Let them have but a few Days Patience, and they will see all attacked without Distinction, with the swiftest Rage, and the most dreadful Havock, that ever was heard of.
Some obstinately contend that the Distemper proceeded wholly from Worms: But while they pretend to argue so confidently, trembling with Fear in their Hearts, they make up their Pack to be the readier to fly: What all others are doing, I leave to be imagined; every one has taken the Fright, and is ready to run out of the Town, to seek Refuge any where.
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.