Dante's Divine comedy Author:Leigh Hunt Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II THE JOURNEY THROUGH PURGATORY ARGUMENT Purgatory, in the system of Dante, is a mountain at the Antipodes on the top of which is the Terrestrial Parad... more »ise, once the seat of Adam and Eve. It forms the principal part of an island in a sea, and possesses a pure air. Its lowest region, with one or two exceptions of redeemed Pagans, is occupied by Excommunicated Penitents and by Delayers of Penitence, all of whom are compelled to lose time before their atonement commences. The other and greater portion of the ascent is divided into circles or plains, in which are expiated the Seven Deadly Sins. The Poet ascends from circle to circle with Virgil and Statius, and is met in a.forest on the top by the spirit of Beatrice, who transports him to Heaven. jjHEN the pilgrims emerged from the opening through which they beheld the stars, they found themselves in a scene which enchanted them with hope and joy. It was dawn: a sweet pure air came on their faces; and they beheld a sky of the loveliest oriental sapphire, whose colour seemed to pervade the whole serene hollow from earth to heaven. The beautiful planet which epcQujages Joying thoughts made all the orient laugh, obscuring by its very radiance the stars in its train; and among those which were still lingering and sparkling in the southern horizon, Dante saw four in the shape of a cross, never beheld by man since they gladdened the eyes qf our first parents. Heaven seemed to rejoice in their possession. O widowed northern pole ! bereaved art thou, indeed, since thou canst not gaze upon them !l 1 " Dolce color d" oriental zaffiro Che s' accoglieva nel sereno aspetto De 1' aer puro infino al primo giro, 4 g'i occhi miei ricomincio dijetto, Tosto ch' io usci" fuor de 1' aura morta Che m' avea contristati gli occhi e '1 pett...« less