the black death and the dancing mania-第16节

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　swathing　was　resorted　to　on　account　of　the　tympany　which　followed　these　spasmodic　ravings；　but　the　bystanders　frequently　relieved　patients　in　a　less　artificial　manner；　by　thumping　and　trampling　upon　the　parts　affected。　　While　dancing　they　neither　saw　nor　heard；　being　insensible　to　external　impressions　through　the　senses；　but　were　haunted　by　visions；　their　fancies　conjuring　up　spirits　whose　names　they　shrieked　out；　and　some　of　them　afterwards　asserted　that　they　felt　as　if　they　had　been　immersed　in　a　stream　of　blood；　which　obliged　them　to　leap　so　high。　　Others；　during　the　paroxysm；　saw　the　heavens　open　and　the　Saviour　enthroned　with　the　Virgin　Mary；　according　as　the　religious　notions　of　the　age　were　strangely　and　variously　reflected　in　their　imaginations。

Where　the　disease　was　completely　developed；　the　attack　commenced　with　epileptic　convulsions。　　Those　affected　fell　to　the　ground　senseless；　panting　and　labouring　for　breath。　　They　foamed　at　the　mouth；　and　suddenly　springing　up　began　their　dance　amidst　strange　contortions。　　Yet　the　malady　doubtless　made　its　appearance　very　variously；　and　was　modified　by　temporary　or　local　circumstances；　whereof　non…medical　contemporaries　but　imperfectly　noted　the　essential　particulars；　accustomed　as　they　were　to　confound　their　observation　of　natural　events　with　their　notions　of　the　world　of　spirits。

It　was　but　a　few　months　ere　this　demoniacal　disease　had　spread　from　Aix…la…Chapelle；　where　it　appeared　in　July；　over　the　neighbouring　Netherlands。　　In　Liege；　Utrecht；　Tongres；　and　many　other　towns　of　Belgium；　the　dancers　appeared　with　garlands　in　their　hair；　and　their　waists　girt　with　cloths；　that　they　might；　as　soon　as　the　paroxysm　was　over；　receive　immediate　relief　on　the　attack　of　the　tympany。　　This　bandage　was；　by　the　insertion　of　a　stick；　easily　twisted　tight：　　many；　however；　obtained　more　relief　from　kicks　and　blows；　which　they　found　numbers　of　persons　ready　to　administer：　　for；　wherever　the　dancers　appeared；　the　people　assembled　in　crowds　to　gratify　their　curiosity　with　the　frightful　spectacle。　　At　length　the　increasing　number　of　the　affected　excited　no　less　anxiety　than　the　attention　that　was　paid　to　them。　In　towns　and　villages　they　took　possession　of　the　religious　houses；　processions　were　everywhere　instituted　on　their　account；　and　masses　were　said　and　hymns　were　sung；　while　the　disease　itself；　of　the　demoniacal　origin　of　which　no　one　entertained　the　least　doubt；　excited　everywhere　astonishment　and　horror。　　In　Liege　the　priests　had　recourse　to　exorcisms；　and　endeavoured　by　every　means　in　their　power　to　allay　an　evil　which　threatened　so　much　danger　to　themselves；　for　the　possessed　assembling　in　multitudes；　frequently　poured　forth　imprecations　against　them；　and　menaced　their　destruction。　　They　intimidated　the　people　also　to　such　a　degree　that　there　was　an　express　ordinance　issued　that　no　one　should　make　any　but　square…toed　shoes；　because　these　fanatics　had　manifested　a　morbid　dislike　to　the　pointed　shoes　which　had　come　into　fashion　immediately　after　the　〃Great　Mortality〃　in　1350。　They　were　still　more　irritated　at　the　sight　of　red　colours；　the　influence　of　which　on　the　disordered　nerves　might　lead　us　to　imagine　an　extraordinary　accordance　between　this　spasmodic　malady　and　the　condition　of　infuriated　animals；　but　in　the　St。　John's　dancers　this　excitement　was　probably　connected　with　apparitions　consequent　upon　their　convulsions。　　There　were　likewise　some　of　them　who　were　unable　to　endure　the　sight　of　persons　weeping。　　The　clergy　seemed　to　become　daily　more　and　more　confirmed　in　their　belief　that　those　who　were　affected　were　a　kind　of　sectarians；　and　on　this　account　they　hastened　their　exorcisms　as　much　as　possible；　in　order　that　the　evil　might　not　spread　amongst　the　higher　classes；　for　hitherto　scarcely　any　but　the　poor　had　been　attacked；　and　the　few　people　of　respectability　among　the　laity　and　clergy　who　were　to　be　found　among　them；　were　persons　whose　natural　frivolity　was　unable　to　withstand　the　excitement　of　novelty；　even　though　it　proceeded　from　a　demoniacal　influence。　　Some　of　the　affected　had　indeed　themselves　declared；　when　under　the　influence　of　priestly　forms　of　exorcism；　that　if　the　demons　had　been　allowed　only　a　few　weeks'　more　time；　they　would　have　entered　the　bodies　of　the　nobility　and　princes；　and　through　these　have　destroyed　the　clergy。　　Assertions　of　this　sort；　which　those　possessed　uttered　whilst　in　a　state　which　may　be　compared　with　that　of　magnetic　sleep；　obtained　general　belief；　and　passed　from　mouth　to　mouth　with　wonderful　additions。　　The　priesthood　were；　on　this　account；　so　much　the　more　zealous　in　their　endeavours　to　anticipate　every　dangerous　excitement　of　the　people；　as　if　the　existing　order　of　things　could　have　been　seriously　threatened　by　such　incoherent　ravings。　　Their　exertions　were　effectual；　for　exorcism　was　a　powerful　remedy　in　the　fourteenth　century；　or　it　might　perhaps　be　that　this　wild　infatuation　terminated　in　consequence　of　the　exhaustion　which　naturally　ensued　from　it；　at　all　events；　in　the　course　of　ten　or　eleven　months　the　St。　John's　dancers　were　no　longer　to　be　found　in　any　of　the　cities　of　Belgium。　　The　evil；　however；　was　too　deeply　rooted　to　give　way　altogether　to　such　feeble　attacks。

A　few　months　after　this　dancing　malady　had　made　its　appearance　at　Aix…la…Chapelle；　it　broke　out　at　Cologne；　where　the　number　of　those　possessed　amounted　to　more　than　five　hundred；　and　about　the　same　time　at　Metz；　the　streets　of　which　place　are　said　to　have　been　filled　with　eleven　hundred　dancers。　　Peasants　left　their　ploughs；　mechanics　their　workshops；　housewives　their　domestic　duties；　to　join　the　wild　revels；　and　this　rich　commercial　city　became　the　scene　of　the　most　ruinous　disorder。　　Secret　desires　were　excited；　and　but　too　often　found　opportunities　for　wild　enjoyment；　and　numerous　beggars；　stimulated　by　vice　and　misery；　availed　themselves　of　this　new　complaint　to　gain　a　temporary　livelihood。　　Girls　and　boys　quitted　their　parents；　and　servants　their　masters；　to　amuse　themselves　at　the　dances　of　those　possessed；　and　greedily　imbibed　the　poison　of　mental　infection。　Above　a　hundred　unmarried　women　were　seen　raving　about　in　consecrated　and　unconsecrated　places；　and　the　consequences　were　soon　perceived。　　Gangs　of　idle　vagabonds；　who　understood　how　to　imitate　to　the　life　the　gestures　and　convulsions　of　those　really　affected；　roved　from　place　to　place　seeking　maintenance　and　adventures；　and　thus；　wherever　they　went；　spreading　this　disgusting　spasmodic　disease　like　a　plague；　for　in　maladies　of　this　kind　the　susceptible　are　infected　as　easily　by　the　appearance　as　by　the　reality。　　At　last　it　was　found　necessary　to　drive　away　these　mischievous　guests；　who　were　equally　inaccessible　to　the　exorcisms　of　the　priests　and　the　remedies　of　the　physicians。　　It　was　not；　however；　until　after　four　months　that　the　Rhenish　cities　were　able　to　suppress　these　impostures；　which　had　so　alarmingly　increased　the　original　evil。　　In　the　meantime；　when　once　called　into　existence；　the　plague　crept　on；　and　found　abundant　food　in　the　tone　of　thought　which　prevailed　in　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；　and　even；　though　in　a　minor　degree；　throughout　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth；　causing　a　permanent　disorder　of　the　mind；　and　exhibiting　in　those　cities　to　whose　inhabitants　it　was　a　novelty；　scenes　as　strange　as　they　were　detestable。


SECT。　2ST。　VITUS'S　DANCE


Strasburg　was　visited　by　the　〃Dancing　Plague〃　in　the　year　1418；　and　the　same　infatuation　existed　among　the　people　there；　as　in　the　towns　of　Belgium　and　the　Lower　Rhine。　　Many　who　were　seized　at　the　sight　of　those　affected；　excited　attention　at　first　by　their　confused　and　absurd　behaviour；　and　then　by　their　constantly　following　swarms　of　dancers。　　These　were　seen　day　and　night　passing　through　the　streets；　accompanied　by　musicians　playing　on　bagpipes；　and　by　innumerable　spectators　attracted　by　curiosity；　to　which　were　added　anxious　parents　and　relations；　who　came　to　look　after　those　among　the　misguided　multitude　who　belonged　to　their　respective　families。　　Imposture　and　profligacy　played　their　part　in　this　city　also；　but　the　morbid　delusion　itself　seems　to　have　predominated。　　On　this　account　religion　could　only　bring　provisional　aid；　and　therefore　the　town　council　benevolently　took　an　interest　in　the　afflicted。　　They　divided　them　into　separate　parties；　to　each　of　which　they　appointed　responsible　superintendents　to　protect　them　from　harm；　and　perhaps　also　to　restrain　their　turbulence。　　They　were　thus　conducted　on　foot　and　in　carriages　to　the　chapels　of　St。　Vitus；　near　Zabern　and　Rotestein；　where　priests　were　in　attendance　to　work　upon　their　misguided　minds　by　masses　and　other　religious　ceremonies。　　After　divine　worship　was　completed；　they　were　led　in　solemn　procession　to　the　altar；　where　they　made　some　small　offering　of　alms；　and　where　it　is　probable　that　many　were；　through　the　influence　of　devotion　and　the　sanctity　of　the　place；　cured　of　this　lamentable　aberration。　　It　is　worthy　of　observation；　at　all　events；　that　the　Dancing　Mania　did　not　recommence　at　the　altars　of　the　saint；　and　that　from　him　alone　assistance　was　implored；　and　through　his　miraculous　interposition　a　cure　was　expected；　which　was　beyond　the　reach　of　human　skill。　　The　personal　hist