A brief Journal of what passed in the City of Marseilles, while it was afflicted with the Plague, in the Year 1720Pichatty de Croislainte
History
A brief Journal of what passed in the City of Marseilles, while it was afflicted with the Plague, in the Year 1720
Pichatty de Croislainte
Plague -- France -- Marseille -- Early works to 1800
1. That for the Reasons above specified, and for avoiding the
Inconveniencies which 'tis apprehended might be fatal, the Dead
shall be buried in the Pits without the Walls, and also in the
Vaults of the Churches of the _Jacobines_, the _Observantines_,
of the Grand _Carmelites_, and of _Loretto_; that these Churches
being situate in the upper Town, where is the greatest Number of
dead Bodies, and where the Carts cannot easily pass; a kind of
Biers shall be made, on which the Slaves, shall carry off those
Bodies from thence: that at each Church, Heaps of Lime shall be
laid, and Barrels of Water placed, to be thrown into the Vaults,
and when they are filled, they shall be closed up with a Cement, so
that no Infection may exhale.
2. That a trusty Person with some Guards on Horseback, shall march
at the Head of the Carts, and with each Brigade of Slaves, to make
them work diligently, and prevent their losing Time in stealing.
3. Lest the Pits and the several Church-yards in which the Dead
are buried, should exhale the Infection, for want of being filled
up and covered with the necessary Quantity of Earth and Lime; a
general and exact View shall be taken, and sufficient Heaps of both
shall be laid there.
4. Several Parishes and Quarters being destitute of Commissaries,
who have fled, and Persons to supply their room not being to be
found, each Convent shall be obliged to furnish Monks to act as
Commissaries in those Quarters where they are wanted.
5. For preventing Communication, the Bishop shall be desired to
cause all Divine Service in the Churches to cease.
6. To keep the Populace in Awe and obedient to Orders, Gibbets
shall be set up in all the publick Places.
The 21st, the Sheriffs acquainting the Council of Marine with the
Increase of the Contagion, desire them to allow all ordinary Business
to remain suspended for the future, that they may apply themselves
entirely to what regards the publick Health only.
When the Plague rages thus in a City, every one looking on himself as
at the Point of Death, is no longer in a Disposition to apply himself
to any thing, but what tends immediately to his own Preservation.
In the mean while every thing is grown scarce in the Town, even such
things of which there is ordinarily the greatest Plenty: Linnen cannot
be had for covering the Mattresses in the Hospitals, tho' Search is
made for it by breaking open all the Warehouses and Shops. The Report
of the Plague keeps out whatever used to be brought daily into the Port
from all Parts of the World: The Sheriffs are obliged therefore to
write to the first President, to desire him to send what Linnen can be
had at _Aix_, and also Shooes for the Slaves, there being no Shooemaker
at _Marseilles_ to make them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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