10.

7AMostTerriblePlague:GiovanniBoccaccio

GiovanniBoccaccioisbestknownasahumanistoftheItalianRenaissance.Thefollowingexcerpt
isfromhismostfamouswork,TheDecameron.Writtenduringtheplagueyearsbetween1348and
1353,itisacollectionofstoriestoldintimatelybetweenfriendswhiletheypassedthetimeaway
fromFlorenceinthesolitudeandsafetyofthecountry.Itbeginswithadetaileddescriptionofthe
pestilence.OvertwothirdsofthepopulationofFlorencediedoftheplague.

Source:AMostTerriblePlagueisfromGiovanniBoccaccio,TheDecameron,inStoriesofBoccaccio,trans.John
Payne(London:BibliophilistLibrary,1903),pp.16.

GIOVANNIBOCCACCIO

IntheyearthenofourLord1348,therehappenedatFlorence,thefinestcityinallItaly,amostterrible
plaguewhich,whetherowingtotheinfluenceoftheplanets,orthatitwassentfromGodasajust
punishmentforoursins,hadbrokenoutsomeyearsbeforeintheLevant,andafterpassingfromplaceto
place,andmakingincrediblehavocalltheway,hadnowreachedthewest.There,inspiteofallthemeans
thatartandhumanforesightcouldsuggest,suchaskeepingthecityclearfromfilth,theexclusionofall
suspectedpersons,andthepublicationofcopiousinstructionsforthepreservationofhealthand
notwithstandingmanifoldsupplicationsofferedtoGodinprocessionsandotherwise,itbegantoshowitself
inthespringoftheaforesaidyear,inasadandwonderfulmanner.Unlikewhathadbeenseenintheeast,
wherebleedingfromthenoseisthefatalprognostic,herethereappearedcertaintumoursinthegroinor
underthearmpits,someasbigasasmallapple,othersasaneggandafterwardspurplespotsinmost
partsofthebodyinsomecaseslargeandbutfewinnumber,inotherssmallerandmorenumerousboth
sortstheusualmessengersofdeath.Tothecureofthismalady,neithermedicalknowledgenorthepower
ofdrugswasofanyeffectwhetherbecausethediseasewasinitsownnaturemortal,orthatthephysicians
(thenumberofwhom,takingquacksandwomenpretendersintotheaccount,wasgrownverygreat)could
formnojustideaofthecause,norconsequentlydeviseatruemethodofcurewhicheverwasthereason,
fewescapedbutnearlyalldiedthethirddayfromthefirstappearanceofthesymptoms,somesooner,
somelater,withoutanyfeveroraccessorysymptoms.Whatgavethemorevirulencetothisplague,was
that,bybeingcommunicatedfromthesicktothehealthy,itspreaddaily,likefirewhenitcomesincontact
withlargemassesofcombustibles.Norwasitcaughtonlybyconversingwith,orcomingnearthesick,but
evenbytouchingtheirclothes,oranythingthattheyhadbeforetouched....

Thesefacts,andothersofthelikesort,occasionedvariousfearsanddevicesamongstthosewhosurvived,
alltendingtothesameuncharitableandcruelendwhichwas,toavoidthesick,andeverythingthathad
beennearthem,expectingbythatmeanstosavethemselves.Andsomeholdingitbesttolive
temperately,andtoavoidexcessesofallkinds,madeparties,andshutthemselvesupfromtherestofthe
worldeatinganddrinkingmoderatelyofthebest,anddivertingthemselveswithmusic,andsuchother
entertainmentsastheymighthavewithindoorsneverlisteningtoanythingfromwithout,tomakethem
uneasy.Othersmaintainedfreelivingtobeabetterpreservative,andwouldbaulknopassionorappetite
theywishedtogratify,drinkingandrevellingincessantlyfromtaverntotavern,orinprivatehouses(which
werefrequentlyfounddesertedbytheowners,andthereforecommontoeveryone),yetstrenuously

avoiding,withallthisbrutalindulgence,tocomeneartheinfected.Andsuch,atthattime,wasthepublic
distress,thatthelaws,humananddivine,werenomoreregardedfortheofficers,toputtheminforce,
beingeitherdead,sick,orinwantofpersonstoassistthem,everyonedidjustashepleased.Athirdsortof
peoplechoseamethodbetweenthesetwo:notconfiningthemselvestorulesofdietliketheformer,andyet
avoidingtheintemperanceofthelatterbuteatinganddrinkingwhattheirappetitesrequired,theywalked
everywherewith[fragrancesandnosecoverings],forthewholeatmosphereseemedtothemtaintedwith
thestenchofdeadbodies,arisingpartlyfromthedistemperitself,andpartlyfromthefermentingofthe
medicineswithinthem.Otherswithlesshumanity,but...withmoresecurityfromdanger,decidedthatthe
onlyremedyforthepestilencewastoavoidit:persuaded,therefore,ofthis,andtakingcareforthemselves
only,menandwomeningreatnumbersleftthecity,theirhouses,relations,andeffects,andfledintothe
countryasifthewrathofGodhadbeenrestrainedtovisitthoseonlywithinthewallsofthecity....

Ipassoverthelittleregardthatcitizensandrelationsshowedtoeachotherfortheirterrorwassuch,thata
brotherevenfledfromhisbrother,awifefromherhusband,and,whatismoreuncommon,aparentfromhis
ownchild.Hencenumbersthatfellsickcouldhavenohelpbutwhatthecharityoffriends,whowerevery
few,ortheavariceofservantssuppliedandeventhesewerescarceandatextravagantwages,andso
littleusedtothebusinessthattheywerefitonlytoreachwhatwascalledfor,andobservewhentheir
employerdiedandthisdesireofgettingmoneyoftencostthemtheirlives....

Itfarednobetterwiththeadjacentcountry,for...youmightseethepoordistressedlabourers,withtheir
families,withouteithertheaidofphysicians,orhelpofservants,languishingonthehighways,inthefields,
andintheirownhouses,anddyingratherlikecattlethanhumancreatures.Theconsequencewasthat,
growingdissoluteintheirmannerslikethecitizens,andcarelessofeverything,assupposingeverydayto
betheirlast,theirthoughtswerenotsomuchemployedhowtoimprove,ashowtousetheirsubstancefor
theirpresentsupport.

WhatcanIsaymore,ifIreturntothecity,unlessthatsuchwasthecrueltyofHeaven,andperhapsofmen,
thatbetweenMarchandJulyfollowing,accordingtoauthenticreckonings,upwardsofahundredthousand
soulsperishedinthecityonlywhereas,beforethatcalamity,itwasnotsupposedtohavecontainedso
manyinhabitants.Whatmagnificentdwellings,whatnoblepalaceswerethendepopulatedtothelast
inhabitant!Whatfamiliesbecameextinct!Whatrichesandvastpossessionswereleft,andnoknownheirto
inheritthem!Whatnumbersofbothsexes,intheprimeandvigourofyouth...breakfastedinthemorning
withtheirlivingfriends,andsuppedatnightwiththeirdepartedfriendsintheotherworld!