part3-第12节

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there；　and　at　anchor　yonder？'　pointing　above　the　town）。　　'All　those

ships　have　families　on　board；　of　their　merchants　and　owners；　and

such…like；　who　have　locked　themselves　up　and　live　on　board；　close

shut　in；　for　fear　of　the　infection；　and　I　tend　on　them　to　fetch　things　for

them；　carry　letters；　and　do　what　is　absolutely　necessary；　that　they　may

not　be　obliged　to　come　on　shore；　and　every　night　I　fasten　my　boat　on

board　one　of　the　ship's　boats；　and　there　I　sleep　by　myself；　and；　blessed

be　God；　I　am　preserved　hitherto。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'friend；　but　will　they　let　you　come　on　board　after　you

have　been　on　shore　here；　when　this　is　such　a　terrible　place；　and　so

infected　as　it　is？'



'Why；　as　to　that；'　said　he；　'I　very　seldom　go　up　the　ship…side；　but

deliver　what　I　bring　to　their　boat；　or　lie　by　the　side；　and　they　hoist　it

on　board。　　If　I　did；　I　think　they　are　in　no　danger　from　me；　for　I　never

go　into　any　house　on　shore；　or　touch　anybody；　no；　not　of　my　own

family；　but　I　fetch　provisions　for　them。'



'Nay；'　says　I；　'but　that　may　be　worse；　for　you　must　have　those

provisions　of　somebody　or　other；　and　since　all　this　part　of　the　town　is

so　infected；　it　is　dangerous　so　much　as　to　speak　with　anybody；　for　the

village'；　said　I；　'is；　as　it　were；　the　beginning　of　London；　though　it　be　at

some　distance　from　it。'



'That　is　true；'　added　he；　'but　you　do　not　understand　me　right；　I　do　not

buy　provisions　for　them　here。　　I　row　up　to　Greenwich　and　buy　fresh

meat　there；　and　sometimes　I　row　down　the　river　to　Woolwich　and　buy

there；　then　I　go　to　single　farm…houses　on　the　Kentish　side；　where　I　am

known；　and　buy　fowls　and　eggs　and　butter；　and　bring　to　the　ships；　as

they　direct　me；　sometimes　one；　sometimes　the　other。　　I　seldom　come

on　shore　here；　and　I　came　now　only　to　call　on　my　wife　and　hear　how

my　family　do；　and　give　them　a　little　money；　which　I　received　last　night。'



'Poor　man！'　said　I；　'and　how　much　hast　thou　gotten　for　them？'



'I　have　gotten　four　shillings；'　said　he；　'which　is　a　great　sum；　as　things

go　now　with　poor　men；　but　they　have　given　me　a　bag　of　bread　too；　and

a　salt　fish　and　some　flesh；　so　all　helps　out。'　'Well；'　said　I；　'and　have　you

given　it　them　yet？'



'No；'　said　he；　'but　I　have　called；　and　my　wife　has　answered　that　she

cannot　come　out　yet；　but　in　half…an…hour　she　hopes　to　come；　and　I　am

waiting　for　her。　　Poor　woman！'　says　he；　'she　is　brought　sadly　down。

She　has　a　swelling；　and　it　is　broke；　and　I　hope　she　will　recover；　but　I

fear　the　child　will　die；　but　it　is　the　Lord　…　'



Here　he　stopped；　and　wept　very　much。



'Well；　honest　friend；'　said　I；　'thou　hast　a　sure　Comforter；　if　thou　hast

brought　thyself　to　be　resigned　to　the　will　of　God；　He　is　dealing　with　us

all　in　judgement。'



'Oh；　sir！'　says　he；　'it　is　infinite　mercy　if　any　of　us　are　spared；　and

who　am　I　to　repine！'



'Sayest　thou　so？'　said　I；　'and　how　much　less　is　my　faith　than　thine？'

And　here　my　heart　smote　me；　suggesting　how　much　better　this　poor

man's　foundation　was　on　which　he　stayed　in　the　danger　than　mine；

that　he　had　nowhere　to　fly；　that　he　had　a　family　to　bind　him　to

attendance；　which　I　had　not；　and　mine　was　mere　presumption；　his　a

true　dependence　and　a　courage　resting　on　God；　and　yet　that　he　used　all

possible　caution　for　his　safety。



I　turned　a　little　way　from　the　man　while　these　thoughts　engaged　me；

for；　indeed；　I　could　no　more　refrain　from　tears　than　he。



At　length；　after　some　further　talk；　the　poor　woman　opened　the　door

and　called；　'Robert；　Robert'。　　He　answered；　and　bid　her　stay　a　few

moments　and　he　would　come；　so　he　ran　down　the　common　stairs　to

his　boat　and　fetched　up　a　sack；　in　which　was　the　provisions　he　had

brought　from　the　ships；　and　when　he　returned　he　hallooed　again。

Then　he　went　to　the　great　stone　which　he　showed　me　and　emptied　the

sack；　and　laid　all　out；　everything　by　themselves；　and　then　retired；　and

his　wife　came　with　a　little　boy　to　fetch　them　away；　and　called　and　said

such　a　captain　had　sent　such　a　thing；　and　such　a　captain　such　a　thing；

and　at　the　end　adds；　'God　has　sent　it　all；　give　thanks　to　Him。'　When　the

poor　woman　had　taken　up　all；　she　was　so　weak　she　could　not　carry　it

at　once　in；　though　the　weight　was　not　much　neither；　so　she　left　the

biscuit；　which　was　in　a　little　bag；　and　left　a　little　boy　to　watch　it　till

she　came　again。



'Well；　but'；　says　I　to　him；　'did　you　leave　her　the　four　shillings　too；

which　you　said　was　your　week's　pay？'



'Yes；　yes；'　says　he；　'you　shall　hear　her　own　it。'　So　he　calls　again；

'Rachel；　Rachel；'　which　it　seems　was　her　name；　'did　you　take　up　the

money？'　'Yes；'　said　she。　　'How　much　was　it？'　said　he。　　'Four　shillings

and　a　groat；'　said　she。　　'Well；　well；'　says　he；　'the　Lord　keep　you　all'；　and

so　he　turned　to　go　away。





End　of　Part　3