E fece la mia voglia tanto pronta

Di riguardar chi era che parlava,

Che mai non posa, se non si raffronta.*
Ma come al sol, che nostra vista grava,

E per soperchio sua figura vela,
Così la mia virtù quivi mancava.

I was turning round to see where I was, when a voice
said: "Here is the ascent :" and this withdrew me
from every other thought, and made my will, to be-
hold who it was that was speaking, so eager, that
never would it have ceased (longing), until it were
brought face to face (with the being who had spoken).
But as before the sun, which overpowers our sight,
and from its excess (of light) conceals its form, so
here did my power fail me.

50

The voice had caused an interruption of Dante's meditations on Anger, and had prepared him for further wonders. Just as the effulgence of the Angel surpassed all lights hitherto seen by Dante, so must the voice have sounded like no mortal voice, and hence his desire to behold the speaker.

At this point Virgil, seeing Dante's inability to distinguish the shining form which has addressed him, explains the cause of the radiant vision. Virgil himself is gifted with a sight more perfect and penetrating than that which Dante's human eyes can afford him.

vivezza può ben confondere e opprimere gli occhi di colui che esce appena dal fumo dell' ira; ma che presto, congiunta con una voce che pone sicurezza nel profondo dell' anima, schiara e afforza l'uomo nelle pacifiche vie ove prosperano i passi de' mansueti." (Perez, p. 167).

* Che mai non posa, se non si raffronta: Many of the old commentators attach a deeper signification to these words, especially Lana who interprets: "That voice sounded to me of such sweetness, that my mind will never more rest until I am able to hear it again face to face, that is, when this first life is ended."

-“Questi è divino spirito, che ne la *

Via d' andar su ne drizza senza prego,t
E col suo lume sè medesmo cela.
Sì fa con noi, come l' uom si fa sego; ‡

Che quale aspetta prego, e l'uopo vede,
Malignamente già si mette al nego.§

55

60

"This is a divine spirit, who unasked is directing us into the way to go up, and who conceals himself in his own light. He so deals with us, as a man does for himself; for whoever expects the petition, and sees the need, is already setting himself evilly to deny it. As though Virgil would say: "Just as man supplies his own needs without any one else asking him, so now does the Angel come spontaneously to us, and

*ne la: for nella. Scartazzini says that in old Italian writing this form was used not necessarily for the purpose of a rhyme, but even in the middle of a line, and also in prose.

+ senza prego: Upon true liberality as demonstrated by unasked for gifts, Dante writes in the Convito 1, 8, ll. 116-128: "La terza cosa, nella quale si può notare la pronta liberalità, si è dar non domandato: perciocchè il domandato è da una parte non virtù, ma mercatanzia: perocchè quello ricevitore compera, tuttochè 'l datore non venda; perchè dice Seneca (De Benef. ii, cap. 1, Nulla res carius constat, quam quæ precibus emta est.) 'che nulla cosa più cara si compera, che quella dove e' prieghi si spendono.' Onde acciocchè nel dono sia pronta liberalità, e che essa si possa in esso notare, allora si conviene esser netto d'ogni atto di mercatanzia ; e così conviene essere lo dono non domandato."

Isego for seco. In all old Italian the interchange of g and c is frequent, e.g.: preco for prego; laco for lago; draco for drago; figo for fico; siguro for sicuro; Gostanza for Costanza; and in Conv. 1, 8, 1. 33: "li Tegni di Galieno," which Fraticelli's note says is "antica corruzione di Tecni, da réxyn, Arte, titolo dato da Galeno ad un suo libro dell' arte medica." The word occurs in the Apocryphal Canzone, wrongly attributed to Dante, beginning Giovene donna, at st. 6:

"Vattene, mia canzon, ch' io te ne prego,

Fra le person che volontier t' intenda,

E si t'arresta di ragionar sego."

§al nego: See note above on senza prego."

forestalls our petitions." And in this passage Benvenuto considers that Virgil censures (arguit) a common error of men, who, seeing their neighbour have need, although they wish to help him, yet expect and desire to be asked.

Virgil tells Dante that he ought to show his appreciation of the Angel's courtesy by at once moving forward.

Ora accordiamo a tanto invito il piede :

Procacciam di salir pria che s' abbui,

Chè poi non si poría, se il dì non riede.”—

Now let us make our feet accord unto so gracious an
invitation; let us endeavour to ascend before it gets
dark, for after, it would not be possible, until the day
returns."

Virgil is anxious that they should reach the top before
the darkness arrests their steps, so that they should
not have to sleep upon the stairway, as in fact (Canto
xxvii, 70) they have to do on the following night.
The ascent to the Fourth Cornice is described.

Così disse il mio Duca, ed io con lui
Volgemmo i nostri passi ad una scala ;
E tosto ch' io al primo grado fui,
Senti' mi presso quasi un mover d' ala,

E ventarmi nel viso, e dir :-“ Beati
Pacifici, che son senza ira mala.” *—

Thus spoke my Leader, and I with him turned our

65

* senza ira mala: Scartazzini contends that all wrath is not sinful, for in Holy Scripture the wrath of God, which cannot be unrighteous, is repeatedly spoken of. Compare Ephes. iv, 26: "Be ye angry, and sin not." St. Thos. Aquinas (Summ. Theol. pars ii, 2dæ, qu. clviii, art. 1) quotes from St. Chrysostom: “Qui sine causa irascitur, reus erit; qui vero cum causâ, non erit reus; nam si ira non fuerit, nec doctrina proficit, nec judicia stant, nec crimina compescuntur." And St. Thos. Aqu. adds: "Ergo irasci non semper est malum."

steps towards a stairway; and as soon as I was on the
first step, I felt close by me as it were the movement
of a wing, and a fanning on my face, and (I heard)
said: "Blessed are the Peacemakers, who are free
from sinful anger."

Benvenuto wishes us to remark that Dante has used the expression ira mala intentionally, for some anger can be righteous, and without sin, though Cicero in his Tusculan Disputations, and Seneca in his book on Anger, have sought to demonstrate at length, that all anger is sinful and detestable.

Dante now describes at what time of day they entered on the stairway, on which Dr. Moore (Time References, p. 100) observes: "As they ascend to the Fourth Cornice, where Accidia, or Sloth, is punished, twilight has come on, the last light in the sky is rapidly fading, and the stars are beginning to appear here and there."

Già eran sopra noi tanto levati

Gli ultimi raggi* che la notte segue,

Che le stelle apparivan da più lati.

Already were the last rays, upon which the night follows, so high above us, that the stars were shining forth on every side (lit. in many places).

70

At this point Dante begins to feel symptoms of fatigue,

* Gli ultimi raggi: Tommaséo quotes the following remarks of the astronomer Antonelli: “Ultimi. Delicatissima l' osservazione, e comprova quanto profondo scrutatore dei fenomeni naturali fosse il nostro Poeta. Quando infatti ci troviamo sopra notevoli alture, e il sole, occultato al nostro occhio nonchè ai bassi piani, indora soltanto, e leggermente le più elevate cime delle montagne, ad aria limpida e pura cominciano a vedersi in più punti del cielo le stelle di prima grandezza, alle quali non fa grave ostacolo quel candido velo, che dalla luce crepuscolare ancora rimane."

and laments that his strength is failing.

The reason

for this sudden weakness is the approach of night, which, according to the laws of Purgatory, impedes their further progress. (Purg. vii, 43-60).

—“O virtù * mia, perchè sì ti dilegue?"—

Fra me stesso dicea, chè mi sentiva

La possa delle gambe posta in tregue.

"O my strength, why art thou thus melting away?"
I kept saying within myself, for I began to feel that
the power of my legs had ceased for awhile (lit. had
been placed in truce).

75

Division III. In this Division is investigated the origin of Spiritual Sloth (Accidie), and also of the other sins chastised in Purgatory, not only those that have been already purged in the three first Cornices, viz. Pride, Envy and Anger, but also those in the three remaining Cornices, viz. Avarice, Gluttony and Self-Indulgence.

Dante first describes the spot where they passed the night. It was at the summit of the stairs, and on the boundary of the Fourth Cornice.

Benvenuto greatly admires the comparison Dante now makes: "As a ship is attached to the shore, where it can remain for a time, and eventually succeed in getting into the port, in which it can lie in perfect security, so here, the genius of Dante, which, in the opening words of the Purgatorio, he has likened to a bark, had fortified and fixed itself on the summit of the stairs for the night. This had already taken place

* virtù: Tommaséo interprets this "virtù del piede, i. e. walking powers." Scartazzini: "forza di muoversi.”