Lib. II. Cap.

5.) Cf.

Herodotus, iv. 36.

[2] In Dante's Cosmography, Jerusalem is the centre of our [Greek: oikoumenae], whilst the Mount of Purgatory occupies the middle of the Antipodal hemisphere: -

"Come cio sia, se'l vuoi poter pensare, Dentro raccolto immagina Sion Con questo monte in su la terra stare, Si, ch' ambodue hann' un solo orrizon E diversi emisperi".... - Purg. IV. 67.

[3] The belief, with this latter ground of it, is alluded to in curious verses by Jacopo Alighieri, Dante's son: -

"E molti gran Profeti Filosofi e Poeti Fanno il colco dell' Emme Dov' e Gerusalemme; Se le loro scritture Hanno vere figure:

E per la Santa fede Cristiana ancor si vede Che' l' suo principio Cristo Nel suo mezzo conquisto Per cui prese morte E vi pose la sorte." - (Rime Antiche Toscane, III. 9.)

Though the general meaning of the second couplet is obvious, the expression il colco dell' Emme, "the couch of the M," is puzzling. The best solution that occurs to me is this: In looking at the world map of Marino Sanudo, noticed on p. 133, as engraved by Bongars in the Gesta Dei per Francos, you find geometrical lines laid down, connecting the N.E., N.W., S.E., and S.W. points, and thus forming a square inscribed in the circular disk of the Earth, with its diagonals passing through the Central Zion. The eye easily discerns in these a great M inscribed in the circle, with its middle angular point at Jerusalem.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 376 of 1256
Words from 102614 to 102865 of 342071