speechless terror, Dante hears his
guide assure the spirit which suddenly appears before them that the
Fates have not yet finished spinning the thread of his companion's
life. When questioned by the travellers in regard to the noise and
earthquake, this spirit informs them that the mountain quivers with
joy whenever a sinner is released, and that, after undergoing a
punishment of five hundred years, he--Statius--is now free to go in
quest of his master Virgil, whom he has always longed to meet. Dante's
smile at these words, together with his meaning glance at Virgil,
suddenly reveal to the spirit that his dearest wish is granted, and
Statius reverently does obeisance to the poet from whose fount he
drew his inspiration.

_Canto XXII._ The three bards are next led by an angel up another
staircase, to the sixth cornice (Dante losing another _P._ on the
way), where the sins of gluttony and drunkenness are punished. As they
circle around this ledge, Dante questions how Statius became guilty of
the sin of covetousness, for which he was doomed to tramp around the
fifth circle. In reply Statius rejoins that it was not because of
covetousness, but of its counterpart, over-lavishness, that he
suffered so long, and principally because he was not brave enough to
own himself a Christian. Then he inquires of Virgil what have become
of their fellow-countrymen Terence, Caecilius, Plautus, and Varro,
only to learn that they too linger in the dark regions of ante-hell,
where they hold sweet converse with other pagan poets.

Reverently listening to the conversation of his companions, Dante
drinks in "mysterious lessons of sweet poesy" and silently follows
them until they draw near a tree laden with fruit and growing beside a
crystal stream. Issuing from this tree a voice warns them against the
sin of gluttony--which is punished in this circle--and quotes such
marked examples of abstinence as Daniel feeding on pulse and John the
Baptist living on locusts and wild honey.

_Canto XXIII._ Dante is still dumbly staring at the mysterious tree
when Virgil bids him follow, for they still have far to go. They next
meet weeping, hollow-eyed spirits, so emaciated that their bones start
through their skin. One of these recognizes Dante, who is aghast that
his friend Forese should be in such a state and escorted by two
skeleton spirits. Forese replies that he and his companions are
consumed by endless hunger and thirst, although they eat and drin