n be
induced to give up the beds and clothing they had used to be burnt, or
to purify and air their houses. Out of humor, angry, and wearied of
their fruitless toil, the physicians sat together round one of the
carts, which they had fitted up as their night-quarters. The horses
were fastened to the trees, whilst each man made ready with the means
at hand. Erastus still went about the neighboring houses, to at least
aid the sick as far as possible, and only when darkness prevented any
further visitation did the conscientious physician seek his own narrow
cart. Wearied he stretched himself out and gazed upwards at the starry
sky, whose pure beauty formed a singular contrast to the misery going
on around him. Jupiter beamed in calm splendor, and to the South shone
the ruddy Mars. "Can your conjunctions have anything to do with death,
plague and pestilence?" thought the physician, who was generally known
as an opponent of astrology. Then he also slumbered off, but in his
restless sleep he heard the laborers stealing the provision and
guzzling the wine set aside for the sick. Towards morning there was an
alarm. Some scoundrels had furtively approached the provision cart and
attempted to quietly draw it away. But two of the laborers, who
contrary to Erastus' orders had laid down between some sacks, awoke and
roared for help, at which the thieves disappeared in the darkness. At
day-break the expedition arose with stiff limbs, heavy heads, and in a
most dejected condition of mind. The fruitless negotiations with the
people demoralised through sickness began anew. As Erastus perceived
that in this way he would never attain his object, he determined to
copy the example which had been set him the day previous. He turned his
back to the scolding women, and directed his steps towards the church,
whose steeple ranged high above the houses and trees. Surrounded by a
low broken down wall, the small white village church gleamed through
the fruit trees amidst wooden crosses and sunken graves. The physician
thought of turning this into an hospital, but the narrow space would
only hold at the most thirty patients. He had to take hay and straw by
force from the stalls, and with these the laborers prepared a clean
litter along the walls of the church. Erastus and some of his
assistants returned to the carts to fetch blankets and linen. On his
return, he saw a column of smoke arising near the chapel and an alarm
of fire was raised in the quiet