Sandro Botticelli

There's a place in hell that's known as Evil-Pits,
   all made of stone the same color as iron, just
   like the circuit that it turns about. Right
in the midst of th' injurious field, there gaped
   a fairly large and abysmally deep well,
   the devising of which I'll tell in proper place.
That ring which is then left's a circle, between
   the well and bottom of the steep cliff, and
   the deep, compartmented into ten valleys.
As that region, where the ramparts surround
   the ditches, closer & closer, with lookout from the
   wall, the place they're at makes image look profound,
thus so do they cut such a figure here;
   and like there are, in such strongholds, at th' threshold,
   drawbridges outdoors upon the bank, so
from the depth of the rock's face the cliffs project,
   seeking after the embankments and trenches, on
   through the well that breaks up and reunites them.
This is the place, from behind by Geryon
   shaken, that we found ourselves; and the poet
   kept to the lefthand side -- & I went on
behind. Upon the right I saw new pathos,
   new acts of torture and new tormentors,
   with which the first of the pouches was filled.
In the bottom were unclothèd sinners;
   in the middle of which they found themselves
  face to face, from there, with us, but by greater
steps, like how the Romans, in massive muster,
   must at the Jubilee year make the people
   pass o'er the bridge in urbane fashion, that[30
all do display, on one side, facing toward
   the Castel -- they go to church of Saint Peter;
   on th' other side, they go toward Mt. Giordano.
This way and that way, over the gloomy
   stone, I saw devils with their great, big whips,
   which strike for them from behind cruelly.
Oh, how they do make the pard'ners dance right
   at the very first lashes! -- no one al-
   ready expects the second, or thirds... While I
was on the move, my eyes focused on one shade;
   and just as quick as that, I said, "I have
   no taste for seeing that one already a-
gain." I planted my feet right there, to reckon
   that. And my kind guide did check his step with me,
   and concurred that I should take a few steps back.
And whipped, he should've meant to hide -- lowering
   his gaze; but it was of little use to him,
   so I said: "Oh, you who cast the eye to earth,
if the faction which you supported was not in-
   correct, you Venedico are, of the Caccianemici.
   But what leads you to so savory a ditch?"
And he, to me: "I'll tell it unwillingly;
   but the clear tone of your speech does compel
   me, making me recall the world of old. I
was the one whom Ghisolabella took to ful-
   fill her desire for the noble, just as
   the naughty tale tells it. And I'm not the sole
one from Bologna who is weeping here;
   actually, this place is so full within, that
   there are not so many tongues which know how[60
to state 'yes-sum' between the Savena and
   the Reno; and if you would like witness or
   proof of this, recollect our stingy bosom."
So speaking thus, a hornèd devil with a
   whip hit him, and said: "Hit the road, you
   scoundrel! -- there're no women to pimp here."
I re-united with my own escort; then in few
   short steps we arrived over where there is
   a cliff sticking out from the rock too.
In a rather careful way, along the edge
   we went; and having turned right, upon the top
   ridge, we made our way out of those everlasting
circles. When we were right there, where the rock
   breaks from beneath to make a path for the
   whip-lashed shades, my guide said, "Consider well, and
see to it that the sight of these other ill-
   conceived souls does you no harm, on whom you
   will not see a face, unless they come with us."
From th' ancient bridge, I watched over the trail
   that came from the other group toward us, and
   which the lash did, in like fashion, chase off.
The fine master, without my asking, told
   me: "Behold!, that great man that comes, does spill
   tears, unequal to grieving pain: see what
a real royal look is restraining him still!
   That one is Jason, who deprived the folks
   of Colchis of the fleece through courage and will.
He did through the island of Lemnos pass,
   so that the bold and ruthless bitches might
   hand all of their men over to death.[90
Did he deceive Hypsipyle there, with
   signals and decorous statements, the young
   lady who had all th' other women deceived first.
He abandoned her right off, pregnant & alone;
   so great a fault sentences her to such
   discipline; & sin, too, takes vengeance o' Medea --
with whom goes that heart which misled by so great
   a part: and this is need to know enough for the
   first fosse, and of those into which it sinks its teeth."
We were upon the narrow path already,
   that criss-crosses with the second bank, and runs
   from that shoulder to another ridge. So we
perceived people in the other pouch as a-
   pathetic, with snout at the trough, and that
   they beat themselves right there with their own palms.
The banks were encrusted with mold, by breath
   of wind from below which feeds there, to cause a
   scuffle with one's eyes and nose. The deep's so dark
that there was not sufficient spot to view
   it without climbing the ridge's arch, where
   the rock was even greater over all.
There did we arrive; and then down in the trench
   I saw folks sullied in excrement which
   looked to have come from people's privies.
And while I scanned there down below by eye,
   I saw someone with head made so filthy by
   shit, he seemed not to be layman or clergy.
That person cried at me: "Why're you so greedy
   as the other bad people to regard
   me closer?" And to him I said, "Why, if I[120
remember right, I have already viewed
   you -- with dry hair; & you are Alessio
   Interminei, from Lucca: why I eye you
more than the others." And then striking his own
   melon he said, "Down here the flatteries keep me
   submerged, where I'm ever the tireless tongue."
Following which my leader said to me: "Do
   make your visage move on a bit further, so
   that it may well obtain by sight the face of
that filthy and unkempt wench that claws her-
   self there with shit-caked nails, who at one time
   lies spread, and at another stands up straight.
She is Thaïs, who when her favorite asked, 'Have I
   got great thanks coming from you?' the harlot
   made reply, 'Marvelous favors indeed.'
& of this should our view be just enough."