Jews blamed for the plague

Dicebant quod haec pestilentia ex aeris infectione et aquarum oriebatur, quia tunc temporis non erat fames nec defectus victualium quorumcumque, sed abundantia magna. Unde ex hujus opinione aeris infecti et aquarum et mortis ita subitae, impositum fuit judaeis, quod ipsi puteos et aquas infecerant et aerem corruperant; propter quod mundus contra eos crudeliter insurrexit, in tantum quod, in Alemannia et alibi per diversas partes mundi ubi judaei habitabant, fuerunt trucidati et occisi a christianis, et cremati passim et indifferenter multa millia judaeorum. Et est mirandum de eorum et suarum uxorum fatua constantia; nam dum cremarentur, ne eorum parvuli ad baptismum convolarent, matres eorum primo in ignem projiciebant liberos, deinde post ipsos eaedem matres super ipsos in ignem se praecipitabant, ut cum maritis et eorum parvulis cremarentur.

People said that this pestilence came from infection of the air and the waters, because at that time there was no famine and no shortage of food of any kind, but great plenty. Because of this belief that the air and waters were infected, and because death came so suddenly, the Jews were accused of having infected the wells and waters and corrupted the air. For this the world rose against them cruelly. In Germany and elsewhere, in many parts of the world where Jews lived, Christians slaughtered and killed them. They burned many thousands of Jews everywhere, without distinction. The foolish steadfastness of the men and their wives is astonishing. While they were being burned, the mothers first threw their children into the fire, so that the little ones would not run to baptism. Then the same mothers threw themselves into the fire after them, to be burned with their husbands and children.