the black death and the dancing mania-第11章

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　as　on　the　Jews；　the　usurers　and　the　strangers　who　lived　at　enmity　with　the　Christians？　　They　were　everywhere　suspected　of　having　poisoned　the　wells　or　infected　the　air。　　They　alone　were　considered　as　having　brought　this　fearful　mortality　upon　the　Christians。　　They　were；　in　consequence；　pursued　with　merciless　cruelty；　and　either　indiscriminately　given　up　to　the　fury　of　the　populace；　or　sentenced　by　sanguinary　tribunals；　which；　with　all　the　forms　of　the　law；　ordered　them　to　be　burnt　alive。　　In　times　like　these；　much　is　indeed　said　of　guilt　and　innocence；　but　hatred　and　revenge　bear　down　all　discrimination；　and　the　smallest　probability　magnifies　suspicion　into　certainty。　These　bloody　scenes；　which　disgraced　Europe　in　the　fourteenth　century；　are　a　counterpart　to　a　similar　mania　of　the　age；　which　was　manifested　in　the　persecutions　of　witches　and　sorcerers；　and；　like　these；　they　prove　that　enthusiasm；　associated　with　hatred；　and　leagued　with　the　baser　passions；　may　work　more　powerfully　upon　whole　nations　than　religion　and　legal　order；　nay；　that　it　even　knows　how　to　profit　by　the　authority　of　both；　in　order　the　more　surely　to　satiate　with　blood　the　sword　of　long…suppressed　revenge。

The　persecution　of　the　Jews　commenced　in　September　and　October；　1348；　at　Chillon；　on　the　Lake　of　Geneva；　where　the　first　criminal　proceedings　were　instituted　against　them；　after　they　had　long　before　been　accused　by　the　people　of　poisoning　the　wells；　similar　scenes　followed　in　Bern　and　Freyburg；　in　January；　1349。　　Under　the　influence　of　excruciating　suffering；　the　tortured　Jews　confessed　themselves　guilty　of　the　crime　imputed　to　them；　and　it　being　affirmed　that　poison　had　in　fact　been　found　in　a　well　at　Zoffingen；　this　was　deemed　a　sufficient　proof　to　convince　the　world；　and　the　persecution　of　the　abhorred　culprits　thus　appeared　justifiable。　　Now；　though　we　can　take　as　little　exception　at　these　proceedings　as　at　the　multifarious　confessions　of　witches；　because　the　interrogatories　of　the　fanatical　and　sanguinary　tribunals　were　so　complicated；　that　by　means　of　the　rack　the　required　answer　must　inevitably　be　obtained；　and　it　is；　besides；　conformable　to　human　nature　that　crimes　which　are　in　everybody's　mouth　may；　in　the　end；　be　actually　committed　by　some；　either　from　wantonness；　revenge；　or　desperate　exasperation：　　yet　crimes　and　accusations　are；　under　circumstances　like　these；　merely　the　offspring　of　a　revengeful；　frenzied　spirit　in　the　people；　and　the　accusers；　according　to　the　fundamental　principles　of　morality；　which　are　the　same　in　every　age；　are　the　more　guilty　transgressors。

Already　in　the　autumn　of　1348　a　dreadful　panic；　caused　by　this　supposed　empoisonment；　seized　all　nations；　in　Germany　especially　the　springs　and　wells　were　built　over；　that　nobody　might　drink　of　them　or　employ　their　contents　for　culinary　purposes；　and　for　a　long　time　the　inhabitants　of　numerous　towns　and　villages　used　only　river　and　rain　water。　　The　city　gates　were　also　guarded　with　the　greatest　caution：　　only　confidential　persons　were　admitted；　and　if　medicine　or　any　other　article；　which　might　be　supposed　to　be　poisonous；　was　found　in　the　possession　of　a　strangerand　it　was　natural　that　some　should　have　these　things　by　them　for　their　private　usethey　were　forced　to　swallow　a　portion　of　it。　　By　this　trying　state　of　privation；　distrust；　and　suspicion；　the　hatred　against　the　supposed　poisoners　became　greatly　increased；　and　often　broke　out　in　popular　commotions；　which　only　served　still　further　to　infuriate　the　wildest　passions。　　The　noble　and　the　mean　fearlessly　bound　themselves　by　an　oath　to　extirpate　the　Jews　by　fire　and　sword；　and　to　snatch　them　from　their　protectors；　of　whom　the　number　was　so　small；　that　throughout　all　Germany　but　few　places　can　be　mentioned　where　these　unfortunate　people　were　not　regarded　as　outlaws　and　martyred　and　burnt。　　Solemn　summonses　were　issued　from　Bern　to　the　towns　of　Basle；　Freyburg　in　the　Breisgau；　and　Strasburg；　to　pursue　the　Jews　as　poisoners。　　The　burgomasters　and　senators；　indeed；　opposed　this　requisition；　but　in　Basle　the　populace　obliged　them　to　bind　themselves　by　an　oath　to　burn　the　Jews；　and　to　forbid　persons　of　that　community　from　entering　their　city　for　the　space　of　two　hundred　years。　　Upon　this　all　the　Jews　in　Basle；　whose　number　could　not　have　been　inconsiderable；　were　enclosed　in　a　wooden　building；　constructed　for　the　purpose；　and　burnt　together　with　it；　upon　the　mere　outcry　of　the　people；　without　sentence　or　trial；　which；　indeed；　would　have　availed　them　nothing。　　Soon　after　the　same　thing　took　place　at　Freyburg。　　A　regular　Diet　was　held　at　Bennefeld；　in　Alsace；　where　the　bishops；　lords；　and　barons；　as　also　deputies　of　the　counties　and　towns；　consulted　how　they　should　proceed　with　regard　to　the　Jews；　and　when　the　deputies　of　Strasburgnot　indeed　the　bishop　of　this　town；　who　proved　himself　a　violent　fanaticspoke　in　favour　of　the　persecuted；　as　nothing　criminal　was　substantiated　against　them；　a　great　outcry　was　raised；　and　it　was　vehemently　asked；　why；　if　so；　they　had　covered　their　wells　and　removed　their　buckets。　　A　sanguinary　decree　was　resolved　upon；　of　which　the　populace；　who　obeyed　the　call　of　the　nobles　and　superior　clergy；　became　but　the　too　willing　executioners。　　Wherever　the　Jews　were　not　burnt；　they　were　at　least　banished；　and　so　being　compelled　to　wander　about；　they　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　country　people；　who；　without　humanity；　and　regardless　of　all　laws；　persecuted　them　with　fire　and　sword。　　At　Spires；　the　Jews；　driven　to　despair；　assembled　in　their　own　habitations；　which　they　set　on　fire；　and　thus　consumed　themselves　with　their　families。　　The　few　that　remained　were　forced　to　submit　to　baptism；　while　the　dead　bodies　of　the　murdered；　which　lay　about　the　streets；　were　put　into　empty　wine…casks　and　rolled　into　the　Rhine；　lest　they　should　infect　the　air。　　The　mob　was　forbidden　to　enter　the　ruins　of　the　habitations　that　were　burnt　in　the　Jewish　quarter；　for　the　senate　itself　caused　search　to　be　made　for　the　treasure；　which　is　said　to　have　been　very　considerable。　At　Strasburg　two　thousand　Jews　were　burnt　alive　in　their　own　burial…ground；　where　a　large　scaffold　had　been　erected：　　a　few　who　promised　to　embrace　Christianity　were　spared；　and　their　children　taken　from　the　pile。　　The　youth　and　beauty　of　several　females　also　excited　some　commiseration；　and　they　were　snatched　from　death　against　their　will；　many；　however；　who　forcibly　made　their　escape　from　the　flames　were　murdered　in　the　streets。

The　senate　ordered　all　pledges　and　bonds　to　be　returned　to　the　debtors；　and　divided　the　money　among　the　work…people。　　Many；　however；　refused　to　accept　the　base　price　of　blood；　and；　indignant　at　the　scenes　of　bloodthirsty　avarice；　which　made　the　infuriated　multitude　forget　that　the　plague　was　raging　around　them；　presented　it　to　monasteries；　in　conformity　with　the　advice　of　their　confessors。　　In　all　the　countries　on　the　Rhine；　these　cruelties　continued　to　be　perpetrated　during　the　succeeding　months；　and　after　quiet　was　in　some　degree　restored；　the　people　thought　to　render　an　acceptable　service　to　God；　by　taking　the　bricks　of　the　destroyed　dwellings；　and　the　tombstones　of　the　Jews；　to　repair　churches　and　to　erect　belfries。

In　Mayence　alone；　12；000　Jews　are　said　to　have　been　put　to　a　cruel　death。　　The　Flagellants　entered　that　place　in　August；　the　Jews；　on　this　occasion；　fell　out　with　the　Christians　and　killed　several；　but　when　they　saw　their　inability　to　withstand　the　increasing　superiority　of　their　enemies；　and　that　nothing　could　save　them　from　destruction；　they　consumed　themselves　and　their　families　by　setting　fire　to　their　dwellings。　　Thus　also；　in　other　places；　the　entry　of　the　Flagellants　gave　rise　to　scenes　of　slaughter；　and　as　thirst　for　blood　was　everywhere　combined　with　an　unbridled　spirit　of　proselytism；　a　fanatic　zeal　arose　among　the　Jews　to　perish　as　martyrs　to　their　ancient　religion。　　And　how　was　it　possible　that　they　could　from　the　heart　embrace　Christianity；　when　its　precepts　were　never　more　outrageously　violated？　　At　Eslingen　the　whole　Jewish　community　burned　themselves　in　their　synagogue；　and　mothers　were　often　seen　throwing　their　children　on　the　pile；　to　prevent　their　being　baptised；　and　then　precipitating　themselves　into　the　flames。