Religion homework readings response
Infectious Disease
The Plague . In 1348, bubonic plague (Black Death) passed into Europe via trade routes. The effects were devastating. Both
cities and countryside lost between one -third and one -half of the population . Dramatic demographic changes had lo ng -term
consequence s for Europe’s social situation as a diminished labor force became advantageous to workers and peasants.
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 -1375) was an Italian poet who se description of the plague, and the behaviors it evoked in people, is
chilli ng.
The year of our blessed Savior’s Incarnation, 1348, that memorable mortality happened in the excellent city, far be yond the rest
in Italy; which plague, by operation of superior bodies, or rather for our enormous iniquities, by just anger of God was sent
upon mortals. Some few years before, it took beginning in the eastern parts, sweeping thence an innum erable quantity of living
souls, extending itself afterward from place to place until it seized on the city, where neither human skill nor Providence could
use any prevention, besides prohibition of all the sickly persons ’ entrance, and all possi ble provision daily used for conservation
of such as were in health, with incessant prayers and supplications of devout people.
About the beginning of the year it also began in strange manner, as appeared by diverse effects; yet not as it had done in th e e ast
countries, where lord or lady, being touched, manifest signs of in evitable death followed bleeding at the nose. But here it began
with young children, male and female, under the armpits or in the groin, by certain swellings, in some to the bigness of a n
apple, in others like an egg, in which in their vulgar language they termed to be a botch or boil. In very short time after, those
infected parts were grew death -bearing , and would disperse to all parts of the body; after , it was a quality of the d isease to show
itself by black or blue spot, w hich would appear on the arms , thighs and every part of the body .
As the boil was an assured sign of approaching death, so proved the spots li kewise … it seemed that physician's counsel, virtue
of medicines, or any application could not yield any remedy… not only few were healed, but well -near all died within three days
after the signs were seen, some sooner, and others later — without either fever or any o ther accident.
And this pestilence was yet of far greater power or violence. For not only healthful persons speaking to the sick, coming to see
them, or airing clothes in kindness to comfort them, was an occasion of ensuing death; but touching their garmen ts or any food
whereon the sick person fed, or anything else used in his service, seemed to transfer dis ease fro m the sick to the heal thy. Among
which matte r of marvel, let me tell you , which if the eyes of many, as well as mine own, had not se en, hardly could I be
persuaded to wr ite it much less to believe it : the quality of this contagious pestilence extended further that clothes, or anything
else wherein one died of that disease, being touched or lain on by any beast, died very so on after.
Mine own eyes… had evident experience : some poor ragg ed clothes of linen and woolen [were] torn f rom a wretched body dead
and hurled in the open street ; two swine going by — acc ordin g to their natural inclination -seeking for food on every dunghill,
tossed and tumbled the clothes with their snouts, rubbing their heads upon them, and immediately, each turning twice or thrice ,
they both fell down dead on the clothes, as being fully infe cted with the contagion of them .
Some there were who considered with themselves that abstinence from all luxury would be a sufficient resistance against all
hurtful accidents; so combining themselves in a sociable manner, they lived as separatists from all other company, being shut up
in such houses where no sick body should be near them. And there, for their more security, they used delicate foods and
excellent wines, avoiding luxury and refusing speech to one another, not looking forth at the windows to hear any cries of dy ing
people, or see any corpses carried to burial; but, having musical instruments, lived there in all possible pleasure. Others were of
a contrary opinion, who avouched that there wa s no other physic more certain than to drink hard, be merry among themselves —
singing c ontinually, walking everywhere, and satisfying their appetites with whatsoever they desired, laughing and mocking at
every mournful accident; and so they vowed to spend day and night, for now they would go to one tavern, then to another,
living without any rule or measure, which they might very easily do, because every one of them — as if he were to live no longer
in this world — had even forsaken all things that he had. Yet in all this their beastly behavior they were wise enough to shun the
weak and sickly. I n misery and affliction of our city, the venerable authority of the laws, as well divine as human, was even
destroyed, as it were, through want of the lawful ministers of them. For they were all dead or lying sick , or else lived so solitary,
in such great neces sity of servants , as they could not execute any office; whereby it was lawful for everyone to do as he listed.
Between these two rehearsed extremities of life there were other of more moderate temper, not being so daintily dieted as the
first, no r drinking so dissolutely as the second; but used all things sufficient for their appetites, and without shutting up
themselves, walked abroad — some carrying sweet nosegays of flowers in their hands, others odoriferous herbs, and other divers
kinds of spice ries, holding them to their noses, and thinking them most comfortable for the brain, because the air seemed to be
much infected by the noisome smell of dead carcasses . Some other there were also of more inhuman mind, saying there was no
better physic again st the pestilence as to fly away from it; caring for nobody but themselves, very many, both men and women,
forsook the city, their own house, their parents, kindred, friends, and goods, flying to other dwellings.
Let it stand, that one citizen fled after another, and one neighbor had not any care of another; parents or kindred never visiting
them, but utterly they were forsaken on all sides. This tribulation pierced into the hearts of men, and with such a dreadful terror,
that one brother forsook another, the uncle 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 own children, even as if they had no way appertained to
them; in regard whereof it could be no otherwise but that a countless multitude of men and women fell sick, 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 a ttendants to be found anywhere too, and they were men or women but of base condition,
as also of grosser understanding, who never before had served in any such necessities, nor indeed were any way else to be
employed, but to give the sick person such thing s as he called for, or to await the hour of his death, in the performance of which
service, oftentimes for gain, they lost their own lives. In this extreme calamity, the sick being thus forsaken of neighbors ,
kindred, and friends, standing also i n such need of servants, a custom came up among them, never heard before, that there was
not any woman, how noble, young, or fair she was, but, falling sick, she must of necessity have a man to attend her, were he
young or otherwise; whereon ensued afterwa rd, that upon the party's healing and recovery, it was occasion of further dishonesty,
while many, being more modestly curious of, refused such disgraceful attending, choosing rather to die than by such help to b e
healed. In regard whereof, as well through the want of convenient remedies (which the sick by no means could attain unto), as
also the violence of the contagion, the multitude of them that died night and day was so great, that it was a dreadful sight to
behold, and as much to hear spoken of. So th at mere necessity (among them that remained living) begat new behaviors , quite
contrary to all which had been in former times, and frequently used among city inhabitants. The custom
of the presen t days was that wome n, kindred, neighbors , and friends would meet together at the deceased party's house, and
there, with them that were of nearest alliance, express their hearts' sorrow for their friend's loss. If not thus, they would assemble
before the door, with many of t he citizens and kindred, and, according to the quality of the deceased, the clergy met there
likewise, and the dead body was carried in comely manner on men's shoulders, with funeral pomp of torchlight and singing, to
the church appointed by the deceased. But these seemly orders, after the fury of the pestilence began to increase, they in like
manner altogether ceased, and other new customs came in their place, because not only people died without having any women
about them, but multitudes also passed out of this life not having any witness how, when, or in what manner they departed. Very
few also would accompany the body to the grave, and they not any of the neighbours, although it had been an honourable
citizen, but only the meanest kind of people, such a s were gravemakers, coffin -bearers, or the like, that did these services only
for money; and the bier being mounted on their shoulders, in all haste they would run away with it, not perhaps to the church
appointed by the dead, but to the nearest at hand, h aving four or six poor priests following, with lights or no lights, and those of
the simplest; short service being said at the burial and the body irreverently thrown in the first open grave they found. Great
store there were that died in the streets, by day or night, and many more besides, although they died in their houses; yet first
they made it known to their neighbours that their lives perished rather by the noisome smell of the dead and putrefied bodies ,
than by any violence of the disease in them selves. So that of these and the rest, dying in this manner everywhere, the neighbours
observed one course of behaviour (moved thereto no less by fear that the smell and corruption of dead bodies should harm
them, than charitable respect of the dead), that themselves when they could, or being assisted by some bearers of corpses, when
they were able to procure them, would hale the dead bodies out of their houses, laying them before their doors, where such as
passed by in the mornings, might see them lying in no mean numbers. Afterward, biers were brought, and have been observed
not only to be charged with two or three dead bodies at once, but many times it was seen the wife with the husband, two or three
brethren together, have thus been carried to the grave upon one bier. Moreover, oftentimes it hath been seen that when two
priests went with one cross to fetch the body, there would follow behind three or four bearers with their biers, and when the
priest intended the burial but of one body, six or eig ht more have made up the advantage, and yet none of them being attended
by any seemly company, lights, tears, or the very least decency; but it plainly appeared that the very like account was then made
of men or women as if they had been dogs or swine. Whe rein might manifestly be noted, that what the natural course of things
could not show to the wise with few and small losses — to wit, the patient support of miseries and misfortunes, even in their
greatest height — not only the wise might now learn, but also the very simplest people, and in such sort that they should always
be prepared against all infelicities whatsoever. Hallowed ground could not now suffice for the great multitude of dead bodies
which were daily brought to every church in the cit y, and every hour in the day. Neither could the bodies have proper places of
burial, according to our ancient custom; wherefore after that the churches and churchyards
were filled, they were constrained to make use of great deep ditches, wherein they were
buried by hundreds at once, ranking dead bodies along in graves, as merchandises are laid
along in ships, covering each after other with a small quantity of earth; and so they filled
up at last the whole ditch to the brim.
Source: Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio: including forty of
its hundred novels, trans. Henry Morley (London: G. Routledge and Sons, 1886), 10 -14.
Te xt modified by Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen
In another take on life and death, in the image below a skeleton accompanies an elderly
woman. Beneath her feet reads “Death is better than Life.” If you were a medieval elderly
woman in a society that things that elderly women were gross and possibly wicked and
definitely useless, then that sentiment might be true.