part5-第7章

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led　me　abroad；　then　they　called　me；　as　I　have　said；　to　an　ugly　and

dangerous　office　which　brought　me　out　again；　but　as　that　was　expired

while　the　height　of　the　distemper　lasted；　I　retired　again；　and　continued

dose　ten　or　twelve　days　more；　during　which　many　dismal　spectacles

represented　themselves　in　my　view　out　of　my　own　windows　and　in　our

own　street　…　as　that　particularly　from　Harrow　Alley；　of　the　poor

outrageous　creature　which　danced　and　sung　in　his　agony；　and　many

others　there　were。　　Scarce　a　day　or　night　passed　over　but　some　dismal

thing　or　other　happened　at　the　end　of　that　Harrow　Alley；　which　was　a

place　full　of　poor　people；　most　of　them　belonging　to　the　butchers　or　to

employments　depending　upon　the　butchery。



Sometimes　heaps　and　throngs　of　people　would　burst　out　of　the　alley；

most　of　them　women；　making　a　dreadful　clamour；　mixed　or

compounded　of　screeches；　cryings；　and　calling　one　another；　that　we

could　not　conceive　what　to　make　of　it。　　Almost　all　the　dead　part　of　the

night　the　dead…cart　stood　at　the　end　of　that　alley；　for　if　it　went　in　it

could　not　well　turn　again；　and　could　go　in　but　a　little　way。　　There；　I

say；　it　stood　to　receive　dead　bodies；　and　as　the　churchyard　was　but　a

little　way　off；　if　it　went　away　full　it　would　soon　be　back　again。　　It　is

impossible　to　describe　the　most　horrible　cries　and　noise　the　poor

people　would　make　at　their　bringing　the　dead　bodies　of　their　children

and　friends　out　of　the　cart；　and　by　the　number　one　would　have　thought

there　had　been　none　left　behind；　or　that　there　were　people　enough　for

a　small　city　living　in　those　places。　　Several　times　they　cried　'Murder'；

sometimes　'Fire'；　but　it　was　easy　to　perceive　it　was　all　distraction；　and

the　complaints　of　distressed　and　distempered　people。



I　believe　it　was　everywhere　thus　as　that　time；　for　the　plague　raged

for　six　or　seven　weeks　beyond　all　that　I　have　expressed；　and　came

even　to　such　a　height　that；　in　the　extremity；　they　began　to　break　into

that　excellent　order　of　which　I　have　spoken　so　much　in　behalf　of　the

magistrates；　namely；　that　no　dead　bodies　were　seen　in　the　street　or

burials　in　the　daytime：　for　there　was　a　necessity　in　this　extremity　to

bear　with　its　being　otherwise　for　a　little　while。



One　thing　I　cannot　omit　here；　and　indeed　I　thought　it　was　extraordinary；

at　least　it　seemed　a　remarkable　hand　of　Divine　justice：　　viz。；　that　all

the　predictors；　astrologers；　fortune…tellers；　and　what　they　called

cunning…men；　conjurers；　and　the　like：　calculators　of　nativities

and　dreamers　of　dream；　and　such　people；　were　gone　and　vanished；

not　one　of　them　was　to　be　found。　　I　am　verily　persuaded　that

a　great　number　of　them　fell　in　the　heat　of　the　calamity；

having　ventured　to　stay　upon　the　prospect　of　getting　great　estates；

and　indeed　their　gain　was　but　too　great　for　a　time；　through　the　madness

and　folly　of　the　people。　　But　now　they　were　silent；　many　of　them　went

to　their　long　home；　not　able　to　foretell　their　own　fate　or　to　calculate

their　own　nativities。　　Some　have　been　critical　enough　to　say　that

every　one　of　them　died。　　I　dare　not　affirm　that；　but　this　I　must　own；

that　I　never　heard　of　one　of　them　that　ever　appeared　after　the

calamity　was　over。



But　to　return　to　my　particular　observations　during　this　dreadful　part

of　the　visitation。　　I　am　now　come；　as　I　have　said；　to　the　month　of

September；　which　was　the　most　dreadful　of　its　kind；　I　believe；　that

ever　London　saw；　for；　by　all　the　accounts　which　I　have　seen　of　the

preceding　visitations　which　have　been　in　London；　nothing　has　been

like　it；　the　number　in　the　weekly　bill　amounting　to　almost　40；000　from

the　22nd　of　August　to　the　26th　of　September；　being　but　five　weeks。

The　particulars　of　the　bills　are　as　follows；　viz。　：　…



From　August　the　　　22nd　to　the　29th　　　　　　　　　　　　　7496

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　29th　　　　　〃　　　　5th　September　　8252

〃　　　　September　the　5th　　　　　〃　　　12th　　　　　　　　　　　　7690

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　12th　　　　　〃　　　19th　　　　　　　　　　　　8297

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　19th　　　　　〃　　　26th　　　　　　　　　　　　6460

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　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　famil