Part 3

In the mean while, the Distemper continuing in the Street of Lescalle, the 29th of July, and 10 Days after successively, the Sheriffs are obliged to give Nightly the same Attendance, and in the Daytime to make continual Search after all those who had Communication with the Sick or Dead: People fall sick in several other Parts of the Town; they are confined in Places by themselves by Guards; some of them Dye, and every Night M. Estelle and Moustier, go by Turns to see them carried off, to remove the rest to the Infirmaries, and to fasten up or perfume Houses; Labours as dangerous as toilsome, especially when after having sat up and staid all Night in the Street, they find themselves obliged to apply all the Day after to a thousand other Things no less troublesome.

M. Audimar and Dieudé, the other Sheriffs, are fatigued on their part with continual Care and Pains, arising from the Increase of necessary Business in a Town, where the common Course of Occurrences takes up all the Time the Civil Magistrate can bestow. M. Dieudé, however, goes two Nights together, to accompany the Officers at removing the Dead and the Sick.

The Marquis de Pilles, the Governor, is perpetually co-operating with them all; he is every Day, from Morning till Night, at the Town-House, applying himself indefatigably to all that his Zeal and Prudence suggest to him; and to all that the maintaining of good Order requires on such an Occasion.

The whole Sum in Specie at this time in the City-Treasury, is but 1100 Livres; and 'tis manifest, that if the City come to be thoroughly infected, all must perish for Want of Money: This obliges the Sheriffs to write to the First President, to press him earnestly to be pleased to procure Money for them.

Bread-Corn being scarce, is immediately run up to an exorbitant Price; to prevent therefore its being hoarded up to make it dearer, an Ordinance is issued at my Instance, to forbid the hoarding it, on severe Penalties. Two other Ordinances are published at the same time, forbidding all Persons to have and keep in the Town, any thing that might contribute to the spreading of the Contagion.

The 30th of July, a general View and Inventory is taken of all the Provisions in the City; and the Sheriffs finding hardly any Bread-Corn, Meat, or Wood, and little Money in the Treasury to buy Stores with; all things excessively dear; Disorder increasing; the Populace as poor as frighten'd; all the Persons of Condition and the Rich already fled: They write to M. le Pelletier des Forts, and representing to him the deplorable Condition of Marseilles, beseech him to intercede with his Royal Highness to grant them some Supplies.

The 31st of July, another Ordinance is issued at my Instance, to oblige all strange Beggars to depart the City this Day; and those settled in the Town, to retire into the Hospital de la Charité, on the Penalty of being whipped.

But this Ordinance is not put in Execution, because we learn the same Day, that the Chamber of Vacations of the Parliament of Aix, on the Rumour that the Plague is in Marseilles, has publish'd an Arrêt, forbidding the Marseillians to stir out of the Bounds of their own Territory; the Inhabitants of all the Towns and Places of Provence to communicate with them, or to harbour them; and all Muleteers, Carriers, and all others, to go to Marseilles, for what Cause, or under what Pretext soever, on Pain of Death.

In this Condition, how could 2 or 3000 Beggars, that were then in the City, be turned out of it? Not being able to pass beyond the Limits of the Territory, they would be constrained to stay there, and to ravage it for Subsistance.

The 1st of August, M. Sicard, Father and Son, Physicians, come to the Town-House, to tell the Sheriffs, that it is not to be doubted the Distemper in the City is really the Plague, but that they make sure Account they shall put an end to it, if they will do what they shall prescribe; which is to buy up a great Quantity of Wood, Brushes and Faggots; to lay them in Piles, at small Distances, along the Walls of the Town, and in all publick Walks, open Places, Squares, and Markets; to oblige every private Person to lay a Heap of them before his House, in all the Streets in general; and to set them all on fire at the same time, in the Beginning of the Night; which will most certainly put an End to the Plague.

Every body being willing to make this Experiment; and all the other Physicians, who are called daily to the Town-House to give an Account of the Progress of the Distemper, not disapproving it; the Sheriffs forthwith cause all the Wood, Faggots, and Brushes that can be found, to be bought up; and M. Audimar and Dieudé go with the utmost Ardour to see them placed along the Walls, and in the publick Walks and Places.

The 2d of August they publish an Ordinance, commanding all the Inhabitants to make each a Bonfire before his House, and to light it at 9 a-Clock at Night, the Moment those along the Walls and in the publick Places shall be lighted. This is executed: It is a magnificent Sight, to behold a Circuit of Walls, of so large, so vast Extent, all illuminated; and if this should cure the City, it would certainly be cured in a most joyful and agreeable manner.

The Magistrates, who to satisfy the Publick, and to avoid all Reproach, make such Experiments, cannot however sleep upon the Success promised from them; Prudence requires they should pursue proper Measures, and not be with-held by vain Hopes: They write to the First President, and desire him, since the Roads are barricaded against them, to be pleased to dispatch for them a Courier to the Court, to represent their Misery, and the Inconveniences they have ground to fear, as being without a Penny of Money, while they are in Dread of wanting every thing, and of having the Calamity of Famine superadded to that of the Plague.

They write to the Council of Marine likewise, acquainting them what Number of Sick they actually have, and how many Dead they have carried to, and buried at the Infirmaries.

The same Day, in the Assembly held daily at the Town-House with the municipal Officers, and such of the chief Citizens as have not yet fled, M. de Pilles presiding, it was resolved:

1. That whereas the Number of the Sick increases more and more, especially in the Street of Lescalle, a Corps de Garde shall be posted at every Avenue of that street, to hinder any one's going into, or coming out of it; and that Commissaries of Victualling shall be appointed to go and distribute Provisions to the Families inhabiting that Street.

2. That all the Captains of the City shall each raise a Company of 50 Men of the Militia, to be paid by the City: And that however, the Five Brigades called the Brigades du Privilege du Vin, with their Officers, shall serve every where as a Guard to the Sheriffs in their Marches in the Night, to see the Dead and Sick carry'd off to the Infirmaries.

3. That the Physicians and Surgeons already employ'd, may be induced to serve with the greater Diligence, and not to demand any fee of the Sick, they shall have Salaries from the City, and be allowed Sarrots of oiled Cloth, and Chairs, for their more easy Conveyance every where.

4. That seeing the City has no Money, and that it must indispensibly be had, Advertisements shall be publickly affixed, for taking Loans of Money at 5 per Cent. to try to get some by that means: And that the Treasurer not being able to come to reside at the Town-House, M. Bouys, First Clerk of the Records, shall be Cashier there.

The 3d of August, the Marquess de Pilles, and the Sheriffs, being reassembled with the same Citizens, appoint 150 Commissaries in the 5 Parishes of the City, to look each in the Quarter assigned him to the Wants of the Poor; to distribute to them Bread, and other Subsistance, at the Charge of the City; and to do whatever else they shall be directed for the publick Good and Welfare.

In that Part of the Town called the Rive Neuve, which lies beyond the Port, and extends from the Abbey of St. Victor to the Arsenal, the Chevalier Rose is appointed Captain and Commissary General.

And in the Territory, (i.e. the Country belonging to Marseilles) which is like a vast City, there being above Ten thousand Houses, called Bastides, in the 44 Quarters and dependent Parishes, of which it is composed, besides several pretty large Villages; one Captain and some Commissaries are appointed for each, to take the like Care.

The same Day, for preventing Communication among Children, who, as it is said, are most susceptible of the Plague, the College and all the Publick Schools are shut up.

As for the Fires advised by the Two Sicards, they are forborn: Notice is given, that those Two Physicians have deserted the City; besides, there is no Wood, Faggots, or Brushes, to be had; but a Quantity of Brimstone is bought up, and distributed among the Poor, in all Quarters of the Town, and the Insides of all the Houses are order'd to be perfumed.

In the Evening, the Marquis de Pilles and the Sheriffs, being still assembled in the Town-House, Notice is given them, that four or five Hundred of the Populace are got together in the Quarter called l'Aggrandissement, and are very disorderly, crying out they will have Bread; the Bakers of that Quarter, by reason of the Scarcity of Corn, not having made the usual Quantity, so that many Persons could not be served: The Marquess de Pilles and M. Moustier hasten thither, followed by some Guards; their Presence puts a Stop to the Tumult, and they entirely appease the People, by causing some Bread to be given them.

The 4th, the Officers of the Garison of Fort St. John come to the Town-House, acquaint the Sheriffs that they are in want of Bread-Corn, and desire a Supply from them; declaring, that otherwise they cannot answer that the Troops of their Garison will not come into the City, and take Corn by Force. The Sheriffs reply, that they would willingly furnish them if they had Stores sufficient; but the Want themselves are in, is so great, that they cannot do it; and if Violence should be offered to the Inhabitants, they would appear at their Head to defend them.

The same Day it being taken into Consideration, that the Arrêt issued by the Chamber of Vacations, having interdicted all Communication between the Inhabitants of the Province, and those of Marseilles; if Things should remain at this Pass, and no Body should bring in Corn, and other Provisions, we should soon be reduced to the Extremity of Famine, the Sheriffs resolve to have Recourse to the First President. Accordingly they send to intreat him to establish, as had been done formerly, Markets, and Barriers for Conference, at certain proper Places, whither Strangers, without being exposed to any Risque, might bring us Provisions: At the same time they write to the Procurators of the Country of Provence, to be pleas'd to concur therein. It is impossible, certainly, to exert more Compassion to the Miseries of an afflicted City, than they did; and particularly the Consuls of the several Towns: Marseilles will never forget the Services done her in this Calamity, nor the Kindness, Zeal and Readiness with which they were done.

The same Day, the Sheriffs considering the Disorders which often happen in a Time of Contagion, the Necessity of using speedy Means to suppress them, and of making Examples of Malefactors and Rebels; and that as often as this City has been visited with the Plague, as in 1580, 1630, 1649, and 1650, our Kings have constantly granted to their Predecessors in the Magistracy, by Letters Patents, the Power of judging all Crimes finally, and without Appeal; they write again to the First President, desiring him to procure for them from his Majesty the like Letters Patents.