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THE VISION
A。D。 1308。 The contemporary annalist； after relating at length the
circumstances of his fate； adds； 〃that he was one of the wisest and most
valorous knights the best speaker； the most expert statesman； the most
renowned and enterprising； man of his age in Italy； a comely knight and of
graceful carriage； but very worldly； and in his time had formed many
conspiracies in Florence and entered into many scandalous practices； for
the sake of attaining state and lordship。〃 G。 Villani； 1。 viii。 c。 96。 The
character of Corso is forcibly drawn by another of his contemporaries
Dino Compagni。 1。 iii。； Muratori； Rer。 Ital。 Script。 t。 ix。 p。 523。
v。 129。 Creatures of the clouds。＇ The Centaurs。 Ovid。 Met。 1。 fab。
4 v。 123。 The Hebrews。＇ Judges； c。 vii。
Canto XXV
v。 58。 As sea…sponge。＇ The fetus is in this stage is zoophyte。
v。 66。 …More wise Than thou； has erred。＇ Averroes is said to be here
meant。 Venturi refers to his commentary on Aristotle； De Anim 1。 iii。 c。 5。
for the opinion that there is only one universal intellect or mind pervading
every individual of the human race。 Much of the knowledge displayed by
our Poet in the present Canto appears to have been derived from the
medical work o＋ Averroes； called the Colliget。 Lib。 ii。 f。 10。 Ven。 1400。
fol。
v。 79。 Mark the sun's heat。＇ Redi and Tiraboschi （Mr。 Matthias's ed。
v。 ii。 p。 36。） have considered this an anticipation of a profound discovery
of Galileo's in natural philosophy； but it is in reality taken from a passage
in Cicero 〃de Senectute；〃 where； speaking of the grape； he says； 〃 quae； et
succo terrae et calore solis augescens； primo est peracerba gustatu； deinde
maturata dulcescit。〃
v。 123。 I do； not know a man。＇ Luke； c。 i。 34。
v。 126。 Callisto。＇ See Ovid； Met。 1。 ii。 fab。 5。
Canto XXVI
v。 70。 Caesar。＇ For the opprobrium east on Caesar's effeminacy； see
Suetonius； Julius Caesar； c。 49。
v。 83。 Guinicelli。＇ See Note to Canto XI。 96。
v。 87。 lycurgus。＇ Statius； Theb。 1。 iv。 and v。 Hypsipile had left
her infant charge； the son of Lycurgus； on a bank； where it was destroyed
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THE VISION
by a serpent； when she went to show the Argive army the river of Langia：
and； on her escaping the effects of Lycurgus's resentment； the joy her own
children felt at the sight of her was such as our Poet felt on beholding his
predecessor Guinicelli。
The incidents are beautifully described in Statius； and seem to have
made an impression on Dante； for he again （Canto XXII。 110。）
characterizes Hypsipile； as her… Who show'd Langia's wave。
v。 111。 He。＇ The united testimony of Dante； and of Petrarch； in his
Triumph of Love； e。 iv。 places Arnault Daniel at the head of the
Provencal poets。 That he was born of poor but noble parents； at the castle
of Ribeyrae in Perigord； and that he was at the English court； is the
amount of Millot's information concerning him （t。 ii。 p。 479）。
The account there given of his writings is not much more satisfactory；
and the criticism on them must go for little better than nothing。
It is to be regretted that we have not an opportunity of judging for
ourselves of his 〃love ditties and his tales of prose 〃
Versi d'amore e prose di romanzi。
Our Poet frequently cities him in the work De Vulgari Eloquentia。
According to Crescimbeni； （Della Volg。 Poes。 1。 1。 p。 7。 ed。 1698。） He died
in 1189。
v。 113。 The songster of Limoges。＇ Giraud de Borneil； of Sideuil； a
castle in Limoges。 He was a troubadour； much admired and caressed in
his day； and appears to have been in favour with the monarchs of Castile；
Leon； Navarre； and Arragon He is quoted by Dante； De Vulg。 Eloq。； and
many of his poems are still remaining in MS。 According to Nostradamus
he died in 1278。 Millot； Hist。 Litt。 des Troub。 t。 ii。 p。 1 and 23。 But I
suspect that there is some error in this date； and that he did not live to see
so late a period。
v。 118。 Guittone。＇ See Cano XXIV。 56。
v。 123。 Far as needs。＇ See Canto XI。 23。
v。 132。 Thy courtesy。＇ Arnault is here made to speak in his own
tongue； the Provencal。 According to Dante； （De Vulg。 Eloq。 1。 1。 c。 8。）
the Provencal was one language with the Spanish。 What he says on this
subject is so curious； that the reader will perhaps not be displeased it I give
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an abstract of it。
He first makes three great divisions of the European languages。 〃One
of these extends from the mouths of the Danube； or the lake of Maeotis； to
the western limits of England； and is bounded by the limits of the French
and Italians； and by the ocean。 One idiom obtained over the whole of this
space： but was afterwards subdivided into； the Sclavonian； Hungarian；
Teutonic； Saxon； English； and the vernacular tongues of several other
people； one sign remaining to all； that they use the affirmative io； （our
English ay。） The whole of Europe； beginning from the Hungarian limits
and stretching towards the east； has a second idiom which reaches still
further than the end of Europe into Asia。 This is the Greek。 In all that
remains of Europe； there is a third idiom subdivided into three dialects；
which may be severally distinguished by the use of the affirmatives； oc； oil；
and si； the first spoken by the Spaniards； the next by the French； and the
third by the Latins （or Italians）。 The first occupy the western part of
southern Europe； beginning from the limits of the Genoese。 The third
occupy the eastern part from the said limits； as far； that is； as the
promontory of Italy； where the Adriatic sea begins； and to Sicily。 The
second are in a manner northern with respect to these for they have the
Germans to the east and north； on the west they are bounded by the
English sea； and the mountains of Arragon； and on the south by the people
of Provence and the