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

vigorous　and　severe　as　they　were　afterward　in　the　keeping　the　people

in；　that　is　to　say；　before　they　were　（I　mean　some　of　them）　severely

punished　for　their　neglect；　failing　in　their　duty；　and　letting　people　who

were　under　their　care　slip　away；　or　conniving　at　their　going　abroad；

whether　sick　or　well。　　But　after　they　saw　the　officers　appointed　to

examine　into　their　conduct　were　resolved　to　have　them　do　their　duty

or　be　punished　for　the　omission；　they　were　more　exact；　and　the　people

were　strictly　restrained；　which　was　a　thing　they　took　so　ill　and　bore　so

impatiently　that　their　discontents　can　hardly　be　described。　　But　there

was　an　absolute　necessity　for　it；　that　must　be　confessed；　unless　some

other　measures　had　been　timely　entered　upon；　and　it　was　too　late　for　that。



Had　not　this　particular　（of　the　sick　being　restrained　as　above）　been

our　case　at　that　time；　London　would　have　been　the　most　dreadful

place　that　ever　was　in　the　world；　there　would；　for　aught　I　know；　have

as　many　people　died　in　the　streets　as　died　in　their　houses；　for　when　the

distemper　was　at　its　height　it　generally　made　them　raving　and

delirious；　and　when　they　were　so　they　would　never　be　persuaded　to

keep　in　their　beds　but　by　force；　and　many　who　were　not　tied　threw

themselves　out　of　windows　when　they　found　they　could　not　get　leave

to　go　out　of　their　doors。



It　was　for　want　of　people　conversing　one　with　another；　in　this　time

of　calamity；　that　it　was　impossible　any　particular　person　could　come

at　the　knowledge　of　all　the　extraordinary　cases　that　occurred　in

different　families；　and　particularly　I　believe　it　was　never　known　to　this

day　how　many　people　in　their　deliriums　drowned　themselves　in　the

Thames；　and　in　the　river　which　runs　from　the　marshes　by　Hackney；

which　we　generally　called　Ware　River；　or　Hackney　River。　　As　to　those

which　were　set　down　in　the　weekly　bill；　they　were　indeed　few；　nor

could　it　be　known　of　any　of　those　whether　they　drowned　themselves

by　accident　or　not。　　But　I　believe　I　might　reckon　up　more　who　within

the　compass　of　my　knowledge　or　observation　really　drowned

themselves　in　that　year；　than　are　put　down　in　the　bill　of　all　put

together：　for　many　of　the　bodies　were　never　found　who　yet　were

known　to　be　lost；　and　the　like　in　other　methods　of　self…destruction。

There　was　also　one　man　in　or　about　Whitecross　Street　burned　himself

to　death　in　his　bed；　some　said　it　was　done　by　himself；　others　that　it

was　by　the　treachery　of　the　nurse　that　attended　him；　but　that　he　had

the　plague　upon　him　was　agreed　by　all。



It　was　a　merciful　disposition　of　Providence　also；　and　which　I　have

many　times　thought　of　at　that　time；　that　no　fires；　or　no　considerable

ones　at　least；　happened　in　the　city　during　that　year；　which；　if　it　had

been　otherwise；　would　have　been　very　dreadful；　and　either　the　people

must　have　let　them　alone　unquenched；　or　have　come　together　in　great

crowds　and　throngs；　unconcerned　at　the　danger　of　the　infection；　not

concerned　at　the　houses　they　went　into；　at　the　goods　they　handled；　or

at　the　persons　or　the　people　they　came　among。　　But　so　it　was；　that

excepting　that　in　Cripplegate　parish；　and　two　or　three　little　eruptions

of　fires；　which　were　presently　extinguished；　there　was　no　disaster　of

that　kind　happened　in　the　whole　year。　　They　told　us　a　story　of　a　house

in　a　place　called　Swan　Alley；　passing　from　Goswell　Street；　near　the

end　of　Old　Street；　into　St　John　Street；　that　a　family　was　infected　there

in　so　terrible　a　manner　that　every　one　of　the　house　died。　　The　last

person　lay　dead　on　the　floor；　and；　as　it　is　supposed；　had　lain　herself　all

along　to　die　just　before　the　fire；　the　fire；　it　seems；　had　fallen　from　its

place；　being　of　wood；　and　had　taken　hold　of　the　boards　and　the　joists

they　lay　on；　and　burnt　as　far　as　just　to　the　body；　but　had　not　taken　hold

of　the　dead　body　（though　she　had　little　more　than　her　shift　on）　and　had

gone　out　of　itself；　not　burning　the　rest　of　the　house；　though　it　was　a

slight　timber　house。　　How　true　this　might　be　I　do　not　determine；　but

the　city　being　to　suffer　severely　the　next　year　by　fire；　this　year　it　felt

very　little　of　that　calamity。



Indeed；　considering　the　deliriums　which　the　agony　threw　people

into；　and　how　I　have　mentioned　in　their　madness；　when　they　were

alone；　they　did　many　desperate　things；　it　was　very　strange　there　were

no　more　disasters　of　that　kind。



It　has　been　frequently　asked　me；　and　I　cannot　say　that　I　ever　knew

how　to　give　a　direct　answer　to　it；　how　it　came　to　pass　that　so　many

infected　people　appeared　abroad　in　the　streets　at　the　same　time　that

the　houses　which　were　infected　were　so　vigilantly　searched；　and　all　of

them　shut　up　and　guarded　as　they　were。



I　confess　I　know　not　what　answer　to　give　to　this；　unless　it　be　this：

that　in　so　great　and　populous　a　city　as　this　is　it　was　impossible　to

discover　every　house　that　was　infected　as　soon　as　it　was　so；　or　to　shut

up　all　the　houses　that　were　infected；　so　that　people　had　the　liberty　of

going　about　the　streets；　even　where　they　Pleased；　unless　they　were

known　to　belong　to　such…and…such　infected　houses。



It　is　true　that；　as　several　physicians　told　my　Lord　Mayor；　the　fury　of

the　contagion　was　such　at　some　particular　times；　and　people　sickened

so　fast　and　died　so　soon；　that　it　was　impossible；　and　indeed　to　no

purpose；　to　go　about　to　inquire　who　was　sick　and　who　was　well；　or　to

shut　them　up　with　such　exactness　as　the　thing　required；　almost　every

house　in　a　whole　street　being　infected；　and　in　many　places　every

person　in　some　of　the　houses；　and　that　which　was　still　worse；　by　the

time　that　the　houses　were　known　to　be　infected；　most　of　the　persons

infected　would　be　stone　dead；　and　the　rest　run　away　for　fear　of　being

shut　up；　so　that　it　was　to　very　small　purpose　to　call　them　infected

houses　and　shut　them　up；　the　infection　having　ravaged　and　taken　its

leave　of　the　house　before　it　was　really　known　that　the　family　was　any

way　touched。



This　might　be　sufficient　to　convince　any　reasonable　person　that　as　it

was　not　in　the　power　of　the　magistrates　or　of　any　human　methods　of

policy；　to　prevent　the　spreading　the　infection；　so　that　this　way　of

shutting　up　of　houses　was　perfectly　insufficient　for　that　end。　　Indeed　it

seemed　to　have　no　manner　of　public　good　in　it；　equal　or

proportionable　to　the　grievous　burden　that　it　was　to　the　particular

families　that　were　so　shut　up；　and；　as　far　as　I　was　employed　by　the

public　in　directing　that　severity；　I　frequently　found　occasion　to　see

that　it　was　incapable　of　answering　the　end。　For　example；　as　I　was

desired；　as　a　visitor　or　examiner；　to　inquire　into　the　particulars　of

several　families　which　were　infected；　we　scarce　came　to　any　house

where　the　plague　had　visibly　appeared　in　the　family　but　that　some　of

the　family　were　fled　and　gone。　　The　magistrates　would　resent　this；　and

charge　the　examiners　with　being　remiss　in　their　examination　or

inspection。　　But　by　that　means　houses　were　long　infected　before　it　was

known。　　Now；　as　I　was　in　this　dangerous　office　but　half　the　appointed

time；　which　was　two　months；　it　was　long　enough　to　inform　myself　that

we　were　no　way　capable　of　coming　at　the　knowledge　of　the　true　state

of　any　family　but　by　inquiring　at　the　door　or　of　the　neighbours。　　As　for

going　into　every　house　to　search；　that　was　a　part　no　authority　would

offer　to　impose　on　the　inhabitants；　or　any　citizen　would　undertake：　for

it　would　have　been　exposing　us　to　certain　infection　and　death；　and　to

the　ruin　of　our　own　families　as　well　as　of　ourselves；　nor　would　any

citizen　of　probity；　and　that　could　be　depended　upon；　have　stayed　in　the

town　if　they　had　been　made　liable　to　such　a　severity。



Seeing　then　that　we　could　come　at　the　certainty　of　things　by　no

method　but　that　of　inquiry　of　the　neighbours　or　of　the　family；　and　on

that　we　could　not　justly　depend；　it　was　not　possible　but　that　the

uncertainty　of　this　matter　would　remain　as　above。



It　is　true　masters　of　families　were　bound　by　the　order　to　give　notice

to　the　examiner　of　the　place　wherein　he　lived；　within　two　hours　after

he　should　discover　it；　of　any　person　being　sick　in　his　house　（that　is　to

say；　having　signs　of　the　infection）…　but　they　found　so　many　ways　to

evade　this　and　excuse　their　negligence　that　they　seldom　gave　that

notice　till　they　had　taken　measures　to　have　every　one　escape　out　of　the

house　who　had　a　mind　to　escape；　whether　they　were　sick　or　sound；

and　while　this　was　so；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　the　shutting　up　of　houses

was　no　way　to　be　depended　upon　as　a　sufficient　method　for　putting　a

stop　to　the　infection　because；　as　I　have　said　elsewhere；　many　of　those

that　so　went　out　of　those　infected　houses　had　the　plague　really　upon

them；　though　they　might　really　think　themselves　sound。　　And　some　of

these　were　the　people　that　walked　the　streets　till　they　fell　down　dead；

not　that　they　were　suddenly　struck　with　the　distemper　as　with　a

bullet　that　k