But when his changed color I espy,

"How shall I come," I said, "if thou do fear; That dost encourage me, when doubts are by? "The anguish of the tribe," said he, "that here Lives underneath, painteth my face in this Pale ruth, which doth like dread to thee appear. Come now, for our long journey makes amiss

To linger:" then he past and bore me on

To the first circle, which engirds the abyss.
Here, so far as from harkening might be known,
There was no wailing, further than by sighs

That shake the air of that eternal zone.

And this proceeds from woe, sāns agonies,

Inherent in a vast and numerous band

Of manly, infantine, or female guise.

Said my good master, "Dost thou not demand

What people those are yonder whom we see? Now I would have thee know, while here at hand, That they've not sinned, and merits if there be

In them, yet these are without baptism vain, That portal of the path believed by thee.

Because they lived before the Christian reign,
They rendered worship unto God unduly,
And I myself am one of yonder train.

For this offence, and no more evil truly,

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Are we undone, and but so far offended,

That without hope desire pervades us throughly."
Great grief my heart nipt, when I apprehended

His words, for folk in merit standing high
I knew, who in this limbo were suspended.
"Tell me, my master, tell, my lord,” said I,
Desiring to be certain of that creed
Which finally subdueth every lie,

"Knowest thou, if any yet, for his own meed,

Or other's, have gone out to join the blest?" Then he, who did my covert meaning heed, Replied, "When I was yet a novel guest

In this domain, I saw a puissant One,

That came with head in crown triumphal drest;
And our first parent's shade, Abel his son,
And Noah, from among us forth did bring,
With Moses, who the law had given and done,

And Abraham patriarch, and David king,
And Israel, his father and his race,

And Rachel, whom he wrought so long to win,
And many others, and in happy place

Set them; and I would teach thee, that before
This hour, no soul of man attained to grace."
For all he spoke we rested not, but bore

Still onward thro' the wood; that wood, I say,
Of spirits thick and thronging evermore.
When we had gone but yet a little way

On this side from the summit, lo! a flame,

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That girt with hemisphere of darkness, lay.

Nor yet within some distance thence we came,
But near enow for me to see in part,
That folk was there of honorable fame.
"O thou, that honorest all lore and art,

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Say, who are these, that are so honored, That from the common life they stand apart?" "That honorable praise of them," he said,

"That sounds upon your land of living men, Wins grace from heaven that so lifts up their head."

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I heard a voice proclaiming even then,

"Honor unto the most high poet yield; His shade, that had departed, comes agen."

And when the voice had ended and was stilled,
Four mighty shades approaching I survey,
Whose countenance neither joy nor sadness filled.
My gracious master then began to say,

"See him that comes with sword in hand along,
And leadeth, like an honored liege, the way;
That is Homeros, paramount of song ;

Horatius, the satirist, is nigh;

Ovidius third, Lucanus last in throng.

Because that each partaketh, as do I,

The name, which from the single voice did sound, They do me honor, and do well thereby :" Thus all the fair assembled school I found,

Of this the master of sublimest song, That like an eagle flies above their bound.

They reasoned now among themselves not long,

And turned to me with signs of courtesy,

My gracious master smiling hereupon;

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And far more honor they vouchsafed to me,
By making me a member of their train,
And sixth in this deep-witted company.
Then moved we on towards the light amain,
Discoursing things which here 'tis good to hide,

As there to speak of them was meet again.

A noble castle we arrived beside,

That in the midst of seven high walls doth stand, And fair protecting waters round it glide;

Over the which we passed, like to firm land;

By seven gates these noble wits and I

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Came through, where fresh and verdant swards expand. A tribe was there of grave and tardy eye;

Semblance of great authority they wore, And spoke with voices soft unfrequently. Thus to a corner of the tract we bore,

And reacht an open place full high and sheen, Whence all could be descried and well lookt o'er. There, in my front, upon the enamel green,

Appeared the mighty shades without disguise,

Whom in my soul I glory to have seen.

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