v. 84. When thou with pleasure shalt retrace the past.] Quando ti giovera dicere io fui. So Tasso, G. L. c. xv. st. 38. Quando mi giovera narrar altrui Le novita vedute, e dire; io fui. v. 121. Ever to that truth.] This memorable apophthegm is repeated by Luigi Pulci and Trissino. Sempre a quel ver, ch’ ha faccia di menzogna E piu senno tacer la lingua cheta Che spesso senza colpa fa vergogna. Morgante. Magg. c. xxiv. La verita, che par mensogna Si dovrebbe tacer dall’ uom ch’e saggio. Italia. Lib. C. xvi. CANTO XVII v. 1. The fell monster.] Fraud. v. 53. A pouch.] A purse, whereon the armorial bearings of each were emblazoned. According to Landino, our poet implies that the usurer can pretend to no other honour, than such as he derives from his purse and his family. v. 57. A yellow purse.] The arms of the Gianfigliazzi of Florence. v. 60. Another.] Those of the Ubbriachi, another Florentine family of high distinction. v. 62. A fat and azure swine.] The arms of the Scrovigni a noble family of Padua. v. 66. Vitaliano.] Vitaliano del Dente, a Paduan. v. 69. That noble knight.] Giovanni Bujamonti, a Florentine usurer, the most infamous of his time. CANTO XVIII v. 28. With us beyond.] Beyond the middle point they tended the same way with us, but their pace was quicker than ours. v. 29. E’en thus the Romans.] In the year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII., to remedy the inconvenience occasioned by the press of people who were passing over the bridge of St. Angelo during the time of the Jubilee, caused it to be divided length wise by a partition, and ordered, that all those who were going to St. Peter’s should keep one side, and those returning the other. v. 50. Venedico.] Venedico Caccianimico, a Bolognese, who prevailed on his sister Ghisola to prostitute herself to Obizzo da Este, Marquis of Ferrara, whom we have seen among the tyrants, Canto XII. v. 62. To answer Sipa.] He denotes Bologna by its situation between the rivers Savena to the east, and Reno to the west of that city; and by a peculiarity of dialect, the use of the affirmative sipa instead of si. v. 90. Hypsipyle.] See Appolonius Rhodius, l. i. and Valerius Flaccus l.ii. Hypsipyle deceived the other women by concealing her father Thoas, when they had agreed to put all their males to death. v. 120. Alessio.] Alessio, of an ancient and considerable family in Lucca, called the Interminei. v. 130. Thais.] He alludes to that passage in the Eunuchus of Terence where Thraso asks if Thais was obliged to him for the present he had sent her, and Gnatho replies, that she had expressed her obligation in the most forcible terms. T. Magnas vero agere gratias Thais mihi? G. Ingentes. Eun. a. iii. s. i. CANTO XIX