means, only to be told that the souls "who lived without praise or
blame," as well as the angels who remained neutral during the war in
heaven, are confined in this place, since Paradise, Purgatory, and
Inferno equally refuse to harbor them and death never visits them.

While he is speaking, a long train of these unfortunate spirits, stung
by gadflies, sweeps past them, and in their ranks Dante recognizes the
shade of Pope Celestine V, who, "through cowardice made the grand
renunciation,"--i.e., abdicated his office at the end of five months,
simply because he lacked courage to face the task intrusted to him.

Passing through these spirits with downcast eyes, Dante reaches
Acheron,--the river of death,--where he sees, steering toward them,
the ferry-man Charon, whose eyes are like fiery wheels and who marvels
at beholding a living man among the shades. When Charon grimly orders
Dante back to earth, Virgil silences him with the brief statement: "so
'tis will'd where will and power are one." So, without further
objection, Charon allows them to enter his skiff and hurries the rest
of his freight aboard, beating the laggards with the flat of his oar.
Because Dante wonders at such ill-treatment, Virgil explains that good
souls are never forced to cross this stream, and that the present
passengers have richly deserved their punishment. Just then an
earthquake shakes the whole region, and Dante swoons in terror.

_Canto IV._ When he recovers his senses, Dante finds himself no longer
in Charon's bark, but on the brink of a huge circular pit, whence arise,
like emanations, moans and wails, but wherein, owing to the dense gloom,
he can descry nothing. Warning him they are about to descend into the
"blind world," and that his sorrowful expression--which Dante ascribes
to fear--is caused by pity, Virgil conducts his disciple into the first