part5-第4节

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sensible　was　of　moment；　namely；　it　confined　the　distempered　people；

who　would　otherwise　have　been　both　very　troublesome　and　very

dangerous　in　their　running　about　streets　with　the　distemper　upon　them

…　which；　when　they　were　delirious；　they　would　have　done　in　a　most

frightful　manner；　and　as　indeed　they　began　to　do　at　first　very　much；

till　they　were　thus　restraided；　nay；　so　very　open　they　were　that　the

poor　would　go　about　and　beg　at　people's　doors；　and　say　they　had　the

plague　upon　them；　and　beg　rags　for　their　sores；　or　both；　or　anything

that　delirious　nature　happened　to　think　of。



A　poor；　unhappy　gentlewoman；　a　substantial　citizen's　wife；　was　（if

the　story　be　true）　murdered　by　one　of　these　creatures　in　Aldersgate

Street；　or　that　way。　　He　was　going　along　the　street；　raving　mad　to　be

sure；　and　singing；　the　people　only　said　he　was　drunk；　but　he　himself

said　he　had　the　plague　upon　him；　which　it　seems　was　true；　and

meeting　this　gentlewoman；　he　would　kiss　her。　　She　was　terribly

frighted；　as　he　was　only　a　rude　fellow；　and　she　ran　from　him；　but　the

street　being　very　thin　of　people；　there　was　nobody　near　enough　to　help

her。　　When　she　saw　he　would　overtake　her；　she　turned　and　gave　him　a

thrust　so　forcibly；　he　being　but　weak；　and　pushed　him　down

backward。　　But　very　unhappily；　she　being　so　near；　he　caught　hold　of

her　and　pulled　her　down　also；　and　getting　up　first；　mastered　her　and

kissed　her；　and　which　was　worst　of　all；　when　he　had　done；　told　her　he

had　the　plague；　and　why　should　not　she　have　it　as　well　as　he？　　She　was

frighted　enough　before；　being　also　young　with　child；　but　when　she

heard　him　say　he　had　the　plague；　she　screamed　out　and　fell　down　into

a　swoon；　or　in　a　fit；　which；　though　she　recovered　a　little；　yet　killed　her

in　a　very　few　days；　and　I　never　heard　whether　she　had　the　plague　or　no。



Another　infected　person　came　and　knocked　at　the　door　of　a　citizen's

house　where　they　knew　him　very　well；　the　servant　let　him　in；　and

being　told　the　master　of　the　house　was　above；　he　ran　up　and　came　into

the　room　to　them　as　the　whole　family　was　at　supper。　　They　began　to

rise　up；　a　little　surprised；　not　knowing　what　the　matter　was；　but　he　bid

them　sit　still；　he　only　came　to　take　his　leave　of　them。　　They　asked　him；

'Why；　Mr　…；　where　are　you　going？'　'Going；'　says　he；　'I　have　got　the

sickness；　and　shall　die　tomorrow　night。'　'Tis　easy　to　believe；　though

not　to　describe；　the　consternation　they　were　all　in。　　The　women　and

the　man's　daughters；　which　were　but　little　girls；　were　frighted　almost

to　death　and　got　up；　one　running　out　at　one　door　and　one　at　another；

some　downstairs　and　some　upstairs；　and　getting　together　as　well　as

they　could；　locked　themselves　into　their　chambers　and　screamed　out

at　the　window　for　help；　as　if　they　had　been　frighted　out　of　their；　wits。

The　master；　more　composed　than　they；　though　both　frighted　and

provoked；　was　going　to　lay　hands　on　him　and　throw　him　downstairs；

being　in　a　passion；　but　then；　considering　a　little　the　condition　of　the

man　and　the　danger　of　touching　him；　horror　seized　his　mind；　and　he

stood　still　like　one　astonished。　　The　poor　distempered　man　all　this

while；　being　as　well　diseased　in　his　brain　as　in　his　body；　stood　still

like　one　amazed。　　At　length　he　turns　round：　'Ay！'　says　he；　with　all　the

seeming　calmness　imaginable；　'is　it　so　with　you　all？　　Are　you　all

disturbed　at　me？　　Why；　then　I'll　e'en　go　home　and　die　there。'　And　so　he

goes　immediately　downstairs。　　The　servant　that　had　let　him　in　goes

down　after　him　with　a　candle；　but　was　afraid　to　go　past　him　and　open

the　door；　so　he　stood　on　the　stairs　to　see　what　he　would　do。　　The　man

went　and　opened　the　door；　and　went　out　and　flung　the　door　after　him。

It　was　some　while　before　the　family　recovered　the　fright；　but　as　no　ill

consequence　attended；　they　have　had　occasion　since　to　speak　of　it

（You　may　be　sure）　with　great　satisfaction。　　Though　the　man　was　gone；

it　was　some　time　…　nay；　as　I　heard；　some　days　before　they　recovered

themselves　of　the　hurry　they　were　in；　nor　did　they　go　up　and　down　the

house　with　any　assurance　till　they　had　burnt　a　great　variety　of　fumes

and　perfumes　in　all　the　rooms；　and　made　a　great　many　smokes　of

pitch；　of　gunpowder；　and　of　sulphur；　all　separately　shifted；　and

washed　their　clothes；　and　the　like。　　As　to　the　poor　man；　whether　he

lived　or　died　I　don't　remember。



It　is　most　certain　that；　if　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses　the　sick　bad

not　been　confined；　multitudes　who　in　the　height　of　their　fever　were

delirious　and　distracted　would　have　been　continually　running　up　and

down　the　streets；　and　even　as　it　was　a　very　great　number　did　so；　and

offered　all　sorts　of　violence　to　those　they　met；。　even　just　as　a　mad　dog

runs　on　and　bites　at　every　one　he　meets；　nor　can　I　doubt　but　that；

should　one　of　those　infected；　diseased　creatures　have　bitten　any　man

or　woman　while　the　frenzy　of　the　distemper　was　upon　them；　they；　I

mean　the　person　so　wounded；　would　as　certainly　have　been　incurably

infected　as　one　that　was　sick　before；　and　had　the　tokens　upon　him。



I　heard　of　one　infected　creature　who；　running　out　of　his　bed　in　his

shirt　in　the　anguish　and　agony　of　his　swellings；　of　which　he　had　three

upon　him；　got　his　shoes　on　and　went　to　put　on　his　coat；　but　the　nurse

resisting；　and　snatching　the　coat　from　him；　he　threw　her　down；　ran

over　her；　ran　downstairs　and　into　the　street；　directly　to　the　Thames　in

his　shirt；　the　nurse　running　after　him；　and　calling　to　the　watch　to　stop

him；　but　the　watchman；　ftighted　at　the　man；　and　afraid　to　touch　him；

let　him　go　on；　upon　which　he　ran　down　to　the　Stillyard　stairs；　threw

away　his　shirt；　and　plunged　into　the　Thames；　and；　being　a　good

swimmer；　swam　quite　over　the　river；　and　the　tide　being　coming　in；　as

they　call　it　（that　is；　running　westward）　he　reached　the　land　not　till　he

came　about　the　Falcon　stairs；　where　landing；　and　finding　no　people

there；　it　being　in　the　night；　he　ran　about　the　streets　there；　naked　as　he

was；　for　a　good　while；　when；　it　being　by　that　time　high　water；　he　takes

the　river　again；　and　swam　back　to　the　Stillyard；　landed；　ran　up　the

streets　again　to　his　own　house；　knocking　at　the　door；　went　up　the　stairs

and　into　his　bed　again；　and　that　this　terrible　experiment　cured　him　of

the　plague；　that　is　to　say；　that　the　violent　motion　of　his　arms　and　legs

stretched　the　parts　where　the　swellings　he　had　upon　him　were；　that　is

to　say；　under　his　arms　and　his　groin；　and　caused　them　to　ripen　and

break；　and　that　the　cold　of　the　water　abated　the　fever　in　his　blood。



I　have　only　to　add　that　I　do　not　relate　this　any　more　than　some　of　the

other；　as　a　fact　within　my　own　knowledge；　so　as　that　I　can　vouch　the

truth　of　them；　and　especially　that　of　the　man　being　cured　by　the

extravagant　adventure；　which　I　confess　I　do　not　think　very　possible；

but　it　may　serve　to　confirm　the　many　desperate　things　which　the

distressed　people　falling　into　deliriums；　and　what　we　call　light…

headedness；　were　frequently　run　upon　at　that　time；　and　how　infinitely

more　such　there　would　have　been　if　such　people　had　not　been

confined　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses；　and　this　I　take　to　be　the　best；　if

not　the　only　good　thing　which　was　performed　by　that　severe　method。



On　the　other　hand；　the　complaints　and　the　murmurings　were　very

bitter　against　the　thing　itself。　　It　would　pierce　the　hearts　of　all　that

came　by　to　hear　the　piteous　cries　of　those　infected　people；　who；　being

thus　out　of　their　understandings　by　the　violence　of　their　pain　or　the

heat　of　their　blood；　were　either　shut　in　or　perhaps　tied　in　their　beds

and　chairs；　to　prevent　their　doing　themselves　hurt　…　and　who　would

make　a　dreadful　outcry　at　their　being　confined；　and　at　their　being　not

permitted　to　die　at　large；　as　they　called　it；　and　as　they　would　have

done　before。



This　running　of　distempered　people　about　the　streets　was　very

dismal；　and　the　magistrates　did　their　utmost　to　prevent　it；　but　as　it　was

generally　in　the　night　and　always　sudden　when　such　attempts　were

made；　the　officers　could　not　be　at　band　to　prevent　it；　and　even　when

any　got　out　in　the　day；　the　officers　appointed　did　not　care　to　meddle

with　them；　because；　as　they　were　all　grievously　infected；　to　be　sure；

when　they　were　come　to　that　height；　so　they　were　more　than　ordinarily

infectious；　and　it　was　one　of　the　most　dangerous　things　that　could　be

to　touch　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　they　generally　ran　on；　not　knowing

what　they　did；　till　they　dropped　down　stark　dead；　or　till　they　had

exhausted　their　spirits　so　as　that　they　would　fall　and　then　die　in

perhaps　half…an…hour　or　an　hour；　and；　which　was　most　piteous　to　hear；

they　were　sure　to　come　to　themselves　entirely　in　that　half…hour　or

hour；　and　then　to　make　most　grievous　and　piercing　cries　and

lamentations　in　the　deep；　afflicting　sense　of　the　condition　they　were

in。　　This　was　much　of　it　before　the　order　for　shutting　up　of　houses　was

strictly　put　in　execution；　for　at　first　the　watchmen　were　not　so

vigorous　and　severe　as　the