第二十二篇从前我曾经看见过骑兵的前进、归队和撤退；阿雷佐人呀！我曾经看见过你们家乡的赛马，看见过土匪的横行霸道，看见过各种竞赛的开幕；他们或用号角，或用大钟，或敲鼓，或在堡垒上做出信号，或用本国和外国的军乐；但是我从来没有看见过任何骑兵，步兵，军舰，使用过地狱里这样奇特的喇叭。
我们与十个魔鬼结伴而行：这是使人恐惧的伴侣呀！不过，“教堂有教徒，酒店有醉鬼”，这也是理所当然的事。当时我眼盯着沥青的沟里，希望看见沟里的情形和那里被煮的罪人。好比恶鱼把弓形的脊背露出了水面，提醒水手们防御灾难的临头；这里的罪人为减轻痛苦，也有把背脊露出来的，但是一会儿就沉没下去了，像闪电一样的快。又好像水沟里的青蛙，只把嘴和鼻子透出水面，其余的脚和身子都沉在水里。这里的罪人多数也是这种情况；但是巴尔巴利洽一到．他们马上沉下去了。
我看见一个我的心到现在尚为他战栗呢，不知为什么他却停留在那里，好比别的青蛙都已逃散，这一个却孤独地呆在那里一样；幸亏格拉菲亚卡内靠近他的旁边，一叉刺在他黏糊糊头发的头上，举起在空中，我似乎看他有点像一只水獭呢。这群魔鬼的名字我都知道，因为在派使的时候，和他们互相呼唤的时候，我都用心听着呢。那些魔鬼一齐喊道：“卢比堪忒呀！用你的钩子划他的肉吧！”我说：“老师，如果可能的话，你去探问一下这个犯人的来历，他为什么不幸落在魔鬼的手里了。”我的导游走近他的旁边，问他从什么地方来的，他答道：“那伐尔王国是我的故乡。我母亲嫁给一个坏人，他丧失了他的生命和家产，所以他送我到一个贵族家里去做奴仆。后来我做了好国王忒巴尔多的家臣，就在那里我开始贪官枉法的贿赂生涯；现在我到这个残酷的刑具里来还债了。”
当时魔鬼奇利亚托嘴里露出两个长牙，像野猪一样，用其中一个刺入罪人的肉里。一只老鼠被一群凶猫的锐爪压住！但是巴尔巴利洽把罪人抱在手臂弯里，对大家说：“你们闪开些，等我把他吊上钩再说！”于是他又对我的老师说：“如果你想知道更多的事情，那末你就快些问他吧，马上他们就要动手了。”因此我的导游又向那罪人问道：“请你告诉我，在沥青下面，还有别的拉丁人么？”他答道：“刚才我就离开了一个，他就在我的旁边；假如我能够再回到他那里，那末锐爪和钩子我都不怕了！”那时利比科科叫道：“我们忍受不住了！”向罪人手臂上又是一叉，厉害得很，马上撕去一块肉；德拉吉尼亚佐照此，刺在他的腿上！当时他们的领头向四周恶狠狠地巡视了一周。他们稍微平静以后，我的导游又向犯人问话，同时他看着他的伤痕问：“你刚才离开的那个人究竟是谁呢？”他答道：“那是教友郭弥塔，加卢拉人，是贪污大王，他管理着他上司的犯人，但是犯人都感谢他，因为他能使犯人用金钱买得自由呢。在他别的职务上，他也是一个聚敛赂物的能手。他和罗格道罗人臧凯不停地谈着话；他们说着萨丁语，一点不觉得疲劳……我还可以告诉你很多，但是，请你看看那些咬牙切齿的吧，恐怕他们马上就要撕碎我了。”
那时法尔法赖罗转动着眼珠子，预备攻击那个罪人，但是那领头说：“滚蛋！你这恶雀子，”那个吓破了魂的罪人又道：“假如你们想见见托斯卡那人和伦巴第人，我可以把他们叫到这里来。但是，请这些马拉勃朗卡稍微后退几步，因为我的伙伴怕他们。我一个人坐在岸边上，可以叫来七个，我只要大叫一声，他们就知道岸上有朋友在呼唤了。”卡尼阿佐听了这些话，摇摇头，举起他的尖嘴，说：“不要听他的坏活，他是想法子要逃跑了！”那个狡猾的灵魂答道：“我真是坏人呀！因为我出卖了我的伙伴，”阿利奇诺忍耐不住了，反对众人的意见说：“假如你要跳入沟里去，那末我不但立即迫赶你，我还要飞到沥青上面来捉捕你。我们暂且离开堤岸，躲到那边去，看你是否能够逃脱我们的手掌。”
诸位读者，你们马上又有新戏可看了。这一群魔鬼掉过头眼睛向着堤岸的那边，卡尼阿佐起先是不相信的，现在却是第一个躲起来。那伐尔人乘此机会，脚尖着地，一瞬间已经跳到他的目的地了。每个魔鬼都知道受了骗，尤其斥责阿利奇诺，因此他跳了起来，叫道：“我来捉拿你！”但是已经大晚了，他的两翼也没有用，因为那罪人已经沉没下去，他只好懊丧而归；好似野鸭已经潜入水里，老鹰只好恼怒回归一样。
卡尔卡勃利纳因为遭了愚弄，心里十分生气立刻飞了起来。如果那个罪人捉不着，他非要和阿利奇诺打一仗。果然罪人连影子都不见了，他就和他的伙伴在空中搏斗起来。好似老鹰抓住小鸟一样，他们两个都掉进沸腾着的沥青之中；他们因为烫得难忍，只好各自休战；但是他们的两翼都粘住了，再也飞不起来。巴尔巴利洽心急如焚，吩咐四个人飞到对岸，拿着他们的铁钩子；两岸的巡逻小卒同时协助，连忙把那煮过的伙伴吊上岸来；我们趁着这个混乱的机会离开了他们。
Horsemen with martial order shifting camp,
To onset sallying, or in muster rang'd,
Or in retreat sometimes outstretch'd for flight;
Light-armed squadrons and fleet foragers
Scouring thy plains, Arezzo! have I seen,
And clashing tournaments, and tilting jousts,
Now with the sound of trumpets, now of bells,
Tabors, or signals made from castled heights,
And with inventions multiform, our own,
Or introduc'd from foreign land; but ne'er
To such a strange recorder I beheld,
In evolution moving, horse nor foot,
Nor ship, that tack'd by sign from land or star.
With the ten demons on our way we went;
Ah fearful company! but in the church
With saints, with gluttons at the tavern's mess.
Still earnest on the pitch I gaz'd, to mark
All things whate'er the chasm contain'd, and those
Who burn'd within. ?As dolphins, that, in sign
To mariners, heave high their arched backs,
That thence forewarn'd they may advise to save
Their threaten'd vessels; so, at intervals,
To ease the pain his back some sinner show'd,
Then hid more nimbly than the lightning glance.
E'en as the frogs, that of a wat'ry moat
Stand at the brink, with the jaws only out,
Their feet and of the trunk all else concealed,
Thus on each part the sinners stood, but soon
As Barbariccia was at hand, so they
Drew back under the wave. ?I saw, and yet
My heart doth stagger, one, that waited thus,
As it befalls that oft one frog remains,
While the next springs away: and Graffiacan,
Who of the fiends was nearest, grappling seiz'd
His clotted locks, and dragg'd him sprawling up,
That he appear'd to me an otter. ?Each
Already by their names I knew, so well
When they were chosen, I observ'd, and mark'd
How one the other call'd. "O Rubicant!
See that his hide thou with thy talons flay,"
Shouted together all the cursed crew.
Then I: "Inform thee, master! if thou may,
What wretched soul is this, on whom their hand
His foes have laid." ?My leader to his side
Approach'd, and whence he came inquir'd, to whom
Was answer'd thus: "Born in Navarre's domain
My mother plac'd me in a lord's retinue,
For she had borne me to a losel vile,
A spendthrift of his substance and himself.
The good king Thibault after that I serv'd,
To peculating here my thoughts were turn'd,
Whereof I give account in this dire heat."
Straight Ciriatto, from whose mouth a tusk
Issued on either side, as from a boar,
Ript him with one of these. ?'Twixt evil claws
The mouse had fall'n: but Barbariccia cried,
Seizing him with both arms: "Stand thou apart,
While I do fix him on my prong transpierc'd."
Then added, turning to my guide his face,
"Inquire of him, if more thou wish to learn,
Ere he again be rent." ?My leader thus:
"Then tell us of the partners in thy guilt;
Knowest thou any sprung of Latian land
Under the tar?"—"I parted," he replied,
"But now from one, who sojourn'd not far thence;
So were I under shelter now with him!
Nor hook nor talon then should scare me more."—.
"Too long we suffer," Libicocco cried,
Then, darting forth a prong, seiz'd on his arm,
And mangled bore away the sinewy part.
Him Draghinazzo by his thighs beneath
Would next have caught, whence angrily their chief,
Turning on all sides round, with threat'ning brow
Restrain'd them. ?When their strife a little ceas'd,
Of him, who yet was gazing on his wound,
My teacher thus without delay inquir'd:
"Who was the spirit, from whom by evil hap
Parting, as thou has told, thou cam'st to shore?"—
"It was the friar Gomita," he rejoin'd,
"He of Gallura, vessel of all guile,
Who had his master's enemies in hand,
And us'd them so that they commend him well.
Money he took, and them at large dismiss'd.
So he reports: and in each other charge
Committed to his keeping, play'd the part
Of barterer to the height: ?with him doth herd
The chief of Logodoro, Michel Zanche.
Sardinia is a theme, whereof their tongue
Is never weary. ?Out! alas! behold
That other, how he grins! More would I say,
But tremble lest he mean to maul me sore."
Their captain then to Farfarello turning,
Who roll'd his moony eyes in act to strike,
Rebuk'd him thus: "Off! cursed bird! Avaunt!"—
"If ye desire to see or hear," he thus
Quaking with dread resum'd, "or Tuscan spirits
Or Lombard, I will cause them to appear.
Meantime let these ill talons bate their fury,
So that no vengeance they may fear from them,
And I, remaining in this self-same place,
Will for myself but one, make sev'n appear,
When my shrill whistle shall be heard; for so
Our custom is to call each other up."
Cagnazzo at that word deriding grinn'd,
Then wagg'd the head and spake: "Hear his device,
Mischievous as he is, to plunge him down."
Whereto he thus, who fail'd not in rich store
Of nice-wove toils; "Mischief forsooth extreme,
Meant only to procure myself more woe!"
No longer Alichino then refrain'd,
But thus, the rest gainsaying, him bespake:
"If thou do cast thee down, I not on foot
Will chase thee, but above the pitch will beat
My plumes. ?Quit we the vantage ground, and let
The bank be as a shield, that we may see
If singly thou prevail against us all."
Now, reader, of new sport expect to hear!
They each one turn'd his eyes to the' other shore,
He first, who was the hardest to persuade.
The spirit of Navarre chose well his time,
Planted his feet on land, and at one leap
Escaping disappointed their resolve.
Them quick resentment stung, but him the most,
Who was the cause of failure; in pursuit
He therefore sped, exclaiming: "Thou art caught."
But little it avail'd: terror outstripp'd
His following flight: the other plung'd beneath,
And he with upward pinion rais'd his breast:
E'en thus the water-fowl, when she perceives
The falcon near, dives instant down, while he
Enrag'd and spent retires. ?That mockery
In Calcabrina fury stirr'd, who flew
After him, with desire of strife inflam'd;
And, for the barterer had 'scap'd, so turn'd
His talons on his comrade. O'er the dyke
In grapple close they join'd; but the' other prov'd
A goshawk able to rend well his foe;
And in the boiling lake both fell. ?The heat
Was umpire soon between them, but in vain
To lift themselves they strove, so fast were glued
Their pennons. ?Barbariccia, as the rest,
That chance lamenting, four in flight dispatch'd
From the' other coast, with all their weapons arm'd.
They, to their post on each side speedily
Descending, stretch'd their hooks toward the fiends,
Who flounder'd, inly burning from their scars:
And we departing left them to that broil.