Studies in Dante : Third series : Miscellaneous essays

Preface

THE Preface to the Second Series of these Studies would almost serve mutatis mutandis for the present volume. The expressions both of thanks to others, and of apologies for myself, may be renewed, with few variations. As to the former, I must again gratefully acknowledge the kindness of the Delegates of the Clarendon Press in undertaking the publication of another series of Studies. Also my cordial thanks are again due to my friend Dr. Paget Toynbee for revising the proof-sheets of my work, and for many valuable corrections and suggestions which I owe to him.

I am very much indebted to Dr. Rambaut, the Radcliffe Observer at Oxford, for very kindly revising the Article on Astromomy.

Essays I and III are the only ones in this Series that have been published before, and these only partially. I have to thank the Editor and Proprietors of the Quarterly Review for permission to embody in these two Essays Articles which appeared originally in that Review. Both have been considerably added to. In the case of the former, I have endeavoured to work in explanations of all the passages in the writings of Dante, whether in prose or verse, which appear to me to present any serious astronomical difficulty. These have been introduced under the several divisions of the general description of Dante’s astronomical system with which they seemed to be naturally connected. A list is added of the principal passages so discussed or explained, and the Essay is also provided (as are two others) with a Synopsis of its contents. By these means I hope it may vi PREFACE be found useful to students who meet with such passages in the ordinary course of their reading, though they may not wish to embark on the study of the subject of Astronomy generally.

My obligations to such works as those of Sir G. Cornewall Lewis and Mr. Narrien on Astronomy, and those of Mr. Tozer and Mr. Beazley on Geography, are much greater than would be represented by the references and acknowledgements in the text, numerous as they will be found to be. My thanks are further due to Mr. Tozer for the kind permission to reproduce the map of the world according to Strabo from his volume of Selections from Strabo.

I am afraid that some statements or explanations may be found repeated in different parts of the book. This is partly inevitable, owing to the occasional points of contact between the subjects of the first three Essays. Also they were written at different times and for different audiences or readers. So far as such repetitions are due to the latter cause, I have endeavoured to eliminate them. But if they have sometimes escaped my notice, I must apologize to my readers for the oversight. I have been compelled, however, sometimes to repeat arguments or explanations that have appeared already in previous Essays (e. g. especially on the subject of Beatrice in Essay IV). This seemed inevitable, lest the subjects now in hand might appear to be incompletely treated, or indeed sometimes be almost unintelligible to those who might not have access to the earlier volumes of these Studies.

I cannot close without expressing my sincere regret at the death of Professor Earle, which has occurred while these sheets have been passing through the Press; and my sense of the great loss thereby sustained by all lovers of Dante, and by myself in particular. I have always differed strongly from the development of his views in recent years in reference

PREFACE vii to Beatrice, and the interpretation of the later Cantos of the Purgatorio. Consequently, in Essay IV I have had to appear as an adverse critic of those views. Had I known that my words would never meet his eye I might sometimes perhaps have expressed myself differently. But of this I am sure, that he would not now, any more than in the past, have resented any such antagonism, even had it proceeded from a much more formidable opponent than myself. Would that I had the advantage of his brilliant style and singular command of language.

E. MOORE.

Tue Precincts, CANTERBURY.

September, 1903.

NOTE.

I have adopted in this volume a simpler method of reference to the Summa of St. Thomas Aquinas, which I hope will be found convenient, but it needs explanation. That Treatise is divided into five main divisions, known as Pars Prima, Prima Secundae, Secunda Secundae, Tertia, and Tertiae Supplementum. These are indicated as I, II’, II?, Ill, and III Suppl. Each Pars is subdivided into Quaestéones, and these into Articult. The general plan of each Article is (1) a statement of the subject ; (2) the view of opponents with their arguments under distinct heads; (3) a general Resfonsio ; and then a separate Resfonsio to each of the opponents’ arguments. The ‘Questions’ are here given in small Roman numerals, and the ‘Articles’ in Arabic numerals. The letters r, r,, 12,13, &c., refer to the general or the separate vesfonsiones above described. Thus a full reference such as II? xcvi. 3, r, would mean that a quotation will be found in the Second Division of the Second Part, Question xcvi, Article 3, and in the answer to the second argument of the opponents.

I must also again warn my readers that my references to Scriptural quotations apply to the Vulgate, as the Version used by Dante himself. Not only does the numbering of most of the Psalms differ from that of our English Version, but sometimes also the division of verses in other Books is different, and especially in the Apocrypha. A variatien in the Latin and English Translations may sometimes cause a reference to the English Version to appear irrelevant or mistaken. I repeat this warning, as I still occasionally receive kindly meant but mistaken suggestions for corrections in the Scriptural references of my previous volumes.

ERRATUM P. 114, 1. 6. for end of article read end of book.