the enjoyments of life. In
Denmark and Norway, however, people were so occupied with their own
misery, that the accustomed voyages to Greenland ceased. Towering
icebergs formed at the same time on the coast of East Greenland, in
consequence of the general concussion of the earth's organism; and no
mortal, from that time forward, has ever seen that shore or its
inhabitants.

It has been observed above, that in Russia the Black Plague did not break
out until 1351, after it had already passed through the south and north
of Europe. In this country also, the mortality was extraordinarily
great; and the same scenes of affliction and despair were exhibited, as
had occurred in those nations which had already passed the ordeal: the
same mode of burial--the same horrible certainty of death--the same
torpor and depression of spirits. The wealthy abandoned their treasures,
and gave their villages and estates to the churches and monasteries; this
being, according to the notions of the age, the surest way of securing
the favour of Heaven and the forgiveness of past sins. In Russia, too,
the voice of nature was silenced by fear and horror. In the hour of
danger, fathers and mothers deserted their children, and children their
parents.

Of all the estimates of the number of lives lost in Europe, the most
probable is, that altogether a fourth part of the inhabitants were
carried off. Now, if Europe at present contain 210,000,000 inhabitants,
the population, not to take a higher estimate, which might easily by
justified, amounted to at least 105,000,000 in the sixteenth century.

It may therefore be assumed, without exaggeration, that Europe lost
during the Black Death 25,000,000 of inhabitants.

That her nations could so quickly overcome such a fearful concussion in
their external circumstances, and, in general, without retrograding more
than they actually did, could so develop their energies in the following
century, is a most convincing proof of the indestructibility of human
society as a whole. To assume, however, that it did not suffer any
essential change internally, because in appearance everything remained as
before, is inconsistent with a just view of cause and effect. Many
historians seem to have adopted such an opinion; accustomed, as usual, to
judge of the moral condition of the people solely according to the
vicissitudes of earthly power, the events of battles, and the influence
of religion, but to pass over wit