But this is one of the absurdities with which the impious effrontery or scarcely less impious admissions of Dante’s teachers avowedly set reason at defiance,—­retaining, meanwhile, their right of contempt for the impieties of Mahometans and Brahmins; “which is odd,” as the poet says; for being not less absurd, or, as the others argued, much more so, they had at least an equal claim on the submission of the reason; since the greater the irrationality, the higher the theological triumph.]

[Footnote 16:  Plutus’s exclamation about Satan is a great choke-pear to the commentators.  The line in the original is

  “Pape Satan, pape Satan aleppe.”

The words, as thus written, are not Italian.  It is not the business of this abstract to discuss such points; and therefore I content myself with believing that the context implies a call of alarm on the Prince of Hell at the sight of the living creature and his guide.]

[Footnote 17:  Phlegyas, a son of Mars, was cast into hell by Apollo for setting the god’s temple on fire in resentment for the violation of his daughter Coronis.  The actions of gods were not to be questioned, in Dante’s opinion, even though the gods turned out to be false Jugghanaut is as good as any, while he lasts.  It is an ethico-theological puzzle, involving very nice questions; but at any rate, had our poet been a Brahmin of Benares, we know how he would have written about it in Sanscrit.]

[Footnote 18:  Filippo Argenti (Philip Silver,—­so called from his shoeing his horse with the precious metal) was a Florentine remarkable for bodily strength and extreme irascibility.  What a barbarous strength and confusion of ideas is there in this whole passage about him!  Arrogance punished by arrogance, a Christian mother blessed for the unchristian disdainfulness of her son, revenge boasted of and enjoyed, passion arguing in a circle!  Filippo himself might have written it.  Dante says,

  “Con piangere e con lutto
  Spirito maladetto, ti rimani. 
  Via costa con gli altri cani,” &c.

Then Virgil, kissing and embracing him,

  “Alma sdegnosa
  Benedetta colei che ’n te s’incinse,” &c.

And Dante again,

  “Maestro, molto sarei vago
  Di vederlo attuffare in questa broda,” &c. ]

[Footnote 19:  Dis, one of the Pagan names of Pluto, here used for Satan.  Within the walls of the city of Dis commence the punishments by fire.]

[Footnote 20:  Farinata was a Ghibelline leader before the time of Dante, and had vanquished the poet’s connexions at the battle of Montaperto.]

[Footnote 21:  What would Guido have said to this?  More, I suspect, than Dante would have liked to hear, or known how to answer.  But he died before the verses transpired; probably before they were written; for Dante, in the chronology of his poem, assumes what times and seasons he finds most convenient.]

[Footnote 22: