Чума
Part III
Thosewhohadlivedthereuntilthattimewereboundtoconsiderthismeasureasaformofvictimizationparticularlydirectedagainstthem;inanycase,theyconsideredtheinhabitantsofotherareastobefreemen.Meanwhile,peoplefromtheseotherareasfoundsomeconsolationinhardtimesintheideathattherewerethosestilllessfreethanthemselves."There’salwayssomeonemorecaptivethanIam,"wasthestatementthatsummeduptheonlypossiblehopeatthattime.
Inroughlythissameperiod,therewasanincreasednumberoffires,especiallyintheleisuredistrictsaroundthewestgatesofthetown.Investigationshowedthatthesewereduetopeoplewhohadcomebackfromquarantineand,drivenmadbygriefandmisfortune,setlighttotheirhousesundertheillusionthatthiswouldkilltheplague.Itwasveryhardtofighttheseendeavours,whichwerefrequentenoughtoputwholedistrictsinpermanentdangerbecauseoftheviolenceofthewind.Afterithadbeendemonstrated,tonoavail,thatdisinfectionofhousesbytheauthoritieswasenoughtoprotectagainstanyriskofcontamination,itbecamenecessarytoimposeveryharshpenaltiesontheseinnocentpyromaniacs.Itwasapparentlynottheideaofprisonitselfthatdiscouragedtheseunfortunates,buttheideathattheysharedwitheveryoneelse,namelythataprisontermwasequivalenttoadeathsentence,becauseoftheveryhighmortalityratefoundinthemunicipaljail.Ofcourse,thisbeliefwasnotwithoutfoundation.
