Divine Comedy, Cary's Translation, Complete · Dante Alighieri
Canto XXXIV.
Ingentem vidi regem ingentique sedentem In solio, crines flammanti stemmate cinctum —-utrinque patentes Alae humeris magnae, quales vespertilionum Membranis contextae amplis— Nudus erat longis sed opertus corpora villis. M. Palingenii, Zod. Vit. l. ix. A mighty king I might discerne, Plac’d hie on lofty chaire, His haire with fyry garland deckt Puft up in fiendish wise. x x x x x x Large wings on him did grow Framde like the wings of flinder mice, &c. Googe’s Translation v. 61. Brutus.] Landino struggles, but I fear in vain, to extricate Brutus from the unworthy lot which is here assigned him. He maintains, that by Brutus and Cassius are not meant the individuals known by those names, but any who put a lawful monarch to death. Yet if Caesar was such, the conspirators might be regarded as deserving of their doom. v. 89. Within one hour and half of noon.] The poet uses the Hebrew manner of computing the day, according to which the third hour answers to our twelve o’clock at noon. v. 120. By what of firm land on this side appears.] The mountain of Purgatory. v.123. The vaulted tomb.] “La tomba.” This word is used to express the whole depth of the infernal region.
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