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on my left shall sit.

      A Paduan with these Florentines am I.

      Ofttimes they thunder in mine ears, exclaiming

      'O haste that noble knight! he who the pouch

      With the three beaks will bring!'" This said, he writh'd

      The mouth, and loll'd the tongue out, like an ox

      That licks his nostrils. I, lest longer stay

      He ill might brook, who bade me stay not long,

      Backward my steps from those sad spirits turn'd.

      My guide already seated on the haunch

      Of the fierce animal I found; and thus

      He me encourag'd. "Be thou stout; be bold.

      Down such a steep flight must we now descend!

      Mount thou before: for that no power the tail

      May have to harm thee, I will be i' th' midst."

      As one, who hath an ague fit so near,

      His nails already are turn'd blue, and he

      Quivers all o'er, if he but eye the shade;

      Such was my cheer at hearing of his words.

      But shame soon interpos'd her threat, who makes

      The servant bold in presence of his lord.

      I settled me upon those shoulders huge,

      And would have said, but that the words to aid

      My purpose came not, "Look thou clasp me firm!"

      But he whose succour then not first I prov'd,

      Soon as I mounted, in his arms aloft,

      Embracing, held me up, and thus he spake:

      "Geryon! now move thee! be thy wheeling gyres

      Of ample circuit, easy thy descent.

      Think on th' unusual burden thou sustain'st."

      As a small vessel, back'ning out from land,

      Her station quits; so thence the monster loos'd,

      And when he felt himself at large, turn'd round

      There where the breast had been, his forked tail.

      Thus, like an eel, outstretch'd at length he steer'd,

      Gath'ring the air up with retractile claws.

      Not greater was the dread when Phaeton

      The reins let drop at random, whence high heaven,

      Whereof signs yet appear, was wrapt in flames;

      Nor when ill-fated Icarus perceiv'd,

      By liquefaction of the scalded wax,

      The trusted pennons loosen'd from his loins,

      His sire exclaiming loud, "Ill way thou keep'st!"

      Than was my dread, when round me on each part

      The air I view'd, and other object none

      Save the fell beast. He slowly sailing, wheels

      His downward motion, unobserv'd of me,

      But that the wind, arising to my face,

      Breathes on me from below. Now on our right

      I heard the cataract beneath us leap

      With hideous crash; whence bending down to' explore,

      New terror I conceiv'd at the steep plunge:

      For flames I saw, and wailings smote mine ear:

      So that all trembling close I crouch'd my limbs,

      And then distinguish'd, unperceiv'd before,

      By the dread torments that on every side

      Drew nearer, how our downward course we wound.

      As falcon, that hath long been on the wing,

      But lure nor bird hath seen, while in despair

      The falconer cries, "Ah me! thou stoop'st to earth!"

      Wearied descends, and swiftly down the sky

      In many an orbit wheels, then lighting sits

      At distance from his lord in angry mood;

      So Geryon lighting places us on foot

      Low down at base of the deep-furrow'd rock,

      And, of his burden there discharg'd, forthwith

      Sprang forward, like an arrow from the string.

      CANTO XVIII

      THERE is a place within the depths of hell

      Call'd Malebolge, all of rock dark-stain'd

      With hue ferruginous, e'en as the steep

      That round it circling winds. Right in the midst

      Of that abominable region, yawns

      A spacious gulf profound, whereof the frame

      Due time shall tell. The circle, that remains,

      Throughout its round, between the gulf and base

      Of the high craggy banks, successive forms

      Ten trenches, in its hollow bottom sunk.

      As where to guard the walls, full many a foss

      Begirds some stately castle, sure defence

      Affording to the space within, so here

      Were model'd these; and as like fortresses

      E'en from their threshold to the brink without,

      Are flank'd with bridges; from the rock's low base

      Thus flinty paths advanc'd, that 'cross the moles

      And dikes, struck onward far as to the gulf,

      That in one bound collected cuts them off.

      Such was the place, wherein we found ourselves

      From Geryon's back dislodg'd. The bard to left

      Held on his way, and I behind him mov'd.

      On our right hand new misery I saw,

      New pains, new executioners of wrath,

      That swarming peopled the first chasm. Below

      Were naked sinners. Hitherward they came,

      Meeting our faces from the middle point,

      With us beyond but with a larger stride.

      E'en thus the Romans, when the year returns

      Of Jubilee, with better speed to rid

      The thronging multitudes, their means devise

      For such as pass the bridge; that on one side

      All front toward the castle, and approach

      Saint Peter's fane, on th' other towards the mount.

      Each divers way along the grisly rock,

      Horn'd demons I beheld, with lashes huge,

      That on their back unmercifully smote.

      Ah! how they made them bound at the first stripe!

      None for the second waited nor the third.

      Meantime as on I pass'd, one met my sight

      Whom soon as view'd; "Of him," cried I, "not yet

      Mine

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