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examiners　done　the　like　among　the　poor　people　when　any　had　been

stricken　with　the　infection；　I　say；　had　this　been　done　where　the　people

were　willing　（not　otherwise）；　and　the　houses　not　been　shut；　I　am

persuaded；　and　was　all　the　while　of　that　opinion；　that　not　so　many；　by

several　thousands；　had　died；　for　it　was　observed；　and　I　could　give

several　instances　within　the　compass　of　my　own　knowledge；　where　a

servant　had　been　taken　sick；　and　the　family　had　either　time　to　send

him　out　or　retire　from　the　house　and　leave　the　sick　person；　as　I　have

said　above；　they　had　all　been　preserved；　whereas　when；　upon　one　or

more　sickening　in　a　family；　the　house　has　been　shut　up；　the　whole

family　have　perished；　and　the　bearers　been　obliged　to　go　in　to　fetch

out　the　dead　bodies；　not　being　able　to　bring　them　to　the　door；　and　at

last　none　left　to　do　it。



（3）　This　put　it　out　of　question　to　me；　that　the　calamity　was　spread　by

infection；　that　is　to　say；　by　some　certain　steams　or　fumes；　which　the

physicians　call　effluvia；　by　the　breath；　or　by　the　sweat；　or　by　the

stench　of　the　sores　of　the　sick　persons；　or　some　other　way；　perhaps；

beyond　even　the　reach　of　the　physicians　themselves；　which　effluvia

affected　the　sound　who　came　within　certain　distances　of　the　sick；

immediately　penetrating　the　vital　parts　of　the　said　sound　persons；

putting　their　blood　into　an　immediate　ferment；　and　agitating　their

spirits　to　that　degree　which　it　was　found　they　were　agitated；　and　so

those　newly　infected　persons　communicated　it　in　the　same　manner　to

others。　　And　this　I　shall　give　some　instances　of；　that　cannot　but

convince　those　who　seriously　consider　it；　and　I　cannot　but　with　some

wonder　find　some　people；　now　the　contagion　is　over；　talk　of　its　being

an　immediate　stroke　from　Heaven；　without　the　agency　of　means；

having　commission　to　strike　this　and　that　particular　person；　and　none

other　…　which　I　look　upon　with　contempt　as　the　effect　of　manifest

ignorance　and　enthusiasm；　likewise　the　opinion　of　others；　who　talk　of

infection　being　carried　on　by　the　air　only；　by　carrying　with　it　vast

numbers　of　insects　and　invisible　creatures；　who　enter　into　the　body

with　the　breath；　or　even　at　the　pores　with　the　air；　and　there　generate　or

emit　most　acute　poisons；　or　poisonous　ovae　or　eggs；　which　mingle

themselves　with　the　blood；　and　so　infect　the　body：　a　discourse　full　of

learned　simplicity；　and　manifested　to　be　so　by　universal　experience；

but　I　shall　say　more　to　this　case　in　its　order。



I　must　here　take　further　notice　that　nothing　was　more　fatal　to　the

inhabitants　of　this　city　than　the　supine　negligence　of　the　people

themselves；　who；　during　the　long　notice　or　warning　they　had　of　the

visitation；　made　no　provision　for　it　by　laying　in　store　of　provisions；　or

of　other　necessaries；　by　which　they　might　have　lived　retired　and

within　their　own　houses；　as　I　have　observed　others　did；　and　who　were

in　a　great　measure　preserved　by　that　caution；　nor　were　they；　after　they

were　a　little　hardened　to　it；　so　shy　of　conversing　with　one　another；

when　actually　infected；　as　they　were　at　first：　no；　though　they　knew　it。



I　acknowledge　I　was　one　of　those　thoughtless　ones　that　had　made　so

little　provision　that　my　servants　were　obliged　to　go　out　of　doors　to　buy

every　trifle　by　penny　and　halfpenny；　just　as　before　it　began；　even　till

my　experience　showing　me　the　folly；　I　began　to　be　wiser　so　late　that　I

had　scarce　time　to　store　myself　sufficient　for　our　common　subsistence

for　a　month。



I　had　in　family　only　an　ancient　woman　that　managed　the　house；　a

maid…servant；　two　apprentices；　and　myself；　and　the　plague　beginning

to　increase　about　us；　I　had　many　sad　thoughts　about　what　course　I

should　take；　and　how　I　should　act。　　The　many　dismal　objects　which

happened　everywhere　as　I　went　about　the　streets；　had　filled　my　mind

with　a　great　deal　of　horror　for　fear　of　the　distemper；　which　was　indeed

very　horrible　in　itself；　and　in　some　more　than　in　others。　　The

swellings；　which　were　generally　in　the　neck　or　groin；　when　they　grew

hard　and　would　not　break；　grew　so　painful　that　it　was　equal　to　the

most　exquisite　torture；　and　some；　not　able　to　bear　the　torment；　threw

themselves　out　at　windows　or　shot　themselves；　or　otherwise　made

themselves　away；　and　I　saw　several　dismal　objects　of　that　kind。

Others；　unable　to　contain　themselves；　vented　their　pain　by　incessant

roarings；　and　such　loud　and　lamentable　cries　were　to　be　heard　as　we

walked　along　the　streets　that　would　pierce　the　very　heart　to　think　of；

especially　when　it　was　to　be　considered　that　the　same　dreadful

scourge　might　be　expected　every　moment　to　seize　upon　ourselves。



I　cannot　say　but　that　now　I　began　to　faint　in　my　resolutions；　my

heart　failed　me　very　much；　and　sorely　I　repented　of　my　rashness。

When　I　had　been　out；　and　met　with　such　terrible　things　as　these　I　have

talked　of；　I　say　I　repented　my　rashness　in　venturing　to　abide　in　town。　　I

wished　often　that　I　had　not　taken　upon　me　to　stay；　but　had　gone　away

with　my　brother　and　his　family。



Terrified　by　those　frightful　objects；　I　would　retire　home　sometimes

and　resolve　to　go　out　no　more；　and　perhaps　I　would　keep　those

resolutions　for　three　or　four　days；　which　time　I　spent　in　the　most

serious　thankfulness　for　my　preservation　and　the　preservation　of　my

family；　and　the　constant　confession　of　my　sins；　giving　myself　up　to

God　every　day；　and　applying　to　Him　with　fasting；　humiliation；　and

meditation。　　Such　intervals　as　I　had　I　employed　in　reading　books　and

in　writing　down　my　memorandums　of　what　occurred　to　me　every　day；

and　out　of　which　afterwards　I　took　most　of　this　work；　as　it　relates　to

my　observations　without　doors。　　What　I　wrote　of　my　private

meditations　I　reserve　for　private　use；　and　desire　it　may　not　be　made

public　on　any　account　whatever。



I　also　wrote　other　meditations　upon　divine　subjects；　such　as

occurred　to　me　at　that　time　and　were　profitable　to　myself；　but　not　fit

for　any　other　view；　and　therefore　I　say　no　more　of　that。



I　had　a　very　good　friend；　a　physician；　whose　name　was　Heath；　whom

I　frequently　visited　during　this　dismal　time；　and　to　whose　advice　I　was

very　much　obliged　for　many　things　which　he　directed　me　to　take；　by

way　of　preventing　the　infection　when　I　went　out；　as　he　found　I

frequently　did；　and　to　hold　in　my　mouth　when　I　was　in　the　streets。　　He

also　came　very　often　to　see　me；　and　as　he　was　a　good　Christian　as　well

as　a　good　physician；　his　agreeable　conversation　was　a　very　great

support　to　me　in　the　worst　of　this　terrible　time。



It　was　now　the　beginning　of　August；　and　the　plague　grew　very

violent　and　terrible　in　the　place　where　I　lived；　and　Dr　Heath　coming　to

visit　me；　and　finding　that　I　ventured　so　often　out　in　the　streets；

earnestly　persuaded　me　to　lock　myself　up　and　my　family；　and　not　to

suffer　any　of　us　to　go　out　of　doors；　to　keep　all　our　windows　fast；

shutters　and　curtains　close；　and　never　to　open　them；　but　first；　to　make

a　very　strong　smoke　in　the　room　where　the　window　or　door　was　to　be

opened；　with　rozen　and　pitch；　brimstone　or　gunpowder　and　the　like；

and　we　did　this　for　some　time；　but　as　I　had　not　laid　in　a　store　of

provision　for　such　a　retreat；　it　was　impossible　that　we　could　keep

within　doors　entirely。　　However；　I　attempted；　though　it　was　so　very

late；　to　do　something　towards　it；　and　first；　as　I　had　convenience　both

for　brewing　and　baking；　I　went　and　bought　two　sacks　of　meal；　and　for

several　weeks；　having　an　oven；　we　baked　all　our　own　bread；　also　I

bought　malt；　and　brewed　as　much　beer　as　all　the　casks　I　had　would

hold；　and　which　seemed　enough　to　serve　my　house　for　five　or　six

weeks；　also　I　laid　in　a　quantity　of　salt　butter　and　Cheshire　cheese；　but

I　had　no　flesh…meat；　and　the　plague　raged　so　violently　among　the

butchers　and　slaughter…houses　on　the　other　side　of　our　street；　where

they　are　known　to　dwell　in　great　numbers；　that　it　was　not　advisable　so

much　as　to　go　over　the　street　among　them。



And　here　I　must　observe　again；　that　this　necessity　of　going　out　of

our　houses　to　buy　provisions　was　in　a　great　measure　the　ruin　of　the

whole　city；　for　the　people　catched　the　distemper　on　these　occasions

one　of　another；　and　even　the　provisions　themselves　were　often　tainted；

at　least　I　have　great　reason　to　believe　so；　and　therefore　I　cannot　say

with　satisfaction　what　I　know　is　repeated　with　great　assurance；　that

the　market…people　and　such　as　brought　provisions　to　town　were　never

infected。　　I　am　certain　the　butchers　of　Whitechappel；　where　the　greatest

part　of　the　flesh…meat　was　killed；　were　dreadfully　visited；　and　that　at

least　to　such　a　degree　that　few　of　their　shops　were　kept　open；　and

those　that　remained　of　them　killed　their　meat　at　Mile　End　and　that

way；　and　brought　it　to　market　upon　horses。



However；　the　poor　people　could　not　lay　up　provisions；　and　there　was

a　necessity　that　they　must　go　to　market　to　buy；　and　others　to　send

servants　or　their　children；　and　as　this　was　a　necessity　which　renewed

itself　daily；　it　brought　a