t the town
of Narbonne was devastated by a maladie des aines. We have records of
epidemics in France from 567 to 590, in which bubonic symptoms were a
prominent feature. About the middle of the fourteenth century the
bubonic plague made another incursion from the East. In 1333, fifteen
years before the plague appeared in Europe, there were terrible
droughts in China followed by enormous floods in which thousands of
people perished. There are traditions of a plague in Tche in 1334,
following a drought, which is said to have carried off about 5,000,000
people. During the fifteen years before the appearance of the plague in
Europe there were peculiar atmospheric phenomena all over the world,
besides numerous earthquakes. From the description of the stinking
atmosphere of Europe itself at this time it is quite possible that part
of the disease came, not from China, but originated in Southern Europe
itself. From China the route of caravans ran to the north of the
Caspian Sea, through Asia, to Tauris. Here ships were ready to take the
produce of the East to Constantinople, the capital of commerce, and the
medium of communication between Europe, Asia, and Africa. Other
caravans went from Europe to Asia Minor and touched at the cities south
of the Caspian Sea, and lastly there were others from Bagdad through
Arabia to Egypt; the maritime communication on the Red Sea to Arabia
and Egypt was also not inconsiderable. In all these directions
contagion found its way, though doubtless Constantinople and the
harbors of Asia Minor were the chief foci of infection, whence it
radiated to the most distant seaports and islands. As early as 1347 the
Mediterranean shores were visited by the plague, and in January, 1348,
it appeared in the south of France, the north of Italy, and also in
Spain. Place after place was attacked throughout the year, and after
ravishing the whole of France and Germany, the plague appeared in
England, a period of three months elapsing before it reached London.
The northern kingdoms were attacked in 1349, but in Russia it did not
make its appearance before 1351.

As to the mortality of this fearful epidemic Dupony considers that in
the space of four years more than 75,000,000 fell victims, that is,
about half of the population of the countries visited. Hecker estimates
that from 1347 to 1351, 25,000,000 people died, or one-quarter of the
total population of Europe. It was reported to Pope Clement that
throughout th