CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE PLAGUE AT OXFORD AND OTHER MATTERS.
The members of Lincoln College were for the most part inclined to theParliament, though the King had also some friends among them. Thechief of these was one Master Webberley, a Fellow, a man of alitigious and disputatious temper, whom his Majesty's cause doubtlesspleased the better that it pleased not the greater part of hissociety. But 'twould be ungracious in me to speak ill of him, not onlybecause he always showed me much kindness, but because he was content,as will be seen hereafter, to suffer for his opinions. As for DoctorHood, the Rector, he was, as I have said, somewhat of a weathercock,turning always according to the wind that blew. Now, on my coming backto my chamber, he was mighty pleasant to me (chancing to meet me inthe new quadrangle) and told me that the College was proud to have onewho could use both his sword and pen, and other fine things of thesame kind, which there is no need to report. 'Twas fair weather thenwith the King's cause, but 'twas clouded over very soon, and MasterRector's countenance changed therewith. It was not four daysafterwards that he passed me, taking no heed of my reverence whichbefore he had most courteously acknowledged. Then thought I withmyself, "Doubtless, there is ill news from the King." And so it was,as I heard within the space of half-an-hour, viz., that the PrinceRupert and my Lord Newcastle (but my Lord Newcastle was in no ways toblame, as I have heard) had suffered a most grievous defeat at MarstonMoor, near to the City of York, at which defeat well nigh the whole ofthe north country was lost to the King. From that day I had smallfavour from Master Rector. But with this I concerned myself butlittle.
During the vacation, that is about the space of three months and more,from July to October, I applied myself diligently to my books, thoughI did not neglect my military exercises; in them I was by this timesomewhat proficient. Indeed, as having done actual service in war Ihad an officer's place amongst the troop which was raised by theUniversity for the King, and myself taught the rudiments of themilitary art to the new comers. And, indeed, there was but littlerecreation other than soldiering. There was much playing, indeed, withcards and dice in the guard-houses, but such things were never to mytaste, nor indeed had I the gold pieces which are a man's bestintroduction to such places. But as for the sport that was followedoutside the walls, fishing and fowling, to wit, and the likeenjoyments, it was hardly to be got. It was as like as not that he whowent forth hoping to catch something should himself be caught. I donot call to mind indeed that I had any sport, save only fives playwith a certain Edward Wood, second son of Mistress Wood, of whom, as Ihave written above, my father rented a house in Oxford. The saidEdward Wood was a portionist, or, as it is sometimes named, apostmaster, of Merton College, and we were wont to use the fives playin the garden, that lies on the south side of the chapel of the saidCollege. At the west end of this garden the wall has been built uphigher than ordinary to serve this purpose, and the grass has beenexchanged for stone. Sometimes one or other of the young courtierswould join us at our play. I know not whether I had pleasanter timesthan in this fives court. Edward Wood did not tarry long at MertonCollege, being promoted to a scholarship at Trinity College, but I wasprivileged to use the place till the very end of my sojourn in Oxford.
_Merton College Chapel. Fives-play in the Garden._]
At the beginning of the next term there fell upon the City of Oxford adreadful calamity, that is to say, a fire, so great as had not beenknown within the memory of living man. It is said, indeed, that,considering the shortness of the time wherein it burned, it exceededin damage all fires that had before been in England. It began onSunday, the eighth day of October, about two of the clock in theafternoon in a little poor house on the south side of Thames Street(which leads from the North Gate to the East Bridge). The wind blewfrom the north, and being very high greatly increased the damage, sothat much of the city that was built to the south of Thames Street wasconsumed. On the other hand it is to be remembered that no hall, orcollege, or church, or magazine for ammunition or victuals, wasconsumed. As for the cause of this conflagration, there was muchdiversity of opinion. It was to be expected that it should be laid tothe account of the Parliament soldiers, of whom there was a body atAbingdon town, not more than three miles distant from Oxford. Indeed,one of their officers, a Major Burne by name, had, it was said,threatened this very thing against the city. He was reported to havecried out, "If I cannot burn all Oxford, yet will I burn so much as Ican." It was allowed also that the fire burst out in many places atonce, and it could not therefore have been caused by an accident. Alsothe time of its breaking out was noted, which was two of the clock inthe afternoon, when many of the citizens were at church, and so unableto attend to the speedy putting out of the flames. For myself I takelittle heed of these things, which would in any case have been said.On the other hand it is certain that the fire in the house in ThamesStreet came from a footsoldier roasting a pig which he had stolen. Ofthe buildings that were consumed the most important were aprinting-office and a house which had been newly set apart for thekeeping of wills.
The next year--to speak of calamities which befell the city--when thesummer began to draw on, there befell a great sickness of the plague.It may be said that during the whole time, from the King's firstcoming to Oxford to the surrender of the city, the distemper neveraltogether departed, seeming to sleep during the cold weather, butwaking again and raging, now less, now more, when the spring returned.Nor was this to be wondered at. For it was with Oxford as it was withthe City of Athens in the Peloponnesian War, of which Thucydides haswritten. 'Twas grievously overcrowded; for there lodged therein theKing and his Court and officers of the Government and the army, to thenumber, not always, indeed, but sometimes, of ten thousand and more,and many traders that came thither for the sake of trading, buying,and selling, and not a few of the King's party that sought shelterwithin the walls, as indeed did my mother and sister. Of scholars,indeed there were but few, the University being then changed into agarrison town. Nevertheless, the number of souls in the city must havebeen doubled and more; and these also confined within a very narrowspace, for it was not possible to live without the walls for fear ofthe enemy.
About April, therefore, in this year (which is the year 1645), theplague beginning to increase, the Councillor of the city issued aproclamation concerning it. If any house was suspected of the plagueit was commanded to be shut up, and all the persons within itcommanded to be kept in the house till orders should be given foropening of it again. Also the house was to be marked with a red cross,and "THE LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US" writ in capital letters. And to eachhouse so shut up there was appointed a watchman to see that none wentin or out, and to fetch such necessaries as they might have need of.These watchmen carried a white staff, and took an oath that they wouldperform their duty faithfully. It was not an office to be desired, butif a man was elected thereto he had no choice but to take it. But themost dreadful thing in this visitation was the order that was keptconcerning the burial of the dead. There went carts about ('tis a mostsurprising thing that they who drove the carts and they who fetchedthe dead bodies out of the houses, for the most part, escaped thedisease), after ten of the clock at night, and carried away thecorpses of such as had died during the day. Nor was it permitted thatthese should be buried in the churchyards of the city, but great pitswere dug in such places as could be found that were farthest removedfrom the habitations of man. There were the dead heaped together,without coffin, ay, and often without shroud, and after a service,which a chaplain would make as short and say as speedily as he could,so left. I know not whether the war brought any worse horror thanthis.
In the colleges none, I think, were affected, none certainly perished.But in those parts of the town that lie by the river where the poorersort do dwell many died. Yet the mortality was never so great thatthere prevailed any great and general terror. The ministers ofreligion also, and the physicians, of whom there was then in Oxford agreater number than ordinary, did not desert their places; and it isalways, I have heard, to be
noted that where these are steadfast totheir duty, they infect others, if I may so speak, with their courage,to the great advantage of the whole state. But whether they that werestricken by this sickness profited much by the help of the physiciansis somewhat to be doubted. I have it from one who has had muchexperience of the plague, both here and in foreign parts, especiallyamong the Turks, where it is to be found almost every year, that thecourse of the distemper is such that at its first coming the aid ofthe physicians can recover none, or at the best very few; and thatwhen its first violence is spent, 'tis an even chance with them; andthat afterwards, 'tis but very few that die under their hands. It iscertainly true that they would use a great variety of remedies, fromwhich may be gathered that such as prospered under their hands weresaved by Nature rather than by art. Of these remedies one was soldmuch among the people, but the men of science made but small accountof it. It was said to have been given to King Henry VIII. by a verylearned physician of his time. For curiosity's sake I have herewritten it down.
_A handful of elder leaves; a handful of red bramble leaves. Stamp and strain them through a fine cloth with a quart of white wine; then take a quantity of ginger. Mingle these together, and take a spoonful of the mixture, and you shall be safe for twenty-four days._
This then was the prophylactic; but the remedy was this:
_The water of Scabius, a spoonful; the water of Betany, a spoonful; of fine treacle, a quantity. This shall put out the venom, by the grace of God._
The last clause does save it, to my mind. "The grace of God" can givepotency to plain water. Indeed, I know not whether there be anythingthat is to be preferred to this. So at least some of the wise men willhave it.
There needed not indeed either fire or plague to make all hearts dulland cheerless; all, I should say, that were well disposed to the King,for he had enemies even here. Of all the gaiety and show that hadadorned the city after his Majesty's first coming there was but littleleft. The Queen and her ladies had departed to Exeter, in which citywas born, in this same year, the Princess Henrietta. Of the nobles andgentlemen that had come with the King, or flowed to him afterwards,many were dead, for his Majesty was most unfortunate in the loss offriends; many had been taken prisoners, and they that remained weresadly shorn of their means. Hence it was but the name and shadow of aCourt that surrounded the King; of its pomp and glory, its splendourand riches, nothing was left. To the colleges little remained savethat which could not be alienated. Their plate they had given up tothe King's service, and it was now melted into money which had longsince been spent; in some places the very libraries were dissipated.As for learning, its voice was well nigh silenced. The very schoolshad passed from their original use, and were filled with stores ofammunition and arms. Over everything there hung the cloud ofill-fortune and ill-success. 'Twas a University to which none came tolearn (I do suppose that from the time at which I came to Oxford tillthe surrender of the city there were matriculated, that is to say,entered the University, scarce two score), and a Court that lackedboth power and magnificence, and a camp from which had departed allhope of victory.
When this year (I speak of the year academical, which runs fromOctober to July) was drawing to an end there happened great events,great both for the nation and for me, of which I will now proceed towrite.
With the King at Oxford: A Tale of the Great Rebellion Page 9