[518] _The extremities_: The _Malebolge_ consists of ten circular pits or fosses, one inside of another. The outermost lies under the precipice which falls sheer from the Seventh Circle; the innermost, and of course the smallest, runs immediately outside of the 'Well,' which is the Ninth Circle. The Bolgias or valleys are divided from each other by rocky banks; and, each Bolgia being at a lower level than the one that encloses it, the inside of each bank is necessarily deeper than the outside. Ribs or ridges of rock--like spokes of a wheel to the axle-tree--run from the foot of the precipice to the outer rim of the 'Well,' vaulting the moats at right angles with the course of them. Thus each rib takes the form of a ten-arched bridge. By one or other of these Virgil and Dante now travel towards the centre and the base of Inferno; their general course being downward, though varied by the ascent in turn of the hog-backed arches over the moats. [519] _More swift_: The sinners in the First Bolgia are divided into two gangs, moving in opposite directions, the course of those on the outside being to the right, as looked at by Dante. These are the shades of panders; those in the inner current are such as seduced on their own account. Here a list of the various classes of sinners contained in the Bolgias of the Eighth Circle may be given:-- 1st Bolgia--Seducers, CANTO XVIII. 2d " Flatterers, " " 3d " Simoniacs, " XIX. 4th " Soothsayers, " XX. 5th " Barrators, " XXI. XXII. 6th " Hypocrites, " XXIII. 7th " Thieves, " XXIV. XXV. 8th " Evil Counsellors, " XXVI. XXVII. 9th " Scandal and Heresy Mongers, " XXVIII. XXIX. 10th " Falsifiers, " XXIX. XXX. [520] _A rule of road_: In the year 1300 a Jubilee was held in Rome with Plenary Indulgence for all pilgrims. Villani says that while it lasted the number of strangers in Rome was never less than two hundred thousand. The bridge and castle spoken of in the text are those of St. Angelo. The Mount is probably the Janiculum. [521] _Horned devils_: Here the demons are horned--terrible remembrancers to the sinner of the injured husband. [522] _Venedico Caccianimico_: A Bolognese noble, brother of Ghisola, whom he inveigled into yielding herself to the Marquis of Este, lord of Ferrara. Venedico died between 1290 and 1300. [523] _Such sharp regale_: 'Such pungent sauces.' There is here a play of words on the _Salse_, the name of a wild ravine outside the walls of Bologna, where the bodies of felons were thrown. Benvenuto says it used to be a taunt among boys at Bologna: Your father was pitched into the Salse. [524] _Thy clear accents_: Not broken with sobs like his own and those of his companions.