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

houses　if　possible；　as　I　mentioned　before；　and　there　sit　down；　grow

faint；　and　die。　　This　kind　of　dying　was　much　the　same　as　it　was　with

those　who　die　of　common　mortifications；　who　die　swooning；　and；　as　it

were；　go　away　in　a　dream。　　Such　as　died　thus　had　very　little　notice　of

their　being　infected　at　all　till　the　gangrene　was　spread　through　their

whole　body；　nor　could　physicians　themselves　know　certainly　how　it

was　with　them　till　they　opened　their　breasts　or　other　parts　of　their

body　and　saw　the　tokens。



We　had　at　this　time　a　great　many　frightful　stories　told　us　of　nurses

and　watchmen　who　looked　after　the　dying　people；　that　is　to　say；　hired

nurses　who　attended　infected　people；　using　them　barbarously；　starving

them；　smothering　them；　or　by　other　wicked　means　hastening　their　end；

that　is　to　say；　murdering　of　them；　and　watchmen；　being　set　to　guard

houses　that　were　shut　up　when　there　has　been　but　one　person　left；　and

perhaps　that　one　lying　sick；　that　they　have　broke　in　and　murdered　that

body；　and　immediately　thrown　them　out　into　the　dead…cart！　And　so

they　have　gone　scarce　cold　to　the　grave。



I　cannot　say　but　that　some　such　murders　were　committed；　and　I

think　two　were　sent　to　prison　for　it；　but　died　before　they　could　be

tried；　and　I　have　heard　that　three　others；　at　several　times；　were

excused　for　murders　of　that　kind；　but　I　must　say　I　believe　nothing　of

its　being　so　common　a　crime　as　some　have　since　been　pleased　to　say；

nor　did　it　seem　to　be　so　rational　where　the　people　were　brought　so　low

as　not　to　be　able　to　help　themselves；　for　such　seldom　recovered；　and

there　was　no　temptation　to　commit　a　murder；　at　least　none　equal　to

the　fact；　where　they　were　sure　persons　would　die　in　so　short　a　time；

and　could　not　live。



That　there　were　a　great　many　robberies　and　wicked　practices

committed　even　in　this　dreadful　time　I　do　not　deny。　　The　power　of

avarice　was　so　strong　in　some　that　they　would　run　any　hazard　to　steal

and　to　plunder；　and　particularly　in　houses　where　all　the　families　or

inhabitants　have　been　dead　and　carried　out；　they　would　break　in　at　all

hazards；　and　without　regard　to　the　danger　of　infection；　take　even　the

clothes　off　the　dead　bodies　and　the　bed…clothes　from　others　where

they　lay　dead。



This；　I　suppose；　must　be　the　case　of　a　family　in　Houndsditch；　where

a　man　and　his　daughter；　the　rest　of　the　family　being；　as　I　suppose；

carried　away　before　by　the　dead…cart；　were　found　stark　naked；　one　in

one　chamber　and　one　in　another；　lying　dead　on　the　floor；　and　the

clothes　of　the　beds；　from　whence　'tis　supposed　they　were　rolled　off　by

thieves；　stolen　and　carried　quite　away。



It　is　indeed　to　be　observed　that　the　women　were　in　all　this　calamity

the　most　rash；　fearless；　and　desperate　creatures；　and　as　there　were　vast

numbers　that　went　about　as　nurses　to　tend　those　that　were　sick；　they

committed　a　great　many　petty　thieveries　in　the　houses　where　they

were　employed；　and　some　of　them　were　publicly　whipped　for　it；　when

perhaps　they　ought　rather　to　have　been　hanged　for　examples；　for

numbers　of　houses　were　robbed　on　these　occasions；　till　at　length　the

parish　officers　were　sent　to　recommend　nurses　to　the　sick；　and　always

took　an　account　whom　it　was　they　sent；　so　as　that　they　might　call　them

to　account　if　the　house　had　been　abused　where　they　were　placed。



But　these　robberies　extended　chiefly　to　wearing…clothes；　linen；　and

what　rings　or　money　they　could　come　at　when　the　person　died　who

was　under　their　care；　but　not　to　a　general　plunder　of　the　houses；　and　I

could　give　you　an　account　of　one　of　these　nurses；　who；　several　years

after；　being　on　her　deathbed；　confessed　with　the　utmost　horror　the

robberies　she　had　committed　at　the　time　of　her　being　a　nurse；　and　by

which　she　had　enriched　herself　to　a　great　degree。　　But　as　for　murders；

I　do　not　find　that　there　was　ever　any　proof　of　the　facts　in　the　manner

as　it　has　been　reported；　except　as　above。



They　did　tell　me；　indeed；　of　a　nurse　in　one　place　that　laid　a　wet　cloth

upon　the　face　of　a　dying　patient　whom　she　tended；　and　so　put　an　end

to　his　life；　who　was　just　expiring　before；　and　another　that　smothered　a

young　woman　she　was　looking　to　when　she　was　in　a　fainting　fit；　and

would　have　come　to　herself；　some　that　killed　them　by　giving　them　one

thing；　some　another；　and　some　starved　them　by　giving　them　nothing　at

all。　　But　these　stories　had　two　marks　of　suspicion　that　always　attended

them；　which　caused　me　always　to　slight　them　and　to　look　on　them　as

mere　stories　that　people　continually　frighted　one　another　with。　　First；

that　wherever　it　was　that　we　heard　it；　they　always　placed　the　scene　at

the　farther　end　of　the　town；　opposite　or　most　remote　from　where　you

were　to　hear　it。　　If　you　heard　it　in　Whitechappel；　it　had　happened　at　St

Giles's；　or　at　Westminster；　or　Holborn；　or　that　end　of　the　town。　　If　you

heard　of　it　at　that　end　of　the　town；　then　it　was　done　in　Whitechappel；　or

the　Minories；　or　about　Cripplegate　parish。　　If　you　heard　of　it　in　the

city；　why；　then　it　happened　in　Southwark；　and　if　you　heard　of　it　in

Southwark；　then　it　was　done　in　the　city；　and　the　like。



In　the　next　place；　of　what　part　soever　you　heard　the　story；　the

particulars　were　always　the　same；　especially　that　of　laying　a　wet

double　clout　on　a　dying　man's　face；　and　that　of　smothering　a　young

gentlewoman；　so　that　it　was　apparent；　at　least　to　my　judgement；　that

there　was　more　of　tale　than　of　truth　in　those　things。



However；　I　cannot　say　but　it　had　some　effect　upon　the　people；　and

particularly　that；　as　I　said　before；　they　grew　more　cautious　whom　they

took　into　their　houses；　and　whom　they　trusted　their　lives　with；　and　had

them　always　recommended　if　they　could；　and　where　they　could　not

find　such；　for　they　were　not　very　plenty；　they　applied　to　the　parish

officers。



But　here　again　the　misery　of　that　time　lay　upon　the　poor　who；　being

infected；　had　neither　food　or　physic；　neither　physician　or　apothecary

to　assist　them；　or　nurse　to　attend　them。　　Many　of　those　died　calling　for

help；　and　even　for　sustenance；　out　at　their　windows　in　a　most

miserable　and　deplorable　manner；　but　it　must　be　added　that　whenever

the　cases　of　such　persons　or　families　were　represented　to　my　Lord

Mayor　they　always　were　relieved。



It　is　true；　in　some　houses　where　the　people　were　not　very　poor；　yet

where　they　had　sent　perhaps　their　wives　and　children　away；　and　if

they　had　any　servants　they　had　been　dismissed；　…　I　say　it　is　true　that　to

save　the　expenses；　many　such　as　these　shut　themselves　in；　and　not

having　help；　died　alone。



A　neighbour　and　acquaintance　of　mine；　having　some　money　owing

to　him　from　a　shopkeeper　in　Whitecross　Street　or　thereabouts；　sent　his

apprentice；　a　youth　about　eighteen　years　of　age；　to　endeavour　to　get

the　money。　　He　came　to　the　door；　and　finding　it　shut；　knocked　pretty

hard；　and；　as　he　thought；　heard　somebody　answer　within；　but　was　not

sure；　so　he　waited；　and　after　some　stay　knocked　again；　and　then　a　third

time；　when　he　heard　somebody　coming　downstairs。



At　length　the　man　of　the　house　came　to　the　door；　he　had　on　his

breeches　or　drawers；　and　a　yellow　flannel　waistcoat；　no　stockings；　a

pair　of　slipped…shoes；　a　white　cap　on　his　head；　and；　as　the　young　man

said；　'death　in　his　face'。



When　he　opened　the　door；　says　he；　'What　do　you　disturb　me　thus　for？'

The　boy；　though　a　little　surprised；　replied；　'I　come　from　such　a

one；　and　my　master　sent　me　for　the　money　which　he　says　you　know

of。'　'Very　well；　child；'　returns　the　living　ghost；　'call　as　you　go　by　at

Cripplegate　Church；　and　bid　them　ring　the　bell'；　and　with　these　words

shut　the　door　again；　and　went　up　again；　and　died　the　same　day；　nay；

perhaps　the　same　hour。　　This　the　young　man　told　me　himself；　and　I

have　reason　to　believe　it。　　This　was　while　the　plague　was　not　come　to

a　height。　　I　think　it　was　in　June；　towards　the　latter　end　of　the　month；　it

must　be　before　the　dead…carts　came　about；　and　while　they　used　the

ceremony　of　ringing　the　bell　for　the　dead；　which　was　over　for　certain；

in　that　parish　at　least；　before　the　month　of　July；　for　by　the　25th　of　July

there　died　550　and　upwards　in　a　week；　and　then　they　could　no　more

bury　in　form；　rich　or　poor。



I　have　mentioned　above　that　notwithstanding　this　dreadful　calamity；

yet　the　numbers　of　thieves　were　abroad　upon　all　occasions；　where　they

had　found　any　prey；　and　that　these　were　generally　women。　　It　was　one

morning　about　eleven　O'clock；　I　had　walked　out　to　my　brother's　house

in　Coleman　Street　parish；　as　I　often　did；　to　see　that　all　was　safe。



My　brother's　house　had　a　little　court　before　it；　and　a　brick　wall　and　a

gate　in　it；　and　within　that　several　warehouses　where　his　goods　of

several　sorts　lay。　　It　happened　that　in　one　of　these　warehouses　were

several　packs　of　women's　high…crowned　hats；　which　came　out　of　the

country　and　were；　as　I　suppose；　for　exportation：　whither；　I　know　not。



I　was