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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　determine；　but

the　city　being　to　suffer　severely　the　next　year　by　fire；　this　year　it　felt

very　little　of　that　calamity。



Indeed；　considering　the　deliriums　which　the　agony　threw　people

into；　and　how　I　have　mentioned　in　their　madness；　when　they　were

alone；　they　did　many　desperate　things；　it　was　very　strange　there　were

no　more　disasters　of　that　kind。



It　has　been　frequently　asked　me；　and　I　cannot　say　that　I　ever　knew

how　to　give　a　direct　answer　to　it；　how　it　came　to　pass　that　so　many

infected　people　appeared　abroad　in　the　streets　at　the　same　time　that

the　houses　which　were　infected　were　so　vigilantly　searched；　and　all　of

them　shut　up　and　guarded　as　they　were。



I　confess　I　know　not　what　answer　to　give　to　this；　unless　it　be　this：

that　in　so　great　and　populous　a　city　as　this　is　it　was　impossible　to

discover　every　house　that　was　infected　as　soon　as　it　was　so；　or　to　shut

up　all　the　houses　that　were　infected；　so　that　people　had　the　liberty　of

going　about　the　streets；　even　where　they　Pleased；　unless　they　were

known　to　belong　to　such…and…such　infected　houses。



It　is　true　that；　as　several　physicians　told　my　Lord　Mayor；　the　fury　of

the　contagion　was　such　at　some　particular　times；　and　people　sickened

so　fast　and　died　so　soon；　that　it　was　impossible；　and　indeed　to　no

purpose；　to　go　about　to　inquire　who　was　sick　and　who　was　well；　or　to

shut　them　up　with　such　exactness　as　the　thing　required；　almost　every

house　in　a　whole　street　being　infected；　and　in　many　places　every

person　in　some　of　the　houses；　and　that　which　was　still　worse；　by　the

time　that　the　houses　were　known　to　be　infected；　most　of　the　persons

infected　would　be　stone　dead；　and　the　rest　run　away　for　fear　of　being

shut　up；　so　that　it　was　to　very　small　purpose　to　call　them　infected

houses　and　shut　them　up；　the　infection　having　ravaged　and　taken　its

leave　of　the　house　before　it　was　really　known　that　the　family　was　any

way　touched。



This　might　be　sufficient　to　convince　any　reasonable　person　that　as　it

was　not　in　the　power　of　the　magistrates　or　of　any　human　methods　of

policy；　to　prevent　the　spreading　the　infection；　so　that　this　way　of

shutting　up　of　houses　was　perfectly　insufficient　for　that　end。　　Indeed　it

seemed　to　have　no　manner　of　public　good　in　it；　equal　or

proportionable　to　the　grievous　burden　that　it　was　to　the　particular

families　that　were　so　shut　up；　and；　as　far　as　I　was　employed　by　the

public　in　directing　that　severity；　I　frequently　found　occasion　to　see

that　it　was　incapable　of　answering　the　end。　For　example；　as　I　was

desired；　as　a　visitor　or　examiner；　to　inquire　into　the　particulars　of

several　families　which　were　infected；　we　scarce　came　to　any　house

where　the　plague　had　visibly　appeared　in　the　family　but　that　some　of

the　family　were　fled　and　gone。　　The　magistrates　would　resent　this；　and

charge　the　examiners　with　being　remiss　in　their　examination　or

inspection。　　But　by　that　means　houses　were　long　infected　before　it　was

known。　　Now；　as　I　was　in　this　dangerous　office　but　half　the　appointed

time；　which　was　two　months；　it　was　long　enough　to　inform　myself　that

we　were　no　way　capable　of　coming　at　the　knowledge　of　the　true　state

of　any　family　but　by　inquiring　at　the　door　or　of　the　neighbours。　　As　for

going　into　every　house　to　search；　that　was　a　part　no　authority　would

offer　to　impose　on　the　inhabitants；　or　any　citizen　would　undertake：　for

it　would　have　been　exposing　us　to　certain　infection　and　death；　and　to

the　ruin　of　our　own　families　as　well　as　of　ourselves；　nor　would　any

citizen　of　probity；　and　that　could　be　depended　upon；　have　stayed　in　the

town　if　they　had　been　made　liable　to　such　a　severity。



Seeing　then　that　we　could　come　at　the　certainty　of　things　by　no

method　but　that　of　inquiry　of　the　neighbours　or　of　the　family；　and　on

that　we　could　not　justly　depend；　it　was　not　possible　but　that　the

uncertainty　of　this　matter　would　remain　as　above。



It　is　true　masters　of　families　were　bound　by　the　order　to　give　notice

to　the　examiner　of　the　place　wherein　he　lived；　within　two　hours　after

he　should　discover　it；　of　any　person　being　sick　in　his　house　（that　is　to

say；　having　signs　of　the　infection）…　but　they　found　so　many　ways　to

evade　this　and　excuse　their　negligence　that　they　seldom　gave　that

notice　till　they　had　taken　measures　to　have　every　one　escape　out　of　the

house　who　had　a　mind　to　escape；　whether　they　were　sick　or　sound；

and　while　this　was　so；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　the　shutting　up　of　houses

was　no　way　to　be　depended　upon　as　a　sufficient　method　for　putting　a

stop　to　the　infection　because；　as　I　have　said　elsewhere；　many　of　those

that　so　went　out　of　those　infected　houses　had　the　plague　really　upon

them；　though　they　might　really　think　themselves　sound。　　And　some　of

these　were　the　people　that　walked　the　streets　till　they　fell　down　dead；

not　that　they　were　suddenly　struck　with　the　distemper　as　with　a

bullet　that　killed　with　the　stroke；　but　that　they　really　had　the　infection

in　their　blood　long　before；　only；　that　as　it　preyed　secretly　on　the　vitals；

it　appeared　not　till　it　seized　the　heart　with　a　mortal　power；　and　the

patient　died　in　a　moment；　as　with　a　sudden　fainting　or　an　apoplectic　fit。



I　know　that　some　even　of　our　physicians　thought　for　a　time　that

those　people　that　so　died　in　the　streets　were　seized　but　that　moment

they　fell；　as　if　they　had　been　touched　by　a　stroke　from　heaven　as　men

are　killed　by　a　flash　of　lightning　…　but　they　found　reason　to　alter　their

opinion　afterward；　for　upon　examining　the　bodies　of　such　after　they

were　dead；　they　always　either　had　tokens　upon　them　or　other　evident

proofs　of　the　distemper　having　been　longer　upon　them　than　they　had

otherwise　expected。



This　often　was　the　reason　that；　as　I　have　said；　we　that　were

examiners　were　not　able　to　come　at　the　knowledge　of　the　infection

being　entered　into　a　house　till　it　was　too　late　to　shut　it　up；　and

sometimes　not　till　the　people　that　were　left　were　all　dead。　　In　Petticoat

Lane　two　houses　together　were　infected；　and　several　people　sick；　but

the　distemper　was　so　well　concealed；　the　examiner；　who　was　my

neighbour；　got　no　knowledge　of　it　till　notice　was　sent　him　that　the

people　were　all　dead；　and　that　the　carts　should　call　there　to　fetch　them

away。　　The　two　heads　of　the　families　concerted　their　measures；　and　so

ordered　their　matters　as　that　when　the　examiner　was　in　the

neighbourhood　they　appeared　generally　at　a　time；　and　answered；　that

is；　lied；　for　one　another；　or　got　some　of　the　neighbourhood　to　say　they

were　all　in　health　…　and　perhaps　knew　no　better　…　till；　death　making　it

impossible　to　keep　it　any　longer　as　a　secret；　the　dead…carts　were　called

in　the　night　to　both　the　houses　t　and　so　it　became　public。　　But　when

the　examiner　ordered　the　constable　to　shut　up　the　houses　there　was

nobody　left　in　them　but　three　people；　two　in　one　house　and　one　in　the

other；　just　dying；　and　a　nurse　in　each　house　who　acknowledged　that

they　had　buried　five　before；　that　the　houses　had　been　infected　nine　or

ten　days；　and　that　for　all　the　rest　of　the　two　families；　which　were

many；　they　were　gone；　some　sick；　some　well；　or　whether　sick　or　well

could　not　be　known。



In　like　manner；　at　another　house　in　the　same　lane；　a　man　having　his

family　infected　but　very　unwilling　to　be　shut　up；　when　he　could

conceal　it　no　longer；　shut　up　himself；　that　is　to　say；　he　set　the　great　red

cross　upon　his　door　with　the　words；　'Lord　have　mercy　upon　us'；　and　so

deluded　the　examiner；　who　supposed　it　had　been　done　by　the

constable　by　order　of　the　other　examiner；　for　there　were　two

examiners　to　every　district　or　precinct。　　By　this　means　he　had　free

egress　and　regress　into　his　house　again。　and　out　of　it；　as　he　pleased；

notwithstanding　it　was　infected；　till　at　length　his　stratagem　was　found

out；　and　then　he；　with　the　sound　part　of　his　servants　and　family；　made

off　and　escaped；　so　they　were　not　shut　up　at　all。



These　things　made　it　very　hard；　if　not　impossible；　as　I　have　said；　to

prevent　the　spreading　of　an　infection　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses　…

unless　the　people　would　think　the　shutting　of　their　houses　no

grievance；　and　be　so　willing　to　have　it　done　as　that　they　would　give

notice　duly　and　faithfully　to　the　magistrates　of　their　being　infected　as

soon　as　it　was　known　by　themselves；　but　as　that　cannot　be　expected

from　them；　and　the　examiners　cannot　be　supposed；　as　above；　to　go

into　their　houses　to　visit　and　search；　all　the　good　of　shutting　up　houses

will　be　defeated；　and　few　houses　will　be　shut　up　in　time；　except　those

of　the　poor；　who　cannot　conceal　it；　and　of　some　people　who　will　be

discovered　by　the　terror　and　consternation　which　the　things　put　them　into。



I　got　myself　discharged　of　the　dangerous　office　I　was　in　as　soon　as　I

could　get　another　admitted；　whom　I　had　obtained　for　a　little　money　to

accept　of　it；　and　so；　instead　of　serving　the　two　months；　which　was

directed；　I　was　not　above　three　weeks　in　it；　and　a　great　while　too；

considering　it　was　in　the　month　of　August；　at　which　time　the

distemper　began　to　rage　with　great　violence　at　our　end　of　the　town。



In　the　execution　of　this　office　I　could　not　refrain　speaking　my

opinion　among　my　neighbours　as　to　this　shutting　up　the　people　in　their

houses；　in　which　we　saw　most　evidently　the　severities　that　were　used；

though　grievous　in　themselves；　had　also　this　particular　objection

against　them：　namely；　that　they　did　not　answer　the　end；　as　I　have　said；

but　that　the　distempered　people　went　day　by　day　about　the　streets；　and

it　was　our　united　opinion　that　a　method　to　have　removed　the　sound

from　the　sick；　in　case　of　a　particular　house　being　visited；　would　have

been　much　more　reasonable　on　many　accounts；　leaving　nobody　with

the　sick　persons　but　such　as　should　on　such　occasion　request　to　stay

and　declare　themselves　content　to　be　shut　up　with　them



Our　scheme