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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　surprised　that　when　I　came　near　my　brother's　door；　which　was

in　a　place　they　called　Swan　Alley；　I　met　three　or　four　women　with

high…crowned　hats　on　their　heads；　and；　as　I　remembered　afterwards；

one；　if　not　more；　had　some　hats　likewise　in　their　hands；　but　as　I　did

not　see　them　come　out　at　my　brother's　door；　and　not　knowing　that　my

brother　had　any　such　goods　in　his　warehouse；　I　did　not　offer　to　say

anything　to　them；　but　went　across　the　way　to　shun　meeting　them；　as

was　usual　to　do　at　that　time；　for　fear　of　the　plague。　　But　when　I　came

nearer　to　the　gate　I　met　another　woman　with　more　hats　come　out　of

the　gate。　　'What　business；　mistress；'　said　I；　'have　you　had　there？'

'There　are　more　people　there；'　said　she；　'I　have　had　no　more　business　there

than　they。'　I　was　hasty　to　get　to　the　gate　then；　and　said　no　more　to　her；

by　which　means　she　got　away。　　But　just　as　I　came　to　the　gate；　I　saw

two　more　coming　across　the　yard　to　come　out　with　hats　also　on　their

heads　and　under　their　arms；　at　which　I　threw　the　gate　to　behind　me；

which　having　a　spring　lock　fastened　itself；　and　turning　to　the　women；

'Forsooth；'　said　I；　'what　are　you　doing　here？'　and　seized　upon　the　hats；

and　took　them　from　them。　　One　of　them；　who；　I　confess；　did　not　look

like　a　thief　…　'Indeed；'　says　she；　'we　are　wrong；　but　we　were　told　they

were　goods　that　had　no　owner。　　Be　pleased　to　take　them　again；　and

look　yonder；　there　are　more　such　customers　as　we。'　She　cried　and

looked　pitifully；　so　I　took　the　hats　from　her　and　opened　the　gate；　and

bade　them　be　gone；　for　I　pitied　the　women　indeed；　but　when　I　looked

towards　the　warehouse；　as　she　directed；　there　were　six　or　seven　more；

all　women；　fitting　themselves　with　hats　as　unconcerned　and　quiet　as　if

they　had　been　at　a　hatter's　shop　buying　for　their　money。



I　was　surprised；　not　at　the　sight　of　so　many　thieves　only；　but　at　the

circumstances　I　was　in；　being　now　to　thrust　myself　in　among　so　many

people；　who　for　some　weeks　had　been　so　shy　of　myself　that　if　I　met

anybody　in　the　street　I　would　cross　the　way　from　them。



They　were　equally　surprised；　though　on　another　account。　　They　all

told　me　they　were　neighbours；　that　they　had　heard　anyone　might　take

them；　that　they　were　nobody's　goods；　and　the　like。　　I　talked　big　to

them　at　first；　went　back　to　the　gate　and　took　out　the　key；　so　that　they

were　all　my　prisoners；　threatened　to　lock　them　all　into　the　warehouse；

and　go　and　fetch　my　Lord　Mayor's　officers　for　them。



They　begged　heartily；　protested　they　found　the　gate　open；　and　the

warehouse　door　open；　and　that　it　had　no　doubt　been　broken　open　by

some　who　expected　to　find　goods　of　greater　value：　which　indeed　was

reasonable　to　believe；　because　the　lock　was　broke；　and　a　padlock　that

hung　to　the　door　on　the　outside　also　loose；　and　not　abundance　of　the

hats　carried　away。



At　length　I　considered　that　this　was　not　a　time　to　be　cruel　and

rigorous；　and　besides　that；　it　would　necessarily　oblige　me　to　go　much

about；　to　have　several　people　come　to　me；　and　I　go　to　several　whose

circumstances　of　health　I　knew　nothing　of；　and　that　even　at　this　time

the　plague　was　so　high　as　that　there　died　4000　a　week；　so　that　in

showing　my　resentment；　or　even　in　seeking　justice　for　my　brother's

goods；　I　might　lose　my　own　life；　so　I　contented　myself　with　taking　the

names　and　places　where　some　of　them　lived；　who　were　really　inhabitants

in　the　neighbourhood；　and　threatening　that　my　brother　should　call　them

to　an　account　for　it　when　he　returned　to　his　habitation。



Then　I　talked　a　little　upon　another　foot　with　them；　and　asked　them

how　they　could　do　such　things　as　these　in　a　time　of　such　general

calamity；　and；　as　it　were；　in　the　face　of　God's　most　dreadful

judgements；　when　the　plague　was　at　their　very　doors；　and；　it　may　be；

in　their　very　houses；　and　they　did　not　know　but　that　the　dead…cart

might　stop　at　their　doors　in　a　few　hours　to　carry　them　to　their　graves。



I　could　not　perceive　that　my　discourse　made　much　impression　upon

them　all　that　while；　till　it　happened　that　there　came　two　men　of　the

neighbourhood；　hearing　of　the　disturbance；　and　knowing　my　brother；

for　they　had　been　both　dependents　upon　his　family；　and　they　came　to

my　assistance。　　These　being；　as　I　said；　neighbours；　presently　knew

three　of　the　women　and　told　me　who　they　were　and　where　they　lived；

and　it　seems　they　had　given　me　a　true　account　of　themselves　before。



This　brings　these　two　men　to　a　further　remembrance。　　The　name　of

one　was　John　Hayward；　who　was　at　that　time　undersexton　of　the

parish　of　St　Stephen；　Coleman　Street。　　By　undersexton　was

understood　at　that　time　gravedigger　and　bearer　of　the　dead。　　This　man

carried；　or　assisted　to　carry；　all　the　dead　to　their　graves　which　were

buried　in　that　large　parish；　and　who　were　carried　in　form；　and　after

that　form　of　burying　was　stopped；　went　with　the　dead…cart　and　the　bell

to　fetch　the　dead　bodies　from　the　houses　where　they　lay；　and　fetched

many　of　them　out　of　the　chambers　and　houses；　for　the　parish　was；　and

is　still；　remarkable　particularly；　above　all　the　parishes　in　London；

for　a　great　number　of　alleys　and　thoroughfares；　very　long；　into　which

no　carts　could　come；　and　where　they　were　obliged　to　go　and　fetch　the

bodies　a　very　long　way；　which　alleys　now　remain　to　witness　it；　such

as　White's　Alley；　Cross　Key　Court；　Swan　Alley；　Bell　Alley；　White

Horse　Alley；　and　many　more。　　Here　they　went　with　a　kind　of　hand…

barrow　and　laid　the　dead　bodies　on　it；　and　carried　them　out　to　the

carts；　which　work　he　performed　and　never　had　the　distemper　at　all；

but　lived　about　twenty　years　after　it；　and　was　sexton　of　the　parish　to

the　time　of　his　death。　　His　wife　at　the　same　time　was　a　nurse　to

infected　people；　and　tended　many　that　died　in　the　parish；　being　for　her

honesty　recommended　by　the　parish　officers；　yet　she　never　was

infected　neither。



He　never　used　any　preservative　against　the　infection；　other　than

holding　garlic　and　rue　in　his　mouth；　and　smoking　tobacco。　　This　I　also

had　from　his　own　mouth。　　And　his　wife's　remedy　was　washing　her　head

in　vinegar　and　sprinkling　her　head…clothes　so　with　vinegar　as　to

keep　them　always　moist；　and　if　the　smell　of　any　of　those　she　waited

on　was　more　than　ordinary　offensive；　she　snuffed　vinegar　up　her　nose

and　sprinkled　vinegar　upon　her　head…clothes；　and　held　a　handkerchief

wetted　with　vinegar　to　her　mouth。



It　must　be　confessed　that　though　the　plague　was　chiefly　among　the

poor；　yet　were　the　poor　the　most　venturous　and　fearless　of　it；　and　went

about　their　employment　with　a　sort　of　brutal　courage；　I　must　call　it　so；

for　it　was　founded　neither　on　religion　nor　prudence；　scarce　did　they

use　any　caution；　but　ran　into　any　business　which　they　could　get

employment　in；　though　it　was　the　most　hazardous。　　Such　was　that　of

tending　the　sick；　watching　houses　shut　up；　carrying　infected　persons　to

the　pest…house；　and；　which　was　still　worse；　carrying　the　dead　away　to

their　graves。



It　was　under　this　John　Hayward's　care；　and　within　his　bounds；　that

the　story　of　the　piper；　with　which　people　have　made　themselves　so

merry；　happened；　and　he　assured　me　that　it　was　true。　　It　is　said　that　it

was　a　blind　piper；　but；　as　John　told　me；　the　fellow　was　not　blind；　but

an　ignorant；　weak；　poor　man；　and　usually　walked　his　rounds　about　ten

o'clock　at　night　and　went　piping　along　from　door　to　door；　and　the

people　usually　took　him　in　at　public…houses　where　they　knew　him；　and

would　give　him　drink　and　victuals；　and　sometimes　farthings；　and　he　in

return　would　pipe　and　sing　and　talk　simply；　which　diverted　the

people；　and　thus　he　lived。　　It　was　but　a　very　bad　time　for　this　diversion

while　things　were　as　I　have　told；　yet　the　poor　fellow　went　about　as

usual；　but　was　almost　starved；　and　when　anybody　asked　how　he　did　he

would　answer；　the　dead　cart　had　not　taken　him　yet；　but　that　they　had

promised　to　call　for　him　next　week。



It　happened　one　night　that　this　poor　fellow；　whether　somebody　had

given　him　too　much　drink　or　no　…　John　Hayward　said　he　had　not　drink

in　his　house；　but　that　they　had　given　him　a　little　more　victuals　than

ordinary　at　a　public…house　in　Coleman　Street　…　and　the　poor　fellow；

having　not　usually　had　a　bellyful　for　perhaps　not　a　good　while；　was

laid　all　along　upon　the　top　of　a　bulk　or　stall；　and　fast　asleep；　at　a　door

in　the　street　near　London　Wall；　towards　Cripplegate…；　and　that　upon

the　same　bulk　or　stall　the　people　of　some　house；　in　the　alley　of　which

the　house　was　a　corner；　hearing　a　bell　which　they　always　rang　before

the　cart　came；　had　laid　a　body　really　dead　of　the　plague　just　by　him；

thinking；　too；　that　this　poor　fellow　had　been　a　dead　body；　as　the　other

was；　and　laid　there　by　some　of　the　neighbours。



Accordingly；　when　John　Hayward　with　his　bell　and　the　cart　came

along；　finding　two　dead　bodies　lie　upon　the　stall；　they　took　them　up