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man　and　the　danger　of　touching　him；　horror　seized　his　mind；　and　he

stood　still　like　one　astonished。　　The　poor　distempered　man　all　this

while；　being　as　well　diseased　in　his　brain　as　in　his　body；　stood　still

like　one　amazed。　　At　length　he　turns　round：　'Ay！'　says　he；　with　all　the

seeming　calmness　imaginable；　'is　it　so　with　you　all？　　Are　you　all

disturbed　at　me？　　Why；　then　I'll　e'en　go　home　and　die　there。'　And　so　he

goes　immediately　downstairs。　　The　servant　that　had　let　him　in　goes

down　after　him　with　a　candle；　but　was　afraid　to　go　past　him　and　open

the　door；　so　he　stood　on　the　stairs　to　see　what　he　would　do。　　The　man

went　and　opened　the　door；　and　went　out　and　flung　the　door　after　him。

It　was　some　while　before　the　family　recovered　the　fright；　but　as　no　ill

consequence　attended；　they　have　had　occasion　since　to　speak　of　it

（You　may　be　sure）　with　great　satisfaction。　　Though　the　man　was　gone；

it　was　some　time　…　nay；　as　I　heard；　some　days　before　they　recovered

themselves　of　the　hurry　they　were　in；　nor　did　they　go　up　and　down　the

house　with　any　assurance　till　they　had　burnt　a　great　variety　of　fumes

and　perfumes　in　all　the　rooms；　and　made　a　great　many　smokes　of

pitch；　of　gunpowder；　and　of　sulphur；　all　separately　shifted；　and

washed　their　clothes；　and　the　like。　　As　to　the　poor　man；　whether　he

lived　or　died　I　don't　remember。



It　is　most　certain　that；　if　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses　the　sick　bad

not　been　confined；　multitudes　who　in　the　height　of　their　fever　were

delirious　and　distracted　would　have　been　continually　running　up　and

down　the　streets；　and　even　as　it　was　a　very　great　number　did　so；　and

offered　all　sorts　of　violence　to　those　they　met；。　even　just　as　a　mad　dog

runs　on　and　bites　at　every　one　he　meets；　nor　can　I　doubt　but　that；

should　one　of　those　infected；　diseased　creatures　have　bitten　any　man

or　woman　while　the　frenzy　of　the　distemper　was　upon　them；　they；　I

mean　the　person　so　wounded；　would　as　certainly　have　been　incurably

infected　as　one　that　was　sick　before；　and　had　the　tokens　upon　him。



I　heard　of　one　infected　creature　who；　running　out　of　his　bed　in　his

shirt　in　the　anguish　and　agony　of　his　swellings；　of　which　he　had　three

upon　him；　got　his　shoes　on　and　went　to　put　on　his　coat；　but　the　nurse

resisting；　and　snatching　the　coat　from　him；　he　threw　her　down；　ran

over　her；　ran　downstairs　and　into　the　street；　directly　to　the　Thames　in

his　shirt；　the　nurse　running　after　him；　and　calling　to　the　watch　to　stop

him；　but　the　watchman；　ftighted　at　the　man；　and　afraid　to　touch　him；

let　him　go　on；　upon　which　he　ran　down　to　the　Stillyard　stairs；　threw

away　his　shirt；　and　plunged　into　the　Thames；　and；　being　a　good

swimmer；　swam　quite　over　the　river；　and　the　tide　being　coming　in；　as

they　call　it　（that　is；　running　westward）　he　reached　the　land　not　till　he

came　about　the　Falcon　stairs；　where　landing；　and　finding　no　people

there；　it　being　in　the　night；　he　ran　about　the　streets　there；　naked　as　he

was；　for　a　good　while；　when；　it　being　by　that　time　high　water；　he　takes

the　river　again；　and　swam　back　to　the　Stillyard；　landed；　ran　up　the

streets　again　to　his　own　house；　knocking　at　the　door；　went　up　the　stairs

and　into　his　bed　again；　and　that　this　terrible　experiment　cured　him　of

the　plague；　that　is　to　say；　that　the　violent　motion　of　his　arms　and　legs

stretched　the　parts　where　the　swellings　he　had　upon　him　were；　that　is

to　say；　under　his　arms　and　his　groin；　and　caused　them　to　ripen　and

break；　and　that　the　cold　of　the　water　abated　the　fever　in　his　blood。



I　have　only　to　add　that　I　do　not　relate　this　any　more　than　some　of　the

other；　as　a　fact　within　my　own　knowledge；　so　as　that　I　can　vouch　the

truth　of　them；　and　especially　that　of　the　man　being　cured　by　the

extravagant　adventure；　which　I　confess　I　do　not　think　very　possible；

but　it　may　serve　to　confirm　the　many　desperate　things　which　the

distressed　people　falling　into　deliriums；　and　what　we　call　light…

headedness；　were　frequently　run　upon　at　that　time；　and　how　infinitely

more　such　there　would　have　been　if　such　people　had　not　been

confined　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses；　and　this　I　take　to　be　the　best；　if

not　the　only　good　thing　which　was　performed　by　that　severe　method。



On　the　other　hand；　the　complaints　and　the　murmurings　were　very

bitter　against　the　thing　itself。　　It　would　pierce　the　hearts　of　all　that

came　by　to　hear　the　piteous　cries　of　those　infected　people；　who；　being

thus　out　of　their　understandings　by　the　violence　of　their　pain　or　the

heat　of　their　blood；　were　either　shut　in　or　perhaps　tied　in　their　beds

and　chairs；　to　prevent　their　doing　themselves　hurt　…　and　who　would

make　a　dreadful　outcry　at　their　being　confined；　and　at　their　being　not

permitted　to　die　at　large；　as　they　called　it；　and　as　they　would　have

done　before。



This　running　of　distempered　people　about　the　streets　was　very

dismal；　and　the　magistrates　did　their　utmost　to　prevent　it；　but　as　it　was

generally　in　the　night　and　always　sudden　when　such　attempts　were

made；　the　officers　could　not　be　at　band　to　prevent　it；　and　even　when

any　got　out　in　the　day；　the　officers　appointed　did　not　care　to　meddle

with　them；　because；　as　they　were　all　grievously　infected；　to　be　sure；

when　they　were　come　to　that　height；　so　they　were　more　than　ordinarily

infectious；　and　it　was　one　of　the　most　dangerous　things　that　could　be

to　touch　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　they　generally　ran　on；　not　knowing

what　they　did；　till　they　dropped　down　stark　dead；　or　till　they　had

exhausted　their　spirits　so　as　that　they　would　fall　and　then　die　in

perhaps　half…an…hour　or　an　hour；　and；　which　was　most　piteous　to　hear；

they　were　sure　to　come　to　themselves　entirely　in　that　half…hour　or

hour；　and　then　to　make　most　grievous　and　piercing　cries　and

lamentations　in　the　deep；　afflicting　sense　of　the　condition　they　were

in。　　This　was　much　of　it　before　the　order　for　shutting　up　of　houses　was

strictly　put　in　execution；　for　at　first　the　watchmen　were　not　so

vigorous　and　severe　as　they　were　afterward　in　the　keeping　the　people

in；　that　is　to　say；　before　they　were　（I　mean　some　of　them）　severely

punished　for　their　neglect；　failing　in　their　duty；　and　letting　people　who

were　under　their　care　slip　away；　or　conniving　at　their　going　abroad；

whether　sick　or　well。　　But　after　they　saw　the　officers　appointed　to

examine　into　their　conduct　were　resolved　to　have　them　do　their　duty

or　be　punished　for　the　omission；　they　were　more　exact；　and　the　people

were　strictly　restrained；　which　was　a　thing　they　took　so　ill　and　bore　so

impatiently　that　their　discontents　can　hardly　be　described。　　But　there

was　an　absolute　necessity　for　it；　that　must　be　confessed；　unless　some

other　measures　had　been　timely　entered　upon；　and　it　was　too　late　for　that。



Had　not　this　particular　（of　the　sick　being　restrained　as　above）　been

our　case　at　that　time；　London　would　have　been　the　most　dreadful

place　that　ever　was　in　the　world；　there　would；　for　aught　I　know；　have

as　many　people　died　in　the　streets　as　died　in　their　houses；　for　when　the

distemper　was　at　its　height　it　generally　made　them　raving　and

delirious；　and　when　they　were　so　they　would　never　be　persuaded　to

keep　in　their　beds　but　by　force；　and　many　who　were　not　tied　threw

themselves　out　of　windows　when　they　found　they　could　not　get　leave

to　go　out　of　their　doors。



It　was　for　want　of　people　conversing　one　with　another；　in　this　time

of　calamity；　that　it　was　impossible　any　particular　person　could　come

at　the　knowledge　of　all　the　extraordinary　cases　that　occurred　in

different　families；　and　particularly　I　believe　it　was　never　known　to　this

day　how　many　people　in　their　deliriums　drowned　themselves　in　the

Thames；　and　in　the　river　which　runs　from　the　marshes　by　Hackney；

which　we　generally　called　Ware　River；　or　Hackney　River。　　As　to　those

which　were　set　down　in　the　weekly　bill；　they　were　indeed　few；　nor

could　it　be　known　of　any　of　those　whether　they　drowned　themselves

by　accident　or　not。　　But　I　believe　I　might　reckon　up　more　who　within

the　compass　of　my　knowledge　or　observation　really　drowned

themselves　in　that　year；　than　are　put　down　in　the　bill　of　all　put

together：　for　many　of　the　bodies　were　never　found　who　yet　were

known　to　be　lost；　and　the　like　in　other　methods　of　self…destruction。

There　was　also　one　man　in　or　about　Whitecross　Street　burned　himself

to　death　in　his　bed；　some　said　it　was　done　by　himself；　others　that　it

was　by　the　treachery　of　the　nurse　that　attended　him；　but　that　he　had

the　plague　upon　him　was　agreed　by　all。



It　was　a　merciful　disposition　of　Providence　also；　and　which　I　have

many　times　thought　of　at　that　time；　that　no　fires；　or　no　considerable

ones　at　least；　happened　in　the　city　during　that　year；　which；　if　it　had

been　otherwise；　would　have　been　very　dreadful；　and　either　the　people

must　have　let　them　alone　unquenched；　or　have　come　together　in　great

crowds　and　throngs；　unconcerned　at　the　danger　of　the　infection；　not

concerned　at　the　houses　they　went　into；　at　the　goods　they　handled；　or

at　the　persons　or　the　people　they　came　among。　　But　so　it　was；　that

excepting　that　in　Cripplegate　parish；　and　two　or　three　little　eruptions

of　fires；　which　were　presently　extinguished；　there　was　no　disaster　of

that　kind　happened　in　the　whole　year。　　They　told　us　a　story　of　a　house

in　a　place　called　Swan　Alley；　passing　from　Goswell　Street；　near　the

end　of　Old　Street；　into　St　John　Street；　that　a　family　was　infected　there

in　so　terrible　a　manner　that　every　one　of　the　house　died。　　The　last

person　lay　dead　on　the　floor；　and；　as　it　is　supposed；　had　lain　herself　all

along　to　die　just　before　the　fire；　the　fire；　it　seems；　had　fallen　from　its

place；　being　of　wood；　and　had　taken　hold　of　the　boards　and　the　joists

they　lay　on；　and　burnt　as　far　as　just　to　the　body；　but　had　not　taken　hold

of　the　dead　body　（though　she　had　little　more　than　her　shift　on）　and　had

gone　out　of　itself；　not　burning　the　rest　of　the　house；　though　it　was　a

slight　timber　house。　　How　true　this　might　be　I　do　not　deter