Cried out my sage, "suppose thyself to see,
That great Athenian duke returned once more, Who gave, on earth above, thy death to thee? Aroint thee, beast, for this man by the lore
Of thy half-sister is not led below; But he is come your torments to explore." As when a bull receives the mortal blow
He breaketh from his bonds, and, impotent To guide himself, goes plunging to and fro, Thus in our sight this Minotaurus went;
At which my guide said, "Hasten to the road; Best make, while he is raging, thy descent." And so along these outshot stones we trode
Downwards, and oftentimes they were dispelled
Beneath my feet, from their unwonted load.
Then said he while I mused, "Thy thoughts are filled, Perhaps, with yonder landslip, guarded by
This bestial anger, which I lately quelled. Now I would have thee know, the first time I Came this way downwards into nether hell, That rock had not yet fallen from on high.
Certes not long, if I remember well,
Before he came, who did from Pluto's reign, From the upper zone so large a prey compel, On all sides round the deep and putrid glen
So trembled, that the universe, I thought, Seemed struck with love; for thereby some maintain The world has been to chaos often brought;
At which time in the ancient rock, both here And further down, this overthrow was wrought. But now look downwards, we are drawing near The bloody river, wherein boileth he Whose violence to his neighbours costeth dear.” O frantic wrath, O blind cupidity,
That spurrest us within our short life so, And thus embrewest us everlastingly.
I saw an ample moat, and curved, as though Its complement should all the plain embrace, Like as my guide before had let me know; And 'twixt the bank and it, as if to trace
quarry, Centaurs ran with arrows dight,
As they were used on earth to ply the chase.
And suddenly they stopped, as we in sight
Arrived, and three departed from the train, With bows and arrows chosen first aright. And one among them cried, "Unto what pain Are you appointed, who descend the shore? Tell us from thence; if not, the bow I strain." My master said, "Our answer is in store
To give to Chiron yonder presently,
Thy hasty will has wrought mischance of yore." "Lo, that is Nessus," quoth he, prompting me,
"Who died in lovely Dejanira's quest, And brought about his own revenge; and he Betwixt the twain, who gazeth on his breast,
That great one is who did Achilles rear; The other's Pholus, whom such rage possest. Around the moat by thousands they career,
Transfixing every soul, that flinches more The blood than suits her sin's allotment here." Meantime towards these rapid beasts we bore. Then Chiron took a shaft, and with its head Threw back the beard that hung his jaws before;
And having got his large mouth clear, he said Forthwith to his companions, "Mark not you
Yon hinder one moves that which meets his tread? Now feet of dead men use not so to do."
By this, my master, standing by his chest, Where his two natures to each other grew, Replied, "He lives, indeed, and 'tis my 'hest To show him, thus alone, this valley dun; Our need, not pleasure, puts us on this quest. From singing Halleluiahs went forth one,
Who did this novel charge to me commend; No guileful ghost am I, thief is he none. Now by that puissance, through which I bend My steps along so wild a thoroughfare, Out of thy company, we pray thee, send One with us, that he may direct us where The ford is, and upon his back convey This man, for he's no ghost to glide the air." Then turning to the right, 'gan Chiron say
To Nessus, "Go, and thou shalt be their guide, And make what other bands you meet give way."
Then forth we moved our trusty guard beside
Along the margin of the seething red, In which the sodden spirits loudly cried.
I saw a nation that was covered
Up to the eyes, and, "These are tyrants, who Have dealt in blood and blows," the Centaur said. 105
"Here all dispiteous injuries they rue;
Here Alexander and stern Dennis bide, Who doleful years upon Sicilia drew. And yonder brow that hath so dark a hide
Is Azzolino, and the blond one here Obizzo d'Este, who most surely died On earth by hands unfilial." Out of fear
I then drew closer to my guide, but he Said, "Keep now him in front and me in rear.” Not far beyond the Centaur paused, as we
Came over some, that upwards-from the throat Seemed from the boiling current to be free.
A spirit all apart he bade us note,
And said, "The heart which over Thames is yet Revered, he in God's own bosom smote."
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