Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/469

 9* s. in. JUNE IT, mi NOTES AND QUEEIES.

463

Bianchi repeats the absurd " equivoco tra Anastasio papa e un imperatore del medesimo nome," and sapiently adds, "ma Dante sapeva 1' istoria come 1' insegnava ai suoi tempi." Just so, and the very history which he would be taught in these times were he living now. There is no confusion in Dante's mind between the Pope and Emperor bearing the same name, and whatever his motive was for consigning the Pontiff ad inferos, dislike of error was, in my judgment, a larger in- gredient in it than animosity to the Roman Court, though the punishment meted out to him certainly did not "fit the crime." Happily, however, it is only poetic justice and nothing more.

7. To an admirer of Dante, to whose genius the world owes the writings bearing his name, the following excerpt from the 'Life of Lewis Carroll ' (p. 393) contrasts painfully with the subjoined extract from a now historic letter of the late Mr. Gladstone :

"You are a very lucky girl, and I am rather inclined to envy you in having the leisure to read Dante. I have never read a page of him ; yet I am sure the 'Divina Commedia' is one of the grandest books in the world though I am not sure whether the reading of it would rai*e one's life and give it a nobler purpose, or simply be a grand poetical treat. That is a question you are beginning to be able to answer : I doubt if I shall ever (at least in this life) have the opportunity of reading it." 31 March, 1890.

"You have deigned to call that mighty poet a solemn master for me. These words are not mean- ingless. The reading of Dante is not only a pleasure, an effort, a lesson ; it is a strong discipline of the heart, the intellect, the man. In the school of Dante I have learnt a very great part of that mental provision, small as it may be, with which I have made the journey of human life until nearly seventy-three years. And I would also enlarge upon your able remark that who serves Dante, serves Italy. Christianity, and the world." 20 Dec., 1882.

The dementi given by these noble words to the others, so frivolous, needs no comment. J. B. McGovERN. St. Stephen's Rectory, C.-on-M., Manchester.

P. S. Since writing the above I note that MR. T. P. ARMSTRONG (ante, p. 424) objects to my proffered explanation (8 th S. ii. 23) of 1 Inf.,' iv. 57:

Di Moise legista e ubbidiente ; Abraam patriarca e David re ;

and terms it "incomplete or perhaps erro- neous." It was neither. The statement that " the adjective refers in the text not to Abraham, but to Moses," includes by impli- cation an existent opposing theory without specifying it, and is, therefore, not " incom- plete." Nor is it " perhaps erroneous," seeing

that its opposite is much more likely to be so. Scartazzini says :

" Ubbidiente : benche legislatore del suo popolo, fu egli stesso ubbidiente a Dio, onde il suo epiteto di Servm Domini ; cfr. Josue i. 1, 2, 7, ecc. Alcuni leggano :

Di Moise legista ; e 1' ubbidiente Abraam patriarca,

rammentando 1' ubbidienza di Abramo quando si mostro pronto a sacrificare 1' unico figlio. Ma ted lezione, oltre all' essere sprovvista di autorita di codd. e comm. antichi, distrugge la bella antitexi del verso."

Comparisons are odious ; but the opinion of Scartazzini carries more weight than that of Fraticelli. Lombardi gives the "bella antitesi " thus :

" Sembra che voglia il Poeta con questa unione in Moise di leyixta e ubbidiente sferzare 1' ordinario costume de' legislator!, di piu volentieri comandare, che ubbidire."

Bianchi also thus :

" Perch6 Mose nelle sue leggi non si dipartiva dai comandi di Dio ; ovvero, perche era il primo ad obbedire alle leggi che promulgava. In ogni modo ci pare che ne resulti miglior seriso che dalla lezione abbracciata dal Costa, che vuol referito 1' aggiunto ubbidiente, premessovi 1' articolo, ad Abramo, contro la comune de' codici e delle stampe."

Let me add that both Gary and Toralinson attach the adjective to Moses in their ver- sions : " Moses, lawgiver, who obedience knew," rendered the latter ; " Of Moses, law- giver, for faith approved," translated the former. The error, then, if error there be, lies with those who interpolated both the comma after " legista " and the article before " ubbidiente " into the text.

ANCIENT ZODIACS.

(Concluded from p. 404.) Arabic Zodiac.

230. An Arabic zodiac on plaster is in the Exposition de Geographie, Mazarin Palace Library, Paris, No. 432, Inv. Ge. 36. One sign is a camel.

Gnostic Zodiacs.

231. On an oval gem, surrounding a Roman soldier standing. " Abraxas," Chisflet coll. In Montfaucon, tome ii. part ii. p. 375, pi. clxx.

232. Surrounding a crescent and star, on an oval gem. "Abraxas," Chisflet coll. In Montfaucon, tome ii. part ii. p. 375, pi. clxx.

233. On a gem surrounding Gnostic sym- bols. "Abraxas," Chisflet coll. In Montfaucon, tome ii. part ii. p. 375, pi. clxx., 1719.

Scandinavian Zodiacs.

234. On an Icelandic Runic cornel -wood chair. Carved in twelve circular frames in front of the armchair, in two rows. It has five rows of Runes on it, the top one giving