Чума
Part IV
Moreover,mostpeople,whentheyhadnotentirelyabandonedtheirreligiousdutiesormanagedtoreconcilethemwithprofoundlyimmoralpersonallives,hadreplacedordinaryobservancesbyquiteirrationalsuperstitions.TheyweremorelikelytowearprotectivecharmsormedallionsofSaintRochthantogotomass.
Asanexample,onemightpointtotheexcessiveuseourtownspeoplemadeofprophecies.Inthespring,indeed,theyexpectedtheillnesstoendatanytime,sonoonebotheredtoseekanyinformationaboutthedurationoftheepidemicbecausetheyhadallconvincedthemselvesthatitwouldhavenone.Butthemoretimepassed,themorepeoplecametofearthatthismisfortunereallywouldneverendand,bythesametoken,theendingoftheepidemicbecametheobjectofeveryone’shopes.SovariouspropheciesbywisemenorsaintsoftheCatholicChurchwerepassedaroundfromhandtohand.Printersinthetownveryrapidlyrealizedthatthisinterestmightbeturnedtotheiradvantageandpublishedmanycopiesofthetextsthatwereincirculation.Findingthatthepublic’sappetitewasinsatiable,theyhadsomeresearchesmadeinthetownlibrariesonallthewritingsofthiskindthatcouldbefoundinthehighwaysandbywaysofhistoryandspreadthemaroundtown.Whenhistoryitselfprovedtobeshortonprophecies,thesewerecommissionedfromjournalists,whoproved,inthisrespectatleast,tobeascompetentastheircounterpartsinearliercenturies.
