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preservatives　in　their　mouths　and　about　their　clothes　to　repel　and　keep

off　the　infection。



It　must　be　acknowledged　that　when　people　began　to　use　these

cautions　they　were　less　exposed　to　danger；　and　the　infection　did　not

break　into　such　houses　so　furiously　as　it　did　into　others　before；　and

thousands　of　families　were　preserved　（speaking　with　due　reserve　to

the　direction　of　Divine　Providence）　by　that　means。



But　it　was　impossible　to　beat　anything　into　the　heads　of　the　poor。

They　went　on　with　the　usual　impetuosity　of　their　tempers；　full　of

outcries　and　lamentations　when　taken；　but　madly　careless　of

themselves；　foolhardy　and　obstinate；　while　they　were　well。　　Where

they　could　get　employment　they　pushed　into　any　kind　of　business；　the

most　dangerous　and　the　most　liable　to　infection；　and　if　they　were

spoken　to；　their　answer　would　be；　'I　must　trust　to　God　for　that；　if　I　am

taken；　then　I　am　provided　for；　and　there　is　an　end　of　me'；　and　the　like。

Or　thus；　'Why；　what　must　I　do？　　I　can't　starve。　　I　had　as　good　have　the

plague　as　perish　for　want。　　I　have　no　work；　what　could　I　do？　　I　must　do

this　or　beg。'　Suppose　it　was　burying　the　dead；　or　attending　the　sick；　or

watching　infected　houses；　which　were　all　terrible　hazards；　but　their

tale　was　generally　the　same。　　It　is　true；　necessity　was　a　very　justifiable；

warrantable　plea；　and　nothing　could　be　better；　but　their　way　of　talk

was　much　the　same　where　the　necessities　were　not　the　same。　　This

adventurous　conduct　of　the　poor　was　that　which　brought　the　plague

among　them　in　a　most　furious　manner；　and　this；　joined　to　the　distress

of　their　circumstances　when　taken；　was　the　reason　why　they　died　so

by　heaps；　for　I　cannot　say　I　could　observe　one　jot　of　better　husbandry

among　them；　I　mean　the　labouring　poor；　while　they　were　all　well　and

getting　money　than　there　was　before；　but　as　lavish；　as　extravagant；　and

as　thoughtless　for　tomorrow　as　ever；　so　that　when　they　came　to　be

taken　sick　they　were　immediately　in　the　utmost　distress；　as　well　for

want　as　for　sickness；　as　well　for　lack　of　food　as　lack　of　health。



This　misery　of　the　poor　I　had　many　occasions　to　be　an　eyewitness

of；　and　sometimes　also　of　the　charitable　assistance　that　some　pious

people　daily　gave　to　such；　sending　them　relief　and　supplies　both　of

food；　physic；　and　other　help；　as　they　found　they　wanted；　and　indeed　it

is　a　debt　of　justice　due　to　the　temper　of　the　people　of　that　day　to　take

notice　here；　that　not　only　great　sums；　very　great　sums　of　money　were

charitably　sent　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　aldermen　for　the　assistance　and

support　of　the　poor　distempered　people；　but　abundance　of　private

people　daily　distributed　large　sums　of　money　for　their　relief；　and　sent

people　about　to　inquire　into　the　condition　of　particular　distressed　and

visited　families；　and　relieved　them；　nay；　some　pious　ladies　were　so

transported　with　zeal　in　so　good　a　work；　and　so　confident　in　the

protection　of　Providence　in　discharge　of　the　great　duty　of　charity；　that

they　went　about　in　person　distributing　alms　to　the　poor；　and　even

visiting　poor　families；　though　sick　and　infected；　in　their　very　houses；

appointing　nurses　to　attend　those　that　wanted　attending；　and　ordering

apothecaries　and　surgeons；　the　first　to　supply　them　with　drugs　or

plasters；　and　such　things　as　they　wanted；　and　the　last　to　lance　and

dress　the　swellings　and　tumours；　where　such　were　wanting；　giving

their　blessing　to　the　poor　in　substantial　relief　to　them；　as　well　as

hearty　prayers　for　them。



I　will　not　undertake　to　say；　as　some　do；　that　none　of　those　charitable

people　were　suffered　to　fall　under　the　calamity　itself；　but　this　I　may

say；　that　I　never　knew　any　one　of　them　that　miscarried；　which　I

mention　for　the　encouragement　of　others　in　case　of　the　like　distress；

and　doubtless；　if　they　that　give　to　the　poor　lend　to　the　Lord；　and　He

will　repay　them；　those　that　hazard　their　lives　to　give　to　the　poor；　and

to　comfort　and　assist　the　poor　in　such　a　misery　as　this；　may　hope　to　be

protected　in　the　work。



Nor　was　this　charity　so　extraordinary　eminent　only　in　a　few；　but　（for

I　cannot　lightly　quit　this　point）　the　charity　of　the　rich；　as　well　in　the

city　and　suburbs　as　from　the　country；　was　so　great　that；　in　a　word；　a

prodigious　number　of　people　who　must　otherwise　inevitably　have

perished　for　want　as　well　as　sickness　were　supported　and　subsisted　by

it；　and　though　I　could　never；　nor　I　believe　any　one　else；　come　to　a　full

knowledge　of　what　was　so　contributed；　yet　I　do　believe　that；　as　I　heard

one　say　that　was　a　critical　observer　of　that　part；　there　was　not　only

many　thousand　pounds　contributed；　but　many　hundred　thousand

pounds；　to　the　relief　of　the　poor　of　this　distressed；　afflicted　city；　nay；

one　man　affirmed　to　me　that　he　could　reckon　up　above　one　hundred

thousand　pounds　a　week；　which　was　distributed　by　the　churchwardens

at　the　several　parish　vestries　by　the　Lord　Mayor　and　aldermen　in　the

several　wards　and　precincts；　and　by　the　particular　direction　of　the

court　and　of　the　justices　respectively　in　the　parts　where　they　resided；

over　and　above　the　private　charity　distributed　by　pious　bands　in　the

manner　I　speak　of；　and　this　continued　for　many　weeks　together。



I　confess　this　is　a　very　great　sum；　but　if　it　be　true　that　there　was

distributed　in　the　parish　of　Cripplegate　only；　17；800　in　one　week　to

the　relief　of　the　poor；　as　I　heard　reported；　and　which　I　really　believe

was　true；　the　other　may　not　be　improbable。



It　was　doubtless　to　be　reckoned　among　the　many　signal　good

providences　which　attended　this　great　city；　and　of　which　there　were

many　other　worth　recording；　…　I　say；　this　was　a　very　remarkable　one；

that　it　pleased　God　thus　to　move　the　hearts　of　the　people　in　all　parts　of

the　kingdom　so　cheerfully　to　contribute　to　the　relief　and　support　of　the

poor　at　London；　the　good　consequences　of　which　were　felt　many

ways；　and　particularly　in　preserving　the　lives　and　recovering　the

health　of　so　many　thousands；　and　keeping　so　many　thousands　of

families　from　perishing　and　starving。



And　now　I　am　talking　of　the　merciful　disposition　of　Providence　in

this　time　of　calamity；　I　cannot　but　mention　again；　though　I　have

spoken　several　times　of　it　already　on　other　accounts；　I　mean　that　of

the　progression　of　the　distemper；　how　it　began　at　one　end　of　the　town；

and　proceeded　gradually　and　slowly　from　one　part　to　another；　and　like

a　dark　cloud　that　passes　over　our　heads；　which；　as　it　thickens　and

overcasts　the　air　at　one　end；　dears　up　at　the　other　end；　so；　while　the

plague　went　on　raging　from　west　to　east；　as　it　went　forwards　east；　it

abated　in　the　west；　by　which　means　those　parts　of　the　town　which

were　not　seized；　or　who　were　left；　and　where　it　had　spent　its　fury；

were　（as　it　were）　spared　to　help　and　assist　the　other；　whereas；　had　the

distemper　spread　itself　over　the　whole　city　and　suburbs；　at　once；

raging　in　all　places　alike；　as　it　has　done　since　in　some　places　abroad；

the　whole　body　of　the　people　must　have　been　overwhelmed；　and　there

would　have　died　twenty　thousand　a　day；　as　they　say　there　did　at

Naples；；　nor　would　the　people　have　been　able　to　have　helped　or

assisted　one　another。



For　it　must　be　observed　that　where　the　plague　was　in　its　full　force；

there　indeed　the　people　were　very　miserable；　and　the　consternation

was　inexpressible。　　But　a　little　before　it　reached　even　to　that　place；　or

presently　after　it　was　gone；　they　were　quite　another　sort　of　people；　and

I　cannot　but　acknowledge　that　there　was　too　much　of　that　common

temper　of　mankind　to　be　found　among　us　all　at　that　time；　namely；　to

forget　the　deliverance　when　the　danger　is　past。　　But　I　shall　come　to

speak　of　that　part　again。



It　must　not　be　forgot　here　to　take　some　notice　of　the　state　of　trade

during　the　time　of　this　common　calamity；　and　this　with　respect　to

foreign　trade；　as　also　to　our　home　trade。



As　to　foreign　trade；　there　needs　little　to　be　said。　　The　trading　nations

of　Europe　were　all　afraid　of　us；　no　port　of　France；　or　Holland；　or

Spain；　or　Italy　would　admit　our　ships　or　correspond　with　us；　indeed

we　stood　on　ill　terms　with　the　Dutch；　and　were　in　a　furious　war　with

them；　but　though　in　a　bad　condition　to　fight　abroad；　who　had　such

dreadful　enemies　to　struggle　with　at　home。



Our　merchants　were　accordingly　at　a　full　stop；　their　ships　could　go

nowhere　…　that　is　to　say；　to　no　place　abroad；　their　manufactures　and

merchandise　…　that　is　to　say；　of　our　growth　…　would　not　be　touched

abroad。　　They　were　as　much　afraid　of　our　goods　as　they　were　of　our

people；　and　indeed　they　had　reason：　for　our　woollen　manufactures　are

as　retentive　of　infection　as　human　bodies；　and　if　packed　up　by　persons

infected；　would　receive　the　infection　and　be　as　dangerous　to　touch　as

a　man　would　be　that　was　infected；　and　therefore；　when　any　English

vessel　arrived　in　foreign　countries；　if　they　did　take　the　goods　on　shore；

they　always　caused　the　bales　to　be　opened　and　aired　in　places

appointed　for　that　purpose。　　But　f