Dante barely recognizes Forese's emaciated face, and his friend's state causes him great grief.
He expresses surprise at Forese's salvation - he had died five years before - and at his quick advancement through the terraces of Purgatory.
Forese praises his wife Nella, whose prayers have allowed him to pass quickly through Purgatory, and in contrast maligns the provocatively-dressed Florentine women and predicts that more restrictive dress codes will soon be enforced in Florence, in a manner reminiscent of Christian moral invective of the fourth-century Church Fathers.
Dante refers to their friendship and their joint indulgence in sinful behavior when they were younger, probably including the composition of the vulgar and insulting tenzone detailed below.
Before leaving Dante, Forese predicts the coming death of his brother Corso and his descent into Hell.