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 Shame they would not fpare themselves, but went in unto their Friends, especially after it was come to that pafs, that even their Domesticks, wearied with the Lamentations of them that died, and overcome with the Greatnefs of the Calamity, 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 Misery themselves, and now no more fubject to the like Danger; For this Disease 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 Excefs of present Joy, conceived a kind of light Hope never to die of any other Sickness hereafter. Befides the present Affliction, the Reception of the Country People, and of their Subftance 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 alfo where they dwelt in Tents, were all full of the Dead that died within them; for oppreffed with the Violence of the Calamity, and rot 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 VOL. II. R

of

386

THUCYDIDES.

ર

Lib. II. 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 alfo in other kinds was used in the City, began at first this Difeafe. 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 Pleafure, 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, becaufe they thought it uncertain whether they should 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, becaufe they concluded it was alike to wor Ship or not worship, from feeing that alike they all perifhed: Nor the latter, because 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

วา

I.

Nhappy 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,

Flattring ourselves with mighty Words;
Of all things we the Monarchs are,

And fo we rule, and fo we domineer;

All Creatures elfe about us ftand
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 Servants !) 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 Sieges make,

And with fure Slownefs do our Bodies take;

Some

A quolence ftorm the Town, deliv

And throw

Moment down:hus anwo-b nã

Some one peculiar Fort affail, Some by, general Attempts prevail. bigors Ano Small Herbs, alas, can only us relieve, atau T And small is the Affiftance they can give si did sd19dd How can the fading Offspring of the Field we sa Sure Health and Succour yield? (

What strong and certain Remedy, a radik What firm and lafting Life can oursbbe, Irul A When that which makes us live, doth evry Winter die? 31311 b 191705) 2nveɔd enwort utbrow.% Nor is this all: we do not only breedenostni 19 Within ourselves the fatal Seedto12 : Is won Of Change, and of Decrease iney?ry Bart,T Head, Belly, Stomach, and Root of Life,' the Heart, Not only have our Autumn, when we muftist of

Of our Our turn to Dufty druhib of 10%

When Leaves and Fruit mult fallHD St
But are expos'd' to mighty Tempels too, V
Which do at once what they would flowly, do,
Which throw down Fruit and Tree of Life withal.

From Ruin we in vain 10 da drob doidw
Our Bodies by Repair maintain, negaida la 1.7
Bodies compos'd of Stuffs II Iiiv duW
Mouldring and frail enough my blood? yiw
Yet without as well we fear A on „drus an
A dangerous and deftructive War.ldwid
from Earth, from Sea, from Air,

From Heaven, Empire should decay, słodT

Roman

And our own Force would melt away

By the inteftine Jar stadswon dat er T
Of Elements, which on each other reprey,' st

and the Pompeys which within we bear:
Yet are (like that) in danger too b'in'..A
Of foreign Armies, and external Foe. 9780
Sometimes the Gothish and the barbarous Rage
Of Plague or Peltilence attends Man's Age, tolk
Which neither Force nor Arts affwage;

Which

Which cannot be avoided or withfood,un izs But drowns, and overbums with unexpected Flood. Sme2

On Ethiopia, and the Southern Sands,

The unfrequented Coasts, and parched Lands, Whither the Sun too kind a Heat doth fend, (The Sun,which the wort Neighbour is, and the beft Friend,) by cou? bas dalagH 5702 Hither a mortal Influence, came,gronft dedW A fatal and unhappy Flames bra mit tedW Kindled by Heaven's angry. Beamid tedi non W With dreadful Frowns, the Heavens fcatter'd here Cruel infectious Heats into the Airls eidt ei to Now all the Stores of Poifon fento ridW

19

Threatning at once a general Doom, 1169 Lavish'd out all their Hate, and meant lled beall In future: Ages to be innocent, ved ving Not to disturb the World for many Years to c

come 1 Hold! Heavens hold why fhould your facred Fire, Which doth to all things Life inspire,

By whofe kind Beams you bring to doid
Forth Yearly every things woh words dod
Which doth th' original Seedid mout
Of all things in the Womb of Earth that breed,
With vital Heat and quick'nin
ning feed sibos

Why should you now that Heat employ,

The Earth, the Air, the Fields, the Cities to annoy ? That which before reviv'd, why fhould it now destroy?. A moi 452 moitīvi, nd moà

Thofe Africk Defarts straight were double Defarts

grownys dat blow sayo mwo tuo brâ
The rav'nous Beafts were left alone

The rav'nous Beafts then firft began
To pity their old Enemy Man,

708

And blam'd the Plague for what they would themselves

have done...

x9 bun isim A

Nor ftaid the cruel evil there,

Nor could be long confin'd unto one Air;

R 3

Plagues