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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　resolution　and　published　it；　viz。；　that　they

would　not　quit　the　city　themselves；　but　that　they　would　be　always　at

hand　for　the　preserving　good　order　in　every　place　and　for　the　doing

justice　on　all　occasions；　as　also　for　the　distributing　the　public　charity

to　the　poor；　and；　in　a　word；　for　the　doing　the　duty　and　discharging　the

trust　reposed　in　them　by　the　citizens　to　the　utmost　of　their　power。



In　pursuance　of　these　orders；　the　Lord　Mayor；　sheriffs；　&c。；　held

councils　every　day；　more　or　less；　for　making　such　dispositions　as　they

found　needful　for　preserving　the　civil　peace；　and　though　they　used　the

people　with　all　possible　gentleness　and　clemency；　yet　all　manner　of

presumptuous　rogues　such　as　thieves；　housebreakers；　plunderers　of　the

dead　or　of　the　sick；　were　duly　punished；　and　several　declarations　were

continually　published　by　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Court　of　Aldermen

against　such。



Also　all　constables　and　churchwardens　were　enjoined　to　stay　in　the

city　upon　severe　penalties；　or　to　depute　such　able　and　sufficient

housekeepers　as　the　deputy　aldermen　or　Common　Council　men　of　the

precinct　should　approve；　and　for　whom　they　should　give　security；　and

also　security　in　case　of　mortality　that　they　would　forthwith　constitute

other　constables　in　their　stead。



These　things　re…established　the　minds　of　the　people　very　much；

especially　in　the　first　of　their　fright；　when　they　talked　of　making　so

universal　a　flight　that　the　city　would　have　been　in　danger　of　being

entirely　deserted　of　its　inhabitants　except　the　poor；　and　the　country　of

being　plundered　and　laid　waste　by　the　multitude。　　Nor　were　the

magistrates　deficient　in　performing　their　part　as　boldly　as　they

promised　it；　for　my　Lord　Mayor　and　the　sheriffs　were　continually　in

the　streets　and　at　places　of　the　greatest　danger；　and　though　they　did

not　care　for　having　too　great　a　resort　of　people　crowding　about　them；

yet　in　emergent　cases　they　never　denied　the　people　access　to　them；

and　heard　with　patience　all　their　grievances　and　complaints。　　My　Lord

Mayor　had　a　low　gallery　built

on　purpose　in　his　hall；　where　he　stood　a　little　removed　from　the　crowd

when　any　complaint　came　to　be　heard；　that　he　might　appear　with　as

much　safety　as　possible。



Likewise　the　proper　officers；　called　my　Lord　Mayor's　officers；

constantly　attended　in　their　turns；　as　they　were　in　waiting；　and　if　any

of　them　were　sick　or　infected；　as　some　of　them　were；　others　were

instantly　employed　to　fill　up　and　officiate　in　their　places　till　it　was

known　whether　the　other　should　live　or　die。



In　like　manner　the　sheriffs　and　aldermen　did　in　their　several　stations

and　wards；　where　they　were　placed　by　office；　and　the　sheriff's　officers

or　sergeants　were　appointed　to　receive　orders　from　the　respective

aldermen　in　their　turn；　so　that　justice　was　executed　in　all　cases

without　interruption。　　In　the　next　place；　it　was　one　of　their　particular

cares　to　see

the　orders　for　the　freedom　of　the　markets　observed；　and　in　this　part

either　the　Lord　Mayor　or　one　or　both　of　the　sheriffs　were　every

market…day　on　horseback　to　see　their　orders　executed　and　to　see　that

the　country　people　had　all　possible　encouragement　and　freedom　in

their　coming　to　the　markets　and　going　back　again；　and　that　no

nuisances　or　frightful　objects　should　be　seen　in　the　streets　to　terrify

them　or　make　them　unwilling　to　come。　　Also　the　bakers　were　taken

under　particular　order；　and　the　Master　of　the　Bakers'　Company　was；

with　his　court　of　assistants；　directed　to　see　the　order　of　my　Lord

Mayor　for　their　regulation　put　in　execution；　and　the　due　assize　of

bread　（which　was　weekly　appointed　by　my　Lord　Mayor）　observed；　and

all　the　bakers　were　obliged　to　keep　their　oven　going　constantly；　on

pain　of　losing　the　privileges　of　a　freeman　of　the　city　of　London。



By　this　means　bread　was　always　to　be　had　in　plenty；　and　as　cheap　as

usual；　as　I　said　above；　and　provisions　were　never　wanting　in　the

markets；　even　to　such　a　degree　that　I　often　wondered　at　it；　and

reproached　myself　with　being　so　timorous　and　cautious　in　stirring

abroad；　when　the　country　people　came　freely　and　boldly　to　market；　as

if　there　had　been　no　manner　of　infection　in　the　city；　or　danger　of

catching　it。



It。　was　indeed　one　admirable　piece　of　conduct　in　the　said

magistrates　that　the　streets　were　kept　constantly　dear　and　free　from　all

manner　of　frightful　objects；　dead　bodies；　or　any　such　things　as　were

indecent　or　unpleasant　…　unless　where　anybody　fell　down　suddenly　or

died　in　the　streets；　as　I　have　said　above；　and　these　were　generally

covered　with　some　cloth　or　blanket；　or　removed　into　the　next

churchyard　till　night。　　All　the　needful　works　that　carried　terror　with

them；　that　were　both　dismal　and　dangerous；　were　done　in　the　night；　if

any　diseased　bodies　were　removed；　or　dead　bodies　buried；　or　infected

clothes　burnt；　it　was　done　in　the　night；　and　all　the　bodies　which　were

thrown　into　the　great　pits　in　the　several　churchyards　or　burying…

grounds；　as　has。　been　observed；　were　so　removed　in　the　night；　and

everything　was　covered　and　closed　before　day。　　So　that　in　the　daytime

there　was　not　the　least　signal　of　the　calamity　to　be　seen　or　heard　of；

except　what　was　to　be　observed　from　the　emptiness　of　the　streets；　and

sometimes　from　the　passionate　outcries　and　lamentations　of　the

people；　out　at　their　windows；　and　from　the　numbers　of　houses　and

shops　shut　up。



Nor　was　the　silence　and　emptiness　of　the　streets　so　much　in　the　city

as　in　the　out…parts；　except　just　at　one　particular　time　when；　as　I　have

mentioned；　the　plague　came　east　and　spread　over　all　the　city。　　It　was

indeed　a　merciful　disposition　of　God；　that　as　the　plague　began　at　one

end　of　the　town　first　（as　has　been　observed　at　large）　so　it　proceeded

progressively　to　other　parts；　and　did　not　come　on　this　way；　or

eastward；　till　it　had　spent　its　fury　in　the　West　part　of　the　town；　and　so；

as　it　came　on　one　way；　it　abated　another。　　For　example；　it　began　at　St

Giles's　and　the　Westminster　end　of　the　town；　and　it　was　in　its　height　in

all　that　part　by　about　the　middle　of　July；　viz。；　in　St　Giles…in…the…Fields；

St　Andrew's；　Holborn；　St　Clement　Danes；　St　Martin…in…the…Fields；　and

in　Westminster。　　The　latter　end　of　July　it　decreased　in　those　parishes；

and　coming　east；　it　increased　prodigiously　in　Cripplegate；　St

Sepulcher's；　St　James's；　Clarkenwell；　and　St　Bride's　and　Aldersgate。

While　it　was　in　all　these　parishes；　the　city　and　all　the　parishes　of　the

Southwark　side　of　the　water　and　all　Stepney；　Whitechappel；　Aldgate；

Wapping；　and　Ratcliff；　were　very　little　touched；　so　that　people　went

about　their　business　unconcerned；　carried　on　their　trades；　kept　open

their　shops；　and　conversed　freely　with　one　another　in　all　the　city；　the

east　and　north…east　suburbs；　and　in　Southwark；　almost　as　if　the　plague

had　not　been　among　us。



Even　when　the　north　and　north…west　suburbs　were　fully　infected；

viz。；　Cripplegate；　Clarkenwell；　Bishopsgate；　and　Shoreditch；　yet　still

all　the　rest　were　tolerably　well。　　For　example　from　25th　July　to　1st

August　the　bill　stood　thus　of　all　diseases：　…



St　Giles；　Cripplegate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　554

St　Sepulchers　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　250

Clarkenwell　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　103

Bishopsgate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　116

Shoreditch　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　110

Stepney　parish　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　127

Aldgate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　92

Whitechappel　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　104

All　the　ninety…seven　parishes　within　the　walls　　　　　228

All　the　parishes　in　Southwark　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　205

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　

　　　　　Total　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1889







So　that；　in　short；　there　died　more　that　week　in　the　two　parishes　of

Cripplegate　and　St　Sepulcher　by　forty…eight　than　in　all　the　city；　all　the

ea