15

Gallura, vessel of every fraud, who had his master's enemies in hand, and did so to them that they all praise him for it. Money took he for himself, and dismissed them smoothly,16 as he says; and in his other offices besides, he was no petty but a sovereign barrator. With him keeps company Don Michel Zanche of Logodoro ;" and in speaking of Sardinia the tongues of them do not feel weary. Oh me! see that other grinning: I would say more; but fear he is preparing to claw my scurf."

17

And their great Marshal, turning to Farfarello who rolled his eyes to strike, said: "Get thee hence, wicked bird!"

"If you wish to see or hear Tuscans or Lombards," the frightened sinner then resumed, "I will make Quel di Gallura, vasel de' ogni froda,

Ch' ebbe i nimici di suo donno in mano,
E fe' lor sì, che ciascun se ne loda:

Denar si tolse, e lasciolli di piano,

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Sì com' ei dice: e negli altri uficj anche
Barattier fu non picciol, ma sovrano.

Usa con esso donno Michel Zanche

Di Logodoro; e a dir di Sardigna
Le lingue lor non si sentono stanche.

O me! vedete l'altro che digrigna :

Io direi anche; ma io temo ch' ello
Non s' apparecchi a grattarmi la tigna.
E il gran proposto, volto a Farfarello

Che stralunava gli occhi per ferire,
Disse Fatti in costà, malvagio uccello.

Se voi volete vedere o udire,

Ricominciò lo spaurato appresso,

Toschi o Lombardi, io ne farò venire.

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15 The government of Gallura, one | Di piano (Lat. de plano, Span. de of the four Jurisdictions of Sardinia, llano), then a legal, or perhaps Sarwas given to this Gomita by Nino dinian phrase.

de' Visconti of Pisa.

17 Logodoro, another of the Juris

16 Took a bribe, and let them go. dictions of Sardinia.

them come. back, that they may not fear their vengeance; and

But let the Malebranche stand a little

18

I, sitting in this same place, for one that I am, will make seven come, on whistling as is our wont to do when any of us gets out."

Cagnazzo at these words raised his snout, shaking his head, and said: "Hear the malice, which he has contrived, to throw himself under."

Whereat he, who had artifices in great store, replied: "Too malicious indeed! when I contrive for my companions greater sorrow."

Alichino held in no longer, and in opposition to the others said to him: "If thou descend, I will not follow thee at gallop,19 but beat my wings above the pitch. Let the height be left, and be the bank a screen; to see if thou alone prevailest over us."

20

Ma stien le Malebranche un poco in cesso,
Sì che non teman delle lor vendette;
Ed io, seggendo in questo luogo stesso,
Per un ch' io son, ne farò venir sette,

Quando sufolerò, com' è nostr' uso
Di fare allor che fuori alcun si mette.
Cagnazzo a cotal motto levò il muso,

Crollando il capo, e disse: Odi malizia
Ch' egli ha pensato per gittarsi giuso.
Ond' ei, ch' avea lacciuoli a gran divizia,
Rispose Malizioso son io troppo,
Quando procuro a' miei maggior tristizia!

Alichin non si tenne, e di rintoppo

Agli altri, disse a lui: Se tu ti cali,
Io non ti verrò dietro di galoppo,

Ma batterò sovra la pece l' ali :
Lascisi il colle, e sia la ripa scudo,
A veder se tu sol più di noi vali.

18 Let the Demons with their "evil clutches give way a little," that my fellows may not fear their vengeance.

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19 Will not run, but fly after thee; have wings as well as feet.

20 Banks high in the middle, and

O Reader, thou shalt hear new sport.

21

All turned

their eyes toward the other side, he first who had been most unripe for doing it. The Navarrese chose well his time; planted his soles upon the ground, and in an instant leapt and from their purpose freed himself. Thereat each suddenly was stung with rage; but he most who had been cause of the mistake.22 He therefore started forth, and shouted: "Thou'rt caught!" But little it availed; for the wings could not outspeed the terror. The sinner went under; and he, flying, raised up his breast.23 Not otherwise the duck suddenly dives down, when the falcon approaches; and he returns up angry and defeated.

Calcabrina, furious at the trick, kept flying
after him, desirous that the sinner might escape, to
O tu, che leggi, udirai nuovo ludo:
Ciascun dall' altra costa gli occhi volse;
Quel prima, ch' a ciò fare era più crudo.
Lo Navarrese ben suo tempo colse;

Fermò le piante a terra, e in un punto
Saltò, e dal proposto lor si sciolse :
Di che ciascun di colpo fu compunto,
Ma quei più, che cagion fu del difetto.
Però si mosse, e grido: Tu se' giunto.

Ma poco valse; chè l' ale al sospetto

Non potero avanzar quegli andò sotto,
E quei drizzò, volando, suso il petto.

Non altrimenti l' anitra di botto,

Quando il falcon s' appressa, giù s'attuffa,
Ed ei ritorna su crucciato e rotto.

Irato Calcabrina della buffa,

Volando dietro gli tenne, invaghito
Che quei campasse, per aver la zuffa.

capable of being a screen or "shield" at once.
to hide the demons.

21 Cagnazzo (verse 106), who had been hardest to persuade, who turned up his snout, smelling the trick

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Crudo from Lat. crudus.
made the rest retire.
22 Alichino (see ver. 112, &c.), who

angry falcon.
23 Wheeled upward again, like an

have a quarrel: and, when the barterer had disappeared, he turned his talons on his fellow, and was clutched with him above the ditch. But the other was indeed a sparrowhawk to claw him well; and both dropt down into the middle of the boiling marsh. The heat at once unclutched 24 them; but rise they could not, their wings were so beglued. Barbariccia with the rest lamenting, made four of them fly over to the other coast with all their drags: and most rapidly, on this side, on that, they descended to the stand. They stretched their hooks toward the limed pair, who were already scalded within the crust.25 And we left them thus embroiled.26

E come il barattier fu disparito,

Così volse gli artigli al suo compagno,
E fu con lui sovra il fosso ghermito.
Ma l'altro fu bene sparvier grifagno
Ad artigliar ben lui; e ambedue
Cadder nel mezzo del bollente stagno.

Lo caldo sghermitor subito fue :

Ma però di levarsi era niente,

Sì aveano inviscate l' ale sue.
Barbariccia con gli altri suoi dolente,

Quattro ne fe' volar dall' altra costa
Con tutti i raffi e assai prestamente
Di quà di là discesero alla posta;

Porser gli uncini verso gl' impaniati,
Ch' eran già cotti dentro dalla crosta,
E noi lasciammo lor così impacciati.

24 The word sghermitor (unclutcher, separator) comes from ghermire, to gripe, clutch. Some editions have schermitor, instead of sghermitor, in verse 142.

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26 The simile of the frog and mouse, in next canto, will be Dante's last parting stroke. He himself was exiled, as we know, under a miserable charge of "bartery," which he never 25 Of boiling pitch that was cling- took the trouble of denying. ing to them. Verses 141-4.

ARGUMENT.

DANTE keeps following his Guide in silence, with head bent down, meditating on the things he has had to witness in that chasm of the pitch. The fable of the frog and the mouse comes into his mind; then fear that the ugly Demons may seek vengeance for their misfortune. He sees them coming with outstretched wings, when Virgil takes him in his arms, and rapidly glides down with him into the next chasm. Here they find the Hypocrites walking along the narrow bottom in slow procession, heavy-laden with cloaks of lead, which are gilded and of dazzling brightness on the outside. Dante speaks with Catalano and Loderingo, two Friars of Bologna, who had been appointed chief magistrates of Florence under trying circumstances, and brought memorable disasters on that city by their hypocrisy and bartery; and has just begun to tell them what he thinks of their evil deeds, when he observes Caiaphas stretched across the narrow road, and fixed to it, in such a way that all the other Hypocrites have to trample on him as they pass. The sight of that High Priest and his ignominious punishment is enough. Hypocrisy did its very utmost in him and "the others of that Council," for which the Jews still suffer. The Poets hasten away to another class of sinners.