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Through me to the city dolorous lies the way, Who pass through me shall pains eternal prove, Through me are reached the people lost for aye.
I was created by the Power Divine,1 The Highest Wisdom, and the Primal Love. No thing’s creation earlier was than mine, If not eternal;2 I for aye endure: Ye who make entrance, every hope resign!
“Here it behoves to leave all fears behind; All cowardice behoveth here to die. For now the place I told thee of we find, Where thou the miserable folk shouldst see Who the true good4 of reason have resigned.”
“In this condition drear Are held the souls of that inglorious crew Who lived unhonored, but from guilt kept clear.
Mingled they are with caitiff angels, who, Though from avowed rebellion they refrained, Disloyal to God, did selfish ends pursue. 40 Heaven hurled them forth, lest they her beauty stained; Received they are not by the nether hell, Else triumph7 thence were by the guilty gained.”
The wretches, who when living showed no trace Of life, went naked, and were fiercely stung By wasps and hornets swarming in that place. Blood drawn by these out of their faces sprung And, mingled with their tears, was at their feet Sucked up by loathsome worms it fell among.
“The bitterest of woes Is to remember in the midst of pain A happy past;
Not all the gold which is beneath the moon Could purchase peace, nor all that ever was, To but one soul of these by toil undone.”
“The fierce Erynnyes9 view! Herself upon the left Megæra shows; That is Alecto weeping on the right; Tisiphone’s between.”
Magaera appears as a name in the Hammer Film, "The Gorgon" where she resmbles Medusa more closely and doesn't need to summon her snake haired acquaintance to turn someone to stone.
Men justly lose what from themselves they’ve ta’en.
To all my fortune is my soul composed. Not new to me the hint by you revealed; Therefore let Fortune turn her wheel apace, Even as she will; the clown15 his mattock wield.”
Quicquid erit, superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est—“Whatever shall happen, every fate is to be vanquished by endurance” (Æn. 5.710).
Like one so close upon the shivering fit Of quartan ague that his nails grow blue, And seeing shade he trembles every whit, I at the hearing of that order grew; But his threats shamed me, as before the face 90 Of a brave lord his man grows valorous too.
Behold Tiresias,9 who was changed all o’er, Till for a man a woman met the sight, And not a limb its former semblance bore; And he behoved a second time to smite The same two twisted serpents with his wand, Ere he again in manly plumes was dight.
And No grows Yes that money may be won.”
he who spends his life nor wins renown 50 Leaves in the world no more enduring trace Than smoke in air, or foam on water blown.
None is absolved unless he first repent; Nor can repentance house with purpose ill,
an old commentator says, following Origen: “The Popes that walk in the footsteps of Peter have this power of binding and loosing; but only such as do so walk.”
