harm to another; nor any difference of body for ftrength or weakness that was able to refift it; but carried all away, what phyfick foever was adminiftred. But the greatest misery of all was, the defection of mind, in fuch as found themselves beginning to be fick (for they grew presently defperate, and gave themselves over without making any refiftance) as alfo their dying thus like sheep, infected by mutual vifitation: For if men forbore to vifit them for fear, then they died forlorn, whereby many families became empty, for want of fuch as fhould take care of them. If they forbore not, then they died themselves, and principally the honefteft men: for out of fhame they would not spare themselves, but went in unto their friends, especially after it was come to that pafs, that even their domefticks, wearied with the lamentations of them that died, and overcome with the greatnefs of the cala mity, were no longer moved therewith. But those that were recovered, had much compaffion both on them that died, and on them that lay fick, as having both known the mifery themselves, and now no more fubject to the like danger; for this difeafe never took a man the fecond time fo as to be mortal. And these men were both by others counted happy, and they also themfelves, through excess of present joy, conceived a kind of light hope never to dye of any other fickness hereafter. Befides the present affliction, the reception of the country people, and of their fubftance into the city, oppreffed both them, and much more the people themselves that fo came in. For having no houses, but dwelling at that time of the year in ftifling booths, the mortality was now without all form; and dying men lay tumbling one upon another in the streets, and men half dead about every conduit through defire of water. The temples also where they dwelt in tents, were all full of the dead that died within them; for

ор

oppreffed with the violence of the calamity, and not knowing what to do, men grew careless, both of holy. and profane things alike. And the laws which they formerly used touching funerals, were all now broken, every one burying where he could find room. And many for want of things neceffary, after fo many deaths before, were forced to become impudent in the funerals of their friends. For when one had made a funeral pile, another getting before him, would throw on his dead, and give it fire. And when one was in burning, another would come, and having caft thereon him whom he carried, go his way again. And the great licentioufnefs, which also in other kinds was used in the city began at first from this disease. For that which a man before would diffemble, and not acknowledge to be done for voluptuoufnefs, he durft now do freely, feeing before his eyes fuch quick revolution, of the rich dying and men worth nothing inheriting their eftates; infomuch as they juftified a speedy fruition of their goods, even for their pleasure, as men that thought they held their lives but by the day. As for pains, no man was forward in any action of honour, to take any, because. · they thought it uncertain whether they fhould die or not before they atchieved it. But what any man knew to be delightful, and to be profitable to pleasure, that was made both profitable and honourable. Neither the fear of the gods, nor laws of men, awed any man. Not the former, because they concluded it was alike to worship or not worship, from feeing that alike they all perished: nor the latter, becaufe no man expected that his life wou'd laft 'till he received punishment: of his crimes by judgment. But they thought there was now. over their heads fome far greater judgment decreed against them; before which fell, they thought to enjoy fome little part of their lives.

THE

The PLAGUE of ATHENS.

I.

Unhappy man! by nature made to fway,

And yet is every creature's prey,

Deftroy'd by thofe that fhould his power obey.
Of the whole world we call mankind the lords,
Flatt'ring ourselves with mighty words;
Of all things we the monarchs are,
And fo we rule, and so we domineer;
All creatures elfe about us stand
Like fome prætorian band,

To guard, to help, and to defend ;
Yet they fometimes prove enemies,
Sometimes against us rife;

Our very guards rebel, and tyrannize.
Thousand diseases fent by fate,
(Unhappy fervants!) on us wait;
A thousand treacheries within
Are laid, weak life to win;
Huge troops of maladies without,
(A grim, a meagre, and a dreadful rout :)
Some formal fieges make,

And with fure flownefs do our bodies take;
Some with quick violence storm the town,
And throw all in a moment down:

Some one peculiar fort assail,

Some by general attempts prevail.
Small herbs, alas, can only us relieve,

And small is the affistance they can give:

How

How can the fading offspring of the field

Sure health and fuccour yield?

What ftrong and certain remedy, What firm and lasting life can ours be,

When that which makes us live, doth ev'ry winter die?
II:

Nor is this all we do not only breed
Within ourselves the fatal feed

Of change, and of decrease in ev'ry part,
Head, belly, ftomach, and root of life, the heart,
Not only have our autumn, when we must
Of our own nature turn to duft,
When leaves and fruit muft fall;

But are expos'd to mighty tempefts too,
Which do at once what they would flowly do,
Which throw down fruit and tree of life withal.
From ruin we in vain

Our bodies by repair maintain,
Bodies compos'd of stuff
Mouldring and frail enough;

Yet from without as well we fear

A dangerous and deftructive war.

From heaven, from earth, from fea, from air,
We like the Roman empire fhould decay,
And our own force would melt away
By the inteftine jar

Of elements, which on each other prey,
The Cæfars and the Pompeys which within we bear
Yet are (like that) in danger too
Of foreign armies, and external foe.
Sometimes the Gothish and the barbarous rage
Of plague or peftilence attends man's age,
Which neither force nor arts afswage;

Which cannot be avoided or withstood,
But drowns, and over runs with unexpected flood.

III.

On Ethiopia, and the fouthern fands,

The unfrequented coafts, and parched lands,
Whither the fun too kind a heat doth fend,

(The fun, which the worst neighbour is, and the best friend,)

Hither a mortal influence came,

A fatal and unhappy flame,
Kindled by heaven's angry beam.

With dreadful frowns, the heavens scatter'd here
Cruel infectious heats into the air:
Now all the stores of poifon fent,

Threatning at once a general doom,
Lavish'd out all their hate, and meant

In future ages to be innocent,

Not to disturb the world for many years to come.
Hold! heavens hold! why should your facred fire,
Which doth to al! things life infpire,

By whofe kind beams you bring
Forth yearly every thing,

Which doth th' original feed

Of all things in the womb of earth that breed,

With vital heat and quick'ning feed;

Why fhould you now that heat employ,

The earth, the air, the fields, the cities to annoy ?
That which before reviv'd, why should it now destroy?
IV.

Thofe Africk defarts ftraight were double defarts grown,

The rav'nous beafts were left alone,

The rav'nous beasts then first began

To pity their old enemy man,

And blam'd the plague for what they would themselves

have done.

Nor ftaid the cruel evil there,

Nor could be long confin'd unto one air;
R

Plagues