Canto XI
CANTO XI
As the Poets reach the brink of the sixth circle, they pause at the tomb of the monophysite Pope Anastasius to inure their senses to the stench of boiling blood below (1–9). At Dante’s request, Virgil avails himself of the opportunity to anatomize the structure of Lower Hell. Every sin of injustice, he says, intends the harm of one’s neighbor by either force or fraud, of which the latter is more grievous (10–27). The former receives its punishment in the seventh circle of Hell, but since violence may be exercised against one’s neighbor, oneself, or God, this circle is subsectioned into three rings (28–30). Thus, murderers, robbers, and tyrants inhabit the first ring (31–39); suicides and squanderers tenant the second (40–45); and blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers populate the third (46–51). Practitioners of simple fraud against one’s fellow man, with whom there is no special bond of trust, fall into the ten trenches of the eighth circle, dug out for panderers, flatterers, simonists, diviners, barrators, hypocrites, thieves, false counselors, sowers of discord, and falsifiers, most of whom are mentioned here (52–60) Following them, practitioners of treacherous fraud against kindred, country, guests, and benefactors, with all of whom one enjoys a special confidence, lie frozen in the four rings of the ninth circle (61–66). This disquisition, however, poses a conundrum for the Pilgrim: why are those in Upper Hell chastised if God does not hold them in anger; and if he does, why are they not castigated here in the City of Dis? Recalling Aristotle’s distinction of incontinence, malice, and bestiality, Virgil explains that incontinence is less serious and thus segregated from the more grievous sins of Lower Hell (67–90). The Poet then questions in what sense usury can constitute a sin against God, to which Virgil answers that just as nature imitates the divine exemplars, so human art and industry emulate nature. Nature is thus God’s “daughter,” and human industry his “granddaughter,” as it were. It is by these two that mankind should provide for itself and progress. But whereas sodomy sins against nature, usury offends against human industry by increasing money, not from labor on raw materials, but from money itself (91–111). When Virgil finishes, it is about 4:00 a. m., and he wishes to set out anew (112–115).
1 Upon the border of a lofty bank
Formed by a ring of huge split stones, we cut
A path above a yet more cruel rank.
4 And for the stench’s horrid overglut,
Which those profound abysses upwards spray,
We drew behind a cover-stone that shut
7 A giant tomb whose script I saw to say:
“I guard Pope Anastasius inside;
Photinus drew him from the rightful way.”[170]
10 “We must delay our climbing down the side
Till sense adapts some to this wretched scent,
Which then we shall not notice,” said my Guide.
13 And I: “That time may not be lost thus spent,
Come, think what compensation you may find.”
He said: “You see that such is my intent.
16 My son, within these very rocks are twined
Three smaller rings,” he, starting, then explained,[171]
“Each under each, like those you leave behind,
19 All filled with cursèd spirits here detained.
That it may be enough to see their fate,
Hear how and why it is they are constrained:
22 Of every malice earning Heaven’s hate,[172]
Injustice is the end; such ends entail
The harm, by force or fraud, of someone’s state.
25 Since fraud is properly a human bale,
It more displeases God; thus lower stand
The fraudulent, whom greater pains assail.
28 The violent take up the whole first band;[173]
But since against three persons there is force,
Three rings constructed there divide its land.
31 With neighbor, self, and God there is recourse
To violence—with them or what is theirs,
I mean—as you will clearly hear in course.
34 And so a savage death our neighbor bears
And painful wounds, and in his things the blights
Of ruin, arson, and extortion’s snares.
37 Thus homicides, each one who wrongly smites,
Despoilers, plunderers—that first of bands
Torments them all in diverse ranks and sites.[174]
40 Upon himself or on his goods man’s hands
Are laid in violence. Thus of no worth
Is rue if in the second ring he stands
43 Who has deprived himself of life on earth;
Or, gambling, dissipated fortunes earned;
Or wept where there should be a joyful mirth.[175]
46 And force against the Deity is turned
When one blasphemes and God has been denied
At heart, or Nature and its goods are spurned.
49 And therefore will the smallest ring provide
A seal on both Cahors and Sodom’s woes[176]
And all whose hearts curse God from scornful pride.[177]
52 By fraud, whose gnawing every conscience knows,
Man cheats the ones whose trust in him runs high
Or one whose purse holds no such trust as those.[178]
55 The latter way, it seems, would cut that tie
Of love alone which human nature makes;
So, nested in the second circle lie
58 The hypocrites, the fawners, and the fakes,
The wizards, thieves, and simonists, I say,
The grafters, pimps, and all such filthy snakes.[179]
61 But we forget our love the former way
When Nature frames it and we add to it,
For then a special trust is born to stay.
64 Hence in the smallest circle lies the pit
Of all the universe, the seat of Dis,
And there, consumed forever, traitors sit.”[180]
67 I said: “O Guide, your reasoning in this
Proceeds quite clearly—you distinguish well
The people here possessed and this abyss.
70 But those up in the slimy bogs of hell,
And those whom winds drive on and rainfalls smite,
Or those who clash with such harsh tongues, please tell:
73 Why aren’t they punished in that town’s red light[181]
If God should hold them in His wrath ablaze?
If he does not, why are they in this plight?”[182]
76 “Why does your reason wander from its ways,”
He said to me, “against its wonted skill,
Or has your mind, then, elsewhere turned its gaze?
79 Do you not hold in recollection still
The words your Ethics used to treat and name
Three dispositions Heaven does not will
82 —Incontinence, ill will, mad beastly shame—[183]
And how one by incontinence will hence
Offend God less and merit lesser blame?
85 If you consider well this doctrine’s sense,
And call to mind who are the spirits who
Outside above must bear their recompense,[184]
88 You’ll see why they’re divided from the crew
Of wicked souls, and why God’s hammer blow[185]
Of vengeance strikes with lesser anger too.”
91 “O Sun, who heal all troubled sight, you so
Content me when you solve the doubts I’ve got,
That doubting is as pleasing as to know.
94 Turn back,” I said, “a little to the spot
At which you said that usury offends
The Godhead’s goodness, and untie that knot.”
97 “Philosophy, to him who comprehends,
Points out,” he said, “not only in one part,
Just how the course that Nature takes depends
100 Upon God’s intellect and on His art.
And note your Physics well—it will concur,[186]
You’ll find, not many pages from the start,
103 That art, as best it can, will follow her
As pupils follow too the master’s call;
Your art is thus God’s grandchild, as it were.
106 By both of these, if you will just recall
How Genesis begins, a man should get
The bread he eats and make advance in all.
109 Since usurers take other pathways yet,
Both in herself and in her pupil too[187]
Is Nature scorned when hope is elsewhere set.
112 But follow me, I wish to go anew;
On the horizon twinkling Fishes blink,[188]
And over Caurus all the Wain’s in view.[189]
115 And there beyond descends the chasm’s brink.”