Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-09-18
THE BLACK SCOURGE
That Fearful and Mystic ViSita-
ton of 0Iden Days.
IT FOLLOWED IN WARS WAKE.

uous and fearful visitation which has
moved its hosts in the wake Of armies
20 slay more than war itself. IS sup
posed to have first originated among
the dense masses of people who crowd
ed together In the great cities Of Asia
and Egypt or who formed the encamp-
ments Of XerXes, Cyrus and Tanner
lane the Tartar. 1t probably sprang
from the impurity which must have
existed in the midst OF such vast gath
erings and In part also from leaving
the unburied dead upon the field OF
battle At any rate. the germs of this
fearful human poison have always
been most active where conditions
similar to those have prevailed. 1t
has always been war and the march Of
armies that have spread it broadcast
over the world from time to time. and
as war became less frequent and less
worldwide the frequency and extent
Of these ravages have leSsened also.
The first recorded outbreak OF the
plague I'm Europe occurred I'm the six
teenth century. II came from lower
Egypt. This was the first tapping Of
the wave that reached into the east
again, there 90 stay its movements. so
far as the west was concerned. until
"a a. d. when the returning legions
of the Emperor Justinian brought it
again into the western world from the
battlehelds OF Persia. Constantinople
was the first place it attacked. Here
i'm single day as many rs 10000 per-
sons are said 10 have fallen victims 10
it, But the plague did not stop with
Constanunoplc. 1t had found 4 too
congcnial soil in Europe. which was
little else than one great battlefield at
the time. IL was carried into Gaul.
where IL followed close in the wake OF
the FrankiSh armies. and from Gaul
ii moved into Italy. with the Lom-
bardS. and 50 devastated the country
as 90 leave it entirely at the mercy
OF the invaders.
Tho various cruSadeS, which extend
cd over a space OF about 200 years. no
doubt dId much 70 hold the pestilence
IN Europe, FOR they served to keep
open the channels Of intercourse be-
tween the east and the west. Periodic
epidcmicS We're common during their
continuance. and these seem TO have
eliminated in the fourteenth century
with what is known IN history IS the
black death. The black death was
more fatal 10 human life than any
other single cause since the world be-
gan. The havoc of war was nothing
IN comparison 10 II. II swept the
whole OF Europe. leaving IN its path
such misery and destitution rs the
L = s.,
three years some 2J,OO0.oQO people.
such figures Stagger the compreheu-
sion. but the records of the time can
not be doubted. The entire population
I of Europe is estimated 70 have been
about 100000. kept down as il was
+ by the constant warfare. and OF these
at least fourth perished.
The ravaSeS Of the plague in Italy
where il came in the track OF the waI
f OF the GuelphS and Ghibellines. was
particularly disastrous 10 mankind. II
ragged with terrible fury in Naples
/ where GO,CO0 persons are said TO have
died. 1t fell upon Pisa, and seven out
/ OF every ten periShed. Ii utterly and
/ forever destroyed the prosperity OF
I Siena. Florence also suffered severely
/ while 100000 Of the inhabitants OF
/ Venice were literally wiped OF the
face OF the earth. From Italy il moved
into France, where the mortality was
[ almost rs great. In Paris alone 5000
4 people died from il. One OF the worst
7 features presented by the history OF
\ the black death was the cruel perSeCu
/ ton it aroused against the Jews. They
/ were supposed 10 have infected the ali
/ in some mysterious manner. and they
We're accused Of having poisoned tbt
/ wells and springs. In StraSsburG 200
Of them were buried alive in their owl
/ burial ground.
/ The order OF the FlagellantO arose
+ at this time. coming from the belief
/ that the sins of the world had ut las
/ brought down the wrath OF heaven. II
/ was the beginning Of the SO called
hundred years war that carried The
/ black death into England. where il
I London its victims numbered 100000
/ When at last the plague had worked
| its ravaSeS it doubled back over It's
( course 10 disappear in the east. Later
on il appeared again in England
lIrst among the soldiers Of Richmond
] 80 ~ NaAN AfsANN4N Va AfO> W "a III 1 AG4tl
and when the victorious army marched
10 London the plague went with them
- work its havoc there. As long rs il
lasted the mortality was as great rs
that caused by the black death half q
century before. Five thousand people
died in five weeks, and then the plague
left London aS suddenly aS IL had ap-
/ peared there TO sweep over the rest OF
/ England
In Scotland the plague of lots came
/ immediately after the battle of Lang.
side. when Queen Mary was dethr0n-
ed. but no records Of the mortality II
/ occasioned seem 10 have been pre-
served. The plague visited London in
/ 1910. This followed after the civil war
which ended with the death of Charles
H.. but So many years interviewed that
/ it IS impossible 70 trace any connection
/ between the two events In modern
/ wars danger from the plague seems
] gradually TO have lessened perhaps rs
, Il result OF better sanitary conditions
maintained 10y the armies OF today.
Respect at Last.
"Brieflcigh is. l think, one Of the