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Part　5




The　good；　charitable　gentleman　encouraged　them　to　quit　the　Place

for　fear　they　should　be　cut　off　from　any　retreat　at　all　by　the　violence

of　the　distemper；　but　whither　they　should　go；　that　he　found　very　hard

to　direct　them　to。　　At　last　John　asked　of　him　whether　he；　being　a

justice　of　the　peace；　would　give　them　certificates　of　health　to　other

justices　whom　they　might　come　before；　that　so　whatever　might　be

their　lot；　they　might　not　be　repulsed　now　they　had　been　also　so　long

from　London。　　This　his　worship　immediately　granted；　and　gave　them

proper　letters　of　health；　and　from　thence　they　were　at　liberty　to　travel

whither　they　pleased。



Accordingly　they　had　a　full　certificate　of　health；　intimating　that　they

had　resided　in　a　village　in　the　county　of　Essex　so　long　that；　being

examined　and　scrutinised　sufficiently；　and　having　been　retired　from

all　conversation　for　above　forty　days；　without　any　appearance　of

sickness；　they　were　therefore　certainly　concluded　to　be　sound　men；

and　might　be　safely　entertained　anywhere；　having　at　last　removed

rather　for　fear　of　the　plague　which　was　come　into　such　a　town；　rather

than　for　having　any　signal　of　infection　upon　them；　or　upon　any

belonging　to　them。



With　this　certificate　they　removed；　though　with　great　reluctance；

and　John　inclining　not　to　go　far　from　home；　they　moved　towards　the

marshes　on　the　side　of　Waltham。　　But　here　they　found　a　man　who；　it

seems；　kept　a　weir　or　stop　upon　the　river；　made　to　raise　the　water　for

the　barges　which　go　up　and　down　the　river；　and　he　terrified　them　with

dismal　stories　of　the　sickness　having　been　spread　into　all　the　towns　on

the　river　and　near　the　river；　on　the　side　of　Middlesex　and　Hertfordshire；

that　is　to　say；　into　Waltham；　Waltham　Cross；　Enfield；　and　Ware；　and　all

the　towns　on　the　road；　that　they　were　afraid　to　go　that　way；　though　it

seems　the　man　imposed　upon　them；　for　that　the　thing　was　not　really　true。



However；　it　terrified　them；　and　they　resolved　to　move　across　the

forest　towards　Rumford　and　Brentwood；　but　they　heard　that　there

were　numbers　of　people　fled　out　of　London　that　way；　who　lay　up　and

down　in　the　forest　called　Henalt　Forest；　reaching　near　Rumford；　and

who；　having　no　subsistence　or　habitation；　not　only　lived　oddly　and

suffered　great　extremities　in　the　woods　and　fields　for　want　of　relief；

but　were　said　to　be　made　so　desperate　by　those　extremities　as　that　they

offered　many　violences　to　the　county　robbed　and　plundered；　and

killed　cattle；　and　the　like；　that　others；　building　huts　and　hovels　by　the

roadside；　begged；　and　that　with　an　importunity　next　door　to

demanding　relief；　so　that　the　county　was　very　uneasy；　and　had　been

obliged　to　take　some　of　them　up。



This　in　the　first　place　intimated　to　them；　that　they　would　be　sure　to

find　the　charity　and　kindness　of　the　county；　which　they　had　found　here

where　they　were　before；　hardened　and　shut　up　against　them；　and　that；

on　the　other　hand；　they　would　be　questioned　wherever　they　came；　and

would　be　in　danger　of　violence　from　others　in　like　cases　as

themselves。



Upon　all　these　considerations　John；　their　captain；　in　all　their　names；

went　back　to　their　good　friend　and　benefactor；　who　had　relieved　them

before；　and　laying　their　case　truly　before　him；　humbly　asked　his

advice；　and　he　as　kindly　advised　them　to　take　up　their　old　quarters

again；　or　if　not；　to　remove　but　a　little　farther　out　of　the　road；　and

directed　them　to　a　proper　place　for　them；　and　as　they　really　wanted

some　house　rather　than　huts　to　shelter　them　at　that　time　of　the　year；　it

growing　on　towards　Michaelmas；　they　found　an　old　decayed　house

which　had　been　formerly　some　cottage　or　little　habitation　but　was　so

out　of　repair　as　scarce　habitable；　and　by　the　consent　of　a　farmer　to

whose　farm　it　belonged；　they　got　leave　to　make　what　use　of　it　they　could。



The　ingenious　joiner；　and　all　the　rest；　by　his　directions　went　to　work

with　it；　and　in　a　very　few　days　made　it　capable　to　shelter　them　all　in

case　of　bad　weather；　and　in　which　there　was　an　old　chimney　and　old

oven；　though　both　lying　in　ruins；　yet　they　made　them　both　fit　for　use；

and；　raising　additions；　sheds；　and　leantos　on　every　side；　they　soon

made　the　house　capable　to　hold　them　all。



They　chiefly　wanted　boards　to　make　window…shutters；　floors；　doors；

and　several　other　things；　but　as　the　gentlemen　above　favoured　them；

and　the　country　was　by　that　means　made　easy　with　them；　and　above

all；　that　they　were　known　to　be　all　sound　and　in　good　health；

everybody　helped　them　with　what　they　could　spare。



Here　they　encamped　for　good　and　all；　and　resolved　to　remove　no

more。　　They　saw　plainly　how　terribly　alarmed　that　county　was

everywhere　at　anybody　that　came　from　London；　and　that　they　should

have　no　admittance　anywhere　but　with　the　utmost　difficulty；　at　least

no　friendly　reception　and　assistance　as　they　had　received　here。



Now；　although　they　received　great　assistance　and　encouragement

from　the　country　gentlemen　and　from　the　people　round　about　them；

yet　they　were　put　to　great　straits：　for　the　weather　grew　cold　and　wet　in

October　and　November；　and　they　had　not　been　used　to　so　much

hardship；　so　that　they　got　colds　in　their　limbs；　and　distempers；　but

never　had　the　infection；　and　thus　about　December　they　came　home　to

the　city　again。



I　give　this　story　thus　at　large；　principally　to　give　an　account　what

became　of　the　great　numbers　of　people　which　immediately　appeared

in　the　city　as　soon　as　the　sickness　abated；　for；　as　I　have　said；　great

numbers　of　those　that　were　able　and　had　retreats　in　the　country　fled　to

those　retreats。　　So；　when　it　was　increased　to　such　a　frightful　extremity

as　I　have　related；　the　middling　people　who　had　not　friends　fled　to　all

parts　of　the　country　where　they　could　get　shelter；　as　well　those　that

had　money　to　relieve　themselves　as　those　that　had　not。　　Those　that　had

money　always　fled　farthest；　because　they　were　able　to　subsist

themselves；　but　those　who　were　empty　suffered；　as　I　have　said；　great

hardships；　and　were　often　driven　by　necessity　to　relieve　their　wants　at

the　expense　of　the　country。　　By　that　means　the　country　was　made　very

uneasy　at　them；　and　sometimes　took　them　up；　though　even　then　they

scarce　knew　what　to　do　with　them；　and　were　always　very　backward　to

punish　them；　but　often；　too；　they　forced　them　from　place　to　place　till

they　were　obliged　to　come　back　again　to　London。



I　have；　since　my　knowing　this　story　of　John　and　his　brother；　inquired

and　found　that　there　were　a　great　many　of　the　poor　disconsolate

people；　as　above；　fled　into　the　country　every　way；　and　some　of　them

got　little　sheds　and　barns　and　outhouses　to　live　in；　where　they　could

obtain　so　much　kindness　of　the　country；　and　especially　where　they　had

any　the　least　satisfactory　account　to　give　of　themselves；　and

particularly　that　they　did　not　come　out　of　London　too　late。　　But　others；

and　that　in　great　numbers；　built　themselves　little　huts　and　retreats　in

the　fields　and　woods；　and　lived　like　hermits　in　holes　and　caves；　or　any

place　they　could　find；　and　where；　we　may　be　sure；　they　suffered　great

extremities；　such　that　many　of　them　were　obliged　to　come　back　again

whatever　the　danger　was；　and　so　those　little　huts　were　often　found

empty；　and　the　country　people　supposed　the　inhabitants　lay　dead　in

them　of　the　plague；　and　would　not　go　near　them　for　fear　…　no；　not　in　a

great　while；　nor　is　it　unlikely　but　that　some　of　the　unhappy　wanderers

might　die　so　all　alone；　even　sometimes　for　want　of　help；　as

particularly　in　one　tent　or　hut　was　found　a　man　dead；　and　on　the　gate

of　a　field　just　by　was　cut　with　his　knife　in　uneven　letters　the　following

words；　by　which　it　may　be　supposed　the　other　man　escaped；　or　that；

one　dying　first；　the　other　buried　him　as　well　as　he　could：　…



　　O　mIsErY！

　　We　BoTH　ShaLL　DyE；

　　WoE；　WoE。





I　have　given　an　account　already　of　what　I　found　to　have　been　the

case　down　the　river　among　the　seafaring　men；　how　the　ships　lay　in　the

offing；　as　it's　called；　in　rows　or　lines　astern　of　one　another；　quite　down

from　the　Pool　as　far　as　I　could　see。　　I　have　been　told　that　they　lay　in

the　same　manner　quite　down　the　river　as　low　as　Gravesend；　and　some

far　beyond：　even　everywhere　or　in　every　place　where　they　could　ride

with　safety　as　to　wind　and　weather；　nor　did　I　ever　hear　that　the　plague

reached　to　any　of　the　people　on　board　those　ships　…　except　such　as　lay

up　in　the　Pool；　or　as　high　as　Deptford　Reach；　although　the　people

went　frequently　on　shore　to　the　country　towns　and　villages　and

farmers'　houses；　to　buy　fresh　provisions；　fowls；　pigs；　calves；　and　the

like　for　their　supply。



Likewise　I　found　that　the　watermen　on　the　river　above　the　bridge

found　means　to　convey　themselves　away　up　the　river　as　far　as　they

could　go；　and　that　they　had；　many　of　them；　their　whole　families　in

their　boats；　covered　with　tilts　and　bales；　as　they　call　them；　and

furnished　with　straw　within　for　their　lodging；　and　that　they　lay　th