August 6, 1350
Dear Cousin,
I have done no sin. Though I have a friend named Samuel who has sinned a great deal. We have been living in a paradise for too long. The devil is upon us, he has made a consequence for us when we sin. I know you have not sinned but the devil travels from sole to sole. By now you probably already know about this deadly disease. But if you haven’t run, run faster than you could ever before, or the devil will find its way inside you. Do not quarrel I am fine. For the king has sent to my health. After all, he owes me his life. Never buy anything from this kingdom, or from this town or the town before this one. God had given us this golden era but we did not give back enough to him. He has turned his back on us.
By now you definitely have children. You are twenty years of age. I hope I will get to see them before they sin or…. if they sin. Out here there is someone who is working on a cure for the Black Death. His name is Guy de Chauliac. The King is paying a great deal of gold for this man. He worries me. Nobody in their right mind would want to be in the same room as the devil. This town used to smell sweet and I could sit anywhere and feel the soft grass. Now all the grass is stained with blood and stiff. When I sit down to enjoy the village there is always a dead person in front of me. I don’t like this town.
The king wants to entrust this land to me because he is going on a pilgrimage to Saint Santiago de Compostela. It is said if you kiss one of his bones you will be reborn as a better person. I’m not actually sure why he wants to go but I know one thing for sure. I would be damned if I take over this disgusting Kingdom. Everytime I walk into anywhere there are twentie beggars at my feet. I feel bad though, has god not sent to their health. If I ever rule a kingdom I will make sure there are no poor.
I was talking to Guy, he says there is actually a whole science behind the Black Death. Although I try to stay away from that guy he’s actually very interesting. He said something to me the other day about how he found something out about the miasma. I actually still don’t understand that. But the only thing that I wonder about is his methods. I know that you have to let the sickness flow out of your body. But that should only take a few cups of blood. He sometimes slips up or maybe he does this on purpose. Anyway his study is coated with blood. The worst part is though that since he works right under the king he works in the castle. All night all I here are the screams of his patients. But it’s better if you can hear their screams though, because if you don’t it means his patient died. Don’t get me wrong he’s a blessing to be here and on top of that, finding a cure to the devil’s curse. It would have been better if his study was not next to mine.
P.S I will only tell you this if you swear your loyalty. I think the king is dying. The other day I heard him coughing. I can’t tell for sure if he has the Black Death but it’s bad.
Sincerely Henry Feathercave