CANTO VI.

THE ARGUMENT.

Dante converses with others of the negligent, Benincasa of Arezzo, Frederick Novello, Count Orso, and Pierre della Brosse, who entreat his good offices. He propounds to Virgil a doubt respecting prayer, who refers him to Beatrice. He meets with Sordello, the Mantuan Troubadour, and pronounces a fierce and eloquent invective on the disunion and disorders of Italy, censures the Emperor Albert, and utters a sarcasm on Florence and its government.

WHEN at a game of dice the play is ended,

The loser grieving stays, repeats each throw,
And sadly learns how fortune may be mended :
But with the winner all the attendants go;
One runs before, one twitches him behind,
One at his side would be remember'd so.
He stops not, but in turn to each inclined,

Where'er his hand is reach'd no more they press,
Pleased thus against their throng defence to find.1

1 Cervantes, describing a quarrel between two frequenters of a gambling "hell," makes one of them say ;—"Your worship must know, that this gentleman has been at play in yonder gaminghouse and has won a thousand reals, God knows how fairly: now I being present when the bet was doubtful, decided more than once in his favour, against the dictates of my conscience he took up his winning, and when I expected that he would, at least, have given me a crown for good will, as it is the use and custom of players to make such presents to men of honour like me, who attend in those places, ready at all hazards, to support unreasonable

Thus I in that thick crowd was urged no less,

And turning towards them on each side my face,
I freed myself by dint of promises.
There was the Aretine, whose death took place
From Ghin' di Tacco's cruel arms; and he
Drown'd lately while he held his foes in chase.2
There too with outstretch'd hands pray'd urgently
Frederick Novello,3 and the Pisan1 who
Made patent good Marzucco's constancy.

10

demands, and prevent disturbances, he pocketed the cash and went away. I followed him, out of humour: yet in the most courteous manner begged he would give me, at least, eight reals, as he knew me to be a gentleman without business or fortune; but the rascal would not give me more than four reals; so that, my lord governor, your excellency may see how little shame or conscience he has." We wish all magistrates would adopt the wise resolution of the sage Sancho: "If my power is not small, I will suppress these gaming-houses, which I begin to perceive are very prejudicial to the public."-Don Quixote, Part ii. ch. 49.

1 Benincasa of Arezzo, famed as a jurist, having as chief magistrate of Siena condemned to death Turrino da Turrita for his robberies, was assassinated by the brigand's brother, Ghino di Tacco, himself a formidable brigand; who having taken prisoner the Abbot of Clugni, when suffering from indigestion, by a confinement of several days, with spare diet, completely cured him of this complaint, and then restored him to liberty: for which service he was invited to Rome and knighted by Boniface VIII.— Decameron, x. 2.

2 Cione de' Tarlati of Arrezzo, who, in pursuit of his enemies, of the Bostoli family, was carried by his horse into the Arno and drowned.

3 Son of Count Guido of Battifolle, slain by one of the Bostoli. 4 Farinati de' Scornigiani of Pisa. After his execution by order of Count Ugolino, his father Marzucco, by his patience and perseverance, obtained leave to inter the body, and at the funeral exhorted his kinsmen to lay aside all feelings of enmity and

revenge.

I saw Count Orso; and the soul that through
Envy and malice, as he told us, there
Was disembodied, for no fault his due;
Pierre della Brosse,2 I mean: let her beware,
The lady of Brabant, ere life recede,

Lest with worse flock than this her lot she share.
When from that throng of spirits I was freed,

66

Who merely pray'd that other men might pray,3
That they might reach their holy state with speed;

"O thou my light," I then began to say,

"It seems that in one text thou hast denied

20

That heaven's decree to prayer can e'er give way: 30 And yet this people even for this have cried. Will all their expectation then be vain? Or have I not thy meaning well descried ?" And he to me; "My writing there is plain :. Nor need these have their cherish'd hopes effaced; If with sound mind the sense thou entertain.

The top of Justice is not self-abased,5

1 Son of Napoleone da Certaia, slain by his uncle, Alberto da Mangona.

2 The favorite secretary or chamberlain of Philip III. of France. He was hanged in 1278, at the instigation, as was believed, of Philip's Queen, Mary of Brabant, mother of Philip the Fair.

3 The Ora pro nobis (Pray for us), addressed by the Church of Rome to all the Saints in the calendar, and all the Angels in heaven. Dante seems to have had serious doubts of the efficacy of such prayers.

↑ When the ghost of Palinurus invokes the aid of Æneas to see his corpse interred, the Sybil says to him ;

5

"Cease to hope that the decrees of the Gods can be altered by your praying."-Æneid. vi. 376.

How would you be

If He, which is the top of judgment, should

But judge you as you are?"-SHAKSPEARE, M. for M., ii, 2.

When ardent love at once fulfils whate'er

Of payment may be due from one here placed.1
Besides, when I this point concluded, there
No praying could make up for a defect,
Because disjoin'd from God was every prayer.2
Yet after all, no certainty expect,

So deep the doubt, unless confirm'd by her
Who shines between the truth and intellect.
I know not if thou understand'st me here:

I speak of Beatrice :3 above yon height, Smiling and glad, she will to thee appear.' Then I: "Good guide, pray, let us expedite

40

1 It was only the foolish virgins that said, "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out." But the wise answered, "Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you." We are of St. Hilary's opinion, who says, "None can be aided by the good works and merits of others, because each must buy oil for his own lamp."Can. 27, p. 591. Parisiis, 1652. To the notion of people's buying, the Church of Rome does not object, provided that she can secure the monopoly: and the case must be very extreme indeed for which she cannot supply an unction. That men can satisfy Divine justice, not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of others, is a doctrine so anti-scriptural in its character, and so injurious and fatal in its tendency, that it is most surprising it should ever have been entertained by professed Christians. But the traffic has been found by the Church too lucrative to be readily abandoned at the behest of Reason or Scripture; she therefore still professes to employ the redundant and disposable merits of the Saints, arising from their "supererogatory works," through the suffrages of the faithful" on earth,

"To plead our cause in that high place,

Where purchased masses proffer grace

י!

2 "Not having been offered to the true God." The defence of Purgatory Dante very fitly leaves to Virgil, its best expounder. 3 Celestial Wisdom is here personified by Beatrice. Virgil refers Dante to her for a solution of his doubts.

50

1

Our journey, not now toilsome as before;
Already throws the hill its shade in sight."
"We with the day will travel as much more
As we are able; but," he answer'd me,
"The truth surpasses what thy thoughts explore.
Ere at the top, thou his return wilt see
Who now is hidden by the mountain gray,
So that not broken are his beams by thee.2
But see a soul who there alone doth stay,
Gazing toward us, in solitude and dole:
He will to us point out the shortest way."

To him we then approach'd. O Lombard soul!

60°

How didst thou stand with high and scornful breast;
Thine eyes how slowly, gravely, didst thou roll!

To us nor speech nor language he address'd,
But passage gave, while us he merely eyed,
As doth a couching lion when at rest.

And drawing nearer to him still, my guide
Pray'd he would show us the best upward road;
And he to that inquiry nought replied,

But of our country ask'd, and of our mode

70

Of life. My guide began―though stopp'd in haste— "Mantua". -; and starting then from where he stood,

The shade, before so sullen, towards him paced;
And cried, "O Mantuan, you behold in me
Sordello, of your land."

1 It was now afternoon.

Then they embraced.

2 "Our ascent will be longer than thou supposest. Instead of arriving this evening at our journey's end, we shall see the Sun, which is now declining behind the mountain, rise again to-morrow, and then shall not have reached the top."

3 A Knight and Troubadour of Mantua, celebrated for his exploits, and the harmony and sensibility of his verses. Although a I.ombard, he wrote in the Provençal tongue. He was born at