Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/557

 The Italian Cities and the Renaissance 521 passing through limbo, the uppermost region of hell, with Virgil for his guide. As they proceed he sees a fire that conquered a hemisphere of darkness. 1 We were still a little distant from it, yet not so far that I could not partially discern that honorable folk possessed that place. "O thou that honorest both science and art, these, who are they, that have such honor that from the condition of the others it sets them apart?" And he to me, " The honorable fame of them which resounds above in thy life wins grace in heaven that so advances them." At this a voice was heard by rne, " Honor the loftiest Poet ! his shade returns that was departed." When the voice had ceased and was quiet, I saw four great shades coming to us : they had a semblance neither sad nor glad. The good Master [Virgil] began to say, " Look at him with that sword in hand who cometh before the three, even as lord. He is Homer, the sovereign poet ; the next who comes is Horace, the satirist; Ovid is the third, and the last is Lucan. Since each shares with me the name that the solitary voice sounded, they do me honor, and in that do well." Thus I saw assembled the fair school of that Lord of the loftiest song which above the others as an e'agle flies. After they had discoursed somewhat together, they turned to me with sign of salutation ; and my Master smiled thereat. And far more of honor yet they did me, for they made me of their band, so that I was the sixth amid so much wit. Thus we went on as far as the light, speaking things con- cerning which silence is becoming, even as was speech there where I was. We came to the foot of a noble castle, seven times circled by high walls, defended roundabout by a fair streamlet. This we passed as if hard ground ; through seven gates I entered with these sages ; we came to a meadow of fresh verdure. People were there with eyes slow and grave, of great authority in their looks ; they spake seldom and with 1 I follow Professor Norton's prose version here.