And lo! as first the steep upon me grew,
A lynx of motion most adroit and light,
And covered with a skin of speckled hue,
Who never would avoid out of my sight,

But hindered me so sorely of my way,
That oft I turned my back to take my flight.
The time was early morning, on that day

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When rose the sun with those same stars combined

That were with him, when love Divine did sway
Those bright things first into the paths designed; 40
So that I felt some ground for hope, I ween,

From the sweet hour, and from the season kind,
And that fell creature's comely-checkered skin.

But not enough to view, without ill cheer,
The vision of a lion intervene,

Who full upon me rushing did appear,

With lifted head and ravenous raging mien, That seemed to make the air before him fear; A she-wolf eke, whose body bare and lean

Seemed loaded with all fury of desire, Whence many a wight a woeful age hath seen;

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Who with such heaviness did me inspire

By fears, that ever issued from her face, That I gave up all hope of mounting higher.

And as a man, who stood in happy case

Acquiring, when his time of loss is come,

For tears and woes in every thought has place;
So this unresting beast made me become,

Who fronting me for ever, piece by piece, Aye pusht me backward, where the sun is dumb. 60 Thus ruining down lower by degrees,

I found emerging on my view a wight,

That seemed half mute with holding long his peace.
Whom, meeting in that monstrous wild my sight,
I called unto, "Have pity, pity on me,
Whate'er thou art, or very man, or sprite!"

He answered, "Once a man, not such for thee;

My parents too were of the Lombard state, And Mantuans by birthplace, he and she; And I was born sub Julio, tho' late,

And lived at Rome beneath Augustus mild, When false and futile gods were yet in date;

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A poet

and I sang the righteous child

Of old Anchises, how he sped from Troy, When fires consuming haughty Ilion spoiled.

But thou, why turnest back to such

annoy ?

Why dost thou not the mount delightsome tread, Which is the cause and principle of joy?"

"Now art thou Virgil? art thou that well-head,

That spreadeth out in speech so broad a river?" 80 These words with shame-faced reverence I said.

"O light and glory of all bards for ever,

As I have sought thy book, so save me now For my great love and for my long endeavor; Thou art my master and my author thou,

And thou alone art he, from whom I took

The noble style, which doth exalt my brow.
Look on the beast from whom I turned, O look ;
Deliver me from her, thou sage renowned,
Who has with fright my veins and pulses shook."
"Another passage must for thee be found,"

He answered, when my weeping he surveyed, "If thou wilt pass the salvage place's bound.

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For yonder beast, who so to howl thee made
By no man ever lets her road be past,
But hinders them, yea slays them as her tra
Whose nature hath so foul and wrong a cast
That she her greedy will can never sate,
But seems more famished after food than fas
Of many an animal she makes her mate,

And many more will have, until that houn
Shall come, who must with grief cut short h
Whose meat in land or dross shall not be fou
But virtue, wisdom, love, shall feed him e
And Feltro unto Feltro be his bound;
He shall this humbled Italy deliver,

For which Euryalus, Nisus, Turnus, fell Bewounded, and Camilla knew man never; He shall this beast from tower and town com

Till whence she came he force her to retur Whence envy roused her, to the hold of hell. Now for thy weal this method I discern

And counsel, that thou follow me as guide, And I will take thee hence, by tracts eterne,

Where wailings of despair thy sense will gride,
And ancient spirits thou wilt see tormented,

By each of whom the second death is cried.

And thou wilt see the souls that live contented

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In flames, thro' which they hope to mount up higher

To blessed realms, when heaven has once consented;
To which, if thou wilt afterwards aspire,

Behold, a spirit worthier than I

Shall come, and I, departing, leave thee by her;
For yonder emperor, that reigns on high,

Because I have obeyed not his decree,

Will have me not his city to draw nigh.

O'er all with might, and there with majesty

He reigns, there keeps his city and high throne; O blessed, whom he chooses there to see."

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"I charge thee, by that God, to thee unknown, Poet," I cried, "to lead me as thou sayest,

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That I may flee this hurt, nor this alone,
Till on St. Peter's gate mine eyes may rest,

And those who by thy telling make such moan.” Then forth he moved, and I behind him prest.

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