the black death and the dancing mania-第10章

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　penitence；　with　whom　the　extravagance　originated。　　In　the　year　1296　there　was　a　great　procession　of　the　Flagellants　in　Strasburg；　and　in　1334；　fourteen　years　before　the　Great　Mortality；　the　sermon　of　Venturinus；　a　Dominican　friar　of　Bergamo；　induced　above　10；000　persons　to　undertake　a　new　pilgrimage。　　They　scourged　themselves　in　the　churches；　and　were　entertained　in　the　market…places　at　the　public　expense。　　At　Rome；　Venturinus　was　derided；　and　banished　by　the　Pope　to　the　mountains　of　Ricondona。　　He　patiently　endured　allwent　to　the　Holy　Land；　and　died　at　Smyrna；　1346。　　Hence　we　see　that　this　fanaticism　was　a　mania　of　the　middle　ages；　which；　in　the　year　1349；　on　so　fearful　an　occasion；　and　while　still　so　fresh　in　remembrance；　needed　no　new　founder；　of　whom；　indeed；　all　the　records　are　silent。　　It　probably　arose　in　many　places　at　the　same　time；　for　the　terror　of　death；　which　pervaded　all　nations　and　suddenly　set　such　powerful　impulses　in　motion；　might　easily　conjure　up　the　fanaticism　of　exaggerated　and　overpowering　repentance。

The　manner　and　proceedings　of　the　Flagellants　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries　exactly　resemble　each　other。　　But；　if　during　the　Black　Plague；　simple　credulity　came　to　their　aid；　which　seized；　as　a　consolation；　the　grossest　delusion　of　religious　enthusiasm；　yet　it　is　evident　that　the　leaders　must　have　been　intimately　united；　and　have　exercised　the　power　of　a　secret　association。　　Besides；　the　rude　band　was　generally　under　the　control　of　men　of　learning；　some　of　whom　at　least　certainly　had　other　objects　in　view　independent　of　those　which　ostensibly　appeared。　　Whoever　was　desirous　of　joining　the　brotherhood；　was　bound　to　remain　in　it　thirty…four　days；　and　to　have　fourpence　per　day　at　his　own　disposal；　so　that　he　might　not　be　burthensome　to　any　one；　if　married；　he　was　obliged　to　have　the　sanction　of　his　wife；　and　give　the　assurance　that　he　was　reconciled　to　all　men。　The　Brothers　of　the　Cross　were　not　permitted　to　seek　for　free　quarters；　or　even　to　enter　a　house　without　having　been　invited；　they　were　forbidden　to　converse　with　females；　and　if　they　transgressed　these　rules；　or　acted　without　discretion；　they　were　obliged　to　confess　to　the　Superior；　who　sentenced　them　to　several　lashes　of　the　scourge；　by　way　of　penance。　　Ecclesiastics　had　not；　as　such；　any　pre…eminence　among　them；　according　to　their　original　law；　which；　however；　was　often　transgressed；　they　could　not　become　Masters；　or　take　part　in　the　Secret　Councils。　　Penance　was　performed　twice　every　day：　　in　the　morning　and　evening　they　went　abroad　in　pairs；　singing　psalms　amid　the　ringing　of　the　bells；　and　when　they　arrived　at　the　place　of　flagellation；　they　stripped　the　upper　part　of　their　bodies　and　put　off　their　shoes；　keeping　on　only　a　linen　dress；　reaching　from　the　waist　to　the　ankles。　　They　then　lay　down　in　a　large　circle；　in　different　positions；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　crime：　　the　adulterer　with　his　face　to　the　ground；　the　perjurer　on　one　side；　holding　up　three　of　his　fingers；　&c。；　and　were　then　castigated；　some　more　and　some　less；　by　the　Master；　who　ordered　them　to　rise　in　the　words　of　a　prescribed　form。　　Upon　this　they　scourged　themselves；　amid　the　singing　of　psalms　and　loud　supplications　for　the　averting　of　the　plague；　with　genuflexions　and　other　ceremonies；　of　which　contemporary　writers　give　various　accounts；　and　at　the　same　time　constantly　boasted　of　their　penance；　that　the　blood　of　their　wounds　was　mingled　with　that　of　the　Saviour。　　One　of　them；　in　conclusion；　stoop　up　to　read　a　letter；　which　it　was　pretended　an　angel　had　brought　from　heaven　to　St。　Peter's　Church；　at　Jerusalem；　stating　that　Christ；　who　was　sore　displeased　at　the　sins　of　man；　had　granted；　at　the　intercession　of　the　Holy　Virgin　and　of　the　angels；　that　all　who　should　wander　about　for　thirty…four　days　and　scourge　themselves；　should　be　partakers　of　the　Divine　grace。　　This　scene　caused　as　great　a　commotion　among　the　believers　as　the　finding　of　the　holy　spear　once　did　at　Antioch；　and　if　any　among　the　clergy　inquired　who　had　sealed　the　letter；　he　was　boldly　answered；　the　same　who　had　sealed　the　Gospel！

All　this　had　so　powerful　an　effect；　that　the　Church　was　in　considerable　danger；　for　the　Flagellants　gained　more　credit　than　the　priests；　from　whom　they　so　entirely　withdrew　themselves；　that　they　even　absolved　each　other。　　Besides；　they　everywhere　took　possession　of　the　churches；　and　their　new　songs；　which　went　from　mouth　to　mouth；　operated　strongly　on　the　minds　of　the　people。　Great　enthusiasm　and　originally　pious　feelings　are　clearly　distinguishable　in　these　hymns；　and　especially　in　the　chief　psalm　of　the　Cross…bearers；　which　is　still　extant；　and　which　was　sung　all　over　Germany　in　different　dialects；　and　is　probably　of　a　more　ancient　date。　　Degeneracy；　however；　soon　crept　in；　crimes　were　everywhere　committed；　and　there　was　no　energetic　man　capable　of　directing　the　individual　excitement　to　purer　objects；　even　had　an　effectual　resistance　to　the　tottering　Church　been　at　that　early　period　seasonable；　and　had　it　been　possible　to　restrain　the　fanaticism。　　The　Flagellants　sometimes　undertook　to　make　trial　of　their　power　of　working　miracles；　as　in　Strasburg；　where　they　attempted；　in　their　own　circle；　to　resuscitate　a　dead　child：　they；　however；　failed；　and　their　unskilfulness　did　them　much　harm；　though　they　succeeded　here　and　there　in　maintaining　some　confidence　in　their　holy　calling；　by　pretending　to　have　the　power　of　casting　out　evil　spirits。

The　Brotherhood　of　the　Cross　announced　that　the　pilgrimage　of　the　Flagellants　was　to　continue　for　a　space　of　thirty…four　years；　and　many　of　the　Masters　had　doubtless　determined　to　form　a　lasting　league　against　the　Church；　but　they　had　gone　too　far。　　So　early　as　the　first　year　of　their　establishment；　the　general　indignation　set　bounds　to　their　intrigues：　　so　that　the　strict　measures　adopted　by　the　Emperor　Charles　IV。；　and　Pope　Clement；　who；　throughout　the　whole　of　this　fearful　period；　manifested　prudence　and　noble…　mindedness；　and　conducted　himself　in　a　manner　every　way　worthy　of　his　high　station；　were　easily　put　into　execution。

The　Sorbonne；　at　Paris；　and　the　Emperor　Charles；　had　already　applied　to　the　Holy　See　for　assistance　against　these　formidable　and　heretical　excesses；　which　had　well…nigh　destroyed　the　influence　of　the　clergy　in　every　place；　when　a　hundred　of　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Cross　arrived　at　Avignon　from　Basle；　and　desired　admission。　　The　Pope；　regardless　of　the　intercession　of　several　cardinals；　interdicted　their　public　penance；　which　he　had　not　authorised；　and；　on　pain　of　excommunication；　prohibited　throughout　Christendom　the　continuance　of　these　pilgrimages。　Philip　VI。；　supported　by　the　condemnatory　judgment　of　the　Sorbonne；　forbade　their　reception　in　France。　　Manfred；　King　of　Sicily；　at　the　same　time　threatened　them　with　punishment　by　death；　and　in　the　East　they　were　withstood　by　several　bishops；　among　whom　was　Janussius；　of　Gnesen；　and　Preczlaw；　of　Breslau；　who　condemned　to　death　one　of　their　Masters；　formerly　a　deacon；　and；　in　conformity　with　the　barbarity　of　the　times；　had　him　publicly　burnt。　　In　Westphalia；　where　so　shortly　before　they　had　venerated　the　Brothers　of　the　Cross；　they　now　persecuted　them　with　relentless　severity；　and　in　the　Mark；　as　well　as　in　all　the　other　countries　of　Germany；　they　pursued　them　as　if　they　had　been　the　authors　of　every　misfortune。

The　processions　of　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Cross　undoubtedly　promoted　the　spreading　of　the　plague；　and　it　is　evident　that　the　gloomy　fanaticism　which　gave　rise　to　them　would　infuse　a　new　poison　into　the　already　desponding　minds　of　the　people。

Still；　however；　all　this　was　within　the　bounds　of　barbarous　enthusiasm；　but　horrible　were　the　persecutions　of　the　Jews；　which　were　committed　in　most　countries；　with　even　greater　exasperation　than　in　the　twelfth　century；　during　the　first　Crusades。　　In　every　destructive　pestilence　the　common　people　at　first　attribute　the　mortality　to　poison。　　No　instruction　avails；　the　supposed　testimony　of　their　eyesight　is　to　them　a　proof；　and　they　authoritatively　demand　the　victims　of　their　rage。　　On　whom；　then；　was　it　so　likely　to　fall　as　on　the　Jews；　the　usurers　and　the　strangers　who　lived　at　enmity　with　the　Christians？　　They　were　e