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〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　12th　　　　　〃　　　19th　　　　　　　　　　　　8297

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　38；195





This　was　a　prodigious　number　of　itself；　but　if　I　should　add　the

reasons　which　I　have　to　believe　that　this　account　was　deficient；　and

how　deficient　it　was；　you　would；　with　me；　make　no　scruple　to　believe

that　there　died　above　ten　thousand　a　week　for　all　those　weeks；　one

week　with　another；　and　a　proportion　for　several　weeks　both　before

and　after。　　The　confusion　among　the　people；　especially　within　the　city；

at　that　time；　was　inexpressible。　　The　terror　was　so　great　at　last　that　the

courage　of　the　people　appointed　to　carry　away　the　dead　began　to　fail

them；　nay；　several　of　them　died；　although　they　had　the　distemper

before　and　were　recovered；　and　some　of　them　dropped　down　when

they　have　been　carrying　the　bodies　even　at　the　pit　side；　and　just　ready

to　throw　them　in；　and　this　confusion　was　greater　in　the　city　because

they　had　flattered　themselves　with　hopes　of　escaping；　and　thought　the

bitterness　of　death　was　past。　　One　cart；　they　told　us；　going　up

Shoreditch　was　forsaken　of　the　drivers；　or　being　left　to　one　man　to

drive；　he　died　in　the　street；　and　the　horses　going　on　overthrew　the　cart；

and　left　the　bodies；　some　thrown　out　here；　some　there；　in　a　dismal

manner。　　Another　cart　was；　it　seems；　found　in　the　great　pit　in　Finsbury

Fields；　the　driver　being　dead；　or　having　been　gone　and　abandoned　it；

and　the　horses　running　too　near　it；　the　cart　fell　in　and　drew　the　horses

in　also。　　It　was　suggested　that　the　driver　was　thrown　in　with　it　and　that

the　cart　fell　upon　him；　by　reason　his　whip　was　seen　to　be　in　the　pit

among　the　bodies；　but　that；　I　suppose；　could　not　be　certain。



In　our　parish　of　Aldgate　the　dead…carts　were　several　times；　as　I　have

heard；　found　standing　at　the　churchyard　gate　full　of　dead　bodies；　but

neither　bellman　or　driver　or　any　one　else　with　it；　neither　in　these　or

many　other　cases　did　they　know　what　bodies　they　had　in　their　cart；　for

sometimes　they　were　let　down　with　ropes　out　of　balconies　and　out　of

windows；　and　sometimes　the　bearers　brought　them　to　the　cart；

sometimes　other　people；　nor；　as　the　men　themselves　said；　did　they

trouble　themselves　to　keep　any　account　of　the　numbers。



The　vigilance　of　the　magistrates　was　now　put　to　the　utmost　trial　…

and；　it　must　be　confessed；　can　never　be　enough　acknowledged　on　this

occasion　also；　whatever　expense　or　trouble　they　were　at；　two　things

were　never　neglected　in　the　city　or　suburbs　either　：　…





（1）　Provisions　were　always　to　be　had　in　full　plenty；　and　the　price　not

much　raised　neither；　hardly　worth　speaking。



（2）　No　dead　bodies　lay　unburied　or　uncovered；　and　if　one　walked

from　one　end　of　the　city　to　another；　no　funeral　or　sign　of　it　was　to　be

seen　in　the　daytime；　except　a　little；　as　I　have　said　above；　in　the　three

first　weeks　in　September。





This　last　article　perhaps　will　hardly　be　believed　when　some

accounts　which　others　have　published　since　that　shall　be　seen；

wherein　they　say　that　the　dead　lay　unburied；　which　I　am　assured　was

utterly　false；　at　least；　if　it　had　been　anywhere　so；　it　must　have　been　in

houses　where　the　living　were　gone　from　the　dead　（having　found

means；　as　I　have　observed；　to　escape）　and　where　no　notice　was　given

to　the　officers。　　All　which　amounts　to　nothing　at　all　in　the　case　in

hand；　for　this　I　am　positive　in；　having　myself　been　employed　a　little　in

the　direction　of　that　part　in　the　parish　in　which　I　lived；　and　where　as

great　a　desolation　was　made　in　proportion　to　the　number　of

inhabitants　as　was　anywhere；　I　say；　I　am　sure　that　there　were　no　dead

bodies　remained　unburied；　that　is　to　say；　none　that　the　proper　officers

knew　of；　none　for　want　of　people　to　carry　them　off；　and　buriers　to　put

them　into　the　ground　and　cover　them；　and　this　is　sufficient　to　the

argument；　for　what　might　lie　in　houses　and　holes；　as　in　Moses　and

Aaron　Alley；　is　nothing；　for　it　is　most　certain　they　were　buried　as　soon

as　they　were　found。　　As　to　the　first　article　（namely；　of　provisions；　the

scarcity　or　dearness）；　though　I　have　mentioned　it　before　and　shall

speak　of　it　again；　yet　I　must　observe　here：　…





（1）　The　price　of　bread　in　particular　was　not　much　raised；　for　in　the

beginning　of　the　year；　viz。；　in　the　first　week　in　March；　the　penny

wheaten　loaf　was　ten　ounces　and　a　half；　and　in　the　height　of　the

contagion　it　was　to　be　had　at　nine　ounces　and　a　half；　and　never　dearer；

no；　not　all　that　season。　　And　about　the　beginning　of　November　it　was

sold　ten　ounces　and　a　half　again；　the　like　of　which；　I　believe；　was

never　heard　of　in　any　city；　under　so　dreadful　a　visitation；　before。



（2）　Neither　was　there　（which　I　wondered　much　at）　any　want　of

bakers　or　ovens　kept　open　to　supply　the　people　with　the　bread；　but　this

was　indeed　alleged　by　some　families；　viz。；　that　their　maidservants；

going　to　the　bakehouses　with　their　dough　to　be　baked；　which　was　then

the　custom；　sometimes　came　home　with　the　sickness　（that　is　to　say　the

plague）　upon　them。





In　all　this　dreadful　visitation　there　were；　as　I　have　said　before；　but

two　pest…houses　made　use　of；　viz。；　one　in　the　fields　beyond　Old　Street

and　one　in　Westminster；　neither　was　there　any　compulsion　used　in

carrying　people　thither。　　Indeed　there　was　no　need　of　compulsion　in

the　case；　for　there　were　thousands　of　poor　distressed　people　who；

having　no　help　or　conveniences　or　supplies　but　of　charity；　would　have

been　very　glad　to　have　been　carried　thither　and　been　taken　care　of；

which；　indeed；　was　the　only　thing　that　I　think　was　wanting　in　the

whole　public　management　of　the　city；　seeing　nobody　was　here

allowed　to　be　brought　to　the　pest…house　but　where　money　was　given；

or　security　for　money；　either　at　their　introducing　or　upon　their　being

cured　and　sent　out　…　for　very　many　were　sent　out　again　whole；　and

very　good　physicians　were　appointed　to　those　places；　so　that　many

people　did　very　well　there；　of　which　I　shall　make　mention　again。　　The

principal　sort　of　people　sent　thither　were；　as　I　have　said；　servants　who

got　the　distemper　by　going　of　errands　to　fetch　necessaries　to　the

families　where　they　lived；　and　who　in　that　case；　if　they　came　home

sick；　were　removed　to　preserve　the　rest　of　the　house；　and　they　were　so

well　looked　after　there　in　all　the　time　of　the　visitation　that　there　was

but　156　buried　in　all　at　the　London　pest…house；　and　159　at　that　of

Westminster。



By　having　more　pest…houses　I　am　far　from　meaning　a　forcing　all

people　into　such　places。　　Had　the　shutting　up　of　houses　been　omitted

and　the　sick　hurried　out　of　their　dwellings　to　pest…houses；　as　some

proposed；　it　seems；　at　that　time　as　well　as　since；　it　would　certainly

have　been　much　worse　than　it　was。　　The　very　removing　the　sick　would

have　been　a　spreading　of　the　infection；　and　the　rather　because　that

removing　could　not　effectually　clear　the　house　where　the　sick　person

was　of　the　distemper；　and　the　rest　of　the　family；　being　then　left　at

liberty；　would　certainly　spread　it　among　others。



The　methods　also　in　private　families；　which　would　have　been

universally　used　to　have　concealed　the　distemper　and　to　have

concealed　the　persons　being　sick；　would　have　been　such　that　the

distemper　would　sometimes　have　seized　a　whole　family　before　any

visitors　or　examiners　could　have　known　of　it。　　On　the　other　hand；　the

prodigious　numbers　which　would　have　been　sick　at　a　time　would　have

exceeded　all　the　capacity　of　public　pest…houses　to　receive　them；　or　of

public　officers　to　discover　and　remove　them。



This　was　well　considered　in　those　days；　and　I　have　heard　them　talk

of　it　often。　　The　magistrates　had　enough　to　do　to　bring　people　to

submit　to　having　their　houses　shut　up；　and　many　ways　they　deceived

the　watchmen　and　got　out；　as　I　have　observed。　　But　that　difficulty

made　it　apparent　that　they　t　would　have　found　it　impracticable　to　have

gone　the　other　way　to　work；　for　they　could　never　have　forced　the　sick

people　out　of　their　beds　and　out　of　their　dwellings。　　It　must　not　have

been　my　Lord　Mayor's　officers；　but　an　army　of　officers；　that　must　have

attempted　it；　and　tile　people；　on　the　other　hand；　would　have　been

enraged　and　desperate；　and　would　have　killed　those　that　should　have

offered　to　have　meddled　with　them　or　with　their　children　and

relations；　whatever　had　befallen　them　for　it；　so　that　they　would　have

made　the　people；　who；　as　it　was；　were　in　the　most　terrible　distraction

imaginable；　I　say；　they　would　have　made　them　stark　mad；　whereas　the

magistrates　found　it　proper　on　several　accounts　to　treat　them　with

lenity　and　compassion；　and　not　with　violence　and　terror；　such　as

dragging　the　sick　out　of　their　houses　or　obliging　them　to　remove

themselves；　would　have　been。



This　leads　me　again　to　mention　the　time　when　the　plague　first

began；　that　is　to　say；　when　it　became　certain　that　it　would　spread　over

the　whole　town；　when；　as　I　have　said；　the　better　sort　of　people　first

took　the　alarm　and　began　to　hurry　themselves　out　of　town。　　It　was

true；　as　I　observed　in　its　place；　that　the　throng　was　so　great；　and　the

coaches；　horses；　waggons；　and　carts　were　so　many；　driving　and

dragging　the　people　away；　that　it　looked　as　if　all　the　city　was　running

away；　and　had　any　regulations　been　published　that　had　been　terrifying

at　that　time；　especially　such　as　would　pretend　to　dispose　of　the　people

otherwise　than　they　would　dispose　of　themselves；　it　would　have　put

both　the　city　and　suburbs　into　the　utmost　confusion。



But　the　magistrates　wisely　caused　the　people　to　be　encouraged；

made　very　good　bye…laws　for　the　regulating　the　citizens；　keeping　good

order　in　the　streets；　and　making　everything　as　eligible　as　possible　to

all　sorts　of　people。



In　the　first　place；　the　Lord　Mayor　and　the　sheriffs；　the　Court　of

Aldermen；　and　a　certain　number　of　the　Common　Council　men；　or

their　deputies；　came　to　a　resolu