Salimbene on the Flagellants and the Joachite year 1260

The Flagellants came through the whole world; and all men, both small and great, noble knights and men of the people, scourged themselves naked in procession through the cities, with the Bishops and men of Religion at their head; and peace was made in many places, and men restored what they had unlawfully taken away, and they confessed their sins so earnestly that the priests had scarce leisure to eat. And in their mouths sounded words of God and not of man, and their voice was as the voice of a multitude: and men walked in the way of salvation, and composed godly songs of praise in honour of the Lord and the Blessed Virgin: and these they sang as they went and scourged themselves. And on the Monday, which was the Feast of All Saints, all those men came from Modena to Reggio, both small and great; and all of the district of Modena came, and the Podesta and the Bishop with the banners of all the Gilds; and they scourged themselves through the whole city, and the greater part passed on to Parma on the Tuesday following. So on the morrow all the men of Reggio made banners for each quarter of the town, and held processions around the city, and the Podesta went likewise scourging himself. And the men of Sassuolo at the beginning of this blessed time took me away with the leave of the Guardian of the convent of the Friars Minor at Modena, where I dwelt at that time, and brought me to Sassuolo, for both men and women loved me well; afterwards they brought me to Reggio and then to Parma. And when we were come to Parma this Devotion was already there, for it flew as 'an eagle flying to the prey,' and lasted many days in our city, nor was there any so austere and old but that he scourged himself gladly. Moreover, if any would not scourge himself, he was held worse than the Devil, and all pointed their finger at him as a notorious man and a limb of Satan: and what is more, within a short time he would fall into some mishap, either of death or of grievous sickness. Pallavicino only, who was then Lord of Cremona, avoided this blessing and this Devotion with his fellow-citizens of Cremona; for he caused gallows to be set up by the bank of the River Po, in order that if any came to the city with this manner of scourging he might die on the gibbet: for he loved the good things of this life better than the salvation of souls, and the world's glory better than the glory of God. Nevertheless many brave youths of Parma were fully resolved to go thither, for they were glad to die for the Catholic Faith, and for God's honour and the remission of their sins. And I was then at Parma in the Podesta's presence, who said 'His heart is blinded, and he is a man of malice, who knoweth not the things of God. Let us therefore give him no occasion of ill-doing, for he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him.' And he said, 'How seemeth it to you, my Brethren? Say I well?' Then I answered and said, 'You have spoken wisely and well, my Lord.' Then the Podesta sent heralds throughout the city of Parma, forbidding under the heaviest penalties lest any man of Parma should dare to cross the Po: so their purpose ceased. And this was the year wherein that age should have begun which was foretold by Abbot Joachim, who divideth the world into three states: and they say that this last state of the world began with these Flagellants of the year 1260, who cried with God's words and not with men's.