That  fillelh  all  ihe  Sea  with  fome,  divydes
The  doublful  current  into  divers  ways,"
Compare  also  Ovid,  Melam.  vii,  6a-&5 :  —

"  Quid  ?  quod  nescio  qui  mediis  concurrere  in  undis
Dicuntur  montes,  ralibusque  inimica  Charybdis,
Nunc  sorbere  fretun:,  nunc  reddere  ;  cinctaque  sxvis
Scylla  rapax  canibus  Siculo  latrare  profundo."
*ridili:  The  principal  feature  in  the  dance  called  ridda  or
ridJi"ii   was  that   singing   accompanied   the  dancing,      Gclli
speaks  of  these  two  words  as  not  quite  obsolete  in  his  time.
"  Imperoceh^  ridila  ovvero  liddoiu  si  chiamava  a  quei  tempi,
e  si  chiama  ancora  oggi  in  alcuni  luoghi  del  nostro  contado
quella  sorte  di  hallo  tondo.  nel  quale  Ic  personc,  prcsesi  per  la
mann  I'  un  I'  allra  vanno  aggirandosi  e  cantando.      F,d  e  delto
da  quel  ridiirsi  insieme  tali  persone,  il  che  si  chiama  ancor
oggi  vtilgarmente  ridotlo."     The  combination  in  this  rtddii  of
dancing  and  singing  made  the  comparison  most  appropriate
between  il  and  the  singers  in  this  Circle,  who  wheel  round,
meet  at  a  given  point,  and  then,  after  uttering  their  abusive
anliphon.  turn  round  to  meet  again  at  the  opposite  point  of
their  half  circles.
^  gente  piu  che  altrove   Iroppa:  Compare  Virg.  Mn.  vi,  610,
611  ;—

"  Aut  qui  divitiis  soli  incubuere  repertis,
Nee  partem  posuere  suis  :  quae  maxima  turba  est."
Bcnvcnuto  thinks  that  the  number  of  Misers  is  infinitely
greater  than  that  of  other  sinners,  and  he  points  nut  how
singularly  appropriate  the  penalty  is  to  the  offence,  for  these
burdens  are  symbolical  of  the  toils  and  cares  which  arc  for
ever  pressing  on,  and  weighing  down  the  bodies  and  souls  of
dthrifts.     Their  bodies  are  never  at  real  as


Spe


P  2


228  Readings  on  the  Inferno.        Canto  vir.
