The Purgatory of Dante Alighieri

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt: ...to my thought, I drew me over that creature, whose words erewhile caused me to remark, saying: 'Spirit in whom tears are ripening that without which man cannot turn to God, stay a little for me thy greater care. Tell me Poco dihanzi a noi ne fu; perch' io Nel parlare avvisai l' altro nascosto; E volsi gli occhi allora al Signor mio:h Ond' egli m' assenti con lieto cenno Cio che chiedea la vista del disio. Poi ch' io potei di me fare a mio senno, Trassimi sopra quella creatura, Le cui parole pria notar mi fenno; 90 Dicendo: Spirto, in cui pianger matura Quel, senza il quale a Dio tornar non puossi, Sosta un poco per me tua maggior cura. h agli occhi al Gg. Cass. 1345 Aid, Land.; del 2, 84 There has been some discussion over the meaning of this line. Philalethes has: 'Ich, aus solcher Rede, was sonst darin war noch verborgen, merkte,' and explains it to be the doubt whether they were living men, and the wish to have their prayers. This is given also by Bianchi; but rightly, as I think, set aside by him as 'vuota di concetto'; and certainly any such meaning is very much hidden in the simple direction which the spirit gives. It seems much simpler to take avvisai as in (e.g.) x. 71, and l'altro as merely ='the other interlocutor,' opposed to il Poeta. 85 The reading agli occhi is open to the objection that Dante never looks Virgil in the eyes. who thou wast, and why ye have your backs turned upward, and if thou wilt that I obtain aught for thee there whence I have moved yet living.' And he to me: 'Wherefore the heaven turns our back parts to it, thou shalt know, but first Scias quod ego fui successor Petri. Between Siestri and Chiavari flows down a fair large river, and from its name the title of my race makes its boast. One month and little more I proved how th...