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cliff。 And； where they stood； before them； as it seem'd； Tigris and
Euphrates both beheld； Forth from one fountain issue； and； like friends；
Linger at parting。 〃O enlight'ning beam！ O glory of our kind！ beseech
thee say What water this； which from one source deriv'd Itself removes to
distance from itself？〃 To such entreaty answer thus was made： 〃Entreat
Matilda； that she teach thee this。〃 And here； as one； who clears himself
of blame Imputed； the fair dame return'd： 〃Of me He this and more hath
learnt； and I am safe That Lethe's water hath not hid it from him。〃 And
Beatrice： 〃Some more pressing care That oft the memory 'reeves；
perchance hath made His mind's eye dark。 But lo！ where Eunoe cows！
Lead thither； and； as thou art wont； revive His fainting virtue。〃 As a
courteous spirit； That proffers no excuses； but as soon As he hath token of
another's will； Makes it his own； when she had ta'en me； thus The lovely
maiden mov'd her on； and call'd To Statius with an air most lady…like：
〃Come thou with him。〃 Were further space allow'd； Then； Reader； might
I sing； though but in part； That beverage； with whose sweetness I had ne'er
Been sated。 But； since all the leaves are full； Appointed for this second
strain； mine art With warning bridle checks me。 I return'd From the most
holy wave； regenerate； If 'en as new plants renew'd with foliage new； Pure
and made apt for mounting to the stars。
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NOTES TO PURGATORY
Canto I
Verse 1。 O'er better waves。＇ Berni； Orl。 Inn。 L 2。 c。 i。 Per correr
maggior acqua alza le vele； O debil navicella del mio ingegno。
v。 11。 Birds of chattering note。＇ For the fable of the daughters of
Pierus； who challenged the muses to sing； and were by them changed into
magpies； see Ovid； Met。 1。 v。 fab。 5。
v。 19。 Planet。＇ Venus。
v。 20。 Made all the orient laugh。＇ Hence Chaucer； Knight's Tale：
And all the orisont laugheth of the sight。
It is sometimes read 〃orient。〃
v。 24。 Four stars。＇ Symbolical of the four cardinal virtues； Prudence
Justice； Fortitude； and Temperance。 See Canto XXXI v。 105。
v。 30。 The wain。＇ Charles's wain； or Bootes。
v。 31。 An old man。＇ Cato。
v。 92。 Venerable plumes。＇ The same metaphor has occurred in Hell
Canto XX。 v。 41：
the plumes； That mark'd the better sex。
It is used by Ford in the Lady's Trial； a。 4。 s。 2。
Now the down Of softness is exchang'd for plumes of age。
v。 58。 The farthest gloom。＇ L'ultima sera。 Ariosto； Oroando Furioso
c。 xxxiv st。 59： Che non hen visto ancor l'ultima sera。
And Filicaja； c。 ix。 Al Sonno。 L'ultima sera。
v。 79。 Marcia。＇ Da fredera prisci Illibata tori： da tantum nomen inane
Connubil： liceat tumulo scripsisse； Catonis Martia Lucan； Phars。 1。 ii。 344。
v。 110。 I spy'd the trembling of the ocean stream。＇ Connubil il
tremolar della marina。
Trissino； in the Sofonisba。＇ E resta in tremolar l'onda marina
And Fortiguerra； Rleelardetto； c。 ix。 st。 17。 visto il tremolar della
marine。
v。 135。 another。＇ From Virg； Aen。 1。 vi。 143。 Primo avulso non
deficit alter
Canto II
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v。 1。 Now had the sun。＇ Dante was now antipodal to Jerusalem； so
that while the sun was setting with respect to that place which he supposes
to be the middle of the inhabited earth； to him it was rising。
v。 6。 The scales。＇ The constellation Libra。
v。 35。 Winnowing the air。＇ Trattando l'acre con l'eterne penne。
80 Filicaja； canz。 viii。 st。 11。 Ma trattar l'acre coll' eterne plume
v。 45。 In exitu。＇ 〃When Israel came out of Egypt。〃 Ps。 cxiv。
v。 75。 Thrice my hands。＇ Ter conatus ibi eollo dare brachia eircum；
Ter frustra eomprensa manus effugit imago； Par levibus ventis voluerique
simillima sommo。 Virg。 Aen。 ii。 794。
Compare Homer； Od。 xl。 205。
v。 88。 My Casella。＇ A Florentine； celebrated for his skill in music；
〃in whose company；〃 says Landine； 〃Dante often recreated his spirits
wearied by severe studies。〃 See Dr。 Burney's History of Music； vol。 ii。 c。 iv。
p。 322。 Milton has a fine allusion to this meeting in his sonnet to Henry
Lawes。
v。 90。 Hath so much time been lost。＇ Casella had been dead some
years but was only just arrived。
v。 91。 He。＇ The eonducting angel。
v。 94。 These three months past。＇ Since the time of the Jubilee；
during which all spirits not condemned to eternal punishment； were
supposed to pass over to Purgatory as soon as they pleased。
v。 96。 The shore。＇ Ostia。
v。 170。 〃Love that discourses in my thoughts。〃＇ 〃Amor che nella
mente mi ragiona。〃 The first verse of a eanzone or song in the Convito of
Dante； which he again cites in his Treatise de Vulg。 Eloq。 1。 ii。 c。 vi。
Canto III
v。 9。 How doth a little failing wound thee sore。＇ （Ch'era al cor
picciol fallo amaro morso。 Tasso； G。 L。 c。 x。 st。 59。
v。 11。 Haste； that mars all decency of act。 Aristotle in his Physiog iii。
reekons it among the 〃the signs of an impudent man；〃 that he is 〃quick in
his motions。〃 Compare Sophoeles； Electra； 878。
v。 26。 To Naples。＇ Virgil died at Brundusium； from whence his body
is said to have been removed to Naples。
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v。 38。 Desiring fruitlessly。＇ See H。 Canto IV； 39。
v。 49。 'Twixt Lerice and Turbia。＇ At that time the two extremities of
the Genoese republic； the former on the east； the latter on the west。 A
very ingenious writer has had occasion； for a different purpose； to mention
one of these places as remarkably secluded by its mountainous situation
〃On an eminence among the mountains； between the two little cities； Nice
and Manoca； is the village of Torbia； a name formed from the Greek
＇GREEK HERE＇ Mitford on the Harmony of Language； sect。 x。 p。 351。 2d
edit。
v。 78。 As sheep。＇ The imitative nature of these animals supplie