William Blake

Who is there that could ever utter, by general
   terms, the words for blood and wounds, which I saw, in
   full -- to tell the story more than once? Certainly would
every tongue wag much less at our discourse, and
   for the mindset which they have to understand thus
   in taking so little to heart. If the population
of the Apulians all were to reunite, within
   their storm-tossed land in Italy, with those already
   forced to regret their very own blood by the men
of Troy, and by the lengthy conflict, which did
   turn their rings into such lofty spoils of war,
   as unerring Livy wrote, and joined with those
citizens that endured mortal blows in resistance
   to Robert Guiscard; and the other populace
   whose bones were heaped up at Ceperano, right where
each Apulian crook was located, and the others
   about Tagliacazzo, right where agèd Alardo
   conquered them unarmed: and some man were to present his
impaled limb, another demonstrating a severed
   one, etc., would the MO of the 9th pouch still
   be dirty beyond compare. Now look: no barrel could,
in being deprived of middle board or end-stave,
   have gaped as openly as I saw a shade,
   split from the chin down to his crotch. His guts
hung suspended between the thighs; the innards
   were conspicuous, as well as the sad sack
   which turns what we swallow to shit. As soon as
seeing me fasten all eyes upon him, he looked at
   me and opened up his chest with both hands, & said:
   "Now see how I tear my rended self! & look at[30
how Mohammad oneself is disabled!
   Ali goes weepeing right before me, with the
   face of a fool, and cleft by th' epic blow.
And all the other men that you witness here,
   they were sowers of scandal and schism, when
   alive, & so are they dumbasses as such. There
is a demon back there -- he still adorns the scene
   in such cruel fashion, drawing sword-point
   to cleave each member of this lot, whenever
we might depart the dreary roadway: for
   the wounds are closed up, before other people
   get back before him. But who are you, that
does loiter upon this rock, someone perhaps
   hesitating to pay the penalty for being
   judged guilty of your own charges up there?"
"Death has yet to catch up with him, nor does he bear
   any fault," replied my master, "which may trouble him with
   torment; rather, to get him experience in full
in what the dead are, is it fitting for me to lead him
   through the inferno down here in circle after
   circle; and this man truly is just as I told you."
More than a hundred shades, who stopped when they
   heard him in the trench, looked me over for
   a marvelous sight, distracted from the torment.
"So tell Fra Dolcino, then, to arm himself, you who'll
   perhaps see the sun in a short while, i.e., if he does not
   wish to follow me in such punishment, and to store
provisions for the dead of winter, so that
   the victory goes not to the Novarese, since it'd be
   no easy matter to secure by any other means."[60
As soon as he had finished taking his step,
   Mohammad uttered this speech to me, then extended
   his track along the ground in departing.
Another shade, that was pierced through the jaw,
   with its nose cut-off up to the brows, and had
   only one single ear left, did stop to stare in awe
at the other spirits, right in front of the rest and
   opened his own throat up, which was crimson red
   in each external part; said he, "Oh you, that
guilt does not condemn, whom I saw before in
   the Latians' country, unless excess of
   similitude does fail to deceive me, do
recall Pier da Medicina, should you ever
   return to see the sweet plains which slope towards
   Marcabo from Vercelli. And make sure you in-
form the two best men in Fano, Ser Guido and
   Angiolello, that if prophetic foresight
   is not conducted in here to nil effect,
those men shall be thrown off of their ship, and lost
   at sea near Cattolica, due to the
   treachery of a savage tyrant. Betwixt
the isles of Cyprus and Majorca, Neptune
   never once viewed so massive of a fault,
   among e'en the pirates and the ancient Greeks.
That traitor who sees by means of a single
   eye, and who retains the land, which that guy would
   view as backwards, -- he is going to make them embark
to parley with him; so shall it be done, as
   neither offering nor prayer will be their trade
   to traffic, in headwinds off of Focara."[90
And I, to him: "If you want me to carry tidings
   of you up above, do show me, and clarify for
   me, who that man is, with the bitter view of the world."
Then he grabbed one of his associates by the jaw
   and pried his mouth open, shouting: "This is him alright,
   with no gift of gabbing! This one, in exile,
overwhelmed Caesar when in doubt, asserting
   that a well prepared man who hesitates
   always suffers harm." Oh, how deep in shock did
Curio appear to me, with the tongue
   cut out of his throat, for having been so
   passionate in speaking. And a man who had
either of his hands lopped off -- lifting the stumps
   up, in the sinister air -- to such effect
   he fouled his face with blood, screamed: "Remember
Mosca as well, the poor wretch!, who said that
   'the matter is executed at the top' -- which
   was the seed of evil for Tuscany's people."
And I added, telling him, "Death to your family line
   too!"; at which, he piled up grief upon hurt,
   and went away like a melancholy psycho. But
I stuck around to look over the band
   of sinners, and saw something which would still cause me
   to be afraid of no greater ordeal than
merely to account for the matter, if it
   weren't for my conscience providing me assurance,
   viewing the noble association which a man
admits, under the guise of being armored with pure intent.
   I witnessed for sure -- and still it seems like I could
   see it now -- the bust of a headless man going along[120
as if the rest of them marched in a dismal throng; its trunk held
   the head by some hair, gripping it like a lantern: and
   that shade marveled in shock at us, exclaiming,
"Ay me!" He made himself into a lamp from
   his very own form, as there were two parts to one shade,
   and one in two pieces; how it could be possible
does th' universal governor know well. When it had
   approached the bridge at the foot, it lifted the head up
   with the arm stretched, to impress its message
upon us, as follows: "Now witness the grievous
   punishment, you breathing man, who come to view the dead:
   see if any penalty is greater than this. And since
you're bearing news of me, please know that I was
   Bertrand de Born, who did provide evil forms of
   consolation to the young king. I made the father
and his son into enemies to one another;
   Achitophel did no worse to Absalom and David,
   with the wicked provocateurs. Just because
I parted ways with their joint union, I carry my
   own brain around, damn thing!, deprived of its
   principle support, spine still within this trunk.
So is the law of contrapasso witnessed in my case."