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patients　during　the　sickness；　and　now　they　came　to　town　again　nobody

cared　to　employ　them。　They　were　called　deserters；　and　frequently　bills

were　set　up　upon　their　doors　and　written；　'Here　is　a　doctor　to　be　let'；　so

that　several　of　those　physicians　were　fain　for　a　while　to　sit　still　and

look　about　them；　or　at　least　remove　their　dwellings；　and　set　up　in　new

places　and　among　new　acquaintance。　The　like　was　the　case　with　the

clergy；　whom　the　people　were　indeed　very　abusive　to；　writing　verses

and　scandalous　reflections　upon　them；　setting　upon　the　church…door；

'Here　is　a　pulpit　to　be　let'；　or　sometimes；　'to　be　sold'；　which　was　worse。



It　was　not　the　least　of　our　misfortunes　that　with　our　infection；　when

it　ceased；　there　did　not　cease　the　spirit　of　strife　and　contention；　slander

and　reproach；　which　was　really　the　great　troubler　of　the　nation's　peace

before。　It　was　said　to　be　the　remains　of　the　old　animosities；　which　had

so　lately　involved　us　all　in　blood　and　disorder。　But　as　the　late　Act　of

Indemnity　had　laid　asleep　the　quarrel　itself；　so　the　Government　had

recommended　family　and　personal　peace　upon　all　occasions　to　the

whole　nation。



But　it　could　not　be　obtained；　and　particularly　after　the　ceasing　of　the

plague　in　London；　when　any　one　that　had　seen　the　condition　which　the

people　had　been　in；　and　how　they　caressed　one　another　at　that　time；

promised　to　have　more　charity　for　the　future；　and　to　raise　no　more

reproaches；　I　say；　any　one　that　had　seen　them　then　would　have　thought

they　would　have　come　together　with　another　spirit　at　last。　But；　I　say；

it　could　not　be　obtained。　The　quarrel　remained；　the　Church　and　the

Presbyterians　were　incompatible。　As　soon　as　the　plague　was　removed；

the　Dissenting　ousted　ministers　who　had　supplied　the　pulpits　which

were　deserted　by　the　incumbents　retired；　they　could　expect　no　other

but　that　they　should　immediately　fall　upon　them　and　harass　them　with

their　penal　laws；　accept　their　preaching　while　they　were　sick；　and

persecute　them　as　soon　as　they　were　recovered　again；　this　even　we

that　were　of　the　Church　thought　was　very　hard；　and　could　by　no　means

approve　of　it。



But　it　was　the　Government；　and　we　could　say　nothing　to　hinder　it；

we　could　only　say　it　was　not　our　doing；　and　we　could　not　answer　for　it。



On　the　other　hand；　the　Dissenters　reproaching　those　ministers　of　the

Church　with　going　away　and　deserting　their　charge；　abandoning　the

people　in　their　danger；　and　when　they　had　most　need　of　comfort；　and

the　like：　this　we　could　by　no　means　approve；　for　all　men　have　not　the

same　faith　and　the　same　courage；　and　the　Scripture　commands　us　to

judge　the　most　favourably　and　according　to　charity。



A　plague　is　a　formidable　enemy；　and　is　armed　with　terrors　that　every

man　is　not　sufficiently　fortified　to　resist　or　prepared　to　stand　the　shock

against。　It　is　very　certain　that　a　great　many　of　the　clergy　who　were　in

circumstances　to　do　it　withdrew　and　fled　for　the　safety　of　their　lives；

but　'tis　true　also　that　a　great　many　of　them　stayed；　and　many　of　them

fell　in　the　calamity　and　in　the　discharge　of　their　duty。



It　is　true　some　of　the　Dissenting　turned…out　ministers　stayed；　and

their　courage　is　to　be　commended　and　highly　valued　…　but　these　were

not　abundance；　it　cannot　be　said　that　they　all　stayed；　and　that　none

retired　into　the　country；　any　more　than　it　can　be　said　of　the　Church

clergy　that　they　all　went　away。　Neither　did　all　those　that　went　away　go

without　substituting　curates　and　others　in　their　places；　to　do　the

offices　needful　and　to　visit　the　sick；　as　far　as　it　was　practicable；　so

that；　upon　the　whole；　an　allowance　of　charity　might　have　been　made

on　both　sides；　and　we　should　have　considered　that　such　a　time　as　this

of　1665　is　not　to　be　paralleled　in　history；　and　that　it　is　not　the　stoutest

courage　that　will　always　support　men　in　such　cases。　　I　had　not　said

this；　but　had　rather　chosen　to　record　the　courage　and　religious　zeal　of

those　of　both　sides；　who　did　hazard　themselves　for　the　service　of　the

poor　people　in　their　distress；　without　remembering　that　any　failed　in

their　duty　on　either　side。　　But　the　want　of　temper　among　us　has　made

the　contrary　to　this　necessary：　some　that　stayed　not　only　boasting　too

much　of　themselves；　but　reviling　those　that　fled；　branding　them　with

cowardice；　deserting　their　flocks；　and　acting　the　part　of　the　hireling；

and　the　like。　　I　recommend　it　to　the　charity　of　all　good　people　to　look

back　and　reflect　duly　upon　the　terrors　of　the　time；　and　whoever　does

so　well　see　that　it　is　not　an　ordinary　strength　that　could　support　it。　　It

was　not　like　appearing　in　the　head　of　an　army　or　charging　a　body　of

horse　in　the　field；　but　it　was　charging　Death　itself　on　his　pale　horse；　to

stay　was　indeed　to　die；　and　it　could　be　esteemed　nothing　less；

especially　as　things　appeared　at　the　latter　end　of　August　and　the

beginning　of　September；　and　as　there　was　reason　to　expect　them　at

that　time；　for　no　man　expected；　and　I　dare　say　believed；　that　the

distemper　would　take　so　sudden　a　turn　as　it　did；　and　fall　immediately

two　thousand　in　a　week；　when　there　was　such　a　prodigious　number　of

people　sick　at　that　time　as　it　was　known　there　was；　and　then　it　was

that　many　shifted　away　that　had　stayed　most　of　the　time　before。



Besides；　if　God　gave　strength　to　some　more　than　to　others；　was　it　to

boast　of　their　ability　to　abide　the　stroke；　and　upbraid　those　that　had

not　the　same　gift　and　support；　or　ought　not　they　rather　to　have　been

humble　and　thankful　if　they　were　rendered　more　useful　than　their

brethren？



I　think　it　ought　to　be　recorded　to　the　honour　of　such　men；　as　well

clergy　as　physicians；　surgeons；　apothecaries；　magistrates；　and　officers

of　every　kind；　as　also　all　useful　people　who　ventured　their　lives　in

discharge　of　their　duty；　as　most　certainly　all　such　as　stayed　did　to　the

last　degree；　and　several　of　all　these　kinds　did　not　only　venture　but　lose

their　lives　on　that　sad　occasion。



I　was　once　making　a　list　of　all　such；　I　mean　of　all　those　professions

and　employments　who　thus　died；　as　I　call　it；　in　the　way　of　their　duty；

but　it　was　impossible　for　a　private　man　to　come　at　a　certainty　in　the

particulars。　　I　only　remember　that　there　died　sixteen　clergymen；　two

aldermen；　five　physicians；　thirteen　surgeons；　within　the　city　and

liberties　before　the　beginning　of　September。　　But　this　being；　as　I　said

before；　the　great　crisis　and　extremity　of　the　infection；　it　can　be　no

complete　list。　　As　to　inferior　people；　I　think　there　died　six…and…forty

constables　and　head…boroughs　in　the　two　parishes　of　Stepney　and

Whitechappel；　but　I　could　not　carry　my　list　oil；　for　when　the　violent

rage　of　the　distemper　in　September　came　upon　us；　it　drove　us　out　of

all　measures。　　Men　did　then　no　more　（lie　by　tale　and　by　number。　　They

might　put　out　a　weekly　bill；　and　call　them　seven　or　eight　thousand；　or

what　they　pleased；　'tis　certain　they　died　by　heaps；　and　were　buried　by

heaps；　that　is　to　say；　without　account。　　And　if　I　might　believe　some

people；　who　were　more　abroad　and　more　conversant　with　those　things

than　I　though　I　was　public　enough　for　one　that　had　no　more　business

to　do　than　I　had；　…　I　say；　if　I　may　believe　them；　there　was　not　many　less

buried　those　first　three　weeks　in　September　than　20；000　per　week。

However；　the　others　aver　the　truth　of　it；　yet　I　rather　choose　to　keep　to

the　public　account；　seven　and　eight　thousand　per　week　is　enough　to

make　good　all　that　I　have　said　of　the　terror　of　those　times；　…and　it　is

much　to　the　satisfaction　of　me　that　write；　as　well　as　those　that　read；　to

be　able　to　say　that　everything　is　set　down　with　moderation；　and　rather

within　compass　than　beyond　it。



Upon　all　these　accounts；　I　say；　I　could　wish；　when　we　were

recovered；　our　conduct　had　been　more　distinguished　for　charity　and

kindness　in　remembrance　of　the　past　calamity；　and　not　so　much　a

valuing　ourselves　upon　our　boldness　in　staying；　as　if　all　men　were

cowards　that　fly　from　the　hand　of　God；　or　that　those　who　stay　do　not

sometimes　owe　their　courage　to　their　ignorance；　and　despising　the

hand　of　their　Maker　…　which　is　a　criminal　kind　of　desperation；　and　not

a　true　courage。



I　cannot　but　leave　it　upon　record　that　the　civil　officers；　such　as

constables；　head…boroughs；　Lord　Mayor's　and　sheriffs'…men；　as　also

parish　officers；　whose　business　it　was　to　take　charge　of　the　poor；　did

their　duties　in　general　with　as　much　courage　as　any；　and　perhaps　with

more；　because　their　work　was　attended　with　more　hazards；　and　lay

more　among　the　poor；　who　were　more　subject　to　be　infected；　and　in

the　most　pitiful　plight　when　they　were　taken　with　the　infection。　　But

then　it　must　be　added；　too；　that　a　great　number　of　them　died；　indeed　it

was　scarce　possible　it　should　be　otherwise。



I　have　not　said　one　word　here　about　the　physic　or　preparations　that

we　ordinarily　made　use　of　on　this　terrible　occasion　…　I　mean　we　that

went　frequently　abroad　and　up　down　street；　as　I　did；　much　of　this　was

tal