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Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic 1785-6

In subsequent letters, Miss Tully reports on corsair attacks; cases of the same person enduring repeated bouts of the plague; the Tully family’s friend Hadgi Abderrahman’s 104-day quarantine off Malta, and the doctor who fled with him’s method of treating the plague, learned from a Moorish woman, which “gained him great popularity in Malta.”Continue reading “Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic 1785-6”

Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – July

July 20th, 1785 The plague reaches its zenith and all hope it is beginning to abate. In the beginning of the month, owing to the increased ravages of the plague, the events connected with it assumed a more horrid character, and instead of shining coffins, imams and friends, to make up the sad procession, fiveContinue reading “Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – July”

Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – June

June 28th, 1785 The organization of quarantine in Christian houses and the superior charity of the Muslims. It is impossible to give you a just description of this place at present; the general horror that prevails cannot be described. Hadgi Abderrahman sailed from the harbour of Tripoli on the 20th of this month, as ambassadorContinue reading “Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – June”

Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – May

May 27th, 1785 A royal funeral and the Christians prepare for quarantine. The prime minister Mustapha Scriven’s house is at present as much in a state of quarantine as he can put it, consistent with the ideas of the Moors; yet he will not admit to any one, nor to the Bashaw, the necessity ofContinue reading “Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – May”

Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – April

April 29th, 1785 The plague reaches Tripoli and the members of the royal family go to the tomb of the local marabut [saint] to pray for his intercession. In the last few weeks, several couriers have crossed the deserts from Tunis to this city, disseminating the plague on their way; and consequently the country roundContinue reading “Miss Tully: Letters from Tripoli during the plague epidemic of 1785 – April”

Lament for the Makers

I that in heill was and gladnes, Am trublit now with gret serknes, And feblit with infermite; Timor mortis conturbat me. Our plesance heir is all vane glory, This fals warld is bot transitory, The flesche is brukle, the Fend is sle; Timor mortis conturbat me. The stait of men does change and vary, NowContinue reading “Lament for the Makers”

A Prayer By Pope Francis

Tonight before falling asleep think about when we will return to the street.When we hug again, when all the shopping together will seem like a party.Let’s think about when the coffees will return to the bar, the small talk, the photos close to each other.We think about when it will all be a memory butContinue reading “A Prayer By Pope Francis”