part1-第4章

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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；

as　it　were　by　a　general　consent；　taken　up　the　custom　of　not　going　out

of　doors　after　sunset；　the　reasons　I　shall　have　occasion　to　say　more　of

by…and…by。



In　the　retirement　of　this　evening　I　endeavoured　to　resolve；　first；　what

was　my　duty　to　do；　and　I　stated　the　arguments　with　which　my　brother

had　pressed　me　to　go　into　the　country；　and　I　set；　against　them　the

strong　impressions　which　I　had　on　my　mind　for　staying；　the　visible

call　I　seemed　to　have　from　the　particular　circumstance　of　my　calling；

and　the　care　due　from　me　for　the　preservation　of　my　effects；　which

were；　as　I　might　say；　my　estate；　also　the　intimations　which　I　thought　I

had　from　Heaven；　that　to　me　signified　a　kind　of　direction　to　venture；

and　it　occurred　to　me　that　if　I　had　what　I　might　call　a　direction　to　stay；

I　ought　to　suppose　it　contained　a　promise　of　being　preserved　if　I　obeyed。



This　lay　close　to　me；　and　my　mind　seemed　more　and　more　encouraged

to　stay　than　ever；　and　supported　with　a　secret　satisfaction

that　I　should　be　kept。　　Add　to　this；　that；　turning　over　the　Bible　which

lay　before　me；　and　while　my　thoughts　were　more　than　ordinarily

serious　upon　the　question；　I　cried　out；　'Well；　I　know　not　what　to　do；

Lord；　direct　me　I'　and　the　like；　and　at　that　juncture　I　happened　to　stop

turning　over　the　book　at　the　gist　Psalm；　and　casting　my　eye　on　the

second　verse；　I　read　on　to　the　seventh　verse　exclusive；　and　after　that

included　the　tenth；　as　follows：　'I　will　say　of　the　Lord；　He　is　my　refuge

and　my　fortress：　my　God；　in　Him　will　I　trust。　　Surely　He　shall　deliver

thee　from　the　snare　of　the　fowler；　and　from　the　noisome　pestilence。

He　shall　cover　thee　with　His　feathers；　and　under　His　wings　shalt　thou

trust：　His　truth　shall　be　thy　shield　and　buckler。　　Thou　shalt　not　be

afraid　for　the　terror　by　night；　nor　for　the　arrow　that　flieth　by　day；　nor

for　the　pestilence　that　walketh　in　darkness；　nor　for　the　destruction　that

wasteth　at　noonday。　　A　thousand　shall　fall　at　thy　side；　and　ten

thousand　at　thy　right　hand；　but　it　shall　not　come　nigh　thee。　　Only　with

thine　eyes　shalt　thou　behold　and　see　the　reward　of　the　wicked。

Because　thou　hast　made　the　Lord；　which　is　my　refuge；　even　the　most

High；　thy　habitation；　there　shall　no　evil　befall　thee；　neither　shall　any

plague　come　nigh　thy　dwelling；'　&C。



I　scarce　need　tell　the　reader　that　from　that　moment　I　resolved　that　I

would　stay　in　the　town；　and　casting　myself　entirely　upon　the　goodness

and　protection　of　the　Almighty；　would　not　seek　any　other　shelter

whatever；　and　that；　as　my　times　were　in　His　hands；　He　was　as　able　to

keep　me　in　a　time　of　the　infection　as　in　a　time　of　health；　and　if　He　did

not　think　fit　to　deliver　me；　still　I　was　in　His　hands；　and　it　was　meet　He

should　do　with　me　as　should　seem　good　to　Him。



With　this　resolution　I　went　to　bed；　and　I　was　further　confirmed　in　it

the　next　day　by　the　woman　being　taken　ill　with　whom　I　had　intended

to　entrust　my　house　and　all　my　affairs。　　But　I　had　a　further　obligation

laid　on　me　on　the　same　side；　for　the　next　day　I　found　myself　very

much　out　of　order　also；　so　that　if　I　would　have　gone　away；　I　could

not；〃　and　I　continued　ill　three　or　four　days；　and　this　entirely

determined　my　stay；　so　I　took　my　leave　of　my　brother；　who　went　away

to　Dorking；　in　Surrey；　and　afterwards　fetched　a　round　farther　into

Buckinghamshire　or　Bedfordshire；　to　a　retreat　he　had　found　out　there

for　his　family。



It　was　a　very　ill　time　to　be　sick　in；　for　if　any　one　complained；　it　was

immediately　said　he　had　the　plague；　and　though　I　had　indeed　no

symptom　of　that　distemper；　yet　being　very　ill；　both　in　my　head　and　in

my　stomach；　I　was　not　without　apprehension　that　I　really　was

infected；　but　in　about　three　days　I　grew　better；　the　third　night　I　rested

well；　sweated　a　little；　and　was　much　refreshed。　　The　apprehensions　of

its　being　the　infection　went　also　quite　away　with　my　illness；　and　I

went　about　my　business　as　usual。



These　things；　however；　put　off　all　my　thoughts　of　going　into　the

country；　and　my　brother　also　being　gone；　I　had　no　more　debate　either

with　him　or　with　myself　on　that　subject。



It　was　now　mid…July；　and　the　plague；　which　had　chiefly　raged　at　the

other　end　of　the　town；　and；　as　I　said　before；　in　the　parishes　of　St　Giles；

St　Andrew's；　Holborn；　and　towards　Westminster；　began　to　now　come

eastward　towards　the　part　where　I　lived。　　It　was　to　be　observed；

indeed；　that　it　did　not　come　straight　on　towards　us；　for　the　city；　that　is

to　say；　within　the　walls；　was　indifferently　healthy　still；　nor　was　it　got

then　very　much　over　the　water　into　Southwark；　for　though　there　died

that　week　1268　of　all　distempers；　whereof　it　might　be　supposed　above

600　died　of　the　plague；　yet　there　was　but　twenty…eight　in　the　whole

city；　within　the　walls；　and　but　nineteen　in　Southwark；　Lambeth　parish

included；　whereas　in　the　parishes　of　St　Giles　and　St　Martin…in…the…

Fields　alone　there　died　421。



But　we　perceived　the　infection　kept　chiefly　in　the　out…parishes；

which　being　very　populous；　and　fuller　also　of　poor；　the　distemper

found　more　to　prey　upon　than　in　the　city；　as　I　shall　observe　afterwards。

We　perceived；　I　say；　the　distemper　to　draw　our　way；　viz。；　by　the

parishes　of　Clarkenwell；　Cripplegate；　Shoreditch；　and　Bishopsgate；

which　last　two　parishes　joining　to　Aldgate；　Whitechappel；　and　Stepney；

the　infection　came　at　length　to　spread　its　utmost　rage　and　violence　in

those　parts；　even　when　it　abated　at　the　western　parishes　where　it　began。



It　was　very　strange　to　observe　that　in　this　particular　week；　from　the

4th　to　the　11th　of　July；　when；　as　I　have　observed；　there　died　near　400

of　the　plague　in　the　two　parishes　of　St　Martin　and　St　Giles…in…the…

Fields　only；　there　died　in　the　parish　of　Aldgate　but　four；　in　the　parish

of　Whitechappel　three；　in　the　parish　of　Stepney　but　one。



Likewise　in　the　next　week；　from　the　11th　of　July　to　the　18th；　when

the　week's　bill　was　1761；　yet　there　died　no　more　of　the　plague；　on　the

whole　Southwark　side　of　the　water；　than　sixteen。

But　this　face　of　things　soon　changed；　and　it　began　to　thicken　in

Cripplegate　parish　especially；　and　in　Clarkenwell；　so　that　by　the

second　week　in　August；　Cripplegate　parish　alone　buried　886；　and

Clarkenwell　155。　　Of　the　first；　850　might　well　be　reckoned　to　die　of

the　plague；　and　of　the　last；　the　bill　itself　said　145　were　of　the　plague。



During　the　month　of　July；　and　while；　as　I　have　observed；　our　part　of

the　town　seemed　to　be　spared　in　comparison　of　the　west　part；　I　went

ordinarily　about　the　streets；　as　my　business　required；　and　particularly

went　generally　once　in　a　day；　or　in　two　days；　into　the　city；　to　my

brother's　house；　which　he　had　given　me　charge　of；　and　to　see　if　it　was

safe；　and　having　the　key　in　my　pocket；　I　used　to　go　into　the　house；　and

over　most　of　the　rooms；　to　see　that　all　was　well；　for　though　it　be

something　wonderful　to　tell；　that　any　should　have　hearts　so　hardened

in　the　midst　of　such　a　calamity　as　to　rob　and　steal；　yet　certain　it　is　that

all　sorts　of　villainies；　and　even　levities　and　debaucheries；　were　then

practised　in　the　town　as　openly　as　ever　…　I　will　not　say　quite　as

frequently；　because　the　numbers　of　people　were　many　ways　lessened。



But　the　city　itself　began　now　to　be　visited　too；　I　mean　within　the

walls；　but　the　number　of　people　there　were　indeed　extremely　lessened

by　so　great　a　multitude　having　been　gone　into　the　country；　and　even

all　this　month　of　July　they　continued　to　flee；　though　not　in　such

multitudes　as　formerly。　　In　August；　indeed；　they　fled　in　such　a　manner

that　I　began　to　think　there　would　be　really　none　but　magistrates　and

servants　left　in　the　city。



As　they　fled　now　out　of　the　city；　so　I　should　observe　that　the　Court

removed　early；　viz。；　in　the　month　of　June；　and　went　to　Oxford；　where

it　pleased　God　to　preserve　them；　and　the　distemper　did　not；　as　I　heard

o