the black death and the dancing mania-第15部分

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　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　history　of　St。　Vitus　is　by　no　means　important　in　this　matter。　　He　was　a　Sicilian　youth；　who；　together　with　Modestus　and　Crescentia；　suffered　martyrdom　at　the　time　of　the　persecution　of　the　Christians；　under　Diocletian；　in　the　year　303。　　The　legends　respecting　him　are　obscure；　and　he　would　certainly　have　been　passed　over　without　notice　among　the　innumerable　apocryphal　martyrs　of　the　first　centuries；　had　not　the　transfer　of　his　body　to　St。　Denys；　and　thence；　in　the　year　836；　to　Corvey；　raised　him　to　a　higher　rank。　　From　this　time　forth　it　may　be　supposed　that　many　miracles　were　manifested　at　his　new　sepulchre；　which　were　of　essential　service　in　confirming　the　Roman　faith　among　the　Germans；　and　St。　Vitus　was　soon　ranked　among　the　fourteen　saintly　helpers　（Nothhelfer　or　Apotheker）。　　His　altars　were　multiplied；　and　the　people　had　recourse　to　them　in　all　kinds　of　distresses；　and　revered　him　as　a　powerful　intercessor。　　As　the　worship　of　these　saints　was；　however；　at　that　time　stripped　of　all　historical　connections；　which　were　purposely　obliterated　by　the　priesthood；　a　legend　was　invented　at　the　beginning　of　the　fifteenth　century；　or　perhaps　even　so　early　as　the　fourteenth；　that　St。　Vitus　had；　just　before　he　bent　his　neck　to　the　sword；　prayed　to　God　that　he　might　protect　from　the　Dancing　Mania　all　those　who　should　solemnise　the　day　of　his　commemoration；　and　fast　upon　its　eve；　and　that　thereupon　a　voice　from　heaven　was　heard；　saying；　〃Vitus；　thy　prayer　is　accepted。〃　　Thus　St。　Vitus　became　the　patron　saint　of　those　afflicted　with　the　Dancing　Plague；　as　St。　Martin　of　Tours　was　at　one　time　the　succourer　of　persons　in　small…pox；　St。　Antonius　of　those　suffering　under　the　〃hellish　fire；〃　and　as　St。　Margaret　was　the　Juno　Lucina　of　puerperal　women。


SECT。　3CAUSES


The　connection　which　John　the　Baptist　had　with　the　Dancing　Mania　of　the　fourteenth　century　was　of　a　totally　different　character。　He　was　originally　far　from　being　a　protecting　saint　to　those　who　were　attacked；　or　one　who　would　be　likely　to　give　them　relief　from　a　malady　considered　as　the　work　of　the　devil。　　On　the　contrary；　the　manner　in　which　he　was　worshipped　afforded　an　important　and　very　evident　cause　for　its　development。　　From　the　remotest　period；　perhaps　even　so　far　back　as　the　fourth　century；　St。　John's　day　was　solemnised　with　all　sorts　of　strange　and　rude　customs；　of　which　the　originally　mystical　meaning　was　variously　disfigured　among　different　nations　by　superadded　relics　of　heathenism。　　Thus　the　Germans　transferred　to　the　festival　of　St。　John's　day　an　ancient　heathen　usage；　the　kindling　of　the　〃Nodfyr；〃　which　was　forbidden　them　by　St。　Boniface；　and　the　belief　subsists　even　to　the　present　day　that　people　and　animals　that　have　leaped　through　these　flames；　or　their　smoke；　are　protected　for　a　whole　year　from　fevers　and　other　diseases；　as　if　by　a　kind　of　baptism　by　fire。　　Bacchanalian　dances；　which　have　originated　in　similar　causes　among　all　the　rude　nations　of　the　earth；　and　the　wild　extravagancies　of　a　heated　imagination；　were　the　constant　accompaniments　of　this　half…　heathen；　half…Christian　festival。　　At　the　period　of　which　we　are　treating；　however；　the　Germans　were　not　the　only　people　who　gave　way　to　the　ebullitions　of　fanaticism　in　keeping　the　festival　of　St。　John　the　Baptist。　　Similar　customs　were　also　to　be　found　among　the　nations　of　Southern　Europe　and　of　Asia；　and　it　is　more　than　probable　that　the　Greeks　transferred　to　the　festival　of　John　the　Baptist；　who　is　also　held　in　high　esteem　among　the　Mahomedans；　a　part　of　their　Bacchanalian　mysteries；　an　absurdity　of　a　kind　which　is　but　too　frequently　met　with　in　human　affairs。　　How　far　a　remembrance　of　the　history　of　St。　John's　death　may　have　had　an　influence　on　this　occasion；　we　would　leave　learned　theologians　to　decide。　　It　is　only　of　importance　here　to　add　that　in　Abyssinia；　a　country　entirely　separated　from　Europe；　where　Christianity　has　maintained　itself　in　its　primeval　simplicity　against　Mahomedanism；　John　is　to　this　day　worshipped；　as　protecting　saint　of　those　who　are　attacked　with　the　dancing　malady。　　In　these　fragments　of　the　dominion　of　mysticism　and　superstition；　historical　connection　is　not　to　be　found。

When　we　observe；　however；　that　the　first　dancers　in　Aix…la…　Chapelle　appeared　in　July　with　St。　John's　name　in　their　mouths；　the　conjecture　is　probable　that　the　wild　revels　of　St。　John's　day；　A。D。　1374；　gave　rise　to　this　mental　plague；　which　thenceforth　has　visited　so　many　thousands　with　incurable　aberration　of　mind；　and　disgusting　distortions　of　body。

This　is　rendered　so　much　the　more　probable　because　some　months　previously　the　districts　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Rhine　and　the　Main　had　met　with　great　disasters。　　So　early　as　February；　both　these　rivers　had　overflowed　their　banks　to　a　great　extent；　the　walls　of　the　town　of　Cologne；　on　the　side　next　the　Rhine；　had　fallen　down；　and　a　great　many　villages　had　been　reduced　to　the　utmost　distress。　　To　this　was　added　the　miserable　condition　of　western　and　southern　Germany。　　Neither　law　nor　edict　could　suppress　the　incessant　feuds　of　the　Barons；　and　in　Franconia　especially；　the　ancient　times　of　club　law　appeared　to　be　revived。　Security　of　property　there　was　none；　arbitrary　will　everywhere　prevailed；　corruption　of　morals　and　rude　power　rarely　met　with　even　a　feeble　opposition；　whence　it　arose　that　the　cruel；　but　lucrative；　persecutions　of　the　Jews　were　in　many　places　still　practised　through　the　whole　of　this　century　with　their　wonted　ferocity。　　Thus；　throughout　the　western　parts　of　Germany；　and　especially　in　the　districts　bordering　on　the　Rhine；　there　was　a　wretched　and　oppressed　populace；　and　if　we　take　into　consideration　that　among　their　numerous　bands　many　wandered　about；　whose　consciences　were　tormented　with　the　recollection　of　the　crimes　which　they　had　committed　during　the　prevalence　of　the　Black　Plague；　we　shall　comprehend　how　their　despair　sought　relief　in　the　intoxication　of　an　artificial　delirium。　　There　is　hence　good　ground　for　supposing　that　the　frantic　celebration　of　the　festival　of　St。　John；　A。D。　1374；　only　served　to　bring　to　a　crisis　a　malady　which　had