part5-第3章

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windows；　as　was　the　case　then。　　The　magistrates；　therefore；　generally

chose　to　favour　the　people　and　remove　the　man；　as　what　seemed　to　be

the　least　wrong　and　of　the　least　ill　consequence；　seeing　if　the

watchman　was　injured；　yet　they　could　easily　make　him　amends　by

giving　him　another　post　of　the　like　nature；　but　if　the　family　was

injured；　there　was　no　satisfaction　could　be　made　to　them；　the　damage

perhaps　being　irreparable；　as　it　concerned　their　lives。



A　great　variety　of　these　cases　frequently　happened　between　the

watchmen　and　the　poor　people　shut　up；　besides　those　I　formerly

mentioned　about　escaping。　　Sometimes　the　watchmen　were　absent；

sometimes　drunk；　sometimes　asleep　when　the　people　wanted　them；

and　such　never　failed　to　be　punished　severely；　as　indeed　they

deserved。



But　after　all　that　was　or　could　be　done　in　these　cases；　the　shutting　up

of　houses；　so　as　to　confine　those　that　were　well　with　those　that　were

sick；　had　very　great　inconveniences　in　it；　and　some　that　were　very

tragical；　and　which　merited　to　have　been　considered　if　there　had　been

room　for　it。　　But　it　was　authorised　by　a　law；　it　had　the　public　good　in

view　as　the　end　chiefly　aimed　at；　and　all　the　private　injuries　that　were

done　by　the　putting　it　in　execution　must　be　put　to　the　account　of　the

public　benefit。



It　is　doubtful　to　this　day　whether；　in　the　whole；　it　contributed

anything　to　the　stop　of　the　infection；　and　indeed　I　cannot　say　it　did；　for

nothing　could　run　with　greater　fury　and　rage　than　the　infection　did

when　it　was　in　its　chief　violence；　though　the　houses　infected　were　shut

up　as　exactly　and　as　effectually　as　it　was　possible。　　Certain　it　is　that　if

all　the　infected　persons　were　effectually　shut　in；　no　sound　person

could　have　been　infected　by　them；　because　they　could　not　have　come

near　them。　　But　the　case　was　this　（and　I　shall　only　touch　it　here）：

namely；　that　the　infection　was　propagated　insensibly；　and　by　such

persons　as　were　not　visibly　infected；　who　neither　knew　whom　they

infected　or　who　they　were　infected　by。



A　house　in　Whitechappel　was　shut　up　for　the　sake　of　one　infected

maid；　who　had　only　spots；　not　the　tokens　come　out　upon　her；　and

recovered；　yet　these　people　obtained　no　liberty　to　stir；　neither　for　air

or　exercise；　forty　days。　　Want　of　breath；　fear；　anger；　vexation；　and　all

the　other　gifts　attending　such　an　injurious　treatment　cast　the　mistress

of　the　family　into　a　fever；　and　visitors　came　into　the　house　and　said　it

was　the　plague；　though　the　physicians　declared　it　was　not。　　However；

the　family　were　obliged　to　begin　their　quarantine　anew　on　the　report

of　the　visitors　or　examiner；　though　their　former　quarantine　wanted　but

a　few　days　of　being　finished。　　This　oppressed　them　so　with　anger　and

grief；　and；　as　before；　straitened　them　also　so　much　as　to　room；　and　for

want　of　breathing　and　free　air；　that　most　of　the　family　fell　sick；　one　of

one　distemper；　one　of　another；　chiefly　scorbutic　ailments；　only　one；　a

violent　colic；　till；　after　several　prolongings　of　their　confinement；　some

or　other　of　those　that　came　in　with　the　visitors　to　inspect　the　persons

that　were　ill；　in　hopes　of　releasing　them；　brought　the　distemper　with

them　and　infected　the　whole　house；　and　all　or　most　of　them　died；　not

of　the　plague　as　really　upon　them　before；　but　of　the　plague　that　those

people　brought　them；　who　should　have　been　careful　to　have　protected

them　from　it。　　And　this　was　a　thing　which　frequently　happened；　and

was　indeed　one　of　the　worst　consequences　of　shutting　houses　up。



I　had　about　this　time　a　little　hardship　put　upon　me；　which　I　was　at

first　greatly　afflicted　at；　and　very　much　disturbed　about　though；　as　it

proved；　it　did　not　expose　me　to　any　disaster；　and　this　was　being

appointed　by　the　alderman　of　Portsoken　Ward　one　of　the　examiners　of

the　houses　in　the　precinct　where　I　lived。　　We　had　a　large　parish；　and

had　no　less　than　eighteen　examiners；　as　the　order　called　us；　the　people

called　us　visitors。　　I　endeavoured　with　all　my　might　to　be　excused

from　such　an　employment；　and　used　many　arguments　with　the

alderman's　deputy　to　be　excused；　particularly　I　alleged　that　I　was

against　shutting　up　houses　at　all；　and　that　it　would　be　very　hard　to

oblige　me　to　be　an　instrument　in　that　which　was　against　my

judgement；　and　which　I　did　verily　believe　would　not　answer　the　end　it

was　intended　for；　but　all　the　abatement　I　could　get　was　only；　that

whereas　the　officer　was　appointed　by　my　Lord　Mayor　to　continue　two

months；　I　should　be　obliged　to　hold　it　but　three　weeks；　on　condition

nevertheless　that　I　could　then　get　some　other　sufficient　housekeeper　to

serve　the　rest　of　the　time　for　me　…　which　was；　in　short；　but　a　very　small

favour；　it　being　very　difficult　to　get　any　man　to　accept　of　such　an

employment；　that　was　fit　to　be　entrusted　with　it。



It　is　true　that　shutting　up　of　houses　had　one　effect；　which　I　am

sensible　was　of　moment；　namely；　it　confined　the　distempered　people；

who　would　otherwise　have　been　both　very　troublesome　and　very

dangerous　in　their　running　about　streets　with　the　distemper　upon　them

…　which；　when　they　were　delirious；　they　would　have　done　in　a　most

frightful　manner；　and　as　indeed　they　began　to　do　at　first　very　much；

till　they　were　thus　restraided；　nay；　so　very　open　they　were　that　the

poor　would　go　about　and　beg　at　people's　doors；　and　say　they　had　the

plague　upon　them；　and　beg　rags　for　their　sores；　or　both；　or　anything

that　delirious　nature　happened　to　think　of。



A　poor；　unhappy　gentlewoman；　a　substantial　citizen's　wife；　was　（if

the　story　be　true）　murdered　by　one　of　these　creatures　in　Aldersgate

Street；　or　that　way。　　He　was　going　along　the　street；　raving　mad　to　be

sure；　and　singing；　the　people　only　said　he　was　drunk；　but　he　himself

said　he　had　the　plague　upon　him；　which　it　seems　was　true；　and

meeting　this　gentlewoman；　he　would　kiss　her。　　She　was　terribly

frighted；　as　he　was　only　a　rude　fellow；　and　she　ran　from　him；　but　the

street　being　very　thin　of　people；　there　was　nobody　near　enough　to　help

her。　　When　she　saw　he　would　overtake　her；　she　turned　and　gave　him　a

thrust　so　forcibly；　he　being　but　weak；　and　pushed　him　down

backward。　　But　very　unhappily；　she　being　so　near；　he　caught　hold　of

her　and　pulled　her　down　also；　and　getting　up　first；　mastered　her　and

kissed　her；　and　which　was　worst　of　all；　when　he　had　done；　told　her　he

had　the　plague；　and　why　should　not　she　have　it　as　well　as　he？　　She　was

frighted　enough　before；　being　also　young　with　child；　but　when　she

heard　him　say　he　had　the　plague；　she　screamed　out　and　fell　down　into

a　swoon；　or　in　a　fit；　which；　though　she　recovered　a　little；　yet　killed　her

in　a　very　few　days；　and　I　never　heard　whether　she　had　the　plague　or　no。



Another　infected　person　came　and　knocked　at　the　door　of　a　citizen's

house　where　they　knew　him　very　well；　the　servant　let　him　in；　and

being　told　the　master　of　the　house　was　above；　he　ran　up　and　came　into

the　room　to　them　as　the　whole　family　was　at　supper。　　They　began　to

rise　up；　a　little　surprised；　not　knowing　what　the　matter　was；　but　he　bid

them　sit　still；　he　only　came　to　take　his　leave　of　them。　　They　asked　him；

'Why；　Mr　…；　where　are　you　going？'　'Going；'　says　he；　'I　have　got　the

sickness；　and　shall　die　tomorrow　night。'　'Tis　easy　to　believe；　though

not　to　describe；　the　consternation　they　were　all　in。　　The　women　and

the　man's　daughters；　which　were　but　little　girls；　were　frighted　almost

to　death　and　got　up；　one　running　out　at　one　door　and　one　at　another；

some　downstairs　and　some　upstairs；　and　getting　together　as　well　as

they　could；　locked　themselves　into　their　chambers　and　screamed　out

at　the　window　for　help；　as　if　they　had　been　frighted　out　of　their；　wits。

The　master；　more　composed　than　they；　though　both　frighted　and

provoked；　was　going　to　lay　hands　on　him　and　throw　him　downstairs；

being　in　a　passion；　but　then；　considering　a　little　the　condition　of　the

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　S