The Divine Comedy | Page 7

forth from thence, whom afterward was blest?"
Piercing the secret purport of my speech,?He answer'd: "I was new to that estate,?When I beheld a puissant one arrive?Amongst us, with victorious trophy crown'd.?He forth the shade of our first parent drew,?Abel his child, and Noah righteous man,?Of Moses lawgiver for faith approv'd,?Of patriarch Abraham, and David king,?Israel with his sire and with his sons,?Nor without Rachel whom so hard he won,?And others many more, whom he to bliss?Exalted. Before these, be thou assur'd,?No spirit of human kind was ever sav'd."
We, while he spake, ceas'd not our onward road,?Still passing through the wood; for so I name?Those spirits thick beset. We were not far?On this side from the summit, when I kenn'd?A flame, that o'er the darken'd hemisphere?Prevailing shin'd. Yet we a little space?Were distant, not so far but I in part?Discover'd, that a tribe in honour high?That place possess'd. "O thou, who every art?And science valu'st! who are these, that boast?Such honour, separate from all the rest?"
He answer'd: "The renown of their great names?That echoes through your world above, acquires?Favour in heaven, which holds them thus advanc'd."?Meantime a voice I heard: "Honour the bard?Sublime! his shade returns that left us late!"?No sooner ceas'd the sound, than I beheld?Four mighty spirits toward us bend their steps,?Of semblance neither sorrowful nor glad.
When thus my master kind began: "Mark him,?Who in his right hand bears that falchion keen,?The other three preceding, as their lord.?This is that Homer, of all bards supreme:?Flaccus the next in satire's vein excelling;?The third is Naso; Lucan is the last.?Because they all that appellation own,?With which the voice singly accosted me,?Honouring they greet me thus, and well they judge."
So I beheld united the bright school?Of him the monarch of sublimest song,?That o'er the others like an eagle soars.?When they together short discourse had held,?They turn'd to me, with salutation kind?Beck'ning me; at the which my master smil'd:?Nor was this all; but greater honour still?They gave me, for they made me of their tribe;?And I was sixth amid so learn'd a band.
Far as the luminous beacon on we pass'd?Speaking of matters, then befitting well?To speak, now fitter left untold. At foot?Of a magnificent castle we arriv'd,?Seven times with lofty walls begirt, and round?Defended by a pleasant stream. O'er this?As o'er dry land we pass'd. Next through seven gates?I with those sages enter'd, and we came?Into a mead with lively verdure fresh.
There dwelt a race, who slow their eyes around?Majestically mov'd, and in their port?Bore eminent authority; they spake?Seldom, but all their words were tuneful sweet.
We to one side retir'd, into a place?Open and bright and lofty, whence each one?Stood manifest to view. Incontinent?There on the green enamel of the plain?Were shown me the great spirits, by whose sight?I am exalted in my own esteem.
Electra there I saw accompanied?By many, among whom Hector I knew,?Anchises' pious son, and with hawk's eye?Caesar all arm'd, and by Camilla there?Penthesilea. On the other side?Old King Latinus, seated by his child?Lavinia, and that Brutus I beheld,?Who Tarquin chas'd, Lucretia, Cato's wife?Marcia, with Julia and Cornelia there;?And sole apart retir'd, the Soldan fierce.
Then when a little more I rais'd my brow,?I spied the master of the sapient throng,?Seated amid the philosophic train.?Him all admire, all pay him rev'rence due.?There Socrates and Plato both I mark'd,?Nearest to him in rank; Democritus,?Who sets the world at chance, Diogenes,?With Heraclitus, and Empedocles,?And Anaxagoras, and Thales sage,?Zeno, and Dioscorides well read?In nature's secret lore. Orpheus I mark'd?And Linus, Tully and moral Seneca,?Euclid and Ptolemy, Hippocrates,?Galenus, Avicen, and him who made?That commentary vast, Averroes.
Of all to speak at full were vain attempt;?For my wide theme so urges, that ofttimes?My words fall short of what bechanc'd. In two?The six associates part. Another way?My sage guide leads me, from that air serene,?Into a climate ever vex'd with storms:?And to a part I come where no light shines.
CANTO V
FROM the first circle I descended thus?Down to the second, which, a lesser space?Embracing, so much more of grief contains?Provoking bitter moans. There, Minos stands?Grinning with ghastly feature: he, of all?Who enter, strict examining the crimes,?Gives sentence, and dismisses them beneath,?According as he foldeth him around:?For when before him comes th' ill fated soul,?It all confesses; and that judge severe?Of sins, considering what place in hell?Suits the transgression, with his tail so oft?Himself encircles, as degrees beneath?He dooms it to descend. Before him stand?Always a num'rous throng; and in his turn?Each one to judgment passing, speaks, and hears?His fate, thence downward to his dwelling hurl'd.
"O thou! who to this residence of woe?Approachest?" when he saw me coming, cried?Minos, relinquishing his dread employ,?"Look how thou enter here; beware in whom?Thou place thy trust; let not the entrance broad?Deceive thee to thy harm." To him my guide:?"Wherefore exclaimest? Hinder not his way?By destiny appointed; so 'tis will'd?Where will and power