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

itself　daily；　it　brought　abundance　of　unsound　people　to　the　markets；

and　a　great　many　that　went　thither　sound　brought　death　home　with　them。



It　is　true　people　used　all　possible　precaution。　　When　any　one　bought

a　joint　of　meat　in　the　market　they　would　not　take　it　off　the　butcher's

hand；　but　took　it　off　the　hooks　themselves。　　On　the　other　hand；　the

butcher　would　not　touch　the　money；　but　have　it　put　into　a　pot　full　of

vinegar；　which　he　kept　for　that　purpose。　　The　buyer　carried　always

small　money　to　make　up　any　odd　sum；　that　they　might　take　no　change。

They　carried　bottles　of　scents　and　perfumes　in　their　hands；　and　all　the

means　that　could　be　used　were　used；　but　then　the　poor　could　not　do

even　these　things；　and　they　went　at　all　hazards。



Innumerable　dismal　stories　we　heard　every　day　on　this　very　account。

Sometimes　a　man　or　woman　dropped　down　dead　in　the　very　markets；

for　many　people　that　had　the　plague　upon　them　knew　nothing　of　it　till

the　inward　gangrene　had　affected　their　vitals；　and　they　died　in　a　few

moments。　　This　caused　that　many　died　frequently　in　that　manner　in

the　streets　suddenly；　without　any　warning；　others　perhaps　had　time　to

go　to　the　next　bulk　or　stall；　or　to　any　door…porch；　and　just　sit　down　and

die；　as　I　have　said　before。



These　objects　were　so　frequent　in　the　streets　that　when　the　plague

came　to　be　very　raging　on　one　side；　there　was　scarce　any　passing　by

the　streets　but　that　several　dead　bodies　would　be　lying　here　and　there

upon　the　ground。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　observable　that　though　at

first　the　people　would　stop　as　they　went　along　and　call　to　the

neighbours　to　come　out　on　such　an　occasion；　yet　afterward　no　notice

was　taken　of　them；　but　that　if　at　any　time　we　found　a　corpse　lying；　go

across　the　way　and　not　come　near　it；　or；　if　in　a　narrow　lane　or　passage；

go　back　again　and　seek　some　other　way　to　go　on　the　business　we　were

upon；　and　in　those　cases　the　corpse　was　always　left　till　the　officers

had　notice　to　come　and　take　them　away；　or　till　night；　when　the　bearers

attending　the　dead…cart　would　take　them　up　and　carry　them　away。　　Nor

did　those　undaunted　creatures　who　performed　these　offices　fail　to

search　their　pockets；　and　sometimes　strip　off　their　clothes　if　they　were

well　dressed；　as　sometimes　they　were；　and　carry　off　what　they　could　get。



But　to　return　to　the　markets。　　The　butchers　took　that　care　that　if　any

person　died　in　the　market　they　had　the　officers　always　at　band　to　take

them　up　upon　hand…barrows　and　carry　them　to　the　next　churchyard；

and　this　was　so　frequent　that　such　were　not　entered　in　the　weekly　bill；

'Found　dead　in　the　streets　or　fields'；　as　is　the　case　now；　but　they　went

into　the　general　articles　of　the　great　distemper。



But　now　the　fury　of　the　distemper　increased　to　such　a　degree　that

even　the　markets　were　but　very　thinly　furnished　with　provisions　or

frequented　with　buyers　compared　to　what　they　were　before；　and　the

Lord　Mayor　caused　the　country　people　who　brought　provisions　to　be

stopped　in　the　streets　leading　into　the　town；　and　to　sit　down　there　with

their　goods；　where　they　sold　what　they　brought；　and　went　immediately

away；　and　this　encouraged　the　country　people　greatly…to　do　so；　for

they　sold　their　provisions　at　the　very　entrances　into　the　town；　and　even

in　the　fields；　as　particularly　in　the　fields　beyond　Whitechappel；　in

Spittlefields；　also　in　St　George's　Fields　in　Southwark；　in　Bunhill

Fields；　and　in　a　great　field　called　Wood's　Close；　near　Islington。

Thither　the　Lord　Mayor；　aldermen；　and　magistrates　sent　their　officers

and　servants　to　buy　for　their　families；　themselves　keeping　within

doors　as　much　as　possible；　and　the　like　did　many　other　people；　and

after　this　method　was　taken　the　country　people　came　with　great

cheerfulness；　and　brought　provisions　of　all　sorts；　and　very　seldom　got

any　harm；　which；　I　suppose；　added　also　to　that　report　of　their　being

miraculously　preserved。



As　for　my　little　family；　having　thus；　as　I　have　said；　laid　in　a　store　of

bread；　butter；　cheese；　and　beer；　I　took　my　friend　and　physician's

advice；　and　locked　myself　up；　and　my　family；　and　resolved　to　suffer

the　hardship　of　living　a　few　months　without　flesh…meat；　rather　than　to

purchase　it　at　the　hazard　of　our　lives。



But　though　I　confined　my　family；　I　could　not　prevail　upon　my

unsatisfied　curiosity　to　stay　within　entirely　myself；　and　though　I

generally　came　frighted　and　terrified　home；　vet　I　could　not　restrain；

only　that　indeed　I　did　not　do　it　so　frequently　as　at　first。



I　had　some　little　obligations；　indeed；　upon　me　to　go　to　my　brother's

house；　which　was　in　Coleman　Street　parish　and　which　he　had　left　to

my　care；　and　I　went　at　first　every　day；　but　afterwards　only　once　or

twice　a　week。



In　these　walks　I　had　many　dismal　scenes　before　my　eyes；　as

particularly　of　persons　falling　dead　in　the　streets；　terrible　shrieks　and

screechings　of　women；　who；　in　their　agonies；　would　throw　open　their

chamber　windows　and　cry　out　in　a　dismal；　surprising　manner。　　It　is

impossible　to　describe　the　variety　of　postures　in　which　the　passions　of

the　poor　people　would　express　themselves。



Passing　through　Tokenhouse　Yard；　in　Lothbury；　of　a　sudden　a

casement　violently　opened　just　over　my　head；　and　a　woman　gave　three

frightful　screeches；　and　then　cried；　'Oh！　death；　death；　death！'　in　a

most　inimitable　tone；　and　which　struck　me　with　horror　and　a　chillness

in　my　very　blood。　　There　was　nobody　to　be　seen　in　the　whole　street；

neither　did　any　other　window　open。　for　people　had　no　curiosity　now　in

any　case；　nor　could　anybody　help　one　another；　so　I　went　on　to　pass

into　Bell　Alley。



Just　in　Bell　Alley；　on　the　right　hand　of　the　passage；　there　was　a　more

terrible　cry　than　that；　though　it　was　not　so　directed　out　at　the　window；

but　the　whole　family　was　in　a　terrible　fright；　and　I　could　hear　women

and　children　run　screaming　about　the　rooms　like　distracted；　when　a

garret…window　opened　and　somebody　from　a　window　on　the　other

side　the　alley　called　and　asked；　'What　is　the　matter？'　upon　which；　from

the　first　window；　it　was　answered；　'Oh　Lord；　my　old　master　has

hanged　himself！'　The　other　asked　again；　'Is　he　quite　dead？'　and　the

first　answered；　'Ay；　ay；　quite　dead；　quite　dead　and　cold！'　This　person

was　a　merchant　and　a　deputy　alderman；　and　very　rich。　　I　care　not　to

mention　the　name；　though　I　knew　his　name　too；　but　that　would　be　an

hardship　to　the　family；　which　is　now　flourishing　again。



But　this　is　but　one；　it　is　scarce　credible　what　dreadful　cases

happened　in　particular　families　every　day。　　People　in　the　rage　of　the

distemper；　or　in　the　torment　of　their　swellings；　which　was　indeed

intolerable；　running　out　of　their　own　government；　raving　and

distracted；　and　oftentimes　laying　violent　hands　upon　themselves；

throwing　themselves　out　at　their　windows；　shooting　themselves。；；；

&c。；　mothers　murdering　their　own　children　in　their　lunacy；　some

dying　of　mere　grief　as　a　passion；　some　of　mere　fright　and　surprise

without　any　infection　at　all；　others　frighted　into　idiotism　and　foolish

distractions；　some　into　despair　and　lunacy；　others　into　melancholy　madness。



The　pain　of　the　swelling　was　in　particular　very　violent；　and　to　some

intolerable；　the　physicians　and　surgeons　may　be　said　to　have　tortured

many　poor　creatures　even　to　death。　　The　swellings　in　some　grew　hard；

and　they　applied　violent　drawing…plaisters　or　poultices　to　break　them；

and　if　these　did　not　do　they　cut　and　scarified　them　in　a　terrible

manner。　　In　some　those　swellings　were　made　hard　partly　by　the　force

of　the　distemper　and　partly　by　their　being　too　violently　drawn；　and

were　so　hard　that　no　instrument　could　cut　them；　and　then　they　burnt

them　with　caustics；　so　that　many　died　raving　mad　with　the　torment；

and　some　in　the　very　operation。　　In　these　distresses；　some；　for　want　of

help　to　hold　them　down　in　their　beds；　or　to　look　to　them；　laid　hands

upon　themselves　as　above。　　Some　broke　out　into　the　streets；　perhaps

naked；　and　would　run　directly　down　to　the　river　if　they　were　not

stopped　by　the　watchman　or　other　officers；　and　plunge　themselves

into　the　water　wherever　they　found　it。



It　often　pierced　my　very　soul　to　hear　the　groans　and　cries　of　those

who　were　thus　tormented；　but　of　the　two　this　was　counted　the　most

promising　particular　in　the　whole　infection；　for　if　these　swellings

could　be　brought　to　a　head；　and　to　break　and　run；　or；　as　the　surgeons

call　it；　to　digest；　the　patient　generally　recovered；　whereas　those　who；

like　the　gentlewoman's　daughter；　were　struck　with　death　at　the

beginning；　and　had　the　tokens　come　out　upon　them；　often　went　about

indifferent　easy　till　a　little　before　they　died；　and　some　till　the　moment

they　dropped　down；　as　in　apoplexies　and　epilepsies　is　often　the　case。

Such　would　be　taken　suddenly　very　sick；　and　would　run　to　a　bench　or

bulk；　or　any　convenient　place　that　offered　itself；　or　to　their　own

houses　if　possible；　as　I