[294] Purg. xxxi. 111.
[295] Antonelli thinks the four stars were α and β Crucis, α and β Centauri, all of which had been mentioned by Ptolemy, and all lie near the circle which marks the limit of circumpolar stars in the supposed latitude of Purgatory (32° south). The three stars he says were ζ Navis, Canopus, and Achernar:—Antonelli, Accenni alle Dottrine Astronomiche nella Divina Commedia.
[296] Inf. xi. 113, 114; Purg. i. 30.
“The Wain, that in the bosom of our sky Spins ever on its axle, night and day.” Par. xiii. 7-9. (Carey).
“Fled is every bird that seeks the warmth, From European lands which never lose The seven cold stars.” Canz. xv. 27-29.
“Seven cold oxen.” De Mon. II. ix. 96.