And for Medea[529] too is vengeance paid. Who in his manner cheat compose his train. Of the first moat sufficient now is known, And those who in its jaws engulfed remain.' Already had we by the strait path gone 100 To where 'tis with the second bank dovetailed-- The buttress whence a second arch is thrown. Here heard we who in the next Bolgia wailed[530] And puffed for breath; reverberations told They with their open palms themselves assailed. The sides were crusted over with a mould Plastered upon them by foul mists that rise, And both with eyes and nose a contest hold. The bottom is so deep, in vain our eyes Searched it till further up the bridge we went, 110 To where the arch o'erhangs what under lies. Ascended there, our eyes we downward bent, And I saw people in such ordure drowned, A very cesspool 'twas of excrement. And while I from above am searching round, One with a head so filth-smeared I picked out, I knew not if 'twas lay, or tonsure-crowned. 'Why then so eager,' asked he with a shout, 'To stare at me of all the filthy crew?' And I to him: 'Because I scarce can doubt 120 That formerly thee dry of hair I knew, Alessio Interminei[531] the Lucchese; And therefore thee I chiefly hold in view.' Smiting his head-piece, then, his words were these: ''Twas flattery steeped me here; for, using such, My tongue itself enough could never please.' 'Now stretch thou somewhat forward, but not much,' Thereon my Leader bade me, 'and thine eyes Slowly advance till they her features touch And the dishevelled baggage recognise, 130 Clawing her yonder with her nails unclean, Now standing up, now squatting on her thighs. 'Tis harlot Thais,[532] who, when she had been Asked by her lover, "Am I generous And worthy thanks?" said, "Greatly so, I ween." Enough[533] of this place has been seen by us.' FOOTNOTES: [515] _Malebolge_: Or Evil Pits; literally, Evil Pockets. [516] _A well_: The Ninth and lowest Circle, to be described in Canto xxxii., etc. [517] _The zone_: The Eighth Circle, in which the fraudulent of all species are punished, lies between the precipice and the Ninth Circle. A vivid picture of the enormous height of the enclosing wall has been presented to us at the close of the preceding Canto. As in the description of the Second Circle the atmosphere is represented as malignant, being murky and disturbed with tempest; so the Malebolge is called malignant too, being all of barren iron-coloured rock. In both cases the surroundings of the sinners may well be spoken of as malign, adverse to any thought of goodwill and joy.