SELECTIONSFROMTHEDIVINECOMEDY.

selectionsfromthedivinecomedy.

countugolino.

inthefrozenlakeofcocytusintheninthcircleoftheinferno,wherewerepunishedthetraitorstokindred,country,friends,orbenefactors,thepoetsbeheldcountugolino,aguelph,who,becauseofhistreachery,wastakenprisonerbythepeoplewithhissonsandgrandsonsandthrustintoatower,wheretheywerelefttostarve.ugolinowasfrozenintheice,whereheforevergnawedtheheadofthearchbishopieri,hisenemy.attherequestofdantehestoppedtotellhisstory.

"thywill'tisirenew

adesperatesorrowthatdothcrushmyheart

evenbeforemylipsitstaleimpart.

butifmywordsmaybeaseedthat,sowed,

shallfruitofinfamytothistraitorbear,

then,thoughiweep,speechtooshallbemycare.

"whothoumay'stbeiknownot,norwhatmode

hathbroughttheeherebelow,buttheniglean,

fromwordsofthine,thouartaflorentine.

thaticountugolinowas,knowthou,

andthisthearchbishopieri.why

iwilltheetellwearesuchneighborsnigh.

needsnottosaythathimididallow

afriend'sowntrusts,butsohistreacherywrought;

thatfirstmyliberty,thenmylife,itsought.

"butthatwhichthoucanstnothavehithertolearned

thatis,howcruelwasmydeath,ithee

willtell;judgethouifheoffendedme.

withinthemew,atowerwhichwellhathearned

frommeitsnameoffamine,andwherewrath

yetotherswaits,anarrowopeninghath,

throughwhichofseveralmoonsthebrokenlight

hadstrayed,whenuntomeinsleepwassent

adreamwherebythefuture'sveilwasrent.

"thisilldreammethismansetforthinmight:

hewolfandwhelpsuponthosemountspursued

whichpisa'twixtanda'sdomesobtrude.

houndshadhewithhim,lankandshrewdandkeen,

andintheirfrontgualandi'sswordhadplace,

sismondi'slashandsourlanfranchi'smace.

fatherandsons'undoingsoonwasseen;

methoughtthesharpfangsonthemclosed,andtore

theirflanks,whichnowthehueofcrimsonwore.

"beforethedawniwokeandheardmysons,

thehelplesschildrenwithme,intheirsleep,

cryoutforbread,criespushedfromsobbingsdeep.

rightcruelartthou,ifnote'ennowruns

totearsthygriefatwhatmyheartforbode,

iftearsofthineatmisery'stalee'erflowed.

andthentheywoke,andcamethehouraround

whichhadbeenwontourscantymealtobring;

butfromourdreamsdumbterrorsseemedtospring;

"whenfrombelowweheardthedreadfulsound

ofnails;thehorribletowerwasclosed;alldumb

iletmygazeintomysons'eyescome.

weepididnot,likestonemyfeelingslay.

theywept,andspokemylittleanselm:'pray