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第8节

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

with the instrument they used and threw them into the cart; and; all

this while the piper slept soundly。



From hence they passed along and took in other dead bodies; till; as

honest John Hayward told me; they almost buried him alive in the

cart; yet all this while he slept soundly。  At length the cart came to the

place where the bodies were to be thrown into the ground; which; as I

do remember; was at Mount Mill; and as the cart usually stopped

some time before they were ready to shoot out the melancholy load

they had in it; as soon as the cart stopped the fellow awaked and

struggled a little to get his head out from among the dead bodies;

when; raising himself up in the cart; he called out; 'Hey! where am I?'

This frighted the fellow that attended about the work; but after some

pause John Hayward; recovering himself; said; 'Lord; bless us!

There's somebody in the cart not quite dead!' So another called to him

and said; 'Who are you?' The fellow answered; 'I am the poor piper。

Where am I?' 'Where are you?' says Hayward。  'Why; you are in the

dead…cart; and we are going to bury you。' 'But I an't dead though; am

I?' says the piper; which made them laugh a little though; as John said;

they were heartily frighted at first; so they helped the poor fellow

down; and he went about his business。



I know the story goes he set up his pipes in the cart and frighted the

bearers and others so that they ran away; but John Hayward did not

tell the story so; nor say anything of his piping at all; but that he was a

poor piper; and that he was carried away as above I am fully satisfied

of the truth of。



It is to be noted here that the dead…carts in the city were not

confined to particular parishes; but one cart went through several

parishes; according as the number of dead presented; nor were they

tied to carry the dead to their respective parishes; but many of the

dead taken up in the city were carried to the burying…ground in the

out…parts for want of room。



I have already mentioned the surprise that this judgement was at

first among the people。  I must be allowed to give some of my

observations on the more serious and religious part。  Surely never city;

at least of this bulk and magnitude; was taken in a condition so

perfectly unprepared for such a dreadful visitation; whether I am to

speak of the civil preparations or religious。  They were; indeed; as if

they had had no warning; no expectation; no apprehensions; and

consequently the least provision imaginable was made for it in a

public way。  For example; the Lord Mayor and sheriffs had made no

provision as magistrates for the regulations which were to be

observed。  They had gone into no measures for relief of the poor。  The

citizens had no public magazines or storehouses for corn or meal for

the subsistence of the poor; which if they had provided themselves; as

in such cases is done abroad; many miserable families who were now

reduced to the utmost distress would have been relieved; and that in a

better manner than now could be done。



The stock of the city's money I can say but little to。  The Chamber of

London was said to be exceedingly rich; and it may be concluded that

they were so; by the vast of money issued from thence in the

rebuilding the public edifices after the fire of London; and in building

new works; such as; for the first part; the Guildhall; Blackwell Hall;

part of Leadenhall; half the Exchange; the Session House; the

Compter; the prisons of Ludgate; Newgate; &c。; several of the wharfs

and stairs and landing…places on the river; all which were either

burned down or damaged by the great fire of London; the next year

after the plague; and of the second sort; the Monument; Fleet Ditch

with its bridges; and the Hospital of Bethlem or Bedlam; &c。  But

possibly the managers of the city's credit at that time made more

conscience of breaking in upon the orphan's money to show charity to

the distressed citizens than the managers in the following years did to

beautify the city and re…edify the buildings; though; in the first case;

the losers would have thought their fortunes better bestowed; and the

public faith of the city have been less subjected to scandal and reproach。



It must be acknowledged that the absent citizens; who; though they

were fled for safety into the country; were yet greatly interested in the

welfare of those whom they left behind; forgot not to contribute

liberally to the relief of the poor; and large sums were also collected

among trading towns in the remotest parts of England; and; as I have

heard also; the nobility and the gentry in all parts of England took the

deplorable condition of the city into their consideration; and sent up

large sums of money in charity to the Lord Mayor and magistrates for

the relief of the poor。  The king also; as I was told; ordered a thousand

pounds a week to be distributed in four parts: one quarter to the city

and liberty of Westminster; one quarter or part among the inhabitants

of the Southwark side of the water; one quarter to the liberty and parts

within of the city; exclusive of the city within the walls; and one…

fourth part to the suburbs in the county of Middlesex; and the east and

north parts of the city。  But this latter I only speak of as a report。



Certain it is; the greatest part of the poor or families who formerly

lived by their labour; or by retail trade; lived now on charity; and had

there not been prodigious sums of money given by charitable; well…

minded Christians for the support of such; the city could never have

subsisted。  There were; no question; accounts kept of their charity; and

of the just distribution of it by the magistrates。  But as such multitudes

of those very officers died through whose hands it was distributed;

and also that; as I have been told; most of the accounts of those things

were lost in the great fire which happened in the very next year; and

which burnt even the chamberlain's office and many of their papers;

so I could never come at the particular account; which I used great

endeavours to have seen。



It may; however; be a direction in case of the approach of a like

visitation; which God keep the city from; … I say; it may be of use to

observe that by the care of the Lord Mayor and aldermen at that time

in distributing weekly great sums of money for relief of the poor; a

multitude of people who would otherwise have perished; were

relieved; and their lives preserved。  And here let me enter into a brief

state of the case of the poor at that time; and what way apprehended

from them; from whence may be judged hereafter what may be

expected if the like distress should come upon the city。



At the beginning of the plague; when there was now no more hope

but that the whole city would be visited; when; as I have said; all that

had friends or estates in the country retired with their families;

and when; indeed; one would have thought the very city itself was

running out of the gates; and that there would be nobody left behind;

you may be sure from that hour all trade; except such as related to

immediate subsistence; was; as it were; at a full stop。



This is so lively a case; and contains in it so much of the real

condition of the people; that I think I cannot be too particular in it;

and therefore I descend to the several arrangements or classes of

people who fell into immediate distress upon this occasion。  For example:



1。  All master…workmen in manufactures; especially such as belonged

to ornament and the less necessary parts of the people's dress; clothes;

and furniture for houses; such as riband…weavers and other weavers;

gold and silver lace makers; and gold and silver wire drawers;

sempstresses; milliners; shoemakers; hatmakers; and glovemakers;

also upholsterers; joiners; cabinet…makers; looking…glass makers; and

innumerable trades which depend upon such as these; … I say; the

master…workmen in such stopped their work; dismissed their

journeymen and workmen; and all their dependents。



2。  As merchandising was at a full stop; for very few ships ventured to

come up the river and none at all went out; so all the extraordinary

officers of the customs; likewise the watermen; carmen; porters; and

all the poor whose labour depended upon the merchants; were at once

dismissed and put out of business。



3。  All the tradesmen usually employed in building or repairing of

houses were at a full stop; for the people were far from wanting to

build houses when so many thousand houses were at once stripped of

their inhabitants; so that this one article turned all the ordinary

workmen of that kind out of business; such as bricklayers; masons;

carpenters; joiners; plasterers; painters; glaziers; smiths; plumbers; and

all the labourers depending on such。



4。  As navigation was at a stop; our ships neither coming in or go

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