In the lowest depths of Hell, Dante and Virgil come upon the souls of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca and his political enemy Archbishop Ruggieri. Both are frozen in ice up to their necks; Ugolino is behind Ruggieri, gnawing on the back of his head.

In life, Ugolino had betryaed Ruggieri in some complex political intrigue, attempting to gain control of Pisa; in retaliation, Ruggieri had locked Ugolino and his sons in a tower. In the tower, Ugolino says, he had a dream that Ruggieri was leading a hunt with some political allies, setting their hounds after a lone wolf and his pups. Here’s how the story ends:

Quando fui desto innanzi la dimane,
pianger senti’ fra ‘l sonno i miei figliuoli
ch’eran con meco, e dimandar del pane.

Ben se’ crudel, se tu già non ti duoli
pensando ciò che ‘l mio cor s’annunziava;
e se non piangi, di che pianger suoli?

Già eran desti, e l’ora s’appressava
che ‘l cibo ne solëa essere addotto,
e per suo sogno ciascun dubitava;

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