A new disease? I know not, new or old, but it may well be called poor mortals plague for, like a pestilence, it doth infect the houses of the brain till not a thought, or motion, in the mind, be free from the black poison of suspect.

Summary

This quote implies that the speaker is uncertain whether the mentioned "disease" is newly emerged or has always existed. However, the speaker suggests that this disease can be considered a widespread affliction for human beings, like a devastating epidemic. It infects the very core of one's thoughts and mental processes, bringing forth a constant sense of suspicion. The analogy of a plague emphasizes how this affliction spreads and contaminates the mind, leaving no room for pure and uncontaminated thoughts or actions.

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