Hell's dunnest gloom, or night unlustrous, dark of every planet and palled in clouds, never spread a veil in thickness like that fog, nor so palpable and gross to the sense. Entering its shade, Dante's eye will not endure unclosed lids. The faithful guide draws near and offers his shoulder for a stay. As a blind man walks behind his leader, lest he err or stumble on what might harm or destroy him, Dante journeys through that bitter air, still listening: look that from me thou part not. Voices seem to pray for peace and compassion to the Lamb of God that taketh sins away. Their prelude is still Agnus Dei, and through all the choir one voice, one measure, so that the concord of their song seems perfect. Are these spirits? Thou aimest aright: these loose the bonds of wrath.
Now who art thou, that through our smoke dost cleave, and speakest of us as if thou still dividest time by calends? Reply, Virgil says, and ask if upward hence the passage lead. O being who dost make thee pure: along with me, and thou shalt hear and wonder. Long as it is lawful, the spirit will follow; since cloudy smoke forbids the seeing, hearing shall keep them joined. Dante is yet in mortal swathing, come through hell, willed to behold the kingly state. Conceal not who thou wast. I was of Lombardy, and Marco called, not inexperienced of the world, that worth I still affected from which all have turned the nerveless bow aside. Thy course tends right unto the summit. Pray for me when thou shalt come aloft. Dante pledges it, then names a doubled doubt: the world is forlorn of all good and swarms with every evil, as Marco speaks and as another said; is the cause in heaven, or on earth below?
Brother, the world is blind, and thou in truth comest from it. Ye refer each cause to heaven above as if necessity drew all that moves. If this were so, free choice were none, nor justice that there should be joy for virtue, woe for ill. Your movements have their primal bent from heaven, not all. Light have ye still to follow evil or good, and of the will free power, which, if it stand firm in heaven's first assay, conquers at last. Ye abide free, not constrained by that which forms in you the reasoning mind uninfluenced of the stars. If the present race err, seek in yourselves the cause. Herein thou shalt confess me no false spy. The soul comes from the Maker's hand like a babe, turning willingly to whatever yields her joy; of some slight good she tastes, and, snared, pursues it if no guide recall, no rein direct. Hence the law should be a curb, and a sovereign whose piercing view might mark the fortress of the true city. Laws indeed there are: but who observes them? None; not he who goes before, the shepherd who chews the cud but doth not cleave the hoof. The multitude see their guide strike at the very good they covet most, and look no further. Thus the cause is not corrupted nature, but ill-conducting. Rome was wont to boast two suns, the world's and God's; one hath quenched the other, and the sword is grafted on the crook, so each declines. The land of Adice and Po was once courtesy and valour before the day that frowned on Frederick; now whoever hath left, for shame, to talk with good men may pass those limits. Three aged ones remain: good Gherardo, Conrad, Guido of Castello. The church of Rome, mixing two governments that ill assort, hath missed her footing, fallen into the mire, and there herself and burden much defiled. Dante discerns why Levi's offspring took no heritage, and asks who Gherardo is. Either thy words deceive, Marco says, or thou, speaking Tuscan, appear'st not to have heard of good Gherardo, unless I borrowed from his daughter Gaia another name. God be with you. I bear you company no more. Behold the dawn with white ray glimmering through the mist. I must away, the angel comes, ere he appear. He said, and would not hear me more.
