Purgatorio: Canto XX

III fights our will against a will more true;
Wherefore, against my pleasure, him to please,
I from the water sponge unfilled withdrew.

I moved, my Teacher also moved, where ease
Of access met us, by the rough rock's face,'
As on a wall, we near the rampart squeeze.

For on the outer side too near, the race
Was seen who still shed, drop by drop, in tears.
The ill which doth the whole wide world embrace.

Accurst art thou, thou wolf of ancient years,
Who hast far more than other beasts thy prey.
Through hunger vast to which no end appears:

O Heaven, by whose revolving course some say
In this our earthly state doth change ensue.
When will He come who'll chase her far away?"

Onward we went with footsteps slow and few,
And I, upon those souls around intent,
Heard them their moans and wailing still renew.

And heard by chance their cry, " Sweet Mary," sent
Before us, as they wailed, and made their moan,
Like woman in her pangs of travail bent.

And in continuance came, " Full well was known
How poor thou wert by that low hostelry
Where thou didst lay thy holy burden down."

And next, " O good Fabricius " came the cry,
Thou didst choose virtue with a poor estate
Rather than guilt with great wealth's pageantry."

These words to me brought pleasantness so great
That I went on, more converse so to hold
With that soul whence they seemed to emanate.

He then the tale of generous bounty told
Which Nicolaos to the maidens gave.
To keep their youth within pure honour's fold.

O soul, who speakest words so good and brave.
Say who thou wast," I said, "and why alone"
Thou dost renew those praises high and grave?

Nor shall thy speech unrecompensed be shown.
If I return, the brief path to complete
Of this our life which to its goal speeds on."

And he: " I'll tell thee, not for comfort sweet,
Which thence I hope for, but because in thee
Such great grace shines ere thou with death dost meet.

I was the root of that ill progeny
Which so o'erclouds the face of Christendom,
That seldom good fruit gathered there we see.

But if to Douay, Bruges, Ghent, Lille should come
The power to act, on it would vengeance fall:
May the great Judge of all drive that blow home!

Me as Hugh Capet men of old did call.
From me the lines of Philips, Louis' run,
Who in late days in France have governed all.

I of a Paris butcher was the son:
What time the line of ancient kings gave way.
Save one reduced the garments grey to don.

Fast in my hands I found the reins that sway
The government of kingdoms, and such power
Of new acquist, and friends in full array.

That to the crown, left widowed in that hour.
My son's head was promoted, and from thence
Those bodies sprang that claimed the sacred dower.

Till the great appanage of fair Provence
My lineage had deprived of sense of shame.
Small was their power, but no ill-deed sprang thence.

Then they, with force and fraud, their plunder-game
Began and later took, as for amends,'
Ponthieu, and lands of Norman, Gascon name:

Charles to Italia came, as ' for amends,'
And slew Conradin, and to heavenly throne
Sent off St. Thomas, still as ' for amends.'

A time I see, ere many years are gone,
Which yet another Charles draws out of France,
To make himself and his both better known.

He with no arms goes forth, but that same lance
That Judas fought his joust with and that so
He thrusts, it smites fair Florence in her paunch.

Thence he no lands, but sin and shame and woe
Shall gain, which all the more on him shall press
The more that loss to him as nought shall show.

Another from his ship, in sore distress.
Taken, I see his daughters sell, and deal
As corsairs do with slaves that they possess.

O Avarice! what worse ill can we feel.
Since thou my lineage to thyself draw'st so,
That they their heart against their own flesh steel?

But to eclipse past ill and future woe,
I in Alagna see t)xt Fleur-de-lys
Christ, in His Vicar, captive to the foe.

Him once again as mocked and scorned I see,
I see once more the vinegar and gall,
And slain between new robbers hangeth He:

I see the Pilate new in such rage fall,
This sates him not, but, all law put aside,
With pirate sails he sacks the Templars' hall.

When, O my Lord, shall I be satisfied.
With looking on the secret vengeance stored,
Which Thou, Thy wrath assuaging, still dost hide?

That which I said of her, the spouse adored
Of the Eternal Spirit, and which made
Me turn to thee for some explaining word,

This hath been ordered, by us to be prayed,
Long as day lasts, but when the night comes on,
Far other sounds are from our lips conveyed.

At that time tell we of Pygmalion,
Whom eager will, o'er-gluttonous of gold,
Made traitor, robber, parricide in one:

And then the wretched doom of Midas old.
Following his fond desire yet more to take,
A laughing-stock for all men to behold;

Of foolish Achan next we mention make.
How he the plunder stole, and so the blame
Of Joshua's wrath still seems on him to break.

Sapphira and her husband then we name,
We praise the hoof-beats Heliodorus bore.
And all the mount is circled with the shame

Of Polymnestor who slew Polydore;
And last of all we cry, ' O Crassus, say.
For now thou know'st, how tastes the molten ore.'

Now high, now low, our mingling voices play.
As we are spurred by impulse strong in speech,
Now quicker pace, now tardier to display.

But in the good which here by day we teach
I was not all alone; yet no one near,
Upraised his voice a listener's ear to reach."

We had moved onward, and had left him there.
And struggled with much effort to make way,
As far as granted power might onward bear.

When I perceived, like something that gives way.
The mountain shake, and felt a chill from thence
Such as he feels who sees death near to slay.

Not Delos quivered with such violence,
Ere yet Latona chose it for a nest
To bear the twin eyes of Heaven's vault immense.

Then voices on all sides mine ears arrest,
Such that my Master turns himself to me,
Saying, " While I guide thee, be not doubt- opprest."

Then " Gloria in Excelsis Deo " we
Heard them all say, gathering with mind intent
From those most near us what the words might be;

There we remained unmoved, on listening bent.
As did the shepherds who first heard that song,
Till it was done, and all vibrating spent.

Then on our holy road we moved along.
And watched the souls that on the earth thick lay.
Already turned to wail of custom long.

And never did my ignorance so sway,
In conflict strong, my soul with thirst to know,
If here my memory leads me not astray.

As then it seemed, while I in thought did go;
Nor dared I in my haste interrogate.
Nor could I, of myself, the true cause show:

So went I full of thought, disconsolate.