Gustave Doré

Oh Simon Magus, his wretched followers
   that corrupt God's affairs which must remain the
   brides of goodwill, and you rapacious simoniacs,
who adulterate sacred offices with
   gold and silver, now is the time for the trumpet
   to resound for you, since you are in the third ditch.
We had already, at the following tomb,
   climbed from the rock in that region where the trench
   dropped to a point up through it. Oh height
of wisdom, how great is that artistry you
   demonstrate in heaven, on earth and in
   the fallen world, and how righteous the virtue
you practice! Along the ridge and through the deep,
   I saw gun-metal stone, covered with
    holes, all of good size -- each one was round.
To me, neither of them seemed any more full
   than the ones in my beloved San Giovanni,
   built on the site of the baptismal font; and
I did break one of these not so many
   years ago still, for someone who was drowning
   in there: let this be the seal to disabuse every-
man. Outside th' opening to each were the feet
   and some legs sticking out to the bulk, as
   the rest stayed inside. Either way were the soles
kindled for them all, with result that their limbs
   did flail in such a flash, they would have snapped,
   like a cord of firewood or leather straps.
Like how the blaze of flammable things is
   but set in motion o'er the surface outermost, so
   was it with their heels on to th' extremities.[30
"Master, who is that who torments own soul
   in flailing more than th' other comrades of his,"
   said I, "he whom the flame does redder billow?"
And he told me, "If you want me to bring you down
   there over this embankment which freezes cold-
   er, you shall know of it from him and his torments."
And I said, "That's as fine to me as pleasing
   for you: you are lord, and know I take not leave of
   your will -- you do know that which is held silent."
Then we did come up, over the fourth cliff:
   we turned to, and scaled down the lefthand side,
   down there in the enclosed and closing depth.
The great master did not dispatch me from his
   side sooner than bringing me to circle
   of that one who weeps, mourned with his legs.
"As to what, who-ever you are, sorry soul,
   as you're upside down, like shovel in the earth,"
   I started to, said: "why, coin a saying, if you could."
In state, I stood like the priest who, as he takes
   confession of the treacherous assassin, since
   it is heavy, recalls to him what delays death.
And he shouted: "Are you already up there straight-
   up, you already up there upright, Pope Boniface?
   The text did mislead me by some few years.
Are you so quick to be satisfied thus,
   for which you feared not to lead the lovely dame
   into error, & then commit outrage for this?"
So did I like people who take a stand, in
   misunderstanding what response is made them,
   as if they were scorned, and know not how to[60
reply. Then Vergil said, "Tell him quick: 'I'm
   not the one, am not he whom you think me
   to be.'" & just like he told me, I replied.
For that, the spirit wrenched both of his feet
   in full; then, sighing with plaintive voice, he told
   me: "So what, why do you ask for me? If it
is to know whether I matter so much to you,
   so that you would run down the precipice,
   know that I was in the glorious mantle clad,
and truly was born son of the she-bear,
   desirous to advance the Orsini so much that
   having it above, I made profit myself.
Beneath my head are others, who preceded
   me in committing simony, planted through-
   out the breaks in the level stone. Moreover,
I will already fall there when that man, whom
   I believed you to be, shall come yet, as
   I did right off make demand. But for more
time than I've burning feet, longer than I have
   been helter-skelter thus, will he be subject
   to complaint and scarlet soles: for after his
arrival at this, from still uglier effort
   regarding the west -- a lawless pastor -- it will
   happen that he showers it, and me, with results.
A new Jason he will be, about whom one
   reads in Maccabees; and just as his king was
   tender to him, so he'll be French king for it."
I don't know whether I was a bit too crazed
   then, for I simply made him proportioned
   response: "So, well now tell me: how much treasure[90
did Our Lord will in th' original San Pietro,
   as he placed the keys in his stead? I am sure
   he asked nothing, except perhaps, 'Come, follow
me.' Neither Peter nor the other apostles
   took gold and silver from Matthias, when it
   was alotted for the place that soul of guilt
ruined. But hold up, well you are quite punished;
   now look closely at the coinage so evil,
   it made you dare to stand up to Charles of Anjou.
And were it not for the reverence I bear
   those highest of keys, that still forbids me, to
   which you held in the joyous life, I might
make use of still heavier words; for your greed
   the world did sadden, oppressing the virtuous
   and offering aid to the degenerates.
The Evangelist had knowledge of you as
   shepherd, when that whore who sits over the
   waters, fornicating with kings was made manifest
to him; that slut who was born with the seven
   heads -- and from the ten horns was the cause, as
   long as virtue delighted her husband. There
you made God of gold and of silver -- & since
   any other's idolatry to you, unless
   only one, you do pray a hundred times
for what? Dear me, Constantine, how wrong was
   your mother -- not your conversion, but that
   donation the first rich father from you took!"
And as I sang such a tune, whether it
   was wrath or recognition that was so
   consuming, he pressed hard with both his feet.[120
Truly I believe that my master was pleased,
   with which satisfied visage he always
   paid heed the tone of words in truth expressed.
Yet he took me by both the arms; and then,
   as he was fully abreast of my chest, he
   surmounted the path where descent was made.
He tired not of distracting me to him diverted,
   till he got us up to the top of the curve
   which forms passage from the fourth bank to the fifth.
The dear poet did here gently descend, light-
   ly over the treacherous stone on high, which
   would make for hard pasture to goats even.
Whence I uncovered one other valley yet.