Canto 23

Silent, alone, and without company, we went on, one before, the other behind, as the Minor friars go along the way. My thought was turned by the present brawl upon the fable of Aesop, in which he tells of the frog and the mole; for NOW and THIS INSTANT are not more alike than the one is to the other, if beginning and end are rightly coupled by the attentive mind.¹²⁷ And as one thought bursts out from another, so from that then sprang another which made my first fear double. I reflected in this wise: These through us have been flouted, and with such harm and mock as I believe must vex them greatly; if anger to ill-will be added, they will come after us more merciless than the dog upon the leveret which he snaps.

Silent and alone, we went on, one behind the other, as the Minor friars do on their travels. The recent brawl turned my thoughts to Aesop’s fable of the frog and the mole. NOW and THIS INSTANT are no more alike than the brawl and the fable, if one carefully compares their beginnings and ends.¹²⁷ And just as one thought springs from another, a new thought arose and doubled my fear. I thought: They have been mocked because of us, and I believe the harm and ridicule must greatly upset them. If anger is added to their ill will, they will come after us more mercilessly than a dog snapping at a young hare.

Already I was feeling my hair all bristling with fear, and was backwards intent, when I said, “Master, if thou concealest not thyself and me speedily, I am afraid of the Malebranche; we have them already behind us, and I so imagine them that I already feel them.” And he, “If I were of leaded glass,¹²⁸ I should not draw thine outward image more quickly to me than thine inward I receive. Even now came thy thoughts among mine, with similar action and with similar look, so that of both one sole design I made. If it be that the right bank lieth so that we can descend into the next pit, we shall escape the imagined chase.”

My hair was already bristling with fear, and I was watching behind us. I said, “Master, if you do not hide yourself and me quickly, I fear the Malebranche. They are already behind us, and I imagine them so vividly that I can already feel them.” He replied, “If I were a mirror,¹²⁸ I could not reflect your outward image more quickly than I grasp your inner thoughts. Just now your thoughts came among mine, with the same movement and appearance. So I made a single plan from both. If the right bank lies in such a way that we can descend into the next pit, we shall escape the chase you imagine.”

Not yet had he finished reporting this design, when I saw them coming with spread wings, not very far off, with will to take us. My Leader on a sudden took me, as a mother who is wakened by the noise, and near her sees the kindled flames, who takes her son and flies, and, having more care of him than of herself, stays not so long as only to put on a shift. And down from the ridge of the hard bank, supine he gave himself to the sloping rock that closes one of the sides of the next pit. Never ran water so swiftly through a duct, to turn the wheel of a land-mill, when it approaches near est to the paddles, as my Master over that border, bearing me along upon his breast, as his own son, and not as his companion. Hardly had his feet reached the bed of the depth below, when they were on the ridge right over us; but here there was no fear, for the high Providence that willed to set them as ministers of the fifth ditch deprived them all of power of departing thence.

He had not yet finished explaining this plan when I saw them coming, wings spread, not far away, intent on seizing us. My Guide suddenly picked me up, like a mother awakened by noise who sees flames burning nearby. She takes her son and flees, caring more for him than for herself. She does not even stop to put on a shift. From the top of the hard bank, my Guide lay back and slid down the sloping rock that forms one side of the next pit. Water never ran so swiftly through a channel to turn a mill wheel on land, even just before it reached the paddles. My Master was faster as he slid down the slope, carrying me against his chest like his own son, not his companion. His feet had hardly reached the bottom when our pursuers appeared on the ridge directly above us. But there was no danger here. The high Providence that had appointed them as servants of the fifth ditch had deprived them all of the power to leave it.

There below we found a painted people who were going around with very slow steps, weeping, and in their semblance weary and vanquished. They had cloaks, with hoods lowered before their eyes, made of the same cut as those of the monks in Cluny. Outwardly they are gilded, so that it dazzles, but within all lead, and so heavy that Frederick put them on of straw.¹²⁹ Oh mantle wearisome for eternity!

Below, we found a painted people walking in circles with very slow steps. They were weeping and looked weary and defeated. They wore cloaks with hoods pulled down over their eyes, cut like those worn by the monks of Cluny. The cloaks were gilded on the outside, so that they dazzled. But inside they were all lead, and so heavy that Frederick’s cloaks were straw by comparison.¹²⁹ Oh, what a burden to wear forever!

We turned, still ever to the left hand, along with them, intent on their sad plaint. But because of the weight that tired folk came so slowly that we had fresh company at every movement of the haunch. Wherefore I to my Leader, “See that thou find some one who may be known by deed or name, and so in going move thy eyes around.” And one who understood the Tuscan speech cried out behind us, “Stay your feet, ye who run thus through the dusky air; perchance thou shalt have from me that which thou askest.” Whereon the Leader turned and said, “Await, and then according to his pace proceed.” I stopped, and saw two show, by their look, great haste of mind to be with me, but their load delayed them, and the narrow way.

We turned with them, still moving to the left, and listened to their sorrowful cries. But their weight made the weary people move so slowly that we passed someone new with every step. So I said to my Leader, “Look around as we go and see if you can find someone known for their deeds or their name.” One of them understood the Tuscan speech and called out behind us, “Stop, you who run through the dark air. Perhaps I can give you what you ask for.” My Leader turned and said, “Wait, and then walk at his pace.” I stopped and saw two people whose faces showed that they were eager to reach me. But their load and the narrow path held them back.

When they had come up, somewhile, with eye askance,¹³⁰ they gazed at me without a word; then they turned to each other, and said one to the other, “This one seems alive by the action of his throat; and if they are dead, by what privilege do they go uncovered by the heavy stole?” Then they said to me, “O Tuscan, who to the college of the wretched hypocrites art come, disdain not to tell who thou art.” And I to them, “I was born and grew up on the fair river of Arno, at the great town, and I am in the body that I have always had. But ye, who are ye, in whom such woe distills, as I see, down your cheeks? and what punishment is on you that so sparkles?” And one of them replied to me, “The orange hoods are of lead so thick that the weights thus make their scales to creak. Jovial Friars¹³¹ were we, and Bolognese; I Catalano, and he Loderingo named, and together taken by thy city, as one man alone is wont to be taken, in order to preserve its peace; and we were such as still is apparent round about the Gardingo.” I began, “O Friars, your evil”—but more I said not, for there struck mine eyes one crucified with three stakes on the ground. When me he saw he writhed all over, blowing into his beard with sighs: and the Friar Catalano, who observed it, said to me, “That transfixed one, whom thou lookest at, counseled the Pharisees that it was expedient to put one man to torture for the people. Crosswise and naked is he on the path, as thou seest, and he first must feel how much whoever passes weighs. And in such fashion his father-in-law is stretched in this ditch, and the others of that Council which for the Jews was seed of ill.”¹³² Then I saw Virgil marvelling over him that was extended on a cross so vilely in eternal exile. Thereafter he addressed this speech to the Friar, “May it not displease thee, so it be allowed thee, to tell us if on the right hand lies any opening whereby we two can go out without constraining any of the Black Angels to come to deliver us from this deep.” He answered then, “Nearer than thou hopest is a rock that from the great encircling wall proceeds and crosses all the savage valleys, save that at this one it is broken, and does not cover it. Ye can mount up over the ruin that slopes on the side, and heaps up at the bottom.” The Leader stood a little while with bowed head, then said, “Ill he reported the matter, he who hooks the sinners yonder.”¹³³ And the Friar, “I once heard tell at Bologna vices enough of the devil, among which I heard that he is false, and the father of lies.” Then the Leader with great steps went on, disturbed a little with anger in his look; whereon I departed from the heavily burdened ones, following the prints of the beloved feet.

When they caught up, they looked at me sideways¹³⁰ for a while without speaking. Then they turned to each other, and one said to the other, “This one seems alive from the movement of his throat. And if they are dead, what privilege lets them go without the heavy robes?” Then they said to me, “O Tuscan, you who have come to the company of wretched hypocrites, please tell us who you are.” I answered, “I was born and grew up beside the beautiful Arno River, in the great city. I am still in the body I have always had. But who are you, whose suffering flows down your cheeks as I see? And what punishment are you wearing that glitters so?” One of them replied, “The orange hoods are made of lead so thick that the weights make the scales creak. We were Jovial Friars¹³¹ from Bologna. I am Catalano, and he is Loderingo. Your city chose us together to keep its peace, a task usually given to one man alone. And what we did can still be seen around the Gardingo.” I began, “O Friars, your evil.” But I said no more, for I saw someone crucified on the ground with three stakes. When he saw me, he writhed all over, sighing into his beard. Friar Catalano noticed this and said to me, “The man you see pinned there advised the Pharisees that it was expedient to torture one man for the people. As you see, he lies naked across the path, and he must feel the full weight of everyone who passes over him. His father-in-law lies stretched out in the same way in this ditch. So do the others from that Council, which sowed the seeds of suffering for the Jews.”¹³² Then I saw Virgil marveling at the man stretched on a cross so shamefully in eternal exile. After that, Virgil spoke to the Friar. “If you are allowed, please tell us whether there is an opening to the right. Can the two of us get out that way, without forcing any of the Black Angels to come and free us from this deep place?” The Friar answered, “A rock is closer than you might hope. It runs from the great encircling wall and crosses all the savage valleys. But it has broken at this one and does not span it. You can climb over the fallen rocks, which slope down the side and pile up at the bottom.” The Leader stood with his head bowed for a moment. Then he said, “The one who hooks the sinners over there gave a false account of this.”¹³³ The Friar replied, “I once heard plenty about the devil’s vices in Bologna. Among them, I heard that he is false and the father of lies.” Then the Leader went on with long strides, a little anger showing in his face. I left the heavily burdened souls and followed the footsteps of those beloved feet.