François Coppée, in his delightful Mon Franc Parler, speaking of the neglect of bygone poets, says "most people know nothing of the Divine Comedy excepting the Inferno, and merely certain episodes of that."<br><br>The present work is intended as a brief introduction to the whole poem, accompanied with such information as shall enable the ordinary reader to know Dante.<br><br>The translations are in the Spenserian stanza of nine lines. Nine and three were key numbers in Dante's mind, and his poetic period over and over again falls into sections of nine lines. Hence the natural fitness of this English metre.<br><br>The text used is that of Dr. E. Moore, compared with the text of G. A. Scartazzini. When these authorities differ the author has acted according to his own judgment.