The motion of those stars which neither rise nor set, but are always seen circling round the pole, is clearly described. In the heaven of the sun, spirits gather round Dante and Beatrice, and circle round them, “Come stelle vicine ai fermi poli;”[262] and the motion of the stars near the pole is said to be slow, like the part of a wheel which is near the axle.[263] We may compare these descriptions with the statement of Alfraganus:—“Eæ stellæ (_i.e._ the northern circumpolar) vertuntur omnes circa idem punctum. Et quei ex iis puncto huic est vicinior, minorem conficit circulum: motusque ejus appâret lentior.”[264] Dante assumes that his readers understand this motion when he describes himself as seeing unknown stars near the South Pole. The Mount of Purgatory is supposed to be situated in the southern hemisphere, and at his first arrival, before dawn, he turns to the right, after looking at Venus in the east, therefore to the south, and sees near the pole four stars so brilliant that the whole sky seems to rejoice in their radiance, and he pities the “widowed” northern hemisphere because they are invisible there.[265] In the evening, as soon as it begins to grow dark, although he is engaged in an interesting discourse with a friend with whom he had exchanged warm greetings, he looks eagerly once more towards the pole (note the intensity expressed by the repeated “pure”)— ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [262] “Like unto stars neighbouring the stedfast poles.” _Par._ x. 78. [263] _Purg._ viii, 86, 87. [264] “These stars all revolve round the same point, and the nearer a star is to this point, the smaller is the circle that it makes, and the slower its motion appears.” _El. Ast._ cap. ii. [265] _Purg._ i. 22-27. “Gli occhi miei ghiotti andavan pure al cielo, Pur là dove le stelle son più tarde, Sì come rota più presso allo stelo.”[266] [266] “My insatiate eyes Meanwhile to heaven had travelled, even there Where the bright stars are slowest, as a wheel Nearest the axle.” _Purg._ viii. 85-87. (_Carey_). He now sees three bright stars which make this pole glow with light, and Virgil says that the stars he saw in the morning are low, while those now visible have risen higher to take their place. “Ed egli a me: Le quattro chiare stelle Che vedevi staman son di là basse, E queste son salite ov’ eran quelle.”[267] [267] “And he to me: The four resplendent stars Thou sawest this morning are down yonder low, And these have mounted up to where those were.” _Purg._ viii. 91-93. (_Longfellow_). ------------------------------------------------------------------------