Black Death

(1349)

Henry Knighton

Henry Knighton. 1918. Illustrations of Chaucer's England. Edited by Dorothy Huhes. Essex, Eng.: Longman Group Limited.

introduction

SOURCE: From Dorothy Hughes, ed., Illustrations of Chaucer’s England [Essex, Eng.: Longman Group Limited, 1918], doc. 3, pp. 145-149. By permission of Longman Group Limited.

Then the dreadful pestilence made its way through the coast land by Southampton, and reached Bristol, and there perished almost the whole strength of the town, as it were surprised by sudden death; for few kept their beds more than two or three days, or even half a day. Then this cruel death spread on all sides. […] And there died at Leicester, in the small parish of St. Leonard more than 380 persons, in the parish of Holy Cross, 400, in the parish of St. Margaret’s Leicester, 700; and so in every parish, in a great multitude. Then the Bishop of Lincoln sent notice throughout his whole diocese giving general power to all priests, as well regulars¹ as seculars², of hearing confessions and giving absolution to all persons with full Episcopal authority, except only in case of debt. And in this case, the debtor was to pay the debt, if he were able, while he lived, or others were to be appointed to do so from his property after his death. In the same way the Pope gave plenary remission of all offences to all receiving absolution a the point of death, and granted that this power should endure until Easter next following, and that every one might choose his own confessor at will.

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There was great cheapness of all things, owing to the general fear of death, since very few people took any account of riches or property of any kind.

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Wherefore many crops rotted in the fields for want of men to gather them. But in the year of the pestilence, as has been said above, of other things, there was so great an abundance of all kinds of corn8 that they were scarcely regarded.

The Scots, hearing of the dreadful pestilence in England, surmised that it had come about at the hand of an avenging God, and it became an oath among them, so that, according to the common report, they were accustomed to swear “be the foul deth of Engelond.” Thus, believing that a terrible vengeance of God had overtaken the English, they came together in Selkirk forest with the intention of invading the realm of England, when the fierce mortality overtook them and their ranks were thinned by sudden and terrible death, so that in a short time some 5000 perished. And as the rest, the strong and the feeble, were making ready to return to their own country, they were pursued and surprised by the English, who killed a very great number of them.

[footnotes: 1regulars: those priests in a monastic order 2seculars: the clergy in the secular world, such as a parish priest 8corn: grain]

Master Thomas Bradwardine was consecrated by the pope as Archbishop of Canterbury, and when he returned to England, he came to London, and was dead within two days. He was renowned above all other clerks9 in Christendom, especially in theology and other liberal sciences. At this time there was everywhere so great a scarcity of priests that many churches were left destitute, without divine service, masses, matins10, vespers11, or sacraments. A chaplain was scarcely to be had to serve any church for less than £10 or 10 marks, and whereas when there was an abundance of priests before the pestilence a chaplain could be had for 4, 5, or 11 marks, with his board, at this time there was scarcely one willing to accept any vicarage at £20 or 20 marks. Within a little time, however, vast numbers of men whose wives had died in the pestilence flocked to take orders, many of whom were illiterate, and as it were mere laymen, save so far as they could read a little, although without understanding.

In the meantime the King sent notice into all counties of the realm that reapers and other labourers should not receive more than they had been wont, under a penalty defined by statute; and he introduced a statute for this cause. But the labourers were so arrogant and hostile that they paid no heed to the King’s mandate, but if anyone wanted to have them he was obliged to give them whatever they asked, and either to lose his fruits and crops, or satisfy their greed and arrogance. But the King levied heavy fines upon abbots, priors, knights of great and less degree, and others great and small throughout the countryside when it became known to him that they did not observe his ordinance, and gave higher wages to their labourers; taking 100s. from some, 40s. or 20s. from others, according as they were able to pay. Moreover he took 20s. from each plough-land throughout the kingdom, and notwithstanding this, he also took a “fifteenth.”

Then the King caused many labourers to be arrested and sent them to prison, many of whom escaped and went away to the forests and woods for a time, and those who were taken were heavily fined. Others swore that they would not take wages higher than had formerly been the custom, and so were set free from prison. The same thing was done in the case of other labourers in the towns….After the pestilence many buildings both great and small in all cities, towns, and boroughs fell into ruins for want of inhabitants, and in the same way many villages and hamlets were depopulated, and there were no houses left in them, all who had lived therein being dead; and it seemed likely that many such hamlets would never again be inhabited. In the following winter there was such dearth of servants for all sorts of labour as it was believed had never been seen before. For the sheep and cattle strayed in all directions without herdsmen, and all things were left with none to care for them. Thus necessaries became so dear that what had previously been worth 1d. was now worth 4d. or 5d. Moreover, the great men of the land and other lesser lords who had tenants, remitted the payment of their rents, lest the tenants should go away, on account of the scarcity of servants and the high price of all things – some half their rents, some more, some less, some for one, two, or three years according as they could come to an agreement with them. Similarly, those who had let lands on labour-rents to tenants as is the custom in the case of villeins12, were obliged to relieve and remit these services, either excusing them entirely, or taking them on easier terms, in the form of a small rent, lest their houses should be irreparably ruined and the land should remain uncultivated. And all sorts of food became excessively dear.

[footnotes: 9clerks: clergy 10matins: morning prayers 11vespers: evening prayers 12villeins: serfs or peasants]