Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-27
DIVINE COMEDY IN AMERICA.

To the Editor, of the Democrat.
 h my long journey iIi the United States I have often noticed that the Americans are very fond of Dante's poetical works. In fact, the young generation of America, the students especially, are familiar and well post ed of Dante's Divine Conedy," whose contents foretelling the fortunes of Italy in general in the ensuing cen turies.
 The measure adopted is the difficult '.terzarima," which l am not aware to have seen hitherto tried in English language, except it may be by MT Hayley, of whose translation never saw but one extract, quoted in the notes to Caliph Vathek. Only in the year 1895, the Rev H. F. Cary, A. M., published the first part of the transla- ton, with the text of the original. Since that period two impressions of the whole Divine Comedy" in Italian, have made their appearance in this country. The translation of the sec ond and third parts, the "Purgatory' and the Paradise" was begun long before the first, the "Hell," and as early as the. year 1737. but, owing to many interruptions, not concluded till the summer before last.
 Lord Byron visited the city of Raven. na in the summer of 1S19, and there he composed four cantos in sterza rima,' and, if I do not err, they may be considered as metrical experiment. The sacred tomb of ltaly's great poet, forming one of the principal objects of interest in that city, both to the native and to the stranger. Lord Byron wrote the Prophecy of Dante at
 s'that place
 Of old renown, once in the Adrian sea, Ravenna !--where from Dante'S sacred
 tomb
 He had so oft, as many verse de-
 clareS,
 Drawn inspiration
 Dante died at Ravenna (near Rome) in 1921, in the palace of his patron. Guido NoYello da Polenta, who tesn- fled his sorrow and respect by the sumptuOusness of his obsequies. Never did any poem rise so suddenly into no- tice, after the death of it's author, as the Divine Comedy About the year 1850, Giovanni Visconti, Archbishop oI Milan, selected six of the most learned men in Ita1y-two divines, two philoso- phers and two Florentines-and gave them in charge ito contribute their joint endeavor towards the compila- 9tion of an ample comment, copy of which is preserved in the Laurentian \ library.
 The first translation was the thirty third cantos (HelD, the pathetic story of Count Ugolino and his innocent sons, who were locked up in tower, and there they died of hunger! Dante seemed to address heaven in the atti- tude of a worshipper rather than a S11flrl1iof1t O. xyir hnf rYo9 n is then truly happy when he freely ex- ercises all his energies, he walked through the world with an assured step, keeping his vigils-- '.So that nor night nor slurnber with closed stealth
 Conveyed from him single step in all The goings one of Mme."
 Then comes the fifth. cantos, which is generally considered the most ex- quisitely pathetic episode in the ssDi vine Comedy" There is mentioned the martyrdom of Francesca da Rim ini, daughter of Guido Novello, Lord of Rayenna, who forced her, Frances ca, to marry Lanciotto Malatesta Lord of Rimini, a man of extraordi- nary courage, but deformed in person His brother, Paolo, who unhappiIy possessed those graces which the hus- 0l1ltA sOl I IdACCnCSt4 WdAICQ,M GASdEGU her affection, and being taken in adult tery, they were both put, to death by the enraged Laneiotto, who knew thal 1 nothing could be done to separate his brother from Francesca, who firmly said:
 ''He who from me can be divided
 ne'er,''
 and
 Love to one death conducted Us along.''
 And both were killed by Lanciotto in a. moment of fury. He was very hap py when he first saw his brother s'sFell down even as a dead body falls
 All the poem is very interesting, but it has 8 very deep allegory, and it is entirely written symbolically. Dante distinguished himself by his bravery in an action where the FIorentines oD. | tained signal victor over the citizens of Arezro. He became still more emt nent by the acquisition of court hon ors, and at the age of 35 he rose to be one of the chief magistrates of Flo, ence, when that dignity was conferred I.by the suffrages of the people, From, this. exaltation the poet himself dated his principal misfortunes. Italy was at that time distracted by the contend ing factions of the Ghibellines and Guelphs. Among the latter Dante took m active part. Tn one of the pro. scriptions he was banished, his DOS sessions conffscated, and he'died in ex- ile in 1921.
 The study on Dante is necessary. His poem ought to be read by all. Every intelligent person in America has the mentioned book, and all the Americans, I am sure, have a great veneratfon of Dante. Long live Amer ica. the young and flourishing nation. which has been and is yet the hospita- ble land of many flN;tives. She is a noble country, whose brave sons never fail to honor meritedly the illustrious people of foreign nations. In a few years from now America will be com pared, in the classical field, to other European countries, and, as I desire, its people will be yenerated by all.
 PROF A. T. D'ANDREA.