Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-11-09
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THURSDAY,

most dreadful visitation of it was one that bt
gan IN China, spread over Asia, and in the yea
thirteen hundred and forty-eight entered Europe
Europe was then, however, not unused t
plaques. Six others had made themselves ia
nous during the preceding eight and fort
years. The black plague spread from the soutl
OF Europe to the north, occupying about thre
years in its passage. In two years it had reach
ed Sweden; in three years it had conquered
Russia The fatal influence came among mer
ripe to receive it. Europe was full of petit,
war citizens; were immured in cities, in un
wholesome houses overlooking filthy streets, q,
in beleagued fortresscs; for robbers, if moi
armies, occupied the roads beyond their gates
husbandmen were starving feudal slaves; reli.
gion was mainly superstition; ignorance wa.
dense and morals were debased; little control
was set upon the passions To such men came
the pestience, which was said to have slain
thirteen millions of Chrs Q, to have doropula-
ted India, to have destroyed in Cairo fifteen
thousand liv'sa day. II loss were exaggerated
statements, but they were credited, and terrified
the people. Certainly vessels with dead crews
drifted about in the Mediterranean and brought
corruption and infection to the shores on which
they stranded.
In what spirit did the people, superstitious as
they were in those old times, meet the calamity
Many committed suicide in frenzy merchants
and rich men, seeking to divert the wrath OF
Heaven from themselves carried their treasure
to the churches and the monasteries where, if
the monks, fearing to receive infection with it,
shut their gates against any such Offering, it
was desperately thrown to them over their walls
Even sound men, corroded by anxiety, wandered
about livid as the dead. Houses quilted by
their inhabints tumblcd to ruin. By plague
and by the fight of terrified inhabitants many
thousand villages were left absolutely empty
silent as the woods and fields. The Pope, in
Ayignon, was forced, because all the church
yards was full, to conoecrate as burial place
the river Rhcne, and assure to the faithful an
interment, if not in holy ground, at least in
holy water. How the dead were carted out OF
towns for burial in pits, and how the terror Of
the people coined the fancy that through inde-
decent haste many were hurried on and thrown
in those pits while living, everyone knows it
was the incident of plague at all times Italy
was reported to have lost half its inhabitants
The Nenctians fed to the islands and foresook
their city, losing three men in four and in Pa
dua, when the plague ceased, two-thirds of the
inhabitants were missing. This is the black
death which began towards the close of tn,
year thirteen hundred and iorty-eight to raw
age England; and which Anthony Wood says
extra vagantly, that, at the close Of it, scarce,
u tenth part Of the people of this county re-
nained living
Churches were Stunned as places Of infection
hut enriched with mad donations and bequests
what little instruction had before been impartoC
ceased coyetousness increased and when healtl
returned men were amazed to observe how large
ly the proportion of lawyers to TIE rest of th'
community had been augmented. So man,
sudden deaths had begotten endless dispute
about Inheritance. Brothers deserted brothers
even parents fled from their children, leavin,
them to die INTENDED. The sick were nursed
when they were nurscd at all, by greedy hire
lings at enormous charge. The wealthy lady
noble Of birth, trained in the best refinement o
the time, as pure and modest perhaps as she wa
beautiful, could sometimes hire no better nurs
than street rufin to minister to her in he
mortal sickness. 1t appears most probable tha
this pestilence, which historians often disns
in paragraph, destroyed fourth part of tn
inhabitants of Europe. The curious fact fol
lows, which accords with one of the most mys
terious if all the certain laws of nature, tina
the numbers Of the people were in some degre
replenished by very marked increase in tn
fruitfulness of marriage We know how tn
poor, lodged in places dangerous to life, surroun
themselves with little families and how birth
multiply as deaths increase among them. I
this natural law the attention of men was strong
ly forced, even at the time of the black plague
But lesser local pcstilcnces arose incessentl
and tho bodies Of multitudcs who were not sai
were wreaked by the influences that destroyo
50 many, while, at the same time, few minds G,
capped the influence of superstitous dread, ari.
ing out Of such calamitics. The best physician
ascribed the black plague to the grand conjun'
ton of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the sign
Aquarius, which took place about Lady-day,
in the year thirteen hundred and forty -fy'
Such conjunction always forboded horrors ,
men, and every plague was in this way connec
ed with the stars. Many deed that prove
the dignity and beauty of mans nature W,
', done quietly during those days of trial bant
. of Sisters of Charity at Paris persisted in IL
work of mercy to the sick, and were supple
with unfailing troops of new recruits b,
bigotry and folly had the loudest voices, al
took possessions Of the public ear.
Then arose in Hungary and afterwards
Germany, the Brotherhood of the Flagellan
men and even women and children of all RAM
entering the order, marched about town
possession, each hagclant with red cross
tic breast, back, and cap, and carrying a trip
scourgo, and all recommended to attention
the promp Of tapers and superb banners
velvet and cloth of gold. They multiplics
fast, and claimed rights SO indepeodent-f
they even absolved each other--that they eau
to b, regarded by the church us dangerous Tn
wero put down at last by persecution, tho G
/ thusiasm of the populace in their behalf bel
W converted into relentless rage against them.
a The rage of the populace was felt most
e verey by the Jews. Pestilence was ascrih
IL, thnso dn,us 10 ,;no,,oA Ill. L