part1-第5节

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they　were　at　first　in　a　most　inexpressible　consternation；　yet　as　I　have

observed　that　the　distemper　intermitted　often　at　first；　so　they　were；　as

it　were；　alarmed　and　unalarmed　again；　and　this　several　times；　till　it

began　to　be　familiar　to　them；　and　that　even　when　it　appeared　violent；

yet　seeing　it　did　not　presently　spread　into　the　city；　or　the　east　and

south　parts；　the　people　began　to　take　courage；　and　to　be；　as　I　may　say；

a　little　hardened。　　It　is　true　a　vast　many　people　fled；　as　I　have

observed；　yet　they　were　chiefly　from　the　west　end　of　the　town；　and

from　that　we　call　the　heart　of　the　city：　that　is　to　say；　among　the

wealthiest　of　the　people；　and　such　people　as　were　unencumbered　with

trades　and　business。　　But　of　the　rest；　the　generality　stayed；　and　seemed

to　abide　the　worst；　so　that　in　the　place　we　calf　the　Liberties；　and　in　the

suburbs；　in　Southwark；　and　in　the　east　part；　such　as　Wapping；　Ratcliff；

Stepney；　Rotherhithe；　and　the　like；　the　people　generally　stayed；　except

here　and　there　a　few　wealthy　families；　who；　as　above；　did　not　depend

upon　their　business。



It　must　not　be　forgot　here　that　the　city　and　suburbs　were

prodigiously　full　of　people　at　the　time　of　this　visitation；　I　mean　at　the

time　that　it　began；　for　though　I　have　lived　to　see　a　further　increase；

and　mighty　throngs　of　people　settling　in　London　more　than　ever；　yet

we　had　always　a　notion　that　the　numbers　of　people　which；　the　wars

being　over；　the　armies　disbanded；　and　the　royal　family　and　the

monarchy　being　restored；　had　flocked　to　London　to　settle　in　business；

or　to　depend　upon　and　attend　the　Court　for　rewards　of　services；

preferments；　and　the　like；　was　such　that　the　town　was　computed　to

have　in　it　above　a　hundred　thousand　people　more　than　ever　it　held

before；　nay；　some　took　upon　them　to　say　it　had　twice　as　many；

because　all　the　ruined　families　of　the　royal　party　flocked　hither。　　All

the　old　soldiers　set　up　trades　here；　and　abundance　of　families　settled

here。　　Again；　the　Court　brought　with　them　a　great　flux　of　pride；　and

new　fashions。　　All　people　were　grown　gay　and　luxurious；　and　the　joy

of　the　Restoration　had　brought　a　vast　many　families　to　London。



I　often　thought　that　as　Jerusalem　was　besieged　by　the　Romans　when

the　Jews　were　assembled　together　to　celebrate　the　Passover　…　by　which

means　an　incredible　number　of　people　were　surprised　there　who

would　otherwise　have　been　in　other　countries　…　so　the　plague　entered

London　when　an　incredible　increase　of　people　had　happened

occasionally；　by　the　particular　circumstances　above…named。　　As　this

conflux　of　the　people　to　a　youthful　and　gay　Court　made　a　great　trade

in　the　city；　especially　in　everything　that　belonged　to　fashion　and

finery；　so　it　drew　by　consequence　a　great　number　of　workmen；

manufacturers；　and　the　like；　being　mostly　poor　people　who　depended

upon　their　labour。　　And　I　remember　in　particular　that　in　a

representation　to　my　Lord　Mayor　of　the　condition　of　the　poor；　it　was

estimated　that　there　were　no　less　than　an　hundred　thousand　riband…

weavers　in　and　about　the　city；　the　chiefest　number　of　whom　lived　then

in　the　parishes　of　Shoreditch；　Stepney；　Whitechappel；　and　Bishopsgate；

that；　namely；　about　Spitalfields；　that　is　to　say；　as　Spitalfields　was　then；

for　it　was　not　so　large　as　now　by　one　fifth　part。



By　this；　however；　the　number　of　people　in　the　whole　may　be　judged

of；　and；　indeed；　I　often　wondered　that；　after　the　prodigious　numbers　of

people　that　went　away　at　first；　there　was　yet　so　great　a　multitude　left

as　it　appeared　there　was。



But　I　must　go　back　again　to　the　beginning　of　this　surprising　time。

While　the　fears　of　the　people　were　young；　they　were　increased

strangely　by　several　odd　accidents　which；　put　altogether；　it　was　really

a　wonder　the　whole　body　of　the　people　did　not　rise　as　one　man　and

abandon　their　dwellings；　leaving　the　place　as　a　space　of　ground

designed　by　Heaven　for　an　Akeldama；　doomed　to　be　destroyed　from

the　face　of　the　earth；　and　that　all　that　would　be　found　in　it　would

perish　with　it。　　I　shall　name　but　a　few　of　these　things；　but　sure　they

were　so　many；　and　so　many　wizards　and　cunning　people　propagating

them；　that　I　have　often　wondered　there　was　any　（women　especially）

left　behind。



In　the　first　place；　a　blazing　star　or　comet　appeared　for　several

months　before　the　plague；　as　there　did　the　year　after　another；　a　little

before　the　fire。　　The　old　women　and　the　phlegmatic　hypochondriac

part　of　the　other　sex；　whom　I　could　almost　call　old　women　too；

remarked　（especially　afterward；　though　not　till　both　those　judgements

were　over）　that　those　two　comets　passed　directly　over　the　city；　and

that　so　very　near　the　houses　that　it　was　plain　they　imported　something

peculiar　to　the　city　alone；　that　the　comet　before　the　pestilence　was　of

a　faint；　dull；　languid　colour；　and　its　motion　very　heavy；　Solemn；　and

slow；　but　that　the　comet　before　the　fire　was　bright　and　sparkling；　or；

as　others　said；　flaming；　and　its　motion　swift　and　furious；　and　that；

accordingly；　one　foretold　a　heavy　judgement；　slow　but　severe；　terrible

and　frightful；　as　was　the　plague；　but　the　other　foretold　a　stroke；

sudden；　swift；　and　fiery　as　the　conflagration。　　Nay；　so　particular　some

people　were；　that　as　they　looked　upon　that　comet　preceding　the　fire；

they　fancied　that　they　not　only　saw　it　pass　swiftly　and　fiercely；　and

could　perceive　the　motion　with　their　eye；　but　even　they　heard　it；　that　it

made　a　rushing；　mighty　noise；　fierce　and　terrible；　though　at　a　distance；

and　but　just　perceivable。






End　of　Part　1