Pierre de la Brosse I say; and here provide Who only prayed that some one else may pray, O light of mine, expressly in some text, That orison can bend decree of Heaven; And ne'ertheless these people pray for this. Might then their expectation bootless be? Or is to me thy saying not quite clear?" And he to me: "My writing is explicit, And not fallacious is the hope of these, Because the fire of love fulfils at once Defect was not amended by a prayer, Do not decide, unless she tell it thee, Of Beatrice; her shalt thou see above, 25 30 35 40 45 50 "We will go forward with this day," he answered, "As far as now is possible for us; But otherwise the fact is than thou thinkest. It will point out to us the quickest way." How lofty and disdainful thou didst bear thee, And grand and slow in moving of thine eyes! Nothing whatever did it say to us, But let us go our way, eying us only After the manner of a couchant lion ; Still near to it Virgilius drew, entreating But of our native land and of our life 55 60 65 70 It questioned us; and the sweet Guide began: "Mantua," and the shade, all in itself recluse, Rose tow'rds him from the place where first it was, Saying: "O Mantuan, I am Sordello Of thine own land!" and one embraced the other. Ah! servile Italy, grief's hostelry! A ship without a pilot in great tempest ! At the sweet sound of his own native land, 76 80 And now within thee are not without war Thy living ones, and one doth gnaw the other Of those whom one wall and one fosse enclose! Search, wretched one, all round about the shores 85 Thy seaboard, and then look within thy bosom, If any part of thee enjoyeth peace! What boots it, that for thee Justinian The bridle mend, if empty be the saddle? Withouten this the shame would be the less. Ah! people, thou that oughtest to be devout, And to let Cæsar sit upon the saddle, If well thou hearest what God teacheth thee, Behold how fell this wild beast hath become, Being no longer by the spur corrected, Since thou hast laid thy hand upon the bridle. O German Albert! who abandonest Her that hath grown recalcitrant and savage, And oughtest to bestride her saddle-bow, May a just judgment from the stars down fall Upon thy blood, and be it new and open, That thy successor may have fear thereof; Because thy father and thyself have suffered, By greed of those transalpine lands distrained, The garden of the empire to be waste. Come and behold Montecchi and Cappelletti, Monaldi and Fillippeschi, careless man! 90 95 105 Those sad already, and these doubt-depressed! Come, cruel one! come and behold the oppression Of thy nobility, and cure their wounds, And thou shalt see how safe is Santafiore! ΙΙΟ Come and behold thy Rome, that is lamenting, And if for us no pity moveth thee, Or preparation is 't, that, in the abyss 115 120 Of thine own counsel, for some good thou makest, From our perception utterly cut off? For all the towns of Italy are full Of tyrants, and becometh a Marcellus 125 Each peasant churl who plays the partisan! My Florence! well mayst thou contented be With this digression, that concerns thee not, Thanks to thy people who such forethought take! Many at heart have justice, but shoot slowly, That unadvised they come not to the bow; But on their very lips thy people have it! Many refuse to bear the common burden; But thy solicitous people answereth 130 Without being asked, and crieth: "I submit." 135 Now be thou joyful, for thou hast good reason; Thou affluent, thou in peace, thou full of wisdom! If I speak true, the event conceals it not. Athens and Lacedæmon, they who made The ancient laws, and were so civilized, Made towards living well a little sign 140 Compared with thee, who makest such fine-spun Provisions, that to middle of November Reacheth not what thou in October spinnest. How oft, within the time of thy remembrance, Laws, money, offices, and usages 145 Hast thou remodelled, and renewed thy members? And if thou mind thee well, and see the light, Thou shalt behold thyself like a sick woman, Who cannot find repose upon her down, But by her tossing wardeth off her pain. 150 CANTO VII. FTER the gracious and glad salutations Had three and four times been reiterated, Sordello backward drew and said, "Who are you?" "Or ever to this mountain were directed The souls deserving to ascend to God, My bones were buried by Octavian. I am Virgilius; and for no crime else Did I lose heaven, than for not having faith" ; Something whereat he marvels, who believes And yet doth not, saying, "It is! it is not!" So he appeared; and then bowed down his brow, And with humility returned towards him, IQ And, where inferiors embrace, embraced him. 15 |