The Divine Comedy by Dante: The Vision of Hell, Or The Inferno: Canto XI

Upon the utmost verge of a high bank,     By craggy rocks environ'd round, we came,     Where woes beneath more cruel yet were stow'd:     And here to shun the horrible excess     Of fetid exhalation, upward cast     From the profound abyss, behind the lid     Of a great monument we stood retir'd,     Whereon this scroll I mark'd: "I have in charge     Pope Anastasius, whom Photinus drew     From the right path.--Ere our descent behooves     We make delay, that somewhat first the sense,     To the dire breath accustom'd, afterward     Regard it not." My master thus; to whom     Answering I spake: "Some compensation find     That the time past not wholly lost." He then:     "Lo! how my thoughts e'en to thy wishes tend!     My son! within these rocks," he thus began,     "Are three close circles in gradation plac'd,     As these which now thou leav'st. Each one is full     Of spirits accurs'd; but that the sight alone     Hereafter may suffice thee, listen how     And for what cause in durance they abide.     "Of all malicious act abhorr'd in heaven,     The end is injury; and all such end     Either by force or fraud works other's woe     But fraud, because of man peculiar evil,     To God is more displeasing; and beneath     The fraudulent are therefore doom'd to' endure     Severer pang. The violent occupy     All the first circle; and because to force     Three persons are obnoxious, in three rounds     Hach within other sep'rate is it fram'd.     To God, his neighbour, and himself, by man     Force may be offer'd; to himself I say     And his possessions, as thou soon shalt hear     At full. Death, violent death, and painful wounds     Upon his neighbour he inflicts; and wastes     By devastation, pillage, and the flames,     His substance. Slayers, and each one that smites     In malice, plund'rers, and all robbers, hence     The torment undergo of the first round     In different herds. Man can do violence     To himself and his own blessings: and for this     He in the second round must aye deplore     With unavailing penitence his crime,     Whoe'er deprives himself of life and light,     In reckless lavishment his talent wastes,     And sorrows there where he should dwell in joy.     To God may force be offer'd, in the heart     Denying and blaspheming his high power,     And nature with her kindly law contemning.     And thence the inmost round marks with its seal     Sodom and Cahors, and all such as speak     Contemptuously' of the Godhead in their hearts.     "Fraud, that in every conscience leaves a sting,     May be by man employ'd on one, whose trust     He wins, or on another who withholds     Strict confidence. Seems as the latter way     Broke but the bond of love which Nature makes.     Whence in the second circle have their nest     Dissimulation, witchcraft, flatteries,     Theft, falsehood, simony, all who seduce     To lust, or set their honesty at pawn,     With such vile scum as these. The other way     Forgets both Nature's general love, and that     Which thereto added afterwards gives birth     To special faith. Whence in the lesser circle,     Point of the universe, dread seat of Dis,     The traitor is eternally consum'd."     I thus: "Instructor, clearly thy discourse     Proceeds, distinguishing the hideous chasm     And its inhabitants with skill exact.     But tell me this: they of the dull, fat pool,     Whom the rain beats, or whom the tempest drives,     Or who with tongues so fierce conflicting meet,     Wherefore within the city fire-illum'd     Are not these punish'd, if God's wrath be on them?     And if it be not, wherefore in such guise     Are they condemned?" He answer thus return'd:     "Wherefore in dotage wanders thus thy mind,     Not so accustom'd? or what other thoughts     Possess it? Dwell not in thy memory     The words, wherein thy ethic page describes     Three dispositions adverse to Heav'n's will,     Incont'nence, malice, and mad brutishness,     And how incontinence the least offends     God, and least guilt incurs? If well thou note     This judgment, and remember who they are,     Without these walls to vain repentance doom'd,     Thou shalt discern why they apart are plac'd     From these fell spirits, and less wreakful pours     Justice divine on them its vengeance down."     "O Sun! who healest all imperfect sight,     Thou so content'st me, when thou solv'st my doubt,     That ignorance not less than knowledge charms.     Yet somewhat turn thee back," I in these words     Continu'd, "where thou saidst, that usury     Offends celestial Goodness; and this knot     Perplex'd unravel." He thus made reply:     "Philosophy, to an attentive ear,     Clearly points out, not in one part alone,     How imitative nature takes her course     From the celestial mind and from its art:     And where her laws the Stagyrite unfolds,     Not many leaves scann'd o'er, observing well     Thou shalt discover, that your art on her     Obsequious follows, as the learner treads     In his instructor's step, so that your art     Deserves the name of second in descent     From God. These two, if thou recall to mind     Creation's holy book, from the beginning     Were the right source of life and excellence     To human kind. But in another path     The usurer walks; and Nature in herself     And in her follower thus he sets at nought,     Placing elsewhere his hope. But follow now     My steps on forward journey bent; for now     The Pisces play with undulating glance     Along the' horizon, and the Wain lies all     O'er the north-west; and onward there a space     Is our steep passage down the rocky height."