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The Inferno, tr. into Engl. verse, with notes, by E.R. Ellaby. Cantos i-x
The Inferno tr into Engl verse with notes by ER Ellaby Cantos i-x Author:Dante Alighieri 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: CANTO IV. Ruppemi /' alto. ARGUMENT. The Poets descend into the first circle of Hell, or Limbo, wherein are placed the spirits of those, who, not having s... more »inned in the theological sense, have yet, owing to their want of baptism, come short of salvation ; and also of those, who, having lived in pre-Christian times, neglected the dictates of natural religion. Emerging from the dense crowd of souls in the direction of a light shining in the darkness, they meet the shades of Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan, by whom they are accompanied into the separate abode of the great spirits of antiquity. The sleep that bound my head was broken by A thunder peal so loud that I sprung up, As one that is awaken'd forcibly. Uplifted on my feet I moved around My rested eyes, and look'd with eagerness, 5 To ascertain the place wherein I was. 'Tis true—upon the margin of the Abyss I found myself, whose caverns dolorous Gather the thunderous sound of agonies Innumerable. It was so dark, profound, 10 And nebulous, that we on bending down Our steadfast gaze discern'd no single thing. ' Descend we now to the blind world below ;' My Teacher thus his speech all pale as death Began, ' I first, thou after rne.' And I, 15 Who had remark'd his pallid hue, forthwith Replied ; ' How shall I go, if thou dost fear, Whose strength alone my wavering comforteth 1' And he return'd ; ' The anguish of the souls That are down here pourtrays upon my face 20 That sympathy, which thou mistak'st for fear. Hasten we on, for the long way doth press.' 'Twas thus he enter'd, thus he made me enter The foremost circle that surrounds the Abyss. Within, far as the listening ear could hear, 25 No wailing sound arose, save that of sighs Alone, that shook the everlasting air, ...« less