The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-05
DANTE

A ND now we are in Florence. A
N lovely city, fairest in that
which the eye can never see-in the
everlasting presence of a thousand
geniuses that trod these narrow
streets. The great Duomo that
dominates the maze was not there
in Dante's days. nor Giotto's Cam
panile, nor Ghiberti's Baptistry
doors, which Michelangelo would
pronounce worthy to be the gates of
heaven.
When Dante was born-in the
year 1265-it was a smaller city, just
rising to wealth as one Of the west
ern exits Of European trade, and
center of domestic industry.
But it was as lively and violent
as it would ever be in the later
Renaissance; it had numberless
political factions and family feuds;
the followers of the pope (the
Guelphs) fought the followers Of the
emperor of the moribund Holy
Roman Empire (the Ghibellines);
the feudal mobiles and the flourish
ing middle class fought and alter
nately disfranchised each other; the
rival families of the Cerchi and
the Donati fought for political
ascendancy under the names of
Blanche Neri- the whites and the
blacks; elections for municipal Of
flcers to rule the little city-state
came every six months, so that the
people. in Lowells phrase, might
have two chances of constitutional
revolution in each year; and not
content with that they overthrow
governments by force, killed one
another in the streets, poisoned one
another at table, and did their best
to destroy the civic liberty which
they loudly claimed to love.
In such times of turbulence the
wits and courage of men are stirred
to their highest, and genius of a
hundred kinds finds stimulus and
opportunity.
1t was in this volcanic city that
Durante Alighieri (for this was
Dante's earlier name) grew to love
and poetry. He belonged to the
rich family Of the Frangipani. of
whom popular envy had written:
Colonna Orsinl eFrangipani
Prendopo oggie pagano domanL
that is, 1.-THE Colonna, the Orsini
and the Frangipani take today and
pay tomorrow"
Alighieri was passionate and
irritable lad, with all the heat of
Italy in his blood; add that he was
given to moods and solitary brood
ing, and it is evident that nature
meant him for romance, for suffer-
ing, and for tragic verse.
n
GEE him, aged nine, at a party,
- trying to hide in the midst of a
multitude, conscious Of every limb
on his body and Of every eye and
mind in the room, wincing at the
thought that such a man is stronger,
and such a girl too beautiful to
notice him. Suddenly Beatrice
Portinari is before hin-only a girl
of eight; but at once he is in love
with her, to the full depth of his
boyiSh soul, with a love too young
to think of the flesh, and only
mature enough to be flooded with
devotion.
"At that instant I say truly that
the spirit of life, which dwells in the
most secret chambers of the heart,
began to tremble with such violence
that it appeared fearfully in the
least pulses, and trembling, said
these words: Behold God stronger
than I, who, coming, shall rule over
mel"
So he writes, years later, in an
idealized account; for nothing is
ever so sweet in our memories as
first love. And then he goes on:
My soul was wholly given over
to the thought of this most gentle
lady; whereby in brief time I fell
into so frail and feeble a condi-
ton that my appearance was
grievous to many Of my friends
e.. And many sought to know
from me that which I wished to
COllCSdls 0uO IL PClCClNA4IS bA4CA
questioning, answered that it was
love that had brought me to this
pass. I spoke of love because I
bore on my face so many of his
signs that this could not be con-
cealed. But when they asked me
for whom has love thus wasted
thee?' I. smilingly, looked at them
and said nothing.
Cruel critics have doubted
Beatrice's existence; agnosticism is
the fashion in history. But Boo
caccio, writing soon after Dante's
death, tells us that Beatrice became
the wife Of Simone del Bardi, and
died in her tWentv-fnurth wear. that