internal regulations like other religious bodies.' Of the two here introduced, one, Loderingo di Liandolo, was the founder of the Order, an adherent of the Ghibelline, as Catalano de' Malavolti was of the Guelfic faction. These two were chosen as arbiters by the Florentines, to mediate between the factions which disquieted their city; but instead of acting with the impartiality with which their Order was credited, they secretly pursued their own advantage, and united in oppressing the Ghibellines, who were compelled to retire from the city. The foremost place among these latter was occupied by the Uberti, the family of Farinata, whose ardent partisanship our readers will remember was depicted in the tenth Canto: and it was their house in the Via del Gardingo, near the old custom-house, which was plundered and destroyed in 1266, with the connivance of the two arbiters.

The introduction of Caiaphas and the other members of the Sanhedrim is singularly unexpected and abrupt, but in itself very effective; the difference of the character of the punishment inflicted, seeming to mark a deeper sin in their hypocrisy than that of the others condemned to this gulf. Dante has adopted this expedient before in the second and third divisions of the seventh circle; and we shall meet with a special instance of it also, hereafter, in the circle of the traitors. The explanations already given will be sufficient to enable our readers to understand the cause of Virgil's disgust at hearing that the bridge, by which he had intended to cross the gulf, before the pursuit of the devils compelled him to descend into it, was nothing but an impassable ruin.

THE INFERNO.-CANTO XXIII.

SILENT, alone, companionless, one leading
And one behind, we went as we were able,
Like minor friars on their road proceeding.

The present strife had turned to Esop's fable

My thoughts within me, where he maketh mention
Of frog and mouse; for 'tis indisputable,

Now and at present have no less dissension
Than is betwixt the two, if one compareth
End and beginning well with fixed attention.
And as one thought another's place oft shareth,
So then another thence was generated,
Which on my mind with double terror beareth.
"These fiends by us,' within me I debated,

'Are foiled, and that with insults and with losses
As needs must cause them pain unmitigated.
If o'er their ill-will anger's shuttle crosses,
They will pursue, and worse entreated leave us,
Than hound the hare that in his jaws he tosses.'

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Even then I felt my hair with terror grievous

Stand all on end, and looked behind attentive,
And then said, 'Master, quick, lest they perceive us,

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Hide thee and me; I tremble, such incentive

Have those keen fiends; behind us they are hieing,
Already seen by fancy's glance inventive.'
And he, Were I of leaded glass,' replying,
"Thine outward image would not be designed
Sooner upon me, than the imprint is lying

Within.

Thy thoughts but now with mine were twined

So like in act and feature and nativity,

That I one counsel made of both combined.

If this right bank in gradual declivity

Slope down, then we to the other gulf descended Shall safe elude their mischievous activity.' Scarce he the statement of his plan had ended, When I beheld them in full hope of catching, Come, not far distant, with their wings extended. Quickly thereat the Master seized me, matching

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That mother's act, who at the sound awaketh

And sees flames round her kindle close; then snatching

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Her child, she flees and never rests, but taketh
More care of him than of her own condition
In that one shift her only covering maketh.
So from the hard ridge in supine position

O'er the precipitous cliff himself he throweth,
Which circling forms the adjacent gulfs' division.
Nor water e'er through tube so quickly goeth

To turn a land-mill's wheel, when onwards moved
With speed increased towards the spokes it floweth,

As in that border space the Master proved,
Me on his bosom safe enfolded bearing
As no companion, but a son beloved.

Scarcely his feet the infernal floor were nearing,
When on the ridge's summit they arrived
Above us; but no cause was there of fearing,

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For that high ruling Wisdom, which contrived

That they should hold the fifth gulf in their keeping,
Them of all power to issue thence deprived.
Down there we found a painted nation, creeping
Round and around with slowly labouring paces,

Faint in appearance, and o'ercome with weeping. Mantles they had, with cowls before their faces Drawn low; which of the selfsame pattern seemed As that which on her monks Cologna places.

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Gilded they were without, and dazzling gleamed;
Within all leaden, of such weight impeding

That Frederick's to compare would chaff be deemed.
O garb for ever wearisome exceeding!

Then to the left hand yet again we turned

Along with them, their plaints of sadness heeding;
But for the load that weary race had earned

So slow they came, that we while onwards pressing
At every step companions new discerned.

Then, Couldst thou find,' I said, my guide addressing,
'Some one by actions or by race renowned?
Move well thine eyes around thee, thus progressing.'
Then one, the Tuscan dialect who owned,

Called after us, 'O stay your feet untired

Ye who so hasten through the air embrowned; Perchance of me thy wish may be acquired.'

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Then turned my guide, and Stay awhile' exhorted,

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' And then move forwards at the pace desired.'

Then stopping two I saw whose mien reported.

The eager soul that hasted to outstride me,

Which yet the strait path and their burden thwarted.

When they at last came up, askance they eyed me
With sternest look, no word of utterance giving;
Then turning to each other spake beside me,
'This one by his throat's action seemeth living;
If they be dead, whence have they dispensation
To walk unburdened by the garb of grieving?'
And then to me, 'Tuscan, who to the nation

Of the sad hypocrites hast thyself addressed,
Disdain not to declare thy name and station.'
And I my birth and growth and home confessed
In the great town on Arno's pleasant river;
And this the body I had e'er possessed.

'But who are ye, whose eyes such woe deliver

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As I behold, wherewith your visage reeketh?

What pain is this, whose spark so fierce doth quiver?'

'Ah me, the gilt cowls,' one in answer speaketh,

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'Are lead, so heavy that their burden smothers

The wretched balance which beneath them creaketh.

We were Bologna's children, joyous brothers,

I Catalan, he Loderingo named,

Together taken by thy land, as others

Oft have been singly chosen, and proclaimed

Sole guardians of the peace; and how we plied

Our trade around Gardingo yet is famed.'

Then I, 'O friars, your evils-' but replied
No further, for I saw that there existed
One stretched on earth, with three stakes, crucified.
He when he saw me all his body twisted,

And puffed his tangled beard apart with sighing;
And Catalan, who my desire assisted,

Was ware, and said, 'That pierced one thou art eying
Gave counsel to the Pharisees, that rightly
One man should suffer, for the people dying.
There, as thou seest, naked and unsightly
Athwart the road he lies, and must have fetched

From all that pass sure proof ere this how lightly
Each one doth tread. So his wife's sire is stretched

Likewise, and others of the council yonder,

That for the Jews did scatter seed so wretched.'
Then saw I how o'er him did Virgil ponder

Thus abjectly upon the cross extended,
His sentence of eternal exile under.
Then to the friars he said, 'Be not offended
If we entreat you, so ye may, to rede us
If to the right hand any chasm be rended
Whereby we two departing hence may speed us,
So the black angels be no more constrained
To come and from this nether valley lead us.'
'Nearer than thou dost hope,' he then explained,
There lies a rock, which, the great circle leaving,
Spans all the savage gulfs aloft sustained,
Save that it here is riven, no cope upheaving

Of arch; this ruin for your ascent availeth,
Piled from the base, and to the hill-side cleaving.'
My guide with head bent low as one that aileth
Stood, and then said, 'Then he was falsifying
Our task, the sinners yonder who impaleth.'

'Much at Bologna,' said the friar replying,

'Of the devil's sins I heard; among them hearing That he was a liar, and the father of lying.' Thereat my guide, some mark of anger bearing Upon his face, with great steps onwards moved; And I myself from those oppressed ones tearing Followed the traces of his feet beloved.

(To be continued.)

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THE FINDING OF THE TRUE CROSS.

(MAY 3RD.)

O THOU True Cross! from whence arose
The seven cries of the Saviour's woes,
His heavy burden I would bear,
His pain and anguish I would share;
Though lagging oft, and far behind,
I seek thee and I surely find.

True Cross! from thee the prayer arose
For all God's most malignant foes;
From thee I also send my cry

For every cruel enemy,

For mocking word and furious blow;
Forgive them, for they do not know.

True Cross! from thee, for thou art high,

I see a distant country lie

Blue hills enclose the peaceful vales,

And perfect quietude prevails

And for my pains there is a price,

A promise of that Paradise.

True Cross! thine arms stretch very wide,

Within them all our hearts abide;

Our homely cares for Christ's dear sake

New tenderness and honour take,

And His last blessing lives and moves

About the purest of our loves.

True Cross! and found to be most true

By hearts pierced oftenest through and through,

The blankness of my dumb despair

Hath silenced even the voice of prayer:

Behold my speechless agony;

My God, hast Thou forsaken me?

True Cross from thee my panting lip

Longs greatly for some honied sip,

But all my drops of comfort are

As bitter gall and vinegar;

And I, though faint, may not refuse

The draught my Master deigned to choose.