The Vision of Dante Alighiere or Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Page 16

v. 50. That these people.] That the inhabitants of the above-

  mentioned places had not been mixed with the citizens: nor the

  limits of Florence extended beyond Galluzzo and Trespiano."

  v. 54. Aguglione's hind and Signa's.] Baldo of Aguglione, and

  Bonifazio of Signa.

  v. 56. Had not the people.] If Rome had continued in her

  allegiance to the emperor, and the Guelph and Ghibelline factions

  had thus been prevented, Florence would not have been polluted by

  a race of upstarts, nor lost the most respectable of her ancient

  families.

  v. 61. Simifonte.] A castle dismantled by the Florentines. G.

  Villani, 1. v. c. 30. The individual here alluded to is no

  longer known.

  v. 69. The blind bull.] So Chaucer, Troilus and Cresseide. b.

  2.

  For swifter course cometh thing that is of wight

  When it descendeth than done things light.

  Compare Aristotle, Ethic. Nic. l. vi. c. 13. [GREEK HERE]

  v. 72. Luni, Urbisaglia.] Cities formerly of importance, but

  then fallen to decay.

  v. 74. Chiusi and Sinigaglia.] The same.

  v. 80. As the moon.] "The fortune of us, that are the moon's

  men doth ebb and flow like the sea." Shakespeare, 1 Henry IV.

  a. i. s. 2.

  v. 86. The Ughi.] Whoever is curious to know the habitations of

  these and the other ancient Florentines, may consult G. Villani,

  l. iv.

  v. 91. At the poop.] Many editions read porta, "gate." -The

  same metaphor is found in Aeschylus, Supp. 356, and is there also

  scarce understood by the critics. [GREEK HERE] Respect these

  wreaths, that crown your city's poop.

  v. 99. The gilded hilt and pommel.] The symbols of knighthood

  v. 100. The column cloth'd with verrey.] The arms of the Pigli.

  v. 103. With them.] Either the Chiaramontesi, or the Tosinghi

  one of which had committed a fraud in measuring out the wheat

  from the public granary. See Purgatory, Canto XII. 99

  v. 109. The bullets of bright gold.] The arms of the Abbati, as

  it is conjectured.

  v. 110. The sires of those.] "Of the Visdomini, the Tosinghi

  and the Cortigiani, who, being sprung from the founders of the

  bishopric of Florence are the curators of its revenues, which

  they do not spare, whenever it becomes vacant."

  v. 113. Th' o'erweening brood.] The Adimari. This family was

  so little esteemed, that Ubertino Donato, who had married a

  daughter of Bellincion Berti, himself indeed derived from the

  same stock (see Note to Hell Canto XVI. 38.) was offended with

  his father-in-law, for giving another of his daughters in

  marriage to one of them.

  v. 124. The gateway.] Landino refers this to the smallness of

  the city: Vellutello, with less probability, to the simplicity of

  the people in naming one of the gates after a private family.

  v. 127. The great baron.] The Marchese Ugo, who resided at

  Florence as lieutenant of the Emperor Otho III, gave many of the

  chief families license to bear his arms. See G. Villani, 1. iv.

  c. 2., where the vision is related, in consequence of which he

  sold all his possessions in Germany, and founded seven abbeys, in

  one whereof his memory was celebrated at Florence on St. Thomas's

  day.

  v. 130. One.] Giano della Bella, belonging to one of the

  families thus distinguished, who no longer retained his place

  among the nobility, and had yet added to his arms a bordure or.

  See Macchiavelli, 1st. Fior. 1. ii. p. 86. Ediz. Giolito.

  v. 132. -Gualterotti dwelt

  And Importuni.]

  Two families in the compartment of the city called Borgo.

  v. 135. The house.] Of Amidei. See Notes to Canto XXVIII. of

  Hell. v. 102.

  v. 142. To Ema.] "It had been well for the city, if thy

  ancestor had been drowned in the Ema, when he crossed that stream

  on his way from Montebuono to Florence."

  v. 144. On that maim'd stone.] See Hell, Canto XIII. 144. Near

  the remains of the statue of Mars. Buondelmonti was slain, as if

  he had been a victim to the god; and Florence had not since known

  the blessing of peace.

  v. 150. The lily.] "The arms of Florence had never hung

  reversed on the spear of her enemies, in token of her defeat; nor

  been changed from argent to gules;" as they afterwards were, when

  the Guelfi gained the predominance.

  CANTO XVII

  v. 1. The youth.] Phaeton, who came to his mother Clymene, to

  inquire of her if he were indeed the son of Apollo. See Ovid,

  Met. 1. i. ad finem.

  v. 6. That saintly lamp.] Cacciaguida.

  v. 12. To own thy thirst.] "That thou mayst obtain from others

  a solution of any doubt that may occur to thee."

  v. 15. Thou seest as clear.] "Thou beholdest future events,

  with the same clearness of evidence, that we discern the simplest

  mathematical demonstrations."

  v. 19. The point.] The divine nature.

  v. 27. The arrow.]

  Nam praevisa minus laedere tela solent.

  Ovid.

  Che piaga antiveduta assai men duole.

  Petrarca, Trionfo del Tempo

  v. 38. Contingency.] "The evidence with which we see the future

  portrayed in the source of all truth, no more necessitates that

  future than does the image, reflected in the sight by a ship

  sailing down a stream, necessitate the motion of the vessel."

  v. 43. From thence.] "From the eternal sight; the view of the

  Deity.

  v. 49. There.] At Rome, where the expulsion of Dante's party

  from Florence was then plotting, in 1300.

  v. 65. Theirs.] "They shall be ashamed of the part they have

  taken aga'nst thee."

  v. 69. The great Lombard.] Either Alberto della Scala, or

  Bartolommeo his eldest son. Their coat of arms was a ladder and

  an eagle.

  v. 75. That mortal.] Can Grande della Scala, born under the

  influence of Mars, but at this time only nine years old

  v. 80. The Gascon.] Pope Clement V.

  v. 80. Great Harry.] The Emperor Henry VII.

  v. 127. The cry thou raisest.] "Thou shalt stigmatize the

  faults of those who are most eminent and powerful."

  CANTO XVIII

  v. 3. Temp'ring the sweet with bitter.]

  Chewing the end of sweet and bitter fancy.

  Shakespeare, As you Like it, a. 3. s. 3.

  v. 26. On this fifth lodgment of the tree.] Mars, the fifth ot

  the @

  v. 37. The great Maccabee.] Judas Maccabeus.

  v. 39. Charlemagne.] L. Pulci commends Dante for placing

  Charlemagne and Orlando here:

  Io mi confido ancor molto qui a Dante

  Che non sanza cagion nel ciel su misse

  Carlo ed Orlando in quelle croci sante,

  Che come diligente intese e scrisse.

  Morg. Magg. c. 28.

  v. 43. William and Renard.] Probably not, as the commentators

  have imagined, William II of Orange, and his kinsman Raimbaud,

  two of the crusaders under Godfrey of Bouillon, (Maimbourg, Hist.

  des Croisades, ed. Par. 1682. 12mo. t. i. p. 96.) but rather the

  two more celeb
rated heroes in the age of Charlemagne. The

  former, William l. of Orange, supposed to have been the founder

  of the present illustrious family of that name, died about 808,

  according to Joseph de la Piser, Tableau de l'Hist. des Princes

  et Principante d'Orange. Our countryman, Ordericus Vitalis,

  professes to give his true life, which had been misrepresented in

  the songs of the itinerant bards." Vulgo canitur a joculatoribus

  de illo, cantilena; sed jure praeferenda est relatio

  authentica." Eccl. Hist. in Duchesne, Hist. Normann Script.

  p. 508. The latter is better known by having been celebrated by

  Ariosto, under the name of Rinaldo.

  v. 43. Duke Godfey.] Godfrey of Bouillon.

  v. 46. Robert Guiscard.] See Hell, Canto XXVIII. v. 12.

  v. 81. The characters.] Diligite justitiam qui judicatis

  terrarm. "Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth "

  Wisdom of Solomon, c. i. 1.

  v. 116. That once more.] "That he may again drive out those who

  buy and sell in the temple."

  v. 124. Taking the bread away.] "Excommunication, or the

  interdiction of the Eucharist, is now employed as a weapon of

  warfare."

  v. 126. That writest but to cancel.] "And thou, Pope Boniface,

  who writest thy ecclesiastical censures for no other purpose than

  to be paid for revoking them."

  v. 130. To him.] The coin of Florence was stamped with the

  impression of John the Baptist.

  CANTO XIX

  v. 38. Who turn'd his compass.] Compare Proverbs, c. viii. 27.

  And Milton, P. L. b. vii 224.

  v. 42. The Word] "The divine nature still remained

  incomprehensible. Of this Lucifer was a proof; for had he

  thoroughly comprehended it, he would not have fallen."

  v. 108. The Ethiop.] Matt. c. xii. 41.

  v. 112. That volume.] Rev. c. xx. 12.

  v. 114. Albert.] Purgatory, Canto VI. v. 98.

  v. 116. Prague.] The eagle predicts the devastation of Bohemia

  by Albert, which happened soon after this time, when that Emperor

  obtained the kingdom for his eldest son Rodolph. See Coxe's

  House of Austria, 4to. ed. v. i. part 1. p. 87

  v. 117. He.] Philip IV of France, after the battle of Courtrai,

  1302, in which the French were defeated by the Flemings, raised

  the nominal value of the coin. This king died in consequence of

  his horse being thrown to the ground by a wild boar, in 1314

  v. 121. The English and Scot.] He adverts to the disputes

  between John Baliol and Edward I, the latter of whom is commended

  in the Purgatory, Canto VII. v. 130.

  v. 122. The Spaniard's luxury.] The commentators refer this to

  Alonzo X of Spain. It seems probable that the allusion is to

  Ferdinand IV who came to the crown in 1295, and died in 1312, at

  the age of twenty four, in consequence, as it was supposed, of

  his extreme intemperance.

  See Mariana, Hist I. xv. c. 11.

  v. 123. The Bohemian.] Winceslaus II. Purgatory, Canto VII. v.

  v. 125. The halter of Jerusalem.] Charles II of Naples and

  Jerusalem who was lame. See note to Purgatory, Canto VII. v.

  122, and XX. v. 78.

  v. 127. He.] Frederick of Sicily son of Peter III of Arragon.

  Purgatory, Canto VII. v. 117. The isle of fire is Sicily, where

  was the tomb of Anchises.

  v. 133. His uncle.] James, king of Majorca and Minorca, brother

  to Peter III.

  v. 133. His brother.] James II of Arragon, who died in 1327.

  See Purgatory, Canto VII. v. 117.

  v. 135. Of Portugal.] In the time of Dante, Dionysius was king

  of Portugal. He died in 1328, after a reign of near forty-six

  years, and does not seem to have deserved the stigma here

  fastened on him. See Mariana. and 1. xv. c. 18. Perhaps the

  rebellious son of Dionysius may be alluded to.

  v. 136. Norway.] Haquin, king of Norway, is probably meant;

  who, having given refuge to the murderers of Eric VII king of

  Denmark, A D. 1288, commenced a war against his successor, Erie

  VIII, "which continued for nine years, almost to the utter ruin

  and destruction of both kingdoms." Modern Univ. Hist. v. xxxii

  p. 215.

  v. 136. -Him

  Of Ratza.]

  One of the dynasty of the house of Nemagna, which ruled the

  kingdom of Rassia, or Ratza, in Sclavonia, from 1161 to 1371, and

  whose history may be found in Mauro Orbino, Regno degli Slavi,

  Ediz. Pesaro. 1601. Uladislaus appears to have been the sovereign

  in Dante's time, but the disgraceful forgery adverted to in the

  text, is not recorded by the historian v. 138. Hungary.] The

  kingdom of Hungary was about this time disputed by Carobert, son

  of Charles Martel, and Winceslaus, prince of Bohemia, son of

  Winceslaus II. See Coxe's House of Austria, vol. i. p. 1. p. 86.

  4to edit.

  v. 140. Navarre.] Navarre was now under the yoke of France.

  It soon after (in 1328) followed the advice of Dante and had a

  monarch of its own. Mariana, 1. xv. c. 19.

  v. 141. Mountainous girdle.] The Pyrenees.

  v. 143. -Famagosta's streets

  And Nicosia's.]

  Cities in the kingdom of Cyprus, at that time ruled by Henry II a

  pusillanimous prince. Vertot. Hist. des Chev. de Malte, 1. iii.

  iv. The meaning appears to be, that the complaints made by those

  cities of their weak and worthless governor, may be regarded as

  an earnest of his condemnation at the last doom.

  CANTO XX

  v. 6. Wherein one shines.] The light of the sun, whence he

  supposes the other celestial bodies to derive their light

  v. 8. The great sign.] The eagle, the Imperial ensign.

  v. 34. Who.] David.

  v. 39. He.] Trajan. See Purgatory, Canto X. 68.

  v. 44. He next.] Hezekiah.

  v. 50. 'The other following.] Constantine. There is no passage

  in which Dante's opinion of the evil; that had arisen from the

  mixture of the civil with the ecclesiastical power, is more

  unequivocally declared.

  v. 57. William.] William II, king of Sicily, at the latter part

  of the twelfth century He was of the Norman line of sovereigns,

  and obtained the appellation of "the Good" and, as the poet says

  his loss was as much the subject of regret in his dominions, as

  the presence of Charles I of Anjou and Frederick of Arragon, was

  of sorrow and complaint.

  v. 62. Trojan Ripheus.]

  Ripheus, justissimus unus

  Qui fuit in Teneris, et servantissimus aequi.

  Virg. Aen. 1. ii. 4--.

  v. 97. This.] Ripheus.

  v. 98. That.] Trajan.

  v. 103. The prayers,] The prayers of St. Gregory

  v. 119. The three nymphs.] Faith, Hope, and Charity. Purgatory,

  Canto XXIX. 116.

  v. 138. The pair.] Ripheus and Trajan.

  CANTO XXI

  v. 12. The seventh splendour.] The planet Saturn

  v. 13. The burning lion's breast.] The constellation Leo.

  v. 21. In equal balance.] "My pleasure was as great in

  complying

  with her will as in beholding her countenance."

&n
bsp; v. 24. Of that lov'd monarch.] Saturn. Compare Hell, Canto

  XIV. 91.

  v. 56. What forbade the smile.] "Because it would have overcome

  thee."

  v. 61. There aloft.] Where the other souls were.

  v. 97. A stony ridge.] The Apennine.

  v. 112. Pietro Damiano.] "S. Pietro Damiano obtained a great

  and well-merited reputation, by the pains he took to correct the

  abuses among the clergy. Ravenna is supposed to have been the

  place of his birth, about 1007. He was employed in several

  important missions, and rewarded by Stephen IX with the dignity

  of cardinal, and the bishopric of Ostia, to which, however, he

  preferred his former retreat in the monastery of Fonte Aveliana,

  and prevailed on Alexander II to permit him to retire thither.

  Yet he did not long continue in this seclusion, before he was

  sent on other embassies. He died at Faenza in 1072. His

  letters throw much light on the obscure history of these times.

  Besides them, he has left several treatises on sacred and

  ecclesiastical subjects. His eloquence is worthy of a better

  age." Tiraboschi, Storia della Lett Ital. t. iii. 1. iv. c. 2.

  v. 114. Beside the Adriatic.] At Ravenna. Some editions have

  FU instead of FUI, according to which reading, Pietro

  distinguishes himself from another Pietro, who was termed

  "Peccator," the sinner.

  v. 117. The hat.] The cardinal's hat.

  v. 118. Cephas.] St. Peter.

  v. 119 The Holy Spirit's vessel.] St. Paul. See Hell, Canto II.

  30.

  v. 130. Round this.] Round the spirit of Pietro Damiano.

  CANTO XXII

  v. 14. The vengeance.] Beatrice, it is supposed, intimates the

  approaching fate of Boniface VIII. See Purgatory, Canto XX. 86.

  v. 36. Cassino.] A castle in the Terra di Lavoro.

  v. 38. I it was.] "A new order of monks, which in a manner

  absorbed all the others that were established in the west, was

  instituted, A.D. 529, by Benedict of Nursis, a man of piety and

  reputation for the age he lived in." Maclaine's Mosheim,

  Eccles. Hist. v. ii. cent. vi. p. 2. ch. 2 - 6.

  v. 48. Macarius.] There are two of this name enumerated by

  Mosheim among the Greek theologians of the fourth century, v. i.

  cent. iv p. 11 ch. 2 - 9. In the following chapter, 10, it is

  said, "Macarius, an Egyptian monk, undoubtedly deserves the first

  rank among the practical matters of this time, as his works

  displayed, some few things excepted, the brightest and most

  lovely portraiture of sanctity and virtue."

  v. 48. Romoaldo.] S. Romoaldo, a native of Ravenna, and the

  founder of the order of Camaldoli, died in 1027. He was the

  author of a commentary on the Psalms.

  v. 70. The patriarch Jacob.] So Milton, P. L. b. iii. 510:

  The stairs were such, as whereon Jacob saw

  Angels ascending and descending, bands

  Of guardians bright.

  v. 107. The sign.] The constellation of Gemini.

  v. 130. This globe.] So Chaucer, Troilus and Cresseide, b. v,

  And down from thence fast he gan avise

  This little spot of earth, that with the sea

  Embraced is, and fully gan despite

  This wretched world.

  Compare Cicero, Somn. Scip. "Jam ipsa terra ita mihi parva visa

  est." &c. Lucan, Phar 1. ix. 11; and Tasso, G. L. c. xiv.

  st, 9, 10, 11.

  v. 140. Maia and Dione.] The planets Mercury and Venus.

  CANTO XXIII

  v. 11. That region.] Towards the south, where the course of the

  sun appears less rapid, than, when he is in the east or the west.

  v. 26. Trivia.] A name of Diana.

  v. 26. Th' eternal nymphs.] The stars.

  v. 36. The Might.] Our Saviour

  v. 71. The rose.] The Virgin Mary.

  v. 73. The lilies.] The apostles.

  v. 84. Thou didst exalt thy glory.] The diving light retired

  upwards, to render the eyes of Dante more capable of enduring the