v. 56.  Had not the people.] If Rome had continued in her allegiance to the emperor, and the Guelph and Ghibelline factions had thus been prevented, Florence would not have been polluted by a race of upstarts, nor lost the most respectable of her ancient families.

v. 61.  Simifonte.] A castle dismantled by the Florentines.  G. Villani, 1. v. c. 30.  The individual here alluded to is no longer known.

v. 69.  The blind bull.] So Chaucer, Troilus and Cresseide. b. 2.

For swifter course cometh thing that is of wight When it descendeth than done things light.

Compare Aristotle, Ethic.  Nic. l. vi. c. 13. [Greek here]

v. 72.  Luni, Urbisaglia.] Cities formerly of importance, but then fallen to decay.

v. 74.  Chiusi and Sinigaglia.] The same.

v. 80.  As the moon.] “The fortune of us, that are the moon’s men doth ebb and flow like the sea.”  Shakespeare, 1 Henry iv. a. i. s. 2.

v. 86.  The Ughi.] Whoever is curious to know the habitations of these and the other ancient Florentines, may consult G. Villani, l. iv.

v. 91.  At the poop.] Many editions read porta, “gate.” -The same metaphor is found in Aeschylus, Supp. 356, and is there also scarce understood by the critics. [Greek here] Respect these wreaths, that crown your city’s poop.

v. 99.  The gilded hilt and pommel.] The symbols of knighthood

v. 100.  The column cloth’d with verrey.] The arms of the Pigli.

v. 103.  With them.] Either the Chiaramontesi, or the Tosinghi one of which had committed a fraud in measuring out the wheat from the public granary.  See Purgatory, Canto xii. 99

v. 109.  The bullets of bright gold.] The arms of the Abbati, as it is conjectured.

v. 110.  The sires of those.] “Of the Visdomini, the Tosinghi and the Cortigiani, who, being sprung from the founders of the bishopric of Florence are the curators of its revenues, which they do not spare, whenever it becomes vacant.”

v. 113.  Th’ o’erweening brood.] The Adimari.  This family was so little esteemed, that Ubertino Donato, who had married a daughter of Bellincion Berti, himself indeed derived from the same stock (see Note to Hell Canto xvi. 38.) was offended with his father-in-law, for giving another of his daughters in marriage to one of them.

v. 124.  The gateway.] Landino refers this to the smallness of the city:  Vellutello, with less probability, to the simplicity of the people in naming one of the gates after a private family.

v. 127.  The great baron.] The Marchese Ugo, who resided at Florence as lieutenant of the Emperor Otho iii, gave many of the chief families license to bear his arms.  See G. Villani, 1. iv. c. 2., where the vision is related, in consequence of which he sold all his possessions in Germany, and founded seven abbeys, in one whereof his memory was celebrated at Florence on St. Thomas’s day. v. 130.  One.] Giano della Bella, belonging to one of the families thus distinguished, who no longer retained his place among the nobility, and had yet added to his arms a bordure or.  See Macchiavelli, 1st.  Fior. 1. ii. p. 86.  Ediz.  Giolito.