the black death and the dancing mania-第8节

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re　said　to　have　got　fewer　teeth　than　before；　at　which　contemporaries　were　mightily　shocked；　and　even　later　writers　have　felt　surprise。

If　we　examine　the　grounds　of　this　oft…repeated　assertion；　we　shall　find　that　they　were　astonished　to　see　children；　cut　twenty；　or　at　most；　twenty…two　teeth；　under　the　supposition　that　a　greater　number　had　formerly　fallen　to　their　share。　　Some　writers　of　authority；　as；　for　example；　the　physician　Savonarola；　at　Ferrara；　who　probably　looked　for　twenty…eight　teeth　in　children；　published　their　opinions　on　this　subject。　　Others　copied　from　them；　without　seeing　for　themselves；　as　often　happens　in　other　matters　which　are　equally　evident；　and　thus　the　world　believed　in　the　miracle　of　an　imperfection　in　the　human　body　which　had　been　caused　by　the　Black　Plague。

The　people　gradually　consoled　themselves　after　the　sufferings　which　they　had　undergone；　the　dead　were　lamented　and　forgotten；　and；　in　the　stirring　vicissitudes　of　existence；　the　world　belonged　to　the　living。



CHAPTER　VMORAL　EFFECTS



The　mental　shock　sustained　by　all　nations　during　the　prevalence　of　the　Black　Plague　is　without　parallel　and　beyond　description。　　In　the　eyes　of　the　timorous；　danger　was　the　certain　harbinger　of　death；　many　fell　victims　to　fear　on　the　first　appearance　of　the　distemper；　and　the　most　stout…hearted　lost　their　confidence。　Thus；　after　reliance　on　the　future　had　died　away；　the　spiritual　union　which　binds　man　to　his　family　and　his　fellow…creatures　was　gradually　dissolved。　　The　pious　closed　their　accounts　with　the　worldeternity　presented　itself　to　their　viewtheir　only　remaining　desire　was　for　a　participation　in　the　consolations　of　religion；　because　to　them　death　was　disarmed　of　its　sting。

Repentance　seized　the　transgressor；　admonishing　him　to　consecrate　his　remaining　hours　to　the　exercise　of　Christian　virtues。　　All　minds　were　directed　to　the　contemplation　of　futurity；　and　children；　who　manifest　the　more　elevated　feelings　of　the　soul　without　alloy；　were　frequently　seen；　while　labouring　under　the　plague；　breathing　out　their　spirit　with　prayer　and　songs　of　thanksgiving。

An　awful　sense　of　contrition　seized　Christians　of　every　communion；　they　resolved　to　forsake　their　vices；　to　make　restitution　for　past　offences；　before　they　were　summoned　hence；　to　seek　reconciliation　with　their　Maker；　and　to　avert；　by　self…chastisement；　the　punishment　due　to　their　former　sins。　　Human　nature　would　be　exalted；　could　the　countless　noble　actions　which；　in　times　of　most　imminent　danger；　were　performed　in　secret；　be　recorded　for　the　instruction　of　future　generations。　　They；　however；　have　no　influence　on　the　course　of　worldly　events。　　They　are　known　only　to　silent　eyewitnesses；　and　soon　fall　into　oblivion。　　But　hypocrisy；　illusion；　and　bigotry　stalk　abroad　undaunted；　they　desecrate　what　is　noble；　they　pervert　what　is　divine；　to　the　unholy　purposes　of　selfishness；　which　hurries　along　every　good　feeling　in　the　false　excitement　of　the　age。　　Thus　it　was　in　the　years　of　this　plague。　In　the　fourteenth　century；　the　monastic　system　was　still　in　its　full　vigour；　the　power　of　the　ecclesiastical　orders　and　brotherhoods　was　revered　by　the　people；　and　the　hierarchy　was　still　formidable　to　the　temporal　power。　　It　was　therefore　in　the　natural　constitution　of　society　that　bigoted　zeal；　which　in　such　times　makes　a　show　of　public　acts　of　penance；　should　avail　itself　of　the　semblance　of　religion。　　But　this　took　place　in　such　a　manner；　that　unbridled；　self…willed　penitence；　degenerated　into　lukewarmness；　renounced　obedience　to　the　hierarchy；　and　prepared　a　fearful　opposition　to　the　Church；　paralysed　as　it　was　by　antiquated　forms。

While　all　countries　were　filled　with　lamentations　and　woe；　there　first　arose　in　Hungary；　and　afterwards　in　Germany；　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Flagellants；　called　also　the　Brethren　of　the　Cross；　or　Cross…bearers；　who　took　upon　themselves　the　repentance　of　the　people　for　the　sins　they　had　committed；　and　offered　prayers　and　supplications　for　the　averting　of　this　plague。　　This　Order　consisted　chiefly　of　persons　of　the　lower　class；　who　were　either　actuated　by　sincere　contrition；　or　who　joyfully　availed　themselves　of　this　pretext　for　idleness；　and　were　hurried　along　with　the　tide　of　distracting　frenzy。　　But　as　these　brotherhoods　gained　in　repute；　and　were　welcomed　by　the　people　with　veneration　and　enthusiasm；　many　nobles　and　ecclesiastics　ranged　themselves　under　their　standard；　and　their　bands　were　not　unfrequently　augmented　by　children；　honourable　women；　and　nuns；　so　powerfully　were　minds　of　the　most　opposite　temperaments　enslaved　by　this　infatuation。　　They　marched　through　the　cities；　in　well…organised　processions；　with　leaders　and　singers；　their　heads　covered　as　far　as　the　eyes；　their　look　fixed　on　the　ground；　accompanied　by　every　token　of　the　deepest　contrition　and　mourning。　　They　were　robed　in　sombre　garments；　with　red　crosses　on　the　breast；　back；　and　cap；　and　bore　triple　scourges；　tied　in　three　or　four　knots；　in　which　points　of　iron　were　fixed。　　Tapers　and　magnificent　banners　of　velvet　and　cloth　of　gold　were　carried　before　them；　wherever　they　made　their　appearance；　they　were　welcomed　by　the　ringing　bells；　and　the　people　flocked　from　all　quarters　to　listen　to　their　hymns　and　to　witness　their　penance　with　devotion　and　tears。

In　the　year　1349；　two　hundred　Flagellants　first　entered　Strasburg；　where　they　were　received　with　great　joy；　and　hospitably　lodged　by　citizens。　　Above　a　thousand　joined　the　brotherhood；　which　now　assumed　the　appearance　of　a　wandering　tribe；　and　separated　into　two　bodies；　for　the　purpose　of　journeying　to　the　north　and　to　the　south。　　For　more　than　half　a　year；　new　parties　arrived　weekly；　and　on　each　arrival　adults　and　children　left　their　families　to　accompany　them；　till　at　length　their　sanctity　was　questioned；　and　the　doors　of　houses　and　churches　were　closed　against　them。　　At　Spires；　two　hundred　boys；　of　twelve　years　of　age　and　under；　constituted　themselves　into　a　Brotherhood　of　the　Cross；　in　imitation　of　the　children　who；　about　a　hundred　years　before；　had　united；　at　the　instigation　of　some　fanatic　monks；　for　the　purpose　of　recovering　the　Holy　Sepulchre。　　All　the　inhabitants　of　this　town　were　carried　away　by　the　illusion；　they　conducted　the　strangers　to　their　houses　with　songs　of　thanksgiving；　to　regale　them　for　the　night。　　The　women　embroidered　banners　for　them；　and　all　were　anxious　to　augment　their　pomp；　and　at　every　succeeding　pilgrimage　their　influence　and　reputation　increased。

It　was　not　merely　some　individual　parts　of　the　country　that　fostered　them：　　all　Germany；　Hungary；　Poland；　Bohemia；　Silesia；　and　Flanders；　did　homage　to　the　mania；　and　they　at　length　became　as　formidable　to　the　secular　as　they　were　to　the　ecclesiastical　power。　　The　influence　of　this　fanaticism　was　great　and　threatening；　resembling　the　excitement　which　called　all　the　inhabitants　of　Europe　into　the　deserts　of　Syria　and　Palestine　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　before。　　The　appearance　in　itself　was　not　novel。　　As　far　back　as　the　eleventh　century；　many　believers　in　Asia　and　Southern　Europe　afflicted　themselves　with　the　punishment　of　flagellation。　　Dominicus　Loricatus；　a　monk　of　St。　Croce　d'Avellano；　is　mentioned　as　the　master　and　model　of　this　species　of　mortification　of　the　flesh；　which；　according　to　the　primitive　notions　of　the　Asiatic　Anchorites；　was　deemed　eminently　Christian。　　The　author　of　the　solemn　processions　of　the　Flagellants　is　said　to　have　been　St。　Anthony；　for　even　in　his　time　（1231）　this　kind　of　penance　was　so　much　in　vogue；　that　it　is　recorded　as　an　eventful　circumstance　in　the　history　of　the　world。　In　1260；　the　Flagellants　appeared　in　Italy　as　Devoti。　　〃When　the　land　was　polluted　by　vices　and　crimes；　an　unexampled　spirit　of　remorse　suddenly　seized　the　minds　of　the　Italians。　　The　fear　of　Christ　fell　upon　all：　　noble　and　ignoble；　old　and　young；　and　even　children　of　five　years　of　age；　marched　through　the　streets　with　no　covering　but　a　scarf　round　the　waist。　　They　each　carried　a　scourge　of　leathern　thongs；　which　they　applied　to　their　limbs；　amid　sighs　and　tears；　with　such　violence　that　the　blood　flowed　from　the　wounds。　　Not　only　during　the　day；　but　even　by　night；　and　in　the　severest　winter；　they　traversed　the　cities　with　burning　torches　and　banners；　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands；　headed　by　their　priests；　and　prostrated　themselves　before　the　altars。　　They　proceeded　in　the　same　manner　in　the　villages：　　and　the　woods　and　mountains　resounded　with　the　voices　of　those　whose　cries　were　raised　to　God。　　The　melancholy　chaunt　of　the　penitent　alone　was　heard。　　Enemies　were　reconciled；　men　and　women　vied　with　each　other　in　splendid　works　of　charity；　as　if　they　dreaded　that　Divine　Omnipotence　would　pronounce　on　them　the　doom　of　annihilation。〃

The　pilgrimages　of　the　Flagellants　extended　throughout　all　the　province　of　Southern　Germany；　as　far　as　Saxony；　Bohemia；　and　Poland；　and　even　further；　but　at　length　the　priests　resisted　this　dangerous　fanaticism；　without　being　able　to　extirpate　the　illusion；　which　was　advantageous　to　the　hierarchy　as　long　as　it　submitted　to　its　sway。　　Regnier；　a　hermit　of　Perugia；　is　recorded　as　a　fanatic　preacher　of　penitence；　with　whom　the　extravagance　originated。　　In　the　year　1296　there　was　a　great　procession　of