Canto 30

At the time when Juno was wroth because of Semele against the Theban blood, as she showed more than once, Athamas became so insane, that seeing his wife come laden on either hand with her two sons, cried out, “Spread we the nets, so that I may take the lioness and the young lions at the pass,” and then he stretched out his pitiless talons, taking the one who was named Learchus, and whirled him and struck him on a rock; and she drowned herself with her other burden. And when Fortune turned downward the all-daring loftiness of the Trojans, so that together with the kingdom the king was undone, Hecuba, sad, wretched, and captive, when she saw Polyxena dead, and woeful descried her Polydorus on the sea-bank, frantic, barked like a dog,—to such degree had grief distraught her mind.

Juno was angry with the Theban people because of Semele, as she showed more than once. At that time, Athamas went mad. When he saw his wife coming with one of their two sons in each arm, he cried out, “Spread the nets, so I can catch the lioness and her cubs at the pass.” Then he reached out his merciless claws and seized the boy named Learchus. He swung him around and dashed him against a rock. His wife drowned herself with the other child. Later, Fortune brought down the Trojans from their bold heights, destroying their king along with his kingdom. Hecuba was sorrowful, wretched, and captive. She saw Polyxena dead, and then, in her grief, spotted her Polydorus on the shore. She went mad and barked like a dog. Grief had driven her mind to such distraction.

But neither the furies of Thebes, nor the Trojan, were ever seen toward any one so cruel, whether in goading beasts or human limbs,²⁰³ as I saw two shades pallid and naked who, biting, were running in the way that a boar does when from the sty he breaks loose. One came at Capocchio, and on the nape of his neck struck his teeth, so that dragging him he made his belly scratch along the solid bottom. And the Aretine,²⁰⁴ who remained trembling, said to me, “That goblin is Gianni Schicchi, and rabid he goes thus maltreating others.” “Oh,” said I to him, “so may time other not fix his teeth on thee, let it not weary thee to tell who it is ere it start hence.” And he to me, “That is the ancient soul of profligate Myrrha, who became her father’s lover beyond rightful love. She came to sinning with him by falsifying herself in another’s form, even as the other, who goes off there, undertook, in order to gain the lady of the herd,²⁰⁵ to counterfeit Buoso Donati, making a will and giving to the will due form.”

But neither the furies of Thebes nor those of Troy were ever seen to treat anyone so cruelly, whether they attacked animals or human bodies,²⁰³ as the two pale, naked shades I saw. They ran about biting, like a boar breaking loose from its sty. One came at Capocchio and sank his teeth into the back of his neck. He dragged Capocchio along, scraping his belly against the solid ground. The Aretine,²⁰⁴ who remained there trembling, said to me, “That goblin is Gianni Schicchi. He goes about in a frenzy, mistreating others like this.” “Oh,” I said to him, “may the other one not sink its teeth into you. Please tell me who it is before it runs off.” He answered, “That is the ancient soul of the wicked Myrrha, who became her father’s lover, loving him beyond what was right. She sinned with him by disguising herself as someone else. In the same way, the other one going off there impersonated Buoso Donati to gain the lady of the herd.²⁰⁵ He made a will and gave it the proper form.”

And after the two rabid ones upon whom I had kept my eye had disappeared, I turned it to look at the other miscreants. I saw one made in fashion of a lute, had he but only had his groin cut off at the part where man is forked. The heavy hydropsy which, with the humor that it ill digests, so unmates the members that the face corresponds not with the belly, was making him hold his lips open as the hectic does, who for thirst turns one toward his chin, the other upward.

After the two rabid men I had been watching disappeared, I turned to look at the other sinners. I saw one who would have been shaped like a lute if his lower body had been cut off where his legs began. His severe dropsy made his body swell with fluid it could not properly process. It distorted his limbs so much that his face was out of proportion with his belly. It also forced his lips apart, like those of a feverish person whose thirst draws one lip down toward the chin and the other upward.

“Oh ye, who are without any punishment, and I know not why, in the dismal world,” said he to us, “look and attend to the misery of Master Adam. Living, I had enough of what I wished, and now, alas! I long for a drop of water. The rivulets that from the green hills of the Casentino descend into the Arno, making their channels cool and soft, stand ever before me, and not in vain; for their image dries me up far more than the disease which strips my face of flesh. The rigid justice that scourges me draws occasion from the place where I sinned to put my sighs the more in flight. There is Romena, where I falsified the alloy stamped with the Baptist,²⁰⁶ for which on earth I left my body burned. But if here I could see the wretched soul of Guido or of Alessandro, or of their brother,²⁰⁷ for Fount Branda²⁰⁸ I would not give the sight. One of them is here within already, if the rating shades who go around speak true. But what does it avail me who have my limbs bound? If I were only yet so light that in a hundred years I could go an inch, I should already have set out along the path, seeking for him among this disfigured folk, although it circles round eleven miles, and is not less than half a mile across. Because of them I am among such a family; they induced me to strike the forms that had full three carats of base metal.” And I to him, “Who are the two poor wretches that are smoking like a wet hand in winter, lying close to your confines on the right?” “Here I found them,” he answered, “when I rained down into this trough, and they have not since given a turn, and I do not believe they will give one to all eternity. One is the false woman that accused Joseph, the other is the false Sinon the Greek, from Troy; because of their sharp fever they throw out such great reek.”

“You who suffer no punishment in this dismal world, though I do not know why,” he said to us, “look and see the misery of Master Adam. In life, I had enough of whatever I wanted. Now, alas, I long for a drop of water. The streams flow from the green hills of the Casentino into the Arno, making their channels cool and soft. They are always before my eyes, and not without effect. Their image dries me out far more than the disease that strips the flesh from my face. “The harsh justice that punishes me uses the place where I sinned to make me sigh even more. There lies Romena, where I debased the metal in the coins stamped with the Baptist,²⁰⁶ and was burned to death for it on earth. But if I could see the wretched soul of Guido or Alessandro or their brother,²⁰⁷ I would not give up that sight for Fount Branda.²⁰⁸ One of them is already here, if the cursing shades who wander around speak the truth. But what good is that to me, with my limbs bound? If I were still light enough to move an inch in a hundred years, I would already have set out. I would be searching for him among these disfigured people, although their circle is eleven miles around and at least half a mile across. I am among such company because of them. They persuaded me to strike coins containing a full three carats of base metal.” I asked him, “Who are the two poor wretches lying close to your right side, steaming like a wet hand in winter?” “I found them here,” he answered, “when I rained down into this trough. They have not turned over since, and I do not believe they will for all eternity. One is the lying woman who accused Joseph. The other is the lying Greek Sinon, from Troy. Their intense fever makes them give off such great fumes.”

And one of them who took it ill perchance at being named so darkly, with his fist struck him on his stiff paunch; it sounded as if it were a drum; and Master Adam struck him on the face with his arm that did not seem less hard, saying to him, “Though, because of my heavy limbs, moving hence be taken from me, I have an arm free for such need.” Whereon he replied, “When thou wast going to the fire thou hadst it not thus ready, but so and more thou hadst it when thou wast coining.” And the hydropic, “Thou sayst true in this, but thou wast not so true a witness there where thou wast questioned of the truth at Troy.” “If I spake false, thou didst falsify the coin,” said Sinon, “and I am here for a single sin, and thou for more than any other demon.” “Remember, perjured one, the horse,” answered he who had the puffed up paunch, “and be it ill for thee that the whole world knows it.” “And be ill for thee the thirst which cracks thy tongue,” said the Greek, “and the putrid water that makes thy belly thus a hedge before thine eyes.” Then the coiner, “So yawns thy mouth for its own harm as it is wont, for if I am thirsty, and humor stuffs me out, thou hast the burning, and the head that pains thee, and to lick the mirror of Narcissus thou wouldst not want many words of invitation.”

One of them was perhaps offended at being described so obscurely. He struck Master Adam’s swollen belly with his fist, and it sounded like a drum. Master Adam struck him in the face with an arm that seemed just as hard. “Though my heavy limbs keep me from moving from here,” he said, “I have an arm free for such a need.” The other replied, “When you were going to the fire, you did not have it so ready. But you had it that ready and more when you were coining.” The man with dropsy said, “You speak the truth there, but you were not so truthful a witness when you were questioned at Troy.” “If I spoke falsely, you falsified the coin,” said Sinon. “I am here for a single sin, but you are here for more than any other demon.” “Remember the horse, you perjurer,” answered the man with the swollen belly. “And may it torment you that the whole world knows about it.” “And may you be tormented by the thirst that cracks your tongue,” said the Greek. “And by the putrid water that makes your belly rise like a hedge before your eyes.” Then the coiner said, “Your mouth gapes to your own harm, as it usually does. For if I am thirsty and fluid swells me up, you have a fever and an aching head. And you would not need much inviting to lick the mirror of Narcissus.”

To listen to them was I wholly fixed, when the Master said to me, “Now then look, for it wants but little that I quarrel with thee.” When I heard him speak to me with anger, I turned me toward him with such shame that still it circles through my memory. And as is he that dreams of his harm, and, dreaming, desires to dream, so that that which is he craves as if it were not, such I became, not being able to speak, for I desired to excuse myself, and I was indeed excusing myself, and did not think that I was doing it. “Less shame doth wash away a greater fault than thine hath been,” said the Master; therefore disburden thyself of all regret, and make reckoning that I am always at thy side, if again it happen that fortune find thee where people are in similar brawl; for the wish to hear it is a base wish.”

I was completely absorbed in listening to them when the Master said to me, “Keep looking, and I shall soon quarrel with you.” Hearing his anger, I turned toward him, so ashamed that the memory still troubles me. I was like someone who dreams of harm and, while dreaming, wishes it were only a dream. Such a person longs for what is already true, as if it were not. I could not speak, though I wanted to excuse myself. In fact, I was excusing myself without realizing it. “Less shame than yours can wash away a greater fault,” the Master said. “So let go of all your regret. But remember that I am always at your side if you ever find yourself among people quarreling like this again. Wanting to listen to such a quarrel is a base desire.”