In his council of the powers of hell, for instance, he creates monsters of huge dimensions and statuesque distinctness; but these are neither grotesquely horrible like Dante's, nor are they spirits with incalculable capacity for evil like Milton's.
Stampano alcuni il suol di ferine orme, E in fronte umana ban chiome d'angui attorte; E lor s'aggira dietro immensa coda, Che quasi sferza si ripiega e snoda.
Against this we have to place the dreadful scene of Satan with his angels transformed to snakes (_Par.

Lost_, x.

508-584), and the Dantesque horror of the 'vermo reo che 'l mondo fora' (_Inf._ xxxiv.
108).

Again when Dante cries-- O Sommo Giove, Che fosti in terra per noi crocifisso! we feel that the Latin phrase is accidental.

The spirit of the poet remains profoundly Christian.