n the election of an Italian Pope; all these in
Latin in a lofty style, and with excellent purport and authorities,
and much commended by men of wisdom and insight. And he wrote the
Comedy, wherein, in polished verse, and with great and subtle
questions, moral, natural, astrological, philosophical, and
theological, with new and beautiful illustrations, comparisons, and
poetry, he dealt and treated in 100 chapters or songs, of the
existence and condition of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise as loftily as
it were possible to treat of them, as in his said treatise may be seen
and understood by whoso has subtle intellect. It is true that he in
this Comedy delighted to denounce and to cry out after the manner of
poets, perhaps in certain places more than was fitting; but may be his
exile was the cause of this. He wrote also The Monarchy, in which he
treated of the office of Pope and of Emperor. [And he began a
commentary upon fourteen of his afore-named moral odes in the vulgar
tongue which, in consequence of his death, is only completed as to
three of them; the which commentary, judging by what can be seen of
it, was turning out a lofty, beautiful, subtle, and very great work,
adorned by lofty style and fine philosophical and astrological
reasonings. Also he wrote a little book entitled, De Vulgari
Eloquentia, of which he promises to write four books, but of these
only two exist, perhaps on account of his untimely death; and here, in
strong and ornate Latin and with beautiful reasonings, he reproves all
the vernaculars of Italy.] This Dante, because of his knowledge, was
somewhat haughty and reserved and disdainful, and after the fashion of
a philosopher, careless of graces and not easy in his converse with
laymen; but because of the lofty virtues and knowledge and worth of so
great a citizen, it seems fitting to confer lasting memory upon him in
this our chronicle, although, indeed, his noble works, left to us in
writing, are the true testimony to him, and are an honourable report
to our city.

END OF THE SELECTIONS FROM BOOK IX.

_Grato e lontan digiuno
Tratto leggendo nel magno volume_

* * *

_Soluto hai._

INDEX

Abati (family), 125.

---- Bocca degli, 180.

Acre, 295-298.

Acquasparta, Cardinal, 328, 331.

Adimari (family), 81, 125.

---- Tegghiaio Aldobrandi degli, 176, 185.

Adrian I., Pope, 52.

---- V., Pope, 259.

Aeneas, 6, 10, 11, 12