The Black Plague

But they were unaware of the rats that left the ships by crawling on the ropes attached to the dock. The disease quickly spread all over Europe.
             People who experienced this plague dealt with painful swellings of the lymph glands, which commonly appeared in armpits and groin area, dark blisters and purple blotches, fever, severe headaches, and increasing weakness. Friends turned against friends, and families were abandoning each other. When signs of Black Death were first seen, houses were bolted up with the victims left to die inside. Sometimes houses were burned. People would go insane from the pain and run through the streets, often naked. The streets were littered with dead and often times there were no one to bury them. In some towns these bodies were collected at night and taken to field trenches where they were buried. Rich and poor were struck alike. Noblemen would try to flee from their estates only to be followed by the plague. They were more resistant to the plague because of better health and more food, but in the end they could not escape death. The cities were abandoned rapidly. While there was much chaos among some others simply did not care. They knew there was nothing they could do, so they lived each day to its fullest. They would drink unrestrainedly, steal and damage others property, and run while singing and dancing down the streets.
             The Black Death came without warning. Without physicians and philosophers knowing the answers, many people turned to storytellers and priests. The most common belief was that God sent this plague to punish people for their sins. Even the innocents were not spared. They would also have to suffer for the terrible crimes of others. Guilt lay upon the heart of every man. Therefore the first measure taken upon the plague was confession. When confession and prayer didn't work they believed that they needed to take extreme measures.