Illustration depicting the fear of plague

 The Black Death, also known as Bubonic Plague, raged through Europe between the years of 1346-1353.   In the Haven of Health, Cogan discusses what he believed to cause sickness. He claimed plague was brought down upon the medieval people by two means: spiritual and physical. Spiritually the epidemic was inflicted upon ‘sinners’ by the wrath of God. Cogan paraphrases the bible, “God threatens that he will send sickness and diseases unto those who will not hear his word, and disobey his command” [1]. However physically, it was through great pools of unmoving water, “carraine” ( decaying flesh), the influence of “sundry starre” (astrological  events), and “venomous air” that sickness moved  through cities and killed as many as it did.