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Article ON THE MUSIC OF THE ANCIENTS. ← Page 5 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Music Of The Ancients.
swept all the inhabitants one after another . The fright and consternation are so extremely great , that the sick are abandoned by-their own relations , and cast out of their houses into the streets , upon quilts or straw-beds , amongst the dead bodies which lie there for want of people to inter them . \ Vhat a melancholy spectacle have we on all sides ! We go into the streets full of dead bodies half rotten , through which we pass to come to a dying bodyto excite him to .
, an act of contrition , and give him absolution . For above forty days together , the blessed sacrament was carried everywhere to all the sick , and the extreme unction was given them with a zeal cf which we have few examples . But the churches being infected with the stench of the-dead flung at the doors , we were obliged to leave off , and be content with confessing the poor people . At present I have
no more confessors ; the pretended corrupters of the morality of Jesus Christ ( the Jesuits ) without any obligation , have sacrificed themselves , and given their lives for their brethrJII ; whilst the gentlemen of the severe morality ( the jansenists ) are all flown , and have secured themselves , notwithstanding the obligations their benefices imposed on them ; and nothing can recall themnor ferret them out
, of their houses . The two communities of the Jesuits are quite disabled , to the reserve of one old man of 74 years , who still goes about night and day , and visits the hospitals . One more is just come from Lyons purposely t ' o hear the confessions of the infected , whose zeal does not savour much of the pretended laxity . I have had
twenty-four capuchins dead , and fourteen sick , but I am in expectation of more . Seven recollects , as many cordeliers , five or six carms , and several minims , are dead , and all the best of the clergy , both secular and regular , which grievously afflicts me . I stand in need of prayers , to enable me to support all the crosses that almost oppress me . At last the plague has got into my palace , and within seven days I lost my stewardwho accompanied me in the streets ,
, two servants , two chairmen , and my confessor ; my secretary , and another , lie sick , so that they have obliged me to quit my palace , and retire to the first president , who was so kind as to lend me his house . We are destitute of all succour ; we have no meat ; and whatsoever I could do , going all about the town , I could not meet with any that wouid undertake to distribute broth to the poor that were in want ;
The doctors of Montpclier , who came hither three or four days ago , are frightened at the horrid stench of the streets , and refuse ' to visit the sick till the deatl bodies are removed , and the streets cleansed . They had been much more surprized had thev come a fortni ght sooner : then nothing but fri ghtful dead bodies were seen on ail sides , and there was 110 stirring without vinegar at our noses , though
that could not . hinder our perceiving the filthy stench of them . I had 200 dead bodies that lay rotting under my windows for the space of eight days , and hut for the authority of the first president they had remained there much longer . At present things are much changed ; I made my round about the town , and foundybut few ; but a prodigious number of quilts and blankets , and of «! sorts of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Music Of The Ancients.
swept all the inhabitants one after another . The fright and consternation are so extremely great , that the sick are abandoned by-their own relations , and cast out of their houses into the streets , upon quilts or straw-beds , amongst the dead bodies which lie there for want of people to inter them . \ Vhat a melancholy spectacle have we on all sides ! We go into the streets full of dead bodies half rotten , through which we pass to come to a dying bodyto excite him to .
, an act of contrition , and give him absolution . For above forty days together , the blessed sacrament was carried everywhere to all the sick , and the extreme unction was given them with a zeal cf which we have few examples . But the churches being infected with the stench of the-dead flung at the doors , we were obliged to leave off , and be content with confessing the poor people . At present I have
no more confessors ; the pretended corrupters of the morality of Jesus Christ ( the Jesuits ) without any obligation , have sacrificed themselves , and given their lives for their brethrJII ; whilst the gentlemen of the severe morality ( the jansenists ) are all flown , and have secured themselves , notwithstanding the obligations their benefices imposed on them ; and nothing can recall themnor ferret them out
, of their houses . The two communities of the Jesuits are quite disabled , to the reserve of one old man of 74 years , who still goes about night and day , and visits the hospitals . One more is just come from Lyons purposely t ' o hear the confessions of the infected , whose zeal does not savour much of the pretended laxity . I have had
twenty-four capuchins dead , and fourteen sick , but I am in expectation of more . Seven recollects , as many cordeliers , five or six carms , and several minims , are dead , and all the best of the clergy , both secular and regular , which grievously afflicts me . I stand in need of prayers , to enable me to support all the crosses that almost oppress me . At last the plague has got into my palace , and within seven days I lost my stewardwho accompanied me in the streets ,
, two servants , two chairmen , and my confessor ; my secretary , and another , lie sick , so that they have obliged me to quit my palace , and retire to the first president , who was so kind as to lend me his house . We are destitute of all succour ; we have no meat ; and whatsoever I could do , going all about the town , I could not meet with any that wouid undertake to distribute broth to the poor that were in want ;
The doctors of Montpclier , who came hither three or four days ago , are frightened at the horrid stench of the streets , and refuse ' to visit the sick till the deatl bodies are removed , and the streets cleansed . They had been much more surprized had thev come a fortni ght sooner : then nothing but fri ghtful dead bodies were seen on ail sides , and there was 110 stirring without vinegar at our noses , though
that could not . hinder our perceiving the filthy stench of them . I had 200 dead bodies that lay rotting under my windows for the space of eight days , and hut for the authority of the first president they had remained there much longer . At present things are much changed ; I made my round about the town , and foundybut few ; but a prodigious number of quilts and blankets , and of «! sorts of