Charonbeatingthelaggingshadeswithhisoar；AntaiospickingupthepoetswithhisfingersandloweringtheminthehollowofhishandintotheNinthCircle；Satancrunchinginhismonstrousjawsthearch-traitors，Judas，BrutusandCassius；UgolinoappeasinghisfamineuponthetoughnapeofRuggieri；BertranddeBornlookingifImaybeallowedtheexpressionathisowndisseveredhead；therobbersexchangingformwithserpents；thewholedemoniactroopofMalebolge，——arenotallthesethingsgrotesquebeyondeverythingelseinpoetry？Tous，nurturedinthisscientificnineteenthcentury，theydoubtlessseemso；andbyLeighHunt，whohadtheeighteenth-centurywayofappreciatingotheragesthanhisown，theywereuniformlytreatedassuch。Toustheyareatfirstsightgrotesque，becausetheyarenolongerrealtous。Wehaveceasedtobelieveinsuchthings，andtheynolongerawakenanyfeelingakintoterror。Butinthethirteenthcentury，inthemindsofDanteandhisreaders，theywereliving，terriblerealities。ThatDantebelievedliterallyinallthisunearthlyworld，anddescribeditwithsuchwonderfulminutenessbecausehebelievedinit，admitsoflittledoubt。AshewalkedthestreetsofVeronathepeoplewhispered，“See，thereisthemanwhohasbeeninhell！“Truly，hehadbeeninhell，anddescribeditashehadseenit，withthekeeneyesofimaginationandfaith。Withallitsweirdunearthliness，thereishardlyanotherbookinthewholerangeofhumanliteraturewhichismarkedwithsuchunswervingveracityasthe“DivineComedy。“
　　Nothingistheresetdownarbitrarily，outofwantoncapriceorforthesakeofpoeticeffect，butbecausetoDante’simaginationithadsoimposinglyshownitselfthathecouldnotbutdescribeitashesawit。Inreadinghiscantosweforgetthepoet，andhavebeforeusonlytheveracioustravellerinstrangerealms，fromwhomtheshrewdestcross-examinationcanelicitbutoneconsistentaccount。Tohismind，andtothemediaevalmindgenerally，thisouterkingdom，withitswardsofDespair，Expiation，andBeatitude，wasasrealastheHolyRomanEmpireitself。Itsextraordinaryphenomenawerenottobelookedonwithcriticaleyesandcalledgrotesque，butweretobeseenwitheyesoffaith，andtobeworshipped，loved，orshudderedat。Rightlyviewed，therefore，thepoemofDanteisnotgrotesque，butunspeakablyawfulandsolemn；andthestatementisjustifiedthatallgrotesquenessandbizarrerieinitsinterpretationistobesedulouslyavoided。
　　Therefore，whileacknowledgingtheaccuracywithwhichMr。
　　Longfellowhaskeptpacewithhisoriginalthroughlineafterline，followingthe“footingofitsfeet，“accordingtothemottoquotedonhistitle-page，IcannotbutthinkthathisaccuracywouldhavebeenofasomewhathigherkindifhehadnowandthenallowedhimselfalittlemorelibertyofchoicebetweenEnglishandRomanicwordsandidioms。
　　Afewexampleswillperhapsservetostrengthenaswellastoelucidatestillfurtherthisposition。
　　“Inferno，“CantoIII。，line22，accordingtoLongfellow:——
　　“Theresighs，complaints，andululationsloudResoundedthroughtheairwithoutastar，WhenceIatthebeginningweptthereat。“
　　AccordingtoCary:
　　“Heresighs，withlamentationsandloudmoansResoundedthroughtheairpiercedbynostar，Thate’enIweptatentering。“
　　AccordingtoParsons-
　　“Midsighs，laments，andhollowhowlsofwoe，Which，loudresoundingthroughthestarlessair，Forcedtearsofpityfrommineeyesatfirst。“[42]
　　“Quivisospiri，piantiedaltiguaiRisonavanperl’nersenzastelle，Perch’ioalcominciarnelagrimai。“
　　CantoV。，line
　　LONGFELLOW。“Flythroughtheairbytheirvolitionborne。“
　　CARY。“Cleavetheair，waftedbytheirwillalong。“
　　PARSONS“Spedeveronwardbytheirwishalone。“
　　“Volanperl’aerdalvolerportate。“
　　LONGFELLOW。“Thatheconcedetoushisstalwartshoulders。“
　　CARY“ThattoushemayvouchsafeTheaidofhisstrongshoulders。“
　　PARSONS。“Andaskforushisshoulders’strongsupport。“[44]
　　“Cheneconcedaisuoiomeriforti。“
　　“Histailwaswhollyquiveringinthevoid，ContortingupwardstheenvenomedforkThatintheguiseofscorpionarmeditspoint。“
　　CARY——
　　“InthevoidGlancing，histailupturneditsvenomousfork，Withstinglikescorpionsarmed。“
　　PARSONS——“Inthevoidchasmhistremblingtailheshowed，Asuptheenvenomed，forkedpointheswung，Which，asinscorpions，armeditstaperingend。“[45]
　　“Nelvanotuttasuecodaguizzava，Torcendoinsulavenenosaforca，Che，aguisadiscorpion，lapuntaarmava。“
　　CantoV。，line51:——
　　LONGFELLOW——“Peoplewhomtheblackairsocastigates。
　　CARY——“Bytheblackairsoscourged。“
　　“Gentichel’auranerasigastiga。“
　　LONGFELLOW——“Kissedmeuponthemouthallpalpitating。“
　　CARY——“Mylipsalltremblingkissed
　　“Laboccamibaciotuttotremante。“
　　“Purgatorio，“CantoXV。，line139:——
　　“Wepassedalong，athwartthetwilightpeeringForwardasfarasevereyecouldstretchAgainstthesunbeamsserotineandlucent。“[48]
　　“NoiandavamperlovesperoattentiOltre，quantopoteangliocchiallungarsi，Contrairaggiserotinielucenti。“
　　Mr。Cary’s“brightvespertineray“isonlyatriflebetter；butMr。Wright’s“splendouroftheeveningray“is，initssimplicity，farpreferable。
　　LONGFELLOW。“DidtheotherthreeadvanceSingingtotheirangelicsaraband。“
　　CARY。“TotheirowncarolontheycameDancing，infestiveringangelical“
　　WRIGHT-“Andsongsaccompaniedtheirangeldance。“
　　HereMr。LongfellowhasapparentlyfollowedtheauthorityoftheCrusca，reading“Cantandoalloroangelicocarribo，“
　　andtranslatingcarribobysaraband，akindofMoorishdance。Thebestmanuscripts，however，sanctionM。Witte’sreading:——
　　“Danzandoalloroangelicocarribo。“
　　Ifthisbecorrect，carribocannotsignify“adance，“butrather“thesongwhichaccompaniesthedance“；andthetruesenseofthepassagewillhavebeenbestrenderedbyMr。Cary。[49]
　　SeeBlanc，VocabolarioDantesco，s。v。“caribo。“
　　WheneverMr。Longfellow’stranslationiskeptfreefromodditiesofdictionandconstruction，itisveryanimatedandvigorous。
　　Nothingcanbefinerthanhisrenderingof“Purgatorio，“CantoVI。，lines
　　“OGermanAlbert！whoabandonestHerthathasgrownrecalcitrantandsavage，Andoughtesttobestridehersaddle-bow，MayajustjudgmentfromthestarsdownfallUponthyblood，andbeitnewandopen，Thatthysuccessormayhavefearthereof:
　　Becausethyfatherandthyselfhavesuffered，Bygreedofthosetransalpinelandsdistrained，Thegardenoftheempiretobewaste。
　　ComeandbeholdMontecchiandCappelletti，MonaldiandFilippeschi，carelessman！
　　Thosesadalready，andthesedoubt-depressed！
　　Come，cruelone！comeandbeholdtheoppressionOfthynobility，andcuretheirwounds，Andthoushaltseehowsafe[？]isSantafiore。
　　ComeandbeholdthyRomethatislamenting，Widowed，alone，anddayandnightexclaims’MyCaesar，whyhastthouforsakenme？’
　　Comeandbeholdhowlovingarethepeople；
　　Andifforusnopitymoveththee，Comeandbemadeashamedofthyrenown。“[50]
　　[50]“OAlbertoTedesco，cheabbandoniCosteich’efattaindomitaeselvaggia，Edovrestiinforcarlisuoiarcioni，GiustogindiziodallestellecaggiaSoprailtuosangue，esianuovoedaperto，Talcheiltuosuccessortemenzan’aggia:
　　Cheavetetueiltuopadresofferto，Percupidigiadicostadistretti，Cheilgiardindell’imperiosiadiserto。
　　VieniavederMontecchieCappelletti，MonaldieFilippeschi，uomsenzacura:
　　Colorgiatristi，equesticonsospetti。
　　Vien，crudel，vieni，evedilapressuraDe’tuoigentili，ecurelormagagne，EvedraiSantafiorcom’eoscura[secura？]。
　　VieniavederlatuaRomachepiagne，Vedovaesola，edienottechiama:
　　Cesaremio，perchenonm’accompagne？
　　Vieniavederlagentequantos’ama；
　　Esenulladinoipietatimove，Avergognartiviendellatuafama。“
　　So，too，CantoIII。，lines
　　“AssheepcomeissuingforthfromoutthefoldByones，andtwos，andthrees，andtheothersstandTimidlyholdingdowntheireyesandnostrils，AndwhattheforemostdoestheothersdoHuddlingthemselvesagainstherifshestop，Simpleandquiet，andthewhereforeknownot。“[51]
　　“ComelepecorelleescondelchiusoAduna，adue，atre，el’altrestannoTimidetteatterrandol’occhioeilmuso；