A Plague On Both Your Houses: The First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew (Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew)

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At the same time, rumours circulate that Oxford University is trying to close the competing university at Cambridge by creating problems between town and gown.

I enjoyed this book very much as the "detective" Matthew Bartholomew reminds me of Brother Cadfael with his use of newer methods and herbs. That first instance ("a plague on both the houses") remained unchanged from the first folio in the 1623 edition, while the two subsequent instances of "A pox o' both your houses" became "A plague o' both your houses. Medics and care workers, bus drivers and neighbours have all stepped in, made sacrifices, given a good account of humanity at its best. Overall, I have to agree with Hayes, too many characters and too many factions makes for a very muddled story, however being a fan of The Medieval Murderers series, Gregory's depictions of Bartholomew's career settle down into lovely tales.

In our more sensitive age, having to endure a pandemic at least one a century, with so many millions of friends and loved ones dying, it would be too offensive.

Gregory does try to convey the effect of the Plague where almost half the population died, the issues with how to manage burials, contagion and the inevitable gaps in society. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. At the beginning of the book you'll find two well-drawn maps of Cambridge, England, and of Michaelhouse, part of Cambridge University, both from circa AD 1348. When the Prince, the Capulets, and Montague arrive, Friar Lawrence gives an account of the marriage of Romeo and Juliet.The main gates of the College were locked, but the scholar had ensured that the little-used back door was left open. Act 4, scene 5 The Nurse finds Juliet in the deathlike trance caused by the Friar’s potion and announces Juliet’s death. Stephen and Swynford, two Stanmores (the fact that there are two is key to the plot), Wilson and William, Alcote and Augustus, Michael and Matthew, etc. A short distance away, he could hear the rhythmic whine and swish of the waterwheel, powered by a fast-running channel diverted from the river.

Gregory has a pleasing style, which engages the reader, but is not afraid of approaching the political machinations of a Cambridge college at this time. Rieux's daily tasks during this time of plague consist of visiting homes and ascertaining whether individuals living there have been affected by the bubonic plague.

Act 1, scene 1 A street fight breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets, which is broken up by the ruler of Verona, Prince Escalus. Hans Zinsser, Rat, Lice and History (The Atlantic Monthly Press/Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1934. All over Europe there was a revival of art, music, science, poetry – all of those aspects occurring in England too – and particularly, in London, a spectacular period of drama. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

The revelations on the identities of the bad guys were interesting, but the main motivation for all the bad doings was very unconvincing and weak. Look, I don't favor one side over the other in this debacle—a plague on both their houses, as far as I'm concerned, because they're both equally responsible.After four years of being unable to place this story (one editor even rejected the piece not because he didn’t like it, but because he said he didn’t care for Shakespeare! At times the story was too convoluted and the "Let's summarize what we know" moments were annoying, but it was a good enough introduction to make me want to read more about the selfless physician, Matthew Bartholomew. I was about to give up at 12%( and it's not often I stop reading a book ), but the tension at 13% kept me going and I skipped lightly through the rest, possibly missing out on who Matt B really is, but by then, I didn't really care anymore.