Inferno: Canto 22 -- Circle 8, Bolgia 5
The sequel to the gargoyle episode that began in the last canto with the uncertain formation of a new league of extraordinary gentlemen (a twisted fellowship of the round, if you will, and ends like an old Batman serial . . . "will our heroes survive their perilous encounter with -- "BAM!" "BIF!" "DAF!" Before the poets can make much headway through the bolgia, the demons are distracted by their acquisition of a Navarrese grafter whom they haul aside and from whom they start raking his soul with their grappling hooks. While the Navarese is more than willing to talk, as the old Nazi films show a sinister looking German with a monocle whispering, "Ve haf vays of making you talk . . .," he is distracted from doing so as parts of his limbs are shorn from him.
At this point, the grafter makes a deal with the blacktalons to lure some Lombards and Tuscans into their grasps in exchange for his own hide, and the demons are loathe at first to do it, for they sense a trick. The wounded spirit convinces them on the count that his turning state's evidence would give him an opportunity to witness others being tortured worse in place of himself, and, as any FBI agent will confess, it's better to have more prosecutions than less. The gargoyles release their prey with the admonition that hell hasn't dreamt up sufferings sufficient for he who betrays them.
The game is set, and as Mark Antony predicted savage revenge, "Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war," and "Deaddog, who at first/ was most against it, led the saveage crew" (119-120). Naturally, the Navarrese makes his escape, an incident which precipitates the battle of the pitch as Hellken leaps for him and Grizzly leaps for Hellken in such a way as Tito went after Mihajlovi following the ouster of their common enemy. Both fall into the pitch, requiring Curlybeard to organize a rescue squad. Thus distracted, the hellspawn don't notice the dynamic duo beat a courageous retreat toward the joys (anything had to be better than this) of hypocrisy.
An interesting thought for this canto (for the adventure continues into the next) concerns the placement of the grafters -- those who accepted bribes to satisfy temporal placements, dealings, and lawsuits -- below that of simoniacs, those who accepted cash for various Church appointments. Why would crimes against the body politic be worse than those against the Church in a medieval mindset?
S.
At this point, the grafter makes a deal with the blacktalons to lure some Lombards and Tuscans into their grasps in exchange for his own hide, and the demons are loathe at first to do it, for they sense a trick. The wounded spirit convinces them on the count that his turning state's evidence would give him an opportunity to witness others being tortured worse in place of himself, and, as any FBI agent will confess, it's better to have more prosecutions than less. The gargoyles release their prey with the admonition that hell hasn't dreamt up sufferings sufficient for he who betrays them.
The game is set, and as Mark Antony predicted savage revenge, "Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war," and "Deaddog, who at first/ was most against it, led the saveage crew" (119-120). Naturally, the Navarrese makes his escape, an incident which precipitates the battle of the pitch as Hellken leaps for him and Grizzly leaps for Hellken in such a way as Tito went after Mihajlovi following the ouster of their common enemy. Both fall into the pitch, requiring Curlybeard to organize a rescue squad. Thus distracted, the hellspawn don't notice the dynamic duo beat a courageous retreat toward the joys (anything had to be better than this) of hypocrisy.
An interesting thought for this canto (for the adventure continues into the next) concerns the placement of the grafters -- those who accepted bribes to satisfy temporal placements, dealings, and lawsuits -- below that of simoniacs, those who accepted cash for various Church appointments. Why would crimes against the body politic be worse than those against the Church in a medieval mindset?
S.
posted by Sebastian Mahfood at 1:10 PM
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