CANTO XIUpon the utmost verge of a high bank,By craggy rocks environ’d round, we came,Where woes beneath more cruel yet were stow’d:And here to shun the horrible excessOf fetid exhalation, upward castFrom the profound abyss, behind the lidOf a great monument we stood retir’d,Whereon this scroll I mark’d: “I have in chargePope Anastasius, whom Photinus drewFrom the right path.—Ere our descent behoovesWe make delay, that somewhat first the sense,To the dire breath accustom’d, afterwardRegard it not.” My master thus; to whomAnswering I spake: “Some compensation findThat the time past not wholly lost.” He then:“Lo! how my thoughts e’en to thy wishes tend!My son! within these rocks,” he thus began,“Are three close circles in gradation plac’d,As these which now thou leav’st. Each one is fullOf spirits accurs’d; but that the sight aloneHereafter may suffice thee, listen howAnd for what cause in durance they abide.“Of all malicious act abhorr’d in heaven,The end is injury; and all such endEither by force or fraud works other’s woeBut fraud, because of man peculiar evil,To God is more displeasing; and beneathThe fraudulent are therefore doom’d to’ endureSeverer pang. The violent occupyAll the first circle; and because to forceThree persons are obnoxious, in three roundsEach within other sep’rate is it fram’d.To God, his neighbour, and himself, by manForce may be offer’d; to himself I sayAnd his possessions, as thou soon shalt hearAt full. Death, violent death, and painful woundsUpon his neighbour he inflicts; and wastesBy devastation, pillage, and the flames,His substance. Slayers, and each one that smitesIn malice, plund’rers, and all robbers, henceThe torment undergo of the first roundIn different herds. Man can do violenceTo himself and his own blessings: and for thisHe in the second round must aye deploreWith unavailing penitence his crime,Whoe’er deprives himself of life and light,In reckless lavishment his talent wastes,And sorrows there where he should dwell in joy.To God may force be offer’d, in the heartDenying and blaspheming his high power,And nature with her kindly law contemning.And thence the inmost round marks with its sealSodom and Cahors, and all such as speakContemptuously of the Godhead in their hearts.“Fraud, that in every conscience leaves a sting,May be by man employ’d on one, whose trustHe wins, or on another who withholdsStrict confidence. Seems as the latter wayBroke but the bond of love which Nature makes.Whence in the second circle have their nestDissimulation, witchcraft, flatteries,Theft, falsehood, simony, all who seduceTo lust, or set their honesty at pawn,With such vile scum as these. The other wayForgets both Nature’s general love, and thatWhich thereto added afterwards gives birthTo special faith. Whence in the lesser circle,Point of the universe, dread seat of Dis,The traitor is eternally consum’d.”I thus: “Instructor, clearly thy discourseProceeds, distinguishing the hideous chasmAnd its inhabitants with skill exact.But tell me this: they of the dull, fat pool,Whom the rain beats, or whom the tempest drives,Or who with tongues so fierce conflicting meet,Wherefore within the city fire-illum’dAre not these punish’d, if God’s wrath be on them?And if it be not, wherefore in such guiseAre they condemned?” He answer thus return’d:“Wherefore in dotage wanders thus thy mind,Not so accustom’d? or what other thoughtsPossess it? Dwell not in thy memoryThe words, wherein thy ethic page describesThree dispositions adverse to Heav’n’s will,Incont’nence, malice, and mad brutishness,And how incontinence the least offendsGod, and least guilt incurs? If well thou noteThis judgment, and remember who they are,Without these walls to vain repentance doom’d,Thou shalt discern why they apart are plac’dFrom these fell spirits, and less wreakful poursJustice divine on them its vengeance down.”“O Sun! who healest all imperfect sight,Thou so content’st me, when thou solv’st my doubt,That ignorance not less than knowledge charms.Yet somewhat turn thee back,” I in these wordsContinu’d, “where thou saidst, that usuryOffends celestial Goodness; and this knotPerplex’d unravel.” He thus made reply:“Philosophy, to an attentive ear,Clearly points out, not in one part alone,How imitative nature takes her courseFrom the celestial mind and from its art:And where her laws the Stagyrite unfolds,Not many leaves scann’d o’er, observing wellThou shalt discover, that your art on herObsequious follows, as the learner treadsIn his instructor’s step, so that your artDeserves the name of second in descentFrom God. These two, if thou recall to mindCreation’s holy book, from the beginningWere the right source of life and excellenceTo human kind. But in another pathThe usurer walks; and Nature in herselfAnd in her follower thus he sets at nought,Placing elsewhere his hope. But follow nowMy steps on forward journey bent; for nowThe Pisces play with undulating glanceAlong the horizon, and the Wain lies allO’er the north-west; and onward there a spaceIs our steep passage down the rocky height.”
CANTO XIUpon the utmost verge of a high bank,By craggy rocks environ’d round, we came,Where woes beneath more cruel yet were stow’d:And here to shun the horrible excessOf fetid exhalation, upward castFrom the profound abyss, behind the lidOf a great monument we stood retir’d,Whereon this scroll I mark’d: “I have in chargePope Anastasius, whom Photinus drewFrom the right path.—Ere our descent behoovesWe make delay, that somewhat first the sense,To the dire breath accustom’d, afterwardRegard it not.” My master thus; to whomAnswering I spake: “Some compensation findThat the time past not wholly lost.” He then:“Lo! how my thoughts e’en to thy wishes tend!My son! within these rocks,” he thus began,“Are three close circles in gradation plac’d,As these which now thou leav’st. Each one is fullOf spirits accurs’d; but that the sight aloneHereafter may suffice thee, listen howAnd for what cause in durance they abide.“Of all malicious act abhorr’d in heaven,The end is injury; and all such endEither by force or fraud works other’s woeBut fraud, because of man peculiar evil,To God is more displeasing; and beneathThe fraudulent are therefore doom’d to’ endureSeverer pang. The violent occupyAll the first circle; and because to forceThree persons are obnoxious, in three roundsEach within other sep’rate is it fram’d.To God, his neighbour, and himself, by manForce may be offer’d; to himself I sayAnd his possessions, as thou soon shalt hearAt full. Death, violent death, and painful woundsUpon his neighbour he inflicts; and wastesBy devastation, pillage, and the flames,His substance. Slayers, and each one that smitesIn malice, plund’rers, and all robbers, henceThe torment undergo of the first roundIn different herds. Man can do violenceTo himself and his own blessings: and for thisHe in the second round must aye deploreWith unavailing penitence his crime,Whoe’er deprives himself of life and light,In reckless lavishment his talent wastes,And sorrows there where he should dwell in joy.To God may force be offer’d, in the heartDenying and blaspheming his high power,And nature with her kindly law contemning.And thence the inmost round marks with its sealSodom and Cahors, and all such as speakContemptuously of the Godhead in their hearts.“Fraud, that in every conscience leaves a sting,May be by man employ’d on one, whose trustHe wins, or on another who withholdsStrict confidence. Seems as the latter wayBroke but the bond of love which Nature makes.Whence in the second circle have their nestDissimulation, witchcraft, flatteries,Theft, falsehood, simony, all who seduceTo lust, or set their honesty at pawn,With such vile scum as these. The other wayForgets both Nature’s general love, and thatWhich thereto added afterwards gives birthTo special faith. Whence in the lesser circle,Point of the universe, dread seat of Dis,The traitor is eternally consum’d.”I thus: “Instructor, clearly thy discourseProceeds, distinguishing the hideous chasmAnd its inhabitants with skill exact.But tell me this: they of the dull, fat pool,Whom the rain beats, or whom the tempest drives,Or who with tongues so fierce conflicting meet,Wherefore within the city fire-illum’dAre not these punish’d, if God’s wrath be on them?And if it be not, wherefore in such guiseAre they condemned?” He answer thus return’d:“Wherefore in dotage wanders thus thy mind,Not so accustom’d? or what other thoughtsPossess it? Dwell not in thy memoryThe words, wherein thy ethic page describesThree dispositions adverse to Heav’n’s will,Incont’nence, malice, and mad brutishness,And how incontinence the least offendsGod, and least guilt incurs? If well thou noteThis judgment, and remember who they are,Without these walls to vain repentance doom’d,Thou shalt discern why they apart are plac’dFrom these fell spirits, and less wreakful poursJustice divine on them its vengeance down.”“O Sun! who healest all imperfect sight,Thou so content’st me, when thou solv’st my doubt,That ignorance not less than knowledge charms.Yet somewhat turn thee back,” I in these wordsContinu’d, “where thou saidst, that usuryOffends celestial Goodness; and this knotPerplex’d unravel.” He thus made reply:“Philosophy, to an attentive ear,Clearly points out, not in one part alone,How imitative nature takes her courseFrom the celestial mind and from its art:And where her laws the Stagyrite unfolds,Not many leaves scann’d o’er, observing wellThou shalt discover, that your art on herObsequious follows, as the learner treadsIn his instructor’s step, so that your artDeserves the name of second in descentFrom God. These two, if thou recall to mindCreation’s holy book, from the beginningWere the right source of life and excellenceTo human kind. But in another pathThe usurer walks; and Nature in herselfAnd in her follower thus he sets at nought,Placing elsewhere his hope. But follow nowMy steps on forward journey bent; for nowThe Pisces play with undulating glanceAlong the horizon, and the Wain lies allO’er the north-west; and onward there a spaceIs our steep passage down the rocky height.”
Upon the utmost verge of a high bank,By craggy rocks environ’d round, we came,Where woes beneath more cruel yet were stow’d:And here to shun the horrible excessOf fetid exhalation, upward castFrom the profound abyss, behind the lidOf a great monument we stood retir’d,
Whereon this scroll I mark’d: “I have in chargePope Anastasius, whom Photinus drewFrom the right path.—Ere our descent behoovesWe make delay, that somewhat first the sense,To the dire breath accustom’d, afterwardRegard it not.” My master thus; to whomAnswering I spake: “Some compensation findThat the time past not wholly lost.” He then:“Lo! how my thoughts e’en to thy wishes tend!My son! within these rocks,” he thus began,“Are three close circles in gradation plac’d,As these which now thou leav’st. Each one is fullOf spirits accurs’d; but that the sight aloneHereafter may suffice thee, listen howAnd for what cause in durance they abide.“Of all malicious act abhorr’d in heaven,The end is injury; and all such endEither by force or fraud works other’s woeBut fraud, because of man peculiar evil,To God is more displeasing; and beneathThe fraudulent are therefore doom’d to’ endureSeverer pang. The violent occupyAll the first circle; and because to forceThree persons are obnoxious, in three roundsEach within other sep’rate is it fram’d.To God, his neighbour, and himself, by manForce may be offer’d; to himself I sayAnd his possessions, as thou soon shalt hearAt full. Death, violent death, and painful woundsUpon his neighbour he inflicts; and wastesBy devastation, pillage, and the flames,His substance. Slayers, and each one that smitesIn malice, plund’rers, and all robbers, henceThe torment undergo of the first roundIn different herds. Man can do violenceTo himself and his own blessings: and for thisHe in the second round must aye deploreWith unavailing penitence his crime,Whoe’er deprives himself of life and light,In reckless lavishment his talent wastes,And sorrows there where he should dwell in joy.To God may force be offer’d, in the heartDenying and blaspheming his high power,And nature with her kindly law contemning.And thence the inmost round marks with its sealSodom and Cahors, and all such as speakContemptuously of the Godhead in their hearts.“Fraud, that in every conscience leaves a sting,May be by man employ’d on one, whose trustHe wins, or on another who withholdsStrict confidence. Seems as the latter wayBroke but the bond of love which Nature makes.Whence in the second circle have their nestDissimulation, witchcraft, flatteries,Theft, falsehood, simony, all who seduceTo lust, or set their honesty at pawn,With such vile scum as these. The other wayForgets both Nature’s general love, and thatWhich thereto added afterwards gives birthTo special faith. Whence in the lesser circle,Point of the universe, dread seat of Dis,The traitor is eternally consum’d.”I thus: “Instructor, clearly thy discourseProceeds, distinguishing the hideous chasmAnd its inhabitants with skill exact.But tell me this: they of the dull, fat pool,Whom the rain beats, or whom the tempest drives,Or who with tongues so fierce conflicting meet,Wherefore within the city fire-illum’dAre not these punish’d, if God’s wrath be on them?And if it be not, wherefore in such guiseAre they condemned?” He answer thus return’d:“Wherefore in dotage wanders thus thy mind,Not so accustom’d? or what other thoughtsPossess it? Dwell not in thy memoryThe words, wherein thy ethic page describesThree dispositions adverse to Heav’n’s will,Incont’nence, malice, and mad brutishness,And how incontinence the least offendsGod, and least guilt incurs? If well thou noteThis judgment, and remember who they are,Without these walls to vain repentance doom’d,Thou shalt discern why they apart are plac’dFrom these fell spirits, and less wreakful poursJustice divine on them its vengeance down.”“O Sun! who healest all imperfect sight,Thou so content’st me, when thou solv’st my doubt,That ignorance not less than knowledge charms.Yet somewhat turn thee back,” I in these wordsContinu’d, “where thou saidst, that usuryOffends celestial Goodness; and this knotPerplex’d unravel.” He thus made reply:“Philosophy, to an attentive ear,Clearly points out, not in one part alone,How imitative nature takes her courseFrom the celestial mind and from its art:And where her laws the Stagyrite unfolds,Not many leaves scann’d o’er, observing wellThou shalt discover, that your art on herObsequious follows, as the learner treadsIn his instructor’s step, so that your artDeserves the name of second in descentFrom God. These two, if thou recall to mindCreation’s holy book, from the beginningWere the right source of life and excellenceTo human kind. But in another pathThe usurer walks; and Nature in herselfAnd in her follower thus he sets at nought,Placing elsewhere his hope. But follow nowMy steps on forward journey bent; for nowThe Pisces play with undulating glanceAlong the horizon, and the Wain lies allO’er the north-west; and onward there a spaceIs our steep passage down the rocky height.”