Canto 7

“Pape Satan, pape Satan aleppe,”—began Pluto with his clucking voice. And that gentle Sage, who knew everything, said to comfort me, “Let not thy fear hurt thee; for whatso power he have shall not take from thee the descent of this rock.” Then he turned to that swollen lip and said, “Be silent, accursed wolf! inwardly consume thyself with thine own rage: not without cause is this going to the abyss; it is willed on high, there where Michael did vengeance on the proud adultery.”¹⁸ As sails swollen by the wind fall in a heap when the mast snaps, so fell to earth the cruel beast.

“Pape Satan, pape Satan aleppe,” Pluto began in his clucking voice. The gentle Sage, who knew everything, comforted me. “Do not let your fear harm you. Whatever power he has, he cannot stop you from descending this rocky slope.” Then he turned to the swollen lip and said, “Be silent, accursed wolf! Let your own rage consume you from within. Our journey into the abyss is not without cause. It is willed on high, where Michael took vengeance on the proud adultery.”¹⁸ Just as wind-filled sails fall in a heap when the mast snaps, the cruel beast fell to the ground.

Thus we descended into the fourth hollow, taking more of the woeful bank that gathers in the evil of the whole universe. Ah, Justice of God! Who heapeth up so many new travails and penalties as I saw? And why doth our sin so waste us? As doth the wave, yonder upon Charybdis, which is broken on that which it encounters, so it behoves that here the people counterdance.

So we descended into the fourth hollow, going farther down the sorrowful slope that gathers in all the universe’s evil. Oh, Justice of God! Who heaps up so many strange sufferings and punishments as I saw? And why does our sin wear us down so? Just as a wave at Charybdis breaks against another wave, so the people here must move against one another in a dance.

Here saw I people more than elsewhere many, and from one side and the other with great howls rolling weights by force of chest. They struck against each other, and then just there each turned, rolling backward, crying, “Why keepest thou?” and “Why flingest thou away?” Thus they turned through the dark circle on either hand to the opposite point, still crying out their opprobrious verse; then each, when he had come through his half circle, wheeled round to the other joust.

Here I saw more people than anywhere else. With great howls, they pushed weights with their chests from both sides. They crashed into one another, then turned and rolled their weights back, crying, “Why do you hoard?” and “Why do you squander?” In this way they went around the dark circle in opposite directions, each group reaching the other side. All the while, they shouted their insulting refrain. Then, after each had gone halfway around the circle, they turned to clash again.

And I, who had my heart well-nigh pierced through, said, “My Master, now declare to me what folk is this, and if all these tonsured ones on our left were clerks.”

My heart was nearly pierced through, and I said, “Master, tell me who these people are. Were all those on our left with shaved heads clergy?”

And he to me, “All of these were so asquint in mind in the first life that they made no spending there with measure. Clearly enough their voices bay it out, when they come to the two points of the circle where the contrary sin divides them. These were clerks who have no hairy covering on their head, and Popes and Cardinals, in whom avarice practices its excess.”

And he said to me, “All of these people were so misguided in their earthly lives that they never spent with moderation. Their voices make this clear enough when they reach the two points on the circle where their opposite sins divide them. These were clerics with shaved heads, and Popes and Cardinals, in whom greed reaches its extremes.”

And I, “Master, among such as these I ought surely to recognize some who were polluted with these evils.”

And I said, “Master, surely I should recognize some of these people who were corrupted by these evils.”

And he to me, “Vain thought thou harborest; the undiscerning life that made them foul, to all recognition now makes them dim. Forever will they come to the two buttings; these will rise from the sepulchre with closed fist, and these with shorn hair. Ill-giving and ill-keeping have taken from them the fair world, and set them to this scuffle; such as it is, I adorn not words for it. Now canst thou, son, see the brief jest of the goods that are committed unto Fortune, for which the human race so scramble; for all the gold that is beneath the moon, or that ever was, of these weary souls could not make a single one repose.”

And he said to me, “You are mistaken. The lack of judgment that stained their lives now makes them too dim to recognize. They will go on clashing with one another forever. These will rise from the grave with clenched fists, and those with shaven heads. Wasteful giving and miserly hoarding have deprived them of the beautiful world and brought them to this struggle. I will not dress it up in fancy words. Now, my son, you can see how quickly the joke of the goods entrusted to Fortune is over. These are the goods the human race scrambles for. Yet all the gold beneath the moon, or that ever existed, could not give a single one of these weary souls rest.”

“Master,” said I to him, “now tell me further; this Fortune, on which thou touchest for me, what is it, that hath the goods of the world so in its clutches?”

“Master,” I said to him, “tell me more. What is this Fortune you mentioned, that holds the world’s goods so tightly in its grasp?”

And he to me, “O creatures foolish, how great is that ignorance that harms you! I would have thee now take in my judgment of her. He whose wisdom transcendeth all made the heavens, and gave them their guides, so that every part on every part doth shine, equally distributing the light. In like wise for the splendors of the world, He ordained a general ministress and guide, who should ever and anon transfer the vain goods from race to race, and from one blood to another, beyond the resistance of human wit. Wherefore one race rules, and the other languishes, pursuant to her judgment, which is occult as the snake in the grass. Your wisdom hath no withstanding of her: she provides, judges and maintains her realm, as theirs the other gods. Her permutations have no truce; necessity compels her to be swift, so often cometh he who obtains a turn. This is she who is so set upon the cross, even by those who ought to give her praise, giving her blame amiss and ill report. But she is blessed and hears this not. With the other Primal Creatures glad she turns her sphere, and blessed she rejoices. But now let us descend to greater woe. Already every star sinks that was rising when I set out, and too long stay is forbidden.”

And he said to me, “O foolish creatures, how great is the ignorance that harms you! Now I want you to understand my judgment of her. He whose wisdom surpasses all made the heavens and gave them their guides. He made each part shine upon every other part, distributing the light equally. In the same way, he appointed a general minister and guide to oversee the splendors of the world. From time to time, she transfers its fleeting goods from race to race and from one family to another. Human ingenuity cannot resist her. So one race rules while another languishes, according to her judgment. Her judgment is hidden like a snake in the grass. Your wisdom cannot withstand her. She provides, judges, and maintains her realm, as the other gods maintain theirs. Her changes never pause. Necessity compels her to move swiftly, and so often someone comes to have a turn. This is she who is crucified even by those who ought to praise her. They wrongly blame her and speak ill of her. But she is blessed and does not hear them. Glad among the other Primal Creatures, she turns her sphere and rejoices in her blessedness. But now let us descend to greater suffering. Every star that was rising when I set out is already sinking, and we must not stay too long.”

We crossed the circle to the other bank, above a fount that boils and pours down through a cleft that proceeds from it. The water was far darker than perse;¹⁹ and we, in company with the dusky waves, entered down through a strange way. A marsh it makes, that is named Styx, this dismal little stream, when it has descended to the foot of the malign gray slopes. And I, who stood intent to gaze, saw muddy people in that swamp, all naked and with look of hurt. They were smiting each other, not only with hands, but with head, and with chest, and with feet, mangling one another piecemeal with their teeth.

We crossed the circle to the opposite bank, above a boiling spring that poured down through a cleft below it. The water was far darker than deep blue;¹⁹ and we followed its dark waves down a strange path. At the foot of the evil gray slopes, this gloomy little stream forms a marsh called Styx. As I stood staring, I saw people in the swamp, naked and covered in mud, with pained looks on their faces. They struck each other not only with their hands, but also with their heads, chests, and feet. They tore one another to pieces with their teeth.

The good Master said, “Son, now thou seest the souls of those whom anger overcame; and likewise I would have thee believe for certain that beneath the water are folk who sigh, and make this water bubble at the surface, as thine eye tells thee wherever it turns. Fixed in the slime, they say, ‘Sullen were we in the sweet air that by the Sun is gladdened, bearing within ourselves the sluggish fume; now we are sullen in the black mire.’ This hymn they gurgle in their throats, for they cannot speak with entire words.”²⁰

The good Master said, “Son, now you see the souls of those overcome by anger. I also want you to know for certain that people beneath the water are sighing. Their sighs make the water bubble at the surface, as you can see wherever you look. Stuck in the mud, they say, ‘We were sullen in the sweet air gladdened by the Sun, carrying sluggish fumes within us. Now we are sullen in the black mud.’ They gurgle this hymn in their throats because they cannot speak whole words.”²⁰

Thus we circled a great arc of the foul fen, between the dry bank and the slough, with eyes turned on those who guzzle the mire. We came at length to the foot of a tower.

We followed a wide arc around the foul swamp, between the dry bank and the mud. We watched those who gulped down the muck. At last, we reached the foot of a tower.