induction00-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Taverne；　then　to　another；　living　without　any　rule　or　measure；　which

they　might　very　easily　doe；　because　every　one　of　them；　（as　if　he

were　to　live　no　longer　in　this　World）　had　even　forsaken　all　things

that　hee　had。　By　meanes　whereof；　the　most　part　of　the　houses　were

become　common；　and　all　strangers；　might　do　the　like　（if　they　pleased

to　adventure　it）　even　as　boldly　as　the　Lord　or　owner；　without　any

let　or　contradiction。

　　Yet　in　all　this　their　beastly　behaviour；　they　were　wise　enough；　to

shun　（so　much　as　they　might）　the　weake　and　sickly：　In　misery　and

affliction　of　our　City；　the　venerable　authority　of　the　Lawes；　as

well　divine　as　humane；　was　even　destroyed；　as　it　were；　through　want　of

the　lawfull　Ministers　of　them。　For　they　being　all　dead；　or　lying　sicke

with　the　rest；　or　else　lived　so　solitary；　in　such　great　necessity　of

servants　and　attendants；　as　they　could　not　execute　any　office；　whereby

it　was　lawfull　for　every　one　to　do　as　he　listed。

　　Betweene　these　two　rehearsed　extremities　of　life；　there　were　other

of　a　more　moderate　temper；　not　being　so　daintily　dieted　as　the

first；　nor　drinking　so　dissolutely　as　the　second；　but　used　all

things　sufficient　for　their　appetites；　and　without　shutting　up

themselves；　walked　abroad；　some　carrying　sweete　nosegayes　of　flowers

in　their　hands；　others　odoriferous　herbes；　and　others　divers　kinds

of　spiceries；　holding　them　to　their　noses；　and　thinking　them　most

comfortable　for　the　braine；　because　the　ayre　seemed　to　be　much

infected　by　the　noysome　smell　of　dead　carkases；　and　other　hurtfull

savours。　Some　other　there　were　also　of　more　inhumane　minde　（howbeit

peradventure　it　might　be　the　surest）　saying；　that　there　was　no

better　physicke　against　the　pestilence；　nor　yet　so　good；　as　to　flie

away　from　it；　which　argument　mainely　moving　them；　and　caring　for　no

body　but　themselves；　very　many；　both　men　and　women；　forsooke　the　City；

their　owne　houses；　their　Parents；　Kindred；　Friends；　and　Goods；

flying　to　other　mens　dwellings　else…where。　As　if　the　wrath　of　God；

in　punnishing　the　sinnes　of　men　with　this　plague；　would　fall　heavily

upon　none；　but　such　as　were　enclosed　within　the　City　wals；　or　else

perswading　themselves；　that　not　any　should　there　bee　left　alive；　but

that　the　finall　ending　of　all　things　was　come。

　　Now　albeit　these　persons　in　their　diversity　of　opinions　died　not

all；　so　undoubtedly　they　did　not　all　escape；　but　many　among　them

becomming　sicke；　and　making　a　generall　example　of　their　flight　and

folly；　among　them　that　could　not　stirre　out　of　their　beds；　they

languished　more　perplexedly　then　the　other　did。　Let　us　omit；　that

one　Citizen　fled　after　another；　and　one　neighbour　had　not　any　care

of　another；　Parents　nor　kinred　never　visiting　them；　but　utterly　they

were　forsaken　on　all　sides：　this　tribulation　pierced　into　the　hearts

of　men；　and　with　such　a　dreadfull　terrour；　that　one　Brother　forsooke

another；　the　Unkle　the　Nephew；　the　Sister　the　Brother；　and　the　Wife

her　Husband：　nay；　a　matter　much　greater；　and　almost　incredible；

Fathers　and　Mothers　fled　away　from　their　owne　Children；　even　as　if

they　had　no　way　appertained　to　them。　In　regard　whereof；　it　could　be　no

otherwise；　but　that　a　countlesse　multitude　of　men　and　women　fell

sicke；　finding　no　charity　among　their　friends；　except　a　very　few；

and　subject　to　the　avarice　of　servants；　who　attended　them

constrainedly；　（for　great　and　unreasonable　wages）　yet　few　of　those

attendants　to　be　found　any　where　too。　And　they　were　men　or　women　but

of　base　condition；　as　also　of　groser　understanding；　who　never　before

had　served　in　any　such　necessities；　nor　indeed　were　any　way　else　to　be

imployed；　but　to　give　the　sicke　person　such　things　as　hee　called

for；　or　to　awaite　the　houre　of　his　death；　in　the　performance　of

which　service；　oftentimes　for　gaine；　they　lost　their　owne　lives。

　　In　this　extreame　calamity；　the　sicke　being　thus　forsaken　of

neighbors；　kinred；　and　friends；　standing　also　in　such　need　of

servants；　a　custome　came　up　among　them；　never　heard　of　before；　that

there　was　not　any　woman；　how　noble；　young；　or　faire　soever　shee　was；

but　falling　sicke；　shee　must　of　necessity　have　a　man　to　attend　her；

were　hee　young　or　otherwise；　respect　of　shame　or　modesty　no　way

prevailing；　but　all　parts　of　her　body　must　be　discovered　to　him；　which

（in　the　like　urgency）　was　not　to　be　seene　by　any　but　women：　whereon

ensued　afterward；　that　upon　the　parties　healing　and　recovery；　it　was

the　occasion　of　further　dishonesty；　which　many　being　more　modestly

curious　of；　refused　such　disgracefull　attending；　chusing　rather　to

die；　then　by　such　helpe　to　bee　healed。　In　regard　whereof；　as　well

through　the　want　of　convenient　remedies；　（which　the　sicke　by　no　meanes

could　attaine　unto）　as　also　the　violence　of　the　contagion；　the

multitude　of　them　that　died　night　and　day；　was　so　great；　that　it　was　a

dreadfull　sight　to　behold；　and　as　much　to　heare　spoken　of。　So　that

meere　necessity　（among　them　that　remained　living）　begat　new

behaviours；　quite　contrary　to　all　which　had　beene　in　former　times；　and

frequently　used　among　the　City　Inhabitants。

　　The　custome　of　precedent　dayes　（as　now　againe　it　is）　was；　that

women；　kinred；　neighbours；　and　friends；　would　meete　together　at　the

deceased　parties　house；　and　there；　with　them　that　were　of　neerest

alliance；　expresse　their　hearts　sorrow　for　their　friends　losse。　If　not

thus；　they　would　assemble　before　the　doore；　with　many　of　the　best

Cittizens　and　kindred；　and　（according　to　the　quality　of　the

deceased）　the　Cleargy　met　there　likewise；　and　the　dead　body　was

carried　（in　comely　manner）　on　mens　shoulders；　with　funerall　pompe　of

Torch　light；　and　singing；　to　the　Church　appointed　by　the　deceased。　But

these　seemely　orders；　after　that　the　fury　of　the　pestilence　began　to

encrease；　they　in　like　manner　altogether　ceased；　and　other　new

customes　came　in　their　place；　because　not　onely　people　died；　without

having　any　women　about　them；　but　infinites　also　past　out　of　this　life；

not　having　any　witnesse；　how；　when；　or　in　what　manner　they　departed。

So　that　few　or　none　there　were；　to　deliver　outward　shew　of　sorrow

and　grieving：　but　insteed　thereof；　divers　declared　idle　joy　and

rejoycing；　a　use　soone　learned　of　immodest　women；　having　put　off　all

feminine　compassion；　yea；　or　regard　of　their　owne　welfare。

　　Very　few　also　would　accompany　the　body　to　the　grave；　and　they　not

any　of　the　Neighbours；　although　it　had　beene　an　honourable　Citizen；

but　onely　the　meanest　kinde　of　people；　such　as　were　grave…makers；

coffin…bearers；　or　the　like；　that　did　these　services　onely　for

money；　and　the　beere　being　mounted　on　their　shoulders；　in　all　hast

they　would　runne　away　with　it；　not　perhaps　to　the　Church　appointed

by　the　dead；　but　to　the　neerest　at　hand；　having　some　foure　or　sixe

poore　Priests　following；　with　lights　or　no　lights；　and　those　of　the

silliest；　short　service　being　said　at　the　buriall；　and　the　body

unreverently　throwne　into　the　first　open　grave　they　found。　Such　was

the　pittifull　misery　of　poore　people；　and　divers；　who　were　of　better

condition；　as　it　was　most　lamentable　to　behold；　because　the　greater

number　of　them；　under　hope　of　healing；　or　compelled　by　poverty；　kept

still　within　their　house　weake　and　faint；　thousands　falling　sicke

daily；　and　having　no　helpe；　or　being　succoured　any　way　with　foode　or

physicke；　all　of　them　died；　few　or　none　escaping。

　　Great　store　there　were；　that　died　in　the　streetes　by　day　or　night；

and　many　more　beside；　although　they　died　in　their　houses；　yet　first

they　made　it　knowne　to　their　neighbours；　that　their　lives　perished；

rather　by　the　noysome　smell　of　dead　and　putrified　bodies；　then　by

any　violence　of　the　disease　in　themselves。　So　that　of　these　and　the

rest；　dying　in　this　manner　every　where；　the　neighbours　observed　one

course　of　behaviour；　（moved　thereto　no　lesse　by　feare；　that　the

smell　and　corruption　of　dead　bodies　should　harme　them；　then　charitable

respect　of　the　dead）　that　themselves　when　they　could；　or　being

assisted　by　some　bearers　o