VIII/3 Dante glories in the humiliation of Filippo Argenti who tries to cling to the side of his boat. This episode is of course the subject of Delacroix' magnificent painting from which it was difficult to resist the temptation to quote. The emerging (or sinking) head is adapted from the bathers of Canto XII/1 and, as in other uses of these figures which derive from seaside postcard fragments (cf. Canto XXII/1 and Canto XVIII/3), there is an ironic mockery of baptism implied: In that sense this image serves as a pre-echo of many such immersions (cf. Canto XIX). The four horseshoes refer to the arrogance of Argenti who earned his nickname from the vainglorious habit of having his horse shod with silver. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.