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assistants；　that　is　to　say；　bearers；　bellmen；　and　drivers　of　carts　for

carrying　off　the　dead　bodies。



Indeed　the　work　was　not　of　a　nature　to　allow　them　leisure　to　take　an

exact　tale　of　the　dead　bodies；　which　were　all　huddled　together　in　the

dark　into　a　pit；　which　pit　or　trench　no　man　could　come　nigh　but　at　the

utmost　peril。　　I　observed　often　that　in　the　parishes　of　Aldgate　and

Cripplegate；　Whitechappel　and　Stepney；　there　were　five；　six；　seven；　and

eight　hundred　in　a　week　in　the　bills；　whereas　if　we　may　believe　the

opinion　of　those　that　lived　in　the　city　all　the　time　as　well　as　I；　there

died　sometimes　2000　a　week　in　those　parishes；　and　I　saw　it　under　the

hand　of　one　that　made　as　strict　an　examination　into　that　part　as　he

could；　that　there　really　died　an　hundred　thousand　people　of　the　plague

in　that　one　year　whereas　in　the　bills；　the　articles　of　the　plague；　it　was

but　68；590。



If　I　may　be　allowed　to　give　my　opinion；　by　what　I　saw　with　my　eyes

and　heard　from　other　people　that　were　eye…witnesses；　I　do　verily

believe　the　same；　viz。；　that　there　died　at　least　100；000　of　the　plague

only；　besides　other　distempers　and　besides　those　which　died　in　the

fields　and　highways　and　secret　Places　out　of　the　compass　of　the

communication；　as　it　was　called；　and　who　were　not　put　down　in　the

bills　though　they　really　belonged　to　the　body　of　the　inhabitants。　　It　was

known　to　us　all　that　abundance　of　poor　despairing　creatures　who　had

the　distemper　upon　them；　and　were　grown　stupid　or　melancholy　by

their　misery；　as　many　were；　wandered　away　into　the　fields　and　Woods；

and　into　secret　uncouth　places　almost　anywhere；　to　creep　into　a　bush

or　hedge　and　die。



The　inhabitants　of　the　villages　adjacent　would；　in　pity；　carry　them

food　and　set　it　at　a　distance；　that　they　might　fetch　it；　if　they　were　able；

and　sometimes　they　were　not　able；　and　the　next　time　they　went　they

should　find　the　poor　wretches　lie　dead　and　the　food　untouched。　　The

number　of　these　miserable　objects　were　many；　and　I　know　so　many

that　perished　thus；　and　so　exactly　where；　that　I　believe　I　could　go　to

the　very　place　and　dig　their　bones　up　still；　for　the　country　people

would　go　and　dig　a　hole　at　a　distance　from　them；　and　then　with　long

poles；　and　hooks　at　the　end　of　them；　drag　the　bodies　into　these　pits；

and　then　throw　the　earth　in　from　as　far　as　they　could　cast　it；　to　cover

them；　taking　notice　how　the　wind　blew；　and　so　coming　on　that　side

which　the　seamen　call　to　windward；　that　the　scent　of　the　bodies　might

blow　from　them；　and　thus　great　numbers　went　out　of　the　world　who

were　never　known；　or　any　account　of　them　taken；　as　well　within　the

bills　of　mortality　as　without。



This；　indeed；　I　had　in　the　main　only　from　the　relation　of　others；　for　I

seldom　walked　into　the　fields；　except　towards　Bethnal　Green　and

Hackney；　or　as　hereafter。　　But　when　I　did　walk；　I　always　saw　a　great

many　poor　wanderers　at　a　distance；　but　I　could　know　little　of　their

cases；　for　whether　it　were　in　the　street　or　in　the　fields；　if　we　had　seen

anybody　coming；　it　was　a　general　method　to　walk　away；　yet　I　believe

the　account　is　exactly　true。



As　this　puts　me　upon　mentioning　my　walking　the　streets　and　fields；　I

cannot　omit　taking　notice　what　a　desolate　place　the　city　was　at　that

time。　　The　great　street　I　lived　in　（which　is　known　to　be　one　of　the

broadest　of　all　the　streets　of　London；　I　mean　of　the　suburbs　as　well　as

the　liberties）　all　the　side　where　the　butchers　lived；　especially　without

the　bars；　was　more　like　a　green　field　than　a　paved　street；　and　the

people　generally　went　in　the　middle　with　the　horses　and　carts。　　It　is

true　that　the　farthest　end　towards　Whitechappel　Church　was　not　all

paved；　but　even　the　part　that　was　paved　was　full　of　grass　also；　but　this

need　not　seem　strange；　since　the　great　streets　within　the　city；　such　as

Leadenhall　Street；　Bishopsgate　Street；　Cornhill；　and　even　the

Exchange　itself；　had　grass　growing　in　them　in　several　places；　neither

cart　or　coach　were　seen　in　the　streets　from　morning　to　evening；　except

some　country　carts　to　bring　roots　and　beans；　or　peas；　hay；　and　straw；

to　the　market；　and　those　but　very　few　compared　to　what　was　usual。

As　for　coaches；　they　were　scarce　used　but　to　carry　sick　people　to　the

pest…house；　and　to　other　hospitals；　and　some　few　to　carry　physicians　to

such　places　as　they　thought　fit　to　venture　to　visit；　for　really　coaches

were　dangerous　things；　and　people　did　not　care　to　venture　into　them；

because　they　did　not　know　who　might　have　been　carried　in　them　last；

and　sick；　infected　people　were；　as　I　have　said；　ordinarily　carried　in

them　to　the　pest…houses；　and　sometimes　people　expired　in　them　as

they　went　along。



It　is　true；　when　the　infection　came　to　such　a　height　as　I　have　now

mentioned；　there　were　very　few　physicians　which　cared　to　stir　abroad

to　sick　houses；　and　very　many　of　the　most　eminent　of　the　faculty　were

dead；　as　well　as　the　surgeons　also；　for　now　it　was　indeed　a　dismal

time；　and　for　about　a　month　together；　not　taking　any　notice　of　the　bills

of　mortality；　I　believe　there　did　not　die　less　than　1500　or　1700　a　day；

one　day　with　another。



One　of　the　worst　days　we　had　in　the　whole　time；　as　I　thought；　was　in

the　beginning　of　September；　when；　indeed；　good　people　began　to

think　that　God　was　resolved　to　make　a　full　end　of　the　people　in　this

miserable　city。　　This　was　at　that　time　when　the　plague　was　fully　come

into　the　eastern　parishes。　　The　parish　of　Aldgate；　if　I　may　give　my

opinion；　buried　above　a　thousand　a　week　for　two　weeks；　though　the

bills　did　not　say　so　many；　…　but　it　surrounded　me　at　so　dismal　a　rate

that　there　was　not　a　house　in　twenty　uninfected　in　the　Minories；　in

Houndsditch；　and　in　those　parts　of　Aldgate　parish　about　the　Butcher

Row　and　the　alleys　over　against　me。　　I　say；　in　those　places　death

reigned　in　every　corner。　　Whitechappel　parish　was　in　the　same

condition；　and　though　much　less　than　the　parish　I　lived　in；　yet　buried

near　600　a　week　by　the　bills；　and　in　my　opinion　near　twice　as　many。

Whole　families；　and　indeed　whole　streets　of　families；　were　swept

away　together；　insomuch　that　it　was　frequent　for　neighbours　to　call　to

the　bellman　to　go　to　such…and…such　houses　and　fetch　out　the　people；

for　that　they　were　all　dead。



And；　indeed；　the　work　of　removing　the　dead　bodies　by　carts　was

now　grown　so　very　odious　and　dangerous　that　it　was　complained　of

that　the　bearers　did　not　take　care　to　dear　such　houses　where　all　the

inhabitants　were　dead；　but　that　sometimes　the　bodies　lay　several　days

unburied；　till　the　neighbouring　families　were　offended　with　the

stench；　and　consequently　infected；　and　this　neglect　of　the　officers　was

such　that　the　churchwardens　and　constables　were　summoned　to　look

after　it；　and　even　the　justices　of　the　Hamlets　were　obliged　to　venture

their　lives　among　them　to　quicken　and　encourage　them；　for

innumerable　of　the　bearers　died　of　the　distemper；　infected　by　the

bodies　they　were　obliged　to　come　so　near。　　And　had　it　not　been　that

the　number　of　poor　people　who　wanted　employment　and　wanted

bread　（as　I　have　said　before）　was　so　great　that　necessity　drove　them　to

undertake　anything　and　venture　anything；　they　would　never　have

found　people　to　be　employed。　　And　then　the　bodies　of　the　dead　would

have　lain　above　ground；　and　have　perished　and　rotted　in　a　dreadful　manner。



But　the　magistrates　cannot　be　enough　commended　in　this；　that　they

kept　such　good　order　for　the　burying　of　the　dead；　that　as　fast　as　any　of

these　they　employed　to　carry　off　and　bury　the　dead　fell　sick　or　died；　as

was　many　times　the　case；　they　immediately　supplied　the　places　with

others；　which；　by　reason　of　the　great　number　of　poor　that　was　left　out

of　business；　as　above；　was　not　hard　to　do。　　This　occasioned；　that

notwithstanding　the　infinite　number　of　people　which　died　and　were

sick；　almost　all　together；　yet　they　were　always　cleared　away　and

carried　off　every　night；　so　that　it　was　never　to　be　said　of　London　that

the　living　were　not　able　to　bury　the　dead。



As　the　desolation　was　greater　during　those　terrible　times；　so　the

amazement　of　the　people　increased；　and　a　thousand　unaccountable

things　they　would　do　in　the　violence　of　their　fright；　as　others　did　the

same　in　the　agonies　of　their　distemper；　and　this　part　was　very

affecting。　　Some　went　roaring　and　crying　and　wringing　their　hands

along　the　street；　some　would　go　praying　and　lifting　up　their　hands　to

heaven；　calling　upon　God　for　mercy。　　I　cannot　say；　indeed；　whether

this　was　not　in　their　distraction；　but；　be　it　so；　it　was　still　an　indication

of　a　more　serious　mind；　when　they　had　the　use　of　their　senses；　and

was　much　better；　even　as　it　was；　than　the　frightful　yellings　and　cryings

that　every　day；　and　especially　in　the　evenings；　were　heard　in　some

streets。　　I　suppose　the　world　has　heard　of　the　famous　Solomon　Eagle；

an　enthusiast。　　He；　though　not　infected　at　all　but　in　his　head；　went

about　denouncing　of　judgement　upon　the　city　in　a　frightful　manner；

someti