review
Alberto Martini

 

 

I have seen a knight take field before, by
   undertaking to charge and making demonstration
   before them, and seen such on the retreat
withdrawing; I've watched thorough-breds at torney in
   your own land, oh Aretines, and seen raiding-parties
   fly to jousting; whenever it is, executed
with trumpets and with bells, with the drums
   and castle insignia, both among our native
   products and with imported goods: but I've
never seen an equestrian, nor troop of
   infantry -- no, not even a ship -- signaled o'er land
   or under starlight, by so bizarre a bugle!
We went along with the ten demons. Oh, what
   a savage association!, but (as they
   say) at church with the saints, and to the bar with
the drunkards. My attention was focused
   strictly on the pitch, to see what this pit contains,
   and at the people who were set on fire there.
Just like the porpoises when they make a show of
   navigating with bow-like back submerging, as
   they struggle to survive their own cross -- in that
very way did each of the sinners reveal
   their backside, to try and relieve the pain, and
   so hide at lesser points that which does not gape.
And just as from the edge of a streaming bank,
   do the frogs take a stand with their muzzle turned up-
   ward, so that their feet and the rest of the bulk
be hidden, exactly thus were the sinners, in standing,
   all over the place; but as Boredom-B. drew near,
   the boiling shades withdrew beneath the surface.[30
I saw this -- & still it shivers my heart, -- viewing
   one having aspect as such, as if counter to him,
   like how one frog stays as another perks up;
and Snarleyhead, who was further off from them,
   gave the hook to the shades immersed up to the crown,
   and pulled one of them up, which looked to me like an
otter bathed. I already could tell his name by all
   these devils, so well did I note when they
   were being picked, & while they were at the muster,
I paid attention to how they got addressed. "Hey Redrum,
   make certain you get your claws into that one's back, deep
   enough for you to hear it!", the sinners were all
shouting together. Said I, "Oh master of mine,
   make it so that you'd know who the poor wretch is, if
   you can -- the one just delivered from the hand
of his enemies." My leader went right up to them; he
   asked the shade where he was from, & responded he: "I
   was born noble of the kingdom at Navarre.
My own mother made me servile to an elder lord, which
   turned me into a tyrant, a counter-productive
   detractor of oneself and all such affairs.
So I was related to the great king, Theobald;
   that's why I dedicated myself to bartering
   the system, i.e., the reason I'm explaining in this heat."
And Hogface, from whose mouth came a rendition
   of Hosanna! in pig-squeals, he made them hear it
   like a whore. Among such bad dudes, the leader
of the pack arrived; and he put Boredom-Beardcurling
   in check, stating, "Y' all stay over there, while I
   spork him!" And my master Vergil turned right[60
around, about face; "Ask again," said he,
   "if you wish to get to know it from him,
   before he unhinges th' others." Then spoke my
lord, "Give it up: did you recognize any man
   that may've been Roman, under the constellation of
   the fish?" And the shade told him: "I'm at a loss, it
is a short while: for someone who is from
   nearby there. So am I still covered with him,
   so much that I'm afraid of neither claw nor hook!"
And Livid/Libyan said, "I've had too much
   of such" -- and he seized his arm with the prongs
   of his fork, so that stretching so much as a
tendon did tear them up. Puff the Dragon
   also looked to have an interest in carrying him
   off by the feet; so their captain turned opposite to-
ward them with a look of displeasure. As soon
   as they were pacified a bit, with zero delay
   did my leader question the sinner, who was still
staring into his wound: "Who was it from whom you
   claimed a rough parting, which you formed when
   you disembarked to come ashore?" And his response:
"It was Fra Gomita, from Gallura, agent
   of every fraud, who kept th' enemies of his master
   close at hand, and so acted towards them, that each one
offers praise over this. He took their cash, under
   the table, just as he claimed; as for the other
    official positions, he wasn't even a small-
time barrator, but rather the chief. He runs
   with Don Michael Zanche of Logodoro;
   they never stop running their mouths about Sardinia.[90
"Oh my, y' all get a look at th' other demon, which is
   gnashing teeth; I would still tell my story, but I fear
   that the devil might approach to scratch my itch."
And, turning to Shit-Disturber, who was
   feasting his eyes for wounding carnage, said
   he, "Get to the side, you cursèd buzzard!"
"If all of you wish to see or hear Tuscans or men
   of Lombardy, I'll go produce some of such," the terrified
   shade right by there said; "but get the Bad-Claw gang
to back down a bit, so that they have no fear of
   their forms of vengeance on him; and I myself --
   with signals at this same spot, for the one I am --
shall make seven spirits appear when I whistle,
   as is our custom to perform right then,
   whenever any one should step outdoors."
Nastydog raised his muzzle at such a saying,
   and shaking his head said, "Listen to some
   mischief, as he's decided to jump back down!"
Next he told him, who had clever moves in
   vast store: "I am too naughty, whenever I
   obtain greater sorrow for my own ill."
Harlebends lost his composure and, in opposition
   to the rest of them, told the shade: "If you lower
   yourself in, I won't come after you at a gallop;
no, I'll be beating my wings over the pitch. Leave
   the path along the ledge, & the bank will form a screen,
   to determine whether you are a match for us alone."
Oh dear you who are reading, listen to the new
   jest: each one wrenched its eyeballs aside, as soon
   as so doing was the more disrespectful. The shade[120
from Navarre took a good while, gathering the time;
    he grasped the plantlife on the ground, & all at once did leap,
   and backed off a bit from their design. For this was each
compelled to fault, but that very demon was
   pretty off his rocker; yet he went on, screaming, "You're joined
   up, now!" But it was of scant worth to them: as their wings
could not progress an inch; they made them go back
   down, and that devil presented his breast while
   hovering aloft: no differently does the duck
utter a quack, when the falcon is approaching,
   as it dives from above, and heads on back
   to alight, taxed and winded. Frostomper, all
worked up over the foolishness, whirled around
    and grabbed them, having taken a liking to
   th' one that had managed to make it through the fight;
and just as that barrator had disappeared,
   just so did he entrust that man's items
   to his accomplice, and stayed over the fosse
with him, handling it. But the other demon
   was a real hawk for hooking with the claw,
   and both of them dropped into the midst of the
seething basin. The flaming heat was sudden
   to ignite; but still there was no getting up,
   so weighted down by birdlime were their wings.
B.-Beardcurling, gnashing his teeth with th' others,
   sent four of them flying off to th' other side of the ditch,
   each with pitchfork -- & pretty soon they landed
at their post over here and o'er there; each cast
   its lures toward th' ones encrusted therein, who where
   already burned to scabs inside. And we[150
did leave them thus, more than a bit tied-up.