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counted　very　terrible；　and　the　complaints　of　people　so　confined　were

very　grievous。　　They　were　heard　into　the　very　streets；　and　they　were

sometimes　such　that　called　for　resentment；　though　oftener　for

compassion。　　They　had　no　way　to　converse　with　any　of　their　friends

but　out　at　their　windows；　where　they　would　make　such　piteous

lamentations　as　often　moved　the　hearts　of　those　they　talked　with；　and

of　others　who；　passing　by；　heard　their　story；　and　as　those　complaints

oftentimes　reproached　the　severity；　and　sometimes　the　insolence；　of

the　watchmen　placed　at　their　doors；　those　watchmen　would　answer

saucily　enough；　and　perhaps　be　apt　to　affront　the　people　who　were　in

the　street　talking　to　the　said　families；　for　which；　or　for　their　ill…

treatment　of　the　families；　I　think　seven　or　eight　of　them　in　several

places　were　killed；　I　know　not　whether　I　should　say　murdered　or　not；

because　I　cannot　enter　into　the　particular　cases。　　It　is　true　the

watchmen　were　on　their　duty；　and　acting　in　the　post　where　they　were

placed　by　a　lawful　authority；　and　killing　any　public　legal　officer　in　the

execution　of　his　office　is　always；　in　the　language　of　the　law；　called

murder。　　But　as　they　were　not　authorised　by　the　magistrates'

instructions；　or　by　the　power　they　acted　under；　to　be　injurious　or

abusive　either　to　the　people　who　were　under　their　observation　or　to

any　that　concerned　themselves　for　them；　so　when　they　did　so；　they

might　he　said　to　act　themselves；　not　their　office；　'　to　act　as　private

persons；　not　as　persons　employed；　and　consequently；　if　they　brought

mischief　upon　themselves　by　such　an　undue　behaviour；　that　mischief

was　upon　their　own　heads；　and　indeed　they　had　so　much　the　hearty

curses　of　the　people；　whether　they　deserved　it　or　not；　that　whatever

befell　them　nobody　pitied　them；　and　everybody　was　apt　to　say　they

deserved　it；　whatever　it　was。　　Nor　do　I　remember　that　anybody　was

ever　punished；　at　least　to　any　considerable　degree；　for　whatever　was

done　to　the　watchmen　that　guarded　their　houses。



What　variety　of　stratagems　were　used　to　escape　and　get　out　of

houses　thus　shut　up；　by　which　the　watchmen　were　deceived　or

overpowered；　and　that　the　people　got　away；　I　have　taken　notice　of

already；　and　shall　say　no　more　to　that。　　But　I　say　the　magistrates　did

moderate　and　ease　families　upon　many　occasions　in　this　case；　and

particularly　in　that　of　taking　away；　or　suffering　to　be　removed；　the

sick　persons　out　of　such　houses　when　they　were　willing　to　be　removed

either　to　a　pest…house　or　other　Places；　and　sometimes　giving　the　well

persons　in　the　family　so　shut　up；　leave　to　remove　upon　information

given　that　they　were　well；　and　that　they　would　confine　themselves　in

such　houses　where　they　went　so　long　as　should　be　required　of　them。

The　concern；　also；　of　the　magistrates　for　the　supplying　such　poor

families　as　were　infected　…　I　say；　supplying　them　with　necessaries；　as

well　physic　as　food　…　was　very　great；　and　in　which　they　did　not　content

themselves　with　giving　the　necessary　orders　to　the　officers　appointed；

but　the　aldermen　in　person；　and　on　horseback；　frequently　rode　to　such

houses　and　caused　the　people　to　be　asked　at　their　windows　whether

they　were　duly　attended　or　not；　also；　whether　they　wanted　anything

that　was　necessary；　and　if　the　officers　had　constantly　carried　their

messages　and　fetched　them　such　things　as　they　wanted　or　not。　　And　if

they　answered　in　the　affirmative；　all　was　well；　but　if　they　complained

that　they　were　ill　supplied；　and　that　the　officer　did　not　do　his　duty；　or

did　not　treat　them　civilly；　they　（the　officers）　were　generally　removed；

and　others　placed　in　their　stead。



It　is　true　such　complaint　might　be　unjust；　and　if　the　officer　had　such

arguments　to　use　as　would　convince　the　magistrate　that　he　was　right；

and　that　the　people　had　injured　him；　he　was　continued　and　they

reproved。　　But　this　part　could　not　well　bear　a　particular　inquiry；　for　the

parties　could　very　ill　be　well　heard　and　answered　in　the　street　from　the

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　b