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nay；　even　into　the　same　beds；　with　those　that　had　the　distemper　upon

them；　and　were　not　recovered。



Some；　indeed；　paid　for　their　audacious　boldness　with　the　price　of

their　lives；　an　infinite　number　fell　sick；　and　the　physicians　had　more

work　than　ever；　only　with　this　difference；　that　more　of　their　patients

recovered；　that　is　to　say；　they　generally　recovered；　but　certainly　there

were　more　people　infected　and　fell　sick　now；　when　there　did　not　die

above　a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred　in　a　week；　than　there　was　when

there　died　five　or　six　thousand　a　week；　so　entirely　negligent　were　the

people　at　that　time　in　the　great　and　dangerous　case　of　health　and

infection；　and　so　ill　were　they　able　to　take　or　accept　of　the　advice　of

those　who　cautioned　them　for　their　good。



The　people　being　thus　returned；　as　it　were；　in　general；　it　was　very

strange　to　find　that　in　their　inquiring　after　their　friends；　some　whole

families　were　so　entirely　swept　away　that　there　was　no　remembrance

of　them　left；　neither　was　anybody　to　be　found　to　possess　or　show　any

title　to　that　little　they　had　left；　for　in　such　cases　what　was　to　be　found

was　generally　embezzled　and　purloined；　some　gone　one　way；　some　another。



It　was　said　such　abandoned　effects　came　to　the　king；　as　the　universal

heir；　upon　which　we　are　told；　and　I　suppose　it　was　in　part　true；　that　the

king　granted　all　such；　as　deodands；　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Court　of

Aldermen　of　London；　to　be　applied　to　the　use　of　the　poor；　of　whom

there　were　very　many。　　For　it　is　to　be　observed；　that　though　the

occasions　of　relief　and　the　objects　of　distress　were　very　many　more　in

the　time　of　the　violence　of　the　plague　than　now　after　all　was　over；　yet

the　distress　of　the　poor　was　more　now　a　great　deal　than　it　was　then；

because　all　the　sluices　of　general　charity　were　now　shut。　　People

supposed　the　main　occasion　to　be　over；　and　so　stopped　their　hands；

whereas　particular　objects　were　still　very　moving；　and　the　distress　of

those　that　were　poor　was　very　great　indeed。



Though　the　health　of　the　city　was　now　very　much　restored；　yet

foreign　trade　did　not　begin　to　stir；　neither　would　foreigners　admit　our

ships　into　their　ports　for　a　great　while。　　As　for　the　Dutch；　the

misunderstandings　between　our　court　and　them　had　broken　out　into　a

war　the　year　before；　so　that　our　trade　that　way　was　wholly　interrupted；

but　Spain　and　Portugal；　Italy　and　Barbary；　as　also　Hamburg　and　all　the

ports　in　the　Baltic；　these　were　all　shy　of　us　a　great　while；　and　would

not　restore　trade　with　us　for　many　months。



The　distemper　sweeping　away　such　multitudes；　as　I　have　observed；

many　if　not　all　the　out…parishes　were　obliged　to　make　new　burying…

grounds；　besides　that　I　have　mentioned　in　Bunhill　Fields；　some　of

which　were　continued；　and　remain　in　use　to　this　day。　　But　others　were

left　off；　and　（which　I　confess　I　mention　with　some　reflection）　being

converted　into　other　uses　or　built　upon　afterwards；　the　dead　bodies

were　disturbed；　abused；　dug　up　again；　some　even　before　the　flesh　of

them　was　perished　from　the　bones；　and　removed　like　dung　or　rubbish

to　other　places。　　Some　of　those　which　came　within　the　reach　of　my

observation　are　as　follow：



（1）　A　piece　of　ground　beyond　Goswell　Street；　near　Mount　Mill；

being　some　of　the　remains　of　the　old　lines　or　fortifications　of　the　city；

where　abundance　were　buried　promiscuously　from　the　parishes　of　Aldersgate；

Clerkenwell；　and　even　out　of　the　city。　　This　ground；　as　I　take　it；　was

since　made　a　physic　garden；　and　after　that　has　been　built　upon。



（2）　A　piece　of　ground　just　over　the　Black　Ditch；　as　it　was　then

called；　at　the　end　of　Holloway　Lane；　in　Shoreditch　parish。　It　has　been

since　made　a　yard　for　keeping　hogs；　and　for　other　ordinary　uses；　but　is

quite　out　of　use　as　a　burying…ground。



（3）　The　upper　end　of　Hand　Alley；　in　Bishopsgate　Street；　which　was

then　a　green　field；　and　was　taken　in　particularly　for　Bishopsgate

parish；　though　many　of　the　carts　out　of　the　city　brought　their　dead

thither　also；　particularly　out　of　the　parish　of　St　All…hallows　on　the

Wall。　This　place　I　cannot　mention　without　much　regret。　It　was；　as　I

remember；　about　two　or　three　years　after　the　plague　was　ceased　that

Sir　Robert　Clayton　came　to　be　possessed　of　the　ground。　It　was

reported；　how　true　I　know　not；　that　it　fell　to　the　king　for　want　of　heirs；

all　those　who　had　any　right　to　it　being　carried　off　by　the　pestilence；

and　that　Sir　Robert　Clayton　obtained　a　grant　of　it　from　King　Charles

II。　But　however　he　came　by　it；　certain　it　is　the　ground　was　let　out　to

build　on；　or　built　upon；　by　his　order。　The　first　house　built　upon　it　was

a　large　fair　house；　still　standing；　which　faces　the　street　or　way　now

called　Hand　Alley　which；　though　called　an　alley；　is　as　wide　as　a　street。

The　houses　in　the　same　row　with　that　house　northward　are　built　on　the

very　same　ground　where　the　poor　people　were　buried；　and　the　bodies；

on　opening　the　ground　for　the　foundations；　were　dug　up；　some　of　them

remaining　so　plain　to　be　seen　that　the　women's　skulls　were

distinguished　by　their　long　hair；　and　of　others　the　flesh　was　not　quite

perished；　so　that　the　people　began　to　exclaim　loudly　against　it；　and

some　suggested　that　it　might　endanger　a　return　of　the　contagion；　after

which　the　bones　and　bodies；　as　fast　as　they　came　at　them；　were　carried

to　another　part　of　the　same　ground　and　thrown　all　together　into　a　deep

pit；　dug　on　purpose；　which　now　is　to　be　known　in　that　it　is　not　built

on；　but　is　a　passage　to　another　house　at　the　upper　end　of　Rose　Alley；

just　against　the　door　of　a　meeting…house　which　has　been　built　there

many　years　since；　and　the　ground　is　palisadoed　off　from　the　rest　of　the

passage；　in　a　little　square；　there　lie　the　bones　and　remains　of　near　two

thousand　bodies；　carried　by　the　dead　carts　to　their　grave　in　that　one　year。



（4）　Besides　this；　there　was　a　piece　of　ground　in　Moorfields；　by　the

going　into　the　street　which　is　now　called　Old　Bethlem；　which　was

enlarged　much；　though　not　wholly　taken　in　on　the　same　occasion。



＇N。B。　…　The　author　of　this　journal　lies　buried　in　that　very　ground；

being　at　his　own　desire；　his　sister　having　been　buried　there　a　few

years　before。＇



（5）　Stepney　parish；　extending　itself　from　the　east　part　of　London　to

the　north；　even　to　the　very　edge　of　Shoreditch　Churchyard；　had　a　piece

of　ground　taken　in　to　bury　their　dead　close　to　the　said　churchyard；　and

which　for　that　very　reason　was　left　open；　and　is　since；　I　suppose；　taken

into　the　same　churchyard。　And　they　had　also　two　other　burying…places

in　Spittlefields；　one　where　since　a　chapel　or　tabernacle　has　been　built

for　ease　to　this　great　parish；　and　another　in　Petticoat　Lane。



There　were　no　less　than　five　other　grounds　made　use　of　for　the

parish　of　Stepney　at　that　time：　one　where　now　stands　the　parish　church

of　St　Paul；　Shadwell；　and　the　other　where　now　stands　the　parish

church　of　St　John's　at　Wapping；　both　which　had　not　the　names　of

parishes　at　that　time；　but　were　belonging　to　Stepney　parish。



I　could　name　many　more；　but　these　coming　within　my　particular

knowledge；　the　circumstance；　I　thought；　made　it　of　use　to　record

them。　From　the　whole；　it　may　be　observed　that　they　were　obliged　in

this　time　of　distress　to　take　in　new　burying…grounds　in　most　of　the　out…

parishes　for　laying　the　prodigious　numbers　of　people　which　died　in　so

short　a　space　of　time；　but　why　care　was　not　taken　to　keep　those　places

separate　from　ordinary　uses；　that　so　the　bodies　might　rest　undisturbed；

that　I　cannot　answer　for；　and　must　confess　I　think　it　was　wrong。　Who

were　to　blame　I　know　not。



I　should　have　mentioned　that　the　Quakers　had　at　that　time　also　a

burying…ground　set　apart　to　their　use；　and　which　they　still　make　use　of；

and　they　had　also　a　particular　dead…cart　to　fetch　their　dead　from　their

houses；　and　the　famous　Solomon　Eagle；　who；　as　I　mentioned　before；

had　predicted　the　plague　as　a　judgement；　and　ran　naked　through　the

streets；　telling　the　people　that　it　was　come　upon　them　to　punish　them

for　their　sins；　had　his　own　wife　died　the　very　next　day　of　the　plague；

and　was　carried；　one　of　the　first　in　the　Quakers'　dead…cart；　to　their　new

burying…ground。



I　might　have　thronged　this　account　with　many　more　remarkable

things　which　occurred　in　the　time　of　the　infection；　and　particularly

what　passed　between　the　Lord　Mayor　and　the　Court；　which　was　then

at　Oxford；　and　what　directions　were　from　time　to　time　received　from

the　Government　for　their　conduct　on　this　critical　occasion。　But　really

the　Court　concerned　themselves　so　little；　and　that　little　they　did　was　of

so　small　import；　that　I　do　not　see　it　of　much　moment　to　mention　any

part　of　it　here：　except　that　of　appointing　a　monthly　fast　in　the　city　and

the　sending　the　royal　charity　to　the　relief　of　the　poor；　both　which　I

have　mentioned　before。



Great　was　the　reproach　thrown　on　those　physicians　who　left　their

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

cared　to