“[6] Already did the town, which but a short time
ago was populous, appear almost deserted; while those of its inhabitants who
had escaped destruction migrated to other parts of the country, lest they
too should die. The man from whose mouth I heard these things, sorrowing over
this desolation of his parish, applied himself to summon a meeting of wise
and religious men on that sacred day which is called Palm Sunday, in order
that they might impart healthful counsel in so great a dilemma, and refresh
the spirits of the miserable remnant of the people with consolation, however
imperfect. Having delivered a discourse to the inhabitants, after the solemn
ceremonies of the holy day had been properly performed, he invited his clerical
guests, together with the other persons of honour who were present, to his
table. While they were thus banqueting, two young men (brothers), who had
lost their father by this plague, mutually encouraging one another, said,
"This monster has already destroyed our father, and will speedily destroy
us also, unless we take steps to prevent it. Let us, therefore, do some bold
action which will at once ensure our own safety and revenge our father's death.
There is no one to hinder us; for in the priest's house a feast is in progress,
and the whole town is as silent as if deserted. Let us dig up this baneful
pest, and burn it with fire."
“[7] Thereupon snatching up a spade of but indifferent sharpness of
edge, and hastening to the cemetery, they began to dig; and whilst they were
thinking that they would have to dig to a greater depth, they suddenly, before
much of the earth had been removed, laid bare the corpse, swollen to an enormous
corpulence, with its countenance beyond measure turgid and suffused with blood;
while the napkin in which it had been wrapped appeared nearly torn to pieces.
The young men, however, spurred on by wrath, feared not, and inflicted a wound
upon the senseless carcass, out of which incontinently flowed such a stream
of blood, that it might have been taken for a leech filled with the blood
of many persons. Then, dragging it beyond the village, they speedily constructed
a funeral pile; and upon one of them saying that the pestilential body would
not burn unless its heart were torn out, the other laid open its side by repeated
blows of the blunted spade, and, thrusting in his hand, dragged out the accursed
heart. This being torn piecemeal, and the body now consigned to the flames,
it was announced to the guests what was going on, who, running thither, enabled
themselves to testify henceforth to the circumstances. When that infernal
hell-hound had thus been destroyed, the pestilence which was rife among the
people ceased, as if the air, which had been corrupted by the contagious motions
of the dreadful corpse, were already purified by the fire which had consumed
it. These facts having been thus expounded, let us return to the regular thread
of history.” (William of Newburgh)