A brief Journal of what passed in the City of Marseilles, while it was afflicted with the Plague, in the Year 1720

Lewis, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre. To our beloved and faithful Counsellors holding our Court of Parliament of Paris, and to all others whom it may Concern: Greeting. Our well beloved Nicholas Carré of Paris, having represented to us, that a Manuscript has been put into his Hands, intitled, A Brief Journal of what passed in the City of Marseilles while it was afflicted with the Plague; and most humbly besought us to grant him our Letters of Privilege, for the sole printing and vending thereof throughout our Dominions.----We being willing to treat the Petitioner favourably, and to acknowledge his Zeal for the Good and Benefit of the Publick, do by these Presents grant to him and his Assigns, the sole Liberty of printing and publishing the said Book, for the term of six Years from the Date hereof:--Forbidding all other Persons to print or counterfeit the same, on the Penalty of Confiscation of such Copies, and of a Fine of three thousand Livres, to be paid by every Offender. Done at Paris, the 17th of July in the sixth Year of our Reign. By the King in Council.

CARPOT.

A BRIEF JOURNAL of what passed in the City of MARSEILLES, while it was afflicted with the Plague in 1720.

THE Coasts of the Levant being always suspected of the Plague, all Ships which come from thence for Marseilles stop at the Islands of Chateaudif; and the Intendants of Health regulate the Time and Manner of their Quarantaines, and of purifying their Cargoes, by the Tenor of their Patents (or Bills of Health), and by the State of Health of the particular Places from whence they come.

The Beginning of May, 1720. we had Advice at Marseilles, that from the Month of March the Plague was rife in most of the Maritime Towns or trading Ports of Palestine and Syria.

The 25th of the said Month of May, the Ship commanded by Captain Chataud, which came from thence, that is to say, from Sidon, Tripoli, Syria, and Cyprus, arrives at the said Islands; but his Patents are clean (i.e. his Certificates imported there was no Contagion at those Places,) because he came away the 31st of January, before the Plague was there. He declares, however, to the Intendants of Health, that in his Voyage, or at Leghorn where he touched, Six Men of his Crew died, but he shews by the Certificate of the Physicians of Health at Leghorn, that they died only of Malignant Fevers, caused by unwholesome Provisions.

The 27th of May, one of his Sailors dies in his Ship.

The 28th, the Intendants cause the Corpse to be carried into the Infirmary; Guerard, chief Surgeon of Health, views it; and makes Report, that it has not any Mark of Contagion.

The 29th, the Intendants settle the purifying of the Goods of this Cargo, to Forty Days compleat, to be reckoned from the Day the last Bale shall be carried from it into the Infirmaries.

The last of May, Three other Vessels arrive at the same Islands; viz. Two small Vessels of Captain Aillaud's from Sidon, whence they came since the Plague was there; and Captain Fouque's Bark from Scanderoon.

The 12th of June, Captain Gabriel's Ship arrives there likewise from the same Places, with a foul Patent; (i. e. importing, that the Plague was there.)

The same Day the Officer, whom the Intendants had put on Board Captain Chataud's Ship to see Quarantain duly performed, dies there; Guerard chief Surgeon of Health views the Body, and makes Report that it has not any Mark of Contagion.

The 14th of June, the Passengers who came in the said Ship, are perfumed for the last Time in the Infirmaries; and are allowed to enter the City as usual.

The 23d, being the Eve of St. John Baptist, the Grand Prior arrives at Genoa with the King's Gallies; the Sheriffs have the Honour to welcome him, and I to make a Speech to him in the Name of the City.

The same Day a Cabbin-Boy of Captain Chataud's Ship, a Servant employed at the Infirmaries in purifying the Goods of that Ship, and another who was purifying those of Captain Gabriel's Ship, fall sick; the same Surgeon makes Report that they have not any Mark of Contagion.

The 24th, another Servant employed to purify Captain Aillaud's Goods, falls sick likewise; is visited, and the same Report made.

The 24th, and 26th, all Four dye one after another; their Bodies are viewed, and Report made that they have not any Mark of Contagion.

Notwithstanding the Reports thus made, the Intendants consult and resolve by way of Precaution to cause all these Bodies to be buried in Lime; to remove from the Island of Pomegué the Ships of the Captains Chataud, Aillaud, and Gabriel, and send them to a distant Island called Jarre, there to begin again their Quarantain; and to inclose the Yard where their Goods are purifying in the Infirmaries, without suffering the Servants employed to air them, to come out.

The 28th of June, another Vessel, being Captain Gueymart's Bark, from Sidon, arrives at the foresaid Islands with a foul Patent.

The 1st of July, the Intendants pass a Resolution, to cause all the Vessels which were come with foul Patents, to Anchor at a good Distance off the Island of Pomegué.

The 7th of July, two more Servants shut up to purify in the Infirmaries the Goods brought by Captain Chataud, fall sick; the Surgeon finds Tumours in their Groyns, and says in his Report that he does not believe however it is the Plague: He pays for his Incredulity, perhaps for not right understanding the Distemper, by dying himself soon after, with part of his Family.

The 8th, another Servant falls sick; the Surgeon finds a Swelling in the upper Part of the Thigh, and then declares he takes it to be a Mark of Contagion, and desires a Consultation.

Immediately the Intendants call three other Master Surgeons to visit the said Servants; their Report is, that they have all certainly the Plague.

The 9th those Patients dye, they are buried in Lime, and all their Apparel is burnt.

The Intendants resolve to cause all the Goods of Captain Chataud's Cargoe, to be taken out of the Infirmaries, and sent to be purified on the Island of Jarre; and they repair to the Town-House to acquaint the Sheriffs with what has passed.

The Matter appearing to be of Consequence, they write about it to the Council of Marine, and to the Marshal Duke de Villars, Governor of Provence; and M. Estelle, one of the chief Sheriffs, with two Intendants of Health, are deputed to go to Aix to give an Account of it to M. Lebret, first President of the Parliament and Intendant of Justice and of Commerce.

The same Day, M. Peissonel, and his Son, Physicians, come to the Town-House, to give Notice to the Sheriffs, that having been called to a House in the Square of Linche, to visit a young Man named Eissalene, he appeared to them to have the Plague.

That Instant, Guards are sent to the Door of that House, to hinder any one from coming out of it.

The 10th of July that Patient dies, and his Sister falls sick; the Guard is doubled; and it being judged proper to carry both off; to do it the more quietly, and without alarming the People, it is delayed till Night; when at Eleven a Clock M. Moustier, another of the chief Sheriffs, repairs thither without Noise, sends for Servants from the Infirmaries, encourages them to go up into the House, and they having brought down the Dead and the Sick, he orders them to carry them in Litters without the Town to the Infirmaries, causes all Persons belonging to the House to be conducted thither likewise, accompanies them himself with Guards, that none might come near them, and then returns to see the Door of the House closed up with Mortar.

The 11th Notice is given, that one Boyal is fallen sick in the same Quarter of the Town, Physicians and Surgeons are sent to visit him; they declare he has the Plague, his House is instantly secured by Guards, and when Night is come M. Moustier goes thither, sends for the Buriers of the Dead from the Infirmaries, and finding the Patient was newly dead, causes them to take the Corpse, accompanies it, sees it interred in Lime, and then returns to remove all the Persons of that House to the Infirmaries, and the Door to be closed up.

The 12th all this is told to the Grand Prior, who still remains at Marseilles; the first President is writ to; the Intendants of Health are assembled, to cause all the Vessels come from the Levant, with foul Patents, to go back to the Island of Jarre, and all their Goods that remain in the Infirmaries to be removed thither likewise: M. Audimar, one of the Sheriffs, presided in their Assembly, to influence them to pass this Resolution.

This, and the following Day, the Sheriffs make very strict Enquiry in the Town, to discover all Persons who had Communication with those Dead or Sick of the Plague; the most suspected are sent to the Infirmaries, and the others confined to their Houses.

The 14th, they write an Account of what has passed to the Council of Marine; they resolve not to give any more Patents (or Certificates of Health) to any Vessel, till they can be sure the Distemper is over.

The 15th, left from this Refusal to give Certificates of Health, it should be believed in foreign Countries that the plague is in Marseilles; and lest this should entirely interrupt all Commerce, they write to the Officers Conservators of Health at all the Ports of Europe, the real Fact; that is to say, That there are several Persons ill of the Contagion in the Infirmaries, but that it has not made any Progress in the City.

The 21st of July, nothing of the Plague having since been discovered in the Town, they write it with Joy to the Council of Marine, and continue to provide whatever is necessary in the Infirmaries for the Subsistance of suspected Persons whom they have sent thither, and of those whom they have confined to their Houses.

Already the Publick, recovered from their Fright, begin to explode as useless the Trouble the Sheriffs had given themselves, and all the Precautions they had taken; 'tis pretended, the Two Persons who died in the Square of Linche, were carried off by quite another Distemper than the Plague: The Physicians and Surgeons are upbraided with having by their Error allarmed the whole Town. Abundance of People are observed to assume the Character of a dauntless Freedom of Mind, who are soon after seen more struck with Terror than any others, and to fly with more Disorder and Precipitation; their boasted Firmness quickly forsakes them. The Truth is, the Plague is to be feared and shunned.

The 26th of July, Notice is given to the Sheriffs, that in the Street of Lescalle, a Part of the old Town inhabited only by poor People, Fifteen Persons are suddenly fallen sick: They dispatch thither Physicians and Surgeons; they examine into the Distemper, and make Report; some, that 'tis a Malignant Fever; others, a contagious or pestilential Fever, occasioned by bad Food, which Want had long forced those poor Creatures to live upon: Not one of them says positively it is the Plague. A Man must indeed have been very well assured of it, to say it; the Publick had already shewed a Disposition to resent any false Alarm.