Gustave Doré

The spot where we arrived to climb down the
   riverbank was mountainous and, for that which
   went even further, so alpine that any
viewing would be timid before it. Such
   is that wasteland which rattled the river
   Adige, south of Trent, either by earthquake
or from lack of stable ground, as the stone
   did so topple down to the plain that it would
   offer path to one who may be above there:
so was the descent of that precipice; and
   at the edge of the gap in rocks there lay
   outstretched th' infamous Minotaur of Crete,
that was conceived inside the fake heifer.
   And when he saw us, he gnawed at his own self,
   just like someone whom wrath wears down, within.
My wise guide cried out to him: "You believe
   maybe that the Duke of Athens is here, since
   he doled out death to you in the world above?
Go away, you beast: this person comes not with
   tutoring from your sister Ariadne but rather
   proceeds for viewing y' all in punishment."
As that bull which breaks loose at the very moment
   when it accepts the mortal blow, and knows
   not how to proceed, but leaps about all over,
so saw I the Minotaur acting just as thus;
   and that cautious man did shout, "Run to the cross-
   ing -- while he is in a rage, it's OK for us
to descend." So we made our way downwards
   through the rocky dump, as that very stone did
   shift beneath my feet, due to th' unusal mass.[30
I went, thinking pensively; and Vergil said:
   "Perhaps you are reflecting on this wasteland,
   which is guarded by that animalistic rage
which I just extinguished. Now you, sir, must know that
   the other time I came down here into hell's
   underworld, these rocks had not yet tumbled down.
Well in fact, if I rightly do perceive,
   a bit before that person arrived -- he who
   took up the great spoils to Dis, from the
upper circle of hell, -- did the contaminated
   valley on high tremble so much, that I thought
   the universe must feel love itself, through
which some do believe the world has often
   been transformed into chaos; and at which point
   in this ancient rock, it makes an about face,
here and there. But turn your eyes upon the valley,
   for the river of blood draws near, where such ones as
   visit harm upon others by violence are boiling."
Oh unseeing desire in envy, and anger's
   folly, which spurs us through the brief span of life
   to immerse us then in such pain for all time!
I saw an ample trench, twisted into a bend --
   just like a moat which encircles all the plain,
   pursuant to my associate's claim; and
between the riverbank and cliff were Centaurs
   running on track, with arrows armed, as they used
   to go on the hunt, in the world above.
Upon seeing us on our way down, each
   of them had stopped, as three Centaurs left off
   from the troop, with bow and shafts they'd chosen first;
and from afar, one screamed: "What torture do
   you both arrive for, in descending the slope?
   Say it from where you're at, or else I will
bow and arrow draw." My master replied, "We
   shall respond to Chiron, by that position:
   since your will was always so hasty, to no avail."
Then he grabbed me and said: "That one there is
   Nessus, who died for lovely Deianira, and
   made himself into vengeance for the very same.
And that one in between, that looks to aim at
   his own chest, is Chiron the great, who tutored
   Achilles; that other one is Pholus, who was
so full of wrath. Over by the ditch they go
   by the thousands, shooting any soul revealed
   by the blood to egress further than its fault
brings about." We went up to those lean beasts:
   Chiron drew an arrow, and with the nock
   pulled back his beard. As soon as he uncovered
his big mouth, he told his comrades: "Y' all
   notice how that man in back unsettles what he
   contacts? Dead people's feet aren't used to doing that."
And my noble leader, who was already
   up to their breast, where the two aspects of
   their nature are conjoined, made reply: "He
is quite alive, & the only one who's fit
   for me to show him the valley of darkness;
   necessity leads him here, not pleasure.
Such lady as withdrew from singing Hallelujah
   entrusted to me this new responsibility:
   he is not a robber, & I am no thieving spirit.
But by that virtue through which I direct my
   steps over such a savage beach, grant us
   one of your own, whom we may be nearby,
so that he might show us where the ford goes,
   and bear this man atop his backside, since
   he is no soul that over the air flies."
Chiron turned to his righthand side, and to Nessus
   said, "Go on back and guide them like he asked,
   & make any other band you bump into stand aside."
So we moved on with reliable escort, along
   the bank of crimson seething, where the boiled ones
   were producing their high-pitched screeching.
I saw persons under there, up to the eyebrows;
   and the huge Centaur said: "They're tyrants with
   blood upon their hands, who seized more for this.
Here they lament their cruel losses; here lies
   Alexander the Great, and fierce Dionysius,
   who forced Sicily to suffer so many grievous
seasons. And that forehead there whose hair is so
   black, that's Ezzolino the third; and that
   other one, the blonde, is Obizzo, who in truth
was snuffed out by his stepson." Then I turned
   toward the poet, who said, "Let him go
   before you in the first place now, & I, second."
A little while after, the Centaur took
   position atop races of people that
   looked to be at each other's throat, whene'er they
extracted themselves through the boiling from this. One shade,
   alone solely in a songlike chant made
   visible to us, uttering, "Let him come on top[120
of God's lap, stuffed through his heart-strings, as in on his dea'
   river, th' Thames." Then saw I th' ones out of the stream take it
   on the head, & finally stop; and I recognized
more than a fair number of them. So more &
   more, did they dive in the blood, as they fired on
   their feet; whence so our passing ford across the ditch.
"So just as you can see in this part of hell, while the
   ionizing ever diminishes," claimed the Centaur,
   "I want you to believe that inferno's basis goes
further and deeper, right from this point, until it re-
   connects where tyranny accords its screaming.
    Th' almighty's divine justice pricks famèd Attila
in there, as he was a scourge over earth, and Pyrrhus,
   & swashbuckling Sextus too; and bellowing tear-
   drops into forever, as he gets worked up
to boiling over, Rainier the pirate from
   Corneto, and Rinier Pazzo, mates, for
   making so much war on the beach-head shoreline."
Then he turned back, & went looking his turf over.