An historical account of the plague

Plagues of the 1300s

1315 – England was again visited with a great famine, so that horses and dogs were euten as common food, and in the prisons the distress was so particularly great, that new offenders as soon as they entered were devoured, and in some instances eaten half alive. The famine continued three years, and ended in so terrible a pestilence, that the living were scarcely able to bury the dead. The cattle .which fed upon the grass, which was said to be corrupted, died; this made their flesh suspected of being unwholesome, for which reason horseflesh was accounted a great delicacy.

1348 – There happened the most dreadful pestilence that ever was known; it was so universal, that there was neither city, town, or house, but what was invaded with it. It began in the kingdom of Kathay, in the year 1346, by an intolerable stench, that arose out of the earth, which extended and was felt above 600 miles through the country, and not only the trees were destroyed, but the very stones themselves did not escape: the air was infected to such a degree, that great numbers of small serpents and other insects fell down from it. From Kathay it took its progress through Asia into Greece, and from thence into Africa, and last of all into Europe, where it made terrible devastations, to the utmost extremity of the north. It reached Florence, which was then the most beautiful city in Italy, though all possible care wa« taken to prevent it, by cleansing it from all filth, forbidding infected persons to enter, and in a solemn manner beseeching the Almighty to avert the impending danger. About the beginning of the said year, it began to discover its dreadful effects ; according to Antoninus, bishop of Florence, the distemper carried off 60,000 people in that city; it seized children of both sexes, with swellings in the groin, or under the armpits, which increasing to the size of an apple, some greater, some less, and from thence they appeared indifferently in other parts of the body; afterwards they were affected with black or blue spots, on the arms, thighs, and other parts, of different sizes, and all these were certain signs of approaching death; for tlie physician’s art, and the virtue of medicines availed nothing. They generally died the third day after these signs appeared, and often without any fever or other accident. If the clothes or things belonging to the infected persons, happened to be touched by any animal, it was certain death; and I myself, (says Boccace,) beheld the clothe? of a poor man, who died of this disease, thrown into the street, which two hogs seized with their teeth, and after they had shaken them a little, they wheeled about once or twice and fell down doiul, as if they had been poisoned.

Schenckius informs us, that when this disease entered any place, for the first two months it was attended with a fever, difficulty of breathing, and spitting of blood. The difficulty of breathing was so great, that the patient was constantly obliged to keep himself in a sitting posture; and could scarcely swallow any thing either solid or liquid ; his cheeks were red and inflamed, and he was troubled with a violent cough, which produced a con- siderable quantity of blood; in three days time it terminated in death. After the expiration of two months, besides the foregoing symptoms, they began to have spots and abscesses, and some did not die till after the expiration of five days. :

In process of time, the fury of the disease began to abate, and the lungs ceased to be affected; but the morbific matter was thrown upon the groin, armpits, and behind the ears, and was not then so mortal.

This plague visited London in the beginning of November, in 1348, and continued till 1357. It made its first appearance in England, in the seaport towns of Dorsetshire, and destroyed almost all the inhabitants; from thence it passed into

Devonshire and Somersetshire, as far as Bristol, and although the inhabitants in Gloucestershire used every precaution, and cut off all communication, particularly with the city, yet it soon entered their capital, and extended the devastation to Oxford, London, &c., spreading itself all over England, and made such a dreadful havoc among the people, that scarcely one in ten of all ranks and degrees was left alive, and when the churchyards were not sufficient to receive the dead, there were certain fields appointed for that purpose. It was at this time,- that Walter Mayny, Lord of Mayny, born at Cambray, who served in the wars, with the Duke of Lancaster, bought a piece of ground, called Spittle Croft, without the bars of West- Smithfield, and caused it to be enclosed and consecrated for the burial of the dead; and in the year following, there were no less than 50,000 persons buried therein, as appears from authentic accounts. The same gentleman built a chapel on the said ground, in memory thereof, and afterwards converted it into a monastery 5 for monks of the Chartreux order, which is now vulgarly called the Charter-House.

1361 – There began another plague, called the second pestilence, in which Henry, Duke of Lancaster, died, as also Reginald Lord Cobham, Walter Fitz- warring, two eminent men, and the bishops of Worcester, London, Ely, Lincoln, and Chiches- ter. In France it raged seven or eight years at intervals. All sorts of persons, without destinction, were attacked both in town and country. There died of it this year, nine cardinals, and seventy prelates, at the Pope’s court, and more than 30,000 people in Paris.

1369 – This disease returned, and was called the third pestilence, of which among others died Blanch, Duchess of Lancaster.

1379 – There happened so great a mortality in the North of England, as never had been known before; which the Scotch taking the advantage of, ravaged those parts, and killed such as were »ick of the plague, and not able to defend themselves, and drove most that remained out of the conntry.

1390 – A contagious distemper began in the northern parts of the kingdom; and, in a short time, 1100 persona died in the city of York.

1391 – In July, this year, the sun appeared red through certain dusky clouds, and gave but little light from noon till sun-set. This continued much in the same manner for six weeks following, and at the same time there was a great mortality in Norfolk, occasioned by the plague, and in many other parts, insomuch that it resembled the great pestilence; and in the city of York, it was very fatal, 11,000 persons died.

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