Such would seem to be the basis for the prejudice against the Jew, and many vexed questions are, of course, involved: If God decreed the Crucifixion, had the Jews any choice? Are they more guilty than Pilate who simply washed his hands and let his soldiers drive the nails? What is free will in confrontation with a preordained act of God’s will? Such questions must be referred to a quality of revelation unknown to footnotes.

 

94-96. Justinian now leaps ahead over six centuries. Desiderius, an eighth-century king of the Lombards, rose against the church but was overthrown by Charlemagne in 774 A.D. Charlemagne, as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was still bearing the eagle standard.

 

97-98. those whom I accused above: The Guelfs and Ghibellines. See lines 31 ff.

 

100-102. one speeds the golden lilies on to force the public standard: The Guelfs. They urge the Lilies of France against the Eagle. one seizes it for private gain: The Ghibellines. They seek to pervert the Imperial standard to their own ends.

 

106. the new Charles: Charles II (The Lame) of Anjou, King of Naples and leader of the Guelfs.

 

109-111. father’s sinfulness ... children’s doom: Justinian is pronouncing what may be a general sentiment, but he must certainly intend some reference to the woes that befell the house of Anjou, as Charles Martel (son of Charles the Lame) will amplify in VIII, 40-84.

 

112-114. Justinian has now answered Dante’s first question (concerning his identity) and completed his additional remarks. He now addresses the second question (as to why he is in the sphere of Mercury and what sort of spirits are with him). He identifies this sphere as the manifest realm of the personally ambitious.

 

115-120. Dante’s phrasing is especially dense in these lines and I have had to take more than usual liberties in order to bring it to rhyme. His point here may be stated as follows: “We of this sphere worked for the Good but did so in seeking honor for ourselves rather than for the one true motive, which is the love of God. When desire is so bent from the true good, it follows that the upward thrust toward God is lesser for being bent aside. Therefore we are low in Heaven. Yet part of our joy is in knowing that our station is well chosen, our reward being exactly equal to our merit.”

 

121-123. By this means: By letting us recognize how exactly our present state corresponds to the merit we showed in our lives.

 

124. down there: On earth.

 

128. Romeo: Romeo da Villanova. He was born circa 1170 and became prime minister and chamberlain of Raymond Berenger IV, Count of Provence from 1209 to 1245. Dante follows the legend that Romeo, passing through Provence on his way back from a pilgrimage, attached himself to Raymond’s court and soon achieved high station by his wise management of Raymond’s affairs. Among his triumphs, Romeo negotiated the marriages of Raymond’s four daughters, each to a king. Later the local nobles, envious of Romeo’s position, accused him of mismanaging the treasury. When Raymond demanded an accounting, Romeo pointed to the increase in the treasury, and picking up his pilgrim’s staff once more, left the court to wander as he had come.

 

131. have no last laugh: The nobles of Provence have committed the sin of envy and must suffer for it.