The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.
How 1t DepOpuIatcd Florence, Italy,
Five Centuries Ago,

T. r. B., in Memphis Commercial Appeal
The bubOnic plague, which now threatens
Europe, and to which the attention of the
medical and sanitary worlds is directed, is
said to be the same dread disease which
almost depopulated Florence. Italy, in 134S
having carried off nearly 100000 souls, ac-
cording to the exaggerated accounts of the
day. The plague spread from the Levant.
where it had prevailed for some two years
Boccaccio, the author of THE Decam-
eron,' makes use of the fatal plague
to introduce to the world his famous
work, which was received so favorably
by foreign nations that every one would
have it in their own tongue. and it
was sought after so much the more
eagerly as pains We're taken to sup
and satirical on the religious orders. In his
Introduction to THE Decameron'' Boccaccio
describes the plague as making indescrib-
able havoc on its march towards Florence
where it spread, despite all the means that
art and human foresight could suggest,
such as keeping the city clean of filth the
exclusion of suspected persons and the man
ifOld humble supplications offered to God, in
professions and otherwise. The symptoms
and purple spots all over the body. The
malady yielded not to medical knowledge
such as existed at that time, nor the power
OF drugs, and nearly all who were attacked
died on the third day and without any fever
or other accessory symptoms. 1t was con-
tagious and infectious to a high degree and
spread like fire
Every effort was made to avoid the sick
and everything that was near them. Some
people neId II pest TO 1--we tempeTately, to
avoid eXcesses of all kinds; they made up
parties, shut themselves UP from the rest
of the world, eating and drinking moder-
ately of the best and diverting themselves
with music, dancing and other entertain
ments, and never listening to ANYTHING
from without to make them uneasy. Others
maintained free living 10 be the better
preventative and gratifed their appetites
by drinking and reVeling in taVernS or in
private houses A third set of people chose
q middle course between these two. by eat
ing and drinking what their appetite re-
CURED, and walking everywhere with odors
and nosegays to smell holding it best
to corrobOrate the brain, for the whole at
mosphere seemed tainted with the stencil of
the dead Boccaccio from this sad picture
brought forth THE Decameron." He Sc
lected seven ladies of the highest character
who were attending the church of Santa
Maria and who, meeting three gentlemen
friends, agreed to flee from the CITY and
with their servants retire to a country
palace, quarantine against the city and sur
Ieastng and singing, dancing and telling
stories each day.
THE Decameron" is but a collection of
ancient tales of the age, which Boccaccio
decorated with new ciPcumstan and
which were delivered in a style which crit
les say has no parallel for elegance, naiv-
cite and grace, and causing his popularity
TO be unbOunded and his imtators more nu-
merous than those of any other author in
the annals of literature.
In Its day it had a wonderful effect upon
the romantic literature of modern Europe.
Chaucer adopted the notion of the frame in
Whlch to inclOse his tales and the general
manner of his stories and in some instances
ne has merely versitied the novels of the
Italian. Shakespeare made much use of
The Decameron." which was translated
into English in 1866 by Paynter Burton in
his Anatomy of Melancholy" states that
one of the great amusements of our ances-
tors was reading BOccaccio aloud an enter
tainment the effect OF which was sDeedilv
visible In the literature of the country.