In　little　while；　and　the　lost　countenance
  As　love　desires　it　so　in　her　did　colour。
  When　in　this　wise　she　had　her　speech　unloosed；
  She　'gan　to　sing　so；　that　with　difficulty
  Could　I　have　turned　my　thoughts　away　from　her。
  〃I　am；〃　she　sang；　〃I　am　the　Siren　sweet
  Who　mariners　amid　the　main　unman；
  So　full　am　I　of　pleasantness　to　hear。
  I　drew　Ulysses　from　his　wandering　way
  Unto　my　song；　and　he　who　dwells　with　me
  Seldom　departs　so　wholly　I　content　him。〃
  Her　mouth　was　not　yet　closed　again；　before
  Appeared　a　Lady　saintly　and　alert
  Close　at　my　side　to　put　her　to　confusion。
  〃Virgilius；　O　Virgilius！　who　is　this？〃
  Sternly　she　said；　and　he　was　drawing　near
  With　eyes　still　fixed　upon　that　modest　one。
  She　seized　the　other　and　in　front　laid　open；
  Rending　her　garments；　and　her　belly　showed　me；
  This　waked　me　with　the　stench　that　issued　from　it。
  I　turned　mine　eyes；　and　good　Virgilius　said：
  〃At　least　thrice　have　I　called　thee；　rise　and　come；
  Find　we　the　opening　by　which　thou　mayst　enter。〃
  I　rose；　and　full　already　of　high　day
  Were　all　the　circles　of　the　Sacred　Mountain；
  And　with　the　new　sun　at　our　back　we　went。
  Following　behind　him；　I　my　forehead　bore
  Like　unto　one　who　has　it　laden　with　thought；
  Who　makes　himself　the　half　arch　of　a　bridge；
  When　I　heard　say；　〃Come；　here　the　passage　is；〃
  Spoken　in　a　manner　gentle　and　benign；
  Such　as　we　hear　not　in　this　mortal　region。
  With　open　wings；　which　of　a　swan　appeared；
  Upward　he　turned　us　who　thus　spake　to　us；
  Between　the　two　walls　of　the　solid　granite。
  He　moved　his　pinions　afterwards　and　fanned　us；
  Affirming　those　'qui　lugent'　to　be　blessed；
  For　they　shall　have　their　souls　with　comfort　filled。
  〃What　aileth　thee；　that　aye　to　earth　thou　gazest？〃
  To　me　my　Guide　began　to　say；　we　both
  Somewhat　beyond　the　Angel　having　mounted。
  And　I：　〃With　such　misgiving　makes　me　go
  A　vision　new；　which　bends　me　to　itself；
  So　that　I　cannot　from　the　thought　withdraw　me。〃
  〃Didst　thou　behold；〃　he　said；　〃that　old　enchantress；
  Who　sole　above　us　henceforth　is　lamented？
  Didst　thou　behold　how　man　is　freed　from　her？
  Suffice　it　thee；　and　smite　earth　with　thy　heels；
  Thine　eyes　lift　upward　to　the　lure；　that　whirls
  The　Eternal　King　with　revolutions　vast。〃
  Even　as　the　hawk；　that　first　his　feet　surveys；
  Then　turns　him　to　the　call　and　stretches　forward；
  Through　the　desire　of　food　that　draws　him　thither；
  Such　I　became；　and　such；　as　far　as　cleaves
  The　rock　to　give　a　way　to　him　who　mounts；
  Went　on　to　where　the　circling　doth　begin。
  On　the　fifth　circle　when　I　had　come　forth；
  People　I　saw　upon　it　who　were　weeping；
  Stretched　prone　upon　the　ground；　all　downward　turned。
  〃Adhaesit　pavimento　anima　mea；〃
  I　heard　them　say　with　sighings　so　profound；
  That　hardly　could　the　words　be　understood。
  〃O　ye　elect　of　God；　whose　sufferings
  Justice　and　Hope　both　render　less　severe；
  Direct　ye　us　towards　the　high　ascents。〃
  〃If　ye　are　come　secure　from　this　prostration；
  And　wish　to　find　the　way　most　speedily；
  Let　your　right　hands　be　evermore　outside。〃
  Thus　did　the　Poet　ask；　and　thus　was　answered
  By　them　somewhat　in　front　of　us；　whence　I
  In　what　was　spoken　divined　the　rest　concealed；
  And　unto　my　Lord's　eyes　mine　eyes　I　turned；
  Whence　he　assented　with　a　cheerful　sign
  To　what　the　sight　of　my　desire　implored。
  When　of　myself　I　could　dispose　at　will；
  Above　that　creature　did　I　draw　myself；
  Whose　words　before　had　caused　me　to　take　note；
  Saying：　〃O　Spirit；　in　whom　weeping　ripens
  That　without　which　to　God　we　cannot　turn；
  Suspend　awhile　for　me　thy　greater　care。
  Who　wast　thou；　and　why　are　your　backs　turned　upwards；
  Tell　me；　and　if　thou　wouldst　that　I　procure　thee
  Anything　there　whence　living　I　departed。〃
  And　he　to　me：　〃Wherefore　our　backs　the　heaven
  Turns　to　itself；　know　shalt　thou；　but　beforehand
  'Scias　quod　ego　fui　successor　Petri。'
  Between　Siestri　and　Chiaveri　descends
  A　river　beautiful；　and　of　its　name
  The　title　of　my　blood　its　summit　makes。
  A　month　and　little　more　essayed　I　how
  Weighs　the　great　cloak　on　him　from　mire　who　keeps　it；
  For　all　the　other　burdens　seem　a　feather。
  Tardy；　ah　woe　is　me！　was　my　conversion；
  But　when　the　Roman　Shepherd　I　was　made；
  Then　I　discovered　life　to　be　a　lie。
  I　saw　that　there　the　heart　was　not　at　rest；
  Nor　farther　in　that　life　could　one　ascend；
  Whereby　the　love　of　this　was　kindled　in　me。
  Until　that　time　a　wretched　soul　and　parted
  From　God　was　I；　and　wholly　avaricious；
  Now；　as　thou　seest；　I　here　am　punished　for　it。
  What　avarice　does　is　here　made　manifest
  In　the　purgation　of　these　souls　converted；
  And　no　more　bitter　pain　the　Mountain　has。
  Even　as　our　eye　did　not　uplift　itself
  Aloft；　being　fastened　upon　earthly　things；
  So　justice　here　has　merged　it　in　the　earth。
  As　avarice　had　extinguished　our　affection
  For　every　good；　whereby　was　action　lost；
  So　justice　here　doth　hold　us　in　restraint；
  Bound　and　imprisoned　by　the　feet　and　hands；
  And　so　long　as　it　pleases　the　just　Lord
  Shall　we　remain　immovable　and　prostrate。〃
  I　on　my　knees　had　fallen；　and　wished　to　speak；
  But　even　as　I　began；　and　he　was　'ware；
  Only　by　listening；　of　my　reverence；
  〃What　cause；〃　he　said；　〃has　downward　bent　thee　thus？〃
  And　I　to　him：　〃For　your　own　dignity；
  Standing；　my　conscience　stung　me　with　remorse。〃
  〃Straighten　thy　legs；　and　upward　raise　thee；　brother；〃
  He　answered：　〃Err　not；　fellow…servant　am　I
  With　thee　and　with　the　others　to　one　power。
  If　e'er　that　holy；　evangelic　sound；
  Which　sayeth　'neque　nubent；'　thou　hast　heard；
  Well　canst　thou　see　why　in　this　wise　I　speak。
  Now　go；　no　longer　will　I　have　thee　linger；
  Because　thy　stay　doth　incommode　my　weeping；
  With　which　I　ripen　that　which　thou　hast　said。
  On　earth　I　have　a　grandchild　named　Alagia；
  Good　in　herself；　unless　indeed　our　house
  Malevolent　may　make　her　by　example；
  And　she　alone　remains　to　me　on　earth。〃
  Purgatorio：　Canto　XX
  Ill　strives　the　will　against　a　better　will；
  Therefore；　to　pleasure　him；　against　my　pleasure
  I　drew　the　sponge　not　saturate　from　the　water。
  Onward　I　moved；　and　onward　moved　my　Leader；
  Through　vacant　places；　skirting　still　the　rock；
  As　on　a　wall　close　to　the　battlements；
  For　they　that　through　their　eyes　pour　drop　by　drop
  The　malady　which　all　the　world　pervades；
  On　the　other　side　too　near　the　verge　approach。
  Accursed　mayst　thou　be；　thou　old　she…wolf；
  That　more　than　all　the　other　beasts　hast　prey；
  Because　of　hunger　infinitely　hollow！
  O　heaven；　in　whose　gyrations　some　appear
  To　think　conditions　here　below　are　changed；
  When　will　he　come　through　whom　she　shall　depart？
  Onward　we　went　with　footsteps　slow　and　scarce；
  And　I　attentive　to　the　shades　I　heard
  Piteously　weeping　and　bemoaning　them；
  And　I　by　peradventure　heard　〃Sweet　Mary！〃
  Uttered　in　front　of　us　amid　the　weeping
  Even　as　a　woman　does　who　is　in　child…birth；
  And　in　continuance：　〃How　poor　thou　wast
  Is　manifested　by　that　hostelry
  Where　thou　didst　lay　thy　sacred　burden　down。〃
  Thereafterward　I　heard：　〃O　good　Fabricius；
  Virtue　with　poverty　didst　thou　prefer
  To　the　possession　of　great　wealth　with　vice。〃
  So　pleasurable　were　these　words　to　me
  That　I　drew　farther　onward　to　have　knowledge
  Touching　that　spirit　whence　they　seemed　to　come。
  He　furthermore　was　speaking　of　the　largess
  Which　Nicholas　unto　the　maidens　gave；
  In　order　to　conduct　their　youth　to　honour。
  〃O　soul　that　dost　so　excellently　speak；
  Tell　me　who　wast　thou；〃　said　I；　〃and　why　only
  Thou　dost　renew　these　praises　well　deserved？
  Not　without　recompense　shall　be　thy　word；
  If　I　return　to　finish　the　short　journey
  Of　that　life　which　is　flying　to　its　end。〃
  And　he：　〃I'll　tell　thee；　not　for　any　comfort
  I　may　expect　from　earth；　but　that　so　much
  Grace　shines　in　thee　or　ever　thou　art　dead。
  I　was　the　root　of　that　malignant　plant
  Which　overshadows　all　the　Christian　world；
  So　that　good　fruit　is　seldom　gathered　from　it；
  But　if　Douay　and　Ghent；　and　Lille　and　Bruges
  Had　Power；　soon　vengeance　would　be　taken　on　it；
  And　this　I　pray　of　Him　who　judges　all。
  Hugh　Capet　was　I　called　upon　the　earth；
  From　me　were　born　the　Louises　and　Philips；
  By　whom　in　later　days　has　France　been　governed。
  I　was　the　son　of　a　Parisian　butcher；
  What　time　the　ancient　kings　had　perished　all；
  Excepting　one；　contrite　in　cloth　of　gray。
  I　found　me　grasping　in　my　hands　the　rein
  Of　the　realm's　government；　and　so　great　power
  Of　new　acquest；　and　so　with　friends　abounding；
  That　to　the　widowed　diadem　promoted
  The　head　of　mine　own　offspring　was；　from　whom
  The　consecrated　bones　of　these　began。
  So　long　as　the　great　dowry　of　Provence
  Out　of　my　blood　took　not　the　sense　of　shame；
  'Twas　little　worth；　but　still　it　did　no　harm。
  Then　it　began　with　falsehood　and　with　force
  Its　rapine；　and　thereafter；　for　amends；
  Took　Ponthieu；　Normandy；　and　Gascony。
  Charles　came　to　Italy；　and　for　amends
  A　victim　made　of　Conradin；　and　then
  Thrust　Thomas　back　to　heaven；　for　amends。
  A　time　I　see；　not　very　distant　now；
  Which　drawe