God's Judgments shewn unto Mankind.
BEING
A True and Sorrowful Relation of the Sufferings of the Inhabitants of the City of Marseilles in France, now under the Dreadful
Calamity of the Plague, Pestilence and Fevers, with the manner of its infecting them by Vomiting, Pains in the Head, or Purple
Boils under their Arm Pits, the Number of the Dead being above Fifty Thousand. And lastly the Cause of it, and from
whence it came, by a strict Order from the Regent to the College of Physicians at Capentras.
Tune of, Aim not too high.
Written by Tho. Gent.
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LAment, Good Christians, when you hear this Thing,
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A woful Tragedy I mean to sing;
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And tho' it's happen'd in another Place,
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'Twill make you weep when you shall hear their Case.
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We shall not here now set before your View,
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The Plague of Athens, and of London too:
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Some living are can tell what we may Read,
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Those woful Cries, alas! Bring out your Dead!
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Then in the Middle of the silent Night,
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The Carts were fill'd, O wretched was the Sight!
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"No decent Mourners, and no Friendly Groan,
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"Neglecting others Fates, all wept their own.
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In France there is a City I declare,
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Call'd Marseilles, most beautiful and fair;
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From whom this sad Account, alas! we have,
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The Plague has thousands sent unto their Grave.
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Some say it by a treacherous Merchant came,
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Whom God did cause to suffer by the same;
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Who as some Silks were opening, he dy'd,
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And others struck with Death were then beside.
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But wise Men say it is Unwholsome Air,
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Driven from Land to Land by Winds, that were
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So violent, as thro' that Place it past,
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Until at length it laid the City waste.
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The twenty fourth of June it did begin,
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When for to punish Mortals for their Sin,
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Thunder and Lightning then from Heav'n did come,
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As if it was the Dreadful Day of Doom.
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"First, fierce unusual Heats did seize the Head,
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"The glowing Eyes with Blood-shot Beams lookt red;
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"Like Blazing Stars approaching Death foreshew'd,
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"The Mouth and Jaws were fill'd with clotted Blood.
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Next they'd be taken with most grievous Pains,
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By Vomiting, which all the Body strains;
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And falling down, their dearest Lives avoid,
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And many in this manner were destroy'd.
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Lastly, sad purple Spots would soon appear,
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Under their Arm-Pits, swelling greatly there;
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A certain Sign that they should lose their Breath,
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And very soon be in the Arms of Death.
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Others again, that happen'd for to break
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In painful Boils, Death would not Victims make:
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They wou'd revive, when they some time had laid,
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Depriv'd of Sense, as tho' they had been dead.
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Alas! how dismal was't in every Street.
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Where if you walk'd, Grass grew beneath your Feet;
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The Country People could not bring them Food,
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Nor dare the Healthful go, as things then stood.
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For 'twas the Regent's Order, not to come
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From thence, unless they met their speedy Doom;
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However many did that Thing disdain,
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And flew from Plague and Famine into Spain.
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Thus did the Plague continue, we do find,
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Death fled before, and Ruin stalkt behind:
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Sad Sight it was, and gave a mighty Dread,
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Physicians came, and saw, and shook their Head.
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In this Condition, Villains ventur'd down,
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And slighting Plagues, did plunder all the Town:
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Thus adding unto their Afflictions great,
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More than, alas! what was design'd by Fate.
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Some of 'em, being wrack'd, did then confess,
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And Pardon begged for their Wickedness,
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Saying, That they Five Hundred too had slain,
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That they their Riches might forever gain.
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Thus every where the scatter'd Bodies lay,
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The very Carrion Birds forsook such Prey;
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None were to comfort, none could give Relsef,
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Here was both Universal Death and Grief.
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Methinks I see a tender Mother die,
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And hear her pretty Infants how they cry!
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Dear Mammy, do not die, and leave us here,
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And then burst out in Rivers of salt Tears.
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Or else methinks I see the Children die,
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And tender Mother weeping standing by,
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Expecting every Moment for to fall
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Into the Earth, which must receive us all.
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Here dying Parents on their Children cast,
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There Children on their Parents breath'd their last;
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Like Rotten Sheep they die in wretched State,
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And none to pity, or to mourn their Fate.
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The very Plague did seize the lab'ring Ox,
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And ragingly destroy'd the tender Flocks;
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It walk'd thro' every Wood, and every Den,
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Where Beasts did sigh, and groan, and die like Men.
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The faithful Dogs did lie in every Street,
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And dy'd at their Expiring Masters Feet;
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The pretty Birds did from the Air fall down,
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And lay in Heaps both in the Field and Town.
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Some in the streets, some near the Fountains lay,
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And drinking Water, wash'd their souls away;
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No Burial us'd, no decent Order there,
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But unregarded lay in open Air.
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If any fled, the People run amain,
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As cunning Deer from Buck that's to be slain;
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In short, poor Souls they could not find Relief,
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Not one but suffer'd Death, Disease or Grief.
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The very Sailors, gallant, stout and brave,
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In two Days Time were sent unto their Grave;
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Few do escape to suffer five Days Pain,
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Which if they do, they may alive remain.
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But if the Plague's too weak to reach the Heart,
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'Tis very rare, but what it takes a Part;
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Either a Limb is lost, or precious sight
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Deprived is of comfortable Light.
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No less than Fifty Thousand there did die,
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Besides the Plague made Numbers for to fly;
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And still it rages, as we truly hear,
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Which strikes the Neighb'ring Nations into Fear.
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From what we've heard, Dear Christians, let us pray,
That God may drive the fatal Plagues away;
And let their Fate more plainly to us show
The Thankfulness that we to Heaven do owe.
How soon may he oppress this sinful Land!
How soon may he the dreadful Plague command,
To come to London, where it rag'd before,
And punish us, 'till we shall be no more.
Be mindful then, ye pious Christians all,
And while we do lament their tragick Fall,
Let Us, according to our LITANY,
From Plague and Famine, pray we sav'd may be.
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