some one, who was drowning in it; Be this a seal all men to undeceive. Out of the mouth of each one there protruded Wherefore the joints so violently quivered, 20 25 They would have snapped asunder withes and bands. Even as the flame of unctuous things is wont To move upon the outer surface only, So likewise was it there from heel to point. "Master, who is that one who writhes himself, More than his other comrades quivering," I said, "and whom a redder flame is sucking?" Down there along that bank which lowest lies, And I: "What pleases thee, to me is pleasing; Thou art my Lord, and knowest that I depart not Straightway upon the fourth dike we arrived; We turned, and on the left-hand side descended 30 35 40 And the good Master yet from off his haunch Deposed me not, till to the hole he brought me The false assassin, who, when he is fixed, Dost thou stand there already, Boniface? By many years the record lied to me. Art thou so early satiate with that wealth, For which thou didst not fear to take by fraud Such I became, as people are who stand, Not comprehending what is answered them, As if bemocked, and know not how to answer. Then said Virgilius: "Say to him straightway, 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 Said to me : "Then what wantest thou of me? 45 50 55 60 65 If who I am thou carest so much to know, That thou on that account hast crossed the bank, And truly was I son of the She-bear, So eager to advance the cubs, that wealth That one shall come who I believed thou wast, But longer I my feet already toast, And here have been in this way upside down, From tow'rds the west a Pastor without law, New Jason will he be, of whom we read In Maccabees; and as his king was pliant, So he who governs France shall be to this one." I do not know if I were here too bold, That him I answered only in this metre: "I pray thee tell me now how great a treasure 70 75 80 85 90 Our Lord demanded of Saint Peter first, Before he put the keys into his keeping? Truly he nothing asked but Follow me.' Nor Peter nor the rest asked of Matthias Silver or gold, when he by lot was chosen Unto the place the guilty soul had lost. Therefore stay here, for thou art justly punished, And keep safe guard o'er the ill-gotten money, Which caused thee to be valiant against Charles. And were it not that still forbids it me The reverence for the keys superlative Thou hadst in keeping in the gladsome life, Because your avarice afflicts the world, The Evangelist you Pastors had in mind, When she who sitteth upon many waters To fornicate with kings by him was seen; The same who with the seven heads was born, And 95 100 105 109 power and strength from the ten horns received, So long as virtue to her spouse was pleasing. Ye have made yourselves a god of gold and silver; And from the idolater how differ ye, Save that he one, and ye a hundred worship? |