Canto 19

Oh Simon Magus! Oh ye his wretched followers, who, rapacious, do prostitute for gold and silver the things of God that ought to be the brides of righteousness, now it behoves for you the trumpet sound, since ye are in the third pit!

Oh Simon Magus! Oh, you wretched followers of his, who greedily sell the things of God for gold and silver! Those things should be the brides of righteousness. Now the trumpet must sound for you, since you are in the third pit!

Already were we come to the next tomb,⁸⁸ mounted on that part of the crag which just above the middle of the ditch hangs plumb. Oh Supreme Wisdom, how great is the art that Thou displayest in Heaven, on Earth, and in the Evil World! and how justly doth Thy Power distribute!

We had already reached the next tomb,⁸⁸ standing on the part of the crag directly above the middle of the ditch. Oh Supreme Wisdom, how great is the skill you display in Heaven, on Earth, and in the Evil World! How justly your power distributes!

I saw along the sides, and over the bottom, the livid stone full of holes all of one size, and each was circular. They seemed to me not less wide nor larger than those that in my beautiful Saint John are made as place for the baptizers ⁸⁹ one of which, not many years ago, I broke for sake of one who was stifling in it; and be this the seal to undeceive all men. Forth from the mouth of each protruded the feet of a sinner, and his legs up to the calf, and the rest was within. The soles of all were both on fire, wherefore their joints quivered so violently that they would have snapped withes and bands. As the flaming of things oiled is wont to move only on the outer surface, so was it there from the heels to the toes.

I saw that the gray stone along the sides and across the bottom was full of circular holes, all the same size. They seemed no wider or narrower than those made for the baptizers in my beautiful Saint John.⁸⁹ Not many years ago, I broke one of those holes to save someone who was suffocating in it. Let this account serve to set everyone straight. A sinner’s feet and legs, up to the calves, stuck out of each hole. The rest of each sinner was inside. The soles of all their feet were on fire, and their joints shook so violently that they would have snapped ropes and bonds. Just as flames move only over the surface of oiled things, so the flames there moved from heel to toe.

“Who is he, Master, that writhes, quivering more than the others his consorts,” said I, “and whom a ruddier flame is sucking?” And he to me, “If thou wilt that I carry thee down there by that bank which slopes the most,⁹⁰ from him thou shalt know of himself and of his wrongs.” And I, “Whatever pleaseth thee even so is good to me. Thou art Lord, and knowest that I part me not from thy will, and thou knowest that which is unspoken.”

“Master, who is that man?” I asked. “He writhes and trembles more than his companions, and a redder flame is consuming him.” He said to me, “If you want me to carry you down the steepest bank,⁹⁰ you can learn from him who he is and what wrongs he has done.” And I said, “Whatever pleases you is good enough for me. You are my master, and you know I always follow your wishes. You also know what I have left unsaid.”

Then we went upon the fourth dyke, turned, and descended on the left hand, down to the bottom pierced with holes, and narrow. And the good Master set me not down yet from his haunch, till he brought me to the cleft of him who was thus lamenting with his shanks.

Then we went onto the fourth dike and turned left, descending to the narrow bottom pierced with holes. The good Master kept me on his hip until he brought me to the opening where the man was lamenting with his legs.

“O whoe’er thou art, that keepest upside down, sad soul, planted like a stake,” I began to say, “speak, if thou canst.” I was standing like the friar who confesses the perfidious assassin,⁹¹ who, after he is fixed, recalls him, in order to delay his death.

“Whoever you are, sad soul, planted upside down like a stake,” I began, “speak, if you can.” I stood like a friar confessing a treacherous assassin,⁹¹ who calls the friar back after being fixed in place, to delay his death.

And he⁹² cried out, “Art thou already standing there? Art thou already standing there, Boniface? By several years the record lied to me. Art thou so quickly sated with that having, for which thou didst not fear to seize by guile the beautiful Lady,⁹³ and then to do her outrage?”

And he⁹² cried out, “Are you already standing there? Are you already standing there, Boniface? The record was wrong by several years. Have you so quickly had your fill of what you sought? For it, you did not fear to seize the beautiful Lady⁹³ by deceit and then abuse her.”

Such I became as those that, not comprehending that which is replied to them, stand as if mocked, and know not what to answer.

I was like someone who does not understand the answer they have been given. They stand there as if mocked, not knowing what to say.

Then Virgil said, “Tell him quickly, I am not he, I am not he thou thinkest.” And I answered as was enjoined on me; whereat the spirit quite twisted his feet. Thereafter, sighing and with tearful voice, he said to me, “Then what dost thou require of me? If to know who I am concerneth thee so much that thou hast crossed the bank therefor, know that I was vested with the Great Mantle; and verily I was a son of the She-Bear,⁹⁴ so eager to advance the cubs, that up there I put wealth, and here myself, into the purse. Beneath my head are stretched the others that preceded me in simony, flattened through the fissures of the rock. There below shall I likewise sink, when he shall come whom I believed thou wert, then when I put to thee the sudden question; but already the time is longer that I have cooked my feet, and that I have been thus upside down, than he will stay planted with red feet; for after him will come, of uglier deed, from westward, a shepherd without law,⁹⁵ such as must cover him and me again. A new Jason will he be, of whom it is read in Maccabees;⁹⁶ and as to that one his king was compliant, so unto this he who rules France shall be.”⁹⁷

Then Virgil said, “Tell him quickly, I am not the one you think I am.” I answered as he instructed, and the spirit twisted his feet. Then, sighing and speaking through tears, he said to me, “What do you want from me, then? If you care so much to know who I am that you have crossed the bank for it, know that I wore the Great Mantle. Indeed, I was a son of the She-Bear,⁹⁴ so eager to advance her cubs that, up there, I put wealth into the purse and, here, myself. Beneath my head lie the others who came before me in simony, flattened into the cracks in the rock. I too will sink down there when the one I thought you were comes. I thought you were he when I suddenly questioned you. But I have already spent longer here, upside down with my feet burning, than he will spend planted here with his feet aflame. For after him, from the west, will come a lawless shepherd⁹⁵ who will commit uglier deeds. He will cover both the other man and me. He will be a new Jason, like the one we read about in Maccabees.⁹⁶ Just as that Jason’s king gave in to him, so the ruler of France will give in to this shepherd.”⁹⁷

I know not if here I was too audacious that I only answered him in this strain, “Pray now tell me how much treasure our Lord desired of Saint Peter before he placed the keys in his keeping? Surely he required nothing save ‘Follow me.’ Nor did Peter or the others require of Matthias gold or silver, when he was chosen to the place which the guilty soul had lost. Therefore stay thou, for thou art rightly punished, and guard well the ill-gotten money that against Charles⁹⁸ made thee to be bold. And were it not that reverence for the Supreme Keys that thou heldest in the glad life still forbiddeth me, I would use words still more grave; for your avarice saddens the world, trampling down the good and exalting the bad. Of you shepherds the Evangelist was aware, when she that sitteth upon the waters was seen by him to fornicate with kings: that woman that was born with the seven heads, and from the ten horns had evidence, so long as virtue pleased her spouse.⁹⁹ Ye have made you a god of gold and silver: and what difference is there between you and the idolater save that he worships one and ye a hundred? Ah Constantine! of how much ill was mother, not thy conversion, but that dowry which the first rich Father received from thee!”¹⁰⁰

I do not know whether I was too bold here, since I answered him only in these words: “Please tell me, how much treasure did our Lord demand from Saint Peter before entrusting him with the keys? Surely he asked nothing but ‘Follow me.’ Nor did Peter or the others demand gold or silver from Matthias when he was chosen to fill the place the guilty soul had lost. “So stay where you are, for you are rightly punished. Guard well the ill-gotten money that made you bold enough to act against Charles.⁹⁸ I still have reverence for the Supreme Keys you held in the happy life. If that reverence did not hold me back, I would use even harsher words. For your greed saddens the world, trampling down the good and raising up the bad. “The Evangelist had you shepherds in mind when he saw the woman sitting on the waters, committing fornication with kings. She was born with seven heads and drew support from the ten horns, as long as virtue pleased her spouse.⁹⁹ You have made gold and silver your god. How are you different from the idolater, except that he worships one god and you worship a hundred? Ah Constantine! How much evil was born, not from your conversion, but from the dowry you gave the first rich Father!”¹⁰⁰

And, while I was singing these notes to him, whether anger or conscience stung him, he violently quivered with both feet. I believe, forsooth, that it had pleased my Leader, with so contented look be listened ever to the sound of the true words uttered. Thereupon with both his arms he took me, and when he had me wholly on his breast, remounted on the way by which he had descended. Nor did he tire of holding me clasped till he had borne me up to the summit of the arch which is the passage from the fourth to the fifth dyke. Here softly he laid down his burden, softly because of the ragged and steep crag, that would be a difficult pass for goats. Thence another great valley was discovered to me.

As I sang these words to him, his feet shook violently, stung by anger or conscience. I believe my words had pleased my Leader. He listened to their truth with a look of such contentment. Then he took me in both arms and held me against his chest. He climbed back up the way he had come down, holding me close all the way. He carried me to the top of the arch that crosses from the fourth dyke to the fifth. There he gently set down his burden, because the crag was rugged and steep. Even goats would have found it hard to cross. From there, I could see another great valley.