the black death and the dancing mania-第17部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

ous　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　been　long　impending；　and　if　we　would　further　inquire　how　a　hitherto　harmless　usage；　which　like　many　others　had　but　served　to　keep　up　superstition；　could　degenerate　into　so　serious　a　disease；　we　must　take　into　account　the　unusual　excitement　of　men's　minds；　and　the　consequences　of　wretchedness　and　want。　　The　bowels；　which　in　many　were　debilitated　by　hunger　and　bad　food；　were　precisely　the　parts　which　in　most　cases　were　attacked　with　excruciating　pain；　and　the　tympanitic　state　of　the　intestines　points　out　to　the　intelligent　physician　an　origin　of　the　disorder　which　is　well　worth　consideration。


SECT。　　4MORE　ANCIENT　DANCING　PLAGUES


The　Dancing　Mania　of　the　year　1374　was；　in　fact；　no　new　disease；　but　a　phenomenon　well　known　in　the　Middle　Ages；　of　which　many　wondrous　stories　were　traditionally　current　among　the　people。　　In　the　year　1237　upwards　of　a　hundred　children　were　said　to　have　been　suddenly　seized　with　this　disease　at　Erfurt；　and　to　have　proceeded　dancing　and　jumping　along　the　road　to　Arnstadt。　　When　they　arrived　at　that　place　they　fell　exhausted　to　the　ground；　and；　according　to　an　account　of　an　old　chronicle；　many　of　them；　after　they　were　taken　home　by　their　parents；　died；　and　the　rest　remained　affected；　to　the　end　of　their　lives；　with　a　permanent　tremor。　　Another　occurrence　was　related　to　have　taken　place　on　the　Moselle　Bridge　at　Utrecht；　on　the　17th　day　of　June；　A。D。　1278；　when　two　hundred　fanatics　began　to　dance；　and　would　not　desist　until　a　priest　passed；　who　was　carrying　the　Host　to　a　person　that　was　sick；　upon　which；　as　if　in　punishment　of　their　crime；　the　bridge　gave　way；　and　they　were　all　drowned。　　A　similar　event　also　occurred　so　early　as　the　year　1027；　near　the　convent　church　of　Kolbig；　not　far　from　Bernburg。　　According　to　an　oft…repeated　tradition；　eighteen　peasants；　some　of　whose　names　are　still　preserved；　are　said　to　have　disturbed　divine　service　on　Christmas　Eve　by　dancing　and　brawling　in　the　churchyard；　whereupon　the　priest；　Ruprecht；　inflicted　a　curse　upon　them；　that　they　should　dance　and　scream　for　a　whole　year　without　ceasing。　　This　curse　is　stated　to　have　been　completely　fulfilled；　so　that　the　unfortunate　sufferers　at　length　sank　knee…deep　into　the　earth；　and　remained　the　whole　time　without　nourishment；　until　they　were　finally　released　by　the　intercession　of　two　pious　bishops。　　It　is　said　that；　upon　this；　they　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　which　lasted　three　days；　and　that　four　of　them　died；　the　rest　continuing　to　suffer　all　their　lives　from　a　trembling　of　their　limbs。　　It　is　not　worth　while　to　separate　what　may　have　been　true；　and　what　the　addition　of　crafty　priests；　in　this　strangely　distorted　story。　　It　is　sufficient　that　it　was　believed；　and　related　with　astonishment　and　horror；　throughout　the　Middle　Ages；　so　that　when　there　was　any　exciting　cause　for　this　delirious　raving　and　wild　rage　for　dancing；　it　failed　not　to　produce　its　effects　upon　men　whose　thoughts　were　given　up　to　a　belief　in　wonders　and　apparitions。

This　disposition　of　mind；　altogether　so　peculiar　to　the　Middle　Ages；　and　wh