century, the very considerable
intercourse with the East was free and unimpeded. Ships of commercial
cities had often brought over the plague: nay, the former irruption of
the "Great Mortality" itself had been occasioned by navigators. For, as
in the latter end of autumn, 1347, four ships full of plague-patients
returned from the Levant to Genoa, the disease spread itself there with
astonishing rapidity. On this account, in the following year, the
Genoese forbade the entrance of suspected ships into their port. These
sailed to Pisa and other cities on the coast, where already nature had
made such mighty preparations for the reception of the Black Plague, and
what we have already described took place in consequence.

In the year 1485, when, among the cities of northern Italy, Milan
especially felt the scourge of the plague, a special Council of Health,
consisting of three nobles, was established at Venice, who probably tried
everything in their power to prevent the entrance of this disease, and
gradually called into activity all those regulations which have served in
later times as a pattern for the other southern states of Europe. Their
endeavours were, however, not crowned with complete success; on which
account their powers were increased, in the year 1504, by granting them
the right of life and death over those who violated the regulations.
Bills of health were probably first introduced in the year 1527, during a
fatal plague which visited Italy for five years (1525-30), and called
forth redoubled caution.

The first lazarettos were established upon islands at some distance from
the city, seemingly as early as the year 1485. Here all strangers coming
from places where the existence of plague was suspected were detained. If
it appeared in the city itself, the sick were despatched with their
families to what was called the Old Lazaretto, were there furnished with
provisions and medicines, and when they were cured, were detained,
together with all those who had had intercourse with them, still forty
days longer in the New Lazaretto, situated on another island. All these
regulations were every year improved, and their needful rigour was
increased, so that from the year 1585 onwards, no appeal was allowed from
the sentence of the Council of Health; and the other commercial nations
gradually came to the support of the Venetians, by adopting corresponding
regulations. Bills of health, however, were not general unt