The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-05-14
THE CAMRlIR2llsas; e I; va. saas; tn:
z.zz==---~=- known as the Black
"A swept haIf the people out

previoUsly there had been gradually
snreading over the eastern parts of
Europe a yirulent disease, imported
from Asia, which had made havoc of
the people in some OF the finest por-
tions of the world So dreadful in
deed had been its ravages that, accord
ing to the most respectable monkish
writer of the time, many Saracens,
convinced that the peetilence was
sign of Gods wrath on account OF
their unbeIief. became Christians, till,
finding the Christians to be likewise
afflicted, they returned to their old
faith. 4 series of earthquakes, which
shook the whole of eastern Europe,
ushered in the year l34S; meh's hearts
quailed for fear, and many were the
steps taken-short of draining the
towns and providing better ventilation
with the view Of propitiating the
Divine wrath. In vain. The plague
which had scourged Asia and the
Greek empire crept slowly but surely
westward, seemingly uninhuenced by
the coldness of climate, or by the in
teryention of sea. Boccaccio has writ
ten in the preface to his ''Decameron"
an account of the plague as it operated
in Florence, which no one who has ever
read it can forget. Within few
months Of its slaughter of the tloren-
tines, it had swept through Spain,
France, and Germany, and had crossed
the Straits of Dover.
From June to December, 1348, there
had fallen in England an almost inces-
SAINT downpour Of rain the ground was
damp, and the streams became polluted
by the surface-drainage, which was
washed like compost all over the coun-
try, in default Of n proper outlet into
a suitable receptacle. In August the
first cases were reported; by November
the capital was reached, and from
London the plague spread all over the
kingdom, and. says Stowe, 80 wasted
and spoiled the people, hat scarce the
tenth persons OF all sorts was left
alive This was not an exaggeration
of what happened in some places
there died au innumerable sort, for no
man but God only knew how many"
Between the 1st Of January and lst of
July, 1349, there died in the city of
Norwich 5T,10l persons; Yarmouth
buried 1862 in the year; and other
towns in the eastern counties suffered
nearly as much. IN the thirteen acres
of SDittle Croft (the site of the existing
Charter-house) which was given by
Sir Walter Nanny, for the burial of
the dead because the London church
yards were quite full, were buried fifty
thousand persons. The plague was
swift in execution; those seized by it
often dying within six hours, and none
lasting over three days. J he ties of
nature seemed loosened parents for
sock their children, the dead remained
IN many instances without burial, and
were allowed to take their revenge on
the living by adding fearfully to the
pestilential character of the atmos-
phere Cattle became infected with
the disease, and their bodies Law rotting
in the fields untouched by Che birds of
prey. How many of the people died
it is not possible to say with certain
ty; but trustworthy accounts state
that, taking England all through, half
of the entire population died The
eastern counties never recovered from
the ravages of the plague; places which
became obscure villages. and to tLis
day there may be seen in those coun-
ties places in which large churches.
that oIce were too small for the con-
gregation, have survived only to attest
what the villages they preside over
once were.
Half the population! The Iabors Of
agriculture were neglected the courts
of justice were not opened; Parliament
was proIogued from time to time: the
whole business of the country drifted
for very lack of hands to attend to it,
and the curse of the plague became so
notorious that the Scots swOre bv it,
by the foul deth of the English" For
a time Scotland escaped, and the Scots,
taking advantage of the weakened
condition or their southern foe. collect
ed an army for the purpose of hing
what the plague had spared to do. But
into their camp at Selkirk tie "foul
deth" came and slew five thousand men,
and put on end to the project OF inva-
sion.
All sorts of reasons were assigned
for the visitation Some declared il
was a sign Of Gods anger at the ex-
travagance and effeminacy of the men:
others that it was because of His wrath
at the gay costume of the women, who
seemed to have arrayed themselves
after the style adopted by some women
nowadays, initiating the fashion OF
Solomon rather than Of the lily. Some
said one thing and some another, but
We do not hear of any one hitting the
real blot, and assigning the cause oi
the anger of God against filthy streets
unwhole5ome houses, undrained towns
and utter want Of ventilation. The
Black Death was wonder in its effects
rather than in its causes, ard was at.
tended by the supplementary wonder,
that it went away without great ire,
which, Ivy burning down the plague.
che iSliDU toyypS miCyht baye pya,-apt