Page:Divine Comedy (Longfellow 1867) v1.djvu/208

188 And I to him: "Who are the two poor wretches

That smoke like unto a wet hand in winter,

Lying there close upon thy right-hand confines?"

"I found them here," replied he, "when I rained

Into this chasm, and since they have not turned,

Nor do I think they will for evermore.

One the false woman is who accused Joseph,

The other the false Sinon, Greek of Troy;

From acute fever they send forth such reek."

And one of them, who felt himself annoyed

At being, peradventure, named so darkly,

Smote with the fist upon his hardened paunch.

It gave a sound, as if it were a drum;

And Master Adam smote him in the face,

With arm that did not seem to be less hard,

Saying to him: "Although be taken from me

All motion, for my limbs that heavy are,

I have an arm unfettered for such need."

Whereat he answer made: "When thou didst go

Unto the fire, thou hadst it not so ready;

But hadst it so and more when thou wast coining."

The dropsical: "Thou sayest true in that;

But thou wast not so true a witness there,

Where thou wast questioned of the truth at Troy."