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；