Чума
Part III
Inanycase,asfarastheepidemicmedalwasconcerned,ithadthedisadvantageofnotproducingtheeffectonmoralewhichresultedfromtheawardofamilitarydecoration,sinceitwasquiteroutinetogetsuchadecorationintheeventofanepidemic.Sonoonewashappy.
Moreover,theprisonauthoritiescouldnotactinthesamewayasthereligiousand,toalesserextent,militaryauthorities.Themonksfromtheonlytwoconventsinthetownhadbeendispersedandhousedprovisionallyinpiousfamilies.Inthesameway,whereverpossible,smallgroupsofmenhadbeentakenoutofbarracksandbilletedonschoolsorpublicbuildings.Inthisway,thediseasewhichhadapparentlybroughttheinhabitantsofOrantogetherinthesolidarityofpeopleundersiege,atthesametimebrokeuptraditionalassociationsanddroveindividualsbackintosolitude.Therewasdismay.
Asyoumightimagine,allthesecircumstances,togetherwiththewind,inflamedsomepeople’sminds.Again,thegatesofthetownwererepeatedlyattackedatnight,butthistimebysmallarmedgroups.Therewereexchangesoffire,afewwoundedandsomeescapes.Thesentrypostswerereinforcedandsuchattacksquitequicklyceased.Theywereenough,however,toraiseabreathofrevoltinthetown,whichledtosomescenesofviolence.Housesthathadbeensetonfireorshutupforhealthreasonswerepillaged.Infact,itwashardtobelievethatsuchactionswerepremeditated.
