(2) Next we have Purg. xxxiii. 112: Dinanzi ad esse Eufrates e Tigri Veder mi parve uscir d' una fontana, E quasi amici dipartirsi pigri. This (as Scartazzini points out) is probably borrowed from Boethius, De Cons. Phil. V. Metr. i.: Tigris et Euphrates uno se fonte resolvunt, Et mox abiunctis dissociantur aquis. The same notion is found, however, in Brunetto Latini, Tesoro, iii. 2, where it is advanced on the authority of Sallust. Brunetto, however, is undoubtedly borrowing direct from Isidore, Orig. xiii. 21 Sallustius auctor certissimus, asserit Tigrim et Euphratem uno fonte manare in Armenia, qui per diversa euntes longius dividantur,' &c. (3) We have already noted that the apparent citation from Juvenal in Conv. IV. xiii. 1. 108, was probably filtered through Boethius. See under Juvenal, No. 4. (4) Scartazzini also points out that in Par. i. 74 the description of God as 'Amor che il ciel governi,' is borrowed directly from the phrase of Boethius, 'Coelo imperitans Amor' (De Cons. Phil. II. Metr. viii. 1. 15). In the following three or four well-known passages in the Commedia, the imitation or reminiscence of Boethius can scarcely be doubted. (5) The intervention of Beatrice with Virgil on behalf of Dante in Inf. ii. 76 seqq. closely resembles De Cons. Phil. I. Pros. iii, where, on Philosophy appearing to succour Boethius, he remonstrates: 'Quid tu in has exilii nostri solitudines, o omnium magistra virtutum, supero cardine delapsa venisti?' He further expresses surprise that she should incur the risk of sharing the slander and persecution by which he has been ruined. This is precisely the attitude, mutatis mutandis, attributed to Virgil in reference to the descent of Beatrice. First notice the identical form of address, 'O donna di virtù' (1.76). Next, the appeal in 11. 82 seqq.— Ma dimmi la cagion che non ti guardi Dello scender quaggiuso in questo centro corresponds with 'supero cardine delapsa venisti.' Then follows the reason why Beatrice can thus descend without injury to herself, just as Philosophy offers a similar, though not identical, explanation in Boethius; the idea there being that she has often incurred such risks before, and ought not to shrink from sharing them again with one of her votaries. 'Atqui Philosophiae fas non erat incomitatum relinquere iter innocentis? Meam scilicet criminationem vererer? et, quasi novi aliquid acciderit, sic perhorrescerem,' &c. (6) Still more remarkable are the numerous points of imitation in the fine episode about Fortune in Inf. vii. This has obviously been suggested to Dante by De Cons. Phil. II. Metr. i. and Pros. ii, though I do not know that this has been specially noticed. We may note in particular the following points of comparison : Non illa miseros audit, haud curat fletus; Ultroque gemitus dura quos fecit, ridet. Sic illa ludit, sic suas probat vires. (Met. i. ll. 5-7.) Compare Inf. vii. ll. 94–6 : Ma ella s'è beata, e ciò non ode: Con l'altre prime creature lieta Add Pros. ii, 'Haec nostra vis est, hunc continuum ludum ludimus. Rotam volubili orbe versamus, infima summis, summa infimis, mutare gaudemus'; and compare also Inf. vii. 79-84. So again in Pros. ii. (init.), Fortune is introduced remonstrating with Boethius as to the injustice of the complaints made against her for removing her favours, while no gratitude is felt towards her for conferring them. Compare Inf. vii. 91-93 : Quest'è colei ch'è tanto posta in croce Pur da color che le dovrian dar lode, Once more, compare with 11. 88-90, Le sue permutazion non hanno triegue: Sì spesso vien chi vicenda consegue the following passages in Boethius: 'Tu vero volventis rotae impetum retinere conaris? At . . . si manere incipit, fors esse desistit' (Pros. i. fin.). Hi semper eius mores; haec natura est. Servavit circa te propriam potius in ipsa sui mutabilitate constantiam ' (Pros. i. sub. med.). There is yet another passage in the same context, Met. ii. 11. 1-7, bearing a very close resemblance to Inf. vii. ll. 64–6, which can scarcely be accidental, especially as this very passage of Boethius is definitely cited by Dante in Conv. IV. xii. ll. 74-78: Si quantas rapidis flatibus incitus Pontus versat arenas, Aut quot stelliferis edita noctibus Coelo sidera fulgent, Tantas fundat opes, nec retrahat manum Pleno Copia cornu; Humanum miseras haud ideo genus Cesset flere querelas. Purg. xxx. 73 seqq. (7) It is also, I think, clear that the scene of Dante's reproach by Beatrice, from Purg. xxx. 73 onwards, is suggested by De Cons. Phil. I. Pros. ii. (init.), although we do not trace any verbatim quotation. Tum vero totis in me intenta luminibus, Tune es ille, ait, qui nostro quondam lacte nutritus, nostris educatus alimentis, in virilis animi robur evaseras? Atqui talia contuleramus arma, quae nisi prius abiecisses, invicta te firmitate tuerentur. Agnoscisne me? Quid taces? pudore an 1 Comp. with this Aristotle's expression in Poet. xv. § 4 dμaλŵs åvúμaλov. stupore siluisti? mallem pudore; sed te, ut video, stupor oppressit. Cumque me non modo tacitum, sed elinguem prorsus mutumque vidisset, admovit pectori meo leniter manum, et, Nihil, inquit, periculi est,' &c. There is scarcely an idea here that has not its counterpart in the scene in Purg. xxix. and xxx. (8) The similarity of thought and expression in the following passages on the vanity of human fame can scarcely be accidental. Compare Purg. xi. 103-108 with De Cons. Phil. II. Pros. vii. (sub med.): 'Vos autem immortalitatem vobis propagare videmini, quum futuri famam temporis cogitatis. Quod si ad aeternitatis infinita spatia pertractes, quid habes quod de tui nominis diuturnitate laeteris ? Unius enim mora momenti, si decem millibus conferatur annis, quoniam utrumque spatium definitum est, minimam licet, habet tamen aliquam portionem. At hic ipse numerus annorum, eiusque quantumlibet multiplex, ad interminabilem diuturnitatem ne comparari quidem potest,' &c. (9) In Conv. I. iii. 11. 32 seqq. Dante complains that he has been a wanderer in many lands, 'mostrando contro a mia voglia la piaga della fortuna, che suole ingiustamente al piagato molte volte essere imputata.' And again in Par. xvii. 52, 3, he declares: La colpa seguirà la parte offensa These sentiments seem likely to have been suggested by De Cons. Phil. I. Pros. iv. (a chapter which is shown by the Index to have been very familiar to Dante): 'At vero hic etiam nostris malis cumulus accedit, quod existimatio plurimorum non rerum merita, sed fortunae spectat eventum. . . . Quo fit ut existimatio bona prima omnium deserat infelices. Hoc tantum dixerim ultimum esse adversae fortunae ... sarcinam, quod dum miseris aliquod crimen affingitur, quae perferunt, meruisse creduntur,' &c. The sentiment is not an uncommon one elsewhere. We may compare Ecclus. xiii. 27, 'Humilis deceptus est, insuper et arguitur; locutus est sensate, et non est datus ei locus.' Also Sallust, Jug. c. xxiv., 'expertus sum parum fidei miseris esse' (letter of Adherbal): and a Tuscan proverb quoted by Scartazzini, 'La colpa è sempre degli offesi.' (10) Lastly, the direct quotation of Boethius in Conv. III. ii. 1. 144, seems to justify a slight rectification of the text. The words are, 'Tu e Dio, che te nella mente degli uomini mise.' Those of Boethius run: Tu mihi et qui te sapientium mentibus inseruit Deus,' &c. (De Cons. Phil. I. Pros. iv). As far as I am aware, the MSS. of Dante omit 'te.' But this evidently leaves the sense incomplete, and the word was probably accidentally dropped out by an early copyist. It will be observed that the correction is not made merely to secure greater exactness of quotation (which would be a very questionable step), but to complete a grammatically defective sentence. SENECA. In Conv. IV. xii. 1. 120, Dante attributes a sentiment to Seneca, which, it is stated, and as far as I have been able to ascertain, truly, cannot be found in his works. The words are, 'Se l'uno de' piedi avessi nel sepolcro, apprendere vorrei.' In effect Seneca does say as much in Epist. 76: Tam diu discendum est, quam diu nescias, et, si proverbio credimus, quam diu vivas'; and again, 'Tamdiu discendum est quemadmodum vivas, quamdiu vivis.' But the particular metaphor of one foot in the grave' does not occur. We may perhaps suppose Dante to be referring to this passage, though the |