Of whom, the first that clearly I perceived, I knew and recognised as that man's shade, Whose cowardice the great refuse achieved. Incontinent I knew, and sure was made, That I had by the caitiff sect arrived, Whom both God and his enemies upbraid. These miserable wights, who never lived, Were naked all, and persecuted sore By wasps and by large gnats that herein thrived. Which then, with tears commingled, at their feet Was gathered up by loathly worms good store. And when I gave my glance a broader beat, On a great river's marge I found a force As soon as we have brought our steps to rest 69 60 65 70 75 Then I, with eyelids bashful and deprest, Through fear my speech was counter to his will, 80 From speech abstaining, to the river prest. And lo! within a bark approaching still An old man, white with antiquated hide, And thou, quick soul, which hither hast come o'er, But when he saw me stirring nathemore, "Approach the marge, not here, and by a bark Of lighter build thy body shall be sped." Then spoke my guide, "O Charon, leave thy cark; 85 90 This thing is willed in such a place that will 95 Is one with can,- now speak not from the mark.” And hereupon his woolly cheeks were still, This pilot on the livid swamp enshipt, Whose eyeball many a ring of flame did fill. But all the spirits there, forlorn and stript, Their color drop, and teeth with teeth engage, The race of man, the time, and place, and seed In loud bewailings to this margin evil, For every man who fears not God, decreed. Assembles them, with beck instead of call, And aye at each who lags his oar is level. And even as the leaves in autumn fall One close upon another, till the spray Views on the ground her weeds divested all; From off the margin, one by one, 'gan bound, And ere the first to yonder bank are sped, Another muster is on this side found. 100 105 110 115 120 "O son," the courteous master to me said, "The souls, that in the wrath of God expire, Assemble hither, from all countries led And eagerly to pass the stream require, For God's high justice spurs them to proceed, Trembled so violently, that from fright Memory ensteepeth me in sweat again. The land of tears gave out a gust, whence light Of lurid crimson overflasht the hell, 125 130 Which every feeling in me vanquisht quite, 135 THE SWound of sleep within my head was b And round, with my reposed eye, 'gan look, Which now in very truth the margin shows That blends a thunder from unbounded woes Obscure, unfathomable, nebulous For all that to the bottom I might send My gaze, I could descry no object thus. "Now let us down that darkling world desc Began the poet, grown quite pallid; "I Shall be the first, and thou shalt after wend. |