the black death and the dancing mania-第5章

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ediate　effect。　　The　most　powerful　of　all　was　contagion；　for　in　the　most　distant　countries；　which　had　scarcely　yet　heard　the　echo　of　the　first　concussion；　the　people　fell　a　sacrifice　to　organic　poisonthe　untimely　offspring　of　vital　energies　thrown　into　violent　commotion。



CHAPTER　IVMORTALITY



We　have　no　certain　measure　by　which　to　estimate　the　ravages　of　the　Black　Plague；　if　numerical　statements　were　wanted；　as　in　modern　times。　　Let　us　go　back　for　a　moment　to　the　fourteenth　century。　The　people　were　yet　but　little　civilised。　　The　Church　had　indeed　subdued　them；　but　they　all　suffered　from　the　ill　consequences　of　their　original　rudeness。　　The　dominion　of　the　law　was　not　yet　confirmed。　　Sovereigns　had　everywhere　to　combat　powerful　enemies　to　internal　tranquillity　and　security。　　The　cities　were　fortresses　for　their　own　defence。　　Marauders　encamped　on　the　roads。　　The　husbandman　was　a　feudal　slave；　without　possessions　of　his　own。　Rudeness　was　general；　humanity　as　yet　unknown　to　the　people。　Witches　and　heretics　were　burned　alive。　　Gentle　rulers　were　contemned　as　weak；　wild　passions；　severity　and　cruelty；　everywhere　predominated。　　Human　life　was　little　regarded。　　Governments　concerned　not　themselves　about　the　numbers　of　their　subjects；　for　whose　welfare　it　was　incumbent　on　them　to　provide。　　Thus；　the　first　requisite　for　estimating　the　loss　of　human　life；　namely；　a　knowledge　of　the　amount　of　the　population；　is　altogether　wanting；　and；　moreover；　the　traditional　statements　of　the　amount　of　this　loss　are　so　vague；　that　from　this　source　likewise　there　is　only　room　for　probable　conjecture。

Cairo　lost　daily；　when　the　plague　was　raging　with　its　greatest　violence；　from　10；000　to　15；000；　being　as　many　as；　in　modern　times；　great　plagues　have　carried　off　during　their　whole　course。　In　China；　more　than　thirteen　millions　are　said　to　have　died；　and　this　is　in　correspondence　with　the　certainly　exaggerated　accounts　from　the　rest　of　Asia。　　India　was　depopulated。　　Tartary；　the　Tartar　kingdom　of　Kaptschak；　Mesopotamia；　Syria；　Armenia；　were　covered　with　dead　bodiesthe　Kurds　fled　in　vain　to　the　mountains。　In　Caramania　and　Caesarea　none　were　left　alive。　　On　the　roadsin　the　campsin　the　caravansariesunburied　bodies　alone　were　seen；　and　a　few　cities　only　（Arabian　historians　name　Maarael…Nooman；　Schisur；　and　Harem）　remained；　in　an　unaccountable　manner；　free。　In　Aleppo；　500　died　daily；　22；000　people；　and　most　of　the　animals；　were　carried　off　in　Gaza；　within　six　weeks。　　Cyprus　lost　almost　all　its　inhabitants；　and　ships　without　crews　were　often　seen　in　the　Mediterranean；　as　afterwards　in　the　North　Sea；　driving　about；　and　spreading　the　plague　wherever　they　went　on　shore。　　It　was　reported　to　Pope　Clement；　at　Avignon；　that　throughout　the　East；　probably　with　the　exception　of　China；　23；840；000　people　had　fallen　victims　to　the　plague。　　Considering　the　occurrences　of　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；　we　might；　on　first　view；　suspect　the　accuracy　of　this　statement。　　How　（it　might　be　asked）　could　such　great　wars　have　been　carried　onsuch　powerful　efforts　have　been　made；　how　could　the　Greek　Empire；　only　a　hundred　years　later；　have　been　overthrown；　if　the　people　really　had　been　so　utterly　destroyed？

This　account　is　nevertheless　rendered　credible　by　the　ascertained　fact；　that　the　palaces　of　princes　are　less　accessible　to　contagious　diseases　than　the　dwellings　of　the　multitude；　and　that　in　places　of　importance；　the　influx　from　those　districts　which　have　suffered　least；　soon　repairs　even　the　heaviest　losses。　　We　must　remember；　also；　that　we　do　not　gather　much　from　mere　numbers　without　an　intimate　knowledge　of　the　state　of　society。　　We　will　therefore　confine　ourselves　to　exhibiting　some　of　the　more　credible　accounts　relative　to　European　cities。


In　Florence　there　died　of　the　Black　Plague60；000　In　Venice100；000　In　Marseilles；　in　one　month16；000　In　Siena70；000　In　Paris50；000　In　St。　Denys14；000　In　Avignon60；000　In　Strasburg16；000　In　Lubeck9；000　In　Basle14；000　In　Erfurt；　at　least16；000　In　Weimar5；000　In　Limburg2；500　In　London；　at　least100；000　In　Norwich51；100


To　which　may　be　added　…


Franciscan　Friars　in　German124；434　Minorites　in　Italy30；000


This　short　catalogue　might；　by　a　laborious　and　uncertain　calculation；　deduced　from　other　sources；　be　easily　further　multiplied；　but　would　still　fail　to　give　a　true　picture　of　the　depopulation　which　took　place。　　Lubeck；　at　that　time　the　Venice　of　the　North；　which　could　no　longer　contain　the　multitudes　that　flocked　to　it；　was　thrown　into　such　consternation　on　the　eruption　of　the　plague；　that　the　citizens　destroyed　themselves　as　if　in　frenzy。

Merchants　whose　earnings　and　possessions　were　unbounded；　coldly　and　willingly　renounced　their　earthly　goods。　　They　carried　their　treasures　to　monasteries　and　churches；　and　laid　them　at　the　foot　of　the　altar；　but　gold　had　no　charms　for　the　monks；　for　it　brought　them　death。　　They　shut　their　gates；　yet；　still　it　was　cast　to　them　over　the　convent　walls。　　People　would　brook　no　impediment　to　the　last　pious　work　to　which　they　were　driven　by　despair。　　When　the　plague　ceased；　men　thought　they　were　still　wandering　among　the　dead；　so　appalling　was　the　livid　aspect　of　the　survivors；　in　consequence　of　the　anxiety　they　had　undergone；　and　the　unavoidable　infection　of　the　air。　　Many　other　cities　probably　presented　a　similar　appearance；　and　it　is　ascertained　that　a　great　number　of　small　country　towns　and　villages；　which　have　been　estimated；　and　not　too　highly；　at　200；000；　were　bereft　of　all　their　inhabitants。

In　many　places　in　France；　not　more　than　two　out　of　twenty　of　the　inhabitants　were　left　alive；　and　the　capital　felt　the　fury　of　the　plague；　alike　in　the　palace　and　the　cot。

Two　queens；　one　bishop；　and　great　numbers　of　other　distinguished　persons；　fell　a　sacrifice　to　it；　and　more　than　500　a　day　died　in　the　Hotel　Dieu；　under　the　faithful　care　of　the　sisters　of　charity；　whose　disinterested　courage；　in　this　age　of　horror；　displayed　the　most　beautiful　traits　of　human　virtue。　　For　although　they　lost　their　lives；　evidently　from　contagion；　and　their　numbers　were　several　times　renewed；　there　was　still　no　want　of　fresh　candidates；　who；　strangers　to　the　unchristian　fear　of　death；　piously　devoted　themselves　to　their　holy　calling。

The　churchyards　were　soon　unable　to　contain　the　dead；　and　many　houses；　left　without　inhabitants；　fell　to　ruins。

In　Avignon；　the　Pope　found　it　necessary　to　consecrate　the　Rhone；　that　bodies　might　be　thrown　into　the　river　without　delay；　as　the　churchyards　would　no　longer　hold　them；　so　likewise；　in　all　populous　cities；　extraordinary　measures　were　adopted；　in　order　speedily　to　dispose　of　the　dead。　　In　Vienna；　where　for　some　time　1；200　inhabitants　died　daily；　the　interment　of　corpses　in　the　churchyards　and　within　the　churches　was　forthwith　prohibited；　and　the　dead　were　then　arranged　in　layers；　by　thousands；　in　six　large　pits　outside　the　city；　as　had　already　been　done　in　Cairo　and　Paris。　　Yet；　still　many　were　secretly　buried；　for　at　all　times　the　people　are　attached　to　the　consecrated　cemeteries　of　their　dead；　and　will　not　renounce　the　customary　mode　of　interment。

In　many　places　it　was　rumoured　that　plague　patients　were　buried　alive；　as　may　sometimes　happen　through　senseless　alarm　and　indecent　haste；　and　thus　the　horror　of　the　distressed　people　was　everywhere　increased。　　In　Erfurt；　after　the　churchyards　were　filled；　12；000　corpses　were　thrown　into　eleven　great　pits；　and　the　like　might；　more　or　less　exactly；　be　stated　with　respect　to　all　the　larger　cities。　　Funeral　ceremonies；　the　last　consolation　of　the　survivors；　were　everywhere　impracticable。

In　all　Germany；　according　to　a　probable　calculation；　there　seem　to　have　died　only　1；244；434　inhabitants；　this　country；　however；　was　more　spared　than　others：　　Italy；　on　the　contrary；　was　most　severely　visited。　　It　is　said　to　have　lost　half　its　inhabitants；　and　this　account　is　rendered　credible　from　the　immense　losses　of　individual　cities　and　provinces：　　for　in　Sardinia　and　Corsica；　according　to　the　account　of　the　distinguished　Florentine；　John　Villani；　who　was　himself　carried　off　by　the　Black　Plague；　scarcely　a　third　part　of　the　population　remained　alive；　and　it　is　related　of　the　Venetians；　that　they　engaged　ships　at　a　high　rate　to　retreat　to　the　islands；　so　that　after　the　plague　had　carried　off　three…fourths　of　her　inhabitants；　that　proud　city　was　left　forlorn　and　desolate。　　In　Padua；　after　the　cessation　of　the　plague；　two…　thirds　of　the　inhabitants　were　wanting；　and　in　Florence　it　was　prohibited　to　publish　the　numbers　of　dead；　and　to　toll　the　bells　at　their　funerals；　in　order　that　the　living　might　not　abandon　themselves　to　despair。

We　have　more　exact　accounts　of　England；　most　of　the　great　cities　suffered　incredible　losses；　above　all；　Yarmouth；　in　which　7；052　died；　Bristol；　Oxford；　Norwich；　Leicester；　York；　and　London；　where　in　one　burial　ground　alone；　there　were　interred　upwards　of　50；000　corpses；　arranged　in　layers；　in　large　pits。　　It　is　said　that　in　the　whole　country　scarcely　a　tenth　part　remained　alive；　but　this　estimate　is　evidently　too　high。　　Smaller　losses　were　sufficient　to　cause　those　convulsions；　whose　consequences　were　felt　for　some　centuries；　in　a　false　impulse　given　to　civil　life；　and　whose　indirect　influence；　unknown　to　the　English；　has　perhaps　extended　even　to　modern　times。

Morals　were　deteriorated　everywhere；　and　the　service　of　God　was　in　a　great　measure　laid　aside；　for；　in　many　places；　the　churches　were　deserted；　being　bereft　of　their　priests。　　The　instruction　of　the　people　was　impeded；　covetousness　became　general；　and　when　tranquillity　was　restored；　the　great　increase　of　lawyers　was　astonishing；　to　whom　the　endless　disputes　regarding　inheritances　offered　a　rich　harvest。　　The　want　of　priests　too；　throughout　the　country；　operated　very　detrimentally　upon　the　people　（the　lower　classes　being　most　exposed　to　the　ravages　of　the　plague；　whilst　the　houses　of　the　nobility　were；　in　proportion；　much　more　spared）；　and　it　was　no　compensation　that　whole　bands　of　ignorant　laymen；　who　had　lost　their　wives　during　the　pestilence；　crowded　into　the　monastic　orders；　that　they　might　participate　in　the　respectability　of　the　priesthood；　and　in　the　rich　heritages　which　fell　in　to　the　Church　from　all　quarters。　　The　sittings　of　Parliament；　of　the　King's　Bench；　and　of　most　of　the　other　courts；　were　suspended　as　long　as　the　malady　raged。　　The　laws　of　peace　availed　not　during　the　dominion　of　death。　　Pope　Clement　took　advantage　of　this　state　of　disorder　to　adjust　the　bloody　quarrel　between　Edward　III　and　Philip　VI；　yet　he　only　succeeded　during　the　period　that　the　plague　commanded　peace。　　Philip's　death　（1350）　annulled　all　treaties；　and　it　is　related　that　Edward；　with　other　troops　indeed；　but　with　the　same　leaders　and　knights；　again　took　the　field。　　Ireland　was　much　less　heavily　visited　that　England。　　The　disease　seems　to　have　scarcely　reached　the　mountainous　districts　of　that　kingdom；　and　Scotland　too　would　perhaps　have　remained　free；　had　not　the　Scots　availed　themselves　of　the　discomfiture　of　the　English　to　make　an　irruption　into　their　territory；　which　terminated　in　the　destruction　of　their　army；　by　the　plague　and　by　the　sword；　and　the　extension　of　the　pestilence；　through　those　who　escaped；　over　the　whole　country。

At　the　commencement；　ther