Even thus by the great sages 'tis confessed The phoenix dies, and then is born again, When it approaches its five-hundredth year; On herb or grain it feeds not in its life, But only on tears of incense and amomum, By force of demons who to earth down drag him, When he arises and around him looks, Wholly bewildered by the mighty anguish Such was that sinner after he had risen. Justice of God! O how severe it is, That blows like these in vengeance poureth down! Whence he replied: "I rained from Tuscany Even as the mule I was; I'm Vanni Fucci, And ask what crime has thrust him here below, And the sinner, who had heard, dissembled not, And with a melancholy shame was painted. Then said: "It pains me more that thou hast caught ine Than when I from the other life was taken. What thou demandest I cannot deny ; So low am I put down because I robbed And falsely once 'twas laid upon another; But that thou mayst not such a sight enjoy, If thou shalt e'er be out of the dark places, Thine ears to my announcement ope and hear : Pistoia first of Neri groweth meagre ; Then Florence doth renew her men and manners; Mars draws a vapour up from Val di Magra, Which is with turbid clouds enveloped round, Over Campo Picen shall be the battle; When it shall suddenly rend the mist asunder, So that each Bianco shall thereby be smitten. And this I've said that it may give thee pain." 240 145 CANTO XXV. Ar the conclusion of his words, the thief Lifted his hands aloft with both the figs, As if it said: "I will not thou speak more; Clinching itself together so in front, That with them he could not a motion make Pistoia, ah, Pistoia! why resolve not To burn thyself to ashes and so perish, Since in ill-doing thou thy seed excellest? Through all the sombre circles of this Hell, Spirit I saw not against God so proud, Not he who fell at Thebes down from the walls! He fled away, and spake no further word; Come crying out: "Where is, where is the scoffer?" I do not think Maremma has so many Serpents as he had all along his back, With wings wide open was a dragon lying, The mace of Hercules, who peradventure I did not know them; but it came to pass, What I shall say, it will no marvel be, The hindermost it stretched upon his thighs, And put its tail through in between the two, Ivy was never fastened by its barbs Unto a tree so, as this horrible reptile Upon the other's limbs entwined its own. Then they stuck close, as if of heated wax } They had been made, and intermixed their colour; E'en as proceedeth on before the flame Upward along the paper a brown colour, Which is not black as yet, and the white dies. The other two looked on, and each of them Cried out: "O me, Agnello, how thou changest ! Already the two heads had one become, When there appeared to us two figures mingled Two and yet none did the perverted image Of days canicular, exchanging hedge, Lightning appeareth if the road it cross; Thus did appear, coming towards the bellies Of the two others, a small fiery serpent, Livid and black as is a peppercorn. And in that part whereat is first received Our aliment, it one of them transfixed; Then downward fell in front of him extended. The one transfixed looked at it, but said naught ; Nay, rather with feet motionless he yawned, Just as if sleep or fever had assailed him. Ile at the serpent gazed, and it at him; One through the wound, the other through the mouth Smoked violently, and the smoke commingled. Henceforth be silent Lucan, where he mentions Wretched Sabellus and Nassidius, And wait to hear what now shall be shot forth. Be silent Ovid, of Cadmus and Arethusa; For if him to a snake, her to a fountain, Converts he fabling, that I grudge him not; Because two natures never front to front Has he transmuted, so that both the forms That to a fork the serpent cleft his tail, Adhered so, that in little time the juncture Became the member that a man conceals, With a new colour, and engenders hair On one of them and depilates the other, The one uprose and down the other fell, Though turning not away their impious lamps, And from excess of matter, which came thither, He who lay prostrate thrusts his muzzle forward, For speech before, is cleft, and the bi-forked Along the valley hissing takes to flight, And said to the other: "I'll have Buoso run, Shift and reshift, and here be my excuse But that I plainly saw Puccio Sciancato; And he it was who sole of three companions, Which came in the beginning, was not changed; The other was he whom thou, Gaville, weepest. CANTO XXVI. REJOICE, O Florence, since thou art so great, -27 Like these I found, whence shame comes unto me, Would that it were, seeing it needs must be, The bourns had made us to descend before, Among the rocks and ridges of the crag, |