PURGATORY.

Professor Charles Eliot Norton delivered his fifth lecture on Dante last evening in Sanders Theatre before a large audience. The picture of Purgatory as given by Dante in the Divine Comedy, was the subject of the lecture, which in brief was as follows:

The conception of Purgatory, as a place for the purification of repentent souls, before they could enter Paradise, had become, in the thirteenth century, one of the doctrines of the church, and had assumed the character of a dogma. The position of Purgatory was generally thought to be within the earth, but Dante represents it to us as a mountain arising from a solitary island in the southern waters, which in his day were thought unnavigable.

The circles of Hell are formed by converging rocks, which ended in the centre with a deep pit. The ledges of Purgatory, on the other hand, are formed by the retreating of the walls. On the very summit of the mountain of Purgatory is the earthly Paradise, through which the purified soul must pass before it can enter Heaven. In Hell sinful deeds are punished, but in Purgatory it is not an action but a disposition, of which the sinner is purged. Here the soul welcomes suffering as an approach to the utmost felicity. There is terrible suffering, but suffering always borne with content. The shades of Purgatory have the semblance of the earthly body, but they are subject to no fleshly need, though susceptible to pain and pleasure.

Night was falling as Dante and Vergil entered the infernal regions, but Easter morning is breaking as they come forth into the bright light of Purgatory, out from the darkness of Hell into the light of Heaven. When Dante looked about he saw near him a venerable man, who revealed himself as Cato the Warden of the souls that enter Purgatory.

The change of poetic tone which takes place at the beginning of this part of the Divine Comedy is no less marked than is the change of sentiment. The harsh, rough rhymes, fitted to the picture of Hell, give way to sweeter, gentler cadences, and the poem begins to have more light and happiness.

Dante and Vergil, after passing Cato, enter what Dante calls the Ante-Purgatory. This is probably an invention of the poet, and has a direct allegorical interpretation. Through this place the poets travel during two days, and here Dante meets his former friend Cassella, the musician, who sings them that famous song, which is, perhaps, the most exquisite, and deepest in meaning of any we find in the Divine Comedy. On the third day the poets pass the gate of Purgatory, and find before them three stairways, the first of polished marble; the second rougher and dark in color, and the third of flaming red. At the top of the third flight of steps stood the Angel of the Lord with a great sword in his hands. Dante falls before this Angel weeping and praying that he be allowed to pass, since he repents of his sins. The Angel bids him arise, and he makes with his sword seven wounds upon the brow of Dante, and then the poets pass on and enter the first ledge of Purgatory.

By this scene Dante means to show that for the sacrament of Penitence two elements are necessary, the sinner, and the priest. Dante himself is the sinner and the angel the priest. Further he represents the three essential requisites of full repentence; contrition, confession and satisfaction to God; by the three flights of steps. The seven wounds carved on the forehead of Dante represent the seven deadly sins.

The first ledge of Purgatory is that of Pride, and along this ledge the poets travelled, meeting souls burdened down with weights so heavy, that they strugled along with infinite agony.

So the poets pass on along the other ledges of sin, wrath, avarice, sluggishness, and lust. They meet on the way several former companions of Dante. Mark after mark is removed from Dante's brow, and at length they also come forth into the brilliant light of the Earthly Paradise. Here Virgil bids Dante farewell, who while mourning for his guide is consoled by the appearance of Beatrice.