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

bullet　that　killed　with　the　stroke；　but　that　they　really　had　the　infection

in　their　blood　long　before；　only；　that　as　it　preyed　secretly　on　the　vitals；

it　appeared　not　till　it　seized　the　heart　with　a　mortal　power；　and　the

patient　died　in　a　moment；　as　with　a　sudden　fainting　or　an　apoplectic　fit。



I　know　that　some　even　of　our　physicians　thought　for　a　time　that

those　people　that　so　died　in　the　streets　were　seized　but　that　moment

they　fell；　as　if　they　had　been　touched　by　a　stroke　from　heaven　as　men

are　killed　by　a　flash　of　lightning　…　but　they　found　reason　to　alter　their

opinion　afterward；　for　upon　examining　the　bodies　of　such　after　they

were　dead；　they　always　either　had　tokens　upon　them　or　other　evident

proofs　of　the　distemper　having　been　longer　upon　them　than　they　had

otherwise　expected。



This　often　was　the　reason　that；　as　I　have　said；　we　that　were

examiners　were　not　able　to　come　at　the　knowledge　of　the　infection

being　entered　into　a　house　till　it　was　too　late　to　shut　it　up；　and

sometimes　not　till　the　people　that　were　left　were　all　dead。　　In　Petticoat

Lane　two　houses　together　were　infected；　and　several　people　sick；　but

the　distemper　was　so　well　concealed；　the　examiner；　who　was　my

neighbour；　got　no　knowledge　of　it　till　notice　was　sent　him　that　the

people　were　all　dead；　and　that　the　carts　should　call　there　to　fetch　them

away。　　The　two　heads　of　the　families　concerted　their　measures；　and　so

ordered　their　matters　as　that　when　the　examiner　was　in　the

neighbourhood　they　appeared　generally　at　a　time；　and　answered；　that

is；　lied；　for　one　another；　or　got　some　of　the　neighbourhood　to　say　they

were　all　in　health　…　and　perhaps　knew　no　better　…　till；　death　making　it

impossible　to　keep　it　any　longer　as　a　secret；　the　dead…carts　were　called

in　the　night　to　both　the　houses　t　and　so　it　became　public。　　But　when

the　examiner　ordered　the　constable　to　shut　up　the　houses　there　was

nobody　left　in　them　but　three　people；　two　in　one　house　and　one　in　the

other；　just　dying；　and　a　nurse　in　each　house　who　acknowledged　that

they　had　buried　five　before；　that　the　houses　had　been　infected　nine　or

ten　days；　and　that　for　all　the　rest　of　the　two　families；　which　were

many；　they　were　gone；　some　sick；　some　well；　or　whether　sick　or　well

could　not　be　known。



In　like　manner；　at　another　house　in　the　same　lane；　a　man　having　his

family　infected　but　very　unwilling　to　be　shut　up；　when　he　could

conceal　it　no　longer；　shut　up　himself；　that　is　to　say；　he　set　the　great　red

cross　upon　his　door　with　the　words；　'Lord　have　mercy　upon　us'；　and　so

deluded　the　examiner；　who　supposed　it　had　been　done　by　the

constable　by　order　of　the　other　examiner；　for　there　were　two

examiners　to　every　district　or　precinct。　　By　this　means　he　had　free

egress　and　regress　into　his　house　again。　and　out　of　it；　as　he　pleased；

notwithstanding　it　was　infected；　till　at　length　his　stratagem　was　found

out；　and　then　he；　with　the　sound　part　of　his　servants　and　family；　made

off　and　escaped；　so　they　were　not　shut　up　at　all。



These　things　made　it　very　hard；　if　not　impossible；　as　I　have　said；　to

prevent　the　spreading　of　an　infection　by　the　shutting　up　of　houses　…

unless　the　people　would　think　the　shutting　of　their　houses　no

grievance；　and　be　so　willing　to　have　it　done　as　that　they　would　give

notice　duly　and　faithfully　to　the　magistrates　of　their　being　infected　as

soon　as　it　was　known　by　themselves；　but　as　that　cannot　be　expected

from　them；　and　the　examiners　cannot　be　supposed；　as　above；　to　go

into　their　houses　to　visit　and　search；　all　the　good　of　shutting　up　houses

will　be　defeated；　and　few　houses　will　be　shut　up　in　time；　except　those

of　the　poor；　who　cannot　conceal　it；　and　of　some　people　who　will　be

discovered　by　the　terror　and　consternation　which　the　things　put　them　into。



I　got　myself　discharged　of　the　dangerous　office　I　was　in　as　soon　as　I

could　get　another　admitted；　whom　I　had　obtained　for　a　little　money　to

accept　of　it；　and　so；　instead　of　serving　the　two　months；　which　was

directed；　I　was　not　above　three　weeks　in　it；　and　a　great　while　too；

considering　it　was　in　the　month　of　August；　at　which　time　the

distemper　began　to　rage　with　great　violence　at　our　end　of　the　town。



In　the　execution　of　this　office　I　could　not　refrain　speaking　my

opinion　among　my　neighbours　as　to　this　shutting　up　the　people　in　their

houses；　in　which　we　saw　most　evidently　the　severities　that　were　used；

though　grievous　in　themselves；　had　also　this　particular　objection

against　them：　namely；　that　they　did　not　answer　the　end；　as　I　have　said；

but　that　the　distempered　people　went　day　by　day　about　the　streets；　and

it　was　our　united　opinion　that　a　method　to　have　removed　the　sound

from　the　sick；　in　case　of　a　particular　house　being　visited；　would　have

been　much　more　reasonable　on　many　accounts；　leaving　nobody　with

the　sick　persons　but　such　as　should　on　such　occasion　request　to　stay

and　declare　themselves　content　to　be　shut　up　with　them



Our　scheme　for　removing　those　that　were　sound　from　those　that

were　sick　was　only　in　such　houses　as　were　infected；　and　confining　the

sick　was　no　confinement；　those　that　could　not　stir　would　not　complain

while　they　were　in　their　senses　and　while　they　had　the　power　of

judging。　　Indeed；　when　they　came　to　be　delirious　and　light…headed；

then　they　would　cry　out　of　the　cruelty　of　being　confined；　but　for　the

removal　of　those　that　were　well；　we　thought　it　highly　reasonable　and

just；　for　their　own　sakes；　they　should　be　removed　from　the　sick；　and

that　for　other　people's　safety　they　should　keep　retired　for　a　while；　to

see　that　they　were　sound；　and　might　not　infect　others；　and　we　thought

twenty　or　thirty　days　enough　for　this。



Now；　certainly；　if　houses　had　been　provided　on　purpose　for　those

that　were　sound　to　perform　this　demi…quarantine　in；　they　would　have

much　less　reason　to　think　themselves　injured　in　such　a　restraint　than

in　being　confined　with　infected　people　in　the　houses　where　they　lived。



It　is　here；　however；　to　be　observed　that　after　the　funerals　became　so

many　that　people　could　not　toll　the　bell；　mourn　or　weep；　or　wear　black

for　one　another；　as　they　did　before；　no；　nor　so　much　as　make　coffins

for　those　that　died；　so　after　a　while　the　fury　of　the　infection　appeared

to　be　so　increased　that；　in　short；　they　shut　up　no　houses　at　all。　　It

seemed　enough　that　all　the　remedies　of　that　kind　had　been　used　till

they　were　found　fruitless；　and　that　the　plague　spread　itself　with　an

irresistible　fury；　so　that　as　the　fire　the　succeeding　year　spread　itself；

and　burned　with　such　violence　that　the　citizens；　in　despair；　gave　over

their　endeavours　to　extinguish　it；　so　in　the　plague　it　came　at　last　to

such　violence　that　the　people　sat　still　looking　at　one　another；　and

seemed　quite　abandoned　to　despair；　whole　streets　seemed　to　be

desolated；　and　not　to　be　shut　up　only；　but　to　be　emptied　of　their

inhabitants；　doors　were　left　open；　windows　stood　shattering　with　the

wind　in　empty　houses　for　want　of　people　to　shut　them。　　In　a　word；

people　began　to　give　up　themselves　to　their　fears　and　to　think　that　all

regulations　and　methods　were　in　vain；　and　that　there　was　nothing　to　be

hoped　for　but　an　universal　desolation；　and　it　was　even　in　the　height　of

this　general　despair　that　it　Pleased　God　to　stay　His　hand；　and　to

slacken　the　fury　of　the　contagion　in　such　a　manner　as　was　even

surprising；　like　its　beginning；　and　demonstrated　it　to　be　His　own

particular　hand；　and　that　above；　if　not　without　the　agency　of　means；　as

I　shall　take　notice　of　in　its　proper　place。



But　I　must　still　speak　of　the　plague　as　in　its　height；　raging　even　to

desolation；　and　the　people　under　the　most　dreadful　consternation；

even；　as　I　have　said；　to　despair。　　It　is　hardly　credible　to　what　excess

the　passions　of　men　carried　them　in　this　extremity　of　the　distemper；

and　this　part；　I　think；　was　as　moving　as　the　rest。　　What　could　affect　a

man　in　his　full　power　of　reflection；　and　what　could　make　deeper

impressions　on　the　soul；　than　to　see　a　man　almost　naked；　and　got　out

of　his　house；　or　perhaps　out　of　his　bed；　into　the　street；　come　out　of

Harrow　Alley；　a　populous　conjunction　or　collection　of　alleys；　courts；

and　passages　in　the　Butcher　Row　in　Whitechappel；　…　I　say；　what　could

be　more　affecting　than　to　see　this　poor　man　come　out　into　the　open

street；　run　dancing　and　singing　and　making　a　thousand　antic　gestures；

with　five　or　six　women　and　children　running　after　him；　crying　and

calling　upon　him　for　the　Lord's　sake　to　come　back；　and　entreating　the

help　of　others　to　bring　him　back；　but　all　in　vain；　nobody　daring　to　lay

a　hand　upon　him　or　to　come　near　him？



This　was　a　most　grievous　and　afflicting　thing　to　me；　who　saw　it　all

from　my　own　windows；　for　all　this　while　the　poor　afflicted　man　was；

as　I　observed　it；　even　then　in　the　utmost　agony　of　pain；　having　（as　they

said）　two　swellings　upon　him　which　could　not　be　brought　to　break　or

to　suppurate；　but