[2] The bitterness of Dante's irony is explained by the part
which France had played in Italian affairs.

[3] Of Anjou.

[4] The youthful grandson of Frederick II., who, striving to
wrest Naples and Sicily, his hereditary possessions, from the
hands of Charles of Anjou, was defeated and taken prisoner by him
in 1267, and put to deaths by him in 1268. His fate excited great
compassion.

[5] Charles was believed to have had St. Thomas Aquinas poisoned.

[6] Charles of Valois, brother of Philip the Fair, sent by
Boniface VIII., in 1301, to Florence as peacemaker. But there he
wrought great harm, and siding with the Black party, the Whites,
including Dante, were driven into exile.

[7] The lance of treachery.

[8] A reference to his nickname of Senza terra, or Lackland.

[9] Charles II., son of Charles of Anjou. In 1283 he was made
captive in a sea fight, by Ruggieri de Loria, the Admiral of
Peter II. of Aragon. In 1300, according to common report, he sold
his young daughter in marriage to the old Marquis of Este.

[10] Spite of his hostility to Boniface VIII., the worst crime of
the house of France was, in Dante's eyes, the seizure of the Pope
at Anagni, in 1303, by the emissaries of Philip the Fair.

[11] The destruction of the Order of the Temple.


"What I was saying of that only bride of the Holy Spirit, and
which made thee turn toward me for some gloss, is ordained for
all our prayers so long as the day lasts, but when the night
comes, we take up a contrary sound instead. Then we rehearse
Pygmalion,[1] whom his gluttonous longing for gold made a traitor
and thief and parricide; and the wretchedness of the avaricious
Midas which followed on his greedy demand, at which men must
always laugh. Then of the foolish Achan each one recalls how he
stole the spoils, so that the anger of Joshua seems still to
sting him, here.[2] Then we accuse Sapphira with her husband; we
praise the kicks that Heliodorus received,[3] and in infamy
Polymnestor who slew Polydorus[4] circles the Whole mountain.
Finally our cry here is, 'Crassus, tell us, for thou knowest,
what is the taste of gold?'[5] At times one speaks loud, and
another low, according to the affection which spurs us to speak
now at a greater, now at a less pace. Therefore in the good which
by day is here discoursed of, of late I was not alone, but here
near by no other person lifted up his voice."

[1] The brother of Dido, and the murderer of her husband for the
sake of his riches--Aeneid, i. 353-4.

[2] Joshua, vii.

[3] For his attempt to plunder the treasury of the Temple.--2
Maccabees, iii. 25.

[4] Priam had entrusted Polydorus, his youngest son, to
Polymnestor, King of Thrace, who, when the fortunes of Troy
declined, slew Polydorus, that he might take possession of the
treasure sent with him.

[5] Having been slain in battle with the Parthians, their king
poured molten gold down his throat in derision, because of his
fame as the richest of men.


We had already parted from him, and were striving to advance
along the road so far as was permitted to our power, when I felt
the Mountain tremble, like a thing that is falling; whereupon a
chill seized me such as is wont to seize him who goes to death.
Surely Delos shook not so violently, before Latona made her nest
therein to give birth to the two eyes of heaven.[1] Then began on
all sides such a cry that the Master drew towards me, saying:
"Distrust not, while I guide thee." "Gloria in excelsis Deo,"[2]
all were saying, according to what I gathered from those near at
hand whose cry it was possible to understand. We stopped,
motionless and in suspense, like the shepherds who first heard
that song, until the trembling ceased, and it was ended. Then we
took up again our holy journey, looking at the shades that were
lying on the ground, returned already to their wonted plaint. No
ignorance ever with so sharp attack made me desirous of
knowing--if my memory err not in this--as it seemed to me I then
experienced in thought. Nor, for our haste, did I dare to ask,
nor of myself could I see aught there. So I went on timid and
thoughtful.

[1] Apollo and Diana, the divinities of Sun and Moon.

[2] "Glory to God in the highest."



CANTO XXI. Fifth Ledge: the Avaricious.--Statius.--Cause of the
trembling of the Mountain.--Statius does honor to Virgil.



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