The plague of Athens which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warr / first described in Greek by Thucydides, then in Latin by Lucretius, now attempted in English by Tho. Sprat.

The plague of Athens which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warr / first described in Greek by Thucydides, then in Latin by Lucretius, now attempted in English by Tho. Sprat.

Table of contents

Title page

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To my VVorthy and Learned Friend, Dr. Walter Pope, late Proctor of the Univerſity of Oxford.

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The Plague of ATHENS.

A Liſt of ſome choice Books, Printed for Henry, Brome at the Gun in Ivy-lane.

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THE Plague of Athens, Which hapned in the SECOND YEAR OF HE Peloponneſian Warr. Firſt deſcribed in Greek by Thucydides; Then in Latin by Lucretius.

Now attempted in Engliſh, By THO. SPRAT.

LONDON, Printed by E. C. for Henry Brome at the Gun in Ivy-lane, 1667.

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Let this Book be Printed,

Roger L'Eſtrange.

March 28. 1665.

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[...]

To my VVorthy and Learned Friend, Dr. Walter Pope, late Proctor of the Univerſity of Oxford.

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SIR,

I Know not what pleaſure you could take in beſtowing your commands ſo unprofitably, unleſs it be that for which Nature ſometimes cheriſhes and allows Monſters, The love of Variety. This only delight you will receive by turning over this rude and unpoliſht Copy, and comparing it with my excellent Patterns, the Greek and Latin. By this you will ſee how much a noble Subject is chang'd and disfigured by an ill hand, and what reaſon Alexander had to forbid his Picture to be drawn but by ſome celebrated Pencil. In Greek Thucydides ſo well and ſo lively expreſſes it, that I know not which is more a Poem, his deſcription, or that of Lucretius. Though it muſt be ſaid, that the Hiſtorian had a vaſt advantage over the Poet; He having been preſent on the place, and aſſaulted by the diſeaſe himſelf, had the horror familiar to his Eyes, and all the ſhapes of the miſery ſtill remaining on his mind, which muſt needs make a great impreſſion on his Pen and Fancie. [Page] Whereas the Poet was forced to allow his foot-ſteps, and onely work on that matter he allow'd him. This I ſpeak, becauſe it may in ſome meaſure too excuſe my own defects: For being ſo far remov'd from the place whereon the diſeaſe acted his Tragedy; and time having denied us many of the circumſtances, cuſtomes of the Countrey, and other ſmall things which would be of great uſe to any one who did intend to be perfect on the ſubject; beſides only writing by an Idaea of that which I never yet ſaw, nor care to feel, (being not of the humor of the Painter in Sir Philip Sidney, who thruſt himſelf into the midſt of a Fight, that he might the better delineate it.) Having, I ſay, all theſe diſadvantages, and many more, for which I muſt onely blame my ſelf, it cannot be expected that I ſhould come near equalling him, in whom none of the contrary advantages were wanting. Thus then, Sir, by emboldning me to this raſh attempt, you have given opportunitie to the Greek and Latin to Triumph over our Mother tongue. Yet I would not have the honour of the Countries or Languages engaged in the compariſon, but that the inequality ſhould reach no farther than the Authors. But I have much reaſon to fear the juſt indignation of that excellent Perſon, (the preſent Ornament and Honour of our Nation) whoſe way of writing I imitate: for he may think himſelf as much injured by my following him, as were the Heavens by that bold man's counterfeiting the ſacred and unimitable noiſe of Thunder by the [Page] ſound of Braſs and Horſes hoofs. I ſhall only ſay for my ſelf, that I took Cicero's advice, who bids us in imitation propoſe the Nobleſt pattern to our thoughts; for ſo we may be ſure to be raiſed above the common Level, though we come infinitely ſhort of what we aim at. Yet I hope that renowned Poet will have none of my crimes any way reflect on himſelf; for it was not any fault in the excellent Muſician, that the weak Bird, indeavouring by ſtraining its throat, to follow his Notes, deſtroyed her ſelf in the Attempt. Well, Sir, by this, that I have choſen rather to expoſe my ſelf than be diſobedient, you may gheſs with what zeal and hazard I ſtrive to approve my ſelf,

SIR,

Your moſt Humble and Affectionate Servant, THO. SPRAT.

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THUCYDIDES, Lib. 2.

As it is excellently Tranſlated by Mr. Hobbs.

IN the very beginning of Summer, the Peloponneſians, and their Confederates, with two thirds of their forces, as before invaded Attica, under the conduct of Archidamus, the ſon of Zeuxidamas, King of Lacedaemon, and after they had encamped themſelves, waſted the Countrey about them.

They had not been many dayes in Attica, when the Plague firſt began amongſt the Athenians, ſaid alſo to have ſeized formerly on divers other parts, as about Lemnos, and elſewhere; but ſo great a Plague, and Mortality of Men, was never remembred to have hapned in any place before. For at firſt, neither were the Phyſicians able to cure it, through ignorance of what it was, but died faſteſt themſelves, as being the men that moſt approach'd the ſick, nor any other art of man availed whatſoever. All ſupplications to the Gods, and enquiries of Oracles, and whatſoever other means they uſed of that kind, proved all unprofitable; inſomuch as ſubdued with the greatneſs of the evil, they gave them all over. It began (by report) firſt, in that part of Aethiopia that lieth upon Aegypt, and thence fell down into Aegypt and Afrique, and into the greateſt part of the Territories of the King. It invaded Athens on a ſudden, and touched firſt upon [Page] on thoſe that dwelt in Pyraeus, inſomuch as they reported that the Peloponneſians had caſt poyſon into their Wells; for Springs there were not any in that place. But afterwards it came up into the high City, and then they died a great deal faſter. Now let every man, Phyſician, or other, concerning the ground of this ſickneſs, whence it ſprung, and what cauſes he thinks able to produce for great an alteration, ſpeak according to his own knowledge; for my own part, I will deliver but the manner of it, and lay open only ſuch things, as one may take his Mark by, to diſcover the ſame if it come again, having been both ſick of it my ſelf, and ſeen others ſick of the ſame. This year, by confeſsion of all men, was of all other, for other Diſeaſes, moſt free and healthful. If any man were ſick before, his diſeaſe turned to this; if not, yet ſuddenly, without any apparent cauſe preceding, and being in perfect health, they were taken firſt with an extream ache in their Heads, redneſs and inflamation of the Eyes; and then inwardly their Throats and Tongues grew preſently bloody, and their breath noyſome and unſavory. Upon this followed a ſneezing and hoarſneſs, and not long after, the pain, together with a mighty cough, came down into the breſt. And when once it was ſetled in the Stomach, it cauſed vomit, and with great torment came up all manner of bilious purgation that Phyſicians ever named. Moſt of them had alſo the Hickeyexe, which brought with it a ſtrong Convulſion, and in ſome ceaſed quickly, but in others was long before it gave over. Their bodies outwardly to the touch, were neither very hot, nor pale, but reddiſh, livid, and beflowred with little pimples and whelks; but ſo burned inwardly, [Page] as not to endure any the lighteſt cloaths or linnen garment to be upon them, nor any thing but meer nakedneſs, but rather, moſt willingly to have caſt themſelves into the cold water. And many of them that were not looked to, poſſeſſed with inſatiate thirſt, ran unto the Wells; and to drink much, or little, was indifferent, being ſtill from eaſe and power to ſleep as far as ever. As long as the diſeaſe was at the height, their bodies waſted not, but reſiſted the torment beyond all expectation, inſomuch as the moſt of them either died of their inward burning in 9 or 7 dayes, whileſt they had yet ſtrength, or if they eſcaped that, then the diſeaſe falling down into their bellies, and cauſing there great exulcerations and immoderate looſneſs, they died many of them afterwards through weakneſs: For the diſeaſe (which took firſt the head) began above, and came down, and paſsed through the whole body; and he that overcame the worſt of it, was yet marked with the loſs of his extreme parts; for breaking out both at their Privy-members; and at their Fingers and Toes, many with the loſs of theſe eſcaped. There were alſo ſome that loſt there Eyes, & many that preſently upon their recovery were taken with ſuch an oblivion of all things whatſoever, as they neither knew themſelves nor their acquaintance. For this was a kind of ſickneſs which far ſurmounted all expreſsion of words, and both exceeded Humane Nature, in the cruelty wherewith it handled each one, and appeared alſo otherwiſe to be none of thoſe diſeaſes that are bred amongſt us, and that eſpecially by this. For all, both Birds and Beaſts, that uſe to feed on Humane fleſh, though many men lay abroad unburied, either came not at them, or taſting [Page] periſhed. An Argument whereof as touching the Birds, is the manifeſt defect of ſuch Fowl, which were not then ſeen, neither about the Carcaſſes, or any where elſe; but by the Dogs, becauſe they are familiar with Men, this effect was ſeen much clearer. So that this diſeaſe (to paſs over many ſtrange particulars of the accidents that ſome had differently from others) was in general ſuch as I have ſhewn; and for other uſual ſickneſſes, at that time, no man was troubled with any. Now they died, ſome for want of attendance, and ſome again with all the care and Phyſick that could be uſed. Nor was there any, to ſay, certain Medicine, that applied muſt have helped them; for it did good to one, it did harm to another; nor any difference of Body for ſtrength or weakneſs that was able to reſiſt it; but it carried all away what Phyſick ſoever was adminiſtred. But the greateſt miſery of all was the dejection of Mind, in ſuch as found themſelves beginning to be ſick, (for they grew preſently deſperate, and gave themſelves over without making any reſiſtance) as alſo their dying thus like Sheep, infected by mutual viſitation: For if men forbore to viſit them for fear, then they dyed forlorn, whereby many Families became empty, for want of ſuch as ſhould take care of them. If they forbore not, then they died themſelves, and principally the honeſteſt men. For out of ſhame, they would not ſpare themſelves, but went in unto their friends, eſpecially after it was come to this paſs, that even their Domeſticks, wearied with the lamentations of them that died, and overcome with the greatneſs of the calamity, were no longer moved therewith. But thoſe that were recovered, had much compaſsion both on them that died, and [Page] on them that lay ſick, as having both known the miſery themſelves and now no more ſubject to the like danger: For this diſeaſe never took any man the ſecond time ſo as to be mortal. And theſe men were both by others counted happy, and they alſo themſelves, through exceſs of preſent joy, conceived a kind of light hope, never to die of any other ſickneſs hereafter. Beſides the preſent affliction, the reception of the Countrey people, and of their ſubſtance into the City, oppreſſed both them, and much more the people themſelves that ſo came in. For having no Houſes, but dwelling at that time of the year in ſtifling 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 deſire of water. The Temples alſo where they dwelt in Tents, were all full of the dead that died within them; for oppreſſed with the violence of the Calamity, and not knowing what to do, Men grew careleſs, both of Holy and Prophane 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 neceſſary, after ſo 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 caſt thereon him whom he carried, go his way again. And the great licentiouſneſs, which alſo in other kinds was uſed in the City, began at firſt from this diſeaſe. For that which a man before would diſſemble, and not acknowledge to be done for voluptuouſneſs, he [Page] durſt now do freely, ſeeing before his Eyes ſuch quick revolution, of the rich dying, and men worth nothing inheriting their Eſtates; inſomuch as they juſtified 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 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, becauſe they concluded it was alike to worſhip or not worſhip, from ſeeing that alike they all periſhed: nor the latter, becauſe no man expected that lives would laſt, till he received puniſhment of his crimes by Judgements. But they thought there was now over their heads ſome far greater Judgement decreed againſt them; before which fell, they thought to enjoy ſome little part of their Lives.

The Plague of ATHENS.

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I.

UNhappy Man! by nature made to ſway,

And yet is every Creatures prey,

Deſtroy'd by thoſe that ſhould his power obey.

Of the whole World we call Man-kind the Lords,

Flattring our ſelves with mighty words;

Of all things we the Monarchs are,

And ſo we rule, and ſo we domineer;

All creatures elſe about us ſtand

Like ſome Praetorian Band,

To guard, to help, and to defend;

Yet they ſometimes prove Enemies,

Sometimes againſt us riſe;

Our very Guards rebel, and tyrannize.

Thouſand Diſeaſes ſent 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 meager, and a dreadful rout:)

Some formal Sieges make,

And with ſure ſlowneſs do our Bodies take;

Some with quick violence ſtorm the Town,

And all in a moment down:

[Page]Some one peculiar ſort aſſail,

Some by general attempt prevail.

Small Herbs, alas, can only us relieve,

And ſmall is the aſſiſtance they can give;

How can the fading Off ſpring of the Field

Sure health and ſuccour yield?

What ſtrong and certain remedie?

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 ſeed

Of change, and of decreaſe in ev'ry part,

Head, Bellie, Stomach, and the Root of Life the Heart,

Not only have our Autumn, when we muſt

Of our own Nature turn to Duſt,

When Leaves and fruit muſt fall;

But are expos'd to mighty Tempeſts too,

Which do at once what that would ſlowlie do,

Which throw down Fruit and Tree of Life withal.

From ruine 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 deſtructful VVar,

From Heaven, from Earth, from Sea, from Air.

VVe like the Roman Empire ſhould decay,

And our own force would melt away

By the inteſtine jar

Of Elephants, which on each other prey,

The Caeſars and the Pompeys which within we bear:

Yet are (like that) in danger too

Of forreign Armies, and external foe,

[Page]Sometimes the Gothiſh and the barbarous rage

Of Plague or Peſtilence, attens Mans age,

Which neither Force nor Arts aſſwage;

Which cannot be avoided, or withſtood,

But drowns, and over-runs with unexpected Flood.

III.

On Aethiopia, and the Southern-ſands,

The unfrequented Coaſts, and parched Land,

Whither the Sun too kind a heat doth ſend,

(The Sun, which the worſt Neighbour is, and the beſt Friend)

Hither a mortal influence came,

A fatal and unhappy flame,

Kindled by Heavens angry beam.

With dreadful frowns the Heavens ſcattered here

Cruel infectious heats into the Air,

Now all their ſtores of poyſon ſent,

Threatning at once a general doom,

Laviſht 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 Sacred Fire,

Which doth to all things Life inſpire,

By whoſe kinde beams you bring

Each year on every thing,

A new and glorious Spring,

Which doth th' Original ſeed

Of all things in the womb of Earth that breed,

With vital heat and quick'ning feed,

VVhy ſhould you now that heat imploy,

The Earth, the Air, the Fields, the Cities to annoy?

That which before reviv'd, why ſhould it now deſtroy?

IV.

Thoſe Africk Deſarts ſtrait were double Deſarts grown,

The rav'nous Beaſts were left alone,

[Page]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 ſtay'd the cruel evil there,

Nor could be long confin'd unto one Air,

Plagues preſently forſake

The Wilderneſs which they themſelves do make,

Away the deadly breaths their journey take.

Driven by a mighty wind,

They a new booty and freſh for age find.

The loaded wind went ſwiftly on,

And as it paſt was heard to ſigh and groan.

On Aegypt next it ſeiz'd,

Nor could but by a general ruine be appeas'd.

Aegypt in rage back on the South did look,

And wondred thence ſhould come th' unhappy ſtroke,

From whence before her fruitfulneſs ſhe took.

Egypt did now curſe and revile

Thoſe very Lands from whence ſhe has her Nile;

Egypt now fear'd another Hebrew God,

Another Angels Hand, a ſecond Aarons Rod.

V.

Then on it goes, and through the Sacred Land

Its angry Forces did command,

But God did place an Angel there,

Its violence to withſtand,

And turn into another road the putrid Air.

To Tyre it came, and there did all devour,

Though that by Seas might think it ſelf ſecure:

Nor ſtaid, as the great Conquerors did,

Till it had fill'd and ſtopt the tyde,

Which did it from the ſhore divide,

But paſt the waters, and did all poſſeſs,

And quickly all was wilderneſs.

[Page]Thence it did Perſia over-run,

And all that Sacrifice unto the Sun;

In every limb a dreadful pain they felt,

Tortur'd with ſecret coals did melt;

The Perſians call'd upon their Sun in vain,

Their God increas'd the pain.

They lookt up to their God no more,

But curſe the beams they worſhipped before,

And hate the very fire which once they did adore.

VI.

Glutted with ruine of the Eaſt,

She took her wings and down to Athens paſt;

Juſt Plague! which doſt no parties take,

But Greece as well as Perſia ſack.

VVhile in unnatural quarrels they

(Like Frogs and Mice) each other ſlay;

Thou in thy ravenous claws took'ſt both away.

Thither it came, and did deſtroy the Town,

VVhilſt all its Ships and Souldiers lookt upon:

And now the Aſian Plague did more

Than all the Aſian Force could do before.

VVithout the VValls the Spartan Army ſate,

The Spartan Army came too late;

For now there was no farther work for fate.

They ſaw the City open lay,

An eaſie and bootleſs prey,

They ſaw the rampires empty ſtand,

The Fleet, the VValls, the Forts Unman'd.

No need of cruelty or ſlaughters now

The Plague had finiſht what they came to do:

They might now unreſiſted enter there,

Did they not the very Air,

More than th' Athenians fear.

The Air it ſelf to them was wall, and bulwarks too.

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VII.

Unhappy Athens! it is true, thou wert

The poudeſt work of Nature and of Art:

Learning and ſtrength did thee compoſe,

As ſoul and body us:

But yet thou only thence art made

A nobler prey for Fates t' invade.

Thoſe mighty numbers that within thee breath,

Do only ſerve to make a fatter feaſt for Death.

Death in the moſt frequented places lives,

Moſt tribute from the croud receives;

And though it bears a ſigh, and ſeems to own

A ruſtick life alone:

It loves no VVilderneſs,

No ſcattred Villages,

But mighty populous Palaces,

The throng, the tumult, and the town;

VVhat ſtrange, unheard of Conqueror is this,

VVhich by the forces that reſiſt it doth increaſe!

VVhen other Conquerors are

Oblig'd to make a ſlower war,

Nay ſometimes for themſelves may fear,

And muſt proceed with watchful care,

VVhen thicker troops of enemies appear;

This ſtronger ſtill, and more ſucceſſeful grows;

Down ſooner all before it throws,

If greater multitudes of men do it oppoſe.

VIII.

The Tyrant firſt the haven did ſubdue,

Lately the Athenians (it knew)

Themſelves by wooden walls did ſave,

And therefore firſt to them th' infection gave,

Leaſt they new ſuccour thence receive.

[Page]Cruel Fyraeus! now thou haſt undone,

The honour thou before hadſt wone:

Not all thy Merchandize,

Thy wealth, thy treaſuries,

VVhich from all Coaſts thy Fleet ſupplies,

Can to atone this crime ſuffice.

Next o're the upper Town it ſpread,

VVith mad and undiſcerned ſpeed,

In every corner, every ſtreet,

VVithout a guide did ſet its feet,

And too familiar every houſe did greet.

Unhappy Greece of Greece! great Theſeus now

Did thee a mortal injury do,

VVhen firſt in walls he did thee cloſe,

VVhen firſt he did thy Citizens reduce,

Houſes and Government, and Laws to uſe.

It had been better if thy people ſtill

Diſperſed in ſome field, or hill,

Though Salvage, and undiſciplin'd did dwell,

Though barbarous, untame, and rude,

Than by their numbers thus to be ſubdu'd;

To be by their own ſwarms anoid,

And to be civilized only to be deſtroid.

IX.

Minerva ſtarted when ſhe heard the noiſe,

And dying mens confuſed voice.

From Heaven in haſte ſhe came to ſee

VVhat was the mighty prodigie.

Upon the Caſtle pinacles ſhe ſate,

And dar'd not nearer fly,

Nor midſt ſo many deaths to truſt her very Deity.

VVith pitying look ſhe ſaw at every gate

Death and deſtruction wait;

[Page]She wrung her hands, and call'd on Jove,

And all th' immortal powers above;

But though a Goddeſs now did pray,

The Heavens refus'd, and turn'd their ear away.

She brought her Olive, and her Shield,

Neither of theſe Alas! aſſiſtance yeild.

She lookt upon Meduſaes face,

Was angry that ſhe was

Her ſelf of an Immortal Race,

Was angry that her Gorgons head

Could not ſtrike her as well as others dead;

She ſate, and wept a while, and then away ſhe fled.

X.

Now Death began her ſword to wher,

Not all the Cyclops ſweat,

Nor Vulcans mighty Anvils could prepare

Weapons enough for her,

No weapon large enough but all the Air;

Men felt the heat within 'um rage,

And hop'd the Air would it aſſwage,

Call'd for its help, but th' Air did them deceive,

And aggravate the ills it ſhould relieve.

The Air no more was Vital now,

But did a moral poyſon grow;

The Lungs which us'd to fan the heart,

Onely now ſerv'd to fire each part,

VVhat ſhould refreſh more as'd the ſmart,

And now their very breath,

The chiefeſt ſigne of life, turn'd the cauſe of death.

XI.

Upon the Head firſt the diſeaſe,

As a bold Conqueror doth ſeize,

[Page]Begins with Mans Metropolis,

Secur'd the Capitol, and then it knew

It could at pleaſure weaker parts ſubdue.

Blood ſtarted through each eye;

The redneſs of that Skie,

Fore-told a tempeſt nigh.

The tongue did flow all ore

With clotted Filth and Gore;

As doth a Lyons when ſome innocent prey

He hath devoured and brought away:

Hoarſneſs and ſores the throat did fill,

And ſtopt the paſſages of ſpeech and life;

No room was left for groans or grief;

Too cruel and imperious ill!

Which not content to kill,

With tyrannous and dreadful pain,

Doſt take from men the very power to complain.

XII.

Then down, it went into the breaſt,

There are all the ſeats and ſhops of life poſſeſt,

Such noiſomo ſmells from thence did come,

As if the ſtomach were a tomb;

No food would there abide,

Or if it did, turn'd to the enemies ſide,

The very meat new poyſons to the Plague ſupply'd.

Next to the heart the fires came,

The heart did wonder what uſurping flame,

What unknown furnace ſhou'd

On its more natural heat intrude,

Strait call'd its ſpirits up, but found too well,

It was too late now to rebel.

The tainted blood its courſe began,

And carried death where ere it ran,

[Page]That which before was Natures nobleſt Art,

The circulation from the heart,

VVas moſt deſtructful now,

And Nature ſpeedier did undoe,

For that the ſooner did impart

The poyſon and the ſmart,

The infectious blood to every diſtant part.

XIII.

The belly felt at laſt its ſhare,

And all the ſubtil labyrinths there

Of winding bowels did new Monſters bear.

Here ſeven dayes it rul'd and ſway'd,

And ofner kill'd becauſe it death ſo long delay'd.

But if through ſtrength and heat of age,

The body overcame its rage,

The Plague departed, as the Devil doeth,

VVhen driven by prayers away he goeth.

If Prayers and Heaven do him controul,

And if he cannot have the ſoul,

Himſelf out of the roof or window throws,

And will not all his labour loſe,

But takes away with him part of the houſe:

So here the vanquiſht evil took from them

VVho conquer'd it, ſome part, ſome limb;

Some loſt the uſe of hands, or eyes,

Some armes, ſome legs, ſome thighs,

Some all their lives before forgot,

Their minds were but one darker blot;

Thoſe various pictures in the head,

And all the numerous ſhapes were fled;

And now they ranſackt memory

Languiſh'd in naked poverty,

Had loſt its mighty treaſury;

They paſt the Lethe-Lake, although they did not die.

[Page]

XIV.

Whatever leſſer Maladies men had,

They all gave place and vaniſhed;

Thoſe petty tyrants fled,

And at this mighty Conqueror ſhrunk their head.

Feavers, Agues, Palſies, Stone,

Gout, Cholick, and Conſumption,

And all the milder Generation,

By which Man-kind is by degrees undone,

Quickly were rooted out and gone;

Men ſaw themſelves freed from the pain,

Rejoyc'd, but all alas, in vain,

'Twas an unhappy remedie,

Which cur'd 'um that they might both worſe and ſooner die.

XV.

Phyſicians now could nought prevail,

They the firſt ſpoils to the proud Victor fall,

Nor would the Plague their knowledge truſt,

But feared their skill, and therefore ſlew them firſt:

So Tyrants when they would confirm their yoke,

Firſt make the chiefeſt men to feel the ſtroke,

The chiefeſt and the wiſeſt heads, leaſt they

Should ſooneſt diſobey,

Should firſt rebell, and others learn from them the way.

No aid of herbs, or juyces power,

None of Apollo's art could cure,

But helpt the Plague the ſpeedier to devour.

Phyſick it ſelf was a diſeaſe,

Phyſick the fatal tortures did increaſe,

Preſcriptions did the pains renew,

And Aeſculapius to the ſick did come,

As afterwards to Rome,

In form of Serpent, brought new poyſons with him too.

[Page]

XVI.

The ſtreams did wonder, that ſo ſoon

As they were from their Native mountains gone,

They ſaw themſelves drunk up, and fear

Another Xerxes Army near.

Some caſt into the pit the Urn,

And drink it dry at its return:

Again they drew, again they drank;

At firſt the coolneſs of the ſtream did thank,

But ſtrait the more were ſcorch'd, the more did burn;

And drunk with water in their drinking ſank:

That Urn which now to quench their thirſt they uſe,

Shortly their Aſhes ſhall incloſe.

Others into the Chryſtal brook,

With faint and wondring eyes did look,

Saw what a ghaſtly ſhape themſelves had took,

Away they would have fled, but them their leggs forſook.

Some ſnach'd the waters up,

Their hands, their mouths the cup;

They drunk, and found they flam'd the more,

And only added to the burning ſtore.

So have I ſeen on Lime cold water thrown,

Strait all was to a Ferment grown,

And hidden ſeeds of fire together run:

The heap was calm, and temperate before,

Such as the Finger could indure;

But when the moiſtures it provoke,

Did rage, did ſwell, did ſmoke,

Did move, and flame, and burn, and ſtrait to aſhes broke.

XVII.

So ſtrong the heat, ſo ſtrong the torments were,

They like ſome mighty burden bear

The lighteſt coverig of Air.

[Page]All Sexes and all Ages do invade

The bounds which Nature laid,

The Laws of modeſty which Nature made.

The Virgins bluſh not, yet uncloath'd appear,

Undreſs'd do run about, yet never fear.

The pain and the diſeaſe did now

Unwillingly reduce men to

That nakedneſs once more,

Which perfect health and innocence caus'd before.

No ſleep, no peace, no reſt,

Their wandring and affrighted minds poſſeſt;

Upon their ſouls and eyes,

Hell and Eternal horrour lies,

Unuſual ſhapes, and imagies,

Dark pictures, and reſemblances

Of things to come, and of the World below,

O're their diſtemper'd fancies go:

Sometimes they curſe, ſometimes they pray unto

The Gods above, the Gods beneath;

Sometimes they cruelties, and fury breath,

Not ſleep, but waking now was ſiſter unto death.

XVIII.

Scattered in Fields the Bodies lay,

The earth call'd to the Fowls to take their Fleſh away.

In vain ſhe call'd, they come not nigh,

Nor would their food with their own ruine buy,

But at full meals, they hunger, pine and die.

The Vulters afar off did ſee the feaſt,

Rejoyc'd, and call'd their friends to taſte,

They rallied up their troops in haſte,

Along came mighty droves,

Forſook their young ones, and their groves,

Each one his native mountain and his neſt;

They come, but all their carcaſes abhor,

[Page]And now avoid the dead men more

Than weaker birds did living men before.

But if ſome bolder fowls the fleſh eſſay,

They were deſtroy'd by their own prey.

The Dog no longer bark't at coming gueſt,

Repents its being a domeſtick Beaſt,

Did to the woods and mountains haſte:

The very Owls at Athens are

But ſeldome ſeen and rare,

The Owls depart in open day,

Rather than in infected Ivy more to ſtay.

XIX.

Mountains of bones and carcaſes,

The ſtreets, the Market-place poſſeſs,

Threatning to raiſe a new Acropolis.

Here lies a mother and her child,

The infant ſuck'd as yet, and ſmil'd,

But ſtrait by its own food was kill'd.

There parents hugg'd their children laſt,

Here parting lovers laſt embrac'd,

But yet not parting neither,

They both expir'd and went away together.

Here pris'ners in the Dungeon die,

And gain a two-fold liberty,

They meet and thank their pains

VVhich them from double chains

Of body and of iron free.

Here others poyſon'd by the ſcent

VVhich from corrupted bodies went,

Quickly return the death they did receive,

And death to others give;

Themſelves now dead the air pollute the more,

For which they others curs'd before,

[Page]Their bodies kill all that come near,

And even after death they all are murderers here.

XX.

The friend doth hear his friends laſt cries,

Parteth his grief for him, and dies,

Lives not enough to cloſe his eyes.

The father at his death

Speaks his ſon heir with an infectious breath;

In the ſame hour the ſon doth take

His fathers will, and his own make.

The ſervant needs not here be ſlain,

To ſerve his maſter in the other would again;

They languiſhing together lie,

Their ſouls away together flie;

The husband gaſp'th and his wife lies by,

It muſt be her turn next to die,

The husband and the wife

Too truly now are one, and live one life.

That couple which the Gods did entertain,

Had made their prayer here in vain;

No fates in death could then divide,

They muſt without their priviledge together both have dy'd.

XXI.

There was no number now of death,

The ſiſters ſcarce ſtood ſtill themſelves to breath:

The ſiſters now quite wearied

In cutting ſingle thred,

Began at once to part whole looms.

One ſtroak did give whole houſes dooms;

Now dy'd the froſty hairs,

The Aged and decrepid years,

[Page]They fell, and only beg'd of Fate,

Some few months more, but 'twas alas too late,

Then Death, as if aſham'd of that,

A Conqueſt ſo degenerate,

Cut off the young and luſty too;

The young were reck'ning ore

VVhat happy dayes, what joyes they had in ſtore;

But ffate, er'e they had finiſh'd their account, them ſlew.

The wretched Uſurer dyed,

And had no time to tell where he his treaſures hid.

The Merchant did behold

His Ships return with Spice and Gold;

He ſaw't, and turn'd aſide his head,

Nor thank'd the Gods, but fell amidſt his riches dead.

XXII.

The Meetings and Aſſemblies ceaſe, no more

The people throng about the Orator,

No courſe of Juſtice did appear,

No noiſe of Lawyers fill'd the ear,

The Senate caſt away

The Robe of Honour, and obey

Deaths more reſtleſs ſway,

VVhileſt that with Dictatorian power

Doth all the great and leſſer Officers devour.

No Magiſtrates did walk about;

No purple aw'd the rout,

The common people too

A purple of their own did ſhew;

And all their Bodies ore,

The ruling colours bore,

No Judge, no Legiſlators ſit

Since this new Draco came,

And harſher Laws did frame,

[Page]Laws that like his in blood are writ.

The Benches and the Pleading-place they leave,

About the ſtreets they run and rave:

The madneſs which Great Solon did of late

But counterfeit

For the advantage of the State,

Now his ſucceſſors do too truly imitate.

XXIII.

Up ſtarts the Souldier from his bed,

He though Deaths ſervant is not freed,

Death him caſhier'd, 'cauſe now his help ſhe did not need.

He that ne're knew before to yield,

Or to give back or lead the Field,

Would fain now from himſelf have fled.

He ſnatch'd his ſword now ruſted o're,

Dreadful and ſparkling now no more,

And thus in open ſtreets did roar:

How have I death ſo ill deſerv'd of thee,

That now thy ſelf thou ſhouldſt revenge on me?

Have I ſo many lives on thee beſtow'd?

Have I the earth ſo often dy'd in blood?

Have I to flatter thee ſo many ſlain?

And muſt I now thy prey remain?

Let me at leaſt, if I muſt dye,

Meet in the Field ſome gallant enemy.

Send Gods the Perſian troops again;

No they're a baſe and degenerate train;

They by our Women may be ſlain.

Give me great Heavens ſome manful foes,

Let me my death amidſt ſome valiant Grecians chooſe,

Let me ſurvive to die at Syracuſe,

Where my dear Countrey ſhall her Glory loſe

For you Great Gods! into my dying mind infuſe,

[Page]What miſeries, what doom

Muſt on my Athens ſhortly come:

My thoughts inſpir'd preſage,

Saughters and Battels to the coming Age;

Oh! might I die upon that glorious ſtage:

Oh that! but then he grasp'd his ſword, & death concludes his rage.

XXIV.

Draw back, draw back thy ſword, O Fate!

Leſt thou repent when 'tis too late,

Leſt by thy making now ſo great a waſte,

By ſpending all Man-kind upon one feaſt,

Thou ſterve thy ſelf at laſt:

What men wilt thou reſerve in ſtore,

Whom in the time to come thou mayſt devour,

When thou ſhalt have deſtroyed all before:

But if thou wilt not yet give o're,

If yet thy greedie Stomach calls for more,

If more remain whom thou muſt kill,

And if thy jawes are craving ſtill,

Carry thy fury to the Scythian coaſts,

The Northern wildneſs, and eternal froſts!

Againſt thoſe barbrous crouds thy arrows whet,

Where Arts and Laws are ſtrangers yet;

Where thou may'ſt kill, and yet the loſs will not be great,

There rage, there ſpread, and there infect the Air,

Murder whole towns and families there,

Thy worſt againſt thoſe Savage nations dare,

Thoſe whom Man-kind can ſpare,

Thoſe whom man-kind it ſelf doth fear;

Amidſt that dreadful night, and fatal cold,

There thou may'ſt walk unſeen, and bold,

There let thy Flames their Empire hold.

Unto the fartheſt Seas, and Natures ends,

Where never Summer Sun its beams extends,

[Page]Carry thy plagues, thy pains, thy heats,

Thy raging fires, thy torturing ſweats,

Where never ray, or heat did come,

They will rejoyce at ſuch a doom.

They'l bleſs thy Peſtilential fire,

Though by it they expire,

They'l thank the very Flames with which they do conſume.

XXV.

Then if that banquet will not thee ſuffice,

Seek out new Lands where thou maiſt tyrannize;

Search every forreſt, every hill,

And all that in the hollow mountains dwell;

Thoſe wild and untame troops devour,

Thereby thou wilt the reſt of men ſecure,

And that the reſt of men will thank thee for.

Let all thoſe humane beaſts be ſlain,

Till ſcarce their memory remain;

Thy ſelf with that ignoble ſlaughter fill,

'Twill be permitted thee that blood to ſpill.

Meaſure the ruder world throughout,

March all the Ocean ſhores about,

Only paſs by and ſpare the Britiſh Iſle.

Go on, and (what Columbus once ſhall do,

When daies and time unto their ripeneſs grow)

Find out new lands, and unknown countries too.

Attempt thoſe lands which yet are hid

From all Mortalitie beſide:

There thou maiſt ſteal a victory,

And none of this world hear the cry

Of thoſe that by thy wounds ſhall die;

No Greek ſhall know thy cruelty,

And tell it to poſterity.

Go, and unpeople all thoſe mighty Lands,

Deſtroy with unrelenting hands;

[Page]Go, and the Spaniards ſword prevent;

Go, make the Spaniard innocent;

Go, and root out all man-kind there,

That when the Europaean Armies ſhall appear,

Their ſin may be the leſs,

They may find all a wilderneſs,

And without blood the gold and ſilver there poſſeſs.

XXVI.

Nor is this all which we thee grant;

Rather than thou ſhould'ſt full imployment want,

We do permit in Greece it ſelf thy Kingdom plant.

Ranſack Lycurgus ſtreets throughout,

They've no defence of walls to keep thee out.

On wanton and proud Corinth ſeize,

Nor let her double waves thy flames appeaſe.

Let Cyprus feel more fires than thoſe of Love:

Let Delos which at firſt did give the Sun,

See unknown Flames in her begun,

Now let her wiſh ſhe might unconſtant prove,

And from her place might truly move:

Let Lemnos all thy anger feel,

And think that a new Vulcan fell,

And brought with him new Anvils, and new hell.

Nay at Athens too we give thee up,

All that thou find'ſt in Field, or camp, or ſhop,

Make havock there without controul

Of every ignorant and common ſoul.

But then kind Plague, thy conqueſts ſtop;

Let Arts, and let the learned there eſcape,

Upon Minerva's ſelf commit no rape;

Touch not the ſacred throng,

And let Apollo's Prieſts be (like him) young,

Let him be healthful too, and ſtrong.

[Page]But ah! too ravenous Plague, whilſt I

Strive to keep off the miſery,

The learned too as faſt as others round me die;

They from corruption are not free,

Are mortal though they give an immortality.

XXVII.

They turn'd their Authors o're, to try

What help, what cure, what remedy

All Natures ſtores againſt this Plague ſupply,

And though beſides they ſhunn'd it every where,

They ſearch'd it in their books, and fain would meet it there.

They turn'd the Records of the antient times,

And chiefly thoſe that were made famous by their crimes;

To find if men were puniſh'd ſo before,

But found not the diſeaſe nor cure.

Nature alas! was now ſurpriz'd,

And all her Forces ſeiz'd,

Before ſhe was how to reſiſt advis'd:

So when the Elephants did firſt affright

The Romans with unuſual fight,

They many battels loſe,

Before they knew their foes,

Before they underſtood ſuch dreadful troops t'oppoſe.

XXVIII.

Now ev'ry different Sect agrees

Againſt their common adverſary the diſeaſe,

And all their little wranglings ceaſe;

The Pythagoreans from their precepts ſwerve,

No more their ſilence they obſerve,

Out of their Schools they run,

Lament, and cry, and groan;

They now deſir'd their Metempſychoſis;

Not only do diſpute, but wiſh

That they might turn to beaſts, or fowls, or fiſh.

[Page]If the Platonicks had been here,

They would have curs'd their Maſters year,

When all things ſhall be as they were,

When they again the ſame diſeaſe ſhould bear:

And all the Philoſophers would now,

What the great Stagyrite ſhall do,

Themſelvs into the waters head-long throw.

XXIX.

The Stoick felt the deadly ſtroke,

At firſt aſſault their courage was not broke,

They call'd to all the Cobweb aid,

Of rules and precepts which in ſtore they had;

They bid their hearts ſtand out,

Bid them be calm and ſtout;

But all the ſtrength of precepts will not do't.

They cann't the ſtorms of paſſions now aſſwage,

As common men, are angry, grieve, and rage.

The Gods are call'd upon in vain,

The Gods gave no releaſe unto their pain,

The Gods to fear even for themſelvs began.

For now the ſick unto the temples came,

And brought more than a holy flame,

There at the Altars made their prayer,

They ſacrific'd and died there,

A ſacrifice not ſeen before;

That Heaven, only us'd unto the gore

Of Lambs or Bulls, ſhould now

Loaded with Prieſts ſee its own Altars too.

XXX.

The woods gave fun'ral piles no more,

The dead the very fire devour,

And that almighty Conqueror over-power.

The noble and the common duſt

Into each others graves are thruſt,

[Page]No place is ſacred, and no tomb,

'Tis now a priviledg to conſume;

Their aſhes no diſtinction had;

Too truly all by death are equal made.

The Ghoſts of thoſe great Heroes that had fled

From Athens long ſince baniſhed,

Now o're the City hovered;

Their anger yielded to their love,

They left th' immortal joys above,

So much their Athens danger did them move,

They came to pity and to aid,

But now, alas! were quite diſmay'd,

When they beheld the marbles open lay'd,

And poor mens bones the noble Urns invade:

Back to the bleſſed ſeats they went,

And now did thank their baniſhment,

By which they were to die in forein Countries ſent.

XXXI.

But what, Great Gods! was worſt of all,

Hell forth its magazines of Luſts did call,

Nor would it be content

With the thick troops of ſouls were thither ſent;

Into the upper world it went.

Such guilt, ſuch wickedneſs,

Such irreligion did increaſe,

That the few good who did ſurvive,

Were angry with the Plague for ſuffering them to live,

More for the living than the dead did grieve.

Some robb'd the very dead,

Though ſure to be infected ere they fled,

Though in the very Air ſure to be puniſhed.

[Page]Some nor the ſhrines nor temples ſpar'd,

Nor Gods, nor Heavens fear'd,

Though ſuch examples of their power appear'd.

Vertue was now eſteem'd an empty name,

And honeſty the fooliſh voice of fame;

For having paſs'd thoſe tort'ring flames before,

They thought the puniſhment already o're,

Thought Heaven no worſe torments had in ſtore;

Here having felt one Hell, they thought there was no more.

FINIS.

A Liſt of ſome choice Books, Printed for Henry, Brome at the Gun in Ivy-lane.

[Page]

POems Lyrique, by Mr. Henry Bold.

POems Macronique, by Mr. Henry Bold.

POems Heroique, &c. by Mr. Henry Bold.

Songs and Poems by Mr. A. Brome, the ſecond Edition.

All the Songs and Poems on the Long Parliament, from 1640 till 1661. by Perſons of Quality.

Songs and Poems by the Wits of both Univerſities.

Scarronides, or Virgil Traveſtie, a Mock-Poem, being the firſt Book of Virgils Aeneis in Engliſh, Burleſque.

Scarronnides, or Virgil Traveſtie, a Mock-Poem, being the fourth Book of Virgils Aeneis in Engliſh, Burleſque: both by a Perſon of Honour.

Alſo, a Liſt of what Damages we have received by the Dutch; And a brief Hiſtory of the late War with the Turks.

Sir George Downings Reply.

PLAYES.

The Engliſh Moor.

The Love-ſick Court.

The New Academy.

The Weeding of Covent-garden.

The Royal Exchange.

The Jovial Crew; or the Merry Beggers.

All by Mr. Bichard Brome.

Two excellent pieces of Muſick, the Diviſion Viol, or the Art of playing extempore on a Ground in folio. The principles of Practical Muſick in a Compendious Method for Beginners either in Singing or Playing, both by Mr. Ch. Simpſon.

Diodates Notes, on the whole Bible in fol.

The Compleat Hiſtory of Independency in 4 Parts, by Clement Walker Eſq.

Bp. Uſhers 18 Sermons preached at Oxon.

[Page]Blood for Blood, in 35 Tragical Stories.

The Temple of Wiſdom, by John Heyden.

Trapp on the Major Prophets, in fol.

The Alliance of Divine Offices, by Hamond Leſtrange.

Dr. Sparks Devotions on all the Feſtivals of the year, adorned with ſculpture.

Bp. Sanderſons 5 Caſes of Conſcience, lately publiſhed.

Divine Anthems ſung in all great Cathedrals in England.

A Brief rule of Life.

A Guide to Heaven from the word, or directions how to cloſe ſavingly with Chriſt, with ſtrict Obſervations on the Lords Day, in 12.

A Geographical Deſcripton of All Townes, Countreys, Ports, Seas, and Rivers, in the whole VVorld.

Juſtice Revived, or the whole Office of a Countrey Juſtice, 8o.

The Exact Conſtable: Both by Mr. Wingate Eſq.

All Mr. L'Eſtrange's pieces againſt the Presbyterians.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The plague of Athens which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warr / first described in Greek by Thucydides, then in Latin by Lucretius, now attempted in English by Tho. Sprat.

Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.

Edition statement

1667

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A61164

ID [STC]

Wing S5041

ID [STC]

ESTC R31007

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

11761329

ID [OCLC]

ocm 11761329

ID [VID]

48692

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A61164)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 48692)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1493:6)

Source

— The plague of Athens which hapned in the second year of the Peloponnesian Warr / first described in Greek by Thucydides, then in Latin by Lucretius, now attempted in English by Tho. Sprat., Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713., Thucydides., Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679..

Extent

[7], 6, 24 p.

Printed by E.C. for Henry Brome ...,. London :: 1667.. ("Let this book be printed, Roger L'Estrange, March 28, 1665" from verso t.p.) ("Contents : Thucydides, Lib. 2, As it is excellently translated by Mr. Hobbs." on p. 1-6 (first numbering)) (Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.