Part 23 (2/2)

No larger seemed they to me nor less wide Than those within my beautiful St. John[537]

For the baptizers' standing-place supplied; And one of which, not many years agone, I broke to save one drowning; and I would 20 Have this for seal to undeceive men known.

Out of the mouth of each were seen protrude A sinner's feet, and of the legs the small Far as the calves; the rest enveloped stood.

And set on fire were both the soles of all, Which made their ankles wriggle with such throes As had made ropes and withes asunder fall.

And as flame fed by unctuous matter goes Over the outer surface only spread; So from their heels it flickered to the toes. 30 'Master, who is he, tortured more,' I said, 'Than are his neighbours, writhing in such woe; And licked by flames of deeper-hearted red?'

And he: 'If thou desirest that below I bear thee by that bank[538] which lowest lies, Thou from himself his sins and name shalt know.'

And I: 'Thy wishes still for me suffice: Thou art my Lord, and knowest I obey Thy will; and dost my hidden thoughts surprise.'

To the fourth barrier then we made our way, 40 And, to the left hand turning, downward went Into the narrow hole-pierced cavity; Nor the good Master caused me make descent From off his haunch till we his hole were nigh Who with his shanks was making such lament.

'Whoe'er thou art, soul full of misery, Set like a stake with lower end upcast,'

I said to him, 'Make, if thou canst, reply.'

I like a friar[539] stood who gives the last Shrift to a vile a.s.sa.s.sin, to his side 50 Called back to win delay for him fixed fast.

'Art thou arrived already?' then he cried, 'Art thou arrived already, Boniface?

By several years the prophecy[540] has lied.

Art so soon wearied of the wealthy place, For which thou didst not fear to take with guile, Then ruin the fair Lady?'[541] Now my case Was like to theirs who linger on, the while They cannot comprehend what they are told, And as befooled[542] from further speech resile. 60 But Virgil bade me: 'Speak out loud and bold, ”I am not he thou thinkest, no, not he!”'

And I made answer as by him controlled.

The spirit's feet then twisted violently, And, sighing in a voice of deep distress, He asked: 'What then requirest thou of me?

If me to know thou hast such eagerness, That thou the cliff hast therefore ventured down, Know, the Great Mantle sometime was my dress.

I of the Bear, in sooth, was worthy son: 70 As once, the Cubs to help, my purse with gain I stuffed, myself I in this purse have stown.

Stretched out at length beneath my head remain All the simoniacs[543] that before me went, And flattened lie throughout the rocky vein.

I in my turn shall also make descent, Soon as he comes who I believed thou wast, When I asked quickly what for him was meant.

O'er me with blazing feet more time has past, While upside down I fill the topmost room, 80 Than he his crimsoned feet shall upward cast; For after him one viler still shall come, A Pastor from the West,[544] lawless of deed: To cover both of us his worthy doom.

A modern Jason[545] he, of whom we read In Maccabees, whose King denied him nought: With the French King so shall this man succeed.'

Perchance I ventured further than I ought, But I spake to him in this measure free: 'Ah, tell me now what money was there sought 90 Of Peter by our Lord, when either key He gave him in his guardians.h.i.+p to hold?

Sure He demanded nought save: ”Follow me!”

Nor Peter, nor the others, asked for gold Or silver when upon Matthias fell The lot instead of him, the traitor-souled.

Keep then thy place, for thou art punished well,[546]

And clutch the pelf, dishonourably gained, Which against Charles[547] made thee so proudly swell.

And, were it not that I am still restrained 100 By reverence[548] for those tremendous keys, Borne by thee while the glad world thee contained, I would use words even heavier than these; Seeing your avarice makes the world deplore, Crus.h.i.+ng the good, filling the bad with ease.

'Twas you, O Pastors, the Evangelist bore In mind what time he saw her on the flood Of waters set, who played with kings the wh.o.r.e; Who with seven heads was born; and as she would By the ten horns to her was service done, 110 Long as her spouse[549] rejoiced in what was good.

Now gold and silver are your G.o.d alone: What difference 'twixt the idolater and you, Save that ye pray a hundred for his one?

Ah, Constantine,[550] how many evils grew-- Not from thy change of faith, but from the gift Wherewith thou didst the first rich Pope endue!'

While I my voice continued to uplift To such a tune, by rage or conscience stirred Both of his soles he made to twist and s.h.i.+ft. 120 My Guide, I well believe, with pleasure heard; Listening he stood with lips so well content To me propounding truthful word on word.

Then round my body both his arms he bent, And, having raised me well upon his breast, Climbed up the path by which he made descent.

Nor was he by his burden so oppressed But that he bore me to the bridge's crown, Which with the fourth joins the fifth rampart's crest.

And lightly here he set his burden down, 130 Found light by him upon the precipice, Up which a goat uneasily had gone.

And thence another valley met mine eyes.

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