De morbo Gallico·

¶The begynnynge of the frenche pockes, and why it hath dy∣uers names. Ca. i. (Book 1)

IT hathe pleased god, that in our tyme sycknesses shuld aryse, whiche were to our forefathers (as it maye be wel coniectured) vnknowē. In the yere of Christ. 1493. or there about, this pestiferus euyll creped amongest the people, not only in Fraunce, but fyrst appered at Naples, in the frenche∣mennes hoste, (wherof it toke his name) whiche kept warre vnder the frenche kyng Charles, before hit appered in any other place. By whiche occasion the frenche men puttynge from them this abh••rred name, calle it not the frenche pockes / but the euyl of Naples / reckenynge it to theyr rebuke, if this pestilent disease shulde be named the frenche pockes. Not withstandynge the cō∣sent of all nacions hath obteyned / and we also in this boke wyll calle hit the frenche pockes, not for any enuye that we beare to so noble and gentyll a nacion, but bycause we fere, that all mē shuld not vnderstande / if we gaue it any other name.

¶At the fyrste rysynge therof some men supersticiously named it meuyn syckenes of the name (I know not) of what saynt. some accompted it to come of Iob scabbe, whom this syckenes (I thynke) hath brought in to the numbre of seyntes. Some i••ged it to be the infirmitie / wherwith the monke E∣uager was greued, throughe immoderate colde and eatynge of rawe meates, whan he was in desert. And therfore he also was sought from ferre countreyes, with great resorte of men, offryng gyftes habundant∣ly at his chappelle, whiche is in Vestrike. And bycause the name of sayncte Euager was not knowen among•• the common peo∣ple of Almayne, they called it Fyacres sic∣kenes for Euagers. Not enquerynge what the ••rues of these were, but onely beleued that these coulde helpe them. Suche opini∣ons hadde the people, and thus they dydde ryse: There was ymages offered and han∣ged before saynt Roche, and his olde sores were newe remembred, whiche thynge if it were done of a godly mynde / I do not re∣pro••e / but if it were done, that those might get auātage that were the inuenters therof, I meruayle that disceyte shulde haue place in so great discomforte and sorow, and in so

myserable distruction of mankynde.

¶But the deuines dyd interpretate this to be the wrathe of god, and to be his punys∣shement for our euyll lyuynge. And so dyd openly pr••ache, as though they, admytted into that hye counsaylle of god / had there lerned / that men neuer lyued worse, or as who sayth in that golden worlde of Augu∣stus and Tiberius, whan Christe was here on erthe, moste myscheuous diseases dydde not begynne: or as who sayth, that nature hath no power to brynge in newe diseases, whiche in all other thynges maketh great chaunges, or as who saythe, that within shorte tyme in our dayes (bicause men beth now of good fyuyng) the remedy of Gua∣iacum is founde for this sickenes. So well these thynges do agree, whiche these mens myndes that declare god (as they thynke) do preache vnto vs. Than began the phisi∣tions busynesse, whiche serche not what shulde take away this disese, but what was the cause therof, for they myght not abyde the syght of it, moche more they abstayned from touchynge. For whan it fyrste began, it was of suche fylthynes / that a mā wold scarsely thynke this syckenesse, that nowe reygneth, to be of that kynde. They were

byles, sharpe, and stondynge out, hauynge the similitude and quantite of acorne••, from whiche came so foule humours, and so gret stynche, that who so euer ones smelled it, thought hym selfe to be enfect. The colour of these pusshes was derke grene / and the syght therof was more greuous vnto the pacient than the peyne it selfe: a••d yet their peynes were as thoughe they hadde lyen in the fyre.

¶ This disease (not longe after his begyn∣nyng) entred into Germania, where it hath wandred more largely than in any other place: whiche thynge I do ascribe vnto our intemperaunce.

¶ They whiche than toke counsayle of the sterres, prophisied / that euyl not to endure aboue .vij. yeres, wherin they were discey∣ued, if they ment of this disease and all the iuel that cometh therof: but if they mēt it of the forsaid most fylthye kynde, whiche co∣meth of hym selfe / & not only of enfection, but through the corruption of the ayre, or the ordinance of god: than were they not disceyued. For it taryed nat longe aboue the .vii. yere. But the infyrmitie, that came after, whiche remayneth yet / is nothynge so fylthye. For the sores at som tymes beth

lytel, not so hye nor so hard. And somtyme there is a certayne brode crepynge scabbe / for his benym entreth deper, and bryngeth forth more diseases.

¶It is thought this kynde nowe adayes to growe in any person, but through infec∣tion by defilynge of hym selfe, which thing especially happeneth by copulation. For it appereth manifestly, that yonge chyldren / olde men, and other, whiche are not gyuen to the bodily lust, beth very seldome enfec∣ted therwith. And the more that man is gy¦uen to wantonnesse, the sooner he is infec∣ted. And as they lyue, that beth taken ther∣with / so other it shortely leaueth them, or longe holdeth them, or vtterly consumeth them. For it is very easy vnto the Italians and Spanyardes, and to su••he as liue sober¦ly, but through our surfetynge and intem∣perate lyuynge, hit dothe longe contynue with vs, and greuousely dothe vexe and chafe vs.