Some perspective from the 17th century.
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Medical staff wearing protective clothing take a patient off an ambulance at St Thomas’ hospital as the spread of the coronavirus continues in London, England, March 31, 2020.
Hannah McKay/Reuters
A reliable source of comfort during difficult times is hearing about people who had it even worse. That’s why I’ve been reading about the plague.
In 1665–66 the Great Plague of London killed more than 68,500 people — according to official records, anyway; the real toll was probably closer to 100,000. The English were also at war with the Dutch at the time, and less than a year after the plague subsided, a fire would destroy much of the city.
About the Author
Christopher J. Scalia is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read).
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A reliable source of comfort during difficult times is hearing about people who had it even worse. That’s why I’ve been reading about the plague.
In 1665–66 the Great Plague of London killed more than 68,500 people — according to official records, anyway; the real toll was probably closer to 100,000. The English were also at war with the Dutch at the time, and less than a year after the plague subsided, a fire would destroy much of the city.
About the Author
Christopher J. Scalia is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of 13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven’t Read).
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