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Lieutenancy；　either　of　London　or　Middlesex；　had　ordered　the　drums　to

beat　for　the　militia；　would　any　of　the　companies；　I　believe；　have

drawn　together；　whatever　risk　they　had　run。



This　made　the　watchmen　be　the　less　regarded；　and　perhaps

occasioned　the　greater　violence　to　be　used　against　them。　　I　mention　it

on　this　score　to　observe　that　the　setting　watchmen　thus　to　keep　the

people　in　was；　first　of　all；　not　effectual；　but　that　the　people　broke　out；

whether　by　force　or　by　stratagem；　even　almost　as　often　as　they

pleased；　and；　second；　that　those　that　did　thus　break　out　were　generally

people　infected　who；　in　their　desperation；　running　about　from　one

place　to　another；　valued　not　whom　they　injured：　and　which　perhaps；　as

I　have　said；　might　give　birth　to　report　that　it　was　natural　to　the

infected　people　to　desire　to　infect　others；　which　report　was　really　false。



And　I　know　it　so　well；　and　in　so　many　several　cases；　that　I　could

give　several　relations　of　good；　pious；　and　religious　people　who；　when

they　have　had　the　distemper；　have　been　so　far　from　being　forward　to

infect　others　that　they　have　forbid　their　own　family　to　come　near

them；　in　hopes　of　their　being　preserved；　and　have　even　died　without

seeing　their　nearest　relations　lest　they　should　be　instrumental　to　give

them　the　distemper；　and　infect　or　endanger　them。　　If；　then；　there　were

cases　wherein　the　infected　people　were　careless　of　the　injury　they　did

to　others；　this　was　certainly　one　of　them；　if　not　the　chief；　namely；

when　people　who　had　the　distemper　had　broken　out　from　houses　which　were

so　shut　up；　and　having　been　driven　to　extremities　for　provision

or　for　entertainment；　had　endeavoured　to　conceal　their　condition；

and　have　been　thereby　instrumental　involuntarily　to　infect　others

who　have　been　ignorant　and　unwary。



This　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　I　believed　then；　and　do　believe　still；

that　the　shutting　up　houses　thus　by　force；　and　restraining；　or　rather

imprisoning；　people　in　their　own　houses；　as　I　said　above；　was　of　little

or　no　service　in　the　whole。　　Nay；　I　am　of　opinion　it　was　rather　hurtful；

having　forced　those　desperate　people　to　wander　abroad　with　the

plague　upon　them；　who　would　otherwise　have　died　quietly　in　their　beds。



I　remember　one　citizen　who；　having　thus　broken　out　of　his　house　in

Aldersgate　Street　or　thereabout；　went　along　the　road　to　Islington；　he

attempted　to　have　gone　in　at　the　Angel　Inn；　and　after　that　the　White

Horse；　two　inns　known　still　by　the　same　signs；　but　was　refused；　after

which　he　came　to　the　Pied　Bull；　an　inn　also　still　continuing　the　same

sign。　　He　asked　them　for　lodging　for　one　night　only；　pretending　to　be

going　into　Lincolnshire；　and　assuring　them　of　his　being　very　sound

and　free　from　the　infection；　which　also　at　that　time　had　not　reached

much　that　way。



They　told　him　they　had　no　lodging　that　they　could　spare　but　one　bed

up　in　the　garret；　and　that　they　could　spare　that　bed　for　one　night；　some

drovers　being　expected　the　next　day　with　cattle；　so；　if　he　would　accept

of　that　lodging；　he　might　have　it；　which　he　did。　　So　a　servant　was　sent

up　with　a　candle　with　him　to　show　him　the　room。　　He　was　very　well

dressed；　and　looked　like　a　person　not　used　to　lie　in　a　garret；　and　when

he　came　to　the　room　he　fetched　a　deep　sigh；　and　said　to　the　servant；　'I

have　seldom　lain　in　such　a　lodging　as　this。　'However；　the　servant

assuring　him　again　that　they　had　no　better；　'Well；'　says　he；　'I　must

make　shift；　this　is　a　dreadful　time；　but　it　is　but　for　one　night。'　So　he　sat

down　upon　the　bedside；　and　bade　the　maid；　I　think　it　was；　fetch　him

up　a　pint　of　warm　ale。　　Accordingly　the　servant　went　for　the　ale；　but

some　hurry　in　the　house；　which　perhaps　employed　her　other　ways；　put

it　out　of　her　head；　and　she　went　up　no　more　to　him。



The　next　morning；　seeing　no　appearance　of　the　gentleman；

somebody　in　the　house　asked　the　servant　that　had　showed　him　upstairs

what　was　become　of　him。　　She　started。　　'Alas　l'　says　she；　'I　never

thought　more　of　him。　　He　bade　me　carry　him　some　warm　ale；　but　I

forgot。'　Upon　which；　not　the　maid；　but　some　other　person　was　sent　up

to　see　after　him；　who；　coming　into　the　room；　found　him　stark　dead　and

almost　cold；　stretched　out　across　the　bed。　　His　clothes　were　pulled　off；

his　jaw　fallen；　his　eyes　open　in　a　most　frightful　posture；　the　rug　of　the

bed　being　grasped　hard　in　one　of　his　hands；　so　that　it　was　plain　he

died　soon　after　the　maid　left　him；　and　'tis　probable；　had　she　gone　up

with　the　ale；　she　had　found　him　dead　in　a　few　minutes　after　he　sat

down　upon　the　bed。　　The　alarm　was　great　in　the　house；　as　anyone　may

suppose；　they　having　been　free　from　the　distemper　till　that　disaster；

which；　bringing　the　infection　to　the　house；　spread　it　immediately　to

other　houses　round　about　it。　　I　do　not　remember　how　many　died　in　the

house　itself；　but　I　think　the　maid…servant　who　went　up　first　with　him

fell　presently　ill　by　the　fright；　and　several　others；　for；　whereas　there

died　but　two　in　Islington　of　the　plague　the　week　before；　there　died

seventeen　the　week　after；　whereof　fourteen　were　of　the　plague。　　This

was　in　the　week　from　the　11th　of　July　to　the　18th。



There　was　one　shift　that　some　families　had；　and　that　not　a　few；

when　their　houses　happened　to　be　infected；　and　that　was　this：　the

families　who；　in　the　first　breaking…out　of　the　distemper；　fled　away　into

the　country　and　had　retreats　among　their　friends；　generally　found

some　or　other　of　their　neighbours　or　relations　to　commit　the　charge　of

those　houses　to　for　the　safety　of　the　goods　and　the　like。　　Some　houses

were；　indeed；　entirely　locked　up；　the　doors　padlocked；　the　windows

and　doors　having　deal　boards　nailed　over　them；　and　only　the

inspection　of　them　committed　to　the　ordinary　watchmen　and　parish

officers；　bat　these　were　but　few。



It　was　thought　that　there　were　not　less　than　10；000　houses　forsaken

of　the　inhabitants　in　the　city　and　suburbs；　including　what　was　in　the

out…parishes　and　in　Surrey；　or　the　side　of　the　water　they　called

Southwark。　　This　was　besides　the　numbers　of　lodgers；　and　of

particular　persons　who　were　fled　out　of　other　families；　so　that　in　all　it

was　computed　that　about　200；000　people　were　fled　and　gone。　　But　of

this　I　shall　speak　again。　　But　I　mention　it　here　on　this　account；　namely；

that　it　was　a　rule　with　those　who　had　thus　two　houses　in　their　keeping

or　care；　that　if　anybody　was　taken　sick　in　a　family；　before　the　master

of　the　family　let　the　examiners　or　any　other　officer　know　of　it；　he

immediately　would　send　all　the　rest　of　his　family；　whether　children　or

servants；　as　it　fell　out　to　be；　to　such　other　house　which　he　had　so　in

charge；　and　then　giving　notice　of　the　sick　person　to　the　examiner；

have　a　nurse　or　nurses　appointed；　and　have　another　person　to　be　shut

up　in　the　house　with　them　（which　many　for　money　would　do）；　so　to

take　charge　of　the　house　in　case　the　person　should　die。



This　was；　in　many　cases；　the　saving　a　whole　family；　who；　if　they　had

been　shut　up　with　the　sick　person；　would　inevitably　have　perished。

But；　on　the　other　hand；　this　was　another　of　the　inconveniences　of

shutting　up　houses；　for　the　apprehensions　and　terror　of　being　shut　up

made　many　run　away　with　the　rest　of　the　family；　who；　though　it　was

not　publicly　known；　and　they　were　not　quite　sick；　had　yet　the

distemper　upon　them；　and　who；　by　having　an　uninterrupted　liberty　to

go　about；　but　being　obliged　still　to　conceal　their　circumstances；　or

perhaps　not　knowing　it　themselves；　gave　the　distemper　to　others；　and

spread　the　infection　in　a　dreadful　manner；　as　I　shall　explain　further

hereafter。



And　here　I　may　be　able　to　make　an　observation　or　two　of　my　own；

which　may　be　of　use　hereafter　to　those　into　whose　bands　these　may

come；　if　they　should　ever　see　the　like　dreadful　visitation。　（1）　The

infection　generally　came　into　the　houses　of　the　citizens　by　the　means

of　their　servants；　whom　they　were　obliged　to　send　up　and　down　the

streets　for　necessaries；　that　is　to　say；　for　food　or　physic；　to

bakehouses；　brew…houses；　shops；　&c。；　and　who　going　necessarily

through　the　streets　into　shops；　markets；　and　the　like；　it　was　impossible

but　that　they　should；　one　way　or

other；　meet　with　distempered　people；　who　conveyed　the　fatal　breath

into　them；　and　they　brought　it　home　to　the　families　to　which　they

belonged。　（2）　It　was　a　great　mistake　that　such　a　great　city　as　this　had

but　one　pest…house；　for　had　there　been；　instead　of　one　pest…house　…

viz。；　beyond　Bunhill　Fields；　where；　at　most；　they　could　receive；

perhaps；　two　hundred　or　three　hundred　people　…　I　say；　had　there；

instead　of　that　one；　been　several　pest…houses；　every　one　able　to

contain　a　thousand　people；　without　lying　two　in　a　bed；　or　two　beds　in

a　room；　and　had　every　master　of　a　family；　as　soon　as　any　servant

especially　had　been　taken　sick　in　his　house；　been　obliged　to　send　them

to　the　next　pest…house；　if　they　were　willing；　as　many　were；　and　had　the

examiners　done　the　like　among　the　poor　people　when　any　ha