part1-第3章

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preservation　of　my　life　in　so　dismal　a　calamity　as　I　saw　apparently

was　coming　upon　the　whole　city；　and　which；　however　great　it　was；　my

fears　perhaps；　as　well　as　other　people's；　represented　to　be　much

greater　than　it　could　be。



The　first　consideration　was　of　great　moment　to　me；　my　trade　was　a

saddler；　and　as　my　dealings　were　chiefly　not　by　a　shop　or　chance

trade；　but　among　the　merchants　trading　to　the　English　colonies　in

America；　so　my　effects　lay　very　much　in　the　hands　of　such。　　I　was　a

single　man；　'tis　true；　but　I　had　a　family　of　servants　whom　I　kept　at　my

business；　had　a　house；　shop；　and　warehouses　filled　with　goods；　and；　in

short；　to　leave　them　all　as　things　in　such　a　case　must　be　left　（that　is　to

say；　without　any　overseer　or　person　fit　to　be　trusted　with　them）；　had

been　to　hazard　the　loss　not　only　of　my　trade；　but　of　my　goods；　and

indeed　of　all　I　had　in　the　world。



I　had　an　elder　brother　at　the　same　time　in　London；　and　not　many

years　before　come　over　from　Portugal：　and　advising　with　him；　his

answer　was　in　three　words；　the　same　that　was　given　in　another　case

quite　different；　viz。；　'Master；　save　thyself。'　In　a　word；　he　was　for　my

retiring　into　the　country；　as　he　resolved　to　do　himself　with　his　family；

telling　me　what　he　had；　it　seems；　heard　abroad；　that　the　best

preparation　for　the　plague　was　to　run　away　from　it。　　As　to　my

argument　of　losing　my　trade；　my　goods；　or　debts；　he　quite　confuted

me。　　He　told　me　the　same　thing　which　I　argued　for　my　staying；　viz。；

that　I　would　trust　God　with　my　safety　and　health；　was　the　strongest

repulse　to　my　pretensions　of　losing　my　trade　and　my　goods；　'for'；　says

he；　'is　it　not　as　reasonable　that　you　should　trust　God　with　the　chance　or

risk　of　losing　your　trade；　as　that　you　should　stay　in　so　eminent　a　point

of　danger；　and　trust　Him　with　your　life？'



I　could　not　argue　that　I　was　in　any　strait　as　to　a　place　where　to　go；

having　several　friends　and　relations　in　Northamptonshire；　whence　our

family　first　came　from；　and　particularly；　I　had　an　only　sister　in

Lincolnshire；　very　willing　to　receive　and　entertain　me。



My　brother；　who　had　already　sent　his　wife　and　two　children　into

Bedfordshire；　and　resolved　to　follow　them；　pressed　my　going　very

earnestly；　and　I　had　once　resolved　to　comply　with　his　desires；　but　at

that　time　could　get　no　horse；　for　though　it　is　true　all　the　people　did　not

go　out　of　the　city　of　London；　yet　I　may　venture　to　say　that　in　a　manner

all　the　horses　did；　for　there　was　hardly　a　horse　to　be　bought　or　hired　in

the　whole　city　for　some　weeks。　　Once　I　resolved　to　travel　on　foot　with

one　servant；　and；　as　many　did；　lie　at　no　inn；　but　carry　a　soldier's　tent

with　us；　and　so　lie　in　the　fields；　the　weather　being　very　warm；　and　no

danger　from　taking　cold。　　I　say；　as　many　did；　because　several　did　so　at

last；　especially　those　who　had　been　in　the　armies　in　the　war　which　had

not　been　many　years　past；　and　I　must　needs　say　that；　speaking　of

second　causes；　had　most　of　the　people　that　travelled　done　so；　the　plague

had　not　been　carried　into　so　many　country　towns　and　houses　as　it　was；

to　the　great　damage；　and　indeed　to　the　ruin；　of　abundance　of　people。



But　then　my　servant；　whom　I　had　intended　to　take　down　with　me；

deceived　me；　and　being　frighted　at　the　increase　of　the　distemper；　and

not　knowing　when　I　should　go；　he　took　other　measures；　and　left　me；

so　I　was　put　off　for　that　time；　and；　one　way　or　other；　I　always　found

that　to　appoint　to　go　away　was　always　crossed　by　some　accident　or

other；　so　as　to　disappoint　and　put　it　off　again；　and　this　brings　in

a　story　which　otherwise　might　be　thought　a　needless　digression；　viz。；

about　these　disappointments　being　from　Heaven。



I　mention　this　story　also　as　the　best　method　I　can　advise　any　person

to　take　in　such　a　case；　especially　if　he　be　one　that　makes　conscience　of

his　duty；　and　would　be　directed　what　to　do　in　it；　namely；　that　he

should　keep　his　eye　upon　the　particular　providences　which　occur　at

that　time；　and　look　upon　them　complexly；　as　they　regard　one　another；

and　as　all　together　regard　the　question　before　him：　and　then；　I　think；

he　may　safely　take　them　for　intimations　from　Heaven　of　what　is　his

unquestioned　duty　to　do　in　such　a　case；　I　mean　as　to　going　away　from

or　staying　in　the　place　where　we　dwell；　when　visited　with　an

infectious　distemper。



It　came　very　warmly　into　my　mind　one　morning；　as　I　was　musing　on

this　particular　thing；　that　as　nothing　attended　us　without　the　direction

or　permission　of　Divine　Power；　so　these　disappointments　must　have

something　in　them　extraordinary；　and　I　ought　to　consider　whether　it

did　not　evidently　point　out；　or　intimate　to　me；　that　it　was　the　will　of

Heaven　I　should　not　go。　　It　immediately　followed　in　my　thoughts；　that

if　it　really　was　from　God　that　I　should　stay；　He　was　able　effectually　to

preserve　me　in　the　midst　of　all　the　death　and　danger　that　would

surround　me；　and　that　if　I　attempted　to　secure　myself　by　fleeing　from

my　habitation；　and　acted　contrary　to　these　intimations；　which　I　believe

to　be　Divine；　it　was　a　kind　of　flying　from　God；　and　that　He　could

cause　His　justice　to　overtake　me　when　and　where　He　thought　fit。



These　thoughts　quite　turned　my　resolutions　again；　and　when　I　came

to　discourse　with　my　brother　again　I　told　him　that　I　inclined　to　stay

and　take　my　lot　in　that　station　in　which　God　had　placed　me；　and　that

it　seemed　to　be　made　more　especially　my　duty；　on　the　account　of　what

I　have　said。



My　brother；　though　a　very　religious　man　himself；　laughed　at　all　I

had　suggested　about　its　being　an　intimation　from　Heaven；　and　told　me

several　stories　of　such　foolhardy　people；　as　he　called　them；　as　I　was；

that　I　ought　indeed　to　submit　to　it　as　a　work　of　Heaven　if　I　had　been

any　way　disabled　by　distempers　or　diseases；　and　that　then　not　being

able　to　go；　I　ought　to　acquiesce　in　the　direction　of　Him；　who；　having

been　my　Maker；　had　an　undisputed　right　of　sovereignty　in　disposing

of　me；　and　that　then　there　had　been　no　difficulty　to　determine　which

was　the　call　of　His　providence　and　which　was　not；　but　that　I　should

take　it　as　an　intimation　from　Heaven　that　I　should　not　go　out　of　town；

only　because　I　could　not　hire　a　horse　to　go；　or　my　fellow　was　run

away　that　was　to　attend　me；　was　ridiculous；　since　at　the　time　I　had　my

health　and　limbs；　and　other　servants；　and　might　with　ease　travel　a　day

or　two　on　foot；　and　having　a　good　certificate　of　being　in　perfect　health；

might　either　hire　a　horse　or　take　post　on　the　road；　as　I　thought　fit。



Then　he　proceeded　to　tell　me　of　the　mischievous　consequences

which　attended　the　presumption　of　the　Turks　and　Mahometans　in　Asia

and　in　other　places　where　he　had　been　（for　my　brother；　being　a

merchant；　was　a　few　years　before；　as　I　have　already　observed；　returned

from　abroad；　coming　last　from　Lisbon）；　and　how；　presuming　upon

their　professed　predestinating　notions；　and　of　every　man's　end　being

predetermined　and　unalterably　beforehand　decreed；　they　would　go

unconcerned　into　infected　places　and　converse　with　infected　persons；

by　which　means　they　died　at　the　rate　of　ten　or　fifteen　thousand　a

week；　whereas　the　Europeans　or　Christian　merchants；　who　kept

themselves　retired　and　reserved；　generally　escaped　the　contagion。



Upon　these　arguments　my　brother　changed　my　resolutions　again；

and　I　began　to　resolve　to　go；　and　accordingly　made　all　things　ready；

for；　in　short；　the　infection　increased　round　me；　and　the　bills　were　risen

to　almost　seven　hundred　a　week；　and　my　brother　told　me　he　would

venture　to　stay　no　longer。　　I　desired　him　to　let　me　consider　of　it　but　till

the　next　day；　and　I　would　resolve：　and　as　I　had　already　prepared

everything　as　well　as　I　could　as　to　MY　business；　and　whom　to　entrust

my　affairs　with；　I　had　little　to　do　but　to　resolve。



I　went　home　that　evening　greatly　oppressed　in　my　mind；　irresolute；

and　not　knowing　what　to　do。　　I　had　set　the　evening　wholly　…apart　to

consider　seriously　about　it；　and　was　all　alone；　for　already　people　had；