inated in Europe itself. The
corruption of the atmosphere came from the East; but the disease itself
came not upon the wings of the wind, but was only excited and increased
by the atmosphere where it had previously existed.

This source of the black plague was not, however, the only one; for, far
more powerful than the excitement of the latent elements of the plague
by atmospheric influences was the effect of the contagion communicated
from one people to another, on the great roads, and in the harbors of
the Mediterranean. From China, the route of the caravans lay to the
north of the Caspian Sea, through Central Asia to Tauris. Here ships
were ready to take the produce of the East to Constantinople, the
capital of commerce and the medium of connection between Asia, Europe,
and Africa. Other caravans went from India to Asia Minor, and touched at
the cities south of the Caspian Sea, and lastly from Bagdad, through
Arabia to Egypt; also the maritime communication on the Red Sea, from
India to Arabia and Egypt, was not inconsiderable. In all these
directions contagion made its way; and doubtless Constantinople and the
harbors of Asia Minor are to be regarded as the _foci_ of infection;
whence it radiated to the most distant seaports and islands.

To Constantinople the plague had been brought from the northern coast of
the Black Sea, after it had depopulated the countries between those
routes of commerce and appeared as early as 1347, in Cyprus, Sicily,
Marseilles, and some of the seaports of Italy. The remaining islands of
the Mediterranean, particularly Sardinia, Corsica, and Majorca, were
visited in succession. _Foci_ of contagion existed also in full activity
along the whole southern coast of Europe, when, in January, 1348, the
plague appeared in Avignon, and in other cities in the South of France
and North of Italy, as well as in Spain.

The precise days of its eruption in the individual towns are no longer
to be ascertained; but it was not simultaneous; for in Florence the
disease appeared in the beginning of April; in Cesena, the 1st of June;
and place after place was attacked throughout the whole year; so that
the plague, after it had passed through the whole of France and Germany,
where, however, it did not make its ravages until the following year,
did not break out till August in England; where it advanced so
gradually that a period of three months elapsed before it reached
London. The northern kingdoms were att