Of Frederick's heart, and turned them how I would, And softly oped it, and as softly barred, 60 Till scarce another in his counsel stood. To my high office I such loyalty bore, It cost me sleep and haleness of my blood. The harlot[424] who removeth nevermore From Cæsar's house eyes ignorant of shame-- A common curse, of courts the special sore-- Set against me the minds of all aflame, And these in turn Augustus set on fire, Till my glad honours bitter woes became. My soul, filled full with a disdainful ire, 70 Thinking by means of death disdain to flee, 'Gainst my just self unjustly did conspire. I swear even by the new roots of this tree My fealty to my lord I never broke, For worthy of all honour sure was he. If one of you return 'mong living folk, Let him restore my memory, overthrown And suffering yet because of envy's stroke.' Still for a while the poet listened on, Then said: 'Now he is dumb, lose not the hour, 80 But make request if more thou'dst have made known.' And I replied: 'Do thou inquire once more Of what thou thinkest[425] I would gladly know; I cannot ask; ruth wrings me to the core.' On this he spake: 'Even as the man shall do, And liberally, what thou of him hast prayed, Imprisoned spirit, do thou further show How with these knots the spirits have been made Incorporate; and, if thou canst, declare If from such members e'er is loosed a shade.' 90 Then from the trunk came vehement puffs of air; Next, to these words converted was the wind: 'My answer to you shall be short and clear. When the fierce soul no longer is confined In flesh, torn thence by action of its own, To the Seventh Depth by Minos 'tis consigned. No choice is made of where it shall be thrown Within the wood; but where by chance 'tis flung It germinates like seed of spelt that's sown. A forest tree it grows from sapling young; 100 Eating its leaves, the Harpies cause it pain, And open loopholes whence its sighs are wrung. We for our vestments shall return again Like others, but in them shall ne'er be clad:[426] Men justly lose what from themselves they've ta'en. Dragged hither by us, all throughout the sad Forest our bodies shall be hung on high; Each on the thorn of its destructive shade.' While to the trunk we listening lingered nigh, Thinking he might proceed to tell us more, 110 A sudden uproar we were startled by Like him who, that the huntsman and the boar To where he stands are sweeping in the chase, Knows by the crashing trees and brutish roar. Upon our left we saw a couple race Naked[427] and scratched; and they so quickly fled The forest barriers burst before their face. 'Speed to my rescue, death!' the foremost pled.