• Forese Donati, the brother-in-law and intimate friend of Dante. “This Forese,” says Buti, “was a citizen of Florence, and was brother of Messer Corso Donati, and was very gluttonous; and therefore the author feigns that he found him here, where the Gluttons are punished.” Certain vituperative sonnets, addressed to Dante, have been attributed to Forese. If authentic, they prove that the friendship between the two poets was not uninterrupted. See Rossetti, Early Italian Poets , Appendix to Part II . ↩
• The same desire that sacrifice and atonement may be complete. ↩
• Matthew 27:46:⁠— “ Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” ↩
• Outside the gate of Purgatory, where those who had postponed repentance till the last hour were forced to wait as many years and days as they had lived impenitent on earth, unless aided by the devout prayers of those on earth. See Canto IV . ↩
• Nella, contraction of Giovannella, widow of Forese. Nothing is known of this good woman but the name, and what Forese here says in her praise. ↩