The Black Death by John Hatcher

Author:John Hatcher [Hatcher, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Agnes was not expecting to meet many people on her walk to her brother’s farm, but as she came to Market Way she noticed in the distance a small group standing outside old William Cranmer’s house on the green. As she drew nearer she saw they were gathered around a funeral cart. Just a week or so before, William’s death would have been major news in the village, and Agnes, although not a close acquaintance, would have joined the procession to St. Mary’s churchyard. But now she just hurried off, worrying about her own safety and the health of her brother. As she walked, Agnes touched the stone amulet around her neck and silently prayed for protection for herself and her daughter and for the soul of her husband. On the rest of the way to Westhorpe she saw only a handful of other people, most in the distance, and those who saw her hurried away before she drew near.

As Agnes approached her brother’s cottage, she heard loud shouting and saw John and his wife, Alice, struggling with Robert near the door. She ran forward and helped restrain him, which was not a difficult task as he was desperately weak. She was told that he had jumped from his bed and run from the house naked, and that after a lengthy search had been found a quarter of a mile away lying in Harteshall Brook. Robert had been sick for four days now, and Agnes recognized that he had the same sickness as her husband and that it was following a similar course. As they looked down on him, lying motionless on the bed and scarcely breathing, Agnes gently suggested that he might be close to death. John agreed, saying that a couple of hours ago Gilbert had gone in search of a priest, but nothing had been heard from him since. Recalling her own desperate experience, Agnes urged John to go and help his brother to find a priest.

John Helpe returned in midafternoon accompanied by one of the laymen Master John had trained to hear confession. Agnes and Alice recognized him as the kind old man who helped clean the church and polish its sacred metalwork. However, they were disappointed to learn that he had brought nothing with him but a vial of holy water and a small painted image of the Madonna and child on an oak board. To their dismay the old man explained that he did not have any of the powers of an ordained priest and was not permitted to administer the last sacraments of Communion and annealing. However, he assured them that he was trained to hear her brother’s confession and would do so in case he died before a priest could come. Then he ushered them from the room. A few minutes later the old man emerged and, after offering some brief words of encouragement, hurriedly departed saying that he had to rush to another sickbed.

In all this time there was no sign

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