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Itinerary
83
did not distribute for common use, but the poor man was everywhere in
want. Hence their detestation of the marquis for depriving them of the
means of subsistence, as by his means they were deprived of food, and
stood in danger of starvation.
Chapter LXX. Ñ How those who were once delicate ate grass.
Wherever by chance grass was discovered growing, it was greedily
devoured by men who once were brought up delicately, men of high rank
and the sons of great men; they fed on grass like beasts, that the violence of
famine might be extinguished by such food, whence many, led to reason by
necessity, planted herbs fit for eating and good for driving away the pangs
of hunger; and such as they once despised and believed not fit for human
use, the greatness of the famine made now most sweet to the starving. Oh!
then, the voice of the people, cursing the perfidy of the marquis! because he
cared not for the misery of a starving people.
Chapter LXXI. Ñ How they perish from rain and hunger.
Moreover, owing to the great quantity of rain that fell, a certain very
severe disease spread among the men: for unusual showers, by their
constant and continuous fall, had such an injurious effect upon the soldiers,
that, with the excess of the affliction, their limbs becoming swollen, the
whole body was affected as with the dropsy, and from the violence of the
disease, the teeth of some of them were loosened and fell out. O the
lamentations of each of them! O the sorrow of all! while those who were
safe grieved for the sufferings of their comrades, and day by day saw the
funerals of their friends, for every day they performed the rites of a
thousand who had perished. Some, however (but they were few),
recovered from their disease, and becoming more eager after food,
regained health only to suffer the excessive miseries of famine. O, then, the
voice of the people, cursing the perfidy of the marquis, for he cared not for
the sufferings of the perishing people!

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Itinerary
84
Chapter LXXII. Ñ How our starving men fought at the oven.
Wherever it was known that bread was baking at the oven, there was
a concourse of the people crying out and saying, ÒHere is money; we will
give what price you please, so that you give us plenty of bread.Ó For each
asked to be served first, offering a price in exchange for bread, and each
violently struggling to snatch from the others what they had not yet
received, and perhaps never would. But as often as it happened that any of
the rich bought much bread, then arose mourning, and sorrow, and
clamour among the poor, united in one voice of wailing, when they saw
that quantity of bread carried away by the rich, which, if distributed in
portions, might have done good to the poor as far as it would go. They
eagerly offered the price of the bread at the will of the seller; but, because
any moderate quantity was not enough for so great a multitude, there
arose frequent and angry disputes, quarrels, contentions, jealousies, and
sometimes fights around the oven which contained the bread and they
contended for it like dogs before they were sure of obtaining it. O, then, the
voice of the people, cursing the perfidy of the marquis, for he cared not for
the wretchedness of a perishing people!
Chapter LXXIII. Ñ How they gnawed and ate up dirty bones which had been
already gnawed by dogs.
But who can write or set forth how great their misery was how great
the general suffering, when some were seen from the pressure of famine
running about like rabid dogs and snatching up bones that had been
gnawed by dogs for three days together, and sucking and licking them
when there was nothing on them to be gnawed, not because they did them
any good, but because they gratified the imagination with the
remembrance of flesh? What need we add to these horrors? The enemy,
harassing them by constant attacks from both sides, when they slew them
suddenly,were held less terrible than the violence of so great a famine; for
the former put an end to their lives and their miseries by the edge of the
sword and at once, whereas by the famine they pined away in lengthened

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