Commentary Par XIX 127-129 |
'The Cripple of Jerusalem' was the derogatory name for the lame Charles II, king of Apulia and Naples (1285-1309), who claimed the title 'King of Jerusalem' enjoyed by his father, even though it never was granted to him as the son. Tozer (DDP Tozer.Par.XIX.127-129) paraphrases and comments: 'His virtues will be seen marked by a unit (I), his vices by an M (for Lat. mille, "a thousand"). The one virtue here intended was liberality, which Dante attributes to him in [Par VIII 82].' Steiner (DDP Steiner.Par.XIX.128-130) says that others have suggested that 'I' and 'M' refer to the first and last letters of his desired and fraudulent title, 'King of Ierusalem.'